The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
March isn't a big month for either Netflix (previously discussed) or Amazon Prime. But there are still new titles to view if streaming if your main movie outlet. Here's what's new for late February and early March on Prime. We've freeze framed titles at totally random places and sharing whatever came up.
I hit the main artery so it's a real mess in there. On the upside I think she had a really good time.
What We Do in the Shadows Bless Taika Waititi. This movie is so funny. And I saw it on a plane and still laughed so that's quite a recommendation because who can enjoy a movie fully on a plane? The Thor movies are definitely the superhero franchise I'm least interested in but with him behind Thor: Ragnarok I'm curious.
Randomness Film School Rejects it's all about talking animals who sound just like celebrities this year Towleroad ABC rejects a TV ad for Carol because (GASP) naked lesbian shoulders John August shares depressing box office stats on why we get so many sequels Guardian picks 5 best moment of Jane Fonda in the movies - bizarre choices beyond her Oscar winning roles Guardian investigation of why movie posters are so terrible in comparison to their aged counterparts The Wrap TV adaptation of American Gods (a must read from Neil Gaiman) has cast Ricky Whittle (the 100) in the leading role MNPP ...goes all out with an endless gratuitous post celebrating Whittle Awards Daily Awesome crusading Senator Elizabeth Warren loves The Big Short
New Projects Tracking Board Chan-wook Park to direct the adapation of sci-fi novel Genocidal Organ about homemade nuclear devices Coming Soon Oscar winning director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) are reteaming for a film about the 1967 Detroit Riots. Shooting to start this summer Variety Ruh-roh Jennifer Aniston is doing a true life sports drama called The Fixer -- she's got her eyes on The Blind Side's surprise prize if you know what I mean Coming Soon(sigh) Dear Toni Collette's Agent, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? I know we ask this all the time but you have not answered. (Toni is now signed to do a bureaucrat role in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage because Hollywood weirdly believes we want every Vin Diesel franchise revived) /Film Stretch Armstrong series (yes, the boys doll with stretchy arms) is going to Netflix. For kids. Variety Meg Ryann behind the camera. Her first film Ithaca did not yet find distribution which is weird (all star cast) but she's signed to direct a second, a romantic comedy even, called The Book
Theatre People Playbill Zachary Quinto, about to reprise his Spock role on the big screen, on why he prefers theater to film or television Playbill Dominic Cooper returning to the stage for a new production of The Libertine about the hedonistic Earl of Rochester in 1670s London. Did any of you ever see that Johnny Depp film version of the play?
Today's Watch A well timed brief history of white actors playing ethnic roles from Screen Crush. (Minor Quibble: Technically some consider Russian born Yul Brynner as Asian -- he claimed Mongolian heritage but others denied it was true)
Awards Update Everyone's making their final moves -- Oscar ballots out on Feb 12th. Jennifer Jason Leigh is getting a tribute at the American Cinematheque. They'll be screening Hateful Eight, Georgia (the closest she ever came to a nom' previously), her divisive Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle (she's excellent), Single White Female and breakout hit Fast Times at Ridgmont High.
Finally, the ACE Eddie Awards were handed out last night. The winners:
With only Krampus as a new wide release this weekend was a repeat of Thanksgiving weekend with The Hunger Games, The Good Dinosaur and Creed leading the way at the multiplex and Oscar hopefuls likeCarol doing good business on a miniscule amount of screens. Spotlight and Brooklyn -- which are both looking lockish for Best Picture nominations -- continue to reap the benefits of great word-of-mouth audience response.
"Um, why am I in Krampus?" -Toni Collette to her agent, probably.
BOX OFFICE (Dec 4th-6th) 01 Hunger Games 4$18.6 (cum. $227)Hunger Games & Oscar 02 Krampus$16 *new* 03 Creed$15.5 (cum. $65.1) Review & Oscar Possibilities 04 Good Dinosaur $15.5(cum $75.9) Review 05 Spectre $5.4(cum. $184.5) Review 06 The Night Before$4.9 (cum. $31.9) 07 The Peanuts Movie $3.5 (cum. $121.4) 08 Spotlight $2.9 (cum. $16.6) First Impression & SAG Ensemble Predix 09 Brooklyn$2.4 (cum. $11.2) Review, Saoirse & Best Actress 10 Secret in Their Eyes$1.9 (cum. $17.2)
With BFCA's "Critic's Choice" ballots going out tomorrow and a handful of critics organizations voting this weekend, I've been struggling to catch up / wrap up but in truth I am always quite behind at this point. And I get distracted by my pets... like seeing Carol twice this weekend. Oops. By my count there are 27 titles that I had hoped to see that I still have to squeeze in during the busiest month of the year and of course the rewatches I'd hoped to do before drawing up the top ten list. If I get to half of this by Christmas it'll have to be considered an enormous success. The Glut! The Glut!
What did you see this weekend? Are you struggling to keep up?
NY Times talks to David O. Russell about Joy... which still is not screening. The mystery of it all Playbill Aladdin flew through the streets of NYC on his magic carpet recently. How's that for marketing? Gold Standard Character actors get their own award "The Carneys"... we wouldn't need this if the Academy remembered why they invited the Supporting Acting categories. The first recipients: Bob Balaban, Michael Ealy, Bruce McGill, David Paymer and CCH Pounder THR wishes Toni Collette a happy birthday with fun facts
/Film Jennifer Aniston hasn't made a good film in 10 years. Can What Alice Forgot change her course? Guardian suggests that appointment franchise cinema will end with Hunger Games: Mockinjay Part 2. "IF ONLY!" says all of us who year for movies to be movies rather than expensive television series Variety talks to Karl Glusman about his first day on the set of Gaspar Noé's Love -- they started with the ejaculation scene. Yikes Variety interesting. The very talented Pablo Larraín (No) is making a movie about Jackie Kennedy and Natalie Portman stars with Peter Sarsgaard, and Greta Gerwig in support Graham Norton talks to Maggie Smith who isn't sad to say goodbye to Downton Abbey Variety selects under the rader performances that "deserve" Oscar buzz. While it's nice to see more props for Kristen Stewart's great work in Clouds of Sils Maria, it's tough to take this seriously: Helen Mirren in Woman in Gold? Good god did she ever phone that one in! Ruffalo "reinventing" himself for Spotlight? Try repeating himself!
Halloween Hangover Crave Bryan Fuller (Hannibal) chooses the most stylish horror films from Repulsion to The Haunting HitFix they polled several writers/directors/critics to list their fav horror films. Not enough actresses on the list but I LOL'ed that Elvira gave herself the #1 position Gothamist photos from the Village Halloween parade TFE Facebook / TFE Twitter in case you missed it I was goofing with counting down my 15 favorite horror films last night from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? to Silence of the Lambs -- "it puts the fuckin' movie on the list. It does this whenever it's told."
Also if you aren't liking / following / sharing The Film Experience on social media... why you wanna hurt us like dat?