Open Thread.

The finale of our Thelma & Louise retrospective will be up later tonight. But for now tell us... What's on your cinematic mind?

Comments

[DAVID]

Wondering what my crush Diane Lane is up to lately... I went to her imdb page and saw she is filming a movie called "PARIS CAN WAIT" with Alec Baldwin...

Description:
"Anne is at a crossroads in her life. Long married to a successful, driven but inattentive movie producer, she unexpectedly finds herself taking a car trip from Cannes to Paris with a business associate of her husband. What should be a seven-hour drive turns into a carefree two-day adventure replete with diversions involving picturesque sights, fine food and wine, humor, wisdom and romance, reawakening Anne's senses and giving her a new lust for life."

Sounds cute. and she can do this type of role in her sleep though (Under the Tuscan Sun)

But I miss her on screen so I'll take it. :)

[forever1267]

I'm going to a sneak preview of a movie called "Birth of the Dragon", which is about a mysterious fight that Bruce Lee was in that changed the history of martial arts. Mysteriously, there is no movie by that name on IMDB. Who knows?

[Nick]

I've been on a quest to watch 365 Short Films this year, and I had these thoughts that have been bugging me.

I've noticed a trend in my goal, and it's that white, male directors tend to play in a few buzzwords or phrases for me: 'gritty', 'proof of concept', 'ambitious', 'open worlded'. This is creating a negative connotation in me; 'pretentious', 'privileged', 'fragmented', 'monotonous'. If I see that a short film got optioned for full length, I just assume it's a male director.

When I do see short films by women or POC, I tend to see them as 'personal', 'self contained' movies. It's not to call them unambitious, but it's clear that the whole body of work for this idea is here, and not be held back by the fact they aren't getting 2 million in funding for an idea, because they know they might not get it. I see a great short in this category and look for more information on it's creator and find out they don't have any interest from the industry, any buzz that lead to further accolades or opportunities, while movies that look like they have been shot on the same sets with the same sepia filters are leading to the next generation of Hollywood directors.

The Trevorrow-ing of cinema, if you will.

[cal roth]

It's Pam Grier birthday and I am thinking about Quentin Tarantino's best movie, Jackie Brown. He's SO GOOD with actresses. I really want him to make another movie with a female lead.

[brookesboy]

I can't stop pondering the eternal allure of Jane Fonda. Having just wrapped viewing of S1 of Grace and Frankie, there's only one question: how does this woman continue to enchant us with so much cinematic sorcery?

Oh and as always--Jennifer Jones.

[Nick]

Eagerly awaiting your revisiting of Desperately Seeking Susan -- is that still happening?

[Volvagia]

Wondering when WB will start trying to actually mine the Cartoon Network back catalogue for live-action and animated properties. I'd figure it's a flop or two away at this point.

[Cris]

I’ve been daydreaming all day and pairing great auteurs with actresses. Here are some that I’ve thought of.
Michael Haneke and Sandra Bullock (She’s fluent in German!); Michelle Pfeiffer and Luca Guadagnino (How his camera would love Michelle); Lupita Nyong’o and George Miller (I can’t help but to imagine Lupita in Mad Max); Uma Thurman and Linklater (I know they’ve worked together before, but this would be a project only for her); Gong Li and Pedro Almodovar (because both know how to work with the color RED); Isabelle Huppert and Ridley Scott (Hey, it’s MY fantasy); Winona Ryder and Sofia Coppola (Because I miss both so much!)

[Peggy Sue]

Why is Jodie Foster so overrated?

[Santy C.]

I was thinking of favorite Movies That Never Were. I specifically have a great fondness for a certain Spike Lee joint called, "Cracker with a Heart of Gold" starring Pam Grier and Jude Law. 0;)

[Mojo]

Keira Knightley is underrated because she's overrated.

[Paul Outlaw]

What if Meryl Streep had remained mainly in theater and a young Cherry Jones had been snatched up by Hollywood? Would Streep have as many Tonys as Audra and would Jones have three Oscars now?

[Tom]

@ Cris I always thought Sandra Bullock should be playing a Nazi hunter in a spy thriller.
And as Brookesboy brought up Jennifer Jones (we love her) I know there was a recent post about how modern actors would fare during the studio years. Which studio year actors would still be stars today? Off the top of my head I think Rita Hayworth and Burt Lancaster would be alright in current cinema.

[AR]

I'm trying to pick out something special for my 1000th Letterboxd log.

[AmandaBuffamonteezi]

It was Anne Heche's birthday yesterday and I refuse to NOT talk about her, even if it gets cumbersome. Checked out her IMDb profile and she has a few projects lined up, but I'm wondering whether she's ever going to get a part as incredible as the ones Naomi Watts manages to constantly under-serve. Also, Jennifer Connelly, post-Cold Mountain Renee Zellweger (Imagining what a fantastic Roxy Hart she'd have made entertains me so much) and I might get shot for suggesting this, but Heche has the soul that's missing in many a Cate Blanchett perf.
Hollywood was certainly unkind to this one.

[brookesboy]

Tom--you are the man!!!

[shawshank]

Just watched Blonde Venus. That movie is gonzo strange, but very entertaining. I don't think I'll be doing HMWYBS, but the dress she's wearing at the end as she gets her child's bath ready...glamour.

[MDA]

I'm just wishing for better options at my local movie theatre.

[MrW]

Last weekend, I binge-watched Xavier Dolan's entire filmography as a director (except his most recent Cannes entry) within 48 hours, having previously been familiar with only his debut feature and the 'Hello' music video. I was prepared for a lot of things, but not for a sweeping three-hour epic in a period setting - 'Laurence Anyways' is not the kind of film a 23-year old is supposed to make, and it is simply stunning to watch, and I can only wonder what films he is going to make in 10, 20 and 50 years time.

Ever since, I keep telling people that this guy is the best thing to happen to world cinema since Fassbinder (and Fassbinder is my all-time favorite director).

I guess you can call me a fanboy.

@Cris:
Sandra Bullock is fluent in German, but it appears she has an accent she is apparently so ashamed about that she refuses to give interviews in German. I've been actively looking for videos of her speaking German, and the best I could find were interviews in American talk shows in which she talks about her German relatives and lets a German word or two slip in. Seeing that, I'm afraid to say I rather doubt she will drop her veil and shoot an entire movie in German.

[Milton]

Having just been underwhelmed after seeing RIO, EU TE AMO , what actors and directors do you think should be acquired for the next film of the project CITIES OF LOVE? The next city is Shanghai if I'm not mistaken.I'd call imediately Oscar Isaac, Lupita and Xavier Dolan.As much as I love PARIS JE T'AIME it' be a shame if it was the only highlight of said project.

[NATHANIEL R]

Amanda -- i join you in frustration about Anne Heche's career. and it's a brilliant suggestion to just replace naomi watts with her in most things ;)

[mark]

Hi Nat,have you ever interviewed somebody who turned out to be a let down.

[mark]

Are you pleased they're replacing Daniel Craig as BOND maybe for Jamie Bell.

[NATHANIEL R]

mark -- yes, a few times. but I shan't name names since i value access to celebrities :)

and i'll believe Bond rumors only when someone has actually signed a contract.

[mark]

You think Craig has it in him to get the good roles or will he be forever Bond.

[DJDeeJay]

I'm thinking about how excited I am that Luca Guadagnino is directing the adaptation of Call Me By Your Name. It is such a great, sexy, kinda heartbreaking novel about a gay teen and his slightly older crush and I've always wondered if it would ever get adapted for the big screen. Guadagnino might just be the perfect choice.

[TOM]

*Really wondering when your website will get rid of the INSIDE OUT/GOOD DINOSAUR advertising? Time for FINDING DORY----

[James from Ames]

I would love Sandra Bullock to surprise everyone with a German-speaking cameo. Remember when Jodie Foster popped up as a Polish French-speaking WWI widow in A Very Long Engagement? It's still one of my favorite of her performances.

Watching Scarface for the first time ever (I know, I know), I am surprised that Michelle Pfeiffer's great star-making entrance -- the long elevator descent, her tiny sways to the music, that DRESS -- is eclipsed by Steven Bauer's shoulda-been star-making entrance. The camera was just making love to him while he struts through the immigration camp in a tank and those red pants.

[jakey]

I've never seen "Scarface" straight through. I remember in high school film class we got to watch it and it was a huge controversy because the 11th graders that year couldn't show their spring fling video as it was deemed inappropriate, but Scarface was still okay. I still slept through it. I slept through everything. But I *do* love La Pfeiffer's comments on the performance on Inside The Actors Studio, when she said she purposely turned down roles where the woman was just the set piece or just the girlfriend; Elvira is that set piece, but her character is SAYING SOMETHING about those kinds of women.

I am enjoyed "Lady Dynamite" on Netflix far too much.