White Lotus Season 2 - Mike White Sticks The Landing

By: Christopher James

Season two of HBO’s Emmy winning anthology series The White Lotus ended with a bang on Sunday night. This season brought a new cast of characters to the Sicily location of the White Lotus hotel chain, save for Jennifer Coolidge reprising her role as Tanya, a depressed heiress, from season one. Much like season one, the season begins with a dead body. This time discovered by the deliciously flighty Daphne, played by season MVP Meghann Fahy. While season one was a rumination on class, season two was more of an Aperol Spritz - it was a delectable piece of sexy fun dramatizing the ways sex is used for social and economic currency. The season finale wrapped up all of the storylines, including that mysterious death, in an episode packed with sex, intrigue and its own fair bit of filler. 

Major Spoilers Ahead. Don’t read further if you have not seen the final episode.

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Ranking the Woodward/Newman Collaborations

by Cláudio Alves

Last month, Ethan Hawke's documentary series The Last Movie Stars premiered on HBO. Chronicling the lives of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, the show is a precious consideration of the couples' legacy as artists, celebrities, teachers, and private people whose love endures beyond the threshold of death. Rather than being an idealized portrait, it's a program that acknowledges its subjects' thorny complexities, emerging as a humanistic jewel that's essential viewing whether or not you're a fan of its starry duo. Inspired by The Last Movie Stars, I spent a good part of August exploring many of the movies mentioned in the doc.

Specifically, I watched every single project Woodward and Newman made together, including those where one was working behind the camera. Here's a personal ranking of those 17 titles… 

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Cláudio's Best Shot Pick: 'True Blood' & 'Paparazzi'

The next episode of our series, 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot,' arrives tomorrow. It's focused on Alexander Skarsgård's Hollywood breakthrough. Specifically, we're looking at his first True Blood episode in 2008 and the following year's Lady Gaga music video Paparazzi. Here's Cláudio's entry.

Prince Amleth of Hrafnsey is far from the first Northman in Alexander Skarsgård's resume. From 2008 to 2014, the Swedish actor played another heir to a 10th-century Viking King in the HBO hit series True Blood. But of course, Eric Northman has long left his motherland when we meet him in the show's fourth episode, "Escape from Dragon House." Deep in the Louisiana backwoods, the former prince turned vampire has found himself playing the part of Sheriff in the region's undead community. Instead of an ancient castle, his domain's a seedy nightclub that goes by the name Fangtasia. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, from noble northern warrior to lowly vice peddler…

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TV: 'The Gilded Age' Premiere Gives Us Actresses Galore

By Christopher James

Which side do you choose in this actress battle royale - Baranski or Coon?

The Gilded Age has so much going for it. Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon are old money sisters engaging in war with their new-money neighbor, played by Carrie Coon. Created by Downton Abbey and Gosford Park scribe Julian Fellowes, HBO’s latest series promises opulence, conflicts around societal manners, corsets, and actresses galore.

No surprise, then, that there has been considerable interest from the rest of the Film Experience team on The Gilded Age, so we’ll be doing weekly coverage of each episode. Five episodes have been screened for critics, so for today quick overall thoughts, followed by a review of the pilot. Make sure to check back each Monday as we recap the latest episode of the nine-episode first season.

Does The Gilded Age live up to its pedigree?

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TV Review: Somebody Somewhere (HBO)

Comedian Bridget Everett takes us to her Kansas roots in HBO's "Somebody Somewhere."by Christopher James

Bridget Everett is a one of a kind performer. The comedian and cabaret star first gained notoriety on Inside Amy Schumer. Her routine is brazen not just because of the sexually forward conduct, but moreso because of the sheer force of her confidence. 

There’s a cognitive dissonance between Everett’s on-screen persona and her starring role as Sam in Somebody Somewhere. So many of the details about Sam’s life mirror that of Everett’s own life. She’s from a farming family in Kansas and possesses an incredible voice. The main difference - there’s something sullen, almost introverted, about Sam. This bravado that has marked Everett’s whole career is purposefully gone. It’s a bold move that sets the stage for a really special performance...

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