curated cinema: the wit and wisdom of Maggie Smith (and her friends)
2018’s Tea with the Dames (aka Nothing Like a Dame) is on Kanopy in the US, BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Maggie Smith
weekend watchlist: a timely cure for collective cultural amnesia
Plus drone warfare, murder most genteel, and more. (First published May 7th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.)
Downton Abbey: A New Era movie review: should we improve society somewhat, or nah?
Steady your heart palpitations: it’s the same old era for the nicest feudal hangover. The delusional reactionary fantasy of wealth and privilege for some, cheerful servitude for others remains intact.
AWFJ 2019 EDA Awards winners announced
And we have winners!
movies by or about women opening US/Can Sep 18–20
Tuva Novotny directs Swedish dramedy Britt-Marie Was Here, starring Pernilla August; more… [This post is for Patreon patrons only for the first month.]
Downton Abbey movie review: embarrassment of riches
Wherein the working class revels in servitude, and wealth and privilege are deserved. Deeply reactionary and unlikely to please anyone not already enamored of the show. I get Anglophilia, but really?
movies by or about women opening UK/Ire Sep 13
Lorene Scafaria directs crime drama Hustlers, starring Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez; more… [This post is for Patreon patrons only for the first month.]
AWFJ 2018 EDA Awards winners announced
Our most honored films are Roma (five awards), The Favourite (four awards), and Can You Ever Forgive Me? (three awards).
movies by or about women opening US/Can from Fri Sep 21
Lisa Dapolito directs a documentary about comedian Gilda Radner; Sasha Waters Freyer directs a documentary about the photographer Garry Winogrand; more..
Tea with the Dames (aka Nothing Like a Dame) documentary review: legends speak
Come sit next to Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright, and Eileen Atkins and eavesdrop on their witty banter, amiable swearing, and grand tales of their stage and film careers.
