Birthday Girls

Today is the birthday of the great Kate Winslet. I celebrated her first day on Earth with a post last year. And also last month, a mini Kateapalooza with that video tribute. Tomorrow Little Children opens to erase her recent fumble in All The Kings Men. Happy Birthday Kate! (More Kate well-wishing at My New Plaid Pants)

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday and though I gave her a big hug hours before leaving Detroit I actually forgot the significance of the day until I was already on the plane. I have a good excuse but still... sorry, Mom!

It's also the birthday of the very funny Glynis Johns, that talented supporting player of yore (well not so yoreish actually --her last hoot-worthy playing was in the mid90s comedies While You Were Sleeping and The Ref . If you're still drawing a blank think of her Oscar nomination for The Sundowners or Mrs. Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins. 'Well done, Sister Suffragette!'

And finally Nicole Kidman starred in a movie called Birthday Girl a few years back so I'm thinking about her as I'm writing this (although I already celebrated her birthday in June). Who knew that I'd end up missing her after bitching about her overexposure. So I'm happy to see pictures of her at work again.

Birthday Girls

Today is the birthday of the great Kate Winslet. I celebrated her first day on Earth with a post last year. And also last month, a mini Kateapalooza with that video tribute. Tomorrow Little Children opens to erase her recent fumble in All The Kings Men. Happy Birthday Kate! (More Kate well-wishing at My New Plaid Pants)

Yesterday was my Mom's birthday and though I gave her a big hug hours before leaving Detroit I actually forgot the significance of the day until I was already on the plane. I have a good excuse but still... sorry, Mom!

It's also the birthday of the very funny Glynis Johns, that talented supporting player of yore (well not so yoreish actually --her last hoot-worthy playing was in the mid90s comedies While You Were Sleeping and The Ref . If you're still drawing a blank think of her Oscar nomination for The Sundowners or Mrs. Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins. 'Well done, Sister Suffragette!'

And finally Nicole Kidman starred in a movie called Birthday Girl a few years back so I'm thinking about her as I'm writing this (although I already celebrated her birthday in June). Who knew that I'd end up missing her after bitching about her overexposure. So I'm happy to see pictures of her at work again.

New York, New York

Chapter One. He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved. Beneath his black-rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat. I love this. New York was his town, and it always would be...

I'm back in New York. Seeing the city lights from my window seat last night was more thrilling than it usually is. Once I've sufficiently recovered I might post a little about my trip or... I might not, tough to say.

In the meantime, bear with me as I climb back into the blogging / website saddle over the next few days. October is often my favorite month of the year what with good movies arriving, Oscar hopes yet dashed, and Fall (my preferred season) all around me. There will be a lot of goodies coming up, including:

• Updates to the Foreign Oscar pages. (Yes, I'm very behind)
• New capsule and/or full reviews.
• That vampiric blog-a-thon (October 30th) -are you joining in? Is there a blogger out there that you'd love to see join the event? Let me know
  
• More on the upcoming Sweeney Todd
• Oscar prediction updates
  
• 1982 Supporting Actress Smackdown (October 29th) --do yourself a favor and rent the four films (Victor/Victoria, Tootsie, Frances, The World According to Garp) this month before the smackdown. It's an unusually great vintage. You'll love the monthly clipreel & discussion even more if you've seen the movies.
• Random silliness.
  
• New installments of many TFE series including "A History Of..."
  

Octoberfest!

New York, New York

Chapter One. He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved. Beneath his black-rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat. I love this. New York was his town, and it always would be...

I'm back in New York. Seeing the city lights from my window seat last night was more thrilling than it usually is. Once I've sufficiently recovered I might post a little about my trip or... I might not, tough to say.

In the meantime, bear with me as I climb back into the blogging / website saddle over the next few days. October is often my favorite month of the year what with good movies arriving, Oscar hopes yet dashed, and Fall (my preferred season) all around me. There will be a lot of goodies coming up, including:

• Updates to the Foreign Oscar pages. (Yes, I'm very behind)
• New capsule and/or full reviews.
• That vampiric blog-a-thon (October 30th) -are you joining in? Is there a blogger out there that you'd love to see join the event? Let me know
  
• More on the upcoming Sweeney Todd
• Oscar prediction updates
  
• 1982 Supporting Actress Smackdown (October 29th) --do yourself a favor and rent the four films (Victor/Victoria, Tootsie, Frances, The World According to Garp) this month before the smackdown. It's an unusually great vintage. You'll love the monthly clipreel & discussion even more if you've seen the movies.
• Random silliness.
  
• New installments of many TFE series including "A History Of..."
  

Octoberfest!

Linkigan

I'm still in Michigan and mostly offweb. But I have a bit of time to kill between obligations and I desperately need the distraction. Here are some posts I'm using to feed escapist urges.


popbytes interviews Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters.
and your little blog, too lists classics still waiting for DVD debuts.
EW's popwatch on Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man.
Reverse Shot who knew that Little Children would turn out so divisive?
IDLRZ thoughts on a bunch of October movies.
Pen15 Club on Kristin Chenowith vs. Aaron Sorkin. I coulda lived without the diss on my Chen' who IS a star of stage (at least) but I knew nothing of this story so I was mighty interested to read it.
Low Resolution Hilarious Fall Movie Preview. Plus I get name checked 5 times: "Nathaniel" "Bening freaks" "fans of Brad Pitt" "Pedro's numerous and none-too-quiet partisans" and "fans of man" --ha ha. See how many time you get mentioned!

I also whiled away some time recently watching this great nonsensical Flash series "I Love Egg" which is deeply pleasureable if you find yourself needing to stop thinking and just be amused / surprised / delighted.

Linkigan

I'm still in Michigan and mostly offweb. But I have a bit of time to kill between obligations and I desperately need the distraction. Here are some posts I'm using to feed escapist urges.


popbytes interviews Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters.
and your little blog, too lists classics still waiting for DVD debuts.
EW's popwatch on Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man.
Reverse Shot who knew that Little Children would turn out so divisive?
IDLRZ thoughts on a bunch of October movies.
Pen15 Club on Kristin Chenowith vs. Aaron Sorkin. I coulda lived without the diss on my Chen' who IS a star of stage (at least) but I knew nothing of this story so I was mighty interested to read it.
Low Resolution Hilarious Fall Movie Preview. Plus I get name checked 5 times: "Nathaniel" "Bening freaks" "fans of Brad Pitt" "Pedro's numerous and none-too-quiet partisans" and "fans of man" --ha ha. See how many time you get mentioned!

I also whiled away some time recently watching this great nonsensical Flash series "I Love Egg" which is deeply pleasureable if you find yourself needing to stop thinking and just be amused / surprised / delighted.

Monologue Mondays -"Faith Justin"

Lenny, just stay away from Tran, okay? And stay away from me.

Stop trying to rescue me. Those days are over. I'm a big girl now. Stop trying to save me, okay, because I don't need saving.

Just...give up on me.

You know one of the ways movies are still better than playback? The music comes up, there's credits, and you always know when it's over.

IT'S OVER!

"Faith Justin" as played by the rockin' Juliette Lewis in Strange Days (1995) Written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. This largely unheralded performance closed out a five year run of astonishing work from the always potent actress. Like the film itself, this turn almost grasped what it was reaching for --flawed but still riveting.

Monologue Mondays -"Faith Justin"

Lenny, just stay away from Tran, okay? And stay away from me.

Stop trying to rescue me. Those days are over. I'm a big girl now. Stop trying to save me, okay, because I don't need saving.

Just...give up on me.

You know one of the ways movies are still better than playback? The music comes up, there's credits, and you always know when it's over.

IT'S OVER!

"Faith Justin" as played by the rockin' Juliette Lewis in Strange Days (1995) Written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. This largely unheralded performance closed out a five year run of astonishing work from the always potent actress. Like the film itself, this turn almost grasped what it was reaching for --flawed but still riveting.

1936 Smackdown

I'm sorry I couldn't attend the monthly Supporting Actress "Smackdown" over @ Stinkylulu. But by all means check out what Tim, Nick, Ken, and Stinky are saying about the ladies who competed in the first year of Oscar's supporting awards. That's right. It took Oscar a full decade to realize that character actors ought to be recognized as well. Than it took them another 70 years or so to figure out how to stop recognizing them by nominating mostly lead performances in this category (but that's a topic and a pet peeve for another day)

Though I was not able to blabber about these particular 1936 performances, the thing that's important to know is that I would have spent the whole time trying to convince each and every one of you to rent Dodsworth which is one of the best movies of its decade. If you've spent any time cozying up to 30s cinema you'd know that that's a compliment of the highest order.

1936 Smackdown

I'm sorry I couldn't attend the monthly Supporting Actress "Smackdown" over @ Stinkylulu. But by all means check out what Tim, Nick, Ken, and Stinky are saying about the ladies who competed in the first year of Oscar's supporting awards. That's right. It took Oscar a full decade to realize that character actors ought to be recognized as well. Than it took them another 70 years or so to figure out how to stop recognizing them by nominating mostly lead performances in this category (but that's a topic and a pet peeve for another day)

Though I was not able to blabber about these particular 1936 performances, the thing that's important to know is that I would have spent the whole time trying to convince each and every one of you to rent Dodsworth which is one of the best movies of its decade. If you've spent any time cozying up to 30s cinema you'd know that that's a compliment of the highest order.

Sad Time

Just a heads up to my wonderful highly valued readers. Updates will be non-existent or very sporadic over the next week or so as I will be travelling. (I do have some things half written that I'll try to throw up if time permits) I have an unexpected situation with a lifelong friend to attend to.

These next two weeks are huge in movie news and import but real life is more important than reel life, even for crazy cinephiles like me. If you find yourself missing the daily dose of the Film Experience please consider continuing any of the fun discussions below. Also, spread the word about the Vampire Blog-a-Thon on your own site or blog (if ya got one) with a link --the more the merrier on October 30th. The conclusion to the massive Moulin Rouge piece will be coming in late October or November instead of right now as planned. Can't be helped. Anyone who believes in Truth!Beauty! Freedom!and Love! will understand.

I'll write more when I'm able. Peace.