The Film Experience May Calendar 2005

	Tra la! It's May! The lusty month of May!* That lovely month when ev'ryone goes.... Blissfully astray.* MAY Our coverboy (left) is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who has been hiding the fact that, at 24, he is now a major hottie even though he used to be on 3rd Rock From the Sun. Joseph still works the geeky non-hot look convincingly (see Latter Days) But his cover will soon be blown when everyone sees him sex it up in Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin this month.
Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat
1 Wouldabeen "Happy Anniversary" to Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, married 7 years ago but life changes course. At least they both just made instant-classics (Kill Bill & Before Sunrise) In more enduring news... Citizen Kane, (often named the greatest film ever) debuted in theaters 64 years ago today --when was the last time you watched it?	2 31 years ago today Spielberg started shooting Jaws. The poster scared me silly when I was a kid (true story) but I was too young to see it. Further back in movie history Natalie Wood became a deservedly huge child star with the premiere of 1947's Miracle on 34th Street in which she was far too smart to believe in Santa Claus. Happy 69th birthdays to filmmaker Im Kwon-Taek (Lowlife, Chunyang) and the Oscar nominated Argentinian actress Norma Aleandro (Son of the Bride, The Official Story)	3 It's been 3 years since our fav webslinger first hit screens in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man ...and it'll be 2 more before Peter Parker returns for his final adventure with this super-heroic filmmaking team. The second film in the trilogy is only the greatest superhero movie ever made. 19 years ago today Julianne Moore got married for the second time. Bet you didn't know that Bart Freundlich is her third husband.	4 76 years ago one of the great screen legends was born, the timeless Audrey Hepburn. Born in Belgium as Audrey Kathleen Ruston, this daughter of a Dutch baroness and English banker spoke several languages and became famous as an actress, a fashion muse, and a humanitarian. A class act from start to finish.	5 Holocaust Remembrance Day So honor it soberly with any one of the numerous and fine pictures that have sprung forth to memorialize one of the world's most horrible tragedies. It's also the 48th birthday of Richard E Grant. If you haven't read With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E Grant --why haven't you? It's a must for cinephiles with lots of witty stories about filmmaking and anecdoted about all kinds of modern celebs. Grant was in everything in the mid90s.	6 Opening today: Susanne Bier's drama Brothers w/ three of Denmark's best & most famous actors (Highly recommended). And Gregg Araki's latest Mysterious Skin. Oh and that lil' Ridley Scott indie called Kingdom of Heaven. Happy 44th birthday to George Clooney.	7 Happy 78th to Ruth Prawer Jhaballa, two-time Oscar winning screenwriter of those Merchant /Ivory classics A Room with a View and Howard's End. And Happy 49th to Nicholas Hytner, an English stage director who enjoyed a brief movie run in the 90s with The Crucible, The Object of My Affection, and The Madness of King George before being shamed into early cinematic retirement by the stinkyness of the ballet film Center Stage (I kid...but it was bad.)
8 Mothers Day In honor of my mom watch her favorite movie, Peter Weir's Witness (85) or my mother-in-law's favorite Funny Girl (68) (...yeah, I know. What were his chances?) Wait. I'm sorry-- that's selfish of me. Watch YOUR mother's favorite movie today. Or better yet, take her to one. You owe her. If you happen to be a Disney character or if your mother happens to be Mrs. Iselin, Catherine de Médicis, Joan Crawford, Mrs. Bates, Livia Soprano, or Lilly Dillon I apologize in advance for bringing up this sore subject. My bad.	9 Happy 65th birthday to one of Oscar's favorite men, James L Brooks. Watch Broadcast News and behold the sheer awesomeness that was and is Holly Hunter. Rosario Dawson turns 26 today. She already locked lips with Clive Owen this year in Sin City. Later this year you can see her dancing in hot pants in Rent. "Take Her Ooooo-uuut Tonight" She won't have to ask men twice.	10 It's a music-style birthday today. Did you know that Bono, Sid Vicious, and Fred Astaire all share this birthday? I didn't know either. Now, on the subject of Fred Astaire, I have only this to say: I am a Gene Kelly guy. My apologies to any Fred & Ginger lovers reading. This is also a notable Joan Crawford day so rent Mildred Pierce and celebrate the Oscar win this superstar so cherished (and longed to repeat). On this day 50 years ago she married her 5th and final husband. 22 years later on this same date the infamous movie goddess died of cancer. RIP Mommie Dearest.	11 Happy 31st birthday to French hottie Benoit Magimel but where has he been since he sparred with Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher ? and another birthday wish to 53 year-old goddess Shohreh Aghdashloo. 71 years ago on this day Howard Hawks directed Carole Lombard comedy Twentieth Century first appeared. This was recently revived on Broadway with Celestia herself ~Anne Heche~ in the Lombard role. She was Tony nominated.	12 Way back in '39, sixty-six years ago production on the 2nd of many Rooney / Garland musicals started filming. It was called Babes in Arms. Rooney was a bigger star at the time but this year would be the one in which Garland became immortal. The Wizard of Oz was released two months prior to Babes. Quite a year for both of them: Mickey was nominated for an Oscar for Babes in Arms and Judy won a special Oscar for her signature portrayal of Dorothy Gale.	13 Opening today: It's the return of the infamous Jane Fonda in Monster-In-Law. If you've never seen Klute or don't already know how f**ing brilliant she is as an actress, please find out. Happy fifth anniversary to frequent co-stars Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller. If you think of Christine only as Mrs Ben Stiller, check out her genius comedic spark as 'Marcia Brady' in both Brady Bunch* movies.	14 A very joyous 36th b-day to Oscar'ed Cate Blanchett. If you missed her 'Kate the Great' in The Aviator it'll be on DVD by the end of this month and you can catch up It's also the birthday of a certain creator of Star Wars but he's getting enough press as it is... Today is the 9th anniversary of Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. She's still needy and clinging. His career still sucks (oh, that he would have stuck it out with Pedro -who knew how to use him onscreen.)
15 18 years ago today Ishtar started flopping in US theaters. Both Hoffman and Beatty recovered: Their follow-up pictures were hits (Rainman & Dick Tracy). Happy 39th Birthday to Greg Wise, who was heart-breaking for Kate Winslet onscreen in Sense & Sensibility (95) but was actually falling for Emma Thompson her co-star off-screen. Emma and Greg have been together since. Strangely despite that success, his film career never really took off.	16 ...speaking of Kate Winslet co-stars! Happy 28th birthday to Melanie Lynskey who, like Kate the great, made her debut in the 1994 Peter Jackson masterpiece Heavenly Creatures. Other birthday boys and girls include Pierce Brosnan (about to vacate the Bond suit), long lost 80s superstar Debra Winger, and Mare Winningham. Can Mare please get another role as good as the one she had in Georgia for her birthday? Pretty please. She was great in that.	17 51 years ago today The Country Girl opened --that film is famous today for having cost Judy Garland her Oscar for A Star is Born. Yes, I'm still bitter. I wasn't even alive but I imagine that I was somehow pissed off even then. Bill Paxton turns 50 today. He's made a million movies. I loved him best in Near Dark.	18 Character actress Miriam Margoyles turns 64 today. You may remember her from last year's Being Julia. She was the old biddy all hot & bothered seeing Annette Bening in a towel getting a rubdown. Margoyles was also memorable in Romeo + Juliet (as the nurse) and The Age of Innocence (surrounded by those little dogs if I properly recall). Mean Girls scribe and star Tina Fey turns 35 today. Her next screenplay is called Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill. O-kayyyy.	19 Happy 8th anniversary to NYC icon Sarah Jessica Parker and hubby Matthew Broderick. Malcolm X's b-day. Denzel Washington should've won the Oscar for his work in the biopic in 1992. Opening today: Star Wars Episode 3: It's Finally Over!	20 Happy 59th birthday to Cher. Do you believe in life after lo--Moonstruck? Not the happy anniversary for Holly Hunter and famed Spielberg cinematographer Janusz Kaminski who married on this day 10 years ago but divorced four years ago. Opening today: Second Best which has the interesting honor of reuniting two of Bound's stars Joey Pants and Jennifer Tilly. If the film is anywhere close to as good as Bound, we must all see it instantly.	21 On this day 5 years ago Sir John Gielgud died. He left a rich legacy of work behind including his Oscar winning role in Arthur (82) another nominated one in Beckett (65) and his LAFCA & NSFC winning work in Plenty (85) an underseen Meryl Streep film, among many others. On this day 60 years ago Bogie & Bacall, one of cinema's most famous pairs, were married. Humphrey Bogart was 26 years older. They made five pictures together. Cannes 2005 ends today! Who will win?
22 This day would mark the 75th birthday of Harvey Milk, gay rights activist and politician who was murdered in 1978. If you have never seen the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk (84) I urge you to do so. It's illuminating, moving, educational -it should be required viewing for any American who has ever pulled a lever against any civil-rights progress. Happy birthday to Oscar nominee Paul Winfield (Sounder) who is 64 and up-and-comer Ginnifer Goodwin (Mona Lisa Smile & Win a Date With Tad Hamilton), twinkly and cute, who is 26.	23 Happy 31st birthday to pop-star Jewel. She's only made one movie, Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil. What gives? Isn't it rude when singers who don't suck at acting only do it once or twice (Tina Turner, Björk, and Annie Lennox) and many who do suck keep on trying. Happy birthday, also to Lea DeLaria comedienne, singer (quite a good one) actress, and butch icon who turns 47 today. If you like Lea, or aren't familiar with her, rent Edge of Seventeen (99), one of the very best of American gay indies in which she has a supporting role and in which she sings at the end.	24 Happy 56th birthday to two of my favorite film people. Read on. To the best movie MC since Joel Grey in Cabaret --I'm talking 'bout my "Harold Zidler", Jim Broadbent. I raise my glass to one of the greatest actors alive. And speaking of best and most talented... how about that cinematographer Roger Deakins. Seriously, how great is his work? And why doesn't he have an Oscar already. Or two?	25 Happy birthday to two emaciated actors who turn me on: Cillian Murphy, 29, --he of the naked in hospital bed and running from zombies in 28 Days Later and "Celestia" herself, Miss Anne Heche who turns 36. In other slightly-crazed-people b-day news this marks author Poppy Z Brite's 38th birthday. So when is someone gonna make a movie of Lost Souls or Liquor? What --too NC-17 perhaps?	26 I'm not even going to talk about the 10th anniversary of John and Teresa Heinz Kerry because whatever one wants to say about John... I still think Teresa would've made for the coolest most newsworthy First Lady in aeons. Sigh... Happy 57th birthday to the iconic Stevie Nicks. For my gift to Stevie I will finally forgive her for not giving the music rights to the otherwise charming indie flick Gypsy 83 which really needed them. I can't talk about Helena Bonham-Carter right now because I'm too pissed at Tim Burton. But it's her birthday too!	27 Christopher Lee (83) and Vincent Price (R.I.P.) share this birthday. Isn't that so cool? You can see Lee briefly in the current Star Wars film as Count Dooku and if you bought or rented the extended edition of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King you can see him briefly as Saruman even though he was cut out of the theatrical release. It's also the 70s birthday of Lee Meriwether who played Catwoman in the 60s Batman film. But to me there is only one Catwoman. Opening today: The Longest Yard one of this years 1316 remakes and the second entry in the animated Oscar race, Madagascar	28 Happy 74th birthday and happy retirement (I suppose -no movies for 8 years now) to cinematographer Gordon Willis. What can one say about the man who shot The Godfather Trilogy, Manhattan Klute, (among many others) other than a simple but emphatic "THANK YOU" If you love Kylie Minogue, visit this site today. There's bound to be a celebration in those parts on her special day as well.
29 Today is a f***king jamboree of Birthdays for people Nathaniel looooves. Celebrate the day rocking out to a Melissa Etheridge CD (44), having unclean thoughts about Rupert Everett (46), weeping for Annette Bening(47)'s Oscar loss when she was so freaking deserving this year, or feeling nostalgic about Danny Elfman (52)'s glory days composing for our Tim Burton --just celebrate goddamnit. What a day! So many cool people are Geminis! (Me too! Buy me something you ungrateful beeyotches)	30 Memorial Day Happy birthday to adorable French new-waver Agnès Varda. If you haven't seen her last documentary The Gleaners and I you must. And be sure to catch the new compilation of three of her short films Cinévardafoto when it opens at a discerning arthouse near you this year. This also marks the birthday of both Idina Menzel (Wicked) and Tonya Pinkins (Caroline or Change) who famously battled it out for last year's TONY Award for Best Actress in a Musical. This year's contest is much less dramatic.	31 Another birthday heavy day but I've lost my interest in the Lusty Month of May. Bring on JUNE! For the last day of May honor a birthday boy or girl by watching a movie. You can choose from flicks as diverse as French dramas starring Sandrine Bonnaire (such as Est-Ouest or Vagabond) American westerns by Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven) small breakthrough films starring Colin Farrell (now would be the time to finally watch Tigerland if you've been meaning too) or a German classic from the prolific Rainer Werner Fassbinder (The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant)