New "Supporting Actress Smackdown" Schedule

Apologies to do this but we have scheduling changes (a lot going on chez Nathaniel) 

SMACKDOWN "1951" -NEW DATE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th, 2022
1951 will be our "year of the month" for another few weeks. Email us your votes on the Smackdown (anytime before September 17th) with "1951" in the subject line. You should rate each performance you've seen on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (perfection) hearts. Feel free to include blurbs which we might quote but they aren't necessary.

• Joan Blondell, The Blue Veil    - good luck finding!
• Mildred Dunnock, Death of a Salesman    - available on YouTube
• Lee Grant, Detective Story.   - rentable from multiple sources
• Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire - streaming on HBOMax / rentable elsewhere
• Thelma Ritter, The Mating Season - available on YouTube

SMACKDOWN "2004" -NEW DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 24th, 2022
Email us your votes on the Smackdown (anytime before October 20th) with "2004" in the subject line of your email. You should rate each performance you've seen on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (perfection) hearts. Feel free to include blurbs which we might quote but they aren't necessary.

• Cate Blanchett, The Aviator -  streaming on HBOMax / rentable elsewhere
• Laura Linney, Kinsey -  - rentable from multiple sources
• Virginia Madsen, Sideways -  streaming on HBOMax / rentable elsewhere
• Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda -  streaming on HBOMax / rentable elsewhere
• Natalie Portman, Closer -  - rentable from multiple sources

Since this will bring us up to date on film years, we might try little experiments thereafter for fun. 

Smackdown '97: Joan, Minnie, Gloria, Julianne Moore, and Kim Basinger

Welcome back to the Supporting Actress Smackdown. 

In this monthly series we pick an Oscar vintage to explore through the lens of actressing at the edges. This episode takes us back 25 years to the landmark year of 1997 when Titanic and "Matt & Ben" were all rage.

THE NOMINEES  

Aside from an encore showing for comedic genius Joan Cusack, a surprise nominee in 1988 for Working Girl, the Academy went with all first-timers for 1997's Supporting Actress roster. Not that the actresses were "new" to the scene. There were two "comeback" narratives: Kim Basinger had been a leading lady for over a decade before LA Confidential but she'd taken a three year break from the movies (amidst multiple financial and legal troubles). Meanwhile Gloria Stuart who began in the early days of sound cinema was being celebrated in a way she hadn't been since 1932. The "breakthrough" nominations, were also two-fold. One went to Minnie Driver (who had two films out, In & Out  and Grosse Point Blank). The other went to ubiqutious Julianne Moore who kicked off '97 with a Sundance hit (The Myth of Fingerprints), and continued making news with a blockbuster (Lost World Jurassic Park) before her career-elevating role arrived in the fall in the unlikely package of an epic ensemble drama about the 1970s porn industry from a filmmaker barely anyone had heard of.

THE PANELISTS 

 Here to talk about these five films and performances are (in alpha order) author and entertainment jourmalist Kyle Buchanan (The New York Times, "Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road"), podcaster Chelsea Eichholz (Cinema Gals), and comedian / podcaster Louis Virtel (Keep It!, Jimmy Kimmel Live). The Smackdown is hosted by the founder and editor of The Film Experience, Nathaniel Rogers.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN + PODCAST  

LET'S BEGIN...

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Introducing the Smackdown Panel for '97

We were off to a late start on this Smackdown season so we called in some all stars from previous episodes for encore chatter! On the next episode of the Smackdown & Companion Podcast we'll be talking about Joan Cusack in In & Out, Gloria Stuart in Titanic, Julianne Moore in Boogie Nights, Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential, and Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting. You'll be hearing from...

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Smackdown '21: Ariana, Aunjanue, Jessie, Judi, and Kirsten

Welcome back to the Supporting Actress Smackdown. Each month we pick an Oscar vintage to explore through the lens of actressing at the edges. This episode, kicking off a new season takes us back to... well, not back at all but to the current Oscar race which will be decided, officially, on March 27th. 

THE NOMINEES  Dame Judi Dench returns for an incredible 8th nomination while the rest of the field are first timers whether they're near the beginning of their film career (triple threat Ariana DeBose and dramatic powerhouse Jessie Buckley), deep inside it (character actress extraordinare Aunjanue Ellis) or, long past overdue for their first "shrimp" (movie star Kirsten Dunst).

THE PANELISTS: Here to talk about these five performances are (in alpha order) critics Rebecca Alter (Vulture), Cláudio Alves (The Film Experience) Sophia Ciminello (Oscar Wild), Ryan McQuade (Awards Watch / In Session Film),  and your host Nathaniel R.

 SUPPORTING ACTRESS SMACKDOWN + PODCAST  

LET'S BEGIN...

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Vote on the new Smackdown. Meet your fellow panelists.

A new season of the Supporting Actress Smackdown is upon us. We'll begin with the current season, honoring the films of 2021.

• Buckley, The Lost Daughter
• DeBose, West Side Story
• Dench, Belfast
• Dunst Power of the Dog
• Ellis, King Richard

So email your votes ranking each nominated Supporting Actress performance on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (perfection) by this Sunday March 20th. Your votes will count toward the final outcome. Now, let's meet your fellow voters who we'll be chatting with you on the podcast.

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