Sign o' the times

There were so many wondrous signs around the world today for the Women's March. But this one... ♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎ -thanks Uzo Aduba!

Tweetweek: Spinster Bette, Jazzy La La Land, and gallows humor for our new reality

My personal esthetic this week is "glamorous spinster Bette Davis when she's too exhausted to slap anybody." pic.twitter.com/BcWjk2Ph6g

— The Nitrate Diva (@NitrateDiva) January 13, 2017

More tweets after the jump including Jesse Bradford, La La Land, Black Panther, Meryl Streep and gallows humor to get us through this horrific new America ...

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Interview: Pablo Larraín on his recent triple - Jackie, Neruda, and The Club

Portman and Pablo at the premiere of JACKIE (2016)by Nathaniel R

Pablo Larraín, currently Chile's most celebrated director, first broke into the festival circuit via his second film, the violent and disturbing Tony Manero (2008). I found it so upsetting that I thought I'd never risk another one of his features. That resolve didn't last long. His international breakthrough No (2012), was a hit with audiences, critics, and the Oscars and surprisingly enjoyable too. But due to the always unpredictable release dates of movies, we didn't see his work again until 2016 and then there were three movies at once, the sex predator priest drama El Club, the playful writer on the lam whatsit Neruda, and of course the outstanding Oscar hopeful Jackie.

You might call this Pablo's Year but for the fact that he doesn't coddle the audience and his films are as likely to unsettle and challenge as they are to reward you with their significant pleasures like fascinating performances, strong themes, unexpected humor, and emotional acuity.

When we found an opportunity to talk I figured I'd jump into the deep end about the unsettling nature of so many of his features. Our interview follows...

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Are you watching "One Day at a Time"?

By Nathaniel R

Have you taken a break from all the awards season madness, to watch Netflix's remake of One Day at a Time? I didn't think I'd like it due to a laugh track (which, I am not excusing) but it's a good enough show that I survived the canned giggles and often enough covered them audibly with my own. It's a straightforward remake of the 70s sitcom but for the following changes...

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Your First Film Screening of 2017? Mine was "Casablanca"

Happy 2017, everyone! Dancin' Dan here, to celebrate how I rang in the New Year in cinema.

I personally opted not to go with any of the new releases, instead choosing January 1st to see a 35mm print of one of my Top Three films of all time, Casablanca. Apparently the print is making the rounds in honor of the 1943 Best Picture winner's 75th Anniversary. The timing, as always with Casablanca, is confusing: Casablanca premiered in New York in November of 1942 but it didn't become Oscar eligible until the 1943 film year winning the Oscar in March 1944 sixteen whole months after its premiere. Technically it's not quite 75 yet.

But never mind that, because Casablanca is always worth celebrating. It's so easy to fall in love with the shared beauty and charisma of stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, and to applaud the film's witty, instant-classic lines. This time around, though, I was particularly struck by two things...

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