TIFF '23: "Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World" is one wild ride

by Cláudio Alves

So many films wear the label of "provocative" as a medal of honor, boasting about their challenges to the audience and engaging shock. Yet, most of those reveal themselves as anything but, their provocation an empty buzzword  for a press release. Because disappointment is so common, it feels doubly refreshing when a genuinely provocative film comes about, like a punch to the solar plexus that makes you smile and beg for more. That's the case of Radu Jude's Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, a Locarno prize-winner recently announced as Romania's official submission for the 96th Academy Awards. Pardon the vulgarity, but it's a fucking masterpiece...

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Discounts to "IFFF"

BEAUTIFUL BEINGS (Iceland's Oscar Submission)For those of you who like to be completists with Oscar's Best International Feature Film race there's a new virtual film festival you should know about. Being a completist or even seeing a good chunk of the movies is a tough thing to do within any Oscar season given the amount of submissions we generally get (90+) and the unpredictable distribution of those exact same movies. Rodrigo Gutierrez created "International Feature Film Festival" to help with this. About a third of the films on last season's Oscar submission list have been available at one time or another on demand, streaming, or in theaters in the US but the others have been more difficult to find.

For the first edition of IFFF (which runs April 6th-23rd) thirteen of the submissions that haven't yet been distributed in the US or Canada are showing. The list of the films and discounted ticket codes are after the jump... 

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In defense of Jamie Lee Curtis

by Cláudio Alves

Yes, I know that title is ridiculous. After all, nepo baby extraordinaire Jamie Lee Curtis just achieved the highest form of recognition in her industry, winning the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award after having already nabbed a SAG in the same category. Moreover, Everything Everywhere All At Once, the film she's been championing ever since it premiered at last year's SXSW, became a sweeping sensation, our latest Best Picture champion. And yet, if you love the actress or have some fondness for her performance, social media has proved a hostile environment. It started way before the Oscar nominations when the possibility of Curtis making the lineup to Stephanie Hsu's detriment angered multitudes…

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Podcast: Oscar Season Finale (and Career Futures)

It's all over but the post-mortem and the huge sigh of relief that another awards season is over. Team Experience has a multiple time zone conversation to talk about the 95th Academy Awards and the season in general: Nathaniel in NYC, Ben Miller in Texas, Chris James in Los Angeles, and Baby Clyde in London. Hope you enjoy and do carry on the conversation in the comments, wherever you are.

1 hr and 10 minutes
00:01 Intros & Oscar parties
05:00 Length of the season / staying power of Everything Everywhere All At Once
19:00 Original Song performances / Acceptance speeches
33:00 The internet turning on Jamie Lee Curtis
38:00 Career futures: Paul Mescal, Hong Chau, Stephanie Hsu, Austin Butler, Colin Farrell
46:00 Miscellania: Kidman, Malala, Kimmel
1:02:00 Final thoughts - which acting nominee returns first? 

You can listen to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify or download the attachment below. 

Goodbye to the Oscar Season

Ranking the 2022 Oscar Clips

By Ben Miller

It's that time of year again!  Every year since 2017 (minus 2020, when they didn't show clips), this is the piece I most look forward to writing.  The Oscars always throw a few curveballs with their clip choices.  They certainly made some choices this year.  Let's rank the clips 20 to 1.

I'm gonna not be selfish. I'm gonna be your mom.

What Are We Doing?
20. Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
19. Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once
18. Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once

For all three of these performers, their roles had big showy moments that were tailor-made for Oscar clips.  Instead, they went with odd choices...

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