The 37 Best Movies of 2024 (So Far) |
More often than not, what we think about when we think about summertime moviegoing is one thing: bigness. It's the season when Hollywood tends to release films with inflated budgets, grand stunts, valuable IP, and brawny stars. This summer was no different. There were high-profile animated sequels, high-flying action flicks, and high-adrenaline horror scares. The box office was dominated by apes, minions, storms, superheroes, and, yes, emotions. With 4DX, many fans experienced Twisters and Alien: Romulus less as movies than as amusement-park rides. All of which helped the year's shaky post-strike box office more or less right itself. But amid all the fanfare and bells and whistles, this summer—and this August, in particular—also brought thrills of a much smaller, more human variety. India Donaldson's Good One, Nathan Silver's Between the Temples, and Greg Kwedar's Sing Sing are three of the best films I've seen all year. Each is at turns funny, heartbreaking, and exhilarating. And each soars on the strength of its cast and the characters they play. These films may be small in scale, but the feelings they produce are huge. And though none of them offered shaking seats or cheeky collisions of IP, they were nonetheless superb ways to beat the heat. |
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Brendon Babenzien on Bringing Back the Iconic J.Crew Catalog—and a Whole Lot More |
Once upon a time, the catalog was king. You might remember this era fondly, wistfully, nostalgically; it was an expanse of several decades, a period before "Click the link in my bio to shop this piece!" had ever been typed out on an iPhone and posted to Instagram. It wasn't always perfect. But when it was good, well, it was very good. J.Crew's catalogs were right at the top of the heap, aspirational artifacts full of attractive people, beautiful vistas, and the kinds of clothing that'd ensure you—yes, you!—would fit right in with them. You might recall seeing one arrive at your doorstep sometime between 1983 and 2017, when the last issue was printed. The brand's printed matter was so iconic, it's still the stuff of legend in menswear spaces and dedicated social-media accounts. And now, in conjunction with the Fall 2024 campaign, men's creative director Brendon Babenzien is bringing J.Crew's beloved catalog back. |
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Wise Guy: What We Learned 25 Years Later Watching The Sopranos Documentary |
Alex Gibney's illuminating new docuseries, Wise Guy: Guy David Chase and The Sopranos, which premiered on Max this Saturday night, is a treasure trove of Sopranos trivia that is sure to stun even the most devoted fans of the series. Through never-before-seen audition tapes, interviews, and insider footage, Gibney and the cast of Wise Guy reveal all of the effort, drama, inspiration, and backstage antics that went into the making of one of the most celebrated (and revisited) television shows of the 21st century. For instance, did you know that to try and win the part as Carmela, Edie Falco showed up to her audition with a homemade baked ziti? I'm just kidding. OR AM I? I am. In reality, Falco was convinced she wouldn't get the part because directors didn't usually cast women who looked like her in Italian-American roles. Hungry for more deep-cut factoids about The Sopranos? Below are 26 things Wise Guy: Guy David Chase and The Sopranos reveals about everybody's favorite TV show. |
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90 Minutes with Shaboozey |
"That's the greatest album to ever exist," says Shaboozey as he spots a copy of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. We're at RPM Underground, a record shop in Midtown, Manhattan, and he's found the LP in the classics section. His hand traces over the cover for a moment and then keeps digging through the collection, intrigued by what he might find next. As we wander through the aisles, Shaboozey (real name Collins Obinna Chibueze) flips through LPs and calls out familiar artists. There's Coldplay, Sam Cooke, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Billie Eilish, and The Beatles. Anyone who's anyone has a record here and, as we turn the corner, he realizes he does too. A copy of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, where he appears on two tracks as a vocalist, is displayed on the wall, wrapped in tight, untouched cellophane. "I should probably get that," he jokes. |
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Five Fits With: Writer and Actor John Owen Lowe |
Before I even met John Owen Lowe, I suspected he'd have the proverbial sauce. He is, after all, the son of Rob Lowe, and an accomplished writer, producer, and actor in his own right. I was pleased to learn I was correct. From his personal style to his demeanor and sense of humor, the guy's got it together. He's very self-aware, as one probably must be when he's writing a meta comedy that draws from his real-life experiences with his celebrity father. Perhaps you've watched his show, Unstable, which tackles the fictional father-son relationship of an eccentric biotech entrepreneur who's spiraling after the death of his wife and his flautist son who has tried his best to stay away from his father's business but is forced to work with him to keep him from further misfortune. If you've seen it, you know both his acting and writing really shine. I caught up with Lowe to discuss dropping stem cell research to pursue writing and acting, his opinion on the term "nepobaby," his personal style journey and favorite brands, and plenty more. |
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Natural Born Killers at 30: The Making of a Misunderstood Masterpiece |
1993. A clearing in the woods near Chicago, sun shining, puffy clouds. Robert Downey Jr., twenty-seven years old, just a few months past his Best Actor Academy Award nomination for Chaplin, has been high or drunk or asleep for much of the last two months while filming this wild serial-killer movie. Today he has dipped one of the front tails of his white button-down shirt in fake blood and pulled it through the unzipped fly of his suit pants, like a bloody phallus. "Oh come on—that's too much! You're going too far, Robert." Oliver Stone, the director of the movie—now on its fifty-fifth of fifty-six days of filming—has won two directing Oscars. He is hollering in his gravelly, perpetually annoyed voice across the clearing at Downey, who opens his mouth to try to explain but is cut off. "You're ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. This isn't…" Stone trails off, grumbling. "This isn't some slapstick bullshit." |
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