Birthday Suits: Tilda's Frontal & Sam's Moon

I was going to try out this new quickie daily birthday feature. Only it's not quickie it's longie. I can't even do filler without breaking my back. Sigh, I'll never be a mega famous blogger. I care too much!


Today's birthdays 11/05
For those prone to celebrating the filmic and famous.

1905 Joel McCrea undervalued 40s star. Read this great piece on his career
1913 Vivien Leigh, more on her soon
1931 Ike Turner didn't deserve Tina. But, ugh, remember how great Laurence Fishburne was in What's Love Got To Do Without It?

1940 Elke Sommer, the German movie star turns 69 years young today. She was very generous with her birthday suit back in the 60s. Wouldn't you be if you looked like that? On a sad note I have never seen the infamous movie The Oscar (1966) which is about the Oscars that she co-stars in. Is it as bad as they say? I must see it.
1943 Sam Shepard, playwright/actor/Mr. Jessica Lange
1958 Mo Gaffney turns 51 today. To quote the funny lady herself via AbFab [patting older person on the back] "I love old things". My best friend, who is a touch younger than me, does this Mo Gaffney bit to me all the time. I hate him.
1958 Robert Patrick FBI agent and T-1000 [I ♥ T2!]
1959 Bryan Adams, musician. Sobering if ungenerous birthday thought of the day: Oscar nominations for movie songwriting; Bryan Adams, 3; Madonna, 0. Some songs that Madonna has written for the movies: "Into the Groove", "Crazy For You", "Live To Tell", "This Used to Be My Playground", "I'll Remember", "Beautiful Stranger", "Die Another Day". God, that music branch is f***ed up.

1960 TILDA SWINTON I just felt like shouting the name... the glorious name. One of my favorite moments in all of 90s cinema is when Swinton as the male Orlando wakes up in Orlando, suddenly female. She briefly checks out her new parts in the mirror, full frontal, and then matter-of-factly "same person. different sex". I've loved Tilda ever since but I readily admit I didn't expect that she'd achieve the sort of international fame and enduring reputation that she has. It's a happy miracle. [more on Tilda]
1963 Tatum O'Neal (Paper Moon) is still the youngest competitive Oscar winner of all time.
1964 Famke Jannsen, whom I interviewed at length last year, turns 45.
1971 Jonny Greenwood is a brilliant musician. In addition to his work with Radiohead he gave us one of the very best film scores of the entire decade with There Will Be Blood. Oscar's music branch considered it unnominatable in one of their stupidest, most egregiously inconsistent moments. This post has become about how much I hate Oscar's music branch which was not my intention at all... this post is about... Birthdays! Celebrate them.

Finally, we wish Sam Rockwell, secret weapon of many a movie, a very happy 41st birthday. We wish him well on his grassroots Oscar campaign for Moon. Not least because it's important for Oscar to at least think about what constitutes fine acting outside the safe zones of tearful drama and sober historical reenactments. Other genres can provide great performances, too. We would also like to thank Sam for being particularly generous with his birthday suit, considering the full monty (Lawn Dogs) and plentiful moon (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Moon).

Rockwell demonstrates Things You Shouldn't Do While Driving [src]

P.S. if it's your birthday today, The Film Experience loves you. If it's your birthday tomorrow, The Film Experience might or might not love you. We'll see how long we can keep this up.
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RCL: Foxy Licorice Roller Derby Edition

Time for another edition of Red Carpet Lineup wherein we gather up actresses who were photographed at events during the week... and talk about them.


First up is Famke Janssen because I've been waiting for her Turn the River follow up ever since the terrific one-on-one I had with her in early 2008. She's on set in Monaco... for which movie I do not know. Where Famke goes her puppy Licorice is never far behind, so I had to include him (her?) too. It was recently announced that she'll be reprising her transsexual "Ava Moore" role for the series finale of Nip/Tuck.

Megan Fox is a phenomenon I haven't yet grasped. I've been playfully arguing about her on twitter. Screen Rant implied that she should hold her tongue in interviews, since people will lose interest if they start noticing what comes off of it. I say her faux shocking sound bites are the only interesting thing about her. After all, "Fuckability" is generally and crassly accepted as a pre-requisite for screen actressing. If you really stop to think about it this means that virtually every famous actress is (or was) a major turn-on for at least some sizable segment of the audience. In a world (i.e. the movies) where everyone is sexy, don't you have to bring something else to the table? What "else", I must ask, is she bringing?

Miranda Otto of "I am no man" fame didn't end up a huge movie star like so many of her fellow Australian ex-pats but I thought she'd at least end up a TV star. I'm terribly disappointed that her TV pilot "A Marriage" wasn't picked up. It was by the Thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Relativity and Once & Again team of Marshall Herskovitz & Edward Zwick who are geniuses of the small screen. They have proved time and again to have an enviable grasp of the daily drama of family/marital dynamics. If this new pilot, which co-starred Bruce Greenwood as Miranda's husband, had the depth and humanity of those shows it's a large unseen loss for the audience.

Nicll Kihthhmn! sorry, my speech is apparently unintelligible through the fanboy drool ("anonymous" says it so it must be true!). I'm still so excited about The Lady of the Locks: The Return of The Ginger. That's another photo from the set of Rabbit Hole. [via] Nicole Kidman ... there, I've wiped away the spittle.

Marcia Gay Harden turns 50 this August. Her career is going better than ever: A Tony for God of Carnage, a great turn on television's Damages (will they bring her back for Season 3?). Her new film The Maiden Heist is a comedic caper with Morgan Freeman. It was apparently shelved due to financial problems (boo) but we'll see her next in Drew Barrymore's roller derby movie Whip It! We assume Marcia isn't one of the tough derby bitches but we hold out hope that she miraculously is. Wouldn't it be great to see her body slam into Ellen Page?

Bebe Neuwirth is busy. She just got married last month, introduced the in memoriam section at the TONYs, and next she'll play Morticia Addams in the Addams Family stage musical (Spring 2010). She's already training for the part by draining herself of all remaining pigmentation. We see a possible third TONY Award coming her way. She's previously won for Sweet Charity and for her hugely successful reworking of "Velma Kelly" in Chicago before Catherine Zeta-Jones got her eager hands on the role. Showbiz careers are so weird. Isn't it a bit curious that Bebe hasn't had a major slam dunk television role since "Lilith" on Cheers/Frasier for which she won two Emmys? Or a worthy film follow up to her excellent work as a sly cougar in the indie Tadpole for which she won the Seattle Film Critics Award and a FB nomination here.

• Would you pay to see Marcia Gay Harden on roller skates?
• Can you see what Megan Fox brings to the table?
• Is there any point in anything Addams Family without Christina Ricci on board?

Speak up. Don't make me talk to myself.
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Underappreciated Films of 2008 / Rental Suggestions

Year in Review Part 4 of 5

"Overrated" and "Underrated" are loaded statements when it comes to the critical and popular reception of movies. They suggest a false notion that there exists an easily cited consensus but depending on who you read and where you get your information consensus may vary. Which means it isn't consensus. Confusing. "Underappreciated", my preferred appellation, has its limits too. It suggests that one can't include films with decent to huge box office so for this year's "Underappreciated" roundup I'm spotlighting films that almost no one saw (along with their gross to prove it). They're not perfect but still worth a look.

READ THE REST...

Surely you'll agree that Ludivine Sagnier is luscious no matter how many lovers she's juggling, The Fall's hospital bedside storytelling device is more successful than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's, and that Ben Kingsley (Elegy) is far more convincing as a sexual magnet than Philip Seymour Hoffman (Synecdoche New York). Also discussed: Ciao, Turn the River and Trouble the Water
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Which films do you think deserved more attention this year?

also in the year in review
Top Twelve Films (Best of the Year)
Hyperboles Gone Wild (Over Appreciated Films)
Hell's Multiplex (Worst Films & Performances)
FiLM BiTCH Awards Promo (because we love motion pictures)
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May Flowers

Famke Janssen, Interviewed

There's plenty of high speed big thrill activity now playing at the multiplex but if you want an actress to get your heart racing this summer, you're going to have to look for counter-programming. Look no further than Famke Janssen's film elevating, career expanding work in Chris Eigeman's directorial debut Turn the River. The year is young but Janssen's work is arguably the best lead performance so far this year. The low key drama about a pool shark playing high stakes life games, opens in limited release today. Janssen plays Kailey, an estranged mom looking to make a risky break for Canada with her son (wonderfully played by Jaymie Dorman) in tow. The trouble is this: she doesn't have custody, not even have visitation rights. But Kailey isn't the sort of woman to think too far beyond the current game and what balls (and bills) she's pocketing.

I had a chance to sit down with the actress (still best known for glamazon spins in action films like Goldeneye and the X-Men franchise though the career holds more variety than that) at the Indianapolis International Film Festival recently. She had just completed a Q & A with an audience who were clearly fond of her frazzled character work in Turn the River. We sat in the corner of a noisy nearby lounge to talk. Though interrupted frequently by well wishers and festival goers, the actress was patient, frank and generous with her time.

Continue on to the interview...

Famke Janssen is "Kailey Sullivan" in Turn The River (2008)

...for more on Turn the River, deglamming as career move, her time at Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (in the X-Men franchise), and who she'd like to work with next.

(return to main blog for fresh posts)
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Naked Gold Man: And We're Off! Are We?

Restoring the Sunday Oscar series (or: season 2. episode 1) in which we pen the the Oscar focused topics into Sundays so as to prevent Oscar fatigue before the pre season madness begins...

Where are the future Oscar nominees?

Last year by this time -- 4 months and one week into the year-- we had seen three of our eventual Oscar nominees, and two of them were biggies: Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress candidates (Away From Her) and [gulp] a Make Up nod (Norbit). Apart from Iron Man's visual f/x (you can probably ink that down) and maybe sound... is there anything out there that AMPAS could remember by year's end? Will Iron Man's jet-pack ignite the very earliest of the early bird nods? What else is there?

Best Picture, Director, Screenplays? Zilch. The Academy has previously shown a liking for the great playwright Martin McDonagh who wrote and directed the crime comedy In Bruges but despite winning somewhat surprised fans, it didn't make enough waves. Stop-Loss (my review) had the heavy-weight topic you need for awardage but not the reviews or audiences. That's a no go, too.

Performances? There's two leads playing (or about to) that we could conceivably see as eventual Oscar ...um... Indie Spirit nominees? Richard Jenkins for The Visitor and Famke Janssen for Turn the River (see previous post) will have their fans but Oscar bids remain far fetched. Even to make it all the way until the Spirits, they'll need a committed team and a heap of luck. We'll see.

Otherwise
Young @ Heart is a real crowd pleasing documentary but it's always risky to assume that any particular film will show up in the documentary race... it's not always even clear which films will prove eligible. I suppose Horton Hears a Who could land itself in the animated feature three-spot but the year is young and much ballyhooed contestants are still to come.

Finally, there's the off chance that an early contender could score in Costume Design. That branch of the Academy isn't as beholden to the rest of the competitive Oscar field as some others. To paraphrase Fleetwood Mac 'they can go their own way... go their own waay--ayy-aay'... The candidates thus far: Louise Frogley did 20s work on Leatherheads. George Clooney loves her --she's provided his threads in five films already. On the other hand, the Academy has yet to notice her strengths; There's period gowns and even a lingerie fashion show from Michael O'Connor (never nominated) in Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day; Most likely given previous track records, AMPAS could opt for the great Sandy Powell's royal and elaborate gowns from The Other Boleyn Girl...Best Most Costume Design!

Slave driving two-time Oscar winner Sandy Powell forces ScarJo to mend her
own gowns on the set of The Other Boleyn Girl.

Do you see any early birds within Oscar's eventual nominees or do you think Iron Man's cocky "oh yeah. I can fly" visual and/or sound effects will be the only contender from 2008's releases to date?

Famke, Who Turns Rivers

IIFF Day 1
Operating on just 2+ hours of sleep (early morning flight) I hit Indianapolis, caught up with Nick, braved a food court (blech -- the bane of dining out), caught a few movies and then met Famke Janssen for a lengthy sit down. I didn't want to bury the lead... figured I'd cut to the chase. I knew you were waiting for her.

The Star
Famke Janssen, as striking in person as on screen, was all sharp and dark lines. I'm not talking about just her familiar angular beauty or the black asymmetrical dress and sleek hair she wore to this festival premiere. She was also smart and unsentimental about her career and character creations in our interview. I had a wonderful time meeting her and discussing her characters, old (Jean Grey --I had to ask you know) and new --she's very good in Turn the River (trailer), ably carrying the drama of a pool shark who can't get her life together and desperately wants custody of the child she lost. Loyal Film Experience readers will be delighted to hear that I even got Famke using the phrase "deglam" as we talked. I couldn't help myself!

The lounge where we chatted was too noisy for a podcast, but I'll have more of the interview for you in a week or so. I also met the amiable writer/director Chris Eigeman who you film buffs will know as an actor from those wonderful Whit Stillman movies (Metropolitan, Barcelona and The Last Days of Disco) and Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming. We didn't have much time to talk but more later hopefully.

If you'd like to read more about the movie, I am pleased to let you know that Nick of Nick's Flick Picks wrote an actual review after our screening. Nick with new material. Yay!

The Movies
Psycho Hillbilly Cabin Massacre! (short) Mildly amusing and twisty. Gross but horror fans will really enjoy I'll bet.
World Builder (short) CGI heavy. A man is building a holograph city for purposes we don't learn until near the end of the overly sentimental film. The effects aren't groundbreaking but they're very professional and they work well in context and are hypnotic to watch.
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (doc, US)
This was worth seeing for some film history that I was heretofore unaware of. Learned a few choice snippets about exhibition and double features in the 50s and a lot about Castle's career of making horror programmers like 13 Ghosts and House on Haunted Hill. My favorite parts where on The Tingler and Straightjacket (with Joan Crawford!). Asides to Rosemary's Baby and Hitchcock's Psycho (two of my favorite films ever) were also welcome --but I can't say that I thought it was well a put together doc. A puff piece surely. And if I never see another documentary that moves photos around and colorizes them (very The Kid Stays in the Picture) I will be quite pleased.

In the City of Sylvia (feature, Spain)
This feature by José Luis Guerín is about an artist who is still hung up on a woman he met six year prior. This played the major triple of Venice, Toronto and New York last year. It's in my jury category so I can't discuss it now.
Turn the River (feature, US)
Famke's vehicle. More on this when when it opens in May.

Linkrise: A Post of Too Many Links

Self Styled Siren "In Defense of Melodrama" Tom O'Neil's diss of Sunrise just won't die on the internets, but the Siren is always a great read. If you haven't seen the film in question, queue it. I'd devote a whole week to silent movies if I thought any of ya cared enough.
Egotastic More Julianne Moore in Paris Vogue. Too bad she doesn't get this naked in the movie she's promoting
Village Voice's Tribeca coverage includes an interview with the quotable Guy Maddin on his film My Winnipeg
Empire on the upcoming (still) DVD release of the Kill Bills fused together. I'd like that to come out as much as anyone but it actually angers me to read about all the extras QT is writing/making for it. Make another film damnit! Quit jabbering away to anyone who will listen and make some damn features. So freaking slow that man. So much talent going to waste
Flick Filosopher one of my Manhattan movie buddies, enjoyed Comic Con more than I. She has abundant photos to prove it. Speaking of Comic Con, here's a pic I took that I forgot to post. I promise it's my last superhero reference until Iron Man opens. Here we see bitter enemies Emma Frost (The White Queen) and Jean Grey (Dark Phoenix) hangin' together like old friends


Why do I have this inexplicable desire to show this photo to Famke Janssen when I meet her @ the Indianapolis Film Festival? Or bring along my X-Men: Dark Phoenix compilation for her to sign? (She can't be scribbling on the original issues but I got those, too)

Where were we... yes, yes, more links
StinkyLulu is planning a Madeline Kahn Appreciation Day. Mark your calendars.
My New Plaid Pants Adrian Barraza (so great in Babel) goes back to hell
Boy Culture on the Broadway adaptation of Cry Baby
Crazy Days and Nights on Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman's son Conor making his movie debut. Snarky but there's a choice LOL line about sunscreen
If Charlie Parker... Almodóvar helps his mom with her knitting
Vanity Fair David Poland and Elizabeth Hurlbut discuss the peni' in Apatow films

and finally
<--- Bauer-Griffin takes a well timed look back at Robert Downey Jr & Sarah Jessica Parker in the 80s. My how things have changed (and changed ... and changed) for both of them and their careers since. Should be a big summer for them, separately of course. (Calm down, Matthew!) Unless Iron Man is cameo'in' for Sex & The City too! Could you imagine? Methinks the haters would be happier if it was The Incredible Hulk who tore through the cosmo-logged metropolis of the four sexy/funny ladies, though.
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Indianapolis, Again

Just an FYI I will be serving on the jury of the I.I.F.F. again this year albeit in a different category (last year's coverage) --my favorite movie from last year's fest is only available through Film Movement currently.

Have a look at IIFF's competition lineup and tell me which films you'd most like to hear about right here. I'll see them. I'll also try to snag an interview with Famke Jannsen (who I hear might show). Coverage will start the last week of this month. If you're a reader from Indy, say "hi"! Or whatever it is they say in the midwest these days. Don't be shy. I'm there for a week, so please suggest some good restaurants at the very least. Or buy me a drink once I get there. I'm thirsty.
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Blogosphere Multiplex: Arjan Writes

A blogger that needs little introduction. Arjan Writes is one of the best music blogs on the net. I talked to Arjan last week about the movies...

10+ Questions with Arjan

Nathaniel: How often do you go to the movies and what's the biggest draw for you?

Arjan: I go to the movies once a month on average, but I travel quite a bit and often end up watching in-flight movies. Biggest draws are certain actors and subtitles. I love subtitles!

Nathaniel: Subtitles do rule --I prefer mine in yellow under the widescreen image. But you're already teasing. "Certain" actors Arjan? We want names. Do share.

Arjan: Mmmm. I love Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett. And Jake, of course. I remember not being so fond of Nicole until I met her backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001. We literally ran into each other. Boom! She was so beautiful. I was completely mesmerized. It is her fairy dust.

Nathaniel: I am bright green with envy. I have not met her but I have witnessed the fairy dust live (Dogville premiere Lincoln Center) and it is something. She's nearly alien what with all the glowing. Tell me how much you love Moulin Rouge! (fake it if you don't, I'm obsessed)

Arjan: She's supernatural. I am telling you. The way she commanded her entourage was spellbinding. I chatted with her about her duet with Kylie Minogue, which was a hot topic at the time. Moulin Rouge! is one of my favorite music movies of all time. Visual eye candy.

Nathaniel: You mentioned subtitles a minute ago. What are you favorite foreign films? Are you a Francophile, an Asian cinema nut? Or do you just like them all?

Arjan: My favorite foreign films have to be Dutch. I was born and raised in Amsterdam so I'm a bit biased. Dutch filmmakers have been winning some Oscars in the last ten years. And may I remind you of Rutger Hauer?

Nathaniel: You may and please do. I think if you're of a certain age (30something) the Rutger thing is hard to miss. I mean, Michelle Pfeiffer was cursed with him, Harrison Ford played cat and mouse with him ("time to die"), Anne Rice wanted him.

Who should we all be obsessed with now from Dutch cinema?

Arjan: You should be obsessed with Famke Janssen, the leading lady of Dutch film. Also, Paul Verhoeven's new Dutch-language film Black Book is getting raving reviews. The movie features an amazing performance by Carice Van Housten. The movie is now playing in select cities in the U.S. NPR loved it, too.

Nathaniel: I've been meaning to see that. Since you write about music, I'm curious to hear your reactions on musicians turned actors. Or vice versa. Any thoughts on the medium hopping of Beyonce, Rufus Wainwright, etc... Do you like Juliette Lewis and the Licks? Will you listen to Scarlett Johansson's record when it comes out?

Arjan: Singers are creative beings. Actors are creative beings. So I think it is only natural for them to try to mix it up a little. It doesn't make less or more of an effort. I saw Scarlett perform with the Jesus & Mary Chain at Coachella this year. I wasn't impressed, but I think she's a wonderful actress. I think Juliette Lewis shows off a lot passion in her performance, both on stage and on screen. I totally love that. Don't count out Mandy Moore. I loved her in Saved! and her new album will suprise you.


Nathaniel: I'm sure you've heard of the Kirsten Dunst/Debbie Harry project. Though I'm not particularly fond of the biopic genre, I think Debbie Harry is a great choice for a feature. I'm also really excited to see the Todd Haynes Bob Dylan film I'm Not There. Since you have so much contact with the music world, I'm wondering which musician or band, famous or otherwise, you'd love to see a film about? Or put another way...who is entertaining enough backstage to warrant their own Truth or Dare?

Arjan: Really tough one to answer. I'd love to see a good movie about Fleetwood Mac. A great band with a lot of drama. I would also be interested in seeing a movie about Fischerspooner with the lead character played by Casey Spooner himself. Very compelling group rooted in the avant-garde NYC art scene that would hopefully make for a very enlightening movie experience.

Nathaniel: What's your favorite movie of all time?

Arjan: Character

Nathaniel: That was so intense. I remember being surprised when it won the Oscar in that it's less sentimental than what they usually go for.

OK what's one thing we haven't discussed that might surprise your readers about your movie tastes?

Arjan: I am sucker for sci-fi movies. I love to dream about galaxies far, far away. I caught the original Planet Of The Apes a few weeks ago and loved it. Music movies don't always hit the right note with me, but classics for me are The Who's Tommy, Flashdance (gritty and empowering) and the bio pic What's Love Got To Do With It with that powerful performance by Angela Bassett.

Nathaniel: They make a movie of your life. Tell us the title, director, tagline --who composes the score and who plays you?

Arjan: Impossible to answer this one! But if you ask me right here, right now... I'd have to go with Ben Affleck or Tom Cruise playing Arjan in a movie directed by Paul Verhoeven or Pedro Almovodar that is called Green Fields which is about a young man who had a dream and made it happen. With two small bags in hand jumping on a plane to start living his childhood dream in a far away county with nothing but the passion to make something of his life. Soundtrack by Darren Hayes and Mylo.

Nathaniel: I can't imagine a world where Verhoeven and Almodovar are an either/or. So let's have both: an Arjan double feature.

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Thanks to Arjan for answering all these questions. I hope that gave you a movie taste of a music man. Once again readers: I probably don't have to ask but you're already reading what Arjan Writes... right?

Shoulda Been X3's "Big Bad"

Behold... Dark Phoenix



Admit it: You wish you looked as hot in a gold lamé sash!

tags: movies, XMen, Comic Books, X-Men, Marvel