Sundance: Joanna Hogg's 'The Souvenir'

Murtada Elfadl reporting from Sundance

“Show don’t tell” is how Joanna Hogg directs The Souvenir. Hogg is the former photographer and experimental filmmaker behind Archipelago (2010), and Exhibition (2013). Those films made a splash on the European indie scene but not many waves on this side of the Atlantic. Here she withholds the narrative to only slowly reveals what her film is about. We first meet a young film student Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) in 1980s London, trying to make it in film school. Perhaps this is a character study somewhat based on Hogg’s own life? Only later do we discover that it’s about an intense all consuming co-dependent relationship between our lead and a sweet but drug-addicted snobbish man who works for the foreign office (Tom Burke)...

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"The Other Two" is Essential 2019 Television

By Spencer Coile 

The cancellation of Difficult People left a gaping hole in our hearts. The Hulu original series about two failed comedians, actors, etc. (Billy Eichner & Julie Klausner) brought out our most cynical selves, our razor sharp wit, and scratched that itch many contemporary comedies were not reaching for. Indeed, it’s been tough coping with this loss.  

However, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider (both writers from Saturday Night Live) have sensed our grief. The premiere of their Comedy Central series The Other Two, might somehow fill that Difficult pop culture void. After their teenage brother becomes an overnight celebrity when his YouTube video goes viral, siblings Cary (Drew Tarver) and Brooke (Heléne Yorke) – a struggling actor and dancer respectively – must define what success means to them. 

If that sounds trite, fear not. Because here are five reasons why The Other Two is essential 2019 television...   

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23 days til Oscar!

The only (current) 23 year-old in the world who is also an Oscar-nominated actor if not this year

Can you believe we're less than a month from Hollywood's High Holy Night? Since today's magic number is 23, we're sharing a gallery of beauties related to that number starting with Timothée Chalamet. Now, he didn't make this year's Oscar list despite precursor attention for Beautiful Boy but he is still the only current 23 year-old who can claim the title "Oscar-Nominated Actor". Please enjoy this photo gallery of other number 23 related beauties after the jump...

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Sundance Surprise: Fighting With My Family

Abe Fried-Tanzer reporting from Sundance

Each year, Sundance hosts a “surprise screening” that’s printed as such on its advance schedule and only revealed during the festival itself. It’s a chance to premiere a hit movie for a small audience that is usually pretty excited about it. Last year, it was Jason Reitman’s Tully, and the year before that, it was eventual Oscar winner Get Out. This year, it’s Fighting with My Family, slated for theatrical release in just two weeks.

This premiere brought out some big stars, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vince Vaughn, and real-life wrestler Paige, whose story serves as the inspiration for this film...

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Can we give Patrick Wilson the Oscar for *his* Freddie Mercury instead?

We love this man.

And this queen doesn't need to lipsynch. Where is his movie musical star vehicle? The film version of Phantom of the Opera was 14 years ago and he was much less famous then. We've seen him in both of his Tony-nominated roles (The Full Monty and Oklahoma!) and he was marvelous both times and that voice is just pure melodic pleasure, transporting really. Perfect for a big sweeping romantic musical. He hasn't been on Broadway in 10 years but he's co-starred in several box office hits in that time so why aren't movie musical producers snatching him up?

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HOLLYWOOD? (A perennial question when it comes to the movie musical genre). If you were somehow unaware of his musical gifts, there are more videos after the jump because we're in a... mood.

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