Friday, January 20, 2017 at 10:40AM There’s usually a film every year that premieres at Sundance and goes on to do very well at the Oscars, almost a year later. Think Brooklyn (2015), Whiplash (2014), Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) and Precious (2009). This year it could be Captain Fantastic, but most definitely will be Manchester by the Sea. And next year it could be Dee Rees's Mudbound...
Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 11:49PM I'm still debating Oscar's fifth slot free-for-all for Best Supporting Actor, presuming they give two spots to leading men Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) and Dev Patel (Lion) and another two spots are held by former Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) and the man I'd argue is still the frontrunner to win despite his Golden Globe loss Mahershara Ali (Moonlight). Unfortunately almost all of my favorites are quite far out of the running this year. But my final predictions will have to wait until tomorrow. For now, it's my turn. Meaning: my ballot! Mine. Mine. Mine.
...and I do feel possessive each year about movie honors. If you're reading I presume that you, too, care deeply about acting as an artform. It can be frustrating each season to watch dozens of worthy performances winnowed down so swiftly into 5-10 Oscar potentials. So many trickily performed, gorgeously nuanced, and admirable feats of acting get lost along the way... though some happily stand the test of time and become "how did HE/SHE not get nominated?" curiousities. I don't try to be off consensus in my own awards but sometimes it works out that way. For my own shortlist, only one of the presumed Oscar players makes it. Looking over the list I've realized that all of these characters would surely be insufferable to spend actual time with but they were played by five actors so rich, every second spent with them was something to treasure. So here's to Tom Bennett, Ralph Fiennes, Mahershara Ali, Trevante Rhodes, and Alden Ehrenhreich! You can read the write ups here at the Film Bitch Awards.
Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 6:20PM By Jorge Molina
In keeping with the explicit warnings of the show's opening theme song, a warning of my own: I tried to approach this objectively but the emotional ties I have with the original book series are too strong to separate from my enjoyment of the show. If you’re looking for an impartial take on the Netflix's adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Event, look away! If you’re looking for a passionate dissection by a Millennial, please continue reading after the jump...
Adaptations, Lemony Snicket, NPH, Netflix, Patrick Warbuton, TV, books Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 4:30PM by David Upton
Congratulations are due: Logan Lerman’s endearing baby face has lasted to his twenty-fifth birthday! It's not that unusual for actors to play teenagers even into their thirties, but Lerman seems especially stuck in transition, repeatedly playing similar tunes of young men who are particularly prey to societal pressures. Last year’s Indignation threw him back in time, with his personal dramas set against an Ohioan college in 1951, but it was his previous college adventure that has proven Lerman’s career high to date...
Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 3:00PM On this morning's today in showbiz post we forgot one important anniversary. Or rather we just saved it for later as it deserved everyone at full attention. On this day in 1935, eighty-two years ago, the first pair of men's briefs were sold in Chicago and they flew off the shelves. That's right. The tighty whitey did not even exist before 1935. They were later retroactively named "jockeys" and have gone by many names since.
Surely this deserves its own cinematic beauty break? Ready set go...
