The Slug Club

Jim Broadbent (a.k.a. Bridget Jones' dad) has been cast as Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which, incidentally, started filming today. He won't be on set immediately, as he's currently filming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. (Discussion of the horror of that title for another post.)

I think I like the casting, although I sort of had my heart set on Bob Hoskins. But Broadbent's a fabulous actor, so I trust he'll do the part justice - you know, doubling as a giant squishy armchair.

Before He Was House

My renewed love affair with Kate Winslet prompted me to pull out Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility. As I started the movie, I anticipated the first appearance of one of my favorite characters - the acerbic, baby-hating Mr. Palmer. And then it occurred to me that Mr. Palmer is played by none other than Hugh Laurie! Pictured here with a slightly blonde Alan Rickman, who plays the endearing Colonel Brandon.

Can't Buy Me Fame

For me Tuesday is a slow night on television. Yeah, yeah, I know that the new season of American Idol has just started and I could be watching Randy Jackson calling everyone "dawg" and Simon making snide remarks and Paula...well, acting all hyper and coked out. But instead, I'm watching Can't Buy Me Love on the Lifetime Movie Network. I used to love this movie when I was about 9. I used to watch it with Anna all the time after we taped it off TV. And a little trip to IMDB revealed a few little known facts about this Before-He-Was-McDreamy movie.

* Seth Green plays Patrick Dempsey's little brother (and P.S. he also guest starred on two episodes of The Facts of Life)

* The movie costars Gerardo of "Rico Suave" fame

* The Monkeys' Mickey Dolenz's daughter is in the movie

* And - here's the clincher - Paula Abdul appears as an uncredited dancer

Otherwise it's a veritable feast of has-beens. But I'm counting on a major comeback by Cindi Mancini.

Film Fluff

While taking a break from my manic cleaning last night, I caught the beginning of Down with Love on Oxygen. I'd forgotten this movie - and forgotten that I own it! But I pulled it out today and watched it. I think it floated under the radar of most when it was in the theater, but it's definitely worth a watch.

When I was growing up, TNT used to run blocks of old movies in the summer time (instead of its current hit parade of Law & Order). I can remember watching Doris Day & Rock Hudson marathons, the Elvis week and Esther Williams specials. No one shows Esther Williams anymore - the bathing beauty who took synchronized swimming to the big screen in movies like Million Dollar Mermaid, Dangerous When Wet and Neptune's Daughter (which also featured Red Skelton and Ricardo Montalbon). The slapstick situation comedy of all those old movies from the 50's and 60's is parodied so well in Down with Love - and with so much respect to the movies to which it pays tribute. Ewan McGregor's portrayal of a suave sixties cad is spot-on perfect.

And I had forgotten that Sarah Paulson from Studio 60 plays Renee Zellweger's editor - reminding me of Penelope's post the other day about movie connections. And then when I looked her up on IMDB, I realized she'd also been on Deadwood. She's just as fabulous in this film as she is on Studio.

As a bonus the DVD credits include a music video with McGregor and Zellweger who wanted to match musical talents, having both just come off huge musical successes (McGregor in Moulin Rouge! and Zellweger in Chicago). So put on your Jackie O sunglasses, mix a martini and get down with love.

Question

Did anyone else remember that Sarah Jessica Parker was in Footloose? I missed that. Thank goodness for VH1 Movies that Rock to complete my education.