And this is where we find ourselvesâŠthe theaters in 2020 seem to be cancelled. My hopes were raised that the rest of the studio slate was coming out. Then âBlack Widow was pushed to next May. But no matter, there is Bond … then no Bond until April. Ok but what about âDune,â huh? WaitâŠwhat? No âDuneâ until next October, you say! With great exasperation we all wonder when there will ever be feature releases until next year. December still has âWonder Woman 1984â, âFree Guy,â and âDeath On The Nileâ to come. That remains to be seen. All speculation aside, home viewing has not let up in shoveling content onto your television screens.
It seems a little too late, however âThe Boys in the Bandâ has been streaming on Netflix since September. Produced by Ryan Murphy and directed by Joe Mantello, the big draw here is the original Broadway cast reprising their roles. And what a cast; Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells, Charlie Carver and many, many more. To be honest, I was never a big fan of the 1970 film by William Friedkin. The staginess there is gone in the remake, ironic given that Mantello directed the stage show. Here the emotions are raw; suspense bitting. All the guests at this birthday party feels real and lived-in. Much has been made of the entire cast of gay characters being played by gay actors. That doesnât change the relatability; feelings of regret and reconciliation made manifest. The Oscars are still on as of this article. And, if so, âBoysâ should be in the running for best picture as well as Robin de JesĂșs be nominated for Best Supporting Actor. His portrayal of flamboyant friend Emory is both hilarious and heartbreaking. If he were to win, it would make up for his loss at the Tonys.
Also on Netflix, âThe Trial of the Chicago 7â sees Aaron Sorkin of âThe West Wingâ and âMollyâs Gameâ fame taking on another true story. This time around, the drama involves events of the 1968 Democratic Convention riots and the court case that ensued. Like âBoysâ, a cast of thousands includes Eddie Redmanye as Tom Hayden and Sasha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman. Sorkinâs use of handheld camera gives the riots their immediacy. One could be fooled that Sorkin has invented a time machine and brought his film crew back with him. But in ways this subject feels timeless given recent events out of the filmmakerâs control. Much like his work on âA Few Good Men,â the courtroom drama is tight and palpable with Joseph Gordon-Levittâs prosecutor Richard Schultz antagonizing Cohenâs Hoffman like Cruise and Nicholson. Another late entry for Best Supporting Actor is also for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale.
Also of note, WTTW will be presenting a Native-American documentary âD-Day Warriors: It Was Our War Tooâ on November 12 at 10 p.m. and November 15 at 2 p.m. The lives of Native American soldiers during World War II will be discussed. Decorated veteran Charles Norman Shay as well as others will interviewed about their experience. This proves to be an insightful look at a segment of Armed Forces that a great many might not know about. It is in conjunction with the Trickster Gallery in Schaumburg. Glad to have heard about it while going to the polls, looking forward to it. Happy voting, and viewing!
