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.)
• EW The Pride Issue gives its four covers and profiles to Lil Nas X, Lena Waithe, Bowen Yang, and MJ Rodriguez • /Film "Your favourite hobbits" Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are launching a podcast about The Lord of the Rings • IndieWire Why the Emmys should honor Bridgerton • Deadline Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka, Amanda Gorman set as Met Gala co-hosts
More after the jump including Ludi Lin, Thomasin McKenzie, Ewan McGregor as Halston, a new Amy Adams project, updates on Kevin Spacey's trial, and arrests in the Lady Gaga dognapping...
• Deadline Stephen Daldry is leaving Wicked. Universal wanted to work faster than Daldry was willing but losing a director will slow them down anyway so why not meet his schedule? • VarietyThe Avengers acting heroes want you to Vote Blue this election • EW Jennifer Hudson fires up her second Oscar campaign (for Aretha Franklin biopic Respect) with an EW Cover and profile
Jeff Bridges cancer reveal, Disney news, Noah Jupe confession, Dirty Dancing tribute, Sigourney's Avatar training, and more after the jump...
• /Film the Wicked movie has a new release date, December 22nd, 2021. We'll believe that once we see actual casting news or a start date for filming. So should we start talking about the 94th Academy Awards yet. LOLOLO no. No we shan't. • Library of America Sheila O'Malley's great essay on East of Eden (1955) • Deadline Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect, True Blood) gets a leading sitcom role. Yay, it's about time since she's always hilarious. The comedy is about a church choir that gets a new director (Bradley Whitford)
• IndieWire interesting quotes from indie filmmakers trying to diversify their crew to have more gender parity and multiculturalism and the obstacles they do and don't face. • LA Times women over 70 are killing it right now: Glenn Close, Betty Buckley, RBG, Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, etc • AV ClubBlack Panther's Michael B Jordan is attached to a film adaptation of the popular new fantasy epic Black Leopard, Red Wolf set in an alternate reality Africa. (Hmmm, can he also make movies called Black Tiger, Black Jaguar and Black Lion for a full set of big cats?) • /FilmAquaman's gross has gotten so big that Warner Bros is going to do a spin-off horror film The Trench set in the kingdom of the film's most memorable sequence • AV Club Steve Buscemi learns about that viral 'deepfake' video of his face superimposed on Jennifer Lawrence's body • Pajiba explains the whole Jeff Bezos vs National Enquirer business. My god what a mess (but a fascinating one) • MNPP's obsession with Armie Hammer really does make us love Armie Hammer more • Towleroad Ellen Page drags Chris Pratt over his homophobic church • Variety controversial Michael Jackson Sundance doc Leaving Neverland premieres on HBO on March 3rd
9 random things that happened on this day (October 30th) in showbiz history
Rudolph Valentino cheekily decides you can't watch him undress in behind the scenes footage about his Sheik movies (he made two of them)1821 Novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky born in Moscow. His work, particularly the Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment, has been adapted to film and television many time.
1921The Sheik starring Rudolph Valentino premieres, inventing the male movie star sex symbol. The world swoons. Women faint.
1938 Orson Welles radio broadcast of HG Wells "The War of the Worlds" causes mass panic when people are convinced it's real...
• In Contention Alfonso Cuarón could tie Walt Disney's record this year for most nominations for a single person in one year (six). And he could break the record for most nominations for a single person from a single film (four) • /Film Katherine Langford (Love Simon, 13 Reasons Why) added to the cast of Infinity War's sequel • Variety Extremely sad to report that Filmstruck is shutting down next week. It had become the go to streaming place for cinephiles once Netflix started having such crappy movie selections • Next Best Picture if you're not sick of hearing me rave about Can You Ever Forgive Me? yet, I'm the guest on this podcast doing that again.
• TFE in case you missed it, our podcast on the same movie • The Daily Beast hateful conservatives now targeting Netflix's brilliant Big Mouth series which is all the more reason why all of you should watch it. It's awesome. • /Film this is kind of non-news given the caginess of the statements but TriStar is still hoping to mount a Labyrinth sequel with Jennifer Connelly reprising her role 30+ years later • MNPP 13 moustaches of Halloween - fun series, now with more Sam Elliott and Vincent Price • /Film to celebrate Dario Argento a ranking of his features. His most famous film, Suspiria, is NOT number one! • Next Best Picture on recent under 15 minute performances nominated for Oscars with some possibilities this year like Sam Elliott and Daniel Kaluuya
Off Screen or Behind the Scenes • Wall Street Journal thinks there is an atmosphere of fear at Netflix with their quick firings • Variety Boy George interview as Culture Club releases their first album since 1999. It's called "Life" -- ftr I think "Colour By Numbers," their 1983 album is one of the most perfect albums ever recorded • Playbill 10 plays and musicals that only require 2 actors • PlaybillWicked is about to turn 15. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel are sharing two things they added to the musical that weren't in the original script/score. • Fast Company examines the state of Hollywood's middle class. Turns out the proliferation of content isn't good for everyone and the reasons why aren't all that apparent from the outside (shouldn't more content mean more job opportunities?). Note: this website has annoying ads that are confusing to get out of in order to read the article (hint) scroll down without hitting that scroll down sign!