Interview: Double Lopez on "Into the Unknown"

by Eric Blume

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down to speak with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, nominated for the Best Song Oscar for "Into the Unknown" for Frozen 2.  This talented duo has already won the Oscar twice in this category, for the megahit "Let It Go" from the original Frozen, and "Remember Me" from Coco.  They could not be more charming and charismatic, as witnessed here...

[This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity]

Eric: At what point in the process were you brought in on FROZEN 2?

KRISTEN: Very early on when it was like, 'I think we're going to do Frozen 2. We're thinking it's about change.' Jennifer Lee [Frozen 2's writer/director] called us, sort of tipped us off.

ROBERT: It needed to happen because, you know, the sounds in a musical are as integral as any dialogue and in fact, they have to bear a lot more weight. So we had to be there. We helped influence the story and they helped influence the songs...

Click to read more ...

What's the Best Song in "Frozen II"?

by Cláudio Alves

Back in 2013, when the first Frozen had just opened and "Let It Go" was on everyone's ear, Disney made an astute decision when it came to its Oscar campaign. Despite the movie having around 10 original songs, only one was submitted for awards consideration. It was, of course, Elsa's world-famous anthem. The decision paid off and the songwriting couple of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez took home their first well-deserved Academy Award.

With Elsa and Anna back in theatres for another musical adventure, Disney is trying to repeat the same scheme. The only problem is that this time around it's not clear what the best song is...

Click to read more ...

Mindhunter (S2) Pt 1: Panic Attacks and the Son of Sam

by Nathaniel R

So, two years ago --  TWO YEARS! -- we were all in the midst of bingeing the first season of David Fincher's Mindhunter. Sadly we never finished writing about it at TFE. This was not intentional so much as that the series was happening in October when the fall film prestige season was colliding with our blogging calendar.  So much time has passed between the first and second season that the only thing we could remember about the finale was that it left Agent Holden Ford (Emmy worthy and snubbed Jonathan Groff) writhing about on a hospital floor suffering the most frighteningly believable panic attack we'd seen onscreen. We were worried about what our terrible memory might mean for the launch of season 2 but thankfully the series picks up just where it left off. We were quickly back into its gruesome groove. That's surely do its claustophrophic focus. Much of each episode is composed of just two to four characters talking in a basement and/or two to four characters in various indoor spaces like offices, prisons, kitchens, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, and crime scenes.

When we left off, the small team of "Behaviorial Science" was under internal investigation with an uncertain future. So let's jump back in with the first two episodes...

Click to read more ...

Would you rather...?

Mondays can be such a drag so let's fantasize that we're hanging with celebrities rather than returning to the day jobs, shall we? 

Would you rather
...eat oatmeal raisin cookies with Jessica Biel?
... get a quick drink with Wolverine and Professor Xavier?
... visit the ancient pyramids with Hilary Swank?
...hit the recording studio with Ben Platt?
...doing drag with Kristin Scott Thomas?
...can fruit with Dolly Parton?
...go to yoga with Lea Michele & Jonathan Groff?
...see the last Jedi with TV genius Bryan Fuller?
...welcome the snow with Lena Headey?
...or have a spontaneous dance party with Miguel Angel Silvestre?

[Pictures are after the jump to help you decide]

Click to read more ...

Mindhunter (4-7)

by Nathaniel R

Continuing our look at Mindhunter. Let's discuss the middle bulk of the first season, shall we?

How would most men feel if they were being intimate with a woman and they sensed that she wasn't enjoying herself... [no response] Come on, be scientists.

Click to read more ...