Blueprints: "Sunset Boulevard"

Happy almost New Year, everyone! In these times of personal transformation, Jorge dives into one of the greatest screenplays ever written.

The all time classic Sunset Boulevard contains a multitude of scenes, and moments, and quotables to pick from and analyze in the page. But since we're close to a new year, let’s take a look at precisely that time in the film, when Joe Gillis decides to finally let go of his old baggage and step fresh into new things. Even if that old baggage is a possessive fading movie starlet...

 

Click to read more ...

Merry Christmas from TFE

Enjoy your prezzies and time off and be safe out there. Don't eat any mistletoe. A super big week of year-end festivities and film frenzies kicks off here real soon: new podcast episode, updated Oscar charts, new film reviews, Oscar hopeful interviews, and more!

To Me, You Are Perfect: Ranking the Stories in "Love Actually"

By Spencer Coile 

Every holiday season, we sit down with our favorite festive movies and return to the magic these films have to offer. Some turn to classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life or the various renditions of A Christmas Carol. Others favor Die Hard, Gremlins, or something a bit more contemporary -- The Family Stone, anyone? Regardless, we come back to our favorites for comfort and a jolly mood.

Love Actually, to me, is that Christmas movie. Using the “interwoven lives” structure that so many rom-coms have since used disastrously, Love Actually uses the formula with beautiful effect. The result is a kindhearted, giant hug of a film that always manages to lift the spirits. Put on your holiday hats as we rank the 9 storylines... 

Click to read more ...

"A Christmas Prince" We Never Knew We Needed

By Spencer Coile

It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit, readers! With a recent push from Netflix for prestige filmmaking – in 2017 we received Mudbound, and First They Killed My Father, among many less heralded offerings – everyone’s favorite streaming site is now getting festive with their new original film, A Christmas Prince. At first glance, it may seem like a sweet and predictable little RomCom, but within a week, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone on the interwebs not talking about it. 

Why has this sugary, Hallmark-esque film received this hailstorm of attention? Perhaps it is because, in a bit of marketing genius to generate buzz about the film, Netflix tweeted this: 

To the 53 people who've watched A Christmas Prince every day for the past 18 days: Who hurt you?

— Netflix US (@netflix) December 11, 2017

Could this constant viewing possibly mean that A Christmas Prince is actually... good? No, A Christmas Prince is not "good." However, it truly is an experience I recommend...

Click to read more ...

Beauty vs Beast: A Black Christmas Story

Jason from MNPP here wishing you a Happy Season with this week's ho ho holiday edition of our "Beauty vs Beast" series. If you ask me there is but one undisputed Movie King of Christmas - no it's not Frank Capra with his wingless angels and suicide bridges, nor is it Tim Burton with his antihero cat-people and scissor-handed freaks. No the Lord of Cinematic Hollies Jollies is Mr. Bob Clark, who gave us the ever-festive duo of 1983's A Christmas Story in 1974's Black Christmas. Nostalgia & Homicide - spells Xmas to me.

So this week to celebrate we'll be facing down two representational totems, one from each film - from A Christmas Story we have the infamous Sexy Leg Lamp that Ralphie's Dad buys (and that Ralphie's Mom destroys). And from Black Christmas comes the Crystal Unicorn that is used to murder the film's greatest character, drunken and acid-tongued Barb (a never funnier Margot Kidder).

.

PREVIOUSLY One of 2017's greatest movies was last week's subject and it was  a blow-out for Get Out's leading man - Daniel Kaluuya took just under 3/4s of the vote. But Allison Williams shouldn't feel bad since she got some lovely notices in the comments... said IanO:

"I expected Team Chris to win so I threw my vote to Rose. Get Out is fantastic, am so happy it’s getting awards attention, but I think Williams is somewhat lost in the critical hosannas for the film. She has to walk a real tight rope and she does so with ease. A second viewing really drove home how nuanced the performance is - it’s why the key scene works so damn well."