Marcia Says "Hi"

by Nathaniel R

Putting the Gay Harden in Gay Pride! Just a brief note from a slammed day to share the wonderful news that yours truly met Tony and Oscar winning Marcia Gay Harden at New York City's pride parade yesterday. How perfect is it that the original Harper Pitt in Angels in America was out to see the festivities with her kids... and sporting rainbow colors, too!?! 

We didn't speak for long but she seemed delighted when I mentioned her brief comic genius in Grandma (2016) -- it's probably not the title most people bring up first! She was so warm and friendly. One things for sure: This was much a happier outdoor parade moment than her despairing final scene in Mystic River (2003)! 

Beauty vs Beast: Total Eclipse of the Drunk

Jason Adams from MNPP here with this week's dose of "Beauty vs Beast" fun. The great Kathy Bates is turning 70 on Thursday, giving you a couple of days to craft your love letters to her on Twitter - until then let's celebrate one of her great roles, the other Stephen King one, 1995's Dolores Claiborne. The film was underrated when it was released and the film remains underrated today if you ask me, but I think it's got a diehard contingent of fans - it's top-shelf King, mainly due to its two leading ladies, Bates as Dolores and Jennifer Jason Leigh as her estranged daughter Selena. And now I am the jerk who makes you choose...

bike tracks

PREVIOUSLY Last week we climbed on the city bus with Keanu Reeves and Sandy Bullock and then we quickly proceeded to run right the hell over Dennis Hopper - Keanu won the Speed poll with 74% of the vote! Those biceps... I totally get it. Said Tom G:

"Jack ends up with Sandra Bullock. He wins."

Smackdown '94 Finale: "Pulp Fiction" and "Bullets Over Broadway"

THE SMACKDOWN IN THREE PARTS
• Written Blurbs & Reader Votes
• Podcast Pt 1: Tom & Viv and The Madness of King George
...and now the finale!

FINALE (40 MINUTES)
The group discusses Jennifer Tilly's outrageous comic triumph in Bullets Over Broadway and why the Broadway musical adaptation didn't work. We also revisit the cultural impact of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Uma's place in its success. Other films briefly discussed: Three Colors: Red and Natural Born Killers. Nathaniel thanks this month's terrific panel: Erik Anderson, Nick Davis, Itamar Moses, and Alfred Soto!

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? 

Bullets Over Broadway, Pulp Fiction

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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