My Fair Linky
• Los Angeles Times Black Panther wants the Best Picture Oscar. Is making plans to get it
• Deadline If they want to keep Daniel Craig, the Bond producers have to move fast to replace Danny Boyle in the director's chair for the next Bond film. Here's the candidates they're considering. I love the idea of Yann Demange because '71 proved he can do propulsive nail-biting tension even without big stunts and budgets
• The Guardian fun report on the tragic lack of quality in Netflix's much-hyped romcom programming
• Awards Daily Upcoming festivals and how they typically shape the Oscar race
• Broadway Blog Lauren Ambrose is leaving My Fair Lady early for a TV role so in steps Laura Benanti
• Variety New animated film in the pipeline called My Boyfriend is a Bear. Sadly it's not an animated gay romcom but what sounds like G rated beastiality for children.
• Coming Soon Elton John biopic Rocketman has a release date: May 31st, 2019. Bold move for a biopic, aiming for summer box office. Taron Egerton (Kingsman) stars
• Us Magazine Scott Eastwood is having sex "lots of it"
• EW Troye Sivan on his music and Boy Erased. When asked if Kidman is a fan:
I’m…not sure! She said in an article that she and Keith are fans. And I was really gagged by that. I just don’t know if it’s true or if she was just being really nice.
politics & showbiz
• THR how is the #metoo era affecting sex scenes and no-nudity clauses?
• The Cut tries to work out the complex contradictory feelings resulting from Asia Argento being revealed as both alleged victim and alleged harasser
• New Yorker "Crazy Rich Asians and the end point of representation"
• /Film on that Buffy reboot. "Talent of color do not need white tv show and film hand-me-downs" I like this article but this wave of 'diversity rebooting' has less to do with the white lens, I'd argue, than it has to do with Hollywood's typical modus operandi: regurgitate! regurgitate! regurgitate! That's what they know how to do.
Exit Track
Michelle Yeoh making the press rounds. Here's her interview w/ the HFPA (The Golden Globes).
Reader Comments (22)
Black Panther is a fine movie, but best picture? Really?
Aw shaddup, Guardian! My girls love those films, and at least Netflix has got them interested in movies again. In fact, they are both asking for more "rom-com recommendations" so I've introduced them to a whole canon...
In no world should Black Panther actually win Best Picture.
Scott Eastwood "is a giver" in the bedroom. So a top, just like we suspected his father is, right?
Total. Shocker.
“Sadly not an animated gay rom-com”- dead
But James Bond is about stunts and budget!
I would argue that at this point, Black Panther would def be a Best Pic nominee. What 7-8 movies would you nominated over it? Hereditary and Eight Grade that immediately come to mind for me - and both of those are long shots for Oscar attention anyway.
Black Panther is a great movie - I see no reason to dismiss it from 'Best Picture' because of the genre.
I would also add Blackkklansman to that list, although I believe it does stand a legitimate shot.
Black Panther would not be out of place on AFI's Top 10 list, and it stands a very good chance of becoming a Producers Guild nominee.
Best Production? Sure. Best Picture? Maybe, maybe not.
Not the Spike Lee,he's over here in the UK being his usual obnoxious self.
I'm not dissing Black Panther's chances. I personally think it WILL be nominated for Best Picture, and that's all very well and good. I'll be pleased to see it nominated. But if a conversation begins that it actually deserves to win the top prize, I couldn't get behind that.
Even at this stage of the year these films are, in my opinion, better than Black Panther:
The Rider, First Reformed, The Death of Stalin, Annihilation, Tully, Hereditary, You Were Never Really Here, Paddington 2, Game Night.
*But of course none of those are viable contenders for the Best Picture award.
@evangelina
Actually, I think "The Rider" might have a chance! Plus, it is directed by a woman (and the internet mob demands genre equality)
Nat, I thought you were better than those critics who get pleasure out of tearing down romcoms... ‘fun report’...guess you aren’t. Netflix isn’t revolutionizing the genre, but it is creating some fun entries. Would you rather they stopped trying? There are a host of other things to criticize Netflix for, so let’s maybe avoid critiquing them for putting out female friendly and diverse output when we can
Yeah, that Guardian article about Netflix's romcom's lack of quality left a bad taste in my mouth as well.
The Guardian tracks Netflix's rom com summer -- but forgets Alex Strangelove, the streamer's acclaimed gay rom com?
My one wish for Oscar season is that The Rider gets a few nominations. I mean, how could anyone who's seen it forget it? On the other hand, I think I just put my finger on the biggest barrier it has to overcome.
Drewb & Ian -- i have NOTHING against romcoms. I just want them to be good. The whole reason the genre started dying out was too many bad ones! I've yet to see a good one on Netflix but maybe i've watched the wrong ones? I thought "Strangelove" was dull, paced like molasses. If that's acclaimed than i know people have low expectations for Netflix. Maybe because they're at home doing other things while they're watching?
Boy do we need a good - no, a classic - romcom again. It seems as though it's been ages. Criterion have been releasing some of the classic screwball comedies - It Happened One Night, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth, His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story. Where are the modern-day equivalents? Whenever anyone asks me which recent romcom I would call a classic, I'm still saying Moonstruck, which is now 31 years old (and still fresh as a daisy)!
Laura Benanti should have played the role of Eliza since the beginning. No shade, but Diana Rigg is right.
Nat: For "last Daniel Craig", I'd also agree that Yann Demange is the best candidate. Edgar Wright probably should do a Bond film at some point if they want him, but that should probably be one of the movies of the next guy, hopefully movie one.
Who would Edgar Wright choose?
I'd say it would come down to:
John Oliver (Yes, really. I mean, going with this would also be an admission of "I'm only doing one", and this choice absolutely wouldn't be a long term replacement, but I could absolutely see Wright running with that.)
Damian Lewis (Another pretty requested one, from what I remember. I'd see this as the most plausible choice if Wright's down for more than one.)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Idris Elba is getting too old...for Bond. But a joint replacement of Ejiofor as Bond and Elba as M? I could almost see Wright sort of indulging fans like that, even if its not the most likely.)
Note: EON/Wright probably makes Idris Elba the replacement for M, regardless of who they choose as Bond. Fiennes isn't "bad", but he's not Judi Dench good, and if M is going to keep being a major facet (M wasn't a major role until the Brosnan era, really) going forward? They need to be as good as Dench. That probably means replacement.
Because of your recommendation, I visited the Awards Daily link and did find the information somewhat instructive. And then I began reading the comments by readers which left me barreled over in laughter-induced-agony, clenching my gut in disbelief, questioning whether or not these folks were real, or just former Mad Magazine writers spoofing dim-witted pundits. Call it kismet, misfortune or irony, whatever, but it just so happens that I had my appendix removed four days ago and I began to fear I may pop my stitches, risking the possibility of launching my spleen or gall bladder into my computer screen. So I stopped reading, for now. Once I am less vulnerable and more fit, I plan on returning. But for me, at the moment, laughter is definitely not the best medicine. Maybe I'll just watch one Melissa McCarthy's recent movies.