Recommended Instant Watch: "Pit Stop"

Just a heads up that one of last year's best festival titles is playing on Netflix Instant Watch. Yen Tan's Pit Stop unfortunately never saw theatrical release but it won a few festival prizes along its way including from my jury at the Nashville Film Festival (Best Screenplay) and we've mentioned it a couple of times her via Glenn at New Fest and my interview with Yen Tan at Towleroad.

The romantic drama follows two lonely gay men in rural Texas named Gabe and Ernesto (Bill Heck and Marcus DeAnda) who are both struggling to move on with their lives after painful breakups. Their paths occasionally cross but they aren't aware of each other -- it's not exactly a visible or social gay community -- until the final act of the movie.  

If you've ever seen Yen Tan's Ciao (2008), which has a much different plot but a similar romantic trajectory, you know that he favors slow simmers to boiling drama. Those types of films are always easier sits in movie theaters when you're less distracted by other screens but I'm hoping people give it a shot for home viewing because by the end its generated strong and cumulative emotions. And bonus points, most of the actors are very good (indie darling Amy Seimetz is typically fine as Gabe's ex-wife). All that and it contains one of the hottest yet modest and emotionally moving sex scenes in recent years.

Plus this cut from Ernesto to Gabe, both cuddling with their pets, made my heart melt.

The cut is actually in reverse but I had to lead with the cat. 

ICYMI

A new Saturday tradition since it's the slowest day for the site and some of you don't visit every day *sniffle* and we don't want you to miss anything so catch up over the weekend, why don't you?

Save the Dates SAG, BAFTA, GLOBE, OSCAR ceremony dates announced
Endless Awards  Best Cameos - the film bitch awards continue
Your Vote? Beauty vs. Beast "cleavagey slutbomb" vs. "the chosen one" - why haven't you voted? I know you love the greatest TV show evah!
⬅ And yes I'm shamelessly trying to sway your votes
Some Doodling "Spark" Nathaniel draws the Marquise
Casting Problems More Leading Roles for Women and More Roles (at all) for Disabled Actors and Hollywood's love of White-Washing are three super-related topics that were big talking points this week round the web
Good Talk  "True Looking" this report on the season finales of Looking and True Detective garnered the most comments this week.
Most Talk "Podcast Finale" - the gang's all here to wrap up awards season
Most Important Oscar Coverage Index and a plea for subscriptions to keep the site healthy. We need about 290 more of you!

DON'T FORGET TO WATCH ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND THIS WEEKEND.

2004's best picture (not AMPAS stamped alas) turns 10 years old on Wednesday next week and on Tuesday night at 9 PM we'll celebrated by kicking off the fifth season of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" - to play along just post your favorite shot somewhere with a short explanation and we'll link up. 

Day of Rest (feat. Evan Rachel Wood)

Shhhhhhhhhhh. I'm sleeping in today. I promise my bed is more comfortable than the on that Evan Rachel Wood is cavorting on in this old photoshoot (I believe it was from Flaunt Magazine?).

Happy Ides of March day. Remember how good she was in that?

Click to read more ...

Link is an Open Door

Cinema Blend Sebastian Stan, the Winter Soldier himself, has a nine picture deal with Marvel Studios (!)
Vanity Fair Lee Pace stars in a new series AMC hopes can replace Mad Men. Yeah, good luck with that. I especially worry that they're going for another anti-hero. Mad Men and Breaking Bad weren't exactly standard fare when they started. You have to offer something new once imitators are a dime a dozen on every channel. 
The Playlist first images from the new Dardenne Bros film starring Marion Cotillard as a woman about to lose her job

Marion Cotillard would like you to share an ice cream cone with her

IndieWire intriguing interview with Ethan Hawke, who seems to understand his own limitations and his career
Playbill a live album of West Side Story with Cheyenne Jackson as Tony is coming soon
i09 the next X-Men movie will be set in the 1980s 
The Wire reminds you to finally watch Darren Aronofsky's Pi since it's Pi day (3/14). You need to jump because it's almost over 
Coming Soon Captain America 3 is playing "chicken" with Batman vs. Superman, both slated the same weekend in May 2016. 

Today's Watch
I guess Frozen's "Let it Go" has run its course and now people are on to "Love is an Open Door". This video is so adorbs, cute parents perfectly lipsynching the duet while their daughter ignores them in the back.  

Sarah Jessica Parker Loves "Melancholia"

Who'da thunk it?

I love odd celebrity interviews -- the interview not the celebrity -- and this one qualifies. It's rapid fire, 73 questions in 5 minutes while you tour one floor of SJP's brownstone here in NYC. We knew Sarah Jessica Parker loved The Way We Were (1973) which is referenced so beautifully in one of Sex & the City's best episodes, but who knew that Lars von Trier's Melancholia was such a favorite?!

My favorite answer of all though is her response to "heels or flats?". Hee