"Wildlife" Teaser and The Best Actress Race

by Nathaniel R

I think most of expected to be seeing a lot more of Carey Mulligan in Oscar races after her stunning debut in An Education nine years ago. Yes. nine. years. ago. Crazy how time flies at the cinema. Contrary to those star-is-born expectations she has not been back in the mix yet, despite numerous films since, many of them "prestige" titles: Inside Llewyn Davis, Shame, Suffragette, Mudbound, The Great Gatsby, Far From the Madding Crowd.

But from the looks of the Wildlife teaser plus early critical raves she finally has a bonafide star showcase again...

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Celebrating 10 Years of "Sex and the City: The Movie"

By Spencer Coile 

I remember being 15-years-old, sitting in an empty theater on the opening night of Sex and the City -- precisely 10 years ago. I had just finished watching the series for the first time, and was ready to continue on with the stories of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte. The tagline for the film was “Get Carried Away,” and I absolutely did. It was so easy to slip back into this dream-like, romanticized version of Manhattan – where money is endless, where relationships come and go, but friendship (and shoes) are forever. 

Was the movie adaptation perfect? Absolutely not. Was the sequel unnecessary and borderline insensitive? Completely. Still, that first film left me beaming from ear-to-ear. It’d be easy to pick out all the problems with the plot, the length, the way it treats Jennifer Hudson’s character (there’s no way her email password was seriously “love”). But even watching it today, I go back to when I was 15; feeling hopeful, giddy, and gay. Those are the movies that stick with you.  

Happy Birthday, Sex and the City! But most importantly: do you identify as a Carrie, a Miranda, a Samantha, or a Charlotte? 

May is Wrapping Up

Each year we struggle to rev back up during the Post Oscar malaise but I think we're finally getting there. Be kind, June! Herewith highlights from April and May in case you missed 'em. xo

18 Highlights
• Soundtracking: Burlesque "Show me how you ____"
• Actors Who Should Be More Famous Elise, Rains, DeWitt, Taghmaoui, etcetera
• Ashley Judd, Pulp Queen
• We The Animals watch out for this great movie coming in August
• Michelle Williams in I Feel Pretty ... and other scene-stealers 
• Months of Meryl: Postcards from the Edge Meryl's first great comedy
• Smackdown 1970 Five Easy Pieces, Airport, and more 
• A Fantastic Woman A Dreamy Awakening
• Pfandom: Scarface Michelle's inner great actress breaks out
• Isle of Dogs and Japanese Culture Riff, love letter, appropriation
• Natalie Wood ♥︎ The Boys... Her connection to the seminal gay play/film 
• Blueprints: Love Simon two emotional scenes
• Bernstein's Legacy now in the hands of Gyllenhaal and Spielberg?
• Contrarian Corner Not everyone loves A Quiet Place 

Most Discussed
• Avengers Infinity War
• Egregious Weinstein Oscar Campaigns
• Top Ten Annette Bening Performances
• Buffyverse Alums and Actors We Don't "Get"  

Coming in June
Hereditary, Oceans 8, The 1994 Supporting Actress Smackdown and other 1994 Goodies, sequels to Sicario and The Incredibles, Pride Month LGBTQ films, The Americans series finale, Harlots Season 1 Recap, Robert Preston Centennial, various surprises, and,  at the tail end of the month: HALFWAY MARK, BEST OF THE YEAR THUS FAR. 

Soundtracking: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"

by Chris Feil

Perhaps you missed that John Cameron Mitchell finally returned to the punk rock scene this past weekend with How to Talk to Girls at Parties, and honestly - what gives? Regardless of this Neil Gaiman adaptation’s quality, has everyone faded from the afterglow of Hedwig and the Angry Inch so quickly? (Mitchell's promise that the film is joining The Criterion Collection later this year should fix that.)

Mitchell has given us one of the most unique musicals of the past quarter century, so any return to musical adjacency (National Anthem or otherwise) deserves our attention. Or maybe the distinctive qualities of Hedwig make comparisons - its weathered reductive comparisons to every recent rock musical you can think of - a losing battle...

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"So how was that for you?"

When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars...

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