93rd Academy Awards: A strong Adapted Screenplay race

by Eric Blume

We have our strongest list of contenders for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar that we’ve had in years…I’d argue one of the strongest ever.  These five films represent vastly different stories and emphasize different screenwriting strengths, and involve an array of intelligent decisions from the writers in delivering the best cinematic experience possible based on their source material...

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Links, Lists, and RIPs

• Vulture perceptive piece on how Ryan Murphy's Netflix deal has amplified his worst tendencies
• THR The Gotenborg Film Festival -- which we've always wanted to go to -- is conducting a bizarre experiment in social isolation and cinephilia
• No Film School Hollywood is shutting down production again

more after the jump including the confusing reporting on the death of Tanya Roberts...

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Review: Wonder Woman 1984

By Lynn Lee

Heading into this strange winter holiday season, Wonder Woman 1984 faces a daunting double challenge even for one of the world’s most iconic superheroes.  First, as a movie, does it live up to the widely acclaimed first Wonder Woman?  Second, will its performance – by whatever metrics apply in COVID times – justify Warner Bros’ decision to release the movie simultaneously in theaters and on its newly controversial streaming platform HBOMax?

The jury’s still out on the second question, but the answer to the first, alas, is no.  Wonder Woman 1984 is a mess.  Despite that fact, it’s also surprisingly enjoyable, due to the charisma of its cast and residual goodwill from its 2017 predecessor.  But as the movie that may shape the future not only of the Wonder Woman franchise but of movies as we know them, it’s a worryingly slender reed to bear such pressure...

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Tweetweek Raging

Because we're not feeling super productive, here's a random collection of tweets we loved from the past couple of weeks...

im in fuckign hysterics over this pic.twitter.com/0tNypOzcnL

— SAM (@notedchampagne) December 15, 2020

LOL. BUT THAT'S TOTALLY A GOOD QUESTION. More fun tweets after the jump...

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Link Sauce

• MNPP Jamie Bell is going to make a Fred & Ginger biopic with Margaret Qualley...
• TFE we're elated for Bell because if you recall our interview two years back he said playing Astaire was his dream role
• Variety Steven Soderbergh working on a Sex Lies and Videotape sequel with Andie MacDowell and Laura San Giacoma both returning. Yes, ma'am. Sold

More after the jump including live concerts to stream tonight, Wong Kar Wai, pandemic grief, Disney proejcts, and more Warner Bros/HBO Max fallout...

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