Today’s Movie of the Week is a guilty pleasure – Death Becomes Her. In this 1992 dark comedy by Robert Zemeckis, Meryl and Goldie Hawn engage in a fight for life and death, literally. The video archive has been updated with better quality trailers, featurette and film scenes. A couple of on-set pictures have been added to the gallery – as well as high definition screencaptures from the film. Below, you will also find a review I wrote on the film.

I may be biased when it comes to “Death Becomes Her”, since it’s the first film I’ve seen with Meryl, and ultimately the one that made me interested in her acting career. For a body of work full of serious drama, “Death Becomes Her” might be a misleading starting point, however. What’s interesting about the film and Meryl’s performance is how she pokes fun at her own image at that time. In the early nineties, Meryl’s career has been weakened by a string of unsuccessful comedies, “She-Devil” and “Defending your Life”, after a decade of career-defining serious roles. So it’s surprising to see her play a failing actress who does everything in her power – and wallet – to stay young and happening. It’s also the second time in only a few years that Meryl has played an actress. But while she battled drug addiction in “Postcards from the Edge”, here she battles herself, and her enemy of years – childhood friend Helen Sharp. Much of the magic of “Death Becomes Her” comes from the great chemistry between Meryl and Goldie Hawn – they chose this project to work together after declining “Thelma and Louise” – and Bruce Willis, who also makes fun of his own image as an action star with his performance as boozed and whiny Ernest – the man both women are fighting for.

On December 14, director Phyllida Lloyd and Meryl Streep will participate in a panel discussion on “The Iron Lady” at the Apple Store in Soho, New York City. Here’s the press release: Join Oscar Award‒winning actress Meryl Streep and filmmaker Phyllida Lloyd (“Mama Mia”) as they discuss their new film, “The Iron Lady,” a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Streep), the first and only female prime minister of the United Kingdom. One of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. When: Wed, Dec 14 at 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Where: Apple Store, SoHo 103 Prince St. Many thanks to Paul for the heads-up. This will be Meryl’s second Apple store panel after discussing “Fantastic Mr. Fox” at the store in 2009.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime announced Monday that it will air a second season of Lisa Kudrow comedy Web Therapy, set to air in 2012. Transitioning from the web to the tube in summer of 2011, Web Therapy follows psychotherapist Fiona Wallice as she treats a variety of patients via webcam. “We are thrilled that Showtime will air more of the half-hour format of Web Therapy, we really love this version of the show,” Kudrow said in a statement. “Of course, we are over the moon that Meryl Streep will be in this coming season. She was effortlessly hilarious, and it’s a great story. We have Lily Tomlin back who always fantastically funny. Conan O’Brien is beyond, fantastic, he’s a perfect improviser. We’re honestly giddy over the people we have for this season.”

The galleries for all recent Kennedy Center events have been uploaded with additional pictures.

Nora Ephron, whom Streep portrayed in the film “Heartburn,” praised the actress’ portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the upcoming film “The Iron Lady” and warned Secretary Clinton that she would be next. “It’s inevitable,” Ephron said. “Someday you will see her in a movie about your life and discover the truth that she is better at being you than you are.” Amid all the accolades and praise, Streep, 62, who has received 16 Academy Award nominations, winning twice, quipped that events made her “feel a little like Tom Sawyer going to his own funeral.”

Tracey Ullman, first up to honor Streep, said there’s something special about the actress. “Looking around, I see Caroline Kennedy, first lady Michelle Obama, the president … an illustrious group to be sure, but with no disrespect to you guys, we have Meryl-bloody-Streep in the room!” And the laughs continued: After the audience watched a video with highlights from Streep’s film career, 2009 honoree De Niro said, “My first thought was, I was amazing in Deer Hunter.” Then he got serious and said, “Meryl, you are the very best. … I love you.” It was a reunion of The Devil Wears Prada cast – which starred Streep as a fashion editor – when Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt took to the stage. “In every scene, she’s actually doing at least two jobs,” said Blunt. “First, her own character, who is always so complete, so natural, you forget that somewhere in there is Meryl Streep. Then the second is stabilizing the other actor who is having a nervous breakdown because they’re in a scene with Meryl Streep.” Tucci, who also starred as Streep’s character’s husband when she took on the role of Julia Child in Julie & Julia, shared a special requirement of his: “The only thing I want in every scene I’m in is … Meryl Streep.” Below is a compilation from last night’s event with footage from the reception as well as the red carpet and ceremony.

The White House was full of celebrities Sunday evening when U.S. President Barack Obama played host to this year’s five Kennedy Center honorees. The festivities in Washington began with a White House reception, where Obama made his remarks flanked by the honorees. The actual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony takes place afterwards. Pictures can be found in the image library.

According to the president’s speech, “The sheer brilliance and breadth of Meryl Streep’s performances count as one of the most exhilarating cultural spectacles of our time.” Others attending Sunday’s events included actors Stanley Tucci, Robert DeNiro, Sarah Jessica Parker and Emily Blunt, and musician Smokey Robinson. A two-hour recap of the gala will air the night of December 27 on CBS.

As Meryl Streep will be honored tonight at the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, let’s take a look back at her previous appearances. Meryl has attended the annual awards ceremony three times as a speaker. In 1981, actors Donald Sutherland, Richard Chamberlain and Meryl Streep joined on the stage to honor actress Helen Hayes, the First Lady of the American Theatre. They read quotes of famous filmmakers about acting while the last quote, as read by Meryl, was from Miss Hayes herself.

One actress expressed best what all actors feel – Helen Hayes. “I think in acting as in everything else one has to find one’s own center of gravity. But more and more I have come to believe that there are only two styles of acting: Good and bad. A little talent doesn’t hurt, but talent is no good without the discipline. And nothing is any good without endurance. What is talent for an actress? Perhaps it is an instinct for understanding the human heart”. Miss Hayes, for the understanding you have given us, and for the inspiration you offer, we thank you.

In 2003, when Mike Nichols was honored, Meryl and actress Candice Bergen paid tribute to the director of “Silkwood”, “Heartburn”, “Postcards from the Edge” and “Angels in America”, with a poem by Willa Cather – and Mr Nichols’ own “five rules for filmmaking”:

One: The careful application of terror is an important form of communication. Two: Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for. Three: There’s absolutely no substitute for genuine lack of preparation. Four: If you think there’s good in everybody, you haven’t met everybody. Five: Friends may come and go, but enemies will certainly become studio heads.

In 2009, Meryl’s co-star Robert De Niro, with whom she worked together on “The Deer Hunter”, “Falling in Love” and “Marvin’s Room”, was honored. Meryl talked about his acting craft and recalled a moment of watching his process to find the right detail for his character while working on “Falling in Love”.

Actors love Bob’s work because it’s unfailingly honest and it’s uncluttered. He’s relentless in his desire to find just the right detail, the little thing that’s gonna tell you everything about a man. After “The Deer Hunter”, he and I made “Falling in Love”, and I had the privilege of watching his process – in a wardrobe test. For three hours, he tried on 37 identical little boxy jackets. Windbreakers. To me, they looked identical. But, he’s checking the cuff, the color, the zip – up, no, down, down, yeah, no, yeah, down. Until he found the right one. And the right one was the right one because it’s signified, it told you everything about this guy’s socioeconomic status. It showed you his modesty and his precision. It was just tan, it was ignorable. But that’s different from unimportant. Details are important, and Bob knows that.

So, let’s see who will speak on Meryl’s tribute tonight! The awards ceremony will be broadcast on CBS December 27, so in the meantime – check out the video clips of her past appearances.

Yesterday, Meryl Streep and her family have attended the Gala Dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors, which will take place today. President Barack Obama hosts the five recipients of the 34th Kennedy Center Honors at a White House reception Sunday before attending the evening gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s honorees, besides Meryl, are Neil Diamond, Barbara Cook, Yo-Yo Ma and Sonny Rollins. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on CBS December 27.

Six new production stills from “The Iron Lady” have been added to the gallery.

Here’s a very interesting article by Variety on the reception of “The Iron Lady”: Two decades after Margaret Thatcher was ousted by her own Conservative Party, Blighty’s first woman prime minister remains an instantly recognizable global icon who still sparks sharply polarized passions, particularly in the U.K. That level of brand awareness should be a gift to the makers of “The Iron Lady.” But given the strength of feeling she evokes, the question is whether anyone, fan or foe, can bear to watch a movie about her. Damien Jones, producer of the $20 million film, knows from his own family just what a divisive figure Thatcher was. “One of my grandmothers thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. The other used to turn off the television whenever she came on,” he recalls. The media frenzy over the first glimpses of “The Iron Lady” confirms that Britain is as fiercely conflicted as ever between those who regard Thatcher as the greatest leader since Churchill, and those who think she did more damage to the country than anyone since Hitler. When Jones returned to England after living in America, he couldn’t understand why no one had made a film about such a towering personality. “Who else would you choose as one of the iconic figures of the 20th century?” he asks. “After Princess Diana and the Queen, there’s Mrs. Thatcher.” He wasn’t motivated by a specific interest in her politics so much as by a belief that she fitted the template of a marketable British star. “When I saw ‘The Queen’ and how everyone was lauding it, I thought maybe it’s time to try and bring this to fruition,” he says. Pathe, which backed “The Queen,” agreed, especially once the dream casting of Meryl Streep fell into place. The complete article can be read here.

According to Backstage, fans will be able to participate in a live online Q&A session with Meryl Streep director Phyllida Lloyd after an upcoming advance screening of the new film “The Iron Lady” on Tuesday, December 6th. After a select screening at the DGA Theater in New York City, the live Q&A will begin at approximately 8:45 p.m./ET, and will be made available online on Backstage’s website. The Q&A will be moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. The Weinstein Company hosted a similar event last year with the film “The King’s Speech” and had over 20,000 questions submitted in a 30-minute period during the Q&A. Users can submit questions at Ironladymovie.com and facebook.com/theironladymovie. Thanks to Richard for the heads-up!