Happy 25th to Tom Holland

Happy quarter century today to your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Tom Holland. What do you suppose the next five years of his career holds? It seems like his management is trying to capitalize on the franchise money while also squeezing in indies and voice work to diversify a bit? But while trying to do both at once perhaps they aren't being picky enough about anything. All of his recent projects (Cherry, Chaos Walking, The Devil All The Time, Spies in Disguise, Dolittle, Onward) haven't exactly been bullseyes, either with audiences or critics, and all were fast-fades. Next up: another Spider-Man and the video game adaptation Uncharted. If you were on his management team what would you be suggesting for the next five years? 

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May. It's a Wrap

Well, that went quick. And yet time also isn't moving. Somehow the Oscars were only 36 days ago! Isn't that nuts? But in case you've been in and out of this joint this month when we haven't been as prolific (we're always a bit fatigued the month after the Oscars) here are some posts you might have missed...

a dozen highlights
• Toni Collette - is one Oscar nom all it will ever be?
• Back to the movies - Lynn Lee sees Gunda as her first trip back to the cinema
• Postman Rings Four Times - a quartet of The Postman Always Rings Twice films
• Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot - one of the great child performances
• Emmy Watch: Best Comedy Series - it'll be a mostly freshman competition
• On the Globes cancellation - Hollywood hypocrisy and what it could mean going forward
• Yes No Maybe So - teasing Dear Evan Hansen, Stillwater, and more...
• A Dirty Shame - we revisited 7 John Waters movies for his 75th birthday
• Erin Brockovich's Best Lines - ten juicy lines from a classic script
• Supporting Actress Smackdown 2000 - a great conversation about Frances, Julie, Marcia, Kate, and Dame Judi Dench
• Cher in Mask - she was right to shame the Academy about her snub
• Cruella Interview - the dazzling wigs and mad makeup discussed

COMING IN JUNE
More Emmy FYCs and analysis, first Oscar predictions of the year,  In the Heights, Pixar's Luca, Ellen Burstyn in Queen Bees, the release of I Carry You With Me (finally), the Provincetown film festival, the 50th anniversary of Klute (Jane Fonda's first much-deserved Oscar win), and a celebration of the films of 1946 in the run-up to the Supporting Actress Smackdown.

Alida Valli @ 100: Star of The Third Man, Suspiria, and Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case

by Brent Calderwood

Alida Valli, who was born 100 years ago today in Pola, Italy (now part of Croatia), became a legend of Italian cinema in classics ranging in style from Luchino Visconti’s operatic epic Senso to Dario Argento’s supernatural slasher Suspiria. In a career that spanned 68 years, international directors were repeatedly drawn to her dark, inscrutable beauty and haunted green eyes. She's still admired by film lovers worldwide for three noir-tinged movies she made while abroad: The Third Man opposite Orson Welles (where she gets one of the most famous screen exits in history), Alfred Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case, and the French horror film Eyes Without a Face.  

In 1947, producer David O. Selznick invited Valli to Hollywood, hoping to repeat the success he’d had with two of his other European “discoveries,” Ingrid Bergman and Vivien Leigh. He gave her the full star treatment, even briefly abbreviating her name to the one-word “Valli” à la “Garbo” and having Hitchcock helm her first American picture...

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Satyajit Ray on Criterion

by Cláudio Alves

Better late than never, I suppose. This month - May 2nd, to be precise - was the centennial of Bengali director Satyajit Ray. While this piece was supposed to be ready then, many factors contributed to its delay. One of which was how intimidating the legacy of this master of cinema is. In any case, before June dawns on us, let's celebrate the great Satyajit Ray and the outstanding collection the Criterion Channel curated for the occasion. Right now, you can find 17 of the director's features plus a 1984 documentary about his work streaming on the platform. For any cinephile with access to the Criterion Channel, this is a treasure trove that shouldn't be missed or ignored…

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Interview: Nadia Stacey, Cruella's Hair and Makeup Designer

by Nathaniel R

Nadia Stacey talks "Cruella"

When I sat down with Cruella's Hair and Makeup designer Nadia Stacey over Zoom we just had a few minutes to talk. To break the ice quickly, a true story. When I first saw the image of Emma Stone as Cruella, my mind immediately lept to Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite and her disgruntled "I look like a badger" quip. I had no idea why. Only when prepping for our Cruella interview did I realize the films had the same makeup designer. Stacey laughs, fondly remembering her BAFTA-winning film. "I feel like there’s a theme going on with me doing mask-kind of faces!"

And with The Favourite (a beloved favourite) duly cited, we jump right in to our conversation about her impressive filmography and her biggest assignment yet, designing Disney's live-action Cruella. [This interview is edited/condensed for clarity]

NATHANIEL: You've done a few movies with Olivia Colman and two with Emma Stone. Are you just going to keep The Favourite-ing from now on?  

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