Newfest Is Calling From inside The House

Yesterday when I shared the line-up for the Brooklyn Horror Fest here in NYC I mentioned that the next several weeks are about to get psycho-nuts on me with that fest, NYFF and NewFest all barreling toward me -- well here we are less than 24 hours later and NewFest has dropped their line-up, proving my point. But thre's no saying no to any of these fests as they cover all sides of me -- fancy-man movie-lover with NYFF, horror hound with BHFF, and fag supreme at NewFest. I am a rich tapestry! Anyway you can check all of NewFest's line-up right here but as I did for BHFF I'm gonna narrow it down, simplify simplify simplify, and give you the titles I personally got ants in my pants about.

5 NewFest Movies To Get My Gay On

Night Stage -- Per usual you'll always get me at "queer erotic thriller." And the last time I saw one was Femme and that worked out great! This one from Brazil is about a rising politician with a penchant for public sex. TELL ME MORE.

The Chronology of Water -- Written and directed by Kristen Stewart! This premiered at Cannes and I didn't hear much about it but then I tend to ignore Cannes as much as possible. It stars the great Imogen Poots (who I just saw in person last night at that Hedda screening) in the true-story of a swimmer who fell in love with literature. Yes, books! It's crazy! (The movie also co-stars Tom Sturridge, yum.)

Blue Film -- I mentioned this movie on Bluesky a couple of weeks ago when I first read about it as it screened in Edinburgh; by all accounts a deeply provocative film about a camboy spending the night with an older man (Reed Birney) with pedophilic fantasies this movie sounds legit dangerous in a way movies (and art) should be more often. Can't wait for this.

Only Good Things -- Another Brazilian movie! Bless the Brazilians. This one's from Dry Wind director Daniel Nolasco, which is all I really needed to know -- Dry Wind was terrific (and very very sexy). This one's a love story set in the 1980s. (And looks very very sexy.) 

Fucktoys -- The only one of these movies that I've posted here at MNPP about already, when back in March I shared the teaser trailer for it because it co-stars François Arnaud looking like that above. It debuted at SXSW then and everything I read about it made it sound very up my alley. John Waters gets name-checked by its director (and lead actor) Annapurna Sriram a lot! 

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NewFest 2025 runs from October 9th through 21st, both here in person in NYC and also online! So make sure you check their website to see what you can see on this here World Wide Web if you're outta town. And there were many many other titles announced today so make sure you check the whole line-up, top to proverbial bottom. You can buy badges right now; individual tickets go on sale September 15th. 

Tom Sturridge Nine Times

Ahhh sweet, our ruby-lipped dream king has a new photo-shoot to show off with! This one is for The Laterals magazine, and there's a whiff of the interview at this link here -- well they might not be forthcoming with the whole of that but I've got all the photos dammit! Too many of them are in black-and-white -- you shoot Tom's lips in color, you fools! That's like Photography 101. It's right there in the beginner's book. The first thing they teach you in college. Rainbows? Parrots? Tom Sturridge's Lips? COLOR FILM. But you should still click on after the jump and check the photos out anyway...

Good Morning, World

I feel a little guilty directing you to Interview Magazine this morning after they put that horrible thing on the cover this month, but they do also have a chat with Tom Sturridge in the same new issue, and we do love Tom Sturridge. (He talks about performing Sea Wall / A Life on Broadway and working with Jake Gyllenhaal a bit in it, even.) The fact that he is chatting with his "friend Anna Wintour" also merits a demerit but his pretty lips still win out. Speaking of he looks lovely in the photoshoot, and I've got that much for you. First though -- have we talked about Sandman? I can't remember. Well if anybody has anything to say about Sandman do so in the comments, and now we will hit the jump for the photos of Tom and his lips...

My Eyes Are Yours, Boyd Holbrook

What did I do this past weekend, you ask? Why I am glad you care. I will tell you. I finally binged Netflix's Sandman series, is what I did. I had no intention of doing that but that happened and I'm glad it did. I've never read any of the Sandman comics but I've read enough Gaiman otherwise and... this certainly was a Neil Gaiman product. I'm still not entirely convinced his books can be adapted to the screen without me groaning at goth fetishism that works better on the page -- Dream isn't the most compelling of leading men, y'all -- but there was enough goofing off at the edges that I was entertained. Particularly by Boyd Holbrook playing a gay maniac (my favorite kind!) and by Gwendoline Christie simply existing. If there will indeed be lots more of her in the next season as teased they will totally have me back happily. Have you watched it? Thoughts? 

I think the SANDMAN has been surveying my dreams because all of this Boyd Holbrook stuff is ITTT #NowWatching #TheSandman pic.twitter.com/leEn4DGeK7

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) August 21, 2022

Can Tom Sturridge Try On the Catsuit At Least?

It took me a little while to totally warm up to the Tom Sturridge thing, but he knew the way to my heart -- make out with both Garrett Hedlund (see here) and Douglas Booth (see here) in movies, check! Grow the world's sleaziest mustache and prance about in a redcoat uniform, check! Oh and then give a tremendously excellent performance on stage in a show that also starred Jake Gyllenhaal, guaranteeing I'll see said show more than once -- check and check. Honestly he was SO GOOD in his half of Sea Wall / A Life on and off Broadway, so deeply moving and emotionally affecting, that I'll now follow him anywhere, even if he doesn't press those gorgeous ruby lips onto any pretty menfolk ever again. (Although what a waste that would be, right?) 

Anyway I have warmed to the Tom Sturridge thing and then some now, and so today's news that our boy's joined the cast of Olivier Assayas' new HBO series adaptation of Irma Vep, Assayas' own 1996 film, is a welcome thing to me! Since Assayas himself is making this series I have high hopes for it -- in case you hadn't noticed that man is still churning out excellence. Alicia Vikander in the series' lead role might not be Maggie Cheung, but measuring any human being by Maggie Cheung standards is unfair to literally every person on earth not named Maggie Cheung. There is only one Maggie Cheung, unfortunately! 

And after the excellence of The Green Knight (reviewed here) I will admit me and Alicia are on good terms right this minute. On that note did y'all see the rumor going around that her husband, one Michael Fassbender, was spotted HOLDING A BABY on the set of this exact series, which is now being filmed??? Is Fassy a daddy? (I mean besides my daddy, which he, at three months younger than me, has always nevertheless been.) Congrats to them if the rumor is true!

Boyd Holbrook Nine Times

I have been feeling a little guilty Boyd-wise after I basically called his new werewolf movie real bad awful trash in my review from Sundance (in a few more words, anyway) -- cuz hey, we still like lookin' at you, Boyd! Don't let one bad review get ya down. I mean what do I know anyway? And hey his next project -- he's playing "The Corinthian" in that Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman that announced its cast last week (also including Tom Sturridge!) -- promises to be a big something. So here are a few old photos (circa 2012-ish) I stumbled upon (via) to remember the happier times, and inspire us for the future ones, after the jump...

Quote of the Day

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There's a new chat with our boy Jake Gyllenhaal in Vanity Fair today -- it's mostly him talking about his ongoing Broadway show Sea Wall / A Life (funny enough he never mentions taking a photo with me, the nerve) but for some reason the interviewer brings up actors using scents to get themselves into character, and asks him what movie of his deserves a scratch-n-sniff treatment a la John Waters' film Polyester (seriously, did I conduct this interview and forget it) and here's Jake's reponse:

"I’m thinking of Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet—what that scratch-and-sniff card would smell like, because if it smells the way that movie looks, my god. And Nightcrawler—new leather car smells. It has top notes of blood and fecal matter."

Fecal matter aside -- this is the sort of day where I say "fecal matter aside" apparently -- this is a weird answer, since Jake, you're not in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet last I checked? Perhaps I should go back and re-check. Maybe he's tucked in between Leonard Whiting's butt-cheeks and I never noticed. (Thx Mac)

Anyway on that note to probe backwards a bit with a trio of thoughts -- 1) Perhaps Polyester came up since Criterion's Polyester blu-ray is out in one week? And 2) Hey, we just celebrated Nightcrawler's 5th anniversary! And then 3) Here below are a few recent photos of Jake with his Broadway co-star Tom Sturridge that caught my eye after the jump since the photographer made the two of them sit really, really close to one another, which we appreciate...

Pics of the Day

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Jake is doing a real good job using his Instagram to remind us 

that him and Tom Sturridge have a thing they want you to look at.

Pic of the Day

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Imagine my delight as I scrolled through IHJM's gallery of fans posing with Jake Gyllenhaal outside of his Broadway play Sea Wall / A Life when stashed there in between them was this shot of Jake and also-actor and partner-in-Marvel Sebastian Stan! Anyway I'm pretending that that moment above was brought to you immediately following this one below:

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Picking out a third at the club pic.twitter.com/Snbuf77eqz

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) August 14, 2019

Now, Kiss

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Is anybody reading this planning on going to see Jake Gyllenhaal & Tom Sturridge on Broadway in Sea Wall / A Life? I have no current plans but then I saw it off-Broadway (and had my picture taken with Jake!) so I feel satisfied, although well as all y'all know if money weren't an issue I'd be going every night. It's a solid show! Anyway they have the daily lottery and I'm probably going to try that a few times, so we'll see. And have I written enough to justify this post, which was really just an excuse to post these shots of Jake & Tom so very close? I think I have. End of post.

Tastes of the Rainbow

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I missed the Tonys last night because I was seeing Shakespeare in the Park -- which was fantastic, by the way; Danielle Brooks forever and ever amen -- although to be clear I really wouldn't have watched the Tonys anyway. When I did that post last week about all the gay stuff happening on Sunday night I didn't even mention the Tonys, that's how far the Tonys were from my brain. I struggle with the concept of giving out awards for art so much that watching the movie-themed Oscars is about the only awards show I can stomach, and that only just; you add in a bunch of jazz hands and you're just driving me away. But bless whatever won, and bless Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge for walking a rainbow carpet together to promote their upcoming show.

Anyway I didn't post this just to snub the Tonys; I didn't even post this just to stare at those two pictures! No I posted this because there is new Jake Gyllenhaal news this afternoon and it came too late to include it with that photo-shoot I posted earlier -- Jake's video-game adaptation The Division, which we'd first posted about way back in the summer of 2016, looks like it is finally moving forward! Netflix has just signed on, and it will co-star Jessica Chastain and will be directed by Atomic Blonde helmer David Leitch. So that's a thrill! To celebrate let's watch this new video of Jake being adorable whilst promoting his play (thx Mac):
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Jake Gyllenhaal Seven Times

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Oh what a lovely gift for a Monday -- especially one that's got me dragging my brain like a fifty-pound dumb-bell hanging from my throat. Jake's on the cover of the new issue of L'Uomo Vogue (via) and he's all flowers and plaid pants and sad faces and I am feeling it and then some. (Sidenote: Did you see him, and him and Tom Sturridge, at the Tony's last night? Indeed!) There's video too:

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There are 22 days until Spider-Man: Far From Home is out and let's caress our prayer beads that every day is just more and more Jake. Never too much! But for now let's not get ahead of ourselves, hit the jump for the rest of this photo-shoot at least...

Life Worth Living

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If you missed Jake Gyllenhaal & Tom Sturridge in their play(s) Sea Wall / A Life at The Public here in NYC earlier this year you've got the chance to right that now, since it's moved to Broadway for nine weeks starting at the end of July. Tickets are on sale now and they just released the above photo to tempt us. Me, I went to the earlier version -- remember when I got my picture taken with Jake? I sure do. But I recommend the show anyway, even if you don't get to lean into Jake's shoulder, as they're both very fine in it. 

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Pics of the Day

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Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge's two-man play Sea Wall / A Life finished its last performance this weekend and to commemorate the run Jake posted a few shots of himself and Tom on his Insta that are worth a look-see -- they sure seem tight! (I just like saying that.) I mean none of the pictures are nearly as exciting as that picture I took of me and Jake together (!!!!!) when I saw the show a few weeks back, but they're fine, they're fine, whatever. 

I've been surprisingly lax in jumping on every little thing Jake's taken onto his newfound Social Media presence, all things considering (by "all things" I clearly mean "my unyielding decades-long obsession") -- not sure what that's all about. I haven't even posted the swoony video he posted of Tom Holland on Valentine's Day, for god's sake...

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View this post on Instagram

Love is in the hair. #happyvalentinesday

A post shared by Jake Gyllenhaal (@jakegyllenhaal) on Feb 14, 2019 at 6:16am PST

Good Morning, It Happened

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It turns out 1013 is my lucky number, because that's how many posts here at MNPP it's taken me to finally have a post about Jake Gyllenaal that is a picture of him and me. Don't let anybody tell you that perseverance doesn't pay off, kiddos! Of course none of those 1012 posts had anything to do with this happening -- turns out all I needed to do was wait for him to stage-door it at his latest play. But who's counting... anyway there are no details to share because 1) it's like the mysterious whisper between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson at the end of Lost in Translation, or 2) my brain went into a state of shock and I have no idea what was said or done in that moment -- it exists like a black hole in my brain. I'll let you guys choose your own adventure! Bonus: here's a picture of the Playbill I had him and co-star Tom Sturridge sign -- a fun game is trying to figure out which signature is to which person. 

Melvil Poupaud Ten Times

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After a terribly slow start to the year movie-wise this weekend it's like wham bam blessings left and right -- it's all of a sudden impossible to keep up! For one FSLC's "Rendez-vous with French Cinema" as I have mentioned a couple of times this week is off and running now, through next Sunday -- I'll have some more coverage of it next week but this weekend is no slouch; check out the whole schedule here. Mr. Poupaud seen here has a movie showing tonight called When Margaux Meets Margaux that sounds fun.

Besides that there's also the series of Charles Farrell heavy Fox Restorations at MoMA that I told you about this afternoon, and The Quad has just opened the 1991 film The Hours and Times about the possibly queer relationship between John Lennon and Brian Epstein, which I've always meant to see. (Plus they're still showing Sorry Angel, my beloved Sorry Angel.) And that's all before you even get to what's showing in theaters!!

I reviewed Greta, Neil Jordan's delightful Isabelle Huppert stalker movie, right here, and I reviewed the Icelandic eco-drama Woman at War yesterday, read that here --both of those movies are totally one of a kind and very much recommended. Then there's Transit, Christian Petzold's Karfka-esque oddity starring the Kafka-esque sex oddity Franz Rogowski, also very much recommended. And then then there's Gaspar Noe's dance film Climax, which I haven't gotten a chance to see yet but thanks to its killer trailer very very very much would like to.  Phew! That's a hella lotta movies! 

And as if all this wasn't enough besides all these films I'm also seeing Sea Life / A Wall at The Public this weekend, better known as the play starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge, and by all accounts Jake has been meeting and greeting fans after the show which, well, I already feel a little queasy with nerves about steeling myself for that particular Mount Olympus. Wish me luck! Who knows, maybe next week I'll have a selfie to share! (And I probably just jinxed myself.) Anyway you should tell us if you see anything good this weekend in the comments, and now you may hit the jump for the rest of this Melvil Poupaud photo-shoot...

5 Off My Head: 2018's Feats of Stache

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First things first yes I know that Sebastian Stan does not have a mustache in Destroyer -- he has a goatee. The world's sexiest goatee ever! But while goatees do seem to be making a comeback -- look no further than half the cast of The Predator reboot...

... the year that was 2018 was more about the Staches. Staches were so thick in the musky air that we started up a series on Movie Mustaches! And so I figured before I kissed the year goodbye I should give some love to our favorite examples of them there nose-ticklers in the twelve months that was. Make like you're Sam Elliott's Oscar Nomination and get on for the crazy ride y'all...

Our Top 5 of 2018's Greatest Mustaches

Chris Hemsworth in Bad Times at El Royale

Riz Ahmed in The Sisters Brothers

Tom Sturridge in Mary Shelley

Rupert Friend in The Death of Stalin

Raúl Castillo in We the Animals

And with a special off-movie shout-out...

... to Billy Magnussen in Maniac, just cuz.

Oh fine as long as we're here we might as well 

take a moment for the bounteous beards, too...

Left to right: John Krasinski in A Quiet Place, Boodi Kabbani in A Moment in the Reeds, Ben Foster in Leave No Trace, Jason Momoa in Aquaman, and Colman Domingo in If Beale Street Could Talk

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Now share some of yours in the comments!
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Thursday's Ways Not To Die

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As long as we're separately talking about both Velvet Buzzsaw (here) and Toni Collette (here) today it seems only right to bring 'em together and give some love to my favorite moment in the whole movie (as mentioned in my review). But since the film's only been out for a week and perhaps plenty of you haven't partaken we'll take the rest of this with its stumpariffic spoilers to after the jump...
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