The Take-Up

All aboard the love train in the first Cannes Film Festival Winners episode: It's Kayla's pick of "Brief Encounter." First up, "Happening," "Sheryl," and "Downton Abbey: A New Era" are Now Showing. After focusing on David Lean's classic romance, the crew look forward to the 2022 Cannes Film Festival with their most anticipated titles. Finally, Andrew on Ida Lupino, Kayla on "It's Complicated," and Joshua goes to the movies 8 times in a row with Late Nite Grindhouse. 

Joshua picks Carlos Saura's "Peppermint Frappé" for the next Cannes (non-)Winners episode. Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.

For the final episode of the Queer '90s miniseries, Joshua picks Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot "Psycho" remake. First, in Now Showing, the Lens critics talk QFest St. Louis' showing of "Anaïs in Love," "Playground," Webster U. Film Series' showing of "Father," and "The Duke." After taking the Hitchcock and making it gay(-er), they're going to play a game about how other films riffed on The Master's work. Finally, One More Thing with Joshua and Kayla talking new film restorations and Andrew binge-ing "Severance," the new AppleTV+ series. 

Next time: A new miniseries all about the Cannes Film Festival with Kayla covering the fest from its beginning up through 1959 with her pick of David Lean's "Brief Encounter."

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This past weekend, the Webster University Film Series hosted the Harvey Milk Film Festival, which featured "The Times of Harvey Milk" and "Milk" in celebration of Opera Theatre St. Louis' upcoming "Harvey Milk" opera remount. Joshua was joined by James Robinson, Artistic Director of OTSL, and Ken Page, legendary stage and screen star and St. Louis native, to discuss Milk's legacy, both within the arts and politics. Fmr. Gov. Jim McGreevey and Broadway producer David Rothenberg also join for special messages. The program was co-presented by QFest St. Louis and St. Louis LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. 

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Film studies instructor and Lens contributor Cait Lore stops by to get "Happy Together," her pick for the Queer '90s miniseries. Before diving into Wong Kar-wai's road trip romance, the Lens gang get into what's Now Showing: "The Northman," "Mothering Sunday," and the Harvey Milk Film Festival. Cait joins them to discuss alternates for Queer '90s picks, before Joshua, Andrew, and Kayla have One More Thing. Next up is Joshua's pick, Gus Van Sant's widely derided 1998 "Psycho" remake. 

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Joshua is joined by his fellow QFest St. Louis programmer Cait Lore to discuss the 15th edition of the celebration of queer film and art. Tickets are now available @ CinemaStLouis.org! They rundown the entire festival line-up (and then some), including special events like our co-presentations of Tsai Ming-liang restorations at Webster University Film Series, Opera Theatre St. Louis' Harvey Milk Film Festival, and PLAYTIME: Poison, A QFest St. Louis Party. DJ Tilda_Sweatin, the host of PLAYTIME, stops by to talk about the free party at HandleBar and sharing the same New Queer Cinema inspiration that informed the film fest this year. Follow @QFestStLouis on all social media platforms for even more details.

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This episode the Lens crew focus on Lana and Lilly Wachowski's 1996 debut "Bound," Kayla's pick in the Queer '90s miniseries. First, "Everything Everywhere All At Once," "The Bubble," "Apollo 10 1/2," "Rock Bottom Riser," "You Are Not My Mother," and "Memoria" are Now Showing. After The Lens, Joshua tries to stump Kayla and Andrew with a new edition of Did You Know? all about the Wachowskis' films. Lastly, they've got One More Thing with video game and Criterion Channel series recommendations. On the next episode, the gang will be joined by critic and professor Cait Lore to talk about Wong Kar-Wai's road trip romance, 1997's "Happy Together."

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The Lens crew take the road to nowhere with Gregg Araki's 1992 breakout The Living End, Andrew's pick for their new Queer '90s series. First, they'll discuss new releases Fresh, Master, Deep Water, and Windfall, as well as the African Film Festival at Washington University. After focusing on Araki's "irresponsible film," they'll find out what a few of his stars are Known For in this episode's game. Finally, they close out with One More Thing: The Dropout, Charli XCX's Crash, and a little film you've never heard of called Goodfellas. Next week, they'll cover Kayla's pick: the Wachowski sisters' debut Bound. 

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Kayla, Andrew and Joshua spoil Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi's other 2021 film, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, in the last of their Films of 2021 series. First, Joshua and Andrew talk about the 2022 True/False Film Festival: docs that may be Oscar-bound and some that don't even have distributors yet. After focusing on Hamaguchi, all three critics make their picks in If We Picked the Oscars. Head over to CinemaStLouis.org to see how you can predict the winners and win prizes. (Just don't listen to the Lens critics.) They'll close out talking Euphoria, Love is Blind, and Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches. The next episode starts the Queer '90s series with Andrew's pick of Gregg Araki's The Living End. 

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The Man in Room 6 filmmakers Trevor Juenger and Carrie Juenger join the Lens crew to discuss and spoil Dasha Nekrasova's provocative The Scary of Sixty-First for their third episode in the Films of 2021 series. You can catch both at the Webster University Film Series soon! First up, the critics discuss the various phone screens on display throughout new films Marry Me, I Want You Back, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Kimi. Later, Carrie and Trevor join them to pick the Scary of 21st: the most frightening films and film moments since 2000. After Kayla and Joshua's Lynchian persona mind meld, they join Andrew to give One More Thing(s): new double-albums, TCM-watching, and PS5's Ghost of Tsushima. On the next episode, they'll round out the 2021 miniseries with Joshua's pick of Ryusuke Hamaguchi's other 2021 film, Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, available to rent on most major platforms. 

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Joshua forces Kayla and Andrew into talking Oscar nominations during a late night bonus record. Enjoy a rambly hour about the 2022 Academy Award nominees and then some… What's your Wes Anderson aura? They'll return with the next proper episode on 2/22 when they talk The Scary of Sixty-First with The Man in Room 6 filmmakers Carrie Juenger and Trevor Juenger. Please share, subscribe, and review! 

Please share, subscribe, and review! Follow us @thetakeupstl on Instagram/Twitter/Letterboxd/Facebook.