Image Credit: Steve Sands/NewYorkNewswire/Bauer-Griffin/Shutterstock
Madonnasays she’s unwell again. During the Antwerp, Belgium stop on her Celebration tour on October 21, the singer revealed she doesn’t feel well, reflected on her mother’s death, and expressed gratitude that she’s still alive after her bacterial infection. “I had this strange thought,” she reflected in clips circulating via social media, audible emotion in her voice. “I suddenly had sympathy and empathy for my mother. About how lonely she must have felt in the hospital, knowing that she wasn’t going to live. And I was given another chance. So I’m very grateful for that.”
Madge then divulged that she’s again feeling unwell. “I must tell you, I don’t feel very well right now,” she continued. “But I can’t complain because I’m alive. Thank God for my children and all of you, and all of your love and support. I really appreciate it.”
The pop legend also reflected on her “serious” bacterial infection and subsequent hospital stay in June. “Less than four months ago I was in a hospital, and I was unconscious, and people were thinking; predicting — that I might not make it,” she said in another clip. “It’s a f***ing miracle that I’m here right now. My mother, God bless her, she must be watching over me,” she continued. “‘Girl, it’s not your time to go.”‘
Madonna’s health scare occurred in June, when she was forced to postpone the kickoff to her tour due to what was described as a “serious bacterial infection.”
“On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU,” her manager Guy Oseary wrote in a statement at the time. “Her health is improving. However, she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected. At this time, we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour. We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows.”
Madonna was discharged from the hospital on June 29, five days after the initial news broke. She finally debuted the Celebration Tour in London on October 14.
Paris Hilton is delving into a new obsession in “Paris in Love” Season 2: motherhood.
As the heiress takes viewers of the Peacock reality show behind the scenes into her journey in pregnancy alongside her husband, Carter Reum, there’s one thing differentiating this moment for Hilton: She’s keeping it a secret.
“I’ve given my whole life to everyone for so long, it’s just been really important to me to keep this a secret,” Hilton said in the trailer of her pregnancy. “This is the first time that something is just mine. I’m going to be a mom.”
Not even Hilton’s own family was privy to her pregnancy. As Hilton explained, “If people found out it would be paparazzi all over Cedars.” Naturally, then, she revealed her newborn baby boy, named Phoenix, to her family without them even knowing she was pregnant.
“He is so beautiful, so perfect — my life is finally complete,” Hilton said. “I’m so obsessed.”
At the same time, Hilton was filmed in the process of unveiling her memoir, “Paris: The Memoir,” which revealed unknown past traumas from her life, including facing abuse at her Utah boarding school, feeling “private agony” as she got an abortion in the early 2000s and being chased by Harvey Weinstein, among other harmful instances.
“Writing this book was one of the most difficult experiences of my life — writing about things that I’ve never told anyone,” Hilton said. “I was just embarrassed and scared.”
Like her pregnancy, Hilton’s family was left in the dark about the traumatic experiences Hilton revealed in her memoir, with her family telling her “the fact that you couldn’t come to us and we had to read about it online and [in] the book — its not right for us to just read about it in the media.”
Despite Hilton’s best attempts, her past experiences may come back to haunt her, as a therapist warns, “People who are trauma victims have a very hard time happily bonding with their children.”
Hailing from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Shed Media, Telepictures and Slivington Manor Entertainment, executive producers for the series include Hilton, Mike Darnell, Dan Peirson, Lisa Shannon, Bridgette Theriault, Ailee O’Neill, Jen Cassell, Lucy Bennett, Sunny Franklin, Bruce Gersh and Bruce Robertson.
All eight episodes of “Paris in Love” Season 2 will premiere Nov. 30 on Peacock.
While expressing support for Israel in right to protect itself following the terrorist action, Obama also expressed concerns with how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cut off supplies to civilians in Gaza, as well as other aspects of its response.
Obama’s decision to provide a platform for a nuanced take on the conflict in the Middle East that includes both support and critique of Israel makes for an unexpected statement from the former president.
Rather than it just being a statement of opinion from Obama, he also included links to further reading on the issues at hand from both the New York Times (including a Thomas Friedman editorial and another piece by Kurt Streeter) and Vox, as well as an article from the New York Review by former Obama administration official and current Crooked Media podcast host Ben Rhodes.
Obama began by calling the attacks “horrific” and remembering the 1,400 Israeli citizens killed in those attacks.
“In the aftermath of such unspeakable brutality, the U.S. government and the American people have shared in the grief of families, prayed for the return of loved ones, and rightly declared solidarity with the Israeli people,” Obama wrote.
The former president also stated that Israel has the right to defend its citizens from violence and that he fully supports President Joe Biden’s call for the United States to “support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities, and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families.”
But Obama added that, while the U.S. supports Israel, “we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters.”
He pointed to how Israel cut off supplies to civilians in Gaza, along with the mass displacement of Palestinian people there.
“Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children,” Obama wrote. “Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.”
In one of his key conclusions, Obama wrote, “It’s therefore important that those of us supporting Israel in its time of need encourage a strategy that can incapacitate Hamas while minimizing further civilian casualties.”
He gave credit to Israel for allowing relief trucks into Gaza, but added that getting aid to “an increasingly desperate Gaza population” needs to be accelerated.
“And while the prospects of future peace may seem more distant than ever, we should call on all of the key actors in the region to engage with those Palestinian leaders and organizations that recognize Israel’s right to exist to begin articulating a viable pathway for Palestinians to achieve their legitimate aspirations for self-determination — because that is the best and perhaps only way to achieve the lasting peace and security most Israeli and Palestinian families yearn for.”
He also wrote that, “it matters — as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized — that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations. Upholding these values is important for its own sake — because it is morally just and reflects our belief in the inherent value of every human life. Upholding these values is also vital for building alliances and shaping international opinion — all of which are critical for Israel’s long-term security.”
Obama acknowledged the difficulty of doing this, noting that the U.S. itself has fallen short in the past.
“As President Biden noted during his recent visit to Israel, America itself has at times fallen short of our higher values when engaged in war, and in the aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. government wasn’t interested in heeding the advice of even our allies when it came to the steps we took to protect ourselves against Al Qaeda,” Obama continued.
The former president also acknowledged that these attacks bring to mind historic persecution of the Jewish people.
“It’s understandable that many Israelis have demanded that their government do whatever it takes to root out Hamas and make sure such attacks never happen again,” Obama wrote. “Moreover, Hamas’ military operations are deeply embedded within Gaza — and its leadership seems to intentionally hide among civilians, thereby endangering the very people they claim to represent.”
Beginning to wrap up his statement, Obama wrote, “Finally, in dealing with what is an extraordinarily complex situation where so many people are in pain and passions are understandably running high, all of us need to do our best to put our best values, rather than our worst fears, on display.”
He goes on to list that this includes opposing antisemitism, avoiding minimizing the tragedy of what was done to the Israeli people by Hamas and avoiding “the morally-bankrupt suggestion that any cause can somehow justify the deliberate slaughter of innocent people.” He adds that anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment must also be rejected.
“It means refusing to lump all Palestinians with Hamas or other terrorist groups,” Obama writes. “It means guarding against dehumanizing language towards the people of Gaza, or downplaying Palestinian suffering — whether in Gaza or the West Bank — as irrelevant or illegitimate.”
Obama also acknowledged that Israel has a right to exist, while also noting the difficulties of Palestinian people living “in disputed territories for generations,” including issues around the Israeli settler movement.
“It is possible for people of good will to champion Palestinian rights and oppose certain Israeli government policies in the West Bank and Gaza without being antisemitic,” Obama wrote.
Directed by Sean King O’Grady, and written by Jeffrey David Thomas, Hulu’s The Mill stars Lil Rel Howery as a corporate employee named Joe, who wakes up in a prison cell. Horror fans know Howery best as the comic relief in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, but here, Howery is deadly serious as a man trying to survive. Joe pissed off his company by using a few too many of those unlimited PTO days, and now he’s forced to do meaningless manual labor to reach a set quota daily. It may not be the most subtle example of corporate horror, but it sure will hit close to home for any employee tasked with an impossible, stock-driven quota. Nothing says “late-stage capitalism has reached a breaking point” like the recent rise of horror movies and TV about white-collar work!
On WTF with Marc Maron, he explained that, after dropping his résumé off at the MTV offices in hopes of landing an internship, a Letterman staff member approached him outside the studio and asked if he’d like to sit in the audience because they needed seat fillers.
Inside, he told one of the pages, “This is my dream job. Who can I talk to to get this job?” So, the page brought over their boss, who said, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you unless you have a résumé.”
Ben said, “I took out all 20 résumés from my backpack, and he laughed, set up a meeting, and that’s how I got that job, which led to me writing jokes for Letterman’s monologue, which started the whole thing.”
Uncle Snoop Dogg became one of the “Step Brothers” over the weekend when Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly surprised the Long Beach rapper on stage for his 52nd birthday.
Snoop was a guest at the Greek Theatre on Saturday evening for Ferrell’s Best Night of Your Life 2 benefit concert for cancer survivors. After the trio performed, Reilly made an announcement.
“Yesterday was a very special day — it was Mr. Snoop Dogg’s birthday — now let’s sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the greatest rapper in the world,” Reilly said according to a video posted on Snoop’s Instagram.
The video, taken from backstage, showed the moment when a crew member wheeled out a three-tiered cake set with candles. Before launching into the birthday song, Snoop whipped out a blunt and bent down to use the flame from the candles to light it up.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” exclaimed Reilly.
“Light that s—, son,” Ferrell added.
As Ferrell and Reilly led the amphitheater audience through the serenade, Snoop hung his head with a smile, seemingly in disbelief and shock. He then blew out the candles.
“My brothers surprised me,” the rapper born Calvin Broadus Jr. captioned the video.
Prior to the birthday serenade, Snoop joined Ferrell and Reilly on stage for a performance of “Boats ‘N Hoes,” which was featured in the 2008 Adam McKay comedy film “Step Brothers,” according to fan footage of the show. Afterward, the trio launched off into Snoop’s 1994 hit “Gin and Juice” off his breakthrough album “Doggystyle.”
Other guests at Saturday’s benefit concert included comedians Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Roy Wood Jr., Jo Koy and Patti Harrison along with musical guests Beck, St. Vincent and Jack Black. Proceeds from the concert went to Cancer for College, which offers scholarships to cancer survivors. Ferrell attended USC with the nonprofit’s founder, Craig Pollard, who battled cancer during college. The “Anchorman” actor has supported the charity throughout his career.
Earlier this summer, Snoop Dogg had canceled a pair of performances at the Hollywood Bowl out of solidarity with striking Hollywood writers. The Writers’ Guild of America reached a deal with studios and streamers in September after more than 140 days. At the time, Snoop’s shows would have marked the 30th anniversary of “Doggystyle.”
Warning – This article contains spoilers for Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PS5 featured a Venom twist for Mary Jane no one saw coming.
Late into the game’s story (during the mission “This Isn’t You”), Peter has to take on Mary Jane Watson in a super-powered boss fight after she becomes the Venom-adjacent Symbiote Scream.
PlayStation
The mission sees Spider-Man hunting down his best friend Harry Osborn after Harry once again becomes the host for the game’s central symbiote, Venom.
Peter ends up at Aunt May’s former home in Queens, where Harry has taken MJ prisoner and is trying to level with his friend about the dangers of his alien miracle cure.
PlayStation
From there, Harry loses his temper, infecting Mary Jane with a little bit of the Symbiote and transforming her into the villainous Scream.
Harry/Venom flees as Peter and Scream go at it in the streets with a few brutal truths being said by the infected Mary Jane.
PlayStation
Pete eventually scares the Symbiote off MJ, ending her brief time as the Marvel villain.
Who Is Spider-Man 2’s Scream?
While Scream may be new to the world of Insomniac’s Spider-Man, she has been a Spidey-adjacent mainstay in Marvel Comics for years.
The Symbtioic villainess first appeared in May 1993’s Venom: Lethal Protector #4, joining the comics universe as one of five Symbiote spawns derived from the original Venom Symbiote.
Marvel Comics
The character was born following research by the mysterious Life Foundation in the comics world. In the wake of the Cold War, the Life Foundation sought to develop miracle cures for wealthy clients that could help in the event of a nuclear-scale event.
This led the organization to eventually capture Venom and forcibly extract his Symbiote seed to develop different versions of the character.
Marvel Comics
Over the years, Scream has inhabited several characters, but never has Mary Jane been the alter-ego of the character.
The most prominent Scream host was its first host, Donna Diego. Donna was a member of the Life Foundation who was a part of the mission of capturing Venom that led to the creation of Scream in the first place. Donna would go on to don the Symbiote, taking on the Scream alter-ego for years to come.
She was eventually killed during the Hunted storyline, with Scream abandoning her body as a host during the Absolute Carnage arc and leading the Symbiote to set up shop in military woman Patricia Robertson.
Marvel Comics
Patricia was not long for the Symbiote lifestyle though, dying at the hands of the sinister Carnage shortly after as she tried to use her Venom-esque powers for good to save a young girl named Andi Benton.
Marvel Comics
Andi would go on to be the next host of the Symbiotic villain. During her time with Scream, she would take on the Venom hive-mind, the dastardly Symbiote known as Hybrid, and the return of the Knulkl to Earth.
However, she was eventually separated from Scream with the Symbiote now contained at the research firm Alchemax.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is available now for PlayStation 5.
With some horror IPs, sequels and even spin-offs are released ad nauseum until it seems as though the franchise couldn’t possibly have any more steam. Then there are the horror properties that have a lot of potential, but don’t ever seem to get their chance to shine. And what’s a horror IP without its monster?
These are the cinematic monsters that proved successful in some way, whether their movie scored big at the box office, was a hit with critics, or gained a massive cult following. And, given the varying levels of success, there’s a rational question to be asked why they haven’t gotten another feature film or streaming miniseries to creep out fans and general audience members alike. By this point, the Predator (AKA Yautja) and the Xenomorph from Alien have gotten plenty of time to frighten viewers and slaughter entire films’ cast lists like theyre nothing…why not the Anaconda or the Creature from the Black Lagoon?
Lance Henriksen, Jeff East, John D’Aquino, Kimberly Ross, Joel Hoffman
Rating
R
Main Genre
Horror
Stan Winston’s Pumpkinheadmarked the first of only two films the late makeup master directed. And it’s surprising, because not only is the titular antagonist an unforgettable monstrosity, the movie that surrounds him is remarkably solid.
And, while the title creature is the one who would be returning, it’s Lance Henriksen whose performance fuels the original film. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to stay true to his character arc for a remake while also, of course, making enough alterations to stay fresh.
Pumpkinhead is available to stream on DirecTV and Paramount+
9 The Kothoga from The Relic
Paramount Pictures
The Relicis an underseen late ’90s creature feature with a terrific cast and even better (but unfortunately quite underseen) monster. The Kothoga, an ancient being with mysterious origins. But, as the third act reveals, the Kothoga is a little more human than anyone could imagine.
While The Relic didn’t do particularly well at the box office, its developed a nice little cult following that could help incentivize some sort of continuation. And, were it to continue with a reboot movie or miniseries, the film’s museum setting sends plenty of shivers up the spine. Even if the Kothoga (impressively crafted by Stan Winston and his team) doesn’t snarl his way back onto screens, more horror films need to be set in museums at nighttime.
The Relic is available to stream on fuboTV, Prime Video, Paramount+, and MGM+
8 The Giant Alligator from Alligator
Group 1 Films
John Sayles’ Alligatormanages to be both legitimately eerie in spots and seemingly aware of the fact it’s so silly. And, for fans of practical creatures, the film’s titular beast is an impressively-crafted behemoth.
The third act has the gator crashing a birthday party, which goes poorly for attendees and temporary staff alike. If there’s any scene from a 1980 film that needs to be reimagined in modern times, that’s it.
Alligator is available to stream on AMC+, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Shudder, Pluto TV, and Shout! TV
Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Reba McEntire, Robert Jayne
Rating
PG-13
Main Genre
Comedy
If there’s ever been an unlikely longtime franchise-starter, it’s Ron Underwood’s 1990 film Tremors. But, when a film brilliantly sets up a franchise’s slightly comedic tone while simultaneously introducing an iconic monster (which is effectively revealed in stages), perhaps it’s not so surprising it set up an elongated second life as a direct-to-video franchise.
But, while 1996’s Tremors 2: Aftershocks is solid (one of the best direct-to-video horror or comedy films of all time, really), the rest are easily skipped. Syfy very nearly continued the IP with a long-awaited reprisal from the original film’s Kevin Bacon, but the series was unfortunately not picked up. And, yet, bringing him and, of course, some Graboids (not Shriekers or Ass-Blasters) back is an A plus idea.
Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, John Boyega, Adam Leese, Joey Ansah
Rating
R
Main Genre
Action
Joe Cornish’s Attack the Blockis stylish as can be, compellingly shot, and perfectly cast. Nick Frost and John Boyega are particular highlights, but Jodie Whittaker nearly steals the show, as it were.
That is, when the film’s glowing-mouthed doglike aliens aren’t bursting across the screen in a full-on sprint…typically in pursuit of their prey. The Predator had glowing blood, why can’t a dog alien have a glowing mouth? Attack the Block is mostly a cult item, which don’t always receive follow-ups, but so too was The Evil Dead and that franchise continues to this day.
Attack the Block is available to stream on Paramount+ and Prime Video
Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, Billy Green Bush, Scott Grimes, Nadine Van der Velde, Don Keith Opper
Rating
PG-13
Main Genre
Action
As a film series, Crittersoften gets lumped in with Gremlins. But, outside their antagonists being little and nasty, they couldn’t be any more different.
With five total installments, the series has done well for itself, but it’s often struggled to stay within a tone that isn’t getting pulled in multiple directions. The best of the bunch is Critters 2, which ups the violence, gives the Crites a new ability (merging into a mega-Crite), and gives them a bit more goofy, hungry personality. Should the Crites ever get a legacy sequel or remake under their belt, Critters 2 would be the ideal inspiration.
Critters is available to stream on Max and Cinemax
4 The Giant Anaconda from Anaconda
Sony Pictures Releasing
1997’s well-cast cult classic (Which also did fairly well at the box office) Anacondainspired several sequels, but it still feels like a one-off. The first sequel, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, went to theaters, but it had an entirely different, overly-serious and CGI-fueled vibe.
The original film, with its (for the most part) animatronic monster(s), is as much fun now as it was in the late ’90s. Practical effects, particularly for monsters, age remarkably well, and with legacy sequels becoming all the rage, now its time for another mechanical, shrieking snake.
Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins
Rating
R
Main Genre
Horror
Drew Goddard’s The Cabin in the Woodsis surprising, intelligent, funny, and frightening, often all at the same time. The brilliantly irreverent horror film not only toys with audiences’ expectations of the genre, but the genre’s history as well.
From Pinhead knockoffs to werewolves, the film’s third act throws everything it can and more at both the two surviving protagonists and the audience. In terms of which of them should appear in some sort of The Cabin in the Woods follow-up (maybe the big red God hand didn’t obliterate the Earth?), there are a few valid picks. The unicorn, with its blood-soaked horn, certainly qualifies as a top-tier choice. But we’re going to have to go with the merman, without expecting Bradley Whitford’s Steve Hadley to make another appearance alongside him.
The Cabin in the Woods is available to stream on Max, DirecTV, and Cinemax
Carrying the small-town spirit of the original film, Russell’s The Blobalso comes packed with legitimately surprising character deaths and a pair of solid lead performances from the Saw franchise’s Shawnee Smith and Kevin Dillon. If Russell himself were to direct a legacy sequel, it would very much be worth watching.
The Blob (1988) is available to rent on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu
1 The Gill-man from Creature from the Black Lagoon
One of the final Universal Monsters to be introduced to cinemagoers, Creature from the Black Lagoon‘s Gill-man is an impressively-designed monster who, like Frankenstein, doesn’t seem all bad. If anything, he just seems lonely.
The original Creature from the Black Lagoon did a terrific job of building up the Gill-man’s reveal. A hand would come out of the lagoon, a full-body shadow would be shown, his face would be shown through a window…should he finally be featured in another movie (the last time was a version of him in The Monster Squad), the gradual reveal would be the path to take.
Creature from the Black Lagoon is available to stream on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu
Both Hotline Miami games are available digitally from today as Hotline Miami Collection, with free upgrades for existing owners and new Achievements/Trophies.
Published by Devolver Digital, The retro-styled, ultra-gory action game debuted in 2012 and was well-received by both critics and players. A sequel, Hotline Miami: Wrong Number, followed in 2015.
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Set in an alternative 1989 Miami, players assume the role of a mysterious antihero on a murderous rampage against the shady underworld at the behest of voices on their answering machine.
Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number can be purchased individually for $9.99 and $14.99, or as a bundle for $19.99.
A Switch version of The Hotline Miami Collection, developed by Dennaton Games, was previously released in 2019.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” director James Wan told Empire magazine for a new cover story that the reshoot process on his latest DC tentpole was not out of the ordinary, despite many reports claiming post-production on the sequel was a disaster and required at least three rounds of reshoots.
“We probably did seven or eight days,” Wan clarified about the reshoots, “which is nothing for a movie of this size. It was just spread out because it’s so hard to get your actors back once you’ve finished the initial shoot.”
Wan previously addressed the reshoot rumors in an Entertainment Weekly interview, saying, “We have big actors in this movie, and everyone’s schedule is really hard,. So, we had to break up our shooting schedule into sections. We’ll shoot a bit here now, because this actor’s available, and then we’ll do another shoot now, because this guy’s available. People are like, ‘Oh, they’re doing a whole bunch of different shoots!’ No. If we actually combined them all together, it’s actually not that many number of days at all.”
In his Empire interview, Wan said that he’s “had to learn to be more Zen in dealing with all the noise” around him given the rampant speculation about “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” A Variety report from earlier this month included claims of Jason Momoa being drunk on set during production, among other claims. Notes from Amber Heard’s therapist revealed she felt unsupported by Wan during filming.
“I’m a pretty private person,” he told Empire. “I don’t get on social media and have fights, but it’s difficult because this narrative has emerged that is not the reality. The noise is fun to write about, and it gets clicks, but people don’t know the truth.”
Wan told the publication that “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is his superhero spin on “Tango & Cash,” the 1989 buddy action comedy starring Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. In Wan’s version, the buddy comedy is between Aquaman and his half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson).
“From the start, I pitched that the first film would be a ‘Romancing The Stone’-type thing – an action-adventure romantic comedy – while the second would be an outright buddy comedy,” he said. “I wanted to do ‘Tango & Cash.’ Jason plays Arthur larger-than-life; Patrick plays the straight man. It’s not unlike what Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones did in ‘Men In Black’ – like Tommy, Patrick plays it dry, but very funny.”
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is set to open in theaters Dec. 20 from Warner Bros.
“Being Native, watching this movie was fucking hellfire,” Jacobs said on her X and Instagram social media accounts as she slammed Scorsese and his revisionist Western true crime epic for depicting the Osage people as tragic victims.
“Imagine the worst atrocities committed against yr ancestors, then having to sit thru a movie explicitly filled w/ them, w/ the only respite being 30min long scenes of murderous white guys talking about/planning the killings,” Jacobs argued in a long social media thread.
Scorsese and his creative team worked closely with many members of the Osage Nation tribe on the production of Killers of the Flower Moon, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone and follows the real-life 1920s murders of Osage members after oil was found on their Oklahoma land.
But Jacobs says that collaboration only produced a stereotypical representation of the Osage murders created by a White director. “I don’t feel that these very real people were shown honor or dignity in the horrific portrayal of their deaths. Contrarily, I believe that by showing more murdered Native women on screen, it normalizes the violence committed against us and further dehumanizes our people,” she stated.
Killers of the Flower Moon, co-written by Scorsese and Eric Roth, is based on a 2017 book by David Grann and explores the FBI’s investigation into the Osage murders. DiCaprio and Gladstone star as a married couple in the real-life story, after the promise of oil wealth brings DiCaprio’s character to the Osage land.
Jacobs insisted the Osage Nation and other Indigenous peoples deserve a far more nuanced and multi-dimensional portrayal by Hollywood than the worst horrors of their past.
“I can’t believe it needs to be said, but Indig ppl exist beyond our grief, trauma & atrocities. Our pride for being Native, our languages, cultures, joy & love are way more interesting & humanizing than showing the horrors white men inflicted on us,” she argued.
The Reservation Dogs star does give a shout-out to Gladstone, who plays Mollie Burkhart, an Indigenous woman at the center of a nefarious plot, and fellow Indigenous performers in the Apple TV+ movie. “Give Lily her goddam Oscar,” Jacobs said as Gladstone during the current awards season is in the running to possibly become the first Native American nominee.
Scorsese’s Western adult drama posted $23.3 million in box office during its debut weekend.
Fallout mascot Vault BoyPhoto: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Bethesda
HBO’s live-action adaptation of the Last Of Usvideo game was a big hit, proving that video games are finally respectable enough to serve as the basis for prestige television, and now we know when Amazon is going to join in on that fun with its Falloutadaptation—though the idea of Fallout being prestige television seems odd, since it’s not exactly a deadly serious franchise like The Last Of Us often is. Anyway, the official account for the Prime Video series tweeted out a teaser today with mascot Vault Boy revealing a release date of April 12, 2024 for the premiere of the series. That’s relatively soon for a show we haven’t seen or heard anything about!
Jay-Z weighs in on whether or not a dinner with him is worth $500K
The series, reportedly a canonical part of franchise history (according to Variety), will take place in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles and center around the denizens of Vault 33—one of dozens of underground bunkers hidden around the United States that “saved” people from a nuclear war, though most of the Vaults were actually secret social experiments designed to see how people would react to, say, living in a VR simulation of ‘50s suburbia, or being surrounded by clones of the same guy, or some kind of Shirley Jackson thing where someone had to be sacrificed once a year. So you survive, hooray, but shit still sucks.
We don’t know what the deal is with Vault 33, but the series will star Walton Goggins as one of the series’ many irradiated ghouls (who often look scarier than they behave), along with Ella Purnell, Kyle MacLachlan, Xelia Mendes-Jones and Aaron Moten. It comes from Westworld creatorsJonathan Nolan (who directed the first few episodes) and Lisa Joy, with Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner serving as writers and co-showrunners. Curiously, Variety referred to the series as a drama, but the games have always been deeply satirical and occasionally very wacky, so we don’t know if the show is going for something more traditionally dark or if Variety is just calling it a drama because it’s a show about a post-nuclear war wasteland full of Super Mutants and Mister Handy robots and hardscrabble societies that use old bottle caps as money.
Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, Oct. 9-15. Details and times are subject to change.
Monday
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) 8 p.m. on HBO. As the leaves start changing and pumpkin-flavored items hit grocery shelves, it is clear that spooky season has arrived. And what better way to get into the spirit than with one of the most revered psychological thrillers? Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), a top student at the F.B.I. academy, is sent in as bait to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), in prison for murder and cannibalistic acts. Meanwhile, another serial killer nicknamed Buffalo Bill is on the loose and has a penchant for skinning his victims.
Tuesday
BET HIP-HOP AWARDS 9 p.m. on BET and VH1. Hosted by the Grammy-nominated artist Fat Joe, BET’S Hip-Hop Awards, which happened live on Oct. 3 are being broadcast this week, with performances by DaBaby, Fivio Foreign and Glorilla, to name a few, in honor of 50 years of hip-hop. There will also be a celebration for the 30th anniversary of the record label So So Def. In terms of awards, 21 Savage and Cardi B are tied for the most nominations with 12 each; Drake is right behind with nine.
NO ACCIDENT 9 p.m. on HBO. In August 2017, hundreds of white nationalists rallied against the removal of a confederate statue in Charlottesville, Va. When they marched into town and were met by counter protesters, a brawl ensued, leading to the death of one person and dozens injured. In 2021, a civil trial began to determine if the far-right organizers had plotted for violence at the rally. This documentary looks at the stories of plaintiffs and their injuries as well as an examination into the intentions of organizers.
ZOMBIELAND (2009) 11:05 p.m. on Syfy. As someone who can’t stomach much gore but loves Jesse Eisenberg, this is the ideal movie for me. Though this movie takes place in a postapocalyptic, zombie-infested world, the story focuses instead on Columbus (Eisenberg) who teams up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) as they head West where there are apparently no zombies. This would be a good time to note that the characters are all named after their locations when the zombie apocalypse began. There’s a little bit of romance, lots of funny moments, an amazing cameo and a scene at an amusement park, where Eisenberg’s characters often find themselves (see: “Adventureland”).
Thursday
HOUSE OF VILLAINS 10 p.m. on E! The reality villain queen herself, Omarosa Manigault Newman, is back on small screens this week alongside a whole slew of other familiar “we love to hate them” TV personalities, including Jax Taylor from “Vanderpump Rules,” Corinne Olympios from “The Bachelor” and Johnny Bananas from “The Challenge.” On this show, hosted by Joel McHale, the villains will have to form alliances and compete against one another for a $200,000 prize.
Friday
SHINING VALE 9 p.m. on Starz. Last season, this show started out with Pat Phelps (Courteney Cox) moving with her family to a small town for a fresh start after she cheated on her husband, Terry Phelps (Greg Kinnear), but Pat could immediately sense something demonic happening in her new home. The new season starts off with Pat returning home after a breakdown, and there she finds out her daughter Gaynor (Gus Birney) doesn’t want to spend time with her and Terry cannot remember her after suffering a brain injury.
CREEPSHOW 10 p.m. on AMC. Serving as a de facto continuation of the 1982 film of the same name, this anthology series is back for a fourth season. Each episode features two horror stories vignettes with all things supernatural, gruesome, terrifying and haunting.
Saturday
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 11:30 p.m. on NBC. As another fall season rolls around, on Saturday night this show is going to be live from New York! Coming back for its 49th season, Studio 8H will be busy again, even amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Pete Davidson is making his hosting debut after being a cast member on the show from 2014 to 2022. Ice Spice will be the musical guest, and on the following week’s episode Bad Bunny will serve as the host and musical guest.
Sunday
HOTEL PORTOFINO 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). The first season of this show took place after World War I, as British travelers began vacationing in Italy. The second season, which begins this week, takes place in Portofino in the summer of 1927, with the Roaring ’20s are in full swing and Bella Ainsworth (Natascha McElhone) making sure that the Hotel Portofino is a success.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a first-of-its-kind executive order on Thursday prohibiting state officials from using specific “woke nonsense” language as it relates to gender and pregnancy.
Ironically enough, when you ban words, your opponents will still have plenty to say.
The Republican from Arkansas and former Trump White House press secretary announced on Thursday she will prohibit certain “woke” words from use in state documents, and a social media furor erupted, with one user noting that “when you can’t help your constituents, you offer culture wars.”
Huckabee has long loved to troll liberals, ever since her days working for former President Donald Trump. Like her one-time boss, she gained a lot of support from her right-wing base by bashing LGBTQ causes, and rode that wave to the governor’s office previously held by her father, Mike Huckabee.
Without citing examples of how this has been an actual problem, last week the Republican governor signed an executive order prohibiting state officials from using words that take the gender out of references to women.
“Those include words like pregnant people, laboring person, birth giver, and several other nonsense terms that have cropped up in recent years,” Huckabee told reporters, adding that her order is “banning a number of all sorts of ridiculous words from state government documents.”
“We’re just getting started,” she said.
Huckabee added that her aim is to protect and honor the role of women, especially mothers, in society.
“We’re taking a stand against wokeness. We’ve had enough… Enough trying to erase women and girls, enough denying our biological differences from men, and enough of the craziness that is taking over our country,” Sanders said.
Speaking from the office once occupied by Bill Clinton, Sanders said it is up to conservatives like her to fight against gender-neutrality and other “woke” language, which she said “started as a fad” by university students but has crept into society and government.
“It’s demeaning to women and it needs to stop,” Sanders said. “Some on the left will accuse us of being nitpicky, that Arkansas should just lay down and accept the cultural revolution without complaint. I say it’s the exact opposite.”
Sanders was a senior adviser on Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 and served as the third female White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019. Last year, she became the first woman elected as governor of Arkansas.
Sanders made clear in her press conference that she is eager for a fight over acceptable language.
“It’s the left that decided that ‘woman’ is a dirty word. It’s the left that decided we needed to toss out basic biology and basic grammar along with it,” she said. “I think they’re just mad that conservatives are starting to fight back. And they better get ready, because we’re just getting started.”
Apparently the blowback on X, formerly Twitter, is also just getting started.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an Executive Order banning woke or nonbinary words from state documents, even though such terms have never been used there. The latest woke word for a grandstanding Republican asshole is “Huckabutthead” pic.twitter.com/dxJdtOgfSP
When you have nothing to offer you “fix” things that don’t exist. ? when you can’t help your constituents, you offer culture wars. Hilarious everyone in the thread is super excited about doing absolutely nothing. ?
Ironically, this woman has more balls than most male politicians these days…. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) signs an executive order banning “woke” terms like “pregnant people” from being used in state government. Source: Forbes Breaking News (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/QwHSOTtXdI
Its not right to take away peoples freedom, because they say something you don like or agree with…. not even if they try to take away some of yours… just dont let em get away with it. We all have our own responsibilitys to carry for the way things are to day… and we all…
Just Blaze opened the vault Monday (Oct. 23) and unearthed two songs from a never-released Slaughterhouse album as a way to pay tribute to The 45 King.
Blaze had previously discussed the unreleased album on Snoop Dogg‘s GGN show back in November 2015, nearly eight years ago. “Now that I’m back off the road for a bit, I’m wrapping up the new Slaughterhouse album,” he told Snoop at the time. “So, we’re in the last phases of that now. We’re mixing. We got about another week’s worth of mixing left. And then hopefully that’ll be out to the world by the end of the year.” The album never came out.
But on Monday, he shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he had “just found the slaugherhouse album” and “might do the lords work.” He delivered on his promise an hour later by uploading an 11-minute video containing two unreleased songs onto his YouTube account. And it sounds like fans could hear even more of the LP later on. “45 king didn’t die for us to hold on to a bunch of Music. More to come eventually,” Just Blaze wrote in a follow-up message.
The 45 King (real name Mark Howard James) — who’s well known for his work on Eminem‘s “Stan,” Jay-Z‘s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” and Queen Latifah‘s breakout album All Hail the Queen — recently died at age 62.
“There is no way to summarize the impact and importance of DJ Mark the 45 King in one tweet, thinkpiece or story. He gave us so much, yet asked for so little, but deserved everything,” Just Blaze tweeted Oct. 21. “This man would text me every month ‘Just checking in! Good luck on your upcoming projects!’ Every few weeks without fail. I don’t even know how he got my number and I didn’t care. The fact that one of my godfathers knew my name and cared what I was doing was enough for me.”
Check out the two songs Just Blaze shared on YouTube:
I was never fortunate enough to see Max Roach in the flesh. Yet, I feel his presence in the air constantly.
Portrait of Max Roach, 1990s. Photo from the Max Roach Papers, Music Division, Library of Congress.
As a young teen, becoming aware of and falling in love with the Black American Music called jazz, Max Roach was one of the names that would always come up. When I heard Tony Williams on an album, I was floored. Then someone said, “Well do you know who Tony’s favorite drummer was? Max Roach!!” That statement led me to pull out the shovel and dig through Mr. Roach’s body of work and artistry. You always have to know your favorite artist’s favorite artist. And when I brought the packed soil to the surface, Max Roach was pure gold.
Throughout listening to Mr. Roach and his music for many years, I sought out past interviews and workshops so I could glean as much as I could from this master. In a workshop where he was teaching, he spoke about the origins of the drumset. To paraphrase, he said “The snare drum and the bass drum are of European descent, the tom-toms are of African descent and the cymbals are from Asia. So if you are in tune, you’ll realize that the drumset, born in the United States, is a beacon of democracy.”
I meditated on that heavily. Now, every time I sit down to play the drums, I think about that. The values in which the drumset was created, are the same ones that we should be living and projecting, on and off the bandstand. Max Roach has taught us this through his life and music.
A key player in the cutting-edge Bebop movement, along with Kenny Clarke and Roy Haynes, he filtered the influence of his heroes Sid Catlett and Papa Jo Jones through his magnificent imagination. He morphed the drums from just playing time to be a bigger part of the conversation. Playing from the ride cymbal and freeing up the snare and bass drum, Max used this newfound power musically. He accentuated these new types of musical conversations with his beautiful touch and thoughts also through his soloing.
For me, one of the most beautiful parts about his drumming is that just as Bebop ushered in more complexity in every aspect of the music, so did Max. He serves as the north star for drummers in how to be thoughtful and concise in storytelling. Max Roach dared to be patient, to be conversational instead of just filling space. Before him, drum soloing tended to be a wall of sound. He was a composer through and through, with the pen and with the sticks. His unique translations of delayed composition to improvisation make his drumming style like no other. Drummers to this day, still study and try to achieve this feat.
Of the many gifts that Max Roach possessed, the one that still strikes me most is his sense of melody. His kinship with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie shows up in the melodic tapestries he weaved in his solos. For me, Max is the most prominent catalyst for new thinking in how the drumset is viewed as a melodic instrument. The innovation that is still a test of the highest order for a drummer, is having the bass walking during the drum solo. This was a stroke of genius on so many levels. It leaves a primer on the canvas to provide interest while he paints at will. No longer did drummers just have to fill the space as they played alone. Now they could enhance space with only the most pertinent thoughts, the most curious, captivating and authentic ones.
The genius wasn’t only playing over the bass line, but playing the changes, just as anyone else in the band would play over the chord progressions. Max Roach gave us a vision of the drums as a melodic instrument outside the band setting in unaccompanied solos and INSIDE the band setting with a mirror of ‘Bird’ and ‘Diz.’ His ideas, approach and high tuning allowed the drum tones to be heard in a way that they hadn’t before him. Each phrase and cadence provides a mystery that unfolds into the next. When you listen to Max, you always want to stick around to hear the denouement.
Beyond drumming and writing, Max Roach was a man of character. His example of the company he kept was a constant reflection of him and his growth. From the musicians he came up with, to the young phenoms that were under his tutelage, he always collaborated with the vanguard. Of Max’s many recordings, my most influential artistically is his collaboration with Abbey Lincoln, “We Insist – Freedom Now Suite.”
Growing up in the church, I was always taught music is for a deeper cause. And through Max’s artistic vision, he reminds you of the power artists have to penetrate all the foolishness of the world and point toward enlightenment. And just as with the space he left in his solos, with each project he asks questions. One of the questions I constantly hear is “What are you willing to surrender?” Records like, “It’s Time” and “Deeds, Not Words” and so many other beautiful snapshots in Mr. Roach’s prolific body of work, showcase his awareness.
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Recently I wrote my first large multimedia work entitled “Unearthed.” The subject of that piece is the Sugarland 95. 95 African Americans who were convict leased in the early 1900s and buried in an unmarked grave in Houston, TX only 16 miles away from my childhood home. When I learned of this history, Max Roach was one of the first people I thought about. I contemplated, what would Max do? I knew it was possible to tell this story in art because Max Roach set the prototype for the type of African American artist who is thoughtful, and present and offers acerbic commentary on daily life. His impact as an activist and thought leader is as important as his music. Just as I asked the question what would Max do, so many artists, not just drummers, ask the same question.
For generations to come, people will try to put into words what Max Roach means to the world. His drums, cymbals and compositions will forever resonate into every human that has had the pleasure of experiencing his artistry in person or through recordings. When anyone sits down at the drumset, they are standing on Max Roach’s shoulders, whether they know it or not. That’s the beauty of his impact.
In Max Roach, I found an artist who composed his own life, full of forward motion, intellect, soulfulness, and brilliance. Through that life he has left so many gems in his body of work as a man and artist, to examine for many lifetimes. Unlimited by the vehicles he chose, in the drums, composition, activism, etc he exuded unlimited class, unlimited beauty and unlimited impact. Max Roach is Pure Gold.
With love and respect,
-Kendrick A. D. Scott Drummer/ Composer / Max Roach Disciple
A 25-year-old man from Taber, Alta., has been arrested for child pornography offences, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) said Monday.
ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit started investigating in early October after a tip from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation focused on an unknown person sharing child porn on Snapchat, ALERT said.
Members of the ICE team, along with Taber police, arrested a suspect on Oct. 19 and searched a Taber home.
Brady Pavka, 25, has been charged with accessing, possessing and making available child pornography.
The investigation will continue with a complete forensic analysis of seized mobile devices, ALERT said.
Pavka was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 21.
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ICE sees record number of child pornography case files in Alberta
“Hog for a night. Dawg for life. #truelove,” Robach, 50, captioned an Instagram photo on Friday, October 20, of her and Holmes’ reserved seats at the college. Holmes, 46, meanwhile, uploaded snaps from his morning run around Arkansas as the pair prepare for the upcoming New York Marathon.
Courtesy of T.J. Holmes/Instagram
Holmes also reached a social media milestone on Monday, October 23, by sharing photos of him holding hands with Robach while at a football game. This marks the first time Holmes posted Instagram photos of him and Robach since their scandal broke last year.
A newsworthy relationship. GMA3 cohosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ reported romance made headlines in November 2022 when the TV personalities — both married to other people — were photographed getting cozy on various outings throughout the month. The pictures, first published by the Daily Mail, showed the pair holding hands in a car, laughing […]
In November 2022, the former Good Morning America cohosts were spotted getting cozy outside of the office on numerous occasions. At the time, Robach had been married to Andrew Shue since 2010. Holmes, for his part, filed for divorce from wife Marilee Fiebig one month after news broke about his affair. Robach and Shue, 56, are also going through divorce proceedings following the drama.
TJ Holmes and Marilee FiebigJohnny Nunez/WireImage
“During the holiday season and in light of the challenging times, Marilee’s sole focus has remained on the overall best interest of her 9-year-old daughter,” her attorney Stephanie Lehman told Us Weekly in a January statement. “To that end T.J.’s lawyer and I have been working together to move their divorce forward privately, expeditiously and as amicably as possible. Notwithstanding, we continue to be disappointed by T.J’s lack of discretion, respect and sensitivity toward Marilee and the party’s daughter. Marilee has been touched by the outpouring of support and looks forward to a new beginning in this new year.”
From coworkers to more? Good Morning America cohosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes sparked plenty of questions about the status of their relationship despite both being married to other people. The ABC personalities raised eyebrows in November 2022 when they were caught getting cozy in photos published by the Daily Mail. According to the outlet, […]
Holmes’ divorce from Fiebig was settled earlier this month per court records seen by Us. According to the online documents, their settlement and proposed judgment have been filed but are still pending.
More than meets the eye? Amy Robach and Andrew Shue had a seemingly wholesome marriage before the TV reporter was spotted getting cozy with her Good Morning America coanchor T.J. Holmes. Robach and Shue tied the knot in 2010, two years after her divorce from Tim McIntosh. The former couple, who were married from 1996 […]
“Marilee and Amy haven’t spoken since news of the affair broke,” an insider shared days after the settlement. “Amy wants to find a solution so she and Marilee can be at peace with each other. She knows she will have to coparent with T.J. and Marilee, so she wants to be able to coparent in a healthy way and to coparent in their new normal. Amy doesn’t want it to be perceived as her against Marilee.”
According to the insider, Robach is looking forward to her future with Holmes after being declared legally single in April. “Amy is happy they are both finally divorced,” the source added about Robach, who shares two daughters with ex-husband Tim McIntosh. “It was such a traumatic experience for them as well, so they’re happy it’s over and to finally be together in a better place and that it’s no longer considered an affair.”
Shawn Levy, whose limited series “All The Light We Cannot See” is premiering on Netflix on Nov. 2, was supposed to have a packed year, between the filming “Deadpool 3” and Season 5 of “Stranger Things” of which he’s an executive producer and director. With both productions paused due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Levy has instead been busy promoting “All the Light We Cannot See,” an adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The series, which he describes as “more timely than ever,” stars Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure, a courageous blind teenager living in Nazi-occupied France. After meeting Levy on the French set of “All the Light We Cannot See” in Saint-Malo last year, I had a chance to speak with him in recent weeks for a feature that ran in Variety‘s Oct. 18 issue. We spoke about his mystery “Star Wars” movie, the impact of the dual strikes on the fifth and final seaon of “Stranger Things” — and his concern over the current rise of hate speech and antisemitism around the world.
How important is “Stranger Things” in the strike negotiations? Ted Sarandos is reportedly eager to have the fifth season go into production.
I can’t speak to how important “Stranger Things” is to Netflix in the strike talks, and I am not inclined to speak on their behalf. I can say with confidence I think every actor, director, producer, writer and crew member want to get back to work. I think that “Stranger Things” is a true flag-bearing franchise for Netflix’s brand, and everyone there is also hungry to make the next season. However, none of that can happen unless there is a fair and equitable deal made. I’m saying a small prayer that I will already be back at work once this piece runs.
The actors are also growing up. Are you concerned that the the final act will have to be rewritten about if the strike goes on for much longer?
We’ve already watched the cast of our show grow up in the public eye, and and between 12 and 22, every human being changes profoundly. This passage of time is definitely not helping. That being said, our hair and makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup. The ’80s are also our friends in returning these young adult actors to their iconic Hawkins characters. So we’re going to use all the all the tools available to us. And I know our cast is as eager to get back to work as the rest of us.
In an interview conducted last year, Mark Ruffalo said, “You always get the same version of ‘Star Wars’ each time.” Now that you’re working on one, how will you do things differently?
When Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a “Star Wars” movie, her central mandate to me was “I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies — with a ‘Star Wars’ story.” So I have felt extremely empowered. We are in early days, unfortunately, because the development process was abruptly paused [due to the WGA strike], but I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie.
Could “Deadpool 3” be good practice for “Star Wars”?
The experience that I’m currently having with Marvel on “Deadpool” is showing me firsthand that it is indeed really possible to feel empowered and personal about making a movie within a universe that is bigger than any one film. My “Deadpool” movie is turning out to be exactly what Ryan [Reynolds] and I had hoped when we started off. So I’m going into the development of my “Star Wars” movie with a similar optimism, and faith that my instincts will be allowed to lead the way.
Since you’re close to Adam Driver, could your “Star Wars” movie be a prequel to “Episode VII: ‘The Force Awakens” in which Kylo Ren would be back?
Your words, not mine! As you know Adam is a buddy, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Kylo Ren. But no comment.
How timely do you think your WWII-set series “All the Light We Cannot See” is, considering the rise of antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attack perpetrated by Hamas in Israel?
“All the Light We Cannot See” has echoes and reverberations that are that are so vivid even now. And that history has a has a heartbreaking way of repeating itself. Sometimes the world can feel so dark, as it does now once again. That the book and the show in its theme, and its very title, is about the struggle and the need to hold on to the belief that there is light we cannot see. What’s been painful to me is just to go through the pain of that horror of the attack, and to go through the waves of pain — as I see the unleashing of so much global antisemitism.
In the face of so much antisemitism, it is imperative that Jews, and frankly, non-Jews alike stand up. When the world is silent in the face of antisemitism, we know how this goes. This is not our first time dealing with this, so we should know better by now.
And we should stand up collectively in the face of hate, Jew and non-Jew alike.
EXCLUSIVE: Kaleidoscope Film Distribution has acquired world sales rights to Assassin’s Guild, the latest pic from Stuart Brennan, the director and producer of Kingslayer and Warchief.
The film is complete and will be available for review at the forthcoming AFM. Synopsis reads: In the aftermath of the brutal Mermaid Wars, the fractured, yet once-great city of Iliad is under siege by dark forces. Distracted by the notorious Goblin Hunter – a lethal killer with a vendetta on her hands – the Guardians tasked with holding the peace turn a blind eye to the scheming, underground city guilds with terrifying results, as the undead start to rise. With the city full of ill will and corruption rife, Death himself is forced to forge a partnership and take matters into his own hands, offering Atticus, an elite fighter killed in the final assault on the sea, a chance to return to the land of the living. But this gift does not come without a cost.
The film stars Stuart Brennan (Plan Z, The Necromancer, Stalker), Rosanna Miles (Warchief, Doctors), Ryan Gage (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Kingslayer, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story), Mark Paul Wake (Wolf, The Necromancer, Plan Z), David Hayman (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Macbeth), and newcomers Laura Masters and Cellan Scott.
Shot in the UK in the spring of 2023, Assassin’s Guild is produced by Brennan and Gareth Wiley (Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Scoop). Kaleidoscope Film Distribution is representing all rights and Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment is slated to release in the UK in early 2024, pending global rights deals. The deal was inked by KFD CEO Spencer Pollard and Stuart Brennan of Stronghold Studios.
“We are very excited to be bringing Assassin’s Guild to buyers later this year,” Pollard said. “Stuart and Gareth have an excellent track record in delivering smart, action-packed features and this solidifies our already excellent working relationship with them both which we look forward to extending in the near future.”
Brennan added: “With each movie, we have been growing our team at Stronghold Digital to bring additional scale to these movies with epic crowd scenes and powerful VFX. The Stronghold Workshop team has outdone themselves with the SFX, bringing the undead to life and plenty of violent battles. It’s a thrilling project and Kaleidoscope is the perfect partner to bring this to the market, after the successful collaboration on our previous titles.”
From Kangana Ranaut’e entry to Bigg Boss 17 to Leke Prabhu Ka Naam song release, check out all major happenings.
Kangana Ranaut’s surprise entry in Bigg Boss 17 house left Munawar Faruqui shocked. In 2022, Munawar had appeared as a contestant on Kangana’s digital reality show Lock Upp Season 1 and emerged as the winner of the show. The two would often get into arguments during the show. So when Kangana made an appearance on Bigg Boss 17 last night, Munawar’s face went blank.
Tiger 3’s first song, Leke Prabhu Ka Naam, is finally out and we know it is going to be in our dance playlist for the rest of the year. The song stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead while Arijit Singh has lent his voice for the actor. This is Salman and Arijit’s first song in nine years. The song is also sung by Nikhita Gandhi, who has lent her voice for Katrina. Leke Prabhu Ka Naam is upbeat and peppy, and Salman’s chemistry with Katrina is everything we’ve missed on the big screen.
Bishan Singh Bedi, the cricket legend of India, passed away on Monday at the age of 77, after a prolonged illness. Bishan, who made his Test debut in December 1967 boasts of a phenomenal record in first-class cricket taking 1560 wickets from 370 matches including 106 five-wicket hauls and 20 10-wicket hauls. Amid the condolences pouring in, Shah Rukh Khan penned a heart-wrenching tribute for the late legend.
Malaika Arora, known for her fashion sense and also considered one of the most fit actresses, has turned a year older today. She has been getting wishes from all corners. But it was her boyfriend Arjun Kapoor’s wish that caught our attention. He took to his social handle to wish his baby a Happy Birthday and also shared a beautiful photo. The actor also penned a heartwarming note. Malaika Arora also reacted to it.
Ever since actor Imran Khan has been active on social media, he has been getting huge attention. Fans have been demanding his comeback but the actor has not said anything about this. However, on Sunday he stepped out to attend IFP Festival Season 13 where he disclosed his plan to make a comeback to the silver screen in the upcoming year. Imran, who has been away from the film industry for some time, shared that he is currently in the process of reviewing scripts, hinting at a return that has left fans excited.
It’s been a bit more than a year since “Butcher’s Crossing” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, but the timing of its theatrical release could hardly be more propitious. Director Gabe Polsky’s grimly fatalistic Western has finally arrived at the megaplexes just days after the PBS airing of “The American Buffalo,” Ken Burns’ fascinating (and often infuriating) documentary about how bison were very nearly hunted into extinction in this country before an unlikely group of preservations saved the shaggy beasts. As Burns emphasizes in his two-part film, and Polsky’s drama duly notes during its end credits, an estimated 60 million bison roamed the American West as late as 1860. Two decades later, however, the bison population plunged to less than 300.
Working from a script he and Liam Satre Meloy adapted from the novel by John Edward Williams, Polsky suggests that this staggering decrease was caused largely by men like Miller, the life-hardened buffalo hunter effectively played by Nicolas Cage with equal measures of seasoned authority and tamped-down menace.
When we first encounter Miller in Butcher’s Crossing, an aptly named 1874 Kansas town where the major industry is freighting buffalo hides, Miller seems implacably obsessed yet not entirely unreasonable as he talks about making a once-in-a-lifetime “big kill” in a valley hidden deep in the Colorado Territory. He claims he stumbled across the place years earlier, and witnessed hundreds, maybe thousands, of buffalo roaming undisturbed. All he needs to capture “one of the biggest hauls anyone has ever seen,” Miller says, is a dependable crew and, of course, financial backing.
Enter Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger), the privileged son of a Presbyterian minister, who has dropped out of Harvard to, as he puts it, “expand my understanding of the world beyond Boston.” He arrives in Butcher’s Crossing hoping to find work with McDonald (Paul Raci), a distant family friend who found God under the guidance of Will’s father, and made his fortune in the buffalo-hide trade. But the grizzled trader, who once handled 100,000 hides in the course of year, knows the demand for buffalo fur already is diminishing, and he isn’t seeking new employees. More important, he warns Will not to accept work in any other hunting party: “You start out with those men, and it’ll ruin you. It’ll get in you like buffalo lice. You’ll be rotten from the inside.”
Unfortunately, Will ignores McDonald’s counsel. Even more unfortunately, he soon makes the acquaintance of Miller, who is more than willing to overlook the young man’s inexperience and bring him along for the dangerous ride —provided Miller makes a sizable cash investment in the enterprise.
“Butcher’s Crossing” is at heart a brutal coming-of-age story, as Will — a character who might be described as a tenderfoot in a more traditional Western — loses his innocence while discovering that McDonald’s warnings were, if anything, understated. He joins Miller, a crotchety Bible-thumping cook named Charlie (Xander Berkeley), and a cynical skinner named Fred (Jeremy Bobb) in the long trek through dangerous territory that other hunters have avoided, to arrive at the site in the Colorado mountains where Miller plans to make his dreams come true.
But dreams have a nasty habit of turning into nightmares.
Even before they reach the remote valley, Miller comes across as a volatile mix of Captain Ahab and John Wayne’s Thomas Dunson in “Red River,” relentlessly pushing himself and his men as they risk dying of thirst, encountering hostile Indians (who are referenced but never seen), or simply getting irretrievably lost. After they finally do reach their destination, however, Miller — whose shaven head unavoidably conjures memories of Marlon Brando in “Apocalypse Now”) — descends into something perilously close to madness as he systematically slaughters scads of bison, winding up with far more hides than he and his team could reasonably expect to transport back to Butcher’s Crossing.
Will is repeatedly sickened by the carnage — indeed, the graphic depiction of the killing and skinning may repulse members of the audience as well — and Fred pointedly warns that they should leave before winter snow blocks their path home. Which, of course, it eventually does, setting us up for an intense drama on the order of “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” as greed and isolation take their psychic toll.
Trouble is, there is a conspicuous dearth of genuine suspense throughout “Butcher’s Crossing,” a movie that, while compelling in stretches, is too ponderous overall to achieve the impact for which it obviously strives. Polsky peppers the film with Will’s dreams and hallucinations, sequences that resemble nothing so much as the bad LSD trips in drug-centric 1960s exploitation flicks, and are more annoying than illuminating. The characters are so thinly written that they are almost entirely defined by the actors playing them. This is particularly true of the young prostitute played by Rachel Keller, who’s seen early in the film and later in Will’s fantasies, and doubtless will remind some movie buffs of the belly dancer who fleetingly appears in Robert Aldrich’s “The Flight of the Phoenix” primarily so they could place a woman on the poster.
And yet it would be unfair to dismiss “Butcher’s Crossing” entirely out of hand. David Gallego’s striking cinematography enhances both the beauty and the threats of the natural landscapes — the movie was shot in Montana — and Cage is welcomely understated in a performance that is all the more impressive for his avoiding his trademark excess. Call it dialing down to a 6 from an 11, and you won’t be far off the mark.
Ultimately, “Butcher’s Crossing” works best as a blunt-force cautionary tale depicting how the West was lost because of men like Miller, who wantonly raped the land while seeking fortunes or, in Will’s case, satisfying their curiosity. The bitterly ironic ending stops short of force-feeding just desserts to all of the characters. But it’s a satisfying conclusion nonetheless.
WandaVision helmer Matt Shakman, who will also direct Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four reboot touched upon the recent internal turmoil at the House of Ideas during an interview with The Discourse Podcast (via The Playlist).
When asked if these troubles would have an impact on the upcoming Fantastic Four, Shakman denied any such notions:
“It hasn’t. I mean, we’ve been on our process consistently. I’ve been on the project for a little over a year and working away hard at it the way we’d work on any film at Marvel, and certainly, the way we worked on ‘WandaVision…’
The director went on to explain the thought process that goes into a project at Marvel, noting how important questions like “Why are we telling this story?” really are:
“What is the story we want to tell? What is the theme of the story? Why are we telling this story? And just developing then the best possible version of that story, and how do we want to bring these characters to life? So, you know, in terms of outside influence or conversations, it hasn’t really been a factor. It’s always high stakes. You always have to get it right.”
Shakman additionally confirmed that the Fantastic Four movie won’t just take one of the team’s many comic book runs and just copy it wholesale for the big screen. No, instead, the film will set out to convey a story that “feels true to us as people:”
“The idea that I’ve loved so much about Marvel is that we’re not just going to take a run that exists and translate it to film. We’re going to do what every great run has done, which is stand on the shoulders of what came before, but then think about how we as artists living in this moment, processing what we’re all processing, what story do we want to tell right now that feels true to us as people? And that is informed, though, by everything that’s come before.”
He also stated that he’s kept acclaimed comic writer Matt Fraction apprised of what he’s been doing in the pre-production phase of FF. Fraction is best known for his fan-favorite work on the Hawkeye book, but he’s written for Fantastic Four in the past as well. Shakman praised him as “a brilliant guy:”
“Yeah, I can absolutely talk to Matt about it,” he continued. “Yeah, he’s great. He’s brilliant. And, you know, he’s a big part of the Marvel family over there in terms of Hawkeye, for sure, as well as, you know, he’s worked on several of the films too. I think he worked on Thor. And yeah, he’s a brilliant guy.”
What’s more, many of the main characters reportedly already have actors locked in to play them and the announcment is simply waiting on, again, the strike to be over.
So, it’s encouraging that Matt Shakman seems to be putting in the proper amount of TLC to make Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben’s first MCU adventure the absolute best it can be.
Nick Fury assembled an impressive Avengers squad to protect the MCU. However, that version of Earth’s mightiest heroes is just one of an infinite number of super teams spread out across the multiverse. A few others are surely better, and a lot more are likely worse, but one stands out because of how it was built. And by that, we mean it’s built from little plastic bricks. Now those heroes are getting their very own special at Disney+, LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red.
The film’s new Easter egg-filled trailer puts together an incredible lineup with a special member. It will have Marvel fans wondering when they’ll get to see such an X-citing unit in live-action.
The Collector is back! The LEGO Variant of the character is looking to add Marvel’s Avengers to his vast library of intergalactic goods. That’s a big problem on its own, but one they can manage. It’s a far bigger issue that will lead to the superheroes asking for help. Here’s the synopsis for LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red from Disney:
The Avengers gather to celebrate their latest victory, but their celebration is quickly interrupted by the mysterious disappearance of Black Widow’s father, Red Guardian. As the Avengers investigate, they discover that Red Guardian isn’t the only one missing when they meet a dangerous new foe quite unlike anything they’ve ever encountered before.
That new foe is Red Phantom. He’s why LEGO Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, two Captain Americas, the Incredible Hulk, and the Black Panther will reach out to a “quirky” Marvel counterpart. And oh, is he quirky. The LEGO Avengers will turn to a grumpy, self-healing, hot dog-loving Marvel legend who has yet to appear in the MCU: Wolverine.
Marvel Studios
Sorry Hulk, we know you really don’t want to deal with “that guy,” but he does have special skills. And also knives in his hands. Indestructible hand knives are always helpful, especially against plastic. Plus, with Wolverine joining the LEGO Avengers, it might push his MCU Variant to get in on the action sooner rather than later. We really want to see that happen. Wolverine makes every team better in every universe.
LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red stars: Laura Bailey, Trevor Devall, Steve Blum, Will Friedle, James Mathis III, Liam O’Brien, Laura Post, Bumper Robinson, Roger Craig Smith, Fred Tatasciore, Travis Willingham, Mick Wingert. It debuts on Disney+ on Friday, October 27. 2023.
Google Play is slowly bringing high-profile mobile games to PC, and today the company announced the next big get. Supercell’s Clash of Clans and Clash Royale–two of the largest mobile games in industry history–are now available to play on PC through the Google Play Games Beta client.
Both Clash of Clans and Clash Royale are identical to their mobile counterparts, with all future updates made to mobile also coming to these new PC versions. The games also control exactly as they do on mobile, with the mouse acting as a player’s finger for tap controls.
Clash Royale
Those who have a Supercell ID can also log in to their accounts in this PC version and pick up right where they left off, and they can play with friends on mobile devices through cross-play. However, a single account cannot be logged in on mobile and PC at the same time.
The release of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale also comes with a new update for the Google Play Games Beta client running them, as Google has announced support for 4K resolution and an improved search feature for included games. The client will also now support controllers, with the PS5 DualSense and standard Xbox controller specifically mentioned as compatible.
The Google Play Games Beta client is available now on the official Google Play website. Clash Of Clans and Clash Royale can be downloaded through the client once installed.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Big news for the “iPhone filmmaking is becoming a thing” crowd today.
While there were already plenty of ways for you to make your smartphone videography look more cinematic that don’t have to do with adding overlays in post, it’s at least nice to know that some of the best tools for such an act will now be able to support Apple LOG from your iPhone 15 Pros.
FilmConvert Nitrate and CineMatch are both tried-and-true color grading suites that work with Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro X. While they’ve offered a wide variety of support for different levels of cameras over the years, this is a major step towards making the iPhone 15 Pro a more true cinematic option.
Let’s take a look at what this new support means for your and your possible iPhone cinematography needs.
FilmConvert Nitrate and CineMatch
Known in cinematic and video editing circles as a quality film emulation and grain suite that offers support for a wide range of camera profiles, FilmConvert Nitrate is a top-notch tool for those looking to kick the cinematic elements of your video footage up a notch.
With this update, FilmConvert has offered these new support options in the CameraPack Downloader within the plugin. If you’ve updated already, you should have the new FilmConvert Apple LOG support to dive into.
CineMatch is a similar plugin that works to match your different LOG profiles from your different cameras and convert them into a more usable REC.709 format. CineMatch also has a suite of LUT support and color correction and grading tools which can further help you tweak and tone your footage to your cinematic liking.
Working with Apple LOG Footage
One of the biggest selling points of the new iPhone 15 Pro (and Pro Max) has to do with its new Apple ProRes LOG video recording. As you’ve probably seen with the TV commercials showcasing an iPhone 15 Pro being used to shoot an Olivia Rodrigo music video, Apple is putting a lot of weight behind this new recording format.
That being said, while it is super helpful to have with a smartphone, and a major step up from recording options in the past, it’s gotten a bit of flack both from high-end cinematographers who have compared it to some of your more typical cinema cameras, as well as confusion from amateur creators unsure of what to do with the neutral colors.
Fittingly, working with FilmConvert Nitrate and CineMatch is actually a great option for both as it should provide a simple and direct way to match, correct, and grade your footage with a seasoned plugin that is designed specifically for this type of work.
Price and Availability
If you’re interested in checking them out, FilmConvert Nitrate and CineMatch are available for both Windows and Mac and are available on the FilmConvert website here.
Licensing range from $125 for single plugins to $174 for all platforms.
Tyler Perry has signed a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix. The prolific filmmaker behind “Boo!: A Madea Halloween,” “For Colored Girls,” “The Family That Preys” and “Why Did I Get Married?” will write, direct and produce feature films for the streaming giant.
Perry’s upcoming Netflix originals include “Six Triple Eight,” with Kerry Washington heading up an ensemble flick about the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed overseas during World War II. Perry’s upcoming “Mea Culpa” stars Kelly Rowland as a defense attorney who represents an artist accused of murdering his girlfriend.
Perry has already made several films for Netflix, including “A Jazzman’s Blues,” “A Fall from Grace” and “A Madea Homecoming.”
The latter was the 12th film featuring Perry’s marquee character. The fast-talking, zero-s–t-taking atheist grandmother — played by Perry himself — was first introduced onstage in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” and onscreen in the feature film adaptation of his stage play “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.”
That picture earned $50.6 million domestically from a $5.5 million budget. It kicked off several years of commercially profitable features (“Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Meet the Browns,” “Why Did I Get Married?” and more). It also made Tyler Perry Productions one of the most reliable brands in the mid-2000s for Lionsgate. Since 2006, his 25 theatrical features (not counting “Diary Of A Mad Black Woman” in 2005 which he wrote but did not direct) have earned more than $1 billion worldwide.
Along with the film output, and periodic acting gigs in other filmmakers’ films (such as “Gone Girl,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” and “Vice”), the filmmaker has created 17 multi-season television shows since “House of Payne” in 2007 and long had a deal with Oprah Winfrey’s OWN for his small-screen work. He signed a four-film production deal with Amazon in November of 2022.
Nikki is over feeling undesired by Justin. In this exclusive clip from Sunday’s new episode of 90 Day Fiancé, Nikki and Justin also get into a heated argument over him not wanting to go out with her in his home country of Moldova. Nikki suspects that it’s because Justin wants to hide her because she’s trans, and Justin has noted in a previous episode that Moldova is a conservative country and feels uncomfortable with Nikki attracting so much attention due to her looks and the way she dresses.
Nikki, 47, and Justin, 36, are giving their romance another shot after connecting 15 years ago on this season of 90 Day Fiancé. But clearly, they are experiencing serious issues. In the clip, Nikki bluntly asks him why he’s with her if he’s not sexually attracted to her.
“But when you say, ‘Baby, I need money’ or ‘Baby, I need help,’ I’m there right?” she asks him.
“Honestly, I feel if you’re not wanting to be with me intimately, I feel rejected, and when I feel rejected, I start feeling like you’re not in love with me or there’s someone else that you’re screwing when I’m not around,” she later tells him in a confessional.
But Justin insists their connection is more of a “soul” and “heart” connection and not one based on physical intimacy. But Nikki is fed up and tells him if something doesn’t seriously change in the next 48 hours she’s going to return to America.
“There’s so many emotions inside that have been holding inside for me for so long with my relationship with Justin,” she tells cameras. “But like now, being here in the moment and speaking to him in person and seeing that it’s like reality is hitting me in my face. Like, Oh my god, he really is cold to me.”
“He has never put me on his social media,” she adds. “He has never even wanted me to come to here. It makes me feel like I am a secret. It makes me feel like he’s ashamed of me. It makes me feel so many feelings that I should not feel and I don’t deserve that. I deserve more.”
Writer and director Alexander Payne is one of the most accomplished and acclaimed filmmakers of his generation.
With only eight feature films to his name, including his latest – ‘The Holdovers,’ which opens in theaters on October 27th, five of his movies including ‘Election,’ ‘About Schmidt,’ ‘Sideways,’ ‘The Descendants,’ and ‘Nebraska‘ were all nominated for Academy Awards with Payne winning Best Adapted Screenplay for both ‘Sideways’ and ‘The Descendants.’
In honor of ‘The Holdovers,’ which reunites Payne with ‘Sideways’ star Paul Giamatti, Moviefone is counting down every movie Alexander Payne has directed, including his latest.
Let’s begin!
A kindly occupational therapist (Matt Damon) undergoes a new procedure to be shrunken to four inches tall so that he and his wife (Kristen Wiig) can help save the planet and afford a nice lifestyle at the same time.
“Citizen Ruth” is the story of Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern), a woman who nobody even noticed — until she got pregnant. Now, everyone wants a piece of her. The film is a comedy about one woman caught in the ultimate tug-of-war: a clash of wild, noisy, ridiculous people that rapidly dissolves into a media circus.
“Life, liberty, money and the pursuit of happiness. She’s gotta have it.”
66
R1 hr 44 minJan 17th, 1996
A recently retired man (Jack Nicholson) embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding, only to discover more about himself and life than he ever expected.
“Schmidt Happens.”
68
R2 hr 5 minDec 13th, 2002
An aging, booze-addled father (Bruce Dern) takes a trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son (Will Forte) in order to claim what he believes to be a million-dollar sweepstakes prize.
“Life’s not about winning or losing. It’s about how you get there in the end.”
With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King (George Clooney) takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront a young real estate broker (Matthew Lillard), who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.
“The South Pacific ain’t that terrific.”
68
R1 hr 55 minSep 2nd, 2011
Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Enid Flick in director Alexander Payne’s ‘Election.’
Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a well-liked high school government teacher, can’t help but notice that successful student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) uses less than ethical tactics to get what she wants. When Tracy runs for school president, Jim feels that she will be a poor influence on the student body and convinces Paul (Chris Klein), a dim-witted but popular student athlete, to run against Tracy. When she becomes aware of Jim’s secret involvement in the race, a bitter feud is sparked.
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, ‘The Holdovers’ follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on… Read the Plot
(L to R) Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in director Alexander Payne’s ‘Sideways.’ Photo: Fox Searchlight.
Two middle-aged men (Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church) embark on a spiritual journey through Californian wine country. One is an unpublished novelist suffering from depression, and the other is only days away from walking down the aisle.
“In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves.”
The Screenwriters of Guild of Israel has sharply criticized the Writers Guild of America for failing to weigh in on the Oct. 7 attacks by the Hamas terrorist organization in southern Israel, which led to the deaths of around 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
“Your silence is loud and clear and completely contrasted by the loud support demanded from the SGI and their members just a few weeks ago,” the sister guild said in a statement.
The WGA board has faced criticism from within its own U.S. membership for failing to join other guilds, including SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America, in condemning the Hamas attack. “It is a damn shame that a professional writers’ guild decides to withhold words. To keep utterly silent. To not take a stand. Well, your silence is considered a stand, picking a side. A shame,” the Israeli screenwriters guild stated.
The WGA’s board appears divided on how to respond to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, which have sparked a war between Israel and Hamas, over fears some activist members would oppose any agreed-upon language and a statement that supported Israel.
On Oct. 15, Hollywood screenwriters, including Eli Roth, Jenji Kohan, Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Sherman-Palladino, in an open letter called out the WGA board for not speaking up to support Israel.
That followed on Oct. 12 when over 700 celebrities, including Gal Gadot, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Pine, Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber, Amy Schumer and Michael Douglas signed an open letter from the nonprofit organization Creative Community for Peace that supported Israel and condemned the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas‘ attack on Israel.
And the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles issued its own condemnation of the WGA’s silence: “… the Writers Guild of America has always led by example. When employers sought to exploit our work, the Guild bravely spoke up. When the BLM movement took flight, the Guild rightfully spoke up. When the #MeToo reckoning came and Hollywood needed to change, again the Guild spoke up. But when terrorists invaded Israel to murder, rape, and kidnap Jews … the Guild stayed silent.’”
The statement from the Screenwriters Guild of Israel follows:
The Screen Writers Guild of Israel is shocked and appalled by the lack of courage from its fellow American guilds to take a clear stand on the events of Oct. 7. Your silence is loud and clear and completely contrasted by the loud support demanded from the SGI and their members just a few weeks ago.
It is a shame that a professional writers’ guild cannot reach a consensus and find the words to condemn an act of terrorism, an unprovoked crime against humanity, against innocent civilians, women, children, the disabled and the elderly.
It is a shame that a professional writers’ guild cannot find in their hearts enough courage to speak out against a terrorist organization that is currently holding 200 hostages, some of them toddlers and babies, snatched from their cribs as their mothers were raped in the same room, in front of their eyes.
It is a damn shame that a professional writers’ guild decides to withhold words. To keep utterly silent. To not take a stand. Well, your silence is considered a stand, picking a side. A shame.
Kelly Clarkson has a message for angry Swifties! The 41-year-old singer and talk show host took to social media over the weekend to set the record straight after comments she made on her self-titled talk show were taken out of context, seemingly implying she was against the widely publicized romance of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
“Do not fall prey to clickbait, trash reporters twisting the facts again. I did not bash anyone’s romance. I am pro romance,” Clarkson wrote in her “PSA.” “Yay romance. Did y’all even watch what I actually said on my show? I just said I want to watch football when I tune in to watch football. Seems an appropriate request.”
She concluded her message, adding, “Okay, carry on, and GO COWBOYS!”
During the interview, Clarkson touched on the show’s spoof on the NFL commentary, which featured Kelce himself.
“That’s hilarious,” she said. “It’s not hilarious how it is literally taking over the NFL for people that like watching sports now. It’s like you’re watching Housewives. They’re just talking about gossip things and you’re like, ‘So what about the play?’ But they’re taking over!”
Gotham/GC Images
Clarkson went on to talk about Swift’s impact, saying, “It was everywhere… she’s got such an incredible street team.”
But the GRAMMY winner also praised Swift, saying, “I think we’ve all been a fan of her music. She’s such a great writer.”
Prominent Chilean TV producer Maria Elena Wood, a producer on “News of a Kidnapping,” “Dignity” and “Mary & Mike,” is teaming with multi-prized TV toon series director Bernardita Ojeda, helmer of two-time Intl. Emmy nominee “Petit,” to make 2D “Lucila,” both Wood and Ojeda’s first animated feature.
“I am amazed at [animation’s] narrative possibilities,” Wood enthused to Variety.
In a Chilean power package, Patricio Pereira, EP on “Dignity” and “Mary & Mike,” and Alvaro Ceppi, director of “Zumbástico Fantástico” and 2Paper Port,” have also boarded “Lucila” as exec producers.
Written by Argentine live action director Fernando Salem (“How Most Things Work”) and Chilean author Álvaro Bisama (“Mala Lengua,” “Ruido”), “Lucila” is set to make its market debut at this year’s Animation! Pitching Sessions. Part of Buenos Aires’ Ventana Sur, backed by the Cannes Film Festival and Marché du Film and Argentina’s INCAA film-TV agency and organized with the Annecy Film Festival, Animation! runs Nov. 27-Dec. 1.
From an original idea by Wood, “Lucila” is set up at María Wood Productions and is co-produced by Pájaro, Ojeda’s longterm label, launched in 2007.
To be animated in dainty 2D tones drawing on inspiration from traditional illustrations in children’s books, “Lucila” turns on a ghost girl, wandering through a small village in the desert, who embarks on a journey through mysterious territories, accompanied by a short-sighted hunter and an orphaned baby deer, determined to find her identity.
Only by accepting herself and discovering the talents that make her unique will she be able to embody her destiny: To become the great poet Gabriela Mistral, the synopsis reads.
Born in 1889 in Chile, Mistral, a school teacher in her youth, and lifetime ardent advocate of education, is best known for winning a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950 for her poetry, written from a very young age in plain, near natural speech, often showing an empathy for children, as well as focusing on solitude and frustrations.
In 2011, Wood directed a doc feature, entitled “Locas Mujeres,” on Mistral’s late life relationship with American Doris Dana.
“This film has been a long time dream for me, motivated by the desire to continue the adventure initiated with the documentary ‘Locas Mujeres,’ that brought many people closer to Gabriela Mistral.
“It is a Maria Wood Producciones project and we are inviting Pajaro as a co-producer, Bernardita Ojeda as director and Alvaro Ceppi as executive producer due to their talent and experience,” she added.
“I was captivated by the opportunity to tell the story of a woman as powerful and fragile as Gabriela Mistral. I was drawn to the idea of visualizing the sharp and profound words of Gabriela Mistral. I was captivated by the idea of narrating how Gabriela was a child who suffered deeply, and how her salvation was poetry,” said Ojeda.
The writers have just finished writing the script. The next step, said Wood, is to find an international co-producer.
Ceppi’s “Zumbástico Fantástico” was the first Chilean series to be premiered on Cartoon Network; his comedic fantasy adventure series “Puerto Papel,” an emblematic and innovative Latin American co-production, aired worldwide.
Salem has created or written popular animated TV series such as “La Asombrosa Excursión de Zamba,” and has scored five Emmy Kids Awards nominations.
With colder days and drier weather on the horizon, now is the time to start transitioning your skin care routine for fall and winter. Powered by superfoods and the latest technology, Los Angeles-based skincare brand Youth To The People is hosting a major sale on Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Omar Apollo‘s go-to face cream — giving you the perfect opportunity to save on a new product or stock up on your favorite at a discount.
100% vegan and cruelty-free, Youth To The People went viral on TikTok for its unique superfood-powered products. While the brand is best known for its viral Superfood Cleanser, there are plenty more nourishing skincare products to shop. Right now through November 8, you can save 20% on Omar Apollo’s favorite Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream when you use the code AIRWHIP20 at checkout.
Light as air and rich in vitamins and superfoods, the Air-Whip Moisture Cream hydrates and can help prevent signs of aging while leaving behind a dewy glow. Non-comedogenic and non-greasy, this moisturizer is a great option for acne-prone skin because it is lightweight. The clinical results of a consumer study performed by the brand showed that 95% of users agreed that skin looks and feels balanced, moisturized and smoother after use.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be the first brand voice at Youth To The People,” said Apollo in a press release. “The brand’s dedication to the skincare industry and beyond has truly inspired me. I can’t wait to share more about the products I adore and use every single day.”
Below, shop more products from the TikTok-loved skincare brand.
Try the facial cleanser that took TikTok by storm. The wash is made of superfood antioxidants from kale, spinach and green tea for a gentle clean your skin will drink up.
‘Tis the season for gift sets for you and yours. Grab this one, featuring Omar Apollo’s go-to face moisturizer and the TikTok-famous Superfood face cleanser.
The age of streaming and connected TVs will keep changing the landscape, including reducing the amount of TV advertising viewers are exposed to, even at a time when streaming services roll out advertising-funded tiers. Linear TV will, for now, nonetheless remain the primary source of ad inventory, with streamers that are ad-free or use limited ads remaining most desirable to consumers.
So says a new forecast from Brian Wieser, principal at Wall Street insights provider Madison and Wall. His key finding: time spent with advertising on a TV set, including streaming content viewed that way and connected TVs, could fall 24 percent in the U.S. between 2023 and 2027. After all, “consumers of the many SVOD services generally want to choose ad-free options, (and) most of the rest of the services will inevitably be ad-light given the lack of desirability of advertising in the on-demand world that accounts for most of streaming video,” he highlighted.
Wieser, who has been dubbed “Madison Avenue’s de facto chief economist,” told The Hollywood Reporter he looked at “TV on a TV set, consistent with how Nielsen defines the data they have in The Gauge,” which provides “a monthly macroanalysis of audience viewing behaviors across key television delivery platforms,” as the ratings company explains on its website.
Wieser said his goal was to “estimate the decline in gross ratings points or time spent with advertising on TV” in this environment, using historical Nielsen data on time spent with different TV services, Antenna data on the percentage of subscribers choosing ad-free and ad-supported streaming services, plus his own estimates of ad loads and underlying assumptions.
Wieser’s forecasts provide further surprises that TV networks, streamers and marketers will all have to take into consideration as their businesses evolve further.
For example, while TV ad time will fall by 2027, total hours of TV consumption will be flat through that period, when including YouTube and “other” uses of TV sets, such as for video games, Wieser forecasts.
His other assumptions and predictions paint a further picture of how streaming is changing TV habits and business thinking. Among them: linear TV will, over the forecast period, have ad loads of 20 percent, or 12 minutes per hour, compared with around 4 minutes for the ad-supported tiers of Netflix, Disney+, Max, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime, 5 minutes for Tubi, 8 minutes for Hulu and Roku, as well as 12 minutes for Paramount’s Pluto TV. Wieser also assumes ad tier subscribers will amount to approximately 30 percent of Netflix, Max and Paramount+ in 2027 and 50 percent of Disney+, while Hulu and Peacock will continue to have “much higher penetration rates.”
The analyst described the assumptions for the drop in TV ad time consumed on TV sets in his report as “conservative.” If things play out like Wieser forecasts, by 2027, 54 percent of TV viewing would occur on streaming services, with the other 46 percent being consumed on linear services. That would mean a reversal of the current 32 percent to 68 percent split.
“Advertising’s share of TV consumption (streaming and linear TV combined) would fall from 13.1 percent of time spent with TV in 2023 to 10.6 percent by 2027,” the expert’s report predicts. “The volume of ad-supported TV time would fall by 24 percent between 2023 and 2027,” with person-hours of U.S. TV ad inventory dropping from 54 billion to 41 billion.
Even if YouTube, which he projects to hit 19 percent of total TV consumption in 2027 at its current trajectory, is included, with its ad loads averaging 6 minutes an hour, “total ad-supported TV ad inventory under this broader definition would still be down by 13 percent between 2022 and 2027,” Wieser estimates.
The Madison and Wall analyst drew several conclusions from his projections that operators of TV networks and streaming services will have to keep in mind as much as advertisers. “Low ad loads are likely a permanent feature of streaming, and low penetration rates of ad tiers will be common on many services,” he wrote.
Marketers should keep in mind that streaming ad loads account for only around 3 percent of total time spent with streaming TV, rising to around 4 percent when including Amazon Prime Video Ads and the growth in ad-supported tiers offered by streamers, he wrote. “By contrast, linear TV’s ad inventory accounts for around 20 percent of time spent with those media owners,” he emphasizes. “No matter how much streaming grows, it can never make up for lost linear ad inventory so long as ad loads remain light and consumers exhibit preferences for ad-free options for the biggest service,” Netflix.
Wieser doesn’t see a major change to this, arguing that in an on-demand world, “the choice to consume content is highly ‘intentional,’ and thus advertising is much more of an interruption and less tolerated.” Streaming services can try to increase ad loads, but doing so by much would likely lose them subscribers, the expert warned. “By contrast, consumption of linear TV features a significant volume of programming viewed in an ambient manner (i.e. as background noise or in aid of some kind of activity where multitasking is going on) and where much of sports content is consumed, and where ads fit more naturally into the flow of the programming.”
Linear TV will remain the primary source of TV ad inventory. Wieser estimated that “more than three-quarters of the medium’s total available inventory” will be found on linear TV by 2027.
Advertiserscould increasingly focus on “advanced audiences” rather than traditional demographic groups given that younger viewers aged 18-49 rely more on streaming viewing.
“It’s not hard to imagine that over the course of the next five years, perhaps these younger audiences could consume 70 percent or more of their TV content on streaming services,” up from 55 percent right now, Wieser argued. “As this occurs, it’s also plausible that marketers will increase their focus on so-called ‘advanced audiences’ (targeted based on the topics they are most interested in) rather than traditional age and gender-based targets.”
And ad prices should rise. All else being equal, all this “would have a positive effect on pricing” for sellers of advertising,” Wieser said. “Although because I expect spending to be down on a year-over-year basis every year going forward, average (ad rate) increases might only rise more slightly, at least if averaged across all TV advertising formats and dayparts.”
With marketing budgets becoming more compressed, Bloomberg Media is tasked with the challenge of doing more with less when it comes to connecting with audiences, according to Mirabella El Baze, global head of client growth.
El Baze and Christine Cook, global chief revenue officer, discussed new avenues Bloomberg and its clients can take to provide meaning and utility to their audiences in the Variety Studio, presented by Canva, at Advertising Week. An early suggestion to help cut costs, integrate AI, which Bloomberg is attempting to leverage across three dimensions.
“One is how we cover it and making sure we’re at least covering the story,” El Baze said. ‘We have the largest technology newsroom, so really leveraging that as a resource. The second is how we integrate it into our product. I think we’ve been doing so in our digital products since 2016 … learning to really optimize the user experience. And then thirdly, making sure we’re doing everything we can to support our partners, who are marketers, who are advertising leaders, who are media leaders, in terms of arming them with the intelligence they need to start that journey on their own.”
While data can be a crucial tool to reaching and analyzing audiences, it is not enough to fully understand the needs of audiences. For this reason, Cook said it is crucial to acquire insights — not just data. She added that a multi-channel approach to marketing is critical, as well as smarter alignments that include intersectionality.
“For example, in Q1, we’re launching another one of Bloomberg Originals’ ‘An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet’ with Nikolai Coster Waldau. He is not only a successful actor from ‘Game of Thrones,’ his passion is sustainability and [he has] an alliance with the United Nations. So we’ve done a show, more of an infotainment show, and allowed our clients to come in and partner,” Cook said.
El Baze added that finding these priorities allows them to reach new audiences: “Creating moments in time that break through the clutter and really stand out as moments on their own, I think is something that we’re going to continue to see and has been really effective.”
As for connecting with younger audiences, the two said Bloomberg has been able to introduce the concept of influencing into journalism. “What we have been investing in and doing is pinpointing key journalists or editorial talent that we have around key topics that can kind of start to influence on their own,” El Baze said.
While they will continue implementing those strategies in the near future, the two said that it will be difficult to predict consumer consumption, especially with 2024 looking to be a complex year.
“With elections in the U.S. and in a lot of major markets, with a lot of geopolitical challenges, with COVID, with the racial reckoning that we saw — we saw a lot of brands and a lot of our partners lean in in a really big way, and others that didn’t. I think we’re entering another year where we’re going to see a similar bifurcation super,” El Baze said.
Alexander Payne agrees: Some movies today are simply “too damn long.”
The Sideways director was speaking at the Middleburg Film Festival on Saturday to promote his new film, The Holdovers, when he criticized overly long runtimes.
“You want your movie to be as short as possible,” Payne said, according to IndieWire. “There are too many damn long movies these days.”
Payne added that a movie can successfully pull off a long runtime: But “if your movie is three-and-a-half hours, at least let it be the shortest possible version of a three-and-a-half-hour movie. Like The Godfather Part II [and] Seven Samurai are super tight, three-and-a-half-hour movies and they go by like that. So there’s no ipso facto judgment about length.”
Payne didn’t cite any particular offender, but his comments came on the opening weekend of Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour drama Killers of the Flower Moon. While the film has received considerable acclaim from critics, the top complaint about the movie — particularly among its audience reviews — is that the film drags on far too long and could have benefited from a much tighter edit.
Added Payne: “Film is a constant search for economy. You want the screenplay as short as possible. You want the acting as brisk as possible, given whatever the basic rhythm of that film is. And then in the editing you want it to be as short as it can possibly be, but no shorter.”
At the same time, the director admitted that when looking back at his own films, he also sees ways they could have also been shorter (with one exception: His 1999 high school political satire Election).
Payne received the MFF Director Spotlight Award at the festival. The Holdovers is a comedy-drama that reteams the director with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti, who plays a disliked private school teacher tasked with supervising students who are unable to return home for Christmas. The film opens Oct. 27.
Throughout his acclaimed filmography, Martin Scorsese has been known for left-of-center casting choices. His longtime collaborator and casting director Ellen Lewis said in an interview that they always “try to go outside the box in interesting ways.” For evidence, consider memorable appearances by Scorsese’s mother, Catherine, in “Goodfellas” and the writer Fran Lebowitz as a judge in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The director’s epic new drama, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is no exception. The film tells the story of a 1920s plot by white Oklahoma men, notably an uncle and nephew played by Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, to murder members of the Osage Nation, including Mollie Burkhart and her three sisters. Alongside those recognizable Scorsese regulars, a variety of musicians, comedians and other nonactors (some recruited by the Indigenous casting director Rene Haynes) blend in seamlessly.
Here’s a spoiler-heavy guide to some of the film’s most interesting cameos.
Jason Isbell
The country singer-songwriter Jason Isbell appears as Bill Smith, husband of Mollie’s ill-fated sister Rita (played by JaNae Collins). For such a sizable part, “Killers” is the first major onscreen acting gig for the four-time Grammy winner. (He had a recurring voice role as a pastor on the Adult Swim series “Squidbillies.”) How did Isbell end up in the film? Chalk it up to downtime. The movie was shot during the pandemic when musicians would have otherwise been touring around the country. As for his main gig, Isbell’s most recent album, “Weathervanes,” with the group the 400 Unit was released earlier this year.
Pete Yorn
This indie-rock singer-songwriter (whose most recent album was “Hawaii,” a 2022 collaboration with Day Wave) eventually shows up as the much-talked-about and elusive Acie Kirby, whom DiCaprio’s hapless Ernest is tasked with finding throughout the film. While “Killers” is Pete Yorn’s first big-screen acting role, he is no stranger to the Scorsese sphere. His brother is Rick Yorn, an executive producer of “Killers” and other Scorsese projects, including “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Gangs of New York.” Rick Yorn also happens to be Scorsese and DiCaprio’s manager.
Sturgill Simpson
Another noteworthy country singer-songwriter, Sturgill Simpson plays the bootlegger Henry Grammer. Though he won the 2017 best country album Grammy for “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” the guitarist hasturned Hollywood roles into a bustling side hustle. In addition to a recurring part on the HBO comedy series “The Righteous Gemstones,” he appeared in the 2019 drama “Queen & Slim” and was on the big screen last month in the sci-fi opus “The Creator.”
Tatanka Means
This busy comedian and actor plays John Wren, a Native American investigator. Means boasts an eclectic filmography ranging from the 2014 comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West” to a recent appearance on the series “Reservation Dogs.” The son of the Oglala Sioux activist Russell Means (a Scorsese friend who died in 2012), the younger Means is perhaps best known for stand-up routines that reflect the Native experience.
Jack White
The former White Stripes musician has a thriving career as a guitarist on his own and in groups like the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather, but he can be seen at the end of “Killers” providing multiple voices for a radio play that explains the eventual fates of the real-life figures dramatized in the film. This isn’t Jack White’s first acting gig. When he’s not at the helm of his indie label Third Man Records, he has found time to portray Elvis Presley in the 2007 music biopic spoof “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” and to appear in “Portlandia” and “The Simpsons.”
Charlie Musselwhite
This harmonica ace plays the gruff Alvin Reynolds. Charlie Musselwhite is a Chicago blues legend who is said to have inspired Dan Aykroyd’s Blues Brothers character Elwood. Lewis, the casting director, is a music fan who said she sought out Musselwhite after being taken by his weathered look while researching the Chicago label Delmark Records. “Killers” is the 79-year-old’s most sizable acting role after parts in movies like “Blues Brothers 2000” and “Windows on the World.”
Everett Waller
The film features several prominent members of the Osage Nation including Waller, who serves as the tribe’s Minerals Council chairman. In the movie, Waller gives an impassioned speech about the plight of his people. Haynes, the casting director, said that much like the other Indigenous performers, Waller was discovered during an open casting call to fill the movie’s 62 Native roles. “His daughter actually came through and she knew I was looking for a gentleman with long hair,” Haynes recalled, adding, “I told her that if she could get him to come in, I’ll let him skip the line because I’d love to meet him.”
Brendan Fraser
Though not strictly a cameo, the actor doesn’t appear till late in the film. Chosen by Scorsese and Lewis well before “The Whale” led to a career renaissance and a best actor Oscar win earlier this year, Fraser plays W.S. Hamilton, the defense attorney for De Niro’s William Hale. Lewis said Fraser was an 11th-hour choice after another actor she didn’t name dropped out.
John Lithgow
This is also not quite a cameo, but John Lithgow doesn’t appear until late in the film. The two-time Oscar nominee has enjoyed a long and eclectic career in roles that span genres, onstage and on the big and small screens. But this is the first time he’s worked with Scorsese. Here he plays the prosecutor Peter Leaward in a series of courtroom scenes.
Martin Scorsese
One of the three-and-a-half-hour film’s most surprising moments occurs during the radio-play coda. It’s Scorsese himself who reads from the obituary of Mollie Burkhart (Lily Gladstone). Scorsese is no stranger to appearing in his own work, from his 1973 breakout “Mean Streets” (he can be seen firing a gun during the car-crash finale) to “Silence” (a brief and bearded cameo in that 2016 drama). His turn in “Killers” serves as a fitting tribute to both the forgotten subjects of the story and the director who helped remind us of them.
As heinous as the actions taken by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War may have been, a newly-introduced MCU villain one-upped him.
One of the most important moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Thanos’ Infinity Stones-powered snap, which got slightly retconned thanks to one recent MCU project. By clicking his fingers, the Mad Titan erased half of all life, not just on Earth, but in the entire universe.
Marvel Studios has introduced some pretty bad hombres over the past 15 years, and many of them have racked up some considerable body counts. But they might not compare to what went down in the most recent episode of Loki.
General Dox’s Multiversal Mass Murder Dwarfs Thanos’ Kill Count
Marvel Studios
Season 2, Episode 2 of Loki on Disney+ ended with the TVA’s General Dox going rogue and leading her team of Minutemen on a mission to prune all the new branches off of the Sacred Timeline that came about when Sylvie killed He Who Remains.
Loki and his friends attempted to intervene, but the deed was done and tons of timeline branches were decimated, all with people living on them. Unfortunately, the heroes were powerless to stop this catastrophe. As Hunter B-15 concisely put it, “Those are people… those are lives…”
Marvel Studios
Whereas Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe, Dox killed all the life in what essentially amounts to multiple universes. This single act made her one of the most lethal villains the MCU has ever known.
Now, it’s important to note that otherwordly entities such as Dormammu, who has decimated a number of dimensions, and time-traveling despots like Kang (and all his Variants) who have laid waste to countless universes, would have a higher kill count. What If’‘s Infinity Ultron’s Multiversal attack also can’t be forgotten, with his munch of the Multiverse causing some heavy damage in its own right.
He Who Remains was responsible for destroying billions of universes in order to distill everything down to the Sacred Timeline, likely meaning that he still has the record for the highest kill count in the MCU.
Still, General Dox is unmistakably a force to be reckoned with.
Did Important MCU Timelines Get Pruned in Loki?
Marvel Studios
When General Dox committed her crime against time itself, presumably thousands of branches became pruned and eliminated from existence. So where does that leave the worlds of the other Peter Parkers (from Spider-Man: No Way Home) or Deadpool and his little band of weirdos?
It’s almost impossible that Marvel Studios would destroy timelines and universes that hold valuable storytelling potential. This is the Multiverse Saga, after all.
Therefore, it’s extremely likely that all the fans’ favorite heroes are present and accounted for, like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men, the elderly Steve Rogers, and the entirety of the Fox X-Men. A recent interview with Loki director Dan DeLeeuw (via Screen Rant) serves to back all of this up.
Per DeLeeuw, the creators were deliberate about which timelines met their end:
“We didn’t get too specific about who was gonna go, but I definitely made my list of what the same lines were.”
Furthermore, there is, in fact, a distinction between timelines and universes as they pertain to the MCU. Marvel producer Richie Palmer previously implied that Garfield and Maguire’s worlds exist in alternate universes, seemingly making them exempt from timeline shenanigans in the first place.
Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2 drops new episodes just in the nick of time, Thursdays at 9:00 p.m., only on Disney+.
Blue Beetle released as part of a series of DC movies with lackluster box office results, raising questions about its future in the DC Universe.
The movie introduces Jaime Reyes, the third generation of Blue Beetle, who discovers an alien artifact and becomes a young hero facing conflicts with antagonist Victoria Kord and villain Carapax.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto and James Gunn have expressed interest in continuing Jaime’s story and finding a way for it to be a part of the new DC Universe, potentially in an Elseworlds side-franchise.
Blue Beetlereleased during a series of revelations about the DCEU and DCU, raising a lot of questions about the status of the movie and whether its cast would continue their roles in the future. Blue Beetle was initially described as having the “first DCU hero”, though it was revealed it wouldn’t be the first DCU film, as this would instead be Superman: Legacy. However, with the majority of the DCEU’s hero cast being replaced for the upcoming DCU, it’s not clear whether any aspects of Blue Beetle – including its hero – will actually appear in the upcoming DCU releases, especially given it released as part of a string of several DC movies that saw a lackluster box office.
This original iteration of the character first appeared in 1939, but the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, found his way to the DC Universe after Crisis on Infinite Earths in the 1980s. DC introduced a new Blue Beetle in the New 52 in the twenty-first century as a teenager, Jaime Reyes, who ended up joining the Teen Titans. Warner Bros. began work on a modern Blue Beetle movie in 2018, with casting running from 2021 into 2022, and the final movie releasing in 2023 as one of the final releases in the DCEU timeline.
The Blue Beetle movie released on August 18, 2023, and was one of the few movies that DC Studios kept on the slate after James Gunn and Peter Safran took over in late 2022. Blue Beetle‘s first screenings began at 2pm ET on August 17.
Following The Flash‘s release, Blue Beetle was DC’s penultimate 2023 theatrical release, with Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom closing out the DCEU on December 20. From there, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsterskicks off properly.
Blue Beetle Movie Cast Breakdown
Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle.
Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord.
Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord.
George Lopez as Uncle Rudy Reyes.
Raoul Max Trujillo as Conrad Carapax.
Adriana Barraza as Nana.
Belissa Escobedo as Milagro Reyes.
Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes.
Among the Blue Beetle movie cast are several of Jaime’s family members and a potential love interest for the hero. Notably, Xolo Maridueña, known for his roles in Cobra Kai (2018-2022) and Parenthood (2012-2015), plays the main hero, Jaime Reyes. Additionally, Belissa Escobedo portrays Jaime’s sister, Milagros Reyes, and Bruna Marquezine plays Jaime’s love interest, Penny. George Lopez adds a familiar name to the cast, playing Jaime’s uncle, Rudy. The two signal an important moment in comic book movie history as the first DC live-action movie honoring Latino culture.
Continuing the Reyes family line is Elpidia Carrillo, Damián Alcázar, and Adriana Barraza, who play Jaime’s mother, father, and grandmother, respectively. As far as villains, Raoul Max Trujillo plays Carapax the Indestructible Man. Susan Sarandon plays the villainous character Victoria Kord, replacing the previously cast Sharon Stone. Victoria is a new character created for the film, but was coincidentally introduced in the comics around the same time as Ted Kord’s sister. Javier “Harvey” Guillén of What We Do In the Shadows’ fame also appears in Blue Beetle as a character named Dr. Sanchez.
Blue Beetle Movie Story Details
Blue Beetle introduces the third generation of the titular DC hero. The first hero was Dan Garrett, who received his powers from an Egyptian scarab. The second chronicled Ted Kord, who existed in the Arrowverse and used science and technology to carry on the hero’s mantle. The third and final Blue Beetle is Jaime Reyes, a teenager from El Paso who discovers the original blue Scarab and receives alien armor when the artifact grafts to his spine.
Blue Beetle explores Jaime’s heroic origin story and his conflicts with antagonist Victoria Kord and Blue Beetle villain, Carapax the Indestructible Man, as well as his struggles about growing up. The movie closes with the current Reyes family closer than ever, and with Jamie as both a young promising hero and seemingly the boyfriend of Kord Industries’ new CEO, Jenny Kord. The post-credits of the movie show that Jenny’s dad Ted – who was also the second Blue Beetle – is still alive, teasing a future storyline that could potentially be incorporated into the DCU.
How Does Blue Beetle Connect To The DCU Reboot?
While James Gunn didn’t have a hand in Blue Beetle’s production, he has expressed excitement about the upcoming film, while also confirming that Blue Beetle is the first DCU character. That suggests that Xolo Maridueña’s new DC superhero will survive the reboot – though it was previously also thought Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman would be joining the DCU, only for updates to reveal that no Justice League hero would be keeping the same casting into the new franchise, raising some concerns for audiences. However, the most recent updates prove more hopeful for Maridueña’s character, as director Ángel Manuel Soto did reveal in an October 2023 interview with ScreenRant that he and Gunn “have talked about our interest in continuing Jaime’s story, and finding a way for that story to be a part of this new universe.“
Even if the movie ends up not being a viable option for the DCU’s future slate, it is possible that Blue Beetle could live in the new DCU’s Elseworlds side-franchise, along with Matt Reeves’ Batman films and Todd Phillips’ Joker franchise. This would unfortunately keep Blue Beetle from interacting with Gunn’s new DC heroes, but would still keep the exciting new hero in the franchise.
It’s Fan Fest time, and Square Enix has just announced that a series of FFXIV x FFXVI crossover quests titled The Path Infernal will be released when Patch 6.5x goes live in Final Fantasy XIV. It’s finally time for Yoshi-P and Naoki Yoshida to work together to bring these two magnificent worlds together, and he did just that.
During the keynote presentation at the 2023 Fan Festival hosted in London, Naoki Yoshida provided attendees with a trailer that illustrates what FFXIV players can expect when The Path Infernal is live. The trailer shows a battle with Ifrit, who, as FFXVI fans know, is a key story component. You’re not alone in this battle as Clive Rosfield is fighting alongside you.
Image via Square Enix
As cool and collected as Clive is, we know that he plays second fiddle to the shining star of the story, Torgal. Fans have requested Torgal to exist in some form in-game for quite some time now, and their prayers have been answered as the trailer shows off a Torgal mount. On top of this, there is also a puppy Torgal minion to collect. And really, who could say no to those puppy dog eyes? You can take it even further and dress up like royalty with Clive Rosfield’s attire available through the collaboration as well.
Specific details regarding the event such as how the items are obtained have not been released yet. But one thing is for sure, when The Path Infernal goes live, expect to see Torgal in both puppy and adult forms all over Eorzea.
About the Author
Priscilla Wells
Priscilla is both the weekend editor and a freelance writer at Prima Games. She began working at Prima Games in early 2023. Prior to this, she spent nine years writing for both her own personal gaming blog, and other related websites. Priscilla has grown up playing video games, and most often plays her PS5 and Nintendo Switch consoles. You can find her playing Final Fantasy XIV, RuneScape, Pokemon GO, or lost in the latest RPG to release.
She is an Australian living in the United States with her American husband, three children, and her Basset Hound. Before moving to the United States, Priscilla obtained a Bachelors of Secondary Education majoring in English and Japanese Language. This allowed her to teach English and Japanese in a high school setting.
You can follow her on Twitter/X at @Cilllah
EXCLUSIVE: In a lucrative deal, Lionsgate has landed domestic distribution rights to Guy Ritchie’s (Sherlock Holmes) next project, which remains untitled, as principal photography wraps in Spain this week.
Lionsgate had previously picked up domestic rights to Ritchie’s upcoming World War II movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
The new action film, whose plot is being kept under wraps, sees Ritchie reteaming with Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home), who played the lead role in Ritchie’s recent war movie The Covenant, as well as Henry Cavill (Mission: Impossible – Fallout) and Eiza González (Baby Driver), both of whom star in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Ritchie produces the new movie alongside longtime producing partner Ivan Atkinson (The Covenant) and Black Bear’s John Friedberg (The Covenant); Black Bear handled worldwide sales on the film.
Joining the cast are veteran Spanish actor Carlos Bardem, known for movies including Assassin’s Creed and Goya’s Ghosts, and veteran U.S. actor Fisher Stevens, who most recently starred in HBO’s Succession and directed Netflix docuseries Beckham. The movie has a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
As we revealed last week, Lionsgate recently picked up Pete Davidson TIFF project The Home. At a time when sizeable domestic buyers are in shorter supply, the indie major remains an active buyer (and seller) and so a key partner for domestic and international producers and sellers.
Gyllenhaal upcoming projects include Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent from David E. Kelley and J.J. Abrams, and Amazon Studios’ reimagining of the 1989 hit Road House, directed by Doug Liman.
Cavill will soon be seen in Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Argylle and is executive-producing the Warhammer 40,000 franchise across all Amazon Studios productions. González will next be seen in David Benioff and D.B Weiss’s series Three Body Problem” for Netflix.
“We are thrilled to once again be partnering with the entire Lionsgate team, whose passion and ambition for the film are very clear,” said Guy Ritchie. “We are excited to extend and build on our relationship with Joe, Adam, Nathan, and Charlotte to bring the film to audiences across the US.”
“We are very lucky to be working again with Guy, whose filmmaking transcends the action genre with its signature wit and irreverence. Combined with the unparalleled talents of Jake, Henry, and Eiza, this fast-paced, original action film promises to thrill, surprise, and delight,” commented Charlotte Koh, EVP, Lionsgate Acquisitions and Co-Productions.
“We are delighted to be building on our relationship with Lionsgate, partnering with them on another incredible Guy Ritchie movie, following The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Having a powerhouse independent distributor in the US, combined with a wide array of the best in-class theatrical distributors from around the world, has allowed us to deliver a highly commercial film to the marketplace in what has been a very difficult period on our industry, and is a real testament to the power of independent distribution, which has never been more essential than this year,” added producer John Friedberg from Black Bear.
Black Bear’s AFM slate will include high school horror movie Whistle, which we revealed last week, Sydney Sweeney-starring religious horror film Immaculate; Relay from director David Mackenzie, starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James; the sci-fi thriller Shell, starring Elizabeth Moss, Kate Hudson, and Kaia Gerber; and the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Monkey, starring Theo James and produced by James Wan.
As the Israel-Hamas war continues, John Oliver has noticed that some members of the media “seem way too comfortable with” the war. One of the people who caught the “Last Week Tonight” host’s attention was a retired U.S. brigadier-general who advocated for a “war crime” while being interviewed by CNN.
During a segment on the news network, retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson, an analyst who has appeared on CNN multiple times, said that Israel needs to circle Gaza and apply pressure to the region using the blockade they’ve established. “The people are going to suffer,” Anderson said, before noting that the Palestinian people would eventually give up Hamas.
“Does that mean starve the Palestinian people?” an incredulous Victor Blackwell asked on the air. “Because they will be so hungry and so desperate for water and medicine that then they will give up Hamas?”
“It sounds callous, but, I mean, this is a war,” Anderson said in the clip.
“It is a war, but what you’re describing is a war crime and one thing does not justify the other,” Oliver said at the top of Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight.”
The late night host also asked his audience to “spare a thought” for Blackwell, noting that he “probably didn’t get up that morning thinking he’d have to gently explain you can’t starve people to a former U.S. military official.”
Oliver then spent the rest of the episode mocking the Republican party in their ongoing search for Speaker of the House, breaking down the federal corruption charges around New Jersey senator Bob Menendez and diving into management consultant firms like McKinsey.
Last week, Oliver explained why he didn’t use his show to go in-depth about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war during the main body of the show. Oliver’s reasons varied from not wanting to poke fun at such a horrific news story that is currently causing so much suffering to the rapid pace of this international conflict. Since “Last Week Tonight” is a weekly show, by the time the HBO series can air a new episode, there’s a high chance their information will already be out of date.
“I don’t know where things stand in Gaza as you watch this right now. But all signs seem to be pointed toward a humanitarian catastrophe,” Oliver said last Sunday. “Israeli officials announced plans to cut off food, water, fuel and power. Hospitals are running on generators. This has all the appearances of collective punishment, which is a war crime.”
Watch the main segment of Sunday’s show, on management consulting firm McKinsey, below.
In the history of cinema, there have been some big-screen heroes that have managed to truly capture the hearts of moviegoers everywhere. It’s fair to say that one of the most noble – and furry – figures to fit that bill is Paddington. The storybook bear’s live-action film franchise has seen great success since it launched in 2014, as its first two installments have been praised. For the past few years, fans have been waiting for the highly anticipated threequel. While plot details have been reported, the release date had been up for speculation – until now. Yes, we finally know when the film will hit theaters, and the announcement video for the news is adorable.
Sony Pictures shared the update to its Instagram account and, via the clip that was dropped, it would appear Paddington in Peru is set to open only in theaters on January 17, 2025. So that means viewers who are eager to revisit the lovable bear still have a little over a year before they can do so. That’s a bit of a wait but, more immediately, they can at least find some delight in the promo video itself, which features the titular character doing what he does best. Check it out:
It may be a brief clip, but it’s definitely sweet and fitting for the delightful character. Fans surely know that if there’s anything he loves, it’s marmalade. (Though I think the Brown family might be a close second.) Not all productions make formal announcements like this one, but this was a smart move on Sony’s part. Considering that there’s already been buzz about the film in some circles, this is a solid way to build on it.
While you wait for the movie to arrive, know that you can stream the first Paddington film using a Netflix subscription, while Prime Video subscribers can rent or buy its 2017 follow-up. Also, keep an eye on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases to learn about films headed to cinemas in the near future.
Paddington in Peru will hit U.S. cinemas on Jan. 17, 2025 MLK Weekend, but will debut in the UK about two months prior on Nov. 8, 2024.
Deadline told you first during Cannes that Sony snapped up U.S., Canada and key international including Latin American for Studiocanal and Heyday Films’ threequel.
In the Dougal Wilson directed picture, Paddington heads to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and to the mountain peaks of Peru. Screenplay is by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont. Story by Paul King, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton. Paddington in Peru is based on the children’s stories by British author Michael Bond. Paddington is produced by David Heyman and Rosie Alison. EPs are Paul King, Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Dan MacRae, Tim Wellspring, Jeffrey Clifford and Naoya Kinoshita. Pic stars Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Jim Broadbent and Carla Tous with both Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton returning as the respective voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.
Studiocanal developed the movie and is fully financing and releasing in in the UK, France, Germany, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand as well as through partners in China and Japan. The film is produced by Heyday Films.
A start of production photo dropped today with announcements on social:
Sony, which has a long history with live-action kids movies, i.e., Lyle Lyle Crocodile and Goosebumps, always wanted in on the bear franchise. When the North American rights for Paddington 2 came up in a $30 million-plus auction, Sony was one of the bidders with Warner Bros, though that sequel ultimately went to Heyday’s Harry Potter studio. Through two movies worldwide, Paddington has reaped over a half-billion at the box office with the franchise counting such BAFTA nominations as Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
October 17 is now known as Usher Raymond Day in Las Vegas as R&B singer, Usher, received the key to the city and his own day.
October has treated R&B singer, Usher, very well. He celebrated his 45th birthday on October 14th and a few days later, he received the key to Las Vegas and the honor of having October 17th declared as “Usher Raymond Day” in the city.
Usher is no stranger to Las Vegas, as he currently performs at his Park MGM residency, with dates scheduled through November and December. He has been performing his residency for three years, having begun at Caesar’s Palace in 2021. He will have a worldwide audience in February when he presents his Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Performance from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
When discussing his residency, the singer pointed out how when it was launched in July 2021, it, “was one of the first that reopened the world of live entertainment following the pandemic.”
He shared that, “This was the groundswell for the belief that we would get back to the norm that we know we needed.”
In addition to these accomplishments, Usher received the Las Vegas honors due to his, “work in the community.” Usher was honored by Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.
Councilman Crear called Usher a, “pillar in our community,” and emphasized how the crooner is more than just an entertainer, but an individual who helps the next generation.
Established in 1999, Usher’s New Look Foundation is a “non-profit organization that transforms the lives of under-resourced youth through comprehensive programming which develops passion-driven, global leaders from middle school through college.”
His 2020 op-ed in the Washington Post helped encourage Congress to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and he was involved in former President Obama’s committee for arts and humanities.
Councilman Crear went on to say that Usher, “has been an absolutely incredible brand ambassador for Las Vegas with his extremely popular residency.”
Major Goodman shared that Usher is selfless, praising him for his ability to care about everybody and how even though the world is troubled, he helps others and helps, “children have another chance, a better chance.”
Usher was very thankful for the honor, stating that he wants, “to continue to be an amazing contribution to [the] amazing city.” Usher sees many opportunities in Las Vegas. He said, “I do see opportunity here, and the belief that everything that’s in my mind and that I’ve dreamed of is coming to life as a result of the city.”
He mentioned that in Las Vegas, the impossible could happen, expressing even more gratitude to the city. He hinted that his Super Bowl performance will feature inspiration from popular Las Vegas acts. He mentioned that with such a history in the city, he’s mindful of where he’s playing and that he’s going to, “put on the show for Vegas, with Vegas.”
Usher expressed his gratitude with his moving words, declaring that he’s a man for the people.
He continued by saying, “I’m a man for entertainment and entertainment has been my tool, but that belief that was placed the moment that I came here, the roots that now have grown to a Super Bowl moment, is something to be recognized […] I’m so happy that it happened here. I could’ve never calculated that, but I know that true belief in something always manifests into something greater.”
Usher’s Super Bowl performance is sure to be an extravaganza, and it’s always a positive to see an individual who helps the community and helps support the next generation receive recognition and a worldwide stage to perform.
I am Charlie Dean the Development Officer at Raindance Film Festival. Short films are a wonderful tool, both for the indie filmmaker and the audience that loves new and original ideas!
As a filmmaker myself I use short films to flesh out my projects, practice the art of filmmaking, and most importantly discover my own voice. As a film lover, I have greatly enjoyed watching short films and discovering some of the most creative and fresh ideas that there are. Overall, the short film is fundamental to the indie film community and people with a love for film!
October 26, 2023, 6:00 pm Genesis Cinema
A vibrant mosaic of cinematic styles, this collection of short films is a jubilant homage to the rich tapestry of Catalonian cinema. These diverse narratives exemplify the creative spirit and artistic innovation that Catalonia is contributing to the world of filmmaking. This anthology is a bold tribute to that, and presents a dynamic celebration of Catalonian cinema’s enduring legacy and its bold, ever-evolving expression.
With Q&A with the filmmakers
October 27, 2023, 6:00 pm, Genesis Cinema
The act of people traversing from one location to another is among the most fundamental aspects of human existence. Occasionally, this journey is driven by a quest for new discoveries, while at other times, it’s compelled by conflicts and external forces. Nevertheless, permanence remains elusive, as the inexorable tide of time inevitably sweeps over these experiences.
October 27, 2023, 9:00 pm, Vue Piccadilly
A selection of recent Raindance produced short films by filmmakers of the different Raindance hubs around the world.
October 28, 2023 3:00 pm Genesis Cinema
Bizarre and experimental, these short films pave the way for an unconventional cinematic journey. In a time when people are encouraged to play things safe, these films challenge conventional norms, offering a glimpse into the eccentric minds behind them. This collection of peculiar creations isn’t just about entertainment; it’s a bold statement, a cinematic revolution
A captivating blend of form, content, and style, these narratives offer a unique opportunity to question our familiar perceptions of everyday existence while exploring the uncharted possibilities of animation. Prepare to embark on a journey through diverse realms that elicit emotions often left unexplored in our conventional experiences.
This collection of shorts are screening as part of the ‘We Rebuild. We Reclaim.’ global touring programme of short films curated by We Are Parable and supported by The British Council, that explore Black British and Caribbean people’s experience. Reflecting on the cultural significance of the Empire Windrush – the boat that brought over 500 Caribbean to the UK in 1948 – these short films encourage reflection on wider issues of migration and identity.
Exploring the intricate bonds of family, this collection of short films dives deep into the complexities of kinship. These heartfelt narratives unravel the diverse facets of family ties, shedding light on the joys, trials, and enduring connections that define our lives. This assortment of stories isn’t just about kin; it’s a poignant celebration of the ties that bind us together.
November 4, 2023, 2:20 pm Curzon Soho
Challenging times loom on the horizon. As we navigate through one crisis after another, we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture where we can question the status quo and effect change in our surroundings. This assortment of short films, intimately tied to these shores, showcases some of the most brilliant talents and their resolute determination to drive progress. These are not just films; this is a movement.
November 4, 2023, 3:00 pm, Genesis Cinema
An anthology of short documentaries that delve into the lives of individuals and the environments that envelop them. These captivating narratives cast a spotlight on adventures and individuals typically relegated to the periphery, purposefully placing them front and centre in our perspective.
Charles Dean is an Development Executive for Raindance. Charlie has a deep-rooted love for the world of film and has experience working both on set and in the office having worked closely with filmmakers, production teams, and industry professionals. In his free time Charlie enjoys watching new and creative films from up and coming filmmakers.
US advises Israeli officials that delay in ground offensive could allow release of more hostages
The US has advised Israeli officials that a delay in a possible ground offensive in Gaza would allow more time for the U.S. to work with its regional partners to release more hostages, according to a U.S. official familiar with Biden administration’s thinking on the matter.
The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the private discussions, said it was unclear how much the argument will ‘move the needle’ on Israeli thinking.
The official noted that Qatar’s help in mediating with Hamas was able to win the release of two captives, Judith and Natalie Raanan.
The process that led to their release – just two of the more than the 222 people believed taken hostage in Israel in the Oct. 7 attacks – started soon after the Hamas operation.
The official said arranging for the release of the Raanans ‘took longer to come together than folks really realise.’
Israel has released a snippet of unedited footage taken from the bodycam of a Hamas gunman amid the ruthless October 7 attacks on unsuspecting civilians.
The clip showed how the gunman, brandishing his AK-47 assault rifle, ordered a pair of Israelis driving slowly along the road to stop their car.
Without giving the driver a second to comply, the gunman immediately starts blasting bullets into the vehicle from mere feet away, and the passengers can be seen recoiling from the rounds in the cabin as the car rolls past.
The release of the footage was announced by government spokesman Eylon Levy to counter what it says is a ‘Holocaust denial-like phenomenon’ amid backlash over Israel’s airstrikes of the Gaza Strip.
More than 19,000 displaced in Lebanon amid tensions on Israeli border: UN agency
More than 19,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon amid an uptick in tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at the country’s southern border, figures released Monday by a United Nations agency showed.
‘An increase in cross-border incidents’ has resulted in the displacement of 19,646 people in Lebanon, ‘both within the south and elsewhere within the country’, said the International Organization for Migration.
‘We expect the numbers to rise as the cross-border tensions continue’ or if there is an escalation in violence, IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela told AFP in a statement.
Iran-backed Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah has launched escalating attacks on Israel, raising fears the group intends open a front from Lebanon in support of ally Hamas.
Israel has carried out cross-border strikes and bombardments on Lebanon, while Palestinian groups have also launched limited infiltration attempts into Israel.
Dozens of communities have been told to evacuate in Israel, while thousands of civilians in Lebanon have fled, many heading to other parts of the south or areas in or outside the capital Beirut.
Lebanon, grappling with political paralysis and a four-year-long economic crisis, has not implemented an evacuation plan, but Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said the country was developing an emergency response ‘as a precaution’.
Charity ActionAid warns babies and pregnant women will die if fuel runs out in Gaza hospitals
Medics at the Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, have warned that they may have to stop operating as they will run out of fuel in the next 48 hours.
Dr Mohammad Abu Salmiya – the director general of Al-Shifa hospital – said the hospital has yet to receive any UN aid amid the total Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The UN said the lives of at least 120 newborn babies in incubators in Gaza’s hospitals are at risk.
Riham Jafari, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at ActionAid Palestine, said: ‘Hospitals are relying on fuel-powered generators for their electricity. Fuel and medical supplies should be provided now to Gaza.
‘Children, patients, babies in incubators and pregnant women will lose thier lives if fuel is not provided to hospitals in Gaza.’
*** WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT ***
Fuel running out in hospital neonatal wards, doctor says
The head of the neonatal unit in Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said it will run out of fuel within 48 hours.
Dr. Hatem Edhair said there are eight babies in the intensive care unit and 10 others in the neonatal department.
‘Half of these children are on CPAP (pressurized air) machines and oxygen machines,’ he said Monday. ‘If the hospital runs out of fuel, half of these babies will die in less than 24 hours.’
Doctors treating premature babies across Gaza have warned that at least 130 are at ‘grave risk’ across six neonatal units because of worsening fuel shortages.
The fuel shortages are caused by the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which started – along with airstrikes – after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7.
‘We are working around the clock,’ Edair said. ‘We need to save these babies.’
Breaking: Israel claims it intercepted drone fired from Lebanon
The IDF today said the army intercepted a drone that was fired from Lebanon into Israel via the sea.
Palestinian PM accuses Western nations of giving Israel a ‘licence to kill’ in war
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Monday accused Western nations of giving Israel a “licence to kill” in its war against the Gaza Strip’s Islamist rulers Hamas.
Israel has been bombing Gaza since Hamas gunmen poured across its border with the Palestinian territory on October 7 and, according to Israeli officials, killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry on Monday said more than 5,000 people, also mainly civilians, have been killed in the Israeli bombardment.
‘What we hear from the mouth of the occupation (Israeli) leaders on preparations for a land invasion means more crimes, atrocities and forced displacement,’ Shtayyeh told the start of a Palestinian Authority government meeting.
‘We condemn the statements that constitute a licence to kill and give Israel political cover to commit massacres and spread destruction in Gaza,’ he added.
US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other leaders have visited Israel in recent days reaffirming its ‘right to defend’ itself, while calling on the Israeli government to stay within international humanitarian law.
In pictures: Israeli airstrikes leave trail of destruction in Gaza
A former European Union diplomat filmed himself paragliding over Gaza and saying ‘once we have a free Palestine, you can do the same thing’ – three months before Hamas terrorists flew into Israel to carry out a bloody invasion.
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, who was the EU’s envoy to Palestine until August, said he was paragliding off the Mediterranean coast to ‘raise awareness of the besieged Palestinian enclave.’
Just three months after the stunt, the territory’s rulers Hamas launched an assault on Israel from land, sea and air, triggering retaliatory airstrikes by Israel which have devastated large swathes of the impoverished enclave.
Israeli forces have debuted a weapons system dubbed the ‘Iron Sting’, sharing video of it being used to destroy Hamas rocket launchers as they step up aerial assaults and raids on terrorist squads in Gaza ahead of a planned ground invasion.
British-Israeli Yosef Malachi Guedalia, 22, was killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israel, his family has confirmed today.
Guedalia saved at least one seriously wounded civilian from Kfar Aza before repeatedly returning to the besieged kibbutz to help those caught up by the Hamas raiders.
Guedalia’s death was first reported by The Times last night, with a family member telling the newspaper he was a ‘very gentle, sweet person’. ‘He would blend seamlessly into any new group he joined. People loved him and he was accepted by everyone.’
His family today confirmed to the BBC that he had been killed by Hamas terrorists in the 7 October attack.
His brother Asher said he was ‘always happy, there was no bad in him’.
Asher told the BBC. ‘He literally saved people minutes before he got shot. He acted with heroism and determination, he continued to fight and didn’t think of himself or hesitate…He went in to rescue as many citizens as possible before they got murdered in their homes and to kill as many terrorists as he could.’
Breaking: Death toll rises as more than 5,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza
Israeli strikes have killed at least 5,087 people in Gaza since war erupted on October 7, triggered by massive attacks on Israel, Hamas officials in the Palestinian enclave said Monday.
Some 2,055 children and 1,119 women are among the dead, while 15,273 people have been injured in the relentless bombardments, the Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip.
It said 436 Palestinians – including 182 children – have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the past 24 hours.
Humza Yousaf’s mother-in-law has said she is living through ‘torture’ in Gaza, the First Minister said.
Speaking to journalists from flood-hit Brechin on Monday, Mr Yousaf was seen to step away from cameras to take a call, which he later said was from Elizabeth El-Nakla.
Mrs El-Nakla and her husband Maged – the parents of Mr Yousaf’s wife Nadia – travelled to Gaza to visit family when hostilities flared up.
‘They’re really living in a situation that my mother-in-law describes as torture,’ he said.
‘The whole night there will be missiles, rocket fire, drones – they don’t know whether they are going to make it from one night to the next.
‘They’re down to six bottles of clean drinking water in a house of 100 people including a two-month-old baby, she tells me.’
In pictures: Israel continues bombardment of Gaza City
Israel reveals more details of its ground raids into Gaza
As we reported earlier, Israel said its ground forces mounted limited raids to fight Hamas terrorists and that air strikes were being focused on sites where the gunmen were assembling to attack any wider Israeli invasion.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari has now revealed more details on those ground raids.
‘During the night there were raids by tank and infantry forces. These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for our next stage in the war. These are raids that go deep,’ Hagari said in a briefing.
The raids also tried to gather information on the 222 hostages being held by Hamas, he said.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said its fighters engaged with an Israeli force that infiltrated Gaza and they destroyed some Israeli military equipment.
The terrorist group said the infiltration by what it described as an armoured force took place east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
‘Fighters engaged with the infiltrating force, destroying two bulldozers and a tank and forced the force to withdraw, before they returned safely to base,’ a statement said. There was no Israeli comment about the destruction of equipment.
The Al-Qassam Brigades also on Monday they were firing missiles on the south Israeli towns of Ashkelon and Mavki’im. Warning sirens blared out on the Israeli side.
In pictures: Palestinians take shelter in UN tent camp
As we reported earlier, Israel claims Hamas fighters were carrying instructions on how to make chemical weapons when they launched their horrifying October 7 attack on Israeli border villages.
WATCH: Dramatic moment Israeli official ducks for cover as blast at Israel-Lebanon border interrupts interview
Breaking: Israeli military says it fired on ‘aerial target’ from Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Monday it had launched an interceptor missile at a ‘suspicious aerial target’ that crossed in from Lebanon, and that sirens had been sounded in areas of the border as a precaution.
Israel’s armed forces have massed tens of thousands of soldiers, tanks, heavy armour and artillery along the Gaza border ahead of a much-anticipated ground assault that aims to crush Hamas in retaliation for the group’s ruthless October 7 attacks.
On the face of it, the conflict looks to be a considerable mismatch.
Israel boasts one of the most advanced militaries in the world, with state of the art equipment and technology.
By contrast, Hamas is thought to have as many as 40,000 fighters, all of whom are crammed into Gaza, a small 140-square-mile strip of land home to more than 2.3 million people – with limited training and resources.
But military experts are reluctant to suggest an armed Israeli incursion into Gaza will be a walk in the park.
With this in mind, MailOnline breaks down the military capabilities of both sides ahead of Israel’s ground assault. Read more here.
Israel strikes eight ‘terrorist cells’ in Lebanon
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had wiped out eight terrorist cells in Lebanon over the past 24 hours and more than 20 since the start of the war.
Hagari said seven of the positions were struck before Hezbollah terrorists managed to fire anti-tank missiles and rockets
WATCH: IDF destroys Hamas targets across Gaza
Third aid convoy enters Gaza via Egypt border crossing
An aid convoy entered the besieged Gaza Strip on Monday via the Rafah border crossing, the third since war erupted on October 7.
More than a dozen lorries crossed Rafah, adding to a previous total of 34 trucks that had entered Gaza on Saturday and Sunday according to an Egyptian Red Cross official.
The United Nations says at least 100 trucks a day are needed to provide the basic needs of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants as fighting triggered by a massive Hamas onslaught rages on, with thousands killed already.
‘Blood and dead bodies everywhere’: Nurse describes conditions in Gaza hospital
The situation at al-Shifa hospital, one of Gaza’s biggest, is so dire that medics are being forced to improvise without supplies, medics say.
‘Last night it was a horror movie. Blood and dead bodies everywhere,’ Naseralldin Abutaha, an emergency nurse at the hospital, told NBC News.
‘I feel if I didn’t die, I’m dead inside. I can’t cry anymore,’ Abutaha, 21, said, adding that staff would be forced to use shirts as tourniquets. The medic said even water was not available, adding: ‘I swear I once used cola to wash a cut.’
It comes as Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry, said medics at the hospital were almost at the bottom of the fuel tanks.
‘We have switched the fuel to the most essential life-saving services including the incubators but we don’t know how long it can last,’ al-Qidra said.
The United Nations agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, said it would run out of fuel in three days. ‘Without fuel there will be no water, no functioning hospitals and bakeries,’ it said.
It comes as a third convoy of aid trucks entered the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Monday bound for the besieged Gaza Strip, an aid worker and two security sources said.
Deliveries of aid through Rafah began on Saturday after wrangling over procedures for inspecting the aid and bombardments on the Gaza side of the border had left relief materials stranded in Egypt. But there will be no delivery of fuel which is vital for hospitals.
China views situation in Gaza as ‘very serious’
China views the situation in Gaza as ‘very serious’ with the risk of large-scale ground conflict growing and because the conflict has begun to spill over in the region, the country’s Middle East envoy said.
The envoy Zhai Jun, who is visiting the Middle East, noted conflict along the Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Syrian borders, according to China Central Television. This has made ‘the outlook worrisome,’ he said.
Zhai called on the international community to be ‘highly vigilant’ and to take immediate action urging parties concerned to strictly abide by international humanitarian law and avoid a serious humanitarian disaster while putting in ‘joint efforts to control the situation’.
Zhai was also quoted as saying that China is willing to do ‘whatever is conducive’ to promote dialogue, achieve a ceasefire and restore peace, as well as to promote a two-state solution.
MAP: Latest updates on Israel-Hamas war
WATCH: Medics pull injured Palestinians from rubble after Israeli strike on refugee camp
In pictures: Israeli troops and tanks continue to mass on border
The Home Secretary will demand an explanation from Sir Mark Rowley over why his officers stood by as demonstrators called for a ‘jihad’ against Israel, while others were filmed chanting ‘pro-Hamas slogans’.
In one demonstration on the same day that 100,000 people marched through London in support of Palestine, members of the extremist group Hazb ut-Tahrir – which has been banned in almost all Arab countries – were filmed shouting ‘jihad’.
During a separate demonstration on Saturday, a man was filmed waving a black and white Islamic flag while reportedly shouting in Arabic: ‘God’s curse be upon the Jews’ and ‘God’s curse upon Israel’. He was arrested for inciting racial hatred.
Israel mounts limited ground raids into Gaza Strip to target Hamas gunmen and search for hostages
Israel said it had carried out ‘limited’ ground raids into Gaza overnight to target Hamas gunmen and search for the 220 hostages.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said a soldier was killed and three others were wounded by an anti-tank missile during a raid inside Gaza.
Hagari also claimed airstrikes are focusing on areas where Hamas terrorists are assembling to combat any Israeli ground invasion.
In pictures: Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza
Israel claims Hamas were carrying chemical weapons instructions
Israeli president Isaac Herzog told Sky News that Hamas were carrying instructions on how to make chemical weapons when they carried out their massacre on October 7.
He said documents found on the bodies of dead fighters in kibbutz Be’eri were ‘official Al Qaeda material’ showing how to build a weapon with cyanide.
Israel’s Defence Forces have published what they claim is proof of Hamas rocket launch sites nestled amid mosques, schools and nurseries in Gaza.
A series of satellite images, shared on the IDF’s official website and social media accounts, shows what they claim are launch pits dug into the ground right next to the civilian structures – something Israel says backs up their claims that Hamas is using the Palestinian people as human shields.
Two alleged launch sites were located a stone’s throw away from each other, one in the garden of a mosque, and another mere feet away from a kindergarten.
A third was seen across the road from a UN building in Gaza and a fourth was located opposite the Manfaluti Secondary School for Boys.
Geolocation of the images provided by the IDF confirmed the locations given were correct, and analysts pointed out that previous satellite images taken in September did not show any launch sites – suggesting that any rocket launch platforms would have been recently constructed.
EU ministers discuss ways to get more aid into Gaza
European Union foreign ministers are meeting today to discuss ways to help vital aid get into Gaza, particularly fuel, after two convoys entered over the weekend.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that ‘in normal times, without war, 100 trucks enter into Gaza every day. So it’s clear that 20 is not enough.’
Borrell said the emphasis must be on getting power and water-providing desalination plants running again.
‘Without water and electricity, the hospitals can barely work,’ he told reporters in Luxembourg, where the meeting is taking place.
He said the ministers will also look at ways to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in the long term.
‘The great powers have forgotten about the Palestinian issue, thinking it was going to be solved alone, or it doesn’t matter. Yes, it matters,’ Borrell said.
Breaking: IDF: At least 220 hostages in Gaza
The Israeli military said the number of people confirmed as being held hostage by Hamas terrorists has risen to 222.
Netanyahu warns of a ‘do-or-die battle’ to ‘erase Hamas
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday warned that the nation was in a ‘do-or-die double battle’ to ‘erase Hamas‘ in Gaza while trying to hold back against Hezbollah firing missiles from Lebanon
Netanyahu said Hezbollah terrorists in the north will be making ‘the biggest mistake of their lives’ if they launch a war against Israel.
‘It will be the mistake of its life. We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state will be devastating,’ Netanyahu said.
Hezbollah’s political movement is part of Lebanon’s fractious government, but its fighters operate outside the state’s control.
Israel heavily bombed Beirut’s airport and civilian infrastructure during a 2006 war with Hezbollah.
Israel is meanwhile evacuating some communities on its own side of the border.
IDF strikes two ‘terrorist cells’ in Lebanon
The Israeli military said it had destroyed two ‘terrorist cells’ inside Lebanon in an overnight strike.
The IDF said it had struck two Hezbollah terrorist cells operating on the border with Lebanon as well as infrastructure targets including an anti-tank missile launch post, a military compound and an observation post.
‘The terrorist cell was planning to carry out an anti-tank missile launch towards the town of Shlomi,’ the IDF said on Telegram.
Israel has frequently traded fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist group, which is armed with tens of thousands of rockets.
It comes amid growing fears the Israel-Hamas war will widen across the Middle East.
IDF destroys 320 Hamas targets in Gaza over last 24 hours
The Israeli military said on Monday it had struck 320 Hamas targets throughout Gaza over the past day.
The IDF said it has destroyed anti-tank positions, tunnels, operational headquarters and other targets that could endanger forces preparing for a ‘manoeuvre in the Gaza Strip’ in reference to Israel’s imminent ground invasion
What’s happened in the past few hours?
Good morning to our MailOnline readers. Here’s a recap of what’s happened in the Israel-Hamas conflict in the last few hours.
Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza early on Monday
Another aid shipment was allowed into Gaza
Israel is widely expected to launch ground offensive as tanks continue to mass on the border
Israel has said it has stepped up airstrikes in order to reduce the risk to troops in the next stages
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington expects the Israel-Hamas law to escalate through involvement by proxies of Iran
Blinken said the US government is prepared to respond if American personnel or armed forces become the target of any such hostilities
Death toll rises as more than 5,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza
Third aid convoy enters Gaza via Egypt border crossing
‘Blood and dead bodies everywhere’: Nurse describes conditions in Gaza hospital
MAP: Latest updates on Israel-Hamas war
In pictures: Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza
Israel claims Hamas were carrying chemical weapons instructions
Netanyahu warns of a ‘do-or-die battle’ to ‘erase Hamas
IDF destroys 320 Hamas targets in Gaza over last 24 hours
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Palestine Israel conflict LIVE: Brit hero seen carrying wounded civilian is confirmed to have died fighting Hamas – as IDF confirms tank and infantry raids into Gaza
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