Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Barb and Stars Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

Star: You've been pleasuring me a lot lately. 

In that last position, your dong went really deep. 

I think your dong went all the way up and... touched my heart.

Happy 51 to my hometown sweetheart Kristen Wiig!

I Am Link

--- Now Them's Some Women -- I was already pleased as a punch to the happy-places when it was announced back in December that not only was Sarah Polley planning on directing her first new movie in nine years (an adaptation of the book Women Talking) but that it was going to star Frances f'ing McDormand, so trying to measure my renewed enthusiasm when a big batch of absolute queens were further announced to fill out the film's cast this week would be a folly's errand. Stratospheric shit! Said queens include Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Ben f'ing Whishaw, oh my! The story "follows a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men." This is gonna be something y'all.

--- Friends No More -- I'll admit that my enthusiasm for In Bruges director Martin McDonagh has been dulled a bit by the projects he's done since that -- Seven Psychopaths and especially Three Billboards (ugh) were big letdowns for me -- but today's news that he's reuniting with the stars of his original masterpiece, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, for his next one well that gives me renewed vim n' vigor, McDonagh-wise. The film will be called The Banshees of Inisherin and will film in August and is about a pair of lifelong friends who're navigating the awkward space where they no longer want to be friends.

--- Ain't No Mountain -- Similarly it's hard to get too worked up over a new Doug Liman movie, even though his earliest work I glommed onto, 1999's Go, ranks among my all-time faves, since he hasn't made anything as good since. But I'm gonna give him another chance with this next project because it stars Ewan McGregor and Ewan is always worth a chance. It's a biopic of adventurer George Mallory, who tried to climb Mount Everest back in the 1920s, and it will co-star Mark Strong and Outlander hunk Sam Heughan.  Oh and it'll be called Everest, just like the Jake Gyllenhaal movie from a couple of years back, but I have a feeling that if Ewan has a nude scene in his Everest movie he'll let them leave it in, unlike Jake, so Ewan wins.

--- Step Up -- Another addition to the incredibly stacked cast of that true-crime adaptation The Staircase, which already had Juliette Binoche, Colin Firth, and Toni Collette -- ex-twink Dane DeHaan will now also be sleazing around the joint. I was going to make a joke about how he could play The Owl but I don't know if any of you will get that joke. Anyway I apparently missed the news that the series will also co-star Parker freaking Posey too! Everyone, literally everyone, will be there. get me to this set!

--- What's Good For The Gigolo -- An update on a project we've been keeping tabs on: the series re-do of American Gigolo starring Jon Bernthal got picked up by Showtime, a ten-episode order. It's actually technically a sequel to the movie starring Richard Gere; Bernthal's playing the same character, just years later after he's gotten out of jail. See all of MNPP's previous coverage on this series here, but pay special attention to this post. That's the winner.

--- Til Death Do -- Kristen Wiig is going to star in an adaptation of the upcoming book called The Husbands, which "follows an overworked mother who, while house-hunting in a nice suburban neighborhood, meets a group of high-powered women with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to take on a legal case involving the untimely death of one resident’s husband, she risks exposing not only the secrets at the heart of her own marriage, but the true secret to having it all, one worth killing for." I can't for the life of me tell the tone from that description; it could be dead serious or it could be Desperate Housewives. Even a gender-flipped Stepford Wives maybe?

--- Channing Sandwich -- Speaking of movie descriptions that I can't get a handle on the tone for, Zoe Kravitz has gone and written herself a star vehicle called Pussy Island (indeed) that will have her heading to the orgy-centric tropical getaway of a tech-billionaire (to be played by Channing Tatum, somehow); while there things go from sexy to dangerous, or something. I don't know. Just throw me in a Channing Tatum Orgy and I'll figure it out as I go.

--- And Finally since I began this post with a crazy stacked cast I'll finish with the same - Apple is producing a psychological-thriller series called Surface from the creator of the High Fidelity series, and it will star several MNPP fave babes including Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Stephan James, Ari Graynor, François Arnaud, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Marianne Jean Baptiste. Good grief -- Get me to that set! To all of the sets! I gotta get the fuck outta my house! Ahem. Surface is described as "an elevated thriller about a woman’s quest to rebuild her life after a suicide attempt, and her struggle to remember – and understand – everything that led up to the moment when she jumped." Gugu is the lead. (And hopefully Oliver & Francois are sharing a trailer.)

Pics of the Day

When I was away last week I got to watch Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar for the five thousandth time -- only this time with friends! -- and I am happy to report that movie, still hysterical. And so I'm hoping when DH, sharing these first photos, describes Jamie Dornan's next project The Tourist as having "a dark comedy edge" they really mean it, because he's so funny in B&S it'd be a shame if he doesn't continue tapping into that as-of-yet not-properly-mined natural resource. 

But yes this does sound like a total rip-off of Steven Spielberg's film Duel otherwise -- Dornan plays a British man who gets chased through the Aussie Outback by a mysterious tanker trying to run him off the road. One assumes there will be further twists than that -- DH goes a little further into detail about the plot -- but I'd rather just go for the good ride when the time comes. You hear me, Jamie Dornan? Ride me but good!

Sharon Gordon Evil Stepmother

While it's not the Barb and Star sequel news of my dreams it's close enough to merit a post -- Bridesmaids co-writers and Vista Del Mar queens Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo are reuniting to write a Disney musical about Cinderella's evil step-sisters! Variety says they aren't expected to play the characters but eff that -- that's what I immediately pictured and I will accept nothing else. Then you get Jamie Dornan to play Prince Charming! And then you send the stepsisters on a tropical vacation! And the Evil Stepmother is suddenly allergic to sunlight! Oh it's brilliant. Do I get a co-writing credit? Gotta get me some of that sweet sweet Disney cash...

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Bridesmaids (2011)

Ted: This is so awkward. I really want you to leave, but 

I don't know how to say it without sounding like a dick.

Jon Hamm's gratuitously hot, gratuitously awful character in Bridesmaids teaches us how to be not a decent person, and that's always a "Life Lesson" worth an underline. A happy 50 to Hamm today! As you might recall I did a big binge of Mad Men during quarantine last summer (watched the entire thing over the span of about two and a half weeks!) and I recommend that long long loooong tweet-thread, it was a good time. 

Anyway after that I truly get Hamm's appeal more than I did before, when it was just free-balling DILF BDE -- Don Draper truly is an accomplishment he can coast on for the rest of time if he so chooses. Well Don Draper and Ted. That's enough for any one man! Oh and Bridesmaids turns 10 in a few weeks! Can you believe it? That movie's still a laugh riot. And it took ten whole years but Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumulo delivered a follow-up worth its weight in glorious Dornan Calves...

Bring Barb & Star Home

So how many of you have watched Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's new viral-hit comedy Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar by now? If you have watched it but missed my review you can read my thoughts here -- basically I fucking adore it. I've watched it four, maybe five times now? It has invaded my life.

Yesterday I changed my ringtone to the ringtone in BARB AND STAR - the one that Wiig shakes her head to, which is prob the gag that's gotten the most chuckles out of me - and it just rang for the first time since and readers, I spit-taked my Dunkin pic.twitter.com/Qa7Z6eLVjf

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) February 22, 2021

It was just the exact silliness I needed right now. The world needed right now! I mean that's just my opinion, but my opinion, as you all know, is so often right. Anyway if you haven't watched it yet because 20 bucks is a whole heckuva lot to spend for a brief rental window -- believe me I get it, I got a screener and otherwise who knows -- there's excellent news for y'all, as they've just announced the film is hitting DVD and blu-ray on April 6th! It's also hitting digital (to own) two weeks before, on March 26th. Break out your favorite culottes cuz it's time for celebration!

One should always celebrate with gifs of

 shirtless Jamie Dornan, dontcha think?

Culottes From Heaven

If you follow me on Twitter then this weekend you probably saw my brain slowly, entirely get taken over by the kooky new Kristen Wiig comedy film Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar -- I wrote a little blurb about it here on the site on Friday but then i watched it a second time and I suddenly realized that just as I figured all my minor quibbles has fallen away and I loved the movie, whole-hearted, full-souled. This mostly translated into a lot of Jamie Dornan tweeting, but I managed to actually make more with the word like things elsewhere, and a right and proper review of the movie just went up over on Pajiba, click over and read! I'm just real obsessed now. I think we needed sweet dumb laughs in our lives again and baby did Barb and Star deliver. I might watch it again tonight? I might actually have a problem.

You guys it's official, I want to watch #BarbAndStar CONSTANTLY pic.twitter.com/66CcWX88iR

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) February 15, 2021

Jamie Dornan Can Do Cancun

Oh my, today I have realized that I missed these shirtless pap-snaps of Jamie Dornan on the July 2019 Cancun set of his out-this-weekend Kristen Wiig comedy Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, and that will not stand. Since the film's out for rental on the internet as of right now I need to make up for this lack! Consider this a supplement to your rental. I shared very very very brief thoughts on this movie a little bit ago, but I'm going to have longer thoughts to share on it later -- for now to get us over that hump hit the jump for more shots of Mr. Dornan in if not all well most of his splendor anyway...

Barb and Star in 150 Words or Less

Goofy, insane, goofily insane, horny and sweet and silly, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a an absolute treat, absolutely what I needed, what you need, what this year needs, and what the world needs in equal measure. There are a few rough patches, some jokes that go squish instead'a ka-pow, but I was just left with such a warm humming sensation in my tummy when it was done I couldn't even remember any frown on my pancakes -- it's all syrup and bacon smiles from here on out! This is seriously the sort of movie where the jokes that don't stick will end up being part of its goofball charm 20 watches from now. It's so committed to ridiculousness (and so committed to staring at Jamie Dornan's body) -- I don't know how you walk away from this without your tummy humming too.

Quote of the Day

"... I’m a Halloween person, which is odd to me because I’m terrified of scary things. I can’t watch scary movies or even a scary movie trailer. But I love the aesthetic of Halloween more than most holidays. We’re not talking about Christmas, of course—let’s put Christmas aside. Anything that gets Halloweenified in orange and black, or has an occasional bat or ghost or monster, really does it for me. But just to be clear, I’m not interested in terror. I’m interested in a delightful monster or witch. I don’t care for jump scares. Don’t scare me or I will definitely punch you in the face."

Blessings unto us all, I needed some smiles this Friday and Interview Magazine has gifted us with one of their "25 Questions" features with Maya Rudolph! They work like this: 25 of Maya's famous pals asked her a question or two, and she answered them! It's not a terribly hard-to-grasp feature. Anyway the above quote comes in response to a question from author Sarah Cooper; other people doing the asking include half of the SNL casts over the years, Amy Sedaris, Paul Reubens, Natasha Lyonne, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Carol fuckin' Burnett -- endless proof that Maya is indeed that cool. And you'll definitely want to look for the Prince story.  

Pedro Pascal Six Times

.

For some reason August Man magazine brands this interview and photo-shoot with Pedro Pascal as a "Part One" -- they don't make it clear why but if it means we've got more photos of PP looking damn dashing in snug suits I'm certainly not complaining. I just don't want to get my hopes up.

I keep forgetting he's the star of that Star Wars series The Midichlorian or whatever the fuck it's called, but I actually don't know if I ever knew that he's playing the villain -- or one of the villains at least, considering Kristen Wiig's there as Cheetah -- in the Wonder Woman sequel. (ETA I did know, he's in this photo I posted last year.)

Anyway I didn't think I could anticipate the WW sequel anymore but then that happened. He's playing Maxwell Lord, a rich dude who helps establish the Justice League blah blah nefarious reasons or whatever I don't care. As per every comic book character he eventually has ever motivation known to man slash super-being so we'll have to wait and see what version Pedro's actually playing. One safe bet, I think -- there will be suits! But bad suits, since it's set in 1984. So enjoy Pedro in these suits here while we've got them.

There's No U in Antarctica

.

Sometimes the best times to contemplate our worst bits are when we're not planning on it. Sometimes the self-reflection sneaks in, unexpected like, a thief in the broad daylight, sniffing and snuffing and huffing about. Sometimes it's got a sharp bob hairdo and big black sunglasses and every mannerism and tic that Cate Blanchett can toss at it, and yet it cuts you to the quick.

So it went with Richard Linklater's new film Where'd You Go, Bernadette, a film I had absolutely zero intention of seeing -- not until it started getting baffled notices from critics, anyway. They reminded me of Bernie, Linklater's 2011 film with Jack Black and the only time I ever truly vibed on what Linklater was selling. I went in on a lark really -- I hadn't read the book; I hadn't even watched a trailer. It was a hot day and anything with Blanchett can't be that bad, right?

Bernadette is not that bad. It's not bad at all, actually. Yes it's broad and yes it's the tonal equivalent of gumbo -- a shock of stews steeped in each other, all piled high -- but sometimes you've gotta go broad to make your point, and Bernadette delivered more to me emotionally with its cartoonish flair than many a more Serious Movie movie that I've seen this year. 

Blanchett plays Bernadette Fox, a woman who won a genius grant once and then kept disappearing. The movie meets her as a colorful mess of a Mom, holed up in a dripping house with a husband and kid who love her but don't seem to get her. Only as the rugs get pulled and the vines knotted underneath get their moments to shine do we see how self-inflicted Bernadette's wounds are, and how the movie is winding its weird-ass path just in order to whittle down and speak one on one with the closed-off weirdos inside all of us.

Where'd You Go Bernadette is big and bright and open about shutting down -- it's something like a comic kiddie movie about adult depression and self-sabotage. It zigs when anything else would be zagging, and in its strangeness found ways to shuffle around my own defenses -- I couldn't put up a fight with it, not when suddenly Kristen Wiig's rolling around on the pavement before I could argue. It didn't fight fair, and hugged me when I wanted to punch it. And I found myself, whaddya wonder, deeply moved.

I saw so much, too much, of myself in Blanchett's Bernadette, who'd rather run over a neighbor than have a common conversation -- who deeply loves the people she's let in, to a near smothering degree, but can't seem to carve space for much more. (This is a real Cancer's movie.) All of her energies are aimed in aimless directions -- she's got too much to give, so she's given up, paralyzed and poisoned by the insecurities she's let take hold.

Like I said, this is a lot for a movie with penguin jokes and pratfalls! But the penguin jokes are the cake they're hiding the pills in -- good cake, delicious cake, and I felt a little bit better after than before. A movie that can do that, well, eat it up. Pills and all.

.

Bridesmaids II: Spring Breakin'

.

Wow back to back stories about Jamie Dornan and Henry Cavill -- if only I could mash them up and tell y'all these two were remaking Brad & Angelina's 2005 movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith as Mr. & Mr. Smith about married gay super spies... but I can't. I can't tell you that. You can now think about it. But I can't actually tell you that. But Jamie is actually playing a super spy, so that's something, and the more something to this news story is even more something -- he's playing a super spy opposite Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, aka the duo that wrote Bridesmaids, in their "oh my god we have been waiting for this forever" follow-up to that movie! 

It's called Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (god I love silly long titles like that) and the ladies are playing Miswestern gal pals who go on vacation to the titular town in Florida, where they get caught up in a hilarious plot of mass murder. Jamie's somebody's love interest, as well he should be -- if you were able to cast your own love interest wouldn't you? The film's being directed by a dude named Josh Greenbaum, who's directed a lot of TV and some documentaries; I think this is his feature fiction first? But he's good people for sure cuz he once directed this video of Daniel Craig with a bunch of puppies:

.

You're a Wonder, Wonder Woman

.

I'm tempted to write us a list of 84 reasons why this just-revealed teaser poster for the forthcoming superheroine sequel Wonder Woman '84 (via) is the gay pride spectacle we need right now, but it's gay pride and I'm allowed to be lazy this month without repercussions. I have suffered enough! And anyway I used my best joke on Twitter. S'something though right? I hope the movie is this bright (and the other images we've already gotten seem to say it will be) -- the world needs some technicolor outrageousness.

.

Great Moments In Movie Staches

.

I was blessed to see Can You Ever Forgive Me and The Diary of a Teenage Girl director Marielle Heller speak about her so far killer career at the Tribeca Film Festival last weekend -- for a great report from the talk see what our pal Murtada wrote at TFE, or to see a bit of video I took see below -- and as soon as I got home I re-watched Diary for the third or fourth time, because hot damn it's a perfect film. Bel Powley is obviously magnificent but I really do wish Alexander Skarsgard had gotten more attention for just how sharp his work is.

Re-watching the movie in a post-Big Little Lies world is also interesting -- would Alex have gotten BLL without "Monroe" and would he have gotten all of the awards he did get for the latter role if "Monroe" hadn't primed us for his ace hold on playing morally horrific yet undeniably charismatic creeps? It's daring work he does, both sexy and pathetic all at once -- when has a perv-stache last felt this earned?

.

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

MilMilo: Have you read "Marley and Me?"
Maggie: Yeah. Sad.
Milo: Why is it sad?
Maggie: You don't know what happens?
Milo: No, that's why I'm reading it.
Maggie: Sorry.
Milo: What?
Maggie: Nothing.
Milo: Does the dog die at the end?
Maggie: No. I didn't say that.
Milo: The fucking dog dies at the end.
Maggie: I'm didn't - I'm not saying anything!
Milo: Look how much I had left!
Maggie: I'm sorry I ruined it.
Milo: Maggie, I know the dog dies. Everyone knows
the dog dies. It's the book where the dog dies.

A happy 45 to Kristen Wiig today! 

Who else is so excited to see her play Cheetah in the 

Wonder Woman sequel that they can hardly breathe?

I Am Link

.

--- Thrice Unbelievable - Director Lisa Cholodenko, who's gifted the world with The Kids Are All Right and Laurel Canyon and Olive Kitteredge, is currently working on the American remake of Toni Erdmann with Jack Nicholson and Kristen Wiig - normally a remake of Toni Erdmann would be cause to shudder (here's my review of the original) but those people involved make it more of a squeal. Anyway when she's done with that her next project will be Unbelievable, a series based on a true story about a young woman accused of lying about being raped, and get this cast - it will star Toni Collette, Merritt Wever (from The Walking Dead and Nurse Jackie) and Kaitlyn Dever, who wowed in Short Term 12. 

--- A Single Drop - It was the 15th anniversary of Danny Boyle's revolutionary not-zombie movie 28 Days Later yesterday and leave it to our pal Joe Reid to write up a terrific tribute to the film over at Decider. I've spent the last decade weirdly preferring the film's sequel 28 Weeks Later - which, did you know its director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is working on Disney's live-action Sword in the Stone movie next? How odd - but Boyle's film is seriously over-due a re-watch on my part. I've probably been needlessly antagonistic just for argument's sake.

--- Fairy Fellas - We've been keeping track of the cast for Kevin Williamson's fairy-tale reimagining Tell Me A Story ever since Billy Magnussen (here) and James Wolk (here) were the first ones cast, because... were you even reading what I just wrote? Yeah. Anyway turns out neither of them were the leads of the show - the lead was just announced and it's Sam Jaeger from Parenthood, who is also (see to the right) really rather appealing himself. I never watched Parenthood but I like what I am seeing. Thank you, Kevin Williamson.

--- How Queer - Man I wish some enterprising film house here in New York City would take a look at Vulture's list of 55 Essential Queer Horror Films posted earlier this week and just do a great big series of them all, screening Bride of Frankenstein back to back with Heavenly Creatures with Killer Condom with Otto or Up With Dead People and on and on. That would be my heaven. (Click here to scan through our own ever-running series of posts on "Queer Creeps," one of our favorite subjects, near and dear to our creep queer heart.)

--- Who Watches The - Jeremy Irons has just joined the cast of HBO's forthcoming Watchmen adaptation from Lost and The Leftovers show-runner Damon Lindelof - no word on who he'll be playing but we actually don't know who any of the actors who've been named so far, including Regina King and Don Johnson and Tim Blake Nelson and Louis Gossett Jr., are playing. Anyway this reminds me I saw Jeremy Irons on the street a couple of weeks ago and that was a thrill. My guess is that Irons is playing old Ozymandias, anyway. (In related recent news you can click here to see Jeremy's son Max's butt. News you can use!)

--- Boogie Woogie Man - It's pretty nuts that a full-length movie version of Stephen King's short-story "The Boogeyman" has never been made... well until now anyway - the writers behind A Quiet Place are working on the script now. The story was first published in 1973 and was later folded into his 1978 collection called Night Shift, which also included "Children of the Corn" and "The Lawnmower Man" and "Graveyard Shift" and "Sometimes They Come Back." The Boogeyman tells the story of Lester Billings, whose three children have all been murdered by a presence in their closet. (thanks Mac)

--- And Finally I posted the shit out of the teaser trailer for the forthcoming Predator reboot from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black and starring Boyd Holbrook so I don't feel the urge to go through all of that again with the full trailer, released this week, which doesn't offer up a whole more for me to go nuts over. (That is to say Boyd never takes his clothes off in it and/or he never makes out with Trevante Rhodes.) But here, watch away:
.
.

Pic of the Day

.

That there is our first look at Kristen Wiig playing the villain-to-be in the second Wonder Woman movie, which has been titled Wonder Woman 1984. I think that means it's set in 1984. I am smart. Also I guess just look at KW's outfit:

Totally Eighties Ladies. Anyway my hometown gal is playing "Barbara Minerva" who will turn into the villain Cheetah - I believe she will start off as a friend of Diana's? Their complications will have complications, no doubt. Anyway I know she's probably going to play the character at a more normal register than her comedy tends to lean into but I really want her to go Full Swanson at some point, tone be damned...

10 Off My Head: The Remnants of 2017

.

I don't know if you guys have noticed, but the year's almost over! Not that I'm convinced 2018 is going to be any better, at least as far as The Real World is concerned, but I say good riddance to the garbage fire of 2017 all the same. Anyway as far as Entertainment goes I'm doing better than I normally am by this point in having seen the things I want to see - you're not going to be getting any Top 10 lists any time soon from me, let's not go crazy, but as I sort through what I have seen there isn't enough to smother me with anxiety like I normally feel come the holidays. That's a nice feeling for a change!

Most of what I've missed so far are the usual things I miss on first runs - foreign films, documentaries. (You can see a list of everything that I have seen down in the right-hand column, by the way.) But I figured I'd take stock of what I still need to see by making a list for myself, and I'm gonna share it with you! Oh what fun! And then at the end y'all can tell me what you need to see in the comments...

10 Movies of 2017 That I Still Have To See

THE POST (dir. Steven Spielberg) -- This is the big one, obviously. I'm not convinced it will shake up my favorites of the year or anything, but I'm looking forward to it. I very much like this talky old-fashioned adult-drama period of Spielberg's career - if it's anything like Bridge of Spies, which I expected to dislike and ended up adoring, we'll be just fine. Anyway this won't be on this list for much longer since it's out in theaters tomorrow and I might just go first thing in the morning!

THE DEATH OF LOUIS XIV (dir. Albert Serra) -- This came and went in March I guess? All I know is I was made ecstatic by its gorgeous trailer but then it was gone before I even realized it. Very much want to catch up with this.

DAWSON CITY: FROZEN TIME (dir. Bill Morrison) -- People I trust have been bowled over by this documentary that from what I gather sorts through the history a bunch of long-thought-lost Silent Film footage about a small mining town in the Arctic.

EX LIBRIS: NEW YORK CITY LIBRARY (dir. Frederick Wiseman) -- Uhh it's a documentary about a library. So duh. I already have my review's title written: "There Will Be Bookshelves." I'm seeing this next week thanks to MoMA's "The Contenders" series.
.

AFTER THE STORM (dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda) -- I don't know anything about this movie except it stars Hiroshi Abe and I've seen it pop up here and there among people's faves and I have literally had a review copy of the blu-ray sitting beside my bed for about four months. I made a promise to myself I will finally stick it in the blu-ray player over the holidays. Let's see if I stick to that!

FILM STARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL (dir. Paul McGuigan) -- Annette Bening gave the best female performance on screen last year in 20th Century Women, so there's that. She's on my good side. And then there's Jamie Bell who is always great (and I have been told by people who have seen the film that Jamie's in his underwear in it). I think it's a little weird how the trailer obscures the fact  (like actively covers up) that Gloria Grahame started dating Peter Turner when he was under-age.

YOUR NAME (dir. Makoto Shinkai) -- Japanese animated movie that I keep seeing on Year End Lists and thinking somebody accidentally deleted the "CALL ME BY" part of the title. This is also playing at MoMA soon.

FELICITE (dir. Alain Gomis) -- Another one I don't know much about save I have heard enough people who know things say this thing's worth knowing.

GRADUATION (dir. Cristian Mungiu) -- This played at the New York Film Festival way back in 2016 and I missed it then, only to hear a bunch of people rave about it, and now here fourteen months later I'm hearing about it again since it was technically a 2017 release.
.

DOWNSIZING (dir. Alexander Payne) -- Given how much foot Matt Damon's crammed in his mouth over the past few months and given the fact that I have come to actively dislike Alexander Payne's movies (after loving him so much at the start of his career) I'm kind of dreading this one. The trailers are obnoxious. But whispers of it being much weirder than it's letting on are giving me a little hope. This also opens this weekend, so thank goodness for MoviePass.

---------------------------------------------

So what movies are y'all trying to catch up on?

.