Remembering Anne Heche (1969-2022)

by Cláudio Alves

One week ago, on August 5th, Anne Heche crashed her car into a house in Mar Vista, Los Angeles, near her home. The collision was dramatic, causing a fire that took an hour to control, and, though the occupants of the house didn't suffer injuries, Heche was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. At first, it was announced the actress was in critical condition, then a coma, severe brain damage, and today we got the news that Heche is legally dead. She was 53.

This is a horrifying end to what has been a biography marked by polemic and controversy, mental illness, and other difficult situations blown out of their private dimensions into tabloid fodder. Anne Heche had a complicated life - that's undeniable. Yet, to let scandal shine brighter than artistry feels wrong, an ultimate betrayal. In other words, as we mourn this fallen star, let's remember she deserved better than the callousness with which she was often discussed. Beyond personal trials, she was a fascinating screen presence...

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Go to link, bitch!

Today's Must Read: LA Times has a very insightful piece on Ellen Degeneres's arc in showbiz, how she won and then lost a generation of viewers

• THR ICYMI Oscar has restored the theatrical release requirement for eligibility along with a few very minor changes in other categories. Good move
• Collider Bong Joon Ho is finally starting his next film after his biggest sucess Parasite. Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, and Robert Pattinson will star

After the jump Saturday Night Live departures, Simu Liu's memoir, Daredevil's renewal, Depp vs Heard, and more... 

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Charlink

• Boy Culture "A Star is Bored" a new novel from Carrie Fisher's former assistant
• Vanity Fair interesting piece on the new "primacy of the face" due to scial media - we're all disembodied talking heads now
• My New Plaid Pants it's Charlize Theron's birthday today. What are your favourite of her films?
• The Guardian Diego Luna talks about his new show Pan Y Circo
• IndieWire investigates what moviegoing is like in China now 
• The Guardian Dirty Dancing is getting an official sequel 33 years later and Jennifer Grey is returning 
• After Ellen, a lesbian site which is of course named after Ellen DeGeneres discusses the allegations against the famous comedian and her management team about the toxic work environment on her show
• Cartoon Brew Disney posts a quarterly loss for the first time in ages. Maybe this is behind the Mulan decision - quick money?
• ...TFE The Mulan streaming release news icymi
• Coming Soon trailer for Judas and the Black Messiah, a new Black Panther reelated biopic starring Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield
• Broadway World Club Cumming, the nightclub owned by Alan Cumming, is going to start offering virtual variety shows -- it's such a fun club here in NYC. Stay tuned for the guest list

Exit Video
Lily Wachowski talks about recent discussions of the trans allegory nature of The Matrix...

Kevin Hart and a Crisis of Oscar's Own Making

by Nathaniel R

If you don't have anything nice to say... don't say anything? No, no, but we must. The Film Experience has been uncharacteristically mum about the will they or won't they, would he and does he still, why'd she say that, and who next D-R-A-M-A  surrounding the 'Kevin Hart no not Kevin Hart but maybe NO not Kevin Hart again' Hosting duties of the 91st Academy Awards.

A quick heavily editorialized summary and some Oscar hand-wringing.

Chapter 1. December 4th. Kevin Hart hired to host.

Chapter 2. December 5th. LGBTQ people and their allies complained about his extremely obvious homophobia as evident in unfunny jokes about gay people or gayness including a threat of physical violence if he caught his son playing with dolls...

Homophobia and misogyny are bosom buddies, you know.

Chapter 3. December 6th. Kevin Hart is asked to apologize and refuses to...

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Link Link Land

The Daily Beast Michael Musto talks to an anonymous Oscar voter about who they're voting for. They're very unhappy with Meryl Streep's 20th and La La Land's 14
/Film Barry Jenkins chooses movies from the Criterion Collection -wonderful. (And people forget how obsessed people were with La Haine when it came out)
Variety ABC picked up a pilot starring Toni Collette. Please let it be good. Miss her so much. Totally the best actress that directors aren't using which I will NEVER understand
Cinematic Corner Sati falls for The Handmaiden

Film School Rejects on Stranger Things SAG acceptance speech and season two
MNPP Jason lets Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) take him on a train of thought and it is a joy as is that movie or at least Gable and Franchot Tone in it
Village Voice Bilge Ebiri's 10 favorites from Sundance include Where is Kyra? and Mudbound
World of Reel Ben Affleck will no longer be directing The Batman movie 
Pajiba has news of an incredibly problematic sounding new Mel Gibson movie about police brutality.
Four Two Nine good piece on LGBT characters still being stuck in the "best friend" / "helper" mode despite many more gay characters in film and television  
Tracking Board HBO developing a movie about the behind-the-scenes on The Godfather (1972). I mean who gets to play Marlon Brando and Diane Keaton. Those seem like tall orders (lots of people can do a decent Al Pacino)

Off Cinema
Playbill Hamilton is doubling the amount of seats in its lottery starting... yesterday. Good luck!
Village Voice fascinating piece on the billionaire subgenre within romance novels
Los Angeles Times on how the travel ban is worrying Hollywood the business aspects of Hollywood and the talent pool
The Guardian Johnny Depp is suing and being countersued... and he's spending money as wildly and foolishly as Nicolas Cage once did (if you're wondering why they both make so many bad movies) 

Dune Again
As was previously rumored but is now true, Denis Villeneuve has signed on to direct Dune. He mentioned this as a possibility in our interview recently and sounded very excited about it, having been a fan of the novel his whole life. But still, TWO reboots of two beloved sci-fi properties back-to-back with Blade Runner 2049 up next? And right after your Oscar nomination after such deserved momentum from doing your own thing (Enemy-Prisoners-Sicario-Arrival)?! I guess this is cashing in while also fulfilling a dream but it worries this fan of Villeneuve doing his own thing.  

Though the David Lynch film from 1984 had its issues it also had some deeply memorable imagery so at the very least it will be interesting to see how his version measures up.