“Happy birthday Tristan! I know this year has been so hard, but you seem to find the positive and the light amongst the sadness,” the momager, 67, wrote on Monday, March 13, via her Instagram Stories. “You look at the glass half full and it has been so great watching you grow as a dad, a friend, a brother, an uncle and a son.”
The NBA star — who turned 32 on Monday — faced tragedy earlier this year when his mom, Andrea Thompson, died in January.
“You have shown me such inspiration and many lessons when it comes to how you deal with adversity and challenges that seem insurmountable,” Jenner penned in tribute to Tristan, who shares two children with Kardashian, 38. “You have used these challenges as opportunities to better yourself day by day.”
The Kardashians star noted that she knows how “proud” Tristan’s mom would be of the man he has become.
“Thank you for that. And for being such a special part of our family. ❤️,” Jenner wrote. “We love you very much!! ❤️??”
“Dearest mommy in heaven, It has been one month since you’ve been gone. I’m in disbelief. I’m in the deepest part of sorrow & grief,” he wrote via Instagram in February. “My soul is empty as I come to terms that my biggest supporter/superhero is gone. I cannot thank you enough for always being a woman of faith, being one of God’s warriors, fighting back with whatever the world threw our way. You constantly protected us through prayer. My hero you fought all the battles you needed to and it was time for you to go home.”
In the post, the Canada native apologized to his late mother for the mistakes he has made in his life. While Tristan did not specify what he was referring to, he has made headlines for various cheating scandals, including when he and Maralee Nichols welcomed son Theo, now 15 months, while he was in a relationship with the Good American cofounder. (The former Chicago Bulls player also shares daughter True, 4, and eight-month-old son, whose name has yet to be revealed, with Kardashian in addition to being the father of Prince, 6, whom he shares with ex Jordan Craig.)
Despite their rocky relationship, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum has been by her ex’s side following his mom’s death and even attended the funeral in Toronto.
“Khloé has no intention on getting back with Tristan but no matter what happens between them, he’ll always be the father of her kids, and her family,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in February.
Family life can be fast-paced. The ever-growing need for a two-income household means people are always looking towards tech for solutions to keep the household clean and tidy. The trusty bucket and mop are increasingly a luxury for people who have time for such arduous chores. Thankfully advances and innovations in cleaning technology mean products like the Narwal Freo (opens in new tab) can take the headache out of maintaining a clean home, and do all the chasing around after dirt and spills for you.
(Image credit: Narwal)
Coming home to clean and shiny floors is one of life’s simple pleasures, and the Narwal Freo promises to deliver this by not only tackling both carpets and hard surfaces with a combination of vacuuming and superior mopping skills, but by cleaning itself when it’s done. Here is a closer look at all of Narwal Freo’s smart cleaning functions.
A truly mind-free mopping experience
The true innovation of the Narwal Freo lies in the end-to-end mopping service it provides for your floors. Kitchen floors can be victim to the most unforgiving of messes, from food crumbs to toddlers bounding in and out of the garden. The Narwal Freo will assess the mess so you don’t have to. The included Narwal app even shows rooms in a darker shade that required a more thorough cleaning so you can see where its labor was most needed.
The unit holds two high-speed rotating micro-fibre mop pads that not only scrub anything from paw prints to wine spills, but they adapt to the surface type. The Freo knows that a lighter pressure is required on a wooden floor, but it can give ceramic surfaces that little extra elbow grease. Specifically the robot is able to apply up to 12N of pressure depending on the mess and flooring type. The “DirtSense” feature is also smart enough to detect exactly how dirty your floors are, and adjust its frequency of cleaning, humidity, and delicately scented cleanser to get the job done.
(Image credit: Narwal)
A perennial problem with automatic cleaning solutions is the inevitable displaced dirt around the edges of the room, and the Narwal Freo knows to use its brain power and adapt to these blind spots with its Smart-Swing wiggle action. When gliding along walls and maneuvering around corners with its patented Corner Trap technology, the Freyo performs a 45-degree rotation of itself three times to ensure no surface is left untouched.
From hardwood to soft carpet
Most homes with wooden or ceramic flooring will have rugs in certain areas and this robot is built with some nifty features to handle different textures and the cleaning required. Whether you choose to program the Narwal Freo to avoid carpeted areas or clean them simultaneously is up to you and your needs, but with combination vacuum mops it’s essential that the robot be able to assess which of its two functions it needs to engage. The mop pads lift up intuitively when the Narwal Freo comes in contact with carpeted areas, and it simply vacuums with its rubber and nylon brush head and solid suction. This built-in intuition means the robot can be left to its work with less micromanagement from you.
(Image credit: Narwal)
It lifts its mopping pads off carpet effectively and doesn’t use too much or too little water when mopping.
A robot with its own personal hygiene standards
In between cleaning your surfaces, the robot keeps its own mop pads clean with its innovative cleaning system. The pads are kept fresh and dry between sessions, and the drying feature especially means you needn’t worry about any mold or mildew in the base. The patented cleaning solution used to keep your floors sparkling is also used in the required dose to clean the mop pads when the Freo is housed in its sleek and attractive base.
Fits in with your family Despite its boasts of powerful cleaning capabilities, the Narwal Freo is unassuming in appearance and sound. In a bustling household, the Narwal Freo goes about its business surprisingly quietly. It’s not likely to disturb your pets and gives out less noise to overload your senses over the thunderous sound of children messing up your home. Speaking of children, the handy LCD display on the base unit features a child lock to keep the Freo from being misguided by tiny prying hands.
The base unit itself is of the exquisite minimalistic design we’ve come to expect from Narwal products and should fit into most decor with ease.
(Image credit: Narwal)
While the LCD display on the unit is a handy detail that means you’re not always fumbling for your smartphone, you’ll still want to check in with the app for its more detailed features. You can adjust the level of suction, waterflow and set your own preferred schedule for it to get to work. Your level of involvement is up to you, the Narwal Freo (opens in new tab) is largely self-sufficient, needing your input only to occasionally empty and refill the water tanks and a large capacity dustbin.
From its looks to its impressive functionality, it’s clear the Narwal Freo will make cleaning floors less of a chore. With daily use you can enjoy freshly mopped floors without any of the arduous work that normally entails. What you choose to do with that spare time is up to you, but at least when it comes to your floors you won’t need to lift a finger.
For more information on the Narwal Freo and to order one for your home at a substantial discount, head over to the Narwal website (opens in new tab). Enter code techradar at checkout to save $250 off the final cost before March 26, 2023.
Logline:Down Low is an outrageous comedy about one wild night, a deeply repressed man, the twink who gives him a happy ending and all the lives they ruin along the way…
Key Quote: Doyle: “There is a beating heart underneath all of the outrageousness that is first proposed when you start watching the movie… there’s something so fresh about their outrageous sense of humor mixed with this sort of deeply feeling, wanting, unsettled, love that is sort of beating underneath it.”
Gage: “It might be morbid at times, making you think about death and mortality, but also, hate to break it to you but we’re all gonna die. So, you better live your life to the fullest and you better embrace every moment because all that other shit doesn’t really matter.”
The Deadline Studio at SXSW runs March 10-13, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Austin, Texas.
Diana Ross pulled out all the stops in the name of Oscar Sunday … giving people in attendance at Byron Allen‘s annual gala a night of endless love.
The former Supremes singer was havin’ a blast headlining Byron’s shindig at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, busting out some of her classics from the past 6 decades.
The 78-year-old icon performed for about an hour and had 3 costume changes over that period. Yes, Miss Ross still knows how to put on a show!
TMZ.com
Believe it or not, Diana wasn’t the only big event at this shindig — attendees could also pay money, which went to Children’s Hospital L.A., to get roasted by the famed roastmaster Jeff Ross — and Chrissy Teigen‘s mom Vilailuck was one of the lucky donors.
Take a look, Jeff doesn’t go easy on her, but we guess that’s the best bang for your buck — no pun intended. Howie Mandel MC’d the roast and threw in his 2 cents too.
Despite Jeff’s harsh roasting of several folks who donated to the cause, not a single comedian was slapped!!!
All that AND Diana belting out her hits? An invite to this party was the second best thing you could win Sunday night.
Even by the abysmally low standards of the first two films in the franchise, Baaghi 3 is a shit show. It’s a film whose plot is so far removed from common sense and basic logic that you have to wonder what little regard the filmmakers must have for the audience.
Tiger Shroff, who is the star attraction of the Baaghi films, is in reliably good form, playing for the nth time a one-man-weapon-of-mass-destruction. At different points in the film he outruns helicopters that are on his tail, he lobs grenades at his enemies while dangling from a wire, and narrowly escapes being mowed down by oncoming tanks. Although there is some fun to be had watching him single-handedly take on an entire country, you can’t help thinking that a smarter director would have no trouble marrying Tiger’s sheer prowess in the action department with a script that knows how to better utilize it.
In the hands of Ahmed Khan, however, Baaghi 3 is a bloated mess. As many as five writers are credited with banging out the script, which stays largely faithful to the Tamil film of which it is an official remake. Tiger plays Ronnie, who has spent the bulk of his years protecting his timid elder brother Vikram (Riteish Deshmukh) from bullies and all manner of harm.
Vikram, who is a police officer, is dispatched to Syria on an assignment, where he is attacked and kidnapped by an Islamic terrorist organization. When Ronnie shows up to save his sibling he unleashes such havoc it prompts the terror leader to enquire who is responsible for the upheaval: “America? Russia? Mossad?”
It’s a harebrained premise; there is zero understanding or sensitivity for the politics of the region. Accents are clunky and all over the place. Presumably the film is set in Syria for its ravaged landscape, although it has been shot in Serbia. Baaghi 3 is executed with such lack of self-awareness it doesn’t even cut it as one of those Chuck Norris-saves-the-world entertainers.
Actors like Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat are wasted in roles that do no justice to their talent. Ritesh Deshmukh cheerily hams it up as the mild-mannered, darpok older brother prone to calling out for his younger sibling each time he’s in trouble. Shraddha Kapoor strictly provides comic relief, then possibly as an afterthought on the part of the makers gets into action mode. To put it simply, none of the actors besides the film’s leading man leaves any mark.
Baaghi 3 is the Tiger Shroff show all the way, and the actor – frequently shirtless and bronzed – looks happy to do the heavy lifting. Despite the clunky script, he is utterly and entirely convincing even in the most preposterous action scenarios; yes even when he’s perched atop three crashed helicopters, preening satisfactorily. Tiger is all muscle neck down, and largely wooden up north. There’s not a lot of range or emotion on that face, and yet it’s hard not to appreciate the sheer artistry of what he does with the rest of that body.
Like the tattered shirt that barely hangs off his ripped frame, Baaghi 3 hangs by a thread off its leading man’s strong shoulders. Tiger is the only reason the film isn’t completely unwatchable. I’m going with a generous two out of five; both stars strictly for the cub who deserves the kind of material that’ll let him grow into the lion he’s clearly poised to be.
Rajeev Masand is the Entertainment Editor of CNN-IBN. An avid film buff, and critic, Masand also hosts the popular To Catch a Star on CNN-IBN. …Read More
Sean “Diddy” Combs is entering the race to buy BET, joining fellow media moguls Tyler Perry and Byron Allen as they vie to purchase a majority stake of BET Media Group amid reports that owner Paramount Global is exploring a sale of the asset, Variety has confirmed.
Run by CEO Scott Mills, BET Media Group includes BET, BET+, VH1 (which was moved under the group in a restructuring at Paramount last November) and BET’s production arm, BET Studios.
A source close to Combs tells Variety that the global music icon and record executive turned multi-industry entrepreneur is “exploring the opportunity to purchase BET as a part of his strategy to build a Black-owned global media powerhouse.”
Another source familiar with the situation tells Variety, that while Combs has expressed interest in acquiring BET, he is not yet considered to be in talks with Paramount to purchase a majority stake. In fact, that insider says that Paramount is not yet in talks with anyone at this point in the process, but that many parties have expressed interest.
Paramount Global declined Variety‘s request for comment.
Of course, Combs is already the owner of Revolt, which he launched in 2013. Over the past decade, the network rooted in hip-hop culture has developed into a multimedia company that produces linear and digital long-form series and multi-platform short-form programming. At its inception, Revolt reached roughly 25 million households; today, that number is roughly 80 million, with its digital reach exponentially greater.
Under the leadership of CEO Detavio Samuels, who joined the company in 2020, Revolt has expanded their slate — increasing their original series offerings from 26 to 42 in two years, with weekly programs like “Revolt Black News,” “Drink Champs” and “Kingdom Culture With T.D. Jakes” producing about 40 episodes a year, plus the series “Caresha Please.” In 2022, Revolt, which is headquartered in Atlanta, also launched a podcast network with a roster of more than 30 series, as well as Revolt Mixtape, a new FAST channel for library programs and exclusives. Since January 2020, the digital audience has grown from 500,000 unique views per month to 12 million digital visitors monthly, plus 18 million social followers.
Combs also has a longstanding relationship with Paramount Global, dating back to his days with MTV, where he produced three iterations of “Making the Band” between 2002 and 2009, which were a major success for the network.
Acquiring BET would give Combs the opportunity to bring the two networks together in a unique way, broadening BET’s audience reach with Revolt’s younger and more diverse audience, plus engaging the company’s strength in digital, with a reported 12 million digital visitors monthly, plus 18 million social followers.
Most important to Combs though, a source tells Variety, is that BET return to being a Black-owned brand, which he believes is “better for the business, for the culture and for building wealth in the Black community.” Acquiring the network presents an opportunity for the Black community to come together to own an important platform and Combs would enlist a collective of high-powered Black businesspeople and entertainers to further build it up.
According to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported Paramount Global is interested in selling off BET in an article published last Monday, “The decision to consider selling a majority stake of the assets, which cater primarily to Black audiences, is part of the entertainment giant’s effort to shore up resources to bolster its flagship Paramount+ streaming service and its advertiser-supported free streaming platform Pluto TV, some of the people said.”
Last week, Variety confirmed that Perry has had early discussions about acquiring the network, while a spokesperson for Allen stated that the Allen Media Group founder is also “interested in buying BET, and he will be pursuing the acquisition of the network.” The New York Times reported Friday that Group Black, a Black-owned, Miami-based media company, has also expressed interest. The company, founded in 2021 by Travis Montaque, Richelieu Dennis and Bonin Bough, recently put in a bid of $400 million for Vice Media and would be teaming up with CVC Capital Partners, a private-equity firm based in Luxembourg, as well as prominent Black artists and business people for the potential BET deal.
Perry currently owns a minority stake in BET and also produces a large portion of the programming available on BET and streamer BET+, which he helped launch in 2019.
Allen acquired the Black News Channel for $11 million, which joins The Weather Channel along with digital outlets such as Local Now, HBCU GO and TheGrio. Allen Media Group has also invested over $1 billion in the last 3 years to acquire 27 ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates.
Reddit is “home of thousands of communities, endless conversations, and authentic human connection.” It can be an amazing resource for finding the best insights on topics and trends you care about.
That’s why we’re excited to announce the new Reddit integration for Feedly! You can now connect your Reddit account to Feedly and pull content from communities and searches directly into your Feeds.
Then, use the power of Feedly AI to surface important Reddit content and filter out noisy posts.
With the Feedly Reddit integration, I really enjoy finding new insights and starting conversations about topics that are key to me. Reddit feeds now belong to my research flow and I can integrate this knowledge into my personal blog and tweets.”
Thomas Deneuville, Interaction Designer
Follow Reddit in Feedly
Find authentic information from Reddit communities to incorporate into your research. Now available for Feedly users on all plans.
Reddit communities are goldmines for conversations on specific topics. When you add a Reddit community as a source in Feedly, you can organize it into a Feed alongside any of the 10 other types of sources in Feedly, like news sources, email newsletters, and Twitter.
To get started, Click the ‘+’ button in the left navigation bar and choose the ‘Reddit Feeds’ tab.
After you connect your Reddit account, you can search for your favorite community. Enter the community name or URL in the search bar, for example: Futurology or reddit.com/r/Futurology/.
Click ‘+’ in the left navigation bar and search for Reddit communities like r/Futurology to add them to your Feeds.
Follow Reddit searches
You can follow a Reddit search in Feedly so anytime new content is published that matches your search, you’ll see the new posts in your Feeds.
To follow a search, type your Reddit search directly into the search bar in the ‘Reddit Feeds’ tab.
You can also create an advanced search query in Reddit and then paste the finished URL of the search into Feedly.
Follow a Reddit search: Search inside Feedly, or create an advanced search in Reddit and paste the URL of the search into your search bar in Feedly.
Read linked articles directly in your Feedly
If a Reddit post links to an article, Feedly AI will pull the content of the article into your Feedly. You can read it, save it to a Board, add Notes or Highlights, or tag a teammate.
When a post links to an article, you can open the article right in Feedly<br>
Ask Feedly AI to prioritize specific topics, companies, or business events
Once you’ve set up your sources, it’s time to put Feedly AI to work to help you filter out the noise.
Feedly AI will read every post published to the Reddit communities and searches you’ve followed. He’ll put the content mentioning the topics, companies, or business events you prioritize.
Feedly AI will look for your Priorities in both the posts and the articles they link out to. For example, if you prioritize SpaceX (the company), Feedly AI looks through all community posts and any linked articles to find mentions of SpaceX. It’ll add articles mentioning SpaceX to your Priority tab.
Feedly AI reads every Reddit post in this Feed and the articles they link out to, and prioritizes the ones mentioning SpaceX.
Ask Feedly AI to mute noisy Reddit posts
Just like any other piece of content in Feedly, you can ask Feedly AI to mute posts about topics you don’t care about, so you only see essential news in your Feeds.
To create a Mute Filter, go to‘Manage Leo’ → ‘Mute Filters’ to mute content about a topic or keyword.
Feedly AI reads both the content of the Reddit post and any linked content to decide whether or not to mute a post.
Feedly AI reads every post published in the selected Feed and mutes the ones mentioning iPhone.
Examples of ways to use Reddit in Feedly
Let’s look at some ways Feedly users can use the Reddit integration to stay on top of updates in their industries:
A journalist wants to stay on top of updates in the finance business industry
While researching the finance business industry, a journalist can add a Reddit search for “blockchain” in their “Finance Business” Feed to stay on top of authentic conversations related to the topic.
An HR manager wants to keep up with insights and opinions on company benefits
To keep a finger on the pulse of people’s opinions of company benefits and work/life balance, an HR manager can follow Reddit communities about the company, and about areas like r/HumanResources and r/CareerSuccess.
An angel investor wants to keep up with startups they invest in
To learn as much as possible about the startups they invested in — without spending hours sifting through Reddit — an angel investor can follow searches for the names of each startup and add them to a “Startup” Feed. Then, they can layer an AI Model for product launches on top of that “Startup” Feed. Content about product launches related to specific startups will show up in their Priority tab.
I used to feel like I was missing out on content I care about. I now have much more granular access to communities discussing my similar interests, all aggregated in Feedly.”
Dan Bolivar, Software Manager at Pariveda Solutions
Lists we like
Looking for good Reddit communities to follow? Here are some curated collections of communities to follow based on your interests:
Follow Reddit in Feedly
Find authentic information from Reddit communities to incorporate into your research. Now available for Feedly users on all plans.
How do I get started with the Reddit integration? What can I follow?
Anyone with a Feedly account (whether you’re on a free, Pro+ or Enterprise plan) has access to the Reddit integration.
To get started, click the ‘+’ icon in the left navigation bar and choose the Reddit Feeds tab. Once you connect your Reddit account, you can follow keywords, communities, or searches.
Can I follow my own Reddit homepage?
Yes. If you want to follow the homepage you see when you go to reddit.com, then type “https://www.reddit.com/” into the Feedly search bar. The homepage of the Reddit account that’s connected to your Feedly account will be pulled in as a source.
How can I follow the top Reddit posts in Feedly?
Search for “https://www.reddit.com/top”, you should see a source for the top (most upvoted) posts from your Reddit subscriptions.
Search for “https://www.reddit.com/best” and you’ll see a source for the best posts (the most upvoted, with the fewest downvotes) from your Reddit subscriptions.
What’s the limit for posts from Reddit per day?
Feedly has a limit of 1,000 posts per day from each Reddit source.
Why are you offering this new Reddit Integration?
The old Feedly + Reddit integration wasn’t reliable — some Reddit sources didn’t update, and some updated only sporadically. The new integration uses the Reddit API, which allows each user to reliably follow Reddit communities and searches. Reddit sources will be updated every 10 minutes.
After Superman appeared as a final cameo in Shazam!, one of the writers behind the upcoming DC sequel teased a similar surprising moment.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is approaching, marking one of the last movies before James Gunn and Peter Safran’s vision for the DCU kicks in.
Rumor has it that fans can expect at least one familiar face from across the DC canon to pop up in the film, but it most definitely will not be Black Adam with the rumors surrounding Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The name many believe to pop up has been Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, in what could be her last appearance as the character, but nothing has been 100% confirmed by Warner Bros. or DC Studios.
A Super-Sized Cameo in Shazam 2
Warner Bros. Pictures
Speaking with Dorkaholics, Shazam! Fury of the Gods writer Chris Morgan revealed there is a cameo akin to Superman’s in the first Shazam! in the upcoming sequel.
The screenwriter said that early in the process the Shazam 2 team asked “what if you pay off that thing that you set up in the first movie,” except instead of only showing “Superman from the neck down,” here “you actually pull up:”
“So early in the process, we’re like, you know what would be amazing, what if you pay off that thing that you set up in the first movie, the Superman from the neck down, and here you do the same thing, but you actually pull up. Wouldn’t that be cool? It started early as a fun idea amongst ourselves and then we were able to pull it off.”
Morgan reminisced about being younger, seeing movies, and talking with his friends afterward, making things like “you know what would have been cool?” This hindsight, looking back approach is something he noted went into the development of this latest DC sequel:
“I remember when I was younger I used to go to see movies and the best part of it was afterwards. You go with your friends; you get some food you like, and then ’you know what would have been cool? what about this and someone else?’ The development on this felt exactly like that.”
What Hero Is Hiding in Fury of the Gods?
While fans may never get the follow-up to that notorious Superman stinger in Shazam!, it is exciting to hear that the upcoming sequel will feature more moments like that, except they won’t leave audiences hanging like last time.
Of course, the most likely person Chris Morgan is referring to here is Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. The character has seemingly been seen in footage released from the movie; however, fans are yet to get any solid confirmation on her inclusion from Warner Bros. (WB).
If not her, then there is really no telling who could appear in the film. Names like Henry Cavill and Dwayne Johnson have left the franchise in the rearview, so it would be a little odd if they were to pop up.
Following a claim that Call of Duty: Mobile could be phased out, Activision has said it will continue to support the game with major updates for the long-term.
“We are committed to Call of Duty: Mobile as an important part of the entire Call of Duty franchise and our overall mobile strategy,” the company said in a message published on the game’s Twitter account on Monday.
“We have the best fans in the world and intend to continue supporting the game with a robust roadmap of fresh CoDM content, activities, and updates for the long haul.”
Call of Duty®: Mobile – Official Season 2: Heavy Metal Trailer
“CoD: Mobile was developed and is owned by TiMi Studios, a subsidiary of Tencent,” Microsoft said in a response to the UK competition regulator’s investigation into its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
“CoD: Mobile is expected to be phased out over time (outside of China) with the launch of Warzone Mobile.”
The company said at the time that Call of Duty: Mobile had enjoyed a record year in 2021, with consumer spending “well above” $1 billion, following a surge in downloads coinciding with its release in China.
It was a crazy year for movies, and the Academy celebrated and reward them again.
The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are one of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in the film industry. On Sunday, March 12, 2023, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event that celebrated the best films of the year.
They are an important part of American culture and have been held annually since 1929. They celebrate the best of American and international cinema and have become a cultural phenomenon that people look forward to every year.
All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis WINNER: Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Top Gun: Maverick Triangle of Sadness Women Talking
Best Director
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans Todd Field, Tár Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Best Actor
Austin Butler, Elvis Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Brendan Fraser, The Whale Paul Mescal, Aftersun Bill Nighy, Living
Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Tár Ana de Armas, Blonde Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans WINNER: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Hong Chau, The Whale Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin WINNER: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans Todd Field, TÁR Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Kazuo Ishiguro, Living Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick WINNER: Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Best Animated Feature Film
WINNER: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Puss In Boots: The Last Wish The Sea Beast Turning Red
Best International Feature Film
WINNER: All Quiet on the Western Front Argentina, 1985 Close EO The Quiet Girl
Best Documentary Feature
All That Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Fire of Love A House Made of Splinters WINNER: Navalny
Best Film Editing
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, The Banshees of Inisherin Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond, Elvis WINNER: Paul Rogers, Everything Everywhere All at Once Monika Willi, TÁR Eddie Hamilton, Top Gun: Maverick
Best Production Design
WINNER: Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper, All Quiet on the Western Front Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, and Vanessa Cole, Avatar: The Way of Water Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino, Babylon Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, and Bev Dunn, Elvis Rick Carter and Karen O’Hara, The Fabelmans
Best Sound
Viktor Prášil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel, and Stefan Korte, All Quiet on the Western Front Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, and Michael Hedges, Avatar: The Way of Water Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray, and Andy Nelson, The Batman David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, and Michael Keller, Elvis WINNER: Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor, Top Gun: Maverick
Best Visual Effects
Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank, and Kamil Jafar, All Quiet on the Western Front WINNER: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett, Avatar: The Way of Water Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands, and Dominic Tuohy, The Batman Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R. Christopher White, and Dan Sudick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson, and Scott R. Fisher, Top Gun: Maverick
Best Cinematography
WINNER: James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front Darius Khondji, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths Mandy Walker, Elvis Roger Deakins, Empire of Light Florian Hoffmeister, TÁR
Best Music (Original Song)
“Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, music and lyrics by Dianne Warren “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga and BloodPop “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, music and lyrics by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson WINNER: “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, music by M.M. Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once, music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski, lyrics by Ryan Lott
Best Music (Original Score)
WINNER: Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front Justin Hurwitz, Babylon Carter Burwell, The Banshees of Inisherin Son Lux, Everything Everywhere All at Once John Williams, The Fabelmans
Best Costume Design
Mary Zophres, Babylon WINNER: Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Catherine Martin, Elvis Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová, All Quiet on the Western Front Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, and Mike Fontaine, The Batman Camille Friend and Joel Harlow, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, and Aldo Signoretti, Elvis WINNER: Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley, The Whale
Best Live Action Short Film
WINNER: An Irish Goodbye Ivalu Le Pupille Night Ride The Red Suitcase
Best Animated Short Film
WINNER: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse The Flying Sailor Ice Merchants My Year of Dicks An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake, and I Think I Believe It
Best Documentary Short Film
WINNER: The Elephant Whisperers Haulout How Do You Measure a Year? The Martha Mitchell Effect Stranger at the Gate
Kiefer Sutherland leads a very familiar espionage story in this Paramount+ thriller series.
Plot: John Weir, a master of deception in the world of corporate espionage, is framed for murder by powerful forces who have the ability to influence and control populations.
Review: Kiefer Sutherland experienced a career resurgence when he played Jack Bauer on the long-running FOX series 24. As an unabashed fan of the insane, real-time thriller series, I loved Sutherland’s intense portrayal of an All-American hero who would stop at nothing to defend his country. After 24 left the air, Sutherland played a much different character in the political series Designated Survivor. Sutherland’s down-to-earth performance was consistent throughout the series, which made him an everyman character who bordered on being a superhero. Now, Kiefer is back in a new thriller show with action elements and conspiracy theories aplenty, this time on a streaming platform where he can drop copious f-bombs while still defending the United States from nefarious bad guys harnessing technology to bend the masses to their evil ways. Basically, Rabbit Hole is Mr. Robot if it were produced by the creators of 24. That is not necessarily bad, but you know what you are in store for from when the series begins.
Based on the trailers, you may think you know what Rabbit Hole is and would be partially right. Kiefer Sutherland plays John Weir, an expert at corporate espionage who helps sway business outcomes based on carefully orchestrated operations that make his clients rich, and their enemies fail. Think Mission: Impossible meets Inception but without the science fiction twists. John and his team are experts at their craft, making them incredibly paranoid. Weir has mastered thinking of scenarios a dozen steps in advance, allowing him to pull off intricate schemes without a hitch. But, when a plan goes awry, Weir becomes the prime suspect in a massive murder conspiracy that puts him on the radar of every major agency. At that point, the series adds a big dose ofThe Fugitive, a reboot of which Sutherland starred for the now-defunct Quibi. All of this occurs within the first episode with a hefty twist that changes what this series is really all about.
Having seen the first four episodes of Rabbit Hole, I am unsure if series creators John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were entirely certain about what they wanted this show to be. Over the first episodes, the plot, tone, and style of Rabbit Hole shift again and again from dramatic to tense, comedic and light to violent and cynical, and then to a rip-roaring thrill ride of a tale. What is certain is that Kiefer Sutherland appears to be having a lot more fun with this character than he has in any series he has starred in. Sutherland plays Weir as a smart-ass who suffers from anxiety and paranoia but is not afraid to mess around with his colleagues and the targets of his various tactics to clear his name and attempt to stop the malicious antagonists at the center of this narrative. Sutherland gets to do what he has become quite good at doing, including running around, using computers via VPNs and all sorts of Hollywood hacker technology, and tapping into the political climate at any given time. Rabbit Hole is awash with references to the Deep State, fake news, and extremists coercing the public with online propaganda.
What helps make Rabbit Hole work is the solid cast surrounding Sutherland, especially Charles Dance and Meta Golding. Dance, who plays Dr. Ben Wilson, also seems to have a lot of fun with his character here, playing Ben Wilson as a vital participant in Weir’s operation and a mentor deeply rooted in the conspiracies that make up this story. Golding, who plays attorney Hailey Winton, is a solid foil for Kiefer Sutherland, serving as both a love interest as well as our entry into the complex core of this tale. Jason Butler Harner is great as Weir’s friend, Valence, while Enid Graham is solid as FBI agent Jo Madi who is on the trail of Weir before anyone else realizes what is going on. Many other characters factor into this story, but to divulge anything about them would spoil what Requa and Ficarra have in store for you. It should go without saying that this series has pretty much summed up its entire concept in the trailer but really gives away nothing about what is really going on here.
Best known for writing Bad Santa and directing Crazy, Stupid, Love, and Focus. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra are clearly trying to emulate Joe and Anthony Russo’s career trajectory with this series. Rabbit Hole does not quite have the grandeur of big-screen productions, but it does feature solid set pieces and some well-orchestrated moments that kept it from feeling too much like a network drama. Still, several commercial break moments made this series feel more basic cable than premium. The problems with the series are that it feels like something we have seen before, even from a series that starred Kiefer Sutherland. Requa and Ficarra’s last series, neXt, was a network drama with a procedural format that boasted a couple of actors we see in Rabbit Hole. The biggest shift from that series to this one is the profanity.
Fans of 24 and Designated Survivor will probably like Rabbit Hole. Fans of Mission: Impossible will probably enjoy it, too, but no one will get a series that reinvents the genre. At best, Rabbit Hole has fun playing with the conventions of the espionage genre and gives Kiefer Sutherland a character who is having a little more fun saving the world than he has over the last twenty years. For an eight-episode season, the first four chapters of Rabbit Hole set up a lot of different directions this series could go and boasts an ensemble that would be entertaining to watch as they try to get there. Some tweaking and a little more intensity could make this a solid ongoing series, but for now, it is a forgettable one. I had fun watching Rabbit Hole while it was on, but I felt no need to keep going once I finished the available episodes.
Rabbit Hole premieres on March 26th on Paramount+.
Scream VI Photo: Paramount Pictures (Getty Images)
NOTE:This article contains spoilers for Scream (2021) and Scream VI (2023). Read on with caution!
Six movies in, die-hard fans of the Scream franchise—thanks largely to the clued-in commentary of the series’ protagonists—know the hallmarks of any well-respecting Ghostface: they’re someone you know, there’s (more often than not) a few of them, and if they look dead… that doesn’t mean much.
Or maybe, now that the franchise has firmly placed itself in a new generation of final guys and girls, it does. In a new interview with Variety, Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett dive into some of the film’s plot points, and talk that one specific death scene with a direct tie to the original Scream’s Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard).
Let’s back up a bit (and dish on a few major spoilers while we do so): in the original 1996 Scream, original Ghostface Stu finally bites the dust after Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) crushes his head with a TV set. Although the blow appears pretty fateful, Stu’s possible return to the franchise has long been a hot topic on Scream message boards and fan wikis alike.
At the end of Scream VI, mild-mannered collegiate Ethan (Jack Champion) is revealed to be at least one of the people behind the Ghostface mask, and the younger brother of the late Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid). Revealed to have magically survived after taking a knife directly to the gullet via Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Ethan has one last run at slicing up his targets—until franchise veteran Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) crushes his skull with a TV. “I saw that in a scary movie once,” she says, a knowing nod to Stu’s death by the same murder weapon in 1996’s Scream.
So was Ethan’s death meant to prove to viewers that Stu is, to put it gently, dead as a doornail and never coming back to wreak murderous havoc again? Gillet answers simply: “Yes.”
“That is scripted, specifically, as a brutal and definitive kill,” Gillett shares. For his own part, Bettinelli-Olpin wasn’t as pressed about quieting those Scream-heads hell-bent on the idea that Stu can’t be dead, not really—he just loved having the chance to allude to a classic trope in the Scream universe, the “one last pop up.”
Once we got the idea of [Kirby] saying, ‘I saw that in a scary movie once,’ we had to do it,” Bettinelli-Olpin shares. “It was more about that than saying anything about all of the Stu truthers out there.”
“Separate Pairs” – Henry and Helen go undercover as billionaires when the Omega Sector team gets an opportunity to bring down a weapons dealer. Helen struggles to separate her home and new work life, on the CBS Original series TRUE LIES, Wednesday, March 15 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available on the CBS app and streaming on Paramount+.
Oscar weekend proved that the season — and the industry itself — has truly gone global.
Three years after “Parasite” became the first non-English-language movie to win Best Picture, the Oscars went international across many categories, and turned the ceremony into a global village. The evening reflected an awards season and industry where Hollywood matters more as a portal and less as a source. Not everyone is happy about this — on Facebook, Paul Schrader groused about “the scramble to be woke” and a loss of the ceremony’s “provincial” origins — but that’s selective memory: Hollywood is the invention of immigrants.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” made the most noise, but one of the biggest historical achievements was played off the stage. In the acceptance speech for documentary short film “The Elephant Whisperers,” producer Guneet Monga yelled into the microphone that her movie was the first Indian production to win an Oscar. The front row, filled with A-listers, heard her and cheered; everyone at home heard a blaring orchestra.
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“I planned to say that Indian history has had 100 years of great movies,” Monga told IndieWire at the Governors Ball after the show, flanked by director Kartiki Gonsalves, “but tonight we were celebrating two women.” Later, she shared her full remarks. “This is the first-ever Oscar an Indian production,” she planned to say, adding, “1.4 billion Indians, this is for you. We have all manifested this together.”
Though five Indians had won Oscars before — including an honorary prize for Satyajit Ray — the win for the Tamil-language short about an elephant sanctuary provided a significant reminder of the Oscars’ global impact well beyond the category of Best International Feature Film. (It was underscored later that night, when Tollywood sensation “RRR” won Best Original Song.)
For Monga, the night served as karmic justice after “The Lunchbox,” a surprise Indian hit in the U.S. that she produced 10 years ago, failed to make the cut as India’s Oscar submission. She wasn’t giving up on her home country or its tongue. “The films I do in this language seem to travel,” she said, but added that she hoped to develop a project similar to 2016’s “Lion” with Indian actors speaking English. “I have the script, so we’ll see,” she said.
“The Elephant Whisperers” victory was cheered on from a watch party in India, where cohorts got up at 5 a.m. to watch the ceremony. Meanwhile, in Italy, some 300 people crammed into a screening at the film archive Cineteca di Bologna to cheer on Best Live Action short film nominee Alice Rohrwacher, the acclaimed filmmaker whose Catholic school charmer “Le Pupille” was nominated.
Sitting outside the Dolby theater with her father before the show began, Rohrwacher blushed just thinking about it. “I said, ‘Guys I’m not going to win,’” she explained. “‘Don’t do this!’” Her mind was already turning to her next feature, “La Chimera,” that stars British actor Josh O’Connor as an archeologist but has him speaking Italian throughout. “He speaks it perfectly!” she said with a grin.
Rohrwacher’s prediction turned out to be true — but “Le Pupille” lost in a category exclusively populated by non-American shorts. As the business of movies contracts, global achievements stood out.
“All Quiet on the Western Front”
Courtesy of Netflix
While German war epic “All Quiet on the Western Front” was the sole non-English language movie nominated for Best Picture, it wasn’t the only non-American one in the category. “Triangle of Sadness,” the delicious social satire that garnered widespread Hollywood fans months after its Palme d’Or win, was a co-production from Swedish auteur Ruben Ostlund that just happened to be in English.
At a Sunset Marquis party hosted by the Swedish Film Institute a few days before the Oscars, the institute’s international manager Theo Tsappos insisted that “Triangle of Sadness” was still Swedish. “We think of that in terms of cultural impact, not language,” he said. Ostlund himself, standing nearby, disagreed. “Triangle of Sadness” was shot in Greece with financing that included everything from German to Canadian money in addition to the U.S. “In a way,” he said, “we are more of an international film than ‘All Quiet on the Western Front.’”
International influence encompassed the Best Picture winner as well.”Everything Everywhere All at Once” opens with subtitles in Mandarin and Cantonese that stick around for much of the movie as its multiverse saga addresses the nuances of a first-generation Asian American household. At a Vanity Fair party in Beverly Hills two days before the show, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” co-director Daniel Scheinert and producer Jonathan Wang estimated that 25 percent of the movie was in Chinese dialect. Realizing the implications after spending months in campaign mode, Scheinert smiled. “Hey, maybe we could’ve been nominated for one of those international Oscars, too!” he said.
It was a half-hearted joke by an exhausted filmmaker, but underscored the sense that movies have a greater international footprint than ever before.”Top Gun: Maverick” doesn’t name the nationality of its villains, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has African superheroes, and “Avatar: The Way of Water” revolves around indigenous tribes on an imaginary planet. American cinema looks awfully small in the larger picture of the way movies operate as global products.
The Oscars may be fighting for relevance, but the fierce competition for their attention speaks to their global impact. The Best International Feature Film category saw 92 submissions from six continents this year, all jockeying for five slots. At a panel hosted by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures over the weekend, International Feature Film Award executive committee co-chair Susanne Bier singled out the challenge. “We’re in a world right now where everything is so accessible in English,” she said. “To make movies in other languages, you immediately mirror a different culture.”
That observation led 84-year-old Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski to perk up as he recalled his nearly wordless animal odyssey “EO,” which stars a braying wanderer. “I had a much easier time,” he deadpanned, “because all the donkeys in the world speak exactly the same language.”
The international category has never faced greater scrutiny about its boundaries, from its linguistic rules (movies have to be at least 50 percent in a language other than English) to the ones limiting each country to one submission. Even the Oscar show producers seemed a bit unclear about the category when “All Quiet on the Western Front” took the prize as presenter Salma Hayek read off an envelope and announced that director Edward Berger had won. In truth, no single person won that Oscar; the Best International Feature film, unlike any other Oscar category, goes to the country. It belongs now to Germany.
That left the movie’s sole non-German producer, Brazilian Daniel Marc Dreifus, in a complicated mood. At the Dolby theater’s bar, he said he had been told that only German producers would be allowed onstage if the movie won; as if the underscore that point, he had been given a seat in the upper mezzanine. “Of course they sent the one Jew to the balcony,” he said, then clarified it was a joke. “OK, so they get to go onstage tonight, but tomorrow, this will help me finance projects,” he said.
A few minutes earlier, Rohrwacher stood with director Darren Aronofsky watching the TV screen as the Best International Feature Film winner was announced. “Hey, it’s your category!” Aronofsky said. Rohrwacher shook her head. “No, I was in the shorts one,” she replied. Aronofksy stammered. “But, I mean, normally,” he said. “You’ve been nominated before, right?” She shook her head again. “No, with Italy, it’s very difficult,” she said, noting the competitiveness in the country to be the official submission.
As “All Quiet” won, champagne glasses clinked at the bar. “Wait,” one woman said. “Wasn’t that movie in English?”
The answer depends on the viewer. The success of “All Quiet” speaks to Netflix’s vast global footprint and its ability to push audiences to watch international content. However, sources tell IndieWire that some 70 percent of Netflix viewers outside of Germany watched the movie with foreign-language dubs. Movies may export globally, but subtitles remain a stigma.
Another nominee from that category, Argentinean director Santiago Mitre, wandered out to the bar after his loss. His movie, the courtroom drama “Argentina 1985,” was a commercial hit in his country and released around the world by Amazon Studios. However, after directing five features in Spanish, he was finally trying to get an English-language project off the ground. “I don’t want to sell out,” he said, “but I need to make money, man.”
At the Governors Ball, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro grinned from a couch as he gripped his Oscar for “Pinocchio,” beaming alongside wife Kim Morgan about their plans to go antique shopping later in the week. His cohort Alfonso Cuarón, an executive producer on “Le Pupille,” swung by and embraced him. Back in 2007, the two men and their “Three Amigos” cohort Alejandro G. Iñarrituo were all nominated for different projects; now, they’re elder statesmen of the Oscars’ international identity.
Guillermo del Toro
Getty Images
These days, the international category can feel small even to the countries in competition. Outside the Governors Ball, 27-year-old Austrian actor Felix Kammerer of “All Quiet on the Western Front” said he hadn’t heard much about viewing parties back home. “I don’t think they’re celebrating that much in Austria and Germany,” he said. “It was a weird thing with the international films this year.” He got yanked away by a publicist before he could clarify, but was likely referring to the movie’s loss in the Best Picture category, since the big kahuna is no longer seen as an exclusive American domain.
Even the big winner of the night bought its way into the international game. When A24 picked up the Belgian tearjerker “Close” back at Cannes, there were whispers of its potential to crack Best Picture. It ended up only nominated for Best International Feature, which it lost; whether or not the company continues to pursue non-English films, its own global ambitions are just getting started. At the the company’s after party at Soho House, word circulated about A24’s plans to distribute more films in foreign territories. Even the hippest American film company has its sights on foreign shores.
As Soho House filled up with boisterous well-wishers, bleary-eyed “Everything Everywhere All at Once” co-director Dan Kwan retreated to a quieter room and grabbed some desserts. “I haven’t slept in two days,” he said. “I’m so excited to never have to think about this movie again.”
As the dance floor filled and music blared well past 2 a.m., Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh received a surprising well-wisher with the arrival of Academy president Janet Yang. The veteran producer had received some blowback earlier in the season for apparent bias when she posted appreciative words about Yeoh on Facebook that she later deleted. But Yang, it seemed, couldn’t help herself.
A child of Chinese immigrants like the antihero of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Yang’s own career reflects Oscar season’s international identity. By the political standards of the Academy, her appearance may have been the wrong move; in a broader context, it felt just right – and echoed a line from Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan earlier in the night: “This is the American dream.”
Have an awards-season hangover? Well, grab the Pedialyte and whip up a big plate of scrambled eggs and sausage, because even though the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards (not to mention that other show where people occasionally get slapped) are over—check out our recap and video highlights on YouTube if you missed it—doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of bold new Don’t-Miss Indies to feed our collective cinematic appetites.
Why We’re Excited: Based on the play Sof Tov by the late Israeli playwright Anat Gov, this UK-Israel co-produced dramedy stars Andie MacDowell (a 1990 Spirit Award winner for Sex, Lies, and Videotape) as Julia, a once-famous American actress in the last act of her career, who finds herself in a British hospital after a surprise late-stage cancer diagnosis. In her chemotherapy group, she meets three women: Holocaust survivor Judy (Margolyes), relentless optimist Mikey (Phillips) and a young Muslim mother, Imaan (Thakrar). Together, they help each other on the long but rewarding trek to healing and recovery.
UNSEEN
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters, VOD
Director: Yoko Okumura
Cast: Midori Francis, Jolene Purdy, Missi Pyle, Michael Patrick Lane
Why We’re Excited: Shot primarily in New Orleans, this Blumhouse horror-thriller follows a nearly blind Japanese-American woman, Emily (Francis), who is on the run from her murderous ex-boyfriend Charlie (Lane). In the chaos, she manages to reach depressed gas station clerk Sam (Purdy) on a random video call. If Emily has any chance of surviving this ordeal, Sam must become her eyes from afar to guide her out of her precarious predicament. Clocking in at only 76 minutes, the film marks Okumura’s feature debut. After the film’s theatrical debut, the film will also be available to watch on streamer MGM+ (formerly Epix).
Why We’re Excited: Washed-up and mercurial minor league basketball coach Marcus (Harrelson, a Spirit Award winner for 2010’s The Messenger) has suddenly found himself in a legal bind. His only way out? To coach a basketball team made up of players with intellectual disabilities. Directed by Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary, Shallow Hal), this underdog sports dramedy is a remake of the 2018 Spanish-language film Campeones—which itself was inspired by the true story of Valencian Special Olympics team Aderes. Farrelly’s reimagining picks up after Marcus plows his vehicle into a parked police car while heavily inebriated. Forced to choose between 18 months in jail or serving 90 days of community service in the form of coaching the Friends, an Iowan basketball team with special needs, he reluctantly opts for the latter.
PUNCH
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited)
Director: Welby Ings
Cast: Tim Roth, Jordan Oosterhof, Conan Hayes, Abigail Laurent
Why We’re Excited: New Zealand writer-director Ings’ feature debut is an Auckland-shot drama filmed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a 17-year-old boxer in a small town, Jim (Oosterhof) is hard at work training to prepare for an upcoming fight, one that he hopes will propel him to professional status. His father and coach Stan—played by three-time Spirit Award nominee Tim Roth (Chronic, The Hateful Eight, Pulp Fiction)—is the butt of jokes as the town drunk, and is desperate for his son to find a way out of the brutal realities of their small provincial world. But everything changes when Jim crosses paths with a young gay man, Whetu (Hayes), who challenges the goals he has set for himself.
Why We’re Excited: Two-time Spirit Award winner Willem Dafoe—The Lighthouse, Shadow of the Vampire—plays high-end art thief Nemo in Greek writer-director Katsoupis’ feature directorial debut. After breaking into a Manhattan penthouse belonging to an art collector to steal some portraits, Nemo is trapped inside the heavily fortified residence when the security system malfunctions, separating him from his cohort outside. Premiering last month at the Berlin Film Festival, the claustrophobic psychological thriller has Dafoe onscreen all by his lonesome for almost the entire film (save for a couple of brief dream sequences) as he descends into madness in an increasingly futile attempt to escape. Film Independent Members can sign up for a members-only screening of the film happening tonight, March 13, at the Harmony Gold in Los Angeles.
ALL THE WORLD IS SLEEPING
When You Can Watch: March 17
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited)
Director: Ryan Lacen
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jackie Cruz, Kristen Gutoskie, Luis Bordonada, Valentina Herrera
Why We’re Excited: Writer-director Lacen’s sophmore feature is an incisive addiction drama based on the experiences of seven different real-life women. Through the nonprofit Bold Futures, the women collaborated with the filmmakers through every stage of the project, from script to screen. The film takes a harrowing look at how generations of the same family can become mired in the cycle of addiction. As a child of an addict, Chama (Barrera) once vowed to steer clear of her mother’s path. But now, she finds herself spiraling down in a familiar pattern, as she fights hard to raise her own daughter. But when she loses custody of the child after an accident resulting from her disease, Chama has no choice but to fight to win back her family.
Why We’re Excited: A Spirit Award winner for his directorial debut Garden State, writer-director Zach Braff’s latest feature outing is his first since 2017’s Going in Style. Since then, the actor and filmmaker has personally overcome much grief and heartache in the form of losing his father, his sister and two friends, experiences which all have informed this upcoming drama. After a fatal accident that takes the life of her future sister-in-law, Allison (Pugh) spirals into the messy vortex of prescription drugs and alcohol to numb her pain. Healing comes in unexpected ways; for her, when she runs into her would-be-father-in-law Daniel (Spirit Award winner Freeman), who is likewise grief-stricken despite steeling himself for the responsibility of raising his orphaned granddaughter post-tragedy.
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
When You Can Watch: March 24
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane
Why We’re Excited: After four long years, everyone’s favorite puppy-loving quasi-mythical assassin is finally back for another installment of director Stahelski’s signature brand of fluid, intense, adrenaline-pumping and ass-kicking action cinema. Along with the titular Wick (Reeves), former boss Winston (McShane)—who seemingly betrayed Wick at the end of the last film—and long-time ally The Bowery King (Spirit Awards nominee alum Fishburne) are also back. This time, the three contract-killer cohorts will do whatever it takes to help Wick gain freedom from the criminal underworld’s most powerful organization, The High Table. In this globe-trotting saga, Wick takes his fight to the council of 12 crime lords, New York to Paris, Osaka and Berlin, as the bounty on his head continues to rise.
Why We’re Excited: The Members of a superhero squad made up of cigarette ingredients known as the “Tobacco Force”—Benzene (Lellouche), Mercury (Zadi), Nicotine (Demoustier), Methanol (Lacoste) and Ammonia (Amamra)—are at a week-long retreat to strengthen their team chemistry after losing a most recent battle to a giant foam turtle. The “Emperor of Evil” Lézardin descends to Earth to destroy the planet. Can Tabacco Force get it together to save the planet? Premiering last year at the Cannes Film Festival’s Midnight Screening section, the French language parody by writer-director-editor Dupiex is distributed by Magnolia, following their release of his two previous films, Mandibles and Deerskin.
*PROGRAMMER’S PICK* PALM TREES AND POWER LINES
When You Can Watch: March 3
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited)
Director: Jamie Dack
Cast: Lily McInerny, Jonathan Tucker, Gretchen Mol, Emily Jackson
Why We’re Excited: From Jenn Wilson, Film Independent Senior Programmer: “A 2023 Spirit Awards nominee for both Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay, Jamie Dack’s feature debut Palm Trees and Power Lines tells the powerful and painful story of a teenager’s seduction into the sex trafficking industry. Seventeen-year-old Lea (Lily McInerny) is enduring a boring summer with her barely-present mother and thoroughly uninteresting friends, when a handsome older stranger named Tom (Jonathan Tucker) catches her eye at a diner. Suddenly the awkward quickie back-seat hookups that Lea is used to with high school boys are replaced by Tom, who actually takes her out on dates, takes an interest in her life and genuinely listens to her. But slowly, Tom’s true intentions for Lea start to reveal themselves to her… and to us. But even after the shock of the brutal truth hits Lea, will she have the strength to break away from the mental grooming (which Tom tells her is ‘care’) when she doesn’t know or receive any real care from the friends and family in her life? Kudos go to Jamie Dack on this bold debut feature and on her decision to cast Jonathan Tucker as the pimp, Tom. His performance leaves no guess as to how young people can become so easily entangled in the spider’s web of sex work.”
Wet weather returned to the Okanagan to start the final full week of winter with a chance of showers and flurries and temperatures climbing.
By Tuesday, there was a mix of sun and cloud lingers into the day on Tuesday with the slight chance of a stray sprinkle with a daytime high around 7 C.
Increasing sunshine is expected to work itself in through the remainder of the week with afternoon highs climbing toward and eventually into double digits by Friday.
A mix of sun and cloud sticks around into the final winter weekend with daytime highs continuing to soar into low double digits.
Here is your Okanagan 5-Day SkyTracker Weather Forecast.
It seems Sunday’s night’s Oscar ceremony was the most enjoyable for audiences in awhile, including the hosts of “The View.” But for Ana Navarro, the show was more than just fun; it was historic proof of “how immigrants make America great.”
Indeed, the ceremony did mark some historic milestones, largely thanks to the domination of Best Picture winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Along with Best Picture, the movie scored acting wins for Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as a Best Director win for The Daniels.
Ke Huy Quan brought much of the audience to tears during his acceptance speech, as he himself joyfully sobbed through it, celebrating his win. “This is the American dream!” he exclaimed, after recounting his journey from refugee camp to the stage. Even the hosts of “The View” admitted they got emotional watching the show.
“We had a few years there where immigrants were under attack — and they’re still under attack, from some sectors, over and over again — and yesterday I think it was a real celebration of how immigrants make America great,” Navarro said.
“We saw wins by East Asians for best song, we saw some incredibly poignant speeches about the American dream, and the American exceptionalism and the opportunity that comes with living in America that you don’t get often in other countries. And so, to me, that was incredibly meaningful.”
The winner for Best Song was “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” which brought another crowd-pleasing performance.
With her win for Best Actress, Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win the award, while “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” costume designer Ruth E. Carter became only the second Black woman to have won Best Costume Design, or twice in any category in general. Daniel Kwan, one half of the directing and writing duo for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” became the fourth Asian artist to win Best Director.
This year’s Asian representation, particularly in the acting categories, was the highest in Academy Awards history, with the most nominations since 2004.
The “Morning Joe” crew on Monday called out former Vice President Mike Pence’s weekend remarks criticizing how President Donald Trump handled the Jan. 6 riot, a potential preview of primary posturing as the former running mates to fight it out for next year’s Republican nomination.
Pence said at a Saturday event that the former President’s “reckless words” put the VP and his family in danger. He also proclaimed that “history will hold Donald Trump accountable.” Pence went on to denounce Trump’s role, though he himself has refused to testify in an ongoing federal investigation.
“OK, so history will hold [Trump] accountable, but no one else will right now?” host Mika Brzezinski questioned, referring to top Republicans who won’t call out Trump’s actions.
“You have these Republicans that want to have it both ways,” host Joe Scarborough said. “I’m very glad Mike Pence said what Mike Pence said at the Gridiron [Dinner]. It is there, it is now in the history books and we know about it. Again, I don’t understand why they can’t just tell the American people the truth.”
Scarborough called Pence a coward, as the former Vice President refuses to criticize Trump on camera.
“When you want to hear the truth about Donald Trump from top Republicans these days, you just can’t expect to hear it in the light of day,” Scarborough said. “Instead, maybe some will whisper it in off-the-record conversations with reporters … or maybe you may hear it from Mike Pence, but only when he is off-camera at the Gridiron Club.”
He continued: “All of these Republicans that attack Donald Trump off the record, but won’t say the truth about him on the record, on camera? The former Vice President wants to have it both ways: telling the truth about a man who threatened his life and his family’s life, but not actually saying it on TV.”
Scarborough also said that he thinks Republicans’ refusal to call out Trump will hurt them in elections.
“You can’t pretend on camera that a guy’s a nice guy and you’re going to protect him in front of federal investigators, if he’s tried to kill you and your family as Trump tried to do with Mike Pence and Pence’s family,” host Joe Scarborough said. “And Mike Pence said that himself on Saturday night.”
Ford, whose latest Indiana Jones adventure the Dial of Destinyis set to hit theaters this June, served as the presenter for the best picture category at the 95th annual ceremony. Thus, he was already on stage when Quan accepted the win alongside his castmates and the creative team of Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The result was an exciting moment in which the two elated stars embraced while celebrating EEOAO‘s historic win. Their reunion capped off a season of the duo repeatedly celebrating each other’s presence in Hollywood and on the awards circuit nearly 40 years after making the Steven Spielberg-directed Temple of Doom. And it became one of the main moments of the night, with Quan standing to cheer for Ford as he took the stage to present the category and, once on stage together, briefly breaking away from Ford to ensure the 1923 and Shrinking star could hand the Oscar to the film’s producers ahead of the Everything Everywhere All at Once team’s acceptance speech.
According to Entertainment Weekly, that reunion was not limited to the stage, with the duo reconnecting — with an added handshake between Ford and EEAO co-director Daniel Kwan — as Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel said his closing remarks.
All throughout the 2023 awards season Quan, who played Wan Li — a young pickpocket in Shanghai nicknamed “Short Round” who happens to make Ford’s Indiana his target before the two bond — reconnected, with he and Ford repeatedly seen celebrating. “I’m so happy for him. He’s a great guy,” Ford said in a January interview with Entertainment Tonight. “He’s a wonderful actor. He was when he was a little kid, and he still is.”
And in a December interview with Uproxx, Ford expressed that Quan’s New York Critics Circle award for supporting actor and a potential Oscar nomination was “well deserved!”
“I’ve had the opportunity to see the film. He is really terrific in his movie. And I’m so glad to see him … and what he has become,” Ford added. “I’m so happy for him.”
Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images (2)
The question was in response to the duo’s initial reunion, which took place at the D23 Expo back in September. Quan was in attendance to promoteseason two of theDisney+ series Loki, with Ford also there for Marvel’s Captain America: New World Order.
“As I get closer, he turns and points his finger at me, and he has that classic, famous, grumpy Harrison Ford look,” Quan told The New York Times about the reunion. “I go, ‘Oh my gosh, he probably thinks I’m a fan and he’s gonna tell me to not come near him.’ But he looks and points at me and says, ‘Are you Short Round?’ Immediately, I was transported back to 1984, when I was a little kid, and I said, ‘Yes, Indy.’ And he said, ‘Come here,’ and gave me a big hug.”
Recalling their relationship at the time of filming the Indiana Jones film, Quan added that while he didn’t know who Ford was, having not seen Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark until after they finished their shared film, “he was an amazing guy.”
“So down-to-earth, so humble, and really generous as an actor,” he recounted of how they bonded. “And he taught me how to swim. We were just hanging out at the swimming pool in Sri Lanka in our hotel, and he says, ‘Ke, do you know how to swim?’ I didn’t, so he says, ‘Come on, I’ll teach you.’”
Their reunion highlights the long journey Quan has had with Hollywood, in which the actor of Vietnamese decent stepped back from onscreen roles and pivoted to behind-the-camera work amid a dearth of opportunities.
“I remember not having one single audition for an entire year,” Quan told The Guardian in November of his acting experiences in his early 20s. “I thought: ‘What am I doing? I can’t be waiting for the phone to ring every day.’ I was 23 at that time. I was so lost. I just didn’t see a future for myself as an actor.”
That was until 2018, when — as he recounted several times during awards season — the success of Crazy Rich Asians gave him hope that there were opportunities for Asian actors in Hollywood.
Oscars night also saw Quan reuniting with his Encino Man co-star, Brendan Fraser, who also took home an Academy Award Sunday, and his Indiana Jones and Goonies director Spielberg. The pair marveled at their wins 32 years after Encino Man, with Quan telling GMA backstage of the Oscar statuette: “One of the most beautiful things this season is seeing this man again, and seeing him hold that.”
When speaking backstage to press, including THR, the Goonies star added, “During one of the commercial breaks, I ran up to Steven Spielberg and he gave me a big hug. He said, ‘Ke, you are now an Oscar-winning actor,’ and hearing him say that meant the world to me. I still cannot believe it. My younger self would not know all the struggles I went through to be here because he was just having the time of his life being a kid, being on a set, on a pirate ship going down a water slide. [Goonies castmates] Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen, every single one of them is so happy. Sean [Astin] reached out. Josh [Brolin], Martha [Plimpton] and we are family forever. Goonies never say die.”
Naatu Naatu wins Best Original Song at Oscars 2023; Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia to share screen again. (Photos: Instagram)
From India’s historic moments at Oscars 2023 to Ramayan’s Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia reuniting again; here are the top headlines of the day.
India is celebrating RRR’s historic win at the Oscars 2023. Naatu Naatu song from SS Rajamouli’s film won the Best Original Song award at the 95th Academy Awards. Music composer MM Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose accepted the award on stage. Ram Charan and Jr NTR who played the role of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem respectively, expressed their joy at the film’s win. Meanwhile, a video has surfaced online which has left everyone upset. In the clip, Rajamouli can be seen sitting at the end of the hall.
Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala are popularly recognised as Ram and Sita from Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan. After 34 years, the reel-life couple are all set to reunite for an upcoming project. Recently, Dipika Chikhlia took to her Instagram handle and shared a behind-the-scenes video from the sets which showed her working with her Ramayan’s co-star. The actors have reportedly reunited for director Pradeep Gupta’s film, Notice. It is a modern-day interpretation of the Ramayana.
Satish Kaushik’s sudden demise just two days after Holi left everyone completely shocked and numb. Days after the actor-director’s death, his nephew has now revealed that Kaushik’s wife Shashi and daughter Vanshika are in ‘bad shape’. Speaking to E-Times, Satish’s nephew Nishant mentioned that the family is yet to the terms of Kaushik’s death. He also shared that the late actor’s ashes have been immersed in Haridwar. Satish Kaushik passed away on Thursday, March 9 at the age of 66.
Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar is going strong at the ticket window since its release. The Luv Ranjan directorial has minted nearly 70 crores on its 5th day and is now eyeing to enter the 100-crore club by the next weekend. The film sees Ranbir Kapoor share the screen with Shraddha Kapoor for the first time. The movie also starred Boney Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia in pivotal roles and marked the debut of comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi.
Days after Karan Kundrra dismissed his and Tejasswi Prakash’s breakup rumours with a witty post, the Naagin 6 actress has also refuted their separation reports now. Recently, Tejasswi took to her Instagram stories and dropped a picture of her and Kundrra’s sneakers. In the caption, she tagged the Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal actor and called him ‘My forever’. Tejasswi’s Instagram story has come as a relief for all TejRan fans who were left worried after the breakup rumours made headlines.
Chirag Sehgal, Sub Editor at News18, covers Bollywood, television and K-pop group BTS. Apart from digging deep into the world of television and Bollyw…Read More
The actor even made known his hesitancy to return to Marvel as he is “very happy doing what [he’s] doing” as he explores more film roles, such as his recently-released action flick Plane with Gerard Butler.
Daredevil’s New Filming Location Spurs Luke Cage Speculation
Marvel
Following the start of Daredevil: Born Again‘s production in New York City, production of the Disney+ series is expected to travel to Harlem – famously the home of Marvel hero Luke Cage.
The update emerged thanks to “no parking” signs – via The Curious Uptowner – that appeared in Harlem confirming the show will be shooting scenes starting on Monday, March 13, with another sign noting further filming on Tuesday, March 14.
thecuriousuptowner
Born Again‘s latest shooting location has many fans convinced Mike Colter’s Luke Cage may join Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher in reprising his Netflix role under the Marvel Studios reboot.
The original Daredevil serieswas filmed in various New York City locations to double as Hell’s Kitchen, however, no significant filming took place in Harlem. Netflix’s Luke Cage meanwhileconducted much of the shoot in Harlem given that the series mostly takes place in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood.
1stmoviemaster commented on a Reddit post that they “know [they] shouldn’t get [their] hopes up” but are hoping this points toward Luke Cage’s return:
“I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up on something that probably won’t happen, but I’m going to go ahead and pretend this means Luke Cage is back.”
odiin1731 joked that they “wish there was an MCU character that was from there,” obviously in reference to Luke Cage as the most famous Marvel character to hail from Harlem.
MarvelManiac45213 simply dropped Luke Cage’s famous catchphrase “Sweet Christmas!” which stems from the comics and Colter uttered many times in his Netflix portrayal of the character.
Javierrodrigu73 suggested that Luke Cage could be married to Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again. The two did have several romantic encounters in their Netflix appearances and are famously married in the comics:
“Maybe Jessica and Luke are MARRIED IN ‘DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN’??”
@Pollos_Hernandy added their hopes on Twitter that “they at least namedrop Luke Cage,” calling that the “bare minimum:”
“I hope they at least namedrop Luke Cage. I’m asking for the bare minimum here”
Is Marvel Reviving Netflix’s Defenders in Daredevil: Born Again?
With Born Again set to have an 18-episode season that will shoot all the way until December 2023, Marvel Studios has plenty of time to fit in as many of these characters as it wants. With Daredevil being by far the most popular of these heroes, his solo series serves as the perfect vehicle to repopularize the others.
There were rumors about plans to include Jessica Jones, although scheduling conflicts apparently prohibited that and her role went to Bernthal’s Punisher. While Jones may, unfortunately, have not made it into the Daredevil series, this signifies an interest in bringing back more of Netflix’s Defenders.
Netflix’s Marvel series introduced fans to five main heroes, two of which have already been confirmed for Born Again. As Daredevil and Punisher are back and rumors have pointed to Jessica Jones returning, the most questionable fates currently lie with Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
While Born Again filming scenes in Harlem may seem promising for the chances of Luke Cage making an appearance, fans should not get their hopes up. Filming taking place in Harlem doesn’t even guarantee these will be for scenes taking place in that neighborhood, as locations are frequently used to double for others.
Nonetheless, the door is clearly not closed for Luke Cage, as Mike Colter still seems open to returning and Marvel Studios has already brought back several of the Netflix characters. The MCU is bound to want to use the character at some point, it’s just a question of when and whether Colter will be the one in the role.
Daredevil: Born Again is currently placed to hit Disney+ in Spring 2024.
Now that season three of The Mandalorian is finally underway, we can jump the gun and look at another live-action Star Wars project of the year, Ahsoka. We know next to nothing about the highly anticipated series besides that it will obviously follow the fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano, the former apprentice of the famous Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Just to include a simple copy-and-paste quotation of the one-sentence D23 online plot synopsis for you to read: “Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsokafollows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.” Otherwise, we know it will arrive on Disney+ by the fall of this year if all goes well.
Even from the lack of hard information, many would rightly assume that Ahsoka will likely follow the titular character trying to find Ezra and Thrawn, as she’s been on the hunt for them since Rebels and is still looking even in The Mandalorian. But with such a vague synopsis and the many wild directions Star Wars has been going recently (and forever, really), there’s plenty of room to speculate.
Given that Ahsoka will be facing “an emerging threat” and that she’s still hunting Thrawn, there’s a good chance that this threat coming in after the fall of Palpatine’s Empire will be Thrawn’s own native empire, the legendary Chiss Ascendency.
What Is The Chiss Ascendency?
Disney Publishing
The first and most famous Chiss was introduced in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novel Heir to the Empire, the mastermind Grand Admiral Thrawn. Zahn’s Thrawn novels kickstarted Star Wars outside of movies and kept the franchise alive between the original and prequels trilogies, beginning the Expanded Universe of Star Wars, which served as the official canon until 2014, when Disney deemed all Star Wars material that was not the six movies and the series The Clone Wars to be non-canon, and has been rebranded as Legends.
Zahn explored the Chiss and their myth-like dominion outside of the known galaxy in many Legends novels and has formerly introduced the Chiss Ascendency in the new canon Thrawn Ascendency trilogy. The Chiss are a powerful species that act like the Republic, beyond the reaches and knowledge of the galaxy where Ahsoka and our classic heroes come from. They reside in the Chaos, a perilous void that can only be navigated by Force-users, which are rare among the species. Composed of Nine Ruling Families with as much politics as the Republic and as much power as the Empire, the Chiss are locked in a brutal war with the Grysk, another species that cunningly turned the Chiss on each other.
Most likely, the Chiss will triumph with the help of Thrawn and his legendary skill in the literal art of war, and then they may look to expand toward the galaxy and the fledging New Republic. Thrawn was the major villain in Rebels, being a Grand Admiral in the Empire’s Navy, but the Ascendency is even bigger than Thrawn and could be the greatest threat to the galaxy since the Sith. So while Ahsoka may be looking for her old friend and her old enemy, she may have to keep an invasion at bay in the process.
Of course, the Grysk themselves may be the threat that Ahsoka and the New Republic face, being devious, deadly, and almost unknown force to be reckoned with. Ahsoka and Thrawn may have to form an uneasy alliance in order to curb a Grysk invasion of the Chiss Ascendency and the New Republic. (The Empire went down the reactor shaft when Palpatine did, so Thrawn’s loyalties will likely lie with his own people more than his allegiance to a dead alien government.)
If it’s true that Ahsoka will bring the Chiss Ascendency into the larger Star Wars universe, then it throws open a lot of doors for the franchise. Bringing an old part of Expanded Universe onto the screen would allow other non-canon to come into the canon, fulfilling the hopes of many Legends fans to see the Legends brought into the fold and introducing many more to the wider Star Wars universe, as Thrawn’s presence Rebels did. Ideas that Disneymay even be setting up an adaptation of the original Thrawn trilogy when the Disney+ series eventually crossover and fans are excited for everything coming.
Granted, this is all pure speculation off of one word in a synopsis, but this could be the opportunity to open up the Star Wars galaxy beyond itself, and this would be the footing to introduce a whole new part of the Star Wars universe to explore for years to come.
Jonathan Frakes is currently riding high with the rest of his Star Trek: The Next Generation castmates thanks to the positive buzz surrounding Picard Season 3, which reunites Riker, Worf, Dr. Crusher, and the rest with the legendary captain (admiral these days) of the title. But Frakes has been a part of the modern Trek revival from the beginning, having directed episodes of each of the live-action shows since Star Trek: Discovery debuted in 2017.
Frakes will be back to direct the first half of the Discovery Season 5 finale, which will now in fact be the series finale as Paramount+ announced last week that Disco is set to end its run in 2024. According to sources, principal photography on the season is almost complete, but some additional filming will take place.
And now Frakes is filling in that picture a bit more, as he explained to IGN this week that the new filming will “add to” the finale now that it’s the series closer.
“I’m told they have a very satisfying fix so that it will conclude in a way that will tie the story up,” says the Riker actor. “And I think they’ve figured out how to do it. So they’re going to go back and shoot and add to this finale that [producing director] Olatunde [Osunsanmi] and I did.”
Looking back on Discovery, Frakes sees it as an opportunity that allowed him to come back and direct modern Star Trek. But it was also so much more to him.
“It was so great,” he says. “It was not only good for me, but it reopened the door for this whole – the season with Anson [Mount] birthed Strange New Worlds, right? Michelle Yeoh, they were talking about doing a show with her. There’s so many things that came out of it. Sonequa Martin-Green was such a fabulous leader, and her set is such a special place to be. I’ll never forget it and I will always cherish it. Mary Wiseman plays a character unlike any you’ve ever had on Star Trek anywhere. The whole LGBT thing with two icons – Anthony [Rapp] and Wilson [Cruz]. There’s so much about that show that was so Star Trek and so important.”
And while Discovery and Picard – which is also in its final season now – are ending, Frakes is sticking around. He’s already directed an episode of Strange New Worlds Season 2, and who knows? Maybe we haven’t seen the last of Riker yet either…
Celebrate with us the 60th anniversary of theGolden Prague! It’s one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals dedicated to the television industry, with a history dating back to 1964. Over the years, it has established as a platform for showcasing the best in TV production, attracting filmmakers, broadcasters, producers, and other industry professionals from around the world. This year jubilee edition takes place September 20-23, 2023 at the New Stage of the National Theatre and the program promises to be truly spectacular!
The beginning of March marks the official launch of the film submissions and we now invite filmmakers from around the world to enter their films to the Golden Prague international competition. Don’t miss the chance to showcase your talent and join us in commemorating this special milestone. The winners are awarded prestigious prizes, including the Grand Prix Golden Prague with a financial award of EUR 10,000, that is considered to be one of the most significant awards in the television arts industry.
TV programs dedicated to music, dance and theatre (regardless of musical genre) compete in three categories:
Documentary programs dedicated to music, dance and theatre
Recordings of stage work (recordings of operas, operettas, musicals, dance, ballets, theatre performances etc.)
Recordings of concert performance (symphonic/orchestral performances, chamber music, recitals etc.)
In addition to individual programs Golden Prague Festival also accepts individual parts of series or cycles for the competition, if it is possible to judge them on their own merit.
If you are interested in participating in the competition, do not hesitate to apply! Submissions are open until May 31, 2023 and you can find more information about the categories and rules in the official Festival Statute.
The Last of Us concluded its freshman season Sunday night by adapting the conclusion of the first video game.
Looking ahead to The Last of Us Season 2, however, fans shouldn’t expect to get the entirety of the sequel video game’s storylines across the season.
The Last of Us: Part II launched on PS4 in 2020 and told a story with differing perspectives that was much more ambitious and longer than its predecessor.
As a result, it will take more than one season to adapt the second video game in the series for TV audiences.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman confirmed the news to GQ.
The pair were asked if Season 2 will include the entire story from the sequel, with Mazin revealing, “No. No way.”
Druckmann added, “It’s more than one season.”
While it’s likely the second game will be told over two seasons, the creatives behind the HBO adaptation couldn’t confirm how many seasons it would be, aside from more than one.
“You have noted correctly that we will not say how many. But more than one is factually correct,” Mazin told the outlet.
The series from co-creators Mazin (Emmy® Award-winning creator of HBO’s Chernobyl) and Druckmann (creator and writer of the award-winning The Last of Us franchise and Naughty Dog Co-President) has been a huge success for HBO.
Fans have enjoyed how faithful it has been to the source material while enhancing some vital parts of the narrative.
HBO picked up a second season soon after the series premiere, thanks to the positive response.
“Craig and Neil, alongside EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of The Last of Us,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films when the show landed a renewal in January.
“After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with season two.”
“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey,” said executive producer Druckmann.
“The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations.”
“Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”
“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” said executive producer Craig Mazin.
“The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”
What are your thoughts on the second game spanning more than one season?
Hit the comments.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
The first season of “The Last of Us” introduced viewers to a post-apocalyptic world where a fungal outbreak wiped out most of the human populace two decades prior. Survivors not only had to deal with the ever-present threat of Infected but also other humans vying for resources like food and medication.
In Season 1, particularly the latter half, those human threats came in the form of raiders, cannibals and even the Fireflies. That’s not to say there weren’t memorable scenes featuring Infected: Episode 2 gave us a horrifying “kiss” between an Infected and Tess (RIP), while the ground literally erupted with Infected in Episode 5, including a giant “bloater” that ripped a man apart with its bare hands.
Series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann spoke with TheWrap and other reporters last week to discuss adapting the game mechanics to the small screen, and how that informed the action and antagonists.
“So obviously, part of the adaptation process is trying to figure out how to take source material that was built around gameplay, and port over to a medium that is passive.” Mazin explained. “And a lot of the gameplay is centered on NPCs that you have to get around — either avoid or stealth kill or just confront head-on. That’s sort of your choices when you’re playing. And the NPCs were either raiders or cannibals, or FEDRA or they were the Infected. So there’s a lot of fighting. I don’t know what your ultimate kill count is in typical run of ‘The Last of Us’ [game], but it’s in the triple digits for sure.”
“We did at times have choices to make about how we wanted to present the Infected [on the show],” Mazin continued. “I will say that we don’t look — even though we were greenlit for a season of television, Neil and I felt like we can’t just make a season of television without considering what would come after. There is more of ‘The Last of Us’ to come and I think the balance is not always just about within an episode or even episode to episode but season to season.”
“It’s quite possible that there will be a lot more infected later,” Mazin elaborated. “And perhaps different kinds. But within the episodes that we were concentrating on, I think ultimately we generally stressed the power of relationships and trying to find significance within moments of action. And so there may be less action than some people wanted. Because we couldn’t necessarily find significance for quite a bit of it. Or a concern that it would be repetitive. After all, you’re not playing it; you’re watching it. And although a lot of people do like to watch gameplay, it needs to be I think a little bit more focused and purposeful when we’re putting it on TV.
“Yeah, just to echo what Craig is saying, which is like, we took a very high-level approach and looked at just the action across the board,” Druckmann chimed in. “And every piece of action, if you look at the show, has to move character in some way. If it doesn’t move character, and if it was only there for spectacle, then it was an easy cut for us.”
Fans will have to see if Season 2, which has ordered by HBO, will have more Infected and more action.
The complete Season 1 of “The Last of Us” is streaming on HBO Max.
Let’s let our hair down, change into less-comfy but more-fun shoes, and switch out a gown for a cocktail dress. It’s party time for Florence Pugh! The Oscars are over, but the Vanity Fair after-party has just begun (okay it’s probably over now), and Pugh, who excitedly presented Everything Everywhere All at Once writers The Daniels with the award for best original screenplay alongside Andrew Garfield, attended in a voluminous ensemble that is the party version of her ceremony look.
Pugh, who has been on a bit of a punk fashion kick lately, did not put the punk on pause for the Oscars ceremony. She wore a voluminous Valentino Couture top paired with black hot pants. She wore her septum ring, platform shoes, and blonde micro bangs that complemented her sleek updo. See the look here:
Florence Pugh on the champagne carpet
Kayla Oaddams
For the Vanity Fair after-party, Pugh updated the look for nighttime. She wore an enormous floor-length, hooded pink parka with a black bra and black wide-leg pants. She swapped necklaces, opting for a more minimal silver choker for partying. She wore the same makeup and the same hairstyle as the ceremony, making it an easy day-to-night transition.
The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival wrapped its 25th edition with a muted closing night on Sunday, with festival organizers scrapping an official award ceremony as Greece continues to mourn the loss of 57 lives in a deadly rail accident on Feb. 28.
The awards for this year’s festival — including the Golden Alexander, which went to Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh’s “Under the Sky of Damascus” — were handed out behind closed doors earlier in the day.
Artistic director Orestis Andreadakis told Variety prior to the festival’s conclusion, “As a sign of respect, the festival canceled from the very start all ceremonies and festive events. In the same spirit, it was decided to call off the closing ceremony.”
Many of the awarded filmmakers were nevertheless on hand at Thessaloniki’s Olympion cinema on Sunday night, for the world premiere of “My Pet and Me,” by Dutch documentary filmmaker Johan Kramer.
Andreadakis and festival general director Elise Jalladeau offered brief closing remarks before the screening, which they said took place “under the shadow of the tragic accident at Tempe, which has filled us with sadness.” They thanked the filmmakers who took part in this year’s festival, insisting that “in the darkness of the past ten days, art, film, documentaries have offered us the best refuge.”
The somber event matched the mood of a nation still reeling in the aftermath of the deadly accident in which a passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a freight train in northern Greece. That grief has transformed into collective outrage over a tragedy that many say could have been avoided.
The head-on collision in northern Greece claimed 57 lives, most of them university students.
Getty
Speaking at the award ceremony for the festival’s Agora industry arm on March 8, industry head Angeliki Vergou expressed her “shock, sadness and anger” over the loss of life in the fatal head-on collision, in which dozens more were injured. Just a few hundred yards away, thousands marched through the center of Thessaloniki in a massive protest that coincided with a 24-hour general strike and a demonstration for International Women’s Day. Their largely peaceful protest was met with tear gas and stun grenades from riot police.
According to official estimates, 60,000 people demonstrated across Greece last Wednesday, answering a call to action sent out by workers unions and student groups. Activists and organizers say the actual number was much higher, as anger across the country has boiled over in the largest display of public protest since the height of the Greek economic crisis a decade ago.
After initially blaming the fatal accident on “tragic human error,” embattled Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assumed responsibility for the collision last week, acknowledging it could have been prevented with proper safeguards in place and promising a thorough overhaul of the railway system. Investigations this past fortnight have detailed chronic neglect, understaffing and underinvestment in the country’s crumbling rail network, which was privatized in 2017 as part of a raft of austerity measures imposed on Greece by its European lenders.
The tragedy has galvanized growing discontent among a generation of young Greeks raised during a debt crisis that decimated the middle class and dimmed their prospects of a better future. Despite a spate of reforms, Greece’s center-right government has been hit by a series of high-profile scandals in recent months, and many feel the tragedy in Tempe is a fitting symbol of a country that has lurched off the rails.
Emotions throughout the week ran high in Thessaloniki, as many of the victims were university students returning from a three-day holiday weekend. Director Maria Louka, who with Myrto Patsalidou co-directed the documentary “Grief — Those Who Remain,” which premiered at the festival, noted that the six-hour rail journey from Athens to Thessaloniki is a familiar one to many of the filmmakers and festival-goers in attendance.
Protesters have directed their outrage toward embattled Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
NurPhoto via Getty Images
“We have done it many times and had it in our mind as a safe and pleasant experience. If I didn’t have a very young baby, I would have gone to the festival by train, as I did last year,” Louka told Variety. “So to lose so many people like that caused incredible sadness and anger. That feeling was pervasive [at the film’s premiere].”
The directing duo’s moving and timely documentary follows the parents who were left to grieve in the wake of three brutal murders that shocked Greece in the 2010s, claiming the lives of the young Pakistani immigrant Shahzad Luqman, the anti-fascist hip-hop artist Pavlos Fyssas and the LGBTQ activist and drag performer Zak Kostopoulos. As with last month’s fatal train accident, those killings sparked widespread protests across the country.
Magda Fyssa, the mother of the slain rapper who went by the stage name of Killah P, gave an emotional speech after the movie’s premiere, describing how “all of Greece is mourning again from criminal acts.” “We have lost our children, we have lost a generation, we have lost our future,” she said.
Speaking to a hushed auditorium, Fyssa described the painful, solitary journey of a mother mourning the sudden loss of her son. “It’s those moments when you’re alone, you’re with the thoughts of your child who never leaves your mind all day long. You can do 1,002 things, but half your thoughts are with the child you can’t see, who’s left you. And the other half is with the family who remains,” she said. “I’m thinking of the other parents at this moment, who are suddenly in the same position that we are. And how much pain — how unbearable is the burden they carry.”
After the screening, many in the audience were overcome with emotion, said Louka. As the mourning families took to the stage, they were met with a standing ovation. “They spoke with tenderness and solidarity for the parents who are now grieving their own children,” she said. “There was raw and honest emotion.”
The director nevertheless said it was “liberating” to share that pain with an audience also grappling with its collective sorrow. “The awareness of the fragility of our lives, the traumas, the pain can be alleviated when they become a matter of community, when people do not feel alone. This is what our film shows to a certain extent, this is what I felt at its premiere,” she said.
As tens of thousands again took to the streets across Greece on Sunday, Andreadakis told Variety, “Our country was marked by a terrible accident and our lives changed. However, art, films and documentaries are always the best refuge in such moments.”
The festival director said that “documentary filmmaking is deeply political on every level, and it urges us to become conscious citizens.” In the wake of the recent tragedy, he added that he wanted “to encourage the documentary community to use their art to find meaning, to give us hope.”
Listed below are the main winners of the 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival. The full list can be found here:
International Competition Awards
Golden Alexander: “Under the Sky of Damascus,”by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh Silver Alexander: “Who I Am Not,” by Tünde Skovrán Jury Special Mention: “Narrow Path to Happiness,” by Kata Oláh
Newcomers Competition Awards
Golden Alexander “Dimitri Eipides” Award: “The Voice,” by Dominika Montean-Pańków Silver Alexander: “In the Sky of Nothingness with the Least,” by Christos Adrianopoulos Jury Special Mention: “Ladies in Waiting,” by Ioanna Tsoucala
Film Forward Competition Awards
Golden Alexander: “Blue Bag Life,” by Alex Fry, Rebecca Lloyd Evans, Lisa Selby Silver Alexander: “Dogwatch,” by Gregoris Rentis
FIPRESCI Awards
Best Documentary of the International Competition: “I Like It Here,” by Ralph Arlyck Best Greek Film in the International Program: “Kristos, the Last Child,” by Giulia Amati
KIM Jong-un has accused the US of preparing to invade North Korea as it kicks off its biggest war games in years on the border.
The dictator fired a flurry of missiles as he vowed to take “the toughest counteraction” against the joint drills with South Korea.
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US Army vehicles prepare to cross the Hantan river at a training field in Yeoncheon, near the border with North KoreaCredit: AP
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US soldiers walk past military vehicles at a training field in the city of YeoncheonCredit: AFP
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South Korean and US soldiers conduct war games in YeoncheonCredit: EPA
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North Korea fired two cruise missiles from a submarine off its east coastCredit: AP
Kim ordered his troops to be on standby to respond to the “frantic war preparation moves” from the US and South Korea – which he views as an invasion rehearsal.
Although North Korea views the military exercises as a major security threat, America and South Korea said the drills are defensive.
The US has beefed up its alliances in the region amid North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats, with more than 70 missile tests last year.
The Warrior Shield FTX war games in South Korea include a computer simulation called the Freedom Shield 23, and field training exercises.
Pictures showed tanks and choppers readying for drills at a training field in the border city of Yeoncheon.
It’s the biggest joint military exercise between the allies in five years.
Army Colonel Isaac L. Taylor, director of public affairs for US Forces Korea, said the war games will “build combat readiness and combined defence posture”.
“This training is an additional example of our ironclad commitment to ensure security and stability on the Korean peninsula and across Northeast Asia,” Taylor added.
As the drills kicked off, North Korea fired two cruise missiles from a submarine off its east coast in an apparent retaliation.
The move also signals the country will likely carry out more weapons tests during the 11 days of exercises.
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the submarine salvo tested the country’s “nuclear war deterrence”.
It said the missiles flew more than two hours – drawing figure-eight-shaped patterns and demonstrating an ability to hit targets 930 miles away.
The missiles were reportedly fired from the 8.24 Yongung ship – the same sub that North Korea used to conduct its first sub-launched ballistic missile test in 2016.
Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the chilling tests show how Japan – including US military bases in Okinawa – is within striking distance of the cruise missiles.
He said the weapons could reach even the US Pacific territory of Guam if a North Korean sub can operate further from its shore.
The tests were the North’s first known launches of cruise missiles from a submarine as all its previous underwater launches involved ballistic missiles.
Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Kyonggi University in South Korea, said: “At a time when its efforts to build (bigger submarines) have reported little progress due to the sanctions, North Korea wants to show its still almost developed the types of missiles that can be fired from a submarine.”
Moon said the missiles were likely designed to strike approaching US warships or other shorter-range targets on the ground.
Experts said Kim is trying to pressure the US into accepting North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power and relax international economic sanctions.
Earlier this year, Pyongyang’s foreign ministry warned the expansion of military drills threatened to turn the region into “a huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone”.
It said the deployment of strategic assets was akin to planning a nuke strike on North Korea, and would “ignite an all-out showdown”, KCNA reported.
It added the North was prepared to counter any challenge with the “most overwhelming nuclear force”.
John Travolta got emotional at the Oscars this year, introducing the In Memoriam segment of the show with a tribute to friend Olivia Newton-John.
The actor teared up as he said, “They’ve touched our hearts, they’ve made us smile, and become dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to.”
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” is the Oscar-nominated song Newton-John sang in their 1978 movie “Grease.”
She played Sandy in the mega movie musical opposite Travolta’s character Danny, and the two — who also acted in “Two of a Kind” in 1983 — remained friends.
Olivia died in August, some 30 years after she began her battle with cancer. She was 73.
After she passed away, Travolta shared a photo of Olivia with the caption, “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”
In March 2019, Olivia opened up to “Extra’s” Renee Bargh about almost turning down the role of Sandy. “I was 29 — I was worried I was too old. I had to be 17 or whatever it was and I was like, ‘I can’t play 17.’” It was Travolta who persuaded her to take the role. She shared, “I mean, how do you say no to that? He walks up the driveway with those blue eyes and I go, ‘Okay, whatever it is!’”
When Renee spoke with John later that year, he gushed over Olivia, saying, “She’s got a huge soul,” adding, “She is an eternal love for me and will always be… and I picked her. I take the pride of having picked Olivia Newton-John for ‘Grease.’”
Sarah Rosen, who left Twitter last year shortly after Elon Musk’s takeover over the social network, has joined Reddit as senior director of content partnerships.
At Twitter, Rosen most recently was head of North America content partnerships, leading all efforts in the region across entertainment, news and sports. After eight and a half years at Twitter, Rosen quit in November, less than a month after Musk closed the $44 billion acquisition.
In her new role at Reddit, Rosen will oversee the content partnerships team focused on media, sports, gaming and entertainment verticals. According to Reddit, in the last year, the content partnerships team has expanded collaborations with organizations including the NFL (for the Super Bowl), Netflix (for “Stranger Things”), Lionsgate (“John Wick 4”), HBO (“The House of the Dragon”), Amazon’s Prime Video (“The Lord of the Rights: The Rings of Power”) and the Washington Post.
“The communities that make up Reddit span every imaginable topic, bring people around the world together and drive culture and action,” Rosen said. “I am looking forward to helping content partners connect with their fan communities in a deeper way and further fuel the incredible conversations and connections happening on Reddit every single day.”
Prior to joining Twitter in 2014, Rosen worked at Viacom as senior director of partner management and program development focusing on developing targeted marketing campaigns across the media company’s channels and as director of consumer marketing for MTV Games. Earlier in her career, she worked at the NBA and 20th Century Fox. Rosen holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Arizona.
Reddit, the popular internet discussion platform which has been valued at more than $10 billion, in December 2021 confidentially submitted a draft registration statement with the SEC for a proposed initial public offering. Reddit was acquired by Condé Nast soon after it launched in 2005. In 2011, Condé Nast spun out the site, while Advance Publications, parent of Condé Nast, retains a minority stake.
While the Super Bowl trailer for Disney’s live-action take on The Little Mermaid offered a brief glimpse of Melissa McCarthy’s betenticled baddie Ursula, the spot that aired during the Oscars tonight gave us a much fuller view of Melissa McCarthy as the sea witch who secretly plots to conquer Atlantica.
“Poor child,” Ursula says to Halle Bailey’s Ariel, “I can help you. You can’t live in that world [above water] unless you become a human yourself.”
“Is that even possible?” asks the mermaid.
“It’s what I live for,” replies Ursula with a cackle.
The pic, which stars Halle Bailey as Ariel the Mermaid, is based on Disney’s 1989 animated Oscar-winning pic The Little Mermaid, which itself was based on hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale.
Not everyone was happy with the trailer, or at least with the trailer being played by Disney subsidiary ABC during the Oscars, especially as it was introduced from the stage during the broadcast by Bailey and McCarthy.
Director and Oscar-winning producer Phil Lord took to Twitter shortly after it aired and wrote, “The broadcaster using the Oscars to promote its own movies simply undermines the integrity of the awards.”
The broadcaster using the Oscars to promote its own movies simply undermines the integrity of the awards
Directed by Chicago filmmaker Rob Marshall, Little Mermaid follows Ariel, who thirsts for adventure. Pic also stars Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs is the voice of Sebastian; Jacob Tremblay is the voice of Flounder; Awkwafina is the voice of Scuttle; Art Malik as Sir Grimsby; Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy is the notorious Ursula and Oscar winner Javier Bardem as King Triton. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
The Little Mermaid opens May 26. See the new poster below.
As far as this year’s Oscars goes, it was undoubtedly the year of the comeback.
It was a huge comeback for Best Actor and Supporting Actor winners Brendan Fraser and former child actor Ke Huy Quan (who co-starred way back in in 1991’s Encino Man) who in 2023 have risen – finally – to the pinnacle of their profession.
Getty Images)
It was also a huge comeback for actresses in their 60s, Best Actress Michelle Yeoh and Supporting Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who have trudged along in genre pictures for much of their career only to find unexpected industry respect in a quirky indie success that was shot three years ago, pre-pandemic.
It was a comeback for comedy itself in a new form that proved you don’t always have to be serious to sweep the Oscars.
It was also a comeback for the time honored tradition of a single comedian to host the Academy Awards, as well as the comeback for a third time, and first since 2018, for Jimmy Kimmel.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
It was also nice to see a comeback for an Oscar show that celebrated, front and center, the return to theaters.
And finally, it was a comeback for the Oscar show itself, back to its comfort zone, little angst, little controversy, good feelings, heartfelt speeches, and an old school but elegant approach to staging the ceremony with all 23 categories back live after last year’s debacle.
I am not sure how it played on TV, but after a pandemic and a slap, it was nice to see an Oscar show sticking pretty much to tradition. Last year was unbelievably tense. This year we all got snack boxes under our seats thanks to Kimmel, who supplied lunch boxes to everyone the last time he hosted. Smart.
The big guns from the year’s top two films weren’t there. Tom Cruise was filming in the UK , and James Cameron couldn’t attend due to personal reasons (a memorial service), but everyone else was in the room and for a ceremony that can sometimes feel jaded it was nice to see genuine excitement not just from first-time winners in key categories, but also each and every one a first time nominee. That just made this all a bit more special.
Political talk was at a minimum, movie talk and clips were back to a high. And there were those speeches, all sincere and on point, and about family. Lots of talk about moms, present or far away, or in the case of Curtis, mega movie star parents who once were nominated themselves but never won.
Getty Images)
At the Governors Ball, just as I was about to leave, Kimmel suddenly appeared and walked by. I congratulated him on a great job — most of the jokes landed — and asked how he felt about it all. “It was the speeches that made it special. It is always the speeches that you remember at these shows,” he told me rather modestly. It’s true that there wasn’t a dud among the acting winners, including Jamie Lee’s thanks to all who graced her life and career with the repeated line “we won an Oscar”. Her mention of her mother and father was particularly touching. Yeoh, Fraser, and Quan also gave stirring and genuine pep talks for never giving up, no matter the odds.
Producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner in fact made good use of their host, moving him in and out of the proceedings with ease. It also felt genuine because this was a host who actually bothered to see the movies. Occasionally he even got edgy, at one point shortly pre-In Memoriam segment, taking an audience survey to see if Robert Blake should be included in the reel of the recently deceased (he wasn’t).
Getty Images)
Another big plus was the elegant and powerful performances of the five nominated songs, from a beautiful chorus-laden “Applause” by Diane Warren to Rhianna’s stirring “Lift Me Up,” to eventual winner RRR’s rousing dance number “Naatu Naatu.” One of the big question marks ahead of this year’s show was whether or not Lady Gaga would be performing her nominated song, “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. At a Wednesday press conference Weiss put it to bed and told reporters it would not be performed on the show because Gaga couldn’t make it due to her filming commitments on the Joker sequel. However, Sunday morning suddenly there was word that indeed she would be singing it at the Dolby. I caught up with Weiss after the show and asked when they knew it had changed. After a slight pause he admitted they found out around Thursday that she was coming, but kept it a pretty good secret. It turned out to be one of the show’s highlights, a stripped down simple set, along with Gaga, sans makeup and formal wear (to say the least) for a more richly authentic turn that really worked.
Getty Images)
The one thing that wasn’t a comeback on this particular Oscar show was any surprises, and that was the only real surprise as many were thinking there could be a shocker or two. But don’t we always think there will be at least something unexpected, then with the plethora of precursor critics and guild shows, there rarely is. I had ventured way out on a limb to be just about the only one predicting an upset Best Picture victory for All Quiet on the Western Front, a feat that would have been historic since no remake of a past Best Picture winner in Academy history had ever won. My thinking initially was that All Quiet was likely the solid number two in the 10 Best Picture race, and so it turned out to be with four wins including Best International Film. But I thought there was a chance that Everything Everywhere was polarizing enough, especially for older members, that it could lose ground and be overtaken by a more consistently mentioned favorite like All Quiet, or even Top Gun: Maverick which was getting increasing buzz in the circles I travelled all weekend and even pre-show in the lobby. Clearly Everything Everywhere had the goods. One former studio head told me over the weekend that he felt Top Gun should be voted Best Picture to show the Academy was in tune with moviegoers. It wound up winning only Best Sound.
Everything Everywhere All At Onceclearly spoke to a large, likely younger, group of voters who appreciated its bold out-thereness, “something fresh” as one producer who was a fan of the film put it to me. Still, you might have hoped the voters could have spread it around a bit more, especially with a lineup of stellar films completely shut out that included Elvis, Tar, The Banshees Of Inisherin, Triangle Of Sadness, and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, the latter the early front runner after premiering in Toronto and winning the audience award there, once again proving it is a very looooong season and you don’t want to be the front runner right out of the gate. The Critics Choice Awards seemed to make a real turn in the fortunes of EEAAO and it never faltered after that. It turned out Sunday night was famine for those A-List filmmakers whose name wasn’t Daniel.
Edward Berger, “All Quiet On The Western Front” Photo:
Pete Hammond
I had thought we could be ripe for a surprise, especially with that Oscar Best Picture preferential ballot looking for consensus, but it wasn’t to be. Still, you have to celebrate the victory of a movie that has a very good heart and is all about the love of family, no matter how weird it got, the reason a lot of voters to whom I spoke had a hard time understanding it. Younger audiences weaned on multiverse storylines don’t have that problem at all. Also, I am not sure which one I would knock out, but I am still getting my head around the idea this is one of only three films to win three of the four acting Oscars, a really rare and amazing feat. The other two were 1951’s A Streetcar Named Desire and 1976’s Network. Pretty heady company. Entertaining and inventive as EEAAO is, I have a hard time putting it in the category of those two certified classics, but here we are. Considering its four acting nominations overall, the Oscar triumph of the film owes much to the Academy’s actors branch, by far its largest, which undoubtedly pushed it into the stratosphere for this impressive victory.
It is also proof positive you can never ignore the power of the guilds signaling Oscar wins. For the second year in a row SAG ran the board with all their film winners going on to win the Oscar in the corresponding category. PGA, DGA and WGA (even with some key titles ineligible) also accurately predicted this outcome. BAFTA on the other hand which nearly ignored EEAAO with just an Editing win in favor of a sweep for AQOTWF, has an increasingly terrible track record of matching Best Picture with Oscar, now just once in the past nine years when they both agreed on Nomadland. The only problem, as usual, is the season is too long, the other awards shows too many, and there is the feeling many Oscar voters are following the pack, rather than leading the way.
Pinocchio In Black Tie At Governors Ball Photo by Pete Hammond/Deadline
I was very happy for a few of these wins, notably for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio as the first Netflix movie to win Best Animated Feature. I was delighted to see one of del Toro’s stop motion models in attendance at the ball, adorned in black tie. I was also thrilled to see Fraser win. I did a tribute to him this year at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and there just isn’t a nicer guy or one more deserving of this award around.
At the Governors Ball, I was already moving on to what this year may bring. Top Apple and Paramount execs I talked to there somewhat dodged my inquiry as to whether Martin Scorsese’s epic western, Killers Of The Flower Moon was headed for Cannes, but I got the feeling it was. Also weighed in with Universal execs about Christopher Nolan’s upcoming chilling drama, Oppenheimer, and that one sounds almost certain to be talked about a year from now, but you never know. Who would have guessed we would be looking at EEAAO as a massive Best Picture winner just a year ago this week when it premiered at SXSW, hardly the launch pad for an Oscar campaign, eh?
To A24’s credit they kept this thing humming in theaters nationwide, waiting months to take it out digitally and on streaming. This is a company that believes in the theatrical experience and we should applaud that. The remarkable thing too is A24 spent the fewest campaign dollars compared to other Best Picture nominees this year, which has to be disheartening for studios and their multi-million dollar Oscar campaigns, especially when you are talking about a film that has been in release for a solid year and still managed to get that all-important momentum at just the right time. You cannot beat the ‘Big MO.’ CODA pulled it off in similar late inning fashion last year. The Oscar times they are a changin’.
Both Oscar CEOs I caught up with at the Govs Ball, past Dawn Hudson and present Bill Kramer, were thrilled with the way the show turned out, both feeling it captured the spirit of the better Oscar shows of a pre-pandemic era where emotion trumps everything, and they weren’t trying to rewrite the book on what this show is all about. It was good to see all the categories back in the live show, and the interstitials highlighting the work of nominees in upcoming categories was an inspired idea to show the Dolby audience during commercial breaks in an attempt to keep them engaged – some were. Shout out as well to the Academy for getting the digital ticketing working perfectly (after a rocky first year) in year two of ditching paper tickets for the show and Ball. Really impressive parking situation as well. Good job. Because of that and the quality of the films, winners and losers, this was a very satisfying return to Oscar normalcy. Let’s hope it continues.
The 2023 awards season reached its glitzy culmination in surprisingly heartwarming fashion last night. The 95th annual Academy Awards was one of the most joyful and inclusive Oscars we’ve had in years.
From the start, this year’s Oscars felt different.
First, the red carpet was … not red, for the first time since 1961. Instead, it was a tasteful champagne, part of an esthetic rebrand ushered in by creative consultants.
If the ceremony had a 2023 motto, it would have been, “We don’t want any trouble.”
As expected, the evening’s host, an affable Jimmy Kimmel, addressed The Slap in his opening monologue.
“If anything unpredictable or violent happens during the ceremony, just do what you did last year — nothing,” Kimmel said to the audience, referring to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage during the 2022 Oscars.
Kimmel also joked that any would-be assailant would have to get through an audience full of superheroes and badasses — or the actors who play them. (An actual crisis management crew was reportedly stationed in the wings to ensure there was no funny business.)
Once the ceremony got underway, it was infused with emotion. That feeling came from some familiar places — including the success of “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” an awards season juggernaut that won seven of the 11 awards it was nominated for — as well as a few unexpected sources.
Let’s whirl through the highs, lows and most heartfelt moments of the 2023 Oscars.
Michelle Yeoh led a night of firsts
With her win for “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win the Best Actress award. Inside the Dolby Theatre, the audience reaction to her win was deafening. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility,” Yeoh said, adding, “Ladies, don’t let anybody ever tell you are past your prime.”
Even before the winners took to the podium, this year’s Academy Awards was one for the record books: It marked the most nominations in a single year for Asian actors.
“Elvis” cinematographer Mandy Walker became just the third woman ever to be nominated in that category, while Ana de Armas of “Blonde“ is the first Cuban woman to be nominated for Best Actress.
It was also a banner year for first-time nominees. 2023 was the first year since 1935 that all of the Best Actor nominees hadn’t been nominated before. And Angela Bassett’s nomination for her turn in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was the first Academy nod for the Marvel universe.
Sarah Polley won for Best Adapted Screenplay
Canadian writer and director Sarah Polley accepted the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Women Talking,” her film based on the novel by Canadian author Miriam Toews. In her speech, Polley quoted the last line in the film, “Your life will be better,” calling it a “promise and a commitment” to the next generation, including her three kids watching at home in Toronto.
Jamie Lee Curtis won her first Oscar at 64
When Jamie Lee Curtis won Best Supporting Actress for “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” she credited everyone from her husband (Christopher Guest) to her collaborators to all the people who have watched her movies over the many years she’s been in the business. “I just won an Oscar!” she said onstage, her voice breaking as she talked about how her parents, Hollywood icons Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, had also been Oscar nominees.
As expected, Curtis’ “EEAAO” co-star Ke Huy Quan won Best Supporting Actor. Although he was the favourite in his category, emotion in the room still ran high. Presenter Ariana De Bose began to cry when she announced his name, and he received a standing ovation from the crowd. “Mom, I just won an Oscar,” Quan said, tears running down his face. “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow I ended up on Hollywood’s biggest stage. I cannot believe this is happening to me … this is the American dream.”
Lady Gaga got emotional
For her performance of “Hold My Hand” — the theme song of “Top Gun: Maverick,” nominated for Best Original Song — a dressed-down Lady Gaga exchanged her high drama red carpet makeup and Versace dress for a bare face and a black T-shirt and ripped jeans. “We need a lot of love to walk through this life,” Gaga said tearfully while introducing the song. “And we all need heroes sometimes. You might find you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside.” Gaga dedicated the song to the late director Tony Scott. The audience gave the performance a standing ovation.
Brendan Fraser completed his comeback
Brendan Fraser won Best Actor for his performance in “The Whale.” In his speech, a visibly emotional Fraser said, “I’m grateful to [director] Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship ‘The Whale.’” It’s a major comeback for the Canadian-American actor, who had largely left Hollywood after his early 2000s movie star heyday.
Rihanna glowed while performing “Lift Me Up”
Fresh from her triumph at the Super Bowl halftime show in February — her first public performance in over five years — Rihanna was back at the mic, dripping in diamonds and Maison Margiela. She sang the Oscar-nominated tune “Lift Me Up,” which was written in memory of the Black Panther himself, Chadwick Boseman. Rihanna hit every note and receiving another standing ovation from the crowd.
A low: Hugh Grant compared himself to a scrotum
Presenting the set and production design category alongside his “Four Weddings and a Funeral” co-star Andie McDowell, Hugh Grant joked that they were there to “raise important awareness” for moisturizer. “Andie has worn one every day for the past 29 years and still looks stunning,” he joked. “I on the other hand have never used one, and I practically look like a scrotum.” Charming, as always.
The entire Oscars audience sang “Happy Birthday”
The wholesomeness of Oscars 2023 reached its apex when the filmmakers behind “An Irish Goodbye” — which won Best Short Film — dedicated most of their speech time to getting the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to star James Martin. It was a genuinely sweet moment in a night that often lacks true emotion.
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The “weirdos” behind the multiverse-hopping, awards-season juggernaut “Everything Everywhere All at Once” staked their claim in the Oscars-verse on Sunday, dominating the 95th Academy Awards with seven wins, including best picture and directing.
The film was up for 11 Academy Awards and, on an evening resuscitating itself from Will Smith’s show-stopping slap during last year’s ceremony, we’ll quote “The Whale” star and besotted lead actor winner Brendan Fraser: “So this is what the multiverse looks like?”
Late-night stalwart Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for the third time and the ceremony went at least 30 minutes over its planned three-hour run time — a certainty the host repeatedly referred to throughout the evening as the telecast staved off incidents that would require the Oscars’ “crisis team.” By the end, however, Kimmel reset the count on his “Number of Oscars without incidents” counter as the show tried to return to post-slap and post-pandemic normalcy.
Here’s a look at this year’s key moments:
Jimmy Kimmel slaps back — repeatedly
The host did not let last year’s slap go quietly, repeatedly taking aim at 2022 lead actor winner Will Smith in his opening monologue and throughout the show.
“We want you to feel safe. And most importantly, we want me to feel safe,” Kimmel said during his monologue. “So we have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theater commits an act of violence, you will be awarded the Oscar for best actor and permitted to give a 19-minute-long speech.”
Course-correcting Oscars past
Oscar winners Jessica Chastain and Halle Berry present the awards for actress and actor in a leading role.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Last year’s documentary feature winner Questlove presented the category this year after the slap “skirmish” eclipsed his big win last year. Though the “Summer of Soul” filmmaker didn’t directly address the incident onstage (he already did at last year’s Grammy Awards and on the Oscars red carpet), his appearance was one of producers’ apparent attempts at course correction.
The lead actress Oscar, which is typically presented by the previous year’s lead actor winner (Smith in this case), was instead handed out by previous winners Jessica Chastain and Halle Berry, who welcomed Michelle Yeoh into their ranks.
Meanwhile, “Creed III” director-star Michael B. Jordan gave a shout-out to supporting-actress nominee Angela Bassett when he and Jonathan Majors presented together. “Hey, Auntie,” he said, echoing one of his lines from “Black Panther” and allowing anyone who felt that Bassett was again snubbed at the Oscars a chance to feel seen. When “Wakanda Forever” costume designer Ruth E. Carter returned to the stage to collect another Oscar, she thanked the academy “for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman.” (“She endures. She loves. She overcomes. She is every woman in this film. And she is my [101-year-old late] mother.”)
And “hopelessly devoted” John Travolta — he of “Adele Dazeem” infamy — introduced the In Memoriam segment with a tearful tribute to his “Grease” co-star Olivia Newton-John.
Those ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ speeches are still joyous
After a long awards season and plenty of wins, the cast and crew of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” kept their rousing speech momentum. If you didn’t believed the magic of the multiverse, at least let its stars help you believe in slow-burn career magic. (Or see Ke Huy Quan frenetically envelop his “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984) co-star Harrison Ford as Ford presented him and the team with the award for best picture.)
Kicking off with supporting actor winner Quan’s latest emotional speech about the American Dream at the start of the show, volleying to Jamie Lee Curtis’ triumphant “we just won an Oscar” supporting actress love-fest, Daniels’ multiple acceptances and Yeoh’s words of wisdom, the big winners celebrated mothers, “genius emerging from the collective” and the “greatness in every single person.”
“This is a beacon of hope and possibilities…. Dreams do come true,” Yeoh proclaimed. “Ladies, don’t let anyone tell you you are ever past your prime.”
Pop stars win the live performances
Original song nominee Lady Gaga made it to the Oscars and even performed! The “Hold My Hand” singer-songwriter made headlines earlier this week after producers said she would be the only song nominee not to perform during this year’s telecast because she “didn’t feel like she can get a performance to the caliber that we’re used to with her and that she is used to” in time.
Then, after walking the champagne-colored red carpet in full glam, Gaga disrupted expectations altogether with an intimate stripped-down performance of the “Top Gun: Maverick” power ballad while wearing a black T-shirt, ripped jeans and sneakers — with nary a lick of makeup remaining on her face.
Rihanna performs her Oscar-nominated song “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” at the 95th Academy Awards.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Rihanna made her exciting return to live TV after last month’s performance at Super Bowl LVI to deliver her Oscar-nominated song “Life Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The ballad was written as a tribute to late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman and seeing it performed live by the pregnant pop powerhouse just hit different, as they say.
And David Byrne was joined by Son Lux and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star Stephanie Hsu to give us the hot dog fingers cover of “This Is a Life” we didn’t know we needed.
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ makes some noise
For a stretch of the night, Edward Berger’s World War II epic “All Quiet on the Western Front” seemed poised to displace “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as the big winner. Picking up wins for cinematography, international feature film, production design and original score, the film hit a streak mid-ceremony that made it the second-most winning film of the night with four Oscars off nine nominations.
The Oscars become an actual zoo
“Cocaine Bear” director Elizabeth Banks presents the award for visual effects at the 95th Academy Awards.
Later, “Cocaine Bear” director Elizabeth Banks presented the award for visual effects accompanied by a person in a massive bear costume. The furry guest star later made its way into the audience for a walkabout with Kimmel, who took another swipe at his longtime foe Matt Damon. The Oscars, man, they’re wild.
Four awards shows and a reunion
Andie MacDowell and Hugh Grant present the award for production design.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Upsetting Oscars viewers at home and going viral with his rude and reticent red-carpet interview with “On the Red Carpet” co-host Ashley Graham, “Glass Onion” actor Hugh Grant apparently tried to redeem with his signature self-deprecating humor during the ceremony. The British actor reunited onstage with his “Four Weddings and a Funeral” co-star Andie MacDowell to present the production design award. That’s when he waxed poetic about the power of moisturizing then actually called himself “basically a scrotum” during the ceremony. (Did you hear that, Ashley?!)
The analyst team at this company needed better tools to help leverage their time and attention and stop doing manual research. Joe’s team had been using Feedly to aggregate information for years. But when his boss, Oliver, Cyber Security Manager, found out that Feedly’s cybersecurity-specific plan could use AI to flag cyber attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities, they knew they had to try it.
Organizing their security sources into focused Feeds
Oliver created Feeds around three main focus areas: renewable energy sources + cybersecurity, critical vulnerabilities, and supply chain threats.
The team selected sources of information they trusted to track cybersecurity news. Not all articles from their trusted sources concern the energy sector. To filter out cybersecurity news unrelated to the energy sector, they configured Feedly AI to flag articles about the specific areas they care about.
“Before using Feedly AI, we had very generic Feeds. We were just looking for energy and cybersecurity news in our region. But over time, I’ve been able to nuance our requirements over supply chain attacks, like Solar Winds.”
Tracking ransomware in the energy space
For example, the analyst team has always tracked news at the intersection of cybersecurity and the energy sector. But once they started using Feedly for Cybersecurity, they created an AI Feed to flag articles that cover ransomware in the energy industry.
The team created an AI Feed to flag articles about ransomware and the energy industry.
Tracking supply chain attacks
“We were concerned about the supply chain risk for our company,” says Joe. “We talked to our internal procurement team to really understand our top 30 providers, with whom we spend millions of dollars.”
To track supply chain risks, the team selected the exact vendors they work with and created a personalized stream of intelligence to track risks coming from their supply chain. “We were able to turn the list of our top partners into an AI Feed and ask him to flag cyber attacks targeting those partners,” explains Joe.
The analyst team used the “Feedly Company Lists” feature to track a list of 650 suppliers — from Microsoft to small law offices. Feedly AI now flags articles about cyber attacks on those companies.
With an AI Feed n place, Feedly AI flags articles about data breaches related to any of the company’s suppliers, so they’ll know when one of the companies in their supply chain is breached or attacked. Feedly AI recognizes most of these names as companies, so he can differentiate if an attack is about Amazon (company) vs. Amazon (the river), for example.
Pushing articles to Slack to share with the local intelligence community
Beyond their internal intelligence team, Joe and Oliver share information across several platforms with peer organizations cybersecurity teams around the globe.
When members of Joe’s team save articles to the “Attacks in Energy Sector” Board, they automatically get pushed to a designated channel in Slack.
Joe and Oliver add critical articles to a specific Feedly Board. They’ve connected the Board to the collaboration platforms, so when Joe or his teammates add articles to the Board, their security community will automatically see critical updates.
The analyst team can add Notes when they save articles to their “Attacks in Energy Sector” Board, and those notes will show up in the designated Slack channel.
The Scream franchise has come a long way. In the 1996 film, if you blinked twice, you missed the ancillary Black people in the background. Yes, the main characters, especially Sidney Prescott, absolutely rule; however, it was indeed a very, very white film. Fast forward 20 plus years later and the four leading characters, now known as the Core Four, are not white. And, while Sidney had to endure a good portion of her trauma alone, this quartet is made of two sibling pairs who will do anything for each other. Fans absolutely adore Chad and Mindy Meeks-Martin, the nephew and niece of Randy Meeks. In Scream VI, we get to know Chad and Mindy on a whole new level, so we chatted with Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding about their bond, Chad’s heroicness, the Chad/Tara romance, and Mindy’s wild moments with Ghostface.
Paramount Pictures
Nerdist: In what ways have Chad and Mindy changed since the last Scream movie?
Jasmin Savoy Brown: It’s mostly Mindy’s hair. (laughs) A big chop. She’s looking real different! I think Mindy is excited to be stepping into her queerness in a new way, being in college, being exposed to new people, new places. She’s probably learning about Stonewall for the first time and she’s really taking all of that really far in her self-expression and is representing who she is head to toe.
Mason Gooding: And I guess Chad, after being turned into a human pin cushion, has probably learned to maybe work on his core in case he gets stabbed ever again. And then on top of that, I think he’s really willing to invest time in the people he loves and to make sure that they’re safe. Maybe he projects a lot of what happened to him onto the wellbeing of others to make sure that they don’t have to experience what he did.
Savoy Brown: He’s a softie.
Gooding: He’s a loving himbo.
Savoy Brown: A loving himbo.
Chad is indeed a loving and brave guy in this movie. I like the way he steps up and becomes this charming and action-ready hero. It’s kind of like Duane Jones in Night of the Living Dead with a touch of Scream’s Dewey Riley. What was it like to step into that leading man role this time around? How did you prepare for it?
Gooding: I want the best and [care about the] wellbeing of the women in my life, mainly Jasmin, Jenna (Ortega), and Melissa (Barerra). And I think I transfixed that desire for safety and security of the people I love onto Chad’s persona. And in a horror movie, especially one that’s as physical as Scream, that manifests as Chad being a protector a lot of times. I think Chad embodies a lot of what I like about modern interpretations of masculinity. He admits when he’s wrong. He listens to women when they talk about what is either wrong or what he should do and is also willing to put his body on the line to make sure that they’re okay.
Philippe Bossé/Paramount Pictures
I love that! And, for Mindy, she’s still got that trademark humor and is a standout character. But this film puts her in some really dire situations, like the ladder and subway scenes. What was it like filming those big moments?
Savoy Brown: I love filming both of those scenes. The subway scene I got to film with none other than Jack Champion, our little Avatar friend. He is just a delight… I would just really try to make him break by improving crazy things, which was really fun. And same with Devyn Nekoda. She is very talented and I’m glad that she has that whole sequence to really showcase her range. She gave her whole body in that scene and in my opinion, has one of the most epic fallings anyone’s ever had.
That moment was big for Mindy. It’s a hard trauma to lose your girlfriend right in front of your face. She tries to hide behind her pain with humor, but where do you think her head space is by the end of this film?
Savoy Brown: By the end she’s really just running on adrenaline and is a bit thrown off. I think anytime you go through a trauma like that, you just kind of coasting and a bit confused and really overdoing it with the humor, like you said. And it catches up later. Mindy will probably fall apart at some point but her brother is there to catch her.
Gooding: Chad and Mindy’s relationship is so endearing. They bicker at each other, but they really have each other’s backs and that never waivers at any point, even though they make fun of each other all the time.
Philippe Bossé/Paramount Pictures
They do! And you can feel the sibling chemistry between you two, both on and off camera. How did you become friends?
Savoy Brown: Well, he started it! He texted me when I booked the job and was like, “Can’t wait to meet you. I’m here if you need anything. Let me know. I got your back.”
Gooding: Listen, I’ll be candid. We were going to film in Wilmington, North Carolina and I just wanted…
Savoy Brown: He was like, you’re the only other… (mumbles and laughs)
Gooding: I just wanted to make sure Jasmine felt like she had someone who maybe had a similar background to her on set and a new cast of people.
Savoy Brown: Black people got to stick together.
Gooding: Straight up.
We always find each other!
Gooding: Exactly. I just wanted to let her know I’m here.
Savoy Brown: And I said thank you because I’m scared.
Gooding: And then she hit me with a bill of therapy. If I ever want to talk, it’s like $45 an hour, which is fair.
Savoy Brown: Minimum.
Oh, my God.
Savoy Brown: My rates have gone up since.
Paramount Pictures
I love you two. So, outside of this sibling relationship, Chad gets a romantic one with Tara. Can you talk about why it makes sense for them to be an item?
Gooding: I think there’s something life altering about having such a traumatic experience for Chad that it only makes sense that certain dynamics and friendships and relationships in his life would shift dramatically. Maybe he has a new outlook, a lease on life, that would draw him to follow through on feelings that maybe he didn’t even know were available for him.
Moreover, I think there’s something so electric and magnetic about Tara’s independence and how she wants so badly to live her life the way she wants to, that I think Chad, in being such a helper and protector, wants to see her succeed and to have a life of safety and comfort. And I think whatever way that he can support her in that, he’s willing to follow through it.
That’s so lovely. Last question for you both. What were your thoughts when you read the script and discovered the killer twist?
Savoy Brown: The end was like boom, boom, bop. I saw the first boom coming, but not the other boom and the bop. The bop really shocked me.
Paramount Pictures
Gooding: When I read the script once, I must have missed it because I remember they asked, “Did you guys see the killers coming?” And I was like, “I just listed two.” And they were like, “You didn’t read carefully enough, maybe go back and try again.” And I got the whole picture after that and I was like, wow, y’all really did that! You really went and changed the game up.
Chad is a total boss here who survives two Ghostfaces stabbing him at the same time. An iconic moment.
Gooding: And then still walks away! So that’s the real secret to being a leading man. Chad is actually a superhero. And he has immortality. There it is, guys. Spoiled.
And just like that, the Season 1 finale of HBO’s The Last of Us has come to a close. The first nine episodes of the series stuck pretty close to the events of the 2013 game, with some important changes along the way to deepen character development. In the end, though, those of us who have played The Last of Us know how it has to end. And even with some added context in the Season 1 finale, the series beautifully landed the story’s conclusion.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of The Last of Us, as well as the events of The Last of Us Part II. If you haven’t seen the episode yet or don’t want to be spoiled on the 2020 game, turn away now.
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A true standout in this final episode is a returning Marlene (Merle Dandridge), who not only got pivotal moments with Pedro Pascal’s Joel throughout the episode but was also explored via her own flashback, which is an incredibly important piece of her story–and allowed for the return of a fan-favorite performer from the games.
GameSpot sat down with Dandrige to discuss all of Marlene’s major moments in the finale and the emotion that went into the episode.
The birth of Ellie
The episode opens with the introduction of Anna, played by Ashley Johnson, the actor who portrays Ellie in the games. Now, though, she’s in the role of Ellie’s mother. While in labor, about to give birth to Ellie, Anna is bitten by an infected and just like that, we know her fate is sealed. However, we also learn that she is Marlene’s best friend with the two having a connection that stems back to before outbreak day.
Speaking about the moment and her reunion with Johnson, Dandridge admitted, “When I first read that episode and that scene, I do believe I might have clutched it to my chest and sighed and cried… Working with Ashley has always been an absolute joy.”
What’s more, though, this long opening scene allowed Dandridge the opportunity to explore a piece of Marlene we’ve never really seen before. “I think if you had really delved deep into the game, you might have heard some more of the backstory or the interaction between Marlene and Anna,” the actress said. “And for those fans, those old-school, deep-dive kind of fans, they’re getting that payoff, but for us–I can’t speak for Ashley, but for me–the fundamental pieces around what and who I built Marlene to be, you know, through this vehicle of Merle, were steeped in this relationship and who she was before outbreak day.”
Interestingly, this particular story was almost explored more deeply before. During a conference call with the press, The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann revealed that he’s had an idea for a story based around Anna that he’s tried to explore as a comic book, a game, and even a short film previously.
“I wrote this short script about Ellie’s mom and how she gave birth to Ellie, was bitten at the same time and wasn’t sure if she was infected during that birth,” he explained. “And it just became this little character drama that felt like it spoke to the same themes of parental love for their child and how much you’re willing to do even when you’re on death’s door.”
While that never came to fruition previously, it works as a centerpiece moment for the HBO series. And even though Dandridge didn’t know it would be showcased until she read the Season 1 finale script, it was on her mind from the start.
“In my first conversations with [showrunner] Craig [Mazin], Anna was such a part of that,” Dandridge said. “She’s inherent to why and how I have been relating to Ellie and perhaps why she’s chosen to keep her safe and the way that she’s chosen to keep her safe.”
Joel’s choice
Ultimately, Joel rescued Ellie from the Fireflies’ doctor, whose procedure would have killed her in order to successfully extract what he needed to develop a potential cure (if you call dooming the rest of the world a rescue). But before he escapes with her, Joel comes face-to-face once more with Marlene, who attempts to reason with him.
A huge moment in this scene is when she tries to impress upon Joel that she understands why he feels the need to save Ellie. Let’s not forget that before Joel came into the picture, it was Marlene caring for the young girl after her time in the FEDRA training camp. What’s more, now that we know her connection to Ellie’s mother, of course, she cares for the girl. Still, that has to be balanced with the possibility of a world-saving cure.
If you’ve played The Last of Us Part II, you know that Marlene did not make the choice to sacrifice Ellie lightly. “You see that she is rigorously questioning and pushing back on this doctor’s technology and science that there has to be some other way,” Dandridge said. “There has to be another way and only after exhaustive time and understanding and work and explanation and testing has she come to the realization that this is the only way. And that realization when she sees that come over Joel, ‘I do get it. I have been in the exact place of denial that you are right now. And I can confidently stand in front of you and say, I have loved her longer and more. And this is still the right choice.'”
At that point, though, Joel simply doesn’t care. After killing the surgeon, and everyone else in sight, he shoots Marlene as well. After all, he knows–as does Dandridge–that if left alive, Marlene would never stop her search for Ellie.
“She is unrelenting in her sense of purpose,” Dandridge said. “Yes, she would follow Joel to the ends of the Earth if he had Ellie in his arms. And, there is a world in which a better outcome could have been reached–a better understanding.”
Was Joel right?
That’s the ultimate question at play here, and one The Last of Us fans have been debating for a decade. Joel essentially destroyed any possibility of finding a cure for the infection just to save one person. However, that one person is the thing he cares about keeping alive the most. It’s hard to know if he’s definitively right or wrong in this situation. Dandridge has an opinion on the matter, though.
“My breath catches when I just think about it. If there was someone that I loved in harm’s way, I would do everything in my power to keep them safe to protect them from harm’s way,” she explained. “And fortunately, I’m not making those kinds of credit decisions for the sake of humanity. My goodness. But would you sacrifice that? I mean, that’s a biblical kind of question. It is so large in scope, that it’s overwhelming to even consider. So [as] Merle, I could not even put my mind to consider [it].”
What’s next?
Unfortunately, this looks like the end of the road for Marlene. We know she doesn’t survive Joel’s bullets in the games. However, it’s not as if changes haven’t been made to the games so far. Even Dandridge doesn’t know Marlene’s fate. One thing’s for sure, she knows it’s her need for Joel to understand the good that comes with the sacrifice that has to be considered.
“This quality of hers ends up being her demise,” she said. “Or is it? I don’t know.”
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There are a lot of films based on personal experience at this year’s SXSW, and Billy Luther’s narrative feature debutFrybread Face and Me is one of the few that actually makes you wish it could go on longer. Using his authentic experience as a rough map rather than a beat sheet, Luther hits on something very special here, exploring universal themes of childhood and family in ways that transcend the specificity of its setting. Taika Waititi’s involvement as executive producer is understandable, not because it reflects his recent success in bringing a more subversively silly strain of comedy to Marvel movies but because, in its lovely, understated it way, it has all the simple warmth and heart of the New Zealander’s earlier works.
Similarly, production company World of Wonder, the creators of RuPaul’s Drag Race, also helped shepherd this story to the screen, but this not to suggest that Frybread Face and Me is preaching to the LGBTQ+ choir and destined for that audience alone. Rather, it shares that long-running show’s compassion and its curiosity about the things that make us we who really are. In Luther’s film, sexuality is rumored, joked, suggested and teased about, but no human behavior is explained or labeled because, for its young protagonist, that doesn’t really matter yet.
The year is 1990, and our hero is an 11-year-old boy from San Diego called Benny (Kier Tallman), who is introduced by Luther in a Wonder Years-style voice-over that interrupts at various intervals, usually when you’ve forgotten about it. Benny is obsessed with Fleetwood Mac and, with his mother’s blessing, dresses up as Stevie Nicks when his father’s not around, which is most of the time. Benny has already learned to hide his interests in plain sight, using action figures as dolls to re-enact tempestuous scenes from his favorite TV soap operas. Benny is completely disconnected from his indigenous roots, but all that changes when he is sent to “the res” — his maternal grandmother Lorraine’s sheep farm in Arizona — for the summer.
Grandmother Lorraine doesn’t speak any English, and never will, but Benny accepts this as the new norm, even when his cousin Frybread Face (Charley Hogan) arrives after being dumped there too. Frybread Face speaks English perfectly well, but for a while she feigns ignorance, leaving Benny to fend for himself. Slowly, though, and after finding out that Benny has a season pass to Sea World and has actually met Shamu the orca — more than once — she starts to thaw, and Benny gets closer to his family and their ways: his beautiful, rebellious Aunt Lucy, his macho, cantankerous Uncle Marvin, and Frybread Face herself, aka Dawn, whose father’s whereabouts is a delicate subject. This explodes when Marvin reveals the real reason Benny is there on the res: his parents are divorcing.
As a mood piece, it perhaps most resembles Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, in that it evokes the past with the scrappiness of memory and, more importantly, doesn’t lean too heavily on period references to set the scene: Pee-wee’s Playhouse is in its last season on TV, Uncle Marvin has a dog called Reba McEntire, and Dawn is obsessed with Jeff Bridges in Starman. More impressively, Uncle Marvin’s hidden copy of Playboy (cover line: “MADONNA NUDE”) doesn’t immediately jump out as set dressing. In the same way, Luther’s film doesn’t lecture about the importance of cultural heritage (we hear, for example, that Grandmother Lorraine may be the last of the family’s bloodline to herd sheep). Instead, Luther invites his audience to ponder on the inevitable dissipation of families and their traditions in the same bittersweet, non-judgmental way that a completely mainstream studio film like, say, Barry Levinson’s Avalon did.
Like that film, Frybread Face and Me features a guileless and charismatic young male in the lead, the “me” of the title, but the standout here has to be the fantastic Hogan, whose story perhaps this really is. Benny is narrating, so we can assume he’s fine, but where is Dawn now? How did things turn out for her? It’s a loose end, a question mark, and an accurate representation of the way the things we might have taken for granted can take on new significance in later life.
Title: Frybread Face and Me Festival: SXSW, Narrative Spotlight Director: Billy Luther Screenwriter: Billy Luther Cast: Kier Tallman, Charley Hogan, Martin Sensmeier Running time: 1 hr 23 min
All for one, and one for all! Join your favourite TransAtlantic podcasting crew: Ian, Liam, Megan, and Georgia (Ethan’s being rescued from a tower) as we’re heading to 17th Century France and keeping our native accents because it really didn’t matter back then as we review The Man in the Iron Mask on its 25th anniversary and our 3rd birthday. We’re ending riots in the streets in our 165th episode as we discuss:
Leo’s schedule between this film and Titanic
Who was first choice for Aramis and why did he turn in down
We talk about American fast food chains we’d like to see in the UK
Georgia finally gives her rant for The Big Lebowski
We ask which actors have shown up in the most BFE reviews
We also discuss best nations for BFE downloads and highest rated/downloaded films
Some of our listeners sent in audio birthday messages on our 3rd birthday
Whether or not The Man in the Iron Mask is the Best Film Ever
Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of ‘Mistake’ by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex’s new band, The Maids of Honor at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor
This year’s Academy Awards have come and gone and representation remained a hot-button topic. Actress Ariana DeBose and “CODA” Oscar winner Troy Kotsur celebrated inclusivity — in spite of the fact that no Deaf or disabled nominees were included this year — while actors Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, and costume designer Ruth Carter honored fellow Oscar nominee Angela Bassett in a year where the lack of Black female nominees was on everyone’s mind. And in terms of overall female representation, this year’s Oscars was down versus last year.
History was certainly made Sunday night across numerous spectrums, however.
Actress Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress, while costumer Ruth E. Carter marked only the second time a Black woman has won Best Costume Design, or twice in any category. Daniel Kwan, one half of the directing and writing duo for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” became the fourth Asian artist to win Best Director. Kwan’s three Oscars (for Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay) comprise three of the 11 wins by nominees of color.
This year’s Asian representation, particularly in the acting categories, was the highest in Academy Awards history, with the most nominations since 2004. In addition to “Everything Everywhere”s Yeoh, Kwan, and Ke Huy Quan, Judy Chin’s make-up and hairstyling award for “The Whale” brought the total of East Asian winners to four. All four South Asian nominees – the songwriting duo behind “Naatu Naatu” and “The Elephant Whisperers” producers – won their categories.
But of the 101 individual categories at this year’s Oscars, only 19 nominees were people of color. That’s only 18% of the nominations. Yet they only account for less than 6% of the wins.
Black nominees only account for 7% of the individual nominees, though ended up securing only one win, for the aforementioned Ruth Carter. Angela Bassett for “Wakanda Forever” and Brian Tyree Henry for “Causeway” were the only Black acting nominees, leaving Black performers to account for less than 2% of the nominees. Compared to last year, which had 13 nominations for Black talent, this year saw only seven, marking an 85% decrease from the year prior.
And then there was the complete lack of women in Best Directing, in spite of Sarah Polley securing the Best Adapted Screenplay Award for “Women Talking,” which was nominated for a Best Picture. This makes for the first year that women have won Best Adapted Screenplay category two years in a row, following Sian Heder for “CODA.”
Also, all of the costume nominees this year were women, and each film nominated for production design included at least one female nominee. But history could have been made tonight if Mandy Walker had won for Best Cinematography for “Elvis”; she’d have been the first woman to win. That award went to James Friend for “All Quiet on the Western Front.” This marked the third time — and third loss — for a woman in Best Cinematography. Women still only make up 3% of Best Cinematography nominations in the Oscars history.
Last year was the worst showing for women nominees in four years, with them winning 23% of the categories in which they were nominated. This year they actually fared worse, with only nine wins out of 57 nominations. Women only secured 15% of the wins this year.
That being said, to hear Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh call out the industry for the lack of opportunities they’ve received only emphasized the continuing need for diverse nominees. What can be done to fix that? The jury’s still out, but we have a whole year to hope next year’s Oscars will show signs of improvement.
Oscar-nominated RRR is one of the most electrifying films you will ever see. Directed by Tollywood genius S. S. Rajamouli, RRR imagines an alternate history where real-life revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) were best friends. When Bheem goes undercover in the British Raj-occupied city of Delhi to rescue a kidnapped child from his village, he immediately connects with what seems to be just another random cool dude who likes to dabble in heroics. Raju actually is working undercover for the British occupiers to find Bheem. There’s more twists and turns, but the beating heart of this exhilarating film is the bromance between Raju and Bheem. Musical numbers, epic workout sequences, and even fights with live tigers punctuate this over-the-top, ecstatic ode to rebellion, cinema, and friendship.
As anyone who loves fashion knows, clothes are about more than mere style; they communicate an abundance of stories, and that was certainly true of the Hollywood A-listers who walked the champagne-hued carpet at the 2023 Oscars. From romantic volume or sleek modernity to conveying messages both subtle and overt, the stars arriving at L.A.’s Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood seemed to take a uniquely personal approach to their style this year.
The night’s best fashion ran the gamut from the grandeur of voluminous gowns in silk taffeta, notably a pair of Valentino gowns seen on Stephanie Hsu and Florence Pugh, to sleek looks in pale neutrals, including Ana de Armas in Louis Vuitton and Michelle Williams in Chanel. Elegant black gowns also ruled the night, with Danai Gurira’s Jason Wu design and Jenny Slate’s Thom Browne ensemble among the best. Winning details, meanwhile, ranged from rose accents to corset boning and a decided preference for vintage jewels.
Tribute ribbons also made an appearance as blue ribbons were worn by several stars to call attention to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which coordinated the #WithRefugees ribbon as an emblem of solidarity with refugees forced to flee their homes. Cate Blanchett, a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, and fellow nominee Brendan Gleeson were among those seen wearing the blue ribbons on Sunday night. Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo likewise chose to create a message close to her heart, wearing a pair of dresses — by Christian Siriano for the Oscars ceremony and by Kevan Hall for the Vanity Fair party — emblazoned with messages to honor the embattled women of Iran, her native country.
Which stars ultimately stood out amid the sea of Hollywood insiders? Here’s a rundown of the night’s most memorable looks. (See a list of the winners, and check out all of the star-studded Oscars red carpet arrivals.)
Angela Bassett in Moschino
Angela Bassett
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Purple is the color traditionally associated with royalty, and best supporting actress nominee Angela Bassett indeed exuded a queenly vibe in a richly toned purple organza gown by Moschino, beautifully draped and featuring an exaggerated bow neckline. She finished the look with diamonds by Bulgari, including a high-jewelry Serpenti necklace, and shoes by Sarah Flint Heels.
Stephanie Hsu in Valentino
Stephanie Hsu
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The news that the red carpet would be transformed to a champagne hue for the 2023 Oscars spawned a wealth of conversation, not all of it positive. And while the pale neutral indeed created a different framing for many looks, many stylists understood the assignment, including Wayman and Micah, stylists for nominee Stephanie Hsu. The actress’ bold pink strapless gown, from Valentino’s Spring/Summer 2023 Le Club Couture collection, was an outstanding choice against that pale carpet. Hsu’s look was finished with high-jewelry sapphire and diamond earrings and a diamond bracelet by Cartier.
Jenny Slate in Thom Browne
Jenny Slate
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It would have been great to see more of Jenny Slate, co-writer and star of Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, not only because the best animated feature film nominee has reached beloved status, but also to get a better glimpse at her custom look by Thom Browne — a black silk faille corset and lace-up skirt, detailed with matching black bugle-bead boning and tuxedo seaming, and seen early on the carpet with a cropped, roped shoulder jacket. Perhaps most adorably: Slate carried Marcel with her, and the diminutive shell was also wearing a look by Browne. The actress and writer, meanwhile, finished her look with a dramatic emerald and diamond necklace by Gismondi 1754.
An executive producer of short documentary film nominee Strangers at the Gate, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai embraced the glamour of the 2023 Oscars in a custom silver sequined gown by Ralph Lauren, accessorized with jewels by Santi and Fred Leighton.
Sofia Carson in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture
Sofia Carson
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An early arrival on the 2023 Oscars carpet, Sofia Carson, who sang the Oscar-nominated song “Applause” during the telecast, exuded a sort of Audrey Hepburn-inspired elegance in a beautiful two-piece custom look by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture, consisting of a draped silk-chiffon crop top with twisted cutout bodice, paired with an asymmetrical waist ball-gown skirt. The neckline was perfect for showcasing a high-jewelry necklace by Chopard, featuring seven octagonal-shaped emeralds totaling 122.49 carats, surrounded by 92.57 carats of white diamonds, all set in Fairmined-certified white gold.
Danai Gurira in Jason Wu
Danai Gurira
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The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star looked equal parts regal and modern in an elegant strapless gown with a distressed neckline from Jason Wu’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection, accented with diamond jewels by Messika, including the diamond Divine Enigma choker used to highlight Gurira’s towering hairstyle.
Sandra Oh in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture
Sandra Oh
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Marigold silk chiffon was a standout color choice for Sandra Oh, who took advantage of the flow and movement of this Giambattista Valli Haute couture empire-waist gown. And with vintage jewels among the night’s trends, Oh also wore one of the best necklaces seen at the 2023 Oscars: a circa-1980s Harry Winston piece featuring an oversized citrine as its center stone, courtesy of Briony Raymond.
Cara Delevingne in Elie Saab
Cara Delevingne
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Currently on the April cover of Vogue, model and actress Cara Delevingne has been candid in that feature and other interviews about her conscious decision to concentrate on self-care after struggling with sobriety. That’s why it was so thrilling to see her looking nothing less than stunning at Sunday’s Academy Awards. Every element came together beautifully, starting with her crimson Elie Saab one-shoulder silk gown, which featured an impeccable fit and perfect details like the lush bow at her shoulder. Her Bulgari high jewels, including a Serpenti choker embellished with 62.85 carats of white diamonds, added the ideal splash of sparkle, while her smoky eye and slicked-back hair completed a head-to-toe look that everyone was talking about on social media.
Navy tuxes have dominated awards-show carpets in recent years; perhaps that’s why it was so great to see many men reverting to classic black tuxedoes for the 2023 Oscars. Top Gun: Maverick‘s Jay Ellis was an early arrival, and only in the up-close interviews were viewers able to notice that his suit, by Fendi Mens, included a black single-breasted jacket embellished with an all-over floral motif embroidered in matching tone micro beads. Ellis accessorized his tux with Cartier’s Tank Must watch and Christian Louboutin’s Greggo patent-leather dress shoe.
Rihanna in Alaïa
Rihanna
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Unsurprisingly, Rihanna created a frenzy on social media when she arrived at the 2023 Oscars in a custom look by Alaïa, a black leather-band dress worn over a black jersey bodysuit. A best song nominee for “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Rihanna accessorized her look with jewels by Moussaieff, including earrings in orangey brown and yellow diamonds and a ring highlighting an orangey brown diamond.
Florence Pugh in Valentino Haute Couture
Florence Pugh
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Few looks sparked conversation on social media like Florence Pugh’s look by Valentino Haute Couture. Her empire top in greige-hued silk taffeta highlighted dramatic sleeves and a floor-length overskirt worn over black bike shorts, a design from Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Spring/Summer 2023 Le Club Couture collection. “It’s a bit romantic and a bit punk,” Pugh explained on the carpet. Her diamond jewels by Tiffany & Co., meanwhile, included a platinum and diamond necklace crafted to resemble the curves of an orchid.
Monica Barbaro in Elie Saab
Monica Barbaro
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Also among the night’s early arrivals, Top Gun: Maverick actress Monica Barbaro opted for this two-tone silk gown by Elie Saab, an unusual color pairing of sky blue and eggplant — and that unique vibe, combined with the overskirt structure highlighted by a perfect bow at the waist, is precisely why it worked. Diamonds by Kwiat and Fred Leighton completed her look.
Andrew Garfield in Fendi Mens
Andrew Garfield
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Another actor who went ultra-traditional for the Oscars, presenter Andrew Garfield chose a Fendi Men’s Made to Measure black tuxedo that featured a double-breasted jacket with a lapel in tonal satin, paired with traditional black trousers with satin side stripe, a white evening shirt, cummerbund and bow tie, all from the label’s Fall/Winter 2023-24 eveningwear collection. Patent-leather lace-up shoes, also by Fendi, a signet ring by David Yurman and Omega’s De Ville Tresor Master Co-Axial Chronometer completed his look.
Ana de Armas in Louis Vuitton
Ana de Armas
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Perhaps not anticipating the effect of the champagne-toned carpet, many attendees and their stylists planned pale looks, including best actress nominee Ana de Armas, who looked beautiful in a romantic gown by Louis Vuitton. Her custom silver silk organza mermaid gown featured a 3D degradé scalloped train.The Blonde star wore white gold and diamond earrings, a bracelet and ring by Louis Vuitton High Jewelry.
Miles and Keleigh Teller in Celine
Miles and Keleigh Teller
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If the Oscars presented a “Hottest Couple” award, the undisputed winners would be Miles and Keleigh Teller. The Top Gun: Maverick star and his wife were flawless in his-and-hers looks by Celine — with Miles in a traditional black tuxedo in mohair black canvas from Celine Homme by Hedi Slimane, while Keleigh wore a fully embroidered silver bow strapless couture dress and silver Sharp sandals, both from Celine by Hedi Slimane, finished with pearl earrings by Mikimoto.
Michelle Williams in Chanel
Michelle Williams
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A best actress nominee for The Fabelmans, Michelle Williams looked utterly ethereal in a custom design by Chanel: a white silk chiffon, cady and tulle embroidered bustier gown, worn with a silk tulle cape closed with a jeweled button. The embroidery on the dress and cape was inspired by a look from Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2023 haute-couture collection. Williams accented the dress and cape with diamonds set in platinum by Tiffany & Co.
Nicole Kidman in Armani Privé
Nicole Kidman
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Rose embellishments were a trend at the 2023 Oscars, seen on everything from Halle Berry’s Tamara Ralph gown to the rose Oscar-winning screenwriter Sarah Polley wore on the lapel of her tuxedo. But for roses served with a bit of drama, no one did it better than presenter Nicole Kidman, whose custom Giorgio Armani Privé single-sleeved black gown featured oversized silver-beaded roses on the shoulder and at the waist of this design fully embellished with paillettes. Diamond jewelry by Harry Winston and a diamond watch from the Omega archives completed her look.
John Choin Zegna
John Cho
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Presenter John Cho looked perfectly elegant in a head-to-toe outfit by Zegna, which included a black velvet tuxedo jacket worn over trousers in black wool. Cho paired the suit with a vintage diamond star brooch from the 19th century and circa-1930s ruby and diamond cuff links set in platinum, both courtesy of Fred Leighton, as well as IWC’s Portofino Automatic timepiece.
Michelle Yeoh in Dior Haute Couture
Michelle Yeoh
ABC/Getty Images
The night’s best-actress winner for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once looked elegant and ethereal in a Dior Haute Couture gown crafted of feathers embroidered on ivory silk organza. Her diamond jewels by Moussaieff, meanwhile, included a necklace that was woven into Yeoh’s hair. A devout fan of Richard Mille watches, Yeoh also wore the brand’s RM 07-02 Sapphire timepiece, customized on a white strap to match her gown.
Jamie Lee Curtis in Dolce & Gabbana
Jamie Lee Curtis
ABC/Getty Images
Corset boning was another big trend at the 2023 Oscars, and that included this Dolce & Gabbana gown worn by best supporting actress winner Jamie Lee Curtis. The blush-hued gown from the Italian label’s Alta Moda collection is fully hand-embroidered with Swarovski crystals and features exposed boning detailing.
Hong Chau in Prada
Hong Chau
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On the pre-ceremony carpet, Hong Chau, a best supporting actress nominee for The Whale, noted that she asked Prada to amp up the details on her pink satin gown, requesting the designer extend the train embellished with fringes and black sequins, as well as add a Mandarin collar to the neckline, an homage to her heritage. Pearl and diamond jewels by Mikimoto and Panerai’s Luminor Due Luna watch completed her look.
Lady Gaga in Versace
Lady Gaga
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Lady Gaga also wore a look that highlighted the night’s trend in corset boning, a gown that was fresh from Donatella Versace’s high-wattage show that premiered in Los Angeles just a few days prior to the 2023 Oscars. Gaga’s Tiffany & Co. jewelry included a diamond and platinum necklace from the house’s archives, estimated to have been produced between 1955 and 1965.
Halle Bailey in Dolce & Gabbana
Halle Bailey
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The star of Disney’s upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey embraced every second of her princess moment in a custom turquoise tulle gown by Dolce & Gabbana, featuring a hand-pleated corset bodice and full skirt. Her diamonds by De Beers Jewellers included the Midnight Aura necklace from the house’s The Alchemist of Light collection, featuring 74.63 carats of diamonds.
Austin Butler in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello
Austin Butler
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The best actor nominee for Elvis looked cool and confident in a classic black tuxedo by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, featuring a double-breasted jacket with matching tuxedo trousers, the Yves collar shirt in cotton poplin and the Yves bow tie, and the label’s XIV 70 zipped boots. Yellow-gold rings and a bracelet by Cartier finished his look.
Janelle Monaé in Vera Wang Haute
Janelle Monae
ABC/Getty Images
The recording artist and actress definitely understood the assignment, blending bold color with a dramatic silhouette in this custom look by Vera Wang Haute, crafted of a bustier in black velvet and a draped skirt in a brilliant orange silk charmeuse. Her jewels by Paris-based Reza included a diamond brooch set in platinum.
Jessica Chastain in Gucci
Jessica Chastain
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A presenter for best actor and best actress, Chastain wore head-to-toe Gucci, starting with a custom gown crafted of silver sequins and crystals and finished with velvet trim and an extended velvet train. The actress’s Lionhead necklace from Gucci High Jewelry featured 80 carats of tsavorites and diamonds set in 18-karat white gold.
Margot Robbie in Giorgio Armani Privé
Morgan Freeman and Margot Robbie
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The Babylon star eschewed the pre-ceremony carpet and was first seen at the 2023 Oscars on the arm of fellow presenter Morgan Freeman. Robbie’s Giorgio Armani Privé off-the-shoulder column gown was among the designs fashion fans were thirsting to see up close and personal due to the black beading on the bodice and the tulle and crystal embroidery on the skirt. Robbie paired the gown with jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz, including a pair of earrings featuring 72 carats of emeralds and black jade.
Elizabeth Olsen in Givenchy
Elizabeth Olsen
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The night’s plethora of grand gowns meant presenter Elizabeth Olsen indeed stood out in this bare halter gown by Givenchy. The actress’s black metal mesh dress was embellished with fringes and worn with a long black silk-organza skirt. Circa 1990s earrings and a ring in yellow gold and diamonds from the Cartier archives, as well as sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti, completed her look.
Paul Mescal in Gucci
Paul Mescal
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images
The best actor nominee for Aftersun looked elegant in an ivory double-breasted dinner jacket by Gucci, paired with a white evening shirt, black bow tie, wide cuffed pants and black patent-leather dress shoes also by the Italian label. Next to a red rose on his lapel, Mescal wore a high-jewelry diamond brooch by Cartier, as well as Cartier’s Privé Tank Chinoise on his wrist.
Andie MacDowell in Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello and Rainey Qualley
Andie MacDowell and Rainey Qualley
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The mother-daughter duo were chic in sleek black gowns. MacDowell’s asymmetrical draped Saint Laurent gown in black jersey is a $5,290 design currently available on the label’s website; the actress paired the look with pumps also by the French house, while her white diamond and gold jewelry was by Pomellato.
Fan Bingbing in Tony Ward
Fan Bingbing
ABC/Getty Images
Among the night’s earliest arrivals, Fan Bingbing undeniably set the tone for the evening when she stepped onto the carpet in a dramatic look by Tony Ward Couture, consisting of a silver beaded gown paired with a silk taffeta evening coat in a brilliant emerald. The color was carried through to statement jewels by Lorraine Schwartz, including earrings highlighting 85 carats of Colombian emeralds and diamonds.
In 2005, the same year that he released his French touch classic The Upper Cuts, Alan Braxe supercharged an already-perfect song by remixing Annie’s “Heartbeat.” Eighteen years later, the producer and Norwegian singer unite again for the upcoming Upper Cuts reissue. Their joint single, “Never Coming Back,” is a feather-light disco jam and stone-cold put-down at once; Annie struts cooly down a glassy hallway while a nimble guitar groove beckons the listener to keep pace. Not that they should get too close: If Annie’s original appeal was of a naturally shy person speaking plainly from the heart, she’s glamorously inaccessible on “Never Coming Back.” “Everybody needs somebody/I need somebody too/Just not you-u-u,” she taunts through vocoder at some lovelorn fool. The track is paradoxically inviting and icy, an unambiguously final kiss-off with a groove that could last until the end of time.
Music video and commercial director Marcella Cytrynowicz makes her feature-length debut with American Cherry. The writer-director hones in on the lives of the young and lost, though the characters hope love can save them. She also explores mental illness, generational trauma, and the strength of romantic, familial, and platonic relationships.
Finn (Hart Denton) is a moody teenager prone to intimidating outbursts, which gets him expelled from school. One day, he just lies down in the middle of the road. This odd act catches the attention of Eliza (Sarah May Sommers). This meet-cute gives each someone who understands how they see the world. For whatever peace Finn has found now, he begins to get scared when the darkness rises in him again.
At home, Eliza must care for her drunk mother, Louise (Leonor Varela), who is still pining for ex Dale (John Honey). Her sister, Corinna (Audrey Holcomb), is desperate to patch up their relationship, though Eliza still holds a grudge. Through every fight, drunken night with her parent, and just general frustrations, Finn is there for Eliza. Will love be enough to satiate Finn’s deepest desires? Is a heinous act done out of pure love still one?
American Cherry takes several unexpected swerves; this is anything but cliched. Without spoiling anything, the intimate story unfolds more like real life and not in some scripted way. Some parts are messy or hard to understand right away. For example, Eliza storms out of a very tense dinner with her family and Finn. He finds her after a moment, and the two hop on the bus only to wind up where they started. Eliza asks to be left alone then. Why then and not earlier? Emotions are tricky to process and even trickier to pin down.
“Through every fight, drunken night with her parent, and just general frustrations, Finn is there for Eliza.”
Finn records a lot of his daily interactions with Eliza. Every so often, the film cuts to what he’s recording, usually involving his commentary (via voice-over) or continuing the current conversation. These scenes never break the momentum nor cause confusion. Cytrynowicz and editor Adam Lemnah maintain the pace while never losing focus on the characters. It’s a tricky line, especially as the last 30 minutes begin and thriller elements enter the fray. But the filmmaker walks that line with distinction.
American Cherry explores its potent themes just as well as it defines its characters. Interestingly, the filmmaker posits that love, not just romantic, can be a boon and a curse. Louise and Dale are in love, but that is the problem. Louise refuses to get help and lashes out at Eliza. But Corinna’s desire to make it work with her sister gives the film an extra dose of heart, making the ending even more powerful. Oh, that ending. No spoilers, but the finale proves what love means to everyone involved. It’s genuinely moving and thrilling in equal measure.
Denton is incredible as the morally conflicted male lead. His chemistry with Sommers is palpable, and the two light up the screen. When Finn tells Eliza how he finds beauty in death, he expects her to think it is weird. Instead, she finds it “poetic.” The way the two actors handle this is pitch-perfect. Sommers is elegant, adding layers to someone who sees only one way out of her nowhere town.
Top-notch players surround the leads. Holcomb is magnificent as the protective sister who wishes to mend things. How she tells Eliza that she “loves her, even when she’s a pain in the a*s” is heartfelt. Likewise, Varela avoids the expected traits of an on-screen alcoholic while being fun to hate.
American Cherry is an engaging and introspective look at young romance, wayward souls, and what brings two people together. The cast is amazing from start to finish, with Denton and Sommers standing out. The denouement cements Cytrynowicz’s debut as spectacular and special. Seriously, there aren’t enough words to describe how perfect the last few minutes are.
For more information about American Cherry, visit the Buffalo 8 site.
The Catholic Church is open to reviewing its thousand-year-old practice of celibacy, Pope Francis has suggested.
He said the ban was only ‘temporary’ and there was also ‘no contradiction’ for a priest to marry.
Celibacy was made a requirement by the Catholic Church in the 11th-century for financial reasons, as clergy without children were more likely to leave their wealth to the church.
The Vatican enforces the rule among priests – but there are growing calls to end the ban.
It comes after Germany’s Catholic Church voted for a resolution requesting that the Pope end the obligation for priests to be celibate.
Pope Francis, 86, said celibacy was only a ‘temporary prescription’ and there was also ‘no contradiction’ for a priest to marry
In an interview with Argentine publication Infobae, Pope Francis, 86, said: ‘There is no contradiction for a priest to marry. Celibacy in the western Church is a temporary prescription.
‘It is not eternal like priestly ordination, which is for ever whether you like it or not. On the other hand, celibacy is a discipline.’
The Pope also cited the example of the Eastern Church – a branch of Catholicism which allows more leeway – and said: ‘Everyone in the Eastern Church is married, or those who want to. Before ordination there is the choice to marry or to be celibate.’
It marks a change from his position in 2019, when he suggested celibacy was a ‘gift’ to the church and he didn’t agree with ‘allowing optional celibacy’.
In the interview, which is one of many to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his election as Pope today, he also spoke about rising divorce rates and suggested young people were sometimes getting married too early.
Pope Francis said: ‘Sometimes one goes to a wedding and it seems more like it’s a social reception and not a sacrament.
‘When young people say for ever, who knows what they mean by for ever.’
