Nicole Kidman Tribute: The Stepford Wives (2004)

by Christopher James

You never forget your first. My first Kidman - The Stepford Wives.

Is the movie good? I will always have a soft spot for it, but it does not fully work. There are glimpses of a great movie, thanks in large part to genuine laugh-out-loud joke lines in Paul Rudnick’s script. Not many people would recommend this as a first Kidman viewing, but it perfectly illustrates one of the qualities that I think makes her one of our greatest actresses - fearless commitment to one’s character. I take that back. The introduction of Joanna Eberhart is a perfect introduction to Nicole Kidman...

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ICYMI - 1997 Smackdown Podcast

by Nathaniel R

We'll be releasing as short "outtakes" podcast from the latest Smackdown featuring the films and supporting actresses of 1997. But before we do, listen to the "official" podcast, won'cha? It's one of our best episodes, so we sincerely hope you enjoy. 

1 hour and 24 minutes
00:00 Panel Intros and Titanic's four-quadrant success
08:00 In & Out. Paul Rudnick's jokes, the physical comedy, the Joan Cusack
23:30 L.A. Confidential and Kim Basinger as both actress and celebrity
37:30 Good Will Hunting 'Ben & Matt' mania, and Minnie Driver's focus-pulling charisma
46:50 The brilliance of Boogie Nights and Julianne Moore's career-making genius
1:01:35 Gloria Stuart's 'old Rose' and the winning corniness of Titanic
1:16:00 Awards for everyone plus our re-casting game.
1:19:00 Goodbyes and final movie/performance recommendations for '97 

Gay Best Friend: Sterling (Patrick Stewart) in "Jeffrey" (1995)

a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope    

The gay comedy "Jeffrey" features a refreshingly fun and unbridled sendup of the "gay best friend" character.Of the few gay-centric movies made in the 90s, a large number of them were dramas centered around the AIDS crisis. Movies like Philadelphia were very important in making straight America identify and care about those suffering with the disease. However, they were just that. They were made for straight America with the goal of educating them and generating empathy. Sure, that is a worthy cause and many of those movies were incredibly successful in that regard. However, these weren’t movies specifically made FOR members of the gay community. That’s where a movie like Jeffrey comes in.

Director Christopher Ashley and screenwriter Paul Rudnick created an ambitious, irreverent AIDS-themed comedy that never turns any of its bitchy queens into sympathetic martyrs. It’s a film made by and for a community ravaged by a disease that was tired of crying and wanted hope, laughter and happiness. The 1995 comedy, now on Amazon Prime, doesn’t pass by current politically correct standards, but has a thorniness and candor that is shocking, authentic and delicious...

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Over & Overs: "Sister Act"

Please welcome new contributor Kyndall Cunningham...

As a churchgoing kid with a fairly good singing voice, choir took up a big chunk of my adolescence. I attended weekly rehearsals, went to my choir mates’ houses to practice and woke up at the crack of dawn on Sunday mornings to perform for the congregation (and God). I had a strong affection for gospel music, but my intense involvement in ministry at such a young age felt deeply uncool at times, if not isolating from the rest of the world. It wasn’t until I picked out Sister Act from my family’s VHS closet one day that I saw that part of my life tied to pop culture in an exciting way. Needless to say, I began screening the film religiously. 

Sorry. 

Like a lot of stories about women turning a new leaf, Sister Act begins with a breakup and ends with a love story...

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