Smackdown '94 Companion: "Mrs King" and vague 'Women's Troubles'

Nathaniel R welcomes Erik Anderson, Nick Davis,  Itamar Moses, and Alfred Soto to talk 1994 movies

The Supporting Actress Smackdown of 1994 has just gone up and the panelists have gathered for a deeper conversation. 

Podcast (42 minutes)
In part one we discuss people we wish had been nominated in the category. We also discuss the comic tone of The Madness of King George, and there are split opinions on Helen Mirren's work and whether she's elevating or bringing down the movie. Surprisingly though she won the Smackdown Dianne Wiest's classic performance in Bullets Over Broadway isn't quite as loved as it once was. The panel also discusses Miramax style filmmaking of the 90s and the troubles with the 'approved' nature of literary biopics like Tom & Viv. 

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? 

Smackdown 94 Madness of Viv Over Broadway

What did you see this weekend?

by Nathaniel R

Dinosaurs or a Super Family? That was the big choice for moviegoers this weekend but since The Incredibles 2 had debuted last week to gargantuan numbers a lot of people have already seen it and flocked to the Jurassic World sequel this time despite its terrible reviews. In other box office news Oceans 8 has crossed the $100 million mark, Solo crossed $200 million and Deadpool 2 (BARF!) crossed $300 million proving once again that people have terrible taste. I kid. To each their own...

Weekend Box Office Estimates (June 22-24)
W I D E 800+ screens	L I M I T E D excluding prev. wide
Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom	Gotti
1.🔺 JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM $150 *NEW*  REVIEW	1. 🔺 WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? $1.8 on 348 screens (cum. $4.1)
2. INCREDIBLES 2 $80.9 (cum. $350.3)	2. GOTTI $812k on 466 screens (cum. $3.2)
3.🔺OCEANS 8 $11.6 (cum. $100.3)  CATE'S PROMO SUITS	3. 🔺AMERICAN ANIMALS $576k on 339 screens (cum. $1.4)
4. TAG  $8.2 (cum $30.3)	4. RBG $425k on 209 screens (cum. $10.8) REVIEW
5. DEADPOOL 2 $5.2 (cum. $304.1) PODCAST	5. 🔺 HEARTS BEAT LOUD $319k on 104 screens (cum. $795k)

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Smackdown '94: Uma, Dianne, Jennifer, Helen, and Rosemary

Presenting Oscar's Chosen Supporting Actresses of the Films of 1994.

THE NOMINEES: The Academy wrapped up their love affair with a previous winner (Dianne Wiest) while starting a new one with a future winner (Helen Mirren). Two fresh-faced delights (Uma Thurman, Jennifer Tilly) and an esteemed veteran (Rosemary Harris) were along for the ride.

In a rare turn of events the shortlist leaned far away from tears and dove headfirst into stylized fun or outright belly laughs (Rosemary Harris was the only player in a traditional drama). A quick list of the roles sounds like a joke set-up or at least a wild party: A fertile queen, a pompous diva, a wealthy society matriarch, and not but one but two trouble-maker gangster molls who moonlight in acting. 

THIS MONTH'S PANELISTS   

Here to talk about these five nominated turns are, in alpha order: Erik Anderson (Awards Pundit), Nick Davis (Professor),  Itamar Moses (Tony-winning Playwright), Alfred Soto (Editor/Critic), and your host Nathaniel R from The Film Experience. [Apologies but the sixth announced panelist Sheila O'Malley -- who previously provided brilliant insight in our 1984 discussion -- had to attend to a last minute emergency so we'll have to catch up with her again down the road.]

Readers form the collective panelist each month (though there were weirdly fewer votes this round for such a recent year!). You broke the panel tie to determine the winner this time around. Now it's time for the main event... 

1994
SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN  

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Killing Eve: Season One

By Spencer Coile 

With the recent announcement of the Television Critics Association nominees, one show really rose above the competition: Killing Eve. With multiple nominations for the series itself as well as its two leading performances from Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, a second season renewal before the first episode even aired, and critical raves, the latest BBC series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge has become something of a phenomenon. 

Killing Eve is about MI5 agent, Eve Polastri (Oh) becoming fixated on catching international assassin, Villanelle (Comer). Killing Eve explores the subjects commonly associated with spy thrillers -- mystery, intrigue, sex, death – but interestingly, it's all through the lens of two female leads. It's also surprisingly bold, enthralling, and hilarious...

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Review: "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom"

by Chris Feil

It should maybe be said upfront that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is an improvement over its woebegone predecessor. If you are an optimist at heart (or just a realist, because the “original” World was truly THAT bad), you might have assumed so already. Why you might not have assumed is that Fallen Kingdom is hellbent on crushing that optimism to dust, and even moreso the hope at the heart of its own franchise.

Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, a volatile volcano threatens the entire remaining species on Isla Nublar. While the world watches, mired in the ethical battle to let the dinosaurs die or make efforts to save these living creatures, Bryce Dallas Howard’s former park manager Claire Dearing is recruited to help a last-dash rescue mission. That means also reconciling with former lover and raptor herder Owen Grady, Chris Pratt’s wise ass hero. It’s a recipe for disaster that comes to its natural dire conclusion, resulting in the dinosaurs reaching civilization.

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