Keep Running Up That Pace

Enough things coming up Lee Pace (what a phrase) these past couple of days that a Lee Pace post was demanded of me! Firstly his 2006 film The Fall from the director Tarsem has gotten a re-release in theaters  this weekend which has been wonderful news for people like me who have loved that movie since day one and the rest of you who were dummies who didn't see it but now have the chance to. It's also on Mubi but I recommend going to the theater and taking this beauty in on the big screen -- click here for wheres and whens of that -- as I did last night! And it ruled. I hadn't seen the film in quite some time but it rocked my world all over again. On that same note there is a terrific chat with Pace over at The Playlist today reflecting on making the movie so read that! And now we begin our countdown until Mubi drops the 4K disc of the film -- really hoping it lands before the holidays. 

But wait! This is not all of the Lee Pace news fit to print! Yesterday it was announced that he's joining the cast of The Running Man re-do from director Edgar Wright! I just posted about this movie earlier this week because it already gained a hot ass cast with Glen Powell and Karl Glusman and Josh Brolin set to star in it -- now with Lee it's a veritable smorgasborg of beefcake set to slip into those skintight bodysuits. Good work, Edgar Wright -- now just be gayer than usual about it, please. All of that said hey look it's a photoshoot (via) of Lee I've never posted! Let's do that! Hit the jump for that...

Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho Wait What

I fully changed my attitude toward "remakes" thanks to Luca Guadagnino's 2018 master-class on how to do them right called Suspiria -- I've always been a big fan of Dario Argento's original and I thought a remake was a terrible idea, and then Luca's version came out and he slapped my fucking mouth shut to the point where I now refuse to baldly criticize them on first glance. If an artist is willing to do something as different and interesting with the material as he did there, then by all means let the remakes happen! 

And yet! Luca himself has come to test me today! Because Deadline is reporting that Luca himself is working on remaking one of my absolute favorite movies of all time, one I love way more than I ever loved the original Suspiria -- specifically he's thinking about making a new adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel American Psycho, which I am sure you are all aware Mary Harron turned into a horror comedy masterpiece in the year 2000 with Christian Bale. For god's sake I just posted a gif from that movie less than 24 hours ago!

The thing is -- American Psycho the film works so well exactly because of who made the thing. The team of Mary Harron and screenwriter Guinevere Turner gutted the book's POV and made the character of Patrick Bateman into a much deserved punchline. It's much more of a comedy than it is a horror film, althought the terror of toxic masculinity is very real and felt palpably throughout. 

And I have no doubt that Luca gets all of that -- Steven Soderbergh's favorite screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, who Deadline says is working on the new script, I'm far more dubious about. Which isn't to say I haven't liked many of Burns' scripts -- he wrote The Informant! for god's sake. But perspective is everything, especially with material this questionable, and it'd be very very very easy to slide off the mark with this. It's honestly a miracle that Harron's movie got made and ended up the way it did -- one I wonder at anew every time I think about the movie. Which is quite often here 20+ years on!

And I say all of this with Luca's new film Queer very much at the front of my brain -- I reviewed that yesterday and it's as good as anything Luca has ever made. The man is killing it right now. I should not doubt in Luca. He's proven that time and time again. And the man can direct some horror! And I should also keep in mind that Luca attaches his name to a thousand projects that never get made, so maybe this will go the way of his Brideshead Revisited or his Lord of the Flies movies. Or maybe he'll make a movie of the musical! I love the American Psycho musical!

I am just... listen, in the Deadline article the head of Lionsgate is quoted saying they're thrilled to have a filmmaker like Luca coming on board this "potent and classic IP" and I know that quoite isn't Luca's fault and he would never put it that way but that dude needs to read the room. "Classic IP" rings all of the alarm bells of terror. So..... thoughts???? Help me out here, people. I am bewildered. 

It's Blitz!

I am not sure yet if this is my final NYFF 2024 review or not -- we'll see if inspiration keeps raging over the weekend and into next week or not but I am on a little bit of a roll if I do say so myself -- but today my thoughts on Steve McQueen's upcoming WWII drama Blitz, which closed NYFF this year, landed on Pajiba -- click here to read them. I appear to've dug the movie more than many critics I've read -- it's lean into melodrama suited me just fine, thank you very much -- but it's not without its issues in that it feels like it would've made a better miniseries than movie. I wanted more, basically! Anyway you don't have long to wait for this one -- it's hitting theaters on November 1st and then Apple will drop it on their streaming platform around Thanksgiving. Here is the trailer if you haven't seen it already:

Let's Spread Some Rumours

I don't think I called it this in my review (what, am I supposed to go re-read my review to check?) but I have taken to calling on social media Guy Maddin's new movie Rumours with Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander "the funniest movie of the year" and I mean it -- also I should have said that in my review if I didn't, I could've gotten on the damn poster or trailer or something. I am so bad at this job. Wait what are we talking about? Right, Rumours -- Rumours is out today! Here is a link to my review that I apprently refuse to re-read and here is a link to the film's trailer -- yes the same trailer that does not include my quote that may or may not be in said review. Did you hear that this movie is the funniest movie of the year though? Somebody said that and it's totally true. Go see this thing! Zombies jerk off! Cinema!

Today's Fanboy Delusion

 Today I'd rather be...

... getting my hands dirty with Chris Hemsworth.

So... what's the white stuff, Chris?

Barry Keoghan Six Times

Happy birthday, Barry! Barry is 32 today. And not that I had a heap of time since Saltburn to fall out of my Barry Keoghan infatuation but I find it heftily reignited after seeing him in Andrea Arnold's latest film Bird at NewFest earlier this week -- more on that movie soon but he's really wonderful in it (as is the movie as a whole)...

I cannot believe all I’ve seen have been mixed reactions to this movie— I fucking LOVED it. BIRD is top tier Andrea Arnold, funny and observant and surprisingly sweet with what might be my absolute favorite scene of the year pic.twitter.com/8DfcdOTw5U

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) October 16, 2024

... and I know per usual posting Barry snaps I'll get a lot of "he's so funny lookin'" comments but please know I am judging you harshly for those every time because you apparently have no room for "extraordinary talent" in your sexy calculations -- when somebody's as good as what they do as Barry is at acting they level up like 300% sexy-wise, in my eyes. Also... I like funny-lookin. It's called "character" y'all. Anyway yeah Bird is super, stay tuned for my thoughts on Bird, and hit the jump for this new shoot...

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

How nice of Synonyms and We Are Who We Are actor (and dancer) (and MNPP fave)  Tom Mercier to grace our morning with an NYC-themed dance routine (via) -- I knew he was in town and man alive do I wish I'd stumbled on this happening. 

Today's Mood

Drew Starkey Two Times

Have you read my Queer review yet?

You can read it right here at Pajiba.

I know I just posted it but I am, let's say, fixated.

Yeah. Fixated.

Queer is Here (Well My Review Anyway)

The time has come! I toiled over this one for a bit but my NYFF review of Luca Guadagnino's latest, the William S. Burroughs' adaptation Queer, has dropped today -- click on over to Pajiba to read my thoughts. My extremely positive thoughts (surprising precisely nobody). This (like Nickel Boys) is another NYFF movie I made sure to see twice before writing about it and I was extremely glad I did because it benefitted from a re-watch. But then I'm of the mind that nearly everything benefits from a re-watch -- well if you're going to write about it anyway. I didn't even make it halfway through Deadpool and Wolverine before giving up and I won't be "re-watching" that shit nonsense. But Queer is another ball of wax! I'll be re-watching this one a hundred times over. All that said -- Queer is out in limited release at Thanksgiving! Because nothing says "movies with the fam" like Daniel Craig snowballing sperms into Drew Starkey's mouth. In all seriousness I really fretted and sweated over this one, so please click on over to read -- I'm pretty proud of it. Thanks!

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

... you can learn from:

Suddenly Last Summer (1959)

Dr. Cukrowicz : Nature is not made 

in the image of man's compassion.

Montgomery Clift was born 104 years ago today.

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

After seeing this much appreciated seflie from Sam Claflin yesterday -- PS thanks for not shaving your chest anymore, Sam! -- I had to go look up what he's been up to because I haven't seen him in anything in awhile. That's when I was reminded I didn't watch that 70s rock music series he was in with Riley Keough -- my bad. Did any of you watch it? My bf did -- his Riley love knows no bounds -- and he did not like it, but I am open to other opinions. So please share if you have one. Anyway looking forward via his IMDb page I see he's about to star in a Count of Monte Cristo series (yawn) but more interestingly he's in what sounds like a horror movie called All the Devils Are Here with Rory Kinnear, Eddie Masran, and Burn Gorman. Pheonomal cast, that! It might just be a thriller, the description is vague, but we also hope for horror. Keep hope alive! And keep not shaving your chests!

Run This Way, Man

I am not sure that the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic The Running Man needs a remake -- and I am being unironically serious, as I genuinely love that movie -- but if it is going to happen I suppose having Edgar Wright direct it and having Glen Powell and our boy Karl Glusman star in it isn't so bad a way to go. The latter was announced today via Deadline which reminded me that I somehow don't believe I have posted about this project before even though it's been ticking some boxes all along -- I mean also in the cast is Love Lies Bleeding queen Katy O'Brien! Anyway I guess I can see how an update on the movie would work and Wright know how to shoot kinetic nonsense like a pro -- plus Glen Powell might be a perfect leading man for him, and for this prokect specifically, since he's as funny as he is studly. Wright will surely go at this with a lighter touch than the doom-minded original did. All I know is they better put Glen and Karl in those same kind of skin-tight jumpsuits that Arnold wore in the original dammit. Or we rebel!

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Margaret (2011)

Emily: This isn't an opera! And we are not all 

supporting characters to the drama of your amazing life!

Oh god, Margaret is so perfect! Perfect movie. Exquisite movie. Love Margaret so so much. On that note a happy 62 to Kenneth Lonergan! Please make another movie soon! It's been eight years since Manchester-by-the-Sea! I know J. Cameron has been bringing in the big bucks thanks to Succession but we're growing impatient, my man.

Five Frames From ?

What movie is this?

Good Morning, World

Honestly anything that makes my job easier I will grab, and so as long as Russell Tovey wants to keep posting these pictures I wll you know GRAB at them. And yes I am literally making grabbing motions at his tit right now. Sue me. I have no concept of the divide between the internet and real life any more obviously. 

Everything You Ever Need To Know About Life...

 ... you can learn from:

Fight Club (1999)

Tyler Durden: Warning -- If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned.

Happy 25 to another movie like American Psycho where all the wrong people that the movie is making fun of saw a movie that read to them the opposite of that. I don't think it's quite as clear in Fincher's hands as it was in Mary Harron's, but he's gone on with movies like The Killer last year to underline his points often enough about the show-offy fragility of masculinity that we know his heart's always been in the right place anyway. To be honest I haven't actually sat down and watched Fight Club start to finish in quite some time -- it'd be great if we got a 4K of this first but watching the way Fincher's been tinkering with the 4K release of Seven for a few years now, delaying its release over and over, I won't hold my breath. Dude is too tinkery! Stop tinkering and go make the next season of Mindhunter goddammit!

Jo Jo Grifter, Your Winchester is Calling

And speaking of Criterion! (Which we just were.) I just realized that today is also New Announcement Day for the fanciest physical media brand around -- okay I didn't "realize" so much as "get the PR email that told me it is" but whatever, cut me some slack, I am very scattered and busy right now. So Criterion today has announced their January 2025 line-up and it shocks me how good they are at plucking movies out of thin air that I have never heard of and plunking them down in front of me like rare gems of great beauty. I don't know half of these movies but I look forward to finding out. The one I do know and have seen is Stephen Frears' 1990 neo-noir The Grifters starring John Cusack, Annette Bening, and Anjelica Huston -- I have spent my entire life being terrified of bags of oranges thanks to this movie and I haven't seen it in decades. It'll be nice to revisit, and in 4K no less. That's out in January 21st. 

Next up there is Richard Pryor's semi-autobiographical 1986 film Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, which is apparenrtly a fractured bio-pic that he starred in himself -- how have I literally never heard of this movie? I mean I've never been the world's number on Richard Pryor stan but I have always liked him when I've seen him -- I guess this was way outta my wheelhouse when it came out and I was 8-years-old but I have no excuse for the many many years between then and now. And then there's Jean Eustache's The Mother and the Whore from 1973 -- this one I have heard of but that's it,;I haven't seen it nor do I know much about it. Sounds like a threesome movie from their description but one with two ladies circling the dude, which is sad to me as Jean-Pierre Léaud looks really cute on the cover of the disc and I'd prefer this co-starred let's say Jean-Paul Belmondo as his side-piece. Somebody use AI and stick Belmondo into this for me! Use AI for good!

The final batch of movies for January include a 4K upgrade of Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro double-feature (and no I somehow have never seen these ones yet either) and then Anthony Mann's 1950 western Winchester '73 which, well it's a Western. I just can't be made to care. It doesn't matter how many great Westerns I see, and I have seen plenty -- I just cannot stir excitement in myself over sitting down and watching a Western. That said Winchester does have Rock Hudson playing a Native American so I might have to watch this out of a sick curiosity.