A Maggie Smith Top Ten

by Cláudio Alves

Have you seen The Miracle Club yet? Thaddeus O'Sullivan's comedy has been in theaters for a week, and it's bound to bewitch actressexuals, showcasing performances from a cadre of lovely thespians. There's Kathy Bates and Laura Linney in what Matt St Clair described as a work of "unwavering grace and sly tenacity." There's also Maggie Smith, one of my favorite living actresses, delivering another late-career turn to remind viewers they shouldn't take her for granted. Sure, her decade-spanning portrayal of Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey seemed like a congealment of the actress's greatest hits. However, that doesn't mean Smith is a one-trick pony, that her filmography is without risk or variety.

To commemorate, let's make the two-time Oscar winner our subject for list-mania. So, dear reader, will you join me down Maggie Smith's extensive repertoire, searching for the top ten highlights? It's a vast scope of roles, from scene-stealing supporting parts to titanic leads, from heartbreak to cutting pithiness…

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Review: Come on, "Barbie," let's go party!

by Cláudio Alves

What does it mean to sell out? Some would decry Greta Gerwig's move from mid-budget indies to big studio fare as a modern example. This line of thought posits the director's fourth film, Barbie, as capitulation to the tyranny of big bucks, no more than a glorified toy commercial for "vacuous, hypersexualized dolls." But when you're actually watching Gerwig's movie, it's difficult to take the pink oddity as proof evident of any sacrifice of vision or integrity for the sake of profit. Barbie's too ambitious a creation - in terms of text, tone, performance, audiovisual stylings galore - to support such dismissive readings.

From beginning to end, the summer's biggest comedy bursts at the seams with ideas, saturated with the clear intent of a creative mind given free rein. It glows with the kind of resources seldomly bestowed upon women directors. That doesn't mean the picture's perfect, exempt from criticism, or its enthusiasm is without drawbacks. But, even if Gerwig can't quite have her cake and eat it too, she manages to share a personal, goofy, deeply idiosyncratic proto-existentialist dream with her audience. Better yet, she does it with the attitude of a kid, their favorite toy in hand, eyes widening at the playtime possibilities before them…

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Emmy Spotlight: "The Other Two" and the tradition of the 'lone writing nomination'

by Christopher James

The most joyfully surprising Emmy nomination of the year was a writing nod for The Other Two. This is the first (and unfortunately last) Emmy nomination for the uproarious satire. It was recently canceled amid workplace complaints towards creators Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider. As Team Experience team noted, The Other Two is one of the more underrated shows in the past few years. It started at Comedy Central before moving to Max, nee HBO, for seasons two and three.

A lone writing nomination at the Emmys for an underappreciated show is actually somethign of a tradition. Why is this one special and what other fan-favorite shows managed a similar feat? Read on...

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First & Last 025

Can you guess the movie from its first and last shot?

The answer is after the jump when you scroll down...

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Box Office: Mission Impossible, Theater Camp, and more

By Nathaniel R

Tom Cruise is an eternal draw at the box office but Mission Impossible still came in under expectations. Was it that clumsy "Part One" in the title (on the SIXTH film in a franchise no less)? Movies are starting to move away from this since the audience can often feel had as in 'my ticket doesn't get me the full movie?' Note that Spider-Verse dropped it's "part one" title before release even though it literally ends on a cliffhanger... 

Weekend Box Office July 14th-16th 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended
WIDE (Over 700 Screens)	LIMITED / PLATFORM
DEAD RECKONING PT 1	THE MIRACLE CLUB
1🔺 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE -DEAD RECKONING PART ONE $54.6 *NEW* (cum. $78.4) 4,327 screens	1 🔺 THE MIRACLE CLUB $664k *NEW* 678 screens

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