The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
We're revisiting the 1997 film year in the lead up to the next Supporting Actress Smackdown. Here's Ben Miller on L.A Confidential
For my money, Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential is a bonafide masterpiece. Despite nine Oscar nominations and a Best Supporting Actress victory for Kim Basinger, the ample group of fine male actors missed any sort of accolades. It doesn't mean some of them didn't deserve it.
Here are my picks for the 10 best male performances from that film...
Last week, in the Almost There series, I took a look at Shirley MacLaine's Volpi Cup-winning turn in Madame Sousatzka. This week, it's on to another Venice Film Festival champion who got some Oscar buzz but failed to make it to the Academy's lineup. From a Best Actress winner to a Best Actor victor, from one elderly Oscar-winner to another, from The Apartment's leading lady to its leading man. In 1992, Jack Lemmon won two prizes at Venice, both for his performance in James Foley's screen adaptation of David Mamet's most famous play, Glengarry Glen Ross. The movie is iconic, full of memorable dialogue and oft-quoted one-liners, a treasure trove of vociferous acting, bursting at the seams with tired testosterone. Still, amid such a powerhouse cast of characters and acclaimed thespians, Lemmon shines brightest…
• EW The Pride Issue gives its four covers and profiles to Lil Nas X, Lena Waithe, Bowen Yang, and MJ Rodriguez • /Film "Your favourite hobbits" Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are launching a podcast about The Lord of the Rings • IndieWire Why the Emmys should honor Bridgerton • Deadline Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Gorman set as Met Gala co-hosts
More after the jump including Ludi Lin, Thomasin McKenzie, Ewan McGregor as Halston, a new Amy Adams project, updates on Kevin Spacey's trial, and arrests in the Lady Gaga dognapping...
• And the Runner Up Is... I guest starred on this podcast episode about the 1978 Oscars: Coming Home vs. The Deer Hunter • Cinematic Corner Sati has been counting down the days... or drooling down the days for Jason Momoa as Aquaman so here's her spoiler-filled review • Variety what's behind the uptick in the US box office this past year? • The Advocate counts down the 15 best LGBT tv shows of the year: Pose, One Day at a Time, and Schitts Creek more • Vanity Fair Why you should root for Aquaman's box office success • Vanity Fair Kevin Spacey's bizarre holiday video reprising his House of Cards character • Deadline why did Welcome to Marwen bomb at the box office? • Gay Body Blog [NSFW] counts down the best naked scenes of the past year or so. • /Film interesting thought experiment. Would Green Lantern (2011) have been well received had it premiered in 2006 or 2016 due to the changing nature of the superhero genre.
Today's Video Behind the scenes of "Trip a Little Light Fantastic"
Do y'all think Mary Poppins Returns will manage two best song nominations? I think they're only going to get one but if this one gets nominated we'll get Lin-Manuel Miranda performing at the Oscars which would be sweet.
Finally... Redbox released their list of most rented titles of 2018. Apparently El Paso Texas is the busiest city for redbox rentals (who knew?) and Dwayne Johnson is the biggest overall draw. Ready for it?
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Rampage
Daddy's Home 2
Game Night
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
I mean where's A Fantastic Woman or We the Animals? I kid I kid. Americans just aren't adventurous in their movie tastes, whether they're going to the movies or watching them at home. In both scenarios they want big muscles, big explosions, big laughs, and big CGI beasties. That covers most of it.
• Coming Soon Juliette Lewis is joining the Roseanne spinoff sitcom The Conners • MNPP ACK! Somehow I missed the news that there's a new documentary coming about Montgomery Clift and it's playing at NewFest next month • Awards Daily Willem Dafoe and Paul Greengrass are getting tributes at the Gotham Awards • AV Club Eric Idle confirms a longstanding rumor about Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in a scene from Empire Strikes Back...
Lots more after the jump including Judi Dench's frustration, Wicked's anniversary, Chris Pine's penis, Glenn Close's movies, JK Rowling's foot-in-mouth problem, and English language remakes of foreign hits which are fine as they are (sigh)...