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It's part two of this week's Reader Questions. If you missed the first installment in which we covered topics like Cynthia Erivo's film future and Star Wars favorites, click here.
Six more reader questions? YES PLEASE. Let's go...
BHURAY: What are your 5 favorite Toni Collette performances?
I love her so much I have to do a top ten. Hers is surely the star career with the single biggest disparity between how much talent she provides versus how often and well deployed she is by Hollywood. My favorite performances are hard to rank as I think she's the same amount of wonderful consistently but it might go something like this...
Daily Mail Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman reunite... but for an interview series, not a film The Muse Rich Juzwiak talks to Anne Hathaway about Colossal and the very tired subject of 'Hathahaters'... as I've always said: their loss, she's awesome. Deadline omg Toni Collette has a lead role again (opposite Thomas Haden Church) Criterion Director Amy Heckerling (Clueless) visits the Criterion Closet. She loves Federico Fellini, the story of Billy Wilder and Tokyo Story
Coming Soon Director Sam Mendes is considering a movie based on the graphic novel My Favorite Thing is Monsters about a little girl trying to solve her neighbors murder Towleroad there's a new documentary about Heath Ledger This is Not Porn and speaking of... polaroids from the set of Brokeback Mountain Hollywood Reporter 4 Japanese actresses discuss Ghost in the Shell. This is a fun conversation but I wish they'd engaged more with the central twist of the Scarlett Johansson character because that's something I would love to hear people discuss apart from the white-washing issue. It is a separate thorny issue actually and not entirely unlike Get Out's existential horror about race relations and bodies at odds with souls... or "ghosts" in this film's parlance.
Oscar Dates I'm not sure why the internet treated the news that the next Oscars would be held on March 4th, 2018 as "news" today but they did. The Academy announced the date two or three years ago (they normally announce multiple dates at once). For example: in the latest press release they've added the next four Oscar ceremony dates. It's the other dates (nominations, luncheon, etcetera) that we never know until we're in the film year
Next Four Oscar Nights
90th Academy Awards - March 4th, 2018 (nominations on January 23rd)
91st Academy Awards - February 24th, 2019
92nd Academy Awards - February 23rd, 2020
93rd Academy Awards - February 28th, 2021
Off Cinema MNPP on the subtle importance of Zachary Quinto's public romances Variety the Lucille Lortel nominations (Off Broadway) Theater Mania I've been so bored that NYC's free summer theater tradition Shakespeare in the Park has been strictly Shakespeare for a few years now. Despite the name they used to mix in non-Shakespeare stuff which made it less basic. But they get good casts. This summer: A Midsummer Night's Dream with two of Broadway's very best performers (Danny Burstein & Annaleigh Ashford) and Julius Caesar with Corey Stoll, Nikki M James, Elizabeth Marvel and more Vox interesting piece on Sanrio's most popular character since Hello Kitty Mic new study suggests cats like humans more than food. Great article punchline. EW Lots of online furor when Marvel VP suggests that their recent diversity push has hurt comics sales. Oh Marvel. That is not the problem. You have so many of them but that ain't it.
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:
Monday, May 8, 2017 at 7:00PM 
BHURAY: What are your 5 favorite Toni Collette performances?
