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Prosecutors in the Jonathan Majors case have revealed a previously unreported incident involving London police, which they believe is relevant to their domestic violence allegations.

Majors was arrested on March 25 in Manhattan and is accused of assault and aggravated harassment following an alleged domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.

In a new, 115-page filing obtained by Variety, prosecutors say they are attempting to get a copy of a London Metropolitan Police report from September 2022. While it is unclear what that report contains, the filing references medical care obtained by Jabbari at that time. Jabbari is a citizen of the U.K., and Majors was in London during that period, filming season two of the Disney+ Marvel series “Loki.”

This development comes a day before Majors has to return to court for his domestic violence case. Wednesday’s court appearance is expected to be one of the final pre-trial hearings before the judge rules on whether to proceed with or dismiss the case.

The lengthy filing from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is in response to the actor’s motion to dismiss the case. It does not entirely lay out the D.A.’s case, though it is intended to provide enough detail to move the case toward trial. The filing also alleges that Majors’ legal team has leaked and misrepresented court evidence, as well as attempted to have police create a wanted poster with Jabbari’s photo. It also dismisses the idea that the D.A. has any plans to charge Jabbari with domestic violence alleged by Majors, contradicting recent media reports that claimed such an action was imminent.

The document also offers new details on the events that led to Majors’ arrest. On March 25, he and Jabbari were taking a private car service from a Brooklyn party to their Chelsea apartment, according to the filing. Jabbari, who worked as a movement coach alongside Majors on Disney’s Marvel tentpole “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” saw a text message on Majors’ phone that read, “Wish I was kissing you right now.”

She allegedly took the phone out of his hands to see who sent the message. Majors then “began grabbing the right side of Ms. Jabbari’s body and prying Ms. Jabbari’s right middle finger off the phone, causing bruising, swelling, and substantial pain.” The filing continues, saying that Majors “then grabbed Ms. Jabbari’s arm and right hand and proceeded to twist Ms. Jabbari’s forearm, causing substantial pain to her finger and arm. The defendant then struck Ms. Jabbari’s right ear, causing a laceration to the back of her ear and substantial pain.”

After he retrieved his phone, Majors exited the vehicle and Jabbari attempted to follow the actor. That’s when “the defendant grabbed her, picked her up, and threw her back inside … [and] sustained substantial pain, including a fractured finger, bruising about her body, a laceration behind her right ear, and a bump on her head,” according to the filing.

The filing calls into question a number of media leaks that paint Jabbari as the aggressor. In the time since the arrest, Majors’ criminal defense lawyer Priya Chaudhry has alleged that it was Jabbari who assaulted Majors, and “not the other way around.” Chaudhry also called the case a “witch hunt,” one that is “saturated with explicit and implicit bias.” Majors has pleaded not guilty to the four charges leveled against him; a fifth charge of strangulation was dropped.

Majors’ lawyers have previously alleged there’s a video that shows “at least one bystander […] called 911 and that an NYPD patrol car responded to the location,” and the defense has “been informed that the NYPD possesses at least one other 911 call from the scene of the altercation.”

But the state is casting doubt on this depiction of events. The D.A.’s filing says an unrelated taxi was pulled over nearby and police were called. “This taxi is not in any way involved with the case,” the filing says. It also alleges there were “no other radio runs, sprint reports or 911 calls from the scene of the incident that night.”

Chaudhry has maintained that there is evidence clearing Majors of any wrongdoing, including surveillance video that shows Jabbari “completely unharmed” after the defendant’s alleged assault. But the new filing counters this assertion, saying the “surveillance video referred to by the defense actually shows Ms. Jabbari visibly upset, crying, and seeking help from strangers to get an Uber cab home.”

Majors’ team has contended that the D.A. is withholding relevant information. However, the filing says the D.A. disclosed “a substantial amount of discovery” that included NYPD memo books, phone records, medical records, signed search warrants and related affidavits for the defendant’s iCloud and phone, surveillance video from eight locations and witness interview notes from nine individuals.”

The Manhattan’s D.A. office declined to comment. Majors’ attorneys also declined to comment.

In the wake of allegations against Majors, the Emmy nominee for HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” was dropped by his PR team at the Lede Company, as well as his management, Entertainment 360. WME still represents the actor. He’s been cut from the feature film “The Man in My Basement” as part of the fallout, though “Magazine Dreams,” a drama about a troubled bodybuilder, is still slated to be released in December.

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Prosecutors in the Jonathan Majors case have

Steven Weisberg, who edited films for directors like Alfonso Cuarón, Barry Sonnenfeld, Rodrigo García and others, has died at the age of 68.

Weisberg died on Oct. 16 at the Motion Picture and Television County House and Hospital. His ex-wife, Susan Ellicott, announced his death to The Hollywood Reporter. He was living at the Woodland Hills facility, receiving treatment for the last five years for early onset Alzheimer’s. He received that diagnosis at the age of 55.

Born in New York City on Jan. 16, 1955, Steven Charles Weisberg attended Syracuse University and Binghamton University. He began working as an editor in the 1980s, receiving his first credit as an associate editor on “Gaby: A True Story” in 1987.  

He would work with Cuarón on “A Little Princess” in 1995, “Great Expectations” in 1998 and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” in 2004. Along with those films, he cut Barry Sonnenfeld’s Fox pilot for a live-action version of “The Tick” in 2001, along with Sonnenfeld’s features “Big Trouble” and “Men in Black II.” Both movies opened in 2002.  

Along with editing films like “The Cable Guy, “Permanent Midnight,” “Nurse Betty,” “I Am David,” “The Producers,” “Man of the Year” and “Mr. Magnorium’s Wonder Emporium” in the 1990s and 2000s, he would start Lush Meadow Productions in 2008. Among his final films as an editor were “Morning Glory” in 2010, “Albert Noobs” in 2011 and “Hope Springs” in 2012.  

He was married to Susan Ellicott from 1996 to 2008, and he is survived by her along with his sons Nathaniel and Joseph.  

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Steven Weisberg, who edited films for directors

Broadway box office held steady last week with total grosses for 28 shows tallying up to $28,106,860, with 224,832 ticket buyers paying an average $125.01 per seat.

A healthy chunk of those total numbers were contributed by such recent arrivals as Merrily We Roll Along (grossing, for its sold-out week ending Oct. 22, $1,820,753, another house record at the Hudson Theatre) and Gutenberg! The Musical, which had its best week to date with a take of $932,436 at the James Earl Jones, that despite significant post-opening press comps.

(Gutenberg!, starring Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, has been surprising audiences with special unbilled appearances near the end of each performance, secret cameos that might not contribute to box office but can’t hurt word of mouth enthusiasm: Following Nathan Lane’s appearance on opening night, the cameos last week included Ashley Park, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Stamos, Rory O’Malley, Christian Slater, Amber Ruffin and, in a stroke of some kinda genius, Steve Guttenberg, who briefly took the stage last Friday night.)

Merrily We Roll Along reported another significant number: Its average ticket price was $235.60, well above the total Broadway average of $125.01 and with runners-up Hamilton and Sweeney Todd trailing at, respectively, $168.37 and $166.03 (Hamilton‘s average ticket price was impacted by a bargain priced Wednesday student matinee on Oct. 18).

Some other notable numbers:

  • I Need That, starring Danny DeVito, took in $572,840 for seven previews at the American Airlines Theatre, with attendance at 93.2% of capacity;
  • Harmony, the Barry Manilow-Bruce Sussman musical, began previews at the Ethel Barrymore, filling 83% of seats for six performances and grossing $491,766. Opening night is Nov. 13;
  • Back to the Future filled 92% of seats at the Winter Garden, grossing $1,257,898;
  • Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, a production of the nonprofit subscription-based Manhattan Theatre Club, filled 98% at the Friedman, with a modest $69.44 average ticket tallying up to a gross of $348,453;
  • Here Lies Love filled 79% of seats at the Broadway, grossing $690,574.

Not all of the recent arrivals were coming anywhere near sell-out status, though. The Cottage starring Eric McCormack and Laura Bell Bundy, was at 75% of capacity and grossed $358,532. Melissa Etheridge: My Window filled only 57% of seats at Circle in the Square, grossing $231,628 for five performances; Purlie Victorious filled 63% of seats at the Music Box; and The Shark is Broken was at 61% of capacity at the Golden.

Topping the roster in grosses was, as usual, The Lion King, taking $2,063,215 at the Minskoff.

Season to date, Broadway has grossed $625,894,563 – about 2% more than last year at this time – with total attendance of 5,131,476, about 7% more than last year.

All figures courtesy of The Broadway League. For complete box office listings, visit the League’s website.

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Broadway box office held steady last week

Published By: Saurabh Verma

Last Updated: October 24, 2023, 23:41 IST

Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum], India

Vinayakan has been taken to a nearby hospital for the necessary medical examination.

The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station in the evening, where he was summoned by the police after he allegedly created some issues at his apartment

Kerala police on Tuesday arrested ‘Jailer’ actor Vinayakan for allegedly raising a ruckus at a police station in Kochi in an inebriated state.

The actor allegedly caused a commotion at the Ernakulam Town North police station in the evening, where he was summoned by the police after he allegedly created some issues at his apartment.

He was arrested for making trouble at the police station, a senior police officer said. “He has been taken to a nearby hospital for the necessary medical examination,” the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

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Published By: Saurabh VermaLast Updated: October

He ain’t nothing but a gossip dog! Elliott Gould says Elvis Presley was keen to discuss the Oscar nominee’s infamous split from Barbra Streisand when they briefly met in the 1970s.

The “M*A*S*H” and “Ocean’s 11” actor and musical theater veteran, who said he had always wanted to meet the music superstar, got his chance when he arranged a face-to-face at one of the musician’s Las Vegas shows at the International Hotel. But when they finally met, the “Hound Dog” singer didn’t want to talk music or art as Gould had hoped. Instead, it was Streisand who was top of mind.

“He said to me, ‘Why did you and Barbra break up? You’re two of my favorite people,’” the 85-year-old recalled in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

Taken aback by the Presley’s inquiry, Gould said he replied: “Shut up, Elvis.”

Don’t meet your heroes, kids.

The actor was accompanied by his “California Split” co-writer Joseph Walsh for the occasion and Gould recalled how when Presley opened the door to his dressing room, they were met by Elvis’ father, Vernon; his manager, Col. Tom Parker; and a gold-gilded .45 handgun in the singer’s belt. The film star recognized that their encounter was fleeting, and at one point — when Vernon Presley and Parker left the room — the counterculture icon tried to give the music superstar some sage advice.

“He said, ‘Hey, man, you’re crazy,’” Gould said. “I said, ‘I ain’t crazy, Elvis. I’m scared just like you. Your daddy and the Colonel aren’t going to let us be alone for too long. You’re a cash cow to these people. Why don’t you come out and just be free, just be a free spirit? Leave Elvis here and come out and be free.’”

It’s unclear how Presley responded, but the star ultimately met his fate in 1977 when he died of a heart attack at age 42.

Understandably, even King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was consumed by the dissolution of Gould and Streisand’s marriage. The ultra-famous pair had been a Hollywood “it” couple for years after they met and co-starred in the Broadway musical “I Can Get It for You Wholesale.” Streisand, Gould has said, recited her phone number at the end of her audition for a callback. Instead, the call eventually came from him. He was 23 and she was 19 at the time.

They wed in 1963 and had a son, Jason, before they divorced in 1971 as Streisand’s career was taking off.

“It was difficult to be married to someone who was married to their success,” Gould told the Independent in 2012. “I was very young, she was very young, and we went as far as we could together.”

When asked why they split, Gould said, “We had to.”

“It’s all been written and everything has been said but … fame and fortune are not the answer,” he told Fox News Digital. “If there wasn’t peace and harmony, I was going to have a lot of problems. … But the real question is not why we grew apart, but how could we have grown apart?”

The “Friends” and “Ray Donovan” alum added that he and Streisand, who both remarried and had more kids, now have “a special and unique relationship”: “She’s family. She’s the mother of my son. My children are no errors. I’m devoted to my children and their mother(s).”

The “A Star Is Born” singer and “Funny Girl” star’s take on the split might be one of the many topics she touches on in her long-awaited memoir, “My Name Is Barbra,” which is due Nov. 7.

Meanwhile, Gould is currently making the rounds to promote his upcoming TCM Classic Cruise, a weeklong vacation for classic-film cinephiles that sets sail on the Disney Magic on Nov. 6. The former counterculture icon will introduce two of his most acclaimed films onboard: 1973’s “The Long Goodbye” and 1974’s “California Split.”

The “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice” Oscar nominee will be joined by his fellow classic film stars Kim Novak, George Chakiris, Lorna Luft and filmmaker Ernest Dickerson. The ship sets sail from San Diego with stops in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

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He ain’t nothing but a gossip

The Marvels‘ (aka Captain Marvel 2) newly confirmed runtime just set an MCU record. 

Set to arrive in theaters on Friday, November 10, the sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel reunites Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury while also bringing two MCU Disney+ stars, Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Paris’ Monica Rambeau, to the big screen. 

However, in the case of this Captain Marvel story, higher, further, faster doesn’t necessarily mean longer.

The Marvels’ Record Runtime Confirmed

Marvel

Disney has now confirmed that The Marvels’ runtime is, in fact, 1 hour and 45 minutes, breaking the record for the shortest MCU movie to date. 

While this was expected thanks to cinema listings, this is the first time Disney verified the Marvel Studios film’s length. 

Not only is Captain Marvel 2 eight minutes shorter than The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World, both of which were previously the shortest movies in the MCU library, but the film is 18 minutes shorter than the original Captain Marvel film. 

The runtimes of all Marvel Studios movies to date are listed below in order of shortest to longest:

  • The Incredible Hulk – 1 hour, 52 minutes
  • Thor: The Dark World – 1 hour, 52 minutes
  • Thor – 1 hour, 55 minutes
  • Doctor Strange – 1 hour, 55 minutes
  • Ant-Man – 1 hour, 57 minutes
  • Ant-Man & the Wasp – 1 hour, 58 minutes
  • Thor: Love and Thunder – 1 hour, 59 minutes
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – 2 hours, 1 minute
  • Captain Marvel – 2 hours, 3 minutes
  • Iron Man 2 – 2 hours, 4 minutes
  • Captain America: The First Avenger – 2 hours, 4 minutes
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – 2 hours, 5 minutes
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – 2 hours, 6 minutes
  • Iron Man – 2 hours, 6 minutes
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home – 2 hours, 9 minutes
  • Iron Man 3 – 2 hours, 10 minutes
  • Thor: Ragnarok – 2 hours, 10 minutes
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 2 hours, 12 minutes
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming – 2 hours, 13 minutes
  • Black Panther – 2 hours, 14 minutes
  • Black Widow – 2 hours, 14 minutes
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 2 hours, 16 minutes
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – 2 hours, 16 minutes
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron – 2 hours, 21 minutes
  • The Avengers – 2 hours, 23 minutes
  • Captain America: Civil War – 2 hours, 27 minutes
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home – 2 hours, 28 minutes
  • Avengers: Infinity War – 2 hours, 29 minutes
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – 2 hours, 29 minutes
  • Eternals – 2 hours, 36 minutes
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – 2 hours, 41 minutes
  • Avengers: Endgame – 3 hours, 1 minute

What The Marvels’ Runtime Means

The Marvels‘ record-breaking length isn’t just surprising but concerning. 

Some of the most successful MCU films have been the franchise’s longest, not the shortest. And, unlike the original Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel 2 is an ensemble featuring three heroes as opposed to one. 

It’s also worth noting that fan confidence in Marvel Studios and its Phase 5 slate has considerably cooled in light of recent disappointments and studio restructuring. 

Still, neither recent events nor the film’s surprising brevity confirm that The Marvels will be a disappointing film. 

Yes, the film has three leads; but MCU fans already know these compelling characters and their stories, allowing The Marvels to hit the ground running and whisk audiences along for the ride.

The shorter length might also mean a more concentrated, character-driven plot instead of Marvel Studios’ penchant for subplots and set-ups. 

Regardless, how Captain Marvel 2‘s record runtime plays with audiences – and how it stacks up against prior MCU films – will be fascinating to see. 


The Marvels arrives in theaters on Friday, November 10.

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It seems like having a stageplay adaptation is the new horizon for popular IP. First, we saw a The Lord of the Rings musical emerge, then a Stranger Things play came to life, and it’s even going to have an impact on the future of the television series. Next up, a The Hunger Games play is heading to the stage in London. Between this new play and a big-screen prequel movie coming in November, it’s a good time to be a The Hunger Games fan. Here’s what we know so far about The Hunger Games on Stage.

What Is The Hunger Games Play About?

Firstly, what is this The Hunger Games play about? Well, even though The Hunger Games on Stage might have been an interesting venue to explore other Hunger Games in the franchise, it looks like this play adaptation will tell a familiar story.

WestEndTheatre.com shares:

In a dystopian future, The Hunger Games ignite a thrilling battle for survival, where 24 young tributes are pitted against each other in a deadly arena. Katniss Everdeen, a fearless and resourceful heroine, emerges as a symbol of rebellion as she fights not only for her life but for the hope of a nation oppressed by a ruthless Capitol.

Although the above synopsis doesn’t make it clear whether The Hunger Games on Stage will cover all three of The Hunger Games‘ main books or if it will stop with the first one, a release for the show further clarifies the scope of the play. It notes, “The Hunger Games on Stage…will adapt the first book from Suzanne Collins’ epic series and the first film from Lionsgate’s iconic dystopian film franchise for this live theatrical production.” There you have it.

The Hunger Games on Stage‘s Creative Team

Olivier Award-winning playwright Conor McPherson will pen this stageplay. Additionally, “The show will be directed by Matthew Dunster (Shirley Valentine, 2:22 – A Ghost Story, The Pillowman), with a creative team that also includes Miriam Buether (set designer), Moi Tran (costume designer), Charlotte Broom (choreographer), Lucy Carter (lighting designer), Ian Dickinson for Autograph (sound designer), Tal Rosner (video designer), Kev McCurdy (fight director), John Maddox for Suspended Illusions (performer flying), Amy Ball (casting director), and Gary Beestone (production manager).”

Lionsgate also has a hand in this play, so, as mentioned above, we can expect direct nods to the movies as well as the books.

The Hunger Games Play Cast and Release Date

The Hunger Games on Stage is a play coming to London, Effie and Katniss
Lionsgate

There is no word yet on who will be cast in this The Hunger Games play, nor when exactly it will release on stage.

However, we do know that The Hunger Games on Stage will premiere in London in fall 2024.

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It seems like having a stageplay adaptation

Tera Raid Battle events are still going strong in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and to celebrate the spooky season, players are being treated to none other than Generation IV’s Mismagius. The Ghost Tera-type Pokemon will appear in five-star Tera Raid Battles from October 27, 2023, from 00:00 to October 31, 2023, until 23:59 UTC. 

Once you’ve battled Mismagius, you’ll receive a load of Rare Candy as a reward. It can’t be called a Halloween event without a sweet treat reward now, can it?

Alongside the special Tera Raid Battle, Ghost-type Pokemon will also appear more frequently in the overworld during the event.

Remember that to participate in Tera Raid Battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, you must have the latest version of the Poké Portal News in the game and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to connect to the internet.

Because Mismagius is a 5-Star Tera Raid, this also means that you’ll need to have beaten the game’s main story and rolled the credits to access the spooky battle, as 5-Stars don’t unlock until the post-game in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Once the credits are over and you’re back in the game, you’ll get a phone call from Jacq and get access to 5-Star Tera Raids.

About the Author

Laura Malva

A writer and artist. In love with RPGs, SRPGs and rhythm games. A huge nerd and also a hopeless romantic! Her passion lies in stories so if she’s always either creating, consuming or imagining them.

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Tera Raid Battle events are still going

The International Documentary Association announced the 17 feature-length and 25 short documentaries included on the shortlists for the 39th IDA Documentary Awards, which will be held during the week of Dec. 11in Los Angeles.

The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21, and IDA members will vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary until Dec. 5.

“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s Interim Executive Director. “This year’s Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”

The 2023 shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.

Best Feature Documentary Shortlist

Against the Tide (India | BBC Storyville | Director: Sarvnik Kaur | Producer: Koval Bhatia, Sarvnik Kaur)

ANHELL69 (Colombia | Square Eyes | Director: Theo Montoya | Producers: Bianca Oana, David Hurst, Theo Montoya, Juan Pablo Castrillon, Balthasar Busmann, Maximilian Haslberger) 

Anonymous Sister (United States | Long Shot Factory | Director: Jamie Boyle | Producers: Marilyn Ness, Elizabeth Westrate, Jamie Boyle)

Apolonia, Apolonia (Denmark | HBO Max | Director: Lea Glob | Producer: Sidsel Lønvig Siersted)

Bobi Wine: The People’s President (Uganda | National Geographic Documentary Films | Directors: Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp | Producers:  Christopher Sharp, John Battsek)

De Humani Corporis Fabrica (France | Grasshopper Film | Directors: Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor | Producers: Valentina Novati, Charles Gillibert, Pauline Gygax, Max Karli, Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor)

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (United States | HBO Documentary Films | Directors: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster | Producers: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster, Tommy Oliver)

In The Rearview (Poland | Cinephil | Director: Maciek Hamela | Producer: Maciek Hamela, Piotr Grawender)

Milisuthando (South Africa | Director: Milisuthando Bongela | Producer: Marion Isaacs, Viviana Gomez, Sonia Barrera, Milisuthando Bongela, Hankyeol Lee)

Motherland (Sweden | Lightdox | Director: Alexander Mihalkovich & Hanna Badziaka | Producer: Mario Adamson, Ashley J. Smith, Alexander Mihalkovich, Anita Norfolk)

Nathan-ism (United States | Director: Elan Golod | Producer: Elan Golod, Melanie Vi Levy)

Q (United States | Director: Jude Chehab | Producer: Jude Chehab, Fahd Ahmed)

Rewind & Play (France | Grasshopper Film | Director: Alain Gomis | Producers: Anouk Khélifa, Arnaud Dommerc)

The Mother of All Lies (Morocco | Arizona Distribution | Director: Asmae El Moudir | Producer: Asmae El Moudir)

Twice Colonized (Canada | EyeSteelFilm | Director: Lin Alluna | Producers: Aaju Peter, Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok Macdonald, Bob Moore)

unseen (United States | POV | Director: Set Hernandez | Producers: Set Hernandez, Day Al-Mohamed, Félix Endara, Dorian Gomez-Pestaña)

While We Watched (United Kingdom, India | POV, BRITDOC Films | Director: Vinay Shukla | Producers: Vinay Shukla, Khushboo Ranka, Luke W Moody)

Best Short Documentary Shortlist

Away (Hungary | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director/Producer: Ruslan Fedotov)

Belle River (Canada | Spira, The New Yorker | Director: Guillaume Fournier | Producers: Samuel Matteau, Yannick Nolin)

Between Earth & Sky (United States | POV Shorts | Director: Andrew Nadkarni | Producers: Andrew Nadkarni, Swetha Regunathan, Katie Schiller)

Birdsong (Lao People’s Democratic Republic | The Guardian | Director: Omi Zola Gupta, Sparsh Ahuja | Producers: Sparsh Ahuja, Omi Zola Gupta, Dorn Bouttasing)

Clean (United Kingdom | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Miranda Stern | Producer: Reece Cargan)

Eat Flowers (United States | Reluminati Media | Director: River Finlay | Producer: River Finlay, Sashka Rothchild)

Ebony (United States | Director/Producer: Sean-Josahi Brown)

Freshwater (United States | The New York Times Op-Docs, POV Shorts | Director: Dream Hampton | Producers: Ill Weaver, Dream Hampton)

Hardly Working (Austria|The New York Times Op-Docs | Directors: Total Refusal, Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf | Producers: Total Refusal, Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf)

How to Carry Water (United States | Multitude Films | Director: Sasha Wortzel | Producers: Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous)

How We Get Free (United States | HBO Documentary Films, The New York Times | Directors: Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles | Producers: Kathleen Lingo, Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney)

Incident  (United States | Hypnotic Pictures | Director: Bill Morrison | Producers: Bill Morrison, Jamie Kalven)

Jack and Sam (United States | Blue Bus Productions | Director: Jordan Matthew Horowitz | Producers: Jordan Matthew Horowitz, Andrew Carlberg)

Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles (United States | The New Yorker, Condé Nast Entertainment | Director: Dmytro Sukholytkyy Sobchuk | Producer: Daniel Lombroso)

Mãri hi – The Tree of Dream (Brazil | Aruac Filmes | Director: Morzaniel Ɨramari | Producers: Eryk Rocha, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha)

Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) (Australia | Other Pictures | Directors: Derik Lynch, Matthew Thorne | Producers: Matthew Thorne, Patrick Graham)

Mighty Penguins (United States | It Was All a Dream Productions | Directors: Louis Myles, Ahmed Twaij | Producers: Louis Myles, Ahmed Twaij)

Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma) (United States | Director: Sean Wang | Producer: Sean Wang, Sam Davis)

Neighbour Abdi (The Netherlands | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Douwe Dijkstra | Producer: Richard Valk)

Raat: Night Time in Small Town India (India | The Third Eye | Directors: Arti Ahirwar, Ashraf Hussain, Rajkumari Ahirwar, Vikas Khatri, Tabassum Ansari, Kulsum Khatoon, Khushi Bano, Parmeshwar Mandrawaliya, Santra Chaurthiya, Rajkumari Prajapati, Manisha Chanda, Anita Sen, Rani Devi, Ajfarul Shaikh | Producers: Rima Dairi Morris, Chris Collins, Jaden Pan)

Suddenly TV (Sudan | Gisa Productions | Director/Producer: Roopa Gogineni) 

The Script (United States | Multitude Films | Directors: Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus | Producers: Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney)

The Unicorn in Snowpants Suddenly Ran Off (Germany | Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg | Director: Philipp Schaeffer | Producer: Fabian Leonhardt)

The Veiled City (United Kingdom | JSH Films | Director: Natalie Cubides-Brady | Producer: Jacob Swan Hyam)

Victoria (Mexico | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Eloisa Diez | Producer: Suleica Pineda)

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The International Documentary Association announced the 17

We’re a little over halfway through the Big Brother season, so time to bring on one of the more prominent recappers of the show, Taran Armstrong, from Rob Has a Podcast. A full deep dive into everything that’s happened this week on the live feeds of Big Brother, something I’ve avoided all season. But for this week, yeah, I’m fine with being updated on what’s going on. Good thing I did because apparently there’s been a major switch in the house in terms of who seems to be running the show. We talk about that, we talk about the overall feel for this season, Jared & Cameron’s battle to get back in the house tonight, who he thinks is the front runner right now and much, much more. Good to get caught up on this season and know exactly what’s happening in the moment. Does it mean I’ll follow along with the live feed reports the rest of the season? Eh, probably not. But for this week, it was great to get caught up. Thanks again to Taran for coming on this week as he’ll definitely be on in the future.

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


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

(SPOILERS) I begin by previewing what’s coming in the Taran interview and the Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise premiering tonight. Then Taran joins me (10:53) to discuss what’s happened this week on the live feeds, how does the public feel about this season, who does he think is the front runner right now, and much, much more.

Instagram – @taran_armstrong

(SPOILERS) Today’s Daily Roundup covers the Golden Bachelor & Bachelor in Paradise beginning tonight, Jared or Cameron coming back on BB, Survivor premieres and alums aren’t happy, TSwift attending this weekends game too, & another IOS 17 complaint.

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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Share Tweet Share Share Email We’re a little over halfway through the

Last week, in a development that impacts the entire entertainment industry, three major music publishers — Universal Music Group, Concord Music Group and ABKCO Music & Records — sued Amazon-backed ChatGPT-wannabe Anthropic for infringing their collective music lyrics on a massive scale. Amazon-backed Anthropic — which is investing up to $4 billion of our Prime money in the “startup” — trains its AI model by relentlessly “scraping” the entire web. That means, of course, that it sucks massive numbers of copyrighted works into its vortex without any kind of licensing from creators. 

It’s a tale as old as time. An endless sequel of game-changing technology drives tech-tonic shifts in the media landscape that ultimately also drive major Hollywood/Silicon Valley litigation.

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Last week, in a development that impacts

Jeff Schroeder is leaving the Smashing Pumpkins, the guitarist and his former bandmates announced in jointly shared statements today. “Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path,” Schroeder explained. “I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening.”

In their statement, the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha said: “We thank Jeff for his ceaseless dedication to the band and our great fans. Words can not express our gratitude and appreciation for the friend he is, and being there for SP in the good times and the tough times, too.”

Schroeder joined the Smashing Pumpkins when the band reunited in the mid-2000s, initially serving as a replacement for founding guitarist James Iha (who eventually rejoined the band and played alongside Schroeder). He did not perform on the 2007 comeback album Zeitgeist, but did take part in the accompanying tour. His first studio album with the group was 2012’s Oceania, and he went on to play on Monuments to an Elegy, Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun., Cyr, and this year’s Atum.

Jeff Schroeder:

It’s easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative literature when a close friend messaged me and said The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. The amount of incredible memories created over the last 16 years with the band are almost too numerous to quantify. Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path. I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack [Bates] for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening.

The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha:

We thank Jeff for his ceaseless dedication to the band and our great fans. Words can not express our gratitude and appreciation for the friend he is, and being there for SP in the good times and the tough times, too.

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Jeff Schroeder is leaving the Smashing Pumpkins,

Directed by Hassan Said, who co-wrote the script with Lourdes Figueroa, This Is Your Song is a romantic drama of unbridled friction and heartache. In most, if not all, scenarios, loving someone isn’t enough when that love is holding you back, be it emotionally, physically, or professionally. This notion could very well be true for Jules (Briana Walsh) and James (Jordan Potch), a couple grappling with their clashing emotions and desires, as well as the alarming truths that may harm their relationship beyond repair.

Love is a tricky, elusive concept — or better understood as a feeling. But what happens when love and personal ambition become entangled? The production gets underway with Jules on-stage performing for a packed audience. She delivers her lines with ample fervor, delineating Jules as a devoted and talented actress. Jules is in her element when performing, so imagine if she were to give up that pursuit for anyone or anything.

After the show, Jules catches up with her exuberant friend (Joanna Kay). The camera follows the two as they confabulate in the dressing room and continue their discussion outside the room. Jules can’t shake the feeling that James doesn’t care about her passion for theater. While walking home after the play, Jules is clinging to James’s arm, indicating that she still cares about him, not to mention it is their wedding anniversary.

“…love is at times exhausting and other times rewarding, perhaps even dangerous…”

Their night of celebration culminates in a 90-minute continuous take of them swapping gestures of affection and animosity. They communicate by means of accolades, niceties, leers, and insults. It’s an impressive accomplishment, especially considering the emotional intensity the actors had to channel. On top of that, director of photography Peggy Peralta adroitly moves between the apartment rooms, finding the right angles and shot sizes to highlight the couple’s volatile emotional state. In a bedroom scene, Peralta stays on Jules in a medium close-up as she vividly recounts an incident with the intent to get a reaction out of James. Peralta eventually pans to James and inches forward to underscore a man about to break. The relational tension is palpable.

This Is Your Song mostly follows Jules and James as they are confined to their deluxe San Francisco apartment. One moment, they’re embracing, and the next moment, they’re at each other’s throats. As a result, the drama is emotionally exhausting — but love is at times exhausting and other times rewarding, perhaps even dangerous, given how the arguments accelerate here.

The relationship highs and lows are somewhat tedious, but Walsh and Potch give emotionally complex performances that sustain enough of the momentum. Potch’s portrayal is slightly more chilling as the unpredictability of how the character will react does cause for alarm. With Walsh, however, you feel every emotion as every gesture and escalation in pitch reverberates.

What the actors and filmmakers did to venture from one highly emotional segment to the next while in a single take is nothing short of astonishing. Love is messy, and that messiness is at the center of Said’s poignant and stressful meditation on love’s many imperfections and strengths. Exquisitely made and fearlessly performed, This Is Your Song is daring independent cinema.

For screening information, visit the This Is Your Song official website.

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Directed by Hassan Said, who co-wrote the

TORONTO – Precious Achiuwa is going to let his agent do the talking for him.

The Toronto Raptors failed to extend Achiuwa’s contract ahead of Monday’s deadline.

That means the 24-year-old forward will head into restricted free agency in the off-season, assuming the Raptors tender him a US$6.28 million qualifying offer.

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Achiuwa told reporters that he doesn’t want to talk about the extension falling through, instead focusing on Toronto’s new season.

The Raptors host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in both teams’ season opener.

Guard Malachi Flynn also didn’t reach terms with Toronto on Monday, with the Raptors potentially tendering a $5.81 million qualifying offer to him in the off-season.

They join a lengthy list of pending free agents who may leave Toronto next summer, including starters Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby.

Gary Trent Jr., Otto Porter Jr., Thad Young, and Garrett Temple are also set to become free agents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2023.

&copy 2023 The Canadian Press

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By Staff The Canadian Press Posted October 24, 2023

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

You can now ink yourself like a rockstar — without the commitment. 

Travis Barker and Inkbox have teamed up on a limited-edition collection of “semi-permanent” tattoos, designed by the Blink-182 star and his long-time friend and artist Chuey Quintanar. The 10-piece collection features unique designs available in three sizes, ranging from small and medium for flash sheet style options, to extra-large for a bold statement.  

“The tattoos are all about family and loyalty, we wanted to create pieces that felt authentic to my story but that would become part of your stories as well,” Barker said in a statement. “Getting inked together creates a bond like no other. That’s what this collection is about.” 

Barker’s longtime friend Quintanar is the world-renowned tattoo artist responsible for some of Barker’s most iconic pieces such as his headpiece that wife Kourtney Kardashian transformed into the design on her custom veil at their wedding. Hailing from Mexico City and based in L.A., his distinctive black and grey style reflects timeless iconography with a Chicano influence. Together, Barker and Quintanar designed their signature Inkbox collection. 

Quintanar’s pen can be seen clearly in the designs, which pull from much of the same imagery as his permanent tattoos. The pack includes cherubic angels, gothic skulls and detailed roses, but all with Barker’s personal touch. 

“My son actually showed me Inkbox tattoos a while back, so to create my own collection from the ground up with Chuey, my longtime friend and tattoo artist… it’s a real full-circle moment,” Barker said. 

The cruelty-free For Now Ink™ lasts 1-2 weeks and fades as the skin naturally regenerates.  Unlike most temp tattoos, Inkbox works by sinking into the skin rather than sticking on top, and also boast a painless and easy application process. Once applied, the ink reacts with the proteins and keratin in the skin, and darkens over 24-36 hours. 

Shop the full Travis Barker x Inkbox collection at Inkbox.com starting Oct 24. 

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If you purchase an independently reviewed product

A call from Disney CEO Bob Iger to SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland on Saturday, Oct. 21 set in motion the long-awaited return to negotiations between the union and Hollywood studios later this week.

During that conversation Iger expressed the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ desire to get back to bargaining and finally hammer out a new three-year contract amid a SAG-AFTRA strike that has now stretched out over 100 days. AMPTP president Carol Lombardini soon followed up with her own call to Crabtree-Ireland. Under pressure from members at the bottom and top of the call sheet, the performers’ union quickly reacted, within the same day issuing a joint press release with the AMPTP that announced the return to negotiations and adjourning its biennial national convention two days early so that the union’s staff and negotiating team could get to work.

The AMPTP, which walked out of negotiations on Oct. 11 over what it stated was a massive “gap” between the two sides, is expected to make a presentation of a new package of proposals when the two parties face each other once more on Tuesday. The same four Hollywood leaders that attended the negotiations before they broke down earlier this month — Iger, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and NBCUniversal Studio Group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley — are set to return for the continuation of talks, which will be held at the union’s national headquarters on Wilshire Blvd.

These developments arrive in the wake of meetings by A-list actors with both their own union and the Hollywood studios.

Last week, a group that included Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson, Tyler Perry, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon, growing increasingly alarmed and frustrated as to whether union negotiators were doing everything they could to reach a deal, decided to present a united front. These major union members held several Zoom meetings with SAG-AFTRA leaders Crabtree-Ireland and president Fran Drescher to discuss getting back to the table. Some had already had one-one-conversations with union leaders but decided to go a step further and work together to attempt to break through the stalemate.

Before talks had broken off, sources says the four CEOs who attended SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations had been taken aback by Drescher’s negotiating style, which involved bringing a doll (a heart-shaped plush toy with a smiley face given to Drescher by an 11-year-old fan) and saying Buddhist inspirational quotes. She also alarmed the CEOs when she proclaimed, “I don’t care if we are here for a year” in order to achieve the union’s ends, sources maintain, which a union source denies. A source close to the union explains that Drescher uses a “less contentious” bargaining process and tries to bring the tone down in the room on occasion.

Said Drescher in a statement, “I don’t need to emulate male energy to be an effective leader.”

Crabtree-Ireland added, “Sexist tropes being used to diminish women leaders in Hollywood is nothing new, and this is yet another egregious example. Fran is bringing balance and consensus to what can be an antagonistic process.”

Drescher opened the first Zoom meeting with the A-listers by asking to take a screenshot, according to two sources familiar with the session. The source close to the union maintains that Drescher wanted to take a screenshot in order to preserve the historic moment in the life of the union; SAG-AFTRA collects the history of its union as part of its general operations. Perry politely declined, expressing that he would prefer to get down to business.

In the conversations prior to the Zooms, some A-listers had brought up ideas such as eliminating the $1 million dues cap on high-earning members. On the Zoom meetings, the group proposed a new model for streaming residuals, written by Affleck and designed to benefit lower paid actors, according to a source with knowledge of the calls. During those conversations, Affleck, Clooney and others suggested that eliminating the dues cap on the highest paid actors could augment that model. The discussion emerged in press reports, prompting Fran Drescher to post an Oct. 19 Instagram story noting, “We are a federally regulated labor union, and the only contributions that can go into our pension and health funds must be from the employer. So what we are fighting for in terms of benefits has to remain in this contract.” She added, “[It’s] kind of apples and oranges, just so everybody understands that.”

“None of the actors’ [on the call] suggested this was a magic bullet or anything even resembling a solution,” says one person participating. The source added, “It was proposed as an outside-the-box conversation starter because ‘inside the box’ isn’t currently working for either side of the negotiation.”

The meetings with SAG-AFTRA leaders left this person involved feeling “abject frustration,” and several of the A-list actors says they came out of those conversations concerned.

Actors also began working their studio contacts, seeking to persuade them to return to bargaining and asking how they could help get both parties back to the table. Several of these high-profile performers are also major producers.

At the same time that actors were working their studio relationships, some began channeling their frustrations into a draft of a letter expressing concerns about SAG’s leadership. Over the weekend, as news broke of SAG and the AMPTP returning to the bargaining table, guild members decided not to publicize the document, fearing its contents would harm negotiations.

But ultimately, according to a source close to the studios, the impetus for major companies to make the overture to SAG-AFTRA on Saturday was to salvage the 2024 movie and broadcast season, in addition to restoring industry jobs that have been on hold for months amid multiple entertainment strikes. SAG-AFTRA, meanwhile, expected a counterproposal after the union made a major change to its revenue-share proposal on Oct. 11, turning it into a fee on subscribers. Crabtree-Ireland has portrayed this revised proposal as a “huge, huge concession.”

Meanwhile, in a message to members on Oct. 21, the day of the renewed negotiations announcement, the union told members that their unity had made it happen: “It is clear that the strength and solidarity shown by our members has sent an unmistakable message to the CEOs,” the union’s negotiating committee stated. “As we have repeatedly said, we are ready, willing and able to engage on a moment’s notice to meet and to work across the table to achieve a deal that is worthy of your sacrifice.”

Now, there will seemingly be a new deal on the table on Tuesday — and the question remains what that contract language looks like and how SAG-AFTRA’s negotiators will react to it. When it comes to the latest sticking point — the union’s proposal to charge streaming platforms a fee on every global subscriber — the union seemingly isn’t backing down. “Now, it’s true that the CEOs don’t really want to address that, but sometimes in life when you introduce an unprecedented business model like they did on all of my members with streaming, an unprecedented compensation structure must also go along with it,” Drescher said in her Instagram story on Oct. 19. “It may not be easy, it may not be what they want, but it is an elegant way to solve the problem so we can all go back to work in what would be the new normal.”

Guild members — along with the rest of Hollywood — are awaiting anxiously.

“I’m watching very closely as negotiations move forward,” says former SAG president Melissa Gilbert. “I’m incredibly hopeful that our union will walk away with a deal that will benefit our membership, and everyone in our industry who is suffering mightily will be able to get back to work.”

Kim Masters contributed to this report.

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A call from Disney CEO Bob Iger

The 39th International Documentary Awards have announced their shortlists for the best nonfiction entries of the year, with a ceremony to take place during the week of Dec. 11 in Los Angeles in a venue to be named. The films were selected by independent committees comprised of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.

New York Times Op-Docs dominated the Documentary Short category with seven mentions, including entries from the Netherlands (“Neighbour Abdi”), Mexico (“Victoria”) and Hungary (“Away”) among the shortlisted selections. The Documentary Feature category appeared to favor less-buzzy international titles this season.

What is surprising about the IDA shortlist is how many of the year’s presumed top contenders are not included. Of the 21 nonfiction films that have been nominated by the Critics Choice Documentary Awards or placed on the DOC NYC shortlist of likely awards titles, only four – “Bobi Wine: The People’s President,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” “The Mother of All Lies” and “While We Watched” – made the IDA shortlist.

Films that are missing from the IDA’s list include “American Symphony,” “20 Days in Mariupol,” “The Eternal Memory,” “Stamped From the Beginning,” “Beyond Utopia,” “The Deepest Breath,” “Kokomo City,” “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” “The Pigeon Tunnel,” “Silver Dollar Road” and “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” among many others.

In addition to the 17 main feature and 25 short entries covering 21 countries, IDA voters will consider the following categories: Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best TV Feature Documentary or Mini-Series, Best Short Form Series, Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary, Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score, ABC News VideoSource Award, and the Pare Lorentz Award.

Below is a full list of nominees for the 39th IDAs:

Best Feature Documentary Shortlist

“Against the Tide” (India | BBC Storyville | Director: Sarvnik Kaur | Producer: Koval Bhatia, Sarvnik Kaur)

“ANHELL69″ (Colombia | Square Eyes | Director: Theo Montoya | Producers: Bianca Oana, David Hurst, Theo Montoya, Juan Pablo Castrillon, Balthasar Busmann, Maximilian Haslberger) 

“Anonymous Sister” (United States | Long Shot Factory | Director: Jamie Boyle | Producers: Marilyn Ness, Elizabeth Westrate, Jamie Boyle)

“Apolonia, Apolonia” (Denmark | HBO Max | Director: Lea Glob | Producer: Sidsel Lønvig Siersted)

“Bobi Wine: The People’s President” (Uganda | National Geographic Documentary Films | Directors: Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp | Producers:  Christopher Sharp, John Battsek)

“De Humani Corporis Fabrica” (France | Grasshopper Film | Directors: Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor | Producers: Valentina Novati, Charles Gillibert, Pauline Gygax, Max Karli, Verena Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor)

“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” (United States | HBO Documentary Films | Directors: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster | Producers: Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster, Tommy Oliver)

“In The Rearview” (Poland | Cinephil | Director: Maciek Hamela | Producer: Maciek Hamela, Piotr Grawender)

“Milisuthando” (South Africa | Director: Milisuthando Bongela | Producer: Marion Isaacs, Viviana Gomez, Sonia Barrera, Milisuthando Bongela, Hankyeol Lee)

“Motherland” (Sweden | Lightdox | Director: Alexander Mihalkovich & Hanna Badziaka | Producer: Mario Adamson, Ashley J. Smith, Alexander Mihalkovich, Anita Norfolk)

“Nathan-ism” (United States | Director: Elan Golod | Producer: Elan Golod, Melanie Vi Levy)

“Q” (United States | Director: Jude Chehab | Producer: Jude Chehab, Fahd Ahmed)

“Rewind & Play” (France | Grasshopper Film | Director: Alain Gomis | Producers: Anouk Khélifa, Arnaud Dommerc)

“The Mother of All Lies” (Morocco | Arizona Distribution | Director: Asmae El Moudir | Producer: Asmae El Moudir)

“Twice Colonized” (Canada | EyeSteelFilm | Director: Lin Alluna | Producers: Aaju Peter, Emile Hertling Péronard, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Stacey Aglok Macdonald, Bob Moore)

“unseen” (United States | POV | Director: Set Hernandez | Producers: Set Hernandez, Day Al-Mohamed, Félix Endara, Dorian Gomez-Pestaña)

“While We Watched” (United Kingdom, India | POV, BRITDOC Films | Director: Vinay Shukla | Producers: Vinay Shukla, Khushboo Ranka, Luke W Moody)

Best Short Documentary Shortlist

“Away” (Hungary | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director/Producer: Ruslan Fedotov)

“Belle River” (Canada | Spira, The New Yorker | Director: Guillaume Fournier | Producers: Samuel Matteau, Yannick Nolin)

“Between Earth & Sky” (United States | POV Shorts | Director: Andrew Nadkarni | Producers: Andrew Nadkarni, Swetha Regunathan, Katie Schiller)

“Birdsong” (Lao People’s Democratic Republic | The Guardian | Director: Omi Zola Gupta, Sparsh Ahuja | Producers: Sparsh Ahuja, Omi Zola Gupta, Dorn Bouttasing)

“Clean” (United Kingdom | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Miranda Stern | Producer: Reece Cargan)

“Eat Flowers” (United States | Reluminati Media | Director: River Finlay | Producer: River Finlay, Sashka Rothchild)

“Ebony” (United States | Director/Producer: Sean-Josahi Brown)

“Freshwater” (United States | The New York Times Op-Docs, POV Shorts | Director: Dream Hampton | Producers: Ill Weaver, Dream Hampton)

“Hardly Working” (Austria | The New York Times Op-Docs | Directors: Total Refusal, Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf | Producers: Total Refusal, Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf)

“How to Carry Water” (United States | Multitude Films | Director: Sasha Wortzel | Producers: Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney, Anya Rous)

“How We Get Free” (United States | HBO Documentary Films, The New York Times | Directors: Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles | Producers: Kathleen Lingo, Sweta Vohra, Jess Devaney)

“Incident” (United States | Hypnotic Pictures | Director: Bill Morrison | Producers: Bill Morrison, Jamie Kalven)

“Jack and Sam” (United States | Blue Bus Productions | Director: Jordan Matthew Horowitz | Producers: Jordan Matthew Horowitz, Andrew Carlberg)

“Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles” (United States | The New Yorker, Condé Nast Entertainment | Director: Dmytro Sukholytkyy Sobchuk | Producer: Daniel Lombroso)

“Mãri hi – The Tree of Dream” (Brazil | Aruac Filmes | Director: Morzaniel Ɨramari | Producers: Eryk Rocha, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha)

“Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black)” (Australia | Other Pictures | Directors: Derik Lynch, Matthew Thorne | Producers: Matthew Thorne, Patrick Graham)

“Mighty Penguins” (United States | It Was All a Dream Productions | Directors: Louis Myles, Ahmed Twaij | Producers: Louis Myles, Ahmed Twaij)

“Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma)” (United States | Director: Sean Wang | Producer: Sean Wang, Sam Davis)

“Neighbour Abdi” (The Netherlands | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Douwe Dijkstra | Producer: Richard Valk)

“Raat: Night Time in Small Town India” (India | The Third Eye | Directors: Arti Ahirwar, Ashraf Hussain, Rajkumari Ahirwar, Vikas Khatri, Tabassum Ansari, Kulsum Khatoon, Khushi Bano, Parmeshwar Mandrawaliya, Santra Chaurthiya, Rajkumari Prajapati, Manisha Chanda, Anita Sen, Rani Devi, Ajfarul Shaikh | Producers: Rima Dairi Morris, Chris Collins, Jaden Pan)

“Suddenly TV” (Sudan | Gisa Productions | Director/Producer: Roopa Gogineni) 

“The Script” (United States | Multitude Films | Directors: Brit Fryer, Noah Schamus | Producers: Colleen Cassingham, Jess Devaney)

“The Unicorn in Snowpants Suddenly Ran Off” (Germany | Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg | Director: Philipp Schaeffer | Producer: Fabian Leonhardt)

“The Veiled City” (United Kingdom | JSH Films | Director: Natalie Cubides-Brady | Producer: Jacob Swan Hyam)

“Victoria” (Mexico | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Eloisa Diez | Producer: Suleica Pineda)

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The 39th International Documentary Awards have announced

Renowned theater producer Bill Kenwright has died at the age of 78 following a long illness, his family confirmed.

The theater impresario, who began his entertainment career as an actor in 1967, was known for backing projects including the long-running West End musical “Blood Brothers” as well as shows including “Calendar Girls” and “Heathers the Musical.” As an actor, he was a regular in long-running soap “Coronation Street,” playing Gordon Clegg, and also appeared in shows including “Dream Team” and “England, My England.”

Over the course of his six decade-long career, he produced over 500 projects including West End and Broadway productions, U.K. tours, films and music albums.

Among his most recent film productions were “The Kill Room” starring Uma Thurman and Joe Manganiello and Samuel L. Jackson, and Patrick Marber-penned feature “The Critic.”

Kenwright, who oversaw Bill Kenwright Ltd, was also the chairman of U.K. soccer club Everton F.C.

“Following a long battle with illness Bill passed away peacefully last night, surrounded by his family and loved ones,” his wife Jenny Seagrove, daughter Lucy Kenwright and representatives from Bill Kenwright Ltd, said in a statement.

“Bill was driven by his passions and devoted his life to them; his deep love of theatre, film, music and his beloved Everton, and the families they created. He impacted the lives of thousands, whether that be through the launching of careers or his unending loyalty, generosity and unfaltering friendship and support. We will remember him with huge love and admiration – the shows will of course go on, as he would have wished, and his towering legacy will continue.”

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Renowned theater producer Bill Kenwright has died

For a long time, after each new mass shooting, the actor Alex Frost would guiltily ponder whether the first movie he ever appeared in may have motivated the perpetrators. Frost played one of the gunmen in Gus Van Sant’s unflinching look at adolescent life, “Elephant,” when he was only 15 years old.

“The older I get, and the more I understand about shootings, gun control and the public mental health system in America, the less I think it’s about inspiring people to do things,” Frost said during a recent video interview. “Movies don’t cause people to kill people.”

Released in U.S. theaters 20 years ago this week, “Elephant” chronicles one tragic day in an American high school from the viewpoint of several students, including the killers. With a more experimental narrative featuring an unemotional tone and a multiple-perspective structure, it won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2003 — still the most notable accolade for Van Sant to date.

The film was one of three unconventional features inspired by real-life events that Van Sant made in the early 2000s, including “Last Days,” about Nirvana’s frontman, Kurt Cobain, and “Gerry,” which starred Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as two hikers. “Elephant” continues to resonate.

“It’s less sympathetic making a story about Kurt’s missing three days or getting lost in the desert, but everyone cares about school shootings,” said Van Sant in a video interview.

The sensationalism he witnessed in the media coverage of both Cobain’s death in 1994 and the 1999 Columbine High School massacre pushed Van Sant to devise a different dramatic take on the factual accounts.

First intended as a TV movie, eventually the project landed at HBO Films. The director avoided Hollywood actors and headed to Portland, Ore., to find real teenagers with the help of the casting director Mali Finn. She conducted interviews with the teens about their everyday challenges, which served as the basis for the characters.

“The film was a hundred percent improvised by the students,” Van Sant said. “The spoken words are their improvs and some of their situations came from their own stories.”

Frost had been taking piano lessons for many years before the production came to town. His musical experience became part of his fictional role. And he said that during his initial audition for the film, he was open about the bullying he had faced.

Similarly, John Robinson, who plays the blond-haired character that shares his given name, had expressed during the casting process the hardships of dealing with his father’s alcoholism. Van Sant later asked him to fold that vulnerable part of himself into his character.

“Twenty years later that just feels so wild that a director gave that kind of freedom to these young kids,” said Robinson by phone.

Robinson stole the now-emblematic yellow T-shirt bearing the silhouette of a bull from a friend who had bought it during a trip to Spain. In pursuit of realism, Van Sant asked the cast to bring their own clothes to wear.

“Looking back on it, the movie feels like a diary,” Frost said. “You are pulled into the daily life of a bunch of teenagers, and all they can do is tell you their truth.”

Neither Frost nor Robinson had previously aspired to be in entertainment. But after “Elephant” premiered at Cannes, a new path emerged for them. Robinson, for instance, got an agent and was cast in Catherine Hardwicke’s 2005 film, “Lords of Dogtown.”

Van Sant recalled critics at the time saying the film didn’t provide specific answers as to why violent incidents like the one in Columbine occur.

“I didn’t envision an endless number of shootings, which is the way it’s happened. It wasn’t even in my imagination,” Van Sant said. “We’re still in a similar place today that we were back in 1999. I hope there can be a change.”

Popular media such as video games were blamed in the aftermath of Columbine. (The shooters in “Elephant” are seen playing a game featuring digital versions of the protagonists from Van Sant’s “Gerry.”) But the director believes the root of the violence lies elsewhere.

“The conformity of society is so oppressive — as far as get good grades, play sports and don’t be an outcast — they’re reacting in a very violent way against it,” Van Sant said. “It’s impossible for kids to understand that whatever they’re experiencing isn’t forever.”

Two decades on, Frost still admires Van Sant’s unnervingly lyrical vision for “Elephant,” a movie he said he thought would open viewers’ eyes to issues they normally wouldn’t want to look at. His creative pride, however, feels entwined with moral disappointment.

“Back then, we really did think, ‘This is a problem and it’s going to be solved. There’s no two ways about it.’” Frost recalled. “But watching how the issue has been expounded and overcomplicated by so many factors, it’s almost like we’ve given up hope on trying to fix it.”

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For a long time, after each new

Amazon MGM Studios is developing a series adaptation of the Comixology Originals graphic novel “Money,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The graphic novel, which was co-created by Curt Pines and artist Luca Casalanguida, is described as a conspiracy thriller. The logline states: “Everything you’ve heard about the global elite is true: Five families have ruled the world since time immemorial and every 10 years an election is held to see which powerful family will be the next to lead. To steer the direction of the world. To execute their vision of the future. And this is the story of what happens next.”

No writer is currently attached to the project. Pires will serve as an executive producer alongside former Marvel Television exec Karim Zreik. Zreik’s past credits include the six live-action Marvel/Netflix shows as well as “Legion” and several others.

“Money #1” was first released in July. Pires’ other works include “The Indigo Children,” “Youth,” “Wyrd,” and most recently “Simulation Theory” and “Lost Falls.” “Money,” “Simulation Theory,” and “Lost Falls” were all released via Comixology. It had previously been reported in 2020 that a series adaptation of “Wyrd” was in development at FX with Matthew Rhys attached in the lead role.

This is the latest development project at Amazon MGM Studios to be announced in recent days. On Monday, it was reported that the studio had acquired the rights to the book “Glossy: Ambition, Beauty and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’ Glossier,” written by journalist and author Marisa Meltzer, with plans to adapt it as a series.

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Amazon MGM Studios is developing a series

DK Books’ new MCU timeline saw Marvel Studios own up to a sizable Spider-Man: Homecoming continuity error.

As with most multimedia mega franchises, the MCU timeline is sprawling and complex. And yeah, there are a few errors. One of the biggest is found in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, and long story short, mistakes were made.

The error concerns a certain, now notoriously incorrect time card placed near the start of the film. Audiences quickly pounced upon this continuity conundrum back during the movie’s release and the whole ordeal has proven to be quite vexing for fans.

Official MCU Timeline Corrects Spider-Man Snafu

Marvel Studios

The new book from publisher Dorling Kindersley, Marvel Studios’ The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline, sets the record straight on a screw-up in the chronology of the MCU.

In the opening flashback of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Adrian Toomes and his crew pull a salvage job, cleaning up the alien tech left behind in the clash between the fledgling Avengers and Thor’s nefarious brother Loki. This climactic fight is otherwise known as the Battle of New York from The Avengers.

Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming
Marvel Studios

This scene canonically takes place in 2012 and yet, the timecard that is subsequently displayed on screen clearly and boldly reads “8 Years Later” as the action then jumps to the present day. But this would be impossible as only 4 years had passed since Homecoming was set in the Fall of 2016.

8 Years Later text from Spider-Man: Homecoming
Marvel Studios

And that’s how things are indeed portrayed in the book. The events of Toomes’ flashback and the rest of the film are respectively placed in “Spring 2012” and “Fall 2016.”

Previously, in 2017, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige made reference to the timecard (via CinemaBlend), noting that it “wasn’t meant to flummox anyone:”

“All of that debate has made us go, ‘Okay, at some point, I’m not sure exactly when, we’re going to publish a timeline and see what it all is.’ It wasn’t meant to flummox anybody exactly, and I’m not sure I’d do it again the same way, but it does all connect to where we placed it.”

Joe Russo, one half of Avengers: Infinity War’s  directing team, also touched on the oversight during that film’s press junket, calling it “very incorrect,” (via MCUExchange)

Homecoming’s sense of time only got dicier from there though. The Vulture specifically states, in the movie’s dialogue that it’s been “Eight years, not a word from the Feds,” meaning his criminal endeavors have flown under the radar since the Battle of New York.

The timeline book takes a stab at explaining this. In a small text box on page 173, the TVA’s own Miss Minutes shows up to call out the discrepancy, blaming it on a misplaced case file:

“Redline alert! Hi again! Adrien Toomes says the Battle of New York was eight years ago, but that event was only four years prior. This one’s a real head scratcher for us—I reckon an analyst misplaced the case file.”

And if Miss Minutes can’t figure it out, nobody can.

The Spider-Man Plot Error Thickens

As many viewers were also quick to point out, Toomes is holding a child’s crayon drawing of the Avengers fighting the Chitauri in that intro sequence, the implication being that it was created by his daughter Liz.

Liz is 17 in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and yet the quality of the artwork is meant to suggest that it was drawn by a young kid. And this would make sense if there truly was an eight-year gap between The Avengers and Homecoming. But there isn’t.

A couple possibilities here: Toomes has another, younger child who would’ve been little enough to make a drawing like that four years prior, or Liz Allen can’t draw to save her life. It’s anyone’s guess.

Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming is available to stream on Disney+ and can be bought wherever movies are sold.

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Summary

  • The Flash faced numerous challenges, including delays and director changes, before finally hitting theaters in June 2023.
  • The film received mixed reviews, with criticism directed towards its visual effects, controversial cameos, and lack of significant changes to the franchise.
  • Despite initial expectations of a franchise reboot, The Flash ultimately concluded without fully resetting the universe, setting the stage for a future reboot after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.


DC’s The Flash sped into theaters in June 2023, giving Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen a final, complicated solo film for the DCEU. The studio announced plans for The Flash back in 2014 after Miller was cast as the Scarlet Speedster for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Production continued on the movie as they made additional appearances in Suicide Squad and Justice League. With the new path of the DC Universe laid out by James Gunn and Peter Safran, it initially appeared to be confirmed that The Flash would serve as a reset for the entire DCEU timeline, rebooting the cinematic universe – only for this to seemingly change upon the film’s release.

The Flash did not have an easy time getting to the big screen. Along with Ezra Miller’s legal troubles which put the movie’s release in doubt, the search for a director seemed endless. Some of the names who joined the project only to depart include Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Seth Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, and John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Andy Muschietti, who took on the adaptation of Stephen King’s It, finally took the helm, getting The Flash moving years after it was first announced.

Related: The Flash Ending Explained: The Complex DCU Timeline & That Multiverse Cameo Broken Down

The Flash Movie Latest News

The Flash released to some less than stellar reviews, which cited the movie’s poor VFX, controversial cameo decisions, and lack of actual change to the franchise as their main criticisms. As a result – and in part because broader audiences learned the movie didn’t actual show the reboot of the DC movie franchise into its new era – The Flash also saw low box office results, garnering around $270 million, which is projected to be potentially a $200 million loss for Warner Bros.

The Flash Movie Release Date

The Flash in the Batcave

The Flash released on June 16, 2023, which was much later than initially expected. Warner Bros. announced in 2014 that the movie would hit theaters in March 2018, but it eventually lost that release date due to its prolonged development. Once Andy Muschietti was hired to direct, The Flash received a July 2022 release date, but it was ultimately delayed to November 2022 due to COVID-19. However, Warner Bros. then decided to delay the movie once more to give the creative team and visual effects teams more time to complete the movie.

Related: The Flash’s 3 Endings Explained & Why Warner Bros Chose The One It Did

The Flash Movie Cast

Ezra Miller's Flash and Michael Keaton's Batman

Ezra Miller leads The Flash as two versions of Barry Allen, but the film’s cast includes many other returning DC characters. Kiersey Clemons reprises her role of Iris West from Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and The Flash also introduces Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl, in place of Henry Cavill’s Superman. The Flash also sees Gal Gadot appear as Wonder Woman, and three versions of Batman share the screen, as Ben Affleck returns as the DCEU’s Dark Knight, Michael Keaton will reprise his role from Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns, and George Clooney appears for a final surprise Dark Knight addition. The film also sees Maribel Verdú play Barry Allen’s mom, Nora Allen, and Ron Livingston replace Billy Crudup as Henry Allen.

Michael Shannon and Antje Traue also return from Man of Steel to portray General Zod and Faora-Ul, respectively, and Temuera Morrison, who portrays Aquaman’s father, Thomas Curry, in Aquaman and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, makes another, potentially final DCEU appearance in The Flash. The Flash cast also features a range of other actors, including Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Ruby Mancuso, and Luke Brandon Field.

Several other DC cameos by returning actors from DC’s film history are featured in the movie’s multiverse scene, including Nicolas Cage’s Superman from the canceled superhero movie he was set to star in, Adam West’s Batman, Helen Slater’s Supergirl, and also both Christopher Reeves and George Reeves’ versions of Superman. These cameos saw some audience backlash upon the film’s release, due to the posthumous appearances appearing to be against the potential wishes of some of the actors whose likenesses were used.

Related: The Flash Movie Cast & DC Character Guide

The Flash Story Details

Two Barry Allens In The Flash With Movie Posters-1

Inspired by DC Comics’ 2011 crossover event, Flashpoint, The Flash sees Barry Allen travel through time to attempt to prevent his mother’s murder, inadvertently finding himself in a new universe instead. The Flash’s multiverse storyline is used to explain the return of Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, and the involvement of two versions of Barry Allen. In this new reality, Kara Zor-El ended up on Earth instead of Kal-El, a.k.a. Superman, and Supergirl is a prisoner, feared rather than adored, which stays true to the comic storyline.

The Flash’s multiversal storyline meant it appeared to be the perfect vehicle to reset the DC Universe and allow James Gunn and Peter Safran to start over with new takes on some of DC’s most iconic characters. However, this didn’t end up coming to fruition in quite the manner audiences were expecting.

Instead of rebooting the franchise for the DCU, the movie concludes with George Clooney in the role of Batman and little else about the universe seemingly altered. To boot, a recent report from Variety have stated that none of the DCEU’s Justice League hero cast will be reprising their roles in the DCU, meaning that a whole new reboot is set to occur after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While this means The Flash ends on an odd note, it still makes it an interesting part of the overall DC landscape and history.

Key Release Dates

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Summary The Flash faced numerous

Michael Kitchin writes, “Lords of the Fallen is a game I really wanted to like. The seamless transition between worlds is a joy to witness but it wears out its welcome quickly. Combat feels weighty and has plenty of neat twists. Unfortunately, the enemy hordes make engaging with combat feel like a chore. Level design hits some highs but the lows are agonising to traverse and I just left this game feeling frustrated. It’s divisive, oppressive and I just can’t bring myself to fully recommend it.”

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Michael Kitchin writes, "Lords of the Fallen

Since making their triumphant return to full-frame with the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K, the initial fanfare from loyal Blackmagic fans has started to simmer down just enough for users to start requesting some minor, but important, updates from the camera manufacturing and non-linear editing company.

As is the case with most new cameras these days, this new camera from Blackmagic was quick to get a new firmware update which should fix any small issues or tweaks. Most notably this new firmware update for the Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K (as known as the BMCC 6K) is set to improve overall reliability, as well as add new support for Blackmagic RAW.

Let’s take a look at this new Blackmagic Camera 8.3.2 update and check out how and why you should probably download it right away.


Blackmagic Camera 8.3.2

As mentioned above, it seems like it’s certainly standard practice these days for most camera manufacturers to push out an exciting new camera, and then follow up quickly with a firmware update to correct any minor (or sometimes major) issues. Luckily this update for the BMCC 6K isn’t solving any severe malfunctions or anything. (Don’t worry, no one is reporting that the BMCC 6K is overheating or anything.)

Still, there can be small issues lost or undiscovered prior to launch that are worth fixing right away. So hats off to Blackmagic for recognizing any concerns and answering them quickly. From what we can tell, these updates aren’t from any single specific issue, but rather broad reliability updates to improve the camera experience overall.

It’s also worth noting that this new update also includes Blackmagic RAW 3.4 which sees the addition of support for the BCC 6K while working with FUJIFILM GFX100 II Blackmagic RAW clips recorded externally. A nice improvement for anyone looking to combine the powers of these two excellent cameras.

How to Update

Blackmagic reports that this camera 8.3.2 update “improves the reliability of the image data during recording” for the BMCC 6K. They don’t include too many details, but it sounds like this is a highly helpful update that should simply ensure that your BMCC 6K will operate as reliably as possible moving forward.

Blackmagic recommends users download and update their cameras with this update immediately. Which you can do on Blackmagic Design’s website.

Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera 6K

Blackmagic Design brings next-gen digital film capture to the masses with their new Cinema Camera 6K. Based around a full-frame 6K sensor and an active Leica L lens mount, this high-end camera features rich colors, accurate skin tones and a wide 13-stop dynamic range.

Jourdan Aldredge

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Since making their triumphant return to full-frame

The episode of Revisited covering Crimson Peak was Written by Emilie Black, Edited by Ric Solomon, Narrated by Niki Minter, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

As of now, I think my love for Guillermo Del Toro as a filmmaker is well established. I adore the man and his work. He plays in my favorite sandboxes, with monsters, vampires, kaiju, giant robots, and in the gothic world whenever he feels like it. The man is after my heart with every single movie he makes. In 2015, he went ahead and asked himself, what does this girl love that she hasn’t gotten a whole lot of lately? And he answered with a gothic love story with ghosts in a Hammer-esque setting in a mansion with walls that bleed and memories imbedded in its construction. So, if you didn’t guess from all that, this is a love letter to Crimson Peak (watch it HERE), a film that cannot be judged logically even after years as a film reviewer. And years is an understatement as that’s over 20 years of film reviewing for me and well, this film hit all the right notes, except for one, but we’ll get to that later. Let’s start with the overall rating I’d give this film. In my totally, completely unbiased opinion, Crimson Peak is a solid 9.5/10. There is only one thing that bugs me about it and well, yeah, of course it does.

So, how does a film get this close to a perfect grade? Well, the story here is that perfect mix of gothic period piece, about love, jealousy, romance, murder, and ghosts. Yeah, ghosts and that’s where it’s at really. The film here is about a writer, a young woman who isn’t taken seriously in the world of publication because, well, she’s a woman and a young one at that. Her father also doesn’t take her ambitions of becoming a writer seriously and wants her to get married to a good husband. Enters a mysterious man who seems too good to be true, encourages her writing, and wants her. He’s of course also interested in selling his invention to her father, a machine that extracts red clay. Blood red clay. This doesn’t go as he’d like, skipping a few details, he father ends up getting killed, she ends up marrying the mysterious charmer, moves into his dilapidated mansion, ends up living with him and his sister, we discover that the brother and sister are way closer than they should be, but he loves her, making his sister angry, things get weird, ghosts show up, she’s poisoned, old flame comes back, people die, more ghosts, happy ending. Or something. It’s way more complicated than this but we don’t want to spend this whole video to be all about the details of the story as we could very well be if you get me going on this movie.

The story here is well written by Guillermo Del Toro, who needs no introduction I hope, and Mathew Robbins whose other credits include *batteries not included, Close Encounter of the Third Kind, Mimic and its sequel, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, and a bunch more before Crimson Peak. He’s got some cred, but no gothic romances with ghosts and bleeding blood. So, we can easily assume that some of that was from Del Toro who loves the creepy stuff and the monsters and the ghosts. The pairing here works great. The one “ick” from this story is when it comes to the incestual relationship between two of the leads. Yeah, it’s kind of period appropriate, it’s something that adds tension and creates weirdness, but could we have gone with childhood friends or orphanage roommates or something else. Yeah, it’s something that happens, but do we really need it here? Personally, I think the film would have little to no change had Lucille and Thomas been childhood friends or orphanage companions. There was a way around the incest, but it’s there, so we shall live with it. In terms of rating, it does affect my rating, hence the 0.5 out of 10 removed from the film being perfect. Call me a prude over this, I don’t care. I am pretty open to things; this is something that didn’t need to be. So that’s why the film doesn’t get a perfect grade.

Now, let’s check out the cast. Some folks had issues with some of it, but I didn’t. I went in there just hoping for good performances and good is what I got. Actually, some of them are great. In terms of the cast, that is where I want to start, with two smaller parts that are so good, they are chilling. Technically, there are 5 parts, but 2 actors. In the parts of Edith’s Mother and Lady Sharpe we get Doug Jones and in the parts of Enola, Margaret, Pamela, we get Javier Botet. Two master monster actors. Just the top best. Yes, the parts probably could have gone to ladies, but these two work great with Del Toro and they are amazing at doing those creepy moves, the subtle variations that are present in the dead, in monsters, in ghosts. They do so great here, they are the top best performances in the film. We barely get to see them, but they push the creepy factor to eleven and they are so great and unexpected here. Having gone in not knowing this was a ghost story, their presence was so very much welcomed, and their performances are beloved. Now, back to the living, or at least the living characters in the film. The lead here is Edith Cushing, whose last name cannot be an accident. This lead is played by Mia Wasikowska who is perfect in the part. She’s great at having that wide-eyed hopefulness about her, then see it turn into love, then see this evolved into a sort of fear, then despair. Her work here is lovely. It would fit in any period piece and in any gothic film, so it’s just right here. Playing her father, Carter Cushing is Jim Beaver and there’s not one “idjit” anywhere in his dialog. Of course, I’ve loved him on Supernatural, but here is part is rather different. He gets only a few scenes, but he has an impact. Playing the mystery man who soon turns new husband to Edith, Thomas Sharpe, is Tom Hiddleston. I mean come on, probably one of the best possible choices for a mysterious gentleman to sweep a girl off her feet. I mean, a different girl, not my type, but he’s so charming here, he plays the part just right. Charming and creepy. Playing his sister Lucille Sharpe is Jessica Chastain is just about perfectly evil here. Her work is so on point, she steals all the scenes she’s in. She’s amazing. Then we get Charlie Hunnam as Dr. Alan McMichael, a man in love with Edith who ends playing a very important part in her salvation. Hunnam is good here but leaves us wishing he had more to work with. There is a whole supporting cast, and everyone is good here, no one sticks out like a sore thumb which says a lot about the script and direction.

Now, as a person with a background in fashion history and photography with a passion for horror, this film is something else from a visual standpoint. Just look at it. Look! At! It! The cinematography by Dan Laustsen is just stunning. It’s so beautiful. The film is framed and shot carefully, giving each scene a chance to be seen, to end up looking like a painting at times. The film is given the right attention from Laustsen and the editing by Bernat Vilaplana gives each scene the time it needs to develop, especially the creepy moments, edited just right, giving them the right balance to be creepy and to instill fear. There is a dread that happens here in how the film is edited from the images given, getting perfect moments for the viewer. In these images, we get to see the careful décor, the use of use of color to create a world that is just right, one that is also just the right amount of off. The costumes by Kate Hawley need to be noted here. They are beautiful and period appropriate with a touch of daring. The design, choice of fabrics and colors, the way it all comes together with the hair and makeup creates dreamy looks and helps with the character creation.

Crimson Peak (2015) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

Of course, we cannot skip the love for the special effects. They are awesome! Like nerdtastically amazing. Horror at its best. The characters played by Doug Jones and Javier Botet are so well done, they are so creepy, they prove that with the right mix of practical effects and CGI effects and with the right teams, almost anything is possible these days. Or for a few years really. The film has aged beautifully on that front. It’s from 2015 and rewatching recently, it looks like it could have been released this year. The effects play a huge part in this. They are so good. This is how you make ghosts that look like they could touch you, that look like they have a tortured soul, and that look like maybe, just maybe, they don’t just want bad things for our lead. These are some of the best effects the team under makeup effects key artist Xavi Bastida brings together on the screen for us. Of course, there are other effects, like the murder of Carter Cushing, that are ooey, gooey, bloody, violent, and gross. That comes early in the film and it’s easy for this to be overshadowed by the later parts of the film, but it is very well done and done with not just talent, but a flare for good gore. Between that murder and the ghosts, there could have been nothing else in terms of effects, but there is more of course, most of it looking great. One bit that may not have aged as well is the showdown between Edith, Lucille, and Thomas. It looks decent, but these days it looks like it could be just a touch better.

That being said, it’s not the worst seen in the last few years and given the rest of the film, it’s easy to overlook. Also, that ending is fitting. It’s overly dramatic, it’s gothic, it’s sad romance. It’s the kind of ending that is perfect here, kind of happy, kind of sad, like a good old tale of love and ghosts in a long bygone era, filled with beautiful people, a decrepit yet beautiful location, where a writer of ghost novels could get her fill of inspiration while attempting to survive a diabolical plan. This ending is the only ending this film could have had. Spoiler, yes both Lucille and Thomas who had turned against his sister, needed to die here. There is a romance to it. There is a heroic death for a man who started off evil. There is a complete release for the poor woman victimize by the siblings, there is a clear closure for her. A sad, yet perfect closure. Yeah, the effects on those last two ghosts are not perfect and distract from the scene a little bit, but once used to them, it’s easy to rewatch the movie and ignore that little issue.

Crimson Peak is one of those films that is made with care at every single level, each and every team and person on this film gave their best under the guidance of Guillermo Del Toro, thus showing that he knows how to get the best people together, how to get them to work together just right, and how to get his vision to come to life on the screen. This is one of the best Del Toro to this gothic nerd who went to prom in a spider web dress. The teen girl in me loves this probably even more than adult me does and it’s good to feed your soul with art that just works for you and makes you happy. This is a goth horror movie that is reminiscent of Hammer and other old timey studios, it’s goth horror that knows how to build a few scares, but mainly how to build attachments to the characters to make you feel their plight. It’s the kind of gothic horror we do not get enough of and when we get some, it feels like it’s lesser-than, like it’s not hitting the mark. Crimson Peak hits the mark, it hits all the marks, even one that I wish it didn’t, but it’s so good that it’s easy to have it on regular rotation, to have play as you work and get sidetracked because it’s too good to pass up even on the 200th viewing.

Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!

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[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFmE3fDZhH8[/embed] The episode of Revisited covering Crimson Peak was Written by Emilie

Hailey Bieber has found a way to combine her love of body chains, nameplate jewelry, and her own married last name into one piece, and I have to salute her for it.

In her recent GQ photo spread, the model and skincare maven shows off a gold belly chain with individual letter charms spelling out, “B-I-E-B-E-R.” In one pic, Bieber wears her nameplate chain with a pair of baggy low-rise jeans and a pink mesh top. In another, she wears it with white basketball shorts and a chainmail bra top.

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The “Bieber” chain is on brand in more than just the literal sense. For one thing, Bieber has been a devotee of the body chain for a while now, and likes to pair the 2000s-era jewelry trend with baby tees and baggy jeans as well as bikinis. For another, this belly chain’s “Bieber” charms recall the chunky bedazzled “B” necklace the model wears more or less constantly in both paparazzi pics and her IG selfies.

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Hailey Bieber has found a way to

Tom Bergeron is opening up about his dismissal from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and the former host is not holding back.

The 68-year-old left the reality competition series in 2020 after being openly critical of the producers casting Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in the show’s 28th season. Speaking with the Sex, Lies, and Spray tans podcast, Bergeron detailed his perspective of the behind-the-scenes conversations that led to his ouster after hosting the hit show for 15 years.

Bergeron says that leading up to the fateful year, he had signed a new contract for three seasons. During a couple of lunches with various producers (whom he did not name), he urged them not to cast any political figures due to the pending presidential election and the increasingly divisive climate: “Make us the wonderful escape from all that divisiveness for two hours a week.” The producers seemingly enthusiastically agreed. But then a few weeks later, he got a phone call from two producers giving him a heads up that Spicer was being cast anyway.

“And I said, ‘Guys, this is exactly what we said we wouldn’t do!’” Bergeron recalls saying. “And I would have responded the same way if they had booked Hillary Clinton, whom I voted for. ‘Don’t go there. This is not the right time. Play to our strengths. Be the show that gives people a break from all this bullshit.’ So, I was furious.”

Bergeron felt so strongly, he offered to “take the season off.” So producers countered by offering to let him out of his contract entirely.

“It really pissed me off … my temper kicked in,” Bergeron says. “I was at least going to let people know that they fucking lied to me.”

So in August 2019, he took to Twitter to vent his frustration. He posted that he wanted the season to be “a joyful respite from our exhausting political climate and free of inevitably divisive bookings from ANY party affiliations [but that] a decision was made to, as we often say in Hollywood, ‘go in a different direction.’ We can agree to disagree, as we do now, but ultimately it’s their call. I’ll leave it to them to answer any further questions about those decisions.” DWTS fans on social media seemed to agree with Bergeron, with many criticizing the casting decision. “The moment Spicer was announced, my phone started blowing up, people were outraged,” Bergeron said.

Bergeron says his thought process went like this: “‘They screwed me, I’m gonna screw them.’ I wanted the viewers to know this was a step too far. This was a step too far on the cusp of an election year.”

When asked if he gave his producers a heads up about the statement, the former host shot back, “They didn’t deserve to know.”

Continued Bergeron: “I wrote the statement that I wrote, that did not name anybody, that did not name a political party. It merely said, ‘I was told certain things when I was asked my opinion, they agreed, and now they’ve thrown a curveball.’ They’re the producers of the show. If that’s what they want to do, they are entitled to do that. We will have to agree to disagree.”

Bergeron added that he wasn’t taking an anti-conservative stance: “Had it been a Democrat, same statement. Honestly. It’s not about my political beliefs. It’s about what is this show at its best. And we were becoming the show at it’s worst.”

Bergeron nonetheless hosted the show for the season, with Spicer being voted out after eight weeks of mocking from social media and the show’s judges. But he says he knew “this is probably my last season … because of that one betrayal … My lawyer had said to me, ‘It’s really well written, but you’re putting a bullseye on your back.’”

The former host also ridiculed people who suggested he might have been fired for appearing on Fox’s The Masked Singer. “C’mon, get a life. I was a fucking taco singing Sinatra, it’s not a reason to fire someone. I had called [the producers] on the carpet … and they don’t like being called a liar in public.”

In July, Bergeron announced he was leaving DWTS, and co-host Erin Andrews departed the show as well. America’s Next Top Model creator and host Tyra Banks was announced as the show’s new host. Bergeron labeled Banks “a curiosity.” Banks left the show earlier this year, with Alfonso Ribeiro (“thrilled for him”) and Julianne Hough (“perfect”) taking over for season 32.

ABC had no immediate comment.

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Tom Bergeron is opening up about his

It’s a love song and a history lesson, presented as an audio version of a classic Western movie.
And it’s already rustled up a gold single for Ian Munsick and collaborator Cody Johnson.

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Now, in the spirit of an authentic American cowboy, Munsick goes it alone as he trots off to country radio with “Long Live Cowgirls,” a ballad that captures the unique mix of trail-rider lonesomeness and rodeo grit that inhabits his Wyoming-bred vocals. The Paramount+ Western series Yellowstone recently expanded into CBS’ prime-time lineup, and there’s good reason to think “Cowgirls” might similarly find its way from digital platforms into over-the-air audio.

“I’m really excited about it,” Munsick says. “People are fascinated with the West and the Western lifestyle and cowboys right now, so for me to come from where I come from and have the background that I have, and taking along ‘Cowgirls,’ in my opinion, it’s the return of Westerns in mainstream country music.”

“Cowgirls” is a remnant of pandemic isolation, created during a Zoom writing session in August or September 2020 with one of the three participants, Aby Gutierrez, working from the bedroom in Wisconsin where he wrote his first song as a teenager. The other member of the trio, Phil O’Donnell (“Back When I Knew It All,” “Doin’ What She Likes”), came prepared with the “Long Live Cowgirls” title. He doesn’t know where it came from — it had likely been living in his list of hooks for a couple of years — but he knew when the date popped up on the calendar that it was a good setting to introduce it.
Munsick was emphatic about chasing that idea, and he started creating a mood for it by strumming a lazy pattern on guitar in 6/8 time.

“I was thinking, ‘Oh, no, not a waltz. You’ll never get anything on a waltz. You have to have arena rock’n’roll,’ ” recalls O’Donnell. “That just goes to show you how wrong our thinking can be.”

O’Donnell didn’t voice his reservations. Instead, he chipped in the opening lines: “She’s a gooseneck on a dually/A longneck at the bar.” To many listeners, that first image is likely a head-scratcher, but to anyone who grew up in or around modern cowboys, it’s an instant sign that the singer is authentically engrossed in the subject. O’Donnell’s daughters competed in rodeos, so he definitely knew the trailer-hitch lingo.

“I had a green dually Ford and then a Featherlite trailer, and I pulled those girls — Alabama, Georgia, around Middle Tennessee, Murfreesboro — you know? We went to a lot of a lot of barrel races,” he says. “The older cowgirls — and when I say ‘older,’ I mean the 18- and 20- and 30-year-old ones — they would have their own and be driving themselves. But I had [daughters] that weren’t old enough to drive yet, so I towed my girls around to a good many barrel races and rodeos.”

They built the song on Western images — John Wayne, saddles, canyons and mustangs — sometimes used literally, sometimes as metaphors for a woman who’s both tough and desirable. The first verse portrays an individual cowgirl, though the chorus breaks into a recognition of covered wagons, embracing a historical sweep of the cowgirl as a societal role.

That lyrical shift is accompanied by an uptick in the melody, driven by Munsick to take advantage of a vulnerable spot in his tenor range.

“I always like to make sure the chorus musically elevates,” he says, “so for this tune in particular, it was a pretty obvious choice to go to the minor [chord] for the chorus to really make you feel that heaviness. And musically, it kind of goes lower melodically [at the end of the verse] for the lyrics to go higher. And that’s always just a cool trick that I like to incorporate.”

Hitting the “long live cowgirls” punchline was tricky. Gutierrez wanted to avoid rhyming “world” with “cowgirl,” finding it a little too predictable. An alternative was available in Western fashion. “Philbilly actually came up with ‘snaps on her pearls,’ and then we went the whole song without rhyming ‘girl’ and ‘world,’ which is probably the go-to rhyme in most songwriting,” says Gutierrez.

They did revisit it, though, in the second chorus. They had determined that “Cowgirls” didn’t need a bridge, but for a slight deviation, they wanted to insert an extra line into that last stanza to bring it to a lyrical peak. They came up with “She’s been there, and she’ll be here/’Til the end of the world.” It brought a weight to the song’s finale that exceeded the usual “world”/“girl” rhyme scheme. “The way we use it makes all the difference for me,” Gutierrez says.

He also pictured the cowgirl through a seasonal filter, characterizing her as “tough as December … Make you fall like September.”

“That’s some true cowboy poetry,” notes Munsick.

“I was happy that they dug that line when I threw it out there,” Gutierrez says. “Growing up in Wisconsin, knowing what it takes to get through winter, I feel like Wyoming’s a pretty similar place. Not only do you have all of these pressures from the world, like trying to pay bills and trying to keep everybody happy, there’s also six months out of the year where Mother Nature is coming for you as well.”

Munsick documented “Cowgirls” with a simple voice-and-guitar iPhone recording, which he presented to producer Jared Conrad (Randall King) ahead of a February 2021 tracking session with a full band. Fiddler Ross Holmes revamped a section of the chorus melody and turned it into a burning intro lick, but other parts were a little too much.

“With the lyrics, it really felt like cinematic cowboys sitting around a campfire, in the middle of a field singing a song,” Conrad says. “So I came back in and muted the drums and electric guitars.”

Conrad overdubbed a banjo and nylon-string guitar, labeling the results the “campfire version.” And he used Foley sound effects to include the crackle of burning logs and the howl of a distant coyote. He actually expected Munsick would have those sounds removed, but they provided some continuity with his debut album, Coyote Cry, so they left them in. Meanwhile, the unconventional structure — verse, chorus, verse, chorus, done — influenced the song’s arrangement.

“In a traditional song, when you’re focusing on the dynamic build, it’s usually biggest at maybe the solo and/or bridge section, and then the very biggest is the third chorus,” Conrad notes. “With this song, obviously, I had to kind of reapproach that. The last chorus is still the biggest section. It’s just kind of more of a gradual ramp the whole way through.”

Munsick toured with Johnson, who ended up singing on the version that appeared on Munsick’s sophomore album, White Buffalo, released April 7. Once “Cowgirls” went gold, Warner Music Nashville targeted it for terrestrial radio, though it conflicted with Johnson’s own plans for a single and they resurrected the solo version. Munsick resang a couple of sections to better reflect how he was performing it live, and some of Johnson’s harmony parts remained uncredited in the background. WMN released it to radio via PlayMPE on Oct. 9.

“I’m actually glad that we waited as long as we did,” says Munsick. “It’s allowed it to reach an audience organically, that I think, if we would have taken it to radio out of the gate, it wouldn’t have had the time to find its audience. I think having that audience already behind it kind of proves to the mainstream that this song already is a hit.”

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It’s a love song and a history

Meta designed features in Instagram and other apps to “purposefully addict children and teens,” a group of 42 state attorneys general alleged in federal and state lawsuits filed Tuesday.

Reps for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the federal lawsuit, the attorneys general assert that Meta’s business practices violate state consumer protection laws and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The complaint seeks injunctive relief as well as unspecified monetary damages “to rectify the harms caused by these platforms,” according to the state AGs’ announcement.

The social giant’s practices have “harmed and continue to harm the physical and mental health of children and teens” and have contributed to what the U.S. Surgeon General has called a “youth mental health crisis” that has “ended lives, devastated families and damaged the potential of a generation of young people,” according to the announcement from the coalition of state attorneys general.

“The deceptive and unfair practices used by Meta have deeply harmed our youth,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. “We must address the insidious impact the compulsive use of Meta’s platforms has had on our young generation. Just like Big Tobacco and vaping companies have done in years past, Meta chose to maximize its profits at the expense of public health, specifically harming the health of the youngest among us. We will work tirelessly to hold the company accountable for the harm it has and continues to inflict.”

The federal complaint, joined by 33 states and filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Meta knew of the harmful impact of its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, on young people. Per the lawsuit, rather than taking steps to mitigate those harms, Meta misled the public about the harms associated with use of its platform, concealing the extent of the psychological and health harms suffered by young users addicted to use of its platforms. The complaint further alleges that Meta knew that young users, including those under 13, were active on the platforms, and knowingly collected data from these users without parental consent.

While much of the complaint relies on confidential material that is not yet available to the public, publicly available sources including those previously released by former Meta employees detail that Meta profited by purposely making its platforms addictive to children and teens, according to the state attorneys general — using algorithms to push users into “rabbit holes” in an effort to maximize engagement. The state AGs cited the comments of Aza Raskin, the original developer of the “infinite-scroll” concept who formerly worked at Mozilla, in a 2018 interview with the BBC about the feature’s addictive qualities: “If you don’t give your brain time to catch up with your impulses… you just keep scrolling.”

In parallel complaints filed in state courts Tuesday, another eight states made similar allegations about Meta’s practices targeting kids. Tennessee’s state complaint, for example, is seeking injunctive and monetary relief for Instagram’s “unfair and deceptive acts,” alleging that Meta designed Instagram to be addictive, purposefully targeted children and teens, and took advantage of their biologically limited capacity for self-control. Meta knew, the complaint alleges, of the wide range of harms compulsive use caused, including increased levels of depression, anxiety, and attention deficit disorders; altered psychological and neurological development; and reduced sleep. Yet, the company continued to assure the public Instagram was safe and concealed the known significant risks of the platform.

The multistate coalition that sued Meta said it is also investigating TikTok’s conduct on a similar set of concerns. That investigation remains ongoing, and Colorado has pushed for “adequate disclosure of information and documents in litigation related to TikTok’s failure to provide adequate discovery in response to requests by the Tennessee Attorney General’s office,” according to a press release from Weiser’s office.

States joining the federal lawsuit to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Florida is filing its own federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Filing lawsuits in their own state courts are the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.

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Meta designed features in Instagram and other

All Of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh led the Gotham Awards Nominations today, with some love for Celine Song’s Past Lives and a Best Performance nod to Ryan Gosling for Barbie after the indie-centric Awards removed a longstanding budget cap on eligibility, opening to big-budget studio and streamer fare to submit for consideration.

Past Lives was nominated for Best Feature, Breakthrough Director, Outstanding Lead Performance by Greta Lee. All Of Us Strangers for Best International Feature, Best Screenplay and Outstanding Lead Performance for Andrew Scott and Claire Foy.

The disappearance of the budget cap, which had been set at $35 million, is the biggest change this year.

Organizers said when they announced the change this summer that it was meant “to broaden our reach in terms of recognition and accessibility to the wider community.”

The list  was still pretty indie and a number of high profile films did not submit, however, among them Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon and The Color Purple. 

The October noms and late November event are industry bellwethers, coming at the start of awards season following fall festival buzz. The awards, set for November 27 at Cipriani New York, will be honoring Maestro by Bradley Cooper and Air by Ben Affleck with new tributes for film and they iconic individuals or milestones they represent.

The Gothams’ October noms and late November event are industry bellwethers, coming at the start of awards season following fall festival buzz. The awards, set for November 27 at Cipriani New York, will be honoring Maestro by Bradley Cooper and Air by Ben Affleck with new tributes for film and the iconic individuals or milestones they represent.  

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Best Feature

Passages
Ira Sachs, director; Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt, producers (MUBI)

Past Lives
Celine Song, director; David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, producers (A24)

Reality
Tina Satter, director; Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile, Noah Stahl, producers (HBO Films)

Showing Up
Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani, producers (A24)

A Thousand and One
A.V. Rockwell, director; Julia Lebedev, Rishi Rajani, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Bred Weston, producers (Focus Features)

Best International Feature

All of Us Strangers
Andrew Haigh, director; Graham Broadbent, Peter Czemin, Sarah Harvey, producers (Searchlight Pictures)

Anatomy of a Fall
Justine Triet, director; Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion, producers (NEON)

Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos, director; Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos,  Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone, producers (Searchlight Pictures)

Tótem
Lila Avilés, director; Lila Avilés, Tatiana Graullera, Louise Riousse, producers (Sideshow/Janus Films)

The Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer, director; Ewa Puszczynska, James Wilson, producers (A24)

Best Documentary Feature

20 Days in Mariupol
Mstyslav Chernov, director; Raney Aronson-Rath, Mstyslav Chernov, Derl McCrudden, Michelle Mizner, producers (PBS Distribution)

Against the Tide
Sarvnik Kaur, director; Koval Bhatia, Sarvnik Kaur, producers (Snooker Club Films, A Little Anarky Films)

Apolonia, Apolonia
Lea Glob, director; Sidsel Lønvig Siersted, producer (Danish Documentary Production)

Four Daughters
Kaouther Ben Hania, director; Nadim Cheikhrouha, producer (Kino Lorber)

Our Body
Claire Simon, director; Kristina Larsen, producer (Cinema Guild)

Breakthrough Director Award

Raven Jackson, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (A24)

Georgia Oakley, Blue Jean (Magnolia Pictures)

Michelle Garza Cervera, Huesera (XYZ Films)

Celine Song, Past Lives (A24)

A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One (Focus Features)

Best Screenplay

All of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh (Searchlight Pictures)

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

May December, Samy Burch (Netflix)

R.M.N., Cristian Mungiu (IFC Films)

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer (A24)

Outstanding Lead Performance

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Origin (Neon)

Lily Gladstone, The Unknown Country (Music Box Films)

Greta Lee, Past Lives (A24)

Franz Rogowski, Passages (MUBI)

Babetida Sadjo, Our Father, The Devil (Cineverse)

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Pictures)

Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla (A24)

Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One (Focus Features)

Michelle Williams, Showing Up (A24)

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Performance

Juliette Binoche, The Taste of Things (IFC Films)

Penélope Cruz, Ferrari (Neon)

Jamie Foxx, They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)

Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Films)

Ryan Gosling, Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Glenn Howerton, BlackBerry (IFC Films)

Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest (A24)

Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (Lionsgate)

Charles Melton, May December (Netflix)

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Breakthrough Series – Under 40 minutes

Beef
Lee Sung Jin, creator; Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich, Jake Schreier, Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, executive producers (Netflix)

High School
Clea DuVall, Sara Quin, Tegan Quin, creators; Clea Duvall, Dede Gardner, Laura Kittrell, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Quin, Tegan Quin, Carina Sposato, executive producers (Amazon Freevee)

I’m A Virgo
Boots Riley, creator; Tze Chun, Michael Ellenberg, Marcus Gardley, Carver Karaszewski, Jharrel Jerome, Boots Riley, Rebecca Rivo, Lindsey Springer, executive producers (Prime Video)

Rain Dogs
Cash Carraway, creator; Cash Carraway, Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, executive producers (HBO | Max)

Swarm
Donald Glover, Janine Nabers, creators; Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Janine Nabers Jamal Olor, Steven Prinz, Michael Schaefer, Fam Udeorji, executive producers (Amazon Studios)

Breakthrough Series – Over 40 minutes

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire
Rolin Jones, creator; Mark Johnson, Rolin Jones, Anne Rice, Christopher Rice, Alan Taylor, executive producers (AMC)

Dead Ringers
Alice Birch, creator; Alice Birch, Anne Carey, Sean Durkin, Megan Ellison, Erica Kay, Ali Krug, Sue Naegle, Stacy O’Neil, David Robinson, James G. Robinson, Polly Stokes, Barbara Wall, Rachel Weisz, executive directors (Prime Video)

The English
Hugo Blick, creator; Hugo Blick, Emily Blunt, Greg Brenman, executive producers (Prime Video)

The Last of Us
Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, creators; Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Rose Lam, Asad Qizilbash, Carolyn Strauss, Carter Swan, Evan Wells, executive producers; (HBO | Max)

A Small Light
Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, creator; Susanna Fogel, William Harper, Avi Nir, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Lisa Roos, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, executive producers (National Geographic)

Telemarketers
Adam Bhala Lough, Sam Lipman-Stern, directors; Nancy Abraham, Dani Bernfeld, David Gordon Green, Lisa Heller, Jody Hill, Brandon James, Sam Lipman-Stern, Adam Bhala Lough, Danny McBride, Tina Nguyen,  Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Greg Stewart, executive producers (HBO | Max)

Outstanding Performance in a New Series

Jacob Anderson, Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire (AMC) 

Dominique Fishback, Swarm (Amazon Studios)

Jharrel Jerome, I’m A Virgo (Prime Video)

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face (Peacock)

Bel Powley, A Small Light (National Geographic)

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us (HBO | Max)

Chaske Spencer, The English (Prime Video)

Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers ((Prime Video)

Ali Wong, Beef (Netflix)

Steven Yeun, Beef (Netflix)

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All Of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh

It’s unusual for so many states to come together to sue a tech giant for consumer harms. The coordination shows states are prioritizing the issue of children and online safety and combining legal resources to fight Meta, just as states have previously done for cases against Big Tobacco and Big Pharma companies.

Lawmakers around the globe have been trying to rein in platforms like Instagram and TikTok on behalf of children. Over the last few years, Britain, followed by states like California and Utah, passed laws that would require social media platforms to boost privacy and safety protections for minors online. The Utah law, among other things, would require social media apps to turn off notifications by default for minors overnight to reduce interruptions to children’s sleep.

Regulators have also tried to hold social media companies accountable for possible harms to young people. Last year, a coroner in Britain ruled that Instagram had contributed to the death of a teenager who took her own life after seeing thousands of images of self-harm on the platform.

States began investigating Instagram’s potentially harmful effects on young people several years ago as public concerns over cyberbullying and teen mental health mounted.

In early 2021, Facebook announced that it was planning to develop “Instagram Kids,” a version of its popular app that would be aimed at users under the age of 13. The news prompted a backlash among concerned lawmakers and children’s groups.

Soon after, a group of attorneys general from more than 40 states wrote a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s chief executive. In it, they said that Facebook had “historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms” and urged the company to abandon its plans for Instagram Kids.

Concerns among the attorneys general intensified in September 2021 after Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, leaked company research indicating that the company knew its platforms posed mental health risks to young people. Facebook then announced it was pausing the development of Instagram Kids.

That November, a bipartisan group of attorneys general, including Colorado, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, announced a joint investigation into Instagram’s impact — and potential harmful effects — on young people.

Under local and state consumer protection laws, the attorneys general are seeking financial penalties for Meta. The District of Columbia and the states will also ask the court for injunctive relief to force Meta to stop using certain tech features that the states contend have harmed young users.

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Why the Case MattersIt’s unusual for so

YouTube Music is finally letting you change the cover art of your playlists. While you still won’t get to upload your own image, you can now make a custom image using generative AI.

As shown in the below GIF, you can create AI-generated art by tapping the pen icon in the bottom right corner of your playlist’s cover art. You can then select the category that you want your image to fall into, like animals, food and drink, colors, nature, or travel.

From there, you can either hit “randomize” or choose from several prompts, such as creating a pug “in the style of a Medieval Gothic painting.” The AI will output five different images for you to choose from. Once you hit “save,” that art will become the image representing your playlist.

The feature is only rolling out for English language users in the US for now, but YouTube says to “stay tuned for expansion to other regions and languages globally.” Previously, YouTube automatically created an image by merging the art for the first four songs in your playlist into a grid-like format. This should at least help you capture the feel of your playlist even if you can’t use your own images.

Additionally, YouTube announced several other features coming to its music streaming service. That includes a new “speed dial” feature, which plants your most listened-to content on your homepage, allowing you to quickly hop into your favorite tunes. YouTube says this feature will arrive in the “coming months.”

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YouTube Music is finally letting you change

The nominations for the 2023 Gotham Awards have been revealed.

Since 2021, the Gotham Awards has recognized performers in gender-neutral categories.

The nominations were announced live at Cipriani Wall Street, where the awards ceremony itself will take place next month, by Gotham Film & Media Institute executive director Jeffrey Sharp and deputy director Kia Brooks.

The 2023 Gotham Awards will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on Monday, Nov. 27.

It was previously announced that Ben Affleck’s Air will receive the Visionary Icon & Creator Tribute and that Maestro star, director and co-writer Bradley Cooper will receive the Cultural Icon & Creator Tribute.

It remains to be seen how the ongoing actors strike will affect this year’s Gotham Awards. Actors union SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP group representing studios and streamers are set to meet to resume negotiations on Tuesday. But if there’s no resolution to the strike by the Gotham Awards’ post-Thanksgiving show date, actors like Cooper won’t be able to promote projects from struck companies.

Gotham Award nominees are selected by committees of film and TV critics, journalists, festival programmers and film curators.

Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films will determine the final award recipients.

Recent Gotham Award winners have included Oscar winners Everything Everywhere All at Once, CODA, Nomadland, Marriage Story, American Factory, Moonlight, Spotlight and Birdman.

A complete list of this year’s nominees follows.

Full disclosure: The Hollywood Reporter‘s arts and culture critic Lovia Gyarkye was part of the nominating committee for breakthrough director; reviews editor Jon Frosch was part of the nominating committee for best international feature; and chief TV critic Dan Fienberg was part of the nominating committee for breakthrough program longform and shortform and breakthrough performance in a new series.

Best Feature

Passages

Ira Sachs, director; Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt, producers (MUBI)

Past Lives

Celine Song, director; David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, producers (A24)

Reality

Tina Satter, director; Brad Becker-Parton, Riva Marker, Greg Nobile, Noah Stahl, producers (HBO Films)

Showing Up

Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani, producers (A24)

A Thousand and One

A.V. Rockwell, director; Julia Lebedev, Rishi Rajani, Eddie Vaisman, Lena Waithe, Bred Weston, producers (Focus Features)

Best International Feature

All of Us Strangers

Andrew Haigh, director; Graham Broadbent, Peter Czemin, Sarah Harvey, producers (Searchlight Pictures)

Anatomy of a Fall

Justine Triet, director; Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion, producers (NEON)

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos, director; Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone, producers (Searchlight Pictures)

Tótem

Lila Avilés, director; Lila Avilés, Tatiana Graullera, Louise Riousse, producers (Sideshow/Janus Films)

The Zone of Interest

Jonathan Glazer, director; Ewa Puszczynska, James Wilson, producers (A24)

Best Documentary Feature

20 Days in Mariupol

Mstyslav Chernov, director; Raney Aronson-Rath, Mstyslav Chernov, Derl McCrudden, Michelle Mizner, producers (PBS Distribution)

Against the Tide

Sarvnik Kaur, director; Koval Bhatia, Sarvnik Kaur, producers (Snooker Club Films, A Little Anarky Films)

Apolonia, Apolonia

Lea Glob, director; Sidsel Lønvig Siersted, producer (Danish Documentary Production)

Four Daughters

Kaouther Ben Hania, director; Nadim Cheikhrouha, producer (Kino Lorber)

Our Body

Claire Simon, director; Kristina Larsen, producer (Cinema Guild)

Breakthrough Director Award, Presented by Cadillac

Raven Jackson, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (A24)

Georgia Oakley, Blue Jean (Magnolia Pictures)

Michelle Garza Cervera, Huesera (XYZ Films)

Celine Song, Past Lives (A24)

A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One (Focus Features)

Best Screenplay

All of Us Strangers, Andrew Haigh (Searchlight Pictures)

Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet, Arthur Harari (NEON)

May December, Samy Burch (Netflix)

R.M.N., Cristian Mungiu (IFC Films)

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer (A24)

Outstanding Lead Performance

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Origin (NEON)

Lily Gladstone, The Unknown Country (Music Box Films)

Greta Lee, Past Lives (A24)

Franz Rogowski, Passages (MUBI)

Babetida Sadjo, Our Father, The Devil (Cineverse)

Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Pictures)

Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla (A24)

Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One (Focus Features)

Michelle Williams, Showing Up (A24)

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Performance

Juliette Binoche, The Taste of Things (IFC Films)

Penélope Cruz, Ferrari (NEON)

Jamie Foxx, They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)

Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Films)

Ryan Gosling, Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Glenn Howerton, BlackBerry (IFC Films)

Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest (A24)

Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (Lionsgate)

Charles Melton, May December (Netflix)

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Breakthrough Series – Under 40 minutes

Beef, Lee Sung Jin, creator; Ravi Nandan, Alli Reich, Jake Schreier, Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, executive producers (Netflix)

High School, Clea DuVall, Sara Quin, Tegan Quin, creators; Clea Duvall, Dede Gardner, Laura Kittrell, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Quin, Tegan Quin, Carina Sposato, executive producers (Amazon Freevee)

I’m A Virgo, Boots Riley, creator; Tze Chun, Michael Ellenberg, Marcus Gardley, Carver Karaszewski, Jharrel Jerome, Boots Riley, Rebecca Rivo, Lindsey Springer, executive producers (Prime Video)

Rain Dogs, Cash Carraway, creator; Cash Carraway, Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, executive producers (HBO | Max)

Swarm, Donald Glover, Janine Nabers, creators; Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Janine Nabers Jamal Olor, Steven Prinz, Michael Schaefer, Fam Udeorji, executive producers (Amazon Studios)

Breakthrough Series – Over 40 minutes

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire

Rolin Jones, creator; Mark Johnson, Rolin Jones, Anne Rice, Christopher Rice, Alan Taylor, executive producers (AMC)

Dead Ringers

Alice Birch, creator; Alice Birch, Anne Carey, Sean Durkin, Megan Ellison, Erica Kay, Ali Krug, Sue Naegle, Stacy O’Neil, David Robinson, James G. Robinson, Polly Stokes, Barbara Wall, Rachel Weisz, executive directors (Prime Video)

The English

Hugo Blick, creator; Hugo Blick, Emily Blunt, Greg Brenman, executive producers (Prime Video)

The Last of Us

Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, creators; Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin, Rose Lam, Asad Qizilbash, Carolyn Strauss, Carter Swan, Evan Wells, executive producers; (HBO | Max)

A Small Light

Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, creator; Susanna Fogel, William Harper, Avi Nir, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Lisa Roos, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, executive producers (National Geographic)

Telemarketers

Adam Bhala Lough, Sam Lipman-Stern, directors; Nancy Abraham, Dani Bernfeld, David Gordon Green, Lisa Heller, Jody Hill, Brandon James, Sam Lipman-Stern, Adam Bhala Lough, Danny McBride, Tina Nguyen, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Greg Stewart, executive producers (HBO | Max)

Outstanding Performance in a New Series

Jacob Anderson, Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire (AMC)

Dominique Fishback, Swarm (Amazon Studios)

Jharrel Jerome, I’m A Virgo (Prime Video)

Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face (Peacock)

Bel Powley, A Small Light (National Geographic)

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us (HBO | Max)

Chaske Spencer, The English (Prime Video)

Rachel Weisz, Dead Ringers ((Prime Video)

Ali Wong, Beef (Netflix)

Steven Yeun, Beef (Netflix)

More to come.

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The nominations for the 2023 Gotham Awards


While Marvel Studios is still the king of the box office and remains a dominant force in popular culture, the last couple of years have shown chinks in the studio’s impenetrable armor.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Photo: Empire

The underperformance of films like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and the critical reaction to Secret Invasion have led many to pontificate that the era of superheroes dominating media is ending and superhero fatigue has set in.

How Tim Miller Would Fix Marvel

While many reasons for Marvel’s recent troubles have been suggested, the original Deadpool director believes that he knows what Marvel should do next.

“I would like to see them expand to other genres. Even if you’re a Marvel fan, there’s horror in the Marvel Universe, there’s other types of tropes. Deadpool was the reason behind it, and I’m hoping—and I’m sure it will—that they just keep expanding the rationale,” Miller explained.

Tim MillerTim Miller

“The brilliant thing that Fox discovered that allowed me to make the Deadpool movie was we can make R-rated superhero movies, and nobody else is doing that and nobody else really thought they could do that, and Deadpool got lucky and opened up that genre. So then you could do it in other films; you could have a film like Joker because suddenly everybody realized that you could have an R-rated movie.”

The Proof is in the Pudding

The wisdom in Miller’s observation seems evident in Marvel’s recent successes. While films that have trotted familiar ground like Quantumania or Thor: Love and Thunder have received mixed reactions, more outside-the-box projects like Vampire By Night, WandaVision, or Loki have been massive successes.

werewolfwerewolf

Photo: Marvel Studios

If Marvel wants to continue its hold on pop culture, it will need to shake things up.

The studio will get its next chance to quiet the critics when The Marvels hits theaters on November 10.

The MarvelsThe Marvels

Photo: Marvel

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Review: Power Girl #2
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Leah Williams
Art: Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferriera
Colors: Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
Letters: Becca Carey

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

 

 

Summary

More of Power Girl’s private life is revealed…and Amalak gets a surprise that ties into the Kryptonian virus.  

Positives

Like last issue, the cover by Gary Frank is the best thing about Power Girl #2.  Frank captures more about the character than Leah Williams does in the entire issue.  Eduardo Pansica and Julio Ferreira do a good job on the art, and there are a couple panels that channel the right kind of Power Girl energy and attitude.  However, the depiction of Power Girl in her “Paige” identity leans into Manga territory at times and is definitely out of step tonally with a recognizable portrayal of Power Girl’s character.  There are also a couple sequences with some effective storytelling, most notably the opening sequence with Amalak as he discovers something unexpected about the Kryptonian virus. 

If one knew nothing of Power Girl, Power Girl #2 provides some details on her character…that is THIS version of the character.  That said, if you are already familiar with the character, and perhaps know a lot about the character before she appeared in Lazarus Planet and Williams’ Action Comics back ups, this issue is just weird….

Negatives

For reasons unrelated to this Power Girl series, I’ve been rereading all of the appearances of the Helena Wayne Huntress.  As one might expect, Power Girl is in a lot of them.  Details from her history that may have slipped through the cracks are coming back into focus.  Williams is cherry picking events from Power Girl’s published appearances, but including nothing of the substance of them and with this issue she introduces another “greatest fear” for her that she creates from Power Girl’s origin.  Apparently, because Power Girl’s was raised in the symbioship that brought her to Earth she feels like she is afraid she is living in a simulation and not a “real girl.”  This is a potentially interesting idea, I suppose, but like so many aspects of this iteration of Power Girl it feel very foreign and disconnected to- up to this point- a very grounded character.

It’s clear that this is a new iteration of the character that does not have any previous appearances.  Williams is writing her like she is brand new to Earth, despite having already demonstrated that she has worked with her cousin, Superman from her universe, and had a now “useless” identity of Karen Starr (presumably on the main DC Earth).  The lack of greater context for these experiences creates more confusion because they don’t make sense with other aspects of Williams script.  It’s particularly apparent when when Williams has PG claim she doesn’t understand particular social cues making it seem like she just arrived on Earth.  A moment that seems like it is purposely ridiculous is when PG claims she is “so good at hugging now,” and Omen responds with “Look at my awkward little alien learning how to human.”  This is so bad it’s almost funny, and it’s not supposed to be.  I truly feel sorry for Pansica, Ferreira, Fajardo and Carey that they have to contribute to this scene.

Negatives Cont’d

It’s hard to reinvent a character without an obvious reboot or tell a story detailing how the character has arrived at a new stage in life.  There’s no story that brings the reader from her past (that somehow exists, because it IS referenced) to this new present.  It’s just a past that Williams isn’t telling us.  She seems to be writing it as if we know, but we don’t…she’s just making this stuff up.

The biggest problem this Power Girl series has is that she just doesn’t seem familiar.  Her attitude, personality and mindset is just completely opposite of what readers have come to know about Power Girl.  In Power Girl #2, Williams has Power Girl acting more and more like Supergirl.  She even has to suffer Lois Lane giving her pointers on how to be Power Girl and how to act around other people.   It’s heartbreaking to see a character misrepresented so terribly.  An alternate Earth Supergirl that is a brand new character would be tolerable, but not Power Girl who has an established personality, attitude and extensive history living on Earth among humans and a substantial career as a hero.

We learn in this issue that “Paige” is working at the Daily Planet.  It was certainly suggested last issue that she was going to have a different job with Steelworks.  So much for PG being her own woman.  She’s just like Clark, now!  

 

Power Girl All-Star Comics

Negatives Cont’d

PG isn’t the only one being written as a different character.  Oddly, the depiction of Streaky seems to be more like Power Girl’s cat, Stinky.  Streaky has always gotten into trouble, but didn’t really have an attitude.  Stinky on the other hand, had an attitude that seemed to mesh with Power Girl’s.  Streaky comes across much more like Stinky than Streaky in this issue.

Omen seems to be here for comedic purposes.  Unfortunately, it’s not landing.  She’s just sort of annoying.  Additionally, Omen continually referring to herself as PG’s bestie is just laughable.  It just doesn’t make sense to not acknowledge any Power Girl’s past friendship with Helena Wayne, it would be like claiming that Speedy was Batman’s sidekick instead of Robin.  From a technical aspect, these moment with Omen don’t really add to the “friendship” because they are either awkward, superficial or both.

Verdict

With the depiction of Power Girl as insecure, dependent upon Superman and Super-family, inexperienced living on Earth, it’s probably OK to refer to her as Paige, as she’s absolutely nothing like the Karen Starr Power Girl we know and love or the one we’ve seen before.  You might be able to enjoy some of the art in this issue, but it’s a real struggle to connect with this iteration of the character.  Furthermore, it actually makes it difficult to engage with the Amalak/ Kryptonian virus storyline because the characterization is so bizarre.  Power Girl #2 seems to take on elements of DC’s line of YA Graphic Novels which distances it even further from the character’s origins, yet explains so much about inconsistencies with this iteration.

 

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88 Review: Power Girl #2[Editor’s Note: This review may contain

The next generation of XREAL glasses are now available for pre-order.

The XREAL Air 2 and XREAL Air 2 Pro glasses “can turn whatever the wearer is viewing into a big screen experience, up to 330 inches”, the manufacturer claims.

The glasses feature micro-OLED displays with a higher pixel density than the previous model, as well as improved brightness and colour reproduction.

“As the world’s first AR glasses to feature the latest Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation’s 0.55-inch Micro-OLED displays, XREAL Air 2 series AR glasses pack an incredible 4,032 pixels-per-inch, delivering a crisp and visually stunning virtual screen experience at 49 pixels-per-degree (PPD),” XREAL said in a statement.

“A Full HD display resolution of 1920 x 1080 per eye, an ultra-high contrast ratio of 100,000:1, and 500 nits brightness ensure content is presented in incredibly sharp detail.

“Each Micro-OLED display has been precisely calibrated to meet the Gamma 2.2 standard so that wearers can enjoy accurate color reproduction without sacrificing image quality. XREAL Air 2 series AR glasses have a response rate speed of 0.01 milliseconds or less, and pack a fast refresh-rate of up to 120Hz.”

The Pro model also includes one-touch dimming control, which lets players select the immersion level of their glasses with three pre-configured modes.

Transparent mode blocks no light through the lenses, meaning users can still see everything around them, Productivity mode blocks around 35% of external light to improve concentration, and Immersive mode blocks all light for a more cinematic experience.

The glasses are available for pre-order now at the XREAL website, at a price of $399 / €459 / £399 for the XREAL Air 2 and $449 / €515 / £449 for the XREAL Air 2 Pro.