Howard (James Cosmo), the Irish widower and retired sea captain of Klaus Haro’s bittersweet drama “My Sailor, My Love,” is furious that his daughter has hired a good-natured housekeeper named Annie (Brid Brennan), to disturb his seclusion. At first, the grump does his best to scare off the invader. “Never darken my door again!” he thunders old-fashionedly, as though he’s subconsciously aware that the writers Kirsi Vikman and Jimmy Karlsson are drawing on centuries of love stories about savage men and civilizing women. The production designer John Hand has even worked in a nod to the rose from “Beauty and the Beast.”
The curveball is that after rushing the romance (the brute is tamed in a week!), Haro shifts his attention back to the daughter, Grace (Catherine Walker), who is unfairly, but understandably, aggrieved. Her father’s always treated her cruelly — how dare he be kind to someone else?! Grace’s resentment is an astute twist. Imagine Disney’s singing teapot enrolling in primal scream therapy, except when Grace attends a support group for women who’ve given too much, she can’t let out her steam.
Life, and the film’s costume design, haven’t been fair to Walker’s self-sacrificing miserablist. (When can we stop dressing this kind of character in wan beige and headache-inducing braids?) Every one of her scenes is an indignity overemphasized by a strings and piano score that needs to ease up. The painful dynamic is credible; the dialogue not so much. Still, the actors are in full command of our empathy, especially Brennan’s gray-haired caretaker who, when she cracks open her heart, seems to glow from within.
My Sailor, My Love Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes. In theaters.
Tobey Maguire’s black Venom-style Spider-Man Symbiote suit from 2007’s Spider-Man 3 just took the spotlight in a new hyper-realistic collectible figure.
Maguire became the first actor to bring a black-suited Spider-Man to life in Spider-Man 3 as the Venom symbiote crashed to Earth in a meteor and attached itself to Peter Parker.
Hot Toys released the first images of a hyper-realistic collectible figurine paying tribute to Tobey Maguire’s all-black Venom suit from Sony Pictures’Spider-Man 3.
Sony Pictures
The base depicts the church where Peter Parker got rid of the Venom suit before Spider-Man 3’s third act, with some of the black symbiote goo slithering across the brick.
Hot Toys
Hot Toys looked to capture the essence of Spider-Man 3 fully with so many different looks for the suit and the Venom additions, giving fans a chance to personalize the collectible any way they so choose:
“Paying tribute to Peter Parker’s adventures, Hot Toys presents the 1/6th scale Spider-Man (Black Suit) Collectible Figure and a diorama figure base captured the city scene with symbiote alien from the screen to your collection shelf.”
Hot Toys
Fans can also keep things simple with the figurine by just using Maguire‘s black-suited Spidey with some web, as the suit is topped off with the aggressive and angry-looking Spider-logo on the front and back.
Hot Toys
The company carefully analyzed Maguire’s appearance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3 for this one-sixth-scale figure, complete with dozens of different pose variations that are possible:
“Meticulously crafted based on the appearance of Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man/ Peter Parker wearing Black Suit from ‘Spider-Man 3,’ the one-sixth scale figure features a newly developed head sculpt with separate rolling eyeball system, an interchangeable masked head; a greatly-poseable body for dynamic poses; faithful recreation of the black suit with raised silver webbing patterns; as well as detailed accessories such as alien symbiote arms and head with protruding tongue, Spider-Man mask, and a wide variety of spider-web webbing accessories.”
Hot Toys
The figure has two different heads for Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker, one masked and one unmasked, as the Venom symbiote can be draped all over the black-suited hero.
Hot Toys
There is also a Special Edition of the suit available in certain markets that includes another alien symbiote head as a bonus item for a display option.
Hot Toys
It includes a number of different interchangeable features such as moveable eyes on Peter’s face, an attachable version of Venom’s face, a magnetic Venom tongue, and various different webbing attachments.
Now, the big question on fans’ minds is whether that was a one-time thing, especially with other legacy Marvel stars like Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart getting their own MCU glow-up moments.
But with that movie likely to face some major delays due to numerous extenuating circumstances, it will likely be a long time until fans even hear more rumors pertaining to a potential Maguire comeback.
Raymond Ablack is a Canadian actor/comedian who began his career as a stage actor playing the role of Young Simba in The Lion King. Ablack is best known for his TV roles, including a part in the hit Canadian TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation, where he played Sav Bhandari.
Ablack would also succeed in supporting roles in notable television series like Orphan Black, Narcos, Maid, and Ginny & Georgia. Still, the actor remains a familiar face in Canadian cinema and TV, with many of his credits coming from indie Canadian productions.
With an accomplished and diverse career, we look at the best Raymond Ablack movies and TV shows, ranked up to our top pick for the charismatic Canadian.
10 Ashes
Just Kidding Films
Racking up an impressive amount of awards in its festival run, Ashesfollows the lives of a group of close-knit friends who get together to spread the ashes of the protagonist’s parents, where they first met. A touching exploration of friendship and loss as Liam and his friends reflect on the past, the Canadian indie film is undoubtedly worth a watch if one can track it down.
In Ashes, Raymond Ablack plays one of Liam’s friends, Jay. The Canadian-born actor has packed his early filmography with many smaller independent films and short films, with Ashes being one of the few notable productions Ablack has been involved in.
9 Fondi ’91
108 Media
While Ashes saw Ablack in a supporting role in a Canadian Indie, Fondi ’91put him in a starring role, making it an ideal gateway into the actor’s younger career in the Canadian film industry outside his time with Degrassi: The Next Generation.
The Dev Khanna-directed film follows a group of students on a two-week soccer trip to Fondi, Italy. A coming-of-age movie filled with lustful adventures as a young group finds themselves entranced with a new country, Raymond Ablack plays the student Anil.
8 The Wedding Ring
Real One Entertainment
The Wedding Ring takes the term “always a bridesmaid…” and adds a bit of an additional sting by making the main character, Kate Sterling, played by Lauren Lee Smith, a jeweler who makes wedding rings. At her sister’s wedding, Kate meets up with her childhood sweetheart Jamie, played by Dillon Casey, and is given a second chance at love.
The film is a typical romance, yet it stands out with solid performances and a sharp visual direction for a made-for-TV movie. Raymond Ablack plays the role of Anthony Pretince in the film, a married man who, along with his wife Cynthia (Nneka Elliott), are customers and friends of Kate who support her quest to find love.
7 Buffaloed
Magnolia Pictures
A quirky comedy taking place in the ‘underworld of debt collecting,’ Buffaloedfollows the rebellious Peg Dahl (Zoey Deutch), who enters into the questionable industry to escape a dreary life in the city of Buffalo. An explosive comedy leaning on the charms of Zoey Deutch, the movie is a blast from the get-go.
This is one of the most entertaining projects Raymond Ablack has been involved in, playing the role of Prakash, one of the many people who find themselves drawn to the outrageous yet charismatic Peg.
6 Stay the Night
Photon Films and Media
The 2022 romantic drama Stay the Night, captures that intense spark of first-time love brought on by a chance encounter. Starring Andrea Bang as Grace and Joe Scarpellino as Carter, the film follows both at a turning point that brings them together to face the conflicts weighing down their personal lives. The movie is a touching and introspective love story perfect for those who like realism in their romance.
In Stay the Night, Raymond Ablack plays the role of Roshan, one of Grace’s co-workers, who shows interest in her but establishes Grace’s inability to connect with others romantically. It is a small part but essential in establishing who Grace is and her insecurities that lead her towards falling for the equally flawed Carter.
5 Love in the Villa
Netflix
Often the heartthrob, this is one role where Ablack is a heartbreaker! In the Netflix Original movieLove in the Villa, Raymond Ablack plays the role of Brandon, whose break-up with main protagonist Julie (Kat Graham) prompts her to leave on vacation to find herself again.
This is where Julie encounters a cynical British man, Charlie, played by Tom Hopper, who accidentally gets double booked at the villa Julie rented. This may not be the best on offer from Netflix, but it is one of the more prominent roles of Ablack in the world of film.
4 Maid
Netflix
Based on the memoir by Stephaine Land, the Netflix TV series Maidfollows a young single mother, Alex (Margaret Qualley), struggling to raise her daughter and escape the weight of poverty. The TV miniseries has been praised by audiences and critics alike for its honest and powerful portrayal of domestic abuse, homelessness, and the challenges of the impoverished — the cycle of poverty that can become inescapable.
In Maid, Raymond Ablack plays Nate, a complex character with struggles as a single father and a kind heart that often clouds his better judgment. An early support for Alex, trying to help her find housing, transportation, and a school for her daughter. The relationship becomes strained when Nate develops feelings for Alex. A strong and memorable performance from Raymond Ablack in a well-received TV miniseries makes this a must-watch for fans of the actor.
3 Degrassi: The Next Generation
Epitome Pictures
Raymond Ablack’s most popular and widely recognized role comes from one of the actor’s earlier roles in the pop-culture phenomena, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Ablack offered a relatable character to many youths as Sav Bhandari, a young Indian student having to balance high school life and the freedom provided through the melting pot of cultures alongside a conservative and religious upbringing.
Raymond Ablack appeared in Degrassi: The Next Generation for five years and appeared in Seasons 7 to 9 for 100 episodes, making him a staple during his time on the hit Canadian TV Show.
2 Boyfriend of Christmas Past
Hallmark Channel
With his charm, charisma, and filmography dominated by romance films outside his TV work, it is surprising that Raymond Ablack does not have as many leading roles in the genre. Thankfully, in its domination of feel-good Christmas movies, Hallmark Channel gave Raymond Ablack a leading role in Boyfriends of Christmas Past.
The film centers around Lauren (Catherine Haena Kim) and Nate’s long-time friendship, which becomes challenged if Lauren cannot open up her heart to the possibility of something more existing between them. Facing ‘ghosts’ in the form of past boyfriends, Laura goes on a journey of self-discovery through navigating past hardships.
It is truly a joy to see Raymond Ablack and Catherine Haena Kim play off each other, as they have great on-screen chemistry. While Hallmark Christmas movies may not appeal to everyone, it is worth fitting into your Christmas watch list for those wanting to see more Raymond Ablack.
1 Ginny & Georgia
Netflix
Following a mother and daughter move to a sleepy New England town for a fresh start. In Ginny & Georgia, Raymond Ablack plays the role of Joe, owner of a local farm-to-table café with a history with Georgia (Brianne Howey). Joe becomes one of Georgia’s romantic interests, a positive force that helps Georgia feel welcome.
Ablack excels playing the role of a romantic interest, and the popularity of Ginny & Georgia on Netflix and the show’s ‘bingability,’ gives this one a slight edge over others in this list.
Valve doesn’t expect to release a true Steam Deck successor “in the next couple of years”.
That’s according to Valve coder Pierre-Lou Griffais, who’s currently working on the handheld, which launched in February 2022.
“Right now we’re kind of looking at this performance target that we have as a stable target for a couple years,” he told CNBC.
“We think that it’s a pretty sweet spot in terms of being able to play all the experiences from this new generation and so far, the new releases are coming out with great experiences on Steam Deck.
“Obviously, we’re working with developers on future releases and we’re monitoring the feedback there but so far, I think it has been pretty good on the horsepower front.”
He also told The Verge: “It’s important to us that the Deck offers a fixed performance target for developers, and that the message to customers is simple, where every Deck can play the same games. As such, changing the performance level is not something we are taking lightly, and we only want to do so when there is a significant enough increase to be had.
“We also don’t want more performance to come at a significant cost to power efficiency and battery life,” Griffais added. “I don’t anticipate such a leap to be possible in the next couple of years, but we’re still closely monitoring innovations in architectures and fabrication processes to see where things are going there.”
His comments echo those of Valve designer Lawrence Yang, who told Rock Paper Shotgun in February that “a true next-gen Deck with a significant bump in horsepower wouldn’t be for a few years.”
Gita Mehta, whose books transformed Western ideas on India, died today at her home in New Delhi. She was 80.
Nicholas Latimer, a vice president and director of publicity at Knopf, where Ms. Mehta’s husband, Sonny Mehta, was president and editor in chief for many years, said the cause was complications of a stroke.
Gita Mehta and her husband — who was an influential editor in his time — were international literary stars, frequently appearing in New York, London and India.
In 1979 Ms. Mehta published her first book, “Karma Cola: Marketing the Mystic East,” a mix of anecdotes and commentary on Westerners seeking enlightment in India, often getting ripped off in the process.
She was also the writer/director for the 1971 TV series World in Action, a documentary on current. affairs. In her 20s, she worked on British documentaries while teaching at Bombay University.
“In February 1974, Brazilian musical stars Elis Regina and Tom Jobim met in Los Angeles, to record an album that would become a reference work in the history of Brazilian popular music.”
Digitally remastered from 16 millimeter footage, the film drops us into this historic, troubled and ultimately victorious meeting between two creative giants.
The filmed session is a intimate look at a Who’s Who of Brazilian musicians : guitarist-composer Oscar Castro Neves (a longtime LA transplant); guitarist Helio Delmiro (whose 1981 album with César Camargo Mariano, Samambaia, is a landmark in Brazilian instrumental music; Paulo Braga, who according to Jobim, elevated the drums as a musical instrument; Luizao Maia “the father of Brazilian bass”; percussionist Chico Batera, who recorded with every Brazilian luminary plus Frank Sinatra, Gerald Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, The Doors, Cat Stevans, Joni Mitchell and Quincy Jones, and participated in Hollywood movie soundtracks with Michel Legrand and Dave Grusin.
Veteran producer Aloísio de Oliveira first came to Hollywood in Carmen Miranda’s Band and sang Aquarela do Brasil” (Brazil) in The Three Caballeros. As director of Brazil’s Odeon Records (now EMI), he launched the landmark bossa LP “Chega de Saudade, João Gilberto”.) He launched many more artists in solo albums on his Elenco label: Edu Lobo, Nara Leão, Nana Caymmi, Vinicius de Moraes (as a singer). In the 1960s he composed many hits with Tom Jobim (Dindi, Só Tinha de Ser com Você, Inútil Paisagem, Eu Preciso de Você, among others.)
Regina was Brazil’s most popular singing Diva both in Brazil and abroad. She became famous when she won the inaugural TV Excelsior Festival Song Contest In 1963. Her performance and (ensuing recording) of “Arrastão” (“Pull the Trawling Net”) by Edu Lobo and Vinícius de Moraes, made her the biggest selling Brazilian recording artist since Carmen Miranda.
Her record ushered in MPB (Brazilian Popular Music). With her energetic style she championed both bossa nova and the Tropicalia composers on O Fino da Bossa, the iconic television program on TV Record.
Regina regularly toured France, Italy, Germany Switzerland. Archival footage shows concert duets with the like of Sasha Distal and Toots Theilemans.
Antonio Jobim was part of a quartet of locals who, in the 1950’s, created Bossa Nova. In the film Tom remembers his early Rio bar scenesters: (João) Donato, singer Johnny Alf, Joao Gilberto, who (along with Luiz Bonfa) were the pioneers of Bossa Nova
Young Jobim knew and studied with Hans-Joachim Koellreuter (composer-teacher who brought atonal and twelve-tone music to Brazil), knew Ary Barroso (Aquarela do Brasil aka Brazil), studied composition with Radames Gnattali, the visionary composer who developed the house band for Rádio Nacional (equally criticized for adding classical instruments to his Samba arrangements and Pop instruments to classical performances). Gnattali’s work was a precursor to Bossa and MPB.
Jobim’s other influences were Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel and Brazilian composers Ary Barroso and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Talking with Elis he explains. Ari and VillaLobos are “my sacred juggernauts…I copy from them. You can only copy from those you love.”
Jobim, Luís Bonfá and Vinicius de Moraes collaborated on the play Orpheus of the Conception (filmed as Black Orpheus). This collaboration spread Brazilian music around the world.
Jobim wrote many of the songs on Getz/Gilberto, which became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, and turned Astrud Gilberto, who sang on “Garota de Ipanema” (The Girl from Ipanema) and “Corcovado” (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars), into an international sensation.
In 1962 Jobim appeared at Carnegie Hall with his leading jazz interpreters, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd.
In order to get royalties and pay for his performances, he fought his way into ASACP through lyricist Ray Gilbert, then moved to LA.
Speaking (and singing) in English as well as Portuguese, Jobim collaborated with Newton Mendoca, Aloysio de Oliveira and Claus Ogerman. Major arrangements of Jobim’s compositions were written by Eumir Deodato, Nelson Riddle (The Sinatra duet Album) and especially conductor/composer Claus Ogerman
Under-appreciated in Brazil, Bossa Nova (New Beat) became popular abroad. US jazz greats were it’s earliest adopters: Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Ron Carter and ultimately Frank Sinatra.
Wonderful archival footage show Jobim rehearsing Desafinado with Gerry Mulligan who has trouble mastering Jobim’s sophisticated harmonies, and 1967 duets with Sinatra in LA. (Jobim harmonic ideas- like the melody insisting on the major seventh of the chord, became commonplace in jazz after he recorded them.)
As a gift commemorating her 10 years at Phonogram (Phillips), label president Andre Midani arranged to record Elis singing songs by Tom Jobim, with Jobim.
As tales from collaborators explain, it was not an easy collaboration. Elis, whose exuberant style won her the nicknames Hurricaine and Pepper was not a fan of Jobim’s sophisticated minimalism, plus she reputedly was still smarting from an audition for the stage musical Pobre Menina Rica when Jobim rejected her.
Nelson Motta, famed producer TV personality and journalist, believed Elis considered Tom’s minimalism was for “people who couldn’t sing”. With her superb range, Elis liked to flex her muscles and shine.
Jobim met Regina at the airport. Driving to his apartment on Sunset Strip, he began quarreling about the arrangements. As his frequent songwriting collaborator producer Aloísio de Oliveira and guitarist Oscar Castro Neves remember “ Who’s doing the arrangements?” Tom barked, rejecting Regina’s new husband Cesar Comargo. “He doesn’t know American nomenclature, call Claus Ogerman. Your 27 year-old kid has no experience to compose. We need grown men.”
The wrangling continued in the studio, with Jobim expressing outrage at each of Cesar Comargo’s suggestions to incorporate an electric guitar and piano. (Jobim played electric piano on his 1970 Stone Flower album but heard this series of songs in an acoustic vein.)
It became clear that though the label regarded Tom Jobim as a special guest on the album, It was impossible to record with Jobim unless he was in control
After sage advice from the the Label president and onsite producer Aloísio de Oliveira, Camargo eased off. Eventually he was able to integrate his ideas of electric piano, guitar and amplified base without further ruffling Jobim’s feathers. He also introduced his modern Samba beat, a key element of his countless award winning instrumental albums.
The MGM famed big band studio was closed for vacation. A receptionist did them a solid and booked them in. Chilean studio assistant Umberto Gatica, who spoke Spanish, could roughly communicate with the Portuguese crew and became the session Sound Engineer, launching his long award winning collaboration with producer David Foster (Chicago, Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Cher, Josh Groban, Michael Jackson, Michael Bublé and Andrea Bocelli among others. He is the nephew of Lucho Gattica, the “King Of Bolero”
Jobim’s son and others involved in the classic recording agree that the recording date with Jobim matured and changed Regina. She emerged with a sophisticated economical style that marked the rest of her tragically short career.
Regina’s troubled life led to her tragic overdose in 1982 at age 36.
The iconic album was an enormous worldwide hit and remains an inspiration for countless musicians including Bob Dylan, Madonna, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall and Bjork.
Despite the wrangling, the session feels like a Brazilian party, an extended family. The crew lived together argued together, ate together for weeks. Regina claimed it took 18 painful days to complete the arrangements
The film seduces us, as Jobim managed to seduce or manipulate his collaborators to gain control of the session. Watching Elis and Tom practice Aquas de Marco (Waters Of March) is a joy. Elis expands, Tom radiates gratitude. The duet is sophisticated, nuanced, silken and free of any pretense. For this 10 days, they are the greatest vocal duet in the world. Elis’ emotional voice, which she can employ with percussive effect, mixed with Tom’s whisper give an earthy bottom to this album that feels like Bossa in Brazilian bars, not the sleek import featured on Sinatra’s album or Getz’s for that matter. (The closest thing to it is the wonderful recordings of Vinicius de Moraes Toquino and Maria Creuza.)
No wonder Elis, who complained bitterly about Tom’s control issues at first, develops a crush on him. A MUST SEE. Opens in LA at Laemmle Town Center on Sept 15
Pauly Shore has launched a grassroots campaign to become the leading man of a not-yet-in-development Richard Simmons film, asking fans to reach out to the major Hollywood studios to help “make it happen.”
Shore, the “Encino Man” and “Bio-Dome” star whose last acting credit came with the 2021 comedy “How It Ends,” said his efforts were sparked by a groundswell of fan interest. He even predicted it would all result in an Oscar.
“I’ve noticed all the reactions to me playing Richard Simmons in a new biopic,” Shore wrote in a post to Facebook. “So I reached out to him. I heard he’s living deep in Big Bear.
“We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he still has a phone),” Shore added. “I’m trying to make it happen for you guys. Be optimistic.”
Simmons has been off the Hollywood grid for much of the past decade. He most recently resurfaced last year after TMZ released a documentary about his absence, “What Really Happened to Richard Simmons.” In subsequent days, he posted to social media and his publicist released a statement, thanking fans for their support.
“Richard is eternally grateful for the continuous outpouring of love and gratitude he has received from across the globe,” the statement said. “He is happy, healthy and living the life he has chosen to live.”
Shore, an actor known for his physical comedy, would not be a stretch for the role of the famously animated Simmons. But the part could serve as a rebirth of sorts for Shore, who first rose in Hollywood doing stand-up at the Comedy Store. The venue was owned and managed by his mom, Mitzi Shore, for 44 years until her death in 2018.
“In the meantime, hit up Hulu, Amazon, Disney, HBO and all the big producers,” Shore urged in the Facebook post. “I definitely can morph into this guy. I’ll see you at the Academy Awards 2025.”
Peter Kay’s Car Share is a situation comedy television series produced by BBC One that premiered in April of 2015.
Peter Kay’s Car Share follows the story of John (played by Peter Kay), an assistant manager in a supermarket and his co-worker and promotions rep Kayleigh (played by Sian Gibson). After their company implements a car share scheme the two are forced to travel to work together each day. The series examines their unlikely friendship.
Peter Kay’s Car Share is currently in its first season.
All that glitters certainly isn’t gold, as “Glitter” cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson knows all too well. During a recent interview, Simpson told IndieWire that the newfound cult fandom around Mariah Carey’s 2001 film debut is staggering, as “Glitter” is “one of the 10 worst movies.” The “Center Stage” and “Under the Tuscan Sun” director of photography looked back on the feature that was released September 21, 2001 — after its soundtrack came out on 9/11.
In the film, Carey stars as a young singer who overcomes an abusive childhood to reach stardom alongside a toxic boyfriend. “Glitter” was directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall and cleared $5.3 million at the global box office against a $22 million budget. Carey developed the story behind “Glitter” with “What’s Love Got to Do with It” screenwriter Kate Lanier and playwright Cheryl L. West. Padma Lakshmi, Eric Benét, Max Bessley, Terence Howard, and Da Brat also starred.
In November 2018, a Carey fan-led hashtag campaign called #JusticeforGlitter propelled the film’s soundtrack to No. 1 on the iTunes and Billboard soundtrack charts. “Oh, my God. Well, I had no idea that ‘Glitter’ had a resurgence or any interest,” cinematographer Simpson told IndieWire. “I remember when it was made, some of the reviews were scathing and one review said it was probably one of the 10 worst movies ever made. Well, it was a badge of honor.”
He added that while speaking with fellow “Glitter” crew members, “[They] said, ‘You know, it’s funny, I’ve had a good career but the only movie people ever ask me about is “Glitter.”‘ One of the 10 worst movies in the world has become kind of following.”
Lead star Carey told Movieline (via Vulture) in 2001 that she “wrote the treatment” for the film inspired by her own life. “It’s a story I’ve wanted to tell for a long time. We start with my character, Billie Frank, as a 9-year-old girl. Billie is sent to live at an orphanage because her mother is unstable. Billie grows up confused, becomes a backup singer for a girl who really can’t sing, and she’s pissed off because she knows she’s so much better,” Carey said. “She signs a bad deal, then meets a DJ who falls for her and makes her a star. But he has a very dark side.”
Per Vulture, Carey was “convinced” that cinematographer Simpson was “shooting me on my bad side on purpose,” leading, she claimed, in part to the box office flop and critical pan of the film. Due to Carey undergoing psychiatric treatment at the time of the film’s slated August 31 release, distributor 20th Century Fox pushed the movie back to September 21, 2001.
Christopher Wells’ feature documentary Stories For My Children’s Children: Lessons From The Holocaust is a poignant and deeply personal series of recollections passionately told by Sarah Rolnick, the daughter of two Holocaust survivors, about her parents’ experiences during this dark time in history. In a one-person film, Sarah tells about her family’s past and relatives while reconstructing how her mother and father survived and emigrated to the United States.
With detailed information, photos, documents, historical items, and her fact-finding evidence, Sarah relays the story of how her mother’s family hid in a barn for two years after the Nazis took over Poland thanks to farm owners who were willing to take the risk—and unimaginable hardship—as well as her father’s first wife and children who were shot and killed when he was separated from them and sent to a concentration camp.
Besides the incredible stories of survival and inconceivable grit needed to survive at all, Stories For My Children’s Children offers an insight that is not just shrouded in glory but also provides an incredible perspective and feeling of how one existed in their dailiness, routine, and ability—humans acting in the preservation of humanity in the face of hatred, ill-will, fear, and terror.
“…deeply personal series of recollections passionately told by Sarah Rolnick, the daughter of two Holocaust survivors…”
Director and producer Christopher Wells’s two decades of experience as a filmmaker celebrating the histories of families and communities play a significant role in the presentation of Stories For My Children’s Children through seamless editing and linear storytelling. There are a great many details that allow Sarah to construct the parallels of her parent’s survival while keeping a viewer’s attention. In addition, Sarah’s eloquent tone and knowledge of her Jewish heritage and existence are fascinating. She offers an education to Jewish tradition and beyond while offering a memory she wishes to live on and pass on to her great-grandchildren. It’s a simple yet priceless gift.
The contrast of Sarah’s mother’s hiding on a Polish farm whose family would stay connected to her decades beyond the Holocaust is much easier for her to tell than her fathers, who survived a concentration camp due to his vocation in wood construction skills. He lost a son and his first wife and suffered intolerable consequences. When Sarah’s parents met, their marriage happened immediately, and although she was born abroad, emigrating to the U.S. allowed the family to create new roots and grow. Sarah’s mother, Guinevere, was forever in debt to the family who hid them for two years. Her father, Roman, hid his grief most of his life after losing his first wife and family to the Nazi regime.
Sarah reveals her travels to Poland to meet the children of the parents who hid her mother and learned how her mother was in debt to them for her life and was always helping them because, under the rule of communist Russia, the citizens of Poland had very few resources revealing how generations managed to take care of each other—something that is somewhat lacking in the 21st century. In addition, Sarah praises Oscar Schindler for his work, which was acknowledged by her visits to museums and memorials as her father was on Schindler’s list. It is here where she found family names piecing together her father’s first marriage that was destroyed by the Nazis, realizing there was only one image that survived, which triggered a great deal of pain for her father.
Wells hopes that Stories For My Children’s Children will foster a more compassionate and empathetic society, saying, “We must never forget the immense suffering endured by all those affected by the Holocaust. This film is a testament to their struggles, ensuring their stories remain ingrained in our collective memory.” While Stories For My Children’s Children is mostly a static film, its story is one of impact, courage, and strength that is now permanent and documented for those to know and not to be forgotten.
Bruce McDonald’s second period goal held up as the game winner as the Erie Otters downed the London Knights 3-1 at Budweiser Gardens on Sept. 22 to complete London’s pre-season schedule.
The Knights finished with two wins and two losses as they split back-to-back games first against the Sarnia Sting and then against Erie.
Pano Fimis scored his second goal of the pre-season to give the Otters a 1-0 lead at the 8:01 mark of the first period as he got his stick on a shot from just inside the blue line.
Bruce McDonald gave Erie a 2-0 lead with a show of skill in the second period. After a Nicholas Holomego point shot went wide McDonald was able to snag the ricochet off the end boards, put the puck between his legs and lift it underneath the crossbar and behind London goaltender Zach Bowen who split duties with Owen Willmore in the Knight net.
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Bowen stopped 17b of the 19 shots he faced.
The Knights cashed in on a late second period power play as Sam Dickinson began a rush out of his own zone and got a puck ahead to Sam O’Reilly who tipped a pass to a breaking Ruslan Gazizov who had stepped behind the Otters defence and beat Erie goaltender Jacob Gibbons with a shot between the legs. It was Gazizov’s second goal of the pre-season.
The Otters fended off everything London threw at them in the final 20 minutes including several chances on a late Knights power play that saw Willmore head to the bench for an extra attacker.
Malcolm Spence eventually knocked a puck into the empty London net to finish the scoring at 3-1.
The Knights played the game with 16 skaters. London is still missing five forwards (Jacob Julien, Easton Cowan, Max McCue, Denver Barkey, Kasper Halttunen) and three defenceman (Jackson Edward, Isaiah George and Oliver Bonk) who are all currently attending National Hockey League training camps.
Both Landon Sim and Will Nicholl remain out of the Knights lineup due to injury.
Noah Jenken was recalled by London from the Strathroy Rockets and made his pre-season debut.
The Knights will host the Niagara IceDogs on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m., to begin the 2023-24 OHL regular season.
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Fan Fest will take place from 5-7 p.m. outside Budweiser Gardens. There is no charge and fans do not need a game ticket to participate in Fan Fest.
“The Five” is no fan of “Strike Force Five” – Fox News co-host and “king of late night” Greg Gutfeld savaged his fellow after-dark TV hosts’ video podcast, calling it “pathetic” and “like a staff meeting during COVID.”
Gutfeld, a regular on the Fox roundtable show, was weighing in on recent comments by Conan O’Brien, who said during a podcast interview last week that Donald Trump’s “greatest crime” was to ruin comedy.
By way of agreement, Gutfeld said of his late-night brethren: “I think that was their biggest mistake, they turned their back on half the country because Trump made them cry. … That’s not funny. My show is successful because we go at everything, including not just my guests, but also me. I am my biggest target and we hold everybody’s feet to the fire.”
Then Gutfeld put that fire to “Strike Force Five,” the podcast started by late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver amid the ongoing Hollywood double strike. Made to benefit the hosts’ respective writers’ rooms, “Strike Force Five” climbed to the top of Spotify and Apple Music’s podcast charts within two days of premiering.
“Meanwhile you have these other dingle berries, the hosts, they are doing Zoom calls together like a staff meeting during COVID,” Gutfeld said. “I mean, how pathetic is that?”
Gutfeld, whose Fox News show had climbed atop his late-night competitors in total viewers – though it’s not technically accurate to call it a “late-night” show because it airs at 10 p.m. Eastern across the U.S. – lamented comedians who are “crying on air or doing propagandizing videos for vaccines. That is why I think late-night is in chaos.”
“This is the funniest time to be alive,” Gutfeld said. “Wokeism is like the biggest, funniest thing ever. Joe Biden is a perfect target. Hunter is a perfect target. Nancy Pelosi. The city’s descent into this criminal farce. All of this stuff is ripe for comedy. But to these guys, it’s Trump or it’s nothing.”
Watch the entire exchange in the video clip above.
In Kevin Grigsby’s 20-year plus career, he’s navigated through a lot of change — whether its the moment to moment of live television producing or leading the corporate rebranding of Betfair’s TVG network to FanDuel TV.
“Changing TVG to FanDuel TV was challenging for all of us. We were asked to create new content from nothing. We took on that change and launched two original studio shows from scratch in a matter of just a couple weeks,” he told TheWrap for this week’s Office With a View.
“But equally as hard was the decision to pivot the brand from TVG,” he continued.I
The cast of “Jersey Shore” have officially become New Jersey legends … September 22 will live forever as “Jersey Shore” Day in Atlantic City.
Eight members of the cast were honored by the mayor of A.C., Marty Small, outside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino … where he legitimized “Jersey Shore” Day, a.k.a “Jerzday.”
X / @AtlanticCityGov
The ceremony drew a crowd of pumped-up fans … waving Italian flags and hoisting posters of ‘JS’ favorites like Snooki, Vinny and JWoww, who were in attendance.
Instagram / @snooki
In fact, all 8 cast members from the current “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” were in attendance, including Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Pauly D, Angelica Pivarnik, Deena Cortese and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola.
Mayor Small explained why the cast deserves such an honor … “Because in the last 15 years, this group has made New Jersey proud with strength, perseverance, family values, gym, tan, laundry.”
Clearly, the Mayor appreciates the amount of attention the show has drawn to the city over the years. In fact, the reality show’s spin-off, “Family Vacation,” recently filmed in A.C.
The ‘JS’ cast is clearly overjoyed their legacy will live on forever in a place that’s near and dear to them … congrats!!!
The Writers Guild of America and major studio representatives met Friday for the third day this week, as throngs of film and television screenwriters hit picket lines in a show of solidarity and hope that the sides would reach a deal to end the epic strike that has thrown tens of thousands of people out of work.
There was still no agreement Friday evening, with gaps remaining between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major Hollywood studios in labor negotiations. As of 7 p.m., the meeting was still underway, according to people briefed on the talks who were not authorized to comment.
Representatives of the WGA and AMPTP had no comment Friday.
While the recent string of marathon talks have shown progress, the writers and the studios had yet to reach compromises on key issues by Friday’s gathering, including minimum staffing in writers’ rooms and streaming data disclosures for the purposes of establishing a payment system based on viewership. Friday’s meeting began at about 11 a.m.
The duration of the strikes and the drama surrounding the negotiations has been a roller coaster for workers, including writers, actors, directors and below-the-line crew, who are waiting for a deal to come together so they can return to their trades.
The sides began negotiating Wednesday for the first time since late August. In a sign of the studios’ eagerness to end the work stoppage, top executives from four entertainment giants joined the meetings: Walt Disney Co.’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley.
Negotiations have taken place during all-day sessions, leading to renewed optimism that a deal could be reached as soon as this week despite the thorniness of the remaining issues, though it remains unlikely that a agreement will be hammered out before the weekend, sources said. Monday is the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement on Thursday that she was “very encouraged” that the principals came to the table this week.
“The entertainment industry is a fundamental pillar of our economy, directly impacting not just those who work in the industry but the thousands of small businesses that support the industry every day,” Bass said. “I will continue to be in touch with all parties involved. Let’s get this deal done.”
The WGA’s negotiating committee sent a note to members on Thursday night saying they would meet again with AMPTP on Friday and called on writers to show up in force on picket lines in front of the studios.
“Your Negotiating Committee appreciates all the messages of solidarity and support we have received the last few days, and ask as many of you as possible to come to the picket lines tomorrow,” the committee wrote.
Writers throughout Los Angeles obliged, marching and protesting near Walt Disney Co.’s Burbank headquarters, Paramount Pictures’ Hollywood lot, Universal Pictures in Universal City and the Fox studio in Century City. Photos of writers holding signs flooded social media.
“Seeing pics of the lines today is EVERYTHING. #wgastrong,” wrote Ellen Stutzman, the WGA’s chief negotiator, on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Sources said both sides are continuing to work to get to an agreement, but the two sides need to reach a consensus on major issues related to how streaming has upended the traditional television business.
Shorter seasons for streaming shows and smaller writers’ rooms have cut into guild members’ pay and stability, making it harder to earn a sustainable living in the expensive media hubs of Los Angeles and New York, guild members have said.
To address this, the WGA sought a minimum of six writers per room in its original proposal. The AMPTP, in an Aug. 11 proposal, offered to let showrunners on high-budget streaming and TV series hire at least two writers for at least 20 weeks of employment. It further proposed guaranteeing writers a minimum of 10 weeks of employment in development rooms.
Writers also are seeking additional payment based on viewership data. The AMPTP, in its Aug. 11 offer, proposed that the WGA could study confidential quarterly reports that show total minutes viewed of high-budget films and series and the programs’ total running time.
But in an Aug. 24 memo, the WGA’s negotiating committee said AMPTP only offered to show that data to six guild staffers and said they could not share that data with other writers. “The counteroffer is neither nothing, nor nearly enough,” the negotiating committee said in its memo at the time.
Hollywood film and TV actors organized under SAG-AFTRA also went on strike in mid-July, further energizing the writers at a critical moment in what has become known as “hot labor summer.” SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have not held formal talks since the actors’ strike began.
Staff writer Julia Wick contributed to this report.
“They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think If they should.” Those were the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in the classic blockbuster Jurassic Park. Well, we would usually agree with the good doctor, except in this case. Because Wizards of the Coast making Jurassic Park-themed Magic: The Gathering cards? We’re of the opinion if you can make them, then you totally should. Because the newly revealed Jurassic Park cards, part of their Universes Beyond crossovers, are pretty darn cool. They’ll be a part of The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan, revealed at the 2023 Las Vegas MagicCon. You can check out images of the new cards below:
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NBC Universal/Wizards of the Coast
NBC Universal/Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast/NBC UniversalWizards of the Coast/NBC Universal
Among the cards included within the Lost Caverns Of Ixalan packs are ones featuring characters and creatures from the beloved ’90s film and its many sequels. These arrive just in time for the Steven Spielberg classic’s 30th anniversary. At a MagicCon panel, Wizards revealed three new cards from the Jurassic Park line, together with a new “stamped” variant with the Jurassic World logo embossed over the card. The three revealed cards were Dr. Ian Malcom/Chaotician, listed as a “Legendary Creature.” (We agree, he’s a pretty legendary creature). Then there’s the Indominus Rex/Alpha from Jurassic World, and a “Welcome To…/Jurassic Park” double-sided Saga card.
NBC Universal/Wizards of the Coast
These Jurassic Park/Jurassic World cards are the beginning of an overall partnership between Wizards of the Coast and NBC Universal. Does this mean we’ve got Fast & Furious and Minions cards coming our way too? Who knows, who ever saw these Jurassic Park cards coming? Stranger things have happened. The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan launches November 17, with the Jurassic World cards contained in booster packs, collectors booster packs, and bundles.
Mortal Kombat 1 has launched to critical acclaim, with special praise for the outlandish story and its new gameplay systems. However, there’s one area of the game that has attracted criticism: Megan Fox’s performance as Nitara. This is the second time Mortal Kombat has gotten caught up in bad celebrity performance drama, with Mortal Kombat 11 facing similar criticism for Ronda Rousey’s lackluster performance as Sonya Blade.
However, Mortal Kombat is not the only series to run into this problem. Despite his massive success on Game of Thrones, actor Peter Dinklage received negative feedback for his performance as Ghost in Destiny, ultimately leading developer Bungie to replace all of his lines. And who can forget Matthew Perry phoned-in performance in Fallout: New Vegas, or Tobey Maguire’s in 2002’s Spider-Man?
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Now Playing: Don’t Cast Hollywood Celebs In Video Games | Spot On
This leads to the question: Why do games have celebrities in them when the chances of getting a rough performance out of them are so high? And why don’t games rely on actors who understand games better since they offer so much more to the culture? That’s exactly what Tam and Lucy discuss in this Spot On episode.
Spot On is GameSpot’s weekly news show in which managing editor Tamoor Hussain and senior producer Lucy James talk about the latest game news. Given the massive video game industry’s highly dynamic and never-ending news cycle, there’s always something to talk about. Unlike most news shows, Spot On will dive deep into a single topic instead of recapping all the news. Spot On airs each Friday.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
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All lens flares are cool. On top of that, anamorphic lens flares, with their distinct streak of light that flashes across the screen, are doubly cool. We get it, Michael Bay—great work buddy! So it’s no surprise that cinematographers, young and old, are chasing after this specific cinematic look.
Speaking traditionally, if you did want a natural anamorphic lens flare in your footage, you’d have to find an anamorphic lens with the right flare color built-in. However, thanks to these new Proteus Flex lenses which were developed by a partnership between Venus Optics and Keslow Camera, you’ll be able to unlock interchangeable flare colors with a single lens.
Let’s take a look at how these work, and if you might want to invest in renting or buying them.
The Laowa Proteus Flex 2X Anamorphic Prime Lens Lineup
A byproduct of this announced partnership between Venus Optics and Keslow Camera, this new interchangeable flare version of the Laowa Proteus 2X Anamorphic Lens series (which they’re calling the Proteus Flex) should be quite exciting to those DPs and film pros looking to up their cinematography game to those Michael Bay levels.
“Introducing the new Proteus Flex Series is a noteworthy development for rental houses and the film industry. This innovation brings remarkable flexibility and cost-efficiency to the forefront by providing three distinct flare colors within a single modular design. This elevated level of modularity enhances the versatility of the entire series, simplifying the filmmaking process.” — Dennis McDonald, Chief Operating Officer at Keslow Camera.
The Proteus Flex lens lineup, with their modular design functionality, will comprise a core Proteus lens body which is picking up from the existing Proteus line, with the optional addition of three interchangeable flare modules.
Interchangeable Flare Module Options
This is where the cool stuff comes in.
With this Flex model, these interchangeable flare modules will be precision-crafted to easily be swapped in or out via screws. The company predicts that the whole process will be able to be completed in less than 10 minutes by an on-set lens technician without requiring any additional optical calibrations.
The Laowa Proteus Flex 2X anamorphic series will come in three color options including amber, blue, and silver flare varieties, and are expected to be available in PL mount by default to start.
The specs will be similar to the Laowa Proteus Series itself which includes 8 focal lengths (20-135) and features a universal T2 aperture.
A look at the Laowa Proteus 2X Anamorphic Series
Laowa
Price and Availability
Now, obviously, these are not going to be cheap lenses by any means, but if you’re familiar with standard pricing for high-end prime series lenses, you’ll find that rental rates will be what you might expect with deposits ranging from $600.00 to $2,400.00.
The Laowa Proteus 2X Anamorphic Lenses themselves are available to order now as a partial lineup, with the rest of the set expected to ship later this year. The Proteus Flex lenses with interchangeable flare options should be hitting retailers in January 2024.
Emma Thompson is calling out the use of the word “content” in the streaming era in place of “stories.”
The Oscar winner, while in conversation with head of CAA Bryan Lourd at the Royal Television Society conference (via Variety), spoke out amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in part over the use of AI and streaming residuals.
“I think the relationship between the executives and the creative branch just has to be much, much closer,” Thompson said. “To hear people talk about ‘content’ makes me feel like the stuffing inside a sofa cushion. ‘Content,’ what do you mean ‘content’? It’s just rude, actually. It’s just a rude word for creative people.”
She continued, “I know there are students in the audience: you don’t want to hear your stories described as ‘content’ or your acting or your producing described as ‘content.’ That’s just like coffee grounds in the sink or something. It’s, I think, a very misleading word. And I think it’s one of the things that maybe the language around the way in which we speak to one another, and the way in which the executives speak to creatives, the way in which we have to understand one another and combine better.”
“These formulas don’t work,” Thompson, who mentors up-and-coming talent through BAFTA, said, citing algorithms as a way to shape and determine content. “And then you sit there and you watch them and you wonder why, at the end of it, you feel a bit ill. And I think that’s something else that we don’t talk about as creators in television and in film. How does it make us feel inside ourselves after we’ve seen something?”
Thompson further added that the strikes are in response to a “very, very, very hard time” in Hollywood.
“People are suffering so much,” “Sense and Sensibility” star said. “Everyone is affected…It’s sort of hidden, as well, because there’s something about the words, ‘Oh, well, an actors strike’ that doesn’t sound the same to people as ‘the doctors are on strike’ or ‘the miners are on strike.’ It’s got a different feel to it because we don’t work all the time and I suppose that’s the point is we’re self-employed.”
Filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn similarly criticized the purpose of “content” as a whole amid the strikes. Refn recently told IndieWire, “We produce content as a business, but we speak so rarely about why are we making content. What’s the meaning of it? We never talk about why we’re making content. We just talk about making content and more of it and as fast as possible, and everything is becoming a swipe, but that’s not necessarily a healthy mirror to society or us as people. The more empty it is, empty calories, the more you can consume it, the faster you can move past it. We have never made more content than ever I think in our history of content producing, and I believe most people spend their time on figuring out what not to watch rather than to watch. So, isn’t maybe that also part of the problem. I think it’s a much more philosophical question that is more complex than just narrowing it down to profits because it all just becomes about money at the moment.”
Spoilers ahead for the first six episodes of Ahsoka on Disney+.
The stakes are as high as they’ve ever been in Star Wars television after Episode 6 of Ahsoka, called “Far, Far Away.” In the span of less than an hour, viewers not only got a look at how much of a threat Thrawn is despite a decade in exile, but got to see Ezra Bridger for the first time since his disappearance in the finale of Star Wars Rebels. Naturally, this meant seeing Ahsoka cast members Lars Mikkelsen and Eman Esfandi portraying Thrawn and Ezra in live-action for the first time. Once I got over the excitement of that development, something occurred to me: there’s a Rebels reveal for Ezra that I absolutely need within the next two episodes.
(Image credit: Lucasfilm Ltd.)
The Rebels Reveal For Ezra
The reveal I’m hoping for actually has to do with a character who has been dead at this point in the Star Wars timeline for about ten years: Kanan Jarrus. For viewers who stayed away from the animated series set in the galaxy far, far away, that name may mean nothing more than the Jedi mentioned in the previous episode while Ahsoka was in the World Between Worlds. For Rebels fans… well, Kanan was a main character whose death was arguably the turning point of the final season. He lives on in his son Jacen, and I am ready to cross all my fingers for a Jacen/Ezra scene within the next couple of episodes.
After all, Jacen’s very existence as the child of Kanan and Hera was such a surprise that voice actress Vanessa Marshall didn’t even know about it until she watched the series finale. Hera wasn’t showing any signs of pregnancy in those final episodes other than the tiny clues that Dave Filoni included. So, unless Ezra somehow sensed that she was pregnant through the Force, he has no idea in Ahsoka that Hera had Kanan’s son. What could be more meaningful (in a good way) to Ezra than to learn that his Jedi master, who died in front of both him and Hera, had a child who also happens to be Force-sensitive?
Considering that Thrawn is on the verge of being able to return to the usual Star Wars galaxy in force and Sabine won’t be able to hide her role in that from Ezra forever, I think we could also use something uplifting to look forward to. After seeing that Eman Esfandi’s portrayal of Ezra is so accurate to the animation that he may as well have stepped off of Disney XD, I’m confident that he could absolutely crush a reaction to Jacen that would fit everything that Rebels fans could hope for. After all, we never got to see anybody else’s reaction to the hybrid youngster, and Kanan’s son would have to mean so much to Ezra.
(Image credit: Disney+)
Could Ezra Really Find Out About Jacen On Screen?
Look, I can be reasonable. I know that an awful lot would have to go right in the remaining two episodes of Ahsoka for Ezra to end up back in the same galaxy as Jacen and Hera with enough breathing room to actually meet him. A scene between the man Kanan raised like a son and the son Kanan never got to meet may not be in the cards for Season 1, so I would be perfectly satisfied with seeing Ezra’s reaction to finding out about Jacen. Sabine really owes him a piece of good news in light of the very, very, very bad news about how she found him.
I don’t know if I’d expect his first reaction to be happiness or shock or just confusion about when Kanan and Hera actually had time to make Jacen in Season 4, which… would be relatable. Between Kanan’s on-screen death and then Jacen’s existence confirming what he and Hera were up to in their alone time, Rebels really seemed to push the limits of what could happen on Disney XD back in the day!
More seriously, I think Ezra either finding out about or meeting Jacen would be a light moment in a future that seems pretty grim at the moment. Plus, between the two Rebels characters who just debuted into live-action, I’d rather Ezra than Thrawn find out about Kanan and Hera’s son first! As I noted previously on CinemaBlend, Hera was the one set up as Thrawn’s Rebels nemesis more than anybody else.
On the whole, after Ahsoka sidestepped what could have been major issues with Ezra and Thrawn’s returns, I’m optimistic about the show continuing to do right by Star Wars Rebels while still telling Ahsoka’s story. Here’s hoping that involves Ezra finding out about Spectre-7 on screen! I still think that he’s the only one Hera would allow to train Jacen, and I’m confident that their paths will cross… at some point.
Find out with new episodes of Ahsoka on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET with a Disney+ subscription. You can also revisit the animated adventures of Thrawn, Ezra, and even young Jacen’s first appearance with all four seasons of Rebels available on the streamer.
The deluxe edition of singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson’s most recent album, “Chemistry,” dropped Friday. One of its most noteworthy tracks is “You Don’t Make Me Cry,” featuring her daughter River Rose.
While Rose is now 9 years old, her vocals on this song were put down when she was 5, according to Clarkson. She talked about the song in an interview with “Today” on Friday, sharing that her daughter is excited about its release.
“I was actually still married,” Clarkson said, reflecting on the song’s recording. “We were in the studio, when we were living in Encino, and she came in — she’s 9 now, but she was 5 years old on this track. That’s how old this song is, I recorded it that long ago. And we just loved it, and it fit in with the record.”
Clarkson added, telling the story of that day, “She came into the studio and said, can I sing? And so my producer just took my vocal off completely and just let her sing on the track, and she’s just on the whole track, singing. It’s so cute. She calls it her song, by the way. Even my son’s like, ‘Can you play River’s song?’”
On “You Don’t Make Me Cry’s” opening, River Rose’s voice is heavily autotuned, T-Pain style. Her vocals also provide an echo on the word “cry” in the song’s chorus — and listen for her adorable vocal appearance at the tail end of the track, delivering the words “The end.”
The tune tells the story of a broken relationship. The album is focused around Clarkson’s feelings surrounding her divorce with River Rose’s father. Clarkson filed for divorce from Brandon Blackstock in 2020 and it was finalized last year.
“It’s a hard record,” Clarkson said, speaking about the album. “It was hard to make. But it’s also not just the bad of a relationship. Because I felt, I didn’t want it to be a divorce album — I wanted it to be a relationship album.”
The emotional lyrics of “You Don’t Make Me Cry” begin with Clarkson singing, “I don’t have the time to help you unwind / all the ways you don’t approve. / I don’t even know why my name’s in your mouth, / but I think I’m gettin’ to the truth.” The verse comes to a close with the lines, “When I was younger and a fool, I might’ve fallen for it too / But I’m not, so you can go away.”
In the pre-chorus, she sings, “You can’t quote me / I’d rather be alone than blue. / Know it ain’t easy, but watch me / Walk the high road without you.”
Finally, she bursts into a chorus of “You don’t make me cry, / and I cry at everything. / You don’t make me feel and I feel more than most now / That says something, doesn’t it? / So I’m picking you from my garden, weeds aren’t allowed in / Guess you missed that song. / Feeling free since I found out you don’t have power / So you’re searching for some.”
Clarkson told “Today” that she wouldn’t push her kids either toward or away from the music industry, but added that she would understand if it’s something they end up wanting to do.
Clarkson previously featured her daughter in two children’s books, “River Rose and the Magical Lullaby” and “River Rose and the Magical Christmas.” She also previously made an appearance in Clarkson’s “Broken & Beautiful” music video back in 2019.
The deluxe album features eight bonus tracks, including five originals. The other songs are a live version of “Mine” and remixes of both that song and “Favorite Kind of High.”
You can listen to Kelly Clarkson’s “You Don’t Make Cry,” featuring River Rose, in the official lyric video at the top of this post.
Crossroads, the 2002 drama starring pop sensation Britney Spears, Taryn Manning, and Zoe Saldana, will make its theatrical comeback. But it’s only for two days in late October!
With the collaboration of Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records, and Trafalgar Releasing, Crossroads will be driving to theaters worldwide, making many Britney Spears fans happy.
The film centers around Lucy (Spears), Mimi (Manning), and Kit (Saldana), three best friends who recently graduated from high school and go on the ultimate road trip across America. They discover something new about themselves during their journey, making their bond even tighter.
Of course, Spears wears some very iconic outfits from the Y2K era and performs her own music.
While Crossroads wasn’t well-received by critics in its initial release, it was a box office smash, taking in $61.1 million in global sales, which was impressive for the time. In the 21 years since its debut, Crossroads gained a cult following due to its strong female characters, storyline, and soundtrack.
The film was written by Shonda Rhimes and directed by Tamra Davis, who recently reflected on its memories and excitement for the new generations.
“I am beyond thrilled that Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records, and Trafalgar Releasing are re-releasing Crossroads in theaters,” the director said in a statement. “I recently rewatched Crossroads and was so enthralled with the time capsule of nostalgia that this incredible ensemble cast brings to the screen. Britney is absolutely breathtaking to watch, and Shonda is showing us her early expertise in writing complicated female characters.”
Davies additionally reflected on the making of Crossroads and the “connections” the actresses made during the movie.
“We had the best time in the world making this picture, and the connection the actresses bring to their performances shows in every frame,” she says. “The music will undoubtedly have audiences dancing and singing along, and I know everyone will have as much fun watching these scenes as we had making them. I’m so grateful that Crossroads will be available so people can see Britney shine again.”
What’s more, is that Crossroads will be returning to theaters in late October to celebrate the launch of Spears’s memoir, The Woman In Me, which’ll be available on Oct. 24, 2023.
When will Britney Spears’s Crossroads arrive in theaters?
Crossroads will only have a two-day release across 425 theaters globally on Oct. 23 and 25, with the memoir launch on Oct. 24. Ahead of the movie, RCA Records will drop a special edition of the film’s soundtrack on Oct. 20. The album will have three new remixes of hit Britney Spears songs: “Overprotected,” “Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman,” and “I Love Rock and Roll.”
If the film and soundtrack releases weren’t enough, a limited edition Crossroads merch line will be launched.
Tickets will go on sale on Sept. 28. To get in the mood, check out the movie’s trailer below!
Will you be seeing Crossroads in theaters? Let us know on Twitter!
Russell Brand has made his first public comments since The Sunday Times of London published an article disclosing five women’s allegations of “sexual assaults and emotional abuse” and, in one case, rape. In a video posted to his official YouTube channel Friday afternoon, Brand did not directly acknowledge the details of the accusations, but instead alluded to them with an opening statement.
“Hello there, you awakening wonders,” Brand begins. “Obviously, it’s been an extraordinary and distressing week, and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you’ve been presented with.”
Brand continues from there by noting what he plans to discuss on his YouTube channel in the coming week, with topics including the pharmaceutical industry and media censorship. “You’re probably aware that the British government have asked big tech platforms to censor our online content and the some online platforms have complied with that request,” he says.
The video’s title, “So…,” also seems to be a vague acknowledgement of the unfavorable spotlight that Brand now finds himself under. He also implores his viewers to follow him on the online video platform Rumble.
“Keep me and our channel independent. I need your support, now more than ever. More than I imagined I would,” Brand concludes. “More important than any of that is that you please, if you can, stay free.”
Brand issued a preemptive response to the allegations against him last Friday, one day before The Sunday Times published its report. In that video, titled “So, This Is Happening,” Brand stated that he “absolutely refutes” the “astonishing, rather baroque attacks” against him, though he did not go into extensive detail on the accusations against him at the time.
Since the Times article, Brand’s live tour has been postponed and his publishing deal with Pan Macmillan imprint Bluebird was suspended. The BBC has also removed some previous programs that featured Brand from digital services, saying that the content “falls below public expectations.”
In the summer of 2022, federal agents executed search warrants at Mr Menendez’s home and found evidence of the bribery agreements, including over $480,000 (£390,000) in cash, much of which was “stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and a safe”, prosecutors allege.
Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Hollywood studios continued into Friday night as questions swirled around town regarding whether a deal had been reached or if talks had once again broken down.
There is no word yet on a potential deal, but insiders with knowledge of ongoings in the room say there is momentum on both sides to find a resolution that will end the 144-day writers strike.
Multiple sources confirmed to Variety that, as of publication time, the WGA’s and Alliance of MOtion Picture and Television Producers’s (AMPTP) negotiation committee members were still in talks at the table in Sherman Oaks, alongside four top entertainment CEOs who have spent three days in the room now: Disney’s Bob Iger, Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley and Netflix’s Ted Sarandos.
It is understood the four CEOs in the room held a call with some of their counterparts at other companies at some point Friday.
The WGA has been on strike since May 2. Actors guild SAG-AFTRA joined the writers union on the picket lines July 14 following its own inability to reach a new contract with the studios.
Key points that have prevented the WGA and AMPTP from inking an updated deal include disagreements on generative AI in the creative process, mini writers rooms, and streaming residuals.
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Instacart’s app can feel like magic. But 600,000 contractors make the magic happen.
Order your groceries from Instacart’s app, and one of those workers roams the aisles at the local Kroger for your items, waits in line to pay and delivers to your door.
Instacart went public this week, putting a spotlight on the company and the contractors it calls “shoppers.”
I asked Instacart workers two basic questions: What do they wish Instacart customers or potential ones knew about their jobs? And how can customers get good service and be considerate?
Much of this advice could also apply if you use Uber Eats, Lyft, DoorDash or similar apps.
There are few established social or legal norms for the workers behind app-based convenience services. It’s up to us, perhaps unfairly, to figure out details such as how much to tip and why some orders arrive in 30 minutes and others in hours.
Here’s what Instacart workers want you to know about their jobs, and how to be a satisfied and kind customer:
A significant portion of workers’ pay comes from tips
Lala Muhammad, who has worked for Instacart in the Atlanta area since 2017, said her pay last week for Instacart work was $330 before taxes.
She said about $76 of that was from Instacart, and $253, or more than three-quarters of her pay, was from customer tips.
Three other workers said their pay was roughly a 50-50 split between Instacart and tips.
Instacart might pay as little as $4 to $10 for shopping and delivering a “batch,” or between one and three customer orders that the company bundles together.
Muhammad said when she has ordered her own groceries from Instacart, she typically tipped 20 percent of the grocery order. Another worker suggested at least 10 percent, or 15 to 20 percent if the order is from a warehouse club.
A third person said a $5 tip is fair on a relatively simple order.
Several Instacart workers said they believe orders from customers who tip generously tend to be paired with an order from someone who didn’t tip.
In other words, if you’re a good tipper, you’re essentially subsidizing the orders of non-tippers.
Is it better to tip in the app or in cash at the door?
In the app or both, according to some Instacart workers.
One wrinkle of Instacart is that you’re asked to tip when you place an order. You don’t know whether the Instacart shopper will do an amazing job or a terrible one. (On Reddit, even Instacart workers complain about their counterparts who do a poor job.)
Karyn Johnson-Dorsey, an Instacart worker outside of Los Angeles, understands the financial hardship and frustration at being asked to tip for seemingly everything and even for poor service.
She suggested that Instacart customers can increase the tip in the Instacart app after delivery if you’re happy. Or tip more in cash at the door.
Tipping well when you order also makes it more likely your shopping will be handled quickly.
The tip you enter when you order is among the few pieces of information that workers have to decide whether to accept each shopping task.
Instacart workers said they’re more likely to say yes quickly to orders with higher tips.
Instacart said its app prompts customers to consider increasing their tip if they’ve rated the Instacart worker highly, or to leave a tip if they initially skipped one.
The company also said workers have complete discretion to choose or reject potential orders.
All the fees you pay don’t go to the Instacart worker
What you pay Instacart as a customer is largely divorced from what Instacart pays workers.
Instacart workers are not paid those fees or for the markups on grocery store items.
It helps to be communicative with the Instacart worker
When you order in the Instacart app, customers are sometimes nudged to select a second choice if your item isn’t available when the worker does your shopping.
Multiple Instacart workers said it helps customers and them if people make those second choice selections in the app and respond quickly if they send chat messages from the store about acceptable substitutions.
Uncertainty about substitutions slows down your order.
Workers don’t know how their pay is determined
Before an Instacart shopper accepts orders, they see details such as the location of the grocery store, estimated pay including tip and total miles they need to drive.
On Reddit and elsewhere online, Instacart workers puzzle over how Instacart computer algorithms determine what each job pays or direct them to stores far away.
There’s also no certainty about how much work they’ll get.
I spoke to Johnson-Dorsey at about 4 p.m. in California. She’d had one order since she logged into the Instacart app at 11 a.m. She was waiting near several grocery stores for more.
Instacart workers aren’t paid for the time they’re waiting for orders.
The job can be wonderful. It can also be dangerous.
Johnson-Dorsey takes pride in shopping for customers’ groceries with the care she takes shopping for herself.
Muhammad spoke fondly about an Instacart customer with whom she developed a friendship over several years. They would sit and talk about their families.
And some workers for Instacart and other apps say they value the flexibility to work only when they want.
“The whole being your own boss thing — even if you’re at the whim of an algorithm — is very freeing,” said Orlando Bispo, who works for Uber Eats in New York but has worked for other app companies before.
Johnson-Dorsey said 90 percent of interactions with Instacart customers are positive. But she has a protocol to protect herself from uncommon risks.
When she makes deliveries to homes, she keeps her car door open, steps back from the doorstep and wears headphones in case she needs to escape or call for help.
Recently, Johnson-Dorsey said, an Instacart customer who was unhappy about being asked for identification for an order that included alcohol walked away from his doorstep and returned holding a handgun.
Instacart said it investigates reported violations of its guidelines and would block a customer for acts or threats of violence. The company didn’t comment about Johnson-Dorsey’s experience.
There’s a limit to what customers can do for workers
Bispo said stronger legal protections are needed to ensure workers are paid and treated fairly, and advocated for a guaranteed minimum wage for people in New York working for restaurant delivery apps.
A similar provision in California, Proposition 22, applies to Instacart. Two Instacart workers in the state said it has mostly been positive for them.
“There’s nothing that the consumer can really do,” Bispo said. “We need for the government to step in and govern.”
“No One Will Save You” is here. And you probably have some questions.
The sci-fi thriller, now streaming on Hulu, stars Kaitlyn Dever as a young woman who lives apart from society and is forced to defend herself against an otherworldly presence. If you’ve ever been spooked by alien abduction documentaries or UFO sightings, then this movie, written and directed by Brian Duffield, will keep you up for days. It mixes extraterrestrial mythology with home invasion terror and is both emotionally and viscerally satisfying.
TheWrap recently probed Duffield’s thoughts on a few key points about the film’s antagonists and ending.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead from “No One Will Save You”
Yes, the aliens are all working together
“No One Will Save You” throws a lot at viewers. There are aliens of all shapes and sizes (although vaguely related): clones, little creatures that rest in your throat and control you, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”-style. We had to ask: Are they all working together?
“It’s one party. I think we talked a lot about [how] it’s a ship going to the new world and they’re coming in like, ‘This place is great and we’ll make your lives better.’ It’s not necessarily the case, but that was something we talked about. They don’t think they’re a–holes,” Duffield explained. “Sometimes they’re mad at how things are going, but I think they think that they are doing God’s will.”
Circling back to the idea that they are all connected he said that the aliens are “one planet.”
“They’re all working together and they’re all subspecies of the same thing. I know all their roles on their home base and all that stuff, not that we would ever see it,” Duffield said. “I’m not saying it’s the same as having cops have dogs, but I like the idea of you see three or four subspecies in the movie. They’re all on the same boat.”
The alien design added to the “reality” of the movie
One of the more interesting aspects of the movie — and one that we pressed Duffield about — was the fact that the main alien design is basically the alien emoji on your phone – the grey extraterrestrial with the big eyes and triangular head. This design has certainly been used before, first popularized in the Christopher Walken based-on-a-true-story “Communion,” but also trotted out in film and TV projects like “Fire in the Sky” and, of course, “The X-Files.”
For Duffield, it added to the reality of the movie and its sense of history.
“Allegedly in the ’40s, it crashed on Roswell and people found it. I think that is such an exciting idea that just has gotten so deeply ingrained in Americana that I think, yes, it’s become the keychain and the emoji, but it’s also really one of the defining creature designs of all time,” Duffield said. “It’s the one that came out of ‘reality’ and it just felt like, to me, it was really underserved. There’s so many alien movies.”
Duffield then deployed an expert analogy: “The example I said to the studio, it’s like if there was 10 dinosaur movies a year and none of them had a T-Rex. At some point, give me a f–king T-Rex guys. I’m dying to see the T-Rex. There’s so many cool dinosaurs, and it’s not a knock on any of the other dinosaurs, but at some point, I feel like it’s been decades since someone gave me a T-Rex and I was like, ‘I want to see a gray.’ And I just really wanted it.”
Part of this desire, of course, was practical. “I wanted to have a face that Kaitlyn could act opposite because the more buggy you get — and I love ‘District 9′ — but Wikus is talking so much in that movie and then you have the subtitled alien, and so you can get all that banter,” Duffield said. “I was like, ‘That’s not going to happen in this movie.’ She’s got to have a lot of face-to-face time with these guys.”
The widely popularized alien design also served as shorthand with an audience; once they see that alien they completely compute what is going on. “Knowing that Kaitlyn was going to see an alien five minutes in and know it was an alien and that the audience needed to see a glimpse of an alien and know it was an alien. It was just like, ‘Okay, let’s start off from everyone’s on the same page. They see a glimpse of this guy and they’re like, alien. I know it. I’m good.’”
Duffield said that after establishing that, you could “start adding things to it” and “pulling things from it.” “You could start adding those different subspecies, all those different things, but you kind of have gotten everyone on the same page immediately where it’s not a mutant or something. It’s like it’s not a burglar,” Duffield said. “It’s like, that’s an alien and I know where I’m at and now I’m along for the ride.”
What about that last shot?
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to ask Duffield about the final shot in the movie, but it’s certainly going to be one that is talked about long after you stream “No One Will Save You.”
In the finale seen we see Dever dancing along with folks who are apparently overtaken with the alien body snatcher parasite. There’s upbeat music, perhaps implying that the invasion is over, but as the camera pans up, UFOS hover above Earth.
So what does that mean?
Well, our understanding is that Dever’s character, having been abducted (and the aliens seeing the kind of trauma that has shaped her life), has essentially agreed to live under the invaders’ rule. As a young child she accidentally killed her friend and the town made her an outcast. She lives outside of the town in a house with her mother (now deceased). When she goes in for help, she gets spit on by her friend’s parents. Humanity has totally cast her aside. When the aliens present another alternative, one in which she can actually be happy and accepted, she takes it. She doesn’t need mankind. She can make her own life now, amidst the star men.
Russell Brand returned to social media on Friday amid the wave of sexual misconduct allegations he’s faced over this week by posting a three-minute, 19-second clip across his channels.
He does not address the claims but opens the video by acknowledging the moment. “Hello there, you awakening wonders,” says Brand as he looks directly into the camera. “Obviously, it’s been an extraordinary and distressing week, and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you’ve been presented with.”
Brand then uses the remainder of the clip to detail topics he plans to discuss on Monday during an episode of his show that will be shared on Rumble which will now become “the primary platform that we will be streaming from,” he explains. The decision comes after YouTube demonetized his channel in the wake of the allegations.
One of the topics he plans to address is the Trusted News Initiative, a media partnership launched by global organizations like the BBC, AP, European Broadcasting Union, Financial Times, Google/YouTube, Meta, Microsoft, The Washington Post and many others to combat fake news and disinformation. He claims that TNI is trying to “target, control, choke and shut down” his independent media organization. Brand says he’ll also tackle other controversial topics like “deep state and corporate collusion,” big pharma, media corruption and censorship. He closes the clip pleading for support from his followers, which he needs “now more than ever and more than I ever imagined I would.” He closes by saying, “More important than any of that is that you please if you can stay free.”
YouTube demonetized his channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers. Brand’s live U.K. comedy tour was canceled, and the Met Police reported that they had received another allegation, related to a 2003 incident. Other content providers, including Paramount+, have also moved to remove content featuring Brand. Then, BBC News published a report based on a new allegation from an unnamed victim who claims that Brand exposed himself to her while they worked in the same Los Angeles building. That alleged incident took place in 2008.
Before any of the reports hit, Brand jumped ahead of the press and shared a video in which he categorically denied any claims of non-consensual encounters, claiming that it was all part of coordinated media attacks. “These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous,” he said. “Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then — almost too transparent — and I’m being transparent about it now as well.”
Akhil passed away on September 21, 2023. (Image: Instagram)
Akhil Mishra of 3 Idiots fame passed away on September 21 after falling off a stool in his kitchen and hitting his head on the floor.
Actor Akhil Mishra passed away earlier this week after falling from a stool in his kitchen and hurting his head on the floor. The actor was rushed to the hospital but despite medical help, he could not survive. His wife Suzanne Bernert confirmed the news of his death with a leading publication. Now, Suzanne has taken to Instagram to share a photo with the late actor along with a heartfelt post in his remembrance.
She wrote, “This was us always engaging with each other, talking, many a times just by a glance… You were Myme and I was yours ❤️ am overwhelmed by all the love pouring out, and I wish that your love takes his soul ahead to where it is going…like a wave…”
The German actress continued, “I am thanking everyone here for all the messages. I hope you can understand I can’t answer all (what you know me for), but be assured I am reading the comments and am taking that love and support…”
“And now usually I would show this post to @akhillmishraa to ask his opinion..something to add or clarify…now I can’t anymore…” she added.
The actress had earlier told The Indian Express that she was in Hyderabad when she heard of Akhil’s passing. She rushed to see him as soon as she heard the news. A close friend of the actor told the publication that Akhil had been keeping unwell for a while and had a blood pressure-related issue as well.
Akhil Mishra was a popular face in the film industry. The actor played the role of a librarian, Dubey, in 3 Idiots. He was in the limelight in the first half of the film, including the famous hilarious speech delivered in the movie Omi Vaidya’s Silencer. Besides 3 Idiots, Akhil was also seen in movies like Shah Rukh Khan’s Don, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Gandhi My Father, Well Done Abba, and Calcutta Mail.
Akhil got married to Suzanne Bernert in 2009. They reportedly had a traditional ceremony later in 2011. Akhil passed away on September 21, 2023.
The Dark Knight Trilogy showcases a range of heroic characters, from Batman’s close associates to public servants and civilians who stand against crime.
Characters like Rachel Dawes, Commissioner Gordon, and Alfred Pennyworth exhibit bravery and heroism in their own right, assisting Batman in his mission.
Other characters like Lucius Fox, Robin John Blake, and Harvey Dent have their own moments of heroism, contributing to the fight against injustice in Gotham City.
Christopher Nolan’s legendary The Dark Knight Trilogy features one of the most revered versions of Batman ever put to screen, but the universe is full of other heroic figures. The Dark Knight Trilogy is a darker take on Batman’s world, more grounded and realistic than most other comic adaptations. As such, the series’ villains and world-building portray a Gotham drowning in crime. While Christian Bale’s unforgettable dual performance as Batman and Bruce Wayne stands alone as the universe’s only superhero, he is assisted by many others in the line of duty.
The less dramatic heroics of the timelessThe Dark Knight Trilogyextend to many different sectors of life in Gotham City. From Batman’s close associates to public servants and even simple civilians, a surprising number of citizens in Nolan’s bleak depiction of Gotham aren’t afraid to stand against the horrors of the universe’s oppressive organized crime and villainy. Though they may not have the skills or resources of Batman and Bruce Wayne, these Nolanverse characters have proven themselves to be just as heroic.
10 Rachel Dawes
Rachel Dawes was a district attorney in Gotham City with a complicated relationship with Batman. Growing up as Bruce Wayne’s childhood friend, the possibility of a romance between the two of them was hinted at as Rachel became one of the few people aware of Wayne’s secret identity. But her brush with heroics extends far beyond her connection with The Dark Knight.
As a district attorney, Rachel fought against Gotham’s criminal element hard enough to draw the ire of notorious crime boss Carmine Falcone. She was also likely instrumental in the development of Batman’s no-kill rule, going so far as to slap Bruce Wayne upon hearing of his remorse for not murdering Joe Chill. Rachel was even brave enough to stand her ground against a villain head-on in a physical confrontation, defending a young boy from The Scarecrow by firing a taser at him. Rachel was much more than a simple damsel in distress, despite how her story in the trilogy ended.
9 Commissioner Gordon
A longtime friend and advocate for Batman, it’s unlikely The Dark Knight’s work would be nearly as successful were it not for Commissioner Gordon. Jim Gordon understands and acknowledges the deep-seated corruption within Gotham that extends to its police force and is able to recognize that sometimes the rules of the law he has sworn to protect sometimes need to be circumvented in order to protect the city. To that end, he is Batman’s closest (and only) advisor and advocate within The Gotham City Police Department. Commissioner Gordon is willing to stand against the grain to work with Batman, taking heavy criticism from his peers in doing so.
Gordon’s own actions make him more than a hero in his own right, however. In Batman Begins, Gordon was critical to Ra’s al Ghul’s defeat, driving the Batmobile himself to destroy the monorail tracks that would’ve allowed the mastermind villain to vaporize Gotham’s water supply. In The Dark Knight, he takes a literal bullet for the mayor, allowing himself to be declared dead in order to effectively work undercover to thrawrt the Joker’s coming plans. Well-accustomed to leading police teams into the chaos that Gotham frequently finds itself in, Gordon’s bravery and heroism among the GCPD are unmatched.
8 Alfred Pennyworth
Though a simple butler by trade, Alfred Pennyworth is not only Bruce Wayne’s caretaker and trusted advisor but the only person he can come to for guidance as Batman. A former member of the British S.A.S., Alfred dedicated his life to Bruce Wayne, keeping a watchful eye over Wayne Manor during his absence and protecting his shares in Wayne Enterprises upon his “disappearance.” Once Bruce began his career as Batman, Alfred did everything from sourcing equipment to helping him feign a social life to help dissuade others from thinking he could have a secret identity.
Alfred’s heroics in The Dark Knight Trilogy go far beyond a mere support role, however. He personally saved Batman from perishing under the weight of Wayne Manor after an attack by the League of Shadows and later provided suggestions on repairs. He even went so far as to actively attempt to convince Bruce Wayne to retire as Batman, fearful of his safety, arguably the most impossible task he actually succeeds in.
7 Lucius Fox
Originally a close friend of Bruce’s father, Thomas, Lucius Fox began his history in the Nolanverse as a relic, banished to Wayne Enterprises’ defunct research and prototypes division by CEO William Earle. There, he is found by Bruce Wayne, and goes on to essentially serve as the Q to Batman’s James Bond, developing his armor, vehicles and non-lethal weaponry in secret. Thusly, he is trusted with Bruce Wayne’s secret identity, willing to lie to maintain it.
Considering Batman wouldn’t be able to be anywhere near as effective as he is in the Nolanverse without Lucius help, his heroics through the gadgetry he is able to develop are unquestionable. From the iconic “Tumbler” Batmobile to the bulletproof suit that even lets him turn his neck, Bruce Wayne owes his life to Lucius Fox many times over. He’s even willing to help Bruce Wayne ensure his ethics are in place, only agreeing to work on the frighteningly invasive sonar cell phone detection device used to track down The Joker if Wayne agreed to have it destroyed after.
6 Robin John Blake
An idealistic detective, John Blake, who preferred to go by his middle name, was raised in an orphanage, growing up with a strong admiration for Bruce Wayne. Inspired by the success Wayne had as an orphan, Blake also recognized the veil with which Bruce Wayne hid his true feelings from the world. Going on to become a detective, John Blake is the only one within the Nolanverse to deduce Batman’s true identity for himself.
By the time he appears in The Dark Knight Rises, Blake’s instincts for hero work seem well-honed. He was able to deduce that Bane’s henchmen were pouring concrete laced with polyisobutylene and motor oil and handles himself very well in several fights with Bane’s men, refusing to surrender the city to them easily. In the end, John Blake quits the police force and finds the Batcave, his real first name implying that if anyone were to take up the mantle of Gotham’s defender in the Nolanverse, it would be him.
5 Harvey Dent
Harvey Dent is better known for his tragic transformation into Two-Face at the hands of the Joker. But before his dark descent into villainy, he served as Gotham’s previous district attorney before Rachel Dawes took over the role. Known for being Gotham’s “White Knight,” his efforts in expunging Gotham’s criminal elements were so effective that, combined with the pressure of Batman, the collective mob bosses of the city’s underworld resorted to unleashing the Joker upon the city as a way to even the odds. He was even willing to face down a witness who pulled a gun on him in the courtroom during the trial of Sal Maroni.
Even in the face of the Joker, Dent comes out publicly as Batman to protect Bruce Wayne, who he’d come to see as a close friend. After his transformation, the people of Gotham continued to see Harvey Dent as a posthumous hero, never knowing the truth behind his death. While the Dent Act named after him may have been Draconian, it undeniably lowered crime in Gotham by the time of The Dark Knight Rises.
4 Ginty
Despite having a relatively minor appearance in only two of the Christopher Nolan Batman films, Ginty made a big impression thanks to his actions during the Ferry Ordeal. The Joker enacted a sick game in Gotham Bay, rigging two ferries with explosives that would both go off unless one of the ferries saved themselves by manually detonating the other’s explosives. One of the ships was filled with prisoners from Blackgate Prison, in which guards struggled to maintain order in the life-or-death scenario.
The tall, scarred, tattooed Ginty took control of the situation, calmly taking the detonator from one of the Ferries guards and tossing it out the window to ensure the civilian’s boat wouldn’t be prematurely blown up. The intimidating prisoner seemed even offered the guard a way to avoid getting reprimanded for giving it to him, offering to claim he had taken it by force. Despite being an intimidating prisoner, Ginty’s heroic actions prevented hundreds of lives from being lost, making him one of the most heroic characters in The Dark Knight.
3 Catwoman
While Selina Kyle’s thievery at the beginning of The Dark Knight Rises seemingly made her a clear-cut villain, her actions over the course of the film end with her being more of an anti-hero at worst. Motivated by a desire to put her criminal past behind her, Catwoman steals Bruce Wayne’s fingerprints for his business rival, John Dagget, in exchange for having her record erased. Later, she sells out Batman to Bane out of fear and self-preservation, despite her obvious remorse upon seeing The Dark Knight beaten within an inch of his life.
Selina redeems herself in the third act, choosing to risk her life for Gotham rather than simply flee the city. Catwoman herself lands the killing blow on Bane using the Bat-Pod’s cannons, bringing her heroic arc full circle. Considering she gets a happy ending in Florence sharing retirement with Bruce Wayne, it’s safe to say Selina Kyle ended her masked career on a heroic note.
2 Carl Finch
The original district attorney of Gotham and the first to hold the position chronologically, Carl Finch was the first in a long line of justice seekers trying to make a difference in the city’s judicial system. However, he was worn down by the job and, over time, grew apathetic about the rampant corruption running within Gotham. To Bruce Wayne’s disgust, he actually represented Joe Chill, the murderer of Thomas and Martha Wayne, in his parole hearing, seemingly putting him on the wrong side of the law.
However, this Gotham is not always so black-and-white. Carl Finch chose to represent Joe Chill due to his cooperation in testifying against Carmine Falcone, one of the most notorious mob bosses in Gotham City. This move put a clear target on Finch’s back, as he knowingly stepped into the crosshairs of a corrupt local government to put Falcone away. In the end, Carl Finch was killed by Ra’s al Ghul’s men while investigating Falcone’s shipments. While Finch’s methods may have rubbed Bruce Wayne the wrong way, he did care about reducing crime in Gotham and paid the ultimate price for it.
1 Thomas Wayne
As in most Batman stories, Thomas Wayne’s most significant role in The Dark Knight Trilogy was to die, leaving Bruce Wayne an orphan and sending him into the spiraling desire for revenge that would birth Batman. The Dr. Thomas Wayne of the Nolanverse could be said to already be a hero just by merit of his occupation alone, serving as a surgeon at Gotham General Hospital. But his ambitions to make the world a better place didn’t end there.
Thomas Wayne founded Wayne enterprises alongside Lucius Fox with the goal of making Gotham a better place. His final actions were to defend his wife and reassure his son, making him forever the ultimate hero in Bruce Wayne’s eyes, and perhaps the audience’s as well. As a martyr, philanthropist, and healer, it’s hard to imagine a bigger hero than Thomas Wayne in Christophe Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, being responsible for Batman’s very inception.
Tekken 8 will allow players direct control of their characters for 10 seconds within each of their recorded replays, teaching them tips and allowing them to practice different scenarios that could have happened within a fight. The upcoming feature was revealed during the Tekken 8 showcase at the Tokyo Games Show 2023.
For those seeking to improve their fighting skills and learn from their mistakes, the new feature will give players a chance to review previous fights, offering tips and strategies that could have been executed while allowing 10 seconds of total control to practice in real-time. If a combo, for instance, could have been extended for increased damage, or a blocked move went unpunished, the interactive replays will inform and prepare the player to be better equipped for their next fight.
Image via Bandai Namco
Tekken 8 producer Michael Murray shared the Tokyo Game Show stage with game director Kohei Ikeda and executive producer Katsuhiro Harada to break down various new features we can expect in the upcoming fighting game. “During the replay, there’s prompts when they find something you can improve on”, says Murray, “you can actually take control in that particular instance and see if you could have done something better”.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen a feature like this in a fighting game, as Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R first introduced the ability to take control of replays, but it’s certainly appreciated just as much. Fighting game fans are already sounding off on X (Twitter) to praise the upcoming title.
You can watch the TEKKEN Talk Live @ TGS2023 in its entirety below:
Tekken 8 is scheduled to release January 26, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Microsoft Windows.
About the Author
Matt Vatankhah
Before joining Prima Games in 2022, Matt had a pretty boring office job. He’s had a passion for video games for all of his life and really loves Final Fantasy, retro FPS, and roguelike games. He will absolutely stomp you in Tetris.
“I’ve noticed all the reactions to me playing Richard Simmons in a new biopic,” the Encino Man actor wrote in a social media post. “So I reached out to him. I heard he’s living deep in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he still has a phone). I’m trying to make it happen for you guys. Be optimistic.”
He added, “Hit up Hulu, Amazon, Disney, HBO, and all the big producers. I definitely can morph into this guy. I’ll see you at the Academy Awards 2025.”
Simmons has been reclusive for a number of years. Before that, he was a major star in the 1980s and 1990s, hosting his own talk show and selling millions of his Sweatin’ to the Oldies exercise videos. He was also a regular presence on other TV talk shows and acted in several series.
TMZ produced a 2022 documentary, What Really Happened to Richard Simmons, an examination of his retreat from the public spotlight. In its wake, Simmons shared a message thanking fans for “kindness and love” on Facebook.
Shore is hoping the Simmons biopic can return him to prominence. “I do truly miss acting and I miss being on set,” Shore told Page Six earlier this year. “Hopefully it happens.”
Netflix’s Reptile is an unusual but entertaining thriller that offers Benicio del Toro a terrifically quirky hero to play.
PLOT: A detective (Benicio del Toro) living in New England with his wife (Alicia Silverstone) investigates the gruesome death of a local real estate magnate’s (Justin Timberlake) wife.
REVIEW: There’s a version of Reptile that could have been a standard cop noir. After all, how many movies have we seen about a rumpled detective investigating a murder that implicates a well-connected family? Yet, director Grant Singer seems less interested in making the straight-laced neo-noir this could have been and instead turns this into a quirky, darkly comedic riff on the genre that almost functions as a spoof at times. After all, a movie that uses Bob Dylan’s ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door” for a gunfight can’t expect us to take it entirely seriously.
Reptile is a weird but wonderful surprise. The odd vibe will turn some off, and it took me about thirty minutes to finally give up and allow myself to enjoy the madness. Singer, who makes his feature debut (he also co-wrote the movie), seems to have a whole raft of inspirations, ranging from David Fincher to Sam Peckinpah to Werner Herzog, with a liberal dose of camp ladled in to give us the strangest cop movie since Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.
It offers Benicio del Toro a terrific showcase, with him subverting all the expectations of your typical cop movie hero. Most cops in these things are loners, but here, he’s a popular member of the force and the life of every party. He and his upbeat wife (played by a terrific Alicia Silverstone) fit right into the New England cop community, with her uncle, played by a cast against-type Eric Bogosian, as his beloved captain. They like to square dance so much that the rest of the department calls him “Oklahoma.” Del Toro’s character sports an earring and dresses like a gangster, with his loud suits and leather jacket, and seems more interested in the designer kitchen he finds at the crime scene than in solving a murder. All of this is a facade, of course, as he turns out to be incorruptible, and over the lengthy but still fast-moving 142-minute run time, the movie’s genre changes from potboiler to neo-noir to all-out action thriller and still manages to work. Well, it works as long as you don’t mind that the movie is constantly winking at you whenever there’s a cliche, right down to the deliberately obvious song selections on the soundtrack.
In many ways, the movie seems less interested in the mystery than examining the cop community del Toro’s character finds himself a part of, with them mostly all family men in happy marriages and living comfortably in their idyllic town. That it all comes crashing down is a given, but you won’t mind the movie taking its time. If the film has a failing, it’s that the red herrings, such as Justin Timberlake’s real estate guy and Michael Pitt’s scuzzy witness, are never as interesting as the cops, who include The Wire’s Domenick Lombardozzi and an amusing Ato Essandoh as the deadpan new guy. It’s also fun to see del Toro and Silverstone reteam more than a quarter century after Excess Baggage with their top-notch chemistry. It’s nice to see her in such a prominent role again, and she gets some scenery to chew.
One thing is sure – Reptile could have only ever been made at Netflix. Any studio would have had them significantly reduce the quirkiness (and the running time) to the point that it would have been a routine thriller. Currently, it subverts, plays with, and rewards audience expectations. Those who want a straight-laced meat-and-potatoes cop movie won’t like it. Still, if you like stranger cop fare like the underrated Miami Bluesor the aforementioned Port of Call New Orleans, you might find this a very entertaining watch.
Reptile is now playing in limited release and hits Netflix on October 6th.
Whether you know exactly what they’re wishing for or it’s still a mystery waiting to be solved, we’re here to help you find the best gifts. We’ve scanned the web, reviews, and polled editors for unique gift ideas for even your hardest-to-shop-for friends—from presents for people who have everything to inexpensive gift ideas for your coworkers, and then some—we corralled them all into one holiday guide for you to browse and shop at ease.
Looking for a housewarming gift that doesn’t cost nearly as much as a cashmere throw? A custom illustration of their new home is the perfect personalized present. Want to splurge on a gift for your mother-in-law that will actually impress? Why not go halfsies with your partner on a Kindle Paperwhite? Need a trendy gift for a teen or tween? Most will be happy with any tech gadget (think a gaming headset or a smart notebook), and you can’t go wrong with a bundle from TikTok popular beauty brands, like Glossier.
Practical Secret Santa gifts, birthday presents for your favorite aunt, and even gifts for new moms, everything here is guaranteed to make the lucky recipient—no matter who it actually is—feel special. Ahead, shop all the best gift ideas to add to your holiday shopping list in 2023, including stellar last-minute options you can find Amazon just in case you end up procrastinating. No judgment! You’ve got a lot of people to buy for.
Our Top Picks:
First up, we have gifts for all the leading women in your life: your sister, your grandma, your godmother, or your colleague-turned-work wife. Highlights include a best-selling Kate Spade bangle (with a hidden inscription that reminds her that she has a heart of gold) and luxurious (and washable) silk sleepwear from Lunya. Even if she’s not a tea drinker, this adorable kettle from Anthropologie will be a welcome addition to her countertop, and an initial necklace from one of our fave jewelry brands is always a nice touch. And if she’s always on the move, she’ll love a travel-friendly perfume kit featuring a brand-new scent from Hermès and a customized jewelry case—two of our favorite gifts to give—to keep her baubles organized.
Kate Spade “Heart of Gold” Idiom Bangle
Mejuri Bold Letter Pendant Necklace
Anthropologie Botanica Teapot
Hermès Tutti Twilly Eau de Parfum Gift Set
Mark & Graham Small Travel Jewelry Case
Few guys care about the things we think they do (e.g., leather passport holders and nubby-knit sweaters) and just want cool gifts they can actually use. Our advice? Skip the expensive clothing that’ll collect dust and go for presents for dads and gifts for husbands you know he’ll be excited about. Take this popular Geekey gadget, which features 16 tools—like a metric ruler, wire stripper, and bottle opener—in a tiny, inexpensive form. Is he into his grooming and self-care? Add a Chanel cologne to his fall perfume collection as a luxe splurge. And for the guy who’s been a goofball his entire life, a personalized pair of socks with a collage of his face will literally make him LOL. Or, better yet, use your own face. And who knew you could get such a cool watch on Amazon?
Chanel Bleu de Chanel Eau de Toilette
InterestPrint Custom Faces Print Crew Socks
Rains Hilo Waterproof Weekend Bag
Sorry, not sorry, but teens actually know what’s cool, so your gifts will need to impress them. Gift the teens in your circle popular, TikTok-viral items like the Stanley stainless steel water bottle and Bella Hadid-approved mini Ugg boots. If she’s a growing beauty enthusiast, she’ll be ecstatic to unwrap Laneige’s overnight lip mask or a full gift set from Glossier. Keep her skin care products (and her favorite drinks) fresh with a mini-fridge. And if she’s a fan of anything cute, she probably already has a few Squishmallows on her list.
Ugg Ultra Mini Classic Boots
Stanley The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 40-oz. Tumbler
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
Squishmallows Mystery Box
Picking the perfect gifts for teens, especially teenage boys, involves meeting them on their level. If he’s devoted to looking cool, he probably wants a pair of Uggs he can wear to school. If he’s obsessed with music and TV, you can’t go wrong with tech gifts like a projector set, noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, extra-long chargers, or an all-in-one record player kit. And if he’s just here for a good time, encourage his fun-loving side with a magnetic pen or an age-appropriate party game—then sit back and wait for an extra-tight hug.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Electrohome Montrose Record Player Stereo System
Exploding Kittens Party Pack
You probably know what your husband wants (or needs) better than he does. Guys who ride a bike to work could use a folding helmet to store at their desks; they could also probably use a robotic massage to target sore feet at the end of a long day. Any guy who loves to look and smell will appreciate a high-quality shirt from J.Crew and a signature scent that’s complex and intriguing. Plus, both of you will get a kick out of the great gift that is Lelo’s sex toy for men, which doubles as a couples’ vibrator.
Fend One Foldable Bike Helmet
J.Crew Midweight Denim Workshirt
GrowlerWerks uKeg Carbonated Growler
D.S. & Durga Debaser Eau de Parfum
Best Gifts for Wives
The best Christmas gift for your wife—and any woman in general—is one she wants, but would never buy herself. Upgrade her pajamas and she’ll be comfier than ever. Give her a cute case of matches to beautify her favorite nook or coffee table. Tory Burch bags (and best-selling monogram necklaces, for that matter) are a love language in and of themselves. And date night can be as simple as making homemade ravioli together or splitting the work on a paint-by-numbers kit—two relatively affordable activities that’ll make her feel like a million bucks.
Skims Soft Lounge Sleep Set
By Anthropologie Monogram Pendant Necklace
Tory Burch Mini Miller Crossbody Bag
Krafistry Adult Paint-by-Numbers Kit
Even if you’ve known your BFF longer than almost anyone else, it’s only natural to run out of gift ideas after a while. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. When in doubt, a great accessory—like a Lululemon fanny pack, a heart-shaped ring, or an intention bracelet—is bound to please the stylish best friend. If you two are exercise buddies, she’ll love the thought behind a new pair of Amazon-famous black leggings. Oh, and while candles might seem like a cop-out, they really aren’t—as long as you can back up your pick by telling your friend that you bought them Anthropologie’s official scent in candle form.
Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag 1L Fleece
Colorfulkoala High-Waisted 7/8 Yoga Pants
“Glamour: 30 Years of Women Who Have Reshaped the World”
Cast of Stones Evil Eye Intention Bracelet
Capri Blue Volcano Capiz Jar Candle
Now onto the kiddos! It’s all about zeroing in on their age. One-year-olds adore push toys. Two-year olds can entertain themselves for hours with ABC blocks and construction trucks, while active toy gifts for three-year-olds are ideal since they’re at an age when they’re just full. of. energy. Buying a present for a four-year-old? How about a talking telescope? The parents we polled say their five-year-olds love this fort building kit. Or you could always just tap into your own inner child and shop for things you would’ve loved back in the day, like a Crayola Light Board or colorful personalized wood blocks so they can practice spelling their name. (A gift subscription from Lovevery is also an easy choice—and a great last-minute pick.) If they’re a little older, they’ll like lighting up their room with a cool gadget that projects stars on the ceiling that Glamour editors are obsessed with (yes, even the adults).
South Bend Woodworks Kids Personalized Wooden Name Puzzle
Soft Landing Sit-in Flamingo Rocker
Astronaut Galaxy Light Projector
Tender Leaf Push Along Toy
Chances are the gift Mom wants most is for you to call her every week or for you to pop in for a surprise visit. But that doesn’t mean material presents will be refused. Nudge mom to indulge in a little self-care and mindfulness with the Five Minute Journal full of prompts to jot down gratitude points and future goals. (It’s a nice gift for new moms, too.) Make her mornings a little easier with a viral sunrise lamp and memory foam slippers that look way more expensive than they actually are. Treat her to a birthday gift like no other with a candle from Birthdate Co., which customizes each scent for every single day of the year. And UrbanStems’s subscription service is a sure way to remind her that you’re thinking of her well beyond the holidays with fresh blooms delivered to her doorstep monthly. (Send it now or save this idea for 2024 when you need a Mother’s Day gift.)
Intelligent Change The Five-Minute Journal
Birthdate Co. Birthdate Candle
Bctex Coll Cozy Velvet House Slippers
Mevecco Constellation Necklace
UrbanStems Flower Subscription
Jall Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm
Dad knows best, right? (Or so you told him with his Father’s Day gifts.) Shopping for him can feel a little tricky, but it doesn’t have to. If he’s the type of dad to sit back in his recliner and binge-watch his favorite show all night, he’ll need some cozy slippers to do so. On the other hand, if he’s quite the comedian (or needs some new material), a book of dad jokes will have the both of you chuckling. And parents love holding on to memories, so gifting dad a digital picture frame that displays a slideshow of his loved ones all day is sure to make him smile. Don’t forget the foodies! A trio of flavor-packed hot sauces and a countertop pizza cooker will take his kitchen escapades to new heights.
Aura Carver 10.1″ WiFi Digital Picture Frame
Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes
Bushwick Kitchen Spicy Sampler Gift Box
Betty Crocker Countertop Pizza Maker
Whether or not you call your annual gift exchange “White Elephant,” you know the vibe: You have to find a crowd-pleasing present within a certain budget, which usually doesn’t exceed $30. We’ve all had an off year or two, but we can pretty much guarantee that everyone will be fighting over these picks this time around. There are a few popular options for foodies and hostesses, some very fun desk toys, and even a Barbie-themed hoodie, because yes, we are all Kenough.
Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food by Colu Henry
Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Gal
Casofu Burrito Throw Blanket
My Arcade Retro Arcade Machine x Playable Mini Arcade
Uzlblpi “I Am Kenough” Hooded Sweatshirt
OK, so your giftee has very specific taste or the means to buy everything they want—but all is not lost. It’s just time to go with personalized, thoughtful gifts or pick up something that’s very cute and not at all necessary. Customized mugs and stationery are always winners, and the candle below will even dole out a tarot reading. On the cute front, a lava lamp, heatable stuffed animal, or aesthetically-pleasing air fryer will make anyone happy.
Anthropologie Monarch Monogram Mug
Intelex Warmies Jr. Sloth Plush
Sticking to a budget can actually make shopping for Christmas gifts more enjoyable (and easier!). Your limit is set so your creativity can sort of run wild. Wondering where to start? Browse through Amazon for some gems like an herb-growing kit, and a mini Le Creuset cocotte for cooking with said herbs. And other aspiring chefs will appreciate cookbooks like the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen full of yummy recipes like tandoori chickpeas and za’atar mac and cheese. If you’re getting a gift for a coworker, the Storm Cloud weather predictor works as a great desk companion. And who wouldn’t love perfectly moisturized skin (courtesy of a Burt’s Bees gift basket) or an endless supply of waffles?
Le Creuset Stoneware Mini Round Cocotte
Environet Herb Growing Kit
Burt’s Bees Timeless Minis Set
Amazon has a little something for everyone, but you already knew that. Make them think that you didn’t break a sweat while gift shopping for stocking stuffers, presents for the home, and beyond. We love this bestselling Nodpod that’s like a weighted blanket for your eyes. Keep the wellness theme going with silk pillowcases and neck and shoulder massagers. Amazon devices are also popular around the holidays, especially the Kindle for all the bookworms out there. We’d also be remiss not to mention a perfect travel mug and an instant camera, which are genuine crowdpleasers. Plus, you can buy a MasterClass membership seconds before your gift is due—and no one will be the wiser.
Kenneth Branagh has starred as detective Hercule Poirot in three films based on the books of Agatha Christie. 2023’s A Haunting in Venice was his latest, but it may not be his last.
Producer teases potential future Poirot films
Speaking to Variety about the recent film starring the iconic detective, producer Judy Hofflund — who worked on the first two Poirot films, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile — was asked about Branagh potentially returning for more films.
According to Hofflund, there are no concrete plans as of yet, but there “have been some conversations” about it.
“Not yet. There have been some conversations about what they’d like to do next,” said Hofflund. “I know what I want next, but I can’t tell you what it is.”
Branagh’s latest film as the detective, A Haunting in Venice, is once again directed by Branagh (who has directed both previous Agatha Christie-based films) from a screenplay written by Michael Green, based on Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party.
The film stars Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Jamie Dornan (Belfast), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone), Kyle Allen (Rosaline), Camille Cottin (Call My Agent), Jude Hill (Belfast), Ali Khan (6 Underground), Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown), and Riccardo Scamarico (Caravaggio’s Shadow).
During Thursday’s episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Goyer, who helped develop the trilogy’s story and co-wrote 2005’s Batman Begins, said that after a number of people screen-tested for the part of Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, in the first film, he “advocated for Gyllenhaal.”
“I mean, Gyllenhaal’s amazing, Christian Bale’s amazing, so who knows what,” he added.
When host Josh Horowitz asked him if there’s any footage somewhere of Gyllenhaal auditioning in the Batman costume, the scribe said, “I believe there is, yes.”
As for other roles in Nolan’s trilogy, Goyer said, “There were a couple of different candidates in the running for Ra’s Al Ghul,” but that he voted for Liam Neeson because he “was a little older.” He said it made more sense with the story they were trying to tell regarding “this paternal story about the shadow of his [Bruce’s] father.”
In Batman Begins, Ken Watanabe was credited as portraying villain Ra’s al Ghul as a decoy while Neeson, who was the real Ra’s al Ghul and returned for 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, was credited by his alias Henri Ducard.
Later in the episode, Goyer also recalled an executive from Warner Bros. suggesting to him at the premiere of 2008’s The Dark Knight that Leonardo DiCaprio should play the Riddler in the next film. But Goyer told him, “That’s not the way we work.”
He said Nolan is “very process driven” and was “staunchly against” building a movie around the villain “because he said that’s not a bottom, ground-up way of telling a story. Let’s do it in a very naturalistic way, so let’s figure out what kind of story we want to tell and what we thematically want to explore with Bruce, and then let’s figure out a villain that fits that story.”
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom | Official Trailer | Netflix
“Life can change in the blink of an eye” is one of those clichés that sounds more hyperbolic than it really is. While it may seem dramatic to suggest that actual milliseconds can radically alter the trajectory of a person’s existence, the daunting fact remains that life is delicate and fickle. The late playwright August Wilson explored as much in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, in which one man’s trauma and hubris leads to a tremendous, lightning-quick fall from grace. At its core, Wilson’s 1982 play is a tragic allegory about the extremely tenuous nature of the Black American Dream, and how, for too many in this country, prosperity comes down not just to hard work but also righting larger wrongs and overcoming systematic roadblocks. To that end, an ostensibly minor setback can be catastrophic for someone reliant on sweeping success for basic survival—a reality Wilson explores through the figure of Levee, a young, ambitious trumpeter who, over the span of mere hours, loses everything: his job, his love interest, and, via creative theft, much more. Ma Rainey’s is the ballad of a promising talent whose rising star is unceremoniously dimmed. That aspect takes on fresh significance—a uniquely cruel irony—in George C. Wolfe’s new adaptation. After all, Levee is played by Chadwick Boseman, in his final screen role. The film has more than its share of toast-worthy elements, from its sharp ensemble to its dutiful nods to 1920s Chicago and Old Hollywood, courtesy of Tobias A. Schliessler’s illuminating cinematography. But the appearance of the actor, in one last tremendous star performance, only enhances the material’s tragic power. [Shannon Miller]
In Justin Hunt’s thriller, The Post, the Sanders family is your typical Texas family, with the exception that Jett (Angus Benfield) and Brook’s (Kimberly Bigsby) son Jake (Zachariah West) is not a football player. This fact is important as one afternoon, Jake doesn’t come home. Jett just assumes he’s goofing off with friends until the police arrive to deliver the news that Jake is dead…beaten to death.
In the deepest point of their grief, daughter Penny (Abbey Hunt) is sent a video of Jake being beaten by a gang of boys. After seeing the video, Jett is incensed and goes to the police with the video, where Chief Berry (J. Elliott) assures Jett justice will be served. Unfortunately, none of the faces in the video are legible enough to make any meaningful identification.
Obsessed with justice, Jett examines the video and discovers that one of the assailants was a member of Jake’s school’s football team. When Jett goes to Chief Berry, he’s told the police will investigate it. Of course, they don’t, and strangely, the boy winds up dead the next morning. As Jett is able to identify more of the boys in the video, they soon wind up dead as well. All suspicious points to Jett as the killer, but did he do it?
“…assumes he’s goofing off with friends until the police arrive to deliver the news that Jake is dead…”
I’ll just say I liked the story behind The Post more than anything else in the film. I had to find out who did it in the end. The production values and quality of The Post align with the made-for-television quality of acting, cameras, and sets. Everything associated with this film could be better, provided the filmmakers had a lot more money. The only other criticism I have is that the pacing is a bit slow, as nothing is rushed in the story’s progress and scenery…almost like a soap opera.
On the bright side, I liked the story. The killer’s revelation is perfectly laid out, with suspicions regarding Jett always in question. No one would blame the father for wanting justice and going to extreme lengths to find it. The film hits on many genres, but I never felt it was all over the place. First, it’s a mild horror film. I also like that the murders get more and more brutal with each kill. There’s a political bent surrounding Texas High School football and whether or not the school should come to the truth when Jett is the perfect suspect. Now add an investigative journalist angle, as reporter Denise Daughtry (Sarah Minnich) is hot on the case, seeking to indict Jett in the court of public opinion.
There’s even a family drama when Jett and Denise’s marriage begins to fall apart. We see how Jett’s obsession makes him a recluse, and even Denise can’t be around to stand by her killer husband. Being at the crime scene with a gun does exactly scream innocent to anyone.
I had a lot of fun with The Post. Filmmaker Justin Hunt made the most of the resources available to him. The film is not perfect, but it’s a solid thriller for a Friday night popcorn and chill. It’s not precisely family-friendly but an excellent introduction to noir thrillers for a budding cinephile.
Arkells dropped into a Hamilton, Ont., laundromat Friday for a gig in a series of one-of-a-kind shows promoting their new record.
The mini-concerts at Splash Laundry, just east of Gage Park, saw the quintet play songs from the newly-released Laundry Pile.
Lead singer Max Kerman says it’s a “quieter record,” so they wanted to choose a small, intimate space to celebrate its release with fans in groups of about 10 at a time.
Photo of Arkells and frontman Max Kerman performing at Splash Laundry on Main Street East In Hamilton.
Global News
“Each group gets a different experience,” Kerman explained.
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“There’s 10 songs on the record, we get them to choose the song at random from the laundry bin right here, we play them, then the next group comes in.”
The band will kick off a Canadian leg of their fall tour in November with stops in Guelph, St Catherines and Peterborough.
New album, Laundry Pile is here. New tour dates in ??& ?? this fall. All your favourite songs will be played. Arkells are At Your Service. ?️ on-sale now: https://t.co/A9qCztzbIapic.twitter.com/6eBLmL9euE
But he had more on his mind than the book. In the interview, deGrasse Tyson explained the scientific inaccuracies behind movies like Armageddon and Moonfall.
“Armageddon, you say, violates more laws of physics per minute than any other film ever made,” Cagle began.
‘Moonfall’
Lionsgate
DeGrasse Tyson agreed, adding, “That’s what I thought until I saw Moonfall. It was a pandemic film that came out, you know, Halle Berry, and the moon is approaching Earth, and they learned that it’s hollow and there’s a moon being made out of rocks living inside of it and the Apollo missions were really to visit, to feed the moon being, and I just couldn’t, so I said, “Alright, I thought Armageddon‘had a secure hold on this crown, but apparently not.”
Cagle brought up a key moment involving an asteroid.
Moonfall
“All you gotta do is just nudge it, and if you do that early enough, if you nudge it like one centimeter per second to the right, in space, there’s no friction, so it’ll just keep drifting to the right. If you do that early enough, then you can have the asteroid pass in front of the earth rather than hit the earth, or you can slow it down so that it’ll pass behind the earth. Two ways you can adjust it. So, yeah. You know what it’s like? It’s like The Terminator thing where I want to kill your parents so that you’re never born. Really? All you have to do is prevent your parents from meeting each other or have them have sex 20 minutes later than the other one. That will create a different zygote and you won’t be born, so the movies go, in some cases, they get hyperbolic on their solutions to problems.”
‘Moonfall’
Lionsgate
Co-written, directed, and produced by Roland Emmerich, Moonfall follows two former astronauts (Berry, Patrick Wilson) alongside a conspiracy theorist (John Bradley) who discover the hidden truth about Earth’s moon when it suddenly leaves its orbit.The film, released in January 2022, was a boxoffice flop.
Magic Johnson is no less ambitious than he was when he was winning championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. Johnson is always seeking out new business ventures, having recently become part owner of the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Dodgers. But amidst these new endeavors, Johnson’s dedication to HIV/AIDS advocacy has never wavered.
At the 4th annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Magic and his wife Cookie Johnson were presented with the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award, named for the late actress who used her platform to fight for awareness for the disease. Taylor and the Johnsons were very close and worked together as advocates before her death.
“This is where our heart is,” Magic Johnson said of the honor. “We’ve been raising money and awareness, we’ve been educating people about HIV and AIDS, we’ve been caring for people, making sure they had housing. All those things are important to us. We’ve worked with [Elizabeth] so much…in the past so it’s an honor for Cookie and I.”
Cookie Johnson praised her husband for leading by example and inspiring others considering the climate and conditions he faced ahead.
“To be someone in a high profile situation and be able to go out and be brave enough to stand up against HIV and AIDS, especially in 1991 — To be strong enough to do that, I think that made a big difference and a lot of people follow suit,” Cookie Johnson said.
Giving back and helping others remains extremely important to them: “That’s dear to our heart and God gave us that purpose. So we will continue to just keep going and going and going. You’re never going to see us stop ‘cause that’s not who I am,” Magic Johnson said.
Barbara Berkowitz, who is an officer at the Elizabeth Taylor Foundation and worked personally with Taylor for years, reflected on the significance of the evening, naming apathy as the biggest challenge facing HIV/AIDS awareness right now.
“People just don’t think it’s still a problem because people are living longer, there’s medications. But we have to do more,” Berkowitz said. “Laws have to be changed. Money has to be raised and we have to do more.”
Event co-chairs Paris Jackson and Christine Chiu were also present alongside stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Tilly and Richard and Kathy Hilton. In addition to celebrating the Johnsons, the event showcased the stories of other people impacted by HIV/AIDS, highlighted the impact of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and raised money for the organization. Finally, “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight performed at the end of the night.
The black tie gala was hosted by Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. In her opening speech, Bassett said she was thrilled to recognize the Johnsons for their work in spreading HIV awareness, prevention and education. She ended her speech by calling for continued efforts in the fight to end AIDS.
“Let’s commit to ending this epidemic because we have all the necessary tools. Let’s make a commitment to Elizabeth’s vision of an AIDS free world,” Bassett said.
Before presenting the Johnsons with the award, Vance relayed a message from Barack Obama. The former president recalled the day he heard the announcement that Magic Johnson had contracted HIV, reflecting on the uncertainty of not knowing whether he would survive — let alone play basketball again. But Obama said the Johnsons’ approach to his diagnosis changed the way the world saw the disease.
“They moved us to think in an entirely new way about a condition affecting millions of people around the world, changing attitudes with the kind of grace and encouragement that only true leaders can display,” Vance said, reading Obama’s message.
In his speech, Magic Johnson reflected on how the conversations surrounding HIV/AIDS have changed drastically since his diagnosis in 1991, while acknowledging there is still more work to be done. He also addressed his wife, thanking her for her continued support over the years.
“I said to you, ‘I understand if you want to leave me,’ and you smacked me so hard,” Magic Johnson said. “The reason I tell this story is because a lot of people don’t get that type of support when they tell their parents, or tell their loved one, or tell their partner. You have stuck right beside my side every step of the way.”
Sharing the microphone, Cookie Johnson emphasized their gratitude for Elizabeth Taylor and the legacy of her foundation.
“To see that this is still going on, it’s just everything,” she said. “And so tonight, we pledge that we will carry this on, Elizabeth.”
India pulled another big win at the global box office. Shah Rukh Khan’s action-filled political melodrama “Jawan” has zoomed past $113 million worldwide in just over two weeks. With $112 million thus far, it now seems sure to pass the $130 million total of SKR’s “Pathan” to become the highest Bollywood earner ever. It may end up as the fourth-biggest Indian earner worldwide, behind only “RRR,” “KGF 2” and “Baahubali: The Conclusion.”
That makes two-for-two for Shah Rukh Khan, with a third film, “Dunki,” from “3 Idiots” director Raju Hirani arriving in December. SRK might release three movies in one year that end up becoming the first, second and third-biggest Bollywood films ever.
Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan presale for Olivia Rodrigo’s tour has added yet another complication: tickets purchased for her GUTS tour will not be available until 72 hours prior to the date of the show, and can only be accessed electronically.
The goal, the company explained, is to curtail high resale prices for the hot show.
“Delivery delays are commonly used by artists to allow for a thorough review of the sale and to ensure all purchasers have adhered to ticket limits and terms,” a statement from Ticketmaster said.
Fans had to jump through several hoops to even have a shot at tickets. First, they had to register as interested. Then, “Invitations” from Ticketmaster for the presale went out to a limited number of those who registered.
That invitation, with a verified code, wasn’t the final step. Ticketmaster indicated receiving an invitation provided an opportunity to shop for tickets, but the ability to actually buy those tickets was determined “by supply and demand.”
Demand for the tickets far exceeds availability, Ticketmaster added. The show has sold out, but fans who registered are on a “wait list” in the event more shows are added.
Ticketmaster was undoubtedly hoping to avoid the fiasco it experienced earlier this year with Taylor Swift ticket sales. In that case, the onslaught of hopeful ticket-buyers crashed the seller’s site, prompting Ticketmaster to halt the presale.
The debacle prompted lawsuits, congressional hearings and an angry response from Swift herself. “I’m not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked [Ticketmaster], multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand, and we were assured they could.”
The ‘Guts’ world tour kicks off at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, Calif. on February 23 next year.
The family in Luis De Filippis’s assiduous new film keeps busy during their beachside vacation. Not by swimming and sunbathing but by bickering and nit-picking, over slights both big (what it means to quit school) and small (what it means to lose a card game).
Or maybe that’s just how Mona (Ramona Milano), her husband, Guido (Joey Parro), and their wayward 20-something daughters, Siena (Paige Evans) and Ren (Carmen Madonia), who is transgender, expresses love: by ending conversations with tears and exposed resentments, only to make nice and do it again the next day.
Loosely based on the writer-director’s own Canadian-Italian family, this intimately observational film is in no rush to capture oversized dramatics but also small moments, like a birthday celebration at a kitchen table. Its only real emotional punch comes when the sisters accuse each other of being the family’s biggest disappointment.
In the film’s press notes, De Filippis said she wanted to make a movie “where trans women are not vilified, sensationalized, or eroticized.” Mission accomplished. Ren, an aspiring writer, is decidedly human: impetuous, shy, silly — a victim of, if anything, insecurities.
But she’s earthbound to a fault, dramatically. Unexceptional transgender characters are arguably markers of cinema’s progress; Trace Lysette’s understated performance is what made her prosaic transgender character so moving in “Monica.” (That film was also invested in bigger stakes.) But one can only watch Renata, and this film, do so little for so long before yearning for more than naturalism and tenderness to drive the slice-of-life story.
Something You Said Last Night Not rated. In English and Italian, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 36 minutes. In theaters.
