When you think of the best Amazon gifts for men, what comes to mind? If you pictured anything other than the absolute coolest gifts for dads, husbands, brothers, grandpas, and any other dude in your life, sorry—you’re wrong. You already know that the ’Zon is the place to find almost anything you could ever want, but it’s also an underrated resource for snagging stylish, unique presents for the guy who has everything. (Not convinced? Just peep our edit of best Amazon presents for a little taste.)
No matter who you’re shopping for, he’s guaranteed to love something from the depths of Amazon. If he’s a home chef, he needs a mini pizza oven or a high-tech meat thermometer in his kitchen. Beer snobs, meanwhile, deserve customized pint glasses and a growler that’ll let him brew his own ale. And the outdoorsman on your list could always use a portable cooler or a truly standout jacket for all his travels.
Another perk of shopping at Amazon? So many items are more affordable here than they are anywhere else (think under-$20 unusual gems), thanks to the retailer’s never-ending sales like Amazon Prime Day which is returning in October. These are the absolute best Amazon gifts for men available right now—most of which come with free two-day shipping, courtesy of your Prime membership.
Our top picks
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Marimuthu took on the lead role in Mari Selvaraj’s debut film, Pariyerum Perumal.
Actor Marimuthu, who was in his late 50s, tragically collapsed at a Chennai TV studio and was declared deceased upon arrival at a nearby hospital. He played a significant role in the TV serial Ethirneechal and was dubbing scenes for the series at the time of his passing. He was admitted to the hospital but unfortunately passed away within minutes due to a heart attack. Additionally, he showcased his talent in over 50 films throughout his career.
Besides, Marimuthu took on the lead role in Mari Selvaraj’s debut film, Pariyerum Perumal. Reflecting on the experience of collaborating with him, director Mari Selvaraj stated, “His support for my debut film was tremendous, and he remained in contact with me.”
“This is undoubtedly a significant loss. Marimuthu was the preferred choice of many directors who crafted village tales with straightforward or humble narratives. What stood out was his unwavering support for emerging directors. He never flaunted his seniority and worked collaboratively, fostering a dialogue to enhance the storytelling process,” he said.
Mari Selvaraj expressed his sorrow over Marimuthu’s absence in Maqmannan, and he mentioned their mutual desire to act together in the next film. He added, “I had also contemplated acting alongside him in our next project, but I never imagined it would happen like this. We have lost someone who had a deep love for a better society.”
Marimuthu’s body will be kept at his Saligramam residence until 3 PM, after which they will be transported to Varusanad in the Theni district, his hometown. His passing has deeply saddened both celebrities and his fans.
Marimuthu recently played a supporting role in Rajinikanth’s Jailer, which had a theatrical release in August. Notably, he had worked as an associate director under Vasanth, Seeman, and SJ Suryah before making his directorial debut with the 2008 Tamil film Kannum Kannum. Following that, Marimuthu directed Pulivaal in 2014, with Prasanna in the lead role for both of his directorial ventures. His contribution also extended to acting, with appearances in more than 50 films, including notable roles in Yuddham Sei, Nimirndhu Nil, Marudhu, Bairavaa, Kadaikutty Singam, Veeramae Vaagai Soodum, and many others.
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Industry delegates sent a clear message to the filmmakers behind “Nothing But the Truth about Extraterrestrials”: We want to believe.
A non-fiction dive into the latest science behind little green men, the multilingual doc proved quite a hot item at this year’s Venice Production Bridge gap-financing market, fielding three bids for distribution, another three co-production offers, and an invitation to screen as a work-in-progress from a leading international festival, “Extraterrestrials” co-director Eric Ruel told Variety.
Longtime creative partners Ruel and Guylaine Maroist are co-directing and producing through their joint La Ruelle Films banner, which recently scored a sizeable non-fiction hit with the social doc “Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age.” After tackling political spectacle with 2014’s satirical “God Save Justin Trudeau,” and online malaise with “Backlash,” the filmmakers now look to the stars for a so-called “cinema verité meets sci-fi” exposé on the state of the alien unknown.
“We want this to be a cinematic and philosophical journey,” says Ruel. “We want to question the existence of extraterrestrials and to question our perception of the world, because it’s getting all the more difficult to know what’s true and what’s false these days. So we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
When researching another project, Ruel and Maroist made the surprising discovery that nearly all the scientists interviewed – including several eminent academics from the world’s most august institutions – shared a belief in extraterrestrial visitations, thus planting a new question in the filmmaker’s minds: What do those scientists know that we don’t?
Forgoing interviews, graphics, or talking heads, this direct cinema investigation will follow the field’s leading academics, scientists, adventurers, debunkers and ironclad believers as they all twist around this alien topic. Alongside astrophysicists and astrobiologists, the film was also embed with political scientists, government agents and psychologists, exploring the subject and the latest developments in ufology from every angle.
“We don’t fully know what we’ll find,“ says Ruel. “But one thing is for sure: Reality is no doubt stranger than fiction.”
Majors was arrested in the spring for alleged assault and was supposed to begin his trial on September 6. However, it was delayed for the second time, with it now being scheduled for later in September.
Despite this, Majors has been featured in much of the marketing for the new season of Loki, which hits Disney+ in October. Furthermore, Marvel has remained quiet on the entire matter, with many fans wondering what the controversy could mean for Majors’ future with the franchise.
How Many Episodes of Loki Is Jonathan Majors In?
Marvel
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Jonathan Majors (Kang) will appear in “about half of the episodes of Loki season two.” With the season’s confirmed count of six episodes, that would mean fans could expect Majors in three of them (at least).
So far, all new content featuring Majors has him playing the Victor Timely Variant of Kang, differentiated by glasses, longer hair, consistent clock imagery, and a seemingly steampunk-inspired aesthetic.
Victor Timely is the only Kang Variant confirmed to appear in the new season. But, given how many there are, it is always possible that others could crop up in the roughly three episodes Majors is reportedly part of.
Kang’s Potential Role in Loki Season 2
With Jonathan Majors seemingly only appearing in three episodes, it’s possible that he will either be playing someone whose identity isn’t revealed until midway through or a character whose role in the season will be finished after only some of the story has played out.
When fans last saw Majors, it was in the Ant-Man 3 post-credits scene wherein Loki and Mobius were looking for Victor Timely. Depending on where in relation to the rest of the season this scene takes place, Kang’s role could become clearer to fans.
If the scene happened before the events of the show, it would make sense for Victor Timely to already be involved in the new season’s story once it begins. However, it is possible that this scene will be part of the new season.
Marvel has occasionally used a nearly full scene from a future project as a movie’s post-credits scene — see Ant-Man including almost an entire scene from Captain America: Civil War, for instance.
As such, Kang might not appear until midway through, if the scene fans already saw hasn’t happened chronologically at the start of the new season.
Loki‘s second season premieres on Disney+ on Friday, October 6.
A dark horse, the elusive contender in the mix, gets no credit from the crowd until after the fact. All his hard work unseen and unheard, gets celebrated like it was always known in one brief moment of triumph. The spectators could never know the toil and discipline it took to accomplish a great feat. The underdog not only wins through white-knuckled determination but earns his keep by defining his sense of success.
The hero’s journey has many roads to walk down. The overwhelming lack of control from fears and doubts creep in and sink in to force their stay. The helping hand of a masterful mentor guides them towards solutions that combat or leave those debilitating thoughts behind with better and consistent actions. After a series of training montages of our unlikely hero, the final moment of what it all led up to and what it all meant can be faced and understood. Underdogs have little friends when they are in low places, which is where they learn how to live higher than their circumstances allow. The following are some of the most memorable underdogs in cinema.
Updated on September 8th, 2023 by Danilo Raúl: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
12 300 (2006)
Warner Bros. Pictures
A nation full of warriors born and bred to war faces the mighty power of an empire with overwhelming numbers. A corrupt body of wise men advises against warfare. A bribed senate prohibits the King from going to war. Everything is against King Leonidas in 300, yet he endures by taking his personal guard of 300 warriors “on a stretch.”
He joins forces with warriors from near Greek nations, but they feel overwhelmed even before raising their words against the enemy. The Spartans don’t doubt their mission and final destiny for a moment: to fight to the death and let the world know free men stood in the path of tyranny, mysticism, and oppression.
11 Nobody (2021)
Universal Pictures
No one had Bob Odenkirk pulling the Liam Neeson card in 2021, and it sure as hell worked wonders. Nobody depicts the actor as Hutch Mansell, a man who often fails to stand up for himself. His marriage in shambles and a hellish suburban home seem to take a toll on him every single day of his life.
One evening, a group of thieves break into his house, and he lets them make a run for it until his daughter reveals they have taken a priced possession of hers. Feeling disgruntled, the man finally snaps and unleashes his frustrations. He begins to beat the living hell out of anyone who gets in his way after it’s revealed he used to be an auditor for the FBI, a particular type of assassin known for letting no loose ends in their clean-up jobs.
10 Dodgeball (2004)
20th Century Fox
Some people say Dodgeball is the last great film Vince Vaughn ever made, and they are not too far off the mark. Gym owner Peter La Fleur is a down-on-his-luck businessman facing eviction after a new gym opens close to him. Health nut White Goodman wants La Fleur out of business, and he does so by sending an auditor to his gym.
The agent tasked with the audit lets La Fleur know he needs to come up with $50,000 to settle his debts or lose the place, so it’s up to all gym members of the Average Joe’s to band together and play professional dodgeball, but not without Goodman realizing their ploy and putting his team together to wipe the floor with him in this silly, but incredibly funny movie.
9 Cinderella Man (2005)
Touchstone Pictures
The story of Cinderella Man is based on the real life of boxer James J. Braddock, a man past his prime seeking work as a laborer each day in the ports and living on benefits to make ends meet during the great depression. His former manager offers him a shot at a comeback, which he takes despite having a broken hand.
After winning against a young contender, James returns to the ring full-time against his wife’s wishes. It all goes smoothly for Braddock, who can support his family and pay back the benefits received with his fists until a savage contender named Max Baer challenges him for the title.
8 Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
20th Century Fox
Outcasts in awkward, yet smart ways, the group of near and far-sighted nerds from Adams College get the worst of it. Their campus house is burned by jocks, forcing them to live on the outskirts of the school.
Bullied by their university’s fraternity and sorority, they band together to battle both unforgiving sexes. With wits and computer science prowess, the guys in Revenge of the Nerds redeem and avenge their self-worth to show that having brains is its own brawn.
Despite losing to Forrest Gump in the Best Picture category at the Academy Awards, the hope of a new day for a man getting out of jail Scott-free set the tone for prison films thereafter. When you are dealt a bad hand in life, you can let fear take control, or you can use hope to take back control.
Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) with the help of his inmate confidant Red (Morgan Freeman), kept his integrity in a hopeless place lacking it. Freedom to start anew is the ultimate redemption and underdog story.
6 Rudy (1993)
TriStar Pictures
From the director and screenwriter of Hoosiers (1986) came one of the best underdog sports films of all time. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger always dreamed and talked about playing football for the University of Notre Dame, the beloved team of his family growing up.
Rather than work in a grueling steel mill for the rest of his life, he pursues his dream. He trains his mind, body, and spirit to be the best he can be. He did it for himself, and so can we.
5 The Pursuit of Happiness (2006)
Sony Pictures Releasing
Will Smith portrays Chris Gardner in this biographical drama, a salesman of portable bone-density scanners. He tries convincing doctors how convenient they are than X-rays, but the financial investment becomes a liability as he gets divorced and becomes homeless with his son.
The will to live is felt through his shattered dignity and resilient words, an underdog fighting not for money but for nothing more priceless than a life worth living.
4 Back to the Future (1985)
Universal Pictures
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) needs to make a timely rendezvous with his past to save his future. Close calls with alternate timelines and historical bending of the fabric of time are as maddening as it is harrowing.
He risks losing his parents, being lost in time, and his existence, all because his friendly neighborhood scientist decided to build a time machine out of an anachronistic car. For all the ticktock urgency, he made it back right on time.
3 Star Wars (1977)
20th Century Fox
When Star Wars begins, Luke Skywalker is a moisture farmer on a desert planet who drinks blue milk and lives with his uncle and aunt. He is the primer of underdog origins. By happenstance, he comes across the astromech and protocol droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, followed by a hermit named Ben Kenobi, the last of the Jedi Knights.
A galaxy of possibilities beseeches Skywalker to fight, of all people, his father and destroy the Empire. Plus, he was never told that his father was Darth Vader (or that he kissed his sister), so the psychological toll is even greater for his comeback story.
Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is a Jersey-born, California-raised high schooler living with his mother in an apartment maintained by their handyman, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). He is the target of ex-boyfriend Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) after he befriends his former cheerleader-girlfriend, Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue).
Miyagi protects Daniel and eventually teaches him the ways of karate. Karate Kid was one of the many films that introduced martial arts into the mainstream, and with a simple story of sticking up for yourself and defending what is rightfully yours, you will be prepared for any fight life throws at you.
1 Rocky (1976)
United Artists
Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is the epitome of the underdog. He is an amateur boxer who collects debts more than he lands punches, training to become a prized fighter. He gets a big break when he gets to fight world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
Through all the negative self-talk and the lowly circumstances, Rocky continued to fight to prove to himself he was not a bum but a somebody. Rocky kicked off a long-lasting franchise that saw him rise past his underdog title, only to help train a new one in the Creed franchise.
10 years ago, Rockstar Games released its sandbox action-adventure Grand Theft Auto V, and to celebrate its anniversary, the studio plans to release new content for players to enjoy in GTA Online, including the Bravado Hotring Hellfire sports car and more. Rockstar has merely teased what’s to come for the game’s anniversary event next week, but in the meantime, players can look for this week’s in-game sales and events listed below, including the chance to unlock a free sports car.
From now until September 13, whenever a player completes an Acid Lab Sell Mission, they’ll earn 2X GTA$ and RP. On top of that, they’ll also be able to purchase all Acid Lab upgrades and modifications for 40% off, and the MTL Brickade 6×6 will also be 40% off.
Double Rewards
2X GTA$ for robbing armored trucks
2X GTA$, RP, and AP on the Arena War Series
2X GTA$ and RP on Motor Wars
2x GTA$ and RP on Junk Energy Skydives
Premium Deluxe Motorsports and Luxury Autos Showroom
This week, players will be able to buy the following cars from the Premium Deluxe Motorsports and Luxury Autos Showroom:
Annis 300R (Sports)
Declasse Tahoma Coupe (Muscle)
Weeny Issi Rally (SUV, 30% off)
Dinka Jester RR (Sports)
Dink Kanjo SJ (Coupe, 40% off)
Ocelot Virtue (Super)
SM722 (Sports, 30% off)
Earn a free car
Those who place at the top in the LS Car Meet Series two days in a role will win the Vulcar Nebula Turbo (Sports Classic)
Test drive some cars
Those who visit the Test Track at the LS Car Meet to drive the following cars:
Överflöd Entity XF (Super, 40% off)
Weeny Dynasty (Sports Classic, 50% off)
Enus Super Diamond (Sedan)
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players only
This week, players on current-gen hardware can test-ride the Pegassi Weaponized Ignus (Super) at any HSW-eligible vehicle to speed from Ron Alternates to Elysian Island in this week’s HSW Time Trial.
Discounts
MTL Brickade 6×6 (Service) – 40% off
Acid Lab Upgrades and Modifications – 40% off
Benefactor SM722 (Sports) – 30% off
Weeny Issi Rally (SUV) – 30% off
Överflöd Entity XF (Super) – 40% off
Dinka Kanjo SJ (Coupe) – 40% off
Weeny Dynasty (Sports Classics) – 50% off
Buckingham Valkyrie (Helicopter) – 50% off
Vapid Apocalypse Dominator (Muscle) – 40% off
Vapid Future Shock Dominator (Muscle) – 40% off
Vapid Nightmare Dominator (Muscle) – 40% off
Vapid Dominator (Muscle) – 40% off
Knuckle Dusters
Service Carbine
Railgun (20% off)
Flare Gun
Grenade Launcher
Sniper Rifle
Vintage Pistol
Pool Cue
Grenades (50% off for GTA+ Members)
Proximity Mines
Armor
GTA+
This month, GTA+ players will receive the Annis Apocalypse ZR380, Anodized Burgundy Pearl, Dark Holographic Chameleon Wheel Paints, Soft Pink Pearl Chameleon Paint, Soft Pink The Fist Fury Outfit (Female), Love Fist Tee, and Love Fist Shortsleeve ShirtPearl Chameleon Paint. As well as Soft Pink The Fist Fury Outfit (Female), Love Fist Tee, and Love Fist Shortsleeve ShirtPearl Chameleo2X GTA$, RP, and AP on the Arena War Series (stacking this week for 4X total). In addition to all of that, they’ll also receive GTA$500,000, access to the Vinewood Car Club, and more.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
Seated before a photo of filmmaker Sarah Moldoror, panelists at this year’s Women in Film roundtable shared strategies for greater industry parity, while reflecting on recent successes and standstills in that ongoing pursuit. Variety has been give access to the video of the panel discussion.
Organized by Magaajyia Silberfeld and Winta Ghebre, and moderated by journalist and filmmaker Rahmatou Keïta, the Venice Film Festival roundtable brought together filmmakers Malgorzata Szumowska (“Woman Of”), Gina Kim (whose 3D-360 doc “Comfortless” screens in Venice Immersive), and Leila Basma (director of the Horizons-selected short “Sea Salt”), alongside set decorator Brandi Kalish (“The Killer”).
Moderator Rahmatou Keïta stressed the need for historical memory and for a greater degree of focus in order to prevent real gains from slipping into PR lip service. Keïta made mention of the equality charter signed at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival before caustically pointing out that five years prior, back in 2013, France’s political and cultural leaders had already signed a nearly-identical parity in cinema charter.
“A signature isn’t enough,” said Keïta. “As with anti-racist policies, there’s a lot of things we sign and that [lead to nothing more.] So we have to keep the flame lit at all times. We have to come back, we have to fight, we have to say, hey wait a second, we’ve signed something, so what’s going on?”
Keïta also wanted to keep the flame burning for Sarah Maldoror, the French-born director of West Indian descent, who made history as the first woman to direct a film in Africa with 1972’s “Sambizanga.” Maldoror would go on to direct many more over the course of her career. Celebrating Maldoror – who passed away at age 90 in 2020 – offered this year’s Women in Film panel to take inspiration for yesterday’s pioneers while looking toward tomorrow.
Speaking of the backslide towards more misogynistic content in contemporary Korean cinema, director Gina Kim cautioned that the Korean Film Council’s points-based subsidy system – which offers greater points to female-led projects – only fueled further ire on social media and within the industry. While urging continued government support in the light of such reactionary currents, Kim also stressed the overwhelming importance of the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival in nourishing creative talents and connecting them with the critics, audiences and distributors.
Furthering Kim’s warning that the category of ‘female director’ could be a label used for discrimination all on its own, set decorator Brandi Kalish explained that same lack of imagination affected her milieu as well, especially when female colleagues are not considered for macho, military-based projects or grittier fare. She pointed to her work on “American Horror Story,” and on “The Killer” as helpfully disproving such lines of thinking, and looked forward to a time when wider parity renders gendered distinction a moot point.
“Instead of saying that’s a female director, it would be nice just to say: That’s a badass,” Kalish added.
Ian McKellen says that he isn’t considering retiring anytime soon, despite one critic suggesting that it might be time.
By the time I’m 84 years old, I would hope that I’ve been retired for some time, but that’s not something Ian McKellen is considering.
While speaking with Variety, Ian McKellen said that while he’s constantly reminded of his mortality, he’s in no hurry to quit acting. “Retire to do what?” McKellen said. “I’ve never been out of work, but I’m aware that any minute now something could happen to me which could prevent me from ever working again. But while the knees hold up and the memory remains intact, why shouldn’t I carry on? I really feel I’m quite good at this acting thing now.“
Although Ian McKellen isn’t considering retiring, he says that a critic who attended previews of his recent stage comedy Frank and Percy suggested that he should. The harsh review took aim at McKellen for messing up some lines, which he says was due to being “insufficiently acquainted with the text.” McKellen added, “Instead of understanding that this happens from time to time, this critic says it was evidence that it was time for Ian McKellen to stop acting. Maybe I should challenge this man to a podcast where we could debate it.” After taking a brief moment, he reconsidered. “Perhaps that’s not a wise thing to do. It might just draw more attention to it. After all, I’ve long ago made my peace with critics.“
Ian McKellen’s latest role actually has him taking on the role of a theater critic himself. Set during the rise of fascism in pre-WWII England, The Critic is a tale of ambition and deceit in the theater world that stars Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton as adversaries forced to take desperate measures to save their careers.
“As the new steward of London’s Chronicle, David Brooke (Mark Strong) seeks to revive the financially troubled daily as the country’s most-read family paper. In the firing line is long time theater critic Jimmy Erksine (McKellen), whose extravagant prose and personal ‘proclivities’ are distasteful to David,” reads the official synopsis. “Jimmy has a lot to lose as an elderly gay man in a culture and legal system deeply hostile to homosexuality. Yet he cannot resist writing the flamboyantly merciless critiques that are his trademark. Actor Nina Land (Arterton) — for whom the married David secretly carries a torch — is a regular target for Jimmy’s most withering remarks. As pressure to appease his employer mounts, Jimmy concocts a plot to entrap both David and Nina — herself secretly in love with a married painter (Ben Barnes). But with the Blackshirts taking to the streets amid anti-queer police raids, Jimmy may be grossly overestimating his ability to emerge from his elaborate scheme unscathed.“
The BAFTA Children and Young People Awards have been rebranded and will be incorporated into the annual film, games and television ceremonies.
The org’s support for the children’s media industry and its year-round learning programs will now take place under a new brand, Young BAFTA. New categories for children’s content will be introduced to BAFTA’s film, games and television Awards in 2025. This initiative will be steered by a new cross-industry Young BAFTA advisory group.
“The move to present children’s awards in the annual film, games and television BAFTAs is an evolution of the former Children and Young People awards ceremony which has seen a consistent drop in entries and engagement in recent years. The ceremony last took place in November 2022 after a two-year pause,” BAFTA said in a statement.
The Young BAFTA advisory group will be led by BAFTA board member and disability champion Andrew Miller, known for presenting Channel 4 series “Boom!”
Sara Putt, BAFTA chair, said: “We are evolving the way we celebrate children’s film and television to ensure our support of the children’s media sector is impactful, relevant and sustainable. The new Young BAFTA advisory group, to be led by BAFTA board member and industry expert Andrew Miller, will align BAFTA’s long-standing support of children’s media sector with our charitable mission to bring their excellent work to wider public attention and nurture the next generation of talent.”
Miller added: “The children’s media industry has so often been at the forefront of progressive, innovative and inspirational storytelling. Many on and off-screen creatives and practitioners working across the sector owe their careers to children’s media, including me. I am looking forward to working closely with the new Young BAFTA advisory group over the coming months to give recognition to the children’s media sector across BAFTA’s globally respected film, games and television awards and elevate BAFTA’s brilliant learning initiatives to inspire the future of the industry.”
“Although we’ve come, to the eeeeeeennnnnnd of the road…” By the way, I think I’ve used that line on the day after the final more than once. But I’m feeling unoriginal this morning, so there you go again. Anyway, another season in the books, don’t look now, but the last time I gave away the wrong winner only to change it before the finale was 4 years ago in Hannah Browns season where I initially told you it was Tyler before correcting it about 3 or 4 weeks into the season. 9 straight seasons. Just sayin’. So one thing a lot of you brought up yesterday regarding the Daily Roundup was it cut off at the end. I didn’t know until you told me, and you were right. For whatever reason, the file I uploaded (which was the full show), cut off when it did during the upload. Not sure why it happened, but, since I can’t remember if it ever has before, I had no reason to look at the audio file once it was uploaded. I’ll try and do that going forward so if I see it got cut off, I can fix it before it uploads at 7:30am ET every morning. The good news was I literally only had a couple sentences left in yesterday’s pod before it cut off. So you’re good there. You didn’t miss much.
You can listen to today’s podcast on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in by clicking the player below:
Get your “Reader Emails” in for tomorrow as we’re gonna take a break for the next month until the shows kick back up at the end of September, which I’ll talk about next. Email me at steve@realitysteve.com, or message me on IG or Twitter.
So the news broke yesterday that the original plan for Golden Bachelor to air for 1 hr on Monday nights and BIP to air for 2 hrs on Tuesday nights has been scrapped. The Bachelor franchise will now take over Thursday nights starting Sept. 28th as the Golden Bachelor will air at 8/7c for 1 hour, followed by Bachelor in Paradise at 9/8c for 2 hours. It’s an interesting move for the sole reason we haven’t seen Bachelor programming on anything but a Monday or Tuesday (with the occasional Sunday) in, what, 15 years? I’m talking about a full season of something on a completely different night other than Monday or Tuesday. So it will be interesting to see how the fan base reacts.
Already some have commented that it’s too much Bachelor programming in one night. And I get it – to a certain extent. First off, you watched 3 hours last night, didn’t you? And secondly, it’s not like it’s 3 hours of the same show. It’s 1 hr of one show, and two hours of another show. So I guess my question to people who say 3 hours of Bach programming on Thursday nights will be too much is, when you’ve watched the Bachelor and/or Bachelorette on Monday nights, are those the only 2 hours of TV you watch on Monday’s and then you’re done? You only watch 2 hrs of TV and nothing more? Because while it’s the same production company and it’s under the Bachelor umbrella, a 71 year old man dating 60 year olds for an hour at the mansion is quite different than 20-somethings on the beach in Mexico all dating each other. But maybe that’s just me. Not to mention, the Golden Bachelor is a completely new concept, so you can’t say you already know what it’s gonna be like. I’m not expecting boffo ratings on Thursday nights, but the whole “that’s too much” in one night kinda falls on deaf ears – at least to me.
One of the reasons in the past this show has stayed away from Monday night programming during football season is because they didn’t want to compete with Monday Night Football. Well by moving to Thursdays and occupying 3 hrs that night, you’re competing with Thursday Night Football. AND it’s on a completely different day of the week that your audience isn’t used to. So that part to me feels a little off. Who knows? Maybe it won’t matter to most people. I think fans are going to give the Golden Bachelor a shot at least in the beginning just because we haven’t seen this before. We pretty much know what we’re getting with Paradise. And now, Golden Bachelor will be competing with Big Brother’s live eviction night, and BIP is competing against Challenge USA and (come Oct. 12th) season 3 of “FBoy Island.” Just remember, every single year I hear “I can’t wait for Bachelor in Paradise.” Then about halfway through the season, people are saying they’re sick of the drama, or they’re bored. It’s like clockwork every single year. I doubt this years reaction will be any different. Here’s the season preview they aired last night:
Looks like any other BIP season preview: make outs, drama, an ambulance, etc. So while it’s exciting now because it’s something different, I honestly expect to hear the same exact complaints once the season gets under way that I hear every single season. Why wouldn’t I?
Speaking of the Golden Bachelor, I tweeted out and posted on IG stories that filming is in Minnesota now as Gerry was seen filming on the Stone Arch Bridge yesterday. However, I have no idea what that means. Did they just start domestic travel? Are they already at hometowns and one of the women is from Minnesota? Since we don’t know the episode breakdown or format being that it’s the first season of the show, it’s hard to know any details of what’s happening. Not to mention who any of the women are. I told you I wasn’t going to dive too deep into Golden Bachelor spoilers this season, but anything I heard I’d pass along. That came yesterday, so, we’ll see if any more pics and/or videos get out while in Minnesota.
Gently, the plaintive notes from Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning,” an odd choice to open “Reptile,” a gloomy crime-thriller, waft through forked scenes. The sequence begins with realtor couple Will (Justin Timberlake) and Summer (Matilda Lutz) prepping a lavish property for a showing. Then it splits to Will presenting to a conference as Summer hangs in a locker room elsewhere at a gym. Newton’s tune stutters and stops, the picture attempting to form an early suspense from these mundane moments. Summer will eventually be murdered in a vacant property. And Will is the prime suspect.
And yet, “Reptile,” the directorial feature from Grant Singer — a music video director known for his collaborations with The Weeknd and Taylor Swift — isn’t really about Summer or Will. It concerns Detective Tom Nichols (Benicio del Toro, a co-writer on the script). Sporting a jet-black pompadour and a suave leather jacket, he is not only investigating Summer’s death, but the rot lurking within his police department. Singer’s “Reptile,” distributed by Netflix, wants to be a David Fincher procedural with Steven Soderbergh’s paranoia, but it is a merely fangless homage without suspense, logic, or shame.
Set in the New England suburb of Scarborough, the film, written by Benjamin Brewer, Singer, and del Toro, struggles early on to find its footing. Mostly because this is a film afraid to let us independently feel; it opts for an overbearing score and clunky cross-cutting to hold our hand through the early investigation led by Nichols. We move, uneasily, between scenes of Nichols questioning Will to slices of life from Nichols’ charming domesticity with his wife Judy (Alicia Silverstone). Recently the couple moved to this town to escape Philadelphia, where Nichols was embroiled in a scandal involving his corrupt partner. Even in New England, however, Nichols remains tainted.
There isn’t much intrigue in the case itself. One of Will’s vengeful, former customers (Michael Pitt), Summer’s ex-husband (Karl Glusman), and a shady trust involving Summer’s real estate commissions are just a few of the leads. Nichols doesn’t take them seriously, making it too easy for the viewer to ignore them too. The view inside the precinct isn’t much better: Nichols’ captain (Eric Bogosian) is battling cancer; Nichols’ partner (Ato Essandoh) is a typical best bud; and another colleague, Wally (Domenick Lombardozzi) is opening a private security firm and wants Nichols to join. The minimum drama accrued from both spheres of this detective’s life hinders the elongated 134-minute runtime. These interpersonal shortcomings, unfortunately, are the least of this film’s problems.
There is no sense of setting or place amid the manicured homes that dot this wealthy New England suburb. How major is the police presence? How big is the town? Are there specific local haunts, people, and ways of life we should know? Singer answers none of those questions dialectically or visually. Instead we switch from empty room to empty room in the empty houses that clutter a seemingly robust real estate market The area is so detached from the narrative of the film, you come to wonder if the foggy nights that color these scenes are merely the outgrowth of a dream, awaiting the rug to pulled out from under.
It doesn’t help how misguided the performances feel. Timberlake is trying his best Ben Affleck in “Gone Girl” impression; offering none of the psychological intrigue or earnest spirit that accompanied that far better performance. Silverstone’s innate coyness, typically a strong tool in her repertoire, is ill-fitting in a puzzling narrative compelled by tiny signs, small hints, and ambiguous motives. She often takes us off the film’s trail in a fashion that plays as unintentional. No one in the deep supporting cast distinguishes themselves either. They’re broad cliches: the heavy, the heel, the misbegotten friend — utilized with little to no originality. Del Toro escapes unscathed, but barely. If only because he thrives playing oddballs and enigmas. A scene where someone asks him why they call him “Oklahoma” — “Because I can cut a line,” del Toro says with a wink — is one of the film’s lone bright spots.
You never get the sense that “Reptile” knows how to reach the profundity it so desires. After the first hour, the film drones on and on around bad clues and worse assumptions. Where is the rhythm? Where is the touch of mood or tone? Editor Kevin Hickman opts for smash cuts to elicit thrills, but inadvertently garners laughs for how obnoxious the film strains for an unearned grittiness. Similarly the photography purposefully keeps us at a distance — opting for behind-the-head shots — while placing its forlorn subjects in frames devoid of color. The aesthetic misses are so egregious, you come to wonder if this film is meant to be a parody of Fincher’s handier work. They’re all the signs of a music video director with plenty of ideas but not the roadmap for them to coalesce.
To a point, the final act of violence leans toward the intentionally absurd. It’s vicious and loud, and spurred by a frisbee. Singer’s film would be infinitely better if he filled his narrative with more of these absurd moments. Instead he relies on rote generic moves to assemble a work that barely musters the ability to say “cops are corrupt.” Thanks “Reptile,” for the breaking news. But it’s probably best for this crime-thriller to simply slither away.
Grade: C-
“Reptile” world premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It will be released by Netflix on October 6.
Nearly 40 years into his career, DJ Premier is still making hard beats with both grit and elegance. This synthesis comes through in the thudding pianos and chimes that power Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind,” or in the simmering sampled horns and deep drum breaks of the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Kick in the Door.” For his latest single, “Runway,” he recruits Griselda rappers Westside Gunn and Rome Streetz to go in over swelling orchestral strings and piano, and they both meet him with gusto. Streetz holds it down with surgical rhyme schemes and jokes about being the fourth member of the boy band Hanson, while Gunn sounds more energized than he has in years. His verse has color and personality to spare, bouncing from references to local spots in his native Buffalo to vivid mafia imagery (“Rasklaat, I’ll blow your brains out, you hear me?/Have you covered in red dots for pennies”). Together, they sound like they could go seamlessly from Fashion Week to the shuttered New York nightclub the Tunnel.
Plane was one of 2023’s surprise hits. Starring Gerard Butler who tries to save his unwanted passenger after being forced to make an emergency landing on a dangerous island, it grossed $74 million worldwide and received positive reviews overall. A sequel called Ship is planned but is it likely to be as successful as the original? And has Plane helped revive the airplane movie genre? Let’s find out.
The Popularity of the Plane and Boat Themes
In terms of the different themes, both planes and boats have appeared in many movies over the years. Airplanes have generally been involved in tense action movies where there’s an accident or the risk of an accident, such as Passenger 57, Executive Decision, and Con Air. This genre arguably began with the first Airport movies in the 1970s and reached their heyday at the turn of the century, with Plane signalling something of a comeback in 2023.
The idea of crashing planes has reached many other aspects of popular culture, including TV series like Blood Red Sky, which was released on Netflix in 2021. We’ve also seen games based on this genre, with one of the current examples being the Aviator Slot at Paddy Power, a betting game where the player has to decide when they think the plan will crash. The prize rises the longer the plane stays in the air but the game ends when it hits the ground. Players might engage with a game like this for the same reason that people watch films and documentaries about plane crashes. Much like the horror genre, something about the fear and the thrill that comes with a good scare keeps audiences coming back for more.
Future releases in this genre could include a second season of Hijack, the thriller on Apple TV+ featuring Idris Elba. It received positive reviews and Elba has confirmed that he’s open to returning in the role of Sam Nelson, but Esquire has reported recently that no decision has yet been made by Apple on whether or not to order a second series. Meanwhile, NBC’s Manifest, which is on Netflix, appears to have cancelled after running for four seasons.
Boat-themed movies have also tended to focus on disasters, with Titanic and The Perfect Storm being some of the most famous examples. As with movies set on planes, many of the best examples use the fact that a diverse set of characters are trapped in a relatively small space to explore the conflicts between them in a series of subplots. Therefore, both these types of movies are very similar and the new Ship film could easily follow the Plane plot closely if the writers decide to take this approach.
What Do We Know About Ship?
Few details have been released to date about the sequel to Plane and we don’t know if Butler will be starring in it, with rumors that he might have just a minor, guest role. The plot will see Louis Gaspare, played by Mike Colter, return as the passenger who was being transported in the first movie. He’s now trying to escape from the island by ship but sets sail on a ferry operated by a corrupt and dangerous captain that he has to overthrow.
Ship is expected to reach the production stage by the end of 2023 and it may also be later this year or early in 2024 before we hear any details of of any other new movies inspired by the success of Plane. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to find that more airplane disaster movies are released in the near future. As for Ship, if it retains the ingredients that made Plane a hit then expect to see it to be well-received by the public and critics alike.
Despite playing on a very short week, on the road, and against an opponent that was coming off a bye week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats dug deep Friday night to pick up a big 27-24 victory against the Ottawa Redblacks.
Taylor Powell went 21-for-32 for 326 passing yards and threw three touchdowns, two of which went to receiver Tim White in the fourth quarter, as the Ticats improved to 5-7 on the Canadian Football League season.
The win gave the Ticats a three-game sweep of their season series against the Redblacks and was Hamilton’s 10th straight win against Ottawa dating back to 2019.
Marc Liegghio opened the scoring 5:19 into the contest when he kicked a 32-yard field goal as the Cats capitalized on an interception by safety Stavros Katsantonis on Ottawa’s opening drive.
On the Redblacks ensuing drive kicker Lewis Ward converted a 19-yard field goal to even the score.
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Ottawa had an opportunity to add to its lead at the end of the first quarter but the Ticats’ defence stopped Redblacks backup QB Tyrrell Pigrome on three consecutive rushing attempts from the 0ne-yard line.
Hamilton’s defence stepped up again late in the first half when defensive end Tre’ Crawford forced Ottawa running back Devonte Williams to fumble at the Ticats’ 44-yard line. The Cats turned that turnover into three more points when Liegghio drilled a 20-yard field goal for a 6-3 lead at halftime.
The Redblacks took their first lead of the game when running back Ante Milanovic-Litre scored on a three-yard touchdown run to put Ottawa up 10-6 early in the third quarter, but the Ticats answered right back.
Powell tossed a 64-yard bomb into the hands of Tim White who took the football down to the Ottawa 11, and two plays later, Powell and Chris McAllister teamed up for an 11-yard TD to put Hamilton up 13-10.
The seesaw second half continued as the Redblacks marched right back down the field on a nine-play drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Pigrome.
Hamilton answered back on their next drive as Powell threw a five-yard touchdown to White for a 20-17 advantage. It came six plays after the two teammates connected on a 47-yard gain that put the Cats on the Ottawa 38.
Fans at TD Place Stadium did not have to wait long for the fifth lead change of the game when Dustin Crum ran for a two-yard TD to put the Redblacks up 24-20 with 6:26 to play in the fourth quarter.
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Powell and White came through in the clutch again on Hamilton’s next drive when they converted on a 20-yard major to give the Tiger-Cats a 27-24 lead.
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The Cats’ defence ended any chance of an Ottawa victory on their next possession when linebacker Simoni Lawrence forced Crum to fumble the ball and defensive tackle Ted Laurent jumped on it at the Redblacks 31-yard line for their fourth turnover of the game.
Hamilton next plays Sept. 16 when they host the West Division leading Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
UPDATED with latest: The Toronto Film Festival began September 7 in Ontario with opening-night movie The Boy and the Heron, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. It kicks off a lineup for the fest’s 48th edition that includes world premieres of GameStop pic Dumb Money, Netflix’s Pain Hustlers, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, Kristin Scott Thomas’ Scarlett Johansson pic North Star, Chris Pine’s Poolman, Michael Keaton-directed Knox Goes Away, Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour, Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils, Michael Winterbottom’s Shoshana, Grant Singer’s Reptile, Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt, Lee Tamahori’s The Convert and Alex Gibney’s doc In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.
The fest also features new films from such celebrated directors as Alexander Payne, Kore-eda Hirokazu, Alice Rohrwacher and Richard Linklater.
Deadline is on the ground to watch all the key films. Below is a compilation of our reviews from the fest, which last year awarded Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans its People’s Choice Award for best film.
Click on the film titles below to read the reviews in full, and keep checking back as we add more movies throughout the fest, which runs through September 17.
Section: Gala Presentations Director: Hayao Miyazaki Cast: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Takuya Kimura Deadline’s takeaway: The Boy and the Heron deals with complex themes that manifest with visual splendor. While it might not be Studio Ghibli’s strongest outing, it’s still an important one, and Miyazaki’s return after a decade-long hiatus serves as a reminder of the unique vision and artistry he brings to the world of animation.
Hanway Films
Section: World Premiere Director: Viggo Mortensen Cast: Vicky Krieps, Viggo Mortensen, Solly McLeod, Garrett Dillahunt, Danny Huston, Ray McKinnon, Colin Morgan, W. Earl Brown, Atlas Green Deadline’s takeaway: Mortensen has placed his story squarely in the western genre, but you really could lift it out and put it in many different settings and still have the same very human character study that stays with you long after credits roll. John Ford and Howard Hawks would love this movie.
Section: Midnight Madness Director: Larry Charles Cast: Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang, Nathan Lane, Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp Deadline’s takeaway: As a viewer, I often wondered how the hell this got turned into the movie because it is so outrageous. Thankfully, it succeeds at being fun and funny because anything less would have amounted to torture.
Sony Pictures
Section: Gala Presentations Director: Craig Gillespie Cast: Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan Deadline’s takeaway: This isn’t some cheap, ripped-from-the-headlines quickie but a top-quality film that its major studio is planning a large awards season campaign around. It deserves that consideration. And the casting could not be better.
Bobby Bukowski
Section: Discovery Director: Patricia Arquette Cast: Willem Dafoe, Camila Morrone, Patricia Arquette, Elizabeth Lail, Ray Nicholson, Leila George, James Urbaniak Deadline’s takeaway: Although set in 1992, Arquette’s vision seems more in line with the ’70s style of filmmaking, particularly Robert Altman. Though not always hitting the bull’s-eye here she certainly comes close enough to signal a new career behind the camera.
CAA
Section: Special Presentations Director: Kristin Scott Thomas Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Scarlett Johansson, Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham, Thibault De Montalembert, Freida Pinto, Joshua Maguire, James Fleet Deadline’s takeaway: This is not a broad comedy in any sense: Thomas is a fan of French movies, Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters, Little Miss Sunshine, Marriage Story and others that are smart examples of the genre.
Section: Special Presentations Director: Anna Kendrick Cast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicollette Robinson, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakie, Pete Holmes, Tony Hale Deadline’s takeaway: ABC’s 20/20 devoted a full hour to the story of the cold-blooded killer who died in incarceration, but Kendrick’s directorial debut has more on its mind that just the facts.
The next giant Starship rocket from Elon Musk’s SpaceX is standing on the launching pad in South Texas. But the Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that the company must undertake “corrective actions” before it would issue a launch license for the second flight.
A Number That Sums It Up: 63 corrective actions are required.
The first Starship test flight successfully lifted off on April 20. A few minutes later, it started to tumble out of control and then ended in an explosion induced by its flight termination system, which is designed to prevent out-of-control rockets from crashing into a populated area. The rocket reached an altitude of 24 miles above the Gulf of Mexico, far short of reaching orbit, although SpaceX employees popped champagne in celebration of what the flight managed to accomplish.
“During ascent, the vehicle sustained fires from leaking propellant in the aft end of the Super Heavy booster, which eventually severed connection with the vehicle’s primary flight computer,” the SpaceX update said. “This led to a loss of communications to the majority of booster engines and, ultimately, control of the vehicle.”
The launch also caused substantial damage to the launchpad, blasting pieces of concrete into the surrounding areas and kicking up clouds of dirt that reached a small town six miles from the launch site.
The F.A.A. said the 63 corrective actions described in the final investigation report included redesigns of the rocket to prevent leaks and fires and additional analysis and testing of safety systems including the flight termination system.
It also called for improvements to the launchpad. SpaceX spent several months adding a large steel plate and a water-deluge system to minimize damage caused by liftoff.
The investigation report is not being released publicly because it includes propriety information belonging to SpaceX and also data restricted by United States export controls, the F.A.A. said.
None of the 63 corrective actions will be a surprise to SpaceX because the company conducted the investigation, identifying the causes of the failures that occurred during the April launch and what needed to be fixed. The F.A.A. reviewed the SpaceX report and concurred with the company’s findings and closed the investigation.
What It Looked Like: Watch the last launch in 2 videos.
Video by SpaceX captured the massive rocket’s liftoff and the moment when the rocket began to tumble out of control before it blew up.
Other footage showed the scale of the dirt and debris cloud kicked up by the launch.
Background: Musk’s moon and Mars rocket quest.
Starship, sitting on top of the SuperHeavy booster stage, is the largest rocket ever made, an essential piece for Mr. Musk’s vision of setting up a colony on Mars. The rocket is designed to be fully reusable. The booster, after providing thrust for the first few minutes of the flight, is to fall away and land at the launchpad. The upper Starship section then continues to orbit. It too can return to Earth, belly-flopping through the atmosphere before pivoting to a vertical orientation for landing.
As part of its Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon, NASA has hired SpaceX to build a version of Starship to take its astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the moon. The first moon landing, during the Artemis III mission, is currently scheduled for late December 2025. But that schedule will almost certainly slip. SpaceX first has to perform an uncrewed demonstration landing.
What’s Next: Another test flight of the giant rocket.
On Tuesday, Mr. Musk posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter that he owns, “Starship is ready to launch, awaiting FAA license approval.”
The closing of the investigation of the April launch does not mean the next launch is imminent, the F.A.A. said.
“SpaceX must implement all corrective actions that impact public safety and apply for and receive a license modification from the FAA that addresses all safety, environmental and other applicable regulatory requirements prior to the next Starship launch,” the agency said.
Environmental groups have sued the F.A.A. calling for a more extensive review of the effects of the Starship launches. The case is still in its preliminary stages.
SpaceX did not set a target date for the second launch.
EXCLUSIVE: Here’s an exclusive clip from Wendy Bednarz’s upcoming feature debut Yellow Bus, which is world premiering in the Toronto Film Festival’s Discovery program this weekend.
Based on true events, the film follows an Indian family living in the Arabian Gulf facing unspeakable tragedy after their youngest daughter is left to die on a school bus in the sweltering desert heat. Consumed by grief, the girl’s mother Anada (Tannishtha Chatterjee) sets out to search for the truth surrounding her daughter’s death and find who should be held accountable. As accusations unfurl, Anada demands each suspect to confront their darkest secrets and own their part in the senseless tragedy.
Bednarz, who writes and directs, describes the film as a “heartfelt story of a mother’s journey to grieve the loss of her child and to forgive those responsible, including herself.”
She added: “As a working-class Indian expat, Anada Ishwar is not just any mother – she must fight to make her voice heard.”
Chatterjee, who is known for starring in Sarah Gavron’s 2007 British title Brick Lane, is joined by Kinda Alloush, Amit Sial, Aarushi Laud and Kshethra Mithun.
The UAE-Jordan-Indian-U.S. co-production is produced by Screen Project, Metatron Productions, OSN, Creative Venture, Sikhya Enterainment and Ta Films. Nadia Eliewat produces while Guneet Monga Kapoor is co-producer.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, who is managing director of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival, is executive producer on the project.
Yellow Bus debuts at TIFF on Sunday, September 10, 2023. Check out the clip above.
As an underdog victory story and an exemplar of alt-rap aesthetics, the Kids soundtrack has long stood as the ultimate mid-’90s time capsule—a fate reinforced in recent years by its spotty availability on streaming services. In its original incarnation, the Kids soundtrack resembled a Barlow-curated mixtape, with various Folk Implosion pieces complemented by songs from Daniel Johnston, Slint, and Sebadoh. The album’s release through Polygram subsidiary London Records made it the first major-label-affiliated product on Barlow’s CV, though the Folk Implosion never signed to London directly. In the ’90s this was a coup: They could benefit from a big label’s promotional muscle without being under its thumb. In the streaming era, however, old soundtracks featuring various artists affiliated with multiple labels face a complicated path to our listening queues (and those that make it often appear with key tracks grayed out due to digital-rights issues). Kids’ fragmented history on DSPs—with different partial permutations of the record available on different services and in different regions, if at all—has diminished the commercial high-water mark of Barlow’s career into a faded, did-that-actually-happen memory.
Music for KIDS rights that wrong, by filling the hole in the Folk Implosion’s digital catalog and clearing the way for the long-overdue addition of “Natural One” to your Essential ’90s Alternative playlist. But this is not a reissue of the original soundtrack album; rather, it’s a collection of all the music that Folk Implosion created in this period, including tracks heard in the film, stuff that got left on the cutting-room floor, songs that would find their proper home on later releases, and a couple of alternate versions that uncork the material’s latent club-hopping potential. (Few words so expediently transport you to a specific time and place like remix credits for UNKLE and Dust Brothers.) Taken as a whole, Music for KIDS is less a totem to Clark/Korine’s cult flick than an illuminating glimpse into the evolution of Barlow’s very own proto-Postal Service—a beat-driven side project that, for a brief moment, outshone his main gig.
At the very least, this collection reaffirms that Folk Implosion deserved to be a two-hit wonder. “Nothing Gonna Stop” takes the “Natural One” template and jacks up the pulse: Davis’ drums lock into a sampled Silver Apples bass loop to forge the missing link between those ’60s hypno-psych innovators and the after-midnight breaks of DJ Shadow, providing a relentless, pulsating counterpoint to Barlow’s slackadasical rap-speak. By comparison, the incidental instrumentals lack the same sense of frisson, either ending too soon (the strung-out psychedelia of “Jenny’s Theme”) or going on too long (the bongo-powered, synth-blitzed jam “Nasa Theme”). But by liberating these recordings from ’90s purgatory, Music for KIDS highlights their uncanny prescience: The stark, stalking “Crash” points the way to a post-rock future, while the collection’s other Silver Apples tribute, “Simean Groove,” feels like a blueprint for the sort of wiggy, percussive workouts that Caribou would master years later.
Long before he became an award-winning filmmaker, Lynn Lynn was already a star.
His voice was ubiquitous on the radio, belting out rock songs, and he played sold-out shows in stadiums across the country. Everywhere he went, fans hounded him for selfies and autographs.
But all that fame was confined to Myanmar, a country he had to flee after a February 2021 military coup.
It wasn’t only his lyrics about the suffering of people under military rule that had made him a target of the country’s generals. He was also close to the country’s now-imprisoned civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, having once served as her bodyguard.
Now living in the Thai city of Mae Sot, bordering Myanmar, the 39-year-old rocker has taken on a new identity: refugee.
Despite the drastic changes in his circumstances, he has not given up on art, but he has changed his focus: to film.
His first short movie, “The Beginning,” whose main characters are a fictional group of people from Myanmar, focuses on the importance of good will in building a democratic nation.Five months later, he followed with “The Way,” which captures the trauma and despair of a family suffering from a nation’s conflict; despite the dark themes, the movie is a musical — the first by a director from Myanmar.
Both films have won multiple honors at international film festivals, with “The Way” also earning multiple accolades for its soundtrack.
“I want to give the message that the military junta can oppress an artist physically, but the spirit and art cannot be oppressed,” Mr. Lynn Lynn said, speaking from his spartan music studio, a bedroom in a rented house in Mae Sot.
Mr. Lynn Lynn’s life story has been shaped by his country’s convulsive recent history, shifting from dictatorship to democracy to the present-day resistance.
The youngest of four boys, he was born in the city of Mandalay to a railway worker father and a mother who stayed at home.
When he was 5, he saw close at hand the brutality of the army whose leaders ruled the nation: soldiers pulling passengers from a boat and commanding everyone — regardless of age — to kneel. That scene of dominance and humiliation, he says, has stayed with him throughout his adult life.
As a 9-year-old, he taught himself how to play guitar. After high school, he moved to Yangon, the capital at the time, where he cycled through a series of jobs, including bus conductor and security guard, while trying to start a musical career.
His big break came in 2001, after he walked into a recording studio to drop off his demo tape and was soon hired to compose songs for some of Myanmar’s most famous singers. He established a reputation for composing original songs, a rarity in a country where nearly all the songs were copied from abroad.
In 2007, he marched daily with the country’s monks during the Saffron Revolution protests. He read over and over again “Freedom From Fear,” a book of essays by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, at the time the leader of the country’s opposition, who was under house arrest.
He learned how to navigate the country’s censors. Out of every five songs submitted, he was instructed to change the lyrics of three. Sometimes, he submitted different lyrics and then later swapped back in the original words, without anyone seeming to notice.
“He is a rebel,” said his wife, Chit Thu Wai, a well-known actress and singer.
In 2008, Mr. Lynn Lynn released “Think,” an album with love songs that he had written initially for other singers. It was an instant hit and catapulted him to stardom.
In 2011, the military initiated a range of sweeping political changes, including releasing Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, who convened a gathering of the country’s artists at her house.
There, Mr. Lynn Lynn told the Nobel Peace Prize winner he would be willing to do anything for her. He became one of her bodyguards during the 2012 by-election and the 2015 general election.
After she won in 2015,becoming the country’s civilian leader, Mr. Lynn Lynn returned to music. Able to sing openly about the generals, he released an album called “The Fourth Revolution.”
Then, in February 2021, two months after Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi won the 2020 election in a landslide, the military detained her and announced it had taken power in a coup.
The junta charged dozens of actors and musicians, including Mr. Lynn Lynn and his wife, with “incitement.” After months in hiding, the family decided reluctantly to leave Myanmar.
Mr. Lynn Lynn went first in August 2021, trekking across a jungle and then swimming to Mae Sot. Ms. Chit Thu Wai and their twin daughters, now 6, followed a week later.
Mr. Lynn Lynn had never wanted to make movies in Myanmar. While he dabbled in script writing and supported independent filmmakers through a production company he owned with his wife, he considered most of the movies made in Myanmar to be too lowbrow to much interest him.
He says he turned to film in part to “challenge” his artistic peers back home, many of whom allow the generals to use them for propaganda.
Myanmar’s Directorate of Public Relations and Psychological Warfare has always exploited actors and actresses, using them in films to portray soldiers as honorable heroes. In return for staying silent, these celebrities enjoy perks, like being paid to attend galas such as the Myanmar Academy Awards.
Mr. Lynn Lynn says he has noticed that the timing of these celebrity events often coincides with reports about more military atrocities. Nearly every week brings horrific news: 100 dead in an airstrike. Bombs dropped at an outdoor concert. Eleven children killed at a school.
Midway through an interview in Mae Sot, Mr. Lynn Lynn lifted up his T-shirt to reveal his back. In neat, cursive script, there were 700 tattooed names and ages of some of those killed in the coup’s aftermath.
“There are so many more to come,” Ms. Chit Thu Wai said.
Mr. Lynn Lynn says he looks at the names in the mirror to “compel a sense of urgency upon my consciousness.” The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group, said more than 4,000 people had been killed in Myanmar since the coup.
Mr. Lynn Lynn knew that shooting movies in Mae Sot, so close to Myanmar, was dangerous. Seventeen of 20 cast members of “The Way” stood accused of “incitement,” and they feared Myanmar military’s spies were everywhere, raising concerns they could be abducted or killed.
In the movie, members of the central family sing about their suffering from conflict and their quest for peace and justice. Myanmar is never explicitly mentioned because, Mr. Lynn Lynn says, he wants the story to be universal.
Two weeks before the shoot, he was still not sure how he would pull it off without the sophisticated equipment typically needed to make a film. He decided to borrow a friend’s iPhone 13 Pro to use as the camera. For the music, he gave himself a crash course in sound mixing.
Mr. Lynn Lynn’s cast members had never acted before, but some had backgrounds similar to the stories that he wanted to depict. His directorial advice was to read the script and “feel it in your heart,” recalled Aung Lun, one of the actors, who had left his 5-year-old son and wife behind in Myanmar when he fled in 2021.
Mr. Aung Lun’s character in “The Way” leaves his baby daughter at a school as soldiers set fire to their village. Years later, his character confesses that secret to his family.
During that scene, Mr. Aung Lun cried so hard the crew had to pause the shoot for an hour.
As Mr. Lynn Lynn waits to hear whether he and his family can be resettled in the United States, he has more film projects in the works, including a satire set in Myanmar before the coup.
Wherever he finds himself, he intends to keep making films.
“I want to use a language understood by the entire universe,” he said. “I want to show that even while we are on the run, our art will continue to live powerfully.”
One of the low points of Bob Chapek’s tenure as CEO was The Walt Disney Company’s very public feud with Marvel star Scarlet Johansson.
The troubles began during the COVID-19 pandemic when Disney decided to release Black Widow simultaneously on Disney+ and in theaters.
Photo: Disney Plus
Per Johnasson’s contract, however, the actress was to be paid based on the film’s box office take. With the Disney+ release severely cutting into Black Widow’s box-office prospects, Johannson was incensed.
As it turns out, the brewing conflict between Disney and one of its biggest stars shined a spotlight on the growing tension between former Disney CEO Bob Iger and his successor Bob Chapek.
Neither Chapek Nor Iger Took Control
According to a report from CNBC, Bob Chapek felt that the issue was with creative talent and thus Bob Iger should handle the problem in his role as Executive Chairman. Iger, meanwhile, saw the problem as a contract dispute, and thus something Chapek should deal with as CEO.
Photo: CNBC
After Johannson sued Disney over Black Widow’s release, Disney held a virtual meeting where Bob Iger was in attendance but did not speak. Iger reportedly thought the meeting was “amateur hour” and “run by children.” According to the report, the former Disney CEO thought there were far too many people giving input on how to handle the situation.
The Infamous Statement
Eventually, Disney decided to release a statement accusing Johansson of “a callous disregard for the horrific prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Photo: Variety
It was a statement that sent waves through Hollywood, but also one that neither Bob was in favor of. While both Iger and Chapek objected to the wording of the statement, neither one stopped it. Both still felt it was the other one’s problem.
The incident serves as a prime example, however, of the dysfunction in Disney during Chapek’s tenure as CEO, and the passive-aggressive way that Iger left his successor out to dry.
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September 8 is officially Star Trek Day, as it is the anniversary date of the original series premiere in 1966. However, this year’s Star Trek Day is celebrating another milestone for the venerable franchise, as it marks 50 years since Star Trek: The Animated Serieshit the Saturday morning airwaves. To celebrate, Paramount is releasing a series of animated very Short Treks. The very first comes from critically acclaimedwriter and director Casper Kelly, who folks might remember from the viral internet phenomenon Too Many Cooks. He’s also worked on the live-action Short Treks.
In the first very Short Treks, “Skin A Cat,” poor word choice complicates a dire Klingon attack. To see what that actually means, watch the full Star Trek: very Short Trek episode down below:
The first very Short Trekfeatures Ethan Peck (Spock), Pete Holmes (Captain), Cristina Milizia (Knickersonian, Dream Woman, and M’Ress), Bonnie Gordon (Computer), and Eric Bauza (Antedian, Ass Face, Screwhead).But the episode isn’t all we’re getting to honor this iconic series. There’s also a new Star Trek: The Animated Seriesweb comic, also from writer Casper Kelly. This one’s called “The Scheimer Barrier,” no doubt an homage to Filmation Studios founder Lou Scheimer, producers of the classic animated series. He also produced shows like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Paramount
Hopefully, thanks to these new shorts, people will rediscover the classic cartoon show. Although the animation was rudimentary—and that’s being generous—the classic Star Trek cartoon ran for two seasons. And it reunited much of the original voice cast, and they had some impressive stories to boot. Star Trek: The Animated Series was the first official “revival” of Star Trek. It kept the Trek fires burning during the decade between the original show and 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture. So today, let’s raise a glass of Romulan Ale to the ever-groovy Star Trek: The Animated Series.
Fans of the popular Roblox platform have been clamoring for years to play on their PlayStations, and it looks like the time has finally come. After countless months of teases from the platform’s code, leakers putting out false release dates and information, and so many more bits of titillating hope, we finally have official confirmation that Roblox is coming to the PlayStation family.
More than 65 million people are on Roblox every day, enjoying immersive experiences and connecting with others all over the world. Soon, Roblox will be accessible to even more people to enjoy – on Meta Quest and PlayStation. pic.twitter.com/Tzvpa5UMFs
Tweet via @Roblox on X (Formerly known as Twitter)
Not only that, but we have confirmation that the Meta Quest is finally getting a full version of Roblox, filled to the brim with exciting experiences that take advantage of the special hardware. But when will we be able to finally jump into the exciting worlds and experience Skibi Toilet in full 4K glory?
October. Roblox coming to PlayStation has been teased since 2018, so one more month until we can finally log on with our favorite console is nothing. While no official date was given during the event that revealed this particular bit of knowledge, we can expect to learn more as the new month approaches.
Meta Quest, on the opposite side of the coin, has been available in Open Beta for some time on Meta Quest 2 for a few months now. I took the time to jump into Virtual Reality Roblox and found it to be rather fun and exciting. Unfortunately, there was not any information regarding the full release for this particular platform, so jump into the Beta and start having fun now.
If you’re hoping to learn about everything coming to the Roblox platform in the coming months and even years, the Roblox official Blog has posted all of the reveals from RDC 2023, available to read for all fans of the platform. Sad to say, but Roblox coming to the PlayStation ecosystem may be the reason I power on my PS5 for the first time in months.
About the Author
Shaun Cichacki
As a fan of RPGs, Action & Retro titles, Shaun has been gaming since he was a young boy. With an overwhelming obsession involving Metal Gear Solid and Pizza Tower, you know you’re in for a wild ride when it comes to things he’s writing about.
September. Labor Day, come and gone. Fall… theoretically. Back to school, back to theaters. That’s right: despite Hollywood’s ongoing labor shutdown, new product continues to leech out from the national Don’t-Miss Indies reserves, spilling its way onto screens in art houses cinemas worldwide. And yeah, a piping hot pumpkin-spice latte probably sounds like the last thing you want to consume after a long, hot day on the picket line. But you gotta admit: it’s nice to have the option.
SCOUTS HONOR: THE SECRET FILES OF THE SCOUTS OF AMERICA
When You Can Watch: September 6
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Director: Brian Knappenberger
Executive Producers: Diane Becker, Nan Goldin, Amy Ziering
Why We’re Excited: “The length certain people were going to [in order to] try and get you to shut up got me the angriest.” So says one of the 80,000+ documented survivors embroiled in the Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse scandal in Brian Knappenberger’s new Netflix original documentary. Another victim was determined to see justice prevail says: “I don’t care if I bring the whole temple down. This is an abomination.” Combining archival footage from the comprehensive history of the BSA and interviews with an endless stream of survivors and advocates, Knappenberger (Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror, Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press) focuses on the so-called “Ineligible Volunteer Files,” which the BSA used to keep track of alleged abusers going back more than a hundred years (!!!) while allegedly shielding those same abusers from law enforcement.
POOR THINGS
When You Can Watch: September 8*
Where You Can Watch: Theaters
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone
Cast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef
Why We’re Excited: A 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award alum for royal satire The Favourite, Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest started building Oscar buzz for leads Stone (La La Land, Cruella) and Ruffalo (Spotlight, The Normal Heart) as soon as it premiered at Venice last week. The sci-fi black comedy written by Tony McNamara (The Favourite, Hulu’s period satire dramedy The Great) is based on Scottish writer Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novella of the same name. Another awards season play from Searchlight Pictures, the Frankenstein-esque story follows Bella (Stone), who is brought back to life by scientist Dr. Baxter (two-time Spirit Awards winner Dafoe) and embarks on a journey of sexual liberation once she falls in love with serpentine lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn (Robert Altman Award recipient Ruffalo).
*Editor’s note: Originally set to debut this month, the premiere has been delayed due to the dueling Actors and Writers Strikes. Updated release TBA.*
KING ON SCREEN
When You Can Watch: September 8
Where You Can Watch: VOD
Director: Daphné Baiwir
Producer: Sebastien Cruz
Why We’re Excited: Including interviews with a Hollywood who’s-who numbering James Caan (Misery), Tom Holland (The Langoliers, Chucky), Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep) and Taylor Hackford (Dolores Claiborne, Ray), Belgian actor-turned-filmmaker Daphné Baiwir’s feature documentary examines the myriad film and television adaptations based on Stephen King’s prolific repertoire of horror and dramatic fiction. Ever since Brian De Palma first adapted Carrie in 1976, the Maine-based author’s cinematic legacy has spanned more than 80 movies and television works across nearly five decades. Baiwir digs deep into which ones have worked and which ones, well… didn’t. The producing team includes Film Independent Member Therese ‘Tag’ Goulet as an associate producer.
EL CONDE
When You Can Watch: September 15
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Director: Pablo Larraín
Cast: Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger
Producers: Rocio Jadue, Juan de Dios Larraín
Why We’re Excited: Most recently Spirit Award-nominated for the impressionistic White House biopic Jackie in 2017, Chilean director Larraín’s vampire-centric satirical black comedy also premiered last week in Venice. Unlike his previous films about life in Chile under dictator Augusto Pinochet–Tony Manero, Post Mortem and No—this iteration depicts Pinochet (Vadell) as a literal vampire who has been on Earth for 250 years and is finally ready to meet his maker so he can be freed from a complicated family situation. As The Hollywood Reporter film critic David Rooney puts it, the film is a “darkly funny vampire horror” that offers “an inventive take on why despots keep sinking their fangs into the world.”
CASSANDRO
When You Can Watch: September 15
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (limited), Amazon Prime
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa
Why We’re Excited: For his first narrative feature debut, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Williams (Life, Animated and Love to Love You: Donna Summer) has chosen a bilingual English/Spanish biography about real-life queer wrestler Saúl Armendáriz, aka “Cassandro,” played by Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También, Babel, Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle). The 2023 Sundance hit is a story that he has previously told in the form of the 2016 documentary short, The Man Without a Mask. As Saúl tries to make a name for himself in lucha libre—a style of professional wrestling in Mexico—his new trainer Sabrina (Colindrez) convinces him to reinvent himself as an exótico, a luchador (male wrestler) fighting/performing in drag. Film Independent Member Carolyn Hepburn is one of the co-EPs of the project.
Cast: Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Sebastian Stan
Why We’re Excited: Based on the book The Antisocial Network, Gillespie’s (Spirit Award nominee I, Tonya, Hulu’s Pam & Tammy) new project follows the 2021 GameStop stock frenzy that drove the retailer’s share price from $19 to $500 within less than a month. The film follows a group of meme investors from a Reddit page, including Keith Gill (Dano), who bets his entire life savings on the stock—or more precisely against two hedge funds which had bet that the troubled retailer’s shares would plummet. Shot in New Jersey in the fall of 2022, the Sony Pictures film will be premiering at TIFF later this week.
A MILLION MILES AWAY
When You Can Watch: September 15
Where You Can Watch: Amazon Prime
Director: Alejandra Márquez Abella
Producers: Mark Ciardi, Campbell G. McInnes
Cast: Michael Peña, Rosa Salazar, Julio Cesar Cedillo
Why We’re Excited: Coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15–Oct 15), Amazon Studios’ inspiring new drama is based on real-life astronaut José Hernández (Peña, a 2013 Spirit Awards nominee for End of Watch), the first migrant farm worker to become a NASA astronaut. The improbable journey to becoming a space program flight engineer begins in a rural village in Mexico, before the Hernández family moves to the San Joaquin Valley. There, while working in the fields, José helps develop the first ever digital mammography imagining system. The inspiring true story is helmed by Mexican director Márquez Abella, who is best known for her work in Narcos: Mexico and El Norte Sobre El Vacio.
SEX EDUCATION, SEASON 4
When You Can Watch: September 21
Where You Can Watch: Netflix
Creator: Laurie Nunn
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, Gillian Anderson
Why We’re Excited: After a two-year hiatus, Netflix’s acclaimed British teen sex dramedy returns for its fourth and final season! Winner of various awards including the BAFTAs and Critic Choice Awards, the series follows socially awkward high school student Otis Milburn (Butterfield) and his fellow schoolmates as they stumble through adolescence and all its attendant challenges. As his mother Jean (played by Gillian Anderson) is a well-known sex therapist, Otis has taken upon himself to provide sex therapy to his schoolmates at Moordale Secondary School. At the conclusion of Season 3, which premiered all the way back in 2021, Moordale was forced [SPOILERS!] to close its doors. So, the new season will see Otis and his pals navigating a fresh start during their final year of high school at Cavendish Sixth Form College (the equivalent of 12th grade in the American school system).
STILL UP
When You Can Watch: September 22
Where You Can Watch: Apple TV+
Creators: Steve Burge, Natalie Walter
Cast: Antonia Thomas, Craig Roberts, Blake Harrison
Why We’re Excited: Co-written by Steve Burge (The Amelia Gething Complex) and Natalie Walter (I May Destroy You‘s Francine), Apple’s new British rom-com series takes a look at how two star-crossed insomniacs pass the hours while the rest of the world snoozes away. Aspiring illustrator Lisa (Thomas, from The Good Doctor) worries about her daughter’s future in the wee hours of the night as she confides in BFF (maybe more?) and anxiety-riddled journalist, Danny (Roberts, of Submarine and Amazon’s underrated Red Oaks). The only secret between the two best friends is their feelings for each other… Shot in London, the first three episodes will premiere on September 22.
*PROGRAMMER’S PICK* ROTTING IN THE SUN
When You Can Watch: September 8
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (available on MUBI on September 15)
Director: Sebastián Silva
Producer: Jacob Wasserman
Cast: Jordan Firstman, Sebastián Silva, Catalina Saavedra
Why We’re Excited: From Film Independent Senior Programmer Jenn Wilson: “Two-time Spirit Award nominee Sebastian Silva (2010’s The Maid and 2014’s Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus) plays a version of himself as a washed up, drugged out gay filmmaker and wannabe painter living in Mexico City and contemplating suicide. He goes on a trip and meets real life social media celebrity Jordan Firstman, also playing some version of himself. In and amongst the chaotic backdrop of gay circuit party boys and drugs, Firstman suggests that he and Silva should collaborate on a project, but by the time Firstman gets to Silva’s house in Mexico City, Silva is missing. Speaking barely any Spanish and on drugs most of the time himself, Firstman struggles to figure out what happened to him. With their absurd lives of constant drugs and sex parties, the film feels like Silva’s commentary on how other people imagine his life to be as an artist and a gay man. As in his other films, Silva always manages to keep you guessing though, and the film goes in a decidedly unexpected direction midway through. The film also features an amazing performance by Catalina Saavedra, the actress who was the unforgettable lead in Silva’s previous film, The Maid.”
To celebrate the arrival of The Little Mermaid and Ahsoka to Disney Plus, there is a big deal on the streaming service right now. New and returning Disney+ subscribers can get three months of Disney Plus Basic for $1.99 per month instead of $7.99 a month. If you don’t mind ads, this limited-time offer gets you 75% off the regular price to watch a blockbuster lineup of new TV shows and movies arriving soon.
The Disney Plus deal is available through Wednesday, September 20 — so be sure to sign up soon and take advantage of these savings.
Disney is offering a significant discount on the ad-supported version of Disney+, dropping the price down to just $2 per month now through September 20.
The Basic-tier Disney Plus subscription gives you access to the entire library shows and movies, including Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic content. You can also watch on multiple devices at a time, which is perfect for families. After the three months are up, your subscription will be set to auto-renew for the usual $8 per month price, and you can cancel at any time.
This special promo comes as Disney recently announced that a price increase would be coming to the ad-free version of its streaming service beginning October 12, raising the monthly price from $10.99 to $13.99. The ad-supported version of Disney+ provides access to the same content as the tier without ads.
In addition to today’s announcement that Elemental will come to Disney Plus on September 13, subscribers can also prepare for spooky season with The Nightmare Before Christmas and Hocus Pocusand catch new movies like Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot and Oscar-winning Avatar: The Way of Water.
For even more streaming options, Disney also introduced a new ad-free Disney Plus and Hulu plan for $19.99 per month, which is about $12 cheaper than buying both separately.
In what we’re certain is set to be one of the great TV team-ups of all time—a buddy pairing on the order of Cagney & Lacey, Laverne & Shirley, and other beloved team-ups with an ampersand trapped betwixt their names—Apple TV+ has released the first teaser trailer for Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, a.k.a. “The show where Godzilla & Kurt Russell will soon be hanging out.”
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — Official Teaser | Apple TV+
Okay, so there’s slightly more going on with the series than just that particular collab-o, as Legendary’s fitfully extant “Monsterverse” Cinematic Universe finally gets its own WandaVisionor Lokiequivalent in the realm of streaming TV. That includes what looks to be a lot of jumping between timelines, much of it centered on Russell’s character, Lee Shaw, who appears as both a young man in the 1950s, and in the modern era; luckily, producers had access to “a young Kurt Russsell-type” in the form of his son, Wyatt Russell, who plays the younger Shaw.
Film Flashback: The Thing
Also appearing in the trailer: John Goodman, who appears to be hanging out in a whole separate timeline of his own, reprising his role from Kong: Skull Island, and giving the series a subtitle by talking about his “legacy.” (Of monsters, presumably.) (Also, Workaholicsstar Anders Holm is apparently playing a younger Goodman, which is a wild thing to consider.) The series also stars Anne Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Joe Tippett, Elisa Lasowski, and Godzilla, who pops up at the end of the trailer to remind that this is, in fact, a Godzilla TV show, at least kind of.
Because, we’re going to be honest here: This thing looks stupid-complicated for a show meant to give a backstory to movies about big animals hitting each other a bunch. The Monsterverse movies have always been a little too into their own backstories—presumably hoping to create a web of narratives as rich and beloved as the ones that power the MCU, despite having to make all this stuff up out of whole cloth instead of relying on decades of comics—and Monarch feels like it’s steering into that side of things shockingly hard.
But, hey: We’ll know more when the series premieres on November 17.
It’s fitting that Grant Singer opens Reptile, his meandering feature directorial debut, with an “Angel of the Morning” needle drop. Chip Taylor composed that aching tune about a one-night stand because he wanted to capture a passionate and ephemeral feeling. “It was beyond words,” he has said of the 1967 song. “And that is the power.”
Singer, like Taylor, reaches for the ineffable. The director, who’s helmed music videos for pop music royalty up until this point, is obsessed with controlling atmosphere and setting the mood. He crowds Reptile with gripping sequences, suspenseful moments, dramatic pauses and surprising levity — elements that, despite their overuse, keep the audience on edge and strategically blur the lines between dreams and reality. A malevolent score by Berlin-based composer Yair Elazar Glotman, with an assist from Venezuelan musician Arca, helps calibrate this tension and adds to the movie’s overall mysterious air.
Reptile
The Bottom Line
A moody procedural that overstays its welcome.
There’s no doubt, from the way Reptile creeps in the first half, that Singer is a skilled director. But there’s something to be said for restraint, which the helmer, who wrote his screenplay with Benjamin Brewer and the film’s star Benicio Del Toro, doesn’t exercise enough of here. In an effort to prove its cleverness, Reptile clanks, rattles and stumbles in its second half. The tricks that initially impressed eventually become hard to endure.
Soon after the film opens, Summer, a young realtor (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) haunted by her secrets, is murdered. Her boyfriend Will (an unconvincing Justin Timberlake), the heir to a real estate empire, discovers her body in the bedroom of a house the couple planned to sell. The site is gruesome: Summer with a knife in her clavicle, blood staining the white carpet. Singer traces the fissures and grooves of the couple’s dynamic with a workman-like efficiency. There are problems in the relationship, sure, but none that couldn’t be overcome.
Naturally, Will becomes the primary suspect in the homicide investigation led by Tom (Del Toro). The steely detective recently moved to Scarborough, Maine, after a departmental inquiry into his ex partner’s corruption tarnished his reputation. Tom chose not to snitch, a decision that forced him and his wife Judy (Alicia Silverstone) to relocate. The details of their life in Philadelphia are referenced briefly and in vague terms, but it’s clear the pair have adjusted to life in the quiet New England town. They are in the middle of renovating their kitchen, a lengthy and intrusive process that sets up many of Reptile’s funniest jokes.
Del Toro plays Tom with a winning combination of sternness and softness, moving reliably and with believable ease between these two modes. The detective commands respect among his new colleagues — rookie partner Dan Cleary (Ato Essandoh), the police chief (Mike Pniewski), the captain (Eric Bogosian) and another officer, Domenick Lombardozzi (Wally) — but also obsesses about finding the perfect kitchen sink. The dichotomy sweetens his character, whose job requires him to embody a severe masculinity and make morally dubious decisions. Silverstone’s performance — emphasizing an unwavering loyalty bolstered by a puckish sense of humor — plays well against Del Toro’s. The relationship between their characters, captured in the couple’s domestic banter and their date nights, is one of the more gratifying aspects of the film.
Singer structures Reptile like a standard police procedural. Tom begins his investigation by rounding up the usual suspects: Will, Summer’s ex-husband Sam (Karl Glusman) and Eli (Michael Pitt), a conspiratorially inclined loner who hates Will’s family. The director gradually reveals each character’s motivations but also repeatedly upends assured conclusions. Reptile relishes subverting expectations. The dramatic cuts and jumps between scenes (editing is by Kevin Hickman) and the menacing sound design seize attention and heighten anxiety. Nothing and no one can be trusted.
The death of a key witness intensifies Reptile’s stakes, and the film morphs into a knottier tale of power and corruption. The closer Tom thinks he is to solving the mystery, the stranger and gnarlier the connecting threads become. Broadening the scope pulls the narrative in some compelling directions, but also exposes its weaknesses.
Reptile struggles to justify its 2-hour-plus runtime. It starts to sag in the middle, with the techniques that made for a dynamic first half bordering on parody in the second. One can only take so many shots of cars cruising highways flanked by coniferous tracts of land or characters walking through intimidating hallways before losing patience with the director.
The same indulgence is true of Singer’s use of sound and music. The abrupt start-and-stop of songs in the early going works because it helps telegraph the foreboding mood Singer so expertly crafts. But he ultimately leans too much on the needle drops and booming sound effects shepherding us between crucial moments. The approach dulls the impact; every new scene begins to feel like a red herring. When these touches start to play as gimmicks, it’s easy to forget what the film wanted to say in the first place.
Live Nation Entertainment is facing a lawsuit alleging multiple instances of wage theft, Law.com reports and Pitchfork can confirm. A complaint filed on Tuesday claims that Insomniac Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of the live music giant, violated California labor law by failing to pay overtime wages, failing to pay minimum wages for all hours worked, and failing to provide meal breaks.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Bibiyan Law Group on behalf of King Johnson, who worked as a security guard for Insomniac from about June 2021 to at least July 2022, according to the complaint. Johnson is bringing the case under the California Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, a unique state law that authorizes any “aggrieved employee” to sue an employer for themselves and all other employees who have been similarly harmed by alleged labor code violations. The lawsuit is against Insomniac and any of its parent, subsidiary, or affiliate companies within California.
According to the complaint, Insomniac required employees who were clocked out to “remain on-call,” complete pre-shift and post-shift tasks, work through meal periods, “don and doff” uniforms or safety gear, attend company meetings, and drive or make phone calls. Insomniac also allegedly failed to include all forms of pay, including meal allowances and bonuses, when calculating the overtime pay rate. The complaint claims, too, that Insomniac fudged time entries “to show fewer hours than actually worked.” All of this allegedly resulted in the Live Nation Entertainment subsidiary improperly paying the regular rate of pay instead of overtime pay. It also allegedly resulted in the company failing to pay the minimum wage for all hours worked.
Other allegations include failing to provide itemized and accurate wage statements, failing to pay employees for their paid time off and vacation time, and failing to reimburse the costs of driving personal vehicles or purchasing uniforms and safety gear. The complaint also alleges that Insomniac failed to provide the amount of paid sick leave required under California law and failed to pay wages within the legally required time frame.
Through the lawsuit, King Johnson is seeking civil penalties and more. When reached by Pitchfork, Insomniac shared the following statement:
This case is not factual. King Johnson never worked for Insomniac, and Insomniac was never involved in his payroll, time keeping or any other management function associated with him. He seems to have worked for a third-party security company. As such, we are filing to have this matter dismissed.
Live Nation has been in court recently over the Astroworld tragedy and the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster fiasco. Last month, Live Nation was sued over a forklift injury allegedly suffered by a stagehand who was building a stage for the Weeknd. Records on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website show that the company has been fined or sued over a variety of safety issues.
The California Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, of which King Johnson and his attorneys are taking advantage, was in the news earlier this year when the California Supreme Court rejected a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that would have undercut the sweeping law. The state’s attorney general argued that the law is necessary to protect workers’ rights and enforce labor protections, while business groups have contended that it is unfairly burdensome.
Have you ever seen one of those diagrams mapping out the complete human nervous system? Aside from being super creepy in a Cronenbergian body-horror sort of way, it’s fascinating to marvel at how complex and interconnected our bodies are, including our precarious brain chemistry. And while it’s certainly not a competition, women’s bodies and minds are certainly complex and interwoven in their own unique way. Especially given that they are constantly commodified, controlled or otherwise imperiled by legislative and interpersonal overreach.
In this month’s Fiscal Spotlight column, we’re taking a look at three short narrative films created by women, each examining issues of female protagonist’s physical and mental wellbeing in response to moments of stress and trauma. Here we’ll take uncomfortable trips back home to reunite with aging parents, the honeymoon suite for surprising discoveries and an intense doctors’ room conversation revealing an unsettling pattern of behavior. So if any of those sound too upsetting for you, here’s your trigger warning.
As always, these films are being supported by Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program, enabling filmmakers to solicit tax-deductible donations and organizational grants in partnership with Film Independent. Here’s how:
June’s featured projects are Betta Fish, A Woman’s Body and Aria. Read on to learn more about each film and how you can lent their makers your support…
BETTA FISH
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Development
Writer/Director/Producer: Louvinia “Lou” Robinson
Producer/Actor: Lori Laing
About the project: Betta Fish is a heartfelt coming-of-age story centered around Elle, a recent college graduate. Upon returning home, Elle finds her family dynamic shifting due to a life-changing decision made by her mother. As Elle navigates her own ambitions and plans for the future, she discovers her mother’s deteriorating mental state, which ultimately forces her to find a path forward for herself and her younger sister, Cassidy. The film will seek to create a platform for open conversations about mental health, family dynamics and resilience, de-stigmatizing the conversation around mental health and promoting understanding and support for those facing similar challenges within the BIPOC community.
Meet the filmmaker: To learn more about Betta Fish including how to support the project, click here. Filmmaker Louvinia Robinson is a Chicago-born, Houston-bred actor/director/producer. Her career in the spotlight began as a Division 1 basketball player at Texas A&M-CC. Upon graduation, she moved to Atlanta to pursue acting and later ventured to New York where she started a production company, quickly establishing herself directing and producing content for independent brands and music artists. She directed, produced and wrote the project, Rock Bottom, which experienced a great boost in early 2020 when the trailer went viral on social media. Since then, the project has garnered the attention of media giants such as A24, Marlon Wayans and Keenan Thompson’s production company.
A WOMAN’S BODY
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Post Production
Writer/Director/Producer: Tiffany Tenille
Producers: Betsey Grupp, Dr. Trevor GrandPre, Isabell Bernard, Zach Bernard
About the project: In the afterglow of their happy occasion, a newlywed couple encounters a painful truth on their wedding night that puts their future together in peril. A Woman’s Body delves into the journey of young newlyweds Jolene and Clyde, who on their wedding night, joyously celebrate the beginning of their life together as husband and wife. However, their marital bliss is cut short by a distressing truth about Jolene’s body that has been kept secret from Clyde. With the weight of this challenge upon them, the newlyweds are forced to confront their fears and insecurities, which are deeply rooted in the purity culture and the religious beliefs they were raised in. Will Jolene and Clyde’s love prove strong enough to weather the storm? Or will the truth prove too strong for their marriage to bear? Only time will tell, for the newlyweds must first learn the true meaning of love, and ultimately find a way to move forward with trust and forgiveness as their guiding principles.
Meet the filmmaker: To learn more about A Woman’sBody, including how to support the project, click here. Tiffany Tenille’s work often delves into the coming-of-age journeys of young women teetering on the brink of mental collapse, a theme powerfully depicted in her directorial debut, Albion Rose. The short was awarded ‘The Future of Film is Female’ post-production grant, the Phenomenal Person in Film Award from Cinema Femme and received high praise from RogerEbert.com, calling it “utterly mesmerizing.” The film recently premiered at MoMA. Originally from Chicago, Tenille earned her BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. Her breakout performance in Jezebel, where she played the titular role, was met with critical acclaim during its world premiere at SXSW, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Ava DuVernay’s Array. The film’s subsequent screenings in select theaters and on Netflix cemented Tenille as a rising star in the industry.
ARIA
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Production
Writer/Director: Federica Belletti
Producers: Nina Cochran, Mahak Jiwani
About the project: At the end of a friendly late evening workout, Aria and Davi (both 25) fall into bed together. They agree to have protected sex and they’re both enthusiastic about the encounter, until Aria notices, after the fact, that Davi has removed the condom. Upset by Davi’s deceit, Aria heads home without confronting him. In the morning, her confusion and worry spiral into increasing anxiety and physical discomfort. A few days later, the pain escalates. At dawn, Aria is frantically searching for affordable gynecological care. She finds herself harassed by an anti-abortion activist, at a clinic that can’t see her because the demand is too high, and finally in an emergency room. Alone and scared, she experiences a panic attack that spikes when a doctor tells her that she has contracted a sexually transmitted infection. The doctor, also a woman, offers comfort and reassurance, but inadvertently judges the young woman. When Aria angrily tells the doctor that Davi removed the condom, Aria learns that, unfortunately, this behavior, known as “stealthing,” is common. Aria staggers out into the city, shocked by this new knowledge.
Meet the filmmaker: To learn more about Aria, including how to support the project, click here. Federica Belletti is a filmmaker originally from Italy, based in New York. She was a Location Manager on Tape, Italian Studies, Dick Johnson is Dead and worked as Assistant to producers Anna Gerb and Neal Dodson. Federica has produced twelve award-winning narrative shorts that played at 150+ festivals worldwide, including SXSW, the Hamptons Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival. Amongst them, Refugee sold to The New Yorker Magazine in 2022 and Ayaan was long-listed for an Academy Award in 2023. Currently, Federica produces for Film Manufacturers Inc, is in post-production with Keep it Open by Lucy Teitler and Pink Flags by Misha Calvert. She is a graduate of the Columbia University MFA Producing Program, an alumna of the Tribeca Film Institute as well as BAFTA Los Angeles.
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Britney Spears, 41, is truly living her best single life! Less than 30 days into her split from husband, Sam Asghari, 29, the “Toxic” songstress took to Instagram to celebrate the end of her relationship with a since-deleted dance video. “SINGLE SOON ??? Single as f***!!!” she captioned the post just moments before taking it down. Although Britney didn’t specifically mention it, some fans believed it was in reference to Selena Gomez‘s latest song titled “Single Soon,” which was released on Aug. 25.
In the clip, the blonde beauty rocked a white cocktail dress that featured a plunging neckline. She completed her at-home outfit with a pair of nearly knee-high black suede boots and a black choker necklace. Britney notably styled her golden tresses in loose waves which draped down the middle of her back. She was pictured smiling and dancing around her house with her dogs running by in the background.
Although the 41-year-old was quick to delete the video, several fan accounts grabbed it and re-shared it across social media. Many of her admirers took to the comments to react to Britney’s cheeky caption. “Is it just me or she looks happier than ever?” one fan wrote, along with a heart eyes emoji. A second admirer couldn’t help but react to seeing her furry friends in the clip. “The doggies unphased,” they joked, while another fan added, “She looks soooooooo [sic] gorgeous.”
Britney Spears is addicted to Madonna’s music. And we love to see it! ?
— Madonna Fan – TheCelebrationTour ?️??? (@NewMadonna1) September 9, 2023
Moments after the mother-of-two deleted the “single as f***” video, she returned to Instagram to share a new video in a sexy pink corset top! Britney added Madonna‘s 2012 song “I’m Addicted” to the post and captioned it, “Hi !!!” The pop icon styled the revealing ensemble with black lace panties, white leather boots, and the same black choker that she rocked in the prior video. One fan took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the latest Brit dance video. “Beautiful with my favorites colors, pink and white my baby. I LOVE YOU @britneyspears !” they gushed.
As previously mentioned, her latest dance videos come on the heels of her separation from Sam, who filed to divorce the pop star last month. One day after he filed to end their marriage, the 29-year-old took to his Instagram Story to share a since-deleted statement on the matter on Aug. 17. “After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” Sam began in the note. “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always.” He also asked for the media to be “kind” amid the divorce. “S*** happens. Asking for privacy seems rediculous [sic] so I will just ask for everyone including the media to be kind and thoughtful,” he concluded.
It’s time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off.
Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I’m still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it’s good fun, but also difficult.
What’s more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently.
But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you’ll probably need some for this game too.
I’m a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who’s been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #593 and the answers to the main game and Daily Sequence.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Your Quordle expert
Your Quordle expert
Marc McLaren
Marc is TechRadar’s UK Editor in Chief and has been playing Wordle and Quordle for more than a year. He’s authored dozens of articles on the game for TechRadar and its sister site Tom’s Guide, including a detailed analysis of the most common letters in every position. His Wordle streak recently reached the 500 mark and he’ll be inconsolable if he loses it. Yes, he takes it all too seriously.
Quordle today (game #593) – hint #1 – Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #593) – hint #2 – total vowels
What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?
• The total number of vowels across today’s Quordle answers is 8.
Quordle today (game #593) – hint #3 – repeated letters
Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.
Quordle today (game #593) – hint #4 – total letters
How many different letters are used in Quordle today?
• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 12.
Quordle today (game #593) – hint #5 – uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers.
Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar.
As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you’re competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.
The website also includes a practice mode – which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! – and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements – specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.
Oh, and it’s difficult. Really difficult.
What are the Quordle rules?
The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.
1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.
2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow.
3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…
4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two.
5. Answers are never plural.
6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.
7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle’s dictionary. You can’t guess ABCDE, for instance.
8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle’s Hard mode.
9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.
10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.
What is a good Quordle strategy?
Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can’t blindly throw letters at it and expect to win – you’ll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.
That’s the case in Wordle too, of course, but it’s even more important in Quordle.
There are two key things to remember.
1. Use several starting words
Firstly, you won’t want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words.
The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.
For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options – you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe – but something like that should do the trick.
If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!
2. Narrow things down
Secondly, if you’re faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options – for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH – you’ll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options.
In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It’s risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it’s the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure – you simply don’t have enough guesses.
In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.
YouTube is making some notable changes to the ad controls available to creators. Beginning in November, YouTube is dropping individual ad controls in YouTube Studio for pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, and non-skippable ads on new videos, according to a support document from the company bylined by “Rob,” a member of the YouTube team.
Instead, creators will only be able to choose between having ads before or after a video on or off. If you choose to have those ads on, YouTube will choose whether to show pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, or non-skippable ads “when appropriate,” per a notice on another support document.
YouTube argues that this won’t be too big of a deal. “Most creators shouldn’t notice a change as they already have many of these ad formats turned on by default,” Rob said. “In the last year, for long-form videos that were enabled for monetization at time of publishing, more than 90 percent of videos had pre-roll, post-roll, skippable, and non-skippable ads turned on.” But for creators who want to have finer control over the types of ads their viewers might see, this upcoming change could come as a disappointment.
YouTube is also introducing a few new ad options for mid-roll ads. For live streams, creators will be able to see a 60-second countdown before an ad appears, with an option to skip that ad if they don’t want to interrupt the stream. Creators hosting live streams will also be able to delay mid-roll ads for 10 minutes. And in the coming months, with longform videos, YouTube says creators will be able to choose to have automated mid-roll ad breaks and manually selected ones; currently, you can only pick from one option or the other.
NFL star Matthew Stafford isn’t too concerned about his wife Kelly Stafford’s recent comments about the Los Angeles Rams’ team dynamic.
During an August episode of her “The Morning After” podcast, Kelly, 34, claimed that her husband, 35, was having difficulty connecting with the team’s younger players. “I’m not too worried about it. Nobody in the locker room’s too worried about it, I can promise you that,” Matthew said during a Wednesday, September 6, press conference, according to ESPN.
“We’ve completely moved on,” he added. “Not that we’ve ever really stopped to think about it, to be honest with you, but yeah, I’m not too worried about it.”
Matthew began the conversation by poking fun at his age. “I was gonna come out here with a newspaper under my arm and some spectacles just to kind of set the mood,” he joked to reporters. “But it turns out, you can’t even find a newspaper around here, so I couldn’t do that. I was gonna try to have some fun with it.”
Owning her mistakes. Matthew Stafford may be the one in the spotlight, but his wife, Kelly Stafford (née Hall), has found herself in hot water on more than one occasion. Matthew, the current quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, met Kelly when they were attending the University of Georgia. She’s been candid about the fact […]
The quarterback went on to note that he “definitely” feels connected to his fellow players. “I think those guys understand where I’m coming from,” he shared. “They see me come in this building every single day and know how I go to work, know how I interact with everybody, and we didn’t really think too much about it, to be honest with you.”
Matthew continued: “We happen to have a lot of young guys on our team, a lot of rookies that have come in and done a heck of a job and earned roles on our football team, are going to be big parts of our season. And that’s exciting. But every season, every team is different.”
The playbook for love! Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly Stafford’s romance started in college — and four kids later, they are still going strong. The Los Angeles Rams quarterback fell for his wife in the mid-2000s while playing football for the University of Georgia. At the time, Kelly was a cheerleader for the college. Nearly […]
On her podcast, Kelly informed listeners that Matthew — whom she wed in 2015 — “had the equipment guy get a book printed of all their faces, and all their names, because he’s like, ‘I need to know their names.’”
Kelly later apologized for her comments, calling it “the worst thing” she’s ever done “when it comes” to Matthew. “I spoke on a topic that … [is] relatable, to the fact that it’s hard to relate to someone who is 10 years younger than you,” she told Detroit news outlet Local4 last month. “And I do think that’s entirely true. But I’m not in an NFL locker room, I’m not spending every day with these teammates.”
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Rams coach Sean McVay, for his part, told reporters that he took Kelly’s claims as a joke. “I know Kelly well enough to know that she was probably taking a good old rib at the old man as her husband’s getting older playing, but this guy’s done a phenomenal job, and I know how much he loves his teammates and how much they love him,” he stated.
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Kelly has made headlines multiple times over the years, from selling her tickets to one of Matthew’s games to criticizing the NFL’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic to being thrown out of a Rams game for chucking a pretzel at a San Francisco 49ers fan.
Football family! Matthew Stafford has his hands full with four adorable daughters at home. The NFL player wed wife Kelly Stafford (née Hall), whom he met while they were attending the University of Georgia, in April 2015. One year after the pair’s Georgia nuptials, the couple began growing their family. Twins Chandler and Sawyer arrived […]
In April, she defended the couple’s decision not to bring their youngest daughter, Tyler, 3, on a family trip to Hawaii. “Knew it would happen. People already shaming us for not bringing Tyler,” she wrote via Instagram. “We make decisions for our kids that benefit them … not that we need to explain ourselves.” (The pair also share twins Chandler and Sawyer, 7, and daughter Hunter, 5.)
Tiffany Haddish Wasn’t Paid For Her First Leading Role
Tiffany Haddish is opening up about how her first big break turned into an even bigger let down.
During a recent interview with the Associated Press, Tiffany revealed she was never paid for the first movie she had a starring role in and that she was also homeless while filming.
“My very first movie I ever did that I was the star in, I was homeless while I was shooting that movie,” Tiffany said of the unnamed project.
“They were supposed to pay me $1,200 to do the movie. They never paid me. They never paid me a dime.”
Instead of payment, the producers encouraged Tiffany to sell physical copies of the film on her own to earn a source of income that way.
“The producers gave me 10 DVDs and said, ‘Sell those. Good luck.’ I never saw the movie.”
TheAfterparty star admitted the film was a non-union project, so unfortunately, there wasn’t much that she could do about the unjust treatment.
After the success of her hilarious friends comedy, Girls Trip, the unnamed project ended up making a comeback. It started airing on network TV and even on streaming platforms.
“It’s everywhere that movie! I don’t get a dime. It’s the second worst movie I was ever in. Not a penny,”
Grimes just wants to see the son she shares with ex-partner Elon Musk, but she says she’s being boxed out.
The “Oblivion” singer seems to have responded, in a now-deleted X post, to a self-promoting post from author Walter Isaacson about his new Musk biography, which featured photos of the SpaceX chief executive and Shivon Zilis, the mother of his recently born twins. Grimes pleaded in the tweet for the writer to relay a request to Musk about how he and Zilis have allegedly blocked the Canadian artist from seeing her son.
“Tell Shivon to unblock me and tell Elon to let me see my son or plz respond to my lawyer,” Grimes’ post read, per screenshots posted on Reddit. “I have never even been allowed to see a photo of these children until this moment, despite the situation utterly ripping my family apart.”
Representatives for Grimes did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment. The Times also contacted Musk through X’s press office and received only an automated response that read, “Busy now, please check back later.”
Grimes and Musk were romantically linked publicly when they walked the “Heavenly Bodies”-themed carpet together at the 2018 Met Gala. In 2020, while unveiling her album “Miss Anthropocene,” Grimes casually announced on Instagram that she was seven months pregnant. Grimes later confirmed Musk was the father.
Their son together, X Æ A-Xii, was born in May 2020. In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, the “Genesis” musician revealed that she and Musk had also welcomed a daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk, via a surrogate in December 2021.
Just months before their daughter’s birth, the new owner of the former Twitter told Page Six, “[Grimes and I] are semi-separated but still love each other, see each other frequently and are on great terms.”
In the same interview where she announced the birth of the pair’s second child, Grimes said of their relationship, “I would probably refer to him as my boyfriend, but we’re very fluid. We live in separate houses. We’re best friends. We see each other all the time. … We just have our own thing going on, and I don’t expect other people to understand.”
However, Grimes clarified on Twitter after that article was published that she and Musk had once again broken up.
“Me and E have broken up *again* since the writing of this article haha, but he’s my best friend and the love of my life, and my life and art are forever dedicated to The Mission now,” the 35-year-old wrote.
For years, fans have wondered what happened to Andrew Garfield’sThe Amazing Spider-Man 3 and if the actor could ever return to his wall-crawling role.
After appearing in his two Amazing Spider-Man movies in 2012 and 2014, Garfield’s take on Marvel’s wall-crawler disappeared from the public eye, looking to be the end of the actor’s Spider-Man tenure.
He then shocked the world, popping up alongside Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland’s versions of Spidey in Spider-Man: No Way Home. This led fans to wonder if the actor would ever don the web shooters ever again.
Sony’s Failed Amazing Spider-Man 3
Marvel
Heading into 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a third and fourth mainline film starring Andrew Garfield was on the books at Sony Pictures. The title was expected to be released in 2016 (via Collider) with franchise director Marc Webb set to return as director.
This third Amazing Spider-Man film (which was eventually delayed to 2018) was just a small part of Sony Pictures’ Spidey slate at the time with Aunt May and Sinister Six spin-off movieshaving been planned as well.
However, all that was ultimately scrapped as a result of the controversial Sony hack of 2014. Wall Street Journal reporting revealed that emails between Sony Pictures producer Amy Pascal and various executives at Marvel Studios were leaked, with fan outcry causing the Spider-Man license to be shared between Sony and Marvel.
Previous conversations had been had with Sony intent on having Garfield’s Spidey appear as a part of the MCU’s Avengers, but those went nowhere (per Screen Rant).
It was in this second round of talks that Sony ended up reaching an agreement to share the on-screen rights to Marvel’s web-slinging hero, leading to the rebooted MCU-based Tom Holland Spider-Man trilogy.
Holland’s casting ended the hopes that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (in its initially conceived form) would ever happen.
Potential for More From Andrew Garfield
Marvel
After The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (TASM 3) was canceled, it seemed highly unlikely fans would ever see Andrew Garfield back as Peter Parker in any form as the franchise had seemingly moved on.
However, the speculation machine kicked back into high gear in late 2021 when Andrew Garfield appeared in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This Mutliversal cameo from the actor sent fans into a flurry, with many wondering if this was the first hint at Garfield’s full-fledged web-slinging return.
Since Garfield’s last web-headed appearance, Sony Pictures had developed a whole new on-screen Spider-Man universe, aptly named the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSMU).
This interconnected web of Spidey films (including Venom, Venom 2, and Morbius) exists outside the MCU and currently has no known in-universe Spider-Man. Because of this, some have pondered that perhaps Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man universe and the SSMU are one and the same, and the actor could appear in an Amazing Spider-Man 3 set in said universe.
“It’s changed his life. He’s going back knowing that he has brothers. He’s going back in re-inspired to follow his destiny, his calling – the purpose of his life. By catching MJ, he got to make up for a terrible tragedy that he tried to avoid in his world.”
Renewed efforts for a third Amazing Spider-Man film have not been made official by Sony Pictures, but current MCU Spider-Man Tom Holland said Garfield has his “full support”if the studio wanted to pursue TASM 3:
“I think what was so wonderful was how Andrew was able to kind of make amends with the character and the studio, you know, to kind of win the general public back. That scene where he saved Zendaya, the fan reactions in the theater was so spectacular. So should Sony decide to do that, they would have my full support, and obviously, so would Andrew.”
Avengers 5 and 6 are seemingly set to tackle the Marvel Multiverse story of all Marvel Multiverse stories, with rumors pointing to many legacy characters appearing on-screen all at once.
In Secret Wars, specifically, it has been reported that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige wants to recreate the iconic portals moment from Avengers: Endgamebut with all sorts of heroes from across the brand’s storied on-screen history
This could mean that names like Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker would likely be on that list.
While not confirmation, a deleted scene from Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Garfield’s take on the hero telling Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland’s characters that they should “do this again.” This easily could have been the first tease of the trio of heroes palling up again in Avengers 5 or 6.
Recent reports indicated Feige may have spoken to Garfield about an appearance in Secret Wars prior to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, but Marvel Studios has yet to announce anything officially.
Both Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man films can be streamed now on Disney+.
Barry Allen’s comical personality sometimes crosses the line into creepy, as shown in a deleted scene where a young Flash becomes infatuated with Supergirl.
The deleted scene adds gravitas to the ending’s surprise villain twist but also portrays Barry in an unflattering light with uncomfortable shots of Supergirl sleeping.
Despite the awkward presentation, Barry’s romantic feelings for Supergirl in the deleted scene provide context and depth to the movie’s climax, showcasing his enduring torment and love for her.
Barry Allen has always been one of the more comical characters in the DCEU, but a deleted scene from The Flash shows that sometimes his jovial personality can cross the line into creepy. Most of The Flash‘s best bits of situational comedy are derived from the older Barry Allen having to deal with his younger self. Though Barry already wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s a bit surprised by just how difficult it can be to deal with himself. A deleted scene from the movie shows young Flash becoming enamored with Supergirl, and while quite creepy, it actually helps The Flash‘s ending make a bit more sense.
The scene, which takes place right after young and older Flash and Batman rescue Supergirl from imprisonment, has been uploaded to YouTube, and it’s clear why the scene was cut. Despite adding some more gravitas to the ending’s surprise villain twist, it paints Barry in an unflattering light.
In the scene, Supergirl is sleeping on a table in Wayne Manor after over-exerting herself during her prison break. While she sleeps, younger Barry covers her with a blanket, stares at her for a few beats too long, then professes his love for her to his older self. The scene has a few funny quips like “I just feel like I understand all those songs by The Beatles now…” but the repeated shots of her sleeping body while Barry talks about how beautiful she is are indeed quite uncomfortable. Older Barry, thankfully, seems quite uncomfortable with the comments and tells his younger self that he’s not in love.
While it’s a bit disconcerting to see Barry Allen swoon over Supergirl as she lies unconscious, the reveal that he has romantic feelings for her still makes The Flash‘s ending a bit better. In the climactic battle that pits original Flash, young Flash, Batman, and Supergirl against Zod’s Kryptonian army, the latter two die, which causes Flash to use his time-travel ability to go back and try to keep them alive. Despite both Flash’s best efforts, the two keep dying. Original Barry eventually understands that there’s no way to save them, but younger Barry becomes obsessed.
Younger Barry travels The Flash movie’s timeline for decades, reliving the battle in an attempt to save Supergirl and Batman, eventually becoming disfigured and corrupted into the Dark Flash. His willingness to endure incredible torment for years for people he barely knows hits harder with the knowledge that he’s in love with Supergirl. The Flash‘s deleted scene may reveal this affection in an unflattering way, but it does add some welcome context and depth to the movie’s climax.
The blank page is the ultimate enemy of the creative. For anyone who’s done a “Thesis Film,” this starting-point analysis-paralysis feels so much more severe. You have to write something that feels emblematic of you. Your styles, sensibilities, genre, mood, tone. But who are you?
The singular most important moment of my filmmaking journey was a seemingly innocuous meeting with my NYU thesis film professor, Alrick Brown. I had a script that was a jumbled mess of ideas, trying to tell a story that I lacked perspective and research on. Professor Brown hounded me, for every idea I suggested he would rebuttal with: “Are you telling the truth?” I slowly realized the more I embellished, the more plastic my film felt.
When I thought I’d finally hit a breaking point, COVID-19 hit as well. I graduated as quickly as possible, fled to the opposite coast, and forgot about my hesis film entirely… until I was reminded that I had two months to complete it.
Finding Accountability
‘Petunia’
Credit: Petunia Short Film
One of the major advantages of film school is that professors actively encourage you and give you deadlines to write, shoot, and/or edit. When you graduate, that all goes away. I got a job right out of school that I simply could not refuse: I was a content creator making educational content for filmmakers at Aputure Lighting. The hours were long, and while it was fun to flex my creative muscles at work, I often came home drained.
For this reason and millions more, I put off the writing process for nearly two years. With less than a month to get a thesis script greenlit, I stumbled upon a catalog for my local Community College. They were offering a comprehensive 4-week Screenwriting 101 class. I had my reservations about it, but signed up blindly, hoping my teacher would help me stay accountable and finish my short script.
Writing What You Know
‘Petunia’
Credit: Petunia Short Film
After all those years of trying to find a script that was emblematic of me, I first had to dig deep. About a year before writing this script, our newly adopted kitten, the titular Petunia, had to tragically be euthanized. Several of his organs weren’t fully formed from birth, we were blindsided, he had been acting completely normal just days before.
My fianceé and I struggled for months; grappling with feelings of failure, grief, and depression. We were cagey about the situation, not wanting others to think we did a “bad job” with the first pet we ever adopted. Once we felt that we had fully grasped and recovered from the trauma of Petunia’s passing, I asked for my fianceé’s blessing to tell Petunia’s story, and she granted it.
The writing process was grueling but fast. The story was all there, the beats were simple, and it poured out of me once the floodgates opened. It was tender to revisit, revise, and edit. This is where Screenwriting 101 was instrumental; I was interacting with a dozen strangers whom I may never see again. I could be completely vulnerable and raw with my story. In less than a month the script was locked, and it was time to figure out how to make it.
Work
Behind-the-scenes of ‘Petunia’
Credit: Lydia Hall
I would highly encourage young filmmakers to consider working for film equipment companies if given the opportunity. I met many of my creative collaborators through Aputure (including the majority of my producers and crew on Petunia) and was granted many favors through work. Shortly after locking the script, I was shipped off to the NAB Tradeshow (National Association of Broadcasters) in Las Vegas to help create content for Aputure.
Tradeshows like NAB, Cinegear, IBC, etc. are incredible opportunities for filmmakers of all levels to interact directly with the leading film equipment and software brands. Not only can you demo the cutting-edge gear that will soon be on every film set, but you can also build relationships with the companies and people behind the brand, who are all amazing.
Through networking and casually pitching the project to my peers, I was able to secure free rentals from Aputure, Deity Microphones, Atlas Lens Co. as well as heavy discounts from Old Fast Glass and other rental houses. Many of these and other companies want you to grow with their equipment and are happy to offer short-term loaners, just make sure to be kind and respectful, communicate your vision clearly, and keep in touch with them. It’s easy to feel like you’re on an island sometimes, but everyone in the film equipment industry understands the struggle of independent filmmaking and wants to support you.
One night over drinks in Vegas, one of the Aputure ambassadors Brady Bessette, and I were discussing the project. Though at first he seemed hesitant, I was somehow able to talk him into being the Cinematographer for Petunia. It was a surreal moment for me as Brady was one of my heroes and taught me so much about cinematography, and now I would get to work hand-in-hand with him. If you’re working on a passion project, you have to pitch it to everybody who will listen, and you never know who will be willing to help out.
Pre-Production
Behind-the-scenes of ‘Petunia’
Credit: Dylan Marzke
By all accounts, pre-production was relatively smooth, yet casting felt like the largest re-occurring obstacle. With about three weeks left before production, I felt as though I had built a dream team of actors, mainly through DMing actors I admired or friendships formulating into perfect casting. Shortly after though, my two leads both had to drop due to other projects getting extended.
One was an unexpectedly easy fix: I had gotten in touch with stand-up comedian Alycia Cooper after a killer set at the Comedy Store and amazingly she said yes. Backstage.com and Actors Access are great places to cast amazing actors but stay open to reaching out to anyone you think would have the right instincts for your project. Follow your favorite independent actors on social media and politely reach out. If the script is strong, you’d be surprised who you can get.
In the case of the protagonist, the self-titled Alec, I auditioned at least a dozen incredible actors and combed through hundreds of self-tapes. No one quite nailed it. From the advice of two of my filmmaking mentors, Jim Cummings and Joel Portrykus; “the only person that can play you is you.” That’s exactly what I decided to do.
Production
‘Petunia’
Credit: Petunia Short Film
I should probably mention that I’m not an actor. Acting and directing is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, especially for a self-funded passion project. The advantage that my mentors highlighted though, is that the film runs through you. You’re the one to set the tone, through your rehearsals you can help guide the other actors to the desired tone you’re looking to achieve without doing line readings.
The most important takeaway from my experience was to overcommunicate in pre-production and to trust fully in production. We didn’t have time to watch playback, and I had to live in the moment while performing instead of using half my brain to direct. This required an unprecedented amount of trust in Brady, my producers, and everyone else on set, to help facilitate the vision. Watching dailies was brutal, there was so much that went unseen, and I had to learn to live with my own ticks and idiosyncrasies.
The most important piece of this process has been to check my self-consciousness at the door and allow myself to be the character, even though the character is me. While it’s still so difficult to re-live this traumatic slice of my life, I feel catharsis in being able to tell Petunia’s story to the world.
Filmmaking is the one facet of my life I’ve found that I can push everything aside and get the job done by any means necessary.
I think this is true of any successful filmmaker, you find a higher gear that fuels everything you do because you care so much about delivering the best possible final product. I always wondered why I struggled so much in High School. I never achieved a flow state and was constantly procrastinating.
Once I started film school, I realized I was so much more passionate and excited about filmmaking, that everything felt easy and effortless. Since graduating though, it’s been much more difficult than expected to simply pick up a camera and click record. If you’re reading this right now, and feel the same way, just know that nothing is stopping you except yourself.
This week on The Treatment, Elvis sits down with journalist, CNN host, and author Jake Tapper to discuss his latest novel, the thriller All The Demons Are Here. Next, filmmaker Dorsay Alavi talks about her film Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity, which chronicles the late jazz great. And for The Treat, Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy talks about The Beatles’ “brilliant” song “A Day in the Life,” and why he believes it laid the groundwork for future musical innovation.
Double Feature says it all. The first feature, Red Tide, takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where a family stays during the off-season to help the father focus on his writing. The town seems to have weird things happening at night, but no one is talking about it.
Death Valley is the second part, where students go on a camping trip, only to encounter what appear to be aliens.
Apple’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, based on Legendary’s Monsterverse, is set to premiere with two episodes on Friday, November 17 followed by a new episode weekly on Friday through January 12.
It is only appropriate that Sony’s terrific new comedy, Dumb Moneystarts with the Columbia Pictures logo. That was the studio that Frank Capra famously helped build with his movies where the little guy triumphs over the corporate bad guys. Dumb Money is positively Capraesque in the way it tells its David vs Golitath improbable story about how an internet geek started a movement that blew up the heretofore loser stock of shopping mall game store GameStop and became the toast of Wall Street while bankrupting a couple of billionaire hedge funds in the process. It had its World Premiere tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical release later this month.
On its most basic level Dumb Money hits on the financial frustrations of everyday Americans fed up with the billionaire class, and dreaming of a fantasy to get rich quick themselves. This phenomenon that took the financial world by surprise only started at the beginning of 2021 but for a time it turned the markets upside down and changed a lot of lives. As one analyst said “it is the French Revolution of Wall Street”.
Director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Lars And The Real Girl) clearly loves offbeat stories and he has one here thanks to a great cast of characters and a sharp script by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, two former Wall Street Journal reporters who only started the script in April and May of 2021 basing it on a book proposal for “The Antisocial Network” by Ben Mezrich, whose previous work became the basis for the Oscar winning The Social Network.
At its center is Keith Gill (aka Roaring Kitty) , a lowly Boston financial analyst by day who presides over an internet show in his home where he likes to talk in nerdy ways (sporting a red bandana and kitties T-Shirt) about various things happening in stocks. One day he reveals he put $55,000 into the losing GameStop stock just because he thinks it is way undervalued and loves it. So, it is a passion project, but one that thanks to the reach of the internet suddenly catches fire and turns into a big concern eventually for the hedge funds that have shorted the stock. Chief among these is Melvin Capital, run by Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) who believes since anyone can download games, the mall store is a dinosaur and the company is bound to go under so he pours money into shorting it, meaning he is betting on a fail. His billionaire supporters Ken Griffin (a hilarious Nick Offerman) and Streve Cohen (Vincent D’Onofrio) agree as they sit in their mansions.
Don’t underestimate the power of the little guy in large numbers, and soon the GameStop stock is exploding to unheard of numbers, something that only increases when the Robinhood app run by Vlad Tenev (Sebastian Stan) gets involved by fueling the rise in making the stock affordable for these “retail” buyers Wall Street so looks down on, calling it “dumb money” vs their “smart money”. All the networks start paying attention and it becomes a genuine national phenom, even to the point of getting the serious attention of the White House and Congress. What a story. What a wildly enteraining stand-up-and-cheer populist movie. Capra would love it.
Dumb Money is a cinematic cousin of movies like The Social Network, The Big Short, Moneyball, but it stands apart from those by throwing in an emotional component and enormous heart. It also has much in common structurally with an emerging genre in 2023, the so-called product movie which tracks the beginnings, the rise,and the fall sometimes of well known entities. We have had Air, Tetris, Flamin’ Hot, BlackBerry, The Beanie Bubble , and now with its own twist on GameStop, Dumb Money. Each of these movies is anchored by a down-on-their-luck true believer who hits the zeitgeist in one way or another, but finds trouble along the way.
The casting could not be better. Dano is ideal as Gill, a quirky guy to root for who represents what we once thought of as the custodian of the American Dream, a new age Jimmy Stewart. Rogen is a riot as a hedge fund manipulator who slowly watches his life pass before his eyes as the stock goes up, not down. Among the rest of the cast Shailene Woodley is lovely as Gill’s wife who has lived with his all-consuming obsession with GameStop; America Ferrera as Jenny, a Pittsburgh nurse and true blue follower of Gill’s every move; Anthony Ramos as Marcus, a GameStop clerk who finds the ticket to a lot more than his base salary standing behind the cash register; and Pete Davidson as Kevin, the rather dimwitted but loving brother of Keith.
What is really remarkable about Dumb Money is the pace of production, almost side by side with changing events in the world in which it is set. Shot in 31 days, the movie will be in theatres just over two years since a script was turned in. That is remarkable because this isn’t some cheap ripped-from-the-headlines quickie, but a top quality film that its major studio is planning a large awards season campaign around. It deserves that consideration, and it deserves your consideration for a genuine and smart crowd pleaser this Fall.
Producers are Aaron Ryder, Teddy Schwartzman, and Gillespie. By the way those twins from Social Network, Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss and their Winklevoss Pictures shingle are among the Executive Producers.
The Writers Guild of America urged members Friday to stay strong, and argued that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will have to soften its hard-line stance in order to end the four-month strike.
The WGA suggested that legacy studios that want a “fair deal” with writers will have to either assert their interests within the studio alliance, or break away from the “broken AMPTP model.”
The union also revealed that in private conversations with legacy studio executives, some have expressed openness to accommodating the guild’s positions on various issues. But, the guild argued that the AMPTP as a group is trapped in a system that “favors inflexibility over compromise,” forcing all members to take a hard line.
“They will continue attempting to get writers to settle for less than what we need and deserve, and encourage us to negotiate with ourselves. But we are not going to do that,” the guild’s negotiating committee told members. “Instead, the companies inside the AMPTP who want a fair deal with writers must take control of the AMPTP process itself, or decide to make a deal separately. At that point, a resolution to the strike will be in reach.”
The WGA went on strike on May 2. No talks have been held since an Aug. 22 meeting between several studio CEOs and the top WGA leadership at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel. At that meeting, the studio chiefs urged the union to accept a counter-offer, which included increased residuals and minimums, as well as access to streaming viewership data.
The union has said that the AMPTP offer is “not nearly enough,” and has cited a host of loopholes.
The union has not previously given details of conversations with individual studio executives. In the email, the union said that one executive said that his company “needed a deal badly.”
“Those same executives — and others — have said they are willing to negotiate on proposals that the AMPTP has presented to the public as deal breakers,” the union said. “On every single issue we are asking for we have had at least one legacy studio executive tell us they could accommodate us.”
The union also warned members to keep their radar up for studio efforts to sow doubt and dissension among writers.
“We understand how painful this time is for everyone,” the union said. “We are all tired and hurting and scared. There is nothing wrong with saying so.”
The full text of the WGA update follows:
We know that people are anxious for information about the status of the negotiation—and how difficult it can be to stay strong during periods of silence — which is only exacerbated by the companies’ recent attempts to make an end run around the Negotiating Committee and confuse the narrative. What follows is an update on where we are and how we got here. We share things we have not shared up until now, including conversations with individual executives that illustrate how some of the companies can already see a path toward making a deal, while other members of the AMPTP are not there yet.
In the 130 days since the WGA strike began, the AMPTP has only offered one proposal to the WGA, on August 11th. Since then, the companies have not moved off that proposal even though the WGA in turn presented our own counterproposal to the AMPTP on August 15th. The current standstill is not a sign of the companies’ power, but of AMPTP paralysis.
The studios and streamers bargaining together through the AMPTP have disparate business models and interests, as well as different histories and relationships with unions. They are competitors in all respects, except when they band together to deal with Hollywood labor. Through the AMPTP, these legacy studios and streamers negotiate as a united front which allows hard liners to dictate the course of action for all the companies. The AMPTP purports to represent all of these disparate corporate interests, but in practice administers a system that favors inflexibility over compromise, and sacrifices the interests of individual companies in reaching a deal. That regression to the hardest line has produced the first simultaneous strikes since 1960.
In contrast, during individual conversations with legacy studio executives in the weeks since SAG-AFTRA went on strike, we have heard both the desire and willingness to negotiate an agreement that adequately addresses writers’ issues. One executive said they had reviewed our proposals, and though they did not commit to a specific deal, said our proposals would not affect their company’s bottom line, and they recognized they must give more than usual to settle this negotiation. Another said they needed a deal badly. Those same executives—and others—have said they are willing to negotiate on proposals that the AMPTP has presented to the public as deal breakers. On every single issue we are asking for we have had at least one legacy studio executive tell us they could accommodate us.
So, while the intransigence of the AMPTP structure is impeding progress, these behind-the-scenes conversations demonstrate there is a fair deal to be made that addresses our issues. Given the outsized economic impact of the strikes on the legacy companies, their individual studio interest in making a deal isn’t surprising. Warner Bros. confirmed this in a public financial filing just this week.
We have made it clear that we will negotiate with one or more of the major studios, outside the confines of the AMPTP, to establish the new WGA deal. There is no requirement that the companies negotiate through the AMPTP. So, if the economic destabilization of their own companies isn’t enough to cause a studio or two or three to either assert their own self-interest inside the AMPTP, or to break away from the broken AMPTP model, perhaps Wall Street will finally make them do it.
Until there is a breakthrough, the companies and AMPTP will try to sow doubt and internal guild dissension. Keep your radar up. When the companies send messages through surrogates or the press about the unreasonableness of your guild leadership, take those messages as part of a bad-faith effort to influence negotiations and not as the objective truth.
The companies know the truth: they must negotiate if they want to end the strike. They may not like it—they may try to obscure it—but they know it. While they wrestle with that fact and with each other, they will continue attempting to get writers to settle for less than what we need and deserve, and encourage us to negotiate with ourselves. But we are not going to do that.
Instead, the companies inside the AMPTP who want a fair deal with writers must take control of the AMPTP process itself, or decide to make a deal separately. At that point, a resolution to the strike will be in reach.
We understand how painful this time is for everyone. We are all tired and hurting and scared. There is nothing wrong with saying so. The optimism for a return to negotiation has been met with a harsh reminder of how fraught this process can be. We share the frustration with how long the companies are prolonging the strike, and remain committed to negotiating a fair resolution as fast as possible.
In the meantime, as always, you can find your negotiating committee and Board and Council members out on the picket lines. When there is anything of significance to report, we will write again.
Sylvester Stallone is known for playing Italian-American Rocky Balboa in the Oscar-winning film from 1976, but today he was caught sparring with one opponent he had probably never expected to face.
For his meeting with the Pope at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City, the Hollywood star was accompanied by his wife, Jennifer Flavin, and their three adult daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, as well as his brother Frank.
Playing up to his public persona, Stallone was seen shadow boxing with the 86-year-old pontiff as he jested: ‘Ready? We box.’
He then raised his fists like a prized fighter before the Pope, wearing his traditional white robe and a skullcap, did his best imitation.
Posting about his visit on Instagram, accompanied by an image of him holding five key rings with several keys on each, Stallone, 77, wrote: ‘Very rare and special moment. I was allowed to hold the KEYS that open EVERY single door in the entire Vatican City! Including the Sistine Chapel.
Stallone can be seen raising his fists like a prized fighter before the pope, wearing his traditional white robes and a skullcap, does his best imitation, surrounded by Stallone’s family members
Stallone shaking hands with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City
The action star was accompanied by his wife, Jennifer Flavin, and their three adult daughters Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet, as well as his brother Frank
‘Of course they wouldn’t let me out of their sight with the KEYS … I don’t blame them!’
He added that the couple were glad they had named their ‘beautiful daughter’ Sistine.
Stallone’s Rocky Balboa character was the only child in a Roman Catholic Italian-American family, reflecting the heritage of the actor’s father.
The action movie legend was in Italy promoting his Paramount + show, Tulsa King, set to be streamed from November 15.
In the series, Stallone plays mafia member Dwight ‘The General’ Manfredi who tries to reconnect with his gangster family after his prison release.
Exiled from his former family, he then moves from New York to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he starts a criminal empire.
In September last year, Stallone and his estranged wife called off their divorce and reconciled.
Sylvester Stallone took to Instagram to post a message about his visit. The accompanying photo showed him holding the keys to the Vatican
Stallone with his family meeting Pope Francis. The Hollywood star said that the couple were glad they had named their ‘beautiful daughter’ Sistine
The couple, who have been together for 26 years, ‘decided to meet up at home, where they talked and were able to work out their differences’.
They are both ‘extremely happy,’ their rep told Page Six at the time.
Their reconciliation came one month after Flavin, 55, filed for divorce.
On Saturday, Pope Francis praised Mongolia’s tradition of religious freedom dating back to the times of its founder, Genghis Khan, as he opened the first-ever papal visit to the Asian nation with a word of encouragement to its tiny Catholic flock.
Francis met with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh inside a traditional Mongolian ger, or round yurt, set up inside the state palace and wrote a message in the guest book that he was visiting ‘a country young and ancient, modern and rich of tradition,’ as a pilgrim of peace.
Francis was in Mongolia to minister to one of the world’s newest and smallest Catholic communities – made up of around 1,450 Mongolians – and make a diplomatic foray into a region where the Holy See has long had troubled relations, with Russia to the north and China to the south.
Gisele Bündchen is adding another gorgeous Florida home to her real estate collection.
Bündchen, 43, bought the 7.5-acre property through her LLC for $9.1 million. The 5,183 sq. ft home in Southwest Ranches, Florida has 9 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms plus a guest apartment. The property’s grounds are surrounded by lush grass fields with a variety of tropical greenery sprawled out. In addition to its stunning landscape the manor has its own state-of-the-art equestrian rink, soccer pitch, infinity pool, tennis court and an outdoor kitchen.
The seller of the estate was represented by Chad Bishop and Saddy Abaunza Delgado with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, while Bündchen was repped by Laura Valente with Global Luxury Realty LLC.
According to ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, the neighborhood is known for its “vast acres” which is something you can’t find in Miami. Bündchen relocated to Miami with her children in October 2022 following her split from ex-husband Tom Brady. (Bündchen and Brady, 46, share two kids: son Benjamin, 13, and daughter Vivian, 10. Brady is also father of son Jack, 16, whom he welcomed with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.)
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen looked like the picture-perfect couple, but the NFL pro and the model aren’t afraid to admit that their relationship has gone through ups and downs. “I’m blessed to find this life partner that we all kind of seek at different times in our life,” the former New England Patriots quarterback […]
Us Weekly confirmed that the model purchased her Miami home for $1.25 million. Bündchen and her family settled down in the 1500 square feet cottage after the former couple sold their joint Tampa home. The town where Bündchen’s new home is approximately located 30 miles northwest of Miami.
Keep scrolling to take a look inside Bündchen’s new home:
Sony Pictures’ “Dumb Money” could be the most frightening horror movie this year, and the Oscars would be smart to embrace it. From the critically acclaimed director Craig Gillespie, his smart and at times tragic look at the GameStop stock story of 2021 entertained the audiences of the Toronto Film Festival on Friday night where it held its world premiere.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey introduced the film and Gillespie brought up his fellow producers Aaron Ryder and Teddy Schwarzman, along with EPs and writers Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, who sported the film’s title on each of their purses.
“Dumb Money” is based on the book “The Antisocial Network” by Ben Mezrich. It tells the true story of a group of amateur investors from the Reddit page WallStreetBets who banded together to put the squeeze on at least two hedge funds that had bet that GameStop shares would fall.
The large ensemble cast includes Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Seth Rogen, Dane DeHaan, Talia Ryder, Rushi Kota and Myha’la Herrold. Yet again, we have another worthy contender for best cast ensemble at the SAG Awards.
With Gillespie’s signature quick edits and terrific needle drops like Cardi B’s “WAP,” the film’s quick pace and effective storytelling will be appetizing to multiple branches of the Academy.
One of the clearest pathways is adapted screenplay, despite a crowded race already that includes “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Oppenheimer.” Similar to J.C. Chandor’s nominated work for “Margin Call,” the movie makes the overly complicated processes of financial trades and stocks feasible for the non-pro viewer to understand and digest.
Despite a career that has included acclaimed performances in “There Will Be Blood” (2007) and most recently, “The Fabelmans,” Dano has yet to pick up Academy recognition. His work as financial guru Keith, a.k.a. Kitty, is one of the actor’s finest. He would likely be pushed for lead actor (though there’s an argument this is an ensemble play and all should go supporting), and the race has presented itself as extremely competitive already with Colman Domingo, Bradley Cooper and Leonardo DiCaprio among the many names contending. If the film is submitted for the comedy category at the Golden Globes, the actor might have a decent shot at recognition there.
What was most surprising is the standout performance from “Saturday Night Live” alum Pete Davidson as the DoorDash employee and younger brother of Keith who still lives home with his parents. The character perfectly calls on Davidson’s range, even giving him the opportunity to shine with a very effective crying scene and memorable one-line zingers. I wouldn’t be mad adding his name to the longlist of supporting actor hopefuls.
Ferrera is having a notable moment with the success of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” in which she has a strong shot at garnering a supporting actress nom. I initially wondered if “Dumb Money” could help or hurt her recognition within the Academy. She breaks your heart once again as a single mom and nurse who is aching for a big break.
Director Gillespie, who helmed my favorite film of 2017, “I, Tonya” with Margot Robbie, and delivered the beautiful “Lars and the Real Girl” with Ryan Gosling, has a knack of creating light-hearted moments in serious, real-life situations. In “Dumb,” the Australian filmmaker brings all his great sensibilities to the forefront. The film rests on its highbrow entertainment value, and should it be a solid moneymaker. I’d keep an eye on him to be in the mix for his first directing nom (although there could be challenges due to genre and competition).
Natural comparisons to the best picture-nominated “The Big Short” by Adam McKay will be plentiful. “Dumb Money” was far more effective. If that movie can win adapted screenplay, this film’s scribes can at minimum be nominated.
The film is one of Sony Pictures’ notable titles this awards season, alongside the animated feature “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and the upcoming epic “Napoleon,” co-distributed with Apple Original Films. The studio is hoping for their first best picture-nominated movie since “Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood” (2019), after coming up short with last year’s “The Woman King.”
Miramax Presents The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists.
Every installment asks the same five questions. This week’s subject is Gregg Araki, a pioneer of the “queer cinema movement” whose Teen Apocalypse Trilogy will be screening at the Academy Museum on September 15 and 16. That includes the World Premiere of the 4K restoration of Nowhere on the 16th. The Teenage Apocalypse trilogy screening on the 15th will be followed by a Q&A with Gus Van Sant, and the Nowhere screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Andrew Ahn.
The Japanese-American, California-raised Araki made his directing debut with 1987’s Three Bewildered People in the Night, which he made for $5000 with a stationary camera. He gradually moved up in budget for his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy — Totally F***ed Up, The Doom Generation and Nowhere — and his subsequent films include Splender, Mysterious Skin, Smiley Face and Kaboom, latter of which was awarded the fist Queer Palm at Cannes for its contribution to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Watch here to see how this indie icon found his mojo.
Spider-Man has gotten his scariest look yet in a gripping and gory new Marvel Zombies cover. Even the popular Spider-Man wasn’t safe from being zombified, as he suffered a darker fate than his portrayal in the MCU. Now, the zombies are returning to the Marvel Universe just in time for Halloween, and their infection is spreading to Spider-Man once again, for a frightening new redesign.
According to Marvel, various members of the Stormbreakers program for up-and-coming artists crafted various heroes in zombified new forms. Some of the biggest standouts include Black Panther’s post-apocalyptic zombie hunter look, She-Hulk’s grotesque decomposition and Captain Marvel’s battle-scarred body.
However, Spider-Man stands above them all with a design that will make any arachnephobes wince.
Spider-Man’s Zombie Design Has a Secret Emotional Meaning
This zombified Peter Parker crafted by artist Elena Casagrande features his mask being torn apart, showing green skin underneath as he screams into the void. However, instead of sound, spiders crawl out of his mouth, with one over his still-intact eye-piece mimicking his hero insignia. It’s a terrifying sight, one that shows just how horrific a Spider-Man zombie can really be. The zombie side of Marvel’s multiverse has given readers some of its darkest, most terrifying stories. Taking place on an Earth where a virus has transformed Earth’s biggest heroes and villains into insatiable zombies, Marvel Zombies is known for pushing characters to their limits as they face the undead.
While at first glance it seems as though Spidey’s mind has been completely taken over by the zombie plague, the expression in his eye-piece suggests something else. The undead Peter Parker appears to be internally terrified at what he’s become. His history in the Marvel Zombies universe has always been spurred by tragedy. In the original run, he fought with himself constantly over the guilt of eating both Mary Jane and Aunt May as the hunger came over him. Later, in Marvel Zombies: Resurrection, Parker found himself faced with the terrible prospect of killing a zombified version of Mary Jane.
Spider-Man has always been seen as Marvel’s most hopeful hero, as he speaks for the average person, so seeing him succumb to the darkness of the apocalypse is unsurprisingly grim. The art by Elena Casagrande deftly depicts how the experience has taken a toll on him mentally. The fact that his mask is split in two shows just how at war with himself he is whenever the zombie apocalypse hits. He’s finding himself becoming a completely different person whether he has to face zombie versions of his friends and family or becomes a zombie himself. It goes completely against his moral code to use his powers responsibly and help anyone he can.
Spider-Man knows that he can’t save everyone, but in the apocalypse, he’s powerless to stop what he has become. It’s enough to make him want to scream, but all that comes out are spiders. Fans will be able to add this incredible variant cover to their collection when Amazing Spider-Man #25 hits stands October 11, 2023. Marvel Zombies has become a beloved addition to the Marvel canon, ever since its debut in 2005, despite pushback by Marvel themselves, who hated the idea. Now, with a new miniseries on the way, this variant cover features a gripping and gory new version of Spider-Man, enough to hype fans for what’s to come this October.
