Almost There: Cher in "Mask"

by Cláudio Alves

To commemorate Cher's 75th birthday, I'm dedicating this week's "Almost There" to a celebration of the superstar. For someone who gained fame as a singer and TV personality, Cher's an acting powerhouse. Over the years, she has amassed a small but impressive filmography. In 1985, after proving her dramatic abilities in supporting roles, directed by Robert Altman and Mike Nichols, Cher got her first leading part in Peter Bogdanovich's Mask. She wowed critics, filmgoers, and festival juries worldwide, and many predicted her for a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Even Cher herself seemed to believe she deserved the honor. Unfortunately, AMPAS disagreed…

Click to read more ...

Happy 51, Octavia!

by Jason Adams

Three-time Oscar nominee (and of course one time winner) Octavia Spencer is heading into the second half of her centennial today and we'd love to wish her a very happy day -- no matter how high or lowbrow the project I am always happy when she shows up...

Click to read more ...

Would you rather?

We haven't loooked at Instagram for a bit. So let's play our fantasies about celebrity bffs game which is just an elaborate excuse to share photos we liked recently. Would you rather...

• hang at the pool with Elliot Page?
• celebrate the anniversary of "Born this Way" with Lady Gaga?
• sit for a portrait with Kristin Scott Thomas?
• make like Tarzan under a waterfall with Tony Goldwyn?
• have a "salad" with Reese Witherspoon?
• get an honorary degree from Yale with Ava DuVernay?
• visit Monaco with Haz Osterfield and Tom Holland?
• relax at a resort with Kathryn Newton?
• bungee jump with Zac Efron and brother?
• celebrate pride with Jeremy Pope's cake?

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide. (If there's a gif, you can click on it to see the whole video)

Click to read more ...

Emmy FYC: Hannah Waddingham in "Ted Lasso"

Our team is breaking down the top contenders and highlighting some of our favorites over the next few weeks.

By Ben Miller

There’s a reason Ted Lasso has endured through all these months.  When the world shut down and every piece of news was about the worst possible people doing the worst possible things, we needed a bit of positivity in our lives.  Enter the world’s sunniest dispositioned football/futbol coach in Jason Sudekis’ Ted Lasso.

As much as the shenanigans of Ted and his team entertain, the central conflict of the show’s freshman season is between Lasso and Richmond FC owner Rebecca Welton, played to sly, annoyed perfection by Hannah Waddingham...

Click to read more ...

Gay Best Friend: Buddy (Charles Grodin) in "The Woman in Red" (1984)

a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope 

Don't worry, Teddy (Gene Wilder). Buddy (Charles Grodin) isn't going to take your girl, he's gay.The recently passed Charles Grodin (1935-2021) leaves behind an enviable film career. From Beethoven to Clifford, Grodin mastered being the “straight man” in comedies opposite zany characters. The master of reaction shots, Grodin knew how to wring laughs out of being the “put upon wet blanket.” His career features many other great performances, including The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run, Heaven Can Wait, The Great Muppet Caper, Dave and Ishtar. In all of the many obituaries that have recently been written about him, few have mentioned his role as Buddy in The Woman in Red ...and with good reason. The movie may have won an Oscar (Best Original Song for Steve Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You"), but it has little cultural footprint today.

The misogynistic film is best left undiscovered. However, Grodin’s Buddy has an interesting distinction of being one of the earliest out, sympathetic gay best friends in a popular, male-centric comedy…

Click to read more ...