Thoughts I had... while staring at the "Black Widow" posters

by Nathaniel R

You can hear that, right? It's a little bit like a loud whisper rather than the standard deafening shouts of mid May but summer movie season is calling. What that will mean this year is anyone's guess with the pandemic having wreaked havoc on viewing habits, moviegoing, and theatrical releases. But we've been inundated with new trailers and now we're getting the usual promotions of character posters. Hollywood hopes you'll go back to the movies. (Or do they, since they're so obsessed with building their streaming services). So let's talk the long delayed not-quite-upon-us Black Widow which hits in July by way of its character posters. 

Whenever we're short on time we like to do these 'thoughts i had' and present them unedited as they come though these posters are kind of plain so it's not giving us much to think about...

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2000: A Semi-Defense of “Chocolat”

In preparation for the next Smackdown Team Experience is traveling back to 2000.

By Ben Miller

The 2000 Best Picture lineup features a blockbuster swords-and-sandals crowd-pleaser, a star vehicle about corporate evil, an ensemble on the war on drugs, and an epic martial arts foreign language film.  Those four films are unassailable in this lineup, but then there’s the fifth film: Lasse Hallstrom’s romantic dramedy Chocolat. The film’s legacy is more entrenched in controversy; as its nominations are attributed to shameless Oscar campaigning by Miramax and Harvey Weinstein.  But is it the terrible, no-good, very bad film its reputation has made it out to be?  The short answer is no, but the long answer is a bit more nuanced...

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We're rejoicing over Broadway's Return

by Nathaniel R

Patti Lupone in "Company"

When Broadway was shut down on March 12th, 2020 the official story was "until April 12th, 2020". That one month time frame is hilariously optimistic in retrospect (and even raised some eyebrows at the time). Cut to mid May 2021 and Broadway is still closed but with notice that theaters can reopen at full capacity in September. 

But what gives with the Tony Awards? They announced a strange set of nominees after the Broadway closing culled from a very limited pool of shows since a lot hadn't yet opened (Broadway is typically busiest in the spring). Seven months later they still haven't uttered a peep about when those awards will take place. Aaron Tveit, the only nominee for Best Actor in a Musical, still doesn't know whether or not he won. All three of the current nominees in the marquee Tony category of Best Musical (i.e. the one that gets all the headlines and makes the box office difference) will be reopened by late October...

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2000: The Top Ten Best Lines From "Erin Brockovich"

In preparation for the next Smackdown Team Experience is traveling back to 2000.

This is a place for legends only - (from left to right) Conchata Farrell, Julia Roberts, Albert Finney.

by Christopher James

The old saying “They don’t make them like they used to” is both tired and true. You won’t find another movie as quotable and inspiring as Erin Brockovich. Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 drama was the truest definition of a four-quadrant hit if there ever was one. Julia Roberts starred in the titular role as a blue-collar single mother who ends up taking on PG&E for poisoning the town of HInkley, California. Roberts deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar for her work in the movie, which perfectly uses her gifts as a movie star, rom-com Queen and dramatic actor.

Even more miraculous than the central performance is Susannah Grant’s incredible screenplay. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, losing to Almost Famous. Not only does she make a two hour plus procedural about water contamination feel riveting at every turn, she also makes it funny. Erin Brockovich is loaded with one liners that are guaranteed to make you laugh, cheer or cry. The movie works every one of your emotions, without every feeling manipulating or tonally inconsistent.  Relive the 10 best lines from the classic film after the jump...

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Linkpool

• Coming Soon Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, starring Lesley Manville will be opening March 2022
• NME the first images of Lily James & Sebastian Stan as Pam & Tommy in a new limited series about the romance of rocker Tommy Lee and actress/model Pamela Anderson
• Vulture an oral history of Madonna's groundbreaking Truth or Dare, thirty years later

More after the jump including The Mitchells vs Machine popularity, new projects for Lewis Tan, Jamie Bell, Hilary Swank, and a book about uber depressing animated classic Grave of the Fireflies...

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