21st Century Fox Hunt

By Salim Garami

What's good?

Earlier this month on the 6th of November, there had been rumblings of a potential deal between The Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox with the former acquiring the latter. Not wholesale, though. Allegedly off the table were certain television networks such as Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox News, Fox Television Stations, and Fox Sports. But the majority of the media and entertainment spin-off from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation - including and especially the movie studio 20th Century Fox - were close to purchase by the biggest mass media conglomerate in the world save for Comcast, one that's already in middle of its notorious expansions and seizings of the likes of Marvel, ESPN, and LucasFilm...

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Soundtracking: "Lady Bird"

Chris talks the nostalgia and nuance of Lady Bird's soundtrack...

“I mean, what can I say? You’re Justin Timberlake.” Have you seen Greta Gerwig’s personal letters asking for song rights for Lady Bird? As if we needed these requests to Timberlake and Dave Matthews to prove that even Lady Bird’s music comes straight from the heart.

The film presents an incredibly specific pre-adulthood existence: Catholic high school in “the midwest of California”, and economic depression in the immediate psychological fallout of 9/11. Gerwig’s music choices are just as layered, presenting a nostalgia familiar especially to those who grew up during the era. Musically, Lady Bird lives in a time when school dances played childhood hits like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Tha Crossroads” and even your dad had Alanis Morissette references. Every horned up party was backed by Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River,” the kind of song built to instigate sexy revenge-plot daydreams with the person you are currently making out with.

If their inclusion in the film don’t spark you as razor sharp, you probably didn’t grow up in that time. But I’d like to think this is just one of the ways that Gerwig makes Lady Bird’s experience come alive.

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Chris Gives Thanks!

by Chris Feil

Happy Thanksgiving, readers! I'm reaching into the walls of The Film Experience and feeling my heart beat with nothing but gratitude. Whether it's talking about music in movies on my column Soundtracking or dishing RuPaul's Drag Race, I truly love being a part of this marvelous team and engaging with all of you lovely readers even when my sink isn't braced yet.

This year I am especially thankful for:

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Cast List: "Too Old to Die Young"

by Nathaniel R

After his success d'estime with Drive (remember that surprising but wonderful Cannes Best Director win?) his provocative (aka insane) follow-ups, Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon, have not been greeted so enthusiastically. But Denmark's second most famous director shows no signs of slowing down...

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Would you rather...?

Time for our intermittent stupid game in which we fantasize about hanging with celebrities. You can see all past roundups here if you want to be confronted with yet more impossible choices as to your celeb-fueled fantasy life options. Ready? Pictures are after the jump to help you decide.

Would you rather

...eat burgers with directors Gregg Araki & Andrew Ahn?
... do your makeup with Janet Jackson?
... tour Russia with Sarah Jessica Parker?
... celebrate Jeremy Jordan's birthday with a slice of Star Wars cake?
... cosplay Wonder Woman with Manila Luzon?
...work out with Cynthia Erivo?
... try Madonna's new skin care line with one of her BFFs Debi Mazar?
... visit an art gallery devoted to cinema with Emmanuelle Devos?
... get Christmas sweater-festive with Juliette Lewis?
... be inspired by the superhero Nightwing in your fitness goals with Vincent Rodriguez?
...help Naomi Watts celebrate her mom's new book launch?

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