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Taylor Swift Fans Out Over Nelly Furtado Backstage at the VMAs

Up NextWatch Adele’s Best Moments From Her Las Vegas Residency

Latest

Taylor Swift Fans Out Over Nelly Furtado Backstage at the VMAs

SEP 14,2023

Watch Adele’s Best Moments From Her Las Vegas Residency

Watch Adele’s Best Moments From Her Las Vegas Residency

SEP 14,2023

Ciara Has Unexpected Reaction Over Co-Parenting With Ex-Fiancé Future

Ciara Has Unexpected Reaction Over Co-Parenting With Ex-Fiancé Future

SEP 14,2023

What Millie Bobby Brown Thinks of Fiancé Jake Bongiovi's Makeup Skills

What Millie Bobby Brown Thinks of Fiancé Jake Bongiovi’s Makeup Skills

SEP 14,2023

'The View': Whoopi Goldberg Stuns Alyssa Farah Griffin With Invasive On-Air Question

‘The View’: Whoopi Goldberg Stuns Alyssa Farah Griffin With Invasive On-Air Question

SEP 14,2023

Savannah Chrisley on Her Shocking New Romance and Alleged Date With Armie Hammer

Savannah Chrisley on Her Shocking New Romance and Alleged Date With Armie Hammer

SEP 14,2023

David Foster and Katharine McPhee React to Death of Nanny and Talk Upcoming Holiday Music

David Foster and Katharine McPhee React to Death of Nanny and Talk Upcoming Holiday Music

SEP 14,2023

Why Diddy Went ‘Off the Grid’ to Make New R&B Album

Why Diddy Went ‘Off the Grid’ to Make New R&B Album

SEP 14,2023

Aoki Lee Simmons Has No Regrets About Publicly Blasting Dad Russell

Aoki Lee Simmons Has No Regrets About Publicly Blasting Dad Russell

SEP 14,2023

NSYNC Reunites in the Recording Studio! Preview Their First New Single in 22 Years

NSYNC Reunites in the Recording Studio! Preview Their First New Single in 22 Years

SEP 14,2023

Kristen Bell Shares Secret to Marriage Ahead of 10-Year Anniversary With Dax Shepard (Exclusive)

Kristen Bell Shares Secret to Marriage Ahead of 10-Year Anniversary With Dax Shepard (Exclusive)

SEP 14,2023

Tori Kelly on Her 'Emotional' Return to the Stage and Deluxe EP (Exclusive)

Tori Kelly on Her ‘Emotional’ Return to the Stage and Deluxe EP (Exclusive)

SEP 14,2023

'Buddy Games': How Josh Duhamel’s Real Life Inspired New Competition (Exclusive)

‘Buddy Games’: How Josh Duhamel’s Real Life Inspired New Competition (Exclusive)

SEP 14,2023

Tim McGraw Tears Up at ACM Honors as Nelly and Brett Young Pay Tribute | ET’s Certified Country

Tim McGraw Tears Up at ACM Honors as Nelly and Brett Young Pay Tribute | ET’s Certified Country

SEP 14,2023

Diddy Shares How Losing Ex Kim Porter Inspired New Track on ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ (Exclusive)

Diddy Shares How Losing Ex Kim Porter Inspired New Track on ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ (Exclusive)

SEP 14,2023

'90 Day Fiancé': Yara Opens Up About Body Insecurities Stemming From Childhood (Exclusive)

’90 Day Fiancé’: Yara Opens Up About Body Insecurities Stemming From Childhood (Exclusive)

SEP 14,2023

Caitlyn Jenner Remembers Kim Kardashian 'Calculating' How to Become Famous

Caitlyn Jenner Remembers Kim Kardashian ‘Calculating’ How to Become Famous

SEP 14,2023

Kylie Jenner on a 'Little Break From Slaying' Amid Timothée Chalamet Romance

Kylie Jenner on a ‘Little Break From Slaying’ Amid Timothée Chalamet Romance

SEP 14,2023

'My Unorthodox Life' Star Julia Haart Makes Alarming Breastfeeding Confession About Her Own Brother

‘My Unorthodox Life’ Star Julia Haart Makes Alarming Breastfeeding Confession About Her Own Brother

SEP 14,2023

Demi Lovato Reacts to Taylor Swift Jamming Out to Her VMAs Performance

Demi Lovato Reacts to Taylor Swift Jamming Out to Her VMAs Performance

SEP 14,2023

News

Taylor Swift Fans Out Over Nelly Furtado Backstage at the VMAs

Taylor Swift Fans Out Over Nelly Furtado Backstage at the VMAs

2M AGO

Ciara Has Unexpected Reaction Over Co-Parenting With Ex-Fiancé Future

Ciara Has Unexpected Reaction Over Co-Parenting With Ex-Fiancé Future

1H AGO

What Millie Bobby Brown Thinks of Fiancé Jake Bongiovi's Makeup Skills

What Millie Bobby Brown Thinks of Fiancé Jake Bongiovi’s Makeup Skills

2H AGO

Savannah Chrisley on Her Shocking New Romance and Alleged Date With Armie Hammer

Savannah Chrisley on Her Shocking New Romance and Alleged Date With Armie Hammer

2H AGO

David Foster and Katharine McPhee React to Death of Nanny and Talk Upcoming Holiday Music

David Foster and Katharine McPhee React to Death of Nanny and Talk Upcoming Holiday Music

3H AGO

Aoki Lee Simmons Has No Regrets About Publicly Blasting Dad Russell

Aoki Lee Simmons Has No Regrets About Publicly Blasting Dad Russell

3H AGO

Caitlyn Jenner Remembers Kim Kardashian 'Calculating' How to Become Famous

Caitlyn Jenner Remembers Kim Kardashian ‘Calculating’ How to Become Famous

5H AGO

Kylie Jenner on a 'Little Break From Slaying' Amid Timothée Chalamet Romance

Kylie Jenner on a ‘Little Break From Slaying’ Amid Timothée Chalamet Romance

5H AGO

'My Unorthodox Life' Star Julia Haart Makes Alarming Breastfeeding Confession About Her Own Brother

‘My Unorthodox Life’ Star Julia Haart Makes Alarming Breastfeeding Confession About Her Own Brother

6H AGO

Sofía Vergara Walks Off 'America's Got Talent' After Howie Mandel Jokes About Her Single Status

Sofía Vergara Walks Off ‘America’s Got Talent’ After Howie Mandel Jokes About Her Single Status

9H AGO

Why Scott Disick’s Keeping His Distance From Ex Kourtney Kardashian (Source)

Why Scott Disick’s Keeping His Distance From Ex Kourtney Kardashian (Source)

SEP 13, 2023

Kimora Lee Simmons Scolds Daughter Aoki for Being Late to Her Own Party

Kimora Lee Simmons Scolds Daughter Aoki for Being Late to Her Own Party

SEP 13, 2023

Ariana Grande Gets Emotional While Admitting She's Had Face Injectables

Ariana Grande Gets Emotional While Admitting She’s Had Face Injectables

SEP 13, 2023

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Are Not Officially Dating (Source)

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Are Not Officially Dating (Source)

SEP 13, 2023

Megan Thee Stallion & Justin Timberlake Backstage at VMAs: What Really Happened During the Exchange

Megan Thee Stallion & Justin Timberlake Backstage at VMAs: What Really Happened During the Exchange

SEP 13, 2023

Why Bad Bunny Keeps Kendall Jenner Relationship Private

Why Bad Bunny Keeps Kendall Jenner Relationship Private

SEP 12, 2023

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk Avoid Being Photographed Together Entering His New York Apartment

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk Avoid Being Photographed Together Entering His New York Apartment

SEP 12, 2023

Camila Alves Surprises Matthew McConaughey at the Empire State Building (Exclusive)

Camila Alves Surprises Matthew McConaughey at the Empire State Building (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Why Cardi B Went to Disneyland Over Attending Beyoncé’s Concert

Why Cardi B Went to Disneyland Over Attending Beyoncé’s Concert

SEP 12, 2023

Why Bebe Rexha's Not Feeling Confident Ahead of VMAs and Considering Not Going

Why Bebe Rexha’s Not Feeling Confident Ahead of VMAs and Considering Not Going

SEP 12, 2023

On Entertainment Tonight

Why Diddy Went ‘Off the Grid’ to Make New R&B Album

Why Diddy Went ‘Off the Grid’ to Make New R&B Album

3H AGO

Kristen Bell Shares Secret to Marriage Ahead of 10-Year Anniversary With Dax Shepard (Exclusive)

Kristen Bell Shares Secret to Marriage Ahead of 10-Year Anniversary With Dax Shepard (Exclusive)

3H AGO

'Buddy Games': How Josh Duhamel’s Real Life Inspired New Competition (Exclusive)

‘Buddy Games’: How Josh Duhamel’s Real Life Inspired New Competition (Exclusive)

3H AGO

Tim McGraw Tears Up at ACM Honors as Nelly and Brett Young Pay Tribute | ET’s Certified Country

Tim McGraw Tears Up at ACM Honors as Nelly and Brett Young Pay Tribute | ET’s Certified Country

3H AGO

'90 Day Fiancé': Meisha Shocked by Nicola’s Public Proposal (Exclusive)

’90 Day Fiancé’: Meisha Shocked by Nicola’s Public Proposal (Exclusive)

12H AGO

2023 MTV VMAs' Wildest Fashion Looks

2023 MTV VMAs’ Wildest Fashion Looks

SEP 13, 2023

‘Special Forces’ Season 2: Savannah Chrisley Reacts to Tom Sandoval Feeling ‘Very Alone’

‘Special Forces’ Season 2: Savannah Chrisley Reacts to Tom Sandoval Feeling ‘Very Alone’

SEP 13, 2023

Why *NSYNC Is Reuniting for the First Time in 10 Years!

Why *NSYNC Is Reuniting for the First Time in 10 Years!

SEP 12, 2023

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk Avoid Being Photographed Together Entering His New York Apartment

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk Avoid Being Photographed Together Entering His New York Apartment

SEP 12, 2023

Jared Leto Spills on His New Album and Habit of Climbing Buildings

Jared Leto Spills on His New Album and Habit of Climbing Buildings

SEP 12, 2023

Jamie Lynn Spears Donating Her ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Paycheck to SAG-AFTRA and WGA Amid Strike

Jamie Lynn Spears Donating Her ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Paycheck to SAG-AFTRA and WGA Amid Strike

SEP 12, 2023

‘Special Forces’: Savannah Chrisley on Butting Heads With Tom Sandoval (Exclusive)

‘Special Forces’: Savannah Chrisley on Butting Heads With Tom Sandoval (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Why Kristin Cavallari Is ‘Done Dating’ in Nashville (Exclusive)

Why Kristin Cavallari Is ‘Done Dating’ in Nashville (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, Channing Tatum and More Enjoy Power Dinner

Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, Channing Tatum and More Enjoy Power Dinner

SEP 12, 2023

'Barbie': Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling Give Behind-the-Scenes Look at Barbieland (Exclusive)

‘Barbie’: Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling Give Behind-the-Scenes Look at Barbieland (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Mark Consuelos on Wife Kelly Ripa and Why He Doesn’t Think She’ll Retire Soon (Exclusive)

Mark Consuelos on Wife Kelly Ripa and Why He Doesn’t Think She’ll Retire Soon (Exclusive)

SEP 11, 2023

Laura Linney Shocked as She Witnesses Man Assaulted Outside of New York Fashion Show

Laura Linney Shocked as She Witnesses Man Assaulted Outside of New York Fashion Show

SEP 11, 2023

Ed Sheeran ‘Gutted’ After Being Forced to Cancel Las Vegas Concert

Ed Sheeran ‘Gutted’ After Being Forced to Cancel Las Vegas Concert

SEP 11, 2023

Matthew McConaughey, Justin Timberlake, Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio and More at 2023 US Open

Matthew McConaughey, Justin Timberlake, Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio and More at 2023 US Open

SEP 11, 2023

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding': How Nia Vardalos Turned Her Life Into a Franchise (Exclusive)

‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’: How Nia Vardalos Turned Her Life Into a Franchise (Exclusive)

SEP 8, 2023

TV

Awards

Selena Gomez Pokes Fun at Herself Over Viral VMA Moment

Selena Gomez Pokes Fun at Herself Over Viral VMA Moment

SEP 13, 2023

VMAs 2023: Nicki Minaj Tells Crowd to Shut Up and Debuts New ‘Pink Friday 2’ Song

VMAs 2023: Nicki Minaj Tells Crowd to Shut Up and Debuts New ‘Pink Friday 2’ Song

SEP 13, 2023

VMAs 2023: Watch Stray Kids Sing 'S-Class' After K-Pop Win

VMAs 2023: Watch Stray Kids Sing ‘S-Class’ After K-Pop Win

SEP 12, 2023

TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Anitta Debut New Collab 'Back for More' at VMAs

TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Anitta Debut New Collab ‘Back for More’ at VMAs

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Watch Doja Cat Perform 'Demons' Live For the First Time

VMAs 2023: Watch Doja Cat Perform ‘Demons’ Live For the First Time

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Shakira Performs Her Biggest Hits Before Receiving Video Vanguard Award

VMAs 2023: Shakira Performs Her Biggest Hits Before Receiving Video Vanguard Award

SEP 12, 2023

Shakira on Returning to VMAs Stage After 17 Years and 'Incredible' Video Vanguard Award (Exclusive)

Shakira on Returning to VMAs Stage After 17 Years and ‘Incredible’ Video Vanguard Award (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Demi Lovato Mashes Up Biggest Hits for Rock Medley

VMAs 2023: Demi Lovato Mashes Up Biggest Hits for Rock Medley

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Taylor Swift Loses It Over *NSYNC Presenting Her Best Pop Award

VMAs 2023: Taylor Swift Loses It Over *NSYNC Presenting Her Best Pop Award

SEP 12, 2023

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Give Debut Performance of New Collab 'Bongos' at 2023 VMAs

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Give Debut Performance of New Collab ‘Bongos’ at 2023 VMAs

SEP 12, 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Shocks Selena Gomez With Staged Malfunction During MTV VMAs Performance

Olivia Rodrigo Shocks Selena Gomez With Staged Malfunction During MTV VMAs Performance

SEP 12, 2023

Taylor Swift Stuns in Versace on the 2023 MTV VMAs Red Carpet

Taylor Swift Stuns in Versace on the 2023 MTV VMAs Red Carpet

SEP 12, 2023

Nelly Furtado on Bringing Back Nostalgia With Timbaland Collab and *NSYNC’s Reunion (Exclusive)

Nelly Furtado on Bringing Back Nostalgia With Timbaland Collab and *NSYNC’s Reunion (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

GloRilla on Collaborating With Cardi B and What She's Learned From the Rapper (Exclusive)

GloRilla on Collaborating With Cardi B and What She’s Learned From the Rapper (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Rita Ora Says Things Feel 'Natural' After Marriage to Taika Waititi (Exclusive)

Rita Ora Says Things Feel ‘Natural’ After Marriage to Taika Waititi (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Ashanti ‘Brings’ Boyfriend Nelly on Her Iconic Throwback Accessory (Exclusive)

VMAs 2023: Ashanti ‘Brings’ Boyfriend Nelly on Her Iconic Throwback Accessory (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Doechii on Embracing 'Trashy Core' at the 2023 MTV VMAs (Exclusive)

Doechii on Embracing ‘Trashy Core’ at the 2023 MTV VMAs (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Diddy's Daughters on Him Entering His 'Love' Era

Diddy’s Daughters on Him Entering His ‘Love’ Era

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Kelsea Ballerini on How Chase Stokes Is Changing Her Music (Exclusive)

VMAs 2023: Kelsea Ballerini on How Chase Stokes Is Changing Her Music (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

VMAs 2023: Tiffany Haddish Crashes Coco Jones' Interview! (Exclusive)

VMAs 2023: Tiffany Haddish Crashes Coco Jones’ Interview! (Exclusive)

SEP 12, 2023

Royals

Prince Harry Makes Unexpected Visit to Queen Elizabeth II's Gravesite on the One-Year Anniversary of Her Death

Prince Harry Makes Unexpected Visit to Queen Elizabeth II’s Gravesite on the One-Year Anniversary of Her Death

SEP 8, 2023

Prince Harry Shocks Fans With Surprise Appearance at Docuseries Screening

Prince Harry Shocks Fans With Surprise Appearance at Docuseries Screening

AUG 30, 2023

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Set to Attend the Invictus Games Amid Divorce Rumors

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Set to Attend the Invictus Games Amid Divorce Rumors

AUG 24, 2023

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Lose Their Titles on Royal Family Website

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Lose Their Titles on Royal Family Website

AUG 9, 2023

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Seen ‘Laughing and Smiling’ Amid Divorce Rumors

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Seen ‘Laughing and Smiling’ Amid Divorce Rumors

AUG 4, 2023

Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stand Amid Divorce Rumors (Royal Expert)

Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stand Amid Divorce Rumors (Royal Expert)

JUL 19, 2023

Inside Prince George's 'Surprisingly Normal' Life (Royal Expert)

Inside Prince George’s ‘Surprisingly Normal’ Life (Royal Expert)

JUL 19, 2023

Wimbledon: Ariana Grande, Kate Middleton, Nick Jonas and More Stars Attend

Wimbledon: Ariana Grande, Kate Middleton, Nick Jonas and More Stars Attend

JUL 17, 2023

Prince George Eats Pizza and Smiles With Dad Prince William During Cricket Match

Prince George Eats Pizza and Smiles With Dad Prince William During Cricket Match

JUL 2, 2023

Meghan Markle Accused of Faking Spotify Interviews After $20M Deal Abruptly Ends

Meghan Markle Accused of Faking Spotify Interviews After $20M Deal Abruptly Ends

JUN 20, 2023

Prince William Responds After Troops Faint During Outdoor Rehearsal Ceremony

Prince William Responds After Troops Faint During Outdoor Rehearsal Ceremony

JUN 12, 2023

Watch Prince William's Reaction to a Man's Cheeky Comments About Kate Middleton

Watch Prince William’s Reaction to a Man’s Cheeky Comments About Kate Middleton

JUN 9, 2023

Prince Harry Gets Visibly Choked Up After Second Day of Testifying in Court

Prince Harry Gets Visibly Choked Up After Second Day of Testifying in Court

JUN 7, 2023

Prince Harry and Meghan's Daughter Lilibet's Birthday Was Not Publicly Acknowledged by Royal Family

Prince Harry and Meghan’s Daughter Lilibet’s Birthday Was Not Publicly Acknowledged by Royal Family

JUN 5, 2023

Prince Harry Loses Legal Challenge to Pay for Police Protection When He Visits the U.K.

Prince Harry Loses Legal Challenge to Pay for Police Protection When He Visits the U.K.

MAY 23, 2023

How Lionel Richie Pulled Off King Charles and Camilla's 'American Idol' Cameo (Exclusive)

How Lionel Richie Pulled Off King Charles and Camilla’s ‘American Idol’ Cameo (Exclusive)

MAY 15, 2023

Sir Karl Jenkins Speaks Out After Internet Thought He Was Meghan Markle in Disguise at Coronation

Sir Karl Jenkins Speaks Out After Internet Thought He Was Meghan Markle in Disguise at Coronation

MAY 10, 2023

Ryan Seacrest and Luke Bryan React to Katy Perry's Viral Moment at King's Coronation (Exclusive)

Ryan Seacrest and Luke Bryan React to Katy Perry’s Viral Moment at King’s Coronation (Exclusive)

MAY 8, 2023

Prince Harry's Facial Expressions Steal the Spotlight During King Charles' Coronation

Prince Harry’s Facial Expressions Steal the Spotlight During King Charles’ Coronation

MAY 8, 2023

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

MAY 6, 2023

Movies

'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' Trailer No. 1

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Trailer No. 1

8H AGO

'Trolls Band Together' Trailer No. 2 Features New *NSYNC Song!

‘Trolls Band Together’ Trailer No. 2 Features New *NSYNC Song!

10H AGO

Salma Hayek on Her ‘Growing’ Friendship With Angelina Jolie and Viral Bikini Pics! (Exclusive)

Salma Hayek on Her ‘Growing’ Friendship With Angelina Jolie and Viral Bikini Pics! (Exclusive)

12H AGO

'Haunted Mansion': LaKeith Stanfield Gets Spooked By a Floating Head (Deleted Scene)

‘Haunted Mansion’: LaKeith Stanfield Gets Spooked By a Floating Head (Deleted Scene)

SEP 13, 2023

Watch 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's Official Teaser Trailer

Watch ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s Official Teaser Trailer

SEP 10, 2023

Priscilla Presley Tears Up Discussing 'Love of My Life' Elvis at Venice Film Festival

Priscilla Presley Tears Up Discussing ‘Love of My Life’ Elvis at Venice Film Festival

SEP 4, 2023

Gwyneth Paltrow Reacts to Fans Asking Why She Hasn’t Returned to Marvel

Gwyneth Paltrow Reacts to Fans Asking Why She Hasn’t Returned to Marvel

SEP 1, 2023

50 Cent Allegedly Launches Microphone Into Concert Crowd, Hits Fan in Head

50 Cent Allegedly Launches Microphone Into Concert Crowd, Hits Fan in Head

AUG 31, 2023

Amal Clooney Stuns in Lace Gown as She Accepts DVF Leadership Award

Amal Clooney Stuns in Lace Gown as She Accepts DVF Leadership Award

AUG 31, 2023

'Five Nights at Freddy's' Trailer No. 2

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Trailer No. 2

AUG 30, 2023

Harrison Ford Reacts to Aging Transformation in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Featurette

Harrison Ford Reacts to Aging Transformation in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Featurette

AUG 28, 2023

'Bottoms': Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott on Playing Teens in R-Rated Lesbian Comedy

‘Bottoms’: Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott on Playing Teens in R-Rated Lesbian Comedy

AUG 24, 2023

Watch Steve Buscemi and John Cena Laugh Uncontrollably on Set of ‘Vacation Friends 2’ (Exclusive)

Watch Steve Buscemi and John Cena Laugh Uncontrollably on Set of ‘Vacation Friends 2’ (Exclusive)

AUG 24, 2023

'EXPEND4BLES' Trailer No. 2

‘EXPEND4BLES’ Trailer No. 2

AUG 23, 2023

'The House Bunny' Turns 15: Watch Anna Faris and Emma Stone's On-Set Interviews (Flashback)

‘The House Bunny’ Turns 15: Watch Anna Faris and Emma Stone’s On-Set Interviews (Flashback)

AUG 22, 2023

Angelina Jolie: Movies That Made Us Fall in Love

Angelina Jolie: Movies That Made Us Fall in Love

AUG 18, 2023

'Blade' at 25: How Wesley Snipes Created the Marvel Hero’s Voice and Style (Flashback)

‘Blade’ at 25: How Wesley Snipes Created the Marvel Hero’s Voice and Style (Flashback)

AUG 18, 2023

'Blue Beetle' Director Ángel Manuel Soto on Strike's Impact and DCU Future (Exclusive)

‘Blue Beetle’ Director Ángel Manuel Soto on Strike’s Impact and DCU Future (Exclusive)

AUG 17, 2023

'Crazy Rich Asians' Turns 5! What We Know About the Sequel

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Turns 5! What We Know About the Sequel

AUG 16, 2023

'No Hard Feelings': Jennifer Lawrence Forgets Her Lines in Blooper Reel (Exclusive)

‘No Hard Feelings’: Jennifer Lawrence Forgets Her Lines in Blooper Reel (Exclusive)

AUG 14, 2023

Inside Black Hollywood

Watch Tia Mowry's Brother React to Surprise Visit With Their Father

Watch Tia Mowry’s Brother React to Surprise Visit With Their Father

JUN 28, 2023

Kevin Hart's Daughter Heaven Cries After He Gifts Her a Car for Graduation

Kevin Hart’s Daughter Heaven Cries After He Gifts Her a Car for Graduation

MAY 26, 2023

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

Pretty Yende Reflects on ‘Wonderful’ Experience at King Charles’ Coronation (Exclusive)

MAY 6, 2023

'College Hill' Trailer: Ray J, Amber Rose and More Get Schooled in Season 2 of Celebrity Edition (Exclusive)

‘College Hill’ Trailer: Ray J, Amber Rose and More Get Schooled in Season 2 of Celebrity Edition (Exclusive)

APR 25, 2023

Tupac Shakur Talks Music, Acting and Public Image in Rare Interviews (Flashback)

Tupac Shakur Talks Music, Acting and Public Image in Rare Interviews (Flashback)

APR 21, 2023

Sonequa Martin-Green on Michael's Future After 'Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Season (Exclusive)

Sonequa Martin-Green on Michael’s Future After ‘Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Season (Exclusive)

MAR 10, 2023

'Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams React to SAG Awards Win (Exclusive)

‘Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams React to SAG Awards Win (Exclusive)

FEB 26, 2023

Sheryl Lee Ralph on Twinning With Rihanna During Super Bowl Performance (Exclusive)

Sheryl Lee Ralph on Twinning With Rihanna During Super Bowl Performance (Exclusive)

FEB 13, 2023

Super Bowl LVII: Babyface Reflects on 'America the Beautiful' Performance (Exclusive)

Super Bowl LVII: Babyface Reflects on ‘America the Beautiful’ Performance (Exclusive)

FEB 12, 2023

Babyface on Taking Super Bowl and 'America the Beautiful' Performance 'Very Seriously' (Exclusive)

Babyface on Taking Super Bowl and ‘America the Beautiful’ Performance ‘Very Seriously’ (Exclusive)

FEB 8, 2023

GRAMMYs: Questlove Says Will Smith Dropped Out of Hip Hop 50 Tribute Last Minute (Exclusive)

GRAMMYs: Questlove Says Will Smith Dropped Out of Hip Hop 50 Tribute Last Minute (Exclusive)

FEB 5, 2023

'Golden Globes': Janelle James on Sitting Near Brad Pitt and 'Abbott Elementary's Win (Exclusive)

‘Golden Globes’: Janelle James on Sitting Near Brad Pitt and ‘Abbott Elementary’s Win (Exclusive)

JAN 10, 2023

Angela Bassett Used to Send Handwritten Cards to Promote Early Acting Gigs (Exclusive)

Angela Bassett Used to Send Handwritten Cards to Promote Early Acting Gigs (Exclusive)

JAN 6, 2023

Remembering Whitney Houston: Inside Her Rise to Fame

Remembering Whitney Houston: Inside Her Rise to Fame

DEC 16, 2022

Angela Bassett on Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Black Panther’ Cameo and Her Possible Oscar Nom (Exclusive)

Angela Bassett on Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Black Panther’ Cameo and Her Possible Oscar Nom (Exclusive)

NOV 21, 2022

'Black Panther': Danai Gurira on Okoye's MCU Future With Midnight Angels (Exclusive)

‘Black Panther’: Danai Gurira on Okoye’s MCU Future With Midnight Angels (Exclusive)

NOV 21, 2022

'Black Panther’s Winston Duke Shares Message About Grief Following His Mother's Death (Exclusive)

‘Black Panther’s Winston Duke Shares Message About Grief Following His Mother’s Death (Exclusive)

NOV 1, 2022

'Black Panther': Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli on 'Wakanda Forever's Latinx Influence (Exclusive)

‘Black Panther’: Mabel Cadena and Alex Livinalli on ‘Wakanda Forever’s Latinx Influence (Exclusive)

OCT 31, 2022

Michaela Coel on How 'Black Panther 2' Explores Grief Following Chadwick Boseman's Death (Exclusive)

Michaela Coel on How ‘Black Panther 2’ Explores Grief Following Chadwick Boseman’s Death (Exclusive)

OCT 27, 2022

Ryan Coogler on Honoring Chadwick Boseman in 'Wakanda Forever' and Rihanna's New Single (Exclusive)

Ryan Coogler on Honoring Chadwick Boseman in ‘Wakanda Forever’ and Rihanna’s New Single (Exclusive)

OCT 26, 2022

Source link

Taylor Swift Fans Out Over Nelly Furtado

NOW IN THEATERS! Tim Brown’s action thriller, The Retirement Plan, definitely falls in the category of popcorn movies—lots of action and lots of Nic Cage.

Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her husband, Jimmy (Jordan Johnson-Hinds), are in big trouble. Always looking for a big break in life, Jimmy steals a hard drive with valuable information that crime lord Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) is sworn to protect. The problem is Donnie works for an even more dangerous mob boss, who in turn works for someone higher up…like real high.

Realizing they’re in trouble, Ashley hides the hard drive in her daughter Sarah’s (Thalia Campbell) backpack and puts her on a plane to stay with her estranged father Matt (Nicolas Cage)…or is it Jim?

Meanwhile, Ashley and Jimmy have been pinched by Donnie, who realizes that Sarah has the hard drive. He tells Ashley she will go with his goon Bobo (Ron Perlman) and retrieve the hard drive, or poor Jimmy dies. The problem for Donnie is that Matt (or Jim) once worked covert ops for the government, possesses a particular set of skills, and is owed a few favors from his former superiors.

“…Jimmy steals a hard drive with valuable information that crime lord Donnie is sworn to protect.”

Let’s be real! This is a Nic Cage vehicle. We’re here to see Cage in action, and like everything else he does, this is a very different experience. The one thing that surprises you is that, unlike his characters in Con-Air, The Pig, Renfield, or Willy’s Wonderland, Nic plays the role pretty straight…as if it was Nic Cage and possessed said skills.

The film is about family. He is a bit of a wisecracker, which plays into the fact that his character was a horrible dad. Matt needs to realize that he’s a grandfather now and that he was never around for Ashley all her life, which ultimately led her to a life of scams and other crimes. The soul of the film comes in Matt mending his relationship with Ashley, forging a very different one with Sarah, and protecting them at all costs.

Overall, The Retirement Plan falls in the comedic, crime thriller genre. Not only is Nic a bit over the top but also Jackie Earle Haley, who gives an aggressive performance as crime boss Donnie with a temper problem. There’s nothing understated about Donnie at all. Ron Perlman is the loveable hitman who forms a bond with Sarah (when he kidnaps her)—very reminiscent of the Baker.

This is an action film, and the fun is in the action. Cage gets to show off his special skills with unique bits of punctuation after each kill—lots of chases, gun plays, and hand-to-hand fighting. I think the only disappointment you’ll feel is that everything is done for comedic effect. The Retirement Plan is much lighter in tone than you probably want it to be.

With The Retirement Plan, we are not exactly changing the world here. We’re buying the popcorn and going along for a very wild adventure. It’s a bit of a departure from what we expect from Nic Cage, but fun nonetheless.

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NOW IN THEATERS! Tim Brown’s action thriller,

YouTuber Tiago Eugenio dies after 80 days in a coma following car crash: Portuguese star’s mother pays tribute to her ‘great warrior’

  • The Portuguese star, 28, suffered serious injuries following car crash in Algarve 

YouTuber Tiago Eugenio has died after spending 80 days in a coma following a horror car crash. 

The Portuguese star suffered serious injuries following the crash on the motorway in the Algarve on 23 June, with the 28-year-old having to be extracted from the vehicle by firefighters.

Eugenio was rushed to Faro hospital where he spent 80 days in intensive care in a coma – but the star died as a result of his injuries on Thursday morning. 

His mother confirmed the news while paying an emotional tribute to her ‘great warrior’ who ‘fought for 80 days’. 

Eugenio was born in São Brás de Alportel, a town in the Algarve region of Portugal, and became a YouTube star after starting his channel four years ago. On his channel he would vlog about his life, from how he deals with negative comments on YouTube to going to through a surgical procedure on his teeth. 

Following his death, Eugenio’s mother wrote on social media on Thursday: ‘One of the things I always asked God for was that I would never have to go through pain like this. I want to inform you that my love, my Tiago, left this morning.

YouTuber Tiago Eugenio has died after spending 80 days in a coma following a horror car crash

The Portuguese star suffered serious injuries following the crash on the motorway in the Algarve at the end of June, with the 28-year-old having to be extracted from the vehicle by firefighters

The Portuguese star suffered serious injuries following the crash on the motorway in the Algarve at the end of June, with the 28-year-old having to be extracted from the vehicle by firefighters

‘He fought for 80 days. A great warrior, but God wanted it that way. I can only accept it with enormous pain, which destroys my heart.’ 

She added: ‘To you my beautiful love, mother just wants you to leave in peace.

‘You will definitely have your grandmothers waiting for you, a part of me goes with you. I will love you forever. One day we will meet.’ 

Eugenio had 161,000 followers on Instagram and 8,600 YouTube subscribers and in one video he explained that he had needed a break from social media in 2020 due to negative comments he received. 

But he came back online in 2021 and said that he learned to not open any negative messages and ‘move on’ from it with the help of his family. 

Eugenio wrote on Instagram that the coronavirus lockdown was ‘hard’ but had allowed him to have time offline, which he described as ‘regenerative and therapeutic’.

He would often post selfies on Instagram, with his latest being posted on June 1, just days before he was left in a critical condition in the car crash. 

Emergency services rushed to the scene near the village of Boliqueime on June 23 at around 5am and found Eugenio trapped in the wreckage of the destroyed car, according to reports. Firefighters carefully removed the star, who was unconscious, before taking him to Faro Hospital. 

Eugenio, who had 161,000 followers on Instagram and 8,600 YouTube subscribers, had been left in a critical condition following the crash on the A22 motorway near the village of Boliqueime on June 23

Eugenio, who had 161,000 followers on Instagram and 8,600 YouTube subscribers, had been left in a critical condition following the crash on the A22 motorway near the village of Boliqueime on June 23

Eugenio spent 80 days in an induced coma before passing away on Thursday, with his friends joining his mother to pay tribute to the YouTuber. 

One friend posted a picture of herself and her husband with Eugenio on their wedding day with the message: ‘My dear friend you will never be forgotten, you will always be in my heart, rest in peace my friend.

‘I leave here a memory of a day so important to me that you were part of, I thank you for everything you did on this day. Until one day my friend.’

Another friend wrote: ‘I want to send my condolences to all of Tiago’s family, friends and fans! I’m still in shock. 

‘He was one of the first people who believed in me from the beginning. And knowing that today we lost a fantastic person leaves my heart in my hands. 

‘I had already thanked him several times, but I want to thank him again for how important it was for him to believe in me. I know you will always be up there supporting me and giving me strength every day. Rest in peace.’ 

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Former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has been named to the board of Roblox Corporation, the company behind the online game platform and game-creation system.

Kilar, who also serves on the board of directors of Wealthfront and Opendoor Technologies, exited his post as CEO of WarnerMedia on the eve of the company’s acquisition by Discovery in April 2022. Coincidentally, Kilar’s announcement came on the same day as that for the new job of another high-level WarnerMedia exec who left as a result of the merger, Brett Weitz, former General Manager Of TNT, TBS & truTV. He is joining Elon Musk’s X.

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On the Roblox board, Kilar is joining former top TV executive Andrea Wong, who has been serving on multiple boards since her most recent executive job at Sony.

Kilar also joins board chairman and Roblox CEO David Baszucki, lead independent director Anthony P. Lee, and board members Christopher Carvalho and Gina Mastantuono

Prior to his role at Warner Media, Kilar was co-founder and CEO of Vessel Group and CEO of Hulu.

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Former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has been

German actress Eva Hassmann has crafted an engaging showcase for herself with her debut feature as a writer, producer, director and star. Serving as the opening night film of the Oldenburg International Film Festival, Willie and Me is the sort of ramshackle road movie they hardly make any more. Checking your credibility at the door is the best way to experience the film, which serves as Hassmann’s love letter to both Willie Nelson and herself (America, not so much), and features cameo turns by Nelson and the late Peter Bogdanovich in his last screen appearance.  

Opening with a flashback set in 1993 depicting how, as a teenager, Greta coped with her troubled mother by listening to Willie’s music, the film flashes forward to the present, when she’s now married and desperate to attend Nelson’s farewell concert in Las Vegas (as if Willie’s ever going to stop). To that end, she sells her husband’s Porsche for a measly $7,500 to pay for the trip and leaves without telling him, accidentally burning down their kitchen in the process. Needless to say, her abrupt departure is accompanied by Willie warbling “On the Road Again.”

Willie and Me

The Bottom Line

A charming if scattershot cinematic mash note.

Venue: Oldenburg International Film Festival
Cast: Eva Hassmann, Willie Nelson, Peter Bogdanovich, Blaine Gray, Thure Reifenstein, Darby Stanchfiled
Director-screenwriter-producer: Eva Hassmann

1 hour 27 minutes

Arriving for some reason in Reno, Greta checks into a motel whose friendly clerk (Bogdanovich) likes to surreptitiously take a nip now and then, and is barely there for five minutes when she runs into — what else — an Elvis impersonator, Nick (Blaine Gray), who offers the beautiful foreign stranger a friendly welcome.

Things only go downhill for Greta from there, as she makes the mistake of getting drunk with a guy who picks her up and wakes up to discover that she’s missed her flight to Vegas and that he’s robbed her. Nick lends her his truck and she sets off on the road again, but doesn’t get far before she falls victim to a female con artist accompanied by three young children who hitch a ride after telling her that they’re “on their way to see their dying grandpa.” After instructing her to take a detour in search of a rest stop, they steal her truck and leave her in the desert.

As you’ve no doubt figured out by now, credibility isn’t exactly the film’s strong suit (nor would it be likely to be endorsed by the Nevada Department of Tourism), and the narrative only gets loopier from there.  But much like the songs of Willie Nelson that populate its soundtrack, the film relies on a general uplifting atmosphere as the indefatigable Greta stops at nothing to fulfill her dream. Along the way, she gets bitten by a rattlesnake, is rescued by a mysterious stranger, has a heartwarming up-close-and- personal encounter with her idol and falls for Nick.

That the mysterious stranger, whose face seems to be covered in soot, is played by Nelson himself provides an example of the film’s charming playfulness (the episode seems reminiscent of Melvin and Howard). Most of the proceedings are too silly for words, but any movie in which you get to see the then-octogenarian singer (he turned 90 earlier this year) exuberantly perform a German folk dance has to be treasured. Formerly a frequent player in films and television movies (he’s terrific in Michael Mann’s 1981 classic Thief), Nelson provides such a warm, reassuring presence here that you realize how much he’s been missed onscreen. The concert scenes in which he’s seen performing excerpts of some of his biggest hits are another bonus.

Hassmann, whose film and television credits date back nearly 30 years, proves more accomplished as an actress than filmmaker, with one sequence involving Greta’s car running over a rabbit particularly clumsily handled. But she’s a fine screen comedian, willing to downplay her striking looks with a go-for-broke silliness that proves endearing.

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German actress Eva Hassmann has crafted an

Veteran Broadway actor Michael McGrath died Sept 14 at his home in Bloomfield, NJ, Broadway World reported Thursday night. He was 65.

McGrath is known for originating the role of Patsy in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, which earned him Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He won a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards in the same category for playing Cookie McGee in Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012),.

McGrath also starred as Ralph Kramden in the 2017 musical production of The Honeymooners. His additional Broadway credits include the play Is He Dead? and originating the role of Mr. Simmons in Memphis.

On TV, McGrath served as announcer/sidekick on The Martin Short Show.

McGrath is survived by his wife of 30 years, actor Toni DiBuono, whom he met while working in a Boston production of Forbidden Broadway, and daughter, actress Katie Claire McGrath.

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Veteran Broadway actor Michael McGrath died Sept

For weddings a century ago, Swan said, “they would give away 50 or 60 heads of horse, feed 400 or 500 people for a week.” In one account from 1932, in Hominy, Okla., the father of the bride bought five new Chevrolet roadsters and gave them away, Swan added. “He said he spent some $50,000 on that wedding” — over $1 million in today’s dollars.

That level of festivity was generally reserved for the eldest sons or daughters of a family, during the era of arranged marriages, and was limited primarily to full-blooded Osage, like Mollie Kyle. (Such festivities would have been unlikely for an Osage woman marrying a white man, as she does in the movie, Swan pointed out — but that was Scorsese’s creative license.)

The scene is a moment of lightness in a story that is otherwise wrenching. In his book, Grann writes that there were probably far, far more deaths than the 24 that the F.B.I. arrived to solve.

O’Keefe grew up in Pawhuska, Okla., the capital of Osage lands. “Everybody has a connection to the story,” she said. “There isn’t a district that doesn’t, because everybody within our communities lost someone, our family members, due to strange circumstances.”

The wedding coats are one emblem from that time that has been rewoven again and again; after World War II, they were worn at the Osage’s traditional summer community dance, instead of at weddings. It’s a rare and vivid example of a historical garment that attains cultural longevity, Swan said, while also being “recharted.”

At a recent dance, there were six or eight “bridesmaids,” O’Keefe said, “dressed in all these different wedding coats and hats, that were all given away to families.”

Each woman only gets one outing with a coat. In a dance that has hardly changed for more than a century, it’s a deeply symbolic moment, Shaw Duty noted. “People will always remember who wore them, who made them,” she said. “It’s all our own little Osage world, going on here, and it fills us with happiness.”

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For weddings a century ago, Swan said,

Striking workers in California, including writers and actors still picketing Hollywood studios, would be eligible for unemployment benefits under legislation state lawmakers passed on Thursday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom now faces a critical decision on whether to sign the bill into law and help provide financial relief to striking entertainment workers and other union members walking out during an era of rising tensions between labor and employers in California.

Under Senate Bill 799, California would become one of the few states that allow striking workers to collect unemployment benefits, joining New York and New Jersey. The bill, as strongly supported by labors unions as it was opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce, would allow striking workers to collect unemployment benefits after being on strike for two weeks.

If the governor signs the bill, it would take effect in January.

Newsom has been taking a backstage role as the Hollywood strikes drag on for more than 100 days, emphasizing he’s working with both sides.

At an event hosted by Politico on Tuesday, the governor expressed concerns about the unemployment insurance fund’s debt but didn’t say whether he would veto the bill. California’s unemployment fund is more than $18 billion in debt after it borrowed money from the federal government to pay for unemployment benefits.

“I think one has to be cautious about that before you enter the conversation about expanding its utilization,” Newsom said.

Democrats, on the other hand, have been voicing their support for the unions.

“We want people to be able to pay their rent and want people to be able to put food on their table during a strike or not during the strike. It’s the right thing to do,” said Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank), who wrote the bill, on the Senate floor.

The bill cleared the Senate on Thursday with Republicans opposing the legislation because of concerns it would harm businesses and “put the thumb on the scale” in favor of labor unions.

In California, unemployment pay is $450 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks. To be eligible for unemployment, Californians have to meet other requirements such as conducting a reasonable effort to search for work.

Labor unions, including the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, have been pushing for the bill’s passage in committee hearings. On Sept. 7, members of those unions also held a rally about SB 799, urging lawmakers to pass the legislation. Unions have strike funds to help workers pay their bills, but union leaders say that isn’t enough, especially as strikes drag on for months.

The Assembly passed the bill on Monday.

Assemblymember Bill Essayli (R-Corona) said on the Assembly floor that the legislation was fundamentally unfair to businesses since the state would in essence be taking the side of striking union members during a labor dispute.

“By doing this, we’re giving one side an advantage,” said Essayli, who voted against the bill along with other Republicans. “You’re subsidizing, with tax dollars, the labor side.”

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) voted for SB 799 but also expressed concerns about the unemployment fund’s debt and who is eligible for those benefits.

“We have to deal with this issue of it being underfunded. We have to deal with this issue of who it encompasses,” she said on the Assembly floor.

The California Chamber of Commerce argued that expanding unemployment benefits to striking workers would be akin to a tax increase for employers, since they fund the benefit. Businesses pay state and federal payroll taxes on each employee’s first $7,000 in annual wages to fund the unemployment insurance program.

But those tax dollars haven’t been enough to fund unemployment benefits. The state also borrowed $20 billion from the federal government in 2020 to fund unemployment claims. To repay that loan, employers would pay additional taxes annually.

Money from the state’s general fund also goes toward the interest on the loan, which could be paid off by 2032, according to estimates from the Legislative Analyst’s Office. The amount of time it takes to pay off the loan could be longer if more job losses happen in California.

Determining the bill’s impact on the unemployment fund is tough to predict because it depends on various factors including the number of workers on strikes and how long the strike lasts. The cost to the state’s unemployment insurance fund is “likely in the low millions to tens of millions of dollars,” according to the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s bill analysis.

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Striking workers in California, including writers

There’s a mind-bending short film from 2011 called The External World, with a ridiculously simple logline worthy of note: “A boy learns to play the piano.” The filmmaker clearly had a sense of humor because the expansive project featured a seemingly endless inventory of side characters and subplots that ultimately all come together at the end. I felt a similar vibe watching Warm Blood, an experimental new feature that hits the masses this week.


One version of its logline could read, “A young woman returns home to find her dad.” But the Modesto, California-set project becomes much more by the end, with lots of side characters making their eerie presence known during the tight 86-minute duration. It’s a trippy new ride from independent filmmaker and skateboarder Rick Charnoski that would make auteurs like Harmony Korine and the late, great Robert Downey Sr. proud.


Painting a Unique NorCal Picture

Who said experimental film was dead? Hopefully, nobody! It’s safe to say independent cinema is here to stay, even if more commercial films are taking over those highly coveted film festivals these days. Warm Blood will challenge you relentlessly and seems to purposefully mislead us, starting with an opening sequence in Los Angeles. Sure, LA is the entertainment capital of the world, but our main character Red quickly departs and heads North — to Modesto, California. Ever heard of it?

Red is an intriguing presence, to say the least. Played by newcomer Haley Isaacson, she is fun to watch despite her reserved demeanor. We’re not exactly sure what’s going on behind those distrustful eyes, and I suppose Charnoski intended it to come off that way. Plus, the movie takes place in the 1980s, with a gritty 16mm film look to match.

Factory 25

The storyline? Well, it’s technically chronological for the most part, but Warm Blood is certainly disjointed in nature as we’re thrust into the belly of the beast that is grimy, homeless-populated Modesto. For a sort of experimental narration component, Charnoski uses the real-life diary of the teenage runaway, Red, who is now returning to her homeland to track down her father — who may or may not have had an affair with Red’s best friend during their adolescence. This is just one of the unnerving details we learn through Red’s monotonous recitations of past diary entries. Her voiceover delivery is reminiscent of Zendaya as Rue in HBO’s Euphoria, if that helps better paint a picture for you.

Related: Beaten to Death Review: Gritty B-Movie That’s Hard to Watch

And let’s not forget those absurdist opening titles that quickly become a series of jarring messages, rather than the expected cast & crew names. “We’d like to thank Juniors Tacos,” is just one humorous example. Then comes Red’s arrival in Modesto, and Charnoski doesn’t hold back in depicting graphic drug use on the grimy streets of this Northern California city. “Modesto is Atlantis with different letters,” says Red during another one of her narrations.

She soon meets a fellow drifter, a sort of bad boy who begins escorting her around town. And when I say “bad boy,” I mean he’s the kind of guy who won’t hesitate lighting up a cigarette next to a gas station pump, so not much. But he lives to tell the tale, even if there’s something else lurking in town that’s threatening everyone’s existence…

Likely to Make Indie Auteurs Proud

Haley Isaacson in Warm Blood (2023)
Factory 25

Outside of Red’s pessimistic psyche, Warm Blood becomes focused on a toxic river flowing through Modesto that is allegedly the cause for at least 15 dead bodies washing up on shore. It’s a juicy sideplot that comes with suspense and even dark comedy, as we often see a jaded TV correspondent (played to perfection by John Veit) report the shocking news as it comes in. In between news takes, we even witness him dish angry expletives to his camera crew as they struggle to get the correct shot. It’s funny moments like these that make Warm Blood stand out among the other experimental projects these days, as we find ourselves laughing out loud at such a grim, dystopic tale.

Related: 20 Best Indie Movies from The Last 10 Years

Another highlight is the impressive camerawork by Kelly Reichardt collaborator Christopher Blauvelt (First Cow, The Bling Ring), who captures these gritty sequences on raw 16mm film. Who said film was dead in this digital age, anyway? Plus, there is one beautiful long take in particular inside a diner, as the camera does a smooth pan of the entire restaurant in a visual move that would make acclaimed cineastes like Paul Thomas Anderson proud.

With Blauvelt’s help, Charnoski throws a lot at us with explicit depictions of street life on the outskirts of town. Locals speak right into the camera about the toxic river and more, adding yet another subgenre to this ambitious end result. One critic likened it to a sort of distant cousin of George Lucas’ American Graffiti, and the aforementioned Harmony Korine also comes to mind while watching Warm Blood, particularly his controversial project Gummo.

The film winds down with a grim, virtually silent Antonioni-style montage of all the characters we’ve met over the film’s duration. Each looks forebodingly into the camera, and the effect will stick with you long after the unique end credits roll. We’re also left with a sort of cliffhanger ending in term’s of Red’s future on this Earth. Was it the right move to return home and reconnect with her roots? Sometimes, it’s easier said than done.

From Factory 25, Warm Blood hits select theaters this week.

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There's a mind-bending short film from 2011

The release date for the highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake sequel has been revealed. In today’s State of Play, Square Enix has revealed a new trailer for the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in which the release date of February 29, 2024 was revealed. Additionally, there will be a special Collector’s Edition of the game featuring Sephiroth.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is stated to provide nearly 100 hours of adventures for Cloud and the party. The game will cover the events after the Midgar chapter and continue on to the middle point of the adventure. In the trailer, we can see the party go to places such as the Gold Saucer and Costa del Sol as they continue their adventure and seek answers in regard to Sephiroth’s plans.

The game is stated to feature greatly enhanced features such as a vast world map to explore and synergy abilities between party members. In a letter to the audience by producer Yoshinori Kitase, the executive promises that this game will be an enjoyable experience, especially with how much fans are “dying to see one scene in particular.”

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will also have a special Collector’s Edition set which includes the game’s official soundtrack, an official artbook, and a statuette of Sephiroth surrounded by flames. The Collector’s Edition of the game will also feature additional digital content that can be redeemed such as Summons, a special necklace, and a special bracelet item.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be available exclusively on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. The game will come in two discs. New Final Fantasy Remake players can purchase a Digital Twin Pack which includes Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth and immediately gain access to Remake with some added extras. The game will be available in other formats sometime after May 29, 2024.

About the Author

Ule Lopez

A journalist from Mexico obsessed with Shiny Eevees, he wears his profession with pride as he researches current-day stories and plays JRPGs and horror games.

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The release date for the highly anticipated

Hold on to your hats, country fans. The performers are set for the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards this month.

Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Toby Keith, Wynonna Judd, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, Hardy, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown and show hosts Little Big Town will hit the stage to play their best-known hits at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The two-hour show will air on NBC and stream on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. ET. It also airs at 8 p.m. PT.

Keith and Judd also will receive career honors that night — the Country Icon Award, and the Country Champion Award, respectively. The People’s Choice Country Awards recognize the biggest and best of country music, chosen entirely by fans.

RELATED: Hulu Orders ‘It’s All Country’ Docuseries; Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning To Executive Produce

The NBCUniversal outlets say the telecast will spotlight the rich connection between country music and the Opry through chart-topping musical performances, genre-bending collaborations, tributes and surprise moments that regularly happen from the iconic venue.

NBCUniversal announced the country music spinoff of the People’s Choice Awards back in March.

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Hold on to your hats, country fans.

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Welcome to episode 338 of LOTC!! This is Double Double 19 and it’s a great one. This week the show starts off with Ian Irza and GregaMortis starting a two part series on Black Glove Mysteries where we are focusing on Lamberto Bava’s giallo films. The movies being covered are 1983 A Blade In The Dark and 1986 You’ll Die At Midnight. Lamberto is the son of the great Mario Bava and diving into some of his films is going to be a blast, we hope you will enjoy the discussions on this series. Next up GregaMortis and the Twisted Temptress takes a look at the Hulu series Castle Rock. Greg and Pearl are looking at season 1 this week. Castle Rock is based on some of Stephen Kings universe, we hope you will enjoy the talks for this series as well. We do want to make sure You the listeners remember that during the Mortis Vision segment, we do spoil the shows that we cover, so we recommend that you watch the shows before you listen to their segment.

We ask that you get your favorite snacks and beverages together and take a journey with us through, Land Of The Creeps!!

HELP KEEP HORROR ALIVE!!

MOVIE REVIEWS

1983 A BLADE IN THE DARK

IAN : 8

GREGAMORTIS : 7.5

1986 YOU’LL DIE AT MIDNIGHT

IAN : 7.5

GREGAMORTIS : 7.5

CASTLE ROCK SEASON1 EPISODES 1-10

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 DownloadWelcome to episode 338 of LOTC!! This

Receiving its world premiere at the Oldenburg International Film Festival, From Dawn Till Noon on the Sea proves a quietly unnerving and ultimately uplifting drama marked by its visual beauty and narrative restraint. This tale of three troubled souls reveals Japanese filmmaker Takayuki Hayashi to be an impressive talent with his feature directorial-screenwriting debut, which should garner attention on the festival circuit and merits international arthouse exposure.

Adapted from a manga by Shun Umezawa, the film establishes its solemnity from its opening seconds featuring a black screen, ominous whistling wind, and then a Biblical verse about a lost sheep. That could refer to any of the major characters in the story, which begins with a news report about a teenage schoolgirl, Mai (actress/model Hanon), who was kidnapped by a 20something man and confined to his apartment for 49 days, suffering from PTSD as a result.

From Dawn Till Noon on the Sea

The Bottom Line

Spare in its style, haunting in its effect.

Venue: Oldenburg International Film Festival
Cast: Hanon, Yu Uemura, Kaito Yoshimura
Director-screenwriter: Takayuki Hayashi

1 hour 17 minutes

Returning to school, Mai keeps to herself, mostly ignored by her fellow students who gossip about how they think she slept with her captor for money. She remains silent even when a few female classmates offer to help her with anything she might need. In her isolation, she finds herself drawn only to Ujie (a charismatic Yu Uemura), a disaffected, bullied student, who, when first seen, is being viciously criticized by his teammates for causing them to lose a baseball game by getting into a fight. He frequently acts out, overtly goofing off in class and talking back to his teacher.  

When Ujie finds his desk chair missing one day, he gets physically rough with another student, who says he had nothing to do with it. Before he can seriously hurt the much smaller boy, Mai gently embraces him, clearly recognizing another damaged spirit. Later, he confronts her over the intervention, sneeringly asking, “You think you’re Mother Teresa?” The bond between the two intensifies after Ujie is jumped and brutally beaten up by a gang of kids and Mai later shows up at his home and makes a surprising offer.

Interspersed throughout the film are numerous flashbacks depicting Mai’s time with her captor (Kaito Yoshimura), who seems to mean her no harm and appears to be suffering from severe depression. Sounding like a character in an Ingmar Bergman film, he somberly tells her, “I’ve lost all hope for the world. No purpose, nor meaning. It’s just an enormous machine that moves like clockwork. And we’re forced to be part of it with no explanation whatsoever until we die.” Despite his despondency, it becomes clear that she was clearly not physically or sexually abused by him during her time in confinement, which ends in unpredictable fashion.

Eliciting powerful performances from his three lead actors, Hayashi employs measured pacing and elegantly composed visuals to create a hauntingly spare, poetical effect. As might be guessed from the title, the sea emerges as a visual touchstone throughout the somber proceedings, eventually serving as the setting for a climactic scene that ends the film on a deeply moving grace note of redemption for each of its troubled characters.

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Receiving its world premiere at the Oldenburg

Jill Duggar has opened up about how she’s been “counting the cost” after choosing to come forward with her feelings about the famous Duggar family. Her debut autobiography, in fact, chose Counting The Cost as the main component of its title, and in it and subsequent interviews Jill has gotten candid about the limited money she made even while becoming a household name. 

The paltry amount? $175k. 

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Jill Duggar has opened up about how

Depending on who you speak to, Aggro Dr1ft has either been a hideous blight on the fall festival circuit or… Well, currently, there’s not exactly a consensus on what there is to love about Harmony Korine’s in-your-face fantasia, a nightmare vision of Florida made all the more hellish by its refusal to resemble anything you might expect even — or perhaps especially — from the director of Spring Breakers.

Its director claims it isn’t a movie anyway, and that he doesn’t care that much for movies at all any more. But, that said, Aggro Dr1ft has a visceral effect that’s hard to shake, and its images are unexpectedly memorable, ready to loiter in your synapses until a series of Nicolas Roeg-style flashbacks brings them racing back into your mind’s eye, long after the memories of more serious art films have faded.

If there’s a story, it’s incredibly simple: In a future dystopia, the world’s best hitman, Bo (Jordi Moller), is being stalked by the world’s most dangerous psychopath, Zion (Travis Scott). You’d think there wouldn’t be that much difference between them, but Bo is a devoted family man who cares about his family and insists that his children “shouldn’t know of my violence”. He’s a philosopher and a poet, a man who laments the fact that “the old world is no more”. “There is no more time,” he ruminates in the film’s incessant voiceover, and “no more truths.”

Thoughtful assassins are a bit of thing this season, what with David Fincher’s The Killer and Richard Linklater’s Hit Man. Neither of those films, however, have antagonists that are anywhere near as basic as Zion. While Bo mulls on the meaning of good and evil, stressing that “it’s important to find the right weapon” because “the weapon is the extension of the assassin’s soul,” Zion is an enthusiastic patron of strip clubs, where he is the life and likely financier of the party, growling, “YEAH! URGH! DANCE, BITCHES!” at scantily clad women who are already dancing anyway.

Extraordinarily, this casual, ostensibly “tongue-in-cheek” sexism isn’t the main reason Korine’s film has courted such a degree of animosity over the last few weeks (to compound this, Bo’s wife mostly expresses her love for him through the medium of twerking). It’s the sensory overload that seems to be doing the trick. Filmed on heat-sensitive cameras from NASA and enhanced with strange animations that flicker like alien X-rays under the characters’ skins, Aggro Dr1ft demands that you check out of reality and into this unfathomable, ugly-beautiful, semi-cartoon limbo world — and if you don’t accept the terms of the contract, it isn’t going to work.

Korine has compared it to a video game, and he’s right, but mostly in the sense that it captures the moment when the player stops playing for a few minutes and the world of the game just seems to suspend itself without actually freezing or stopping. The propulsive electronic score by DJ/producer AraabMuzik — which Korine asked to be turned up way beyond loud at the film’s world premiere in Venice — does a lot of heavy lifting on top of these staged moments of stasis, being weirdly self-aware in its references to myriad types of genre film scores, with elaborate, Italian giallo-style music being a particular motif that seems to recur.

As a movie, it works mostly in the sense that it has a beginning, a middle and an end, with the middle being defined simply by being the bit between the opening title and the closing credits, which appear just after a surprisingly satisfying climax. For the most part, though, we’ve been here before with Korine, notably 2009’s Trash Humpers (snippets of which turn up in Bertrand Bonello’s divisive The Beast, also on the fall festival circuit) — like Trash Humpers, Aggro Dr1ft is both an endurance test and a trip, a hypnotic non-movie that nevertheless casts its own kind of spell.

In the real world, very few are likely to see it, let alone make it to the end. But for those that want to see an artist thinking out loud, it’s rare to see something so pure and aesthetically relentless, with no other intention than to get inside your head. If you let it in, it will be there forever and ever, for better or for worse.

Do you dare? You might find that it’s a risk worth taking.

Title: Aggro Dr1ft
Festival: Toronto Film Festival (Midnight Madness)
Director/Screenwriter: Harmony Korine
Cast: Jordi Molla, Travis Scott
Sales Agent: Edglrd
Running time: 1 hr 20

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Depending on who you speak to, Aggro

John Carpenter’s Surburn Screams
Photo: Peacock

It’s been a while since Master of Horror John Carpenter, one of America’s best directors, has directed anything. As far as we know, Carpenter’s been more than happy to play video games, make music with his sons, and compose the scores for new Halloween movies. He’s never expressed an eagerness to get back behind the camera, but he’s doing it anyway.

Peacock’s upcoming six-episode series John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams is taking an Unsolved Mysteries approach to anthology horror. Told through documentary-style and firsthand accounts of “true tales of terror” from American cul de sacs, Suburban Screams also features cinematic reenactments and at least one episode directed by the elevated horror hater himself. Plus, there’s a trailer.

John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams | Official Trailer | Peacock Original

The trailer does live up to some of the “genre-busting” expectations Peacock promises. The show mixes talking head interviews, archival footage, local news pieces, and cinematic reenactments directed, at least in one case, by Carpenter. In addition to directing an episode and lending his name, Carpenter is also composing new music for the show.

Honestly, Peacock had us at “John Carpenter’s.” However, we do have some reservations about the format of this show, namely because it’s not something we’ve seen Carpenter do before. Nevertheless, it’s been an unlucky 13 years since he released a movie, 2010’s The Ward, so we’re not going to complain. Of course, this isn’t Carpenters’ first stab at television. He participated in the omnibus TV movie Body Bags, which also bore his name, as well as Showtime’s Masters Of Horror series, contributing two episodes.

John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams hits Peacock on October 13. Uh oh, Friday the 13th. Spooky!

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John Carpenter’s Surburn ScreamsPhoto: PeacockIt’s been a

Blue Finch Films has boarded worldwide sales on horror-thriller, “Last Straw,” set to have its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival before making its way to Beyond Fest next month.

Written by Taylor Sardoni, “Last Straw” pays homage to the pressure cooker genre films of the past and aims to present a raw and unrelenting twist on the home-invasion thriller. The story revolves around a young waitress working the late shift alone at a rural roadside diner. Her life takes a terrifying turn when she becomes the target of a group of masked assailants. As the night unfolds she must muster all her strength to survive.

This film marks the directorial debut of Alan Scott Neal and the cast includes Jessica Belkin (“American Horror Story”), Jeremy Sisto (“Thirteen”) and Taylor Kowalski (“Snowfall”). The original score is composed by Alan Palomo of Neon Indian and the cinematography is by Andrey Nikolaev.

Daniel Brandt (“I Love My Dad”), Bad Grey’s Dane Eckerle (“I Love My Dad”) and Cole Eckerle (“Mother, May I?”) produce alongside Michael Giannone and Phil Keefe representing AC3 Media, Levon Panek, and Sam Slater of Burn Later Productions.

Blue Finch Films will be starting international sales on the film during the AFM 2023.

Eckerle said: “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Blue Finch on ‘Last Straw.’ They’re a top tier sales partner in the independent genre space. We’ve long been fans of their work and we’re so excited to finally be able to collaborate with them in bringing this film to the masses. Sitges and Beyond Fest are also the perfect homes to premiere this this film and getting to share those two laurels with some of our favorite films of recent years is a dream.”

Blue Finch’s international slate includes SXSW narrative competition winner “Raging Grace,” SXSW-selected “Monolith” and Tribeca-selected Australian horror “You’ll Never Find Me.”

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Blue Finch Films has boarded worldwide sales

Over 3,000 Sobeys employees across 40 Lower Mainland Safeway stores have voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike if bargaining talks break down in the weeks ahead.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518, which covers Sobeys’ employees from Whistler to Hope, says members voted 98 per cent in favour of the move.

President Kim Novak with UFCW 1518 says members have been speaking with their employer for months and saw little movement on improving wages while the company’s profits soared.

“We’ve been bargaining with them [Sobeys] for over eight months and in that time, they have not moved above one per cent wage increases each year, and in some years, no wage increases,” Novak explained.

“Sobeys is reporting profits, reporting higher sales and our members are being left behind. Our goal now is to go get a deal that we can bring back to our members that does reflect higher wages, access to full-time jobs and respect for the work that they do.”

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This comes as the federal government is summoning the heads of Canada’s major grocery chains to Ottawa this fall to begin discussions on a plan to lower food costs for Canadians, as inflation continues to impact grocery bills.


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Trudeau says grocery chain heads to be summoned to Ottawa about rising food costs


Besides wage increases, Novak says she also wants to see members gain full-time status more quickly, citing cases where some employees despite working hard, have worked over a decade without guaranteed hours.

“We have workers who’ve been there for over 15 years who are still waiting to be considered full time,” Novak added.

“We want that barrier lifted so you can actually be full time and have the respect in the hard work that you’re doing 40 hours a week.”

Still, Novak says it’s best for everyone if a strike can be avoided.

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Bargaining talks between the union and Sobeys are scheduled for September 20 through 29.

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Over 3,000 Sobeys employees across 40 Lower

Image Credit: John Photography/Shutterstock

Sopranos alum Drea de Matteo is now an OnlyFans star! And in a candid new interview, the 51-year-old beauty opened up about just why she took the big leap. She says she was forced to take a different direction after refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine limited her prospects in Hollywood. “I didn’t know this was going to have to be a change of life, you know, all of a sudden that during a time I’m supposed to be relaxing a little bit, that I would have to switch careers and figure new things out because my own industry thinks I’m, you know, a savage,” she told Fox News Digital in an interview published Sept. 14.

“I guess you could say I was a bad girl because I did not follow the rules a couple of years ago,” she continued. “So, I don’t want to be at the mercy of mandates or strike or anything like that ever again.” Besides that, the actress seems to have a “why not?” attitude about the subscription-based site.

“I figured, ‘OK, so everybody’s in their underwear and being sexy on Instagram and I don’t do that, but I can do that and get paid for it.’ … I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner,” she told the outlet. And when it comes to the rampant criticism of stars joining the platform, she says she brushes it off.

“I know some people have said some nasty things about me having joined OnlyFans,” she said elsewhere in the interview. “But, you know, the way we see it in this house is mommy’s a warrior, not accepting defeat.” Drea has two children, whom she mentioned she’s providing for —  15 year old daughter Alabama Gypsyrose, and 12 year old son Waylon Albert “Blackjack,” both of whom she shares with ex Shooter Jennings.

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Image Credit: John Photography/Shutterstock Sopranos alum Drea de

Call it Wall Street’s Groundhog Day.

When shares of Arm, the British chip designer, began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange on Thursday in the year’s biggest initial public offering, investors, tech executives, bankers and start-up founders were watching closely for how it performed.

If Arm’s stock fell, they knew the market for I.P.O.s was likely to stay frozen for longer. But a warm welcome for the shares would probably mean many more companies going public in the coming months, ending the cold streak.

They quickly got their answer: It was an early spring. Arm’s shares opened trading at $56.10, up 10 percent from its initial offering price of $51. Shares quickly soared further, rising 25 percent by the end of trading to close at $63.59 and giving the company a fully diluted valuation of $67.9 billion.

That is positive news for listings from the grocery delivery start-up Instacart and the advertising tech company Klaviyo, which are expected to go public next week. It also provides a boost to the entire tech industry, which has been waiting for market conditions to improve for nearly two years.

“Offerings like this are often beacons to try to decipher what is the sentiment, overall, of this marketplace,” said David Hsu, a professor of management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Arm’s debut may encourage other companies to tap the public markets, he said. “If you can break a logjam in one important corner of this private market, that tends to flow all the way down to the private capital providers.”

Arm is the largest company to brave the public markets in 2023, a year that has been almost deathly quiet for I.P.O.s. The chip designer, which is owned by SoftBank, had priced its offering on Wednesday at $51 a share, raising $4.87 billion.

That stands out in a year that has been the worst for I.P.O.s since 2009, according to an analysis by EquityZen, a marketplace for private company stock. So far this year, 73 I.P.O.s in the United States — including Arm — have raised $14.8 billion, according to Renaissance Capital, which tracks public offerings. That’s a fraction of the listings during 2021, when 397 companies raised $142 billion.

There is a backlog of roughly 200 companies that should have gone public by now, according to an analysis by PitchBook, which tracks start-ups. The shoe company Birkenstock, owned by the private equity firm L Catterton, filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange this week.

“A lot of companies are exploring the market right now,” Kyle Stanford, an analyst at PitchBook, said. “The demand is there.”

Arm is a particularly interesting test of the public market because it provides an essential technology that is geopolitically and strategically coveted, which also means it faces challenges.

Founded in 1990 in Cambridge, England, the company sells blueprints of a part of a chip known as a processor core. Its customers include many of the world’s largest tech companies, like Apple, Google, Samsung and Nvidia.

Arm’s chip designs are primarily used in smartphones, but the company has pitched itself as able to ride the wave of artificial intelligence sweeping Silicon Valley. Many A.I. companies need the most advanced computer chips to do the sophisticated calculations required to develop the tech.

Arm has been the subject of much global interest, with Japan-based SoftBank buying the company for $32 billion in 2016. SoftBank, which needs a big win after years of deals that didn’t live up to their promise, is set to retain a majority stake in Arm after the I.P.O.

In 2020, Nvidia reached a deal to buy Arm from SoftBank for $40 billion. But that plan collapsed 18 months later after opposition from regulators and customers.

On Thursday, Rene Haas, Arm’s chief executive, rang the Nasdaq opening bell at the exchange’s studio in New York’s Times Square, along with Yoshimitsu Goto, SoftBank’s chief financial officer, and other executives. Around 2,000 Arm employees in Cambridge, England, joined the festivities through a video feed.

In an interview, Mr. Haas said he was pleased that Arm’s offering priced near the top of the proposed range but was more focused on the future.

“While today is an amazing day, I’m far, far more excited about the next five to 10 years,” he said. Arm has been diversifying to place its technology in myriad other products equipped with some level of computing power, including cars, consumer products and data centers.

The company is not receiving any proceeds from the offering, since all shares were sold by SoftBank. Arm had more than $2 billion in cash and short-term investments to fund its activities as of the end of June.

SoftBank, which needed a big win from Arm after stumbles with other investments, had bought back Arm shares from investors a few weeks ago at a valuation of $64 billion.

In an interview with CNBC, Masayoshi Son, SoftBank’s chief executive, said he paid that price tag because of his confidence in Arm’s future and that he expected the stock to have “good upside” over the long term.

He added that SoftBank was unlikely to sell more of its roughly 90 percent stake in the company. “Our intent is to hold as much as possible as long as possible,” he said.

Investors remain cautious to skeptical about other tech companies — such as Instacart and Klaviyo — that are readying to go public, with expectations low.

Instacart, which kicked off its I.P.O. pitch meetings this week by setting a price range that valued the company at $8.6 billion to $9.3 billion, counting all outstanding shares, is set to be valued far below its onetime valuation of $39 billion in the private market. Klaviyo started its pitch meetings with a valuation range of $7.7 billion to $8.3 billion, slightly below its last private valuation of $9.5 billion.

To instill confidence in the public offerings, many of the companies have tried reassuring Wall Street that they are desirable investments. Before its offering, Arm said it had lined up $735 million of “stated interest” in buying its shares from companies it works with, including Nvidia, Google, Samsung, Apple and Intel.

Arm on Thursday did not disclose additional details concerning those investments, but Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company said this week that its directors had approved an investment of up to $100 million in the offering.

Instacart made a similar move, selling $175 million of its I.P.O. shares to PepsiCo. Klaviyo also announced that it had secured the investment firms BlackRock and AllianceBernstein as “cornerstone” investors ahead of its offering. Trumpeting such commitments ahead of an I.P.O. is not as common in times when the market is flush, Mr. Hsu of Wharton said.

Arm, Klaviyo and Instacart have also drawn attention to their profits. Rising interest rates and inflation have made investors more risk-averse, with many shifting their priorities from fast-growing companies to those that can make money.

The profits contrast with the many cash-burning companies that went public in the boom times of 2021, which have since seen their stock prices plummet. Bird, a scooter company once worth $2.5 billion, has fallen to a valuation of $11 million. WeWork, the office sharing company that was valued at $40 billion on the private market, now trades at a market capitalization of around $270 million.

Maureen Farrell contributed reporting.

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Call it Wall Street’s Groundhog Day.When shares

Four years ago, before COVID turned everything upside-down, a new Asian masterpiece world premiered virtually unnoticed at the Toronto Film Festival. I’m referring to “A Sun,” a multi-faceted Taiwanese family saga from director Chung Mong-Hong that seemed to shift and evolve as it unfolded, challenging what audiences though they knew about the characters. Tucked away in TIFF’s overcrowded (and under-promoted) Contemporary World Cinema section, the film easily slid under the radar.

Toronto programmers weren’t about to make the same mistake with “A Normal Family,” giving a Gala spot to South Korean director Hur Jin-ho’s complex, complacency-shattering moral study — a movie with a heightened yet easily relatable premise, and strong potential to play well around the globe. Like “A Sun,” the movie comes roaring out of the gate with a shocker of an opening scene: An aggro jerk in a blood-red Maserati tears through the streets of Ilsan, ticking off a family man in an SUV, who swerves to block his path. When that guy gets out, the reckless driver plows ahead, killing the stranger and leaving his daughter in critical condition.

Shot in slick, Hollywood-style widescreen, the film may look crisp and meticulously constructed, but its sense of right and wrong is blurry as can be — in the best sense, for those who like meaty situations worthy of debate. That startling road-rage incident sets the tone for everything that follows, escalating so quickly that audiences don’t have time to ask what they would have done in either character’s situation. The culprit, a trust-fund monster counting on Daddy to make the rap go away, is beyond saving, but his crime directly impacts two brothers.

The eldest is an attorney with no conscience named Jae-wan (Sul Kyung-gu), who gets a call obliging him to take the case. He knows just the tricks to spin the murder to a lesser charge. Meanwhile, the injured girl is rushed to the ER, where his life-saving younger brother, rigorously ethical pediatrician Jae-gyu (Jang Dong-gun), works one of his miracles. The adult siblings don’t realize they’re on opposite sides of this particular scenario until Jae-wan arranges a posh meal with his brother, and both of their wives, who aren’t afterthought characters but equal participants in important decisions.

The lawyer’s married to Ji-su (Claire Kim), a much-younger trophy bride whom the doctor’s wife, Yeon-kyung (Hee-ae Kim), teases mercilessly. But is the older woman superior or just jealous? Through the film, these four terrific actors navigate subtleties of body language and tone to convey countless nuances to the ever-shifting social dynamics. Their attitudes may be loathsome at times, but the performances are incredibly rich — especially the wives, who channel the way Edie Falco played Carmela Soprano. There was the supportive face she wore publicly and all the layers of doubt and compromise roiling beneath the surface.

“A Normal Family” was adapted from Herman Koch’s “The Dinner,” a Dutch novel that takes place entirely over the course of a turbulent family dinner, which suggests the movie could have been a stagy, single-location affair. Instead, co-writers Park Eun-kyo and Park Joon-seok expand the story across several days and myriad locations, giving Hur the room to interpret the script’s countless tensions as cinematically as possible.

While the adults bicker over dinner, they unwisely trust their teenage kids — Jae-wan’s college-bound daughter Hye-yoon (Hong Ye-ji) and Jae-gyu’s slightly younger, serially bullied son Si-ho (Kim Jung-chul) — to look out for one another. But Hur has already revealed the adolescents to be budding sociopaths in a scene where, while pretending to study, they’ve actually been streaming the accident footage, cheering on the driver like he’s the hero of some violent video game.

That same night, the teens act out in a way no one could have imagined — and most parents would find impossible to forgive. Except, when it’s your kids who were the perpetrators, suddenly forgiveness doesn’t seem so impossible. Hye-yoon and Si-ho might have gotten away with it too, were it not for an unseen surveillance camera (an extremely Michael Hanekean device in a film that brings a kind of directorial brio the Austrian helmer typically dials to a minimum). Now, the footage of their misdeed is all over the news, a police investigation is underway and both fathers are positioned to intercede on their kids’ behalf.

Alternating between humanist concern for its characters (especially the injured girl on life support) and a darkly cynical sense of humor (as when her mother asks the lawyer how much his client is offering to settle the case), the rest of “A Normal Family” reveals how ironically Hur takes the film’s title. The teens don’t seem at all remorseful about their actions, while their openly hypocritical — and increasingly histrionic — parents worry about not only their kids’ futures, but how doing what’s right might impact their own careers.

The four adult characters must not only decide for themselves whether to turn in their kids, but convince the others to go along with their decision. It’s not hard to predict that unscrupulous Jae-wan might grow a conscience, or that noble Jae-gyu would consider betraying his own values, but their wives surprise. The whole matter seems so morally ambiguous at times that it makes for an unpredictable ride, right up to the film’s abrupt, but poetically thought-provoking smash ending.

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Four years ago, before COVID turned everything

17 Movies With Star-Studded Casts That Were Actually Terrible

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17 Movies With Star-Studded Casts That Were

There is much that is lovely to gaze upon in the elegantly tailored documentary “Invisible Beauty,” about fashion maverick Bethann Hardison, whose role in her industry, starting in the late ’60s and continuing into the present, has been remarkable personally and game-changing culturally.

Those five decades — hers and the industry’s — are expertly woven together by co-directors Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng, using a cache of personal photos, a wealth of archival images, clips and interviews sewn together by Hardison’s sharing of recollections and insights. The film is also buoyed by a delicate, sometimes moody piano-led score courtesy of Marc Anthony Thomas, with some additionally vivid musical choices that match the energy of the late, “Black is Beautiful” ’60s and the fashion-fast-forward ’70s.

When there were shifts in how the fashion industry viewed models of color, Hardison was there as participant but more often catalyst. She was one of the models at the legendary Battle of Versailles runway show in 1973. She was the first Black woman to open her own modelling agency in 1984. Two years later, along with friend and supermodel Iman, she gathered models to unite as the Black Girl Coalition.

The footage of Iman, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Roshumba Williams, Tyra Banks and Hardison flanking New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Mark Green as they held a press conference taking on the lack or representation in fashion ads in 1992 provides just one of the film’s indelible moments. It’s made more so by rendering it in rich black-and-white. The filmmakers do something similar with a gathering Hardison called nearly two decades later when data made it clear that designers and their bookers were outright spurning models of color.
The film’s visual stylishness shouldn’t come as a surprise. (Mia Cioffi Henry and Tcheng are the directors of cinematography.) Yet, anchored by a discerning approach that mixes the gifts of an advertising art director with the inquiring intellect of a sophisticated documentarian, it flows gracefully from the personal to the professional and back again and again as if to argue one of the documentary’s most salient points: Systemic change requires a never-ending activism, a vigilance and a generosity of spirit. “Activism has to remain active,” says Hardison late in the film.
This is not Tcheng’s first rodeo: He directed “Dior and I,” “Halston” and “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Must See.” But this collaboration with Hardison makes the weft and warp of the personal and the cultural into something that could be called intersectional at times. It is decidedly, if wryly playful at others.

Recordings of some of the filmmakers’ phone exchanges are included. The best and wittiest might be the snippet that comes about five minutes into the film when Hardison asks, “How do you see the film starting?” It already has.

Another differently clever wink comes from actor Kadeem Hardison: “I first met Bethann…” he begins, before talking about his loving and complicated feelings for his dynamic mother. Hardison — who made his own kind of history playing Black college student Dwayne the late-’80s sitcom “A Different World” — makes several more telling and touching appearances in the documentary.
Thinking back on the partying scene of the 1970s, NYC culture maven Fran Liebowitz remarks that Hardison was different because she had a kid; she had to be grown. That doesn’t mean she was always there for her son those early years, the film makes clear. And the filmmakers make wise editing choices that allow viewers to ask their own questions and perhaps harbor reservations about the documentary’s admirable protagonist. “Invisible Beauty” allows us to see her as the quasar she remains and also as a human being still making her way, reckoning with her past and pondering her legacy.
Liebowitz makes her brief appearance in a film rife with engaging interviewees and players. Iman and Naomi Campbell stand out, as does fashion casting director James Scully. Photographer Bruce Weber talks about the first time he saw Tyson Beckford, in what is a charming origin story, in part because Weber doesn’t use it to self-aggrandize. The first Black male supermodel, Beckford became the face of Ralph Lauren’s Polo. The young Black designers who arrive late in the film provide a new generation’s look at Hardison’s mentorship and meaning.

The film’s most charming throughline might be watching this woman of action somewhat stymied as she writes her memoir. Her hunting and pecking on her iPad become a visual refrain that never gets old.

Perhaps Hardison’s astrologer said it best. Hardison (a Libra, by the way) recounts that when she was bemoaning the slowness and challenges of writing, the astrologer told her to remember she’s been an advocate for so many and telling her story is as simple as telling theirs. The documentary hews to the spirit of that advice, which doesn’t mean we don’t learn a great deal about Hardison’s upbringing.

Early in “Invisible Beauty,” Hardison admits to being something of a daddy’s girl as a kid. Her mother was lively but her father was “the intellectual.” He’d been in the armed forces when her parents met and later became an Imam. At 12 years old, she went to live with him. “It was a strict upbringing,” she says. A photo shows a handsome man, staring out, his head in a turban, his gaze daunting. But by 18, she was bristling at his rules. She’d also met her future spouse, Donald McFadden. One day, her dad returned her belongings to her mother and grandmother.

“My father just gave up,” she recounts. “I was sad about it because my father was worth admiring, but I knew I couldn’t have it both ways, either the freedom or his good opinion.” She opted for freedom. That split couldn’t have been easy. Yet that decision surely shaped the woman who has gone on to butt heads with a stubborn, backsliding, even biased industry.

“Invisible Beauty,” will likely make you hungry for Hardison’s book. But in a twist, one might wonder, can it be as good as the movie?

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There is much that is lovely to

Ahsoka made good on its promise to bring more than important Star Wars‘ characters back to the screen. The show also introduced one of the franchise’s most important locales to live-action. In Ahsoka, the mystical Star Wars realm known as the World Between Worlds returned to our screens. First introduced in Star Wars Rebels, it’s a plane that exists outside of space and time. But that’s the most basic way to understand a realm that is difficult to understand and even harder to define.

How does Star Wars‘ World Between Worlds work? What is its connection to the Force? And what makes it so important to both the galaxy far, far away, and Ahsoka Tano personally? Here’s everything you need to know about the World Between Worlds from Star Wars Rebels, everything we’ve learned about it from Ahsoka, and everything we don’t know just yet about the mysterious realm.

What Is Star Wars‘ World Between Worlds?

In the Star Wars universe, the World Between Worlds is an ethereal dimension intimately connected to the Force. It’s a collection of “ pathways and doors” that exists outside of time and space. Physically the World Between Worlds looks like it’s floating in outer space. And thanks to the countless stars that dot its exterior, it resembles a reverse, moon-sized glass snow globe.

Ezra Bridger also heard voices speaking to him from the past, present, and future inside the World Between Worlds. But others would hear different people speaking to them if they visited. They would also have very different experiences.

Lucasfilm

Also known as the Vergence Scatter (per the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary), the World Between Worlds’ translucent pathways react like water when someone walks on them. At the end of those pathways are portals that can transport travelers across both short and vast physical distances. Star Wars‘ World Between Worlds can also move people through time.

What Are Loth-Wolves’ Connection to the World Between Worlds?

A loth-wolf looks stern on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

Like purrgil, Loth-wolves have an intimate connection to the Force. But where those magical space whales can travel at hyper speeds, Loth-wolves can travel through the World Between Worlds.

Loth-wolves saved rebels on Lothal by moving them halfway across the planet in a moment via the World Between Worlds. (Initially, no human rider remembered or understood exactly what had happened.)

Loth-wold paws stepping on something that looks like black water on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

Loth-wolves can easily enter the World Between Worlds because they themselves are keys to the realm’s doors. Ezra Bridger’s own journey into that dimension—which he had made in different ways prior without knowing it, like when he got his lightsaber’s kyber crystal and when he spoke to Yoda on Dagobah—showed how Loth-wolves make travel into the plane possible. They’re essentially living portals.

How Did Ezra Bridger Access the World Between Worlds on Star Wars Rebels?

Ezra Bridger used the Force and a painting at the Jedi Temple on Lothal to open a portal into the World Between Worlds. That massive work of art depicted the Force-connected Mortis gods— the Father (Balance), the Daughter (Light), and the Son (Dark). The painting also included a pack of Loth-wolves and a bird on the Daughter’s shoulder.

Ezra placed his hand atop the Daughter’s to open the gateway to the World Between Worlds. When he touched her open palm the painting began to move. The Loth-wolves then walked away from the mural. Ezra followed them and discovered they had formed a walking circle on a rock that created an unseen door for Ezra to walk through so he could enter the realm. The stormtroopers that tried to follow him could not use it. Even though the portal remained open, the troopers crashed into the stone.

Inside the World Between Worlds, Ezra saw other portals to times and places in the Star Wars world. That included one that showed him an event that had happened two years prior.

a black circle portal with loth-wolves walking around it in the World Between Worlds on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

How Did Ezra Save Ahsoka Tano From Darth Vader Inside the World Between Worlds?

Inside the World Between Worlds Ezra saw Morai—a convor bird that frequently accompanied Ahsoka Tano—above a portal. A similar (the same?) convor bird was also in the painting of the Mortis gods on Lothal. It sat atop the Daughter’s shoulder.

A white bird with green hair on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

That portal then went from black to showing Ezra an event that had happened two years earlier inside a Sith temple. He saw Ahsoka dueling Darth Vader on Malachor, a fight Ezra did not witness in person despite also being on the planet when it happened.

Moments before Vader struck a fatal blow to Ahsoka, Ezra instinctively reached through the portal and pulled Ahsoka inside with him, saving her life. Fans of Star Wars Rebels knew Ahsoka Tano had ultimately survived that encounter, but her friends thought she had died.

What Happened With Ezra and Ahsoka Inside the World Between Worlds?

Neither Ahsoka nor Ezra understood exactly where they were. (The sacred ancient Jedi texts contained information about the World Between Worlds, but many of those remained lost or hidden until Luke Skywalker found them following the collapse of the Empire.) Fortunately for both of them, Ahsoka quickly understood the ramifications of their situation.

After saving Ahsoka, Ezra was eager to use a different gateway to save another one his dead loves ones from their fate. Another portal then seemed to give Ezra that chance. It revealed one of the worst moments in his life, when his Jedi Master, Kanan Jarrus, sacrificed himself to save Ezra, Hera Syndulla, and Sabine Wren.

Ezra in stormtrooper gear holds out his hand as he watches Kakan stopping a fiery blast moments before his death on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

Ezra wanted to pull Kanan into the World Between Worlds, same as he did Ahsoka, but she told Ezra that he would doom them all if he did. Without Kanan’s sacrifice the rest of them would have died.

Would interfering with that moment have created a paradox? If Ezra died in the past, would he have been around now to save Kanan in the first place?

We never got any answers to the obvious questions raised by messing with events of the past because Ezra let his Master go. But it’s also not clear if Ezra even had the option to save Kanan. First, because it’s not clear anyone can change the past. But also because the portal that beckoned Ezra to save Kanan might have only been a ruse by Palpatine.

How Did Palpatine Attack Ezra and Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds?

Ezra Bridger looks through a black portal in the World Between Worlds to see Palpatine over a blue flame on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

Palpatine had been trying to access the World Between Worlds via the Mortis painting on Lothal. His advisor, Minister Veris Hydan, was futilely trying to discover how to open a gateway when Ezra Bridger snuck onto the site with Sabine Wren and did it himself.

Without his own door, Palpatine tried to use Ezra to let him in. The Emperor seemed (though it’s never been definitely claridied) to create the image of Kanan’s death to make a connection with Ezra. The Emperor then used that partial pathway to attack Ezra and Ahsoka. Palpatine sent a massive energy force into the World Between Worlds and used the blue flame-like tendrils to start dragging Ezra Bridger to him. But Ahsoka severed the connection with her lightsaber, preventing Palpatine from using Ezra to enter the World Between Worlds.

Ahsoka holds back blue energy to protect Ezra on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

The two Jedi then fled the World Between Worlds, with each returning to the same location and same place in the timeline they had come from. Ahsoka followed Morai through the gateway Ezra had pulled her in from back to return to the now desolate Malachor.

There she descended further into the Sith Temple, just as viewers had seen her do two years earlier. This was the last shot of Ahsoka in season two of Star Wars Rebels.

Ahsoka walks through a triangle doorway on Malachor on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

This is what viewers saw after she left the World Between Worlds in season four. It connects her journey in this episode to her disappearance two years prior.

Ahsoka looks at a triangle doorway at a Sith Temple on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

Ahsoka did not travel forward through time after entering the World Between Worlds, she just went outside of time briefly. (At least, she didn’t move through time during this trip.)

Ezra then returned to his timeline—two years past where Ahsoka went—back to Lothal. That prevented Palpatine from accessing the mystical realm. Ezra then closed the gateway in the real world before either destroying or burying the entire Jedi Temple.

The amount of time (relative to themselves) both Ezra and Ahsoka experienced inside the World Between Worlds seemed to be how much time passed during the real world. Vader was long gone by the time Ahsoka got back to Malachor, and Ezra’s friends had made their way towards the painting by the time he returned.

What Happened to Ahsoka After She Left the World Between Worlds?

Ahsoka Tano in the World Between Worlds from Star Wars: Rebels.
Lucasfilm

Ahsoka Tano is one of the greatest and most important characters in Star Wars history. And yet we know very little about her life during one of the galaxy far, far away’s most important eras. We don’t know what happened to her after she left the World Between Worlds and before her reappearance during Star Wars Rebels final sequence, which takes place much later after Palpatine’s (original) death. That’s a gap of roughly seven years, a time when the Rebels defeated the Empire.

The only clue we have about what she did after going deeper into that Sith Temple comes via canonical Dave Filoni-illustrated digital Topps trading cards. Yes, seriously.

The first four of Filoni’s 10 Ahsoka cards show her duel with Vader and her arrival at the triangle door on Malachor, all of which we know definitely happened. The others, many of which feature her following Morai, therefore seem to indicate what happened after she walked down them. She waded through water (an aspect that has taken on far greater importance after Ahsoka), then went up another flight of stairs. There she discovered yet another portal that took her back into the World Between Worlds.

Why did she go right back to that dimension? Why did Morai lead her there? What did she find when she went in? Where and when in the timeline did she exit from? She seemingly wasn’t around aided in the Rebel Alliance’s fight in the Galactic Civil War. She only officially reemerged when she joined Sabine Wren’s quest to find Ezra Bridger after the Empire’s collapse.

Ahsoka Tano in a hooded white robe holds a staff on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

When we finally saw Ahsoka during Star Wars Rebels‘ final scene, she was clad in all white and holding a staff. If that outfit and her entire story of coming “back” from the dead sounds a lot like what happened with Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, that’s because it is. Dave Filoni has explicitly described Ahsoka’s journey and role in the franchise as being similar to the legendary wizard of Middle-earth.

An unaired scene Filoni shared between Ahsoka and Bendu, a magical Force-sensitive creature, indicates the Ahsoka we knew metaphorically died on Malachor, much like Gandalf the Grey was different when he returned to the world as Gandalf the White. (Ahsoka abandoned this look at the start of her Disney+ show, but returned to it after her second on-screen journey there.)

Like Gandalf, Ahsoka also knows why true evil must never gain access to power no one should have.

Why Is the World Between Worlds So Dangerous in the Star Wars Universe?

Veris Hydan was unable to open a portal to the World Between Worlds for his Emperor, but not from a lack of trying. Under threat of torture he forced Sabine Wren, an artist of great renown, to try and help him decipher the Mortis painting’s meaning.

During their time together, Hydan explained to Sabine why Palpatine wanted access to the dimension that serves as a nexus of all time and space. His words were one of the many ominous insights we have about the dimension’s terrifying possibilities.

Hydan with his black hood stand sin front of a painting of the Mortis gods on Star Wars Rebels
Lucasfilm

“He who controls it controls the universe,” Hydan said of Star Wars‘ World Between Worlds. Palpatine, who resurrected himself decades later, also described the World Between Worlds as “a conduit between the living and the dead.” And Ezra heard the image of the Son, who represents the dark side of the Force, ominously say, “The future, by its nature, can be changed.”

The World Between Worlds, in ways we don’t yet (and might never) fully know, is just like the Force itself. It can be used for either knowledge or destruction. It’s neither inherently good or bad; the people who use its power determine that. No wonder Filoni has said “One of the things [Palpatine] knows about it” is that it provides an opportunity for him to control “through time and space, different events through the Force.”

All of which raises an obvious question without a clear answer.

Is the World Between Worlds Star Wars Time Travel?

Ahsoka Tano opens her eyes when a beam of light hits her under water
Lucasfilm

That obvious question has two obvious answers: yes and no. If Ahsoka had followed Ezra back through his own portal on Lothal, she would have traveled two years into her own future. That sounds like the type of thing Palpatine believes he could have done if he found his own key into the realm. He wanted to stop old enemies and future ones from ever fighting him. He wanted both ancient lost knowledge and insights that lay well beyond his own years. The Emperor’s plans almost certainly included nightmares we can’t fully imagine.

Taylor Gray, the voice of Ezra on Rebels, also said Filoni explained the World Between Worlds as “essentially a place where you can go and access anything.” Filoni also told him, “Time is not a concrete thing. Time is flexible, you can go forwards, backwards, any which way.”

Just because it seems like someone can/should be able to use that realm to hop around time and change events in the past, present, and future doesn’t mean they actually can. That includes Force users as powerful as Palpatine or Yoda. But even if they can, the World Between Worlds is not necessarily “time travel” the way we think of it. The Force is never that simple.

Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka holds up her white lightsaber on her Disney+ series
Lucasfilm

Inside the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka told Ezra, “In my experience, when you think you understand the Force, you realize just how little you know.” And the more you try to understand the World Between Worlds, the more you realize how little you know and how much you might never learn. After Ahsoka we very likely will still have many unanswered questions about the World Between Worlds, how it works, and how it can be used because some answers will never exist.

But Ahsoka has revealed even more about that nexus of space and time. Palpatine was right; it is a conduit between the living and the dead. That’s how Anakin Skywalker was able to give his Padawan one final lesson.

What Has the Ahsoka Series Revealed About the World Between Worlds?

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker smiles on Ahsoka
Lucasfilm

The Disney+ Star Wars series Ahsoka introduced a new doorway to the World Between Worlds. When Lady Tano fell into the waves below the Henge on Seatos, she fell into the World Between Worlds. Just like it had long ago when Ezra pulled her in, the World Between Worlds saved Ahsoka’s life. Seatos’ Henge, “ built by an ancient people from a distant galaxy,” has clear connections with the Force we don’t yet fully understand.

The importance of how Ahsoka returned to the World Between Worlds quickly gave way to the importance of who she found there. Her former Master, Anakin Skywalker, greeted Ahsoka inside that realm that truly is a conduit between the living and the dead like Palpatine said.

Young Ahsoka Tano surrounde dby orange smoke and mist
Lucasfilm

Once Anakin realized Ahsoka was not dead like him and could return to the world of the living, he gave her a “final lesson” that gave us more insight into the World Between Worlds.

That lesson forced Ahsoka to travel back through her own memories as a young Padawan. (An experience that was not literal time travel.) During her mystical journey into her Star Wars past, Ahsoka both inhabited her younger self and maintained her older memories. She was both young and old at the same time. How? Because the seemingly impossible is anything but in the World Between Worlds.

Anakin used that nexus of space and time to make Ahsoka face the ghosts of her past and deal with the trauma that had caused Ahsoka to shutter her heart to any emotion. Once she finally she was ready to face the future. After Anakin left her, Ahsoka saw the World Between Worlds fade away as she returned to the waters of Seatos.

Chopper, Hera, and Jacen Syndulla look out at the water from the Henge on Seatos on Ahsoka as the World Between Worlds calls to them
Lucasfilm

The portal she used didn’t close entirely behind her when she entered, though. Force-sensitive Jacen Syndulla heard the lightsaber battle Ahsoka had with Anakin inside the World Between Worlds. That was not something anyone knew was possible before. The World Between Worlds might be outside of space in Star Wars world, but sound and feeling can flow between both.

What other possibilities we haven’t even considered remain a secret? Will that be the last time Ahsoka travels there? How might her meeting with Anakin have connected to her mysterious Topps trading card trip there long ago? Can other dead figures be found in that surreal dimension? And what role might it play in Palpatine’s eventual return? Those are just some of the many questions we still have about Star Wars‘ World Between Worlds, a place that raises more of them every time it gives us answers.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Ahsoka made good on its promise

Netflix and leading Indian studio Yash Raj Films (YRF) have set a multi-year creative partnership.

The two entities will “collaborate to create films and series to bring defining stories to audiences in India and across the world,” they said in a statement.

The partnership will kick off with four-part thriller series “The Railway Men,” a previously-announced tribute to the unsung heroes of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. A cloud of toxic gas escaped from an American pesticide plant, in 1984, in the central Indian city of Bhopal. It killed and injured thousands of people. The protagonists of “The Railway Men” are workers at the Bhopal railway station who saved thousands of lives. It is the first production from YRF Entertainment, the studio’s streaming production arm.

The cast is led by R. Madhavan (“Rocketry”), Kay Kay Menon (“Bambai Meri Jaan”), Divyenndu Sharma (“Mirzapur”) and emerging talent Babil Khan (“Friday Night Plan”). The series marks the directorial debut of Shiv Rawail, who has had previous stints as assistant director on Yash Raj Films productions “Dhoom 3,” starring Aamir Khan, and “Fan,” starring Shah Rukh Khan. Rawail was first AD on “Befikre,” starring Ranveer Singh, which was directed by Yash Raj Films’ chair and MD Aditya Chopra.

The second project under the partnership is also a period piece inspired by true events. Set in the 1800s, film “Maharaj” is a David vs Goliath story about how a regular man, journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role-model of society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses. The fearless reporter uncovers a series of incidents that shake the very foundation of society. The film marks the debut of actor Junaid Khan, the son of Aamir Khan, and also stars Jaideep Ahlawat (“Jaane Jaan”), Sharvari (“Bunty Aur Babli 2”) and Shalini Pandey (“Jayeshbhai Jordaar”). The film is directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra, whose last film “Hichki” was a global hit.

YRF is on a roll in 2023. The studio’s “Pathaan,” starring Shah Rukh Khan, released in January and is the biggest Indian box office hit of the year. Khan’s “Jawan,” distributed internationally by YRF, released last week and is the third-biggest hit of the year.

Netflix series “The Romantics,” about YRF founder Yash Chopra, was a hit for the service.

Monika Shergill, VP, content, Netflix India, said: “We are passionate about serving our broad audiences with series and films that they connect with and love, and we want to do more of this. Yash Raj Films have defined the essence of Indian film-making. They are one of the most respected storytellers in the industry. From ‘Kabhi Kabhie’ to ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,’ ‘War’ to ‘Pathaan,’ their signature stories have been part of our lives and continue to fuel the zeitgeist. Together, we are confident that we can entertain the world with quality films and series like never before.”

Akshaye Widhani, CEO, Yash Raj Films added: “YRF’s mission is to create entertaining, inspiring and extraordinary stories from India for the world. Netflix is the biggest streamer in the world and offers us an opportunity to tell our stories in over 190 countries. Their belief in the content-first approach, is noteworthy and synergistic with our ethos. This partnership will certainly push YRF as a storyteller to new audiences and allow them to consume Indian stories in their own languages too. India is a young and aspirational country. We have 1.4 billion stories to tell the world. We want to showcase our content, as well as provide a platform for our brilliant homegrown talent to a global audience.”

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Netflix and leading Indian studio Yash Raj

First Look: Spirit of Fear

Spirit of Fear was directed by Alex Davidson and stars Christopher Lee Page, Jordinn Ballenger, Ryann Risner and Ray Daniels.

A man wakes in an empty suburban house with no memory and blood smeared on his arm.

Spirit of Fear Reviews

“Fantastic cinematography and score are the glue that holds this film together. The ending totally sticks the landing for me. I wish there were more of these types of well thought out indie movies in the horror/suspense genre.” – RBIves-202-725352

“I can’t believe I wasted an hour and a quarter of my life on this rubbish!! It was a recommendation from a friend, and he glorified and praised it a lot, and he gave it 7/10, which made me deceived and agreed to watch it. I do not know what is dazzling about this movie, and he liked it to this degree! I’m really shocked, it’s a completely empty movie, its story is cliché, the twisted plot is weak, and it’s not worth all this tedium.” – hhhuuu-91747

“I had a very good time with this film. The production value and twists and turns this movie takes you on is top notch.” – jedijimmy101

“The worst movie you will literally waste your time watching. Self indulgent crap. There is no story. There are no characters. Nothing happens.” – fluffchop

“I would definitely recommend this film to others, especially film lovers who enjoy a sense of creep and dread like in The Shining or The Machinist.” – photo-859-401631



Spirit of Fear (2023) FIRST LOOK


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First Look: Spirit of Fear Spirit of Fear

There’s a misconception that the British are a stoic people who just might get quite cross in the event of a zombie apocalypse. But the truth is rather different, as was shown in 2005, when six people were hospitalized and a man stabbed when an Ikea store in North London put 500 leather sofas on sale for less than 60 bucks each and a riot ensued.

In that sense, Mahalia Belo’s intriguing debut The End We Start From is very much a British disaster movie, speculating just how quickly the country’s perceived veneer of respectability would evaporate in a crisis. But, more than that, it’s a dreamlike study of what it means to give birth, how life-changing the experience is and the strain it puts on relationships. It would make a great double bill with Children of Men.

When we first meet the Woman (Jodie Comer), she is heavily pregnant and running a bath. The sound of that running water merges with the torrential rain outside, a pitiless deluge that appears to have been falling for days, if not weeks. Her partner R (Joel Fry) checks in by phone, but she is very much alone, desperately mopping up the puddles that are coming in through the cracks in the door. When her water breaks, the Thames bursts its banks too, and the Woman wakes up in hospital, where she has given birth. They call the baby Zeb, and, since London is drowning and they live by the river, they brave the gridlock and drive up north.

This journey, like everything else, is covered with clarity and elliptical brevity; an argument with a policeman at a road closure is a microcosm of what’s happening all over the country as local communities are closing ranks. Nevertheless, because of the baby, they make it through to the secluded, rural home of R’s father and mother (Mark Strong and Nina Sosanya). But even this doesn’t feel right, especially when these other three take off to find food and leave the Woman alone for what seems like days. Where they go is never quite explained, though the gun they take with them does do a bit of talking on their behalf. When we see them again, they are fewer in number. There’s also a lot of blood.

In the meantime, shelters are springing up all over, so R and the Woman drive to one, only to find that they are over-subscribed. R leaves his partner and their baby there and drives away, ostensibly making a noble sacrifice, but the Woman isn’t so sure of that. At the shelter she meets another new mother, O (Katherine Waterston), and together they form quite a bond. When the shelter is attacked – presumably by pirates, targeting the food supplies – the pair take off, with O leading the way to an island commune somewhere off the coast of Scotland (apparently the kind of place where rich people go to “make sourdough”).

Such references instantly evoke memories of the pandemic and life during lockdown, but Belo’s film is above that, constantly scaling down to something much more specific. You can take from it what you like, particularly in terms of social responsibility and the potential outcomes of climate change, or even what we might think we have learned from the whole Covid saga. But The End We Start From is really very clear, and quite devastatingly simple, in terms of what it’s about: Megan Hunter’s novel is sparse enough as it is, but Alice Birch’s script really homes in on the nuances of this sometimes-brutal story of a young woman coming to terms with what it really means to open the Pandora’s box that is parenthood.

Inevitably, the genre premise will be seen as a bit of a bait-and-switch in this regard, since all the action is pretty much offscreen (we only find out after it happens that the Woman’s mother-in-law is an early victim of the mob violence that descends when food supplies run low). But it’s not a genre movie in any normal respect. Rather, Belo’s film is an impressive attempt to show how mundane the apocalypse might be (and, again, in terms of the rain, how British). It also looks at how unheroic most of us would be anyway in the face of that threat: The Woman is a hairdresser on a TV show; R is someone she met in a bar and had a child with because her parents passed away when she young, and her chief reason for wanting to get pregnant is “so I wouldn’t be so afraid of dying.” Like almost all of us, neither has survival skills.

Early in her travels, the Woman meets a traveler (Benedict Cumberbatch), who warns her that all the new communities being formed are just trying to erase the past by behaving as if the crisis had never happened (“I don’t want to forget before,” he says). The Woman will find this out later for herself, after a journey of discovery that will only pay off for audiences who understand that the path she’s on is primarily psychological, and not a hero’s quest in the traditional sense.

It’s not an especially subtle idea, but the seismic shift of giving birth is very rarely addressed as directly as this: The Woman is haunted by memories of her ex (was he really being selfless, or did he just bail on her?) and their fateful first meeting is something that Belo’s film returns to with increasing ambiguity. Is there really no going back to the person she used to be? Is that life over? Is it true when F (Gina McKee), a woman at the commune, tries to dissuade her from ever going home, telling her that the past “isn’t real anymore. What you miss doesn’t exist”?

The overall mood is somber, and it’s gnomic at almost every turn, but The End We Start From represents an aspect of parenthood that is almost never seen in movies: the things that are given up, the idea that giving birth takes away a certain amount of privacy and a serious amount of autonomy (as the Woman finds out when she’s holed up with her in-laws). Roland Emmerich can sleep easy, but there are few disaster movies that get under your skin by being as strange, creative and imaginative as this.

Title: The End We Start From
Festival: Toronto Film Festival (Gala Presentations)
Director: Mahalia Belo
Screenwriter: Alice Birch
Cast: Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Mark Strong, Nina Sosanya, Gina McKee, Katherine Waterston, Benedict Cumberbatch
Distributor: Signature Entertainment
Running time: 1 hr 42 min

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There’s a misconception that the British are

September 15th’s Wordle answer contains a repeating vowel and may just cause players to lose their daily streak if they use random guesses.

September 15th’s Wordle answer is definitely going to cause some issues as the answer features a repeating vowel in different positions. Repeating letters, let alone repeating vowels, are typically hard to decipher as Wordle does not give any other hints besides the usual. Therefore, many players tend to fumble whenever there are repeating letters. What complicates today’s puzzle further is that the repeating letters happen to be a vowel as well.


Answers with repeating letters are best solved using Wordle’s hard mode, as you are not allowed to reuse confirmed letters in different spots. If you discover the correct position of one of the repeating letters, discovering the correct position of the other becomes much easier. However, if you are still finding it difficult, using some hints might help you solve today’s Wordle answer faster.

Related: 5 Letter Words Wordle Hasn’t Used Yet (Updated Daily)


Today’s Wordle Hints (September 15th #818)

Wordle grid with the word HINTS in green

There is no easy way to solve Wordle answers that feature a repeating letter. Therefore, during dire situations, it’s best to use some clues that might prevent you from losing your daily streak. These hints only give more context about the answer and do not ruin the actual challenge. Such clues are more akin to hints used in Crossword puzzles and have proven to be a great starting point for many players. Here are four hints that will help solve September 15th’s Wordle answer:

Hint 1

There is one repeating letter.

Hint 2

The answer is used as a verb.

Hint 3

The vowels are in the 1st & 3rd positions.

Hint 4

Make a physical or mental effort.

Today’s Wordle Answer (September 15th #818)

Answer stamped on top on Wordle attempts

The September 15th Wordle answer is EXERT.

Since today’s Wordle answer has a repeating vowel and a complicated spelling, there is a good chance you might exhaust all of your attempts on random guesses. However, if you use words such as EXAMS, EXITS, and INERT, you should be able to discover the correct positions of all five letters. These attempts will also let you discover the correct positions of the repeating vowel, i.e., ‘E.’ Once you know the correct positions of every letter, you will be able to solve today’s Wordle answer with EXERT in your fourth attempt.

  • Wordle Poster

    Wordle

    Platform(s):
    iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows

    Released:
    2021-10-01

    Developer(s):
    Josh Wardle

    Publisher(s):
    Josh Wardle, The New York Times Company

    Genre(s):
    Puzzle

    ESRB:
    E

    Summary:
    Wordle is a web-based word-guessing game developed by Josh Wardle that took the world by storm in 2021. Players are given a five-letter word to guess and have six attempts to get the word correct. When they get a letter correct, it will mark itself as green if it’s in the correct position and yellow if it is the correct letter in the wrong position. A yellow letter also means that letter could appear more than once. Wordle was purchased by The New York Times Company in 2022 and added to their website and app, keeping the core game free to play as promised – with additional words and other bonuses available through subscription, and is available via browser, iOS, and Android.

    How Long To Beat:
    1h 25m

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Michael McGrath, a stage and film actor who earned a Tony Award for his role in 2012 musical “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” has died. He was 65.

He died at home in Bloomfield, New Jersey on Thursday, according to his publicist. The cause of death was not disclosed, though his demise was described as “sudden.”

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, McGrath was best known to theater audiences for his starring roles in over 14 Broadway shows including “Plaza Suite,” “Tootsie,” “Spamalot” and “Nice Work if You Can Get It.”

He was a twice nominated Tony award winner, three-time Drama Desk Award nominee, Outer Critics Circle nominee and Theatre World Award winner.

Broadwayworld reports that McGrath earned Tony and Drama Desk nominations for originating the role of Patsy in the original Broadway cast of Monty Python’s “Spamalot.” He also originated the role of Mr. Simmons in 2009 Broadway show “Memphis.” Additionally, “[McGrath] had been an ensemble member and understudy for many shows, including ‘My Favorite Year,’ ‘Swinging on a Star’ and ‘Little Me’,” the publication said.

McGrath also had a prominent TV role as the sidekick-announcer to Martin Short on “The Martin Short Show.”

His roles on the big screen included films “Changing Lanes,” and “The Interpreter.” His credits as voice cast include multiple animated features including “The Secret of Kells” and “Wolfwalkers.”

His publicist described McGrath as “a Red Sox fanatic, bourbon connoisseur, devoted husband and father and friend to anyone who met him.”

McGrath is survived by his wife of 30 years, actress Toni Di Buono and daughter, actress Katie Claire McGrath. He and Di Buono are reputed to have met on the set of the Boston production of “Forbidden Broadway.”

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Michael McGrath, a stage and film actor

The video, directed by the rapper himself, pays homage to Michael Jackson

Offset will release a new album, Set It Off, on Oct. 13 via Motown Records. The rapper has previewed the LP with “Fan” along with a music video for the track that features Paige Hurd, Kai Cenat, and Fanum.

The song was produced by Aaron Bow, FNZ, Teddy Walton, Thank You Fizzle, and Thurdi. The video, directed by the rapper himself and shot in Los Angeles, sees Offset paying tribute to Michael Jackson.

“I’ve been working on this project for over two years now. This season is personal for me. It marks a new chapter in my life,” Offset said in a statement. “I feel like Michael Jackson coming from a successful group breaking records to superstardom on my own. This body of work is healing for me and a letter to my fans and supporters.” 

Set It Off will also feature Offset’s recent single, “Jealousy,” a collaboration with Cardi B. The track samples Three 6 Mafia track “Jealous Ass Bitches.” Its music video included a guest appearance from Taraji P. Henson, who portrayed the women in Cardi B’s friend group tasked with convincing her to breakup with her man. The track marked the sixth time the husband and wife duo collaborated on the same song, aside from their work with Migos.

Offset’s last album, Father of Four, arrived in 2019. In June, he and Quavo paid tribute to their late Migos band member Takeoff at the BET Awards with performances of “Hotel Lobby” and “Bad and Boujee.” Earlier in the year, the rapper dropped “Without You” in remembrance of Takeoff, who was shot and killed in Houston last year.

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Set It Off is available to preorder now. The album will arrive in a variety of formats, including CD, as a double LP on black vinyl, red vinyl (at Offset’s store) and olive green vinyl (exclusive to Spotify), and four different box sets. Offset has also teamed up Denim Tears founder Tremaine Emory to design an official Denim Tears collection to accompany the album. 

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The video, directed by the rapper himself,

Many members of polite society secretly dream they are off on an island full of kitties. Director Sarah Jayne Portelli lives the dream of strays in the sunshine with Cats of Malta. Shot and edited by Ivan Malekin, the documentary showcases the stray cats on the island of Malta, located off the coast of Sicily, and the community that takes care of them. There’s Michelle Deguara and Salvu Gibson, who are from Australia and run a wine bar. They helped a tough three-legged cat survive and live many more happy years as king of the dock. Roza Zammit Salinos maintains a makeshift cat village in the shadows of a development. A young husky boy, Isaac Muscat, spends all his pocket money buying food for the stray cats.

Lots of folks like Malta. I am obsessed with it as it was the shooting location of Popeye and Zoom. Many more people like cats, even William S. Burroughs discovering he liked cats more than heroin. I am obsessed with kittens, too, and always have one near. They relax me and help me pull into the present. So, Cats of Malta called to me like a fat tabby hungry for supper. What a lovely opportunity Portelli offers us to look into all the little furry faces of the Maltese free-range felines. She captures the jaunty arrogance of an outdoor cat that invigorates the senses.

“…showcases the stray cats on the island of Malta…”

Just as lovely are all the friendly people who keep these little fur babies as safe and happy as possible. The devotion on display is more than heartwarming; it will downright charbroil your ventricles. Some people are forked-tongued mean to these poor animals. It is swell that such nice people are there to look after our furry pals. The people visiting the island love to see all its kitty citizens. Malta is so nuts about cats that a giant feline statue on the bay welcomes all. We get to see the figure painted with many vibrant colors, as varied as the sweet little kitties running the streets.

So, as a cat person, I am used to the ups and downs of the feline life. Portelli includes both, though I applaud her restraint from going into the real ugly stuff. I mean, there are hard facts of cat life, especially for the outdoor ones. One of these cats doesn’t even have a nose, for St. Pete’s sake. So there is some unavoidable bitterness amongst all that long-whiskered sweet.

Seldom is such a minor part of the cosmic fabric such a source of significant inspiration. Helping a stray cat is like a tiny way to help keep the universe from tipping over. Obviously, this will be a mighty potent catnip to cat people everywhere. If you love cats, you are going to love Cats of Malta.

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Many members of polite society secretly dream

Rich Fury/VF20/Getty Images

Joe Manganiello has found a new workout buddy in Caitlin O’Connor. 

Manganiello, 46, and Connor, 33, were spotted leaving Gold’s Gym in Venice, California on Thursday, September 14, according to photos obtained by Page Six. The pair were seen walking side by side and chatting before hopping in a Cadillac SUV and driving off together. 

Both actors were dressed for a sweat sesh, with Manganiello rocking a white tank top and camo shorts and Connor sporting a blue long-sleeved crop top and black leggings. 

The duo’s outing comes less than two months after Manganiello filed for divorce from Sofia Vergara. (According to documents obtained by Us Weekly at the time, the exe’s date of separation was listed as July 2.)

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello's Sweetest Moments Over the Years: Photos

Related: Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello: The Way They Were

Hot and heavy! Since Us Weekly exclusively revealed that Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello were dating in July 2104, the stars have emerged as Hollywood’s sexiest couple. From indulging in romantic gestures to meeting her side of the family, take a look back at their steamiest PDA moments.

“We have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the pair said in a joint statement on July 17, days before Manganiello officially filed the paperwork. “As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”

Vergara filed her own set of legal documents in August in which she requested for the court to enforce her and Manganiello’s prenuptial agreement. The docs state that Vergara wants certain assets to remain under her ownership and to maintain her earnings from before and during her relationship with Manganiello. Both Vergara and Manganiello are working on their divorce settlement, including the custody of their dog.

Following news of their split, a source exclusively told Us that Vergara and Manganiello, who were married for seven years before calling it quits, were no longer “on the same page” in their relationship.

“She would rather go out with friends and he would rather stay home, so they wouldn’t spend a lot of time together,” the insider explained. “They’ve been living separate lives for about a year now, so it was time to call things off.”

Despite drifting apart, Manganiello and Vergara used to have plenty in common – including their workouts. Vergara previously opened up about the Magic Mike star inspiring her to get in shape. 

“I’ve been doing more exercises now because Joe, of course, loves working out, and I understand more how important it is for health,” Vergara told Extra in 2015. “Sometimes we do it together. We have a trainer that does at the same time.”

While Manganiello finds a new fitness pal in O’Connor, Vergara is busy fielding questions about her single status as she serves as a judge on America’s Got Talent. On the Wednesday, September 13, episode of the NBC series, Vergara was asked to take a lie detector test by fellow judge Simon Cowell. She answered several questions before costar Howie Mandel pushed her too far.

“Do you see anyone in the audience that you’re interested in?” Mandel, 67, pressed. Vergara’s mouth hung open in shock before she jokingly replied, “That’s It!” The actress then ripped off the lie detector’s arm cuff and walked back to her seat at the judges’ table.

This isn’t the first time Mandel has referenced Vergara’s relationship status on the show. Last month, the comedian told 12-year-old ventriloquist Brynn Cummings to talk to Vergara about guidance about “eligible bachelors” because the Modern Family star is “in the market right now.”

Anna Paquin Rutina Wesley Sam Trammell True Blood Where Are They Now

Related: ‘True Blood’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

I wanna do bad things with you! True Blood hooked fans in with its dark depiction of vampire life in Bon Temps, Louisiana, in 2008, and its pull is still felt by many of the show’s fans today. From 2008 to 2014, viewers tuned in to see telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) attempt to […]

Vergara, for her part, played along by waving her hands in the air, saying, “Yes!”

Mandel later defended the quips in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, telling the outlet he was “helping” his friend and insisted Vergara found the joke “funny.” 

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Rich Fury/VF20/Getty Images Joe Manganiello has found a

The company behind some of the best mini PCs we’ve seen is on the cusp of launching a tablet that could be fitted with DisplayPort as an input – meaning it could double as a portable external monitor.

The forthcoming device will be a 2-in-1 machine with support for a detachable keyboard as well as a pressure-sensitive pen, which uses the Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.0, according to Liliputing. Minisform also told the publication the device will have a 14in 2,560 x 1,600 LCD display with a slick 165Hz refresh rate. 

It’ll also be powered by an AMD Ryzen chip augmented with AI capabilities, meaning it’s likely the device may include features to improve the hybrid working experience such as automatic frame rates during videoconferencing and eye contact correction.

(Image credit: Minisforum)

Dual-screen on the go with Minisform’s next-gen tablet

Most staggeringly, however, is the possible inclusion of DisplayPort input. While it isn’t difficult to find a top portable display, so you can dual-screen on the go, finding a fully functioning 2-in-1 that can double as one is extremely rare.

Although the Chinese manufacturer predominantly manufactures small PCs, it does occasionally develop tablets too. In March, for example, it unveiled a 2-in-1 fitted with an Intel Core i5 CPU as well as up to 32GB RAM and 1TB NVMe memory.

Based on information the company has teased, however, it does appear it’s keen to enter the high-end tablet market with this entry.

The forthcoming device will be fitted with AMD’s eight-core Ryzen 7 7840U APU chip, alongside a Radeon RX 780M GPU, according to AnandTech, although the publication adds the caveat that the manufacturer may yet go in a different direction – with AMD also set to introduce its next generation of Ryzen 8000 CPUs, dubbed the ‘Strix’ family.

The firm expects to launch the device in early 2024 – with more details likely to emerge at the next Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

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The company behind some of the best

Showtime’s upcoming film Heist 88 dropped its official trailer today teasing the action-packed crime drama starring Emmy Award-winner, Courtney B. Vance.

The film will stream on the Paramount+ with Showtime plan on Friday, September 29, ahead of its linear debut via Showtime on Sunday, October 1, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. 

From writer and executive producer Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, and inspired by true events, Heist 88 tells the unbelievable story centered on Jeremy Horne (Vance), the criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything and who decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the U.S. banking system.

The film takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today. It reunites Vance with Keesha Sharp, who portrayed Dale Cochran in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Bentley Green, who recently starred alongside Vance in the drama series 61st Street. HEIST 88 also stars Keith David, Xavier Clyde, Nican Robinson and Precious Way.

Heist 88 is written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran with Menhaj Huda serving as director. The film is executive produced by Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Lynnette Ramirez, Floris Bauer and Dwayne Johnson-Cochran for Bassett Vance Productions and Van Toffler and Barry Barclay for Gunpowder & Sky. Amal Baggar, Mychael Chinn, Donny Hugo Herran, Marcia Landsdown and Janee Dabney serve as executive producers for MTV Entertainment Studios with Carlos Lugo serving as executive in charge of production.

Watch the trailer in full above.

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Showtime’s upcoming film Heist 88 dropped its

Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for Parkwood/Shutterstock

Beyoncé, 42, returned to the stage this summer for her highly-anticipated Renaissance World Tour! The tour kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 17, 2023, and commenced just over a year after Queen B dropped the Renaissance album. Not only were countless members of the Beyhive ready to see the 42-year-old back on stage, but many celebrities were also anticipating Beyoncé’s tour in 2023.

The mother-of-three even celebrated her birthday on Sept. 4 by performing onstage in Inglewood, CA! Bey’s idol Diana Ross notably surprised the “Cuff It” hitmaker that evening by singing “Happy Birthday” for her amid the tour. Beyonce took to Instagram on Sept. 11 to thank Diana for the performance. “Thank you to the incomparable Ms. Diana Ross. The 1 of 1, the number 1, the only one. Thank you from the depths of me, my Queen,” she captioned the post. Below are all the other A-listers who attended the Renaissance tour this summer!

Katy Perry

Mrs. Knowles-Carter’s birthday weekend was eventful as she performed multiple shows in Los Angeles ahead of her birthday. Katy Perry was just one of the many stars in the crowd on Bey’s birthday. The “Firework” songstress took to Instagram the following day to share a carousel of photos and videos from the fun night out. “came to [kiss emoji] the ring @beyonce thank you for being born so we can all be better,” the 38-year-old captioned the post. She also attended the concert alongside fellow singer, Fletcher, who also shared a photo with Katy at the concert.

The Kar-Jenners

Other iconic celebs at the show that weekend included Kim Kardashian and her family! The SKIMS founder took to Instagram on Sept. 5 to share a series of photos with her sister Khloe Kardashian and their niece Penelope Disick alongside her cousin North West. The 42-year-old wowed in a bejeweled crop top and baggy jeans while her daughter rocked a metallic silver dress. Khloe and P stuck to the dress code and also opted for silver outfits.

The Beyonce concert proved to be a family occasion, as Kylie Jenner was spotted at the show with her beau, Timothée Chalamet, 27, the same evening that her sisters attended. The makeup maven and the Lady Bird star packed on the PDA and were spotted sharing a passionate kiss at the show! Her sister, Kendall Jenner, and mom Kris Jenner were also in attendance.

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion hit up the Renaissance tour alongside actress Vivica A. Fox in Paris, France in May 2023. The 59-year-old took to Instagram on May 26 to share a carousel of photos from the show. “GM DAWLINGS! #ABOUTLASTNIGHT AT THE AMAZING @beyonce #CLUBRENAISSANCE TOUR! MUCH LUV TO QUEEN @mstinalawson & @wacotheater 4 AN AWESOME SHOW! FUNTIMES W @theestallion,” she gushed in the caption.

Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross, 50, was another celeb who needed some Beyonce this summer! The black-ish rocked a sequined silver cocktail dress to the concert and shared a video from her night out on Sept. 2. Tracee took to the caption to explain that she listened to Bey when she asked the crowd to “mute” themselves. “I muted y’all! WHAT A SHOW! @beyonce,” she gushed in the caption. Tracee also followed up the clip with a carousel of photos from the concert. “she said wear silver,” the 50-year-old joked.

Issa Rae

Insecure and Barbie star Issa Rae, 38, made sure to show off her silver outfit from the concert via Instagram on Sept. 2. “Yoncé Chrome,” she captioned the post of her disco-inspired dress. She also hilariously took to Tracee’s video to comment on the “mute” moment from the show. “We gotta do better night 2. I’m disgusted,” Issa joked in the comments.

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas

Actress Priyanka Chopra, 41, danced her heart out while at the Beyonce concert in Jun. 2023. A fan account took to X (Twitter) to share a video of Nick Jonas‘ wife putting on her best moves amid the crowd. The 41-year-old rocked a little black dress with a cut-out in the front and a high slit. Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya was notably spotted in the background of the same video.

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Image Credit: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for Parkwood/Shutterstock Beyoncé, 42,

Curated By: Chirag Sehgal

Last Updated: September 15, 2023, 10:11 IST

Amber Heard fans are disappointed with Aquaman 2 trailer. (Photos: Twitter)

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom marks the return of Jason Momoa’s aquatic hero. The film is directed by James Wan.

The Aquaman sequel is finally coming soon. The makers have now released the trailer of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom which marks the return of Jason Momoa’s aquatic hero. The trailer begins with Momoa’s character narrating his story and explaining his journey from a ‘wanderer’ to the King of Atlantis. It then shows how the Aquaman will not battle new threats.

The trailer of Aquaman 2 further reveals that Jason Momoa will be fighting the next villain called the Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

Besides Jason Momoa, Aquaman 2 trailer also shows Wilson and Abdul-Mateen, Nicole Kidman, Temuera Morrison, Willem Dafoe and Dolph Lundgren reprise their roles from the original film. Amber Heard can also be seen for merely three seconds in the trailer. It is also revealed that Vincent Regan, Indya Moore and Pilou Asbæk have also joined the cast of the film.

“Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all,” the official synopsis of the movie reads. Watch the trailer here:

Soon after the trailer was released, Amber Heard fans reacted to it and expressed disappointment with her ‘less screen time’. “Wow a whole 3 seconds of Amber Heard. You guys are cowards,” one of the fans wrote. “I didn’t even see her. Must of blinked,” another comment read.

It should be noted that last year, during Amber Heart and Johnny Depp’s trial in court, the former claimed that her role in the DC movie was cut down. Later, the director of the movie James Wan also reacted to the allegation and shared that the sequel has been created to focus on Arthur and Orm’s relationship. “I always pitched this to everyone from the get-go. The first ‘Aquaman’ was Arthur and Mera’s journey. The second movie was always going to be Arthur and Orm. So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie,” Wan told Entertainment Weekly.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is produced by Peter Safran, Wan and Rob Cowan. The film will hit theatres on December 20, 2023.

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Curated By: Chirag SehgalLast Updated: September

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said Thursday that it planned to schedule a meeting with the Writers Guild of America next week, the first genuine sign of movement in the labor standoff since last month.

The alliance, which represents major studios such as the Walt Disney Co., Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, said that on Wednesday the WGA had “reached out to the AMPTP and asked for a meeting to move negotiations forward.”

“Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike,” the studio group said in a statement.

WGA’s negotiating committee confirmed the development in a note to members on Thursday. It said guild leaders and the AMPTP “are in the process of scheduling a time to get back in the room.”

The announcement comes after weeks of little progress in resolving the impasse. The sides last met Aug. 22, when chief executives of multiple studios and AMPTP President Carol Lombardini gathered with WGA negotiators. The meeting went badly.

Writers have been on strike since early May.

Key issues include minimum staffing in writers rooms, artificial intelligence‘s threat to their jobs, and streamers being more transparent with viewership data so that writers can be financially rewarded for streaming hits.

Actors joined the writers on the picket lines in mid-July, resulting in dual Hollywood strikes that have halted many productions and hurt the finances of entertainment-related businesses, including prop houses and talent agencies.

The studios’ statement follows a back-and-forth between the two sides over who was supposed to make the next move — the companies or the writers?

The WGA negotiating committee has said that the studios on Aug. 22 told them their Aug. 11 proposal “had to be the basis for the only deal they were willing to make.” The writers guild said it presented a counterproposal to AMPTP on Aug. 15.

AMPTP has claimed it was waiting on the WGA. The alliance said in its version of the timeline that it last presented the WGA with compromises on Aug. 18 and that the “WGA indicated it would respond the following week. AMPTP has not heard from the Guild since that time.”

Thursday marked the 136th day of the writers’ strike.

The finger-pointing contributed to a nearly three-week delay in negotiations at a time when individuals, including below-the-line crew, are increasingly feeling the financial pain of going nearly five months without a paycheck.

The economic toll on California is increasing the longer the strikes last. The hit could balloon to $4 billion to $5 billion if the strikes stretch into October, according to an estimate from Todd Holmes, associate professor of entertainment media management at Cal State Northridge.

Writers Guild of America West President Chris Keyser said in a video released on Labor Day that “we are not on strike out of greed. Nor do we begrudge the companies their success or deny their struggles.”

“But the changes the companies have orchestrated in the business have made the profession of writing untenable for us and for everyone who comes after us,” Keyser said. “Our feet and backs may ache, but our cause is the same.”

WGA negotiators also are scheduled to meet with several prominent TV showrunners, including Kenya Barris and Noah Hawley, on Friday to discuss strategies for moving the talks along. People close to the showrunners said the writer-producers simply wanted to get information and offer assistance to the guild if it needed their help.

Studios have been feeling the pain of the strikes, delaying film releases and suspending overall deals for producers. Warner Bros. Discovery said its profits for the year could be up to $500 million less than expected, mainly because of the strikes.

Actress Drew Barrymore announced last weekend that she had made the difficult decision to return her New York-based daytime talk show to production without the show’s writers. The fourth season of her show, produced by CBS Media Ventures, is scheduled to premiere next week. In a statement, she said she hoped for a “resolve for everyone as soon as possible.”

Late Wednesday, HBO talk show host Bill Maher followed suit, saying he was gearing up his Los Angeles-based show to resume production because the strike had gone on too long.

“It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work,” Maher said in a X (formerly Twitter) post. “The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns.”

On Thursday, the WGA picket lines outside Television City in the Fairfax district were abuzz with consternation over Maher’s move. His HBO show is filmed in a soundstage behind the picket lines near the historic Farmer’s Market. At the check-in desk there was a framed photo of Maher with a sticker plastered over his chest with one word – “SCAB.”

Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA has said it is still waiting to hear back from AMPTP to set a date on when its negotiations can restart. AMPTP on Wednesday declined to comment on the stalled talks with the actors guild.

“Hot labor summer is about to be empowered worker autumn and we’re all gonna be a part of that,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA at a Wednesday rally.

Times staff writer Yvonne Villarreal contributed to this report.

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The Alliance of Motion Picture and

Concept artist Phil Saunders took to social media to offer an alternate look at a scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home that was reworked in the finished film.

It’s a moment so critical in the story of Spider-Man that Sony’s Across the Spider-Verse dubbed it a “canon event:” The death of someone close to him. For Tobey Maguire, it was the murder of Uncle Ben. For Andrew Garfield, it was both Ben and Captain Stacy.

And for the MCU’s own Peter Parker, it was the untimely end of his beloved Aunt May, after she was caught in the blast of one of Green Goblin’s pumpkin bombs, as seen in No Way Home. However, due to pandemic-era constraints, the scene in question was not shot as originally planned.

Alternate May Parker Death Scene Revealed

Marvel Studios

Phil Saunders, a concept artist who worked on 2021’s smash hit Spider-Man: No Way Home posted a piece he created during his time on the film to Instagram. The image shows a teary-eyed Peter Parker (Tom Holland) hovering over Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May as she’s dying.

Marisa Tomei’s May Parker passes away while Tom Holland’s Spider-Man stands over her
Marvel Studios

Instead of this occurrence taking place in the lobby of Happy Hogan’s apartment building, it was initially conceived to be in the back of an ambulance.

Concept art of May Parker’s death scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Phil Saunders

Saunders’ caption to his Instagram post noted that this was a “wonderful shot to be assigned” because of its emotionally resonant nature:

“‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has one of the most poignant moments in the MCU, the death of Peter Parker’s beloved Aunt May. In an earlier version of the script, this moment took place in an ambulance racing to the nearest hospital. I always like to capture the emotion of a scene in my keyframes, so this was a wonderful shot to be assigned.”

Last year, No Way Home screenwriter Erik Sommers discussed how the original intent for May’s death was indeed to have things be set in an ambulance. However, since this would have been impractical to shoot during COVID times, the location was changed.

Concept art of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Phil Saunders

A Pivotal Moment for MCU Spider-Man

May’s death sequence was, memorably, the very first time a character in the MCU delivered the classic, character-defining Spider-Man motto on-screen, “With great power, there must also come great responsibility.”

It’s a lesson that young Peter definitely took to heart heading into the film’s final battle, as he asks Stephen Strange to use his sorcery to scrub the planet of any memory or mention of Peter Parker.

It’s fitting that No Way Home did so much heavy lifting to move Spider-Man’s story forward, since, as fans now know, the MCU Spidey trilogy (recently confirmed to be called the “Home Trilogy”) was meant to serve as the hero’s origin story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home
Marvel Studios and Sony

Traditionally, it seems as though Peter’s life is filled with tragedy, hardship, and things that never go quite right for him. This has given Spider-Man a groundedness that audiences seem to respond to and relate to. In fact, it’s the character’s relatability and perseverance in the face of struggle that have helped keep him as the most marketable superhero in existence.

It’s currently not known when exactly Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger will grace the silver screen again, but his first three solo adventures can be purchased wherever movies are sold.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is also streamable on Disney+ in the United States, with the other two installments seemingly coming soon to the platform.

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Summary

  • Black Manta returns as the central threat in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, more powerful and intimidating than before, seeking vengeance against Arthur Curry and his kingdom.
  • Black Manta is a formidable warrior with extensive training in both land and sea combat, and his suit makes him even more dangerous. It’s equipped with deadly weapons, enables underwater breathing, and grants him superhuman strength.
  • Black Manta’s origin story has changed throughout the comics, but in the film, he is driven by a cycle of vengeance and hatred with Aquaman, and his pursuit of the Black Trident, a powerful and cursed weapon, will play a significant role in Aquaman 2.


Black Manta, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom villain, with a long and storied history in the comics and DCEU. While the aquatic villain was a side antagonist in the previous film, he is the central threat in the sequel and is more powerful and intimidating than before. Black Manta and Aquaman have a brief history within the DCEU, but their connection in the comics goes back many decades. The villain is a common enemy of Aquaman’s, who has fought the hero dozens of times throughout the comic book character’s history.

In 2018’s Aquaman, Black Manta introduced himself as a menacing archrival to Arthur Curry. While he doesn’t possess Aquaman’s ability to communicate with the aquatic world, he was still a solid match for Curry, even though he was ultimately defeated. He is returning for vengeance in the story of Aquaman 2, and he now possesses a powerful weapon from the comics that will make him Curry’s most formidable opponent yet. Here is everything to know about Black Manta, the villain of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.


Black Manta’s DC Comics History Explained

Black Manta, a.k.a David Kane, made his DC Comics debut in 1967 in Aquaman #35. While he was introduced as an enemy to Aquaman, little else was known about the character besides that his suit was high-powered, and he was a formidable foe for the king of Atlantis. More was revealed about his character when he finally took off his helmet in Adventure Comics Vol. 1 #452. Readers learned he was a Black American who wanted Black people to take over the sea after facing oppression on land. The comic also featured his darkest deed against Aquaman when he killed his infant son.

Black Manta’s backstory was finally revealed in 1992’s Aquaman #6. This comic introduces Manta as a child born in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay. While playing near the ocean, he was kidnapped by pirates and forced to serve them as a slave. One day, Manta saw Aquaman swimming alongside a pack of dolphins near the ship. He begged the hero to save him, but his pleas went unnoticed. He eventually killed his captors and escaped, but held a grudge against the Atlantean king for leaving him to suffer. He became Black Manta and was determined to defeat Aquaman and become master of the seas.

Black Manta’s Powers Explained

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Black Manta doesn’t have any natural superpowers, but he is still a formidable warrior outside his suit. He is a gifted fighter, as he has trained since he was young to be a threat on both land and sea. He is also one of the deadliest assassins in the DC universe and a gifted strategist. While born on land, he has a natural understanding of the sea and is an expert diver and undersea scavenger. However, what mainly makes Black Manta such a threat to Aquaman is his suit. It’s not clear what makes his suit so powerful, but it’s nearly impenetrable, even from the world’s most powerful metahumans.

It’s equipped with several deadly weapons, including long daggers, harpoons, and a double-bladed gun. His helmet allows him to breathe underwater and comes with two massive eyes that not only give him the ability of infrared and scope vision but also to emit powerful beams that can injure or kill metahumans like Aquaman. The suit also comes with a jetpack that gives him the ability to speed up underwater and shoot out quickly. Additionally, the suit grants him superhuman strength, meaning just one punch can do dramatic damage. In Aquaman, the suit is a gift from Ocean Master, Aquaman’s brother, who gives Manta the suit so he can kill Arthur.

Black Manta’s Comics Changes Explained

Black Manta Wielding Black Trident in Aquaman 2

While Black Manta is a consistent villain for Aquaman, his origin has changed many times. While 1992’s origin is the first given to readers, it changed in #8 of the 2008 Aquaman series. In this version, Black Manta was a troubled autistic child who was held in Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum. He was subject to many harsh experimental treatments, but found comfort in water and was fascinated by Aquaman when he saw him on television. One experiment appeared to work on him, but it made him violent, and he killed the experiment’s conductor and escaped from the asylum.

His backstory changed again in the New 52 era, and this version is closest to his origin in the film. In this version, Black Manta was a mercenary hired to find a young Arthur Curry and steal a sample of his blood. During the attempt to steal his blood, Thomas, Arthur’s father, intervened and died from a heart attack. Arthur blamed Manta for his father’s death and attacked a boat he thought Black Manta was on, but accidentally killed his father instead. After killing each other’s fathers, Arthur and Manta became intertwined in a vicious cycle of vengeance and hatred.

Black Manta’s Black Trident Explained

black trident Cropped

The latest trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom teased the Black Trident, Black Manta’s mysterious, but dominating weapon. The weapon has a historical past, as the trailer teased its dark mystical abilities and capability to corrupt those around it. In the trailer, Orm, a.k.a Ocean Master, explains that during Atlan’s reign, there were seven kingdoms, and the Black Trident was a curse among them all. It’s not revealed who wielded it, just that it has cursed powers. So, it appears that Black Manta will acquire it somehow, but it could have a few connections to the comics.

The trident could be related to Triton, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. In the comics, Triton has his own trident as many Atlanteans do, but he appears shaded and darker than many others. It’s possible Manta will seek Triton out and could either steal the trident from him or find out its location. There is also the possibility that David might find the location of the trident and restore it to its corrupt glory using Atlantean technology. That’s what his suit is built from and may be what restores the trident.

Black Manta’s Role In Aquaman 2 Explained

Aquaman and Black Manta fighting with their tridents in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer.

In Aquaman, Black Manta’s suit was severely damaged by Aquaman, and he was sent flailing into the sea. He was saved by Randall Park’s Dr. Stephen Shin, but he was left wounded and humiliated. David is now on a path of vengeance and wants to destroy not only Arthur but his family and his kingdom. He is more powerful than ever and is also leading a group of mercenaries on a mission to destroy Atlantis.

Arthur is now a father, husband, and king who seems to have a perfect life before Black Manta returns. After seeing how dangerous Manta is now, he seeks help from his brother, who is now imprisoned for his actions in the previous film. The two will have to put their bitter rivalry aside to team up and save their world from Black Manta’s fury. This sequel will be the final DCEU film before the universe is rebooted by James Gunn in 2025. This could be Jason Momoa’s last adventure as Aquaman, and Black Manta will be his most dangerous opponent yet in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

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The Supreme Court has temporarily halted a lower court ruling that prohibited White House officials from communicating with social media companies. The temporary stay, from Justice Samuel Alito, is the latest twist in a controversial attempt by two states to challenge content moderation policies at social media platforms.

The case stems from a lawsuit, brought by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, that claimed federal officials overreached in their dealings with social media companies — namely Meta, Google and Twitter — as they shaped moderation policies to handle election and COVID-19 misinformation.

A lower court had previously issued an injunction that barred White House and other federal officials from communicating with social media companies. An Appeals Court decision last week eased many of the initial restrictions, but left in place a provision that banned the surgeon general, CDC and White House officials from “pressuring” social media companies into making decisions. That order, as CNN reports, was set to take effect September 18.

That ruling is now on hold, thanks to Alito’s temporary stay, as the two sides continue to argue the case. As Bloomberg points out, the stay will be in effect until September 22, though it could be extended.

In a filing ahead of the stay, the Solicitor General argued that “the injunction would impose grave harms on the government and the public” and that that government officials had committed no wrongdoing in their interactions with social media companies. “Rather than any pattern of coercive threats backed by sanctions, the record reflects a back-and-forth in which the government and platforms often shared goals and worked together, sometimes disagreed, and occasionally became frustrated with one another, as all parties articulated and pursued their own goals and interests during an unprecedented pandemic.”

While the current hold from Alito is another temporary measure, the case seems to be headed for a longer legal battle. The Justice Department is now laying the groundwork for a Supreme Court appeal, which could drag the case out even more.

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The Supreme Court has temporarily halted a

While the big headlines from Blackmagic Design’s announcement at IBC 2023 are going to be focused on their return to full-frame with a new 6K cinema camera, we don’t want it to get lost that Blackmagic has also unveiled their own Blackmagic Camera app which is available now and free.

What is this Blackmagic Camera app though? Great question — let’s explore.


Introducing the Blackmagic Camera app

So, along with a pretty wide-range of releases and updates unveiled at IBC 2023, Blackmagic has introduced us all to their new app which they are calling simply the “Blackmagic Camera” app. This Blackmagic Camera is set to give digital film camera controls for shooting cinematic, feature film quality footage anywhere on their iPhone.

Based on the same operating system as the brand’s digital film cameras, the Blackmagic Camera app is set to give iPhone content creators the same tools used for their own film or video content projects, along with support for the BLackmagic Cloud to collaborate and share with their teams around the world.

Blackmagic Design

Unlock the Cinematographic Power of Your iPhone

While this initially looks to just be an iOS device designed for the latest iPhones (like the new iPhone 15 Pro Max), users of this free app will be able to recreate the same “cinematic look” as seen in Hollywood feature films by allowing for the adjusting of settings such as frame rate, shutter angle, white balance and ISO in the app and with a simple-to-use tap system.

You’ll also be able to record directly to the Blackmagic Cloud in industry standard 10-bit Apple ProRes files up to 4K, as well as of course use the Cloud Storage for all your collaborative needs through DaVinci Resolve projects.

There also appears to be other advanced settings which the app will unlock in your iPhone for monitoring, audio, camera setup and recording controls that will even allow users to set anamorphic desqueeze and lens correction settings. On top of that professional audio options like VU or PPM audio meters and AAC, IEEE FLoat and PCM formats will be available too.

Quick Setup and Easy to Use

As you might expect for an iPhone app, a big selling point for this Blackmagic Camera is going to be its simplicity and ease-of-use as BMD touts it as a quick setup for creators looking to start shooting as quickly as possible.

Everything in the app is designed to be interactive, so you’ll be able to tap in any settings or make instant changes to the display or HUD to customize elements like record parameters, histogram, focus peaking, levels, frame guides and more.

This heads-up-display HUD in particular looks quite intriguing as it will be able to control things as lens selection, frame rate, shutter angle, timecode, ISO, white balance, tint, histogram and audio levels all with an easy tap of the screen.

Blackmagic Design

Price and Availability

Now, we’ll undoubtedly have much more to say about the Blackmagic Camera app once we’ve tried it ourselves — plus I’m sure countless other YouTubers and content creators will test every function of it over the next days and weeks.

But in short, this looks to be a major innovation for BMD and a step towards the inevitable combining of smartphone and digital camera technologies which we’ve all known is coming. So, if you are interested, here’s a full list of specs and features as well as a link to download below.

  • Shoot in 16:9 or vertical aspect ratios.
  • Stealth mode for shooting 16:9 while holding phone vertically.
  • Capture in Apple ProRes, HEVC and H.264 with auto proxy generation.
  • Frame rate, shutter speed, exposure, white balance, tint and color space camera controls.
  • Focus assist, zebra, frame guides, histogram, 3D LUT monitoring.
  • Time of day or run time, timecode recording.
  • PCM, IEEE Float or AAC audio recording, 44.1 or 48 kHz sample rate.
  • VU or PPM audio meters.
  • Thumbnail view of all recorded clips in media tab.
  • Preview clips with scrubber, duration, timecode and file name display.
  • Fully integrated with Blackmagic Cloud and DaVinci Resolve.
  • Record to iPhone, select recorded clips to share via Blackmagic Cloud or sync automatically.

And, as mentioned above, the Blackmagic Camera app is available now and free to download from the Apple Store here.

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Ah, let the mad dash to cover your tracks begin!

Liv and Will had to figure out what came next, no matter how badly Liv wanted to drown herself in a bottle of tequila and drink the night away.

And once they returned to the Big Apple on Wilderness Season 1 Episode 4, they found out just how important it would be for them to fake a united front with the cops slowly closing in.

Liv and Will weren’t going to stay on the West Coast forever, but they still made sure to hit Vegas before going home. And the trip was fraught with unbelievable tension.

In the aftermath of everything that transpired at Yosemite, Liv was spiraling, and with her conscience weighing her down, she decided to deal with it by not dealing with it. Drinking and dancing seemed like healthy alternatives for at least a little while until the realities of real life caught up with her.

You could see the fear radiating off Will when Liv finally showed up to talk to him, and it only got worse when Liv decided not to mince her words at all.

Here’s the thing about Will; you can’t take anything he says seriously. And Liv knows that better than anyone.

Will: We can get through this.
Liv: How?
Will: No more lies.

It was awfully convenient for him to downplay everything when his back was against the wall, and Liv was the one person in the world who could help him the most.

Maybe he didn’t love Cara, and maybe it really was the only time he cheated. It doesn’t matter now. His duplicitous actions caused a world of hurt for people, and he can’t walk that back and plead for forgiveness without thinking Liv deserved to know every bloody secret if that’s what she chose.

Liv was a little bit torturing herself when she needled him for answers because she was genuinely starting to feel the effects of what happened now that some of the shock wore off.

Seeing Cara’s face everywhere and conjuring up a man to help assuage some of her guilt were interesting ways of getting Liv to a place where she could admit that while what she did was horrendous, she didn’t do it on purpose.

Except she did, didn’t she. It was just the wrong victim.

Would she be feeling this same amount of pain had it been Will who died?

Once the duo returned to New York, I had no idea what either of them expected to happen. Liv was thoroughly checked out of the marriage for obvious reasons, and Will was hanging around partly because he was scared to death Liv was going to blow up his life.

But the two of them co-existing in any tentative form of peace will forever be out of the equation because Liv won’t be able to get past Will’s betrayal. And by extension, what she felt his betrayal made her do.

So, they just had to live in their toxicity for better or worse.

Cara’s death being ruled a murder was obviously going to happen, as it was more a matter of when than if. And once again, Liv had a choice to make, and she chose to “help” her husband, though she was helping herself as well.

As soon as the cops connect the dots between Will and Cara, it will bring them both into the spotlight.

And leave it to Will to throw one last surprise out there to really ruin Liv’s spirit.

The one thing I do believe Will has been honest about is that he wasn’t all in with Cara. Did he care for her? Maybe, as much as someone like him can care about someone’s feelings. But if she was who he truly wanted, he had his chances to be with her and never took them.

But even so, Cara wasn’t delusional. She asked the questions, and he told her what she wanted to hear, but she loved and believed him.

Giving her a key to the home he shares with his wife was a low move, even for Will. He was in over his head in so many ways, and I again wondered how he got away with it for as long as he did.

You can explain away some things, but if anyone found that key, it would be tough for Will to talk his way out of that one. Cara didn’t work under him. She wasn’t his assistant. There would be no professional reason for her to have a key to his home.

Once they made the pact to protect themselves, Will and Liv just had to lean into their villainy, which meant tricking poor Garth to get inside Cara’s apartment to find that ring!

Liv may not be some master criminal, but the woman thinks fast on her feet! If we get to a point where it’s her versus Will in any capacity, she will wipe the floor with him. The lies flow off her tongue easily, and her face gives nothing away.

I love that they got the key but didn’t even get to calm down their heart rates before the police descended upon them.

It was wise for Liv and Will to get their stories straight regarding what happened that night, but anyone who’s seen an episode of Dateline should know that you can’t go talking to the police and give them the same story as someone else verbatim.

It’s way too suspicious, and Rawlins immediately picked up on it, even if she didn’t know what it meant.

I’ve been waiting for someone to point out the sheer ridiculousness of both couples being at Yosemite at the exact same time. It’s a small world, but it’s not THAT small.

Will had to think of his feet and spin it any way he could, and unfortunately, Cara’s digital footprint lent credence to the narrative he spun.

But to think that would be the end of things was naïve. And this series finally remembered cameras exist, and at the very least, they should be looking into why Liv lied to them, even if they’ve narrowed in on Garth as the killer.

And again, if you’ve ever watched any true crime series, it’s usually the significant other. Still, they must have found something in her possessions at the gym to drive them in that direction because there isn’t really another explanation.

Liv could count it as a lucky break for now. Though, now she has to deal with the suffocating truth of her life with her mother by her side.

Good luck to her.

Odds and Ends

  • I’m glad they didn’t forget that letter in the hotel room and showed us Liv ripping it up.
  • That interaction between Liv and Will’s co-worker in the bathroom was weird, right? Will seemed confident no one knew about his affair, but perhaps that’s not true. OR maybe he’s had more than one affair.
  • Liv and Ash kissed, and Liv promptly ran away from it. Ash is so woefully underdeveloped and serves basically to help Liv not feel like the monster she’s becoming. I hope they give her more to do over the final two hours.
  • I keep forgetting Liv is a writer. This will make for a fantastic story one day!

With only two more hours to go, the police are closing in, and things between Liv and Will are at an all-time low.

Jump into the comments and let me know where you think this saga is heading next!

Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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“The Sopranos” star Drea de Matteo announced in late August that she was launching an OnlyFans account that followers could subscribe to for $15 a month. Now in an interview with Fox News Digital, the actor explained that pivoting to OnlyFans came as a result of losing acting work over the last couple of years due to her stance against COVID vaccine mandates.

“I know some people have said some nasty things about me having joined OnlyFans,” de Matteo said. “But, you know, the way we see it in this house is mommy’s a warrior, not accepting defeat…I figured, ‘OK, so everybody’s in their underwear and being sexy on Instagram and I don’t do that, but I can do that and get paid for it’…I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.”

According to de Matteo, she was forced to “switch careers and figure new things out because my own industry thinks I’m a savage” due to her beliefs against COVID vaccine mandates. She added, “I guess you could say I was a bad girl because I did not follow the rules a couple of years ago.”

De Matteo said her views resulted in her agent dropping her, and she “almost lost our home” due to acting work drying up.

“People find that hard to believe that I was never really paid very much money for any of the jobs I’ve done,” de Matteo said. “People think I’m fucking made of gold, and I’m not. I’ve worked job to job. And I’ve turned down tons of jobs in the past just to be with my children because their dad’s on the road, and he’s not around as much.”

“I just don’t care. I don’t. I’d rather save my family than save face,” she added, noting that her daughters gave their blessings for her to launch an OnlyFans account.

“I used to have a lot of money,” de Matteo said. “And then, all of a sudden, I went from being allowed to work to never being allowed to work again. I was never the kind of actor that took jobs just to stay in the business. I literally took jobs to feed my family. So when people make nasty comments about why I would have [joined OnlyFans], my response is, ‘Damn straight, I hope you’re never in the fucking position I’m in.’ I take care of an entire family and a lot of other people who depend on me.”

Outside of her Emmy-winning work on “The Sopranos,” de Matteo’s credits include films such as “Broken English” and “Dark Places” and television series like “Mayans M.C.” and “A Million Little Things.” “The Sopranos” is available to stream on its entirety on Max.

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Artists, writers, poets. People want to be them, but then there’s a stigma attached to the reputation of being creative. Whether it’s the starving artist or pampered heir who decides writing is their true calling, it’s undeniable there’s a particular interest in those who see the world a bit differently. And, perhaps, that’s why films have turned to make their protagonists writers again and again because they can take their story and rewrite it before the viewer’s eyes.

Indeed, there’s also something special about these tortured creative types: unlike a normal desk job, they tend to go wherever inspiration and creativity hits. While writing itself may not be the focus, having your main character be a creative writer is a pretty bold decision. Making them a journalist (à la The French Dispatch) changes the tone and plot of a movie—someone who’s a nurse or lawyer doesn’t give off the same creative energy. These are the best movies where the characters are writers.

Updated on September 14th, 2023 by Callum Jones: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.

13 Before Sunset (2004)

Warner Independent Pictures

Each entry in Richard Linklater’s much-loved Before trilogy is a cinematic gem. Perhaps the best of the three is 2004’s Before Sunset, which sees Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reuniting in Vienna after the former became a bestselling author when he wrote a novel based on his experiences in the previous film.

The two spend one hour together, as they catch each other up on the events that have occurred in their lives in the nine years since they last met. Before Sunset is a beautiful film brimming with excellent dialogue and brilliant performances, that also acts as both a realistic portrayal of love and a way of showing the power of the written word.

12 You Hurt My Feelings (2023)

You Hurt My Feelings
A24

The 2023 comedy-drama You Hurt My Feelings essentially asks one big question – to love someone, do you have to like everything put out into the world? The story revolves around Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a novelist and creative writing teacher who, one day, overhears her husband, Don (Tobias Menzies), giving his brutally honest reaction to her latest book.

Beth is, understandably, hurt; after all, when she asked him if he liked the novel, Don said he did. The film, therefore, explores the fine line between being supportive and being honest in a relationship and does so in a gently humorous and sweet way.

11 Wonder Boys (2000)

Wonder Boys-1
Paramount Pictures

The best authors are often tortured souls. That’s certainly the case in Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys, which tells the story of Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas), a novelist and university professor who lets life get in the way of him finishing his second novel.

Between his divorce from his ex-wife, pressure from his editor (played by Robert Downey Jr.), and writer’s block that has been going on for seven years, Tripp has let himself become a depressed, cannabis-smoking shell of his former self. His only hope of finding happiness and a satisfactory ending to his book lies with his enigmatic student, James (Tobey Maguire). Wonder Boys is a funny, poignant, and realistic depiction of the frustration and unhappiness that comes with experiencing writer’s block.

10 Dead Poets Society (1989)

dead poets society
Warner Bros

Dead Poets Society may not be the best representation of writers and literary criticism in the movie world, but it nails down a core concept behind many films and works of literature: make the ordinary beautiful.

Maybe that’s why the movie is considered to be a favorite among Generation Z, making it an emblem of the Dark Academia subculture. While the film offers more on the superficial love of literature, it allows young boys living within a rigid structure to discover more about themselves and their interests, especially within a closed-off world that cuts off creativity.

9 Certified Copy (2010)

Certified Copy 2010
MK2 Diffusion

Iranian auteur Abbas Kiarostami returned in 2010 with the French movie Certified Copy, in which the lead actress, Juliette Binoche, would take home the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role. In Tuscany, a British writer (William Shimell) has come to discuss his latest book about authenticity in the art world.

A French antique dealer (Juliette Binoche) comes to the author’s discussion with her eleven-year-old son to have books signed, and she later delves into a strange relationship with the writer. Certified Copy is surprisingly authentic and a breath of fresh air.

Related: Best Movies About Real-Life Writers

8 In a Lonely Place (1950)

In a Lonely Place by Nicholas Ray
Santana Productions

Humphrey Bogart’s 1950 In a Lonely Place has him portraying a troubled screenwriter, Dixon Steele, who hasn’t had a Hollywood hit since World War II. In a Lonely Place is said to be one of the greatest film noirs of all time and one of Bogart’s best performances as an actor.

Steele falls in love with a new tenant in the building, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame), who is afraid of him after seeing the extent of his temper. The movie is unique in its tone and themes for the genre, allowing it to be a solid film that refuses to bend to the conventions and tropes of film noir.

7 The Shining (1980)

Jack Nicholson in The Shining
Warner Bros.

The Shining is a cult classic, but do you remember that the protagonist, Jack Torrance, was a writer? Jack accepts a job at the Overlook Hotel and relocates his family in hopes of turning a new life and revitalizing his writing career, but things quickly go awry.

Stephen King might’ve been upset at the movie and its portrayal of Jack, but if there are no other characters to embody the stereotype of a writer driven insane, then The Shining comes out on top with Jack.

6 Little Women (2019)

A scene from Little Women
Columbia Pictures

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women routinely gets a new update every few generations, and Greta Gerwig took up the task in 2019 to readapt Little Women with a feminist spin. Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) is the female writer that the 1800s needed.

She’s intelligent, refuses to settle down with a man despite her childhood best friend (Timothée Chalamet) begging to marry her, and she wants to write about women. While her sisters outgrow the plays they perform in childhood and discover differing paths of womanhood, their tale is clearly both modern and timeless.

5 Misery (1990)

Kathy Bates in Misery
Columbia Pictures

Based on Stephen King’s 1987 novel of the same name, Misery portrays every author’s worst nightmare coming to life. Directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by William Goldman, the film sees famed novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) rescued from a car accident by a seemingly helpful woman named Annie (Kathy Bates).

However, he soon discovers that she is an obsessive fan who will only let him go once he has rewritten the ending of his book series. Misery is a brilliant depiction of how fine the line is between admiration and obsession, and what fan entitlement can look like when pushed to the extreme. It’s a film that has only become more relevant in the age of social media and fandoms.

4 Poetry (2010)

Poetry
Pine house film

Lee Chang-dong’s 2010 movie Poetry is a devastatingly quiet tour de force that touches on literature, aging, and mutual empathy between women. Its protagonist is Mi-ja, a woman in her sixties suffering from Alzheimer’s and slowly is losing her memory.

She enrolls in a poetry class to try and remember the words she’s forgetting, but she lacks the creative inspiration to write an actual poem. But, at the same time, the grandson she takes care of has committed a crime against a local schoolgirl, leading Mi-ja into a tangled mess that she may not be able to escape from.

Related: 20 Movies and TV Shows You May Not Have Known Are Adaptations of Classic Literature

3 Barton Fink (1991)

John Turturro making a humorous facial expression as Barton Fink in the 1991 film. 
20th Century Fox

Barton Fink was a box office bomb when it was originally released in 1991, although it won the Palm d’Or, Best Director, and Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival. New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) has just entered a contract to write scripts for a Hollywood studio.

He decides to move to a hotel in Los Angeles. Barton Fink is a complex film, as a stubborn theater artist (Fink) is trying to enter an entirely new world in cinema, and he refuses to assimilate or conform.

2 Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Gloria Swanson and reporters in Sunset Boulevard
Paramount Pictures

The year 1950 was abundant with movies about writers, specifically films that critiqued society and Hollywood itself. Like In a Lonely Place, Sunset Boulevard stars William Holden as a screenwriter struggling in the business.

His glory days are behind him, but when he meets the former silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) she becomes obsessed with him. Sunset Boulevard refuses to stay superficial and continues the narrative that Hollywood is all glitter and diamonds, and instead shows the dark side of fame and the industry.

1 Adaptation (2002)

Nicolas Cage in Adaptation (2002)
Sony Pictures Releasing

Charlie’s Kauffman and Spike Jonze’s 2002 meta masterpiece Adaptation is the ultimate film about a writer and the writing process. Based on Kauffman’s struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief, the film stars Nicolas Cage as Kauffman, as the writer wrestles with a serious case of writer’s block.

Cage also plays Kauffman’s fictional twin brother, Donald, while Meryl Streep, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, and Maggie Gyllenhall are all-star. Lacking coherence and any clear structure, Adaptation is a ridiculous film, but one thatperfectly encapsulates what it’s like to be a writer.

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Artists, writers, poets. People want to

After years of working in Hollywood, Taika Waititi has lived through the classic biopic scene where a protagonist wakes up and immediately questions all of their life choices.

“What the fuck am I doing? Why am I doing this? For what reason? There’s no purpose and I’m getting nothing out of this,” Waititi said in an interview with IndieWire at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. “And then we realize, ‘Oh, but the reason we do this is to help people in our community.’ To keep pulling each other up and supporting each other, that is the purpose. That’s the reason to be doing any of this.”

Though he has made headlines for being at the festival to premiere his long-awaited sports comedy “Next Goal Wins,” Waititi is also promoting the independent film “Frybread Face and Me” from writer-director Billy Luther, which he executive produced. The coming-of-age story about two Navajo cousins from different worlds forming a strong bond at their grandmother’s house on the Arizona reservation had its world premiere at SXSW this year, and now has its international premiere as part of the TIFF Discovery program. 

Luther and Waititi told IndieWire over lunch at city hotspot Louix Louis that their friendship started all the way back at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003, when the “Frybread” director let his eventual producer borrow a Nokia phone charger. “In those days you’d charge your phone and the phone would last for four days,” joked Waititi. Not too long afterwards Luther became an award-winning documentarian of films like “Miss Navajo,” which happened to premiere at the same festival in 2007, but that career path had never been his initial goal. 

“I fell into the nonfiction world. It wasn’t something that was planned to do. In documentaries, you don’t make a living—you can’t make a living in it,” said Luther. “So, I just jumped in, and during the pandemic, I had [spent] that entire year of 2020 writing.” Only one year later, after being chosen for the Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Labs, Luther was already shooting his narrative feature debut.

Where Waititi became especially helpful toward producing “Frybread Face and Me” was sharing advice on how to bring out the best performance from his young stars Keir Tallman, who plays lead Benny, and Charley Hogan, who plays the titular Fry. “He gave me a ring [from] the set of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ He would just give tips on working with first-time actors, kids. And it’s a secret that I’m going to hold forever because he’s a pro at it,” said Luther. “My doc experience really helped working with first time actors. It wasn’t really concentrating on hitting their mark. I just wanted to play with their natural mannerisms and really follow them, and get to know them.”

TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 10: Taika Waititi attends the
Taika Waititi attends the “Next Goal Wins” Premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.Leon Bennett/Getty Images

“I had to ask people when I did my first short film [about] working with kids. It was so traumatic having to figure out how to do it, and I just had to ask people and find out other people who had done it and get advice,” said Waititi. The New Zealand-born filmmaker has found that over the years, western directors especially like to gatekeep those kinds of filmmaking secrets that he sought out, and now shares with his peers. “They don’t like coming to each other’s sets. They don’t like sharing information. And I’m like, ‘The more, the merrier,” said the Oscar winner. “You need to demystify—it’s why keep telling people, at the end of the day, there’s no secret to directing really. It’s just make decisions fast.” 

Also a producer on “Reservation Dogs,” Sterlin Harjo’s groundbreaking comedy getting ready to wrap up its third and final season on FX, Waititi said he has found himself embracing Indigenous American in particular because “our background and our experience, coming from native communities, is very similar” (the Kiwi director is half Māori.) “The reason I became friends with Sterlin is we connected over stories of how we grew up, and we realized we had the exact same childhood, except his was in Tulsa. There’s certain things where you decide, I identify with this because that’s my childhood. It doesn’t matter where it is,” he added.

Both he and Luther are breaking down stereotypes surrounding their indigenous communities, and their perceived isolation from the rest of the world as well, whether it is the protagonist of Waititi’s “Boy” being a Michael Jackson superfan, or Benny and Fry of “Frybread Face and Me” repeatedly watching Jeff Bridges in “Starman” on VHS. “I had Fleetwood Mac on my walls, Mary Lou Retton, I had all these shows, Pee-Wee, and that was my world. So, when I was taken to the rez with sheep, no running water, no electricity, it was like, what the fuck,” said Luther. “That’s not just my story, there’s so many other indigenous people who also have that.”

“It’s giving an insight into a part of North America that would feel pretty alien to a lot of people. They wouldn’t realize it’s in your fucking backyard,” said Waititi. “That’s our role as filmmakers, is to expose people to different ways of life, and different locations, and just different experiences. Because it’s the same boring stories about New Yorkers, doing New York bullshit. If that’s what we get all the time, then we’re going to get bored. And I am bored of that shit.”

TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 11: Billy Luther attends the
Billy Luther attends the “Frybread Face and Me” premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.Robert Okine/Getty Images

Even though the demand for Native American stories to be part of film festival programs has seemingly increased, rarely do these acclaimed films receive a wider theatrical release, but Luther believes those distribution issues are not exclusive to Native filmmakers. “It’s a hard time now with films. Not just indigenous films, but films in general. Distribution’s really hard. Nobody’s really buying anything right now. You see that with Sundance in the past few years and I’m not sure what’s to come with that, but hopefully, [“Frybread Face and Me”] gets seen in more spaces within my community,” said the director. 

Referencing his other TIFF premiere “Next Goal Wins,” a Searchlight Pictures release, Waititi said “I didn’t even know if this film would be seen because the pandemic happened. I shot it in 2019, then I wasn’t able to work on it for a year, and I really believed that, for a little moment there, maybe it would just be straight to video, maybe it’ll just get shelved. Maybe everyone would just be, ‘Oh, we’ll start all over again.’” He added, “We’re in such an unstable time right now as well. Just the fact that we get to show the films and have people watch them, and enjoy them, and actually watch them. I count that as a win at the moment.”

“Frybread Face and Me” had its international premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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After years of working in Hollywood, Taika

Talks between the Writers Guild of America and the major studios are set to resume next week, as the sides seek to end the four-month-old writers strike.

The WGA asked the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Wednesday for a meeting, the studio alliance said in a statement.

“On Wednesday, September 13, the WGA reached out to the AMPTP and asked for a meeting to move negotiations forward,” the AMPTP said. “We have agreed and are working to schedule a meeting next week. Every member company of the AMPTP is committed and eager to reach a fair deal, and to working together with the WGA to end the strike.”

The WGA confirmed that the two sides are working to restart negotiations.

“The WGA and AMPTP are in the process of scheduling a time to get back in the room,” the union told members in an email.

The two sides were last at the negotiating table on Aug. 18. Several entertainment CEOs met with a group of WGA leaders at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel on Aug. 22, but there have been no talks since then.

Each side has maintained that the other side owes them a response, which has kept the talks frozen in place for the last three weeks.

The WGA is seeking a streaming residual that would be based on the number of views for each show. The union also wants a mandatory minimum number of writers per TV show, which would increase with the number of episodes.

The AMPTP has rejected both of those demands. However, in its Aug. 11 counteroffer, the studio group did offer to make viewership data available to the WGA, so that it could develop a residual proposal at the next negotiation in three years. The studios also offered to let showrunners hire at least two writers per show, though it would not agree to a guaranteed minimum staff size.

The sides are also at odds on a range of other issues, including two-step deals for feature writers and minimum terms for comedy-variety and game show writers on streaming.

The WGA said on Aug. 24 that the studios’ latest offer was filled with “loopholes, limitations, and omissions,” and said that while progress had been made, it was “not yet good enough.” Since then, WGA leaders have repeatedly said that the studios were working on a new offer, while the studios have called on the WGA to fully respond to its Aug. 11 offer.

The WGA did counter on Aug. 15, largely sticking to its original positions, but offering slight concessions in a couple of areas.

Since Labor Day, several showrunners have started to get restless over the apparent lack of progress toward returning to the table. Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher also announced this week that they are restarting their talk shows without their writers, drawing fire from the WGA, which warned that anyone who writes literary material for those shows will be violating strike rules.

The strike began on May 2, and will become the longest in WGA history if it makes it to Oct. 4. SAG-AFTRA also went on strike on July 14, marking the first time in 63 years that both unions have been on strike at the same time.

The AMPTP has not restarted talks with SAG-AFTRA since that strike began, and has instead focused on trying to get a deal with the writers.

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Talks between the Writers Guild of America

The B.C. government and two First Nations have reached an agreement that will see one of the province’s most popular parks reopen on Sept. 19.

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, known as Pipi7iekw to the Lil’wat Nation and N’Quatqua peoples, was closed to the public in August when the nations announced plans to “harvest and gather” resources in the territory.

The nations initially announced plans to shut down public access until Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30, but it temporarily reopened during the Labour Day long weekend following negotiations with the province.


Click to play video: 'Joffre Lakes Park opening for long weekend amid temporary closure'


Joffre Lakes Park opening for long weekend amid temporary closure


“The Lil’wat Nation greatly appreciates the time and attention put to this matter by the ministries of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. The Nation will continue to guide discussions to ensure that Pipi7iekw is being used in a matter that is consistent with our values and those of our ancestors,” Acting Chief Chris Wells said in a media release Thursday.

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“Pipi7iekw continues to be a spiritual place for our people and one that can support our Nation rebuilding efforts.”

Under the agreement, the park will reopen for regular access, but close again on Sept. 30 when members of the nations will gather on the land.

The nations and the province have also agreed to continue talks through next spring on a plan for park management, access and cultural protection in future seasons.


Click to play video: 'Controversial shutdown of Joffre Lake Park by B.C. First Nations'


Controversial shutdown of Joffre Lake Park by B.C. First Nations


“The agreement reached between the Lil’wat Nation, N’Quatqua Nation and the Province is an example of our strong commitment to reconciliation and collaboration. It is a critical step forward and an important building block for future conversations on park management and access,” B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman said in the release.

“As our talks continue, we are all in agreement that we must continue predictable public access, while also giving time and space to heal the land to ensure Nations can use this space as they always have.”

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The two nations were involved in the creation of the 2019 Joffre Lakes Visitor Use Management Action Plan, a document the nations cited along with their rights and title to the land in their initial announcement that the park would close.

Once the park reopens, the province says visitors will once again require free day-use passes for the front country and reservations for the backcountry. The backcountry camping season will end on Nov. 13.

— with files from the Canadian Press

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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The B.C. government and two First Nations

Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne Tuohy have filed a response to Michael Oher‘s lawsuit. In the new legal documents, which ET obtained, the Tuohys deny Michael’s claim that they lied about adopting him and tricked him into making them his conservators in order to profit off of his story.

Rather, in the Tuohys’ response, the couple claims “they never intended to, and in fact never did, take any assumed legal custody” of Michael when they took him in as a teenager. Further, they “vehemently deny” that they told Michael “that they intended to legally adopt him.” 

Even so, the Tuohys admit that they “occasionally referred to [Michael] as a son” and have “always felt [he] was like a son.” However, the Tuohys alleged that the word “son” was used “in the colloquial sense.”

“They have never intended that reference to be viewed with legal implication,” the docs read, adding that they “vehemently deny” that the use of the word “son” caused Michael “any irreparable harm, loss, either past present or future or damages.”

As for why the Tuohys went the conservatorship route in Michael’s case, the couple claims that it all began when the then-teen was presented with the “opportunity to play college football.”

“There was never an intent to adopt him,” the docs read. “When it became the petitioner could not consider going to the University of Mississippi as a result of living with the respondents, the NCAA made it clear that the only way he could attend the Ole Miss [was] if he was part of the Tuohy family in some fashion. Conservatorship was the tool chosen to accomplish this goal.”

Michael’s claim that he only found out about the conservation is February 2023 is “demonstratively false,” the Tuohys allege, citing content in Michael’s 2011 book, I Beat the Odds, as alleged proof.

Now, the couple says they are “ready, willing, and able to terminate the conservatorship by consent at any time.”

When it comes to the allegations related to the film The Blind Side, which was based on Michael’s story as it was told in Michael Lewis’ book of the same name, the Tuohys claim they “never negotiated any contract with 20th Century Fox or others.”

“Any arrangements regarding the movie The Blind Side were done and through Michael Lewis, author of the book The Blind Side,” the docs read,” adding that Sean, Leigh Anne, their biological children Collins Tuohy and Sean Tuohy Jr., and Michael all “received a portion of the money paid to Michael Lewis which was something less than $225,000.”

Sean and Leigh Anne also claim that they “never signed any contract” for Michael and “vehemently deny” his allegation that they forged his signature.

“When Mr. Lewis was in the process of selling The Blind Side the family met regarding the distribution of any proceeds from the movie,” the docs read. “The petitioner was likewise included in this meeting. All of the Tuohy family including the petitioner agreed to this arrangement where each party would get 20 percent of the proceeds paid.”

The Tuohys additionally “deny that there is any need for injunctive relief,” arguing against Michael’s claim that they “generated millions of dollars” off of his story.

ET previously spoke to Tuohy family attorney Steve Farese, Sr., who said the couple is handling the drama “like a death in the family.” 

The latest update in the case comes the month after Michael filed subpoenas against producers of The Blind Side requesting that they hand over “all documents and communications” of payments to the Tuohys.

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Sean Tuohy and Leigh Anne Tuohy have