Beauty Break: Ed Skrein and "Hellboy" Replacement Suggestions

by Nathaniel R

Major Ben Daimio. The part will no longer be played by Ed Skrein

Well here's a delightful righteous first. The British actor Ed Skrein, whose best known to date for being the big bad of the first Deadpool movie, has taken a stand against the frequent white-washing of Asian characters on film. He has dropped out of the Hellboy reboot having learned (via the instant online backlash) that the role in the comics is a Japanese-American man. He wrote a heartfelt public letter about the decision...

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Race in Lady Macbeth and The Beguiled: Not so black or white?

by Lynn Lee

Florence Pugh in Lady Macbeth / Nicole Kidman in The Beguiled

In a summer filled with movies by or starring women of exceptional talent, The Beguiled and Lady Macbeth make an especially fascinating cinematic pairing.  Both films center on mid-19th century women who appear trapped by their societies’ constricting gender norms.  In both, the women are confined to an isolated, often claustrophobic space, yet nature is a constantly beckoning presence that at once shapes and reflects their desires.  (Both even have plots that turn on poisonous wild mushrooms!)  And in both, the women up-end the patriarchal structure of their circumscribed universe without liberating themselves.  If anything, they reinforce that power structure even as they seize momentary control of it, leaving not a feeling of triumph but a somber queasiness.

For all these thematic similarities, the differences between the two films are even more striking...

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Meet your new "Jafar"

The saga of Disney's live-action Aladdin casting is still underway. The new Jafar will be Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari. This is noteworthy because he's the first live-action version of a cartoon character who is hotter than the cartoon character. It's also worth noting that if he's great in the role this could be quite an international breakthrough. He speaks four languages (Arabic, French, Dutch, and English) which you can hear some of in his most acclaimed role in Wolf (2013) so imagine how many country's cinemas could use him!

He's mostly made Dutch films to date but he was recently onscreen in three epic English language flops Ben-Hur, The Promise, and The Mummy. Next up he's playing the French train conductor in the Murder on the Orient Express remake then the lead in a true story thriller about Ashraf Marwan. After those two films, he'll be tormenting Aladdin and Jasmine!

In short: big career ahead. After the jump more pictures (some NSFW) of the new Jafar...

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"Aladdin" Finds its Leading Man

by Nathaniel R

Will Smith has been booked as the genie for a fair bit but now Disney is really revving up for their live action remake of Aladdin, casting both their "Street Rat! Scoundrel!" and future prince in Mena Massoud (pictured above), and their Princess Jasmine in Naomi Scott, who just played the pink ranger in the film version of Power Rangers...

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A League of Their Own, Pt. 2: Mae Swings, Evelyn Cries, Jimmy Rants

25th Anniversary Four-Part Mini Series Event

Previously in Part 1: "Dollies" who could also play ball were recruited to save America's Favorite Pastime while the men were at war. But these athletic women didn't realize that they'd still be met with such sexism despite the chance to show their gifts. The final piece of this movie's puzzle was the manager and the job was offered to Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) and that's where we pick back up. How will the Rockford Peaches handle their new arrogant alcoholic boss? 

Batter up...

Part 2 by Nathaniel R

33:40 "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the first game of the All American Girls Baseball League"... In this case via the establishing shot (Penny Marshall makes good use of those throughout) 'ladies & gentlemen' is a small plural; the stands are mostly empty. 

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