The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
On a trip to Los Angeles last year I met longtime reader Margaret de Larios who, as it turns out, turned our own Anne Marie of "A Year With Kate" fame on to the blog originally. Margaret wanted to sound off on a topic I was very intrigued by so here she is to talk about the mysteriously silent upcoming movie "Dark Places". Say hello! - Editor
In just under two months, Gone Girl will likely be taking cineplexes by storm. The movie's marketing team is not of a mind to let us forget it, slowly rolling out new posters and trailers as well as sending David Fincher out to stoke internet buzz by playing coy about a possible new ending.
But what about the other Gillian Flynn movie, Dark Places?
Because there is another Gillian Flynn movie. And a TV series in development. And a project with HBO. And an original screenplay. And two new impending novels. Gillian Flynn is about to be everywhere and I, for one, plan to welcome our new thriller overlord. Her work is creepy and uncomfortable and gripping in the best way. It also, significantly, happens to feature a wealth of meaty, nasty female roles. This could portend some long-needed mitigation of the True Detective Problem (or the Hannibal problem or the Breaking Bad problem or the-- well, you get the gist) and be a boon to lovers of actressing everywhere... as long as we finally get to see them produced.
Gone Girl is in the bag and Flynn's every development deal makes news, so whither Dark Places with Charlize Theron? [More...]
We haven't gathered links in a few days so we're way behind on news and such. Here's a few handfuls for ya...
Must Read The Wire David Sims measures the cast of Expendables 3 by every conceivable metric Decider Tyler Coates on Holly Hunter's polka dot dress in Broadcast News The Hairpin 'The only Throwback Thursday that matters.' Amen
Other Goodies Balder & Dash Teo Bugbee has a massive two part essay on the films of the Coen Bros for your reading pleasure IndieWire interviews Michael Fassbender and gets him to say "size doesn't matter" -ha!
Comics Alliance "Thanos is really bad at being a supervillain" - I thought I was insane when GotG premiered and everyone was endlessly raving. How do you rave about a heroes movie when the villains suck? I've noticed more and more people are complaining about Marvel's shitty track record with the baddies. Hopefully they can course correct. People won't put up with bad villains forever The Credits how do you film in torrential downpours and 100 mph winds? The cinematography of Into the Storm had to
Newsy Empire Tom Hiddleston wanted for Ben-Hur remake TMZ Reese Witherspoon dances to I Will Survive Empire apparently Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is back on (here we go again) and trying to cast... Lily James & Jack Huston anyone? Variety Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz will costar in The Light Between Oceans, a period drama from the director of Blue Valentine. Interesting pairing, right? THR Patti LaBelle joining American Horror Story E! Online by now you've heard Emma Stone is going to put on Sally Bowles garters on Broadway... The Film Stage first stills for some hotly anticipated movies in the new Entertainment Weekly. Check out this great grabby alternate cover image...
And Still More... The Dissolve Marvel is moving forward with The Inhumans. The only one of them I ever cared about was 'Medusa' but since this is Marvel I expect she'll be a minor character... and the only token 'girl' Gawker Anna Kendrick is dating Theon Greyjoy! UPDATE: This was a false alarm THRAquaman might happen as a standalone movie. Two screenplays are being written
WTF Boy Culture did you know that Teen Wolf Tyler Posey was JLo's son in Maid in Manhattan? MNPP I heart "especially random nonsense" Buzzfeed Jason Statham once appeared in an Erasure video painted silver! Another thing I did not know but should have
Still Mourning Guardian sassy smart Lauren Bacall's best quotes Variety Lauren Bacall's greatest role: Herself Variety The Academy's Robin Williams "Genie, you're free" has come under criticism from suicide prevention groups. I can actually see why. I found it a strange sentiment Sheila O'Malley on Robin Williams (RIP) By Ken Levine remembers Robin Williams The Wrap a cast member of Hook remembers Robin Williams TV|Line Robin's wife reveals that he was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease which he had not yet disclosed publicly
Complex imagining TV prequels to movies. Hilarious. The description of "Kramer Loves Kramer" is priceless. New Republic "I don't f***ing care if you like it." an excellent piece on gender politics in the now with framing guest appearance by Amy Poehler In Contention David Fincher's Gone Girl will open NYFF this year. Yay! AV Club "I Killed At the Movies" interesting article from Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on film criticism for the camera
The Dissolve an excellent review of Sex Tape which I have no plans to see and therefore can read interesting reviews freely Daily Mail Sullivan Stapleton gets an Animal Kingdom tattoo Variety Ben Whishaw will be the new voice of Paddington Cinematically Insane on possible corporate mergers and what that might mean for classic film fans. Uh oh. Pajiba Ewan McGregor rumored for True Detective Season 2? (at this rate with the male cast the female role is going to be supporting) VF Hollywood Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston seen dining together. This changes everything! The Wire dissects the VMA nominations. I didn't realize they'd happen but there's lots of Beyoncé of course Kenneth in the (212)Desperately Seeking Susan finally coming out on Blu-Ray
And look at this beautiful poster of The One I Love. I am the one that loves it. I loves it much. I hear the movie is really good too but I haven't yet seen it.
Unless you count the LEGO Movie's probable Best Animated Feature bid and the Sundance bow of Love is Strange (I'm still hopeful - it's playing Tribeca right now) 2014 hasn't seen much in the way of Oscar contenders just yet. Recent trailers are changing the collective shrug to raised eyebrows - between The Homesman (previously discussed), Jersey Boys (if you're feeling very generous), the Cannes lineup announcement and these two trailers from past nominated directors Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) and David Fincher (Gone Girl) the body is ready for the first wave of Oscar predictions. We'll manage them before April wraps.
Both of these trailers have been around for a bit and both blissfully play more like teasers despite their length; the job of a trailer is to sell a future ticket, not to make you feel like you've already seen it so you don't need one. Foxcatcher's traiser was actually released last year and then swiftly pulled before we could get to it but it recently resurfaced and Gone Girl has been kicking around for a week but I've heard your plea to discuss so a couple of quick notes follow
GONE GIRL
Yes. What's not to love really? Remarkable use of music and uncomfortable juxtapositions in the montage. Plus, Rosamund Pike's gorgeousity turning to the camera just in time for the vocals of "She" is just a marvelous 'we're-making-a-star here' relief given that her career, though healthy, deserves more fame and a richer choice of scripts. That final shot of her in the water is so disturbing. (Yikes). And though they aren't prominently featured in this trailer the supporting cast is really good with a lot of underused faces like Sela Ward and Missi Pyle.
No. I got nothing though I guess I hope Fincher takes a break from crime thrillers soon and that greenish color palette which was fun for a couple of films but three in a row. It's approaching Eastwood's inky black and Soderbergh's yellow as a default rather than an artistic choice.
Maybe So. Casting Ben Affleck as your leading man has to be considered kind of risky, right? Aristically speaking. He's not the terrible actor some say he is but neither has he ever proven himself a great one.
FOX CATCHER
Yes. Another minimalist peak at a crime drama, this one being a horrible and super weird true story. It has a very good chance of being riveting given the cast, the story and the writer/director (Bennett Miller of Capote and Moneyball fame). The "A coach is..." speech here is beautifully judged as a teaser framing device, especially with that pathetic shuffle into the gym with the pistol out. Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum seem like a pretty great trio to hang a movie on. And did I just spot Vanessa Redgrave?!? ( "Yes, please" times so so so many.)
Also Yes. Channing Tatum in a singlet
No. I dread any potential "sweepers" in any of the acting categories -- just on principle because there are ALWAYS more than four great performances in a film year -- so though I've long thought Steve Carell was an Oscar calibre actor (I nominated him right here for Little Miss Sunshine) I don't relish seeing him win everything because he went the prosthetic and vocal affectation route. He looks good in the trailer, don't get me wrong. I just know that no matter how brilliant he is, he'll be wildly overpraised merely because of this and the meat of the role.
Maybe So. I suppose the ultra specific details of this tale might not help it with accessibility for the masses, or even to feel potent thematically. But we'll worry about that later if it happens.
Are you a Yes, No or Maybe So ? And does the strength of your answer coincide with your faith in their Oscar play?
[Editor's Note: We Can't Wait is a Team Experience series, in which we highlight our top 14 most anticipated films of 2014. Here's Deborah Lipp on Gone Girl.]
Gone Girl
Loosely based on Gillian Flynn's best selling noverl of the same name, the film tells the story of a woman who mysteriously disappears on the day of her wedding anniversary.
Talent Directed by a modern master of American thrillers, David Fincher, and starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, and Patrick Fugit.
Monday, August 18, 2014 at 12:12PM 
