According to a 12.5 Long Beach Press-Telegram story, the nutty-nuns-gambling-in-Las Vegas embezzlement story wasn’t as completely crazy it sounds. Former teacher Sister Lana Chang and former principal Sister Mary Margaret Kreuper pilfered the $500K over the last decade, or the sum of $50K per year. If they travelled to Vegas twice annually they spent $25K … Read more
The Boss (Universal, 4.8.16) appears to be a Melissa McCarthy programmer of no exceptional distinction — a rich-bitch-gets-her-comeuppance comedy. Expectations are modest due to the directing and co-writing contributions of Ben Falcone (McCarthy’s husband who also directed Tammy). But hats off to McCarthy for her reported 50-pound weight loss. Heavy is fine but obese is … Read more
The sad but oddly touching saga of Joyce “Tillie” Mitchell is a movie waiting to happen. I’m imagining a serious drama starring Melissa McCarthy in a potentially riveting dramatic performance (definitely Oscar bait) but also, conceivably, a Werner Herzog documentary. Or maybe it’s an HBO movie — I need to think this through. But I’d … Read more
Following yesterday’s At Eternity’s Gate event, Tatyana and I attended a screening of Marielle Heller‘s Can You Ever Forgive Me? at the London hotel. It was my fourth viewing, and the best-sounding presentation of all — I could hear each and every vowel and syllable as if the actors were standing right next to me. … Read more
There’s a short film in the Jamestown Post-Journal embarassment that surfaced two days ago (Saturday,12.8). The original AP story headline: “Julia Roberts finds life (and her roles) get better with age.” Melissa McCarthy could play the editor — stressed, frazzled, over-worked. An underling mistypes the AP headline. McCarthy is initially confused, then rationalizes that “holes … Read more
Memo to Gold Derby‘s Tom O’Neil: Suddenly and out of the blue, Can You Ever Forgive Me‘s Melissa McCarthy is 2018’s leading Best Actress contender. Easily, no question, hands down. But Gold Derby editors are a bit confused about the contenders in The Favourite. Colorfully eccentric and emotionally affecting as Olivia Colman‘s performance as Queen … Read more
Yesterday Vulture‘s Mark Harris posted a piece about how great Melissa McCarthy is, how unique her achievements have been and how Hollywood and media types have been unfairly slagging her for making the same film over and over. The article is well-written and worth reading but here’s the truth: With the exception of her concerned-mom … Read more
A coding error erased 80% of this review earlier today — sorry: I didn’t laugh at Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone‘s The Boss (Universal, 4.8), but I respect the conviction that informs it. Melissa McCarthy plays Michelle Darnell, a self-hating, emotionally blocked, Type-A butch boss who reminded me, frankly, of two or three Hollywood-serving women … Read more
In a 7.13 “Bart & Fleming” chat, Deadline‘s Michael Fleming offers what seems to me like a brilliant suggestion for Melissa McCarthy, one that could possibly save her career from the post-Tammy backwash. “Hollywood tried forever to remake the brilliant British miniseries Prime Suspect, but could never find the formula,” Fleming reminds. “Helen Mirren shone … Read more
Melissa McCarthy vs. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann in the school principal’s office is easily the best scene in Judd Apatow‘s This Is 40, which I rewatched last night and….what’s the phrase?….had an uproarious time with. “Fuck you, Jill…you’re a horrible fucking woman…this is why everybody hates you…this kind of shit…fucking ineffective bullshit hair, and … Read more
10:50 pm: Sinners got the most nominations ever (16) and suffered the most losses ever (12). Friendo: “I also have to ask what genius thought it was a good idea to have Bill Pullman and his nepo baby kid to present an Oscar? They weren’t funny and had no chemistry. People are still pushing Lewis … Read more
The word around the campfire is that Gregg Araki‘s I Want Your Sex, an erotically provocative “thriller” of some sort (although I can pretty much guarantee that “thriller” doesn’t apply…not in the sense that most of us understand the term…not from Araki)…the buzz says that Araki’s film will play in Cannes next month, although not … Read more