ACS: Gianni Versace: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Jorge Molina continues his review of American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

Season two of American Crime Story has taken a more thematic approach to its narrative than the heavily plotted season one. Each episode has been a miniature exploration of an issue revolving around the oppression of the gay community, but you could say that the main thesis has been the different ways in which being in the closet can hurt people: by isolating those around you (Lee Miglin), by taking away your way to keep fighting (David Madsen), by threatening your business and public image (as Donatella fears with Gianni). In the latest episode, framed around Jeff Trail (played by Finn Wittrock), it's how the closet prevents you from living the only life you want to be living.

Episode 5: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” 

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Here is "Where is Kyra?"

Chris here. It has been over a year since Where is Kyra? kicked off Michelle Pfeiffer's return to cinemas with a very quiet debut at Sundance and we've been awaiting word on a release ever since. We've had two big releases and Emmy/Globes nominations since, but this once had fallen beneath the cracks. Kyra's mixed response met a very unforgiving distribution landscape, but it appears we'll finally get our eyes on the film this spring.

From the looks of the first trailer, Andrew Dosunmu's Mother of George follow-up looks to be as laguid and moody as we've been promised if a touch more starkly engaging (our Murtada was impressed, particularly with our beloved Pfeiffer). After a trio of supporting turns, it's about time we get to see the actress reemerge with a larger showcase for her talents, even if it is on a smaller canvas.

Mini distributor Paladin Films has the releasing duties, so we're probably heading towards a tiny release. Regardless, we are psyched to see Pfeiffer back in a leading role that puts the focus squarely on her abilities. Where is Kyra? opens in limited release on April 6!

16 days til Oscar. Ranking the 16 Animated Feature Winners

by Nathaniel R

which movies willed this category into existence?

With just 16 days to go until Coco wins Pixar its 9th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature let's look back over the first 16 years of the category. (Yes, that's right math geniuses, Pixar has won a full 50% of the animated Oscars thus far.)

The History, Chronologically

1988-2000 The category didn't exist until 2001 but it wasn't just created on a whim. The previous dozen years which included the renaissance of Disney, the sizeable popularity influence and beauty of what was happening in Japanese animation, the explosion of new animation studios all over the map, and the rise of Pixar in particular, all led us to the inevitable: an Oscar category for animated features...

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Months of Meryl: Still of the Night (1982)

Hi, we’re John and Matt and, icymi, we are watching every single live-action film starring Streep...

#7 — Brooke Reynolds, a Waspy urbanite and unlikely femme fatale with a shady past and a killer blonde bob.

MATTHEW: No actor, not even the oft-cited Greatest Actress of All Time, is immune to the inevitable and indisputable stinker. Seven projects in and just touching the surface of true-blue movie stardom, Meryl Streep finally made her first real turkey...

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A Glimpse at Oscar's Nominated Animated Shorts

by Chris Feil

Is this an off year for the Animated Short category? It’s (shamefully) my first year to catch the entire lineup, but unfortunately that seems to be the general response. If you check out the films in theatres you will also be treated to a few of the shortlisted contenders, but the package sadly doesn’t include the delightful In A Heartbeat. Even if this is also the least exciting lineup of the three Short categories this year, there are still delights to be found in this category, with animation styles the run the full spectrum from hand-drawn to computer generated to stop motion animation. Let’s look at the nominees...

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