Michael Caulfield/WireImageSo tomorrow is the day that you, Lea Michele, Zac Efron, Hilary Swank and the rest of 'em have been waiting for: New Year's Eve. And while we're sure you are busy prepping your streamers and party hats and fantasizing about which hottie you're going to smooch at midnight, take a sec to reminisce with us:
Yes, there are still more reasons we love Hollywood! We've delivered over half of the 99 so far, but now that we've knocked out all those semi-celebrities shaking it on Dancing With the Stars and Jake Gyllenhaal strolling around town, we still have nine more reasons today to adore this town:
36. Bieber's Sultry Christmas Song. Forget that duet with Mariah Carey (and the sorta bizzaro video that accompanied it), the Justin Bieber tune that we're all about is "Christmas Eve." We know he's not even legal yet, but that is one sexy Christmas ballad. We hate to be inappropriate (Justin, avert your baby eyes!) but we think people might do a lot more than kiss under the mistletoe to this slow burner. That aside, it still makes us giggle when Biebs says "You leave some cookies out, I'ma eat 'em up." Listen now:
35. In The Land of Blood and Honey. We're usually not the biggest fans of war movies (blame it on all the violence), but first-time director Angelina Jolie brilliantly thought to center the film instead around a love story happening in the middle of all the bombs and atrocities. It's clear from watching the movie that Ange really knows her cinematic stuff and instead of feeling ignorant about the details of the Bosnian War, you're able to follow the plot and actually come out of the movie feeling entertained and educated. Kudos, Angie! Plus, there's a killer plot twist at the end. Literally.
34. Anne Hathaway at the Oscars. So she and James Franco may have been panned as the "Worst Oscar Hosts Ever," but we think Annie deserves tons of credit. Why? Because she at least tried and had to oversell it to compensate for the block of cement she called a cohost. We heart James—and know he says he wasn't stoned during the telecast—but he could not have came across as more out of it. Enter Anne, who did her best to stay peppy and keep the show from totally flatlining.
33. Giuliana Rancic. No doubt 2011 has been a tough year for E!'s own Giuliana, but gal has never let it get her down. Instead? She's shared her troubles with the world in hopes of helping others and has totally put a positive spin on a super-tough sitch. Major props to G for putting it all out on the table—not only has she inspired her fans, but she's done it with mucho style and class.
34. The Return of Charlize Theron. So really, she didn't go anywhere—at least not for a long time. But with her perfectly bitchy (now Golden Globe nominated) performance in Young Adult and scene-stealing stint in the Snow White and the Huntsman trailers, we're hoping she starts pumping out four or five movies a year. And we're sure they would all be fab.
31. Maya Rudolph. The former SNL comedian may have been overshadowed by Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids, but she's still one of the funniest broads on the scene right now. Need proof? Just watch an episode of NBC's Up All Night. Maya plays an outrageous talk show host on a daytime program similar to Oprah or Tyra and steals every single episode—which is saying something, seeing as she's up against Arrested Development's Will Arnett and Samantha Who?'s Christina Applegate.
30. Chicks Who Handle Scandal with Class. We already told you that we think Sandra Bullock's choosing to take the high road and not discuss her philandering ex-husband was just about the classiest approach she could take to her scandal. And she wasn't the only one. After a slew of mistresses came out of the woodwork, Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren did the same. And Maria Shriver handled the news that hubby Arnold Schwarzenegger had fathered a love child without bad-mouthing her man. We tip our hats to you, ladies.
29. Michael Fassbender. Michael "Fassy" Fassbender (as you may know him) has been touted as one of the biggest breakout actors of 2011—and we completely agree. Heck, can you think of any other star that went from getting his classical lit on in Jane Eyre to taking on a comic book baddie in X-Men, with a little psychological action mixed in (A Dangerous Method) and capping it all off with some mucho-talked-about full frontal nudity in Shame. All in one year, mind you. 'Cause we can't.
28. Oprah Quits. It took some serious ovaries to ditch the most successful talk show in daytime history, which is exactly what Oprah did when she up and quit The Oprah Winfrey Show. But we think it's très respectable that she was willing to take a risk to try something new. And even though OWN (her new network) may have struggled a bit in the beginning, at least it delivered that hilariously insane "Sex and the Laundry Basket" segment on In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman.