A British national has tragically drowned while snorkelling with his son in the Dominican Republic.
The victim – named in reports as Ian Simpson, 55 – was swimming in choppy waters off the coast of Caleton de Bruno beach in the town of Cabrera when he failed to resurface on Thursday afternoon.
His teenage son shouted for help and rescue volunteers in a wooden fishing boat came to his assistance about 1pm.
Eventually, Mr Simpson’s lifeless body was located in the waters of a nearby beach, El Puerto, and he was hoisted into the boat and taken ashore.
His teenage son shouted for help and rescue volunteers in a wooden fishing boat came to his assistance about 1pm
Mr Simpson was rushed to Doctor Virgilio Garcia Hospital, where medics certified the cause of death as asphyxiation by drowning.
Javier Mendez, who was among the group who helped to bring the tourist ashore, said he was near the beach when a group of men asked him to help with the search.
He said: ‘We knew there was a missing tourist so we went out in a small boat to find him. He was floating on the surface of the water.
‘He was already dead when we brought him into the boat.’
It’s understood Mr Simpson and his family were in the Dominican Republic for a New Year trip.
It’s understood the Foreign Office is providing consular assistance to Mr Simpson’s family.
Eventually, Mr Simpson’s lifeless body was located in the waters of a nearby beach, El Puerto, and he was hoisted into the boat and taken ashore
Mr Simpson was rushed to Doctor Virgilio Garcia Hospital, where medics certified the cause of death as asphyxiation by drowning
Ava Phillippe kicked off her 2023 off with a trip to the emergency room! The 23-year-old daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe took to her Instagram on New Year’s Eve to reveal she had a bit of an accident while walking about and injured her foot. “Starting the new year off with a bang…well, more like a *pop*…in my ankle,” she wrote alongside a snap of herself in the hospital. “All because my clumsy self tried to hop over a (very large) rain puddle in heels. ?.”
“I will definitely be adding ‘be gentler with my body’ to my list of new year’s resolutions!” she continued. “Feel free to share what you’re looking forward to in the new year or any resolutions you may have in the comments. I would love to read them while keeping my ankle propped up in bed! Wishing peace, love, & good health for all of you in 2023.”
Meanwhile, both Reese and Ryan are clearly proud of their beautiful brood, which includes their and son Deacon,as they recently gushed over the kids for their birthdays. The exes reunited to celebrate Deacon’s 18th birthday, sharing snaps of the family-filled event to Instagram. Ryan captioned a few, “Happy 18th birthday to our gorgeous, smart, talented, and caring son. You are a true light in this world and are so loved by all who know you. We are lucky to be your mom and dad.” Posting a different set of photos to her own account, Reese wrote, “My heart is bursting with pride about the young man he is becoming. Happy 18th Birthday Deacon! I love you to the moon around the sun and all the stars.”
A month earlier, the Sweet Home Alabama star paid an amazing tribute to Ava on her birthday by sharing a gorgeous snap of her girl. “Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl…excuse me… I mean my adult daughter!!!” Reese captioned the pic. “Words can’t describe how proud I am of you. You have grown into an extraordinary person who cares so much about the world around her. I am so lucky to have you light up my life. I love you, Ava!! @avaphillippe #thisis22”
Kevin Hart became a voice for the people on Saturday night when he went on a profanity-laced rant on CNN’s new rule preventing Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen and other presenters of the news network’s New Year’s Eve broadcast from drinking on-air.
Hart talked with Cohen and Cooper from Las Vegas, where he was ringing in 2023 with a stand-up special. In front of a well-stocked bar, Hart downed a shot for the two hosts, saying that they had been “hoodwinked” before he got in some expletives past the censors.
“I can’t believe they pulled this shit on you guys!” Hart cried out as Cohen and Cooper broke into fits of laughter. “That’s right, CNN, I said s—! I said horses—! I said bulls—! I said it all! I’m pissed. I’m pissed you got these two guys sober up here today! Here’s a shot for what you’re supposed to do — from me to you guys.”
The no booze rule came down from recently installed CNN chief Chris Licht in response to Cohen’s drunk trash talk last year of ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest,” which had the rock band Journey on its broadcast without its former lead frontman Steve Perry. Cohen called the Perry-less Journey a “group of losers” and said that anyone watching ABC that night had “seen nothing.”
Cohen and Cooper tried to have fun with the sober mandate by drinking things like pickle juice and apple cider vinegar on-air but got needled about the rule not just by Hart but also by other guests like Amy Sedaris and John Stamos.
“I’m glad you’re not drinking. I haven’t had a drink in seven and a half years,” Stamos remarked. “But you’re funnier when you drink.”
The hosts finally got to have a drink after the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped at Times Square when “Succession” star Brian Cox gifted them a bottle of champagne. But Hart urged CNN to reverse the rule next New Year’s Eve and to not tamper with a good formula.
“You cannot take the vices or the dope things away that make them who they are,” Hart said. “You guys are who you are. You shined on this platform because they allowed you to be you. Don’t take that way. You celebrate that, and you toast to that, and you amplify it. That’s what good TV is. That’s why good TV works.”
For Oscar-nominated prosthetic makeup designer Adrien Morot, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale represents one of the greatest creative risks taken in a career of around three decades.
On the A24 drama based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter, he would need to facilitate the complete transformation of Brendan Fraser into Charlie, a reclusive, 600 lb. English teacher looking to reconnect with his estranged daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) in his final days.
While the notion of creating “invisible” makeups had been at the bedrock of Morot’s creative work long before this project came around, the stakes in doing so, in this case, could not have been higher. “I’ve never been put in a position like that,” says the designer, “where if the makeup…becomes a distraction for any reason, the movie doesn’t work.”
But even if the Charlie prosthetics are a kind of optical illusion on which the success of the film rested, both Morot and Fraser affirm during a conversation for Deadline’s video series The Process that the pursuit of verisimilitude in both makeup and performance was actually about so much more. What The Whale creatives’ drive to be true to life actually had more to do with was the orientation of the film towards its protagonist.
While over the last 127 or so years, countless films have employed the “fat suit” for the purpose of crude comedy — to make a joke at the expense of, or otherwise belittle a character — Aronofsky’s is a film of far greater empathy with interest only in subverting historic tropes, which would treat its subject with the utmost reverence and respect.
Morot expressed great concern that he might not do justice with his work to the “important” and “beautiful” character that is Charlie — particularly in the beginning, when he’d been told by Aronofsky that he’d have just five weeks to create Fraser’s prosthetics. Fortunately, in the end, the filmmaker gave him 12, with Fraser praising Morot’s creations for the project not only as “authentic and dignified and respectful and accurate,” but “wildly beautiful,” as well.
“Without you, there would be no Charlie. If the makeup didn’t work, I could do all my pretty, pretty acting and it wouldn’t matter,” Fraser tells Morot. “You gave me the role of a lifetime. And I thank you for that — for transforming me physically in a way that in my fondest imagination, I never could have imagined.”
Morot came to The Whale after collaborating with Aronofsky on his films The Fountain, Noah and Mother!, and was initially told that he’d be crafting more “limited” prosthetics for Charlie, solely reshaping Fraser’s head and hands. Still, the suit he wound up creating, weighing between 50 and 300 lb. on any given production day, was far more expansive in scope — satisfying Aronofsky’s desire to see “as much as possible” of the character on screen.
Morot notes on The Process that his methods of creating The Whale‘s prosthetics broke new ground out of necessity, given that his work took place at the height of the Covid pandemic. The typical first steps for a prosthetic artist working in film are to take a physical, 3D mold (or lifecast) of an actor, that serves as the basis for the creation of silicon appliances. But because Morot lacked physical access to Fraser in this case, as he started out in his work, he’d instead need to have the actor’s measurements taken remotely, such that he could create a “perfect replica” of him in the computer. Pieces of this 3D model would then be brought into the world via a 3D printer.
While prosthetics have seldom, if ever been created in this fashion for an entire film or television project, the digital workflow adopted by Morot enabled him a level of precision in his designs that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Fraser says that the designer demonstrated “absolute dominion” over every detail of the prosthetics, capturing “all the little shapes and anomalies of the human body,” down to the level of individual pores in the skin.
“Normally when you’re sculpting, you can do really fine sculpture with clay and more traditional compounds…But you’re limited by the size of your tools and how good your eyes are. But when you’re working on the computer, you can actually zoom in to the corner of your eye, until the corner of your eye fills in the entire screen,” explains Morot. “I can take the picture of the eye texture of somebody else and go and apply that onto my model, and it’s no longer a sculpture. It’s almost like a texture mapping, so it’s exactly what the human wrinkles will look like, down to the pore. It’s a level of precision that’s completely unmatched in anything that’s been done before.”
Enjoying the best limited opening of the year in its December 9 unspooling after world premiering to critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, The Whale also stars Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton. Aronofsky directed from a script by Hunter, also producing alongside Jeremy Dawson and Ari Handel.
In conversation with Fraser on The Process, Morot speaks to his skill from an early age at creating “hyperrealistic portraits,” his first conversations with Aronofsky about The Whale and the family atmosphere the director creates on set, the research and other kinds of work that went into his prep process on the film, the incredible grace and patience Fraser exhibited during a physically and emotionally challenging shoot, and more.
Fraser speaks for his part to research and time spent with the Obesity Action Coalition in prep, coming to grips with the realities of Charlie’s physical existence, why it was crucial to him that his prosthetics “obey the laws of gravity and physics,” memories of an early six-hour makeup test at the offices of Aronofsky’s production company, drawing inspiration while being forced to sit still for makeup application from the “sanguine demeanor” of his one-time horse Pecas, feeling emotional after wrapping production for reasons he didn’t totally understand, and takeaways from the story of The Whale, among other topics.
Celine Dion‘s heart might go on, but her fans are having a hard time getting past this snub by Rolling Stone … which left her off their list of G.O.A.T. crooners.
The magazine posted a refreshed 200 Greatest Singers of All Time — and their roster is pretty extensive … spanning decades of music, and even roping in some acts that are raising eyebrows (like Ozzy Osbourne, for example). Still, it’s a well-rounded mashup of talent.
While some no-brainers made the cut — Aretha, Whitney, Adele, Michael, Mariah, Freddie, etc. — there’s one person who’s noticeably missing entirely … Ms. Titanic herself.
There are other names that were excluded, which are drawing some outrage, but none quite measure up to Celine not being included. Fact is … she is far and away one of the most accomplished and impactful singers in modern history, commercially and critically.
Céline Dion was not included on Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list. pic.twitter.com/pJKFEfhaYE
Of course, Celine has won countless accolades … not the least of which include 5 Grammys, 6 AMAs, 7 Billboard Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 20 JUNO Awards, and on and on. Plus, seven of her albums have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide — a benchmark only a handful of solo female artists have achieved. Several of her records have been certified gold, platinum and diamond — and she’s got multiple #1 hits from a charts perspective.
Even by Rolling Stone’s own standard on what warrants a great “singer” — where they consider the full breadth of their work and showmanship, rather than focus on raw vocal talent — Celine checks all the boxes and then some. She should be on there somewhere.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Celine herself doesn’t seem to mind. She hasn’t responded to the slight, but rather … is busy celebrating her storied career. Still, as some have noted — someone screwed the pooch here.
MC Stan’s rocking concert; Tina Datta and Shalin Bhanot’s romantic dance.
MC Stan is joined by Ikka, and Seedhe Maut for the first ever live rap concert in Bigg Boss; Tina Datta tells Shalin Bhanot that he is making her fall for him.
After an exciting new year episode, viewers witnessed yet another fun-filled show as the housemates welcomed 2023 with a thrilling MC Stan concert in the Bigg Boss house. With the onset of the New Year, Bigg Boss provided a high dose of entertainment for both the contestants and the fans. Interestingly, this is the first time an artist headed a live concert in front of a live audience in the history of Bigg Boss. We also see Shiv Thakare, MC Stan and Abdu Rozik enjoying a cosy jacuzzi bath. Tina Datta and Shalin Bhanot are seen getting romantic during the concert, she even tells Shalin that he is making her fall for him. Here is a breakdown of the episode:
Abdu Rozik, Shiv Thakare and MC Stan enjoy a jacuzzi bath
The trio is seen enjoying a jacuzzi bath and also sipping their drink. Some ladies of the house including Nimrit, Priyanka, Sumbul and Soundarya can also be seen pampering the men inside the tub. Abdu also breaks into a song as he looks like he is enjoying the most inside the bathtub. Take a look at the same.
Week 15
Captain
Shiv Thakare
Nominated Contestants
NA
Task
NA
Exits
None
Notes
Tina Datta confesses her feelings for Shalin Bhanot
Shekhar Suman comes up with an amusing 2022 round-up
Shekhar Suman kicks off an amusing Bigg Boss Bulletin with a round of 2022 and the antics of housemates, with a remixed version of Ghunghroo. Shekhar starts the show with a kitchen set-up. He talks about the fights in the kitchen. He also made fun of Archana for spilling hot water in the kitchen. He compared Archana to the sweet dish – gulgule and enacts her behaviour. Next, Shekhar Suman compares Sumbul Touqeer with a samosa. Shekhar said that she always stays in the company of Shiv, Sajid, Nimrit and Abdu. The host then gives Sajid the moniker of Khayali pulav, he also says that to cook it, we need a lot of spoons and butter. Nimrit is compared with Dabeli. Abdu is equated with Rosogulla by Shekhar Suman and says that he is then people turn chalak after talking to the singer.
MC Stan delivers thrilling live concert with Seedhe Maut, Ikka
Bigg Boss wants the housemates to welcome the new year with a rocking party. He invites the housemates for a new year party organised in the garden area. MC Stan is called to the confession room and he is informed about Ikka and Seedhe Maut will be joining him for the live rap concert. Next, we see the housemates getting thrilled to see their fans join them in the house. Sajid Khan takes over the stage as the concert’s host and calls MC Stan on the ramp. Seedhe Maut and Ikka take over the stage with Stan and they all make the audience groove to the peppy beats. Stan misses his GF Buba as he delivers a rocking performance. Stan gives a shoutout to Sajid Khan, and makes Abdu Rozik stand with him on the stage.
Tina Datta tells Shalin Bhanot he is making her fall for him
We see Tina Datta blaming Shalin Bhanot for hurting her emotionally. Later, Tina goes inside her blanket and cries. Priyanka tries to console her but she asks her to go away, she tells Shalin that Tina is crying. Shalin tries to console her and then they walk out for the live rap concert together, along with the housemates. During the concert, Shalin hugs Tina and tries to lighten her mood. MC Stan dedicates the song to people who are in love and says ‘Shalin and Tina are in love.’ The camera then pans to Shalin and Tina performing a romantic dance, the actress is seen smiling as she looks into Shalin’s eyes. She tells Shalin, ‘You are making me fall for you, but this isn’t good. Then you will break my heart.’ Meanwhile, we see the other housemates enjoying the concert.
Bigg Boss interrupts concert for Shalin Bhanot
Bigg Boss interrupts the concert as Shalin Bhanot keeps his mic down while talking with Tina during their romantic dance. BB also taunt them for talking in English. Later, we see Shalin apologising and doing sit-ups, holding his ears. Later, the concert concludes with all of the housemates and the viewers enjoying. Bigg Boss calls Ikka, Seedhe Maut in the house for the housemates to send them off. Next, MC Stan is called in confession room by BB and both thank each other for the rocking concert.
Entertainment Bureau brings you all updates from the world of entertainment — breaking news, Twitter trends, features, movie reviews, exclusive inter…Read More
The final two of the College Football Playoffs championship have been set, and the surprise team in the field of four has made it to the championship.
TCU, unranked at the start of the season, beat No. 2 Michigan Saturday in a wild and woolly Fiesta Bowl game that saw a 44-point third quarter. TCU finally prevailed for a 51-45 win in the biggest upset since the advent of the college playoffs. They are the first Big 12 team to reach the title game.
In the second game, Georgia managed to hang on for a 42-41 comeback win over Ohio State in the Peach Bowl. The game came down to a missed 50-yard field goal by OSU that went wide left.
Thus, TCU will face No. 1 Georgia in the national title game on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The NCAA plans a big week to push the game.
A lineup of multi-platinum recording artists will perform at AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! (January 7-8). The free concerts will take place at Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium, leading up to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, set for Monday, January 9, at SoFi Stadium.
The first free music show is Saturday, January 7, featuring the Jonas Brothers and singer/songwriter Em Beihold. Sunday, January 8 brings a show from Pitbull and Grammy nominee Gayle.
Fans needed to pre-register for tickets to the free concerts, and access is first-come, first-served.
AT&T will also stream the shows with its AT&T 5G Concert Lens, which offers multiple camera angles that allows fans to select their vantage point. The concerts will be streamed using the ESPN app.
The shows are the appetizer to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship, which will take place on Monday, January 9 at 4:30 PM Pacific time. The game will air live on ESPN.
It’s almost New Year’s Day and what better way to spend it than by watching some movies!
Moviefone has compiled a list of some of the most popular movies ever made to choose from while you are relaxing on the first day of the new year.
Let’s begin and Happy 2023!
A wealthy entrepreneur (Richard Attenborough) secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening day, he invites a team of experts (Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum) and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park and help calm anxious investors. However, the park is anything but amusing as the security systems go off-line and the dinosaurs escape.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”7910″ ]
After the devastating events of ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin). With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.
When Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) lifepod is found by a salvage crew over 50 years later, she finds that terra-formers are on the very planet they found the alien species. When the company sends a family of colonists out to investigate her story—all contact is lost with the planet and colonists. They enlist Ripley and the colonial marines to return and search for answers.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”3700″ ]
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl (Mélanie Laurent), who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”36184″ ]
Annie’s (Kristen Wiig) life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”10035125″ ]
Nearly 10 years have passed since Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) was targeted for termination by a cyborg from the future. Now her son, John (Edward Furlong), the future leader of the resistance, is the target for a newer, more deadly terminator (Robert Patrick). Once again, the resistance has managed to send a protector (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to attempt to save John and his mother Sarah.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”4833″ ]
20th Century Fox
In late 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) is the affable, clever and talkative leader of the outlaw Hole in the Wall Gang. His closest companion is the laconic dead-shot Sundance Kid (Robert Redford). As the west rapidly becomes civilized, the law finally catches up to Butch, Sundance and their gang. Chased doggedly by a special posse, the two decide to make their way to South America in hopes of evading their pursuers once and for all.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”4974″ ]
After losing their academic posts at a prestigious university, a team of parapsychologists (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis) goes into business as proton-pack-toting “ghostbusters” who exterminate ghouls, hobgoblins and supernatural pests of all stripes. An ad campaign pays off when a knockout cellist (Sigourney Weaver) hires the squad to purge her swanky digs of demons that appear to be living in her refrigerator.
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine (Sam Worthington) is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”26982″ ]
A star quarterback (Dennis Quaid) gets knocked out of the game and an unknown third stringer (Jamie Foxx) is called in to replace him. The unknown gives a stunning performance and forces the ageing coach (Al Pacino) to reevaluate his game plans and life. A new co-owner/president (Cameron Diaz) adds to the pressure of winning. The new owner must prove herself in a male dominated world.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”6966″ ]
Lionsgate
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson). If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. The world will be watching.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”1430290″ ]
For Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and his friend and co-pilot Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”6941″ ]
Batman (Michael Keaton) must face his most ruthless nemesis when a deformed madman calling himself “The Joker” (Jack Nicholson) seizes control of Gotham’s criminal underworld.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”2470″ ]
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda (Frank Oz). But Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), cocky Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew ), and droids C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”7513″ ]
United Artists
At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, “does not exist, nor will it ever exist.” His goal is to locate – and eliminate – a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”2853″ ]
Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).
Eighties teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents’ first meeting and attracting his mother’s romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents’ romance and, with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), return to 1985.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”13014″ ]
When Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist, is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.
[sc name=”movie” movie_id=”3348″ ]
Paramount Pictures
In the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino) steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
The new year brings new offerings on HBO and HBO Max. There are a number of fresh titles hitting the streaming service on Jan. 1, perfect for watching with friends or family on the first day of 2023. (If you’re feeling the theme, “New Year’s Eve” is also part of HBO’s library.)
HBO is adding an eclectic list of dramas, comedies, action and horror films in January. There’s “Insidious: Chapter 2,” “The Cabin in the Woods” and “Hereditary” for those who prefer Halloween to New Year’s. Award-winning dramas coming to the platform include “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Captain Phillips,” and “The Artist.” Comedy offerings include “White Chicks,” “Horrible Bosses 2,” and “Our Idiot Brother.” And you can also check out the first three films in the John Wick franchise before “John Wick: Chapter 4” hits theaters this spring.
On the original programming side, there’s the Season 29 premiere of “Real Sports With Bryan Gumbel,” as well as the second season of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” Mindy Kaling’s animated “Velma” series debuts Jan. 12.
“The Last Of Us,” the post-apocalyptic TV series adaptation of the video game starring Pedro Pascal, premieres Jan. 15.
Check out the full list of what’s new on HBO and HBO Max in January 2023 below.
Dates to be announced: Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Season 29 Premiere (HBO)
January 1: 20 Feet From Stardom, 2013 (HBO) American Hustle, 2013 American Ultra, 2015 (HBO) At Middleton, 2013 (HBO) Back to School, 1986 (HBO) Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, 2022 Black Butterfly, 2017 (HBO) Captain Phillips, 2013 (HBO) Catch a Fire, 2006 (HBO) Child’s Play, 2019 (HBO) Cold Pursuit, 2019 (HBO) Cops and Robbersons, 1994 (HBO) Coup de torchon, 1981 Crocodile Dundee, 1986 (HBO) Crocodile Dundee II, 1988 (HBO) Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles, 2001 (HBO) Cruising, 1980 (HBO) Death Warrant, 1990 (HBO) Dim Sum Funeral, 2008 (HBO) Dom Hemingway, 2013 (HBO) Every Secret Thing, 2014 (HBO) Extortion, 2017 (HBO) Fool’s Gold, 2008 (HBO) Flashpoint, 2007 (HBO) From Here to Eternity, 1953 Gemini, 2017 (HBO) Geronimo: An American Legend, 1993 Ghostbusters, 1984 Ghostbusters II, 1989 Hereditary, 2018 (HBO) Hoodlum, 1997 (HBO) Insidious: Chapter 2, 2013 Jennifer Eight, 1992 (HBO) John Wick, 2014 John Wick: Chapter 2, 2017 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, 2019 Jumping the Broom, 2011 Jury Duty, 1995 (HBO) Kill The Irishman, 2011 (HBO) Kusama: Infinity, 2018 (HBO) Law Abiding Citizen, 2009 (HBO) Lawrence of Arabia, 1962 Line of Duty, 2019 (HBO) Marley & Me, 2008 (HBO) Matilda, 1996 Nine, 2009 (HBO) Oasis: Supersonic, 2016 (HBO) Our Idiot Brother, 2011 Piranha 3D, 2010 (HBO) Piranha 3DD, 2012 (HBO) Planet 51, 2009 Precious Cargo, 2016 (HBO) Quartet, 2012 (HBO) Regression, 2015 (HBO) Rememory, 2017 (HBO) Sarah’s Key, 2010 (HBO) Skate Kitchen, 2018 (HBO) Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift, 1990 (HBO) Stephen King’s Silver Bullet, 1985 (HBO) Support the Girls, 2018 (HBO) Teen Wolf, 1985 (HBO) Teen Wolf Too, 1987 (HBO) The Artist, 2011 (HBO) The Book of Life, 2014 (HBO) The Brink, 2019 (HBO) The Cabin in the Woods, 2012 (HBO) The Company Men, 2010 (HBO) The Cookout, 2004 The Crying Game, 1992 (HBO) The Guilty, 2021 (HBO) The Haunting, 1999 (HBO) The Homesman, 2014 (HBO) The Hunter, 2011 (HBO) The Iron Lady, 2011 (HBO) The Last Face, 2016 (HBO) The Lobster, 2015 (HBO) The Master, 2012 (HBO) The Perfect Score, 2004 (HBO) The Promise, 2016 (HBO) The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, 1974 (HBO) The Unborn, 2009 (HBO) The Whole Ten Yards, 2004 (HBO) This Boy’s Life, 1993 (HBO) This One’s For The Ladies, 2018 (HBO) Urge, 2016 (HBO) USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, 2016 (HBO) Vendetta, 2022 (HBO) When We Were Kings, 1996 White Chicks, 2004 (HBO) Wild Rose, 2018 (HBO) Woman at War, 2018 (HBO) Zero Dark Thirty, 2012
January 3: The Menu, 2022 (HBO)
January 6: DC’s Stargirl, Season 3 The Nun, 2018 (HBO) Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, Season 2
January 8: We Baby Bears, Season 1F
January 10: Horrible Bosses 2, 2014 (HBO)
January 11: In with the Old, Season 3
January 12: Blended, 2014 (HBO) The Climb, Max Original Series Premiere Velma, Max Original Series Premiere
January 13: The Big Soirée (El Gran Sarao), Max Original Premiere I Don’t Like Driving w/t (No Me Gusta Conducir), Max Original Premiere
January 15: The Last of Us, Series Premiere (HBO)
January 17: Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons Sesame Street Mecha Builders, Season 1E USWNT @ New Zealand #1, Live Sports
January 20: Game Theory with Bomani Jones, Season 2 Premiere (HBO) Real Time with Bill Maher, Season 21 Premiere (HBO) The Cabin Chronicles, Season 3 USWNT @ New Zealand #2, Live Sports
Giancarlo Esposito in Kaleidoscope; A still from Star Wars: The Bad Batch; Brianne Howey in Ginny & GeorgiaPhoto: David Scott Holloway/Netflix; Lucasfilm Ltd.; Amanda Matlovich/Netflix
Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, January 1, to Thursday, January 5. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]
The biggies
Kaleidoscope (Netflix, Sunday, 3:01 a.m.)
KALEIDOSCOPE | Official Trailer | Netflix
Netflix experiments with non-linear viewing with Kaleidoscope, a crime action drama from Eric Garcia. No, it’s not interactive like Black Mirror: Bandersnatchor Kimmy Vs. The Reverend. Instead, Kaleidoscope’s firstseven episodes can be played in any order by viewers, leading up to the eighth and final outing. The show follows Giancarlo Esposito’s Leo Pap, a heist crew leader who plans on breaking into the world’s most secure vault to steal $7 billion. Tati Gabrielle, Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, and Peter Mark Kendall co-star.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 | Official Trailer | Disney+
After no new episodes in 2022, Star Wars: The Bad Batchfinally returns for a second season. The 16-episode season will follow elite clone troopers dubbed the Bad Batch as they take on daring mercenary missions. In the series’ sophomore run, months have passed since the events on Kamino, and the Bad Batch are continuing to navigate the Empire after the fall of the Republic.
Ginny & Georgia (Netflix, Thursday, 3:01 a.m.)
Ginny & Georgia Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix
Sarah Lampert’s Ginny & Georgia—often referred to as Gilmore Girls–lite—is back for season two. The show follows the titular mother-daughter duo, played by Brianne Howey and Antonia Gentry, as they move to a small New England town for a fresh start. The new episodes will deal with the aftermath of Ginny discovering why her mother uprooted their lives.
Hidden gems
Paul T. Goldman (Peacock, Sunday, 3:01 a.m.)
Paul T. Goldman | Official Trailer | Peacock Original
Created by Jason Woliner, with Seth Rogen as an executive producer, Paul T. Goldman is a mind-bending six-episode comedy that has been filming for a decade. It might also be a contender for the weirdest series on TV, after The Rehearsal that is, as the show blurs fact and fiction about the making of, well, Paul T. Goldman.
Will Trent (ABC, Monday, 10 p.m.)
OFFICIAL TRAILER: Will Trent – Premieres Tuesday, Jan 3 on ABC
A new year brings another new procedural to ABC, this one in the form of Will Trent, whichis based on Karin Slaughter’s novels. Ramón Rodríguez plays Trent, an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigations who was raised in Atlanta’s foster care system. He’s now determined to ensure no one else has to endure the difficult circumstances he faced growing up. Jake McLaughlin, Erika Christensen, and Sonja Sohn also star in the crime drama.
The Lying Life Of Adults (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
The Lying Life of Adults | Official Trailer | Netflix
After the success of My Brilliant Friend, Netflix wants to cash in on more of Elena Ferrante’s acclaimed work. The streamer’s six-part miniseries, The Lying Life Of Adults, follows protagonist Giovanna (Giordana Marengo) as she comes of age in ’90s Naples, Italy.
More good stuff
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over (CNN, Sunday, 9 p.m.)
Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over – Official Trailer
Co-directed by Dave Wooley and David Heilbroner, the documentary Don’t Make Me Over traces the career of music superstar Dionne Warwick. The film explores her range and versatility, and details how Warwick’s career soared, including six Grammy wins, despite behind-the-scenes drama. It will also depict how Warwick became a fierce advocate for social issues like racial equality and LGBTQ+ rights.
America’s Got Talent: All Stars (NBC, Monday, 8 p.m.)
First Look | NBC’s AGT: All-Stars
Terry Crews will host the new iteration of America’s Got Talent, titled All-Stars, with franchise judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel. The contestants are winners, finalists, fan favorites, and viral sensations from previous seasons worldwide. Each week, 10 acts will compete for the chance to move on to the finals.
Madoff: The Monster Of Wall Street (Netflix, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)
MADOFF: The Monster of Wall Street | Official Trailer | Netflix
Prolific documentary maker Joe Berlinger is back with another true-crime docuseries to kick off 2023. The Monster Of Wall Street’s four one-hour episodes will unpack how financier and fraudster Bernie Madoff was able to pull off a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. It will include never-before-seen depositions from Madoff himself, as well as clips and interviews with whistleblowers, investigators, and even his victims.
It’s time to ring in the New Year with Raindance! 2023 promises to be an exciting year for the company as we look forward to the 31st edition of Raindance Film Festival. Don’t forget: submissions are still open, so send us your films and maybe you’ll be the next big thing in independent cinema. Not only is 2023 a promising year for Raindance, but there are a number of exciting new films premiering, so let’s take a look at the most anticipated movies of this year!
1) Babylon
A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, Babylon traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood. Featuring an ensemble that includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Diego Calva and Li Jun Li, Damien Chazelle’s highly anticipated film has been referred to as “a daring Hollywood epic that utterly shocks the senses”. With it’s already mixed reviews, we can’t wait for the discourses on #FilmTwitter. Babylon will premiere in the UK on 20 January 2023.
2) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Kicking off Phase 5 of the MCU is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatamania. This phase explores new realms, as Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne interact with strange new creatures and embark on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. With an appearance from Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who made his first appearance in the series Loki, we’re hoping to finally connect the dots and get a deeper understanding of the Multiverse. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quatamania will be released in UK cinemas on 17 February 2023.
3) Cocaine Bear
A film about a bear high on cocaine? Who wouldn’t be intrigued. A black-comedy thriller directed and produced by Elizabeth Banks, Cocaine Bear is a dramatised version of a true story of a bear that ingested a duffle bag full of cocaine in northern Georgia in 1985. While the thought of a bear high off of its face can be both hilarious and terrifying, based on the trailer and buzz from modern moviegoers, the film seems like it’s going to be a load of fun. As the streets are saying, “If the film can sustain the sheer berserk energy of the trailer, then Cocaine Bear is destined to become a classic.”. It’ll be released in cinemas on 24 February 2023.
4) Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse
The 2018 animated film Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse was truly revolutionary for the world of animated films. Its unique animation style, engaging soundtrack and hilarious characters made this Marvel film a huge success, so the buzz of excited anticipation around its sequel is no surprise. Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse will once again follow Miles Morales as he navigates the superhero multiverse alongside Gwen Stacey and the other Spider-Men. It premieres in the UK on 2 June 2023.
5) Indiana Jones 5
Despite his age, Harrison Ford will be reprising his iconic role as Indiana Jones next year in the fifth instalment of this quintessentially 80s film series. With a cast that now includes actors such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, the anticipation is high for this soon-to-be blockbuster that will hopefully live up to its successors. Indiana Jones 5 premieres on 30 June 2023.
6) Oppenheimer
This is definitely one of the most anticipated films of 2023, as Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the great directors of the 21st century. Following his 2020 film Tenet, Oppenheimer has a tough act to follow, but based simply on the star-studded cast and Nolan’s reputation for larger-than-life films, there is a sense that this might be one of his best to date. It follows the story of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he works on the Manhattan Project which subsequently lead to the creation of the atomic bomb. You won’t want to miss this exciting new thriller that premiers in the UK on 21 July 2023.
7) Barbie
With a star-studded cast, each taking on a variation of the famed Mattel doll and her boytoy Ken, Greta Gerwig has let little be revealed of her live-action take on everyone’s favourite pink plastic girl. After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness. Rumoured to include Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Hari Nef and Issa Rae, we can’t wait to be immersed in Gerwig’s Barbie world. Come on and party with Barbie in cinemas on 21 July 2023.
8) Dune: Part Two
Picking up from Oscar Isaac and Babs Olusanmokun’s departure at the end of Dune, Paul Atreides reunites with Chani and the Fremen in Dune: Part Two to seek revenge against the conspirators. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, Paul must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. The bar is high for Dune: Part 2, following the massive successes of the first film – bagging six Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and five BAFTAs. Hopefully we’ll get more lines from Zendaya in this sequel, premiering 3 November 2023.
9) Wonka
In the third adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka will reveal the story of a young Willy Wonka, pre-amazing chocolatier. While little details of the plot have been disclosed, Oscar nominee and Gen Z heartthrob Timothée Chalamet, who’s taking on the role of young Willy Wonka, has confirmed seven musical numbers in the film. If it’s anything like his rap debut, Lil’ Timmy Tim, you won’t want to miss this. Wonka will be released in cinemas on 15 December 2023.
Ellen is an English and Film student at Samford University who is currently working for Raindance Film Festival this fall. She hopes to one day teach film at a university level.
As Canadians close the door to 2022 and look ahead to the new year, many may be hopeful they can also look forward to good news when it comes to COVID-19.
But will 2023 be the year the emergency phase of the pandemic is declared over and that Canada recognizes the virus as endemic?
It turns out, declaring or deciding that a virus is endemic is not a straightforward or clearly-defined practice.
But if such a declaration is made in Canada in the coming year, some infectious diseases experts say they are concerned about how this could affect people’s attitudes and behaviours regarding the virus.
While the definition of COVID-19 endemicity may be unclear, SARS-CoV-2 has proven it is capable of presenting new surprises and challenges that can have significant impacts on the health of Canadians and the operation of health-care systems across the country, says Dr. Raywat Deonandan, epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa.
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“I think we’ve learned that there’s still a lot more to learn.”
How does a country determine if a virus is endemic?
An endemic virus refers to the “constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
But making the official designation of a virus as endemic is not necessarily a scientific endeavour, but rather is more “political” and can vary, says Dr. Giorgia Sulis, an infectious disease epidemiologist based out of Toronto General Hospital.
“There is not a set of criteria that we can use to define endemicity,” she said.
“It is very different from defining a pandemic.”
COVID-19: When does a pandemic become endemic?
Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch agreed, saying the official designation of a virus as endemic in a country is “not all scientific.”
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“A lot of it is based on politics, on perception, and different places might come up with different definitions,” he said.
“I don’t know how globally we’re going to define this, but I do know that it’s important that we not bury our head in the sand and ignore that it’s there.”
The last year has proven the most deadly for the disease in Canada, with over 19,000 deaths recorded to date, according to federal data.
2022 also saw a massive increase in the number of Canadians infected with the virus after the Omicron variant emerged in late 2021 and tore through communities and countries across the globe.
More than 70 per cent of Canadians have likely been infected with COVID-19 since Omicron arrived, compared to less than five per cent of the population who had contracted COVID-19 before Omicron, according to blood test studies funded by the federal government through the national COVID-19 Immunity Task Force.
In addition, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, told Global News in a year-end interview new federal data also shows about 15 per cent of people in Canada who self-report contracting the virus can experience prolonged symptoms.
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While the risks of contracting long COVID are still unknown, the high numbers of Canadians who have been infected with the virus coupled with the fact 83 per cent of Canadians have received at least two doses of the vaccine means many people have acquired so-called hybrid immunity, which some studies have shown provides enhanced protection, Tam said.
And while this is good news for Canada, the fact that COVID-19 immunity wanes over time means it’s still too early to declare the emergency over, Bogoch said.
“The virus continues to mutate as viruses do, and we aren’t entirely sure if another variant will emerge that might undo some of the good that we’ve seen happen through vaccination… and hybrid immunity,” he said.
Canada better prepared to deal with emerging COVID-19 variants: Dr. Tam
“Is there going to be another variant that emerges that causes more widespread harm? The answer is maybe. And I think it’s unwise to be overconfident that the worst is behind us.”
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What role does data play in determining if a virus is endemic?
Data and surveillance that provides information about how a virus is behaving and changing in a population is key to determining responses, including on decisions about whether it remains an emergency situation, Deonandan said.
But Canada is among many countries that have seen a significant reduction in testing for COVID-19, due to provinces and territories adopting testing policies that rely mainly on rapid tests to detect the virus, which are not tracked.
That means there is less data available to track and understand the impact of the virus, he said.
“It hobbles our ability to explain to the public the status of the disease.”
While some surveillance of the virus does remain, including wastewater testing and some official PCR testing, the only significant signal that a new wave of the virus is present is hospital admissions, Deonandan said.
“That reduces all of the arguments down to what we see in the hospital, which is unfortunate because the argument should be about what we see in the community, but we don’t have a sense of what’s happening in the community.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been raising concern about a global drop in surveillance of COVID-19, and has warned this could open the door to a new variant of concern that could cause “significant mortality.”
For the last several months, WHO officials have been urging countries to beef up tracking, testing and sequencing of COVID-19, following a marked decline in surveillance measures as public health restrictions have been relaxed worldwide.
WHO has even added caveats to its weekly epidemiological reports on global COVID-19 circulation and case numbers, noting that any trends “should be interpreted with due consideration of the limitations of the COVID-19 surveillance systems.”
Bogoch says this drop in surveillance and data collection is “problematic” and a “major issue” in Canada and around the world.
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“The less data we have, we’re wandering blindly into who knows what, and that can only harm us,” he said.
How declaring COVID endemic could affect responses to the virus
Given that virtually all former public health restrictions have been lifted across Canada, an official declaration of COVID-19 being endemic is unlikely to change much, Sulis said.
But she is concerned about the message such a declaration could send to the public.
“It is important to understand that saying that a disease is endemic doesn’t mean it is no longer a public health problem, because it is,” she said.
Diseases like tuberculosis and malaria are considered endemic in parts of the world where they continue to infect and kill millions of people.
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When people talk about Canada moving into an endemic phase of COVID-19, it implies a level of success over the virus, Sulis said.
“But it is not, because endemic diseases still require policies, still require a structured response,” she said.
“It doesn’t mean we can stop bothering about those responses.”
If governments decide to change their messaging to say the virus is endemic, she believes the result could be “problematic.”
Dr. Tam urges Canadians to consider mask-use, getting latest vaccines amid COVID-19 surge
Deonandan echoed these concerns, saying he worries about the way the word endemic is used and the implications it can evoke.
“It seems to be an excuse by policymakers to do nothing just because something is endemic… hands up, we can’t do anything about this,” he said.
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“High levels of endemicity are not good, and there are things we can still do to push those numbers down if we want to.”
How COVID-19 might impact Canada and the world in 2023
Health Canada says surveillance indicators, including clinical and wastewater testing, show that SARS-CoV-2 is still circulating across the country, and while Canada is past the peak of the last COVID-19 resurgence, “it is too soon to let our guard down.”
The federal agency also said variations in population-level of immunity and current global trends suggest that an uptick in COVID-19 could occur in the new year.
Genetic sequencing data that is available shows continuing increases in immune evasive variants, notably BQ.1 and BQ1.1, while the previously dominant BA.5 lineage variants are declining, said Anna Maddison, a spokesperson for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, in a statement to Global News.
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“With the increased prominence of these variants in Canada, at a minimum we could see a slower decline and higher plateaus in the number of infections as well as hospital admissions in Canada, as this respiratory virus season plays out.”
The situation in China could also play a major role in the evolution of the virus, as millions of people are now suddenly being exposed to the virus following the decision by the Chinese government to abandon its zero-COVID policy.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says she is “very worried” about the situation in China, and how it could lead to new variants of concern that could pose a global threat.
COVID-19: China races to vaccinate elderly as funeral homes struggle with deaths
“It’s true that variants do emerge when there’s rapid circulation among a lot of people, and as it is, it is very likely that there could be a new variant emerging from China,” she said.
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Deonandan noted that the outbreak in China means about 10 per cent of the world’s population is about to become exposed to COVID-19 for the first time, due to low vaccination levels in that country.
This could have an impact on western countries like Canada that are now taking a “laissez-faire approach to COVID management,” he said.
“I think it’s likely that a new immune evasive variant will emerge, causing further waves,” he said.
“But the good news is that the vaccines continue to work against the worst outcomes. And if we continue to boost and we don’t see any bad effects from boosting, then the ability to curtail transmission should be maintained to some extent as well.”
Bogoch says the key message about the coming year when it comes to COVID-19 is that a lot of uncertainty remains, which means ongoing vigilance is necessary.
“Of course, we all hope that the worst is behind us, and we know that the vaccines have stood the test of time in terms of protecting us against hospitalization and death throughout the entire pandemic, regardless of what variant we’re dealing with,” he said.
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“But I think we still have to communicate uncertainty as to what lies ahead, because the virus does continue to mutate as expected. And there may be other variants that emerge that are unfortunately more harmful than normal right now.”
Griffin was outraged at the time. “Even when it’s on tape, there are doubters? He is NOT kidding w paps,” she tweeted in October 2017. “Was my boss for 10 years. Treated me like a dog. Deeply misogynistic.”
Cohen and the actress worked together on Bravo for years. Her reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, aired six seasons from 2005 to 2010, and she also had several stand-up specials air on Bravo.
However, Griffin found herself outcast from much of Hollywood after she posed for a photo with a prop that looked like President Donald Trump‘s bloody, severed head in spring 2017. Her nine-year gig asAnderson Cooper‘s cohost ended when CNN fired her in response to the graphic photo.
Cooper also denounced the picture at the time, writing in a statement via Twitter that it was “clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.” A few months later, he claimed to Cohen that he and the Illinois native were “still friends.”
“[She is] still really heartbroken over the friendship lost with [him],” the insider explained at the time. “[Her] friendship [with Cooper] ended almost immediately after he tweeted about her photo.”
The source added: “She most definitely feels like Anderson has sided with Andy. She hates Andy Cohen.”
Five years later, Griffin made it clear that she still didn’t have any warm, fuzzy feelings for the Missouri native, calling him a “misogynist” via Instagram in December 2022 and adding that she planned to watch Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, hosted by Miley Cyrusand Dolly Parton, to ring in 2023.
Scroll down for everything to know about Cohen and Griffin’s feud:
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Andy Cohen and Kathy Griffin’s Feud Through the Years: From 2017 to Present
Andy Cohen and Kathy Griffin‘s feud dates back several years — and neither has been afraid to share how they really feel.
Griffin was outraged at the time. “Even when it’s on tape, there are doubters? He is NOT kidding w paps,” she tweeted in October 2017. “Was my boss for 10 years. Treated me like a dog. Deeply misogynistic.”
Cohen and the actress worked together on Bravo for years. Her reality show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, aired six seasons from 2005 to 2010, and she also had several stand-up specials air on Bravo.
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However, Griffin found herself outcast from much of Hollywood after she posed for a photo with a prop that looked like President Donald Trump‘s bloody, severed head in spring 2017. Her nine-year gig asAnderson Cooper‘s cohost ended when CNN fired her in response to the graphic photo.
Cooper also denounced the picture at the time, writing in a statement via Twitter that it was “clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.” A few months later, he claimed to Cohen that he and the Illinois native were “still friends.”
“[She is] still really heartbroken over the friendship lost with [him],” the insider explained at the time. “[Her] friendship [with Cooper] ended almost immediately after he tweeted about her photo.”
The source added: “She most definitely feels like Anderson has sided with Andy. She hates Andy Cohen.”
Five years later, Griffin made it clear that she still didn’t have any warm, fuzzy feelings for the Missouri native, calling him a “misogynist” via Instagram in December 2022 and adding that she planned to watch Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party, hosted by Miley Cyrusand Dolly Parton, to ring in 2023.
Scroll down for everything to know about Cohen and Griffin’s feud:
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
The Initial 2017 Insults
The Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host was asked in October 2017, about replacing Griffin on CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live special after she was fired earlier that year. He pretended he didn’t know the comedian when TMZ photographers asked about her. “Who?” he asked. “I don’t know her.”
The comedian was outraged at the time. “Even when it’s on tape, there are doubters? He is NOT kidding w paps,” she tweeted later that day. “Was my boss for 10 years. Treated me like a dog. Deeply misogynistic.”
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Kathy’s 17-Minute Video
The Suddenly Susan alum released a 17-minute YouTube video one day after the TMZ interview was published, titled Kathy Griffin: A Hell Of a Story. She alleged Cohen offered her drugs while appearing on his talk show, and she claimed his inappropriate behavior was the reason why she hadn’t returned.
“Both times I did the show, right before we went live, Andy Cohen privately asked me in an office if I wanted to do blow,” she alleged. “I’ve never had a drink in my life. You guys know I’m no prude but I’m kind of like a straightedge, I thought he was kidding the first time.”
Cohen took to Twitter the same day to respond to the accusations, writing, “I am completely stunned by this story. It is 100% false and totally made up.” A Bravo spokesperson also told Us at the time, “This is completely false and we are not going to credit it with any more attention.”
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Andy Slams Kathy’s ‘Bag of Bulls–t’
The Real Housewives producer explained his quote on October 30, 2017. “All I have to say about the mishegas of this weekend, and I only have one thing to say about this bag of bulls–t,” he said on his SiriusXM radio show, Andy Cohen Live, while explaining that he attempted to avoid the TMZ videographer’s questions about Griffin by deciding to “quote the great Mariah Carey, which is funny in my mind.”
“Usually with TMZ, you’re walking and you say your thing and you get in your car. Well, my driver parked on the second level of the parking lot. So we’re standing there all that time waiting for the elevator, and that’s why it kept going on and on,” Cohen continued. “And I didn’t really know how to pivot in the conversation. Like, ‘What, what, I don’t know!’ So I failed my Mariah impression.”
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Andy Says ‘Hate Me’
Cohen appeared on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show in May 2018, which is when he attempted to find an optimistic outlook on their rift. “She’s like, selling out all these venues. She’s having a huge … she loves to have a comeback, she loves publicity. Everything’s good for her,” he claimed.
“I’m on Bravo all these hours. I get it. So hate me,” he continued as Stern asked if he felt “used” by Griffin. “I’ll be that guy for you, if it makes you happy and gives you peace.”
“I’m just not going to take it on,” he added. “I’m at peace. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Andy Accuses Kathy of Lying
“She’s made up a lot of stuff about me in the past few years that has just been untrue and sad,” Cohen told USA Todayin July 2019. “I hope she finds some peace.”
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Kathy Believes Andy ‘Wanted to Be Me’
“This is a guy that I think kind of wanted to be me. And now he’s halfway there,” Griffin said in a January 2022 New York Times profile, comparing Cohen to All About Eve character Eve Harrington. “And now he’s halfway there.” Griffin added that she had “hate-watched” Cohen and Cooper’s 2021-22 New Year’s Eve special.
Credit: Shutterstock (2)
Kathy Tunes Out
In December 2022, Griffin revealed that she is often sent Cohen’s TMZ interview around New Year’s Eve. “Ugh. Every year someone sends me this clip around New Year’s Eve,” the Emmy winner wrote via Instagram on New Year’s Eve. “This guy was my boss for years. Decided whether or not I worked at Bravo. Can you imagine seeing your ex boss on TMZ like … this? Ouch! Anyway, I can’t wait to watch Miley [Cyrus] and Dolly [Parton] tonight. ??⚡️.” She added the hashtag, “misogynist.”
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New Year’s Eve revelers across the globe can watch the iconic Times Square Ball Drop live from New York City online — for free, without commercials — along with a lineup of musical performances and other festivities ushering in 2023.
The six-hour Times Square 2023 livestream will start at 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 31, 2022, and end at 12:15 a.m. ET on Jan. 1, 2023. The show will be available on multiple websites, including TimesSquareNYC.org, LiveStream.com/2023 and TimesSquareBall.net, powered by Vimeo’s Livestream platform.
The Times Square New Year’s Eve livestream will feature artists including Chelsea Cutler — who will perform several of her hits at around 7 p.m. ET before she continues the New Year’s Eve tradition of singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” just before midnight — as well as JVKE, Jax, Ava Max, J-Hope, Osmani Garcia, New Edition, Sech and Duran Duran.
On traditional TV, Times Square also will be a central locale as part of the slate of programming airing on ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN. That will include ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” (set to feature live performances by Duran Duran, Jax, J-Hope and New Edition), CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” (featuring Ava Max) and Univision’s “¡Feliz 2023!” (featuring Sech and Osmani Garcia).
The evening will kick off at 6 p.m. ET with the lighting and raising of the New Year’s Eve Ball at the top of One Times Square. Returning as the livestream’s host is actor and TV personality Jonathan Bennett (“Mean Girls,” Hallmark’s “The Holiday Sitter,” Food Network’s “Cake Wars”). Bennett will be joined by co-host Jeremy Hassell, who has been a part of the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration since 2016.
The Times Square livestream also will be available in the free VNYE app (vnye.com) from Jamestown, the real-estate company that owns One Times Square. With VNYE, users can virtually explore Times Square sights, play games and livestream New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square and around the world.
The annual event is co-organized by the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment. This year marks the 118th celebration of New Year’s Eve in Times Square, which began when the owners of One Times Square in 1904 held their first rooftop celebration to ring in the New Year.
The first ball-lowering ceremony in Times Square took place in 1907. This New Year’s Eve, the nearly 6-ton ball — 12 feet in diameter and outfitted with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles and 32,256 light-emitting diodes — is scheduled to descend from atop the 26-story One Times Square building starting 60 seconds before midnight local time.
Here’s the schedule of events for the 2023 Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration:
6:00-6:03 p.m.: Lighting and raising the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball
6:07-6:19 p.m.: SAFA Chinese cultural performance
6:20-6:27 p.m.: Performance by ANEW
6:30 p.m.: Times Square 2023 hats, balloons, necklaces, gloves and scarves
7:03-7:19 p.m.: Musical performance by Chelsea Cutler
8:03-8:17 p.m.: Musical performance by JVKE
8:23-8:29 p.m.: ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” performance by Jax
8:40-8:43 p.m.: Waterford Crystal toast
9:15-9:29 p.m.: CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” performance by Ava Max
9:34-9:40 p.m.: ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” performance by J-Hope
10:04-10:10 p.m.: Univision’s “¡Feliz 2023!” performance by Osmani García
10:16-10:19 p.m.: Highlights of Good Riddance Day presented by Netspend
10:19-10:22 p.m.: Planet Fitness world premiere
10:23-10:25 p.m.: Carnival “Choose Fun” moment
10:31-10:34 p.m.: Hip Hop Museum announcement
10:45-10:53 p.m.: ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” performance by New Edition
11:02-11:10 p.m.: Univision’s “¡Feliz 2023!” performance by Sech
11:11-11:15 p.m.: Kay’s New Year’s Eve Kiss
11:17-11:19 p.m.: Times Square celebrates with NYC Mayor Eric Adams
11:20-11:25 p.m.: Associated Press presents 2022 year-in-review video highlights
11:39-11:46 p.m.: ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” performance by Duran Duran
11:55-11:58 p.m.: Chelsea Cutler performs John Lennon’s “Imagine”
11:59 p.m.: The 60-Second Countdown
12:00 a.m.: “2023” sign illuminated at the top of One Times Square, alongside confetti release and pyrotechnic effects
Andrew Callaghan has interviewed his fair share of conspiracy theorists, QAnon supporters and anti-mask protesters around the country for his Channel 5 YouTube videos, but he filmed the “hardest” sit-down of his life while making his HBO documentary “This Place Rules.”
While driving across the U.S. in the months leading up to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Callaghan talked to far-right radio show host Alex Jones, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, anonymous Antifa members and hundreds of 2020 election protesters. But it was one elderly QAnon and Trump supporter named Dave, known online as “Inglorious Patriot,” who made Callaghan nervous. After interviewing Dave in his RV and hearing about his far-out conspiracy theories about QAnon, pedophiles and the Clintons, Callaghan confronts him later in “This Place Rules” with legal paperwork revealing that Dave is a registered sex offender.
“That was a crazy shot because he had a gun on his waist while we were interviewing him, and he was getting pissed off,” Callaghan said on Variety’s Doc Dreams, presented by National Geographic. “So I was definitely a little bit fearful for my life at that particular interview at a Culver’s in North Carolina on the side of the highway. I just got to a point with the movie where I was like, ‘I’ve got to show that some of these people were just projecting.’ The fact that Dave was a convicted pedophile and makes videos exposing deep-state cabals of pedophiles was a fascinating thing to me…It’s classic projection. But that was the hardest scene I’ve ever filmed in my life.”
Callaghan also reveals how he got in touch with Jones, the controversial host of Infowars, and how the two of them ended up lifting weights while shirtless and taking whiskey shots. As for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, in which Donald Trump has already said he’s going to run again, Callaghan is prepared to document whatever unfolds.
“I think the culture war that’s being propagated by mainstream media is back in full swing, so I’m sure they’re going to ramp people up for another civil domestic conflict,” he said. “The winter of 2024, I’m going to be on the front lines for sure. Next election sounds great.”
Gabriel LaBelle isn’t your typical awards-season breakout. Plenty of young actors have been the centerpiece of Oscar vehicles, including ones directed by Steven Spielberg — but who else can say they actually played Spielberg?
The 20-year-old Vancouver native bested some 2,000 aspirants for the role of teenage Sammy Fabelman in The Fabelmans, Spielberg’s thinly veiled movie memoir. “You never would have expected to be part of something like that in a million years,” says LaBelle. Over the course of the coming-of-age gem, Sammy — just like an adolescent Spielberg — becomes a budding filmmaker who cares more about making movies than doing schoolwork. In the footage he captures, Sammy accidentally discovers that his mother (Michelle Williams) is having an affair with his father’s (Paul Dano) best friend (Seth Rogen), forever altering the wholesome perception he has of his parents.
The Fabelmans isn’t LaBelle’s first rodeo. In addition to a childhood spent on local musical-theater stages, he has appeared in The Predator, Brand New Cherry Flavor and Showtime’s American Gigolo. But none of that compares to portraying the most famous director alive. He also got to share a scene with another super famous director, David Lynch, who plays John Ford in an unforgettable cameo at the film’s end.
LaBelle spoke to THR about working with Spielberg and Lynch, mirroring the former’s physicality and what he’s doing to prepare for a new level of fame.
Let’s start at the end of the movie with the scene replicating a young Steven Spielberg’s interaction with John Ford on a studio lot. At what point did you find out you would be doing that scene opposite David Lynch?
I found out, I think, a day before shooting. We had to sign NDAs, and then, like, two weeks after we finished filming, there’s an article that he’s in the movie. I was in Toronto and people were asking me about it. It’s weird that people knew right away. It was very secretive the whole time.
What was your first interaction with Lynch like?
I’m pacing in a corner, and he walks onto set and starts talking to Steven. I’m like, “Hey, yeah, nice to meet you,” and that was about it. We didn’t really interact as people until we finished the day. Then he gets up from the desk and gives me a hug, and he and Steven talk about getting lunch. Honestly, I think that’s the best way for it to go down because he’s supposed to be this godly figure who’s so much better and more significant than my character. I’m supposed to be afraid of him, so it worked brilliantly.
You wouldn’t want a level of comfort to creep into the energy between those two. Lynch makes very specific choices in his delivery. He speaks loudly, has an intensity about him and spends a long time lighting that cigar. As you spent the day shooting that scene, did he alter what he was doing?
He [remained the] same the whole time. Steven had one note for him, and I remember he looked at Steven, like, “What?” And Steven said, “Try it, try it!” Then he adjusted what he was doing so slightly, but just enough so that it has this huge impact and works perfectly. But he was steady, like he was doing a choreographed dance on Broadway. He had it down, and it only got better every time he did it.
What was the one note that Spielberg had?
It was the line, “Good luck to you.” Steven wanted him to be a little bit more considerate and empathetic with that one. He said, “Do it a little more like you care.” He did it, and it was very slight, like a tip of the hat. That was one of the highlights of shooting, honestly. It’s such a special thing to be part of.
In the final shot, the camera tilts upward so the horizon is no longer in the center, as Ford recommended. Did you see Spielberg come up with that?
No, that was in the script. Actually, it was written at the end that you’d hear a voice offscreen say, “Hey, how long are you going to let him walk?” And then you’d hear Steven say, “Cut!” That was written, but they decided not to do that and they just did the camera [adjustment]. I agree with him that it’s better for the movie. But reading that for the first time was like, “Oh my God, what am I stepping into?”
It’s one of the best closing shots of his career. That extra beat might have broken the fourth wall too much.
Yeah. It’s done so brilliantly. It’s so cool.
LaBelle with Michelle Williams, as Sammy and Mitzi Fabelman, respectively, in Universal’s The Fabelmans.
Courtesy of Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
You learned to use an 8mm camera for the scenes where Sammy is making home movies and filming his classmates. In learning and holding that camera yourself, how much did you relate to the allure — and maybe the power — of directing as you were experiencing it through Sammy?
Here, I have it over here. I’ll get it. (LaBelle walks across the room to retrieve the camera.)
Oh, a souvenir!
Yeah, I stole it. The camera was in my hotel room because I’d learned how to use it, and they just never asked for it back.
You see the child version of Sammy use this — it’s one of the first cameras he’s given — and you see me when I’m 14 making a movie, Gun Smog. You have these rolls of film within it, and film is very delicate. It’s brutal. Learning how to load it into the camera and take it out and organize it, you learn that you can really destroy it, so you have to be really careful. Your fingers have to be nimble. You have to be very focused. But you appreciate how finite everything is. When you edit a movie on 8mm film, it’s this really long and physical labor. You’re not digging graves or anything, but it takes a long time. You’re physically crafting something together. Film is expensive, and it takes a long time to develop. You understand a sense of pride that Steven must have had, to be good at something that nobody else knows how to do.
There’s a Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episode where Seinfeld says, “You know what no one says anymore? You never hear, ‘Oh, I wish I had a camera,’ ” because everyone has one. I made movies on iMovie with my friends using iPads and iPhones, but back then it was harder. It gives you this perspective.
You’ve said that Spielberg left you alone during production to figure out how Sammy should sound and behave, but did he have specific notes for how he would interact with the camera?
Not really. I think visually he was like, “Twist it a little more like that,” or if he’s blocking his shot, he’d say, “OK, Sammy, run over there and get a good shot of the family.” But Steven and I spent enough time before shooting talking about the character and the movie that on set he was doing his job and you’re doing your job.
Did you and the rest of the Fabelman family spend time together before the shoot?
Only with Paul. Michelle was on another set, and I had no way of contacting anybody else. But Paul and I both felt it was important we got to know each other, just because there are a lot of really developmental scenes between the two of us. As soon as I was cast, I asked for his number. We spoke for about an hour and a half, and then when I went to L.A., we’d go out for lunch. And we’d text each other about it, really getting into these classic English-class discussions about the literature. And before our first scene together, we FaceTimed and rehearsed it a bit. Michelle was so busy, so I didn’t meet or talk to her until our first day.
Which is incredible because there’s such magnetism between the two of you. What was it like to work with the monkey Sammy’s mother brings home, and what was it like to watch Michelle work with the monkey?
It was very much like, “OK, the monkey’s coming in, and it’s going to have a handler.” We’d have these safety protocols, and everybody on the set would have to have 10 minutes to meet the monkey so the monkey was comfortable with you or wouldn’t be surprised. “Don’t tell it what to do — that’s my thing, because she won’t listen to you.”
This is the handler talking?
The handlers — very lovely people. It’s fun to have a monkey crawl over you. Michelle, same thing.
Your hair was cut and straightened for the movie, and I always wonder what it’s like for actors to see themselves for the first time after changing their physical appearance for a role. What, if anything, about your performance changes?
With this film, I changed how I stood — my posture, my shoulders, how I walked. I mimicked Steven’s smile. By the time I’m going through hair and makeup, with the contact lenses, and I’m looking at myself in the mirror with those costumes from the ’60s, it would be like playing pretend as a kid and you’re using a stick and then all of a sudden someone gives you a toy sword. It helps make everything feel real, which is really cool.
How do you retrain the muscles in your face to smile differently so that smile remains consistent when you’re in the middle of a scene?
Just the whole day, you’re doing it. You spend hours in front of the mirror trying to get it down. You want to not be conscious of it, so you try to prep as much as possible so it’s the last thing you think about.
I assume there are exciting opportunities coming your way now — or at least there will be once this movie finishes its awards season journey. I’ve noticed that you don’t have a social media presence, so I’m curious whether you’re doing things to actively prepare for a new level of fame. Are there things you’re looking for, or looking to avoid, as you cross into a new echelon in the industry?
This business and what I do, you realize it’s incredibly selfish. As in, the whole day you’ve spent thinking about yourself, and there are people around you whose job it is to think about you. Things like this, and the attention that’s given to actors, especially in this time of year or in this pocket of the industry, is a lot. I’m very conscious about it, and I’m trying to keep an arm’s length away from it. I do therapy and I talk to my mom a lot about it. You hear so many horror stories, and you just want to be as far away from that as possible. I try not to believe it or let it soak into me. It’s hard to explain, but you just try to dissociate a bit.
In a way, you have to. But it’s interesting that you don’t seem to be doing self-driven promotional stuff. Like I said, I don’t see an Instagram for you.
I got rid of social media like two months into COVID, in 2020. I thought, “Man, if I’m going to be isolated, I can’t be on my phone the whole time because I’ll just lose my mind.” Also, I think it helps me be a better actor because you want to be focused, creative and confident, but if you have this thing that destroys your attention span and takes up time away from original thought and further indulges your need for validation, that’s my whole job. I can’t have that in my front pocket. I try to dissociate from that desire. I’ve never seen any of that as good, even before auditioning for stuff.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
This story first appeared in a November stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
In one of the many serendipitous moments that made her film “Women Talking” such a collaborative effort, Toronto writer/director Sarah Polley suddenly switched the pop song heard midway through it.
The change occurred late in the editing process for the critically acclaimed and Oscar-buzzed movie, which opens Friday at the TIFF Bell Lightbox for an exclusive run. A wider release is planned for January, to capitalize on nominations for the Critics Choice Awards (six nods for picture, director, adapted screenplay, acting ensemble, supporting actress Jessie Buckley and score) and Golden Globes (two nods for screenplay and score).
The pop tune in question, heard on the truck loudspeaker of a 2010 census taker visiting the remote Mennonite community where the story takes place, was supposed to be the sad and yearning “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and the Papas. It’s the tune mentioned in the source novel by Canadian writer Miriam Toews.
That’s how it was until Polley came into the editing suite one day and her editor, Chris Donaldson, suggested they switch the song to one he loved, the Monkees’ “Daydream Believer,” an upbeat and hopeful number. He’d already inserted it into the film, abruptly changing the mood.
“Unlike any film you’ve seen before.” – Variety
“Chris said, ‘Don’t be mad at me. I just want you to look at this; you can throw it out,’” Polley recalled with a laugh during an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where “Women Talking” had its international premiere.
“I loved it — and then I wasn’t sure if I should love it. We were so attached to ‘California Dreamin’.’ But ‘Daydream Believer’ gave it a kind of lightness and a happiness and a weirdness that hadn’t worked with ‘California Dreamin’.’”
Adding lightness and happiness may seem at odds with the story, based on real events earlier this century in Bolivia, about female members of a strictly patriarchal religion discussing how to respond to years of nocturnal abuse. For years, they’ve been drugged and raped by male members of their isolated farming community; the attacks were initially blamed on ghosts, demons or “wild female imagination.”
Meeting secretly in a hayloft — the women include characters played by Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Buckley and Canada’s Sheila McCarthy — they debate whether to stay and fight the men, who are currently away facing legal proceedings, or simply leave with their children. Since the women are illiterate (their sect forbids female education) their discussions are written down by the one man they feel they can trust, a quiet schoolteacher named August, played by Ben Whishaw.
Stay and fight, or leave. They will not do nothing.
The women express all kinds of opinions about their situation, ranging from an understandable desire for violent payback to the perhaps astonishing suggestion that they might learn to forgive their attackers and even to love them.
“Women Talking” takes an uncommonly nuanced approach to the current #MeToo reckoning of male violence toward women. For her long-awaited fourth feature (her most recent was the family secrets doc “Stories We Tell” a decade ago), Polley decided she wasn’t interested in easy answers or the simplistic binary of good women/bad men.
“One of the really radical acts of the book that I love so much, what Miriam did, is that the only man you get to know in the book is a really good man, August,” Polley said, speaking just before leaving a downtown hotel to be whisked to the Princess of Wales Theatre for her film’s second TIFF screening.
“There’s this kind of running theme through the book and through the film, I hope: let’s talk not just about what’s not working, and what we want to destroy and what’s terrible, but let’s talk about what we would like to see and what we want to build. And I think August is an example of that. It’s wonderful to have him in the centre of the movie, this shining example of someone who is really trying to help and trying to listen.”
Few who have followed Polley’s career arc from child actor to director and Oscar-nominated screenwriter (for her debut 2006 feature “Away From Her”) would describe this big-hearted mother of three young children as negative, self-centred or unduly gloomy about the world.
She has always tried to make things better, which includes time spent as an anti-poverty activist in her 20s. She long ago tired of Hollywood glitz; she’s dressed for comfort on this particular day in a loose-fitting grey blazer and blue bell-bottoms, over a T-shirt and running shoes.
Yet, at the age of 43, Polley considers herself to be a recovering cynic.
“I’m an optimist, but I wasn’t always. I’ve outgrown my cynicism. And so I believe in people’s capacity to change. I really believe in people’s capacity to change their minds and shift, and to learn and unlearn …
“I’ve seen people who I’ve written off take responsibility and be accountable, and move in a very real and authentic way, and choose a different course.”
She understands that “Women Talking” will get people once again talking about #MeToo and the public shaming known as cancel culture. But she hopes her film will help expand the debate and contribute toward positive change.
The actor turned filmmaker attributes her current equanimity to a long period of soul searching, which culminated with the publication earlier this year of her essay collection “Run Towards the Danger,” in which she revealed dark aspects of her past, including a bad date at age 16 with Jian Ghomeshi, the disgraced former CBC star who has successfully fought charges of violence against women.
Polley also revealed in interviews that she’s been out of the public eye in recent times partly because she was recovering from a serious concussion that left her with many episodes of mental fatigue. So much so, she had to bow out of writing and possibly also directing the latest film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel “Little Women,” an assignment that ultimately went to Greta Gerwig.
Making another movie wasn’t Polley’s immediate plan — she’s actually in the midst of writing her first novel — but then she read “Women Talking” and “loved it so much.”
She found out that the film rights to Toews’ book were held in part by actor/producer Frances McDormand, with whom she shares a manager, Frank Frattaroli. On the same day Polley emailed Frattaroli to ask about the film rights, McDormand emailed Frattaroli to see if Polley was available to direct.
It seemed like their partnership was meant to happen, so it did. McDormand even agreed to play a cameo role as one of the Mennonite women, part of a breakaway group who vote not to challenge the patriarchy.
“It just raised so many questions about so many things for me that were important, both inside and completely outside the realm of the #MeToo movement,” Polley says of “Women Talking.”
“The fact that the #MeToo movement had just happened obviously gave the book more momentum. But I think that it addresses so many things, both within that conversation and outside of it.”
Sarah Polley’s film gives a much-needed push to that conversation.
Star contributor Peter Howell is a movie critic based in Toronto. Twitter: @peterhowellfilm
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On the October 11, 2022 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editorial director Peter Sciretta is joined by /Film writer and box office expert Ryan Scott to discuss the latest film and tv news, including September box office, Richard Linklater vs. The Academy, Epix and Marvel’s Blade.
Opening Banter:
In The News:
All the other stuff you need to know:
You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com, and linked inside the show notes.
/Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the most exciting news from the world of movies and television as well as deeper dives into the great features from slashfilm.com.
Send your feedback, questions, comments and concerns to us at peter@slashfilm.com. Please leave your name and general geographic location in case we mention the e-mail on the air.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts, tell your friends and spread the word!
Netflix has released the first look at young Lady Agatha Danbury in the streamer’s upcoming “Bridgerton” prequel series, “Queen Charlotte.”
Played by Arsema Thomas, Agatha uses Charlotte’s ascent to the throne to forge her way into society while under the thumb of a much older husband. Strapped with a sharp understanding of the once-divided social scene and the intricacies of marriage, Agatha becomes a guiding light for the new Queen, all while finding her own voice and power.
“Centered on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, this Bridgerton-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton,” reads the limited series’ logline.
Golda Rosheuvel, Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell will reprise their roles from “Bridgerton” as Queen Charlotte, Lady Agatha Danbury and Lady Violet Bridgerton, respectively. India Amarteifio (“Line of Duty”) stars as young Queen Charlotte. Michelle Fairley (“Gangs of London”) plays Princess Augusta, while Corey Mylchreest (“The Sandman”) plays young King George. Sam Clemmett (“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” – West End and Broadway, “The War Below”) rounds out the cast as young Brimsley along with Freddie Dennis (“The Nevers”) as Reynolds, Richard Cunningham (“The Witcher”) as Lord Bute, Tunji Kasim (“Nancy Drew”) as Adolphus, Rob Maloney (“Casualty”) as the Royal Doctor, Cyril Nri (“Cucumber”) as Lord Danbury and “Bridgerton” alum Hugh Sachs as Brimsley.
Shonda Rhimes serves as showrunner, writer and executive producer. Director Tom Verica also executive produces alongside Betsy Beers.
Nobody can say that 2022 was an uneventful year. But if you wanted to escape reality occasionally by playing a really great game, enjoying a fantastic movie, or marathoning an exciting series, there were plenty of options to be found.
Now that the end of the year is approaching, we thought we’d share our recommendations and thoughts from 2022. We’ve got roundups of our favorite movies and series from Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and a variety of other streaming services, along with our best-loved games for the Switch, Xbox, PC, and other devices. We also offer our thoughts on some of the best and worst tech that the year brought — including that strange phenomenon known as crypto — and an account of some of the most exciting space launches seen this year.
So welcome to our look back at some of our most (and least) favorite entertainment and events of 2022. We hope you enjoy some of the games and shows we liked so much over the last 12 months.
PLEASE NOTE: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor of awards, Scott Feinberg, reflects his best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and industry insiders, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself. There will be regular updates to reflect new developments.
* * *
*BEST PICTURE*
Frontrunners Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) — podcast (Jerry Bruckheimer) Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) The Fabelmans (Universal) — podcast (Steven Spielberg) Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century/Disney) The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight) Elvis (Warner Bros.) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) Tár (Focus) Triangle of Sadness (Neon) All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)
Major Threats Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney) — podcast (Kevin Feige) Women Talking (UAR) Babylon (Paramount) She Said (Universal) The Woman King (Sony)
Possibilities RRR (Variance) Till (UAR) — podcast (Barbara Broccoli) Living (Sony Classics) A Man Called Otto (Sony) — podcast 1 and 2 (Tom Hanks) Thirteen Lives (Amazon) — podcast (Ron Howard)
*BEST DIRECTOR*
Frontrunners Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) — podcast James Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water) Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) Todd Field (Tár) Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness)
Major Threats Damien Chazelle (Babylon) — podcast Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin) Sarah Polley (Women Talking) Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Possibilities Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King) S. S. Rajamouli (RRR) Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) Ron Howard (Thirteen Lives) — podcast Chinonye Chukwu (Till) Rian Johnson (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)
*BEST ACTOR*
Frontrunners Brendan Fraser (The Whale) Austin Butler (Elvis) Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) Bill Nighy (Living) Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick)
Major Threats Paul Mescal (Aftersun) Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) Diego Calva (Babylon) Tom Hanks (A Man Called Otto) — podcast 1 and 2 Adam Sandler (Hustle) — podcast
Possibilities Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) Hugh Jackman (The Son) — podcast Jeremy Pope (The Inspection) Will Smith (Emancipation) — podcast Song Kang-ho (Broker)
*BEST ACTRESS*
Frontrunners Cate Blanchett (Tár) — podcast Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) — podcast Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) Danielle Deadwyler (Till) Olivia Colman (Empire of Light)
Major Threats Viola Davis (The Woman King) Margot Robbie (Babylon) — podcast Ana de Armas (Blonde) Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) — podcast Rooney Mara (Women Talking)
Possibilities Vicky Krieps (Corsage) Jennifer Lawrence (Causeway) — podcast Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu) — podcast Zoe Kazan (She Said) Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Jessica Chastain (The Good Nurse) — podcast
*BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR*
Frontrunners Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans) Paul Dano (The Fabelmans) Brad Pitt (Babylon)
Major Threats Tom Hanks (Elvis) — podcast 1 and 2 Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse) — podcast Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway)
Possibilities Ben Whishaw (Women Talking) Micheal Ward (Empire of Light) Jeremy Strong (Armageddon Time) — podcast Anthony Hopkins (Armageddon Time) — podcast
*BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS*
Frontrunners Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness) Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) — podcast
Major Threats Hong Chau (The Whale) Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) Claire Foy (Women Talking) — podcast Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) Keke Palmer (Nope) Carey Mulligan (She Said) — podcast
Possibilities Nina Hoss (Tár) Gabrielle Union (The Inspection) Jean Smart (Babylon) Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King) Laura Dern (The Son) Charlbi Dean (Triangle of Sadness)
*BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY*
Frontrunners Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Rian Johnson) Women Talking (Sarah Polley) All Quiet on the Western Front (Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell) Living (Kazuo Ishiguro) White Noise (Noah Baumbach)
Major Threats She Said (Rebecca Lenkiewicz) Lady Chatterley’s Lover (David Magee) The Good Nurse (Krysty Wilson-Cairns) The Whale (Samuel D. Hunter)
Possibilities Top Gun: Maverick (Peter Craig, Ehren Kruger, Justin Marks, Christopher McQuarrie & Eric Warren Singer) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Joe Robert Cole & Ryan Coogler) Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver) The Son (Christopher Hampton & Florian Zeller)
*BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY*
Frontrunners Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert) The Fabelmans (Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg) — podcast (Spielberg) The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh) Tár (Todd Field) Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund)
Major Threats Babylon (Damien Chazelle) — podcast The Woman King (Dana Stevens) Aftersun (Charlotte Wells) Armageddon Time (James Gray) — podcast Till (Keith Beauchamp, Chinonye Chukwu & Michael Reilly)
Possibilities Elvis (Jeremy Doner, Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell & Craig Pearce) Close (Lukas Dhont & Angelo Tijssens) Nope (Jordan Peele) — podcast The Inspection (Elegance Bratton) RRR (S. S. Rajamouli)
*BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE*
Frontrunners All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) Close (Belgium) Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) Decision to Leave (South Korea) EO (Poland)
Major Threats Corsage (Austria) The Quiet Girl (Ireland) Saint Omer (France) Cairo Conspiracy (Sweden) The Blue Caftan (Morocco)
Possibilities Holy Spider (Denmark) Bardo (Mexico) — podcast (Alejandro González Iñárritu) Joyland (Pakistan) Last Film Show (India) Return to Seoul (Cambodia)
*BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE*
Frontrunners All That Breathes (HBO) Fire of Love (Nat Geo/Neon) Retrograde (Nat Geo) Last Flight Home (MTV) Navalny (Warner Bros./CNN)
Major Threats All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Neon) Bad Axe (IFC) Descendant (Netflix) The Territory (Nat Geo) Moonage Daydream (Neon)
Possibilities The Janes (HBO) Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song (Sony Classics) Hidden Letters (Cargo) Children of the Mist (Film Movement) A House Made of Splinters (still seeking U.S. distribution)
*BEST ANIMATED FEATURE*
Frontrunners Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (A24) Turning Red (Pixar) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Dreamworks) Wendell & Wild (Netflix)
Major Contenders Inu-Oh (GKIDS) Strange World (Disney) Apollo 10 1/2 (Netflix) The Bob’s Burgers Movie (20th Century) The Bad Guys (Universal)
Possibilities Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal/Illumination) Eternal Spring (ARTE) Luck (Apple/Skydance) My Father’s Dragon (Netflix) The Sea Beast (Netflix)
*BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY*
Frontrunners Top Gun: Maverick (Claudio Miranda) Avatar: The Way of Water (Russell Carpenter) The Fabelmans (Janusz Kaminski) Babylon (Linus Sandgren) Elvis (Mandy Walker)
Major Threats Empire of Light (Roger Deakins) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Autumn Durald Arkapaw) All Quiet on the Western Front (James Friend) Tár (Florian Hoffmeister) Emancipation (Robert Richardson) The Banshees of Inisherin (Ben Davis) Everything Everywhere All at Once (Larkin Seiple)
Possibilities RRR (K. K. Senthil Kumar) The Batman (Greig Fraser) The Woman King (Polly Morgan) Don’t Worry Darling (Matty Libatique) Women Talking (Luc Montpellier) Nope (Hoyte van Hoytema) Bardo (Darius Khondji)
*BEST COSTUME DESIGN*
Frontrunners Elvis (Catherine Martin) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ruth E. Carter) Babylon (Mary Zophres) The Fabelmans (Mark Bridges) Living (Sandy Powell)
Major Threats The Woman King (Gersha Phillips) Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Jenny Beavan) Avatar: The Way of Water (Deborah Lynn Scott) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Jenny Eagan) Empire of Light (Alexandra Byrne) Till (Marci Rodgers) The Banshees of Inisherin (Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh) Everything Everywhere All at Once (Shirley Kurata) White Noise (Ann Roth)
Possibilities The Batman (Jacqueline Durran) Blonde (Jennifer Johnson) Tár (Bina Daigeler) Corsage (Monika Buttinger) Women Talking (Quita Alfred) My Policeman (Annie Symons) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Diane Dwyer, Laura Kerrigan & Annika Schindler) Armageddon Time (Madeline Weeks)
*BEST FILM EDITING*
Frontrunners Top Gun: Maverick (Eddie Hamilton) Avatar: The Way of Water (David Brenner, James Cameron, John Refoua & Stephen E. Rivkin) Elvis (Jonathan Redmond & Matt Villa) Everything Everywhere All at Once (Paul Rogers) The Fabelmans (Sarah Broshar & Michael Kahn)
Major Threats Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Kelley Dixon, Jennifer Lame & Michael P. Shawver) Babylon (Tom Cross) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Bob Ducsay) The Banshees of Inisherin (Mikkel E.G. Nielsen) All Quiet on the Western Front (Sven Budelmann) Tár (Monika Willi) Triangle of Sadness (Mikel Cee Karlsson & Ruben Östlund)
Possibilities RRR (A. Sreekar Prasad) Thirteen Lives (James D. Wilcox) The Batman (William Hoy & Tyler Nelson) The Woman King (Terilyn A. Shropshire) Women Talking (Christopher Donaldson & Roslyn Kalloo) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Holly Klein & Ken Schretzmann) She Said (Hansjörg Weißbrich)
*BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING*
Frontrunners Black Panther: Wakanda Forever The Batman The Whale Elvis All Quiet on the Western Front
Major Threats Crimes of the Future Blonde Babylon
Possibilities Emancipation Amsterdam
*BEST ORIGINAL SCORE*
Frontrunners The Fabelmans (John Williams) Women Talking (Hildur Guðnadóttir) Babylon (Justin Hurwitz) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Alexandre Desplat) Avatar: The Way of Water (Simon Franglen)
Major Threats Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Ludwig Göransson) The Woman King (Terence Blanchard) All Quiet on the Western Front (Volker Bertelmann) She Said (Nicholas Britell) The Banshees of Inisherin (Carter Burwell)
Possibilities Everything Everywhere All at Once (Son Lux) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Nathan Johnson) Devotion (Chanda Dancy) Don’t Worry Darling (John Powell) Nope (Michael Abels)
*BEST ORIGINAL SONG*
Frontrunners “Lift Me Up” (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) — Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Tems “Hold My Hand” (Top Gun: Maverick) — Lady Gaga and Michael ‘BloodPop’ Tucker — podcast 1 and 2 (Gaga) “Naatu Naatu” (RRR) — M. M. Keeravani and Chandrabose “Ciao Papa” (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) — Guillermo del Toro and Roeban Katz — podcast (del Toro) “Stand Up” (Till) — Dernst ‘D’Mile’ Emile II and Jazmine Sullivan
Major Threats “New Body Rhumba” (White Noise) — James Murphy “Carolina” (Where the Crawdads Sing) — Taylor Swift “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” (Avatar: The Way of Water) — Simon Franglen, Swedish House Mafia and Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye “This Is a Life” (Everything Everywhere All at Once) — David Byrne, Ryan Lott and Mitski — podcast (Byrne) “Time” (Amsterdam) — Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham, Giveon Evans, Daniel Pemberton and Jahaan Akil Sweet
Possibilities “Applause” (Tell It Like a Woman) — Diane Warren — podcast “My Mind and Me” (Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me) — Amy Allen, Jonathan Bellion, Selena Gomez, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson & Michael Pollack — podcast (Gomez) “Good Afternoon” (Spirited) — Benj Pasek, Khiyon Hursey, Sukari Jones, Justin Paul & Mark Sonnenblick “Dust & Ash” (The Voice of Dust and Ash) — J. Ralph — podcast “Til You’re Home” (A Man Called Otto) — David Hodges & Rita Wilson
*BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN*
Frontrunners Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Elvis Babylon Avatar: The Way of Water Glass Onion: A Knives Onion Mystery
Major Threats Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans All Quiet on the Western Front The Batman Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Thirteen Lives The Woman King RRR Triangle of Sadness
Possibilities Bardo Don’t Worry Darling Women Talking Till The Banshees of Inisherin Don’t Worry Darling Empire of Light Living Tár
*BEST SOUND*
Frontrunners Top Gun: Maverick Elvis Avatar: The Way of Water Black Panther: Wakanda Forever All Quiet on the Western Front
Major Threats Babylon The Batman Moonage Daydream
Possibilities Everything Everywhere All at Once Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
*BEST VISUAL EFFECTS*
Frontrunners Avatar: The Way of Water Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness The Batman Top Gun: Maverick
Major Threats All Quiet on the Western Front Jurassic World Dominion Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
“Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were… we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward”
Foo Fighters have confirmed that the band will continue following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March. In a post on social media Saturday, the band discussed the “healing power of music,” which brought them together 27 years ago and said publicly for the first time since Hawkins died that they will remain a band.
“As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us,” the Dave Grohl-fronted group posted in a statement.
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“Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were — and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward,” Foo Fighters continued in their post. “We also know that you, the fans, meant as much to Taylor as he meant to you. And we know that when we see you again — and we will soon — he’ll be there in spirit with all of us every night.”
Hawkins died on March 25 at the age of 50 while they were on tour in Colombia. The band held two all-star tribute concerts in honor of Hawkins, one in Los Angeles and the other in London; both were held in September.
Nikhail Asnani writes, stars, and directs The Invite. The filmmaker doesn’t just star in this “comedy.” Asnani is, in fact, the only actor who appears on the screen. Yes, “comedy” is in quotes for a reason, but that’ll come in due time. For now, let’s focus on what the movie is about.
Nikhail (himself) is preparing to throw himself a birthday party. To that end, he calls up a bunch of friends, all of whom seem quite famous, hoping they’ll RSVP. Once that’s done, he calls them to discuss a hundred different wardrobe changes to the upcoming festivities. Then Nikhail takes some edibles, and things take a strange turn for the main character.
Excluding some specific details and avoiding spoilers, that is all that happens for the entire 85 excruciating minutes of The Invite. The only character is seen in vertical boxes, making phone calls, backhandedly complimenting the unknown person he’s talking to, and complaining about the stress of planning the party. Rinse, repeat, groan. The first issue with the film is how repetitive it is. 95% of the time, Nikhail is in his apartment. As such, there’s a distinct lack of visual interest or engagement.
“…calls up a bunch of friends, all of whom seem quite famous, hoping they’llRSVP.”
Furthermore, aside from the sound of a ringing phone, there’s nothing to listen to aside from the actor’s intentionally whiny affectations. It is unbearable in the worst ways possible. Thanks to the lack of location changes and the poor story structure, the time between each phone call is all but impossible to figure out until the movie is almost over (apparently, the party is at least a month away in the beginning).
The second flaw is that this “comedy” is never funny, not even once, not even accidentally. Unless someone complaining about cape material and sizes tickles your fancy, that is. Why is Nikhail worrying about who RSVP’d to his party exciting or funny? Is the joke about how self-centered he is? If so, why are there no other characters to contrast his awfulness against? Such a dynamic could have offered both an emotional investment and an Odd Couple-style setup for the humor to play off. As The Invite stands, viewers are left with one of the most narcissistic, self-absorbed dullards ever put to celluloid. No one can relate, much less like, this a*****e, so all watching do not give a single flying s**t about anything that happens to him.
The final problem, and arguably, the biggest, is the way it ends. To be more precise, the story does not conclude as it stops abruptly. Given that this barely has a plot, I doubt spoiling things is possible, but spoilers will be avoided as best as possible. Without giving much away, the way things resolve foregoes any semblance of an arc or thematic point for either the story overall or the main character. It is shocking just how offputting and entirely insulting this “ending” winds up being.
OTTAWA, Canada — Canada plans to temporarily require people flying from China, Hong Kong and Macao to test negative for COVID-19 before leaving for Canada.
The requirement will apply to all air travelers aged two and older from the three countries and will begin on Jan. 5, the federal government said in a news release Saturday.
“These planned health measures will apply to air travelers, regardless of nationality and vaccination status,” the release said. “They are temporary measures, in place for 30 days, that will be reassessed as more data and evidence becomes available.”
The United States announced on Wednesday it would require all travelers from China to show a negative COVID-19 test result before flying to the country as Beijing’s rapid easing of COVID-19 restrictions leads to a surge in cases.
The Canadian government said its new testing measure is “in response to the surge of COVID-19 in the People’s Republic of China and given the limited epidemiological and viral genomic sequence data available on these cases.”
People will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test result to the airline, taken no more than two days before their departure, before boarding a flight to Canada.
The test can be either molecular, such as a PCR test, or an antigen test from a telehealth service or an accredited laboratory or testing provider, the release said.
Passengers who tested positive more than 10 days before their flight leaves, but not more than 90 days, can provide the airline with proof of their positive test instead.
“Since the start, our Government has taken the necessary steps to keep Canadians safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement. “Our actions continue to be guided by prudence and we will not hesitate to adjust measures to protect the health and safety of Canadians.”
Netflix will begin offering fitness content from Nike this week as part of the streamer’s latest efforts to attract subscribers and keep existing members engaged.
Beginning Dec. 30, timed right as users may be kicking off their New Year’s fitness resolutions, Netflix subscribers will have access to 90 workout videos — totaling 30 hours — from Nike Training Club, the fitness brand’s app that offers workout videos led by Nike trainers. The workouts, most of which require zero or minimal equipment, will be available across all of Netflix’s subscription plans and will be offered in 10 languages.
The first batch of 46 workout videos released on Netflix will include programs covering fitness basics, vinyasa yoga, high-intensity interval training, and strength and core training. The second batch of videos will be released later in 2023.
The Nike partnership appears to be Netflix’s latest experiment with content outside of film and TV as the company seeks to keep users engaged with the service. Looking just at fitness competitors, Netflix — with 223 million global paid subscribers — easily eclipses the 2.97 million subscriptions last reported by Peloton, led by former Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy. Nike also stands to gain from linking up with Netflix and reaching its user base, as the fitness company ended its premium membership ($14.99 a month or $119.99 a year) for Nike Training Club in 2020, opting instead to offer the app’s premium content for free.
Other tech and streaming competitors like Apple have also increased their focus on fitness; with Fitness+, Apple offers more than 3,000 guided workouts with Apple product integrations for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year.
The filmmaker had nothing but good things to say about directing the “Murder, She Wrote” star in her final film appearance.
From the moment the cast was announced, movie lovers knew that “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” would be a star-studded affair. Rian Johnson’s murder mystery sequel featured an A-list cast of suspects for Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc to investigate, including Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, and Dave Bautista. But once the film began streaming on Netflix, fans quickly learned that it featured surprise celebrity cameos at almost every turn.
One memorable scene features Blanc playing the video game “Among Us” on Zoom with several famous murder mystery aficionados, including Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury (who both made their final on-screen appearances in the scene).
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Johnson and producer Ram Bergman opened up about working with the two nonagenarians.
“She couldn’t have been lovelier and more generous,” Johnson said of Lansbury, though he noted that the video game-centric scene was complicated by the fact that the actress was “not a gamer.”
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“She was very patient in letting me describe the rules of ‘Among Us,’ up to a point,” he continued. “At which point she just said, ‘You know what? Just tell me what the lines are. I’ll trust you.’”
Lansbury played one of the most iconic television detectives of all time on “Murder, She Wrote,” but landing Sondheim was just as big of a win for the production team. The Broadway composer was famous for his love of mysteries, and he wrote the whodunnit film “The Last of Sheila,” which Johnson cited as an inspiration for “Glass Onion.”
“I wasn’t really sure how to get to him. But then I was on a call with Bryan Lourd, our agent, and it somehow came up,” Bergman said. “I said, we really would love Stephen to do this. And I swear, five minutes later, he emailed me: he’s going to do it.”
Johnson might be an A-list director who has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but that didn’t stop him from being intimidated by the two legends.
“I allowed myself to have that little awkward moment of saying to them what I’m sure every person who meets them says,” he said. “But still, it felt really nice to tell them that I wouldn’t be here doing this if it weren’t for them.”
Editors note:Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.
When writer-director Nikyatu Jusu began hatching her first feature Nanny a little less than a decade ago, she worried that the story at hand might be “too singular” or “specific” to resonate widely. “When you’re this close to the material, you can lose your mind,” she said during a November appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles awards-season event.
The project was particularly “personal” for Jusu given the fact that it spoke to the story of her mother — a native of Sierra Leone often forced to do jobs “that were beneath her,” including domestic work, after moving to the U.S.
“I was always worried about how she was being treated in these households,” she shared, “as a very fiercely protective child of my mother. That was the springboard.”
Debuting on Prime Video on December 16 after hitting limited theaters on November 23rd, Nanny follows the Senegalese immigrant Aisha (Anna Diop) as she attempts to piece together a new life in New York City while caring for the child of an Upper East Side family. During this time, she is forced to confront a concealed truth that threatens to shatter her precarious American Dream.
Jusu knew from the beginning that she wanted to infuse the film with “elements of horror” rather than playing it as “a straightforward drama,” in this way getting at something deeper. “The darker genres allow you to tell the truth in a way that is really titillating and interesting,” she told Deadline at Contenders, “and pulls the audience in a way that doesn’t feel preachy or pedantic.”
For Jusu, Nanny has represented a career breakthrough, allowing her to set up multiple studio features including an adaptation of her acclaimed horror short Suicide by Sunlight for Monkeypaw and Universal, and a Night of the Living Dead sequel recently acquired by MGM. Her first feature’s trajectory appeared all but sealed following its debut at Sundance, where it became the first horror to win the Grand Jury Prize, with Jusu becoming the second Black female filmmaker to win that coveted award. Pic was acquired months later by Prime Video and Blumhousein a deal worth $7 million.
Jusu also exec produced Nanny, which has recently led the Palm Springs Film Festival to name her as one of its Directors to Watch, and secured her a Someone to Watch Award nom at the Independent Spirit Awards.
“As a child, I really enjoyed all of His Dark Materials. I was really psyched when The Golden Compass was going to be a movie. Holy shit, it was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. And not in a ha-ha-funny kind of worst movie, like The Room, but just bad.”
“Also Eva Green, Ian McKellen, Daniel Craig, Ian McShane, Christopher Lee, Kathy Bates!!! The movie was just lousy with acting talent. Short of something like Movie 43, I think Golden Compass is the best cast work of garbage I’ve ever seen. What a colossal loss of potential.”
It is no surprise that Andrew Garfield been named one of Variety500, the influential leaders shaping the global media industry of 2022, there was a time you couldn’t turn a corner without seeing his face or hearing his name, Andrew is currently on a hiatus from acting. Following in his footsteps this year is his fellow Spider-Man star Tom Holland who has also made the list for the 3rd time.
Garfield is known for pushing the boundaries when it comes to his acting, and taking on roles that really showcase his range. One such role would be his Oscar nominated performance of Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge and the other his 2nd Oscar nominated performance as Jonathan Larson in Tick, tick boom.
His speciality seems to be telling true stories and bringing real characters to life, but whatever the role we see him in, be it a Jesuit priest directed by Scorsese or a CEO of a tech company directed by David Fincher, not only does he end up bringing critical acclaim to the role but he elevates it in a way that makes the movie that much greater.
Courtesy of Matthias Clamer/FX
He recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Banner of Heaven” which earned him his first Emmy nomination. His next role will be Richard Branson in the limited series “Hot Air,” about the billionaire entrepreneur.
When reprised his role as Peter Parker with Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire in the 2021 film “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, Andrew, aka Peter 3 was immediately an audience favorite. Of course they will always be remembered for playing Peter Parker in their respective Spider-Man movies, but with the roles they have taken on, both Andrew and Tom aim to be seen as something other than just, “That Spider-Man Actor”
We have seen Tom in a variety of different movies over the years, and outside of Spider-Man his acting and his range has only grown. Some of his most notable films include The Devil All The Time, Cherry and The Lost City of Z.
After his last Spider-Man film, No Way Home grossed $1.9 billion worldwide, and after tireless promotions worldwide, which saw Tom joined by previous Peter Parkers, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Holland had to dive straight into promotion for his video game adaptation film, “Uncharted” starring alongside Mark Wahlberg.
Courtesy of BACKGRID
It’s no surprise that these two talented young actors are on the Variety500 list. They continue to influence global media personally and with their performances, they are in good company.
“What was that?” (Assorted animal noises ensue.) You better get out your lever-action rifle and fire a few random shots into the water. Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr – as they dive into the third and final adventure of Universal’s Gill-Man, The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).
Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 141 – The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
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The Creature is captured and turned into an air-breather by a rich mad scientist. This makes the Creature very unhappy, and he escapes, killing people and setting fires in the process.
To this day, all the Universal Monsters remain incredibly popular and beloved with The Gill-Man edging out the others as the fan favorite of many Monster fans. Released in 1954, The Creature from the Black Lagoon would introduce the amphibious “prehistoric beast” just as Abbott and Costello were breathing final life into Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, and the Mummy. All three “Creature” films would be released within 3 years with the first two in 3D while the last did not receive the 3D treatment. The Classic Era Grue-Crew complete their coverage of the Gill-Man with this discussion and review of The Creature Walks Among Us (1956). (Don’t be alarmed when Jeff leaves for a while to get sandwiches.)
The Creature Walks Among Us is a strong finish to Universal’s trilogy of Gill-Man films. At the time of this writing, it is available to stream on The Roku Channel and on physical media as a Blu-ray in Creature From the Black Lagoon: Complete Legacy Collection and other Universal Monster collections.
Check out these Classic Era episodes for the first two “Creature” films:
Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Up next in their very flexible schedule, as chosen by Jeff, will be Stranger on the Third Floor (1940), considered by many to be the first film noir and starring Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook Jr. Is it horror? Well, it’s at least horror-adjacent.
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To each of you from each of them, “Thank you so much for listening!”
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Jeff lives smack dab in the middle of the cornfields of Iowa and is a long-time horror fan. His first remembered encounters with the genre were The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan gorilla chases, and watching the first broadcast of The Twilight Zone episode, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” While he now qualifies as an old fart, he strives to be an Old Boy. Paraphrasing Robert Bloch, he has the heart of a small boy. He keeps it in a jar on his desk.
Jeff has written for Horrornews.net and SQ Horror Magazine. He currently writes for Gruesome Magazine and is a co-host of the Decades of Horror podcasts – The Classic Era, 1970s, and 1980s – and the Gruesome Magazine Podcast.
The first time we see Frank Tassone, the beloved public-school administrator Hugh Jackman plays in Bad Education, he’s striding onto the stage of an auditorium to a roar of applause. It’s his night, a celebration of his achievements—though, as we’ll quickly come to see, he spends most days in the spotlight, too, basking in the admiration of colleagues, students, and parents alike. Frank, who puts the super in superintendent, is head of a Long Island school district that, under his stewardship, has reached the top of the national rankings. Wandering from meeting to meeting in his finely pressed suits, a warm grin perpetually plastered across his face, he has the poise (and popularity) of a Kennedy—and indeed, Frank approaches the job with a politician’s savvy, committing names and interests to memory. But the real key to his success may be that he actually gives a damn. In movie terms, it’s as if one of the carpe diem heroes of an inspirational-teacher drama rose through the ranks, spreading his zeal for education to the whole district. That, anyway, is how Frank would probably prefer to frame his story. Bad Education tells a different version, ripped from the headlines and shaped into something far removed from the genre of gifted classroom mentors and the young lives they touch. The real Tassone, as some may remember, was at the center of New York’s Roslyn Public Schools scandal, in which a couple of high-ranking administrators embezzled millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Screenwriter Mike Makowsky, who grew up in the community and went to a Rosyln school the year the financial fraud came to light, dramatizes this national news into an engrossing procedural of white-collar crime. Cooking the books may sound like dry subject matter, but the film gives it a jolt of psychological urgency by building a whole house-of-cards narrative around a character of compelling contradiction: a con artist who’s managed to square his genuine commitment to the community (and the future of its children) with his betrayal of it. [A.A. Dowd]
It feels like it’s been a loooong time coming, but we are now just a short time away from the premiere of Vikings: Valhalla Season 2! Everyone with a Netflix subscription will get to have at least some of our Season 1 questions answered when the historical hit returns on January 12, 2023, which means that excitement is once again building for the continued adventures of Freydís, Harald, Leif and their many assorted friends and enemies.
There are quite a few things that I simply cannot wait to see when the action-packed drama returns, so here’s my list of eight things I’m really excited to see in the second season!
(Image credit: Netflix)
Old Testament Leif
One of the things that I loved about Leif in the first season was that the man was an absolute beast in battle (skilled, seemingly fearless, the whole bit…), but during his down time, he was incredibly gentle, thoughtful, loving, loyal to his friends and family, and basically seemed like a regular dude.
He’d expressed a fear that he would become like his notoriously bloody-minded father, but we didn’t see any hints of that until the Vikings: Valhalla Season 1 ending, when Leif watched as his love and fellow Greenlander, Liv, died in his arms after being stabbed in battle. Boy, did that man’s disposition ever turn on a dime. Now, we’ve been promised that we’re going to see an “old testament Leif,” which I’m guessing means he’s gonna be all about doling out life-ending punishments whenever he deems them necessary, and I am here for it, especially if he can get back at Olaf for killing Liv!
(Image credit: Netflix)
Freydís And Harald Together In The Aftermath Of Kattegat’s Fall
It did not take long for these two to, uh, find some common ground after Freydís and the other Greenlanders arrived in Kattegat. And, yes, by “common ground” I do mean the bed where they got busy, seemingly mere minutes after Freydís had finished that long, difficult journey.
Here’s the thing, though. That turned out not to be a simple slaking of each of their physical needs, as while each of them had separate adventures during Season 1, they were still hot for one another when they were able to meet up again. Freydís managed to survive the emotional battle for Kattegat unscathed, and got herself and a badly wounded Harald outta Dodge, and the trailer for the new season makes it look like they’ll continue to be a strong couple who respect and care for one another despite many extreme challenges, while also banging it out whenever possible. Don’t you just love love?
(Image credit: Netflix)
Our Vikings Traveling Outside Of Scandinavia
In Season 1, our heroes definitely got around and adventured away from their physical comfort zones quite a bit. However, most of that travel involved characters going back and forth between different parts of Scandinavia and England. The new season has been promised to change that, with there being more travel to unique locales.
Seeing as how we know that Vikings loved getting on their longships and exploring the wider world (and frequently doing much more than sightseeing or trading with the new people they came into contact with), it’s going to mean not just seeing them in different locations with a whole host of new characters and many different types of people, but also getting into trouble. And, we looooove watching them get into and out of trouble!
(Image credit: Netflix)
More Of Married Queen Emma And King Canute
Look, I’m not on board, at all, with how Canute treated Ælfgifu, ok? But, I will say that I also really loved Emma and Canute together. Maybe it’s just because we never even got to see the new king of England and his first wife together to have any kind of real attachment to them as a couple, but, for real? Emma and Canute are hot stuff!
She is, obviously, trying to stay alive and make sure her kids are safe, and knows that partnering with Canute is now the best way to do that, but she also seems to genuinely like him. And, Canute did his part, by not being a dick to her, and actually listening to her ideas and respecting the inside knowledge she had to offer. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Ælfgifu in the second season, but I’m definitely on board the Emnute ship for the time being!
(Image credit: Netflix)
Any New Characters They Can Throw At Us
By the end of the first season, we’d lost some very cool characters to any number of battles. I will dearly miss Jarl Haakon and Greenlander Liv, but that doesn’t mean I’m not eager to see who Leif and the gang mix it up with in Season 2! While only four new characters have been confirmed, we can tell just from the trailer that they’re going to make things very interesting (in good and bad ways, probably) for all of our favorites.
(Image credit: Netflix)
Queen Ælfgifu, Hopefully Surviving To Scheme For Many More Days
Alright, I might be rooting for the (illegal?) marriage of Canute and Emma to survive and thrive for quite a while, but that doesn’t totally mean that I want Vikings: Valhalla to get rid of good ol’ Queen Ælfgifu! I don’t generally love a schemer, but I really do appreciate that she was at home doing the dutiful, patiently-waiting-my-husband-to-return-from-conquering-England thing, found out he’d abandoned her and their children to marry the English queen, and said, “Fuck this guy! How can I get revenge?”
Sure, Ælfgifu was quickly found out and her situation did not look good at the end of Season 1, but I love the gumption, willingness to not sit back and take poor treatment by her husband of many years, and ability to plot. She’s a schemer whose motives I can actually get behind, and when you have a series full of people plotting and planning for less than admirable goals, that’s not nothing!
(Image credit: Netflix)
More Godwin Double-Crossing…Hopefully
Well, here’s another schemer, right? In a world where there are a lot of people who are willing to do very bad things so that they can amass as much power as possible, though, Godwin simply seems to be concerned with staying alive, which I also admire. So far, he’s been very good at choosing which of the big players to double cross and managed to jump from one boss to another with little problem.
While I can only imagine that pretty much everyone knows he’s loyal only as long as he believes you can help him keep his head, I’m hoping he gets to stick around, because I do enjoy watching someone who seems to have no real interest in gaining status. It’s hard to be that mad at a guy for just wanting to live, right?
(Image credit: Netflix)
Bloody Battles Galore
It would probably be fair to say that this is a large part of what many of us have come to this show for. After all, what’s a show about the notoriously fight-happy Vikings without several scenes of them warring against both each other and unsuspecting coastal folk?
It’s not exactly fun to watch people die horrible deaths in bloody battles, but I can’t deny that this show knows what it’s doing when it comes to crafting those scenes and making sure that viewers get an impressive eyeful of excitement whenever characters engage in a combat to the death. Who will live? Who will die? No one knows yet, and I say bring. It. ON!
A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.
In the waning days of 2022 we are taking one last deep breath before the insanity begins and the dispensing of actual awards shifts into high gear. Right off the bat on January 5, the Palm Springs Film Festival Awards Gala returns for the first time in three years to take place in that massive Palm Springs Convention Center, with all those bejeweled and tuxedoed desert rats in attendance to get a glimpse of Cate Blanchett or Brendan Fraser or Viola Davis trying to manage to hold on to that massive trophy PSIFF hands out, all while giving a thank-you speech that might serve as an audition tape for the multitude of ceremonies to follow.
A DIZZYING ARRAY OF AWARDS GALAS
After PSIFF, in fast succession we get the return of the Golden Globes on January 10, a Tuesday (say what?), as the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association, hoping for a fresh restart, celebrates its 80th annual awards fest on what may — or may not — be their last go-round with NBC. The network agreed to host the 2023 broadcast after canceling it last year, but is watching ratings and star turnout being closely to determine whether the option will be picked up beyond this date. The Globes will be followed in close succession by the AFI Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, January 13 and the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, January 15 (though the Critics Choice Association has been warming up with fancy separate awards “celebrations” honoring Black, Latino and Asian Pacific cinema and television, as well as a NYC gala spotlighting the year’s best documentaries). Along with all this, the NYFCC hands out their awards on January 4 and the National Board of Review on January 8 (winners for both were previously announced).
ELVIS TURNS 88
Elvis Presley
Associated Press
Meanwhile, the campaign events all aimed at Oscar reheat with Warner Bros and Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy celebrating Elvis Presley’s 88th birthday on Sunday, January 8 (he would be the same age as Maggie Smith, who turned 88 on Wednesday) with Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler saluting the King. At the exact same time, Netflix will be offering a “Celebration Toast” to its various awards nominees at a plush L.A. night spot. No doubt there will be more to come before Oscar voters start marking their nomination ballots January 12; PGA Awards nominations are announced that day too, preceded the day before by DGA and SAG nominations. Whew. So little time.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE GLOBES PARTIES GONE?
However, those not partying so much will be the town immediately following the Globes at the Beverly Hilton on that Tuesday. The show is always touted as “Hollywood’s Party of the Year,” and it may still be that, but this time around it won’t be Hollywood’s after-parties of the year, or so it seems.
The Golden Globes afterparty in 2019
Deadline
First off, this year the show is not on a Sunday — for decades, the Globes action has always been on a weekend, so that may be a consideration — but also maybe there is some skittishness on behalf of studios, who in pre-pandemic, pre-scandal times took over the whole hotel for various post-Globes soirees. You could always count on the likes of Universal, HBO, Warner Bros-In Style, Netflix, Disney, Sony, Paramount and in a galaxy far far away The Weinstein Co and Fox to reserve spaces at the Hilton for hoped-for victory celebrations.
Apparently not this year, at least as I write this. We aren’t hearing about any of the above ponying up the bucks so far, except possibly NBC and the Globes themselves, and an unexpected newbie to the post-GG party scene, Billboard Magazine, which I was told has a hold (maybe they are confused and think this is the Grammys, but the publication is directly connected to Globes CEO Todd Boehly, who also acquired a stake in the Beverly Hilton and adjoining Waldorf in 2018). Stay tuned.
HFPA
The good news for the Globes are all those For Your Consideration ads again prominently touting Globes nominations, as well as big billboards around town doing the same. I just passed one on Santa Monica Blvd last night for Babylon, lit up with news of its five Globe nominations. The stars may also be aligning for the GGs as studio reps with whom we have talked are busy making travel plans for several of their nominees to attend, the key thing NBC is hoping to see bring the glamour back. It is understandably hard to resist the opportunity to be handed gold statuettes on a nationally televised show. The wattage may be high, and likely to carry over to AFI and Critics Choice just a few days later.
OSCARS VS GLOBES: WHAT IS THE CASH VALUE?
Edmund Gwenn
Everett
Speaking of the Globes and the Oscars, have you ever wondered what the actual cash value of one of those statuettes versus the other is worth on the open market? We got a good indication of that difference just before Christmas, when a Dallas-based auction house put the hammer down on both of Edmund Gwenn’s Oscar and Golden Globe awards. In case you are wondering, Gwenn, who died at age 81 in 1959, was a much in-demand character actor who to this day is still the only star ever to win an Academy Award by playing Santa Claus.
Heritage Auctions
Gwenn famously took on the role of Kris Kringle in the beloved 1947 Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street and won the hearts of Oscar and Globe voters. His estate or someone with connections to him and /or his memorabilia put both up in the auction along with some other items including another Globe for 1950’s Mister 880, as well as the Santa Claus suit he wore, the latter going for $42,500.
AMPAS
Because this Oscar was won before 1950 when AMPAS changed the rules and made winners sign papers that would guarantee the Academy the first option to pay $1 for their Oscar should they (or their heirs) ever decide to part with it, it is still kind of a free market for statuettes won in the 21 years before then. Michael Jackson famously paid $1.5 million for a Gone With the Wind Best Picture Oscar in 1999, while a Citizen Kane Screenplay Oscar of Orson Welles sold for $861,542 in 2011.
Heritage Auctions
The Edmund Gwenn Supporting Oscar (though on the engraving it doesn’t stipulate lead or support) sold well past its $60,000 starting bid for a whopping $162,500, way more than his Golden Globe for Miracle on 34th Street which went for $20,000 — still considerably more than its starting bid of $8000 (the Mister 880 Globe went for only $9,375). The timing of the Christmas season may have played a factor in the appeal, but the Oscar took a huge $142,000 more than the Globe. Sounds about right.
Incidentally, an example of a unique Bronze Oscar used during World War II to save on materials (but not one given to a winner) went for $25,000 in the same auction, as did another Globe given to Zsa Zsa Gabor for being the “Most Glamorous Star of 1959, 1960, 1961, and 1962” sold for $8,750 and already back up for direct sale by its new owner for $13,125. If you have that cash, it could be yours. Now you have to wonder what Tom Cruise could have fetched for those three Golden Globes he packed up and mailed back to the HFPA?
HELLO DOLLY!
Back to the race this year, where new hopefuls are hoping to get their hands on an Oscar they don’t have to get into an auction to win. One of them is the delightful Philippines native Dolly De Leon, who manages to steal Ruben Östlund’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness from a killer cast, no easy task. She plays an elaborate yacht’s “toilet manager” who through circumstance and a shipwreck manages to land on a deserted island and turns the tables on the much wealthier survivors who are in the same boat, as it were. For her performance in the wild comedy I have in my Top 5 of the year, she has already won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s Supporting Performance award, is up for a London Film Critics award and Golden Globe as well, and if there is any justice will be nominated for SAG and Oscars Supporting Actress.
Dolly De Leon in ‘Triangle of Sadness’
Neon
She is that good, though as she told me recently she never had an idea she would get an opportunity like this. But once the film premiered in Cannes in May she was an instant celebrity on the Croisette, which she thought was odd. “I think that what’s happened was so surreal. It was unbelievable how it was received there. I didn’t even have an agent before it. I had an agent once but just three years ago, it was very short. I went to the audition just with a very brief summary of the film and the sides of the film, three scenes, and then I went there and auditioned with the casting director, because Ruben didn’t go to the Philippines. I just enjoyed the moment and was lucky enough to be chosen,” she modestly says, and now I think she may be “lucky enough” to go all the way to the Dolby Theatre on March 12.
Finally, Brendan Fraser, like Dolly De Leon, is another actor looking for their first dance with Oscar. In Brendan’s case it has been a much longer time coming, but every bit as well deserved. He has so far been nominated for just about any award you can think of for his performance in The Whale, Darren Aronofsky’s moving story of a 600-pound man desperately trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter before it is too late. Aronofsky did a wide casting search over the 10 years since he had optioned the play on which the movie is based, and getting to the point where Fraser is about to meet his Oscar moment had a lot of twists and turns, including one fascinating little nugget James Corden happened to mention to me as we were waiting to start a recent Q&A for his Amazon series Mammals.
Corden asked what I had seen lately that I liked and I happened to mention The Whale. He had not seen it at that point but had a connection. “I was going to play that part, and Tom Ford was going to direct,” he said, adding that it ultimately didn’t happen because Ford wanted more complete control of the project. Corden also thinks he may have been too young to do it justice. He then told me George Clooney also got involved with it at one point but only wanted to make the film if an actual 600-pound unknown could be found to play the lead role. The complications of that were too much, as you might imagine, and Clooney never became involved beyond that brief flirtation with the property.
Brendan Fraser in ‘The Whale’
A24
When I talked with Aronofsky recently I casually asked him about what Corden told me and he confirmed all of it. James Corden in The Whale? Who knows what that would have been like? He certainly has a connection to mammals, as the title of his current series indicates. However, after seeing the movie that has finally made it to the screen, you really can’t imagine anyone getting near what Fraser achieves in the role of his life.
Have a great New Year’s, and see you back here again in 2023!
In this guest post, 2020 Film Independent Episodic LabFellow Michael Allen Harris shares his experiences as a participant of the program. The non-Member deadline to apply for the 2023 Lab is February 10. The Memberdeadline is February 24. Are you developing an original TV/streaming series as a writer or creator? This Lab’s for you.
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Writing is not a lonely process. It’s a courageous act that is done in solitude. It’s maddening, sometimes rewarding and lucrative, unhealthy, a superpower, and most of all… difficult to navigate. Your back hurts from hours hunched over a screen, wondering if the reader will understand the intention behind your well-placed ellipses. You die a little inside when you hear your work read aloud. And most aggravating, obtaining representation and jobs feels like playing an already challenging video game on hard mode.
“This is the way”…but it’s not impossible.
I received my MFA in Dramatic Writing from Tisch in 2019, and spent the following eight months living the starving artist life in NYC, where I still reside. Writing, worrying about money, applying to everything I could and hearing “NO” from everything I applied to. I finally landed a job… a “secular” job, but I could pay my bills. Kind of. It would allow me to focus on building my network and provide me with coffee while I write.
But then March 2020 happened…
Michael Allen Harris
Unemployed, frightened, unable to do the thing I’m called to do. What’s the point, played in my head on a loop. But my Capricorn Sun, Virgo Moon, and Libra Rising said: Girl, get up. Write. Try. Do. So I got up and went back to work on my pilot: Afro-Saga Vol 1: The Children of Lazarus, an Afrofuturist anime.
I came across Film Independent Episodic Lab through an alumni email thread. I looked up the program and I was genuinely excited about it: collaborating with other writers, pitching to producers and executives, dissecting your script with seasoned professionals… sounded like a dream. So I submitted my application and honestly forgot about it, because, 2020.
When I received notification that I was accepted into Episodic Lab I was shocked and honored, and I knew something shifted. Not that I believed I would receive the keys to Netflix and HBO by the end of the year, but I knew I was closer to what I truly desired. Community. Guidance. A Chance.
In preparation for Day One, every participant must read everyone’s script, and after doing so I was nervous. Because I believed all of my colleague’s pilots could be on TV immediately, and me with a theatre background had only written pilots in grad school. I was a fish out of water but I knew I was in good hands. My cohort was/is a gracious and talented group of writers who I still keep up with.
A performance of Allen’s 2017 play ‘Punk’
Our primary focus in Episodic Lab was pitching. We honed our scripts as a collective with the assistance of wonderful professionals such as Christopher Yost (Thor: Ragnarok, The Mandalorian) who was my creative advisor, as well as Dailyn Rodriguez, Sian Heder, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Colleen McGuinness and Veena Sud. But the beginning, middle and end of the day orbited how to deliver a successful pitch and, given the times, how to pitch via Zoom.
There were two rounds of pitches: the first, to executives from FX, Search Light and Half Fire Entertainment; the second, going to executives at Netflix (who co-sponsors the program.) When I understood pitching was a performance, I kicked in my actor training: wrote my pitch, rehearsed it… and after it was over, there was grand confusion as to what story I was telling. I failed. But it was a beautiful fail because it reminded me that your pitch must match the tone of the network you are pitching to! Chris Yost told me: “You want them to ask small questions, not big questions” following your pitch.
So I took the notes and went back to the drawing board. I remembered everything I learned and why my story was special and immediate, most of all I was myself. When pitching to Netflix I felt like I was in a trance but when it was over, only “little questions” were asked.
One of the most memorable experiences from Episodic Lab was our Breaking Story session with Beth Schatcher, who conducted a mock writers room with her show Soundtrack. The skills on how to pitch in a writers room came in handy once the program was over and we were shifted to shadow live writers rooms.
Post Episodic Lab, I felt for the first time that I had direction following an exit from an institution. I’ve connected with a group of amazing artists, and because of their generosity was able to make amazing connections and pitch my pilot to a major network!
My community is growing and I have the support I was looking for. Episodic Lab is most certainly one of the most important and valuable endeavors I’ve engaged in. And I could sing praises beyond my recommended word count.
Trust me, after Episodic Lab, nothing will be the same. Apply.
Michael Allen Harris is a 2019 MFA graduate of Tisch: Dramatic Writing, and he received his BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago. He is the Resident Playwright of Broken Nose Theatre and an Ensemble Member of The New Colony and Eclipse Theatre. His play Kingdom was nominated for “Best Play” at the 2018 Non-Equity Jeff Awards and won the Black Theatre Alliance Lorraine Hansberry Award. The play was then published by Stage Rights. Outside of writing, he is a HUGE video game nerd, Janet Jackson stan, a Capricorn and a 1990s R&B enthusiast.
Film Independent Artist Development promotes unique independent voices by helping filmmakers create and advance new work. To become a Member of Film Independent, just click here. To support us with a donation, click here.
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(Header: Performance of Harris’s 2018 play, Kingdom)
Japan‘s government is set to offer up to one million yen (£6,293) per child to persuade families to move out of Tokyo, with the aim of reducing overcrowding in the capital.
An extra 700,000 yen is being added to the 300,000 yen offered at present for relocation due to fears that the nation’s population and economy is increasingly concentrated in Tokyo, heightening the potential risk from large earthquakes.
The government also aims to encourage families with children to relocate to regional areas.
Residents of the 23 wards of Tokyo that make up the main metropolitan area, as well as those who commute there from neighbouring areas, will be able to take advantage of the relocation support.
An extra 700,000 yen is being added to the 300,000 yen offered at present for relocation due to fears that the nation’s population and economy is increasingly concentrated in Tokyo, increasing the risk from large earthquakes
Residents of the 23 wards of Tokyo that make up the main metropolitan area as well as those who commute there from surrounding areas, including Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, will be able to take advantage of the relocation support
Mountainous regions within the capital and its surrounding areas can be used as destinations if applicable. Host municipalities must have the subsidies in place during fiscal 2023.
Around 1,300 municipalities have taken part in the relocation support program during the current fiscal year.
Recipients will have to live in a participating municipality for five years or longer while employed. They will be asked to return the money if they move out before the required period.
Only 2,381 people have taken part in the previous relocation offer since 2019.
Host municipalities must be located outside the metropolitan and surrounding areas and have the subsidies in place during fiscal 2023
Of the 125 million people in the Japanese archipelago, 35 million (28 per cent) live in Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba, The Times reports.
There was a stalled proposal in 2011 to develop Osaka as the nation’s second capital and in 2019 the government put aside plans to move its Consumer Affairs Agency to Tokushima on the island of Shikoku.
In 2019, Japan’s Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion said there was a 47 per cent chance of a strong quake hitting Tokyo in the next 30 years.
In October, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the capital. Buildings swayed, traffic came to a standstill and residents were told to take action to protect their lives as violent tremors rattled the city.
Around 1,300 municipalities have taken part in the relocation support program during the current fiscal year
In March, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Japan, killing at least four people and injuring more than 100 others, and cutting power to millions of homes. The quake struck off the coast of the country’s eastern Fukushima prefecture.
Despite concerns surrounding the heavy concentration of people living in Tokyo, the number of babies born in Japan this year is even less than last year’s record low in what the top government spokesman described as a ‘critical situation’.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno promised comprehensive measures to encourage more marriages and births.
The total of 599,636 Japanese people born in January to September was 4.9 per cent below last year’s figure, suggesting the number of births in all of 2022 might fall below last year’s record low of 811,000 babies, he said.
The government aims to encourage families with children to relocate to regional areas
Japan is the world’s third biggest economy but living costs are high and wage increases have been slow. The conservative government has lagged on making society more inclusive for children, women and minorities.
So far, the government’s efforts to encourage people to have more babies have had limited impact despite payments of subsidies for pregnancy, childbirth and child care.
Many younger Japanese people have balked at marrying or having families, discouraged by bleak job prospects, onerous commutes and corporate cultures incompatible with having both parents work.
The number of births has been falling since 1973, when it peaked at about 2.1 million. It is projected to fall to 740,000 in 2040.
Japan on Friday started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers arriving from China as an emergency measure against surging infections there and as the nation faces rising case numbers and record-level deaths at home.
Japan reported a record 420 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday, one day after reaching an earlier single-day record of 415 deaths, according to the Health Ministry.
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé died at 82. His daughter Kely Nascimento announced the news in an Instagram post, writing, “Everything that we are, is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.” Pelé had been hospitalized in São Paulo for a respiratory infection and for complications related to colon cancer. Prior to his passing, the hospital said his health had worsened as his cancer progressed.
What kind of 2022 did Microsoft experience? The company made some big moves during the course of this year, including a gargantuan near-$70 billion acquisition – mired in controversy – and it also brought the first major feature update to Windows 11. Let’s take a deep dive into how Microsoft fared across the software, hardware, and gaming fronts over the past year.
Windows 11’s big update (and bugged updates)
Windows 11 is still relatively new, having arrived late in 2021, and the biggest thing to happen to the OS this year was the debut of its first major update. (Remember that there’ll only be one feature update per year now, rather than twice yearly as was the case in the past). The Windows 11 2022 Update (informally known as 22H2) pitched up in September, applying a whole lot of polish, alongside some major and useful changes to the interface. We were also treated to a new system of ‘Moments’, fancy Microsoft jargon for smaller updates more agilely applied as needed outside of the big yearly feature upgrade.
Some of the notable improvements piped through included the introduction of tabs for File Explorer, allowing for multiple folders to be opened in one File Explorer window, in the same way there are multiple tabs in a browser. That represented the delivery of a long-promised feature from Microsoft. The taskbar also received a lot of attention, with a taskbar overflow panel being brought in, and after lots of clamoring from a good many Windows 11 users, drag-and-drop functionality was finally returned to the taskbar.
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Indeed, it seems that something of a theme for the year was Microsoft listening more to feedback and user needs, as another much complained about aspect of the taskbar – the removal of the option to ungroup apps on the bar, a piece of functionality that’s in Windows 10 – looks set to be remedied. Or at least that facility has been present in testing with Windows 11, and should be here soon, fingers crossed, for those who don’t want multiple instances of the same app combined on the taskbar.
The feeling that Windows 11 is a work in progress still remained, with Microsoft needing to do a good deal of honing and revamping to knock various bits of the interface into better shape (and clear up cluttered legacy corners of the UI) – plus frustrating bugs were still a problem.
Throughout 2022, while there weren’t any show-stoppers in the way of Windows 11 bugs (as has been seen with Windows 10 in the past), we’ve reported on far too many glitches, and some nasty enough ones. Like printers having much of their functionality stripped away, for example, as well as gremlins that dragged down performance levels in various ways, and gamers came under fire from some seriously annoying bugs, too. Flaws in File Explorer seemed particularly rife, as well, which is a concern given that this is the core pillar of the UI (the very files and folders you work with every day).
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Perhaps the real acid test we can use to measure the success of Windows 11 in 2022 is looking at how many people made the move to the OS (or bought a new PC with it installed, of course). According to Statcounter’s figures (as of November 2022, the latest available at the time of writing), 16% of all Windows users are on Windows 11. That’s not great for an operating system which has been out for over a year now, especially considering Windows 7 holds almost a 10% share of the market. A completely outdated OS is not far behind, in other words.
Furthermore, a year into its reign as the cutting-edge operating system for Microsoft, Windows 10 had secured almost 30% adoption, nearly twice as much as Windows 11 has managed. Although that said, Windows 11 is hampered somewhat because some people can’t upgrade, as their PC doesn’t meet the more stringent requirements (particularly on the security front), so Microsoft will have expected migration to be slower when they baked those elements into the design of the OS.
Overall, Windows 11 made reasonable headway in applying important interface changes, for sure, but we’d like to see more progress still, and especially a better effort in combating bugs, with an overhaul long overdue for Microsoft’s QA processes in our opinion.
(Image credit: Future)
Surface so-so
Just like any other year, another bunch of refreshed Surface devices emerged.
In June we got our first glimpse of the Surface Laptop Go 2, which wasn’t hugely different to the original laptop, but made some useful improvements, and remains a great choice for a compact notebook.
Then in October, at a big Microsoft event we witnessed the revelation of the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5, alongside the Surface Studio 2+.
This wasn’t the best crop of Surface hardware for Microsoft, sadly. For starters, the Surface Laptop 5 failed to wow us, turning out to be spectacularly middle-of-the-road. Not terrible, but hampered by performance issues, and definitely not worth the hefty asking price pinned to the laptop.
The Surface Pro 9 turned out to be a better device, for sure, taking some laudable steps forward from the Pro 8. It also made an interesting move in having two flavors: a 5G model with a Qualcomm SQ3 (ARM) CPU, and a version with an Intel processor, the former being a great option for some (businesspeople on the move, for instance), albeit with ARM-related gremlins in the works. The Pro 9 remained pricey, but an undeniably slick device overall, and a good upgrade from its predecessor in the performance stakes.
The Surface Studio 2+ received just a minor upgrade, as the 2+ (rather than a 3) denoted, but Microsoft implemented some solid changes, albeit nothing particularly exciting. Which about sums up what happened on the Surface front overall: nothing bad, by any means – certainly not with the Surface Pro 9 – but nothing great, either.
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)
Game for an acquisition
In January, Microsoft pounced to buy gaming giant Activision Blizzard in a huge acquisition for close to $70 billion. Yes, that Activision – the one with franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and many other big-name games in its stable.
The magnitude of this deal can’t be underestimated, meaning that in the future, Xbox Game Pass owners could get the next Call of Duty blockbuster for nothing as part of that subscription (whereas PlayStation fans will have to stump up cash, and we’re all very familiar with the eye-watering cost of games these days).
Indeed, the ripples from this deal are still ongoing now, because at the time of writing this piece, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit to block Microsoft’s acquisition on the grounds that it could suppress rivals to the Xbox console.
Naturally, Microsoft has given us a whole raft of assurances on how it won’t throw its weight around in anti-competitive fashion after snapping up Activision, but there are plenty of doubters, and the FTC points to Microsoft’s past history and the ZeniMax (Bethesda) acquisition. While in that case, promises were also made about not withholding games from rival consoles, the FTC observes that post-acquisition, titles like Starfield, Redfall, and Elder Scrolls 6 were made Xbox exclusives.
Microsoft’s Activision buyout could still come a cropper at the final hurdles, then, potentially.
(Image credit: Shutterstock.com / Butsaya)
Ads nauseum – but with a glimmer of something positive?
While you might expect to see ads in a web browser, you don’t in your operating system. Because, you know, you paid good money for that OS, in the case of Windows anyway (or good money for the machine it came on, and that was part of the bill).
But ads taking up real-estate in Windows menus or panels again became a worry in 2022, as Microsoft tested – and note, these were just experiments that didn’t come to the release version of Windows 11 – adverts for OneDrive in the user session (shutdown) menu. And even more galling, the company briefly flirted with ads in File Explorer too, that central pillar of the Windows interface. That those waters were even tested is a concern, really.
All this could make you think that adverts are going to be a thorn in the side of Windows 11 users in the future – especially given Microsoft’s past form, this is not a new thing, of course – but instead, another possibility emerged late in the year.
Namely the notion that Microsoft could be angling towards low-cost PCs which are sold on subscription, rely on cloud services, and are supported by ads (to make them cheaper – so there’d be a benefit in this case). This was just a rumor, picked up (in November) via a Microsoft job listing, but earlier in July of this year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about incorporating ads in its products.
There were clearly heard groans at this prospect, but as we observed, in a cost-of-living crisis, where not everyone might be able to afford a new PC, this could be a good thing to make Windows computers more accessible to those struggling with money.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Blackboard)
Head in the clouds
Speaking of cloud services tied in with those ad-supported cheap PCs, this is an area where Microsoft went from strength to strength during 2022. Cloud revenue was strong right from the start of the year, and then in October, Microsoft’s Q1 2023 fiscal results showed that while the Windows division faltered – and was down 15%, in fact, partly due to the slump in PC sales this year – cloud revenue was buoyed by 24% compared to the same quarter in 2021.
Microsoft made $25.7 billion in just one quarter – over half its total revenue for that period – if you had any doubt about where the future lies for swelling the software giant’s coffers.
Concluding thoughts
With the PC slump, it wasn’t the best year for Microsoft – but cloud revenue was a clear highlight, and going by those various experiments with advertising in Windows 11, the company may have future plans to stoke profits in a different way, with low-cost ad-supported systems.
2022 was a pretty run-of-the-mill year for Surface hardware, albeit with some solid upgrades for some devices. And Windows 11 was a similar case of some reasonable progress being made, in the main, albeit with thorny asides in the form of bugs. However, a highlight with Windows 11 was seeing Microsoft listen more to user feedback, although arguably, some of the introductions made based on popular demand should have been addressed more swiftly.
That mammoth Activision Blizzard acquisition very much remains something to watch, as it’ll have potentially huge ramifications for the gaming industry next year if it goes through; but it feels like there’s still a distinct possibility of it coming off the rails.
Fans, admirers and former colleagues honored broadcast legend Barbara Walters, who died Friday at age 93, hailing her talent and skill as a journalist and the barriers she blew open for women in media over her decades in the business.
“Barbara Walters never flinched when questioning the world’s most powerful people. She held them accountable. She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting. We are all better off because of her,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
“Barbara was a true legend, a pioneer not just for women in journalism but journalism itself. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said.
“I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades, but more importantly I was able to call her a dear friend. She will be missed by all of us at the Walt Disney Company,” Iger continued.
“#BarbaraWalters was a trailblazer. She was a mentor to me as well as a friend. So many women broke into the news business because she did her job well,” Maria Shriver said. “She worked so hard & helped a lot of younger women such as myself. Thank you, Barbara, for everything. You paved the way for all of us. You truly did. #RIP.”
“Barbara Walters was an American institution. As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included. Her impact cannot be overstated. I’ll miss you, Barbara. Thank you for everything,” actress Lynda Carter wrote.
Read on for a sampling of other tributes.
She worked so hard & helped a lot of younger women such as myself. Thank you, Barbara, for everything. You paved the way for all of us. You truly did. #RIPhttps://t.co/8yS19mb7Wn
Amid some controversy long forgotten, I briefly defended Barbara Walters and her journalism. Four days letter a hand-written note arrived. It was heartfelt, modest and touching. I ran into her years later and she reminded me of it. RIP to a great soul. https://t.co/D925ISJN78
Barbara Walters was an American institution. As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included. Her impact cannot be overstated. I’ll miss you, Barbara. Thank you for everything. pic.twitter.com/HokDilM6Rj
We have lost a true legend with the passing of Barbara Walters. Such a trail blazer. Such a generous woman – I learned so much from working with her. pic.twitter.com/k9PT6d8Xdz
Barbara Walters was always kind and generous with me. She was an amazing conversationalist and gave me great advice which I incorporated into my interview technique. A legend has passed. #BarbaraWalters
Rest in peace to the legendary Barbara Walters who not only opened so many doors for women in news but also gave us iconic moments like this. pic.twitter.com/VTPn4K3wjb
Barbara Walters never flinched when questioning the world’s most powerful people. She held them accountable. She cared about the truth and she made us care too. Fortunately, she inspired many other journalists to be just as unrelenting. We are all better off because of her.
Guillermo del Toro (director, producer), Mark Gustafson (director), Alexander Bulkley, Corey Campodonico, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar (producers)
Netflix
A darker version of the classic children’s fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy.
2
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”
Dean Fleischer-Camp (director and producer), Andrew Goldman, Elisabeth Holm, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey (producers)
A24
Feature adaptation of the animated short film interviewing a mollusk named Marcel.
3
“Turning Red”
Domee Shi (director), Lindsey Collins (producer)
Pixar
A 13-year-old girl named Meilin turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.
4
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”
Joel Crawford (director), Mark Swift (producer)
DreamWorks Animation
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
5
“Wendell & Wild”
Henry Selick (director, producer), Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jordan Peele (producers)
Netflix
Two scheming demon brothers, Wendell and Wild, must face their arch-nemesis, the demon-dusting nun Sister Helly, and her two acolytes, the goth teens Kat and Raul. However, Raul cannot see them so Kat helps Wendell and Wild to help him.
A cursed dancer and a musician stun society with electrifying concerts in this animated rock opera.
7
“Lightyear”
Angus MacLane (director), Galyn Susman (producer)
Pixar
While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source.
8
“Strange World”
Don Hall (director), Roy Conli (producer)
Walt Disney Pictures
The legendary Clades are a family of explorers whose differences threatened to topple their latest and most crucial mission.
9
“Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood”
Richard Linklater (director, producer), Mike Blizzard, Bruno Felix, Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting (producers)
Netflix
A coming-of-age story set in the suburbs of Houston, Texas in the summer of 1969, centered around the historic Apollo 11 moon landing.
10
“The Bad Guys”
Rebecca Huntley, Damon Ross (producers), Pierre Perifel (director)
Universal Pictures
To avoid prison, a gang of notorious animal criminals pretend to seek being rehabilitated, only for their leader to secretly find that he genuinely wants to change his ways.
Other Top-Tier Contenders
11
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie”
Loren Bouchard, Bernard Derriman, George Chang, Janelle Momary, Nora Smith
20th Century Studios
12
“Minions: The Rise of Gru”
Kyle Balda (director), Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, Chris Renaud (producers)
Universal Pictures/Illumination
13
“Eternal Spring”
Jason Loftus (director, producer), Kevin Koo, Yvan Pinard (producers)
Lofty Sky Distribution
14
“Charlotte”
Tahir Rana, Éric Warin (directors), Jérôme Dopffer, Eric Goossens, Anton Roebben, Julia Rosenberg (producers)
Good Deed Entertainment
15
“The Sea Beast”
Chris Williams (director, producer) Jed Schlanger (producer)
Netflix
16
“My Father’s Dragon”
Nora Twomey (director), Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn, Tomm Moore, Paul Young (producers)
Netflix
17
“Run, Tiger, Run!”
Xiaozhen Jiang, Zongqing Yang, Jianru Zhang, Xiuping Liu, Hongliang Niu, Stanley Tsang, Bo Wang, Joey Zou, Yuanwen Ji (directors)
Soular Animation
18
“Luck”
Peggy Holmes (director), John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, David Eisenmann (producers)
It has been raining women-centric films on streaming sites in recent months. While Jyothika’s Ponmagal Vandhal, Keerthy Suresh’s Penguin and Anushka Shetty’s just out Nishabdham disappointed me, Aishwarya Rajesh’s Ka Pae Ranasingam – the first Tamil movie to run on Direct-To-Home Zeeplex (with a one-time viewing charge of Rs 199, valid for six hours after one starts the movie) – is an admirable effort.
We saw Aishwarya some years ago in Kaaka Muttai (remade by Samit Kakkad in Marathi as Half Ticket), as the young mother of two boisterous boys. With their father in jail, the woman has to struggle to eke out a living. Aishwarya was extraordinary in a very moving film made by Manikandan.
In her latest outing, Ka Pae Ranasingam, she plays a young wife whose husband, Ranasingam (Vijay Sethupathi in a longish cameo) goes to Dubai to brighten his family’s fortunes. An accident there kills him, and the movie is all about Aishwarya’s Ariyanchi, who stands up and fights a lethargic system of political and bureaucratic insensitivity.
We saw such behaviour in Mukesh Bhatt’s 1984 Saaranash (in which Anupam Kher debuts), where a distraught father, trying to grapple with the death of his young son in America in a mugging incident, is forced to run from pillar to post in order to collect the ashes. It was an extraordinary work that underlined how unfeeling Indian administration is to grief and suffering.
Ka Pae Ranasingam, based on a true incident, is also about a political bureaucracy that could not care less about a young widow’s anguish. The story unfolds in a small village in Tami Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district, where Ranasingam is a local activist, adored by his people. He puts their plight before his own or his family’s, and when he dies in Dubai, Ariyanchi is forced to trek from one office to another, one city to another to get her husband’s body back.
There is a very sad scene in which she hears the news of actress Sridevi’s body being bought back from Dubai in no time, while Ariyanchi has been waiting for 10 months with not even a flicker of hope.
The twist at the end is extremely disturbing and points to utter cruelty on the part of Ranasingam’s company and the Indian administration.
The film is inconsistent and too long, but we remain with the young woman and her family. We empathise with her horrific situation, and fully understand her last action when she confronts the car carrying the Prime Minister. A little far fetched may be, but Ka Pae Ranasingam makes its point as a matter-of-fact and quite fearlessly.
We are reminded, time and again, how India’s have-nots are really nobody, enjoying hardly any rights. We saw this in the way migrant labourers were treated at the beginning of the current Coronavirus pandemic.
Aishwarya carries the work on her shoulders, conveying helpless anguish at the prospect of not being able to have one last glimpse of her husband. Sethupathi does make a significant mark, as usual. He is simply endearing as a young man in the first flush of love. His charismatic personality also makes him a darling of his village folk.
Ka Pae Ranasingam is certainly worth your time and money.
(Gautaman Bhaskaran is author, commentator and movie critic)
In 1994, the Coen Brothers, along with co-writer Sam Raimi, created what is arguably their most underrated and forgotten masterpiece, The Hudsucker Proxy. The New Year’s Eve movie starred Tim Robbins as college graduate Norville Barnes, looking to kick-start his business career and settling for a job in the mailroom of Hudsucker Industries. When Mr. Hudsucker himself jumps forty-five floors to his death, the company (led by a cigar-munching Paul Newman) decides to hire a proxy in his place, so stock will go down and the board can reclaim the shares for cheap.
However much of a bumbling idiot Norville seems, he does have some genius ideas for the company up his sleeve (cue the fantastic catchphrase that later pays off in multiple hilarious ways, “you know… for kids!”). Jennifer Jason Leighplays the “fast-talkin’ career gal” Amy Archer, hired as an undercover reporter to gage who Norville Barnes is as President of Hudsucker. Needless to say, his refreshing kindness and simplicity lead her to fall for him, and the romantic comedy subplot ensues. While time may have forgetten this classic comedy, New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to revisit it.
Just Because ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ Performed Poorly at the Box Office Doesn’t Mean We Should Count it Out
Image via Warner Bros.
The Hudsucker Proxy suffered at the box office, making only 44% of its budget. This low performance was likely due at least in part to a clunky title and an off-beat direction that makes far more sense now, after the release of the Coen Brothers’ subsequent three films – Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? At the time, though, the Coen Brothers’ storytelling style understandably alienated some viewers who perhaps hadn’t familiarized themselves with the directors’ quirky and quippy sensibility by 1994. Set in 1958, in the build-up to New Year’s Eve, The Hudsucker Proxy is a mile-a-minute comedy reminiscent of the Billy Wilder comedies of the era. Think 1960’s rom-com The Apartment meets 1952’s Kirk Douglas noir Ace in the Hole.
The Coen Brothers, in collaboration with Sam Raimi, are clearly having fun with The Hudsucker Proxy, even if that came at the expense of box-office returns. The novelty of this period setting allows for several jokes relating specifically to inventions that took the world by storm, poking fun at those who doubted them when they were first pitched. Much like audiences’ reactions when this film, itself, was released! After 20 Coen Brothers movies, many of which – The Man Who Wasn’t There and Hail, Caesar! to name a few – have adopted this era and style, it’s the perfect time to rediscover and reevaluate their brilliantly clever New Year’s Eve romp.
‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ Is the New Year’s Equivalent to ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Frank Capra‘s 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life is often monikered as the greatest Christmas movie of all time. It embodies the holiday and all its highs and lows, and allows its characters and audiences alike to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas with every screening. It’s no surprise then that in creating their New Year’s Eve movie, the Coen Brothers devised a structure that paid homage to Capra’s post-war picture. Much like in It’s a Wonderful Life, the film opens with the all-seeing all-knowing voice of a higher power, telling us that our hero is at his lowest point, and is contemplating suicide. We cut back to the story’s opening where a young and excited George Bailey (James Stewart) or in the case of The Hudsucker Proxy, Norville Barnes, begin their respective stories.
Both movies are in essence the stories how the corruption of the corporate world and its responsibilities can turn a sweet man sour. When the hero is at the end of his rope, he jumps from a height only to be saved by an angel. In It’s a Wonderful Life, the angel Clarence (Henry Travers) sets the heart of the story in motion, taking George on A Christmas Carol journey of self-evaluation. However, The Hudsucker Proxy lovingly parodies this by giving us the ukulele-playing angel of Mr. Hudsucker, who killed himself the same way as Norville is currently attempting. This, paired with the addition of Moses (Bill Cobbs), makes for a double-whammy that keeps the Coens’ movie fresh and funny, never flying to close to the sun of imitation. Moses, the clock tower’s maintenance man, is revealed as the omniscient narrator, shoving his broom into the cogs, stopping both the clock and time itself. This allows Norville to stop falling and reconsider his decisions. Much like Capra’s classic, Hudsucker offers a unique brand of festive magic while keeping the story otherwise grounded in realism.
‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ Has an All-Star Cast
Image via Warner Bros.
Another thing this movie has in common with the Christmas flick is its fantastic ensemble cast. Tim Robbins gives an exceptional performance in which he fully commits to spearheading the film’s wackiness. Norville Barnes is truly the comedic performance of a lifetime, and the fact that he achieved such a feat in the same year as The Shawshank Redemption is mesmerizing. Two years after her terrifying turn as Hedra in Single White Female, Jennifer Jason Leigh shines as the headstrong female investigative reporter forced to adopt an aggression in order to stay afloat in a cutthroat man’s world. Both leading performances are so independently sculpted and yet allow themselves to be softened, not undermined, by the additional tone their believable romance together. In short, they carry the movie and all its heightened mid-Atlantic style with ease, but the real MVPs of The Hudsucker Proxy (much like with most Coen Brothers outings) is the cavalcade of supporting characters.
Having previously mastered the Coens’ brand of 40s-50s jargon in 1991’s Barton Fink, Frasier star John Mahoney turns in a fantastic performance as Amy’s boss at the newspaper. The fast-talking “Chief” operates as a surrogate J. Jonah Jameson type, a character Sam Raimi would eventually get to direct when played by J.K. Simmons in his own Spider-Man movie series. A frequent Raimi collaborator also graces the newspaper office scenes, as Army of Darkness‘ Bruce Campbell plays Smitty. Despite Campbell’s knack for larger-than-life characters in Ash vs Evil Dead and Bubba Ho-Tep, here Campbell plays a quieter role, making for an effective balance.
Special praise should be given too to The Wire‘s Jim True-Frost, who plays the elevator operator “Buzz, I got the fuzz, I make the elevator do what she does!” Buzz’ uniform resembles that of Steve Buscemi‘s Chet in Barton Fink, who in this film appears briefly as a “Beatnik Barman”. This blink-and-you-miss-it cameo was nothing new for Buscemi in 1994, who despite having played a prominent role in Quentin Tarantino‘s Reservoir Dogs two years prior, appeared as the Buddy Holly-themed waiter in that year’s Pulp Fiction. Buscemi would go on to star in the Coen’s next two features in more prominent roles. In Fargo alongside Peter Stormare, and in The Big Lebowski with John Goodman. Goodman himself features in Hudsucker too, as the voice-over in a news special about Norville Barnes.
Of course, this movie’s cast cannot be praised without mentioning the iconic Paul Newman as Sidney J. Mussburger. Newman’s appearance in his period-appropriate three-piece suit harks back to his iconic role in The Sting. Here, though, he gets to really chew the scenery (and multiple cigars) in the moustache-twirling role of the villain. The joy is contagious as Newman seems to be having the time of his life.
‘Tis the Season for ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’!
Image via Warner Bros.
‘Tis the season to come together with friends and family, and experience stories that remind us of the meaning of the holidays. But when Christmas day has come to an end, and people around the world find themselves with nothing to watch in the week that follows, there is a genre of which Hollywood has not yet fully taken advantage.
Although the New Year’s Eve movie is a phenomenon yet to be successfully capitalized upon, there is one movie that does everything one would expect from a festive film that takes place largely on December 31st. It’s the story of Norville Barnes, his rags-to-riches journey up the social ladder, his realization of the importance of love, and his decision to offer and receive “a second chance” – the true gift of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Master storytellers Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, and Sam Raimi team up with a stellar cast of familiar faces to deliver a truly underappreciated gem, and now is the time to rediscover it. With dramatic lows and hilarious highs, The Hudsucker Proxy is an impressive creation designed to entertain the whole family. “You know… for kids!”
Even though 2022 was packed with incredible games, 2023 is still going to be absolutely stuffed. It’s not a given that they will all be good when they come out, but there’s still plenty to look forward to. Here are ComingSoon’s top 50 most anticipated games slated for 2023.
Forspoken
January 24, 2023
Forspoken is one of the first big releases of the year. Its questionably quippy marketing campaign has painted a somewhat grim view of its dialogue, but its trailers have likewise demonstrated a magical, parkour-focused experience where traversal looks fast and effortless. And there’s not going to be much of a wait to see what side of Forspoken will be more dominant.
Dead Space Remake
January 27, 2023
It seems like a blessing from Michael Altman himself that the Dead Space remake is coming so soon after the immensely disappointing The Callisto Protocol. Dead Space is one of the greatest survival horror games of all time and Motive Studio has shown all the right signs that it gets how to update such a classic.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
January 31, 2023
There aren’t many licensed 3D platformers now, and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake seems positioned to address that drought. This spongy game doesn’t look like it will set a whole new standard for the genre and make Nintendo rethink its upcoming lineup, but The Cosmic Shake appears to have the charm, color, and collectibles that a decent platformer needs.
Season: A Letter to the Future
Jan 31, 2023
Season: A Letter to the Future sounds like a depressing game, as it’s about a character trying to catalog everything before a giant storm washes everything away. But with that darkness comes an inviting art style and laid-back gameplay mechanics focused on exploration and taking record of its various locations. It’s quite a jump between tones, but there’s potential for a thoughtful rumination on finding beauty in the midst of some very real-world problems.
Hogwarts Legacy
February 10, 2023
Hogwarts Legacy looks like the game Harry Potter fans have wanted for literal decades. Enrolling in Hogwarts, learning magic, and exploring in and around the constantly shifting school are elements made for an RPG and it seems as though Avalanche Software is well aware of that fantasy.
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
February 16, 2023
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is seemingly taking the simple but endlessly engaging rhythm gameplay from past Theatrhythm Final Fantasy games and finally putting it all on home consoles. It is also set to not only include songs from Final Fantasy but other staple RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Romancing SaGa, resulting in an experience that is aimed directly at RPG fans who want to interact with classic soundtracks.
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
February 21, 2023
Like a Dragon: Ishin! already came out in 2014, but this modern remake will bring it to a new audience since it never initially left Japan. This remake boasts improved visuals and now runs on Unreal Engine 3. But despite its new face, it still has Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s beating heart at the center of it, meaning it’ll be full of memorable characters and over-the-top action from the original.
Atomic Heart
February 21, 2023
Atomic Heart has been in development for so long that it seems like a troubled title. There are even reports alleging as much. However, the game shows well and seems like developer Mundfish has put enough of its own spin on the BioShock formula it was obviously inspired by. It might be a janky title that can’t hide its development woes or it could overcome them, but it is interesting either way.
Horizon Call of the Mountain
February 22, 2023
Horizon Call of the Mountain is shaping up to be one of PlayStation VR2’s first big titles. This adventure may not have the vast open world as the mainline entries, but it seems like it could make up for that with its new perspective. Admiring a Tallneck while shuffling around its huge feet sounds like it could be something special.
Resident Evil Village VR
February 22, 2023
Resident Evil Village is already one of the best Resident Evil games and its predecessor was an absolute terror in VR, so it isn’t hard to imagine that Resident Evil Village VR will be anything short of fantastic. Being able to dual-wield and witness House Beneviento in VR sounds like an equally terrifying and exhilarating way to put a fresh spin on such an incredible horror game. And, of course, there will be the people who just want to look up at Lady Dimitrescu and get stomped on in a way that the old versions can’t provide.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
March 3, 2023
Team Ninja is known for its action games like Ninja Gaiden and Nioh, so any other action game is going to carry that pedigree. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty seems similar to Nioh with its action-heavy take on soulslike combat and while that might not be the newest take, it’s hard to refuse a Team Ninja action game (that isn’t Ninja Gaiden 3).
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
March 17, 2023
Bayonetta 3 took a long time to come out, so it’s interesting that PlatinumGames has another Bayonetta game almost ready to go. However, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is not just another regular entry in the franchise since it is a spin-off that looks and plays differently than the numbered titles. Players control Cereza in her pre-Bayonetta days with the left Joy-Con and the demon Cheshire with the right Joy-Con. It’s unique, but something the series could use after three traditional installments.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
March 17, 2023
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was a great first attempt, but it just needed some refinement to reach its full potential. And it looks like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor could be that second shot that Respawn Entertainment needed to truly get it right. Its first gameplay trailer teases what’s to come and gives small glances into its expanded traversal and combat mechanics, two aspects that needed work in the original. Respawn has yet to put out anything less than great (except that VR Medal of Honor game) and it doesn’t look like that will change with Jedi: Survivor.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
March 24, 2023
Dead Space isn’t the only horror classic getting remade, as Capcom is continuing the trend and remaking Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 4 looks like it is retaining many of the big reasons why the original was so beloved, but adding and changing between the margins when appropriate. The intro is symbolic of this approach since it draws out the opening sequence into something more terrifying and mysterious. It’s got a lot to live up to, but it seems like Capcom is well aware of that and making all the right choices.
Amnesia: The Bunker
March 2023
Horror games can sometimes be hard to replay since many of them are so heavily scripted. Amnesia: The Bunker isn’t and that’s why it is so enticing. The Bunker is a much more open game than its predecessors where scares aren’t predetermined and players can explore where they want in the titular World War I bunker. It sounds new and ambitious and something the Amnesia team is quite qualified to tackle, given its expertise in the genre.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection
April 13, 2023
Capcom ran the Mega Man Battle Network series into the ground, but it’s been dead long enough to feel new again. This golden formula of tactically choosing chips from a menu and then using them in real-time is an engaging mix that still feels great today, as noted by games like One Step From Eden. Capcom has not only bundled these titles together for this collection, but also introduced a whole bunch of online functions to bring it into the modern era. It’s more than a slapdash port and something that seems designed to appeal to new and returning players.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
April 19, 2023
Horizon Forbidden West was one of the best games of 2022, so more of it is not a bad proposition. Not much is known about Aloy’s next small adventure, but given the quality of Frozen Wilds, Zero Dawn’s DLC, it’s likely that Burning Shores will provide a fitting tease of what’s to come in the inevitable third main entry. It’s also only coming to PS5 and not being shackled to the PS4 might mean Guerrilla Games can aim a little higher.
Dead Island 2
April 28, 2023
Almost no game has been through as much turmoil as Dead Island 2. But even though the game has gone through a few studios, it seems as though Dambuster Studios has wrangled it into something promising. Being able to bash zombies with all sorts of weapons and run around its interpretation of Los Angeles seems like it might be mindless, but in a way that might work well for co-op and those who just want to unplug.
Star Trek: Resurgence
April 2023
Star Trek: Resurgence seems fitting for Dramatic Labs, a new team made up of ex-Telltale Games developers, given the team’s history with games of this ilk and Star Trek’s penchant for deep stories. The narrative game formula isn’t as new as it once was, but a good story can excuse a possible lack of innovation.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
May 12, 2023
Nintendo has hardly shown The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but it’s difficult to not have astronomical expectations for the sequel to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo perhaps knows that surprises were key to Breath of the Wild‘s success and is playing Tears of the Kingdom close to its chest to preserve that sanctity.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
May 26, 2023
Rocksteady Studios has been working on Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League for so long that it seems like it will never come out. The team hasn’t even shown that much of this comic book game, either. Regardless, Rocksteady has a phenomenal track record and it won’t be that much longer until it’s clear if it was worth the wait.
Street Fighter 6
June 2, 2023
Street Fighter 6 seems like it is more than making up for Street Fighter V. It’s got an undeniable style and expanded mechanics, but also more modes for those who don’t just want to play competitively. If it all comes together, it could be one of Capcom’s best playable apologies since Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
Final Fantasy XVI
June 22, 2023
A new numbered Final Fantasy is a big deal and Final Fantasy XVI, appropriately, looks like a huge deal, especially with all of the larger-than-life beasts seen in its trailers. And with an M rating, inspirations from Game of Thrones, and current-gen exclusivity, it doesn’t seem that Square Enix is content with just going bigger with Final Fantasy XVI.
RoboCop: Rogue City
June 2023
Teyon’s surprising Terminator first-person shooter means that RoboCop: Rogue City is worth keeping an eye on. The brief trailer showed players mowing down thugs as Alex Murphy and generally looks smoother than the aforementioned Terminator title. It may still be a passable budget shooter when it finally releases, but that’s better than RoboCop has seen in the gaming space for some time.
Tchia
Early 2023
Tchia is another wholesome game that is set on an island inspired by New Caledonia, a place not typically seen in video games. But instead of just walking around like some stumpy human, players can inhabit any animal or object on the island, allowing for great freedom during combat and exploration. This unique mechanic combined with the setting and Breath of the Wild influences make Tchia seem like more than a relaxing, cutesy experience.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Between April 2022 and March 2023
Ubisoft has not given players much of a look at Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, but the allure of an open-world game set on Pandora is quite strong, especially right off the heels of Avatar: The Way of Water. It would also be ideal if Ubisoft tried to innovate and didn’t just rely on its usual bag of open-world tricks. Doing so might mean Ubisoft could make up for its tepidly received 2009 Avatar game.
Sea of Stars
Summer 2023
Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger was a great modern take on Ninja Gaiden and it seems like Sea of Stars is shaping up to be a contemporary homage to Chrono Cross. It’s a lot to live up to, but the studio has already shown that it can live up to the games it is obviously drawing from.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Summer 2023
Telltale Games’ first game since its collapse is going to be quite the spectacle since it will be the true test of whether or not it deserved to be revived. The Expanse: A Telltale Series looks like it was where the team wanted to go all along, given its added gameplay segments that go beyond picking dialogue options. It remains to be seen if that is enough, but it is promising.
Spider-Man 2
Fall 2023
Insomniac Games has already made two amazing Spider-Man games and there’s little reason to think it can’t add another to that list. That pair raised some interesting questions and opened the door for a truly wild follow-up, given the emphasis on Venom this one seems to have.
Cocoon
2023
Cocoon is a cute-looking puzzle adventure game from the lead designer behind Limbo and Inside. That’s an impressive pedigree on its own, but Cocoon also looks great in action with its core mechanic of being able to leap between worlds to solve puzzles. With a unique setup and interesting abilities, Cocoon is an indie title that could blossom into a beautiful experience.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
2023
Assassin’s Creed has gone so far up its own ass that it’s about time it went back to basics. Assassin’s CreedMirage is a callback to the first few entries where they were more open-world action games than open-world RPGs. That combined with its Middle-Eastern setting might just be what the series needs.
The Wolf Among Us 2
2023
The Wolf Among Us was one of Telltale Games’ best series and it’s been a grueling wait to see what happened after its cliffhanger ending. This new iteration of Telltale has yet to put out a new game, but it’s saying the right things about this long-anticipated follow-up.
Blasphemous II
2023
Blasphemous was one of the standout 2D soulslike action games, so its sequel is naturally interesting. The first game’s art style and take on religion and religious iconography made for such a unique world that deserves a second go. The Game Kitchen hasn’t released footage of the sequel, but did announce it through a trailer for the first game’s Wounds of Eventide expansion.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
2023
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals almost seems lost itself since it has been in the works for so long. Night School Studio has been toiling away on this adventure game sequel for a few years and shown very little of it. But given how Oxenfree thrives on intrigue, being vague may just be a fitting pre-release strategy.
Replaced
2023
Judging by the trailers, Replaced has some of the most stunning pixel art around, which is saying something given how many games use that art style. But those same trailers also reveal a loud and unique style in a cyberpunk world that makes a bold first impression. Sad Cat Studios has only revealed glimpses of its free-flow action combat and cinematic platforming, but they have a similar energy to the action seen in its cinematic moments. If the full game is as cohesive as its trailers, Replaced might be one of 2023’s indie darlings.
Pikmin 4
2023
Nintendo hasn’t divulged much about Pikmin 4, but it’s a charming series worth keeping an eye on. It’ll also be the first Switch-native entry, which is exciting in its own right. While it is a little alarming that it has been in development for so long — Shigeru Miyamoto first talked about it in 2015 — Nintendo is known for its commitment to quality.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
2023
Hollow Knight: Silksong, the highly anticipated sequel to the acclaimed search action platformer Hollow Knight, is finally set to come out in 2023. It’s been a long time coming, but it re-emerged from its cocoon at the Xbox + Bethesda Showcase just long enough to prove that it still existed. And for most, that’s more than enough.
Lollipop Chainsaw Remake
2023
Lollipop Chainsaw is a weird game that’s hard to play now since it isn’t backward compatible on Xbox systems, never came out on PC, and incompatible with current PlayStation hardware since it was on the PS3. This all makes it a prime target for a remake. The original’s weird controls will ideally be smoothed out without paving over Suda 51’s weird style and James Gunn’s (yes, that James Gunn) raunchy humor.
Lies of P
2023
Some games have tried to emulate Bloodborne’s style, but none have even come close to nailing what FromSoftware achieved. It’s very unlikely that Lies of P will hit some of those same highs, but it is one of the more promising Bloodborne-inspired games due to its striking visuals and impressive enemy design. Mixing that formula with Pinocchio is quite a take, but it remains to be seen if it will be more than the sum of its parts.
Exoprimal
2023
It may not be Dino Crisis 4, but Capcom is still making dinosaur games with Exoprimal. This co-op shooter seems ridiculous with its dinosaur weather forecasts that dump an absurd amount of reptilian beasts onto players. There’s not exactly a dearth of co-op horde shooters, but not enough of them have hordes and hordes of dinos, and that alone may give Exoprimal its spot within in the crowded genre.
Goodbye Volcano High
2023
Goodbye Volcano High may also not be Dino Crisis 4, but it isn’t trying to be. Goodbye Volcano High frames the impending extinction event through the lens of anthropomorphic teenage dinosaurs, which is quite unique. These types of games can either be heartfelt or extremely cringeworthy, but it’s at least got a setup all its own.
Ereban: Shadow Legacy
2023
Stealth games are rare nowadays, which makes Ereban: Shadow Legacy stick out. This fast-paced stealth action platformer has sneaking in it, but most of it seems to be more aggressive than what the genre typically sees. Players can harness shadow powers to move quickly without being seen and use that agility to strike their robotic foes; the choice is up to them. It’s an intriguing concept, particularly in an underserved genre.
Moving Out 2
2023
Moving sucks, but it didn’t in the first Moving Out. This co-op sequel in the vein of Overcooked is bigger and, according to the team, sillier than the first game with more characters and twice as many levels. Moving Out 2 now has online play and cross-platform multiplayer, too, meaning more people can get in on this expanded follow-up.
Starfield
2023
Bethesda Game Studios hasn’t made a single-player RPG in some time, especially one set in a whole new world. Starfield is also Bethesda Game Studio’s first crack at a space-faring adventure, so the team has been given the opportunity to adapt its signature RPG formula to a new frontier. It could also be somewhat of a comeback story since Fallout 76 was maligned at launch and Fallout 4, while received moderately well, didn’t scratch that itch for some fans.
Aliens: Dark Descent
2023
Recent Aliens games are usually terrible to passable shooters, but Aliens: Dark Descent is taking the series to a different genre: real-time strategy. This shift might make battles a little more engaging than constantly holding down the trigger, which is often the case in those aforementioned shooters. With the potential for permanent losses and the ability to forge unique paths ahead, Aliens: Dark Descent might be more thoughtful than most other Aliens games and why it is something to look out for.
Alan Wake 2
2023
Remedy Entertainment fired on all cylinders with Control, so anything after that was going to have a lot to live up to. And seeing as though Alan Wake and Control are now part of the same universe, that anticipation has only risen. The narrative possibilities are endless, but its gameplay is also exciting, too, since Remedy is calling this a true survival horror game. It’s a swerve from its usual brand of sci-fi or supernatural thriller, but if any team can pull off this transition, it’s Remedy.
Judas
2023
Judas sure does look like Bioshock, which is absolutely fantastic; there just aren’t many shooters like Bioshock anymore. And it makes sense, too, given how it is Ken Levine’s first game since being creative director on 2013’s Bioshock Infinite. The unique world and swath of otherworldly powers are incredibly appealing, but its unique narrative structure is more enticing since it reportedly reacts and adapts to the player’s choices. It’s mighty ambitious and it will be remarkable if the team can actually pull it off.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
2023
Armored Core was always somewhat of a niche series, but there are a lot more FromSoftware fans now, given the explosive success of the studio’s recent gameography. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is not going to be Elden Ring with mechs, though, as From has stated it has actively tried to not make it a soulslike. But the team has noted that it will focus heavily on boss battles and customization, which are two lauded aspects of From’s recent output, as well as aggressive combat. No gameplay has been shown yet, but these descriptions paint a picture of a game that might make Armored Core fans out of a lot of soulslike players.
The Lords of the Fallen
2023
CI Games is known for being very, very inspired by FromSoftware’s games, and it’s not a given that The Lords of the Fallen will break away from the derivative nature of the team’s titles. However, The Lords of the Fallen still does look incredibly pretty and a bit more inspired this time around with its more striking environments and enemy designs.
Thirsty Suitors
2023
There aren’t any games like Thirsty Suitors. It’s a narrative adventure with turn-based RPG battles against ex-partners, skateboarding, and cooking, all with a South Asian cast. Thirsty Suitors has a lot to juggle, but it seems like it has a high chance of sticking out no matter the quality of its many systems.
Over a dozen married couples have been nominated for Academy Awards in the same year. The list begins with Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, who were both nominated in best actor and actress in 1932 for “The Guardsman.” Most recently, that roster includes Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, nominated for “Being the Ricardos” and “Parallel Mothers” in 2021. This year, if the animated short film “New Moon” is among the five films given a nod on Jan. 24, co-writers and producers Colman Domingo and Raul Domingo will become the first same-sex married couple ever nominated in any category.
On this episode of the award-winning VarietyAwards Circuit Podcast, we talk to both Colman and Raul Domingo about collaborating on their new short film, which was announced as one of the 15 shortlisted by the Academy Awards. The duo discusses working together and bringing this personal story to the screen. In addition, Colman Domingo teases his upcoming roles as “Mister” in the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” and Bayard Rustin in the George C. Wolfe drama “Rustin.” More importantly, he confirms exclusively to Variety that he will begin making his feature directorial debut in 2023. Listen below:
An imaginative journey, “New Moon” tells the story of young Jay Jay and his mother Edie, as their inner-city dreams are illuminated by the new moon in their backyard of West Philadelphia.
Also on this episode, we sit down with “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” star Janelle Monáe to discuss her multi-faceted role in Rian Johnson’s whodunit sequel. The star also teases when we could expect new music, and her journey into the acting space that began with the Oscar-winning “Moonlight” and Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures” (2016).
Finally, the Awards Circuit Roundtable discusses the box office performance of Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” the dropping of “Glass Onion” on Netflix and how our holidays went.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, who also co-hosts with Clayton Davis, is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races, industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post weekly.
Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson are two peas in a pod, considering they both have a tendency to tell the press ridiculous lies about themselves. For instance, Waterhouse once said that she rinses her hair with Coca-Cola, but admitted she lied because she was “bored” seven years later. In 2012, Pattinson famously told a story about watching a clown die at a circus while promoting the film Water for Elephants, only to reveal he “made the whole thing up” because he didn’t know what else to say.
The pretty little liars have been linked since 2018 and have basically been inseparable ever since. Here’s a timeline of Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse’s relationship, from when it all started to their red carpet debut four years later, and beyond.
2018
July 30, 2018:E! publishes a photo of Suki and Robert showing some PDA on a date night in London. The couple saw Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again at the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill and got drinks at Soho House afterward. Now, this is an ideal date. No wonder they are still going strong…
August 2018: A source confirms to Us Weekly that the pair have been dating “for months.” The source also said that they have “known each other and been around each other for a long time,” and that they “definitely have a love of music in common.” You mean the Mama Mia! Here We Go Again soundtrack?
2019
January 11, 2019: Pattinson joins Waterhouse at an intimate celebration in London for her 27th birthday. Guests included Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne.
January 27, 2019: Pattinson and Waterhouse hold hands on a walk in London.
April 2019: Pattinson is asked about Waterhouse during an interview with The Sunday Times, but he doesn’t really respond. “If you let people in, it devalues what love is. If a stranger on the street asked you about your relationship, you’d think it extremely rude,” he says. “If you put up a wall it ends up better. I can’t understand how someone can walk down the street holding hands, and it’s the same as when I do it and a hundred people are taking your photo. The line between when you’re performing and when you’re not will eventually get washed away and you’ll go completely mad.”
May 2019: Waterhouse is photographed attending 33rd Pattinson’s birthday dinner at the Chateau Marmont.
June 2019: The couple reportedly goes on a double date with Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, per Us Weekly.
September 4, 2019: Sofia Malamute shares a photo of the pair cuddled up during a trip to Ibiza.
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2020
January 17, 2020: Waterhouse sparks engagement rumors by wearing a ring on her left ring finger to Dior’s Perfume Dinner at Caviar Kaspia in Paris, France.
Interview with Carol Burnett from Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
Carol Burnett at ceremony for the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Photo by Paul Morse.
“Little girls, little girls, everywhere I look I can see them,” bellowed the voice of Carol Burnett through my television set.
The malicious, yet endearing, quality of Burnett’s Ms. Hannigan character in the 1982 film “Annie,” captivated me as a little girl. I just could not understand how someone so funny and musical could be so mean. Mean, yet hilarious. She could sing, yet she didn’t take herself too seriously. Carol Burnett’s Ms. Hannigan was an iconic part of my growing up. The irony is, “mean” is not a word anyone would use to describe the real life Burnett.
I don’t know when I learned about Carol Burnett outside of “Annie,” but it seems to be that she has always been there. Her humor, physicality and voice have been omnipresent. I wish I could remember the first time I saw her iconic “Went with the Wind” sketch or heard her sing with Julie Andrews. What I do remember is watching and learning how a strong woman could command a stage.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
Interview with Betty White from Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
“I’m so glad we had this time together,” are not only the concluding lyrics to each episode of “The Carol Burnett Show,” but is the sentiment reflected by the interviewees in “Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character.” Funny, smart, charismatic and relatable, Burnett has been bringing people joy for decades. While many who grew up watching Burnett on both the big and silver screens can reflect on the comedy, excitement and personality that she brought to America’s television sets, her friends and colleagues interviewed reaffirm that not only is she great to watch, but she is a loving, hardworking and hilarious woman in real life, too.
“The Carol Burnett Show” ran on CBS from 1967-1978 as one of the only variety shows with a female star and one of the longest running variety shows to boot. Airing on Saturday nights before the news, “The Carol Burnett Show” was one of the last of its genre.
The production team and stars, including Vicki Lawrence, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, along with Burnett herself, reminisce about the magic of the show’s creation. Other interviewees have had the opportunity to work with Burnett, meet her, or just admire the content that she created.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
Interview with Vicki Lawrence from Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
For Vicki Lawrence, who was told throughout school that she bore a striking resemblance to Burnett, getting a job on the show as a teenager was equivalent to attending the “Harvard School of Comedy in front of America,” because she got to work so closely with some of the greatest comedians of her time, while becoming one herself. “Everything wonderful in my life,” she says, “I owe to Carol.” Lawrence discusses Burnett’s selflessness in the writing room and the opportunities she received because of Burnett’s influence.
Lawrence’s cast mates agree that Burnett was not only the star of the show, but the heart. The cast raved about Burnett’s selflessness and willingness to do what it takes to foster not only great comedy, but a great working environment as well. Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, two of the shows leading players, both remarked how “The Carol Burnett Show” ran so smoothly and how that was unlike anything else they’ve worked on.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
Interview with Tim Conway from Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
Despite being on air during the height of the Second Wave Feminist Movement, Burnett refused to take jabs at anything overtly political. In the opinion of the cast, hosting her own show was a statement in and of itself, and having a successful show took it to another level. Instead, the comedy in her show was musical and theatrical. The sketches were long and inspired by classic movies and personal experiences of the writers. “Carol would never do well in politics for the simple reason that she is likable,” said Conway.
“You just felt welcomed by the whole show,” said Jon Cryer of “Two and a Half Men,” who grew up watching the show and following Burnett’s career. Her success in show business can be credited to the fact that “she is natural, she is open, she is vulnerable,” said Korman.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
Interview with Phyllis Diller from Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character
The interviews featured in the archive highlight the joyous side of Hollywood. Carol Burnett’s impact on all the interviewees reinforce that she continues to be a hilarious, kind and selfless soul who uses her talents to spread love and laughter. “I worship Carol,” harped Phyllis Diller, a famous comedian in her own right who came up in show business around the same time as Burnett, “everything was right!”
The chaos created for travellers with Sunwing Vacations by widespread flight cancellations over the past week has prompted plenty of finger pointing, but the union representing the airline’s pilots says staffing issues aren’t to blame.
Sunwing on Thursday pointed to its proposed plan to add dozens of temporary foreign pilots to its workforce ahead of the busy holiday travel season as one reason it was forced to suddenly suspend all operations at Saskatchewan’s two international airports until early February. The move was opposed by the union and was ultimately scrapped in early December.
But Bruce Snow, a national representative for Unifor, said no amount of additional pilots could have prevented the impacts of severe winter weather on Sunwing’s operations. The airline is also solely responsible for the extended delays travellers are facing to get back home, he added.
“From the pilots’ perspective, from the pilots that we represent, the pilots are available to fly,” Snow said Friday.
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“It’s strictly an operational issue that the company has to deal with to ensure that they schedule the flights and they schedule pilots to fly the planes.”
Sunwing said in a statement Friday that it had planned to supplement seasonal demand for travel from Saskatoon and Regina with the assistance of temporary foreign pilots for the winter months.
“When foreign pilot deployment was not agreed to, we brought in sub-services to sustain our operations, however, the conditions and schedule have proven too significant,” the airline said.
“We have attempted to reposition Sunwing aircraft to support but have been unable to do so as a result of flight delays and cancellations brought on by recent weather disruptions, and heavy demand over the peak holiday period.”
We had hoped to supplement demand from Saskatoon and Regina with the assistance of temporary foreign pilots. Sadly foreign pilot deployments were not agreed to and the conditions and schedule have proven too significant for our subserviced partners to keep up with. -SK
The airline is still scrambling to bring hundreds of passengers home from destinations including Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after winter storms disrupted its operations over the holidays.
The company said Friday it has 43 flights planned for this week, 34 of which have either already operated or will be complete by the end of the day.
In early November, Unifor objected to Sunwing’s use of the federal temporary foreign worker program over safety concerns, saying the roughly 65 foreign pilots the airline wanted to bring on would have come from countries with less rigorous training requirements. Sunwing backed down a month later.
John Gradek, an aviation management lecturer at McGill University in Montreal, said the decision to abandon the staffing plan may have had an impact.
But he agreed the inability of Sunwing and other airlines to properly counter the winter weather could not be ignored.
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“This is Canada,” he told Global News in an interview Friday. “This is not Barbados. This is not beautiful, sunny, southern Florida. Snowstorms happen in Canada in the wintertime.
“The level of disruption … this is one for the books. This is not one that I would look at to be an exemplary way for the airlines to handle snowstorms, and something’s got to be done.”
Sunwing passengers continue to navigate luggage fiasco
Gradek added this month’s chaos was especially egregious after the federal government and airlines promised in November that improvements would be made after travellers also faced long lines, cancellations and poor communication during the summer.
“And lo and behold, all of those wishes by the aviation community just didn’t come true,” he said.
What’s needed, he said, is more competition and better federal oversight, including accountability for airlines that prioritize profits and maximizing capacity over their operations and customer service.
He said it’s time for Ottawa to look at how it can ensure airline carriers can actually deliver on the schedules they promise and sell to the public.
“The system is broken,” he said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre echoed those comments during a press conference in Ottawa on Friday, blaming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government for the “miserable service” Canadians are experiencing.
“This is a federal problem,” Poilievre said.
“The solution, of course, is to have a Canadian Transportation Agency that holds airlines accountable for breaking their word to the people. That’s what the agency’s there for, it is a federal agency and it is the machinery of government that is the responsibility of the prime minister to make that agency work.”
Poilievre blames Trudeau for airport chaos across Canada, calls for federal accountability
The agency is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that operates at arms-length from the government, so measures Ottawa can take to address operational issues are limited.
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In response to Poilievre’s criticisms Friday, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra’s office said travellers’ frustrations over delayed and cancelled flights this holiday season are understandable, reiterating that what they’ve experienced is “unacceptable.”
WestJet acquisition looms
Spokesperson Ellen Kennedy would not say in a separate statement Thursday if the situation would impact Alghabra’s decision on whether to approve WestJet’s proposed acquisition of Sunwing, which the companies say they expect to be finalized by spring 2023.
“The public interest assessment has been completed and Minister Alghabra is carefully considering the transaction,” Kennedy said.
The Competition Bureau said in October it had concerns about the merger, saying it would likely result in higher prices and decreased service while creating an effective monopoly on at least 16 routes between Canada and Mexico or the Caribbean. The companies have disputed the watchdog’s claims, saying the routes in question make up a small portion of their operations.
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Transport minister ‘concerned’ about travellers stranded abroad
Gradek said there’s “no doubt in my mind” that the merger will be approved, and could even prevent a repeat of this holiday season by integrating Sunwing’s system with WestJet’s operations, which are “much more able to handle winter than Sunwing’s.”
While Air Canada, WestJet and other airlines also saw delays and cancellations, Sunwing saw larger issues due to its relatively small size, with fewer planes available to repatriate Canadians stuck in Mexico, Cuba and other vacation hotspots.
Passengers who did manage to return home say their Sunwing flights appeared “half-empty,” even as hundreds of Canadians remained stranded.
Many say they will think twice before trusting Sunwing with their vacation plans again.
“I’m really going to think about Plan B and Plan C now, that’s for sure, when we head out of the country,” said Rod Perkins, who finally returned to his B.C. home on Thursday with his wife Rachelle after the couple were stranded overnight in Cuba.
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The situation was made more unsettling when their flight was cancelled after they had already handed over their visitor visas — leaving them at the mercy of Sunwing, who took them to a new hotel and then back to the airport to experience more delays.
“(In the future we’ll want to) make sure the worst-case scenario is covered, which this was,” Perkins said.
— with files from Global’s Kyle Benning, Neetu Garcha and Teresa Wright, and the Canadian Press
Over 10 years ago, Netflix launched the streaming revolution, rethinking how we watch TV and movies and forcing the rest of the industry to adapt or die trying. But in 2022, the company saw ups and downs to say the least.
Wins for Netflix in 2022 include three of its most-watched titles of all time: “Stranger Things” Season 4, “Wednesday” and “Monster — Dahmer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” But those came after a rough start to the year, with major stock drops and subscriber losses that put the streamer’s reputation under intense scrutiny.
Netflix is often criticized, by fans and industry folks alike, for a high output of content that later gets buried on the platform. Case in point, a hefty 20 different series were canceled at Netflix this year. Some found solid fanbases and posted significant viewership numbers. But as Netflix TV exec Peter Friedlander told Variety in a wide-ranging interview about the state of the company’s scripted business, that’s not the only factor at play.
“When we have to make our decisions, it’s about the long term and the longer term viewing,” Friedlander said. “We always are looking at many variables.”
So that they don’t slip into complete oblivion, read on to remember all the shows canceled by Netflix in 2022.
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