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A version of this story about “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” first appeared in the Guild & Critics Awards/Documentaries issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

Louis Armstrong was a titan of American music and one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century, but his protean talent was at times ignored by those who thought he’d watered down his gifts to pander to a mainstream audience. Sacha Jenkins encompasses all sides of the monumental artist in a film that makes use of a treasure trove of audio recordings Armstrong left behind.

What was your initial exposure to Louis Armstrong?
I grew up in Queens. I knew there was a school named after him. I knew that he was a master at his instrument and that he could sing. But coming up in the ’80s and being a fan of Public Enemy and coming into my consciousness as a young Black man, Armstrong, based on what I was told about him, just didn’t fit into my consciousness. I knew the hits, but I never invested any time into knowing who he was because the perception that I had was that this guy was not about it, as they would say. And when Imagine called me with the opportunity to do the film and I did the research, I was completely floored by who Armstrong really was.

Who he was couldn’t have been more opposite of the perception I had of him or what I was told to believe about him. So it was such a great opportunity to tell a story about someone who, if you know anything about him, you think one thing, but really the truth is completely opposite of that.

But he wasn’t just one thing — he was a monumental figure who had so many sides to him. You could make a whole documentary series about him.
I’ve heard that one before, but this is the time we got. We tried to really maximize the opportunity. You know how it is — you’ve written about music, you were a music journalist at one point, as I was, and one criticism from a critic was, “Oh, there’s not enough musicology in there.” But I felt it was really important to tell the story of the man, because you can’t understand the music if you don’t understand the man. So my goal was to help people understand the man and give you enough information on the music to give you a baseline sort of entry level into his music. But his music is so vast and influential that you’d need several episodes to unpack that, and I couldn’t do that in one episode, one film.

Did you know that you would have access to these often brutally frank tapes that he made, telling his own story?
Yeah, that was one of the most appealing things. He wanted people to know about him, so there’s a vast archive of his personal effects and belongings. And when I learned that we would have access to Armstrong himself, to his voice, it doesn’t get any better than that. He’s able to put so many things into context. Whether or not he was a sellout? He tells you straight up in the film, in his own voice. He’s having a very open and honest conversation with a friend, so it’s like, “Oh, because you smile in a particular way, you’re a sellout.” And he’s like, “Get the f— outta here. I’ve never sold out in my life.” When you hear Armstrong using such strong language and being a human being, that was like, “All right, sign me up.”

The film includes people talking about him, but it’s almost always audio-only, not video. Was that always the plan?
Yeah. When you have Armstrong’s voice, what else do you need? It would be really jarring if you’re listening to Armstrong and then you cut to a talking head. This approach keeps you in Armstrong’s head, in his process, in his life and his, in his world.

The story told by Ossie Davis is one exception to that. He talks about feeling as if Armstrong was always performing for white people, and then catching him on a set when nobody was around and seeing the hurt and pain and anger in his face. It’s a riveting story, and we watch him tell it.
Obviously, the way he — I don’t wanna say he performs it, but the way he expresses himself is very powerful. The information on Ossie Davis’ face alone as he talks about Armstrong tells you a lot. And that moment crystallizes the thesis of the film and puts the nail on the coffin in terms of the perception of who he was. I think Ossie really captures who he was, who he really was, the true Armstrong.

I mean, you would think that I somehow got that out of him, that I somehow got someone to say that. It’s almost like I tell people that I believe Armstrong is the co-director on his film, because he left behind so many breadcrumbs and so many things that would make for an incredible film. He had the foresight to leave all of his belongings behind so people can study and appreciate him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew that one day, based on all the stuff that he left behind, someone would make a film like this. So I gotta give him at least half of the credit.

Read more from the Guild & Critics Awards/Documentaries issue here.

Photographed by Jeff Vespa for TheWrap

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A version of this story about “Louis

Video

UK rock band Idles graced the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio, where members Joe Talbot and Mark Bowen recalled its importance as one of the first US venues they played when they started out more than a decade ago, to play songs off their latest album “Crawler” for “Live From My Den.” Bowen, the band’s guitarist, participated in a separate interview but missed the recorded performance as he was on paternity leave following the birth of his first child.

“[The Beachland Ballroom]’s got history, and its history is on its sleeve and it’s something rare these days,” Talbot remarked about the intimate, 500-capacity venue. “The last thing you want as a human being that thrives off of other human beings as an artist is to have a sterile environment in which to express yourself. There’s something intangible and magic about the humanity of this small venue and everything it carries. It’s a special, special place and this is my favorite venue.”

The band’s endearing sentimentality toward the Cleveland venue became the inspiration for the song carrying the Ballroom’s name off their 2021 record “Crawler,” which was recently nominated for best rock album at the upcoming Grammy awards. Of the song, Bowen said the song was purposely produced to sound like it was recorded in an empty ballroom, and its combined rock and soul tones made it feel appropriate to them to name it after the venue.

“[The song chronicled] that moment where we went from being a band doing toileters in the UK and having four people there to then stepping forward and playing a show where there’s 17 people out at the
Beachland Tavern and then going to like a sold out show at the Beachland Ballroom,” Bowen said. “It kind of had that defiance because no one thought we were going to ever achieve that or that it would ever happen. It was all just a pipe dream.”

Of their Grammy-nominated “Crawler,” Talbot reflected on its recent one-year anniversary and talked about how proud he was of how it turned out, along with how much it has better informed his own understanding of himself.

“[‘Crawler’ is] our best album. It’s our most accomplished musically. And I think it’s beautiful,” Talbot said. “It helped me understand a lot to do where I’ve come from and what I want from my life. I mostly feel a very strong sense of gratitude that’s fueled myself in the band for the last year. It’s been amazing.”

Watch the full performance above.

This season of Live from My Den is made possible by Hard Rock and in partnership with Fujifilm X Series US.

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UK rock band Idles graced the Beachland

Entertaintment

[This story contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Willow.]

It’s been 34 years since Warwick Davis last played the Nelwyn sorcerer Willow Ufgood, but now he’s back to lead a new generation of heroes on another world-saving adventure in the Disney+ series Willow. Davis first joined the Lucasfilm family as Wicket, the courageous young Ewok in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and his Star Wars collaborators would ultimately inspire his latest performance as an older Willow.

Specifically, Davis referenced Mark Hamill’s portrayal of Luke Skywalker in Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

“The one thing I took note of in particular was Mark Hamill returning to Luke Skywalker [in Star Wars: The Last Jedi] and how he went about the approach for that,” Davis tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought he was really interesting, and it wasn’t the expected approach, certainly. He came at it from quite a different angle, and I also did the same. I noticed that Mark didn’t try to play the character younger. He just leaned into his more mature years, and that’s really what I did as Willow.”

In a recent conversation with THR, Davis also discusses his family’s roles on the show, before recalling a moment of improv from the 1988 film involving Val Kilmer’s beloved rogue, Madmartigan. 

Congratulations on the return of our greatest sorcerer.

Thank you very much indeed.

Warwick Davis in Lucasfilm’s WILLOW exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

So did Jonathan Kasdan start gauging your interest in this revival during your time on Solo: A Star Wars Story?

He did indeed. We were on the set of Solo, and I was looking very much like an older version of Willow, with my long hair as Weazel. And he started talking about how much he loved Willow and the fact that he’d been inspired by the film as a young writer. But the thing that really pushed it into high gear was when Ron Howard came on to direct Solo. He and Jon then chatted about Willow, and Jon again said what a huge fan he was of the film. So Ron and Jon hit it off immediately, and they started talking about the future of Willow. “What could it be? Another movie? A TV series? Where could it go?”

And John then started writing and coming up with ideas. Every so often, he’d give me a call and say, “Hey Warwick, I’ve come up with this great idea. What do you think of it?” So that’s how the project developed, really. For me, it was always something that was on the horizon, but until you start your first day on set, I’ve learned that as an actor, you should never take these things for granted that they’re going to happen. Development of TV and film projects are notoriously very slow and very unreliable, but this came together and worked out. 

There’s been talk over the years, of course, but did it ever gain any real traction prior to this?

I don’t think there’d necessarily been any talk at higher levels. It was really the fans who started shouting a lot louder. They’d always be the ones asking me, “When are we going to see a sequel to Willow?” So that generated Internet buzz about this sort of stuff, but I’ve never really known of any chats happening at high levels. I’ve mentioned it to George Lucas and Ron Howard. I said, “There’s a huge fan following for Willow. Do you think we could ever make a sequel?” But these things need to be thought out carefully because Willow wasn’t a huge success, theatrically. It didn’t make a huge amount of money, and to make a sequel of a property, you usually have to have box office success to back it up. So Willow certainly didn’t have that, but it had the fan base and the love, which is not always enough to make a sequel.

(L-R): Dove (Ellie Bamber), Kit (Ruby Cruz), Boorman (Amar Chadha-Patel), Graydon (Tony Revolori) and Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) in Lucasfilm’s WILLOW exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Having watched your fellow Star Wars collaborators revisit their legacy characters after several decades, did you learn anything from their examples that helped shape your return as Willow?

The one thing I took note of in particular was Mark Hamill returning to Luke Skywalker and how he went about the approach for that. I thought he was really interesting, and it wasn’t the expected approach, certainly. He came at it from quite a different angle, and I also did the same. I noticed that Mark didn’t try to play the character younger. He just leaned into his more mature years, and that’s really what I did as Willow. I’m 52 now. The first time I played the character, I was only 17. So I thought, “Well, let’s not deny the fact that you’re 52. Let’s use that to make this character more interesting, more grounded and more well-rounded as well.” Within this series, the world that we find Willow in is a different one than we last saw him in. He’s quite troubled. He’s had a lot of dark experiences in his own life, so he has to take all that on. And as an actor, I have to add all of that knowledge into the character’s situation and use that to reflect out in my performance. 

Did it take a minute to feel like Willow again?

It was like an old sweater or a comfy pair of slippers. As soon as I got the wig on again and the blue tunic, I looked in the mirror and said, “Well, Willow is back.” So it was relatively easy to step back into those shoes. It’s been 34 years, but it feels like only yesterday.

Harrison Davis, Samantha Davis, Warwick Davis, and Annabelle Davis attend

Harrison Davis, Samantha Davis, Warwick Davis, and Annabelle Davis attend “Willow” premiere.

Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage

To bring your own family into this world after all these years, how would you describe that experience?

It was a real pleasure to have Annabelle [Davis] and Harrison [Davis] involved, and also my wife [Samantha Davis], who’s a Nelwyn villager once again. She played a villager in the movie, so things have come full circle. But my daughter Annabelle is an established actor in her own right, and her playing Mims was a real joy for me. It’s really fantastic. And Harrison, my son, he’s kind of the unsung hero of the series in the fact that he was my stunt double. He’s somebody you shouldn’t really see or shouldn’t even know about. So he isn’t able to take the praise as Annabelle is, but nonetheless, he did a very important job for me.

What’s your most vivid memory from the making of the film? 

A vivid memory would be how difficult it was at times to work in the snow and the ice. There were very difficult conditions in New Zealand. But the standout thing for me was the other people that I worked with, namely Ron Howard and Val Kilmer. Without the two of them, I certainly couldn’t have achieved what I achieved on the film. I was very young, very naive, very inexperienced, but between the two of them, they allowed me to mature as a performer and also get through the physical endurance of doing a film like that. They helped me shoulder the responsibility of being the title character in such a huge project. And Val’s humor, energy and advice as a performer was really invaluable to me.

I always loved that moment when Willow falls in the snow and Madmartigan (Val Kilmer) picks him up and places him on his shoulders. Was that scripted?

I don’t think it was. I actually fell over, and Val, being the actor that he is, used that to do a bit of improv there. It felt like Madmartigan would indeed do that, but yeah, it was amazing, wasn’t it?

In episode two, there’s a flashback between Willow and Sorsha (Joanne Whalley) that’s just heartbreaking. They disagree over how to raise Elora Danan (Ellie Bamber). Do you think he’ll ever heal from that?

I don’t think so. She tells him, “You’re not a great sorcerer and you never will be.” I mean, those words really cut to his core, literally. For him, it was like being punched. Those words are like a parent talking to their child, trying to encourage them to do something. Sometimes, you have to deliver the reality to spur somebody on, and for Willow, her saying that makes him understand that perhaps he shouldn’t continue to live off his past successes with Bavmorda. At the end of the film, he hoodwinked her into thinking that he was performing actual magic when it was only sleight of hand. So [Sorsha’s words] inspire him now to go forward and achieve. They inspire him to really hone his skills as a real sorcerer and save the world.

So we caught up with Willow’s daughter, Mims (Annabelle Davis), but where’s his son, Ranon, at this point? 

Well, we don’t really know where Ranon is at this point where the series picks up. He is out there somewhere, but we don’t know where he is. Some stuff has happened to Willow that only I know at this point. It’s stuff that Jon gave to me so that I would have some foundation for where Willow is when we find him at the start of the series. So there are still some stories to tell.

***
Willow is now airing on Disney+. This interview was edited for length and clarity.

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[This story contains spoilers for the first

Entertaintment, Film, Movies

On Friday, the makers of Cirkus dropped the trailer of the film, raising excitement among all. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Pooja Hegde, Jacqueline Fernandez and Varun Sharma in key roles. The trailer presented Ranveer-Varun in double roles and unveiled what happens after they learn about their lookalike. However, what also caught everyone’s attention in the trailer is Deepika Padukone’s special appearance. Cirkus is scheduled to hit the silver screens on December 23 this year.

ALSO READ: Cirkus Trailer: Ranveer Singh Promises ‘4 Times Fun’; Deepika Padukone Steals The Show

Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s little princess, Raha recently received an adorable gift from the couple’s designer friend Anaita Shroff Adajania. On Friday evening, Alia took to her Instagram stories and shared a picture of special customised handcrafted quilts. While one of those quilts had ‘Alia & Ranbir’ written on it, the other one read, ‘Raha’. There were cute animals and infinity motifs carved on quilts too. Sharing the picture, Alia wrote, “Thank you my dearest @anaitashroffadajania @purkalstreeshakti.”

ALSO READ: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s Daughter Raha Gets Cutest Customised Quilt; Check Here

Janhvi Kapoor is often compared with her late mother and legendary actress Sridevi. In a recent interview, the actress opened up about the same and asked why will she get ‘offended’ by it. The Dhadak actress explained she holds a different view of such comparisons and added that she is rather ‘flattered’ by these. Janhvi also shared that she is trying to ‘live up to the expectations’.

ALSO READ: Janhvi Kapoor Says ‘Trying To Live Up To Expectations’ As She Talks About Comparisons With Sridevi

BTS leader Kim Namjoon dropped his debut studio album Indigo and soon after held a live session to interact with his fans. ARMYs, or BTS’ fanbase, had several questions for Namjoon aka RM. One fan also referred to him as ‘Daddy.’ However, the South Korean rapper had the best reply to that. He had the most subtle way of asking his fans not to call him ‘Daddy.’ He blushed a bit and said that “however I don’t have kids” and immediately went back to the discussion on his album.

ALSO READ: Kim Namjoon Asks BTS ARMYs Not to Call Him ‘Daddy’ in the Most Namjoon Way Possible

Veteran Odia actress Jharana Das passed away on Friday, December 2 at the age of 77. Reportedly, Das has been suffering from old age ailments for quite a long time now. Soon after the news of Jharana Das’ death surfaced, President Droupadi Murmu took to Twitter and paid tribute to the veteran actresses. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also took to Twitter to express grief over the death of the actress. He also announced that the veteran actress’ last rites will be performed with full state honours.

ALSO READ: Odia Actress Jharana Das No More, President Droupadi Murmu Pays Tribute

Read all the Latest Movies News here

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On Friday, the makers of Cirkus dropped

Entertaintment, Film

The series from Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen premiered its second season this September.

“Los Espookys,” HBO’s Spanish-language comedy series, has been canceled after two seasons at the network, IndieWire has confirmed.

Created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, “Los Espookys” focused on a group of aimless friends who turn their love of the horror genre into a business where they trick people into thinking the supernatural is real. All three co-creators starred in the series along with Bernardo Velasco and Cassandra Ciangherotti as the Espookys. The show initially premiered in 2019, then went on a pandemic-induced, three-year hiatus before premiering its second season this past September.

“We are thrilled we could deliver the unique and hilarious second season of ‘Los Espookys’ to viewers finally, more than three years after the series premiere, due to pandemic delays,” HBO said in a statement. “We thank Julio, Ana and Fred for this imaginative and delightfully bizarre world they created. We are not currently planning on a third season, but we would welcome the opportunity to work with this cast and crew in the future.”

Related

Related

Torres, best known for his work as a writer on “Saturday Night Live” from 2016 to 2019, currently has a first-look deal with HBO and HBO Max. The comedian currently has two series in development at HBO: “Little Films,” which he will star in, and “Lucky,” a comedy series with Spike Einbinder about a trans non-binary Brooklyn misfit.

Since its premiere, “Los Espookys” has received critical acclaim for its writing and unique tone. IndieWire TV critic Ben Travers ranked the show’s second season No. 7 on our list of the best shows of 2022, writing that “‘Los Espookys’ worships at the altar of artistic ambition, and it more than earns our baffled appreciation of the very same.”

Aside from the main cast, Season 2 of the series also featured Einbinder, José Pablo Minor, River L. Ramirez, Giannina Fruttero, Carmen Gloria Bresky, Eudora Peterson, Greta Titelman, Sam Taggart, Kim Petras, Isabella Rosellini, and Yalitza Aparicio. Armisen, Fabrega, and Torres executive produced the series with Alice Mathias and Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer of Broadway Video. Nate Young co-executive produced and Sharon Lopez and Andy Garland produced. Along with Broadway Video, Antigravico and Fabula served as the production companies on the series.

Deadline Hollywood first reported the news that “Los Espookys” was canceled.

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The series from Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega,

TV

ABC is headed to the highest court in the land with its latest piece of development.

The network has ordered a pilot for a drama titled Judgement, from sibling studio 20th Television and writer Joey Falco (The CW’s Charmed). The self-described legal soap will center on a potential Supreme Court justice in the near future — while also exploring the candidate’s complicated present-day life.

The project’s logline reads, “Fifteen years from now, a woman being vetted for a Supreme Court seat recounts her experience at a prominent D.C. law firm in 2023, where the only thing more controversial than the cases was her messy love life, caught between two feuding brothers. Now, with a Supreme Court seat on the line, all of her darkest secrets are at risk of coming out, threatening her nomination, her reputation, and her marriage.”

Judgement is one of two pilots ABC has ordered this development cycle, which is focused on potential series for fall 2023. It joins a crime drama from The Martian’s Drew Goddard based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI).

Falco will executive produce Judgement with Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan (Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., Fresh Off the Boat) — who have an overall deal at 20th TV — and Jordan Cerf.

In addition to The CW’s Charmed reboot, Falco’s credits include Fox’s Sleepy Hollow and NBC’s Heroes Reborn. He is repped by Mosaic and attorney Dan Fox at Hansen Jacobson.

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ABC is headed to the highest court

Entertaintment, Film

Music for Screens Conversation (hosted by Variety) had both Sarah Polley and Hildur Guðnadóttir come together to talk about making movies, the process of how music gets attributed to film, and more.

Introduction & Film Information

Before we get into the conversation, Sarah Ellen Polley is a Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist. Polley first garnered attention as a child actress for her role as Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona. Her last movies were Splice from 2009 and Mr. Nobody 2009. Polley executive produced the film A Better Man in 2017 and wrote the miniseries Alias Grace which was based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood.

Hildur Ingveldardóttir Guðnadóttir is an Icelandic musician and composer. A classically trained cellist, she has played and recorded with the bands Pan Sonic, Throbbing Gristle, Múm, and Stórsveit Nix Noltes, and has toured with Animal Collective and Sunn. She’s received various accolades including an Academy Award, two Grammy Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Hildur has gained international recognition for her film and television scores, including for Journey’s End in in 2017, She most recent accomplishments has been the HBO miniseries Chernobyl in 2019, in which won her a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award. She also composed the score to the 2019 film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Robert de Niro, and directed by Todd Phillips, for which she won the Premio Soundtrack Stars Award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, becoming the first solo woman composer to win in this category at the Golden Globe Awards.

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

The film is about a group of women who are in an isolated religious community dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault perpetrated by the colony’s men as they grapple with reconciling the harsh reality of their oppression with their unwavering faith and steadfast commitment. It’s written and directed by Oscar nominee Polley. It’s based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews. The drama stars Oscar nominee, Rooney Mara, Emmy winner, Claire Foy, Oscar nominee, Jessie Buckley, Emmy nominee. Judith Ivey, Emmy winner, Ben Whishaw, and lastly four-time Oscar winner and two-time Emmy winner Frances McDormand.

Panel Highlights

  • Polley said for her process with the film was that she needed to understand the music first. This is what made her  connect with the film more.
  • The Music that was being added to the film had to match the tone due to it being dialogue heavy.
  • Guðnadóttir wanted the sound to be more down to earth and full. She said it was very important to her in the recording process that we feel the love that these women have for each other and she wanted that love conveyed in the melody. She said the guitar heavily influenced that.
  • Guðnadóttir said it took her a long time to get this music out of her because she was so angry with the story. Through the process, she found hope and portrayed it her music to make the audience connect with it.

Final Thoughts

Polley said she had a lot of talks with Guðnadóttir with how to convey the music. She even started to understand the film more with the editing and that the music hugely influenced that. She said she that Guðnadóttir was best composer for the film and she intended to have her for this film. It was also great to have a female voice as well.

She says here “What people remember is the hayloft,” notes the director, “but you’re actually outside with expansive vistas for a lot of the film, and so that was a real place for a score. But there’s also a few times where there are turning points in a conversation. And Hildur’s music really helped amp up both the ticking clock of the film and those pivotal turning points where people are on the brink of a major, life-changing philosophical shift within themselves. So this amazing sort of percussive soundtrack that comes in at these moments when suddenly the clock is speeding up and one of the men (in the community) has come back (from town), and so then suddenly the score has this huge shift in it.”

Guðnadóttir said it was the most heartbreaking events and it’s hard to even fathom that this type of cruelty can happen. She wanted to portray in her music that it need to have hope with the movement. She wanted us to feel the hope of these women coming together. She said it took her a long time to get this music out of her because she was so angry with what was happening in the story but a long the way she found hope and portrayed it her music to make the audience connect with it.

Guðnadóttir said “That I felt it was really important that the orchestration was accessible in the world that this film lives in.” “It’s a very rural environment and, although these women would probably not have access to any instruments”. The milieu is a cloistered religious community. The guitar would probably be the instrument closest to them, in accessibility. I wanted the sound world to be very down-to-earth, not highbrow, and I didn’t want any electronics or manipulation. The love that these women have for each other and their families and children, I wanted that same same love to exist also within the music. So the guitarist is one of my best friends and, and someone that I played with probably the most in the last 25 years. Our recording sessions are equal parts recording and laughing and having heart-to-heart talks.”

Both women said they would definitely want to work again on future projects and really connected with each other. They learned that they had a lot of things in common which helped with everything. Most of their talks and meetings were via Zoom due to the pandemic. They finally met in person in Toronto, right after the film’s Telluride premiere.

See the film’s trailer below:

Women Talking will be releasing on December 23, 2022 with a limited release and in UK cinemas on Feb. 10, 2023.

 

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Music for Screens Conversation (hosted by Variety)

What to Watch

 

Great news! “U Turn” is available to watch on Netflix UK!

 

Date Added: 2nd December 2022

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

Want to keep forever? Try looking for ‘U Turn’ on Amazon (paid link)

 

Description:

A driver and his lone passenger embark on a long journey while hiding their true intentions from one another.

 

Certificate: Suitable for ages 12 and up

Year: 2021

Duration: 1hr 25m

Audio: English [Original]

Subtitles: English

 

Cast and Crew

Director: Gabriel Afolayan

 

Cast: Ebun Oloyede, Gabriel Afolayan, Jide Kosoko, Muyiwa Adegoke, Tina Mba, Norbert Young, Mama No Network, Bode Jolaoso, Oluwole Coker, Adewale Elesho, Seyi Crown, Moji Afolayan

 

Production & Box Office Details:

“U Turn” was originally released on December 31st 2021.

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Awards

The longest-acting movie awards voting committee got it done in about 3 1/2 hours this year, with the New York Film Critics Circle finally naming Focus Features’ Tar as Best film of 2022. The movie, which reps filmmaker Todd Fields return to the camera in 16 years also saw its star Cate Blanchett win Best Actress.

The NYFCC is known for bestowing wins to indie movies and the org can take as long as five hours to deliberate on the day they announce wins. Typically whatever film the group names as Best Picture doesn’t always translate to an Oscar Best Picture win, the last title to do so was 2011’s The Artist.

That’s not to say their winners aren’t in the Oscar mix. Last year, the NYFCC named Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car its Best Film with the pic continuing on to win Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Jane Campion last year received Best Director for Power of the Dog, and went on to win Best Director at the Oscars. Among the NYCC’s previous Best Pics are Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow in 2020, Netflix’s back-to-back 2019 and 2018 wins respectively with The Irishman and Roma. Then there was A24’s Greta Gerwig directed movie Ladybird in 2017, preceded by La La Land (2016), Carol (2015) and Boyhood (2014). When it comes to a traditional major motion picture studio winning best picture at the NYFCC, it was Sony with American Hustle (2013), Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and Social Network (2010).

Among the top honors this year from NYFCC were RRR‘s S.S. Rajamouli for Best Director, Martin McDonagh taking Best Screenplay for The Banshees of Inisherin and the pic’s Colin Farrell getting Best Actor. There’s also a few A24 movies: Ke Huy Quan for Best Supporting Actor from the biggest arthouse hit of the year, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Marcel the Shell With Shoes On for Best Animated Film, Best First Film for Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun with Farrell getting double recognized for the distrib’s sci-fi drama pic After Yang. Wells also wrote Aftersun which follows Sophie (Frankie Corio) who reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father (Paul Mescal) 20 years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

Other winners so far include Poland’s Oscar submission EO, where a donkey is the star, won Best International Film. Venice Golden Lion winner All the Beauty and the Bloodshed has won Best Non-Fiction Film.

“Today’s NYFCC winners reflect the broad range of our tastes, as well as what’s exciting audiences at cinemas today,” stated NYFCC Chair Jordan Hoffman. “It’s a stimulating group of movies, and our gala event in January is bound to be a memorable one.”

Founded in 1935, the New York Film Critics Circle is the oldest critics group in the country. The NYFCC’s membership includes critics from daily and weekly newspapers, magazines and the web’s most respected online publications.

The group’s award winner will be in early January in NYC.

BEST FILM
Tar

BEST DIRECTOR
S.S. Rajamouli, RRR

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Tar

BEST ACTOR
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin and After Yang

BEST SCREENPLAY
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
EO (Poland)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Claudio Miranda, Top Gun: Maverick

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Keke Palmer, Nope

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, Ke Huy Quan, 2022. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

A24/Courtest Everett Collection

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

SPECIAL AWARDS
–Jake Perlin, curator, distributor and publisher in recognition of his indispensable contributions to film culture.

–dGenerate Films for their invaluable work bringing independent films to China.

–Jafar Panahi, for “dogged bravery as an artist, and for the humanity and beauty of a body of work created under the most oppressive circumstances.

BEST FIRST FILM
Aftersun

This year’s voting members include: Sam Adams (Slate), Siddhant Adlakha (freelance), Melissa Anderson (4 Columns), Michael Atkinson (freelance), Jason Bailey (Playlist), Richard Brody (New Yorker), Dwight Brown (NNPA Syndication), Kameron Austin Collins (Rolling Stone), Bilge Ebiri (New York), David Ehrlich (IndieWire), Kate Erbland (IndieWire), David Fear (Rolling Stone), Graham Fuller (freelance), Owen Gleiberman (Variety), Ed Gonzalez (Slant), Leah Greenblatt (EW), Steven D. Greydanus (National Catholic Register), Rafer Guzman (Newsday), Caryn James (BBC), Eric Kohn (IndieWire), Tomris Laffly (freelance), Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair), Violet Lucca (freelance), Soraya Nadia McDonald (Andscape), Sheila O’Malley (Rogerebert.com), Rex Reed (New York Observer), David Rooney (Hollywood Reporter), Nick Schager (Daily Beast), David Sims (The Atlantic), Kyle Smith (Wall Street Journal), Dana Stevens (Slate), Amy Taubin (Artforum), Peter Travers (ABC), Keith Uhlich (freelance), Elizabeth Weitzman (The Wrap), Stephen Whitty (freelance), Alissa Wilkinson (Vox), Alison Willmore (New York), Stephanie Zacharek (Time), and Esther Zuckerman (freelance).

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Music

“We try to tell stories only we can tell,” Yeonjun previously told Rolling Stone about their music

The boys of Tomorrow x Together head to Neverland in the concept video for their upcoming album, The Name Chapter.

The video opens with Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai engaging in choreo in a dreamy set as the backdrop transforms into a trippy, nightmare.

“I’ll teach you how to jump on the wind’s back. You might be flying about with me some funny things to the stars,” says a voiceover, emulating a narrator in Peter Pan, as Yeonjun engages in choreography, interacting with a flashing backdrop before he’s joined by his bandmates.

The group is then controlled by a puppeteer as the boys begin to fly. “Up and down they went. Round and round was Wendy’s world,” the voiceover says, before a new dance sequence.

In one part of the video, the members dance with what seems to be an alternate version of themselves in corresponding mirrors while dramatic music plays in the background. For the last minute of the video, the group’s members seem to return to a frightening reality: their home is floating away and their room is falling apart.

Hueningkai looks out the door before taking a leap of faith into the abyss.

Trending

The new project comes after they released previous “chapters” The Dream and The Chaos. This will also be the first project since their Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child project, which dropped in May.

“We try to tell stories only we can tell, so I think our albums to date naturally have contained a lot of emotions and thoughts from the teen perspective,” Yeonjun told Rolling Stone back in June about their music.

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Docs

December 1, 2022 · 3:02 PM

Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Ava Benjamin Shorr

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, December 2:
FRAMING AGNES

Director:
Chase Joynt

World Premiere:
Sundance 2022

Select Festivals:
Outfest, Provincetown, Cleveland, BFI Flare, Seattle, Vancouver, Queerlisboa, Hot Springs Doc, Montclair, Bergen, Ashland

About:
After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of transgender actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access.

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December 1, 2022 · 3:02 PM Courtesy of

Global

Her golf swing didn’t score a hole-in-one, but it did score a minor fine.

The social media influencer who recorded a video of herself hitting a golf ball into the Grand Canyon in October has been ticketed and charged with three misdemeanours.

The video, which was reposted to Reddit, went viral in November and inspired outrage among many who viewed the dangerous act. The reckless golfer is Katie Sigmond, a TikTok influencer with nearly seven million followers. On her account, Sigmond regularly posts about playing golf.

Read more:

How long can you live on $100 in New York City? One TikToker has made it nearly a month

Influencer hitting golf ball and losing golf club into the Grand Canyon from NationalPark

In the video, Sigmond winds up to swing and hits a golf ball over Arizona’s Grand Canyon, only to lose her club in the process. Both the ball and club are hurled into the canyon.

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In November, the Grand Canyon National Park shared a photo of the golf club mid-air and condemned the dangerous act.

“Do we really need to say, ‘don’t hit golf balls into the Grand Canyon?’” the park wrote.

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Now, Sigmond has been handed three federal violation notices, a type of ticket issued by U.S. agencies for departments including the National Park Service. Sigmond was charged with tossing items into the Grand Canyon, littering and creating hazardous conditions with disorderly conduct.

In the end, Sigmond was only cited for disorderly conduct and tossing or throwing items into the canyon. The charge carries a maximum US$5,000 fine and six months in prison. She was let off relatively easily, and ordered to pay only a $285 fine, which included a $60 processing fee.


Click to play video: 'Biden signs proclamation to restore boundaries of national monuments'


Biden signs proclamation to restore boundaries of national monuments




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The Central Violations Bureau confirmed they received payment from Sigmond on Nov. 15.

Read more:

Florida woman sues Kraft for $5M over Velveeta pasta prep time

Despite the Grand Canyon’s massive size (nearly 29 kilometres wide), a golf ball shot into the canyon could be fatal for a passerby below.

According to Grand Canyon National Park Trips, the odds of death in the Grand Canyon are one in every 400,000 visitors. Dying from heat or dehydration is one of the most common causes of death, outnumbering those who fall off the edge of the Grand Canyon, or who are hit by falling objects.

&copy 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Her golf swing didn’t score a hole-in-one,

Awards, Entertaintment, Trending

Billy Porter is three decades into a career he was repeatedly told would never happen.

A Black, queer artist with a booming voice and indelible screen and stage presence, Porter has ascended to extraordinary heights by defying those expectations.

“It’s been a wild, unexpected, glorious ride to get to this place of knowing and living what was possible then to what is possible now,” he tells Variety. “Who I am now was an impossibility then.”

Now a Grammy, Tony and Emmy-winning legend, the 53- year-old will be honored on Dec. 1 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The “Kinky Boots” and “Pose” star was surprised by news of the honor, even if his collaborators aren’t.

“It’s only right for his name to be etched in history for people to stop, stare and remember how much weight he has and how lasting his impact is,” says Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, his “Pose” co-star.

In his career, Porter has never limited himself to one ambition, but it all started with the “original dream,” which was born the moment he watched Jennifer Holliday perform “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” at the 1982 Tony Awards.

“I was hooked,” he says. “That right there, that’s what I want to do.”

On the stage or the Billboard charts, he wanted to be the male Whitney Houston — and he had the voice for it.

He attended a performing arts high school in his native Pittsburgh and later Carnegie Mellon’s drama department. It was all the right moves for anyone paving a path to stardom, even in an industry that wouldn’t make it easy.

Porter first encountered the Walk of Fame in December 1991 at the age of 22 when he visited Los Angeles to compete on “Star Search,” the same year as Britney Spears. He landed on a Friday and immediately taped back-to-back episodes at the tail end of Season 10. He won both episodes.

By the following Saturday, he clinched the season title and $100,000 prize.

“I remember it being a whirlwind,” he says. “I was out there for a week and I came home with the grand prize.”

But “Star Search” wasn’t the launchpad it had been in the 1980s. Porter had hoped to be the next Sam Harris, the show’s first breakout who earned a record deal off his win. But by Porter’s season, the show was in syndication and airing sporadically.

“There weren’t many people who saw it outside my family,” he says. “It wasn’t necessarily
the gamechanger I hoped it would be, but it was a wonderful experience.”

Fortunately, someone was listening and signed Porter to a record deal at A&M Records. While working on his 1997 debut album, he was performing “Love Is on the Way” at a birthday party for Jenifer Lewis when he caught the attention of none other than Bette Midler. She pulled him aside to say she wanted his song and his voice on the soundtrack for her next movie, “The First Wives Club.”

“Most of the people in that audience didn’t know that was me, that’s how long I’ve been in this business,” he laughs.

But again, Porter found it tough to build on the momentum of the moment.

“At that time, when you could sing like I sang and you were the kind of performing artist I was, there wasn’t a whole lot for us to do in the theater as Black artists wanting to play real human beings,” he says. “I couldn’t get cast in ‘Cabaret’ as the Emcee. I couldn’t get cast in a Sondheim show, they were barely casting Black people in those shows then. I couldn’t get cast in ‘Les Mis’ or ‘Phantom.’ I couldn’t get the same things my white counterparts were building careers on.”

Then came Lola.

The proudly Black and queer lead of “Kinky Boots,” the Tony-winning role of a trailblazing drag queen was a revelation for the representation Porter had waited to see — he just happened to be the one bringing it to the world eight shows a week in six inch-high heels.

“I made my desires specific,” he says. “I had to go through the trials and the tests to have the testimony on the other side. On the other side, ‘Kinky Boots’ came to me because that’s what I asked the universe for 15 years prior.”

His co-star Annaleigh Ashford got a front-row seat to the transformative work from the intimate first table read to a rapturous opening night and beyond.

“She felt familiar and now fully realized,” Ashford says. “I always knew this character and Billy’s portrayal of her had the capacity to change people’s hearts and minds… He does something unique and wonderful with an audience — he makes them feel both at ease while he’s teaching them and opening their minds. He’s one of our greatest of all time.”

Porter attributes his career triumphs to committing his life to service, taking the advice of Maya Angelou and Iyanla Vanzant on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” he says. “It is your queerness. You have to lean into the truth of that and that is going to be your service.”

That truth is all over the screen in FX’s “Pose,” in which Porter played Pray Tell, the ringmaster of ball culture in 1980s and ’90s New York City. For three seasons, Pray Tell was a force of love and nature in a time when his community was in danger from disease, discrimination and demonization. Porter shared most of his screen time with Rodriguez, who played Blanca, the maternal center of the House of Evangelista.

She credits Porter in always being there to pull her from the depths of self-doubt in her first major role.

“The one thing that I can sum up about the incomparable Billy Porter is that it was a true honor to be right next to him creating change,” Rodriguez says. “As we both continue, I will make sure it is my duty, just as he uplifted me, to do the very exact same.”

As Pray, Porter became the first Black gay man to be nominated for and win a lead acting Emmy.

After “Pose,” Porter made his feature directorial debut with this year’s Prime Video teen romance “Anything’s Possible” and returned to Broadway as a producer of the Tony-winning musical “A Strange Loop.”

He also launched his Incognegro production company with producing partner D.J. Gugenheim to tell stories, as he says, “from the vantage point of me.”

But prioritizing the not-yet-conquered part of that original dream — a music career — will earn his focus in the coming months.

Next spring, he’ll release his first album of original music in years with executive producer Justin Tranter.

“I’m trying to play out stadiums within the next three years,” he says. “This album is my heart, it is exactly what I want to say to the world in 14 songs.”

Beyond that, the skies the limit: “I want to keep telling our stories and changing the world one story at a time, one song at a time, one episode at a time. James Baldwin says it is an artist’s job to disturb the peace and I take my job very seriously.”

TIPSHEET
WHAT: Billy Porter receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
WHEN: 11:30 a.m. Dec. 1 WHERE: 6201 Hollywood Blvd.
WEB: walkoffame.com

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Billy Porter is three decades into a

Tech

Elon Musk kicked Kanye West off Twitter after the rapper-entrepreneur tweeted an image of a Nazi swastika embedded inside the Star of David.

Musk, the mega-billionaire who bought Twitter about a month ago, said late Thursday that West’s account was suspended for “incitement to violence.” West’s boot from Twitter, where he had more than 32 million followers, came after he unleashed a string of bizarre and antisemitic tweets Thursday evening, including the swastika image with the text “YE24 LOVE EVERYONE #LOVESPEECH.”

West’s seemingly final tweetstorm came after he appeared earlier in the day on Alex Jones’ Infowars show, where West praised Adolf Hitler and made antisemitic remarks. Shortly after that, Parler announced that West’s deal to buy the social network had been terminated. West, who now goes by the name “Ye,” has previously claimed he lost $2 billion in business deals over his hateful anti-Jewish comments, including losing his Adidas deal. Ye has claimed he will run for president of the United States in 2024.

For Musk, a self-professed “free-speech absolutist,” West’s swastika post was clearly too much. West, in a Twitter post captioned “Well everyone  We had a nice run Jesus is King,” shared what was purportedly a text exchange with Musk, in which Musk had said about the image, “Sorry, but you have gone too far. This is not love.” According to a screenshot of the conversation, West responded, “Who made you the judge.”

West subsequently posted a photo of Musk on a luxury yacht in Greece getting sprayed with a hose by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. West wrote, “Let’s always remember this as my final tweet #ye24.” To that Musk replied, “That is fine” but responded “This is not,” apparently in reply to West’s now-deleted tweet with the swastika image.

In a follow-up tweet, Musk wrote, “Just clarifying that [West’s] account is being suspended for incitement to violence, not an unflattering pic of me being hosed by Ari.” The tech mogul also wrote, “I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence. Account will be suspended.”

West had been motivated to buy Parler, announcing the deal in October 2022, after he was temporarily suspended from Twitter and Instagram. In the post that led to his account’s prior suspension by Twitter, West said “I’m going death con [sic] 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” and said he had been “toyed with” by Jewish people, whom he claimed have “tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” Last month Musk had welcomed West back to the social platform. “Don’t kill what ye hate. Save what ye love,” Musk tweeted at West on Nov. 20.

For now, West’s account on Meta’s Instagram, where he has 18.5 million followers, appears to remain active. His Parler account, which has 55,900 followers, also remains live.

Before Twitter suspended him, West also had tweeted a printout of his tweet that said, “I love the first amendment! Long live Ye! I pray to Jesus that Elon is for real…” — which appeared to have been signed by Alex Jones. West’s post was captioned “Jesus is King.” In reply to that, Musk wrote, “Jesus taught love, kindness and forgiveness. I used to think that turning the other cheek was weak & foolish, but I was the fool for not appreciating its profound wisdom.”

VIP+ Analysis: How Amazon Has Handled an Antisemitic Film

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Elon Musk kicked Kanye West off Twitter

Video

McFarland brought the original photograph of “Whipped Peter,” the former slave played by Will Smith in the film, to the premiere.

“Emancipation” producer Joey McFarland has been criticized for collecting and subsequently publicizing an original photography collection of enslaved people.

McFarland brought the famed 1863 photo of former slave “Whipped Peter” to the film’s premiere. Will Smith portrays Peter in the Apple Original feature, helmed by Antoine Fuqua.

“I have the photo, this is the original photograph from 1863,” McFarland told Variety on the red carpet. “I wanted a piece of Peter to be here tonight.”

McFarland continued, “It’s [sad] to say so many artifacts and photographs have not been preserved or curated or respected. And I took it upon myself to curate and build a collection for future generations.”

A self-described longtime collector, McFarland added that he would eventually donate the images for “educational purposes” upon his death.

“My love of history, my love of truth, my love of larger-than-life individuals that had an impact on not just some people’s lives but the world, it’s worth fighting for, it’s worth preserving, it’s worth seeking out and protecting, and that’s what I sought to do,” McFarland said. “It is a conversation that is needed, it needs to start and continue and keep growing and evolving. We just need to come together. We need to reckon with the past so future generations don’t make the same mistake.”

Related

Related

However, why McFarland collected such photographs has been questioned on Twitter.

The Black List founder Franklin Leonard wondered, “Why do you own the photograph? Why did you bring it to a movie premiere if the intent is to preserve it respectfully? You wanted ‘a piece of Peter’ here? You collect slave memorabilia that will be donated upon your death? What do you do with it in the meantime? So many questions.”

Leonard compared McFarland’s “collection” to that of trading Pokémon cards, writing, “Gotta catch ’em all” alongside screenshots of McFarland’s dedicated Instagram page to posting the images.

“Let’s assume with great generosity that you do, in fact, have the goal of protecting and enshrining these images in the American consciousness respectfully,” Leonard added. “How do you carry it in your pocket, share it like this, and then return it to your metaphorical pocket until your death?”

#OscarsSoWhite campaign creator April Reign agreed with Leonard.

“Based on @franklinleonard’s thread above, I went to IG. Imagine my disgust in finding that @JoeyMcFarland, #Emancipation producer, has branded his newly acquired photos of enslaved people as the #McFarlandCollection, & started posting right after ‘Emancipation’ wrapped filming,” Reign wrote. “Please read Franklin’s thread above. The whole thing. About comic books. And then imagine it wasn’t comic books, but historical photographs of enslaved people. That someone buys & makes into a ‘collection’ on IG. And then publicizes it right before his movie on enslavement drops.”

“Emancipation” director Fuqua previously said that he never saw the film as a “slave movie.” Instead, the movie is rooted in “sacred motivation” and the pursuit of freedom in both physical and spiritual senses. “It was a story about triumph,” the “Equalizer” director stated.

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McFarland brought the original photograph of "Whipped

Entertaintment

Roll up, roll up, Insiders. The Deadline International team have once again been travelling the world to bring you the latest news and analysis from the global film and TV biz, with Mel and Zac both in the Middle East. Max and I actually found the TV world descending on London for once, so we didn’t have to go so far for access. Read on.

London Calling

Jana Winograde

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Tighten those belts: Straight over to Max Goldbart with this report — As news emerged repeatedly of mass layoffs at a wealth of legacy U.S. media companies this week, some of the most senior execs in the business were facing tricky questions about the economic headwinds at the Content London event in the UK’s capital. “Belt tightening is coming,” according to Showtime Entertainment President Jana Winograde, who teased her Paramount-owned network’s approach to the global macroeconomic crisis: keeping up the tentpoles but “finding creative ways” to fund lower budget shows. Warner Bros. TV Studios boss Channing Dungey concurred, saying people are “taking a look at the costs of production more,” having spent a period of time being “stuck in a spending bubble” that ended with the Covid-19 pandemic. Universal Studio Group Chairman Pearlena Igbokwe was less concerned, however, stating “we haven’t seen the crisis’ impact” as of yet and stressing that great shows don’t necessarily cost $20M per hour. Igbokwe was on hand to unveil two UK talent deals this week, as Universal ties with Dominic Buchanan and Bennett McGhee’s Home Team and Cooking with the Stars producer South Shore. And she wasn’t the only one with a slightly sunnier outlook on the gloom: Fifth Season’s Co-CEO Chris Rice said the media stocks crash meant those globally minded companies who like creative approaches to program and filmmaking had a great opportunity to make hot new co-productions. We constantly hear that international is the long-term future for entertainment, but maybe it’s also the short-term answer, too.

Harry & Meghan Spill The Royal Beans

This won’t be controversial: Is there a celebrity topic that divides opinion more than the marriage of Prince Harry and Suits actress Meghan Markle? Almost certainly not. So, there’s zero chance people will care about the couple’s Netflix doc series charting their relationship and their decision to step back from royal life in favor of a California lifestyle making podcasts and TV shows. This week, we got a first look at Harry & Meghan, the streaming doc from What Happened, Miss Simone? director Liz Garbus. Those who say Harry and Meghan are attention seekers won’t be sated by the opening line of the teaser trailer, in which the Duke of Sussex says: “I had to do everything to protect my family,” but this is their chance to tell more of their personal story and maybe change some minds. In theory, it won’t be long before the series drops now, but Netflix simply went with “coming soon.” Our Baz Bamigboye had noted a November 9 launch date to complement Season 5 ofThe Crown had been planned at one point but the controversy surrounding the drama’s latest run meant it had been pushed. That was all unofficial, of course, as the project has been shrouded in secrecy. Click here to watch the trailer.

Red Sea-Change

The Red Sea International Film Festival

Sharon Stone and Oliver Stone

Getty Images

Stones in Saudi: Mel Goodfellow has been in Saudi Arabia and filed this report — It’s that time of year when the Middle East’s festival circuit kicks into life. After Marrakech, Egypt Cairo and Carthage, Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival launched its second edition in the port city of Jeddah on Thursday. Running December 1-10, it coincides with the fifth anniversary of news breaking that the country was lifting its 35-year ban on movie theaters as part of wider reforms to open-up the country’s economy and society. Whether to attend the festival amid concerns over the country’s human rights track record remains a hot topic in international film professional circles. However, judging by the roster of high-level guests due to touch down this week — including Sharon Stone, Spike Lee, Jackie Chan and Shah Rukh Khan — the mood around the festival appears to be thawing. Jury president Oliver Stone declared at the opening ceremony that the country was “misunderstood,” and detractors needed to visit in person.

Too big to ignore?: Beyond the stars, international industry execs are also making the trip. Ron Halpern and Working Title’s Lucas Webb were in the audience for the opening film What’s Love Got To Do With It?, on which they are executive producers, while Elysian Film Group’s Danny Perkins, Wild Bunch International’s Vincent Maraval and Vine Alternative Investments partner and COO Steve Kovach are among the speakers lined-up for a program of industry panels. Ultimately, Saudi Arabia’s potential is getting too big to ignore. “Let’s not forget the market opportunities in Saudi Arabia right now. It’s the largest market in the region, both for production and consumption,” the Red Sea Foundation Ceo Jomana Al-Rashid told Deadline in the lead-up to the festival. “Red Sea is a perfect entry point and introduction to what’s happening in the region as a whole.” Full Red Sea coverage can be found here, including Diana’s cool sit down with Bollywood star Rukh Khan.

Screen Scotland Saves Edinburgh… Maybe

Edinburgh-Film-Festival

Edinburgh-Film-Festival

Appraise be: The Edinburgh Film Festival went bust in October, along with the Scottish capital’s Filmhouse Cinema and the Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen, after the charity that owned them called in the administrators. Things looked bleak for the much-loved festival but it’s possible things are looking up. National funding body Screen Scotland has acquired the rights and brand assets to the festival from FRP Advisory. However, there was no immediate announcement of a 2023 festival and instead Kristy Matheson, who led her Edinburgh Film Festival as Creative Director this year, has been given the task of appraising the possibility of an event next year. Funding for the work will come out of a pot initially awarded to the festival’s previous owner the Centre for the Moving Image. The Edinburgh Film Festival holds the record as the world’s oldest continually running film fest, so not only would Screen Scotland be saving a pretty great event in a beautiful city, but they’d also be ensuring the event’s Wikipedia page won’t have to amend that fact. Zac had plenty more.

Shanghai Disneyland Opens – Then Closes — Doors

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland

Crackdown: China remains committed to its hard-line ‘zero Covid’ approach to the global pandemic, despite the recent protests aimed at softening the stance. Shanghai Disneyland had closed its gates in late October but had reopened them a week ago. However, by Tuesday the doors were slammed shut again as the government cracked down on the rise in cases. The park has been closed several times since the pandemic began in March 2020 but this latest closure will be a huge disappointment to Disney, which is still resetting under returning CEO Bob Iger, and something tells me Disney’s troubles in China don’t end here. Tom Tapp had more.

The Essentials

Cynthia Erivo and Renée Zellweger

Mark Seliger / Jordan Strauss/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Hot One: Cynthia Erivo and Renee Zellwegger are teaming for Apple TV+ thriller series Raising Wild, per Max’s scoop.

Another One: MGM is shopping Jessica Lange and Ed Harris flick Long Day’s Journey into Night. Andreas on this.

Some more spice: Johnny Depp film Chocolat tempered into TV series treatment.

Stake: BBC Studios invested in Small Axe’s Turbine Studios.

First look: Maxine Peake as late Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in Anna. Andreas with this one.

Trailer: Netflix drops a teaser for Harry & Meghan. That one won’t be controversial…

Slate: Prime Video France unveils a slate of films and TV — and a union deal for good measure.

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Roll up, roll up, Insiders. The Deadline

Movies

It comes as some relief that Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” starring Will Smith as a runaway slave in Civil War-era Louisiana, is not, at least traditionally speaking, an Oscar movie.

Despite the film’s important historical backdrop, its awards-season timing and its inevitable connection to last March’s Academy Awards ceremony, the site of the Slap, “Emancipation” is not quite the solemn prestige picture you could easily mistake it for. It’s an action thriller.

Fuqua, a maker of muscular genre movies, has crafted something with less in common than an acutely piercing drama like “12 Years a Slave,“ and instead made a film more akin to a gritty, survival actioner — a chase movie that takes its potency less from psychological realism than a brutal B-movie construction. Immersed in the desperate but cunning escape of Peter (Smith), “Emancipation” is a straightforward parable of Black resistance and spiritual perseverance.

Premiering “Emancipation,” Will Smith reflected on the psychological toll of the “brutal shoot,” which wrapped before the Oscars slap. (Dec. 1 / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

That approach makes “Emancipation,“ which debuts Friday in theaters and premieres Dec. 9 on Apple TV+, something distinct from many recent big-screen treatments of slavery and also more shallow. Fuqua’s film is often harrowing and gripping but also less nuanced and too narrowly confined in genre conventions than its real-life protagonist deserves.

Peter, whose name was Gordon according to many accounts, was a pivotal historical figure but also a little-known one. In March 1863, he escaped from a Louisiana plantation. Ten days later, after a more than 40-mile flight, he reached the Union army stationed in Baton Rouge. There, a photograph was taken of him seated on a chair with his bare back — mangled by a crisscross of scars — turned to the camera. Gordon went on to join the Union army but the photograph, known as “Whipped Peter,” became one of the most iconic portraits of slavery’s barbarism, and helped fuel abolitionist movements in the North.

“Emancipation,” penned by William N. Collage, takes those few facts and expands Peter’s tale. Fuqua, who drains the nearly black-and-white film almost entirely of color, has given Peter some familiar notes of family and faith. Peter, here depicted as Haitian with a Creole accent, is ripped away from his family to be sent to help build a railroad for the Confederates, his steadfast goal is to get back to his wife (Charmaine Bingwa) and children. With an unflagging belief in God, Peter’s torturous journey takes on Biblical dimensions. So great is the violence that surrounds him and other enslaved men that the monochrome swamps of Louisiana morph into a metaphorical wasteland. “Where is God?” one man asks. “He is nowhere.”

Inspired by a true story, one man fights through unthinkable terrors in an attempt to reunite with his family. Will Smith stars in Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Premieres in theaters December 2, streaming on Apple TV+ December 9 https://apple.co/_Emancipation

The white man who guards against runaways with a menacing relish, Fassel (Ben Foster), tells Peter that he’s his god. “You walk the Earth because I let you,” he snarls. When Peter grasps his moment to flee, it’s Fassel, with two others, who chase after on horseback. Peter, initially with several others including Gordon (Gilbert Owuor) and John (Michael Luwoye), sets out on his own. Few films reside quite so much in the swamp as “Emancipation” does, as Peter ingeniously navigates through mud, snakes and alligators with the sound, as he says, of “Lincoln’s canons” guiding his way to Baton Rouge.

As Peter, Smith relies less on his natural charisma than perhaps ever before. The character hardly speaks. As a physical feat, Smith’s performance is formidable. But there’s so little here that fleshes out Peter, and little resonates about him. If “Emancipation” is partly a work of historical imagination, the film has supplied Peter little beyond the most basic of characterizations, ones drawn more from countless other thrillers than from history.

Throughout, Robert Richardson’s cinematography is often mesmerizing, if sometimes distracting. The camera draws too much attention to itself, just as do occasional flashes of color peppered throughout. But there are also mesmerizing black-and-white tableaus that seem to want to pull “Emancipation” to a higher realm, albeit at the cost of sticking rigorously to Peter’s perspective.

Still, as Fuqua’s previous films (“The Guilty,” “The Equalizer,” “Training Day”) have shown, a lean thriller can be powerful thing. “Emancipation” isn’t leaden with self-importance, but it is single-minded in its depiction of the savage inhumanity of slavery, and one man’s courageous, indominable refusal to accept it. In the film’s final third, war proves to be just as violent and merciless. Hell, in “Emancipation,” is elsewhere, too.

“Emancipation,“ an Apple TV+ release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for strong racial violence, disturbing images and language. Running time: 132 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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TV

The ambitious plan to turn the iconic but dilapidated Littlewoods Building in Liverpool, UK, into a major TV and film studios has taken a big step forwards.

The project’s developer, Capital&Centric has entered into a partnership with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council to get going on the first phase of the £70M ($86M) regeneration plan.

This comes soon after the Combined Authority approved an £8M package of remediation, design and planning, which comprised part of a bigger £17M funding package, which has also delivered The Depot studios adjoining at a cost of £3M. Deliberations over the plan have been ongoing for a year.

The plan is to turn the Littlewoods Building, whose iconic art deco storefront was the HQ of shopping store Littlewoods, into one of the UK’s biggest and most important TV and film complexes, with Twickenham Studios already signed up as the anchor tenant.

However, the work needed to achieve that is huge, as the building as lain empty for years and damaged by fire in 2018.

John Moffat of Capital&Centric said: “This is a huge moment for the Littlewoods Project and the Liverpool city region. Regeneration at this scale is always going to be complex, but the legal agreements are now in place so we can start delivering this transformational project. It has the potential to provide Liverpool’s young people with the opportunity to be part of the UK’s booming film and TV industry, generating millions of pounds for the local economy and creating thousands of jobs for generations to come.” 

Liverpool claims to be the UK’s most filmed location outside of London, and a new studio complex would take it to the next level, with the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram saying he want to turn it into the “Hollywood of the North.”

The signing of the deal enables a contractor to be appointed, and remediation of the site expected to complete by the end of 2023.

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The ambitious plan to turn the iconic

What to Watch

The Midnight Club – Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2022

The Midnight Club, Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix Original horror series was the first that could’ve gotten a season 2 as part of his deal. However, it’s been confirmed that Netflix has opted not to renew the show for a second season. 

The Midnight Club is a Netflix Original teen-horror series created by Mike Flanagan and the adaptation of the novel of the same by Christopher Pike. The series is the fourth Netflix Original series by Mike Flanagan and his sixth project for Netflix overall.

Over the past several years, Mike Flanagan has been one of Netflix’s best content creators, starting with and every year, subscribers look forward to his latest endeavor in the horror genre.

A group of terminally ill teenage patients resides at Rotterdam Home, and together they create the Midnight Club. They meet in secret at midnight to tell horror stories. Together the group forms a pact that whoever dies first would make the effort to contact the rest of the Midnight Club members from beyond the grave.

The Midnight Club season 2 Netflix renewal status

Has the show been renewed or canceled?

Official Netflix Renewal Status: Canceled

Of the four Mike Flanagan shows made for Netflix, this is the first that we expect to see a second season, which the creator has already confirmed they were looking to do throughout several seasons.

Almost two months after its initial release, The Wrap confirmed that Netflix had not renewed the series citing poor performance (more on this in a second).

It came on the same day that Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy (who had been working with Netflix under an overall deal) had shifted over to Prime Video (via Amazon Studios), moving forward with their last project for Netflix being The Fall of the House of Usher.

the midnight club season 2 netflix renewal status mike flanagan

Mike Flanagan directing on the set of The Midnight Club

The Fall of the House of Usher is now in post-production and is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2023 and will conclude Flanagan’s output in the so-called Flanaverse on Netflix.

How well did The Midnight Club perform on Netflix?

A renewal will almost certainly come down to performance on the streamer so let’s dive through that now.

The show had one of the weakest first weekends on Netflix that we’ve noted for quite some time. In the official data from Netflix, it only scored 18.79M hours watched globally.

If we compare it to other dramas in 2022, here’s how that stacks up:

  • The Lincoln Lawyer – First three days: 45.09M
  • The Sandman – First three days: 69.48M
  • Partner Track – First three days: 16.66M

Its performance in its first weekend was so bad in our top 10 report for the week ending October 9th, we called it a flop, citing that it had a poorer CVE (Complete Viewings Equivalent) than Dive Club, Partner Track, Archive 81 but did beat Brand New Cherry Flavor and Cowboy Bebop.

the midnight club vs other shows netflix

The Midnight Club vs other launches in 2022

The show featured for three weeks in Netflix’s top 10s before dropping out entirely. Between October 2nd and October 23rd, 2022, the show clocked 90.31 million hours viewed on Netflix.

Critically, however, we saw The Midnight Mass face a nearly 60% drop in viewership in weeks 2 to 3. That kind of drop has often spelled failure for any now-canceled Netflix Original.

Week Period Hours Viewed(M) Rank Week in Top 10
October 2nd, 2022 to October 9th, 2022 18,790,000 4 1
October 9th, 2022 to October 16th, 2022 49,870,000 (+165%) 3 2
October 16th, 2022 to October 23rd, 2022 21,650,000 (-57%) 5 3

Netflix Top 10s provided by FlixPatrol does suggest that in week 2, we saw a big jump in viewership but, like the viewing hours, dropped off dramatically in week 3.

On day 1, the show only managed to get to be the 18th most popular title on the service. On day 2, it rose to rank 5. On day 3, rank 4 and day 4 (which would’ve been outside the metric above), it hit position 2.

Looking at external data, The Midnight Club was the weakest-performing Flanagan show thus far.

Google Trends states that it only managed to garner 34% of the total demand that Midnight Mass demanded only a year prior.

google trends for the midnight club

Google Trends for Mike Flanagan’s shows on Netflix

Demand tool, TelevisionStats.com, also paints a gloomy picture, with the show peaking as the number 6 biggest show in the world in early October 2022 but having since plummeted. It pulls data from Google Trends, Wikipedia, Twitter, Reddit and other sources.

televisionstats the midnight club netflix

What we expected from another season of The Midnight Club at Netflix

The first season’s ending left us with a major cliffhanger, revealing that Doctor Stanton is not only a survivor, but the tattoo on her neck means she is a former member of the Paragon.

We would expect to see Doctor Stanton’s backstory fleshed out in full, revealing the origins of her illness, how she joined the Paragon, how she came to leave the group, why she is at odds with Shasta aka Julia Jayne, and whether or not her motives for running Brightcliffe are well-intentioned or sinister.

the midnight club season 2 netflix renewal status doctor stanton

How much is Doctor Stanton hiding from The Midnight Club?

As for Ilonka and Kevin, they are the only two current members of the Midnight Club who can see the ghost couple of Brightcliff. Little is known about the pair, however, the end of the first season may have revealed that they are in fact Stanley Oscar Freelan and Vera Freelan, Brightcliff’s original owners. But why are Ilonka and Kevin able to see them? And, is Keving being possessed at night, forcing him to wander the halls of Brightcliff?

the midnight club season 2 netflix renewal status ilanka kevin

Star-crossed lovers Ilanka and Kevin are haunted by the ghosts of Brightcliff

Shasta, aka Julia Jayne, failed in her attempt to conduct the ritual in the basement, almost killing three young women in the process. Considering how determined Shasta is to conduct the ritual, we definitely haven’t seen the last of her.

the midnight club season 2 netflix renewal status shasta

What does Shasta aka Julia Jayne have planned for Brightcliff?

Lastly, a second season also begs the question of how long the remaining members of The Midnight Club have to live. And whether or not we expect new members to be inducted into the club.

With the series canceled, these scenarios will not be playing out on our screens.

Flanagan, however, has teased that we may get closure via Twitter.

Speaking to The Wrap, Flanagan told them “I  promised everybody at Comic-Con yesterday that I’d put up all the all the answers to the central mysteries on Twitter, which I will honor,” adding “we made the decision in the writers room not to reveal two of our kind of bigger existential secrets of the show so that we’d have something to say in the second season.”

Would you like to see a second season of The Midnight Club on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Midnight Club – Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix

Awards

The first phase of the awards season will be fully underway starting in the Big Apple. Beginning with the Gotham Awards where “Everything Everywhere All at Once” triumphed, the New York Film Critics Circle will be the first major group of film journalists to reveal its winners on Friday, Dec. 2.

Members of NYFCC will be voting without seeing James Cameron’s sci-fi spectacle “Avatar: The Way of Water” and Marc Forster’s Tom Hanks-starrer “A Man Called Otto.” The first screening for Kasi Lemmons’ Whitney Houston biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” with Naomi Ackie took place on Wednesday evening, but it’s unclear how many of the members, if any, attended. Reactions to the film are also under embargo for several weeks.

Stephanie Hsu in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
Allyson Riggs/Courtesy of A24

NYFCC loves deep and rich narratives (i.e., Todd Haynes’ “Carol”) and rarely falls for the presumed Academy frontrunner. The group’s best film winner has only matched the Oscar winner for best picture once in the last 11 years, with Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist.” However, informal polling and research of members’ reviews reveal that there are many lovers of Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” in the NYFCC’s ranks. There are also ardent defenders of Todd Field’s “Tár” and the Daniels’ “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” In the case of the latter, Ke Huy Quan could be a no-brainer in the acting field after his powerful Gotham speech, while I suspect many voters will go to bat for the incredible Stephanie Hsu, who plays the dual roles of daughter Joy Wang and the villainous Jobu Tupaki.

Nevertheless, don’t ever count out possible wildcard choices being made, such as “Top Gun: Maverick.” Following in the vein of the group selecting Lady Gaga for “House of Gucci” last year, Tom Cruise could be their jaw-dropping best actor choice.

The group is also not immune to a recency bias, proven by their 2013 pick of “American Hustle” from David O. Russell, which they viewed the day before voting. That could be helpful for Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation” or perhaps even Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” which has passionate followers.

Many of the members are fans of James Gray’s personal drama “Armageddon Time,” which could pop up for screenplay or land Jeremy Strong a supporting actor nod. Meanwhile, many are huge fans of Rian Johnson’s whodunit sequel “Glass Onion,” which could be a surprise winner with preferential voting taking place (or perhaps its actors Janelle Monáe or Kate Hudson).

The top five predictions for NYFCC are down below. Make sure to bookmark the 2022-2023 Awards Season calendar for all key dates and timelines for the season.

Best Film:

  1. “Tár” (Focus Features)
  2. “The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures)
  3. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
  4. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)
  5. “Armageddon Time” (Focus Features)

Director:

  1. Todd Field, “Tár” (Focus Features)
  2. Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures)
  3. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
  4. Park Chan-wook, “Decision to Leave” (Mubi)
  5. Alejandro G. Iñárritu, “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” (Netflix)

Actor:

  1. Tom Cruise, “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures)
  2. Brendan Fraser, “The Whale” (A24)
  3. Bill Nighy, “Living” (Sony Pictures Classics)
  4. Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures)
  5. Paul Mescal, “Aftersun” (A24)

Actress:

  1. Danielle Deadwyler, “Till” (Orion/United Artists Releasing)
  2. Cate Blanchett, “Tár” (Focus Features)
  3. Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures)
  4. Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
  5. Dale Dickey, “A Love Song” (Bleecker Street)

Supporting Actor:

  1. Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
  2. Jeremy Strong, “Armageddon Time” (Focus Features)
  3. Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures)
  4. Eddie Redmayne, “The Good Nurse” (Netflix)
  5. Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures)

Supporting Actress:

  1. Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)
  2. Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures)
  3. Nina Hoss, “Tár” (Focus Features)
  4. Janelle Monáe, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)
  5. Dolly De Leon, “Triangle of Sadness” (Neon)

Best Screenplay:

  1. “Tár” (Focus Features) – Todd Field
  2. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24) – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
  3. “Aftersun” (A24) – Charlotte Wells
  4. “Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) – Sarah Polley
  5. “Armageddon Time” (Focus Features) – James Gray

Animated Film:

  1. “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” (A24) – Dean Fleischer-Camp (director and producer), Andrew Goldman, Elisabeth Holm, Caroline Kaplan, Terry Leonard, Paul Mezey, Jenny Slate (producers)
  2. “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) – Guillermo del Toro (director, producer), Mark Gustafson (director), Alexander Bulkley, Corey Campodonico, Lisa Henson, Gary Ungar (producers)
  3. “Turning Red” (Pixar) – Domee Shi (director), Lindsey Collins (producer)
  4. “Eternal Spring” (ARTE) – Jason Loftus (director, producer), Kevin Koo, Yvan Pinard (producers)
  5. “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (20th Century Studios) – Loren Bouchard, Bernard Derriman, George Chang, Janelle Momary, Nora Smith

Best Cinematography:

  1. “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures) – Claudio Miranda
  2. “The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) – Janusz Kaminski
  3. “Athena” (Netflix) – Matias Boucard
  4. “Nope” (Universal Pictures) – Hoyte van Hoytema
  5. “Tár” (Focus Features) – Florian Hoffmeister

Best Non-Fiction Film:

  1. “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” (Neon) – Laura Poitras (director and producer), Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John S. Lyons (producers)
  2. “All That Breathes” (HBO Documentary Films/Sideshow) – Shaunak Sen (director and producer), Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann (producers)
  3. “Fire of Love” (National Geographic Documentary Films/Neon) – Sara Dosa (director, producer), Shane Boris, Ina Fichman (producers)
  4. “The Territory” (National Geographic) – Alex Pritz (director, producer), Darren Aronofsky, Sigrid Dyekjær, Lizzie Gillett, Will N. Miller, Gabriel Uchida
  5. “Descendant” (Netflix) – Margaret Brown (director, producer), Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin (producers)

Best Foreign Language Film:

  1. “Close” (Belgium)
  2. “Return to Seoul” (Cambodia)
  3. “Holy Spider” (Denmark)
  4. “Saint Omer” (France)
  5. “EO” (Poland)

Best First Film:

  1. “Aftersun” (A24) – Charlotte Wells
  2. “The Inspection” (A24) – Elegance Bratton
  3. “Nanny” (Amazon Studios) – Nikyatu Jusu
  4. “Emily” (Bleecker Street) – Frances O’Connor
  5. “Murina” (Kino Lorber) – Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović

Note: The group typically names special awards to an organization or person.

To see the ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety’s Oscars Hub. The first set of SAG Awards predictions for film has also been revealed.

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The first phase of the awards season

Docs

Chris Smith’s HBO docuseries about Richard Branson doesn’t shy away from controversies involving his spaceflight company Virgin Galactic, bid for U.K. government support of Virgin Atlantic during the pandemic or the paradoxes around the airline’s eco-messaging. But for the most part, “Branson” concentrates on all that the tycoon has accomplished in his 72 years.

Shortly before Branson became the first passenger to reach space in his own spacecraft last year, the business magnate sat down with Smith (“Sr.,” “Bad Vegan”) to reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of being a lifelong daredevil.

“It’s important if you lead a full life to share,” says Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. “It’s important for your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. And it’s important for other people who may want to get inspired.”

While Smith’s team had been sorting through archival footage of Branson in preparation to make docuseries long before the historic July 2021 flight, it took the billionaire’s trip to space to convince the veteran helmer that the four-part series was worth undertaking.

“I was dancing around getting involved until June of 2021,” Smith says. “When I figured out that Richard was going up in space in a couple of weeks, it was the first time that, for me, the project had a reason to exist because I wasn’t so interested in just doing a straight profile. To me, there was something interesting about somebody telling their life story before they go on this space mission.”

“Branson” features candid interviews with the tycoon, his family members, business associates, and journalists, as well as decades of archival and home video footage, which all serve to reveal the ups and downs of a man driven by risk-taking in both his business and personal life.

Conveniently, the series is debuting just a week after Branson released an updated version of his 2017 autobiography “Finding My Virginity.” Variety spoke with Branson and Smith about final cut, handling criticism and asking questions about touchy subjects.

Richard, what made Chris the right director for this project?

Branson: Chris has a tremendous reputation. We knew that we would be giving up the right to say, “We really don’t like this or that,” but we just felt that we wanted a tough, good, strong, look at (me and my family’s) lives. Chris seems to have delivered on that.

So, Chris, you had final cut?

Smith: Yes.

Richard, you gave Chris an all-access pass to not only your life but also your private British Virgin Island, which you call home. Was that daunting?

Branson: It’s a risk taking in an independent director who you don’t know. I must admit, after the first four hours of being interviewed, I wondered whether Chris was going to make a documentary that was more to do with, say, enhancing his reputation as an investigative journalist or whether it was going to be a fair documentary. But the end result was that he dealt with the criticisms and gave me the chance to respond, and that makes for a better documentary series.

Chris, this is the third docu that you directed that has been released this year. You have got a lot on your plate. What made you want to take on this series?

Smith: I was personally curious about Richard. I was curious about what I could take away from (his story) and how it would affect my life — what I could learn. I feel like with anyone that you spend time with you have things that you take away that hopefully will make your life better.

You relied heavily on archival footage that covers Richard’s various escapades and achievements, including a 2014 training session for Virgin Galactic’s mission to space, his 1980’s transoceanic boat and balloon challenges, and even his stint as a teenage publisher of a student magazine in the 1960s. Did you know before getting involved with the project that all of this archival material existed?

Smith: I knew that some existed, but it was just incredible to see that so many important milestones and beats were covered in an amazing fashion. From a documentary filmmaker’s point of view, it was the ultimate dream.

You filmed extensively at Richard’s house on the British Virgin Islands. Was anything off-limits?

Smith: No. Nothing was nothing off limits. We could go wherever we wanted; we could film whenever we wanted. No one ever said there were ground rules. So, we just imposed and were as annoying as we possibly could be.

The fourth episode of the series delves into recent criticism Richard received about the controversial bid from Virgin Atlantic to obtain government support for the airline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Was that as awkward an interview as it appeared to be?

Smith: We could have made an entire episode on just that. It was hard one to condense because we were limited to four episodes. So, we really tried to focus on the adventure side [of Richard] and the family throughline, but we obviously wanted to cover everything. So, yeah, [that part of the interview] wasn’t pleasant.

Richard, was it hard to listen to the critical comments made in the series about you and your various endeavors?

Branson: I’ve lived a long life, and you’re going to get criticism, and sometimes that criticism is justified, and sometimes it is completely wrong. I think this documentary gives both sides of the story. The people who are watching it can judge.

One critic in the series, says that your effort to democratize space is essentially bogus. Was there a part of you that wanted to make this docu to prove critics wrong about your space goals?

Branson: No. We weren’t making it to address any criticism. If you look back on my life, I don’t think I had that much criticism until the time this documentary film happened to turn up, which was right in the middle of COVID. They [the crew] came at a time that was a really tough time, and we were just in all the wrong businesses, and we were facing potential catastrophe in a lot of our companies. That made for a more interesting documentary, but that was just a coincidence. It wasn’t preplanned or anything like that.

 “Branson” debuts Dec. 1 on HBO.

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Chris Smith’s HBO docuseries about Richard Branson

Global

WASHINGTON — 

President Biden conceded there are “glitches” in his signature climate law that harm America’s European allies, but refused to apologize for his administration’s support for U.S. manufacturers.

“The United States makes no apology and I make no apology since I wrote the legislation we’re talking about,” Biden said Thursday during a White House news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. “There are tweaks that we can make that fundamentally make it easier for European countries to participate and/or be on their own.”

The president welcomed Macron for a diplomatic spectacle that featured a 21-gun salute during a morning ceremony and a glittering evening gala for more than 300 people on the South Lawn of the White House. Macron is the first foreign leader to make an official state visit to the U.S. since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in August.

But before Biden and Macron sat down for Maine lobster and an American wine-and-cheese pairing, the two presidents tried to sort through the biggest challenges facing Washington’s oldest alliance, including ensuring continued European support for the war in Ukraine, managing competition between the U.S. and China on trade and security, containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and addressing the brewing trade tensions over Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

The law includes $369 billion in clean energy subsidies and encourages Americans to buy electric vehicles made in North America, a provision that has rankled European leaders who say it will hurt their economies, which are already reeling from the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The subsidies include a tax credit worth up to $7,500 per vehicle for electric vehicles that are assembled in North America or include key components that are sourced domestically. Consumers who purchase used electric vehicles that were produced domestically can receive a maximum of $4,000 in tax credits.

White House officials argue that the climate law is designed to help the U.S. meet its climate goals and benefits the global green energy industry. National Security Council spokesman John F. Kirby on Wednesday acknowledged European concerns with the law but said it “sets the groundwork” for global investment opportunities in clean energy technology and initiatives that benefit everyone.

Since his arrival in Washington on Tuesday, Macron has made clear he doesn’t share that view. The French president sharply criticized Biden’s “Buy American” policies at a congressional luncheon and speech at the French Embassy on Wednesday, arguing the climate measure and a law to boost domestic production of semiconductors would “fragment the West.”

Macron struck a more conciliatory tone during Thursday’s news conference, telling reporters he understood the U.S. couldn’t pass legislation to deal with Europe’s problems. Both leaders, he said, had agreed to align their approach to clean energy to ensure the new climate law doesn’t damage European economies.

Biden has staked his presidential legacy on reviving U.S. leadership abroad. But he remains constrained by domestic challenges, including record-high inflation and supply chain disruptions exacerbated by the pandemic and war with Ukraine. Because of those pressures, Biden is reluctant to back away from what Macron and other European officials view as protectionist policies.

The “Buy American” provisions the French oppose are “wildly popular” with a wide swath of key American swing voters, including blue-collar workers, older Americans and independent men, said Celinda Lake, a veteran Democratic pollster who remains close to the White House. She told The Times that voters are broadly supportive of lawmakers who promote “Buy American” policies, including Democratic Sen.-elect John Fetterman, who successfully flipped Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat blue in November.

The dispute over climate legislation echoes French anger last year over the Biden administration’s agreement to sell nuclear submarines to Australia. The deal essentially scuttled France’s earlier plans to sell conventional diesel-powered subs to Australia.

France said at the time that it was blindsided by the deal. The United Kingdom joined the U.S. in the planned sales. The Macron government went so far as to briefly recall its ambassador from Washington, a gesture virtually unheard of between allies.

Although tensions and a degree of mistrust linger, the two governments eventually calmed the waters, with Biden acknowledging that his administration’s handling
of the transaction was “clumsy.”

In the months since the dust-up, Biden and Macron have formed a close friendship. After German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s retirement, Macron has emerged as one of Europe’s most prominent figures and Biden’s strongest foreign ally. But he’s also expressed a desire for more independence from the U.S. as Europe deals with rising energy prices and the economic fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and France “really have converging objectives, but their approach to reaching these objectives might be different,” said Mathieu Droin, a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who focuses on transatlantic European security and defense. “If we are together in a systematic competition with China and others, we need to make sure that our agendas are complementary to one another and do not come at the expense of the other.”

Trade friction aside, Biden and Macron reaffirmed their transatlantic bond over maintaining support for Ukraine more than nine months after Russia’s invasion. The French president met with lawmakers Wednesday to support Biden’s request for more than $37 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine. Republicans, who are set to take control of the House of Representatives, have entertained the idea of halting U.S. funding for the war.

Though Biden and Macron have presented a united front on helping Ukraine battle Russian forces, at times they’ve differed on how to bring the war to an end. Macron faced blowback for his willingness to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin on negotiations but has vowed no peace could come without Ukraine’s input.

Biden said he had no immediate plans to speak to Putin but would be prepared to do so if the Russian president was interested in negotiating an end to the war. So far, Biden said, he’s seen no signs of the war abating.

Macron’s three-day visit also included a stop at the NASA headquarters in Washington with Vice President Kamala Harris, where the two highlighted a partnership on space. The U.S. joined France’s Space Climate Observatory while Paris signed on to the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, a set of guidelines for cooperation in space.

Macron and his wife, Brigitte, also visited Arlington National Cemetery and dined with Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at an Italian restaurant along the Potomac River in Georgetown. Before Thursday night’s dinner, the French president also attended a State Department lunch hosted by Harris.

Macron gifted Biden a vinyl and CD of the original soundtrack to the 1966 French film “A Man and a Woman.” The Bidens saw the movie on their first date, according to the Elysee Palace. Jill Biden, who, like Macron’s wife, is a teacher, received copies of Gustave Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary” and Albert Camus’ “The Plague, The Fall, Exile and the Kingdom, and Selected Essays.” The Bidens, meanwhile, gave the Macrons a mirror featuring fallen wood from the White House grounds and designed by an American furniture maker.

The trip marks the second time Macron has been bestowed the honor of an official White House visit. When President Trump welcomed Macron in April 2018, the French president tried to leverage his fleeting “bromance” with Trump to salvage the multinational 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Though Macron was unsuccessful, the high-profile invitations from two U.S. presidents show the importance of the alliance, Droin said.

Before his Oval Office meeting with Biden, Macron emphasized that close Franco-American coordination will be necessary to resolve the economic turmoil wrought by the war in Ukraine. He was confident he would get it.

“This friendship always prevailed — with quite good results, by the way,” he said.

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It’s all over for The Midnight Club on Netflix, as the young adult series has been canceled after one season.

Word of the cancellation comes on the heels of news that series’ executive producers Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy are leaving Netflix for an overall deal with Amazon Studios. Their Intrepid Pictures had been under a Netflix deal since 2019.

Adapted from a book by Christopher Pike, the story examined terminally ill teens living at Brightcliffe Hospice, a spooky mansion with its own secrets.

The 10-episode first season revolves a group of five young men and women who met at midnight and told stories of intrigue and horror. One night they make a pact that the first of them to die would make every effort to contact the others from beyond the grave.

Flanagan and Leah Fong co-created the series and executive produced with Intrepid’s Macy, along with Julia Bicknell and Pike. The show launched Oct. 7 and Flanagan directed the first two episodes.

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It’s holiday season at YouTube, and inside one of the many sound stages at the video platform’s Los Angeles campus in Playa Vista, three creators have come together to promote beauty products on a set reminiscent of a cozy cabin in the woods. But unlike these YouTubers’ typical fare of edited beauty tutorials and lifestyle vlogs, this highly produced collaboration is being broadcast live for their thousands upon thousands of fans. 

Branded as “From YouTube to You,” YouTube’s holiday shopping extravaganza was a year-end culmination of the company’s growing expansion into live shopping, a format that has taken off in international markets like the Asia-Pacific region, where the ecommerce industry is expected to hit $3.5 trillion this year. 

In trying to capture that success in other markets, including the U.S., YouTube brought out some of its biggest creators like MrBeast (110 million subs), Simply Nailogical (7.5 million subs), Manny Gutierrez (a.k.a. Manny MUA, 4.8 million subs), Amber Scholl (3.6 million subs), Blogilates (7.6 million subs), Larray (8.6 million subs) and Mai Pham (2.7 million subs) for 10 days of shoppable live videos across beauty, fitness, fashion and technology in November. 

For the beauty-focused livestream, which The Hollywood Reporter attended on Nov. 16, brands like Ulta Beauty and TULA skincare took on major sponsorship posts to heavily feature their products during the nearly hourlong event hosted by Scholl, Pham, Allyiah Gainer (a.k.a. AllyiahsFace) and Gutierrez (who joined virtually). The result was something like a yassified QVC or HSN show for younger audiences complete with a makeover reveal, bubble bath demonstration, a makeup-spewing piñata and drop-ins from a suited man who delivered discount codes on a silver platter. 

YouTube creator Mai Pham demonstrates products from an on-set bathtub during a Nov. 16 live shopping event.

B17 Entertainment for YouTube Shopping

YouTube’s goal isn’t, of course, to only have its creators participate in highly produced shopping events, but the holiday shopping effort was an opportunity to introduce more creators and viewers to the format, especially since the U.S. market has been relatively slow in adopting live shopping compared to the Asia-Pacific region, according to YouTube executives who spoke with THR. 

“A lot of our focus here … is about basically giving support for creators so they can experiment in the space, so they can start to feel more and more comfortable doing it, so they can start to learn what’s working, what’s not working,” Michael Martin, vp and general manager of YouTube Shopping, said. “This is a newer thing, and it’s a bigger transition, but I think it’s a transition that will still happen.” 

A representative for YouTube declined to share specific sales figures generated via the “From YouTube to You” shopping series, but creators like Larray, who was promoting new products from his clothing line, were able to sell out items, according to the rep. As of publishing, the beauty-focused live event hosted by Scholl, Pham, Gainer and Gutierrez received a modest 1.3 million combined views across their respective channels. 

YouTube Shopping

Cassey Ho, a.k.a. Blogilates, shares products from her Popflex activewear line on Nov. 15 as part of “From YouTube to You.”

B17 Entertainment for YouTube Shopping

For Scholl, live shopping videos on her personal channel are a lucrative chance to connect with her most “dedicated” subscribers and work best with new product drops or offers on exclusive discount codes. And depending on the shopping integration being used with YouTube, such as Shopify, Scholl said she’s able to see the direct sales and conversion rates in real time as she’s hosting a livestream. “You may be advertising to a smaller number of people watching a live stream in the moment, but of those people watching, the customer rate is like 90 percent,” she said.  

Gainer said she plans on incorporating more live shopping videos into her content slate for the next year, though she’s careful not to make it “overkill” with her audience, since her channel isn’t solely focused on product recommendations. “I don’t want to ever shove it down their throats, but I’m definitely going to be incorporating it every now and then,” Gainer said, pointing to videos like her monthly favorites as a great use case. 

To close the loop for creators discussing products in their videos, YouTube is also preparing to launch an in-house affiliate program that will allow creators to, among other benefits, receive a commission when their subscribers click on a shopping link from their videos. “As with all things with creators, we want to provide the best possible deal in the market for the creators,” Martin said. “We’re here to help them build and diversify their business, and so we’re going to do everything that we can to make that happen. And we think that the affiliate network is going to be a key piece of it.” 

Though specifics of the program have not yet been disclosed, a YouTube affiliate program, backed by the power of Google’s ad business, could increase the frequency of affiliate links appearing on videos and offer a major boost of revenue for creators who mention products in their videos, regardless of whether a marketer sponsors the video. “We can make it much more visual and intuitive and really bring those products to life,” Bridget Dolan, the managing director of YouTube Shopping partnerships, said. 

And the company is getting even more bullish on advertising for Shorts, YouTube’s short-form video platform that rolled out shoppable videos earlier this year. According to Tara Walpert Levy, YouTube’s vp Americas, Shorts sees the “most purchase behavior at scale.”  

“We’re just seeing even higher take rates on that format, which is why we’re getting in a little bit more aggressively there,” Walpert Levy told THR. “One of the big challenges and opportunities of working in a place like YouTube is to figure out okay, where’s the most bang for the buck? In the United States, we’re thinking it’s likely shopping on Shorts.” 

Marketers, who are being more judicious with budgets in anticipation of a recession, may also lean more heavily on creators as a better way to reach buyers. “We’re not economists so we can’t say how this is going to play out, [but] I will say, though, when you look at the traditional situation around a macro economic downturn, people tend to pull back away from things like brand advertising and move more towards direct response,” Martin said. Consumers, who may also be shying away from impulse purchases, are seeking out information from creators they trust to inform whether to make a purchase. 

“If I think of myself from a brand standpoint, this is a situation where it’s not just a direct response ad. It’s actually a creator coming in here and providing that strong endorsement to a consumer who’s looking for a really solid indication [of whether to buy a product], and then the conversion and the purchase can happen at that moment,” Martin said. “So it has both the benefits of a more traditional direct response model, but then it’s got this extra boost of confidence and trust from the creator side.” 

A version of this story first appeared in the Nov. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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YouTube says it has fixed its iOS app after many users reported the app was crashing. It’s unclear exactly how widespread the problem was, but it did appear to affect quite a few users.

In a tweet from its TeamYouTube account at 2:19PM ET, YouTube said that “many” were dealing with crashes, and a lot of people reported crashes directly to the account. At one point, DownDetector indicated there were more than 7,500 reports of problems. I didn’t run into issues in my brief testing, but a colleague experienced the crashes.

The company didn’t reply to a request for comment.

Update November 30th, 5:29PM ET: YouTube says it has fixed the app.

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YouTube says it has fixed its iOS

Entertaintment, TV

Netflix’s “The Midnight Club” has been canceled after one season, Variety has learned.

The cancellation comes on the heels of executive producers Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy exiting their overall deal at Netflix for a new pact with Amazon Studios.

“The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass” mastermind Flanagan turned his attention to a younger audience for “Midnight Club,” his first YA series, adapting the work of author Christopher Pike for the show about terminally ill teens living at Brightcliffe Hospice — a place with many a supernatural mystery to it.

“The Midnight Club,” which launched Oct. 7, consisted of 10 episodes, the first of which broke the world record for most jump scares in a TV episode.

The series marked not just Flanagan and Macy’s first foray into young-adult content, but also their first show that was intended to be a multi-season project. However, Flanagan had already mentally prepared for the idea it might not be renewed, and told press ahead of its premiere he would share his Season 2 plans if “Midnight Club” was scrapped.

“This was designed to be ongoing,” Flangan said at a gathering with press in October. “I don’t know if it will. We’ll see how it goes and we probably won’t know for another month or so what Netflix wants to do. But it was very much designed to continue. Pike has 80 books, so we have a lot of unused material to pull from… We also didn’t answer some of the bigger questions of the season. Those answers exist, but were meant to be for the next season. If there isn’t one, I’ll put them up on Twitter. Then we’ll at least all be able to talk about it.”

TheWrap was the first to report “Midnight Club’s” cancellation.

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Netflix’s “The Midnight Club” has been canceled

Film

After playing “Fat Amy” in the Pitch Perfect franchise, Rebel Wilson is facing backlash over her new fashion line’s limited size range.

On November 3, Wilson announced a “limited edition drop” of a new fashion line with girlfriend Ramona Agruma, the L.A.-based owner of the loungewear company Lemon Ve Limon. So far, the R+R “experiment” features just one pair of sweatpants ($149) in sizes XS-XL and a hoodie ($179) in sizes XS-a combined L/XL. Considering Wilson has spoken about being treated differently by society depending on her size, fans were disappointed by R+R’s limited range, to say the least.

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In a video that has been viewed over 96 thousand times, TikTok user Destiny Ann questioned the logic behind Wilson’s latest venture. “I don’t understand how someone who was plus size for the majority of her career, the majority of her life — someone who knows how hard it is to be fat, to shop for clothing and actually find it in your size — I don’t understand how someone with that background, that knowledge, can release a brand that only goes up to an XL,” she said.

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There was even further discussion over on the actor’s Instagram feed, where one user commented, “Imagine once being a plus size gal then bringing out a clothing range that isn’t size inclusive.” Comments on that particular post have since been limited. Another wrote, “Really disappointed in this, only up to l/XL? As a former plus-size person, you should know better.”

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Brad William Henke, the former NFL player known for his role as prison guard Desi Piscatella in “Orange Is the New Black,” has died. He was 56.

The actor died on Tuesday, according to a rep, but no cause was revealed.

Henke appeared in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black” as Desi Piscatella, a gay corrections officer at Litchfield Penitentiary who served as the main antagonist of Season 4 and 5. He shared a SAG Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series in 2017.

He had a lead role in the series “Going to California,” which ran for one season, and also had recurring roles on “Justified,” where he played Coover Bennett, “Lost,” “October Road,” “Nikki” and “Dexter.”

Born on April 10, 1966, in Columbus, Neb., Henke played college football at the University of Arizona, where he was team captain. In 1990, he played on the defensive line for the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers.

After sustaining injuries that forced him to retire from professional football in 1994, he began a career in acting and scored guest spots on such television series as “Chicago Hope,” “Silk Stockings,” “ER,” “Michael Hayes,” “Arli$$” and “The Pretender.”

He later guested on “Law & Order,” “Life on Mars,” “Trust Me,” “Party Down,” “Royal Pains,” “Criminal Minds,” “Shameless,” “Grimm,” “Bones” and “Castle.” Other TV credits include “The Bridge,” “The Stand,” “Manhunt,” “The Office” and “The Chicago Code.”

On the film side, Henke appeared in “Split,” “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday,” “Pure Love,” “Draft Day,” “Pacific Rim,” “The Frozen Ground,” “Jobs,” “I Am Not a Hipster,” “Magic Valley,” “The Space Between,” “Choke,” “Must Love Dogs” and “The Assassination of Richard Nixon.”

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Brad William Henke, the former NFL player

Entertaintment, What to Watch

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(Image: FOX, DepositPhotos)

Every year, the FOX television network airs new and continuing TV series. Many are cancelled and many are renewed by the season’s end. Although everyone understands that Nielsen ratings usually play a big role in TV cancellations and renewals, most fans do not get to participate in that system. So, we are offering you the chance to rate FOX TV shows here, instead.

FOX TV series that have premiered (so far) during the 2022-23 television season: 9-1-1, Bob’s Burgers, Call Me Kat, The Cleaning Lady, Family Guy, The Great North, Hell’s Kitchen, LEGO Masters, The Masked Singer, Monarch, The Resident, The Simpsons, and Welcome to Flatch.

Here’s a ranking of how the FOX TV shows from the 2022-23 season (roughly September 2022 through August 2023) stack up with our readers. Rate the TV series you watch via the “Vote Now” links, below. (You can see how all of the 2022-23 network shows rank here.)

What do you think? Which FOX TV series do you rate as wonderful, terrible, or somewhere between? If it were left up to you, which FOX TV shows would be cancelled or renewed for another season?

Check out our FOX status sheet to track the network’s new series pickups, renewals, and cancellations. You can find lists of cancelled shows here.

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Published: December 1, 2022(Image: FOX, DepositPhotos) Every year,

Entertaintment, Film

Writer-director River Gallo stars as an intersex runaway in the feature based on the 2019 Tribeca award-winning short film.

Dylan O’Brien is a bloody mess in the upcoming drama “Ponyboi.”

Based on the 2019 award-winning short film of the same name, “Ponyboi” stars O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti, and Indya Moore, with writer-director River Gallo leading the feature.

The official synopsis reads: Ponyboi is an intersex runaway. He works at a laundromat and hustles as a sex worker. But after a mysterious encounter with a man from his dreams, he learns that perhaps he is worthy of leaving his seedy life in New Jersey behind.

First-look photos show O’Brien covered in blood, with Pedretti sporting a fake pregnant belly. The duo previously worked together on 2020 anthology series “Amazing Stories.”

Gallo co-directed the short alongside Sadé Clacken Joseph, with Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, and Seven Graham executive producing. “Ponyboi” premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

The feature film is directed by Esteban Arango (“Blast Beat”) with Ed Wu serving as the cinematographer.

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“It began with my passionate yet complicated relationship with my home state New Jersey,” Gallo told Subvrt magazine in 2020. “New Jersey has always been my biggest muse, in that much of my trauma growing up intersex is rooted there. Most of life I dreamed of running away from New Jersey and all the painful memories I experienced there. As I got older and discovered my intersex identity, I began to appreciate and be grateful for what those experiences taught me.”

Gallo added, “I cultivated a reverence for that highway heaven and all the affliction and loneliness I had feeling like an outsider in my teen years. However, being a misfit can be one’s greatest gift. If you survive and come to terms with your struggle, you realize that you had the power all along to change and to get what you want out of life.”

O’Brien recently appeared in “Not Okay” opposite Zoey Deutch. The actor is in post-production on upcoming thriller “Caddo” and political satire “Maximum Truth,” co-written by Ike Barinholtz and “The Mindy Project” director David Stassen.

O’Brien’s “Ponyboi” co-star Pedretti, who exited upcoming series “Saint X” earlier this year, previously addressed playing a queer character for Netflix’s “The Haunting of Bly Manor” in 2020. The “You” alum told NBC News that she studied Timothée Chalamet’s performance in “Call Me By Your Name” for inspiration.

“Every character has a voice and has an issue and is privileged in some way and oppressed in another, and there’s a conversation to be had there about how they exist in the world,” Pedretti said. “I can’t feel passionate about a project unless I feel like it’s saying something.”

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Music

Finding the best gifts for college students might sound easy at first, but chances are things have changed since the last time you were in school—and the backpack or coffee once upon a time on your wish list might be yesterday’s news. Your favorite students are probably pressed for space (and cash)—not to mention all over what’s blowing up on TikTok—so we’re here to help you be very particular about the holiday gifts you bestow upon them this year.

We’ll be the first to admit that it can be tough to shop for people in that awkward first stage of adulthood: Gifts for teens can feel too young, but you don’t want to give something way too mature, either. (Weighted blankets, for example, tend to make better mom gifts.) But as long as you know a little bit about their living situation, their interests, or their dietary habits, you can make an educated guess about what they’ll love.

Whether you’re searching for the perfect gift for a teenage girl who loves to decorate every inch of her dorm room, a twenty-something living in an off-campus apartment for the first time, or someone who’s feeling homesick, these thoughtful ideas are bound to be a hit. Better yet, plenty of them are cheap presents and under-$25 gift ideas to help you stick to a budget. (Make sure you revisit this guide when you’re putting together care packages and graduation gifts.) Ahead, shop 40 of the best gifts for college students that’ll lock in your favorite relative status.

Our top picks

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Russia appears to be preparing for another large-scale air attack on Ukraine with dozens of bombers spotted massing at a key airbase.

Two dozen Tu-95 and Tu-160 long-range bombers have gathered at Engels-2 air base, near the city of Saratov, alongside fuel tanks, support vehicles, and repair supplies.

Analysts say crates – likely ammunition boxes containing Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles – are also visible near the aircraft, suggesting a large-scale attack on Ukraine is ‘imminent.’

The attack will almost certainly focus on destroying Ukraine’s already-battered power and water network which has been pounded by cruise missiles and Iranian-made kamikaze drones in recent weeks, leaving people freezing in their homes. 

Large-scale air attack on Ukraine’s energy network is feared after two dozen long-range bombers (file image) were spotted massing at a key air base

Images of the airfield were captured on November 28 and first published by Germany’s Der Spiegel.

Arda Mevlutoğlu, a military analyst, told the magazine: ‘The unusually high number of bombers on the tarmac is an indication of an increase in operations, if not an imminent large-scale attack.’

Ukraine has been bracing for more Russian air strikes with at least two country-wide air raid alerts issued this week that were subsequently called off. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking on Sunday, also warned that Russia is planning more attacks.

He told viewers in his nightly address: ‘We understand that the terrorists are planning new strikes. We know this for a fact. 

‘And as long as they have missiles, they, unfortunately, will not calm down.

Ukraine is currently suffering through blackouts and a lack of hot water after Russian missile attacks on its power plants and pumping stations

Ukraine is currently suffering through blackouts and a lack of hot water after Russian missile attacks on its power plants and pumping stations

Winter is now beginning in Ukraine with temperatures regularly dropping below freezing leaving people shivering in their homes (pictured, snow in Kyiv on Wednesday)

Winter is now beginning in Ukraine with temperatures regularly dropping below freezing leaving people shivering in their homes (pictured, snow in Kyiv on Wednesday)

Zelensky said the coming week could be as difficult as the previous week, when attacks on electricity infrastructure subjected Ukrainians to the most acute power cuts since Russian troops invaded in February.

‘Our defence forces are getting ready. The entire country is getting ready,’ he said. ‘We have worked out all the scenarios, including with our partners.’

NATO leaders are currently meeting in Romania to discuss the next phase of support for Ukraine, with advanced missile defences top of the agenda.

Jen Stoltenberg, head of the alliance, and US officials have suggested talks are ongoing to give Patriot anti-air defences to Kyiv.

The missile batteries are adept at shooting down incoming rockets but are complex and difficult to operate, meaning they are often supplied with an experienced crew.

For example, when Germany has lent Patriot batteries to Slovakia and Turkey in the past they have also supplied men to operate the weapon.

That complicates the picture in Ukraine, due to fears Russia would try to target the Patriots and could end up killing NATO personnel potentially sparking war between global super-powers.

Ukraine has called on allies to urgently supply air defence systems that can be used to protect its critical infrastructure, or else risk a fresh refugee crisis

Ukraine has called on allies to urgently supply air defence systems that can be used to protect its critical infrastructure, or else risk a fresh refugee crisis

Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and now head of the security council, warned yesterday that NATO would be making itself a ‘legitimate target’ by supplying the weapons.

He wrote on Telegram: ‘If… NATO supplies Kyiv fanatics with Patriot complexes along with NATO personnel, they will immediately become a legitimate target…

‘I hope the Atlantic impotents understand this.’

Kyiv says around 50 per cent of its energy infrastructure is damaged including a third of its power generating capacity, leading to blackouts across the country. 

Entire cities, including the capital Kyiv, are being plunged into darkness for hours or days at a time even as temperatures fall below freezing.

Mr Stoltenberg has accused Putin of trying to ‘weaponise winter’ and spark a new wave of refugees into Europe after failing to achieve victory on the battlefield.

Never-the-less, Ukraine’s Western allies have vowed to keep supporting the country for ‘however long it takes’ to achieve victory. 

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Entertaintment, Music, Trending

The former star of Disney Channel claimed that she celebrated her 30th birthday with a wedding attended by several famous people even though she was not married. According to what she shared with Rolling Stone for the most recent cover story for the publication, “I imagined I would be married by now, so I threw myself a wedding.”

The A-listers came out to celebrate her birthday on July 22, and the party that took place during the summer in her honor was an expensive affair.

Gomez revealed that the guest list included people who influenced her life during her 20s. These included Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Francia Raisa, Camila Cabello, and Billie Eilish. Gomez also mentioned that Billie Eilish was also on the list.

She told the publication before the premiere of her new Apple TV+ documentary, My Mind and Me, that they had great drinks, and it was beautiful, but then her buddy Cara [Delevingne] came in and brought strippers.

The best way to describe it is as an amalgamation of highbrow and silly elements.

The actress who starred in Only Murders in the Building during that period referred to her 20s as a “good, hard, and beautiful” decade.

Gomez accompanied an Instagram snapshot she posted after the party with the following message: “I am someone who is still learning but is more certain about what is important and what she wants.”

I’m starting to enjoy being 30 more and more. I want to give you an ENORMOUS thank you for being a part of my life, and I wish you the best for the next ten years! I love each and every one of you so deeply that it physically hurts!

Throughout most of the 2010s, Gomez was romantically involved with Justin Bieber on and off. Their final split occurred in March of 2018, only a few short months before the “Baby” singer, who was then 28 years old, proposed to his now-wife Haley Baldwin in the Bahamas.

Her dating life has remained largely under wraps, but she has been linked to celebrities like The Weeknd, Zedd, Niall Horan, and Nick Jonas.

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Tech

A code flaw that allowed criminals to steal cars over the internet has now been fixed, according to reports, with owners urged to update their systems immediately.

The flaw was found in Connected Vehicle Services, a software suite offering a slew of features such as automatic crash notifications, enhanced roadside assistance, remote door unlocking, remote start, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, turn-by-turn navigation and integration with smart home devices.

Connected Vehicle Services is built by SiriusXM, and is used by a large number of automakers, including Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, and Acura, all of which were vulnerable. 

VIN for authorization

The flaw was made public by Yuga Labs security researcher Sam Curry, who has a history in finding security flaws in automobiles. In a Twitter thread (opens in new tab), Curry explained how the flaw works, and added that SiriusXM already fixed it. 

Apparently, the problem stemmed from the fact that the telematics platform uses the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), which is often found on the windshield, to authorize commands and grab user profiles.

This means that whoever knows the VIN number can issue a number of commands remotely, from unlocking the doors to starting the engine. 

Responding to the findings in The Register, the company’s spokesperson said SiriusXM was tipped off via its bounty-hunting program

“We take the security of our customers’ accounts seriously and participate in a bug bounty program to help identify and correct potential security flaws impacting our platforms,” the statement reads. 

“As part of this work, a security researcher submitted a report to Sirius XM’s Connected Vehicle Services on an authorization flaw impacting a specific telematics program. The issue was resolved within 24 hours after the report was submitted. At no point was any subscriber or other data compromised nor was any unauthorized account modified using this method.”

Via: The Register (opens in new tab)

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A code flaw that allowed criminals to

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“Morning Joe” spent a good amount of time on Thursday lamenting the continued tailspin of the Republican Party as moderate, mainstream politics gives way to extremism.

Co-host Joe Scarborough particularly brought this to task in light of California Congressman and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s ongoing campaign for House speaker – an effort that sees him bending to extreme right-wing politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene in exchange for their support.

The latest example of the influence extremist ideology has on McCarthy is shown in his latest promise to investigate the Jan. 6 committee’s own investigation into the 2021 insurrection on the Capitol.

In short: Scarborough thinks it’s all a mistake, for no reason less than that the Republican Party’s continued centering of extremist ideals has led to a string of lost elections.


“But McCarthy, instead of trying to play to voters that they keep losing – by talking about taxes, by talking about balanced budgets, by talking about whatever Republicans want to talk about to get those suburban voters back – they’re doing these extreme things, virtue signaling, talking about investigating the investigators, and defending coming out and demanding justice for the January 6 rioters and insurrectionists.”

Ironically, Scarborough added, the rioters that McCarthy is now defending “are the very people who lost the suburbs for Republicans.”

“They’re running straight toward the same tornado that keeps knocking their house down,” he said.

Helping to frame the morning discussion were insights from co-host Mika Brzezinski, the Washington Post’s David Ignatius, MSNBC host Jen Psaki and Obama 2012’s campaign manager Jim Messina.

At one point, Brzezinski turned to Scarborough and asked why this moment – one in which conspiracy-based investigations are being called on by the Republican party’s furthest wing – wouldn’t be prime time for the party to course-correct its values.

“Isn’t this the opportunity for the Republicans, whether it’s the right thing to do, whether they wanna win, or whether they just don’t want to look stupid sort of trying to investigate Jan. 6 while the DOJ is doing their job – wouldn’t this be the moment to press reset and find that old Republican party again that actually had conservative values and policies?” Brzezinski asked.

“You would think so,” Scarborough said. We talk about it every day: If you’re not going to do it for the right reason, do it for the wrong reason. Just do it, move away from the extremism. This is simple, simple math.”

Watch the full “Morning Joe” segment in the video above.

‘Morning Joe': Scarborough Slams Kevin McCarthy Silence on Trump-Fuentes Meeting as ‘Sad and Pathetic’ (Video)

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Entertaintment

Selena Gomez showcased her cozy off-duty style on Tuesday and her more polished, event-ready fall style on Wednesday. The singer appeared at a New York screening for her Apple TV+ documentary My Mind and Me, wearing an olive Sézane wrap coat with a black mini dress and boots. Her hair was styled down in soft waves.

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selena gomez at my mind and me new york screening

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Gomez spoke to Vulture last month about how she felt watching the project, which captured her life and mental health journey over a six-year period.

“I think it brought me back to a time,” she started. “The things I was watching from 2016, 2017, 2018—I can’t believe I was that girl. That breaks my heart. I’m grateful to be on the other side, but when I watched, for example, the first part of the film where I discuss my body—I don’t want to cry now, but I was completely upset with myself. I couldn’t believe the things I was aspiring to be. Which really aren’t possible unless you have a lot of money and you’re willing to spend it to do that to yourself. It really broke my heart. That’s not the feeling I want to give anyone. I hope I don’t. So watching it was a bit shocking and upsetting.”

“But I feel genuinely proud,” she continued. “I’ve had so many moments with people, real genuine moments, where women who are in their 40s tell me about their divorce or something they’re walking through. I can’t help but just love people for who they are, even when it’s frustrating and even maybe when I shouldn’t. I believe in people. Ultimately, I sacrificed my story—which I don’t mind, it’s just a little weird—I hope it has a bigger purpose and can carry on as a conversation for people.”

You can watch My Mind and Me here on Apple TV+.

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Selena Gomez showcased her cozy off-duty style

Movies

Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives

Cast: Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Pandey and Seema Khan

Showrunner: Uttam Domale

Growing up as a starry eyed kid glued to the television at all times, film magazines used to be my window into the lives of the people who I would obsess over on screen. Actors ceased to be all about their work on screen long time ago, and tabloids exploited the viewer’s curiosity to get closer to the real person beyond the scripted character.

‘The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives’ wants to cash in on that curiosity. It has got nothing to do with Hindi cinema, and everything to do with Bollywood, this imaginary shiny town which stars supposedly inhabit.

It is everything you hoped for and more. Intimate details of celebrity lives served with Karan Johar’s sense of humour where he is not afraid to take a dig at his friends, and sometimes, at himself.

He has shown his knack for getting the most controversial details out in the open on Koffee with Karan, he brings the same sass to ‘Bollywood Wives’. The showmakers know exactly what the Instagram addicted audience wants, and are ready to deliver it.

Everything is over the top in this world – right from fashion to lifestyle, affection and parenthood. They have adapted very well the Kardashian way of criticizing your own family members in public, so you get to know the wives’ opinion of their husbands.

There are ample guest appearances from legit Bollywood stars, enough to give the audience something more than just the lives of these Bollywood wives. The series follows Bhavana Pandey, Maheep Kapoor, Seema Khan and Neelam Kothari Soni, wives of Chunky Pandey, Sanjay Kapoor, Sohail Khan and Samir Soni. Maheep is mother to Bollywood aspirant Shanaya Kapoor, and aunt of Arjun and Janhvi Kapoor, while Bhavana actress Ananya Panday’s mother.

None of them have superstar husbands, but they move in the right circles for enough cameos to come in. From Ekta Kapoor to Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar himself, there are enough big faces to keep the audience hooked. The show is one big parade of celebrities going in and out of frames.

It’s not all about flashbulbs and fancy gowns though. Nepotism, online trolling, fake accents, fitness obsessions, cosmetic surgery – no topic is off the table. The show does give us a peek into the insecurities of each woman, even though momentary.

The quartet is also very frank about their opinion of each other, sometimes too honest to sound real. The wives are shown as anxious, abusive, obsessive, paranoid, extravagant, and downright nasty at times – everything a gang of celebrity mothers is expected to be.

But it’s mostly candyfloss. There is no deep dive into anyone’s psyche, or any shocking revelation. The show feels like one big party, and you are just along for the ride.

Netflix could have paid a bit more attention to the subtitling – Gujarati was termed as Bengali at one point in Episode 2.

This show is that guilty pleasure many will indulge in but few have the ‘guts’ – to borrow from Kareena Kapoor Khan – to admit to. It does begin with a bang, but the pace drops after a couple of episodes when you start wondering if you really want to know more about these wives and their lives. I mean, how much of crabs, claws and catfights can you really sit through.

Watch it if you are missing Sima aunty from Indian Matchmaking and need a fresh dose of reality TV ‘bi**hiness’ in your lives. Bigg Boss just doesn’t cut it anymore. I stopped watching after Season 7.

Rating: 3/5

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here

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Fabulous Lives of Bollywood WivesCast: Neelam Kothari,

Film

 

The trailer for Transformers: The Rise of the Beasts is a blast from the past. 

The film, inspired by the ’90s Beast Wars cartoon, stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, with Michelle Yeoh and Pete Davidson taking on voice roles. Peter Cullen reprises his voice role as Optimus Prime, with other stars including Tobe Nwigwe, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage,  Liza Koshy, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Cristo Fernández.

Rise of the Beasts hails from Creed II director Steven Caple Jr., who has touted it as a location-spanning adventure that takes the story from Brooklyn, New York to Peru.

Since 2007, Paramount has released six live-action transformers films, including the 1980s-set spinoff Bumblebee. Michael Bay directed the first five Transformers film, released from 2007-17. To date, the franchise has grossed $5 billion globally.

Paramount has set a release date of June 9, 2023.

 

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  The trailer for Transformers: The Rise of

TV

Good Morning America affair recalls The Morning Show plot

Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes; Steve Carell and Jennifer Aniston
Photo: Dia Dipasupil; Kevin Winter (Getty Images)

Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? In the case of morning shows and The Morning Show, the answer is more like a snake eating its own tail. The series was born from the real-life scandal surrounding Matt Lauer’s sexual misconduct allegations, but seemingly fabricated the affair between the hosts of its titular show. But now a couple of the hosts of a real-life morning show are being exposed for an alleged affair, and the lines are truly being blurred between morning news and primetime drama.

The internet is abuzz after the Daily Mail published photos of Good Morning America co-anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes that imply a romantic relationship. People provided yet more sordid details about the pair, both of whom are married, including a source who claims rumors of an affair have been circulating behind the scenes at GMA for a year. Further fueling the tabloid fodder is the fact that Robach previously told People that the pair have “gone on tons of double dates with our spouses and my daughters babysit his daughters.” They also, the outlet reports, “bought Robach and Holmes domain names online in case they ever decided to start a podcast or website together.” Huh!

One can practically hear The Morning Show writers salivating over the situation—if only they hadn’t already used the co-host affair card with Alex and Mitch (Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell, respectively), or Bradley and Laura (Reese Witherspoon and Juliana Marguilies, respectively), or any of the other various workplace relationships of varying appropriateness that have occurred on the Apple TV+ series. Though if the purchasing of a joint domain name can be dramatized, this writer would like to see it happen.

To complete the ouroboros, The Morning Show (which is based partly on consulting producer Brian Stelter’s book Top Of The Morning) apparently spent time on the set of GMA when they began production, according to one of the other hosts, George Stephanopoulos. (Did they pick up on the vibe between the co-hosts back then?!) And as an amusing addendum, The Morning Show guest star Mindy Kaling tweeted on Thursday: “Good Morning America is trending because of my appearance on it, right?” Mindy, don’t play coy! You’ve already written her piece about a Late Night host who has an affair with a coworker.

Showbiz insiders clearly love to fictionalize their own drama, though if you ask Katie Couric she would at least have preferred they made her fictionalized self more charismatic. Maybe Robach and Holmes will have more luck when they get their own thinly veiled storyline.

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Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes; Steve Carell

What to Watch

“Although we’ve come…to the end of the road…it’s so natural…” Excuse me while I shed a tear to the ending of this season of BIP and the completion of 2/3rds of the roughly 9 months straight of Bachelor programming. Last season there was a one week break between Michelle’s season ending and Clayton’s season starting. This year, we get about a 9 week break since Zach’s season doesn’t start airing until January 23rd. But still, we just had basically 5 straight months of Bachelor programming on Monday and/or Tuesday nights, starting with Gabby/Rachel’s season that began on July 11th and going through last night. So this will be the final “Reader Emails” until Jan. 25th, and probably won’t be too many columns until then either. The Daily Roundup podcast will still exist every day, with probably less Bachelor Nation talk only because there just won’t be a lot to cover. Nothing is airing and Zach’s season is done filming. You have a lot of your spoilers for that, and I’m sure a lot more will trickle in between now and Jan. 23rd, so I’ll keep you updated anytime I hear something. With that out of the way, lets get to the events of last nights finale.

Today’s Daily Roundup covers your BIP finale last night, all the social media comments from contestants during and after the show, and all the stuff that was left on the editing room floor – which was A LOT.

You can listen to it on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in by clicking the player below:


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Music written by Jimmer Podrasky
(B’Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI)

What’s in today’s Daily Roundup is pretty much what I’m gonna cover below. However one thing I forgot to mention in today’s podcast that was probably the #1 question I got last night was, “Why was Victoria Fuller in the preview for Zach’s season.” This was something I spoiled weeks ago when I told you that on the first group date of the season, Victoria (along with Courtney Robertson and Tahzjuan) were “judges” for the date hosted by rapper Latto. That’s why she was in the preview. No, she’s not competing on Zach’s season. This would’ve been right around the time (if we’re to believe Victoria’s timeline) that she and Johnny were already broken up and she was talking to Greg.

As for the BIP finale last night, holy crap a ton was left on the editing room floor. This taping by the way, was 15 HOURS LONG. 9am to 12pm on Friday, Nov. 4th. So obviously they can’t possibly squeeze so much footage into a 2 hour show (80 minutes roughly with commercials). Of the 19 contestants who were on stage last night, I counted 7 that we never heard one word from. 7!!!! Andrew, Salley, Hunter, Jessenia, Ency, Justin, and Lace. If any of them spoke a word, maybe it was one sentence. That’s a lot of people to leave out when clearly each of them spoke during filming. But where do you even begin with last night?

Lets start with Kira and Romeo, two people that I didn’t include above, but maybe should’ve? Romeo never even spoke, just laughed and blinked, and Kira may have said one sentence. They built up this storyline and Jesse was like, “Ok, lets talk about this guys,” then literally spent less than :30 on them. I’m sure they did speak and did address everything, but did we see it? Ummmm, no. That kinda set the tone for what we were going to witness the rest of the night.

Kate sure had an interesting take on things she said during the season. She apologized to Logan…sort of? She said she regrets the things she said. Not because they were condescending and mean, but because they weren’t supposed to be heard. She said she was telling that to her friends in private and she never meant for him to hear that. Ummmm, that’s your apology? She then took to Twitter last night with this:

Again, I guess that’s better than nothing, but it still doesn’t explain why she shamed Logan the way she did. She could’ve said this weeks ago when the things she was saying about him were airing. Why say this now? It seems like she heard all the crap from viewers and felt she wanted to apologize, and like I said, I guess this is better than nothing, but it still seems like she’s missing the point. I’m still not sure she understands why people were so put off by her. And her take on the finale last night didn’t help matters saying you were only saying that to your friends in private. Sounds like she’s more sorry for getting caught than sorry for what she actually said. This tweet tried to apologize for that, but it kinda falls on deaf ears because it seems to be more in response to the reaction she’s getting from people and less about her words and how insulting they were to Logan.

The Eliza/Justin/Rodney love triangle got even more confusing last night. So here’s what we saw happen on the show:

-Eliza chooses Rodney over Justin at the rose ceremony.
-Eliza the next day tells Rodney she made a mistake, she has stronger feelings for Justin, and wants to pursue him.
-Eliza flies to Baltimore to tell Justin she made a mistake. Justin basically rejects her advances.
-On the finale last night, Eliza tells Rodney she made a mistake and shouldn’t have left him in the first place.

I’m so confused. So you told Justin you made a mistake by not giving him a rose over Rodney, but now you’re telling us that mistake was a mistake? If Justin would’ve taken her back when she went to Baltimore, would she have told Rodney what she did last night? Eliza did not come across well last night at all. Sounds like she only said that to Rodney last night because Justin rejected her in Baltimore and it didn’t work out between them. To which Justin commented last night:

I mean, he’s not wrong. She keeps saying she made all these mistakes, yet you can see why Justin is confused. As am I. How many mistakes did she make, what were they, who is she really interested in, and can we believe her? It’s probably best for all parties involved to handle things like they did last night. Justin, Eliza, and Rodney all move on and go their separate ways. Yet, for all that, we never heard Justin speak last night – only Rodney and Eliza. Which I thought was bizarre.

Speaking of bizarre, lets now turn our attention to Tyler and Brittany. This seems to be a case of he said/she said because that conversation we saw on screen last night seemed to be highly edited and things were left out. This was Brittany’s take online last night:

So she’s saying they had a mutual break up. She thought everything was cool, then he dropped all that on her at the reunion. Tyler clearly had a different side to it. There isn’t a whole lot to add to this one since unless one of them speaks in specific examples, we don’t know what happened. I don’t think ending a relationship over a FaceTime is a respectful way to end a relationship, but now I don’t know if that’s truly when it ended. It’s hard to know because both are telling a seemingly different story. Until either one of them gives specifics, looks like we’re not gonna know much about this one.

Wasn’t a ton to go over with Michael and Danielle since they gave Sierra one sentence, yet again, when we know more was said. But just like most everyone else, I’m over it. I don’t think Michael handled their breakup the best, and neither Michael and/or Danielle have still yet to answer the question of (which is what Sierra is basically getting at) is Michael knew Danielle was coming on the beach and specifically was the one asking for her. Why can’t he just admit that? If he would’ve told Sierra that on the beach, this all would’ve been avoided. But he didn’t then, led Sierra on to think he wasn’t “ready,” when in reality it was because it was Sierra, and not something that had to do with him not being ready. It’s frustrating but I doubt he’ll admit it post show either, so it’s a lost cause. Lets just move on.






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With less than one week to go until the runoff election for Georgia’s senate seat, Herschel Walker is facing more controversy with rising questions about his Georgia residency. But, for “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, Walker living somewhere other than Georgia would be definitive proof that he treats Georgians exactly as he treats his own family.

This week, reports surfaced calling back to a campaign speech Walker made earlier this year, in which he outright reminded voters that “I live in Texas,” despite the fact that he’s trying to represent Georgia. “Which, I was shocked about, because I did not think Herschel Walker knew the names of two different states,” Noah mocked. “This was really impressive.”

While campaigning, though, Walker has claimed that he’s maintained a residence in Atlanta for nearly two decades. Then, on Tuesday, it was reported that that house has been rented out by Walker’s wife for years, until he used it as his official address when he launched his Senate bid last year. And for Noah, the idea of Walker living in an entirely different state than his constituents might actually work in his favor.

“When you think about it, this just proves that Herschel Walker views Georgians as family,” Noah reasoned. “Because he’s never around them!”

The “Daily Show” host is, obviously, poking fun at the many other scandals surrounding Walker. Earlier this year, it was reported that Walker — who is vocally anti-abortion — actually encouraged and paid for an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion several years ago. In the days following that news, Walker called it “a lie,” but was then revealed to have fathered multiple children that he had never publicly mentioned.

Noah latched onto that quickly, making it the butt of several jokes in his show. In October, after losing Pennsylvania senate candidate Mehmet Oz said that abortion is a decision that should be between “women, doctors, [and] local political leaders,” the “Daily Show” host argued that there’s only one politician in the country who should get to weigh in on an abortion — and that’s only because he might have a personal stake in the matter.

“I think we can all agree, there is only one politician who should have a say in your abortion — and that’s Herschel Walker, ’cause it’s his!” Noah joked. “It’s his. It’s probably his. Ladies, check. They’re all his.”

You can watch the full segment from “The Daily Show” in the video above.

Trevor Noah Mocks Trump Supporters Trapped in During Campaign Announcement: ‘Man Takes His Border Security Seriously’ (Video)

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With less than one week to go

Music

Narcotic delivery, nostalgic samples, desaturated production. We’ve come to expect these from a MIKE track, and most of the people allowed into his world tend to yield to his weary disposition, a testament to his soft power. But on his latest single “Stop Worry,” MIKE collaborates with dancehall pioneer Sister Nancy, who refuses to mute her siren call. “Wake up!” she demands, to a squeaking synthesizer refrain. The song is a tug-of-war between his wooziness and Nancy’s unwavering glow; MIKE grumbles about fame and “another summer with them grey clouds,” while Sister Nancy insists, “Mike have to rise up! … I say the hungry must be fed, I say the blind must be led.” 

Even as she shines, MIKE’s grief for his mother, a grief he has been writing from since 2019’s Tears of Joy, is still with him; he dedicates the music video for “Stop Worry!” to her. Together, he and Nancy show the beginnings of moving forward after a great loss. But compared with the wintriness of his previous output, the song is a more auspicious mourning. “I wear your number when it’s game time,” he says to his mother. “Stop Worry!” indicates that he intends to step into the sunlight, in his own way. 

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Narcotic delivery, nostalgic samples, desaturated production. We’ve

Docs

If you look at a picture of a train, can you hear it? Or a picture of a crying baby? What if you see someone’s hand on a chalkboard, with fingers curved and spread, and fingernails biting in… Can you hear that?

For most of us, life is a multi-sensory experience. Objects that are completely silent are rare (clouds, for example), and so we constantly see with our ears. Hands clapping, children screaming, an earthquake, a rainstorm, an orchestra, a bus ride. We hear as we see.

But what if what you see is injustice? Or a couple quarreling. Or an exhausted refugee, barely walking. A basketball team winning a tournament. Deforestation. Getting a college acceptance letter. A family getting evicted. Or simply a heartbreak. Does heartbreak have a sound?

One approach to writing music for film is to mix and match, try different things, see what “fits best”. This is when filmmakers usually work with libraries and publishers, trying to find the perfect match to support the image.

But what if the music emerges from the image, the same way the sound of a train emerges from a picture of a train? It is not an “add-on”, but an intrinsic property of the image.

Yes, we have to admit, it’s more challenging to extract sound from an emotionally charged situation than from a mechanical object, which simply cannot escape the physics of its own engine. One person may hear a heartbreak completely differently from another.

But if it’s true what they say, that music is a “universal language” of some sorts, then isn’t it also true that there could be a “universal soundtrack” to a heartbreak? Or rather, that all music that emerges from heartbreak shares something in common? And the same goes with other scenes and emotions. Perhaps there’s something in common among all soundtracks depicting loneliness, or a sense of loss, or the victory of overcoming.

Let’s reflect on the nature of that common aspect. Could it perhaps be a certain type of instrumentation? Or some specific harmonies? Musical intervals of some sorts? We could certainly analyze plenty of soundtracks, and find technical commonalities, similar patterns in harmonies, etc. For example, sparse instrumentation, unresolved harmonies, and plenty of sweet lingering dissonances are great tools for the composer wishing to write “lonely” music. But it only takes a few exceptions to the rule to turn this idea upside down. A thick, bass-heavy, synthesizer sound echoing through layers of reverb can be just as lonely as a solo violin playing thin harmonics. And there is also a way to write simple consonant music in a major key, using the full symphony orchestra, and still end up sounding sad, even desperate.

It seems then that if all music that emerges from a scene of heartbreak shares something in common, it is not at the technical/instrumental level, but rather at a human and emotional level. The tools may be varied, but the effect of music, as it reverberates in our emotional selves, intimately correlates from person to person.

When people cry during movies, they usually cry around the same time. When listeners get goosebumps while listening to music, they also tend to be coordinated.

How exactly music succeeds in triggering common emotions among a wide population is a highly complex subject, studied and discussed by neurologists such as Daniel Levitin and Oliver Sacks. Partly, it has to do with our biology and evolutionary roots. Daniel Levitin, for example, suggests in his book This Is Your Brain on Music, that the reason we humans enjoy repetition and a steady rhythm is because, in nature, repetitive sounds are sounds that are “safe” – the sound of the wind, ocean waves, leaves in the trees, etc. – whereas irregular, sudden sounds can be life-threatening – a lion’s roar, the sound of lightning, rocks tumbling down, etc. Next time you find yourself loathing Schoenberg’s music, you can put the blame on lions.

At the same time, one needs not to know exactly how an apple tree grows apples in order to crunch on one. Most of us find ourselves using electricity every day without truly understanding what electricity is. Likewise, we, at Vessels to Motherland, have been luring music out of films using our own method, working with an emotional substance whose inner workings we don’t quite understand:

We start by emptying ourselves of any musical idea, structure, or style, and we let ourselves be moved by the moving images. As we feel things, we listen to them attentively. Our emotional selves then become translators of some sorts, translating the moving image into sound. Each movie score we make ends up being very personal, like the journal entry of a person who lived through the film.

Through decades of music making, we came to the conclusion that in order to reach people’s hearts, in order to create music that is truly moving, that moves one “to the core”, we need to look inwards. We need to be moved ourselves. Hence, being a musician is equally being an orator and a listener, simultaneously. But perhaps “speaking while listening” is not an oxymoron if we invite the possibility that what speaks is not quite our selves…

…

Vessels to Motherland is a film composer ensemble and electroacoustic duo, based in NYC. If you are interested in collaborating with them on your next film, you can write to vesselstomotherland@gmail.com. Other ways to connect:

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Global

HIV activists are marking World AIDS Day by urging Ottawa to help stop a global backslide in progress on stemming infections and stigma.

“It’s clear to us that this government is seized of the issue, but the truth of the matter is, no movement is happening quickly enough for people with HIV living in Canada,” says Janet Butler-McPhee, who co-leads the HIV Legal Network in Toronto.

Read more:

Canada’s response to AIDS lagging, activists say ahead of international conference

The Public Health Agency of Canada estimated that 62,790 people in Canada were living with HIV in 2020, and that 10 per cent of them didn’t know they had the virus.

That represented a slight drop in overall cases from 2018, but an increase among the most vulnerable.

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Indigenous people accounted for nearly one-fifth of new HIV infections in Canada in 2020, the data say. That year, women and people who inject drugs made up an increasing share of infections, while men who have sex with men made up a smaller share.


Click to play video: '‘One pandemic cannot overshadow another,’ health minister says on HIV/AIDS'


‘One pandemic cannot overshadow another,’ health minister says on HIV/AIDS


Advocates argue that the numbers reflect the uneven effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Butler-McPhee noted that the Harper and Trudeau governments both pledged funding for grassroots groups that serve people with HIV that hasn’t fully materialized, despite the added factors of a toxic drug crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You’re talking about organizations who have had to pivot pretty significantly and take on new work without funding that has been long-promised,” she said.

Meanwhile, Canada continues to trail its peers in criminalizing HIV non-disclosure. Canadians living with the virus can be prosecuted for not disclosing their status to sexual partners, even when prescription drugs make it impossible to transmit the virus.

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Read more:

‘Far from over’: What past pandemics can tell us about ending COVID-19

“Criminalization can lead to the stigmatization of people living with HIV, which can often discourage individuals from being tested or seeking treatment,” the Department of Justice noted in October.

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The Liberals have been promising to fix the issue since 2016, but only launched a national consultation in October. They have also asked prosecutors to avoid criminalizing people with HIV in the territories, while suggesting provinces follow suit, with mixed success.

“For the last six years, there has been a recognition by this federal government that HIV criminalization is an issue in Canada, but there has been not as much movement as we’d like to see,” said India Annamanthadoo, a lawyer with the HIV Legal Network.


Click to play video: 'Specialty hospital for people living with, at risk of HIV'


Specialty hospital for people living with, at risk of HIV


Abroad, the World Health Organization reported disruptions in HIV patients accessing treatments that suppress symptoms and stop the virus from progressing to AIDS, as countries targeted their health care systems at stemming COVID-19 infections.

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That’s put a dent in progress toward the United Nations sustainable development goal of ending the epidemic of HIV-AIDS by 2030.

Before the pandemic, the UN’s joint program on AIDS reported that AIDS-related deaths had gone down by 68 per cent since the peak in 2004, and by 52 per cent since 2010.

Read more:

Halifax region records increase in number of people diagnosed with HIV: Public Health

Thursday marks World AIDS Day, which the United Nations has marked every year since 1988. The disease has killed roughly 40 million people, including 650,000 in 2021.

In a report this week, the agency said inequalities will make it impossible to reach global targets, whether it’s the presence of girls and women in school or continued stigma against men who have sex with men.

Girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa aged 15 to 24 are acquiring HIV at rates three times that of males in the same age group, the agency reported.


Click to play video: 'HIV advocate shares her journey of acceptance to help combat stigma'


HIV advocate shares her journey of acceptance to help combat stigma


Gay men and people engaged in sex work are more likely to avoid HIV testing when the country they live in criminalizes their behaviour, the agency says.

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In September, Canada was praised for pledging $1.2 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, after months of concern that Ottawa would pull back its funding.

Read more:

Canada should commit $1.2B to fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria: advocates

The move came after the Liberals cancelled a ministerial address to the International AIDS Conference in Montreal this summer, a summit clouded by controversy after African delegates were refused visas.

Back home, the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network argues that mainstream public-awareness campaigns and access to HIV-preventing drugs are not reaching Indigenous communities, particularly women.

Trevor Stratton, an Ojibwa activist with the group, told an online panel on Wednesday that Ottawa ought to launch an inquiry into the disproportionate rates of HIV among Indigenous peoples.

“It’s a national embarrassment; when I travel internationally I am actually embarrassed to be a citizen of Canada,” he said.

&copy 2022 The Canadian Press

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Justin Bieber arrives at the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. A Los Angeles judge, ruled that two former neighbors of the pop singer must undergo a mental examination if they want to try to prove the singer caused them severe emotional distress by his behavior when he lived next door to them Justin Bieber-Copyright Suit, Los Angeles, USA - 3 Aug 2016


Beverly Hills, CA - Justin Bieber sags showing his underwear as he and his mother Pattie arrive for a Churchome church service at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Pictured: Justin Bieber BACKGRID USA 30 NOVEMBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients - Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*


West Hollywood, CA - *EXCLUSIVE* - Justin Bieber looks a bit under the weather as he steps out for a solo dinner at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood, Ca. He kept quiet when asked about Hailey and Selena reconciling their differences over the weekend. Pictured: Justin Bieber BACKGRID USA 17 OCTOBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients - Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*

Image Credit: PRJ / BACKGRID

Justin Bieber, 28, and Pattie Mallette, 47, were spotted on a rare outing together this week. The singer and the his mom were headed to a church in Los Angeles, CA when they were photographed walking near each other outside. He wore a turquoise and light red hoodie, gray sweatpants, gray and white sneakers, and a white knit hat during the outing, and she wore a black leather jacket, jeans, and black boots.

Justin Bieber, Pattie Mallette
Justin and Pattie outside a church in Los Angeles. (PRJ / BACKGRID)

At one point, Justin walked behind Pattie and they both appeared relaxed and content. She had her hair down and carried a purse that matched her jacket. It’s unclear if anyone else joined them for the service but it’s the first time they’ve been seen out together in public for a while.

Justin Bieber, Pattie Mallette
Justin and Pattie during their recent outing. (The Daily Stardust / BACKGRID)

Before Justin’s latest outing with his mom, he was seen on an outing with his younger brother, Jaxon, 12, who is the son of his father Jeremy Bieber. The siblings were getting coffee in L.A.’s Larchmont neighborhood and both wore matching black puffer coats. Justin put his hand on Jaxon’s shoulder at one point, showing off their close bond.

When Justin’s not hanging out with just his mom or siblings, he’s hanging with his wife, Hailey Bieber. The lovebirds, who were married in 2018, are often seen at events or on casual outings in L.A. and beyond, and also show off their love on social media whenever they can. They recently posed for cute pics while sitting on a plane together and the “Baby” singer shared them in an Instagram post he captioned with several red heart emojis.

The husband and wife also dressed to impress to enjoy a dinner at Nobu restaurant on Nov. 29. They were joined by Kendall Jenner and showed off PDA by holding hands. Hailey looked incredible in a red dress and Justin went for a more stylish casual look that included a hoodie and jeans.

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View gallery Image Credit: PRJ / BACKGRID Justin Bieber,

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If there’s anything unexpected about the depiction of slavery in director Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” it’s the unflinchingly grim imagery that populates its frames. The intent seems to derive from the photographs of the real-life subject who inspired the film: Gordon, or “Whipped Peter,” an escaped slave whose viciously scarred back was immortalized as a way to show the world the unspeakable horrors Black people faced in the United States.

For their part, Fuqua and screenwriter Bill Collage (“Assassin’s Creed”) feature severed heads, burning corpses and hanged men, among other hard-to-stomach acts of brutality, as well as casualties of combat, made only slightly less bluntly shocking by the phantasmagoric quality of the extreme desaturation of colors on screen. But for as much sense as the correlation between the aesthetic choices and the themes make, the visual statements on such dehumanization overpower most other narrative elements.   

The historical drama maps the grueling journey that Peter (Will Smith), a slave in Louisiana, undergoes to reach a semblance of liberty in 1863, the year that Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Unlike Solomon Northup in “12 Years a Slave,” Peter has never known freedom. Born a slave in Haiti, his only respite from the abominable treatment lies in his unwavering faith in the Christian God.  

Separated from his wife Dodienne (Charmaine Bingwa, “The Good Fight”) and his children to build a railroad for the Confederate Army, Peter waits for an opportunity to run away. “I will come back to you,” he tells his family not only in hopes of comforting them but also with the conviction of a promise he intends to keep. Soon, he and three other Black men capitalize on a moment of chaos to scurry into the swamps and travel to meet the Union soldiers in Baton Rouge.

Not only must Peter and his comrades hide from the human monsters that chase them relentlessly, but they must also fight the savagery of nature. Alligators, snakes, and even bees turn an already treacherous ordeal into a never-ending nightmare for these desperate men.

In what is likely one of his most physical demanding parts to date, Smith sweats and groans through an astoundingly visceral performance marked by exhaustion and pain. He repeatedly convinces us that such remarkable vigorousness comes from a spiritual fortitude that allows the character to go on even when his body wishes to surrender.

Will Smith Says He Will ‘Completely Understand’ if Audiences Skip ‘Emancipation’ Over Oscars Slap

A role with limited dialogue, where the few lines spoken require a Haitian Creole accent, pushes Smith to convey the rage consuming Peter with a proud yet stoic expression. While eventually one catches on to the fact that the Oscar-winning actor’s turn doesn’t permit much modulation or for him to exhibit much range, he plays the role proficiently.

On his trail is Jim Fassel (Ben Foster), a typically malevolent racist raised with a poisoned white-supremacist mindset. A campfire story he tells about his father’s murderous ways is the extent of our engagement with him. Not that Collage or Fuqua needed to spend much time humanizing the villain, but despite Foster’s intensity, Jim remains a familiar caricature.

Beyond the desaturation, which at times tricks the eye into believing the picture exists in black-and-white or sepia tones, veteran cinematographer Robert Richardson mines the locations for their dangerously mystifying beauty. There’s a coarse elegance to how the mud, the murky water and the vegetation register through this nearly monochromatic palette, which call to mind “Vazante,” the Brazilian film on slavery by Daniela Thomas.

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Near the end of Peter’s ongoing odyssey, as he encounters a different type of forced labor in the seemingly dignified duty of becoming a soldier, several war sequences let Fuqua flaunt his directorial abilities while Richardson focuses on fallen fighters and their wounds.

Yet what dampens the impact of “Emancipation” is the lack of an inner world for the hero outside of the survival mode that defines his great feat. No anecdotes of life in Haiti are told; no memories of his parents recalled; no tender recollections of how he became enamored with Dodienne are shared. In an effort to sear in our consciousness the heinous crimes perpetrated against Black individuals, the writer makes no room for Peter to fully exist.

One could blame the burden of accurately honoring reality for this. But since it’s likely that Collage took creative liberties in plenty of other aspects, considering the limited information available on Gordon’s life before and after the war, one has to wonder why he didn’t enrich Peter’s backstory. After all, fiction gives storytellers access to invent new entryways into history. Instead, Fuqua’s latest zeroes in on the suffering and unfolds as a series of gruesome trials that results in a simplistically satisfying, fictional ending.

As stark corroboration that this country was built on hatred and death, “Emancipation” successfully rattles you, but it can hardly be described as revelatory. Still, some could argue that today, as segments of society willfully wish to ignore the past and to prevent new generations from learning about it, a ruthlessly straightforward reminder is needed. For interested audiences watching the film on Apple TV+, enduring it might prove an uphill task.

“Emancipation” opens in US theaters Dec. 2 and premieres on Apple TV+ Dec. 9.

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If there’s anything unexpected about the depiction

Entertaintment, Film, Video

More than 91,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2020, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a federal agency.

Those staggering numbers loom over the documentary Our American Family, an intimate look at a Philadelphia family with a daughter, Nicole, in grave danger of becoming one of those casualties. The film directed by Hallee Adelman and Sean King O’Grady screened Tuesday night as part of Deadline’s virtual event series For the Love of Docs.

At one point in the film, Nicole speaks of being “Narcanned six times,” referring to the medication Narcan that is used to revive people suffering a potentially fatal opioid overdose.

“It was just showing you how much addiction was in their tissues, how much this disease had lived within their family and affected them so deeply that [Narcan] became a verb, in a sense,” Adelman observed during a panel discussion after the screening. Before the documentary got underway, “[Nicole] was at the time overdosing about four times a year and had been to 17 treatment centers.”

Our American Family sprang from a friendship between Adelman and Nicole’s mother, Linda. They live in the same area of Philadelphia and had become acquainted through yoga, which both of them taught in studios. Years into their friendship, Adelman learned the severity of what Linda’s daughter was experiencing and the idea of making a documentary was born. Linda, her children Nicole, Chris and Stephen and Linda’s husband Bryan – stepdad to the kids – all agreed to be part of it.

“Nicole really wanted to help people,” Adelman said. “Her family was at a point where they just wanted to make sure their journey wasn’t in vain… The one thing we were certain about is that no matter what, we were going to have a story that showed people how hard families are working, how hard families touched by addiction are fighting, and how much strength that they have… I think we were all guided by [the family’s] mission of saying, let’s help people and let’s put the strength forward.”

When Adelman and O’Grady began filming it appeared Nicole, a young mother herself, might be turning a corner.

“Nicole was, I think, three weeks clean at the time when we first met her. And a whole different set of challenges begins then,” O’Grady said. “It was also that sense of like, okay, there’s struggles here, but everything’s on the right path. And being able to tell that story and see that story unfold over the course of the first year and Nicole’s long-term sobriety was just incredible.”

The filmmakers captured complex family dynamics – Nicole’s guilt over not being able to raise her daughter by herself; Linda’s sense of guilt that she had failed Nicole; one of Nicole’s brother’s openly doubting her ability to stay clean, while overlooking his own addictive behavior, and the other sibling – with no addiction struggle of his own – feeling overlooked because he wasn’t going through a life crisis.

“Sean and I share the same sensibility along with Joel [Plotch] and James [Carroll], our editors,” Adelman said, “of wanting to make sure that people could experience what the family experienced to move beyond that kind of fly on the wall feeling to more of an immersive feeling.”

O’Grady remembered feeling struck by the family’s openness, despite their struggles.

“From the minute that myself and the rest of our team set our foot on the ground and in the family’s house, we were just so welcomed,” O’Grady said. “It just felt like we were extended members of their family. And I think that without that, without them being so inviting of us into their lives, this just wouldn’t have happened. And, so, from the minute we met them, it felt like a real honor and a duty to be telling their story.”

Watch the conversation in the video above. Our virtual event series For the Love of Docs is sponsored by National Geographic.

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More than 91,000 Americans died of drug