Good riddance, August!

Uff. what an unpleasant month this is / that was! The world continued to go insane, people are still denying climate change despite more and more frequent tragedies like what's happening in Texas and, on a more personal level, at TFE HQ your host Nathaniel threw his back out most severely. As a result the blogging was less prolific. Now that recovery is finding some momentum (crosses fingers) expect a return to normalcy after the Labor Day holiday. First up: The Toronto International Film Festival, our favorite annual event that isn't awards show related.

ICYMI a dozen highlights From August
• Grace & Frankie's Costumes  - Emmy nominated and deservedly so
• Best Actress in a Limited Series - the hottest Emmy category. Who to vote for?
• Sunset Blvd Musical Movie Rumors - the most discussed post of the month
• Best Screen Owls oh, the randomness!
• Soundtracking: The First Wives Club - you don't own them!
• Girls Trip and Atomic Blonde - the funnest August double feature
• Yes No Maybe So: mother! - Only two weeks to go!
• Smackdown 1963 lots on Liz, Poitier, Tom Jones, and Lilies of the Field
• The Furniture Arthurian legends through the years
• Beauty vs Beast Hercules vs Hades - it's a close race so vote
• Stage Door: Angels in America - Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield take on the giant roles this time
• Doc Corner: Whose Streets? Now playing and could be a contender

Coming in September
A look back at the 1985 film year with the Smackdown dropping on October 1st, Darren Aronofsky's mother!, the first significant waves of Oscar buzz, Emma vs Steve in Battle of the Sexes, Jake Gyllenhaal in Stronger, and more Difficult People

July is a Wrap

Whew. That month was a swift one. It's August tomorrow, WTF? While we continue updating those Oscar charts please check out some highlights you might have missed in July... 

• Podcast is Back The Big Sick, Baby Driver, Dunkirk, and more
• Charlize Theron in Jade Scorpion an early peak at greatness in a terrible movie
• Bright Or, 'how will we define a Netflix blockbuster?'
• Soundtracking Chris revisits Young Adult
• Roundtable Drama Reese, Jessica, Oprah and more on the hunt for Emmy
• Being There (1979) unexpected essential viewing for 2017
• Okja's many delights on Netflix
• An Ode to Joan Harris for Mad Men's 10th anniversary
• An Ode to Julia TFE's first restaurant review (wait, what?)
• The Furniture  leered through Fassbinder's erotic Querelle
• Emmy Reactions our favorite nominations
• Emmy Reactions but how did they pass up ____?

COMING IN AUGUST: Robert Mitchum's Centennial, Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit, Emmy discussions as the TV Academy does their final voting, In the Heat of the Night (1967), Scarface (1983... I know I know), and much more. We haven't planned as far ahead as we usually do!

ICYMI

It occurs to me that though we did mark the year's halfway point, we did not do a "wrap" post for May or June and here we are in mid July. So let's stop to catch our breath before steaming ahead into the dog days of summer. Herewith key posts in case you're behind on your favorite blog. That's this one, right? (Rhetorical question)

17 Favorites
• A League of Their Own - a four part retrospective
• Olivia de Havilland sues Feud - don't mess w/ this centenarian
• Interview James Ivory - on Maurice's 30th anniversary
• Hit Me With Your Best Shot: Moonlight - revisiting the Oscar winner
• Susan Hayward Centennial - we looked back at four pictures
• mother! - the teaser poster
• Podcast Premiere - Wonder Woman, My Cousin Rachel...

Click to read more ...

C O N S I D E R - Actresses of 2017, 2nd Qtr

With the year's second quarter over, here's a listicle of noteworthy performances we'll eventually compare to what's to come. These are my personal favorites from screenings and releases from April 1st through June 30th (if the film hasn't opened in theaters yet, it's marked with an asterisk). Herewith the 17 best from the year's second quarter, divvied up into three categories. (If you'd like to group them with the women from the first quarter, that list is here). Did these actresses speak to you with their turns?

Disclaimer: Key actress-focused films I missed that I'll have to catch up with later were Beatriz at Dinner, Manifesto, A Quiet Passion and Rough Night. If you've seen them give their MVPs a shout-out.

6 LEADING ACTRESSES

 

Gal Gadot as "Diana" in Wonder Woman

Nicole Kidman as "Miss Martha" in The Beguiled...

Click to read more ...

C O N S I D E R - Actors of 2017, 2nd Qtr

With the year's second quarter over, we've begun listing highlights as you saw yesterday with Best Films and Technical Achievements. So here's a listicle of noteworthy male performances we'll eventually compare to what's to come and what came before (the best male performances of the first quarter are back here). These are my personal favorites from screenings and releases from April 1st through June 30th (though not all of these have opened in theaters yet - those that haven't are marked with an asterisk). Herewith the 17 best male performances from the year's second quarter, divvied up into three categories. Did these actors resonate with you? 

Disclaimer: Key male actor heavy movies I missed this quarter were Fate of the Furious, Free Fire, King Arthur, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sleight,  and Their Finest. If you've seen them give their MVPs a shout-out.

5 LEADING ACTORS

 

Jon Bernthal as "Sam" in Sweet Virginia*

Ansel Elgort as "Baby" in Baby Driver...

Click to read more ...