Drag Race RuCap: Time to play the "Snatch Game"

Alyssa and this talking buttplug were more entertaining than some of the season 17 queens.

CLÁUDIO ALVES: Last week, we had the “Let’s Get Sea Sickening” ball. This week, the season 17 girls face another classic RuPaul’s Drag Race challenge in the form of Snatch Game. Sadly, the results weren’t as strong across the board, even if the cast stayed clear of an outright disaster à la season 14. And even if, in an unprecedented move, someone was told they bombed the thing and still placed on top. Madness, Rigga Morris, favoritism the house down boots. No wonder they invited Alyssa Edwards to guest-star! That said, this was still a fun hour of reality TV. These bitches keep bringing the drama and old-school messiness, keeping the whole thing feeling more alive and vital than it has in years.

Do you agree, or do you feel that I, like Suzie Toot, have been possessed by Joella’s delusional spirit? Do we need to call the exorcist? 

NICK TAYLOR: I can’t believe Joella turned out to be the physical manifestation of season 17’s vibes. The girls are clearly talented, but even beyond sheer artistry, they have the indefatigable sense of their own supremacy that makes competitive reality TV so good. This doesn’t translate into being good at competing, but they know how to make a spectacle of themselves, and we love that...

Click to read more ...

Berlinale 75: Islands, Reflection in a Dead Diamond, and Köln 75

by Elisa Giudici

 

Three more reviews for you from the 75th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, all of them successful films, too. 

KÖLN 75 by Ido Fluk (Belgium/Poland/Germany)

The word that best describes this film is energetic. While it firmly belongs to a well-trodden genre, Köln 75 immediately stands out for the sheer force and irresistible vitality of its young protagonist. That energy pulses through this fast-paced, sharp-witted musical biopic, which engages directly with its audience, frequently breaking the fourth wall to recount a remarkable yet nearly unthinkable chapter of 1970s music history.

The film centers on the legendary Köln Concert, Keith Jarrett’s solo performance that would later become an iconic album. What makes the story feel so fresh, though, is its unexpected perspective...

Click to read more ...

Split Decision: “Emilia Pérez”

In the Split Decision series, two (or three) of our writers face off on an Oscar-nominated movie one loves and the other doesn't. Today, Nick Taylor, Lynn Lee, and Juan Carlos Ojano discuss Emilia Pérez...

NICK TAYLOR: Hello, Lynn and Juan Carlos! I’m really excited to start our conversation on Emilia Pérez, surely the most divisive of this year’s Oscar contenders. I am entering this talk as our resident hater - I admire the nutty swings this movie is taking, though very little of that admiration extends to how those nutty swings are executed by Jacques Audiard and his collaborators. Still, I wanna hear what makes the movie work for you guys, or at least makes these experiments worthwhile. Lynn, as the person in this conversation who likes Emilia Pérez the most, do you wanna take the baton?

LYNN LEE: Haha, is it even safe to admit you like Emilia Pérez these days?...

Click to read more ...

Weekend Awards Wrap-Up: From the Vatican to Vegas

by Cláudio Alves

Mikey Madison crashes into the Best Actress race thanks to BAFTA.

Last weekend marked the rapid ascendance of Anora as the Oscar Best Picture frontrunner. This past week's guilds honors haven't dispelled that notion, though BAFTAs might have, with Conclave taking the top prize from the British Academy. Will the race come down between a doomed Vegas wedding and a Vatican election, or will another contender rise with SAG next Sunday? From social media controversies to precursor disharmony, his season has been uncommonly chaotic and I, for one, am loving this sense of unpredictability. As much as we like to presume otherwise, this isn't a numbers game and stats exist to be broken. So let's break them…

Click to read more ...

Berlinale 75: Bong's back with "Mickey 17"

by Elisa Giudici

Bong Joon-ho rarely misses the mark—or at least, he approaches his projects with such precision that his return to the big screen after Parasite feels both carefully crafted and self-assured. Following a film that not only reshaped his career but also changed Oscar history by opening the doors to international cinema, Mickey 17 carries the weight of great expectations. It may not reach the towering heights of Parasite, but it reaffirms Bong's status as one of the most inventive and influential Korean directors on the global stage.

Interestingly, Bong Joon-ho was already a successful Hollywood filmmaker long before Parasite became a global phenomenon. Films like Snowpiercer and Okja demonstrated his ability to blend spectacle with social commentary, and Mickey 17 feels like a return to that style—for better and for worse. This time, he tackles the sci-fi genre again, weaving a narrative that is both thought-provoking and undeniably entertaining...

Click to read more ...