After news broke that the Academy will review its rules for online campaigning — Riseborough received a groundswell of support from fellow actors in the weeks leading up to the nominations — Maron took to his WTF podcast to speak out.
“Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences or whatever the f*ck it is has decided to investigate Andrea Riseborough’s grassroots campaign to get her the Oscar nomination,” Maron said, “because I guess it so threatens their system to where they’re completely bought out by corporate interests in the form of studios.”
“The Academy is [like], ‘Well, we gotta take a look at this. This is not the way it’s supposed to work. Independent artists don’t deserve the attention of the Academy unless we see how it works exactly. So we’re gonna look into this.’ “
Maron took issue with the Academy’s perceived bias in favor of big studio Oscar campaigns. “Millions of dollars [are] put into months and months of advertising campaigns, publicity, screenings by large corporate entertainment entities, and Andrea was championed by her peers through a grassroots campaign which was pushed through by a few actors.”
“Nothing is going to happen because of [the investigation],” Maron said, saying the online campaign for Riseborough “was in earnest…and it is not undeserving. But I’m glad the Academy — at the behest of special interest and corporate interest and paranoia about how they look — are doing an investigation. Who gives a f*ck!”
Over the weekend, actor Christina Ricci also took issue with the Academy review, posting on Instagram, “Seems hilarious that the ‘surprise nomination’ (meaning tons of money wasn’t spent to position this actress) of a legitimately brilliant performance is being met with an investigation. So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition? Feels elitist and exclusive and frankly very backward to me.”
During my 15 years in prison, numerous filmmakers and media professionals entered the facilities where I was housed with the intention of telling the stories of the people inside. Some hoped to shed light into dark spaces that our society has created; others hoped to fulfill the appetites of mainstream audiences desiring the thrill of the sensational. During my time inside, I observed an outside film crew producing a big budget film involving incarcerated people as their central participants. The directors and producers earned the trust of the incarcerated participants by approaching those relationships as friendships and making a promise of representing them in the best possible way, and with careful consideration for the stakes some people were facing. But when the film was finished, and screened inside, many of us were shocked that some characters were represented as monsters who had committed monstrous acts, and not as we all knew them to be – pillars in our community of incarcerated people.
One of my close friends, who became one of the central characters in the film, was represented in such harmful ways in the film that he subsequently received a 5-year denial at his parole hearing. The film disproportionately highlighted his crime and its impact on the victim’s family, without mentioning the decades of work my friend (who is now out of prison) had done while incarcerated to support healing and restoration for those harmed by violence. The filmmakers told participants that the film’s producers and funders thought that there wasn’t enough “drama” in the story, and that they had made narrative choices based on this feedback. Many of us felt furious and betrayed.
What seemed like a good faith attempt to tell a story about the lives of incarcerated people resulted in disastrous consequences. This story is not uncommon, as outside filmmakers all too often fall back on dominant tropes and stereotypes about prisons and the people that reside within them. It is not just the participants of these films who are directly impacted – these tendencies, when left unchecked, can lead to immense harm on a societal scale, as they have before. Historically, mainstream media representations of criminalized communities have fueled tough on crime voter sentiment, racialized fears about public safety, and cemented punitive logic in the national consciousness. This phenomenon was key to the explosion in harsh and racist sentencing laws that resulted in the mass incarceration of Black and brown communities. So in this current moment when we are seeing a surge in films about prisons, and increased public appetite for stories about incarceration, we must be instructed by the lessons of the past. We should be wary of defaulting into historical patterns in which we allow people who lack lived experience with the carceral system to dictate the discourse around incarceration and those impacted by it. We must be vigilant of all that is lost, fragmented, and distorted in that process, and the people who are harmed as a result.
The reality is that most who are directly impacted by incarceration are not positioned in a way where we have access to telling our own stories. They are most often told by outsiders who lack an understanding of the nuanced but very real stakes for incarcerated people who go public with their stories, lacking regard or commitment to their safety and liberation, while being able to position themselves as experts or neutral translators nonetheless. Their commitment is to the story, not to the people.
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I learned filmmaking in 2018 when I got to San Quentin and eventually began leading a media project called FirstWatch (now ForwardThis Productions). We were creating short films and videos, not only about the realities of prison, but also about our boundless inner lives and the communities we were creating within and beyond walls. The film equipment, which was donated by outside organizations and sponsors, allowed us to communicate through this medium with the outside world, as the videos were permitted to leave the prison and live on certain media platforms. However, even though we were working and growing as filmmakers inside, producing works for the prison and outside organizations, we were never compensated monetarily for our labor.
At FirstWatch, we were committed to empowering directly-impacted people to tell our own stories authentically as a path to reclaiming media representation and seeding political change. Since we knew intimately that one huge function of prisons is to make people invisible, if people could see us the way we saw each other, if we could see ourselves in different ways, there was a possibility for transformation — both personal and political. Though we weren’t compensated or otherwise given the respect of professional filmmakers, we could see the impact of our work within our community, as the films and videos we created screened in all 36 of California’s prisons. I would regularly hear from people coming to San Quentin from other prisons about how inspiring and healing it was to see incarcerated people represented on the screen in ways that they had never seen before.
All of our work was grounded in community —we understood that everything that we did flowed from our political commitments with our fellow incarcerated people across the nation. With an awareness of the privilege and unique platform we had making films from inside of a prison, we stood in direct opposition to ideology that says that Black and Brown communities are inherently violent and should be caged. This commitment to community-based political organizing challenges the institutional power of the media, which is overrepresented by white media professionals and perpetuates racist, harmful narratives about communities impacted by incarceration while upholding the power and authority of law enforcement institutions. In contrast, narrative repair replaces harmful tropes of incarcerated people with narratives that uplift and inspire impacted-people to resist, heal, and build solidarity with each other. By creating new identities based on collective struggle and care, systems-impacted communities can begin to heal the ways they’ve internalized brokenness.
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After coming home in October of 2020, I set out to direct and produce my first film, What These Walls Won’t Hold, about my experience living through the COVID-19 pandemic in prison and the intimacies formed between people through political organizing. The production of the film felt like an important place to reconsider and undo all of the unscrupulous practices that I had witnessed from the filmmakers who had extracted stories from inside. All of the participants in the film are my dear friends. It was vital to me that the film be a communal space where people felt like their stories could be expressed accurately, and with care. The participants have producer credits and were also compensated for their work on the film, unlike my time working as a filmmaker inside of San Quentin, when we were never paid for our work.
In spite of all of the work I would do to create an equitable environment working across prison walls, I would ultimately see the limitations that the prison would put on these relationships. The distance between myself and my loved ones inside, whom I was working on the film with, wasn’t just physical, but also about status, access, privilege, and power. The moment I had walked out of that place and into the free world, I inhabited a completely different social position, away from the daily violence, urgency, inhumane conditions, and high-stakes of prison life. As much as I sought to resist this dynamic, to relate to my dear friends in the same ways that had brought us so close together, in work and in personal growth, the inequities in the material conditions of our existences were a reality that I couldn’t avoid.
So in light of these inevitable power dynamics, how can we work towards creating new models of ethical partnerships in our filmmaking process? Inspired by the Documentary Accountability Working Group process for the particulars of prison documentaries, here are some key tenets I consider:
Be Accountable: Filmmakers should be accountable to the participants in their films, and cognizant of the extreme stakes that are present for incarcerated people when they decide to share their stories. Their freedom and safety is at stake, and there should be a commitment to protecting those things.
Consult with directly impacted people: It is critical to receive input from consultants with lived experience who exist outside of the filmmaker-subject relationship. For film to be useful for social movements that work in resistance to the Prison Industrial Complex, they must be led, or in deep collaboration with, impacted people and political organizers.
Employ systems-based storytelling: What is often missing in character-driven storytelling is a critical analysis of the structures that shape a person’s life and decisions — in essence, seeing the trees but not the forest.
Be transparent in your relationships: Practice honesty with your protagonists, supporters and funders and be clear about your intentions for making the film — there is a higher standard for transparency when it comes to the people participating in your film, especially if they are incarcerated. Be transparent about your decision-making and what guides it (do your participants have any say or is it all yours?). Be transparent about who your main audience is and what kind of impact the film may have on a person’s life.
Acknowledge and share power: You hold the power to shape and interpret stories — your own and those of others. A values-based filmmaking practice requires an acknowledgement and deep examination of your lens, preconceptions, and the power you hold as a filmmaker. Consider what you have to gain and lose as a filmmaker, and whether or not that is out of balance with your participants, and work to close those gaps. Are you the best person to tell this story/make this film?
Respect the dignity and agency of the people in your film: Build informed consent in your interactions with participants, giving people agency to represent their story in a way that honors them.
Understand that your audience also includes impacted communities: with roughly 2 million people currently in carceral facilities across the US, plus their loved ones and communities, an outsized population has a stake in these stories and should be accounted for. Consider the ways that your work may be read, interpreted and experienced by the people who have intimate knowledge of the story. Be clear about who your intended audience is, and what information you can add to their already established knowledge. Additionally, be responsible about the ways that your film could trigger or traumatize those audience members who have more experience with the film’s content.
Understanding the complicated power dynamics of collaboration across prison walls means not only being in deep relationships with participants, but also constantly asking the following questions:How can I make this exchange reciprocal? How can I align the intentions of the film with the needs of my participants on both a personal and political level? Why am I telling this story?
How do you make a film about the experience of incarceration? Given the complexities of consent and power, what are the ethics this work requires? What is an ethic of narrative reparation? On Thursday, Februrary 9, 2023, at 9:30am PT, join filmmaker/activist Adamu Chan and a panel of award-winning filmmakers Brett Story and Jasmín Mara Lopez, and co-host and co-producer of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated podcast “Ear Hustle” Rahsaan Thomas, for an IDA Teach Out: Narrative Justice.
Adamu Chan is a filmmaker, writer, and community organizer from the Bay Area who was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison during one of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the country.
“I definitely think it was cult-like in many ways,” she exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the release of her book Becoming Free Indeed on Tuesday, January 31. “It was built on fear, manipulation, control and superstition, so all those things combined in how hard it is for kids to leave or adults to leave — anyone, really. … Once you hear the teachings, you’re not supposed to depart from those.”
Since forging her own path with husband Jeremy Vuolo, whom she wed in 2016, the Counting On alum feels more “free” than ever. “I have so much freedom and … peace with God, really,” she told Us. “Because I think I had wrestled with fear for so many years and I wasn’t sure why or what the source of that fear was. And once I was able to figure out, ‘OK, I think this teaching is making me fearful’ … I do feel like there was that ‘A-ha’ moment.”
Jinger remembered being “gripped with fear” as a child. “[I’d be] thinking, ‘OK, am I pleasing to God? I don’t know what God expects of me.’ And so I would be so terrified to, like, even go play sports with my siblings. [I’d think], ‘Maybe I’m supposed to stay home and read my Bible for hours and hours. I’m not sure.’ So that kind of fear did cripple me.”
The Arkansas native credits her husband, 35, for helping her start to distance herself from the pressure she felt. “He had grown up in a different setting totally outside of my world,” she told Us of the former soccer player. “[My] dad told us, ‘OK, before you guys can move forward in your relationship, listen to some of these teachings.’ So Jer was listening to, like, 60-plus hours of Bill Gothard’s teachings … [and] was kinda like, ‘Huh, this is interesting.’”
As the couple continued to discuss the seminars together, Jinger’s perspective began to shift. “He was just challenging me, like, [to] think through this, think for yourself, and if it’s true, it’ll stand up for itself. If it’s not, it’ll just fall apart,” she recalled. “Basically, I started to see that these teachings were not grounded in truth, and that’s really what brought me freedom.”
Jinger DuggarCourtesy of Jeremy Vuolo/Instagram
In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger looks back on how her upbringing shaped her life — and describes how she’s changed her mindset as she took a step back from the spotlight. (The family’s TLC spinoff, Counting On, was canceled in 2021 after Josh Duggar was arrested on child pornography charges.)
When setting out to write her book, Jinger “sought to be open” with her family members. “I remember initially, like, when I started wearing pants, that was a huge thing. And so … I felt like it was the most loving thing to do, to share [with my family], ‘Hey, this is why I see this in the word of God differently than I used to.’ And so we talked through those things. And [it was] the same with this book,” she told Us.
The Hope We Hold coauthor — who shares daughters Felicity, 4, and Evangeline, 2, with Vuolo — hopes sharing her story helps others on their own journeys of “disentangling” themselves from past beliefs.
“I think this journey is continuing every day,” Jinger told Us. “There are days where fears will come back and try to grip me and I’ll just have to think on what’s true. … I think that I really now have a more balanced view of [what faith is].”
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear is available now.
After last year’s PS5 price hike, Microsoft has announced its own increase. Though, so far it is only affecting one region. Xbox Series X and Series S prices are set to rise in Japan on February 17.
A price hike of 5,000 yen across both Microsoft consoles is set to come into effect next month. That’s the equivalent of $38.33 / £31.14 / AU$ 54.84. This will raise the suggested retail price of the Xbox Series X from 54,978 yen to 59,978 yen, while the Xbox Series S will rise from 32,278 yen to 37,978 yen – now costing $459.67 / £373.02 / AU$656.82 and $291.10 / £236.20 / AU$415.90, respectively.
“After carefully evaluating the market condition in Japan, we have decided to change the suggested retail price of Xbox consoles in the country,” Microsoft Japan said in a statement translated by Gematsu (opens in new tab). “We regularly evaluate the impact of local pricing to maintain reasonable consistency across regions. This price revision affects our customers and was a difficult decision to make, but going forward we will continue to provide the ultimate Xbox experience that our customers expect”.
This increase follows Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s refusal to rule out a price hike last year. Spencer made it clear that “[Microsoft’s] always evaluating our business going forward, so I don’t think we can ever say on anything that we will never do something.” It looks like Xbox has decided to do “something” after all, at least when it comes to the Japanese market.
The Yen has been struggling against the dollar throughout 2022. Though it has been steadily recovering since November, exchange rate anxieties may well count towards the “local pricing” concerns that Microsoft Japan mentioned in its statement. It is still unclear whether or not the Yen will recover, so caution on the part of Microsoft’s Japanese arm makes sense, given the more delicate economic environment.
From Game Pass to significant Black Friday deals, Microsoft has offered some great deals on Xbox in recent years, often making Sony look out of touch by comparison. However, we know that Microsoft is hiking the price of first-party exclusives, so perhaps more price rises in the future are possible. In last year’s interview, Spencer made it clear that “we have no plans today to raise the price of our consoles”, but he made no commitments as to price rises in the future.
It is possible, though by no means confirmed, that the Japanese price rises are a form of market testing for a more global price hike. Though we have no idea whether or not Microsoft intends to roll out price rises outside of Japan, if you’re in the market for a new console, I would advise buying sooner rather than later just to be on the safe side.
EXCLUSIVE: Florida honors an elusive big cat known as the Florida Panther as its state animal, but the fate of the magnificent creature remains in doubt.
For decades its habitat has been fragmented by development, and only 200 or so adult Florida Panthers remain. But legislation passed in 2021, and the efforts of a coalition of Indigenous people, conservationists, ranchers and others are offering hope for the feline’s survival.
The National Geographic film Path of the Panther, directed by Eric Bendick and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, documents a remarkable attempt to track the movements of the panther in the wild and the broader movement to protect its home through the establishment of a wildlife corridor of public and private lands. Wildpath and Grizzly Creek Films today announced the documentary will open in over 40 theaters in Florida on February 24, including Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa. Path of the Panther will premiere on the National Geographic Channel and stream on Disney+ in the spring.
“This is a film that Floridians absolutely need to see on the big screen,” Bendick said in a statement. “From the never-before-seen footage of elusive panthers in the wild to the real-life heroes who are risking it all to save the species and the land they need to survive, audiences will experience action that literally jumps off the screen and moments that fill us with hope, determination and sheer awe for the beauty of wild Florida.”
The film, winner of numerous awards at festivals around the country, closely follows the work of National Geographic Explorer and photographer Carlton Ward Jr., as well as the allied groups fighting to keep the Florida Panther from extinction. “This odyssey of hope and heartbreak is the culmination of more than five years of field research, 500,000 still images, and over 800 hours of ultra-high definition camera trap footage,” according to a statement. “Against all odds, wild panthers have been stunningly captured in their native ecosystem, as they’ve never been filmed before.”
The Florida Panther nearly became extinct in the 1950s. “It has been on the federal endangered species list since 1967 and on the state’s endangered list since 1973,” according to Florida’s Department of State. “The future of this large animal depends entirely on the management decisions that are made today on its behalf.”
Impact producer Tori Linder commented, “Path of the Panther is a testament to how Florida’s state animal is leading the way for unprecedented conservation goals and achievements across the greater United States and beyond. The production was filmed throughout the state of Florida and required the field team to manage as many as 30 photo and video camera traps over more than five years. This collaborative effort united a team of biologists, landowners and tribal members to bring the story to life. The film could not have been created without the support of the entire crew, cast, donors and local communities who find common ground with the panther’s story.”
Tom Winston of Grizzly Creek Films produced the documentary, alongside Carlton Ward Jr. and Tori Linder of Wildpath. Academy Award-winning actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio serves as executive producer with Jennifer Davisson and Phillip Watson of Appian Way Productions, in addition to Howard G. Buffet, Ted Haddock and Sigrid Tiedtke.
Justin Anderson joined Realscreen as senior staff writer in 2021, reporting and writing stories for the newsletter and magazine. During his 20-year career he’s filled a variety of roles as a writer and editor at a number of media organizations, covering news and current affairs as well as business, tech, the film and music industries and plenty in between. He’s also spent time behind the scenes in television production, having written everything from voiceover scripts for documentaries to marketing copy. He has a degree in Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).
A female pilot trainee gets late to her practice session everyday because she has to rush back to the dormitories from the class room to change clothes, and that makes her flunk the reporting time. This keeps going on, until one day she decides to erect a make-shift changing room right inside the class campus. This makes her male colleagues uneasy, but she has gotten no choice.
Such timely decisions and a strong will to conquer all hurdles make Gunjan Saxena (Janhvi Kapoor) a human story that finds its reflection in our day to day lives. She proceeds despite the patriarchal grip and proves her worth. Though it takes her triple the efforts than her male counterparts. Unlike them, she is not only fighting the enemies, but also the prejudices and patronising attitude. Director Sharan Sharma and writer Nikhil Mehrotra have ensured that the viewers get to witness all aspects of being India’s first female combat pilot in the most raw way.
Sharma’s characters are mostly black and white, and he is spot on with casting. For example, Vineet Kumar Singh’s chauvinistic officer hardly leaves any trace of grey. He very audaciously asks Kapoor’s Gunjan to arm wrestle a male cadet, and then declares, “We are here to fight for the country, not to give equal opportunity.”
Sharma then balances Vineet’s ‘oh so tough’ act with a ‘tough yet considerate’ Manav Vij. Actually, this balancing is the constant feature of Gunjan Saxena-The Kargil War.
There are enough roadblocks for Saxena in a typical man’s world, but then there are men to help her cross them. Be it her recruiter who clears her name despite falling short on physical requirements, or her constantly supportive father, Anup (Pankaj Tripathi).
And that brings us to the best part of Gunjan Saxena, the film. Tripathi is in exquisite form as a doting yet progressive father. While confronting his daughter for not pushing enough, he describes with a sigh how he wanted his wife to go for excellence than managing home. He is so effective in that scene that you tend to forever tilt in his side even if he, kind of, undermines domestic work.
Tripathi has hardly been this restrained recently, and he is a delight to watch. His presence lights up the screen even if he is not saying anything. In fact, his company helps Kapoor in doing the heavy-lifting in emotional scenes.
Another such character is Angad Bedi’s Anshuman, Saxena’s over protective brother. His nuanced act keeps the audience confused whether he really wants his sister to soar high. Despite some overdramatic scenes between him and Kapoor, Bedi leaves a strong impression on the narrative.
Thankfully, Gunjan Saxena is not a war film because that might have exposed its lead’s limited range. Nevertheless, her real age and a will to experiment have made Jahnvi a good choice for playing Gunjan Saxena.
Gunjan Saxena-The Kargil Girl has a lot to celebrate. It’s a solid punch in the face of misogyny without showing much liking for chest-thumping jingoism.
A journalist with over a decade of experience, Rohit values films as a strong catalyst for social changes. He is equally interested in sports and poli…Read More
Rupert Grint is opening up about playing the beloved Ron Weasley for a decade and his reasons behind choosing his more recent projects.
In an interview with Bustle magazine, published online Monday, the actor said playing the infamous character in the Harry Potter franchise from age 11 to 22 “was quite suffocating.”
He explained that he started to find it difficult to find the line between himself and the character, saying, “In the movies, we merged into one. By the end of it, I was playing myself. The lines were blurred.” He added that he even answers if something calls him Ron.
“Potter was so full on — [filming] all year, then we’d promote the rest of the time,” he continued. While Grint is appreciative of all the opportunities he received, he said he, “wanted a break to reflect on everything. … It was an out-of-body experience for a while, but I think we finished at the right time. If we continued, it could’ve gone downhill.”
In 2022, he reunited with his cast members for HBO Max’s Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special. Although he feels it was too soon to have a reunion, he said being a part of the franchise “was a really unique experience only us core group really know, so it’s nice to see them [co-stars]. It was a good opportunity to reflect on everything and just say how crazy it was. It’s always nice to look back.”
“Modern Family” creator Steven Levitan’s sitcom sendup featured Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Judy Greer, Paul Reiser, and Rachel Bloom in its cast.
The cast of “Step Right Up” should plan to step right up to some new projects. On Monday, Hulu canceled “Reboot,” the meta-satirical series about a sitcom reboot, after just one season.
Sources tell IndieWire that “Reboot” creator Steven Levitan, best known for co-creating “Modern Family” with Christopher Lloyd, is currently shopping the show to other outlets with hopes of finding it a new home.
“Reboot” centered around “Step Right Up”: an early 2000s family sitcom canonically revived at Hulu in 2022. The series sent up and examined the modern TV industry, lampooning studios’ cyclical obsession with reboots and the unsteady streaming business model; along with your old-fashioned backstage drama.
Paul Reiser and Rachel Bloom lead the cast of the series as the original creator of “Step Right Up” Gordon and his estranged daughter Hannah, who are forced to work together as co-showrunners on the reboot. Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Calum Worthy, and Judy Greer play the four lead actors of “Step Right Up,” who reunite after two decades for the new series. Krista Marie Yu rounds out the cast as the studio executive in charge of the reboot.
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Season 1 of “Reboot” premiered on September 20 with three episodes, with the remainder of its eight-episode season rolling out weekly through October 25. The show’s first and now only season ended on a cliffhanger, with Reiser’s character leaving the writer’s room for “Step Right Up,” Knoxville and Greer’s characters rekindling their romantic spark, and the reboot’s fate (fittingly) uncertain at Hulu.
Levitan executive produced “Reboot” with John Enbom, Danielle Stokdyk, and Jeff Morton, while Key served as a producer on the series. The show hailed from Levitan’s production company Levitan Productions along with 20th Television.
Upon its premiere, “Reboot” received mostly positive reviews, with critics giving specific praise to the show’s cast. In a more mixed write-up, IndieWire critic Ben Travers wrote that “over the first season’s eight, half-hour episodes, the ensemble comedy gets pulled in so many different directions, only a few aspects feel fine-tuned by the end. The industry satire is inconsistent, in both bite and budgeting. The office comedy can’t decide if it’s playing for punchlines (a la classic sitcoms) or more of a mood (like more modern single-cam series). And the characters never fill out beyond the thin sketches of what they represent.”
Quentin Tarantinois widely regarded as one of the most influential and visionary directors in history. Known for his immersive movies, sharp dialogues, and gritty actions sequences, Tarantino has redefined filmmaking in a variety of ways. Given the stark difference between his often nonlinear, edgy movies and Bill Murray‘s more conventional ones, it was probably unsurprising when the former voiced his strong dislike for the latter’s work.
If you’ve ever watched a Tarantino movie, it’s easy to imagine that a mind which conjures up such grisly films is not likely to belong to someone who’s meek or docile. As a Hollywood personality, Tarantino is certainly well known for being outspoken and has been embroiled in his fair share of controversy too. Again, given how profane and dark his movies often are, this is unsurprising.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Some of Tarantino’s Biggest Controversies
Miramax Films
Quentin Tarantino’s genius as a filmmaker has never been in doubt since the release of his first film, Reservoir Dogs, back in 1992. He famously went on to cement himself as a visionary director with the cult classic Pulp Fiction two years later. The film is consistently rated as one of the greatest ever made and the iconic dance scene it featured between cast members John Travolta and Uma Thurmanwill forever go down in the annals of movie history as a classic moment in film.
From there, Tarantino would go on to direct seven more highly successful and acclaimed films using his signature style and eye for stylized violence coupled with mesmeric scriptwriting. However, beyond the director’s chair, Tarantino has often rubbed journalists, other industry players, and even cops the wrong way.
Some of Tarantino’s most noteworthy controversies include being blamed for a serious accident that Uma Thurman was involved in during the filming of Kill Bill: Volume 1. According to the actress, she was pressured into doing her own driving stunts by Tarantino leading up to the accident. He later stated that she was never forced into doing her own stuntwork.
Miramax
He’s also been called out by fellow director Spike Lee for the repeated use of racial slurs in his movies. On another front, he was roundly criticized for defending Roman Polanski after he was charged for the rape of Samantha Geimer when she was 13-year-old. Tarantino later issued an apology for the comments he made during an interview with Howard Stern back in 2003.
Tarantino was later also criticized for failing to speak out more against Harvey Weinstein despite knowing about some of the behavior that eventually led to Weinstein’s arrest in the wake of the “Me Too” movement. In another incident, after attending a rally against police brutality in 2015, police unions across the United States boycotted his movies and labeled him a “hypocrite” for his comments despite the glorification of violence in his movies.
Bill Murray Is Different, but Similarly Controversial
Marvel Studios Disney
In stark contrast to Quentin Tarantino’s gruesome movies and outlandish reputation, Bill Murray cuts a somewhat innocuous figure. Known for his quirky and eccentric comedy on and off the screen, Murray’s reputation and filmography are far tamer. Known mostly by movies and shows such as the Ghostbusters franchise and his turns on Saturday Night Live, Murray generally has a more relatable and universally likable persona than Tarantino.
That isn’t to say that Murray himself has been without controversy. Most recently, production was halted on his latest film, Being Mortal, after he was accused of sexual misconduct involving a female production assistant. Following this incident, Geena Davisaccused Murray of harassment and inappropriate behavior while the pair were filming Quick Changetogether. This is only one instance, of numerous people, including Murray’s ex-wife, alleging abusive behavior and misconduct.
In fact, he has often also been accused of causing feuds on set with other cast mates, and was accused of dangling actor Seth Greenby his ankles over a trashcan and dropping him inside it when Green was nine-years-old. Despite all this, when compared to Tarantino, Murray is still seen as a less abrasive figure. So, why exactly was Tarantino so critical of his movies if the pair were so different?
It turns out the distinct differences between the two are exactly why Quentin Taratino hates Bill Murray movies. Speaking on Joe Rogan’s podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, Tarantino lamented the fact that Murray’s movies always ended with a character redemption. Tarantino took issue with the fact that Murray’s lead character always end up becoming “this nice guy,”, no matter how unlikable the character starts off.
According to Tarantino, this kind of storyline was unrealistic and made no sense. His scathing criticism of Murray’s movies isn’t unlike Tarantino since the iconic director has been known to make disparaging comments about many other people, movie genres, and things he’s not a fan of.
Tarantino’s sometimes sardonic nature aside, when you can boast filmmaking credentials like his and are known for the kind of tendentious films he makes, it’s likely his opinions will always be valued, no matter how vitriolic they can be. Anything less and his army of fans around the world would probably think he’d gone soft.
The Academy is looking into the campaigns of the nominees for this year’s Oscars after scrutiny arose following Andrea Riseborough’s surprise nomination for “To Leslie.”
After the actor’s “grassroots” campaign enlisted a number of celebrities to help spread the word about the small indie, Oscar voters and viewers are left wondering whether Riseborough broke any rules or is just smartly playing the awards game.
Rumors have swirled regarding aggressive campaign tactics, focusing on social media posts from members of the Actors Branch. The Board of Governors is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, where they’re expected to discuss “To Leslie.”
Current AMPAS voters from various branches agreed to speak with Variety anonymously to discuss what they know about the controversy, and whether they think the Academy should rescind Riseborough’s nomination.
Most predict she’ll keep her nomination, pointing to practices that have been allowed for studios and strategists to exploit to get their nominees through.
It’s worth noting that only the 1,302 eligible members of the Actors Branch can vote for acting nominations. Every eligible Academy member votes in all 23 categories for the winners.
Read answers from anonymous Oscar voters below:
“I don’t know much about it, outside what’s been covered in the news. I know plenty who have bent and broken the ‘rules’ for years, and the Academy has let it slide. No one tells you what the rules are when you become a member. You depend on the studios and people running the campaign to know those things. It sounds to me that Andrea’s team accomplished something that angered many people because we know how much money goes into trying to get an Oscar. Her team got her there without 30 billboards on Sunset. Without an installation on Hollywood Blvd. So, no, they shouldn’t take her nomination away. If that happens, a lot more will have to be taken away.” – Member of the Documentary Branch
“Do you remember that saying when you were a kid? ‘Snitches get stitches.’ Do you know how many movies and studios break the rules? And I’m talking about blatantly emailing members in a chain and saying, ‘OK, Team INSERT NAME HERE, it’s voting day, and you know what to do?’ No one is going to snitch. Why would they? [Riseborough’s] team didn’t do anything more than what I see yearly. They probably did it closer to the rules than not… she’ll be fine.” – Member of the Marketing and Public Relations Branch
“I watched her performance in ‘To Leslie’ and thought she was extraordinary. What a beautiful, wonderful movie, and not something you see a lot in the theaters. I was so moved by it. I received an invitation to see the film, and I went. Everyone I talked to felt the same way I did. I don’t know if she broke any rules. Do you know what I honestly think? I think this is a quest to find out why a woman from a movie no one had heard about was able to receive a nomination purely on the performance. Do you know how many of my colleagues are nominated because they’re in so and so’s movies? A lot. If she were disqualified from the awards, it would be a decimation of the Actors’ choice because it’s our choice to nominate someone.” – Member of the Actors Branch
“I have a feeling Andrea Riseborough will have her nomination rescinded because the Academy has to stop what’s been going on for a long time. They say we’re supposed to pick the best movies, but I don’t think that’s happening. I don’t often vote when choosing nominees because I don’t see enough. But when it’s time to pick winners, I watch everything, but I find myself saying, ‘This got nominated? How?’ It’s because streamers and journalists tell us what we have to choose, and people listen. I didn’t hear about the movie [‘To Leslie’] until this nonsense. It’s terrible she’s going to be the example, but hopefully, this will wake people up to what’s been happening for a long time.” – Member of Writers Branch
“No. Nothing will happen. The Academy can’t do that. If they let Will Smith keep his Oscar, taking [her nomination] away would be unimaginably stupid on their part. Why would you ruin someone’s career like that? And I don’t know if she’s good or not. I haven’t seen the movie, but I will soon.” – Member of Writers Branch
“Can you imagine if Viola [Davis] was being accused of what her [Andrea Riseborough] team is being accused of? Viola wouldn’t have gotten to the point of getting nominated. She would have already been disqualified and probably kicked out of the Academy. There’s always one set of rules for one group and one set for another. Or should I say, one set for Black people? We see this all the time, and the Academy knows it. Yet, they chose not to do anything about it… so do I think she’ll be kicked out? Hell no! Because ‘White is Always Right.’ She’ll probably even win because the system is made for people like her to thrive. To succeed. To flourish. For Black people, there is no system. We aren’t flourishing. But I’ll wait to see what they’ll do.” – Member requested their branch affiliation not be identified
“Was her campaign aggressive? Absolutely. She wanted it, but they all do. Meryl [Streep] does, and Cate [Blanchett] does. Listen… I don’t know about not spending that much money on it. There’s always money. No one does things for free, but we play the game. Some win. Some lose. She won, but the Academy won’t punish her. They can’t, or they have to punish all of us. I don’t have an opinion if she ‘should’ get kicked out or not. I don’t know enough about it. Probably not.” – Member of the Producers Branch
We owe a lot to the humble bodysuit. From party-ready tops to basics like the best V-neck T-shirts, and white T-shirts, the best bodysuits offer us the next-level comfort and convenience that we never knew we needed.
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Don’t fall asleep! Horror enthusiasts won’t want to miss the premiere of “Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story,” an upcoming documentary chronicling the storied legacy of veteran horror film star Robert Englund, best known for his role as Freddy Krueger in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise.
Cinedigm acquired North American rights to the film and will give it an exclusive theatrical run before the documentary hits the Bloody Disgusting streamer Screambox in late spring, tied to Englund’s 75th birthday on June 6.
The project was shot over two years by co-directors Christopher Griffiths and Gary Smart, who also penned the story alongside Neil Morris. The doc features interviews from Englund, his wife Nancy and other renowned actors of the genre like Lin Shaye, Eli Roth, Kane Hoodder, Tony Todd, Adam Green, Bill Moseley and Heather Langenkamp.
“Both Chris and I have been fans of Robert since we were children, and now to have the opportunity to not only become friends with Robert but to also celebrate his amazing career in this love-letter documentary is truly a ‘dream’ come true for us,” Smart said.
Aside from his role in the $450 million-grossing “Nightmare” franchise, Englund’s earlier credits date back to films like 1974’s “Buster and Billie” and 1976’s “Stay Hungry,” where he performed on-screen alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. By 1988, the actor had released his directorial debut with the film “976-EVIL” and went on to direct two episodes of the TV series “Freddy’s Nightmares” the following year, which he also starred in. Beyond his embodiment of the clawed serial killer, Englund’s other notable roles include appearances in shows like “Stranger Things” and “Bones.”
“Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story” is produced by Smart and Griffiths along with John Campopiano, Adam Evans, Michael Perez and Hank Starrs. The film is executive produced by Adam F. Goldberg, Corey Taylor, Costa Theo and Laurence Gornall. Gornall negotiated the film’s acquisition on behalf of Unannounced Film Company with Brandon Hill, director of acquisitions at Cinedigm.
“This old veteran character actor was surprised and flattered to find he was the subject of the documentary ‘Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares,’” Englund said of being approached for the documentary. “Collaborating with directors Gary Smart and Christopher Griffiths and the rest of the team was a joy as they are genre fans like me. For Yours Truly, watching the film is a bit like Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn attending their own funeral. Gary, Chris and Adam (Evans) managed to find old movies and TV shows I’d forgotten I was in. I’d come back from the dead! All kidding aside – it’s an accurate memory of a working actor’s journey – dreams can come true.”
Dozens of worshippers have been killed and 170 injured in a suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Pakistan during afternoon prayers.
The bomber detonated his suicide vest as hundreds of worshippers – including many police officers – were praying inside the mosque in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan on Monday.
At least 59 people were killed in the attack, with scores of victims buried under rubble as the impact of the blast caused the mosque’s roof to collapse.
Twenty seven of those killed were members of the police force, who are believed to have been the target of the attack.
The suicide bomb attack collapsed a mosque roof and killed worshippers in Pakistan. Four hundred people are believed to have been praying when the bomb exploded
Pakistan’s security officials gather will attend funeral prayers for police officers who were killed in a mosque blast inside the police headquarters
An injured man is stretchered away from the bomb site. Latest figures suggest the blast killed 59 people and injured 170
Rescue workers carry the remains of the blast victims away from the debris of a damaged mosque
Security forces near the site of the attack in Peshawar, Pakistan. It is believed that the targets of the bomb were police officers
Dozens of people were killed in the suicide bombing and 170 were injured
Rescue workers carry the remains of the blast victims from the debris of a damaged mosque after a blast inside the police headquarters in Peshawar on Monday
Police officers shift their injured colleague to a hospital after the blast at a Mosque to a hospital in Peshawar on Monday
An injured victim of a suicide bombing talks on his mobile phone after getting initial treatment outside a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Monday
A frantic rescue mission is now underway at the mosque as emergency personnel search for survivors amongst the rubble.
‘Many policemen are buried under the rubble,’ said Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, who estimated between 300 and 400 officers usually attended prayers at the mosque.
‘Efforts are being made to get them out safely,’ he said.
Bloodied survivors emerged limping from the wreckage, while bodies were ferried away in ambulances as the rescue operation continued.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the police and the rescuers scrambled to rush the wounded to hospitals.
Security officials said the bomber was sitting in the front row of the mosque as people lined up to pray.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (centre) and Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir (left) meeting a wounded police officer at a military hospital following the mosque blast
Senior officials have condemned the attack. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and ordered the best possible medical treatment for the victims
A mourner at the site of the blast in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan. At least 59 people have been killed
Rescue workers gather to remove the rubble to look for survivors at the site of the bombing in Peshawar
Hundreds of people are thought to have been in the vicinity at the time of the blast, including police officers and worshippers
It is not clear how the attacker was able to slip into the walled compound, which houses the northwestern city of Peshawar’s police headquarters and is itself located in a high-security zone with other government buildings.
Peshawar Police officer Muhammad Ijaz Khan told local media that between 300 and 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast.
Provincial governor Haji Ghulam Ali said rescue workers did not know exactly how many people remained trapped under the rubble.
Local police officer Zafar Khan said several of the wounded were listed in critical condition at a hospital and there were fears the death toll would rise.
A survivor, 38-year-old police officer Meena Gul, said he was inside the mosque when the bomb went off.
He said he doesn’t know how he survived unhurt. He could hear cries and screams after the bomb exploded, Gul said.
Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers.
‘I saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life,’ the 47-year-old said.
‘The screams of the people are still echoing in my mind,’ he added. ‘People were screaming for help.’
Rescue workers at the scene of a blast at a Mosque, in Peshawar, on Monday. The blast ripped through the walls and roof of the mosque (pictured)
A frantic rescue mission is now underway at the mosque as emergency personnel search for survivors amongst the rubble (pictured)
A police officer, who was injured in a blast at a Mosque, is helped by worshippers to a hospital in Peshawar in the wake of the attack
Police officers help injured victims of the suicide bomb attack to a hospital in Peshawar
Volunteers carry the coffin of a man, killed in the suicide bombing inside a mosque, at a hospital, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Monday
Security officials and rescue workers search for bodies at the site of suicide bombing in Peshawar on Monday
The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof of the mosque, which caved in and injured many, according to Zafar Khan, a local police officer
The attacker appeared to have passed through several barricades manned by security forces to get into the ‘Red Zone’ compound that houses police and counter-terrorism offices in the volatile northwestern city of Peshawar, police said.
‘It was a suicide bombing,’ Peshawar Police Chief Ijaz Khan told Reuters. Many of the 170 wounded people were in critical condition, he said.
The death toll rose to 59 after several people succumbed to their wounds, hospital official Mohammad Asim said in a statement.
The bombing happened a day before an International Monetary Fund mission to Islamabad to initiate talks on unlocking funding for the South Asian country’s economy, which is enduring a balance of payments crisis.
A man mourns for a dead relative, who was killed in the suicide bomb attack on Monday
Rescue workers extract the body of a victim of the mosque blast as they desperately search for survivors underneath the rubble
People gathered around the damaged buildings to help look for survivors in the hours after the explosion
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the victims.
He also vowed ‘stern action’ against those who were behind the attack.
‘The sheer scale of the human tragedy is unimaginable,’ Sharif said.
‘This is no less than an attack on Pakistan. The nation is overwhelmed by a deep sense of grief. I have no doubt terrorism is our foremost national security challenge.’
The Prime Minister appealed for members of his own party to donate blood to help survivors.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned the bombing, calling it a ‘terrorist suicide attack’ in a tweet online.
Khan wrote: ‘My prayers & condolences go to victims families.
‘It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.’
Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter.
Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan and has been the scene of frequent militant attacks since November, when the Pakistani Taliban ended their cease-fire with government forces.
This was one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in recent years.
Injured people are being carried to ambulances at the site of the suicide bomb attack in Peshawar on Monday
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the victims
Some worshippers are being treated outside the mosque while others in critical condition are being rushed to hospital
In the capital Islamabad Police issued a security high-alert and said security at all entry and exit points to the city had been increased
In the capital, Islamabad Police issued a security high-alert and said security at all entry and exit points to the city had been increased.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter.
The militant group, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, has waged an insurgency in Pakistan over the past 15 years.
It seeks the stricter enforcement of Islamic laws, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction in the Pakistani military presence in areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that it has longed used as its base.
The group is separate from but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops pulled out of the country after 20 years of war.
The suicide bombing had catastrophic affects on the mosque and its worshippers and has caused the roof to collapse
Brave onlookers and survivors risked their lives to help save their fellow worshippers
The building falling apart after the suicide bomb attack on Monday
The government’s truce with the TTP ended as Pakistan was still contending with unprecedented flooding that killed 1,739 people, destroyed more than 2 million homes, and at one point submerged as much as one third of the country.
Mohmand, of the militant organization, said a fighter carried out the attack to avenge the killing of Abdul Wali, who was widely known as Omar Khalid Khurasani, and was killed in neighbouring Afghanistan’s Paktika province in August 2022.
Cash-strapped Pakistan is currently facing a severe economic crisis and is seeking a crucial instalment of $1.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund – part of its $6 billion bailout package – to avoid default. Talks with the IMF on reviving the bailout have stalled in the past months.
Sharif’s government came to power last April after Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
Khan has since campaigned for early elections, claiming his ouster was illegal and part of a plot backed by the United States. Washington and Sharif have dismissed Khan’s claims.
After a long and sometimes tough career, The Jonas Brothers have cemented their place in history, quite literally with the addition of their star to the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Amy Sussman / Getty Images
It’s been nearly two decades since the brothers first started making music. After forming their band in 2005, the New Jersey natives gained popularity from their songs like S.0S. and Year 3000 as well as their appearances on Camp Rock and with their own original show “Jonas” on the Disney Channel. In 2019 the then multi-platinum pop stars returned from a six year hiatus with brand new music.
Their star was dedicated in the category of Recording and the trio was introduced by Monte and Avery Lipman of Republic Records, Ryan Tedder and writer and producer Jon Bellion. During a special ceremony for the brothers and their family on Monday, each of the three musicians took time to pay tribute to their family who was with them for this milestone. Kevin, Joe and Nick each took a moment to thank their parents, friends and fans for their success over the years. They also thanked their respective wives, Danielle Jonas, Sophie Turner and Priyanka Chopra Jonas who came out to support them.
In his speech, the oldest Kevin, 35, first mentioned his wife Danielle, “Danielle, my beautiful wife. I love you so much. I could not have done this without you. Your support for the past 15 years — you’ve seen us through all of it … thank you for everything.” He then went on to mention their two daughters, Valentina, 6, and Alena, 8, who were with him for the occasion. “Alena, Valentina, this is a pretty cool moment, don’t you think?” he said speaking directly to his two girls. “It’s pretty cool, but you two are my brightest stars. I love you, thank you.” He then gave the fans some love by saying “You have been the driving force behind everything we do so thank you.”
Nick Jonas, 30, first thanked his wife Priyanka, “You are the calm and the crazy, the rock in the storm and I love being married to you,” he said. “It’s the greatest gift. I love being a parent with you.” and then went on to mention their newborn daughter Malti Marie who was also at the eventNick and Priyanka had also brought to the event, “Malti Marie, I can’t wait to come back here with you in 15 years and embarrass you in front of your friends.”
“Knowing our grandkids will be able to come see this is really meaningful and that we got to share this with our incredible fans,” said Nick Jonas.
Joe Jonas ,33, thanked his wife Sophie calling her his “partner in crime.” He then gave a shoutout to his 2 little girls who were back home saying “To my little ones at home, Daddy loves you to the moon and back.”
The brothers also gave fans a treat by announcing a new album, called “The Album” which will be releasing in May.
In case you missed it you can check it out here, the ceremony was streamed online for fans to watch by the Walk of Fame Chamber of Commerce. Watch it here.
Hulu has opted not to renew the showbiz sitcom “Reboot” for a second season, the streamer said Monday.
A source close to the production told TheWrap that creator Steven Levitan, a multiple Emmy winner for ABC hit “Modern Family,” is trying to find a new home for the comedy.
The series starred Rachel Bloom as a TV executive who successfully pitches the revival of her favorite 20-year-old sitcom, “Step Right Up,” and the clashes that follow between the cast, crew and writers. It premiered on Sept. 20 to favorable reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes scoring it 88% from 40 critics entries, including from TheWrap’s Thelma Adams, who called it “hilarious” and “consistently laugh-out-loud funny.”
The ensemble included Judy Greer, Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville and Calum Worthy as the original “Step Right Up” cast, Paul Reiser as the series’ creator, and Krista Marie Yu as Hulu’s VP of comedy who’s “new to humor.”
In September, Levitan told TheWrap that the show came out of the revelation he had during the pandemic that it might no longer be possible to create a show with as broad of an appeal as “Modern Family.”
“You have to change expectations now. That’s why I didn’t want to go chasing after something that felt like I was doing another version of [‘Modern Family’]. I wanted to stretch creatively,” he said.
“This was a chance for me to explore what I was doing during the day. And it didn’t start off that way. It just started out as an idea of a bunch of people coming back to a show and how interesting that is. It’s a little bit like going to a high school reunion or something where everybody left with all sorts of expectations and behaviors, and then you’re coming back years later and maybe things played out the way you expected. Maybe they didn’t,” he added.
“Cassandro” star Gael García Bernal joined the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, to break down his role as a gay Mexican wrestler.
“The macho culture that exists in Mexico is very, very big and has many complexities to it, but it is very different to the macho culture that exists in the United States,” said García Bernal. “If you scratch a little bit under the surface, what do you get? A man that loves other men. All the charro world, there is something very transgender about it that is fascinating, and it’s incredible.”
The biopic follows Saúl Armendáriz’s Cassandro, an effeminate Mexican gay wrestler who rises to fame with his new unmasked persona. After his trainer Sabrina suggests he unmasks, Armendáriz embraces the flamboyant exótico character, Cassandro, and captures the attention and affection of wrestling fans. As he marvels in the spotlight, Armendáriz’s relationships with his mother and his secret lover begin to falter.
García Bernal shared details about his physical transformation to prepare for the role. “I didn’t want to go to a coach for that, because Cassandro would never have a coach for that. So I just ate a lot and did a lot of exercise and a lot of flexibility and a lot of acrobatics,” he said. “YouTube was trying to force me to get into getting into one of those plans, but no, I was resisting against it. I was gonna do it proper, how you would do it in the ’80s or ’90s without the internet.”
García Bernal stars alongside Roberta Colindrez, Perla de la Rosa, Joaquín Cosío and Raúl Castillo in “Cassandro.” Directed by Roger Ross Williams, the film’s producers include Gerardo Gatica, Todd Black, David Bloomfield, Ted Hope and Julie Goldman.
A Polish tourist in Mexico got a crash course in Mayan history after climbing a sacred pyramid … locals were waiting for him when he got down, and one beat him with a stick.
The wild scene, which was captured on video, played out over the weekend at the famous Chichén Itzá archaeological site in Mexico’s Yucatan.
In the viral footage, you see the tourist coming down the Kukulkan pyramid’s steps … and when he gets to the bottom, he’s confronted by an angry mob … including a shirtless man with a huge stick who bonks the tourist on the head as others show their displeasure.
The issue for locals … the Mayan temple is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and it’s illegal to climb the pyramid.
The tourist is reportedly from Poland, and was arrested Saturday and released after 12 hours in custody.
Adding insult to injury, the tourist was also slapped with a fine of $5,000 pesos … but the stick to the head’s gotta hurt worse.
November 2022
TikTok / @angelalopeze
Climbing the pyramid for clout appears to be part of a disrespectful trend … back in November, a female tourist climbed the same sacred structure and was assaulted by an angry mob.
Known for his unfiltered demeanour and brutal honesty, Anurag Kashyap has often been embroiled in a slew of controversies.
Anurag Kashyap and actor Abhay Deol were recently in news as the latter made shocking statements about the filmmaker, calling him a ‘liar and toxic’ person.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has always been known for spearheading new-age experimental cinema. He has been credited for the rise of independent cinema in the early 2000s and his early films gained attention for their dark and noir themes and captured the essence of realistic India. He turned over a new chapter when he cast two of the biggest names in showbiz – actors Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma – in the period crime thriller Bombay Velvet (2015). And the Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal starrer love story, Manmarziyaan (2018), started a new inning for Anurag. His upcoming release Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat is his ode to modern love and according to some, it marks the beginning of ‘Anurag Kashyap 3.0’. The 50-year-old might not agree with it but he admits that he is a new person now.
In an exclusive chat with News18, he says with his signature candour. “It took me a year-and-a-half of sickness to realise a lot of things. I used to be very reactive earlier. I would just say things out of anger or as a reaction to something I felt perturbed with. It took me some time to realise that I’m shouting in a room full of people where everyone is also shouting and nobody is listening to me or each other for that matter. That’s what social media has become today,” he said. For the unversed, he suffered chest issues and underwent angioplasty in 2021.
Known for his unfiltered demeanour and brutal honesty, Anurag has often been embroiled in a slew of controversies. But now, he has decided to mince his words and opinions. He remarks, “I stepped back from that [version of me] and asked myself why I’m reacting to things and what’s bothering me so much. I told myself, ‘Let’s work on that and find ways to say it out in a way that it reaches people.’”
Crediting filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani for an epiphany that brought about a shift in him, he says, “Raju Hirani taught me a very important thing. He told me that my films are good but they have to reach people otherwise what’s the point of it if my films aren’t reaching those for who I’m making them in the first place. Since that, a lot of things have happened.” But he adds, “I’ve no filter. I know that if somebody asks me a question, I’ll answer it. But I’ve also realised that I don’t need to say and talk about everything because everything need not be said.”
The director, who last helmed the supernatural thriller Dobaaraa (2022), and actor Abhay Deol were recently in news as the latter made shocking statements about Anurag, calling him a ‘liar and toxic’ person. The duo had worked together on the critically acclaimed film Dev D (2009), which has achieved a cult status over the years, but hasn’t collaborated ever since. Earlier in an interview, Anurag had alleged that Abhay would ‘stay in a five-star hotel while the entire crew stayed in Paharganj’ in Delhi during the making of Dev D, which was made ‘on a very tight budget’. He also claimed that other directors distanced themselves from the Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) actor due to his attitude.
Talking about the episode, Anurag remarks, “Somebody did an article on why such a good actor like Abhay Deol isn’t doing movies. That’s when I talked about my experience with him and it was something that happened about thirteen years ago. I didn’t need to say it out loud publicly.”
He goes on to reveal that actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s unfortunate demise in June 2020 made him want to pick up the phone and apologise to Abhay for his remarks. “The day when the unfortunate incident surrounding SSR happened made me feel so bad. Three weeks prior to that, somebody was trying to reach out to me because he wanted to talk to me. But I said a no because he had ghosted me once and I didn’t know how to talk to him. I felt these pangs of guilt. That’s why I reached out to Abhay and apologised to him because somebody had told me that he was upset with me as I spoke publicly about him,” he elaborates.
While he’s ready to apologise to him for as many times as needed, he’s rather elated that the Trial By Fire actor is back under the spotlight. Prod him further and the Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) and Mukkabaaz (2018) maker states, “I told him that he can yell and scream at me but I needed him to tell me that he was okay. That episode also made me realise that I need not speak about everything. I came to know that he’s still upset but I’m ready to apologise to him again. I can apologise to him ten times. But I’m happy that an actor as brilliant as Abhay is back. He’s so good!”
On a parting note, Anurag expresses, “People evolve. He has evolved. I’ve changed. But yes, I do understand that there are some things I shouldn’t have said. I looked at myself and told myself so.”
Titas Chowdhury, senior sub-editor at News18, lives for and writes about cinema and 90s music. Interviewing celebrities, writing about latest trends i…Read More
UPDATED with Warner Bros Discovery statement: As it prepares for negotiations for a new film and TV contract – and a possible writers strike in May – the WGA West is once again blasting Warner Bros Discovery for going back on its promise that the merger that created the giant media conglomerate last year would create more opportunities for content creators.
“WarnerMedia and Discovery promised that their merger would allow the new company to invest in more original content and create more opportunity for underrepresented storytellers,” the guild said in a statement Monday. “Less than one year after the merger’s close, Warner Bros. Discovery has laid off hundreds of workers and canceled, pulled, or written off $2 billion in content, spotlighting the predictable harms of consolidation.”
“Warner-Discovery is the latest disastrous merger to demonstrate the harms of consolidation, and particularly the threat to diversity when gatekeepers combine to increase their power,” Laura Blum-Smith, the guild’s director of research and public policy, said in a statement. “Almost immediately after closing, Warner Bros. Discovery broke the hollow promises it had made of merger benefits. As a result, writers – including many women and people of color – have lost opportunities and future income, while consumers are left with reduced variety and choice of content.”
Warner Bros Discovery responded later Monday, not commenting on the merger but saying it is “committed to facilitating greater inclusion of underrepresented groups in larger numbers both in front of and behind the camera.”
It added: “While there is always more work to do, we are proud that so many of our diverse creative partners have recently been recognized with Emmys, Golden Globes, GLAAD, and NAACP awards and nominations. And, earlier this month, the WGA itself recognized our shows and diverse writing teams with 14 Writers Guild Award nominations across 12 original titles. We will continue to nurture diverse writing talent and create inclusion across the industry. Our global pipeline programs are dedicated to providing pathways for underrepresented creatives across a variety of categories including writing, music supervision, producing, show running and animation – all with the shared purpose of ensuring more marginalized creatives have an opportunity to learn and earn a place within Warner Bros. Discovery and the industry at large.”
The guild’s latest denunciation of Warner Bros Discovery today comes in the form of a follow-up bulletin to its 2021 report “Broken Promises: Media Mega Mergers and the Case for Antitrust Reform,” which highlighted what the guild called a “failed” U.S. antitrust policy in a review of five mega-mergers in the media and telecommunications industry.
Warner Bros Discovery is one of the major companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers that will be bargaining with the WGA for a new film and TV contract later this year. No dates have been set yet for those talks. The guild’s current contract expires May 1, and though a strike is by no means certain, it’s on the top of many industry observers’ and guild members’ minds.
Jokes aside, Gwyneth Paltrow is making sure to celebrate her body as she enters her 50s. “I feel so good turning 50, and this is about expressing that sense of energy and optimism that I’m experiencing,” Paltrow said of her stunning nude birthday shoot by Andrew Yee, which she shared in September 2022.
In an essay for Goop, she wrote, “My body, a map of the evidence of all the days, is less timeless. A collection of marks and irregularities that dog-ear the chapters. Scarred from oven burns, a finger smashed in a window long ago, the birth of a child. Silver hair and fine lines. The sun has left her celestial fingerprints all over me, as if she soaked a brush in dark-taupe watercolor, flecking it over my skin.”
She continued, “And while I do what I can to strive for good health and longevity, to stave off weakening muscles and receding bone, I have a mantra I insert into those reckless thoughts that try to derail me: I accept. I accept the marks and the loosening skin, the wrinkles. I accept my body and let go of the need to be perfect, look perfect, defy gravity, defy logic, defy humanity. I accept my humanity.”
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” was produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination with a budget of $85m. With it’s initial release on June 29th 2022 it made approximately $939.63m at the Box Office.
Showtime’s cable channel survived this round of integration, but it sounds like some staffers — and one Paramount+ plan — will not.
Paramount Global is making things (even more) official between Showtime and Paramount+. At some point “later this year,” the Showtime linear-television channel will be rebranded as “Paramount+ with Showtime,” the company said Monday afternoon. The existing Paramount+ “Premium” tier, as well as the ad-free plan that has an option with ($14.99/month) or without Showtime ($9.99/month), will also be known as Paramount+ with Showtime.
Paramount+ also has ad-supported plans on what is dubbed the “Essential” tier, again offering an option both with ($11.99) and without ($4.99) Showtime. At the time of rebranding, the separate apps Showtime OTT ($10.99/month) and Showtime Anytime (an add-on for OTT, or free with a Showtime cable package) will be “sunsetted,” IndieWire is told — a fancy way of saying “Move to Trash.”
“The premium tier of Paramount+ will be fully integrated with Showtime,” a spokesperson told us, which means the commercial-free “Premium” plan — the $9.99 one without Showtime — will go away when the rebrand launches. We asked if the prices on the continuing plans will stay as-is, and were told we’ll get more information on that “in the coming weeks.”
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The combination of the brands means certain Paramount+ originals will air on Showtime’s linear channel. It could also be the next-to-last step toward fully folding Showtime into Paramount+, which would mean the end of the linear channel altogether. The two previously joined forces via a Showtime tile inside Paramount+.
Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish described this merger of platforms in a note to staff and obtained by IndieWire as “the first of its kind to integrate streaming and linear content in this way.”
“This new combined offering demonstrates how we can leverage our entire collection of content to drive deeper connections with consumers and greater value for our distribution partners,” he wrote. “This change will also drive stronger alignment across our domestic and international Paramount+ offerings, as international Paramount+ already includes Showtime content. And, very importantly, this integration will unlock operational efficiencies and financial benefits across our broader portfolio.”
“Billions”
Laurence Cendrowicz/Showtime
Cost-cutting is all the rage these days, so synergies would be very much appreciated. It’s the “operational efficiencies” that scared some of the very employees Bakish emailed this afternoon, since that phrase often means staff layoffs.
“We know this change brings uncertainty for the teams working on these brands and businesses,” Bakish wrote. “We are committed to being as transparent and thoughtful as possible throughout this process, and we expect to share additional details in the coming weeks.”
Bakish will host a town hall in Los Angeles to field employee questions February 23.
Alongside this news, Showtime canned two shows, “American Gigolo” and “Let the Right One In,” and canceled completed series “Three Women” starring Shailene Woodley; it’s now being shopped to other homes.
Last September, Paramount Global said it had “nearly” 67 million global direct-to-consumer subscribers. Of those, 46 million came from core streaming service Paramount+. The company no longer breaks out Showtime and Showtime OTT (the standalone streaming app) subs. We’ll get a subscriber update through the end of 2022 on February 16, when Paramount Global reports fourth-quarter earnings.
Wall Street was unmoved by the news. In after-hours trading, shares of Paramount Global (PARA) are down a few dimes.
Check out Bakish’s memo to staff, in its entirety, below.
Jeremy Renner in “Mayor of Kingstown”
Emerson Miller / ViacomCBS
Team, Almost one year ago, we announced that ViacomCBS would become Paramount — harnessing the power of our combined portfolio to become one, integrated company. Since then, I have been tremendously proud of the many ways we have worked together across platforms, brands, and continents to consistently deliver as global leaders in the future of entertainment.
In that same spirit, I’m thrilled to share the next step in our company’s evolution. Today, we’re announcing that we will be fully integrating SHOWTIME into Paramount+ across both streaming and linear platforms later this year — providing even more popular franchises and hit originals for viewers to enjoy. To reflect this change, both our premium streaming tier on Paramount+ and the SHOWTIME linear network will become “Paramount+ with SHOWTIME” in the U.S.
SHOWTIME has captivated audiences for decades with ambitious original series that defined premium content and fandom. Its name will always stand for critically acclaimed, groundbreaking entertainment and creative excellence. Now, with SHOWTIME’s content integrated into our flagship streaming service, and select Paramount+ originals joining the linear offering, Paramount+ will become the definitive multiplatform brand in the streaming space — and the first of its kind to integrate streaming and linear content in this way.
This new combined offering demonstrates how we can leverage our entire collection of content to drive deeper connections with consumers and greater value for our distribution partners. This change will also drive stronger alignment across our domestic and international Paramount+ offerings, as international Paramount+ already includes Showtime content. And, very importantly, this integration will unlock operational efficiencies and financial benefits across our broader portfolio.
Chris McCarthy will continue to lead the SHOWTIME studio and oversee network operations for the linear channel. In tandem, he will work closely with Tom Ryan, who will oversee the “Paramount+ with SHOWTIME” streaming business.
While we are confident this is the right move for our company, our consumers, and our partners, we know this change brings uncertainty for the teams working on these brands and businesses. We are committed to being as transparent and thoughtful as possible throughout this process, and we expect to share additional details in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, I would ask for your continued focus. Because of your hard work, dedication and collaboration, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME is set up for success. Thank you, as always, for all that you do.
Pierced by arrows, pricked by thorns—canonical images of love often feature a kind of penetration, a breaking through the drywall of one’s sense of self. In the video for Yves Tumor’s latest single “Echolalia,” which announces their forthcoming album Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), the artist is tied down and nailed through the heart. Tumor sings with a masochist’s tenderness over strutting rock, pleading for the touch and torture of a figure they repeatedly address as “God.”
“Echolalia” is defined as an involuntary repetition of words or sounds, and this motif is carried throughout the song by Tumor’s singing, which stalls out wistfully, even orgasmically, on single syllables until they’re stretched out into an undeniable hook. The crashing cymbals, syncopated drumming, and pile-driving bassline are all familiar components of Tumor’s music, but they’re notably more deferential compared to the skyscraping heights of “Kerosene!” or “Jackie.” A spoken interlude halfway through the song spells out a kind of philosophy of connection: One person’s love cannot be complete for two, making the song a sickly sweet compliment to the jagged abjection of Tumor’s previous track “God Is a Circle.” On “Echolalia” the singer opens themselves to their lover, and the resulting pain feels so good.
The eight-part series “Philly D.A.” follows District Attorney Larry Krasner as he carries out a progressive agenda to reduce incarceration in Philadelphia. The series invites comparisons to “The Wire” for its dramatic twists and turns as Krasner tries to live up to his principles against fierce opposition.
A dog handler with the Regina Police Service (RPS) Canine Unit, is mourning the loss of Luka the dog, who was the force’s first explosive detection dog.
“It was a significant loss for the Regina Police Service,” said RPS Const. Neil Beitel. “Very importantly, (he) was a member of the team here but as well as a family member at home.”
Luka was a four-year-old German shepard who was purchased in 2019. He was trained and prepped for the 2020 Grey Cup which did not happen due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was an incredible asset for the Grey Cup in 2022.
RPS said Luka was a great value to the Service as well as the explosives disposal team and general patrol. He was a single-purpose detection dog which allowed his handler Const. Beitel to take him to community events.
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K9 calendars go on sale to raise money to keep children safe
While it took three months to train Luka, he and Beitel engaged in ongoing maintenance training every day.
“We would roll around on shift together, so he was always in the truck … I did more learning from him than he did from me,” said Beitel. “He (was) with my daughter (at home) … he was a big part of my family and a big part of my life.”
Beitel said Luka died as a result of complications of an auto-immune disease. Days before his passing, the officer noticed an imbalance in his partner.
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Luka was taken to a local veterinarian for care before he was transferred to Calgary for more testing.
Sadly, Luka didn’t accompany Beitel on the drive home. He died on Jan. 19, 2023.
Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon shared a fun moment at the photo-call for Netflix’s “Your Place or Mine” at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.
Fox Corp.’s Fox Entertainment and Disney’s Hulu announced a multiyear content deal renewal, encompassing in-season streaming rights for Fox’s primetime shows.
The pact also includes “an extensive multiplatform strategic marketing alliance,” the companies said. That will feature joint Fox and Hulu branding across all Fox-owned and “external marketing touchpoints” to “align live and on-demand viewing messaging of Fox content.”
Under the terms of the agreement, all Fox primetime entertainment programming — including “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” 9-1-1,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “The Masked Singer” and “Next Level Chef” — will continue to stream on Hulu the next day following linear telecast. The renewal comes after after Fox Entertainment and Hulu entered into a program output deal, announced last February, which lets Hulu stream all out-of-season episodes of key Fox unscripted and animated programs.
The deal solidifies Hulu as Fox’s primary subscription-streaming outlet, as Fox Corp. does not have a horse in the subscription VOD race (while Fox Entertainment owns Tubi, a free, ad-supported streaming television, or FAST, service).
“Our long-standing, valued partnership with Hulu consistently generates impressive results and creates an important pathway for our scripted, unscripted and animated series to maximize viewer reach,” Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment, said in announcing the deal. “Under this new deal, Fox solidifies its longer-term streaming strategy, while harnessing the power and strength of both Hulu and Fox to better serve our audiences and bring visibility to premium content across our streaming and linear platforms.”
“Continuing to be the next-day streaming home for current Fox hits, along with out-of-season episodes of well-loved Fox titles, reinforces Hulu’s unique position in the streaming space — as the only SVOD service to carry next-day series from multiple broadcast networks,” Hulu president Joe Earley said in a prepared statement. “Fox has always been a great partner, but now Rob and his teams are leveling-up our relationship with their new marketing commitments, helping viewers understand where they can watch all of these shows.”
Fox series produced by Disney Television Studios include “9-1-1,” “9-1-1: Lone Star” and “The Resident,” as well as perennial animated favorites “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “The Great North. Fox Alternative Entertainment produces unscripted hit series “The Masked Singer,” as well as “I Can See Your Voice,” “Name That Tune,” Domino Masters” and, in association with Studio Ramsay Global, “Next Level Chef” and upcoming series “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.”
Fox Entertainment Studios produces mid-season single-camera comedy “Animal Control,” while the animated comedies “HouseBroken” and Dan Harmon’s “Krapopolis,” and “Grimsburg,” starring and executive produced by Jon Hamm, are produced by its Bento Box Entertainment division.
Other Fox programming includes dramas “The Cleaning Lady” (Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment), “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” (Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment) and “Accused” (Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment, All3Media America); comedies “Call Me Kat” (That’s Wonderful Productions, Sad Clown Productions, BBC Studios, Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment) and “Welcome to Flatch” (Lionsgate, BBC Studios and Fox Entertainment).
Unscripted series on Fox broadcast include “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” (Minnow Films) and “Lego Masters” (Endemol Shine North America, Tuesday’s Child and Plan B Entertainment), “MasterChef” and “MasterChef Junior” (Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato), “Hell’s Kitchen” (ITV Entertainment and A. Smith & Co.), “Beat Shazam” (Apploff Entertainment, MGM Television, BiggerStage and Shazam) and the upcoming dating series “Farmer Wants a Wife” (Eureka Productions).
Director Wright’s co-writer Joe Cornish revealed that it was the “Shaun of the Dead” helmer’s “auteur”-ism that led to the Marvel pushback in pre-production.
“When Edgar and I first met Marvel, they were in offices above a BMW showroom in Beverly Hills,” Cornish told The Playlist. “It was around the time of Ang Lee’s ‘Hulk,’ and [Jon] Favreau hadn’t even started working on the first ‘Iron Man.’ Superhero movies were not a thing… I guess because VFX hadn’t evolved to the point where they could put what was on page on the screen. So, they always felt like they were reaching for something they couldn’t achieve.”
Cornish continued, “We worked on [‘Ant-Man’] for something like eight years, on and off. And in that time, the landscape changed completely. The technology changed completely. Audiences fell in love with superhero movies. All the stuff that people loved in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s in comic books were suddenly translated on screen in a really direct way that had never happened before.”
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He added, “That kind of overtook us in the sense that Marvel didn’t necessarily want the authored movie that Edgar and I wanted to make because, at that point, they had this behemoth on their hands. They had this universe where the movies had to integrate. Edgar is an auteur. Edgar Wright makes Edgar Wright movies. In the end, that’s why it didn’t happen, I guess.”
Wright left the film during development in 2014, with Peyton Reed replacing him as director. Wright and Cornish are still credited on the first “Ant-Man” screenplay, in addition to director Reed, star Paul Rudd, and Adam McKay.
“Ant-Man” was released in 2015 and has received two sequels, with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” premiering February 17.
Wright previously told Variety that he and Cornish wanted a standalone story similar to “Iron Man” for the first film as opposed to relying on the greater MCU.
“I wanted to make a Marvel movie but I don’t think they really wanted to make an Edgar Wright movie,” Wright said. “I was the writer-director on it and then they wanted to do a draft without me, and having written all my other movies, that’s a tough thing to move forward thinking if I do one of these movies I would like to be the writer-director. Suddenly becoming a director-for-hire on it, you’re sort of less emotionally invested and you start to wonder why you’re there, really.”
Marvel head Kevin Feige told Empire (via Collider) in 2014 that it was “disappointing” to see Wright walk away. “It was amicable and we sat in a room together and said this isn’t working. I just wish I or he had figured that out somewhere in the eight years leading up to it,” Feige said at the time. “I wish it wasn’t as late in the day as it was, but it just had become clear that there was an impasse that we had never reached before. We’ve worked with lots of unbelievable talented filmmakers like Edgar before, and of course there are disagreements along the way. We had always found a way around it, a way to battle through it and emerge on the other side with a better product. It just became clear that both of us was just being too polite over the past eight years I guess! Then it was clear that, ‘Oh you’re really not gonna stop talking about that note?’ ‘Oh, you’re really not gonna do that note?’ Alright this isn’t working.”
Marvel most recently partnered with horror auteur Sam Raimi to helm “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” with Raimi revealing he at times butted heads with Feige to include particular scenes. The film was in part criticized for continuity errors with the MCU storyline set up in Disney+ series “WandaVision” around the arc of Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch character.
The Casting Society (CSA) announced on Monday that the 38th Annual Artios Awards, set for March 9, will be hosted by Emmy-nominated actress Yvette Nicole Brown. Brown previously hosted the first virtual awards ceremony in 2021 and will be on hand to emcee the organization’s first in-person gala in two years.
“Yvette did an amazing job hosting the virtual Artios Awards two years ago, and we are excited to see her in person and onstage in front of our casting community in Los Angeles,” said CSA president Destiny Lilly. “She is a huge advocate for casting professionals, and we’re thrilled that she’s our host for our first in-person Artios Awards since 2020.”
CSA also announced that EGOT winner and 80 for Brady star Rita Moreno will be presented with the Lynn Stalmaster Award for Career Achievement. “Ms. Moreno has an illustrious career and is a cultural icon. We are beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to present to her with this award to celebrate everything that she has accomplished,” said Lilly.
Other honorees will include casting director Leslee Feldman, who will receive the Hoyt Bowers Award for excellence in casting that honors the recipient’s body of work and contribution to the casting profession. Black Theatre United will receive the Marion Dougherty New York Apple Award, which recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a special commitment to the New York entertainment industry through work with casting professionals.
Jessica Sherman will receive the Rosalie Joseph Humanitarian Award, while Simone Bär will posthumously receive the 2023 European Capelier-Shaw Award for Excellence in Casting.
The Artios Awards will be handed out on Tuesday, March 9, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Brandon Cronenberg’s latest movie, “Infinity Pool,” is a boundary-pushing horror film that’s visceral and unsettling, and that’s exactly the desired effect for the audience.
The Toronto filmmaker takes big swings with his third feature film after “Antiviral” (2012) and “Possessor” (2020).
“I did write it between my first and second film, and there was an eight-year gap where I was trying to get financing and kind of spinning my wheels and not sure my career was going anywhere. So there are some self-mocking references to writer insecurity, but they come from my own experience,” Cronenberg, who was in Toronto to introduce the movie on Wednesday along with his cast, said in an interview.
The film follows James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman), who are enjoying a perfect vacation on an all-inclusive resort in a fictional country. When the mysterious Gabi (Mia Goth) and her friends take them outside the resort grounds, they find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism and untold horror.
Tragedy strikes when James is involved in a hit-and-run and there’s a zero-tolerance policy for crime. He is given a choice: be executed or, if you’re rich enough to afford it, you can clone yourself and watch the clone be killed instead.
The movie, for which Cronenberg wrote the screenplay, was originally a short story about “seeing someone watching themselves being executed in this fictional state. I guess I was just interested in, to some extent, the nature of identity and what makes a person a person and, I think, the social desire for revenge that sometimes lies beneath punishment, even if we frame it as corrective or preventive,” he said.
“For me, it’s very much a narrative about character psychology … on the one hand, you have these people who essentially are bland people in a bland context, which is the resort. But given a freedom from conventional consequence, this kind of animal violence and carnality is able to bubble up and to mutate.
“I felt it was important for the audience to really feel in a visceral way those scenes and that kind of contrast between the sex and violence in the movie, and then the kind of banal resort stuff.”
His film will undoubtedly draw comparisons to his father, David Cronenberg, whose movies include the same level of violent, gory horror. However, the younger Cronenberg’s vision for his high-concept indie entry stands on its own merit and explores his own fascination with the world.
“It’s always incredibly satisfying to be able to make any film and you’re incredibly fortunate, especially as an indie filmmaker, to get any film made,” he said. “So it’s satisfying in that way, but it’s essentially a bag of my own interest that I’m kind of exploring and using the film in some ways as a lens to process my own thoughts about the world.”
Goth, who has been anointed as the scream queen of recent years after her chilling turns in “Pearl” and “X,” gives a riveting performance. And Skarsgård digs deep into the primal and physically demanding nature of his role. Clearly, the actors shared the 43-year-old filmmaker’s vision for the movie and delivered as he gave them the freedom to explore the characters in the rich roles created.
“Casting is mostly about identifying actors who have this certain difficult-to-articulate thing that I think a lot of us recognize when they come onscreen and they’re immediately captivating … They’re always totally fascinating and compelling and interesting in this completely exciting way. Both Alex and Mia are actors like that for me.”
When asked if there was a scene that felt impossible to pull off, Cronenberg said “the entire film is like that. Even though I’ve sort of been working at this for 20 years now, I’m also in a way just at the start of my career; it’s only my third film and there were these huge gaps between my films and before ‘Infinity Pool.’ So it always feels like it’s gonna be impossible to make a film and then to do it is always very surprising to everybody.”
Cronenberg has cemented himself in the horror space as a talented indie filmmaker who uses the genre to address socio-political themes.
“Horror gives you a space to explore certain difficult emotions in a safe way,” he said. “Horror to me can sometimes work as a laboratory, where you can engage with a certain part of the human emotional spectrum that’s very healthy but also, from the political perspective, it lets you take the world and caricature it a little bit in a way where you’re emphasizing certain real-world horrors in the context of something that’s totally visceral for an audience to watch.”
He continued: “I think genre, including horror but also in general, and including science fiction, is great for that because when you take the real world and you skew it, just slightly, people … are able to see the real world from a different perspective, and that’s why it’s so useful from a political and also a satirical perspective.”
There has been a recent wave of eat-the-rich satires like Emmy-winning series “The White Lotus,” Oscar-nominated film “Triangle of Sadness” and Golden-Globe nominated “The Menu,” and Cronenberg finds it interesting to be part of that trend, even though he wrote the story a while ago.
“I started working on the original story for this at least as far back as 2014 or maybe earlier. It took quite a few years to develop. So certainly, I had no way of judging the mood of 2023 or knowing that it would be part of this wave of related films, but sometimes things just sync up that way.”
So what then scares Cronenberg? “Doing interviews,” he said dryly. If he could clone himself for this, I’m sure he would.
“Infinity Pool” is playing in GTA theatres.
Marriska Fernandes is a Toronto-based entertainment reporter and film critic. She is a freelance contributor for the Star’s Culture section. Follow her on Twitter: @marrs_fers
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Marc Maron is standing up for his “To Leslie” co-star Andrea Riseborough, whose nomination for best actress at the upcoming Oscars has ignited a wave of controversy. Riseborough made the cut over presumed contenders such as Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”) following an unorthodox Oscar campaign started by Mary McCormick, who emailed actors and encouraged them to post raves for Riseborough on social media. Edward Norton, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron and more high-profile celebrities either posted in support of Riseborough and/or held screenings for the film to help get the word out.
While the Academy has not referred to “To Leslie” or Riseborough by name, it did announce Jan. 27 that it would be “conducting a review of the campaign procedures around this year’s nominees” to ensure campaigning was “conducted in a fair and ethical manner.”
Maron has a significant supporting role in “To Leslie” as Sweeney, a kindhearted motel owner who employs Riseborough’s alcoholic character and helps get her life back on track.
“Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences or whatever the fuck it is has decided to investigate Andrea Riseborough’s grassroots campaign to get her the Oscar nomination,” Maron said on his “WTF” podcast. “Because I guess it so threatens their system that they’re completely bought out by corporate interests in the form of studios.”
“Millions of dollars [are] put into months and months of advertising campaigns, publicity, screenings by large corporate entertainment entities and Andrea was championed by her peers through a grassroots campaign which was pushed through by a few actors,” Maron continued. “The Academy is [like], ‘Well, we gotta take a look at this. This is not the way it’s supposed to work. Independent artists don’t deserve the attention of the Academy unless we see how it works exactly. So, we’re going to look into this.’”
“Nothing is going to happen because of [an investigation],” Maron concluded, noting that he fully expects Riseborough to keep her nomination. “It was in earnest, the campaign, and it is not undeserving. But I’m glad the Academy — at the behest of special interest and corporate interest and paranoia about how they look — are doing an investigation. Who gives a fuck!”
Riseborough’s nomination has divided Oscar voters. An anonymous member of the actors branch defended the nom, telling Variety, “If she were disqualified from the awards, it would be a decimation of the Actors’ choice because it’s our choice to nominate someone.” But not everyone agrees, and a member of the writers branch predicted: “I have a feeling Andrea Riseborough will have her nomination rescinded because the Academy has to stop what’s been going on for a long time.”
Maron isn’t the only celebrity using his platform to defend Riseborough and condemn the Academy’s investigation. Christina Ricci took to social media recently to declare, “If it’s taken away, shame on them.”
“Seems hilarious that the ‘surprise nomination’ (meaning tons of money wasn’t spent to position this actress) of a legitimately brilliant performance is being met with an investigation,” Ricci wrote (via The Independent). “So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition? Feels elitist and exclusive and frankly very backward to me.”
Academy board members are meeting Jan. 31 to discuss many topics about the upcoming Oscars, including Riseborough’s nomination.
The Mysterious Benedict Society has been canceled at Disney+ after two seasons.
Co-creator and executive producer Phil Hay shared the news on Twitter, writing: “Dear friends- season 2 will mark the end of The Mysterious Benedict Society’s journey on Disney+. We love everyone who helped make this truly special and indeed life-affirming experience happen. No regrets- so proud of what we made … The beauty of streaming is that the show lives on Disney+ and you can find it whenever you want to visit. Spoiler alert for how the story ends: the kids stay friends forever.”
Based on Trenton Lee Stewart‘s children’s books, The Mysterious Benedict Society follows Mr. Benedict, a gifted and intelligent person, who enlists four children for a risky mission to infiltrate the Learning Institute for Veritas and Enlightenment (L.I.V.E.) on Nomansan Island during a global crisis known as “The Emergency.” Dr. L.D. Curtain, who runs the Institute, employs kids to transmit subconscious messages that allow him to implant ideas and concepts into people’s heads. To put an end to this evil behavior and protect the world from Dr. Curtain’s plots, Mr. Benedict sends the four children he has recruited into the Institute.
“Hard to say goodbye to the #MysteriousBenedictSociety, but so INCREDIBLY thankful to @disneytvstudios and @disneyplus for allowing us two seasons of this beautiful story written by Trenton Lee Stewart,” Tony Hale wrote on Instagram. “Thanks to all the top notch writers, producers, crew and cast…wonderful story, even more wonderful people.”
“Seven Pounds” was produced by Columbia Pictures, Overbrook Entertainment, Escape Artists and Relativity Media with a budget of $55m. With it’s initial release on December 18th 2008 it made approximately $168.17m at the Box Office.
Netflix recently announced the renewal of Somebody Feed Phil, from Emmy, James Beard Award, and Critics Choice Award-winner Phil Rosenthal.
The series, which premiered its sixth season in October 2022, will once again follow Phil on his culinary adventures as he takes in the local cuisine and cultures of cities around the world.
Somebody Feed Phil is produced by Lucky Bastards and Zero Point Zero Production, Inc. For Lucky Bastards, executive producers are Phil Rosenthal, Rich Rosenthal and John Bedolis. For Zero Point Zero, executive producers are Christopher Collins and Lydia Tenaglia.
About Phil Rosenthal
Courtesy of Netflix
Phil Rosenthal is the creator, executive producer, writer, and host of Somebody Feed Phil, which combines his love of food and travel with his unique brand of humor. Rosenthal recently released Somebody Feed Phil The Book via Simon & Schuster’s Simon Element. As the companion cookbook to his hit Netflix show, this is the ultimate collection of must-have recipes, never-before-heard stories, behind-the-scenes photos, and more from the first four seasons of the beloved series. The cookbook quickly hit the New York Times bestseller list.
Previously, Rosenthal created the hit CBS comedy, Everybody Loves Raymond, in 1995, which premiered the following year. He was the Showrunner/Executive Producer for all nine years of the show’s very successful run, which ended in 2005. Rosenthal’s first travel food series, I’ll Have What Phil’s Having, premiered on PBS in fall 2015 and received two Taste Awards as well as the winner of the 2016 James Beard Award for Best Television Program, on Location. For more information on Phil Rosenthal World visit here and watch previous seasons of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix.
Other Netflix renewal announcements for 2023 can be found here.
Annie Wersching, well known for numerous roles throughout her acting career, has passed away at 45. She is survived by her husband Steve and their three sons. Wersching was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, but continued to shine in episodes of Bosch, Star Trek: Picard and The Rookie.
Born March 28, 1977, in St. Louis, MO, Wersching attended high school at Crossroads College Preparatory School, graduating in 1995 and went on to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre from Millikin University.
Wersching began her acting career with a guest appearance on Star Trek: Enterprise and continued to hone her craft on shows like Charmed (2004), Killer Instinct (2005), Cold Case (2006) and Supernatural (2007). She was well known on the set of ABC’s General Hospital, playing the recurring role of Amelia Joffe in 2007 and went on to play FBI special agent Renee Walker on 24 in 2009 and 2010.
After her two-season stint in 24, Wersching guest starred on various shows, including CSI (2010), NCIS (2010), Rizzoli & Isles (2011), Hawaii Five-0 (2011), Body of Proof (2013), Dallas (2013), Revolution (2013), Castle (2013-2015), Blue Bloods (2014) and The Vampire Diaries (2015-2016) to highlight a few.
In 2013, Wersching became the voice of Tess in Naughty Dog’s game, The Last of Us, where she earned a Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video Game (BTVA) award in 2014.
More recently, she played numerous characters in the sci-fi and fantasy space, including Emma Whitmore in NBC’s Timeless, Leslie Dean in Marvel’s Runaways, and the Borg Queen in the second season of Paramount’s Star Trek Picard.
Wersching’s husband, actor Stephen Full, issued a statement. “There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.”
“Annie lived for her family. She loved her work and cherished her friends, but Steve and the boys were her absolute everything,” reads her GoFundMe page.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s appearance on CBS’ “Face The Nation” Sunday in which he addressed lingering controversy over liar and fabricator Rep. George Santos found him doing “gymnastics” to dodge the issue in a bid to fall in line with Republican politics, “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski said.
When pressed on “Face the Nation” why he hasn’t initiated an effort to remove Santos – who has fabricated numerous lies about his past en route to being elected in a New York district – McCarthy did appear to deflect.
The California Republican said because voters “voted proxy” for Santos, he had no choice but to agree to treat him like any other congressman.
McCarthy, who appointed Santos to two committees, first quipped in an even tone that he “wholeheartedly” believes “that Congress is broken” and added, “I want to open the House for the public.
“If every single new person brought into Congress was elected, (what) their constituents have done is lend their voice to the American public so those members can all serve on committee,” McCarthy said. He added “What I’m trying to do is change some of these committees, like the intel committee — “ at which point he was interrupted by “Face The Nation” host Margaret Brennan, who demanded he answer the question about Santos.
McCarthy then deflected snidely.
Later, “Morning Joe” pointed out polls shows 73% of Americans say the GOP “haven’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important issues” and just one quarter of those surveyed – 27% – agree that House GOP leaders “have the right priorities.”
“It’s painful, (McCarthy is) just doing gymnastics there,” Mika Brzezinski said. “Santos seems ‘not well,” added Brzezinski “with empathy.” She said she feels Santos’ “voters must feel pretty duped.”
Jonathan Lemire, “Morning Joe” guest and host of “Way Too Early,” then chimed in by saying McCarthy “can’t afford to lose George Santos because he needs his vote and he’s been a reliable partner” of the California Republican.
Watch the “Morning Joe” segment at the top of this page.
While daunting, there are many reasons why screenwriters should consider entering a script competition at some point in their writing career. But not only is it important to understand the reasons why you should enter, but also what to expect once you do. There are many things to watch out for, but if you know what they are you’ll be ready and prepared to take that chance.
Reality
One of the most important things to understand is that a big win is not guaranteed. Even if you keep trying and submitting to different competitions, if you fail to make any improvements, you will see the same results. One has to remember that if you continue to join competitions, but all the while keep developing your work, your chances of winning will be much higher. Although on the other hand, it is essential to remember that when one wins, their whole world does not necessarily flip on its axis. Winning will get you connections, recognition, and a well-deserved ego boost, but it does not guarantee that the rest of your career will be set.
Benefits
Once you understand the reality of these competitions, you can begin to focus on the many benefits of screenwriting competitions.
1) Getting Representation
Winning a script competition is a good way to get your name out in the industry. When people hear your name and can see that you have had positive feedback on your work, your chances of getting an agent or manager are much higher. Having someone out there advocating for you and your work can open doors you didn’t even know were there. Although, while it may seem like a dream come true to have an industry professional want to represent you, it is important to check if your values and goals are on the same track.
2) Optioning
Quite possibly one of the biggest benefits a screenwriter can hope for is the chance for their screenplay to get optioned for development. Not many script competitions come with the prize of development though, so know which ones you are applying to and what accolades you could receive if you win.
3) Mentorship
Just being able to have someone to lean on when working on your screenplay is a very valuable thing. But being able to have a mentor, someone in your industry who knows what it is that you are doing and how it all works, can majorly help you improve your work. It also allows you to get the rare chance of working one-on-one with an industry professional like well-known screenwriters and development executives.
4) Social Connections
Screenwriting is a very independent and solo section of the film industry. Most of the time spent working is normally alone, not speaking to people each day as you would on a set. Script competitions allow you to meet fellow screenwriters and others in the industry whereas you normally might not.
Beyond workshops, events like the Raindance Film Festival allow writers to meet in real life and make connections that could last a lifetime.
5) Feedback
Getting feedback, whether it is normally from friends and family, is always important in the writing process. Although getting feedback from industry professionals, people who know what is deemed as “good” or “bad” in a screenplay, is incredibly beneficial. It can not only help you figure out if your narrative is well liked, but essentially if you are just doing it in the best, even most efficient, way possible. Submitting to script competitions just to get feedback is a tool that many writers will use.
What Competition is Right for Me?
Before you submit to a competition it is important for you to at least partially figure out what it is that you like to create and what style your work fits into. Are you trying to work in Hollywood or for big production companies? Or are you more interested in smaller, independent projects? Knowing what genres and styles of films that the company of the competition usually supports is important when submitting. It might not be explicitly stated on their submission page, but look to see if you can find anyone who has won in the past, or what kinds of projects their company normally works on. Not only could it give you a higher chance of winning, but having a business whose work matches your own could give you more beneficial connections and help you get to where you want to end up.
Bottom line: screenplay competitions are a perfect way to not only get your work and your name out into the world, but also to get you to practice and experience a bit more of the writing, and possibly the development, of the filmmaking process. And winning a competition may not be life changing, but it will open more doors for you and alter the trajectory of your film career. Putting yourself out there is most important because taking that chance can lead you to many more opportunities.
I am a third-year student at the University of Pittsburgh where I study Film and Media and I am currently one of the interns at Raindance. I have always enjoyed writing and film and hope to continue being involved in the industry after I graduate. I hope to specifically work in film production or commentary one day in the future.
SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points from Episode 3 of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” currently streaming on HBO Max — as well as the 2013 video game of the same title.
For its first two episodes, HBO’s “The Last of Us” remains remarkably true to its source material, the 2013 Playstation 3 video game widely regarded as one of the best ever made. For the show — which was just renewed for Season 2 after debuting to record ratings — co-creators and executive producers Neil Druckmann (who also created the game) and Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl”) did introduce a few strategic deviations from and expansions to the game. But the core storyline of hardbitten smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) and his quick-tempered teenage charge Ellie (Bella Ramsey) has remained very much intact.
That is, until Episode 3.
Titled “Long Long Time,” the episode, which premiered on Sunday, is mostly spent in flashback and away from Joel and Ellie, focusing instead on the nearly 20-year relationship between Joel’s smuggling compatriots, Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett). Written by Mazin and directed by Peter Hoar (“It’s a Sin”), it is easily one of the most extraordinary episodes of television in recent memory, managing to capture in its 75-minute runtime the full arc of Bill and Frank’s profound connection to each other in all of its complexity.
When Variety spoke with Offerman and Bartlett about the episode, they had already heard effusive praise for “Long Long Time” from multiple people, and Offerman was especially giddy about it.
“I just want to say, this has never happened to me in my life!” the actor said with an impish grin. “It’s crazy!”
What is perhaps most remarkable about the episode is that the way Bill and Frank’s relationship unfolds — and especially the deeply moving way it concludes — upends everything fans of the game know about the two characters.
In the game, Joel and Ellie meet up with Bill when they arrive at the small Massachusetts town that Bill — a misanthropic survivalist — has booby trapped to ward off other humans as much as the infected zombies roaming the landscape. The three of them then escape a horde of infected by running inside an empty house, where they discover Bill’s partner, Frank, has hanged himself after he’d been bitten. It turns out that Frank was trying to leave town without Bill, a point Frank makes quite clear in a poison pill suicide note addressed to his erstwhile longtime companion:
“I want you to know I hated your guts. I grew tired of this shitty town and of your set-in-your-ways attitude. I wanted more from life than this and you could never get that. … I guess you were right. Trying to leave this town will kill me. Still better than spending another day with you.”
The show takes pretty much the opposite approach. Not only do we see how Bill and Frank first meet and fall in love, we see them build a life together over two decades. Frank is still exasperated by Bill’s stubborn and controlling nature, but they remain devoted to each other, even as Frank’s body begins to deteriorate — not from a bite by an infected, but from an undiagnosed neurodegenerative disease. When Frank, now in his 70s, announces he wants to end his life humanely, Bill realizes his life isn’t worth living without Frank. So they choose to die together in bed.
When Joel and Ellie arrive at Bill and Frank’s home a month or so later, they also find a note, only it’s from Bill and addressed to Joel, and it strikes a much different tone:
“I never liked you, but still, it’s like we’re friends, almost. And I respect you. So I’m going to tell you something because you’re probably the only person who will understand. I used to hate the world and I was happy when everyone died. But I was wrong, because there was one person worth saving. That’s what I did. I saved him. And then I protected him.”
Mazin, Druckmann, Hoar, Offerman and Bartlett all spoke with Variety about how this episode came together, why it diverged so much from the game, and what it does — or doesn’t — portend for the rest of the series.
HBO
“It was a worthwhile change because of what we were getting in return.”
When Druckmann first created Bill for the game, he says he had a basic understanding of how his relationship with Frank unfolded in the years before Joel and Ellie encounter him.
“I had pictured how they live together, and how they adhere to different philosophies as far as what they want out of life,” Druckmann said. Whereas Bill focused all his energy on being a “survivor,” Frank “needed more out of life.”
“That became friction that eventually split them up,” Druckmann said.
In adapting this storyline for the show, however, Mazin’s ability to break away from Joel and Ellie’s perspective meant he could jump back in time so audiences could actually meet Frank and get to know the two men as a couple.
“It seemed like such a rich and yet unseen story,” Mazin said. “It afforded us a chance to look at how time passed, but also to ask a question about what happens if you’re safe. I was just fascinated by the idea of Bill, as somebody who had created a place of safety, and then here comes Frank crashing in. From there, it just went differently in my head than what was there in the game.”
Druckmann smiled. “Craig had some crazy ideas about what we should do with these two characters,” he says. “As soon as he pitched them, I fell in love. It was just beautiful. It felt it was a worthwhile change because of what we were getting in return.”
Mazin has made other adjustments from the game to the show, including significantly reducing the amount of violent combat the game contains, and shying away from using spores as the primary mechanism for spreading the fungal apocalypse. All of it has been done not just with Druckmann’s endorsement, but his active participation.
“What’s great about Neil is that he’s never like, ‘What the fuck?’” Mazin said. “He’s: ‘OK, let’s talk it through it and think it over.’ I never have to worry that I’ve done something that will break ‘The Last of Us.’”
For their part, neither Offerman nor Bartlett was familiar with the game before they were cast for the series, but they were both relieved when they learned the show had totally changed how Frank and Bill’s relationship ends.
“It was highly preferable,” Offerman said.
“I agree!” Bartlett said.
HBO
“Frank’s an out and proud gay man, but Bill is Bill.”
Mazin said he wanted to “bring as many gay men into the process as possible” for “Long Long Time” given it was about “a story of middle-aged gay romance.”
“In this case, we had an embarrassment of riches,” he said, including editor Timothy A. Good, producer Cecil O’Connor, and especially director Peter Hoar. Mazin said Bartlett brought the producers to tears in his audition to play Frank, “and then a few months later, ‘White Lotus’ comes out, and I’m like, ‘Oh, man, did we win the jackpot here!’”
Initially, Con O’Neill had been cast to play Bill, but scheduling conflicts with a different show O’Neill was shooting for HBO Max kept him from joining the “The Last of Us” shoot outside of Calgary. (“Oh that damn ‘Our Flag Means Death’!” Mazin said, shaking his fist.)
So instead, Mazin and Druckmann turned to Offerman, who had never played a gay role before. Since Bill had also never been with a man before meeting Frank, “Nick’s innate kind of newness to this helped,” Mazin said.
Hoar agreed. “Frank’s an out and proud gay man, but Bill is Bill,” he said. “I think we can debate on what his identified sexuality could be forever, because it isn’t simple.”
Offerman did not seem to have much if any trepidation about playing Bill, including the scene where Bill and Frank have sex for the first time.
“It’s the most intimate, private moment that you’re trying to create with a scene partner — you know, with 16 people standing four feet away, scrutinizing your every move,” he said. “So that discomfort was easy to channel into the unease and vulnerability that Bill felt in that moment.”
For Bartlett, the scene was also an opportunity to create a joyous moment within a series filled with so much unrelenting dread and misery. “In a world that’s monstrous and alienating, the opportunity to show intimacy allows it to be even more poignant,” he said. “I felt kind of reverent — if that’s the right word — about just wanting to do justice to the intimacy in these scenes. I think we both did.”
Mazin, meanwhile, struggled with unearthing the song that first brings Bill and Frank together. “I knew that song needed to hit certain things about longing and aching and endlessly unrequited love,” he said. “I could not find the right song for the life of me. I was trying and trying, and then I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of Sirius XM on Broadway and a savant. I told him, ‘Here’s all the things I need,’ and two seconds later: ‘Linda Ronstadt, “Long, Long Time.”’ I was like, there it is. That’s it!”
HBO
“I remember being blown away at the amount of propane they had.”
Offerman’s last-minute casting, on top of COVID restrictions, meant the two actors, who’d never met before, had no opportunity to build a rapport before filming.
“It’s this incredibly well-outfitted boat, and were the two sailors brought on board,” Offerman said. “And they’re like, ‘OK, you guys know how to sail? All right, here’s some ropes. Go for it.’”
The lack of prep time was more than made up for by the length of the shoot, which ran for a month in September 2021.
“It’s sort of like a feature,” Bartlett said, his eyes wide. “It’s 75 minutes. It seems kind of luxurious.”
Offerman leaned toward the Zoom camera. “They just told us that this episode has been accepted into the Berlin Film Festival,” he said, jokingly.
By necessity, the production had to create Bill’s town from scratch, erecting a backlot for the exteriors that was then augmented further with visual effects.
“There was loads of layers to all of this, which I also love because it’s a huge, huge undertaking,” said Hoar. The town had to fall into disrepair under Bill’s neglect, then rejuvenate after Frank moves in — and then deteriorate again as Bill and Frank become more infirm.
“There were no roofs on any of the buildings, so the VFX department had to add all those in every shot, and then they also had to degrade the edges of the roads because they would have been overgrown with weeds and cracks and in the sidewalks,” Hoar said.
Most of the interiors were shot on a soundstage, but for the biggest action sequence of the episode — in which a gang of bandits try, and fail, to break past Bill’s explosive defenses in the dead of night during a rainstorm — Hoar had an idea that made things even more complicated: “I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if the front room of Bill’s house was on the location as well as back in the stage, because then I could actually go in one shot from in to out and back in again?’”
Hoar also wanted to keep the sequence as realistic as possible, so he lit it only with the balls of fire from Bill’s booby traps and occasional flashes of lightning.
“I remember being blown away at the amount of propane they had,” Offerman said. “They kept having to make these fireballs, and I was like, ‘Where are you getting all of this gas?!’”
Peter Hoar (center) on the set of “The Last of Us” with Nick Offerman (left) and Murray Bartlett (right)
Liane Hentscher / HBO
“They have had the best apocalypse out of all the characters.”
Well before he was approached to direct “Long Long Time,” Hoar had played “The Last of Us” and loved it. But for the series, he was especially taken with how Mazin and Druckmann had used Bill and Frank’s story as a respite from the “emotionally draining” aspects of the game that made him feel like “human beings are shit,” rather than leaning into it.
“They have had the best apocalypse out of all the characters,” he said. “They had 20 good years with each other. They had a safe space — relatively safe space. They had strawberries! It’s a beautiful story of hope.”
That included the decision for Frank to become afflicted with a degenerative illness rather than get bitten by an infected, as he is in the game.
“You can’t always present death as this failure,” Mazin said. “Sometimes, it’s just the natural conclusion. That is part of growing old. It was important to me to show the span of a relationship accounting for that. And it not being presented as a tragic loss, but rather the culmination of something beautiful.”
The discovery of Frank’s body in the game helps to establish its overall downbeat outlook on human nature. But even though the show utterly changes Frank’s fate from the game, Druckmann was quick to note that it doesn’t signal the show will also have a sunnier view of humanity.
“There is beauty in the world and there are relationships that work out, but we do have other examples of what you stand to lose in this world,” he said. “So this was a great counterpoint of what you stand to gain in this very beautiful way.”
For Bartlett and Hoar, it was also the chance to depict the full arc of a same-sex relationship in a way rarely if ever depicted in film and television.
“It’s amazing in one episode of television to be able to tell, not only a complete story, but with such detail and over such a long period of time,” Bartlett said. “It was just such a wonderful opportunity. You get all the lows and highs of a relationship.”
Added Hoar, “I also had never seen — let’s call it a middle-age [gay] relationship. That was really important to me now that I’ve hit that age myself.”
Mazin sees both the specificity and the universality in Bill and Frank’s story. “Even though I’m not a middle-aged, married gay man, I’m a middle-aged, married man,” he said. “And I wanted to tell a story about the length of commitment and the kind of love that happens after time, real time. That is a relationship that you don’t see portrayed much. And I think it ought to be.”
An initial bug report (opens in new tab) in January 2023 reported that the 32-bit Windows version of Chrome 109 was hitting a “can’t open this file” error when trying to save files using a universal naming convention (UNC) path, with the error claiming that the issue is that the save destination folder “contains system files”.
However, in testing bug demo code (opens in new tab) from another report, The Register (opens in new tab) also ran into the issue while trying to open a Dropbox file on the Arm64 version of Chrome 109 running on macOS. It also noted that competing browsers, like Mozilla Firefox and the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, were saving files to network locations fine.
Alternate, privacy-focussed browsers have been available on Apple devices for some time, with the option to set a default other than Safari coming in September 2020 as part of iOS 14.
As a result, Project Fugu’s separate sound like a great way to open up an Apple device in the face of Apple’s tight grip on the applications it wants users to run, even in the face of consternation from the European Union.
The Register is reporting that Google has bumped fixing the issue to a priority as part of the release of the stable version of Chrome 110 on the last day of January 2023, quoting an engineer from the company as stating “blocking UNC paths broke a number of legitimate use cases.”
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are back for another raucous, deadly adventure in “Murder Mystery 2.”
Netflix dropped the first trailer to the anticipated sequel on Monday, showcasing a new murder mystery after Sandler’s Nick and Aniston’s Audrey are invited to a private island for a wedding – with fatal results.
“We’re not gonna be invited anywhere ever again,” Aniston quips in the trailer.
Per an official synopsis from Netflix, the film takes four years after the action of “Murder Mystery.”
“Nick and Audrey Spitz (Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston) are now full-time detectives struggling to get their private eye agency off the ground when they’re invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island,” the release reads. “But trouble follows the Spitzes again when the groom is kidnapped for ransom soon after the festivities begin — making each glamorous guest, family member, and the bride herself a suspect. MURDER MYSTERY 2 sends Nick and Audrey Spitz on a high-stakes case that finally gives them everything they’ve ever dreamed of: a shot at their detective agency finally becoming successful…and their long-awaited trip to Paris.”
Directed by Jeremy Garelick and written by James Vanderbilt, Sandler and Aniston are also producing the feature alongside Vanderbilt, Tripp Vinson, James D. Stern, A.J. Dix. and Allen Covert.
“Murder Mystery 2” is executive produced by Barry Bernardi, Kevin Grady, Julie Goldstein, Lucas Smith, Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, Tim Herlihy and Kyle Newacheck.
It also co-stars Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, John Kani, Kuhoo Verma, Enrique Arce, Zurin Villanueva, Tony Goldwyn, Annie Mumolo with Dany Boon and Adeel Akhtar.
Paramount’s newly minted Oscar Best Picture nominee Top Gun: Maverickwon Best Picture at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, held Saturday at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
The Tom Cruise-starring sequel beat out competition for the group’s marquee award that included fellow Oscar nominees in Warner Bros’ Elvis, A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, Universal/Amblin’s The Fabelmans, Focus Features’ Tár and Orion/UAR’s Women Talking as well as Sony’s The Woman King.
Elvis‘ Baz Luhrmann won the Best Director award and the film took the Best Time Capsule award, giving it the most wins on the night of any movie.
Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Brendan Fraser (The Whale) won the top actress and actor prize, respectively.
In the TV categories, FX’s The Old Man won Best TV Series while the drama’s star Jeff Bridges won Best TV Actor. Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph won Best TV Actress for ABC’s Abbott Elementary.
The AARP, which with its awards aims to spotlight films and shows that speak directly to the 50-plus audience, also bestowed its Career Achievement Award tonight on Jamie Lee Curtis.
The ceremony, hosted tonight by Alan Cumming, will air February 17 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS’ Great Performances, the PBS website and app.
Soon, we’re treated to a gleeful montage. Soundtracked by spangly country tunes, and always with spare ammunition strapped across his chest, Bill drives his pickup truck to the gas station, Home Depot, and the liquor store, loading up on survivalist supplies. He dusts off an old generator, lines his property with booby traps, and starts a garden next to a chicken coop. This is clearly a man who’s been waiting to put his skills of self-sufficiency to the test, who knows how to live off the land and derives great fulfillment from doing so.
It’s pitch-perfect casting. Offerman rose to fame as the gruff libertarian Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, which ran from 2009 to 2015. Ron was a macho loner with a fondness for hunting, fishing, red meat, and dark liquor, and a deep mistrust for government overreach. Though Offerman has put some distance between himself and his iconic character in recent years, he initially encouraged the comparison. His first book, 2013’s Paddle Your Own Canoe, included diagrams of acceptable cuts of meat (all pork and beef, no poultry or seafood) and styles of facial hair (yes to bushy, no to funny), in the vein of the famous Swanson Pyramid of Greatness. That same year, Offerman hosted an AMA on Reddit, during which he claimed to never giggle, only “sometimes utter a manly guffaw when I see something like football [or] ultimate fighting.” Though it was all a comedic persona, it cemented his reputation — onscreen and off — as a straight-shooting, middle-American dude.
Beyond Ron Swanson, Offerman has made a name for himself not just as an actor, comic, and writer, but as an all-around outdoorsperson. He regularly contributes to Outside magazine with tales of trapping raccoons and defending Thoreau. He runs a woodshop where he sometimes hosts YouTubetours, and he calls woodworking his “other first love” aside from acting. He’s writtenbooks about his country-life upbringing in Joliet, Illinois, and his road trips across America’s national parks. If Offerman were to end up in a zombie apocalypse, it seems likely he’d survive basically the same way Bill did — at least, far likelier than your average famous actor.
But on The Last of Us, not long after his triumphant montage, Bill finds himself in a much more vulnerable situation. Four years into the apocalypse, handsome stranger Frank (Murray Bartlett) winds up in a hole in Bill’s backyard, hungry and alone. Bill hesitates to take him in, citing fears that every vagabond in a 100-mile radius will come calling if they hear he’s fed the last one. But he relents, and Frank’s sweet, earnest awe at the way Bill lives — the hot shower, the freshly seared rabbit paired with Beaujolais, the grand piano — endears him to Bill. They share a kiss, then they end up in bed together.
It’s easy to see why Offerman ended up playing tough guy Bill, whose rugged individualism allows him to outsmart the federal government. But it’s a thrilling surprise to see Offerman embody anxious, innocent Bill, falling in love with a man for the first time. In Offerman’s guarded body language, we see the limits of Bill’s self-sufficiency. He’s become lonely, and despite being very good at caring for himself, he’s forgotten what it feels like to have someone else care for him. As Frank and Bill’s commitment deepens, it’s moving to see Bill let their love change him. By the end of the episode, tough old Bill is more tender than anything.
Bill’s story arc may seem like a complete subversion of Offerman’s public image, but in truth, his loving heart has been on full display all along. His marriage to fellow comedian Megan Mullally, with whom he frequently collaborates, has been a cornerstone of his image for years. They’ve hosted comedy shows and podcasts together. She played his ex-wife on Parks and Recreation; he wrote a book about their relationship called The Greatest Love Story Ever Told. He is undeniably a Wife Guy. Even if this trait manifests most frequently in filthy jokes about their sex life, he’s always championed his respect for romantic commitment.
To pull together The A.V. Club’s initial Who’s Next list of stars to watch in the year ahead, we canvassed experts across the industry and closely surveyed the landscape of coming films and shows. The result is an already impressive roster of promising young talent, featuring 18 actors who figure to be talked about…
As many reviews for HBO’s survival drama The Last of Us have said, the show’s third episode is a real showstopper –– quite literally, as the show’s cross-country journey of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) was largely put on hold while the drama took the best possible kind of detour: A surprising and heartbreaking look at the apocalypse from an different perspective.
The episode (“Long Long Time”) introduced bunker-mentality survivalist Bill (Parks and Recreation‘s Nick Offerman) and affable traveler Frank (The White Lotus‘ Murray Bartlett) who become lovers that successfully fend off the horrors of the outside world across a 20-year partnership. Eventually, Frank becomes disabled and the two commit suicide. Their journey – as showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann note in The Hollywood Reporter‘s separate interview about this episode – is arguably the happiest ending that two people could realistically experience after the world has fallen apart.
Below Offerman and Bartlett discussed their roles, their character’s decisions, and the episode gut-punch ending.
Nick, let’s start with you: What was your reaction when you first heard about this part or were sent a script?
Nick Offerman: One of my fellow baseball dads was this guy who did The Hangover [Mazin]. Then he became the Chernobyl guy and we were like, “Holy shit.” So I knew Craig, I knew his work, I admired him powerfully. And my wife Megan [Mullally] and I had just seen White Lotus season one, so Murray was the champion of our household. Craig said, “Here’s the script and, and you get to do this with Murray Bartlett.” I just said [to myself[, “Please don’t fuck this up. Please don’t let me be canceled before I get this episode.”
Murray, I can only imagine how much your phone must have been been blowing up with offers since White Lotus. What made this part right?
Murray Bartlett: This actually came in just before White Lotus came out. I’m not a gamer, so I wasn’t familiar with the game, but I am a huge fan of Chernobyl, which was one of the best pieces of television I had ever seen. Craig wrote this extraordinary script that I absolutely loved. It seemed so unique and surprising. There are these incredibly tender and authentic human scenes in the midst of this monstrous world. I tried to do my best in the audition and responded to it and then I was able to team up with this guy.
Nick, Craig told me that your hilarious “not today, you new world order jack-booted thugs” line wasn’t dialogue in the script but rather part of his description of your character’s mindset. But you insisted on saying that anyway – wisely, I might add.
Nick Offerman: You don’t put a gun on the stage if you don’t intend to see it fired. I love that side of Bill. I could just luxuriate for days and days in the intricacies of him creating his bunker beneath a bunker – all the nooks and crannies and stores of weapons and ammunition and supplies and so forth. It’s all driven by a fiery passion towards the jack-booted thugs upstairs. They even let me pick what books and videos Bill had in his entertainment area. I said, “That’s a great line, we should probably keep that in the show.”
Murray, in your first 10 minutes screen time we’re constantly wondering if Frank is a secretly threat or a psycho. How much of that was intentional in your performance to try and create some uncertainty? Or is it only the situation which makes the viewers so uncertain about him?
Murray Bartlett: I think it’s a little of both. I didn’t sort of set out to be possibly an ax-wielding maniac. But I think the reality of this world is that everybody is struggling for survival. So there definitely is in Frank this feeling of: I’m not going to last much longer, this guy seems to have a good setup, so I need to get my way in here. There’s also this kind glimmering in Frank of a possible connection with Bill. I think one of the ways Frank survives is by charming people and endearing himself, so he’s definitely leaning into that.
It seems like the more that time passes in Hollywood, both actors and audiences have gotten, oddly enough, less comfortable with portraying sex and intimacy on screen. I think for audiences they’ll be most surprised by Nick given how well they know you from characters like Ron Swanson. How comfortable were you shooting those scenes and did you have any requests in terms of how they should go?
Nick Offerman: Those are always the most awkward things to do. It’s portraying something with as much sincerity as possible when you’re in the least intimate setting surrounded by people scrutinizing you. That’s where the generosity of your scene partner like Murray, who’s very experienced, and our director Peter Hoar, who’s also very experienced, really come into play. And I don’t have a lot of vanity. For obvious reasons, I’m not cast as a calendar model. I worry a lot more just about the storytelling. So whether I’m playing a confident swaggering, god-like lover or a vulnerable, scared virgin, I just do my best to portray that truthfully, and I don’t consider it that different from anything else. I know that conventionally and societally when clothes come off it’s a possible shock or obscenity, or a cause for concern for people. But I come from the theater where we’re a bunch of long-haired peaceniks, so I don’t think about it too much.
Once Frank gets sick, the story takes an extremely heartfelt turn. What was the most challenging part of that for each of you?
Murray Bartlett: You want to be authentically believable in whatever you’re doing, so I was hyper aware and obsessive about trying to get those details right. So I’m trying achieve that but to also not let it get in the way. And because the scenes that we’re playing are so beautiful, I love those scenes. So I’m finding that balance where hopefully the physical stuff that that was necessary became a little bit second nature so it can just be in the scene was the thing for me.
Nick Offerman: I found it really frustrating to be someone who’s so confident and can so successfully manipulate the world around him for his comfort and safety and survival and then see this happening to my partner and I can’t do anything about it. I’m helpless in the face of his demise. That was just powerfully frustrating. It was tapping into the human condition of watching your loved ones grow old, watching them grow feeble. It was also just challenging to push Murray around, especially when he would often have a second cheeseburger [laughs]. Let’s just say I got my steps in.
Bill is such a survivalist and such a pragmatist that making the decision to end his life is sort of the ultimate sacrifice for his character – not just as an act of love, but that it goes against everything we knew about his nature until they met. How did you feel about Bill’s decision? Is it the only choice that character could have made?
Nick Offerman: I’m trying to nutshell this, because it’s a great question with a rather epic answer. What it comes down to is, I think, the events in Bill’s life led him to become an isolated survivalist, and, against all odds, he ends up with Frank and they create this life together. Only then, as he lets us know, he’s discovered the reason for all of it. He says, “I was never scared until you came along.” He realizes that what makes life worth living are the other people we care about. So the prospect of facing the loss of Frank, of going back to being alone, in a world where the prospects are very few and far between, it’s not like he could say, “Well, maybe I’ll meet another perfect man.” That transaction seems very simple to me. Bill just thought about it and was like, “Well, my reason for living is is going away, so I might as well go with him.”
My favorite shot of the episode is – no offense – one without either of you actually in it. It’s the final shot out their bedroom window with the billowing curtains as the truck with Joel and Ellie drives away while the audience knows your characters are dead just outside the camera frame. So Bill and Frank are entirely in the viewers’ mind, just not in our sight – which was such as smart and emotionally evocative moment. But I did wonder if any point it was discussed doing that ending another way?
Nick Offerman: The pieces as I recall simply refer to preserving their dignity. Like Bill thinks of everything — including not making anybody have to see them. One of my favorite things in the whole story is that he sets them up with the components to make a battery for the truck. So no matter when Joel finds it, the battery can’t be dead because it hasn’t been made yet. And I agree, I get really emotional seeing the truck drive away. It says to me that these two scrappy humans found each other, found love and cultivated their garden in all these different ways. They they did just enough so that they provided some hope for humanity without evening knowing it. He couldn’t have known about Ellie, but together they achieved a victory that’s going to allow us to get to episode four.
Murray Bartlett: Can I say one thing about that last shot? I agree with you. I think it speaks to what we responded to in the script. It’s incredibly romantic, but it never veers into a sugary over-the-top romance. That final moment allows you to remember all the things you’ve seen of this relationship, rather than confining it to a final image of these people. It’s a testament to the beautiful writing and crafting of this show that it gives space for this which makes it even more powerful. It leaves you with your own rumination of the story that’s been told – which is often better than anything you can ever show.
Pictured: Narvik and Ginny & Georgia – Courtesy of Netflix
Welcome back (for the first time in 2023) to a look at the top 100 movies and series over the past seven days in the Netflix global top 10s.
This list is sourced from FlixPatrol. They’re an SVOD tracking site specializing in assigning points to the 89 countries they track. At the end of every week, they’re able to give us the top 100 titles on Netflix for the past seven days and often serve as a precursor to Netflix’s top 10 site on Tuesdays, providing additional hourly data.
One big caveat of using global data is that global Netflix Originals have more chance of rising to the top of the charts given their broad availability, so bear that in mind.
Top 50 Movies on Netflix Top 10s Globally for Week 3, 2023
Narvik – Picture: Netflix
Narvik is the surprise winner of the movie charts this week. The Norweigen movie is performing well globally, and for good reason. Reviews from audiences have been strong since its debut last, plus a general drought on the Netflix Original movie side since The Pale Blue Eye means the war movie had a superb week.
Sticking with war movies, following its nine nominations at the Oscars earlier in the week, All Quiet on the Western Front returned to the top 10s in multiple regions, eventually taking the 11th position in the top 10s.
Elsewhere, You People, which debuted on Friday had a very strong opening weekend rising to the top position in most regions.
Narvik (4,360 points)
JUNG_E (3,884 points)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2,098 points)
Mission Majnu (1,576 points)
You People (1,462 points)
Puss in Boots (1,136 points)
The Pale Blue Eye (1,086 points)
Sing (987 points)
Inheritance (968 points)
Dog Gone (877 points)
All Quiet on the Western Front (750 points)
Devotion (745 points)
The Price of Family (700 points)
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (517 points)
Jumanji: The Next Level (432 points)
Alkhallat+ (428 points)
Dhamaka (352 points)
Air Force The Movie: Selagi Bernyawa (349 points)
Kaapa (340 points)
The Croods: A New Age (334 points)
Shrek 2 (263 points)
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (255 points)
Elektra (219 points)
Gangs of New York (219 points)
PAW Patrol: The Movie (207 points)
Shrek (204 points)
Perfect Stranger (200 points)
Jolt (194 points)
The Invitation (189 points)
Tenet (185 points)
In-Line (184 points)
The Boss Baby (168 points)
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (164 points)
Stowaway (155 points)
An Action Hero (148 points)
Bodies Bodies Bodies (148 points)
Black Knight (147 points)
The Post-Truth World (145 points)
The Hustle (143 points)
Bank of Dave (127 points)
The Substitute (123 points)
Chef (112 points)
The Swimmers (110 points)
The Patriot (108 points)
The Forever Purge (107 points)
Human Capital (106 points)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (100 points)
The Red Point of Marriage (100 points)
The Client (100 points)
The Wait (100 points)
Top 50 Series on Netflix Top 10s Globally for Week 3, 2023
Picture: Netflix
For the third week in a row, Ginny & Georgia has topped the Netflix TV charts globally with Wednesday in close second.
The French pick-up Women at War continues growing around the world as does the Turkish drama Şahmaran which take home fourth and third spots respectively.
Looking ahead to next week, the main contender to take the top spot will undoubtedly be the new YA fantasy series, Lockwood & Co.
Ginny & Georgia (4,269 points)
Wednesday (3,124 points)
Şahmaran (2,697 points)
Women at War (2,472 points)
Vikings: Valhalla (2,214 points)
Fauda (1,846 points)
La Reina del Sur (1,583 points)
Record of Ragnarok (1,543 points)
That ’90s Show (1,240 points)
Physical: 100 (1,206 points)
Til Money Do Us Part (976 points)
La chica de nieve (821 points)
The Glory (751 points)
Lockwood & Co. (746 points)
Kaleidoscope (668 points)
Alchemy of Souls (665 points)
Bling Empire: New York (634 points)
Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord (539 points)
The Unbroken Voice (478 points)
Crash Course In Romance (370 points)
Café con aroma de mujer (341 points)
The Interest of Love (339 points)
Alice in Borderland (304 points)
Shanty Town (209 points)
Poong The Joseon Psychiatrist (195 points)
The Flash (190 points)
Awaken (187 points)
Represent (178 points)
Emily in Paris (176 points)
Alpha Males (167 points)
Sky Rojo (148 points)
Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (127 points)
Pasión de gavilanes (117 points)
Las Villamizar (113 points)
The Sinner (100 points)
The Endless Night (100 points)
Trial By Fire (93 points)
The Good Doctor (91 points)
The Walking Dead (91 points)
New Amsterdam (89 points)
Friends (82 points)
Bake Squad (82 points)
Against the Ropes (79 points)
Single’s Inferno (77 points)
Maestro (72 points)
Love Never Lies: Poland (67 points)
Chiquititas (64 points)
Kings of Jo’Burg (64 points)
The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House (62 points)
Superstore (61 points)
What have you been watching on Netflix this week? Let us know down below.
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW! Reviewing the life of Brooke Shields was a major trip down memory lane for those who grew up in the 80s and 90s. A beautiful girl always in the spotlight, on every magazine cover, and who made the Calvin Klein jeans tag a must-have on everyone’s a*s, she was not without her controversy. However, what makes Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields a worthwhile watch are the decisions that director Lana Wilson makes as Brooke shares her life’s story with us—and it’s more than you think you know.
As Brooke Shields dives into her life and all its beautiful and ugly details, she maintains a strong sense of self, dignity, and identity, especially about the decisions made for her at a very young age. Many interviews, archival footage, photos, images, and film clips have been sewn together to create a story arch in which Brooke is the narrator. Also included are interviews with her long-time friends, including accomplished actor Laura Linney and appearances by Drew Barrymore and Judd Nelson. Established early in the documentary, Brooke’s mom, Teri, was in charge, especially as a single mother who had to provide for and use the system to make a better life for her and Brooke. However, the sexualization of Brooke as a young girl, at age 12, in films such as Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby, which many describe as child pornography, didn’t alter Brooke’s life as one would expect. Instead, it is here where Wilson constructs a story supported by Brooke’s appearances on talk shows and interviews that offer underlying credibility to Brooke’s life as an actress and the ability to separate real life from acting. Brooke even calls out Michael Jackson for lying about a relationship with her.
“…made the Calvin Klein jeans tag a must-have on everyone’s a*s…”
As Brooke comes of age in the public eye, she continues to make films that would not be made today, including Blue Lagoon and Endless Love. Yet, Brooke maintains her position as an actress and her decisions even if her mother is behind them. However, Teri’s alcoholism begins to wear on Brooke’s life. Brooke appeared in controversial and memorable Calvin Klein ads. Still, she also attended Princeton University, which was a quiet time, after which she struggled to get her career back. Finally, she found her groove in television comedy, which included Suddenly, Susan, and consistent appearances in movies and television.
But the most defining moment of this very long two-part documentary, which could be a series, is Brooke sharing a sexual assault by a Hollywood director who is never named. This man had a bucket list that included sex with Brooke. Yet, from years of maintaining a sense of self, Brooke compartmentalized this incident and moved on. Brooke moved forward from a not-so-great marriage to tennis star Andre Agassi to reigniting her acting career. She met her husband, Chris Henchy, and even shared with the world her postpartum depression when their first daughter was born in a book—a decision that made a difference and put Tom Cruise to shame.
Director Lana Wilson allows Brooke to be herself and tell her story—it’s solid and well-told. And in the end, you feel as if you made a friend because, as public as Brooke Shield’s entire life was for everyone to judge or worship, Brooke maintained her sense of self and knowledge about the world that is on the level for what it can be for her, which as successful as it was and still is, was full of misogyny, judgment, and the harsh reality of public opinion and superficiality. Yet, Brooke worked and continues to work hard even with the gift of being beautiful, and now we see how beautiful she is from the inside.
The French actor was best known for starring in the Netflix hit Lupin, which became an international hit when it launched in 2021.
His cause of death has not been confirmed.
Sad news: Adama Niane has died at the age of 56. The French actor was best known for starring in the Netflix hit Lupin, which became an international hit when it launched in 2021
Adama’s Lupin co-star Omar Sy led tributes to the star on Twitter, describing the actor as ‘man of rare benevolence’.
He wrote: ‘I extend my deep condolences to the loved ones of Adama Niane, an immense actor alongside whom I had the chance and the pleasure of playing.
‘A man of rare benevolence… May his soul rest in peace.’
Film director Olivier Abbou also paid tribute to the star, describing him as a ‘hero.’
In an Instagram post, he penned: ‘It is with immense sadness that I learned of the passing of Adam Niane, with whom I had the pleasure of working on the 2 seasons of Maroni and Fury.
Iconic role: Adama was best known for his role as assassin and ex-convict Leonard Kone in Lupin, which is based on the novels by France’s Maurice LeBlanc
‘We haven’t left each other for 4 years, sharing intense human and artistic adventures at the end of the world, Guyana, St Pierre and Miquelon and even Lille.
‘He was engaged, lit, whole, talented, powerful. He was my hero, a friend, and an accomplice. Go in peace.’
Adama’s last project was in the 2022 TV series L’lle aux 30 Cercueils (The Island of 30 Coffins) where he took on the role of Yannick Lantry.
He was best known for his role as assassin and ex-convict Leonard Kone in Lupin, which is based on the novels by France’s Maurice LeBlanc, who created the character in 1905.
One to watch: Adama was best known for his role as assassin and ex-convict Leonard Kone in Lupin, which is based on the novels by France’s Maurice LeBlanc
Lupin became the first French series to land on Netflix’s Top 10 list, ranking No. 1 in the likes of Brazil, Vietnam, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland to name just a few.
The drama stars Omar Sy in the lead role as Assane Diop – someone who lives life inspired by thief Arsène Lupin, of the LeBlanc novels.
The concept has been developed across various other film and TV formats over the years, including an animated series.
Assane was the only son of an immigrant from Senegal, who was framed for stealing a diamond necklace from his employer, Hubert Pellegrini (Herve Pierre), and is sent to prison, where he kills himself out of shame, leaving Lupin an orphan.
Tribute: Adama’s Lupin co-star Omar Sy (pictured on the show) led tributes to the star on Twitter, describing the actor as ‘man of rare benevolence’
EXCLUSIVE: The events of Mark Zuckerberg’s life and creation of Facebook/Meta are to be charted in a Sky documentary, revealed on an eight-strong slate.
Zuckerberg: King of the Metaverse [working title] will piece together the events of the billionaire’s life along with the creation of his world-shaping website across 90 minutes. The feature from My Daughter’s Killer indie Rogan Productions and director Nick Green will combine rare archive footage and exclusive interviews with those close to Zuckerberg.
Facebook, now Meta, is nearing its 20th anniversary and the BBC greenlit a similar series, simply titled Zuckerberg, around six months ago, from Louis Theroux’s Mindhouse Productions.
The doc has been ordered for the Sky Documentaries channel and sits alongside a number of shows revealed on a hefty factual slate by Deadline this morning.
These include Daley [working title] from Oscar-winner Passion Pictures, providing the definite account of one of Britain’s greatest olympians Daley Thompson, a decathlete who had a troubled upbringing and whose career included controversy.
Dublin Narcosis a sequel to BAFTA winner Liverpool Narcos and will show how the criminal underworld in the Irish capital was transformed during the 1980s and 1990s, with criminals beginning to sell hard drugs as the city went from recession-blighted backwater to one of the wealthiest in Europe.
Staying in Ireland, Gone: Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle will tell the story of how six young women went missing in the Wicklow Mountains area without a trace, with no answer to the question of their whereabouts 25 years on.
Meanwhile, Whale with Steve Backshall sees a return for the Shark presenter as he journeys across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans to uncover the world’s most popular yet endangered whales and dolphins.
Elsewhere, Forced Out [working title] will tell how homosexual men and women were dishonorably discharged from the UK army up until 2000, The Great Rhino Robbery [working title] poses why the rhino is facing extinction and shows the race to catch the people responsible and Who Killed Lin and Megan Russell? features the tragic story of how the pair were brutally killed in broad daylight and their convicted killer, Michael Stone, continues to profess innocence 25 years on. The latter show has gained exclusive access to Stone’s legal team as they prepare one last appeal, coinciding with a claim by one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, Levi Bellfield, that he committed the murders.
Poppy Dixon, Sky Director of Documentaries and Factual Commissioning, said the slate showcases “a richly diverse range of stories, characters and tones.”
At FirstWatch, we were committed to empowering directly-impacted people to tell our own stories authentically as a path to reclaiming media representation and seeding political change. Since we knew intimately that one huge function of prisons is to make people invisible, if people could see us the way we saw each other, if we could see ourselves in different ways, there was a possibility for transformation — both personal and political. Though we weren’t compensated or otherwise given the respect of professional filmmakers, we could see the impact of our work within our community, as the films and videos we created screened in all 36 of California’s prisons. I would regularly hear from people coming to San Quentin from other prisons about how inspiring and healing it was to see incarcerated people represented on the screen in ways that they had never seen before. 
Adamu Chan is a filmmaker, writer, and community organizer from the Bay Area who was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison during one of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks in the country. 
– English Audio Description
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