Almost There: Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill"

by Cláudio Alves

To this day, I am shocked at how poorly the Kill Bill movies did with AMPAS. Both pictures conquered precursor support, including Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Guild nominations, but failed to secure a single Oscar nod. I consider this duo to be Quentin Tarantino's magnum opus, so the outrage is particularly intense when it comes to its awards run. It's a couple of perfect movies, from Robert Richardson's cinematography to Sally Menke's immaculate editing. However, no matter how great those elements might be, this is the Almost There series, so our focus today is the work of an actress who is only matched by Samuel L. Jackson when it comes to her ability to embody Tarantino's vision onscreen.

She's Uma Thurman and she's never been better than here, playing Beatrix Kiddo aka The Bride aka Black Mamba aka Mommy…

Click to read more ...

108 days til Oscar...

Did you know that there are said to be 108 pressure points in the human body? That number factors into many martial arts. In popular fiction you only need to hit five of them to cause instantaneous death. Movies reference this occassionally and most famously, to westerners at least, in Kill Bill Vol. 2, when The Bride slays her titular foe with the "five point palm exploding heart technique".

What are five pressure points Oscar voters have hit in their attempts to kill you? One of mine is skipping Uma Thurman for her most iconic role. Hell, I would've been tempted to give her the actual statue for Kill Bill Vol 1 -- that was such a weird Best Actress year (2003) so why not? 

Would you rather?

Celebrating our fav recent Instagram pics through silly polling. So, dear readers, WOULD YOU RATHER... 

• levitate spaceships with the Force and Vincent Rodriguez?
• take a swim in the Mediterranean with Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and French hottie Pierre Deladonchamps (Stranger by the Lake)?
• learn the art of not giving a f*ck with Trinity the Tuck?
• swim in Tennessee with Christina Hendricks? 
• sunbathe in Italy with Uma Thurman?
• get psychotically cute with Cory Michael Smith? 
• do Madonna cosplay (?) with Erich Bergen? 
• receive an honorary degree with Angela Bassett?
• climb a mountain with former Velvet Goldmine collaborators Toni Collette and Sandy Powell (omg!)? 

Pictures are after the jump to help you decide.

Click to read more ...

Months of Meryl: Prime (2005)

John and Matthew are watching every single live-action film starring Meryl Streep. 

Meryl Streep as therapist with Uma Thurman as her client in Prime (2005)

#32 — Lisa Metzger, an Upper West Side therapist whose client begins dating her much younger son.

JOHN: The most depressing thing about Prime is that director Ben Younger reportedly spent eight years writing it. Equally depressing is the sight of Meryl Streep, Actress of Her Generation, wasting her time on this insipid project, and the subsequent dearth of roles for actresses over fifty that her involvement signifies. Here’s a fun kernel for a comedy skit: a kooky, Upper West Side therapist learns that the 37-year-old woman she is treating has begun dating her 23-year-old son, ensuing comic hijinks, oversharing, and ethical quandaries between therapist, son, and client. Now, imagine that idea stretched out for nearly two hours, sans comedy or romance, and you’d have Prime, easily one of the worst movies in Streep’s filmography...

Click to read more ...

Smackdown '94 Finale: "Pulp Fiction" and "Bullets Over Broadway"

THE SMACKDOWN IN THREE PARTS
• Written Blurbs & Reader Votes
• Podcast Pt 1: Tom & Viv and The Madness of King George
...and now the finale!

FINALE (40 MINUTES)
The group discusses Jennifer Tilly's outrageous comic triumph in Bullets Over Broadway and why the Broadway musical adaptation didn't work. We also revisit the cultural impact of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Uma's place in its success. Other films briefly discussed: Three Colors: Red and Natural Born Killers. Nathaniel thanks this month's terrific panel: Erik Anderson, Nick Davis, Itamar Moses, and Alfred Soto!

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? 

Bullets Over Broadway, Pulp Fiction