Dorian Awards TV Nods: Lots of love for "Hacks", "Heartstopper", and "Somebody Somewhere"

by Nathaniel R

How fab was that lesbian cruise episode of "Hacks"?

Shortly on the heels of the annual TCA nominations as Emmy voters are a-voting, come the 14th annual Dorian Awards TV honors. These nominations come from the The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, also referred to as GALECA which was the acronym for an earlier name (the name changes are very confusing especially since the signature prize, "The Dorian Awards" doesn't match either of them!). The organization is made up of 385 queer professional critics and journalists covering film and television. A few of those 385 write stuff right here at The Film Experience.

HBO led the nominations with three shows, two comedies (Somebody Somewhere and Hacks) and one drama (Euphoria)...

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Streaming: "Good Luck to You, Leo Grande"

by Nathaniel R

Here's one we absolutely meant to review at Sundance but didn't get to. We did you disservice. This must-see drama from writer Katy Brand and director Sophie Hyde, now streaming on Hulu, is a fine specimen in the increasingly endangered species of "character-based drama for adults". More rising directors and screenwriters should attempt low-budget premises like -- easier to get funding -- provided they can find and guide actors savvy enough to pull off something direct and delicate. Hyde and Brand have done just that even if they haven't attempted to make it very "cinematic". It's not based on a play but it does feel like a film version of a play. For the wisely economical 97 minute running time we're entirely focused on just two people in one hotel room. Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a lonely fifty something widow who hires a male escort "Leo Grande" (Daryl McCormack) to fill the void of human connection in her life. She also hopes to finally experience an orgasm...

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Weekend Watch: Lightyear is "soft" in theaters while Staircase still intrigues on HBO

by Nathaniel R

You didn't comment on the new format of listing both box office and tops in streaming from a few services but we're trying it again (Let us know what you think). There's a lot to discuss this week...

Weekend Box Office June 17th-19th 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended links if we've written about it
WIDE (OVER 800 SCREENS)	PLATFORM RELEASES
PIXAR'S LIGHTYEAR	BRIAN AND CHARLES

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The line between Emmys and Oscars for "Movies" is still quite blurry. What to do?

Perusing the TV Movie Emmy ballots, it's easy to be reminded that streaming movies are always a either/or prospects in terms of awards. Sometimes they're submitted for the Emmys and sometimes Oscars. It's not always clear which it will be since TV and Movies stopped feeling so separate as artforms once streaming upended screen entertainment. Sometimes movies are designed as theatrical features, premiere at film festivals and be bought by a streamer (remember Bad Education?) and try for Emmys. It's difficult to know which is which these days unless you're constantly on the phone with publicists but those decisions can be reversed or made later in some cases. Oscar is requiring theatrical releases again for eligibility purposes but that's easy for major corporations to work around by "four-walling" theaters without any publicity for a week to hedge awards bets. Netflix bought a couple of movie theaters almost specifically for this purpose.

Long story short here are Emmy eligible movies that people (including sometimes myself) might have previously mistaken for movie-movies for various reasons... 

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Cláudio's Best Shot Pick: Fire Island (2022)

The next episode in our series, 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot,' arrives Thursday night. This week's film is Andrew Ahn's Fire Island, which recently premiered on Hulu. You still have time to participate! In the meantime, here's Cláudio's entry:

For the past decade or so, numerous filmmakers have tried to revive the romantic comedy with varying degrees of success. And yet, it seems that the romcom's heyday will never return. Still, there's plenty of nostalgia for those days gone by when mid-budget projects of this ilk were a mainstay of any studio's output. Nowadays, every such exercise feels like an exception to the rule, a precious rarity, and a throwback. Maybe that's why the modern romcom refuses to stick, as it often comes off as a retrospective homage rather than its own thing. Or else it's too focused on justifying its existence, wanting to appear cool and hip with such alarming vehemence it ends up forgetting the basics that make these movies work.

By centering identities rarely depicted in mainstream cinema, appealing to classic literature tropes, and getting a director with a strong point of view, Fire Island avoids most of these pitfalls. It succeeds where others have stumbled, and even if it doesn't revive the romcom's Golden Age, it's pleasant summer entertainment…

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