Showbiz History: Addams Family, Husbands and Wives, James Marsden

9 random things that happened on this day, September 18th, in showbiz history...

1951 The film adaptation of the Broadway smash A Streetcar Named Desire opens in movie theaters, with all but one of its principal cast intact... the leading role which went to Viven Leigh instead of stage star Jessica Tandy. Leigh would soon win her second Oscar for it. 

1964 Goldfinger (one of the very best Bond movies) opens in movie theaters in the UK (though it wouldn't make it to US screens until Christmas time)...

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Tweetweek: Sequel Culture, Current Kidmania, Moonlight Kiss

Stop 👏 trying 👏 to 👏 make 👏 cinematic 👏 universes 👏 and 👏 focus 👏 on 👏 making 👏 great 👏 standalone 👏 films.

— Zac Thompson (@ZacBeThompson) April 5, 2017

Preach. Sequels used to happen because of love for a standalone. Now they're built into it like everything is a prologue.

Lots more after the jump including Twitter's current Kidman obsession, Disney villains, Tab Hunter, and more...

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The Furniture: Wednesday Addams Sets Thanksgiving on Fire

"The Furniture" our weekly series on Production Design. Here's Daniel Walber

Happy Thanksgiving! In three days, Americans will gather together to cook, feast and argue. The acrimonious presidential election has launched a multitude of think pieces on the subject. How do you talk to your relatives who voted differently than you? The classic stereotype of the young, liberal, usually-white urbanite going back to conservative “middle america” for turkey is certainly more fraught this year than it’s ever been. Does that scenario now come with the moral obligation to speak up?

This may seem like a weird way to begin a column about Addams Family Values, a comedy sequel without an overt political message. But there's some Thanksgiving advice to be found in the Oscar-nominated design of legendary production designer Ken Adam (The Spy Who Loved Me) and set decorator Marvin March (Annie). Beyond the social satire of the early 1990s ("But Debbie...pastels?"), a blunt clash of historical narratives is built into the sets for Camp Chippewa...

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Beauty vs Beast: God I Love You

Happy Monday folks, it's Jason from MNPP back from the turkey dead and ready to "Beauty vs Beast" with you all again! Have any of you seen Laurie Metcalf and Bruce Willis doing Stephen King's Misery on Broadway? I have not but as a recently admitted obsessive over Metcalf's work on Getting On - also especially her wild-eyed turn in Scream 2 - I'm curious to see what she does with the role of number one fan Annie Wilkes. (Also please tell me they updated the play and made Annie have a Tumblr account.) The shadow of Kathy Bates' original performance looms large, and speaking of...

Rob Reiner's 1990 film is turning 25 today! The film was a big hit, making over 60 million bucks and earning its leading lady that most rare of rare Oscar wins - one for a horror movie performance. And she certainly earned it, but credit where credit's due: James Caan's performance is always over-shadowed and he's just as good, grounding the film (literally) with every hardworking bead of sweat chugging down his panicked face. The film wouldn't work without him; they play a perfect duet. That said...

PREVIOUSLY We celebrated the holiday last week with all the Christina Ricci Thanksgiving Speechifying you could handle, and y'all went straight for the dark meat - Wednesday Addams, much to her chagrin, is a winner at life! Said denny:

"Ricci's Wednesday Addams may be what turned me into an actressexual. I LOVED her. I think she was my first real actress crush. The Shakespeare scene in the first Addams Family movie was when I well and truly fell. By the time the sequel came out, I was madly in love. It's such a perfect performance. I really hope her show for Amazon as Zelda Fitzgerald gets picked up. I need more Christina Ricci. Lots more."

Beauty vs Beast: Give Thanks For Christina Ricci

Gobble gobble folks, Jason from MNPP here starting off Thanksgiving week wishing you and yours a happy holiday if Turkey (or Tofurkey) Day is your jam. Whenever I think of this holiday I feel a warm feeling in my belly, and it ain't from phantom mashed potato memories - it's because this holiday makes me think of Christina Ricci, and thinking of Christina Ricci always makes me feel warm and happy inside. I'm not the only one who associates the day with her - Nathaniel himself has done a post about her twin Turkey Day speeches in The Ice Storm and Addams Family Values before. It's a tradition, and it should become an annual association as far as I'm concerned. So pass that stuffing and let's spread the Ricci love...

PREVIOUSLY We're getting over our Hunger pains this week in more ways than one - the Hunger Games franchise is finito and as far as last week's Beauty vs Beast is concerned hand Effie the Victor Crown. She sashayed right over top of President Snow with over 80% of your votes. Said denny:

"As much as I think Sutherland is aces as President Snow, Banks was a downright revelation as Effie, completely disappearing into the role in a way that was so unexpected. So she gets my vote. Plus: "THAT. is MAHOGANY."