This week trailers for two anticipated movie musicals dropped: Wicked: For Good, the continued telling of Stephen Schwartz’s Oz-set saga, and Kiss of the Spider Woman, based on the Kander and Ebb musical which was in turn a non-musical movie in the ’80s.
John M. Chu’s second Wicked film features vocals by Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, among others. It features “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” and “For Good,” among others.
Bill Condon’s Spider Woman features Jennifer Lopez in the title role, belting out standards such as “Where You Are.”
Which of these fall features puts a spring in your step? Hopefully both!
ArtsXchange, South Fulton Arts (SFA), and BronzeLens Film Festival are uniting to present Art in Action, a free evening of films and community conversation Friday, June 20 honoring the role of working artists in shaping Atlanta’s cultural legacy. Featured are four locally made documentary films produced and commissioned by SFA in 2023 and 2024 as part of its Filmer series and explore artists’ influence: City of Kings, Just People, Rhyme Travelers and Say Yes to Destiny.
The event is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, June 20, at ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St., East Point, Ga., 30344.
South Fulton Arts and its annual Filmer series produces short documentaries that uplift Atlanta’s vibrant creative community through the eyes of emerging filmmakers in a collaborative project between filmmaker and artist. Art in Action will spotlight those who remind us that artists don’t only create—they heal, organize, and transform.
“Atlanta didn’t become a cultural capital by accident. It was built by everyday artists who understood art, not as fringe, not as an add-on, but as an integral component of culture, and of the struggle for social and economic justice,” said The ArtsXchange co-founder and Executive Director Alice Lovelace.
Art in Action features three documentaries from the South Fulton Arts 2023 Filmer 6 series including Ethan Payne’s Rhyme Travelers that centers the Soul Food Cypher, a safe and liberating space for emcees to practice and grow; City of Kings directed by Will Feagins Jr., a visual narrative of Atlanta’s graffiti writing culture and its place in the global graffiti community; and creative director Jonathan Banks tells the stories of ReEntry Arts Connection, which uses art to reduce recidivism in Just People. Lastly, Say Yes to Destiny (2024 Filmer 7 series) – also by Banks – is a portrait of ArtsXchange founder Lovelace and her legacy of tireless cultural work and community impact.
“ArtsXchange is a catalyst for important conversations influenced by artists and others who shape culture,” said South Fulton Arts Executive Director Jennifer Bauer-Lyons. “Our Filmer series has become a recognized platform for local creatives to convey untold stories, and we are proud to partner with organizations who help continue this mission.”
Filmmakers scheduled to participate in the talkback include Banks, Feagins, Alex Acosta of Soul Food Cypher, and Dr. Curtis A. King and Garry Yates of ReEntry Arts Connection.
The aim is to encourage viewers to reflect on how artists anchor communities, and how the arts remain essential to building an imaginative, equitable and prosperous society.
“ArtsXchange is a living example of the power of artists to create their own destiny,” Lovelace said. “So we’re excited to host an event that shows many examples of artists and the real, lasting influence they have on our daily lives and our future.”
ArtsXchange is a cultural facility founded in the Black arts tradition that empowers artists, social justice activists, and creative entrepreneurs to engage communities through the transformative power of the arts. The pillars of its programming are Visual Arts, Literature and Literacy and Land Conservation. It serves its communities through workshops, exhibitions, concerts, health and wellness classes, films, performances, and community gardens. Its resident studio artist program supports emerging, mid-career and established artists by providing affordable creative spaces. As cultural stewards, it fosters resilience within its communities as a gathering, sharing and organizing space. The facility makes the arts accessible to individuals traditionally excluded from creative industries, responding directly to community needs through partnerships and collaborations with like-minded arts organizations, social justice advocates and people-led initiatives.
South Fulton Arts generates and fosters strategic partnerships to increase access to high-quality, free arts programming for South Fulton County and Metro Atlanta residents and communities. Through successful partnerships—such as with artists, teaching artists, schools and other nonprofits—SFA collaborates, connects, and provides financial and functional resources as a producing partner to bring artist-inspired projects to life. SFA includes the communities of South Atlanta, Chattahoochee Hills, College Park, City of South Fulton, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Palmetto and Union City. In addition to its programming, SFA produces the monthly “Spark” podcast and its biannual magazine Arts United. Last year SFA partnered with 90 artists and organizations to bring 220 engagements to more than 19,000 audience members across 18 venues.
BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta is a non-profit organization founded in 2009, dedicated to bringing national and worldwide attention to Atlanta as a center for film and film production for people of color. Its mission is two-fold: to promote Atlanta as a film mecca for people of color, and to showcase films and provide networking opportunities that will develop the next generation of filmmakers. BronzeLens is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards category. The short film that receives the BronzeLens Best Short Award may now be eligible to enter the Academy’s Short Subject competition for the concurrent season.
ArtsXchange receives support from the Fulton County Arts & Culture under the guidance of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, the Georgia Council for the Arts under the guidance of the State of Georgia Legislators with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Threshold Foundation, Community Corps, Fidelity Charitable Trust, City of East Point Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Its literary partners are South Fulton Arts and Atlanta Writers Club. The organization collaborates with the Partnership for Southern Equity through the Justice Green Accelerator, with funds from the BEZOS Earth Fund. Shades of Green Permaculture provides substantial in-kind support. The organization thrives thanks to the support of individual and business donors, board members and its membership.
Below are trailers for the four films included as part of Art in Action night:
It seems everyone is finding their heart and their happy place in the game of golf these days, including celebrities ranging from Celine to the “Sandman.”
Atlanta-based PGA TOUR Superstore President Jill Spiegel and global music sensation (and golf lover!) Celine Dion were spotted just this week taking in the TGL match between Atlanta Drive GC and Jupiter Links GC at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. TGL stands for Tomorrow’s Golf League, a new league that combines traditional golf with simulated indoor golf. The league was founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley.
In 2025, golf’s pop culture presence is evolving with a focus on virtual and experiential golf, personalization and a growing interest from younger generations to play on-course or through digital platforms. The eSports industry, video games and at-home simulators are also increasing the game’s accessibility and appeal.
Golf is not only growing as a sports and lifestyle in America, but it is also diversifying. According to the National Golf Foundation, 28.1 million Americans played golf on a course in 2024 — the most since 2008. Of that total, 28% were female and 25% were persons of color (Black, Asian or Hispanic) — the highest proportions ever recorded for those two segments.
Expect to see golf streaming and on the silver screen this year with notable upcoming films such as Happy Gilmore 2 in the hopper for release by summer. Netflix just announced the anticipated sequel to Adam Sandler’s popular 1996 comedy will debut on the streaming service July 25.
In addition to Sandler returning to play the title character, Julie Bowen will reprise her role as Virginia Venit, publicist and romantic interest, and Christopher McDonald will return as pro golfer Shooter McGavin. Ben Stiller, Eminem, Travis Kelce and other celebrities are part of the cast, and another music star, Bad Bunny, even plays a caddy!
Pro golfers reported to make cameos in the film sequel include Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris from the PGA Tour. Golf legenda Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and John Daly will also appear.
Here’s the place to gear up for all the fun of various permutations of the golf game being popularized. PGA TOUR Superstore is operated by Golf & Tennis Pro Shop Inc., a subsidiary of AMB Sports + Entertainment and is headquartered in metro Atlanta. As the PGA TOUR’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner in North America, PGA TOUR Superstore provides customers with access to the same technology and expertise as card-carrying PGA TOUR pros. All stores are staffed with teaching professionals and have multiple state-of-the-art swing simulators, practice hitting bays, and large putting greens. There is also an in-house club making and repair facility. Along with equipment and accessories, PGA TOUR Superstore has an unmatched selection of men’s, women’s and juniors’ apparel and footwear for golf and tennis.
PGA TOUR Superstore has locations across the country including new stores that open in Grand Rapids, Louisville and St. Louis in coming weeks.
Are we all now leaning toward Conclave vs. Anora? What a chaotic season after SAG Awards shifted the picture and actor races yet again! Here’s our latest discussion. Tune in Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 7:00pm Eastern for the ABC telecast.
Shoppers looking for rare, interesting and unusual items will welcome this upcoming liquidation sale of items used on movies and film sets. This unique collection presented by Peachtree Battle Estate Sales includes a few thousand props, furniture, home decor items and accessories, along with one-of-a-kind pieces. All items are available for purchase at an Atlanta warehouse location to be announced on Tuesday, October 29. The sale will take place October 30-November 3.
If you’re looking for a treasure hunt for the unexpected, check out this special sale as pallets are being unloaded daily. Imagine a 150,000 square feet football field array of props and items amassed from major films and television.
Robert and Christy Ahlers, founders of Ahlers and Ogletree Auction Gallery and Peachtree Battle Estate Sales, remarked, “We are excited to present this one-of-a-kind sale liquidating props and a wide variety of collectibles to the public from the film world.”
From ancient times to modern furniture and a variety of genres including antiques, rustic and trendy, you’ll find unusual items such as a life-sized subway train car to African masks, a whale replica, a medieval horse and line-up of canoes, suits of armor, home decor items and beyond.
According to some fun Peachtree City, Georgia public documents and public zoning hearings from 2022, a local news story and the wonderment of my own eyes:
“The motel … purchased … by … LLC of Francis Ford Coppola, named the All Movie Motel … began submitting building permits … to renovate and make major changes … to include a ‘green room,’ a screening room, a projection room …. a non-commercial kitchen … rooms/suites for actors and movie production staff.”
Plus Roman columns and a Dustin Hoffman statue, of course!?
With #Megalopolis on the mind this week of Cannes Film Festival, here was a neat surprise chronicled in our local newspaper about a filmmaking and wine-making genius who is even inventive about lodging his staff and housing his screening rooms:
The futuristic fall movie “Megalopolis” premiered at Cannes Film Festival with Hollywood stars and Atlanta credits plus our site’s commentary about Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic universe:
Futuristic 'Megalopolis' premieres at Cannes with Hollywood stars and Atlanta credits – and my commentary about Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic universe https://t.co/mWu2PfM5SB
— Stephen Michael Brown (@stephenatl) May 17, 2024
The 2024 Screen Actors Guild award nominations have been announced, with Oppenheimer and Barbie leading the nomination tally with four nominations each. I’ve seen everything on the list, so click on any of these hyperlinks for my reviews.
Nominees for outstanding performance by a lead actress are Annette Bening in Nyad, Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon, Carey Mulligan in Maestro, Margot Robbie in Barbie and Emma Stone in Poor Things.
Nominees for outstanding performance by a lead actor are Bradley Cooper in Maestro, Colman Domingo in Rustin, Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers, Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer and Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction.
Nominated supporting performances are Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer, Danielle Brooks in The Color Purple, Penelope Cruz in Ferrari, Jodie Foster in Nyad and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers and Sterling K. Brown in American Fiction, Willem Dafoe in Poor Things, Robert DeNiro in Killers of the Flower Moon, Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer and Ryan Gosling in Barbie.
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has announced its 24th edition film lineup, set for an expanded 24-day event Feb. 13-26, 2024, in theaters, and a streaming encore from Feb. 27-March 7. This format includes 14 days of in-theater screenings and 10 days of online streaming, enhancing the festival’s reach and accessibility.
Select films on the AJFF roster
Anticipated films include the Israel-set musical Victory, the documentary Remembering Gene Wilder, the animated Where is Anne Frank, the dramedy Running on Sand and the drama One Life starring Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter. Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen’s documentary feature opus Occupied City will also make its Atlanta premiere.
Hosted across five Metro Atlanta venues – the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, the Tara Theatre, the historic Plaza Theatre in Midtown, GTC Merchants Walk in East Cobb, and Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs – the festival promises an immersive cinematic experience. Along with the screenings, audiences will enjoy live and pre-recorded Q&A sessions with international film artists, local community leaders, and expert speakers, complemented by a range of special events.
This year’s lineup features a diverse array of 48 feature films and 15 shorts from 20 countries, including three World Premieres, six North American Premieres, two U.S. Premieres, and 13 Southeast Premieres. With 31 films screening exclusively in theaters and a specially curated selection of 17 features and 15 shorts available for streaming in the Virtual Cinema, the festival caters to both in-person and online audiences.
Special events include an Opening Night screening of Irena’s Vow, a wartime drama about a Catholic housemaid who saves Polish Jews during WWII. Special guests include Sophie Nelisse, Dougray Scott, and Irena’s daughter, Jeannie. This event will be held at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, Reception at 5:30 pm, Program at 7:30 pm.
Young Professionals Night is on Valentine’s Day Feb. 14, at the Tara Theatre, party at 6:30 pm, film at 8 pm The film is Less than Kosher, a musical comedy about a struggling singer who becomes a cantor in Toronto. A Spotlight Screening Feb. 15, Tara Theatre, 7:40 pm is Breaking Home Ties, the world Premiere of a restored 1922 silent classic with a new soundtrack by contemporary artists, featuring live musical performances. A “Late Night at Plazadrome” film Feb. 15, Plaza Theatre, 9:00 pm isThe Plot Against Harry, an American cinema treasure humorously exploring a former mobster’s quest for redemption.
And Closing Night & Jury Awards will feature Shari and Lamb Chop, an enchanting journey into the world of a trailblazing artist and her iconic puppet. This event will be held at Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, with the program at 7:00 pm, followed by dessert.
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is proud to present its distinguished jury for this year’s festival. The jury will evaluate submissions in several categories, each focusing on different aspects of filmmaking excellence including narrative features, documentary features, short films, emerging filmmakers, “building bridges” and “human rights.”
Noteworthy industry members serving as jurors include Dara Jaffe, associate Curator at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and film historian; Eric Warren Singer, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, Top Gun: Maverick and American Hustle; Alton Brown, TV chef, producer, director and cinema enthusiast; Clayton Landey, actor and former President of SAG-AFTRA Atlanta; Rebecca Shrager, CEO and Founder of People Store Talent Agency; Rain Pryor, writer, actor, director, and daughter of Richard Pryor; and Lyn Goldfarb, Oscar-nominated, award-winning independent filmmaker.
Ticketing for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival opens with a special pre-sale exclusively for AJFF members, starting on Jan. 17 at noon. The general public will have the opportunity to purchase tickets beginning Jan. 31, also at noon. Ticket prices are set at $18 for evening and weekend shows, and $16 for matinees. For those wishing to enjoy the festival from the comfort of their home, tickets for Virtual Cinema streaming are available at $18 per household. Special event pricing varies, with tickets ranging from $18 to $180. Learn more at AJFF.org/tickets.
NOTE: This was the first year Silver Screen Capture joined this voting body.
The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has named Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimeras the Best Picture of the Year. SEFCA’s eighty-nine members located across nine Southeastern states also recognized Christopher Nolan for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Additionally, the film earned Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey, Jr. and Best Ensemble for its star-studded cast that includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Aldren Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Tom Conti, Josh Hartnett, Kenneth Branagh and others. Behind the camera Oppenheimer took the top prizes for Best Cinematography (Hoyte Van Hoytema) and Best Score (Ludwig Goransson).
“This fall featured three big films from three grandmasters of cinema,” said SEFCA President Scott Phillips. “Martin Scorsese released Killers of the Flower Moon. Ridley Scott brought Napoleon to the big screen and Michael Mann hits theaters next week with Ferrari. Despite this bumper crop from heavy-hitting auteurs, Christopher Nolan’s film from six months ago is walking away with eight SEFCA awards. Oppenheimer is a stunning cinematic achievement. Our members recognized that in July, and they are rewarding it in December.”
‘When asked about the film year that was 2023, SEFCA Vice President Jim Farmer said, “2023 will be remembered by many as the year that featured the commercial, critical and cultural phenomenon known as ‘Barbenheimer.’ But it was also a season that offered a stunning amount of high-quality films, with master filmmakers near the top of their games, fresher faces making strong impressions and performers showing new dimensions. It was a pleasure to take in all that 2023 had to offer.”
Read SEFCA’s full list of winners below. Visit SEFCA on the web at SEFCA.net to learn more about its members as well as past winners. You can also follow SEFCA on X at @SEFilmCritics.
There are many anticipated movies being released in Fall 2023, but these ten stand out because they also feature lauded artists in the director’s seat. Be on the lookout for these feature films by some of the great auteurs, being released in coming months and generating awards season heat:
10. The Holdovers by Alexander Payne (Election, Nebraska) made a splash at the Telluride Film Festival and is expected to release Nov. 10 in theatres everywhere. Set in the early ’70s, this Focus Films dramedy pits a disliked private school teacher (Paul Giamatti, reuniting with his director of Sideways) and a troubled student (Dominic Sessa) against one another over an extended holiday break. Both male leads plus Da’Vine Joy Randolph are being touted for acting awards; and even though Payne didn’t also write the film, his direction is being praised and compared favorably to droll comedies from the ’70s (think Harold & Maude). Many moviegoers are hoping it’s a return to form after Downsizing, which seemingly only I liked!
9. May December by Todd Haynes (Carol, Far from Heaven) is a romantic drama starring Natalie Portman as an actress who travels to the American South to study the life of a woman she is set to portray on film. Julianne Moore plays the subject of a two-decade old tabloid romance that gripped the nation because her character dated someone substantially younger. The talk from the film’s premiere at Cannes Film Festival was that Haynes has once again proven himself one of the best directors of women. It’s the opening night film of the New York Film Festival and is slated for distribution in select theatres Nov. 17 before streaming on Netflix Dec. 1.
8. Priscilla by Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, On the Rocks) is an American biopic starring Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley and Jacob Elordi as Elvis. Expect Coppola, a master at chronicling the lives of women coming of age, to have a singular take on Priscilla’s memoirs as well as a distinctive soundtrack collaboration by Coppola’s husband Thomas Mars and his band Phoenix with music by the band Sons of Raphael (Elvis music is not featured in the film). After premiering at Venice International Film Festival, this A24 feature is slated for Nov. 3 in theatres.
7. Saltburn by Emerald Fennell is the acerbic director’s sophomore directorial follow-up to Promising Young Womanand caused quite a lot of interest at Telluride leading up to its limited theatrical release Nov. 17 before going wide Nov. 22. This psychological thriller/drama stars Barry Keoghan as a young Oxford University student who becomes infatuated with his aristocratic schoolmate, played by the ubiquitous Jacob Elordi, who invites his classmate for a summer he won’t forget at his eccentric family’s sprawling estate (namesake of the movie). Expect devilish details by this visionary director. Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant co-star.
6. All of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh (45 Years, Weekend) is a romantic fantasy that premiered at Telluride starring Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell and Claire Foy. This Searchlight Pictures film is getting an Oscar-qualifying run late this year, with a Dec. 22 release. A chance encounter between those who are living and those who died three decades before provides an unlikely premise for Haigh’s latest journey into the human psyche.
5. Origin by Ava DuVernay (Selma, 13th) is an ambitious biographical drama about a writer played by Aunjanue Ellis grappling with personal tragedy, who embarks on a global exploration of discovery. This Neon film premiered at the Venice festival and is slated for late 2023. It co-stars Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Blair Underwood and Broadway belter Audra McDonald. Expect multiple story lines across various dimensions of life on earth in this intriguing entry.
4. Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle) is rumored to be the final film by the animation master behind Studio Ghibli. This Japanese fantasy follows a boy who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town and enters a fantastical world with the talking bird of the title. The director draws heavily from his own childhood and explores conflict and loss in this hand-drawn epic slated for theatres Dec. 8 following special preview engagements Nov. 22.
3. The Killer by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network) is a neo-noir action thriller based on a graphic novel series starring a deadpan Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin who gets embroiled in a global manhunt after a hit goes wrong. This too premiered in Venice and has been lauded for its acting and style. It co-stars Arliss Howard and Charles Parness with a small part played by Tilda Swinton. Music by The Smiths is featured prominently. Expect a limited theatrical run Oct. 27 before the film streams Nov. 10 on Netflix.
2. Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite) is a steampunk black comedy fantasy film and all the rage in Venice, capturing that festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. Emma Stone plays “Bella,” an initially naive woman brought back to life by a scientist, Willem Dafoe. Bella’s desire to learn more about the world takes her across continents in search of equality and liberation. Mark Ruffalo plays her debauched lawyer companion. Expect wry comic highs and imaginative visuals. Stone is said to give her best performance yet. This Searchlight Pictures film also played Telluride and screens at the New York Film Festival among other prestigious competitions before coming to a screen near you Dec. 8.
1. Killers of the Flower Moon by Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas) is the sixth feature film collaboration between the director and Leonardo DiCaprio and the tenth between the filmmaker and Robert De Niro. Based on the novel of the same name, the story depicts members of the Osage tribe in northeastern Oklahoma murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking an investigation. DiCaprio plays the nephew of De Niro’s character and courts a Native American woman played by Lily Gladstone, who is said to be the film’s spiritual center. This epic saga premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and has garnered momentum all year. This Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures production is slated for wide release Oct. 20. Like most of Marty’s works, this promises to be dark and demanding with a three-and-a-half-hour running time. It also features a propulsive score by the late Robbie Robertson and supporting turns by Jesse Plemons and Brendan Fraser. Expect powerhouse acting and a compelling story line that shows the cynical underbelly of America as it pertains to indigenous people.
Not since perpetual screenings of 1975’s cult musical indie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, for which costumed moviegoers with ritualistic call-backs literally bring rice, newspapers, frankfurters, squirt guns and more and break out into “Time Warp” choreography in unison, has a movie theatre event been so poised to prompt audiences into a frenzy of interactivity. I am hereby dubbing Taylor Swift The Eras Tour, the indie concert movie coming October 13, 2023, The Taylor Swiftie Picture Show and bring you some perspective and tips to prepare for the full bejeweled majesty of the interactive experience (and you know I love musicals!)
As most of us were about to let the proverbial month of August slip away like a bottle of wine, it was announced on the last day of that fateful month that footage captured during pop princess and prolific songwriter Taylor Swift’s Los Angeles leg of her record-breaking concert tour was actually a secret movie made outside the Hollywood studio system and would soon screen across the U.S. via AMC Theatres and other multiplexes as a near-three-hour concert movie. Here’s the trailer. What a treat for all those who couldn’t afford the live concert or get the in-demand tickets! But is the singer ready for her close-up? Swift is no stranger to the screen, all the way back to the 2009 Hannah Montana: The Movie days with fellow child star Miley Cyrus. Swift has starred in a documentary about her political awakening and has had small parts in pedigreed movies: I am one of the few cheerleaders of the guilty-pleasure Cats but not of the smarmy drama Amsterdam, although the getaway car sequence toward the beginning will turn some heads. This new Eras concert movie will undoubtedly be the ingenue breakthrough for a woman who has already broken live concert records globally. Based on pre-sales alone, Taylor Swift, already a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will now be one of the biggest movie stars of the year, and her movie was actually lensed in L.A., it turns out, so maybe it was kinda made in Hollywood. Normally it wouldn’t be good karma to spoil the ending, but many have already followed along and know the set list, but here are ten tips to “Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” and enhance your in-theatre experience:
Costumes are a big part of the experience as fans (self-proclaimed “Swifties!”) sport clothing and accoutrements based on the various “eras” of the country crossover artist’s legendary young career, so whether it’s a glittery heart around the eye as a nod to the Lover album or an homage to the cottage-core of her mid-pandemic works, determine what you’ll wear to the affair.
Some longtime fans paint a blue “13” on their hands in honor of Taylor’s favorite number (the film even premieres on this “lucky” day!) During the “Fearless” era, Swift scribed the blue 13 on her guitar-strumming hand.
Friendship bracelet sharing is a thing to add to the communal experience. I found some fun ones on Etsy that I have ready to trade. My favorite has little letters spelling “Starbucks” in honor of a sometimes misunderstood lyric in the song “Blank Spaces.”
There will be merch, so plan for long lines to snag those commemorative popcorn tubs and tumblers. One to use and one to collect?
Plan to flash a light to honor the legacy of Taylor Swift’s opera singing grandmother during the emotional song “Marjorie” with lessons from her titular relative.
There will be more call-backs than there were in Polyester by John Waters (movie with a famous Odorama scratch and sniff card). Plan on chants at the bridge of “Cruel Summer,” a double-clap during “You Belong with Me,” a triple-clap on the beat before “My ex-man brought his new girlfriend” during “Shake It Off,” the audience refrain “1,2,3, Let’s Go, B*tch!” during “Delicate” (right after “You can make me a drink…”) and much more chronicled on sites such as Bustle. There’s even a moment during “Anti-Hero,” when the audience may re-assure the songstress “Taylor, You’ll Be Fine.”
It’s been a year of female empowerment, with the success of Barbie and all, so expect a loud unison of “F*** the patriarchy!” during the 10-minute song “All Too Well.” As that song is largely believed to be about a relationship with a certain Oscar nominated actor named Jake, you may also see some not-so-flattering homemade t-shirts about the thespian or even the scarf he allegedly never gave back to Taylor after their brief relationship.
During the song “Bejeweled,” when Taylor sings the word “shimmer,” fans flutter their fingers. You kinda have to study TikTok for some of these!
There’s a part of the live concert with secret songs surprising nightly audiences, so there are several tunes from the multi-day L.A. stint to choose from – although it doesn’t appear this will be like the movie Clue with different variations of film prints to stimulate multiple trips to the theatre. Those multiple viewings will likely happen for fans anyway!
Most of all, have fun! There’s a long tradition of movie gimmickry designed to lure fans into movie houses, from 3-D and Cinerama to “The Tingler.” In this case, consider the fans already lured. This is your chance to make the next in-person sensation akin to the sing-along version of TheSound of Music or taking a page out of the customs invented by those Rocky Horror fans who have sung and danced in the aisles for nearly 50 years.
