Tiffany Haddish Wasn't Paid For Her First
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.
Grimes just wants to see the
For years, fans have wondered what happened to Andrew Garfield’s The 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.
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 movies having 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.
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.
Garfield has not helped this rampant speculation. After the film hit theaters, the actor told fans that No Way Home “changed [the] life” of his Peter Parker, leaving him “re-inspired” as a hero:
“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.”
Again, nothing official has come out about the actor coming back for a third movie, but that has not stopped fans from dreaming aloud about another film.
The place Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man feels most likely to appear next is in either Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars.
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: Endgame but 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 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.
Summary Barry Allen's comical personality
XBA says: A roguelike shmup with some interesting ideas.
XBA says: A roguelike shmup with some
This post was written by Alec Cohen-Schisler.
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.
Filmmaker Alec Cohen-Schisler
Credit: Michael Schisler
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.
Go write, go shoot, go edit. Repeat.
This post was written by Alec Cohen-Schisler.
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This post was written by Alec Cohen-Schisler.The
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.
This week on The Treatment, Elvis sits
James Clark/FX
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.
James Clark/FXDouble Feature says it all. The
Promotional Photos Promo
It is only appropriate that Sony’s terrific new comedy, Dumb Money starts 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.
Title: Dumb Money
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Festival: Toronto Film Festival
Release Date: September 15, 2023 (Limited); September 29, 2023 (wide)
Director: Craig Gillespie
Screenplay: Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo
Cast: Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan
Running Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
It is only appropriate that Sony’s terrific
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.
IN SOLIDARITY,
WGA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE
The Writers Guild of America urged members
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.
Sylvester Stallone is known for playing Italian-American Rocky
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.)
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:
Gisele Bündchen is adding another gorgeous Florida
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.”
Sony Pictures’ “Dumb Money” could be the
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.
Miramax Presents The Film That Lit My
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.
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.
Source: Marvel
Look for Amazing Spider-Man #25 on October 11, 2023 from Marvel Comics!
Spider-Man has gotten his scariest look yet
G Marimuthu was recently seen in the film Jailer. Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan released on Thursday.
Popular Tamil actor and director G Marimuthu passed away at the age of 58 on Friday, September 8. The actor, who was last seen in Rajinikanth starrer Jailer, breathed his last at 8.30 am after he collapsed while dubbing for his television show, titled ‘Ethirneechal’. The actor was rushed to a hospital nearby, where he was declared dead.
Read More: G Marimuthu, Jailer Star And Popular Tamil Actor, Dies at 58 After Heart Attack
Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, has broken all records at the box office by scoring the highest opening of all time in Bollywood. After beating Pathaan in advance sales, Jawan has also surpassed its opening record by earning over Rs 75 crore nett in India on day 1 for all languages. According to a report in Sacnilk.com, Jawan earned Rs 65 crore nett in Hindi after record-breaking advance booking. Pathaan, on the other hand, had minted Rs 57 crore nett on its first day.
Chandramukhi 2, directed by P Vasu and featuring Raghava Lawrence and Kangana Ranaut in the lead roles, is set to make its way to theaters soon. Nevertheless, according to the most recent updates, the horror-comedy will now be hitting screens at the end of this month. A tweet from industry tracker LetsCinema on Friday confirmed the change, stating, “BREAKING NEWS: Chandramukhi 2 postponed to September 28.” However, there hasn’t been any response from the movie’s cast or makers regarding the speculation surrounding the delay.
Whether it was Aashiqui in 1990 or its sequel in 2013, the films were widely loved by all. And while fans are eagerly waiting for Aashiqui 3, it looks like there is an interesting update about the movie that will be headlined by our very own Desi heartthrob Kartik Aaryan. Amid all the rumours and speculations on its release date and the leading actress, producer Bhushan Kumar has revealed the tentative month they’ll be going on floors.
Read More: Kartik Aaryan And Anurag Basu’s Aashiqui 3 To Commence Shoot In 2024; More Details Inside
Music, like an ever-flowing river, never ends, says Asha Bhosle. As she turns 90 on Friday, September 8, with a live concert in Dubai, India’s singer for all times and ages describes her career that started an incredible eight decades ago. Looking back at her vast body of work, the singer said that navigating the ups and downs in the highly competitive music industry hasn’t been easy but she feels glad to have overcome the difficult times.
Read More: Asha Bhosle Turns 90, Opens Up On Struggles and Politics She Faced: ‘When I Look Back…’
G Marimuthu was recently seen in the
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s colorful, beach-themed music video for their joint single “Bongos” has quickly amassed millions of views on YouTube since its Friday premiere. Cardi B has her fingers crossed that those numbers will keep on climbing as the rapper revealed to radio host Angela Yee that the production costs were colossal.
In an interview for Yee’s “Way Up” show, Cardi said the video cost her upwards of $2 million to produce due to her and Megan’s wishes to keep the single’s existence under wraps. She explains her original intention was to shoot the visuals — directed by UnderWonder’s Tanu Muino, who also directed Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” — outside of the United States but hurricane season put a stop to those plans, and they opted to shoot in Malibu instead.
“Malibu always [has] paparazzi and everything so we hired about 20 guards, 15 guards just guarding the whole area,” she said. Cardi also explained they deployed geofencing which issues an alert when a mobile device enters a mapped, pre-established location. They also used special in-ears to avoid having to play the music out loud while Cardi, Megan and their crew of dancers filmed the scenes that incorporated choreography.
In the colorful visual, Cardi and Megan also wear a variety of outfits, including oversized feathered hats and stringy bikinis while out on the beach. Muino also incorporated a variety of indoor scenes, one of which positioned Cardi in a multicolored room that saw her camouflaging with the rainbow stripes of a couch she lounges on.
“This type of stuff cost a lot of money for the videos and rehearsals every day — it cost a lot of money, it’s a lot of work,” Cardi concluded.
See the video below.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s colorful,
Now that we’re in September it’s all about celebrating your Super Hero Style. Disney compiled a list of some of the awesome products inspired by many of Marvel’s most iconic characters like Spider-Man, Groot, Avengers, and more! Let’s dive in and supply you with a Superhero-sized inspiration!
POP! Black Panther
You can defend humanity and celebrate Disney’s 100th Anniversary with this Pop! Black Panther! figurine. As you can see from the image above, the character’s vibranium mantle has been upgraded and he sports a stunning faceted suit. Celebrate the King of Wakanda with this vinyl bobblehead that measures approximately 3.8 inches tall!
You can get the Black Panther POP! Figurine here for $15.00.
POP! Spider-Man
Also sporting an upgraded suit with a new faceted look, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man comes to life with this Funko POP! Baublehead figurine. Strengthen your team of heroes by bringing this 3.5″ web-slinging figurine into your Marvel collection.
The Spider-Man Funko POP! figure retails for $15.00 and you can find it here.
POP! Trains Miles Morales Subway Car
All aboard! Celebrate your favorite webslinger Miles Morales with this POP! Miles Subway Car figurine. We love this design featuring Morales in his Spidey suit atop a graffitied subway car striking and epic pose! The POP! Trains figure measures 5.3″ tall and can currently be found on Amazon for $15.00 here.
Captain America Construction Figure
Suitable for young Super Heros ages 8 and up, this Captain American LEGO Construction figure measures 9.5 in tall and is fully jointed and authentically details. The figure’s moveable shoulder, arm, hip and leg joints allow kids to create cool action poses. Captain America also features authentic details including his famous shield which can be attached to his hand or back!
The 310-piece set can be purchased at LEGO’s online shop for $32.99 here.
LEGO Captain America’s Shield
Another fabulous Captain America LEGO set is this shield build from the Infinity Saga! The 3128-piece set measures over 18 1/2″ in diameter once completed. It also comes with a display stand and nameplate. A Captain America mini figure is also included.
You can currently get the LEGO Captain America’s Shield set for $199.99 here.
LEGO- The Avengers Quinjet
Get ready to travel the universe with the Avengers Quinjet set from LEGO. It comes complete with five Marvel characters including Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, iron Man and Loki. The build comes with 2 sticker sheets letting you choose to decorate the Quinjet with Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D insignias.
The set features 799 pieces and is available at the LEGO store online here for $99.99.
Gray Hulk and Dr. Bruce Banner Hasbro Figure
Collectors won’t want to pass up this Gray Hulk, Doctor Bruce Banner action figure set from the Hasbro Marvel Legends Series. This collectible Marvel Legends Avengers 60th Anniversary set includes a Gray Hulk action figure and Dr. Bruce Banner action figure. The 6″-scale figures are detailed to look like the comic book version of the Hulk with premium details and multiple points of articulation. The figures also come with six accessories including alternate Hulk heads and hands, pipe, removable glasses and shirt!
The figure retails for $59.99 and can be ordered directly from Hasbro here.
Web-Spinners Web-Quarters – Bring the excitement and wonder of the Marvel Universe home with this adorable Spidey and His Amazing Friends set from Hasbro! Inspired by the hit preschool show Spide and His Amazing Friends, this playset features multiple play zones with action features. You can defeat Zola by placing Spidey in his toy car and speeding to the rescue. The playset also lights up with 50 sounds and phrases for an interactive, immersive experience for Spidey’s littles fans.
The set retails for $129 and you can get it at Target here.
Marvel Mech Strike Mechasaurs Iron Man and Iron Stomper
Team up with Iron Man and the Mechasaurs to defeat Ultron and his prehistoric new world order! Kids ages 4 and up can play as their favorite Mech Strike Mechasaur super hero in this prehistoric-inspired world. The 4-inch scale action figures features poseable limbs and includes a Mechasaur figure kids can take apart to form a mech suit. You can accessorize with a blaster and projectiles so boys and girls can play out exciting battles Ultron.
You can get the Iron Man Figure at Amazon for $21.99 here.
Groove ‘N Grow Groot
Groove ‘N Grow Groot is an interactive action figure inspired by the Marvel Studios I Am Groot show on Disney+. Groot is poseable and features a moveable head and arms so kids 4 and up can pose him in fun and silly ways. With the push of a button Groot grows from a 13.5″ figure to a 18″ figure. Interact with Groot by playing music, talking or making sounds and he will respond with his groovin’ dance or his iconic “I am Groot” phrase.
The Groove ‘N Grow Groot retails for $84.99 and you can get yours at Amazon here.
Black Widow Sunglasses
Retro-inspired shades get a modern, chick makeover. The iconic acetate cat eyes meet sleek gold metal arms making the perfect accessories for super heroes fans. The gold details area a nod to the Black Widow’s belt and bracelet accessories.
The glasses retail for $98.00 and you can find them here.
Captain Marvel Insignia Charm- PANDORA
Bring some power to your collection with the Captain Marvel Insignia Charm. Inspired by Captain Marvel, this round charm features a 14k gold-plated unique metal blend with a star motif on each side. One side of the charm features a 3D prism-style star shap. The charm is also engraved with the words “Higher, Further, Faster.”
The charm retails for $95.00 and you can get it directly from PANDORA here.
Marvel Captain Marvel Octogram Star Two-tone Pendant Necklace
Bring the power to your collection with the Captain Marvel Octogram Star Two-tone Pendant Necklace. Inspired by MARVEL’s Captain Marvel, the necklace is made in 14K gold-plated unique metal blend features an eight-point star with a row of pave on its sides and symbolizes strength and daring.
The necklace is also engraved with the message “Higher, Further, Faster” serves as a reminder to always push for your dreams. The sterling silver 8 pointed star really sparkles and comes with an adjustable closure.
The necklace retails for $165 and you can get yours at PANDORA here.
In honor of the Avengers 60th Anniversary, this fitness top features an inspiring message describing your favorite super heroes. Perfect for working out, this taupe top was designed to be super comfy and features a discreet and stylish mesh top half. The front of the shirt features the Avengers emblem with the tagline “Whatever It Takes.” On the back is a patch that reads “Avengers Reassembled Teammates Heroes Friends Visionaries Legends.” The side reads “Invincible- Find your Power.” screen text on the side.
Part of the Marvel Avengers Fitness Collection, the shirt retails for $39.99 and you can get yours here.
Also in the Avengers Fitness Collection is this long sleeve top for adults. It features the tagline “Become a legend, whatever it takes” printed on the front. The back of the shirt features an Avengers stylized design on the back.
The shirt retails for $44.99 and you can find yours here.
100% Whey – Marvel: Royal Caramel Cookie – 25 Servings
GNC and MARVEL has joined forces in an epic collab to help everyday heroes soar to new heights. This 100% Whey Protein product features 24 grams of premium whey protein and fills some mighty nutritonal gaps. The collab also features a “multiverse” of new flavors including Royal Caramel Cookie.
The protein powder is available at GNC for $39.99 and you can get yours here.
Corkcicle Marvel Sports Canteen
Corkcicle has come out with a new Sport Canteen that is perfect for Marvel fans. It comes in two sizes and features colors inspired your favorite super heroes. The one above was inspired by the God of Thunder himself – THOR! Other canteens feature Miles Morales, Ghost Spider, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Loki, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Marvel Logo, Hulk.
Marvel Sports Canteen retails for $47.95 and you can get yours here.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
From the multiverse to the gamerverse, Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales return for an exciting new adventure when Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 comes to PlayStation 5. This October (available now for pre-order.) You’ll get to swing, jump and use the new Web Wings to travel across Marvel’s New York quickly switching between Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
The game is currently available for $69.99 and you can get yours here.
This collectible 6″ figure scale to Marvel Legends figure is detailed to look like the Peter Parker Spider-Man character from the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game, featuring premium detail, multiple points of articulation, and 7 gaming-inspired accessories, including web FX.
The Hasbro Spider-Man figure retails $34.99 and you can get them here.
Marvel Legends Gamerverse Miles Morales
This Miles Morales action figure is inspired by the character’s appearance in the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game and makes a great addition to any Marvel action figure collection.
Marvel Legends Gamerverse Miles Morales retails for $24.99 and you find it here.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Original Video Game Soundtrack 2XLP
Mondo has just released a soundtrack for John Paesano’s soundtrack to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 the next game in the critically-acclaimend Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise. The soundtrack is in a gatefold jacket and features original artwork by Kris Anka.
The soundtrack retails for $40.00 and you can get yours here.
The Avengers Assembled
Take a deep dive into the fascinating history of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The earth-shattering formation and cataclysmic lineup changes to the introduction of fan-favorite characters like the Vision and Black Widow. This unique volume provides a comprehensive look at the origin and evolution of the Avengers.
The book retails for $30.00 and is available here.
Look Out For the Little Guy
In Scott Lang’s memoir “Look Out for the Little Guy” a real-life Avenger shares an honest account of his struggles and triumphs. These are stories of epic battles won and lost, as this everyman turned Super Hero finally tells all—from the official account of what really happened between The Avengers and Thanos to how shrinking down to ant-size really feels to the challenges of balancing the roles of hero and dad.
The book is currently available at Amazon here for $21.83.
Avenger Super Hero Academy
The Disney Wish is the Ultimate Place to celebrate your favorite Super Heroes! Young passengers can train like an Avenger at Marvel Super Hero Academy. “Avengers: Mission Training” also allows young recruits to design their own hero suit and put it to the test by squaring off against Ultron! If that’s not awesome enough, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Black Panther and more are known to stop by and spend some time with passengers!
Marvel Day at Sea
Fans of Marvel will be excited to know that Marvel Day at Sea will be returning from January through March 2024 on the Disney Dream. This super hero filled cruise features fun character meet and greets, epic stage shows, special screenings of your favorite Marvel movies and more!
For more information on sailing dates and full itineraries, please visit disneycruise.com.
Readers are encouraged to keep following along with MickeyBlog for further Walt Disney World news and updates. We’ll be coming to you LIVE! from the theme parks each and every week.
Mickey Travels
Have you heard the news? MickeyTravels just earned the incredible distinction of being a Diamond Earmarked Agency!
Whether its a visit to the theme parks, a Disney cruise, a stay at Aulani in Hawaii or the trip of a lifetime with Adventures by Disney, I can’t wait help you plan your vacation utilizing all of our incredible concierge-level services. This includes discount monitoring, itinerary planning, flexible booking and so much more. Best of all my services are 100% FREE!
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Now that we’re
In a revelatory junction where the present meets the path not taken, we find ourselves immersed in the fascinating what-could-have-been narrative of the dark and intense Aquaman movie that never saw the light of day. The landscape of superhero movies might have taken a different, grittier route had Jeff Nichols, the mastermind behind acclaimed dramas such as Mud and Midnight Special, got to helm the 2018 Aquaman movie, steering the iconic DC superhero into uncharted waters.
The ripple effects of the 2014 Sony email hack unearthed the buried initial plans of Nichols potentially directing Jason Momoa in this ambitious Justice League spin-off. Although the directorial reins were eventually handed over to James Wan, who spearheaded the project to a monumental $1.1 billion box office triumph, making it the highest-grossing DC film to date, the echos of Nichols’ vivid and somber vision for Aquaman continue to reverberate.
Nichols recently resurfaced these scrapped plans in an engaging conversation on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, a conversation that originally centered around his latest project, The Bikeriders, starring Jodie Comer and Austin Butler. A director known for his adept craftsmanship in narrating complex, layered stories, Nichols disclosed that his envisioning of Aquaman drew heavily from Peter David’s groundbreaking narrative from the ’90s, which transformed the underwater hero into a grim figure burdened by loss, adorned with a harpoon hand, long hair, and a beard that signified a tragic king in mourning.
Reflecting on the pitch that never came to fruition, Nichols reminisced:
“I still have scenes from [Aquaman] in my head that would’ve been good. They would’ve been quite different from the film that was made.”
His voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia, he added:
“It wasn’t ever feasible… I liked the older Aquaman, like when he had a harpoon for a hand. He was a fallen king and his son had died. He was in mourning.”
The director’s vision promised a deeper exploration of a hero grappling with haunting past transgressions, a portrayal far removed from the charismatic and light-hearted version portrayed in the 2018 blockbuster.
David, the original architect of this darker rendition of Aquaman in the comics, had envisaged a radical transformation for the character back in the ’90s. He replaced Aquaman’s missing hand with a golden harpoon following a brutal encounter with the villain Charybdis, and introduced Koryak, Aquaman’s illegitimate son with Kako, an Inuit woman. This makeover wasn’t just aesthetic but significantly altered the hero’s presence and aura.
During an interview in 2018, David articulated his vision, emphasizing the gravity he wanted the new Aquaman to convey. “I wanted that kind of gravity to his appearance — so that when this guy walked into a room — you KNEW he was a bad-ass. He was NOT someone you wanted to screw with,” David asserted. This bold reimagination was designed to make Aquaman’s entrance into any space a momentous event, with his gravitas demanding respect and evoking a sense of awe.
As we stand on the cusp of another addition to the Aquaman series, with Momoa reprising his role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, slated for a December 20th release, we can’t help but ponder on the alternate cinematic universe that Nichols envisioned — a universe rich with darker nuances and a more intense portrayal of the beloved aquatic hero.
While Nichols jests that his version might have only “sold hundreds of dollars worth of tickets,” his unique perspective on this iconic character offers a tantalizing glimpse into a more complex, mature, and perhaps even tragic world within the DC universe — a glimpse of a journey that promises substance over spectacle, depth over dazzle, beckoning audiences to dive into the unexplored depths of Aquaman’s soul, where darkness meets the deep blue sea.
Summary Jeff Nichols, the director
X, the company formerly known as Twitter, may not be labeling its ads properly, putting it at risk of — once again — running afoul of the FTC. There have been numerous reports over the last several days of ads appearing in users’ timelines without being labeled as such, TechCrunch, which was first to report on the stealth ads.
According to their reporting, as well as reports from industry groups, users have identified numerous ads that leave off the typical “Ad” label that identifies the post as paid advertising rather than a native post. It’s apparent that the posts are, in fact, ads when clicking into the “…” menu in the tweet, which indicates the tweet is a paid promotion.
While the unlabeled ads have irked users, who may mistakenly believe the platform is showing posts from accounts they don’t follow in their following timeline, the issue also risks stirring up more regulatory trouble with the FTC. Nandini Jammi, co-founder of watchdog group Check My Ads, has been on her Twitter account over the past couple days. The nonprofit group is tracking the issue and encouraging X users any examples they find.
It’s unclear if the unlabeled ads are the result of a bug or an intentional change by the company. X, which no longer has a functioning communications department, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
But it’s no secret the company’s advertising business has collapsed over the last year since Elon Musk took over the company. Musk recently said ad revenue is down, a drop he has blamed on activists. The company also recently top executives overseeing brand safety, an issue advertisers have cited as a major concern and reason for pulling back from the platform.
X, the company formerly known as Twitter,
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The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival takes place Thursday, September 7—17, 2023 in Canada’s most vibrant and exciting metropolis, it has become one of the most important film events on the festival calendar.
Showcasing more than 300 films and hosting industryites from around the world, Toronto can “make or break” films looking for international distribution and a chance at Oscar gold. From glitzy red carpet premieres to challenging art films to cutting edge new media, the Festival offers something for every taste.
Past Coverage 2014 2015 – Coverage 2016 in French English
The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival takes place Thursday, September 7—17, 2023 in Canada’s most vibrant and exciting metropolis, it has become one of the most important film events on the festival calendar.
Showcasing more than 300 films and hosting industryites from around the world, Toronto can “make or break” films looking for international distribution and a chance at Oscar gold. From glitzy red carpet premieres to challenging art films to cutting edge new media, the Festival offers something for every taste.
Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron soars into Toronto to open the 48th edition of the Festival Japanese auteur’s latest film makes its International Premiere at TIFF Photo credit: © 2023 Studio Ghibli TIFF is thrilled to announce that Studio Ghibli’s long-awaited fantastical epic feature film, The Boy and the Heron, from Academy Award–winning visionary director Hayao Miyazaki, will be the Opening Night Gala Presentation for the 48th Toronto I…
The Toronto International Film Festival® is excited to announce early details about its 48th edition. Recognized as the world’s largest public film festival, TIFF 2023 will welcome audiences from across the globe to Toronto to experience the best in international and Canadian cinema, press and industry screenings, special events, and red carpets featuring some of the biggest names in film. Taking place from September 7–17, 2023, TIFF 2023’s official screening v…
Explore the Official Festival Schedule to plan your perfect Festival experience TIFF is back September 7–17! Starting today, you can visit tiff.net/schedule to explore films and screening times. Red carpets and high-profile premieres are coming to Toronto this Festival! Be sure to view the calendar so you don’t miss your chance to see buzzworthy Gala Premieres and Special Presentations like the Opening Night film The Boy and the Heron, Dumb Money, an…
Andy Lau to receive special Tribute Award, Carolina Markowicz to receive TIFF Emerging Talent Award, Łukasz Žal to receive TIFF Variety Artisan Award Photo credit: Courtesy of TIFF (Left) Photo credit: Carlyle Routh (Centre) Photo credit: Gotsia Karpiuk (Right) TIFF is delighted to announce additional honourees who will be receiving a TIFF Tribute Award at this year&rsq…
Award-winning actor, writer, and director to attend Tribute Gala Photo credit: Raul Romo Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, is delighted to announce that award-winning actor Colman Domingo will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award. This Award recognizes an overall body of exceptional work, and is one of seven awards being handed out at the fifth annual TIFF Tribute Awards gala, presented by Bulgari on Sunday, September 10, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. A prolific a…
The TIFF Rising Stars programme, now in its 13th year, shines as an invaluable talent development initiative The Toronto International Film Festival® is excited to announce this year’s global cohort of Rising Stars for 2023. The TIFF Rising Stars programme features actors on the verge of making a large impact on the international stage and provides them with an exclusive opportunity to experience and engage in professional development and mentorship sessions and industry events that…
Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima TIFF CEO, Cameron Bailey, is excited to announce that filmmaker Ava DuVernay will return to TIFF with her latest offering, Origin. DuVernay’s film will have a Gala screening at Roy Thomson Hall on Monday, September 11th. DuVernay will be in attendance. Written, produced, and directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay, Origin chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson (played…
THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everyth…
Photo credit: Riccardo Vimercati Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, is delighted to announce that Academy award–winning actor, women’s rights activist, and entrepreneur Patricia Arquette will receive the TIFF Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award presented by Bulgari during the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. Arquette is the final honouree to be announced ahead of the 2023 TIFF Tribute Awards, taking place Sunday, September 10 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel,…
Award-winning actor will be honoured in Toronto on September 10, joining previously announced recipients to date: Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee, Andy Lau, Carolina Markowicz, Łukasz Żal, Colman Domingo, and Shawn Levy Photo credit: CHANEL Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, is delighted to announce that award-winning actor Vicky Krieps will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award at the fifth annual Awards gala on Sunday, September 10, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Presented by Bulga…
TIFF is proud to announce this year’s Talent Development programmes and participants, including TIFF Filmmaker Lab, TIFF Series Accelerator, the Sloan Science and Technology Project Pitch, the CHANEL Women Writers’ Network Micro Talent Summit, and the TIFF Every Story Accelerator. “At TIFF, we’re dedicated to fostering emerging talents from all walks of life,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “The 2023 Talent Development progr…
TIFF 2023 Industry Conference takes place September 8–12 TIFF is excited to share the 2023 Industry Selects lineup. Screening for accredited buyers during the Festival, this curated selection of 12 films go beyond the Official Selection, and are all available for worldwide acquisition. “As the media industry continues to evolve, TIFF strives to foster creative innovation in both the development and business of storytelling,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chie…
2023 Best Canadian Feature Film Award, Amplify Voices Awards, Short Cuts Awards, Changemaker Award, People’s Choice Awards, along with FIPRESCI and NETPAC film jury awards, to be announced at the close of TIFF The Toronto International Film Festival® is delighted to announce its Award categories, jury members, and prizes for 2023, along with the return of three distinguished international film juries to honour outstanding works in this year’s lineup. The juries, featuring reno…
Creator: Dave J Hogan Copyright: 2022 Dave J Hogan courtesy TIFF TIFF announces global superstar Sylvester Stallone for in-depth discussion about his celebrated career as part of the In Conversation With… series presented by Visa TIFF is excited to announce Sylvester Stallone as the newest addition to the In Conversation With… (ICW) series for TIFF 2023. Stallone joins an illustrious roster of cinematic superstars including Pedro Almodóvar, Lee Byung-hu…
Lil Nas X and TIFF 2023 announce World Premiere of Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero with Sony Music Entertainment Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Lil Nas X and TIFF are excited to announce the World Premiere of the groundbreaking, GRAMMY–winning rapper, singer, and songwriter’s documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, which was shot during the course of his first ever global tour. A new addition to the Gala programme, the film was produced by Radic…
Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF, unveiled today the name of TIFF’s new café-bar, Varda, named in honour of the celebrated French filmmaker Agnès Varda, whose innovative storytelling and artistic vision have left an indelible mark on cinema. With the bright lights of King Street West as its backdrop, the new café-bar will be open exclusively for Contributors Circle and Patrons Circle Members during the Festival (September 7–17), before its official public launch …
Presented by The Budman Family at the 2023 TIFF Tribute Awards Photo credit: Guy Aroch/Netflix Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF, is delighted to announce that Canadian producer-director Shawn Levy (Free Guy, Deadpool 3) will receive the inaugural Norman Jewison Award presented by The Budman Family. Named in honour of the legendary Canadian filmmaker, the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award is presented by The Budman Family, and recognizes Canadians in the film industry who have made…
Session guests include Spike Lee, Lulu Wang, Ladj Ly, Guillermo del Toro, and more TIFF 2023 Industry Conference takes place September 8–12 TORONTO — TIFF is proud to reveal an exciting array of sessions and a powerhouse lineup of speakers for the much-awaited 2023 Industry Conference, supported by Ontario Creates and Telefilm Canada. Covering six pillars of Conference programming: Visionaries, Dialogues, Perspectives, Connections, Microsessions, and Spotlights, this yea…
This year’s programme features new series from Lulu Wang, Shawn Levy, Hagar Ben-Asher and Ron Leshem, Jeon Woo-sung, and Sasha Leigh Henry All the Light We Cannot See (left) Photo Credit: Courtesy of TIFF Bad Boy (right) Photo Credit: Courtesy of TIFF The Toronto International Film Festival® Primetime programme has been revealed for 2023, with nine compelling and thought-provoking series from around the world, including eig…
Wavelengths welcomes both luminaries and emerging talents, spotlighting rule breakers, film essayists, and different ways of seeing the world, with new films by Radu Jude, Isiah Medina, Eduardo Williams, Angela Schanelec, Rosine Mbakam, Wang Bing, Chantal Akerman, Pedro Costa, Jean-Luc Godard, Ja’Tovia Gary, Steve Reinke, Shambhavi Kaul, and more Classics features Chen …
World Premieres and female-led films dominate this year’s slate of exciting selections, including works by Mackenzie Davis, Malia Ann, Yann Demange, and Jasmin Mozaffari, with performances by Riz Ahmed, Kaniehtiio Horn, and more DAMMI (2023) Photo Credit: Courtesy of TIFF The Toronto International Film Festival® announced this year’s Short Cuts lineup, supported by Ontario Arts Council, showcasing 42 live action narrative, documentary, and animated s…
Sylvester Stallone’s extraordinary journey unveiled in Sly, the Closing Night Gala of TIFF 2023 The Netflix documentary captures the life and career of Sylvester Stallone, whose television and film credits span almost half a century Photo Credit: Netflix TIFF is delighted to announce Sly as the Closing Night Gala for the 48th edition of the Festival. A vivid exploration of an illustrious life woven through the silver screen, this remarkable documentary ab…
World Premieres for Discovery include After the fire, Gonzo Girl, The Queen of My Dreams, and Widow Clicquot World Premieres for Midnight Madness include Dicks: The Musical, Hell of a Summer, Boy Kills World, and KILL Dicks: The Musical (2023). Courtesy of TIFF Download the full release TORONTO — The Toront…
Dream Scenario (2023). Photo credit: Courtesy of TIFF. TIFF unveiled the 10 World Premiere features that comprise the Platform programme for 2023, along with the 2023 Platform jury members: Academy Award–winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, joined by Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki, and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim. Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directoria…
Including Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money, Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour, Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt, Ning Hao’s The Movie Emperor, Maggie Betts’ The Burial, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Ellen Kuras’ Lee, Um Tae-Hwa’s Concrete Utopia, Thea Sharrock’s Wicked Little Letters, Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction, Richard Linklater’s Hit Man, Lukas Moodysson’…
The Toronto International Film Festival is excited to return on September 7–17 and welcome thousands of international and Canadian professionals back to Toronto, where it will once again host the five-day Industry Conference, supported by Ontario Creates and Telefilm. The event serves as a vital platform for business development, lead generation, and networking initiatives, creating space for professionals to connect, learn, and explore the latest trends impacting the industry today. Run…
The opera-inspired film stars Amanda Seyfried with Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O’Brien, and Vinessa Antoine Special Avant-première screening, in partnership with the Canadian Opera Company, to take place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on September 8 “First look” image also released Photo credit: Courtesy of Amanda Matlovich TIFF is delighted to announce that legendary filmmaker Atom Egoyan returns to the Festiva…
MEDIA RELEASE July 5, 2023 TIFF announces World Premiere of Ladj Ly’s new powerful film, Les Indésirables Making his return to the Festival, Ly’s highly anticipated film is set to captivate Toronto audiences with this World Premiere Photo credit: Luis Mora TIFF is thrilled to announce the first international title to make its World Premiere at TIFF 2023. Ladj Ly, the acclaimed French filmmaker be…
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The Jester is a 2023 American horror film about two half-sisters who are tormented by a malevolent trickster following the death of their father.
Written and directed by Colin Krawchuk from a story by Michael Sheffield.
The Epic Pictures production stars Matt Servitto, Ken Arnold, Lelia Symington, Mary Jane Pentony and Michael Sheffield.
After the recent death of their father, two estranged sisters find themselves being stalked by a malevolent being known as The Jester. Revealing himself to be more than just a man in a mask, the evil entity begins to further torment the inhabitants of this small town on Halloween night. The path to defeating this unholy monster lies with the two sisters who realise that the only way to survive is to figure out how to right the wrongs of their dark past…
Release:
The Jester will be available to rent or buy on Digital via Dread on October 3, 2023, with a Blu-ray release on November 7.
Trailer:
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Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have gained a massive online response from folks online after the Hollywood couple submitted a letter to the court supporting their “That 70s Show” costar, Danny Masterson, who was sentenced Thursday to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women during the early 2000s.
“Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis said, ‘yeah I totally get that Danny is a violent r*pist, but he showed up to work on time and he has a kid who ought to grow up with said violent r*pist around her. So pls go easy on him,’” an X (formerly Twitter user) wrote in a post on Friday.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis said “yeah I totally get that Danny is a violent r*pist, but he showed up to work on time and he has a kid who ought to grow up with said violent r*pist around her. So pls go easy on him.”
— ??????.* ??? (@uncletypewriter) September 8, 2023
Their comment comes after Kutcher, Kunis and several “70s Show” costars penned a letter that praised Masterson, sharing that they felt he is best known for his good deeds, his background as family man and his drug-free lifestyle, prior to the announcement of his prison sentence. The 47-year-old was convicted on two of the three rape counts he was facing back in May during his retrial in Los Angeles. The assaults took place in 2001 and 2003.
“Not only is he a good friend to me I’ve witnessed him be a good friend to others and the kind of brother others would be lucky to have,” Kutcher said of Masterson in his portion of the letter. “As a role model, Danny has consistently been an excellent one. I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny.”
Kunis went next, writing: “Danny’s role as a husband and father to his daughter has been nothing short of extraordinary. Witnessing his interactions with his daughter has been heartwarming and enlightening. He prioritizes his family, education, and happiness above all else, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to being a loving and responsible parent. As a father, he leads by example, instilling in her values that reflect integrity, compassion, and respect for others.”
And just as their costar had to be subjected to the court’s opinion, Kunis and Kutcher too were subjected to the opinion at the virtual public square that is the internet.
Here are more of the reactions to Kunis and Kutcher’s letter.
September 8, 2023 @ 3:13 PM Ashton Kutcher
Our deeds of the past will always catch up with us. And even when we’ve reaped their consequences, their effects might ripple through the rest of our lives, and we’ll spend it making up for our actions.
It might sound very bleak because it is if our deeds were terrible. Newton’s Third Law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When someone does bad things, they will get bad things in return.
If someone’s lucky, they might get a chance to make up for their mistakes, else, there is no telling how these mistakes will affect their life.
A lot went down on The Chi Season 6 Episode 6, and we’ll dive into it in depth, so if you’re yet to get caught up, beware of spoilers.
Events happened against the backdrop of the kids of The Chi finally crossing from childhood to adulthood, marked by graduation from high school.
Every graduate was confronted by what future they wanted to make for themselves, and to say it wasn’t an obvious decision would be an understatement.
First, there was Kevin, who had the opportunity of a lifetime to make money doing what he loved the most. It is something most people will never get to experience. But despite the thrill associated with such an opportunity, there were some hurdles he needed to cross.
And while I’m up here, I encourage you all to do what you love, even if everyone thinks you’re crazy. You blaze your own trail and never let anyone tell you you can’t do something. I know The Chi’s gonna be with me wherever I go. And I’m planning on going all over the world.
Kevin
Like we said in The Chi Season 6 Episode 5 review, being proud of where you come from is great, but that pride should not cause your fall. Joining a gaming team was a great opportunity, and turning it down because he was born and raised in Chicago would have been a stupid decision on Kevin’s part.
Moving to LA will never change these facts about him.
Nina’s reaction disappointed Kevin and me, but it wasn’t surprising. Nina loves her children and would do anything to protect them, but sometimes it can suffocate. It might have been why Keisha was so rebellious when she was younger.
Dre understood Kevin better because she knew how big of an opportunity this was. The perks of being a therapist are that you can live multiple lives through your clients and learn a lot.
While Nina wasn’t well versed in the modern gaming culture, Dre had an inkling that passing up on a multibillion-dollar industry would be more than silly.
Papa and Pastor Jackson’s relationship was troubled. It was built on fear of authority for the most part. Pastor Jackson feared God, and he transferred that fear to his son.
Children grow up, and it catches many parents by surprise. In their defense, one cannot tell when that growth occurs. For some parents, it is a rude shock when one day they realize their little kid isn’t so little after all.
The episode is entitled Boys II Men, which may or may not have a connection to the pop culture phenomenon. However, that’s irrelevant because the theme was to show growth as Papa, Kevin, and Jake graduated from boyhood to manhood.
And in my opinion, they hit the nail on the head.
Seeing Papa stand up to his father like that was a welcome change. While everyone should respect their parents, that respect should not be out of fear.
Papa: What’s your least favorite thing about being a father?
Pastor Jackson: I have a fear that I won’t be there for you when you need me. I never want to let you down, son.
There had been a lot of deep conversations between Papa and his father about responsibility, honesty, manhood, freedom, and all those deep adult topics.
We had grown to love this new Pastor Jackson, but there was always an eerie sadness in his scenes because we knew something was coming, and finally, it did. Douda had Pastor Jackson killed.
The magnitude of this action’s effect on Chicago and the neighborhood might be unquantifiable. Papa will never get answers. As his dad was dying, Papa was partying right after a major argument that saw him storm out.
He will always blame himself for the coming months and probably the rest of his life because he might feel responsible for some reason.
Pastor Jackson’s death might be the only thing that wakes Chicago up to the reality of the lion in their midst. It’s such a shame that it will take the death of a community pillar for people to wake up.
The revolt against Douda had begun, but it might have been too little too late. However, better late than never.
Douda: Bakari, I need to have a word with you.
Victor: If you need to talk to him, we need to be present.
Douda: No, he doesn’t need a chaperone.
Shaad: Well, he got two of them right here.
Something was amiss, and everyone could feel it. A parent’s job never ends because even with Emmett being a grown man, Jada could help but worry about him.
For this reason, people should not take bringing a life into this world lightly. Even when they’re adults, they’ll still need you, and the worst you can do is be absent.
Dre reconnected with an ex, and oh, is that bound to be messy!
I don’t care how she dresses the situation, but maintaining an above-average relationship with someone you had a romantic relationship with is almost always a bad idea. Sure, some different dynamics are involved in lesbian relationships, but at the core, all relationships are about feelings.
And feelings are uniform across the board. Sooner or later, these feelings become too messy, and untangling them might become impossible.
Since Dre and Nina’s marriage had issues before, they should be careful not to fall into the same trap twice.
The episode was packed with shockers, but the biggest was that Bakari had a sister.
From the first scene they shared, the resemblance was uncanny. I wanted to pass it off as the signature The Chi casting where related characters have a semblance, but it was too similar.
Bakari and his sister were almost identical in their facial appearance and mannerisms.
It turns out the actress who played the character is Amari Noelle Ferguson, Ahmad Ferguson’s sister. That’s where the resemblance came from. I’m not a fan of nepotism, but I love it in this case.
She was like a gift from the gods for Jemma who had been struggling to find another artist to justify refusing to go to college.
The character’s introduction was a welcome addition to the show.
She was unabashedly gay and wasn’t afraid to lean into her masculinity. Chicago might have their own Young M.A.
She spelled danger as there were some things she hid from Bakari. She also flirted with all the girls, and Jake had never jumped onto Jemma’s side faster than when he spotted her making a move.
Finally, she was a rapper and a good one, for that matter. Maisha was shaken.
Victor and Quincy’s gathering gained more members, and they each opened up about what was happening in their lives. It was then that the first problem with this group became apparent.
There was a lot of holding back, where everyone didn’t even scratch the surface of their issues, and overall, it didn’t feel productive.
If they had gone into details (which was almost impossible), they would have known that all their troubles converged at Douda.
Emmett: I think I got myself into some big trouble just because I wanted to be the big man.
Darnell: But what kind of trouble?
Victor: When we ask questions, it shouldn’t be about the details; it should be about how we can help.
Even with that glaring problem, something positive came out of it, and they asked the right question of how they could help one another. And the answer was clear: protect each other from Douda.
The episode stressed that concerning the future, the right decision is one someone makes for themselves based on what they want.
However, it would have been beneficial to have a character who doesn’t know what they want and try to figure that out.
Niggas around Douda die, Emmett
Keisha
All I know is for as long as Douda is alive, this city will always be in the devil’s hands.
Pastor Jackson
“Boys II Men” felt like this season’s turning point. It explored a lot while not giving away all the information about the season.
And we’ll be here to see what they come up with.
What did you think? Chime in in the comments section.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.
Our deeds of the past will always
According to Jerry Seinfeld, Rolling Stone’s recent exposé on Jimmy Fallon includes an “idiotic twisting of events.” The magazine published a report on Sept. 7 in which several former “Tonight Show” staff members claimed the series had a toxic work environment, which included alleged outbursts from Fallon himself. Two employees said they witnessed Fallon berate a crew member who was holding cue cards during a taping of the show with Seinfeld as a guest.
Per Rolling Stone: “They say it was an uncomfortable moment. Seinfeld told Fallon to apologize to the cue-card production member, which he then allegedly did. The employees say this incident, which felt awkward to watch, did not make it to the version of the show that appeared on television.”
“It was very awkward, and Jerry [Seinfeld] was like, ‘You should apologize to him,’ almost trying to make it a joke,” one of the former employees said. “It was one of the strangest moments ever and so many people were there, so it’s kind of hard to forget.”
Seinfeld said in a statement obtained by Variety that the incident was not uncomfortable .
“This is so stupid,” Seinfeld said. “I remember this moment quite well…I teased Jimmy about a flub, and we all had a fun laugh about how rarely Jimmy is thrown off. It was not uncomfortable at all. Jimmy and I still occasionally recall it and laugh. Idiotic twisting of events.”
Hours after the Rolling Stone report published, Fallon apologized to “Tonight Show” staffers.
“It’s embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends,” Fallon said during a Zoom meeting with “Tonight” employees. “I feel so bad I can’t even tell you.” He told the assemblage during the meeting, which was said to be brief: “I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people.”
Fallon’s “Tonight Show” is currently on hiatus due to the strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA unions representing writers and actors.
According to Jerry Seinfeld, Rolling Stone’s recent
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In an era of visual storytelling and wanderlust, a reliable travel companion to capture your journeys is essential. Enter the Canon G7X Mark III, a favored choice among travelers and photography enthusiasts. In this article, we’ll delve into its features, uncovering why it’s the ultimate choice for globetrotting. From portability to cutting-edge functionalities, discover why the Canon G7X Mark III is poised to be your partner in chronicling your adventures. Take stunning photos with Canon G7X Mark III, turning every moment into a visual masterpiece.
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Raindance promotes and supports independent filmmaking and filmmakers.
From new and emerging to industry pros, Raindance connects, trains, supports, and promotes visual storytellers through every step of their career.
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In an
Three people were arrested and suspected drugs were seized during an overnight traffic stop in Castlegar, B.C., this past weekend.
RCMP say the arrests happened early Sunday, just after 12 a.m., after an officer spotted a vehicle violating B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act.
“When police approached the vehicle, they found four people in the vehicle and one firearm. All four occupants were taken into custody,” said Castlegar RCMP.
While searching the vehicle, police say they found a loaded rifle, an airsoft gun and a large quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Three of the four suspects were arrested, while the fourth, a 45-year-old Castlegar man, was released.
Of the three arrested, the driver, a 41-year-old female, was released on condition to appear in Castlegar court on Dec. 13.
The remaining two, who had previous drug-related charges, are now each facing several charges.
According to court records, Jesse Pierre Farmery, 30, of Castlegar, and Brian Mackay, 41, of Montrose, have been charged with four firearms-related charges, including possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Police say both men are being held in custody until their next court dates. Farmery will appear in Kelowna court on Sept. 14, while Mackay will appear in Castlegar court on Sept. 20.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Three people were arrested and suspected drugs
Spoilers ahead! If you’ve yet to finish binging season 2 of Netflix’s Selling the OC, save this link for later.
Selling the OC is back! The agents of Jason and Brett Oppenheim’s real estate brokerage, the Oppenheim Group — Alex Hall, Tyler Stanaland, Polly Brindle, Brandi Marshall, Kayla Cardona, Alexandra Jarvis, Alexandra Rose, Gio Helou, Austin Victoria, Lauren Shortt, Sean Palmieri and newcomer Ali Harper — bring bigger business and deeper drama in the Newport Beach-set Netflix docu-soap’s sophomore season.
While many of the new episodes center on Tyler and Hall’s would-be romance (and the whole Polly-Tyler Christmas party kiss saga — find out more about all that here) — the other big focus of season 2 is the end of Jarvis and Rose’s partnership, both in and out of the office. Season 1’s dynamic duo starts the season in a chilly place, icing over completely, with cracks quickly forming across the foundation of their friendship, or lack thereof.
Read on for updates on that, plus Jarvis sets the record straight on the number of times she’s been engaged and married, whether she’s a swinger and if her real name is Rachel. Then, updates on Ali’s real estate license and that bikini bet she made with Gio.
Are Jarvis and Rose still friends?
Short answer is, no; and if you ask the ladies, they have differing opinions on whether they were ever friends in the first place.
“There was a lot of misleading information,” Jarvis tells ET of season 1, while Rose describes their portrayal as BFFs during their reality TV debut as “very accurate.”
“I feel like in season 1, and I vocalized that at times, but we’re not in control of what other people see,” Jarvis offers. “Rose and I have been getting to know one another. You know, contrary to what other people believe, she did not bring me to the brokerage. I met Jason through Heather Rae Young, and I knew Rose through a mutual friend.”
Some of the agents call out Jarvis midseason for her treatment of Rose, claiming Rose was her mentor and set her up for success at the brokerage.
“We decided to start working together, but we were getting to know one another through that process,” Jarvis reiterates. “And through that process, I saw a lot of red flags and saw how different she and I are when it comes to how we handle business. And I knew for us, we’re not going to keep working together, but when you already have transactions, you already have clients, it’s difficult and it’s difficult to navigate, sometimes, relationships.”
“There’s a lot that happened off camera,” Rose shares. “Season 2, her and I just didn’t mesh well, you know? And she obviously has strong opinions of me and those are her opinions.”
“It was weird for me to watch, and very hard for me to watch her talk so much s**t,” she adds. “Like, such a hater.”
Over the course of season 2, Jarvis made her disapproval of Rose’s “unprofessional” attire and sometimes flirtatious business tactics well known.
“We’re not on speaking terms,” Rose reveals, confirming that their argument over Jarvis’ now-husband, Sergio Ducoulombier, pursuing a business deal with one of Rose’s clients without Jarvis giving Rose a heads up about it was the final straw in their relationship.
“I think she’s shown her true colors and she thinks of me as someone with bad morals and someone that has horrible worldviews,” Rose rattles off, “and I just don’t want to be friends with someone like that.”
“I want her to succeed,” Jarvis says of Rose. “I want the best for her, but I want to go my separate way. And, you know, it’s hard kind of having that break with an audience and having other people’s opinions being thrown in when they don’t know what’s going on.”
How many times has Jarvis been engaged and married?
Season 2 includes the lead-up to Jarvis and Sergio’s Italian “I dos,” which inspires a bit of gossip within the group.
“I’m pretty good at putting blinders on and ignoring the noise,” Jarvis says. “The people who are close to me in my life are there for me, and it’s people who know me know me very well, and I’m very selective who I let in my life. And so, no– it’s, people try to shake and rattle and make a lot of noise, but to me, they’re just wasting their energy.”
Polly adds to the noise by labeling Jarvis “the Ring Collector” after rumors swirl she’s been engaged and/or married “about 17 times.”
“I’ve been engaged the same amount of times I’ve been married,” Jarvis clarifies. “I’ve been engaged three times and married now three times.”
“I’ve been proposed to more times than that, but I have said no to some,” she adds.
Is Jarvis a swinger?
Austin sort-of suggests Jarvis might be a freak behind closed doors after sharing tales from a Halloween run-in with his co-worker at what he described as a “random house party” filled with “rich, fat men with beautiful women everywhere.”
“She got really weird when she saw me,” Austin recalled. “Like, I wasn’t supposed to be there. She left very quickly but, like, when I went to go talk to her, she went and scurried off.”
“It felt like something weird,” Austin added when Tyler asked if it was, in fact, a “swinger party.”
“So there’s more to that conversation, more context to that conversation,” Austin clarifies to ET. “I did not say Alex was a swinger.” (For the record, it was Polly who declared her to be a swinger in that moment.)
“We had a conversation about her being married and engaged multiple times, and so different things came up,” Austin says, “and then I told this story about seeing her because it was relevant to the current story. That’s all that happened.”
“I don’t think he can actually weigh in,” Jarvis counters. “I think Austin and I have maybe had, like, three conversations in our entire working relationship, but it is interesting that people like to just blurt things out and make up stuff and it’s 100 percent not true, and it’s hilarious — and anyone who knows me and hears that is just going to, like, have a good laugh. But, you know, people love to just talk about me.”
Is Jarvis’ real name Rachel?
On the cast’s trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Hall takes note of Jarvis’ ID, which states her name as Rachel and not Alexandra, the moniker she shares with three other cast members, Hall included. The shared name forces nearly all of them to go by their surnames in the office/on the show.
“My first name is Rachel,” the Alabama native admits. “My middle name is Alexandra and, in the South, it’s really common to go by your middle name. Like, I just had a nephew born a month ago, and he’s being called by his middle name. It’s just a common thing. So, you know, people saying my ‘real name,’ it’s both.”
Is Jarvis leaving the Oppenheim Group?
By season’s end, Jarvis seems to be contemplating an exit from the Oppenheim Group, and confirms to ET she’s “definitely keeping my options open and will continue to keep my options open.”
One person keeping her at the O Group is newbie Ali, the Tennessee beauty queen with whom Jarvis bonded as Ali explored joining the brokerage, despite not having any real estate experience nor her license.
“Ali is definitely a breath of fresh air, and I’m so glad that she’s here,” Jarvis gushes.
Does Ali have her real estate license yet?
“No,” Ali is quick to admit when asked about the status of her being legally allowed to sell and show real estate in the state of California. That means Gio might end up winning the bet they made in episode 8, that if Ali sells a listing within two months of being licensed, Gio will walk through the office in heels and a bikini, like the one Ali wore while competing for Miss USA.
“I think, not only for my sake, but for everyone who’d be watching sake, I hope she loses,” Gio says. “I can’t speak for her physique, but I can say mine is definitely less than hers. So I’ll leave it at that.”
Gio was Ali’s biggest (and sort of only) skeptic, vocal about not needing “any more inexperienced agents in this office.” Polly joined the brokerage in a similar spot, hired before she was licensed to sell real estate.
“I don’t have anything personally against her, she is a sweetheart,” he notes. “I just know that it’s a really tough world, really tough industry. You can almost be too nice in a sense, and I think she is that sweet. So, it’s not that I I have animosity towards her or anything like that, and I don’t think she has any towards me. I was mainly maybe not welcoming — and I should have been, you know, out of respect, and I do regret that to a degree — but as far as me not voting for her to be a part of our brokerage, when there are so many other qualified candidates out there who would die to be here? I have nothing against my vote there. And nor did Jason.”
“In the moment he said, you know, I’m going against my instinct here,” Gio continues, “and Brett the same. But they went for it. It’s their brokerage. They’re the boss.”
Is Selling Nashville in the works?
Between Ali’s lack of a firm tie to California real estate and the Selling the OC cameras following her back to Nashville, viewers will no doubt wonder whether she’s simply some sort of plant to potentially headline another Selling spinoff in her hometown.
“Then Ali would’ve stayed in Nashville,” Hall scoffs. “Like, why would she come to Orange County? That makes things a lot easier for her.”
However, it’s not necessarily out of the question. “Maybe in the future,” Ali teases, as Jason admits he “needs to go to Nashville” and scope out the real estate scene.
“I think I’m going in a month or two,” he adds.
“I’d consider a running that office!” Jarvis volunteers.
What’s coming in season 3?
While adding any more shows to the Oppenheim brothers’ TV universe remains a question mark, fans can rest assured that more Selling the OC is on its way. The cast is currently winding down production on season 3, having filmed it back to back with season 2.
“Double listings, double drama,” Sean teases, with Rose declaring it “dark drama.”
Season 3 will also feature more of Gio’s journey to fatherhood. His wife, Tiffany, is expecting their first child later this month. It’s happy news that comes at a sad time for the realtor, as he works to sell his family home in the wake of his parents’ divorce.
“It’s been a lot,” he shares. “The past you know few months of filming have certainly been emotional and it’s tragic in a lot of ways for me and my family. I mean, to have to list my family home and to, at the same time, try to reconcile … the remnants of that for my future kid? You know, it’s been a lot to juggle, but I have the best partner in the world in Tiffany, and she’s been nothing but a rock for me and really what helps me sleep at night is the fact that she’s going to be the most amazing mom. But juggling that and work and filming? It was a lot.”
All episodes of Selling the OC season 2 are now streaming on Netflix.
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Spoilers ahead! If you've yet to finish
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There is no shortage of streaming services out there, from Disney+ to Hulu, but one of the best streamers for original TV shows and movies right now is Apple TV+. Even better: if you’re not already signed-up for the service, there’s now a way to get Apple TV+ for free.
Usually priced at $6.99 per month, Apple offers multiple ways to watch for free. The first way is to simply sign up for Apple TV+’s standard free trial offer. You can get Apple TV+ for free for seven days before you make the decision whether to stick to the service or not. Cancel it before the trial is over and you won’t be charged.
However, if you like the original programming — such as The Morning Show, Severance, Long Way Up, For All Mankind, Ted Lasso, Silo, Bad Sisters and more — and live sports from Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer, then just keep watching and enjoy the service.
Apple TV’s $6.99 pricing is comparable to Hulu’s monthly pricing, and cheaper than Netflix, and gets you live TV streaming in addition to on-demand content. Don’t want to pay for Apple TV+? Here are other ways to get the streaming service for free — no promo code required.
In addition to using the 7-day free trial to Apple TV+, you can also watch Apple TV+ for free if you sign up for Apple One’s one-month free trial. This is the tech company’s subscription bundle that offers a number of services — including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and iCloud+ — for one discounted price. It’s one of the best ways to get music, movies and TV shows, video games, news, and more from Apple at a lower rate than if you were to subscribe to each service individually.
Another way you can enjoy Apple TV+ for free is with the purchase of an eligible Apple device. If you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac at an Apple Store or Apple authorized retailer like Best Buy or Target, you can enjoy Apple TV+ for three months without paying a single penny for it. That’s 90 days of free streaming. Click to check eligibility.
Right now, Best Buy has a new deal that sees the retailer giving away three months of Apple TV+ for free. You don’t even have to buy anything to claim this deal. Add Apple TV+ to your cart and check out as usual. And that’s it. Just cancel it after 90 days (unless you want to keep watching) with no strings attached. See full details here.
If you’re a student, you can also claim an Apple TV+ deal with a discounted subscription to Apple TV+ and Apple Music together for just $5.99 per month. This is way cheaper than if you were to subscribe to each service individually. Apple bundles the two services together at a discount for college students (a 65% discount to be exact). You have to enroll and get verified via UNiDAYS to qualify. In addition, there’s also a one-month free trial with this student subscription plan. See full details and eligibility here.
And finally, T-Mobile offers free Apple TV+ for its new and existing customers. Depending on your plan with the cellular carrier, you can get up to six months of the streaming service for free. Afterwards, you’d have to cancel it or pay $6.99 per month to keep watching Apple Originals.
With so many different ways to watch Apple TV+ for free, the only thing you have to decide now is what to watch first.
If you purchase an independently reviewed product
For the first time in almost three decades, football fans are about to turn on NFL Sunday Ticket in a new place. Sunday Ticket, which broadcasts out-of-market games to fans willing to pay a couple hundred bucks a season to watch games they wouldn’t otherwise get on TV, was a DirecTV product from its launch in 1994 until this year, when YouTube plunked down a reported $2 billion a year to get the rights. Now, you can subscribe to Sunday Ticket through YouTube or YouTube TV starting at $350 for the season, and it will start showing games this weekend.
When I ask Christian Oestlien, the VP of product management at YouTube, what to expect from YouTube’s first season as the official home of Sunday Ticket, I expect him to say what everybody always says in this situation: we’re starting small, we want to get the basics right, screwing up everybody’s football-watching experience is about the worst thing you can do, blah blah blah customer experience. And he does say all of that, but he doesn’t actually seem worried about it. He reminds me that YouTube has been streaming football games for years through YouTube TV. ”It’s a sports bundle at its core,” he says, “and the core of that is the NFL.”
That’s why YouTube is perhaps a bit more ambitious than expected going into this season. There’ll be live chat and polls alongside games, and there will be creators at games around the country making their own content about and around the game on the field. “We knew out of the gate we wanted to make this feel like a YouTube experience,” Oestlien says. “That was really important to us.”
There are plenty of other things you can do on Sunday Ticket other than just watch games. Each game will have a real-time highlight reel available through Shorts, for example, so you can catch up on what you missed before jumping into live action. If you play fantasy football through the NFL’s official app, you can connect your account and track your players while you watch. As fantasy and betting in general take over the sports world, YouTube’s likely to be on board. ”I think we could do a lot more there,” Oestlien says. “We’ll do a lot more with that.”
Multiview is the flagship feature of Sunday Ticket this year
But YouTube’s real chance to shine in its first year of Sunday Ticket is a simple one: letting people watch multiple games at the same time. “In my 20 years of product management,” Oestlien says, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an experiment encounter as much popular demand as multiview did when we introduced it.” The company first tried multiview during this year’s March Madness basketball tournament, and it figures to be a big part of Sunday Ticket. “In year one, what we’re really focused on is making sure we give as much choice as possible,” Oestlien says. Right now, that’s not much choice: Sunday Ticket viewers will be able to watch two, three, or four games at a time, but YouTube will be choosing which games. Oestlien seems to notice my face upon hearing this news and quickly adds, “Our hope is over time that users can really start to think about how they might customize multiview.”
The package is called Sunday Ticket, but it seems YouTube’s greatest opportunity might be the other six days of the week. On Mondays, Oestlien says subscribers will be able to watch condensed versions of the games that are essentially just all the plays in a row — the average three-hour football game famously only contains about 11 minutes of action, so you’ll be able to watch the whole weekend in a couple of hours.
A designated “Creator of the Week” will also have access to games, stadiums, footage, and more, and they’ll presumably publish lots of content both during and after football Sundays. What might that look like? Oestlien mentions a video made by the YouTuber Deestroying, who got lots of access to the NFL draft, and an interview with commissioner Roger Goodell. He made a fun video — which doubles as a pretty good Sunday Ticket ad.
Oestlien also mentions podcasters, many of whom are increasingly active on YouTube, as a group that could benefit from more access to NFL content. “They really carry your relationship with football from Monday to Thursday, when it all starts again.”
Part of the overall idea is to give creators ways to share more of the football experience than you might normally see on TV. “I think season one will be all about the tailgate, the in-stadium experience, the locker room,” Oestlien says. “I think creators are going to do a masterful job bringing that to life for fans.” At least at first, he says, don’t expect huge changes to how games are put together on the field and broadcast to your TV. Just expect new ideas about what else you can do at a football game.
Maybe the best way to think about where this might go is that YouTube’s $2 billion a year doesn’t just buy football games. It buys content. What if creators could access, remix, and make videos about football — the highlights, the funny sideline moments, the broadcaster goofs, the touchdown dances — the same way they can with music? Over the years, the NFL and other leagues have become more permissive about how their footage is used around the web, but the NFL could be the first to embrace being part of the creative infrastructure of the platform.
I put this theory to Oestlien, and he smiles. “You get it,” he says. “I mean, look. This is year one. But the NFL has been incredibly engaged with our creator community.” For the NFL, the opportunity is all about reach: the league is looking for ways to bring in new fans and new viewers — and is trying new ways to do so. That’s why MrBeast helped spearhead a scavenger hunt for Super Bowl tickets and why the NFL copied the Drive to Survive formula and made a Netflix show called Quarterback. The league once grew in a big way alongside the rise of broadcast TV and now seems to want to do the same with streaming in a very different way. And for YouTube, of course, that means unfettered access to the most popular content in the entertainment universe.
So what does all that mean for this year? Ultimately, if all you care about is watching games, Sunday Ticket should mostly feel like Sunday Ticket. (Just with comments.) But if you’re on YouTube in the next few months, you’re going to see a whole lot more football-related content than you ever have, all in the hopes that something might entice you to click over and watch a game. And then like, and then — and this part’s important because $2 billion is an awful lot of money — subscribe.
For the first time in almost three
Andrew Tracy joined Realscreen as associate editor in 2021, following 17 years as managing editor of the award-winning international film magazine Cinema Scope. From 2010 to 2020 he also held the position of senior editor at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he oversaw the flagship publication for the organization’s year-round Cinematheque programming and edited its first original monograph in a decade, Steve Gravestock’s A History of Icelandic Film. He was a scriptwriter and consultant on the first season of the Vice TV series The Vice Guide to Film, and his writing and reporting have been featured in such outlets as Cinema Scope, Reverse Shot, Sight & Sound, Cineaste, Film Comment, MUBI Notebook, POV, and Montage.
Almost three years ago, ahead of a bankruptcy court deadline, more than 82,000 people came forward with sexual abuse claims against the Boy Scouts of America. The mostly male survivors were of all ages and came from every state. Some of them had kept mum for decades.
“Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” directed by Brian Knappenberger and streaming on Netflix, is essentially a walk-through of the monumental case. A solid chunk of its running time is spent with Michael Johnson, a former director at the Boy Scouts who has since become an outspoken critic of its youth protection practices. As the film tracks the organization’s history of abuse and cover-ups, Johnson recounts hitting brick walls during his efforts to reform the system.
News-based passages remind viewers about the organization’s wholesome image, as well as its links to the Catholic and Mormon Churches. Bland archival footage supports the history lesson, and the film pans across enough headlines to populate a Sunday paper.
Knappenberger does, thankfully, make space for survivors to share their own accounts, and their vulnerability lends authority to an otherwise anonymous film. At one point, a middle-aged man laments not having the chance to tell his late mother about the abuse he endured as a child. These are heart-wrenching moments. Unfortunately, the film fails to build on them, leaving the culture of shame and stigma that muzzled these men to hover in the air, unexplored.
Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America
Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes. Watch on Netflix.
Almost three years ago, ahead of a
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MCU fans now know whether Marvel Studios pruned Loki Season 2’s release date amidst its new batch of delays.
Scheduled to debut on Friday, October 6, Loki Season 2 is the MCU’s first Season 2 for Disney+ as it looks to further the franchise’s ongoing Multiversal narrative.
However, it seems that timelines are just as much a problem for Marvel Studios as they are for Loki and Mobius.
Thanks to Disney’s own restructuring and ongoing industry strikes, it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios’ calendar is no longer a sacred timeline.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Loki Season 2 is keeping its October 6 premiere and is now “the only show” from Marvel Studios streaming this fall:
“‘Loki’ season two will be the only show to hit this fall, debuting on Disney+ on Oct. 6.”
Originally, Marvel Studios announced a Fall 2023 debut for Echo and X-Men ’97; but its latest release calendar now shows the two series dropping in early 2024.
Additional changes included Agatha: Coven of Chaos receiving yet another new name, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and a new Winter 2024 release.
Meanwhile, What If…? Season 2 is now set to drop on Christmas this year despite being previously expected earlier in 2023.
The most dramatic change of all, however, appears to be the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spin-off series, Ironheart, which currently has no confirmed release date at all.
In light of these drastic shifts, as well as the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike preventing Loki‘s cast from promoting the series, there were concerns Marvel Studios would delay the series’ second season.
The fact that Loki Season 2 stars Jonathan Majors, whose MCU future is currently uncertain, only made another delay all the more likely.
Regardless, this update confirms Marvel remains committed to Loki Season 2’s October debut, giving MCU fans a new narrative to discuss until What If…? in late December.
The following is a list of Marvel Studios’ upcoming Disney+ projects and their new release dates/windows:
Since the God of Mischief’s Season 2 is a mere month away and promotion is in full swing, it’s probably too late for a major schedule change.
Also, while bumping X-Men ’97 and Agatha: Darkhold Diaries was likely both necessary and beneficial for Marvel Studios, the same can’t be said for Loki‘s second season.
First of all, Loki Season 2 has long been completed as it was originally slated to drop this past summer. And, with What If…? Season 2 arriving at Christmas, Loki needs to drop sooner than later to allow space for both projects.
Still, there’s one way that Loki Season 2 could still be rescheduled.
Ahead of Ahsoka‘s Disney+ premiere, Disney+ and Lucasfilm announced the Star Wars series would drop at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) the day prior to its release day.
If Ahsoka‘s performance suggests this new release time is beneficial, Disney+ may do the same for Loki, having the series drop on the evening of October 5 instead of the early morning hours of October 6.
Loki Season 2 premieres Friday, October 6 on Disney+.
My Adventures With Superman producer Josephine Campbell confirmed one of the inspirations used in developing the animated series’ take on Lois Lane.
Playing an important supporting role next to Jack Quaid’s 22-year-old Clark Kent, Lois became a central figure in the Season 1 plot, with her father even being revealed as the General – a primary antagonist in the first 10 episodes.
Fans saw a much different version of Lois in this series than her counterpart from DC Comics, although fans of another popular animated series got some reminders of a different fan-favorite hero through Lois as well.
Speaking with the Superman Homepage YouTube channel, My Adventures with Superman producer Josephine Campbell confirmed suspicions from fans regarding the inspirations behind this series’ interpretation of Lois Lane.
The channel asked Campbell how much The Owl House‘s main character, Luz Noceda, was used as an inspiration for Lois, seeing distinct similarities between the two characters while watching the show:
“My wife is a huge fan of ‘[The] Owl House,’ so I’ve watched all of ‘Owl House’… She and I actually watched [‘My Adventures with Superman’] together, but when I showed her the first picture of Lois, she’s like, ‘Is that Luz from ‘Owl House?” Was this intentional or just a happy coincidence? It seems like they’ve got a lot of DNA in common.”
Campbell confirmed this to be true since the series’ art director, Jane Bak, also worked on The Owl House as she highlighted the different backgrounds that the Superman show’s team boasted:
“So, a lot of the reason why a lot of these shows feel like they have DNA [in] common is we’ve all worked on all of them. Brendan [Clougher] came from ‘Voltron,’ I came from ‘She-Ra,’ Jane Bak, our art director, came from ‘Owl House’… A lot of these shows that people really like and have been really big touchstones, we’ve all worked on them. “
The producer simplified this similarity to the fact that Superman brought together so many people “who have worked on different bits of media that we all love,” bringing their influence together into this new adventure:
“So, a lot of the show was us having fun, because we got to pull together our friends who have worked on different bits of media that we all love, to come together, and make this. So yeah… Some of the reason it looks similar to some of these other shows is because we all made those shows. And then, yeah, mainly that haircut. When she put that haircut on, you got it.”
Luz Noceda is an eager teenager who stumbles upon a portal to a world called the Boiling Isles in The Owl House, looking to prove herself as an up-and-coming witch.
She also sports a look quite similar to Lois as they both have light brown eyes and short brown hair along with comparatively strong personalities. While this version of Lois is shown as being of Korean descent and Luz is Afro-Latina, they also have similarly dark skin, further adding to the comparisons.
This comes after a number of fans shared their own reaction to the characters on X (formerly Twitter) noting the legitimacy of the comparisons between Lois and Luz.
ReignOfPride bluntly noted that “Lois Lane looks exactly like Luz Noceda” and that they “can’t unsee it” after watching both shows.
LetsTalkTommie expressed similar feelings about the comparison, stating that “The new animated Lois Lane is just Luz Noceda.”
foleyexpresscs pitted the two female characters against one another more firmly, noting that this version of Lois “is not beating the Luz Noceda allegations:”
“when I tell y’all this iteration of Lois Lane is not beating the Luz Noceda allegations, I mean that!!!”
Reddit user u/CrystalDragex also offered their own comment on the Lois/Laz comparison, sharing a collage of Lois pictures in a group for The Owl House fans:
“I know I’m not the first person to make this joke but whenever I see Lois Lane from HBO’s My Adventures with Superman, I can’t help but think this.”
The end of Season 1 sets up some significant drama for Lois as she learns about her father’s villainous ways, jumping in to protect Superman as the hero puts forth his best efforts to stop a new Kryptonian invasion.
But with the General now in Task Force X’s crosshairs after appearing to let their prime target go, Superman and Lois are sure to have an even bigger target on their backs moving forward into Season 2.
Lois also got a major promotion at the Daily Planet as she, Clark, and Jimmy Olsen were all promoted to staff writers for their efforts in covering the madness going down all over Metropolis.
And with Season 2 looking to bring even more classic Superman antagonists like Brainiac and General Zod to Earth, Lois is sure to be neck-deep in the action that unfolds with her boyfriend now being a public figure.
Season 1 of My Adventures With Superman is available to stream in its entirety on Max.
Deep Silver and Starbreeze have announced an open beta for their upcoming co-op heist shooter Payday 3.
Running from September 8-11, the beta is designed to stress test servers on Steam and Xbox Series X/S ahead of the game’s release later this month,
The test will feature the same content included in a closed beta last month, which the companies said is based on a version of the game from April 2023 rather than the final product.
It will include one heist, No Rest For The Wicked, which is set in a small bank. All difficulties will be playable, the level cap is Infamy Level 22, and weapon level progression is at 8.
“Go stealthily without anyone noticing how the cash evaporated or go loud and create cinematic chaos in an NYC robbery that’s worthy of the silver screen,” reads a description from Starbreeze.
Payday 3 will be released on September 21 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S including Game Pass, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and PC Game Pass.
In a recent Payday 3 preview, we said the game “seems like it has all of the ingredients necessary to pull off its lofty goal of emulating the classic heist films of Hollywood, but the question remains whether its new stealth systems will be fully embraced by a player base that has gotten so used to the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ action of the previous games”.
Deep Silver and Starbreeze have announced an
Gayle Hunnicutt, whose best-known work came as Vanessa Beaumont, the mother of J.R. Ewing’s illegitimate son, in the final three seasons of Dallas, has died per multiple U.K. reports. Hunnicutt died last Thursday at a hospital in London, according to her ex-husband Simon Jenkins. She was 80 years old.
That Hunnicutt would find fame playing Vanessa Beaumont, a Brit, on a TV show called Dallas was a bit ironic for a woman born in Fort Worth. But it was entirely sensible given that the actress spent much of her career in British TV and movies, even marrying the be-knighted Jenkins before returning to work in the U.S.
Her TV career began with a role on the shortlived small-screen adaptation of Mister Roberts and included roles on The Beverly Hillbillies, Get Smart and in Marlowe opposite James Garner.
In 1970, Hunnicutt met and later married David Hemmings, who himself was already a major star on the heels of Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow Up. The duo moved to England, where her career took off. They co-starred in two horror films, Fragment of Fear in 1970 and Voices in 1973. That same year, she played opposite Roddy McDowell in The Legend of Hell House.
After divorcing Hemmings in 1975, Hunnicutt wed journalist Simon Jenkins in 1978. Jenkins was knighted for services to journalism in the 2004. The duo divorced in 2009.
During her time in the U.K., Hunnicutt starred in a television adaptation of Henry James’s The Golden Bowl and as Tsarina Alexandra in the miniseries Fall of Eagles. She also played Annabelle West in The Return of the Saint. Her other on-screen sleuthing included embodying the formidable Irene Adler opposite Jeremy Brett in the TV series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1984.
Throughout the ’80s, she appeared on American TV staples such as Taxi, Matt Houston and Fantasy Island before she found her way into the final three seasons of David Jacobs’ Texas-set juggernaut.
Gayle Hunnicutt, whose best-known work came as
Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.
The Telluride Film Festival has launched many Oscar Best Picture winners, from “The King’s Speech” and “Slumdog Millionaire” to “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight.” Oscar campaigners bring their films here to build critical reaction and positive buzz, often amplifying awareness at subsequent festivals in Toronto, New York, and London. Last year, “Tár” and “Women Talking” made it to Best Picture nominations.
This year, the film most likely to wind up in the Best Picture race is Yorgos Lanthimos’ surreal fantasy “Poor Things” (Searchlight), which premiered in Venice to rave reviews (Metascore 94) and moved on to wow Telluride crowds. No other film was as discussed and debated and admired, not only for its stunning heightened style and design but also for the brilliant comedic performances by “La La Land” Oscar-winner Emma Stone as the reanimated Bella, figuring out how to function with her newborn baby’s brain in her skull, and three-time Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo as her buffoonish Lothario lover, who shows her the ways of sex and society.
We see the world through Bella’s eyes, as she grows and matures and unabashedly learns how to use her body for profit. Willem Dafoe is unaccountably moving as her Dr. Frankenstein “God,” who was used for horrific scientific experiments by his own father. Lanthimos will wind up in the Adapted Screenplay race with Tony McNamara (“The Favourite”), adapting the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, as well as Director, and multiple craft nominations will accrue, including Production and Costume Design as well as Cinematography and Editing.
Is the movie too sexy for staid Academy voters? Maybe, but the Academy is not what it used to be. Its tastes are more sophisticated and diverse, as proven by Oscar voters’ embrace of such boundary-busting flicks as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Promising Young Woman.”
Building on its Grand Prix-winning premiere at Cannes, Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” (A24) continued to amaze and upset viewers with its brilliant take of German family life under the smoky shadow of Auschwitz. The UK may submit it for Best International Feature, it could wind up in the race for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay (from the Martin Amis novel), and Best Actress Sandra Hüller, among many craft considerations. And the German actress also could be in contention for Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon), playing a professional German woman who is accused of pushing her French husband out a window to his death. Because the film is in French and English, it’s unclear whether France will submit it for Best International Feature.
Another German actress, the lauded Leonie Benesch, who stars in German Oscar entry “The Teacher’s Lounge” (Sony Pictures Classics) is a long shot Best Actress contender as well. She plays a beleaguered high school teacher trying to do the right thing. She attended Telluride and will be in Toronto.
Also building buzz in Telluride: British director Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” (Searchlight), a haunting ghost story adapted from a 1987 Taichi Yamada novel. Haigh moves the setting from Tokyo to England and crafts the tale of a man (Andrew Scott) who somehow meets his young parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy) at the age they were before they died. At the same time, he embarks on a passionate affair with a neighbor (Paul Mescal). All four actors are superb, especially Scott, who has never taken on such a rich leading role. At a Q&A, Haigh said it was important to cast a gay actor as his lead. From reverting to childhood in the scenes with his parents, to revealing the romantic yearnings of a lonely, wounded man, Scott is heartbreaking in the best role of his career.
Focus’s Oscar contender, Alexander Payne’s heartwarming Christmas tale “The Holdovers,” could yield Oscar nods for once-nominated Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”), who was overlooked for Payne’s “Sideways,” and Supporting Actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was overlooked for “Dolemite is My Name.” Payne is a perennial directing nominee, and has won twice for Adapted Screenplay for “The Descendants” and “Sideways,” though “The Holdovers” comes from an original screenplay by David Hemingson.
Also in the running for a Best Actor nomination is George C. Wolfe’s Civil Rights era biopic “Rustin” (Netflix), starring Colman Domingo in the title role; a Best Actor nomination could be in the cards. The crowdpleaser was embraced by Telluride audiences. Neon will push its “Perfect Days” Cannes Best Actor winner Koji Yakusho for his tender portrait of a toilet cleaner in Tokyo who finds joy in his simple life. The Wim Wenders film was submitted by Japan for Best International Feature Film.
Netflix’s other Telluride Oscar candidate is “Nyad,” the inspirational true story of long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (four-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) and her best friend and coach (Oscar-winner Jodie Foster). Directed with energy by documentarians Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, making their narrative feature debut, the well-reviewed story of an athlete overcoming insurmountable odds faces controversy over Nyad’s true legacy. What matters in the Oscar race is Academy reaction to the movie. The long-overdue Bening is a shoo-in for not only her gutsy performance but her athletic training (she’s still swimming) and acting under prosthetic makeup.
Actors will also love Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” (20th Century Studios), a vivid portrait of ’60s biker culture in Chicago led by Oscar nominees Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”) and Austin Butler (“Elvis”), and rising star Jodie Comer, who just won the Tony for “Prima Facie.”
Oscar nominee Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” follow-up, “Saltburn” (Amazon/MGM), a racy and entertaining send-up of British aristocracy, turned away overflow audiences at Telluride and kicked up debate over its quality (Metascore: 60). Depending on how it fares at the box office, the comedy could deliver nominations for one-time nominee Best Actor Barry Keough (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Supporting Actress Rosamund Pike, who was nominated for “Gone Girl.”
Also playing well at Telluride are potential International Oscar contenders “The Promised Land” (Magnolia)” from Oscar-nominated “The Royal Affair” director Nicolaj Arcel, who 11 years later reteams with Mads Mikkelsen. He delivers yet another miracle of expressive minimalism as a veteran soldier-turned-pioneer farmer tries to conquer the Danish heath. The film was shortlisted by Denmark, which will choose from three titles on September 26.
“The Taste of Things” (IFC), from Vietnamese-French filmmaker Anh Hung Tran, director of Oscar-nominated “The Scent of Green Papaya,” features a transcendent performance by Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient”) and could wind up France’s selection. TIFF sales title “The Monk and the Gun,” Pawo Choyning Dorji’s compelling follow-up to his Oscar-nominated Bhutan entry “Lunana: The Yak in the Classroom,” about a mountain village facing its first elections, could be selected by Bhutan.
In the running for Best Documentary contention is Errol Morris’ John le Carré portrait “The Pigeon Tunnel” (AppleTV+), along with Sundance entry “Beyond Utopia” (Fathom Events/Roadside Attractions).
Whether or not these titles wind up in the Oscar race, Telluride executive director’s Julie Huntsinger’s first solo program was an undeniable success.
The Telluride Film Festival has launched many
A whole new set of streamers have fallen in love with the entertaining legal drama Suits, and rightfully so. It’s fantastic! Take it from me and my good friend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. But if you’re in the mood for another dramedy that features a bunch of well-dressed workaholics throwing around arcane pop culture references, prepare to fall in love with the absurd brilliance of Billions. In the midst of its seventh and final season, the series is going out with a bang as it welcomes back fan favorite Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). The actor will reportedly appear in six of the twelve episodes, with the majority taking place in the second half of the season.
Photo: Everett Collection
By Josh Sorokach A whole new set of streamers
Ethan Hawke has no problem with daughter Maya Hawke doing sex scenes.
Ethan directs Maya in upcoming Flannery O’Connor biopic “Wildcat,” which premiered at Telluride. Maya plays the author as well as six other characters in O’Connor’s short stories, some of which include sex scenes.
Ethan told Variety that he had no hesitation directing Maya in those moments, which co-starred Rafael Casal and Cooper Hoffman. To note, the cast of “Wildcat” received a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement to promote the film amid the ongoing strike.
“We needed to take care of Rafael and Cooper,” Ethan said. “I think it was weird for them. We were so comfortable with it. I couldn’t care less.”
Maya added, “We made sure to have an intimacy coordinator on set for them. So that they felt safe and comfortable and not like they were being spied on…” to which Ethan said, “…by some creepy dad.”
Ethan added to Variety of Maya portraying O’Connor that “young actresses very rarely get that opportunity to be brilliant, complicated, mean, sexual, asexual. Making movies about imperfect women is hard.”
The “Training Day” alum directs, produces, and co-wrote “Wildcat” with Shelby Gaines; Maya executive produces. Ethan previously starred opposite Maya on limited series “The Good Lord Bird.”
Maya told Entertainment Weekly at the time that working with her father was a “great” experience, saying, “I hope to work with my dad my whole life. He’s my greatest teacher and my greatest adviser, and it’s an honor to get to work alongside him.”
As for representing femininity onscreen as a whole, the “Stranger Things” star said in conversation with Margaret Qualley for Interview magazine that empowered female sexuality can take many forms.
“You’ll go to see an all-female Shakespeare production or something, which is so awesome, but so often the way in which women try to be powerful is by impersonating men. You don’t have to sit with your legs separated to be taken seriously,” Maya said. “That’s an option, and if that works for you, that’s a great option.”
She continued, “I’m so sick, in my own life and in movies, for all the women to have to do all the work to make the moment special, for them to have to peacock around and look so beautiful. I feel so fluid in my own gender. I love getting dressed up and being sparkly and peacocking around, and I also love not doing that.”
Ethan Hawke has no problem with daughter
If you live in the U.S. and weren’t lucky enough to get tickets to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour this year, you can still experience the magic this October.
Even though the first U.S. leg of the tour wrapped up this month — and won’t be back here for another year — a cinematic version of the tour will play in movie theaters across the country beginning on October 13. Thirteen is an important number for Swift, so it was the perfect day to release this film out into the world.
This means it’s going to be a busy month for Swifties, since 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is set to release on October 27, not too long after the movie.
Swift made the announcement on Instagram, writing: “The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon.” Dancing and friendship bracelets are highly encouraged.
AMC Theaters are committed to offering the film at each one of their U.S. theaters, so you should be able to get tickets to a showing in your area. But even if you don’t have an AMC theater near you, Fandango may offer showings in other theaters close by.
Swift and her team are determined to make sure every Swiftie across the globe who wants to see this tour gets the chance to do so, and showing a version of it in theaters is going to open this up to so many more fans. It’s pricier than your typical movie ticket, but much more affordable than a ticket to the actual tour (about $20 versus hundreds), even with a trip to the concession counter.
Even if you’ve seen The Eras Tour in person, you can soon experience it again — this time with more friends, popcorn, and all your favorite movie theater snacks.
Tickets for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour are on sale now.
If you live in the U.S.
In Spencer Zender’s film, What’s My Name Again? We are brought back to the mid-1980s to Southern California’s beach bum hippie culture, where Bo (Ryan Winn) finds out he needs to make a life-defining choice as he turns 18. This seemingly quintessential Southern California teen’s identity unravels as he’s forced to choose one of his three fathers’ last names. A coming-of-age film that might get lost in its marijuana smoke and endless beers, What’s My Name Again? makes a point of referring to a time when things were slightly different. The sun, palm trees, and waves at high tide were all good, and there were no cell phones, only answering machines with telephones that used chords.
Refreshing and simple as the past appears, this is not the case for Bo, who finds out he was never adopted by one of his fathers, which his mother Karen Humpton (Allison Byrnes) tells him before his 18th birthday. With street humor and quick wit, Karen anchors a film that is fun to watch but sometimes a bit challenging to follow. Bo holds a swimming record, which is his ticket to college. He dates a wealthy girl, Alea Kai (Talia Mychael Blaney), who enjoys his world, and his best friend, Griffin Nelson (Nick Schultz), who has to come to terms with his sexual identity. Bo’s dads are all an archetype for a type of man. Yet not one is an appealing father figure, even though Scott Baxter (Theodore Newton), Robert Olfasson (Lucas Coleman), and Jimmy Humpton (Daniel Abraham Stevens) try. Thus revealing another level of identity crisis.
“…quintessential Southern California teen’s identity unravels as he’s forced to choose one of his three fathers’ last names.”
All feel Bo’s frustration because it is a question of identity that has to be corrected while also deciding who he is as a person, regardless of his name. Bo has to overcome a great deal of personal anger when choosing who he wants to be. To say he has a father complex is an understatement, which is true for his girlfriend’s father.
At his 18th birthday party, Bo, Alea, and Griffin attend a pool party of bizarre characters with booze lockers for birthday shots, a bunch of twisted sisters, and redneck relatives, including his grandparents, who drink martinis with hotdogs. Many funny lines and comments include a card game for “tits only.” With all three fathers in one place, Bo reminisces and wonders while the drinks flow and punches go wild. Fast-forward to finding themselves drunk and in a Tijuana jail, Bo, Alea, and Griffin deal with all their issues while deciding to bond no matter what happens in the future. Being in another country also plays upon the identity theme that Zender constructs.
What might be considered a raunchy beach world does have some merit as Bo goes forth with all the exciting advisement, deciding upon a name and swimming for his future. A decent soundtrack sets the tone for What’s My Name Again? and some great filming in the water, the ocean, sunsets, and other spots makes his locations alluring. Zender has some interesting points on life and identity, as his characters are appealing. It could be interesting to see what Zender does next and if Bo’s natural curly hair will reappear—it’s a good look.
For more information about What’s My Name Again?, visit the Other Brother Productions official website.
In Spencer Zender’s film, What’s My Name
Florence Pugh and Gemma Chan met up at the ELLE Style Awards 2023, in partnership with Tiffany & Co. at The Old Sessions House in London.
Florence Pugh and Gemma Chan met up
The collapse in cryptocurrency prices last year forced a procession of major firms into bankruptcy, triggering a government crackdown and erasing the savings of millions of inexperienced investors.
But for a small group of corporate turnaround specialists, crypto’s implosion has become a financial bonanza.
Lawyers, accountants, consultants, cryptocurrency analysts and other professionals have racked up more than $700 million in fees since last year from the bankruptcies of five major crypto firms, including the digital currency exchange FTX, according to a New York Times analysis of court records. That sum is likely to grow significantly as the cases unfold over the coming months.
Large fees are common in corporate bankruptcies, which require complex and time-intensive legal work to untangle. But in the crypto world, the mounting fees have sparked widespread outrage because many of the people owed money are amateur traders who lost their personal savings, rather than corporations with the ability to weather a financial crisis. Every dollar in fees is deducted from the pool of funds that will be returned to creditors at the end of the bankruptcies.
The fees are “exorbitant and ridiculous,” said Daniel Frishberg, a 19-year-old investor who lost about $3,000 when the crypto company Celsius Network filed for bankruptcy last year. “At every hearing, they have an army of people there, and most of them don’t need to be there. You don’t need 20 people taking notes.”
To tally the overall fees, The Times analyzed more than 5,000 pages of billing statements and other court documents from the bankruptcies of the crypto firms FTX, Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, BlockFi and Genesis Global. The totals include fees that a bankruptcy judge has formally approved as well as some that are awaiting approval and could be reduced.
Among the biggest winners from the five cases are two major law firms. Sullivan & Cromwell, which is managing FTX’s bankruptcy, has charged more than $110 million in legal fees and recorded over $500,000 in expenses. Kirkland & Ellis has billed $101 million for its work on three of the crypto bankruptcies, with $2.5 million in expenses, according to The Times’s analysis.
More than 50 other professionals have also profited, including specialized start-ups that analyze crypto transactions as well as accountants, consultants and investment bankers, according to the analysis.
The ballooning costs reflect the broken promises of crypto, a renegade industry that was pitched to amateur traders as a force for equality in the ultra-stratified world of high finance. After months of rising prices and social media hype, the crypto market last year spiraled into a crisis that cost investors billions in savings and allowed lawyers, bankers and other traditional power brokers to reap immense profits.
As the industry has struggled to rebound, the bankruptcy fees have come under intense scrutiny from the hyper-online community of crypto obsessives, who have spent hundreds of hours analyzing billing statements that the companies are required to file publicly in court.
In FTX’s bankruptcy, creditors have raised concerns about the hourly rates charged by Sullivan & Cromwell, which reach as high as $595 for paralegals and $2,165 for partners. Last fall, creditors of Voyager filed a motion complaining that lawyers overseeing the bankruptcy were expensing thousands of dollars per person for hotel stays and billing $10,000 a month for catering.
Lawyers and other bankruptcy professionals argue that they are charging market rates for difficult work that will ultimately help recover the money that crypto investors lost. In the FTX case, Sullivan & Cromwell has said it has scraped together more than $7 billion in assets, though it’s unclear how much of that total will go back to creditors.
A spokesman for FTX’s new management said the bankruptcy was “extraordinary in almost every conceivable way,” requiring professionals to recreate records from scratch and track down missing funds. Andrew Dietderich, a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, said in a statement that the lack of clear crypto regulations made the cases more complex and time-consuming, driving up costs.
A Kirkland & Ellis spokeswoman declined to comment.
Over the past few decades, corporate bankruptcy has become a big business. John J. Ray III, the executive whom Sullivan & Cromwell tapped to run FTX after its collapse, has made a career of managing distressed companies like Enron and Fruit of the Loom. He has billed $2.8 million for his work on the FTX bankruptcy, court records show.
Bankruptcy cases were not always so expensive. The average hourly rate for bankruptcy lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell rose to $2,000 this year from $1,300 in 2018, according to Reorg, a credit and bankruptcy data provider. And research by the legal experts Lynn LoPucki and Joseph Doherty shows that professional fees in bankruptcies grew about 10 percent a year between 1998 and 2007.
When the crypto market tumbled last year, Celsius and Voyager, which had styled themselves as experimental crypto banks, were the first to go under, costing investors more than $6 billion. FTX failed in November, erasing as much as $9 billion in user funds. That was followed by the demise of BlockFi and Genesis, which had also overseen billions of dollars.
Lawyers, accountants and consultants sprang into action. Kirkland & Ellis is managing the Celsius, Genesis and Voyager bankruptcies, while Alvarez & Marsal, a turnaround management firm, has charged more than $125 million for its work on FTX, Celsius and Genesis.
Alvarez & Marsal didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The fees drawing the most scrutiny have come in the bankruptcy of FTX, the largest and highest-profile of the crypto firms that failed. FTX’s case has cost more than $325 million so far, in the most expensive of the five bankruptcies, ahead of the roughly $200 million in fees that Celsius has generated.
In several of the cases, bankruptcy judges have appointed fee examiners — outside lawyers who monitor costs and work with the firms to eliminate unnecessary spending.
In June, Katherine Stadler, the FTX fee examiner, wrote that the bankruptcy was “on track to be very expensive by any measure.” She noted that the spending up to that point amounted to 10 percent of FTX’s remaining cash.
Ultimately, Ms. Stadler called for only modest reductions in spending. Fee examiners in the Celsius and Voyager cases have made similar recommendations.
Creditors have called for more aggressive cuts. In January, a group of Voyager customers filed a motion complaining about the tens of thousands of dollars in meal and hotel expenses filed by lawyers at Kirkland & Ellis. They argued that the lawyers were also duplicating one another’s efforts, repeatedly charging for the same work. In response, Kirkland & Ellis agreed to cap nightly hotel expenses at $550 and limit catering costs to $20 per person.
A few months later, Kirkland & Ellis angered investors when it billed nearly $100,000 for 77 hours spent considering a possible lawsuit against Tiffany Fong, a Celsius customer and social media influencer who had obtained leaked information about the bankruptcy process. No suit has been filed.
“They essentially used creditor funds in an attempt to sue me, a creditor,” Ms. Fong said. “It ended up being a complete waste.”
The fee debate has at times made the cases more expensive. The same month that Kirkland & Ellis pursued Ms. Fong, it billed $230,122 for work involving “fee matters.”
In the Celsius bankruptcy, Mr. Frishberg, the 19-year-old creditor, has filed a series of motions contesting various issues, including fees.
By Mr. Frishberg’s own calculations, Kirkland & Ellis billed nearly $50,000 responding to his filings last September and October — about 16 times the amount that he lost in the first place.
The collapse in cryptocurrency prices last year
Ruschell Boone, a respected and Emmy-winning journalist for New York’s NY1, died Sunday following a year long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 48.
The news was announced Tuesday by NY1 ancho Cheryl Wills, who in an on-air statement remembered Boone as “a member of our staff, as well as a friend and mentor to many.
After the news was made public, ABC reporter Cefaan Kim of WABC-TV, who worked with Boone for years at NY1, paid tribute to her on Instagram.
“Ruschell Boone was a tremendous human being. Always shining. I’ll never forget how when I got my first on air break at @Ny1 covering Queens and she was THE Queens reporter, how she supported me, guided me, mentored me. When so many others would have seen me stepping int their territory as a threat, Ruschell embraced and encouraged me. She was one of a king. Gone too soon. #f—cancer,” Kim wrote.
Born in Jamaica in 1975, Boone (nee West) moved with her family to New York when she was 11. Though she earned a degree in accounting from CUNY’s Baruch College, she discovered a passion for journalism as a senior and changed career paths.
She worked for CNBC in 1998 and soon after for CNN before joining NY1 in 2002, where she remained for the rest of her career.
“For someone who lived and breathed the five boroughs, NY1 was a perfect match,” the network said.
According to NY1, Boone learned she had pancreatic cancer in June, 2022. “Throughout a difficult process, Ruschell was open about her journey, sharing regular updates on social media. She made it back to the anchor desk and was joined by the mayor on her first day back,” the network said.
“She was devoted to raising awareness about cancer and other health issues. And while she was facing a constant fight of her own, Ruschell felt it was important to extend a hand and help others in their time of need,” the statement continued. “Wherever Ruschell was, she always made time to laugh, to dance, and to celebrate life.”
Boone’s accolades include Best Spot News Reporting from the New York Association of Black Journalists, a Best Feature Reporting award from the New York Press Club, and a New York Emmy Award for her series, “New York: Unfiltered.” She was nominated for New York Emmys 4 times.
According to NY1, Boone also had the distinction of being the only local news reporter to speak live to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and in fact was the person who informed the congresswoman of her underdog victory in the 2018 mid term election.
“Ruschell Boone was a legendary journalist who left an indelible impact on NYC. Ruschell was everywhere. She was often the first reporter on the scene across the city, and was the person who told me I had won my first election. A major loss for NYC. She will be deeply missed,” Ocasio-Cortez said Tuesday.
Ruschell Boone, a respected and Emmy-winning journalist
Drew Barrymore‘s alleged stalker, a man named Chad Michael Busto, now has a warrant out for his arrest after failing to show up to get a GPS monitor from authorities.
Southampton Town Justice Court Clerk Heather Drapal tells TMZ … a judge has issued a bench warrant for Busto in connection with last month’s case when Busto was arrested after cops say he showed up uninvited to her Hamptons home.
We’re told Busto was set to get fitted for a GPS monitor by cops but never showed … so now police are looking to apprehend him again.
As we reported, cops say Busto went house-to-house in her Hamptons neighborhood a couple of weeks ago, eventually finding her $6 million property and walking onto some steps outside before he was cuffed. We’re told Drew wasn’t home at the time.
Of course, that arrest came just 2 days after video showed Busto rushing the stage during a 92NY interview she was holding with singer/actress Reneé Rapp. You can hear him demanding to see Drew and claiming she knew who he was.
We were told there were no complaints from this incident and cops didn’t respond as a result … but they are certainly looking for him now.
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