PB & Julie + Julie C. Trivia

2022 Preview, Part II

The Gilded Age

I’m generally not a fan of costume dramas; they tend to be too stuffy for my taste. But with Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Downton Abbey) at the helm, The Gilded Age should offset any potential stuffiness with a heavy dose of razor-sharp humor. The stellar cast of this HBO series, which premieres on January 24, includes heavy-hitters like Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Donna Murphy, Audra McDonald and Carrie Coon (a personal favorite of mine). SOLD.

Russian Doll Season Two

It’s been nearly three full years since Russian Doll debuted on Netflix. The response was rapturous; the series holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for thirteen Emmy awards. Russian Doll put an inventive spin on the time loop trope, with just enough genuine pathos to balance out the absurdity. And it was all anchored by an astonishing performance from co-creator Natasha Lyonne. Russian Doll was almost immediately renewed but filming was delayed due to the pandemic. Details are few at this time, but we do know that Schitt’s Creek‘s Annie Murphy and District 9‘s Sharlto Copley will join the cast in undisclosed roles.

Elvis

Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet) has a flair for the visually dramatic, so don’t expect this to be a standard musical biopic. Former Disney Channel star Austin Butler (pictured below right) whose most recent film role was Manson family member Tex Watson in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, will play The King. But the movie’s big draw will be Tom Hanks as Col. Tom Parker. Elvis will open in theaters on June 24 and be available for streaming on HBO Max forty-five days later.

Shining Vale

Shining Vale, scheduled to premiere on Starz on March 6, is a horror-comedy co-created by Jeff Astrof and Catastrophe‘s Sharon Hogan. Courteney Cox, who has experience in both comedy AND horror, stars as Pat Phelps, a writer who moves her dysfunctional family out of the city and into a possibly haunted small-town house. Pat is hoping the change of scenery will provide inspiration for her writing and we all know how well that usually turns out for horror characters. The fabulous supporting cast includes Greg Kinnear, Mira Sorvino, Merrin Dungey, Sherilyn Fenn and Judith Light.

The way Sherilyn Fenn says “She’s probably not used to having people inside of her” sends shivers down my spine.

Lightyear

Pixar’s upcoming animated feature will explore the fictional origin story of Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger who inspires the action figure in the Toy Story films. Chris Evans will provide the voice of our hero; Taiki Waititi will also appear. Lightyear is scheduled to open on June 17 and will presumably be available on Disney+ later in the year.

The use of David Bowie’s “Starman” here is *chef’s kiss*

From

Science fiction-horror hybrid From will premiere on Epix on February 20. Harold Perrineau, Eion Bailey and Catalina Sandino Moreno will star as travelers who find themselves trapped in a Lovecraftian town with some terrifying nocturnal creatures. From features a Lost reunion between Perrineau and director Jack Bender, while the Russo brothers serve as executive producers.

The First Lady

Showtime’s The First Lady is an anthology drama series centered on the better halves of the Oval Office occupants. The series will star Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. The supporting cast includes Aaron Eckhart, Dakota Fanning, Kiefer Sutherland, Judy Greer and Lily Rabe.

Disenchanted

The long-awaited sequel to Enchanted will finally arrive on Disney+ this year. Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Idina Menzel, reprising their roles from the original film, will be joined by Yvette Nicole Brown, Maya Rudolph, Jayma Mays and Oscar Nunez. Adam Shankman will direct and Alan Menken, who earned three Oscar nods for Enchanted, will compose the score. I adore Enchanted, and I also love the idea of exploring what happens after the “happily ever after”. If you’ve never seen Enchanted, stream it on Disney+ now.

The perfectly cast, Golden Globe-nominated Amy Adams with Patrick Dempsey in *Enchanted*

The Old Man

The Old Man, based on Thomas Perry’s 2017 novel, will star Jeff Bridges as the titular character, an off-the-grid former intelligence officer who is thrust back into his former life when he is targeted for assassination. The outstanding supporting cast includes John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat. Co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg is best known for the beloved 2006 series Jericho, so expectations will likely be high for this thriller. The Old Man will stream on FX/Hulu sometime this year.

2022 Preview, Part I

We’ve said goodbye to 2021 (good fucking riddance), and now that a new year has arrived, it’s the perfect time to look ahead at what’s to come in the world of pop culture. Partway through this piece, I realized it had gotten too long for a single post; I’ll publish part two in a few days.

Here’s a list of highly anticipated books releasing in the new year, including memoirs from Bob Odenkirk and Hannah Gadsby, novels by Emily St. John Mandel and Emma Straub, and sequels to Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer Prize-winning A Visit from the Goon Squad (a book I highly recommend) and Tom Perrotta’s Election.

https://ew.com/books/most-anticipated-books-of-2022/

Stranger Things 4

There isn’t a single piece of media that I am looking forward to more in 2022 than the long long LONG awaited fourth season of Stranger Things. Season three was released on July 4, 2019; three years is way too long to keep us waiting. Filming on season four originally began early in 2020, but the production was shut down due to COVID-19. Filming finally resumed that fall, but didn’t wrap until just this past summer. In the meantime, fans latched onto every detail we could, from casting (Robert Englund!) to episode titles (what IS “The Hellfire Club”?). Teasers were released throughout 2021 which filled in some of the blanks but always left us wanting more. We still don’t have an actual release date; the final teaser, released on November 6 to coincide with “Stranger Things Day”, just said 2022. Fingers crossed for a spring or summer release.

Knives Out 2

Rian Johnson returns as director and Daniel Craig will reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc. The film will not be a direct sequel to Knives Out, but rather a standalone story à la Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. The new all-star cast of potential suspects includes Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Ethan Hawke, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista. Filming took place over the summer; no word yet on an exact release date.

The Midnight Club

Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Netflix series is an adaptation of Christopher Pike’s YA novel of the same name. The Midnight Club tells the story of a group of terminally ill teens at a hospice who make a pact that the first of them to die will attempt to make contact from beyond the grave. When one of them passes away, well…you can probably guess what happens next. The supporting cast includes frequent Flanagan collaborators Zach Gilford, Samantha Sloyan and Matt Biedel, as well as Heather Langenkamp. After watching Midnight Mass, I will follow Flanagan anywhere. Production was completed last September; no release date yet.

Babylon

Damien Chazelle’s next feature, set to be released on Christmas Day, is a period drama set in Hollywood’s “Golden Age”. The to-die-for cast includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde and the incomparable Jean Smart (seriously, can she just be in all the things, please?). If Babylon is as sumptuous as La La Land, we’re in for a real treat.

How I Met Your Father

HIMYM creators Craig Thomas and Carter Bays signed on as executive producers of the sequel series, which features Hillary Duff and Kim Catrall as younger and older versions of Sophie. Similar to HIMYM, the older Sophie is telling her kids the story of how her younger self met their dad; unlike HIMYM, whose narrator Bob Saget (RIP) remained unseen for the duration of the series, we will actually see the older version of the character. Sophie’s friends will be played by, among others, GLOW‘s Chris Lowell, Grown-ish‘s Francia Raisa and Life of Pi‘s Suraj Sharma. HIMYM‘s Pamela Fryman directed the pilot (and serves as executive producer), which will be available on Hulu on January 18.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s brilliant true crime book is certain to be one of the year’s best films. The story centers on the murders of Native Americans in Osage County, Oklahoma in the 1920s, and the birth of the FBI in response. Among the stars of the film are Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow. Oscar-winner Eric Roth adapted the screenplay and the legendary Robbie Robertson will compose the score.

Daisy Jones & The Six

One of my favorites of the past few years, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel tells a documentary-style story of bandmates and sometime lovers Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne (think Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham). The casting is spot-on; Riley Keough (Elvis Presley’s granddaughter) is a particularly inspired choice to play Daisy. The book included lyrics to the titular band’s songs; I’m anxiously awaiting the announcement of who will compose the music for those songs. Daisy Jones & The Six will stream on Amazon Prime; no word on a release date yet.

The Woman King

A historical epic set in the Kingdom of Dahomey (located in West Africa in what is now the country of Benin), Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King will star Viola Davis as Nanisca, a general in Dahomey’s all-female military (Dahomey’s male population was depleted by slavery and frequent warfare with neighboring West African countries). The Woman King is scheduled to be released by Sony Pictures on September 16.

Under the Banner of Heaven

Based on Jon Krakauer’s brilliant non-fiction book, which interlaced the origins of the LDS Church with the story of a modern-day murder committed in the name of God by a pair of Mormon fundamentalist brothers, Under the Banner of Heaven will star Andrew Garfield as the devoutly Mormon detective whose faith is shaken by the case. Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk), who was raised in the Mormon church, developed the series and adapted the screenplay; Hell or High Water‘s David Mackenzie will direct. The series will air on FX and be available for streaming on Hulu; no release date yet.

Untitled David O. Russell project

Scheduled to be released on November 4, the untitled period film will feature Christian Bale in his third collaboration with Russell, as well as Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Michael Shannon, Chris Rock and Anya Taylor-Joy. Plot details are being kept under wraps at this point, but Russell has made some of my favorite movies of the 21st century so I know this one will be on my “must-watch” list.

Don’t Worry Darling

Olivia Wilde, out to prove that the lovely Booksmart wasn’t a fluke, will direct her second feature film, a 1950s period piece about a young housewife (the divine Florence Pugh) who discovers that the idyllic experimental community in which she and her husband reside harbors all sorts of secrets. The cast of this psychological thriller includes Harry Styles, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, Nick Kroll, KiKi Layne and Wilde herself. Don’t Worry Darling is set for release on September 23.

My Pop Culture Year

Me, one year ago: “2021 HAS to be better, right?”

2021: “Hold my beer.”

Yeah, I’ll say it – 2021 was a giant dumpster fire. I was happy to say goodbye to it. Obviously, there were some bright points, the brightest being writing Peanut Butter & Julie for you lovely people. But much of 2021 sucked a fat one. As usual in years fraught with anxiety and tension, popular culture – in all its wonderfully diverse forms – was what got me through the day-to-day. So as I look back on 2021, these are some of the stand-outs. This is not by any means a “Best Of” list; some of these weren’t even released in the past year. This is simply a list of some of the movies, series and books that I enjoyed for the first time in 2021.

Mare of Easttown

What to say about HBO’s crime drama that hasn’t already been said? Probably nothing. But every aspect of this limited series – from the writing to the production design to the editing – is just so fucking good. Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) is watching her personal and professional lives fall apart as she attempts to solve the murder of a local teen. Though the central mystery is interesting, the most intriguing facet of the series is Mare herself. Winslet, in a spellbinding, Emmy-winning performance, is masterfully supported by a cast that includes Guy Pearce, her fellow Emmy winners Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson, and the peerless Jean Smart.

Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel

Almost two years into the pandemic, I broke my COVID-era rule about pandemic-related media to finally read Mandel’s gorgeous, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning novel. Am I ever glad I did. Unlike most post-apocalyptic stories, Station Eleven focuses not on the survival of humanity, but on the preservation of human culture. Spanning multiple timelines and featuring a cast of interconnected characters, Station Eleven is both heartbreaking and uplifting (it’s also the first novel I finished since 2019). My husband and I are four episodes into the terrific HBO Max adaptation, and while he is getting a little antsy for some Mad Max-style action to happen, I am content to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

Soul

Pixar’s Soul is a lovely ode to finding your spark. Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is a music teacher who hasn’t given up on his dream of becoming a jazz pianist. On the day of his biggest break yet – a gig with Angela Bassett’s Dorothea Williams – Joe falls down a manhole and finds himself headed to the Great Beyond. Not content to leave his earthly business behind, he escapes to the Great Before and is paired with 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who has spent millennia avoiding being placed in a body. In the film’s funniest scene, we see some of 22’s historical mentors, including Archimedes, Copernicus, Marie Antoinette, Carl Jung, and Muhammad Ali (“You are the greatest…pain in the butt!”). The animation is gorgeous, of course, and the voice work spot-on, but my favorite aspect of Soul is the music. An ambient score was composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and the jazz sequences were written by Jon Batiste; the three shared the Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for their efforts.

The Queen’s Gambit

The Queen’s Gambit was released in the fall of 2020, but we didn’t get around to watching it until early 2021. To be honest, I was skeptical that a series about chess would be all that interesting, but I was so very wrong. Based on the 1983 Walter Tevis novel of the same name, The Queen’s Gambit is exhilarating. The chess sequences, which most experts agree are quite accurate, are electrifying. Every last period detail – costumes, hairstyles, set decor -is exquisite. And it’s all anchored by Anya Taylor-Joy’s riveting performance as Beth Harmon, our extraordinarily gifted and heartbreakingly damaged protagonist. I simply could not keep my eyes off of her. In a rare case of critics and audiences agreeing, The Queen’s Gambit won eleven Primetime Emmys and became one of Netflix’s most-watched series of 2020.

Don’t Look Up

Don’t Look Up is one of the most divisive films of the year, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, the satire is heavy-handed at times, but the A-list cast – led by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio – more than sells the material. Although Don’t Look Up is clearly intended as a climate change cautionary tale, I couldn’t help but see the similarities to our COVID response: craven, anti-science politicians looking for ways to enrich themselves, their cult-like followers chanting mindless slogans, the vacant-eyed tech billionaire who swoops in with a flashy fix. It’s over-the-top for sure, but it worked for me.

Midnight Mass

Mike Flanagan’s elegy to love and loss and faith overwhelmed me. Critics of the series complained it was too talky, but I was blown away that long sequences of dialogue could be that thrilling – or that unsettling. Midnight Mass is not perfect; the makeup used to age the actors is laughably bad and even I’ll admit that fewer monologues would have improved the pacing. But the series delivers a slow-burn dread – and a few brilliantly placed jump scares – that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. And the cast, led by Zach Gilford and Kate Siegel, more than makes up for any flaws in the material; Hamish Linklater, in particular, gives a mesmerizing, career-defining performance as Father Paul.

No Sudden Move

Steven Soderbergh’s latest is a twisty crime caper with a top-notch cast, including Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Jon Hamm, David Harbour, Ray Liotta and Brendan Fraser (as well as an uncredited cameo from one of Soderbergh’s most frequent collaborators). The storyline kicks off when two gangsters are recruited as part of a blackmail scheme; the target – an accountant for General Motors – seems an unlikely one, at least at first. It all becomes clear in the end, but don’t doze off because the pace is brisk. In the end, No Sudden Move might suffer from one twist too many, but it’s a hell of an entertaining ride nonetheless.

Palm Springs

Groundhog Day meets Bridesmaids, with healthy doses of both sweetness and raunch, Hulu’s Palm Springs is a rom-com with a metaphysical twist. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti play stuck-in-time soulmates Nyles and Sarah, who are reliving Sarah’s sister’s wedding day over and over (Nyles is a guest of one of the bridesmaids, Sarah is the maid of honor). Samberg and Milioti are so charming together; their chemistry is authentic and when their characters inevitably fall in love, it feels earned. Unlike Groundhog Day, the two can’t “become a better person” their way out of the time loop, so they play with the boundaries of it instead: they steal an airplane, learn a dance routine, get revenge on Nyles’ cheating girlfriend and a skeezy groomsman, and give each other some very NSFW tattoos. It’s hilarious and heart-warming, and I loved every minute of it.

SERIOUSLY VERY VERY NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK

Fargo series

Fargo debuted in 2014, and I was initially reluctant to watch it; television adaptations of iconic films typically fail to live up to their source material, and Fargo is a film that I LOVE. But then I learned that creator Noah Fawley pitched the series to the Coen brothers, who were so impressed that they signed on as executive producers. Gorgeously shot, flawlessly acted and shockingly violent, Fargo pays perfect homage to the Coens’ darkly comic vision while also maintaining its own unique point of view. The series, which has received more than two hundred nominations and won fifty-one awards (including the prestigious Peabody), is simply one of the best of the past decade.

Yellowjackets

The less you know about Showtime’s bonkers-in-the-best-way Yellowjackets, the better. The series takes place in two timelines: one in 1996 as a girls’ soccer team from New Jersey embarks on an ill-fated trip to nationals and the other in the present, where the now middle-aged women remain haunted by the demons of the past (let’s just say the plane crash isn’t the worst of it). The younger and older versions of each character are perfectly cast; I especially love Christina Ricci and Sammi Hanratty as the team’s bullied (and deliciously sociopathic) equipment manager Misty. And Juliette Lewis is giving an award-worthy performance as Natalie, whose badassery masks a profoundly damaged psyche. One part Lord of the Flies and one part Heathers, Yellowjackets is twisted and terrifying and absurdly entertaining. Word is the creators have a five-year plan for the series and I worry about its shelf life over that many seasons. But for now, I just can’t get enough.

Season’s Greetings

Hello, dear readers. I hope this finds you all safe and healthy. I know I’ve been quiet recently. I had all sorts of fun things planned for the past couple of weeks (including a 50th-anniversary retrospective for A Clockwork Orange, coverage of Christmas-themed films and television episodes, and a list of my favorite Steven Spielberg films in honor of his 75th birthday***). Unfortunately, a plague descended on my house, rendering all non-essential activities moot. Christmas packages went unsent. Laundry and hair went unwashed. Emails went unanswered. Blog posts went unpublished.

Christmas Eve morning, I sent my husband off to spend the holiday with his mother and went to get a COVID test; it was negative, thankfully, and I’m starting to feel like a human being again. I’m finally able to walk my dogs, eat normally, sleep through the night.

In the meantime, the pop culture world kept turning. The incomparable Joan Didion passed away. Oscar-bait films were released (Don’t Look Up features five Oscar winners – Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett and Mark Rylance – and two more nominees, Jonah Hill and Timothée Chalamet). Spider-Man: No Way Home became the first movie to pass the $1 billion mark since the pandemic began. Mr. Big had a heart attack on a Peloton and Twitter lost its collective mind. The Golden Globe nominations were announced.

*Spider-Man: No Way Home* stars Zendaya and Tom Holland

Rather than try to play catch-up, my plan is to just move forward from this point. So stay tuned, and happy holidays!

*** For the record (in chronological order): Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can.

Quick Hits: December 14

Author Anne Rice passed away over the weekend at the age of eighty. Rice, born Howard Allen Frances O’Brien, sold more than 100 million copies of her books and made the world safe for sexy vampires (no Lestat and Louis = no Edward Cullen, no Angel, no Eric Northman).

Michael Nesmith has died at the age of seventy-eight. At a later time, I’ll delve more into my childhood love of The Monkees and Nesmith specifically; for now I’m struggling to find the right words.

Nesmith (with guitar) with his Monkees bandmates

That wink at the end is *chef’s kiss*

Not much makes me happier than a holiday-themed baking competition, and Peacock’s Baking It is a recent pleasure. The show is hosted by Andy Samberg and the divine Maya Rudolph, who randomly break into song and generally act like the wonderful goofballs that they are. The judges are a panel of grandmas who drink dirty martinis while the competitors finish their bakes. Baking It is a god damn delight and I highly recommend it.

Speaking of Andy Samberg, today is the fifteenth anniversary of the release of “Dick in a Box”!

On this day in 1969, the Jackson 5 made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Michael, at age eleven the youngest member of the group, stole the show on his way to becoming the undisputed King of Pop.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiered on this day in 2015. The film – which earned more than two billion dollars globally – introduced us to a new generation of heroes, including Rey and Finn, while satisfying the Gen-X nostalgia machine with old favorites like Leia, Han and Chewy.

Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) with BB-8

Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet was released on this day in 1959. Featuring the smash hit “Take Five” (the biggest selling jazz single of all time), Time Out made it to #2 on the Billboard album chart and became the first jazz album to sell a million copies.

“Take Five” is a musical marvel in 5/4 time.

Ocean’s Twenty

“Ten oughta do it, don’t you think? You think we need one more? You think we need one more. All right, we’ll get one more.” – Danny Ocean

“The Eleven”, from left: Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Shaobo Qin, Scott Caan, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Elliott Gould, Don Cheadle, Eddie Jemison, Carl Reiner

Steven Soderbergh’s smart, twisty, ludicrously entertaining Ocean’s Eleven came out twenty years ago this week, a fact I can hardly believe (I still think it should be the 1990s for some reason). Ocean’s Eleven is my favorite film of 2001, by a long shot. The performances, the snappy dialogue (the screenplay was written by Ted Griffin), and the brisk pacing (seriously, there is not an ounce of fat in this film) all add up to a movie that delights and entertains from the first frame to the last.

Soderbergh was coming off a pretty awesome 2000; two of his films – Traffic and Erin Brockovich – were released that year to much critical acclaim, a box office total of more than $460 million, and a combined ten Oscar nominations and five wins (Traffic won Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing; Julie Roberts earned the Best Actress prize for her endearing portrayal of the titular character in Erin Brockovich).

Best Actress winner Julia Roberts with *Erin Brockovich* co-stars Conchata Ferrell and Albert Finney

Soderbergh with Michael Douglas on the set of *Traffic*

The point is, Steven Soderbergh was riding high in Hollywood, and after more than ten years as an indie darling, he was now on the A-list. He could choose any project he wanted, and what Soderbergh wanted was to make a film with zero social importance. Ocean’s Eleven felt like a perfect fit, and Soderbergh set about assembling an absurdly talented and likeable cast for his retelling of the “Rat Pack” classic.

Danny Ocean – a handsome, charming con man played by the handsome, charming George Clooney (honestly, could anyone else have played this character?). Danny is looking to make the score of a lifetime – with a heaping side of revenge.
Rusty Ryan – Danny’s friend and right-hand man, Rusty (Brad Pitt) runs logistics for the team. Pitt suggested to Soderbergh that a busy man like Rusty would always be eating on the go, so in almost every scene Rusty is consuming food or a drink. For the scene where Rusty and Linus watch Tess descend down the staircase, Pitt reportedly ate about forty shrimp.
Linus Caldwell – pickpocket and son of legendary conman Bobby Caldwell, Linus was almost played by Mark Wahlberg. Fortunately, Walbergh had a scheduling conflict with Planet of the Apes and chose to star in the latter (he chose…poorly), and Matt Damon landed the role.
Basher Tarr – the munitions man. Some undisclosed behind-the-scenes stuff caused Don Cheadle to request his name be taken off the film, but he returned for the sequels nonetheless. Now about that absolutely terrible Cockney accent. Oof.
Virgil and Turk Malloy – drivers and mechanics. The brothers were initially going to be played by Owen and Luke Wilson, but the two decided to devote their energy to The Royal Tenenbaums; Casey Affleck and Scott Caan were cast instead.
Frank Catton – the dealer, played by the late, great Bernie Mac.
Reuben Tishkoff – the money man, Reuben (Elliott Gould) is retired but Danny and Rusty talk him into joining the team by mentioning Terry Benedict, who had previously muscled Reuben out of Vegas.
Saul Bloom – the old pro, played by the legendary Carl Reiner, who was hired five days before filming his first scene.
Livingston Dell – technical support and surveillance (Eddie Jemison in just his second film role).
“The Amazing” Yen – the greaseman, portrayed by real life professional acrobat/contortionist Shaobo Qin. Qin has never appeared in a movie outside of the Oceans franchise.

From left: Cheadle, Qin, Affleck, Clooney

The main character outside of “The Eleven” is Tess Ocean, Danny’s ex-wife and the current girlfriend of casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Benedict is Danny’s target, but Danny has neglected to divulge Benedict’s relationship status to the rest of the team. Tess is played by Julia Roberts, whose chemistry with Clooney is off-the-charts. Surprisingly, Roberts and Clooney had never met in real life, but George was certain Roberts was the right person for the role. Having just become the first woman to command $20 million for a movie (for Erin Brockovich), Roberts was charmed by Clooney, who sent her a $20 bill along with a note that said “I heard you’re getting 20 a picture”.

Another pair with amazing chemistry is Clooney and Pitt. One of my favorite scenes has Pitt’s Rusty teaching poker to a group of actors playing themselves, including Topher Grace (who’d co-starred in Traffic) and Joshua Jackson, which leads to this fantastic sequence where Rusty and Danny con the gullible group out of several thousand dollars.

An aside: actors LOVE working with Soderbergh. He’s known for his relaxed but swift directorial style; he’ll change a scene’s set-up on the fly, but you better get your lines in one take because Soderbergh is already moving on the next shot. This freewheeling style has actors lining up to make film after film with him. Matt Damon, with nine, has the most Soderbergh collaborations under his belt. In second place, with seven Soderbergh collabs, is Joe Chrest (I know, who? Best known as Stranger Things‘ Ted Wheeler, Chrest made his film debut in Soderbergh’s King of the Hill). Several more actors have made at least five films with Soderbergh, including Damon’s Ocean’s co-stars Clooney, Roberts and Cheadle, as well as Channing Tatum. The actors’ love for each other and for Soderbergh is likely the reason for the absolutely unnecessary but still pretty enjoyable Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen.

Cheadle, far left, with Ray Liotta and Benicio del Toro in *No Sudden Move*, Soderbergh’s most recent film

Ocean’s Eleven was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2001 (and Soderbergh’s most commercially successful film ever), with a worldwide box office total of $450 million, and twenty years on it holds up beautifully. From the costumes and production design (both of which were nominated for their respective guild’s year-end awards) to the jazzy score by David Holmes (plus a brilliant pop music soundtrack, with songs like “A Little Less Conversation” by Elvis Presley) to the crackling chemistry of the cast, Ocean’s Eleven still hits all the right notes.

One of my favorite uses of classical music in film, “Clair de Lune” is the perfect choice for the fountain scene

Postscript – just a few examples of Rusty eating food:

Quick Hits: December 4

Theater legend Stephen Sondheim passed away last week at the age of 91. The Broadway community gathered in New York City’s Duffy Square on Sunday (fittingly) for a tearful, goosebump-inducing performance of “Sunday” from Sunday in the Park with George. I couldn’t think of a better tribute.

At ten minutes and thirteen seconds, Taylor Swift’s new version of “All Too Well” is now the longest Billboard #1 in history, breaking Don McLean’s almost-fifty-year-old record (the album version of “American Pie” clocked in at eight minutes and forty-two seconds). McLean handled the news with grace, tweeting “Let’s face it, nobody ever wants to lose that #1 spot, but if I had to lose it to somebody, I sure am glad it was another great singer/songwriter such as Taylor. Congratulations @taylorswift13!”

The Criterion Collection edition of Miller’s Crossing will be released on February 8, and I am so in love with this artwork.

Happy birthday, Jeff Bridges! Bridges is Hollywood royalty and something of a renaissance man; in addition to being an award-winning actor, he is a musician, writer, photographer, philanthropist and all-around cool dude. Bridges recently underwent treatment for lymphoma, and announced this past September that he was in remission. In celebration, here is The Dude himself in a scene from my fave Bridges flick, The Big Lebowski.

Frank Zappa died on December 4, 1993 from prostate cancer at the age of 52. Zappa was a prolific avante-garde musician and composer, releasing sixty-two albums in his lifetime. At a 1971 show at the Casino de Montreaux, a fire destroyed much of his band Mother of Invention’s equipment; the incident was immortalized in “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple (who were in Montreaux to record their upcoming album Machine Head). Zappa is probably best known for the 1982 top-40 single “Valley Girl”, which featured his fourteen-year-old daughter Moon Unit.

On this day in 1980, Led Zeppelin officially disbanded, a little more than two months after the tragic accidental death of beloved drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham. From the band’s press release: “We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.”

From left: Bonham, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones

Beatles for Sale was released on this day in 1964. Its best known track, “Eight Days a Week”, wasn’t even on the US version of the album; it was issued as a single and became the band’s seventh US #1. My favorite track? “I’ll Follow the Sun”, which was written by Paul McCartney when he was sixteen and features gorgeous harmonies by John Lennon. At one minute and forty-eight seconds, “I’ll Follow the Sun” is short and sweet, like all the best McCartney songs.

Shawn Corey Carter – better known as Jay-Z, or Mr. Beyoncé if you prefer – was born on this day in 1969. A rapper, songwriter, producer, record exec, businessman and philanthropist, Jay-Z has sold more than 125 million records and won twenty-three Grammys (more than any other rapper), and he holds the record for most number-one albums – fourteen! – by a solo artist. Recently, Jay-Z became the first solo living rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – and he did it on his first try.

Jay-Z in Los Angeles earlier this year at the kick-off
of his new cannabis venture with TPCO Holding Corp.

Jay-Z accepting his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The National Board of Review handed out their year-end awards this week; the winners are the best indicator yet of how this year’s Oscars could go. The big winners were Best Picture Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson also won Best Director), Best Actor Will Smith and Best Actress Rachel Zegler. We won’t know the year’s Oscar nominees until February 8, but there will be lots of awards activity in the meantime. Stay tuned to Peanut Butter & Julie for not-at-all-complete awards coverage.

Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, winners of the Breakthrough Performance Award, in *Licorice Pizza*

Rachel Zegler in *West Side Story*, her film debut!

I finally got around to watching Palm Springs on Hulu, and it’s as delightful as I’d heard. The film stars Andy Samberg and the divine Cristin Milioti as Nyles and Sarah, who are [SPOILER ALERT] trapped in a timeloop on the day of Sarah’s sister’s wedding. The less you know about this raunchy twist on standard rom-com AND timeloop tropes, the better; just sit back and enjoy the ride.

And finally, Spotify released their year-end “Wrapped” stats this week. Judge all you want, but I make no apologies for this:

I honestly don’t remember listening to Grizzly Bear’s lovely “Two Weeks” that much – but it is an awesome song

The 100th

This is my 100th post, and I had something special planned for the occasion (100 of my favorite pop-culture fun facts) but it was taking too long to come together. I only posted six times in November, which is well below my goal of ten. I’m hoping to get back on track in December because I have some fun things planned. The holidays are upon us, so I’m hoping to share with you some of my seasonal picks in film, television and music, as well as what’s new in streaming. If there’s time, I plan to do retrospectives on the anniversaries of Ocean’s Eleven (twentieth), Father of the Bride (thirtieth) and A Clockwork Orange (fiftieth).

In the meantime, I want to thank all of you, my readers. It’s been a heckuva 2021, but writing this blog has been one of the highlights of my year. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Peanut Butter & Julie as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it, and I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

Quick Hits: November 18

Published in 2021, this post has been edited for content and clarity.

Calvin and Hobbes debuted in newspapers forty years ago today. My absolute all-time favorite comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes was the story of a bright, precocious boy and his tiger BFF. Was Hobbes a toy that magically came to life when no one was around, or was anthropomorphic Hobbes merely a figment of Calvin’s imagination? Refreshingly, artist Bill Watterson never resolved that question; Hobbes simply was what Calvin needed him to be. The other characters – Calvin’s exasperated, nameless parents; Susie Derkins, Calvin’s long-suffering crush and nemesis; Moe, his low-IQ tormentor; his teacher, Miss Wormwood; his babysitter, Rosalyn – gave us glimpses into Calvin’s life. But Calvin could only truly be himself with Hobbes. Watterson created a magical, larger-than-life, wickedly funny world (even while maintaining a notoriously private life). I still love exploring that world, almost thirty years after the final strip was published.

U2’s Achtung Baby was released on this day in 1991. With a grittier, edgier sound and introspective lyrics about love, sex, faith, and loss, the album was more intimate than anything the band had recorded before. As Steve Morse of The Boston Globe put it, “The songs focus on personal relationships, not on saving the world.” The new sound, which incorporated elements of industrial rock and EDM, alienated a few longtime fans, but Achtung Baby is still a triumph – and a hint of things to come.

FUN FACT: I was in the audience at this show. It was September 9, 1992, at the Pontiac Silverdome. My friend and I were pretty close to the stage, maybe fifteen rows back. We lost our minds. One of my favorite concert experiences ever. And yes, I set my VCR to record before we left.

Steamboat Willie, one of the first cartoons to use synchronized sound, premiered on this day in 1928 at Universal’s Colony Theater in New York City. The short was not Mickey Mouse’s first film appearance, but it was the first to be distributed, and the one that put Walt Disney on the map.

Malcolm X, the Spike Lee joint about the legendary civil rights leader, was released on this day in 1992. Based primarily on Alex Haley’s 1965 book The Autobiography of Malcolm X, the film features a career-defining performance by Denzel Washington. In one of the biggest injustices in Oscar history, Washington lost the Best Actor award to Al Pacino for his hammy portrayal of Lt. Col. Frank Slade in the aggressively mediocre Scent of a Woman.

“We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us!”

Legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter received her first Oscar nomination for Malcolm X. She was the first African-American designer nominated for an Academy Award AND the first to win (for 2018’s Black Panther and its 2022 sequel). I highly recommend this clip of Carter breaking down her most iconic looks.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, the sixth studio album by Genesis and their final album to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel, was released on this day in 1974. Gabriel, who had always written the band’s lyrics, had taken time off from recording to spend time with his family and work on other projects; the remaining band members – Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Steve Hackett – were left to write and record much of the album on their own. To top it off, personal issues were beginning to impact the band’s work. The resulting album is kind of a brilliant mess and an important step in Genesis’s transition from art/prog rock to the poppier sound of the Phil Collins era (not to mention Gabriel’s transition into a brilliant solo career).

The loooooooooong-awaited final season of Stranger Things kicks off on Thanksgiving Eve with four new episodes. Netflix has released the final trailer, as well as a look at the first five minutes of episode one, which reveals more about what Will experienced on his first trip to the Upside Down. Three additional episodes will drop on Christmas Day, and the finale, which will also get a limited theatrical release, on New Year’s Eve.

And finally, A Christmas Story landed in theaters on this day in 1983. The film, based on the Jean Shepherd book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, was a sleeper hit that caught on with audiences – my own family included – upon its 1984 VHS release. Since 1997, TNT has aired “24 Hours of A Christmas Story“, so whether you’re an early riser or a night owl (and you still have cable for some reason), you can find a viewing time that’s right for you! For those without cable, you can stream A Christmas Story on HBO Max.

Quick Hits: November 12-13

Disney+ launched two years ago yesterday, and the streamer celebrated the occasion with tons of new content, including – finally! – Enchanted and five new episodes of The World According to Jeff Goldblum, a series I highly recommend.

Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams in *Enchanted*

Drummer, songwriter and poet Graeme Edge, co-founder of prog-rock titans The Moody Blues, has died at the age of eighty.

Justin Hayward, Graeme Edge, John Lodge — Graeme Edge, center, with Moody Blues bandmates Justin Hayward and John Lodge

In a year (1967) full of amazing albums, Days of Future Passed was among the best.

Christa B. Allen, who played the thirteen-year-old version of Jennifer Garner’s character in 13 Going On 30, turned thirty this week.

Red Notice premiered yesterday on Netflix, and it looks like a blast. Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds seem like a comedic match made in heaven.

Grace Kelly was born on November 12, 1929. Glamourous and stunningly beautiful, Kelly was the epitome of Hollywood royalty and an absolute fashion icon. After graduating from American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1949, Kelly began her career in the New York City theater. Bit parts in films and episodic television led to Kelly’s big break, 1952’s High Noon. The following year, John Ford’s Mogamba yielded Kelly her first Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actress. In 1954, Kelly starred in five films, including two collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock (Dial M for Murder and Rear Window) and The Country Girl, which earned Kelly her only Oscar. In 1956, after making her final movie (High Society), Kelly retired from acting at the age of twenty-seven to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco; the Hollywood princess became a literal princess. On September 14, 1982, Grace Kelly died from injuries sustained in an auto accident the previous day; she was just fifty-two years old.

The incomparable Wallace Shawn was born on November 12, 1943. An actor and playwright, Shawn made his film debut in 1979, in Woody Allen’s Manhattan (he’s appeared in six Allen films total). Two years later, Shawn and his frequent collaborator André Gregory co-wrote and starred in My Dinner with Andre, playing fictionalized versions of themselves. In 1987, Shawn appeared in his most iconic role, as Vizzini in The Princess Bride. Shawn is also an accomplished voice actor, most notably Rex from the Toy Story series.

With André Gregory in *My Dinner with Andre*

“This word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

On November 12, 1969, Julie Andrews married Blake Edwards. The two made several films together and remained married until his death in 2010.

Edwards directed his wife to her third Oscar nomination in 1982’s *Victor/Victoria*

On November 12, 1955, lightning struck the Hill Valley clock tower, sending Marty McFly back to 1985 – but not before he helps his parents hook up by subbing for Marvin Berry & The Starlighters’ injured guitar player at the “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance.

Perpetual scene stealer Steve Zahn is celebrating his 54th birthday today.

As Lenny in *That Thing You Do!* with Giovanni Ribisi

With Lisa Kudrow on *Friends* (“The
One with Phoebe’s Husband”)

Duel, Steven Speilberg’s feature film debut, debuted fifty years ago today. Originally aired as an ABC Movie of the Week, Duel later received an international theatrical release. Written by the late, great Richard Matheson from his short story of the same name, Duel pits Dennis Weaver’s David (in a 1970 Plymouth Valiant) against a mostly-unseen trucker with a terrible case of road rage. I watched Duel in high school, and I remember enjoying it, but I couldn’t say how well it holds up.

And finally, Britney Spears is free of the conservatorship that controlled her life, her finances and even her medical decisions for the past thirteen years.