"And then some!"

Goddess, how fun was that 2002 Smackdown / Podcast? I couldn't even pick a favourite part but some moments of perfection: Joel Kim Booster's anecdote about Family Video, Jazz Tangcay's "peak" Streep obsession, Ben Yahr's nomination strategies, Emily VanDerWerff's tale of weepy double features, and Matt Rogers imitating Nicolas Cage's agent.

If you didn't get a chance to listen to it yet, it's right here at the bottom of the post (again) or at itunes.

64 minutes
00:01 Introductions
03:00 Alexander Payne's About Schmidt and comedy performances as Oscar nominees. Was Kathy Bates the best choice that year?
10:11 Meryl Streep in Adaptation and Nicolas Cage's outre career moves
20:45 Joel's job at Family Video
22:00 Adaptation's Being John Malkovich's moments + Cameron Diaz
25:00 A tribute to Toni Collette, The Hours discussion
35:00 Nomination strategies
36:30 Moulin Rouge! vs Chicago 
37:40 Catherine Zeta-Jones on f***ing fire as Velma Kelly and careers nosediving after Oscar
45:29 Queen Latifah: star or actress? Cameron Diaz and Michelle Pfeiffer had buzz but didn't get nominated
52:00 Chicago has aged really well.
54:00 Recasting the actresses. Our traditional Smackdown game.
59:00 Goodbyes and final 2002 shout-outs: Crossroads, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Signs, About a Boy and more...

Smackdown 2002

P.S. I'm off to read "The Brick Foxhole"

by Nathaniel R

We hope you loved listening to the Smackdown Podcast and discussing various 1947 movies this month. It means a lot when you watch, vote, listen, and share these events. Another round of applause to our returning guests Dana Delany (she previously guest-starred on "1973"), Angelica Jade Bastién (she previously guest-starred on "1941"), and the newbies, actor Patrick Vaill (Netflix's upcoming Dash & Lily) and lyricist Tom Mizer (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel S3). Dana wanted to send a note to listeners that she was sorry for accrediting the direction of To Kill a Mockingbird to Richard Brooks rather than Robert Mulligan... the names just got jumbled because it was Richard Brooks who wrote "The Brick Foxhole" which she was also discussing.

I was so into this conversation that now I have ordered a copy of "The Brick Foxhole" to understand Crossfire in a fully homosexual way. I didn't know until the panel educated me that the movie changed the issue from Homophobia to Anti-Semitism! 

Up next in our supersized Smackdown summer: "2002" on Wednesday June 17th  -- Chicago, The Hours, Adaptation, About Schmidt -- and "1957" on July 6th, so queue up Peyton Place, Witness for the Prosecution, Sayonara, and The Bachelor Party.

THE FULL 1947 CONVERSATION ICYMI
At the bottom of this post 👇 or on iTunes.

1947 Discussion

Smackdown '47: Anne, Ethel, Marge, Celeste Holm and noir goddess Gloria Grahame

IT'S HERE! Welcome to the Supporting Actress Smackdown, a summer festival in which we investigate Oscar shortlists from years past. 1947 was a fine cinematic vintage and Oscar made room for a ghostly judge's wife, a countrified mother of 15, a jaded dance hall girl, a single New York City fashion editor, and a righteous rock of a mother in the Supporting Actress race. What's most historically interesting about this particular set is that it's a who's-who of character actress superstars of the 1940s. Get this: all but one of them won this category and received multiple nominations within an eight year span from the mid 40s to the early 50s.

THIS MONTH'S PANELISTS
Here to talk about these five nominated turns and the movies and Oscars of 1947 are, in alphabetical order: critic Angelica Jade Bastién (Vulture), actress Dana Delany (China Beach, Desperate Housewives), lyricist and librettist Thomas Mizer (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), and actor Patrick Vaill (Broadway's Tony-winning revival of Oklahoma), And, as ever, your host at The Film Experience, Nathaniel R. Let's begin...

1947
SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN + PODCAST  
The companion podcast can be downloaded at the bottom of this article or by visiting the iTunes page...

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Smackdown '81: Elizabeth, Joan, Melinda, Maureen, and Jane Fonda

Welcome back to the Supporting Actress Smackdown, a summer festival in which we investigate Oscar vintages from years past. This time around it's 1981 in which an estranged daughter, an unhappy socialite, a guilt-ridden Catholic, a political radical, and a scandalous young beauty gather for our viewing pleasure.

1981's Supporting Actress nominations made room for a two-time winner (Jane Fonda, On Golden Pond) with a very personal project, an actor's actor in a star-driven historical epic (Maureen Stapleton, Reds),  two sturdy characters in 'issues' pictures of very different kinds (Melinda Dillon, Absence of Malice  and Joan Hackett in Only When I Laugh) and a rapidly rising starlet (Elizabeth McGovern, Ragtime) who had made a big film debut the year prior in 1980's Best Picture winner Ordinary People. 

THIS MONTH'S PANELISTS    

Here to talk about these five nominated turns and the movies and Oscars of 1981 are, in alphabetical order: writer/director Eric Blume, actor Donna Lynne Champlin (Crazy Ex Girlfriend), actor Sean Maguire (Once Upon a Time, The Magicians), festival programmer Amir Soltani, and critic Boyd Van Hoeij (The Hollywood Reporter). And, as ever, your host at The Film Experience, Nathaniel R. 

Let's begin...

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Early Blanchett in "Paradise Road"

For this week's episode of Murtada's new podcast "Sundays with Cate," I've finally joined in as a special guest. I told him I wanted one of her obscure movies and though my preference was the total oddity The Man Who Cried (2000) which no one ever discusses and which is quite discussable (trust) it is hard to find these days. So we did Paradise Road (1997) instead. This is the movie Dame Blanchett made right before Elizabeth which would of course change everything. 

In the mid 90s she was but one of many rising actresses Hollywood was curious about but not yet besotted with... would this young Aussie deliver? The answer was "and how!" but time hadn't yet provided that spoiler alert. 

Listen in!