Good Morning, World

Jeez, is Ted Lasso actor Phil Dunster's press agent earning their overtime bucks this month or what? This is the third big photo-shoot of him in May -- see the first one here and the second one here -- this time for Man About Town magazine (via). We ain't complaining. He's got a face worth looking at three times in one month -- heck, maybe even twice that! Anyway a heads-up that I've got a half-day today and then we're off on Monday for the holiday, so prepare your bodies. And once that's done (once your bodies, and minds, and souls, are prepared) hit the jump for all of the other Phil photos...

Good Morning, Phil Dunster & Friends

My trip out of town was only a couple of days but man alive if it didn't put me monstrously behind on a bunch of work. So yes, even though I announced myself technically "back" two days ago this place has been a real bones-yard all the same with only a couple of brief posts per day as I did some catching up. The good news? I am kind of caught up -- at least with the immediate things, so I will probably post a little bit more today. (Cut to the sky suddenly falling five minutes after I hit post, natch.)

Anyway to make it up to you here, why don't you enjoy this photo-shoot of Ted Lasso hunkaroo Phil Dunster shot for something called Principle magazine? I don't know. So many magazines and yet none at all. There's also an interview at that link PS, but I didn't bother reading it since I don't watch Ted Lasso. I did however gather up all the hot shots of Mr. Dunster to add to our steadily growing collection of said same. Lasso or no Lasso dude's got my eyeballs roped up and then some. Hit the jump for the full shoot...

Phil Dunster Nine Times

I think I tried to watch one episode of Ted Lasso and wasn't into it, but I know I'm far from the norm on that one -- what a shock! Me bucking the mainstream! I'm such a maverick, y'all. So esoteric and shit. I only drink vintage Tab I buy off eBay -- that's how fucking cool I am. Aaaanyway...

... I've still managed to post about that show's resident hottie Phil Dunster a couple of times anyway, because... well look at him. (These photos are via Behind the Blinds magazine.) I think about those skimpy black briefs he wore once often, and then even before Ted Lasso he got positively plowed on-screen by Julian Morris so of course I was there. And here I am again, with these brand new pictures. Hit the jump for the rest...

Happy InDePlaidPants Day 2022

For the third year in a row I am giving you people something to actually celebrate on July 4th, since the thought of celebrating "America" these days makes anyone with a sane brain break out in hives -- Happy InDePlaidPants Day! Wherein we instead tip our hats toward a bunch of photos of of attractively styled actors wearing this site's namesake pants o' plaid! Okay okay let's not be "controversial" -- you can also celebrate "America" if you want to. I won't smack the sparkler out of anybody's hands. These two things can coexist. I don't want a bunch of mouth-breathing red-hatters deciding to boycott plaid pants or anything. (As if they'd have the fashion capabilities in the first place.)  We're just here for pictures (and to hate Republicans), hit the jump for the pictures (and just hate the Republicans inside of your hearts)...

Jason Sudeikis Two Times

I tried really hard to figure out the original source of these photos I found on Tumblr so I could get better quality copies, but the one-two-punch of shelves and short-shorts couldn't be denied even when I could not. If anybody has an idea, leave a comment! I can't even tell if these are recent or not, but I'm guessing yes because we've only recently come back around to the blessed phenomenon of adorable straight dudes like Jason here deigning to wear shorts this short. You can see a few more photos over here.

Jason Sudeikis Three Times

That shoot I posted a couple of weeks ago of Jason Sudeikis seemed popular enough, so here's another one (via) -- this time wetter and hairier, both things I personally enjoy. And no before you ask I still haven't started watching that blasted soccer show of his! I'm just gonna keep admitting that for the rest of time, apparently. That said I did finally get around to watching I May Destroy You (verdict: very very good) so who knows, the list has gotten a little shorter...

Jason Sudeikis Eight Times

I momentarily hesitated sharing Jason Sudeikis' new GQ photoshoot this morning (read his chat here) because, well, for one, Jason Sudeikis sneaks up on you. He's so amiable and normal-guy-seeming that I always forget he's also got that certain something, that low-key old-fashioned DILF energy. You know the kind -- not the gamma explosion of "Henry Golding DILF Energy" but the real-world, I'm sleeping over at my friends house in high school and her dad is making a dumb joke about potato chips...

... while we watch a scary movie and for a second I think maybe I should go corner him outside of the bathroom and make him uncomfortable thing. You know. That kind. Anyway I also didn't want to admit that I still haven't watched Ted Lasso, so that also made me hesitant to share this photoshoot. But I haven't! I haven't watched the goddamned show yet, alright??? Hit the jump for the rest...

Good Morning, World

The show called Ted Lasso on Apple+ that stars a boisterously moustached Jason Sudeikis is yet another show of the many many shows that have slipped between the cracks for me, so we have a reader to thank for alerting me to this scene from the show's fifth episode, which spends some morning time with the actor Phil Dunster in his itty bitty black briefs. Speaking of slipping through the cracks, am I right?

I am right. Do any of you watch the show? I have heard good things but they are things I hadn't paid much attention to, I will admit -- I honestly didn't even know it was a show about soccer players until this morning, as I made these gifs and discovered that there are also lots of locker-room scenes on the show as well? Should I be watching Ted Lasso? I should, shouldn't I?

Now as for Phil Dunster I didn't recognize his name at first blush but soon discovered he has been mentioned here on MNPP before -- he's the random dude that Julian Morris fucks... excuse me, has enthusiastic homosexual intercourse with... in that half of the miniseries Man in an Orange Shirt, covered thoroughly and I do mean thoroughly right here. And that scene just managed to get hotter, now that we're more familiar with Mr. Dunster. Speaking of... let's all get more familiar with Mr. Dunster after the jump...

I Now Give You Permission...

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Permission, a smart and atypical rom-com that played Tribeca last year and that I've been talking about ever since, is hitting about a dozen theaters scattered around the US tomorrow, and also dropping onto iTunes. Here's a list of where:

The movie stars Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens as high school sweethearts who decide to try strapping on some other people before they get married, just to make sure they're making the right decision. That sounds like a typical rom-com plot device but director and writer Brian Crano makes it more interesting than that, and he's helped out by a bevy of beautiful and talented actors at his command, including not just those two in the lead but also the dreamboats François Arnaud, Gena Gershon, and Morgan Spector.

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But then I have said all of this before! I reviewed the movie at Tribeca - read it here - and then we rehashed all of this in December when the trailer for the movie dropped and I got my pull-quote cherry popped. See that above! And then go see the movie this weekend if you're in any of those cities, or watch it on iTunes - it's really pretty perfect for Valentine's; not at all sappy, but honest and true about the difficulties of love stuffs.

But wait hey did I just mention François Arnaud, Dan Stevens, and Morgan Spector? It's been awhile since we've been handed a right and proper threesome like this, which has got us thinking it's time for some right and proper "Do Dump and Marry" fun...

See more Francois Arnaud right here!

See more Dan Stevens right here!

See more Morgan Spector right here!

And hit the comments and Do Dump or Marry them!

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A Smile From François

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Yes it is true I have now managed to write (including this post I am writing right now) four count 'em posts about the trailer for the film Permission, which uses a quote from yours truly. I am nothing if not a gigantic spazz. What can I say? You knew what you were in for. Anyway my point is I just did a little breakdown of the trailer over at The Film Experience today, with more details on the film, so go check that out. François says please and merci beaucoup.

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Give Yourself Permission... To Love

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Oh god sorry for this post's title, I couldn't help myself. Anyway yesterday I told you guys about the brand new trailer for the movie called Permission, which stars Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens and Gina Gershon and Jason Sudekis and François Arnaud (and little François Arnaud) and David Joseph Craig and Raul Castillo and Bridget Everett and Morgan Spector - I didn't mention all of those names because there are a lot of good people in this movie, it takes awhile. Also I was too busy mentioning my own name since I got my very first critic blurb in the trailer (I reviewed the film at Tribeca this past spring) and I was kind of excited about that. Kind of. Anyway today they released the film's poster, which you see up top, and they put the trailer onto YouTube, so I can share it that way. Like, now:

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Permission is out on February 9th!
And if you guys see this trailer in the theater let me know!

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Hey Ma My Name In Lights

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It's a red letter day for your trusty movie blogger here, folks -- I just got my very first movie trailer blurb!  Over at The Film Experience I reviewed Brian Crano's fine romantic-drama Permission at the Tribeca Film Festival this past spring - it stars Dan Stevens & Rebecca Hall as a couple who've been together since they were little things who decide to open up their relationship before making things permanent - cue Gena Gershon & Francois Arnaud (swoon), who make that future very complicated. I thought the movie was surprisingly good; so good that in my review I actually called it...

Ahhhh! Official Blurb Whore in the house! The trailer just dropped on iTunes and you should've heard the yelp I made when my name popped up in the middle of it. This is kind of the movie-critic equivalent of those scenes in movies where a band hears their song on the radio for the first time, I guess?

The trailer's only on iTunes for the time being  so you have to click over there to watch it in full (once it's on YouTube I'll post the actual trailer here in this post). The movie is out February 9th so they're clearly gunning for the Valentine's dollars and as well they should. The movie has lots of sharp insight about relationships in it, and lord knows Rebecca Hall is literally always the best. And did I mention Francois Arnaud you guys...

For real. I hope they haven't cut anything out from the cut of this movie I saw. Ahem. Anyway can you imagine the sounds that will come out of me when/if I see this trailer inside an actual movie theater??? Happy day! ETA here it is via YouTube:
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Never Been Kaiju'd

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Colossal is as tonally tricky as anything writer-director Nacho Vigalando (who is basically an experimental filmmaker who takes big budget Hollywood concepts and mashes them up in his hands like Play-Doh) has attempted before - for much of its run-time it plays like a failed, unfunny rom-com. It plays as broad as any bad Jennifer Aniston movie at times - the only thing is the punchline keeps being "Jeez this woman is a sad drunk," which isn't a punchline at all. 

It takes an adjustment, watching the film - a rearrangement of your audience member particles, of how you've been trained to watch movies like this, to see how Vigalando is subverting those habits. Around halfway through the film there's no going back - I even noticed a change in the theater around me as the movie went on and people began to understand what they were watching. People loosened up - the jokes started revealing themselves not in the punchline but in the moment after the punchline, which is where the movie's true interest lies.

I have a feeling Vigalando is a movie-maker whose time will come like that too - we'll only realize a beat after we should have that this is a master at work.  So now, basically? We should have already realized this, is my point. Every single one of his movies, from the smashing debut of Timecrimes in 2007 up through the strange twists and turns of Extraterrestrial and Open Windows, they need time to bake in your mind, and only now can they maybe be seen as a body of work is it all really coming into focus - his sharp obsessions as a movie-maker, and man are they a fascinating bunch.

Anne Hathaway was a smart choice casting-wise because, well, she's a terrific actress for one. But the baggage she brings with her carries both something like Bride Wars and something like Rachel Getting Married; the latter I think is the key to her work in Colossal - what if in place of Rachel's depressing familial histrionics (no I am not a fan of that movie still) we put those ideas into something far stranger and more fascinating to watch? A genre goof with real emotional stakes plopped down onto it? It makes for a captivating watch; one that has you cheering for the most bizarre things by the end. But cheer you will.
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Portrait of a Lady Kaiju

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Howdy, folks! Sorry that today's been a bit of a wash due to some personal time extracurriculars (a doctor's appointment, and now some more Tribeca Fest press screenings) but yeah, a wash it's been... although any day starring Jamie Dornan's pubic hair can't be written off as a total loss. Anyway as we head out the door, recommendation-wise, well, the only movie coming out this weekend that I have already seen is The Transfiguration, which I reviewed right here and which is worth seeing for sure. But since that is being released in just one single solitary theater here in New York City I guess I can't really tell you what to do with your time this weekend. Harumph!

But let's all go see Colossal together! I've got a ton of Tribeca screenings but I'm carving out a couple hours for Nacho Vigolando's "Anne Hathaway is Kaiju" movie, and if I can you can. No excuses! I haven't bothered watching any trailers for it because who the hell needs a trailer to convince them they want to watch such a thing as this, but here's a trailer for you if you're that weird:

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Sleeping WIth None of These People

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Chemistry is a science, the study of the chemistry between you and me... isn't that how some song goes or something? I'm getting it as mangled as Sleeping With Other People -- which I keep thinking acronymizes (sure that's a word) to SLOP, though it doesn't, though that I keep thinking it does should tell you where I'm coming from -- gets chemistry, for it's all the hell off all over this movie. It has to do with writing -- it never makes feels anything approaching believable that the main characters (played by Allison Brie and Jason Sudeikis) stay friends when it's against all their best interests. It has to do with the casting -- Brie and Sudeikis have too much of the same wisecracking sidekick thing going on; there's not much bounce off each other... it's more like a resigned collapse on the couch after eating too much; right passed comfortable and into belches-that-kinda-hurt territory. 

And this is the film that finally convinced me Jason Sudeikis, who very well might be a swell fella in real life, has literally no business, zero percent, playing characters that aren't assholes. He can play variations - sexy asshole, or asshole asshole - but nice-guy's a nope, a not it. There's nothing but doggedly-insincere oozing from all of his pores. I suppose that's chemistry of it's own kind. The whole recipe's all wrong, and the ingredients just collapse in upon themselves, a black hole of bitter icing with no under cake to speak of.

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Who Wore It Best?

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I was going through our Kirsten Dunst archives in order to find the above gif to express my excitement about Bachelorette writer-director Leslye Headland's new flick Sleeping With Other People being out in theaters today when I realized -- why don't I hate Kirsten Dunst? I really should hate Kirsten Dunst. Not only did she date Jake once upon a time, not only is she dating Garrett Hedlund right now upon this time...

... not only is she playing Patrick Wilson's wife on the second season of Fargo very soon, but a glance through her history of onscreen beaus, via those same archives, reminded me she's brushed her teeth with Jesse Bradford and mounted a steed with Jamie Dornan, and gotten down with both Mark Ruffalo and Alexander Skarsgard in their white underpants. Damn you, Dunst. Damn you.

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Will Poulter Is Pennywise

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Variety's reporting that Cary Fukunaga, who is directing the big-screen update of Stephen King's killer-clown horror classic It, tossed a bunch of older actors (respected names like Mark Rylance and Ben Mendelsohn are dropped) right in the garbage the second that Will Poulter, a 22 year old British actor recently seen in The Maze Runner and We're the Millers, auditioned for the role. Well that's certainly different! 

No offense intended to Poulter (and he shouldn't take any since this is helping him get all these jobs) but his face has always creeped me out, so this might end up being a master-stroke? It certainly helps steer comparisons away from Tim Curry right off the bat, making Pennywise so much younger. And it'll add an interesting wrinkle to the way the character plays off of the children he torments - having him be closer in age to them, I mean. And when they get around to the second half of the story and Pennywise is much younger than them? That'll be doubly interesting, ya know? In summation, here's Will Poulter flashing Jason Sudeikis in We're the Millers:

What do you think? I mean about him getting cast as Pennywise. Not his butt. Although you can feel free to tell me what you think of his butt too, I suppose.

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Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Bachelorette (2012)

Katie: Oh, do you believe in magic? 

Joe: Yes, I do. That's abso... yes. 

Katie: Do you believe in a magic vagina?

Joe: A magic vagina? 

Katie: It would bewitch you with its magic.

Joe: I've been bewitched by vaginas before. 

It's scary, actually. 

Happy 39 to the terrific Isla Fisher! 

I just re-watched Bachelorette a few weeks ago and I'm happy to say it is just as hysterical as ever. And every time I watch it I change which one of the "B Faces" I like the most; this last time it was indeed Katie who won out - I couldn't get the way she said "a cat lick" out of my head for days... 

Anyway I cannot wait to see Leslye Headland's next movie Sleeping With other People, which stars Allison Brie and Jason Sudeikis and just played at Sundance. Can't wait!

I Am Link

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--- Dark Water - Apparently an horror movie starring Scott Speedman hit demand last week -- it's called Out of the Dark (nothing forgettable about that title at all) and co-stars Julia Stiles and is about a couple who move to Colombia only to find their house, you guess it, haunted. Damn real estate market! Anyway whether you want to watch the movie or not you've got to admire this interview with Scott at IndieWire (thanks Mac) which managed to work into the conversation Scott's career as a swimmer, which reminds us of happy things, and more happy things...

--- Into the Woods - Although he's been saying this every six months or so ever since the second movie came out, it seems like, The Blair Witch Project co-director Eduardo Sanchez actually sounds more confident this time around saying that a third movie is going to happen. He says "While I don’t have anything firm to talk about now, it wouldn’t surprise me if something happened within the next year or two." This one's supposed to be more of a straight-up sequel than the second movie was, which ought to make the 99% of people who hated Part 2 breathe a sigh of relief.

--- Axed Man - Frank Darabont has dropped out of making The Huntsman, the sequel to Snow White and The Hunstman, which was ditching all that icky girl stuff for more "Chris Hemsworth's biceps" stuff. Well not really - I believe Charlize is supposed to return? Did I hallucinate that? And also there's talk of Emily Blunt playing a new villainess as well. So there will be plenty of estrogen for Chris Hemsworth's Biceps to swim around in. As long as the biceps are the stars, that's what matters.

--- Sleep With Me - I guess Bachelorette writer/director Leslye Headland's new movie is called Sleeping With Other People and it will premiere at Sundance in a few weeks; it stars Allison Brie and Jason Sudekis and sounds like a rom-com riff. After Bachelorette I will follow her anywhere. The Playlist had her fill out a questionnaire that gives a couple of tidbits about it (as well as the sitcom she's working on next).

--- Joe's A Queen - Oh god, Ryan Murphy is already rending me to and fro with his next TV series and they haven't filmed a second of it yet - Scream Queens, the slasher-anthology he's making with Jamie Lee Curtis, just gathered up some new names, and there's great news (Abagail Breslin! Joe Manganiello! Which really means "Joe Manganiello's Half-Naked Body!" ) and bad news (Oh my god if he doesn't murder Lea Michele in the first episode I will just die) to be had.

--- Future Scully - Just a few weeks ago we'd read a quote from Gillian Anderson saying she'd totally be down to make some more X-Files, and then this weekend the dam breaks - Fox totally wants to make more X-Files. Apparently Chris Carter's been hammering out some stuff with them. Like, for real. What with everything getting rejuvenated (that's the kind word) these days I am not terribly surprised about this, but still, gimme gimme.

--- Normal People - Hey look there's an interview with Mark Ruffalo in the new issue of Interview Magazine too. (Thanks Mac) Conducted by no less than Julia Roberts, at that! I haven't read it yet but Mark looks cute in the pictures natch; I'll read this at lunch. No I haven't eaten yet. Oh my god now that I'm talking about it I'm starving! Let's get this post done dammit, I have to eat.

--- Clown Around - The producer of Cary Fukunaga's reboot of Stephen King's It wants us to know that they have every intention of dropping their child actors right into some terrible, terrible shit - they want to go places that the 80s TV version couldn't go near. Something tells me he doesn't include the teenage gangbang scene from the book, though.
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I Am Link

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--- Always Looking - I'm halfway through this chat with Jonathan Groff at Playbill about all the stuff he's been up to lately - there's not much new info about the second season of Looking but it's nice to know the cast has actually become friends; he says they're on their way to Fire Island together right after the interview which, damn, I wanna bump into the Looking cast on Fire Island. As somebody did -- that picture to the left (via) being proof.

--- Summer Snow - As long as I don't crap out on it (I'm not feeling well today) I'll be seeing Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer a second time tonight this time on a big screen here in NYC with BJH in person (here's my original review of the film, which is terrific and I def. recommend - if for Tilda alone!) so linking to this piece on the movie at EW seems timely.

--- Live Wires - It's not a movie version of those a-hole characters they played on SNL but Jason Sudekis is in talks to co-star in a heist comedy with Kristen Wiig - actually the level of his"co-star"'ing isn't entirely clear since the movie is already set to star Zach Galifinakis as an armored car driver and Wiig as his love interest - it doesn't say where Sudeikis fits in. 

--- New Old Prey - Writer-director Shane Black says that his reboot of Predator isn't really a reboot but is actually a sequel. But as they point out at that link unless they get Arnold into it it will be starring a whole new cast and the only thing they'll be carrying over is the creature (and not even the original one since Arnold killed it with bombs) so yeah, basically a reboot. Just referincing the events of the original film - ooh look a scorched jungle! - does not a sequel make. Although in typing that I suddenly remember there was a second one with Danny Glover! I totally forgot that existed.

---  Big Fella - I don't even know why I'm linking to this interview with slab-of-meat Derek Theler - I mean I know why, but I feel as if I need some excuse if it's not just to ogle him. At least he's entirely clear with his place in the world as a slab-of-meat, and he comes off well in there, so I don't have to feel too gross about it. Dude is 6'4" and 240 pounds of nothing but muscle. I don't feel bad! Click here for lots of pictures of him.

--- Movie Pride - Over at The Film Experience Nathaniel the list-lover tackles a couple of recent ones - I'd seen and trembled in fright at the one of the 100 Greatest Movies according to some Hollywood folks (this is why the movies coming out of Hollywood suck so much - so little imagination up in there) but I'd missed the list of essential LGBT movies.

--- Free Mila -  I'm with Daniel at Salon on that interview with Mila Kunis that everybody's calling her a bitch for - how fickle we are; wasn't it just a few months ago that she was an interviewer's darling? God forbid she not have patience for some dumb questions. One lousy turn in an Oz movie and one lousy looking trailer for a Wachowskis movie (and let's be honest, nobody wants to see her with Ashton Kutcher) and suddenly we're all out for blood.

--- And Finally ooh look a new Nina video! I loooove this song.

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