Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Star-Lord Gamora Drax Groot

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Fans have been waiting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 going on six years now, but its many spoilers are now here for audiences to devour.

The wait has been so long it’s almost hard to believe it’s actually here.

But the big trilogy-capper is in theaters worldwide, and with it, so is James Gunn’s extremely emotional and powerful story following his favorite team of cosmic misfits.

But what were the biggest reveals and plot developments the movie held for those watching? These are the eleven biggest moments and scenes that fans would consider major spoilers…

1.) None of the Guardians Die

Marvel Studios

Warning – the rest of this article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:

To the surprise of everyone, James Gunn’s big Marvel Studios swan song does not result in anyone from the original team dying. The most notable deaths of the movie go to Elizabeth Debicki’s Ayesha and Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary.

Instead, the majority of the Guardians decide to go their own ways for various reasons – more on those spoilers later…

2.) Rocket’s Tragic Origin

Rocket Baby, Guardians 3 — Marvel Studios

Taken as a baby raccoon, 89P13 was one of the High Evolutionary’s best experiments. After naming himself Rocket, a discovery made by the intelligent raccoon made his brain extremely valuable—but not the whole package.

Shortly after his sentient elevation, Rocket meets his cellmates Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. Sadly, all three are killed after Rocket unsuccessfully tries to break them out after learning that their creator intends to kill them.

After losing the only friends he’s ever known, Rocket basically tears the face off his creator before fleeing to start his own life.

3.) The Sovereign’s Origin Revealed

Ayesha, Elizabeth Debicki — Marvel Studios

While the Sovereign people were used as an obstacle to the titular team in Vol. 2, here, their people were given some unexpected backstory.

Their society was revealed to have been created by The High Evolutionary, with the creator intending for Adam Warlock to be the perfect version of them all. That was, however, before Warlock was taken out of his pod early, leading to his child-like nature in the film.

4.) Counter-Earth’s Destruction

Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Counter Earth — Marvel Studios

Halfway through the film, audiences are introduced to Counter-Earth—a recreation of the original Earth populated with the High Evolutionary’s animal-human hybrids.

The introduction of such a big set piece is exciting, as it could be further explored in different contexts down the line in other MCU films. However, here, Chukwudi Iwuji’s villain had other plans: wiping his creation slate clean.

Counter-Earth is destroyed on screen, and with it, millions, possibly billions, of living sentient lifeforms are extinguished. The Guardians barely make it off alive themselves.

5.) Mantis Carves Her Own Path

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Mantis — Marvel Studios

Throughout the movie, Mantis is clearly getting fed up with how everyone on the team is acting. It’s here that the first signs of her inevitable choice can be found.

After the High Evolutionary is defeated, Mantis decides she needs to pave her own road and listen to herself over other people. She even takes two pet Abilisks with her on her new journey into the galaxy.

6.) Drax, the Father Figure

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Drax — Marvel Studios

With how Dave Bautista talked to the press over the past few months, many assumed Drax would be dead by the film’s end.

In January of this year, the actor formally said goodbye to the role, noting how it was a “relief” to be done and that the process of becoming Drax “wasn’t all pleasant” due to the makeup.

However, at the end of the film, Drax doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. While he isn’t a part of Rocket’s newly minted team, he does take on a father figure role for all the rescued children from High Evolutionary.

The introduction of Phyla-Vell seems to open the doors for Marvel Studios to properly introduce Drax’s late daughter Moondragon, who, in the comics, isn’t quite as dead as he thinks. She also happens to be Phyla-Vell’s love interest.

After putting the Destroyer in this unique place character-wise, it would be a shame if Bautista never returned to explore that hypothetical storyline with his daughter.

7.) The Legendary Star-Lord Takes a Sabbatical

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Star-Lord — Marvel Studios

Once all is said and done, Peter Quill finally comes to the heartbreaking acceptance that this new Gamora, pulled straight from 2014, will never be the same one he lost in Avengers: Infinity War.

He also comes to realize, like Rocket, he’s been running for most of his life. It’s time to finally face the music and head back to Earth—and that’s exactly what he does.

So, taking a break from the Guardians of the Galaxy, Pete goes to Earth to reunite with his grandfather, played by Gregg Henry, and spend some time on the planet he had avoided for decades.

Thanks to the second post-credits tag, Marvel Studios confirmed that “The Legendary Star-Lord will Return.” This makes sense, given how Chris Pratt’s hero is now in the perfect place to be brought back into the mix when Kang the Conqueror starts causing trouble in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

8.) Gamora’s New Family

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Gamora — Marvel Studios

While this Variant of Gamora does grow closer to the Guardians of the Galaxy member audiences have known for years, there’s another family she got close to off-screen.

Instead of staying in Knowhere with the remaining Guardians, Gamora heads back to the Ravagers, which include the members of Yondu’s old team.

Oddly enough, Zoe Saldana recently announced that “it is the end for [her as] Gamora.” Although the ending of the movie does not imply she’s done with the MCU quite as strongly.

If anything, it places her in a perfect point for Marvel Studios to use the character whenever and wherever the company wants.

9.) Nebula Leads Knowhere

Nebula in footage from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, using her left robotic arm as a blaster. — Marvel Studios

Just like everyone else, Nebula finds herself a new calling: leading the people and city of Knowhere.

It’s quite a change from where audiences first met her in the original 2014 film.

This also puts Nebula in a fantastic place in the MCU, where she can easily be integrated and weaved into other cosmic stories. Fans can probably expect Knowhere’s importance to only grow from here.

Perhaps, if the Eternals get their sequel, they could find use in a weaponized decapitated Celestial head.

10.) A NEW Guardians Team Emerges

New Guardians of the Galaxy MCU — Marvel Studios

Going into this movie, fans were worried sick that this would be the last time Bradley Cooper’s voice graced the MCU. However, it’s quite the opposite—Rocket Raccoon is now the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

He’s even put together a new team. The roster includes a much larger Groot, Adam Warlock, Kraglin, Cosmo, and Phyla-Vell.

Thanks to his experiences over the course of the film, and the second chance given to him by the Guardians of the Galaxy, Warlock becomes an ally to Rocket and his crew.

Kai Zen’s Phyla-Vell is the biggest addition to the team and could prove to be a pivotal cosmic character in the MCU in the coming years.

11.) The High Evolutionary Dies… Or Does He?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 High Evolutionary — Marvel Studios

In Vol. 3’s big climatic act, the Guardians team up and take on High Evolutionary’s cronies and then the man himself. It doesn’t take long until the squad subdues the big bad.

Instead of killing him, Rocket chooses to spare the life of his former creator, leaving the villain to go down with the ship.

While audiences see High Evolutionary’s spacecraft explode, the pivotal moment of death for Iwuji’s character isn’t shown on screen.

So, if Marvel Studios ever really wanted to, its creatives could easily find a way to bring High Evolutionary back into the picture.

The End of One Volume… And the Beginning of Another?

Guardians of the Galaxy 4 James Gunn Marvel MCU — The Direct

While the movie feels fairly conclusive to James Gunn’s trilogy, it’s strange so many actors have painted the picture that they are done with those roles. Each and every member is in a new, unique place. And it would be a shame not to explore each and every one of them at some point in the MCU’s future.

Either way, Marvel’s cosmic side of the equation is now in a new era, and viewers might see some of these new changes as early as The Marvels later this year.

Besides the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, the cosmic corner of the MCU is looking pretty sparse.

Currently, there are only Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Secret Wars, and a Nova project confirmed. One would also assume that an Eternals sequel is on the cards at some point.

It looks like the cosmos might be a little quiet for a good stretch of time.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters.

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May 4, 2023

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Henry Cavill As Superman in Man of Steel

DCU

Strike Impact, Casting & More

In light of the Writers Guild of America strike, new updates about James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy film have been revealed. As the DCEU faces its end this year, a new DC Universe is coming from DC Studios under Gunn and Peter Safran’s leadership. One of the first major projects is Superman: Legacy, which will serve as a reboot of the DC icon and focus on a younger Clark Kent. As Gunn finishes his time with Marvel Studios, he is taking on Superman: Legacy as both its writer and director.

This week, the WGA officially went on strike, which has and is going to affect a number of TV and film productions. However, a new report from The Wrap claims Gunn’s Superman: Legacy movie is not one of those affected. According to the trade, Gunn turned in his draft of the script last week prior to the WGA strike going into effect. Additionally, The Wrap reports Gunn is in the process of casting the new Man of Steel for Superman: Legacy, with production on track to start in 2024. At the time of this story’s publication, Gunn and DC Studios have yet to comment.

What Does The Strike Mean For Other DC Universe Projects

While Superman: Legacy may not be affected by the WGA strike, that may not be the case for other DC Universe projects. Outside of Creature Commandos, which Gunn had already written the scripts for prior to the January announcement, the strike will have an effect on other Chapter 1 films and series. The Waller TV show has Doom Patrol’s Jeremy Carver and Watchmen’s Christal Henry attached as showrunners, but it’s unclear how far they have gotten on the scripts for season 1.

For something like Waller, if they are in the midst of season 1, it means the writing process has now been stopped due to the strike, which will cause a delay in the HBO Max show’s release. To this point, the other DC Universe projects have not even announced their creative teams, and it’s unknown which of them have writers attached. Despite Gunn and Safran having an idea for what those DC Universe movies and shows would focus on, the strike will also delay the creative process as no one will be hired for the time being.

Depending on how long the strike lasts, DC Studios may have to delay various projects and reschedule certain films and shows. Time will tell how things get shifted by DC Studios, especially if the strike goes on longer than the one in 2007-2008. But for now, Superman: Legacy is moving forward and will hopefully have casting decided in the coming months.

Source: The Wrap

Key Release Dates

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May 4, 2023

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In light of the Writers Guild of

Comics

Koschei Complex Bunker Coming to COD DMZ in Season 3 Reloaded

Season 3 Reloaded has been announced for May 10 in Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and the COD DMZ mode, which means plenty of new content is on the way. For the DMZ specifically, the Koschei Complex bunker has been revealed, and it promises a challenge similar to Building 21.

The new complex will feature mechanics that force players to utilize attachments such as flashlights, or night vision goggles if they can be found in the area. There is still a lot that we don’t know until the update drops, but some details are coming together to make the area even more exciting.

All COD DMZ Koschei Complex Details So Far

Based on the latest blog post from Call of Duty, the new complex appears to be another experience similar to the one we have with Building 21. The area will be based on close-quarters tension with tons of dangerous AI and plenty of loot to encourage enemy Operators to attack as well.

There will also be multiple entrances to the Koschei Complex, which is a bunker found underground. It sounds like the complex won’t be an entirely new zone like Building 21 in COD DMZ, but rather a fleshed-out location on Al Mazrah or Ashika Island that requires special keys to access. It’s even possible that a Skeleton Key could work as a substitute for a genuine keycard.

What kind of loot we can expect is still unknown. All kinds of Plate Carriers that were added this season are expected, as well as some of the new weapons. However, there could be some secrets and weapon cases, and we’ll just have to wait until May 10 when Season 3 Reloaded drops and the Koschei Complex unlocks in the COD DMZ mode.

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May 4, 2023

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Season 3 Reloaded has been announced for

Festivals

Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2023 Competition jury – Deadline

The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the eight members of the main Competition jury, who will join its previously announced president Ruben Östlund at the 76th edition, running May 16 to 27

They comprise Moroccan director Maryam Touzani, French actor Denis Ménochet, British-Zambian screenwriter and director Rungano Nyoni, American actress and director Brie Larson, American Actor Paul Dano, Afghan writer and filmmaker Atiq Rahimi, Argentinian director and screenwriter Damián Szifrón and director Julia Ducournau.

Like two-time Palme d’Or winner Östlund, most of the jury members have strong Cannes pedigrees.

Having long collaborated on her husband Nabil Ayouch’s films such as Much Loved, Touzani made her feature directorial debut in Cannes Un Certain Regard with Adam in 2019 and returned to the section in 2022 with The Blue Caftan, which made it onto the Oscars long-list in the Best International Film category.

Ménochet’s Cannes credits include Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 Palme d’Or contender Inglourious Basterds. Other Cannes titles include Rebecca Zlotowski’s Grand Central (Un Certain Regard, 2013), Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch (Competition, 2021) and Beasts (Cannes Premiere, 2022).

Nyoni broke out internationally in Cannes in 2017 when her first feature I’m Not A Witch took parallel section Directors’ Fortnight by storm, having been developed with the support of La Résidence du Festival.

Countless projects involving topped by Larson have found financing up and down the Croisette, but jury duty marks the Oscar-winning Room actress and Captain Marvel star’s first official trip to Cannes.

Dano’s many credits include Little Miss Sunshine (2006), There Will Be Blood (2007), Twelve Years A Slave and more recently The Fabelmans. His Cannes titles include Competition titles Youth (2015) and Okja (2017).

Kabul-born, long-time French resident Rahimi made his Cannes debut in Un Certain Regard in 2004 with Earth And Ashes, which he adapted from his own book. His subsequent films included The Patience Stone and Our Lady Of The Nile.

Szifrón broke out internationally as a director in 2014 with his Pedro Almodóvar-produced Cannes Competition title Wild Tales, which went on to be Oscar-nominated in 2015. More recent credits include police thriller To Catch A Killer, starring Shailene Woodley.

France’s Ducournau’s career trajectory is wrapped up in Cannes. Having broken out in Critics’ Week with first film Raw in 2016, she won the Palme d’Or in 2021 for Titane, becoming only the second woman in the festival’s history after Jane Campion to achieve this feat.

The Jury will have the task of awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 21 films in Competition. Its decision will be unveiled at the awards ceremony on May 27, followed by the closing film Elemental.

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May 4, 2023

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Film

Actress In Sondheim’s ‘Sunday in the Park With George’ And TV’s ‘Love Sidney’ Was 94 – Deadline

Barbara Bryne, a British actress who worked in stage, television, and film during a decades-long career, died Tuesday at age 94. Her death was confirmed by the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, but no cause was given.

Bryne’s best-known stage roles were in the original Broadway productions of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George and Into the Woods. She played mothers in both shows.

“Barbara was a cherished member of the Guthrie family,” theater reps said in a statement, “and we’re grateful she shared her artistry with us for so many seasons. Her legacy will live on at the Guthrie and in our hearts forever.”

Bryne was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 1982 for her off-off-Broadway performance as Kath in a revival of the Joe Orton-written Entertaining Mr. Sloane.

Her theater resume includes a revival of Noël Coward’s Hay Fever, working with Mandy Patinkin in Sunday in the Park With George, and playing opposite Ben Wright and Bernadette Peters in Into the Woods. She was also in the Kennedy Center’s 2002 production of A Little Night Music.

In television, Bryne was nosy neighbor Mrs. Gaffey on the 1981-83 NBC sitcom Love, Sidney, starring Tony Randall. She also voiced the gnome Urgl on the 1995-96 HBO animated series, The Neverending Story.

For film, she was in Milos Forman‘s Amadeus as Mozart’s mother-in-law, and also in James Ivory’s The Bostonians.

Survivors include her daughter, Susan. Her husband of 65 years, Denny Spence, died in 2018.

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May 3, 2023

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Barbara Bryne, a British actress who worked

Shonda Rhimes on WGA Writers Strike During BAFTA Special Award Event – The Hollywood Reporter

“I am a writer on strike right now,” mega-producer and Queen Charlotte showrunner Shonda Rhimes told an intimate crowd at the Midnight Theater in New York Wednesday as part of her BAFTA tribute event.

Rhimes was responding to a question from moderator and journalist Wajahat Ali, who had asked her if she supported striking writers and what she would say to her fellow scribes who have spent the last two days on the picket lines as part of the first strike in 15 years. Writers Guild of America members began striking on Tuesday after the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach a new deal by the May 1 deadline.

“I really wish that we didn’t have to be on strike, and I feel the pain of the people who are dealing with the strike, but for me, for writers to get paid for what they do in a fair way is far more important,” the writer, producer and TV creator behind hit shows like Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and Netflix’s Bridgerton said. “To have somebody devalue art, it’s bad enough as it is right now. That’s happening everywhere. But for writers to not be able to make a living wage while making a television show or making a movie is a problem.”

The comments from Rhimes, who expanded her deal with the streamer in 2021, came just hours before her Bridgerton spinoff Queen Charlotte was set to release on Netflix. They also come the same day as members of WGA — with support from stagehands from IATSE Local One, musicians from Local 802 AFM and members of SAG-AFTRA — picketed outside of Netflix’s New York’s headquarters as part of a series of protests demanding better pay and contract language around AI for the union’s 11,500 members.

During Wednesday’s Netflix protest, Cynthia Nixon, Bowen Yang, Ilana Glazer, Jeremy O. Harris and Matt Rogers were among the notable faces who showed their support for the guild’s work stoppage. Members like Greg Iwinski, a former writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and a negotiator for WGA, as well as Steve Bodow, former executive producer of The Daily Show as well as Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, also spoke to recent comments Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos made during the company’s April 18 earnings call.

“If there is one, we have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world. We could probably serve our members better than most,” Sarandos said in response to how the streamer would address the strike. For Bodow, it was “pointing out the problem, not the solution.”

“The fact that we have this stuff stockpiled with streaming is one of the major structural changes that’s happened in the industry since the last strike, and that’s a lot of the reason why we need to do this,” he said.

For Iwinksi, Sarandos’ comment was odd, considering Netflix and other streamers partner with major studios who have more urgency in wanting to end the strike swiftly. “It’s very interesting to me for one partner to say, ‘Actually we’re fine with a strike,’ when there are other ones who have Upfronts and need to sell ads this week and have fall schedules that have to get filled up right now and have late night shows that are off air,” Iwinski told The Hollywood Reporter.

As part of the writers strike, the WGA has called on studios to not only increase pay for writers but institute staffing requirements, better residuals and shorter exclusivity deals — both issues that have cropped up since the rise of streaming.

During the rest of the 40-minute chat, Rhimes opened up about how her experiences growing up in Chicago, her family’s philosophies, attending schools like USC and getting an internship at Denzel Washington’s production company shaped her career. Rhimes noted that seeing Black women like author Toni Morrison, Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg while she was growing up made her believe her dreams were possible.

She also spoke about her experience entering the TV industry, knowing no one and having no mentors. While Rhimes spoke about other people who had been her confidants, she said that she ultimately believed a mentor did not have to be a single person but could be others’ stories. Diversity and inclusion were repeatedly touched on during the night, with Rhimes discussing how she creates her diverse writers rooms, the financial success of diverse stories and why she doesn’t think she should be telling white showrunners how to do better.

The super-producer also spoke about her work on several of her major series, including the latest Queen Charlotte. At one point, Rhimes was asked about the show’s portrayal of Charlotte as Black — something that has been questioned by some historians. “We don’t know what her heritage was exactly, but the thing I find the most interesting is how hard people are working to make sure that people know she couldn’t possibly be brown,” she said. “That’s the weirdest thing in the world to me. Why does it matter? Think about that.”

The Shondaland CEO was the first recipient of the BAFTA Special Award, which is given to people who have made a “significant, inspiring and outstanding contribution to film, games and TV,” since 2019. In addition to the fireside chat with Rhimes, the event — a return of BAFTA’s in-person awards presentations in North America — featured a cocktail reception for an invited industry audience.

“It’s amazing. It’s such an incredible honor and I thank everybody so much because this means a lot,” Rhimes said. “This award specifically.”

More to come…

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May 3, 2023

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“I am a writer on strike right

What to Watch

Is ‘Survive the Night’ on Netflix? Where to Watch the Movie

Netflix subscription is required to watch on Netflix

Great news! “Survive the Night” is available to watch on Netflix USA!

Date Added: 3rd May 2023

Want to keep forever? Try looking for ‘Survive the Night’ on Amazon (paid link)

Description:

A trauma doctor and his family are held hostage by criminals after a botched armed robbery leaves one of them wounded and in need of an operation.

Certificate: R
Violence, bloody images and language throughout

Year: 2020

Duration: 1hr 29m

Audio: English – Audio Description, English [Original], Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

– English Audio Description

Cast and Crew

Director: Matt Eskandari

Cast: Bruce Willis, Chad Michael Murray, Shea Buckner, Tyler Jon Olson, Lydia Hull, Riley Wolfe Rach, Jessica Abrams, Ravare Elise Rupert, Jef Holbrook, Charlie Alvarado

Production & Box Office Details:

“Survive the Night” was produced by SSS Entertainment, SSS Film Capital and EFO Films and was originally released on July 9th 2020.

Watch the trailer for “Survive the Night”

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Available on Netflix USA!

Netflix subscription is required to watch on Netflix

Where else can you watch ‘Survive the Night’ on Netflix?

Want to keep forever? Why not rent or buy ‘Survive the Night’ from one of the online services below?

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May 3, 2023

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Awards

2023 Tony Awards Nominations Nominees List – The Hollywood Reporter

Some Like It Hot, the musical comedy based on the classic MGM film, topped the Tony Awards nominations list with 13 nods.

The musical, which features a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, was nominated for best musical, best original score, best book of a musical (written by Matthew López & Amber Ruffin) and best direction of a musical, as well as in the acting categories, with nominations for both Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee in the category of best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical and for Kevin Del Aguila and NaTasha Yvette Williams in the featured roles categories.

The plot, which has been revised from the 1959 film, sees two struggling jazz musicians, Borle and Ghee, on the run after witnessing a mob hit. The two disguise themselves within an all-female band and, as they travel across the country, they explore their own identities, gender expression and what makes them happy.

Lea Michele, currently starring in Funny Girl on Broadway, and Myles Frost, who won a Tony Award in 2022 for his lead performance in MJ, announced the nominations at Sofitel New York on Tuesday morning.

Other top nominees are the musicals & Juliet (nine nominations), New York, New York (also with nine) and Shucked (with nine), followed by Kimberly Akimbo (with eight). All are in competition for the Tony Award of best musical. These shows are followed by the musical revivals of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (eight nominations), Into the Woods (six nominations), Parade (six nominations), and the plays Ain’t No Mo’, A Doll’s House and Leopoldstadt (all with six nominations each).

Hollywood names earning recognition were Jessica Chastain (A Doll’s House), Jodie Comer (Prima Facie), Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford for their respective performances in Sweeney Todd, Sara Bareilles (Into the Woods), Samuel L. Jackson (August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog) and Sean Hayes (Good Night, Oscar).

Among the surprises, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window co-stars Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan failed to garner acting nominations, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Bad Cinderella was completely shut out. Ain’t No Mo, which closed shortly before the end of 2022 and therefore was feared would be forgotten by nominators, earned six nominations.

Of the Tony honors being presented, Jerry Mitchell, a Broadway director and choreographer, will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for his creation of Broadway Bares, which raises money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The 2023 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre will be awarded to production stage manager Lisa Dawn Cave; Victoria Bailey, executive director of the Theatre Development Fund, a nonprofit which expands access to theater; and theatrical accountant Robert Fried.

Oscar winner and Tony nominee Ariana DeBose will return to host the 76th Annual Tony Awards on June 11. This year the ceremony is moving to the new location of the United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights. The show will be split into two parts, with the pre-show, entitled The Tony Awards: Act One, airing live on Paramount Global’s FAST platform, Pluto TV, from 6:30-8 p.m. ET/ 3:30-5 p.m. PT. The main ceremony will air on CBS, from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. ET/5 p.m.- 8 p.m. PT and also stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

A complete list of this year’s nominees follows:

Best Play

Ain’t No Mo’
Author: Jordan E. Cooper
Producers: Lee Daniels, BET: Black Entertainment Television, Len Blavatnik, Ron Burkle, Aryeh B. Bourkoff, 59th & Prairie Entertainment, RuPaul Charles, I’ll Have Another Productions, Jeremy O. Harris, Lena Waithe, Tucker Tooley Entertainment, CJ Uzomah, Ann Cox, Gina Purlia, Bob Yari, Marvin Peart, Colleen Camp, Marvet Britto, Jeremy Green, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jillian Robbins, The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham, Mandy Hackett

Between Riverside and Crazy
Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis
Producers: Second Stage Theater, Carole Rothman, Khady Kamara, Atlantic Theater Company

Cost of Living
Author: Martyna Majok
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Williamstown Theatre Festival

Fat Ham
Author: James Ijames
Producers: No Guarantees, Public Theater Productions, Rashad V. Chambers, National Black Theatre, Tim Levy, Bards on Broadway, Bob Boyett, Ghostbuster Productions, James Ijames, Cynthia Stroum, Audible, Adam Cohen, Blake Devillier, Firemused Productions/JamRock Productions, The Forstalls, Iconic Vizion/Corey Brunish, John Gore Organization, Midnight Theatricals, David Miner, Robin Gorman Newman/PickleStar Theatricals, Marc Platt, Play on Shakespeare, The Wilma Theater, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Jones, Dylan Pager, Roundabout Theatre Company, Oskar Eustis, Patrick Willingham, Mandy Hackett, Sade Lythcott, Jonathan McCrory

Leopoldstadt
Author: Tom Stoppard
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Roy Furman, Lorne Michaels, Stephanie P. McClelland, Gavin Kalin, Delman Sloan, Eilene Davidson, Brad Edgerton, Patrick Gracey, Hunter Arnold, Burnt Umber Productions, Cue to Cue Productions, The Factor Gavin Partnership, Harris Rubin Productions, Robert Nederlander, Jr., No Guarantees, Sandy Robertson, Iris Smith, Jamie deRoy/Catherine Adler, Dodge HallProductions/Waverly Productions, Richardo Hornos/Robert Tichio, Heni Koenigsberg/Wendy Federman, Thomas S. Perakos/Stephanie Kramer, Brian Spector/Judith Seinfeld, Richard Winkler/Alan Shorr

Best Musical

& Juliet
Producers: Max Martin & Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Jenny Petersson, Martin Dodd, Eva Price, Lukasz Gottwald, 42nd.club, Independent Presenters Network, Jack Lane, Library Company, Shellback, Shivhans Pictures, Sing Out, Louise!, Kim Szarzynski, Taylor/Riegler, Tenenbaum/Keyes, Barry Weiss, John Gore Organization

Kimberly Akimbo
Producers: David Stone, Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo, Aaron Glick

New York, New York
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Tom Kirdahy, Wendy Federman & Heni Koenigsberg, Crossroads Live, Playing Field, Stephanie P. McClelland, Ambassador Theatre Group, Waiting in the Wings Productions, Colin Callender, Gilbert and DeeDee Garcia/Sue Vaccaro, Peter May, Rileyfan, Silverhopkins+/Hunter Johnson, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Eric Passmore, Thomas Swayne, Elliott Cornelious/SunnySpot Productions, Santino DeAngelo/Cynthia Tong, Craig Balsam, Richard Batchelder, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Marguerite Hoffman, Jessica R. Jenen, John Gore Organization, MGM on Stage, James L. Nederlander, Linda B. Rubin, Seriff Productions, Shivhans Pictures, 42nd.club/Beards on Broadway, AGL Productions/Brad Blume, Hunter Arnold/Red Mountain Theatre, Cue to Cue Productions/Roy Putrino, Jamie deRoy/Janet and Marvin Rosen, Edgewood/Silva Theatrical Group, Dale Franzen/Henry R. Muñoz, III, Deborah Green/Chris Mattsson, Branden Grimmett/DMQR Productions, Christen James/Gregory Carroll, NETworks Presentations/Lamar Richardson, Ron Simons/Adam Zell, Chartoff-Winkler

Shucked
Producers: Mike Bosner, Jason Owen, AEG Presents/Jay Marciano/Gary Gersh, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard Smith, Silvia Schmid, Bob Boyett, Jeremiah J. Harris, James L. Nederlander, EST/Emily Tisch, Sony Music Entertaiment, DudaAllen, David W. Busch, Karen Fairchild, HoriPro Inc., Gordon-Helfner, John Gore Organization, Madison Wells Live, S&Co., Terry Schnuck, Jimi Westbrook, ZKM Media

Some Like It Hot
Producers: The Shubert Organization, Neil Meron, MGM on Stage, Roy Furman, Robert Greenblatt, James L. Nederlander, Kenny Leon, Hunter Arnold, John Gore Organization, The Dalgleish Library Company Group, Sheboygan Conservatory Partners, Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Bob Boyett, Cue to Cue Productions, Janet and Marvin Rosen, The Araca Group, Concord Theatricals, Marc Howard, Independent Presenters Network, Juanita Jordan, Jujamcyn Theaters, Henry R. Muñoz, III, Ostar, Mariah Carey, D.S. Moynihan

Best Revival of a Play

August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
Producers: Brian Anthony Moreland, Sonia Friedman, Tom Kirdahy, Kandi Burruss & Todd Tucker, Hunter Arnold, Playing Field, The Factor Gavin Partnership, FBK Productions/42nd.club, Jay Alix & Una Jackman, Creative Partners Productions, Harris Rubin Productions, Marguerite Steed Hoffman, Alia Jones-Harvey, Mark Gordon Pictures, Stephanie McClelland, Moore Delman, James L. Nederlander, Seriff Productions, The Shubert Organization, Salman Al-Rashid/Jamie deRoy, Brad Blume/Cliff Hopkins, Jean Doumanian /Fakston Productions, Edgewood/DMQR Productions, Jay & Cindy Gutterman/Caiola Productions, Van Kaplan/Lu-Shawn Thompson, Erik A. King/Finewomen Productions, Marc David Levine/William Frisbie, Syrinda Paige/Kevin Ryan & Diane Scott Carter, Silva Theatrical Group/Tilted, Thomas Swayne/Cynthia J. Tong, Constanza Romero-Wilson

A Doll’s House
New Version by: Amy Herzog
Producers: Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Wessex Grove, Julie Boardman, Kate Cannova, Bob Boyett, Hunter Arnold, Creative Partners Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions, GGRS, Kater Gordon, Louise L. Gund, Los Angeles Media Fund, Stephanie P. McClelland, Tilted, Jessica Chastain, Caitlin Clements/Francesca Moody Productions, Caiola Productions/Amanda Lee, Ted & Richard Liebowitz/Joeyen-Waldorf Squeri, Richard & Cecilia Attias/Thomas S. Barnes, OHenry Theatre Nerd Productions/Runyonland MMP, The Jamie Lloyd Company

The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Producers: Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Phil Kenny, Audible, Sony Music Masterworks, Jillian Robbins, Jeremy O. Harris, Larry Hirschhorn and Ricardo Hornos, Shields Smedes Stern Ltd., Kevin Ryan, The Shubert Organization, Willette and Manny Klausner, Marco Santarelli, Be Forward Productions, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Invisible Wall Productions, Salman and Moudhy Al- Rashid, TodayTix Group, Ido Gal, HarrisDonnelly, Sally Cade Holmes, Stella LaRue, LAMF Protozoa, Kati Meister and John Sorkin, Meredith Lynsey Schade, Catherine Schreiber, Dennis Trunfio, MCM Studios, 42nd.club, BAMM Productions, CarterMackTaylorWilliam, HB2M Productions, HK-Undivided Productions, MAJIKK Theatricals, Tanker Kollev Productions, Douglas Denoff, OHenry Productions, Plate Spinner Productions, Runyonland Productions, Mad Gene Media, Scrap Paper Pictures, Joi Gresham, BAM, Gina Duncan, David Binder, Elizabeth Moreau

Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Producers: David Stone, LaChanze, Rashad V. Chambers, Marc Platt, Debra Martin Chase, The Shubert Organization

Best Revival of a Musical

Into the Woods
Producers: Jujamcyn Theaters, Jordan Roth, New York City Center, Daryl Roth, Hunter Arnold, Concord Theatricals, Nicole Eisenberg, Jessica R. Jenen, Michael Cassel Group, Kevin Ryan, ShowTown Productions, Armstrong, Gold & Ross, Nicole Kastrinos

Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Adam Siegel, Naomi Grabel

Parade
Producers: Seaview, Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Alex Levy, Kevin Ryan, Eric & Marsi Gardiner, Interscope & Immersive Records, Erica Lynn Schwartz, Creative Partners Productions, Marcia Goldberg, John Gore Organization, Cynthia Stroum, Tom Tuft, Benjamin Simpson, Nathan Vernon, Brian & Nick Ginsberg, Ruth & Stephen Hendel, Roth-Manella Productions, Chutzpah Productions, 42nd.club, Ahava 72 Productions, The Andryc Brothers, The Array, At Rise Creative, Caiola Jenen Productions, Coles Achilles, deRoy Brunish Productions, Fakston Productions, Federman Batchelder, Level Forward, Pencil Factory Productions, Renard Lynch, Robin Merrie, Rubin Stuckelman, Runyonland Sussman, Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Bee Carrozzini, New York City Center

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Producers: Jeffrey Seller, Bob Boyett, Diana DiMenna & Plate Spinner Productions/Aaron Glick, Eastern Standard Time, Roy Furman, Thomas Kail, Jim Kierstead/Benjamin Leon IV, TourDForce Theatrical, Maggie Brohn, Andy Jones

Best Book of a Musical

& Juliet
David West Read

Kimberly Akimbo
David Lindsay-Abaire

New York, New York
David Thompson & Sharon Washington

Shucked
Robert Horn

Some Like It Hot
Matthew López & Amber Ruffin

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Almost Famous
Music: Tom Kitt
Lyrics: Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt

Kimberly Akimbo
Music: Jeanine Tesori Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire

KPOP
Music & Lyrics: Helen Park & Max Vernon

Shucked
Music and Lyrics: Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally

Some Like It Hot
Music: Marc Shaiman
Lyrics: Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Corey Hawkins, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog
Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Between Riverside and Crazy
Wendell Pierce, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Jessica Chastain, A Doll’s House
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie
Jessica Hecht, Summer, 1976
Audra McDonald, Ohio State Murders

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Christian Borle, Some Like It Hot
J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It Hot
Josh Groban, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Brian d’Arcy James, Into the Woods
Ben Platt, Parade
Colton Ryan, New York, New York

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Annaleigh Ashford, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sara Bareilles, Into the Woods
Victoria Clark, Kimberly Akimbo
Lorna Courtney, & Juliet
Micaela Diamond, Parade

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’
Samuel L. Jackson, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
Arian Moayed, A Doll’s House
Brandon Uranowitz, Leopoldstadt
David Zayas, Cost of Living

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Nikki Crawford, Fat Ham
Crystal Lucas-Perry, Ain’t No Mo’
Miriam Silverman, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
Katy Sullivan, Cost of Living
Kara Young, Cost of Living

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Kevin Cahoon, Shucked
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Kevin Del Aguila, Some Like It Hot
Jordan Donica, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Alex Newell, Shucked

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Julia Lester, Into the Woods
Ruthie Ann Miles, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Bonnie Milligan, Kimberly Akimbo
NaTasha Yvette Williams, Some Like It Hot
Betsy Wolfe, & Juliet

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Miriam Buether, Prima Facie
Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
Rachel Hauck, Good Night, Oscar
Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt
Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
Mimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Scott Pask, Shucked
Scott Pask, Some Like It Hot

Best Costume Design of a Play

Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leopoldstadt
Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot
Susan Hilferty, Parade
Jennifer Moeller, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi, KPOP
Paloma Young, & Juliet
Donna Zakowska, New York, New York

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, Leopoldstadt
Natasha Chivers, Prima Facie
Jon Clark, A Doll’s House
Bradley King, Fat Ham
Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi
Jen Schriever, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, New York, New York
Lap Chi Chu, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Heather Gilbert, Parade
Howard Hudson, & Juliet
Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot
Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Sound Design of a Play

Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’
Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi
Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol
Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
Ben & Max Ringham, Prima Facie

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Kai Harada, New York, New York
John Shivers, Shucked
Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
Gareth Owen, & Juliet
Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Best Direction of a Play

Saheem Ali, Fat Ham
Jo Bonney, Cost of Living
Jamie Lloyd, A Doll’s House
Patrick Marber, Leopoldstadt
Stevie Walker-Webb, Ain’t No Mo’
Max Webster, Life of Pi

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, Parade
Lear deBessonet, Into the Woods
Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Jack O’Brien, Shucked
Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo

Best Choreography

Steven Hoggett, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot
Susan Stroman, New York, New York
Jennifer Weber, & Juliet
Jennifer Weber, KPOP

Best Orchestrations

Bill Sherman and Dominic Fallacaro, & Juliet
John Clancy, Kimberly Akimbo
Jason Howland, Shucked
Charlie Rosen & Bryan Carter, Some Like It Hot
Daryl Waters & Sam Davis, New York, New York

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May 3, 2023

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Some Like It Hot, the musical comedy

Music

Read Stevie Nicks’ Note to Sheryl Crow on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Rolling Stone

Crow, who previously spoke to Rolling Stone, said she was “shocked” by the news of her induction

Stevie Nicks welcomed Sheryl Crow to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Wednesday night with a heartfelt note addressed to her fellow inductee.

Addressed to her “Dearest Sheryl” in an Instagram post, the Fleetwood Mac singer suggested she had prophesied the moment, writing, “Yes, you can call me psychic ~ I have been listening to Sheryl Crow radio on Pandora for the last 4 days. ~ so many of our memories came flooding back.”

Nicks, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, acknowledged the historical moment. “Congratulations, Miz Crow for your upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ~ I am so proud of you ~ It’s a very elite club for us women,” wrote Nicks. “I found out at 4 o’clcok this morning and had to dance around my room for you. See you on the road! Love you, Stevie.”

Crow spoke to Rolling Stone just hours after it was announced that she was entering the Hall of Fame alongside Kate Bush, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, and the Spinners will join the class of 2023 in the Performer category.

“’ll be honest with you. I’m shocked,” she said. Crow added, “Life is crazy! I could not have predicted it if I tried, especially in the early days of my career, coming from a town with three stoplights. Having grown up listening to Willie on my radio station, I just couldn’t have predicted it. There’s no way. Man, I’ll tell you what…it just testimony to the fact that you never know what can happen with a little hard work, taking some chances…You just never know.”

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May 3, 2023

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Crow, who previously spoke to Rolling Stone,

Docs

The Rise of Streaming Services and Their Impact on Traditional Film Distribution

Not long ago, watching films and going to cinemas were almost synonymous activities. The latest film from Hollywood you had been eager to watch had to be seen in a theatre. Later, films started airing on television, and as more people got TVs, the crowds at the theatres started to thin out.

However, it wasn’t until 2007 that people started using streaming services like Netflix to watch films on their mobile devices. While this offered great convenience, it also had a negative impact on box office sales because fewer people went to the cinemas.

Today, as around 40% of viewers are preferring streaming platforms over going to the cinema, traditional film distribution has been affected significantly.

The Impact of streaming services on traditional film distribution

According to David Sterritt, film professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art and former chair of the National Society of Film Critics, going to the films in the future will be like going to the Opera; a special occasion you don’t attend very often. That is because of the comfort brought by technology; now, people can watch a movie right after it is released, from the comfort of their homes.

The impact of streaming services was magnified even more during the COVID-19 pandemic; the popularity of streaming services soared by over 26%, and people have since been using their subscriptions for entertainment rather than going to the theatres.

Given the popularity of streaming platforms, filmmakers are now taking advantage of them and releasing films that are exclusive to this medium. That allows their films to be viewed by a much larger audience paving the way for increased options for distribution. Some examples of these films include The Irishman, Klaus, Mudbound, and Okja.

The pros and cons of streaming services for filmmakers and audiences

There are both advantages and disadvantages of streaming services for both the filmmakers and the audiences. Let’s first look at the advantages:

More Creative Freedom and Wider Distribution

Traditionally, filmmakers of a country were limited in terms of their creativity due to the limited mindset of people of a specific culture. Now, with the widespread availability and adaptation of streaming platforms, filmmakers can distribute their productions worldwide to a much larger and diverse audience. That also opens the door for more creative freedom and diversity in film production.

Convenience and Affordability

Streaming films is way more convenient and affordable than going to the movies. A single movie ticket might cost you more than the monthly subscription of a popular streaming platform. And as long as you have the internet at your home, you can enjoy your favorite films at any time. So, for those on a budget. Streaming platforms offer an affordable way to enjoy cinematic masterpieces from their homes.

Speaking of streaming films at home, if you are on a budget and want to enjoy your favorite shows and cinematic masterpieces at home, make sure to subscribe to a reliable internet connection like kinetic Internet, which is not just blazing fast but affordable.

While these are the obvious advantages offered by streaming platforms for filmmakers and audiences, we can’t deny the disadvantages that come with them. Some of those are:

Lack of theatrical releases and lower revenue

The major sources of revenue for films in the US are ticket sales, advertisements, and concessions. Ticket sales alone account for more than 60% of the revenue. With people preferring streaming over going to the theatres, box office sales are declining, resulting in a decline in revenue and loss for the production team.

Limited access to certain films and lower quality

Watching a film in a theatre gives you an entirely different experience than streaming at home. The sound and picture quality of a big screen has no match, and the experience is just unbeatable. Moreover, certain films are not even available on most streaming platforms, and to watch them, you might have to go to the movies.

Wrap-Up

Streaming platforms have revolutionized the way people enjoy films and TV shows. With the convenience and creative freedom they offer, the rush in the theatres is declining. The future of theatres is going to be impacted by a combination of technology, changing the behavior of the audience, and trends in the industry.

But while this poses a big hurdle for traditional film distribution, it opens ways for improvements. If modern theatres equip themselves with the latest amenities, interactive and immersive technology like VR and AR, and anything to make the theatrical experience stand out from streaming at home, we can expect the declining industry to rise once again.

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May 3, 2023

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Not long ago, watching films and going

Trending

5 Things To Know About The Frontman Of The 1975 – Hollywood Life

Taylor Swift and Joe AlwynBritish Vogue Fashion and Film BAFTA party, Annabel's, London, UK - 10 Feb 2019 — Image Credit: Angelo Joseph/Shutterstock

Taylor Swift and boyfriend Joe Alwyn attend a Golden Globes after party held at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood. 06 Jan 2020 Pictured: Taylor Swift And Joe Alwyn. Photo credit: Photographer Group/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA578958_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency] — Image Credit: Angelo Joseph/Shutterstock

Matty Healy is the lead singer and guitarist of the British band, The 1975
He has sent headlines swirling over the years for his eyebrow-raising actions, such as racist remarks about rapper Ice Spice
Matty said he is in a great place after getting clean from a heroin addiction a few years ago

Matty Healy (born Matthew Timothy Healy) is an English musician who was born on April 8, 1989, in London, England. He is best known as the singer and guitarist of The 1975, a pop rock band formed in 2002 that pulls inspiration from the sounds of the ’80s. The band last released an album in 2022, titled Being Funny In a Foreign Language. It is the group’s fifth studio album and followed 2020’s Notes On A Conditional Form.

Matty, 34, is super proud of his band, which was formed in a garage with three of his school friends: Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald, and George Daniel. He’s so proud, that The 1975’s 2022/2023 world Tour is called The 1975 at Their Very Best. “Not from us being cocky, it’s genuine,” he told The Guardian in Sept. 2022. Of course, Matty is more than his award-wining band. Read on to learn five things about Matty Healy.

Matty Healy Is Doing Better Than Ever

Both The 1975 and Matty are currently enjoying the best versions of themselves. “I’ve been clean for ages, I’m at the gym all the time, everyone feels good,” he told The Guardian. “Even though I started this interview saying I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Matty previously struggled with a heroin addiction, for which he ended up entering rehab for seven weeks beginning in Nov. 2017. He said he realized he needed help after he went on a pompous rant and called himself the “main deal” when discussing future music with his bandmates. “People had started to lose respect for me, but not an irredeemable amount,” he recalled in a 2018 interview with PEOPLE.

Matty Healy Had To Apologize To Ice Spice For Derogatory Comments

During a Feb. 2023 appearance on The Adam Freidland Show, Matty, Adam Freidland, and Adam’s co-host Nick Mullen made derogatory comments about rapper Ice Spice‘s body and even mocked her with Chinese and Hawaiian accents. They called her things like “Inuit Spice Girl,” and a “chubby Chinese lady,” per Rolling Stone. Nick and Adam cracked up as they mocked her, saying, “Yeah, I rap and [make] music.’ Do they talk like that? Do Inuits talk like that?” Matty egged them on. Sadly, the comments came after they discussed the “Munch” rapper saying she was “obsessed” with The 1975 during a January interview with Elle.

After receiving major backlash, he apologized publicly to Ice Spice while on stage at a show in Aukland, New Zealand. “I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you,” Matty said. “Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a d***. I love you, Ice Spice. I’m so sorry.”

Matty Healy’s Mental Health Was Affected By Past Sexual Experiences

The “Somebody Else” singer got super candid during his 2022 chat with The Guardian and admitted that his early romantic experiences affected his mental health greatly before he started therapy. “I’ll be totally honest with you. I’m not going to be specific, but I had some early sexual experiences that, as I got older, were really, really difficult to deal with,” he confessed. “It wasn’t to do with anything that happened in my family or at home, it was these … different things that happened. So my mental health had come through the negotiation of sex as a teenager and a young man, and romantic relationships.”

He went on to say that as The 1975 became more famous, the sexualization of the band only muddied his self worth and perception of love. “I was sexualized to a certain extent; it was sexy, in the way that leather jackets and smoking and all that kind of shit was sexy,” he recalled. “And I think [I had] an inner dialogue where I just hadn’t dealt with things, I probably hadn’t done the right amount of therapy. It’s hard to have romantic relationships with people when you’re on tour, so the one part of my life that I found difficult got really hard, and I would focus on it, so I would never be in the moment.”

“I’d be on the side of the stage in Madison Square Garden, thinking about this one thing that I’d done in a relationship or something like that,” he further recalled.

Matty Healy Deleted His Social Media

Matty deactivated his Instagram page in April 2023 to get his ego in check. He made the announcement during a concert in Adelaide, Australia, per The Sun. “It’s (coming off social media) because everything happens in eras. The 1975 is a very eras band. The era of me being a f****** a******* is coming to an end. I’ve had enough,” he declared. “I perform all the time and it’s my job and I love doing this but I can’t perform off the stage any more as I just want to be a bloke.” Matty has made headlines for years for ego-driven on-stage rants and peculiar moves, such as kissing fans during shows and miming sexual acts.

Matty Healy Once Said Dating Taylor Swift Would Be ‘Emasculating’

The “About You” hitmaker was once rumored to be seeing Taylor Swift, but he shut that down quickly. “If I had gone out with Taylor Swift I would’ve been, ‘F****** hell! I am not being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend,’” he bluntly stated during an interview with Q magazine (via Entertainment Tonight). “You know, ‘F*** THAT.’ That’s also a man thing, a de-masculinating, emasculating thing.” Taylor had previously been spotted at two The 1975 shows in 2014.

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May 3, 2023

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View gallery Image Credit: Angelo Joseph/Shutterstock Matty Healy is

Tech

Meta Slams FTC Proposal to Ban Company From Monetizing Kids Data

The FTC alleges Meta failed to comply with a 2020 privacy order — and as such, the agency wants to impose new restrictions on the social giant, including prohibiting Facebook, Instagram and its other services from monetizing data from users under 18. The FTC also is proposing to prohibit Meta from releasing new or modified products, services or features without “written confirmation” from the third-party assessor overseeing its privacy programs.

Under the 20-year settlement with the FTC (reached in 2019 and approved the following year) Meta agreed to pay a record-breaking $5 billion fine and to submit to new oversight by the commission. That was to settle claims that the company violated a 2012 FTC order “by deceiving users about their ability to control the privacy of their personal information.”

According to an announcement Wednesday by the FTC, Meta “has failed to fully comply with the [2020] order, misled parents about their ability to control with whom their children communicated through its Messenger Kids app, and misrepresented the access it provided some app developers to private user data.” The FTC also alleges that Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement, “Facebook has repeatedly violated its privacy promises. The company’s recklessness has put young users at risk, and Facebook needs to answer for its failures.”

In a statement responding to the FTC’s announcement, Meta said, “This is a political stunt. Despite three years of continual engagement with the FTC around our agreement, they provided no opportunity to discuss this new, totally unprecedented theory. Let’s be clear about what the FTC is trying to do: usurp the authority of Congress to set industry-wide standards and instead single out one American company while allowing Chinese companies, like TikTok, to operate without constraint on American soil.”

The tech giant’s statement continued, “FTC Chair Lina Khan’s insistence on using any measure — however baseless — to antagonize American business has reached a new low. We have spent vast resources building and implementing an industry-leading privacy program under the terms of our FTC agreement. We will vigorously fight this action and expect to prevail.”

In seeking modifications to the 2020 order, the FTC formally asked Meta to respond in 30 days to the proposed findings from the agency’s investigation.

According to the agency, the independent assessor overseeing Meta’s privacy practices, “identified several gaps and weaknesses in Facebook’s privacy program.” The FTC also alleged that Facebook violated both the 2012 and 2020 orders by “continuing to give app developers access to users’ private information after promising in 2018 to cut off such access if users had not used those apps in the previous 90 days.” In certain circumstances, Facebook continued to allow third-party app developers to access that user data until mid-2020, according to the agency.

In addition, the FTC has asked Meta to respond to allegations that from late 2017 until mid-2019, Facebook “misrepresented that parents could control whom their children communicated with through its Messenger Kids product. Despite the company’s promises that children using Messenger Kids would only be able to communicate with contacts approved by their parents, children in certain circumstances were able to communicate with unapproved contacts in group text chats and group video calls.” The FTC says these misrepresentations violated the 2012 order, the FTC Act and COPPA.

The FTC’s proposed modifications to the 2020 order — which would apply to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Quest VR businesses — includes:

Prohibiting monetizing data of children and teens under 18;
Barring the launch of new or modified products, services or features without written confirmation from the assessor that its privacy program is in full compliance with the order’s requirements and “presents no material gaps or weaknesses”;
Extending compliance of the order to cover any companies Meta acquires or merges with, and to honor those companies’ prior privacy commitments;
Limiting future uses of facial recognition technology, to require Meta to disclose and obtain users’ affirmative consent for any future uses of facial recognition technology; and
Strengthening existing requirements in the order such as those related to privacy review, third-party monitoring, data inventory and access controls, and employee training. Meta’s reporting obligations also would be expanded to include its own violations of its commitments.

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May 3, 2023

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The FTC alleges Meta failed to comply

Video

TikTok Star Jackson Mahomes Charged With Aggravated Sexual Battery, Posts Bail

Jackson Mahomes, the 22-year old TikTok star, social media influencer, and younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges of aggravated sexual battery.

According to online records, Mahomes was booked at the Johnson County, Kansas, Detention Center on a $100,000 bond on Wednesday morning. He was charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery and an additional fourth count of battery.

Mahomes bonded out Wednesday afternoon, after he attended a court appearance via Zoom.

Police told local CBS affiliate KCTV5, that a woman in nearby Overland Park, Kansas accused Mahomes of assaulting her in February.

In March, Mahomes’ attorney denied the accusations in a statement to KCTV5.

“We have provided law enforcement with the tools and evidence they need to evaluate the claims against Jackson,” the statement said. “Every interaction between people needs to be placed in the proper context. Releasing a short clip of any video does not provide proper context. We have faith in the process and look forward to a swift resolution of the matter.”

Representatives for Overland Park police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.

TMZ posted surveillance video on Wednesday which appears to show Mahomes kissing a woman while grabbing her by the neck at a bar-and-grill, in February. The owner of the restaurant, Aspen Vaughn, says she was the person being assaulted by Mahomes and accused him of pushing a waiter in a separate incident.

KCTV5 also reported a judge has prohibited Mahomes and his legal team from publicly addressing the charges.

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May 3, 2023

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Jackson Mahomes, the 22-year old TikTok star,

Entertaintment

New York Crowd Told “Entire Labor Movement Is Behind Us” – Deadline

Check back for updates… On the second day of the Writers Guild of America’s first strike in 15 years, the guild is holding big meetings on both coasts with members to detail how they got here, what going on and what’s next.

Picket lines broke up earlier Wednesday as the WGA East met at The Great Hall at Cooper Union in NYC and the WGA West plan to meet at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The gathering at the former was set to kick off at 6 p.m. ET, while the meeting at the latter is set for 7 p.m. PT. The Great Hall has a capacity of nearly 1,000, and former Oscars venue the Shrine can hold about 6,000 people.

Although the Great Hall meeting took a bit longer than expected to get started, the crowd clearly was fired up, according to sources at the venue. There was big applause from WGA members as the solidarity from other guilds and unions like IATSE was brought up. “The entire labor movement is behind us,” one WGA leader told the crowd. “The White House is behind us.”

Picketers outside the WGA meeting in Manhattan

Deadline spoke to some of the folks at the Manhattan site.

Shortly after joining the WGA, John Mahone got his first glimpse of the world that he wants all comedic television writers like himself to be able to live and work in: He was on set, with the production he was attached to happening in front of him, as he wrote.

“It really informs you as a writer to have that kind of on-set experience,” Mahone said on Wednesday evening after marching with other striking WGA writers through Manhattan to a meeting of union members at Cooper Union college. “Because you can see the limitations; you can see how your ideas actually come to life. When you’re writing in a room, on paper, it’s easy to come up with all these ideas, but to see them actually executed and to be on set — that’s an invaluable experience.”

The loss of that experience for other, younger writers is one of the reasons that Mahone, who was written for Our Flag Means Death and Girls5eva, said he joined the picket line this week. He said access to productions “has become a huge hurdle for us.”

“It used to be that you would be paid to cover your episode on set,” he said. “But those days have been over for a few years now.”

Pickets near the WGA meeting site in New York City

Sean Piccoli

Among the people heading into Wednesday’s meeting of union members in Manhattan was Alex Zaragoza, who joined WGA as a writer for the news and culture outlet Vice and carried her membership into a career change writing for television. When the guild voted to strike, “I had just finished working on a show that hasn’t gone to series yet,” Zaragoza said as she handed her picket sign over to a union representative and got ready to join other writers inside the Foundation Building, also known as the Great Hall, at Cooper Union college for a members-only meeting closed to press.

“I had just wrapped, a month prior, another show that I had worked on,” Zaragoza said, “and so I was really just sitting and waiting — literally sitting and waiting to see if I was going to be able to work and trying to plan what I’m going to do if I can’t work in my current field, my current profession, in television. What am I going to do to make money?”

Zaragoza described her experience with WGA at Vice, where she was a union representative on the bargaining committee, as transformative.

“It was the first time I had a union job,” she said, “and the difference it made in feeling like I wasn’t lost, feeling like you were really part of a unit there that was fighting for the collective, dealing with bad managers, making sure my fellow workers there were getting proper severance when they did have to do layoffs — I mean so many things.”

She agreed that WGA is now asking a lot of its members, but said, “Here’s the thing: We voted for this. And we voted overwhelmingly yes because we know the importance of it. It’s asking a lot but it’s asking what we need: We need a fight. … Almost 100 percent of our membership was willing to go into the streets to picket, to give up those checks. Because we know for the collective good, the greater good, for our actual future, it’s what’s necessary. So as hard as it is, it’s what needs to be done.”

More than a month after talks on a new three-contract started between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, everything came to an end late on May 1 with just hours to go in the current contract. Despite a nearly 98% strike authorization vote mandate given to guild leaders by WGA members in April, the studios either did not take the possibility of labor action seriously or just didn’t really care. With the two sides very far apart on money, transparency, job security and even over what the role of writers in the ever-changing industry is to be, the WGA leadership declared a strike starting in the early hours of May 2.

The last time the WGA went on strike in 2007-2008, the labor action went on for 100 days.

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May 3, 2023

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Movies

Guardians of the Galaxy review: Fit for a superhero

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Chukwudi Iwuji, Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova and Sylvester Stallone. Written and directed by James Gunn. Opens Friday at theatres everywhere. 149 minutes. STC

It says something about the current state of superhero movies that the fate of a small frightened raccoon makes a stronger tug on the heart than any imperilled person or planet in the relentless Marvel Cinematic Universe.

James Gunn, the anarchistic creator of the smart-ass “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise, wouldn’t have it any other way. He could have made this trilogy capper another comic romp like the first two volumes. Instead the writer/director has turned the most mirthful of MCU properties into the most meaningful of bonding experiences — “Let’s go save our friend!” is the battle cry — where even supposed villains can join in a group hug.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” has always thumbed its nose at convention, cannily corralling leftover comic book characters. Gunn and Marvel achieved synergistic success in the grand tradition of other famous reclamation projects: David Lynch recycled a rejected TV series pilot into his critically hailed film “Mulholland Drive”; Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David turned New York misanthropes (“No hugging, no learning”) into sitcom gold for the small-screen sensation “Seinfeld”; and the Rolling Stones transformed shelved songs (including “Start Me Up”) into their hit album “Tattoo You.”

Gunn, who recently left Marvel to become co-head of rival DC Studios, knows audiences are growing weary of the superhero assembly line and predictable planet-saving plots. Witness the lacklustre box office for Marvel’s recent “Ant-Man” sequel and DC’s “Shazam!” followup and “Black Adam” launch.

“I think there is such a thing as superhero fatigue … if (a movie) becomes just a bunch of nonsense on screen, it gets really boring,” he recently told Rolling Stone.

Gunn gets perilously close to violating his own edict with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which fires the starter’s pistol for the summer 2023 blockbuster season.

Worlds collide and spacecraft explode with dizzying abandon and there are so many characters old and new, the film threatens to numb brains and butts as it rumbles over its 149-minute running time. The bombast is frequently glorious, but “Guardians 3″ might be an even bigger assault on the senses than “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” the billion-dollar-grossing animated champ that this film will likely dethrone as box office champ this weekend.

“Guardians 3” remains grounded by remembering what made these bickering badasses so popular in the first place: their perfect appeal as imperfect superheroes, a group of unlikely but devoted friends who regard saving the galaxy as more lark than duty and who utter the word “guardians” with a snicker.

The gang’s all here, despite major events in other MCU films, notably the universe-shattering Thanos antics of “The Avengers” franchise, which are explained away on the fly.

The five original Guardians — galactic treasure raider Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), sarcastic mutant trash panda Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper), green-skinned ninja Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), thunderously dumb strongman Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and galoot tree dude Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) — are back patrolling the galaxy alongside their recent recruits, blue-hued warrior Nebula (Karen Gillan) and buglike empath Mantis (Canada’s Pom Klementieff).

Whereas “Guardians 2” gave us Quill’s backstory as a music-loving and Walkman-toting Earth child who was abducted and raised by interstellar bandits known as Ravagers (they’re back, too), the focus this time is on the origin story and current plight of the hilariously arrogant Rocket.

He doesn’t look at all cocky in the flashback opening set to the downbeat strains of Radiohead’s “Creep.” A tight close-up of a young Rocket shows him looking fearfully at an approaching menace.

We soon learn, as the trailer teased, that Rocket was one of many involuntary test subjects for a former Thor foe known as the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji, eminently hiss-worthy). He’s a mad evolutionary scientist determined to “create the perfect society” of hybrid beings to populate Counter-Earth, his planned remake of a certain blue planet.

Jump to current times, or what passes for it in this series. Rocket is in mortal danger not only from the High Evolutionary but also from the machinations of Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), the pompous Golden High Priestess of the Sovereign.

She’s still pissed at Rocket and the Guardians for some thievery in “Guardians 2.” Ayesha has created a golden avenger named Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), who is based on yet another Marvel cast-off. Reminiscent of the laboratory hunk from “Rocky Horror Picture Show” but not nearly as friendly, Warlock is lethally determined to wage war against the Guardians.

Especially Rocket, who is gravely injured in an early skirmish and who will die in 48 hours unless his friends can obtain the High Evolutionary’s source code that will allow for proper medical treatment. Code that, of course, is locked away in the HE’s rather rude domain, which resembles a gigantic orifice. The imaginative production design and art direction seem like a cross between an homage to sci-fi classic “Fantastic Voyage” and a colonoscopy scan.

A more conventional Marvel film might have made more of the fact that Peter has the chance to reunite with his reborn lover Gamora (see “Avengers: Infinity War”), or rather a snarkier incarnation of her. Gamora’s zippy put-downs help fill the sarcasm void left by Rocket’s incapacitation.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” has never been typical Marvel fare, though, and it’s all the better for it. Gunn pulls out all the stops for this “one last ride” for the Guardians. He includes many series callbacks, among them the Redbone tune “Come and Get Your Love” that signalled the ’70s song obsession of the series soundtracks. (This one also features Heart’s “Crazy on You” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands.”)

Gunn has packed his send-off with all the feels, including touching “Island of Misfit Toys” moments between Rocket and his fellow laboratory prisoners, notably an Otter named Lylla (voiced by Linda Cardellini). There’s also a cameo from another character who might otherwise be presumed lost and a profession of love from a highly unlikely source.

There are so many grand sentiments about love, friendship and family expressed in “Guardians 3,” it could almost prompt a tear or two from even the most curmudgeonly of critics.

I’m not admitting to any waterworks myself, but I’m going to feel guilty the next time I shout at a trash panda for knocking over my garbage can.

Star contributor Peter Howell is a movie critic living in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @peterhowellfilm

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3Starring Chris

Patrick Mahomes’ brother Jackson charged with sexual battery

Jackson Mahomes, the younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, was booked into jail Wednesday on aggravated sexual battery charges.

The alleged sexual assault took place at Aspen’s Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, Kan., in late February.

Jackson Mahomes, 22, was charged Tuesday in Johnson County, Kan., with three counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of battery. He was booked Wednesday morning into Johnson County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

During a Zoom arraignment Wednesday afternoon, the judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for May 11. Mahomes will be required to appear in person and, under conditions of his bond, will not be able to publicly discuss his case.

The probable-cause affidavit was not immediately available, but the Kansas City Star reported that police previously confirmed they were investigating a Feb. 25 incident involving Mahomes in which he was accused of shoving a waiter and sexually assaulting the owner of Aspen’s Restaurant and Lounge.

Mahomes’ attorney, Brandan J. Davies, said in a Wednesday email that the court had prohibited him and his client from commenting. But in March, when the allegations first surfaced, he released a statement saying there was “substantial evidence refuting the claims of Jackson’s accuser,” the Star reported.

Aspen Vaughn, who owns Aspen’s, previously told the Star that Mahomes was a friend of her stepdaughter’s and that the social media influencer frequented the restaurant. She said he had been in earlier on the day of the alleged assault and was pleasant, but later returned and grabbed Vaughn’s neck in her office, forcibly kissed her and left bruising on her neck.

TMZ released surveillance footage of the alleged assault, in which Mahomes can be seen repeatedly grabbing Vaughn’s neck, tilting her head back and kissing her.

“He forcibly kissed me out of nowhere,” she told the Star, calling Mahomes’ advances unwelcome and shocking. She also said he appeared to be intoxicated.

Vaughn didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Nor did the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes is a social media influencer with more than a million followers on TikTok. His bio on the video streaming app reads, “Sup I get Bullied a lot but I’m still here.” He has not commented on the case via TikTok, Instagram or Twitter.

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May 3, 2023

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Jackson Mahomes, the younger brother of

MCU

Marvel’s Secret Invasion Disney+ Show Gets Exciting Runtime Update

Samuel L. Jackson’s upcoming Marvel Studios Disney+ series Secret Invasion just got a promising runtime update.

By the time the show arrives for audiences to watch, it will have been 208 days since The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and 251 days after She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Needless to say, fans are ready for more Disney+ content.

But how long will each installment of the spy thriller, which will bring Emilia Clarke into the MCU, run?

Secret Invasion Episode Lengths on Disney+

Marvel

In a recent article from Empire, the outlet confirmed the runtime length of Secret Invasion‘s episodes.

It noted how the series includes “six hour-long episodes” that “give Jackson more space to explore [his character].”

This information isn’t too surprising. After all, every Marvel Studios project with six episodes seems to gravitate toward the hour-long format. Shows like WandaVision and She-Hulk, with nine episodes, were ones that came out shorter.

This doesn’t guarantee that every episode will be at least 60 minutes long, however. Some entrries could still clock in within the 40- or 50-minute range.

The shortest and longest runtime of the MCU Disney+ shows can be found below:

WandaVision: 31 – 51 minutes (40 minutes avg.)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: 51 – 62 minutes (55 minutes avg.)
Loki: 44 – 56 minutes (50 minutes avg.)
Hawkeye: 42 – 62 minutes (50 minutes avg.)
Moon Knight: 45 – 54 minutes (51 minutes avg.)
Ms. Marvel: 41 – 52 minutes (48 minutes avg.)
She-Hulk: 31 – 38 minutes (34 minutes avg.)

What Does Secret Invasion Runtime Mean for Disney+ Show?

It’s worth noting that while Secret Invasion might be designated as having six hour-long episodes, the final product could easily run shorter than expected.

The same label is given to The Mandalorian, but the series often offers up briefer episodes. Usually, this happens when the entry needs to fully utilize its extensive budget—something on clear display in the series’ recent Season 3 finale.

On the surface, it doesn’t look like Secret Invasion will need the same budget that some bigger-scale adventures would need. Perhaps the espionage thriller can deliver full-length episodes.

At the end of the day, the runtime doesn’t truly matter—it’s the writing that defines the quality of a story. So whether it be ten minutes, twenty, or fifty, if the talent behind the scenes is there, everything will click into place.

Secret Invasion hits Disney+ on June 21.

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May 3, 2023

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DCU

Review: SHAZAM #1 – DC Comics News

248

Review: SHAZAM #1

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist: Dan Mora

Colours: Alejandro Sanchez

Letters: Troy Peteri

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

SHAZAM #1: The World’s Finest creators present the World’s Mightiest Mortal in a dazzling solo series! Dinosaurs from space! The Clubhouse of Eternity! Homicidal worms and talking tigers! Atomic robots, alien worlds, mad scientists, sinister curses, and villains from throughout the DC Universe—welcome to the wild adventures of Billy Batson, whose big red alter ego defends the Earth from its weirdest and wildest threats! Want to stop Lex Luthor and The Joker? Call Superman and Batman! International crises? Page Wonder Woman! But when Garguax, Emperor of the Moon, sets his sights on Gorilla City, that’s when you shout Shazam! The fan-favorite team of Mark Waid and Dan Mora brings the magic!

Positives

DC has given us yet another major reset to the Captain Marvel/Shazam mythos However, this time, Billy Batson’s new status quo looks rather familiar. In fact, Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s new Shazam looks very much like the pre-Flashpoint version. One thing I’ve noticed with the new Dawn of DC direction is that a lot of characters and titles are reverting to something close to their pre-Flashpoint state without necessarily retconning away newer history from the New 52, Rebirth, and Infinite Frontier Eras.

Like a number of Shazam fans, I wasn’t entirely happy with Geoff Johns’ reboot of the character and his mythos. I hated the name change from Captain Marvel to Shazam. I didn’t mind the new costume so much -except for the damn hoodie cape – but it wasn’t as stylish as the classic version. And while the three new members of the Marvel/Shazam family weren’t a bad idea, they did contribute to make the Johns’ Shazam title too crowded – and my major criticism of that title was that Johns had way too much going on. It was like Johns had plotted out a hundred issue run of the title and tried to cram it all into the first year.

Since Johns’ reboot, I’ve frequently stated that two things would have to happen for DC to revert to the classic version. First, the Shazam movies, largely based on Johns’ version, would have to cease being a going concern. And second, a writer with a lot of clout would have to champion a return to the original mythos.

Positives Cont.

With Shazam: The Fury of the Gods having a disappointing box office performance and Jame Gunn shifting DC movies away from the DCEU in general, it appears the current Shazam movie franchise is dead in the water. This satisfies the first condition. As for the second criteria: enter Mark Waid.

Mark Waid has recently returned to DC Comics, and so far his new work for them has a retro feel. Instead of a new Batman/Superman title set in the present day, Waid has given us a title set firmly in the bronze age. And he even revived the original title World’s Finest – the classic designation for Batman/Superman team-ups.

Reading this new Shazam #1, you can tell that Waid has done some hard negotiating with DC about which classic elements he would be allowed to reinstate and which elements of his post-Flashpoint history he has to keep. It’s not a complete regression to the classic Captain Marvel, but it’s pretty damn close.

The recent miniseries, Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods and its tie-in issue Wonder Woman #798, has set up Waid’s new status quo. That story featured Billy and Mary assisting Wonder Woman in a fight against the goddess Hera and the Wizard. In Wonder Woman #798, Mary officially takes on the name Mary Marvel. And in the fourth issue of Revenge of the Gods, the Wizard restores Billy’s powers. However, instead of allowing Billy to share his power with Mary (or the others), Six goddesses grant Mary the same powers. Not-so-coincidentally, the initials of those goddesses also spell out the magic word “Shazam”.

Positives Cont.

In SHAZAM #1, Waid introduces two major changes. The first and most visible is the “new” costume. Technically Billy and Mary’s new costumes appear in the final panel of Revenge of the Gods, but it’s in this issue that we get to properly see Dan Mora’s realization of Billy’s costume. The costume is essentially a reversion to the Bronze Age version, but the change is very welcome. While Jim Lee’s New 52 redesigned costumes were beautifully drawn, they were rather overcomplicated with an overabundance of unnecessary detail. But the older design, as drawn by Mora, is simpler, cleaner and a true classic that perfectly suits the character. And the damn hood is finally gone!

The other major change is that Billy has dropped the name Shazam in favour of “The Captain”. Waid explains this as an in-joke between Billy, Mary, and Freddy at Billy’s expense. Apparently this comes from a “little maritime accident” that left Billy soaked, and wit a new nickname.

I am guessing that this new name was a compromise Waid came to with DC. Waid likely pressed for a full return to Captain Marvel, but DC still wants a name they can use for branding and doesn’t involve comparisons to or confusion with Marvel’s Captain Marvel.

The flashback in which Billy describes this has some interesting details. Billy and Mary are wearing their “new” costumes, but Freddy hasn’t had any super powers since they got those costumes. Even stranger, Freddy is wearing his classic Captain Marvel Jr. outfit, not the New 52 version. So, when exactly did this happen?

Positives Cont.

Speaking of Freddy, he is no longer blond as he appeared since the New 52. In some panels, it looks like he now has brown hair, but in others, it appears to be its original black. Either way, it brings Freddy much closer to his classic appearance.

We are explicitly told that Geoff Johns’ previous status quo for the mythos is still canon. Billy refers to Freddy and Mary as foster siblings and that they live with Victor and Rose Vasquez. Also, Talky Tawny makes a brief appearance, preparing dinner in the Vasquez kitchen.

There were some complaints about Johns ditching the setting of the fictional Fawcett City in favour of Philadelphia. Waid deftly sidesteps this issue by placing the story in Fawcett City, but declaring that to be a suburb of Philadelphia. This shows how cleverly Waid manages to keep some of Johns’ version by moving them into the background instead of eliminating them completely.

I also liked how Waid has shifted Freddy from being Billy’s social media publicist to Billy. Waid Billy being the host of a podcast about the Captain’s adventures. This is reminiscent of the Billy being a reporter for WHIZ radio (and later TV), but with a more modern bent. I’ve never found the idea of Billy as a kid reporter to make much sense. But nowadays, kids and teens can and do establish podcasts and YouTube channels that can attract large followings. Podcaster Billy makes much more sense.

Intriguingly, Waid hints at future problems for Billy to contend with. First, Billy has set himself the task of restoring Freddy’s powers now that Billy can’t share his own. Mary’s come from a separate source now, so perhaps Billy will have to find a third group of deities, demigods, and heroes to powers to Freddy.

Positives Cont.

I also find it interesting that there doesn’t seem to be any concern on restoring the powers of the other three foster siblings. Hopefully, Waid will be keeping them to the background and focusing on the classic three members of the Marvel Family.

Also, it appears that the Wizard and one of the gods, perhaps Zeus, are unhappy with how Billy is using their powers. They go on to state the immediate need to prompt Billy to “restore the reputation of the Gods”.

The issue also ends with Billy saving the lives of some citizens and then erupting into a tirade against them. He declares,

You should be on your knees with gratitude! You should feel blessed taht someone incredible as I am would even dirty my hands with you!”

Clearly, this doesn’t reflect Billy’s true feelings, which implies some form of manipulation. I suspect this has something to do with the Wizard and Zeus’ plans, but it’s possible that some other threat is also at work here – Mister Mnd, perhaps?

Dan Mora’s cover is absolutely gorgeous. I adore this image of the Captain bursting forth from the pages of Whiz Comics #2, which feature the origin and first appearance of Captain Marvel.

Negatives

While it’s fantastic to see the return of the classic Captain Marvel costume, there is one thing tat could have made it even better. I miss the chest flap. However, this is only an extremely minor quitble.

Between Geoff Johns’ iteration of the title and this one, Tim Sheridan featured Billy in his Teen Titans Academy title and a spin-off Shazam miniseries. While Sheridan was bound by the history Johns had established, he introduced a drastic new status quo for Billy. I was somewhat disappointed that there was no mention of Sheridan’s story. This leaves it unclear as to whether Waid is ignoring this period, or has retconned it away completely. While I do prefer Waid’s take on the mythos, I did quite enjoy Sheridan’s story and would have appreciated some closure.

Now, I hesitate to label this as negative, but I notice that the Wizard shown in this issue as Geoff Johns reimagining of the character as Black. Now, I don’t have a problem with this. However, DC has been rather inconsistent over the past few years, alternating between the Black version and the White version of the Wizard. They need to pick one as the official version and stick with it. It appears that Waid and Mora have picked the canonical version for their story, but it remains to see if that choice will stick.

Verdict

Captain Marvel has always been one of my favourite characters. And while I didn’t hate Geoff Johns’ New 52 version of the character, I still felt it was a low point with some serious problems. But, rejoice fans! Waid and Mora have restored the World’s Mightiest Marvel to his former glory – well, almost. He’s not the same, but Waid’s Captain has recaptured the feel of the classic Shazam comics I delighted in reading as a child. This is one of the most auspicious beginning for a new series I have ever seen.

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248 Review: SHAZAM #1 [Editor’s Note: This review may

Comics

Last chance to join Farsiders backers and grab exclusive rewards

Highly successful Farsiders campaign accelerates towards the finish line Thai game development studio GambitGhost Studio is soon closing its successful Kickstarter campaign for Farsiders. But worry not, there are still three days left to support the campaign and grab some great unique rewards, such as your very own limited collection card!

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May 3, 2023

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Highly successful Farsiders campaign accelerates towards the

Festivals

‘Magic Mike’ Choreographers’ Rules to Creating a Sensual Lap Dance for Film and TV

Let’s break down how you can craft great and memorable dance sequences in your film.

Three blockbuster films later, sold-out musicals in Las Vegas, Germany, Australia, and London, and an HBO Max reality show Finding Magic Mike, we still can’t get enough of erotic male dancers. Steven Soderbergh‘s film about these dancers captivated audiences in a way that many dance films could never by being cheeky and ambitious with their choreography. While the stories are great, the dancing is why we keep returning to the theatres.

The success of the franchise is partially due to choreographers Alison Faulk and Luke Broadlick, who Faulk hired after Broadlick gave her a lap dance on Britney Spears’ 2011 Femme Fatale tour. Faulk joined the Magic Mike franchise as the supervising choreographer after Channing Tatum reached out to her for help while he was prepping Magic Mike.

Faulk and Broadlick have worked on all of the Magic Mike projects and co-choreographed Channing Tatum’s last performance at Magic Mike in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. In a recent interview with GQ, Faulk and Broadlick break down their process of creating and learning about the art of a sensual, yet entertaining lap dance.

Here is what choreographers and directors need to know if they want to have a fantastic lap dance on screen.

‘Magic Mike’Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

1. Establish a Genuine Connection Between the Dancer and the Lap Dance Receiver

The first rule of giving a memorable and entertaining lap dance is establishing a genuine connection with the person receiving the dance.

Establishing a genuine connection between the dancer and the lap dance receiver is essential to ensure that both parties have a positive and enjoyable experience during the lap dance. It involves creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and comfort that enables the receiver to fully immerse themselves in the experience.

To establish this connection, the dancer should first introduce themselves and try to engage the receiver in conversation to get to know them better. This can help to break the ice and build a rapport that will allow both parties to feel more comfortable with each other.

During the lap dance itself, the dancer should be attentive to the receiver’s body language and respond accordingly. They should be aware of the receiver’s comfort level and adjust their moves accordingly to ensure that they are not crossing any boundaries or making the receiver feel uncomfortable.

The dancer should also communicate with the receiver throughout the dance, using verbal and non-verbal cues to establish a connection and ensure that the receiver is enjoying the experience. This could involve asking the receiver if they would like to try different moves or positions, or simply checking in with them to see if they are comfortable.

By establishing a genuine connection between the dancer and the lap dance receiver, both parties can enjoy a more fulfilling and satisfying experience. The receiver will feel more comfortable and relaxed, while the dancer will be able to perform their routine with more confidence and enthusiasm. This connection can lead to a more enjoyable and memorable lap dance experience for everyone involved, which includes the audience.

‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

2. Be Confident, but Not Cocky.

Once that connection between the dancer and the receiver, it is important that the dancer doesn’t become too confident in their performance.

“Once the guy goes into a moment where he has this cockiness to him, it immediately runs flat,” Broadlick says.

It is important that the dancer maintains a level of humility and avoids becoming too overconfident or cocky in their performance because it takes the joy away from the act. Excessive confidence can come across as arrogance and ruin the connection that was established.

As directors and choreographers, make sure that the dancers have a sense of humility and respect for the receiver’s boundaries and preferences to ensure that they are comfortable and having a good time. If the receiver is being ignored and they are uncomfortable, the audience will see this through their body language and react to that.

Overall, maintaining a humble and respectful attitude to everyone involved will enhance the entire performance.

Check out this dance sequence from Magic Mike XXL to see why humility is important when crafting a fantastically engaging dance number.

3. Research to Produce an Authentic Dance

For anyone in any department of a film’s production, research is vital. If you are making a film about erotic dancers, then study the culture and different types of styles that these dancers have.

The first movie for Faulk and Broadlick did a lot of research. They went to strip shows and gathered research to gather “authentic” material that Soderbergh wanted. Because the choreographers would be working with actors who weren’t trained dancers, Faulk and Broadlick had to create dances that were simple, yet engaging to watch.

When choreographing the waterlogged number in Last Dance, Faulk and Broadlick took a dance they crafted for the stage show and practiced a water version of it in a garage to see if it would be possible for this dance to happen on film. On top of the tarp, they threw buckets of water on it.

“We’re just sliding around like maniacs in my garage,” Faulk remembers.

Although they researched and practice the dance, there was still a level of danger. At one point during filming, Tatum’s partner Kylie Shea accidentally hit Tatum in the nose with her pelvis, causing him to bleed. That is the level of risk that directors and choreographers have to be aware of when creating these types of sequences. Knowing the possible risks will help everyone else involved in the project.

4. Have a Good Time During Choreography

If you are not having fun while doing something as fun as a lap dance, then what’s the point? Lap dances are supposed to be fun and engaging, so the creative process when choreographing a lap dance routine should be just as fun. It is important to approach it with a positive and lighthearted attitude.

“We just love the project so much,” Faulk says. “We’re always laughing and having a good time. If you’re not laughing and having fun when you’re making up lap dances, then your life sucks. You’ve literally lost.”

Choreographing a lap dance routine involves using one’s creativity and imagination to come up with moves and sequences that will engage and entertain the receiver. This can be a fun and playful process, and it is important to approach it with a sense of humor and a willingness to take risks and try new things.

‘Magic Mike’Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s hard not to smile when you are watching insanely buff, shirtless men thrusting their hips and lifting giggling women into gravity-defying positions. Magic Mike films are fun and entertaining to watch. That is why we come back to these films time and time again.

If you are considering filming a short or feature film about the life of dancers, it is important to work with choreographers who are willing to do the research and try new moves out while being aware of the actors’ abilities. Directors should trust and collaborate with their choreographers to help craft engaging dance sequences that will change the audience’s expectations of what a great dance sequence in a film looks like.

What is your favorite dance sequence from the Magic Mike films? Let us know in the comments below.

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May 3, 2023

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Film

India’s IN10 Media Network Launches MovieVerse Studios, Reveals Slate

Indian media and entertainment company IN10 Media Network has launched its film division, MovieVerse Studios.

The film studio aims to “produce fresh and engaging content in Hindi and regional languages that connect with theatre-going audiences and those on streaming platforms,” the studio said in a statement.

The studio has revealed a diverse slate across genres. These include an action survival rescue drama based on a true story in partnership with Bake My Cake Films, helmed by Sandeep Leyzell and Shobhna Yadav, which has hit films like “Batla House,” “Dasvi” and the upcoming “Tehran” to its credit. It will be directed by Umang Vyas (“Ventilator,” “Dear Father”).

The slate also includes a thriller in partnership with Faith Films’ Viki Rajani, producer of “Table No. 21,” “R…Rajkumar” and “Munna Michael,” which will be directed by Pavan Kripalani (“Ragini MMS,” “Phobia,” “Bhoot Police,” “Gaslight”); and a supernatural drama with DING Entertainment, whose Tanveer Bookwala has produced series “Asur: Welcome to Your Dark Side” and several other shows including “Apaharan” and “The Haunting.”

Also in the works is an action thriller drama co-produced by Tanuj Garg and Atul Kasbekar of Ellipsis Entertainment, the boutique company known for producing films “Neerja,” “Tumhari Sulu” and “Looop Lapeta.”

Additionally, the studio will release two Tamil-language films in partnership with T.G. Thyagarajan of Sathya Jyothi Films, one of south India’s biggest film production and distribution companies, and has produced acclaimed films like “Moondram Pirai,” “Viswasam” and “Maaran.” One of the films will be directed by Binu Subramanyam who has worked with well-known filmmakers Priyadarshan and Selvaraghavan.

IN10 operates linear broadcast channels Epic TV, Ishara, ShowBox and Filamchi; digital channels Epic On, DocuBay and Latestly; and production outfit Juggernaut Productions.

Aditya Pittie, managing director of IN10 Media Network, said: “We are thrilled to introduce MovieVerse Studios as a new addition to the IN10 Media Network family. The studio is a testament to our commitment to creating content that resonates with moviegoers universally. Films are yet another innovative way for us to strengthen our existing bond with audiences by providing quality content.”

Vivek Krishnani, formerly managing director at Sony Pictures Films India, who now serves as CEO of MovieVerse Studios, added: “At MovieVerse Studios, our focus is on creating fresh content in Hindi as well as regional languages and is driven by our passion for storytelling and our deep understanding of audience preferences. We are dedicated to bringing innovative and compelling stories to life in partnership with some of the best talent, creators and technicians in the industry. We are here to entertain and we promise to do just that.”

Pictured: from left to right (standing): T.G. Thyagarajan, Viki Rajani, Sandeep Leyzell, Atul Kasbekar, Vivek Krishnani, Aditya Pittie, Tanveer Bookwala, Pavan Kriplani, Umang Vyas, Anup Chandrashekaran. Left to right (sitting): Tanuj Garg, Avni Bathija.

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May 3, 2023

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Indian media and entertainment company IN10 Media

Helen Mirren Video Interview On ‘1923’ & More – The Actor’s Side – Deadline

There is nothing like this Dame, as in Helen Mirren of course. She is the Oscar/Emmy/Tony- and everything else-winning acting icon who never seems to slow down. Now with the Yellowstone prequel, 1923, she has also done her first western and signed up for a second season as well. She visits my Deadline video series, The Actor’s Side this week and talks about it and working with Harrison Ford as they not only conquer the west, but also the small screen.

But Dame Helen also talks about working wherever the roles take her, and in addition to 1923, her current upcoming work includes summer releases The White Bird, Golda, Fast X, Barbie (she’s the narrator), and most recently her first superhero movie with DC’s Shazam: Fury Of The Gods. As for playing the role of Israeli legend Golda Meir (which looked fantastic in the footage shown at CinemaCon last week) she received some blowback on the internet when the casting was announced, with some complaining that she wasn’t Jewish. She has interesting things to say about that, as well as her final meeting with Queen Elizabeth just a month before she died, and why the memory of that brings tears to her eyes. There is so much more, and wait until you see her reaction to the 23 page wikipedia list of her awards and nominations I present to her, as well as her statement that the one she still doesn’t have is a Grammy. That could be coming too as I point to her recent music video with Kendrick Lamar on “Count Me Out” . This four time Oscar, 12 time Emmy, and 3 time Tony nominee is always changing it up and doing surprising things To watch our conversation just click on the link above.

Join me every Wednesday during Emmy season for another edition of The Actor’s Side.

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May 3, 2023

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There is nothing like this Dame, as

What to Watch

Is ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ on Netflix UK? Where to Watch the Movie

Great news! “Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar” is available to watch on Netflix UK!

Date Added: 3rd May 2023

Known expiry dates are shown above as well as on the Last Chance page.

Want to keep forever? Try looking for ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ on Amazon (paid link)

Description:

To earn extra cash, Mickey helps couples break up — but life gets complicated when he falls for Tinni, a career woman with an independent streak.

Certificate: Suitable for ages 12 and up

Year: 2023

Duration: 2hr 39m

Audio: Hindi [Original]

Subtitles: Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

Cast and Crew

Director: Luv Ranjan

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Boney Kapoor, Anubhav Singh Bassi, Jatinder Kaur, Hasleen Kaur, Inayat Verma, Monica Choudhary, Amber Rana

Production & Box Office Details:

“Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar” was produced by T-Series and LUV Films and was originally released on March 8th 2023.

RATINGS:

IMDB rating 6.7/10

The Movie Database rating 74%

Average Rating Average rating 50.25%

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This title is available on Netflix UK

Where else can you watch ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ on Netflix?

Want to keep forever? Why not rent or buy ‘Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar’ from one of the online services below?

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May 3, 2023

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Awards

Joel Grey And John Kander To Receive Special Tonys For Lifetime Achievement – Deadline

Actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander will each receive the 2023 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today

“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives – meeting us in every decade – creating unforgettable scores for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his current Broadway hit New York, New York.”

Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said of Grey, “As a legendary actor and director, Joel Grey has made an everlasting impact, from Cabaret, to Goodtime Charley, The Normal Heart and his acclaimed Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Grey and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theatre, and we are honored to say Wilkommen as the recipients of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards.”

Grey, who memorably co-starred in both the stage and film version of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret, also appeared in Neil Simon’s first comedy hit Come Blow Your Horn (1961) as well as other Broadway productions including Stop the World I Want to Get Off, Half a Sixpence, George M!, Goodtime Charley, The Grand Tour, Chicago, Wicked, Anything Goes, and Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. His other dramatic work has included roles in Marco Polo Sings a Solo, Give Me Your Answer, Do!, New York City Opera’s Silverlake (directed by Hal Prince) and Larry Kramer’s seminal The Normal Heart in its original run at the Public Theatre.

Kander is most known for his longtime collaboration with writer and lyricist Fred Ebb (who died in 2004). Together they wrote some of greatest and most popular musicals in modern Broadway history, including Cabaret, Zorba, The Happy Time, 70 Girls 70, Chicago, The Act, Woman of the Year, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Steel Pier, Curtains, The Scottsboro Boys and The Visit. The current New York, New York includes many of the duo’s songs, as well as later numbers by Kander and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The 76th Annual Tony Awards will air live on Sunday, June 11, from the United Palace in Washington Heights, New York City from 8-11 PM ET/5-8 PM PT on CBS, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.

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May 3, 2023

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Actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander

Docs

The Last Stop | Film Threat

A father faces the disappearance of his wife and daughter in Joseph McGee’s thriller, The Last Stop. Jake (Martin Monasterski), Dawn (Kayla Kohla), and their daughter, Jasmine (Abigal Friend), are on a family road trip in the mountains. Just before heading onto the long winding road, the trio takes advantage of the last rest stop to freshen up. Soon, Jake wakes up from a quick nap only to discover Dawn and Jasmine have vanished.

When the police are called, the video footage shows that no one left the family van. Jake’s therapist, Dr. Shepherd, informs Detective Rinaldi (Mario Carneiro) that Jake has been suffering delusions about his family he lost years ago. Jake swears this is not true, but the physical evidence says otherwise.

So let’s state the obvious: The Last Stop is a low-budget DIY short. The audio is a bit uneven. There’s a hole or two in the plot, and I sorta wish some of the camera composition pushed the boundaries of indie filmmaking a bit. All these complaints are pretty standard for no-budget, DIY films.

“…Jake wakes up from a quick nap only to discover Dawn and Jasmine have vanished.”

What the film lacks in the production budget, it more than makes up in pure gumption that only indie filmmakers possess. McGee has access to a liquor store in a small mountain town and a sizable cast of supporting and background actors to tell his story. Plotwise, the film is far-fetched but no more than your typical studio thriller. However, I like that the story is willing to take risks, most of which pay off.

The Last Stop is a nice little thriller, and with its forty-minute runtime never overstays its welcome. Yes, Big Hollywood could have thrown a few million into this project. However, the advantages of low-budget thrillers are that the filmmakers, cast, and crew are constantly looking for ways of solving problems and creating mystery in their performances and production that big-budget production takes for granted.

The Last Stop is not a perfect film by any means, but it has the fun and spirit we want from an independent production. I’m certain this will not be the last production from McGee. My only piece of advice is to smooth out the editing and pacing. Audiences want to go on a roller-coaster ride, and the fewer bumps along the way, the more enjoyable the thrills.

For more information about The Last Stop, visit the McGee Productions website.

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May 3, 2023

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A father faces the disappearance of his

Global

RCMP recruiting ‘crisis’ cited in report adds wrinkle to Surrey police decision

An internal report looking at RCMP recruitment and training is adding further complexity to questions around the future of policing in Surrey.

The report, produced in June 2022 by the RCMP’s Management Advisory Board’s Training and Education Taskforce and obtained by Global News, called for an overhaul at the national force’s Depot training facility.

Click to play video: 'B.C. premier weighs in on Surrey policing controversy'

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B.C. premier weighs in on Surrey policing controversy

What’s more, it found “deep concern” about both the quality and quantity of recruits coming into the force.

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“More than once, the Taskforce heard the recruitment situation described as a ‘crisis,’ a descriptor that did not strike the Taskforce as exaggerated,” the report states.

“The process for recruitment remains too administratively heavy and burdensome, lengthy and inaccessible for many prospective cadets, especially from remote and/or Indigenous communities. The Taskforce detected a profound worry among a multitude of key stakeholders, as the organization is at a precipice of a large number of retirements.”

That finding echoes concerns outlined by B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth last week, as he recommended Surrey complete its transition to a municipal police force, and end its contract with the RCMP.

Click to play video: 'Surrey mayor says response to policing report will take time'

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Surrey mayor says response to policing report will take time

In making the recommendation, Farnworth said keeping the RCMP would exacerbate police shortages elsewhere in the province. The B.C. RCMP currently faces an 8.9 per cent vacancy rate, about double the national rate. Farnworth did not have access to the RCMP report when he made his recommendation.

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“What we see in the report is what we also see in the analysis that was provided to me by my director of police services and my ministry, and it’s challenges around recruitment and re-staffing,” Farnworth said.

“In terms of public safety in this province, my responsibility is public safety, not just for Surrey but for the rest of the province. That’s obviously very concerning.”

The report warned that if the recruitment issues were not resolved, the force would be “even more challenged” to meet its commitments under provincial, territorial and municipal service agreements, and said current members who are already stretched could face more stress and mental health issues.

Click to play video: 'Extended Interview: BC Solicitor General gives perspective on Surrey policing situation'

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Extended Interview: BC Solicitor General gives perspective on Surrey policing situation

It said new funding for recruiting and advertising were a “good start,” but called on the force to develop a “multi-pronged recruitment strategy” that with specific efforts to diversity the force and outreach to Indigenous communities.

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Brian Sauvé, president of the National Police Federation which represents RCMP officers, said the report represents a snapshot of a “moment in time” at Depot, coming out of the pandemc.

“A lot of their interviews and what they reported on is seven to nine months old. A lot has changed. They were obviously coming to it from a very recent post-pandemic Depot,” he said.

“The place was a ghost town, it is no longer a ghost town. The amount of applicants, the amount of cadets, and the number of people in that hopper to become police officers in the RCMP, whether it be for BC, whether it be for Surrey, or whether it be for Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador is actually looking really good.”

Sauvé said the RCMP has recently cut the time from application to acceptance into RCMP training from 16 to 24 months down to six to eight months.

Depot, he said, has the capacity to nearly double the amount of recruits it is currently training as well.

“Lets pump up the capacity, we have the applicants that are coming in now, lets actually push them through,” he said.

“Seeing the numbers on a regular basis of what’s coming into the pipeline for applicants and how fast the RCMP is actually processing those applicants, I have no doubt they will be able to meet the demands.”

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Click to play video: 'Funding fallout over Surrey policing recommendation'

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Funding fallout over Surrey policing recommendation

In an interview with Global News in April, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commanding officer of B.C.’s E-Division, said the force was in the early stages of launching a new national recruiting campaign to fill vacancies.

He pointed to a recently signed contract that improves RCMP pay and an expansion of a program to recruit experienced officers as potential solutions to B.C.’s high vacancy rate, along with agreements that allow recruits from B.C. to return to B.C. to serve.

While the report points to potential staffing hurdles for the RCMP, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has argued that the new Surrey Police Service (SPS) will face recruiting challenges of its own.

“If the provincial government was serious about this from the get go, they would have increased dramatically the funding to the Justice Institute,” she said.

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“We, last year, were allowed 23 new officers to go through the JI … They will never get to to the numbers they need, so it’s it’s interesting, they’re concerned about recruitment for the RCMP, but the reality is, the real challenge is going to be for the for the SPS to to man up.”

The province says it is confident the Justice Institute, which trains peace officers, is graduating enough recruits, and that increasing the number of graduates has been a part of the police transition all along.

Click to play video: 'Confusion persists over Surrey policing recommendation'

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Confusion persists over Surrey policing recommendation

The question of which force to stick with now rests with Surrey city council.

As it stands, the SPS provides 50 per cent of its front-line policing duties with a complement of more than 330 officers.

The province has offered $150 million to help defray costs of completing the transition to the Surrey Police Service, but said it will not cover the estimated $72 million keeping the RCMP would cost in SPS severance.

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Locke has said city staff are now completing a feasibility study on the situation based on the province’s final report and recommendation. \

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May 3, 2023

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An internal report looking at RCMP recruitment

Trending

Meghan Trainor’s Most NSFW Quotes About Marriage to Daryl Sabara

There’s no such thing as TMI when it comes to Meghan Trainor sharing the most intimate details of her marriage to Daryl Sabara.

The twosome first crossed paths in 2014 — but didn’t start dating until two years later.

Even from the beginning of their romance, the “All About That Bass” singer knew what she had with the Spy Kids star was special.

“I never really felt sexy with guys before. No one expressed how they liked my body out loud in the bedroom until I met Daryl,” she told Cosmopolitan in May 2017. “He is obsessed with it — every inch. And that has improved my confidence more than even ‘Bass’ did. He’s a champion, so we’re in heaven.”

However, it all started with a simple kiss — one that was surprisingly good.

“He kissed me at the bowling alley,” Trainor recalled to the magazine of her first date with the Halloween actor. “I told my security to step outside ’cause I didn’t want to be watched. He was the best kisser ever. I know I’m really good at kissing, but I was shocked when he was.”

Since then, the “Lips Are Movin’” artist and Sabara have gone full-speed ahead, getting engaged in December 2017 and tying the knot one year later. In 2020, the couple announced they were expecting their firstborn.

While the pair were thrilled about Trainor’s pregnancy, the “Made You Look” singer revealed that she had qualms about having sex while pregnant. “Mentally I can’t have sex while our son is in between us,” she told the Today show at the time. Though “all [her] pregnancy apps say it feels really good,” Trainor couldn’t bring herself to get intimate at the time.

“All I can think about is that there’s a little boy in my belly,” she added.

The duo welcomed son Riley in February 2021 — and couldn’t wait to give him a sibling.

“If I could’ve got pregnant months ago, I would’ve,” Trainor exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2022. “We’re just busy and I don’t want to be, like, nauseous while doing all this fun stuff.” Several months later, in December 2022, she and Sabara announced they were expecting their second child — another baby boy.

This time around, the couple will once again be avoiding penetrative intercourse. (In April 2023, Trainor revealed she had been diagnosed with vaginismus, making for “painful” sex that she referred to as a “nightmare” on the “Workin’ on It” podcast.)

“I can have a fine time with other stuff,” Trainor explained the following month on Emily Ratajkowski’s “High Low with EmRata” podcast. “I’m very satisfied. My hubby, I take care of him. He’s fine. He’s satisfied. We’re great, but it’s tough.”

Keep scrolling for more of Trainor’s NSFW revelations:

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May 3, 2023

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There’s no such thing as TMI when

Tech

Brett Goldstein’s ‘Films to Be Buried With’ Podcast Joins iHeartMedia – The Hollywood Reporter

Brett Goldstein’s Films to Be Buried With podcast is joining iHeartMedia as part of Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network.

iHeartMedia will handle ad sales and distribution, and the show will remain available on all major podcast platforms. Upcoming guests on the show will include Goldstein’s Ted Lasso co-star Hannah Waddingham, filmmaker Edgar Wright, Shrill actress and comedian Lolly Adefope, Yesterday star Himesh Patel, Chappelle’s Show writer and comedian Neal Brennan, and actress and comic Wendy Wason.

Since launching Films to Be Buried With in 2018, the podcast has risen on the Apple Podcasts and Spotify charts in the film and TV categories, in part buoyed by Goldstein’s popularity as the character Roy Kent on Ted Lasso. As with past episodes, Goldstein brings on guests to discuss the films that have most impacted their lives based on the premise that they have died and weaves in his commentary, including a recurring bit that involves Goldstein referencing his neighbor Maureen.

Prior to joining iHeartMedia, Films to Be Buried With was part of the Distraction Pieces podcast network alongside other shows like Tuesday Night Jaw and Say Why to Drugs.

Brett Goldstein

Courtesy of iHeartPodcast Network

“With the new partnership with iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network, my neighbour Maureen and I are really excited to kill a whole new selection of very special guests — from comedians and actors to filmmakers and writers — and force them to choose one film to be buried with,” Goldstein said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

The podcast will join other Big Money Players Network shows like Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang’s Las Culturistas, Nikki Glaser’s eponymous podcast and Ferrell’s The Ron Burgundy Podcast, among others. All shows in the network are executive produced by Ferrell.

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May 3, 2023

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Brett Goldstein’s Films to Be Buried With

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 25: Ryan Gosling (L) and Margot Robbie speak onstage as they promote the upcoming film "Barbie" during the Warner Bros. Pictures Studio presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 25, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Video

CinemaCon 2023 Recap – IndieWire

Another year, another CinemaCon, and a whole lot of movies with big plans for the months ahead. This edition of the annual exhibitors conference in Las Vegas found major studios flexing serious muscle with movies they hope will become huge hits, with expectations higher than ever after “Top Gun: Maverick” launched there 12 months ago. Famous faces ranging from Ryan Gosling to Martin Scorsese made their way through Caesar’s Palace with clips from “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and many others generating enthusiastic responses.

Warner Bros. Discovery was confident about “The Flash” to screen the whole movie and set the stage for what might end up as the biggest superhero movie of a year filled with them, while Apple and Amazon made it clear that, despite their streaming ambitions, they were still invested in movie theaters.

How did all these moments play on the ground?

For this week’s episode of IndieWire’s weekly Screen Talk podcast, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson are joined by film reporter Brian Welk, who covered the proceedings. Welk breaks down the buzz from CinemaCon and explains which studios seemed best-positioned to make hits out of their upcoming slates. He also shares his own spoiler-free take on “The Flash” and why it stands a good shot at generating enthusiasm well beyond Nevada.

Watch the full episode above or listen to it below.

Screen Talk is produced by Azwan Badruzaman and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. Browse previous installments here, subscribe here, and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk.

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May 3, 2023

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Another year, another CinemaCon, and a whole

Entertaintment

Stanley Tucci Hopeful ‘Searching for Italy’ Will Find New Home

Stanley Tucci may not be searching much longer.

The actor-foodie says he’s “pretty confident” that he’ll find a new home for his cooking and travel show, “Searching for Italy.” CNN canceled the two-season series in December when the network ended its development of original documentary programming. “We’re talking to different companies,” Tucci told me at the premiere of his new Amazon Prime Video series, “Citadel.” “We’ll find out in a few weeks.”

The series received seven Emmy nominations, winning for outstanding hosted nonfiction series in 2021 and 2022.

At the time of the cancellation, Tucci appeared on “The Tonight Show.” “Unfortunately, CNN has canceled all of their original programming, so hopefully we’ll end up on another streamer, network, we don’t know,” Tucci told Jimmy Fallon. “But yes, I have plans to do season three and more.”

Tucci has written two books on cooking. In 1996, he co-directed “Big Night” with Campbell Scott, a film about two brothers who make one last grand meal at a failing restaurant they own.

I also had to ask if he agrees with Anne Hathaway, who said during an appearance on “The View” that she doesn’t think a sequel to “The Devil Wears Prada” will happen because the 2006 film is about a specific moment when print magazines were thriving. Tucci didn’t exactly nix a second film, saying, “I don’t know, but it would be fun.”

Maybe he could convince Hathaway to change her mind?

Tucci co-starred in “The Devil Wears Prada,” directed by David Frankel and based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel of the same name, as the art director of Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep) Runway magazine. The cast also included Emily Blunt, Simon Baker and Adrian Grenier.

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May 3, 2023

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Stanley Tucci may not be searching much

Movies

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Review: Raccoon Tears and a Final Mixtape

Animal lovers, comic book fans and unofficial adjudicators of narrative continuity, action and style in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Lend me your ears. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” is not the movie for you.

Perhaps this dour, visually off-putting two-and-a-half-hour A.S.P.C.A. nightmare of a film is only for completionist fans like myself, arriving at the theater armed with overpriced popcorn and the hope that the director James Gunn’s latest could replicate the romp and anti-gravity gambol of the first.

For those who need help getting their multiversal timeline untangled, “Guardians” is the second film of the so far ecstatically bad Phase Five of the M.C.U., after the, to quote my colleague, “thoroughly uninspired” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” We last caught our team of lovable riffraff in “Avengers: Infinity War,” when Thanos (Josh Brolin) threw his adopted daughter and galaxy guardian, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), into an abyss to get one of the Infinity Stones, which he used to snap away half of the universe. (There were some dancing Groots and a cute holiday special about abducting Kevin Bacon, but — sorry, Kev — they were irrelevant.)

Now the Guardians are settling in at Knowhere, a community in the severed head of a celestial that serves as their home base. With Gamora gone, Peter (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Star-Lord, is still grieving, unaware of the fact that somehow Gamora is still alive, sans her memories of him and the Guardians. When, a few minutes into the film, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) becomes victim to a deadly attack, the team is reunited with a hostile, partially amnesiac Gamora, who is reluctantly dragged into their plot to save him.

While Rocket is in critical condition, Peter and company do some risky snooping through Rocket’s traumatic back story to figure out how to save his life and stop the man pursuing him, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). A powerful god-figure, the High Evolutionary has genetically altered Rocket, other animals and even children to create a perfect race to inhabit his imagined utopia. (Yes, that’s another Nazi-coded villain for your Bingo card.)

So much of “Guardians 3” seems to erupt from left field, most prominently the main story, which is driven by Rocket, even though the Guardians have mostly played second-string to Star-Lord, the plot-driving hero. The shift makes sense given the role this film plays as the end of the trilogy, resulting in a Guardians team with a different starting lineup and an unclear position in the context of the rest of the M.C.U. But the shift also feels belabored and emotionally manipulative; scenes upon scenes of shot, blown up, tortured and incinerated C.G.I. animals with big, emotive eyes are as merciless as clips of injured animals set to a Sarah McLachlan song.

It seems “Guardians” needs this much gratuitous trauma bait to establish its stakes and prove that the bad guy is, in fact, bad. Which is unfortunate because Iwuji, who offered a much more nuanced performance in Gunn’s edgy-fun DC Extended Universe series, “Peacemaker,” is left with just a thin silhouette of an antagonist to work with here. (Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova also appear as idiotic secondary antagonists, for no real reason.)

Something like Thanos Lite or a knockoff Dr. Frankenstein, the High Evolutionary represents one of the central problems the franchise is facing in a post-“Endgame” M.C.U.: characters and circumstances that pale in comparison to Thanos and his cataclysmic, conclusive multi-arc-spanning plotline. Because at least the extent of Thanos’s power and the roots of his villain philosophy were clear. “There is no god — that’s why I stepped in,” the High Evolutionary says at one point. This tiny germ of a motivation does nothing but indicate all the questions that the film could have answered about this character to make him more interesting. Surely an atheist with a narcissistic personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder has some deeper psychology to unpack. Ah well.

Though this “Guardians” is certainly less fun than the others, there are still glints of joy in the more mundane and ancillary quibbles among the found family of misfits. Dave Bautista gives another priceless performance as Drax, and Bautista’s signature chemistry works with Pom Klementieff as Mantis. Groot (Vin Diesel) has leveled up in the bang-bang-shoot-em-up category, as has Nebula (Karen Gillan). Though the film makes no attempt to explain the logic behind Gamora’s magical reappearance (“I’m not some infinity stone scientist!” Peter exclaims after trying to puzzle things out), it does at least give Saldaña the opportunity to reinvent her character, which she manages beautifully. The same for Rocket, who gives an Oscar-worthy performance — via Cooper’s great voice acting, of course, but also via the animation, which makes his faces, postures and movements look so unbelievably believable.

Gunn makes the curious, bold choice to chase an unpleasant aesthetic that’s part Cronenberg, part “Osmosis Jones.” A series of scenes take place in a ship fashioned like viscera and innards, with fleshy globules and architectural dendrites, often in nude tones. Squishy sound effects add an unwelcome layer of grossness.

Even when the movie switches back to the more lambent palette of nebulae and the luminous shine of the stars, Gunn’s direction doesn’t serve the full tableau. His camera is too voyeuristic, spinning enthusiastically on every axis during group fight scenes rather than giving us a steady look at the choreography.

At least this “Guardians,” like the previous ones, stays on beat with a fantastic soundtrack of Spacehog, Beastie Boys and Earth Wind & Fire. But pumping soundtrack aside, after a breakout hit and the sequel, “Everything Would Have Been Fine if Your Dad the Space God Played Catch With You: The Movie,” this final piece of the trilogy makes one thing apparent: “Guardians” was just a one-hit wonder.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Rated PG-13 for some swearing and a zoo of horrors. Running time: 2 hour 30 minutes. In theaters.

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May 3, 2023

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Animal lovers, comic book fans and unofficial

Pom Klementieff Buried Guardians Vol. 3 Script After James Gunn Fired

Marvel scripts are always top secret, but “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Pom Klementieff almost took things to a new level by burying her “Vol. 3” script in co-star Karen Gillan’s garden. Klementieff joined the Marvel franchise as Mantis in “Vol 2.” After James Gunn was initially fired as the director of “Guardians Vol. 3” because of controversial jokes he made on Twitter in the past, the two actors got together privately to read Gunn’s script.

“I came over to Karen’s house and it was at a time where James Gunn was not supposed to do the movie anymore,” Klementieff told IndieWire. “So we decided to read the script together and we cried the whole time.”

“We laughed at the same time, then cried again,” Gillan added. “It was quite emotional.”

“And then I got paranoid that someone would find the script. So I was like, ‘We should hide the script. Maybe we should bury it in the garden,’” Klementieff said. “I like to hide stuff, and then I can’t find it. I’m like a squirrel. That’s one of my problems.”

Gillan confirmed the revelation, saying, “She legitimately asked me to bury the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ script in my garden. And I was like, ‘What do you mean? Put it in a cupboard or something!’”

Klementieff and Gillan joined their “Guardians” co-stars Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn and Michael Rooker by signing an open letter to Disney in July 2018 that urged the studio to reinstate Gunn as a director on “Vol. 3.” No cast member wanted to make a sequel without their writer-director.

“We fully support James Gunn,” the open letter stated. “We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen, and discuss. In that time, we’ve been encouraged by the outpouring of support from fans and members of the media who wish to see James reinstated as director of ‘Volume 3’ as well as discouraged by those so easily duped into believing the many outlandish conspiracy theories surrounding him.”

“His story isn’t over — not by a long shot,” the letter added about Gunn. “There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. Given the growing political divide in this country, it’s safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality.”

Gunn was eventually reinstated as the director, although in the meantime he agreed to write and direct Warner Bros. and DC’s “The Suicide Squad.” The upcoming “Guardians Vol. 3” marks Gunn’s swan song in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as he moves on to lead DC Studios, where he’s writing and directing a new Superman movie.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” opens in theaters nationwide May 5 from Disney.

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May 3, 2023

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Marvel scripts are always top secret, but

MCU

The MCU Just Introduced Another Captain Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 introduced another Captain Marvel mantle holder from the comics.

Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and Pom Klementieff are done with the MCU, leaving fans with a whole new potential team of Guardians of the Galaxy. However, several prominent Guardians members from the comics haven’t been used yet, such as Moondragon, Nova, and Phyla.

In the comics, Phyla – first introduced in 2004’s Captain Marvel Vol. 5 – was the daughter of Mar-Vell and Elysius and held the moniker of Captain Marvel alongside her brother, Genis. But due to the significant changes made to Mar-Vell in the MCU, the possibility of her having that title on screen are slim to none.

But that hasn’t stopped her from joining the MCU.

Phyla Joins the MCU

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary creates Phyla – played by child actress Kai Zen – as one of many attempts at the “perfect” species.

Marvel Studios

According to the High Evolutionary, she and her kind are supposedly engineered to require little sleep, exert barely any energy, and be perpetually happy.

Phyla, Phyla-Vell, Captain Marvel, Marvel Comics — *Captain Marvel* (2002) — Issue #16

Fans of Mar-Vell already anticipated such changes to several characters because he no longer has the status and history of a galactic superhero in Captain Marvel. Unfortunately, Phyla is the first of many consequences of those changes.

What Is the Future of Captain Marvel’s Phyla?

Warning – The rest of this article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

The post-credits scene of Vol. 3 revealed a new team of Guardians that would continue to protect the galaxy, with Phyla being one of them. She’s even shown to seemingly have some of her powers from the comics if her glowing fists are anything to go by.

Although some might be frustrated that another prominent LGBTQIA+ character from the comics has been adapted into a child, there’s a chance that it could be only temporary. Like her brother, Genis, Phyla was a test-tube baby made by her mother, Elysius, using Mar-Vell’s genetic structure and artificially aged to maturity.

Genis, Marvel Comics, Comic Panel — *Silver Surfer Annual* (1988) — Issue #6

It’s possible that the High Evolutionary integrated this same kind of artificial aging into her species, which hopefully means she’ll quickly become an adult when audiences see her again. This could even mean the introduction of an adult Genis somewhere on Nowhere is in the cards.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premieres in theaters on Friday, May 5.

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May 3, 2023

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DCU

DCN Podcast #174: New THE FLASH Trailer & First Reactions From CinemaCon, Amazon Gets Batman Shows

193

On the DCN Podcast #174, the crew take you on a journey through this week’s DC news, including the newest trailer and posters for The Flash movie, as well as first reactions from the CinemaCon screening, Amazon Prime acquires two new animated Batman shows and gives Caped Crusader a two season order, Blue Beetle getting a new comic series, and much more!

So sit back, and enjoy!

DCN Podcast #174

What are we covering this week?

The Flash Trailer & Posters
The Flash CinemaCon Screening Reactions
Karen Gillan Wants To Play Poison Ivy
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Footage Shown At CinemaCon
Justice League: Warworld Cast Revealed
Amazon Acquires Two New Animated Batman Projects
Batman: Caped Crusader Gets Two Season Order From Amazon
Superman & Lois’ Jordan Kent Gets Comic-Inspired Costume
Power Girl and Fire & Ice Getting Their Own Comic Series
Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle To Get On-going Series
Green Arrow Gets New High-Tech Outfit
DC Rejected A Tim Drake As Nightwing Story From Tom King
Gotham Knights Game Updated With New Raid

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Brad Filicky: www.twitter.com/filickyb1

Seth Singleton: www.twitter.com/1MoreSingleton

Damian Fasciani: www.twitter.com/Damian_Fasciani

Kelly Gaines: www.twitter.com/KelGainesWrite

Kendra Hale: www.twitter.com/DevourAllWords

Editor-in-Chief – Josh Raynor: www.twitter.com/MovieBlogMerc

Be sure to also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play, and if you like what you hear, please give us a 5-star rating and review!

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May 3, 2023

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193 On the DCN Podcast #174, the crew

Comics

Scientists observe elusive missing step in photosynthesis’ final stage

Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (along with collaborators in Sweden, Germany and the UK) have shed new light on the final step of photosynthesis. They observed in atomic detail how Photosystem II, a protein complex found in plants, undergoes a transformation that leads to the loss of an extra oxygen atom. Scientists believe the discoveries will help provide a roadmap for optimizing clean energy sources. “It’s really going to change the way we think about Photosystem II,” said Uwe Bergmann, scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who co-authored the paper.

Researchers took “extremely high-resolution images” of different stages of the process (at room temperature), giving them new insight into specifically how and where the oxygen is produced. Baseball can provide a simple (if somewhat forced) metaphor to illustrate the process. “The center cycles through four stable oxidation states, known as S0 through S3, when exposed to sunlight,” SLAC explains. “On a baseball field, S0 would be the start of the game when a player on home base is ready to go to bat. S1-S3 would be players on first, second, and third.” Based on this metaphor, a batter making contact to advance the runners signifies the complex absorbing a sunlight photon. “When the fourth ball is hit, the player slides into home, scoring a run or, in the case of Photosystem II, releasing one molecule of breathable oxygen.” It’s that final stage (S4, between third base and sliding home in our metaphor) that they imaged for the first time, where two oxygen atoms bond to release an oxygen molecule, revealing additional steps previously unseen.

The video below illustrates the team’s process and discoveries.

“Most of the process that produces breathable oxygen happens in this last step,” said Vittal Yachandra, a scientist at Berkeley Lab and co-author of the paper, published in Nature. “But there are several things happening at different parts of Photosystem II and they all have to come together in the end for the reaction to succeed. Just like how in baseball, factors like the location of the ball and the position of the basemen and fielders affect the moves a player takes to get to home base, the protein environment around the catalytic center influences how this reaction plays out.”

The researchers expect an X-ray upgrade later this year to shed more light on the process. It will use a repetition rate of up to a million pulses per second, up from the 120 per second used in this experiment. “With these upgrades, we will be able to collect several days’ worth of data in just a few hours,” Bergmann said. “We will also be able to use soft X-rays to further understand the chemical changes happening in the system. These new capabilities will continue to drive this research forward and shed new light on photosynthesis.”

The team believes the results will help them “develop artificial photosynthetic systems that mimic photosynthesis to harvest natural sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into hydrogen and carbon-based fuels.” Jan Kern, another co-author and scientist at Berkley Lab, said, “The more we learn about how nature does it, the closer we get to using those same principles in human-made processes, including ideas for artificial photosynthesis as a clean and sustainable energy source.”

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.

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May 3, 2023

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Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Film

Late night writers speak on hiatus, pay concerns amid strike

After just two days, the WGA Strike has already shaken Hollywood. Across genres and formats, TV writers are fighting against the erosion of pay, with streaming services shaking up the system in recent years. There’s a backlog of filmed TV shows to stretch for at least a couple of months, so most scripted programming won’t feel the effects of the current strike immediately. However, late-night TV—which can’t plan its scripts in advance—went dark as soon as the Writers Guild of America strike began on May 2.

Elon Musk ignores Jimmy Fallon death hoax

“I woke up and realized there’s no ‘A Closer Look’ to write. It was depressing,” Sal Gentile, a writer at Late Night With Seth Meyers, tells The A.V. Club about the beloved segment he’s supervised for almost seven years. “It’s cathartic to write jokes about the news. We love our jobs. We love writing. It will drive us crazy not to have the outlet, but we are committed to our cause. I’m inspired and motivated by the solidarity I’ve seen so far.”

Already, the four network mainstays—The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!—have stopped taping new episodes. Sources at NBC, CBS, and ABC confirmed to The A.V. Club that they’ll air reruns until further notice. It means that everyone, including the production crew and other staffers, face temporary unemployment until studios and the writers guild can resolve a fair deal.

Streaming and compensation are familiar concerns

One point of concern is the inevitable shift to streaming. The Late Show writer Felipe Torres Medina tells The A.V. Club that WGA seeks to protect future writers as studios begin to pivot. “We’re thinking about what might happen with CBS intertwined with Paramount+, HBO with MAX, NBC with Peacock. They all have their services. It’s clearly where they see a future. If shows are moved, it will change the compensation dramatically.”

TLS is Medina’s first TV writing gig that got him into the Guild. “We’re asking to share the success of the content we create,” he says, adding that career stability should not be considered unreasonable. “It’s not just for my livelihood, which is important, but also for future writers of color and immigrants like me who want to join the Guild. We want our TV shows to have diverse writers’ rooms.”

Gentile, who’s worked at Late Night since its inception in 2014, echoed a similar sentiment. “Nobody wants to strike for obvious reasons. It’ll be difficult, but we are prepared to struggle because we’ve seen these tactics of shrinking the room. We saw in their proposal the idea of paying comedy-variety writers a day rate, which is unsustainable for us.” The day rate is a significant point of contention because it negates a protective weekly minimum pay. As comedy writer Sara Schaefer explains in her Twitter thread, “Day rates would allow studios to hire fewer writers and overwork the writers they do hire…[It] makes an already destabilized career even more unsteady.”

And while a strike wasn’t anyone’s first choice, the potential benefits are obvious. “I can’t begin to imagine what the situation would be right now if the Guild hadn’t stood up firmly in 2007. We all saw what that strike did for us and want to do it again because we love and support writers. We don’t want to see our work diminish, degraded, or taken away,” Gentile explains. “That’s why I was in the office writing ‘A Closer Look’ with talented people on Monday. On Tuesday, we were on the picket lines.”

The community of late night comes together

In terms of late-night hosts supporting their staff, several have spoken out in support of the WGA’s demands. Meyers and Colbert opened up about it during their respective shows. Fallon answered Variety’s question about it during the MET Gala. However, in response to his answer, The Tonight Show’s photo research coordinator Sarah Kobos posted on Twitter that Fallon wasn’t present at a Zoom meeting when NBC announced that the staff wouldn’t get paid beyond week one of the strike. Thankfully, that tide has shifted, if only slightly.

Kobos, who has been with TNS for over a year, told The A.V. Club about another meeting today, during which Fallon told staff that NBC would pay them for a second week, and he’ll pay them for the third. Their health insurance will be paid through September. “I can’t say for sure what part the public pressure played, but I’m glad about this update. It was a short meeting during the time of our normal production meeting, but since there’s no show to produce, there’s not a lot to talk about,” she says. “We got the update from Jimmy, and nobody said much of anything, but there were lots of ‘Thank you’s to him.”

However, it’s more likely that the strike will continue for more than three weeks, and there’s no plan for what happens to the staff’s livelihood then. “With the way this industry is… there have been so many layoffs,” Kobos says. “I come from digital media and this is my first TV job. It’s competitive. The rent is too damn high. So I hope studios can come to an agreement in these few weeks. I do support the WGA if it goes beyond that.”

Since she’s not a writer, Kobos isn’t part of this union, although she was on the bargaining committee at her previous job at Wirecutter. “A win for writers is a win for the rest of the industry and, more broadly, the working class,” she notes. “This is why I’m active in the labor movement. We are all helping each other.”

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May 3, 2023

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After just two days, the WGA Strike

U.K. Writers Demand Clarity on Working for Netflix, Disney Amid Strike

U.K. writers haven’t kept quiet in their support of the Writers Guild of America strike, with many making enthusiastic shows of solidarity on social media. But behind the scenes, several writers have told Variety under the condition of anonymity that they’re frustrated about a grey area in strike rules that have left them in limbo.

These projects tend to be set up with the U.K. branches of “struck” companies like Disney or Netflix, but aren’t covered by WGA terms. As these multi-national businesses have grown their local productions in recent years, many British writers who are also WGA members fall into this camp, and are being pressured to walk away.

“International members haven’t had any say in the WGA strike and we’re not allowed to strike because our union hasn’t voted to strike,” says one up-and-coming writer. “But if we have a contract and [a ‘struck’ company is involved], but it’s based in the U.K., am I breaching my contract if I act in solidarity? We’ve been made to feel like scabs.”

Another well-established writer agrees that pens-down campaigns on social media out of America have many British scribes feeling guilty for continuing to work during the strike: “That’s the atmosphere that seems to be in place,” they tell Variety. “Yet if we put our pens down and we strike for four weeks or four months, at the end of that, what do we get for projects that aren’t covered by the WGA?”

Sources indicate that conversations are currently ongoing between the WGA and the WGGB, with the latter trade union pushing back on hardline expectations by the former in regards to strike action by international members. Variety has contacted both the WGA and the WGGB about the talks, but did not hear back by press time.

The WGGB came out in full support of its American sister union on Tuesday, with chair Lisa Holdsworth, a working screenwriter herself, acknowledging that “strike action is a last resort and one that requires individual sacrifice.” The guild — which does not require U.K. writers to join in order to work locally — officially instructed its members to stop working on projects within the WGA’s jurisdiction. But as of Wednesday evening local time, the guild’s official guidance still noted that it “awaits further clarification on how U.K. subsidiaries of U.S. streamers will be viewed by the WGA in terms of ‘struck’ work.”

Some WGGB and WGA members who remain in the dark about the status of crucial, potentially career-defining projects say the lack of clear, definitive information is “insane.”

“It’s been a fuck-up, to be honest,” adds the source, who says such preparations should have been made weeks ago given the chance of a strike was relatively high. “People doing non-WGA work for streamers? That’s a significant amount of people who are in that position. It’s an oversight not to be providing clarity.

“I’m pro-union and have no intention to work on a WGA project, but I would feel fucked off if I put my livelihood at risk for projects that aren’t going to feel the same benefit. It just doesn’t make sense,” they note.

An hour-long episode of TV for terrestrial broadcasters like the BBC pays roughly £12,000 ($15,000) in the U.K.
BBC/House Productions/Matt Squire

The WGA strike has so far drawn sharp discrepancies between the landscape for writers in the U.S. and U.K. For starters, many observe that it’s difficult to see unified industrial action for British writers because they’re not obligated to join the WGGB in order to work. “If you had an obligatory-membership writers’ body, no doubt we’d have greater success,” scoffs one prominent TV writer.

Some of the key differences boil down to the still-evolving writers’ room model in the U.K. (with which most writers seem to have a love-hate relationship), shorter episode orders, and an authorial approach to writing that makes the one-man-band style of U.S. “White Lotus” showrunner Mike White very much the norm in Britain rather than the exception. The U.K. system is also far less lucrative for writers, with an hour of terrestrial television roughly paying a minimum of £12,000 ($15,000) for an hour-long episode.

There is, however, increasingly common ground in the streaming age, and it’s precisely this that’s drawn considerable empathy from Brits in regard to the WGA’s fight with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. American SVODs like Netflix have been growing their footprint in the U.K. for the better part of a decade, but many local commissioning teams are still struggling to launch that hit, household-name original that serves the British market but also reaches a global audience. As the platforms have faced greater accountability around profits in the last year, they’ve become more laser-focused in their commissioning strategies, which has been bad news for the writers on some canned developments.

“The streamers came here offering big pots of gold, but now they’re tightening their belts,” says the aforementioned TV writer. “Also, TV shows don’t get repeated anymore in the traditional sense. It used to be that if a show did well, the BBC would repeat it a year later. That doesn’t happen anymore. Instead, streamers now stick the show on their platform, and while the deal terms have been renegotiated, they won’t ever compete with the traditional repeat fee [for linear broadcasts].”

Screenwriter Sophie Petzal broke out with Channel 5 drama “Blood” and also wrote on early seasons of Netflix’s “The Last Kingdom.”

“People are stunned when I talk to them about what I was paid on the Netflix show I worked on for two years before I left,” wrote Petzal on Twitter. “I’d make more doing a [six-parter] for ITV. The worst part in the U.K. is our rates are so much smaller, and this is supposed to also cover ‘development’ — which in the U.K. today can mean six to eight weeks of endless, endless rooms. At one point, I had to go pens down just to get paid for something like nine weeks of unpaid development. And residuals? Lol.”

Petzal declared that the most she’s made in royalties was for a single episode of Sky original series “Riviera” that required a two-week rewrite. “That show was successful and sold internationally, and I benefitted from the sale of my work, as did every writer. That’s how that works,” she continued.

“But on the streamers, you’re basically supposed to wipe your mouth, say thank you, and walk away. Writers [and production companies] were paying to be on platforms for premium status, but now you’re paying essentially to drown in a mass of content and get canned after one season.”

Ultimately, most writers underline that the WGA has their support — they just don’t know when they’re expected to see the benefits of potential gains from the strike.

“What they do eventually moves us closer in line with WGGB gains, but it’s not one for one,” says one writer. “In that sense, it’s not our fight, and we’re not getting anything for it. Because at the end of this, what is the WGA going to do for us? Nothing really.”

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May 3, 2023

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U.K. writers haven’t kept quiet in their

What to Watch

What Time will ‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ Release on Netflix?

We’re about to dive back into the world of Bridgerton with the new spin-off series, which lands on Netflix globally on May 4th, 2023. If you want to watch as soon as possible, you’ll either need to stay up late, wake up early or get off work or school early, depending on where you live.

As a quick reminder, six episodes of the Bridgerton spin-off (which will be set before the events of the flagship series but also cross over) will drop tomorrow and here’s what you can expect:

“Centered on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, this Bridgerton-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.”

For more on the new Bridgerton spin-off series, check out our full preview for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story here.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Release Time by Timezone

Unlike licensed content which arrives on your timezone at 12 AM, Netflix Originals release simultaneously around the world at the same time. As a result, the times will different depending on which timezone in which you reside.

If you’re in the United States, the likelihood is that you’re going to have to pull an all-night to watch. For those in Britain, you’ll be able to watch bright and early in the morning. For those living in Asia, you’ve got to wait until the afternoon.

Below, we’ve broken down the timezones below as to when the new Bridgerton spin-off will drop where you live:

Time Zone	Time available to stream
Pacific Standard Time (PT) – Los Angeles etc	12:00 AM (GMT-8)
Mountain Standard Time (MST) – Phoenix etc	01:00 AM (GMT-6)
Central Standard Time (CT) – Mexico City etc	02:00 AM (GMT-5)
Eastern Daylight Time (EST) – New York etc	03:00 AM (GMT-4)
Brasilia Standard Time (BRT)	04:00 AM (GMT-3)
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)	07:00 AM (GMT)
British Summer Time (BST) – Netflix UK	08:00 AM (GMT+1)
Central European Summer Time (CEST)	09:00 AM (GMT+2)
Eastern European Summer Time (EEST)	10:00 AM (GMT+3)
Israel Daylight Time	10:00 AM (GMT+3)
India Standard Time (IST)	12:30 PM (GMT+5:30)
Philippine Time (PHT)	15:00 PM (GMT+8)
Korea Standard Time (KST) – South Korea	16:00 PM (GMT+9)
Japan Standard Time (JST)	16:00 PM (GMT+9)
Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)	18:00 PM (GMT+11)
New Zealand Standard Time (NZST)	19:00 PM (GMT+12)

Countdown Clock for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Not sure which timezone you’re in or yours isn’t listed above?

We’ve still got you covered with a countdown clock embedded below that’s set exactly for 12:01 AM PST meaning it’s counting down to the correct time regardless of where you live.

Countdown

Queen Charlotte still not showing on Netflix?

If you can’t see the Queen Charlotte on Netflix but the time above has elapsed, there’s a simple fix to get them to show up.

On mobiles or app versions of Netflix (ie Netflix on your Roku, Fire Stick, or Smart TV), navigate to the help section and there’s a reload Netflix button. You can also navigate to a different app and then back onto Netflix for the same effect.

If you’re on a web browser, you may need to refresh your cache or close the website down and open it back up again (CTRL + F5 on Windows or CMD + R on Mac).

Are you looking forward to watching Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.

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May 3, 2023

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Awards

Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Moves Back to Structured Reality Emmy Race

Guy Fieri is rolling out “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” into a new Emmys category.

Food Network has successfully petitioned the Television Academy to move the long-running food reality series back to the outstanding structured reality category, where it will compete against other popular series such as “Love is Blind,” “Queer Eye” and “Shark Tank.” It had previously been submitted for hosted nonfiction series or special since 2020.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.

Hosted by Fieri since the show’s debut in 2007, the show had received six Emmy nominations — five for outstanding structured reality program from 2014-2019 and outstanding reality program in 2013, the last year before the category was separated into two for structured and unstructured programming.

In 2020, the Emmys changed the name of the outstanding information series or special category to outstanding hosted nonfiction. The TV Academy guided the Fieri show to move into the category where they felt it was better suited. However, for the past three years, the series has failed to secure another coveted nom, competing against hosted nonfiction winners such as A&E’s “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” and CNN’s “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.”

The network and creatives decided to formally petition the Academy to switch the show back to the category where it had received recognition for five consecutive years, citing the format and impact of the show in the marketplace among the reasons for the move.

Lovingly nicknamed “Triple D,” the show follows Fieri as he visits multiple restaurants in each episode within a single city and samples the food. Focusing on small, independent eateries featuring traditional comfort foods, the locals, the chefs and their food are the show’s stars.

In addition, even though the standard template of three segments per episode requires a host, a substantial part of the 22-minute episodes are devoted to detailing the dishes and how they’re prepared from the voices of the chefs and owners of the varying establishments. The patrons also have a heavy presence throughout.

Fieri’s show is the second reported series to move out of the hosted nonfiction race, after Apple failed to petition to keep “The Problem with Jon Stewart” in the category. Instead, “The Problem” will now compete for outstanding talk series. Separately, Apple successfully won its bid to move “Schmigadoon!” from comedy series to scripted variety, where it will face off against “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live.”

As the “Triple D” host for 36 seasons, Fieri will also seek consideration in the outstanding reality host category, alongside his Food Network counterparts Bobby Flay (“Bobby’s Triple Threat”), Ted Allen (“Chopped”) and Alex Guarnaschelli and Gabriele Bertaccini (“Ciao House”). The other three hosts’ respective shows will be submitted for outstanding reality competition consideration, in addition to “Tournament of Champions IV.”

Emmy submissions are due Tuesday, May 9.

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May 3, 2023

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Guy Fieri is rolling out “Diners, Drive-Ins

Music

Bebe Buell, Rock ’n’ Roll Muse, Sings Her Own Song

Bebe Buell was back in town.

On a recent evening, about 75 people gathered at the National Arts Club, a private club in a landmark building on East 20th Street in Manhattan, to see her read from her new memoir, “Rebel Soul: Musings, Music, & Magic,” and sing some of her songs.

The neighborhood was familiar to Ms. Buell. Soon after she arrived in New York from Camp Lejeune, N.C., in 1972, she became a regular at Max’s Kansas City, the famed night spot just a few blocks away. At the time she was an 18-year-old model signed to the Eileen Ford Agency who lived at the St. Mary’s Residence on the Upper East Side. The place had a curfew enforced by nuns, but one night Ms. Buell slipped out and made her way to Max’s, where she would end up partying with Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and David Johansen and Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls.

She went from It Girl of Manhattan to Miss November in Playboy magazine. She had relationships with Todd Rundgren, Elvis Costello, Steven Tyler, Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart in the years when they did some of their best work, but she writes in her book that she was more than a muse and was unfairly labeled a groupie by the press.

The people who went to see her at the National Arts Club seemed to feel the same way. One of them, Dick Wingate, a former music executive, said that, back in 1980, he had tried to get his colleagues at Epic Records to release Ms. Buell’s four-song EP, “Covers Girl,” but ran into resistance. “I really think she was a trailblazer in many ways,” Mr. Wingate said. “She just said, ‘I’m going to do what I’m going to do and I don’t care what people think,’ and it wasn’t easy at that point in time.”

These days, Ms. Buell, 69, lives near Nashville with her husband, James Wallerstein (stage name: Jimmy Walls), 56, a soft-spoken guitarist and director of concierge services at a luxury residential building. The couple said they had made the long drive to Manhattan in a rented S.U.V. with their two dogs, Chicken Burger, 15, and Lola, 11, in the back seat. Late Wednesday afternoon, in the high-ceiling suite where they were staying on the seventh floor of the National Arts Club, Ms. Buell was getting ready for the party.

At 6 p.m. the early arrivals trickled into the brightly lit East Gallery on the ground floor. David Croland, a photographer and fashion illustrator, said he had met Ms. Buell in 1972, when he was hired to body-paint her for a Ziegfeld Follies-inspired benefit. “She was never a groupie,” he said. “She had her own groupies. She would just appear and people would line up.”

He saw someone across the room: “Danny! Danny!” It was Danny Fields, a pivotal rock music figure who had managed or worked closely with Jim Morrison, the Stooges, the Velvet Underground and the Ramones. “She was a champion of discovering and allying herself with beautiful and talented and wonderful people,” Mr. Fields said of Ms. Buell. “She was smart, sexy and beautiful, with elegant taste. I never wondered why everyone was in love with her.”

The guest of honor stepped into the room dressed in black: a Calvin Klein jacket, fringed opera gloves that she had made herself, and a vintage Norma Kamali skirt.

“I’m nervous,” Ms. Buell said.

She planted herself at Mr. Wingate’s side. Long after the fact, she still appreciated his efforts on behalf of “Covers Girl,” which came out in 1981 on Rhino Records, then an independent label known for novelty releases.

“When everybody in the business was wondering if that rock-star girlfriend, that Playboy girl, can be a rock person, or whatever, Dick Wingate had vision,” Ms. Buell said. “He was smart.”

“Oh, Bebe,” he said, “you’re so sweet to say that.”

“How am I going to make you proud tonight?” she said. “I’ve worked hard for this moment. I know that we can’t do records together anymore.”

“You know, you’re a real inspiration to a lot of people.”

“Don’t make me cry before I go on,” she said.

The guests took their seats as Ms. Buell climbed onto a small stage.

“I feel like I’m getting married here,” she said. “I’ve already cried twice. So I probably look like a wreck.”

Someone in the crowd said, “Noooo!”

“I’ve always been a ‘rebel, rebel,’ right?” Ms. Buell said, alluding to the David Bowie song. “My face is a mess.”

She was joined onstage by a longtime friend, the publicist Liz Derringer, the ex-wife of the rock guitarist Rick Derringer. Decades ago she introduced Ms. Buell to a high school friend, Mr. Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, who became the father of Ms. Buell’s daughter, the actress Liv Tyler.

Ms. Derringer led Ms. Buell through some highlights of “Rebel Soul,” which covers her nights with various rockers as it charts her progress toward finding her own voice. The book also goes into what Ms. Buell describes as her “many experiences with extraterrestrial entities.” For the National Arts Club crowd, she mixed in claims of her U.F.O. encounters with stories about Mr. Rundgren and other exes.

“I’ve been painted as this wild filly that was running around with the rock stars,” Ms. Buell said. “People don’t realize that wasn’t the reality of what was going on. I was a young girl that would talk her head off. I wanted Todd to be a boyfriend that didn’t go out with other women but that was impossible in those times.”

“We were so young,” Ms. Derringer said, “and it was the early ’70s.”

“I was 18, he was 23, and we were all gorgeous,” Ms. Buell said. “The hormones were raging. There was so much beauty in New York. When Johnny Thunders walked across the room when he was 19, it caused you to take a breath. The Italian stallion, just something about him. And he had on pink satin pants and my girlfriend’s boots!”

“I also had a lot of platonic relationships,” she continued. “Friendships with Bowie and others that were deep.”

Ms. Buell read a chapter on her friendship with Prince, whom she said she had met backstage in the late 1970s when Mr. Rundgren’s band Utopia was playing in Minneapolis. Prince was shy, not yet famous, and he told Ms. Buell that she would one day see his name in lights. Before they parted, according to her book, he whispered that he thought the pictures of her in Playboy were very pretty.

Ms. Buell teared up as she finished the chapter: “I still cry about him and Bowie,” she said.

Mr. Wallerstein, carrying a Gibson acoustic guitar, stepped close to her, as did another guitarist, Gyasi Heus, who, with his flowing locks and red pants, looked as if he would have been at home in the Max’s Kansas City of yore. They played as Ms. Buell sang songs she had written with her husband and others in Nashville — “By a Woman,” “Cross My Legs” and “Can You Forgive,” among others.

Toward the end of her set, she turned to her accompanists, saying, “All right, guys, I’m doing this a cappella.” After asking them not to leave the stage, she told the crowd: “I just think they should stay there, because they look so gorgeous. Gorgeous rock boys. There’s nothing like gorgeous rock boys!”

The final song was “Superstar,” a 1971 hit for the Carpenters about a lonesome groupie pining away for a rock star. Ms. Buell encouraged everyone to join her for the chorus:

Don’t you remember you told me you loved me, baby

You said you’d be coming back this way again, baby

Baby, baby, baby, baby, oh, baby, I love you, I really do.

Beverly Keel, a friend of Ms. Buell’s who is a dean at Middle Tennessee State University, said: “To me, her whole life has been defined by her relationships with other people. She’s Liv’s mom, Todd Rundgren’s girlfriend, Steven Tyler, mother of his child. And now she’s finally being recognized for who she’s been all along.”

After signing copies of her book, Ms. Buell seemed ready to call it a night. “I’m done,” she said. “I got a 15-year-old dog upstairs. I’ve got to check on Chicken Burger and I’ve got to change clothes.”

The entertainment journalist Roger Friedman, a longtime champion of Ms. Buell, had a suggestion: “You know what you need? You need an electric violin.”

“Yeah, I could get that,” she said.

“You need an electric violin,” he repeated. “That would be perfect.”

“Well, you can’t overuse those suckers,” Ms. Buell said. “You only bring them in when you need to cry.”

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Bebe Buell was back in town.On a

Docs

Movie Money Confidential | Film Threat

Movie Money Confidential has the potential to be an unofficial field guide for aspiring filmmakers everywhere. Chronicling the trials and tribulations of film production, this documentary takes a detailed look at the business of bringing new ideas to life. Directed and written by veteran filmmaker Rick Pamplin, Movie Money Confidential is a deep dive into the visceral concept of perseverance. Interviewing Hollywood mainstays like Burt Reynolds, Louise Levison, and Scott duPont — the modus operandi for this picture is all about making money and, more importantly, raising it.

Through the colorful background of his interviewees, Pamplin conveys the harsh realities of rejection, risk, failure, and success. It depicts show business for what it is; joy giving and joy taking—a profession that is as rewarding as it is frustrating and one that remains incredibly volatile. As cliche as movies can be, so too can be the process of making them: victory, defeat, and everything in between. Taking us through each stage of production, Movie Money Confidential articulates an unspoken theme. Drive. This film is an attempt at motivation, where Pamplin and Co. implore the viewer (if they’re so inclined ) to find something worth fighting for, whether it be a story, idea, or simple belief.

“…the modus operandi for this picture is all about making money and, more importantly, raising it.”

Where this film falters comes by way of the overall aesthetic direction, and although the content expressed is rock solid — what we never see quite matches that undeniable energy. Generic, predictable, and by the book, it preaches innovation but does nothing to reinvent the standard trappings of boring documentary filmmaking. The biggest issue with Movie Money Confidential becomes its predictability, and although slickly produced and informative, it can never shake its own worst nightmare. Unoriginality.

Interestingly though, pathos is found during the introduction of young creatives. Depicting today’s children as a group of true individuals on their way to shining brightly. The overall message of these sequences serves as a generational retrospective on genuine inspiration. This documentary isn’t afraid to tell it like it is and communicates the harsh realities between independent and commercial filmmaking. Where independent films have room to grow into their artistry, commercial films must make money no matter the cost — regardless of ethnicity, background, or politics. Those reasons tend to be the very tentpoles that hamstring big-budget movies these days and, if anything else, come between an audience and true entertainment.

In the end, we find that raising money is an odd thing. Some people love asking for it. Others couldn’t hate it more. Inspiring confidence in that process is exactly what Movie Money Confidential attempts to do, and although at times it doesn’t quite hit the mark, it certainly provides a lot to think about. Nothing is off-limits.

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May 3, 2023

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Movie Money Confidential has the potential to

Global

Bona Mugabe owns Dubai mansion, Zimbabwe court papers allege

Court papers list assets including an $80m Dubai mansion, luxury vehicles and 21 farms.

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Court papers list assets including an $80m

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The Best One-Piece Swimsuits on Amazon to Shop for Summer Vacations

The Best One-Piece Swimsuits on Amazon to Shop for Summer Vacations | Entertainment Tonight

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Tech

FTC Seeks ‘Blanket’ Ban on Meta’s Use of Young Users’ Data

The Federal Trade Commission escalated its fight with the tech industry’s biggest companies on Wednesday as it moved to impose a “blanket prohibition” on the collection of young people’s personal data by Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

The commission wants to significantly expand a record-breaking, $5 billion consent order with the company from 2020 and said that Meta had failed to fully meet the legal commitments it made to overhaul its privacy practices to better protect its users.

Regulators also said Meta had misled parents about their ability to control whom their children communicated with on its Messenger Kids app and misrepresented the access it gave some app developers to users’ private data.

The proposed changes mark the third time the agency has taken action against the social media giant over privacy issues.

“The company’s recklessness has put young users at risk,” Samuel Levine, the director of the F.T.C.’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a press statement. “Facebook needs to answer for its failures.”

The F.T.C.’s administrative action, called an “order to show cause,” lays out the commission’s accusations against Meta as well its proposed restrictions. The F.T.C.’s proposed changes would bar Meta from profiting from the data it collects from users under the age of 18, including through Facebook, Instagram, Oculus headsets and Horizon Worlds, the company’s new virtual reality platform. Regulators want to ban the company from using that data even after those young users turn 18.

That means Meta could be prohibited from using the details about young people’s activities to show them ads based on their behavior or nudge them to buy digital items, like virtual clothes for their avatars.

The proposed changes could have significant financial repercussions because user data is a key to Meta’s advertising business, which is how it makes the vast majority of its money.

The aggressive action marks the first time that the commission has proposed such a blanket ban on the use of data in order to protect the online privacy of minors. And it arrives amid the most sweeping government drive to insulate young Americans online since the 1990s, when the commercial internet was still in its infancy.

Fueled by mounting concerns about depression among children and the role that potentially harmful online experiences could play in exacerbating it, lawmakers in at least two dozen states over the last year have introduced bills that would require certain sites, like social networks, to bar or limit young people on their platforms. Regulators are also intensifying their efforts, imposing fines on online services whose use or misuse of data could expose children to risks.

Over the last few years, critics have faulted Meta for recommending content on self-harm and extreme dieting to teenage girls on Instagram as well as failing to sufficiently protect young users from child sexual exploitation.

Meta, which has 30 days to challenge the filing, was not given advance notice of the action by the F.T.C.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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May 3, 2023

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The Federal Trade Commission escalated its fight with

Video

WWE’s Nick Khan Says Writers’ Strike Won’t Affect Production

WWE CEO Nick Khan confirmed Wednesday that the pro wrestling league’s writers are not members of the guild, and the current writers’ strike won’t affect WWE.

“Of course, we’re supportive of the writers who are members of the guild and their efforts, and we’re hopeful that a deal can be reached between them and the other side in short order,” Khan said on the earnings call Wednesday.

First quarter revenue for the network, whose parent company is Endeavor, clocked in at $297.6 million. Premium live events “Royal Rumble” and “Elimination Chamber” set domestic unique viewership records with year-over-year increases of 52% and 54% respectively.

Viewership for weekly flagship programs, “Raw” and “SmackDown” increased 7%, outperforming overall cable and broadcast television, which declined 15% and 6%, respectively.

North American Live Events ticket sales revenue increased 52% over the prior year period, reflecting a 37% increase in average attendance. In April, WWE announced an expansion of its partnership with Fanatics, with Fanatics assuming management of WWE’s on-site event merchandise business as of May 1, 2023.

The Writers Guild of America members started striking Monday night after the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach an agreement to compensate writers more fairly.

What Past Hollywood Writers’ Strikes Tell Us About the Future of Movies

The decision to strike for the first time in 15 years was made after six weeks of negotiations with the AMPTP, which represents major studios and distributors like Netflix, Apple, Disney, NBC Universal, Paramount, Sony, Discover-Warner and Amazon. Picketing began Tuesday.

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May 3, 2023

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WWE CEO Nick Khan confirmed Wednesday that

Entertaintment

Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboys Docuseries in the Works – The Hollywood Reporter

The first project to come out of the recently-announced NFL Films and Skydance Sports joint venture will be a “defining” docuseries about the Dallas Cowboys and the team’s owner, Jerry Jones.

The yet to be named series “will reach deep into NFL Films’ vast archive of never-before-seen content, and will trace Jones’ remarkable rise from the son of an Arkansas community store owner to being one of the most innovative and influential leaders in sport,” per the companies. It will also feature and spotlight key figures in the rise of the Cowboys, including players like Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, and the media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Jones acquired the Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million, fresh off a losing season and with the team losing $1 million per month. Since then the team has become one of the most popular in the NFL, and one of the most valuable professional teams in all of sports.

“We are incredibly excited to create a thrilling ride through one of the most memorable and high-powered turnarounds in football history,” says Ross Ketover, senior executive of NFL Films, in a statement. “Launching this first series with Skydance Sports marks a momentous occasion for our partnership as we build the premiere sports studio of the future. NFL Films coined the term ‘America’s Team,’ so having this first project be about the biggest brand in all of sports is perfectly fitting.”

“Jerry Jones is an incomparable figure. With the Dallas Cowboys, he has built the world’s most valuable sports franchise and has undeniably transformed both modern football and the sports business at-large,” adds Jesse Sisgold, president and COO of Skydance. “It is an honor to commemorate his journey and that of his dynasty by partnering with the Jones family, the Dallas Cowboys organization, and NFL Films to bring this uniquely American story to life.”

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May 3, 2023

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The first project to come out of

Movies

19 TV Episodes That Actually Handled Heavy Topics Really (And I Mean Really) Well

It’s a tear-jerker, and it still holds up today.

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May 3, 2023

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It's a tear-jerker, and it still holds

King Charles’ Coronation Concert visuals to be ‘equally as spectacular’ as Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

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King Charles’ Coronation Concert visuals to be

MCU

Marvel Studios Clears Up Confusion About Falcon & Winter Soldier’s Timeline

A new glimpse at an upcoming book helped clear up some confusion regarding the timeline of Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

One of the biggest plot twists in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe was at the very beginning of Avengers: Endgame when the world leaped five years into the future to 2023.

In the snap of a finger, everything had changed—again.

When it comes to a vast interconnected cinematic universe, a move like that knocks over a ton of dominos. It affects literally every corner of the world and every story that is told within it.

Of course, this led to lots of confusion from the fanbase, who wondered when certain movies or shows took place – especially after the end of the Infinity Saga.

One of the first projects in Phase 4 was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which told the story of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes after the retirement of Steve Rogers. Many assumed that this took place in 2023, not too long after the events of Endgame.

As it turns out, that might be a bit off.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Take 2024

Marvel Studios is releasing an official book putting the entire MCU in chronological order later this year, and a new preview image of the book was unveiled for the first time.

The page, which will still feature incomplete additions, specifically pointed out how Sam Wilson donated Cap’s shield “to the Smithsonian in 2024:”

“Sam Wilson decides the shield should be preserved as part of Steve Rogers and Captain America’s history and donates the weapon to the Smithsonian in 2024.”

Marvel

Currently, Disney+ has its own official MCU timeline with all of Marvel Studios’ projects listed in chronological order. This new information would confirm that anything listed after The Falcon and the Winter Soldier takes place in 2024 or later.

Timelines and Their Many Questions

At first glance, this new information seemingly goes against what the show’s director, Kari Skogland, said on the topic. After she revealed the series is six months after Avengers: Endgame, many took that to mean it was simply later in 2023.

So, either there are some big contradictions or the assumed timeframe for Endgame was wrong all along, and six months after is actually in 2024.

As exciting as it is to get a proper timelines book for the MCU, one that can hopefully clear up multiple points of confusion over the course of 15 years of storytelling, such a project could also introduce more questions than answers.

It could be another Spider-Man: Homecoming title card controversy all over again—but this time, with hundreds of pages.

This adjustment creates a whole host of other questions, however.

Hopefully, at the end of the day, the book will prove to be far more insightful than it is troublesome for continuity.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now streaming on Disney+.

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May 3, 2023

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DCU

James Gunn Tweets DC Comics Inspiration for New DCU

In October 2022, director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran were named co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, a newly formed division that replaced DC Films. Gunn told fans at the time that he and Safran would deliver their plans for the future of the DC Universe (DCU) in January 2023, and on Jan. 31, he delivered on that promise.

On Tuesday, Gunn and Safran unveiled the DCU’s “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters” (as opposed to Marvel Studios Phases), the first chapter in a 10-year interconnected saga, to a room of handpicked reporters. Ten film and TV projects were announced as part of Chapter One, including the Gunn-penned Superman Legacy, an adaptation of DC Comics’ Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes, which is set for release on Jul. 11, 2025. Also announced was The Brave and the Bold (movie), The Authority (movie), Swamp Thing (movie), Creature Commandos (animated TV show), Waller (TV show), Lanterns (TV show), Booster Gold (TV show), and Paradise Lost (TV show).

During the DCU announcement, Gunn talked about the DC Comics’ inspiration behind the stories that will be told in Chapter One, touching on the influence of King’s Women of Tomorrow and Grant Morrison’s Batman comics. For example, when talking about the comic book inspiration behind The Brave and the Bold, he said, “This is a story of Damian Wayne, who is Batman’s actual son that he didn’t know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He’s my favorite Robin. It’s based on the Grant Morrison comic run, which is one of my favorite Batman runs.”

Then, on Thursday, Feb. 2, Gunn tweeted out more of the DC Comics inspiration behind the new DCU: (1) All-Star Superman by Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant; (2) The Authority by Warren Ellis, Mark Millar, Tom Peyer, Bryan Hitch, Dustin Nguyen, and Quitely; (3) Batman by Morrison, Andy Kubert, and Jesse Delperdang; and (4) Absolute Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, John Totleben, Rick Veitch, Shawn McManus, and Dan Day.

In addition to tweeting images of four comics that inspired him, Gunn wrote, “We’re talked a lot about Woman of Tomorrow, but these are more of the comics inspiring #DCStudios and the new #DCU in these early days. That doesn’t mean we’re adapting all these comics, but that the feel, the look, or the tone of them are touchstones for our team. Check ’em out!” See the tweet for yourself below:

James Gunn Responds to Fans on Twitter

DC Studios / DC Comics

Gunn is a social media maven and Bane of the nerdlingers, regularly engaging with his fans on Twitter (and occasionally lightly antagonizing his more “vocal” detractors).

In response to Gunn’s recommendations, one person tweeted, “The Brave and the Bold really does need to be the tonal/visual opposite of The Batman to stand out. It can’t just be ‘It’s got the Bat Family, we haven’t seen that in a movie.’ I think it really needs to embrace everything outlandish, flashy and surreal about those Batman comics.”

Gunn responded to the fan, writing, “I don’t think a vision for any good film starts with being ‘not’ something. It must be fully its own thing, not the shadow (nor the copy) of another work.”

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May 3, 2023

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In October 2022, director James Gunn and

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3. Research to Produce an Authentic Dance

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