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Entertaintment, Film, Movies

Emmy-nominated actor, Sebastian Stan, best known for his standout performances in films and TV shows such as “I, Tonya”, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Pam & Tommy”, and “Kings”, is pushing the boundaries of his acting career with two powerful new films: “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice” releasing this year.

His performances in both have garnered critical acclaim, and the question now looms—could Stan be on his way to receiving double Oscar nominations in the same year at the Academy Awards in 2025?

This year is arguably shaping up to be the most significant year of Stan’s career. Both his films have made their way through the film festival circuit to rave reviews, with “A Different Man” premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and “The Apprentice” making a big splash at Cannes. These projects not only highlight Stan’s impressive range but also showcase his willingness to take on bold and challenging roles.

Sebastian Stan pulls double duty as the executive producer and lead actor of “A Different Man”, which first premiered at Sundance in January, the film has established Stan as a serious Oscar contender. The film tells the story of Edward, an aspiring actor who undergoes a radical medical procedure to cure his neurofibromatosis, a condition that leaves him disfigured. After the surgery, Edward’s life spirals into obsession and self-destruction when he loses a coveted acting role and becomes fixated on reclaiming his former identity.

Courtesy of A24

Stan’s portrayal of Edward has been praised for its depth and complexity. The role required him to wear heavy facial prosthetics and embody a character whose identity is in constant flux. From the physical transformation to the emotional upheaval, Stan delivers a nuanced performance that captures Edward’s internal struggle with desire, confusion, and self-acceptance. Critics have hailed his performance as “extraordinary,” noting his ability to balance poignancy with moments of “creepiness” and absurdity. His work in “A Different Man” earned him the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the Berlin International Film Festival, cementing his place in this year’s award season conversation. “A good film will change what you think for a couple of days, but a great film will change how you think for the rest of your life. We’re certainly trying, at least, to be in the great film business.” Said Stan when talking about the film.

Stan’s second possible Oscar contender, “The Apprentice”, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2024, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation. In the film, Stan transforms into a young Donald Trump, portraying the real estate mogul during his rise to power in the 1970s. The physical and psychological transformation Stan underwent for this role was nothing short of remarkable. From mimicking Trump’s distinct speech patterns to capturing his mannerisms, his performance is one of the most talked-about aspects of the film. “I had 130 videos on his physicality on my phone, and 562 videos that I had pulled with pictures from different time periods — from the ’70s all the way to today — so I could pull out his speech patterns and try to improvise like him.” Said Stan.

Courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment

Stan’s ability to step into the shoes of this huge figure has earned him widespread praise from critics and fans. His portrayal has been called “eerily accurate,” and many believe this performance could secure him a second Oscar nomination, a rare feat in Hollywood. “The Apprentice” was also screened at the Telluride Film Festival, where it continued to generate buzz ahead of its October 11th nationwide release.

Throughout his career, Stan has demonstrated a commitment to choosing unique and challenging roles. Stan has the ability to transcends genres as he has proven over the years. From his work in indie dramas, to the MCU, to TV shows, thrillers and romantic dramas, he’s never been one to shy away from risk. In discussing his career trajectory, Stan once said, “A few years ago, I just decided to be a little bit more aggressive about finding specific work that was interesting and different, and kind of challenging for me than what I was getting to do.” This strategy has certainly paid off.

With two highly anticipated films in 2024, as well as a new Marvel project, “Thunderbolts” coming up in 2025,  Stan continues to showcase his incredible range and transformative abilities, setting the stage for what could be one of the most significant moments in his career. A dual Oscar nomination would place him in a rarefied class of actors, solidifying his position as one of Hollywood’s finest talents.

As “A Different Man” and “The Apprentice” head toward their wide releases in October, the buzz surrounding Stan’s performances is only intensifying. Both films are not only high-profile projects with rich, complex characters but also represent a critical turning point in Stan’s career as he continues to evolve as an actor.

While it remains to be seen how the Academy will respond, one thing is clear: Sebastian Stan is having a banner year, and the conversation about his potential Oscar nominations is far from over.

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Emmy-nominated actor, Sebastian Stan, best known for

Breaking News, Entertaintment, Film

The entertainment world has lost a giant with the passing of James Earl Jones, at the age of 93. Jones passed away on Monday September 9th.

Best known for his distinctive voice and remarkable performances, Jones was a titan of stage and screen whose career spanned more than six decades.

From lending his deep, resonant voice to iconic characters like Darth Vader in “Star Wars” to bringing Mufasa to life in “The Lion King”, James Earl Jones left an indelible mark on pop culture. His performances were both powerful, emotional and nuanced, winning the hearts of audiences around the world.

Courtesy of Disney

Born in 1931 in Mississippi, the honorary Oscar recipient and two-time Tony winner overcame a childhood stutter to become one of the most recognizable voices in film and theater history. His breakthrough came with his portrayal of Jack Jefferson in the 1969 film “The Great White Hope”, a role that earned him both an Academy Award nomination and a Tony Award.

Jones continued to captivate audiences with memorable roles in films like “Field of Dreams” and “Coming to America”, demonstrating his versatility as both a commanding presence and a tender father figure. On stage, he earned critical acclaim for his work in Shakespearean productions and modern classics, cementing his legacy as one of the finest actors of his generation.

Jones also was also one of the few to achieve the prestigious EGOT status—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards—James Earl Jones was celebrated not only for his incredible talent but for his wisdom and dignity, both on and off screen. His dedication to his craft was matched only by his contributions to civil rights and his mentorship of younger generations of actors.

Courtesy of Oscars.org

As we mourn the loss of this towering figure, we also celebrate the legacy he leaves behind—a voice that will continue to echo through time, reminding us of the power of art to inspire, heal, and unite.

Rest in peace, James Earl Jones. Your voice and spirit will forever be remembered.

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The entertainment world has lost a giant

Entertaintment, Film

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2024 has been a whirlwind of glamorous reunions and exciting premieres. Amid the star-studded buzz, one particular meeting has captured the hearts of fans: the long-awaited encounter between Dylan O’Brien and Andrew Garfield. Both actors have much to celebrate at this year’s festival and both their films will premiere on October 11th 2024.

For those who may not recall, the connection between these two actors began in 2020, when Dylan O’Brien and his friend Sarah Ramos shared a skit in which the two parody Andrew Garfield’s iconic meltdown scene from “The Social Network”. Ramos portrayed Mark Zuckerberg (played in the 2010 David Fincher movie by Jesse Eisenberg) and Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) while O’Brien took on Eduardo Saverin (Garfield).

The video quickly went viral, even catching the attention of Garfield himself, his response was shared via a tweet from Lin-Manuel Miranda who was directing “Tick, Tick…Boom!” at the time which read “If I had Twitter I’d let him know he murdered it.” This unexpected endorsement only fueled fan excitement about a potential collaboration between the two actors.

The anticipation grew in 2022 when Garfield spoke about the viral video in an interview, praising O’Brien’s talent “I love him. I think he’s so talented, and I thought that was very, very cool” said Garfield hinting at a mutual respect between the two. Garfield also said he thought O’Brien’s performance was “Just as good, if not better. And handsomer.” Fans eagerly hoped that their on-screen paths might cross in the future. Ever since, netizens have referred to the two as “besties”.

Fast forward to TIFF 2024, and the stars aligned, maybe not onscreen but the festival provided the perfect backdrop for O’Brien and Garfield to finally meet in person. Photographs of the two actors together with the “Saturday Night” movie cast at the Golden Globes TIFF Gala Reception have been a delightful treat for fans, capturing a moment that many have been eagerly anticipating. The meeting of Andrew Garfield and Dylan O’Brien.

Andrew Garfield stars in John Crowley’s latest drama “We Live In Time“, a film that has generated considerable buzz and praise for Garfield and his co star Florence Pugh’s performances. Meanwhile Dylan O’Brien is starring in “Saturday Night”, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night Live biopic which is already garnering significant Oscar buzz, adding to the excitement surrounding O’Brien’s rising career.

As TIFF 2024 continues to dazzle with its array of premieres and celebrity sightings, the O’Brien-Garfield reunion stands out as a highlight. The encounter not only celebrates their individual achievements but also symbolizes the joy of their fandom and the connections that make film festivals truly magical.

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The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2024

Entertaintment, Film

In 2024, Dylan O’Brien has truly been making waves in the entertainment industry, showcasing his versatility as an actor with the different projects he choses even earning accolades that highlight his rising star power. From groundbreaking performances to high-profile projects, O’Brien’s year is shaping up to be one for the books.

O’Brien’s remarkable year began with a bang at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in January, where the film “Ponyboi” directed by Esteban Arango, based upon the 2019 short film of the same name by River Gallo premiered to critical acclaim. His performance in the film earned him the prestigious Breakthrough Artist Award, presented by Variety. This accolade signaled a new chapter in his evolving career.

Courtesy of Getty Images

“For me, the decision always comes down to if I want to dive into this role if I want to be the guy to tell this story, if I feel that the script and story are strong, if I feel like the filmmaker is strong. It’s everything” – Dylan O’Brien, Project casting

O’Brien has always been very careful with the projects he chooses, ensuring to select films and shows he is passionate about. O’Brien further cemented his status as a sought-after talent when it was announced in February that he would join the cast of the Saturday Night Live biopic, then titled “SNL 1975*.

In July 2024 O’Brien guest-starred in two episodes of MAX’s new show “Fantasmas“. Other guest stars inluded an incredible line up of actors including Emma Stone, Paul Dano, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, and Bowen Yang.

Courtesy of MAX

With two major releases slated for this year, O’Brien’s film career continues to rise. The first is “Caddo Lake“ (formerly The Vanishings at Caddo Lake), a long-awaited project produced by M. Night Shyamalan. Fans have eagerly anticipated this release, considering the film, has been in post-production for a considerable time, and O’Brien’s role in the film is expected to be a significant highlight. When an 8-year-old girl disappears on Caddo Lake, a series of past deaths and disappearances begin to link together, altering a broken family’s history. “Caddo Lake” will be streaming on MAX starting October 10th.

Watch the teaser here:

Just one day later, on October 11th the film “Saturday Night” premieres. O’Brien portrays the iconic comedian Dan Aykroyd in the highly anticipated Saturday Night Live biopic, directed by Jason Reitman. O’brien has already been known to play the funny and charismatic guy, but this role demands more than just comedic flair—it requires capturing the essence of a real life figure, which adds an extra layer of challenge and pressure and O’Brien is rising to this challenge with impressive skill. The film has already garnered Oscar buzz and received rave reviews. This particular role is one that will undoubtedly have critics and casting agents watching him as he moves forward. The film follows what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. O’Brien stars alongside an ensemble cast that includes Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J. K. Simmons. This will be his last project for 2024. “Saturday Night” premieres in cinemas on October 11th.

Watch the trailer here:

 

The momentum doesn’t stop here for Dylan O’Brien though. His upcoming projects include in “Anniversary“, a thriller alongside “Bridgerton’s” Phoebe Dynevor and his “Not Okay” and “The Outfit” Co Star Zoey Deutch, both are known for their impressive work in the industry. Additionally, O’Brien will appear in “Twinless“, a film starring Lauren Graham from “Gilmore Girls“ and directed by and starring James Sweeney. These roles are set to further showcase O’Brien’s range as an actor.

O’Brien’s stellar year highlights his exceptional growth and versatility as an actor. With high-profile projects, and an impressive array of upcoming roles, it’s clear that Dylan O’Brien is making a mark on the entertainment industry in his own way. This is one actor you want to keep your eye on.

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In 2024, Dylan O’Brien has truly been

Entertaintment, Film

The highly anticipated Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” starring Sebastian Stan is straight off a sucessfull run at both Cannes at Telluride Film Festivals, garnering an 11 minute standing ovation at Cannes in May 2024. The film continues to receive more and more press, intrest and considering its focus, backlash. However, as director Ali Abbasi stressed while introducing “The Apprentice at Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, “This is not a political hit piece. This is a mirror…and it is intended to show you, as the mirrors do, an image of yourselves, not you per-se, but you as community.”

After the film’s screening at Cannes, the Trump campaign blasted the film as “garbage” and “pure fiction” and threatened to file a lawsuit against the filmmakers in an effort to derail its release. This of course made distributors weary of distributing such a contreversial film, but eventually Briarcliff Entertainment picked up the film for a domestic release.

Briacliff Entertainment recently shared the first clip from the film which gives us our first real look at Stan’s transformation into Trump. Stan offers a first glimpse of his portrayal of Donald Trump when he was simply just a real estate mogul and businessman climbing the corporate ladder alongside Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn.

“The Apprentice” delves into the rise of Donald Trump from a burgeoning real estate developer and businessman to future reality TV star and politician. The film, penned by journalist Gabriel Sherman—known for his 2014 bestseller on Roger Ailes—delivers a darkly comedic portrayal of Trump as a ruthless figure consumed by greed, vanity, and ethical collapse during the 1970s and ’80s. As a young man eager to earn his father Fred’s (Martin Donovan) approval, Trump finds an unlikely mentor in the notorious and merciless lawyer Roy Cohn. Under Cohn’s corrupting influence, Trump learns a brutal strategy for success. Mastering the ruthless tactics of wielding power, including aggressive attacks, moral indifference, and media manipulation. Revealing the amoral and deeply flawed nature of his mentor’s influence. This will be painfully familiar to anyone who has followed the news about Trump in the past few years. The film also stars Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump. The film’s award season prospects are pretty good, especially for Sebastian Stan.

The film is scheduled to release on October 11th, less than a month before the 2024 presidential election. So without a doubt, this is one film you do not want to miss.

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The highly anticipated Donald Trump biopic “The

Entertaintment, Music, Opinion

Radio Company at Sagebrush-A Feast for the Senses

Radio Company’s latest concert instalment was a feast for the senses. Jensen Ackles and Steve Carlson played two sold-out shows in Austin Texas on back-to-back evenings of August 19th and 20th 2024 at Sagebrush. I was in attendance for both shows and their performances held some variation. Common to both nights were the high energy, the burgeoning expectation of their adoring fans and the challenges presented by high temperatures and cloying humidity. For those made of stern enough stuff to endure the heat, the second night personified a party-vibe that strayed slightly from the night before. I’m guessing the first performance helped the band find their bearings, while the subsequent concert allowed the musicians to lean into their own enjoyment and they let their hair down.

Not only were Ackles and Carlson having fun with each other on stage, they were playful and inclusive with their entire audience.  Both gentlemen were loose, funny and uninhibited in their on-stage performances, and would often turn to the crowd to belt out the next line of a song. At times, the crowd actually continued to sing lyrics that the boys stumbled over, and we got to witness their witty banter.  Seeing Ackles giggle with delight at the crowd was pretty charming. Their pleasure infected everyone. They enjoyed their fans as much as their fans enjoyed them.

Everything about these shows felt interactive. It was as if the stage had two tiers. The upper tier was for the band, while the lower tier was the whole crowd singing back to them. I’m a seasoned concert goer, and I don’t recall witnessing anything like this before. I was at their Nashville performance, and it too had an intimate feel, but this was on a whole new level. Their fans sang every word to every song, with love, zeal and unbridled enthusiasm.  It is a true testament to how much a band’s music is loved when your entire audience is singing every word right along with you.

A Rock Vibe with Country Color

I would call Radio Company’s sound as a rock-n-roll vibe with country color mixed in for good measure. Both Ackles and Carlson have got the voices to take us there. I’ve written previous articles about the musical talents of Radio Company, and those first-hand observations still hold true today. Ackles demonstrated his deep resonant baritone, delivered strong and clean. When the heat got to him, he took a beat to catch his breath and delivered the goods. Consistent once again, as the consummate performer. He had some fun with it too. Carlson’s voice is just as glorious but has an ever-so-slight raspy edge to it that fans find magnificent and endearing in equal measure. On top of his singing talents Steve had to perform instrument changes like a runway model changes outfits, and he was subject to a litany of verbal pokes and prods by his partner-in-crime. The crowd joined in on occasion, which added to the good-natured fun on display.

To round out Radio Company’s musical talents, I have to chime in on their adept ability at harmonizing. Their singing together has no hint of duelling undertone and is always complimentary to the extreme.  They play off one another beautifully.

I have always believed that live music is something that must be experienced. It is a true act of love and generosity from a musician to his or her audience. As intimate as a dance between two lovers, a musician etches indelible marks on the soul of each fan, while gifting song and sound to the multitude. There is an ebb and flow of untapped energy, as they drop into their own performance. Their muscle memory takes over. They unleash their talent and skill as they delight in the wave of joy they give so openly. To witness an artist perform and feel the same pleasure they bestow upon their fans, is a sight to behold and should not be missed.

These two shows were a treat for the eyes, a treat for the ears and a balm for the soul. It was a kind of heaven with the heat piped in directly from hell, to round out the experience.

The Band

There was a deep well of talent on stage for both of these concerts. Thirteen gifted creators shared with everyone in attendance, and those artists are as follows:

Radio Company Music

Radio Company at Sagebrush was not about promoting new music. These shows were entirely about paying homage to the music they have already created. Not only were their greatest hits played to perfection, but it seemed obvious to me that these concerts were more about those who openly support their work, then anything else.  Full stop, from start to finish, these treasured interactive performances were a true demonstration of joy and a salute to the fans who love them.  Radio Company’s set lists for shows one and two, say it all.

The Venue

Photo Courtesy-G.Langdon

The venue played such a pivotal role here.  Radio Company’s Nashville show was at the Analog @ Hutton, which swings in close to what would be classified as a cocktail lounge. Steve and Jensen were in tailored suits and their performances, by comparison were reserved.

None of that at Sagebrush. 

This time fans were treated to something entirely different; a down-home Texas honky-tonk saloon, whose vibe was drenched with southern charm and generous hospitality. From the boot-worn tile floors, the barrel tables up front, the strings of Christmas lights that adorned the walls, and, as if to thumb their nose at formality, chandeliers hanging over the wooden dance floor.

Sagebrush dared anyone within its walls to defy its purpose. Its very essence permeated the air. Their vibe was undeniable, and it demonstrated that they were all about music, dancing, and foot-stomping joy. If you looked closely enough, you could see the ghosts of two-stepping dance partners making their way out to the backyard that’s peppered with picnic tables, and sun-scorched grass. The only thing I didn’t see were tumbleweeds.  I’ll pretend they were there in my mental imaginings of a place I fell in love with on sight.

And to top off Tuesday evening, we sat out in front of Sagebrush. From the Mexican food truck, we had the best chicken quesadilla I have ever tasted.

I laughed when I got back to my hotel. The hem of my pants were caked with Sagebrush dust and patron sweat and spilled drinks.  It was kind of glorious.

The B-Side

What I described above was the best that Sagebrush offered all of us. The B-side was something a little different.  I would be remiss if I did not mention the difficulties that this venue presented for fans.  If you were fortunate enough to be in the first five rows at the stage, you were lucky, otherwise all you could see were singing heads.  If you were there to just hear the music, it didn’t matter where you found yourself, but if it was important to you to see the guys, you had many hurdles.

To be in such close proximity of so many people in the oppressive Austin heat, was a difficult challenge and one that many could not endure for two consecutive nights.  Many tickets went back on sale for the second gig by those who needed to opt out, but thankfully had the benefit of Stage-It to provide attendance from the comfort of an air-conditioned location.  

For those who could endure, they were destined to suffer the aforementioned high temperatures, cloying humidity, the claustrophobic closeness of the crowd, having to stand for many uncomfortable hours, and a few “difficult” fans who imbibed too freely. But, in defence of Sagebrush, with the exception of the heat and humidity, these are common challenges that all frequent concert goers are familiar with.

The Opening Acts – Louden Swain

Photo Courtesy-RC IG+G.Langdon

On Monday August 19th the opening band for Radio Company was Louden Swain, a group out of Los Angeles, California consisting of Rob Benedict, Michael Borja, Billy Moran and Stephen Norton.  All four of these remarkable musicians share a creative and committed bond that began in 1997 and stands firm today.

True to form, this talented band worked their magic to key up the crowd for Radio Company, just as they did in Nashville in 2022.  These gents have a considerable fan base all their own and a good percentage of them were out in full force for the show. To be expected, Louden Swain delivered high energy and great music synonymous with their spirited stage presence.

Louden Swain’s set list: King of Silverlake, Trigger Finger, Letter, Worlds Collide, Guilty One, Wave, Pop Tart Heart, Amazing and Mamma’s Jam.

The Opening Acts – Jonathan Tyler

Photo Courtesy-RC IG+G.Langdon

On Tuesday August 20 the opening band for Radio Company was Jonathan Tyler. Tyler can be best described as a Texas-based roots rock singer, songwriter, musician and producer. Formerly of the band Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights, Tyler continues to creatively and commercially produce music. He has released four full-length albums, the last of which being Underground Forever, released in 2022.

I’ve never seen a Jonathan Tyler live performance, so this was a special treat for me. The band did a fabulous job tuning up the crowd for Radio Company.

Jonathan Tyler’s set list: River Bottom, Disappear, Honey Pie, California Sunshine, Old Friend, Rebel in the USA, Moon & Stars, Magic Sam’s Boogie, Gypsy Woman and Hot Sake.

These concerts were something for the memory books and the only thing left to do now is to manifest their next instalment. I vote we go for a bigger venue.

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Radio Company at Sagebrush-A Feast for the

Entertaintment

“It Ends With Us”, directed by Justin Baldoni (Who also stars in the film) and starring Blake Lively is based on the romance novel of the same name by Colleen Hoover. The film is a beautifully written and directed love story that shines through its remarkable cast of talented actors. Not to mention, it has an amazing soundtrack.

The film captures your attention from the very beginning and maintains it throughout, the story unfolds through a series of flashbacks interwoven with present-day events weaving a narrative rich with complex layers and intense emotions. If you go in to the theatre as simply a movie fan without having read the book or having watched a single trailer, you will be all the more surprised by what unfolds, it may be even more effective and entertaining to watch.

The film follows the story of Lily Blossom Bloom, who lives in Boston and is currently opening her own flower shop. The film starts at Lily’s father’s funeral, who she realises she cant bring herself to eulagise because he was abusive to her mother. In Boston, Lily meets neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and sparks begin to fly. Though they initially seek different things—Lily wants commitment, Ryle prefers casual relationships—they eventually begin a romance. While we see that happening present day, we also see the story of Lily’s first love with Atlas unfold in the past. Young Lily is played by Isabela Ferrer and Young Atlas is played by Alex Neustaedter. When Lily’s father finds her together with Atlas, he beats him close to death, and she doesnt see him again. That is until, now. After an eight-year stint in the Marines, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) now owns a restaurant in Boston called Root, and Lily’s world is about to be turned upside down.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Meanwhile, Ryle’s temper has started to show, and we start to see a pattern of abusive behaviour from him which sadly eventualy results in Lily taking him back. Baldoni’s direction is meticulous, guiding the audience through an intense story that explores heavy themes of abuse and the nature of repeating bad patterns after having witnessed harmful behavior. Along with Lively and his own intense performances, this vital topic is dealt with onscreen incredibly well, although in a mild manner, it was still shown in such a way that has a lasting effect on the audience.

The performances in “It Ends With Us” are nothing short of extraordinary. Blake Lively delivers a tour de force performance as Lilly, fully immersing herself in the role and delivering one of her most compelling performances since “The Shallows” (2016). Her portrayal is both raw and nuanced, underscoring the film’s exploration of how people can inadvertently repeat destructive patterns. Lively’s portrayal showcases a remarkable evolution from a victim of abuse to a resilient, independent woman who finds love once more. Her journey is compelling to watch, with each stage of Lily’s transformation powerfully conveyed. Particularly notable is the scene where Lily says, “It ends with us.” This film highlights Lively’s impressive range and depth as an actress. Her performance beautifully captures Lily’s strength and vulnerability, demonstrating the full extent of her talent.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures

Justin Baldoni who pulled double duty as director, delivers a standout performance as Ryle Kincaid, a character who evolves significantly throughout the film. Initially, Ryle appears as a straightforward playboy, declaring, “Love isn’t for me; lust is nice,” which sets the tone for his initial persona. As the story unfolds, Baldoni skillfully reveals deeper layers of Ryle: his possessive nature, his anger, and his capacity for violence, alongside his moments of remorse. Baldoni navigates these complex facets of the character with exceptional skill and depth, making his performance truly compelling.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures

“It Ends With Us” is an emotionally gripping film that benefits from strong direction and powerful writing, a gripping tale of love and pain powered by stellar performances. It’s a moving and thought-provoking experience that lingers long after the credits roll. Now playing in cinemas everywhere.

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"It Ends With Us", directed by Justin

Entertaintment, Film

The first thing to director Jason Reitman want you to know about Saturday Night is that it may be about TV’s comedians and writers but this film is not going to be a comedy. “Saturday Night” plays out in real time over the course of about 90 minutes, starting at 30 Rockefeller Center at 10 p.m. on October 11, 1975, and culminates with the first-ever broadcast of Saturday Night Live. What unfolds is a ticking-clock suspense movie. “It’s a thriller-comedy, if you can call that a genre,” Reitman says “I always describe this movie as a shuttle launch, and the question was, ‘Would they break orbit?'”

The first trailer for the film’s offers glimpses of the movie’s young versions of SNL legends Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), and, of course, the man himself, Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle). “This is about not only the first seven actors, but the writers, the art department, and everybody who came together at the last second to change television,” Reitman says.

The ensemble also features Nicholas Podany as Billy Crystal, Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol, Jon Batiste as musician Billy Preston, Willem Dafoe as David Tebet, and J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle. Finn Wolfhard also appears in the movie as an NBC page; the cast also includes Andewe Barth Feldman, Tommy Dewey and Matthew Rhys.

In the trailer we see a conversation between Michaels and NBC exec Dick Ebersol, “I mean, we are 90 minutes of live television by a group of 20 year olds who have never made anything,” says Dick as a montage of chaos that is unwravelling backstage simultaneously. “Did you ever stop and wonder why they said ‘Yes’? A counterculture show starring total unknowns with zero narrative and even less structure? They want you to fail.” Lorne then ends the trailer with the line that sets up the film, “we just have to make it to air,” he concludes. “This is a movie where the villain is time. It’s like our Sauron. Our Darth Vader is a clock, and you feel its presence at all times.” Says Reitman

Watch the trailer below:

“Saturday Night“ hits theaters Oct. 11, exactly 49 years after the first SNL broadcast.

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The first thing to director Jason Reitman

Comic Con, Entertaintment, Film, MCU

And that’s a wrap on the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 Marvel panel! Packed with cast appearances, big announcements, trailers, teases, title changes and some huge casting news. As well a significant chance in the direction of the MCU.

Here are some of the biggest announcements from Marvel at SDCC 2024.

Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: Doomsday

Both new Avengers movies will be directed by the Russo Brothers. The previously titled Avengers 5: The Kang Dynasty has been officially renamed Avengers: Doomsday scheduled for release May 2026, with Doctor Doom taking center stage as the primary antagonist. With Kang no longer in focus, this opens the door for one of Marvel’s most formidable supervillains to step in, along with potential appearances from other characters. This marks a significant change in Marvel’s future plans, but it’s an exciting development. Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled for release on May 2027.

Kevin Feige has announced that the casts of Fantastic Four (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) , Thunderbolts (Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell) and Captain America: Brave New World will all be featured in the upcoming Avengers films.

Robert Downey Jr. is returning to Marvel cinematic universe as villain Doctor Doom

Courtesy of Michael Buckner

Perhaps the biggest and most delightfully shocking news to come out of Hall H was that Robert Downer Jr. would be returning to the MCU. The beloved hero Iron Man would now be playing on of Marvel’s most feared supervillains Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. “New mask, same task,” he quipped on stage. The actor who kicked off the MCU would now be taking it to forward to the next chapter.

The Fantastic Four

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

The Fantastic Four film will now officially be titled The Fantastic Four – First Steps. The new title hints at Marvel Studios intentions for a long-term presence for the Fantastic Four in the MCU. The film is described as taking place in a “retro-future” version of the 1960s. Test footage featuring Ralph Ineson’s Galactus was also presented. This initial step could potentially lead to something much grander. Fantastic Four is set to kick off Marvel Phase 6. Pedro Pascal will play Reed Richards, with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. The rest of the cast includes Julia Garner as Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson as Galactus, with Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne, and John Malkovich in mystery roles. The Fantastic Four: First Steps begins filming on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. The film is currently scheduled for release on July 25, 2025.

Captain America: Brave New World

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Ever since it was announced that Giancarlo Esposito would be starring in Captain America: Brave New World, his role was kept tightly under wraps, and no one has been able to guess it. So he could hardly believe it when he was given the go-ahead to reveal it by Kevin Feige on stage in Hall H. “There’s been a lot of going on about who I really am,” Esposito continued. “Can I say it? I am… Can I say it? I can say it! Wow, let’s finally unleash it… I am the King of the Serpent Society… I’m Seth Voelker… Sidewinder!” He revealed. Sidewinder, aka Seth Voelker, is the crafty leader of the Serpent Society. Known for his teleportation abilities and strategic brilliance, he is set to be a formidable adversary for Captain America. In the comics his most notable clashes have been with the likes of Scarlet Witch and Fantastic Four’s The Thing. Fans were treated to a clip from the movie which reveals they have found adamantium, this could lead to future involvements with the X-Men. Along with a new trailer which shows us Thaddeus Ross turning into Red Hulk in the White House.

Thunderbolts

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Hall H was treated to a sneak peek of Marvel’s Thunderbolts with an exclusive trailer behind closed doors, and here’s the scoop. The footage shows Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) visiting Red Guardian’s (David Harbour) apartment, where she reveals that her only purpose in life is to kill. They then meet the rest of the Thunderbolts team—Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russell as John Walker, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost, Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster—and learn that they’ve all been assigned to the same perilous mission, raising questions about the purpose behind it. The Thunderbolts, a team of reformed villains or antiheroes, are recruited by the government for top-secret operations. Think of them as the Suicide Squad of the MCU. The film also stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Thunderbolts is set to arrive on the big screen on May 5, 2025.

No new announcements were made regarding TV shows like Agatha All Along or Daredevil: Born Again, but both are slated to be released later this year and early next year. Marvel’s latest triumph Deadpool & Wolverine, the year’s only Marvel release, is in cinemas now. Things are about to shift in the MCU, in a good way, so buckle up, because Marvel is looking to the future by embracing the past, and with the Russos at the helm, a new Captain America in the lead, another 2 movie team ups on the way, we are in for a very exciting phase of the MCU.

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And that’s a wrap on the San

Entertaintment

“Deadpool and Wolverine”, the year’s most anticipated film which signifies the comeback of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and the team up we have all been waiting for since he first starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” in 2008, the film which gave Reynolds his superhero start, has finally made it to screens, and it has delivered.

With Deadpool in the MCU, of course things were going to get intresting, and when were told Deadpool would be mixing with the Time Variance Authority (From Loki), of course that meant we were in for something good. The film sees Deadpool trying to escape his superhero past. But his peaceful existence unravels when the MCU’s TVA – the group entrusted to balance the dizzying multiverse timelines – finds itself out of control. Its corporate stooge Mr Paradox, played by Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), tries to covertly recruit Deadpool to help safeguard the central “sacred” timeline of reality by sacrificing his world. Refusing, he drags a begrudging, living, Wolverine from an alternate timeline into his in a bid to save the day. This however sends the two to a place they need to escape from in order to save reality from collapsing.

However, aside from simply serving as Deadpool’s glorious entrance into the MCU or Wolverine’s triumphant return, what makes this film great is that it takes us on a nostalgic rollercoaster that pays tribute to every aspect of Marvel, not just the glamorous parts that get all the spotlight but also taking into account the Fox universe and everything it brought us.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

The raunchy humour and fourth wall breaking was a given but what we did not excpect was this film to be so emotional, especially in the final few minutes, when we see a whole new side of Deadpool, and a new angle of Wolverine too. With the Disney and Fox merger behind them, we get to enjoy Deadpool commenting on the past, present, and future of Marvel Studios at every chance he gets. What’s great about Deadpool, as we have seen in the past, is that he never takes himself too seriously, and this film is like a breath of fresh air in the MCU. With it’s well placed humor, absolutely on point jokes and Reynolds’ comedic timing, Marvel demonstrates that they can still take a step back from their usual formula and laugh at themselves once in a while.

Reynolds and Jackman were at their absolute best in this film. With the endless action and banter, this film really finds itself at pique comedy levels when the two are together onscreen. With decades of Marvel Studios content to pull from, you never know what will come out of Deadpools mouth next, Reynolds was armed to the teeth with hilarious, dirty and weird jokes, whilst a pissed off and drunk Logan who just wanted some quiet was stuck next to him. So you can imagine how that went.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

When it came to villains, it’s only fitting that these two mutants face off against a psychic with connections to the great Charles Xavier, and Emma Corrin (The Crown) who plays Cassandra Nova does a fantastic job in her MCU debut, playing just the right amount of powerful and chilling. Corrin managed to stand out in film surrounded by more famous faces because of their memorable performance as Cassandra Nova, despite having a short run onscreen making for a great MCU villain.

In an exceptional display of nostalgia and surprise, the film treats audiences to a series of remarkable cameos, which of course made for one of the most exciting parts of the film. There are quite a few jaw dropping moments that will have audiences screaming in cinemas. Just as Reynolds said, nothing has been speculated or guessed, and no one will be able to guess these.

“Deadpool and Wolverine” made $96M in its opening day at the domestic box office, the biggest opening day for an R-rated movie. That will put it around $180M, per sources, with plenty of room to grow. At $180M, “Deadpool and Wolverine” would be the 14th-best domestic opening of all time, pegging ahead of Captain America: Civil War ($179.1M, 2016) and just below Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($181.3M, 2022).

“Deadpool and Wolverine” has to be the film that delivered the most fan-service in a single movie, which is saying a lot. “Deadpool and Wolverine” is a celebration of Marvel, both on Disney and Fox’s side, and this film is a true cinematic love letter to the entireity of Marvel Studios. Director Shawn Levy honours past legacies and characters, with a touch of the classic Deadpool charm.

Deadpool and Wolverine is in Cinemas in Imax now.

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"Deadpool and Wolverine", the year's most anticipated

Entertaintment, Music, TV

The remix of Radio Company’s ‘Quarter To’ drops July 19th, and we’re ready for it!  ‘Quarter To’ has long been an RC fan favorite, so this remix is exciting news. Daybreakers, a highly successful record producing duo, are set to release the much-anticipated track and fans on both sides of this collaboration are eager to hear it.  You can be sure that a link to the track will be added to the bottom of the article, as soon as it’s available.

By Way of Introduction

To their own established fan base these talented artists need no introduction, but to Radio Company fans who may not be familiar, lets lay down a little Daybreakers history.

Daybreakers are a UK/Canada based record producing team composed of Ric Scott and Alex Hush.

Ric Scott started at an early age and after 11 years of music school, he left to write and produce his own style of music. He has worked with various other producers on some of the best dance and trance tunes, including Joshua Ryan, Warp Brothers, Ian Van Dahl, Paul Van Dyk, Neo & Farina, Mogwai, Watergate and more recently; Lady Gaga, Lionel Richie, Paul Hardcastle and Hemstock & Jennings.

Alex Hush, originating from one half of the production duo Koishii & Hush, who have released their own tracks including collaborations with New Order’s Gillian Gilbert and Duran Duran’s John Taylor, have their own remixes for Mick Jagger, INXS, Erasure, Dannii Minogue, Yazoo and several others.

Ric and Alex first collaborated on a remix for Erasure. They followed up with remixing a Pet Shop Boys track before deciding to make Daybreakers an ongoing project.  Their first remix as Daybreakers was for the U2 single ‘Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way,’ which helped propel the song to take the coveted top spot on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. With the success of the U2 remix, they were asked to remix Madonna’s single ‘I Rise,’ which also took the Number One spot, giving Madonna her 48th Number One on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart and was released as part of the limited-edition Record Store Day vinyl.

Daybreakers’ output is prolific. To share a subset of their successes, easily found on music streaming outlets for any would-be fan, their work includes remixes of; Mike Koglin, ‘The Silence,’ Gladiator, ‘Now We Are Free,’ Erasure, ‘Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling),’ and Lustral & DT8 Project, ‘Sunshine in Human Form.’ Their own singles include ‘Run’ featuring Jess Greenfield of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, ‘Love U More’ featuring Sunscreem, ‘Every time I See Your Picture’ and ‘The Darkness,’ both featuring Christina Nicola and three singles with Roberta Harrison, ‘Five Miles High,’ ‘Great Escape’ and ‘Lose You.’

Having asked Daybreakers about the following two samples of their work, they had this to share; “Erasure’s ‘Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling)’ is a production with an enhanced electro/pop feel, while keeping the whole remix pop-friendly and Madonna, well she’s an icon. The ‘I Rise’ remix helped her to nab her 48th Billboard Number 1, which was a big honor for us.”

Click on each image to launch its YouTube video for a great listen into Daybreakers’ remix talents.

Erasure

Image Courtesy-YouTube
Madonna

Image Courtesy-YouTube

The Remix Culture

Having heard trance and electronic dance music in the past, the research for this article has been a satisfying trip into an unexplored world. Evolving from the experimentation of dub-artists back in the 60’s and 70’s who focused on the simple reworking and manipulation of existing recordings, remix has graduated from those early days to be the unique art form and powerhouse genre it is today.  The 70’s and 80’s saw a meteoric rise in electronic dance music (EDM) giving way to producers and DJs (famous in their own right) extending and reworking tracks for the dance floor.  The 90’s remix albums became a popular way for record labels to capitalize on the success of popular songs, but the benefit to both the music industry and fans has blossomed into much more.

The rise of remix offers the ability to extend the lifespan of a track, helping artists to reach new audiences, extend the chart-topping success of songs/artists, drive collaboration and launch career growth for established and emerging artists alike. The expansion of remix as a distinct musical art form, especially with the advancements in digital technology and online platforms, has yielded much.  It has rendered new waves of creative expression and the ability for artists and producers from diverse musical backgrounds, to carve out new music in fresh and unexpected ways.

The Interview

In anticipation of the release of the Daybreakers ‘Quarter To’ remix, we couldn’t wait to chat with these talented artists to learn more about their process and collaboration with Radio Company. Without further ado, lets jump right in with the Q & A.

1.  We’re thrilled to get to know you both better, as we’re sure our readers will be too. In the research we discovered that some of your early loves in music were Erasure, New Order, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, The Cult, The Cure, Duran Duran, and Dead or Alive. Like any music lover, our music tastes are ever evolving, is there any artist you’d like to add to this list now?

Ric: I would love to work with Jean Michel Jarre & The Weeknd. Both for very different reasons, JMJ because he is an idol of mine and is one of the reasons I love electronic music so much. The Weeknd; for his vocal range.

Alex: I would second The Weeknd and would add Robyn, Steve Perry, Chris Stapleton and Shania Twain.

 

2.  Is there any specific quality that an existing song must have in order to make it a good candidate for a remix?

Ric: We will listen to the track and on first listen, will know straight away if we can add any value to the release. We will get some ideas and then it’s a go.

 

3.  Outside of the qualities that a song must have (above) is there anything else that draws you to a particular piece of music?

Ric: If it’s a vocal track, the vocals must be well recorded and clean. Other than that, I will replay most of the instrumental pieces regardless.

Alex: I am drawn to a hook or the challenge of putting a square peg into a round hole. Sometimes it’s the songs you least expect that lend themselves to a great remix. It sounds cliché, but thinking outside of the box is a big motivator.

 

4.  How does work comes to you? Do you primarily seek out new material on your own, or do artists’ commission you to remix their work? Or both?

Ric: I will leave this one to Alex.

Alex: A bit of both really. There are some we will pursue via our own channels, and we have been very lucky to have been asked to work on remixes for some great artists like U2, Madonna, Erasure to name just a few.

 

5.  To elaborate on how work comes to you, if an artist approaches you for a remix, does that mean the collaboration is more involved?

Alex: Not usually, no. You could be given a brief of their vision of what direction they would like the remix to take, but to be honest, no one has ever given us one. If anything, before we start working on it, we may let them know ‘we are feeling a progressive house vibe on this’, just to see if they have any strong feelings about it one way or another, but we are normally just left to do our thing.

 

6.  The birds-eye view of a collaboration project – what does that process look like?

Ric: A collaboration project adds extra levels of ideas. Sometimes the original artists want more of their performances in the finished recording. On occasions, this can be easily accommodated, but sometimes the original performances will not fit the new layout of the remix and/or style/genre. We did a remix a couple of years back for our friends Blitz Vega that featured Johnny Marr (The Smiths) playing guitar and we were sure to use the guitar parts somewhere in the mix because it was Johnny. But mainly…we will produce an idea (rough mix) of a remix and present it to the artist just to make sure we are on the same page in genre and layout etc. 75% of the time this can ignite a spark in the artist who probably didn’t think their song could sound any different to what the original recording is.

 

7.  Typically, from picking a project to launching a remix into the marketplace, how long does that take?

Ric: It can vary from record label to record label. Some labels will approach with a short deadline (under one month) to turn around a remix ready for release & others are working 3-4 months in the future. The Madonna ‘I Rise’ remix started with a phone call from Alex saying ‘Fancy doing a remix for Madonna? – We have a week’. So, the variation keeps us on our toes. We do like to have a schedule rather than shoehorning a remix in. So, a rough estimate would be 4 weeks – 6 months.

Alex: Unless Madonna calls! (laughs)

 

8.  The remix genre seems to be primarily entrenched in streaming platforms for its consumption and circulation. Impressions are that it all seems much more fluid and quick moving then ‘in the good ‘ol days’ when vinyl reigned supreme. Does that effect who you work with or your artistic choices in building a remix track?

Ric: For me, not at all…It’s all about adding value to the original release. The release of the remix is a lot quicker these days due to the digital format. Back in the days of full physical releases, we could have potentially completed 4 or 5 other remixes before the first one was released.

Alex: Agreed. A good track is a good track regardless. The main challenge now is because it is so fast moving, there is just that much more music out there for the audience to try and discover.

 

9.  What was it specifically about ‘Quarter To’ that drew your ardor to remix it?

Alex: The spirit and delivery of the song. It just struck us both as being quite deep, and you can hear the passion in both Steve and Jensen’s vocals. I like a lot of Radio Company songs and that one really hit us as having fantastic potential for a remix. It has all the elements that make for a great mix and although it may be considered a radical reworking, it is also quite faithful to the original in many respects.

 

10.  In your collaboration with Radio Company, how was working with Steve Carlson and Jensen Ackles?

Ric: Steve & Jensen were great. Very easy going and were keen to see what spin we would put on their song. We kept them in the loop as things progressed and were eager to offer feedback when asked.

Alex: I have known Steve for a while so as far the overall project, we were on the same page from the outset. Even though they are both entrenched in the rock and country scene, neither of them had any reservations about letting us do our thing and giving their song a unique slant.

 

11.  If you could work with any artist that you haven’t collaborated with in the past, who would that be and why?

Ric: Not an artist, but I would love to work with Max Martin. I’ve always been a fan of his and his production techniques.

Alex: Shania Twain or Morten Harket. Both are such great talents and I know we could do something very unique and unexpected.

 

12.  For any fan that is new to the remix genre, besides yourselves, are there any other remix artists you would recommend?

Ric: There’s so many, Tiesto is still a massive pull for the artists, Armand Van Helden is a great remixer too, I could go on and on, the list could be endless….

Alex: Very much so. Just so many great artists and producers – it really boils down to finding a sound you like and then expanding outwards from that. Stuart Price (Jacques Lu Cont/Thin White Duke), Ferry Corsten and Eric Prydz spring to mind for me.

 

13.  What is next for Daybreakers?

Ric: Since Quarter To, we have completed another remix, taken a short break and currently, we are working on some original material with various vocalists. It’s good to take a break, usually unscheduled, to refresh the brain and to help stop the stagnation setting in.

Alex: Unless Madonna calls!

 

In Closing

In closing, we’d like to extend our sincere and grateful thanks to both Ric Scott and Alex Hush for agreeing to this interview. Their generous gift in granting their time and attention, is what has made this article possible. We truly cannot wait to hear the remix.

The Link

The moment the track drops the YouTube link will be embedded in the image below.

Courtesy-RC IG

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The remix of Radio Company's 'Quarter To'

Entertaintment, Music, TV

Red Clay Strays-Devil in my Ear was released a few weeks back and this is the first chance I’ve had to write about it.

I happen to be a big fan of Jensen Ackles’ musical talent. If I’m lucky enough to catch a performance of his, I take full advantage. If he is not singing with Steve Carlson (Ackles and Carlson comprise the band Radio Company), he can often be found sharing his vocal talents with friends and musicians at events he attends throughout Europe and the US. It was at one of these events that Ackles sang the cover of a song called “Wondering Why.”

I immediately fell in love with it. So much so, I had to find out more about it.

This of course, led me directly to the Red Clay Strays.

Even though the Red Clay Strays were formed in Alabama in 2016, they are currently amidst a breakout year, and I had to put pen-to-paper to not only congratulate them on their ever burgeoning (and by all accounts meteoric) popularity and success but also to highlight another song of theirs called “Devil In My Ear.”

My initial listen of this song, combined with the video produced to showcase it, garnered a pretty strong reaction. Had you been a fly on the wall, you would have witnessed this fan irrevocably moved. This track is that powerful.

This song was written by the Strays’ guitarist Drew Nix and it shines a light on mental health issues involving depression, anxiety and self-doubt. Nix has shared that this song resulted from his own struggles to understand why someone, even a person with talent, a loving family and good friends would grapple with the notion that their lives don’t matter. Not only are the lyrics a profound rendering of those raw emotions, but the music video, directed by Matthew Coleman, offers up moving imagery that epitomizes the insidious nature and devastating effects of what can happen when a person’s state of mind begins to spiral.

Not only does this song raise awareness on the prevalence of mental health issues, but it also offers a shimmer of hope. The video ends with a call to action for anyone who finds themselves, or anyone they know, in need of support. A lifeline is out there.

The Red Clay Strays are Brandon Coleman (lead vocals, guitar), Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass) and John Hall (drums).

I have only just discovered The Red Clay Strays, but you can be damn sure that this writers’ search through their musical offerings has only just begun. I’m smitten!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Red Clay Strays-Devil in my Ear was

Entertaintment, Film, MCU

Anthony Mackie returns as the high-flying hero Sam Wilson who has officially taken up the mantle of Captain America in Marvel‘s “Captain America: Brave New Wold“.

The fourth installment of the series also marks Mackies’s first solo MCU film. This is the moment that Marvel has been building upto ever since Steve Rodgers handed Sam his shield at the end of “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. The trailer for the film was released on July 12, 2024, almost two years after its announcement at Comic Con in 2022.

What You Need To Remember:

The legacy of Captain America began with Chris Evans portraying Steve Rogers in “Captain America: The First Avenger”. His story began in WWII when he underwent a transformation through the super soldier serum, gaining extraordinary abilities. We were first introduced to Sam Wilson played by Anthony Mackie in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, The Falcon as he was called remained a trusted sidekick of Cap and his best friend Bucky, The Winter Soldier and an Avenger throughout Marvel’s Phase 3 and 4. After a fulfilling journey, Steve Rogers retired in “Avengers: Endgame” by returning to the past to be with Peggy Carter. He then passed on his shield to Sam Wilson.

In Marvel’s series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”, Sam initially felt uncertain about assuming the role, is faced with a global turmoil after the absence of a Captain America, Bucky encourags Sam to reconsider. Together, they confronted the Flag Smashers, a group of super-powered terrorists who idealized the world during the Blip. The series, depicted Sam grappling with the legacy and eventually embracing the responsibility of becoming the new Captain America.

What is Brave New World About?

After struggling with whether or not he would take on the mantle of Captain America, in “Captain America: Brave New World” we see Sam given his first chance to show the world and himself that he truly is a worthy successor to Steve Rogers as he faces threats both seen and unseen in an intense and action packed film. After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Harrison Ford in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut who steps into the role following the passing of William Hurt in 2022. Ross as you may remember was responsible for arresting Sam and his fellow Avengers during the events of “Captain America: Civil War”. In the trailer we see Ross and Sam meet at a White House meeting where he mentions his eagerness to make make Captain America an official military personell.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

When Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident, when an assasination attempt is made on Ross’s life things get intense. It turns out his friend and retired super-soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) is named the prime suspect after having been activated (much like Bucky was as The Winter Soldier) by an unknown force. He must discover the real reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red. The trailer teases the showdown that fans are waiting for, the battle between Captain America and Red Hulk, the superhero alter ego of Ford’s character as written in the comics, who had long been speculated to make an appearance in the film. The trailer also offers us a glimpse at Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery villian, which will no doubt be a highlight, considering Esposito and villany goes together like Thanos and infinity stones. With the addition of The Leader, Sam is going to have plenty of villains on his hands.

The film also includes a few other exciting Easter eggs such as the first look and first aknowledgement of Tiamat, the corpse of the giant celestial that was stuck sticking out of the ocean at the end of Eternals in 2021, Marvel fans have been wondering why the literal giant in the room had not been addressed all this time, but it looks like we will finally be getting some answers. In one of the trailers most chilling ans intense moments we see Ross tell Sam “You may be Captain America, but you’re not Steve Rodgers.” To which Sam replies, “You’re right, I’m not.” A line that sets the tone for the film and Sam’s journey ahead.

Who Is In The Cast?

The film will bring back a few familiar faces, while also introducing exciting new villains. Anthony Mackie will of course star in the titular role of Sam Wilson aka Captain America, Harrison Ford stars as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who will also transform into Marvel’s Red Hulk. Danny Ramirez stars as Joaquin Torres aka Falcon, A first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force who will have a his sidekick-like role and will take on Wilson’s former mantle of Falcon. Shira Haas stars as Ruth Bat-Seraph, a former Black Widow and high-ranking U.S. government official who is a close ally of President Ross, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Thaddeus’s daughter, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader, Rosa Salazar as Rachel Leighton aka Diamondback and Giancarlo Esposito in an undisclosed villain role. Sadly it was announced earlier this year that Stan would not be reprising his role as Bucky Barnes in the film.

One of the biggest surprises in the cast is the return of Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader, who was last seen in the MCU in 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk”. Another connection to “The Incredible Hulk” is Liv Tyler who played Edward Norton’s love interest in the film.

When Will it Release?

Directed by Julius Onah and produced by Marvel Studios’ veterans Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, the dramatic and action packed film will premiere on February 14th 2025.

On April 23, 2021, it was reported that a fourth Captain America film was in development with Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson set to write the script. It was also reported that Mackie would reprise his role as Sam Wilson/Captain America in the film. This was later confirmed on July 23 in 2022, at San Diego Comic-Con when Kevin Feige announced that a fourth Captain America film titled Captain America: New World Order was in development. He also announced that the film would be released on May 3, 2024. After several delays due to the WGA and SAG strike last year, the film is finally set for an early Spring release.

Watch the trailer below:

It may be too soon to tell but it’s possible that this may be one of the most important solo films in the MCU, not only in the sense that it can promise a new direction for the MCU, and the Avengers but having a Black Captain America lead his own solo film is an achievent in its own. Chadwick Boseman would be proud. I know Steve Rogers definitely is.

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Anthony Mackie returns as the high-flying hero

Entertaintment, Film, MCU

It goes without saying, that the release of “Deadpool and Wolverine“, the upcoming third installment in the popular superhero series “Deadpool” which reunites stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, is not only one of the year’s biggest cinematic events, and possibly, a turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but will also be a major boom for the global cinematic industry.

The film has already set one specific pre-sale record as the most pre-sales ever for an R-rated movie. The film is expected to debut with a domestic opening weekend of $160 million to $165 million from July 26-28. This projected performance not only sets a record for the highest opening of the year so far but also marks the largest launch ever for an R-rated film. Moreover, it promises to provide a significant uplift to both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the superhero genre overall. The first Deadpool movie still holds the record for the biggest domestic opening ever for an R-rated title in history. Deadpool 2 and Deadpool hold the 2nd and 3rd spots respectively on the list of the Highest-Grossing R-Rated Films Worldwide. Could “Deadpool and Wolverine” change that?

As of the date of this article, international pre sale numbers have not been confirmed, However one country in particularly that has a HUGHge reason to celebrate the release of “Deadpool and Wolverine”, is Sri Lanka, a country in South Asia . Scope Cinemas in Sri Lanka is launching the country’s first ever IMAX cinema on July 26th 2024, and what will be the first film screened in IMAX in Sri Lanka? None other than “Deadpool and Wolverine”. Another first for the film.

Courtesy of Marvel

In speaking to the Head of Marketing and PR at Scope Cinemas, Chassy Cortes mentioned how they came to open IMAX for “Deadpool and Woleverine”, “We’ve kind of have known in our hearts that we should open for Deadpool & Wolverine. It’s a movie that we all need at this point in time. Opening the biggest movie of the year with the biggest screen in Sri Lanka made perfect sense.”

With the “Deadpool and Wolverine” press tour in full swing, the first reactions for the film are in, with stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds alongside director Shawn Levy debuting the first 35 minutes of the film to fans. The film has been described as violent, energetic and super funny. According to Reynolds, who also co-wrote and produced the film, “It’s about friendship, and friendship is another version of a love story.” On top of that this film marks the official integration of the X-Men into the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Watch the trailer below:

“Deadpool and Wolverine” has not even premiered yet and it is already creating history worldwide. Get ready to experience the turning point in the MCU, only in theatres, on July 26th.

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It goes without saying, that the release

Entertaintment, Film, Press Releases

“We Live in Time” is what you get when you cast two of Hollywoods most talented, in demand and attrcative actors in the same movie. The moment it was announced that Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh were starring in a film together, fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of “We Live in Time”, on Tuesday A24 released the first look at the film with a gorgeous poster featuring Academy Award nominees Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick, Boom) and Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer), which teased the trailer that premiered the next day.

On Wednesday the 10th of July, the first trailer for “We Live in Time” was  unveiled. The story follows Almut (Florence Pugh) and Tobias (Andrew Garfield) who are brought together in a surprise encounter (She runs over him with her car), that changes their lives. Through snapshots of their life together — falling for each other, building a home, becoming a family — a difficult truth is revealed that rocks its foundation. As they embark on a path challenged by the limits of time, they learn to cherish each moment of the unconventional route their love story has taken.

Throughout the trailer we are shown the deeply moving romance of Almut and Tobias, from the classic meet cute, to starting a family, to a blissfull life together, to a heartwrenching and life altering prognosis that the two must face together. I didnt think I’d cry so much at a trailer but, things change. The film hasn’t even premeired yet but I already love it.

“We Live in Time” was directed by two-time BAFTA-winning director John Crowley, who worked with Garfield on “Boy A” and who last directed “The Goldfinch,” the adaptation of the beloved Donna Tartt bestseller. Written by Nick Payne (The Last Letter from Your Lover), “We Live in Time” was developed by StudioCanal, which produced the film alongside SunnyMarch’s Leah Clarke and Adam Ackland, as well as Guy Heeley. Benedict Cumberbatch served as executive producer.

Courtesy of Getty Images

You can tell from these first few moments alone that the choice to cast Garfield and Pugh together in such an intense romantic drama was a brilliant idea. The two are no strangers to dramatic acting, that is for sure, but what really makes a good romance is the chemistry between the leads, and these two actors are oozing chemistry in every scene. This film will no doubt be an awards season pick, possibly taking Garfield and Pugh from Presenting at the 2023 Oscars to being nominated at the 2025 Oscars. From the looks of the trailer we are bound to see some strong performances from them.

The movie also stars Adam James, Marama Corlett, Aoife Hinds, Heather Craney and Kara Lynch. It was written by Nick Payne, who worked on “The Crown,” and was produced by Leah Clarke, Adam Ackland and Guy Heeley. The music was composed by Bryce Dessner, the National member and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator.

Watch the trailer below:

The movie will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival This fall, before arriving in theaters on October 11.

 

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"We Live in Time" is what you

Entertaintment, Television

Nicola Coughlan may hear what the haters have to say, but she’s not having any of it!

As a plus-sized woman myself, it meant a great deal to this author to see such a beautiful, full-figured actress lead a hit Netflix series. And so well at that. Coughlan’s approach to body shaming and trolling, along with her bold personality, makes her an inspiration for women everywhere, especially those who can relate a bit more to Penelope. The “Bridgerton” star, who plays Penelope Featherington and the mysterious Lady Whistledown, doesn’t hold back when it comes to shutting down trolls or even reporters. But much like her character on the show, she does it with utmost grace.

Cortesy of Netflix

“Bridgerton” Season 3 recently aired its final five episodes, showcasing more of Penelope in some steamy scenes. One reason for this was Coughlan’s own request for more nudity and sex scenes for her character. In an interview with Stylist she said she felt confident to be naked, describing it as “the biggest ‘fuck you’” to all the body-related criticism. “I specifically asked for certain lines and moments to be included. It just felt like the biggest ‘fuck you’ to all the conversation surrounding my body, it was amazingly empowering,” she stated. It is bold moves like this that inspired me to write this piece.

Following the season premiere, trolls once again took to the internet to discuss Coughlan’s body, this time spreading lies that her waist is Photoshopped in “Bridgerton”. This led to Coughlan giving us yet another great lesson on how to deal with haters who who wont stop body shaming you. In an interview with People, Coughlan responded saying “I saw some trolls. They were like, ‘They Photoshopped your waist,’ and I was like, ‘No, they did not,’” said Coughlan . “I think if you wear corsetry for long enough, your body really molds to it. Sometimes they come in a fitting for a fashion designer and they put a corset on me and I’m like, ‘Oh, you can go tight,’ and they go, ‘What do you mean?’ I’m like, ‘My body now will go whew.’” This was the latest in a series of body shaming incidents that Coughlan had to deal with during the Bridgerton season 3 press junket.

This incident marked the second time recently that Coughlan responded bravely and tactfully to comments about her body. During a Bridgerton Screening and Q&A in Dublin on the 6th of June, a reporter said Coughlan had to aknowledge she was “very brave” to do nude scenes in Bridgerton. Without hesitation, Coughlan quipped, “You know, it is hard because I think women with my body type — women with perfect breasts — we don’t get to see ourselves onscreen enough. And I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breast community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.” This response garnered a massive cheer from the audience, it showcases her ability to take the negative comments that people say about her and turn into something empowering.

Courtesy of Netflix

In an interview with “Britain’s Stylist Magazine” for their May issue, she discussed the constant negative outlook people have towards her body. “There is so much discourse online about how I look, and I don’t think I could ever express how hard that is,” she revealed. “It’s insulting because I worked hard on this show; a year of fittings and dance lessons and shooting, I barely saw my family, I gave it my absolute all. And then I start doing press and all people want to talk about is my body? It’s so f**king disappointing and reductive.” Must I right it in Lady Whistledown for you to understand? Dearest Gentle Reader…. It’s 2024 and people still beleive that being fat is wrong and being thin is the only thing that is right? This vicious cycle of people constantly commenting on a women’s body when it is none of their business is something needs to change in Hollywood, and for that to change, mindsets do too.
In taking to Instagram to address how people refuse to look beyond someone’s appearance, and continue to post hurtful comments, Coughlan shared a now deleted Instagram post that asked fans to refrain from commenting on her body, both negatively and positively. “Most people are being nice and not trying to be offensive. But I am just one real-life human being and it’s really hard to take the weight of thousands of opinions on how you look being sent directly to you every day.”
In 2021, Coughlan wrote in an instagram post that she had no desire to be a body positivity activist, “Everytime I’m asked about my body in an interview it makes me deeply uncomfortable and so sad I’m not just allowed to just talk about the job I do that I so love.” Another incident that occurred that year was when Coughlan was photographed at the Golden Globes wearing a stunning tulle gown with a black cardigan by Molly Goddard, she was praised for her style. However, one Twitter (now X) user referred to her as “the fat girl from Bridgerton” in a tweet, adding, “No matter how hot and stylish you are, if you’re a fat girl there will always be a black cardigan you think about wearing, then decide against, but ultimately wear (because) you feel like you have to.” Coughlan replied with her head held high, saying, “I thought the cardigan looked ace. Molly Goddard used them on her runway with the dresses. That’s where the idea came from. Also, I have a name.” Because Lady Whistledown does not have time for haters.
Coughlan delivers a brilliant and emotional performance in season 3, reaching depths of her character we didnt know were there. She truly shines as Penelope, and yet all people choose to see is her size. Which is such a shame really, because she is such a terrific actress. Putting aside the trolls online and small minded reporters, you can see how her turn this season has had a huge impact on audiences everywhere. From the bold way she takes on haters, her charming personality, the way she constantly strives to be, nothing more than herself, and as I mentioned, the importance of having her as a leading lady for plus sized women cannot be overstated.
Nicola Coughlan’s journey in Hollywood, from her remarkable performances in shows such as “Derry Girls”, “Harlots” and “Bridgerton” to her unapologetic attitude towards body shaming, has made her a beacon of inspiration. Her resilience in the face of relentless scrutinity and her ability to transform negativity into empowering moments are lessons for us all. Coughlan’s boldness in challenging industry norms and societal expectations, coupled with her undeniable talent, continues to inspire many. As “Bridgerton” Season 3 streams on Netflix, viewers are not only captivated by her character but also motivated by her real-life strength and authenticity. Nicola Coughlan truly is the body positivity icon we need right now.

Courtesy of Getty Images / Netflix X / Shutterstock

Bridgerton Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix, Starring Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton.

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Nicola Coughlan may hear what the haters

Entertaintment, Television, TV

Well hello there lads, it’s that bloody time again, The Boys season 4 is here! We spoke to the show’s creator Eric Kripke about his thought process behind season 4, and the first 3 episodes, read on to see what he had to say.

Once again with Vought, Homelander (Antony Starr), and head popper Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) breathing down their necks, The Boys must fight not just supes but politics, corruption, and at this point a completely unhinged Homelander. In the season, Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the control of Homelander. Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son Ryan as well as his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team is fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late. Again. This season introduces 3 new characters, Joe Kessler, a former colleague and friend of Butcher’s played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead, Supernatural), Valorie Curry (Blair Witch) as Firecracker and Susan Heyward (Orange is the New Black) as Sister Sage the new members of The Seven.

Season 4 takes a turn from the show’s more light hearted and fun attitude from the first 3 seasons, taking on a more serious tone. That’s not to say that we do not get to uhh enjoy? Some blood, gore, violence and simply traumatizing moments throughout the season that only Eric Kripke could pull off. In the first 3 episodes alone you feel a sense of deja vu, as once again Butcher and the gang are on a mission to neutralise Victoria and they’re working with the CIA. As with season 2, we see new members join the Seven (This time we would not feel bad if Homelander lazered their faces in), but if you think you have this season figured out, think again. If one thing is for sure, it’s that Eric Kripke has a way of surprising his audience when you least expect it.

Courtesy of Prime Video

Season 4 is upping the heartache, the emotion and the intensity. Wth both Butcher and Homelander facing their mortality, the stakes have never been higher. “The main protagonist and the main antagonist have very similar themes. In Homelander’s case mortality is a loud siren of humanity, and humanity disgusts him.” says Kripke.

This season will also dive deeper into each characters background, as last season saw a lot of character development from The Boys, and even from The Seven, this season will see a lot more internal struggle from each character. “I think every season we’re trying to dig a little deeper into who they are and to reveal new facets of them that we didn’t know before, and you start digging deep enough and you start hitting their core traumas.” Kripke explained “So we started talking about how we wanted a lot of them to really face the thing in their past that in many ways, defined them and who they were and could they let go of it?” Says Kripke. The first three episodes alone see Butcher, Hughie (Jack Quaid), Annie January (Erin Moriarty), Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) and Frenchie (Tomer Capone) struggling to fight their own personal battles while also trying to save the world. We see a massive shift in the character of A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) in episode 3 that will play a major part of this season.

After Butcher, lets face it, f***** up and lost Ryan, sending him straight into Homelander’s arms, the question on everyone’s mind is, will Ryan turn bad? When we asked Kripke what would happen to Ryan this season he replied “He definitely has the potential to be corrupted, and it’s difficult to avoid all of that money and power” He went on to say “Time will tell whether he really falls to the darkside or not.”

When we asked Kripke what he drew inspiration from for this particularly hardcore season, he explained his process of how he draws inspiration from real world events and then as he says “Supefys” it. “We talk about what’s going on in the world that terrifies us” Kripke went on to say “And that’s this bloody stew of January 6th and QAnon and Trump and Social Media Disinformation, on and on and on and then we saturate it.” Or as the writers like to say, Supefy.

Watch our full interview with Eric Kripke for Silence on Set here:

The Boys have one hell of a season in store for us, with an epic season finale. So make sure you stay tuned, The first 3 episodes of The Boys are now streaming on Prime Video and new episodes will be releasing every week until July 18th.

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Well hello there lads, it's that bloody

Breaking News, Entertaintment, Press Releases, TV

Prime Video announced it has ordered a new thriller series, “Countdown” from Derek Haas with Jensen Ackles (The Boys, Supernatural) set to helm the series.

The 13-episode series was developed for Ackles, who is also under a first-look television deal with Amazon MGM Studios. This will be his first lead television role since “Supernatural”. This is the first series from Derek Haas under his new exclusive overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. Countdown will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Countdown follows a suspicious murder in broad daylight, which leads to LAPD officer Mark Meachum (Jensen Ackles) being recruited to join a secret task force of undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement to investigate. But as the truth of a more sinister plot comes into focus, the team must overcome their conflicting personal agendas to unite and save a city of millions.

“We are incredibly excited to be back in business with Derek Haas. He has an undeniable ability to enthrall audiences with thrilling storytelling and heart. We cannot wait for Prime Video’s global customers to experience this dynamic series, led by our very talented star, Jensen Ackles,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios.

Actor, director, and producer Jensen Ackles has lent his charisma and talent to some of the most beloved series of recent years, including six-time People’s Choice Award-winning show “Supernatural”, “Dawson’s Creek”, “Smallville,” “Dark Angel” and most recently Prime Video’s Emmy-winning series “The Boys”. Some of his other films include Additional credits include “Big Sky”, “My Bloody Valentine”, “Devour”, and “Ten Inch Hero”.

Courtesy of Prime Video

This year he guest starred alongside Justin Hartley on the brand new show “Tracker”, he also voices “Batman”/”Bruce Wayne” in DC’s animated three-part movie event “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth”, reprising the role from 2001’s “Batman: The Long Halloween”.

“I had an incredible experience working with the Prime Video team on The Boys and am delighted to be able to continue that relationship on Countdown,” said Jensen Ackles. “I simply cannot wait to partner with Derek and the rest of our Countdown family to bring this story to life.” Ackles has an incredible versatility when it comes to acting and a natural charisma that captures the audiences hearts. Which will makes him a great leading man to take on this role. After having acted in such intense, dramatic and comedic roles, such as Soldier Boy, Eric Brady and of course Dean Winchester, playing an LAPD officer who joins a secret task force should be a very interesting next chapter for Jensen’s career.

Haas created the series and serves as executive producer and showrunner. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Haas is a renowned writer and producer who co-created and executive produced five hit television shows in the last decade: “Chicago Fire”, “Chicago PD”, “Chicago Med”, “FBI”, and “FBI: International.” Safe to say this man knows what he’s doing when it comes to crime thrillers.

He has also written and produced many hit feature films and published a best-selling book series. The features “3:10 to Yuma”, “Wanted”, “2 Fast 2 Furious”, and “Catch That Kid” were all co-written by Haas when he was part of a writing team with Michael Brandt. These popular films grossed over a half-billion dollars worldwide at the box office.

“I am thrilled to be working again with Jen Salke and Vernon Sanders and all the excellent people they’ve assembled at Prime Video,” said Derek Haas. “I love making shows that keep you on the edge of your seat with nonstop action, drama, surprises, and suspense, and I can’t wait to work with Jensen and for everyone to see Countdown.”

With this talented duo working together, we are in for something special, something that based off of how long Haas’s previous shows have gone, could go the the distance. Crime, drama, thrilling adventures. A signature trait for Haas and Ackles. The countdown has officially begun.

 

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Prime Video announced it has ordered a

Entertaintment, Film, Movies

In an era where streaming services offer a buffet of entertainment options from the comfort of one’s home, and the cost of a movie outing continues to climb, the enchantment of cinema is facing unprecedented challenges. However, the struggles facing the movie industry are not just about audience preferences and streaming competition; they’re also influenced by the recent shift in the industry after the unprecedented SAG and WGA strikes regarding residuals for streaming and other matters in 2023. Regardless, streaming services remain more popular than ever and films nationwide continue to take major hits. Films like “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” are feeling the effects of the seismic shifts in Hollywood.

Regardless of budget or promotion films seem to be flailing. Take “The Fall Guy” starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt as a prime example, a film which seemed poised for success with its two a list leads and a blend of romance, action, and mystery. Yet, despite its star power and high projected value of $500 million, the film only ended up making $20 million in its opening weekend. The news that “The Fall Guy” will only be available digitally two weeks after its theatrical debut was the cherry on top of the film’s disappointing box office performance. Despite an incredible marketing campaign that had fans eagerly awaiting its release and all eyes on its cast, a series of entertaining interviews and premieres, the film which was expected to be a blockbuster did not have its desired effect at the cinema. This was in no way due to the humorous and high-stakes story itself.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Shortening the gap between cinema releases and streaming might seem like a quick win for studios, but it could spell trouble in the long run. While the temptation to shorten the window between theatrical release and streaming availability may seem financially enticing in the short term, it poses significant long-term risks to the theatrical ecosystem and the overall cinematic experience. So, while it might seem like a good idea to get movies into people’s homes as quickly as possible, studios should think twice before shortening the gap between cinema releases and streaming. It’s about more than just making a quick buck—it’s about preserving the magic of moviegoing for everyone.

Similarly, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, a highly anticipated prequel to the critically acclaimed “Mad Max: Fury Road”, stumbled at the box office despite its pedigree and captivating narrative. While the film received positive reviews from critics, it failed to resonate with general audiences. Despite its $168 Million budget, “Furiosa” is doing poorly at the Box Office with just a $25 million opening. “Furiosa’s” poor box office performance is linked to the wider issues Hollywood is currently dealing with. With the exception of 2020, when COVID completely closed theatres, “Furiosa” and “The Garfield Movie” have seen the worst Memorial Day weekend in almost 3 decades. This disconnect highlights a broader trend where films, even those with strong brand recognition and built-in fan bases, struggle to capture the attention of general moviegoers amidst a sea of entertainment options. “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, are not just isolated incidents but symptomatic of deeper shifts in audience behaviour and industry dynamics.

One key factor behind these films’ underperforming at the box office. Audiences are opting to reserve their theatre visits for cinematic spectacles that demand the grandeur of the big screen. The allure of witnessing larger-than-life visuals and immersive experiences, such as hits like “Barbie”, “Oppenheimer” “Dune” and of course superhero films. Theatres do give fans the chance to enjoy the experience of Indie films as well, and when you look at the theatrical release of “Challengers” and how the film was released on demand in one month despite its popularity and success at the box office, you can see how although these films continue to drive ticket sales, films lacking a certain cinematic grandeur struggle to attract audiences away from their living rooms and laptops. In some cases, this in no way reflects the quality of the film itself, but simply the changing preferences of moviegoers. For some people, a movie ticket has become a luxury, as ticket prices continue to rise and audiences choose less expensive home video and streaming options over movie theatres.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

However, amidst these challenges, there are still those who choose the cinematic experience every time. For the audiences that choose streaming, therein lies an opportunity for innovation and adaptation. Filmmakers are already delivering captivating, emotional, and intense stories that build new worlds and draw audiences in. Such as the recently released film “IF” from Director and Actor John Krasinski. It is now up to studios to reevaluate their strategies, placing greater emphasis on curating diverse and compelling cinematic experiences that justify the trip to the theatre. Embracing technological advancements, such as immersive formats like IMAX and 4DX to enhance the allure of cinema and differentiate it from the home viewing experience.

Fans have the power to foster a culture of anticipation and word-of-mouth buzz which can reignite excitement around any theatrical releases. By prioritizing fans and their important role in helping market the film, studios are fostering connections with your audience through storytelling and bold artistic visions. Studios must remind audiences of its enduring power to captivate and inspire by ensuring that the magic of cinema continues to thrive in the years to come.

In an Era where you can simply watch whatever you like at home for free, what is it that should make audiences want to go to the cinema? The one of a kind immersive experience of enjoying a film with family and friends that your laptop, TV or mobile device simply cannot provide. By shaking things up and giving audiences a reason to get off their couches, studios can keep the magic of cinema alive for generations to come.

 

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In an era where streaming services offer

Entertaintment, Film, MCU

“Deadpool & Wolverine” is the gift that just keeps on giving. With tickets for Marvel’s new movie now on sale, the hype for the long-awaited team-up between Deadpool and Wolverine is oh so close, and yet two months away from premiering. However, Marvel along with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are making sure that there is no shortage of content to keep fans entertained until the film’s release.

Starting with an epic Civil War-esque poster which was shared when tickets for the film came out.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

The official synopsis for “Deadpool & Wolverine” reads… oh this should be fun. Marvel Studios presents their most significant mistake to date-“Deadpool & Wolverine.” A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him. When his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctantlier… reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to-Fuck. Synopses are so fucking stupid.

Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) along with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film also stars Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox, and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova, with the return of Deadpool alums Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapičić as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Rob Delaney as Peter, and Lewis Tan as Shatterstar. Aaron Stanford is returning as Pyro from the X-Men film series, with Jennifer Garner rumored to return as Elektra Natchios.

With fan anticipation through the roof, The ever comedic duo that is Reynolds and Jackman are leaning into their roles and the film’s hype heavily, taking their movie’s marketing to the next level.  First we were treated to a skit of the two sharing tickets to “Deadpool & Wolverine”, and what ensues, (well in their heads at least) is nothing short of hilarious.

If that isn’t enough to drive you to buy a ticket, just wait until you see what Reynolds pulled off next. When the latest “Deadpool & Wolverine” teaser trailer was shared, fans noticed a hidden QR code that, when scanned, lead to a video of Reynolds reading a “disclaimer” for the film which completely dismantles the MCU. In the video, Reynolds promises us one hell of a good time “We’re mostly going to beat each other senseless, make enemies with Disney, tell a few dick jokes, make a few jokes at my expense, make a lot of jokes at Hugh’s expense” he then jokingly referenced “Marvel’s mandated after-credits sequence” which he called “just a commercial for another movie which will invariably end with a commercial for another movie.”

The fun didn’t end there. Can any power in the universe end the feud between Deadpool and Wolverine? Apparently a Heineken Silver can. The new world-class light beer, Heineken Silver once again stepped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to celebrate the release of “Deadpool & Wolverine” which is bound to be the theatrical release of the summer, quite possibly the year.

It’s been an epic few weeks for Marvel fans, and a busy week for Deadpool and Wolverine. The excitement is building, the suits are tightening and as Ryan Reynolds put it, “sit back, relax, let us lower your IQ and raise your heart rate while we travel to a vapid Dreamland, a place where grown men and grown women walk around in tights, and act like it’s not a giant cultural cry for help. This is cinema.”

Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.

Chimichangas & Adamantium will release exclusively in cinemas on July 26th. So you better be there bub!

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"Deadpool & Wolverine" is the gift that

Entertaintment

“The Fall Guy” is soon to be one of your new favorite films.

The action, comedy directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce is loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers. “The Fall Guy” is a cinematic delight that stands out as one of the most entertaining films of the year so far. With a thoroughly captivating storyline that never had a dull moment. Full of clever humor, lovable characters, excellent stunts, action and fight sequences. The way the film seamlessly blends action, comedy, romance and a touch of mystery whist also leaving enough room for each aspect of the film created an exhilarating experience for viewers. What truly sets it apart is its sincere homage to cinema itself. While poking fun at certain filmmaking tropes, it avoids falling into clichés, making it a refreshing and enjoyable watch.

The film follows stuntman Colt Seavars. More than a year after being severely injured after a stunt gone wrong, Colt must get back into action when he is asked to return back to the set of his ex girlfriend’s new movie. Colt soon finds himself in the middle of a sinister plot that pushes him to the edge of a fall more dangerous than any stunt. This working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The film stars Ryan Gosling as Colt Seavers, Emily Blunt as Jody Moreno, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tom Ryder, Hannah Waddingham as Gail Meyer, Winston Duke as Dan Tucker, Teresa Palmer and Stephanie Hsu. We see some incredible performances from  Waddingham and Duke in their supporting roles. We are also treated to some badass fight sequences from Duke. Who it looks like still has some of that Wakanda training.

Gosling and Blunt, the driving forces behind this film, completely disappear into their roles, delivering powerhouse performances that shine both comedically and emotionally. Not only do they excel in their acting, but they also kick serious butt with their action sequences. Gosling, along with his talented stunt doubles, showcases an impressive display of action and many impressive stunts that deserves recognition, perhaps even an Oscar for Best Stunts. Which is another thing the film cleverly pokes fun at. The lack of a Best Stunts category at the Oscars, highlighting yet another layer of its witty commentary on the filmmaking industry.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The movie’s kicking soundtrack, similar to its cast is full of recognizable names such as Taylor Swift, AC/DC and Christina Aguilera, full of songs that completly elevate each scene. We are even treated to an emotional Jody (Emily Blunt) singing her heart out to “Take a Look at Me Now” (Against All Odds) originally performed by Phil Collins.

The plot twists in “The Fall Guy” truly keep viewers on the edge of their seats, defying expectations at every turn. The meticulous execution of the storyline showcases exceptional writing, from the way a fire is extinguished to the intensity of a car crash. “The Fall Guy” excels in capturing the essence of storytelling through its attention to even the smallest details. Not to mention, the inclusion of an adorable four-legged companion adds an extra layer of charm to the film.

The Fall Guy” serves as a poignant reminder of the immense effort and dedication behind the scenes of the films we love. It sheds light on the often-overlooked contributions of stunt performers, whose daring feats can elevate a scene to new heights. By showcasing the challenging work of these professionals, hopefully this film will bring a newfound appreciation for the craft and skill required to bring cinematic visions to life.

In essence, “The Fall Guy” is a true love letter to the magic of the movies, but most importantly a love letter to the unsung heroes of film and Hollywood, the stuntman and women. This film deserves one hell of a thumbs up.

Watch the trailer for “The Fall Guy” here

The film is in cinemas May 3rd.

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"The Fall Guy" is soon to be

Entertaintment, Music, Music

Taylor Swift’s music has been called many things over the years, but her way of storytelling, and connecting with her audience has a much more profound impact than people realize. “Swifties”, Swift’s devoted fans, share an extraordinary emotional bond with her, cultivated through years of connecting deeply with her music. Their unwavering loyalty and passionate devotion reflect the profound impact her artistry has had on their lives.

Swift’s latest album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ released on April 19, 2024, contains 31 songs across its two volumes. It did not fail to live up to expectations, in fact, it exceeded them. With emotional and vulnerable songs and lyrics, her album reaches her audiences in a way that goes far beyond simply listening and fangirling over music. Songs like “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” exemplify the emotionally charged storytelling that resonates deeply with Swifties, further strengthening their connection to her music.

Sharing emotional ties, according to psychologists, might make people feel less alone. Swifties throughout the world are united in their love for Swift, heartbreak and all, thanks to her brand-new album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. Although a lot of Taylor’s new tracks are heavily emotional and some might say sad, research indicates that shedding tears can generate feel-good endorphins and improve mental health while suppressing your emotions can make it harder to feel good. Trauma specialist Arianna Galligher stated, “I think music can be a real conduit for processing our own emotions.”

Taylor’s new album is full of beautiful emotional and heartbreaking songs that draw from her own experiences and shine a light on a variety of different topics in her own life and life in general which is one of the reasons fans are so drawn to the music. These five songs in particular cover different areas of mental health such as loss, depression, anger and grief.

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart

Despite its fun upbeat track, this emotional pop song perfectly describes what it is like to struggle with depression as well as heartbreak all at once, a sentiment Taylor Swift masterfully encapsulates. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” alludes to Swift having to perform during the Eras Tour while struggling with her mental health. The lyrics “I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday every day,” and “I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art” are words to live by for anyone wo puts on a smile whist having to fight internal battles everyday. Through this song and her lyric video that shows us her Eras Tour, Swift seems to be commenting on her ability to turn her heartbreaks and struggles into inspiration. In a similar way the song carries a message of resilience and empowerment. Reminding viewers to find the strength to push through and succeed and of their capacity to persevere through adversity. As her lyrics go “You know you’re good when you can do it even with a broken heart.”

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

This song is Swift’s portrayal of what society does to artists. It’s about standing your ground in a world that tries to knock you down.  Having been in the public eye since she was a teenager, Swift has been judged, critiqued, hated on and scrutinized by the press and by society. That has a significant impact on how you view the world and how you see yourself. The notion that everyone has this sense of ownership over you—that is what this song makes the audience feel, that despite those who evaluate, criticize, and provide their opinions— you can choose to rise above them. Her lyrics “You don’t get to tell me about sad / If you wanted me dead, you should’ve just said / Nothing makes me feel more alive / So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street / Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream /”Who’s afraid of little old me?” / You should be/” are though-provoking to say the least. This is song is a great self confidence booster.

So Long London

It’s a well known fact among Swifties that the fifth track on her albums are the most emotionally vulnerable songs, and this has been confirmed by Swift herself. “So Long, London” is about processing grief and moving on, it is an emotional song that bids a somber farewell to both London and her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Its heartbreaking lyrics, such as ‘Just how low did you think I’d go? / Before I’d self-implode / Before I’d have to go be free’ and ‘You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof,’ resonate deeply with Swifties, showcasing Swift’s unparalleled ability to capture raw emotion through her music.”

I Hate it Here

 

The song “I Hate It Here” has a theme of escape to it. We have seen this with Swift in her previous album Folklore where she mentioned she likes to escape to poetic, old-world places in her mind to escape an unhappy reality. The lyrics “I hate it here so I will go to / Secret gardens in my mind / People need a key to get to / The only one is mine,” resonate with the desire to retreat from the world and the lyrics “I’m lonely but I’m good / I’m bitter but I swear I’m fine /, evokes a very similar feeling that those grappling with depression would know. When wanting to isolate themselves from the world and wanting to escape reality, what are Swift’s songs if not an escape? Of course, this is not the only interpretation of this song, simply one example of Swift’s artistry when it comes to storytelling.

 

Fortnight

This song represents the inner anguish that lies beneath an apparently flawless relationship. Shedding light on the challenges frequently overlooked. It serves as a therapeutic anthem for those who have felt their struggles dismissed. The song’s lyrics, which describe two married neighbors who conduct an affair over the period of a fortnight, are mostly fictional. The recurring line, “I love you, it’s ruining my life,” tells a tale of the initial stages of longing, denial, and grief as well as the psychological and emotional harm that a romantic relationship may inflict. As Swift said about the song “It’s about a traumatic, artistic tragic kind of take on love and loss” offering listeners a profound exploration of the complexities of human connection.”

Next time you’re feeling numb, down, or just like you need an escape, don’t shake it off, turn up the volume on Taylor Swift and let the healing begin, her music can be pretty therapeutic when you need it to be.

Listen to Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ here

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Taylor Swift's music has been called many

Entertaintment, Film, Movies

In 2019 it was first announced that writer and Director John Krasinski was planning to bring his friendship with Ryan Reynolds to the big screen. After a long development period, Krasinski’s fantasy film, combining elements of both live action and animation, “IF” is almost here. The only thing more unbeleivable than the amazing Imaginary Friends in the film, is this cast.

“IF” follows the story of a young girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming), who has been going through a troubling experience in her life. Unexpectedly, she acquires the ability to see people’s imaginary friends (referred to as “IFs” for short), who have been abandoned by the kids they helped. Bea then discovers that her neighbor, Cal (Reynolds), has the same ability. The two set out to reunite the IFs with their former kids before they are forgotten. We are introduced to a host of wonderfully unique characters that reflect the incredible power of a child’s imagination.

If his world of colorful Imaginary Friends (IFs) and fantastical creatures isn’t reason enough to want to watch this brand-new adventure that Krasinski has cooked up for us with his leading man Reynolds and young actress Fleming, this ensemble of actors is definitely going to pique your interest.

Krasinski has teamed up with some of the finest talent in Hollywood, while also reuniting with his long-time friend and “The Office” co star Steve Carell. He’s also partnered with his friend Blake Lively and as he mentions he of made his wife Emily Blunt audition, (many times) to bring his Imaginary Friends (IFs) to life.

Let’s take a look at the voices bringing the “IF” movie to life!

Steve Carell as Blue

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Carell and comedy go hand in hand. From his starring role alongside Krasinski in “The Office” to his comedic films such as “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, “Evan Almighty” and “Crazy Stupid Love”. Having voiced Gru in the Despicable Me franchise, Carell also has a talent for voice acting, if theres one thing Carell exels at, its comedic timing. This marks the first time that Krasinski will be directing Carell. He will play a fluffy purple IF named blue who as he mentions had a kid named Jeremy who was colour blind.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Blossom

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Blossom is an excitable humanoid butterfly, so who better to play her than Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The actress and screenwriter rose to fame with her role on “Fleabag”, she also recently starred in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” After a few voice acting roles in BBC Radio plays and a role in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “IF” will be Bridge’s big feature film voice acting debut.

Louis Gossett Jr. as Lewis

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The late Oscar winning actor, Louis Gosett Jr. Was best know for his roles in “An Officer and a Gentleman”, “Iron Eagle”, “Roots” and “Good Times.” The “IF” movie marks the first time Louis will posthumously appear in a voice acting role in a feature film. He also provided his voice in the game “Half-Life 2”.

Emily Blunt as Unicorn

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Emily Blunt is known for her versatility as an actress and her captivating performances in both dramatic, comedic and action packed roles, from ‘The Devil Wears Prada” to “Oppenheimer”. Blunt is also known for her role as Juliet in the animation “Gnomeo and Juliet”. Getting to work side by side with her husband once again is an added bonus, for sure.

Matt Damon as Sunny

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The iconic actor is best known for his roles films like the “Jason Bourne” series, “Good Will Hunting” and “The Martian”. He’s also lent his voice to animations such as “Happy Feet Two”, “Titan A.E.” and his best known voice work, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”.

Maya Rudolph as Ally

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The SNL alum never fails to bring the funny. Maya Rudolph has starred in a number of comedies including “Bridesmaids” and the “Grown Ups” films. As a voice actress she played Matilda in “The Angry Birds” movies and voiced Smiler in the “The Emoji Movie”. She also had various roles in the Netflix animated series “Big Mouth”.

Jon Stewart as Robot

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The award winning renowned comedian, writer, and former host of “The Daily Show” bring his wit and charm to the movie “IF” which will be his first feature voice acting role in a major movie.

Sam Rockwell as Guardian Dog

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The dynamic Oscar winning actor Sam Rockwell is known for his captivating performances in films like “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, “Iron Man 2” and “Vice”. He lent his voice to the character Wolf in the film “The Bad Guys.”

Sebastian Maniscalco as Magician Mouse

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

This hilarious comedian and actor is best known for his stand-up comedy, he is best known for his film “About My Father”, his TV show “Bookie” and he recently voiced Spike in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

Christopher Meloni as Cosmo

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Best known for his role as Elliot Stabler in “Law & Order” and Chris Keller on “Oz”, Meloni has lent his distinctive voice to various animated projects, including voicing characters in “Harley Quinn.”

Richard Jenkins as Art Teacher

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Esteemed actor Richard Jenkins is mostly recognized for his work onscreen in films like “The Visitor”, “The Shape of Water” and in the TV show “Dahmer”. This will be his first major voice acting role in a feature film of this size.

Awkwafina as Bubble

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Awkwafina is no stranger to voice acting, over the years she has done voice work in major films, she played Sisu in “Raya and the Last Dragon”, Scuttle in “The Little Mermaid” and most recently Zhen in “Kung Fu Panda 4”. You can’t make an animation without Awkwafina’s signature voice bringing the comedy and stealing a scene. As for her her live action work, she is best known for her roles in “Awkwafina is Nora From Queens”, “Oceans Eight” and “Crazy Rich Asians”.

Blake Lively as Octopuss

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The talented “Gossip Girl” alum is primarily known for her roles on-screen in films such as ‘The Age of Adaline”, “The Shallows” and “A Simple Favour”. The talented actress has mastered drama, comedy and action, this will be her first time diving into the world of voice acting.

George Clooney as Spaceman, an astronaut

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Actor, director, and producer, George Clooney is known for his charismatic on-screen presence and versatile performances in a wide range of film genres. Although he is mainly known for his onscreen performances in films such as the “Oceans Eleven” movies, he starred alongside Krasinski in “Leatherheads” and in iconic films such as “Thin Red Line” and “Catch 22”.  Clooney’s voice performance as Mr. Fox in “Fantastic Mr. Fox” showcased his ability to bring depth and charm to animated characters.

Matthew Rhys as Ghost

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Emmy winning Welsh actor Matthew Rhys is primarily known for his roles in “The Americans” and “Perry Mason”. He has done voice work in the series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” and “The Owl House”. Rhys’s voice work showcases his ability to embody complex and nuanced characters even in animated form.

Bradley Cooper as Ice

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Did someone say thirst trap? The widely recongnized actor and filmmaker’s most notable live action film roles have been “A Star is Born”, “American Sniper”, “Maestro” and “The Hangover” movies. He has earned 12 Oscar nominations over the years. However his most acclaimed and his only voice acting role is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Rocket Racoon from the Guardians of the Galaxy. His ability to portray the characters wit, charm, and vulnerability solely through his vocal performance showcased his talent across different mediums.

Amy Schumer as Gummy Bear

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Comedian, actress, and writer Amy Schumer is best known for her stand up comedy shows, her show “Inside Amy Schumer” and the film “Trainwreck”. She recently voiced one of the main antagonists Velvet in “Trolls Band Together” (2023).

Keegan-Michael Key as Slime

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

You know it is going to be funny when Keegan-Michael Key steps into the recording booth. When it comes to Key, there is no shortage of voice acting credits to list out, he infuses animated characters with personality and charm. He recently played Delroy in “Migration”, Toad in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, he voiced Murray in “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania”, and he will be voicing Bumblebee in “Transformers One” this year. When it comes to his live action performances, his most notable roles are the show “Key and Peele” and the recent film “Wonka”. Key has made significant contributions to the world of voice acting.

John Krasinski as Marshmallow Man

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

The beloved actor and acclaimed director will be pulling triple duty as both director, writer and IF. The “Jack Ryan” star will be voicing Marshmallow Man as well as playing Bea’s Dad in live action. Krasinski who is best known for his patented blend of comedy and action has voiced Superman in “DC League of Super-Pets” and he was also in “Animal Crackers” and “Next Gen”. When it comes to live action he is best known for his roles in films such as “License to Wed”, “Something Borrowed” and “13 Hours”.

Over the years Krasinski has proven what a talented  actor, director and writer he is, having directed and written “The Quiet Place” films in 2018 and 2020 and directed the film “The Hollars” in 2016. Krasinski has the ability to break the box completely when it comes to his way of storytelling. Krasinski initially created “IF” for his kids, who he believes are not yet allowed to see his post-apocalyptic horror Quiet Place. According to Krasinski, “IF” is not just for kids, but for all those grown-ups who are still kids at heart. He went on to say

“For me, it was just about what if we could tell a story about these time capsules? Imaginary friends are adorable and all those things, but they’re also time capsules of your hopes, dreams, and ambitions when you were the most fertile of a brain, and it never goes away. I think we’re told that we’re adults instead of what if you realize that you never stopped being a kid.” – John Krasinski

Watch the trailer here:

“IF” premieres May 17th. Head to the cinema, and step back into the magic of your childhood.

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In 2019 it was first announced that

Entertaintment, Film, Movies, Press Releases

The nostalgia. The emotion. The heart. The pure cinema. You can feel all that and more from the heartwarming “Mufasa: The Lion King” teaser trailer that Disney just released.

On Monday April 29, Disney released the first look at the Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) directed music filled film that follows the origin story of the iconic King Mufasa. The film will also be a follow-up to Jon Favreau’s 2019 live action remake “The Lion King” which was was based on the 1994 Disney animated classic of the same name.

Many members of the 2019 voice cast are returning to their roles, including John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will play Kiara, the daughter of King Samba and Queen Nala.

The new film, will tell a completely original backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa. The story will be told by Rafiki who will relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, who as the trailer goes on to say was born without a drop of nobility in his blood, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

If this teaser alone is any indication of what we can expect, then we are no doubt in for a thrilling, action packed, stunning and emotional cinematic experience. This film is bound to break our hearts yes, but that’s the beauty of it isn’t it?

Courtesy of Disney

Aaron Pierre voices the title character, while Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices his evil brother, Scar. Other new cast members include Tiffany Boone as Sarabi; Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki; Preston Nyman as Zazu; Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride; Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe; Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi; Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia; and Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego.

It was also revealed that award winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is penning the film’s songs, and Jenkins promises we are in for a lineup of new songs produced by Mark Mancina.

Watch the trailer here:

Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, “Mufasa: The Lion King” is directed by Barry Jenkins, produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen and will premiere December 20 2024.

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The nostalgia. The emotion. The heart. The

Entertaintment, Movies

Bill Hader many talents but what most people don’t know, is the amount of voice work he has done over the years. Since he will be heading back into the world of animation now that he has been cast in the new Cat in the Hat animation from Warner Bro. Pictures, lets do a recap of Hader’s work as a voice actor.

Hader will star as The Cat alongside Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson, Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang, Marvel star Xochitl Gomez, What We Do in the Shadows’ Matt Berry and Girls5eva actress Paula Pell.

During his time on Saturday Night Live, Hader made a name for himself as a comedian and impressionist, particularly for playing his beloved character Stefon, before leaving SNL, he appeared in multiple films such as “Tropic Thunder” (2007), “Superbad” (2008) and “The To Do List” (2013). After he left the show Hader’s film career really took off when he started Starring in movies like “The Skeleton Twins” (2014), “Trainwreck” (2015) and “IT Chapter 2” (2019) which really bosted Hader’s profile. In 2015 he co created his parody series Documentary Now! with Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas. (2015). When “Barry” (2018), the show that Hader Co created with Alec Berg premiered, things started to rapidly change for him after the show became a hit.

During his time as an actor both before and after SNL, Hader voice many different characters from multiple films and on TV, even contributing to Disney and Pixar and the Star Wars franchise. Hader has been one of the most sought after voices in animation.

Here are some characters that you probably didn’t know Bill Hader voiced:

Flint Lockwood from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 1 and 2 (2009 and 2013)

Bill Hader

Courtesy of Sony Pictures

The Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies follows quirky scientist Flint Lockwood, who is frequently written off as a failure until he creates a device that allows food to fall from the sky. till the situation starts to get worse. Things are in a world of their own in the second movie. This was the first animation that Hader lead. he starred alongside Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, James Caan and Andy Samberg.

Fear from Inside Out 1 (2015)

When Hader voiced he said the role fit him perfectly because sometimes he gets scared easily. He is one of the five emotions inside the mind of Riley Andersen alongside Anger, Disgust, Sadness and Joy. This was Hader’s first major Disney/Pixar film, he starred alongside Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black and Mindy Kaling.

Guy Gagné from Turbo (2013)

Pronounced GEE gahn-yei, Guy Gagné is the primary antagonist in DreamWorks’ 27th full-length animated feature picture “Turbo” about a snail with extrordinary powers who decides to compete in the world’s fastest race, the Indianapolis 500. Hader worked with a group of immensly talented actors and SNL alumns for this movie, he starred alongside Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Peña, Samuel L. Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Luis Guzmán, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph and Ken Jeong.

King Leonard from Angry Birds 1 and 2 (2016 and 2019)

Even though his face wasn’t even showing, that didn’t stop Hader from making hilarious facial expressions while completing his voice work for Angry Birds, as you can see in the clip above. Hader plays Leonard, also known as King Mudbeard, the king of the pigs. Hader stars alongside SNL alumns Jason Sudeikis and Maya Rudolph as well as Josh Gad and Danny McBride.

Bloodbottler from The BFG (2016)

Bill Hader

Courtesy of Disney

Bill Hader got to have one of his dreams come true in this film, and that is working with Steven Spielberg. He had a supporting role as Bloodbottler, who is second-in-command to the giants’ leader, Fleshlumpeater. He, along with the other eight man-eating giants, live in Giant Country. As his name implies, he has a fondness for the taste of human blood. He may be bloodthirsty but he is also the smartest of the tribe. Apart from voice acting in this film, Hader also worked with motion capture.

Firewater / Tequila / El Guaco from Sausage Party (2016)

Bill Hader

The cast of Seth Rogen’s raunchy 2016 comedy “Sausage Party” included a star studded line up of actors in starring roles and making cameos . Hader voiced three characters Firewater, José Tequila, and El Guaco. The main character he plays being Firewater. Hader starred alongside Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek

Alpha 5 from The Power Rangers (2017)

In 2017 Hader joined a long line of actors who have played the lovable robotic assistance to the power rangers, Alpha 5 when he voiced the CGI version of the character in the 2017 remake “The Power Rangers”. Alpha 5 is one of the main characters in the 2017 movie. The film follows a group of five youths who have been endowed with superhuman talents must use their newfound abilities to fight an extraterrestrial invasion of Earth as the Power Rangers.

J.P. Spamley from Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Although Bill Hader was in Ralph Breaks the Internet as the voice of J.P. Spamley, he was not officially credited, he played an internet resident who appears in the form of a pop up advertiser and then proceeds to assist Ralph and Vanellope. Despite having only a few scenes, Hader makes them a few memorable ones.

Cyrus Strange from The Addams Family 2 (2021)

Bill Hader

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

In this film, Hader plays a mad scientist in the Addams family’s universe. In an effort to aid him with his wicked experiments to produce an army of animal-human super soldiers that he can sell them to other countries, Strange attempts to persuade Wednesday Addams that he is her biological father. Somehow Hader is just too good at being evil.

BB-8 from the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Courtesy of Lucasfilm

Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz both supplied the voice of BB-8, both were credited as “BB-8 vocal consultants” in the film. The effect was created by J.J. Abrams manipulating Hader and Schwartz’s voices through a talkbox attached to an iPad running a sound effects app.

Some other note worthy voice contributions are;  the Slug Monster Student in the 2013 Disney/Pixar film “Monsters University” who ends the film, as the fish “Stan” in Finding Dory, and Hansel in the 2011 film “Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil”. He has also appeared in numerous episodes of “South Park” on which he was also a producer, “Bob’s Burgers”, “The Simpsons”, “The Awesomes” and most recently, Marvel’s “MODOK.”

Now with a Cat in The Hat animation on the way, we are definitely in for a treat. After all, considering how well the 2018 animation “The Grinch” turned out, with Hader leading the cast, we are in for another great Dr Seuss movie. Besides, he’s done it once before, he can do it again.

Bill Hader

Courtesy of NBC

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Bill Hader many talents but what most

Award Season, Entertaintment

Hollywood’s acceptance speeches are know for being emotional, funny, awkward and in the rare case, inspiring. The celebs at the 2024 Oscars brough their A Game when it comes to their speeches, as they delivered some amazing, powerful and tearjerking speeches at this years Academy Awards.

Winning an Oscar can be the greatest moment of someone’s life, with so many people to thank and so much going through one’s head, what can one do with just 45 seconds to speak? Some took the chance to tackle the real issues we are facing, some spoke words of inspiration that we simply needed to hear and some turned to comedy. Here are some of the most impactful speeches from this year’s Academy Awards.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Best Supporting Actress

Courtesy of Getty Images

In what was perhaps one of the most beautiful and inspiring speeches of the night, Da’Vine Joy Randolph who won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mary in “The Holdovers”, tearfully reflected on her journey to get to where she is now “I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career,” Randolph said “My mother said to me: Go across that street to that theater department, there’s something for you there. I thank my mother for doing that. I thank all the people who have stepped in my path and have been there for me and ushered me and guided me. I am so grateful for all you beautiful people out there,” She went on so say one of the most memorable phrases from the event, “I prayed for so long … I always wanted to be different, but now I realize that I just need to be myself. I thank you for you seeing me.”

Jonathan Glazer, International Feature Film

Courtesy of Getty Images

The UK won its first Oscar for Best International Feature with director Jonathan Glazer’s 2023 film, “The Zone of Interest”. In his acceptance speech, Glazer took the oppurtunity to address the ongoing Israeli-Palestine crisis. He reflected on how the story of the past reflects the story of the present. “All of our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say look what they did then, rather, look what we do now.” He said “Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at it’s worst. It shaped all of our past and present. Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.” He ended his speech by simply asking the question “How do we resist?”

Cord Jefferson, Best Adapted Screenplay

Courtesy of Getty Images

Cord Jefferson made his big-screen directorial debut with the film “American Fiction” and won his first Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, in doing so, he used his speech as a platform to plead with Hollywood to take a chance on smaller budget movies and first time directors, and he called for for more risk-taking, “I’ve been talking a lot about how many people passed on this movie, and I worry that sometimes sounds vindictive. I don’t want to be vindictive, I’m not a vindictive person anymore and I’ve worked very hard to not be vindictive anymore,” he said. “It’s more a plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there who want the opportunity that I was given.” Jefferson made sure to highlight how Hollywood has become blockbuster obsessed “I understand that this is a risk-averse industry, I get it, but $200 million movies are also a risk. And it doesn’t always work out, but you take the risk anyway. Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies. Or 50 $4 million movies.” He went on to say that there are plenty of directors out there just waiting for a shot, and taking a chance on films like these could find “The next Martin Scorsese” or “the next Christopher Nolan”  He ended his speech by saying “Thank you all who worked on this movie for trusting a 40-year-old Black guy who has never directed anything before.”

Mstyslav Chernov, Best Documentary Feature Film

Mstyslav Chernov was probably the first director to say he wishes he never made his film after winning an Oscar. The Ukranian director won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Oscar for “20 Days In Mariupol”, in his acceptance speech he went on to make a powerful statement in support of Ukraine, “This is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history. And I’m honored, but probably I will be the first director on this stage who will say ‘I wish I had never made this film’. I wish to be able to exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities.” Chernov then went on to condemn Russia for their actions in Ukraine, “Russians are killing tens of thousands of my fellow Ukrainians. I wish for them to release all the hostages, all the soldiers who are protecting their lands, all the civilians who are now in their jails. But I cannot change the history. I cannot change the past.” and finally he ended with a plea to the members of Hollywood, “We altogether: you. I’m calling on you, some of the most talented people in the world. We can make sure that the history record is set straight and that the truth will prevail and that the people of Mariupol and those who have given their lives will never be forgotten, because cinema forms memories, and memories form history.”

Kris Bowers, Documentary Short Film 

Courtesy of LA Times

The heartwarming short film “The Last Repair Shop,” is about a group of craftspeople in Los Angeles, who keep over 80,000 student instruments in good repair to ensure no student is deprived of the Joy of music, directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers. The film took home the Oscar for best Documentary short.

In a moving speech, Bowers spoke about L.A. public school and the people in schools who are often overlooked despite how much they do, “The Last Repair Shop is about the heroes in our schools who often go unsung, unthanked and unseen. Tonight, you are sung, you are thanked, and you are seen,” said Bowers. “John Williams inspired me to become a composer. He went to L.A. public schools. I went to L.A. public schools,” He ended his speech by saying, “Music education isn’t just about creating incredible musicians. It’s about creating incredible humans.”

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Hollywood's acceptance speeches are know for being

Entertaintment, Film

This damsel does not need a knight in shining armor to come to her rescue.

“There are many stories of chivalry where the heroic knight saves the damsel in distress,” Millie Bobby Brown’s character Elodie informs us before the film begins. “This is not one of them.”

As Brown has proven with the characters she has played over the years, she can take care of herself. This central theme can be seen amongst her roles as Eleven in “Stranger Things” and Enola in “Enola Homes” one and two.

In this film, however, we see her take not only her performance but the story to new heights. After literally being tossed into a dragon’s lair, we find Elodie in the midst of a harrowing tale of survival, strength, and revenge. With a hint of Game of Thrones, a few Midsommar vibes, and some altogether unique storytelling from Dan Mazeau, Damsel makes for a harrowing film of one woman’s will to survive, filled with excitement, action, and plot twists that make this movie an absolute must-watch.

Brown delivers an incredible and intense performance as Elodie, whom we see adapting to her environment and who makes us feel for every burn and bruise. She has always proven herself to be a great actress on screen, and this was yet another example of that. Her character faces a handful of different challenges in this film, aside from simply running from a dragon.

Brown plays a young woman named Elodie from a wealthy family who lives in a harsh, financially strapped province, simply called a “faraway land.”

In order to save her home, she is bethroned to marry a royal family by her father and stepmother, Lord and Lady Bayford (Ray Winstone and Angela Bassett), in a far-off kingdom, whom, unknown to her, hide a dark secret.

After meeting Queen Isabelle, Isabelle (Robin Wright) and her future husband Prince Henry (Nick Robinson) seemed all would be well, but unfortunately for Elodie, this was not her happily ever after. As soon as they were married, the royal family revealed their true colors. Elodie was no more than a ritual sacrifice to them being offered up to a dragon who had plagued them for centuries in exchange for peace.

Courtesy of Netflix

The film has multiple emotional aspects as well as action and suspenseful moments. We see Elodie come across a cave of names for all the other women who have been sacrificed. Leading her to wonder if anyone actually made it out. However, the most emotional moment was an unexpected twist that comes later on in the film, when the dragon’s true motives are revealed. After this, one must wonder: who the true villain is?

The tension of the film is built up as the dragon taunts Elodie rather than attacking her right away. As Elodie makes her way through the caverns, over cliffs, and into caves, she herself changes and becomes stronger. The dragon is not fully revealed until later on, and once she is, she may not be as terrifying as you’d expect, but with her haunting voice provided by Shohreh Aghdashloo and her lava breath, she makes for just as deadly a beast as any.

Courtesy of Netflix

Of course, we do get an epic fight scene between Elodie and the dragon, but what happens afterwards is truly the epic part. The film has a completely satisfying ending that will leave fans smiling. I mean, Elodie fought a dragon in a corset, so give her some credit.

We also see a great performance from Oscar-nominated Angela Basset. Despite her limited screentime, she commands attention whenever she is in a scene.

Watch the trailer here:

It’s the combination of a period piece film, fantasy and a survival story that makes this film all too good to resist. Damsel is now streaming on Netflix

0 Comments

This damsel does not need a knight

Award Season, Awards, Entertaintment

The 2024 Academy Awards have come to a close. The 2024 Oscars are the close of a long and eventful year in the entertainment industry. 2023 saw the resilence of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA as both went on strike. Aside from the numerous box office hits that premiered in 2023, the world was introduced to the cinematic phenomenon Barbenheimer, which saw the simalteneous release of Best Picture nominees “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,”  a force that not only kept cinema thriving this year but also made waves at the box office. Once agin, international filmakers introduced us to incredible new Oscar nominated films that tranceded the language barriers. 2023 saw films from iconic directors such as Martin Scorsece and Christopher Nolan, with a best actor and actress race filled with immense talent that was almost too close to call.

There were multiple first-time Oscar winners, and a number of suprises. Here are the 2024 Oscar winners:

 

Best Picture

“American Fiction,” Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, producers

“Anatomy of a Fall,” Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, producers

“Barbie,” David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, producers

“The Holdovers,” Mark Johnson, producer

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, producers

“Maestro,” Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers

“Oppenheimer,” Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, producers (WINNER)

“Past Lives,” David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, producers

“Poor Things,” Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, producers

“The Zone of Interest,” James Wilson, producer

Christopher Nolan, Winner, Best Director, Oppenheimer

Best Director 

Justine Triet — “Anatomy of a Fall”

Martin Scorsese — “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Christopher Nolan — “Oppenheimer” (WINNER)

Yorgos Lanthimos — “Poor Things”

Jonathan Glazer — “The Zone of Interest”

 

Actor in a Leading Role 

Bradley Cooper — “Maestro”

Colman Domingo — “Rustin”

Paul Giamatti — “The Holdovers”

Cillian Murphy — “Oppenheimer” (WINNER)

Jeffrey Wright — “American Fiction”

 

Actress in a Leading Role 

Annette Bening — “Nyad”

Lily Gladstone — “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Sandra Hüller — “Anatomy of a Fall”

Carey Mulligan — “Maestro”

Emma Stone — “Poor Things” (WINNER)

 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Sterling K. Brown — “American Fiction”

Robert De Niro – “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Robert Downey Jr. — “Oppenheimer” (WINNER)

Ryan Gosling — “Barbie”

Mark Ruffalo — “Poor Things”

Robert Downey Jr, Winner, Best Supporting Actor, Oppenheimer

Actress in a Supporting Role 

Emily Blunt — “Oppenheimer”

Danielle Brooks — “The Color Purple”

America Ferrera – “Barbie”

Jodie Foster — “Nyad”

Da’Vine Joy Randolph — “The Holdovers” (WINNER)

 

Adapted Screenplay

“American Fiction,” written for the screen by Cord Jefferson (WINNER)

“Barbie,” written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach

“Oppenheimer,” written for the screen by Christopher Nolan

“Poor Things,” screenplay by Tony McNamara

“The Zone of Interest,” written by Jonathan Glazer

 

Original Screenplay

“Anatomy of a Fall,” screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari (WINNER)

“The Holdovers,” written by David Hemingson

“Maestro,” written by Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

“May December,” screenplay by Samy Burch; story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik

“Past Lives,” written by Celine Song

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Winner, Best Supporting Actress, The Holdovers

Cinematography 

“El Conde” – Edward Lachman

“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Rodrigo Prieto

“Maestro” – Matthew Libatique

“Oppenheimer” – Hoyte van Hoytema (WINNER)

“Poor Things” – Robbie Ryan

 

Original Song 

“The Fire Inside” from “Flamin’ Hot,” music and lyric by Diane Warren

“I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie,” music and lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

“It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony,” music and lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from “Killers of the Flower Moon,” music and lyric by Scott George

“What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (WINNER)

 

Costume Design 

“Barbie” – Jacqueline Durran

“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Jacqueline West

“Napoleon” – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

“Oppenheimer” – Ellen Mirojnick

“Poor Things” – Holly Waddington (WINNER)

 

Sound

“The Creator,” Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

“Maestro,” Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor

“Oppenheimer,” Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O’Connell

“The Zone of Interest,” Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn (WINNER)

Cillian Murphy, Winner, Best Actor, Oppenheimer

Original Score 

“American Fiction” – Laura Karpman

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” John Williams

“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Robbie Robertson

“Oppenheimer” – Ludwig Göransson (WINNER)

“Poor Things” – Jerskin Fendrix

 

Live Action Short Film

“The After,” Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

“Invincible,” Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

“Knight of Fortune,” Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

“Red, White and Blue,” Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” Wes Anderson and Steven Rales (WINNER)

Animated Short Film 

“Letter to a Pig,” Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

“Ninety-Five Senses,” Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess

“Our Uniform,” Yegane Moghaddam

“Pachyderme,” Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

“War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,” Dave Mullins and Brad Booker (WINNER)

 

Documentary Feature Film 

“Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek

“The Eternal Memory”

“Four Daughters,” Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha

“To Kill a Tiger,” Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim

“20 Days in Mariupol,” Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath (WINNER)

Documentary Short Film 

“The ABCs of Book Banning,” Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic

“The Barber of Little Rock,” John Hoffman and Christine Turner

“Island in Between,” S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien

“The Last Repair Shop,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers (WINNER)

“Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó,” Sean Wang and Sam Davis

 

International Feature Film 

“Io Capitano” (Italy)

“Perfect Days” (Japan)

“Society of the Snow” (Spain)

“The Teachers’ Lounge” (Germany)

“The Zone of Interest” (United Kingdom) (WINNER)

 

Animated Feature Film 

“The Boy and the Heron,” Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki (WINNER)

“Elemental,” Peter Sohn and Denise Ream

“Nimona,” Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary

“Robot Dreams,” Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal

 

Makeup and Hairstyling 

“Golda,” Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue

“Maestro,” Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell

“Oppenheimer,” Luisa Abel

“Poor Things,” Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston (WINNER)

“Society of the Snow,” Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé

 

Production Design 

“Barbie,” production design: Sarah Greenwood; set decoration: Katie Spencer

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” production design: Jack Fisk; set decoration: Adam Willis

“Napoleon,” production design: Arthur Max; set decoration: Elli Griff

“Oppenheimer,” production design: Ruth De Jong; set decoration: Claire Kaufman

“Poor Things,” production design: James Price and Shona Heath; set decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek (WINNER)

 

Film Editing

“Anatomy of a Fall” – Laurent Sénéchal

“The Holdovers” – Kevin Tent

“Killers of the Flower Moon” – Thelma Schoonmaker

“Oppenheimer” – Jennifer Lame (WINNER)

“Poor Things” – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

 

Visual Effects

“The Creator,” Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould

“Godzilla Minus One,” Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima (WINNER)

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould

“Napoleon,” Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

“Oppenheimer” take the lead with 7 wins and “Poor Things” with 4. This year, the Academy Awards have celebrated diversity, talent, and cinematic excellence in a year that has been a challenge for the industry, and with that, the 2024 awards season comes to an end

 

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The 2024 Academy Awards have come to

Entertaintment, TV

Shortly after the release of its widely popular first season, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has been renewed for both a season 2 and 3 at Netflix.

Since the show’s Netflix debut on February 22, “Avatar: The Last Airbender” has reigned as the #1 English TV show with 41.1M views in just the first 11 days. The series was #1 in 76 countries and in the top 10 in 92. The buzz for “Avatar: The Last Airbender” continues to heat up on social media where on TikTok, the #AvatarTheLastAirbender hashtag generated 1B global views in the series’ first seven days of release.

Courtesy of Netflix

The series which is a live-action reimagining of the award-winning and beloved Nickelodeon animated series follows the story of Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young airbender who is also the Avatar, and who must now master all four elements, water, earth, fire and air, while keeping peace between the nations. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), siblings Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world to fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.

Season 1 mainly focuses on Zuko’s efforts to capture them as well as Aang coming to terms with being the Avatar. We also get to see Katara mastering her craft as a water bender. Which happens a lot faster than the cartoon. The season culminates in a battle at the Northern Water tribe after a vision that Aang had of its destruction. As we see throughout season 1, Aang does not learn to water bend yet, which means most likely the writers have saved this for the second season.

There is a reason why fans love season two and three so much. One of the main reasons being the introduction of Toph, the badass, blind, earth bender who becomes Aang’s teacher. Something else to look forward to is Zuko’s redemption arc, which has been called one of the best of any character on TV, and seeing how Netflix handled Sokka and Suki’s relationship in season one, we are in for some more sweet moments as their relationship continues to evolve in the coming seasons. We will also get to see the epic battle between Aang and fire lord Ozai take place. The writers have a lot to work with, if season one is any indication, we are in for another great season. Season three will be the last, as it was with the cartoon.

Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow, Nikita) serves as showrunner, executive producer, and writer. Jabbar Raisani (Lost in Space, Stranger Things) and Michael Goi are executive producers and directors alongside directors Roseanne Liang (also a co-executive producer) and Jet Wilkinson. Dan Lin (The Lego Movie, Aladdin) and Lindsey Liberatore (Walker) serve as executive producers from Rideback.

Watch the casts’ reaction to the renewal here:

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Shortly after the release of its widely

Entertaintment, Film

“Dune: Part Two” is not just another movie; it’s an immersive cinematic experience that stands out as one of the finest sci-fi films of the past decade. Taking the audience on a visual and emotional journey

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” picks up a short while after the first film left off, as Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. The battle against the Harkonnens escalates as Paul must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux.

Courtesy of Warner Bros

Villeneuve is a director who relies heavily on the more visual aspects of storytelling, admitting that he prefers to use as little dialog as possible. From the film’s breathtaking cinematography to its well crafted production design and stunning sets. Villeneuve brings Frank Herbert’s universe to life onscreen in such a wonderful way that trully immerses the audience in his his film and his story. The scale and magnitude of this film alone is a feat in itself. His meticulous attention to detail is evident in every frame.

The iconic soundtrack by Hans Zimmer that adds depth to every scene gives the film a truly haunting feel. From giant sandworms to giant explosions, the VFX as in every Villeneuve film, goes above and beyond. In Staying true to its source material, fans of the novel by Frank Herbert will find much to love here, while newcomers and film enthusiasts will be drawn in by its compelling story, star-studded cast, and stunning visuals. Thanks to the writers who have brought to life this completely enthralling storyline that is bound to have viewer’s engrossed in the film.

Each lead character is given ample room to evolve. We not only see an ensemble of actors shine on their own, but there are many relationships in the film that are forged, broken, strained, or reunited through the film. Leaving plenty of room for character development.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the captivating performances from the cast. Timothée Chalamet, who stars as antagonist Paul Atreides, is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Leading this ensemble of actors with great fervor and delivering one of his finest and most commandeering performances, especially in a physical aspect. With the amount of character growth he undergoes throughout the storyline, we see how Chalamet’s acting is tested as he tries on the new faces of Paul and in the relationships he builds.

Courtesy of Warner Bros

Austin Butler’s portrayal of protaganist Feyd-Rautha is nothing short of remarkable. His transformation into the character is astounding and is both brutal and intense, capturing the essence of the menacing Feyd-Rautha with remarkable skill. Despite his limited screen time, Butler’s presence on screen is commanding, and he truly shines in every scene he’s in. It’s clear that he’s taken his craft to the next level, solidifying his status as a versatile and talented actor. His portrayal is a standout in an already stellar cast, leaving a lasting impression on audiences long after the credits roll.

We see a truly raw and powerful performance from Zendaya as Chani. Her journey, particularly when it considers Paul, from the aloof Fremen warrior she was to the person she is forced to become at the end of this film is not only great character development, but slightly heartbreaking as well.

The film’s intensity and emotional depth are palpable, drawing viewers into its world with every scene and making us feel for the characters. Let’s not forget the exhilarating fight sequences that keep pulses racing throughout. Similar to the first film, “Dune: Part Two” expertly balances political intrigue with breathtaking action sequences, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats throughout. Villeneuve, once again proves himself a master of sci-fi cinema, delivering a work of art that is both brilliant and a worthy sequel.

Courtesy of Warner Bros

The thrilling, satisfying, yet cliffhanger ending of the film sets the stage for what promises to be an epic and action-packed third installment. However, Denis Villeneuve has mentioned that, although there will be a third film, he has no desire to rush it. Although we may have to wait a long while before returning to Arakis, this simply adds to the anticipation and excitement surrounding “Dune: Part Three.” Until then, enjoy “Dune: Part Two” in cinemas as many times as you can.

Hats off to Villeneuve and the cast and crew of Dune for crafting yet another masterpiece that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on audiences for years to come.

“Dune: Part Two” is in cinemas worldwide now. Watch the trailer here:

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"Dune: Part Two" is not just another

Entertaintment



Вавада казино зеркало как способ доступа к играм


Вавада казино зеркало как альтернативный доступ

Не упускайте шанс использовать альтернативные платформы для безбарьерного подключения к вашим любимым развлечениям. Эти ресурсы обеспечивают стабильное соединение и зачастую предлагают множество дополнительных преимуществ, включая доступ к акциям и программам лояльности.

При выборе альтернативной площадки обратите внимание на интерфейс и удобство навигации. Некоторые версии предлагают адаптированные предложения и новинки, которые могут не быть доступны в основных версиях. Сравнивайте пользовательские отзывы и оценки для более полного представления о качестве услуг. Например, посетив vavada casino, можно найти ссылки на альтернативные версии, которые предлагают уникальные возможности для азартных игр.

Также стоит уделить внимание безопасности и легальности источника. Определенные платформы могут вводить дополнительные меры защиты, что позволит вам сосредоточиться на процессе игры. Настройте уведомления о новых предложениях и промоакциях, чтобы не пропустить выгодные возможности, которые могут появиться в любое время.

Преимущества использования зеркал Вавада казино для игроков

Безопасность является еще одним значительным преимуществом. Дубликаты поддерживают актуальные протоколы шифрования, что гарантирует защиту личных данных пользователей. Кроме того, такие адреса часто обновляются, что снижает риски взломов и мошенничества. Возможно, также стоит отметить, что клиентская поддержка в данной среде работает на высоком уровне, обеспечивая решения для любых возникающих вопросов.

Как найти актуальное зеркало Вавада казино для безопасного доступа

Для поиска актуального объекта рекомендуется обратиться на официальный сайт. Часто там публикуются действующие ссылки, обеспечивающие безопасный доступ к платформе.

Другим способом станет использование специализированных форумов или групп в социальных сетях. Профессиональные игроки и участники обсуждений часто делятся актуальными ссылками, проверяя их безопасность.

Также стоит обратить внимание на наличие официального приложения для мобильных устройств. Установив его, вы избежите проблем с блокировками и получите доступ к тем же функциям, что и на сайте.

Не забывайте о том, что браузерные расширения могут помочь в обходе ограничений. Некоторые из них автоматически перенаправляют на актуальные адреса, что существенно облегчает задачу.

  • Проверяйте отзывы пользователей. Это поможет избежать мошеннических ресурсов;
  • Используйте антивирусные программы для проверки безопасности сайта;
  • Обращайте внимание на адрес страницы: он должен начинаться с «https».

Регулярные обновления от сообщества также окажут помощь. Подпишитесь на уведомления, чтобы всегда быть в курсе последних новостей и изменений в доступе к сервису.

Решение проблем с доступом: что делать при недоступности основного сайта Вавада

При проблемах с доступом к основному ресурсу первым шагом станет использование альтернативного адреса. Зачастую компании предоставляют специальные ссылки для обхода блокировок, что позволяет оставаться в игре.

Если альтернативный URL отсутствует, стоит рассмотреть использование VPN-сервисов. Эти программы изменяют ваш IP-адрес и шифруют интернет-соединение, что минимизирует вероятность блокировок.

Преимущества VPN Недостатки VPN
Шифрование данных Замедление скорости интернета
Анонимность Некоторые сервисы платные
Обход блокировок Сложности с настройкой

Также поможет очистка кеша и cookies браузера. Это устраняет возможные конфликты с предыдущими сессиями и позволяет загрузить сайт без проблем.

В некоторых случаях блокировка может происходить со стороны провайдера. В таких ситуациях стоит обратиться к технической поддержке вашего интернет-поставщика для выяснения причин.

Использование мобильных устройств для доступа может помочь избежать проблем с доступом. Попробуйте подключиться через мобильный интернет, если Wi-Fi создает сложности.

Если все способы не дали результата, посетите социальные сети компании для получения актуальной информации. Часто пользователи делятся полезными ссылками и обходными путями.

Наконец, стоит следить за новостями и объявлениями на официальных ресурсах. Часто операторы информируют о проблемах и находящихся в работе адресах для безопасного входа.


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img { width: 750px; } iframe.movie {

Breaking News, Entertaintment

Tom Holland is returning to the West End! This time as a leading man. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

When Holland took to Instagram yesterday February 5 to tease a big announcement, he sent the internet into it’s usual speculative tizzy. The Spider-Man actor had fans guessing that he was about to announce the news of the latest Spider-Man film, but what he revealed is far from it and something quite incredible.

Tom Holland will star in Jamie Lloyd’s new stage adaption of ‘ROMEO & JULIET’ for the West End. His pulsating new vision of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of wordsmiths, rhymers, lovers and fighters will storms London’s West End for a strictly limited run starting May 2024.

Holland has proven that when it comes to his acting he is far more that simply Superhero material. Having starred in numerous blockbusters and the most recent series “The Crowded Room“, all that have given him the chance to not only grow as an actor but to experiment with different genres and see exactly how versatile he is as a performer.

This won’t be his first time onstage. Holland made his debut performance at the West End’s Victoria Palace Theatre in June 2008. He starred in Billy Elliot the Musical as Michael Caffrey Billy’s best friend. The show ran for two years.

His acting has evolved significantly since then with him becoming a hugely successful movie star. However Shakespeare is a whole other ball game. Holland will have to up his game significantly for this role.

He captivated us as Peter Parker, Lucas (The Impossible), Arvin (Devil all The Time), Cherry (Cherry) and Danny (The Crowded Room) and now, Tom Holland is about to break our hearts as Romeo Montague.

Tickets go on sale 13 February at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Visit romeoandjulietldn.com to sign up for priority ticket access.

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Tom Holland is returning to the West

Entertaintment, Music

Person of the year 2023 Taylor Swift has just announced a brand new album, and we are ready for it!

For months fans have been speculating that Swift was close to dropping Reputation (Taylor’s Version), the next anticipated album in her line of re releases. Why you may ask, other than the flurry of pictures of Swift in black and white outfits which had the internet a buzz as all Swifties know, black and white is the color associated with the Reputation album. On Sunday morning she changed all of her social media profile images from her Midnights album cover to a black-and-white version of it, sending fans over the edge, solidifying the fact that something big was coming. At the 2024 Grammys after Swift won her 13th Grammy, (a number she considers to be very lucky for her) for Best Pop Vocal Album she made a surprise announcement about a new album release.

“This is my 13th Grammy, which is my lucky number” Swift said while accepting the award, “I want to say ‘thank you’ to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years — which is that my brand new album comes out April 19.”

Well, we’re getting an album alright, but it’s not the one we thought. Taylor Swift is launching a brand new Studio Album titled “The Tortured Poets Department”.

In the past Swift’s albums have all been titled with one word, “Fearless”, “Red”, “Folklore” etc. Except for her Debut album “Taylor Swift” and “1989” which was titled after her birth year. We can assume we are in for something completely different with this album. As Swift continues to reinvent herself with each new album.

This will be Swift’s 11th Studio album and her 15th all together including her Re-Recordings. The album will include 16 songs plus a bonus track.

“The Tortured Poets Department” is open for pre order right now and will be available on April 19, 2024.

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Person of the year 2023 Taylor Swift

Entertaintment, Film

Live from New York… it’s the very first Saturday Night Live.

The Saturday Night Live biopic has found its cast members to play Garrett Morris, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and John Belushi.

Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) is directing a feature “SNL 1975″, about the debut night for the iconic comedy series that chronicles the tense behind-the-scenes drama leading up to the first-ever SNL broadcast on Oct. 11, 1975 when a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of SNL. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”.

So far, the project has cast young actors to portray some of the most memorable Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players, as well as the man behind SNL himself, Lorne Michaels.

The cast includes Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) as the legendary Lorne Michaels, creator of SNL, Rachel Sennott (The Idol) will play SNL writer — and Michaels’ real-life spouse — Rosie Shuster, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, Ella Hunt (Dickinson) as Gilda Radner, Kim Matula (The Bold and the Beautiful) as Jane Curtin and Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) will play NBC executive Dick Ebersol.

Saturday Night Live 'SNL 1975' Movie Cast

From left: Chevy Chase, John Belushi (top), Laraine Newman (front), Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin & Dan Aykroyd Courtesy of NBC/Everett Collection

Dylan O’Brien who is best known for his roles in “Teen Wolf” and “The Maze Runner” will play Dan Aykroyd, the Conehead/Blues Brother and skilled impersonator who did impressions of Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Julia Child, and many more on the show. O’Brien’s recent work includes the film “Ponyboi”, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

Lamorne Morris who is known for his role as Winston on “New Girl” is set to portray Garrett Morris (No relation), SNL’s first Black cast member, best known for characters like Chico Escuela and the “News for the Hard of Hearing” translator as well as his musical performances. Lamorne Morris recently appeared on the fifth season of “Fargo”.

Cory Michael Smith is known for roles in award winning movie “May December”, he will portray Chevy Chase, the breakout star of SNL’s first season and original “Weekend Update” anchor.

Matt Wood who has appeared in ” Law and Order: SVU” will play the late John Belushi, the cast member known for bringing live-wire energy to characters like Jake Blues, Samurai Futaba, Pete Dionisopoulos, James T. Kirk, and Henry Kissinger.

Reitman is co-writing the screenplay with frequent collaborator Gil Kenan based on interviews with the cast and crew of SNL’s first year on the air.

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Live from New York

Entertaintment, TV

“Masters of the Air” has been one of the most anticipated shows of the past year, considering its star-studded cast and the show’s history. The show, which premiered on January 26, follows the story of the American men of the 100th bomb group as they undertake perilous aerial missions over the course of nine episodes.

Excecutive produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman, “Masters of the Air,” a show a decade in the making, follows the widely acclaimed and hugely successful “Band of Brothers” (2001), which was the most expensive TV miniseries ever made at the time, and its companion show, 2010’s “The Pacific.”.

All three shows are work steeped in history. “Masters of The Air” is Based on Donald L. Miller’s 2007 book, “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany,” the limited series depicts World War II through the eyes of the pilots, navigators, and crew of the Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group known as the Bloody Hundredth. Much like “Band of Brothers” saw the war from Easy Company’s perspective on the Western Front, and “The Pacific” traced the 1st Marine Division across the Pacific Ocean. All three series form somewhat of a WWII TV trilogy.

Narrated by navigator Major Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), the show focuses largely on a core group of real-life WWII airmen based in Europe – pilots and firm friends Gale “Buck” Cleven (Austin Butler) and John “Bucky” Egan (Callum Turner) and Curtis Biddick (Barry Keoghan). Later on in the series the show does feature other real-life heroes from outside the Bloody Hundredth (including members of the 332nd Fighter Group, who are far more famously known as the Red Tails, or the Tuskegee Airmen).

The first two episodes lay the foundation for what is to come in the series, with episode 1 introducing us to the key players and giving us a sense of the show’s general tone. The storyline begins with the 100th’s first mission, which takes them over Germany, but it does not go as planned, and it ends in a significant loss. Episode 2 shows the fallout of their first mission. After a successful second mission in the episode, with one minor hiccup, we see more of the human side of these characters than simply the soldier side. We see the airmen enjoying some much-needed fun and revelry.

There is no doubt that the show is at its most thrilling in the skies. The audience watches the story unfold from the view of the cockpits of the B-17s as the planes must outmaneuver enemy fighters, watch as their surrounding planes are either gunned down or bombed, and face a multitude of different challenges in the air, such as bouts of airsickness and frostbite. The visual effects do a good job of translating both the violence and sheer velocity of the WWII air-to-air action to the screen.

During periods of quiet when these pilots are either at their base or out celebrating, the show tackles how these men cope with what they have been through by turning to drinking and women. What “Masters of the Air” manages to accomplish is deliver an immersive experience right throughout the story. If there is a plane going down, you will feel that shock; if your favorite characters are being shot at, you will feel that stress; if there is a loss on the show, you will feel that pain. The emotional extremes of both the chaos and the calm are explored, as well as the toll it takes on the characters.

The show does not shy away from the graphic details of what happened on those planes; by showing us what happens through the eyes of these airmen, there is a new level of intensity that is added to the story. Similar to both miniseries before it, the showrunners allowed, or more like forced, the audience to experience the intensity and brutality of wartime instead of simply pulling wool over our eyes. “Masters of the Air” feels more like one long blockbuster than a series, which is something “Band of Brothers” was far better at. However, the writing in this series is still as great as in its sister shows. On top of all the emotion, drama, and action, “Masters of the Air” also delivers large helpings of surprise and loss. So don’t get too attached to anyone on the show just yet. 

Masters of the Air

Courtesy of Apple TV+

The entire show is simply elevated by the incredible performances of the cast. Austin Butler plays the soft-spoken but assertive Major Buck Cleven. With an accent not that different from that from his Elvis performance, with a slight hint of country. Butler delivers a brilliant and emotional performance. He somehow manages to make his character not just incredibly charming, but he also has a caring sense about him that comes across throughout the show. He blends in effortlessly in the ’40s setting.

Callum Turner delivers a similarly impressive performance as Major Bucky Egan, a humorous, fun-loving individual with a heavy heart who could not be more different from his best friend Buck. With Turner’s thick American accent, you wouldn’t believe he was indeed a British actor. Indeed, the same could be said about Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who plays Lt. Curtis Biddick. Both characters are somewhat of a refreshing comedic couple, but. Keoghan, who has taken on some intense roles in the past, once again showcases his acting chops in every way in this role. Both when it comes to his vocal performance and his physicality. Anthony Boyle plays navigator Harry Crosby, whose panic-stricken initial moments in the series make him one of the easiest characters to relate to. Each actor greatly contributes to making this series the best it can be.

The thing about a show like this is that one must be able to watch and appreciate every aspect of a war epic like this. Such as the cinematography, the set design, and the music, which was composed by Blake Neely, This isn’t your average go-to binge-watching show. No, this is hard-hitting, emotional, and intense drama. Drama, as any and every war film and TV show does, can elicit the most powerful of emotions from you and make you feel connected to the past.

Watch the trailer here:

The first two episodes of “Masters of the Air” are now streaming on Apple TV+. Subsequent episodes will arrive every Friday until March 15, 2024.

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"Masters of the Air" has been one

Entertaintment, Music

Justin Timberlake is back, and this time he’s feeling a little selfish. After a five year hiatus leaving fans without any solo material from the pop star, Timberlake has finally launched a new single, “Selfish.”

At his concert in Memphis 2 days ago, Timberlake dropped the news of a new single. He made the announcement official by posting a picture on Instagram of what appears to be the album cover art of Timberlake facing away from the camera towards a canyon in the background. Monday January 22 simply captioning it with the release date, “1.25”.

Timberlake also shared a trailer for his upcoming sixth album titled “Everything I Thought I Was”. In the Wes Anderson style trailer we can see a backdrop of a gas station along a canyon background, we then hear the narrator voiced by Benicio Del detail what he sees. “What do we have here? Oh, that’s a nice car—wait, it’s a model,” Del Toro says, looking at the mini figurines. “Did that say JT? Okay, that sunset is definitely not real. Ah, there’s Justin. Why won’t he turn around? What the f**k is he staring at?” He says as he sees Timberlake staring at the sunset in the opposite direction.
The teaser ends with the title “Justin Timberlake Presents: Everything I Thought It Was.”

Earlier today, Timberlake premiered his brand new single “Selfish” on YouTube to an audience of fans from around the world, this single will mark Timberlake’s first solo release since 2018’s “Man of the Woods”, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The song was already debuted live at his concert in Memphis on January 19. Today marks its official worldwide release. The lyrics include the chorus,

“So if I get jealous, I can’t help it
I want every bit of you, I guess I’m selfish
It’s bad for my mental, but I can’t fight it, when
You’re out lookin’ like you do, but you can’t hide it, no”

The 10-time Grammy winner is known for his versatility in music, this R&B-infused love song shows a more vulnerable side of Justin’s work similar to his early work.

He didn’t fail to bring the sexy back once again in his new music video. The video directed by Bradley J. Calder (SZA) focuses solely on Timberlake, who appears on a sound stage, and has Alice in Wonderland themes to it, and what would a JT music video be without a look at his smooth, signature dance moves.

Watch the official music video for “Selfish” below:

Though his solo music career was on hiatus, we did see Timberlake did reunite with his NSYNC family for the song “Better Place,” from the film Trolls Band Together starring Timberlake himself.

Timberlake is also set to return to his beloved Saturday Night Live is to set to serve as musical guest with Dakota Johnson hosting the episode this weekend.

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Justin Timberlake is back, and this time

Entertaintment

[This story contains spoilers from the second episode of Chicago Fire season 12, “Call Me McHolland.”]

In the eyes of Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman, multiple seasons of any show that brings what she considers to be continual grind from everyday action heroes is going to garner change. And that’s exactly what viewers saw Wednesday night, as old guard firefighters Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Randy “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte) struggled with the blows of Father Time in two separate, potentially career-ending dilemmas.

Faithful viewers of NBC‘s long-running drama had been left wondering about Mouch’s fate after season 11, and if the long-timer had survived shrapnel from a sniper’s bullet in the finale cliffhanger. It wasn’t until last week’s season 12 premiere that it was revealed that Mouch survived his near-deadly ordeal. But, as this week’s second episode showed, Mouch is still struggling with the effects of his injury, and has taken it upon himself to change the way he lives and treats his body to show he can still compete with the best of them.

And then there’s Herrmann, who risked his own life to save Firehouse 51 from a bomb package in last week’s episode. The blast knocks Herrmann out, but he recovers. But this week’s episode revealed that he has suffered severe hearing loss from the incident. Fellow firefighter and friend Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) picks up on Herrmann’s hearing loss, but the fireman is in denial (or, he’s afraid of what the revelation of such an injury might cost him within his beloved career).

Newman, who took over showrunner duties full-time for season 12 following co-creator Derek Haas’ exit from the One Chicago franchise, recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter over Zoom to discuss Mouch and Herrmann’s story arcs, and also give viewers insight into the character comings and goings within season 12 of the NBC and Dick Wolf long-running series — from Taylor Kinney‘s return to Kara Killmer’s impending exit, and other new arrivals ahead.

***

How does it feel drive what some might call a mega-horsepower-muscle-car of a show as sole showrunner of Chicago Fire?

Well, I’ll say that, because it’s such a big show, you really don’t do this show solo anyway. This is a big action show; it’s a big character show. It has got so many things; so, we work so closely with production. We’ve got this amazing producer, Demetra [Diamantopoulos], and director Reza [Tabrizi], and we’re in touch constantly. It’s always felt like a real team effort on this show. But, it’s fun! It’s fun to be a female showrunner on a big action show with some ass-kicking female characters. That’s a thrill for me! We have Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Brett (Kara Killmer) and Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith), all of them this year have some great tough storylines, and I love that.

But, you know, Derek [Haas] built this show and I still talk to him or text with him every single day. He’s such a part of this show still, so it kind of feels like he never left.

Is it safe to say you are going shift into gears not yet ventured now that you have total control?

Still using that metaphor, I think what that really means for a show like this is just digging down deeper into the characters, finding new character dynamics we haven’t seen before. Mouch with episode two is a good example. He’s been here from the beginning, but now we’re seeing other sides of him and digging in a little bit, and I love being able to do that. Season 12 on our show, it’s such a gift. You’ve seen these arcs for these characters, but you are finding new dimensions all the time. And that’s what I’m excited to do this year: New pairings, people we haven’t maybe seen work together or get tight before. Exploring all those character dynamics a little more.

Christian Stolte as Randy McHolland and David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann in “Call Me McHolland.”

Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC

Speaking of Mouch and episode two, it appeared his character and firefighter Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg) were going through different yet similar crises. Both were in a battle for their professional lives against Father Time (Mouch tells the crew he wants to be remembered as having “left it all on the table” as he battles back from a serious injury. And Herrmann is trying hide his severe hearing loss from Firehouse 51 after saving the crew from a box with a bomb in it.) Will this idea of battling with Father Time be explored throughout the season?

I can’t tell you how much I love that question. I love it because it is such a part of being an action hero. This is what these firefighters do! And what these first responders do. It’s a very physical job. So, what happens when you are fighting Father Time over the course of it? The guy who is our technical consultant, Steve Chikerotis, who is a deputy district chief, he’s retired and probably in the range of Mouch and Hermann. And I’ve seen that guy with his bare hands — when a tech van pulled up to scout — fend off two pit bulls attacking a passerby. It was a scary thing; this guy reaches in with his bare fucking hands and rips these pit bulls off of him! He’s as badass as they come, even at a retired age. He’s incredible and he is fearsome, and you would not want get in a fight with that guy no matter the age.

But that being said, you’re absolutely right. It’s that’s something that’s always a struggle. And they raised the mandate retirement this year to 65. So, you can be a firefighter at 65 and a lot of these guys and women, they work hard to stay in shape and stay a part of it. But they also have to start thinking about the future; some of them are happy sliding into a desk job at a certain point. They can function that way like Boden, the fire chief of Firehouse 51 [played by Eamonn Walker]. It is a little bit of a struggle, but he can do the desk job. But then there are some people that are adrenaline junkies; they are never going to want to hang it up and just move to a desk.

So, that is going to be a struggle for the entire season, with the old guard and the new guard. They are seeing these young guys come in and the questions are, do I have limitations and if so, what are they? And, will they hamper me on the job? And, what’s the safest thing for everybody? But you know, they’re still tough!

Taylor Kinney returned as Lieutenant Kelly Severide this season after Kinney took an extended break from the show. In episode one, there was friction between him and his wife, Lt. Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo). Now, in episode two, there’s friction between Severide and Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso). Cruz is thinking about leaving Firehouse 51 and becoming a lieutenant somewhere else. Could this play into a spinoff that was slated for Severide’s character?

Severide’s challenge is to come back to regain the trust that he lost when he got sucked into those arson cases. And definitely Kidd sees arson cases as a drug for Severide, in the same way he looks at arson as a drug. It’s something that he gets caught up in, and there’s just so much rich stuff there because his dad was in arson and he had a really fraught relationship with his father. So, is he falling into some kind of scary groove? A then-you-become-your-father-no-matter-what-you-do groove? He has to figure out how to keep it all together, make sure he regains the trust that he lost with Cruz and with Kidd. And he wants to keep arson in his life. Arson is a very compelling area. As a writer it’s really compelling, and I know Severide as a character loves it. Yeah, you’ll have to find a balance there.

Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd with Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett in season 12.

Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC

How about Kara Killmer’s Sylvie Brett character. We know she’s preparing to get married to Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) and move to Oregon with her new adopted baby. Will this be Killmer’s last season?

Sylvie Brett is leaving us this season, but we have her for a while. In episode two, she’s starting to plan for this wedding. And what I’ll say about that is that it will all not go according to plan. She’s going to have to scramble and it’s going to be a challenge to get to where she wants to get to. On that front, there’ll be some twists and turns along the way.

Will we see her fiancé Matt Casey (Spencer) again?

Yes!

What are some of the other storylines that are in store for viewers for the rest of the season?

Obviously, change is one of the themes for this season and we’re going to see fresh faces. You meet Gibson (Rome Flynn), our firefighter in episode two. Love him! He comes in and he’s going to join the Firehouse. And then the question is, will he fit in at 51? And, who really is this guy? That’s the question we always ask when someone joins 51, because it takes a takes a certain time to fit in there. So, we’ve got some layers to peel back on Gibson and find out, is he trouble? Is he good trouble, is he bad trouble? We’ll be playing with that character for a while.

And we have a lot to play with Violet [Hanako Greensmith]. She’s been through a lot [her boyfriend, Evan Hawkins, was killed in season 11 trying to rescue a civilian], and she has her partner around for only a little bit longer; so, Violet got a great journey this season with a kind of coming out from under Sylvie’s shadow a little bit. She’s had some hard times, her boyfriend, the paramedic chief, was killed right in front of her. So she is going to struggle with that a bit and come take her moment stepping out into the sun, and work through a lot of what she’s been through in the past.

We have all our guys struggling with change and comings and goings; so, there’s a lot to play with this season. A lot of new character dynamics.

You’re in the 12th season of Chicago Fire. How does the show stay fresh after this long period of time?

That’s a great question. I think what Fire has that’s very unique — and is unique to me, having written for a long time before I started here — is that it’s like three shows or more possibly. Because we get the action, you get the character dynamics and the soap, and then we always have comedy as part of the show, too. And I think that’s unique for an action show to have full comedy stories that could be episodes of their own. What we like to do is be as true to a first responder’s life as possible. To be as reflective of that world as possible. And that is very much how our first responders get through it in in real life. At the end of the day, you have to find the light at the end of the tunnel and the hope. And humor is a big part of that. The fact that there are so many balls in the air, that keeps it fresh.

How long have you been with Chicago Fire?

Since day one! I never in my life expected, in a TV writer job, to have that kind of permanence. But every time we say that number 12, those of us that have been around for a while, are like “What? That is not possible!”

What do you think keeps viewers tuning in and coming back, especially amid the Peak TV era and with so many options of what to watch?

I think you want to be surprised. You don’t want to feel like you you’ve been there, done that, especially once you get past a certain season. And I think we work really hard to always surprise people. And part of that is cast coming and goings. And people get mad and they don’t want to lose people, but the truth is that at the end of the day, you got to shake it up a little bit and keep the roller coaster going. And also, just have characters that people have fallen in love with and want to see. We always say that the 51 team always call themselves a family, and we always write in mind that the audience is part of that family.

New episodes of Chicago Fire air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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[This story contains spoilers from the second

Awards, Entertaintment, Film

After the 2024 Oscar Nominations were announced on Tuesday, there were of course more than a fair share of snubs from this years nominees, one of the many films snubbed, The Color Purple (2023).

Some of the actors snubbed at this years Oscars include Barry Keoghan for Saltburn, Charles Melton for May December, Margot Robbie for Barbie, Willem Dafoe for Poor Things and Fantasia Barrino for The Color Purple.

The original film The Color Purple in 1985 received 11 Oscar nominations. Including Best Picture and 3 acting nominations. Considering Blitz Bazawule’s version of The Color Purple was a remake, of the 1985 film which in turn is based on the 1982 novel of the same name, you would think that The Color Purple would have Been Nominated for Adapted Screenplay at least. The film is a coming-of-age musical period drama about a woman named Celie (Barrino) who is torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband (Colman Domingo). With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter (Danielle Brooks), Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.

Currently, fans and celebrity supporters of the film Barbie have taken to social media to share their disappointment that Robbie and Greta Gerwig were snubbed for Best Actress and Achievement in Directing respectively, understandable considering the film was a billion dollar phenomenon. While unfortunate, one snub that is being overlooked is Barrino for Best Actress. One must look at Barrino’s brilliant and heartbreaking performance, a performance that truly elicits emotions from viewers while dealing with such harsh themes and wonder why she was not nominated as well, especially considering this particular category does not have a single black actress in it.

Although the film was excluded from every major category, The Color Purple did manage to secure a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Brooks who plays Sofia. In speaking to Deadline about her nomination she mentioned Fantasia as well, “I of course wish that my sister Fantasia [Barrino] could have had that moment as well, as our leading lady. She was phenomenal. But I’m grateful that I also get to share these moments with Colman [Domingo] for another movie [Rustin].” As Domingo who also stars in the Color Purple received a nomination for Best Actor for his film Rustin.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Brooks shared that she felt “Very humbled by all of it,” she also spoke about how she would be doing this for her Color Purple Family. “No one can do a project by themselves. I do not stand alone. There’s so many cast and crew who made this possible. I did not get here on my own. I can’t act by myself. I’m surely not holding boom mics and picking out costumes and doing choreography on my own. So, I just I just feel like I’m doing this for everybody. I’m hoping that we can garner a win for the efforts of everybody that was a part of this beautiful production.” Brooks is up against Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer), America Ferrera (Barbie), Jodie Foster (Nyad) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) for Best Supporting Actress.

Read All The Oscar Nominations Here

What was your most suprising snub at the 202r Oscars? One thing to remember is, every snub is unfortunate, but they are not intentional.

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After the 2024 Oscar Nominations were announced

Awards, Entertaintment, Film

The iconic directors Steven Spielberg (77) and Martin Scorsese (81) have set impressive records by securing nominations for the 96th Academy Awards.

Steven Spielberg has made Oscars’ history once again. With Maestro’s Best Picture nomination, the three time Oscar winner has now produced 13 films that have been nominated for Best Picture — a record for an individual producer (since 1951, when producers were first named as nominees for Best Picture).

Steven Spielberg

Courtesy of Getty Images

Spielberg previously received Best Picture nominations for his films: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Munich (2005), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012), Bridge of Spies (2015), The Post (2017), West Side Story (2021), and The Fabelmans (2022). He won Best picture for Schindler’s List is and he also won Oscars for directing Schindler’s List and for Saving Private Ryan.

Maestro received seven Oscar nominations in total, including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Cooper), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Carey Mulligan), Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound, and Best Original Screenplay.

Meanwhile the 81-year-old icon Martin Scorsese earned his 10th Best Director nomination for Killers of the Flower Moon, breaking Steven Spielberg’s record of 9. Scorsese is now the most-nominated living movie director. Scorsese scored his first nomination 1980 for Raging Bull, and he’s since been nominated for The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Goodfellas (1990), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Hugo (2011), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Irishman (2019), and now Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He won the category just once — for ‘The Departed’ in 2006.

Martin Scorsese

Courtesy of Apple

Killers of The Flower Moon has received 10 nominations, including Best Picture, with Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro earning nominations for Actress in a Leading Role and Actor in a Supporting respectively. It was also nominated for Costume Design, Original Song, Original Score, Production Design, Achievement in Film Editing and Achievement in Cinematography.

Read the full list of 2024 Oscar nominees here

The 96th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

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The iconic directors Steven Spielberg (77) and

Awards, Entertaintment, Press Releases

The Walt Disney Company proudly announces 20 nominations for the 96th Academy Awards® across its Walt Disney Studios, content brands and platforms: 20th Century Studios, Disney+, Hulu, Lucasfilm Ltd., Marvel Studios, National Geographic Documentary Films, Pixar Animation Studios, and Searchlight Pictures.

Searchlight Pictures Earns 13 Nominations, Including 11 for POOR THINGS including for Best Picture. Pixar Animation Studios received a Best Animated Feature Nod for ELEMENTAL.

Searchlight Pictures garnered 13 nods, with 11 for “Poor Things”, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. The studio also garnered nominations for Best Original Song for “Flamin’ Hot” and Best Documentary Short Film for “The Last Repair Shop.”

National Geographic Documentary Films captures its fourth nomination in six years in the Feature Documentary category for “Bobi Wine: The People’s President.”

A complete list of all The Walt Disney Company nominations follows below. (As some of the nominations overlap, these are grand totals for each entity.)

2024 ACADEMY AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)

11 nominations

Now in theaters

Best Picture

Best Director – Yorgos Lanthimos

Best Actress – Emma Stone

Best Supporting Actor – Mark Ruffalo

Best Adapted Screenplay – Tony McNamara

Best Cinematography – Robbie Ryan, BSC, ISC,

Best Editing – Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ACE

Best Production Design – James Price, Shona Heath

Best Costume Design – Holly Waddington

Best Makeup & Hairstyling – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston

Best Original Score – Jerskin Fendrix

 

The Creator (20th Century Studios)

2 nominations

Now streaming on Hulu

Best Visual Effects – Andrew Roberts, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper, Neil Corbould

Best Sound – Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic

 

Bobi Wine: The People’s President (National Geographic Documentary Films)

1 nomination

Now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu

Documentary Feature Film

 

Elemental (Pixar Animation Studios)

1 nomination

Now streaming on Disney+

Best Animated Film – Peter Sohn, Denise Ream

 

Flamin’ Hot (Searchlight Pictures)

1 nomination

Now streaming on Hulu and Disney+

Best Original Song – “The Fire Inside” Written by Diane Warren

 

Guardians of The Galaxy, Vol. 3 (Marvel Studios)

1 nomination

Now streaming on Disney+

Best Visual Effects – Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Stephane Ceretti, Theo Bialek

 

The Last Repair Shop (Searchlight Pictures)

1 nomination

Now streaming on Hulu and Disney+

Best Documentary Short Film – Ben Proudfoot, Kris Bowers

 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm Ltd.)

1 nomination

Now streaming on Disney+

Best Original Score – John Williams

 

Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó (Disney+)

1 nomination

Best Documentary Short Film – Sean Wang, Sam Davis

This makes Walt Disney the most nominated studio at the 2024 Oscars. Walt Disney still holds an unprecedented Oscar record 53 years after his last nomination. Walt Disney Stufios is still the most recognized studio since Walt Disney’s passing in 1966.

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The Walt Disney Company proudly announces 20

Awards, Entertaintment

2023 was a year that truly revived cinema in it’s purest form and brought us some incredible films and performances. This year’s Award’s Season has proven that to be true as the best films of 2023 gave us a sense of what we could expect from them. Nearly 10,000 Oscar voters from 93 countries cast their ballots for the the 96th Academy Awards and we finally have our nominees. So without further ado, here they are, the 2024 Oscar nominations!

Best Picture

“American Fiction” (MGM)
Cord Jefferson, Jermaine Johnson, Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair

“Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon)
Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Robbie Brenner

“The Holdovers” (Focus Features)
Mark Johnson, Bill Block, David Hemingson

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Dan Friedkin, Martin Scorsese, Bradley Thomas, Daniel Lupi

“Maestro“ (Netflix)
Fred Berner, Bradley Cooper, Amy Durning, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan

“Past Lives” (A24)
David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone

“The Zone of Interest” (A24)
Ewa Puszczynska, James Wilson

Director

Jonathan Glazer “The Zone of Interest” (A24)

Yorgos Lanthimos “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)

Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)

Martin Scorsese “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)

Justine Triet “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon)

Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper “Maestro” (Netflix)

Colman Domingo “Rustin” (Netflix)

Paul Giamatti “The Holdovers” (Focus Features)

Cillian Murphy “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)

Jeffrey Wright “American Fiction” (MGM)

Actress in a Leading Role

Lily Gladstone “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)

Sandra Hüller “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon)

Carey Mulligan “Maestro” (Netflix)

Emma Stone “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)

Annette Bening “Nyad”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Sterling K. Brown “American Fiction” (MGM)

Robert DeNiro “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)

Robert Downey Jr. “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)

Ryan Gosling “Barbie” (Warner Bros.)

Mark Ruffalo “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)

Actress in a Supporting Role

Emily Blunt “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)

Jodie Foster “Nyad” (Netflix)

Da’Vine Joy Randolph “The Holdovers” (Focus Features)

Danielle Brooks “The Color Purple”  (Warner Bros.)

America Ferrera “Barbie”  (Warner Bros.)

Original Screenplay

“Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon)
Justine Triet, Arthur Harari

“The Holdovers” (Focus Features)
David Hemingson

“May December” (Netflix)
Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik

“Past Lives” (A24)
Celine Song

“Maestro” (Netflix)
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

Adapted Screenplay

“American Fiction” (MGM)
Cord Jefferson (based on “Erasure” by Percival Everett)

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach (based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel)

“The Zone of Interest” (A24)
Jonathan Glazer

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Christopher Nolan (based on “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin)

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Tony McNamara (based on the book by Alasdair Gray)

Alternate: “All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight Pictures)

Animated Feature

“The Boy and the Heron” (GKids/Toho)

“Elemental” (Pixar)

“Nimona” (Netflix)

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures)

“Nimona” (Netflix)

Production Design

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
Sarah Greenwood (production designer), Katie Spencer (set decorator)

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Jack Fisk (production designer), Adam Willis (set decorator)

“Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures)
Arthur Max, Elli Griff

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Ruth De Jong (production designer), Claire Kaufman (set decorator)

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Shona Heath, James Price (production designer), Szusza Mihalek (set decorator)

Cinematography

“El Conde” (Netflix)
Edward Lachman

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Rodrigo Prieto

“Maestro” (Netflix)
Matthew Libatique

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Hoyte van Hoytema

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Robbie Ryan

Costume Design

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
Jacqueline Durran

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Jacqueline West

“Napoleon” (Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures)
David Crossman, Janty Yates

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Ellen Mirojnick

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) ***
Holly Waddington

Film Editing

“Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon)
Laurent Sénéchal

“Poor Things”(Searchlight Pictures)
Yorgos Mavropsaridis

“The Holdovers” (Focus Features)
Kevin Tent

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Thelma Schoonmaker

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) ***
Jennifer Lame

Makeup and Hairstyling

“Golda” (Bleecker Street)
Karen Hartley Thomas

“Maestro” (Netflix) ***
Kazu Hiro, Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Lori McCoy-Bell

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Luisa Abel (head of makeup and prosthetic department), Jason Hamer (prosthetics), Jaime Leigh McIntosh (head of hair department), Ahou Mofid (key hair stylist)

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Nadia Stacey, Mark Couler, Josh Weston

“Society of The Snow” (Netflix)
Ana López Puigcerver, David Marti, Montse Ribé

Sound

“The Creator” (20th Century Studios)
Ian Voight, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van Der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic

“Maestro” (Netflix)
Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Steve Morrow

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo , Kevin O’Connell, Willie Burton

“The Zone of Interest” (A24)
Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers

“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1” (Paramount)
Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor

Visual Effects

“The Creator” (20th Century Studios)
Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, Neil Corbould

“Godzilla: Minus One” (Toho)
Kiyoko Shibuya, Takashi Yamazaki (visual effects supervisors)

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Marvel Studios)
Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount)
Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould

“Napoleon”(Apple Original Films/Sony Pictures)
Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

Original Score

“American Fiction” (MGM)
Laura Karpman

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
Robbie Robertson

“Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures)
Ludwig Göransson

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Disney)
John Williams

“Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Jerskin Fendrix

Original Song

“American Symphony” (Netflix)
“It Never Went Away” by Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.)
“I’m Just Ken” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) ***
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell

“Flamin’ Hot” (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)
“The Fire Inside” by Diane Warren

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures)
“Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” by Scott George

Documentary Feature

“Bobi Wine: The People’s President” Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek

“The Eternal Memory”

“Four Daughters” Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha

“To Kill a Tiger” Nisha Pahuja, David Oppenheim, Cornelia Principe

“20 Days in Mariupol” Mstyslav Chernov, Derl McCrudden, Michelle Mizner

International Feature

“Society of the Snow” from Spain (Netflix)
dir. J.A. Bayona

“The Teachers’ Lounge” from Germany (Sony Pictures Classics)
dir. İlker Çatak

“The Zone of Interest” from United Kingdom (A24) ***
dir. Jonathan Glazer

“Perfect Days” from Japan
dir. Wim Wenders

“Io Capitano” from Italy
dir.  Matteo Garrone

Animated Short

“Letter to a Pig” Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

“Ninety-Five Senses” Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess

“Our Uniform” Yegane Moghaddam

“Pachyderme” Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

“War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,” Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Documentary Short

“The ABCs of Book Banning” Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic

“The Barber of Little Rock” John Hoffman and Christine Turner

“Island in Between” S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien

“The Last Repair Shop” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

“Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó” Sean Wang and Sam Davis

Live Action Short

“The After” Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

“Invincible” Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

“Knight of Fortune” Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

“Red, White and Blue” Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

“Oppenheimer”, “Poor Things”, “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” lead this year’s Oscar nominations. Oppenheimer’ leads the Oscars race with 13 nominations, ‘Poor Things’ follows With 11 and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ trails close behind with 10. The 96th Oscars ceremony, hosted once again by Jimmy Kimmel, will take place on Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC

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2023 was a year that truly revived

Awards, Entertaintment, Film

Variety and the Golden Globe Awards Breakthrough Artists Party Presented by Adobe was held on Jan 19 in Park City at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. At the event, Variety presented their Breakthrough Awards, which highlight the next generation of exceptional talents in front of and behind the camera. Dylan O’Brien was among this year’s recipients of Breakthrough Artist for his upcoming independent film “Ponyboi.” The category also included Normani who stars in “Freaky Tales,” Maddie Ziegler who stars in “My Old Ass” and Justice Smith who stars in “I Saw the TV Glow,” and “The American Society of Magical Negroes”. The award was presented to him by his friends and co stars Victoria Pedretti and River Gallo who is also the creator of “Ponyboi”.

O’Brien, who got his big break starring alongside Tyler Posey in MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” (2011) has had quite an impressive career on film since the show ended in 2017 so far. While starring in “The Maze Runner” series from 2014 to 2018. O’Brien also starred alongside Michael Keaton in “American Assasin” (2017) and Mark Wahlberg in “Deepwater Horizon” (2016). Before “Teen Wolf”, O’brien had appeared in such films as “The First Time” (2012) and the comedy “The Internship” (2013) alongside Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.

After that Dylan started working in a few indie movies, he appeared in a psychological thriller, “Flashback” (2020) and in Graham Moore’s “The Outfit” (2022) alongside Mark Rylance. In his latest project he work with director David Stassen in a political mockumentary “Maximum Truth” (2023) starring alongside Ike Barinholtz.

 

Apart from a few appearances on TV, as well as his starring role in Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well: The Short Film” alongside Sadie Sink, O’Brien’s focus has mainly been film. Over the past few years, O’Brien has decided to turn his head to more serious roles. He has appeared in a number of independent films with unique plots, playing a variety of lovable, intense, and unusual characters such as “Love and Monsters,” “Not Okay,” “Flashback,” “The Outfit,” and most recently, “Maximum Truth” (2023).

Watch our interview with Dylan on “Not Okay” here

This was O’Brien’s second time at the Sundance Film Festival, his first being back in 2012 when he was there for the premiere of one of his first feature films, “The First Time.” In 2014, O’Brien won the Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Actor, and now a decade later comes his win at the Variety and Golden Globes Breakthrough Awards 2024.

O’Brien is very careful about the projects he chooses; each project he picks has been completely different from the next. We have seen him evolve from the hero stereotype to not knowing what kind of category his character will fall into next or even if he will last the entire movie. In an interview with Collider, O’Brien spoke about his process of choosing the right role and why it was important to him that he not do the same thing twice.

“I don’t wanna be just doing the same thing, over and over again, because that’s not exciting or really fruitful for me, so I am drawn to things that I haven’t like done yet or things that would be a challenge. When you read a script or a piece of material, you respond to it or you don’t, or you get it or you don’t. I always wanna be doing different things, each time out. I’m fortunate enough to have any career at all, and I’m very aware of that and appreciative of that. I wanna do things that also really just inspire me and challenge me, every time out, and allow me to evolve too. I don’t just do this to pass time or to work. I really do love doing it and wanna be good at it and wanna challenge myself, just like anything else.”

In his upcoming film “Ponyboi”, which premiered at Sundance, we see O’Brien like never before, as he stars alongside Victoria Pedretti once again and the film’s writer and director River Gallo in a story that unfolds over the course of Valentine’s Day in New Jersey, as a young intersex sex worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past. He also has the film Caddo Lake coming up, a release date has yet to be set for either.

Watch Dylan O’Brien’s acceptance speech below:

If I told a young Dylan O’Brien that he would be honored at Sundance by Variety and The Golden Globes, while he was filming his iconic True Wannabe video, I wonder what he would say.

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Variety and the Golden Globe Awards Breakthrough

Award Season, Awards, Entertaintment, Music

Music Legend Sir Elton John, has finally achieved EGOT status at the 2024/23 Emmys for his Disney+ special “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” in the outstanding variety special category. He has now won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Elton Could not attend the Awards but released this statement after his win.

“I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight. The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world. Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career, I am incredibly grateful.”

The team behind his now Emmy winning special accepted the award on his behalf. “He’s absolutely fine, but he wanted to send his love and thanks to the Television Academy for this incredible award,” said producer Ben Winston. “We did know this was going to be historic because it was going to win a man who has created the soundtrack to all of our lives. He’s done so much great for society, who is all of our heroes. We didn’t know that it was going to win him an EGOT.”

Elton started his journey to his EGOT status when he won his first Grammy for his part in Dionne & Friends’ “That’s What Friends Are For,” which won best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals. He has since won four more Grammys. He then won his first Oscar in March 1995 when the widely known “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from Disney’s “The Lion King” (which he co-wrote with Tim Rice) won best original song. In 2020 he won his second Oscar in that category for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from the film Rocketman (the biopic based on his life), which he co-wrote with his longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin. He won his first and only Tony to date (best original score) in June 2000 for “Aida”. He and Rice co-wrote the score.

This year “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” was nominated in a highly competitive category which included The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna (Fox), Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (Netflix), The Oscars (ABC) and the 75th Annual Tony Awards (CBS). Elton won his Emmy as both an executive producer and performer on the special, which took him back to the site of his 1975 concert triumph. Other exec producers on the special were Elton’s husband and frequent collaborator David Furnish, Luke Lloyd Davies, Ben Winston, Gabe Turner, Sally Wood, Emma Conway, Lou Fox, Sean Alvarez and R. J. Cutler. John Foy and Paul Dugdale were co-executive producers. Saj Patel and Penny LeVesconte were line producers. All won Primetime Emmys.

Elton’s EGOT win is his latest awards victory in a career packed with milestones. He is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time, and he holds the record for biggest-selling physical single of all time thanks to the 33 million copies sold for “Candle in the Wind 1997.” John’s greatest hits album “Diamonds” was released in 2017 and spent a staggering 300 consecutive weeks in the top 75 of the UK album charts.

This is no easy feat to achieve. As of now only 19 people have achieved competitive EGOT status and six others have done so with honorary or special awards. This includes talents such as Rita Moreno, Audrey Hepburn, Mel Brooks, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more recently John Legend (2018), Alan Menken (2020), Jennifer Hudson (2022), and Viola Davis (2023).

 

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Music Legend Sir Elton John, has finally

Award Season, Entertaintment, Television, TV

Ali Wong and Steven Yeun have been sweeping awards season’s limited season categories for their show Beef, which aired on Netflix in 2023.

In “Beef,” Wong plays Amy, a small business owner wife and mother on the verge of a major deal that would make her a multimillionaire. She runs afoul of Steven Yeun’s Danny in a road rage incident, a hustling contractor not averse to shady dealings. Neither can let go of this encounter and this entwines their lives soon unfolding chaos. The series led the limited-series field with 13 Emmy nominations.

At the 2023 Emmy Awards held on January 15 2024, not only did Ali Wong become a first time Emmy Winner winning the Emmy for best actress in a limited series but she also made history as the first woman of Asian descent to ever win an Emmy for a lead role.

Sandra Oh who is Asian Canadian has been nominated three times in the drama series category, and 13 times in total, including as the executive producer of “Killing Eve.” She was the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated in a lead acting category, for “Killing Eve” in 2018. The haul of nominations for 1981’s Japan-set limited series Shōgun included one for leading lady Yôko Shimada. Asian British actor Archie Panjabi became the first performer of Asian descent to win an acting Emmy for her supporting work in the drama series “The Good Wife” in 2010.

In her acceptance speech Wong took the time to thank her parents and her children after thanking her team behind Beef, “I wouldn’t be standing here without my parents, my amazing parents, my mother and my father who I so wish was alive to share this moment with me,” said Wong “My hilarious father who loved me unconditionally and taught me the value of failure.” She went on to thank her daughters Mari, 8, and Nikki, 6 — whom she shares with ex-husband Justin Hakuta. “To my beautiful daughters, you are my everything and thank you for inspiring me. This is for you.”

Wong received her first Emmy nomination last year, for writing her third comedy special, Ali Wong: Don Wong. Her three Emmy nominations this year include another one for Beef as executive producer as well as best voiceover acting for her animated comedy Tuca & Bertie (that win went to Maya Rudolph for Big Mouth). In 2017 British Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed made history as the first Asian male star to win an acting prize at the Primetime Emmy Awards. Similarly, Wong herself has made history or should I say, herstory.

Wong’s incredible role as Amy Lau in Beef has won her a Golden Globe (another historic first) as well as the Gotham and Critics Choice awards, the Independent Spirit and Screen Actors Guild awards still pending, however Beef’s sweep may continue as there seems to be no stopping the talented Ali Wong this season.

Watch her acceptance speech below:

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Ali Wong and Steven Yeun have been

Film

Francis Ford Coppola took to his social media after observing the performances of his nephew in Pig and Dream Scenario and declared himself a proud uncle.

While Nicolas Cage is loved by the internet for his many meme material, the actor is equally loved for his genuinely acclaimed acting performances. He has been in some of the most beloved movies of yesteryear, with films like The Rock, Face/Off, Con Air and the National Treasure movies. While Cage has been in movies of varying quality due to his need to pay off some of his notorious expenses, he has been able to maintain his artistic integrity by starring in movies like Pig and the recent Dream Scenario. He is set to be seen in the upcoming Longlegs, which just released a chilling teaser.

It was also those recent movies that had compelled Cage’s famous uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, to give his nephew a shoutout on his Instagram. Coppola posted a picture of Cage’s unrecognizable look as his Dream Scenario character and wrote in the post, “My nephew Nicolas always pulls a wonderful performance out of his hat, even as a little kid he could imitate a computer. His work in Michael Sarnoski’s Pig and his most recent performance in Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario is beyond an old Uncle’s praise.”

For those who don’t know, Cage was born Nicolas Coppola. Admirably, when he decided to pursue acting, he wanted to do it on his own merit, so he changed his name to Nicolas Cage, named after the comic book character Luke Cage. Cage is a professed comic fan who even named his son Kal-El.

Cage has always been an actor who was up for acting in a performance that was outside the box. He has continuously remarked how influenced he has been by German expressionist cinema, to the point that it was even satirized in the meta film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. So, the fact that he would imitate a computer as a child is of no surprise, given his repertoire.

When you look at the grand image of his career, Cage has been able to explore many facets of his range. In fact, he recently came to the conclusion that he may not have much more to contribute and teased a retirement of sorts. Last month, he told Vanity,  “I may have three or four more movies left in me. I do feel I’ve said what I’ve had to say with cinema…I think I took film performance as far as I could.”

About the Author

E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.

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Francis Ford Coppola took to his social

TV

The 2024 SAG Awards nominations have been revealed.

Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani announced this year’s nominees on Instagram Live on the SAG Awards and Netflix accounts.

The 30th annual SAG Awards will air live on Netflix on Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET from L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium.

Read on for a full list of this year’s nominees.

Motion Picture Nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
BRADLEY COOPER / Leonard Bernstein – “MAESTRO”
COLMAN DOMINGO / Bayard Rustin – “RUSTIN”
PAUL GIAMATTI / Paul Hunham – “THE HOLDOVERS”
CILLIAN MURPHY / J. Robert Oppenheimer – “OPPENHEIMER”
JEFFREY WRIGHT / Thelonious “Monk” Ellison – “AMERICAN FICTION”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
ANNETTE BENING / Diana Nyad – “NYAD”
LILY GLADSTONE / Mollie Burkhart – “KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON”
CAREY MULLIGAN / Felicia Montealegre – “MAESTRO”
MARGOT ROBBIE / Barbie – “BARBIE”
EMMA STONE / Bella Baxter – “POOR THINGS”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
STERLING K. BROWN / Clifford Ellison – “AMERICAN FICTION”
WILLEM DAFOE / Godwin Baxter – “POOR THINGS”
ROBERT DE NIRO / William Hale – “KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON”
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. / Lewis Strauss – “OPPENHEIMER”
RYAN GOSLING / Ken – “BARBIE”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
EMILY BLUNT / Kitty Oppenheimer – “OPPENHEIMER”
DANIELLE BROOKS / Sofia – “THE COLOR PURPLE”
PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Laura Ferrari – “FERRARI”
JODIE FOSTER / Bonnie Stoll – “NYAD”
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH / Mary Lamb – “THE HOLDOVERS”

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
AMERICAN FICTION
ERIKA ALEXANDER / Coraline
ADAM BRODY / Wiley Valdespino
STERLING K. BROWN / Clifford Ellison
KEITH DAVID / Willy the Wonker
JOHN ORTIZ / Arthur
ISSA RAE / Sintara Golden
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Lisa Ellison
LESLIE UGGAMS / Agnes Ellison
JEFFREY WRIGHT / Thelonious “Monk” Ellison

BARBIE
MICHAEL CERA / Allan
WILL FERRELL / Mattel CEO
AMERICA FERRERA / Gloria
RYAN GOSLING / Ken
ARIANA GREENBLATT / Sasha
KATE MCKINNON / Barbie
HELEN MIRREN / Narrator
RHEA PERLMAN / Ruth
ISSA RAE / Barbie
MARGOT ROBBIE / Barbie

THE COLOR PURPLE
HALLE BAILEY / Young Nettie
FANTASIA BARRINO / Celie
JON BATISTE / Grady
DANIELLE BROOKS / Sofia
CIARA / Nettie
COLMAN DOMINGO / Mister
AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR / Mama
LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. / Ol’ Mister
COREY HAWKINS / Harpo
TARAJI P. HENSON / Shug Avery
PHYLICIA PEARL MPASI / Young Celie
GABRIELLA WILSON “H.E.R.” / Squeak

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
TANTOO CARDINAL / Lizzie Q
ROBERT DE NIRO / William Hale
LEONARDO DICAPRIO / Ernest Burkhart
BRENDAN FRASER / W.S. Hamilton
LILY GLADSTONE / Mollie Burkhart
JOHN LITHGOW / Prosecutor Peter Leaward
JESSE PLEMONS / Tom White

OPPENHEIMER
CASEY AFFLECK / Boris Pash
EMILY BLUNT / Kitty Oppenheimer
KENNETH BRANAGH / Niels Bohr
MATT DAMON / Leslie Groves
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. / Lewis Strauss
JOSH HARTNETT / Ernest Lawrence
RAMI MALEK / David Hill
CILLIAN MURPHY / J. Robert Oppenheimer
FLORENCE PUGH / Jean Tatlock

The Television Program Nominees are:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
MATT BOMER / Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller – “FELLOW TRAVELERS”
JON HAMM / Roy Tillman – “FARGO”
DAVID OYELOWO / Bass Reeves – “LAWMEN: BASS REEVES”
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk – “MR. MONK’S LAST CASE: A MONK MOVIE”
STEVEN YEUN / Danny Cho – “BEEF”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
UZO ADUBA / Edie Flowers – “PAINKILLER”
KATHRYN HAHN / Clare Pierce – “TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS”
BRIE LARSON / Elizabeth Zott – “LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY”
BEL POWLEY / Miep Gies – “A SMALL LIGHT”
ALI WONG / Amy Lau – “BEEF”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
BRIAN COX / Logan Roy – “SUCCESSION”
BILLY CRUDUP / Cory Ellison – “THE MORNING SHOW”
KIERAN CULKIN / Roman Roy – “SUCCESSION”
MATTHEW MACFADYEN / Tom Wambsgans – “SUCCESSION”
PEDRO PASCAL / Joel – “THE LAST OF US”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JENNIFER ANISTON / Alex Levy – “THE MORNING SHOW”
ELIZABETH DEBICKI / Princess Diana – “THE CROWN”
BELLA RAMSEY / Ellie – “THE LAST OF US”
KERI RUSSELL / Kate Wyler – “THE DIPLOMAT”
SARAH SNOOK / Shiv Roy – “SUCCESSION”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
BRETT GOLDSTEIN / Roy Kent – “TED LASSO”
BILL HADER / Barry – “BARRY”
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH / Richard “Richie” Jerimovich – “THE BEAR”
JASON SUDEIKIS / Ted Lasso – “TED LASSO”
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE / Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto – “THE BEAR”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEX BORSTEIN / Susie Myerson – “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL”
RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Miriam “Midge” Maisel – “THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL”
QUINTA BRUNSON / Janine Teagues – “ABBOTT ELEMENTARY”
AYO EDEBIRI / Sydney Adamu – “THE BEAR”
HANNAH WADDINGHAM / Rebecca Welton – “TED LASSO”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CROWN
KHALID ABDALLA / Dodi Fayed
SEBASTIAN BLUNT / Prince Edward
BERTIE CARVEL / Tony Blair
SALIM DAW / Mohamed Al Fayed
ELIZABETH DEBICKI / Princess Diana
LUTHER FORD / Prince Harry
CLAUDIA HARRISON / Princess Anne
LESLEY MANVILLE / Princess Margaret
ED MCVEY / Prince William
JAMES MURRAY / Prince Andrew
JONATHAN PRYCE / Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
IMELDA STAUNTON / Queen Elizabeth II
MARCIA WARREN / Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
DOMINIC WEST / Prince Charles
OLIVIA WILLIAMS / Camilla Parker Bowles

THE GILDED AGE
BEN AHLERS / Jack
ASHLIE ATKINSON / Mamie Fish
CHRISTINE BARANSKI / Agnes van Rhijn
DENÉE BENTON / Peggy Scott
NICOLE BRYDON BLOOM / Maud Beaton
MICHAEL CERVERIS / Watson
CARRIE COON / Bertha Russell
KELLEY CURRAN / Mrs. Winterton
TAISSA FARMIGA / Gladys Russell
DAVID FURR / Dashiell Montgomery
JACK GILPIN / Church
WARD HORTON / Charles Fane
LOUISA JACOBSON / Marian Brook
SIMON JONES / Bannister
SULLIVAN JONES / T. Thomas Fortune
CELIA KEENAN-BOLGER / Mrs. Bruce
NATHAN LANE / Ward McAllister
MATILDA LAWLER / Frances Montgomery
ROBERT SEAN LEONARD / Luke Forte
AUDRA MCDONALD / Dorothy Scott
DEBRA MONK / Armstrong
DONNA MURPHY / Mrs. Astor
KRISTINE NIELSEN / Mrs. Bauer
CYNTHIA NIXON / Ada Brook
KELLI O’HARA / Aurora Fane
PATRICK PAGE / Richard Clay
HARRY RICHARDSON / Larry Russell
TAYLOR RICHARDSON / Bridget
BLAKE RITSON / Oscar van Rhijn
JEREMY SHAMOS / Mr. Gilbert
DOUGLAS SILLS / Borden
MORGAN SPECTOR / George Russell
JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON / Arthur Scott
ERIN WILHELMI / Adelheid

THE LAST OF US
PEDRO PASCAL / Joel
BELLA RAMSEY / Ellie

THE MORNING SHOW
JENNIFER ANISTON / Alex Levy
NICOLE BEHARIE / Christina Hunter
SHARI BELAFONTE / Julia
NESTOR CARBONELL / Yanko Flores
BILLY CRUDUP / Cory Ellison
MARK DUPLASS / Chip Black
JON HAMM / Paul Marks
THEO IYER / Kyle
HANNAH LEDER / Isabella
GRETA LEE / Stella Bak
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Laura Peterson
TIG NOTARO / Amanda Robinson
KAREN PITTMAN / Mia Jordan
REESE WITHERSPOON / Bradley Jackson

SUCCESSION
NICHOLAS BRAUN / Greg Hirsch
JULIANA CANFIELD / Jess Jordan
BRIAN COX / Logan Roy
KIERAN CULKIN / Roman Roy
DAGMARA DOMINCZYK / Karolina Novotney
PETER FRIEDMAN / Frank Vernon
JUSTINE LUPE / Willa
MATTHEW MACFADYEN / Tom Wambsgans
ARIAN MOAYED / Stewy Hosseini
SCOTT NICHOLSON / Colin Stiles
DAVID RASCHE / Karl Muller
ALAN RUCK / Connor Roy
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Lukas Matsson
J. SMITH-CAMERON / Gerri Kellman
SARAH SNOOK / Shiv Roy
FISHER STEVENS / Hugo Baker
JEREMY STRONG / Kendall Roy
ZOË WINTERS / Kerry Castellabate

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
QUINTA BRUNSON / Janine Teagues
WILLIAM STANFORD DAVIS / Mr. Johnson
JANELLE JAMES / Ava Coleman
CHRIS PERFETTI / Jacob Hill
SHERYL LEE RALPH / Barbara Howard
LISA ANN WALTER / Melissa Schemmenti
TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS / Gregory Eddie

BARRY
ANTHONY CARRIGAN / NoHo Hank
SARAH GOLDBERG / Sally Reed
ZACHARY GOLINGER / John
BILL HADER / Barry
ANDRE HYLAND / Jason
FRED MELAMED / Tom Posorro
CHARLES PARNELL / DA Buckner
STEPHEN ROOT / Monroe Fuches
TOBIE WINDHAM / Damian
HENRY WINKLER / Gene Cousineau
ROBERT WISDOM / Jim Moss

THE BEAR
LIONEL BOYCE / Marcus
JOSE CERVANTES JR. / Angel
LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS / Tina
AYO EDEBIRI / Sydney Adamu
ABBY ELLIOTT / Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto
RICHARD ESTERAS / Manny
EDWIN LEE GIBSON / Ebraheim
MOLLY GORDON / Claire
COREY HENDRIX / Sweeps
MATTY MATHESON / Neil Fak
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH / Richard “Richie” Jerimovich
OLIVER PLATT / Jimmy “Cicero” Kalinowski
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE / Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
GERALD CAESAR / Ty
MICHAEL CYRIL CREIGHTON / Howard Morris
LINDA EMOND / Donna
SELENA GOMEZ / Mabel Mora
ALLISON GUINN / K.T.
STEVE MARTIN / Charles-Haden Savage
ASHLEY PARK / Kimber
DON DARRYL RIVERA / Bobo
PAUL RUDD / Ben Glenroy
JEREMY SHAMOS / Dickie Glenroy
MARTIN SHORT / Oliver Putnam
MERYL STREEP / Loretta Durkin
WESLEY TAYLOR / Cliff
JASON VEASEY / Jonathan
JESSE WILLIAMS / Tobert

TED LASSO
ANNETTE BADLAND / Mae Green
KOLA BOKINNI / Isaac McAdoo
EDYTA BUDNIK / Jade
ADAM COLBORNE / Baz Primrose
PHIL DUNSTER / Jamie Tartt
CRISTO FERNÁNDEZ / Dani Rojas
KEVIN “KG” GARRY / Paul La Fleur
BRETT GOLDSTEIN / Roy Kent
BILLY HARRIS / Colin Hughes
ANTHONY HEAD / Rupert Mannion
BRENDAN HUNT / Coach Beard
TOHEEB JIMOH / Sam Obisanya
JAMES LANCE / Trent Crimm
NICK MOHAMMED / Nathan Shelley
JASON SUDEIKIS / Ted Lasso
JEREMY SWIFT / Leslie Higgins
JUNO TEMPLE / Keeley Jones
HANNAH WADDINGHAM / Rebecca Welton
BRONSON WEBB / Jeremy Blumenthal
KATY WIX / Barbara

The Stunt Ensemble Honors Nominees are:
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
BARBIE
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
AHSOKA
BARRY
BEEF
THE LAST OF US
THE MANDALORIAN

More to come.

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The 2024 SAG Awards nominations have been

What to Watch

Another first time guest on the pod this week and another one of Clayton’s women, Jill Chin, joins me and she is great. So much to talk about with Jill as she goes over her time on both Clayton’s season and BIP 8. From producers taking her journal, to her lack of airtime with Clayton, the love triangle in Paradise, the Jacob relationship, what happened with co-hosting “Click Bait” and much, much more. Before that, I talk about what today’s Daily Roundup consisted of including a very important rant I think a lot of people need to be aware of, the Golden Bachelor wedding happening tonight, the contestants on the Challenge calling each other out on social media, and much, much more. Thanks again to Jill for coming on. Been really great having 3 of Clayton’s women on the podcast within the last 6 weeks or so with Cassidy, Lyndsey, and now Jill. We’ll have another one coming up the week of Joey’s premiere, so look forward to that as well.

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


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts,RSS, Stitcher, Spotify
Music written by Jimmer Podrasky
(B’Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI)

(SPOILERS) I begin by talking about my rant from the Daily Roundup, Golden Bachelor wedding tonight, The Challenge and more. Then Jill joins me (7:56) to go over her time on Clayton’s season, BIP 8, the love triangle, Jacob, co-hosting “Click Bait” and what happened with that, her life post-Bachelor, & much, much more.

Instagram – @jillchin_

(SPOILERS) Your Daily Roundup covers a rant that needs to be heard about journalism and trolls, the Reality Steve merch line is coming, the Golden Bachelor wedding tonight, & The Challenge is messier on social media than on the show.

You can listen to that podcast on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in here:


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts,RSS, Stitcher, Spotify
Music written by Jimmer Podrasky
(B’Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI)

Send all links and emails to: steve@realitysteve.com. To follow me on Twitter, it’s: www.twitter.com/RealitySteve. Instagram name is RealitySteve, or join my Reality Steve Facebook Fan Page. Talk to you tomorrow.






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Music

Don’t adjust your screens! You’re not seeing double. It’s just Margot Robbie and Emily Blunt dressed almost exactly the same at the same event, with nearly identical styling to boot.

For the 14th Governor’s Awards on January 9, both actors wore sleek black column dresses with white crystal details at the neckline. Adding to the double-vision illusion, both Robbie and Blunt accessorized with diamond pendant earrings, wore their hair in similar vintage-style curls, and opted for classic soft-glam makeup.

Emma McIntyre

Obviously, Robbie and Blunt did not literally wear the same dress. Robbie’s gown, by Celine, featured a deep V-neck with ruching at the bust and understated cutouts revealing a peak of ab. Blunt’s Miu Miu gown also featured a plunging neckline, but went more dramatic with the crystal detailing, with an elaborate decorative piece that mimicked the effect of a large necklace.

Emily Blunt

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

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Don't adjust your screens! You're not seeing

Docs

Lights, camera, action! The future of filmmaking is here, and it’s time to grab a front-row seat. Ours is a fast-paced industry, staying ahead of the game is essential. And that means keeping a close eye on emerging trends. Looking into the crystal ball, we predict five game-changing trends that will dominate the film world in 2024.

First on the list is the rise of virtual reality (VR) in film production. With immersive experiences becoming more accessible, filmmakers are harnessing the power of VR to transport audiences into their stories like never before. Next, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the editing process, enabling filmmakers to streamline workflows and achieve stunning visual effects with ease.

Additionally, the demand for diverse storytelling is gaining momentum. Audiences are hungry for narratives that represent the rich tapestry of the human experience, prompting filmmakers to embrace fresh perspectives and challenge traditional norms. Furthermore, the democratisation of filmmaking tools and distribution platforms empowers aspiring filmmakers to turn their visions into reality, sparking a creative renaissance.

Lastly, sustainability is taking centre stage. With an increasing focus on environmental consciousness, filmmakers are adopting eco-friendly practices and incorporating sustainability themes into their stories.

Brace yourself for an exciting journey into the future of filmmaking! These trends are set to redefine the industry in 2024 and beyond.

Trend 1: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in filmmaking

Virtual reality and augmented reality are transforming the way stories are told on the big screen. With the advancements in technology, filmmakers are now able to create immersive experiences that transport audiences into their narratives. Through the use of VR headsets, viewers can step into the shoes of the characters and fully immerse themselves in the story.

Not only does virtual reality enhance the cinematic experience, but it also opens up new possibilities for storytelling. Filmmakers can now create interactive narratives where the audience can influence the outcome of the story through their choices. This level of interactivity brings a new dimension to storytelling, making it a truly immersive and participatory experience for the viewers.

Augmented reality, on the other hand, allows filmmakers to overlay digital elements onto the real world. This technology has the potential to revolutionise the way films are made, as it enables seamless integration of computer-generated effects into real-life scenes. With AR, filmmakers can create stunning visual effects that seamlessly blend with the physical environment, creating a more believable and engaging experience for the audience.

The future of filmmaking lies in the hands of virtual and augmented reality, and we can expect to see more innovative uses of these technologies in 2024 and beyond. Check out the Immersive Strand at Raindance Film festival.

Trend 2: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in film production

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are revolutionising the film industry, particularly in the post-production stage. With the help of AI-powered editing software, filmmakers can automate repetitive tasks, such as color grading and audio syncing, saving valuable time and resources.

In addition to streamlining workflows, AI also enables filmmakers to achieve stunning visual effects with ease. Machine learning algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data and generate realistic computer-generated imagery (CGI) that seamlessly blends with the real footage. This not only reduces the cost of creating visual effects but also opens up new possibilities for filmmakers to bring their visions to life.

AI is not limited to post-production; it is also being used in pre-production to assist with scriptwriting and storyboarding. Machine learning algorithms can analyze patterns in successful films and provide insights to filmmakers, helping them create compelling narratives that resonate with the audience.

As AI continues to evolve, we can expect filmmakers to leverage its power in innovative ways, pushing the boundaries of creativity and storytelling in the film industry.

Trend 3: Live streaming and interactive experiences for audiences

The rise of live streaming platforms has transformed the way audiences consume content. With platforms like Twitch and YouTube Live, filmmakers can now connect with their audience in real-time and create interactive experiences.

Live streaming allows filmmakers to engage with their audience on a whole new level. They can share behind-the-scenes footage, host live Q&A sessions, and even premiere their films to a global audience. This direct interaction with the audience not only builds a loyal fan base but also provides valuable feedback and insights for future projects.

In addition to live streaming, interactive experiences are gaining popularity among filmmakers. By incorporating choose-your-own-adventure elements into their films, filmmakers can give the audience the power to shape the story. This level of engagement creates a sense of ownership and investment in the narrative, making it a truly personaliesd experience for each viewer.

The future of filmmaking is all about creating immersive and interactive experiences for the audience. With live streaming and interactive storytelling, filmmakers can create a deeper connection with their audience and redefine the way films are consumed.

Trend 4: Personalised and immersive storytelling techniques

Gone are the days of passive storytelling; audiences now crave personalised and immersive experiences. Filmmakers are embracing new techniques to create narratives that resonate with each individual viewer.

One such technique is personalised storytelling, where filmmakers tailor the narrative based on the viewer’s preferences and choices. By collecting data on the viewer’s interests and previous viewing habits, filmmakers can create customised versions of their films. This enables the ability to offer a unique experience to each viewer. This level of personalisation not only enhances the viewer’s engagement but also increases the likelihood of repeat viewings.

Another technique that is gaining traction is immersive storytelling. Filmmakers are using innovative technologies like 360-degree cameras and virtual reality to create immersive experiences that go beyond the traditional screen. These techniques allow the audience to be fully immersed in the story, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

By embracing personalised and immersive storytelling techniques, filmmakers can create truly unforgettable experiences for their audience, setting the stage for the future of filmmaking.

Trend 5: Sustainability and eco-friendly practices in the film industry

As the world becomes increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of various industries, the film industry is also taking steps towards sustainability. Filmmakers are embracing eco-friendly practices and incorporating sustainability themes into their stories.

One aspect of sustainability in filmmaking is the reduction of carbon emissions. By adopting energy-efficient practices and using renewable energy sources, filmmakers can minimise their carbon footprint. Additionally, the use of digital technologies, such as virtual sets and green screens, can reduce the need for physical sets and location shooting, further reducing the environmental impact.

Filmmakers are also using their storytelling skills to raise awareness about environmental issues. By incorporating sustainability themes into their films, they can educate and inspire audiences to take action towards a more sustainable future.

The future of filmmaking is not only about entertaining the audience but also about making a positive impact on the world. By embracing eco-friendly practices and promoting sustainability, filmmakers can be catalysts for change and drive the industry towards a greener future.

The impact of these trends on the filmmaking industry

The five trends discussed above will have a profound impact on the filmmaking industry in 2023 and beyond. These trends are reshaping the way films are made, distributed, and consumed, creating new opportunities and challenges for filmmakers.

The rise of virtual reality and augmented reality will transform the cinematic experience, allowing filmmakers to create immersive and interactive narratives that transport the audience into the story. This level of immersion will not only enhance the viewer’s engagement but also open up new possibilities for storytelling.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning will streamline workflows and enable filmmakers to achieve stunning visual effects with ease. The automation of repetitive tasks will save time and resources, allowing filmmakers to focus on the creative aspects of filmmaking.

Live streaming and interactive experiences will redefine the relationship between filmmakers and the audience. Filmmakers can now connect with their audience in real-time, engage with them on a deeper level, and create personalised experiences that resonate with each individual viewer.

Personalised and immersive storytelling techniques will revolutionise the way films are consumed. Filmmakers can now tailor the narrative based on the viewer’s preferences and create immersive experiences that go beyond the traditional screen.

Lastly, sustainability and eco-friendly practices will become an integral part of the film industry. Filmmakers will adopt eco-friendly practices and incorporate sustainability themes into their stories, making a positive impact on the world.

Challenges and opportunities for filmmakers in embracing these trends

While these trends present exciting opportunities for filmmakers, they also come with their fair share of challenges. Embracing new technologies and techniques can be daunting. Filmmakers will need to adapt to these changes to stay relevant in the industry.

One of the challenges filmmakers may face is the learning curve associated with new technologies. Virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence require specialised skills and knowledge. Filmmakers will need to invest time and resources in training themselves and their teams to effectively utilise thesestechnologies.

Another challenge is the cost associated with implementing these trends. VR and AR equipment can be expensive, and AI-powered software may require substantial investment. Filmmakers will need to carefully assess the return on investment and weigh the potential benefits against the costs.

Despite these challenges, embracing these trends also presents filmmakers with exciting opportunities. The democratisation of filmmaking tools and distribution platforms allows aspiring filmmakers to turn their visions into reality. With accessible technology and online platforms, filmmakers can reach a global audience and gain recognition for their work.

Moreover, the demand for diverse storytelling provides an opportunity for filmmakers to challenge traditional norms. It’s how to bring fresh perspectives to the screen. By embracing diversity and inclusivity, filmmakers can create narratives that resonate with a wide range of audiences.

How filmmakers can prepare for the future of filmmaking

To prepare for the future of filmmaking, filmmakers need to stay informed and adaptable. Keeping up with the latest trends and technologies in the industry is crucial to stay ahead of the game.

Networking and collaboration are also essential in the film industry. By connecting with other filmmakers, attending industry events, and joining professional organisations, filmmakers can stay updated on the latest trends. Most importantly, it’s by networking one builds relationships that may lead to future collaborations. It’s a people industry.

Investing in training and acquiring new skills is another important step in preparing for the future. Filmmakers should stay curious and continuously expand their knowledge in areas such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.

Lastly, embracing a mindset of experimentation and innovation will be key to success in the future of filmmaking. Filmmakers should be open to trying new techniques, exploring new storytelling formats, and pushing the boundaries of creativity.

Did You Know?

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Lights, camera, action! The future of filmmaking

Global

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted to mistakes by the U.S. plane manufacturer and vowed incidents like the mid-air panel blowout last week can “never happen again.”

Calhoun made the remarks to staff at a town hall Tuesday as more than 170 of its 737 Max 9 jets remain grounded in light of the Alaska Airlines incident on Jan. 5.

“We’re going to approach this, No. 1, acknowledging our mistake. We are going to approach it with 100 per cent, complete transparency, every step of the way. We’re going to work with the NTSB, who is investigating the accident itself, to find out what the root cause is,” Calhoun said.

The NTSB refers to the National Transportation Safety Board in the U.S., a government agency responsible for determining the causes of aviation accidents or incidents.

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“The FAA, who has to now deal with the airline customers who want their airplanes back in service safely, but make sure all the procedures are put in place, inspections, all the readiness actions that are required to ensure every next airplane that goes into the sky is, in fact, safe and that this event can never happen again.”


Click to play video: 'Door which flew off Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight found in Oregon backyard'


Door which flew off Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight found in Oregon backyard


Calhoun’s remarks were Boeing’s first public acknowledgment of errors since a so-called door plug snapped off the fuselage of the Alaska Airlines flight, leaving a gaping hole next to a miraculously empty seat.


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He said he had been shaken “to the bone” by the accident, which rekindled pressure on Boeing over its troubled small plane fleet of MAX 9 aircraft almost five years after a global MAX 8 safety crisis sparked by deadly crashes stemming from air speed sensor problems in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

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Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two U.S. carriers that use the temporarily grounded MAX 9 planes, have found loose parts on similar aircraft, raising fears such an incident could have happened again. Canadian airlines including Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing Airlines, Flair Airlines and Lynx Air all say they don’t fly the 737 MAX 9, but some have codeshare agreements with airlines that do fly them.

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Boeing shares fell 1.4 per cent on Tuesday as United cancelled 225 daily flights, or eight per cent of its total, while Alaska Airlines cancelled 109, or 18 per cent. Similar cancellations were expected on Wednesday.


Click to play video: 'How grounding Boeing Max jets could impact global travel'


How grounding Boeing Max jets could impact global travel


Calhoun praised the Alaska Airlines crew that swiftly landed the plane, with only minor injuries to the 171 passengers and six crew.

“We have a communications task with all of our customers. … We’re going to have to demonstrate by our actions, our willingness to work directly and transparently with them to make sure they understand that every airplane Boeing has its name on, that’s in the sky is, in fact, safe,” he said.

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“We will see our way through that, but we need to know we’re starting from a very anxious moment with our customers, and we simply have to have to deal with that reality.”

— with files from The Canadian Press and Reuters

&copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun admitted to mistakes