Pretty Pictures For Pride

The line-up for the 2026 Pride Edition of New York's NewFest has been announced today -- they're screening Gregg Araki's new movie! The one called I Want Your Sex starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman (as well as Mason Gooding whose fine visage I have included above) which I have talked and talked and talked about with great vigor and enthusiasm. No I have not seen it yet, and yes I think this will be my first chance. (It's hitting theaters on July 31st.)  The line-up also includes Leviticus, the queer horror film that I have seen and heartily recommend -- last time I mentioned it here was when I was complaining about my inability to write about it just yet, and as you can see I haven't done that yet. That's out much sooner -- that hits theaters on June 19th. But if you're in NYC NewFest is beating that by a few weeks! Tickets are on sale right this minute so go buy some, New Yorkers! And as a reminder the "Pride Edition" of NewFest that happens at the beginning of June is the smaller version of the festival -- the larger one happens in October. But if you'd like to see everything they are screening besides the two aforementioned titles (including some Heated Rivalry goodness) hit the jump...

Today's Mood

Today's Mood

Welcome to the Araki-verse

Today was a great day for all of us intelligent and beautiful Gregg Araki fans, as a whole bunch of news dropped with regards to the New Queer Cinema legend and icon seen above sandwiched between Pillion star Alexander Skarsgård and director Harry Lighton (oh what a wonderful place to be sandwiched). First came word that his Sundance film I Want Your Sex starring Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman has gotten picked up by Magnolia Pictures! And they plan on releasing it... some time this year. The lack of specifics annoy me. Why not just do next week? I don't have anything going on next week. I can do next week! Pencil that in, Magnolia! Ahem. Anyway obviously we'll be refreshing the whole of the internet until we do have a release date  announcement, making it so you can just keep refreshing MNPP for the news. I got you! The other big news is that he chatted with Variety today (thx Mac) about the forthcoming 4K restoration of his masterpiece Mysterious Skin -- we already knew that was a thing happening but now we have a new trailer...

... as well as a new poster, which I'll post down at the bottom of this post. In the interview Araki really gets into the depths of what he did in restoring the film and it sounds like A LOT and I'm not sure it all sounds necessarily "good" to me but we'll see. I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm always worried when these restorations aren't just clean-up jobs and the filmmaker starts talking about how they wanted to fix things they didn't have the money or the tech for before. He even specifically makes to make sure the point that he wasn't doing what George Lucas did to the Star Wars films but... it sounds like a lot of noodling so I worry. Like the one comparative screenshot they share...

... it seems like he altered the movie's iconic angled font? (The top picture is the old version, the bottom is the new.) I don't like that! That is not how the title is supposed to look! But, deep breaths, I will wait and I will see. Anyway the part of the interview that didn't stress me out was this thrilling tidbit -- the film's soundtrack will be getting a vinyl release! That's unimpeachably exciting news. And as for the poster, seen below, the great poster shop Posteritati here in NYC is promising they'll be selling this poster as well as a "limited alternative style" which I will be jumping right on -- I have a couple of signed posters they dropped when Araki's "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy"  came out via Criterion that I cherish deeply. The one for Nowhere hangs over my bed!

I Still Want Your Sex

THR has a great big piece today on Gregg Araki's return to filmmaking after a decade, I Want Your Sex which is premiering at Sundance this weekend -- the film stars Olivia Wilde as a provocative L.A.-based artist and Cooper Hoffman as her young assistant slash sexual conquest, and it'll surely be a button-pusher. I know I am feeling my button pushed by the photo down below of a Cooper & half-naked Mason Gooding hang-out! Anyway I'm trying to not be too bitter that I'm not able to see this since I'm only covering Sundance virtually this year and not in person, but... oh let's say I am not succeeding at that and leave it at that. So let's just enjoy this first batch of photos after the jump...

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Kaboom (2010)

Stella: It's a well known fact that your dreams are

just your brain taking a dump

at the end of the day. They don't mean anything.

It's wild that Gregg Araki's Kaboom turned 15 this year, isn't it? WILD. But that's not why we're here -- we're here (and we're queer) because it's Gregg Araki's birthday today! His 66th if you can believe that shit -- and knowing him (via his movies only, unfortunately) he's probably excited about the whole devil number thing. As excited as any gay man can be about turning 66 I suppose but hey, dude's been looking 20 years younger for decades -- he's winning.

Anyway I've seen stills from the above 1992 interview with Araki (because he looks extremely slutty and hot in it) but never the entire interview, so finding out that somebody uploaded the entire thing onto YouTube is a treat! I'll watch that over my lunch-break and you should join me. 2026 will bring us Araki's first film since White Bird in a Blizzard ELEVEN years ago -- his perfect series Now Apocalypse is sandwiched in between there but it's still a nightmare of an extended break from having Araki-goodness in our lives so let's hope that I Want Your Sex is the start of a fresh cycle of movies.

I was actually forced to delete my post sharing that image from IWYS last week via an actual email from an actual fucking lawyer -- I think it was Sundance freaking out about the image leaking a day early but I didn't leak it! It was everywhere. But there it is now, reposted, now that Sundance has had their EXCLUSIVE (not exclusive) day in the sun with it. Can't wait to see the movie anyway! And in summation, will somebody put Kaboom out on 4K (or even just blu-ray) already? It's another movie of Araki's that's gone totally under-served on physical media -- it's ridiculous how much a pain in the ass they're still making it to watch his movies properly! Thank the heavens for the box-set of his "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy" that Criterion finally dropped after years of my shrieking about it.)

Matt Keeslar Says What

No no no baby! I ain't been ignoring you! I promise. I've just been trying to get some off-blog stuff done this Monday -- one of which was sending out holiday cards (zzzz) and the other much more exciting thing was I have been listing tons and tons and more tons of movies onto eBay for sale. I spent all day yesterday on one of my pruning jags, making space for new movies by getting rid of older ones -- anyway check the eBay out if you're interested in buying some movies from me. And yes there are two, count 'em two, Gregg Araki movies listed. Also a couple of Criterion box-sets and a heap of Jake Gyllenhaal movies that I'm upgrading to 4K. Good shit to stuff yer stockings with!

A Very Important Bisexual Announcement

Gregg Araki's throuple-coded romp Splendor from 1999 and starring a perhaps never hotter Johnathon Schaech, Kathleen Robertson and Matt Keeslar (swoon), is now streamng, for the first time anywhere I believe, on Tubi! Watch it right here! Granted the man-on-man action in this movie is extremely and frustratingly limited -- Araki for all his gay cred often edged us on that front -- but the homo-tension between Schaech & Keeslar is still enough to light my socks on fire every time I watch and re-watch and rewind and pause this movie, and I think you'll enjoy it too if you've never seen it. (See my previous posts on it here.) I have been having the feeling that this movie might be getting a physical media release soon -- once Gregg''s long long long begged for "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy" finally made its way to Criterion and then Smiley Face made it to Vinegar Syndrome I figured it'd only be a matter of time before the rest of his classics got dug up. I have a feeling that The Living End might be ahead as well. Also I just realized that I think Kaboom is out of print too? WTF! And of course Araki's series Now Apocalypse is still in desperate need of any release at all. Get to it, studios!

RIP MIchelle Trachtenberg

Incredibly shocking and sad news today as we learn that Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gossip Girl, Mysterious Skin and Harriet the Spy actress Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away at the far far far too young age of 39. I only started watching Buffy regularly in its fifth season (and had to go back and watch all the earlier seasons on DVD) so Michelle's character of Dawn never felt imposed on the show to me like it did to most people who watched the show from the start (of course that was part of the knowing wink of the character) -- anyway I was vehemently pro-Dawn and was always knocking back at the character's haters. I also got to interview Michelle in 2004 for the Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly -- I tried to find the interview online but it doesn't seem to be anywhere. I've only done two interviews in my entire life (the other one being Michael Fassbender because how could I say no to that) because I am not a natural conversationalist (which should read: cripplingly shy) but I remember Michelle being lovely and sweet and funny in our phone convo. Our deepest condolences go out to all the people who knew and loved her. With the possibility of a Buffy reboot ahead we now have to wonder how they'll address this. How very very sad.

Today's Mood

What a perfect photo of James Duval on the set of Nowhere (via)

You Know I Love Surprises!

The lovely folks over at Vinegar Syndrome have been making this transition towards the 2025 hellscape land softer than it ought to thanks to their dropping OF some truly substantial physical medias upon us -- last month they brought us the forever unreleased Diane Keaton. masterpiece Looking For Mr Goodbar in 4K, and this month they're gifting us with Gregg Araki's stoner comedy Smiley Face starring Anna Faris! If you've been around here at MNPP HQ for awhile then surely you've heard me going off about my love for this movie more than once -- I'm not a "Stoner Comedy" person in the slightest but I adore this one and the shitty DVD has been out-of-print for ages. Pre-order it at this link! It's the little things that will hopefully get us through these difficult times and if I have to devour an entire plate of pot cupcakes to do it then so be it.  

Happy Birthday, Gregg Araki

Heads Up, Happy People

Heads-up, happy people! The vast library of our beloved Criterion Collection is on sale on Amazon right now at 50% off! This will presumably be for the entire month of November as they do this to compete with the same sale at Barnes & Noble that typically starts a little later in the month. That means it also includes pre-orders for movies out before the end of November, which includes Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water, the original Godzilla in 4K, and Paper Moon in 4K! And of course it includes last month's barnstormer of an excellent drop with Todd Solondz' Happiness, a Val Lewton horror double-feature, All of Us Strangers, and that to-die-for Gregg Araki trilogy! And then there's the issue of that massive 40-film 40th anniversary box-set that Criterion is releasing on November 17th -- that's not priced at the full 50% off right now but it is priced at $400, so $10 a movie, which seems like a damn good deal already. Anyway point being click on those links and treat  yourselves to some movies, it will distract you from... [gestures wildly]

Mason Gooding Wants Your Sex

Another batch of names have been added to the cast of Gregg Araki's upcoming movie I Want Your Sex, and one of them is Scream hunk and MNPP fave Mason Gooding! Yes I cannot wait for Araki's lens to frame this slab of man -- Gregg will know how to do it. This is the movie that stars Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman as a May-December pairing whose entire calendar goes outta whack due to the power of their passion. I just came up with that plot description myself, I really should work in PR. Here is the way Deadline puts it:

"A provocative film blithely exploring desire, domination, and fantasy, I Want Your Sex asks, how far is too far? When fresh-faced Elliot (Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder."

Also joining the cast are Johnny Knoxville, Daveed Diggs, Charlie XCX, Margaret Cho, and Chase Sui Wonders from Bodies Bodies Bodies, which is such an Araki-esque movie I'm just now realizing? Ooh why isn't Gregg working with Rachel Sennott??? My brain just exploded. They would be amazing together. Get to work on the next one right now, Gregg! Mason can come too!

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Totally F***ed Up (1993)

Patricia: Let me tell you what the problem with the stupid fucking world is. All the stupid people are breeding like mad having tens and tens of kids, while the cool people aren't having any! So, the population just keeps getting stupider and stupider! I mean, it's no wonder the whole world's going down the toilet.

The day I really never thought would come, has come -- today Criterion has released a 4K box-set of Gregg Araki's "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy" aka his 1993 movie Totally F***ed Up, his 1995 movie The Doom Generation, and his 1997 movie Nowhere. The latter two were extremely formative for yours truly -- the earliest one I didn't see until awhile later (it was hard to find) but adore just as much as the rest now. And now I've got all of them sitting on my shelf ready to watch at any moment, looking better than they ever have! Bless you, Criterion!

But today is truly, truly a legendary day at Criterion -- also out today on 4K blu is director Todd Solondz's 1998 masterpiece Happiness! Out of print now for several years, I can barely contain my excitement about sitting down to watch this brand new restoration of one of my absolute tip-top favorite movies of all time. Needless to say...

I Want Cooper's Sex

When I heard Gregg Araki was making a new movie I was very excited -- Araki is on my Gay Mount Rushmore and it's been an entire decade since he made a movie with White Bird in a Blizzard in 2014. Which is outrageous. When I heard the movie was set to star Olivia Wilde though I will admit I was a little bit... confused about how I felt. Because I've never really been a fan of hers -- it had nothing to do with the brouhaha surrounding her relationship with whatshisface; my indifference long pre-dated that nonsense. That said Wilde fits perfectly into the kind of actress that Araki loves -- almost alien in their beauty, and kind of cold. I could see him knowing how to use her well. Anyway the details on the movie came next -- it's going to be called I Want Your Sex and it's suppoesly about a young man awakening a ferocious sexual appetite in an older woman. Sounds right up Araki's alley. (And obviously it's a casting that's leaning into that whole whatshisname kerfuffle.) Whatever hottie would Araki cast as the horndog lothario, I wondered? Well I could have wondered for ten years straight and never gotten around to who he just cast -- Cooper Hoffmann, son of Phillip Seymour Hoffmann, who was so tremndously good in Paul Thomas Anderson's Licorice Pizza but who never exactly screamed this casting here at me all the same. But fuck it, I'm into it, he's proved a terrific actor in PTA's film, and I love it when somebody unearths sex appeal from somewhere you're not looking for it. Surprise sexiness is the best kind! Bring it on, Coop!

Buy! Buy! Buy!

And now, for something totally different, let's talk about me (ha) -- I did another round of culling my physical media archives this past weekend and I have listed a great big heaping helping of awesomeness onto eBay for sale, so if you'd like to own a piece of me memorabilia (one way to look at it) or just, you know, some truly incredible movies, then click on over and buy some! Or make a reasonable bid, I tend to accept them (if you're not low-balling me that is). But in all seriousness most of this stuff is stuff I am getitng rid of because I've upgraded it to 4K, not because it's not good, so if you're fine with blu-ray or DVD then there is a wealth of incredibleness on sale over there right now. (And PS I'm going to do a second round of this over Labor Day too.) Including yes my like six month old blu-ray of The Doom Generation, which I'm ditching in anticipation of Criterion releasing their Araki box-set next month. 

And all of my Peter Strickland movies because I have that Curzon box-set of his movies now. It's some really excellent stuff at excellent prices and lord knows I could use the money -- this way instead of me begging for donations (although feel free!) you get something in return. Win win. I've also got tons of art books, movie posters, and vinyl soundtracks for sale too. And with that thus concludes today's moment of solicitation. Thanks for your business!

Quote of the Day

"... It was also a role without a love interest. The only love interest was weed and her mattress. So there was this liberation in wearing, essentially, pajamas. I guess it’s changing as I get older, but there was always that requirement at that time: The girls in the audience need to want to be best friends with you, and the guys want to fuck you, or whatever. That was always the mantra. I never really fit into that framework. I don’t know who really does. Your only fallibility can be clumsiness."

Bless Vulture and writer Matt Jacobs for getting Anna Faris to reflect back on one of her greatest roles, Jane in Gregg Araki's 2007 wonderful stoner-comedy Smiley Face -- read the whole thing here. I posted about this movie a billion times when it came out and ocassionally ever since but it really should be more beloved -- it gets funnier every time I rewatch it and believe me I have rewatched the shit out of it in the seventeen years (!!!) since it came out. Hell now that we're fiiiiinnally getting a box-set of Araki's "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy" this year I can move my physical-media demands (nee threats) over to this movie, which hasn't ever gotten a blu-ray release! Just an out-of-print DVD! Come on Frank, you know I love surprises!

Happiness Is a Stranger's Apocalypse

Apologies but y'all are going to have to scrape me off the floor before I can write this post with Criterion's September announcements -- this is the most aimed-straight-at-me batch of titles imaginable. It was like one slap with a brick across the face after another as I scanned down through the email announcement -- I couldn't even believe my eyes. I ran to Twitter to immediately scream about the title seen above (which we'll get to in a second) and then when I went back to the email I saw what else was in store and was like, "Momma get me my pills." This is just three simultaneous (wet) dreams coming true at once. I am in a state of happy shock. Allow me a moment to luxuriate in this pleasure...

Okay. Let's get to it. First up! If I went back and tried to find the first time I screamed at Criterion to release a box-set of Gregg Araki's "Teen Apocalypse Trilogy" it would be impossible because it was many many many moons ago and I have done it approximately ten million times since. I probably brought it up two to three times a year. Seeing it finally come to fruition is something I'd almost given up on! But then the movies got remastered last year and I began to think it might be a real possibility... and here we are. Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation, and Nowhere, given the proper love they have long deserved. We won! You can see all of the special features over at Criterion, where you can also buy the set -- and do that, buy one for everyone you know, because we need to let them know how happy this has made us. Just know the set is loaded with extras -- they even got the rare bird of Nathan Bexton to be on one of the commentaries! 

My insides are screaming, crying, throwing up, throwing gay ass 

confetti. I could end this post there and be ecstatic, but then...

... it turns out that Criterion is releasing Andrew Haigh's 2023 masterpiece All of Us Strangers on 4K in September too! My favorite movie of last year (here is my original review), which we'd been worried wasn't getting any kind of physical media release here in the U.S. (there is a U.K. blu-ray scheduled) because it was an Amazon movie and that cruel rumor had been going around. I had not a single inkling this was going to happen and every part of me is right now tingling. What a gorgeous surprise! And yet that wasn't even the biggest surprise of all, because...

... Todd Solondz's Happiness is also hitting 4K! HOLY SHIT!!! Do you understand now why my entire self is vibrating? This movie hasn't gotten a proper release since the age of DVD, and those DVDs have been out of print and fetching good sums of money for years now. And now suddenly we're moving right on up to 4K! This is one of my favorite movies of all time, I've seen it more times than I could count -- if you've somehow never managed to see it before (because it really has been a pain to see) my god are you in for a deranged dark treat. I quote this movie at least once a week...

... it's basically everything I want from the movies. And I'm also over the moon that they used Daniel Clowes' fantastic original art-work for the set's cover because how do you top that slice of perfection? It's iconic. Anyway with those three sets (containing five movies total) September 2024 is now etched into the fabric of time and reality as Peak Criterion. My gods. My stars! Oh and I should mention that as seen below they're also dropping 4Ks of both The Long Good Friday and Repo Man which are great and all, too. But let's be honest and obvious -- I am all about the above fireworks show of awesomeness. So, so, so all about! Today is a great day, my friends! Slip something in your tuna sandwich and celebrate! 

Araki Goes Wilde For Sex

If news of a new Gregg Araki movie drops and I don't post about it, does the new Gregg Araki movie exist? Fortunately yes -- that just means I'm a piece of shit with bad time management skills. I sent the news to myself on Thursday and then Friday ended up being a half-day -- anyway what am I amking excuses for myself for? Everybody pick up your lash -- I get as many as you like. I earned them. Now, that outta the way, the good stuff -- Gregg Araki has announced a new movie! Well he's trying to sell a new movie at Cannes anyway. Hopefully somebody bites. I'd bite but I have nothing to offer. Just bites. And those don't finance movies unfortunately. Or fortunately I suppose, depending on who's getting bitten and whether they like being bitten or not. Jesus, I'm a rambling one today. Anyway! Gregg Araki! Director of the so-called "Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy" that shaped so much of my twisted brain, and other movies and television programs too. Here is the new news, I will just quote it from Variety because I clearly cannot be trusted not to get sidetracked this morning:

"Gregg Araki is set to direct Olivia Wilde in his next feature, Black Bear’s provocative thriller “I Want Your Sex.” The film features an original script penned by Araki and Karley Sciortino (“Slutever,” “Now Apocalypse”) which blithely explores desire, domination and fantasy. 

When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder."