The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
Lucas Hedges arrived last year with his performance in Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea. His portrayal of Patrick Chandler, a 16 year-old dealing with the loss of his father, was quickly lauded and showered with awards attention -- including a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. He was only 20 at the time!
Now, Hedges is having another banner year with notable SAG nominated ensemble work in Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. While both films are prime Oscar consideration across the board, Hedges' work is being severely overlooked -- particularly his performance as Danny O'Neill in Lady Bird...
Since a huge chunk of our readership has feelings about movie musicals, I though TFE should share this contest aboutThe Greatest Showman. [Full disclosure: I do freelance work for Show-Score, the company running the contest but I'm not working on this particular thing]
To enter you just tweet or instagram or facebook out a selfie when you're at the movie or on your way to it or whatnot (anything celebratory to show your enthusiasm) and double hashtag it #Sweepstakes and #GreatestShowFan (yes ShowFan not ShowMan). Each day until January 2nd they'll choose 10 winners who'll receive $100 Amazon gift cards.
P.S. If you do enter make sure to watch your social media as...
Sponsor will attempt to notify the potential winner(s) via social media commenting, social media messaging... If the potential winner does not respond before January 7, 2018 at 11:59pm, the entrant will be disqualified and the prize will go unclaimed.
Frida came out in my native Honduras towards the end of 2003, nearly a year after it was released in the United States. Back then, it wasn’t uncommon for Honduran theaters to get films much later, but it was uncommon for them to show anything that wasn’t a blockbuster—regardless of the amount of Oscars or movie stars under their belt. Despite featuring niche themes like political art and unconventional family dynamics, Frida offered Latin American audiences something else: visibility in an optimistic, familiar context. This was not a film about a Latin American drug lord knowingly putting their family’s life at risk to meet wealth or about an immigrant leaving their roots behind to see if the American dream is a real thing: it was the story of a woman trying to make her native Mexico proud, ironically funded by Hollywood to be seen by more without the condescending, stingy distribution of a foreign film.
Each day a new 'year in review' countdown. Here's Nathaniel...
Ah the music video. The only reliably viral genre of short film, though they're rarely include in short film collections, festivals, awards, or whatnot. What follows is a semi-random collection of terrific music videos that debuted this year with the caveat that there could only be one per artist. Which means no "Little of Your Love" by HAIM even though it's directed by the great auteur Paul Thomas Anderson in somewhat rare joyful mode. Other music videos worth checking out that we couldn't find room for were the sci-fi pop glam of "Venus Fly" by Grimes feat. Janelle Monae, "Burning Star" by Their Name and its intergalactic fleshy nonsense, the interactive humor of "Words Hurt" by Naive New Beaters, and finally a video that's prominently featured in a lot of such lists due to its meta resourcefulness -- "Wyclef Jean" by Young Thug for its meta resourcefulness.
They're not as acclaimed but why not also give a shout out to "Beautiful Trauma" by P!nk for its playful pastiche and giving us Channing Tatum in movie musical mode again. And though Lady Gaga's recent music video output isnt as thrilling as it once was there's something about "John Wayne" that almost makes it hyper garish cuisinart cut overkill feel like a parody of music videos that are trying way too hard... though it's doubtful that that's what it was.
Okay enough talking. On to the singing and dancing...
17 WHAT ABOUT US (P!nk) I adore P¡nk in Earnest mode and there's something about the helicopters and police lights circling that inchoate desperate "us" dancing on the lonely edge of town that totally works. Anthemic energizing anguish. Directed by Georgia Hudson and choreographed by the Goldenboyz