Almost There: Lois Smith in "Five Easy Pieces"

by Cláudio Alves

No matter how respected or prolific a thespian may be, the glow of Oscar gold isn't guaranteed. Just ask Lois Smith, a titan of the contemporary American stage with nearly 150 screen credits to her name. The closest she ever came to the Academy's good graces was at the start of the 70s and the New Hollywood craze, when playing Jack Nicholson's pianist sister in Five Easy Pieces. Bob Rafelson's film is something of a classic for those interested in this era of American cinema, but its legend tends to circle around the leading man and, maybe, Karen Black. Still, Smith delivers a performance worth considering and, as the title of this post suggests, she was almost there…

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Almost There: Cher in "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean"

by Cláudio Alves

What are you doing for Mother’s Day? The Criterion Channel marks the occasion with a collection inspired by Michael Koresky's Films of Endearment. In his book, the film critic details how he and his mother revisited the 1980s movies that she introduced to him, igniting a passion for cinema. The resulting selection comprises a varied offering of that decade's prestige cinema starring an array of acclaimed actresses, from Ellen Burstyn to Meryl Streep. One of the collection's most exciting titles is Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, an underrated Robert Altman effort that gave Cher her first serious big-screen role. If not for this flick, her ascendance to movie stardom might have never happened, much less a Best Actress Oscar victory.

As one looks back at the 1982 play adaptation, the beginning of Cher's path towards acting gold is evident. Indeed, she almost got an Academy Award nomination right then and there…

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"Is there a TV in the house?"

RAYETTE [interrupting a conversation that's boring everyone in the room]: Is there a TV in the house?

[...dead silence]

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Smackdown '70 Companion Podcast Pt 2: "Five Easy Pieces" and "The Landlord"

Smackdown in 3 Parts
• The Write-Ups
• Podcast Companion Part 1
And now the conclusion!...

Pt 2 (39 minutes)
On the second half of the Supporting Actress Smackdown podcast we discuss Hal Ashby's debut film The Landlord (1970) starring Beau Bridges and Lee Grant. We theorize about why it's not more famous and what would have happened with the great African-American actress Diana Sands if she hadn't died so soon after the movie. We also make some time for the Best Picture nominee Five Easy Pieces and its abundance of actressing, not just Karen Black! 

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Thanks again to the panelists: Mark Blankenship, Dan Callahan, Denise Grayson, Lena Houst, and Bobby Rivers . Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

Pt Two: The Landlord and Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Smackdown '70 Companion Podcast Pt 1: "MASH" and "Airport"

Nathaniel R welcomes Mark Blankenship, Dan Callahan, Denise Grayson, Lena Houst, and Bobby Rivers to talk 1970 at the movies

Pt 1 (35 minutes)
You've read our takes on the five Supporting Actress nominees of 1970, now let's talk the movies they're in. On the first half of the podcast we discuss "cheese with wings" Airport (1970) and what it wrought at the movies and the Oscars. Who was the MVP among its actresses: Helen Hayes? Maureen Stapleton? Jean Seberg? Jacqueline Bisset? We then turn our attention to another smash hit M*A*S*H (1970) and both its modern filmmaking and its misogyny.

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

Pt One: MASH and Airport (1970)