The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
Julie Andrews accepting her AFI Tribute Award in 2021.
Here, at The Film Experience, we keep to a 10|25|50|75|100 model when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries. Yet, as the world of entertainment lost so many bright lights in the past few days – Maggie Smith, Kris Kristofferson, Gavin Creel, Ken Page, John Amos, and Kalen Gorman – it feels right to take a moment and show some love to those who are still with us. Case in point is the jubilant Julie Andrews, who celebrates her 89th birthday today. This living legend of stage and screen is beyond compare, with a career that spans across eight decades, from entertaining the troops with her parents in the mid-40s to recent voice-over work in such projects as Aquaman and the Bridgerton franchise, for which Andrews has received three Emmy nominations.
All that said, the actress will always have a special place in my heart for reasons that go beyond her body of work. Allow me to share a personal musing…
Carol Channing was a force of nature. The actress electrified the Broadway stages, originating such famous roles as Lorelei in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the titular character in Hello, Dolly!, but the husky-voiced sensation with a mega-wat smile went on to find success in front of cameras too. Whether acting or just being herself, there's effervescent energy to Channing's screen presence, a frenetic joy that made her both a camp icon and an entertainment powerhouse whose fame persists to this day, long after her heyday and even her death. Throughout her legendary career, Channing won four Tony Awards, a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame, a Golden Globe, and even an Oscar nomination. Since we're all a bit Oscar-obsessed around here, the star's centennial celebration feels like a good time to reminisce about that achievement, its inherent weirdness, and wacky charm…
Great Big Box Office Hits: The leggy sleeper hit My Big Fat Freek Wedding, M Night Shyamalan's alien-invasion movie Signs, and the animated Ice Age were the top three "original" hits. Sequels or franchise launchers, were, as ever in our modern era, the very biggest hits with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, and the then-latest Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter installments as the top four titles. The musical adaptation of Chicago was also a smash. And the major Oscar favourite. More on that after the jump...
Carol Channing shouted that inexplicable fruit slang out with such gleeful fervor in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), that this fruit couldn't stop quoting it as a child. It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Ms Channing has died just two weeks shy of her 98th birthday. Still, Carol wouldn't approve of a heavy heart. She lived a long full life and if she saw anyone frowning, she'd undoubtedly shake out that round white wig in a joy frenzy while shouting something insane to change the mood of the room...
Screen • Forbes a theory as to how network TV could survive the exodus of both Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy • Film InkLady Bird was forced to make cuts and dub dialogue to get an M rating in Australia (essentially our PG13). That Playgirl magazine scene really upset the board that much? Ugh. I guess puritanism isn't only for Americans. • /Film The Duplass Brothers have signed a four film deal with Netflix. This makes so much innate sense to me because their work always felt very televisual. •/FilmBond 25 is taking an awfully long time to come together. Danny Boyle and the screenplay still aren't even done deals • Pajiba Disney's upcoming streaming service and the possibility of more Muppets • Decider Joe Reid reveals his obsession with To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar
Black Panther Mania • The Atlantic "The Tragedy of Erik Killmonger" • Shadow and Act Ryan Coogler and Michael B Jordan's next project together, their fourth, is Wrong Answer a true story about an education system scandal. • MCN David Poland persuasively argues which ways Black Panther will change things in Hollywood and which ways it won't • Coming Soon Lupita Nyong'o will costar in Born a Crime, based on the memoir about the childhood of The Daily Show's Trevor Noah. She'll play his mother
Off Cinema • Playbill watch highlights from a reunion concert of Thoroughly Modern Millie starring Sutton Foster and Gavin Creel -when is someone going to give Sutton a movie musical. She's great on camera (see Bunheads and Younger) and a bonafide Broadway star. • The New Yorker a thought-provoking piece on the official Obama portraits in case you missed it • W Mag Greta Gerwig directs Florence Welsh in a photoshoot • W Mag Jordan Peele directs Janelle Monae in a Hitchcock inspired photoshoot • W Mag Luca Guadagnino directs two models in a desert photoshoot • Playbill Santino Fontana (Crazy Ex Girlfriend!) taking over for Gavin Creel in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway. Apparently Gavin Creel is having back surgery? Ouch.
Exit Video Keala Settle and Pasek & Paul are all still out there campaigning for The Greatest Showman's Original Song. Pasek & Paul were just interviewed by Variety and Settle just performed "This Is Me" this time on Ellen. I love this song even though you hate it. Sorry not sorry.
That said, I still haven't decided if it's going to win Pasek & Paul a consecutive Oscar (they won last year for "City of Stars") or if Oscar voters will be more partial to honoring Mary J Blige (given the Mudbound fanbase and her double nomination) or if Coco will mean more to voters than just the mandatory check mark for Best Animated Feature.
Thoughts? Sing your Original Song prediction in the comments.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 8:00PM ;)
Julie Andrews accepting her AFI Tribute Award in 2021.
