Movies: All Divas All The Time — Piggy, Tink, Natalie, Tilda, Cleopatra

Clooney and his onscreen girls in THE DESCENDANTS

NATHANIEL ROGERS
...would live in the movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience. Follow him on Twitter @nathanielr.

 
NOW IN THEATERS
Writer/director Alexander Payne (Sideways) is back after a long hiatus with THE DESCENDANTS. The dramedy finds a wealthy Hawaiian landowner (George Clooney) totally at sea with the women in his life (his wife is in a coma, and his daughters are hard to handle) while attempting to find his footing on land as the family prepares to sell their unspoiled prime real estate. It's a certain player in this year's Oscar race. 

Less certain is whether Academy voters will go for a second round with those dancing penguins in HAPPY FEET TWO. 

Meanwhile, mopey terrible-role-model Bella "I'm nothing without a man!" Swan is back to marry her vampire in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 but don't make me talk about it. Let's illustrated Bella's return with a photo of Miss Piggy as "Bella Swine" because the world would be a better place with more Muppets (next week!) and less Twilight. Breaking Dawn supposedly has a 35 minute wedding sequence and I swear to god the next person who tells me they thought the brilliant Rachel Getting Married was boring or that the hilarious bridal shower toasts in Bridesmaids went on too long is getting karate chopped. "Hiiii-yaaaaa."

May Oscar winning out filmmaker Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Kinsey, Gods and Monsters) survive his years with Bella & Edward and return to making good movies with more progressive sexual politics soon.

BONUS SCENES

On the topic of Bridesmaids, have you watched the "line-o-rama" feature on the DVD/Blu Ray? It's crazy to to soak in all that discarded improv comedy. Even Rose Byrne can do it! Who knew she had that performance in her? 

NATALIE, CLEOPATRA, TILDA, TINK & GLINDA, AFTER THE JUMP...

Natalie Wood's Death Reopened as Homicide Investigation: VIDEO

An investigation into the death of actress Natalie Wood, whose drowning after a night of partying on a yacht with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken off Catalina Island in 1981 was ruled an accident, has been reopened as a homicide case, The Press Association reports:

The renewed look at Wood's November 29, 1981, death comes after detectives received new information about the case, Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

No additional details were provided, but a detective planned to hold a news conference today, and anyone with information about the case was being asked to contact sheriff's officials...

...Wood, a three-time Oscar nominee famous for roles in West Side Story, Rebel Without A Cause and other Hollywood hits, was 43 when she died.

The case has become one of Hollywood's most alluring mysteries. Wood's drowning sparked tabloid speculation that foul play was involved, but Wagner and Wood's sister have dismissed any suggestion there was foul play.

The WaPo adds:

TMZ reports the reason for the reinvestigation may be the 2009 book, “Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour,” written by Marti Rulli with the boat’s captain Dennis Davern. The book suggests foul play, according to TMZ. Wagner and Wood’s sister, Lana Wood, have both denied this in the past.

In an interview with “Today,” Davern said he “did lie on a [police] report several years ago.” He told David Gregory he thought Wagner intentionally kept the case low profile. When asked if he thought Wagner was “responsible” for Wood’s death, Davern responded, “Yes, I would say so.”

Watch the TODAY show interview, AFTER THE JUMP...