Katniss and Cinna

This looks to be right before she heads into the arena. It's killing me!

One more week!

Everdeen. Katniss Everdeen.

First look at Katniss in action. I'm pretty sure Seneca Crane is about ready to lose it.



I am very excited for this. I hope it doesn't let me down.

I'm rooting for The Artist, but you probably already knew that.

Just hand over that Best Picture statuette, please.

The Oscar nominations were just announced this morning. My oh my, I have been waiting for this.

I am...

Delighted: The Artist got all the noms I predicted for it and more.

Pleasantly surprised: about the nominations for Gary Oldman, Jonah Hill, and Melissa McCarthy.

Astonished: not to see Michael Fassbender somewhere on this list since he’s been in 53 movies this year. I was beginning to think I couldn't escape him.

Amazed: at how many nominations Hugo got despite its relatively small buzz leading up to the awards.

Shocked: that Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close got a nom for Supporting Actor let alone Best Picture.

Relieved: so, so relieved that I won’t have to see Carnage. Sorry talented actors who starred in it, but if you want me to be excited about your movie, don't work with Roman Polanski.

Disgusted: that I will now have to see The Tree of Life. I loathe Terrence Malick.

Disappointed: that Ewan McGregor wasn’t noticed for the finest performance I’ve ever seen him give, in The Beginners.

Avoiding: my sister Jen who will surely be furious that Leonardo Dicaprio was snubbed for his role in J. Edgar, despite the fact that she hasn’t yet seen it.

Excited: to start overdosing on movies! I have seen 4 of the 9 Best Picture nominees, so I have a long way to go.

Let the Oscar readiness begin!

I'll be roaming about Salzburg dressed up in nothing but some old drapes and having a marvelous time.

So, the family and I are all set for our trip to Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna in September.

Things I have learned from the trip planning experience:

1. I could never be a travel agent.
2. Oktoberfest actually occurs in September.
3. In Germany, dogs are allowed in restaurants.

I am super excited for this trip. Being the crazy-organized planner that I am (I already have two Excel spreadsheets created for this trip--there will be more), I've got a list of stuff I want to do before we leave:

1. Find the perfect bag.

It has to be light but tough, small but roomy, and it must be in backpack form. I have walked all over a lot of different cities, and there's nothing like a backpack for keeping your shoulders from aching and your hands free for your camera. I have already purchased a small padlock to discourage pesky pickpockets, but I must find the bag!

2. Learn a bit of German so that I have a base to build upon when we get there.

This strategy served me well in Italy where, by the end of our trip, I had learned enough Italian to have a halting conversation with a local. (I was extremely fluent in ordering gelato.) Unfortunately, some evil person checked the level 1 German language CDs out of my local library three years ago and has yet to return them. I don't even want to contemplate that fine. On second thought, yes I do. I hope it's dreadful. I'm not about to go straight to level 2, so I'll need to figure something out. The only German I know is the little bit I picked up in the concentration camp scene in Band of Brothers.

3. Learn how to better use my Nikon.

There are going to be lots of amazing photography opportunities as we wander all over the Alps. I'd like to make the most of them.

4. Establish a packing plan that Rick Steves would, if not be proud of, at least not sneer at.

Mr. Steves is the guru of packing light. And by that I mean "travel for three months and live out of a small backpack." I'll never achieve that level of madness, but my dream is to be able to carry on my luggage for a Europe trip. Hopefully, this will be the time.

Bilbo!

Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Tolkien geeks, my people, have a look at this:


EW just released a few photos. I do believe I see Thorin in the background, there, looking severe and awesome.

Cannot wait!

So, Thorin Oakenshield was... devastatingly handsome?

Casting news for The Hobbit is obviously exciting for many reasons, not the least of which is, if they're casting people, it indicates they're actually planning to make the movie. Martin Freeman landed the choice role of Bilbo and I couldn't be happier. Aside from being perfect for the role, he actually kinda looks like a young Ian Holm. Most promising. I hope he is practicing his "flummoxed" looks as I type.

"What has it got in its pocketses, precious?"

There were announcements of scads of British and Irish actors I've never heard of for the roles of Kili and Fili and etc. Dare I hope for John Rhys-Davies to change his mind and come back and play Gloin as nature intended? I do dare, indeed. Let's all hope together. Make sure you hope hard, because if this doesn't work, we'll all know whose fault it was.

Now for the surprising news that left me flummoxed for a moment and then elated for all the moments after it. Thorin will be played by Richard Armitage! Whee! If you're sitting there saying, "But Allison, who the crap is Richard Armitage?" then I pity you, because he is awesome in dozens of ways and dreamy to boot. Go Netflix Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South or the BBC's Robin Hood and then return here and agree heartily with me re: his talent and his dreaminess.

To quote horrible, awful Rachel Zoe, "I die!"

Also, this puts a whole new spin on Thorin for me. Now I'm thinking of him as the James Bond of the dwarven race.

How they're going to transform this dashing face into a dwarf is beyond me.

Why, hello, Mr. Thornton.

But I look forward to finding out.