Furthermore: Where the Headlines Take You

And the Winner Is. . .

The Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences recently made a surprise announcement – next year, the field of nominees for the best picture will be increased from five to ten. This may be great news for movie lovers, since it will hopefully make more superlative movies accessible to more people on more movie theater screens in more towns across America.

For many people, the highlight of the Academy Awards broadcast is checking out the stars’ outfits and discussing which ones are fabulous and which are appalling. Fashion writer Bronwyn Cosgrave has written just the book for folks with this interest – Made For Each Other is a carefully researched history of the intersection between high fashion and the annual trip down the Oscar red carpet. Cosgrave chronicles the history of Academy Award fashion from the first ceremony in 1928, discusses the partnerships between stars and designers (Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy; Cher and Bob Mackie; Grace Kelly and Edith Head), and considers how press coverage of Oscars fashion can be an easy route to positive publicity for an actress. Of course, the book is lavishly illustrated, with designers’ drawings as well as historic photographs of some totally fabulous dresses.

And speaking of the glamorous side of the Oscars, don’t miss Oscar Night, Graydon Carter and David Friend’s lavish celebration of tinseltown parties. You’ll learn some fascinating facts, for example: from the 1920s to the late 1950s, the Oscar ceremony was the party, and there were no after-the-ceremony parties. Lots of photos, lots of stars (current, former, and nearly forgotten), and lots of vintage gossip!

If facts, data and history are not your bent (no matter how glamorous they may be!), you might want to check out the film For Your Consideration. Writer/stars Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy present a comic examination of the effect Hollywood buzz has on movie people. The story is this: The independent film "Home for Purim" is still in production when the cast and crew learn that one of their number may be in the running for an Oscar nomination. Then the pressure is on: tensions between cast members rise, the producers worry that the film might be "too Jewish" and press to change the title to "Home for Thanksgiving," one of the actors demands a raise, and another breaks up with her actor boyfriend, saying he’s not supportive of her career. The question that remains is, will any of the actors actually get nominated?