Noah Baumbach Heads to Netflix

Chris here. Consider me outright clamoring for whatever Noah Baumbach does next, even if Mistress America (and for that matter his DePalma doc) wasn't as long ago as it feels like. Time is a slow beast when you're waiting on beloved writer/directors. His next, The Meyerowitz Stories, is his most star-studded and it just got picked up by Netflix.

The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson (all hippied out to the left), Ben Stiller, and now Netflix mainstay Adam Sandler as a family reuniting in New York to celebrate their artist father. Baumbach's work has been an evolving array of comic tones, so where on his spectrum it will land from bitter pill Margot at the Wedding to the farce of Mistress America is anyone's guess. If nothing else, this could be his largest platform yet - especially if this noteworthy cast is also met with Baumbach's less misanthropic side.

Netflix, for what it's worth, already has confidence in the film: this will be one of their few titles that will also receive a theatrical release, along with this year's Oscar hopeful Mudbound. 

Baumbach's films have only been outside shots at best, aside from a screenplay nomination for The Squid and the Whale and some Globe-nominated performances. But if this could even be a comedy contender at the Globes, I suspect Netflix will need to put more than a toe in the theatrical waters to clearly mark its theatrical/television territory. Are you excited for Noah Baumbach's latest?

Links, 11

NYT Amanda Peet on why she doesn't read reviews
Variety Ron Howard to produce and direct much discussed political book Hillbilly Elegy. A very odd fit if you ask us, since Howard is skilled at broad-stroked popcorn pictures, not nuanced thematic drama
NYT Radley Metzger, erotic cinema pioneer (The Lickerish Quartet, Score) has died at 88

Shadowplay looks back at Joan Crawford in Torch Song with some notes on Feud
Interview Mag talks to Pilou Asbaek (A War, Ghost in the Shell) 
MNPP John Waters still making trouble onscreen and in print 
Theater Mania Provincetown's got an amazing lineup of concerts this summer including Sutton Foster and Megan Hilty
Coming Soon Some Scarlet Witch action from the Avengers: Infinity War set. It's always amusing to see how strange these things look before visual fx
i09 reviews the direct to video animated feature Teen Titans: Judas Contract, based on the classic 80s storyline
Cinematic Corner the best and worst of 2016. Yes, it's still okay to post these. I know I need to finish up some categories in the film bitch awards

Finally, please do check out the Pulitzer Prizes for 2017. Winners and finalists have been announced. Nothing movie or TV related this year among the winners except, eventually, the fiction winner Underground Railroad, which is Barry Jenkins next project as previously discussed. There are two theater related winners so congrats to Lynn Nottage who is the first black woman to win two Pulitzers for Drama (her new play "Sweat" which stars Feud and The American's Alison Wright alongside Johanna Day and Michelle Wilson) and to Hilton Als of the New Yorker for his theater criticism. Among the finalists that didn't win is one worthy voice for movie lovers: Ty Burr of the Boston Globe was honored with 10 of his columns noted.

YNMS: "Thor: Ragnarok"

Chris here. Though next month brings Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we here at The Film Experience are keeping even more of an eye on November's threequel Thor: Ragnarok. The first looks of Cate Blanchett as villain Hela has had us all giddy, even those who might be irked at one of our greats hopping into the MCU at this stage. My bet is if she has fun, so will we - no matter how her turn with Indiana Jones turned out.

But it's more than actressing that's got us hyped for another go with the Asgardian hero. With Taika Waititi at the helm, we can expect a hard left turn from the previous Thor installment The Dark World's gloominess. Seriously, readers, if you haven't checked out his most recent lovable yucksters What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, do yourself a favor.

This week we got our action-packed first look at the vibrant trailer. Take a look for yourself and we'll break down the Yes No Maybe So after the jump...

Click to read more ...

Ask Nathaniel

Q&A time. In this movie lull -- a weird space between winter platforming and summer blockbusters -- what should we discuss? Ask some questions. I'll pick two handfuls to answer.

Visual Effects & Makeup, the April Foolish Oscar Predix

In looking over the options for this year's visual effects and makeup and hair contenders, one thing is certain: we'll be drowning in sequels come Oscar time. Or at least come 'bake-offs' time when the these two branches whittle down the competition with screenings of clip reels of the work in question.

Some umbrella questions to consider...

Click to read more ...