Would you rather...?

Would you rather...

... have a sudden Glee reunion with Jonathan Groff & Lea Michele in NYC?
... school Matt McGorry on how to beach?
... read with Kathleen Turner, Rosie, and Broadway's delicious Max von Essen?
... stand for a good cause (Casting Directors Union) with Cheyenne Jackson?
... do a reverse Xanadu and becoming one with murals alongside Harry Shum Jr?
... take a singing road trip with Garrett Dillahunt?
... dream of tapdance lessons with Hillary Swank?
... make babies laugh for no reason with James Wolk?
... or talk to Virginia Madsen on a 16th century contraption. Something called a "landline"? 

Pictures are after the jump to help you make this difficult choice... 

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One Week 'Til "Drag Race" Returns!

Chris here. We're only one week away from the return of RuPaul's Drag Race on March 24, one of our favorite shows here at The Film Experience! As if the news of Lady Gaga guest judging and a stellar interview in Vanity Fair with Mama Ru herself weren't enough to bring our anticipation to a fever pitch, we just got our first extended look at the coming season!

And while Gaga may bring the masses, the full guest judge lineup is built to produce a chorus of gay gasps in perfect harmony. Lisa Kudrow is our most gagworthy guest and hopefully giving us all the Valerie Cherish we need to survive on her episode (though I'm the slightest bit bummed she doesn't share her episode with Mira Sorvino). The B-52s will hopefully be there for a singing challenge or "Love Shack" lipsync. However, I'm most excited and intrigued for Andie MacDowell's appearance - feel free to revive that Magic Mike XXL character, Andie!

But don't get sidetracked by the star wattage as the show's popularity continues to increase (seriously: name any other show that has steadily built its fanbase in its ninth season). The show is for the queens! And the contestants this season already promise to bring a range of fresh talents and plentiful drama. From the Meet the Queens interviews, my heart already belongs to Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Sasha Velour, even if my instincts tell me they'll be the type of queens that we adore before a contoversial elimination. Check out the new trailer and tell us in the comments what queens and guest judges have you most excited!

RuPaul's Drag Race

Instagram Fun with Baz, Elle, Orlando and More...

Would you rather...

See, everyone loves Star Wars! #flashback

A photo posted by Baz Luhrmann (@bazluhrmann) on Dec 16, 2016 at 3:05pm PST

...reminisce about the first time you saw Star Wars (1977) with Baz Lurhmann (can you believe how young he was here!)
...celebrate the 15th anniversary of Lord of the Rings with Orlando Bloom?
...go roller skating with Elle Fanning?
...visit Warsaw in the winter with Ewan McGregor? 
...or take your lunch from a RuPaul bag with Cheyenne Jackson?  

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Queen Viola. And Other Links

Bless Viola Davis forever
A TMZ reporter asks her if Suicide Squad will net her another Oscar nod. Her face at this question! Her quote while laughing:

No. But that's okay. I'll stick with it. 

We'll take it she means acting and not critically lambasted supervillain movies. P.S. Have you heard about the hilarious petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes because of  Suicide Squad's abyssmal approval percentage (worse than Batman v Superman's score!). I guess we need a PSA on what "aggregate" means and also a PSA on how to find a good therapist in your neighborhood. In more Suicide Squad news, THR has a story about its rushed production and competing edits. Worth a read if you're curious (but just ignore that confusingly written subheader). 

Showbiz
Vulture Mark Harris on the indie boom for actresses over 60: Streep, Smith, Danner, Field, Mirren and hopefully more to come...
Times Talk Meryl Streep will be doing one on August 11th so watch the live webcast
Awards Daily Cheryl Boone Isaacs reelected as Academy president
Awards Daily TV on how a new rule may hurt shows with multiple nominees in various Emmy categories
TFE ICYMI we looked at David Harbour's best work --> He was glad to see stage work on it! 

Off Cinema
The Washington Post The once prolific Stephen Sondheim, who hasn't written a musical since 1999, reportedly has a new one nearing the finish line!!! 
Playbill Cheyenne Jackson lists his favorite theatergoing experiences - fun group
Social Justice For All "How very dary you Hillary" a change of heart from a former Bernie man
Esquire "A few words about progress. And grace. And American cool." Gorgeous piece on Obama's place in history and his Democratic Convention piece.

P.S.
Look at this perfect instagram from the Academy! 

#Oscars #movies #greatmovies #oscarweekend

A photo posted by The Academy (@theacademy) on Aug 2, 2016 at 9:00am PDT

The Honoraries: Rowlands in Six Dance Lessons

For the next week we'll be celebrating all three of the Honorary Oscar Recipients at TFE. Here's Manuel talking about Gena Rowlands' most recent screen outing.

Whenever we do retrospectives for actresses or directors, I always have the opposite impulse that such an endeavor necessitates. Rather than wanting to go as further back as I can in someone’s filmography, or as higher up as I can in their approved canon, I tend to want to revisit later, more often than not forgotten, works. That’s what I did for our Ingrid Bergman centennial when I watched Cactus Flower and what I did this time around as we celebrate Gena Rowlands, choosing the recent Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.

While earlier films bristle with the promise of future success, and classics merely reaffirm those initial inklings, later films can offer a chance to evaluate a performer’s career trajectory. What to make, then, of a film as ineptly if earnestly made as Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks?

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