In the Details: a Celebration of Nuance

One's a boozy girls trip gone wrong, the other's a trippy backpacking excursion gone wrong, but otherwise, Midsommar and Wine Country really have nothing in common, except for some really effective emoting from Florence Pugh and Amy Poehler. This week, my initial thoughts on Ari Aster's pagan fever dream and the uneven Netflix original full of SNL alums and one whiz-bang of a face journey. Get in touch with me! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker Instagram: @colindrucker_

This week, I'm joined by Leanne Kubicz to queen out on 1994's Muriel's Wedding! We share our love for Toni Collette and ABBA, our appreciation for Rachel Griffiths' presence in this movie, and of course, we celebrate the deeply nuanced performance of Muriel's mother Betty by Jeannie Dryden. We go deep on Muriel's journey from lonely pathological liar to grown woman, talk about the tragic circumstances of her iconic sister Joanie and both have so much to say about Rhonda's mom at the end of this movie. Follow Leanne at @lianemarieK! Get in touch with me! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker Instagram: @colindrucker_

A couple months ago, I scripted an episode about a viral video from five years ago of an older woman in Coventry, Rhode Island, recording a local ad the Quality Curtain Outlet--and doing a bang-up job, by the way! It was almost to the archives of my Google Drive, but alas--this week I am proud to present to you a wackadoo exploration of a woman named Rose having a Lynchian crisis of curtains in Rhode Island. The original video: https://youtu.be/3z9qrs_5b8s The desert monologue from The Comeback: https://youtu.be/XaPmxDV3EZg Get in touch with me! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker Instagram: @colindrucker_

Squirrel Friend of the podcast Nick Kochanov (Very Bad Gay Podcast, Squirrel Friends Cocktail Hour) joins me this week to celebrate this generation's quintessential Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams! And specifically, in what we both agree is her best performance (and her first nomination!), 2005's Junebug. We queen out on co-star Celia Weston, break down the hospital room breakdown, check the receipts on the Oscar nominations that year, and give a moment of appreciation for each of Amy Adams' other Oscar nominations. (On a vaguely related note: Ellen Burstyn was robbed for "Requiem for a Dream." Oh, and there are lots of Junebug spoilers in this episode.) Follow Nick on Twitter/Instagram: Nick: @NickKochanov The No Good Very Bad Gay Podcast: @badgaypod Squirrel Friends Cocktail Hour: @SFCHpodcast Get in touch with me! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker Instagram: @colindrucker_

So many troubled teens--and one kooky middle-aged woman--to discuss this week! My thoughts on Greta, the reign of Best Supporting Actresses in horror right now, the AARP Movies for Grownups awards, some bad child acting in Child's Play, some great child and adult-as-child acting in Pen15, magical music in the equally magical Eighth Grade, a moment of appreciation for Enya, and some of my favorite nuances from the 1977 "Carrie-lite" TV Movie "The Spell." (Oh, and a tangent about As Good As It Gets Ugh, I hate that movie.) Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

You may not know the name Barbara Harris, but you probably should. She is not only a founding member of the Second City and a Tony Award winning stage actress, but she's also given some of the most nuanced performances in 20th century American cinema--and especially in her Oscar-nominated role (for Best Supporting Actress!) in the relatively obscure 1971 experimental flop "Who is Harry Kellerman and Why is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?" This week we're doing a deep dive into her tour de force performance (in about 12 minutes of screen time) to celebrate every little nuance, and also spend some time sorting through some thoughts and feelings on the Best Actress upset/delight at this year's Oscars... Link to movie: (Go to an hour and 12 minutes in to get to BH's scenes): https://youtu.be/coCS3f1adwU Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

"Jane? Jane? Sound familiar?" Jane Benson returns to Valerie Cherish's life because she needs to. She needs the money, first of all, but she also needs an opportunity to tell the truth about Valerie. The truth, however, is something Valerie does not always need to see, especially if it makes her look ugly or old. But what if it's seen as brave? Also: my thoughts on Glenn Close in "The Wife" and Alyssa Bresnahan as Louise in the Ivo von Hove production of "Network" on Broadway. Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

I didn't really expect Toni Collette to get recognized by the Academy for "Hereditary," but a girl can dream. This week, my thoughts on the five performances that were nominated for Best Actress instead, as well as--OF COURSE--the 2019 nominees for Best Supporting Actress. (Also, the first 15 minutes of this episode are just me talking about things like whether I should buy an apartment in Fort Lauderdale and what I thought about people who attended the Fyre Festival despite very little evidence of what they were paying for....) Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

We're knee-deep in awards season and about a week too late for a 2018 Year in Review episode, so I'm combining both for The 1st Annual Nuancies, looking back on some of my favorite nuances from 2018's episodes of In the Details, as well as the first recipient of the Beatrice Straight Award for Excellence in Nuance! Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

How exactly did Valerie Cherish get back on TV after almost a decade of circling the drain? The first episode of Season 2 does an amazing job of navigating the narrative nuances that take Valerie from desperately seeking stardom to nailing an audition at HBO playing, well, herself. This is truly her Comeback. Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

At the end of the first season of "The Comeback," Valerie Cherish is on top of the world--or so she thinks. Her time in the spotlight fades out steadily--but not immediately. Valerie tries many different things to stay relevant before "Seeing Red" propels her into stardom again. This week, we'll take a look back at her other failed attempts at reality television, a brief time on Broadway and even an entrepreneurial effort with an old friend. But first, I queen out on Toni Collette, Regina King, Faye Dunaway, and of course--Brenda Vaccaro. Valerie on "Dancing With the Stars": https://youtu.be/J1s1TP1tLxA "Valerie: After the Laughter": https://youtu.be/la5LK5vLzS4 Featured music: "Valerie" - https://youtu.be/UplTKcohlu0 Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

Meryl Streep’s Oscar-nominated turn as ice queen Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada” may belong in a better movie--or this might be the perfect vehicle to let Streep shine, with pitch-perfect support from Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and even Anne Hathaway. This week, I’m joined by writer/director Jonathan Minton (“Everyone Else Has”) to queen out not only on Meryl, but Olivia Colman, Tilda Swinton, Mamie Gummer, actress-specific podcasts, mid-90’s white lady music that would make a great lip sync, Julianne Moore’s meltdown in Magnolia, and what it was like to be young in New York. Plus: alternate casting choices for Miranda and whether this movie could be made today. Support “Everyone Else Has”: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/everyone-else-has-take-2 Instagram: @everyone_else_has Facebook: facebook.com/everyoneelsehas Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

It's a very "Hereditary" themed episode, even though what we're really talking about today is the 1982 TV movie "Don't Go to Sleep," which hits very similar notes. Both movies feature surprisingly powerful performances by grief-stricken mothers--and speaking of which, Toni Collette just won Best Actress at the Gotham Independent Film Awards! So prepare for a lot of queening out on that. "Don't Go to Sleep" features a moment of Ruth Gordon at her most heartbreaking, and an intense confrontation between Valerie Harper and Dennis Weaver that I break down nuance by nuance. Much like "Hereditary," the supernatural horror of the plot is almost overshadowed by real life darkness of family tragedy. Watch it here: https://bit.ly/2P7knsw Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

One of my favorite movie nuances, especially in horror movies, is the soundtrack. A good score can elevate even the worst movie,(which I discovered just recently). This week, I'm queening out on some surprisingly effective and somewhat obscure soundtracks, and especially the early use of synths in movies like "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" and my newest slasher obsession. Movies Discussed: Don't Go to Sleep (1982) Hereditary (2018) Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) Final Exam (1981) The House on Sorority Row (1983) The Deadly Intruder (1985) He Knows You're Alone (1980) Halloween (2018) Tourist Trap (1979) Carrie (1976) Blood Rage (1987) Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker

First things first: spoilers everywhere! I expected to love the new "Halloween," but I think I loved my idea of what it should be. This week, I'm not quite queening out so much as royally reading the new official sequel to the 1978 classic, and exploring the concept of the Final Woman, which I saw much more of in 1998's "Halloween: H20." I also fangirl out on my new favorite podcast, Gaylords of Darkness. Their Halloween recap (Episode 6 - Two Crabs in the Mud) is SO much truth, and also so much fun. Get in touch! Email: inthedetailspod@gmail.com Twitter: @colindrucker YouTube: www.youtube.com/colindrucker