For some reason (like a smoking hot photo shoot) I was reminded about the negativity surrounding Hathaway's casting as Catwoman.

Are you implying that you are viewing a smoking hot photo shoot of Anne Hathaway? Because I would be interested in such a shoot.

What I seem to be implying is that you're behind in Natter, but here's more: [link] and [link]

Oh, I am eternally behind in Natter, and I'll bet Hec is ecstatic.

TCM is spotlighting Barbara Stanwyck this December, showing 55 (!) of her movies throughout the month. [link]

I've seen a few of those -- Stella Dallas, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Golden Boy, Meet John Doe, The Lady Eve, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, and possible parts of The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Haven't seen any of her westerns and I'm looking forward to catching up on some of the film noir stuff.

I thought Anne Hathaway was a good choice for Catwoman before the movie, and felt vindicated afterward. She may be best known for The Devil Wears Prada Princess Diaries chickflickiness, but I think it's been well established that the girl has some chops, and I liked her quite a bit as Selina. More than I liked a lot of the rest of the movie, actually, though that's possibly unfair as exactly 0 of my concerns were with acting or actors.

TCM is spotlighting Barbara Stanwyck this December, showing 55 (!) of her movies throughout the month. [link]

Are they showing Night Nurse? I highly recommend it.

It's a pre-code movie. She gets a bootlegger boyfriend!

IIRC it's also the first movie Clark Gable was in. He plays an evil chauffeur.

Haven't seen any of her westerns

Awww, they're not showing The Furies. That's my favorite of her Westerns.

and I'm looking forward to catching up on some of the film noir stuff.

The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers, Clash by Night and Crime of Passion are all pretty great.

Are they showing Night Nurse?

Looks like! It's on the day after Christmas. Clark Gable as an evil chauffeur -- hee! Can't be as disconcerting as Humphrey Bogart as a lovesick Irish stable boy in Dark Victory! (The most inadvertently hilarious movie about brain tumor ever, y/y?)

Thanks for the rec on the film noir front, Hec. I'll have to tell TiVo to grab those.

TCM is also running a bunch of Ernst Lubitsch flicks on Fridays this month. [link] I've only seen Ninotchka and The Shop Around the Corner. I'm excited about finally getting to see Trouble in Paradise in particular!

Can't be as disconcerting as Humphrey Bogart as a lovesick Irish stable boy in Dark Victory! (The most inadvertently hilarious movie about brain tumor ever, y/y?)

Hmmm... I'm gonna go with both. Not to mention that, implausible as he is, Bogart has smokin' chemistry with Davis during that one tipsy scene in the tackroom. It completely blows the rest of the movie for me... it's bad enough that her actual One True Love is chinless and passionless and willing to lie to her for her own good, but that one scene makes it utterly unbelievable that she'd end up with OTL. Seriously, if you had scads of money and nine months to live, what would you really rather do with that last scrap of mortal time -- plight your wifely troth to a chinless liar or run all over Europe with Humphrey Bogart, eating 3-star Michelin meals and screwing like weasels in every gorgeous setting on the entire gorgeous continent?

The same thing broke Philadelphia Story for me. Most Hepburn/Grant films, I'm all about the two of them with little sparkly hearts, but in that one I offer my sincerest apologies to Cary and insist she should've run off with Jimmy instantly.

Thanks for the rec on the film noir front, Hec. I'll have to tell TiVo to grab those.

Clash by Night is notable in that it was written by Clifford Odets and directed by Fritz Lang. Stanwyck's role is really interesting from a feminist perspective. She's restless and doesn't really want to settle down. Robert Ryan gives a great supporting performances. It's a bit soapy and melodramatic but still a great movie. Also young Marilyn Monroe.

Crime of Passion also has an intriguing feminist slant. It was written by a woman, Jo Eisinger (who also did Gilda and Night and the City, so she's got more classic noir behind the camera credits than almost any other woman not Ida Lupino), and Stanwyck plays a career woman who gets bored and bogged down being the suburban wife after she marries for love. Lots of odd subtext in this one. Also old Fay Wray.