Podcast: Once Upon a Time ... in Listener Questions
Sunday, August 4, 2019 at 1:00PM with Murtada Elfadl & Nathaniel R
Index (59 minutes)
00:01 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: stars, tension, pacing, violence
27:00 Skin starring Jamie Bell: Murtada hates it
Listener Questions...
30:00 Feelings about Renee Zellweger playing Judy
35:00 Our favourite Brad Pitt roles
37:00 Alternative history movies
39:00 Best cats in movies?
41:45 Who is the next Nicole Kidman?
49:00 Smackdown scheduling
50:20 Sharon Tate's legacy
51:30 What happened with Mask (1985) at the Oscars?
55:00 Is 2019 a weak film year?
You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you?
Articles referenced in this recording
• Jason's review of Once Upon a Time...
• Murtada on the Judy trailer
• Nathaniel on Mask
Reader Comments (25)
Sharon’s sister, Debra Tate, gave an interview in which she said Margot’s performance brought her to tears (both on set and in theaters) because she felt like she “got to see her sister again”. I found that a heartbreakingly beautiful statement that seemed genuine and divorced from any particular agenda since she didn’t bite her tongue about wishing Tarantino had given her more screen time in the same article. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets a nom for Best Supporting Actress unless her role in the Roger Ailes movie is meatier. (It would almost have to be.) Still, it’s clear Robbie put so much thought into every gesture and line reading (limited though her role may be):
1) “Are you worried I’m gonna tell Jim Morrison you were dancing to Paul Revere & The Raiders?”
2) “Dirty movies have premieres?”
3) “What if I’m...in the movie?”
4) “I play Ms. Carlsen, the klutz!”
Not to mention her physical gestures! I watched an interview in which she said she had her movement coach teach her how to project a light-as-air physicality as opposed to her deliberately heavy-footed postures as Tonya Harding. Maybe it’s the fact that she’s a Cate Blanchett stan that has endeared me to her, but I think Robbie’s the real deal and only just getting started.
I almost forgot the adorable way Sharon pets the *Maltese Falcon* in the antiques store before asking for a first edition of Tess of the D’Ubervilles. Again, it’s the small things...
Also, I find it funny that Murtada doesn’t remember Jonesy in Alien since I always yell at Ripley for literally risking her life to turn around and save him when she’s almost in the clear. But then I remember how cute he is and understand.
RE: Hiring an untrained singer to play Judy.
Stephanie J. Block is way more technically proficient as a singer than Cher is and I thought her Cher was abominable, worse than at least two drag queens I've seen singing live in character. I don't think scooping someone up from Broadway to do Judy would automatically improve the project. Renee's voice is just fine—passable in the way Nicole's is passable. She's not Anne Hathaway but she's not Helena Bonham Carter, either.
Besides, it must be said, late in life Judy didn't have the strongest or most perfect voice. I listened to some 2009 Whitney Houston recently; it's a similar deal. Voices die when hard living takes its toll, so that at least lowers the barrier of "perfection" that Renee needs to clear.
I'm intrigued by the project and hope defensive "how dare you" attitudes don't kill the buzz in its crib. I understand that your opinion comes from a place of love, Nat, and I get irrational about my faves too.
Way before Rooney Mara committed it Eric Stoltz category frauded himself.
Pitt Top 3 performances
1 - Moneyball agreed Nat he should have won
2 - Babel gr8 chemistry with Cate and moving.
3 - Thelma and Louise one of those 90's star maker roles.
If Cher was nominated for Mask I am sure she wouldn't have worn her Bob Mackie outfit and given us one of the best Oscar quotes ever.
"Not to mention her physical gestures! I watched an interview in which she said she had her movement coach teach her how to project a light-as-air physicality as opposed to her deliberately heavy-footed postures as Tonya Harding."
I really like how deliberate and thoughtful Robbie's acting choices are.
As far as the Nicole question goes, I wouldn't say there are any actresses that I think will be the next/perform similarly to her, but I definitely think Dakota Johnson and Mia Wasikowska seem to have similar instincts in terms of the types of projects they're attracted to. They're probably the least risk-averse of the group mentioned on the podcast and that's something I always associate with (and deeply admire about) Nicole. Maybe Emma Stone to a certain extent as well.
I think vocally Renee is fine as Judy circa 1969. I guess legends are untouchable or something, because Judy's voice was basically beyond repair by the end of the decade.
Your first guess was correct — my last name is pronounced "Hay-mer." Thanks for taking my question!
Sounds like a "Mask" / "Woman Under the Influence" double feature might be in order...
Why does Murtada always sound like he doesn't want to do these podcasts? Rushing through questions, being dismissive, sounding very rude and abrupt. I don't know how Nathaniel puts up with it. It would drive me crazy. It can't be a language barrier, and it's like every damn time!
My top three from Brad: Moneyball, Snatch, Fight Club. I've loved him in a lot of roles though.
Murtada is great, I always like hearing what he has to say, haters be damned. I share his general thoughts on Leo.
Nathaniel, I am glad you mentioned Burn After Reading among Brad Pitt's best roles. He is so great in it.
I don't think she's the next Nicole Kidman (she has her own persona) but Natalie Portman deserves more credit for building on her Oscar win by taking daring roles with auteurs.
Speaking of whom (and re the fall film season), I am disappointed that three of my most anticipated movies of the fall - Lucy in the Sky, Nomadland, and The Last Thing He Wanted - are not scheduled for release or premiering at any fests. The first two are Fox Searchlight, which makes me worry that Disney is just going to swallow Searchlight whole in its acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
Top 3 Brad Perfs: Moneyball*, Burn After Reading, Tree of Life
*People forget now, but Pitt likely wasn’t even in 2nd place to get the Oscar in 2011, despite having a banner year. Clooney in Descendants damn near won two before Brad even got his first. And I liked Dujardin just fine, but that felt like a waste of an Academy Award even without hindsight.
I recall reading a couple of articles after the 1985 nominations were announced that Cher was more than likely passed over because of her very public feud with Mask's director, Peter Bogdanovich, and the general feeling that her performance as a drugged up biker chick wasn't all that revelatory (compared to the de-glamming in Silkwood).
I don't think anyone going to see Judy is looking for a poor vocal performance because that would be 'realistic'. Like Murtada, I've seen the stage show it's based on and Tracey Bennett's vocals were just phenomenal and, speaking personally, that really moved me, this ability to dig deep and go big even if so many people had left her behind.
I had anticipated your answer to Renee but it still makes me sad! I'm with Murtada - I'm hoping for the best for and from Renee. My expectations are low but it would be nice to see her get another nomination after all these years. She was a big part of my teenage years and I can't help but root for her always. Hopefully she won't drive you nuts the way Rami Malek did LOL.
Thank you for answering my question!
It has been a a weak film year, but much of the best stuff I’ve seen this year came from Cannes. I am extremely eager to hear The Film Experience discuss The Lighthouse, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Atlantique, Parasite, and Bacurau. I luuuuurve the first three and the latter two have inspired some great conversation.
OMG. this is a true story.
I was listening to this podcast this AM and literally 10 minutes later, I was doing a crossword and the clue was "Nameless "Breakfast at Tiffnay's pet". I would not have remembered but for that reader question.
Another Film Experience miracle.
Re: not too many interesting American movies so far (although why not nominations for The Farewell?). My wild guesses for American movies at the Oscars this year would be Ad Astra and Motherless Brooklyn.
Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn for the acting performances in it and maybe the script.
Ad Astra for Best Actor for Brad Pitt and maybe Best Director for James Grey. Pitt will have 2 notable performances in a row, in the Tarantino and in the Grey. But Brad’s role in Once Upon A Time, however excellently performed, is too violent. So it will be safer and more popular to nominate him for Ad Astra. And really, about time.
Nathaniel: I have re-seen Bell, Book, and Candle recently. It’s still fun, although different than remembered of course.
It has a quality of permeability where things aren’t finished up, or overexplained, so you can attach your own bits of imagination.
Kim Novak has a wonderful skill of existing in the present moment, so you can imagine various pasts for her.
I sometimes find James Stewart a little creepy, especially in his post-war persona with all the internal anger. He obviously doesn’t deserve Kim.
But Kim deserves Pyewacket (the cat). When Kim loses Pyewacket, it’s way sadder than when Kim loses James.
There will never be another Nicole. She is inimitable.
SFOTroy -- that story warmed the cockles of my cold heart.