The Tree of Life @ 10: The wonder of the movie theater

by Cláudio Alves

As a Portuguese cinephile, the last few weeks have been a weird mixture of happiness for others and ugly jealousy. Looking on social media, I can see international friends returning to movie theaters, fully vaccinated, while I remain at home, not knowing when such privileges will be accessible. I realize this bitterness is wrong, but I can't help it. I miss going to the movies quite terribly. I miss being engulfed by the images projected on the big screen and feeling a wall of sound crash over my head like a tidal wave. However, unlike other filmgoers, I don't care too much about the communal aspect of the experience (with the exception of film festivals).

As a way of exorcising these demons and explaining the yearning, let me describe one of the most memorable filmgoing experiences I can remember. It happened around a decade ago, upon The Tree of Life's release…

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Supersized "Nomadland"... what will Searchlight do for a follow up?

by Nathaniel R

Click for the full illustrated new poster

The prolongued 2020 Oscar season is going to make 2021 weird, isn't it. Take Nomadland, for instance, which is just a smidge over HALFWAY through its long trek to Oscar night after its September bow). Hopefully the Biden Administration can figure out a way to speed up vaccine distribution and we can all get back to our favourite pasttime -- MOVIEGOING -- by summer 2021 when the new stuff starts arriving. Alas, that's too late to enjoy Nomadland on IMAX screens, beginning January 29th, which frankly sounds like heaven to us after watching it on a bad streaming link with a watermark across it.

Though Nomadland is not my #1 film of the year -- top ten list coming in a few days! -- there isn't a single film from 2020 that I'd rather see on the most gigantic screen possible. Joshua James Richards' cinematography and the beautifully aged resilient face of Frances McDormand deserve it.

After Nomadland's Oscar run, whether or not it wins the biggest prize in Hollywood, here's what Searchlight (now owned by Disney) will be releasing in 2021...

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Yes No Maybe So: Jessica Chastain and the "355"

by new contributor Josh Bierman

The 355 is a new action film starring a host of bad ass international superstars set for a January 2021 release. If we’re being honest, when I first saw Sponcon for this on my Instagram, I was 100% certain that this was a short film for Lancôme or Chanel starring their brand ambassadors. Turns out it’s a real life feature length film! Huzzah for female-fronted action movies. Let’s take a deep dive into the trailer...

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Good Joe Link

• LA Times RIP the iconic Diana Rigg (1938-2020)
• MNPP celebrating Michelle Williams, who just turned 40
• /Film Ewan McGregor confirms that he'll return to the role of Obi Wan Kenobi for a one season series on Disney Plus. For what it's worth Ewan will be 50 years old when they start shooting next year but that's still young for Obi Wan adventures. Sir Alec Guiness was 63 when the original Star Wars was released in 1977

After the jump, we stan Jane Fonda, Oscar dreams for Mark Wahlberg?, a 'what if' for 2020 movie culture, Sigourney Weaver on set and more....

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Would you rather?

Would you rather?

• ...have a cup with sleepy Charlie Heaton?
• ...road trip to Moab Utah with Mira Sorvino?
• ...load up on carbs with Martha Plimpton?
👈 • ...play politics with Jessica Chastain?
• ...pee in the Swedish sea with Joel Kinnaman?
• ...take a bubble bath (for charity) with Daniel K Isaac?
• ...summer squash it with Natalie Portman?
• ...read a bestseller with Christina Hendricks?
• ...listen to tunes / take selfies with Yahya Abdul Mateen II on the Watchmen set?
• ...blow bubbles with Tom Mercier?
• ...contemplate 2020 with Michelle Pfeiffer? 

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide...

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