Farewell (for now) to "Somebody Somewhere," the best TV show you weren't watching

by Lynn Lee

And now a break from our regularly scheduled awards season programming for a shout-out to a small, exquisite, severely under-sung TV series that just concluded its three-season run.  The HBO dramedy Somebody Somewhere ended like it began – with no fanfare but with a lot of love, both from those who made it and from the few of us who were watching it.  For the rest of you, it may be just the show you need to shore up your faith in humanity – something that feels like it’s in short supply these days...

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Adam's Rib @ 75: The Best Tracy/Hepburn vehicle

by Cláudio Alves

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn's love story is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Whether you believe their devotion or side-eye the whole affair, whether you're charmed by their commitment or support the lavender allegations of some, it's impossible to deny how each of the actors' mythos exists in conversation with the other. Part of it stems from the bleeding of off-screen liaisons into the screen proper, immortalizing their partnership at 24 frames per second. They starred in nine pictures together, starting with 1942's Woman of the Year and ending with 1968's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, for which Hepburn won her second Best Actress Academy Award. 

Out of this silver screen ennead, Adam's Rib is probably their best, joining the couple with George Cukor's elegant touch and a fantastic Oscar-nominated script by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin. Today, the comedy celebrates its 75th anniversary…

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Target Audience: Victor / Victoria (1982)

by Nathaniel R

VICTOR / VICTORIA

Last month I had the pleasure of rewatching Blake Edwards 7-time Oscar-nominated musical comedy Victor/Victoria (1982). The occasion was to prep for a conversation with our friend Ben Miller for his podcast "Target Audience" in which Ben invites a guest to discuss a movie that they feel was made for them for all kinds of differing reasons, beauty being in the eye of the beholder...

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Category Confusion '24: COMEDY or DRAMA – Part One

by Cláudio Alves

Is THE SUBSTANCE a comedy or a drama? What gives?

This year, I am part of the voting body for the Golden Globes, which gives me access to a cornucopia of screeners and FYC material that was erstwhile inaccessible to me. This also means I get a front row seat for the absolute circus that is category fraud from studios and distributors alike. Not just in terms of finagling distinctions between lead and supporting performances. Because this is the Globes, there's also the matter of which films compete in Drama, and which others battle it out in the presumably less competitive realm of Musical or Comedy. Because we all need distractions right now, let's ponder these inconsequential genre divides and enjoy some benign polls whose results don't really matter beyond these awards obsessive circles of ours…

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Don't miss out on Dupieux's "Daaaaaalí!"

by Cláudio Alves

Earlier this year, for the Cannes at Home opener, I explored the filmography of one Quentin Dupieux, from his earliest shorts to the stage-bound satire of Yannick. At the time, only two of the French director's films were excluded from consideration since, sadly, they were unavailable. The Second Act marked the start of festivities at the Croisette while Daaaaaalí! was still making the rounds in more minor festivals before international distribution. Well, some months have passed, and the latter flick has enjoyed a limited run in American theaters and is now coming to VOD. It's as good an opportunity as any to reflect on its idiosyncratic director. And trust that if you're a Dupieux devotee, you won't want to miss Daaaaaalí!...

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