Roma Takes New York

by Jason Adams

Set your calendars - the New York Film Festival is a mere seventy-two days away now! Running from September 28 to October 14 the 56th edition of my hometown's biggest fanciest movie celebration has just made its first programming announcement - this year's Centerpiece Film will be Alfonso Cuarón’s black-and-white autobiographical epic Roma! 

The movie charts the course of a family over the course of a year in middle-class Mexico City in the 1970s, and even though that seems straightforward it sounds like Cuarón is still experimenting with movie technology - NYFF promises that the film features "a sound design that represents something new in the medium." Well I'm curious!

Roma is owned by Netflix and got pushed out of consideration by Cannes because of their cantankerous relationship with the streamer - NYFF has no such qualms, having screened both Mudbound and The Meyerowitz Stories just last year, so we'll be some of the lucky movie-goers who see Cuarón's vision on a great big screen, lucky lucky us.

Soundtracking: "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" - Season 3

by Chris Feil

Save for recognizing our beloved Big Mouth, this year’s Original Music and Lyrics nominees are a bit of an underwhelming assemblage. So rather than examine this lineup, let’s take a look at one of the more egregious omissions: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Now, Emmy already has a lamentable history in overlooking the show - and never more so than voters completely ignoring this third season’s multi-layered and vital look at mental illness. But the original song category has made some curious decisions in regards to the show. Season two’s nominated “We Tapped That Ass” is delightful but soft compared to other options. We can’t really begrudge the season one nomination of swooner “Settle For Me” but where was series-defining genius of “You Stupid Bitch”? The song category is perhaps proof that Emmy voters just don’t get the highwire act that this show pulls off...

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Showbiz History: Dutch Men, Dark Knights, and Queen Bitches

We need escapism now more than ever so on this July 18th let's looks back into history for easier things to think about then the here and now.

Verhoeven on the set of "Showgirls"

10 random things that happened on this day in showbiz history...

1938 Infamous Dutch auteur Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) born on this day. Elle, his most recent feature, might be hard to top as late career provocations go but the 80 year-old master will certainly try with his next, Benedetta, a 17th century lesbian nuns drama starring Charlotte Rampling. The film is due in 2019.

1967 Mark Vincent Sinclair born in New York City. He later becomes Vin Diesel... 

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Thoughts I Had... Rewatching "The Dark Knight"

by Nathaniel R

Why so serious? Yes, you're 10 years older on this anniversary of The Dark Knight's release and probably watching the world burn with significantly less glee than The Joker would but still. Lighten up! At least we have the movies! I was commissioned to write a piece about The Dark Knight's Oscar history elsewhere but I jotted down more film-centric notes during a recent rewatch and will now share them here.

This a chronological skip through the movie. It made such a cultural impact you surely remember its release and maybe even the circumstances in which you saw it. If so, do share in the comments. Ready? Let's press play...

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Yes No Maybe So: "Boy Erased"

by Nathaniel R

Another Oscar hopeful trailer coming at you. Focus Features will begin the platform release of  Boy Erased this November 2nd which is of course a prime Oscar date. December is sometimes too late but November is a sweet spot, rarely too early nor too late exactly if the film is high profile enough with Oscar pedigree. Not that November is easy. There will be a ton of competition for media attention. 

We now have the poster with Lucas Hedges praying for a second Oscar nomination to release him of this gay burden? And the trailer has arrived too. The buzz is already strong for the acting which is no surprise with the trio of Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe jerking the tears... but can the film itself also impress? The trailer and a Yes No Maybe So breakdown are after the jump... 

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