Vincent Price and his Book of Joe

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I was terribly sad when I realized that I was going to be in Italy over the Vincentennial - that is, the 100th anniversary of Vincent Price's birth that happened on May 27th - because I would've loved to have done something. I contemplated getting something together beforehand, but with all my travel planning that wasn't to be. But who says the Vincentennial's stuck to one measly day? It's the whole year, dang it. So it feels right to post these images that I've been sitting on for awhile.

Price wrote a book in 1961 called The Book of Joe, that was an "autobiography" of his beloved dog. It's hard to find - I stumbled across a copy in a used book shop in South Carolina a couple of years ago - but it's a delight. Like his equally awesome cookbook, you can't help but here his distinctive voice behind every word, and it jolts even the most simple of stories with that always electric presence.The book's got several illustrations by artist Leo Hershfield in it; I glanced around the internet and saw the images don't appear to have ever made their way online, and they seemed worth sharing. Especially for the Vincentennial. Something a bit different. Click any of the images to embiggen!

I Am Link

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--- Three Will Enter - According to Vulture three actors have been offered roles in The Hunger Games - Woody Harrelson has been offered the role of Seneca Crane (click the character's name for more info), who designed the Games; meanwhile Stanley Tucci and Lenny Kravitz have been offered unspecified roles.

Vulture posits that Tucci could be President Snow or perhaps the stylist Cinna, although he's way older than the Cinna I had in my head. Somebody else somewhere (can't remember where I saw the spec) though that Kravitz could be up for Cinna and while that doesn't really make me happy (I hate Lenny Kravitz) it makes more sense. I pictured Cillian Murphy as Cinna when I read the books. What do we think?

--- Speaking of, two more no-name tributes have been added to The Hunger Games list o' death - the boy and girl from District 4 will be played by Ethan Jamieson and Tara Macken (she's another stunt chick). You can see what little bit they have to do over at Wiki. (Those be spoilers, if that weren't clear.)

--- Aunt-Em All Stars - This only gets mentioned in the rarest of instances here at MNPP because I live in deepest shame and denial with regards to my continued viewing of America's Next Top Model, but apparently next season will be an All-Stars Edition. My mind's blown. I am dying to see who makes it. DYING. If they bring back my beloved Shandi or Russian mail-order bride Natasha ("In my country we have war.") I will explode with happiness all over the place.

--- Through To Woods - This news broke last evening but it was past posting-time for me so here it be: Lionsgate snatched up the distribution rights to Cabin in the Woods, the Joss Whedon written and Drew Goddard directed and Hemsworth starring horror movie we've all been sitting on our thumbs waiting for for ages. Hooray! It will probably get released before the end of the year. Double hooray! I knew we'd see it eventually but it's nice there's actual forward momentum.

--- Skin's In Season - Pedro Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In will be out in the US some time in November.

--- Summer's Studs - Wondering what's up with the menfolk for the next several weeks of movie releases? Then head over to Towleroad where TFE's Nathaniel is telling us what to look for.

--- And over at TFE proper Michael has given some well-earned love to the production design of Park Chan-wook's spectacular Oldboy.

--- Kid A + B = C - Mark Ruffalo loves Radiohead. I love Radiohead and I love Mark Ruffalo. It is all coming together!!! And by "all" I mean "me and Mark Ruffalo" and by "coming together" I mean "coming together." (via)

--- Real Beauty - Over at Stale Popcorn Glenn glances at three new posters - the wedding invitation-esque one for Meloncholia I mentioned yesterday, the gender-bending Albert Nobbs with Glenn Close, and the lovely lovely lovely one for Sleeping Beauty.

--- Extra Alien - Apparently Guy Pearce is in Ridley Scott's not-an-Alien Alien movie Prometheus. We love Guy and were very very happy to see that he put on a couple pounds in Mildred Pierce. He'd gotten way too skinny there for awhile. No idea who he's playing, but he's there on set acting according to people on the set. Hmm. Maybe he's playing King Alien! We already memorably had a queen.

--- Horror Movie Musical Chairs - Yesterday I told you that Final Destination 5 got moved ahead two weeks so that it was being released on August 17th, the same day as the Guillermo Del Toro produced Don't Be Afraid of the Dark remake. Well now the latter film's moved to where Destination was - Don't Be Afraid... will now come out on August 26th. They swapped!

--- And finally, here's a clip of Vincent Price starring as an evil vampire Count in a 70s made-for-TV-movie that starred the Bee Gees. Beyond awesome! (via)

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