Alright, during the first commercial break, the testosterone section here at Poinsettia and Sunset talked Jon Stewart's on-the-mark opening monologue and costume design, of all things.  The guys thought "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" deserved the win, though I might be a little torn.  The threads in "Sweeney Todd" were quite amazing, I thought.  But the first award of the night is out of the way, and here's what we had to say about it.

Variety has the story on last night's Costume Designers Guild Awards, where Colleen Atwood ("Sweeney Todd"), Ann Roth ("The Golden Compass") and Julie Weiss ("Blades of Glory") reigned supreme.  The question lingering is, will Atwood turn the same trick at the Oscars?

Not so fast.

While Atwood has two Oscars to her credit ("Chicago" and "Memoirs of a Geisha"), she now has a whopping five trophies from the guild, adding "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events," "Sleepy Hollow" and, now, "Sweeney" to the list.

The guild clearly loves her, having even nominated her for "Planet of the Apes" in 2000.

Incidentally, I was over at the FIDM fashion institute downtown this afternoon checking out the film costume design showcase and one of the curators was going on and on about how "nice" and "cool" Atwood is.  She's a legend in the field, but that doesn't always translate over to the Academy at large, so be careful.

Jacqueline Durran and Alexandra Byrne are still heavy favorites to take this statuette.  The latter, especially, features wall-to-wall garbs that might be too intoxicating to pass up, much like last year's "Marie Antoinette."  The former, meanwhile, has that sparkling green dress and plenty of period threads to prove a suitable winner.  It's a tight race, but Atwood's win yesterday evening doesn't add as much steam as one might think, so go with the gut here (which, for some, may very well be Atwood).

And check out Salini Dore's FIDM film costume design exhibit profile if you just can't get enough.

Variety sets about detailing the infrastructure of Oscar week this weekend with a number of stories, starting at the top with Bill Higgins' lede regarding the ghost town that is the post-Oscar party scene this season.

Mia McNeice follows it up with a look at the red carpet's sky-rocketing popularity, quoting our own Army Archerd, who first stepped onto the rug way back in 1948!  McNeice also passes on some sage wisdom regarding the art of the acceptance speech, as well as some beauty tips for the stars.

It isn't a one-woman show, however, as Anna Stewart digs into the "zenith of men's fashion" with a look at male apparel this year.  And speaking of apparel, Shalini Dore wraps things up with a profile of FIDM's costume design showcase, on display through April.

For the event-obssessed, there is also a calendar of the week's soirees that is painfully detailed.  Check it all out here!

Actress in a Leading Role Marion Cotillard
Costume Design Marit Allen
Makeup Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald

Costume Design  Albert Wolsky

Art Direction  Dennis Gassner (Art Direction); Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration)
Visual Effects  Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood

Remember that green dress from "Atonement" that has been considered the greatest piece of film costuming ever, or something like that?  Anyway, if you want it, you can have it.  Focus Features has announced plans to auction the threads off to some lucky eccentric.

The press release, in part:

LOS ANGELES, January 31, 2008 – An iconic piece of movie history from one of this year’s Best Picture Oscar nominees will be auctioned off to benefit Variety – The Children’s Charity of Southern California, beginning later this week. The Clothes Off Our Back Foundation will host the online auction of the green evening dress worn by Keira Knightley in Focus Features’ Atonement, which is nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Costume Design. Focus CEO James Schamus made the announcement today.

The auction begins Friday, February 1st at the Foundation’s site www.clothesoffourback.org and ends Saturday, March 1st. Bidding will start at $1,000. The auction is for the green evening dress memorably worn during the crucial emotional and romantic sequences by Ms. Knightley as Cecilia Tallis, opposite James McAvoy as Robbie Turner, in director Joe Wright’s Atonement. Upon the film’s release, the dress quickly became one of the most influential cinematic costumes of recent years, being spotlighted on The Today Show and detailed on the covers of newspapers and magazines.

Mr. Schamus commented, “Atonement is an epic romance that has moved filmgoers, and garnered awards and acclaim, all over the world. As with our previous auction of the two shirts worn in Brokeback Mountain, we are proud to give someone a chance to own a cherished part of a beloved film and in the process benefit the Variety charity.”

If you need a refresher on the smokin' hot dress in question, here you go:


 
It makes you wonder.  With all the attention this dress is getting, Jacquelin Durran might be on her way to winning the Oscar after all.  I kind of thought "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" had it in the bag, and given the win for last year's "Marie Antointte," we know they don't care about "quality" in this category.  But with this Best Picture nominee in the mix, perhaps that's the way to go.

The dress is also being displayed at FIDM's annual film costume showcase, according to the LA Times.  You know, if you have to see it IMMEDIATELY and can't afford to jump into the bidding war.

Actress in a Supporting Role  Saoirse Ronan
Art Direction  Sarah Greenwood (Art Direction); Katie Spencer (Set Decoration)
Cinematography  Seamus McGarvey
Costume Design  Jacqueline Durran
Music (Score)  Dario Marianelli
Best Picture  Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)  Written by Christopher Hampton

Actor in a Leading Role  Johnny Depp
Art Direction  Dante Ferretti (Art Direction); Francesca Lo Schiavo (Set Decoration)
Costume Design  Colleen Atwood

From Award Central (I've bolded what I think might be the Oscar frontrunners):

Contemporary Film:

"Blades of Glory"
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
"Into the Wild"
"Juno"
"Ocean's Thirteen"

Period Film:

"3:10 to Yuma"
"Atonement"
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
"La Vie en Rose"
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Fantasy Film:

"300"
"Enchanted"
"The Golden Compass"
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

Another feature from Variety this week, the Eye on the Oscars: The Look special, which focuses on design elements in 2007's awards hopefuls.  There are 8 films featured specifically, in addition to two separate feature pieces.

First, Kathy A. Macdonald takes a look at the mixture of authenticity and post-modern spin in the year's frontier pics: "3:10 to Yuma," "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and "There Will Be Blood."  The costume and production design heads from each are quoted.

Addmie Morfoot, meanwhile, looks at the spectrum through the other lens, detailing depictions of and diversity on location in the Big Apple.  "Across the Universe," "American Gangster," "The Brave One," "Enchanted," "The Hoax," "I Am Legend," "Michael Clayton" and "We Own the Night" are all featured.  I didn't realize how much NYC played into this year's product until I read that piece...interesting.

First and foremost, a happy and safe New Year to you all.  With 2008 coming in, oh, about fifteen and a half hours (for us west coasters, anyway), I thought it would be beneficial to offer up a list of important dates.  A lot of key events are slated for the next few weeks and the Oscar season will pretty much be full steam ahead from here on out.

The guilds are the focus of January, all of which are more likely to forecast the Oscar situation more than any critics group thus far, of that you can be sure.  Taking a measure of the guilds is key when it comes to gauging apparent disinterest ("Cold Mountain") or surprising unanimity for films that might have otherwise been considered far-fetched in the big race ("Capote," "Little Miss Sunshine").

Here's what to look for next month:

January 3: Five finalists for USC Scripter award announced.
January 7: BFCA hosts the Critics Choice Awards (Live on VH1).
January 7: VES nominees announced (Visual Effects Society).
January 7: ASC theatrical and TV nominees announced (American Society of Cinematographers)*
January 8: DGA feature film nominees announced (Directors Guild of America).
January 9: Winners of USC Scripter awards announced.
January 10: CAS nominees announced (Cinema Audio Society).
January 10: DGA documentary nominees announced.
January 10: WGA screen nominees announced (Writers Guild of America).
January 11: ACE nominees announced (American Cinema Editors).
January 11: ADG announces nominees (Art Directors Guild).
January 12: AMPAS nominations polls close, end of Oscar voting.
January 13: HFPA hosts Golden Globe Awards (Live on NBC...maybe).
January 14: PGA motion picture and long-form television nominees announced. (Producers Guild of America).
January 16: AMPAS announces seven bake-off finalists for Best Visual Effects category.
January 16: BAFTA nominations announced (British Academy).
January 18: CDG nomees announced (Costume Designers Guild).
January 22: Oscar nominees announced for the 80th Annual Academy Awards (Live on E!, et al).
January 26: DGA Awards.
January 27: SAG Awards (Live on TNT, except on west coast).

Whew.  Hope you're ready...

*This is listed as "week of" at the ASC's official website, so expect a date to be nailed down in due time.

This isn't exactly a shocker, but Ang Lee's racy "Lust, Caution" swept the Golden Horse Awards this weekend (kind of the Asian version of the Oscars).  Variety has the story.

Lee and Tony Leung were cited for Best Director and Best Actor, while Tang Wei grabbed the newcomer award.  The film also took down Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Costume Design and Best Original Film Score.

They liked the film so much, they apparently tossed another award Lee's way, for Outstanding Taiwanese Filmaker of the Year.

Anyway, like I said, no major twist of events.  It'll be interesting to see if the film can gain any traction whatsoever with the Academy.  There are people who hate it, there are people who think it's in the realm of a masterpiece.  Funny how these things work out.

Nathaniel Rogers of The Film Experience has some reactions to the awards up.  Give it a look.

•  Yours truly takes a look at "The Great Debaters." [In Contention]

•  Anne Thompson offers some hard Oscar knocks for "Into the Wild," "Zodiac," indicates potential awards greatness for "Enchanted." [Thompson on Hollywood]

•  T.L. Stanley wonders if "August Rush" could be this year's "Mr. Holland's Opus." [Gold Rush]

•  The Envelope continues to give more and more tech category consideration due, one would assume, to Sheigh Crabtree's spirited efforts...bravo.  Today, Patrick "I hate Oscar bloggers" Goldstein talks to Harris Savides, largely about "American Gangster."  [The Envelope]

•  Meanwhile, Elizabeth Snead talks to Alexandra Byrne about the one nomination you can put money on for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age": Best Costume Design. [The Envelope]

•  Mark Olsen chats it up with Todd Haynes re: "I'm Not There." [The Envelope]

•  Choire Sicha has a profile of "Diving Bell" star Emmanuelle Seigner. [Los Angeles Times]

•  According to the AP, a judge argues against the sale of two Mark Pickford Oscars in Los Angeles county. [Variety]

•  Tom O'Neil updates us on what films guild and Academy members have recieved, though he leaves off the Focus titles (which shipped this week). [Gold Derby]

•  Jeffrey Wells thinks Time magazine has "damned" the Oscar chances of "Charlie Wilson's War" by talking about the film with a light and whimsical syntax. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

•  Lou Lumenick responds to the documentary feature shortlist. [New York Post]

•  Documentary director A.J. Schnack does the same...in fact, he's a little pissed, to be quite honest. [All These Wonderful Things, indieWIRE]

•  Ryan C. Adams takes us back to "Waitress." [Awards Daily]

•  "American Gangster" draws heat and accusations of drifting a bit too far from the truth from the real Richie Roberts. [New York Post]

•  Lou Lumenick talks about it in his blog. [New York Post]

•  Tom O'Neil responds to all. [Gold Derby]

•  And Jeffrey Wells takes the wrong-headed approach. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

•  O'Neil also stirs the waters of a potential smear campaign to come, yet AGAIN pulling out the old "A Beautiful Mind" scenario from 2001. [Gold Derby]

•  Lots of action at The Envelope, as Paul Lieberman talks to Nicole Kidman about "Margot at the Wedding." [The Envelope]

•  Mark Olsen, meanwhile, dishes "Gone Baby Gone" with supporting actress hopeful Amy Ryan. [The Envelope]

•  Susan King has a chat with harm-warming favorite Hal Holbrook. [The Envelope]

•  And Elizabeth Snead discusses the threads of "The Golden Compass" with veteran costume designer Ruth Myers. [The Envelope]

•  Anne Thompson responds to yesterday's Gurus o' Gold director and screenplay predictions. [Thomspon on Hollywood]

•  Admitted Jonny Greenwood fan Ryan C. Adams gets into Entertainment Weekly's holiday preview tid-bit on the score of "There Will Be Blood," with a couple of other interesting insights. [Awards Daily]

•  A far cry from "A Mighty Heart," Angie talks macabre delights and "Beowulf" with William Keck. [USA Today]

•  Old news, but Steve Daly -- one of the chosen ones who has seen "Sweeney Todd" -- talks the bloddy musical up and down in a cover story. [Entertainment Weekly]

•  Karen Valby has a Diablo Cody profile. [Entertainment Weekly]

•  Eugene Hernandez launches his "Awards Watch" articles... [indieWIRE]

•  ...and offers his first set of predictions at his blog, "Eugonline." [indieWIRE]

•  Peter Knegt does same at "The Lost Boy." [indieWIRE]

•  "But seriously, folks"...amidst all the awards chatter, Variety launches a new blog dedicated to WGA strike talk and coverage. [Scribe Vibe]

Paramount Vantage has added costume design sketches and production design sketches of "The Kite Runner" to their VantageGuilds.com website.  Give it a look.  It could go a long way in garnering branch support for the film, or, at the very least, assist in flooding the beat with material for a film that could be warm-hearted enough to push into Best Picture contention.