The Zombies & Demons of Criterion's October

It's not just my birthday today, although you'd be forgiven for thinking so -- it's also Criterion Announcement Day! As happens every 15th of the month -- it's almost like Longlegs, only with blu-rays instead of murder -- we've gotten word of the new batch of the physical media label's releases for an upcoming month, this time around being for October of this year. (And can I just say that just saying "the new batch" there had me imagining the masterpiece that is Gremlins 2: The New Batch being released on Criterion, and god I wish!) Anyway they usually save their spooky titles for October and it's half spooky this year, starting off with a pair of classic gothic tales from that midcentury master of goth, Val Lewton -- a double-feature of his 1943 films I Walked With a Zombie and The Seventh Victim! Zombie was directed by the master Jacques Tourneur, while Victim is from Mark Robson -- and they are both exquisitely perfect 40s spookies. The 1940s wasn't he best decade for horror but the Lewton films are the decade's absolute peak in the genre and these two are perhaps the finest of all. Oh and I didn't even mention -- these are remastered in 4K! They are stunningly gorgeous on top of everything so I cannot wait to sink into the inky blacks of them.

The other horror film that Criterion is dropping in October is one that's been on my To Watch List for ages -- Masahiro Shinoda's 1979 shocker Demon Pond, which every image I have ever seen from makes it look visually bonkers in the best of ways. THis is also remastered for 4K and if you click the link you can watch a clip which should make your jaw drop -- cannot wait to immerse myself in this supernatural kabuki remix!

Moving on to the next october title -- I suppose a case could be made for Harmony Korine's 1997 flick Gummo being horror, the way it wades it filth, degradation and suburban surrealism -- I would call that a stretch. But having only seen it in the past couple of years I very much now consider myself a fan -- it wasn't quite as disguting as I'd built it up to be. I actually thought it was kind oif sweet! But the 4K restoration of this does have me nervous -- how crisp do we need all of that dirty bathwater to be, anyway?

And the fourth (technically fifth) and final title for October is G.W. Pabst's 1929 silent masterpiece Pandora's Box, a still perfect movie which turned the actress Louise Brooks into a forever icon -- I am deeply shocked to realize this wasn't already in the Criterion collection, honestly. Maybe it'd gotten a DVD release before and they're just finally upgrading that? I'm surprised this isn't hitting 4K but it's not -- just a 2K restoration. But when it comes to films this old I'm not sure what 4K would do to them anyway. Perhaps 2K is plenty. Anyway a fine batch of movies this month -- not a stinker in the bunch. What are you planning on picking up? And don't forget that Barnes and Noble has the Criterion Collection on sale untilt he end of July! Not these movies mentioned above -- pre-orders don't count. But there's another sale in November so you know maybe just bide your time...

Portrait of an Artist on Fire

 

About three weeks back I got distracted (as I'm wont to do) while talking about the anniversary of Harmony Korine's film Spring Breakers, specifically by its poster -- it was designed by one of my absolute favorite working movie poster artists, Akiko Stehrnberger, and therein I yammered a bit about her work and how friggin' excellent I find it to be. Anyway one of my holy grails has been the hardcover book about her work that was released in 2020 and immediately went out of print -- there isn't a week that rolls by where I don't search eBay for it. But search no more! Because a second-edition is getting issued this fall and you can pre-order it right here. Indeed if you order it right now it's on sale for 40 bucks instead of 50! This second-edition has a new cover (seen above) and includes some of Akiko's newer work, some of which you can see in the Instagram post below. Score!

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A post shared by Akiko Stehrenberger (@doyrivative)

A Decade of Spring Breakin'

First things first -- how spectacular is that poster for Harmony Korine's film Spring Breakers? It's by one of the greats working today -- Akiko Stehrenberger, whose work I've highlighted here on the site several times in the past (like this post about his poster for Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things). He has an uncanny ability to capture a film's essence with beautiful simplicity. I would kill to own that poster up top but it sells for a heap of money now. That said I do have Stehrenberger posters for a few movies -- The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and I'll be getting my copy of his poster for Tár in a couple weeks! 

See more of his work at this link. But I digress -- we're here to talk Spring Breakers! I got all distracted by that gorgeous poster. So Korine's film turned ten earlier this week and it seemed like a good time to look back at it, so I did just that over at Mashable. Click here to read my thoughts on the movie a decade on. Spoiler alert -- I think I dig it more now than I even did then. It really captures something vital about that time, and sees what's coming right around the corner as well. Florida Man indeed!

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from...

Gummo (1997)

 

Solomon: Xenia, Ohio. Xenia, Ohio. A few years ago, a tornado hit this place. It killed the people, left and right. Dogs died. Cats died. Houses were split open, and you could see necklaces hanging from branches of trees. People's legs and neck bones were sticking out. Oliver found a leg on his roof. A lot of people's fathers died, and were killed by the great tornado. I saw a girl fly through the sky, and I looked up her skirt. Her skull was smashed. And some kids died. My neighbor was killed in that house. He used to ride bikes and three-wheelers. They never found his head. I always thought that was funny. People died in Xenia. Before dad died, he had a bad case of the diabetes.

A happy 50 to Harmony Korine today!

Where's your next movie, dude? It's been four years.

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Julien Donkey-Boy (1999)

Pearl: Keep brushing your teeth 

and you will always be a happy person.

Here's where I admit I have never seen this Harmony Korine movie. It wasn't until Mister Lonely in 2007 where I came around on Korine -- I actively avoided this film and Gummo at the time they were released (and up through right now) because they just looked like they were going to make me feel gross in ways I had no desire to feel gross. Perhaps I should go back and give them a shot now? Thoughts? 

Anyway a happy 46 to Chloë Sevigny, who I've totally fallen back in love with in the past year or so, mostly thanks to the unexpected and magnificent creep she just played on Luca Guadagnino's We Are Who We Are series. Her whole "thing" with her son, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, was fascinating and off-putting and I loved every second of it. Chloë always finds ways to twist page-flat characters into the strangest three-dimensional spaces, it's admirable and never not an intrigue. We are blessed to have her. In summation...

Pics of the Day

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HR GIGER sculptures on display, curated by Harmony Korine #hrgiger #giger #horror #alien #film #art #sculpture #harmonykorine

A post shared by Jason Adams (@jasonaadams) on Nov 9, 2019 at 11:55am PST

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I did a post last week where I told you about some art-shows here in New York that are worth your time if you're a Movie Nerd (and if you're not a Movie Nerd I think you got turned around somewhere cuz why would you be here) but it only took about twenty-four hours for that post to bite back at me, because that was when I found out about a show I didn't know about -- the Gagosian gallery at Park Ave and 75th Street (it's called Park + 75, so clever) just opened a small exhibit of H.R. Giger sculptures! Emphasis on small, there are less than ten pieces on display, and it's a co-show with the artist Mark Prent so not even all of them are Giger. But the Giger that's there is GIGER for fuck's sake so it's worth the trek. Just be aware it's small and manage your expectations. Bonus: the show was curated by the film-maker Harmony Korine! There an interview with him about the show right here. The show is up until December 21st.

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Rendezvous With Diane

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I haven't seen either of the big new movies in theaters this weekend yet -- that'd be Tim Burton's Dumbo and Harmony Korine's The Beach Bum -- although I'm hoping to carve out enough time to do that in between Tribeca screenings. But I have seen one of the smaller movies out this weekend! One that I can definitely recommend. I saw director Kent Jones' Diane -- starring veteran character actress Mary Kay Place as the small-town mother of a small-town drug addict (played by veteran hey-it's-that-guy Jake Lacy) -- at Tribeca last year and it was one of the best movies at a very stacked festival. Here's my review, and here's a choice bit from my review:

"Jones' camera mostly keeps its distance, shooting these places and faces with a true Northeastern respect-my-space familiarity. For her part Mary Kay never goes for the jugular with any of the material, knowing full well how to make us lean in and feel something just by virtue of her beautiful stillness."

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A Bum For All Seasons

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Even though I haven't seen the latter yet the one-two-punch of the utterly ridiculous Serenity (my review here) and this week's Harmony Korine film The Beach Bum is making me reconsider my thickly developed distaste for Matthew McConaughey. Before 2013 I was usually fine with him (he's very funny in Magic Mike) but that Dallas Buyers Oscar season really curdled my opinion and it hasn't rebounded. (Ughhh, True Detective.) But Serenity was so hysterically bad it was admirable, and The Beach Bum looks like a thing I might enjoy, and so here we are. Here we are looking back at Korine's last film, that is, with this week's "Beauty vs Beast" over at The Film Experience. Look at my shit!!!

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Gummo (1997)

Solomon: Life is beautiful. Really, it is. Full of beauty
and illusions. Life is great. Without it, you'd be dead.

A happy 46 to writer-director Harmony Korine today. 

His new movie The Beach Bum is out in March...

Pics of the Day

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Well here's our first look at Zac Efron in character for the Harmony Korine movie he's starring in next! We told you about The Beach Bum back in December - it stars Matthew McConaughey as a stoner named "Moondog" who goes on some kind of quest and meets Flicker (played by Efron) along the way. Flicker is a lot of look, but we'd expect no less from the man who put James Franco in rasta braids. (You can see a picture of McConaughey in character right here - it is similarly a lot of look. This movie is going to have A Lot Of Look, I guess.) 

Anyway The Beach Bum is filming now and might be out this year or whatever, but don't rush stoners. It co-stars Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg and Jimmy Buffett (I mean obviously), as well as Bria Vinaite who was so so wonderful in The Florida Project and I'm super excited to see is getting more work!
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Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Mister Lonely (2007)

Michael Jackson: It's hard to always laugh
when you don't know what people find so funny.

A happy 45th birthday to Harmony Korine today!

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The Greatest Wicked Beach Bum Star

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If you head on over to The Film Experience this morning I'm taking brief stock of the state of Zac Efron's career, at least horizon-wise (not horizontally-wise though, unfortunately) -- after The Greatest Showman this weekend his next two films are possibly risky stuff for the former Disney star. Do we think that Mr. High School Musical can he transition into his Big Boy Pants? 

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Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Spring Breakers (2012)

Alien: Some kids... some little kids they wanna grow up to be president, some kids wanna grow up and be doctor y'know? I just wanted to be bad they kicked me outta school, I thought that was great! Shieet I don't have to go to yo school, that was the best thing in the world! Some people? They wanna do the right thing? I like doing the wrong thing! Everyone's always tellin' me "yo you gotta change..." I'm about stacking change ya'll! Stacking change! That's it. Money! I'm about making money. This a dream ya'll. This the American dream... that's it, I did it. Most my brothers and sisters... they dead. It was all bad. They got murdered. I'm the last one standing. I'm as bad as they is. Just in our blood ya'll and I love it. This is my dream. I made it come true. This is the fuckin American dream. 

A happy 43 to Harmony Korine today!

I Am Link

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--- Fifty Inches - ET talked to Jamie Dornan about a few things, including the next season of The Fall and his upcoming horror-drama The 9th Life of Louis Drax with Sarah Gadon, but of course the takeaway is the part where they ask him if he's gonna show his dick in the Fifty Shades sequel and he pleads the fifth. Oh Jamie, we've already seen the damned thing! What can it matter now? Just walk around without any pants on all the time at this point. Seriously. Do.

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--- Wiser Kid - Stephen Cone, the director of the terrific (and queer) two-some of films The Wise Kids and Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, is currently shooting his third movie, hurray! It's called Princess Cyd and it's about a girl from South Carolina who spends the summer with her aunt in Chicago and falls for a local tomboy. Cone gives good quote about his fascination about the relationships between young people and adults at that link so don't miss it; he's such an interesting and curious filmmaker.
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--- Dead Eyes - This is a pretty nerdy bit of business about John Carpenter's classic The Thing but if you're nerdy on that movie you'll want to click on over to the Blumhouse website where they've maybe gotten a handle on the movie's ambiguous ending thanks to cinematographer Dean Cundey, who did an interview for the new blu-ray release of the film where he talks about a lighting trick they used to denote who's a Thing and who isn't a Thing.
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--- Norma Jean - Assassination of Jesse James director Andrew Dominik has that Nick Cave doc coming out so he's doing press and he's talking about his next film, which is that Marilyn Monroe movie (I hesitate to call it a bio-pic because it sounds like he's doing something more interesting than that term implies) Blonde -- Netflix has picked it up so there is forward momentum but it sounds like Jessica Chastain's off of it; no word on the lady who'll step into her place. Playing Marilyn is a tricky business, so I hope she's sturdy.

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--- Learn Me Good - Harmony Korine is now set to direct Tampa, an adaptation of Alissa Nutting's apparently darkly comedic and controversial book about a teacher getting involved with a teenage student. Anybody read it? I could've sworn I'd posted about this story before because I went out and bought the book awhile back, but I can't find that post so I don't know what inspired me to buy the book way back when. Maybe one of you encouraged me to read it? I don't know. I still haven't read it though. But hooray for Harmony!
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--- A Monster Delays - One of my most anticipated movies remaining this year, JA Barona's A Monster Calls, just got delayed a full two months from October 21st to December 23rd! Damn damn damn! It's supposedly a good sign towards the quality of the film that the studio wants the movie in awards competition or something but I could give a rat's, I just want to see the thing already. It also seems like a strange bet to me - if the movie's as good as the book it will involve some fine acting but a movie starring a great big CG tree-monster isn't exactly in the Academy's wheelhouse. Here's the trailer, if you wanna cry.

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---  And Speaking of Movies I Am Looking Forward To, the folks over at The Film Experience (except not me, I missed this one) did a list of the movies playing film festivals this fall that they're most looking forward to and I can't really disagree with anything they included, so it seems my participation was moot anyway. I wouldn't change a thing! Okay my enthusiasm for La La Land isn't quite as high as theirs is (musicals, ya know) but I still plan on seeing it. Oh and PS I am seeing one of the movies listed here tonight! Whee!

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--- And Finally I don't really know what inspired Bryan Fuller to say these things while talking to the folks on a podcast about American Gods, his forthcoming Neil Gaiman adaptation... well, besides Bryan's brilliance when it comes to massaging the internet press (of which I include myself, cuz here I am!) ... but I gotta quote these passages here because... obviously.

"We have so many visual effects that involve digital erections... We have conversations, ‘Well, should we get [a] dildo and strap it onto the actors, is that going to be more cost effective? Or is it easier just to give them digital erections?"

Bryan, Bryan, Bryan! The cheapest boner is a real boner! Boners are free, and abundant. But seriously there are several candidates in this cast that I hope he's talking about becoming members of the Boner Club but mostly I  hope we're talking about lots of Ricky Whittle boner action (oh Ricky Whittle)... and PS to myself I should really be doing a better job keeping up with Ricky's Instagram, as that picture above makes abundantly clear. Goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
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Idris Is The Right Fox

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I think you all owe me a thank you card and maybe an Edible Arrangement if you're feeling especially generous, because my whines make things happen! In November we heard that Jamie Foxx had been cast as the lead in Harmony Korine's next movie, and I whined, and I quote, "Well that killed my enthusiasm quick." Because it did! I can't stand Jamie Foxx. Well today comes word that Harmony decided I was right and now his new movie will star Idris Elba instead! The word "upgrade" doesn't even begin to touch that.

The movie's called The Trap and it's about "a gangster rapper" at the "top of his career" whose nemesis (played by Benicio Del Toro) is released from prison on the night of the Grammys and sets out to seek revenge. There's also "a crew of Uzi-weilding surfers" led by Robert Pattinson, a parole officer played by Al Pacino, and a cokehead played by James Franco. Who doesn't want to see this movie right this second? 

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I Am Link

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--- The Wind Rises - Just last week I made a brief plea for truth to the rumor that Storm (and Cyclops, to a lesser degree) would be re-cast by younger actors as the X-Men franchise moved forward because hot damn they need to get rid of Halle Berry (Lupita! Lupita! Let's hope Michael Fassbender's making the case behind the scenes.) and here we have substantiation. Along with word that Bryan Singer's legal troubles weren't enough to get him booted from the gig.
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--- Terry Terrific - I was a little less iffy on The Zero Theorem then most people seemed to have been - what can I say, I have a soft spot for Gilliam weirdness. Speaking of, I dug what I've read so far of this interview with the man himself at Salon, although I have yet to finish it. He did some Q&As with the movie last week here in New York but as cool as it would've been to see that I wasn't in the mood for the movie again, so soon. 

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--- Song of the South - Harmony Korine is done with the script and in the middle of casting for his next movie, following Spring Breakers, which will be a sprawling Southern Gothic gangster tale called The Trap. Last we'd heard back in July it was going to star Robert Pattinson but he didn't mention if that's still true. He does say it's his "most ambitious film" though, so expect even more vaginas.

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--- Troubled Waters - The Playlist put two and two together and realized that the movie Liam Neeson said he's making next, described as "Die Hard on the George Washington Bridge," is probably from the script called Suspension that Joss Whedon wrote awhile ago. (LOL at that perfect title.) I live pretty close to the GW -- see this pretty picture I took of it! -- so if they film a gigantic action movie on it I am so there. 

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--- Stripper Sally - I have to admit that I've had a soft spot for Amber Heard ever since All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, (ven though she's kind of proven herself wooden in everything I've seen her in since) so I was kinda excited to hear she got cast in Magic Mike XXL last week. Whatever, the movie will hopefully just be fun and dumb, and Amber Heard fits right in that.
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--- Whither Them - This list of movies that we thought might get released this Fall during the festival season that we've heard nothing about yet is pretty invaluable, for keeping up with where some of these movies stand. Stuff like Todd Haynes' Carol and all the ones starring Michael Fassbender and Matthias Schoenaerts. I want so many of these right now!
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--- Daddy Agent - Whenever I see Shea Whigham in something I think I am watching an old movie starring a spliced-together Bill Pullman & Bill Paxton, so I guess I will think that watching Marvel's Agent Carter show now that he's joined the cast. It's apparently the Agent Coulson role of the show. Still now word on Dominic Cooper, by the way.

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--- Yes To Yorke - Thom Yorke has been teasing us with Tumblr posts and tweets this week; he posted a shot of some mysterious vinyl record that freaked everybody out, and now he's tweeting out bunches of scattered lyrics. Apparently Radiohead is in the studio RIGHT NOW working on the next album. I'm coming, boys!

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I Am Link

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--- Neon Gothic - The Playlist gathered up all the information we've got so far (it's not a ton) on what we know about that movie Robert Pattinson's planning on making with Harmony Korine - they seem to think it's a project that HK has described previously, in a couple different ways; basically it's a gangster movie set in the South. But not like Florida-South, so not a Spring Breakers sequel or anything, somebody else is making that. 

--- Eight Is Enough - The first poster for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight is making the rounds, which as Nathaniel points out is kind of putting the carriage in front of the horse (all bloodied, natch) since QT hasn't shot a frame of film yet. Nat also lists QT's films in order of preference, which is giving me agita - Jackie Brown is obviously number one, Nathaniel! Come on now.

--- Horny Devil - A full-length trailer for Horns dropped, which I haven't watched yet (somebody tell me is Daniel Radcliffe takes his top off, then I'll watch it; otherwise I don't need to, I'm seeing the movie); meanwhile director Alexandre Aja is talking about the adaptation of the manga series called Cobra that he really wants to make but needs a big star for, since it will be super-expensive. 

--- Never Been To Me - I never really thought I'd link to an interview with Tara Reid here in 2014, but in this chat with Time (great title) she made me kind of sad, talking about how nobody in the business takes her seriously even though yes, she may have been a party girl, but it never affected her work ethic a la Lohan. Then again, Lohan had talent and Tara... well we're being nice. Maybe she's grown with age and experience. Sharknado 2: The Second One, out soon!

--- Red Menace - I linked to a shitty version of the test footage for the Deadpool movie with Ryan Reynolds that will never ever happen earlier this week, thinking that would be the best we'd ever get, but no here we have been given it in HD quality now. And yes, his various tight-suited bits and pieces look even better.

--- The Bad Book - The awesome Aussie horror flick The Babadook is opening in Europe this weekend so some new clips and what-nots are getting released; I kind of wish you'd all just listen to me and my words about the movie and know you're going to see it already so you don't click on that link and spoil anything about the movie for yourself, because it was nice personally going into it not knowing anything beforehand save a couple sketchy details. I fear these trailers and clips will give too much away. (And yet here I am linking. I just want to talk about The Babadook when given the chance, is all.)

--- And Speaking of two things we just spoke of in two separate news-bits, now mashed together, here's an article about celebrities walking the Comic-Con floor in superhero costume disguises, and it includes what might be a picture of Danny Radcliffe in a Spider-Man costume? I can't tlel if the first image is real or photo-shopped, and the second image could maybe be anybody in that costume. Anyway, get your Harry Potter Peter Parker slash-fic going.

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I Am Link

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--- Gamble On Chan - X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner says that Channing Tatum is going to be playing the character Gambit, full-stop. He'll presumably be showing up in the next X-Men movie called Apocalypse, which already has a release date in May of 2016 even though it hasn't begun filming yet. Gambit was played by Taylor Kitsch in the first Wolverine movie but then everybody hated that movie and everybody decided they hated Taylor Kitsch and it was a whole thing.

--- Forever Stab - I linked you over earlier in the contest but in case you've forgotten Final Girl is having a Killer Competition, facing off the slashers and psychos of movie-dom bracket-like, and today we're down to eight hateful hopefuls! These were some of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life. (I have apparently led a very easy life.)

--- S&M Sandwich - We all know and are excessively bitter about the fact that Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam Taylor-Wood is married to Aaron Johnson (HALF HER AGE), yadda yadda - well maybe she'll make it up to us since she's cast him in an undisclosed role in the movie... obviously I haven't read those godforsaken books so I am just gonna go ahead and assume that there's a male character that has a 30-page sex-scene with Jamie Dornan, right? That's what's happening here? Good work, lady!

--- X Shade - I agree with the folks at this link that I'm surprised one of her handlers didn't throw a muffin across the room right into her mouth to shut her up, but Ellen Page actually commented on the whole Bryan Singer thing, and threw some probably kind-of-deserving shade, innocent or guilty, in that general direction...

"Whatever comes of it I do think that there’s a systemic issue of people in places of power manipulating and abusing young people.”

Word, Ellen. I haven't said anything about this scandal here at the site because, well, reasons, but I do think she's coming at this from the right angle.

--- Spring Broken - James Franco filmed an Instagram video (what's new) as his Spring Breakers character Alien (okay that's new) denouncing the sequel that's getting made, saying it's being done without director Harmony Korine's consent. I figured they'd get him a producing credit at least, but I don't have a problem with the sequel moving on. His movie was what it was; I think Jonas Akerlund could make something his own that could be interesting.

--- There Are Dumb Questions - Going to Q&As after movie screenings is always a blessing and a curse, and Michael C. captured the latter half of that experience brilliantly over at his site yesterday, listing all the types of horrible people who ask the horrible questions that make your every hair stand on end. I want to pass out this list to everyone at every screening I go to from now on.

--- Wookie Nookie - Rumor was that Adam Driver was playing the bad guy in the new Star Wars movie; the new rumor is that he's playing the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia. He might still be the villain though - perhaps he's been lured to the Dark Side, or something. I'm just trying to figure out in what universe Adam Driver is what Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford would give birth to. Are we sure she didn't cheat with Chewbacca?

--- AmEx Amazing - There's no information on what it is about, but Charlize Theron is teaming up with The Square director (and Joel brother) Nash Edgerton for a movie called American Express. The Square is fantastic, Nash is fantastic, Charlize is beyond fantastic, so sign me up for whatever. It could be two hours of her filling out a credit card application and I'd watch it!
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I Am Link

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--- Star Lord Lover - Well I wan't expecting to ever have a robotic metal-helmet fetish introduced into my life, but then they went and put Chris Pratt in one in his Guardians of the Galaxy shape and now, I just don't know. I guess that's where we are.

--- And Speaking of sexy rough-n-tumble superhero types, Captain America isn't pussyfooting around those DC dudes a bit - Disney says the third Marvel movie in the saga of Chris Evans' bouncing arse will not back down from its release date even though Batman Vs. Superman or whatever they're calling it also plans to be belly-flopping onto the exact same date. Well I have enough room for at least Chris and Henry Cavill in my... heart. Yeah, heart, that's it.

--- Cannibal Feast - Today's lunchtime read - a wonderfully thorough interview (beware spoilers for what we've seen so far) with Bryan Fuller about what we've seen on the second season of Hannibal, and where we're headed. Season Three talk, ho! I finally caught up with Friday's episode last night (I knew there was sexy stuff and I didn't want to watch it with my mother while she was here, sue me) and goddamn it grossed me out. (thanks Mac)
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--- Tyrannosaurus Rowr - I never watched The Office but Andy Buckley's been around in enough random things that he's at least a familiar (cute) face to me - he's just signed on for a role in the new Jurassic Park movie - hopefully he's playing Chris Pratt's man lover. A lover, who is a man.

--- Peggy Prowled - We've been waiting for something from Bryan Bertino, the director of The Strangers, for ages - now there's word he's making There Are Monsters, a movie about a woman and her daughter trapped in their house by, you guessed it, monsters -- and it will star Elisabeth Moss! I am so down with this. bertino actually has another horror something called Mockingbird already finished, but no word on when we're seeing that.

--- Queen Blood - It's been a very long time since I've read Clive Barker's Books of Blood in full so my memory of the story "Jacqueline Ess" is extremely foggy, but Lena Headey's just signed on to star in a movie version of it so I guess I'll have my memory jogged. (How good was she on this week's Game of Thrones, by the way?)

--- Man Or Muse - Since he's the king of Cannes this year, with two big movies in competition, we're hearing a lot of Robert Pattinson things right now - here's some new pictures and clips from David Michod's The Rover and Cronenberg's Map to the Stars, and here's some quotes from the boy-man-vampire on how rough the Twilight critics were on him and how he might team up with Harmony Korine next.

---  Surf's Nope - Gerard Butler apparently decided that one shitty surfing movie on his resume was plenty, and has dropped out of the remake of Point Break. We should expect a replacement announcement soon I guess, cuz the studio is all over making this thing happen. Some exec wants a paid beach vacation, I guess.

--- Women on the Verge - Last night The Film Experience's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series took on Robert Altman's great great great film 3 Women, with Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall - hit up this link here for links outwards to all the posts across the web.

--- Jock Rock - Every time I read the name Finn Wittrock I am immediately transported to an episode of The Flintstones, so thankfully I don't read the name Finn Wittrock all that often, I have more important things to have on my mind than Barney Rubble. Like movies where Aaron Eckhart's playing a football coach! But now the two shall meet - Finn Wittrock (he was in Noah and he's in Angelina Jolie's upcoming movie) is set to play a University of Texas player, apparently well-known and regarded or something, and Eckhart's his coach, and hopefully the entire thing is set in the lockerroom.

--- Off Agent - Wolf Creek director Greg McLean's next movie, the "micro-budgeted" horror flick 6 Miranda Drive with Kevin Bacon and Radha Mitchell, has gotten a new cast-mate - Ming-Na, who can currently be seen rocking a lot of bodysuit-type outfits while scowling on Agents of SHIELD, will be playing something-or-other. I am gonna make a guess: the movie's about a family that "unwittingly" brings a supernatural force home with them from the Grand Canyon (who would "wittingly" do such a thing?) - I've seen enough horror movies to know the ethnic person in the cast will probably have some tie to the supernatural world. That's how these things work.
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--- Snow In New York - Here in New York BAM has announced the movies that will be playing their CinemaFest at the end of this month, and their centerpiece film is none other than Bong Joon-ho's long delayed here in the US Snowpiercer, with Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton. I have already seen and reviewed the movie thanks to this here wonderful internet, but it might be worth it to see it on a big screen, it's a gorgeously shot thing. They're also showing David Wain's rom-com snarkfest They Came Together with Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd. (thanks Mac)

--- And finally, speaking of New York film festivals, here's the campaign page and down below is the fundraising video for the NYC Indie Film Fest, which is celebrating its fifth year and is trying to raise some cash to expand.Go give them some money, I want all the film festivals I can get please.

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