Happy Birthday, Rosario Dawson!

Chris here, showering love an underpraised actress. It's Rosario Dawson's birthday! Dawson is always everywhere and usually when you least expect her - this year alone she's popped up on your TV screens (various Netflix Marvel shows), in animation (The LEGO Batman Movie), and some good old schlock (Unforgettable). Those may be more populist fare, but she's always been something of an indie darling ever since her debut in the controversial Kids (1995), effortlessly charming no matter the genre or budget. By now after working with majors like Tarantino and Danny Boyle, you would think she would have some awards love somewhere to go with a tireless career. Nope, not even a Globe nomination for being the best part of Rent. I'd imagine once she lands in a major awards contender, that will quickly change.

Perhaps that omission is due to what a natural, unshowy presence Dawson is onscreen regardless of genre or degree of difficulty, or maybe that wretched fate of playing supportive girlfriends that befalls too many strong actresses? Quick: name another performer who can emerge unscathed from an occasional turkey with a solid performance (she's pretty solid in Unforgettable, guys). She's smart, unflappable, and dryly funny, always so real that you buy every word. And let's not forget, she's also pretty badass.

For her best work, I'd offer either Trance (which works precisely because of her watchability and believability despite being silly) or Top Five, one of our most underrated recent romantic comedies. What's your favorite Rosario Dawson performance?

Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"

by Chris Feil

Superhero sequels these days seem burdened to go more bigger than bombastic. If the entire human race isn’t at stake and they aren’t finding new ways to topple more and more skyscrapers, they aren’t following the rules of engagement. So it is with some relief that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 operates very much on the same level and ambitions as its predecessor, its sights on delivering what it did before and just as well. It gets what we loved about it before, and doesn’t mistake it for empty spectacle.

That means more bickering, more quips, and more retro tunes as our space badasses once again defend the galaxy - but also about the same amount of scale in regards to what they are saving us from...

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YNMS: "Thor: Ragnarok"

Chris here. Though next month brings Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we here at The Film Experience are keeping even more of an eye on November's threequel Thor: Ragnarok. The first looks of Cate Blanchett as villain Hela has had us all giddy, even those who might be irked at one of our greats hopping into the MCU at this stage. My bet is if she has fun, so will we - no matter how her turn with Indiana Jones turned out.

But it's more than actressing that's got us hyped for another go with the Asgardian hero. With Taika Waititi at the helm, we can expect a hard left turn from the previous Thor installment The Dark World's gloominess. Seriously, readers, if you haven't checked out his most recent lovable yucksters What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, do yourself a favor.

This week we got our action-packed first look at the vibrant trailer. Take a look for yourself and we'll break down the Yes No Maybe So after the jump...

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And the Link Goes To...

Daily Mail Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman reunite... but for an interview series, not a film
The Muse Rich Juzwiak talks to Anne Hathaway about Colossal and the very tired subject of 'Hathahaters'... as I've always said: their loss, she's awesome.
Deadline omg Toni Collette has a lead role again (opposite Thomas Haden Church)
Criterion Director Amy Heckerling (Clueless) visits the Criterion Closet. She loves Federico Fellini, the story of Billy Wilder and Tokyo Story

Coming Soon Director Sam Mendes is considering a movie based on the graphic novel My Favorite Thing is Monsters  about a little girl trying to solve her neighbors murder
Towleroad there's a new documentary about Heath Ledger
This is Not Porn and speaking of... polaroids from the set of Brokeback Mountain
Hollywood Reporter 4 Japanese actresses discuss Ghost in the Shell. This is a fun conversation but I wish they'd engaged more with the central twist of the Scarlett Johansson character because that's something I would love to hear people discuss apart from the white-washing issue. It is a separate thorny issue actually and not entirely unlike Get Out's existential horror about race relations and bodies at odds with souls... or "ghosts" in this film's parlance.

Oscar Dates 
I'm not sure why the internet treated the news that the next Oscars would be held on March 4th, 2018 as "news" today but they did. The Academy announced the date two or three years ago (they normally announce multiple dates at once). For example: in the latest press release they've added the next four Oscar ceremony dates. It's the other dates (nominations, luncheon, etcetera) that we never know until we're in the film year

Next Four Oscar Nights

• 90th Academy Awards - March 4th, 2018 (nominations on January 23rd)
• 91st Academy Awards - February 24th, 2019
• 92nd Academy Awards - February 23rd, 2020
• 93rd Academy Awards - February 28th, 2021  

Off Cinema
MNPP on the subtle importance of Zachary Quinto's public romances
Variety the Lucille Lortel nominations (Off Broadway)
Theater Mania I've been so bored that NYC's free summer theater tradition Shakespeare in the Park has been strictly Shakespeare for a few years now. Despite the name they used to mix in non-Shakespeare stuff which made it less basic. But they get good casts. This summer: A Midsummer Night's Dream with two of Broadway's very best performers (Danny Burstein & Annaleigh Ashford) and Julius Caesar with Corey Stoll, Nikki M James, Elizabeth Marvel and more
Vox interesting piece on Sanrio's most popular character since Hello Kitty
Mic new study suggests cats like humans more than food. Great article punchline.
EW Lots of online furor when Marvel VP suggests that their recent diversity push has hurt comics sales. Oh Marvel. That is not the problem. You have so many of them but that ain't it. 

Tweetweek: Dull Iron Fist, Immortal Keanu Reeves, Gay LeFou

MARVEL NETFLIX SHOWS RANKED:
1. JESSICA JONES
2. Eh I guess the others are sort of watchable?.
3. Fireplace For Your Home
4. Iron Fist

— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) March 17, 2017

 So, people weren't kidding about Iron Fist. It is T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. The pilot never would have been picked up in a normal TV world. More amusing tweets of the week after the jump covering a multitude of topics including but not limited to: Big Little Lies, Tom Lenk's hawt red carpet recreations (I can't believe we haven't yet featured these) and The Matrix Rebooting...

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