The Smackdown Returns. Which Years Next?

The Smackdowns will return.

Happy Smackdown to you Happy Smackdown to you
Happy Smackdown you actressexuals,
Happy Smackdown to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

After StinkyLulu graciously let us continue/revive the series here seven years ago (eep!) we've done 26 episodes: 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1954, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1995, 2001, and 2003, and concurrently with Oscar races as they happened 2016, 2017, and 2018. 

So, where to now? Let's look at our options...

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March. It's a Wrap

March was approximately a decade long but it has finally ended its interminable reign. Will April be as endless? Only the novel coronavirus knows. Here are a dozen blog highlights from the month that was...

March Highlights
• What if Sondheim's "Company" were a movie - Lynn ponders casting possibilites
• Top 100 Documentaries of the Decade - Glenn sees (and ranks) everything.
• The moment I fell for Kristen Stewart - Claudio looks at The Runaways (2010) for its 10th
• Lady in a Cage (1964) -Nathaniel gets in the elevator with Olivia de Havilland
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always -Murtada talks to director Eliza Hittman
• RIP Max Von Sydow -Nathaniel says farewell to a great
• Cate as Blue Jasmine - Murtada dives deep with special guests
• Deneuve in Repulsion - Jason minds the crack
• Emma and Cactus Flower - the podcast has returned
• Toshiro Mifune - a centennial celebration (the actual 100th is tomorrow - two more pieces coming)

Most Discussed
• Oscar Category Fraud Eric looks at the (screen percentage) numbers
• Not the Iron Lady - Claudio asks what should have been Meryl's Third?
• Daniel Day Lewis - the best three-time winner?

On the mend. And an Oscar thought.

by Nathaniel R

Just wanted to quickly check in to let you all know that I am on the mend and doing a lot better now, self-recovering from a flu or covid-19 or whatever it is/was that I was relaying on the podcast. The fever has been gone for a couple of days and I have more energy daily.  It's hard to get tested which is such a ridiculous problem. Our country was so severely ill prepared for a pandemic since the CDC was gutted by T**** two years ago (why does the media stay so silent on the awful decisions of the government and spend so much time on his tweets or just replaying his self-congratulatory speeches?). And even if the GOP hadn't already ravaged greatly needed government programs, our healthcare system was already in disarray. People being laid off right and left in the face of business closings will also mean the loss of medical insurance for a lot of people. Losing insurance during a pandemic is (unneccessary) tragedy on top of tragedy. It only highlights the absurdity of connecting your ability to see a doctor with working for a corporation. The two should have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

It's been beyond clear for years that our country needs universal healthcare. 

But on a more familiar topic for this blog so as not too get bogged down in political anger -- movies and Oscars...

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Beauty Sleep

After wrapping up the film year and February ending TFE needs some beauty sleep but we'll back on Sunday night or Monday morning, refreshed. Have fun this weekend! See lots of movies. 

COMING IN MARCH
Celebrations of Toshiro Mifune for his centennial and Rachel Weisz for her 50th + the new Smackdown schedule + trips to the movie theater for Wendy, Saint Frances, The Hunt, A Quiet Place Part 2, Emma. And you know how we love anniversaries so we'll look back at The Picture of Dorian Gray, Tristana, and Muriel's Wedding for their 75th, 50th, 25th respectively. All that plus whatever you assign us on streaming since that Voyage experience went well. 

2019 Film Coverage is a Wrap.

And the 2019 film year has officially entered the vaults (which is good since 2020 is well underway). It only took us 13 days post-Oscar to wrap up this time. For us that's speedy. Here's a big index of the year (that was) in case you missed any of the festive wrap-ups...

nathaniel's top 10	20th film bitch awards	the 92nd oscars

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