Link Spot

Cinderoncé The complete Cinderella story set to Beyoncé music because of course
LA Times on the 20 year road to get Dallas Buyers Club made.
Pajiba on the "Fred"'s aka Lucas Cruikshank's adorable coming out
Crikey a review of Pain & Gain that actually makes me want to see the first movie. The last paragraph is blurb heaven and should be quoted on every poster
/Film Reality Bites, one of my personal definitive movies of the 90s, is going to TV series. I'm not against this in concept except that Winona Ryder is unimproveable as Leilana so you're starting from behind, you know? I've long thought it was her (arguably) her greatest performance in a career full of memorable ones.

MNPP suggests a movie for Domnhall Gleeson and David Wenham. Someone Kickstarter Ginger Heat please!
Cinema Blend whoa, I thought Tony Jaa (of Thai action Ong Bak film fame) was long gone from cinema but he's been added to the Fast and Furious 7 cast
Boy Culture pitch-shifting Madonna's vocals on MDNA. These lower versions sound so much better which leads you to wonder what was with all the up-shifting (p.s. I love the album as is, unlike most) 
Salon on why you should watch Project Runway again 
In Contention has a Venice Film Festival preview
Gawker defends Ben Affleck's casting as Batman by way of Heath Ledger's equally (at first) controversial casting as The Joker. Forgets to also notice that Heath Ledger was always an awesome actor before The Joker but yes, people do go on about casting notices for superhero films. 

Marion. I added the Damn Spot*Speaking of... ZOMG
I forgot to mention what you've already finished talking about. That Marion Cotillard replaced Natalie Portman in the upcoming Macbeth film. The one with Fassy as Macbeth. Yay, upgrade! I like Natalie more than Marion (historically speaking) but that part was such a weird fit for the ballerina.

*Lady Macbeth, and the Complete Character Gallery of Tennesse Williams plays are my equivalents to superheroes when it comes to casting notices. I'd definitely prefer a new Lady Macbeth or a new Maggie the Cat reboot every 5 years to a new Batman or Spider-Man origin story every 5, wouldn't you?

"Spectacular! Spectacular!" ...Now With a Third "Spectacular!"?

Have you heard that Baz Luhrmann wants to convert Moulin Rouge! to 3D?  On principal we should tsk tsk this because sensible people hate what 3-D hath wrought (ticket price inflation and obsessive preferencing of new technology rather than obsessive quality control) but the very best and only great thing about the 3-D movement is the rare opportunity it has afforded us the chance to see beloved movies back on the big screen -- yay Jurassic Park -- albeit in bastardized form.

But still. Consider...

"She is mine!"

Moulin Rouge! is such a Spectacular! Spectacular! Tiered Cake of Visual Goodies that it could surely handle yet one more layer of frosting. And the stage craft on "Hindi Sad Diamonds" was already desperately trying to go 3-D to begin with.

I'm making excuses for 3-D because any chance to see it on the big screen again is welcome. I'd be there with bells on and absinthe in hand. That five times during its initial release was wondrous and here's to number six. Not that on should hold one's breath waiting for Baz Luhrmann to follow through or get back to work. You know how he do inbetween features. 

Happy Weekend Everyone. Make Good Choices.

I've been struggling with a thrown back this week but I hope to be up to my best speed again soon since I know the posting has been a bit thin of late. Fall Movie Season is just a week or so away but in the meantime there are plentiful beautiful choices for moviegoing pleasure. So make good ones.

NEW YORK & LA 
If you live in or driving distance near one of the two top film markets, make it your top priority this weekend to see Short Term 12. It's an absolutely beauty (interview & review forthcoming). Indies tend to go wider faster if they have strong per screen averages and everyone deserves a chance to see this one at their local theater. Get to this early since you'll want to share in the thrill of discovery and play missionary for it as shamelessly as I'm doing now. (I can't stop recommending it to people, even near-strangers! Especially people who I think would never go see something like it and the last time I did that was, jesus, I dont know... Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon?) The point is this: Get out there and support strong filmmaking that doesn't involve visual effects and multi-gazillion dollar P&A budgets or our cinematic culture will be reduced to endless loops of "who'll play Batman next?".

(I also hear really good things about Una Noche but can't vouch for it personally just yet.)

EVERYONE ELSE
This weekend stars the wide release of Blue Jasmine but people with good taste who've already seen it will probably be hitting The World's End from the team that brought you the hilarious genre-riffs Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I'm seeing it tomorrow. One of my friends who only sees two or three movies a year and almost always under duress (I know!) calls me up and says "so there is this movie I would like to see..." I practically passed out from the shock.

STAYING IN?
Make sure to instant-watch Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969) in time for Wednesday night's penultimate Season 4 Hit Me With Your Best Shot episode. It's also your last chance to watch Oscar's Supporting Actress nominees of 1952 before The Smackdown on August 31st. So queue up: Singin in' the Rain, Come Back Little Sheba, The Bad and the Beautiful (just discussed), Moulin Rouge, and With a Song In My Heart so that you can enjoy the conversation even more and vote in the parallel reader ranking. Joining me on the panel next Saturday will be Nick Davis (Nick's Flick Picks), Matt Mazur (Pop Matters), and Brian Hererra (Stinky Lulu herself!) Next month's Smackdown year will be announced very soon. 

The Best Tweets About Ben Affleck As Superman

Last night on Twitter when the news broke that Ben Affleck was cast as Batman for the inevitable Batman vs. Superman movie, Ben Affleck and the internet reenacted that scene from The Dark Knight Rises where Batman "dies" in a nuclear explosion over Gotham. Here were my favorite tweets from that "event"... 

Have we learned nothing from 'Daredevil?'

— Ashley Reynolds (@Ashley_Reynolds) August 23, 2013

You guys, I'm really worried Affleck isn't up to acting challenge of the 2 or 3 scene where Batman isn't entirely CGI.

— Michael Cusumano (@SeriousFilm) August 23, 2013

I swear I can hear Matt Damon giggling wherever he is.

— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) August 23, 2013

The person most disappointed by the Ben Affleck news is Matt Damon, as he is now legally required to play Robin.

— James Martin (@Pundamentalism) August 23, 2013

Lee Daniels' Batman vs. Superman (a.k.a. Mo'Nique vs. Oprah with Lenny Kravitz as Alfred the Butler)

— itsonlyzach (@itsonlyzach) August 23, 2013

Hey, remember when Affleck was Superman? pic.twitter.com/rD4xn9U8RU

— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) August 23, 2013

Batman fuck yourself?!?

— Andreas (@astoehr) August 23, 2013

In the Ben Affleck version, Batman's parents kill themselves.

— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) August 23, 2013

On a more serious note, I don't get why they need a Star when Batman is the draw. Superman movies understand this and this is a Superman movie (sort of... being the Man of Steel sequel that's become a Batman vs. Superman thing in the latest example of Hollywood's fandering.) It's just setting fire to your production budget is all. It buys you one day of notoriety on the internet for heaps of millions but ticket sales will be there regardless. 

And, finally, the perfect rude 'hair of the dog' cure this morning to get this out of your system once and for all...

Not even Jennifer Garner sucks Ben Affleck's dick as much as the internet did just 6 months ago.

— Maxwell H. (@cinemaxwell) August 23, 2013

Not even Jennifer Garner fucks Ben Affleck as hard as the internet has over the last 10 hours.

— Maxwell H. (@cinemaxwell) August 23, 2013

p.s. why aren't you following me on twitter? do it!
p.p.s. and while we're social media'ing - like us on facebook 

The Worst of The Worst Summer Seasons?

Tim here. Oscar Season is about ready to officially kick off, with the first Gurus of Gold listing landing today, and the massively important Venice, Telluride , and Toronto film festivals all starting within the next week or two, but before we move into the last phase of the movie calendar year, I’d like to spend one more moment eulogizing the year that has been, nodding one last time in the direction of the summer that, just about everybody agrees, has been the absolute pits.

We’ve already gone over that, so instead of belaboring a point, I’d like to ask the question, was summer, 2013, really the worst ever? I’m pretty confident that the answer to that is no, and to prove it, I’d like to offer up three possibilities for the title of Worst Summer Movie Season of All Time that put 2013 to shame. Or, y’know, make it look good. Whichever way you want to put it.

Three terrible summers after the jump

Click to read more ...