Farewell (for now) to "Somebody Somewhere," the best TV show you weren't watching

by Lynn Lee

And now a break from our regularly scheduled awards season programming for a shout-out to a small, exquisite, severely under-sung TV series that just concluded its three-season run.  The HBO dramedy Somebody Somewhere ended like it began – with no fanfare but with a lot of love, both from those who made it and from the few of us who were watching it.  For the rest of you, it may be just the show you need to shore up your faith in humanity – something that feels like it’s in short supply these days...

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The Costume Designers Guild loves themselves some Witches

by Cláudio Alves

Paul Tazewell is dancing through the season, toward an Oscar win for WICKED.

PGA this, DGA that, SAG whatever. The most important guild in my heart is the Costume Designers Guild (CDG), formed by those great artists who clothe our movie stars and style the pictures we love so dearly. This year, they're feeling especially witchy with their nominations, somehow bestowing three nominations on Agatha All Along and two for the Dune universe and the formidable Bene Gesserit sisterhood. And, of course, there's Wicked with its aesthetically opposite duo – green does go well with pink. I imagine Paul Tazewell is about to win his first Academy Award for the blockbuster musical, this CDG nod and likely victory a stepping stone on his path to Oscar gold. 

But enough about magical women. Let's assess the complete CDG nominations…

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"Conclave" and "A Complete Unknown" lead the AARP Nominations

by Cláudio Alves

What would Cardinal Lawrence's AARP ballot look like?

Though they're not especially insightful for punditry purposes, the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards have a special place in the season. If you've ever listened to the fabulous "This Had Oscar Buzz" podcast by Chris Feil and Joe Reid, you've undoubtedly heard of them and their distinctive tastes. Sometimes, the AARP Magazine offers choices that are good for a laugh. Still, there's obvious value in celebrating so-called movies for grownups within an industry that so often seems obsessed with youth – both as product and consumer. This year, Conclave and A Complete Unknown lead the nominations, with five a piece, closely followed by Gladiator II and September 5, with four, and Emilia Pérez with three. Come read their full lineup and some added commentary, after the jump…

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A Quick Word on AppleTV's "Disclaimer"

by Eric Blume

We at The Film Experience couldn't let an opportunity go by to post about the new AppleTV series Disclaimer since it stars two-time Oscar winner Cate Blachett, Oscar winner Kevin Kline, and Oscar nominees Lesley Manville, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.  Plus, it's written and dirtected by mutli-Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón (who's won Oscars for Directing, Editing, and Cinemtography).

That's a highly-pedigreed project, and this group of artists have created a probing, sometimes bizarre, curious, and difficult piece of television.  There is no way to have any deep discussion about this project until you've seen it all the way through.  So I won't divulge the turns and ambitions of Disclaimer too much, but if you haven't seen it at all, stop reading now...even a cursory dive into the show requires a few reveals...

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Venice 2024: Series Better Than Movies #1 - Disclaimer

by Elisa Giudici

Alfonso Cuarón, behind the scenes of DISCLAIMER | © Apple TV+

From the moment the Venice lineup was announced, it was clear that this year, the festival was betting heavily on TV. The impression was that the quality was high enough to justify their inclusion and the commitment to watch long episodes, even at the expense of film screenings. Early viewings have confirmed this prediction. In these diaries from the Lido, I can already tell you that at least two series will make headlines. The first one is:

DISCLAIMER by Alfonso Cuarón

When it comes to TV series, Alfonso Cuarón proves to be the dream director for a platform like Apple TV+…

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