One Ticket For Suicide Squad, Please

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Well that's all I needed to know. 

See you there, everybody!
(click to embiggen)

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Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Showgirls (1995)

Nomi: Dancing ain't fucking, right? 

James Smith: Yeah, yeah, that's right. 

A happy birthday to Elizabeth Berkley!

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Edgar Ramirez Five Times

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The day before yesterday when I posted those very fine photographs of Julian Morris I mentioned they were from the online magazine The Laterals - I hadn't heard of the site before stumbling upon it via Julian and as I sank deeper into it I discovered it contains a wealth of pretty people being pretty, including this new-to-my-eyeballs shoot of Edgar by Karl Simone right here. There are a couple more shots and an interview at that link, or just click here to hit the jump and see what I have carried over for you...

I Am Link

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--- Horse Of Course - I saw the indie coming-of-age flick King Jack at Tribeca in 2015 and reviewed it right here - well its star Charlie Plummer, who was very very good, has just landed a pretty plum gig leading Andrew Haigh's new movie. It's called Lean On Pete and it's based on a book about a teenager searching for his aunt after his father dies. The film will co-star Steve Buscemi as the owner of a race-horse who tags along for the ride - also announced for the cast are Chloe Sevigny and tasty Travis Fimmel.
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--- Gonzo Gizmo - In my house it's always Gremlins O'clock (and hey they're screening that movie in 33mm here in NYC at the astonishing Metrograph soon!) so this nifty little tidbit of information on how Steven Spielberg rewrote the future of cute with a last-minute swerve in the making of the original film is worth checking out.
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--- Humans For Hauntings - The fourth Insidious film is gathering steam and besides the constant Lin Shaye (bless that little lady) in the familiar role of spook-toucher Elise, they've just signed on board the actor Josh Stewart, who is one of Those Guys whose face is becoming one of Those Faces that you sort of know but you're not sure from where. The answer, probably, in this case is The Dark Knight Rises.

--- Where No Man - One of the (many many many many) things that I missed out of Comic-Con was all the stuff about Bryan Fuller's upcoming Star Trek show - it's gotten a title: Star Trek Discovery! I like it. And it's gotten a little teaser trailer, which you can watch right here:

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--- Italian Flavor - Over at Coming Soon they've ranked all 22 of Mario Bava's movies -- I didn't realize that Bava only made 22 movies! I've actually seen more than half of his output already! That terrifies me; I don't want to run out of Bava movies ever. Anyway I find fault with a few of the placements (Hatchet For the Honeymoon is one of my favorites and it's ranked very poorly) but if you wanna introduce yourself to the director this is an excellent resource.
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--- Young At Hart - At the start of this week when I did "Beauty vs Beast" for John Waters' film Desperate Living (have you voted yet?) I mentioned that The Film Experience has been celebrating the year 1977 - well Nathaniel went and found a true discovery from that year, the Ernest Hemingway adaptation Islands in the Stream, which I had never heard of and which co-stars the delicious (and young!) Hart Bochner in his very first role. Click on over to TFE for several fine little snapshots of that business.

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--- Rich & Pretty - Did any of you watch the pilot episode of The Last Tycoon, aka that Fitzgerald adaptation starring Matt Bomer on Amazon? I did and... it was okay? I would probably watch more anyway, so the news that there will be more means I will be doing just that - Amazon has picked the show up for a full season after doing their patented "test it out for one episode" thing. (thx Mac)

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--- And Finally I am pretty conflicted about looking forward to a new Mel Gibson movie but my love for Andrew Garfield is pretty deep... deep enough to overcome a homophobic sexist antisemitic pigfucker sitting in the director's chair? I guess we'll see when Hacksaw Ridge, his new Andrew Garfield movie about a real-life conscientious objector in WWII, comes out. The movie's got a trailer now, watch:
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My Suicide Romance

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The hottest thing to come out of Suicide Squad is clearly the new romantic relationship (shut up, facts) between Joel Kinnaman & Jai Courtney. (pics via their respective Instagrams here and here) But what shall we call them? Kinnaney? Courtaman? Those stink. Come up with something better, friends.

And in related news...

... I find everything I've heard about Jared Leto's behavior on the set of the movie utterly and totally repulsive, but the fact that he's gone and re-styled himself like the Jordan Catalano I fell in love with high school (see also this post on the Tumblr) is making my outrage crumble. My will is so goddamned weak. Nobody ever trust me with nuclear codes or anything like that -- all it would take to break me would be Jai Courtney walking into the room in his Bonds underpants and I'd blow Putin on the spot for more.
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Preacher Teacher Lover Cooper

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I'm behind one episode of Preacher because the DNC (and a little band I like) have eaten up my week, so I only skipped through this preview for next week's finale long enough to find these shots of shirtless Dominic Cooper. It's the first full five minutes of the episode but of course they used the five seconds of Shirtless Dom to sell the footage and so's I got suckered into watching it. That said...

... this is a way to sucker me where I don't feel suckered in the slightest, so if you're gonna sucker me. sucker with with this. (See Also: the time Dominic stripped down to his underpants with his co-star a few weeks back.) Here's the clip if you want it:

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Sweatin' With Jimmy

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James Wolk posted this picture onto his Instagram yesterday, saying that he'd just accomplished "40 minutes of sprints on the Santa Monica stairs," and now I need to know if you think he will continue to do this public display after telling the world he does it, because I am about to get on a plane and build a new life sitting on the Santa Monica stairs waiting for him.

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Stick It Right In, Michael Fassbender

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Anybody have any idea why Michael Fassbender & Alicia Vikander were doing all the press for The Light Between Oceans this past week when the movie isn't out until September? I know the two of them are in demand and everything so they've probably got tight (wait for it) schedules, but it seems a bit odd to me to do press for a film so small a month and a half early. Anyway I haven't watched the clip of Michael on Fallon doing all the latent-homosexual things that Jimmy makes all his sexy male guests do because I think if I actually watched Michael Fassbender do the things I know he does in this video I would have to leave work immediately. But here it is for you!

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Bearded Bradley's Boat Escapades

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I don't even think Bradley Cooper would be offended if I told him, "You're no Paul Newman, sir" but he is sort of reminding me of those glorious shots of Paul Newman yachting it up back in the day, beer in hand, here. But you know, no. Paul Newman is Paul Newman. Anyway we've got more of our "Bradley Does Italy" series to share...

... and so share them we shall. Because Bradley Cooper is Bradley Cooper. In case you missed the ones from the other day, click right here. And then gird your loins and other loin-adjacents and hit the jump for the rest of today's nearly thirty pictures...

Five Frames From ?

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What movie is this?

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All The Radiohead You Can Handle

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I am completely blown apart from yesterday, my Radiohead holiday -- exhausted and elated... you might say I am sort of hysterical and useless, which is appropriate given that the band played my favorite Radiohead song "Let Down" last night; they had played it the night before also at Madison Square Garden so I figured I'd missed out (they apparently haven't played the song live in a decade) so when they started it up, I just about burst. I burst! Here, watch!

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They played so many of my favorites 

I mean just take a look at this playlist:

"Burn the Witch -- Daydreaming -- Decks Dark -- Desert Island Disk -- Ful Stop -- My Iron Lung -- Climbing Up the Walls -- Morning Mr. Magpie -- Pyramid Song -- Bloom -- Identikit -- The Numbers -- The Gloaming -- Weird Fishes/Arpeggi -- Everything in Its Right Place -- Idioteque -- There There -- Encore: Give Up the Ghost -- Let Down -- Present Tense -- Planet Telex -- Karma Police -- Encore 2: Reckoner -- Creep"

The songs that I bolded are songs that would be in my Favorite Songs of Ever playlist so that's a pretty fucking amazing percentage. (Although you know this being Radiohead the non-bolded ones are still better than anything else by anyone anywhere ever, so...)

Anyway I took a ton of videos and a ton of pictures -- the videos are already all up and you can see them all over here. I am working on sifting through all the many many photographs still (there are a couple on Instagram already though). Until then here, enjoy "Creep" (OH MY GOD THEY PLAYED CREEP)...

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ETA I posted pics just now on the Tumblr, if you care!

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It's Morning, World

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Hey folks! I am having a bit of a nutty morning, running behind and such, but I'll be around once things settle soon enough. Keep it fresh. (I don't know what I mean by that, but do it anyway.)

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Scootin' Out

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Whoopsie I forgot to mention this earlier -- I won't be online Wednesday since it's a holiday... what holiday, you ask? It's Radiohead Day! I'm seeing my favorite band in concert so I'm gonna be celebrating all day by not being not here. Not that I don't love talking to you fine people. I just love Thom more. So enjoy this picture of Scoot McNairy (via), probably the best picture of Scoot I have ever witnessed. Mmm mmm Scoot. Bye!
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Quote of the Day

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"[Tilda Swinton] asked me, 'Have you read Auntie Mame?'. I said, 'No, I haven't read the book but I've seen the other version of it made into a film version in the 50s.' She said, 'Would you take a look at it? I want to see if you are interested in writing a modern-day adaptation.' I said yes, because you say yes to Tilda Swinton when she asks if you want to do something. I read the book and it was one of the most fun reads I've ever had. "

In an interview with Vanity Fair Bridesmaids writer Annie Mumulo shares the news that Tilda really wants to get that Mame project off the round. Have any of you read the book? I have neither read the book nor seen the Rosalind Russell movie. Should I get right on it or should I wait for it to be Tilda-ized?

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The Night is Dark & Full of Witches

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Earlier today I mentioned the fact that I'm way super behind on Comic-Con news; well the most egregious stain on my absentee record is the fact that I haven't said a word here on the blog (although I did tweet the news) about the revelation that The Woods, Adam Wingard's new horror flick, is actually a third Blair Witch movie!

Yes yes, I'm sure you all know this already as the internet had a big loud mouth, but I must add my big loud mouth to the chorus. When the film was a mystery we posted the teaser trailer here and we posted the poster here and in both of those posts we made mention of how Blair-Witchy it all seemed; we are bright. 

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HOLY FUCKING HELL the new Adam Wingard movie The Woods that I've been looking forward to is actually BLAIR WITCH 3 https://t.co/DpmlRLHl21

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) July 23, 2016

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Anyway I myself have not even watched the new trailer yet because I don't want to spoil a single damned thing for myself on this, but you had better believe I am totally and absolutely giddy about this development. Over the years as the internet's tried to pretend that the original film isn't scary I have been crowing and crowing the opposite; I am a deep and resolute fan.
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On top, Adam Wingard is a terrific director. This is beyond... 

beyond. If you want to watch the new trailer, here ya go:

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Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

The Heat (2013)

Mullins: Jesus, what are those? 

Ashburn: Stop it, they're my Spanx. 

They hold everything together. 

Mullins: Why, what's gonna come popping out? 

Ashburn: Nothing, it just keeps everything 

where it's supposed to be. Like... 

Mullins: Shit, like medically? 

A happy 52 to Sandy Bullock today!

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Julian Morris Seven Times

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It's a fine time to be a fan of the fine Julian Morris - this is the second big photo-shoot of him we've seen featured in as many weeks! Click here if you missed the last one; this one is via this website The Laterals and was shot by Anais & Dax. I like that shot above enough that I'm featuring it even though the type plastered across him makes me twitch!

There's also an interview with him at the link that includes more info from him on that Liam Neeson movie he's doing about Deep Throat (the political scandal not the porn movie, sadly). And if you hit the jump you can see four more shots...

Today's Fanboy Delusion

Today I'd rather be...

... smacked up some by Hunnam.

I am desperately behind on Comic-Con news, having spent the majority of the weekend offline with my brain totally checked out, so today's all about catch-up (as is tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the rest of my life.) So excuse me if you've seen the King Arthur trailer already but it's news to me!

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That is some goofy shit. But there are also some really beautiful shots in there that remind me a lot of the feeling you'd get as a little kid reading the Arthurian legends. And there's also Shirtless Charlie Hunnam. Which is all there really ever needed to be, honestly, so I am grateful for some goofy nerdy shit too. Anyway hit the jump for more King Charlie being a roughneck...

Bright Lights Big Alessandro

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I very much liked The Neon Demon (here's my review) and if I were to make a list of my five favorite things in The Neon Demon one of those things, even though his screen-time is pretty limited, would easily be Alessandro Nivola. Then again I've been in the tank for him ever since the one-two punch of his tight t-shirts in Jurassic Park III and his floating bum in Laurel Canyon. But he's really been giving it all to roles that are almost always too small for my liking ever since. (That said his tennis shorts can never be too small for my liking.) 

Anyway it seems that other people - people who matter because they can actually give him work - are noticing because he's just lined up a couple of what could be very fine roles indeed. (thx Mac) First up he's co-starring opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the new movie from Lynne Ramsey (director of Morvern Callar and We Need To Talk About Kevin) -- it's an adaptation of Jonathan Ames' novella You Were Never Really Here (which seems to have never been released here in the US? Anybody know? I can only find it via Amazon in Canada or the UK) which is about "an ass-kicking and psychologically tormented guardian angel who rescues others but refuses to save himself." Joaquin's the main character but Alessandro, who's playing the politician who hires Joaquin to find his daughter, sounds hopefully like a sizable role.

Secondly he'll be co-staring opposite Juno Temple in One Percent More Humid, the new movie from The Lifeguard director Liz Garcia. (Female directors seem to be the ones who wanna work with Alessandro - smart ladies!) In this he's playing a literature professor who has an affair with a grieving student, and yes I am already swooning at the thought of him in tweed jackets standing in front of bookshelves, oh my god yes.
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10 Off My Head: Siri Says 1996

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As I picked up my phone this morning with the intention of finding out what today's "Year of the Post" would be I whispered to myself first... well it more more like a prayer, really... "Please be in the 90s." We've done the 1930s, we've done the 50s and the 70s twice, and we've done the 80s, but I really wanted to do a year I experienced while cognizant. Well I guess that Siri heard me (side-note: I'm terrified Siri is always listening, even when you don't hold down the button; aren't you?) because I asked her to pick a number between 1 and 100 and she gave me 96.

Well ye olde adage that we should be careful what we wish for held true because good grief, I could've made a Top 20 without breaking a sweat. As I looked through the films of 1996 my notes grew longer and longer and the Post-It notes piled high. It's not even that 1996 was an especially groundbreaking year for cinema (although some really important voices, as you'll see, were being born) - it's more like I saw everything, absolutely everything, at this point. When I had to do 1930 for this series I'd seen so few 1930 films it was more of a stretch to make it to 5; this time around it was the exact opposite.

So I'm doing a Top Ten this time. Even that, as you'll see by the breadth of runners-up, was a difficulty. (That said, the first five listed below would have been my Top Five if I'd forced myself to that number, though.) But nobody ever complained about spreading too much love around, right? So let's get our love on.

My 10 Favorite Movies of 1996

Fargo

(dir. The Coens)

-- released on April 5th 1996 --

Citizen Ruth

(dir. Alexander Payne)

-- released on December 13th 1996 --

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

(dir. Baz Lurhmann)

-- released on November 1st 1996 --

Scream 

(dir. Wes Craven)

-- released on December 20 1996 --

Welcome to the Dollhouse

(dir. Todd Solondz)

-- released on March 22nd 1996 --

Bound

(dir. The Wachowskis)

-- released on October 4th 1996 --

Beautiful Thing

(dir. Hettie Macdonald)

-- released on October 9th 1996 --

Breaking the Waves

(dir. Lars von Trier)

-- released on November 13th 1996 --

Crash

(dir. Davis Cronenberg)

-- released on October 4th 1996 --

Trainspotting

(dir. Danny Boyle)

-- released on August 9th 1996 --

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RUNNERS-UP: The People vs Larry Flint (dir. Milos Forman), The Portrait of a Lady (dir. Jane Campion), Hamlet (dir. Kennth Branagh), The Frighteners (dir. Peter Jackson), Lone Star (dir. John Sayles), The English Patient (dir. Anthony Minghella), Mars Attacks (dir. Tim Burton), Hard Eight (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson), Secrets & Lies (dir. Mike Leigh)...

... From Dusk Til Dawn (dir. Robert Rodriguez, Flirting With Disaster (dir. David O. Russell), The Crucible (dir. Nicholas Hytner), Mother (dir. Albert Brooks), Schizopolis (dir. Steven Soderbergh), James and the Giant Peach (dir. Henry Selick) 

NEVER SEEN: Pusher (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn), 

Irma Vep (dir. Olivier Assayas), Paradise Lost (dir. Joe Berlinger)

What are your favorite movies of 1996?

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