Are we getting a "Scarface" reunion at the Oscars?

by Cláudio Alves

As the first lists of Oscar presenters are released, it's fun to try parsing out potential connections between invited names. Even if it's nothing but a brief shot of nostalgia at seeing two familiar faces backed by a classic's main theme, there's something thrilling about the whole apparatus. Since the Oscars have grown so allergic to celebrating cinema's past – unlike the Grammys - these tidbits feel extra special. When perusing the first batch of celebrities, a couple of names stood out. First, we have Michelle Pfeiffer, eternal Film Experience favorite. And then there's Al Pacino, who starred with the blonde star in Brian De Palma's Scarface. The picture just celebrated 40 years last December, making an awards show tribute especially timely.

Would you like to recall Pacino's iconic Tony Montana and Pfeiffer's chilly, sensual Elvira? I know that in my ideal world, she'd have been a Best Supporting Actress contender in 1983, while her costumes would have earned an Oscar. And these are far from the only big names presenting at the 96th Academy Awards…

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Queering the Oscars: Chris Sarandon in "Dog Day Afternoon"

For Pride Month Team Experience is looking at queer & queer-adjacent moments in Oscar history.

by Nick Taylor

“I wish I had an abusive boyfriend who was willing to rob a bank to pay for my sex change operation.” sighed my friend Jude after we finished watching Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Pride is always an ideal excuse to make all my cool queer friends watch cool queer films (I do this all the time, mind you), and our Queering the Oscars series has created the perfect opportunity to revisit old favorites with good friends.

In the context of queer cinema, Dog Day Afternoon is a fantastic surprise to put in front of a crowd, since it doesn’t announce itself as such from the outset...

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Best Shot Picks and Nathaniel's Choice from 'The Godfather'

by Nathaniel R

Our film title this week on Hit Me With Your Best Shot was in honor of the restoration of The Godfather (1972) for its 50th Anniversary. Here are the Best Shot choices from seven participants and my own towards the end of the post. Click on the images that follow to read the corresponding articles. I'll be "talking" inbetween the images about a film I've never written about before (!) as I select my own... 

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Almost There: Jack Lemmon in "Glengarry Glen Ross"

by Cláudio Alves

Last week, in the Almost There series, I took a look at Shirley MacLaine's Volpi Cup-winning turn in Madame Sousatzka. This week, it's on to another Venice Film Festival champion who got some Oscar buzz but failed to make it to the Academy's lineup. From a Best Actress winner to a Best Actor victor, from one elderly Oscar-winner to another, from The Apartment's leading lady to its leading man. In 1992, Jack Lemmon won two prizes at Venice, both for his performance in James Foley's screen adaptation of David Mamet's most famous play, Glengarry Glen Ross. The movie is iconic, full of memorable dialogue and oft-quoted one-liners, a treasure trove of vociferous acting, bursting at the seams with tired testosterone. Still, amid such a powerhouse cast of characters and acclaimed thespians, Lemmon shines brightest…

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Yes No Maybe So: "House of Gucci"

by Nathaniel R

"Father... Son.... and House of Gucci" If the trailer is any indication, people are going to be obsessing on or quoting House of Gucci frequently in the coming months. So let's go immediately to our Yes No Maybe So™ routine, but in the more expansive second-by-second way we do occassionally when we're really excited...

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