Friday, June 14, 2013

According to Fandango and some back-of-the-envelope math, excluding documentaries and animation, there are 617 movie showings today — that's just today, Friday — within 10 miles of my house.
Of those 617 showings, 561 of them — 90 percent — are stories about men or groups of men, where women play supporting roles or fill out ensembles primarily focused on men....
In many, many parts of the country right now, if you want to go to see a movie in the theater and see a current movie about a woman — any story about any woman that isn't a documentary or a cartoon — you can't. You cannot. There are not any. You cannot take yourself to one, take your friend to one, take your daughter to one. 
There are not any. 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

HAPPILY EVER AFTER?  Disney announced a bunch of title shifts and release dates today, and two are of particular note--the sequel to The Muppets is now formally titled Muppets Most Wanted, and will release March 21, 2014, apparently looking to the Spring Break release window that was very profitable for The Croods this year.  (I wouldn't be shocked to see a teaser attached to Monsters University.)  Into The Woods is also formally dated for Christmas Day, 2014, giving Disney an interesting one-two punch in December 2014 of the Brad Bird/Damon Lindelof/George Clooney Tomorrowland and ITW two weeks later.  More oddly, they've also announced that Planes, this summer's spinoff of Cars, will get a sequel quickly--next summer, in fact. 
JENNY, SCOTUS HAS YOUR NUMBER: In ruling for a unanimous Supreme Court that federal trucking law trumped state regulations, Justice Kagan (or perhaps one of her clerks) manages to (on page 2 of the opinion) throw in a reference to Tommy Tutone's 80s classic Jenny.

(HT: Ted.)
WHICH ONE?  I finished season two of Breaking Bad last night. We need to talk.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

HE'S BACK SCRAMBLING:  According to its subject, ESPN is working on a 30 for 30 documentary on Randall Cunningham.
BIG BUCKS, NO WHAMMIES, STOPThe AV Club TV Roundtable takes on the Michael Larson Press Your LuckIf you know what happens, you already want to click through, and if you don't, this is an excellent introduction.
FORSOOTH, I AM ALL OUT OF LOVE, SO LOST WITHOUT YOU: In Shakespeare news, how do we feel about an Air Supply jukebox musical (with a few new songs) that's inspired by Midsummer Night's Dream?  (Naturally, it will star Constantine Maroulis.)
I THINK KANYE WEST IS GOING TO MEAN SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT STEVE JOBS MEANS. I AM UNDOUBTEDLY, YOU KNOW, STEVE OF INTERNET, DOWNTOWN, FASHION, CULTURE. PERIOD.  Mr. West talks to the NYT's Jon Caramanica about everything, apparently his first full-length interview in years, and whether you care for his music or not, it's a hell of a read.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

SO SHINES A GOOD DEED IN A WEARY WORLD:  Gene Wilder celebrates his 80th birthday today. Between his work with Mel Brooks (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein, the last of which he conceived of and co-wrote), his four with Richard Pryor, and his wonderfully bitchy performance as Willy Wonka which yields new joys every time I rewatch it, my goodness are we in his debt. (I've been told I need to see The Frisco Kid.)

The former Jerome Silberstein has basically been retired from acting for the past twenty years. As he has told several interviewers in recent years, "I don't like show business. I like show! I just don't like the business."

related: Ten Retired Film Stars Who Deserve A Comeback. Also, a Brooks-Wilder anecdote I feel compelled to add, below the fold:
IN THE ORIGINAL DRAFT, TURNS OUT LANEY WAS DEAD THE WHOLE TIMEM. Night Shymalan is claiming that he did an uncredited rewrite on 90s teen comedy classic She's All That.

Monday, June 10, 2013

WHOSE MANAGER WANTS TO SPEND MONEY?  In order to compete for the Emmys, you have to officially enter, and the ballots are now open, and some interesting folks who decided submitting was worth their time:

  • Tim Gunn is now co-submitted with Heidi Klum as "hosts" of Project Runway.  (Odd because the 4 "hosts" of The Taste opted for separate eligibility.)
  •  The Thick of It is apparently Emmy eligible this year, which could throw some surprises into the mix.  (As is Orphan Black, which could shake up the lead actress in a drama race.)
  • Matthew Morrison continues to pretend that he is a "lead" on Glee.
  • Somewhat surprisingly, Last Resort was submitted as a "drama series," not a mini-series, which places Andre Braugher in a much tougher field (though Michael Douglas seems a veritable lock for Behind the Candelabra).
  • Kaley Cuoco drops back to supporting actress.
  • Damon and Douglas are both running in lead for Behind the Candelabra.
  • Sutton Foster is submitted as a lead for Bunheads, though no one else was submitted, even if ABC Family has multiple Pretty Little Liars on the list.  (Other hourlongs running as comedies?  Hart of Dixie and The Carrie Diaries)
  • Interestingly, everyone from Smash is submitted, but all in the supporting categories. In contrast, Game of Thrones offers limited choices, all supporting--Coster-Waldau, Dinklage, Harrington, Clarke, Dormer, Fairley, Headey.  (Ciaran Hinds and Diana Riggs are guests.)
  • Some ridiculous ones--Katie Cassidy, lead actress in a drama for Arrow, Tracy Spiradakos, lead actress in a drama for Revolution, Matthew Moy, supporting actor in a comedy for Two Broke Girls, Austin Basis, outstanding supporting actor for Beauty and the Beast.  Sadly, no one from Gossip Girl even bothered submitting.
  • For writing--Arrested Development opted to submit only the finale, Community submitted the comic book, puppet, and body switch episodes, HIMYM submitted Robin Sparkles and the time travel episode, Game of Thrones submitted only "Rains of Castamere," Newsroom submitted only the pilot.
I'm sure there's more if you dig--have fun!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

I HEAR HIT LIST HAS AN AMAZING A CAPELLA NUMBER IN THE SHOW:The Tony Awards, hosted for the third consecutive year by ALOTT5MA Fave NPH, return to Radio City tonight after two years in exile on the Upper West Side.  Debate how Kinky Boots, Matilda, and Pippin will split the spoils (my guess--Kinky gets score, making Cyndi Lauper just an Oscar short of EGOT, and actor for Billy Porter, Matilda gets book and Best Musical, while Pippin runs the table, getting Featured Actor, Featured Actress, Actress, Director, and Revival, plus a bunch of tech stuff), and whether Tom Hanks' starpower and the warm reception of Lucky Guy are enough to beat back the rapturous reviews (but limited box office success and long-ago closing) of Virginia Woolf.  Talk amongst yourselves here--show starts at 8.