Bill MaherPhoto: Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic (Getty Images)
Just a few weeks after dismissing some of the Writers Guild Of America’s demands as “kooky”—stating that “this is show business,” and that no one is “owed a living as a writer”—HBO’s Bill Maher has put the network’s money where his mouth is by announcing that he’ll bringing his series Real Time back to TV without any of his striking writers. That will make Maher the first late-night host to do so, as most of the other members of that particular and tiny TV fraternity (including Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon) have looked for alternate ways to keep their staffs financially supported that don’t involve breaking the strike. But not Maher: Declaring “I’m not prepared to lose an entire year” after five months of striking, he’s decided to pull the rip cord and bring the show back in what even he grants will be an inferior form.
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Writing in what is, by Bill Maher standards, extremely diplomatic language, Maher plays the “I’m just thinking of the little guy” card extensively in his post, asserting that he’s unwilling to “see so many below-the-line people suffer so much,” despite acknowledging that “The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction.” (How Maher thinks such hopes will be fulfilled when TV hosts are unilaterally deciding to ignore the strike is left unaddressed in his missive.)
Maher adds that, “I will honor the spirit of the strike by not doing a monologue, desk piece, New Rules, or editorial, the written pieces that I am so proud of on Real Time. And I’ll say it upfront to the audience: The show I will be doing without my writers will not be as good as our normal show, full stop.” But he also claims that the show (which will apparently run as an “off-the cuff panel discussion” while its writers continue to strike)“will not disappoint”—and hey, thank god for that, because we’d hate to live in a world where Bill Maher did something disappointing, yeah?
Environmental short documentary “Waorani: Guardians of the Amazon” is aiming to spread its message further with an awards season push beginning with FallDocs.
For thousands of years, the Waorani women of the Ecuadorian Amazon have lived in the biodiverse Yasuni area and coexisted within a delicate ecosystem, which has allowed them to flourish while preserving their unique customs and traditions. A decision to drill for oil in a protected area of the Yasuni National Park was rejected by 60% of Ecuadorians in August.
“Waorani Guardians of the Amazon” follows the journey of Ecuadorian director Luisana Carcelén as she ventures deep into the heart of the Waorani women’s community in Ecuador. She unveils the testimonies of women who have assumed leadership roles and stand as steadfast guardians of their habitat and families, facing down the corporate and governmental powers that seek to demolish their home and silence their voices.
The cause has found plenty of celebrity support. Ridley Scott said: “The Waorani documentary is an impressive introspection into the cosmovisión of the Waorani tribe defenders of the last Eden on Earth called Yasuni.” Woody Harrelson added: “A living embodiment of unwavering strength, Waorani unearths the remarkable resilience of indigenous women they valiantly shield their Amazonian abode from the encroachment of corporate interests – a testament to their enduring bond with the land.”
Julia Stiles said: “A fascinating and crucial documentary. The Waorani shows us a radically different way to interact with the natural world. We could learn so much from their way of life. The very least we can do is not destroy what they have nurtured.” Billy Zane added: “Responding to Ecuador’s resounding call, the movie embraces the rallying cry of the #YesToYasuní movement and unites with Waorani in a resolute stance to shield our world’s invaluable array of life and marvels, as we collectively champion the preservation of our planet’s extraordinary diversity.”
The documentary is part of the FallDocs series, which will take place from Sept. 19 through Nov. 16, with in-person screenings in Los Angeles at The Culver Theater and virtual screenings through the International Documentary Association’s Eventive streaming platform. “Waorani: Guardians of the Amazon” is selected as part of the IDA’s support for independent filmmakers from historically excluded communities pursuing a film awards campaign with the Awards Campaign Access Initiative.
The film is co-directed and creatively produced by Jamaicanoproblem. The production company is Paracas Independent Films in association with Waorani Woman AMWAE. It is co-produced by Manuel Cardenal and associate producers include Xavier Guerrero, Lily van Ghemen and Debbie Vandermeulen.
Here’s a first look at Season 4 of Apple TV+’s space drama series For All Mankind. The 10-episode fourth season of the series from Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert will debut globally on Friday, November 10 on Apple TV+, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through January 12, 2024.
The fourth season picks up eight years after the conclusion of Season 3, which Happy Valley rapidly expanding its footprint on Mars by turning former foes into partners. Now 2003, the focus of the space program has turned to the capture and mining of extremely valuable, mineral-rich asteroids that could change the future of both Earth and Mars. But simmering tensions between the residents of the now-sprawling international base threaten to undo everything they are working towards.
U.S. director Darren Lynn Bousman’s English and Arabic-language horror film “The Cello,” starring Jeremy Irons and “Saw” star Tobin Bell, is set to open theatrically across Saudi Arabia on Thursday, marking a significant moment in the kingdom’s moviemaking ambitions.
The high-end chiller, about a cellist who finds out his new instrument comes with a centuries-old curse, is generating local buzz and robust ticket pre-sales following its gala premiere on Sept. 8 at Riyadh’s Muvi Cinemas multiplex.
Bousman – who is best known for his work on the “Saw” franchise (“Saw II,” “III” and “IV”) – attended the “Cello” launch along with several of the film’s Arab stars, including Saudi actress Elham Ali and Syrian actor Samer Ismail (“The Day I Lost My Shadow”), plus the film’s U.S. producer Lee Nelson (“The Ice Road”), co-producer Raul Talwar and exec producer Niko Ruokosuo.
“Getting to experience the movie in Riyadh with a packed audience was surreal,” Bousman said in a statement. “We had the great fortune to work with superstars of the Arab region. Then, add Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell into the mix and it was a once in a lifetime experience.”
Irons and Bell did not make the trek to the “Cello” Saudi premiere.
The long-gestating film, which was shot in Saudi Arabia, Prague and Ireland, is being touted as the first Arabic horror movie for the international market. Interestingly, “The Cello” is written by Saudi poet and writer Turki Alalshikh, who is chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, based on his eponymous novel.
Saudi firm Rozam Media fully financed “Cello” and also owns all rights to the film, which will be released in North America, via an unspecified distributor, on Dec. 8. The film is produced by Rozam Media, Saudi’s Alamiya and Lee Nelson’s Envision Media Arts.
Nelson pointed out in a statement that the production comprised a team from all over the world.
“Our 250-person crew came from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Canada, Italy, Egypt, Africa, India, Ireland, Tunisia, Jordan, Dubai and the U.K,” he said, underlining that “Cello” was “a true global collaboration.”
Director James Wan—whose 2018 superhero film Aquamanis still, five years later, the only bona fide billion-dollar box office winner in Warner Bros.’ entire DCEU stable of films—is pushing back on rumors of trouble with the film’s upcoming sequel. That includes (gently) disputing assertions made by series star Amber Heard, claiming that, counter to what Heard stated in her defamation trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp last year, her part in Aquaman And The Lost Kingdomwas not “pared down” per studio demand, but was always supposed to be smaller than in the first movie.
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Talking to Entertainment Weekly this week, Wan addressed the Heard situation somewhat delicately, sidestepping accusations of studio influence by simply stating that, “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 [his half-brother] Orm. So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We’ll leave it at that.”
During the defamation trial, Heard testified that she was told that a “lack of chemistry” with series star Jason Momoa led to her part being cut back; she also called an expert witness, “entertainment industry consultant” Kathryn Arnold, who testified that Heard was cut from promotional work for the upcoming sequel (including DC’s online FanDome event). Arnold also testified that it was only because Wan and Momoa fought for Heard that she was kept in the movie at all.
Wan, for his part, is doing his best to make it clear to everyone that Aquaman 2 was actually a very nice shoot, thank you very much; he also spends part of the EW profile squashing rumors that the film underwent more than its fair share of reshoots:
We have big actors in this movie, and everyone’s schedule is really hard. So, we had to break up our shooting schedule into sections. We’ll shoot a bit here now, because this actor’s available, and then we’ll do another shoot now, because this guy’s available. People are like, “Oh, they’re doing a whole bunch of different shoots!” No. If we actually combined them all together, it’s actually not that many number of days at all.
Hilariously, the otherwise-diplomatic Wan does get in one absolutely killer hit in at his corporate overlords’ expense: After noting the “tricky” aspect of making the movie without knowing whether it would end up coming out before or after Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, Wan put it as bluntly as a bludgeon to the head: “At the end of the day, the best thing I would say about this movie is that it is not connected in any way to any of those films.”
“Tanaav,” the Indian adaptation of the global hit thriller series “Fauda,” will return for a second season. India’s Applause Entertainment, the content studio of India’s Aditya Birla Group, has secured format rights to Season 2 from Israel’s Yes Studios.
Produced by Applause Entertainment, “Tanaav” successfully premiered on SonyLIV in November 2022. The series is transposed from Israel and Palestine to the troubled area that is Kashmir and tells the story of a Special Covert Ops Unit.
Season 1 of “Tanaav” featured a stellar cast, including Manav Vij, Sumit Kaul, Rajat Kapoor and Shashank Arora, and was directed by Sudhir Mishra (“Serious Men”) and co-directed by Sachin Mamta Krishn (“Hostages”). Production on Season 2 has commenced.
Courtesy of Yes Studios
Sharon Levi, managing director of Yes Studios, pointed out that “Tanaav” was the first local adaptation of “Fauda,” the “first big global hit” of Yes Studios.
Speaking of Applause Entertainment, Levi said: “It was very important for us to work with the right partner, one that could deftly cover differing perspectives in a highly complex situation and create interesting and relevant characters anchored in its own unique local setting and circumstances.”
Sameer Nair, managing director of Applause Entertainment, said “Tanaav” Season 1 was a resounding success. “The teams at Applause and Sony LIV are pumped as we set out to craft an even more gripping tale for our audience with a Season 2.” Nair described the show as a tale of “courage, conflict, and camaraderie.”
”‘Fauda’ is about two countries, Israel and Palestine and it is about two religions. We didn’t want to do that. This is not about religion. This is not about Hindu versus Muslim. This is India versus, let’s say, terrorism or another kind of extreme ideology,” Mishra had told Varietyabout Season 1.
Mishra’s last work was film “Afwaah,” which had a theatrical release before bowing on Netflix.
Applause recently revealed a South Asian content partnership with ZEE5’s Zindagi. The studio’s hits for SonyLIV include two seasons of “Scam.”
Created by Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, “Fauda” follows work of a team of elite Israeli undercover agents. It has collected numerous awards, including best series at the Israeli Academy TV Awards, and has been critically acclaimed in press across the world. “Fauda” is produced by L. Benasuly Productions and Yes TV, with Yes Studios distributing the series and format. “Fauda” has just been renewed by Israeli network Yes for a fifth season, according to multiple local reports confirmed by Variety.
Harry Reid had a hard life that took him from poverty in the Nevada desert to the height of power on Capitol Hill. Along the way, he could reliably count on one thing: tough election fights.
“I should have lost that race,” Reid told Jon Ralston, author of an upcoming biography, after being reelected to the Senate in 1998 by just 401 votes.
He vowed never to let that happen again.
And so Reid, cunning and ruthless in equal measure, leveraged his enormous clout and fundraising muscle to turn Nevada’s creaky state party into a campaign juggernaut.
He not only won a fourth term in 2004, but prevailed after another brutal campaign six years later. In the process, Reid pushed Nevada to the fore of the presidential nominating process and helped turn the state from reliably red to a purplish shade of blue.
Nevada remains a campaign battleground and will be hotly contested again in 2024. But Democrats start with an edge after winning every presidential election here since 2008. They had lost eight of the previous 10.
That tilt away from the Republican Party is part of a sweeping political makeover of the West, from the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains, that has turned much of the former GOP stronghold into Democratic turf.
For much of its history, the West was Republican ground. Today, it’s a bastion of Democratic support, a shift that has transformed presidential politics nationwide. Mark Z. Barabak explores the forces that remade the political map in a series of columns called “The New West.”
In this series, “The New West,” I’m looking at the reasons behind the two-decade-long shift, which has redrawn the national political map and scrambled the race for the White House.
Part of the shift is due to the GOP’s sharp rightward turn, which has alienated many younger, independent and suburban voters who prefer a more broad-minded, less harshly judgmental attitude, especially on social issues.
Some of it is from demographic changes: the relocation of left-leaning Californians to places like Nevada and the growth and increased clout of Democratic-leaning Latinos and other nonwhite voters.
Some of it can be attributed to determined individuals.
In California it was President Clinton, who sought to ensure his 1996 reelection by lavishing the state with time and attention.
In Nevada it was Reid — arguably the most powerful elected official in the state’s history — who died nearly two years ago but whose handiwork continues to shape its political landscape.
He had a crucial ally in the Culinary Union, which represents the workers who keep the state’s fun-and-frolic industries up and running — and regularly musters one of the most skilled and effective voter turnout operations in the country.
The Las Vegas Culinary Union canvasses door-to-door to encourage voter turnout, including early in the pandemic for the 2020 election.
(Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times)
For months before an election, hundreds of paid door-knockers work eight to nine hours a day, six days a week, persisting even when temperatures crawl past a cruel 110 degrees.
Good luck finding very many others willing to do that.
In 1994, Democrats suffered a wipeout of cataclysmic proportions.
The party lost 54 House seats nationwide and eight in the Senate, giving Republicans unified control of Congress for the first time in more than 40 years. In Nevada, Democrats lost a congressman and surrendered control of the state Assembly.
“All of us were reeling,” recalled Barbara Buckley, a Democrat who was first elected to Nevada’s Assembly that year.
It was clear, she said, where blame lay: “Us. … We were losing.”
Nevada Democrats were “not coordinated, not organized, not coalesced, not talking about issues people care[d] about,” Buckley said.
Meetings were convened. Many meetings over many years that included assorted Democratic politicians and their allies.
“There was this realization that there needed to be more organization, more coordination,” said Buckley, who went on to represent the Las Vegas area for 10 years and become Nevada’s first female Assembly speaker. “Everyone needed to up their game.”
Reid was among those participating in the postmortems, his interest and engagement growing considerably after his 1998 political near-death experience.
A big part of the problem was the state party, which, as Ralston describes it, was more of a “kaffeeklatsch” for reminiscing old-timers than a serious campaign organization. So Reid seized control, recruiting experienced hands to professionalize operations, find out where Nevada’s likely Democratic voters lived and make sure they turned out.
One of his most important hires was Rebecca Lambe, a savvy veteran of Missouri politics, who arrived at party headquarters in Las Vegas in 2003 to find a receptionist, an intern, a scattering of cardboard boxes and some beat-up furniture.
She led the party’s rebuilding from the ground up.
“It was organizing,” Lambe, who became Reid’s political right hand, said on a recent oven-hot afternoon. “It was voter registration. It was data. It was opposition research. It was the gamut.”
In 2007, Democrats gained an enormous advantage after the party took control of the Senate and Reid became majority leader. He brought a new, Western perspective to the role, and instantly became one of the most formidable lawmakers — and prolific fundraisers — in Washington.
From then on, the state party and its ambitious revamping work never wanted for cash.
Years earlier, Reid had chosen Steven Horsford, head of the Culinary Union’s job training program, to serve on the Democratic National Committee. That put the senator’s proxy in a key position when the party looked to shake things up.
Iowa and New Hampshire — two overwhelmingly white, heavily rural states — had long dominated the presidential selection process by voting first. Democrats decided to broaden the competition, starting in 2008, by revamping their political calendar.
Several Western states bid to hold early caucuses after Iowa’s. South Carolina, which has a large Black population, was awarded a primary to follow New Hampshire’s.
Horsford helped make Nevada’s case.
“We made the argument … [based on] the diversity of the people here,” said Horsford, now a Las Vegas congressman and head of the Congressional Black Caucus, also citing “the ability to do true retail politics, the growing labor movement and the fact that it’s not an expensive media market.”
Nevada beat out Arizona and Colorado, among other states, to claim the early slot. (It “didn’t hurt any,” said Howard Dean, national party chairman at the time, that the Senate’s top Democrat called the state home.)
Once Nevada prevailed, Reid made it his personal mission to ensure the caucuses ran smoothly — not just to avoid embarrassment, but also as part of his party-building strategy.
(Republicans moved up their caucuses to coincide with the Democratic balloting, but the GOP contests didn’t draw nearly as much voter interest or attention from candidates.)
Jim Manley, a top congressional aide to Reid at the time, remembers the senator devoting long hours to “hectoring, phone calls, public pressure” to see that the party’s large field of presidential hopefuls came to Nevada early and often, energizing Democrats.
“But it wasn’t just brute strength or manipulation,” Manley said. “It was making the case that Nevada” — with its burgeoning minority population and growing union membership — “was a rising state, trending Democratic.”
A steady stream of presidential contestants campaigned in Nevada ahead of the party’s 2008 caucuses, which drew wide national notice but ended in a muddle. Hillary Clinton topped the vote tally. However, when delegates were apportioned, Barack Obama finished with the most.
The undisputed winner was Reid.
Turnout for the Democratic caucuses exceeded expectation, topping 117,000 participants. (In 2004, fewer than 10,000 people bothered showing up.)
Better still, from Reid’s perspective: On caucus day alone, his party registered 30,000 new voters.
D. Taylor, head of the Culinary Union’s parent, UNITE HERE, remembers being at one of the earlier meetings with Reid and despairing Democrats.
Seated recently in his cramped office at the Culinary Union’s scruffy headquarters just off the Las Vegas Strip, Taylor recalls telling them, “The last people you need to talk to are people like me.”
Culinary Union Local 226, based just off the Las Vegas Strip, has become a powerhouse in Nevada politics, benefiting workers and Democrats.
(Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times)
Nevada was changing, rapidly. The population was exploding — the state has gained more than 1 million people since the latest turn of the century — and the percentages of Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander residents were soaring as well.
Taylor could see it in the ranks of the Culinary Union.
Founded in 1935, it had helped recruit the workforce that turned Las Vegas into the internationally renowned gambling and tourist mecca we now know (albeit one that remained segregated into the 1960s). Today, the union’s roughly 60,000 members come from nearly 200 countries; just about half are immigrants.
Turning Nevada’s abundant newcomers into Democrats and moving them to the polls was essential to Reid’s operation and vital to the state’s political conversion.
The Culinary Union became an indispensable part of the turnout effort. And crucial to its success were the peer-to-peer relationships that members forged in their respective communities.
“People came out of the hotels — guest room attendants, banquet servers, bartenders” — and went door-to-door, said Maggie Carlton, a former coffee shop server who canvassed for the Culinary Union before she was elected in 1998, with the union’s strong support, to the state Senate.
Labor leader D. Taylor with then-President Obama in the back of a group photo that Obama signed with thanks to the Vegas Culinary Union. Taylor was among the union activists who worked with Harry Reid to build support for Democrats among newcomers to Nevada.
(Mark Z. Barabak / Los Angeles Times)
“We get it,” said Carlton, who went on to became the state’s longest-serving female lawmaker before term limits ended her time in office in 2022. “We’re talking to our friends and families. A lot of them may be people they work right alongside when they’re in the hotel.”
Horsford suggests that he never would have been elected but for the union’s backing and the way its troops approach elections — without emphasizing party or a particular candidate.
“That’s not what motivates their members,” Horsford said. “It’s, ‘Go vote for this issue. Healthcare. Immigration. Better education or jobs. And, oh, this is where this person stands and why we support them.’”
Reid, deeply respected and widely reviled — hence those numerous hard-fought elections — left a lasting mark on his home state.
He delivered a fortune in federal funding and blocked creation of a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, less than 100 miles from Las Vegas.
Reid shaped Nevada politics like few others. Now that he’s departed, Republicans hope to end Democrats’ presidential win streak, starting next year.
But there’s no forgetting him.
When candidates fly to Las Vegas to campaign, they touch down just off the Strip, its fantasia skyline in clear view, at Harry Reid International Airport.
When shares of Arm, the British chip designer, begin trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange on Thursday in the year’s biggest initial public offering, investors, tech executives, bankers and start-up founders will be watching closely for how it performs.
If Arm’s stock falls, they will know that the market for I.P.O.s is likely to stay frozen for longer. But a warm welcome for the shares could entice many more companies to go public in the coming months, ending the cold streak.
“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 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, priced its offering on Wednesday at $51 a share, raising $4.87 billion and valuing the company at $54.5 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.
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.
Investors remain cautious to skeptical about other tech companies that are readying to go public, with expectations low. Next week, the grocery delivery company Instacart and the marketing technology company Klaviyo are also expected to begin trading on the public market.
Yet 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.
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.
In the first trailer for Hulu’s Spanish-language series Nada, Robert DeNiro is introduced to colorful Argentine slang, above. The series premieres on October 11 via the streamer in the U.S. and in Latin America exclusively on Star+ and on Disney+ in select markets outside the region.
The series, which is referred to as Argentina’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, tells the story of Manuel (Luis Brandoni), a sophisticated culinary critic from Buenos Aires, an art lover and a provocateur whose life up until this point had been managed by his assistant (María Rosa Fugazot).
However, an exceptional event forces him to change his routine and hire Antonia (Majo Cabrera), an inexperienced young woman born and raised in a small town in Paraguay, to tackle the household tasks. The clash of cultures and generations leads to unusual, contradictory and tender situations that result in significant learning experiences for both.
Manuel’s old friend Vincent (De Niro), a renowned New York writer, visits his house. They share many adventures together, including tasting foods, reading, long walks, and existential conversations, all set against the backdrop of the magnificent city of Buenos Aires.
The cast of Nada also includes Silvia Kutika, Enrique Piñeyro, Gastón Cocchiarale, Daniel Miglioranza, Pablo Novak, Belén Chavanne, Alejandro Paker, Rodrigo Noya, Ariadna Asturzzi, Cecilia Dopazo, Manuel Vicente and Daniel Aráoz.
Produced by Metrovisión, Nada is written by Emanuel Diez, Mariano Cohn, and Gastón Duprat, the writers of the hit series El Encargado, currently streaming on Hulu.
The series was created and directed by Cohn and Duprat.
Nada will kick off the Culinary Zinema section at the 71st edition of the Festival taking place from September 22 to 30. The Star Original Productions’ new original dramedy is the first Latin American fictional series to be included in this festival’s section.
Beyoncé is still in the middle of her hugely successful “Renaissance” tour, but that didn’t stop her from taking a little break to get some serious privacy to celebrate her birthday.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ the singer rented out a spot called Mermaid Bay — a string of 11 villas located within The Brando, a private island resort for the ultra-rich in French Polynesia.
Our sources say Beyoncé and crew arrived at the property September 5, and stayed at least through Friday the 8th … with adults and kids all in tow.
As for her accommodations, we’re told Beyoncé and Jay-Z stayed in the Bay’s main residence — a 4-bedroom villa that goes for around $20K per night — and the rest of their group stayed among the 10 other villas … which have 1, 2 and 3 bedroom options.
9/4/23
Of course, Beyoncé’s actual birthday was September 4, and she celebrated it with DianaRoss and about 70,000 fans — so the private island retreat looks like the perfect destination to unwind before taking on her 42nd year.
Beyoncé was back on tour in Vancouver Monday night … so it’s back on the grind after some serious rest and relaxation.
This year’s VMAs red carpet was filled with a ton of amazing looks. However, some of them were a little more experimental, risky, or unusual than others.
Here are 15 of the wildest red carpet looks from the 2023 VMAs:
2.
Tinashe’s fully see-through mesh dress:
3.
Doja Cat’s Halloween decor couture cobweb dress:
4.
Jared Leto’s Julia Fox-esque look and silver fangs:
7.
Demi Lovato’s exaggerated shoulder pads:
9.
Doechii’s baseball cap and arm warmers:
10.
Jimbo’s feathery pink dress and unique headpiece:
11.
Sexxy Red’s giant wad of cash, which was too big to fit in her little purse:
12.
Justina Valentine’s bold blue bodysuit with fuzzy wrist cuffs:
13.
Shenseea’s fancy fur coat, which is giving modern Cruella De Vil vibes:
14.
Luxx Noir London’s latex mini dress and big choker:
15.
And finally, Lil Uzi Vert’s shorts with socks and sandals combo, which is giving “American tourist in Europe” vibes:
I love to see celebs take a risk and try something outside the norm on the red carpet! Which unique look do you think was the best? Share your opinions in the comments!
Heard has been at the center of controversy due to the public defamation trial between her and her ex-husband Johnny Depp. Despite that, the actress is still confirmed to star as Mera in Aquaman 2.
In May 2022, Mera actress Amber Heard claimed during the legal trial between her and Johnny Depp that Warner Bros. didn’t want to put her in Aquaman 2 at all, pointing out that she played a “very pared-down version” of Mera in the sequel.
Heard also said that she was given “new versions of the script” that didn’t include action scenes involving Mera anymore.
Is Amber Heard’s Aquaman 2 Role Reduced?
DC
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan addressed Amber Heard’s claims that her role in the sequel was reduced.
Wan insisted that the sequel’s intended focus is always going to be the brother dynamic between Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry and Patrick Wilson and not between Arthur and Mera:
“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.”
The filmmaker ended by describing Aquaman 2 as a “bromance action-adventure movie” and not a “romance action-adventure” film like the first entry to the franchise:
“So, the first was a romance action-adventure movie, the second one is a bromance action-adventure movie. We’ll leave it at that.”
However, a past report from The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzales in August 2022 claimed that the actress’ Aquaman 2 screentime totals up to “about 20 minutes.”
What Is Mera’s Role in Aquaman 2?
Aquaman 2 director James Wan’s latest comments indicate that Amber Heard’s Mera will have a limited role in the sequel.
This doesn’t necessarily mean a bad thing for the actress and her character since he appears to imply that it’s what the story requires.
Still, the fact that Mera is even included in the movie is pretty significant, considering that fans will not be asking where the character has been all this time.
Based on the first Aquaman 2 teaser, Mera can be seen running towards a house on fire, which appears to be Thomas Curry’s home.
Given Black Manta’s all-out revenge against Arthur Curry, it’s possible that the titular hero advises Mera to keep his parents safe, leading to them being isolated for a good chunk of the film.
This could explain why Mera is absent for a good amount of the movie, leading to Arthur and Orm’s dynamic being pushed to the forefront.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to premiere in theaters on December 20.
Connor Makar – “Mortal Kombat 1 is a generally positive step in a new direction. I find myself frustrated with Liu Kang’s decision to allow live service DNA to creep into his new universe, and I long for some of the features left behind (like the Krypt). Mortal Kombat 1 sets the stage for a new era of MK that you can’t help but get pumped up for. NetherRealm, like the characters in its ultraviolent universe, is staring right into the face of a brave new world and locking eyes with the future. Keeping those eyes in its head, though, may remain a challenge.”
Well, despite Avid finally selling out and being purchased by a private equity company for $1.4 billion, it’s nice to see that this legacy audio and video software company is still alive and kicking at IBC 2023.
With big news coming from the likes of Adobe, Canon, Sony, and more at this year’s International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, it’s actually quite important that Avid be on the ground and able to share some new innovations of their own.
Let’s take a look at the highlights from Avid’s IBC 2023 showing including a whole range of new softwares for both video and audio, as well as some exciting AI tools that aim to keep us humans in the loop.
Avid at IBC2023
Of course, when any major company is sold to a private equity firm, there’s a host of questions about the future of said company and its famous products and software.
While we don’t fully know the future of Avid Media Composer or Pro Tools, it is encouraging to see the company still hard at work updating these software to remain competitive in the market—at least for now.
“At IBC 2023, the industry will see how Avid is continuing to drive innovation that enables our customers to stay ahead of the accelerating demand for content and positively transform the way they produce premium content for news, sports, dramas, and films.” — Tim Claman, SVP & General Manager, Video & Media Solutions, Avid
As we hear from Avid executives, the focus of IBC 2023 for Avid is really about two things: empowering digital-first newsrooms and AI.
Let’s take a look at both and explore how they might be helpful for those in the video editing game.
Avid’s New AI Tools
With Adobe doubling down hard on AI with Firefly and other brands like Blackmagic already having AI-powered text-based editing out in the wild, it’s nice to see that Avid is staying in the hunt with their own AI tools and features.
Avid’s next-generation ScriptSync AI is probably their biggest AI tool currently as it’s now available as a preview in Media Composer 2023.8. This proprietary tool uses AI speech-to-text technology to allow editors the ability to easily generate transcripts and automatically align media clips to scripts and transcripts all from Avid’s integrated window inside Media Composer.
Avid is also unveiling a new Media Composer PhraseFind AI which is also available as a preview in Media Composer and powered by the same AI speech-to-text technology. This tool will allow editors to easily search for clips using keywords with support for 21 languages here at launch.
Admittedly both of these tools are pretty standard stuff for AI integration into NLE, but if you are a current Avid user it’s nice to see the app is getting updates to help it keep up with its competition in this AI arena.
Avid’s Digital-First Newsrooms
The other big topic from Avid’s IBC2023 presence is really all about empowering digital-first newsrooms with comprehensive, scalable, and integrated solutions that are aimed at empowering news teams to easily collaborate from anywhere and rapidly distribute their content everywhere.
The biggest new tool in this news space is Avid’s Stream IO, a powerful, software-based production ingest and playout tool designed for cloud and COTS deployments.
This Stream IO will couple well with Avid’s new Acquire software solution as well which is designed for the scheduling of said media ingest with real-time preview capabilities for incoming feeds and added accessibility from a secure, browser-based user interface.
Avid is also previewing an upcoming release of a MediaCentral Collaborate tool that will optimize the overall user experience with customizable forms and templates to help creators create flexible plans and manage their teams and task assignments from any device.
Overall, we’re just generally all glad to see that Avid is at IBC2023 and bringing some much-appreciated competition to the NLE space overall.
If you’d like to go more in-depth into their presentation you can follow along on the Avid website here.
The full programme of the 16th edition of the CinEast festival (Central and Eastern European Film Festival in Luxembourg) will be announced at the Press Conference held on Tuesday 19 September 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg (17, Place du Théâtre, Luxembourg-City).
We are delighted to announce that the documentary “In the Rearview” by Polish director Maciek Hamela will be the Opening Film of the 2023 edition. The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival (ACID) and, among other prizes, won the main award at the Sheffield Documentary Film Festival (DocFest). The film’s director is also the volunteer driver of the van which transports Ukrainians fleeing war zones, especially women, children and the elderly. For each of his many passengers, he shares with us an intense and moving moment – a poignant, live testimony that brings us closer to the daily life of people affected by the war. The film will be screened right after the Opening ceremony on Thursday 5 October at 7pm at Neimënster (with English subtitles, on invitation, confirmation of presence is required, press accreditation is possible).
The 16th edition of CinEast, which will be held from 5 to 22 October 2023, will feature over 120 screenings of more than 60 feature and 40 short films from 20 Central and Eastern European countries, an extensive photography exhibition, 6 concerts, 4 film debates, as well as encounters with over 30guests at a number of venues in Luxembourg City and other towns in the country. Many of the films will also be available online.
Tickets cost EUR 9 (physical screenings) and EUR 6.50 (online screenings). There is a discount for young people under 25 (EUR 6.50 for physical screenings). A festival pass (valid for 10 screenings – in cinemas or online) will also be on sale for EUR 40. Finally, a special ‘fan pack’, priced at EUR 55, will include the festival pass, a t-shirt, and other merchandise. Furthermore, Ukrainian refugees will have free access to festival screenings and most events.
As in the previous edition, festival-goers are strongly encouraged to buy their tickets (or reserve their seats) in advance online via our ‘Eventive’ ticketing engine (cineast.eventive.org), which will also serve as a platform for online screenings (CinEast Online Cinema). The platform will be accessible after the press conference.
The CinEast 2023 festival is organised by CinEast asbl in collaboration with the Cinémathèque, Neimënster, the Kinepolis group, Ancien Cinéma and others. Main partners and sponsors: Luxembourg Ministry of Culture, City of Luxembourg, Film Fund Luxembourg, PwC Luxembourg and Kulczyk Investments. Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union..
The title of Prime Video’s new psychological thriller, Wilderness, isn’t only about the vast and open space where most of the show’s tense action unfolds. It also embodies a grander metaphor about the wasteland that is the cursed relationship of Liv (Jenna Coleman) and Will (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Their marriage appears picture-perfect on the surface, but it’s rooted in deep abandonment issues and their chances of surviving together seem basically non-existent. Over the course of six episodes, Wilderness (which premieres September 15) navigates the wild maze of a romance that was pretty much doomed from the start.
Selena Gomez vows never to become a meme again
Wilderness evokes a narrative cliché: the wronged woman on a path of revenge. It clearly references hits like Fatal Attractionand Gone Girl, even using the phrase “bunny-boiler” at some point. Despite these classics looming in the background, the TV drama gets brownie points for trying something different with the topic. It doesn’t subvert the genre as much as embrace it for all it’s worth. There’s no startling innovation here, and it still works because the trope itself exists and is fun for a reason. The early episodes of Wilderness are twisted and entertaining, as Liv unravels Will’s web of lies and plots vengeance. It’s edge-of-your-seat and pulpy. (Episode two, in particular, is a remarkable, surprisingly sentimental standout.) And then boom, the excitement tapers off.
Sadly, Wilderness falls back on its own promiseof a complex tale of all-consuming revenge, desire, and death by concluding with a timid version of the story it started. Marnie Dickens’ screenplay is based on B.E. Jones’ novel of the same name—but the book is far more audacious and playful than its adaptation. The show doesn’t take as many creative risks and ends up as a straightforward and somewhat preachy thriller, dulling the impact of its engaging beginning.
Back to that beginning: The show kicks off when Liv and Will move from the U.K. to New York City after he gets a fancy new job. It means a lavish apartment and a fresh start away from their respective toxic families. However, once she discovers his infidelity with a coworker, Cara (Ashley Benson), Liv’s image of a happy marriage is shattered. The facade of his perfection fades because the so-called love of her life is a master manipulator and gaslighter. He eventually convinces her to go on her dream vacation, road-tripping across the Arizona desert, as a way to reconnect. And that’s when it hits her: The dangerous terrain doubles as the perfect spot for an “accident.” If she gets rid of Will, she gets rid of having to live with him and the knowledge that he might move on with another woman someday.
Credit where it’s due because Wilderness’ script succeeds in portraying Liv as a complicated person, and she makes for the most interesting character study here. “I’m the sick fuck,” she says. “I’m the heroine. I’m the villain. I’m the everywoman.” She accepts her flaws because she knows she’s unable to let go of the cheating man she’s tied up with. Don’t worry, Wilderness wisely turns the tables, evolving Liv believably as the rug is constantly pulled from under her feet. Coleman is a consistent delight in this role, bringing exceeding levels of empathy and expressiveness to Liv as rage and ego tend to drive her decisions.
Wilderness – Official Trailer | Prime Video
Jackson-Cohen, meanwhile, is increasingly menacing as Will’s hidden truths come to light. At this point, he’s an expert at playing suspicious roles (The Invisible Man, The Haunting Of Bly Manor, Surface), and here he viciously commands the screenwhile sharing sultry chemistry with both Coleman and Benson. That keeps the momentum going when Wilderness starts to falter, as the show takes a predictable route once everyone actually leaves the wilderness. (It doesn’t help that we’re taken away from the beautiful scenery, which is used to great cinematic effect by director So Yong Kim.)
Liv’s plans to kill her partner go awry when Cara and her boyfriend, Garth (Eric Balfour), join them on the trip. The four of them bond amid stressful situations, leading Liv to reconsider her thought process. That doesn’t mean someone doesn’t meet their maker anyway, though. Wilderness struggles to carve a good murder mystery after that, and it forgoes thrilling suspense in favor of being didactic as Liv returns home. Which is disappointing, because the show sets up excellent gray-area characters and storylines. It just doesn’t care to explore them with the kind of tantalizing lens that makes an erotic, psychological saga tick.
Instead, the show gets duller once it pivots back to the big city. Liv is being watched by detectives while dealing with more romantic troubles. There’s a half-baked subplot about her neighbor and only friend, Ash (Morgana Van Peebles) that spins in circles. It almost feels like the writingcaves under the pressure to say something and send a message, which takes away from the hook that intrigued us in the first place. Despite its wasted potential, Wilderness, as an overall package, at least manages to fulfill the craving for a buzzy thriller.
Did you anticipate Kennedy, Grant, and Jennifer for the finale?
From a Hell’s Kitchen crossover that was, well, from hell to challenging pasta dishes and attempting to follow the master that is Gordon Ramsay, it was a jam-packed double feature of Masterchef.
And it’s time to unpack the highlights of it.
Welcome to Hell’s Kitchen!
Seeing the remaining contestants dolled up and prancing into Hell’s Kitchen for the first time was nice.
In all these years of the series, it’s actually a surprise that they haven’t incorporated this into a challenge multiple times before.
Suppose anything could put these home cooks to the test. In that case, it’s the frantic, chaotic, and intimidating kitchen life that would have them serving up multiple high-quality dishes in a timely fashion or else deal with Ramsay’s wrath.
Unfortunately, this portion of the challenge showcased how not everyone is cut out to be in a high-energy kitchen.
Hell’s Kitchen is intimidating to even the most confident of chefs, and you could tell everyone was nervous about being there.
Plus, it’s beyond stressful to think that teams of three people had to run an entire side of the kitchen by themselves and produce meals for everyone.
And, of course, they had no control over what they were making either since they had things like Lobster risotto and filets to contend with rather than whatever they had in mind.
The judges chose the teams and the captains, and it made sense that they had Wayne running one side and Grant on the other.
Initially, the idea of Wayne running anything was a bit irksome because he’s so nitpicky and tends to micromanage a great deal. But in the environment, it seemed to work to their advantage.
You could also tell the judges wanted to focus on giving each captain one of the strongest chefs and a middling one.
Wayne had Kennedy and Reagan to manage, and while Kennedy had her issues at first with Wayne, she did fine, while Reagan tended to struggle with the cook on the filet steaks.
She also had that awkward run-in with Gordon Ramsay when she thought she’d just serve up some of the previous risotto she made to keep ahead with the orders, but he wanted it fresh.
Reagan’s thought process makes sense for a home cook and even someone who runs a small business. When you’re trying to think economically and not waste food, it tracks.
But you can’t pull moves like that in a higher-end kitchen, so she got a hell of a reality check when Gordon became Chef Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen with her rather than the more laidback mentor and judge of this series.
Wayne knew how to get her together when she needed it, and he was surprisingly good at managing Kennedy and keeping the pace up during most of the shift.
It gave them a better edge than Grant’s unfortunate attempts at running the Red Kitchen.
Sav was completely and utterly lost. She checked out roughly five minutes into service and couldn’t seem to bounce back from that point forward.
Sav was so far out of her depth that she was spiraling, and she couldn’t get ahold of herself no matter what she did.
It’s a reason she didn’t try out for Hell’s Kitchen, and you could see that.
Every task she got showcased a flaw of hers and served as a reminder that she’s not familiar with some of the more technical pieces and has the technical skillset for an established kitchen, and this is beyond what she’s comfortable doing.
She was destroying the pan-seared scallops at every turn, she couldn’t get temps on pans or any of the food right, and she had to get talked through tasks by Grant, Jennifer, and both chefs.
And the more she got flustered, the worse her performance became. It was brutal to witness.
But it’s another one of those moments that reminds you how little we’ve seen of Sav this entire competition. We never got to know if she was cut out for this or if she was having a rough day.
She’s been this background fixture for so long that there was not much investment in seeing her demise, and as tough as things were for her, it was hard to feel anything when she eventually but rightfully got the boot after that competition.
It was also obvious that if we had more than one elimination ahead of the finals, she’d be one of them because she hasn’t been anywhere outside the middle of the pack all season.
The biggest shock was that after running the kitchen so well during the Hell’s Kitchen Challenge and occasionally being one of the front runners, dark horses, and seemingly a favorite all season, Wayne crashed, burned, and got booted during the second challenge.
Not only was Wayne getting the boot so early and not making it to the top three shocks, but getting axed before Reagan was also a huge shocker.
The pasta challenge was fun, mainly when they each got different forms of it.
Grant’s squid ink crab and clam stuffed pasta was an inspired choice you could envision as a dish at a decent restaurant, if not on the pretentious side, but it is squid ink.
Reagan’s spinach-fused ravioli with Swiss chard and ricotta got rave reviews from the judges, and Joe appreciated the Italian-mom homey element of it. Still, it also felt incredibly simple and understated.
Jennifer’s beet tortellini pasta with veal and wine reduction looked beautiful, with great plating, and Gordon’s only criticism was that he didn’t like the raw garlic in it.
Kennedy mostly had a miss with her crab and scallop tortellini with uni cream sauce and caviar because it was too salty, and the flavors of the uni and caviar overpowered the pasta.
But Wayne utterly flubbed with his Lobster-stuffed saffron ravioli with butter sauce that he didn’t manage to pull off.
They went as far as describing it as half a dish. And they said they needed more seasoning and a more cohesive dish.
Wayne’s constant criticism is that he’s overambitious at times but can’t execute, and that was the case with his pasta dish and, subsequently, his downfall.
But it was still shocking to see him leave this soon when it felt as if he was set up to at least make it to the top three.
Follow the Leader
The final challenge was fun because it’s always a blast when Gordon puts on the apron and gets his hands dirty cooking with the contestants.
They had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow Ramsay’s demonstrations to a “T” and replicate his dish as best as possible.
The Coffee-crusted smoked venison seemed very involved and technical because of its many components.
The only one who looked like they didn’t have an issue keeping up was Grant.
Grant has emerged as one of the front-runners out of the middle of the pack midway through Masterchef Season 13, and at this point, there’s a plausible chance he could take it all home or at least be the runner-up.
While our money is still on Kennedy taking it home, Grant could easily pull this out in the end, which is something that didn’t seem like a possibility back when he was messing up potatoes and other such things.
Gordon going at lightning speed, walking them through a dish seemed more difficult than one would’ve imagined.
And by the end, only Grant and Kennedy impressed the most with their replication and execution of the dishes.
Jennifer’s was almost as bad as Reagan’s, but apparently, the only thing that spared her was the cook on the venison being better.
It feels like we hurtled into the final three with everything up in the air, and minor infractions took some people out while their inconsistent history took out others.
And now we have Jennifer, Kennedy, and Grant duking it out for the high honor, but will the West, South, or Midwest take the crown?
You’ll have to tune in for the finale.
And stay tuned for more Masterchef and Gordon Ramsay Universe-related content soon.
For more food-related content, follow our sister site, Food Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You’ll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on Twitter.
Alan Moore is turning down any compensation for film and TV series based on his comics. The “Watchmen” creator, notoriously outspoken about adaptations of his work, told The Telegraph that he instead wants DC Comics royalty checks sent to Black Lives Matter.
“I don’t really feel, with the recent films, that they have stood by what I assumed were their original principles. So I asked for DC Comics to send all of the money from any future TV series or films to Black Lives Matter,” Moore said.
Moore has long been critical of screen versions of his comics. Last year, he slammed the HBO and Warner Bros. TV series “Watchmen,” adapted from his 1986 graphic novel. Creator Damon Lindelof sent Moore a letter ahead of production admitting to “destroying” the original comic for his HBO series. Moore alleged that he was unaware HBO was even developing a “Watchmen” series at the time and later sent a “very abrupt and probably hostile reply” saying that Warner Bros. should never contact him again.
Looking back on his own “Watchmen,” Moore said he “disowned the work in question, and partly that was because the film industry and the comics industry seemed to have created things that had nothing to do with my work, but which would be associated with it in the public mind. I said, ‘Look, this is embarrassing to me. I don’t want anything to do with you or your show. Please don’t bother me again.’”
“Watchmen” was also adapted into a 2009 film by Zack Snyder.
He previously called the rise of superhero fare infantile, telling The Guardian in 2022, “I said round about 2011 that I thought that it had serious and worrying implications for the future if millions of adults were queueing up to see ‘Batman’ movies. Because that kind of infantilization — that urge towards simpler times, simpler realities — that can very often be a precursor to fascism.”
The “V For Vendetta” creator added, “Hundreds of thousands of adults lining up to see characters and situations that had been created to entertain the 12-year-old boys — and it was always boys — of 50 years ago. I didn’t really think that superheroes were adult fare. I think that this was a misunderstanding born of what happened in the 1980s — to which I must put my hand up to a considerable share of the blame, though it was not intentional — when things like ‘Watchmen’ were first appearing. There were an awful lot of headlines saying ‘Comics Have Grown Up.’”
Moore also addressed in the Telegraph Q&A how the comic book industry has changed in the last few decades, saying, “Now they’re called ‘graphic novels’, which sounds sophisticated and you can charge a lot more for them. These innocent and inventive and imaginative superhero characters from the Forties, Fifties, Sixties are being recycled to a modern audience as if they were adult fare.”
After a brief onstage reunion at the MTA VMAs earlier this week, ‘NSync have announced they will release a brand new song, “Better Place.” Fan can hear a snippet of the track, out Sept. 29, in the trailer for animated sequel Trolls Band Together.
The film, in theaters Nov. 17, brings back Justin Timberlake’s troll Branch alongside Anna Kendrick’s Poppy. Fittingly, the movie’s plot follows Branch as he reunites with his brothers to get their childhood boy band, BroZone, back together. Branch’s onscreen brothers are voiced by Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs, and Kid Cudi.
While “Better Place” can be heard in part in the trailer, as well as on this website, fans will have to wait a few weeks to hear the full song. It will mark ‘NSync’s first new music since 2002 when they released their “Girlfriend” remix featuring Nelly. The band’s last LP, Celebrity, dropped in 2001.
On Tuesday night, the members of ‘NSync surprised the VMAs audience by presenting the first award of the night, Best Pop, to Taylor Swift. The group introduced the category with a story about their own historywith the awards show, throwing it back to their win for “Bye Bye Bye” in 2000. And even Swift couldn’t help but fangirl over the rare bit of pop nostalgia taking place.
I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this, like I had I had your dolls,” Swift said, calling the five-piece “pop personified” as she accepted her award. She asked: “Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now?”
‘NSync effectively disbanded in 2004 when Timberlake left to launch his solo career. In the nearly 20 years since then, the group has gotten back together on a handful of occasions, most notably — and maybe not so coincidentally — 10 years ago at the 2013 VMAs. At that show, Timberlake welcomed his former bandmates onstage to perform “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye” as part of his career-spanning set celebrating his Video Vanguard Award.
In a year filled with agenda-driven cinematic drivel and gargantuan big-budget flops, a throwback to good old-fashioned films of yore feels like a breath of fresh air. As such, A Haunting in Venice marks the best, most succinct, and humorous adaptation of an Agatha Christie story by Kenneth Branagh yet. While its ambitions may be modest and its final twist predictable, writer Michael Green’s snappy one-liners, Branagh’s sharp direction, and cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos’s stunning imagery render this a perfectly calibrated project: a little spooky, a little sad, sometimes uproarious, and so very cozy. Christie would be proud.
A heavy fog of post-war melancholy literally cloaks the ancient towers of Venice. Now retired, Hercule Poirot is invited by Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), a grieving mother, to attend a séance hosted by the infamous, eccentric medium Mrs. Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). To say Rowena’s house is dilapidated would be a disservice to dilapidation: damp and dark and seemingly half-immersed in the rising waters of Venice, it’s as morbidly gorgeous as it is unlivable.
Poirot is joined by Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), an old friend and a novelist, intent on debunking Mrs. Reynolds’s unconventional practices; knowing Poirot is an ardent atheist, she attempts to get the reluctant detective involved in her scheme. Also in attendance: the PTSD-afflicted Dr. Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan) and his highly sophisticated son Leopold (Jude Hill); the embittered young hunk Maxime (Kyle Allen); the weird-as-all-hell siblings Desdemona (Emma Laird) and Nicholas (Ali Khan); the intense-in-how-earnest-she-is Olga Seminoff (Camille Cottin); and the former cop Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio).
“…knowing Poirot is an ardent atheist, she attempts to get the reluctant detective involved in her scheme.”
Of course, a murder occurs. Of course, each of the aforementioned characters hides some sort of a secret. Of course, there’s a multitude of scenes in which characters talk tearfully about their past, not quite confessing to any crimes but toying with our sympathies. And, of course, there’s the twist. As “been-there, seen-that” as most of it is, it’s the execution that elevates A Haunting in Venice well above its predecessors.
Where Murder on the Orient Express felt bloated and oddly impersonal due mostly to two-dimensional characters solely serving the plot, here Branagh allows us to see a more fragile, self-doubting Poirot, which adds a great deal of poignancy to the proceedings. The characters are well-defined – just enough to involve us in the story. (Although less overt exposition would have benefited the narrative.) Where Death on the Nile was just plain silly, not aided by its wooden lead or eye-gouging special effects, here the filmmaker wisely keeps his tongue planted firmly in cheek, while the gothic visuals and costumes are all top-notch.
These days, it becomes borderline challenging to judge a film like A Haunting in Venice on its own merits. Most of the films around it are so terrible they stand out like a shining gem in a puddle of sh… um, mud. Sure, it won’t rock your world, make you recite lines to friends, or discuss sequences excitedly. Sure, maybe ten years ago, it may have been lost in an ocean of masterpieces. (Remember that year? Gravity, Her, Prisoners, 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, and Blue Jasmine were just a few of the films gracing silver screens). A lot has changed since then. Films like this – ones primarily interested in telling a good story in a truly creative way without pushing an agenda – are becoming increasingly rare and increasingly more welcome. Cherish it.
A Russian pilot tried to shoot down an RAF surveillance plane over the Black Sea because he mistakenly thought he had permission, it has emerged.
The pilot of the SU-27 fighter jet fired two missiles at the RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft on September 29 last year, with the first missing the British plane rather than malfunctioning as was claimed by Russia at the time.
Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu blamed a ‘technical malfunction’ and Wallace, having spoken with other Russian defence officials, accepted the explanation and drew a line under the incident.
But now, three senior Western defence sources with knowledge of the incident have told the BBC that Russian communications that were intercepted by the RAF surveillance plane show that one of the Russian pilots thought he had been given permission to target the British aircraft.
The pilot of the SU-27 fighter jet (file image) fired two missiles at the British military plane, with the first missing the target rather than malfunctioning as was claimed by Russia at the time
An RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane (file image) had been flying over international waters near Crimea at the time of the incident in September
This was after he received an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station that was along the lines of ‘you have the target’, one Western source said.
While the first pilot took this as an order to fire at the RAF reconnaissance plane, the second pilot thought the opposite and swore at his comrade when he fired his first air-to-air missile, which came perilously close to the British spy aircraft.
The missile had been successfully launched but failed to lock onto the plane, the sources said, meaning that it was a very near miss – rather than a ‘technical malfunction’ as Russia had claimed.
Had a Russian missile blown Rivet Joint out of the sky over the Black Sea, the UK and its NATO allies may have been compelled to war.
According to Article 5 of the founding treaty of NATO, member nations agree that an armed attack against one or more of them ‘shall be considered an attack against them all’.
If such an attack does occur, each NATO member will assist the country that has been attacked with any action ‘it deems necessary’.
Defence sources told the BBC that the second Russian pilot shouted at his comrade and swore at him after he released his first air-to-air missile. But despite this, the first pilot still released another missile.
The second missile fell from the wing, suggesting that the weapon either malfunctioned or the launch was aborted, the sources said.
The RAF regularly flies sorties over the Black Sea’s international waters, as well the Baltics and eastern Poland, to gather intelligence.
The role of the Rivet Joint aircraft is to hoover up electronic transmissions and communications – the plane is also known as a ‘nuke-sniffer’ for its ability to detect radioactivity.
The Ministry of Defence said it will not release details of the intercepted communications.
An MoD spokespersons said in response to the new revelations: ‘Our intent has always been to protect the safety of our operations, avoid unnecessary escalation and inform the public and international community.’
British and US aircraft continued to conduct these reconnaissance flights after the hair-raising incident in September, but RAF surveillance aircraft are now escorted by Typhoon fighters while the US resorts to the use of unmanned surveillance drones.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in March that it is important to keep the Black Sea and the skies over it open to all nations.
‘The Black Sea is a critical international seaway supporting many of our Nato allies, including Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, and does not belong to any one country,’ he said.
Ryder’s comments came after yet another aerial incident in which Russian jets dumped fuel on and ultimately crashed into a US surveillance drone in March.
Video footage shows the Russian fighter jet approaching the American drone from behind in March and beginning to release fuel as it passes – the Pentagon said
After the clash, the onboard camera shows a broken propeller (L) and a comparative operational propeller (R) turning. Russia previously said it did not make contact with the drone
US forces had to bring down the $32million surveillance drone in international waters after the encounter, sparking a race between Moscow and Washington to recover it.
Russian ships were spotted at the crash site on March 15 trying to find the debris, though the Pentagon insisted the parts could not be retrieved and any intelligence had been wiped.
Moscow insisted its jet did not make contact with the drone, and instead blamed ‘sharp maneuvering’ for the crash.
But experts say it was likely an accidental clash as Russian pilots adopted increasingly aggressive tactics to force the drone to change course.
The 19th Zurich Film Festival promises to be a star-studded affair with plenty of Hollywood A-list talent attending.
Todd Haynes will be honored with the festival’s A Tribute to… Award and will present his film “May December.” Previous recipients include Paolo Sorrentino, Wim Wenders, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke, Oliver Stone, Maïwenn and Luca Guadagnino.
“It’s a real honor to celebrate this master of American cinema. Todd Haynes is renowned for his elegant mise-en-scène and his ability to get the best from his actors and actresses,” said festival director Christian Jungen.
The festival’s feature film competition for first, second and third works will see “Ama Gloria,” “Enea,” “Fair Play,” “Femme,” “Hesitation Wound,” “How To Have Sex,” “The Rapture,” “Mandoob,” “Melk,” “Slow,” “Stolen,” “The Hypnosis,” “The Red Suitcase” and “Varvara” competing for a CHF25,000 ($28,000) cash prize.
The Focus competition showcases feature films and documentaries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with this year’s lineup including six world premieres. “The competition is becoming increasingly popular with our public and is also attracting ever more media attention. This year we are able to show four Swiss films as world premieres, including ‘The Driven One’ by Piet Baumgartner, a long-term study of students at the elite university HSG St. Gallen, and the quite literally fantastic road movie ‘Retour en Alexandrie’ by Zurich-based Tamer Ruggli, which stars Nadine Labaki and Fanny Ardant and takes us to the director’s second home, Egypt,” Jungen said.
In all, the festival will feature 148 films, 52 world and European premieres, 52 first works and 18 Swiss films.
“We’re delighted to be able to offer our audience a record number of world and European premieres. This high number reflects the ZFF’s growing reputation in the global film industry. The Zurich Film Festival is the perfect festival to boost the prestige of films for the upcoming award season,” Jungen said. “We’re particularly looking forward to welcoming three huge names in American cinema, Jessica Chastain, Ethan Hawke and Todd Haynes, who are set to attend the festival in person to present their works to the public.”
As much as we love robot vacuum cleaners, we know that many of them could be… better. They could do a better job of getting into corners, and of cleaning our skirting boards, and of fitting into smaller gaps underneath our furniture. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get a robo-vac that was brilliant for all those things too?
That’s exactly what the new Ecovacs DEEBOT X2 OMNI delivers. Where most of its rivals are round, the DEEBOX X2 OMNI is square with rounded corners so it can get right into those corners and make light work of your skirting boards too. And at just 95mm tall it’s the slimmest robot vacuum cleaner you can buy, capable of squeezing under furniture and getting into spaces that other robot vacuums just can’t access.
And the DEEBOT X2 OMNI doesn’t just clean more. It cleans more intelligently too.
(Image credit: Ecovacs)
More powerful than ever
Don’t let that slim, square body or quiet operation fool you: there’s some serious suction power inside this robot vacuum. With 8,000Pa of suction power and a fully upgraded airflow system the X2 OMNI makes light work of even the most stubborn dirt, and because it cleans more effectively it doesn’t have to redo the same area again and again like less powerful robots have to.
The DEEBOT X2 OMNI is a brilliant mix of smart design and smart software. Its 22mm threshold-crossing ability means it won’t get stuck moving between rooms or between surfaces, and its 20cm extra-long roller brush means it cleans more than most rivals can manage. It’s pretty much unstoppable when it comes to cleaning low areas, and its built-in smart mapping system with deep machine learning and artificial intelligence learning means it knows exactly where it’s going. Not only that, but its cutting edge obstacle avoidance means it’s not going to be beaten by dropped items or unexpected obstacles. And with dual-laser LIDAR scanning the room to check for obstacles, it’s ideal for homes with pets as well as for steering around dropped socks and other everyday items.
(Image credit: Ecovacs)
The do-everything cleaner for everywhere
The DEEBOT OMNI X2 isn’t just a cutting-edge robot vacuum. It’s also a very clever robot mop that’s designed specifically for homes that have a mix of hard floors and carpets or rugs. That means industry-leading floor clearance of 15mm, so the mopping heads move up and out of the way when your DEEBOT is moving onto fabrics from hard floors. That auto-lift function delivers several key benefits: it means your carpets and rugs won’t get wet; it means that the mopping plate won’t transfer dirty water to clean bits; and it prevents dirty mops from putting dirt back on the bits your DEEBOT has already cleaned.
The mopping system is as powerful as the vacuum in this clever little robot. With a double-mop design it mimics the way we humans mop, so it effortlessly erases stubborn stains and delivers up to 6N of downward pressure to ensure the mop is always in tight contact with the floor. It has industry-first 131ºF hot water washing for class-leading cleaning, and with 135rpm high-speed rotation it cleans quickly and effectively so your floors are sparkling with less effort and a lot less time. When the job is done, your DEEBOT automatically returns to its docking station to wash the mop, dry it with hot air and get it ready for the next clean. That means no need for you to wash the pads, and no risk of unpleasant odours from damp mop pads.
(Image credit: Ecovacs)
So clever you’ll forget it’s there
We know from experience that many robot vacuums require a lot of attention: if they’re not beeping because they’re stuck under a sofa they’re beeping because they need emptied or they’re about to run out of battery. Not here. The DEEBOT OMNI X2’s lower height, clever engineering and smart software means it gets on with the job without needing any help, and with a whopping 6,400mAh battery it’ll run for a massive 210 minutes between charges.
The battery’s big and it’s also clever: when your DEEBOT spots that the battery life is down to 15%, it’ll automatically return to its charging station and recharge to 50%. Then it’ll go back to exactly the same spot and continue cleaning from where it left off.
(Image credit: Ecovacs)
A smarter station
Ecovacs have put some clever features into the OMNI X2’s docking station too. The cleaner automatically empties itself into the station’s 3L dust bag, with 27kPa of suction power ensuring that every last bit of dust is transferred into the bag. That means you can go up to 60 days without needing to make a trip to the bin. The OMNI Station also has a built-in water tank that automatically tops up the reservoir for the mop, and its Auto Clean feature repeatedly moisturises, rubs, squeezes and wrings out the mop cloth to ensure that the DEEBOT leaves floors even cleaner than if they were washed by hand. And the hot air drying feature dries not just the mop cloth but the cleaning tank and base station too.
With its industry-leading design, cutting-edge cleaning technology, AI-powered navigation and incredibly convenient OMNI Station, the Ecovacs DEEBOT OMNI X2 takes robot cleaning to a whole new level: it cleans more and more efficiently, leaves hard floors sparkling and keeps your home clean for weeks without you having to lift a finger. And because it includes integrated YIKO voice control, you don’t even need to press any buttons: you can program your DEEBOT to clean wherever and wherever you want and command it with your voice.
Logline: In this reteaming of the star and director of A Royal Affair, Mads Mikkelsen displays his mettle as a former soldier trying to tame Jutland in 18th-century Denmark.
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures, Mongrel Media
Premiere Date: Sept 12, 2023
Panelists: Nikolaj Arcel, Amanda Collin
Key Quotes: “Mads Mikkelsen plays Ludvig Kahlen, who is a very ambitious driven man whose entire soul purpose in life is to become somebody. This film is really about how much is he willing to sacrifice in order to become that somebody. I suppose you could say that part of the journey is discovering whether he will lose his soul or gain a soul in his quest to become a man of importance.” – Nikolaj Arcel
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Accessories can sometimes be an afterthought to an outfit, but we all know that the right (or wrong) one can have significant consequences. Take a belt, for example. An accoutrement that has the very important job of keeping a man’s pants up, belts also have the power to complete a look. And since they’re literally placed at the centerpiece of your clothing, they can also be the unlikely star of your sartorial show — especially if you go with a belt that makes a statement. (Bonus points if you go bold with your sunglasses, too.)
When it comes to the best men’s designer belts, many of them run the gamut from showy to easily identifiable (like Gucci’s famous “double G”) to the more low-key, classic designs that can be worn during any occasion that happens to pop up. They can dress up a simple hoodie or denim jacket, or add the finishing touch to your head-to-toe designer look. But one thing is certain: Whether you want your belt to be a main character in your style story, or a more covert component of your outfit, you can’t go wrong with a well-made, high-quality design.
Updating your fall/winter wardrobe? Check out more than 15 of the best men’s designer belts below, from handy reversible options to ones that have a rock ‘n’ roll edge.
1. Thom Browne Leather Trocolor-Trim Belt
Thom Browne’s instantly recognizable tri-color grosgrain accent comes out to play in this classic brown leather belt with a gold-tone buckle. The British designer has been sported by everyone from Pedro Pascal and the ladies of Boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus) to Alexander Skarsgard, Pusha T, Daniel Ricciardo and others at the 2023 Met Gala.
2. Salvatore Ferragamo Double Gancio Reversible Belt
The iconic double Gancio is featured on numerous Ferragamo belts, so you have your fair share of options. However, this one is a great choice since it’s basically two belts in one — black and brown — thanks to the reversible design.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Salvatore Ferragamo Double Gancio Reversible Belt $550
Looking to break out of the old black belt rut? One of the best men’s designer belts for making a high-fashion statement is this 35mm webbed accessory from Louis Vuitton. This sporty piece boasts a matte black LV Initiales logo buckle and a subtle nod to the house’s monogram print. The moody gradient teal colorway is sure to make your looks pop through fall and winter, too.
You don’t have to spend way overboard to get a good designer belt. With its timeless leather design and single-prong, gold buckle, you can wear this Ralph Lauren belt with casual jeans or work-appropriate slacks. The leather keeper also features the brand’s trademark RL logo.
For an immediate statement maker, you really can’t go wrong with the instantly recognizable double “G” that’s finished with a serpentine motif inspired by an archival ’70s design. Gucci’s classic GG belts have been worn by celebs like Justin Theroux and TI, and they come in other many other options.
Gucci
Gucci Leather Belt With Double G Snake Buckle $690
If subtle isn’t your style, go with Versace’s statement-making web belt featuring the Italian fashion house’s iconic La Greco motif and a bold gold medusa buckle. Also available in red, black/gold and all-black.
Nordstrom
Versace First Line La Medusa La Greca Web Belt $525
This isn’t your average black belt. This Fendi leather belt (also available in brown) is made in Italy and features a reversible design with a brushed metal FF logo fastening.
24S
9. Tom Ford 4cm Reversible Full-Grain Leather Belt
Reversible belts, like this Tom Ford one, are a smart way to ensure you’ve got a belt that can work with almost every outfit while saving space in your closet. Made in Italy, this belt is constructed from scratch-resistant, full-grain leather so you’ll have it in your collection for a long time.
Mr. Porter
Tom Ford 4cm Reversible Full-Grain Leather Belt $850
With its bold enamel elephant buckle, Kenzo’s playful aesthetic is seen in this reversible black/brown leather belt by the Parisian luxury label founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada. (It’s now owned by LVMH.)
Burberry’s signature Louis check print gets the belt treatment, but you can simply flip this leather piece over on days when you prefer a low-key look.
A serious upgrade from the spiked belt from your punk-rock youth, this Christian Louboutin belt features black-toned hardware and that famous Louboutin red on its underside. It’s available in black, red, navy and other hues, as well as with gold studs.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Christian Louboutin Loubi Spiked Leather Belt $590
If you prefer to something eye-popping compared to the traditional leather belt, this one from Bottega Veneta has a silver buckle and a vibrant cobalt intrecciato design. (Or you could go for bold in the kelly green hue.)
Looking for a versatile style that goes with practically anything? This easy-to-wear, 3.5cm embroidered leather belt from Paul Smith features a polished silver buckle and colorful embroidered detailing for a subtle pop of color.
Loro Piana’s Alsavel belt in light brown suede calf leather screams quiet luxury with its minimalist silver buckle and casual silhouette. It’s available in other understated shades such as beige, navy, black, burgundy and more.
A nod to the Italian fashion house’s archives, Dolce & Gabbana’s tape logo belt revisits the brand’s looks from the ’90s and 2000s with its safari-esque woven beige material and sleek silver hardware.
Get the A-list treatment and create a one-of-a-kind Prada belt straight from the Italian luxury fashion house. You can choose your own logo buckle style (including the iconic enameled triangle motif) and a colorful Saffiano leather strap (or go with classic black or brown).
The actress claimed that the builder had embezzled some documents.
According to reports, Gautami claimed that she was defrauded by a builder who took away her Rs 25 crore when she decided to sell 46 acres of her property.
Veteran actress Gautami used to be one of the most popular actresses in the South Indian film industry. Recently, she has been in the news for filing a complaint against a builder who was threatening her and her family.
Gautami has been living with her daughter in Subbulakshmi, Chennai, and has filed a police complaint after receiving death threats for her daughter. According to reports, the actress claimed that she was defrauded by a builder named Allagappan, who took away her Rs 25 crore when she decided to sell 46 acres of her property.
Reportedly, the actress revealed that Allagappan and his wife had approached her when they got to know that she wanted to sell her property and later defrauded her by creating forged documents.
She further revealed that the builder had embezzled the documents and made four fraudulent transactions. She mentioned that she had filed another complaint against the builder and his wife after Gautami and her daughter received death threats, alleging that the builder, Alagappan, with the help of political goons, is disturbing her and her daughter’s lives.
The sudden threats have disturbed her and her daughter profusely, and her daughter hasn’t been able to concentrate on her studies, Gautami said. She has urged the police to take immediate action against the builder and is also asking them to recover her property legally.
Currently, the investigation is going on by the Chennai Police who have also sent a notice to the builder to come to the police station for inquiry.
Gautami has had a fantastic acting career with films in Tamil and Telugu. Her acting career was not limited to these two industries. She has also been a part of films in the Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada industries. She used to be one of the leading South Indian actresses from 1987 to 1998. Gautami was also a television host and founded the Life Again Foundation. Apart from that, she has a keen interest in politics as well. Currently, the actress stays away from films and lives with her daughter.
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“I don’t have any of that impostor feelings that so many people have,” she told People. “I didn’t even understand it, I had to look it up.”
The “Selma” and “A Wrinkle in Time” actor brought up the idea of impostor syndrome while promoting her new self-help book with Arthur C. Brooks, “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier.” The author said that when she reflects on what she’s achieved, she simply feels pride.
“I look around at the space that I’ve created for myself, and I recognize that I came from a great-grandfather who was a slave, and who … could not read, but 10 years after slavery could read. And who negotiated with a local farmer to pick 2,000 bales of cotton in exchange for 80 acres of land,” Winfrey said.
“And so, now that I sit on land that I own, land that I worked for … land that I earned, I feel the essence and presence of all that has come before me to allow me to be in this space.”
Winfrey is not the first celebrity to talk about impostor syndrome. While participating in a Times roundtable discussion in January 2021, acclaimed actors Riz Ahmed, George Clooney, Delroy Lindo, Gary Oldman and Steven Yeun all recalled experiencing feelings of self-doubt throughout their careers.
“It’s real with every actor,” Clooney said. “Because to be successful at any level in this industry means that you’re beating such huge odds.”
“I think it’s very healthy, this impostor syndrome. It’s a good thing to have,” Oldman added. “If someone said to me, ‘What do you think is your best work?,’ I like to say, ‘Next year.’ The best work is the next one.”
“Hamilton” and “Glass Onion” actor Leslie Odom Jr. also opened up to The Times in 2021 about battling impostor syndrome while working on Regina King’s “One Night in Miami…,” which landed him a pair of Oscar nominations for supporting actor and original song.
“There’s a saying from when I was a kid that goes something like, ‘Your arms are too short to box with God,’” Odom said. “And so essentially I was wondering, am I enough?”
“Aberrant” is a fascinating word. Though it usually has negative connotations, the implication of something deviating from the norm and wandering away from tradition may seem more and more appealing in a theatrical landscape saturated with reboots and sequels. Even mainstream audiences seem to be growing tired of the same Disney remakes, comic book sequels, and rebooted intellectual properties. Maybe they’re ready for something truly aberrant — the very first horror from Mongolia to come to American theaters.
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired the North American theatrical rights and has set a theatrical release date for the Mongolian horror feature film, Aberrance, on October 6, 2023. The video on demand and digital release will be in 2024. The trailblazing film had its North American premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival to positive reviews as an Official Selection in the Midnighters section. You can watch the trailer and read the synopsis below.
The official synopsis for the film reads as follows:
“In Aberrance, when city dwellers Erkhmee and Selenge arrive at an old cabin deep in the Mongolian wilds, a sense of foreboding settles over the couple. Erkhmee’s seemingly keen desire to provide a safe and nurturing space for his artistic wife is at odds with the violent actions and mannerisms their quizzical neighbor observes. As the neighbor digs deeper for the reason behind this aberrant behavior, only more questions and trouble arise.”
As the trailer details, the film is a stylish, tense, and mysterious look at a some isolated people amidst the snowy woodlands of Mongolia while memories, odd behavior, and a whole lot of blood consume the film.
Aberrance is the theatrical directing debut film by Baatar Batsukh who also co-wrote the film with Erdene Orosoo (Kinsman of the Sun) and Byambasuren Ganbat. The film stars an ensemble Mongolian cast of Selenge Chadraabal, Erkhembayar Ganbat, Yalalt Namsrai, Oyundary Jamsranjav, Badamtsetseg Batmunkh Bayarsanaa Batchuluun, and Ariunbyamba Sukhee. The film was produced by Enkhmandakh Nemekhbaatar and executive produced by Angarag Sukhbaatar, Trevor Morgan Doyleand Alexa Khan of Three Flames Pictures and Team Hero Production. Alexa Khan said the following about the international horror film:
As a Mongolian and American filmmaker, I am honored to see our film being distributed theatrically in the US. It is a milestone to celebrate and excited to contribute to the AAPI filmmaking community that is making the marks in the US.
“As a Gulf War veteran and a film producer, setting a lofty goal of a theatrical distribution for a Mongolian film and having it realized is extremely gratifying,” said Trevor Morgan Doyle of Three Flames Pictures. “Our long-term plan is to get Mongolian cinema and artists the recognition that they deserve. We’re grateful and excited for the opportunity and for what the future holds!”
Cheers to that, and to a future of aberrance from the doldrums of cinematic norms. You can check out the film in theaters on Oct. 6.
Mac users who want to play Baldur’s Gate III on their computers only have to wait a few more days: Larian Studios has announced that the full version of the game will be available for Mac on September 21. It has been available for the OS for quite some time, but as a limited, early access version. Fans can only play the first act of the game and can’t go any further than what the developer previously described as “approximately 25 hours of self-contained content.” Soon, Mac gamers will be able to continue playing until they reach the Moonrise Towers and until secrets are revealed in the third act.
Baldur’s Gate III was initially released for Windows PCs on August 3 before it came out for the PlayStation 5 earlier this month. For consoles, it remains a PlayStation 5 exclusive, but not because the developer struck a deal with Sony Entertainment. What happened was Larian Studios couldn’t cross a technical hurdle, preventing it from launching the game on Xbox at the same it came out for the PS5.
Microsoft has rules requiring developers to ensure that games released for the Series S and Series X have the same features. In Larian Studios’ case, it couldn’t make the game’s split-screen coop feature work on the less powerful Series S. After meeting with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, though, the developer was given permission to release the title for the Series S without the split-screen function but with cross-save progression between Steam and the two Xbox consoles. The Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate III doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but it’s expected to come out before the year ends.
As we tie a ribbon on the Festival emotions grow stronger! After being blown away by the energy of the cast of LA SOCIEDAD DE LA NIEVE (SOCIETY OF THE SNOW), many stars arrive at the Palazzo del Cinema for the awards ceremony. As the night falls on #Venezia80, this edition’s winners dazzle in the Sala Grande. Among all, Yorgos Lanthimos’ star shines the brighest: his POOR THINGS fills the Red Carpet with golden light on the magical last day of the Mostra
“It’s obvious there’s no bad blood between Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, and they’re clearly on good terms. It’s about time people stop putting them against each other.”
Judges? Tick. A new host? Tick. Ten MUAs ready for a career boost? Tick times ten. Glow Up Season 5 is out on Netflix and of course it gets a big ol’ “ding… dong” from me! And as one of the longest-running reality competition shows on Netflix, Glow Up has enjoyed… well, a glow up. This season the MUAs are pitching in on the set of Bridgerton, they’re being visited by Selling Sunset’s Chelsea Lazkani, and — most iconic of all — they’re spending a full episode with the one, the only, Trixie Mattel. But don’t fret because Glow Up still has impeccable bone structure. The makeup is bolder, the challenges are wilder, and the face-offs are even more intense. Clear your schedule, because Glow Up is ready to show out.
In his director’s statement for The Wait (La espera), F. Javier Gutiérrez describes his latest feature as a “slow-burn supernatural neo-western set in Spain in the 1970s.” That’s certainly an apt summary, but one that also underscores the movie’s main problem: It’s trying to be too many things at once, and by doing so amounts to less than the sum of its parts.
The Spanish filmmaker’s debut from 2008, Before the Fall, tried to combine a disaster flick with a home-invasion flick, yielding similarly sketchy results. In both cases, Gutiérrez showcases a keen sense of style but an inability, despite all the genre-jumping, to make something that feels truly original. World premiering at Oldenburg, with additional dates set for Sitges and Fantastic Fest, the film could provide decent streaming fodder for fans of international thrillers while finding a small theatrical audience at home in Spain.
The Wait
The Bottom Line
Solid technique in search of a sturdier story.
Venue:Oldenburg Film Festival Cast: Victor Clavijo, Ruth Díaz, Moisés Ruiz, Luis Callejo, Manuel Morón Director, screenwriter: F. Javier Gutiérrez
1 hour 38 minutes
During the rather languid opening half-hour, The Wait introduces us to Eladio (Victor Clavijo), a disheveled hunter who takes a job guarding the massive Andalusian estate of landowner Don Francisco (Manuel Morón). He brings along his wife, Marcia (Ruth Díaz), and son, Floren (Moisés Ruiz), setting up a new life for the family on a desolate ranch that Don Francisco lends out to hunters so they can chase down wild boar.
The “neo-western” vibe is present from the start, with cinematographer Miguel Ángel Mora capturing the sunbaked Spanish landscapes in elegant wides, then pulling in for extreme close-ups to focus on Eladio and his son as they practice shooting together.
That vibe, however, doesn’t last long. A freak accident results in Floren’s death, driving his mother to suicide and setting his father on a course of rampant alcoholism during which he not only experiences strange visions, but begins uncovering all sorts of gory clues — slaughtered chickens, a goat’s head buried in the dirt, a human toenail in a bowl of beef stew, scraps of clothing wrapped in barbed wire — that lead him to believe this may all be the devil’s work.
Thus the “supernatural” part, which takes over much of the second half of The Wait, but also leaves the viewer in the dust. Gutiérrez never manages to establish an interesting main character — Eladio is a man of few words, but also of few thoughts or feelings beyond grief — and so we’re never invested enough in his plight when all the horror stuff starts happening.
Sometimes it feels like the director is improvising as he goes along, throwing in twists for the sake of it, with a whole subplot involving backcountry voodoo that’s never remotely credible or scary. He also fails to take advantage of the time setting — there’s a lot to say about fascist-ruled Spain in the 70s — which seems to be there merely for aesthetic purposes, allowing for lots of neutral color tones and washed-out vintage costumes.
Despite the narrative snags, the director reveals a certain command of style and tone, especially when staging the film’s handful of set-pieces. Favoring fixed shots and few cuts over fast-paced handheld confusion — this is the “slow-burn” aspect — he gives a clear grammar to the wordless action, making it much more legible than the plot itself.
Gutiérrez has already made one foray into Hollywood, helming the universally panned Rings back in 2017. With any luck, The Wait, which does have the merit of being well-made, will allow him to take on something more ambitious, and hopefully more convincing, there at some point in the future.
Blue Ant Media, the Canadian-owned group with operations spanning TV production, distribution and channels management, is creating a new Asia-Pacific base in Sydney, Australia.
It has hired Jon Penn as its Asia-Pacific MD and Jason Soh as VP of distribution, based in Singapore. Penn is a veteran with ten years in Asia with BBC Studios and 11 years of experience at Fremantle. Latterly, he has been a partner at ACT Media Ventures and advised Blue Ant on its expansion in Australia.
“The appointments signal the expansion of Blue Ant Media’s channel and program distribution business in Asia Pacific, combining the company’s channel distribution and content sales in the region into one unit. The Asia Pacific expansion aligns with the company’s recent announcement of plans to merge production and distribution operations with marblemedia into one unified studio and rights business,” the company said.
Penn will be responsible for overseeing content sales and expanding the distribution of Blue Ant Media’s global branded channels across Asia Pacific. These include the Love Nature brand and Blue Ant Media’s portfolio of FAST channels, including NatureTime, HauntTV, Homeful, Love Pets, Total Crime and HistoryTime.
He reports to Carlyn Staudt, head of commissioning, global media & GM Love Nature and Mark Bishop, co-president of Blue Ant Studios.
Soh was previously global channels and distribution director – APAC for Wildbrain and also held senior business roles with WarnerMedia, HBO, Disney and Nickelodeon.
Other changes relating to the Asai-Pacific expansion include: Nick Solowski, senior director, international sales & acquisitions, who will continue his multi-regional content sales responsibilities, but will now report to Penn on business in China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand; Morgan Jacobson join’s Penn’s cluster as senior specialist, programming and affiliate marketing for APAC. Jacobsen has relocated to Sydney from Love Nature’s Washington DC office and will be taking on sales and affiliate marketing responsibilities for the region.
Republican lawmaker Lauren Boebert was escorted out of a theatre in Denver during a performance of the musical Beetlejuice, after being accused of disruptive behaviour.
An incident report, which does not name her, says two patrons were asked to leave after complaints of vaping, singing, and causing disturbance.
Her team confirmed the incident but denied that she was vaping.
“I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud!,” Ms Boebert said on Twitter.
Taylor Swift’s spidey sense was spot on when she suspected that NSYNC’s reunion at the VMAs Tuesday night was not just a one-time stunt but the start of something. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it while standing on stage with the former boy band members. A day later, we have our answer — at least part of it.
NSYNC are back working together and will release their first song in two decades, “Better Place,” on Sept. 29. A snipped from the song (along with “I Want You Back”) were featured in a new trailer for Trolls Band Together, the third installment in the popular animated franchise starring NSYNC lead singer Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, which came out Wednesday night. (You can watch it above, the two songs are at the end.) Part of “the song”Better Place” was also released on TikTok after the NSYNC quintet posted a cryptic Friends-flavored teaser video on Instagram earlier in the day.
Rumored for weeks, the NSYNC reunion created a classic VMA moment Tuesday night as pop icons Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick shared the stage with the biggest pop star of today, Taylor Swift, presenting her with the award for Best Pop.
“Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now? They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is,” Swift mused onstage, channeling the thoughts going through the minds of millions of fans of one of the biggest boy bands ever.
The second day of a landmark anti-monopoly trial against Google began on Wednesday with a protest from Apple against two numbers that the Justice Department mentioned in its opening statement the day before.
It underscored the tense confidentiality restrictions surrounding the trial, which transparency activists have decried as shrouding the dealings of one of the world’s most powerful companies in secrecy.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will determine at the end of the trial if Google has abused monopoly power in its search and search advertising businesses and if penalties are warranted. That decision is months away.
In the meantime, lots of details of Google’s business are likely to emerge under rules intended to preserve confidentiality of sensitive business information. On Wednesday morning, Ryan Travers, an attorney representing Apple, which is not a party to the antitrust case, complained that government attorneys may have violated those rules in regard to Apple. Travers said that two numbers mentioned in passing in the Justice Department’s opening statement might create a “misperception” that they came from Apple’s confidential information. “That would be a violation of the rules of engagement here,” he said.
Google attorney John Schmidtlein chimed in. “The remark that was made would leave the public with the impression that that number either came from them or from us.”
Justice Department attorney Kenneth Dintzer told Mehta that the two numbers he had said quickly on Tuesday were based on external sources, not from privileged information provided by Apple or Google. “This one slipped out,” he said. The Justice Department did not provide further clarification.
Significant portions of the evidence in the trial have been sealed as trade secrets, despite activists’ push for greater transparency in a trial that could affect how billions of people interact with the internet. The court set up a public telephone line for Tuesday’s opening statements, but the rest of the months-long trial, including Wednesday’s session, will be accessible only in person.
Mehta acknowledged Apple’s protest but said that he would leave the matter for now.
“From where I’m sitting, everyone has been quite diligent,” Mehta said. “There’s a large volume of material here.”
None of the lawyers specified what numbers were in question on Wednesday. The complaint appeared to refer to Dintzer saying, “In 2020, Google paid 4 to 7 billion dollars under the ISA,” on Tuesday morning, according to a court transcript. Dintzer was discussing the search giant’s Information Services Agreement, or ISA, with Apple, in which Google pays for its search engine to be the default on iPhones and other Apple devices.
Dintzer also said in his opening statement that Google pays more than $10 billion per year to device and browser makers to attain default status for its search engine. That broader statement did not draw objections from Google or Apple.
Ahead of the trial, activist groups had criticized the court’s decision to reject requests for a public telephone line so people around the country could listen in on the trial.
“The public has a very real stake in this case, and neither Google nor the Court should be allowed to shroud it in secrecy,” Katherine Van Dyck, senior counsel at the American Economic Liberties Project, said in a statement.
Some of the witness testimonies in coming weeks are expected to be closed to the public because of concern they’ll be discussing trade secrets. This is not uncommon in trials about companies’ business practices.
After the Apple interjection, the Justice Department resumed its questioning of witnesses. First on the stand Wednesday was Chris Barton, a former Google executive who had negotiated default search-engine deals with mobile carriers for the company. Prosecutors then recalled Google chief economist Hal Varian who had testified on Tuesday.
In response to public interest in the case, the E. Barrett Prettyman federal courthouse in Washington, which sits just northwest of the Capitol, set up an overflow room for members of the public to watch the trial, as well as two media rooms with seats for at least 100 reporters.
The courthouse was less frenetic on the second day of trial, with fewer viewers in the overflow rooms. The courtroom’s six rows of wooden benches remained full of lawyers, reporters and other spectators.
The Justice Department will have the next four weeks to present its case, question witnesses and present evidence. After that, the state attorneys general will have two weeks to make a supplementary case. Google will have three weeks starting Oct. 25 to make its defense.
A judgment in the case likely will not come until well into next year.
Logline: Christy Hall offers a refreshing turn on the tried-and-true cinematic exploitation of the relationship between younger women and older men as Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn display their magnetism and acting range over the course of a taxi ride through New York City full of conversational — and power — shifts. Hall writes and directs with a palpable sense of both the defenses and the vulnerabilities that a woman might carry with her into a New York taxi. Ultimately, though, this is a stunning showcase for Johnson and Penn.
Sales: WME Independent, CAA Media Finance (U.S.), WME Independent (international)
Premiere Date: September 10, 2023
Panelist: Christy Hall
Key Quotes: “It’s really inspired by New York City. New York City has this incredible collection of really delicious personalities, these colorful characters that only a place like New York City can provide. I’ve lived in New York for over 10 years, and I just kept finding myself in the most profound, lively conversations with complete strangers and people from all walks of life and people who saw the world very different than I did. But by engaging in conversation with them, it really convinced me that even a very imperfect stranger can change your life and make you see the world differently. It’s kind of my love letter to the power of human connection.” — Christy Hall
“At first, there was a conversation of ‘Do we need to expand this? Is that what cinematic audiences expect of you?’ So we had a conversation of, ‘Do we expand beyond the cab? Do we involve memories? Do we involve other people?’ and we all collectively decided that the power of this piece is that is so contained.” — Christy Hall
The guild has called Maher’s decision “disappointing” and said that it would picket the show, which is filmed at Television City in LA.
“Bill Maher’s decision to go back on the air while his Guild is on strike is disappointing. If he goes forward with his plan, he needs to honor more than ‘the spirit of the strike’. Bill Maher is obligated as a WGA member to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. It is difficult to imagine how Real Time with Bill Maher can go forward without a violation of WGA strike rules taking place. WGA will be picketing this show,” it said in a statement.
Maher revealed earlier today that he was going back to work “sans writers or writing”.
Given that Maher himself says that he is one of the writers, that makes it difficult.
“Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. 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. Despite some assistance from me, much of the staff is struggling mightily,” he wrote earlier.
As expected, Maher has taken a lot of criticism from writers on social media, who have been using the word ‘scab’ to describe his actions. However, he did receive some words of encouragement from Twitter/X owner Elon Musk, who said, “Maybe worth posting some material on this platform. The reach is enormous.”
Twirl a mustache and join me on the case. Our first clue is that Kenneth Branagh is playing Hercule Poirot in his third adaptation of an Agatha Christie story. So, this would appear to be an open-and-shut case. Add a murder in a spooky house peopled by suspects, and you have all the hallmarks of a classic locked-room mystery. But Christie fans will quickly deduce that the screenwriter Michael Green has departed considerably from “Hallowe’en Party,” the original source material from 1969, one of her later, lesser books, adding elements that move into the realm of supernatural horror. Be on guard for misdirection.
A glum Poirot, retired from solving cases, has been invited to attend a séance where a famous opera singer, Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), wants to contact her dead daughter. The medium (or fraud?) is played with brio by Michelle Yeoh, and her psychic powers present a challenge to the stony rationality of the aging detective. Unlike his relatively faithful, innocuously entertaining versions of “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile,” Branagh is pushing into ghostly new territory, leaning on scary-movie tropes such as scurrying rats, jump scares and that old standby, a face popping up in the mirror.
It’s a bit gloomy as a mystery, but perfunctory as horror. Too talky, for one thing. Branagh, who dabbled in gothic terror early in his career when he made “Frankenstein,” has more of a feel for actorly grand guignol than the pace of cinematic-scare sequences. Just when you are about to return to the whodunit, there’s an invigorating twist, spurred largely by the presence of Tina Fey, who, between this movie and her wryly satirical flourishes as an opportunistic podcaster in the series “Only Murders in the Building,” is getting awfully skilled at playing a potential killer. Fey here embodies the sharp-tongued Ariadne Oliver, a mystery author with a screwball cadence, touchy about her critical reception.
Fey introduces a comedic energy into the movie, talking out of the side of her mouth while accompanying Poirot. She adds some much-needed fizzy carbonation to the stiff drink of mystery solving. Branagh wants to tell a story of a shaken, brooding Poirot struggling with decline, but luckily, camp humor intrudes. When he aims his preposterous French accent at the French actress Camille Cotton, who plays a housekeeper, it makes you think a good time was had on set.
In straddling genres, “Haunting” can get stuck in the middle. But there’s fun to be had there. What’s consistent is the elegant visuals — striking cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos — which mark this movie’s real genre as lavish old-fashioned Hollywood entertainment. Canted views of surprising corners of the house alternate with postcard-stunning shots of rainy Venetian nights. But the dominant images are close-ups of movie stars, including long, lingering glances at Branagh, whose whispery gravitas provides good, if melancholy, company and occasional wit.
In the original book, Poirot ponders the subject of beauty. He sounds skeptical and a bit insecure. “There was only one thing about his own appearance which really pleased Hercule Poirot,” Christie writes, “and that was the profusion of his mustache.”
Branagh remained entirely faithful on this trait. But he couldn’t help but add a soul patch.
A Haunting in Venice Rated PG-13 for dangerous apple-bobbing and death by impalement. Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes. In theaters.
Bill Maher will soon be operating by some “New Rules” — and not just the ones he makes up in the signature segment of his HBO program.
The comedian and commentator plans to re-start production of “Real Time” on HBO without writers, the first of TV’s phalanx of late-night hosts to try and do so despite the continuing Hollywood strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
“Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing.” Maher said on social media Wednesday night. “It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. 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.” All of TV’s late-night shows, ranging from NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” have gone dark since the writers went on strike earlier this year.
Maher is likely to draw some ire. Drew Barrymore has started production on her daytime talk show and writers and others picketed the New York production.
The Writers Guild of America, West shared a statement on “Real Time” returning to the air: “Bill Maher’s decision to go back on the air while his Guild is on strike is disappointing. If he goes forward with his plan, he needs to honor more than ‘the spirit of the strike.’ Bill Maher is obligated as a WGA member to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. It is difficult to imagine how ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ can go forward without a violation of WGA strike rules taking place. WGA will be picketing this show.”
An HBO spokesperson could not be reached immediately for comment, nor could Sheila Griffiths, one of Maher’s longtime executive producers on “Real Time.”
Maher said the version of “Real Time” he does without writers will be significantly different than the show’s typical format. “I will honor the spirit of the strike by not doing a monologue, desk piece, New Rules or editorial, the written pieces that I am so proud of on Real Time. And I’ll say it upfront to the audience: the show I will be doing without my writers will not be as good as our normal show, full stop,” he said. “But the heart of the show is an off-the-cuff panel discussion that aims to cut through the bullshit and predictable partisanship, and that will continue. The show will not disappoint.”
He also indicated he felt the show had to go on, no matter who would be able to participate. “I love my writers, I am one of them, but I’m not prepared to lose an entire year and see so many below-the-line people suffer so much,” he said.
The WGA strike has foiled many TV networks’ late-night plans. CBS had hoped to launch a new show at 12:30 a.m. this fall to replace the departing James Corden. The strike has altered that timetable as well, according to people familiar with the matter. In place of a companion to Stephen Colbert’s program, CBS has tapped “Comics Unleashed,” a collection of stand-up routines produced by entrepreneur Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group on a short-term basis. Comedy Central, which had been testing a wide variety of hosts to succeed Trevor Noah on “Daily Show,” has scuttled those efforts, even though comedian Hasan Minhaj is seen as a leading candidate for the role.
TV’s late-night programs continue to generate discussion and the threads of popular culture. But the longer shows like NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” remain dark, the more risk there is of viewers in the era of streaming video making permanent changes to their consumption habits. In 2018, seven late night programs — NBC’s “Tonight” and “Late Night,” CBS’ “Late Show” and “Late Late Show,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” — drew more than $698 million in advertising in 2018, according to Vivvix, a tracker of ad spending. By 2022, that total came to $412.7 million — a drop of approximately 41% over five years.
Some of the hosts have seemed eager to get back to their wee-hours antics. Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and John Oliver have banded together to produce a podcast in hopes of donating any revenues it generates to their out-of-work crews.
The strike scuttled production of “Real Time” in the midst of the series’ 21st season. “Real Time” debuted on HBO in 2003. It incorporates some elements of Maher’s previous program, “Politically Incorrect,” which ran on both Comedy Central and ABC.
Marvel Studios confirmed the one big problem that comes with Paul Rudd’s growing powers as Giant-Man.
Scott Lang is known for his shrinking powers—hence his classic Ant-Man moniker. But, ever since Captain America: Civil War, the Marvel hero also began utilizing the ability to grow instead of shrink.
This came in handy a number of times, from being the winning move during the Avengers’ big airport brawl to Scott Lang crushing Goliath flying Chitauri ships in Avengers: Endgame.
However, as the films sometimes indicated, there’s one key disadvantage to growing so large with the Pym Particle.
The Limits of Scott Lang’s Giant-Man Powers
Marvel
In a new book from Marvel, titled Look Out For The Little Guy! that’s supposedly written by Scott Lang himself, the MCU hero exposed the one problem with his Giant-Man powers.
In a Q&A section of Rudd’s hero’s book, he answered a fan question asking him if there’s a limit to how big he can get.
Lang first noted how that question is one “[he] hate[s] to ask [Hank Pym]:”
“To be perfectly honest, that’s one of those Hank Pym questions that I hate to ask him, because he takes everything as a critique: ‘Oh, so it doesn’t get big enough for you now? Why do you need to be bigger?'”
The hero then warned that “self-enlargement” is something that “takes a big toll on the human body:”
“But seriously, from what I’ve experienced, self-enlargement is something any user of the Ant-Man or Wasp suit needs to be really careful with. For a variety of reasons, it takes a big toll on the human body. Or at least mine. For one thing, going big puts a strain on my nervous system. So if my size hits a certain threshold, I start to see things, like, specifically, the ground coming toward me, Fast!”
Could Wasp Ever Use Giant-Man’s Powers?
Interestingly enough, those above quotes seem to confirm that Hope van Dyne Wasp’s suit has the ability to grow as well as shrink. Audiences have never seen her attempt to utilize those powers, as it has only been relegated to Scott Lang so far.
Could fans see Wasp enlarge herself in a future appearance? One can’t help but wonder if she’d be able to fly in such a large state—maybe that’s something she can only do while small and could play into why she doesn’t both with those blue Pym Particles.
When it comes to Scott, the movies haven’t defined how big Paul Rudd’s Avenger can get. The films did previously show how he becomes disoriented the longer he remains big—something that inevitably happens most of the time.
Scott Lang does mention at the start of his new book that “[he] can make [his] body as large as the Empire State Building”—though, this is likely an exaggeration since that’s far larger than anything fans have ever seen on screen.
The fifth episode of Ahsoka, “Shadow Warrior,” was a treat for fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) relives some of her most memorable and traumatic moments from the animated series, thanks to some mind-bendy World Between Worlds occurrences. She goes back to when she was a teenage Padawan under the tutelage of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). As an apprentice, she’s played by Barbie and Avengers: Infinity War’s Ariana Greenblatt. But these weren’t just random moments from the years-long Clone Wars we saw Ahsoka relive. They were specific references to battles that took place over the course of the animated series—ones which had a profound effect on her. These are the Clone Wars arcs that Ahsoka revisited in its fifth episode.
The Battle of Ryloth (Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 1)
Lucasfilm
The first battle Ahsoka finds herself in is the battle of Ryloth. We saw this battle in a sequence of episodes in Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ first season. These were “Storm Over Ryloth,” “Innocents of Ryloth,” and “Liberty on Ryloth.” In this arc, the forces of the Separatist Army invade the home planet of the Twi’lek people, named Ryloth (naturally). Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and his new apprentice Ahsoka (Ashley Eckstein) lead a squadron of fighters against a Trade Federation battleship. Neimoidian Captain Mar Tuuk commanded the ship.
Lucasfilm
Although we never saw Anakin and Ahsoka in the ground battle in those episodes, we know they were there. So the World Between Worlds sequence on Ryloth fits right in, taking place between scenes. The animated series introduces us to Cham Syndulla, the resistance fighter and father of Ahsoka’s ally, General Hera Syndulla. Ahsoka says this was one of her earliest campaigns fighting in the Clone Wars. Therefore, it was very traumatic for the young teen Padawan. It makes sense she’d find herself right back there.
The Siege of Mandalore (Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7)
Lucasfilm
The next battle we see Ahsoka relive as her younger self takes place at the very end of the Clone Wars. In fact, it’s in the show’s seventh and final season. Ahsoka, no longer part of the Jedi Order, leads a squadron of Clone Troopers to liberate the planet of Mandalore. During the Siege of Mandalore, former Sith Lord Darth Maul stole the Darksaber from the Mandalorian group Death Watch.
As their leader—thanks to acquiring the Darksaber—Maul transforms Death Watch into his own personal army. He uses them to take over Mandalore for his own Shadow Collective. These episodes of The Clone Wars are both the final episodes aired and the last chronologically. They consist of “Old Friends Not Forgotten,” “The Phantom Apprentice,” “Shattered,” and “Victory and Death.”
Lucasfilm
Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) leads the resistance against Maul. She was the sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze, who ruled the planet and was a pacifist. Bo-Katan asks for the Republic’s assistance in freeing her homeworld. She gets help, but from only Ahsoka and Captain Rex and his squad. Ahsoka fights Darth Maul in these episodes, who tries to tempt her to the dark side of the Force. The Siege of Mandalore takes place at the same time as Revenge of the Sith.
Lucasfilm
In the episodes, we see how Ahsoka has to deal with her own clone troopers turning against her during Order 66. It would certainly be one of the worst moments of her life, and one can see why she returned to it in the World Between Worlds. Until she reconciled with the events of that battle, which kept her away from her Master at his most crucial moment, she was never going to be able to grow past it.
Finally, because of “Shadow Warrior,” it seems Ahsoka is ready to let go of these past traumas and grow into the Jedi she was always meant to be.
As reported by Bloomberg, Asmussen is leaving Respawn and its parent company EA, with his next destination currently unknown.
“After careful thought and consideration, Stig Asmussen has decided to leave Respawn to pursue other adventures, and we wish him the best of luck,” an EA spokesperson told Bloomberg in a statement.
“Veteran Respawn leaders will be stepping up to guide the team as they continue their work on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.”
“They’re an incredible team and they’ve created incredible value for us, for our shareholders, and certainly for these global communities of players across Apex and the Jedi series,” Wilson said.
“And you should imagine that there’s some other things going on at Respawn that we’re very excited about, that we’re not going to talk about but that we’re very excited about just given the quality of that group.”
“I always wanted to see this as a trilogy,” he told IGN at the time, speaking about the second game, Survivor. “How can we take Cal and the crew to new places beyond what we were doing in the first game?
“We had a pretty decent idea of timeframe where we wanted Survivor to take place, what the stakes were going to be, what the tone of the game was going to be, what Cal was going to be up against, and how the crew was going to factor into that. And there’s ideas of what we could do beyond that as well.”
John J. York, who has played Mac Scorpio on General Hospitalfor more than 30 years, took to social media today to explain why he has been on hiatus from the daytime drama.
“So last December, of ’22, I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, or MDS, and multiple smoldering myeloma, two blood and bone marrow disorders,” he said in a nearly two-minute video posted on X/Twitter (watch it below). “Over the past many months, I’ve had three bone marrow biopses, many chemo treatments — I have another one coming in a couple of weeks — and I’m closing in on a blood stem-cell transplant.”
York, who tweeted last week that we “will be taking a brief hiatus from the show in a few weeks,” also spoke directly to viewers about their possibly becoming a bone marrow donor for him or “thousands of others.” He directed folks to bethematch.org/matchformac.
York went on to add: “I just want to say thanks for all the support over the years. This isn’t goodbye, this is just so long. I’ll have to take a break for at least three, maybe four months. But I’ll be back. Someone once said that, ‘I’ll be back.’” He used an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice for that last line.
York has played Malcolm “Mac” Scorpio — the Australian estranged brother of Robert Scorpio, husband of Felicia Scorpio-Jones and the stepfather of Georgie and Maxie Jones — on General Hospital for more than 930 episodes since 1991. He also played the character in about five dozens episodes of the spinoff soap Port Charles from 1997-2001, a 2001 episode of All My Children and on General Hospital: Night Shift in 2007.
His other credits include the lead on Werewolf, which was part of Fox’s original lineup in 1987-88. He also has done guest spots on such series as My Wife and Kids, Even Stevens, Clueless, 21 Jump Street, Family Ties and Hotel.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One director Christopher McQuarrie wanted to bring back Alec Baldwin for opening flashback.
Some franchises just can’t help themselves when it comes to bringing characters back from the dead (I’m looking at you Fast & Furious), but for the most part, the dead stay dead on Mission: Impossible. However, that doesn’t mean that characters can’t return in other ways, and Christopher McQuarrie told the Empire Spoiler Podcast (via ComicBook.com) that he was considering bringing back Alec Baldwin for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Alec Baldwin played CIA director Alan Hunley in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation before becoming IMF Secretary in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Hunley was killed off in Fallout, but Christopher McQuarrie had a plan to include Alec Baldwin in a Dead Reckoning flashback scene, which would have opened the movie.
“Berlin had been calling our name. There was originally an opening of this movie that began with Tom and Alec Baldwin walking along the Berlin Wall,” McQuarrie explained. “They’re walking along the wall and you slowly realize it’s the Berlin Wall. And it’s Alec Baldwin talking to Ethan about his life as a spy, how he became a spy. And you realize it’s him counseling Ethan. You’re seeing a glimpse into the friendship of these two characters that existed prior to Fallout. And you cut and Tom is standing at his grave, having heard the words of wisdom from Alec, and he’s just looking at a gravestone that says ‘Hunley.’ And that notion of Alec Baldwin being a spirit guide to Ethan in his memory was a very, very early idea to the story, something I was keenly interested in.“
In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.
You can check out a review of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One from our own Chris Bumbray right here, and be sure to let us know what you thought of the film as well. It was announced yesterday that the film will be released on Digital on October 10th, followed by a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release on October 31st.
Paul Simon wanted a documentary. He was a fan of Alex Gibney’s 2015 “Sinatra: All or Nothing at All” and asked the Oscar-winner (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) to consider devoting a documentary to him on the occasion of recording his 15th album, “Seven Psalms” (Owl Records and Legacy Recordings, 2023).
The result is “In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon,” which had its world premiere as an all-rights sales title at the Toronto International Film Festival. It has a running time of three and a half hours. However, the capacity audience at the Princess of Wales theater didn’t fidget and gave Simon a rousing standing ovation. On stage, he admitted that he didn’t have the courage to watch the film in the theater, and asked if he got a standing ovation. The crowd jumped up for a second time. “And it’s my birthday,” he joked. (It’s actually October 13.)
Going in, Gibney was afraid that Simon “would be a dick,” he told me at TIFF. “He had that reputation of being extremely difficult.”
That’s not what Gibney experienced. The movie reveals a more fragile side of Simon, who turns 82 this year, partly because he’s dealing with losing his hearing. “He allowed us to see him in a vulnerable place during creation,” said Gibney. “It’s not like we hung out with him and Edie [Brickell] at home, but in the music-making process, he allowed us to see him in a very vulnerable spot.”
Gibney also saw what performance gives Simon. “When we showed up with our cameras, Paul as a performer raised his game,” said Gibney. “He enjoyed the cameras because it got him out of his own head.”
The music-bio genre, not to mention its length, suggests a streaming acquisition and splitting the film into at least two parts. However, Gibney said he also would love a theatrical release and defends the length.
“As a kid, I remember going for ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and watching those long movies,” he said. “In this case, we thought about cutting it down, but it honestly felt that the story and and the man’s career justified it. We watched it a few times when we’re mixing it all down and felt like it played. I sent it to Rick Linklater, and he was like, ‘Oh, man, I just didn’t want it to stop.’”
Is the length why an acclaimed director and an international music icon is still seeking distribution? “We had some investors who were hugely enthusiastic about the film,” said Gibney, “and we thought, ‘This is a film that’s going to sell.’ We wanted it to be seen and heard in a big environment [where] you’re hearing the music. And we let the music play at length.”
The movie sustains its running time thanks to Simon’s extraordinary, still-robust body of work that’s familiar to generations of fans. Artists from Rihanna to Vampire Weekend still cover his songs. “He’s one of those artists that has stood the test of time,” said Gibney. “I felt bad that some of my favorite songs I couldn’t even put in the movie. How does that happen? I’m the director, I should be able to put them in!”
Plenty was left out; the original cut was four and a half hours long. “We did a long bit about [his failed Broadway musical] ‘The Capeman,’” said Gibney. “Everyone thinks about ‘Oh, Paul’s folly,’ but the music is beautiful. One of the people that he would write demos with is Carole King. We had some cool demos of him and Carole King singing. But it was three and a half hours already.”
Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney
The Simon and Garfunkel story is fascinating — some may forget that a remixed “The Sound of Silence” rescued their early career, and that the duo who parted acrimoniously reunited briefly for a concert tour after their hugely successful Central Park Concert. They did not get back together again, despite pressure from recording executives who wanted the harmonies and Garfunkel’s sweet-voiced appeal.
Simon proved over and over that he was capable of huge global popularity on his own. “When you’re somebody who succeeds at that level,” said Gibney of Simon, “you don’t want the next album to be, ‘Oh, nobody listens.’ Once you’ve been a part of the zeitgeist, you want to continue to be part of the zeitgeist.”
The marvel of this movie is the intimate, off-the-cuff material in the recording studios. Often, the sound engineer puts up pre-recorded tracks and Simon sings along for camera, working out the songs and playing with odd instruments like the chromelodeon. And we watch his chum Wynton Marsalis offer feedback, as he often did.
Simon’s impromptu singing became an issue in the editing. A known control freak, Simon contracted for control over the music mix; Gibney wanted the real thing, flat notes and all. They reviewed all the takes and fit them together so there were no flat notes.
The movie is vérité, with most of the interviews used as audio. There’s also a deep dig into the archives, especially Simon’s own, which revealed the dailies from a historic “Graceland” concert with Miriam Makeba in Zimbabwe. Simon’s comic timing is in evidence on his many appearances on his pal Lorne Michaels’ “Saturday Night Live,” which contributed to his growing fame.
“We struggled a little bit with that because there was a lot more ‘Saturday Night Live’ we might have included,” said Gibney. “There was the famous post 9/11 ‘Saturday Night Live’ where he sings ‘The Boxer’ with the firemen behind him, and the one where he comes out as a Thanksgiving turkey.”
Next up: Gibney is working on “Musk,” a documentary portrait of billionaire Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur Elon Musk (HBO Documentaries) as well as prepping his first fiction feature, “Two Wolves,” an alternate take on the Vietnam War My Lai massacre starring Viggo Mortensen and Caleb Landry Jones.
