Podcast: Aquaman Into the Poppins-Verse

Nathaniel R and Murtada Elfadl and Chris Feil talk new films

Index (51 minutes)
00:01 Mary Poppins Returns, the songs, the costumes, the Blunt
20:17 James Wan bonkers vision of Aquaman, shirtlessness and the lack thereof, and the kick-ass fun Nicole Kidman is having as Aquamom
30:08 Returning to the Poppins-Verse for a moment 
33:20 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and comic book style
40:40 Split opinions on Cold War but we all love the cinematography, music, and the performance of its leading actress Joanna Kulig
46:47 Murtada makes us talk about Beale Street... again.
49:45 Wrap-up

Further Reading / References
• Pawel Pawlikowski on KCRW's "The Business"
• Chris's review of Aquaman
• Yahya Abdul-Mateen underneath the "Black Manta" suit 
• Jason's review of Cold War
• Tim's review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

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? 

Into the Poppins-Verse

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Nathaniel in Santa dragDear Readers, you may have noticed that Team Experience is on a wee break for the holiday so the posting is a bit sparse but we'll be back with more appropriate Oscar season levels starting on Tuesday/Wednesday! Lots more interviews, reviews, and year in review madness coming your way in just a  couple of days. Hell, there will even be a little something up for the holiday tomorrow because we're terrible about staying offline even though we really should rest the eyes (SCREENS∞!!!). In the meantime if you're eager for something new to read catch up on our favorite Christmas movies, or the early stages of our year in review party, or the re-ranked Oscar charts, or any 2018 reviews you may have missed. There should be a new podcast up tonight, too!

We're so thankful for you for reading so loyally! If you're thankful for us, drop a little something in our virtual beggar's cup.

If you look at the sidebar ➡️ you'll see a subscribe option (the price of a cup of coffee a month!) or make a one time donation if you can't do monthly). XO, Nathaniel 

Top 30 Documentary Hits of 2018

Each day a different year in review topic. Here's Glenn Dunks...

Documentaries had one of their biggest years on record in 2018. In fact, the upper realms of non-fiction at the North American box office started to look like what the foreign-language charts once looked like. There was at least one major cross-over smash, several very impressive eight-figure grossers, a selection of not insignificant titles that did over one-million, and a long list of niche titles that did business anywhere from respectable to disappointing depending on expectations and release size. The year even started strong for docs with 2017 hits Bombshell the Hedy Lamarr Story and Faces/Places continuing to earn tidy sums buoyed by word of mouth and an Oscar nomination respectively.

My column Doc Corner will continue in 2019 so here’s hoping the new year offers just as bountiful a crop. It's been good to see documentaries reaching the mainstream, zeitgeist conversation.

TOP 30 DOCUMENTARIES FOR 2018
Domestic Box Office Grosses Only - Figures as of February 17th, 2019. 🔺 = the film is still in theaters

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62 days until the Oscars

On this countdown occasion, the role of Best Actress 1962 will be played by Miss Anne Bancroft "Dear Joan," Miss Joan Crawford.

If Gaga or Glenn go absent in 62 days who should they have thank them for the gold? 

2018: All Creatures Great and Small

Each day a different year in review list...

We're all animal lovers here at TFE, so we asked contributors and friends to talk about their favourite non-humans from the year's movies. 

To show love to all Film Experience readers, whether you be a cat or a dog person, we dedicate this list to two extraordinary creatures: That elusive cat in Burning, who may or may not be a figment of our imaginations but sure feels real since we can't shake him, and Bradley Cooper's own dog Charlie playing Jackson Maine's dog in A Star is Born. Like Lady Gaga, Charlie is essentially playing himself and like Lady Gaga he's doing it fabulously. Where's his Oscar buzz?

Not every memorable screen animal was covered in the following list -- our apologies especially to that tragically outmatched racoon in Incredibles 2 -- so do add to it in the comments. Here are our seven favourite beastly movie stars of 2018...

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