Today's Mood

My synapses are feeling deeply fried today and I need some simple comfort and I don't think there's anything more comforting in the world than these vintage photos of shirtless Colin Farrell falling alseep with a baby goat, so here those are. We'll try to try harder tomorrow -- have a good night, everybody.

Three Thumbs Up: Ridley Scott

Well I haven't done one of these, my most backhanded of complimentary posts, in awhile! Indeed it's been so long that my old computer crashed and took with it the little thumb art that I made to go along with these posts but I think we can all agree that my rudimentary photoshoppery will not be missed. Anyway my "Three Thumbs Up" series is where I force myself to choose three things I like from an actor or a director or a whatever that I'm not especially a fan of. And today's lucky person is the fella I consider wildly overrated named Ridley Scott...

If only Ridley Scott’s movies were as good as his interviews

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) November 19, 2023

... who is turning 86 today and who has another messy slop-heap of a movie in theaters right now called Napoleon. Funny enough my last edition of this series was for Ben Affleck and one my choices was his role in Ridley's film The Last Duel -- a movie I genuinely loathe, except for Ben's performance. Funny -- right, Ridley? Hardy har. Anyway Ridley has some genuine masterpieces under his belt! I don't deny that! I just happen to think those happened many many decades ago and almost everything he's dropped since then has been stylish unfocused flim-flam. That said it's not like we're talking about someone deeply untalented. He remains an incredible crafter of images and atmosphere. I'm just of the mind that he's weirdly incapable of taking anything across the finish line anymore. His scripts are often to blame, but one gets the sense that he's chasing too many thoughts down too many tangents and (even worse) by the time the process is nearing completion he's just lost interest. (Fingers crossed he does right by Paul Mecsal in his Gladiator sequel.)

That said there are three movies he's made that I think

are genuine masterpieces. So let's focus on the good!

1. Alien

2. Blade Runner

3. Thelma and Louise

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Runners-up: Legend has its moments (i.,e. Tim Curry), as does the homoerotica of White Squall, and I like Prometheus more than most people even while I need to specifiy that I dig it as fun trash, full stop. And I genuinely loved The Counselor, as I think it was a truly madly deeply psychotic story that benefitted from Ridley's kitchen-sink approach, but I haven't re-watched it since it came out. And I have heard that the longer cut is even better, but then that's become the drum-beat with Ridley -- "Watch the director's cut, it's better!" But that's certainly not true about Blade Runner, and I still find Kingdom of Heaven a big honking snooze however he cuts it. 

Let's hear your thoughts on Sir Ridley in the comments!

Taylor Zakhar Perez Four Times

These old photos of Red White and Royal Blue star Taylor Zakhar Perez have just been brought to my attention and, uhhhh, where the hell have I been? Good lord. And no before you ask I still haven't watched RW&RB -- and no I haven't yet gotten to Fellow Travelers either! I am a flop of a gay man -- a big gay flop. Y'all feel free to drag me out in the town square and pelt me with lavender lilies. But first maybe hit the jump for the rest of these pictures cuz good goddamn, Taylor...

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

I want to -- nay I need to -- know what happens to the pap snaps that we don't get to see. You know this photographer was snapping away at Liam Hemsworth stripping out of his wetsuit in the middle of a public parking lot with their high-speed camera at thirty thousand frames per second and captured all of the good stuff. And yet all that's released are the shots of the almost good stuff -- the so close stuff. Is there a black market for the money shots? I want in! Somebody send me the password or handshake stat. Until I'm admitted to the official club of perverts I've got a few more so close snaps after the jump...

Langston Got Me Fired Up

If I had looked into a star and made a wish for a nerd-sexy picture of actor Langston Uibel the heavens themselves couldn't have done a better job than that photo above -- I bring him up not just because of the nerd-sexy though, but because there's great news about his most recent movie today! Christian Petzold's Afire, one of the best films of 2023, started streaming on the Criterion Channel this week, but today they've announced that the movie is getting the blu-ray treatment via their Janus Contemporaries line as well! It'll be out on February 20th and you can pre-order it on their site right now. Here is my review of the movie from way back when -- not to be missed, this one. (Petzold is never to be missed though.)

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Wild at Heart (1990)

Marietta: Buffalo hunting? I've gone buffalo huntin'? 

What the fuck does that mean? Buffalo huntin'!

A very happy 88 to Diane Ladd today!

Three Strangers Standing Before Me

I was lucky enough to see Andrew Haigh's All of Us Strangers a third time last night as part of MoMA's annual "Contenders" series, and I was even luckier for Haigh to be there along with his actors Andrew Scott and Jamie Bell for a Q&A after the screening. If there's one thing that all of the recent Q&As I've attended have made clear is actors have been DYING to talk about their movies -- an activity which had been delayed due to the Hollywood strikes -- and their enthusiasm levels are off the charts at these things. 

And that couldn't be more true than it was with three three fellas last night -- not that they don't have reason to beam anyway, given what a masterpiece they've given us with this movie. (Here is my review if you missed it.) I began crying approximately two minutes into last nigt's re-watch and didn't stop once. Anyway I took some photos and several videos of the Q&A and I will share them below -- that said they discuss spoilery things about the movie therein so don't watch these if you haven't seen the movie or at least, I guess, read the book it's based on. If you don't know what the movie is about I really recommend going in with the freshest eyes you can. Now hit the jump for the good stuff...

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

I have nothing else to post this morning for our "Good Morning" post so here are two new photos of Josh O'Connor and his incredbile edible ears -- maybe they'll wake you up a tad. I don't know you and your needs. Works for me though!

Happy Next Xmas From Nosferatu

(click to embiggen) This dropped a few days ago but today is also a good day to share that, our first look at Nicholas Hoult in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, because Focus Features has just revealed that the movie will be released on Christmas Day 2024. Yes, a full year away! What torment. This is some world-class edging, man. Anyway I'm sure you noticed it yourself because I am assuming (perhaps incorrectly!) that you have working eyes, but yes that photo also sort of contains our first look at Bill Skarsgard as the titular monster, over to the left and out of focus. He looks totally and appropriately Nosferatu-ish!

François Civil Five Times

French actor François Civil is looking hotter than blazes on the cover of the French edition of GQ's "Men of the Year" issue -- if you can read French click here for the interview and tell me anything of interest he might say. He's not only one of their "Men of the Year" because he has aged up into such spectacular manly perfection -- although that clearly don't hurt -- but he's had his biggest career year ever, with the starring role of D'Artagnan in the new series of Three Musketeers movies that I've talked about previously due to the incredible volume of gallic heat contained within their cast. I wish these movies would get released here in the U.S. already! Until then we'll make have to due with these photos -- hit the jump for the rest...

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

I went looking for the Man About Town magazine photoshoot where the above photo of actor Peter Facinelli came from -- you know, so I could link back to it like a proper internet foot soldier -- but instead all I found was...

... a photo-shoot of Peter Facinelli for something 

alled 26 Magazine (there are more here) and...

... this incredibly sexy photo of Peter off his own Instagram. Do I have any idea why Peter Facinelli is being photographed so much? I mean I could go look at his IMDb and figure it out -- there is a lot of entertainment I haven't watched, or even heard of, these days, and I am sure it's something to do with a piece oif that. But it's early and I'm grouchy so I'm not going to do that. Let's just enjoy the photos while I wake up and de-grouch some. 

Jake Gyllenhaal Seven Times

When I posted the first six photos of Jake in ICON magazine back at the start of October I mentioned how "foot-fetishy" they were -- well now that we have the rest of the shoot I can say they are both foot-fetishy and crotch-forward. A rare feat! Feet? Feat. Anyway feet aren't my thing but Jake is, and Jake crotch-forward even more is, so I can say without hesitation that this photo-shoot is a total success. Hit the jump for them all...

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Charles Melton From Salina, Kansas

There's a totally charming interview (and that photo and yes, I already added it to my Armpit Thread on Twitter) in the New York Times with May December actor Charles Melton that dropped over the weekend (of course it's totally charming, it was conducted by our pal Kyle Buchanan) that I recommend reading, especially if you've seen the Todd Haynes film by now -- most anybody who does walks away with a great big wow stamped on their foreheads with regards to the former Riverdale actor's performance. (Here is my review of the movie.) If you haven't seen it yet fret not, it hits Netflix this Friday. Anyway two extremely random things jumped out at me from the interview -- one, Melton turns on Radiohead's album Kid A in the middle of it, which is a surefire way straight to my heart. And two -- he did his first acting tests in Salina, Kansas, and I can't be the only person who reads "Salina, Kansas" in Kim Novak's voice, can I? If you have no idea what I am talking about -- in Vertigo when Jimmy Stewart rediscovers Novak after her (first, faked) death, she shows him her ID which shows her being from "Salina, Kansas." I told you these thoughts were random! So if you read all of that go buy yourself something nice, you earned it. 

Good Morning, World

Happy Monday from Barry Keoghan, who took full advantage of the wider opening of Saltburn this weekend to post a bunch of most excellent photos and videos of himself -- keep your eyes on the prize, Barry. (I sure am.) Did anybody go see the movie? Here is my review if you missed it -- I was, and am, a big fan. But the film is certainly proving divisive -- between people like me, who are cool and get it, and people who don't and are, I am sorry to say, sad and hate joy. But not us! We love joy and we especially love seeing Barry Keoghan express said joy with his clothes off for us, so hit the jump for more of that...