Status: Ended”Uncontrollably Fond” is a TV show produced by Samhwa Networks. The show was originally broadcast on KBS2 (South Korea) and premiered on July 6th 2016. “Uncontrollably Fond” ended after 1 seasons and a total of 20 episodes. The final episode aired on September 8th 2016.
The BET+/CBC drama The Porter and the HBO Max/CBC comedy Sort Of were the big winners at the Canadian Screen Awards on Friday night.
The Porter, a civil rights drama about 1920s Black train employees in Montreal and Chicago, won for best TV drama, best drama direction for Charles Officer, best drama writing for Marsha Greene and Alfre Woodard picked up the trophy for best guest drama performance.
The first Canadian drama to boast an all-Black creative team also picked up a host of other trophies for best photography, original music, picture editing, make-up and hair and costume and production design. The Porter led the film and TV field for the Canadian Screen Awards with 19 nominations in all, including for best small-screen drama.
Also dominating the TV categories at the non-telecast Canadian Screen Awards was the Peabody Award-winning comedy Sort Of. The series about a gender fluid young Muslim in Toronto played by Bilal Baig earned the best TV comedy prize, a best comedy lead performer trophy for Baig, a best comedy director prize for co-creator Fab Filippo and a best guest comedy performance award for Amanda Brugel, in addition to craft category prizes.
And the CBC series TallBoyz picked up trophies for best sketch comedy and best writing and direction in a variety or sketch comedy show.
On the TV acting front, Ennis Esmer won best supporting comedy performance for his role in the CTV series Children Ruin Everything, Hamza Haq won for best drama lead performance in the NBC/CTV Transplant series and the best supporting drama performer award went to the late Christopher Plummer for his role in the Global TV series Departure.
In the top film categories, Clement Virgo’s mystery drama Brother took home 12 trophies, including best movie. The indie also earned Virgo the best director and best adapted screenplay prizes, as Brother was adapted for the big screen from David Chariandy’s novel of the same name, and tells the story of Francis and Michael, sons of Caribbean immigrants maturing into young men amid Toronto’s 1990s hip-hop scene.
Brother earned The Last of Us actor Lamar Johnson the best leading role prize, while Aaron Pierre nabbed the best supporting role trophy for his performances alongside Kiana Madeira and Marsha Stephanie Blake.
The film is produced by Virgo and longtime business partner Damon D’Oliveira of Conquering Lion Pictures, along with Aeschylus Poulos and Sonya Di Rienzo of Hawkeye Pictures, who together accepted the best movie trophy during a non-telecast awards show in Toronto.
The Canadian Screen Awards this year emerging as a major showcase for people of color has followed industry efforts in recent years to ensure diversity and inclusivity in the country’s indie production sector and prize-giving process.
In other film categories, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future picked up trophies for best visual effects and best make-up, and Anthony Shim won for best screenplay for Riceboy Sleeps, which he also directed.
The national film and TV awards, produced by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, handed out trophies off camera this year, ahead of Samantha Bee hosting a pre-taped Canadian Screen Awards one-hour special on the CBC network and CBC Gem on April 16.
See where Vinnie Jones, Peter McNicholl, and the rest of the stars from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels are today.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was a massive hit in the late 90s, launching a long and successful career for the ex-football player Vinnie Jones and many of the other cast members too. It’s now been more than 20 years since the classic British comedy/crime film came out, so we thought it was about time we take a look at where the cast of the 1998 classic is today!
Where is the Cast of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in 2023?
Vinnie Jones
With such a standout performance, it’s hard to believe that Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was a debut role for Vinnie Jones. Playing the role of Big Chris, the former professional midfielder delivered a flawless performance as a tough, foul-mouthed criminal with a surprisingly soft side that only comes out for his young son, Little Chris.
His role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels earnt him an Empire Award for Best Newcomer, after which he went on to appear in a long list of famous films including Mean Machine, Gladiator, The Big Ugly, Redirected, and several others. Today, the 58-year-old star is retired from acting and in 2019, he opened up about the loss of his wife and childhood sweetheart and now leads a quiet life in Los Angeles.
Peter McNicholl
One of the biggest breakout stars from this famous film was Peter McNicholl, the little nine-year-old boy who played Big Chris’ (Vinnie Jones) son. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was the young actor’s first major role on the big screen and since then, he went on to star in a few other films like About a Boy alongside Hugh Grant. Today, McNicholl is over 30 years old and has been long retired from the world of acting and is now a successful real estate agent.
Jason Statham
The 55-year-old Hollywood star’s role as Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was also his debut role, propelling him into a successful and lengthy acting career. Since his role as Bacon, Statham has become famous for his roles as a gritty tough guy, often playing violent roles in action and thriller films.
Jason Statham appeared in many hit films after Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, including Crank, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaws, Furious 7, Snatch, The Expendables, and The Expendables 2.
Today, Jason Statham is still acting, very recently starring as Orson Fortune in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, playing a high-class spy on a mission to track down and stop the sale of deadly weapons and save the world. In his latest role, he acted alongside Hollywood stars like Aubrey Plaza and Hugh Grant.
Jason Flemyng
Jason Flemyng is another actor that owes much of his fame to his role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Playing the role of Tom, Jason Flemyng also starred alongside his ex-co-stars Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones in the 2000 film Snatch.
Like many of his co-stars, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was the launch of an expansive acting career. He appeared in several hit films after Lock, Stock and Snatch, including Boiling Point, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, X-Men: First Class, Mean Machine, and Great Expectations.
Despite acting in some of the most successful films with Hollywood A-list actors, today, the 56-year-old actor says he’s happy he never quite reached the same fame as his co-stars. Today, Flemyng hosts a podcast titled More Than My Past, talking to people overcoming criminal pasts, addictions, and rejections.
Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher began his acting career with his role as Baby Face in Bugsy Malone in 1976. He then starred in a variety of roles before landing the role of Soap in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels where he developed a close friendship with co-star Jason Flemyng. In fact, the two knew each other before their roles on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels too, but they built a deeper friendship on the set and remain good friends to this day.
Now 57 years old, Fletcher has taken on the role of director for successful films like Elton John’s biopic Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody. He currently resides in London with his wife, an acclaimed opera director but he’s not retired from the film industry just yet.
Most recently, Fletcher reported he’ll be directing Ghosted with Blonde star Ana de Armas and Chris Evans. He was also the executive director for The Offer, a short series that chronicled the experiences of Albert S. Ruddy while filming the three-part masterpiece, The Godfather.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – The Backroom Poker Game
Gambling isn’t the main theme of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but this gangster film does have one of the top gambling scenes of all time. The film is about a group of four friends in constant pursuit of the next big idea that will make them a big chunk of cash.
For much of their friendship, it seems that their main source of income is a string of shady businesses that always seem to keep their pockets empty. That is until Eddy (Nick Moran) comes up with an idea to play a high-stakes poker game against a big crime boss and convinces his friends to pool funds with him for the game. Unfortunately, what the group doesn’t know is that the game is rigged, and Eddy ends up with half a million in dollars in debt.
When you think about how easily accessible poker games are in the online world, the idea of a backroom poker game might seem somewhat outdated. Additionally, the possibility of a poker game or tournament being rigged might seem nearly unrealistic today, especially in today’s online world where online poker games are all tested for fairness and randomness. If you want to try your own hand at a poker game without worrying that you’ll end up at a rigged table, check out the list of licensed online casinos at betinireland.ie.
Four devout Christians have died in Kenya after starving themselves to death when a preacher brainwashed them into thinking they were going to meet their maker, police said.
Some 15 ‘radicalised’ Kenyan Christians were rescued by police on Friday, but four congregation members died during the rescue mission.
All 15 were members of the Good News International Church in the coastal county of Kilifi and were brainwashed by a preacher named as Makenzie Nthenge.
Police said the 11 survivors were rescued from a forest near the town of Malindi on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast and rushed to hospital. There are fears there could be more victims.
Kenyan police later announced that they have launched a manhunt for the local cult leader following the deaths of the four followers he reportedly told to starve themselves in order to ‘meet Jesus’.
Four people died after starving themselves to death when a preacher brainwashed them into thinking they were going to meet their maker, police said (file image)
Police reportedly were made aware of the brainwashing after they received a tipoff of radicalised Christians starving to death under the pretext that they were on their way to meet Jesus.
‘In the process of rescuing the victims, four of them died,’ police said in an incident report.
Police were investigating reports of more victims, the report said.
‘They starved after being radicalised by a certain member of a church told them that their work in this world was done… and they were waiting to die and see their creator,’ Charles Kamau, the criminal investigations officer said on Kenya’s Citizen Television.
The four dead worshippers have yet to be identified, while those taken to hospital included seven men and four women aged between 17 and 49, according to the police report. Three remain in critical condition.
Investigators were continuing to search in the Shakahola forest after reports of a mass grave where other cult followers may have been buried.
‘The team were unable to identify the mass grave by virtue of vast land (area) and hostile residents in the forest,’ the police report said.
‘It is further suspected that there are many victims in the forest land believed to belong to the suspect.’
Police reportedly received the tipoff that radicalised Christians were starving to death under the pretext that they were on their way to meet Jesus (file image)
Media reports said Nthenge had been arrested and charged last month after two children were allegedly starved to death by their parents but was later freed on a bond of 100,000 Kenyan shillings (about £600).
In a March 23 affidavit, police said the parents had starved and suffocated the two boys on Nthenge’s advice.
Police asked the judge to detain Nthenge because he could be in danger himself for ‘having caused many people to lose their lives with (the) pretense that they were going to heaven (if) they die through starvation,’ the affidavit said.
During a court appearance in that case, Nthenge said he was unaware of the events that led to the deaths of the two boys, adding he was the target of hostile propaganda from some of his former colleagues, The Standard newspaper reported.
Presley Gerber, the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, is trying to give the impression that he proposed to another model named Lexi Wood. I did it, guys!, On Tuesday, Presley, who is 23 years old, posted an Instagram carousel that featured a variety of photographs and videos of her parents, who are genetically fortunate.
Guys, I did it. A voice could be heard saying, “I’ve discovered the one who makes me the happiest person I’ve ever been,” over the top of a video clip that displayed Wood donning a Gerber jersey.
In typical fashion for members of Generation Z, the possible announcement was veiled in mystery and interspersed with a variety of unrelated photographs, such as a close-up one of Presley holding onto Wood’s buttocks while she was wearing a bikini and another of her right eye.
Wood provided additional evidence that a proposal had taken place when she shared her beau’s post on Instagram Story and added emojis depicting a lock and key, a love, and an infinity symbol.
After that, the emerald-eyed beauty left a remark on Presley’s post, which said, “loving you,” and the Celine ambassador finished it by saying, “is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
The 21-year-old Kaia Gerber threw a party to celebrate what appeared to be an engagement between the two. Even though his comments section was inundated with expressions of joy, a few readers suggested that the couple goes on a LONG engagement.
On the other hand, some people were not convinced that Presley had even posed the question. What the what??? Someone remarked in response to his caption, to which another person reacted, reportedly grabbing her butt for us all to see.
In an Instagram Story on Wednesday, Presley referred to Wood as his closest friend and girlfriend, contributing to the confusion surrounding the past few days’ events. After waiting an hour, she used her account to refer to him as her best friend and boyfriend.
Montana would become the first state in America to fully ban TikTok starting in 2024, after the state’s legislature passed a bill Friday banning the short-form app over security risks related to its ownership by China-based ByteDance. The bill now goes to the desk of Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte before it becomes law, while TikTok said it plans to fight the legislation.
Under the Montana legislation, TikTok would face fines of up to $10,000 per day per violation if it continued to operate in the state. In addition, the state could impose penalties on Apple and Google if they let users in Montana download the app from their respective app stores.
The Biden administration has threatened to enact a nationwide ban on TikTok unless ByteDance sells its ownership stake in the app. Similarly, the legislation in Montana would roll back the restrictions on the app if ByteDance sells TikTok.
The Montana bill says that “the People’s Republic of China is an adversary of the United States and Montana and has an interest in gathering information about Montanans, Montana companies, and the intellectual property of users to engage in corporate and international espionage.” The legislation also says that China’s government “exercises control and oversight over ByteDance, like other Chinese corporations, and can direct the company to share user information, including real-time physical locations of users.” In addition, the bill alleges that “TikTok fails to remove, and may even promote, dangerous content that directs minors to engage in dangerous activities.”
A spokesperson for Gianforte told CNN, “The governor will carefully consider any bill the legislature sends to his desk.” In December, Gianforte banned TikTok from state government devices; the Montana University System also banned TikTok after the governor urged it to follow suit.
TikTok blasted the passage of the Montana bill as an attempt to “censor American voices.”
“The bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices and that the bill’s constitutionality will be decided by the courts,” TikTok said in a statement. “We will continue to fight for TikTok users and creators in Montana whose livelihoods and First Amendment rights are threatened by this egregious government overreach.”
Analysts said the chances of a U.S. ban on the app increased after CEO Shou Zi Chew’s appearance before a House hearing last March, given deep skepticism expressed by lawmakers — Republicans and Democrats alike — about his answers about China’s influence over TikTok and the communist regime’s ability to track user data via the app, as well as TikTok’s efforts to curb misinformation and harmful content. China’s commerce ministry had said said it was “firmly opposed” to a forced sale of TikTok and that any such transaction would be subject to Chinese government approval.
Donald Trump, in the final months of his presidency, attempted to enact a TikTok ban also over perceived national security threats posed by its Chinese ownership. Federal judges ruled that Trump overstepped his authority in ordering a ban on TikTok, finding the administration’s hypothetical concerns about TikTok’s security risks unconvincing.
Donald Trump still collects a hefty retirement income from his entertainment-industry past, according to financial disclosure forms that he submitted this week to qualify for the 2024 presidential election.
The former president receives between $100,000 and $1 million in yearly pension from the Screen Actor’s Guild. The details were first disclosed on the Citizens for Ethics website on Friday.
He also receives $15,000 to $50,000 from the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, which merged with SAG in 2012.
Trump wrote a letter to SAG two years ago stating his “immediate resignation” from the union, as the guild was deciding whether to discharge him in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots initiated by his supporters.
“I no longer wish to be associated with your union,” Trump wrote to the Guild.
Trump also earns residual income from appearances in film and TV. He reported income of as much as $1,000 from Warner Bros., and the same from NBC Universal and Entertainment Partners.
He claims his portion of Trump Media & Technology Corp., which owns his Truth Social platform, is worth between $5 million and $25 million.
The Coachella livestream on YouTube is the next-best thing to being there, and in some ways it’s even better: There’s no crowds, travel, heat or dust unless you want them, and you’ve got the best seat in the house.
This Friday, the 22nd edition of Coachella will kick off with the first of two weekends at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. With fans anticipating a star-studded list of headliners like Bad Bunny, Blackpink and Frank Ocean, this year’s festival is the first that notably consists of a lineup of over 50% international artists.
As in other recent years, Coachella 2023 will be available to stream online via its official YouTube channel on the first weekend — and the good news is that this marks the full time the second weekend will also have just an extensive slate of streaming instead of just select highlights. Livestreams are accessible on desktop, mobile or the YouTube app via Coachella’s official YouTube page. For the first time, six of the stages from the festival — instead of the usual three — will be accessible for streaming, starting April 14 at 4 p.m. PT (and continuing on April 21 at the same time for the festival’s second weekend). Following each day of festivities, Coachella’s YouTube will rerun video performances from the day prior.
The Friday setlist will be headlined by Bad Bunny, whose set will begin at 11:25 p.m. Other highlights for the day include Becky G at 5:45 p.m., Blink-182 (a last-minute addition to this year’s lineup) at 6:45 p.m., Blondie at 7:35 p.m., Gorillaz at 8:35 p.m., the Chemical Brothers at 9:50 p.m., Ashnikko at 10:35 p.m. and Metro Boomin at 10:35 p.m.
Mega K-pop girl group Blackpink will headline the Saturday lineup, performing at 9:00 p.m. Other noteworthy acts performing a part of Saturday’s set include Flo Milli at 3:20 p.m., EarthGang at 4:10 p.m., Charli XCX at 5:35 p.m., Remi Wolf at 6:25 p.m., Rosalía at 7:00 p.m., Labrinth at 10:35 p.m., The Kid Laroi at 10:20 p.m. and Calvin Harris at 11:35 p.m.
Finally, the Grammy-award-winning Frank Ocean will headline Sunday’s bill. Ocean’s set is scheduled to kick off at 10:05 p.m. Final standout acts performing on Sunday include Latto at 5:00 p.m., Rae Sremmurd at 5:40 p.m., Kali Uchis at 6:00 p.m., Dominic Fike at 6:50 p.m., Willow at 7:45 p.m. and A Boogie at 9:05 p.m.
The first weekend of Coachella 2023 will run from Friday to Sunday. Watch the Coachella livestreams here or down below.
Unlike Aster’s previous films, Hereditary and Midsommar, Beau Is Afraid is less modern horror and more dark comedy (with a whopping runtime of almost three hours!!!). However, it still deals with a lot of trauma-based shocks. The film is a truly WILD ride, and here are some interesting details and facts about it:
Derek Luke always knew he wanted to be a hero — or rather, play one. But when the opportunity for him to join the Marvel universe arose in 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger,” he wasn’t so sure — even after his agent, the late Ed Limato, insisted.
“If he sent me something, he would say, ‘Do you like it? Alright we’ll get him next time, kiddo, no pressure,’” Luke says. “This was the only script that he said, ‘You need to do this. And I’m like, ‘No. Absolutely not. First of all, Marvel, like, what is that?’”
Limato was firm, so Luke took a meeting with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige. Upon entering his office, Luke’s eyes were drawn to a section of the wall full of Black characters, ones he didn’t even know existed. Luke leaned in and took the role.
“I think that’s what drew me to the business — that I wanted to be a hero, especially to my community,” Luke says. “Whether that was with superpowers or just fulfilling my dreams, I always desire to play a hero.”
One of Limato’s other clients was Denzel Washington, who launched Luke’s career when he cast the young actor in the titular role of the 2002 biographical drama “Antwone Fisher,” Washington’s feature directorial debut. From there, Luke has played a series of grounded, human-scaled roles, from Katie Holmes’ boyfriend in 2003’s “Pieces of April” to the guidance counselor Mr. Porter on the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why.” This month, Luke is appearing in two projects that have allowed him to further explore what it means to be a leader: Rejoining Holmes for a supporting role as an antiques dealer in her film “Rare Objects,” premiering today, and starring in the Disney+ series “The Crossover,” which debuted April 5.
On “The Crossover,” which is based on Kwame Alexander’s graphic novel of the same name, Luke stars as Chuck Bell, a father who does his best to be a good basketball coach and an even better dad to his two teenage sons, all while fighting for his health.
To prepare Luke to play the role of Chuck, he was paired up with basketball coach Chris Johnson of SpringHill, who offered real-life tips on how to lead a team and ensured Luke’s form was accurate.
Growing up, Luke didn’t really play sports, so he took all the help he could get. When he was a kid, his older brother broke both of his hips playing football, which left his single mother to deal with his injuries for close to a year. From then on, she wasn’t very keen on either of her boys participating in sports.
“She may deny that today, but that’s my take,” he says with a laugh. “And I’m sticking to it.”
In “The Crossover,” Luke plays a dad who is involved in nearly every aspect of his sons’ lives. Luke grew up searching for a mentor figure just like this, constantly trying to find someone to close that gap. Both on and off the set, Luke couldn’t help but channel this kind of fatherly role with his on-screen sons Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan (Amir O’Neil).
Alyssa Moran / Courtesy of Disney+
“A lot of times when I interact with people who have seen my work, whether it’s a parent or a mom or boys, they’re always asking for some type of wisdom,” Luke says. “It made me think that we need more representation in film, where you see a father, you see a man of color, being a soul, being present. I wanted a representation where two boys didn’t have to look far to find their father.”
Playing Chuck gave Luke the chance to portray a role he longed for when he was a kid, and it also gave the 48-year-old the opportunity to practice for when his own sons — who are currently 7 and 18 months — become teenagers.
“I realized at the age of a teen, that they already cement and solidify,” he says. “And so whatever truths that they are beholden to is either what you did or did not teach them.”
With “Rare Objects,” Luke enjoyed a different kind of glance into the future: watching Holmes, who also directed Luke in her 2022 film “Alone Together,” take on the many roles that come with being a writer-director.
Luke recounts a moment when, after wrapping a long meeting about the script for “Rare Objects” — which Holmes adapted with Phaedon Papadopoulos from Kathleen Tessaro’s novel — Holmes turned to Luke and said, “You have wardrobe next, right?”
“And she points to go upstairs. I’m like, ‘Man, she’s so nice, she’s following me,’” Luke recalls. “And then I realized, ‘Oh, wait, she’s doing wardrobe.’”
Luke’s affinity for actor-directors started, of course, with Washington and “Antwone Fisher.” In both Washington and Holmes, Luke sees filmmakers who can harness an actor’s creativity while also leaving room for freedom.
After shooting one particularly tiring scene in “Antwone Fisher,” Luke remembers Washington asking him how he felt about his performance.
“He was like, ‘Are you happy? You want to try something different?’” Luke says. “You don’t usually hear that.”
That kind of care never left Luke and it has helped him gauge what he wanted his career to look like going forward.
“‘Antwone’ was a standard for me and it’s a marker that I wanted to surpass,” he says. “So that when I’m directing another actor, he relates to me the way I related to Mr. Washington.”
Luke’s directing endeavors are already in motion with his new production company, Heartist, a project he has been working on with his wife, Sophia. They plan to create content that pays homage to their passions: music, dance and education. One of their projects, “Cram,” tells the story of an inner-city teacher who uses hip-hop to help teach students.
Until recently, Luke hadn’t really considered stepping back into the world of superheroes. Becoming a father, however, introduced a new, very important addition to Luke’s audience, who look to the screen and see not just a character, but their dad — often pretty close to being a real-life hero.
That’s led Luke’s 7-year-old son to ask him if he’ll ever do a Marvel movie again.
“I never had to consider that before,” Luke says “I call it my assignment. I would love to fulfill that for him.”
Despite many believing that the MCU’s Blade was set to get pushed back once again, a reassuring production update has surfaced.
Blade, starring Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali was initially announced all the way back at San Diego Comic-Con 2019.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after that and the entire Marvel slate was forced to shift. Production on Blade was delayed more than once. Its original director departed the project shortly after that in Fall of 2022, delaying things even further.
Now, it appears that Marvel Studios is finally getting ready to kick things off.
Blade Production Begins Soon
Marvel
The Hollywood Reporter recently claimed that actress Mia Goth, who plays a role in Blade, will join the film’s production in June, indicating that the Marvel movie will have entered principal photography by that point.
This update lines up with insider DanielRPK’s assertion that Blade will start shooting on May 30.
Previously, Jeff Snieder made the claim that the film was experiencing pre-production issues and could possibly become delayed yet again.
On the March 9 episode of his podcast The Hot Mic, Sneider remarked on the idea that Mahershala Ali wanted certain elements of the film to be carried out in a specific fashion, and he speculated that the actor’s requests were what could have been causing a bit of behind-the-scenes trouble:
“Blade got a new director in November. Here we are, five months later, still no update on casting… See where I’m going with this stuff? Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, two-time Oscar winner, these people want things done a certain way, right? And they carry the weight to get their way, and that sometimes causes delays.”
This new report from THR, however, seems to confirm that everything is on track to meet Blade’s late-May start date.
What Will MCU’s Blade Be About?
Assuming that the MCU’s take on the character will stick at least fairly close to the comic books, Blade will center on Eric Brooks, the Daywalker. With a half-human, half-vampire physiology, Blade possesses all of an average vampire’s strengths without any of its weaknesses, meaning he is not affected by sunlight.
And on the topic of vampires, fans might wonder how Marvel intends to bring such supernatural creatures into the MCU. But projects like Werewolf by Night and She-Hulk have clearly proven that otherwordly entities like vampires are well-represented in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s been rumored that Marvel Studios’ Blade movie will be a period piece set in the 1920s. This hasn’t been officially confirmed, but worry not; if true, it wouldn’t preclude Blade from taking part in any present-day MCU adventures thanks to his slowed aging.
Apart from lead Mahershala Ali and Mia Goth, the movie also stars Delroy Lindo, Milan Ray, and Aaron Pierre—it’s currently unknown which characters these actors will be portraying.
For fans wondering if Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman will show up after that Eternals tease, recent rumors have cast doubt on a role for the wielder of the Ebony Blade, but it still remains to be seen if he’s in the movie.
It hasn’t been made clear when Marvel Studios’ Blade will arrive in theaters, but it’s strongly expected to release sometime in 2024.
David Harbour, Frank Grillo, and Maria Bakalova were confirmed to be joining the project (via Collider), all of whom have been a part of at least one Marvel Studios project.
Fans will know David Harbour for his work as Red Guardian in Black Widow. His Russian take on Captain America will also be seen in next year’s Thunderboltsfilm, which could, interestingly enough, coincide with the release of Creature Commandos, where he will play Eric Frankenstein.
Marvel Studios
And Maria Bakalova is about to make her theatrical MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as Cosmo the Space Dog. The Oscar-nominated actress joins the world of DC as the mysterious Princess Ilana Rostovic.
Who Else From Marvel Could Join the DCU?
Of course, James Gunn has made it clear he is loyal to the talent he enjoys working with, bringing a number of actors from project to project including his own brother Sean Gunn.
And with these three Marvel Studios actors (only one of which Gunn has actually previously worked with) making the jump over to DC, perhaps this will start a great migration from one super-powered franchise to the next.
As mentioned above, Bautista has made it very clear he “would love” to join the DCU, it would just be a matter of finding the right role for the actor.
Another name that might come up in this conversation is Bradley Cooper. Cooper is likely to depart from the MCU after his work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is finished, so, now would be the perfect time for the longtime actor to join another franchise if he so chose.
For now, though, all fans can do is wonder as more and more about James Gunn’s DC vision is revealed.
Would you believe it? It’s only been 48 hours and the Hoyoverse community has already got their hands on Genshin’s newest character, Kirara’s gameplay, and animations. And let me tell you, folks, she’s absolutely adorable. I didn’t see a reason to pull for her before but the devs have done it again.
Taking a Look at Kirara’s Leaked Gameplay Thus Far
Not only do we get to see her idles, but leakers have also gotten their hands on her Elemental Skill and Burst. There is certainly one thing that confuses me most of all though… Why does she turn into a box?!
Yes, in Kirara’s Elemental Skill, you can either Tap or Hold for different effects, one of which being that Kirara will tuck into her delivery box and scatter about the battlefield. This will still trigger her shield to come into play so that her team is protected. In her Elemental Burst, she scatters a bunch of cat heads onto the field to help trigger Dendro Damage on the field. Her kit resembles something like Alloy’s in all honesty! Our space-time traveler, however, had a mix of Venti’s and Klee’s kits.
With Kirara, you can use her Elemental Burst to start off a combination of Dendro mix-ups and take advantage of her shield and delivery box form to hopefully evade the threat of enemies.
What is Kirara’s Weapon?
I don’t know about you, but in the past few days, I’ve seen several versions of the same Beta footage, and yet… It’s kind of confusing. What weapon is she meant to be wielding?!
I’ve seen both a Bow version and a Sword Version of the same video, but upon release, Kirara will be a Sword User. Some of the best weapons that are going to go hand-hand with her abilities are swords that are based on HP Percentage and Elemental Mastery. Since her shield will likely be based on her HP and with her Elemental Burst, the drops of Dendro cats onto the field will likely give players a chance to start off many changes for Dendro Elemental Match-ups such as Bloom, Quicken, Aggravate, and Burning.
During her speculation, she was rumored to be a Five-Star Geo Bow-User, but that role has now been passed onto another character. Still hailing from Liyue, Kirara’s idles revolve around her being a delivery girl, seen playing with boxes and summoning them. Although she appears in all likeliness to be a cat, she doesn’t play with her ears in the above animations from what we know so far, but she got that Nya-Pose down pat!
At first, I really wasn’t sold on Kirara since there have been so many Dendro characters released, but I think Hoyoverse got me when she turned into a box—. What do you guys think? Are you hyped~?
Due to this news being based on leaks from the Genshin Impact community, the theories presented in this article should be treated as speculation and can be subject to change.
Learn from one of the most daring and stylized filmmakers out there.
Films that are daring in their form, visuals, and subject matter are the most exciting for me to watch. So it’s no surprise that I have a great appreciation for the great Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, and I am not alone. Other filmmakers and actors, like Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke, Guillermo del Toro, Wong Kar-wai, Gaspar Noé, and Todd Haynes.
Almodóvar is well known for his bold and colorful visual style, his focus on female characters, and his exploration of complex themes. His films are not for the faint of heart as they often deal with taboo subjects and challenge traditional notions of gender and sexuality. Some of his well-known and most celebrated films include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Talk to Her, and The Skin I Live In.
Almodóvar’s importance to modern cinema cannot be understanded. He challenges boundaries and conventions, pushing the needle forward about what stories should and shouldn’t be told through the visual medium. There is beauty in the horrors of Almodóvar’s worlds, and there is so much that filmmakers like us can learn from him.
‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’Credit: Lauren Films
5 Filmmaking Tips from Almodóvar
The highly influential and acclaimed Spanish filmmaker has a sense of flare to his work that is daring, exciting, and revolutionary for filmmakers at every level in their careers. Here are five filmmaking tips we learned from Almodóvar.
Embrace your unique style: There is only one you, so lean into your perspective of the world you want to create. Almodóvar has a highly distinctive visual style that is characterized by bright colors, bold patterns, and visually stunning compositions. He is not afraid to experiment with different techniques to establish is his artistic world, and neither should you. As filmmakers, it’s important to embrace your unique style and take those necessary risks to create something truly original.
Use color to convey emotion: Film is a visual medium for a reason, so utilize color to help convey emotional or thematic meaning in your film. Almodóvar uses color to bring out another layer to the film by forcing the audience to pay attention to how loud the colors are on screen. You don’t have to use colors as loudly as he does, but pay attention to the use of color in your work.
Experiment with narrative structure: All of our favorite filmmakers love to play with traditional linear story structure, and Almodóvar is no different. Known for his non-linear narratives, which often play with time and memory in interesting ways, Almodóvar wants to create a narrative puzzle that the audience must piece together over time to truly understand the motives of each character. As filmmakers, be open and willing to experiment with different narrative structures and find creative ways to tell your story.
Focus on character: Complex and multidimensional characters are a vital part of any great film. Almodóvar will often take the time to explore the inner lives of these characters in great detail to develop empathy and understanding between his characters and the audience. As filmmakers, it’s important to understand the audience and character relationship. You can achieve this by striving for depth and nauseous in your portrayal of the human experience.
Collaborate with your actors: Almodóvar has a reputation for being an actor’s director for good reasons. He is known for creating a collaborative and supportive atmosphere on set, and for working closely with his actors to create a fully realized and nuanced performance. Building a strong relationship with the cast will allow the actors to do their best work, which will allow the audience to see the full depth of your story.
‘The Skin I Live In’Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment España
Pedro Almodóvar is a highly influential and celebrated filmmaker who has left an indelible mark on modern cinema. His daring and bold approach to storytelling, his focus on complex characters and themes, and his unique visual style have inspired countless filmmakers and actors around the world.
By embracing your unique style, using color to convey emotion, experimenting with narrative structure, focusing on character, and collaborating with your actors, you too can learn valuable directing lessons from Almodóvar and create something truly original and groundbreaking.
What is your favorite filmmaking aspect of Pedro Almodóvar? Let us know in the comments below!
Max will stream Shazam 2 or Shazam: Fury of the Gods, announced at the Warner Bros Discovery event. Fans are waiting for the movie’s release, which will be available for streaming from May 23, marking a significant shift in its release strategy. With its inclusion of Max, viewers can enjoy the thrilling superhero adventure from the comfort of their own homes. This approach marks a new approach by the studio to maximize the value of each release platform and offer viewers greater flexibility in how they consume their favorite films.
The film’s impressive global earnings of $128M have generated optimism among industry insiders. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav has believed that extended theatrical windows can benefit a movie’s financial success. With this new approach, the studio aims to maximize the value of each release platform while also providing audiences with the flexibility to watch their favorite films in whichever way they prefer.
Despite its lackluster performance at the box office, Shazam: Fury of the Gods remains a beloved franchise that could still find a place in the larger DC universe. Fans were disappointed learning that the sequel wouldn’t be an immediate part of the interconnected DC movie series. But there’s always a chance that Zachary Levi’s Shazam could make an appearance in other projects down the line.
Furthermore, just because Shazam 2 didn’t match the impressive $368M global gross of its past movie, that doesn’t mean it won’t find success in the ancillary market. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav pointed to the large viewership numbers for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore on Max as proof that extended-release windows can be beneficial. It’s essential to trust the value of each platform and give viewers the option to consume content on their terms.
Mark SheehanPhoto: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Guinness
Mark Sheehan has died. A former member of short-lived boyband group Mytown, Sheehan is best known for his work as a founding member of, and lead guitarist for, Irish pop-rock band The Script. A long-time songwriter and producer—whose collaborators included the likes of Boyz II Men and Britney Spears—Sheehan had his fullest success with The Script, ultimately releasing six albums with the group. Per The Independent, Sheehan died this week after a brief illness. He was 46.
The Script – Breakeven (Official Video)
Originally a dancer, Sheehan was teaching hip-hop dancing when he was recruited into Mytown in the late ’90s. The group had a brief rush of success, launching a single album (Mytown) to modest but promising chart performance. But infighting at Universal Records apparently scuttled future plans for a U.S. push, and so Sheehan and childhood friend Danny O’Donoghue—who’d joined the group late—set out on their own, embarking on shared careers as songwriters and producers. A few years later, they brought that experience (and the talents of drummer Glen Power) to bear on their own efforts, launching The Script in 2001.
The Script – Hall of Fame (Official Video) ft. will.i.am
The band saw early success in the U.K. and the group’s native Ireland, with their debut album, 2008’s The Script, reaching the top of the local charts, propelled by singles like “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.” With O’Donoghue on vocals, and Sheehan on guitar, the band’s musical origins were in clear evidence from the start, blending the heavy pop production values of their boyband era with more modern rock arrangements and heavier lyrical subject matter. The combination would propel the band through the next 20 years of musical life, eventually leading to five more albums, and a greatest hits compilation released in 2021. (Including “Hall Of Fame” off of 2012’s #3, the biggest single in the band’s career.)
3 moments worth watching from Ryan Seacrest’s “Live! With Kelly & Ryan” finale
Sheehan is survived by his wife, Reena, and their three children. His death was announced earlier today by The Script’s official social media accounts.
Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred in The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die – Picture: Netflix
Happy Friday and welcome to your daily recap of what’s new on Netflix as we head into the weekend. Below, we’ll be reviewing all the new movies and series that have just dropped onto the service plus a few picks that we think you should be checking out. Here are all those new titles plus what’s trending in the Netflix top 10s for April 14th, 2023.
There are a few notable titles set to release over the weekend, including new movies like The Mustang, The Snowman, and The Best Man Holiday. Also, on Sunday evening, you can watch the Love is Blind Season 4 Reunion live on Netflix.
As a reminder, over the weekend, we’ll see the departure of movies like Hail, Caesar! (2016), Jem and the Holograms (2015), and Puerto Ricans in Paris (2015).
Best New Movies and Series on Netflix for April 14th
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023)
Rating: TV-MA Language: English Genre: Action, Drama, History Director: Edward Bazalgette Cast: Alexander Dreymon, Mark Rowley, Arnas Fedaravicius Writer: Bernard Cornwell, Martha Hillier
Looking to end the remarkable five-season run of The Last Kingdom and cap off Uhtred’s story is the new feature film, Seven Kings Must Die.
Here’s what you can expect:
“In the wake of King Edward’s death, Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his comrades adventure across a fractured kingdom in the hopes of uniting England at last.”
The Guardian ultimately gave the movie a three-star in their review published this morning. They concluded that there’s “a ton of plot packed into this standalone movie derived from the TV series, but the deluge of detail gets steadily more absorbing.”
Florida Man (Limited Series)
Rating: TV-MA Language: English Genre: Drama, Crime Cast: Edgar Ramírez, Abbey Lee, Anthony LaPaglia, Otmara Marrero, Lex Scott Davis, Emory Cohen
Debuting on Netflix yesterday is the limited series Florida Man, and as you’ll see below, it’s made a very lukewarm start on the top 10s, but perhaps it has more to show as we head into the weekend.
Here’s what you can expect from the seven-part crime mystery limited series:
“A disgraced cop in debt is forced to return to his home state of Florida for a shady mission only to get swept up in a wild — and deadly — treasure hunt. A disgraced cop in debt is forced to return to his home state of Florida for a shady mission only to get swept up in a wild — and deadly — treasure hunt.”
Queenmaker (Season 1)
Number of episodes: 11 Rating: TV-MA Language: Korean Genre: Political, Drama Cast: Kim Hee-ae, Moon So-ri, Ryu Soo-young, Seo Yi-sook, Ok Ja-yeon, Yoon Ji-hye
And finally, if you’re looking for something from abroad, Queenmaker should be for you. If you add that to the fact we’ve got The Diplomat coming up in the near future on Netflix, this is an excellent primer in the political drama space.
Ell and Jin Kyung are the two best-known actors to Western audiences in the series. The former starred in The L Word: Generation Q, and the latter starred in 2015’s Veteran.
The series, consisting of 11 episodes, is about a fixer for a business conglomerate making the jump over to politics.
Full List of New Releases on Netflix for April 14th, 2023
9 New Movies Added Today
Florida Man (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English
Kannai Nambathe (2023) – TV-14 – Tamil – After being forced to find a new place to live, Arun is inadvertently caught in a dangerous web when he becomes connected to a mysterious murder.
Phenomena (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Spanish – Three middle-aged women who investigate paranormal events are put to the test when their leader Father Pilón disappears. Inspired by the real Hepta Group.
Qorin (2022) – TV-MA – Indonesian – Life at a boarding school descends into chaos when a teacher instructs his students to perform a forbidden ritual that summons their doppelgängers.
Queens on the Run (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Spanish – When four women finally take the road trip they planned in high school, they have no idea of the things they’ll bump into – sometimes literally.
Shehzada (2023) – TV-14 – Hindi – After realizing he was switched at birth by a conniving father, a rakish Bantu’s life is upended when he becomes the heir to a billionaire.
The Fix-It Man (2022) – TV-MA – Turkish – Two brothers’ blunder involving an elderly man becomes an unexpected boon for their auto-painting business. But can they handle all the attention?
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English
Weathering (2023) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – After losing her baby and nearly her life during labor, a journalist unravels amid disturbing visions and chilling attacks as she grieves alone at home.
4 New TV Series Added Today
Obsession (Limited Series) Netflix Original – TV-MA – English – A respected London surgeon’s affair with his son’s fiancée turns into an erotic infatuation that threatens to change their lives forever.
Queenmaker (Season 1) Netflix Original – TV-MA – Korean – After a tragic accident, a powerful fixer uses her skills to transform a civil rights lawyer into the next mayor — and take down her former employer.
Running for my Truth: Alex Schwazer (Limited Series) Netflix Original – TV-14 – Italian – After being banned for doping, Olympic medalist race walker Alex Schwazer enlists one of his accusers to help him make a comeback.
The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib (Season 2) Netflix Original – TV-Y7 – English – Framed for a corporate crime, an adult Ted Templeton turns back into the Boss Baby to live undercover with his brother, Tim, posing as one of his kids.
Top 10 Movies and Series on Netflix for April 14th, 2023
Most Popular Movies on Netflix for April 14th, 2023
The Last Stand
Chupa
Matilda
Hunger
The Lorax
Shrek Forever After
Inside Man
Murder Mystery 2
Shark Tale
The Benchwarmers
Most Popular Series on Netflix for April 14th, 2023
Beef
The Night Agent
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing
Love Is Blind Season 4
Obsession
All American: Homecoming
Florida Man
Hoarders
Hatfields & McCoys
Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman
What are you watching on Netflix this weekend? Let us know in the comments down below.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and President David Zaslav, just a day after revealing details of the new combined streaming service Max, joined industry titans Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson to tout another area close to the heart of the studio he now heads: the importance of restoring and preserving Warner Bros.’ rich legacy of film classics, especially as it heads into its 100th anniversary year. Appearing on stage at the opening night of the 14th TCM Classic Film Festival with Spielberg and Anderson in a conversation moderated by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, Zaslav — who previously stated his belief in the theatrical experience and a return to that after 2021’s much-derided day-and-date release model under past CEO Jason Kilar — made it clear that the studio’s commitment to the preservation and well-being of the studio’s rich library will be a priority in his administration. (Turner Classic Movies is a cable channel under the WBD umbrella.)
“I’m a fan just like you. If I wasn’t here, I would be sitting with you,” Zaslav told the packed audience at the TCL Chinese Imax theater. “I watch Turner Classic Movies all the time. It’s the history of our country, the motion pictures. There’s no other medium where you come together. Most of the things we do, we do alone, but you go to the theater with a friend. There are people around you. The lights go out, and it’s magic. It happened to me when I was very young in Brooklyn, and I would go on the weekends with my dad. And it’s that idea of a story, it could change the way you see yourself, the way you see the world. And it’s critically important I think, particularly at this time, that we tell stories. It’s now the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. It’s surreal and I’m so lucky to be sitting on top of this great, historic company. But in the ’30s the Warner brothers themselves did over 100 movies a year. … And if you lived on a farm in Oklahoma, you got that’s what New York looks like, and that’s how you dress when you go out on the date. Movies taught people the stories of America, the stories in the world, and in many ways how to be an American. And so we have a great obligation. These are two of the greatest filmmakers of the last of our generation, of my generation. So I’m so thrilled to be here. And we’re all in on the motion picture business. We want to tell a lot of stories that hopefully you all will go see and bring to Main Street in America. We need it.”
Spielberg and Anderson are both on the board of The Film Foundation, the organization founded by Martin Scorsese that is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of movies. In conjunction with TFF and TCM, Warners is restoring 10 of its classics including Rio Bravo, the 1959 Howard Hawks western that opened the TCM Fest last night with the world premiere of its 4K restoration (91-year-old co-star Angie Dickinson appeared for a brief conversation before the movie, and both she and it looked better than ever). There also is Elia Kazan’s 1955 East of Eden with James Dean in the first of his three films for Warner Bros. before his tragic death at age 24. “David and Warner Bros have their own archivalists, and they have titles they’d like from the Warner Bros. archive to be preserved,” said Spielberg, explaining how titles are chosen, nearly 1,000 since 1990. “And every studio does have that, but we try to find the films — not the films that are our favorite movies but films that tell a very unique story of this country and the people of this country. And not only this country, but we’re rescuing experimental films, documentaries, already 97 international films. So this is something that’s not going to stop. And I just have to say I’m so proud that Marty [Scorsese], we’re all very busy making our movies, but in 1990 Marty put everything aside and said ‘No, this is what we were prioritizing. This is what needs to be done.’”
Anderson took it a step further and put it in even a more personal way. “Sometimes it goes even beyond the history of the business. … It starts to end up being the protection of memories, like very, very important memories that we each individually have,” he said. “‘Where was I when I saw E.T.?’ I remember very well, and I remember the friends I was with, and I remember who I took to see that film as much as I remember the film. Yes, it’s the preservation of our work, but it’s also preserving our memories and helping us to preserve those memories so that when you want to revisit that moment of that feeling of when you walked into a theater you can. We all want to hold on to our memories, but sometimes they fade away from u. But we can hold on to them if we preserve them this way.”
Marlon Brando and KArl Malden in ‘One Eyed Jacks’
Spielberg, who deferred to Scorsese in the choice process for Film Foundation as a film expert he pretty much “rubber stamps” (along with Margaret Bodde, the longtime Executive Director of TFF), mentioned a favorite western of his, 1961’s One Eyed Jacks, the only movie its star Marlon Brando ever directed. He couldn’t find a decent copy of it, even on VHS, but through their preservation efforts finally was able to locate a negative that was in decent shape, the key to preserving it for all time. Anderson mentioned that Christopher Nolan spotlighted 1964’s caper comedy Topkapi, which won Peter Ustinov an Oscar, as in desperate need and that TFF is working on it, as well as a Max Ophuls’ 1949 classic Caught, which he had trouble finding in any kind of presentable shape.
Zaslav, clearly a savvy film fan himself, cited a few movies he wants to make sure are saved. “You know, when I think of what we need to do, what our obligation is to move forward in the spirit of Warner Bros., i think of three films,” Zaslav said pointing to their historical and social value. “Black Legion, a film from the ’30s, which took a lot of courage at the time, but it was a movie that stood up against the KKK. Warner Bros. was actually sued for showing the Ku Klux Klan insignia and they won the case. And Confessions of a Nazi Spy … the first movie that talked about what was going on in Germany.”
Zaslav also mentioned an important Best Picture Oscar winner that came out after the war, 20th Century Fox’s Gentleman’s Agreement with Gregory Peck, a film that dealt squarely with the horrors of antisemitism. “I think I called Steven when I saw it because it was right at the time when there was a big incident with Kanye West and we were questioning this whole moment we’re in in America with hate of others. Turner Classic Movies put on Gentlemen’s Agreement, and I think you [Spielberg] were in front of it, talking about the subject. … We tell stories to entertain, but a lot of what you do, and what the history of film does is, it’s a way for us to heal. And it’s a way for us to say what’s OK, and what’s not OK.”
Check out the entire conversation at the link below.
Hiroshi Katagiri is well-known as a special effects wizard, having worked for Steven Spielberg on Jurassic Park, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim, and recently James Cameron and Avatar: The Way of Water. His third feature-length directorial effort, End of Loyalty, has a distinctly Tarantino-inspired vein. It sports a multitude of other inspirations as well, ranging from American buddy cop movies to Japanese gangster pictures. But despite its many muses, the filmstruggles to find a focused voice.
Grant (Justice Joslin), the son of a crime boss, vows revenge after his father is killed by a rival gang. He goes on a violent rampage to determine the reason for his father’s assassination. He is soon joined by Ray (Braxton Angle), a federal agent, as well as his best friend. Being from different sides of the law, the two must find a way to work together as they search for answers.
There is a lot like in End of Loyalty. Katagiri’s aesthetic eye is obvious from the beginning, as even pedestrian settings have a hyper-composed feel. Additionally, a slew of well-choreographed action scenes is strewn throughout, punctuated with little punches of humor. For example, a nameless henchman gets knocked out several times in succession with the same comically tossed handgun. There is also a kinetic, almost arcade-like feel of nostalgia to the gunfights, as though the characters exist within a video game.
“…the son of a crime boss vows revenge after his father is killed…”
However, Chris Preyor’s script is in need of a unifying vision. I mentioned Tarantino earlier — the action-thriller begins with a pair of gangsters talking about the euphemisms used when killing people. It’s a conversation that feels straight out of Reservoir Dogs. In theory, it should set the tone. However, thetone is erratic because the movie is trying to be all of its inspirations at once. The unfortunate result is a cast of clichéd characters doing clichéd things.
Grant is a grizzled gangster enforcer with an irrationally short temper. Ray is a polished and virtuous good-guy cop. The rival gang leader’s Japanese bodyguard is a stoic, ninja-esque combatant who speaks in parables. Even Grant’s daughter is an overbearingly precocious child whose every line is a glib wisecrack. It’s all a bit much when everyone is talking like they are the toughest person in the room, but none of them feel that way.
There’s a scene about halfway through where Grant and Ray — bruised and ruggedly handsome while they reload their guns — discuss why they are working together. The two leads come to no discernible conclusion. Likewise, End of Loyalty is a film with a lot of potential in terms of style and action. All the while, the director shows a clear knack for set pieces. However, without any guiding idea behind the narrative, the movie cannot make anything from its sea of inspiration.
With pictures of their deceased sons, two Kelowna moms vow to continue raising awareness about B.C.’s ongoing overdose crisis.
“My kids are dead forever. So I’m going (to raise awareness) forever. I don’t want your children to go where my children have,” said Helen Jennens of Moms Stop The Harm in Kelowna.
Jennens lost two sons to toxic drugs. She’s sharing her story with as many people as possible.
On Friday, she was joined by Pam Turgeon, who lost a son to the drug overdose crisis.
This week marks the seventh anniversary when B.C. declared a public health emergency because of toxic drugs.
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According to a government report, there were 12,892 illicit drug toxicity deaths from 2012 to 2022.
“Seven years 12,000 deaths since we declared a health emergency,” said Jennens. “And we’re asking what does that mean? What does a health emergency mean if we allow 12,000 more deaths?”
The two stood outside a local business on Friday, raising awareness.
Abbotsford mother shares story of son’s addiction struggle and overdose death
Jennens said a conversation will start, “and we tell them, ‘Did you know today was the seventh anniversary?’
“The first gal I talked to came in with her baby in a stroller, and I said ‘Well, this probably doesn’t affect you yet.’ And she said, ‘Actually, I’m seven years in recovery and it’s amazing.’
“It’s awesome. And then she told me what she’s doing and going into social work and getting involved in the industry to help.”
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On Thursday, BC United party leader Kevin Falcon was in Kelowna, and he was seen visiting a controversial drug injection site on Leon Avenue.
“It’s awful,” Falcon said about the overdose crisis. “What concerns me most is the fact that every year we end up having the worst rate of overdose deaths that we’ve ever seen in the history of this province.
“And government continues to do more of the same, hoping to get different results. If we want different results, we have to do things differently.”
Xylazine test strips the latest tool against accidental overdoses
Falcon says his party’s plan would “overhaul everything that we’re doing today and do it differently. It would start by recognizing that we have to have purpose-built treatment facilities where treatment is the primary option.”
He continued, saying the “goal of government is to help people get off of their addiction and into recovery, and make sure that we’ve got regional centers in every part of the province so that we’re helping people get well again.”
Jennens says society is falling behind and that safe drug supplies are needed, along with prevention, treatment and recovery programs.
“As long as we’re afraid to talk about it, nothing gets done,” said Jennens. “There’s no pressure put on our politicians to make these changes.
“We need people to promote and have realistic conversations and talk to parents. Do you know what your kids are doing?”
Vancouver Island health authority tests washroom sensors capable of detecting overdoses
Jennens continued, saying “we have people dying alone in their own homes because they’re too afraid to help themselves about their substance use. And we want to get to these people and normalize these conversations.”
Turgeon says the public needs to be angry over this issue.
“They need to call their local government and say look at other federal governments. You need to do something about this,” said Turgeon.
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“We lost our children. We don’t want other families to go through what we do. We do this every day for everybody else’s child. So please, please do something about it. If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention, because people are dying.”
Lara has been married twice and is currently married to Richard McVey.
Lara Spencer, 53, is part of an elite tribe of co-anchors who have helmed Good Morning America, having been associated with the ABC network for a decade and a half. She’s also a correspondent for ABC News and Nightline, making her one of the country’s most high-profile on-air journalists.
But behind the scenes, the New York native has also had two marriages — one of which ended in divorce after 15 years. Here’s what to know about the two men the Emmy winning anchor has been married to over the years.
Richard McVey
Lara Spencer and Richard McVey attend the US Open in NYC on Aug. 26, 2019. (JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)
In January of 2018, Lara announced her engagement to Richard McVey, an extremely wealthy tech entrepreneur from New York per the NY Daily News. She met the founder and CEO of Market Axxess on a blind date set up by a friend, and the rest was history! They married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Vail Colorado, on Sept 1, 2018. Lara wore a stunning lace halter dress by Adam Zohar with a mermaid fit, and her new hubby wore a white tuxedo jacket with a traditional bowtie. “I might just be a little happy,” she captioned an Instagram pic of the big moment on September 2, 2018.
Cleveland native Richard was previously married and has three daughters with his ex-wife. All five of the power couple’s children were in attendance at the lavish wedding celebration.
David Haffenreffer
Lara and first husband David attend the Carousel of Hope Ball in Los Angeles on Oct 23, 2010. (Evans Ward/BEI/Shutterstock)
Before her marriage to Richard, the broadcaster was married to CNN reporter and real estate broker David Haffenreffer. The former couple married in an Episcopal ceremony in Southampton back on Sept 30, 2000, and they set up house in Greenwich, Connecticut. They welcomed two children, Katharine (Kate) Haffenreffer, now 18, in 2004, and Duff Haffenreffer in 2002. They reportedly moved to Los Angeles in 2009, where Lara hosted entertainment news program The Insider. There, they shared a beautiful renovated 1960s home in Beverly Hills.
But it wasn’t meant to be, and n March of 2015, the duo announced their amicable split after 15 years and two children together. “After a lot of thought, care and consideration, we have decided to end our marriage,” they said in a statement to Page Six at the time. “It’s a sad decision that did not come easily, especially because we respect and love each other and our children. They remain our top priority. We will raise them and care for them together.”
Indeed, they do appear to have remained extremely friendly — a source told the outlet they vacationed as a family almost immediately following the announcement. Additionally, Lara continues to follower her ex husband on Instagram, where she frequently shares updates on her family and professional life.
As the government weighs a national TikTok ban, Montana lawmakers passed on Friday a bill requiring app stores to stop carrying the app. The governor is expected to sign the measure.
The action goes the farthest of any state that has passed legislation relating to TikTok in preventing users from downloading the Chinese-owned video app. Under the bill, passed by a vote of 54-43, app stores will be prohibited from offering the app to Montana users, though people who already have the app can continue using it. TikTok will also not be allowed to operate in the state. It will go into effect in 2024.
In a statement, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said “the bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices.”
The measure is likely to be challenged. TikTok underscored that whether the measure is permitted under the constitution “will be decided by the courts.”
The looming legal battle can be seen as a test case of obstacles the government might face if it passes a national TikTok ban. In addition to being difficult to enforce as it requires cooperation from third-party companies across the digital economy, the legislation likely implicates First Amendment concerns. Courts have blocked previous attempts in 2020 to block TikTok.
Lawmakers have offered no evidence that TikTok has provided American user data to the Chinese government or that it’s been directed to influence the content users see on the platform.
The legislation points to national security risks because the app, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, is under the influence of China. It cites concerns that the app is collecting data on users in violation of users’ right to privacy.
“The People’s Republic of China exercises control and oversight over ByteDance, like other Chinese corporations, and can direct the company to share user information, including real-time physical locations of users,” reads the bill.
The measure also cites TikTok failing to remove and promoting “content that directs minors to engage in dangerous activities.”
An initial version of the bill looked to force internet service providers to block TikTok and included fines if they helped distribute the app. It was later removed.
It remains unclear how the ban can be enforced. Under the bill, fines will be levied against app stores that continue to offer the app past 2024 as well as TikTok.
Passage of the bill comes less than a month after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled by lawmakers on national security concerns the app posed. He largely struggled to alleviate concerns that the company poses a risk, escalating calls for an outright ban or forced sale of the app.
Chinese officials have said they’d oppose a forced sale of TikTok because it’d involve the export of technology that has to be approved by the government. As a private company, 60 percent of TikTok is owned by global institutional investors, 20 percent by its founders and 20 percent by employees. It has five board members, three of whom are American.
There are several bills working their way through Congress that would take action against the app, including a measure backed by the White House that would establish a unified framework for reviewing and addressing foreign technology. Under the measure, the Commerce Department would have the authority to review, block or otherwise mitigate a range of transactions involving foreign information and communications technology products and services.
In 2020, a federal judge blocked a government directive requiring Apple and Google to remove Tencent’s WeChat from their app stores. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler found that the order could infringe on users’ First Amendment rights by making the app unusable. She stressed that the app is vital to communication.
Apple and Google didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Johnny Depp is gearing up for his big-screen comeback in the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival as the co-star of its opening film Jeanne du Barry on May 16. Watch a subtitled version of the French trailer above.
The actor stars in the period romance as Louis XV opposite actress and filmmaker Maïwenn, who plays the titular 18th courtesan and also directs.
The French-language role marks Depp’s first big screen appearance in three years as he rebuilds his career after winning a turbulent defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard last June.
His last feature film appearance was in W. Eugene Smith biopic Minimata.
Distributor Le Pacte, which will launch the film in cinemas in France at the same time as its red carpet world premiere, dropped a French language trailer last week and Deadline has obtained a subtitled version.
The first images promise a sumptuous drama told through the female gaze of an outsider navigating the vicissitudes of the Court of Versailles.
The film is freely inspired by the life of Jeanne du Barry, Louis XV’s last royal mistress at the Court of Versailles, a lowly-born woman who used her intelligence and allure to rise up society, ruffling establishment feathers along the way.
Maïwenn also co-wrote the drama with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi. It is her sixth feature and most ambitious work to date, after 2011 Cannes Jury Prize winner Polisse and more recent titles Mon Roi and DNA.
The film is produced by Why Not Production Company’s Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat, Johnny Depp’s production company IN.2, La Petite Reine and France Télévisions.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival is on board as executive producers, and Goodfellas (ex-Wild Bunch International) is the international sales agent.
Star Wars Celebration dropped a ton of news and reveals on fans of the franchise, the biggest of which had to be the debut of the first trailer for Star Wars: Ahsoka. The trailer was a big deal filled with major moments — more gasp-worthy moments than we’ve gotten in all of The Mandalorian Season 3. But more than anything, the Ahsoka trailer — with all of its many character reveals — confirmed that Star Wars Rebels is suddenly the Star Wars series of the moment. Set in the run-up to 1977’s Star Wars, the animated series Star Wars Rebels follows one tight knit crew as they take on the Empire and ultimately join forces with the growing Rebel Alliance. Not only have characters from the series popped up on The Mandalorian recently, but Ahsoka will include at least five characters from the show: Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and Grand Admiral Thrawn. If you want to get a head start on your Ahsoka homework, start bingeing Rebels now.
It is now the second-biggest animated film since 2019, with only fellow Illumination release Minions: The Rise of Gru earning more with $942.5 million. (Image: Super Mario Movie/Twitter)
This knocks off Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which held the title of the year’s previous best earner with $474.4 million in global ticket sales
Universal and Illumination’s video game adaptation, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, has become the highest-grossing 2023 release to date at the global box office, earning over $500 million in under a week, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This knocks off Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which held the title of the year’s previous best earner with $474.4 million in global ticket sales.
In addition to being the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, the movie has surpassed the records set by Warcraft and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, with earnings of $508.7 million in worldwide ticket sales through Thursday.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the domestic gross of Super Mario through Thursday stands at $260.3 million, making it the top-performing movie of the year to date. Meanwhile, its earnings overseas total $248.4 million.
It is now the second-biggest animated film since 2019, with only fellow Illumination release Minions: The Rise of Gru earning more with $942.5 million.
The movie is already among Universal’s top ten biggest animated films of all time at the global box office and one of only thirteen Hollywood movies to cross the $500 million mark worldwide since 2019.
Among the thirteen, Universal produced five, including Jurassic World: Dominion, Rise of Gru, F9: The Fast Saga, and No Time to Die.
The release of the new trailer has led to much controversy and conversation, not necessarily due to the MCU film’s contents but more due to its claimed “wokeness,” a feature considered bad by many review-bombing it.
Beyond this, another conversation about the trailer that didn’t pertain to the movie’s story cropped up on Twitter, leading to a response from the Carol Danvers actor herself.
Brie Larson Answers Viral Fan Question
Marvel Studios
In response to a curious Twitter user asking about what bra Brie Larson was wearing with a cropped tank top in the trailer for The Marvels, the actress explained the process of finding it was “a whole team effort.”
The user who posed the question, @mtvsjackass, tweeted Tuesday that she wanted to know as she “struggled with this all [her] life:”
“need to know what bra she’s wearing that looks good with that type of shirt. i’ve struggled with this all my life”
The thread quickly blew up with various responses from those who have either found solutions or wanted to know the answer.
Eventually, Larson herself answered the elusive question, saying she wore a “Chantelle US t-shirt bra (with an extra strap stitched in)” and that people “need new scientific breakthroughs to make this easier.”
She cited the costuming as “a whole team effort:”
“It was a whole team effort: Chantelle US t-shirt bra (with an extra strap stitched in). Basically…we need new scientific breakthroughs to make this easier. Shoutout to Rebecca Higgins for engineering the beauty we see on screen!”
Ensuring that Carol Danvers’ costuming on-screen is just right has been a priority from day one. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that in an early meeting with Larson, the two agreed that they would be forgoing the overly-sexualized suits that Danvers initially wore in the comics:
“If you look at the comics, the further you go back, the less clothes Carol Danvers seems to be wearing… Oftentimes it’s a one-piece bathing suit basically, with outrageous comic proportions. … Brie pointed it out on the wall, and we went, ‘Yeah … just so you know, that’s not what we’re doing.’ She goes, ‘OK. I didn’t think so, but I’m glad you said that.’”
Much consideration was even put into Larson’s casual looks in the first Captain Marvel too. Costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays explained to British Vogue how they arrived at Danvers’ grunge, ’90s look, noting how adorning Danvers adorned in a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt reflected the character’s personality:
“It had to be period, but it had to be attractive to the audience today. She’s a pilot and a tomboy, so what would a young woman like that wear? And she’s a big rock‘n’roll girl. So, a combination of rock‘n’roll and grunge was obviously the way to go.”
Carol’s Other Upgraded Costumes for Captain Marvel 2
Marvel
The fact that so much attention was paid to even the smallest costuming pieces, like a bra, in production for The Marvels bodes well for fans excited about Carol’s upcoming suit upgrades in the film.
As seen in the post-credit scene of Ms. Marvel, Carol’s standard Captain Marvel suit will be slightly different than it was in her past appearances.
Beyond that, the trailer revealed an entirely new suit as well, meaning at least two costume upgrades for the character will likely happen by the end of the film.
Ultimately, it is clear that much attention was paid to the smallest details in the costuming for The Marvels, be it with a cropped tank top and bra or with a super-suit designed for a powerful hero.
Johnny Depp will be back on the big screen at Cannes Film Festival, as his new movie Jeanne du Barry is set to open the prestigious event. A French period film, the movie stars Depp as King Louis XV alongside director Maiwenn as his lover. It is the first starring role for Depp following his highly public legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp had sued Heard for defamation and the jury of the trial sided very heavily in the former’s favor, proving him to be innocent in the eyes of many.
Heard still has some support, and there has been a certain level of criticism over screening Depp’s film at Cannes. The “controversial” decision has been addressed by Cannes director Thierry Fremaux in a new interview with Variety, and he clarifies why the fest has stood by the film. From his point of view, there shouldn’t be any controversy, arguing that Depp has been vindicated in a court of law. Even so, he also stresses how the film is not so much about Depp himself. As Fremaux says:
“I don’t see Maiwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all, because if Johnny Depp had been banned from working it would have been different, but that’s not the case. We only know one thing, it’s the justice system and I think he won the legal case. But the movie isn’t about Johnny Depp.”
Maiwenn has also been facing some legal issues herself. She was recently sued by a magazine editor for allegedly assaulting him in a restaurant. Fremaux notes how the lawsuit didn’t affect how the film was kept out of competition at Cannes, as that was already the plan before that news broke.
“Not at all, because we didn’t know about it when we invited the film out of competition.”
Remember Johnny Depp? He’s Back… in French King Form
If the film is well received upon its release, that can only help Depp continue to snag more leading roles as he resumes his film career. It’s a climb back up after a hard fall that saw him get booted from two major franchises over allegations that a jury later determined to be false. Depp says he was fired by Disney from the Pirates of the Caribbean series before he was later asked by Warner Bros. to step down from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. While there’s no indication of the Fantastic Beasts movie series moving forward, Pirate of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer has been lobbying to get Depp to return for another film as Jack Sparrow. Time will tell if that happens.
Jeanne du Barry premieres at Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2023, and it will also screen in French theaters on that same day. It will be made available for streaming on Netflix France 15 months later.
From GamesReviews:”Minecraft Legends takes place in a world other than the usual Minecraft world. At the beginning of the story, the first person Minecraft hero is pulled out of that world into new world that needs a hero to protect it from enemies who want to cause chaos and war. The story is pretty simple and if it wasn’t for the voice acting, it would be bland.”
12th HOUR, narrated by David Morse, the new film by Susan Kucera, the multi award winning director of Living in the Future’s Past produced by Jeff Bridges.
Much of our population currently lives with hopeful delusions about climate change. These delusions, many of which are built in by evolution, hamper our ability to meaningfully address the problem.
Our brains evolved to solve short-term challenges for our survival. Climate change is a long-term challenge to our survival. Can we bridge the gap between these modes of thinking?
Emmy-nominated actor David Morse narrates the brutally honest 12th hour with insight from noted evolutionary biologists, climate scientists, cognitive researchers and psychologists.
Visionary thinkers like Peter Russell, Dr. Paul Piff, Dr. Kari Norgaard and dozens of the brightest minds in academia lay out an unflinching look at mankind: our past, our abilities, our shortcomings and what may be humankind’s final destination.
If we have any hope to survive the changes we’ve locked in to our climate, we need to be honest with ourselves and our limitations. The 12th Hour lays out our biases so that we may overcome them.
Vanessa Hudgens almost “gave up” on dating after her split from Austin Butler in January 2020. Less than a year later, she met her future husband in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I remember in quarantine I was like, Cool, I’m single now and I can’t meet anybody, so I guess I’ll go on a dating app,” Hudgens said during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in May 2021. “But I always said I would never go on a dating app, and then I found myself on a dating app and I was like, ‘I hate myself!’”
Turns out, Hudgens wouldn’t meet MLB player Cole Tucker on Raya, but in a weekly Zoom meditation group during the lockdown. “I’m such a go-getter. If I want something or someone, I’m going after him,” she continued. “I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey, it was nice to meet you.’ I think there’s no shame in making the first move. If you want it, why wait for someone else to give you what you want?”
Here’s a complete timeline of Vanessa Hudgens and Cole Tucker’s relationship.
January 2020: A source confirms to Us Weekly that Butler and Hudgens have split after nine years. “Vanessa and Austin are officially broken up, and Vanessa has been telling those close to her about their breakup,” the insider said in mid-January.
January 14, 2020: Hudgens makes her first appearance since her breakup on the red-carpet at the premiere of Bad Boys for Life. It’s a mood.
During the lockdown, a friend invited her to join their weekly Zoom meditation group and text chain with everyone from Joe Jonas to Wilmer Valderrama. “Everyone’s sending, like, GIFs of themselves,” she told Barrymore in May 2021. “Then there’s, like, a GIF in the group chat of a baseball player, and he’s slamming onto a base and I thought it was a joke. So I just responded, ‘Hot.’” It turned out to be a gif of Tucker, who was in their next Zoom meeting.
The Coterie crew continues to lean on each other as their lives change. Has the Good Trouble TV show been cancelled or renewed for a sixth season on Freeform? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Good Trouble, season six. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?
What’s This TV Show About?
A drama series airing on the Freeform cable channel, the Good Trouble TV show stars Cierra Ramirez, Tommy Martinez, Emma Hunton, Sherry Cola, Zuri Adele, Josh Pence, Bryan Craig and Booboo Stewart. Maia Mitchell and Brooke Nevin recur. The story centers on Mariana (Ramirez) from The Fosters series and the other residents of the communal living apartment building called The Coterie in Downtown Los Angeles. These young people juggle careers, love, and the growing pains at a time in your life where your friends are your family. In the fifth season, they face their toughest obstacles yet as they’re confronted with evolving relationship challenges and new career opportunities. Through highs and lows, romance and heartbreak, The Coterie crew lean on each other while they navigate the next stage of adulthood.
Season Five Ratings
The fifth season of Good Trouble averages a 0.03 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 87,000 viewers. Compared to season four, that’s down by 17% in the demo and down by 7% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (including DVR playback through 3:00 AM). While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel. There can be other economic factors involved in a show’s fate, but typically the higher-rated series are renewed and the lower-rated ones are cancelled. Find out how Good Trouble stacks up against other Freeform TV shows.
O F F I C I A L S T A T U S
As of April 14, 2023, Good Trouble has not been cancelled or renewed for a sixth season. Stay tuned for further updates.
Telly’s Take
Will Freeform cancel or renew Good Trouble for season six? In the past, this show was one of the channel’s highest-rated shows, but those days are now gone. Scripted shows on Freeform don’t typically last as long as this one had, but it’s a good fit for the channel’s target audience. I think this show’s fate could go either way, but I’m leaning toward a renewal. I’ll update this page with breaking developments. Subscribe for free alerts on Good Trouble cancellation or renewal news.
Good Trouble Cancellation & Renewal Related Links
What do you think? Do you hope the Good Trouble TV show will be renewed for a sixth season? How would you feel if Freeform cancelled this TV series instead?
Check out our status sheets to track new TV series pickups, renewals, and cancellations. You can find lists of cancelled shows here.
Fox is making a case for its crime anthology series “Accused” for this year’s Emmys.
The freshman broadcast series will vie for consideration in the limited or anthology series categories, and Variety can exclusively reveal the creative teams’ plans for submitting its sprawling ensemble and its respective races.
Despite each episode tackling a new story with different characters, setting and subject matter, the actors have opted to divide themselves into separate acting races.
Emmy winner Michael Chiklis (“The Shield”), who stars in the pilot episode titled “Scott’s Story,” portraying a successful neurosurgeon on trial for providing material assistance to a school shooter, will be submitted in the lead actor limited category. His episode will also serve as the writing submission for creator and executive producer Howard Gordon. Furthermore, Chiklis stepped behind the camera as a director for the “Jack’s Story” episode with Jason Ritter. He’ll be among three directing submissions for the anthology, including debut TV directors who are already household names — Oscar-winner and four-time Emmy nominee Marlee Matlin for “Ava’s Story” and Emmy winner Billy Porter for “Robyn’s Story.”
Other leading candidates from the cast include Whitney Cummings, who stars in the episode “Brenda’s Story,” where she plays a stand-up comic who is assaulted by a fellow comedian. She’ll be the sole submission for lead actress limited.
It’s been 37 years since Malcolm-Jamal Warner received his sole Emmy nom for playing Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” Coming off his second Grammy nom for best spoken word album, he’s hoping to be a surprise lead actor inclusion for his role as Kendall Gomillion, a father whose daughter is sexually assaulted and takes justice into his own hands. In addition, his co-star from “Kendall’s Story,” veteran actor Wendell Pierce as the detective investigating the case, will campaign for his first career Emmy nom for supporting drama actor.
Nonbinary actor J. Harrison Ghee has already exhibited a breakout year. Kicking it off as one of Variety’s 10 Broadway Stars to Watch, they have chosen to submit as lead drama actor alongside Chiklis and Warner for the Porter-helmed episode in which they play Kevin, a drag performer who falls for a closeted gay man.
“Accused” will mark one of four possible shots at Emmy recognition for three-time Emmy winner Margo Martindale. The veteran character actress will be submitted for her episode “Laura’s Story” and her role as Maureen on “The Watcher” in supporting actress limited. She’s also eligible for guest drama actress for Peacock’s “Mrs. Davis” and Showtime’s “Your Honor.”
Fox also plans to submit the series in casting, cinematography, editing, sound editing and sound mixing categories.
It’ll be difficult for the show to crack the lineup, with multiple series angling for only five or six available slots (pending the number of submissions) and competing against Apple’s “Black Bird,” HBO’s “Love & Death” and Netflix’s “Beef.”
The singer will be joined by a string ensemble for three shows in June and July
For three nights this summer, Halsey will take the stage at small venues alongside a complete string ensemble. The shows — scheduled for cities in Florida, Indiana, and California — will be presented in partnership with Hard Rock Live, with proceeds benefiting two LGBTQ+ organizations.
Tickets are on sale now for the three concerts scheduled for June 24 in Hollywood, Florida; June 30 in Gary, Indiana; and July 2 in Wheatland, California. The singer’s announcement follows the previously announced live ensemble performances she has planned at New Jersey Performing Arts Center on June 21 and 22. Those two performances are not connected to the Hard Rock benefit shows.
Halsey and Hard Rock will put forth proceeds and donations from the events to Hard Rock Heals and Outright International & Human Rights Campaign.
Outright International & Human Rights Campaign works in tandem with local, national, regional, and global organizations to advocate for collective laws and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. The organization also strives to provide representation, funding, and access to services, emergency relief and response, and more.
“Outright International works with partners around the globe to strengthen the capacity of the LGBTIQ human rights movement, document and amplify human rights violations, and advocate for inclusion and equality,” the organization’s mission statement reads.
Trending
The Hard Rock Heals Foundation was founded in 2016 to pursue charity opportunities in connection to live music. “The foundation’s motto, Love.Amplifed., seeks to inspire us all to turn up the volume and deliver the message that lives can be improved by the healing power of music,” the Hard Rock website reads. “The Hard Rock Heals Foundation provides grants and assistance to health and wellness, disaster relief, humanitarian causes and more around the world.”
Following up on their previous films, The Killer Robots and the Battle for the Cosmic Potato and The Killer Robots! Crash and Burn, theatrical rock band The Killer Robots! take on a trio of deadly rocker robots in Robotica Destructiva.
In the year 8675309, and in another dimension, the utopian planet of Radia lived in peace thanks to the fearsome and powerful weapon, the Arculon Destroyer. Thanks to the Arculon, no one dares approach Radia for its abundance of rich resources.
On this day, the notorious Killer Robots! Auto (Sam Gaffin), Trog (Charles Harris), Max (Mike McGowan), and Strobo (Samuel Williams) somehow penetrate the planet’s energy defense shield and steal the Arculon Destroyer. The quartet plan to sell it to the pirate Krogarr (John Schumann) but instead plans to use it to obtain time crystals for its nefarious use for time travel.
The leaders of the now defenseless Radia decide to release three ancient android warrior sisters, known as the Destructivas, Mytra (Amber Belko), Azalla (Torie Martin), and Luna (Kristal Theron), from their 10,000-year sleep. Angered that they were released from their dream state of the Doors of Enlightenment, the Destructivas agree to take back the Arculon with the promise to be returned to their former dreamlike stasis.
The Destructivas are now on a race for time to recover the Arculon and prevent The Killer Robots! from attaining the ability to time travel.
I’ll just say while watching Robotica Destructiva, I didn’t exactly understand the whole mythos of the story. But, then again, the fun of this film is not the story but the universe created by the band Killer Robots! that will leave you in awe.
“…the now defenseless Radia decide to release three ancient android warrior sisters, known as the Destructivas…”
Simply put, this sci-fi universe blends CG animation and live-action actors with heavy vibes of the original 1982 Tron. Actors wear “robot” suits accented and accentuated by CG effects. I’d describe the world they live in as urban techno. Everything is run by wires and circuits in order to sustain its Android population. Our heroes and villains navigate through this world through a blending of natural and cartoon movements giving off an authentic anime feel to the action.
Its cadre of spaceships is equally impressive as the worlds where they soar, blending practical model spaceships flying through CG space and planetary landscapes. It’s not just the spaceships but the crew’s robot companions and security droids. I’ll describe the film’s visual style to George Lucas’ prequels, but hip and cool.
Robotica Destructiva also boasts a killer soundtrack with Sam Gaffin’s blending of rock metal and 80s synth music. This soundtrack simply builds upon the violent feast of android action along the way. Though the music is cool, its driving beat that rarely takes a break left me feeling physically exhausted by the end of its 78-minute runtime.
I also mentioned that there’s not much of a story as the film’s foundation. The film takes us from one action piece to the other while introducing us to exciting characters along the way. Though I love this movie’s visual style and animated action, finding a deeply emotional back story of the Destructivas only helps elevate the overall film to the next level and keeps it from feeling like a relentless violent action movie with no soul. Exactly, who are the Destructivas? Why were they put in sleep chambers? What did they leave behind thousands of years ago?
You are most likely going to see Robotica Destructiva somewhere other than theaters. Let me urge you to see it as I did on my giant 4K television—parts of the film feel 3D at times. The art design and model rendering is absolutely gorgeous. The detail and quality of the planets, building,s and spaceships is impressive. This is important…these are not CG matte paintings. They are fully-rendered 3D models, and the design and detail rival anything you’ll see from the big studios. Watch Robotica Destructive and prepare to have your mind blown.
This is the terrifying moment a man plunged down a ravine when an ‘astronaut training chair’ suddenly fell apart while he was being spun around.
The video starts off with the man strapped into the seemingly safe chair on the side of a ravine at the Cabrapata viewing point in Ayacucho, Peru – but it soon ends up with him cheating death.
At the beginning, the person filming can be heard laughing and joking as he watches the operator spin his friend on top of the cliff with panoramic views across Peru.
But as he continues to be twisted around, the chair’s frame begins to wobble and without warning suddenly tumbles over the cliff edge.
The laughter in the background soon turns into a panicked scream as the man’s friend disappears from sight.
This is the terrifying moment a man plunged down a ravine when an ‘astronaut training chair’ suddenly fell apart while he was being spun around
The video starts off with the man strapped into the seemingly safe chair on the side of a ravine at the Cabrapata viewing point in Ayacucho, Peru – but it soon ends up with him cheating death
As he continues to be moved around, the chair’s frame begins to wobble and without warning suddenly tumbles over the cliff edge
Despite falling down the cliff, the man survived the fall and is recovering after being rushed to hospital
The camera cuts away as the man falls down the steep incline – as concerned onlookers fear for his life.
Fortunately, the man survived the fall, possibly because the frame he was strapped to protected his head, according to local media.
He was rushed to hospital but is now said to be recovering.
The chair is a budget version of the state-of-the-art Multi Axis Trainer used by space agencies to teach astronauts how to survive high-speed spins in weightless conditions.
The cliffside viewing point is popular with tourists for its spectacular views.
Extreme rides and walkways have sprung up on the beauty spot to cash in on thrill-seeking tourists who expect theme park safety standards.
Officials are now cracking down on all of them over safety fears and have closed them down pending safety checks.
Ayacucho, southeast of Peru’s capital Lima, has had a tumultuous few months prior to this incident.
Extreme rides and walkways have sprung up on the beauty spot to cash in on thrill-seeking tourists who expect theme park safety standards
Officials are now cracking down on all of them over safety fears and have closed them all pending safety checks
Another one of the rides that are seen at the Cabrapata viewpoint which has panoramic views
In December, ten people were killed during clashes with the ouster of former president Pedro Castillo after he tried to illegally dissolve Congress to avoid an impeachment vote he feared losing.
He was voted out of office shortly after and arrested for alleged ‘rebellion’. He denies the charges.
His arrest triggered an outpouring of anger at the country’s political elite and Congress, widely reviled as corrupt and self-serving, especially in Peru’s poor southern mining regions where rising food and energy costs have hit people hard.
Protesters tried to take over the city’s airport, which was defended by Peru’s police and army, but ten were gunned down and several more were injured.
More details about Drake Bell’s supposed disappearance are coming to light with the release of the 911 call regarding the actor going “missing.”
Per the 911 call, obtained by TMZ on Friday, April 14, police were concerned with a “possible attempted suicide” after Bell allegedly sent concerning texts from an Orlando hotel room to family members in California.
The Drake & Joshalum, 36, was found “safe” on Thursday, April 13, the Daytona Beach Police Department said in a statement hours after they issued an alert earlier that morning claiming the “Found a Way” singer was “considered missing and endangered.”
“Basically, there is a celebrity who had a falling out with his wife,” a 911 operator said on the call.
The release of the audio comes one day after a source exclusively told Us Weekly that there was “some communication [between Bell and] family members that caused concern so they are worried about him and looking for him,” the insider told Us on Thursday, shortly before the Nickelodeon alum was found. The insider noted that the family members were “all just listening and waiting and hoping” to hear from Bell, who shares a son with estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling. (Schmeling moved to Florida with their child, whom they welcomed in 2021, after their split.)
“You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this? ?,“ he quipped via Twitter.
Von Schmeling, meanwhile, took to social media on Friday to share a clip of Taylor Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” — with no further explanation.
“Say it in the street that’s a knockout / But you say it in a tweet, that’s cop out,” the lyrics flashed across the screen in her Instagram Story. “‘And I’m just like, ‘Hey’ / ‘Are you OK?’”
Bell and Von Schmeling tied the knot in 2018 and went on to welcome their son in July 2021 — the same month that the Yours, Mine & Ours actor was sentenced to two years of probation and 200 hours of community service in California after he pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in 2017.
Graphics card sagging, while once a non-issue, has become a genuine threat to their lifespan, causing them to fail much sooner than normal. As cards become more powerful, they also become much larger and heavier in design, which means they tend to sag if not supported on both sides in the PC case.
As German computer repair technician KrisFix (opens in new tab) explains (and reported on by Tom’s Hardware) when a graphics card sags as a result of this increased weight, “memory modules can lose connection with its associated solder points on the PCB.” There’s also the issue of thermal variance, caused by the daily use of the card under sag conditions.
According to KrisFix, This seems to be a major cause for why the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, considered one of the best graphics cards ever (and still an excellent contender today), has been failing sooner than anticipated.
And since the 2080 Ti, graphics cards have only become heavier, which puts the RTX 3000-series and especially the brick-like 4000-series at an even higher risk for failure later on in its life.
What is being done about it?
It seems that manufacturers are finally becoming more aware of the issues surrounding graphics cards sag, and more are coming up with a simple way to combat it: using some kind of support beam to keep the card level on the unsupported side.
Some have those supports built-in the PC case like Cooler Master’s support bracket, while others like the Manli Gallardo RTX 4090 graphics card itself are equipped with two spirit levels. And as the concept becomes more widespread, we should be seeing more of them cropping up and eventually becoming a standard in both PC cases and graphics cards.
But what about the current users, the ones who already made their purchase years ago and could be facing imminent catastrophic GPU failure? You can have your PC modded by official or unofficial repair services to give it a bracket or level, but that could be quite expensive.
Naturally, there are cheaper alternatives and guides on how to go about building them, everything from Lego blocks to hooking string around your GPU to stabilize it. So there is hope for you as long as too much damage hasn’t already been done to your beloved graphics card just yet. Otherwise, you might have to invest in a brand new one, like the RTX 4070 that launched on April 13.
“Tiny Beautiful Things” showrunner Liz Tigelaar and author Cheryl Strayed designed the show’s central character Clare (Kathryn Hahn) based on the question: what would it have looked like if Strayed hadn’t hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.
Clare’s life mirrors Strayed’s before she became a well-known writer, taking on the mantle of an anonymous advice column called “Dear Sugar” from an old colleague in “Tiny Beautiful Things,” just as Strayed did in real life for the online literary magazine “The Rumpus” in 2010. The Hulu adaptation comes from Hello Sunshine, the production company of Reese Witherspoon, who portrayed the version of Strayed that did make the 1,100-mile solo hike in “Wild” based on Strayed’s 2012 memoir.
“We have this narrative of this adult character who isn’t me, but then that young character very much acts out many of the most painful, powerful, beautiful, true scenes from my own life. We knew that our Clare who was writing the ‘Dear Sugar’ column had to have had some of the experiences I had so those stories would make sense,” Strayed told TheWrap. “She had to be somebody who lost her mother young, she had to be somebody who had a kind of path very similar to mine, and so the past Clare has a lot of stuff in common with me and then the present day Clare took another path.”
Present-day Clare attends therapy sessions with her husband Danny (Quentin Plair). She also has a strained relationship with her own daughter Rae (Tanzyn Crawford).
“Clare is loving her daughter with full throttle attention — that’s how she was loved as a daughter. She’s wounded because she lost her mother when she was just becoming a woman,” Strayed said. “Part of her process as a mother is, ‘How do I not wound my daughter in the same place that I am wounded? We see Clare grappling when she’s saying things like, ‘Don’t say that to me because you could die tomorrow,’ it’s one way of saying, ‘I love you,’ but sometimes we say I love you in a voice that speaks through our pain, or through the ways that we were wounded and sometimes we say I love you in the ways that we were given the greatest gifts by our own mothers.”
Clare draws from her own experience (as dysfunctional as it is) for her response letters, revisiting the grief of losing her mother at a young age as well as other difficult parts of her current life.
“There are themes from [the letters] that obviously pervade the whole series. In terms of approach, there wasn’t a formula. It wasn’t like we choose the letter first and then we create the story from it,” Tigelaar said. “It was almost looking at all arcs simultaneously. We knew that, as nonlinear as the past story was, there needed to be a beginning and middle and end to that, that was going to center around the loss of her mother, and even just the different points of how things happened. They really had to all operate on these three parallel tracks. You couldn’t kind of figure out one piece without figuring out the other pieces.”
Sarah Pidgeon as Young Adult Clare in “Tiny Beautiful Things” (Hulu)
Sarah Pidgeon portrays the young adult version of Clare, who first appears in flashbacks to moments like Clare’s college acceptance as well as receiving news of her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
“One of the most powerful things about Katherine’s Clare is that she also shows us the full range of daughterhood and the full range of motherhood, and that inevitably contains darkness and light mistakes and things that were done beautifully, things that that she could go back in time and would do the exact same way and things she would do differently,” Strayed told TheWrap. “And that’s what this show is about is to say, ‘Love is not just one thing it’s all many things all at once.I hope that we showed that in those relationships between the mothers and daughters in this show.”
Emotional scenes weave a fabric of memory together between Hahn’s Clare, Pidgeon’s Clare and the childhood version portrayed by Marlow Barkley, flashing between the three women in singular moments.
“The idea is that whatever she’s feeling inside in that moment gets manifested. It’s to show [her] outsides don’t always match [her] insides. She might look like Kathryn Hahn, but she might feel like Sarah or Marlow. Katherine’s Clare is being re-inserted into these memories of her past, to have a different relationship with them,” Tigelaar told TheWrap. “That’s kind of all a part of this healing. Whether she’s telling Sarah Pidgeon, don’t give up, keep going, keep writing, or she’s holding her mother’s hand after her diagnosis, or she’s watching her mother kind of ride freely. It’s showing what healing can look like.”
All episodes of “Tiny Beautiful Things” arrive on Hulu Friday, April 7.
The makers of Flashdancehoped for a hit, but no one had a feeling it would become a generation-defining sensation.
The Paramount film marked the first collaboration of producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, later known for blockbusters like Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun. With a script co-written by Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct), Flashdance centered on Alex, a teenage welder in Pittsburgh who spends her nights performing at a cabaret bar but dreams of becoming a professional dancer.
Bruckheimer remembers the film’s team struggling to choose the lead, but that director Adrian Lyne was sold on newcomer Jennifer Beals. “The bosses at Paramount couldn’t make up their minds, so they brought all the secretaries in to view the screen tests, and they all picked Jennifer,” Bruckheimer tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Among the performers in the mix for the male lead of Nick, the steel mill owner who falls for employee Alex, was a young Kevin Costner, who read audition scenes with Beals and other actresses. “He definitely was considered,” Bruckheimer recalls. As for why Michael Nouri was ultimately the right fit for the part, the producer explains, “He’s handsome and a very good actor, and he did an excellent job.”
Michael Nouri and Jennifer Beals in Flashdance
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Regarding the audition process, Nouri — who has appeared with Costner on Yellowstone — says, “Kevin is a friend, and he has, in the days since, confirmed that yes, he auditioned for the role.” As for having prevailed over such fierce competition, Nouri adds, “It was a great compliment.”
Beals tells THR that she was working in Paris that summer after finishing high school and hoped to save up some money when she received a written letter from her agent — as she didn’t have phone access on her trip — asking her to stop by New York City on her way home to Chicago. Upon landing in NYC, the actress spent a night sleeping outside in a park until her mother implored her to stay with a relative in the city throughout the audition process.
When she learned that the part was hers, Beals had already briefly started at Yale University that fall before deferring. She was asked early on to do a nude scene but demurred. “Adrian called me and was trying to convince me that he would make it tasteful. I just said, ‘No disrespect to you, but I don’t know you,’ ” she says with a laugh. Lyne was swayed, and Beals emphasizes that she would love to work again with the filmmaker, who is also known for such titles as Fatal Attraction (1987) and last year’s Deep Water.
Jennifer Beals and director Adrian Lyne on the Flashdance set
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
Flashdance launched fashion trends, with women mimicking Beals’ off-the-shoulder sweatshirt that became one of the film’s signature looks. Beals recalls having previously created her own DIY cutoff sweatshirt during an early wardrobe fitting for the film, which helped inspire her character’s unique sartorial choice. “I had left my sweatshirt in the dryer too long, and so I couldn’t get my head through the hole,” Beals says about the fateful fitting. “So I cut out the hole to make it bigger. And then [costume designer] Michael Kaplan just made it cooler and better.”
THR’s review praised the film’s “bounding, upbeat energy and sensational dance sequences,” but other critics were less impressed. Still, Flashdance was an immediate hit when it debuted April 15, 1983, collecting $92.9 million ($280 million today) to become the year’s No. 3 title domestically. It went on to earn four Oscar noms, including a best song win for Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling.”
Nouri remembers the mixed critical reaction to the film, which holds a 35 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, he remains proud that the movie is such a crowd-pleaser: “It wasn’t favored by the critics, and that really didn’t make any difference in terms of the movie becoming iconic.” And Bruckheimer quips, “One reviewer called it a toxic waste dump and revisited it like 20 years later and said, ‘I missed it.’”
Jennifer Beals in Flashdance
Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection
For Beals, whose recent credits include Netflix’s 2022 feature Luckiest Girl Alive and Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett, the film’s enduring legacy stems in part from its inclusion of themes that weren’t as common for studio films of the era. She says, “When I think about that scene where she’s walking down the hallway, and there are all the ballerinas there, it’s not only a classist image, it also speaks volumes about barriers in regards to race as well.”
The Hollywood Reporter
A version of this story first appeared in the March 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
At first, when suburban mom Kristin gets the mysterious call to head to Italy to settle the affairs of a dead relative, she protests she’s too busy. Then she realizes there’s not much keeping her: Her son is off to college, her job is dead-end, and her husband? He’s cheating with the school guidance counselor.
So why not treat herself to a me-focused trip, a la Julia Roberts? Maybe an “Eat, Pray, Love” trip, muses Kristin (Toni Collette), to which her friend (Sophie Nomvete) replies that what she really needs, bluntly, is to “Eat, Pray, $%&$.”
Soon that’s the slogan for her trip. It also would a great alternative title for “Mafia Mamma,” if they could get away with it. And really, they try to get away with most everything else.
That includes some cringe-worthy slapstick, some Tarantino-level violence, and also every Italian stereotype you can imagine (Grape-stomping? Check. Gelato, gnocchi and cannoli? Check. Speaking of cannoli: “The Godfather?” Check. Stanley Tucci’s food show? Check!) Some of this is to be expected, but “Mafia Mamma,” directed by Catherine Hardwicke, is over-saturated with shtick. And in a script which seeks to empower its protagonist by having her don a tight dress and commit murder with a stiletto heel to the groin (and eyeball), the goriest death is by cliché. Nobody escapes it.
Not even the wonderfully versatile Collette, who does yeoman’s work selling the increasingly repetitive plot developments, especially in the latter half, and maintaining sympathy for her character, who’s such a wide-eyed fish out of water, she’s never even seen “The Godfather” (a running joke, which like many jokes here is funny the first time).
The opening scenes are promising. We begin with always-welcome Monica Bellucci, as hardened consiglieri Bianca, surveying a crime scene full of dead bodies, including her boss Giuseppe Balbano, and declaring: “This is war.” Soon, Kristin gets Bianca’s call about grandad, whom she never knew. Kristin grew up in America and always assumed grandad was a vintner (and Tony Soprano was in waste management…).
Soon Kristin arrives in Rome, ready to eat, pray and you-know-what. (After all, her husband’s you-know-whatting with the guidance counselor, who has one of the film’s funnier lines when she says, caught in the act: “I want you to know I’m a feminist!”) It seems like the you-know-what is about to happen quickly for Kristin too, because an impossibly handsome guy just happens to show up at the airport and take her number.
At the funeral, Kristin narrowly escapes death when the procession itself is attacked by the rival family (a cascade of oranges running down the cobblestoned street is a clever “Godfather” reference, until the joke gets tired). At the family home, she’s shown a video message designating her as the successor. She tries to flee, but Bianca tells her she can’t run from her destiny.
And so the film chronicles her making peace with that destiny, even if peace means severing a few eyeballs from their sockets along the way.
Not that Kristin becomes evil or anything. Most of her bad deeds are done by accident or in self-defense. But the worst deed of all is that the movie can’t decide what it wants her, or itself, to be. It’s not fully slapstick comedy — wine-stomping scenes aside — and hardly a serious crime saga.
Most of all, it seems to want to tell a story of female empowerment; at one point Kristin is reminded to never let a man dictate who she can be or what she can do. Nice message, but it’s muddled. Who exactly is dictating? Surely not her husband, a caricature of a doofus.
And so, despite some satisfying moments, by the increasingly cringe-worthy last third of the movie you’re just annoyed that it seems to want to cover all bases — to have its, er, cannoli and eat it, too. Maybe Kristin should just eat, pray, you-know-what, and head on home.
“Mafia Mamma,” a Bleecker Street release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America “for bloody violence, sexual content and language.” Running time: 101 minutes. Two stars out of four.
___
MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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In one corner, the Rupert Murdoch-owned conservative cable network that has a powerful and often polarizing influence on political discourse in the U.S., irritating liberals and providing sustenance to Donald Trump’s supporters.
Across the ring is the Denver-based voting equipment maker, which says Fox News damaged its reputation to the tune of $1.6 billion dollars when guests and hosts on the network falsely said the company was a central player in rigging the 2020 election for President Biden, a myth promoted by the Trump camp.
Dominion is arguing the network perpetuated Trump’s lies through his attorney Sidney Powell and adviser Rudy Giuliani in order to keep its unhappy viewers from fleeing to upstart conservative channel Newsmax.
Opening arguments begin Monday in Delaware Superior Court — a development that is stunning in itself as legal experts noted that such defamation cases rarely go to trial.
If sports books offered a line on a settlement, most lawyers would have bet it would be done before evidence was gathered for discovery. As a result, the dishy internal communications by Fox News talent and executives have been sprayed out by the press like candy from a piñata.
Rupert Murdoch introduces Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the Herman Kahn Award Gala, Oct. 30, 2019, in New York.
(Mary Altaffer/AP)
“I’m very surprised it didn’t settle before discovery and before Fox had to produce all of this stuff that garnered all this publicity,” said Lee Levine, a veteran 1st Amendment attorney.
Texts, emails and deposition testimony provided a glimpse into the inner workings of Fox News, showing how executives and hosts tried to balance their own disbelief of Trump’s allegations with their perceived need to mollify his supporters who habitually watch the network.
Documents also revealed disdainful comments about Trump and Powell and tensions between the right-wing commentators and straight-news journalists working at the network.
Judge Eric Davis has already ruled that Fox News did present false information, citing programs hosted by Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro and Lou Dobbs. Murdoch acknowledged as much in his deposition testimony given in January.
The ruling rejects the network’s defense that the false claims were newsworthy because they were made on behalf of the president, which legal experts believe is a huge advantage for Dominion.
The 12-person jury in Delaware will have to decide whether Fox News acted with malice by presenting the claims while knowing the information was false or displaying a reckless disregard for the truth.
Jurors will probably see the network’s talent take the stand to defend their actions. The 92-year-old Murdoch could be among the first witnesses called with his son Lachlan, executive chairman of Fox News parent Fox Corp, not far behind.
Donald Trump calls into Fox News a month before the 2020 election.
(Fox News )
The high-profile nature of the case and its witnesses will put courtroom sketches and video in heavy rotation on the network evening news and cable outlets CNN and MSNBC, who are more than happy to report on the troubles of a competitor. (So far, Fox News has seen no ratings erosion related to the case as it has maintained its dominant share of the cable news audience).
The defense is likely to lean heavily on the on-air-talent-turned-witnesses to show they were trying to get answers on the voter fraud claims being made and did not present them as fact. Their experience in front of the TV camera is expected to help.
“They are going to have these stars and these people are very polished performers and that can be very attractive before a jury,” said Stuart Brotman, a journalism professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Dominion will argue that executives and producers throughout Fox News knew the allegations from Powell and Giuliani were false — often describing them as “nuts” and “crazy” in private — but did not act to stop them from being repeated on the air.
Fox News attorneys are also likely to assert that Dominion’s business has not been damaged by any of the statements made on the network.
In a hearing Wednesday, Fox News attorneys noted that Dominion had its second best revenue year in its history in 2022, outperforming the company’s projections. The point will probably be part of their argument that the $1.6 billion damages the company is seeking is way out of proportion to its asset value.
But the walk-up to the trial has not gone well for Fox News. On Wednesday, Davis sanctioned Fox News attorneys for “discovery misconduct” after it was revealed that taped conversations with Giuliani, Powell and an unnamed Trump campaign official were not submitted in evidence.
Davis is considering a special master to investigate whether Fox News has withheld other evidence. Dominion can also conduct further depositions at Fox’s expense.
“I think it’s a lawyer’s worst nightmare to come up on the eve of trial and realize that you have so totally offended the judge,” said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law.
If the court finds other instances of evidence that was not submitted, Davis could inform the jury and cut into their trust of the defense.
“It would be a really serious sanction if he tells the jury Fox has withheld information,” Brotman said. “That would hurt.”
Fox News is trying to make the case that a Dominion victory would weaken 1st Amendment protections.
“While Dominion has pushed irrelevant and misleading information to generate headlines, Fox News remains steadfast in protecting the rights of a free press, given a verdict for Dominion and its private equity owners would have grave consequences for the entire journalism profession,” the company said in a statement.
Dominion has challenged Fox News’ 1st Amendment defense.
“As long-settled law makes clear, the First Amendment does not shield broadcasters that knowingly or recklessly spread lies,” a Dominion representative said in a statement. “The Court has rejected Fox’s First Amendment ‘newsworthy allegation’ defense and held that Dominion’s lawsuit is consistent with the First Amendment.”
Levine believes if Dominion prevails, it will actually dampen efforts to overturn New York Times vs. Sullivan, the landmark decision that sets the standard for malice in defamation cases. Some conservative leaders have expressed a desire to change the law because they believe burden of proof is too high.
“Nobody sees this as some sort of threat to mainstream news organizations and in fact most people, including me, see it as a ironically as a boon to press freedom,” Levine said. “There will probably be a short period of copycat cases where people out there have been criticized in the press and try to see a payday. They’ll be dealt with in due course, and long term, I don’t think it will have any impact.”
The third installment of Guardians of the Galaxy debuts next month and Disney World is celebrating! A new Premium Skyliner Bucket is coming to EPCOT in just a few days!
Popcorn bucket alert!! Disney collectors and Marvel fans get ready because this is adorable!
Photo: Disney Eats
Disney Eats shared the news today on Instagram. The caption reads, “These new popcorn buckets are out of this world!”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
This highly anticipated film is bittersweet as it will conclude the trilogy. Fans have been speculating about what will occur in the plot, after seeing some emotional images and videos.
Photo: Marvel
Several theories are circulating, regarding the fate of the characters. Find out what happens when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023.
Premium Skyliner Bucket
Disney Eats shares “You’ll be able to bring your favorite Guardians of the Galaxy along with you on your own foodie adventures with this new Premium Skyliner Bucket.”
Photo: Disney Eats
It will be available at any of EPCOT’s popcorn carts starting April 17! Fans are getting a sneak peek at one side of the collectible today for Foodie Friday.
This Premium Skyliner bucket is predominately blue, and says “Disney Skyliner” on the side. Groot and Rocket are hanging out of the window, which features a galactic background.
Photo: Disney Eats
The strap says “Guardians of the Galaxy” in bright orange tones. So, what do you think of this design?
Is it something you plan on adding to your collection? If so, make sure to plan accordingly, when the Guardians of the Galaxy Premium Skyliner Bucket arrives at EPCOT on April 17!
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MGM was once the most powerful studio in Hollywood. The makers of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind once even had their own police station on the studio lot. But although the name MGM might not carry the same weight it once did, the company still exists, and Amazon recently acquired them. Now, according to Deadline, Amazon is looking to expand those MGM IPs into series and films for Prime Video and theatrical. Among them are beloved sci-fi franchises like Stargate, RoboCop, and many more.
MGM
Stargate, already a long-running sci-fi franchise with multiple series, is looking to hit the reboot button for both film and streaming television. The same goes for Robocop. Whether these will be full-on reboots are legacy sequels is still up in the air. We think Peter Weller returning as Alex Murphy/Robocop would probably get a lot more traction than another remake. Legally Blonde is another movie franchise that Amazon is looking at for both film and TV. Other titles named include Fame, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven, Pink Panther and The Thomas Crown Affair. Although TV seems to be the place for most of these. .
The one we’re most potentially excited (and nervous) about is a potential Poltergeist project. The 1982 film is one of the most seminal horror movies ever made. Neither the first two sequels nor the remake were ever really worthy of the original Tobe Hooper film, which Steven Spielberg wrote. But a series picking up forty years after the original (and maybe ignoring the sequels) could be very interesting. Last year, Amazon acquired MGM for a staggering $8.5 billion. So expect to see lots of old franchises dusted off and given a 21st-century shine in the coming years. Even some deep-cut ones you may never have heard of before.
Microsoft is making it easier to view your photos in File Explorer. The latest Windows 11 developer preview rolling out today includes Gallery, a new feature that lets you view the Photos app’s image library while browsing files and folders.
The Gallery view, the shortcut to which is found in the File Explorer’s navigation panel, arrives in Windows Insider Build 23435. After selecting Gallery, the main file-browsing window will show thumbnails of the same images from the All Photos view of the Photos app. Microsoft says it’s optimized for accessing your most recent photos if you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup activated on your phone; they’ll display right up top.
It should also make it easy to find content from specific folders. “You can choose which folders are shown in Gallery through the Collection dropdown,” Microsoft’s announcement reads. “You can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of your content, such as desktop backgrounds and SD card/camera imports.” In addition, Gallery will appear as an option in the file-picking dialog, which should simplify attaching images to emails, PowerPoint presentations or social posts.
Gallery in the Windows 11 file-picker view
Microsoft
Microsoft says the feature is rolling out gradually and won’t be available to all Dev Channel Insiders immediately. Instead, the company will “monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.” Although it seems like a feature that will make its way to future stable releases, it’s still in beta and could (theoretically) end up on the cutting-room floor if the company receives negative feedback or changes course.
Editors note:This review was originally published May 22 after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.The film opened in New York on Wednesday and today in Los Angeles.
Timing can be cruel. Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli’s second feature, Sick of Myself, has the misfortune to arrive in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section in the slipstream of Ruben Östlund’s divisive but funny competition title Triangle of Sadness; the latter being a broader, sillier but much more brutal dissection of class and culture. Sick of Myself also has to compete with the unexpected longevity of fellow countryman Joachim Trier’s hit The Worst Person In The World, which last year went from the Cannes competition all the way to the Oscars.
The net result is that despite another great, gutsy central performance from Ninjababy star Kristine Kujath Thorp, Sick of Myself won’t get the attention it might have had in previous years, which is a shame since there are some interesting ideas in the mix here and some dark laughs to be had.
Thorp plays Signe, a young woman whose boyfriend Thomas (Eirik Sæther) is a conceptual artist with a sideline in kleptomania (in the film’s somewhat misleading opening scene, we see the pair conspiring to steal a very expensive bottle of wine from a restaurant). Both are struggling, and Signe works in a coffee shop where the mundanity of everyday work is suddenly shattered when a female customer is mauled by a savage dog. Signe comes to her rescue and heads home in a daze, still covered in lashings of the other woman’s blood. It’s subtly expressed, but the attention she receives — from the police, the people she passes, and subsequently the media — plants a seed.
Later, when Thomas has unexpectedly become a rising art star with his weird compositions, some of it made from stolen furniture, Signe attends a fancy dinner in his honor.
Uncomfortable with the fact that Thomas is in the spotlight and no one is listening to her attempts at party talk, Signe affects a nut allergy. The concern she is shown emboldens her to take it further, and while Thomas is trying to make a heartfelt speech she fakes anaphylactic shock and steals his thunder.
This moment is the catalyst for what happens next: after reading about a dodgy Russian mood-altering drug called Lidexor, which is linked to a mysterious flesh-eating skin disease, Signe orders boxes and boxes of the stuff, with full knowledge of the drug’s side effects.
There’s a really good foundation for jet black satire here, and Thorp excels in the film’s superior first half, popping pills in scenes that show her effortless knack for goofy physical comedy. There’s also a little hint of Fight Club in Signe’s race to the bottom that echoes that film’s gleefully perverse embrace of nihilism, and — this is a stretch, admittedly — maybe even a touch of John Waters’ Female Trouble in Signe’s berserk pride in her willful self-mutilation when she becomes a tabloid star and even fashion model.
But somehow, Sick of Myself never quite blossoms; Signe and Thomas simply remain locked in a toxic co-dependent relationship that somehow carries on regardless, and Thorp’s expressive face starts to disappear under distracting layers of latex.
There’s fun to be had from Signe’s shameless narcissism, and her deluded fantasy scenes really lift the film when it gets a little stodgy (the best involves an in-jokey cameo from Anders Danielson Lie as a deadpan doctor). It’s not quite enough, though, to justify spending 90 minutes in these people’s company, and Borgli seems to know that, with an ending that appears to wrap things up nicely without actually doing anything of the sort.
There are two very intriguing stories going on here; one is an irreverent skit on society, the media and the celebrity of victimhood, the other is a tender portrait of a sad, lonely woman who’ll do anything to feel seen. But there’s a yawning gap in the middle — and it’s the sense of what’s missing here that lingers, not what’s there.
Title:Sick of Myself Distributor:Utopia Release date: April 12, 2023 (NY); April 14, 2023 (LA) Director-screenwriter: Kristoffer Borgli Cast: Kristine Kujath Thorp, Eirik Sæther, Fanny Vaager, Sarah Francesca Brænne, Fredrik Stenberg Ditlev-Simonsen, Steinar Klouman Hallert, Andrea Bræin Hovig, Henrik Mestad, Anders Danielsen Lie Running time: 1 hr 37 min
Saint Laurent is getting into the movie making business after Hollywood stars have commandeered the red carpet in Cannes and elsewhere wearing creations from the legendary fashion house.
Saint Laurent Productions, a division of the iconic design house, will be led by house creative director Anthony Vaccarello. The move also follows film directors and actors long being part of glitzy fashion shows, whether by sitting in the front row or making grand entrances on runways with top designers.
Now Saint Laurent’s new film production banner will launch in Cannes with its first production, Pedro Almodóvar’s Strange Way of Life. The short sees Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal play two middle-aged gunslingers with a deep connection who meet up again after a 25-year separation.
And the luxury brand’s film production arm also has two projects involving David Cronenberg and Paolo Sorrentino in the works. “These directors never fail to open my mind and, in a way, the singular, radical vision they bring to cinema has made me the person I am today,” Vaccarello said in a statement.
Canadian director Cronenberg is a favorite of Cannes and most recently premiered his latest film, Crimes of the Future, on the Croisette. And Italian director Sorrentino has also debuted his films in Cannes, including The Hand of God in 2021.
The late French designer Yves Saint Laurent launched and ran the luxury couture house with his business and life partner Pierre Bergé. The upcoming movies from Saint Laurent Productions will feature costumes by Vaccarello for his fashion house.
“I want to work with and provide a space for all the great film talents who have inspired me over the years,” Vaccarello added.
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The Coterie crew continues to lean on each other as their lives change. Has the Good Trouble TV show been cancelled or renewed for a sixth season on Freeform? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Good Trouble, season six. Bookmark it, or 
