The Handmaid's Tale: Season 2 Begins

By Spencer Coile

What one word would you use to describe the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale? Bleak, visceral, angry… timely. Take your pick – they all apply. And returning for its second season, it becomes abundantly clear that the series is not shying away from its difficult subject matter.

Set in Gilead, a dystopian future where only a handful of women are capable of conceiving children, The Handmaid’s Tale (based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name) is a grisly yet empowering exploration of femininity and feminism in a time when women’s bodies are viewed as mere vessels. Season one was righteous, searing, and highly acclaimed earning eight total Emmy Awards and a place in the cultural zeitgeist. Can the second season keep the momentum going?

The Handmaid’s Tale’s first season loosely followed the plot of Atwood’s novel, but the second must conjure a life of its own...

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WGA Goes For "Get Out" and "CMBYN"

Chris here. One of the final major set of prizes before the Oscar ceremony was handed out over the weekend, the Writers' Guild of America awards. The WGA awarded their screenplay honors to Get Out in original and Call Me By Your Name in adapted. Even though the latter's Oscar competition is now even further in the dust, its safest-bet-of-the-night odds to win the big prize will still be an exciting victory lap for its never-awarded legend screenwriter James Ivory.

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Nathaniel Gives Thanks

by Nathaniel R

Living through a difficult year gives you more reasons than ever to take every excuse to count your blessings. No matter how bad life is the magic of moving pictures, or storytelling and the craft of acting, are always reliable mood-boosters. They're not just a blessed escape but a companion, through which we can learn about ourselves. But let's not get too fancy about it because we mostly just want to squeal "WHEEEEEE!" when we think of the joy of movies.

I'd like to give thanks for the following in particular this year:

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Emmy Night: Winners List, Haphazard Notes, Political Jabs

By Nathaniel R

The BIG LITTLE LIES cast were first presenters setting the tone for a night devoted to them essentially

8:00 Stephen Colbert managed to work lots of political commentary and Trump jabs into his opening song which hits peak jab with the "even treason's better on TV" lyric with the stars of The Americans giving brief cameo. The also Trump centric post-song monologue is good and the stars are eating it up. 

8:16 Colbert actually saves the best joke for last with a surprise cameo by Sean Spicer (yes, actually Sean Spicer with his stand) who he introduces as Melissa McCarthy. Even McCarthy is shook. 

8:18 Nice touch to have an ensemble as joyfully in synch as Big Little Lies do a supporting category. Lithgow wins for playing Churchill. That also worked for Albert Finney 15 years ago. Oldman is also going to win the Oscar playing Churchill later this year. It's one of those roles... like Effie White or Mama Rose. And, well, Winston Churchill...

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Emmy Ballots Due

Voting for the 69th annual Emmy Awards closes Monday. The televised event will be held on Sunday, September 17th (same day TIFF wraps up!) with the Creative Arts ceremony (for below the line and guest acting awards) generally happening a few days beforehand. In case you missed any of our Emmy-related investigations, here they all are.

Comedy Actress will Julia Louis-Dreyfus continue breaking records?
Drama Lead Actress Movie/Mini Kidman, Witherspoon, Lange, etc.
Drama Supporting Actress Thandi Newton, Millie Bobby Brown, etc.
Drama Guest Actress Ann Dowd, Alexis Bledel, and more
Drama Male Acting Categories Sterling K Brown, Riz Ahmed, etc.
Voiceover Can Kevin Kline triple crown?
Production Design The Young Pope, Portlandia, Hairspray Live, etc.
Contemporary Costumes Grace and Frankie interview
Costume Design, Period/Fantasy Feud, The Handmaid's Tale, Genius etc.
Main Title Design American Gods, The Crown, Westworld, etc
Music Supervision Big Little Lies soundtrack
Music Supervision Pt 2 The whole category

Nomination Snubs Rita Moreno, Minnie Driver, Insecure, etc.
Nomination Happiness Laura Dern, RuPaul's Drag Race, etc.
Official Nominations Westworld and Saturday Night Live led...
Team Experience's Ballot not the actual Emmy list obviously

ANY LAST MINUTE FYCS AS TELEVISION ACADEMY MEMBERS COMPLETE THEIR BALLOTS?