Thursday, June 8, 2017 at 12:21PM By Spencer Coile
;)
It is a sunny, carefree weekday afternoon. A spur of the moment decision leads me to rent the 2017 "blockbuster," Fifty Shades Darker, which prides itself on being the sequel to the risque and monotonous Fifty Shades of Grey. It's new to DVD, I had read half of the second book several summers ago, the first film was altogether harmless, what did I have to lose?
Two hours, it would appear.
Thursday, June 8, 2017 at 8:10AM 
Must See
EW has new images from Mary Poppins Returns. Oh please let this be good. Please let it be good.
Linkage
Decider the 50 most important LGBT characters in tv history - they'll be doing essays on the top 10. Two of our contributors were included in their polling.
The Guardian thinks Tom Cruise should ditch the heroics and play an unsavory character again. We heartily agree. He seemed to lose all his artistic ambition (if not his general ambition) right around the time of the Kidman divorce. It's been almost a two decade stretch of franchise heroes only now with rare exceptions like Rock of Ages and Collateral.
Deadline Donald Glover talks Atlanta and taking on the famous role of Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise
Guardian Remember Blue is the Warmest Color? Director Abdellatif Kechiche is auctioning off his Palme d'Or and other memorabilia to pay for his next movie
Variety on the common thread that unites the shows that Netflix has recently cancelled. Guys, I'm so sad about Sense8. It wasn't perfect in any way but it was so earnest and original and sexually inclusive (sigh)
Coming Soon Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan are fast becoming a fiercely committed director/muse duo. They're going to make a school cheating drama Wrong Answer after Black Panther. It will already be their fourth movie together and they only made their first one, Fruitvale Station, four years ago.
MNPP Jason uncovers a mystery about the naked hustler in Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
Interview Matthew McConaughey interviews his screen son from Interstellar Timothée Chalamet, reportedly about to breakthrough to the big leagues with Call Me By Your Name
She's a Wonder... Wonder Woman
Variety Wonder Woman banned or delayed in a few countries
The New Yorker an intriguing review of Wonder Woman focusing on its restraint and the style of "no style" as well as the claim that it's not just a superhero movie but "an entry in the genre of wisdom literature"
THR Patty Jenkins not yet signed on for Wonder Woman 2. The internet at large seems convinced WB/DC will throw money at her. Was the internet not paying attention when other female directors were dumped after launching big grossing franchises (think 50 Shades of Grey and The Twilight Saga)? I'm not saying this will happen again. There's more pressure and scrutiny now on this topic. I'm just saying it's more of a possibility than people are admitting given Hollywood's history of treating female directors much differently than their male counterparts.
Theater Season
Time Out NY Tony Award predictions including potential surprises
Playbill Molly Pope is starring in a new one person musical Second to Nun -readers near Virginia Beach should definitely seek this out. She is an amazing talent
Variety looks at how an Oregon theater in a small town has become a major player in prestigious American theater
Exit Video
Rachel Bloom won't be campaigning for an Emmy *wink wink*
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at 3:45PM In honor of Diane Keaton’s AFI Lifetime Achievement Award tomorrow, here’s Eric Blume with a look back at Crimes of the Heart (1986)
Beth Henley won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for her play Crimes of the Heart, and five years later it was retooled by Henley herself in a film version directed by Bruce Beresford. The film teamed three of the biggest actresses of the 80’s: Diane Keaton as the oldest spinster sister Lenny, Jessica Lange as saucy middle child Meg, and Sissy Spacek as spacey youngest Babe.
Keaton is forced to carry the film for the first ten minutes out of the gate, and she’s strapped with some clunky exposition. She feels tentative, which is partly aligned with her character, but in a way where she feels not fully assured, like she’s finding her way into the role. Her Southern accent doesn’t come easily to her, and it takes her a while to learn how to make the accent soar to funny dimensions.
But then ten minutes in, she has her first scene with Lange, and the film starts to find its groove...
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at 1:07PM 
Working gal Robert here! Broadway has been absolutely inundated with musicals based on famous movies in the past few years to the point where a friend told me he was going to see Groundhog's Day: The Musical and I thought it was a sick joke. What is not a sick joke is that there is one upcoming production that has turned my opinion right around on that subject: a musical version of the 1988 Melanie Griffith vehicle Working Girl with music by pop-genius Cyndi Lauper and book by renowned playwright Kim Rosenstock. Let the river run after the jump!
