Give This Piece a Chance

I'm trying to will the care-free mood seen in this photo of Charles Melton into my own existence today -- spoiler alert: it ain't working. I don't know if my partner was punching me in the side of the head all night long as I slept (no this is not a cry for help) but I woke up feeling like I didn't sleep a single second last night, and I be draggggggging my ass this Thursday. This is pointless information for anyone who isn't "me" I know but it's good that I remind myself that this site is just a stupid fucking blog sometimes and I don't have to feel bad about insubstantial content. Tis my prerogative! Is it weird that typing that word out always makes me want to eat pierogies? In summation -- aren't you glad you just wasted one minute of your life reading this post? You're welcome. Any time. 

ETA Just got word my office is closing tomorrow so I am officially giving up for the long weekend. Hands in air, Jason don't care. I'm headed to a screening in half an hour (Backrooms baby!) and then I'm off until Tuesday. I should add since we're doing Accounting Of My Time here that NewFest and Tribeca Fest stuff start plaguing / entertaining me next week so my schedule's about to get nuts again -- on the positive side Summer Fridays at my day-job also kick off... well tomorrow now, I guess. Which means four-day weeks through Labor Day. Yes I am rambling! Let me ramble! I have half an hour to kill and need to stop fussing over my Tribeca schedule, which is much of what I've been working on this week. Anyway stay tuned -- coverage of those fests and lots more to come! Probably including me choking to death on my own bile! Have a great holiday weekend! Think of me like this (if you think of me at all):

Good Morning, World

When I saw Our Hero, Balthazar at Tribeca last year I was kinda annoyed that Noah Centineo kept that shirt on during the scene pictured above -- it really got in the way of the things I wanted to see, Noah! That said when this set photo presented itself a few days ago (thx Mac) I felt much more forgiving. And here we are. OHB hit theaters a few weeks ago and I believe it's still playing in some and not out on VOD yet -- I honestly wasn't all that crazy about it when I saw it but perhaps you'll dig it. Who knows? Opinions are like Noah Centineo's asshole -- if you wear a long shirt over them nobody will get to see them! Anyway even if the movie's not out on VOD you can find this scene on the internet, in places (ahem) -- I am going to wait until it hits VOD officially to make gifs. Blah blah blah happy Monday. Another fucking week to get through. Let's get to it, then.

Not Yo Momma's Natchez

A lot of today is going to be catching up on things that landed over the past week while I've had my head buried in Sundance, so let's kick it off with the one that makes me feel the fanciest so I've got the courage to trundle on after a long couch break -- I got another trailer blurb! I don't know how I missed this one since it dates back a few weeks but my review of the really nrather incredible little documentary Natchez, which I called...

... both "bracing and brilliant" made its way into the film's trailer, which I will share down below. I saw it at Tribeca last year -- it's about the small titular town in the South which is reliant upon plantation  tourism, and what that means in the here and now moment of time. There are people still romanticizing it a la Gone With the Wind of course, but there are brave people -- mainly of color because of course they have to do all the damn work themselves -- pushing back against those narratives. Anyway it's a smart portrait of our moment and I really recommend watching it when you can -- it started playing theaters (here in NYC it's at Film Forum) this past week. 

Space Fruits

A wonderful surreal and strange animated film called Boys Go To Jupiter landed here in NYC a couple of weeks ago (after screening at Tribeca earlier this year) and from there has been making the theatrical rounds -- I've been meaning to write it up for the past couple of weeks but... my brain y'all. Not in its best place right now. Anyway! I finally did! Write it up, that is, so click on over to Pajiba to read my thoughts upon it. It should also be said that it features the voices of both Julio Torres and Cole Escola, which somehow feels like the gay millenial version of crossing the streams. Anyway it's great, see it as soon as you have the chance. Here's the trailer:

Go Go Griffin!

I must have been buried in Fantasia Fest stuff when the official trailer for Griffin in Summer dropped because I can't fathom otherwise not sharing it until now. I saw this lovely comedy at Tribeca in June of last year and adored it -- here is my review -- and I've been awaiting news of its release (and posting sexy photos of Owen Teague) ever since. 

And the trailer gives you ample reason to see why I -- much like the character of Grffin himself -- discovered an Owen Teague fixation thanks to this movie. A first-time feature from writer-director Nicholas Colia (based on a short film he directed in 2017) this movie recalls the suburban acidity of Todd Solondz (clearly Colia worships at the altar of Welcome to the Dollhouse, and as well he should!) but with a real sweetness to it too. Having Melanie Lynskey play Mom is a dream come true for all the gay boys of the world, after all. So even as we're recoiling from our most obnoxious adolescent  traits writ cinematic, we're smiling the whole way. Here's the trailer:

The reason why I'm annoyed at myself for having delayed posting about this is -- Griffin in Summer is out next week! It hits theaters on August 29th! So I'm sorry to tell you this late but whatever plans you've made for Labor Day weekend you're just going to have to cancel them right now. This is more important than your stupid face sticking through a hole in a beach boardwalk photo-op that makes you look like a muscle-man and/or penguin. Priorities, people! But to make it even clearer here are a few more shots of Owen Teague to convince after the jump...

Logan Lerman Ten Times

There's a really delightfully dark little comedy called Oh, Hi! coming out in theaters tomorrow that stars Mr. Lerman opposite my beloved Molly Gordon of Shiva Baby and The Bear fame that I recommend you seek out when you get the chance -- I saw it at Tribeca last month but never got the chance to review it and I'm not going to get that chance this week either as it drops properly, so just consider these few scant words all the review you need -- it's a good time, and not just because Mr. Lerman spends 75% of it naked and handcuffed to a bed. (Here is the film's trailer.) Though...  not not that either. Anyway Mr. Lerman spoke to Bustle magazine about that movie and other stuff I assume (no I haven't read the interview yet) while getting photographed in some short shorts so natch we're on it. Hit the jump for the photos...

Frankly Dear Give a Damn

It's time for another Tribeca Fest 2025 review from yours truly -- this time I'm tackling the Best Doc winner Natchez, which takes a look at the titular town in Mississippi which earns its tourism dollars off of Ye Olde Antebellum Mansions within its borders. Click here to read my thoughts at Pajiba in full but the baseline is it's a really fantastic documentary and I hope it gets far and wide play because it tells its dark story accessibly and with sharp humor that should hopefully cut the "Heritage not Hate" bullshit off at its knees. 

Telepathic Teenage Nightmare Time

Time for another Tribeca 2025 review! I have a feeling that this one will play even better for people who are parents, but forever and proudly childless me really liked the German satire What Marielle Knows, which is about what happens when a teenage girl suddenly gains the supernatural ability to know everything her mom and dad are doing and saying at all times. Click over to Pajiba to read my review. It 100% feels like a movie that will be remade poorly here in the U.S. so try to see this original version first. It gets real dark in a very funny way, which I could see Hollywood really bastardizing and missing the entire point of. 

Take a Lee Pace Lunch Break

I was a really big fan of Lucio Castro's queer romance End of the Century the first time I saw it in 2019 (here is what I wrote about it) and it's only grown better with every successive viewing. So needless to say I was pretty excited when I saw that Castro's new movie After This Death starring Lee Pace was playing at Tribeca this year! It was probably my most anticipated at the entire fest and it did not let me down -- I absolutely loved it, go read my thoughts over at Pajiba. I tried to not be spoilery but to be honest it's kind of an impossible movie to spoil because it's all about the vibe. Even knowing what's going on plot-wise won't get in the weird way of how Castro tells the story. I was enthused, to put it mildly, to see that he's already finished another movie and it played Cannes last month (and a quick scan of reviews showed me people seemed to like it) so we might get it also this year? We deserve this. 

All About Andrea

In between all of the many, many, many Tribeca screenings I've been to over the past several days I did actually manage to drop a review -- click over to Pajiba to read my thoughts on Dragonfly, the latest tour de Andrea Riseborough. She remains one of my favorite actresses working today and this movie offers plenty more fuel for that fire. Oh and her co-star Brenda Blethyn ain't no slouch! Good pretty solidly fucked up movie.

Where There's Smoke There's Taron

There's a series hitting Apple at the end of June called Smoke that stars Taron Egerton as a former fireman turned arson investigator who's on the trail of a (cue The Prodigy song playing in your head) fire-stahtah -- you can watch the trailer here. It looks very Backdraft to me -- hopefully we get Taron in a shower scene like Billy Baldwin's legendary one in that movie then. (It is from the same folks who made Black Bird and that movie wasn't shy about showing off Taron so fingers crossed!) The series is premiering at Tribeca in a couple of weeks so maybe I'll see some of it there and have something to say. The most important thing (aside from the shower scene possibility obviously) is that Thom Yorke of my favorite band Radiohead has just dropped a new song that's for the show's soundtrack! Here it is:

Good Morning, World

Catching Dust writer-director Stuart Gatt -- who we should obviously note is very very attractive himself -- has on his Insta been sharing a pile of behind-the-scenes photos from that Texas neo-noir starring Jai Courtney and Erin Moriarty, but it wasn't until he shared the above image that I found myself compelled to share. Actually compelled to do a lot of things, but sharing that photo is the one of them I will tell you about! Catching Dust can be rented on Amazon right now -- I saw it when it screened at Tribeca last year and I remember liking it well enough, if not quite enough to inspire the writing of a review from me, but Mr. Gatt is being so generous with these photos I am telling you right now, go watch his movie! He's a good boy and deserves the views! Hit the jump for a few more photos (and one video) of note...

Good Morning, World

While I'm not the biggest fan of that silly ass scalloped tank top they put him in (this is an example of exactly the kind of shit I was complaining about while praising the beautiful clothes that Kit Harington wore in GQ earlier this week) I was happy to see that Behind the Blinds magazine shared a couple of bonus photos of actor Owen Teague yesterday, to add onto that great big post of them I shared back at the beginning of July. And since we're here P.S. the wonderful movie he stars in called Griffin in Summer that I love love loved at Tribeca (my review here) that really kicked off this crush still doesn't have a release date, but I will certainly keep you abreast of any information once it becomes known to us. Good morning!

Good Morning, Owen Teague Twenty-Two Times

At the start of June I reviewed a movie called Griffin In Summer that premiered at Tribeca -- I absolutely and totally adored the film, it was my favorite at the fest, and I wasn't alone because it won the award for the Best Narrative Feature from the fest itself. The movie's about a tween named Griffin (Everett Blunck) who falls in love with the much older handyman (played by Owen Teague) that his mom (Melanie Lynskey) hires, and as I said here at MNPP when linking to my review the film had me suffering much the same fate -- I am now crushing like mad on Owen Teague. 

So imagine my joy, my ebullience, when I opened the internet this morning and this extremely gratuitous and plentiful photoshoot of Owen for Behind the Blinds magazine greeted me the very first thing! Yes this is the second grand Blinds photoshoot in as many days -- see Arnaud Valois yesterday -- somebody over there deserves a raise. Anyway it's one hell of a hot set of photos so let's just get them them! Hit the jump... 

We're Cuckoo For Coon

If you don't already love Carrie Coon then you're not doing it right. The woman can act, the woman can wear big hats, the woman can opine on the superiority of physical media -- she's got it all, kids! And so we take note when she gets a proper showcase for her talents, and Lake George, a new neo-noir that just premiered at Tribeca, is plenty proper. Here is my review at Pajiba. The film stars her and the terribly underappreciated Shea Whigham and it's a showcase for him too! Two for one, baby. 

Good Morning, World

Comedian and actor -- Fire Island holla -- Joel Kim Booster is scorching up the pages of Out magazine this month, check his interview here. He's mainly talking his Apple series Loot, a show I inexplicably don't watch -- I am sorry, Maya Rudolph, feel free to slap me silly if we ever meet. I'll get to it sometime. Any fans? Anyway it doesn't come up but Joel is featured in a doc about queer comedy called Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution which just dropped on Netflix...

... and that is a thing I have watched, and I can speak of -- it's really great! It presents a wide-ranging history of LGBTQ comedians while managing to be very funny and kinda moving along the way. I saw it during Tribeca and it's not the sort of thing I could write an entire review around (most docs stump me when it comes to writing about them at length tbh) but I was surprised how interesting I found it, and it's well worth a watch. So go check that out. And also, natch, go check out these hot new photos of Joel after the jump...

On The Knife's Edge

If you're not familiar with Nnamdi Asomugha yet -- he's a former football player turned actor -- then you are probably gonna wanna go ahead and familiarize yourselves with him right now, because Asomugha has just written and directed his first film (as well as acted the lead) and it's very good! It's called The Knife and it's about the immediate aftermath of a home invasion on a black family -- The Knife just premiered at Tribeca and I just reviewed it at Pajiba, read that right here. The film co-stars Aja Naomi King, Manny Jacinto (in a cop uniform), and Melissa Leo, and I think this one will definitely get some attention down the road -- I found it moving and incredibly tense at times; oh and Leo gives one of her best performances in awhile, too. So keep your eyes out for this one and Asomugha too!

The Michaels Angarano & Cera Movie

Long-time MNPP fave Michael Angarano wrote and directed and starred in a movie called Sacramento that just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival -- it co-stars Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, and Angarano's real-life partner (and PEN15 star) Maya Erskine, and its plot perfectly fits the description of approximately one million other movies in that it is about two estranged friends at a cross-roads in their lives going on a road trip to discover yadda yadda. But even if the tropes it traffics in are old, Angarano went and made a very lovely little movie anyway -- read my review of Sacramento over at Pajiba. I love all of these actors and the movie really feels genuine and true and it is a very nice way to spend ninety minutes of your time. What more can you ask for? Michael Angarano wearing a top-hat and nothing else -- sure! But I guess he can't do that every time out. I guess! (Find somewhere to do that again in your next one, Michael.) 

Jake Takes Tribeca

Remember that scene in Pretty Woman where Richard Gere bangs Julia Roberts on the piano in the hotel bar? I hadn't thought of that scene in eons but looking at that photo of Jake Gyllenhaal brought it all flooding right back for some reason. Huh, wonder why? Aaanyway that photo is one I missed from his THR shoot last week -- see the rest here. I come bearing (and baring!) a few other Jake-flavored things, too -- most importantly the word that... 

Yeah so #PresumedInnocent is now streaming on Apple+ https://t.co/E6RZaeDTpG pic.twitter.com/dvCJojRflO

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) June 13, 2024

... yes, his Apple+ series Presumed Innocent is now streaming on Apple+. I think it's just the first two episodes? I don't know, I haven't checked, but I do believe this series is a weekly thing not a binge-it-all-at-once thing. I got to see the first two episodes at Tribeca this past week, which you might already know if you saw me shrieking on Twitter about stumbling into Jake in person -- in the flesh, as they say -- right before the screening. I posted a couple of photos on Twitter but why would I not share more if I have more? Indeed -- there is no coherent reason why I would not do that. So let's hit the jump for Jake's flesh in the vicinity of my flesh (including a video from the Q&A following the screening!)...

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Weekend

A second Tribeca review by yours truly is up at Pajiba -- click here to read my thoughts on the Nigerian horror flick The Weekend, which is about a dude bringing his pregnant girlfriend home to meet the in-laws and well, how do such things ever go in horror movies? Not so great! Anyway it's quite good and I hope it gets a proper U.S. drop. It's mostly in English so language shouldn't even be a barrier. Anyway keep your eyes out for it! I recommend. Oh and if you're here in NYC the movie is playing one more time at the fest on Saturday, get tickets over here.