Sundance Review: This 'Alice's Wonderland Is all Keke Palmer

by Jason Adams

Let's just start with what matters most: Keke Palmer is a star. If not quite yet in the technical terms of massive name recognition and box office numbers then in all of the ethereal qualities that makes one get to those places soon enough. (The Jordan Peele movie coming out later this year is probably going to kick all of this into proper gear.)  I have obviously noted Keke's razzle and her dazzle in earlier roles -- I remember thinking she was destined to be going places several years back with Scream Queens. But watching the premiere of Alice this weekend at Sundance, a proper star vehicle if ever there was one, this sense really grabbed me about the shoulders and shook me up -- she's got that It, baby. The reason why this was my biggest takeaway is that Alice simply wouldn't work without her...

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Here's Your Sundance 2022

by Jason Adams

The main line-up for the 2022 edition of the Sundance Film Festival was announced this afternoon -- can I get a huzzah? Running from January 20th through the 30th they'll be screening 82 feature films and assorted other cinematic ephemera over the course of those ten days -- they're keeping themselves to the middle space in between in-person and virtual for their 2022 edition, with everything premiering in person in Utah and then subsequently screening via their (truly outstanding) online platform for those of us who can't make it to the mountains, for whatever reason. Like, for instance, the still-happening pandemic, which is certainly my own personal reason for only attending virtually again this time, and which it would be irresponsible for me to not recommend you all take into account. (That said their safety protocols seem very much on point, so your own mileage may vary.) 

I've got the entire press release with the word on everything announced today way down below -- and you can check out each title even more thoroughly on the fest's website, of course -- but I figured before that megaton of information I'd go ahead and poison your opinions with my opinions, highlighting ten movies that are immediately leaping forward onto my face for one particular reason or another.  

Sharp Stick -- Lena Dunham's new movie, her first in over a decade, will surely, as with everything Dunham-related, invite enthusiastic conversation from all angles. That's one way to say it! People sure do have opinions on her and her work, and the story here... 

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Tweetweek

She’s looking at Katherine Hepburn’s Oscar record: pic.twitter.com/BEzQpPnvnE

— ShaneAvery (@ShaneAvery) September 21, 2021

Incredible celebrity impressions are after the jump plus Jessica Chastain's Oscar buzz, Olivia Colman's awards magnetism, anti-vax celebrity problems, and more...

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Would you rather?

happy Virgo season from Keke PalmerWould you rather...

• kiss puppies w/ Simu Liu
• hang on the sidewalk w/ Timothée Chalamet
• discuss the Virgos you know w/ Keke Palmer
• play a new card game "where do we begin?" w/ Marisa Tomei
• learn to bowl w/ Anya Taylor Joy
• hold your breath w/ Paul Bettany
• go axe throwing or clay pigeon shooting w/ Naomie Harris
• have a martini w/ Ten Tosatid
• fit a harness w/ Connor Jessup
• serve your guests margaritas w/ Jennifer Coolidge?
• walk the runway w/ Molly Shannon
• ...or have your calls ignored by Laura Dern? 

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide...

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Yeun Trouble Now

by Jason Adams

It's really no surprise that writer-director Jordan Peele is at that point in his career, after Get Out and Us, where he could land anybody he wanted to land for the cast of his next movie -- he's got the sort of heat that would get the dead stars of yore reanimating in their caskets for a slice of that sweet cinematic success. But instead of choosing, say, the skeleton of Gary Cooper to star in his next flick, Mr. Peele is going with a cast of current babes and we cannot complain! (Although hey Gary Cooper's skeleton, call me.)

The title and the contents of Peele's new one are naturally being kept under wraps but we already know it will reunite him with his Get Out leading man Daniel Kaluuya as well as co-star the should-be-a-superstar-already KeKe Palmer -- this was announced back in February, along with the whisper that whatever this movie is KeKe is playing the villain in it. And today comes word that that tag-team of hot trouble is actually a trouble throuple, as Best Actor nominee and everybody-crush Steven Yeun is also joining the film. As who? Who cares? Buy your tickets today!