Linus Media Group (LMG) founder Linus Sebastian explained LMG’s HR policies and how it will improve accuracy and ethics in a video posted to YouTube last night.
Following a 10-day pause to evaluate its processes, Sebastian said the company held meetings with team members to “dig through every misstep” and identify “communication and … teamwork challenges” that resulted in accusations of LMG’s quality issues. He added that the company will no longer insist on uploading videos daily and will slow down to verify its content is accurate.
Sebastian did not directly address sexual harassment allegations recently levied by a former employee, Madison Reeve. Sebastian detailed changes to its HR structure over the year, including hiring outside consultants to review its policies in 2018, later contracting with an independent firm to handle HR issues, and eventually adding an in-house HR department. In a statement at the beginning of its production pause, Sebastian told us, “Our HR team will be conducting a more thorough assessment of the allegations, and when we are ready, we will release a more complete statement.”
Sebastian said Linus Tech Tips (LTT) now has “a clear rubric,” which he posted on the LTT forums, “that defines error severity and prescribes the appropriate fix,” which could range from pinned comments to full reshoots or even total cancellation of a project if necessary. LMG will, he said, use a newly formed error-checking community group, currently consisting of “fewer than 10 extremely knowledgeable” Linus Tech Tips community members, to verify the accuracy of the company’s videos.
Other changes are intended to improve business transparency, including publicly publishing the media group’s sponsorship guidelines and improving item tracking for products LMG has been sent for testing. He says the company now has a system for tracking the status of products provided to LMG to avoid future confusion regarding “items that start out as we don’t need it back and then turn into a loan later on.”
Later in the video, Sebastian talked about the company’s benefits, highlighting team outings, holiday parties, and internal giveaways. He discussed the company’s HR policies and department structure, saying the company will double its mental health counseling contribution later this year in response to recent online harassment experienced by LMG employees.
We’ve reached out to Linus Media Group for additional comment but did not receive a response by press time.
When Guy Nattiv came on board to direct Golda — centered on the first and only female Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir — he knew he didn’t want to make a war movie, despite the film being set during the 1973 Yom Kippur war. “We’ve seen war movies before,” he figured, and what audiences hadn’t seen before was Meir’s story.
With Golda, Nattiv, who broke out with his short film and subsequent feature Skin, hopes to bring more understanding to Meir’s leadership during the conflict, which was seen both inside and outside her country as a failure and preceded her eventual resignation. “A lot of the film watches on as Meir and the generals listen in to the sound of men dying on the battlefield as they play cat and mouse with the Egyptians and Syrians. There’s no blood on display but the agony and pain is embedded in the very soundscape itself,” reads The Hollywood Reporter review of the film.
Ahead of the film’s release, Nattiv talked to THR about his choice to use real battlefield audio in the film, the criticism of the casting of Mirren, who is not Jewish, to play Meir, and what it is like to be releasing Golda as Israelis are protesting the current Prime Minister’s attempts to reform to country’s judiciary.
What did you want audiences to understand about Golda Meir that they may not have been aware of previously?
Golda, in Israel, was basically a myth. She was maybe a statue, but no one put her name on schools or parks. She was kind of the pariah of Israel because her name was connected to the failure of the Yom Kippur War. It was kind of easy to blame an older woman from Milwaukee who didn’t know a lot about the war regarding what had happened. The Israeli generals did not take responsibility, did not say, “It’s on us.” She said, “It’s on me. I’m resigning.” And that’s the narrative that we grew up on, that Godla was a failure and it was a horrible war, but no one spoke about it. It was kind of a hidden secret until 10 years ago when declassified documents got out from the state and the truth came out that the actual intelligence division fucked it up. So, it wasn’t only her, that was the face of this failure. When I read the script by Nicholas Morton, I felt that we could do justice to this pioneer lady who was not perfect, and who was a controversial character, but she was not the only person whom we could blame for this war. So when I read the script, this was basically 80 percent war, 20 percent Golda. I pitched my idea to do the opposite, to let’s focus on Golda and let’s have 20 percent war. I wanted to do a war movie with not a single drop of blood.
In the film, the audience isn’t shown much of battle or the frontlines but we hear battlefield audio as it is presented to Golda. What was the thinking behind depicting the war in this way?
I grew up on The Conversation with Gene Hackman and Blow Out, the Brian De Palma film where there’s a recording of a murder. I also thought of The Life of Others, where he creates a narrative through sound. I thought about how Golda experienced the war, which was only through sound because she couldn’t go to the front. So [I thought] why don’t we bring the war into the war room rather than just spend all our money shooting war scenes with tanks? So, I got from], who was a commander in Battalion in the South. He owned all those recordings. I showed him the movie and I asked him if he can give these [recordings] to us. I was blown away by the number of recordings from 1973. It made me cry and I did put it in a movie. What you hear, a big part of it, is real sound from the front.
Was it a difficult decision including the real audio? I know your father fought in the war. It is one thing to portray war, it’s another thing to portray the war with real audio. What made you decide that the audio should be in the movie?
The cinema today is so blended, you have documentary and narrative together. Look at Oliver Stone’s J.F.K. He used real footage from the assassination. I thought this would add to the authenticity. I asked the veterans what they thought about it, and they said that it’s an homage to the people who really gave their lives to the war. And when we screened the film in front of 6,000 people in Jerusalem with war veterans, they just were in tears and felt it was a beautiful homage. And we also dedicated this film to people who lost their lives in the war.
Mirren’s casting as Golda has been criticized given that she is not Jewish. What do you want critics to understand about your casting choice?
When I came to the project, Helen was already cast as Golda. Gideon Meir, Golda’s grandson, said to the producers, “I look at Helen, I see my grandmother. That’s who I want to play my grandmother.” When I came [on], they told me, you got the job why don’t you meet with Helen? She came to my house in the middle of the pandemic and we sat and talked for three hours. She told me that when she was 29, she toured [Israel] and went to the kibbutz and volunteered and fell in love with an Israeli man. They toured the country, they hitchhiked and they were staying there for three and a half months. She was more than just a visitor. When I spoke to her at my house, I felt that I’m speaking to my mom. I felt that she’s someone from my tribe. I felt that she was someone who understands the bits and pieces of what it means to be Jewish. So I felt that she’d be an amazing option to play Golda other than the fact that she’s one of the best actresses of our time in our time. I respect the discussion. I think that CODA 30 years ago would probably be cast differently. And when I see CODA with people with hearing difficulties, it makes it much more authentic. And I think that Rain Man would probably not have Dustin Hoffman today or Dallas Buyers Club would not have Jared Leto.So I’m open to that, but I personally thought that Helen is perfect for this to play Golda, especially after we got the blessing of the family.
What did you want to audience to understand about Golda being a woman, and holding that position of power?
The disrespect and the misogynistic approach by those commanders and her staff in 1973 was despicable. You see that when she’s taking the blame because no one has enough guts and enough respect to say, “It’s me.” She took the blame because she’s a woman and she was older and she was not coming from the milieu of those Sabras, of the Zionists. I think if she was not a woman, it wouldn’t have happened that way. On the other hand, she’s a pioneer, she paved the way for Angela Merkel, [Margaret] Thatcher, Hillary [Clinton], and many others. I think [her] downfall and the fact that she was the wrong person, in the wrong time, in the wrong place affected how women are treated in politics in Israel.
How is it to be releasing the film when Israelis are protesting the current Prime Minister’s attempt to reform the judiciary?
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government — extreme government I would say — is leading the country into mayhem. He’s leading us to catastrophe. It’s basically what happened in 1973. So when I went to demonstrate with my dad and my friends and my family, I met people from the Yom Kippur War wearing this t-shirt that said, “I fought the Yom Kippur War and now I’m fighting for democracy, again.” But this time we don’t have those enemies around us that trying to kill us. We have ourselves killing us from the inside. And the good thing about it is that you see the young people woke up. All the young people woke up in Israel and, with the older generation, you see hundreds and thousands of people going to the street, every single Shabbat. I really hope that the high court will disqualify what Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to do and I hope that his government will obey the ruling of the high court. Golda believed in the high court, she believed in the system.
The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
“Our Father, the Devil” centers on Marie (Babetida Sadjo), a Guinean refugee in southern France who possesses the kind of thick armor forged by intense hurt. When a figure from Marie’s past life arrives in the guise of a priest at the upscale retirement home where she works as the head chef, something in her cracks.
In the assured hands of the writer-director Ellie Foumbi, Marie’s unraveling yields not only an absorbing psychological thriller, but a profound meditation on the ethics of immigration.
Marie’s story begins on a high note. Her culinary mentor, Jeanne (Martine Amisse), has written Marie into her will, giving Marie an idyllic mountainside cottage. Yet Foumbi’s stark, formalist tableau captures even the glittering French countryside as a space trembling with contained anxiety.
Inexplicably, at least at first, Marie fends off the advances of a handsome bartender to whom she is evidently attracted. Sadjo, in a commanding performance, shifts easily from pure venom to bashful uncertainty — as if Marie were constantly playing mental tug of war with herself and her past.
Then, Father Patrick appears (Souléymane Sy Savané) — though Marie knows him better as “Sogo,” a warlord responsible for the death of her family in Guinea. Marie reacts instinctively and imprisons Patrick in her cottage outpost, and then unleashes an inner brutality.
The first part of the film relies on the ambiguity of whether or not Marie is mistaken about Patrick’s identity, but the answer isn’t simple. Instead, Foumbi’s script provokes questions about our capacity for change and the absolution of past sins — all anchored to the charged political question of an immigrant’s worth. Painfully, and at the risk of losing her new life, Marie discovers that there is no such thing as devils — or angels, for that matter.
Our Father, the Devil Not rated. In French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes. In theaters.
Bob Barker, the TV game-show legend who hosted “The Price Is Right” for more than three decades and became one of the country’s most prominent animal-rights activists, has died. He was 99.
Barker died Saturday at home of natural causes, according to publicist Roger Neal, who confirmed the death on behalf of Nancy Burnet, Barker’s longtime friend and overseer of Barker’s care.
In a television career that spanned more than half a century and made him a welcome presence in millions of living rooms, the good-humored Barker came to national fame in 1956 when he took over as host of NBC’s daytime show “Truth or Consequences,” a job that lasted 18 years.
In 1972, Barker also began hosting what was then called “The New Price Is Right” on CBS, a rebranding of the original version, which ran from 1956 to 1965 and was hosted by Bill Cullen.
The Barker-hosted “Price Is Right,” in which contestants from the studio audience were invited to “come on down!” to try to guess the retail prices of furniture, cars, appliances and other prizes via various games, became the longest-running game show in American TV history.
As host, Barker was known for his quick wit. When one contestant turned out to be a sheriff, Barker grinned and asked, “You here on business?”
In a 1987 interview with The Times, Barker said he liked “to try to create spontaneous laughter with these unrehearsed contestants, so each show for me is like mining for gold.”
But it was the wildly exuberant contestants who provided some of the biggest laughs and most memorable moments on the show, including a woman who ran down to the stage so enthusiastically after hearing her name called out that her breasts popped out of her tube top.
Over the years, Barker was the recipient of kisses, hugs and even marriage proposals from some of the more excited contestants.
When Drew Carey took over as host of “The Price Is Right” in 2007, he said he did so with great trepidation.
’’When they first approached me and said, ’Would you think about taking over for Bob Barker?’ my first thought was: ’Are you kidding me? I’ll get murdered,’ ” Carey told the New York Times.
He agreed to take the job only after going to lunch with Barker and getting his blessing.
Barker’s 35-year tenure on “The Price Is Right” led to numerous honors.
In 2002 — after hosting “The Price Is Right” for 29 years, seven months and 22 days — Barker broke Johnny Carson’s record for the longest continuing performance on the same network television show.
Barker received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award for Daytime Television in 1999 and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2004. The studio at CBS Television City in Los Angeles where “The Price Is Right” is produced was named after him in 1998.
By the time he retired from “The Price Is Right” in 2007, Barker had won 14 Daytime Emmy Awards as host.
“Bob brought a lot of much-needed class and humor to the genre,” Jerry Katzman, the former vice chairman of the William Morris Agency, told The Times.
But those accolades were tainted when a former “Price Is Right” model sued him for sexual harassment in 1994. About a half-dozen other suits followed, alleging sexual harassment, racial discrimination, wrongful termination and creating a toxic work environment. Barker denounced the suits as distortions, exaggerations or outright falsehoods.
The suits were either dropped, dismissed or settled out of court. Several of the women said they simply didn’t have the financial resources to continue pursuing their legal claims.
In a 2000 L.A. Times article, one of Barker’s longtime colleagues, “Price Is Right” model Janice Pennington, said that after more than 6,000 shows she had been dismissed from her job without so much as a word or handshake from Barker. Pennington linked her firing to a deposition she gave in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by another longtime “Price Is Right” model, Holly Hallstrom.
Bob Barker, left, and Adam Sandler.
(Comedy Central)
Barker was born Dec. 12, 1923, in Darrington, Wash., a postcard-perfect town in the Cascades. Not long afterward, Barker’s father, the foreman of the power line that ran through the state, fell from a high line and seriously injured his hip and spine. He died six years later while the family was living in Springfield, Mo.
Barker and his mother moved to Mission, S.D., a farming town on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where she worked as a high school teacher. She later remarried and the family returned to Springfield.
After graduating from high school in 1941, Barker attended what is now Drury University in Springfield but left in 1943 to become a naval aviation cadet during World War II. The war ended before Barker was sent overseas and he returned to Drury, where he graduated in 1947 with a degree in economics.
To help pay for his college education, Barker got a job as a news writer and sportscaster at a local radio station. He soon became staff announcer, disc jockey and news reader.
Then, one day, he was asked to fill in as host of an audience-participation show.
Returning home from work the first day, Barker received a rave review from his wife, Dorothy Jo, his high school sweetheart, whom he had married in 1945.
As he recalled in a 1996 interview with The Times, his wife had heard him on the audience-participation show and told him, “Barker, this is what you should do because you do it better than you’ve done anything else.”
In 1950, after a stint working at a radio station in Palm Beach, Fla., Barker and his wife moved to Hollywood.
Barker was hosting his own audience-participation show in 1956 on KNX, the local CBS radio affiliate, when game-show producer and TV host Ralph Edwards heard him on his car radio. He liked what he heard.
Edwards, who had created “Truth or Consequences” for radio in 1940 and then moved the show to television in 1950 with himself as host, had sold the program as a daytime show on NBC and was conducting auditions for a new host.
“After a series of auditions, he called me on Dec. 21, 1956, at five minutes past 12 noon, and told me I was to be the host of ‘Truth or Consequences,’“ Barker recalled.
“Every Dec. 21 after that,” he said, “we met for lunch, and at five minutes past 12 noon, we drank a toast to our long and enduring friendship.”
For years, Barker signed off “The Price Is Right” by saying, “Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.”
He credited his wife with setting the example for his becoming a vegetarian in 1979 and for launching his passion for animal rights. She died of lung cancer in 1981.
At Barker’s request, “The Price Is Right” stopped accepting advertising for meat products and ended its practice of giving away fur coats as prizes.
Barker generated headlines in 1987 when he threatened to quit after two decades as the host of the Miss USA Pageant when he discovered that 10 fur coats would be modeled by finalists over their swimsuits. The pageant relented and the finalists ultimately wore fake furs.
But a year later, Barker quit his two longtime gigs as host of both the Miss USA and the Miss Universe pageants when organizers refused to remove fur coats as prizes.
Barker’s DJ&T Foundation — a nonprofit founded in the mid-’90s and named for his wife, Dorothy Jo, and his mother, Matilda, who was known as Tilly — subsidizes low-cost spay-neuter clinics across the nation.
DonkeyLand, a donkey and wild burro rescue organization in Riverside County, said that Barker’s foundation had funded the purchase of nearly 2,000 acres that will be placed in a land trust as a permanent sanctuary. The foundation also pays to sterilize male donkeys to help reduce the population. In 2022 the group credited Barker for saving “donkeys that had no hope, no future and no second chance at life, right here in Southern California.”
That year the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society retired a former whaling vessel that it had turned into an anti-whaling ship named after Barker, who had given $5 million to the group. “It’s been a vehicle for change that has meant the difference between life and death for the animals we protect,” the organization said.
In 2012, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals opened a West Coast headquarters in Echo Park named after Barker, a frequent advocate for many of PETA’s causes, including boycotting SeaWorld and improving animal welfare on movie sets.
“Bob’s influence on the entertainment industry is indisputable, but what mattered to him most was using his voice and prominent position to protect animals,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement Saturday. The organization’s Bob Barker Building “stands as a testament to his legacy and profound commitment to making the world a kinder place.”
Barker’s longtime friend Burnet issued a statement that said she was proud of their “trailblazing work to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry” and efforts to help abused and exploited animals — the shared commitment behind a friendship that lasted 40 years.
Barker made a memorably profane cameo appearance as himself in the 1996 Adam Sandler comedy “Happy Gilmore,” in which the 73-year-old but extremely fit Barker — he once studied karate with Chuck Norris — had the last laugh in a slugfest with Sandler’s hockey-player-turned-golfer character during a pro-am golf tournament.
Their movie fisticuffs earned Barker and Sandler the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight.
“Young men to this day say, ‘In real life, could you whip Adam Sandler?’ ” Barker told an audience in 2009. “And I tell them, ‘Adam Sandler? He couldn’t whip Regis Philbin.’ ”
On Saturday, Sandler took to Instagram to remember his “Happy Gilmore” colleague.
“The man. The myth. The best,” Sandler wrote. “Such a sweet funny guy to hang out with. Loved talking to him. Loved laughing with him. Loved him kicking the crap out of me.”
CBS, the longtime network home of “The Price Is Right,” issued a statement that said, “During his 35 years as host of ‘The Price Is Right,’ Bob made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to ‘come on down.’ … Daytime television has lost one of its most iconic stars.”
This summer “The Price Is Right” moved from Television City’s Bob Barker Studio 33 in the Fairfax district to a new space at Haven Studios in Glendale. The Season 51 finale of “The Price Is Right,” which aired in June, marked the last episode taped at Barker Studio.
As news of Barker’s death spread across the film and TV communities, fellow hosts and actors were quick to praise Barker’s wit, poise and compassionate activism.
“Very sad day for ‘The Price Is Right’ family, and animal lovers all over the world,’ wrote Drew Carey, who followed Barker as host. “There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.”
Barker had no children and never remarried. He is survived by a half-brother, Kent Valandra, and other extended family.
Multiple new pieces of concept art for Pip the Troll from Eternals’ mid-credits scene were recently revealed, showing designs that didn’t quite make the cut.
In a post-credits sequence from Marvel Studios’ 2021 movie Eternals, Makkari, Druig, and Thena were paid a visit by another member of their kind called Eros (played by pop music superstar Harry Styles in a surprising cameo). He was joined by Pip the Troll, voiced by well-known nerd Patton Oswalt.
Just about every originally created person, place, and thing in an MCU movie has gone through multiple rounds of design work, and not every element from this phase of creation makes it into the finished film.
Pip the Troll Concept Art Shows Passed-On Designs
The new book Marvel Studios’ Eternals: The Art of the Movie contains an in-depth look at all the designs, used and unused, that went into making Eternals. Included in its pages is a record of the conceptual art behind Pip the Troll’s on-screen look. Here are five rejected designs for Eros’ small-sized sidekick.
Firstly, for reference’s sake, the below image is a screengrab from the official release of the movie.
Marvel Studios
The following appears to have been a piece that was turned in shortly before Pip’s visuals were finalized, as many of the key elements are present and he looks very similar to the official film version:
Marvel Studios
This piece shows Pip with a smirk on his face and a slightly receding hairline. He also looks vaguely Judge Reinhold-ish.
Marvel Studios
The art below is extremely close to the previous one, just with a fuller head of hair and different clothes.
Marvel Studios
This one is an iteration of the character who looks like he’d be at home in an intergalactic biker bar. It almost seems to take some cues from DC’s Lobo or Nori the Dwarf from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy.
Marvel Studios
Then there’s an alternate take on the above that gives Pip more clothes and a facial structure that’s somewhat reminiscent of the Hulk.
Marvel Studios
The following four images seem to more-or-less represent the final, completely approved look for Pip the Troll that would go on to show up in the film.
A good look at Pip’s full character model can be seen in this piece, including all the minute details of his costume.
Marvel Studios
Pip smiles for the camera in this (extremely) close-up image of his face and head.
Marvel Studios
A profile shot. Note how the spots on his skin and his scruffy beard help to convey the character’s frat boy-esque personality as seen in the movie.
Marvel Studios
When audiences meet Pip, he’s swigging from a flagon of… something. This is a detailed piece showing exactly what his beverage container looked like. The face sculpted into it looks a little like Thor’s pal Korg.
Marvel Studios
Will Pip (And Eros) Return to the MCU?
Eternals came out in theaters some time ago in late 2021. Since then, there have been extremely few references to the movie’s characters and events in other MCU projects.
Eros and Pip’s inclusion might have seemed like a bit of stunt casting to get audience members’ butts in cinema seats (It was Harry Styles, after all.) So it might be easy to think for some that Marvel has no further intentions to use the two characters in upcoming movies, shows, or specials.
However, Nate Moore, a producer on Eternals, has gone on record to reassure fans that yes, the studio has more plans for Eros. And with Eros will likely come Pip as well, given that the Troll seems to act as a hype man of sorts for the red-and-silver-clad Eternal.
Now, where exactly the duo makes their comeback remains to be seen. Development on an Eternals sequel seems like it’s continuously up in the air without any firm word on whether or not it could happen.
For now, though, fans can relive Pip the Troll’s introduction in Marvel Studios’ Eternals, which is available to stream on Disney+ and to purchase wherever movies are sold.
Fans are eagerly anticipating new collaborations in Gunn’s future projects, with hints that Chris Pratt and Pom Klementieff may join DC Studios.
Klementieff has had discussions with Gunn about a potential role in the DC franchise, while speculation suggests Pratt could play Booster Gold.
James Gunn’s films are known for their unique storytelling and recurring collaborators, creating a signature touch.
The cinematic works of James Gunn have always stood out not just for their unique storytelling and compelling visuals but also for the recurring collaborators he brings on board. Time and again, audiences have been treated to performances from Michael Rooker and Nathan Fillion across Gunn’s filmography. It’s become a sort of tradition, a signature touch. As the first trilogy of Guardians of the Galaxy concludes, fans are keenly anticipating new collaborations, and buzz suggests two of its stars could be venturing into the DC realm.
Gunn has been particularly open about his fond professional rapport with Chris Pratt and Pom Klementieff, so it’s not about asking if they’ll reunite for another project but rather when. This reunion might be on the horizon sooner than anticipated as Gunn dropped hints about welcoming the two into the folds of DC Studios. The director’s recent interaction on Threads, a micro-blogging platform, further stirred the pot.
A hopeful fan suggested the idea of Pratt and Klementieff playing themselves in the upcoming season of Peacemaker. Gunn’s cryptic reply? He cited unspecified “reasons” that would make such a casting choice unfeasible. “There are reasons I wouldn’t want either of those actors to play themselves in the DCU,” was all he divulged. This naturally raised the question: could any of the Guardians’ stars be venturing into DC territory?
Guardians’ Transition: DC’s Possible New Additions & James Gunn’s Signature Surprises
Marvel Studios Disney
As it turns out, Klementieff has been pretty upfront about her discussions with Gunn about a potential role in the ever-evolving DC franchise. On the glamorous premiere night of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, she shared with Variety (via ComicBook):
“I’m not gonna tell you guys, but we’ve had conversations and we’re making plans already. But nothing is confirmed yet. There would be one specific character but I can’t tell you that. I knew about the character, and I thought the character was f—king cool.”
She hinted at a specific character she found intriguing but, in the spirit of suspense, chose not to reveal more.
Chris Pratt’s involvement is a bit more nebulous, but the speculations are buzzing. Word on the street suggests Pratt could be donning the role of Booster Gold. In a Rolling Stone interview, Pratt gave subtle hints, suggesting he’d consider it if Gunn thought he was the right choice. Pratt stated: “If James thought I was right for it, then you know that I would have to consider it.”
The anticipation surrounding DC’s upcoming films is palpable. With the inception of movies like Creature Commandos (release date pending) and the highly awaited Superman: Legacy slated for July 11, 2025, DC is gearing up for some cinematic spectacles.
In a world of ever-shifting cinematic universes and unpredictable crossovers, one thing seems sure: where James Gunn goes, exciting collaborations follow. Whether or not we’ll see familiar faces from the Guardians of the Galaxy joining DC remains to be seen. However, audiences have come to realize that with Gunn directing, surprises are always around the corner.
“Red Barrels, the visionary indie game development studio, is thrilled to unveil exciting developments for their critically acclaimed title, “The Outlast Trials”.
From a successful Early Access launch, Red Barrels has been hard at work with community feedback throughout Early Access as it aims to deliver its ambitious and innovative psychological horror to console on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One in Early 2024.” – Red Barrels.
In the expansive realm of modern filmmaking, few names resonate as profoundly as Michael Mann. I remember sitting on a rainy day in the summer and watching Collateral for the first time, knowing I was being told a story by someone totally in control.
From then on. I’ve been obsessed with watching his movies.
Mann has carved an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape with his unique style, unflinching storytelling, and unparalleled attention to detail. From the neon-lit streets of Los Angeles to the sprawling landscapes of historical epics, Mann’s films are a symphony of visual and emotional intensity that captivate audiences and push the boundaries of narrative screenwriting.
Today, I wanted to assemble some of his screenplays that you can read and download for educational and research purposes only.
Now that Tom Brady and Irina Shayk’s rumored romance has gone international, many can’t help but wonder what ex-wife Gisele Bündchen feels about the entire relationship. When the first cozy photos of Brady and Shayk began circulating in July, sources claimed the 43-year-old model was too busy vacationing in Brazil to pay them much mind—and apparently not much has changed.
Following reports that the 46-year-old former football player and 37-year-old model “holed up” in a London hotel together earlier this month, a source told Entertainment Tonight that while “Irina and Tom are having a great time together,” the coupling “isn’t super serious yet.” Meanwhile, the source claims Bündchen simply has other things on her mind.
“[She] isn’t thinking about what Tom is doing in his romantic life,” the source said, emphasizing that her focus is “on their children, co-parenting, and maintaining a good environment for everyone.” They continued, “Gisele’s main priority is to make sure their kids feel loved and cared for. She wants to set a positive example for them and Gisele is doing her own thing.”
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Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady co-parent their 13-year-old son, Benjamin, and a 10-year-old daughter, Vivian, while Brady also shares a 16-year-old son, Jack, with ex Bridget Moynahan. Prior to the end of their 13-year marriage, Bündchen publicly expressed her desire for Brady to be “more present” in his children’s lives. “I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again,” she said in an Elle interview published in September 2022. “I’ve done my part, which is [to] be there for [Tom]. I moved to Boston, and I focused on creating a cocoon and a loving environment for my children to grow up in and to be there supporting him and his dreams.”
About a month after the interview was published, Bündchen announced the end of their 13-year marriage in October. Of course, when Brady later revealed his decision to re-retire from football in February, Bündchen showed her support in his comments section, writing, “Wishing you only wonderful things in this new chapter of your life.”
Want to keep forever? Why not rent or buy ‘Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World’ from one of the online services below?
Bob Barker, who died today at 99, was the Patron Saint of Sick Days.
To hear Barker’s name is to be immediately transported.
Maybe you aren’t taken any further than the boxy TV in your living room — the one that was normally off-limits during daytime hours, but which became an inanimate physician and endlessly enabling babysitter whenever your body’s temperature hit 100.
For me, Bob Barker’s name is the magical wardrobe that takes me to every student lounge at every college my parents ever taught at, where I would take a frayed, foamy chair that was normally reserved for undergrads and park myself for hours waiting for my fever to break. Students would peek in, see that a plausibly ill kid was monopolizing the TV, complain that this was the time they normally watched their favorite soap operas and leave. Unless what was on was The Price Is Right, in which case they’d take a seat in a different part of the lounge, far away in case I happened not to be faking, and watch for a segment or two.
It’s idiomatically common to call chicken soup “Jewish penicillin” and I don’t know if Barker and The Price Is Right claimed any such magical curative properties — but I do know that nothing approved by the FDA has ever made time pass under less-than-ideal circumstances (see also, “The Waiting Room at Your Mechanic”) more quickly than Bob Barker and The Price Is Right.
I was not a sickly child, so I think Barker and the show’s ubiquity extended to teacher in-service days, random lesser holidays and the occasional inconveniently-timed school vacation. Bob Barker and The Price Is Right were, it seemed, always there or always coming up next, if you just waited through a local morning news show. At this moment, I couldn’t tell you how long episodes of The Price Is Right actually are/were. An hour? 30 minutes? “All darned morning long”? There’s a reason why, when I was very young, at commercial breaks in weekend cartoons, I would wake my parents by standing at the base of the stairs and yelling, “Nona Fienberg [that’s my mom], come on down! You’re the next contestant on The Price Is Right.” Annoying? Adorable? Who’s to say?
This is my deep and personal connection to Bob Barker and The Price Is Right, and nearly everybody whose age stretches across four or five decades can provide their own similar connection.
To understand Barker’s greatness, you must understand this: People were and still are fundamentally bad at The Price Is Right.
In a typical episode, at least half the contestants won’t understand the fundamentals of the One Bid game that starts each cycle of the show, plus — and this is the bedrock of the entire show — people don’t actually, as a rule, know how much anything costs. And that’s before you get to the show’s myriad individual competitions that range from “legitimately challenging” to “glorified exercises in gravity.”
You could say that, as the man tasked with explaining those games thousands upon thousands of times, Barker deserved some responsibility or even blame for any confusion. But that would be ignoring the other fundamental principle of The Price Is Right: ANYBODY could and can play. This is not and never has been American Ninja Warrior or Jeopardy. A 90-year-old grandmother from Topeka and a 21-year-old frat boy from Arizona State approach The Price Is Right with equal certainty of success and with equal comprehension of the strategy, or lack thereof, of Plinko or Hi Lo.
What Barker brought to The Price Is Right was, in many ways, similar to one of Alex Trebek’s great gifts on Jeopardy — namely a martyr’s patience, but not infinite patience. Barker could smile tolerantly at the contestant who earnestly believed that a box of Rice-A-Roni might cost 17 dollars or cheerfully ask that 90-year-old grandmother from Topeka what she would do if she actually won a jet-ski. He could calmly coach that hyperactive Arizona State sophomore not to get overly aggressive with the flimsy-looking game console that appeared to be constructed from plywood, glue and advertiser confidence.
But then he could snap, or at least theatrically run out of patience with a scofflaw or dunderhead who just refused to get the concept. He was never cruel. Well, maybe if you consider certain things you could say to people in 1983 that you wouldn’t say today, he could be a little cruel, but cruel in a wry, avuncular way that made his exasperation aspirational.
The primal desire — I believe Freud wrote multiple essays on the subject — to get encouraged by Bob Barker, to get chided by Bob Barker, to get eviscerated by Bob Barker is at the heart of his legendary cameo in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore. You could watch The Price Is Right and be convinced that beyond the catch phrases and the perhaps-too-handsy on-camera affection (as much or more from his fans as from him), there was a polished sadism lurking underneath Barker’s professional personality and that it would be really fun to be there if it ever bubbled to the surface.
Let’s just say that Bob Barker was the Patron Saint of Sick Days, but also the Patron Saint of “Sick” Days; to watch The Price Is Right was to be sure that he knew if you were really sick or if you were faking it, just as surely as he knew which competitors were wildly overestimating the value of a showcase containing prizes that might come in handy on your one-week vacation in CINCINNATI!
See, when we were growing up — oy, I’m about to feel old here — and it became necessary to while away a day with insufficient activity and insufficient supervision, we didn’t have tablets and streaming services that let us watch whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. We took what the television gods gave us and, thank heavens, from 1972 to 2007, for 6,586 episodes, what the television gods gave us was Bob Barker and The Price Is Right.
Historically known as a national pastime, baseball has led to the creation of everlasting traditions and bonds. Tomorrow’s Game is the latest baseball movie from directors Jonathan Coria and Trevor Wilson. While they follow the traditional template of a feel-good sports movie in which the protagonist overcomes hardship and comes out of the experience wiser, the filmmakers throw in time travel and dabble in sports broadcasting culture.
In the world of Tomorrow’s Game, Santiago De La Rosa (Carlo Mendez) is a renowned baseball player for the Jethawks. The filmmakers quickly get this detail across with a 1986 interview of Santiago at the height of his fame. He took the world by storm, and it isn’t surprising that by 2002, Santiago would be invited to join the Hall of Fame. In 2002, Santiago’s teenage nephew, Daniel De La Rosa (Alejandro De Anda), is on his way to the Hall of Fame ceremony. Moody and uninterested in the sport, viewers first see Daniel halfheartedly answering questions broached by the driver, Jorge (Paul Rodriguez), who is one of Santiago’s biggest fans. While you can’t fault Daniel for not liking the sport, he doesn’t seem to appreciate his uncle’s success.
Daniel meets up with his uncle, now played by a pleasant David Arturo Sanchez. Santiago reminisces about his first major league game and plans to play the only tape of the broadcast during the ceremony. After Santiago leaves the room, Daniel knocks down the tape player. Suddenly the tape won’t stop spinning and the lights won’t stop flashing. Soon, Daniel wakes up in 1957.
“Being stuck in the past, Daniel learns to appreciate his uncle and his deeper motivation to make his family proud.”
When time travel is involved, the narrative can get muddled. But this isn’t the case with Tomorrow’s Game. Since the drama accommodates viewers of all ages, what Daniel must do to return home is easy to follow. Admittedly, the low budget likely got in the way of more exhaustive period details and nods, but the heart and motivation that drives each character is firmly established.
Being stuck in the past, Daniel learns to appreciate his uncle and his deeper motivation to make his family proud. At the same time, Daniel’s respect for the game grows with the help of Sally McDavies (an animated Miranda Meadows), an avid baseball fan who imparts to him the bittersweet nature of competition. “The pitcher and batter are locked in this moment in time,” Sally says in one of the more memorable interactions, passionately relaying to both Daniel and viewers this idea of a “competitive embrace.” At this moment, baseball fan or not, you recognize part of the appeal.
There are segments of physical comedy as Daniel, Sally, and even a younger Jorge (played by an exuberant Jerry Hernandez) clumsily plan and execute a heist. While doing so, Daniel awkwardly stumbles into the world of sports broadcasting and comes face-to-face with a smarmy broadcaster named Jared (Michael Broderick). The harebrained antics are fun, and it’s during the dynamic broadcasting segments that Alejandro De Anda feels more comfortable in the role.
But despite well intentions, the brisk pacing takes away from key moments, including one where Daniel upsets Sally, and he attempts to comfort her with baseball terminology. It would’ve been more emotionally gratifying to see the tender interactions play out longer than they do. Still, as it stands, the movie is an enjoyable watch for families, featuring a fair amount of baseball (in slo-mo close-ups) and positive messages about family and personal growth. So, while Tomorrow’s Game is not a home run, the appreciation that the filmmakers have for the sport is on full display. This indie sports movie has enough heart and charm to go around.
Kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup may cost .Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales his job.
On Saturday, FIFA suspended Rubiales while its disciplinary committee investigates his conduct at the Women’s World Cup final. The move comes after Rubiales refused to resign, despite intense pressure from the Spanish government, women players, soccer clubs and officials.
Hermoso has said she did not consent to the kiss, which came during the team’s on-field celebration. The team’s players have said they will not play any more games as long as Rubiales is in charge.
FIFA said it removed Rubiales from soccer duties for 90 days “pending the disciplinary proceedings opened” against him Thursday.
The president of Spain’s women’s league, Beatriz Álvarez, told The Associated Press that she believed this was the end of Rubiales’ soccer career. The league filed one of several official complaints against Rubiales that Spain’s government received in the past week.
“Luis Rubiales is finished. He has dug his own grave with his acts and his words,” Álvarez said. “Whether it is because of the action of FIFA or the Spanish government, I am sure that Luis Rubiales won’t spend another minute as president of the Spanish federation.”
FIFA has given no timetable for a ruling. The body’s disciplinary judges can impose sanctions ranging from warnings and fines to suspensions from the sport.
Local media originally reported that Rubiales would announce his resignation to Friday’s general assembly of the federation. Instead, he dug in, painting himself as the victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists” and receiving applause from the mostly male crowd.
Hermoso responded that Rubiales was lying about the kiss being consensual and that she had felt intimidated.
John Warnock, a founder of Adobe Systems whose innovations in computer graphics, including the ubiquitous PDF, made possible today’s visually rich digital experiences, died on Aug. 19 at his home in Los Altos, Calif. He was 82.
The cause was pancreatic cancer, Adobe, which Dr. Warnock started in 1982 with Chuck Geschke, said in a statement.
Until Dr. Warnock and Adobe came along, desktop printing was an arduous, expensive and unsatisfying endeavor. Users relied on either a screechy dot-matrix printer, with its pixelated text, or a specialized typesetting machine, which could cost $10,000 and take up most of a room.
Dr. Warnock developed protocols that came loaded into desktop printers themselves, and that accurately rendered what a computer sent them. Adobe’s first such protocol, PostScript, went into Apple’s revolutionary LaserWriter, released in 1985, and within a few years it was the industry standard.
PostScript, licensed to hundreds of software and hardware companies, helped make Adobe rich. But the company was largely unknown to the public until 1993, when it released Acrobat, a program designed to render and read files in what it called a Portable Document Format, or PDF.
The PDF was the result of Dr. Warnock’s abiding obsession since graduate school: finding a way to ensure that the graphics displayed on one computer — whether words or images — looked the exact same on another computer, or on a page from a printer, regardless of the manufacturer.
Acrobat and the PDF were not immediately successful, even after Adobe made its Acrobat Reader free to download. The company’s board wanted to retire them, but Dr. Warnock persisted.
“I think the crossover point is if I can go to General Motors and say, ‘I can deliver your information more quickly and more cheaply than you can on paper,’” he told The New York Times in 1991. “You’re talking about savings of tens of millions of dollars.”
The PDF eventually became standard, as the ease of sharing crisp, accurate documents across computer systems made the long-envisioned paperless office a reality.
Though Adobe is best known for the PDF, it owes its dominance in the software industry to a whole suite of design programs championed by Dr. Warnock over the years, including InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.
Taken together, these programs helped make the modern personal computing experience what it is, turning what had been a soup of obscure commands and monochromatic images into an engaging aesthetic experience.
“Making the computer into a machine that we can use to produce visual and print culture, that wasn’t foreordained,” David Brock, the director of curatorial affairs at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., said in a phone interview. “That’s where he was really instrumental.”
John Edward Warnock was born on Oct. 6, 1940, in Holladay, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. His father, Clarence, was a lawyer; his mother, Dorothy (Van Dyke) Warnock, was a homemaker.
John was an admittedly average high school student who managed to flunk algebra in ninth grade. Nevertheless, he studied mathematics at the University of Utah, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1961 and a master’s in the same subject in 1964.
He did not initially plan to go into technology. But a grueling summer job during graduate school spent recapping tires persuaded him to apply to IBM, which was recruiting mathematicians.
He returned to Utah to pursue a doctorate in mathematics, but after a few years he switched to electrical engineering, which at the time encompassed computer science. The university had recently received an enormous influx of money and resources from the Department of Defense to work on computer graphics, a field that had captured his interest.
He was especially captivated by the question of how to render a three-dimensional image in two dimensions. The result was the Warnock algorithm, a major step forward in computer graphics and the basis for some of his later work at Adobe.
He married Marva Mullins in 1965. She survives him, as do his daughter, Alyssa; his sons, Christopher and Jeffrey; and four grandchildren.
Dr. Warnock received his doctorate in 1969 and then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work for a company founded by two of his mentors at Utah, David C. Evans and Ivan Sutherland. After they asked him to transfer to the company’s Salt Lake City office he decided to stay in California instead and went to work for Xerox, whose Palo Alto Research Center was then pioneering the first personal computers.
There he met Dr. Geschke, and the two became fast friends. Dr. Warnock spent years working on how to get printers to render an image from a computer screen, a seemingly easy issue that had befuddled computer scientists for years. (Dr. Geschke died in 2021.)
But when he presented his solution, InterPress, to his bosses, they were not interested in releasing it to the public. He and Dr. Geschke, who had worked on the project, were crestfallen.
“I went into his office, and I said, ‘We can live in the world’s greatest sandbox for the rest of our life, or we can do something about it,’” Dr. Warnock said in a 2018 interview with the Computer History Museum.
They both quit, and in late 1982 they founded Adobe Systems, named for a creek near Dr. Warnock’s home. In 2023 it had a market capitalization of $235 billion, making it one of the largest information-technology companies in the world.
In 2009, President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to both Dr. Warnock and Dr. Geschke.
Dr. Warnock and Dr. Geschke, who ran the company as equals, were rare exceptions among the outsize egos and eccentric zillionaires of Silicon Valley: avuncular and academic, they built an aggressively competitive company while consistently ranking high on lists of the best places to work.
Despite its size, Adobe was often cast as the David versus much larger Goliaths, most often Microsoft — which, unlike Apple, repeatedly rejected Dr. Warnock’s entreaties to collaborate and instead tried to beat Adobe with its own protocols and programs. None of them worked.
Dr. Warnock, who had 20 patents to his name, stepped down as chief executive in 2001 but remained on Adobe’s board of directors.
“Being a C.E.O. of a company that is over $1 billion is not all it is cracked up to be,” he said in an interview with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. “The thing I really enjoy is the invention process. I enjoy figuring out how to do things other people don’t know how to do.”
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 Bill Pohlad, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker who just saw the release of his second consecutive film he directed based on a real music tale. Dreamin’ Wild is the story of Donnie Emerson (Casey Affleck), a tyro who saw early success, but whose dreams just didn’t come true. Until years later, when his signature song was played on the radio and caught fire. Pressed to be who he was as a youngster, his comeback story is plagued with hopes dashed, and mixed in is the complications of his family, who helped his initial rise. Pohlad made this movie after directing the superb Love & Mercy, the story of genius Beach Boys songwriter/singer Brian Wilson, who needed to be brought back from the Svengali-like hold exerted by his shrink.
Pohlad still runs River Road Entertainment, and has been a producer and distributor of the cornerstone prestige films Brokeback Mountain, 12 Years A Slave, Into the Wild, The Tree of Life and numerous others. Find out how Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now paved showed him the way.
The tributes have started for Bob Barker, who passed away today at age 99 at his home. The longtime “The Price is Right” host and animal activist was a part of many lives in his role on television and in reminding the world of animal plights.
But his warmth and humanity touched so many in the moments away from the cameras, as he was fondly remembered today by his friends, coworkers and Hollywood organizations.
His longtime home at CBS was honored by a company statement: “We lost a beloved member of the CBS family today with the passing of Bob Barker. During his 35 years as host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT, Bob made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to ‘come on down.’ In addition to his legendary 50-year career in broadcasting, Bob will be remembered as a dedicated animal rights activist. Daytime television has lost one of its most iconic stars.”
The other tributes so far:
Was lucky enough to be Bob Barker’s neighbor for a while. Would often chat with him when he was walking his dogs. What a consummate gentleman and tireless advocate for animals. What an epic run you had, sir. #RIPLegend
We are saddened Bob Barker has passed at the age of 99. Renowned host of The Price is Right for 35 years, animal activist, radio host, husband, and all-around game show legend will forever hold a spot in our hearts. We thank him for bringing joy to our homes for so many years. pic.twitter.com/qXXS8BwtQ3
Legend. Icon. With a career that spanned over 60 years on television and radio, Bob Barker was one of the world’s most recognizable game show hosts, entertaining generations. 1/2https://t.co/FTaDAZSzHX
We watched Bob Barker all the time growing up, he the best there ever was! Remember the time @TheVannaWhite was asked to “Come on down!” on The Price Is Right? He was an American treasure. RIP Bob Barker? pic.twitter.com/XQbFxDX1iY
One of the nicest things I ever heard in showbusiness was Bob Barker saying, “I moved to Hollywood to be an actor and the only person who ever let me do it was Adam Sandler!” This scene with them was and will always be absolutely hilarious! God bless you, Bob https://t.co/5kKt0EM81x
— Motion Picture Association (@motionpictures) August 26, 2023
Very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world. There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.#RIPBobBarker We love you ❤️
The actor faced criticism for wearing a fat suit to portray Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. “It’s very hard for me to talk about this without feeling like I’m making excuses,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “There’s a lot of controversy around actors and fat suits, and I think that controversy is a legitimate one. I think fatphobia is real. I think to pretend otherwise causes further harm.”
In a GQ interview, John reflected on his role as Finn in Star Wars and called out Disney for giving nuance and proper storylines only to the white characters. “What I would say to Disney is do not bring out a Black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are, and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.”
After portraying Four/Tobias in the Divergent franchise, the actor told Vanity Fair that he struggled with typecasting. “You do a certain type of film and you sign contracts where you are beholden to those roles for a certain period of time and people see you in a certain light that you have to wrestle your way out of. That is 100% the case with actors — and it was definitely the case with me.”
She’s long been vocal about her issues with Amy in The Secret Life of the American Teenager. “There were a lot of things that were written into the scripts that not just me, but a lot of the cast, disagreed with,” she told Bustle. “There were belief systems that were pushed that were different than my own. Yet legally, I was stuck there. To this day, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
Over the years, George has been brutally honest about wishing he hadn’t played Batman. When the Guardian asked him which aspects of his youth he’d approach differently, he replied, “Now, the obvious answer to your question would be to joke, ‘Batman & Robin.’ And I wouldn’t do it at all.” According to Deadline, he even kept a picture of himself as Batman in his office “as a cautionary reminder of what can happen when you make movies solely for commercial reasons.”
The actor said she never should have played Nina Simone in the controversial biopic Nina. For the movie, she wore a prosthetic nose and darkened her skin. “I thought back then that I had the permission because I was a Black woman, and I am. But it was Nina Simone, and Nina had a life, and she had a journey that should’ve been honored to the most specific detail. … And she was so honest. She deserved better,” Zoe said.
After playing Susan Storm in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Jessica nearly quit acting altogether. She said the director criticized her while she cried during an emotional scene. “‘It looks too real. It looks too painful. Can you be prettier when you cry? Cry pretty, Jessica.’ He was like, ‘Don’t do that thing with your face. Just make it flat. We can CGI the tears in.'”
Eddie’s portrayal of Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl drew wide criticism for not starring a trans actor. During an interview with the Times, he said he wouldn’t take the role if it were offered to him today. “I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake.”
She told Vanity Fair that she deeply regrets playing Aibileen Clark in The Help. “There’s a part of me that feels like I betrayed myself, and my people, because I was in a movie that wasn’t ready to [tell the whole truth].”
In 2013, the actor told Playboy, “The only movie I actually regret is Daredevil. It just kills me. I love that story, that character, and the fact that it got fucked up the way it did stays with me. Maybe that’s part of the motivation to do Batman.“
He told Esquire that After Earth — a box office flop — was “the most painful failure” in his career. “Wild Wild West was less painful than After Earth because my son was involved in After Earth, and I led him into it. That was excruciating.”
In 2008, the actor stirred up some controversy when she told Vanity Fair that Knocked Up is “a little sexist.” She said it “paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it on some days. I’m playing such a bitch; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you’re portraying women?”
On Instagram, she apologized for voicing a Vietnamese character in BoJack Horseman. “In hindsight, I wish that I didn’t voice the character of Diane Nguyen,” she wrote. “I now understand that people of color should always voice people of color. We missed a great opportunity to represent the Vietnamese American community accurately and respectfully, and for that I am truly sorry.”
The actor played Don Shirley in Green Book, a film inspired by a true story. However, Don’s relatives called the movie “jarring” and “a symphony of lies.” They said they were never consulted during development and found elements of Don’s portrayal “deeply hurtful.” Mahershala called the family directly and apologized.
15.
And finally, Rooney Mara
When she played Tiger Lily in Pan, the backlash was swift and severe. “I really hate, hate, hate that I am on that side of the whitewashing conversation,” Mara told the Telegraph. “I really do. I don’t ever want to be on that side of it again. I can understand why people were upset and frustrated.”
Any other actors who regret previous roles? LMK in the comments below!
Emmy Award-winning gameshow host Bob Barker, who spent five decades associated with “The Price Is Right” and “Truth or Consequences,” has died. He was 99.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us,” Barker’s publicist Roger Neal said in a statement on Saturday.
Barker was cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for his consecutive appearances hosting gameshows and doling out hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and prizes over the years before Alex Trebek surpassed him. Barker hosted “The Price Is Right,” the longest-running gameshow in TV history, for 35 years, retiring in June 2007.
In “The Price Is Right,” enthusiastic contestants are invited by the deep-voiced announcer to “Come on down” and play mini-games based on guessing the cost of merchandise.
Barker was a strong advocate for animal rights, and donated millions of dollars to animal neutering programs. He was known for ending his shows by saying, “And remember folks, always spay or neuter your pets!”
“The Price Is Right” was the last man standing in the daytime gameshow genre at the time, having survived 12 years after its last competitor had been canceled. (CBS would later revive daytime gamers in 2009). “The Price Is Right” continued on the network under host Drew Carey.
Barker held a weekday TV job continuously for 51 years, which included his years on “Truth or Consequences.”
He won 19 Emmy Awards in total, including 14 for gameshow host, more than any other performer. He also won four for executive producer of “The Price Is Right” and received a lifetime achievement Emmy for Daytime Television in 1999.
He attributed his popularity to the fact that he never performed as an actor, except occasionally playing himself (as in the Adam Sandler movie “Happy Gilmore” in 1996). His shows were a family affair, produced by his first wife, his high school sweetheart Dorothy Jo Gideon, until her death from cancer in 1981, and he usually brought his pets to the studio.
His face was familiar to Americans of several generations. The handsome, amiable, silver-haired host was never obsequious or condescending to his contestants, always enthusiastic and warm.
With his resonant speaking voice, he decided to pursue a career in radio after college and tried a number of different positions before settling on audience-participation programming. After working in Florida, he moved to California, where he hosted “The Bob Barker Show” from 1950 through 1956, when he was tapped by Ralph Edwards, who wanted a daytime host for his show “Truth or Consequences” (which was already playing in primetime and had originated on radio). He shot his first show in late 1956 and continued until 1966 on NBC and for another eight years in syndication.
Even while he was hosting “Truth or Consequences,” Barker had embarked on another gameshow, “The Price Is Right,” starting in 1972 on CBS. The show featured female models, known as Barker’s Beauties, who introduced the prizes, and announcer Johnny Olson, who continued on the show until his death in 1985. By 1975 “The Price Is Right” had been expanded to an hour, and by 1990 it had become the longest-running gameshow in television history and part of American pop culture history.
Barker took over as exec producer for the show in 1988, following the death of the original executive producer, Frank Wayne. In this capacity, Barker created several pricing games and instituted a prohibition on foreign cars and animal-based products.
In addition to his daytime gameshow hosting, Barker was the emcee for two decades on the beauty pageants Miss U.S.A. and Miss Universe. Barker left the pageant scene in 1987 when the Miss U.S.A. producers refused to substitute synthetic furs for the real thing in the finalists’ prizes. He also said he turned down lucrative commercial deals with companies he believed treated animals inhumanely. He also emceed the Rose Parade for several years.
“One of the first things that people said to me when they knew I was gonna get the show was, ‘Come on down,’ that was the thing I heard over and over, and, ‘Spay and neuter your pets,’” “The Price Is Right” host Drew Carey said in an installment of Variety’s Making a Scene. “So I gotta keep saying it. And I would anyways — it’s a part of the show.”
Carey continued, “When I told Bob I was going to keep doing it, we were at lunch and I mentioned it to him that I was gonna keep doing it — but I was going to do it whether he wanted me to or not because it’s such a big part of the show.”
Born Robert William Barker on Dec. 12, 1923, in Darrington, Wash., Barker grew up in South Dakota, living on the Rosebud Indian reservation (where his mother was a teacher) until he was in his early teens, and then settled in Springfield, Mo. After high school he entered Drury College on a basketball scholarship, leaving school to train as a fighter pilot with the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1943, though he never saw combat during WWII.
In 1947 he earned a B.A. in economics and was continuing his education when he became sidetracked by a radio job, which he had originally taken to pay for his schooling.
Barker also had other, shorter-lived hosting stints, such as 1980’s “That’s My Line,” a variation on the earlier “What’s My Line?” He also hosted the Pillsbury Bake-Off from 1969-85, the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
In 1994 Barker was the subject of a sexual harassment suit by Dian Parkinson, who had worked on “The Price Is Right” for 18 years, claiming she had been forced to have sex with Barker in order to maintain her job. Barker countered that the sex had been consensual, and Parkinson eventually dropped her suit.
He was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2008.
Ahead is a list of seven different classic X-Men actors who could reprise their role for Deadpool 3.
One of the biggest pieces of information that fans know about Ryan Reynolds‘ upcoming film is how it’ll be bringing back Hugh Jackman’sWolverine.
Jackman’s Logan won’t be the only Mutant appearing in Deadpool’s next adventure; joining him will be Brianna Hildebrand’s Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna’s Yukio, and Stefan Kapicic’s Colossus. Oddly enough, Jennifer Gardner’s Elektra is also making a long-awaited return.
But, with the movie set to focus on some Multiversal shenanigans, who else might show up from past projects?
7 X-Men Actors Who Could Return for Deadpool 3
1.) Patrick Stewart — Professor X
Marvel
Patrick Stewart’s Professor X is so iconic that it’s hard to tell if he’ll ever stop playing the character—provided he physically can. While he may have died the last time audiences saw him in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Deadpool 3 will almost certainly focus entirely on another reality.
In a previous interview, the actor let it slip that “he’s been told to standby” by Marvel, teasing the chance that he could be in line for a Deadpool 3 role.
Hopefully, this version of the iconic mutant will be in a far better place than the one that audiences witnessed in Logan. It would also be great if he had some classic X-Men at his side, unlike his Illuminati counterpart.
2.) Ian McKellen — Magneto
Marvel
With Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier getting the chance to return to his iconic role multiple times, it’s only fair that Ian McKellen’s Magneto is shown the same curtsey.
Stewart might have accidentally tattled on McKellen’s master of magnetism, spoiling that the two of them“had plans” with Marvel.
It’s been a long while since fans have gotten to see not only McKellen’s Magneto, but the character as a whole. Perhaps if he shows up in Deadpool 3, Marvel Studios can find a way to loop in Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.
Marvel could also choose to have Magneto at his full power, potentially having won the fight against the humans. Perhaps he’ll be a key antagonist that Deadpool and Wolverine need to take down.
3.) Halle Barry — Storm
Marvel
If Deadpool 3 is to bring back any of the original X-Men mutants, Halle Barry’s Storm is an obvious choice.
If Wade Wilson and Wolverine run into any version of the X-Men group across the Multiverse, Storm and her powers of weather manipulation will likely be there. She could prove an immediate ally to Wolverine, as the two usually get along.
A recent social media post from the actress clearly hints that she’s set to return to the role of Storm sooner rather than later. After all, the short white-haired look isn’t the actresses’ usual style.
4.) James Marsden – Cyclops
Marvel
James Marsden was last seen as Cyclops briefly in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Nearly a decade later, and he’s one of the top choices for who fans want to see return to the Marvel fray next.
Cyclops and Wolverine do tend to have a rivalry constantly going on. This could lead to Deadpool 3’s hypothetical version of the mutant being one of the first to voice his mistrust of the main Variants of Deadpool and Wolvey.
Marsden did recently voice how he “[misses the role] dearly” and would “love to explore” more of the character.
5.) Famke Janssen — Jean Grey
Marvel
Jean Grey is a core part of the X-Men; however, many felt that Famke Janssen’s character was completely fumbled by the time she died in X-Men: The Last Stand. Sophie Turner’s take on the hero didn’t do much better.
An appearance in Deadpool 3, alongside other classic X-Men heroes, would be a perfect way to give Jean some much-needed respect.
Whatever her story might include, one would have to hope that they stay as far away from the Phoenix Force as they can.
While his role probably wouldn’t make it over to the MCU film time, many might get a kick out of seeing Peter’s’ speedster kick ass one last time.
The actor previously admitted that “[he’d] be in another Marvel movie,” so Peters hasn’t closed the door to more comic book shenanigans yet.
7.) Dafne Keen — X-23
Marvel
While Dafne Keen’s X-23 is not a part of the core X-Men team as previously seen in past movies, her relationship with Wolverine in Logan practically begs for the hero to return in some capacity.
At this point, the actress is notably older, which could bring forth a different dynamic between X-23 and Logan.
If she did appear in Deadpool 3, it would almost certainly be a new Variant of the character. Ryan Reynolds previously stated that they plan to completely avoid messing with the events of Logan—though, who knows if he was being sarcastic or not.
Superman, one of the most recognizable characters on the planet, has been adapted in live-action many times. This includes no shortage of big-screen incarnations.
When the average person thinks of a superhero, there’s probably a strong chance that the first spandex-clad do-gooder that springs to mind is Superman (the other two possibilities being Batman and Spider-Man).
And while Batman might possess a few more points on the “cool factor” scale, the fact of the matter remains that Superman has long been seen as DC’s flagship figure and an icon in his own right since his comic debut in 1938. And because of that, the big blue boy scout has been one of the most sought-after roles in Hollywood for decades.
All Superman Movies In Order
Many notable names have worn Clark Kent’s famous red cape, with some dating back all the way to the 1950s. The Man of Steel has been featured in animation, television shows, video games, radio dramas, and perhaps most significant of all, movies.
Here are the 15 times that a live-action actor has donned the crest of the House of El in a motion picture:
1.) Superman and the Mole Men (1951) – George Reeves
Warner Bros.
The first ever film to star a DC character, Superman and the Mole Men was used to test the waters for the subsequent television series, Adventures of Superman, which in turn ran from 1952 to ‘58.
The plot concerns a group of humanoid creatures who glow in the dark. These so-called Mole Men spark fear in a small town, and when the townspeople take up arms to destroy them, Superman steps in.
In Superman and the Mole Men, the title role was portrayed by George Reeves, who, due to his association with the character, was rigidly typecast and experienced great difficulty finding other work. He ultimately took his own life in 1959, although many contest that there was foul play involved.
2.) Superman (1978) – Christopher Reeve
Warner Bros.
Generally one of the most favored interpretations of the Man of Tomorrow, Christopher Reeve took his first turn as Clark in Richard Donner’s 1978 classic Superman.
The film showcases Clark’s formative years growing up in Smallville, Kansas before launching into his life in the city of Metropolis. Superman must also contend with Lex Luthor, played by Gene Hackman, who launches a nefarious plan to sink the United States’ west coast into the ocean. Margot Kidder also starred as Lois Lane.
Audiences responded well to Reeve who played Superman with a kind, affable nature and brought a sort of well-meaning clumsiness when he was disguised as Clark Kent.
3.) Superman II (1980) – Christopher Reeve
Warner Bros.
For the sequel to the 1978 movie, Superman II, Richard Donner was fired as director after clashing with the producers. Instead, Richard Lester was brought in and ended up reshooting most of the film.
In Superman II, Christopher Reeve returned as the lead and did battle with Terrance Stamp’s General Zod, another survivor of Krypton, and Zod’s followers, Ursa and Non.
Much of the supporting cast from the original film came back, including Margot Kidder as Lois, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, and Jackie Cooper as Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White.
4.) Superman III (1983) – Christopher Reeve
Warner Bros.
Christopher Reeve once again stepped into the suit in Superman III. This is traditionally marked as the turning point in Reeve’s run; while the first two movies were well-received, Superman III’s goofiness and the addition of comedian Richard Pryor to the cast gave it a not-so-stellar reception.
The threequel saw Kal-El split into two halves: one, the mild-mannered Clark Kent, and the other, a corrupted, angry Superman. He also did battle with a malevolent supercomputer in what is considered one of the character’s less-than-finest hours. But at least it’s not as bad as the next one.
5.) Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) – Christopher Reeve
Warner Bros.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace marked Reeve’s final time out as the Metropolis Marvel. The Cannon Group held producing duties for the film and was in the midst of a financial upset when it was being made, resulting in Superman IV’s budget reportedly running dry before filming was completed.
This movie, having been conceived during the Cold War, dealt with the idea of nuclear disarmament. That particular story element was actually the contribution of Reeve himself, who was given script input in exchange for his agreeing to reprise the character.
Quest for Peace was a major flop with critics and fans alike. After a bad pre-release test screening, 45 minutes of footage ended up deleted, most of which still hasn’t seen the light of day.
6.) Superman Returns (2006) – Brandon Routh
Warner Bros.
After laying dormant for almost 20 years after the disastrous Superman IV, a new film with a new actor was developed. Brandon Routh gave life to Clark in 2006’s Superman Returns alongside Kate Bosworth as Lois.
Ostensibly a sequel to the first two Christopher Reeve movies, Returns took a more modern approach to its visuals and characterizations. And even though it was critically well-received, Warner Bros. remained dissatisfied with the film’s box office returns and scrapped a sequel that would have come out in 2009.
Years later, in the 2020 Arrowverse crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths, Brandon Routh suited up once again as a Kingdom Come-inspired Supes that was intended to be an extension of the world of Superman Returns.
7.) Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) – Christopher Reeve
Warner Bros.
As the story goes, Richard Donner was forced out of Superman II’s production over a battle with its producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind after having shot about three-fourths of the movie. Richard Lester replaced Donner and proceeded to reshoot most of what his predecessor had filmed.
However, in the early 2000s, despite Donner’s claims of wanting to be done with anything Superman, an online movement to get the director to finish his version of the film gained traction. The end result is Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, which restored much of what was lost in the theatrical version. Many fans remain divided over which one is better, though.
8.) Man of Steel (2013) – Henry Cavill
Warner Bros.
Henry Cavill took over the cape in this gritty, grounded reboot. Man of Steel was helmed by Zack Snyder, who injected many of his own signature touches, especially with regard to the movie’s visuals.
A somewhat controversial installment in the Superman franchise, particularly over the way certain characters and elements of the mythos were portrayed. Man of Steel is still recognized as a solid entry.
The movie was the launching point for DC’s shared universe, the complete tale of which could fill multiple books.
9.) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – Henry Cavill
Even though Dawn of Justice was fairly financially successful, it was lambasted by critics who panned the narrative and tone, among other things. And although die-hards rushed to the movie’s defense, it still suffered an 81% box office drop during its second weekend of release.
Storywise, Clark Kent is feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders as public outcry of his actions as Superman persists. Bruce Wayne decided that enough was enough and took on the Last Son of Krypton in pitched combat.
10.) Justice League (2017) – Henry Cavill
Warner Bros.
After Snyder was forced to walk away from production on his Batman v Superman follow-up due to a personal tragedy, Warner Bros. dialed up Avengers director Joss Whedon and had him complete work on Justice League. Whedon reshot large swaths of the movie and the result is still controversial to this day.
What should have been the supergroup’s first big-screen team-up was mired in a host of issues both on and offscreen. Henry Cavill reprised his role as Superman, but during the reshoots, he was simultaneously putting in time on Paramount Pictures’ Mission Impossible: Fallout, for which he had grown a mustache.
Paramount refused to let Cavill shave his facial hair when participating in Justice League’s additional filming, meaning that it had to be digitally removed. The outcome was off-putting, to say the least.
11.) Shazam! (2019) – Henry Cavill (Body Double)
Warner Bros.
In the last few seconds of 2019’s Shazam!, the titular hero is seen visiting his pal Freddy Freeman in the school cafeteria. He’d brought another friend along with him too: Superman.
Henry Cavill was unable to make it to the shoot, so the production was forced to use a Superman stand-in who only appeared from the neck down. It was still a memorable moment but not as impactful as it could’ve been.
12.) Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) – Henry Cavill
Warner Bros.
After relentless campaigning from the fanbase, Warner Bros. finally allowed Zack Snyder to go back and finish his work on Justice League. Zack Snyder’sJustice League, which was released in 2021 on HBO Max, is the culmination of those efforts.
Superman wore a sleek, black and silver suit in this four-hour-long director’s cut, and his upper lip was free of CGI manipulation, unlike in the theatrical version.
Kal-El comes into Zack Snyder’s Justice League more than halfway through its runtime after his teammates use the power of a Mother Box to resurrect him from death.
13.) Black Adam (2022) – Henry Cavill
Warner Bros.
The surprise cameo from Henry Cavill arrived in Black Adam’s post-credits scene. In the movie, he stepped out from the shadows in an attempt to negotiate with Dwayne Johnson’s anti-hero on behalf of Amanda Waller.
Heralded as Cavill’s grand return to the character, further plans to utilize his talents were cut short when Black Adam bombed, and James Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to revitalize the DC Universe.
14.) The Flash (2023) – Henry Cavill, Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, & Nicholas Cage
Warner Bros.
In the final battle sequence from The Flash, after Barry Allen repeatedly tries to save the lives of Bruce Wayne and Supergirl, the DC Multiverse begins to collapse upon itself. This brought forth CGI renditions of George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, and Nicholas Cage (from the aborted Superman Lives) that can only be described as ghoulish.
A similar rendering of Henry Cavill’s Clark was also glimpsed when Barry travels back in time to 2013.
15.) Superman: Legacy (2025) – David Corenswet
Warner Bros.
The only Superman that audiences haven’t gotten an official look at, David Corenswet will arrive on-screen in 2025’s Superman: Legacy, directed by DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn.
Said to embody the hope and optimism that are central to the character, Corenswet’s Supes will exist in a world where several other superheroes are already established including the likes of Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific.
Superman: Legacy will hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
A Cavalcade of Other Clark Kents
That’s a lot of Supermen! But his film interpretations barely scratch the surface of the number of times the legendary Kryptonian has been adapted for media.
There’s the still-running Superman & Lois TV series, plus other small-screen takes like Smallville and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
And that’s not even making mention of the myriad of times he’s been featured in the realm of animation, including the Fleischer Studios shorts from the ’40s, all the way up to his role in the DC Animated Universe. The new, anime-influenced My Adventures with Superman has also been making waves as of late.
Superman is an icon and one of the most enduring figures in popular culture, so it’s no big shock that he’s ventured outside the pages of comic books into other formats several times.
At his core, though, Clark has always been a beacon of hope and a shining symbol of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow, qualities that he’s almost always been imbued with no matter who’s playing him.
I’m currently building out a new home entertainment setup, so I figure I may as well finally get a dock for my Steam Deck so I can hook it up to my TV. I’m glad I haven’t already plumped for Valve’s own Steam Deck Docking Station as an unofficial one from accessory maker GuliKit is a bit more stylish.
That’s because it takes a design cue or two from the Super Nintendo. It has a gray shell and a couple of large purple switches, which may be there just for aesthetic reasons. The docking port, which you can protect with a sliding dust cover when not in use, has a pair of vents.
On the rear, there are USB-C charging and AC adapter ports, as well as Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports. The dock supports up to 100W power delivery as well as 4K 60Hz HDMI video output. There’s even hidden storage for four microSD cards.
It’s not only a Steam Deck you can plop into the dock either. GuliKit says it works with similar handheld devices such as the ROG Ally and Ayaneo‘s systems. You can use it to play your Nintendo Switch on your TV as well. GuliKit notes that you’ll need to place your Switch upside down so that the console’s USB-C port is accessible. Still, there’s something quite fitting about using a Switch placed in this dock to play SNES games.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed as yet, but the dock should be available in September, GuliKit told The Verge. At least for now, the only downside is that it’s based on the US version of the SNES rather than the more refined European model.
The Bulletin Board : the place to promote festivals call for entries and reach an international audience of filmmakers.
Festivals meet Filmmakers!.
“In tracking our submissions this year we can attribute nearly 50% of those who submitted films to our festival, heard of us through FilmFestivals.com. Quite an impressive record I would say!” Mark Marvel, Festival Program Coordinator – Sarasota Film Festival
“A mighty fine and informative website you have, I’m going to check in with your’s before Variety’s from here on. We’ve been deluged with calls from people requesting to enter the Chicago Film Critics Awards Festival which they found out about on FilmFestivals.com…” Dann Gire, President & Founding Director Chicago Film Critics Association
“Your site is a tremendous resource for Film festival directors, programmers, and filmmakers. Don Franken Method Fest director Filmfestivals provided half of our entries, doubling last year ‘s figures” Gregg Schwenk Newport Beach Film Festival
“Submissions for ShortFest are indeed numerous and international. It appears that we will be processing almost 3,000 submissions. Thanks for all of your help!” David LeePalm Springs International Film Festival
Harold Lloyd dangling from the hands of a clock on the side of a building is arguably the most famous single image from the silent-film era. The movie in which that scene appears, Safety Last, was made in 1923 and is being screened Sunday at 2pm at the Academy Museum, with a 27-piece orchestra playing the late Carl Davis’s original score. Leonard and Jessie are delighted to welcome back Suzanne Lloyd, who was raised by her grandfather and grandmother, and her longtime friend Rich Correll, who as a teenager began the process of preserving Harold Lloyd’s film collection. We owe them both a debt of thanks for keeping these movies safe for current and future generations to enjoy.
Hollywood took to social media to pay tribute to Bob Barker, who died of natural causes Saturday morning at 99.
The longtime Price Is Right host gained a new group of fans after his iconic fight with Adam Sandler in his 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore.
Sandler remembered the former game show host as a man, a myth and “the best,” adding in his Instagram caption, “Such a sweet funny guy to hang out with. Loved talking to him. Loved laughing with him. Loved him kicking the crap out of me. He will be missed by everyone I know! Heartbreaking day. Love to Bob always and his family! Thanks for all you gave us!”
Drew Carey, the current Price Is Right host, who took over for Barker in 2007, called it a “very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world. There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever. #RIPBobBarker We love you.”
In addition to his work as a famed game show host, Barker was also a major animal rights activist. According to PETA, he was one of the first stars to go vegetarian more than 30 years ago.
“[He] urged families to stay away from SeaWorld, demanded the closure of cruel bear pits masquerading as tourist attractions, implored Hollywood to take action to protect animals used in film and TV and, as a Navy veteran, called for the end of military medical drills on live animals,” the organization said in a statement.
Julie Bowen, who also starred in Happy Gilmore, recalled Barker and Sandler’s fight in the film, noting it was “one of my favorite filming memories ever. She concluded her Instagram caption, writing, “In honor of Bob: please remember to spay and neuter your pets,” referring to what the host used to say during his Price Is Right sign-off.
In a post celebrating his 50-year TV career, the Motion Picture Association championed the Emmy-winning game show host who became a beloved household name. “In countless households across America, Bob Barker was a part of the family — beaming into our homes daily as the iconic host of ‘The Price Is Right,’” MPA tweeted. “Thanks for the memories, Bob.”
On Saturday, actor Lou Diamond Phillips recalled his experience being the “tireless” animal advocate’s neighbor. “Was lucky enough to be Bob Barker’s neighbor for a while. Would often chat with him when he was walking his dogs. What a consummate gentleman and tireless advocate for animals. What an epic run you had, sir. #RIPLegend”
Read on for more tributes.
Very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world. There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.#RIPBobBarker We love you ❤️
— Motion Picture Association (@motionpictures) August 26, 2023
One of the nicest things I ever heard in showbusiness was Bob Barker saying, “I moved to Hollywood to be an actor and the only person who ever let me do it was Adam Sandler!” This scene with them was and will always be absolutely hilarious! God bless you, Bob https://t.co/5kKt0EM81x
We watched Bob Barker all the time growing up, he the best there ever was! Remember the time @TheVannaWhite was asked to “Come on down!” on The Price Is Right? He was an American treasure. RIP Bob Barker? pic.twitter.com/XQbFxDX1iY
Legend. Icon. With a career that spanned over 60 years on television and radio, Bob Barker was one of the world’s most recognizable game show hosts, entertaining generations. 1/2https://t.co/FTaDAZSzHX
We are saddened Bob Barker has passed at the age of 99. Renowned host of The Price is Right for 35 years, animal activist, radio host, husband, and all-around game show legend will forever hold a spot in our hearts. We thank him for bringing joy to our homes for so many years. pic.twitter.com/qXXS8BwtQ3
Was lucky enough to be Bob Barker’s neighbor for a while. Would often chat with him when he was walking his dogs. What a consummate gentleman and tireless advocate for animals. What an epic run you had, sir. #RIPLegend
Bob Barker, the longtime host of television game show The Price Is Right, has died, according to his publicist. He was 99 and died at his home a few months short of his 100th birthday.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us,” publicist Roger Neal said in a statement Saturday. No cause was given.
The Price Is Right franchise began in 1956 as a television game show hosted by Bill Cullen and was revamped in 1972, when Barker became host. Drew Carey has hosted the program since 2007.
The game show had already been canceled by two networks before finding a home at CBS in 1972. Barker’s charm helped revive the sagging show, and it continues to air to this day.
Barker spent more than half a century on TV, taking over as host of the popular game show Truth or Consequences in 1956 and retiring from The Price Is Right in 2007.
“The show has the most enthusiastic and fun audience that one could ever ask for,” said Barker. “They truly were and are the heart and soul of the show …. It was an incredibly memorable ride. Congratulations to The Price is Right on 50 historic years. Here’s to 50 more!”
Going on 70,000 contestants have played The Price Is Right since its revamp debuted on September 4, 1972, and 2 million-plus have been in its studio audience. The first prize ever offered on the show was a Chevy Vega worth $2,746 — some 8,400 car giveaways have ensued.
Robert William Barker was born in Darrington, Washington, on December 12, 1923. At age 6, he was moved to a Sioux Indian reservation in Mission, SD, with his mother, after his father died in a workplace accident.
Bob Barker with a contestant and guest on ‘Truth or Consequences’
His mother, Matilda, a schoolteacher, remarried and moved again to Missouri. After a two-year stint in the Navy at the tail end of World War II, Barker returned to Missouri to attend Drury College, now Drury University, and graduated with a degree in economics.
From there, Barker landed a job at a radio station in Florida. In 1950, he moved to California to start his own radio program, The Bob Barker Show, in Burbank.
His smooth delivery soon caught the eye of television producers. He landed his first game show in 1956, NBC’s Truth or Consequences. He hosted that show for 18 years until it went off the air.
Barker transitioned to The Price Is Right, which became the longest-running daytime game show in TV history in 1990, until his retirement.
Beyond game shows, Barker also applied his emcee skills to pageants. In 1967, he began a 20-year run as emcee of the Miss Universe and Miss America pageants, and in 1969, he started a similarly long run as the host of the New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade.
Barker was given an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Bob Barker slugs Adam Sandler in the famous ‘Happy Gilmore’ fight scene
Universal/Everett Collection
He also made a famously riotous cameo in the 1996 film Happy Gilmore, where he beat up Adam Sandler’s title character on a golf course.
A longtime animal rights activist, Barker ended each episode of The Price Is Right with the plea: “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
Barker’s wife, his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Jo Gideon, died in 1981. They married in 1945.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued a statement on Barker’s passing.
“Bob’s influence on the entertainment industry is indisputable, but what mattered to him most was using his voice and prominent position to protect animals. Of course, everyone is familiar with his “spay and neuter your pets” sign-off on The Price Is Right—a show where he refused to allow fur prizes—but he was also one of the first stars to go vegetarian, more than 30 years ago.
“He joined PETA in urging families to stay away from SeaWorld, demanded the closure of cruel bear pits masquerading as tourist attractions, implored Hollywood to take action to protect animals used in film and TV, and, as a Navy veteran, called for the end of military medical drills on live animals.
His generous donation allowed PETA to open its West Coast headquarters, the Bob Barker Building, in 2012, and it stands as a testament to his legacy and profound commitment to making the world a kinder place. To us—and to so many animals around the world—Bob will always be a national animal rights treasure.”
A poster-wrapped window for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which kicks off at State Farm Stadium on March 17 and 18, is shown next to one of the entrances to the stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on March 13, 2023. Entertainment Glendale Name Change
It’s bittersweet to think about the Eras Tour ending for now and we’re getting close to the end of ranking the singles from each Taylor Swift album.
Regardless, we aren’t done yet and this is going to be an ongoing series. Taylor Swift is going to continue to release music even after her re-recordings are done. Ultimately, this was a fun project to do while being jealous of every single person who was able to attend the Eras Tour.
With that being said, let’s get into the next Taylor Swift album and that’sEvermore. This is Swift’s 9th studio album and was the sister album to Folklore. Unlike her previous works, these two are interconnected and as I mentioned during my Folklore ranking, this was a turning point for Swift and her sound.
If anything, it felt like Folklore and Evermore catered to an entirely different audience and the songwriting on these albums is just unmatched. As for singles, the album ended up having 3 singles which were “Willow,” No Body No Crime,” and “Coney Island,” so let’s break it down.
Coming in at #3 from Evermore is “Coney Island.”
3. “Coney Island” (Featuring The National)
I feel like I’m a broken record, but most of the time, I prefer Taylor Swift on her own. When coming up with this ranking, Miss Swift decided to torment me by making two collaborations singles. Between the two, “Coney Island” is the weaker so it ended up being #3 on my list and I’m not even saying it’s a bad one.
While I love the sound of “Coney Island,” it just doesn’t seem like single material in comparison to others on the album. Like I said, the lyrics for it are beautiful and it makes me feel melancholy every time I listen. I’d just like to know who decided “Coney Island” should be a single from this album.
Move over “Barbenheimer”: Spain has a new box office phenom: Javier Fesser’s “Championext” (“Campeonex”), his sequel to “Champions,” Spain’s biggest hometurf box office hit of the last seven years which sparked a Woody Harrelson U.S. remake directed by Bobby Farrelly.
Produced by Luis Mansó for Películas Pendleton and Alvaro Longoria for Morena Films, “Championext” is released in Spain by Universal Pictures Intl (UPI), and sold internationally by Latido Films.
It opened Aug. 18 for a first weekend €1.72 million ($1.89 million) which bested both “Barbie” ($804,275) and “Oppenheimer” ($704,026) as well as “Meg 2: The Trench,” Spain’s No. 1 for the last two weeks.
“Championext’s” first weekend frame is the biggest among Spanish films since Santiago Segura’s “Father There is Only One 3” in July 2022.
Scoring a muscular €823,399 ($901,622) on Wednesday, spectators’ day in Spain when ticket prices drop at cinema theaters, “Championext” grossed a robust €3.94 million ($4.31 million) through and including Friday, with 651,431 tickets sold. Still No. 1 at Spain’s box office, it looks well on its way to overhauling Spain’s current best 2023 release, the Sony-backed “Vacaciones de verano,” starring and directed by Segura.
“Championext” transfers the original’s sporting arena from a basketball court to athletics’s track and field before building to an eSports climax. This turns on a new character, played by Brian Albacete who has spinal bifida but has broken out in the space if a year to social media stardom as Brianeitor 2002, a social media commentator with millions of followers as well as a hot-shot gamer in “Fall Guys.”
“It is really fantastic and refreshing that the audience reacts so well to a movie that is different and reflects such valuable principles. We feel the movie also portrays a different view on the new forms of entertainment and how they can help people with different abilities to excel,” said Longoria.
A Spanish Academy Goya Award winning documentarian (“Sons of the Clouds”), Longoria is now directing a doc feature on Albacete, “La vida de Brianeitor.”
The big bow of “Championext” also underscores more broader audience Spanish cinema’s increasing theatrical box office consolidation around comedies and family entertainment.
Eight of the Top 10 highest grossing Spanish titles of this year to date belong to one or other or both of these categories. Apart from them, only Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s crossover Neo-Western “The Beasts” and shock-fest “The Communion Girl” make 2023’s current Top 10 cut.
The San Sebastian Festival, framing Spanish bows anywhere from Isabel Coixet’s “Un Amor” to J.A. Bayona’s Netflix Original “Society of the Snow” and Fernando Trueba’s “They Shot the Piano Player,” could yield new non-comedy/family pic Top 10 entrants.
Airline passengers are used to weighing their luggage, but now travellers on South Korea‘s flag carriers could be weighed themselves before boarding their flights.
Korean Air, the country’s largest airline, has become the latest company to announce that it will be measuring the average weight of passengers and their carry-on items ‘for flight safety’.
Similar measures came into place in New Zealand in June, when more than 10,000 passengers flying with Air New Zealand were expected to weigh themselves pre-flight.
Now travellers flying from South Korea’s two biggest airports in Seoul will be asked to step on the scales at the airport, in a move which the government says is ‘crucial for safety of flight operations’.
The new measures will come into effect at Gimpo Airport from 28 August to 6 September, while the same is true for passengers departing from Incheon International Airport from 8-19 September.
Korean Air, the country’s largest airline has become the latest company to announce that it will be measuring the average weight of passengers and their carry-on items
Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MOLIT) has issued the advice to all Korean flag carriers in order to update its ‘Aircraft Weight and Balance Management Standards’.
‘This is crucial for safety of flight operations, and Korean Air complies with this mandate and remains committed to safety, its number one priority,’ they said.
Concerns over the move have been raised by some online, but the company has emphasised that participating passengers’ privacy will be maintained.
‘Korean Air passengers will be asked to step on scales with their carried-on items at each boarding gate,’ a Korean Air official told Korea JoongAng Daily.
‘The data collated anonymously will be utilized for survey purposes and doesn’t mean overweight passengers will need to pay more.’
Passengers may also be relieved to hear that if they would prefer not to be weighed they will be able to skip it.
It comes after a five-week survey of passengers by Kiwi carrier Air New Zealand, announced in May, with scales set up in Auckland airport.
It comes after a five-week survey of passengers by Kiwi carrier Air New Zealand, announced in May, with scales set up in Auckland airport
More than 10,000 passengers flying with Air New Zealand were expected to weigh themselves pre-flight (stock image)
Air New Zealand load control specialist Alastair James stressed at the time that the survey was completely voluntary and anonymous.
‘We know stepping on the scales can be daunting. We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere,’ he told Seven Sharp.
‘We need to know the weights of everything that go onboard our aircraft.
‘For passengers or customers, crew and their cabin bags, we use an average weight and that average weight comes from this survey.’
Mr James explained that the survey required at least 10,000 people to take part ‘to get a reasonable sample of the travelling public’.
While he admitted that the process ‘seems a little unusual’, he said it was important for the airline to determine the average weight on flights.
As well as the weight of passengers, crew and luggage, the survey also weighed cargo and meals onboard.
The survey is a requirement of the country’s Civil Aviation Authority and Air New Zealand conducts it every five years.
Savannah James, 36, took to Instagram to share new photos of herself looking gorgeous in a mostly orange patterned jumpsuit. The wife of LeBron James seemed to be preparing for her upcoming birthday on Sunday, as she posed at the top of a staircase while holding a purse that matched her outfit. She had her long, wavy blonde hair down and showed off epic makeup that went perfectly with her look.
“Virgo SZN ??8.27,” Savannah wrote in the caption for the photos. In addition to snapshots of herself, the beauty included a photo of an early black and white birthday cake. The post brought on many compliments and/or birthday wishes from followers.
Before Savannah wowed with her latest photos, she made headlines back in May, when she walked the red carpet with LeBron at the premiere of Shooting Stars in Los Angeles, CA. She looked incredible in a black sheer suit that was made up of black fabric flowers. She paired it with black heels and had her shoulder-length hair down. LeBron also looked handsome in an all white suit and sneakers.
Savannah wows in a black dress during a previous event. (Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock)
The dress Savannah wore at the 2023 ESPYs in July, was also a big hit. The beauty wore a long-sleeved sheer gown with maroon, purple, and black sequins all over it. She added matching makeup that included purple eyeshadow, and shared photos of the memorable look as her makeup team, who she referred to as “the most elite glam team,” worked their magic on her.
When Savannah’s not making headlines for her pretty style, she’s doing so for her family life. The doting mother’s oldest son, Bronny James, 18, was in the news on Friday, when the cause of his recent cardiac arrest incident, which left him hospitalized last month, was revealed. “It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated,” a released statement from the family’s rep read.
The statement also mentioned when Bronny was expected to return on the basketball court. “We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future,” the statement continued. “We will continue to provide updates to media and respectfully reiterate the family’s request for privacy.”
We’re not expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S24 series until the early part of next year, but by that time it looks as though we’ll know just about every spec offered by these phones – including the chipset that powers them.
The team at SamMobile has compared two recently posted benchmarks – one thought to be from the Nubia RedMagic 9 and one thought to be from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus – and suggests that the latter phone will have a special edition processor inside.
Both these handsets are expected to run on the as-yet-unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, but the configuration listings attached to the leaked benchmarks show some subtle differences between processor specs.
Each chipset is made up of cores (individual processing units), and these are apparently laid out differently and running at slightly faster speeds on the Samsung Galaxy 24 Plus compared with the RedMagic 9 from Nubia.
Phone power
As you may remember from earlier in the year, Qualcomm and Samsung partnered together to create a custom version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor for the handsets in the Samsung Galaxy S23 range – so it looks like this partnership is continuing.
That bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was later made available to other manufacturers as well, but Samsung got it first. It seems likely that a similar arrangement could be in place as we go through the flagship Android phones of 2024.
There’s been plenty of speculation around the chipset that’ll be showing up in the Samsung Galaxy S24 range, with rumors that Samsung will go back to its previous approach of fitting its own Exynos processors inside some versions of the phone.
That wasn’t the strategy with the Galaxy S23, as all three of those phones got Snapdragon silicon inside them. At this stage of course, it’s still not clear exactly how powerful the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will be – but it should launch before the end of 2023.
For this installment of Variety’s Making a Scene, presented by HBO, the team behind one of America’s favorite game shows came together to break down its primetime special: “The Price is Right At Night: Superfans.”
On the heels of their 2023 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Game Show, hosts, producers and crew of “The Price Is Right”” explained the full process — from casting to prize selection — behind this special legacy edition episode.
“The superfans of the price of right, they know the show better than all of us that work here,” said Evelyn Warfel, executive producer of “Price” since 2019. To get a crowd of the game show’s biggest fans, the production team posted a call for applications on all their social media accounts.
After finding a slue of “Price” fanatics, they narrowed down the group by asking them questions, like “What are some of the former announcers or former models?” or “Do you remember games that have been retired?” and even “What’s our studio number?” in order to find their superfans. (And superfans they found: one selected contestant, Jacob, showed up wearing a shirt he’d made adorned with all the retired “Price” games.)
And to award these winners accordingly, the team ensured prizes were “priceless,” things that only a true devotee would appreciate including dinner with host Drew Cary and a signed yodeler from “Cliff Hangers.”
With “Price” running for over five decades since its premiere in 1972, the production crew was more than prepared to take on this primetime special. In a single year, they crank out 190 shows, each following the same classic format. The camera crew hit all the iconic marks, making sure to catch the overall excitement, the huge shots of the audience, and the moments when contestants are picked and told to “come on down.”
The game show’s long history endures as well in the games themself. Some are nearly as old as the program, with “original parts that can require tender love and care.” This also means that hosts are privy to the secrets behind winning games like “10 Chances.” Carey admits that it’s the show’s easiest game: “Not everybody knows the easter egg trick to it,” he said. “I’m not allowed to say anything, but every number ends in zero, so the first two should be gimmes. Then there’s only so mnay combinations for the car that makes sense.”
But most of all, the legacy of “The Price is Right” exists most in the hearts of the show’s team. “I like being here more than being at home or anywhere else,” Carey said. Announcer George Gray added, “I’ve hosted a lot of shows, but this one is so special and so iconic. Ir’s so woven into the fabric of our lives in America.”
Lane Factor spent most of his teen years on camera, growing up on FX’s “Reservation Dogs.” The hit series premiered in 2021 and comes to an end in September after three seasons. Factor plays Cheese Williams, one of the show’s four Indigenous teenagers living on the “rez” in rural Oklahoma. The Oklahoma native, who is of Creek-Seminole and Caddo descent, talked to Variety before the SAG-AFTRA strike about learning the craft, how the cast and crew helped him overcome his anxiety and working with Steven Spielberg in “The Fabelmans.”
What has the journey been like for you, getting to grow up on TV as Cheese and taking him through this final season?
It’s been so amazing. I’ve learned so much. This was my first role. I’ve learned about starting fresh with this character. But I felt so connected to Cheese because as he was growing, so was I.
I’ve learned about being an actor from my co-stars and directors. I really hope that after this, I can continue working and improving myself and the craft of acting.
When we filmed the pilot, it was before my voice started lowering and before I hit a big growth spurt. In between the pilot and Season 1 there was a six-month gap, and my voice changed, and I got really tall. So they had to try to pitch my voice a bit so it wouldn’t sound so different. I’ve literally grown with the show.
In the middle of all of this, you got to work with Steven Spielberg on “The Fabelmans.” What was that experience like?
Working with Mr. Spielberg was one of the biggest honors. I would try my best not to geek out about his amazing films. I wanted to ask him 1,000 questions.
Did he give you any advice?
I had a scene with him where I got to work on a one-to-one basis. I’m dressed in a sheriff costume and standing on a rock shooting people with a plastic pistol. The scene was filmed on an 8mm camera, and it was shot by him. It was just the two of us, and we were on that rock. He didn’t want any noise and anything interfering. He was telling me what to do, and it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
What was the greatest lesson you learned about yourself while working on “Reservation Dogs”?
I doubt myself way too much. I over-criticize myself way too much. I’ve always had the problem of overly doubting myself to the point where it can affect my mental health. But having my cast there, they’re like family, so being able to talk to them and express my concerns was great and helped to alleviate my fears. And working with Spielberg or with people like [“Reservation Dogs” creator] Sterlin Harjo, [director-writer] Blackhorse Lowe and [director-writer-producer] Tazbah Chavez was something that helped a lot. So now, I try not to think about that too much.
Shah Rukh Khan dropped tidbits about Jawan during an ASK SRK session.
Shah Rukh Khan said in an #AskSRK session that Jawan has two heroines and is a film about women.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan took to X (formerly, Twitter) on Saturday afternoon for another #AskSRK session with his followers ahead of the release of Jawan. Shah Rukh hinted that he would soon either drop a new song from the film or Prevue Reloaded. He shared that he was on his way to meet the film’s director Atlee and engaged in a fun, witty banter with his fans.
One person asked Shah Rukh, “Hi @iamsrk sir, eagerly anticipating #Jawan! Can you tease us with one word that best describes the journey your character goes through in the film? #AskSRK.” The actor replied, “No tease, the one word that drives the movie is ‘Women’ it’s a film about women made for men!! Hope all like the Mass and Class….#Jawan.”
Another fan asked Shah Rukh a funny question. He wrote, “Sir meri do biwi hai ek ko #jawan first day first show dekhna hai dusri ko first day last day. Ek din mai do baar kaise karun sir please help #AskSRK (Sir, I have two wives. One wants to watch Jawan first day first show, the other wants to watch the film first day last show. How do I watch the film twice in one day? Sir, please help).”
Shah Rukh gave a witty reply to the fan, saying that the film also has two heroines. He wrote, “#Jawan mein bhi doh heroines hain….Dono biwiyon ko saath mein le jaa….ek ek karke haath pakade lena jab main alag alag heroine ke saath screen pe aaoon!! #Jawan (There are two heroines in Jawan as well. Take both wives together, old their hands one by one when I appear on screen with a different heroine).”
In his previous AMA session, Shah Rukh had said that Jawan gives the message of woman empowerment. He wrote, “The film has a strong take on women empowerment…how to respect and stand for them.”
The much-awaited film will release on September 7 this year. It will feature Nayanthara, Deepika Padukone, Sanya Malhotra and Priyamani in key roles.
However, the two brands still have a lot of content to release before the end of the year, and most of it will be hitting the streaming platform in September.
MCU & Star Wars Projects Coming to Disney+ in September
1.) Ahsoka
Disney
In total, there will be eight episodes of Ahsoka, and four of those will hit Disney+ during the month of September.
Episode 4, which will be directed by Peter Ramsey, is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 5, with Episode 5 following a week later on September 12 (directed by series creator and writer Dave Filoni).
The next week on Tuesday, September 19, Episode 6 will hit the platform and will be directed by Jennifer Getzinger, with the penultimate Episode 7 scheduled to come out on Tuesday, September 26, which will be directed by Geeta Vasant.
It is important to note that Ahsoka will not be hitting Disney+ on Wednesdays at 3:00 a.m. ET like other Star Wars shows have in the past and will instead be released at 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday evenings.
2.) Master & Apprentice: A Special Look at Ahsoka
Disney
On Friday, September 8, Star Wars will also release a special behind-the-scenes documentary-style presentation titled Master & Apprentice: A Special Look at Ahsoka.
This special will noticeably be released just a few days before Episode 5 of Ahsoka hits the Disney+ platform, and seeing as how that episode will be directed by Dave Filoni, the upcoming Master & Apprentice special may be preparing fans for a reunion between Anakin and Ahsoka.
3.) Marvel Studios’ I Am Groot (Season 2)
Disney
Although all eyes seem to be on the upcoming Loki series that will be released on October 6, the MCU’s next show will be Season 2 of the animated I Am Groot series, which will come out on Wednesday, September 6.
An official poster and trailer for the upcoming show were released alongside the announcement of Season 2’s release date, and it was also confirmed that the episodes will give fans a combined 15 minutes of original content when the project hits the streamer.
4.) Marvel Studios’ Assembled: The Making of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Disney
Another chapter of Marvel Studios’ Assembled will be released on Wednesday, September 13, and this time, it will show the behind-the-scenes process of bringing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to life.
Just like the other Assembled episodes, the upcoming one will likely be in the form of a documentary with a lot of the film’s major cast and crew talking about their experiences making the movie.
5.) Marvel Studios’ Assembled: The Making of Secret Invasion
Disney
On Wednesday, September 20, just one week after the Marvel Studios’ Assembled episode for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is released, the Assembled installment for Secret Invasion will hit the platform.
Like the rest of Assembled, this episode will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Secret Invasion.
6.) Loki Season 2’s Marvel Studios: Legends
Disney
Season 2 of Loki will be coming to Disney+ on Friday, October 6. Before the premiere of the upcoming season, two episodes of Marvel Studios:Legends will be released on Friday, September 29, and each will focus on a different element of the show.
One episode will be based on the TVA and the other will focus on Variants, preparing fans for the upcoming season.
7.) Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends (Season 2)
Disney
Spidey and His Amazing Friends has been a huge hit with younger fans and has introduced them to the world of Marvel in a way that other projects can’t do.
Seven episodes of Season 2 will premiere on Wednesday, September 13 and will likely showcase the ensemble of characters such as Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen, and Miles Morales.
Disney+ is available worldwide, with subscriptions starting at $7.99/month USD.
The action genre has, of course, always been known, recognized, and prized for the action, stunts, and generally all the different forms of physicality that make it what it is. But because of the genre’s main focus, it can sometimes be easy to forget how many incredible performances many actors have given in these films, fully committing to their craft even among all the crazy combat, shootouts, explosions, and overall noise. And while audiences usually expect the action to take center stage in an action movie, a good performance or two can only elevate an action film. It can add depth and substance to the story, which can make the action within even more meaningful and serious, especially when there are stakes involved for characters that the audience cares for, due to good performances.
And especially when the action itself is not up to par and not given enough care to – as it is in a lot of today’s action films, let’s be honest – an actor’s dedicated performance (or several of them) can be the bright spot that makes it all memorable. A lot of times, the acting can be more memorable than the action, funny enough. And there have been some truly legendary performances in the genre over the years, such as Sylvester Stallone in First Blood, Natalie Portman in Leon: The Professional, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Liam Neeson in Taken, Bruce Willis in Die Hard, Linda Hamilton in Terminator, and many more. But there have also been many memorable ones that, for whatever reason, haven’t been truly appreciated or recognized as they should have. Let’s look at the twelve most underrated ones.
12 Tchéky Karyo – Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
EuropaCorp Distribution Twentieth Century Fox
There have been many thrilling villains in the genre, like Hans Gruber in Die Hard, portrayed by the late Alan Rickman… but in one of Jet Li’s best American movies, there’s a criminally underrated one in Inspector Richard, played by Tchéky Karyo. His performance in the film is remarkable and dead serious in its detestable energy. He really commits to delivering a vile, despicable, cruel, sleazy, and just plain psychopathic corrupt cop that hunts Jet Li’s character with angry fervor and revels in psychologically abusing Bridget Fonda’s character. It’s a shame his performance hasn’t received more praise and his villain isn’t more celebrated among the pantheon of great – and nasty – action villains, as it absolutely deserves to be.
11 Dwayne Johnson – The Scorpion King (2002)
Universal Pictures
The former wrestler’s film debut was a big deal in its release, being noted for the biggest payday an actor ever received for a debut role. It was more or less well-received as a fun and entertaining sword and sandals piece. But the starring performance by Dwayne Johnson, while having a lukewarm response, was not as appreciated as it should’ve been for what was a top-notch debut performance. The Rock had unmatched charisma and screen presence, genuine charm, as well as great comedic timing that made the character oddly lovable. He brought the confident energy, the laughs, the dry humor, the believable emotion, the attitude, the eyebrow lift… and he did it all with commendable earnestness. Whatever one may think of the film, Dwayne took the role seriously, and his excellent, committed performance is one of the best debuts ever.
10 Vin Diesel – XXX (2002)
Sony Pictures Entertainment Columbia Pictures
Here, we have another underrated action star debut, or really post-debut as The Fast and the Furious would officially count as Vin Diesel‘s first action role. But the first XXX was hyped up to give new life to the action spy film, and it blasted through the gates in heavy metal style and with a badass lead. Critics were more or less divided over Vin Diesel’s performance, while mostly agreeing that he fit the role physically at least. But Diesel brought more than tattoos and muscles. He had genuine charisma (like another bald rival action star), exuded effortless cool and confidence, had rock star screen presence, and gave doses of tough-as-nails attitude when needed. Many actors have tried their hand at the action route, but not all were able to deliver such a confident entry as this one. Diesel is arguably among the very select few who were truly born for the genre.
9 Thomas Jane – The Punisher (2004)
Lions Gate Films
The second iteration of this popular Marvel character wasn’t well-received upon release, but achieved cult status over the years. While most agreed that Thomas Jane did well in the role, there would come along in future iterations that would win much more favor with fans, such as Jon Bernthal in the Netflix version of Frank Castle. But this film’s reputation, coupled with Bernthal’s popularity, makes Thomas Jane not only the most underrated Frank Castle, but his performance as one of the most underrated action performances ever. Thomas really brings a huge sense of grief, wounded emotion, and deep pathos to the character. You feel it in every moment he’s on the screen. The heartbroken loss he suffered never leaves his face. He wholeheartedly embodies a broken shell of a man in every aspect of his body, face, voice, and mannerisms. And his commitment to the role was astounding, if behind-the-scenes stories are to be believed.
This is arguably Jet Li’s most serious, dramatic, and darkest American film. He’s obviously world-famous for his martial arts skills, of which he brings in full force here. But critics didn’t give enough recognition for how well he delivers a dramatic and emotional performance in the movie, too. Perhaps he was overshadowed by his legendary counterparts Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins, who both gave brilliant and memorable performances that were praised by critics, but Li really holds his own among them. He dove into his role by studying the way dogs behave at the zoo, and his commitment is remarkable.
He gives Danny a wounded and slightly primitive soul, with a caged sadness that’s always visible but unable to go anywhere. During the scenes where he’s pushed into brutal violence at his master’s command, Li is absolutely ferocious in his animalistic anger, and truly makes you believe that unchecked violence is second nature to him until he’s told to stop. But then he brings warmth, tenderness, and innocence to his scenes of rediscovery with Sam and Victoria. Li handles all of Danny’s emotions throughout the film wonderfully, and this still remains his finest dramatic performance.
7 Gerard Butler – 300 (2007)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Zack Snyder’s muscular Greek epic was met with a lot of conversation – and controversy – upon arrival. Its critical response was lukewarm, with the action and visuals receiving most of the praise. But not much recognition was given to the lead performance from Gerard Butler as Leonidas. It’s not just about his imposing physicality or the amount of muscles he had to amass for the role. But he genuinely brings a Shakespearean gravitas to his performance. You can have the biggest pecks in the world, but what good does it do if you’re not believable in your show of strength or can’t produce the hypermasculine aura of a hardened warrior? Luckily, Butler delivered on his task in spades. He shows genuine grit, conviction, and ferocity, and has a commanding, brave, and courageous presence that fully makes you believe he can lead his army against a million-man behemoth.
But that’s not all to his performance. He also exudes a subtle warmth and compassion as a leader, showing care and love for his soldiers, providing true empathy to one when he is grief-stricken over losing his son in battle, and always being inspirational in the face of gargantuan obstacles. Butler is completely believable and committed in every emotion, every grand speech, every show of physicality, and every loving glance to his wife, the Queen. It’s one of the finest and most epic action performances ever.
6 Anthony Mackie – Pain & Gain (2013)
Paramount
This odd, unique action/comedy from Michael Bay that was based on a messed up true story of bodybuilders who committed a heinous crime was met with mixed reviews, but the performances were more or less praised by critics. Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson received most of it due to their truly hilarious and committed roles as a dimwitted bodybuilder and ex-con turned born again Christian, but the third member of the trio, played by Anthony Mackie, was left out a bit. Anthony gets to dive a bit into his comedic side and offer up a wonderfully amusing, comical, and self-serious sidekick who gets in plenty of hilarious moments, especially in his scenes with Rebel Wilson, with whom he has great, surprisingly funny, and raunchy chemistry with.
5 James McAvoy – Atomic Blonde (2017)
Focus Features
Charlize Theron’s incredible action-thriller arrived on the scene with guns ablaze and cemented her as a female action icon. The praise was well-deserved, of course, but her co-star ended up in her shadow a bit because of it. James McAvoy, one of the most underrated actors of his time, gives a hilariously devilish and sleazy turn as David Percival, a fellow agent of Charlize’s Lorraine Broughton. He’s done it before, in films like Filth, and he’s brilliant at it! But with David, even though he’s less over the top than he was in the aforementioned movie, he actually finds a great balance. He’s manic and raunchy when he needs to be, but also serious, dramatic, and hostile when called for. And he exudes a depraved, debaucherous energy through it all. It’s truly one of his best “crazy” performances!
And here we have another underrated Vin Diesel performance. Throughout the Fast franchise, Vin pretty much cemented a routine performance for Dom Toretto, that, while slightly monotone in its range, fit the character well and gave him a signature sense of confidence, strength, and attitude, but also great likability due to his sense of honor, pride, his “code”, and his love for family. It was a great and welcome surprise then, that by the eighth film, he had actually broadened his range for the character and gave a genuinely serious, potent, emotional, and all around awesome performance period!
From his barely kept anger and desperation towards Cipher in their scenes, some of which were darker than usual for the franchise, to his inner conflict and heavy torment at the betrayal toward those he loves, he exhibited every emotion in his face, body, and mannerisms. Who could forget that great moment when he slightly and unexpectedly let it all out as he shouted “since I’m alone!” to Cipher’s face and barely brought the emotion back in? All in all, Vin arguably gave his best performance as Dom in this chapter, and it deserved some more recognition.
3 Michelle Monaghan – Sleepless (2017)
Open Road Films
This Jamie Foxx-led cop thriller didn’t get good reviews upon release in the dead of winter, but one of the most surprising elements of the film was Michelle Monaghan‘s seriously committed performance as Bryant. She brought an unexpected amount of grit, a hardened attitude, and raw toughness to her role, which made her unusual, against-type casting totally believable. She didn’t have a sense of self-seriousness about her, or anything phoned in, or toned down the portrayal in any way… she went all in. Especially with her fight scene with Foxx, where she delivers a brutal physicality and holds nothing back in making the scene pop! Unlike other female action stars, Monaghan hasn’t played much in this sandbox, but her performance in this film proves that she should have more opportunities to show her chops in the arena.
2 Kenneth Branagh – Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Paramount Pictures
This reboot of Tom Clancy’s famous character received a lukewarm response upon arrival, with the performances being praised overall. But some felt Kenneth Branagh hammed up his performance as Russian baddie Viktor Cherevin and that his accent was rather silly. We can’t be fully sure about the quality of the accent, but Branagh fully commits to his villainous role and the guy deserves credit for that, especially when pulling double duty as director as well. His performance doesn’t feel hammy so much as full on “Bond-ian” and with a side of sleaze. He plays it earnestly and seriously, dialing up the charm every now and then, but switching to subtly sinister in certain moments. He handles the balance well, and gives off a cold Russian aura throughout.
1 Kenneth Branagh – Tenet (2020)
Warner Bros.
Ok, so in this performance of a Russian villain from Branagh, he definitely hams it up more than in his previous one. And critics took issue, not with his acting particularly, but with the overall character being “stereotypical” in its portrayal of Russian villains. But once again, you’ve got to give the guy credit for going all in! He doesn’t just go over the top at certain points, he genuinely brings a dead serious, and sometimes ferocious velocity to the extremities of his character… full on committing to the abusive relationship he has with Elizabeth Debicki’s character and their spiteful chemistry.
His seriousness in the role doesn’t waver for a second, he can be terrifying in an instant, and almost always gives off a mean streak with hints of bubbling rage swimming underneath. He brings an edge to both of his “Russian” performances and has it pretty much nailed down to a science by now.
Blizzard has released patch notes for the next Diablo IV update, including around 40 fixes and tweaks.
Version 1.1.3 will be available on August 29, and will include a number of bug fixes.
It also makes changes to various Monster Abilities and Elite Affixes that have Crowd Control effects.
According to Blizzard, these tweaks “are aimed at the player having less time being Crowd Controlled and receiving more recovery time after being Crowd Controlled, especially at higher World Tiers”.
We have made various changes to Monster Abilities and Elite Affixes that apply Crowd Control effects, including:
Cold Enchanted Elites that attack in quick succession (Ex: Ghost Archers and Snake Brutes) will no longer proc the Cold Enchanted on every hit.
Chilling Wind will spawn overlapping walls less often.
The Stun ability from the Cannibal Gorger can now be more easily avoided.
Increased the cooldown on the Cold Goatman Ice Pillars.
Reduced the amount of Chill applied from the Cold Spider attack.
Reduced the Stun duration from the Nangari Snake Eyes from 1.5 to 1.25 seconds.
Other changes that reduce how often the player can be targeted by Crowd Control
General
The death explosion from Fire Enchanted monsters releases 1 less wave and deals 20% less damage.
The damage from the Bloated Corpsefiend’s charge attack has been reduced by 14%.
Miscellaneous
Affixes on items will now sort consistently.
Developer’s Note: We’re adjusting how Affixes are displayed on item tooltips in Season of Blood. This change will lay the foundation for our ongoing work of making random Affixes easier to compare.
The Seasonal and My Class filters in the Codex of Power menu now remember the setting previously selected by the player.
Navigating the Glyph Upgrade menu on controller will now feel more natural.
Achievements, Trophies, and Challenges with shared unlock criteria across platforms now transfer via cross-platform progression.
Bug Fixes
Season of the Malignant
Fixed an issue where the Shadow Clone provided by the Caged Heart of Trickery displayed an improper tooltip in Fields of Hatred.
Fixed an issue where Crowd Control effects could be applied to the Shadow Clone from the Caged Heart of Trickery and then carried over to the player.
Fixed an issue where the Caged Heart of the Calculated would not trigger its stun effect if the cast skill was Imbued.
Fixed an issue where monsters could open the door to the chamber where Varshan is encountered in the Ravening Pit.
Fixed an issue where the Echo of Varshan quest would not be completed after defeating Varshan if the player previously died to him.
Fixed an issue where completed Season Journey objectives displayed in the Recently Completed section of the Challenges menu.
Fixed an issue where the rewards for defeating Varshan the first time wouldn’t go to the player’s Stash if they were missed.
Fixed an issue where Echo of Varshan did not have a guaranteed Legendary drop chance after Level 35.
Fixed an issue where Cormond would not appear after defeating Varshan during the Cold Hard Truth quest if the party leader was killed during the fight.
Gameplay
When the following Skills and Powers were applied by a player on a monster, other players were unexpectedly able to benefit from that effect. This issue has been fixed.
Skills and Passives
Decrepify
Shadowblight
Twisting Blades
Shatter
Paragon Nodes and Glyphs
Hemorrhage
Exploit Weakness
Revenge
Dominate
Fang and Claw
Deadraiser
Amplify
Fixed an issue where a Druid player’s inventory could fill up with Spirit Blessings, blocking progression for Quests that had items associated with them.
Developer’s Note: Druidic Spirit Offerings can now be dropped from the Quest Inventory, allowing other Quest items to be picked up.
Fixed an issue where players could lose Aberrant Cinders upon entering a Cellar.
Fixed an issue where players could become temporarily stationary when trying to evade immediately after casting a channeled spell (Ex: Incinerate or Lightning Storm).
Fixed an issue where Treasure Goblins did not drop a guaranteed Legendary item when defeated between Levels 15 and 40.
Fixed an issue where multiple bosses were not guaranteed to drop legendary items at level 35 and beyond.
User Interface
Fixed an issue where the disbanding of a clan prompt directed the player to enter the clan’s name instead of using the provided code.
Fixed an issue where the quest marker for searching the Records Room during the Answers in the Ashes quest wouldn’t disappear after advancing past the objective.
Fixed an issue where the Blessed Mother Departed objective referenced the wrong name for the Echo of Hatred dungeon.
Fixed an issue where two overlapping icons would display for Cormond’s Workbench in the Dry Steppes.
Fixed an issue where progress notifications for untracked Whispers could repeatedly display the same update.
Miscellaneous
Fixed an issue where mounted NPCs could appear to be riding an invisible horse. (GHOST HORSES?!?)
Fixed an issue where Classes that can’t equip daggers could equip the Skeleton Key, the dagger rewarded for completing the Dead to Rights quest.
Fixed an issue where progression could be blocked during the Jewel of the East quest in Co-Op Play.
Fixed an issue where the Spirt of the Lost Grove Druid class quest could have its progression blocked if the player joined a Party after activating the last stone.
Fixed an issue where Rogues could use Concealment to skip a phase of the Echo of Lilith encounter.
Various performance and stability improvements across all platforms.
Saturday AM: Refresh for more…Sony’s Gran Turismocounted a Friday that included $5.3M in previews plus another $3.2M yesterday in pure dollars for what’s being called an $8.5M day. This will translate to a $16.5M opening weekend. However, National Cinema Day could see a big rally for Barbie– despite figures showing a $4M Friday, and $15.7M sixth weekend. We’ll have a better idea of presales for Sunday tomorrow.
Warner Bros is still having a really big problem with Sony stuffing their weekend with an extra $3.9M of previews (when you back out Thursday’s $1.4M) on Gran Turismo, for in their eyes, no studio has ever done that before with an extensive string of previews. Why is Warners so upset? Because then that would mean Barbie is No. 1, and she’d be able to count five weekends at No. 1. Many have stuffed their opening weekends with advance previews, and rivals perceive this as common practice, because they’ve done it before (and they don’t want to upset or reverse what’s been a common practice). That’s why some aren’t calling B.S. on Sony. More to the point, Sony isn’t making these ticket sales up: They’re right there in Comscore with the preview cash included in Friday. They were also upfront in the press that they were holding advance previews for Gran Turismo. This isn’t a scenario of Angels Studios and Sound of Freedom, which many perceive its $180.5M running domestic cume to be over re-reported by some $10M-$20M due to double counting of the distributor’s own side ticket sales on its web portal (read, many distribs’ off Comscore numbers saw Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny beating Sound of Freedom on its July 4th opening day, $11.6M to $11.1M despite Angel calling the pic’s first day at $14.2M).
At the end of the day, did this advance preview stunt for Gran Turismo work? This movie
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Friday Midday: Realize that National Cinema Day on Sunday is a wild card for all movies at the weekend box office, so consider these estimates carefully. It’s already clear that business on National Cinema Day Sunday will be significantly up over Saturday with EntTelligence reporting Sunday ticket presales +700%-plus over Saturday. It’s possible that Warner Bros’ Barbie and family features will see significant spikes.
Gran Turismoat 3,856 theaters is seeing $8M for Friday which includes in total $5.3M in previews from not just Thursday, but ten days of previews. The outlook for the weekend is $15M-$16M. Clarification here: on Shazam, Warners rolled that advance screening money into the pic’s total so the 3-day came out to be $53.5M with a total of $56.8M (meaning they didn’t roll that cash into the pic’s first Friday). In regards to some distributors’ pearl-clutching over Sony rolling the advance previews into Friday, others aren’t balking because this is the ‘Code Red’ (to use a term from A Few Good Men) that many studios have adopted in the millennium preview era of gross reporting: They typically load advance monies into Friday. There’s nothing unusual here. C’mon, studios, you’re starting movies on Thursdays at 12noon and calling it Friday.
Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Warner Bros
Now even though Barbieper industry estimates is seeing $4M today and around $15.8M (-25%) at 3,736 for the weekend, she could very well go nuts on National Cinema Day Sunday and wind up winning the weekend, even with Gran Turismo‘s advance monies built into its Friday-Sunday. By Sunday, Barbie is looking to stand at $593M at the end of her sixth weekend, $7M shy of the six century domestic mark.
Warners has third place bragging rights with Blue Beetleat 3,871 theaters with an estimated $3M in his second Friday, -70%, for an estimated second weekend of $10.5M, -58% for a running total of $44M. By the way, that second weekend take is better than that of Shazam: Fury of the Gods which did $9.3M.
Universal’s Oppenheimerat 2,872 theaters is seeing a sixth Friday of $2.2M, and a 3-day of $7.8M (-27%) putting the Christopher Nolan’s running total by Sunday at $298.8M, becoming his third highest grossing movie at the domestic B.O., ahead of Inception ($293M) and behind The Dark Knight ($530M) and The Dark Knight Rises ($448M).
Fifth goes to Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemwith a $5.9M fourth weekend at 3,145 theaters, -31%, after a $1.5M Friday. Running total looks to be near $98M.
Liam Neeson in ‘Retribution’
Lionsgate/Everett Collection
Roadside Attractions’ Liam Neeson movie, Retribution, is seeing $1M today for a $3M weekend in industry projections at 1,750 theaters. Critics loathe it at 30% Rotten, but audiences on the RT meter like it better at 72%.
Friday AM: “You’re not actually going to allow them to do that, are you?”
Such are the gripes across the City of Angels from rival distributors about Sony’s public-facing acknowledgment that they’ve previewed Gran Turismo over the last two weekends, lagniappe box office which will be included in Friday’s total.
Yesterday starting from 2PM showtimes, the feature take of the Sony Playstation game earned $1.4M at 3,156 theaters, including PLF and Imax monies. The Neill Blomkamp-directed movie has a shot at No. 1 this weekend making $12M-$15M at 3,800 theaters.
Sony at the end of July decided at the last minute to move Gran Turismo‘s wide opening from Aug. 11 to Aug. 25. This was for several reasons: one, to get away from the heat of Barbenheimer and also to create word of mouth on a movie that doesn’t have its stars to promote due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Sony was transparent with the town that they were holding previews. It’s not always public knowledge when a studio is holding advance screenings for a movie.
In major markets such as LA, cinemas have been playing Gran Turismo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; two weekends back-to-back. We’ve heard that preview cash has amounted to $3M+, but Sony hasn’t verified that yet.
As far as those rivals whining about Sony including the cash in this weekend’s gross — let he without sin cast the first stone. Y’all have juiced your weekends and Fridays with preview money going back to forever. Hello! New Line’s Shazam back in 2019 boasted a preview figure of $9.2M which included a robust advance Fandango-sponsored screening. Paramount and eOne’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves made $5.6M in previews which included Thursday showtimes (starting at 3PM), as well as Amazon sneaks among other pre-screenings. That studio was holding advance screenings for Dungeons and Dragons because they believed in the film and also wanted to get the word out. The Batman preview figure included $4M Tuesday previews in its overall preview figure of $17.6M back in March 2022. I can keep listing and boring you.
The Rotten Tomatoes critics score is now 60% fresh on Gran Turismo, however, audiences love it: Comscore/Screen Engine Postrak exits show 5 stars for general audiences, five stars from parents and 4 1/2 from kids under 12. Thursday audience saw 87% general audience, 6% parent and 7% kids. Guy leaning at 68% yesterday with the 18-34 set at 50%. Guys over 25 (46%) and women over 25 (22%) were the leading demos and respectively gave the pic its best scores of 90% and 96%. Gran Turismo before P&A cost $60M.
How much does the second annual National Cinema Day on Sunday dilute the box office? That’s the question and while we will have some indicators soon, the overall verdict will be known on Monday morning. All showtimes for all movies and formats are $4. Who’s going?
Briarcliff Entertianment’s faith-based Dennis Quaid movie The Hill did $110K last night in previews. That pic, along with other wide entries Roadside Attractions/StudioCanal/Picture Company’s Retribution and Bleecker Street’s Golda are all expected to do in the single digits.
The rest of Thursday went as follows, ranked by Thursday gross:
Barbie(WB) 4,003 theaters Thurs $2.3M (-10% from Wed) Week $31.9M (-40%), Total $577.7M/Wk 5
Blue Beetle(WB) 3,871 theaters Thurs $1.34M (-35%) Week $33.5M/Wk 1
“I disliked him intensely. He was cocky, he was arrogant. When we played baseball, I tried to hit him with the ball: we were arch-rivals. I couldn’t wait for the camp to be over just to get away from Larry. I’m sure he felt the same way.”
The pair met over a decade later on New York’s stand-up comedy scene, and became close buddies, although they didn’t recognise each other at first.
“I looked at his face and I said, ‘There’s something about you, man, that spooks me.’” David replied, “You’re Richard Lewis!” “You’re Larry David!”
Lewis was only able to appear in one episode of the previous series of Curb due to health issues, and revealed in April of this year that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He told The Spectator he will be in approximately half of the episodes of the new season, and is confident the series remains on a high:
“Larry never does the show unless he thinks it’s going to be better than the last. At least on paper, and with the guest stars and the cast, he has the best year ever. But he’ll be the judge because he edits it.”
Lewis got his break in comedy on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and then with slots on Letterman. He retired from stand-up four years ago. He has appeared in Curb since the first season back in 2000. He posted on Twitter (now X) in November:
“I’m back shooting Curb! I’m a lucky cat to be with my oldest pal who just so happens to be a genius. Don’t tell him I called him that or he’ll mock me to my grave.”
Adam Sandler’s daughters, Sadie and Sunny, take center stage in Netflix’s latest comedy. This will also be the 9th Netflix Original movie starring Adam Sandler.
“Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who’ve always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. But things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and their rite of passage.”
Baki Hanma (Season 2 Part 2) N
New Episodes: 14 Genre: Action, Drama | Runtime: 25 Minutes Cast: Troy Baker, Kirk Thornton, Mick Wingert, Ray Chase, Edward Bosco
The climactic end to Baki is finally here as Baki finally takes on the strongest martial artist on earth, his father, Yamamoto.
“After overcoming countless intense battles with powerful enemies, the time is finally ripe for Baki to face his father, Yujiro Hanma, who is said to be “the strongest creature on Earth.” Before this battle, Baki chooses Biscuit Oliva also known as Mr. Unchained as an appropriate sparring partner. Oliva is currently incarcerated in a prison called the “Black Pentagon,” home to only the most violent criminals. In order to fight Oliva, Baki gets himself imprisoned in the Black Pentagon. However, in addition to his desired sparring partner, a number of terrifying fighters also await him here.”
Killer Book Club (2023) N
Director: Carlos Alonso Ojea Genre: Horror, Thriller | Runtime: 89 Minutes Cast: Veki Velilla, Iván Pellicer, Álvaro Mel, Hamza Zaidi, María Cerezuela
Looking for a little something different to stream on Netflix this weekend? Then don’t sleep on Carlos Alonso Ojea’s horror thriller Killer Book Club!
“Eight horror-loving friends fight for their lives when a killer clown who seems to know the grim secret they share begins to pick them off, one by one.”
Ragnarok (Season 3) N
New Episodes: 6 Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy | Runtime: 45 Minutes Cast: David Stakston, Jonas Strand Gravli, Herman Tømmeraas, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø, Synnøve Macody Lund
Arguably the most popular Norwegian series on Netflix to date, Ragnarok comes to an end with its third season.
“In the small fictional town of Edda, youths coming of age are forced to respond to climate changes. The ice caps are melting at an unanticipated rate; people go through long periods of drought; the winters are too warm; people experience extreme cold snaps more and more frequently–in all ways, extreme weather conditions. The world is changing, and some might claim that we’re heading towards a new Ragnarok. Unless someone intervenes in time.”
The Big Short (2015)
Director: Adam McKay Genre: Biography. Crime, Drama | Runtime: 130 Minutes Cast: Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Strong
One of the most enlightening comedies of the 2010s, it’s thanks to movies like The Big Short that paved the way for Adam McKay’s award-winning comedy Succession.
“In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the United States mortgage market. In their research, they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.”
Untold: Swamp Kings (Season 1) N
New Episodes: 4 Genre: Documentary, Sport | Runtime: 182 Minutes Cast: Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Brandon Spikes, Ryan Temper, Pat Dooley
“This docuseries explores how legendarily ruthless football coach Urban Meyer turned the ragtag 2000s-era Florida Gators into a ferocious winning machine.”
Destined with You (Season 1) N
New Episodes: 16 (Weekly) Genre: Drama, Romance | Runtime: 60 Minutes Cast: Jo Bo Ah, Rowoon, Ha Joon, Yura, Hyun Bong Sik
Netflix’s new weekly K-drama could be a huge hit for streaming services, thanks to cast members featuring K-pop stars such as Rowoon, and Yura.
“Follows a successful lawyer who has everything, but who is plagued by a family curse, and turns out that the one who holds the secret to breaking it is the seemingly ordinary civil servant.”
What are you going to be watching on Netflix this week? Let us know in the comments below!
Spanish soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales has been provisionally suspended by the sport’s global governing body FIFA, following a controversial kissing incident that took place after Spain won the Women’s World Cup.
During the celebrations after Spain defeated England in the championship final on Aug. 20, Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips. The kiss made headlines around the world when Hermoso said that she “did not enjoy” it. The matter became a scandal with Rubiales facing criticism from players and politicians. He subsequently issued an apology saying that he was “sorry for those who were offended.”
On Aug. 24, FIFA launched an inquiry into Rubiales’ actions. On Aug. 25, he refused to step down from his position, saying that he had asked the player before the kiss and that it was “a spontaneous kiss, mutual and euphoric, and, above all, consensual.” The same day, Hermoso released a statement on Instagram saying that his claims were “categorically false and part of the manipulative culture that he himself has generated.” “I want to make it clear that at no time did the conversation to which Mr. Luis Rubiales refers to in his address take place, and, above all, was his kiss ever consensual,” the statement added.
On Aug. 26, the Spanish soccer federation stood by Rubiales and said that he was not lying and that they would take legal action against Hermoso.
Meanwhile, 81 Spanish soccer players, including the entire World Cup-winning team, have refused to play until Rubiales quits.
Hermoso is a legend of the game and Spain’s all-time highest goal scorer.
The FIFA statement in full:
“The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Jorge Ivan Palacio (Colombia), in use of the powers granted by article 51 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), has decided today to provisionally suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level. This suspension, which will be effective as of today, is for an initial period of 90 days, pending the disciplinary proceedings opened against Mr. Luis Rubiales on Thursday, August 24.
Likewise, the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and in order to preserve, among other factors, the fundamental rights of the national soccer team player Ms. Jennifer Hermoso and the good order of the disciplinary proceedings before this disciplinary body, has issued two additional directives (article 7 FDC) by which he orders Mr. Luis Rubiales to refrain, through himself or third parties, from contacting or attempting to contact the professional player of the Spanish national football team Ms. Jennifer Hermoso or her close environment. Likewise, the RFEF and its officials or employees, directly or through third parties, are ordered to refrain from contacting the professional player of the Spanish national team Ms. Jennifer Hermoso and her close environment.
The decision adopted by the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has been communicated today to Mr. Luis Rubiales, the RFEF and UEFA for due compliance.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will not provide any further information on these disciplinary proceedings until a final decision has been taken.
FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respect the integrity of all persons and therefore condemns with the utmost vigour any behavior to the contrary.”
The first time we see Frank Tassone, the beloved public-school administrator Hugh Jackman plays in Bad Education, he’s striding onto the stage of an auditorium to a roar of applause. It’s his night, a celebration of his achievements—though, as we’ll quickly come to see, he spends most days in the spotlight, too, basking in the admiration of colleagues, students, and parents alike. Frank, who puts the super in superintendent, is head of a Long Island school district that, under his stewardship, has reached the top of the national rankings. Wandering from meeting to meeting in his finely pressed suits, a warm grin perpetually plastered across his face, he has the poise (and popularity) of a Kennedy—and indeed, Frank approaches the job with a politician’s savvy, committing names and interests to memory. But the real key to his success may be that he actually gives a damn. In movie terms, it’s as if one of the carpe diem heroes of an inspirational-teacher drama rose through the ranks, spreading his zeal for education to the whole district. That, anyway, is how Frank would probably prefer to frame his story. Bad Education tells a different version, ripped from the headlines and shaped into something far removed from the genre of gifted classroom mentors and the young lives they touch. The real Tassone, as some may remember, was at the center of New York’s Roslyn Public Schools scandal, in which a couple of high-ranking administrators embezzled millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Screenwriter Mike Makowsky, who grew up in the community and went to a Rosyln school the year the financial fraud came to light, dramatizes this national news into an engrossing procedural of white-collar crime. Cooking the books may sound like dry subject matter, but the film gives it a jolt of psychological urgency by building a whole house-of-cards narrative around a character of compelling contradiction: a con artist who’s managed to square his genuine commitment to the community (and the future of its children) with his betrayal of it. [A.A. Dowd]
Filmmaking is a terrific hobby for some and a career for many, but it can get expensive. If you know a filmmaker, consider getting them a gift for motivation or inspiration.
Do they have a birthday upcoming or a big project they’re excited to tackle? Either way, they’ll benefit from these seven creative gifts.
1. TARION Pro Camera Backpack
Shooting can take filmmakers anywhere from a set in Los Angeles to the west coast of New Zealand. Mobility is critical because the crew must be able to film in remote locations. How can producers carry their belongings and shoot scenes despite being miles away from civilization? Having a sturdy backpack on your shoulders is a solid start.
This TARION pro camera backpack has everything a filmmaker needs for shooting abroad. The bag stores a camera with five lenses plus padded dividers to protect each component. You also get plenty of room for batteries, SD cards, cables and other necessary tools.
Weather won’t be an issue, as the backpack has thick protective padding. Long hikes may be required, so the bag has an ergonomic design to increase airflow and distribute weight evenly.
Martin Scorsese is one of the most famous filmmakers of all time, creating masterpieces like “Taxi Driver,” “Goodfellas,” “Gangs of New York” and more. If you’ve ever wanted to learn from the man himself, now is your opportunity.
MasterClass offers a filmmaking course by Martin Scorsese. Students who sign up get 30 video lessons teaching them how to develop their style, find their stories and work with the cast and crew. The video lessons total over four-and-a-half hours of film education, allowing filmmakers to hone their craft by learning from one of the best.
If Martin Scorsese isn’t their cup of tea, MasterClass has courses from other cinematic legends, such as David Lynch, Ron Howard and Jodie Foster. MasterClass also features classes on independent filmmaking from Spike Lee and Mira Nair.
Sometimes, independent filmmakers only need an inch of inspiration before they take it a mile. Before getting multimillion-dollar budgets, they first must work with limited funds and resources. How can they achieve success? One way to get inspired is to read “Rebel Without a Crew” by Robert Rodriguez.
Robert Rodriguez directed, wrote and produced “El Mariachi” in 1992. His budget was only $7,200, but the film amassed $2 million at the box office. In “Rebel Without a Crew,” Rodriguez discusses his production methods to make “El Mariachi” successful and how aspiring filmmakers can follow in his footsteps. The book is a magnificent way to show the next generation how to get their foot in the door of filmmaking.
Films set themselves apart with terrific dialogue, character development and scenery, but one underrated aspect is the wardrobe. Some outfits and particular gear stand the test of time for film lovers. For example, Neo’s trenchcoat in “The Matrix” is highly recognizable, even if Keanu Reeves isn’t the one wearing it.
Give your filmmaker a piece of cinematic history with Indiana Jones’s safari fedora hat. Outdoor shoots can be brutal, especially when the summer heat is unforgiving. This hat features a 3-inch brim protecting your face from the sun and water-repellent wool felt if it rains. The cast and crew will think they’re filming the next “Raiders of the Lost Ark” when they see a safari fedora on set.
Lighting can make or break a film, and there’s not much filmmakers can control about the sun. The filming location may provide limited sunlight, forcing producers to check their watches constantly. Correcting the lighting takes longer than you think, so gift your filmmaker these Etekcity light reflectors.
These light reflectors are simple items made from silver, but they make a significant difference. Your filmmaker can use one to get the perfect lighting onto their subjects and add to an already powerful scene. All production types benefit from this technology, making it a great gift. The pack comes in five colors and spans 24 or 43 inches in diameter.
6. Impact Multiboom Light Stand and Reflector Holder
The production crew may be limited, so filmmakers could need someone to hold the light reflectors while the cameras roll. How can they capture the magnificent lighting they dream about? One solution is to get a light reflector holder.
This reflector holder from Impact also serves as a multiboom light stand. The tool can handle reflectors up to 60 inches long with two clips for holding them in place. Impact’s multiboom can hold light heads as high as 13 feet in the air. It can extend about 3 feet from the center. They might not seem like a lot, but these devices make considerable differences in a young filmmaker’s production.
Months and years of hard work lead to the premiere. Filmmakers want to look their best for a sold-out show, so send them to the red carpet in style. This Maker V tie with a film clapper design is terrific if they like dressing up.
Maker V, a San Diego-based business, makes the ties handmade with microfibers. This tie has film clappers scattered across but remains elegant with charcoal gray, black and white colors. Consider the recipient’s body type when selecting neckties because this Maker V product is 58 inches long. Filmmakers with an ectomorph body type may need a longer tie due to their tall, lean frame.
Producing a movie takes months, years or even decades. Independent films often have low budgets, limiting filmmakers in what resources they can use.
Inspire your filmmaker with these seven creative gifts.
Oscar Collins is the editor-in-chief atModded. He’s passionate about films, filming techniques and the finer details of filmmaking. Follow him on Twitter@TModded for frequent updates on his work!
More than two years after his 19-year-old son died suddenly from meningitis B, Norrie Matthews is urging parents to get their children vaccinated against the disease before the start of the school year.
Meningitis B, the most common and deadly strain of meningitis, is rare but can lead to severe and life-threatening complications when contracted.
That’s what happened to Kai Matthews the year he was studying kinesiology at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.
“We lost our son, Kai Matthews, in June of 2021 to meningitis B,” Matthews told Global News. “And after we lost Kai, we were completely blindsided by the fact that we thought we had vaccinated him when he was in Grade 7 for meningitis.”
While anyone can get meningitis, younger people and students are often more susceptible due to their communal living arrangements, such as residing on campus, as well as sharing personal items like utensils, drinks and cigarettes.
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The bacteria causing meningitis are transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers, according to the World Health Organization.
“Close and prolonged contact – such as kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone, or living in close quarters with an infected person, facilitates the spread of the disease,” it says.
Kai Matthews (far right) was studying kinesiology at Acadia University before contracting meningitis B in May 2021.
Norrie Matthews
Kai received the meningococcal quadrivalent vaccine (which covers groups A, C, Y and W) for meningitis. However, this routine vaccination doesn’t provide protection against meningitis B. To safeguard against that strain, another vaccine is required, which costs money and requires a request to one’s family physician, Matthews said.
After Kai’s death, his family decided to launch a non-profit organization called BforKai.com to help educate people about meningitis B and increase vaccination rates. The organization also engages with provincial governments, advocating for a modification of vaccine policies to include meningitis B as a standard part of school children’s routine immunizations.
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The group has been successful.
In April 2023, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island announced they would provide meningitis B immunization to eligible post-secondary students living in residence.
No other province offers this for students, but Matthews hopes this will soon change.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the lining around the brain, explained Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Children’s Hospital. This inflammation is typically caused by infection, most commonly viral or bacterial.
There are also different letters for different types of meningococcal: A, B, C, Y and W.
In Canada, there are around 100 to 400 cases of meningitis reported every year, according to the Meningitis Foundation Canada, with the disease leading to fatalities in 10 per cent of all affected individuals.
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Infants and young adults are particularly susceptible to meningitis, because of underdeveloped immune systems and close contact at daycare or schools, Quach-Thanh said.
“Some people have it in their throat and they’re never sick with it,” she said, adding that this person is usually called the healthy carrier.
“Other people are going to catch it by droplets and will get sick with it. So whenever you exchange saliva, either in daycare or in a bar or in school, you might then give it to somebody who doesn’t have any protection and then that person would get sick quickly.”
Family of young man who died from meningitis searches for answers
Since 1993, most cases of infection in Canada can be attributed to the B and C strains, according to Health Canada. But, in recent years, the incidence of group C has declined significantly, due to the introduction of the meningococcal C conjugate vaccine into routine immunization programs.
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However, the vaccine for meningitis B is not part of routine vaccine programs, resulting in continuous outbreaks, with college campuses being the most prevalent sites.
“When you go away from home and you attend university and in a dorm, your behaviours tend to change,” Quach-Thanh said. “You’re now able to go in bars, you can exchange cigarettes, drinks, utensils. That’s where you meet your boyfriend or girlfriend. And that’s normal life, but that’s also how this bug is transmitted best.”
The bacteria are transmitted through droplet transmissions, which can occur when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or engages in close contact with others, allowing tiny respiratory droplets containing the bacteria to be released into the air and potentially inhaled by individuals nearby.
Once a person contracts the bacteria, Quach-Thanh warned, it evolves very rapidly and may lead to amputations or death in otherwise healthy children or young adults.
Meningitis B is also most prevalent in the fall and winter.
“The reason for that is because if it’s sitting happily in your throat, and then you get a respiratory virus of any kind where you have a sore throat, you’re coughing, you have a runny nose, then it’s easier for the bacteria to get through your system and then just invades your bloodstream,” she explained.
Calls for provincially-funded Meningitis B vaccine in N.S.
Dr. Ronald Gold, senior medical adviser of the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada, said the symptoms of meningitis B can mimic the flu or even COVID-19.
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They include fever, headache, neck pain, body aches, sensitivity to light and vomiting.
However, what’s unique about meningitis is that a person can develop a skin rash, no matter the strain.
“So if you see somebody with the fever and aches and pains and you also see little red spots, that is really a clue that they may have this bacteria, but it doesn’t occur in everyone,” Gold said.
“Once it gets in the blood, it may just take off and multiply very rapidly and essentially overwhelm you. So you can go from being perfectly healthy to being at death’s door within less than a day with this bacteria.”
‘He lost his life within 30 hours’
There have been multiple outbreaks of meningitis B on campuses in Canada in recent years.
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In December 2022, an outbreak of meningitis B was declared at Dalhousie University, after one student landed in hospital and another died of the infection.
And in June 2021, Kai died less than two days after contracting the bacteria.
“He lost his life within 30 hours of contracting the first signs of a fever, which is, for a parent, impossible to wrap your head around … that a healthy, vibrant 19-year-old who is a picture of health can succumb to something within 30 hours,” Matthews said.
On May 30, 2021, Kai developed a fever, chills and a headache. When his fever hit 103.5 C, his parents called Nova Scotia’s primary health-care line. His temperature increased again within an hour, and the family was advised to take Kai to the emergency department in Halifax.
The doctor gave Kai a COVID-19 PCR test and ran a blood test. Matthews said his son was then discharged and the family was told to check back in the morning for his COVID-19 results. He was not given any other medication.
Matthews (centre) said he has no idea how Kai (left) contracted the infection, and that he wasn’t diagnosed with the infection until his condition got worse.
Norrie Matthews
After leaving the hospital, Kai was still in an immense amount of pain and his symptoms were getting worse, Matthews said. His parents called 911, and paramedics checked him out and told them to wait for the COVID-19 test results.
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But when Kai’s symptoms worsened, his parents took him to the emergency room again. Kai was discharged again, but while still in the hospital parking lot, Matthews said he noticed purple rashes that were all over his chest.
Matthews said he then rushed back to the emergency room and said he pleaded with the nurse to come look at his son. After examining his rash, Kai was sent back to the emergency room.
The doctor who assessed Kai said he had a very serious infection and that the purple rash he was developing was indicative of a meningitis B infection.
Kai was then given a round of antibiotics to help fight the infection, but it was too late: he died several hours later and was pronounced brain dead.
Matthews said he wished he had known about the meningitis B vaccine before Kai headed off to campus.
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“We strongly feel that if we had known about it, Kai would be here today with us,” he added.
Infants are vaccinated against meningococcal C and most of Canada is vaccinated with a booster of meningococcal A, C, W and Y in Grade 9.
The meningitis B vaccine was approved by Health Canada in December 2013. A second vaccine against group B was approved for use in Canada in 2018.
The B vaccines (a series of shots) have been shown to be effective in inducing antibodies that kill at least 80 per cent of group B strains, according to Meningitis Foundation Canada. The number of required doses varies based on the specific vaccine.
It is not included in Canada’s standard vaccination regimen, except in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. The cost varies by province; for instance, it is $130 per dose in British Columbia and $125 per dose in Ontario.
“When the vaccine became authorized by Health Canada, there was a review of what was happening in terms of epidemiology,” Quach-Thanh explained.
“In Canada, based on cost-effectiveness analysis, because the incidence was really low, it was said that it was not a vaccine that the government would pay for at that point in time.”
Global News reached out to Health Canada, asking why the meningitis B vaccine is not free for all Canadians, and a spokesperson said that it is “something that falls under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial authorities.”
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Vaccine clinic set up at Dalhousie University after meningitis death
Quach-Thanh pointed out that beyond the financial aspect, the existence of the meningitis B vaccine might go unnoticed by many parents.
“It’s true, probably parents are not aware that that vaccine exists. And that’s for some people, you could decide to vaccinate your children before they enter university, for example,” she said. “And it’s a vaccine that is relatively well-tolerated but only causes fever and arm pain. But then it is a good protection against invasive meningococcal B disease.”
Matthews believes there is a lack of public education on the meningitis B vaccine, and hopes the message about its effectiveness gets across to parents before the school season begins. The vaccine is recommended for anyone between the ages of two months to 25 years of age.
“It wasn’t on my radar. So when I was preparing (Kai) for university, nobody was warning us about this extra vaccine we need,” Matthews said.
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“I want to change that. I want to make sure that the people know about this, that they can talk to their health professional or the pharmacist and administer it now.”
— with files from Global News’ Amber Fryday and Aya Al-Hakim
One month after LeBron James’ son Bronny James was hospitalized for cardiac arrest, a likely cause has been revealed.
“After a comprehensive initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center led by Dr. MerijeChukumerije and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. Michael J. Ackerman and Atlantic Health/Morristown Medical Center led by Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, the probable cause of Mr. James’ sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has been identified,” read a statement from the James family on Friday, August 25. “It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated.”
Congenital heart defect consists of one or more problems with the heart’s structure that typically develop before birth, per the Mayo Clinic. It can also change the way blood flows through the heart.
“We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future,” the statement continued, noting that updates will continue to be shared and that the family values their privacy.
LeBron James‘ eldest son, Bronny James, is following in his dad’s basketball-playing footsteps — and he’s already on his way to superstardom. Born in 2004, Bronny’s athletic skills started attracting attention when he was just 10 years old. By the time he started high school at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, national interest in […]
Bronny, 18, was rushed to the hospital last month after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout practice for the basketball team at the University of Southern California.
“Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital,” a spokesperson for the James family told Us Weekly on July 25. “He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update [the] media when there is more information.”
Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images
Bronny committed to USC for basketball in May ahead of his high school graduation that same month. He is the eldest child of LeBron, 38, and his wife, Savannah James. The couple, who tied the knot in 2013, also share son Bryce, 16, and daughter Zhuri, 8.
Amid Bronny’s hospitalization, LeBron gave an update on how the teen was doing while sharing his appreciation for the many well-wishes the family received on Bronny’s behalf.
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“I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great,” LeBron wrote via Twitter on July 27. “We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us!”
Oleksandr Usyk faces off against Daniel Dubois as the Ukrainian Usyk defends his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts against British boxer Dubois. Looking for a Usyk vs. Dubois livestream to watch the fight online? Here’s what you need to know:
Usyk vs. Dubois: Fight Time, Date
The Usyk vs Dubois fight takes place tonight, Saturday, August 26, 2023 live from the Stadion Wroclaw in Poland. The main card is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT with the ring walks for the main event scheduled for 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.
How to Watch Usyk vs. Dubois: Livestream Online
If you want to watch Usyk vs. Dubois online, the heavyweight world title fight is streaming exclusively on ESPN+. If you need to sign-up for ESPN+, a subscription costs $9.99 a month and gets you a Usyk vs. Dubois livestream plus access to all of ESPN+’s weekly sporting content.
Oleksandr Usyk defends his three heavyweight titles against Daniel Dubois in Poland on Saturday, live on ESPN+. Usyk is the odds-on favorite, carrying a 20-0 record, with 13 of those wins coming by way of knockout. Dubois is 19-1 with 18 knockouts. The Brit is the current WBA (Regular) heavyweight title holder and will be looking to unseat Usyk for the WBA (Super) heavyweight belt tonight.
ESPN+
A programming note: the Usyk vs. Dubois Top Rank Boxing fight on ESPN+ is not to be confused with the other big boxing match airing tonight: Jared Anderson faces Andriy Rudenko in a Top Rank Boxing simulcast airing at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on ESPN. Other prominent fighters on this event include Nico Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali.
The Anderson vs. Rudenko fight also airs tonight on ESPN+. The undercard starts at 6:30 p.m. ET with the main card simulcast expected at a 10:30 p.m. ET start time.
This year, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” premiered its 15th season of drag idols sashaying and lip syncing their way to greatness. But despite the show getting long in the tooth with over 200 episodes aired, it remains a cultural juggernaut and an Emmys machine, racking up nine nominations for Season 15, including that coveted Best Reality Competition Program award.
“It feels like we’re in Season 3 to us. “We’re full of energy and love for this show. And I always say that I really think it’s a miracle that ‘Drag Race’ exists,” executive producer Tom Campbell said during an IndieWire Consider This panel supporting the series. “Our friends at Logo gave us a chance 15 years ago, we were the biggest hit on the smallest network … gay people discovered this show, and now mainstream audiences have discovered this show, and people are still discovering it. It’s been an honor, and I’m so glad we have this platform for telling queer people’s stories.
Campbell was joined by music producer Leland, production designer Gianna Costa, and director Nick Murray for a conversation with IndieWire Awards Editor Marcus Jones. The quartet discussed their histories on the show and broader “Drag Race” franchise, working on Season 15, and continuing to expand and improve for future seasons of the beloved program.
Costa spoke about how the audience growth has encouraged them to attempt to top all the work they’ve done in previous seasons, joking that the passionate fanbase of the show is also one of TV’s most critical.
“The audience has grown, and you know how people go on their keyboards, they have a lot to say after an episode is done,” Costa said. “You want to make something and have people looking at something cool, because you know people are gonna be pointing at and picking everything out.”
Every season of “Drag Race” features a “Rusical” episode that sees the queens performing in a mini musical, with this season featuring a “Footloose” parody. Leland spoke about how he went back to the original film in order to create the numbers performed by the queens during the Rusical.
“What I will do is I say ‘you will hear from me in a week,’ and I sit down at the piano for three or four days and work on the initial burst of melody and lyrics and get the chorus, and one we get the chorus I try to build it out from there,” Leland. “Because we’ve done it now for so long, those thing kind of come inherently, and we kind of chip away at it as we go.”
Rather than assign specific roles in the Rusical to specific queens competing on the show, each Rusical sees the queens cast themselves as the various characters. Murray said that decision makes the process interesting each year, because they rely on the queens’ judgement to make the right call.
“It’s amazing when you see the end product, you really couldn’t see anyone doing the individual roles, except for the the ones the queens are playing,” Murray said. “And the process it takes can be quite catty at times which is very entertaining to watch, but at the same time they hash it out, they know their strengths and weaknesses within the group. There have been a number of years where I thought things have been perfectly cast, and this was one of those times.”
Season 15 aired during a spike of anti-LGBTQ and trans legislation across the United States, as well as a wave of anti-drag sentiment. The show addressed the current events during the Rusical, which does featured some commentary on anti-drag movements, and did a partnership with the ACLU in order to combat the homophobic and transphobic legislation.
“We had no idea that eight months later, and it’s frightening to think that it was eight months later that this legislation, and this hate, and these lies were once being spread around and endanger our basic human rights,” Campbell said. “And when that came together it was kismet from the drag gods.”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15 is now streaming on Paramount+. Watch the full interview with the team behind the series above.
IndieWire’s Consider This Conversations bring together the cast and creative team members of television’s most prestigious shows to discuss some of the best art and craft of TV production of 2023.
– English Audio Description
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