Man of Link
Monday, June 17, 2013 at 7:30AM Film Studies for Free collects essays on Todd Haynes' 1995 masterpiece [safe]
Advocate Man of Steel as gay allegory?
Scriptnotes discusses The Little Mermaid in depth. For a whole podcast
Guardian lists the 5 best performances of Kevin Costner. And it's SO bizarre I don't even know where to start. No Bull Durham (which as Tim correctly stated this week is by far his best work) but Robin Hood: Prince of Thi.... no I can't even type the full title out. Blargh!
Pajiba celebrates Men in Tights given that Supes is back in theaters
Cinema Blend Marvin Gaye Biopic starring Jesse L Martin doesn't have funds to finish production. Boo. I need another biopic about a famous singer with drug problems like I need another superhero flick but I like Jesse.
/Film Sandra Bullock for Miss Hannigan in Annie? That could be fun but as always say it with me now... "can she sing?"
In Contention a biopic of Ingrid Bergman? I can deal with that... especially since this possible new one has a tight focus on one moment in her life (the best kind of bio)
Off Cinema
Salon on the battle over Detroit's art collection. News from my first home always seems to be bad :(
Towleroad Cheyenne Jackson pleads "Don't Look at Me" in his new video. We disobey
Vulture the ten best oral sex faces of the 2013 tv season
Reader Comments (20)
Bullock is a not a good choice. Miss Hannigan deserves a broad. Midler would kill that role.
Am I one of the only people who think that Sandra is a rather inspired choice? I mean, her talents lie in comedy, and more than that she is a very gifted physical comedian, which is even harder to do. Playing a drunk who is desperate filled with self-pity who slurs her words and her vocals has the potential for greatness in Bullock's hands.
I'd take a role like this over another 'Blind Side' any day!
Five Best Costner performances: JFK and Field of Dreams are, no question, correct and The Untouchables is definitely top 10, at least.
My Five:
1. Bull Durham (1988 is so tight in Lead Actor that, even though it's HIS best performance, he's still only 12th place.)
2. JFK (In the director's cut especially, because I dare any actor to pull off that extended twenty minute speech and still hold audience attention. 1991 isn't nearly as tight as 1988, so this can claim 4th place.)
3. Field of Dreams (The film is, uh, a little cheesy, but he's trying as hard as he can with the material. Again, though, I think he's 11th or 12th.)
4. Dances with Wolves (It's a sharp drop, as far as acting quality goes, from the third place offering to this. But it's still pretty good work that still blows Sam Worthington's take on this arc out of the water.)
5. Swing Vote. (I admit, this is mostly because I haven't seen The Upside of Anger, but he brings a nicely tuned warm naturalism to the part, resulting in something a few levels above the grating and boring Man of the Year.)
Too bad about that Marvin Gaye biopic; like you Nathaniel I'm not a fan but his life would make for an interesting film, especially his relationship with his father.
Costner's Best Performances
Bull Durham
The Upside of Anger
JFK
The Untouchables
Mr. Brooks
[safe] is Haynes' best film by far. I never felt so claustrophobic to a space that banal and ordinary and frankly, not at all small. I actually think it is better as a Sirkian melodrama than Far From Heaven if just because it never announces itself as an homage or tribute to Sirk, but you can imagine had Sirk been around in the 90s he would make a movie just like that.
Man of Steel gay allegory: Really? If you were to read it like that, it'd be more HORRIBLE than ignoring those parallels and moving on. If the reports of what the movie is like are true, than this "Superman" is a hypocritical thug who doesn't, actually, care about saving people in any sort of practical mass scale sense. Read this:
http://badassdigest.com/2013/06/15/why-the-destruction-in-man-of-steel-matters/
And consider any and all "metaphors" and "allegories" null and void. Hope you enjoy your Bearded Idiot of Steel right now. As for me? I'm waiting to watch it as a library borrow in extreme protest.
Is that list some sort of stealth mocking of Kevin Costner? Like, "These were the best five we could come up with?" Because that's the only explanation I can think of for such an insane list. The correct answer:
1. The Upside of Anger
2. Bull Durham
3. A Perfect World
4. Open Range
5. Tin Cup
The man might not have a ton of range, but when you need an athlete (current or former) or a cowboy, he's your guy.
I think Bullock is inspired for all the reasons Peggy Sue mentions. Plus, Hanigan doesn't have to have a great voice, just be able to sing on key. It almost works better if the voice is as haggard as she is. She is also a somewhat experienced dancer (latin) so I think it will work.
Anyone else see the Wolf of Wall St trailer? Yes, No, Maybe So? Nat?
Robin Hood was so good his accent didn't matter? What movie was he watching? True Alan Rickman was great and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was a very fair Marian but the movie as a whole and Costner in particular were bad. I think the best, loosest, and most fun he ever has been on screen was in Silverado.
I like Sandra Bullock very much but Miss Hannigan she ain't. Her basic screen presence even when she's doing drama is one of an underlying warmth plus from all available evidence she can't sing. I second the Bette Midler suggestion, she's tear it up. If not her then Catherine Zeta-Jones, she certainly can sing and talk about a frosty persona.
Who today has Ingrid Bergman's luminescent qualities? No one I can think of, so to me the bio is a bad idea. Even if she was younger I don't know if Isabella Rossellini could pull if off and if she couldn't who could?
I didn't realize that Kevin Costner had five performances worthy of ranking?
Thanks so much for sending me to the Advocate and their take on MAN OF STEEL. Very interesting and fun to consider. I have to say when I was watching the film when little SuperEmo was thrown against that chain link fence by the other boys - the first thought I had was of Matthew Shepherd. Sorry but I've gotta believe he was somewhere in somebody's mind when that was shot that way. Anyway - I really like your friend's, JA, take on MAN OF STEEL over on his MyNewPlaidPants.blogspot.com site. He summarizes for me the biggest problem I had with the film. Welcome back, btw. I do hope you had some real rest and relaxation.
Man of Steel as a gay allegory? Didn't I just read about it being a Christian allegory?
What does it all mean?!
I've wanted Jenifer Lewis to play Miss Hannigan ever since this remake was announced, I should've known they'd want to go with a big name for that role. Oh, well.
I have trouble believing that either Sandra Bullock or Catherine Zeta-Jones would have had any trouble finding a man through the years, an integral aspect to the part. They're both a bit Vogue cover model to seem "always the bridesmaid."
John - yeah I'd love to see Toni Collette do it (but then she's always my choice for musicals) or
Sandra's IMDB bio says, ''Hates musicals and vows to never participate in one.'' I guess she really can't stand ''Annie'' and that makes her perfect cast.
Sandra Bullock as Miss Hannigan makes very little sense to me. Yes, she's a great comedienne, but... well... isn't this the "all-black" version with Quevenzhane Wallis? And if that's so, wouldn't Loretta Devine or Sheryl Lee Ralph (two of the original Broadway Dreamgirls) be perfect casting choices? Or Alfre Woodard? Or Angela Bassett? Or Vanessa Williams? Or, well... ANY OTHER MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN OF COLOR?!?!? There are few enough roles for them as it is, let alone great scene-stealing semi-lead ones.
OMG, how hilarious would it be if Oprah was Miss Hannigan?!? I smell Oscar!!!
After her Tony showcase, Jane Lynch needs to play Miss Hannigan.
^I literally opened the comments to say just that. Lynch was incredible in Annie at the Tonys. Much as I think Sandra would be a good choice (if she can sing), earlier commenters were right - the role needs a broad. Jane Lynch is a hell of a broad.
denny -- i love the Loretta Devine suggestion!