Hey all. Nathaniel here. We've been quiet this weekend for offscreen life (remember that?) with friends and family for the holidays. But soon I'll try to have some words on Sondheim. And next week should be ultra busy: interviews, new reviews, precursor season, etcetera
But one last heaping of gratitude. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR READERS! Thank you for sticking with us for years and supporting and sharing in our actressexuality as well as our more niche interests like oh costume design, cinematography, international cinema, and love of sudden retrospectives...
The past two years have been super challenging. Technical problems, comment registration, the pandemic, everyone (including other film sites) gleefully attacking our lifelong favourite hobby (moviegoing)! Big love to everyone who comes here regularly and anyone who has ever donated, especially to those who donated monthly to keep us afloat. Big love to those of you who comment regularly, too, or share the site with friends. As for the site's future. We've always run at a deficit but we keep trying because, hell, we love writing about the movies. So we will keep going until we can't.
Some other things I'm personally grateful for in 2021, besides you, include:
-Nicole Kidman for being Nicole Kidman. Even her flaws, like saying yes to everything (hi AMC commercial) are endearing. But mostly for proving everyone wrong yet again via Being the Ricardos.
- The team here. You've already read about Lynn, Ben, Deborah, Jason, Nick, Cláudio, Juan Carlos, Baby Clyde, and Christopher but the shy ones or thte ones who were too busy for those mini-interviews this time around including regulars like Glenn, Abe, Eric, and more. And the people who are either on hiatus or who have moved up in the world like Murtada, Chris, Michael, Daniel, Manuel, etc... huge thanks to them as well for their past contributions.
- Lil Nas X for running with decades of historical momentum from past pioneers of allyship and gayness and exploding queerness all over the mainstream.
-Colby, the new boyfriend. He's enriched my offscreen life and has not only been patient but enthusiastic, too, about his new role as 'Person Who Suddenly Goes To All The Movies' including attending his first film festival this year (thank you Middleburg!).
- The world-building craft work for Dune. Dry but delicious, too. Bring your own moisture.
- David Dastmalchian's "I'm a superhero" line reading in The Suicide Squad
- They way every single character in The Green Knight gives off 'horny for a piece of Dev Patel' vibes. Relatable. No wonder he can't, um... contain himself at the end of the second act.
- My friends picking Power of the Dog as the annual group Thanksgiving movie outing. Though it was the third time for me this movie gets richer with each screening. Perfect construction and hours of great post-movie conversation!
- Those few but brave critics who agree with me that Spencer is bad. Sorry but feeling lonely is the worst and you start to feel insane when there's a lot of "masterpiece" consensus around a movie you are just not having. Special shout-out to Nick Davis for sending me a hilarious text about this just when I needed it. Love you Nick, come back online!
At a ZOLA party in Manhattan.
-Colman Domingo & Taylour Paige for following Ma Rainey's Black Bottom up so quickly and with an even better pairing/movie, Zola (even though they shot Zola first I believe). Seeing it a second time was pure pleasure.
-Kate Winslet's return to form in Mare of Easttown... that form being "MAN, YOU'RE GOOD AT ACTING" to quote co-star Julianne Nicholson at the Emmys.
- Jessica Chastain's giddy performative enthusiasm in Eyes of Tammy Faye. Especially the simultaneous giggling/crying affect. Her best performance in years.
- Benedetta, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, and that Harriet Samson Harris cameo in Licorice Pizza for being the three funniest movies of the year. Laughter is not just great medicine but a non-synthetic endorphin rush with no harmful side effects.
- Those who pressed me in the site comments (you know who you are) to see Dance of the Forty-One which I would have otherwise skipped due to an almost non-existent profile Stateside. It's so good and the world needs more unapologetically lusty queer films.
- Showtime for giving the leads in Yellowjackets to Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci; it's like they travelled back to the 90s and read the room (of actressexuals) for future co-star fantasies
- The Worst Person in the World's imaginative coffee 'break'
- The movies for being so good this year that the Oscar race is looking delicious and competitive in multiple categories.
Pick your favourites, Nathaniel.
Fine. Since I did make the Team do it...
YOU SHOULD ALL ANSWER THIS IN THE COMMENTS, TOO.
I want to note that the first column is a real Sophie's Choices. If you ask me tomorrow my answer would definitely change. It could just have easily been Streep or Fonda or Taylor depending on the mood. But honestly shouldn't we all be so grateful that there's so much mood variety in that list of Oscar queens? All eight of those women are so special and none of them in the same way as another.
Actresses forever and ever. Amen.