Today's Must Read
"Male Stars Are Too Buff Now," a great funny true read from E Alex Jung about Zac Efron in Baywatch and other visually alarming superhuman specimens.
Linkage
Daily Actor Corey Hawkins on the Juilliard audition he almost failed
Charlene's (Mostly) Classic Movies a "Medicine in the Movies" Blogathon - articles on Contagion, Night Nurse, Reversal of Fortune, The Fountain, and many more
Cartoon Brew Nigeria hopes to train 'an army of animation professionals' with the market for thoe films exploding
The Guardian Guy Lodge's latest DVD column on Toni Erdmann, The Salesman and more
Variety more 'sequels we don't need!' news. Boss Baby is getting one for 2021. Sigh. I actually thought that movie was unexpectedly good but most movies don't actually need sequels. Stop trying to make movies into big TV shows with multiple episodes! TV is great but Movies are not TV!
I Wouldn't Normally Link This But...
Life Site, which appears to be some sort of Christian Fundamentalist Anti-Choice website, has a piece on the Alien franchise that I found gripping and nutjob funny (Satan is the screenwriter of Alien Covenant !) and also kinda justified on a couple of intriguing points. Thanks to IndieWire for pointing it out.
Cannes Mania
Film Comment Pt 1 of Nick Davis's 'Cannes Staycation' looking back at 1987 in which Nick talks Under the Sun of Satan, I've Heard the Mermaid's Singing, and many more...
Film Comment Pt 2 in which Nick talks Wish You Were Here, Shy People, Matewan, and Babette's Feast. Part 3 is coming in a few days.
Vulture How Jane Campion feels about her status as the only woman to win Cannes in its 70 year history
IndieWire 10 Best of Cannes
IndieWire Eric Kohn on what it's like to be a jury member of the sidebar "Critic's Week" at Cannes
Off Cinema
Films for Action "What makes 'call-out' culture so toxic?"
Broadway World a timeline look at Tony nominee Andy Karl's career. (I know he's not likely to win this year but someday! -- such a great performer)