"Wildlife" Teaser and The Best Actress Race

by Nathaniel R

I think most of expected to be seeing a lot more of Carey Mulligan in Oscar races after her stunning debut in An Education nine years ago. Yes. nine. years. ago. Crazy how time flies at the cinema. Contrary to those star-is-born expectations she has not been back in the mix yet, despite numerous films since, many of them "prestige" titles: Inside Llewyn Davis, Shame, Suffragette, Mudbound, The Great Gatsby, Far From the Madding Crowd.

But from the looks of the Wildlife teaser plus early critical raves she finally has a bonafide star showcase again...

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Pretty Linky

• /Film Jake Gyllenhaal lands the villain gig in the next Spider-Man movie. He'll be playing Mysterio so let's hope they don't go with the comic book costume because enough with hiding gorgeous actor faces behind masks or in this case a whole opaque globe
• The New Yorker has a long read profile of the great filmmaker Claire Denis
• Deadline Andy Karl has replaced Steve Kazee in the Richard Gere role in the Broadway bound musical adaptation of Pretty Woman

• The Village Voice profiles Betty Gabriel of Get Out and "no no no no no" gif fame
• Vulture A Quiet Place has racked up a stunning $300 million worldwide
• Cartoon Brew BC is becoming an animated feature. What's BC you ask? It's that syndicated comic strip that's been running in newspapers forever about cavemen.
• Variety a report on the reshoots of Solo and Ron Howard taking over and shooting 70% of what's now on screen (unfortunately everyone is vague on details! Perhaps someday we'll get a juicy oral history)
• The Muse Björk makes her first TV appearance in years and years
• Towleroad the major studios get "insuffienct / poor / failing" ratings from GLAAD in its annual report. 
• Broadway World apparently the 50th anniversary of Hello Dolly (1968) is sparking a six month long celebration in Westchester and Putnam County along the Hudson River where filming took place. Who knew people were this into that Babs film? 

RIP
• NYT Patricia Morison, Broadway's first Kate in "Kiss Me Kate" and a movie actress in early franchises has died at 103 years of age 
• The Atlantic Philip Roth, literary giant, has died. Feels like the end of a particular literary era
• My New Plaid Pants Gorgeous beefcake Clint Walker, originally envisioned by the studios as a Rock Hudson rival, has died at 90

Exit Video
Sarah Paulson does a Drew Barrymore impression. And then runs into Drew Barrymore. 

Jake Gyllenhaal and Steven Spielberg playing with the legacy of Leonard Bernstein

by Nathaniel R

Have you heard the news that there's a Leonard Bernstein biopic coming? There's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that there's a Leonard Bernstein biopic coming at all! I mean... he's only a bonafide genius of the 20th century. Even better Jake Gyllenhaal is attached to star. Even better Cary Joji Fukunaga (Jane Eyre, Beasts of No Nation, True Detective) will be directing! Gyllenhaal gives quote:

Like many people, Leonard Bernstein found his way into my life and heart through West Side Story when I was a kid. But as I got older and started to learn about the scope of his work, I began to understand the extent of his unparalleled contribution and the debt of gratitude modern American culture owes him. As a man, Bernstein was a fascinating figure—full of genius and contradiction—and it will be an incredible honor to tell his story with a talent and friend like Cary.”

More after the jump...

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Golden Globe Nominations 2017

by Nathaniel R

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has reached its diamond anniversary. Alfre Woodard and Sharon Stone announced the nominations. Here are the Globe nominations in all their glory and folly (it's always a combo of the two with any awards body... though people tend to be harsher on the Globes in this perception matter). The biggest surprise was the big love for Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World (which no other awards group had screened to date) but the Golden Globes do like to be first as is always evident in their TV nominations which are generally quite favorable to new series (note the love for The Handmaid's Tale, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and more). As is also their habit they embraced a musical for their comedy/musical category giving a Best Picture nomination to The Greatest Showman. 

Among the saddest snubs (discussed in fuller detail here) were Jake Gyllenhaal for Stronger (though sister Maggie was nominated again for her amazing work on The Deuce), Regina Hall for Comedy Actress (somehow they needed Helen Mirren again), and a complete shutout for three high profile Comedies or Musicals: Girls Trip, Beauty and the Beast, and The Big Sick. 

FILM NOMINATIONS

Motion Picture Drama
Call Me By Your Name
Dunkirk
The Post
Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

No surprises and all solid bets for Oscar nominations for Best Picture. The film arguably hurt most by an omission here is Darkest Hour since The Florida Project and Mudbound never seemed like "Globe" films, if you know what I mean. All the other nominations with commentary are after the jump...

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Beauty Break: Happy National Pumpkin Day!

Norma Jean (aka Marilyn before fame) in a pumpkin patch in the 40s

To celebrate this day, more beautiful people with pumpkins after the jump...

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