Lunchtime Poll: What Cartoon Should Come With a Trigger Warning?

In last weekend's most hilarious Golden Globes presentation, Kristen Wiig & Steve Carell equated Fantasia and Bambi with utterly traumatic childhood experiences. Which begs the question...

What cartoon sends you spiralling into depression? 

JOSE: Dumbo! As a giant eared child, it brings back so many traumas. 

ERIC:  Dumbo.  When caged Mama's trunk reaches for Dumbo's trunk: merciless!

NICK: The Legend of Bagger Vance.

KIM: Toy Story 3 was a pretty traumatic viewing experience for me; I came out of the theatre with my eyes almost swollen shut from crying. (The holding hands when they all thought they were going to die, you guys!) If I harken back to a movie that sent me off the edge as a kid, I'm going to go with The Secret of Nimh. I know it ENDS happily, but that movie is DARK. 

JORGE:  Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle throws me into a deep pit of out-of-body melancholy.

DAVID:  The Fox and the Hound is a regular feature in my nostalgic nightmares, even though I haven't watched it since I was about twelve and the VHS gave out. Under the weight of emotional distress, no doubt.

STEVEN:  Every time I think about the fact that there is a Cars 3 coming I get depressed. Does that count?

Happy 50th Emily Watson!!

Chris here, wishing a happy 50th birthday to one of our most underserved contemporary actresses, Emily Watson!

And around this time she’s also celebrating her 20th anniversary for her first Oscar nomination for her debut in Breaking the Waves, a performance that time simply doesn’t diminish...

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Pfandom: More than a pretty face? Too soon to tell.

a 1979 publicity photo

P F A N D O M  
Michelle Pfeiffer Retrospective. Episode 2 
by Nathaniel R 

All Pfans, if not fans, know and relish Michelle Pfeiffer's very first line onscreen. Say it with me now... 

Who is he, Niobe?!

Fantasy Island S2E10 "The Island of Lost Women"
First aired November 25th, 1978 

The line was spoken, emphatically, even giddily, while Pfeiffer gave the goofy Robert Morse (no really) a thorough twice over with her eyes while her hands investigated, too. She barely even looked at Niobe, so intoxicating was the sight of the only man in the vicinity. When Niobe tells her the man has magical powers, her eyes flash with unhinged if virginal comic eroticism. "REALLY?!?"...

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A Gugu Mbatha-Raw Superhero Movie?

Chris here. As if Gugu Mbatha-Raw's superpowers of extreme watchability and versatility aren't enough to satisfy us, she'll be getting the more fantastical kind for her next movie. And no, we're not talking a comic book adaptation, but something original. The underrated actress will star in Fast Color as a superpowered woman on the run that must seek shelter from her estranged family. The project promises three generations of women, so stayed tuned for more casting. Hopefully they'll be names as intriguing as Gugu.

If this all sounds a bit like a female Midnight Special, rest assured it's in smart hands. Julia Hart will be directing from a script she cowrote with Jordan Horowitz. Hart & Horowitz were also behind this year's tiny gem Miss Stevens (not to be confused by Gugu's own Miss Sloane), which features a fantastic performance from Lily Rabe. Miss Stevens is currently on Netflix, so be sure to catch up to it.

Mbatha-Raw will be everywhere at the movies this year - Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time, the upcoming Cloverfield film, and Beauty and the Beast. But could Fast Color be the one that brings her the accolades she deserves?

GALECA Nominees

By Glenn Dunks.

The Film Experience would be remiss to not mention the nominations of the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) given there are multiple members among the writing team here. Last year the organisation went all in on Carol for obvious reasons, winning five awards. This year another Oscar-favored film with LGBTQ themes leads the pack with seven nominations.

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