Links: Andorra, Amelie, Billy & Jon. Plus Hayao Miyazaki Again?
The Kinsey Report looks back at the troubled history of early 80s sensation Gene Anthony Ray (aka "Leroy" from Fame)
Variety Director Fred Schepisi (Six Degrees of Separation, Roxanne, Plenty) is lining up an all star cast for his new dramatic thriller Andorra: Vanessa Redgrave, Guy Pearce, Toni Collette, Clive Owen and more. Can he regain some of his 80s/90s heat? None of his films have had much impact in the last 20 or so years
/Film Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on a secret Disney project with Zootopia's director. Guess he liked that Moana experience
Towleroad an interview with Martha Plimpton on The Real O'Neals and becoming a new gay icon
Metro Michael Shannon is not afraid to speak his mind on the current political climate. Also he has a bajillion movies coming out
AV Club why Moana will be named Oceania in Italy
AV Club Beauty & The Beast (1991) remains Disney's best modern movie
Pajiba Carrie Fisher & Harrison Ford were totally doing it on the set of Star Wars in 1976
Coming Soon Robert Heinlein's classic Stranger in a Strange Land is being adapted to series on the Syfy network
LAist Multi-hyphenate talent Rob Reiner, like Michael Shannon, is not holding his tongue about our new US nightmare
Stage
Theater Mania Philippa Soo of Hamilton fame takes on Audrey Tatou's famous role in the musicalization of movie favorite Amelie beginning in LA next month before a Broadway transfer. If you're in LA let us know how it is, won't you?!
Playbill Molly Ringwald is back on stage, taking on Shirley Maclaine's role in a stage version of Terms of Endearment. It opens tonight.
Playbill If you've never seen Sweeney Todd on stage you have another chance early next year at the Barrow Street theater. The British cast of a new production is transferring over but when they leave in early April, Norm Lewis and Carolee Carmello (both of whom have sensational vocal instruments) will replace them. I guess we've got to see it twice!
Today's Watch: A new "Billy on the Street"
Would you have a threesome with Billy and Jon Hamm?
The Only Magically Great News in Weeks
Hayao Miyazaki wants to come out of retirement for one last film. The 75 year old director has pitched a feature (sprung from a short Boro the Caterpillar) that he wants made by 2020.
Reader Comments (12)
Can I have a threesome with Billy and Billy from three years ago before he got ripped instead?
"Would I have a threesome with Billy and Jon? Does that even need to be asked?"
Thread HiJack Alert: Shelley Duvall will be on Dr. Phil today. It's... not a good story. There's a depressing teaser online.
Back on-topic--
Re: Stranger in a Strange Land. This is one of my favorite books, so I hope they don't fuck it up. Although I'd be pleased if they updated the heteronormative aspects of the 1961 original material. I remember being bothered by that already in the '80s.
Re: Amelie. I've never even seen the movie, so I wasn't really planning on going to the musical. Hmm...
Note to Billy Eichner: Sometimes I don't like to share.
The Billy person is the most annoying creature on Earth.
Amelie the musical sounds odd, with how quiet Amelie was. Maybe she only sings and is silent through the rest? Terms of Endearment has plenty to work with musical-wise.
Also, Norm Lewis was supposed to be in a production of Man of La Mancha in Seattle, but disappeared last minute. Like, the show started, and everyone was wondering where the f**K he was. Sweeney Todd is likely a much better choice, because besides Don Darryl Rivera as Sancho Panza, the production was kind of a mess. Still can't determine if it was the direction or set design, but it was not cohesive.
Billy Eichner is a national treasure and Jon Hamm is sex.
@Paul Outlaw: I read a lot of Heinlein when I was about 11 to 13. I remember thinking that Stranger in a Strange Land was like the prototype for Charlie's Angels (I don't remember why though).
Re-reading Heinlein is odd, because I realize that there's passages I just skipped over, where he's philosophizing or talking about politics or the meaning of life. I like his lively plots, but he's sure someone who likes the sound of his own voice.
"Of course not. Oh, JON HAMM, yeah!" wins.
Great selection.
Gene Anthony Ray was such and amazing dancer. Too bad TV wasn't prestigious in the 80s
For Andorra, the cast is delicious. And I am totally sold with James Ivory as the Executive Producer. Yes please!
I remember thinking that Stranger in a Strange Land was like the prototype for Charlie's Angels ..
That is bizarre, adri! ;-) That is not an association I would ever make.
What is actual currency in Andorra? Do they accept euro?