On Wednesday’s “The Late Show,” Stephen Colbert had on as a guest Dr. Anthony Fauci. But instead of a traditional interview, the pair taped a fairly fun sketch to promote the latest COVID-19 vaccine booster. You can watch the whole clip at the top of the page now.
In the sketch, Colbert and Fauci left “The Late Show” studio and walked down to a pharmacy so that Fauci could get the latest booster shot. On the way, Colbert had some fun by asking Fauci to prove he’s a native New Yorker by repeating some famous catch phrases associated with the city.
Once they got to the pharmacy, Colbert and Fauci took a minute to pal around in the store. First Colbert joked that he’d be willing to buy condoms for Fauci if the doctor wanted some. Next, they took a detour through the Halloween section, where Colbert had a novel suggestion.
“OK, now I know you want to convince people to go get this shot, right? It’s the cool thing to do. OK, what could be more compelling than getting the shot with a pair of sexy kitten ears on?” Colbert said. Naturally, they both put them on and, after some cajoling, Fauci joined Colbert in saying “don’t forget to get your booster” directly at the camera.
After that they tried on some novelty sunglasses before heading over to actually get the booster. The highlight of this part of the clip was when Colbert asked the pharmacist if he was intimidated giving the booster to Fauci. “It’s Anthony Fauci, that’s like pouring a drink for Jack Daniels,” Colbert joked.
“He’s actually only the third most famous person I’ve vaccinated,” the pharmacist said. This of course became Colbert’s obsession and he repeatedly tried to get the pharmacist to tell him who else he vaccinated.
“I can’t tell you that,” the pharmacist said. “Yes you can,” a faux-disappointed Colbert replied. Sadly for him (but happily for HIPAA compliance), the pharmacist didn’t budge.
After that, Colbert joked that Nicki Minaj’s cousin wanted him to ask if Fauci’s testicles were ok. “They’re fine,” Fauci said.
Paramore have shared a statement addressing an apparent incident of assault at their October 4 concert at the Great Saltair in Magna, Utah. “After last night’s show in [Salt Lake City], we were made aware of an incident that happened in the crowd while we were on stage,” the band wrote. “A man physically and verbally assaulted multiple women, including an engaged couple at our show. Our security team and venue staff were made aware and were able to restrain and remove him. We did not realize this was happening, as the incident took place out of view from stage. Had we seen any of this happening, we would have stopped the show until the situation was under control.”
Paramore added that they do not condone “violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind,” and that it is “supremely unwelcome in [the band’s] community and has no place at [the band’s] shows.” You can find the group’s full statement below. Pitchfork has reached out to the venue for comment and more information.
Last night’s concert in Magna—roughly 15 miles away from Salt Lake City—marked the second date of Paramore’s fall North American tour. At the first show, the band played “Misery Business” for the first time since 2018.
After last night’s show in SLC, we were made aware of an incident that happened in the crowd while we were on stage. A man physically and verbally assaulted multiple women, including an engaged couple at our show. Our security team and venue staff were made aware and were able to restrain and remove him.
We did not realize this was happening, as the incident took place out of view from stage. Had we seen any of this happening, we would have stopped the show until the situation was under control.
PARAMORE DOES NOT CONDONE violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind. It is supremely unwelcome in our community and has no place at our shows.
To the fans who were hurt by or who witnessed what happened last night, we are so sorry. We hope that you know we will always do anything we can to protect you and make you feel celebrated.
To make things as clear as possible: Paramore shows are meant to be a safe place for people. If you can’t respect that, do not come.
Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home.
October is a month for expressions–whether it be through celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month, or syncing with the spooky season. This week’s list of documentaries highlights narratives, many of which are queer, rooted in self-expression in pursuit of fulfillment.
From Outfest’s theoutmuseum.org comes Pele (Skin), a short documentary by Adam Golub and Liana Nigri that shares the experiences of a trans teenager and activist living on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. Rather than create a traditional narrative featuring formal interviews, the participant’s reflections are overlaid with co-director Nigri’s artistic process of creating a sculptural impression of the participant. Watch now on theoutmusuem.org.
Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror is a docuseries shedding light (and blood) on LGBTQ+ representation throughout the horror genre. A diverse panel of horror and entertainment experts delves into queer icons who laid the literary roots of horror, like Mary Shelley, and queer coding throughout contemporary horror films—now streaming on AMC+ or Shudder.
Mathew Ramirez Warren’s We Like It Like That transports viewers directly into the boogaloo music scene in 1960s New York. This doc follows the cultural movement behind the funky beats that purists tried, and failed, to silence. Watch October 4 on PBS’ America Reframed.
An “Outfest Los Angeles 2018 festival favorite,” Bixa Travesty, from Claudia Priscilla and Kiko Goifman, follows Linn da Quebrada, a Black Brazilian trans singer who uses her existence and music as an act of political protest. The short doc features visceral on-stage performances by Quebrada, as well as intimate moments of reflection by the piano or with the community. Watch now on theoutmuseum.org.
Ending HIV in America, from NOVA, shares the scientific strides made to diminish the impact of HIV nearly 40 years after it was discovered. The documentary evaluates the advances in the science and public health spheres to combat HIV, as well as poses the possibility of medicine eradicating infections altogether. Watch October 5 on PBS.
South Korea and the U.S. military fired a volley of missiles into the sea in response to North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile over Japan – after Pyongyang’s longest-range test to date drew international condemnation this week.
Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years prompting a warning for residents there to take cover.
South Korean and American troops staged a missile drill of their own in response, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday.
Each side fired a pair of U.S.-made ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles, according to a statement.
The military separately confirmed that a South Korean Hyunmoo-2 missile failed shortly after launch and crashed, but caused no casualties.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned North Korea’s test in the ‘strongest terms,’ the European Union called it a ‘reckless and deliberately provocative action.’
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the launch and said it was a violation of Security Council resolutions.
The United States has asked the U.N. Security Council to have a meeting on North Korea, but diplomats said China and Russia are opposed to a public discussion by the 15-member body.
South Korea and the U.S. military fired four surface-to-surface missiles into the sea off of the east coast in response to a recent test missile launched by North Korea
South Korean (pictured) and American troops staged a missile drill of their own in response
North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) farther than ever before on Tuesday – prior to that was the Hwasong-12 (pictured) launched in 2017
North Korea conducted its longest-ever weapons test Tuesday, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan and could reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains.
The North Korean missile launch was its most provocative weapons demonstration this year, as it pushes to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies with the goal of wresting concessions from those countries, some experts say.
North Korea has test-fired about 40 missiles over about 20 different launch events this year as its leader, Kim Jong Un, refuses to return to nuclear diplomacy with the United States.
The United States strongly condemned North Korea’s ‘dangerous and reckless decision’ to launch what it described as a ‘long-range ballistic missile’ over Japan.
‘The United States will continue its efforts to limit (North Korea’s) ability to advance its prohibited ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including with allies and U.N. partners,’ National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
South Korea and Japan earlier said the missile had an intermediate or longer range. If the launch involved a long-range missile, it could be a test of a weapon capable of targeting the U.S. homeland, some experts say.
The launch is the fifth round of weapons tests by North Korea in the past 10 days. The testing spree is an apparent response to two sets of military drills — one between Washington and Seoul and the other involving Washington, Seoul and Tokyo — off the Korean Peninsula’s east coast last week.
Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday – sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years
The North Korean missile launch watched by onlookers (pictured) on Tuesday was its most provocative weapons demonstration this year
Japanese authorities had to alert residents in its northeastern regions to evacuate to shelters, after North Korea’s missile launch (pictured)
Japanese authorities alerted residents in its northeastern regions to evacuate to shelters, in the first ‘J-alert’ since 2017 when North Korea fired an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile twice over Japan in a span of weeks during a previous run of weapons tests.
Trains were suspended in the Hokkaido and Aomori regions until the government issued a notice that the North Korean missile appeared to have landed in the Pacific.
In Sapporo city, the prefectural capital of Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, subways were also temporarily halted, with stations packed with morning commuters.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters the launch ‘is a reckless act and I strongly condemn it.’
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Korea’s ‘reckless nuclear provocations’ would meet a stern response from the South and the broader international community.
His military separately warned that North Korea’s repeated missile launches would deepen its international isolation and prompt Seoul and Washington to bolster their deterrence capacities.
According to South Korean and Japanese estimates, the North Korean missile fired from its northern province bordering China traveled 2,800-2,860 miles at a maximum altitude of 600-620 miles.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said that it landed in the Pacific about 1,990 miles off the northern Japanese coast and that there were no reports of damage to Japanese aircraft or ships.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the missile flew farther than any other weapon fired by North Korea.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (pictured) presided over a National Security Council meeting at Seoul’s presidential office to discuss countermeasures against North Korea
United States President Joe Biden (pictured) strongly condemned North Korea’s ‘dangerous and reckless decision’ to launch what it described as a ‘long-range ballistic missile’ over Japan
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida echoed the US calling North Korea’s launch ‘a reckless act’ that he ‘strongly condemned’
Before Tuesday’s launch, the 2,300-mile flight of a Hwasong-12 in 2017 was North Korea’s longest.
It has previously tested intercontinental ballistic missiles at steep angles so they flew shorter distances to avoid neighboring countries.
The missile’s flight distance shows it has enough range to hit Guam, home to U.S. military bases that have sent advanced warplanes to the Korean Peninsula in shows of force during past periods of tension with North Korea.
In 2017, North Korea threatened to make ‘an enveloping fire’ near Guam with Hwasong-12 missiles amid rising animosities with the then-Trump administration.
North Korea last test-fired a Hwasong-12 missile in January. At the time, it said the launch was meant to verify the overall accuracy of the weapon.
Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said Tuesday’s launch of a suspected Hwasong-12 missile would demonstrate a capacity that ‘truly places Guam within striking distance.’
He said North Korea likely wanted to confirm the missile’s operational capabilities as it is being mass-produced.
Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea could have tested the Hwasong-12 again, or even an intercontinental ballistic missile, closer to what would be a normal ballistic trajectory but shorter than its full range.
If it was an ICBM, the purpose of the launch would be to test whether the warhead could survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry, Dong-yub said.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries responded to North Korea’s early Tuesday missile test, by launching fighter jets which fired weapons at a target off South Korea’s west coast
The test was a show of strength against a series of nuclear provocation from North Korea
Some experts say North Korean leader Kim will eventually will return to diplomatic talks and use his enlarged arsenal to pressure Washington to accept his country as a nuclear state
This recognition is necessary to win the lifting of international sanctions and other concessions
The missiles fired during the past four rounds of launches were short range and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Those missiles are capable of hitting targets in South Korea.
Heo Tae-keun, South Korea’s deputy minister of national defense policy, told lawmakers Tuesday that North Korea is preparing to test a new liquid-fueled ICBM and a submarine-launched ballistic missile, as well.
He said North Korea also maintains a readiness to conduct a nuclear test in what would be its first such bomb detonation in five years and its seventh in total.
Last month, North Korea adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in some cases, a move that showed its increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine.
Saturday, Yoon warned of a ‘resolute, overwhelming response’ from South Korean and U.S. militaries if North Korea uses nuclear weapons.
Some foreign experts say North Korea needs to master a few remaining technologies to acquire functioning nuclear-armed missiles.
Each new test pushes it closer to being able to reach the U.S. mainland and its allies with a host of missiles of varying range.
Some experts say North Korean leader Kim will eventually will return to diplomatic talks and use his enlarged arsenal to pressure Washington to accept his country as a nuclear state, a recognition he thinks is necessary to win the lifting of international sanctions and other concessions.
We all seem to all have our comfort show. Mine is this and why not with all that is has to offer with fashion and Paris! Our favorite Parisian fashionista will be returning to our screens for a Season 3! Netflix has already announced we would be getting a Season 3 right after Season 2 premiered in December, 2021. Now we have a first look at who will be returning, new characters and what has everyone been up to since that major cliffhanger at the ending of Season 2 in which Emily Cooper played by Lilly Collins, contemplates returning to her job in Chicago or following her mentor at Savoir, Sylvie, to her new company. Needless to say fans were eager for more, as we always are with cliffhangers.
Who will be returning?
Courtesy of Netflix
Most of cast from Season 2 will be returning for the upcoming season, this is including Emily (Collins), Gabriel (Lucas Bravo), Mindy (Ashley Park), Camille (Camille Razat, Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu) and Luc (Bruno Gouery). Alfie who is played by Lucien Laviscount has been promoted to series regular in this upcoming season. He played Emily’s love interest in Season 2 and was left hanging. We will be sure to see a love triangle between Alfie, Emily and Gabriel again.
What will be the Season be about?
Courtesy of Netflix
Courtesy of Netflix
As we can see from the stills provided by Netflix, Emily will still be in the City of Lights but according to the press release she is now “”at a crucial crossroads in every aspect of her life.” “Faced with two very different paths, Emily will have to decide exactly where her loyalties lie, at work and in her romantic life,” the synopsis teases. This is clearly referring to the ever-ending love triangle between Emily, Gabriel and Alfie. I can almost bet this season will be ending with her choosing between them finally.
I will say that I am team Gabriel, I mean a man who can cook and looks like that fine is definitely going to get my vote. He also really loves our Emily. However I can see the appeal with Alfie because he seems to really care about Emily from the get go and sometimes we need that person who doesn’t check off all the boxes.
When will it will premiere?
Courtesy of Netflix
Netflix has just announced that it will be premiering on December 21, 2022. Just in time for the Christmas season. So grab your girlfriends and/or boyfriend, cuddle up on the couch with a glass of wine and binge to your hearts content. This show will become your new guilty pleasure and reminds me of Sex and The City but in Paris. Also there will be a Season 4, Netflix put on Instagram that the show was renewed for a Season 4 with the caption “Say ‘bonjour’ to 3 & 4! back in January. So there will be plenty to look forward to and fashion, love and drama!
Courtesy of Netflix
Below is the teaser trailer for the upcoming season courtesy of Netflix:
Spilling the tea! Zach Shallcross may not have found love with Rachel Recchia, but the newest Bachelor did give an update about her next potential romance.
“Last I saw, her and Aven [Jones] had a little bit of a spark on-camera,” Shallcross, 26, told E! News in an interview published on Wednesday, October 5. “I love and respect Aven, so I want the best for them if that’s a thing. But I also just want the best for her.”
While the California native told the outlet that he hasn’t even “had his phone” since the finale aired late last month, he wants Recchia, 26, and the sales executive, 28, to be happy.
Shallcross, who was a contestant on season 19 ABC series, dated Recchia until part one of the two-part finale. The tech executive exited the reality show after claiming that the pilot acted differently when the cameras were on.
“It was just her and I talking, and it felt like she was just, like, not showing her true self. It was very inauthentic sometimes,” he alleged to Jesse Palmerduring the fantasy suites episode. Shallcross also noted at the time that he felt “blindsided” by Rachel’s actions — which included harping on their six-month age difference and not believing he was ready to propose.
The two did, however, work out their issues during After the Final Rose which aired last month. “After part one of the live finale, Rachel and I talked. We had some closure,” Shallcross revealed. “Really, I haven’t talked with her much since then.”
Following her heart-to-heart with the California Polytechnic State University alum, Recchia revealed that she and winner Tino Francohad called it quits after he allegedly cheated on her with another girl.
Whilethe general contractor repeatedly brought up the “bad place” their romance was in when his indiscretion happened, the Illinois native was adamant in claiming that their relationship never ended.
“There was never a point where we were broken up. There was never a point where an engagement was called off. Did we have conversations saying: ‘We need to focus on dating, we need to really get to the core of this?’ Yes,” Recchia said during a September episode of the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast. “I never said I was giving a ring back. I never said our engagement was called off.”
Despite their rocky relationship, Recchia later revealed that she only wishes him the best.
“I wish we could have had more of that sort of a discussion, but I can’t really regret, looking back. It just played the way it did,” she shared on an episode of the “Chicks in the Office” podcast. “No, I have not [spoken to him]. Ultimately, I wish him well, but I think we’re both probably ready to move on after all of this and heal.”
When it comes to her romance with Jones, however, the Ohio University alum explained she was “seeing where things go” during a recent appearance on Live! With Kelly and Ryan.
Shallcross, for his part, has already started his journey toward love on The Bachelor, with the Austin resident meeting his first five potential matches and even giving out a first impression rose to Brianna Thorbourne during After the Final Rose.
It would be reductive to say podcasts are having a moment right now. The industry, which is expected to generate $4 billion in revenue by 2024, can trace its roots back to the days of radio, when creators were making podcasts long before Ben Hammersley coined the name. But the format’s impact and moneymaking potential have arguably never been higher, as evidenced by the entry of new megawatt voices like Meghan Markle, whose Archetypes dominated the charts shortly after launch. For this year’s inaugural Podcast Power Players list, THR examined the medium’s current landscape, taking reach and influence into account to determine the leading dealmakers and front-facing creatives pushing the industry forward. — J. CLARA CHAN
Talent
Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman
Andrew Toth/WireImage; E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Tommaso Boddi/FilmMagic
WILL ARNETT, JASON BATEMAN, SEAN HAYES — SmartLess
Introduced at the height of the pandemic, SmartLess provided much-needed laughs thanks to the chop-busting banter of its hosts. The trio of famous funnymen had no trouble enlisting their equally famous friends to stop by, everyone from Will Ferrell to Paul McCartney to Jennifer Aniston. By June 2021, Amazon and Wondery bought SmartLess for $80 million. A live, six-city tour kicked off two months after that, and a slate of spinoffs is in the works.
The essential New York Times news program continues its multiyear streak as one of the top-charting podcasts in the space. This year, host Barbaro added a co-host, veteran reporter Tavernise. PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… TAVERNISE “Really bringing people into the upside-down nature of a place in war. It captures the fear, and sometimes funniness, the strange, unbelievable situations middle class people find themselves suddenly in, and brings the listener right there to hear them trying to adjust to that new reality — it’s like time travel. And podcasting is perfect for hearing the voices puzzling through this.”
Jake Brennan
Courtesy of Karin Dailey
JAKE BRENNAN — Disgraceland
Drawing on Brennan’s lifelong love of music (he wrote the show’s theme song), Disgraceland weaves together pop history and true crime for an addictive 30-minute pod about musicians doing — or undergoing — very bad things. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D CREATED? “Whatever podcast Martin Scorsese decides to eventually be a part of.” PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… “Anyone alive in 2022.”
Brené Brown
Amy E. Price/Getty Images
BRENÉ BROWN — Unlocking Us; Dare to Lead
With her two hit Spotify podcasts, created in 2020, best-selling author, social psychologist and management coach Brown has brought her message on the importance of vulnerability in the workplace and at home to an even wider audience.
Emma Chamberlain
odd Owyoung/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
EMMA CHAMBERLAIN — Anything Goes
Recording from her bed, the 21-year-old YouTuber (11 million subscribers), Louis Vuitton ambassador and all-around influencer goes long on hot topics ranging from relationships and style to philosophy and mental health. PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… “Mimicking real life conversations, virtually.” PODCASTING PET PEEVE? “When my neighbors start leaf-blowing while I’m recording.”
Alex Cooper
Courtesy of Subject
ALEX COOPER — Call Her Daddy
After inking a $60 million exclusive deal with Spotify, Cooper is the highest-paid female podcaster on the platform — and for good reason. The podcast star, who began her career offering brutally honest sex and dating advice and commentary, has become a highly sought-after interviewer, scoring sit-downs with Jamie Lynn Spears, Demi Lovato, Anna Delvey and Emma Chamberlain in her first year with Spotify. And the podcaster has a knack for eliciting viral moments — remember when Julia Fox’s “Uncah Jams” took over the internet? THE FIRST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? “Call Her Daddy“ THE LAST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? “Call Her Daddy“ THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? “Thank you for giving me the chance to clarify — I do not pay guests to appear on the pod and I do not allow guests to review questions before the interview. If you’re lucky, we’ll shoot you over a topic or two.”
Glennon Doyle
Courtesy of Parade Magazine
GLENNON DOYLE — We Can Do Hard Things
The Christian parenting blogger turned author of the blockbuster feminist memoir Untamed ventured into podcasting in 2021 with We Can Do Hard Things, in which she candidly discusses women’s issues with her sister Amanda and her wife Abby Wambach, as well as a smattering of experts and celebrity guests including Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon. FIRST PODCAST THAT HOOKED YOU? “Krista Tippett’s On Being.” THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO BOOKING GUESTS? “My double terror of 1) calling anyone ever and 2) asking anyone for anything ever.” PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… “Dangerous conversations.”
Ashley Flowers
Helen Healey/NBC via Getty Images
ASHLEY FLOWERS — Crime Junkie
Flowers launched her Crime Junkie podcast along with co-host Brit Prawat five years ago and quickly grew to dominate the well-populated true-crime genre. In the second quarter of 2022, Crime Junkie was the second-most-listened-to podcast, after only format king Joe Rogan. She also launched a production company, audiochuck — which has several other popular true-crime titles — as well as a nonprofit to fund DNA testing of cold cases. PODCASTING PET PEEVE? “Weird mouth noises. You put a mic on that and then don’t clean it up in post and I’ll want to crawl out of my skin. But what is torture to me is ASMR to others so podcasting has something for everyone!”
Ashleigh Kelley and Alaina Urquhar
Courtesy of Subject/ Morbid Podcast
ASHLEIGH KELLEY, ALAINA URQUHART — Morbid
Started in 2018 by an aunt-niece duo who call themselves “sisters” and share a taste for the macabre, the true-crime series Morbid now ranks among Apple Podcasts’ top podcasts across all categories in the U.S. Urquhart, an autopsy technician, and her niece, hairstylist Kelley, recently signed an exclusive ad sales deal with Wondery and Amazon Music, which allows them to release three episodes a week. Out this month, Urquhart’s debut novel, The Butcher and the Wren, was an instant New York Times best-seller. THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? KELLEY “The workload that goes into creating a podcast. While it is a great time, it’s also easily the most work I have ever put into a job.” THE PODCAST I WISH I’D SIGNED? KELLEY “Parcast’s Your Magic, hosted by Michelle Tea is totally a show I wish we had on our Morbid Network. I’ve been able to collab with Michelle in the past and she’s such a genuinely cool person with great energy.”
Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff
Courtesy of Mandee Johnson
GEORGIA HARDSTARK, KAREN KILGARIFF — My Favorite Murder
Among the medium’s first breakouts in 2016, My Favorite Murder (which hits 350 episodes in October) seamlessly blends true crime, comedy and, of late, business. Since forming Exactly Right Media in 2018, Hardstark and Kilgariff have become prolific podcast producers in addition to hosts. They now boast 15 titles, regularly launching new shows and acquiring existing ones, with Amazon Music and Wondery recently shelling out a reported $100 million for exclusive first-run rights. LISTENING SPEED? HARDSTARK “1.1x for regular listening, 0.9x for falling asleep.” KILGARIFF “That’s between you and your god.” THE PODCAST I WISH I’D CREATED? HARDSTARK “Lemonada’s Raised by Ricki with Ricki Lake & Kalen Allen. Those two are a power couple!” KILGARIFF “This Is Actually Happening hosted by Whit Missildine. It’s just perfect podcasting.”
Jemele Hill
Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images
JEMELE HILL — Jemele Hill Is Unbothered
Equally conversant in politics, pop culture and sports, the Atlantic magazine contributor and former ESPN host has delivered a new intimate, thought-provoking interview nearly every week since April 2019. Recent guests include NBA great Grant Hill, Idris Elba and The Woman King director Gina Prince-Bythewood. Last year, Hill inked a deal with Spotify to launch The Unbothered Network, focused on producing podcasts by and about Black women. PODCASTING PET PEEVES? “Interviewers who want to talk more than their guests and interviewers who don’t listen, because it reflects in their lack of follow-up questions.” DREAM GUEST? “Viola Davis. I recently finished her memoir. Her story is so extraordinary that it deserves its own biopic. Every time I hear her talk, I have to stop and listen.”
Lewis Howes
Courtesy of Nick Onken
LEWIS HOWES — School of Greatness
After his father suffered a life-altering car accident — followed by an injury of his own that ended his football career — Howes didn’t know where to turn. That is, until he launched School of Greatness, an inspirational podcast spanning a wide range of topics, with more than 1,000 episodes and 100 million downloads. FAVORITE GUEST? “Kobe Bryant. He really showed up in a big way and talked about things on his heart, not just things on his mind. He was so real and honest that I was impressed that someone with his life would be willing to share as much as he did.”
N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN
Terence Rushin/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage
N.O.R.E., DJ EFN — Drink Champs
Rapper N.O.R.E and record label exec DJ EFN team up for boozy conversation and unfiltered storytelling with all-star guests like Kanye West, Dave Chappelle, Issa Rae and Mike Tyson. FAVORITE GUEST? “The last time we sat with DMX. He was in such a great mind space, he was hilarious and very introspective.” DREAM GUEST? “[President Barack] Obama.”
Conan O’Brien
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
CONAN O’BRIEN — Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend; Team Coco
Since segueing from TV host to audio impresario, O’Brien has built Team Coco into a podcasting force — with series from Nicole Byer, Rob Lowe and J.B. Smoove contributing to a network total of 510 million downloads to date. Of course, O’Brien hosts its flagship. Once a side gig, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend is now a full-time job all its own. In addition to welcoming his comedy pals, the weekly drop is a veritable parade of A-listers including Hillary Clinton, Tom Hanks, Barack Obama and J.J. Abrams. THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? “People think I only work one hour per week when it’s closer to one hour and 20 minutes.” THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO BOOKING GUESTS? “Convincing people I’m Michelle Obama.”
Guy Raz
Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images
GUY RAZ — How I Built This
The 500-pound gorilla of business pods debuted in 2016 and has since launched its own convention — the annual How I Built This Summit in San Francisco — while making a star out of its smart and affable host, Raz. His accessible approach and A-list roster of CEOs has resulted in the world’s most essential, and totally free, business school education. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D CREATED? “The French Deception. It’s so good. So smart and such a crisply written narrative.” PODCASTING PET PEEVES? “If I had to pick one, it’s when I hear audio that sounds like it was recorded in an aquarium. Take five minutes to set up your recording in a room with a rug, maybe some books on the shelf, and with low ceilings! You don’t need fancy equipment or a professional studio (like mine.) You just need to pay attention to the environment you’re recording in.” FAVORITE DICTION EXERCISE: “I do a series of long “Z’s” and “S’s.” I also do a version of what an old NPR host Robert Siegel used to do by repeating “Peter Piper prescribed some purple pills of Prozac.”
Joe Rogan
Courtesy of The Joe Rogan Experience
JOE ROGAN — The Joe Rogan Experience
Are you Experienced? At 11 million listeners per episode, it seems quite a few of you are — the comedian and MMA enthusiast’s audience eclipses legacy media platforms. Since jumping to Spotify in 2020 with a deal valued at over $100 million, Rogan has courted controversy — most notably with guest Dr. Robert Malone, whose criticism of mRNA COVID vaccines elicited backlash. And that was before resurfaced video showed the host repeatedly using the N-word. But, after pledging to “try harder,” Rogan appears to have weathered the storm — and continues to attract headline-making guests like Elon Musk, Bernie Sanders and Kanye West.
Sam Sanders
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images
SAM SANDERS — Into It; Vibe Check
Named best podcast host by The Ambies in 2022, Sanders recently left his perch at NPR to launch Into It, the flagship culture podcast from Vox Media/Vulture. He is also a co-host of Vibe Check, a weekly podcast from Stitcher that focuses on news and culture from a Black and queer perspective.
Jay Shetty
Courtesy of Josh Telles
JAY SHETTY — On Purpose With Jay Shetty
With more than 64 million downloads and 10 billion views across his video platform, former Hindu monk Shetty got hooked on podcasting after listening to Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday. The author has since interviewed the likes of Alicia Keys, Khloé Kardashian, Kobe Bryant, Jane Goodall and Oprah herself, in conversations about mental health, happiness and the art of living with purpose. FAVORITE GUEST? “Kobe Bryant. I had the honor of speaking to him three months before his tragic passing and he was the most present and grounded guest I have ever interviewed. When he spoke, it was like time stood still.” PODCASTING PET PEEVE? “Forgetting to switch the recorder on!”
Bill Simmons
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
BILL SIMMONS — The Bill Simmons Podcast; The Ringer
Spanning sports, entertainment, politics and media, The Ringer’s podcast network delivers more than 50 original titles and counting. Founder Simmons has significantly upped his audio commitment since 2020, when a blockbuster nine-figure Spotify acquisition solidified podcasting as the media company’s most valuable asset. In addition to running the operation and working within the larger Spotify sphere, Simmons still hosts his own wildly popular weekly podcast with a focus on the NBA, celebrity interviews and pretty much everything else. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D SIGNED?“Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade“ PODCASTING PET PEEVE? “When a celeb is promoting something and their publicist books them on 18 different pods.”
Kara Swisher
KARA SWISHER — Pivot; On With Kara Swisher
The Silicon Valley journalist evolved into a podcast titan with her 2020 launch of Sway, which featured deep-dive interviews with powerful figures. Swisher’s buzzy sit-downs with names such as Elon Musk, Monica Lewinsky and Matthew McConaughey routinely made headlines. A few months back, Swisher made headlines all her own when she announced she’s leaving Sway — and her perch at The New York Times — to launch a new show, On With Kara Swisher, as part of a three-year deal with Vox Media. She also continues to co-host the popular Vox Media show Pivot with Scott Galloway. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D CREATED? “A podcast about my love for Gladiator and Russell Crowe.” THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? “[That] it’s oppositional. I am trying to have smart conversations, not to battle with people I interview. That’s saved for my personal time.”
Executives
Oskar Serrander, Veronika Taylor, Georgina Holt, and Tiffany Ashitey
Courtesy of Acast (2); Courtesy of Acast/Georgie Holt; Courtesy of Hugh Gladstone
ACAST — Oskar Serrander, Veronika Taylor, Georgina Holt, Tiffany Ashitey
Primarily a hosting and monetization platform, Acast has attracted talent like Anna Faris and Brett Goldstein. Earlier this year, the company’s podcast team scored a coup by bringing O.G. podcaster Marc Maron over to the Acast network from SiriusXM and Stitcher. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D SIGNED? SERRANDER “SmartLess is the podcast that got away.” THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DEVELOPING A GOOD PODCAST? TAYLOR “Thinking through the why. Like any medium, audiences will only find and stick to listening to your podcast if there’s something in it for them. What’s the benefit to your listener? Why should they listen to your show over all of the other excellent choices?” PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR … HOLT “…Brands to invest into. Advertising in podcasting is how you win in an attention economy.” THE LAST PODCAST THAT HOOKED YOU ASHITEY “Since I love a good scammer story, it’s actually a tie between The Lazarus Heist and The Missing Cryptoqueen, both produced by the BBC.”
J.D. Crowley
David Lang for Audacy
AUDACY — J.D. Crowley
Crowley oversees Audacy’s podcast subsidiaries Cadence13 and Pineapple Street Studios. Last summer, he led an overarching deal with Major League Baseball for audio content, making Audacy the official podcast and audio partner for the organization. PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR … “KIDS! Podcast > Screen Time.” LISTENING SPEED? “Normally 1.5X unless it’s a beautifully spun narrative, in which case it’s just wrong not to enjoy the way the creator intended.”
Rachel Ghiazza and Zola Mashariki
Courtesy of Victoria Stevens/Audible; Courtesy of Hussein Katz/Audible
AUDIBLE — Rachel Ghiazza, Zola Mashariki
The Amazon-owned audio company has been on a dealmaking spree of late, securing content partnerships with top talent like Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, George Clooney, LeBron James, Kevin Hart and Charlamagne tha God. And, oh yeah, the Obamas. THE FIRST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? GHIAZZA “The first season of Slow Burn. It took a story from history and made it feel like it was happening in real time.” MASHARIKI “Serial. Does everybody say that?! It was such a seminal and thrilling podcast that really united so many of us around the audio storytelling “campfire”. It’s a story that continues to unfold and is back in the news even now.”
Stuart Last and Brendan Regan
Courtesy of Audioboom
AUDIOBOOM — Stuart Last, Brendan Regan
Under studio chief Regan, the London-based company scored deals for shows like Leah Remini’s Fair Game and YouTube star Bailey Sarian’s Dark History. As CEO, Last has led the company to $40.9 million in revenue during the first half of the year and grown Audioboom’s ad tech business to handle more than 8,000 shows, including Casefile: True Crime and True Crime Obsessed. PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… LAST “Independent creators. I firmly believe that this is – and will continue to be – a creator led medium where great concepts, delivered by passionate creators that audiences can connect and engage with, will more than hold their own against glossier products by big publishers that lack authenticity.” THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DEVELOPING A HIT PODCAST? REGAN “Discoverability.”
Chris Corcoran
Courtesy of Cadence13
CADENCE13 — Chris Corcoran
Corcoran is the man behind deals for hits like Glennon Doyle’s We Can Do Hard Things and Karina Longworth’s bingeworthy Hollywood history series You Must Remember This. Corcoran also serves as an EP for Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s first podcast, The Sunshine Place. THE FIRST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? “Bill Simmons’ former ESPN podcast, The B.S. Report.” THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO DEVELOPING A HIT PODCAST? “Differentiating from what’s out there.”
Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor
Mindy Best/Getty Images ; FilmMagic/FilmMagic (2)
CROOKED MEDIA — Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor
Founded by three former Obama White House staffers, Crooked’s slate of political titles (including Pod Save America and Pod Save the World) brings in more than 21 million monthly downloads. THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT OUR JOB? VIETOR “People think we’re really friends.” LOVETT “I think we’re really friends.” FAVREAU “Tommy, Jesus.”
Conal Byrne and Will Pearson
Courtesy of iHeartMedia; Lorena Kjer for iHeartRadio
IHEART — Conal Byrne, Will Pearson
IHeartMedia’s podcast division, led by Byrne with COO Pearson, brought in $86 million in revenue during the latest quarter and has become the audio home for Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland Audio and Will Ferrell’s Big Money Players Network. Other major shows in the iHeartPodcasts network, under Pearson, include Stuff You Should Know, Drink Champs and Las Culturistas. THE LAST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? BYRNE “Operation Midnight Climax” PEARSON “Ridiculous Crime“ THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? BYRNE “That it’s predictable.” PEARSON “That it stays the same from one year to the next. The exciting and fascinating part about the job is how quickly the industry is expanding and changing. We always have to be thinking a couple steps ahead.”
Sam Dolnick
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
THE NEW YORK TIMES — Sam Dolnick
A scion of the Times‘ Sulzberger family, Dolnick was once in line to be the publisher. Now, as deputy managing editor, he runs point on Hollywood, brokering a deal on Times-branded docs for FX on Hulu and overseeing the Modern Love column’s transformation into an Amazon series. Yet Dolnick carries the most weight as the force behind its juggernaut The Daily podcast, as well as an array of other agenda setters, including Still Processing and The Ezra Klein Show.
Anya Grundmann
JC Olivera/Getty Images
NPR — Anya Grundmann
Grundmann oversees NPR’s music and events offerings — the famed Tiny Desk Concerts are her domain. But it’s in the scope and reach of her podcast portfolio, including four of the top-rated in the U.S., that she’s perhaps most influential in shaping the cultural conversation, with shows like Planet Money, It’s Been a Minute, Code Switch and Pop Culture Happy Hour. THE FIRST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? “All Songs Considered, NPR’s first podcast, launched in 2005!” THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? “That being in podcasting is only about podcasting. Building a world around podcasts means you’re in all kinds of spaces. This past year, it’s led us to creating a comic book, a TikTok channel, exploring format deals, presenting a musical and and hosting an auction on eBay!”
Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linsky
Courtesy of Pineapple Street
PINEAPPLE STREET STUDIOS — Jenna Weiss-Berman, Max Linsky
Pineapple Street boasts over 60 original shows under its banner. In addition to a slate of podcasts like Linsky’s 70 Over 70 and The Catch and Kill Podcast With Ronan Farrow, Pineapple Street regularly collaborates with HBO on companion pods for projects like Succession, Hacks, Winning Time and Chernobyl. It also has partnership podcasts with ESPN, Netflix and Apple TV+. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D CREATED/SIGNED? WEISS-BERMAN “Poog with Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak.” PODCASTING PET PEEVE? WEISS-BERMAN “Excessive scoring, particularly with marimbas.”
Jacob Weisberg
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
PUSHKIN — Jacob Weisberg
Co-founded by Weisberg and author Malcolm Gladwell in 2018, the company has launched hits like Gladwell’s Revisionist History, The Happiness Lab, Getting Even With Anita Hill and Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi. Pushkin has recently acquired independent podcast company Transmitter Media and signed hip indie film studio A24 to a first-look deal. THE PODCAST I WISH I’D CREATED? “Ariel Levy’s The Just Enough Family“ PODCASTING PET PEEVES? “Too much explanation, not enough expanation, pieces with beautiful audio and no point, The Daily exceeding 20 minutes.”
Scott Greenstein Daniel Osit
Courtesy of SiriusXM
SIRIUSXM — Scott Greenstein, Daniel Osit (Stitcher)
Greenstein spearheaded the satellite radio giant’s $150 million acquisition of Team Coco, a major distribution and ad deal with Ashley Flowers’ audiochuck, and an exclusive original podcast deal with Marvel, among other coups. Over at Stitcher, a subsidiary of SXM, Osit has led deals for Lewis Howes’ The School of Greatness and Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky’s YMH Studios. PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… “Connection. When done right, a good podcast can make you feel like you’re in the room with your favorite creator/actor/artist/etc. ” THE LAST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? GREENSTEIN “Paul Pod. It’s a look back at Eminem’s career hosted by his longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg.”
Steve Ackerman and Emily Rasekh
Sony Music Entertainment (2)
SONY — Steve Ackerman, Emily Rasekh
The Sony team has locked down development deals with Campside Media, Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries and Marc Smerling’s Truth Media. In May, Rasekh, who leads the podcast business’ operations, oversaw the launch of Sony Music’s subscription channel for premium podcast content. THE PODCASTER I WISH I’D SIGNED? RASEKH “Ashley Flowers. She has built and continues to engage an amazing community of fans.” IF YOU HAD A PODCAST, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHO WOULD BE YOUR DREAM GUEST? ACKERMAN “I would completely abuse my position and make a show where Steve Ackerman gets to meet top West Ham (EPL) stars of today and yesterday. Our club’s nickname is The Hammers so I’d call the show, Let’s Get Hammered.”
Dawn Ostroff, Julie McNamara, and Max Cutler
Dave Benett/Getty Images;Kevin Winter/Getty Images;
SPOTIFY— Dawn Ostroff, Julie McNamara, Max Cutler
Spotify’s powerhouse podcast division is led by Ostroff and her deputies McNamara and Cutler, who are the architects behind multimillion-dollar exclusive talent deals with creators like Alex Cooper and Meghan Markle. Next up is the second season for the hit original fiction series Batman Unburied and a new true-crime series from Kim Kardashian, the latter of which launched this week. IF YOU HAD A PODCAST, WHAT WOULD IT BE? OSTROFF “Interviewing inspiring and innovative CEOs about how they built and pushed their companies to great heights — such as Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA.” LISTENING SPEED? OSTROFF “1.5x.” MCNAMARA “1x.” CUTLER “2x.”
Nishat Kurwa and Ray Chao
Courtesy of Vox Media (2)
VOX MEDIA — Nishat Kurwa, Ray Chao
As Vox Media’s vp and executive producer of audio, Kurwa — who cut her teeth in public radio — works on both the business side, managing the network, and on the editorial side, making shows, like Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway’s Pivot. Chao, Vox’s general manager of audio, recently led the acquisitions of Criminal Productions and Preet Bharara’s Cafe Studios; strategic partnerships with Longform, Gastropod and MKBHD’s Waveform; and talent deals with Noel King, Sam Sanders and Ariel Helwani. PODCASTING PET PEEVE? KURWA “When ‘podcast’ is used as a verb. When names—especially easily searchable names like major cultural figures—are badly mispronounced. When narrative podcasters (no shade, ya’ll are my people) get all precious about their format being the only truly beautiful form of the art. “ CHAO “When someone wants to start a podcast because they think it’s a quick and easy way to make money and become famous.”
Andrew Golis
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
WNYC — Andrew Golis
As COO of the public radio powerhouse, Golis oversees a high-profile slate of shows including the venerable On the Media, The New Yorker Radio Hour, Radiolab, Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams’ 2 Dope Queens, and Alec Baldwin’s Here’s the Thing.
Jen Sargent and Marshall Lewy
Courtesy of Amazon Music/Wondery
WONDERY — Jen Sargent, Marshall Lewy
Led by CEO Sargent, who oversees podcast strategy for both Wondery and Amazon Music, the Amazon-owned company has inked licensing and ad deals with shows like SmartLess and My Favorite Murder. Under Lewy, who leads original series, Wondery has produced numerous hits that have inspired Hollywood adaptations, including The Shrink Next Door, WeCrashed and Dr. Death. PODCASTING IS THE IDEAL MEDIUM FOR… SARGENT “Entertaining you while your kid is screaming, dinner is burning and the laundry needs to be folded. It’s all about pairing truly entertaining content with the mundane tasks at hand.” PODCASTING PET PEEVE? LEWY “When an investigative podcast opens with the host telling the story of how they first heard about the story they’re about to tell you. Extra pet peeve if they add that it was the most unbelievable story they’d ever heard and they couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
Agents
Oren Rosenbaum
Courtesy of UTA
OREN ROSENBAUM (UTA)
UTA’s head of audio, Rosenbaum has helped major Hollywood players including Will Ferrell pivot into podcasting, and is behind Alex Cooper’s $60 million Spotify deal and the $100 million My Favorite Murder deal with Wondery. THE FIRST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? “Serial” THE LAST PODCAST THAT HOOKED ME? “Huberman Lab“ THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? “That I spend all day listening to podcasts.” LISTENING SPEED? “1x – anything else is blasphemous.”
Josh Lindgren, Caroline Edwards
Courtesy of Jase Lindgren; Lily Cummings
JOSH LINDGREN + CAROLINE EDWARDS (CAA)
As CAA’s head of podcasts, Lindgren reps leading voices like NPR’s Ari Shapiro, Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal, and SmartLess, for which he did the Amazon/Wondery deal. Edwards, who joined CAA following its acquisition of ICM, has brokered deals for clients including John Stamos, Alan Cumming and Tig Notaro, and represents hot titles like Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers’ Pantsuit Politics. THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT MY JOB? LINDGREN “The idea that agents are motivated by money above all else. We need funding to get shows made, and we want to make sure our clients are paid their worth, but the ultimate goal should never be money for the sake of money. The truth is that finding the right partnership for a project creates a longer runway for success and contributes to a better creator ecosystem, and that’s not a decision that anyone should take lightly.” EDWARDS “That it is not creative. When done right, agenting is a wonderful mix of creative & business.”
Ben Davis and Marissa Hurwitz
Courtesy of WME
BEN DAVIS + MARISSA HURWITZ (WME)
Davis and Hurwitz represent leading podcasts and hosts such as Dax Shepard, Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle and Rob Lowe, while Hurwitz did Morbid‘s deal with Amazon/Wondery. The agents have helped reinvent IP for the podcast space (specifically with Spotify’s Batman Unburied) and helped expand the empires of brands such as Crooked Media. LISTENING SPEED? DAVIS “1.5x.”
Written by Seth Abramovitch, Gary Baum, J. Clara Chan, Evan Nicole Brown, Mia Galuppo, James Hibberd, Caitlin Huston, Mikey O’Connell and Sydney Odman.
This story first appeared in the Sept. 28 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
A horror movie based on the wildly popular “Five Nights at Freddy’s” video game franchise is in the works for Blumhouse in collaboration with the game’s creator Scott Cawthon.
The studio has tapped Emma Tammi (“The Wind,” “Blood Moon”) to direct the “Five Night’s at Freddy’s” film, which according to an official synopsis follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.
And bringing the terrifying animatronic characters to life for the film is none other than Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which will work alongside Blumhouse on the film. In fact, work on the animatronics has already begun ahead of the studio planning an early 2023 production start for “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will be working alongside Blumhouse to bring the game’s favorite animatronics to life. The innovative Oscar and Emmy-winning effects shop has already begun working on the animatronics in preparation for an early 2023 production start.
Cawthon, Tammi and Seth Cuddeback together wrote the screenplay for “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” The film will be produced by Blumhouse in association with Striker Entertainment. Scott Cawthon and Jason Blum will produce the film. Russell Binder is an executive producer.
The FNaF games are a series of point and click survivor horror games. Players must survive five nights while working as an evening security guard while aiming to avoid the shifting eyes of creepy and hostile animatronic animals that will pounce if they spot you getting out of line. Players can utilize security cameras, lights, air vents and other tools to avoid capture.
The games now span nine games in the main franchise alongside numerous other spinoff games and forms of media. “Five Nights at Freddy’s” exploded in popularity after the release of the first game from 2014 after YouTube and video game streamers such as PewDiePie, Markiplier and Jacksepticeye, among others, found viral attention streaming their play throughs of the game, complete with teens posting their ludicrous reactions to the game’s many jump scares upon being captured.
A film adaptation of “Five Nights at Freddy’s” has been trying to get off the ground for years, dating back as far as 2015 when Warner Bros. had acquired the adaptation rights. But Cawthon has revealed over the years that the film had gone through numerous script issues, and directors such as Chris Columbus have come and gone from the project. But speculation started running rampant back in August when Blum had tweeted that he would be working with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop at the time for an unspecified projecet.
“In meeting with Emma, I felt she had a great understanding of the franchise, and really felt that she could craft something that would please the fanbase and keep people on the edge of their seats,” Scott Cawthon said in a statement about the film.
“Stepping into the rich, terrifying world of Freddy’s alongside Scott Cawthon, Blumhouse and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is beyond thrilling. I cannot wait for audiences to immerse themselves in the wild and wonderful playground we are creating,” Tammi added.
“’Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is more consistently asked about than any other film I’ve ever worked on, and I’m thrilled to confirm it’s finally happening! With Emma Tammi at the helm, we’re committed to making Scott’s vision of the movie come to life. Rest assured, it will be and is worth the wait,” said Jason Blum, Blumhouse CEO and founder.
Emma Tammi is represented by CAA, Atlas Artists and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.
Can Will Smith overcome the controversy surrounding the slap heard around the world to win his second Oscar?
That’s the question facing Apple after it announced that it will release “Emancipation,” a drama about an escaped slave that it paid Smith $35 million to star in and produce. The streamer is betting that the furor over Smith’s assault of Chris Rock at the Oscarshas died down, particularly after Smith recorded an awkward apology video.
But even if Smith becomes the first performer since Tom Hanks to score back-to-back Oscars for best actor, he won’t be able to pick up his prize in person. Nor will he even be able to accept it via satellite. That’s because in April, facing almost certain expulsion, Smith decided to resign from membership of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. That was followed almost immediately by the Academy Board of Governors’ decision to ban him from the Oscars telecast and Academy-sponsored events for 10 years.
But even though he can’t accept his award on the broadcast, Smith can still be nominated, and even win another Oscar.
It’s unclear how aggressively Smith will campaign for the prize or if Apple will even push him in the crowded best actor race, which also includes Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Hugh Jackman (“The Son”), none of whom slapped a beloved stand-up during a global television event. But if Smith decides to press the flesh, he won’t be able to do it at any Academy member gatherings. He’ll have to consign himself to events presented by the likes of SAG and the Golden Globes.
If Smith’s performance was able to overcome his publicly perceived “blacklisting,” the Academy’s Actors Branch, which is comprised of about 1,400 former colleagues, acquaintances, and Hollywood adjacent working performers, can place him on their ballot to receive a nomination when voting occurs from Jan. 12-17. The official noms will be announced on Jan. 24.
Will Smith in “Emancipation” (Apple Original Films)
Apple
In the film, Smith plays Peter, a character based on the infamous “Whipped Peter,” an escaped slave whose photo of his scourged back became one of the most widely circulated pictures of the abolitionist movement during the American Civil War.
But that’s not the only category Smith can be nominated for.
The Academy has 18 branches that make up the approximately 9,600 eligible voting members. In addition to voting in their specific area of expertise, each votes in the best picture category, with their ballots having 10 available slots to list their favorite films of the year.
If “Emancipation” were to be nominated for the Academy’s top honor, Smith, who serves as one of the producers for the film, alongside Jon Mone (with his first full producer credit no less) and former nominees Todd Black (“Fences”), Joey McFarland (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) would be among the nominated producers (noteworthy: the Academy makes all final determinations on eligible producing nominees).
Double-nominated for “King Richard” for best actor and best picture, Smith made history last year as the second Black man to be nominated in both categories (after Denzel Washington for “Fences”) and the first Black man to produce himself in an acting win.
“Emancipation” screened over the weekend in Washington D.C. as part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Legislative Conference, along with groups from the Congressional Black Caucus, Historically Black College and Universities, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Power Rising and #WinWithBlackWomen. Both Smith and Fuqua spoke, in person, at the event.
The early reactions were positive from attendees, including Donna Brazile, former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, saying in a tweet, “powerful picture highlighting how Black ppl [people] fought for the freedom.”
Tonya J. Williams, director of strategic communications for Emily’s List, called it “a powerful & gut-wrenching depiction of the horrors of slavery. Will Smith, who masterfully played the role of Peter, spoke about how he (and we) hold space in this world using Peter’s life as the example.”
In addition, Angela Rye, principal and CEO of IMPACT Strategies, also called it “a powerful story not rooted in our history, but also our resilience as a people.”
For Apple, the decision to release “Emancipation” was evident. As it stands, the reigning best picture champion of last year’s “CODA” (2021) has a well-liked albeit quiet charmer “Cha Cha Real Smooth” from writer, director and star Cooper Raiff. Toronto didn’t boost its other titles in a significant way – “Causeway” with Jennifer Lawrence, “Raymond & Ray” with Ewan McGregor and “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” with Zac Efron. Next year, the streamer will juggle two filmmaking masters, Martin Scorsese with “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott with “Napoleon.” It would be ludicrous to inject a barrage of slap-related questions into the fray.
However, it should be noted, Smith is not the sole owner of “Emancipation.” Antoine Fuqua, an admired and deeply respected director for more than 25 years, is at the helm. The same person who gave Denzel Washington the vehicle that brought him his long overdue lead actor statuette for “Training Day” (2001). If the buzz on the film’s quality is proven to be true, and we’ve arrived at our “Fuqua moment” when in 94 years only six Black directors have ever been nominated, shouldn’t that be allowed to take place?
Can Apple weather this “Emancipation” storm for all the creatives involved? Are Oscar voters and consumers ready to put the slap behind them? Awards season will tell.
It’s finally Autumn! What better way to welcome in that ~spooky season~ chill in the air than with everyone’s favourite moody vampire romance sagas!
So here’s the game, simply guess who said which quote — either someone from The Vampire Diaries or someone from Twilight. Easy enough? Then let’s play!
Who’s your favourite on-screen vampire (or hybrid)? Let us know in the comments!
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Bruno Heller (Gotham, Rome) has a funny way — quite literally — of describing the move of Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler from Epix to HBO Max.
First, imagine you’re in a grocery store and on the hunt for, ahem, something tasty to enjoy. “Years ago, people had very few choices. Now it’s much more like a supermarket,” explains Heller, who created the DC drama that stars Jack Bannon in the title role. “I don’t mean to be crass about this, but you’re on a shelf and where you are on the shelf becomes very important in a way that it wasn’t before. So platforms matter. We are just very excited to be in the center aisle, in the middle of shelf, next to the cornflakes instead of up there with the maple honey granola with soy granules in it. All of those cereals have an audience, but you get a bigger audience if you’re next to the Frosted Flakes.”
Starting Oct. 6, the Warner Bros. TV-produced Pennyworth will begin a whole new chapter on HBO Max, where Heller is hoping the new Origin of Batman’s Butler subtitle will attract a fresh (and with any luck, bigger) audience. “The beauty of the DC canon is that pretty much everyone has has a smattering of knowledge about it,” said Heller. “But there are several steps from name recognition to eyeballs on the screen. I think HBO Max was right. Visibility and clarity is everything … though I wish it could have been ‘the butler that changed America’ because I always like that in book titles.”
Pennyworth‘s move was not surprising. The drama was originally sold to MGM-owned Epix months before WBTV parent WarnerMedia announced plans to launch its own streaming service, which became HBO Max. Since then DC titles like Harley Quinn and Titans migrated to the platform, which has also developed an extensive slate of high-profile series such as Peacemaker, Green Lantern and an Amanda Waller spinoff with Viola Davis.
For those who aren’t familiar with the origin story, Alfred Pennyworth is a former British SAS soldier who forms a security company in 1960s London and goes to work with young billionaire Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and his wife Martha (Emma Paetz) before they become Bruce Wayne’s parents. Season three of the thriller begins after a five-year time jump: the civil war is over, and a cultural revolution has changed the world for better or worse – ushering in a new age of super heroes and supervillains. But don’t expect a bunch of familiar faces from the DC world to suddenly populate Pennyworth’s inner circle.
“You’re getting premonitions and presaging of those characters,” explains Heller. “This is very much Alfred’s story. It’s the parents’ story. The world is getting ready for the entry of those superheroes and super villains. You’re seeing the origin stories of how that world came to be rather than those characters themselves.”
One thing that won’t change is the extreme likability of Pennyworth‘s star. “He’s sort of handsome caricature of himself. He has a relaxed and easy command, not like an officer, but like a sergeant you hope you’d have in Vietnam or wherever,” explains Heller. “I find myself sometimes with him, and it’s ridiculous ’cause I’m an ancient old geezer with a white beard, but I’ll look at him and say like, ‘well, what do you think, dad?’ He’s just so very charismatic. He just has that easy relaxed way with everyone around him. And if he says it’s going to be alright, it’s going to be all right.”
The ten-episode drama series is executive produced by Heller, Matthew Patnick, Danny Cannon and John Stephens. It also stars Paloma Faith, Ryan Fletcher, Dorothy Atkinson, Ramon Tikaram, Harriet Slater and Simon Manyonda and is produced in the UK at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
The first two seasons of Pennyworth are also streaming on HBO Max.
The costume designers behind And Just Like That has given fans a glimpse of what to expect from Carrie and Charlotte’s season 2 wardrobes in new photos posted online. The classic television show Sex and the City, which followed the interconnected lives of four women in New York City navigating relationships and their ever-evolving identities, was first announced to be getting a reboot developed by Michael Patrick King in 2020. After much anticipation from the avid fanbase of the original series and subsequent films, And Just Like That was released to HBO Max in December 2021.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
The reboot has notably sought to present the core characters in a more modern context, excluding Samantha who is not featured on-screen in And Just Like That due to actor Kim Cattral’s choice not to return to the series. However, one unforgettable aspect of the original remains just as integral to the revival: fashion. The characters of the original series, particularly Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw, instantly became fashion icons of their generation, each presenting a distinct personal style that reflected their unique personalities and showcasing outfits that became cemented in pop culture history. The importance of fashion has remained equally key to And Just Like That, which has been heralded for including groundbreaking style moments just as the original series was.
Amid the filming of And Just Like That‘s season two, viewers have been given insight into the style choices Carrie and Charlotte will make from posts shared to the joint Instagram page of the reboot’s lead costume designers, Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago. In one post Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw is shown wearing various eclectic footwear items simultaneously, which is very much on brand for the character who is known for making bold fashion statements and combining sartorial elements that few would dare to try. Kristin Davis’ Charlotte York Goldenblatt, on the other hand, can be seen wearing an olive green jumpsuit with sneakers, a stark stylistic departure for the character whose outfits tend to be more stereotypically feminine and modest, reflecting her more conservative and traditionalistic outlook.
How Costumes Are Crucial To The Sex & the City Spinoff
It should not come as a surprise that the fashion featured in the franchise has remained a constant from the original series and films throughout the revival, as Danny Santiago served as one of the costume designers on both Sex And The City films while Molly Rogers was a co-costume designer alongside Patricia Field throughout the original show and subsequent movies. The pair now leads the wardrobe department of And Just Like That together. The designers credit the continued success of their return to the costume department of the revival to their ability to combine high-end clothing items and accessories with contemporary pieces from more underground designers scouted internationally, predominantly using social media.
And Just Like That has notably shifted its focus and taken on many current topical issues in an effort to amend the out-of-touch and exclusionary aspects of Sex And The City, which ran during a far less socially-conscious era than the reboot from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Namely, the revival boasts a more diverse cast surrounding the three lead women, including more people of color and characters with disabilities, and the show has also broadened its depiction of sexuality by featuring the realization and subsequent exploration of Miranda Hobbes’ queer identity. However, the individualized styles of the lead characters have remained a crucial component of the show as an exploration of American culture and the many expressions of womanhood. Whether the style of Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda remain as illustrious and unparalleled as the new photos indicate will be made clear when season 2 of And Just Like That hits HBO Max in 2023.
PLEASE NOTE: This forecast, assembled by The Hollywood Reporter‘s executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg, reflects his best attempt to predict the behavior of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not his personal preferences. He arrives at these standings by drawing upon consultations with voters and industry insiders, analysis of marketing and awards campaigns, results of awards ceremonies that precede the Oscars and the history of the Oscars ceremony itself. There will be regular updates to reflect new developments.
* * *
*BEST PICTURE*
Frontrunners The Fabelmans (Universal) Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24) The Banshees of Inisherin (Searchlight) Women Talking (UAR) Elvis (Warner Bros.) The Woman King (Sony) She Said (Universal) Tár (Focus) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)
Major Threats Till (UAR) Close (A24) Triangle of Sadness (Neon) Good Night Oppy (Amazon) The Whale (A24) Empire of Light (Searchlight) Armageddon Time (Focus) Living (Sony Classics)
Possibilities Nope (Universal) The Good Nurse (Netflix) The Inspection (A24) RRR (Variance) Thirteen Lives (Amazon) Lady Chatterley’s Lover (Netflix) White Noise (Netflix) The Son (Sony Classics) Bones and All (UAR)
Still to See Avatar: The Way of Water (20th Century/Disney) Babylon (Paramount) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney) Emancipation (Apple) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) A Man Called Otto (Sony)
*BEST DIRECTOR*
Frontrunners Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) Sarah Polley (Women Talking) Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Todd Field (Tár) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Woman King)
Major Threats Park Chan-wook (Decision to Leave) Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin) Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness) Lukas Dhont (Close) Maria Schrader (She Said) Chinonye Chukwu (Till) Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) Rian Johnson (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)
Possibilities James Gray (Armageddon Time) Sam Mendes (Empire of Light) Darren Aronofsky (The Whale) Jordan Peele (Nope) Ron Howard (Thirteen Lives) Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) Tobias Lindholm (The Good Nurse) Noah Baumbach (White Noise) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Bardo) Luca Guadagnino (Bones and All)
Still to See James Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water) Damien Chazelle (Babylon) Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Guillermo del Toro (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) Marc Forster (A Man Called Otto) Antoine Fuqua (Emancipation)
*BEST ACTOR*
Frontrunners Brendan Fraser (The Whale) Austin Butler (Elvis) Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) Adam Sandler (Hustle)
Major Threats Bill Nighy (Living) Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) Jeremy Pope (The Inspection) Jonathan Majors (Devotion) Hugh Jackman (The Son)
Possibilities Song Kang-ho (Broker) Park Hae-il (Decision to Leave) Adam Driver (White Noise) Eden Dambrine (Close) Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth) Daniel Giménez Cacho (Bardo)
Still to See Christian Bale (The Pale Blue Eye) Diego Calva (Babylon) Winston Duke (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Tom Hanks (A Man Called Otto) Will Smith (Emancipation) Sam Worthington (Avatar: The Way of Water)
*BEST ACTRESS*
Frontrunners Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) Cate Blanchett (Tár) Danielle Deadwyler (Till) Viola Davis (The Woman King)
Major Threats Olivia Colman (Empire of Light) Ana de Armas (Blonde) Rooney Mara (Women Talking) Carey Mulligan (She Said) Zoe Kazan (She Said) Vicky Krieps (Corsage) Jessica Chastain (The Good Nurse) Léa Seydoux (One Fine Morning)
Possibilities Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) Jennifer Lawrence (Causeway) Emma Corrin (Lady Chatterley’s Lover) Mia Goth (Pearl) Tang Wei (Decision to Leave) Keke Palmer (Nope) Taylor Russell (Bones and All) Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider) Florence Pugh (The Wonder) Florence Pugh (Don’t Worry Darling)
Still to See Naomi Ackie (I Wanna Dance With Somebody) Anna Diop (Nanny) Sigourney Weaver (Avatar: The Way of Water) Letitia Wright (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
*BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR*
Frontrunners Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Paul Dano (The Fabelmans) Judd Hirsch (The Fabelmans) Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) Eddie Redmayne (The Good Nurse)
Major Threats Jeremy Strong (Armageddon Time) Ben Whishaw (Women Talking) Andre Braugher (She Said) Micheal Ward (Empire of Light) Bokeem Woodbine (The Inspection) Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Possibilities Anthony Hopkins (Armageddon Time) Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway) Woody Harrelson (Triangle of Sadness) Jack O’Connell (Lady Chatterley’s Lover) Toby Jones (Empire of Light) Don Cheadle (White Noise) Igor Van Dessel (Close)
Still to See Ben Foster (Emancipation) Harry Melling (The Pale Blue Eye) Brad Pitt (Babylon)
*BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS*
Frontrunners Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once) Claire Foy (Women Talking) Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King)
Major Threats Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness) Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) Gabrielle Union (The Inspection) Janelle Monae (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) Jennifer Ehle (She Said) Samantha Morton (She Said) Patricia Clarkson (She Said)
Possibilities Nina Hoss (Tár) Sophie Kauer (Tár) Anne Hathaway (Armageddon Time) Hong Chau (The Whale) Sadie Sink (The Whale) Judith Ivey (Women Talking) Greta Gerwig (White Noise) Laura Dern (The Son)
Still to See Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) Charmaine Bingwa (Emancipation) Michelle Monaghan (Nanny) Margot Robbie (Babylon) Tamara Tunie (I Wanna Dance With Somebody)
*BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY*
Frontrunners Women Talking (Sarah Polley) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Rian Johnson) She Said (Rebecca Lenkiewicz) The Whale (Samuel D. Hunter) The Good Nurse (Krysty Wilson-Cairns)
Major Threats Lady Chatterley’s Lover (David Magee) Top Gun: Maverick (Peter Craig, Ehren Kruger, Justin Marks, Christopher McQuarrie & Eric Warren Singer) The Wonder (Alice Birch & Sebastián Lelio)
Possibilities White Noise (Noah Baumbach) Living (Kazuo Ishiguro) Bones and All (David Kajganich) The Son (Christopher Hampton)
Still to See Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron & Josh Friedman) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Joe Robert Cole & Ryan Coogler) Catherine Called Birdy (Lena Dunham) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Guillermo del Toro & Patrick McHale)
*BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY*
Frontrunners Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Scheinert & Daniel Kwan) The Fabelmans (Tony Kushner & Steven Spielberg) The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh) The Woman King (Dana Stevens) Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund)
Major Threats Tár (Todd Field) Nope (Jordan Peele) Close (Lukas Dhont & Angelo Tijssens) Till (Keith Beauchamp, Chinonye Chukwu & Michael Reilly) Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook & Seo-kyeong Jeong) Armageddon Time (James Gray) The Inspection (Elegance Bratton)
Possibilities Cha Cha Real Smooth (Cooper Raiff) Elvis (Jeremy Doner, Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell & Craig Pearce) Broker (Hirokazu Koreeda) Empire of Light (Sam Mendes) Bardo (Alejandro G. Iñárritu) Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)
Still to See Babylon (Damien Chazelle) Emancipation (William N. Collage) Nanny (Nikyatu Jusu)
*BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE*
Frontrunners Close (Belgium) Decision to Leave (South Korea) Corsage (Austria) Saint Omer (France) Holy Spider (Denmark)
Major Threats Bardo (Mexico)
Still to See Alcarràs (Spain) All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) Beautiful Beings (Iceland) Boy from Heaven (Sweden) Cinema Sabaya (Israel) EO (Poland) Eternal Spring (Canada) Girl Picture (Finland) Klondike (Ukraine) Narcosis (Netherlands) Nostalgia (Italy) Plan 75 (Japan) War Sailor (Norway)
*BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE*
Frontrunners Good Night Oppy (Amazon) Navalny (Warner Bros./CNN) Retrograde (Nat Geo) Fire of Love (Nat Geo/Neon) Descendant (Netflix)
Major Threats Freedom on Fire (still seeking U.S. distribution) All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Neon) All That Breathes (HBO) Sr. (Netflix) Last Flight Home (MTV) Bad Axe (IFC) The Return of Tanya Tucker (Sony Classics) Moonage Daydream (Neon) Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song (Sony Classics) The Janes (HBO) The Territory (Nat Geo)
Possibilities Icarus: The Aftermath (still seeking U.S. distribution) In Her Hands (Netflix) Civil (Netflix) Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down (Briarcliff/CNN) Bitterbrush (Magnolia) Turn Every Page (Sony Classics) Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams (Sony Classics)
Still to See 2nd Chance (Showtime) Aftershock (Hulu) Art & Krimes (MTV) A Compassionate Spy (still seeking U.S. distribution) The Corridors of Power (Showtime) I Didn’t See You There (still seeking U.S. distribution) Eternal Spring (self-distributing) The Exiles (still seeking U.S. distribution) If These Walls Could Sing (Disney) Is That Black Enough for You?!? (Netflix) Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues (Apple) Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (Disney) Mija (Disney) Nothing Compares (Showtime) The Princess (HBO) Punch 9 for Harold Washington (still seeking U.S. distribution) Riotsville, U.S.A. (Magnolia) Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me (Apple) Sidney (Apple) The Voice of Dust and Ash (still seeking U.S. distribution) The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari (Netflix) We Are Art: Through the Eyes of Annalaura (still seeking U.S. distribution) Wildcat (Amazon)
*BEST ORIGINAL SONG*
Frontrunners “Hold My Hand” (Top Gun: Maverick) — Lady Gaga “Nobody Like U” (Turning Red) — Billie Eilish & Finneas “This Is a Life” (Everything Everywhere All at Once) — David Byrne, Ryan Lott & Mitski “Time” (Amsterdam) — Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham, Giveon Evans, Jahaan Akil Sweet & Daniel Pemberton “New Body Rhumba” (White Noise) — James Murphy
Major Threats (rest of shortlist) “Carolina” (Where the Crawdads Sing) — Taylor Swift “Vegas” (Elvis) — Doja Cat “Not Alone” (Devotion) — Joe Jonas “(You Made It Feel Like) Home” (Bones and All) — Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross “I Ain’t Worried” (Top Gun: Maverick) — One Republic “Heartbeat” (Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile) — Shawn Mendes
Possibilities “Stand Up” (Till) — D’Mile & Jazmine Sullivan “At the Automat” (The Automat) — Mel Brooks “Applause” (Tell It Like a Woman) — Diane Warren “On My Way” (Marry Me) — Ivy Adara, Leroy Clampitt & Michael Pollack “Dust & Ash” (The Voice of Dust and Ash) — J. Ralph “We Are Art” (We Are Art: Through the Eyes of Annalaura) — Annalaura di Luggo & Paky Di Maio
Still to see “[still to be named]” (Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me) — Selena Gomez
Dragon Hemp Apothecary, the only brand combining cannabinoids with Chinese Medicine and spearheading the use of cannabis on the East End, is proud to be the sponsor of Hamptons International Film Festival’s Air, Land + Sea Signature Program.
As their sponsor, Dragon Hemp is gifting attendees of all Air, Land + Sea films at the Sag Harbor Cinema with a sample of their gummies, formulated with signature blends of CBD, THCV, other cannabinoids, and Chinese Herbs.
Courtesy of Dragon Hemp
Along with their own proprietary formulas, all recipients will also get their own Cannabis Seeds from Atlas Seed and information on how to grow a cannabis sativaplant themselves. All recipients will get instructions on how to plant and care for a cannabis plant at home using their “Top Gun” seed pack, a fully feminized and auto-flowering hybrid as part of their #DragonHempHomeGrow campaign. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences of their grow, cultivation, and eventual use of the cannabinoids.
Following the legalization of cannabis in New York came the legalization of growing at a small scale: in New York State, all residents can grow up to six of their own cannabis plants.
Menard describes the cannabis plant as “universal – every part of the plant can be used for so many purposes: beyond therapeutic plant medicine, fibers can be used for clothing and construction, and oils for cosmetics and food, packed with omega-6 and omega-3 fats.It is really God’s Gift to Earth”.
Courtesy of Dragon Hemp
He views this partnership as an opportunity to educate consumers about the inherent sustainable nature of growing the plant from seed to a mature plant demonstrates how fruitful cannabis truly is – from the hemp, to the flower, and beyond.
For anyone curious about what makes Dragon Hemp Apothecary’s products and formulations so unique, Menard is hosting gummy tasting in his Sag Harbor apothecary, located next to the Sag Harbor Cinema. The Gummy Bar will offer his five different gummy formulas, all designed to create and enhance different moods or sensations, and offer education on how to properly combine them to create the desired effect.
About Dragon Hemp
Founded in February 2022, by sport medicine acupuncturist Kevin Menard, Dragon Hemp is a therapeutic wellness brand that combines CBD & cannabinoids, premium Chinese herbs, and organic botanicals to improve performance, recovery, sleep & overall well-being.
About Kevin Menard
Kevin Menard is a NY-based Sports Medicine Acupuncturist and Founder of Dragon Hemp. He is based in Sag Harbor, NY where he started his acupuncture clinic specializing in Sports Medicine Acupuncture in 2012. His experience with the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of acupuncture, coupled with the innate health benefits of CBD, has helped him create a brand that brings eastern medicine to the CBD enthusiast, those familiar with Chinese herbs and interested in using it as a bridge to CBD, or those who are new to it altogether and interested in expanding their wellness horizons.
Patti Smith is transforming her popular Instagram feed into A Book of Days, which will be released Nov. 15 by Penguin. The book includes 365 photos meant to represent a year in Smith’s life of touring, visiting the graves of literary heroes such as Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath and hanging out with her kids and cat. Per Penguin:
In 2018, without any plan or agenda for what might happen next, Patti Smith posted her first Instagram photo: her hand with the simple message “Hello Everybody!” Known for shooting with her beloved Land Camera 250, Smith started posting images from her phone including portraits of her kids, her radiator, her boots, and her Abyssinian cat, Cairo. Followers felt an immediate affinity with these miniature windows into Smith’s world, photographs of her daily coffee, the books she’s reading, the graves of beloved heroes—William Blake, Dylan Thomas, Sylvia Plath, Simone Weil, Albert Camus. Over time, a coherent story of a life devoted to art took shape, and more than a million followers responded to Smith’s unique aesthetic in images that chart her passions, devotions, obsessions, and whims. Original to this book are vintage photographs: anniversary pearls, a mother’s keychain, and a husband’s Mosrite guitar. Here, too, are photos from Smith’s archives of life on and off the road, train stations, obscure cafés, a notebook always nearby. In wide-ranging yet intimate daily notations, Smith shares dispatches from her travels around the world.
Smith will support A Book of Days on a 12-date book tour beginning Nov. 14 at New York’s Strand Books. She will also play two shows with her band at Brooklyn Steel on Dec. 29-30, the latter of which is Smith’s 76th birthday.
A Book of Days follows Smith’s well-received prior books such as Just Kids and M Train.
Here are Patti Smith’s tour dates:
Nov. 14: New York (Strand Books) Nov. 17: Washington, D.C. (Lisner Auditorium) Nov. 18: Miami (Miami Book Fair) Nov. 20: Chicago (Chicago Humanities Festival) Nov. 21: Nashville (OZ Arts) Nov. 22: Philadelphia (Free Library) Nov. 28: San Francisco (Sydney Goldstein Theater) Nov. 29: Santa Cruz, Calif. (Rio Theatre) Nov. 30: San Rafael, Calif. (Dominican University of California) Dec. 1: Portland, Ore. (Schnitzer Hall) Dec. 2: Seattle (Town Hall) Dec. 5: Los Angeles (Saban Theatre) Dec. 29-30: Brooklyn, N.Y. (Brooklyn Steel – with her Band)
Coming to OVID this Thursday, October 6: SCHEME BIRDS
Director: Ellen Fiske, Ellinor Hallin
World Premiere: Tribeca 2019
Select Festivals: IDFA, Hot Docs, Sydney, Biografilm, DMZ Docs, Zurich, Vancouver, Docs Against Gravity, Thessaloniki Doc, Taiwan Doc
About: As her childhood turns into motherhood, teenage troublemaker Gemma comes of age in her fading Scottish steel town – but in a place where “you either get knocked up or locked up,” innocent games can easily turn into serious crime.
A new survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says 19 per cent of small businesses are considering adding a surcharge on credit card transactions to offset processing fees, while most remain on the fence for fear of losing customers.
The report comes ahead of new rules set to take effect this week that will give small businesses the power to add a surcharge on some credit card transactions.
Twenty-six per cent of survey respondents say they will add a surcharge if their competitors or suppliers do, but 40 per cent of small businesses say they are not sure yet and 15 per cent do not intend to add an additional charge.
Businesses that often sell to other businesses are most likely to surcharge for credit card usage, the survey found, while businesses that serve consumers were less likely to say they would do it.
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CFIB senior vice-president of national affairs Corinne Pohlmann says small merchants have long been dealing with expensive credit card processing fees.
The new surcharge option will not be available in Quebec due to consumer protection laws in the province.
Small businesses urging consumers to tap with debit during pandemic
Small businesses urging consumers to tap with debit during pandemic – May 19, 2020
Netflix executives have curtailed plans for its soapy drama, Firefly Lane, which will now end after two seasons.
Though the show hadn’t been formally confirmed for a third run, it was expected that the drama would continue after its second season. The show had racked up 1.3 billion viewing minutes in just its first five days, according to Nielsen’s weekly look at the biggest shows on streaming services, which you’d imagine would set the show up for the long term.
Instead, the streaming service has decided to end the show with season two, but a season two that will arrive, Ozark and Stranger Things style, in two parts. The season will comprise 16 episodes, with the first nine available to watch from December 2, and the second batch of seven episodes premiering sometime in 2023.
Firefly Lane stars Scrubs’ Sarah Chalke and one-time Greys’ Anatomy focal point Katherine Heigl. Based on the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, the show documents the 30-year-plus friendship between Heigl’s Tully Hart and Chalke’s Kate Mularkey. Friends since the age of 14, the pair have been through endless ups and downs, and loves and losses.
Created by Maggie Friedman, whose credits include Dawson’s Creek and Witches of East End, the show co-starred Ben Lawson, Beau Garrett, Ali Skovbye, Roan Curtis and Yael Yurman, with India de Beaufort, Greg Germann, Jolene Purdy and Ignacio Serricchio joining the cast for season two.
Analysis: a surprise move from Netflix?
Netflix‘s buzzier shows are big-budget affairs like Stranger Things, The Crown and Bridgerton, the tentpole productions that drive the push to attract new subscribers. The unsung heroes, meanwhile, are shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias and the long-running Grace and Frankie, comfort-viewing shows with modest budgets and loyal fanbases.
These shows return once a year, always returning slightly bigger audience viewers than the last run, and for every $200 million dollar miniseries, you need one or two such series. You can’t eat gourmet cooking every night – sometimes you just want a bowl of cereal.
This makes the end of Firefly Lane all the more surprising. The show had the same cosy feel as Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias, and, though Chalke is recognizable from her roles in Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother, and Heigl is remembered for Knocked Up and 27 Dresses, they aren’t A-listers who would have commanded mega salaries.
To us, this had the feel of a show that could run and run. It wouldn’t get the same fanfare as Netflix’s tentpoles, there’d be no panel at Comic Con, no splashy presence at Tudum, and no billboards, but it should have been a steady banker.
None of the reports about the show’s demise have hinted at behind-the-scenes problems, such as ballooning budgets or script issues; this just appears to be a change of strategy from Netflix, and you can color us surprised.
EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Dionne Edwards debuts her first feature Pretty Red Dress at the London Film Festival later this week. Today, Deadline can share a first-look clip from the film, starring singer Alexandra Burke.
Written and directed by Edwards, the film is billed as a “funny look at society’s boxes” told through the story of Travis, Candice, and their daughter Kenisha and their relationships with the same red dress. For Travis, the dress is a peace offering to Candice. For Candice, it’s her audition outfit for a Tina Turner musical and a ticket to a different life. For Kenisha, it’s symbolic of a kind of femininity she doesn’t get; she relates to her masculine dad. So when Travis is discovered wearing the dress, it sends the family spinning.
Discussing the genesis of her idea for the film, Edwards said: “I wanted to take an ordinary domestic situation and make it thrilling and cinematic. In the end, I hope we understand the three characters and their motivations more deeply so that we can relate them to our own experiences. I hope audiences will come out feeling looser, freer, and that the film creates room for wider discussions on the idea that we are not one thing. We are so many things.
British singer and former X-Factor contestant Alexandra Burke stars as Candice. The film is produced by Georgia Goggin. Executive producers are Farhana Bhula, Eva Yates, Jim Reeve, Robert Halmi, and Bennett McGhee.
Additional credits include cinematography by Adam Scarth, editing by Andonis Trattos, production design by Phoebe Platman, hair and makeup design by Billie McKenzie, and costume design by NirageMirage and Jayne Hemsley. The film’s music was composed by Hugo Brijs.
The film is produced by Georgia Goggin (Teng Teng Films). Executive Producers are Farhana Bhula, Eva Yates, Jim Reeve, Robert Halmi, and Bennett McGee. Developed in association with BBC Films with the support of the BFI’s Film Fund.
Protagonist Pictures is handling international sales. Check out the full clip above.
Netflix has released the powerful first trailer for the Sundance Award-winning documentary “Descendant.”
Directed by Margaret Brown, the documentary focuses on members of Africatown, a small community in Alabama, as they share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to the United States.
The ship arrived in America 40 years after African slave trading became a capital offense. It was promptly burned and its existence denied, but now, as the documentary’s logline explains, “after a century shrouded in secrecy and speculation, descendants of the Clotilda’s survivors are reclaiming their story.”
“It’s slowly been erased, and as far as I can remember, it’s never been in history books,” one subject says early in the teaser, which chronicles the period after the buried history of the Clotilda had been quite literally unearthed when remains of the ship were discovered.
The film follows the community members as they seek justice and healing, because as another subject puts it, “I don’t want the momentum of the story to just be focused on the ship. It’s not all about that ship.”
Yet another descendant drives home the point, adding: “I don’t want our history to be taken the same way our people were taken.”
Netflix acquired worldwide rights to the film in January following its acclaimed debut at Sundance, with Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company, signing on to present the Participant feature alongside the streamer. “Descendant” will screen as an official selection at the 60th New York Film Festival on Oct. 1, the latest stop on the film’s festival run before it launches on Netflix and in select theaters on Oct. 21.
In August, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival to introduce the doc, which had been selected as the opening night presentation. The film premiered in the U.S. documentary competition at Sundance, where it won the U.S. documentary special jury award for creative vision.
“Descendant,” a Higher Ground and Night Tide production, in association with Two One Five Entertainment, is produced by Kyle Martin, Essie Chambers and Brown. Executive producers are Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann; Kate Hurwitz of Cinetic Media; Two One Five Entertainment’s Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman.
There is a very clear Fukrey vibe to Roohi, in fact there are scenes which will immediately remind you of Choocha and his unhinged love for Bholi, only that there’s a ‘churail’ (ghost) around. And it’s not any ordinary ghost but ‘Mudiya Pairi’ (literally twisted ankles).
In and around Bagadpur, which has people speaking several dialects, there’s a tradition of ‘pakdai byah’ (bride kidnapping). Bhawra Pandey (Rajkummar Rao) and Katanni (Varun Sharma) are among the contract goons who get such weddings done. The twist in the tale comes when they abduct a possessed girl Roohi (Janhvi Kapoor) and then fall in love with her as Sharma hilariously calls it ‘the exercise of imlie’.
Written by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and Gautam Mehra, Roohi is totally about spontaneity and a solid beginning. Though both Rao and Sharma are in their favourite zone, but their back and forth and punchlines evoke laughs. The first 15-20 minutes of the film have more spoken words than an entire Vishal Bhardwaj film. Director Hardik Mehta (Amdavad Ma Famous, Kaamyaab) has got his hands on the pulse of the young audiences. He knows when to go for the oneliners and when to use overpowering background score to enhance the charm of a jungle and a funny ghost situation.
Because Stree came first, so you might notice similarities but at the core of Roohi lies a lesser complicated idea. The only hindrance is that by the time we reach the point of resolution, almost everything has been repeated at least twice and the viewers are hammered with Choocha and Aaloo (Rao, Ludo) antics. If we avoid nitpicking then it’s actually quite enjoyable, certainly better than the heavy-duty notions hurled at us in the second half.
Kapoor’s quickly shifting moods and voice modulations seem funnier than intended. At one point of time, it begins to feel like a split personality film gone completely awry. Thankfully, Rao and Sharma, mostly the latter, know their boundaries and stick to their strengths.
Mehta, as director, while working with a convoluted script, creates some praiseworthy imageries, like that of an old lady doing cardio or Rao spreading his arms like Shah Rukh Khan in a silhouette. Such ploys instantly create a light mood where one would be more inclined to appreciate the efforts to create situational comedy. Despite being predictable and some disconnected scenes, Roohi has a tone of its own. It’s very talkative and has one point agenda — word play to the most.
You may not remember this 145-minute film for its ideas but you’ll remember it for high entertainment quotient. Just like Hera Pheri, Thank You and Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare, Roohi too establishes an instant connect in spite of outrageous situations and extremely over the top comedy.
Banijay has revealed an eco-friendly stand ahead of the 2022 Mipcom market at Cannes.
Located at a prime location in front of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, the two-floor structure – a re-usable construction made of wood – comprises more than 500m2 of floor space including meeting rooms, a reception area, several terraces and hospitality areas.
Created by Romain Larue from Orati and designed by architect Nicola Spinetto, the build uses Cross Laminated Timber – a technology noted for its strength, versatility and sustainability.
The construction will optimize brightness throughout its central patio area and terraces and will be home to Banijay’s 250+ Mipcom team.
All panels have been flat-packed with a minimum of trucks required to transport the construction. To complement the eco-theme, the stand will feature plants sourced from a local nursery, the program catalogues and merchandise for clients are recyclable, and after the market, the stand will be stored less than 50km from Cannes.
Banijay will have an expanded market presence at Mipcom, following a three-year hiatus. Highlights of the company’s fall slate include “Starstruck,” “Blow Up,” “Love Triangle,” “Le Plus Grand Karaoké de France” and “MasterChef: Young Talent” and Banijay Rights-fronted scripted titles: “Marie Antoinette,” “Rogue Heroes,” “Bali 2002” and “Serial Lover.”
Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, said: “It has been three years since Banijay has exhibited at Mipcom and our first major market since the acquisition of Endemol Shine, so we felt it important to present ourselves in a very prominent way. This ground-breaking, eco-friendly project truly represents Banijay’s commitment to sustainability, re-enforcing our mission to reduce our carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment.
“It’s the perfect engine room for our supersized team who will arrive at Mipcpm 2022 as one of the world’s biggest producers and distributors of TV content,” Payne added.
Many horror filmmakers today will claim they were inspired by the slasher classics of the ’80s. Freddy, Jason, and Michael all have an influence of some kind on many modern horror movies. What about filmmakers that pre-dated the slasher craze? Their inspiration was the classic Universal Monster movies. While still highly influential today, horror filmmakers from the 50s, 60s, and 70s likely grew up as these classic chillers first hit the big screen.
These influences were key in the rise of the British film studio, Hammer. Hammer sought to take these classic horror movies and apply an exploitative style to them. These films prided themselves on bright red blood, gratuitous sexual content, and more importantly, scares. The Hammer films were so impactful, that the word Hammer is often used to describe a subgenre as opposed to a studio. For those horror hounds looking to take a bite out of these classic films, here are ten of the best the studio has to offer.
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10/10 Let Me In (2010)
Hammer Films
Most people think of the ’60s, and ’70s when discussing Hammer, and for good reason. The studio was at its peak then and eventually stopped making films around 2000. in 2007, they finally started up again. Most of these modern-era films aren’t as fondly discussed, save for one. That one is Let Me Infrom 2010, a remake of the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In.
The movie revolves around a bullied boy who falls in love with a young vampire girl. The film stars Chloë Grace Mortez as young vampire Abby, in one of the roles that made her a household name. The film isn’t nearly as graphic as earlier Hammer films but doesn’t shy away from showing blood and gore when the occasion calls for it. The film puts a twist on the classic vampire love story trope and makes it sweet as well as intense. The movie is one of the few modern-era Hammer films to have hints of the classic era in it. The film was expertly directed by Matt Reeves, who recently enjoyed success with The Batman.
9/10 The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
Hammer Films
If someone were to bring up a plot that mixes martial arts, vampires, and sexual exploitation, many would assume it is referring to a gag film in a Quentin Tarantino movie. The fact is, it is a very real movie and is as entertaining as it sounds. Hammer Films were always ones to experiment with their films, and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires was one of their little experiments.
Christopher Lee had played Dracula for the studio since 1958, and he’d had enough. Their response was to team up with the Shaw Brothers to make a vampire movie so insane, audiences wouldn’t realize his absence. The plot follows Peter Cushing once again in his famous role of Van Helsing as he tries to stop a reincarnated Dracula and his vampire army. This film is the perfect definition of a cult classic. It is cheesy, nonsensical, gory, and fun. This is the perfect movie to have playing in the background during a Halloween party, and guests are sure to have a blast.
8/10 The Reptile (1966)
Hammer Films
The Reptile was Hammer’s answer to films such as The Creature From The Black Lagoon. This creature feature follows a man who travels to discover what happened to his late brother. In a little village, he learns his brother’s death was one of several, and something inhuman is the culprit. While not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, The Reptile is still a spooky time.
The plot is a slow burner, keeping the titular creature unseen for most of the runtime. The makeup effects on the creature are still pretty impressive, even if a tad cheesy by today’s standards. The movie even ends with a showdown in a burning building, calling back further to the classic Universal Monster movies. This film isn’t breaking any new ground, but it is still a worthy addition to any Hammer marathon.
7/10 The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Hammer Films
Terence Fisher is one of Hammer’s most famous directors, and many agree that this is his one of his best films. The Devil Rides Out stars Hammer mainstay Christopher Lee as he discovers his protegé has gotten caught up in a Satanic cult. The film was released during one of the first Satanic panics of the 20th century and was highly controversial. It contains heavy Satanic imagery, violence, and even a chilling appearance by the Devil himself. This movie isn’t as in-your-face as some of the others, but it is still a disturbing film that remains effective today. Christopher Lee was usually the villain in Hammer films, but here he shows he can lead the good guys as well.
6/10 The Abominable Snowman (1957)
Hammer Films
The Abominable Snowman is one of the Hammer movies that feels closest to the classic Universal Monster movies. For starters, it is in black and white. It also doesn’t have excessive violence or sexual content. The film follows a doctor, played by Peter Cushing, as he joins an expedition to find the fabled Yeti. The movie is chilling and slow-burning, and full of atmosphere (complemented by the wonderful setting).
The movie is different from typical Hammer fare, and it works in the film’s favor. This film came out the same year as Hammer’s first Frankenstein film, which was in full color and full of gothic Hammer goodness. It is interesting to see how quickly Hammer switched gears. This film may be tame in compassion to other Hammer works, but it is still worthy of the name and is mandatory viewing by any Hammer fan.
5/10 The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
Hammer Films
George A. Romero was responsible for creating the zombie genre as we know it with Night of the Living Dead in 1968. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have some inspirations, one of which was Plague of the Zombies. Before Romero changed the game, zombies were typically people under some sort of voodoo spell as opposed to corpses reanimated through a virus. This film bridges that gap, as it has a bit of both.
A bizarre plague seems to be killing off villagers. Upon further inspection, a local squire is practicing voodoo magic to create a plague that kills people and turns their bodies into puppets under his control. The film doesn’t have zombies rising from the grave and eating brains, but it is the step before Romero fully completed the zombie trope known today. The film is scary and intense, the perfect mixture for a bloody good Hammer movie.
4/10 The Mummy (1959)
Hammer Films
1932’s The Mummy was the source for several remakes, the most successful being Universal’s own remake starring Brendan Fraser. The most infamous being Universal’s failed attempt at their Dark Universe. Somewhere in the middle, there is Hammer’s remake. While the title suggests a straight remake of the 1932 movie, it is closer to a remake of the later Universal titles, The Mummy’s Hand, The Mummy’s Tomb, and The Mummy’s Ghost.
The film stars Christopher Lee as the titular mummy and Peter Cushing as the protagonist. The film was directed by Terence Fisher, completing Hammer’s trifecta for success. The Hammer version is more violent than Universal’s Mummy series, but not the worst Hammer has produced. The Mummy is heavily atmospheric and is one of the best mummy movies ever made.
3/10 The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
Hammer Films
Unlike other Universal classics such as Dracula and Frankenstein, The Wolf Man was an original story. Because of this, Hammer couldn’t outright remake it, so instead, they produced The Curse of the Werewolf. Instead of the classic means of being bitten by a werewolf, the titular creature in this film is cursed from birth.
As with any good werewolf tale, this one is tragic and heartbreaking (aided by an incredible Oliver Reed performance). The film deals with some heavy-handed stuff, which lead to it originally being heavily censored. While certain scenes may be hard to watch, this is still a worthy and scary film in Hammer’s catalog.
2/10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Hammer Films
It is often discussed who the real monster is: Dr. Frankenstein, or the creature he created. When looking at Hammer’s Frankenstein, the answer is clearly the doctor. The first film in Hammer’s Frankenstein series stars Peter Cushing as the titular doctor and Christopher Lee as the monster.
Unlike other interpretations, this Dr. Frankenstein is not a good person whatsoever. He will do whatever it takes to ensure his experiments are successful, even kill. This film is oozing with gothic goodness and has some of the best lab scenes in any horror film. Dr. Frankenstein becomes more blatantly evil as the series goes on, but here is just a bad person. This movie demands to be seen by anyone who claims to be a horror fan.
1/10 Horror of Dracula (1958)
Hammer Films
When fans think Hammer, odds are the first thing that comes to mind is Christopher Lee as Dracula. Horror of Dracula is where it all began, and where Hammer proved themselves. The plot is the basic story of Dracula with a few twists. The film is filled to the brim with gothic imagery and is beautiful to look at. From graveyards to huge castles, it is all here.
Christopher Lee stars as the titular vampire while Peter Cushing plays his nemesis, Van Helsing. The film has plenty of bright red blood to satisfy even the appetite of Drac himself. This film is what Hammer is all about. If only one Hammer film is to be viewed, let it be this one. This is one of the scariest and best Dracula films of all time.
Editor’s note:Deadline presents the 34th episode of its video series Take Two, in which Pete Hammond and Todd McCarthy tackle the artistry of films. Each has reviewed and written about the craft for decades and built a remarkable breadth of knowledge of films past and present. What we hoped for when we asked them to do this was a concise, mature and thoughtful conversation comparable to what we saw from Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.
This week we examine the explosion of documentary features now hitting the festival, theatrical, and streaming world. Telluride had the largest number of them (over 20) in its history, even stretching the limits of how to play them all. Venice chose one, All The Beauty And The Bloodshed for its top prize, the Golden Lion, only the second time in that fests’ history a documentary has won over the jury. Toronto and New York and London festivals are full of them too. A documentary will also be opening the AFI Fest this year. We look at the reasons why docus are all the rage, and whether too much is too much. Plus we pick some of our favorites of this year’s impressive crop for Documentary Features from which the Oscars will have to whittle down to just five nominees.
Click the link above to watch our conversation.
Hammond has been Deadline’s Awards Columnist for the past decade, covering what now seemingly is the year-round Oscar and Emmy seasons. He is also Deadline’s Chief Film Critic, having previously reviewed films for MovieLine, Boxoffice magazine, Backstage, Hollywood.com and Maxim, as well as Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, for which he was a contributing editor. In addition to writing, Hammond also hosts KCET Cinema Series and the station’s weekly series Must See Movies.
McCarthy is a veteran trade publication film critic, columnist and reporter who has also written several acclaimed books and documentary films. He served two stints on the staffs of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and extensively covered film festivals internationally for both publications. His film Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography won the best documentary prizes from the New York Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics associations, and he won an Emmy for writing the documentary Preston Sturges: The Rise and Fall of an American Dreamer. He also directed the documentaries Man of Cinema: Pierre Rissient and Forever Hollywood.
On The Voice, four-chair turns are the stuff of dreams. Grace Bello is allowed to dream.
A 21-year-old, originally from Cibilo, Texas, Bello has just relocated to Lacey, Washington. Now she’s in America’s sweet spot.
When Bello performed Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” during the blind auditions, the response was positive and immediate.
John Legend turned two lines in. Then Blake Shelton spun around, and a frenzy of turns.
“It was amazing, because so many times we’ll get singers with these big, huge voices on the show and they do really well,” Legend remarks. “But, we’ve also had those singers who were way more subtle. I actually won with a singer like that in my first season here. Her name was Maelyn. I heard that in you as well. You just have so much control, and your tone is so beautiful.”
When asked if she plays any instruments, Grace said she’s learning the keys.
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“I played a little keyboard in my day,” notes Legend. And then, the sales pitch: “I think we can make some beautiful music on this show, and I would love to coach you.”
Stefani explains, “It’s really rare that somebody will show that many sides of their voice, or that they even have that many sides to their voice. You were able to get tender with your voice, and really listen to the lyrics of what you’re saying.”
The No Doubt singer then gave her best pitch. “That’s also rare for someone so young, and I think you would fit in really, really good on Team Gwen. There really isn’t anyone on my team who can do runs the way that you do. There’s really nobody like you on my team.”
Camila Cabello was the only judge who knew the number by heart. “I was like, ‘Oooh, she’s singing a Justin Bieber song, so I’m guessing that she likes pop music.’ I would be really excited to explore song choices with you.”
Gwen chimed in, “And I love Justin Bieber!”
Sure, they all do.
Camila then compares Grace to Ariana Grande. Bello says she’s Sicilian, to which Gwen says she’s also Italian and John says he got married in Italy. Everyone wants a piece of Grace, who also happens to be Cuban.
“I don’t have a clue what I am. Maybe Italian?” quips Shelton.
Two MTV Documentary films vying for Academy Awards attention — Ondi Timoner’s “Last Flight Home” and Tanaz Eshaghian’s short “As Far as They Can Run” — garnered the top nonfiction honors at the 23rd annual Woodstock Film Festival.
“Last Flight Home,” about Timoner and her family’s last days with her father, won the best documentary prize, while “As Far as They Can Run,” about disabled children in rural Pakistan who have been deemed “useless” by their communities, took home the fest’s best short documentary award.
“Last Flight Home” premiered at Sundance earlier this year before opening the Telluride Film Festival in September. This year marked Timoner’s first time at the Woodstock fest.
“The greatest joy I have is sharing my work in person,” Timoner told Variety. “The reason I make films is to impact people and this film is doing that more than any other film I’ve made.”
The five-day festival, which runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 in New York’s Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of Manhattan, also awarded narrative films, including Michael Goorjian’s “Amerikatsi,” Signe Baumane’s “My Love Affair With Marriage” and Nuhash Humayun’s “Moshari.”
In addition to “Last Flight Home” and “As Far As They Can Run,” MTV Documentaries, run by Sheila Nevins, had several other nonfiction films at the festival, including two features, David Greenwald’s “Afghan Dreams” and Patricia E. Gillespie’s “The Fire That Took Her,” as well as two doc shorts in Amy Bench’s “More Than I Want to Remember” and Cinque Northern’s “Angola Do You Hear Us?: Voices From a Plantation Prison.”
“The Fire That Took Her” producer Julie Goldman was in town for the film’s world premiere. The documentary details the landmark case around Judy Malinowski, then 31, who was doused in petrol and set on fire by her crazed ex-boyfriend. She was one of the first people to testify “from beyond the grave,” at the trial for her own murder.
“Sheila brought this film to our attention and we immediately knew that it was really important and could really add to this conversation about domestic partner abuse,” Goldman said.
“The Fire That Took Her” will be theatrically released on Oct. 21, which will qualify the documentary for Oscar consideration.
In addition to “Last Flight Home,” Woodstock 2022 featured other nonfiction films garnering Academy Award buzz, including Ramin Bahrani’s Showtime documentary “2nd Chance,” which premiered at Sundance 2022, and Sacha Jenkins’ Apple TV Plus feature “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues,” which debuted last month at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Jenkins was at Woodstock with “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” producers Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes of Imagine Entertainment and Apple TV Plus head of documentaries Molly Thompson.
“This award season campaigning is all new to me,” said Jenkins. “I’m just going with the flow.”
“Woodstock’s proximity to New York City along with having numerous members of the doc industry living in the area, make it the perfect stop during awards season,” added Cinque Northern (“Angola Do You Hear Us?:Voices From a Plantation Prison”).
Several docs seeking distribution, including Jessica Edwards’ “Skate Dreams,” were also part of Woodstock’s documentary lineup.
“Woodstock is an important festival because of its sophisticated and knowledgeable audience in the Hudson Valley,” said Edwards. “There’s a huge film community up here. Directors, producers, distributors and Academy members live here. That’s all a filmmaker can hope for from a festival: supportive communities who are excited about their film.”
On Friday, Timoner, Bahrani, Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams (“The Apollo,” “Life Animated”) and Rodrigo Garcia (“Nine Lives”) participated in a panel about directing both documentaries and narratives.
About the life of Richard Davis, the man who invented the concealable bulletproof vest, “2nd Chance” is the first feature documentary that Bahrani (“99 Homes”) has directed.
“These young producers pitched me the story of Richard Davis as a narrative,” said Bahrani. “They were going to make the doc. When they started sending me the archival footage and I looked at it all and read more about Richard, it started to feel like Arthur Miller’s ‘All My Sons,’ but without the morality. I thought I rather make the doc. And they said okay.”
Ross Williams and panel moderator Geralyn White Dreyfous, co-founder of documentary fund Impact Partners, discussed the shifting doc landscape.
“We used to make these little indie films that we’d struggle to get made and spent years raising money for and now it’s all about celebrity,” said Williams. “Everyone from Cardi B to Janet Jackson to Lizzo all want a documentary. And it’s not a real documentary because it’s really a corporate video about who they are. I walked away from a lot of those projects.”
White Dreyfous added: “I’m very concerned about the corporate consolidation of all the streaming platforms. I’ve seen the kind of cuts that are happening and bureaucracy’s not talking to each other. It’s getting a lot less fun to launch a film and get it out of the world and make sure that it’s marketed correctly. It troubles me to no end because there are a lot of films that aren’t being bought right now, and they are really good films.”
Kremlin-watchers have long placed meaning on a famous story Vladimir Putin once told of his encounter with a rat when he was a child in the Soviet ruins of Leningrad.
Wielding a stick, he chased it down a hall and drove it into a corner.
With no way of escaping, ‘suddenly it lashed around and threw itself at me,’ he related in his official biography. ‘I got a quick and lasting lesson in the meaning of the word ‘cornered’.’
Today, as his senseless invasion of Ukraine falls apart and he increasingly finds himself in a corner, will a desperate Putin turn and throw himself at his enemies?
He has taken to rattling the nuclear sabre; the only card he has left to play.
In his speech to announce the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions on Friday, Putin vowed to use ‘all the means at our disposal ‘ to defend the newly-stolen territory.
Vladimir Putin has backed himself into a corner over his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and, facing defeat on the battlefield, has increasingly been turning to his stockpile of nuclear weapons to try to threaten his adversaries
He also claimed that the United States had ‘created a precedent’ by dropping atomic bombs in World War II.
Russia’s massive stockpile of nuclear weapons is the last credible threat Putin has in his struggle with the West, now that his once-vaunted army is proving to be inferior to the Ukrainian army and Europe is so far standing firm against his gas hostage diplomacy.
A chorus of callous cheerleaders, both on Russian state TV and among ultra-nationalist allies, such as Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov and former president Dmitri Medvedev, egg their leader on to break the nuclear taboo.
There have even been reports that NATO is anticipating a nuke to be detonated on Ukraine’s borders, in a demonstration of Putin’s resolve.
In response, the White House has warned of ‘catastrophic consequences for Russia’ if Putin does the unthinkable and presses the launch button.
For now, analysts cautiously suggest that the risk of Putin using the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal still seems low. The CIA says it hasn’t seen signs of an imminent Russian nuclear attack.
But the dictator, who turns 70 on Friday and long-rumoured to be suffering from ill health, will be desperate to get out of the corner he has backed himself into.
So what are his options?
Russia maintains around 6,000 nukes, of which 2,000 are ‘tactical’ that can be deployed on the battlefield via ships, planes or short range missile. Pictured: An intercontinental ballistic missile being launched from an air field during military drills
The Vladimir Monomakh, operational since 2015, is a Russin ballistic missile submarine armed with the nuclear-capable Bulava missile
The Russian nuclear stockpile, the largest in the world, consists of ‘tactical’, lower-yield bombs, and strategic weapons that can annihilate entire cities and population centres.
Russian tactical nukes, with a yield of between ten and 100 kilotons, are designed for use on the battlefield in contested territory.
By way of example, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was approximately 18 kilotons.
The use of strategic nuclear weapons is the ultimate deterrent. If ever used, retaliation would be inevitable and the world would be looking at nuclear Armageddon. Putin is unlikely to launch these.
The threshold for using tactical nuclear weapons is lower, however, and Russia has nearly 2,000, with a variety of ways to deliver them at their chosen targets.
Putin could choose to launch one from Kalibr cruise missiles fired from a ship in the Black Sea or a jet over Russian territory. Or he could launch a land-based short-range Iskander ballistic missile.
Putin could aim to detonate one of these as a ‘warning shot’, either in the miles in the air, over the open sea or under it – away from the battlefield and with no loss of life.
This would be intended as a demonstration of capability and conviction, to cow the US and NATO into backing down.
Russia has a slightly larger nuclear weapon stockpile than the USA, and it is Putin’s last card, now that his army has been proven ineffective and Europe is standing firm against his gas supply blackmail
Russian tactical nuclear weapons have a yield of between 10 and 100 kilotons, creating a heavy blast damage radius of between less than one mile to three miles
Russian corvette Gremyashchiy fires a missile – which can be adapted to fire tactical nukes – in the Baltic Sea in December, 2020
A Russian Tu-160 strategic bomber fires a cruise missile at test targets, during a military drills. Putin could use such a delivery system to fire a nuke at targets in Ukraine
It would not be cost-free, however, as the electromagnetic pulse would fry all circuitry within a certain radius, while the fall out and radioactive dust would render the blast zone and surrounding areas an extreme bio-hazard.
The nuclear cloud could also blow west over NATO countries, something that former CIA director David Petraeus and be could perhaps be construed as an attack on a NATO member.
A senior defence source said a demonstration could come in the Black Sea, which would be more likely than using a tactical nuke in Ukraine, according to The Times.
But if Putin chose to do so, he would face a significant risk. ‘They could misfire and accidentally hit a Russian city close to the Ukrainian border such as Belgorod,’ the source said.
The successful use of a tactical nuke would trigger an ‘escalation ladder.’ NATO would be required to either give in to Kremlin demands or risk further nuclear attacks that could spiral out of control.
But if NATO stood firm, the move would likely backfire on Putin. It would gain him no other tactical advantage and would risk alienating support among aghast allies such as China and India.
It also might not send the signal that he intended, as it would fail to conclusively prove that Putin was not actually bluffing, as he has previously boasted.
Therefore, Putin might consider that, in order to signal to the West that he means business, his only option would be to drop a nuke on Ukrainian positions – either military, civilian or infrastructure.
It would be ‘one of the biggest decisions in the history of Earth,’ according to Andrey Baklitskiy, a senior researcher at the U.N.’s Institute for Disarmament Research, who specialises in nuclear risk.
Analysts guess that even Putin may find it difficult to become the first world leader since U.S. President Harry Truman to rain down nuclear fire.
An Iskander short-range tactical missile system in combat position. This is one method by which Putin could deliver one of his 2,000 tactical nukes
Ukrainian troops are continuing to push east – taking the city of Lyman at the weekend and pushing into Luhansk oblast in the last 24 hours, in a sign that Putin’s invasion is failing
Ukraine is also making gains in the south, breaking through Russian defensive lines on the Dnipro River and pushing towards the city itself from the west, threatening Putin’s forces with a major retreat – but each defeat increases his desperation and temptation to reach for the nuclear button
‘It is still a taboo in Russia to cross that threshold,’ said Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher at RAND Corp. and a former analyst of Russian military capabilities at the U.S. Defense Department.
What’s more, it’s debatable how much tactical advantage the use of a tactical nuke would bring to Putin.
‘So-called tactical nuclear missiles for battlefield use have a yield of generally between one and 50 kilotons [of dynamite] . . . devastating over areas typically two square miles,’ General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of UK joint forces command, was quoited in the FT as saying.
Analysts also struggle to identify battlefield targets that would be worth the huge price Putin would pay. If one nuclear strike didn’t stop Ukrainian advances, would he then attack again and again?
Pavel Podvig, a senior researcher who specialises in nuclear weapons at the U.N.’s disarmament think tank in Geneva, noted that the war does not have ‘large concentrations of troops’ to target.
Striking cities, in hopes of shocking Ukraine into surrender, would be an awful alternative.
‘The decision to kill tens and hundreds of thousands of people in cold blood, that’s a tough decision,’ he said. ‘As it should be.’
Furthermore, the land the nuke would dropped on would likely be Russia’s shiny new territory recently annexed by sham referendum. It would become irradiated and uninhabitable.
Putin is facing ‘one of the biggest decisions in history of Earth’ as he weighs up his options on if and how to make use of his vast nuke pile, having managed to back himself into a corner in Ukraine
An Iskander missile launch at the command post of the Armed Forces brigade in April 2022
It this compelling rationale which might lead Putin to conclude that the only credible and effective use of his nuclear arsenal would be to strike a NATO member – the equivalent of shooting someone in the leg.
Putin might consider that only such a move to have the credibility to force the US to back off – in essence play the mad man who will kill us all.
A nuclear strike on NATO territory would immediately trigger Article V of collective defence and, although it is still unknown what form a NATO response would take, it would surely be devastating for Putin.
David Petraeus spelled out a potential conventional NATO response that would fall short of nuclear retaliation should Putin fire a nuke that would see Putin’s military forces in the theatre annihilated.
‘Just to give you a hypothetical, we would respond by leading a NATO – a collective – effort that would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black Sea.
‘This is so horrific that there has to be a response – it cannot go unanswered.’
And so because of this decision-making rationale, with every option having considerably more downsides than upside, the assessed probability of Putin turning to his last trump card is still considered low.
But whether that will stay Putin’s hand is anyone’s guess. Nervous Kremlin watchers acknowledge they can’t be sure what he is thinking or even if he’s rational and well-informed.
The former KGB agent has demonstrated an appetite for risk and brinkmanship. It’s hard, even for Western intelligence agencies with spy satellites, to tell if Putin is bluffing or truly intent on breaking the nuclear taboo.
‘We don’t see any practical evidence today in the U.S. intelligence community that he’s moving closer to actual use, that there’s an imminent threat of using tactical nuclear weapons,’ CIA Director William Burns told CBS News.
Russian’s Air Force Mikoyan MiG-31K jets carrying Kh-47M2 Kinzhal nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missiles fly over Red Square during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 7, 2021
‘What we have to do is take it very seriously, watch for signs of actual preparations,’ Burns said.
Long-range nuclear weapons that Russia could use in a direct conflict with the United States are battle-ready. But its stocks of warheads for shorter ranges – so-called tactical weapons that Putin might be tempted to use in Ukraine – are not, analysts say.
‘All those weapons are in storage,’ said Podvig. ‘You need to take them out of the bunker, load them on trucks,’ and then marry them with missiles or other delivery systems, he said.
Russia hasn’t released a full inventory of its tactical nuclear weapons and their capabilities. Putin could order that a smaller one be surreptitiously readied and teed up for surprise use.
But overtly removing weapons from storage is also a tactic Putin could employ to raise pressure without using them. He’d expect U.S. satellites to spot the activity and perhaps hope that baring his nuclear teeth might scare Western powers into dialling back support for Ukraine.
‘That’s very much what the Russians would be gambling on, that each escalation provides the other side with both a threat but (also) an offramp to negotiate with Russia,’ Kaushal said.
He added: ‘There is a sort of grammar to nuclear signalling and brinksmanship, and a logic to it which is more than just, you know, one madman one day decides to go through with this sort of thing.’
Analysts also expect other escalations first, including ramped-up Russian strikes in Ukraine using non-nuclear weapons.
‘I don’t think there will be a bolt out of the blue,’ said Nikolai Sokov, who took part in arms control negotiations when he worked for Russia’s Foreign Ministry and is now with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.
Putin might be hoping that threats alone will slow Western weapon supplies to Ukraine and buy time to train 300,000 additional troops he’s mobilizing, triggering protests and an exodus of service-aged men.
But if Ukraine continues to roll back the invasion and Putin finds himself unable to hold what he has taken, analysts fear a growing risk of him deciding that his non-nuclear options are running out.
‘Putin is really eliminating a lot of bridges behind him right now, with mobilisation, with annexing new territories,’ said RAND’s Massicot.
‘It suggests that he is all-in on winning this on his terms,’ she added. ‘I am very concerned about where that ultimately takes us – to include, at the end, a kind of a nuclear decision.’
Jinkies! Brainy Scooby Gang member Velma is finally allowed to be gay in the new Warner Bros. Animated movie “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!” Some fans couldn’t be happier after James Gunn‘s attempt 20 years ago was shot down.
Clips from the upcoming movie, which hit digital on Tuesday, show Velma, voiced by Kate Micucci, swooning over costume designer Coco Diablo (Myrna Velasco of “DC Super Hero Girls”) — her glasses steam up — and getting an enormous, goofy grin when Coco touches her shoulder.
A Twitter user named Trin tweeted, in all caps: “OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON CANON IN THE MOVIES LETS GOOOOOO.”
James Gunn, who wrote the early 2000s’ live-action “Scooby-Doo” movies, which starred Linda Cardellini as Velma, tweeted in 2020 that he tried to make the character “explicitly gay,” but the studio wouldn’t go for it at the time. “In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script,” he wrote. “But the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel).”
He also said that scenes were shot where Velma “serenades” and kisses Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), but they didn’t make the final cut.
Also in 2020, Tony Cervone, the supervising producer on the “Mystery Incorporated” series, shared an Instagram post in which he wrote: “I’ve said this before, but Velma in ‘Mystery Incorporated’ is not bi. She’s gay. We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character when she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her and she had unspoken difficulty with the why.”
Velma even had a love interest, Cervone explained: “I don’t think Marcie and Velma had time to act on their feelings during the main timeline, but post reset, they are a couple. You can not like it, but this was our intention.”
“Trick or Treat Scooby Doo!” is available on digital Tuesday, Oct. 4, and DVD on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
From podcasts and social audio to streaming, audio is at the forefront of storytelling in today’s digital world.
“We used to say podcasting was an 80/20 business, where 80% of the dollars and audience went to 20% of the shows,” Audacy chief digital officer J.D. Crowley said. “I would say, now, it’s probably a 95/5 business.”
At Thursday’s Variety Entertainment & Technology sponsored by Audacy, Crowley sat down for a conversation with Andrew Wallenstein, Variety Intelligence Platform president and chief media analyst, during “The Future of Audio Is Now” panel.
Crowley spoke about Audacy’s ongoing endeavors in audio, particularly how the media and audio entertainment company utilizes the medium for storytelling, entertainment and information.
On streaming radio: “We’ve started solving with streaming and radio listeners in the same way TV has. Our streaming product — which actually has a number of patents and interactivity — is a lot like how YouTube TV’s interface works as a vMVPD [virtual MVPD]. You can rewind live radio, you can go back and play shows from earlier in the day — all based in the cloud.”
The two also discussed whether Audacy will produce subscription podcasts. “I think it’s a little too early to decide [on] one model or the other,” he explained. “I think podcasting will be a diverse set of models.”
Earlier, Crowley cited the biggest players in audio: Spotify; SiriusXM, which owns Pandora and Stitcher; iHeart; and Audacy. “What sets [Audacy] apart is our real DNA in spoken-word audio,” Crowley said.
He continued, “We love the music business, we do really well in it. But that spoken word and that ability to create our own content, own studios and own our own destiny, I think is what sets us apart.”
“Her writing was as real as the day is long and she didn’t take no shit,” singer says of country music icon who died on Tuesday
Loretta Lynn paved the way for generations of country music artists, many of whom have taken to sharing their most cherished interactions with the iconic performer in the wake of her death at age 90. Country singer and songwriter Margo Price shared her own tribute on Instagram, writing: “It’s safe to say I wouldn’t even be making country music today if it weren’t for Loretta Lynn.”
Price posted a carousel of photos captured at performances she shared with Lynn alongside her message. “She showed me what it looked like to be a musician and a mama,” she added. “Her writing was as real as the day is long and she didn’t take no shit. This one hurts on another level… I’ll miss her forever.”
The pair first officially collaborated last year on a duet version of Lynn’s classic 1971 recording of “One’s on the Way” in celebration of her 50th studio album Still Woman Enough. The song, written by Shel Silverstein, took on a new form when the country star put her own spin on its honest retelling of the stories of motherhood.
“It was an important song at the time, and it’s still an important song — to be able to talk about birth control and women’s rights in country music, is legendary,” Price shared of the duet at the time. She had approached Lynn herself to request they perform the track together 50 years after its original release.
“Loretta said you have to either be first, great, or different — she was all three,” Price continued. “She is such an important figure to me. She’s larger than life in so many ways. She really was no frills, no BS, singing straight from the heart. Men can sing about sex. They can sing about straight-up murdering someone. And it was fine and Loretta was not afraid to step on any songs. She wrote her truth.”
Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 1, aka PS1, is setting fire at the box office. The film, starring Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, and Trisha, among others, has surpassed a mammoth box office collection of Rs 250 crore worldwide. Trade expert Manobala Vijayabalan took to Twitter and revealed that PS1 has collected Rs 228 crores in just four days.
Newlywed couple Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha made their first public appearance after their wedding on Tuesday. The couple hosted a wedding reception for their friends in Mumbai. Before diving into the celebrations. Ali and Richa made their way to the red carpet of the reception and posed for the cameras. The new bride was seen wearing a colourful gown on the occasion while Ali looked dapper in a suit featuring a long coat. The couple posed hand-in-hand and also shared a hearty moment with the paparazzi.
Ileana D’Cruz took to her Instagram stories and shared a picture in which she can be seen taking a mirror selfie. She posed in a yellow bikini and looked breathtakingly gorgeous. The actress kept her hair open and wore simple slippers for the picture. Soon after the picture was shared, several fans shared took a screenshot of the same to share it on Twitter. The actress’ pictures have gone viral on social media.
More troubles come Adipurush’s way as Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra accused the film of wrongly depicting the Hindu deities in the recently released teaser. For the unversed, Adipurush is based on the Hindu epic Ramayan. While Prabhas plays the role of Lord Ram, Saif Ali Khan has been roped in to play Ravana. Kriti Sanon is playing the role of Sita. The teaser has been brutally trolled on social media.
The shocking demise of noted singer Murali Prasad Mohapatra in midst of a live performance has left a void in the Odisha entertainment industry. The 59-year-old singer collapsed on stage while singing during the celebrations of Maha Saptami. According to media reports, Mohapatra was not feeling well even before his performance started.
Episode 4 of the Reboot series has aired, and this one isn’t inferior in quality to the others. The title of the series – Girlfriends – is already making us wonder what they have prepared for us this time. The audience hasn’t yet recovered from episode 3. But the creators are relentless. And a lot of interesting and really unexpected things are waiting for us in the new episode. Therefore, viewers need to get ready to laugh until they cry and, of course, watch closely what happens in this show. So what awaits us?
ARE THEY REALLY GIRLFRIENDS NOW?
In the last episode, Bree stayed the night at Timberley’s house and they had a great time. But who would have guessed how good? The next morning, Bree realizes that she has become very close to her new girlfriend. For sure, not only platonically… (OMG! What a twist!).
This was her first experience so she doesn’t know how to react yet. So what is it about? The main focus of the episode is the fact that Bree and Timberly were “gay last night” (who expected that?). Bree is, of course, confused and doesn’t know what to do. But Timberly immediately calms her down and says that she needs to relax. This is the modern world and there is no need to take everything so seriously just because now they are “unusual friends”.
Courtesy of Hulu
Bree comes to work inspired and very chipper. Meanwhile, Reed is very concerned that he called her yesterday. Moreover, he asks her to forget about this conversation. It seems that Bree doesn’t care (really?!). He notices that she is drinking Gatorade and tells her that she only does that after “getting busy” (simply put, after she has spent the night with someone). Bree agrees that this is the case.
She went out with Timberly to a hotspot last night. And, by the way, now they are really good friends. She tries to find a way to get rid of Reed. And uses a phrase, just like Timberly, that she is very busy, and she needs to go do 40 cameos. And Reed again remains completely at a loss for words by what just happened (of course, who would doubt otherwise).
IS IT AN “ACTOR MEETING” OR A DATE WITH GIRLFRIEND?
Meanwhile, Elaine meets Zack at the studio cafe. And here a serious question is brewing. Is this a work meeting or are the creators of the series throwing the audience another puzzle? It’s hard to say. But nevertheless, it all looks very nice and relaxed. They talk about their childhood and realize that they have a lot in common.
Elaine has run her own small business since childhood. She was six when she developed a glucose monitor for her diabetic cat and subsequently sold it to a pharmaceutical company. And Zack started acting in commercials when he was only 4. It would seem that this should make them feel connected? However they are completely different and this is obvious.
Courtesy of Hulu
Elaine is constantly overworking and busy, practically a genius (considering that she is constantly developing new things). Zack is carefree and a bit of a jerk, or it seems at first glance, clearly not concerned about his success. But, as you know, opposites attract. Elaine says she needs to get back to work, but Zack has other plans. He offers her a tour of the most interesting places on the set. But Elaine insists that she has a lot of work to do, and Zack… (this is very unexpected) just grabs her phone and makes her run after him!
They visit a variety of places and have a lot of fun. Elaine really enjoys it and doesn’t even think about work. And when they unexpectedly run into her management, Elaine immediately tries to explain everything. But then the most interesting thing happens… In fact, Daniel (her boss) is just glad that she is finally resting and not working. WOW, now it looks like a date! Does Zack really see Elaine as his future girlfriend? We’ll see…
GIRLFRIENDS LITTLE SECRET…
But let’s go back to Reed and his feelings. Naturally, he can’t calm down and doesn’t understand why Bree is acting like this. When Reed and Timberly run through the text, he decides to ask her a question. She should definitely know who Bree was with. And she admits (yes, that’s right!) that Bree was at her house last night. At first this is a relief to Reed. But no… She hints to him that they are now very close “girlfriends”.
Reed tries to pretend that he is not at all surprised by this fact. Moreover, he shares this interesting fact with Clay. But Reed gets a big surprise when his colleague tells him that a similar scenario happened with Timberly in her reality show. In this way, she got rid of her rivals on the previous show. As true friends, Reed and Clay immediately tell Bree the whole “terrible truth” about Timberly.
Courtesy of Hulu
Naturally, Bree asks Timberly about these claims. And events take an unexpected turn… Timberly says that everything on the show was scripted by the writers and creators of the show (who would doubt it!). Bree feels like a complete fool (that’s what it looks like). Of course, she is furious and tells Reed and Clay about Timberly’s situation on her previous show. They are discouraged! How can it be that everything happened according to the script? No wonder, it’s a TV show!
And then Reed admits to Bree that he just can’t accept that he no longer needs to look after her (of course not!). He is simply amazed by such changes. Bree says that she is not the same person anymore, and has long since learned to cope with everything by herself. It’s obvious that Reed’s feelings for Bree haven’t cooled (who would have thought!).
ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS…
No doubt, when Clay and Reed are discussing Bree and Timberly’s sex life, Gordon, who happens to be there at the most inopportune moment (just in time!), hears it all. He immediately shares with the whole room of screenwriters what he has just heard. But what do they care about more – that Bree and Timberly are girlfriends now or that they were “scissoring” each other last night (what a mess!). And immediately everyone in this room is trying to share a funny story and explain what “scissoring” means (ohhh myyy!).
Courtesy of Hulu
Some of them get really uncomfortable, for example, Hannah. Why would that be? And Hannah brings the screenwriters back to the really important thing that awaits them – the script (what else!). During the break, Hannah confesses to Benny (one of the screenwriters) that Gordon doesn’t know that she prefers girls.
Benny cheers her up and tells her that she is already an adult and a successful woman. There’s nothing to be afraid of, she just needs to tell him about it! But it turns out to be not so easy… And all day she tries to somehow tell him about it. But Gordon is preoccupied with other “important matters”. He tells Hannah that he has a desire for something, but he just doesn’t understand what.
Benny wonders if Hannah has told her terrible truth to her father. But it seems that she is just afraid of his reaction. Benny tells her that her father will certainly understand her, considering who his old screenwriting buddies are and how much FUN they had in their youth. And so she is on the verge of doing it, and then Dennis (damn him!) announces that now is the time for the run-through.
AND NOW FOR THE GRAND FINALE!
It would seem that she will never reveal the truth to him. But during the run-through of the scene, Hannah can’t stand it and admits in front of everyone that she is a lesbian. But does this surprise Gordon? Not really. He tells her that he always knew that. How can this be?
Courtesy of Hulu
He’s her father. And even though he was away from her, he has been watching her from the sidelines, all this time. Moreover, she always talked about this topic in her interviews (how cute!) and he is very proud of her. And then Bree breaks down and admits that she and Timberly were together last night. And she doesn’t see anything wrong with that… What a twist!
Evidently, there is so much happening in this series that the audience is simply not given a break from laughter or tears. Moreover, this is a series of great confessions and discoveries, and this is evident as soon as the series begins. And again, we must pay tribute to the creators of the show, who are simply phenomenal in conveying all the important events of the series through sharp and snappy jokes. And aside form the script, the cast repeatedly show top class acting in all the scenes.
Obviously, this show continues to delight the audience and exceeds all expectations every time. What have the creators prepared for us next? We’ll find out next week on Tuesday.
“Schitt’s Creek” will be removed from Netflix US in October 2022.
The beloved TV sitcom created by Dan Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, will be moving over to Hulu on October 3rd.
Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to binge-watch all six seasons.
Earlier this year, Hulu sent out a press release stating that they had acquired the US streaming rights to the show. The Emmy award-winning TV show will be joining several other hit comedies on Hulu, including Hulu Originals “Only Murders in the Building,” “Life and Beth,” ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” and FX’s “Dave”.
“Schitt’s Creek” is about a wealthy family that ends up broke, and they are forced to move to a small town that they had once purchased as a joke. The Rose family— video store magnate Johnny (Eugene Levy), former soap-star Moira (Catherine O’Hara), “black sheep” of the family David (Dan Levy), and career socialite Alexis (Annie Murphy)— must live out of a motel, and they struggle to adjust to a less lavish lifestyle while they find jobs and start relationships.
Here is the announcement from Hulu, creatively written as a press release from Alexis’ character.
This TV show continues to amaze with its extraordinarily funny script. And it only gets better with each episode. Reboot is now on its third episode, entitled ‘Growing Pains’. No doubt, it’ll make the audience happy. It’s simply impossible not to laugh out loud at the development of the story and the host of awkward situations — these are the irreplaceable components of this show.
OLD AND YOUNGER GENERATION OF THE TV SHOW
Hannah and Gordon definitely continue to build their father-daughter relationship, and it seems that there is a positive dynamic between them. But is this really the case? We can say, for sure, that they have evolved since the beginning of the season. Gordon is pleasantly surprised when Hannah introduces the world of television to small groups of interns. It’s so inspiring that the younger generation tends to be like the older one. So it seems to him…
Courtesy of Hulu
But Hannah informs her father that these are not interns at all, but a team of the coolest screenwriters she has hired to reboot the TV show. What a surprise for Daddy! She tries to introduce her team to him, but things are getting out of control. Gordon begins to tell his own style of jokes and the team of writers clearly doesn’t get his sense of humor. This is an EPIC failure…
They are trying to work on the script of the show together and come up with a story that will simultaneously touch the audience and make them laugh out loud. They need to somehow bring Josie (Bree) and Whitney (Timberly) closer together. Gordon suggests a standard joke that has always worked, because clumsiness is always funny (it’s true!).
But in response, Gordon is met with blank faces. In other words, the young screenwriters just don’t understand these hackneyed jokes. They offer their own options, but all Gordon hears is just white noise for him. It’s very funny to watch this, because generational conflict is always a popular topic in TV shows. And in a comedy show, it’s also wildly funny, because the wordplay between the characters is simply unique. So how will they solve this problem? We’ll soon see…
OTHER ISSUES ON THE SHOW
Courtesy of Hulu
In addition to the problems that occur in the writers’ room, serious passions are boiling on the show. Clay is trying to sort out a complicated relationship with Zack’s mother. But after he tells the terrible truth about his mother, Clay decides to finally stop everything before things go too far. In the meantime, Bree and Reed really have a real disaster while filming a scene in bed. It would seem that they have no feelings for each other, and everything should go like clockwork.
But a very awkward and rather absurd situation is developing. It all ends with the whole film crew laughing at what happened and they will certainly never forget it. Bree admits to Timberly that she is also uncomfortable in the bed scenes with Reed, because she has not acted in such scenes for so long. Timberly invites Bree to unwind and have a lot of fun in the evening. This is really what the doctor ordered.
Courtesy of Hulu
Clay tries to avoid meeting Zack’s mom, but he comes up with a clever plan to break up with her. He persuades his old friend (they were definitely in the same AA community) to help him with this. In the end, he succeeds. At least, he believes so. The situation with Reed, and the awkward scene in bed reaches the point of absurdity. Reed tries to explain that he was just so immersed in the role that he overdid it.
But the most amazing thing is the way the management suggests resolving this situation. It’s the funniest moment in this series and it’s impossible to unsee it. They offer for him to use a special device, called a vajoga (it’s really very funny!), to shoot this racy scene.
OH, THIS AMAZING WORLD OF THE TV SHOW!
And again we return to the writers’ room. Gordon calls for help from his old screenwriting buddies. These are really OLD buddies. Hannah just doesn’t understand how they’re going to work on the script together. But Gordon asks her to trust him (but it is not so easy…). The old cavalry tries to joke, but the younger generation simply does not understand this old humor. They try to somehow find common ground, but it all ends with insults from both sides (oh, my God!). It seems that everything is leading to another failure on this show.
Courtesy of Hulu
Reed and Bree try to rehearse the scene in bed again, but this time Bree has a nervous breakdown. She runs away from the shoot… Is it really that bad? Clay runs into Zack’s mother and just doesn’t know where to hide (it’s all gone wrong!) But she explains to him that she understood his insidious plan immediately. And, finally, then everything becomes clear. She just likes to have relationships with such wrong and bad guys like Clay. Moreover, she is not interested in serious relationships. But, nevertheless, they need to break up for their own good.
Bree and Timberly have a nice time at the bar and communicate as close friends. Bree thinks she just overreacted to the whole situation and just remembered the times when she was loved and desired by men. The tension in the writers’ room reaches boiling point (really unbearable!). Hannah breaks down once again and is ready to leave the show (once again!) But on the way out, she stumbles over the trash can and falls so loudly and enchantingly that all the writers just burst out laughing! They understand that this is what needs to be added to the script (finally!).
AND WHAT’S NEXT?
The series ends at a very funny moment, but in addition to this, to warm up the interest of the audience, they add a little twist at the end. It’s obvious that Reed’s feelings for Bree haven’t cooled. And he’s worried about her, trying to talk to her. It’s already the middle of the night. Bree says that everything is fine, and she is in a great place right now. Reed remains at a loss (he has no idea with whom she is now!).
Courtesy of Hulu
In this series, the actors’ performance simply exceeds all expectations. It is impossible to stop watching this amazing show. Perfectly written dialogues, in which a sufficient number of jokes prevail. They are so good and sharp that it’s hard not to laugh out loud. And this is only the third episode!
So does Bree feel something for Reed or not? And what should we expect next from the creators of the series? We will definitely find out about this in the next episode of this TV show.
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Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Lopez in Shotgun WeddingScreenshot: Prime Video/YouTube
Everyone say, “thank you, J. Lo!” While her peers abandoned the genre, Jennifer Lopez quietly put in the work to revive the romantic comedy (with 2018’s Second Act and 2021’s Marry Me). Those efforts have culminated in a classic rom-com resurgence (Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Lindsay Lohan, and Reese Witherspoon have made or soon will make their return to the game) as well as the delightful new trailer for Shotgun Wedding, debuting January 27, 2023, on Prime Video.
Lopez stars as Darcy, engaged to Tom (Josh Duhamel, conspicuously not Armie Hammer) and on the cusp of having the world’s most gorgeous destination nuptials if their “lovable but very opinionated families” don’t get in the way. Add in a surprise appearance by her unbelievably hot ex (Lenny Kravitz), and it seems like this wacky wedding is about to go off the rails in all the expected ways—until pirates kidnap the entire wedding, minus the bride and groom.
The not-quite-newlyweds have to shake off their cold feet fast in order to save themselves and their loved ones. Lopez and Duhamel seem to be having a great time with a series of comedic stunts that include a precarious live grenade, a zipline, and a wedding dress caught in a car going off a cliff. And it’s all set to a rousing ensemble rendition of “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain. The energy is infectious!
Shotgun Wedding – Official Trailer | Prime Video
The only drawback of this trailer is that Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge is introduced as the mother of Josh Duhamel, an actor only 12 years her junior. However, this dubious casting decision is made worth it to see a gun-wielding Coolidge declare, “Nobody fucks with my family!”
Shotgun Wedding is directed by Jason Moore and also stars D’Arcy Carden, Sônia Braga, Cheech Marin, Selena Tan, Callie Hernandez, Desmin Borges, Steve Coulter, and Alberto Isaac. Hopefully, the film delivers on the trailer’s good-time energy, because this feels like the official declaration of the rom-com renaissance.
Hasan Minhaj shares his thoughts on fertility, fatherhood and freedom of speech in this follow-up to his award-winning comedy special “Homecoming King.”
Certificate:TV-MA For Mature Audiences. May not be suitable for ages 17 and under.
Year: 2022
Duration: 1hr 8m
Audio: English – Audio Description, English [Original]
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
LAST UPDATED: Oct. 3, 2022
2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Supporting Actor
Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain in “The Good Nurse” (Netflix)
Courtesy of Netflix
CATEGORY COMMENTARY: After winning an Emmy two years ago for his work on “Succession,” Jeremy Strong is continuing to climb the ranks of the most sought, and respected thespians in the biz. His work in James Gray’s personal drama “Armageddon Time,” has the actor getting two outstanding moments to show off his range. After the film debuted at Cannes and played at Telluride and Toronto, it’s hitting the New York Film Festival next, and his buzz could continue to build. He does face internal competition from his two-time Oscar-winning co-star Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Father”).
With Eddie Redmayne confirmed to be campaigning for best supporting actor for Netflix’s “The Good Nurse,” the Oscar-winning actor of “The Theory of Everything” (2014) could be invited back to the dance with an against-type role that has him surprising the viewer.
Anointed a few years ago for best supporting actor for his work in “Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood,” could Brad Pitt return to the race for “Babylon?” It’s said that Diego Calva is the lead of the movie and Pitt’s role is rumored to be strong. It’s one of the last films on the calendar that we’ve yet to see.
Many respected actors, with decades in Hollywood, will be seeking recognition. Judd Hirsch, if nominated for Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” would be the second oldest nominee in any acting category’s history behind Christopher Plummer, who was 88 when recognized for “All the Money in the World” (2017). If he managed to win, he would be the oldest winner of any category, beating out Hopkins who was 83 at the time of his second win.
He’s not the only industry vet angling for attention with Brendan Gleeson’s work in “The Banshees of Inisherin” getting acclaim, while Ke Huy Quan will hopefully continue to be a packaged deal with his co-star Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Toby Jones’ monologue about the working of a camera in Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” will surely get some interest from members while Ben Whishaw will benefit from being the only male actor in an impeccable female ensemble in Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking.”
To see the ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety’s Oscars Hub.
ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS AND RANKINGS:
And The Predicted Nominees Are:
Rank
Name
Film
Distributor
1
Brendan Gleeson
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
Searchlight Pictures
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
2
Judd Hirsch
“The Fabelmans”
Universal Pictures
A semi-autobiography based on Spielberg’s own childhood growing up in post-war Arizona, from age seven to eighteen.
3
Ke Huy Quan
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
A24
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
4
Ben Whishaw
“Women Talking”
MGM/United Artists Releasing
A group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a string of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men.
5
Jeremy Strong
“Armageddon Time”
Focus Features
A deeply personal coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American Dream.
Next in Line
6
Barry Keoghan
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
Searchlight Pictures
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
7
Woody Harrelson
“Triangle of Sadness”
Neon
A cruise for the super-rich sinks thus leaving survivors, including a fashion model celebrity couple, trapped on an island.
8
Eddie Redmayne
“The Good Nurse”
Netflix
An infamous caregiver is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients.
9
Toby Jones
“Empire of Light”
Searchlight Pictures
“Empire of Light” is a love story set in and around a beautiful old cinema on the South Coast of England in the 1980s.
10
Brad Pitt
“Babylon”
Paramount Pictures
Set in the ’30s, it follows three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.
Other Top-Tier Contenders
11
Ben Foster
“Emancipation”
Apple Original Films
12
Harry Styles
“My Policeman”
Amazon Studios
13
Micheal Ward
“Empire of Light”
Searchlight Pictures
14
Daniel Craig*
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story”
Netflix
15
David Lynch
“The Fabelmans”
Universal Pictures
16
Paul Dano
“The Batman”
Warner Bros.
17
Paul Dano*
“The Fabelmans”
Universal Pictures
18
Brian Tyree Henry
“Causeway”
A24/Apple Original Films
19
Don Cheadle
“White Noise”
Netflix
20
Viggo Mortensen
“Thirteen Lives”
Amazon Studios/MGM
Also In Contention
21
Anthony Hopkins
“Armageddon Time”
Focus Features
22
Stanley Tucci
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
Sony Pictures
23
Edward Norton
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story”
Netflix
24
Tom Hanks
“Elvis”
Warner Bros.
25
Ben Aldridge
“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”
Focus Features
26
Pedro Pascal
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”
Lionsgate
27
Seth Rogen
“The Fabelmans”
Universal Pictures
28
Miles Teller
“Top Gun: Maverick”
Paramount Pictures
29
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
“A Man Called Otto”
Sony Pictures
30
Glen Powell
“Devotion”
Sony Pictures
Other Awards Possibilities
31
Zen McGrath
“The Son”
Sony Pictures Classics
32
Jalyn Hall
“Till”
Orion/United Artists Releasing
33
Colin Firth
“Empire of Light”
Searchlight Pictures
34
Andre Braugher
“She Said”
Universal Pictures
35
John David Washington
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
36
Rupert Everett
“My Policeman”
Amazon Studios
37
Sean Patrick Thomas
“Till”
Orion/United Artists Releasing
38
Stephen Lang
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
20th Century Studios
39
John Boyega
“The Woman King”
Sony Pictures
40
Gustav de Waele
“Close”
A24
All Contenders Listed (Unranked-Alphabetical)
—
Alessandro Nivola
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Chris Rock
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Cliff Curtis
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
20th Century Studios
—
John David Washington
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Matthias Schoenaerts
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Michael Shannon
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Mike Myers
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Rami Malek
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Robert DeNiro
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Stephen Lang
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
20th Century Studios
—
Timothy Olyphant
“Amsterdam”
20th Century Studios
—
Gustav de Waele
“Close”
A24
—
Joe Alwyn
“Stars at Noon”
A24
—
Ke Huy Quan
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
A24
—
Brian Tyree Henry
“Causeway”
A24/Apple Original Films
—
Andrew Scott
“Catherine, Called Birdy”
Amazon Studios
—
David Dawson
“My Policeman”
Amazon Studios
—
Joe Alwyn
“Catherine, Called Birdy”
Amazon Studios
—
Peter Lanzani
“Argentina, 1985”
Amazon Studios
—
Colin Farrell
“Thirteen Lives”
Amazon Studios/MGM
—
Joel Edgerton
“Thirteen Lives”
Amazon Studios/MGM
—
Viggo Mortensen
“Thirteen Lives”
Amazon Studios/MGM
—
Grant Harvey
“Emancipation”
Apple Original Films
—
David Denham
“Emancipation”
Apple Original Films
—
Aaron Moten
“Emancipation”
Apple Original Films
—
Ben Foster
“Emancipation”
Apple Original Films
—
Bill Murray
“The Greatest Beer Run Ever”
Apple Original Films
—
Ethan Hawke*
“Raymond & Ray”
Apple Original Films
—
Ewan McGregor*
“Raymond & Ray”
Apple Original Films
—
Russell Crowe
“The Greatest Beer Run Ever”
Apple Original Films
—
Anthony Hopkins
“Armageddon Time”
Focus Features
—
Ben Aldridge
“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”
Focus Features
—
Bill Irwin
“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”
Focus Features
—
Claes Bang
“The Northman”
Focus Features
—
Jaylin Webb
“Armageddon Time”
Focus Features
—
Jeremy Strong
“Armageddon Time”
Focus Features
—
John Glover
“TÁR”
Focus Features
—
Mark Strong
“TÁR”
Focus Features
—
Pedro Pascal
“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”
Lionsgate
—
Benedict Wong
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”
Marvel Studios
—
Martin Freeman
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Marvel Studios
—
Taika Waititi
“Thor: Love and Thunder”
Marvel Studios
—
Winston Duke*
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Marvel Studios
—
Ben Whishaw
“Women Talking”
MGM/United Artists Releasing
—
Mark Rylance
“Bones & All”
MGM/United Artists Releasing
—
Michael Stuhlbarg
“Bones & All”
MGM/United Artists Releasing
—
Sean Patrick Thomas
“Till”
MGM/United Artists Releasing
—
André Holland
“Bones & All”
MGM/United Artists Releasing
—
Scott Speedman
“Crimes of the Future”
Neon
—
Woody Harrelson
“Triangle of Sadness”
Neon
—
Adrien Brody
“Blonde”
Netflix
—
Alessandro Nivola
“White Noise”
Netflix
—
Ali Suliman
“The Swimmers”
Netflix
—
André Benjamin
“White Noise”
Netflix
—
Andrés Almeida
“Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths)”
The 95th Oscars ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre and televised live on Sunday, March 12, 2022, on ABC.
2022 category winner: Troy Kotsur, “CODA” (Apple Original Films)
About Variety Awards Circuit:
Variety’s unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provides inside reports on all the contenders in this year’s awards season races. In addition to predictions, the section includes — Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders in the race; Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly series featuring interviews with the top contenders in the awards race and an expert roundtable discussion with Variety’s leading editors and columnists; Awards Circuit Predictions Video Series, a deep dive into specific categories, led by the leading pundits.
The half-hour documentary “Takeover” recounts how the radical Puerto Rican group the Young Lords took over a South Bronx hospital in 1970. Filmmaker Emma Francis-Snyder conducts new interviews with Young Lords members to reconstruct what happened through archival footage and recreations.
On June 15, James Ramer, Toronto’s interim police chief, sat in front of TV cameras and journalists to deliver an apology to the city’s Black communities.
“We have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing,” he said. “For this, as chief of police and on behalf of the service, I am sorry and I apologize unreservedly.”
The press conference was planned to coincide with the release of Toronto Police Service data from 2020 that showed Black residents faced disproportionate enforcement and were more likely to have a police officer point a gun at them.
The data confirmed “a narrative that already exists,” internal police communication plans admit.
Global News obtained the force’s communication strategy for the release of the data through a freedom of information request.
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“The public generally knows there is systemic racism at the Service,” one slide from the plan said.
The data showed that Black people — who made up about 10 per cent of the city’s population in 2020 — faced 22.6 per cent of police enforcement action, which includes arrests, provincial offences tickets, cautions and diversions.
At the same time, 39.4 per cent of use of force incidents involved Black people.
Black people were 1.5 times more likely than white people to have a gun pointed at them when they were perceived to have a weapon and 2.3 times more likely when no weapon was perceived. In both situations, white people were more likely than Black people to face lower levels of force.
East Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern people were 1.2 times more likely than white people to experience use of force; Latino people were 1.5 times more likely.
The theme of the data’s revelations was not new.
A report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released in 2020, for example, found that 25 per cent of investigations into police interactions resulting in death, serious injury or sexual assault between 2013 and 2017 involved police interaction with Black people.
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During that period, just 8.8 per cent of Toronto’s population was Black.
“The narrative we refer to in our communication plan is around the existence of systemic racism in policing, including at TPS – a narrative that our findings support,” a spokesperson for Toronto police told Global News.
“As the Chief made clear in his remarks, the findings from our 2020 Race-Based Data Collection show that we have not done enough to ensure that every person in our city receives fair and unbiased policing, by confirming that Black, Indigenous, and racialized people are over-represented in both use-of-force incidents as well as in strip searches.”
Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Toronto who has closely followed police interactions with racialized communities, said honest, clear and transparent communication was important.
“But boy did this ever fall flat on its face,” he said of Ramer’s apology.
“I just look at how much work has gone into trying to release this data, to present this information to the public and I think how these resources and this time could have been more effectively spent trying to ameliorate the very problems that they’re (bringing) to the attention of the public.
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“They’re trying to have justice be seen to be done and people want to see justice being done.”
‘Striking a balance will be important’
When the Toronto police chief told the city empirical data showed his force had a serious issue with systemic racism, the police communications team wanted the public to take away three messages: “accountability, apology and action.”
Ramer and police spokespeople were urged to avoid offering excuses for the data, warning that “any goodwill will be lost if we fail to be open and honest about what the findings mean and present some tangible solutions.”
Another line added, “At this point, the public’s perspective is the issue of racism has been active for a very long time so any indication that solutions are vague or still being thought through will not be well-received.”
It was also important to avoid alienating officers.
The strategy left police trying to speak to two contrasting demographics: the public, which, by the force’s own assessment, was tired of spin, excuses and inaction; and union officials and police officers, who would presumably push back against suggestions they themselves were racist.
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“The public is likely to see it as a TPS-specific issue and assume many of its officers are at fault,” a communications slide said. “However, internal audiences, like members, will want to learn more on the system angle. Striking a balance will be important.”
In the end, police brass struggled to do either.
During his apology, Ramer was interrupted by Beverly Bain, with the No Pride in Policing Coalition, who told the interim chief his apology was “insulting to Black people.”
“When you talk about systemic change and you talk about the system, you make it seem as though it’s a structure that’s somehow a separate entity from that of what is happening on the ground,” she said.
“Chief Ramer, we do not accept your apology.”
Ramer, who has been serving as interim chief, will be replaced by Myron Demkiw in December.
Toronto police to expand data sets to analyze over-policing of racialized groups
Toronto police to expand data sets to analyze over-policing of racialized groups – Jun 15, 2022
The subject of her interjection — the culpability of individual officers for the data that showed police in Toronto treated Black residents differently than white — had been the subject of meticulous preparation for the interim police chief.
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A list of 15 “reactive questions & answers” was drafted for the chief ahead of his press conference. Three of them dealt with explanations for why individual officers would not be identified and the perception of ineffective training.
“The Service already has accountability measures in place to address individual racism, which is identified as misconduct,” one pre-written answer from the documents says.
Ramer, through the press conference, shared those talking points, saying the data would not be used to assess or discipline specific officers.
He noted that the data was anonymized and meant to examine systemic racism. There are already internal systems, watchdogs and legal processes in place to deal with officer misconduct, and “overt racism will not be tolerated,” he said.
That preparation, compared with how it landed, was not lost on Owusu-Bempah.
“What is interesting, at least from my perspective, is that chief’s apology fell flat on its face given how much preparation, how much material was developed,” he said.
The Toronto police spokesperson said transparency had always been the key — even if different audiences interpret the data differently.
“We continue to have conversations with all different stakeholders, always with the view of advancing understanding and equity,” the spokesperson said. “We want our members to understand what the findings mean and what we are doing to support them so they can best serve communities.”
Despite the carefully prepared attempt not to condemn officers during the rollout of the data, the force’s union, the Toronto Police Association (TPA), reacted pointedly.
The union distanced officers from the findings, suggesting broader societal failings were at play.
The TPA said while the two datasets “cannot be disputed,” the results are “disappointing and leave more questions than answers, including why disparities exist or what factors could have led to an encounter with police in the first place.”
“Societal failures tend to fall at the feet of officers who police where and when they are directed,” the statement read. “Their actions, often split-second decisions, are then scrutinized with very little consideration given to the organizational shortcomings that occurred long before the interaction with a police officer.”
‘Courtesy heads-up’
Plans to release the data began to roll out at least a month before it was published.
On May 10, the data and its findings of systemic racism, particularly impacting Toronto’s Black community, were presented to the police’s Anti-Racism Advisory Panel and the Police And Community Engagement Review committee.
Neighbourhood Community Engagement Officers (NCO) were engaged, with a focus group convened on May 18. The communications rollout plan says the meeting was to discuss “anticipated community reaction” to the data.
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Toronto police also held meetings with “agencies / community leaders” to help explain terminology in its reporting and “seek support from the community.”
The OHRC was briefed, as were the City of Toronto and Ontario solicitor general.
Toronto police chief apologizes following release of race-based data
Toronto police chief apologizes following release of race-based data – Jun 15, 2022
The release of the data was also likely to pile further scrutiny on Ontario police forces, which have been under the microscope in a new way since the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Two weeks before the data was made public, Toronto’s interim chief sent a brief note to his peers. The communications plan described it as a “courtesy heads-up” to other Ontario police chiefs in which “limited” details would be provided.
An electronic update was sent to all Toronto police members on June 11, laying out activities in June and July, including the race-based data collection and an equity strategy.
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The day before the data was finally made public, on June 14, another message was sent to police officers reminding them that “full findings are being released tomorrow” and that “key messages” would be released the next day.
The week after Ramer held his press conference, lasting roughly an hour, the Toronto Police Services Board — the organization that governs the force — passed motions that could move the force away from its attempt to communicate to both officers and the public on its race-based data initiative.
The board passed a set of motions aimed at examining — and potentially expanding — what can be done with the data under provincial legislation and its own policy.
“In terms of identifying specific divisions or individual officers, the intent is certainly to look at whether and how this can be done, respecting applicable law that creates the framework in which this is done,” Ryan Teschner, the board’s executive director and chief of staff, said in an email.
The board will then look at that assessment and review its policy on race-based data, Teschner said, adding that the motions “contemplate a situation in the future where such analysis could be possible, respecting the legal framework.”
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When it adopted the policy in 2019, the board said the data would not be used to identify specific officers or manage their performance, but to “identify trends that contribute to professional development and organizational change.”
Ontario’s privacy commissioner clarified that the law does not prevent police from using the data to assess and discipline individual officers.
“Our approach to using RBDC data to identify individual officers has not changed,” the Toronto police spokesperson said.
Toronto police told Global News the next stages of its plan will begin rolling out soon.
The force is expected to release an academic report on the findings, including further data, such as breakdowns by gender.
“Although there is much more work to be done, the strides we are making demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability, and to strengthening trust with all of Toronto’s many communities,” the spokesperson said.
“Dancing With the Stars” took on James Bond for week three, with each pair dancing to songs featured in Bond films through the years.
Selma Blair and Sasha Farber have been in the spotlight all season, but it hasn’t been an easy ride. She admitted this week that she has sensory overload with the lights and crowd each week. In order to help with this week’s Rumba, Farber blindfolded her and she beautifully danced to Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only.” Len Goodman said she “had great control,” despite her Multiple sclerosis and the blindfold.
“It was helping me to block out some of the noise. I do get real sensory overload and shut my eyes a lot so this was a gift, but also can be quite disorientating but really thrilling. I loved it, and I love Sasha,” she explained ahead of getting her scores.
Farber explained, “The whole point for the blindfold was, when I see Selma, there’s a disconnect from the brain to the body, she tends to close her eyes. When she’s learning a step, and she can’t control her body, she closes her eyes. So I wanted to make her feel as comfortable as I possible can on the dance floor. We gave it a whirl. It worked. It was a gamble and I’m so proud of her.”
Ahead of the elimination, there was a three-way tie on the top of the leaderboard. Charli D’Amelio and Mark Ballas’ sensual rumba led to judge Bruno Tonioli handing out the first 9 of the season and they earned a 33 out of 40. Later in the night, Wayne Brady and Whitney Carson, as well as Gabby Windey and Val Chmerkovskiy received the same scores of three 8s and a 9.
Sam Champion and Cheryl Burke landed in the bottom two alongside Cheryl Ladd and Louis van Amstel. Ultimately, Champion and Burke were saved, sending home Ladd and Van Amstel.
The Biden administration is preparing new rules aimed at curbing China’s advanced computing and chip production capabilities — the U.S. government’s most significant effort to date to restrain China’s development of technologies critical for its military advancement.
The rules, scheduled to be announced as soon as this week, will sweep more broadly than a draconian export control previously applied to Chinese tech giant Huawei.
The use of the so-called foreign direct product rule will prevent companies anywhere in the world from selling certain advanced computing chips to Chinese buyers without a U.S. government license if the companies use American technology to make the chips, according to several people briefed on the measure, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the still-unannounced plans.
The rule would apply to semiconductor chips used in supercomputers and certain artificial intelligence applications.
Such advanced computing systems can be used to develop nuclear weapons, hypersonic missiles, and missile defenses, officials said. A loss of U.S. leadership here would “severely compromise” national security and “undermine profitable parts of the U.S. economy,” according to a 2016 report by the National Security Agency and the Department of Energy.
The foreign direct product rule is a particularly harsh trade measure because the rule imposes restrictions not just on chipmakers in the United States, but on any company or factory in the world that relies on American equipment or software to make chips. There is hardly a semiconductor on the planet today that is not made with American tools or designed with software that originated in the United States.
The administration also wants to restrict the export to China of chip-making tools used by Chinese companies such as the country’s leading memory chipmaker, YMTC, and the leading Chinese producer of processors, SMIC. If the rule is enacted as currently envisioned, it would cut off access to American manufacturing and design tools for chips that are 14 nanometers in size or smaller.
“What they’re doing is a stark departure from 30 years of policy,” said Eric Sayers, managing director at Beacon Global Strategies, a national security consulting firm. “It’s a form of technology containment. Not just to stay ahead of China, but to degrade their ability to try to catch up with us.”
Restrictions on China’s largest chip makers could have a significant impact, said Dan Wang, technology analyst at Shanghai-based research firm Gavekal Dragonomics. “They would hurt these companies and their customers, which include leading Chinese electronics makers and internet platforms,” he said.
The Biden administration also is planning to place more Chinese organizations on an export blacklist called the Entity List.
The White House and Commerce Department declined to comment.
Reuters earlier reported on some of these measures.
A plethora of Chinese companies that use high-end AI chips made with American tools or designs are likely to be affected by that rule, analysts said.
Some U.S. chipmakers and manufacturing equipment sellers in recent weeks have publicly said they received government notifications about the new restrictions, including equipment manufacturers Lam Research, KLA Corp. and Applied Materials, as well as chipmakers Nvidia and AMD.
The administration has signaled its intention to use more of its powers to curb Beijing’s efforts to harness technology to gain a global advantage militarily and economically.
“On export controls, we have to revisit the long-standing premise of maintaining ‘relative’ advantages over competitors in certain key technologies,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a speech last month, alluding to China.
The approach of staying only “a couple of generations ahead” is no longer tenable, he said.
When the United States used the foreign direct product rule, or FDPR, to deprive Huawei of chips, it crippled Huawei’s production and sales.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States also used the FDPR to block companies from selling certain semiconductors to buyers in Russia, a ban that U.S. officials say is hurting Russia’s military.
One industry executive, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the new rules and the administration’s general concerns about China will increasingly make it “really difficult” to do business there.
“We’ve been hearing from the administration that they want us to find customers outside of China,” the executive said.
This past weekend, the streaming service made it official that the triumphant story directed by Antoine Fuqua, about an enslaved person traversing Civil War-era Louisiana on a path toward freedom, will arrive in theaters on December 2 — right in time for awards eligibility. “Emancipation” screened last weekend for a group of attendees at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., with Fuqua, Smith and Mary Elliott, curator of American Slavery at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, participating in a conversation about the film moderated by politics and culture commentator Angela Rye.
Fuqua also gave an interview to Deadline where he addressed discussions around the film after Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on stage at this year’s Oscars for making an insensitive joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. “As a filmmaker, you want your work out there, especially something this important,” Fuqua said. “It was Apple, behind the scenes, they were pushing that as well, trying to navigate through the waters. They never stopped talking about releasing the film, and when would be best strategically.”
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Despite the controversy that still follows Smith, Apple is smart to follow through with releasing “Emancipation” in 2022. Take away that low moment, and on paper we have the studio that just won Best Picture for “CODA” bringing us a new film starring the most recent Best Actor winner, who also happens to be one of the biggest stars in the world. Pushed back a year, those highlights would not have the same impact.
Post-Slap discourse has seen diminishing returns. Smith has been accused of seeming dismissive. Rock has begun mentioning it in his stand-up sets, but it has led to more gaffes on his part. The new regime at the Academy prefers to sidestep any mention of it, which has turned discussions around the 2023 Oscars from being something reactionary to something revelatory — a reinvigorated awards show with producers who are more experienced with live events (and, who would likely have a better idea of what to do should a Slap-like situation ever happen again).
What sealed the deal on this year being the right one for “Emancipation” is the unique Best Picture race happening now. Though dozens of awards contenders premiered at the fall festivals, few have been pegged as Best Picture contenders. While “The Fabelmans” is the clear frontrunner, there’s at least four other viable contenders that have not screened yet (“She Said,” “Babylon,” “Avatar: The Way of the Water,” and “Black Panther: Wakanada Forever”). Making an educated guess about the 10 Best Picture nominees at the 2023 Oscars is harder than ever.
And “Emancipation” has a lot going for it. Historical epics like “The Woman King” have gone over really well this year. Its association with the Congressional Black Caucus indicates that its marketing campaign could find an interesting way to tie the film to the midterm elections. It adds to this year’s pool of nominees being more racially diverse. Apple also doesn’t have other films on its slate that would rise to the level of Best Picture contention. “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” follow-up, made slight noise upon its arrival on Apple TV+ this weekend.
Smith has little chance of getting back-to-back Best Actor nominations. There is already plenty of buzz that he is great in the film, but there is also still a faction of Academy voters that believe he should have been banned from Oscar contention indefinitely. It’s just too soon for that comeback. But looking at last year, where only two of the 10 Best Picture nominees were also nominated for Best Actor and/or Best Actress, “Emancipation” doesn’t need a full Smith comeback for it to go all the way.
Few expected Apple to get Best Picture last year with “CODA.” Their awards team is already primed to prove any naysayers wrong.
“Don’t you pretend that I’m not alive” were the first words whispered by the Mars Volta vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s during the group’s reunion stop in New York City on Sept. 29. The tour, in support of a new self-titled record that marks the end of a decade-long hiatus for the Texas rockers, is a reminder not only that the group itself is back but keenly aware of their legacy as a taut, adventurous live act ready to blend genres at a breakneck pace.
Their first four records, especially their beloved 2003 studio debut “De-Loused in the Comatorium,” have been a gateway for younger generations of prog fans, fresh to polyrhythms and double-digit song lengths. Yet the band’s final two pre-hiatus albums — 2009’s “Octahedron” and 2012’s “Noctourniquet” — felt like a group in need of a break. This year’s comeback album is perhaps their most far-afield, as it’s their approximation of a pop music, with the average song hovering at three minute mark and produced with a flatter palette than previous work.
Despite their mixed studio output, the sold-out Terminal 5 crowd was eager for a show filled with the band’s classic guitar theatrics and noise freak-outs, and were not disappointed. Soulful opener “Vicarious Atonement,” a minimalist, serpentine power ballad that opens their towering third album, 2006’s “Amputechture,” was stripped down in both instrumentation and tempo, with lead guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez’s dramatic playing setting a push and pull with Bixler-Zavala’s increasingly powerful wail. The drama culminated over an increasing wall of noise which swelled into the intro for frantic “Comatorium” stand-out “Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of),” which proved their classic sound hadn’t rusted.
In fact, half of the show’s setlist was devoted to that signature album, yet fan favorites felt reinvigorated thanks to bold arrangements which unveiled new textures. While bandleaders Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez had an undeniable chemistry which gave the songs color as they would improvise new runs and fills, the rest of the musicians — bassist Josh Moreau, keyboard player and percussionist Marcel Rodriguez-López, keyboard player Leo Genovese and drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui — kept the groove-heavy base steady.
Their musicianship was jaw-dropping on standout tracks like “L’Via L’Viaquez,” a classic rock collision where a Zepplin-esque rager abruptly swerves, dipping into a Latin jam out of the Santana playbook. Toggling back and forth between the styles could be whiplash-inducing, but there was enough talent and communication on stage to keep the complex song structures crisp and flowing.
The band was so locked in that even slight new songs like “Blacklight Shine” fit comfortably. Yet the indelible moments belonged to the mix of Bixler-Zavala’s wail, Rodriguez-Lopez’s shredding, the rhythm section’s structure and a bed of noise that evoked Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” at its most yearning. In a performance filled with this much life, it was clear that the Mars Volta’s roaring live show has returned fully intact.
Zac Efron has held the heartthrob persona since the start of his career, with roles in “High School Musical,” “17 Again,” “Neighbors” and “Baywatch.” But it’s his recent turn as John “Chickie” Donohue in “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” that will surprise many.
In Peter Farrelly’s followup to “Green Book,” — which won three Oscars, including Best Picture — “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” follows U.S. veteran John “Chickie” Donahue (Zac Efron) in 1967 as he leaves New York to travel across the world to bring beer to his buddies in the Army while they are fighting in the Vietnam War.
This character-driven drama, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and streams on Apple TV Plus, is based on the bestselling book, “The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A True Story of Friendship Stronger Than War” that follows the reality of war and Chickie’s reunion with childhood friends. It also stars Russell Crowe and Bill Murray, in a scene-stealing cameo.
Efron and Farrelly are in cheerful spirits as they sit down for an exclusive Canadian print interview with the Star at a downtown hotel ahead of the film’s premiere at TIFF.
Efron could see the film coming to life as he read the script, something which is pretty rare for him, he said. The movie effectively balances the line between lighthearted humour and the horrors of war.
“I understood the tone really well. Pete navigates this very thin line, which is this really emotional, potentially heavy subject matter. We’re dealing with war and politics and then finding this subtle humour throughout it all that holds it together, it’s definitely something that I appreciate in film and cinema.” he said.
He continued, “It was just so nuts that a guy would go deliver beer to his friends during the Vietnam War just to show support. It’s the craziest thing ever.”
Farrelly shot to fame in the mid-’90s for writing and directing irreverent comedies such as “Dumb and Dumber,” “Kingpin,” “Shallow Hal” and “Me, Myself & Irene.” He undoubtedly has an eye for casting — he cast Mahershala Ali as Don Shirley in “Green Book,” for which he won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 2019.
In choosing Efron for the role the director knew the actor had the range for drama and comedy, but didn’t know if he could become Chickie — however, it was his chilling turn as Ted Bundy in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” that convinced him.
“When we met for the first time, he was just so open, saying, ‘Hey, I want to try something different. I want to open up and I want you to push me in certain directions,’” Farrelly said.
“I’ve said this a lot, but he reminds me of a young Travolta in this movie. He reminds me of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Travolta and that’s one of my favourite performances ever. This character he plays is flawed. He’s not the brightest guy. This is a ludicrous plan. But his heart’s in the right place.”
Filming in Thailand allowed Farrelly to see a different side of Efron. “He’s a brave actor, like he’ll do anything. I was nervous about him every time we got in a helicopter, he’s hanging out the doors!”
“I remember, we landed one of those helicopters and I jumped off and everyone’s like, ‘I wouldn’t have done that.’ I was like, ‘Really?’” Efron said with a laugh.
The duo’s camaraderie feels effortless and earnest. As if reading my mind, Efron said, “This is just a brilliant opportunity. I’m so happy I can be a part of it with Pete. This is a story that we can tell as filmmakers and actors that it’s one of the ones that feels good to do.”
Farrelly said he had been wanting to work with Russell Crowe his entire career. “I’ve probably offered him five things and he always said no, but we finally got him for one.”
“First of all, I admire the hell out of him. But also, he helped Zac a lot on the set, as did Bill Murray. Zac was in every scene, every day he came in, he had five pages to do and when you’re working with Bill Murray or Russell Crowe, they’ll pull him aside and say, ‘Hey, let’s do this. Try this. They’re practicing their scene for a week while he’s got 12 hours to get it together.”
Efron added of Crowe, “He was aware of the cameras, he’s got good ideas. He’s a problem solver and you want those people around on set.”
Efron said that there was a lot of incentive to make it real and honest. “If Chickie was portrayed in any sort of bad way, that would be an unforgivable offense, in my opinion.”
Farrelly echoed the sentiment, “I want to get it right for Chickie’s sake. I told him the first day I met him that if the world loves this, and you don’t, it’s a nightmare for me. I want to please you first.”
Farrelly had Vietnamese consultants on hand as he didn’t just want to tell an American story, but a human story. “I don’t want to just please the American people watching this movie. I want to please the Vietnamese people. I want them to say, ‘That’s accurate.’”
In Thailand, the cast and crew bonded over, unsurprisingly, beer. “We all got together and finally had some beers one night after we had accomplished a pretty big scene. That was one I’ll never forget. I formerly didn’t really like that beer called Singha and that was the best beer I’ve ever tasted in my life,” Efron laughed.
“The Greatest Beer Run Ever” streams on Apple TV Plus
Marriska Fernandes is a Toronto-based entertainment reporter and film critic. She is a freelance contributor for the Star’s Culture section. Follow her on Twitter: @marrs_fers
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Originally released as part of After Dark Horrorfest’s “8 Films to Die For” series, the Australian ghost movie “Lake Mungo” has become an independent horror cult classic, and every horror fan’s secret weapon when providing horror movie recommendations each October.
Filmed to resemble a documentary by incorporating found footage and docufiction interviews, “Lake Mungo” chronicles the haunting aftermath of the death of Alice Palmer, a teenage girl who tragically drowned a few months before. Following Alice’s burial services, the Palmer family begins to suspect that their daughter is still with them somehow, inspiring the family to set up home video cameras to potentially catch a glimpse of Alice on tape, and enlist the assistance of a medium named Ray Kemeny.
As the family comes to terms with their loss and the unexplainable supernatural events, their investigations also lead to uncovering disturbing secrets that Alice had been keeping while still alive.
“Lake Mungo” is a deliberately paced exploration of grief, but filled with some truly devastating imagery that will shake you to your core. There’s a reason that horror fans can’t stop talking about this film all these years later, and it’s one of the most inventive uses of the found-footage subgenre. Without divulging any spoilers, be sure to stay once the credits begin. You won’t regret it.
Give yourself nightmares by watching “Lake Mungo” on TubiTV.
– English Audio Description
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