Links: Cicely Tyson, Daniel Radcliffe, and "I Know Where I've Been"

• THR Cicely Tyson is still winning at age 95. This time it's the Peabody Lifetime Achievement Award. In the past seven years she's received a competitive Tony Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an an Honorary Oscar. Talent + longevity is an unbeatable combination!
• Variety fine actress Keke Palmer (Hustlers) writes a guest column on the current moment and what it asks of us
• The Guardian We were not prepared for "chainsaw accident" and "Cate Blanchett" to be in the same headline. Thankfully she's fine.

more after the jump including Daniel Radcliffe's outreach to fans who are angry with JK Rowling...

Click to read more ...

Horror Actressing: Patty Mullen in "Frankenhooker"

by Jason Adams

One of the instigating factors in me deciding to do this here "Great Moments in Horror Actressing" series at The Film Experience was the chance to write up performances that wouldn't normally get this sort of attention. That's not to say that Nathaniel doesn't encourage coverage of a wide-ranging, sea to shining cinematic sea, sort -- he's as fond of trash as I am, bless his heart. It's just I know for a fact -- I did a search! -- that today marks the first time the name Patty Mullen or the film Frankenhooker (which just celebrated its 30th anniversary last week) have been mentioned here on this site, and when those names rub up against something classy like the "Supporting Actress Smackdown" well, I get a buzz.

Cue trailer voiceover dude intonation -- Imagine A World where Patty Mullen's name, like a purple bolt of lightning, zapped oh let's say Mary McDonnell's name off of Oscar's Supporting Actress line-up of 1990...

Click to read more ...

The New Classics - The Handmaiden

by Michael Cusumano

Hello, everyone. I'm celebrating my 80th day of quarantine by letting my mind wander to one of the most uproariously debauched scenes in recent years.

Scene: The Reading
We hear about Lady Hideko’s readings a few times before we actually see one in action. Earlier, when she says she is worn out after a performance, we take it as a sign of her weakness. She is so sheltered and delicate a simple reading wipes her out her. When we actually witness one of these performances halfway through Chan-wook Park’s The Handmaiden, we change our tune in a big hurry. The readings are nothing if not impressive displays of stamina...

Click to read more ...

Vintage '02

Our "Year of the Month" or, rather, first half of the month, is 2002. We've already talked Frida and Unfaithful , Viola's first bigscreen breakthrough, and Nicole's Best Actress win. We also introduced you to the Smackdown Panelists who'll be talking about the Best Supporting Actress race on June 17th so here's more context for that year in pop culture time...

 

Great Big Box Office Hits:
The leggy sleeper hit My Big Fat Freek Wedding, M Night Shyamalan's alien-invasion movie Signs, and the animated Ice Age were the top three "original" hits. Sequels or franchise launchers, were, as ever in our modern era, the very biggest hits with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, and the then-latest Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter installments as the top four titles. The musical adaptation of Chicago was also a smash. And the major Oscar favourite. More on that after the jump... 

Click to read more ...

Almost There: Viola Davis in "Widows"

by Cláudio Alves

Last week, Nick Taylor wrote a beautiful piece about the early days of Viola Davis' screen career, specifically her tryptic of stellar supporting performances in 2002. The article highlights the actress's formidable talent for creating full characterizations with minimal screen time, how she conjures rich humanity from people on the margins of the story, imbuing every glance and spoken word with mountains of meaning. After reading that, I felt compelled to revisit some of the actress's best works and, here we are, exploring the only time Viola Davis was legitimately in contention for an Oscar nomination and missed. Coincidently, it's also my favorite performance of hers in what is probably the best film she's ever been in - Widows…

Click to read more ...