You Know I Love Surprises!

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

Quote of the Day

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

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

Quote of the Day

"Back then, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support — up to that much... It has that feeling. I wasn’t holding a grudge or anything. It’s just how they were."

For some reason today IndieWire chatted with Ang Lee about Brokeback's bullshit Oscar loss for Best Picture to a piece of shit in 2005 -- the 20th anniversary's not til next year, guys! -- and he nails the fact that in 2005 they still weren't gonna go that gay yet. Look at all the LGBT actors who've won since then... crickets... anyway at the link he also tells a devastating story (which he laughs about now) about how a stage-hand kept him backstage after winning Best Director because everybody was assuming he was about to head right on back out for the Best Picture statue... SIGH. He might be able to laugh about it now but I am still coping.

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Scary Movie (2000)

Cindy: Look, if it's about that time

I puked green slime and masturbated

with a crucifix, it was my first keg party, Bobby!

Happy 46 to Anna Faris today! And riddle me this: can you believe that I have never seen a single Scary Movie movie? Not one. I've seen some of the gags from them over the years but I have here a full twenty-two years on never sat down and watched one from start to finish. Not even when I was obsessed with Anna Faris circa The House Bunny era. Maybe over the holidays I should try to binge them? Although I worry these are the sorts of movies that have not aged well. Thoughts? Anyway I am happy that Anna is working in movies again now that she's done raking it in on her sitcom, although I totally missed The Estate...

... when it screened earlier this month and that one co-starred Toni Collette! As Anna Faris' sister! Also Rosemarie DeWitt and Kathleen f'ing turner! For shame on me. I'll see it when it hits digital. Did any of you see it? Anna has another movie lined up too -- she's co-starring in the new movie from John Krokidas, director of Kill Your Darlings, called Tunnels. It's about a teenager (played by It actor Jaeden Martell) whose brother is killed in a school shooting who makes friends with the shooter's grandmother (played by Susan Sarandon, sigh). Besides Faris it also co-stars Patrick Wilson and Alicia Silverstone. I don't think that one's even filmed yet. Get on it already, lazies!

Madres Milk

We're like five minutes into Monday and Pedro Almodóvar's already won the week with the reveal of that, the stunning and one might say provocative poster for his new movie Madres paralelas aka Parallel Mothers. Happy to discover that Pedro's clearly a fan of The House Bunny!

That said I doubt that will be the U.S. version of the poster -- we're total prudes, so be on the look out for some generic shot of Penelope Cruz looking wistfully into the distance, probably. Anyway I forgot to post about the news that this movie is the Closing Night Film for this year's New York Film Fest, which is groovy and I'm looking forward to that. For those of you who won't be able to see this at a fest it's opening here in the States on Christmas Eve. 

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can leanr from:

Smiley Face (2007)

Brevin: I kind of like it. I mean, it's not like I'm a masochist or anything, it's just.. Well, in a way, it makes me feel like, "Yeah.. my teeth are being taken care of." You know? It makes me feel... prosperous.

I think of this speech that John Krasinski's character gives at the dentist in Gregg Araki's stoner-masterpiece Smiley Face literally every single time I go to the dentist now. He's right! It is prosperous-seeming! Anyway every few years I use a quote from this movie to wish y'all a Happy 4/20 -- see here and see here for previous examples -- and here we are, again today. I'm not worried about running out of quotes from this movie to use for this series any time soon though because Jane is a queen and her every utterance is, like, you know, and. Yeah!

Pic of the Day

.

Anna Faris shared this behind-the-scenes photo of herself on the set of Brokeback Mountain with, uh, what's his name again? Jack something? Anyway it's a good reminder that Anna Faris is a tremendous one-scene-wonder in Brokeback Mountain (a movie we were literally just talking about yesterday) and it's a crime that more directors haven't exploited her gifts like this. She did the same thing in Lost in Translation! You need to liven up a scene n your movie, bring Anna in for a day or two, wham, more memorable movie. (Or even better hire her as your lead.)

.

Pic of the Day

.

View this post on Instagram

My brilliant director Gregg Araki instructing me how to flush weed- my most favorite filming experience- Smiley Face

A post shared by Anna Faris (@annafaris) on Oct 8, 2018 at 3:27pm PDT

.

Come on, Frank! You know I love surprises!

And I also love Anna Faris for sharing this

throwback picture today from the set of Smiley Face.

.

Which Is Hotter?

.

I really want Anna Faris back in the movie business and a remake of Goldie Hawn's 1987 comedy Overboard seemed at first glance like a fun possibility, but the buzz on this sucker (in theaters tomorrow) is pretty bad - it still seems incomprehensible to me, with all due respect to her co-star Eugenio Derbez, that they didn't cast her at-the-time husband Chris Pratt in the role. 

Chris Pratt is so Kurt Russell that they hired Kurt Russell to play his dad in the second Guardians movie, for god's sake. I know the socio-economic and gender roles have been reversed this time in order to get around the original's way dated notions of such things but it still feels like a huge opportunity missed. Oh well. I guess we'll see! (Probably when it hits Netflix.) But as long as we're here and I'm thinking about what great white trash Kurt played back in the 80s...

bike trail guide

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Smiley Face (2007)

.
.

Jane: That is where corn chips come from. Hmm... Maybe ol' Professor Hardwood is onto something. He probably really loves corn. And all corn-related products. I mean, isn't that what you're supposed to put in a frame? Things you love? I'm gonna do that. When I'm get home, I'm gonna frame a bunch of stuff I love. Like lasagna. I *love* lasagna. It's SO good. And cheesy. You know who else loves lasagna? Garfield. Man, that cat really loves lasagna. Maybe I should put a picture of Garfield in a frame. You know, as a kind of shorthand way of saying 'I love lasagna.' That would be so f*cking inside. Or how 'bout a photo of *President* Garfield? Oh shit, that would be totally meta! People would be all like: Jane, why do you have a photo of President Garfield on your mantle? And I'd be like: Because I like lasagna, of course.

Happy 4/20, y'all.

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Observe & Report (2009)

Mom : I know it's hard, but try to look on the bright side.
You may not be the smartest person in the world, but you're...
handsome from certain angles and you're... More importantly,
you've got dreams inside of you and dreams make you special.
And no matter what the world, um, throws at you, uh, they -
it can never take your dreams away.
Ronnie : What are you talking about, Mom?
Mom : I don't know, I'm drunk.

A very happy 66 to the great Celia Weston! (This side-note is for my boyfriend - she is from Spartanburg, South Carolina! I have been there.) I saw her waiting in line for a movie at The Quad theater a couple of months ago here in New York and I was so excited and yet even though I know her name I can never remember what I know her from - know how that one goes? She'll show up for a couple scenes in the most random of places and be reliably delightful though. Do you have a role you immediately think of when you see her?

I stood at the board at The Quad yesterday for a couple mins trying to figure what movie Celia Weston was in line for but couldn’t decide

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) September 25, 2017

Which Is Hotter?

.

Anna Faris tweeted out this picture (click to embiggen) last night saying, "@prattprattpratt honey - you can't just send me a photo like this and not expect me to tweet it" and we are thankful for her indiscretion! Very! I don't recognize Chris' buddy there (does anybody?) but let's judge them anyway...

.

.

Good Morning, Marvel Boys

.

Today Captain America Chris Evans is turning 36 while his Age of Ultron Quicksilver co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is turning 27, and since Aaron's Quicksilver wasn't long for the world (uh sorry several year old spoiler there) this day is really the only day that we get to continue thinking about the two of them together. So let's! Let's turn off all the world news and nightmares and just think about Chris & Aaron making that set trailer rock in between takes. See? There is good in the world. But let's make this thing morning themed...

.

Chris Pratt Twelve Times

.

I feel the need to make it up to Chris Pratt for the meh review of Guardians that I just posted so here, we'll share his recent photo-shoot for Men's Fitness, because we wouldn't want Chris Pratt - that poor cum-guttered millionaire married to Anna Faris that is called Chris Pratt - to feel down in the dumps because of words some rando asshole on the internet typed while simultaneously eating a stale Cadbury Creme Egg. Hit the jump for 11 more...

Anna Faris Beat Up Chris Pratt

.

He's saying he got these bruises from filming a stunt 

on Passengers but we know know it's a cry for help, Chris!

Quote of the Week

.

"Nobody sends a bad dick pic. There’s always like 

a full photo shoot, like a four-hour photo shoot with filters."

I think that, as I head out to this weekend here, leaving you with the image of Chris Evans taking pictures of his dick for four hours straight is probably the greatest gift I can give anyone, ever, in history, or ever. So leave you with that quote (which comes via a podcast interview with Anna Faris, of all places) I shall. 

Have a happy weekend, perverts!

.

Magic Mom XXL

.

As if getting to go home to Chris Pratt isn't enough for her, Anna Faris has gone and gotten Joe Manganiello to play a love interest for her character on her sitcom Mom. EW has the first picture of him on the show (thanks Mac); since he's wearing clothes I decided to use this picture from his routine in Magic Mike XXL though. I'm sure you're okay with that.

Anyway I never made it past the first couple episodes of Mom, despite my adoration of Anna and Allison Janney, because of that damn laugh track overwhelmed every joke, but I have heard the show's actually pretty funny now? Y'all let me know if Joe busts out some stripper moves and I'll do my best, somehow, to see for myself.
.

.

I Am Link

.

--- Hot Boxed - Jake Gyllenhaal talked to People Magazine about his upcoming boxing movie Southpaw (see the hot trailer here and see the hot poster here) and says he's not eager to get ripped for another role, because damn he loves Twinkies, and all that white cream. Okay what he actually says is it's just a lot of effort, blah blah, I added the gay sex puns for my own personal enjoyment. I do what I can to make the days go by.

--- Box Office Magnolias - Over at The Film Experience Nat's taking a look back at the big hits of the 1980s that were led by actresses and noting how Hollywood's not showing any interest in remaking any of those films while the actor-centric hits are being remade left right and center. Tis a great point! As I mentioned in the comments Anna Faris was once upon a time supposed to remake Private Benjamin but that never happened and now she's been exiled to (a very successful and very lucrative career in) television.

--- Throw Me A Bone - I've been excited about the upcoming Cannibal Troglodyte Western starring Kurt Russell called Bone Tomahawk since Day One... hell well before Day One even, when it was supposed to co-star Timothy Olyphant and Peter Sarsgaard. Well the final product co-stars Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and Richard Jenkins and we've now got a poster and I dig it. No release date yet though.

--- Mama Jason - So it seems the original Friday the 13th movie came out 35 years ago tomorrow - over at The Dissolve Matt Barone wrote up a nice little tribute to the film and its long and bloody legacy. I wish I'd planned something but after reading Matt's piece it seems pointless, he gets her done.

--- Red Flagg - If you're curious why Tom Hardy had to drop out of the Suicide Squad movie at the last minute and have his role taken over by Joel Kinnaman (who was recently injured on set - that role is a curse!) here he is talking about it; it's exactly the reason that was theorized at the time - that his movie The Revenant with Alejandro González Iñárritu was running over time-wise. Hardy doesn't sound happy about it either, which should come as no shock to any of you that read the rumors about him and Iñárritu getting into fist-fights on the set. Ahhhh yes I like to think about Tom punching Alejandro -- I do I do I DO.

--- Feeling Groovy - I feel as if the terrific trailer for the Wahcowskis Netflix series called Sense8 got a little bit lost yesterday coming as it did mere seconds before the Vacation trailer with Chris Hemsworth's dildo heard round the world, and that's a shame, so here's more - at BuzzFeed they've got some more info on what the show's about and who's playing who and so forth. (thanks Mac) I am definitely into this show already, and I'll be binging it as soon as it drops on June 5th. So expect more!

--- Super Stars - I haven't decided yet if Daredevil beats Agent Carter as the most accomplished superhero television ever, full stop (I'm talking even beyond the Marvel connection), but they're both smashing successes if you ask me and I am so so thrilled to hear that Agent Carter's getting a second season. Hayley Atwell is SUCH a treasure. Enver Gjokaj and Dominic Cooper ain't too shabby either, although if I had to guess I'd guess that Dom might be scarce in a second season since he's got his own show now. Oh and Agents of SHIELD got renewed but I've found the last several episodes of that bore-me-to-tears boring and have only been watching out of a sense of obligation. Also, I'm sad the SHIELD spin-off didn't get picked up but just because I'd have loved for those characters to go away, they're the literal worst.

--- And Speaking of SHIELD as well as Dominic Cooper's new show Preacher, Ruth Negga - who is one of the bright lights on the former and has joined the cast of the latter - has just signed on to star opposite Joel Edgerton in the new movie from Jeff Nichols, director of the fantastic Take Shelter. The movie's called Loving and it's about that eponymous case that the Supreme Court heard regarding mixed-race marriage. Negga is gonna be big, methinks. In fact I like her enough that I'll even not edit out of one of the pictures of her with half-naked Dom, who she dates in real life, for a change...

Damn her.

.

I Am Link

.

--- Body By Ryan - They've already started filming Deadpool haven't they? Well whatever the case this picture of Ryan Reynolds at the gym got posted online today (via) and that's what he will presumably look like under all the gross Deadpool make-up and spandex. At that link Ryan also states he definitely wants Deadpool to be Rated R again, which I know is supposed to be for language and violence since the comics have both but come on, if you get an R you can flash just a little ass, Ryan. It's the least you can do, really.

--- Horror For Hire - James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy (and more importantly Slither) wrote a script called The Belco Experiment and he's just found his director-for-hire and it's totally Greg McLean, the director of Wolf Creek, aka my silver-fox Aussie fave. (thanks Mac) Crikey! That's some good news! Last we'd heard about McLean he was going to make a Wolf Creek series for Aussie TV which we do hope is still happening but he should be doing movies too.

--- Cut Up - We've been surprisingly fascinated by the casting process on the new Texas Chain Saw movie - I say "surprisingly" because these things never really employ actors, at least not on purpose; usually it pretty young things like Matt Bomer or Mike Vogel or [fill in the blank with names of people you will never ever remember]. But the French filmmakers (they made the pregnancy nightmare Inside) behind the upcoming prequel are gathering up some interesting folks (Angela Bettis!) and wow I just over-sold the news that Stephen Dorff has signed on in the lead (which is not the titular maniac, apparently.) I mean I like Dorff, but your mileage most likely may vary. 

--- Blonde Addition - I might have to go out and buy the actual printed issue of this month's Esquire because not only did they put Tom Hardy and his beard on their cover but they also did a fun Q&A with Anna Faris (thanks Mac) where she talks about her husband being a bed-hog (he can hog my bed any time, says everyone), lesbian porn, and Harry Styles, not necessarily in that order.

--- Big Baby Ansel - This was already rumored back in January but now it's been totally confirmed - he of the impossible name and creamy cheeks Ansel Elgort will star in Edgar Wright's next film called Baby Driver. There's also slightly more about the plot at the link then we've known so far - it sounds like this is Edgar's stab at a car-centric caper. I have loved everything Edgar's done and I have absolute faith in him, so bring on Baby Cheeks Elgort, I'm in.

--- Small Screened - If you're curious what went wrong with Noah Baumbach's adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's book The Corrections for HBO - which he filmed a pilot for that starred (deep breath) Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Dianne Wiest, Rhys Ifans and Greta Gerwig (phew) but the network ultimately passed on anyway, somehow - here's Baumbach's take on what happened. Basically it was too expensive. I want that pilot released into the world anyway dammit!

--- Deep Sole - In honor of Cinderella and her glass slipper (and also Nathaniel's undying affection for lists) here's his Top Ten Movie Shoes, which is not topped by what you think it will be. I never knew about the soles of Uma's Kill Bill sneakers before! My personal favorites didn't make the list though....