Goodbye Oscars Again

Conan O'Brien was doing such a good job putting on a good Oscars show -- along with the show's producers, who embraced the gaudy nonsense that the show should embrace, but more on that in a second -- that it wasn't until its second half that I realized I didn't give a shit about any of the movies or people winning the prizes. That they held off my annual Oscar annoyance and bitterness that long is an incredible feat! There are a couple of winners -- Flow for Best Animated film, Daniel Blumberg's incredible score for The Brutalist, No Other Land for Doc, and I'm Still Here for International Film -- that make me very happy. Several others are fine. But when you're as meh as I am about every single one of the top prize winners? Keiran Culkin is the only performance of the four acting winners I really like, but I could name twenty people I'd have handed that statue to over him including three of the other people actually nominated against him (I haven't been able to bring myself to watch The Apprentice yet). And I admit I need to re-watch Anora -- I have only seen it once at NYFF in the fall -- but y'all know...

When Conan made the joke about Anora using “the f word” 479 times I thought maybe we were gonna get a joke about its rampant homophobia for a second, haha silly me

— Jason Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM

... my repeatedly-expressed feelings there. And while I quite like The Brutalist I'm of the mind (apparently very very lonely of that mind) that Brody and Jones are its weakest aspects. (And JFC Brody's speech was insufferable proof that he remains insufferable.) 

I was expecting this to pop up in the middle of that speech

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— Jason Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 10:28 PM

Anyway I loved the production of the show, which embraced the hokey dance numbers of the past, and which really let -- for its first half anyway -- the nominees in all the craft cateegories get their due. Until they decided things were running too long and started cutting people off -- as soon as they start doing that I start getting tense and annoyed and the entire mood shifts. And then I started noticing that I wasn't liking the winners and yadda yadda Mikey Madison beat Demi and I was done. Y'all have thoughts? 

Robbed

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— Jason Adams (@jamnpp.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 10:43 PM

Finally Brutalist Vinyl!

I had mixed but mostly positive feelings about Brady Corbet's Oscar-nominated epic The Brutalist -- read my review here -- but one of its absolute tippy-top highlights of the movie is its astonishing also-nominated score from Daniel Blumberg, and I have been screaming at anyone who will listen that they need to drop the vinyl since I saw the movie all those many months ago. And today I got my wish! The pre-order for it just went up, click here and buy it and they will send you a copy on May 30th. Looks like a gorgeous perfectly designed package too -- they did right by it! 2024 was a terrific year for film music -- I think the scores for Challengers and Conclave are just as good and I've had trouble choosing between the three all awards season long. But I really think this one might win. It's so good.

The Year In Queer

I did very little work over my break -- we're talking very, very little -- but I did accomplish one thing of which I am very proud! Click on over to Pajiba to read my list of The 10 Hottest Queerest Scenes in 2024's Movies. I got to go deep -- well ankle-deep anyway, as they're blurbs -- on some moments in my favorite movies of the year that I haven't heard much discussion of. I was especially happy how I managed to get the year's most hetero movie Babygirl onto the list! 

Alessandro I Want For Chistmas...

Because he has three yes count them three movies out in theaters now -- Kraven the Hunter came out last week (read my quick thoughts here) while Brady Corbet's The Brutalist (read my review here) and Pedro Almodovar's The Room Next Door (wonderful but not reviewed by me) are both out now -- we have been blessed with not just one but two count them two photoshoots of Alessandro Nivola this week! This first one is for Sharp magazine and there's a chat with him at that link as well; the same goes for Anthem magazine, and you'll see those photos down below. Before that though, an aside -- there's a chance this post will be our last until the holidays are upon us, happening, and then history. Which is to say I'm not sure if I'll be online tomorrow and after that I'm definitely off until January 2nd of the year 2025. If that's not the case I suppose you'll know when I start rambling on here tomorrow. But if not -- Happy Holidays, everyone! And consider this collection o' Nivola my gifts to you, right on after the jump...

A Brutalist Man

Another day, another NYFF review -- well that's not exactly true, these have been slow coming, but we're into them now at least. I have written up my thoughts on Brady Corbet's The Brutalist today for Pajiba -- click here to read those. it is mostly all very very positive, although there are a couple of large exceptions to my praise. But still -- it feels like a good and proper big ass movie movie that I see myself watching a dozen more times (I've already seen it twice and it very much rewards repeat viewings). And the second its score is released on vinyl I will buy that shit so fast -- probably the score of the year, right here, give or take a Challengers.  

Alessandro Nivola Fourteen Times

There are many reasons to be excited about seeing Brady Corbet's epic film The Brutalist when it hits theaters in December, but I'll get into those when my review of the film from NYFF (eventually) goes up. So let me give you a small taste with these new photos of actor and longtime MNPP fave Alessandro Nivola via The Italian Reve (where they also include a very long chat with him; read that at the link)., because one thing I will say beforehand since it's frivolous all things considered and has no enormous bearing on the movie's richness and worth -- Corbet shoots the hell out of Nivola, to the point where it might be the best he's ever looked on-screen? It's up there anyway. But if that ain't a reason to be excited about the movie then I don't know cinema. Anyway not that it's hard but they also made him look like a million bucks in these photos, so you can hit the jump for a pile of these photos...

Synecdoche By Wes

See? I told you I would pop back in here over the holiday! I didn't lie, for once. Feel free to throw confetti in my face the next time you see me. Anyway I am here, over a holiday, to direct you toward a piece I'm proud of -- for Mashable I wrote about Wes Anderson's telescopically structured Asteroid City, and how that structure helps triple underline its big beating beautiful heart, click here to read it. I really dig this movie in case that's not clear by now -- this is the second piece I wrote about it, including my Pajiba review which you can read here. I hope you've all gone to see it for yourselves by now -- the big screen really is the best way to experience Wes' methodical aesthetic minutiae -- but if you're waiting for home for whatever reason the blu-ray is on sale already, right here. But it's not out until New Years Eve so, you know, prepare to wait.

Viva Wes, Again

Although it's been out in NYC and LA for a week now Wes Anderson's latest Asteroid City is just hitting the broader markets tomorrow, and so I am just sharing my feelings on the movie today. Over at Pajiba, right here. Spoiler alert: I love the fucking movie. I'm a hard yes on Wes though, so your mileage will obviously vary -- I find it inexplicable how divisive his movies are, but then I find so much of the world inexplicable. Find joy in beautiful things, people!

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Asteroid Straight Ahead

The teaser poster for Wes Anderson's next movie Asteroid City -- as it says right there on the teaser poster! -- has arrived! So I guess we can surmise from the image there that this is going to be Wes putting his particular stamp on Southwestern U.S. culture -- the whole Route 66 roadside-motel Area 51 thing. Kind of like when Tim Burton took to the deserts for Mars Attacks, is what I am picturing. Anyway no way am I listing off every name there on the poster but it's the usual assortment of Wes actors. Excited to see Hong Chau up in there, though! Supposedly we'll get the first trailer tomorrow. And the best news of all is that it's out in June! June 16th to be exact. Mark them calendars!

Never Knowing Who To Cling To

I probably wouldn't be looking forward to Blonde if it wasn't directed by Andrew Dominik, which I do realize is the straight-bro-film-douchiest thing I could say but I can't help it, man -- you did see The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, right? What other choice do I have? That's not to say that the other ingredients don't intrigue me -- I like Ana de Armas just fine, she has been fun in Knives Out and Knock Knock and especially No Time To Die. I can't say I have felt terribly moved by any work she's done so far, but if it's gonna happen I imagine a Marilyn Monroe bio-pic would be the moment. Speaking of I also love Marilyn and I am like most people who care about the movies still fascinated by her, and on top of that I don't think the definitive movie about her has yet been made. If such a thing can be made.

My Week With Marilyn was fine, Michelle Williams was very good, but that movie evaporated from my memory immediately after that year's Oscars. And I think Nicolas Roeg's Insignificance is a fascinating movie and Theresa Russell does a great job playing "the idea of Marilyn" but I wouldn't call that a definitive take either -- that movie's far too abstract and not really about her, not as a person, anyway. We'll have to see how much Dominik's film is legitimately about the woman then, as the trailer promises to be -- I gotta admit it is one hell of a trailer. Looks ravishing. 

Blonde comes out on September 28th. Thoughts?

French Me, Wes Anderson

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The first poster for Wes Anderson's forthcoming The French Dispatch of the Liberty Evening Sun (which we'll all refer to as French Dispatch from now on probably) was released today and you're definitely gonna want to click that to embiggen as it's an adorable little marvel -- shocking nobody acquainted with anything Wes Anderson related -- of boxes inside boxes and character's in lil' vignettes. I may sound sarcastic here but I am a Hardcore Wes'ser, on Team Him since time began, and I am into it. I am especially into Timmy's square...

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Hey remember how Wes Anderson's THE FRENCH DISPATCH got Rated R for GRAPHIC NUDITY cuz that's what I'm sure thinking about zooming in on Timothee's square in the movie's poster pic.twitter.com/Tl5rAaYIwr

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) February 11, 2020

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We told you about the R rating just a couple of weeks ago -- the film got that rating for and I quote "graphic nudity, some sexual references and language." I don't think Female Nudity often warrants an immediate R, it's almost always Male Nudity... but I might just be putting the cart before the, uhh, horse here. We'll find out in July when the film's out! Actually we'll find out before that when it probably screens at Cannes and all the loudmouth Cannes queens start a'yapping. (Bless you, my Cannes queens.) I'm also hearing there will be a trailer dropped tomorrow.

Happy Timmy Time

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There's been enough Timothée Chalamet news this week since I told you he's presenting at this year's Oscar ceremony on Tuesday to justify another post, I think -- it'd be even better if I had a new photo-shoot of him to go along with all of the words but we'll make due with what we can scrounge up. And revisiting Timmy's sparkle harness is always welcome. 

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WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US TIMMY pic.twitter.com/3fF5mQjmPx

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) January 30, 2020

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Anyway on to the news! A logo for Denis Villenueve's Dune movie, which is out in December, was photographed at some movie studio event thing a couple of days ago and made the rounds on social media, although the studio kept erasing the image off the web so I never bothered posting it. But there's a doctored version of it, replicating it pretty close, at this link. Original Kwisatz Haderach Kyle Maclachlan had good things to say about Timmy, also at that link. Next up is word on Chalamet's other big 2020 project...

... it turns out that Wes Anderson's French Dispatch movie is actually titled The French Dispatch of the Liberty Evening Sun (although none of us are gonna be typing all of that) and will be out on July 24th. You can see the big names of the cast listed above -- it's quite the troupe. Oh and it got Rated R for ""Graphic Nudity" which is, you know, a surprise. I can't wait to see how perfectly framed and arranged all of the genitals are by Wes Anderson. Anyway it sounds like it's going to be a set of small stories smashed together:

"[The film] brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in a fictional 20th-century French city.”"

Obviously we don't know if that means it will be a series of unconnected vingettes a la the Coens' recent film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, of if this "collection of stories" will be interwoven across one long-form narrative, or what. We don't know! It doesn't matter! Just put July 24 on your calendars, hike up your pants, and get yourself to the theater on that date, mkay?

Bobby Goes Blonde

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Finally some forward momentum on The Assassination of Jesse James director Andrew Dominik's next movie, his adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' book about Marilyn Monroe called Blonde -- he's just cast Bobby Cannavale to play the baseball player Joe DiMaggio and Adrien Brody to play the playwright Arthur Miller, aka two of Marilyn's famous husbands. (She was also married once earlier before she became a star.) Here's a picture of a young DiMaggio in the locker-room just cuz: 

You know, for comparison's sake with up top. I've never read Oates' book although I have a copy buried in my apartment somewhere, I guess I should dig it up -- have you read it? Anyway this project keeps reminding me of Nicolas Roeg's 1985 movie Insignificance that has thinly veiled ("thinly" being kind) versions of Marilyn and DiMaggio randomly meeting up with Joe McCarthy and Albert Einstein in a hotel room. That's a weird ass movie, isn't it?

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Summer of Sam (1999)

Ritchie: All right. What do you want me to
tell you? Get a fuckin' divorce, then.
Vinny: Divorce is fuckin' evil, Ritchie.
You got some fuckin' really bad advice.
Ritchie: Evil spelled backwards is live.
Vinny: You're a corny fuck, you know that?

A happy 20 to Spike Lee's serial killer drama, which I maybe haven't seen in 20 years? I don't know, I must have watched it again after the first time since I remember liking it a lot and back then, before I had the ability to watch literally any movie at any moment, if I liked something I re-watched it. I know I had this movie on VHS at one point, so I must have. But the memory's very vague. Have you re-watched Summer of Sam lately? I'm curious how it holds up, and also if I'll still feel the same way I once did about Adrien Brody...

Adrien Brody Can't Get Arrested

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What a weird career Adrien brody has. He'll show up in a Wes Anderson or a Woody Allen movie every couple of years but he fills in the rest of the time with what's the word oh right dreckitude. I suppose that's called being a "working actor" but dude's Oscar is feeling awfully dusty. I don't mean to rag on him, I generally think he's a perfectly fine actor, but he really should be a little more choosy. Case in point his new horror flick Backtrack, which feels like a decade old script and totally wastes The Loved Ones' terrific Robin McLeavy. The latter's especially unforgivable. Anyway I reviewed that plus Ethan Hawke's new movie Good Kill reuniting him with Gattaca director Andrew Niccol over at The Film Experience. They're both showing at the Tribeca Film Festival. Good Kill is actually pretty good!

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Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Splice (2009)

Elsa: If you could understand crazy, 

it wouldn't be crazy. 

Happy birthday to director Vincenzo Natali!

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I Guess They're Supposed To Be Fighting?

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It really doesn't seem like they are fighting. (via)

Jungle Fever

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Try try again! Fox is going to try to reboot the Predator franchise a second time after Adrien Brody failed to take off as an action hero (shocker) in 2010's version. They've hired Shane Black, he of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 and also actual contemporaries of the original film's 80s hey-day rah-rah Action Movies like Lethal Weapon, to write and direct it - most interestingly though, he's going to be co-writing it with Fred Dekker of The Monster Squad fame! 

Dekker & Black wrote The Monster Squad together so it's not entirely random; Dekker hasn't any credits on IMDb after 2002, when he worked on Star Trek: Enterprise. He's a bit of a horror geek icon though (although I never saw Monster Squad until a couple of years ago so I missed that boat) so I imagine there are some high-fives happening at the offices of Fangoria at this news. Team-work!
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Let Us Take A Trip To Budapest

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Hey hey the trailer for Wes Anderson's new movie The Grand Budapest Hotel, aka his follow-up to my favorite movie of 2012 Moonrise Kingdom, is here! Watch it! (And you should really make it full-screen to take in all of the splendorous detailing). It is something!

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Isn't it something? Any trailer that starts with prominent Ralph Fiennes crotch is something, anyway. But that color scheme! Purple and pink and reddest red. And Tilda as an old lady!

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Has anyone heard anything about the aspect ratio though? 97% of what we see is squarish (don't make me name the actual aspect ratio, I am no good at that tech shit), but when they're showing everybody's names it flashes out to a rectangle a few times. Curious!

Also I think his movies are always funny, but this looks much more straightforwardly comic, right? Anyway it is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, as usual.

Adrien Brody Wears Short Shorts

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(via, click to embiggen) I would normally try to edit Adrien Brody's girlfriend out of these shots because let's face it, we're not here to look at her. But I figure in this case we'll make an exception...

ETA a couple more shots...