20th Century Women & 21st Century Tweetweek

So much to cover today: Annette Bening in 20th Century Women, the Blade Runner sequel, and movie jokes about current politics after the jump...

There are few characters in film history that I personally relate to more than the inside out baboon in The Fly.

— Rich McCarthy (@Rich_McCarthy) October 5, 2016

Little known fact: Nicholson stopped acting to avoid a slew of ranked performance articles tied to a new project.

— Kristopher Tapley (@kristapley) October 5, 2016

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Chloe Moretz For "Suspiria"

Chris here with some casting news for one we're keeping an eye on: Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake.

Chlöe Grace Moretz has signed on to Guadagnino's passion project retelling, one that has been long in the making with directors (Darren Aronofsky and David Gordon Green) and stars (Isabelle Huppert) dropping off. The casting is curious considering that Moretz had quite recently dropped out of all upcoming projects to refocus her career. I guess that's a quick turnaround!

Horror redos haven't been the actress's sweet spot, with Carrie and Let Me In both being big misses (though consider me a fan of the latter) that didn't use her particularly well. This remake will also come with a higher pedigree than those previous efforts and she might welcome the challenge that will likely come with the ballet-focused film. But maybe the Guadagnino pairing foretells Moretz repositioning her career through the hands of autuers - don't forget that Olivier Assayas was maybe the first to "get" her in Clouds of Sils Maria.

Moretz joins a cast that includes Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, and Mia Goth. What do you think of the casting?

Podcast: The Lobster, Sing Street, A Bigger Splash, High-Rise

With two not-worthy wide releases set to dominate Memorial Day Weekend, Nathaniel, Nick, and Joe catch up on recent quality limited-release movies we hadn't yet discussed together. Catch these in the theaters, please.

Index (42 minutes)
00:01 The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos)
11:18 High-Rise (Ben Wheatley)
15:45 Sing Street (John Carney) and a Keira Knightley tangent
22:37 Dakota Johnson & actress nemeses
24:35 A Bigger Splash (Luca Guadagnino)
40:03 Venice detour & goodbyes

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

The Lobster & Sing Street

Top Ten: Sexiest Things in "A Bigger Splash"

In lieu of a full review for Luca Guadagnino's I Am Love follow up A Bigger Splash -- who can type with one hand -- a hot and bothered top ten list.

THE SEXIEST THINGS IN "A BIGGER SPLASH" 

10. Reflective Sunglasses.
The great cinematographer Yorick Le Saux (look up his filmography. Seriously) makes full use of the reflections in everyone's glasses. We're staring at them, but what are they staring at in this voyeuristic vacation?

09. Tilda Whispering to Matthias
As the movie begins world famous rockstar Marianne Lane (Tilda Swinton) is on vocal rest, doctor's orders. Her visiting friend/ex lover Harry (Ralph Fiennes) and a daughter he didn't know he had until recently (Dakota Johnson) arrive in town unexpectedly and they're told she can't speak. It's not strictly true. Marianne reserves her whispering, which she's allowed, for her younger filmmaker boyfriend Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts). Secretive conspiratorial intimacy is a panty-dropper.

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Luca Guadagnino's 'Splash'-y Return

After debuting at last fall's Venice Film Festival, Luca Guadagnino's A Bigger Splash finally arrived stateside. It's another entry in the growing mass of festival titles taking their time to make their way to the US, with last year's Cannes Palme d'Or winner Dheepan oh so quietly opening next week as well.

A few extra months' wait for Splash is an acceptable compromise consider the six years wait fans of Guadagnino's 2009 slice of divinity I Am Love have had to endure. This time, Guadagnino looks to trade in Love's breathless romanticism for a feverish chic, but upping the ante of the former film's sexual intrigue. It would be some kind of crime against the audience to have a cast like Tilda Swinton (Guadagnino's returning muse), Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Dakota Johnson and not get a little randy.

But wouldn't you be willing to wait for summer to get a dancing (and birthday-suited) Ralph Fiennes by the pool?

Luckily, the wait won't be so long for the director's next lush piece of cinema: he announced this week that his long-gestating remake of Dario Argento's Suspiria will shoot this fall. The remake has had a long haul in its own right, with rumored directors like Darren Aronofsky and David Gordon Green. Luca Guadagnino is an exciting fit for the project, the visual opera he crafted with Love a perfect fit for the giallo nightmare of Argento's original. The director has already lined up his Splash cast to return, so we can expect something special without becoming impatient.

What are your thoughts on Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria?