The Link Down

It's impossible to keep up these days. So herewith a bunch of news we haven't covered and other enjoyable places to go on the web today...

News
Baz Lurhmann has written a letter to fans about the cancellation of The Get Down, his Netflix series. My favorite bit because I like having him on the big screen in 2 hour doses:

All sorts of things have been thrown around for the future... even a stage show (can you imagine that? I can, concert version anyone? Next summer? Just saying.) But the simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life. Since The Get Down stopped, I have actually been spending the last few months preparing my new cinematic work...

Variety IFC is on a buying spree at Cannes, including Lars Von Trier's latest, a serial killer drama named The House That Jack Built starring Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman
BBC Star Wars' John Boyega hits the London stage in Woyzeck. Reviews are a bit mixed but everyone seems to love that he challenged himself to such an extent post stardom
Cartoon Brew Pixar has a new experimental shorts division without executive oversight. This sounds like a great idea for the company, fostering new creative visions without much investment or interference
Kenneth in the (212) Jeffrey Schwarz, who specializes in documentaries about gay or gay-interest historical figures (I Am Divine, Vito, etcetera) has a new documentary on Producer Allan Car (Grease 2, Can't Stop the Music)
Broadway World Glenn Close stops a performance of Sunset Blvd to address a rude audience member:

We can have a show or we can have a photo shoot

Variety Kirsten Dunst gets emotional at The Beguiled premiere
Variety Gina Prince-Blythewood (Beyond the Lights) tapped to direct Spider-Man spinoff Silver and Black  about the characters Silver Sable and Black Cat.
Angry Asian Man there's a Joy Luck Club tv series in the work and they're looking for Chinese American women

Good Reads
Vanity Fair on that new unforgivably hideous Spider-Man Homecoming poster
Jezebel on the terrible Dirty Dancing TV remake. (I have to ask though, why do people keep watching TV remakes of movies. They're all just t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e... remember that trainwreck that was Beaches recently?)

For Fun
Gay Comic Geek [nsfw site] Wonder Woman cosplay... by men
The New Yorker Joe Dator draws a comic about his fortieth anniversary with Star Wars. Cute.

Exit Video
Dynasty is getting a reboot.

I object that Krystle isn't a blonde and doesn't look that much different than Fallon (why does the CW have such trouble varying haircolors/styles and overall looks in their casts in all their shows?) but otherwise some of the changes are fun. The most potentially interesting touch being that trashy golddigger Sammy Joe (the Heather Locklear role) is a gay man this time but still after the same mark, Steven Carrington (the family's gay son). But, is this really the right era to idolize the super wealthy? Not sure it will sit as well in 2017 as it did in the 80s when people were more naive about the 1%'s havoc-wreaking on the economy of everyone else.

Kathryn Bigelow's "Detroit" Trailer Explodes

Chris here. Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty follow-up, Detroit, has been veiled in almost as much secrecy as that Oscar-winning film, our only snippets of information being that it’s set during the 1967 Detroit riots. The film also has a pretty packed ensemble cast including John Boyega, Jason Mitchell, and John Krasinski (though suspiciously lacking in black female roles). But now we have a first look at what she’s crafted thanks to a tense trailer – and the results are stellar.

Though our mind naturally wanders to Oscar with Bigelow's name and her regular writing partner Mark Boal attached, the film's late summer release (roughly fifty years after the riots) also suggests confidence the film could be aiming to seize the zeitgeist just as we tire of superhero bombast. Though production company Annapurna Pictures has had Oscar success with the likes of American Hustle, Her, and Zero Dark Thirty, this will be their first outing as a distributor. I'm guessing they'll want the cash from making this a hit before betting on a costly Oscar play. However, I'm already rooting for Jason Mitchell's chances this year - he'll also have Dee Rees's Mudbound to keep him in the conversation.

Might Detroit be included in tomorrow's Cannes lineup announcement? Check out the intense trailer below and tell us your thoughts in the comments. Detroit opens August 4!

Say What? John Boyega

Manuel here with a pretty picture to get our week started. 

What is John Boyega thinking about as he shoots scenes for the sequel for that other sci-fi franchise-to-be Pacific Rim: Maelstorm?

Boyega, Mackie & More Join Bigelow's Next Project

Manuel here with some casting news. Kathryn Bigelow is readying her follow-up to Zero Dark Thirty. As we learned back in January, her next project will be centered on the Detroit riots of 1967. For the timely drama, the Oscar winner will be reteaming with Mark Boal (who also penned The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty). Well, now that the film is set to start shooting, we’re finally getting more details on the film’s cast (if little info on the actual narrative of the feature).

In addition to Star Wars standout John Boyega, the Bigelow-Boal “Untitled Detroit Project” as it’s being described has recruited a bevy of young up and coming stars...

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Visual Index - The Force Awakens' "Best Shots"

The Force Awakens may have dominated the world when it debuted at Christmas time but all our Christmas times are devoted to the Oscar race so we didn't truly give it its due here. And thus it's our pick this week for Hit Me With Your Best Shot (though we don't normally do movies this recent) to give us a chance to spend a little more time with Luke, Leia, Han, Finn, Rey, and the galaxy's new collective boyfriend Poe Dameron.

My own Force Awakens post is here if you missed it. I had been running late. Let's blame Thelma & Louise (I've been distracted). The power of the Dark Side or the Light are no match for the Force of Great Actressing in my galaxy right now and close close by.

Alright. Let's see what the Best Shot club chose...

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