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TV

Cat Person
Screenshot: YouTube

It’s been six years since everyone read Cat Person, the Kristen Roupenian story published in The New Yorker about a woman’s crummy/creepy experience dating an older man, and now—even though it’s been so long that everyone has probably forgotten how they felt about the story—it’s finally time for the movie adaptation to resurrect the old Cat Person debates. Was the narrator to hard on the man? Was the man too pushy, to the point where it crossed a line into abuse? Are men just fucked-up in general? Did the story trivialize actual abusive behavior by conflating that with simply being an asshole?

CAT PERSON – Trailer

The trailer for the Cat Person movie actually sidesteps a bit of that and jumps right to thriller territory, creating a more literal rendition of the bad vibes that were at the heart of the original story… while also occasionally becoming more like a full-on comedy? Really, how many trailers for what appear to be ostensibly feminist-leaning thrillers end on a freakin’ Wilhelm scream? Is it in there as a trap for women who see this trailer with a boyfriend, because the filmmakers know he’ll be unable to resist leaning over to her and mansplaining “that’s the Wilhelm scream,” and then they’ll start to pick up on the boyfriend’s own manipulative Cat Person-esque behavior? If so, that’s genius. Well played, director Susanna Fogel.

“Friends” writer says she was straight up not having a good time on the show

Cat Person stars Emilia Jones and Nicholas Braun, and it will be in theaters on October 6. Also, while we’re here, here’s a reminder that the story behind Cat Person—that it was basically an exaggerated retelling of something that the writer heard second-hand about someone else—is more interesting than the story itself. And probably this movie as well!

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Cat PersonScreenshot: YouTubeIt’s been six years since

What to Watch

Disney’s Hulu With Live TV is going to get more expensive soon.

Starting October 12, Hulu with Live TV will cost $7 more a month. For the service with ads, that means $76.99 a month. The no-ad version will cost $89.99 a month.

The price hikes comes after Disney posted fiscal third-quarter results which saw continued losses for its streaming business. CEO Bob Iger has vowed to bring the business to profitability by the end of fiscal 2024.

But the price hike also followed a similar move by Google’s YouTube TV, which raised prices in March. It’s rates rose by 12% to $72.99, prompting outcry from customers.

Google cited increased content costs for the price increase, which likely fueled Disney’s own price increase.

While YouTube TV is just the live TV service, Hulu pairs with live TV with a library of on-demand shows and movies, hence the slight premium over YouTube TV.

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Disney’s Hulu With Live TV is going

Awards

The Republicans don’t need Donald Trump to get people to pay attention to their causes.

Approximately 12.8 million viewers tuned in Wednesday night to see a telecast of the first Republican primary debate in the race for the 2024 presidential election, according to data from Nielsen, with 11.1 million viewers watching the event on Fox News Channel and another 1.7 million viewing it on sister outlet Fox Business Network. Eight candidates took part.

The attention came even though Trump, the former president who has a commanding lead in Republican polls, decided to take part in a pre-taped and meandering interview with former Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson that was streamed on X, the social-media venue once known as Twitter.

To be sure, the TV figures represent a decline in attention from the 24 million viewers –still a record — who tuned in to Fox News in 2016 for the first Republican featuring Trump. And the figures don’t match the 18.1 million wo watched an early-cycle Democratic debate in June 2019. But Wednesday’s combined number beat everything else on TV last night, and is the most-watched non-sports cable telecast of the year.

The results suggest that TV news may well have some traction left with audiences, even as more viewers migrate to streaming, on-demand video. Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN are collectively expected to see an 8.4% uptick in ad revenue in 2024, according to projections from Kagan, a market-research firm that is part of S&P Global Intelligence. Combined, the three cable-news outlets are seen winning nearly $2.23 billion in advertising in 2024, compared with nearly $2.06 billion by the end of this year. All three are projected to see ad dollars grow year over year, according to Kagan, with Fox capturing almost $992.4 million; MSNBC $660.1 million; and CNN nearly $576.2 million.

Some moments from Wednesday’s event went viral, including remarks from entrepreneur Vivek Ramawamy; put-downs of him by former vice president Mike Pence; and jabs by former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum also participated.

Moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum left Trump to the side for most of the evening, preferring to get the candidates’ takes on the policies of President Biden; the abortion issue; and, for a brief moment, climate change. Baier and MacCallum raised eyebrows by launching the debate with a question tied to the recent song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a conservative anthem that has risen up the chartes.

Despite the interest in the event, Fox News was spotted selling some of the limited number of commercials in the telecast to some direct-response advertisers and advocacy groups. Movie studios, social-media outlets and pharmaceutical marketers also took part.

Fox may have another big event on its hands in weeks to come. The next Republican primary debate will be telecast on Fox Business on September 27.

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The Republicans don’t need Donald Trump to

Music

Below Deck Down Under—the Australia-based spinoff of the popular Bravo reality show-on-a-fancy-boat Below Deck—recently made headlines for filming and airing disciplinary conversations between producers and two stars/yacht employees, both of whom were subsequently fired for sexual harassment. While the whole scenario brings up long-standing debates about the ethics of alcohol-soaked “reality” TV (similar to discourse happening around Scandoval earlier this year), the decision to break the fourth wall was generally lauded as a game-changing bit of transparency in an industry where that is sorely lacking.

“Friends” writer says she was straight up not having a good time on the show

For some, however, the move was too little, too late. In a lengthy Rolling Stone exposé published today, crew member (film crew, not boat crew/cast) Samantha Suarez alleged that cast member Gary King tried to force himself on her while filming spin-off Below Deck Sailing Yacht in 2022—and the show’s producers did not do enough to discipline him.

According to Suarez, during a confrontation where King was very drunk—from alcohol allegedly provided by producers—the cast member grabbed her from behind, pressed her to his body, and slammed the door. He eventually opened it when she received a call on her phone.

Suarez said she immediately disclosed the incident to producers and was told that King would be spoken to and fired if any other incidents occurred. She also wrote to the COO of the show’s production company, 51 Minds Entertainment, saying that she “honestly feel[s] quite traumatized by the whole situation,” and was subsequently appointed an HR representative for the rest of the season.

But later on, the HR rep allegedly asked her not to talk about the incident with other staffers because “it was becoming water cooler talk” and it seemed like she was “trying to rally the troops” against the show. When Suarez asked if she could talk about the incident with her colleagues at all, the rep allegedly told her she was “allowed” to, but it was discouraged.

King allegedly harassed other members of the crew as well

Rolling Stone also spoke with other anonymous members of the production crew, who made similar allegations against King. One alleged that they saw him grab a female cast member’s butt without her consent, but were ignored by producers when they reported it in the moment on their walkie-talkie. After a producer eventually did tell him to stop, King allegedly walked over to a camera operator and grabbed his genitals. “It was insane. There were multiple incidents of sexual harassment in front of multiple producers after this person had been given verbal warnings multiple times,” the crew member said. Another anonymous member of the team also added that King is “next-level scary with women.”

While King did not comment on Rolling Stone’s story, a Bravo spokesperson told the outlet: “We require our third-party production companies to have appropriate workplace policies and trainings in place and a clear process on how to report concerns. The concerns Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated at that time and action was taken based on the findings.” 51 Minds also responded: “51 Minds provides mandatory harassment and sensitivity training for every series it produces at the outset of each new season and lays out a clear process on how and to whom to report any questionable activity.”

While it’s unclear if Suarez or any members of the Below Deck crew are involved, these incidents seem in line with a suit from two lawyers who are currently seeking to expose “the sordid and dark underbelly of NBC’s widely consumed reality TV universe.” Their first step, according to the lawyers, is ending many of their clients’ NDAs, so they are actually able to speak out about incidents like these.

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Below Deck Down Under—the Australia-based spinoff of

Docs

Producers behind “The Blind Side” have issued a statement affirming the authenticity of Michael Oher’s story as told in the film, responding to Oher’s recent allegations that the Tuohy family fabricated his adoption and instead placed him in a conservatorship that he is still restricted to.

“We feel it is now important for us to respond to some recent media reports, which include many mischaracterizations and uninformed opinions,” Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, “Blind Side” producers of and co-founders of Alcon Entertainment, said in a statement Thursday. “The impetus for these stories has been a lawsuit by Michael Oher, which seems to have given critics and journalists alike a justification to unfairly pick apart the movie fourteen years later – some going so far as to call it ‘fake’ or a ‘lie.’”

The producers added that their film’s story remains “verifiably authentic and will never be a lie or fake, regardless of the familial ups and downs that have occurred subsequent to the film.”

Johnson and Kosove, who founded Alcon back in 1997, claim that Oher’s story as told in the film was corroberated by Michael Lewis, the author of the 2006 novel “The Blind Side,” which John Lee Hancock based the film on. The producers claim that Lewis and other individuals “have spoken of their first-hand knowledge of the authenticity of the Tuohys loving Michael dearly and raising Michael as their son through the end of high school, and then throughout college and onto the NFL.”

The pair addressed Oher’s monetary claims, in which he alleged that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, along with their two biological children, received $225,000 plus 2.5% of “defined net proceeds” from “The Blind Side,” while Oher never received any financial compensation. The producers stated that Alcon took control of the right to Lewis’ novel and other associated rights when production began.

“The deal that was made by Fox for the Tuohy’s and Michael Oher’s life rights was consistent with the marketplace at that time for the rights of relatively unknown individuals. Therefore, it did not include significant payouts in the event of the film’s success,” the producers’ statement reads.

It continues, “As a result, the notion that the Tuohys were paid millions of dollars by Alcon to the detriment of Michael Oher is false. In fact, Alcon has paid approximately $767,000 to the talent agency that represents the Tuohy family and Michael Oher (who, presumably, took commission before passing it through).”

In a statement form their attorney Marty Singer, the Tuohy family alleged that Oher had threatened to “plant a negative story about them in the press unless they paid him $15 million,” calling Oher’s claims as a “cynical attempt to drum up attention in the middle of his latest book tour.” Singer added that “over the years, the Tuohys have given Mr. Oher an equal cut of every penny received from ‘The Blind Side.’”

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Producers behind “The Blind Side” have issued

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UPDATED with latest additions: SAG-AFTRA, which launched a strike against Hollywood studios on July 14, launched its interim agreements program that allows independent productions with no direct ties to members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to continue filming.

The guild has been adding to the list of projects granting agreements since soon after it went on strike against the AMPTP after failing to agree on a new film and TV contract. Under the terms, members “may work on these productions without being in violation of the strike order,” per the guild.

On July 27, SAG-AFTRA began granting casting-specific agreements that allow its members to “audition and/or engage in negotiations regarding casting for these productions, but may not yet travel, rehearse, or otherwise begin rendering services for the production.”

Prominent projects on the list so far include Angel Studios’ Bible-based series The Chosen; the A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream of Unicorns and Apple TV+’s Tehran. Actors able to continue working under these agreements include Anne Hathaway, Dakota Fanning, Glenn Close, James Badge Dale, Ben Foster, Graham Greene and Melissa Leo among others. Movies from the likes of Guy Ritchie and Destry Allyn Spielberg have been granted casting agreements.

Other agreements give films clearance to promote at festivals. A notable film in that category is Michael Mann’s Ferrari, which is driving toward a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of this month.

On August 14, SAG-AFTRA said that it has altered its agreements policy and going forward would exclude WGA-covered projects shot in the U.S. after meetings with the Writers Guild. The next day, it clarified that distributors looking to acquire films with interim agreements at festival would have to adhere to those terms in order to make a deal.

Below is the list organized by film and series based on the SAG-AFTRA list. Keep checking back as more titles are added (casting agreements are in italics; the most recently added projects are denoted by an asterisk):

FILMS

3-2 Pulldown, The
Charles Golding

4:30 Movie, The
Miller Hill Inc.

47 Days
Reel Big Studios

Adult Best Friends
Adult Best Friends LLC

Aguadilla
Abla Films LLC

Ali 1978: The Butterfly’s Last Dance
Eddie Goines and Friends LLC

American Deadbolt
American Deadbolt Movie LLC

American Nightmare
New York Nightmare Production LLC

Angel’s Peak
UNKP LLC

Anniversary
Anniversary US Productions LLC

Ar Racist, The
The AWP Productions LLC

Armadilla
Armadilla LLC

Armored
Armored LLC

Asian Persuasion
Asian Persuasion Film LLC

Assessment, The
Number 9 Films Assessment Limited

Astronaut, The
Rocket Power LLC

Average Joe
Coach Productions LLC

Back On The Strip
MMJ Productions LLC

Bad Haircut
Bad Haircut The Movie LLC

Ballad Of Suzanne Cesaire, The
Madame Negritude LLC

Beldham, The
Which Witch Films LLC

Ben And Suzanne: A Reunion In 4 Parts
Something Arbitrary LLC

Beneath the Grass
Beneath the Grass Film LLC

Beyond the Walls
Beyond the Walls Film LLC

Bibi
Bibi Productions LLC

Bird And The Bee
Bird And The Bee The Film, Inc.

Bishop, The
Bring Him To The River LLC

Blackwater Lane
Breakdown Film Ltd

Bloodknot
Bloodknot Movie, LLC

Blue Rose
Blue Rose Productions LLC

Bob Trevino Likes It
Chosen Family LLC

Bobcat Moretti Part 2
Develop Your Movie LLC

Bootyology
District 78 Inc

Breakwater
MAP Movies LLC

Bride Hard
Bride Hard Films LLC

Buffalo Daze
3 Buffalo Girls Productions, LLC

Buster Brooks
Buster Brooks Movie LLC

By The Grape Of God
By The Grape of God Movie LLC

Cafone, The
The Suburbanite Productions LLC

Catharsis
Mirmade Inc.

Chasing Midnight
Midnight The Movie 2023 LLC

Chimera
Chimera Film LLC

Cobalt
Greenridge Productions LLC

Coming Together
Cornteen LLC

Condition of Return
Condition of Return LP

Conduit
Hermes Film LLC

Copperhead
Backlash Film Holdings LLC

Cottonmouth
Flint & Stone Films LLC

Coup!
Summer Man Inc.

Crescent City
Crescent City Movie LLC

Crust
Crustsocks Productions LLC

Cuando Volvimos A La Tierra
CVALT LLC

Cub Scout
Wolf Cub Film LLC

Daddio
Beverly Crest Productions LLC

Daddy
Twnshp Pictures LLC

Dance First
2LE Dance First Limited

Darkness Trail
Beautiful Dark Films LLC

Dead Guy
Dead Guy LLC

Death of a Unicorne
Monoceros Media LLC

Decibel
DB Film LLC

Desert Dawn
Desert Dawn Film Productions LLC

Desert, A
Capes and Fog LLC

Didi
Talking Fish Pictures LLC

DogMan
Grive Productions SARL

Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight
Dont Lets Go SA

Don’t Move
Dont Move UT LLC

Don’t Trip
Don’t Trip Films LLC

Dos Lados
Suenos Productions LLC

Dottie
Articine Inc

Draft Night
Thomas Glinkowski

Dream Devil
Outhouse Production Films LLC

Dust Bunny
Dust Bunny Productions LLC

Dutchman, The
Dutchman LLC

East Of Wall
Stetson’s Kingdom LLC

East Texas Oil
2126104 Alberta Ltd.

El Tonto Por Cristo
Holy Fool Films LLC

Escaping Ohio
Escaping Ohio LLC

Every Other Weekend
Small Fry Films LLC

*Excelsis
Dewey and Bug LLC

Exhibiting Forgiveness
Exhibiting Forgiveness Inc.

Eyes In The Trees
Eyes in the Trees LLC

F-Plus
Swen Studios Inc.

Fabulous Four, The
The Fabulous Four LLC

Fairy
Wonder Wheel Productions Inc

Fancy Florez’s Summer Staycation
Diaz de Muertos

Fantasy Life
MVNYC Films Inc

Feeling That The The Time For Doing Something Has Passed, The
The Feeling That The Time Inc.

Ferrari
Moto Pictures LLC

Fleeing
Fleeing Inc

Flight Risk
Flight Risk Productions Inc.

Floaters
Floaters Productions Inc.

Fluxx
Fluxx Film LLC

Fort, The
Cellar Productions LLC

Freedom Hair
MPI Original Bryce LLC

Friends And Foes
Studio Film LLC

From Ashes
Studio 6688 LLC

G20
Beige Fox LLC

Gaia
GAIA Film LLC

Ganymede
Ganymede Film LLC

Glitter & Doom
Glitter And Doom LLC

*Godless
Godless Movie LLC

Good Side Of Bad (2020)
Good Side of Bad LLC

Greatest Ever, The
The Greatest Ever LLC

*Green Fairy, The
Green Fairy LLC

Griffin In Summer
Regrets Of Autumn LLC

Grizzly Night
Grizzly Night LLC

Growing Pains
Growing Pains Film LLC

Gunslinger, The
Wild West Productions Inc.

Hey Joe!
Palomar S.P.A.

*How I Got There
HIGT International General Trading Company WLL

Ick
Ick Productions LLC

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
If I Had Legs LLC

If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing
Boiler Room Productions Inc.

In Cold Light
Lithium Studios II Inc.

Iron Lung
Iron Lung Productions LLC

Isaac
Isaac Productions LLC

Isle Child
Team Miller Inc.

It Came From Within
It Came From Within Movie LLC

Italians, The
The Italians LLC

Jules
Apple Slice Productions LLC

Jules And Jonas: The Vertical Truth
The Vertical Truth LLC

Jump Scare
Ugly Duckling Pictures

Just Breathe
Rockwood Champ LLC

K-Pops!
Aegyo Master Production LLC

Keep Quiet
Keepquietmovie LLC

Keyz’
Keyz Film LLC

Killing Castro
Hotel Theresa Productions Inc.

Killing Moon, The
TKM LLC

Killer’s Game, The
TKG Productions Ltd.

King Ivory
Magic Mark LLC

King Of Hearts
Midnight Movies LLC

Ladybug
Silverose LLC

Lake George
The Lake George Company LLC

Last Meals
Ortolan Productions LLC

Leader, The
Leader Films LLC

Leaves Of Glass
Sunflower Pictures Inc.

Legend Of The White Dragon
Legend of the White Dragon LLC

Lemurian Candidate, The
Lemurian Candidate LLC

Leopardi & Co.
Camaleo S.R.L.

Life Cycle 63
Second Draft Productions LLC

Life Of Chuck, The
Dance Anyway South LLC

Lilies Not For Me
Wolflight Films LLC

Longlegs
Longlegs Pictures Inc.

Lousy Carter
Lousy C LLC

Love In Storytown
Gemelli Films Inc.

Love Is The Monster
LEMPO LLC

Magic Farm
Magic Marker LLC

Magpie Funeral
Magpie Funeral Movie LLC

*Mannequin, The
The Mannequin LLC

Martyr Of Gowanus
Pipe Dream Productions Inc.

Mattachine Family, The
Silver Steps LLC

Memories
Vanessa Ly Inc.

Mermaid
Florida Man LLC

Method, The
Finding Gilbert LLC

Midnight Oil
Texas Cult House the Movie LLC

Mindtraveler
Lab 9 Films Inc.

Mistake
Mistake Film LLC

Monica
Varient Entertainment LLC

Mooch
Mooch Film LLC

Mother Mary
Got a Little Sloppy LLC

Mother, May I?
MMI Film LLC

Mountains
Santiagueres LLC

Mourning Rock
ZNZ Project LLC

Mutt
Quiltro LLC

My Hero
Dufrane Productions LLC

My Valentine Wedding
Nferno Media Entertainment LLC

*Naked In The Park
Naked in the Park LLC

Night Talkers
Rutledge Productions LLC

No Right Way
Kith & Kin Productions LLC

Nuremberg
Sapphire Productions LLC (casting)

*Obsessed With Light
Between the Rivers Productions LLC

Oh, Canada
Foregone Films PSC Inc.

Omaha
Sanctuary Content Inc.

Open Wounds
Once Upon A Lockbox LLC

Origin Of Species
Species Financing and Distribution LLC

Osiris
It Hunts LLC

Other You, The
The Other You LLC

Outen The Light
Bronx Bison Films Inc.

Pandemonium
Pandemonium Filming LLC

Paracosm, A
Paracosm Motion Picture Inc.

Paradise And Lunch
PL Film LLC

Partenope
The Apartment S.R.L.

Penguin And The Fisherman, The
The Penguin And The Fisherman LLC

Please Don’t Feed The Children
PDFTC LLC

Postcard From Earth
Next Unknown LLC

Presence
Apparitions Incorporated

Press Your Luck
Luckycharmer LLC

Priscilla
TCB Productions Canada Inc.

Publish Or Perish
Publish Or Perish Movie LLC

Queen Of Knives
KOK 2 The Film LLC

Queen of the Ring
Ring Productions LLC

Rebel Girl
Rebel Girl Film LLC

Redville
Redville Movie LLC

Relative Control
Third Act Film LLC

Return To Wickensburg (2023)
The Return Film Studios Inc.

Riff Raff
RR Productions Inc.

Ritual, The
The Rituality LLC

Rivals of Amziah King
Sad Abe’s Inc.

Roar Of The Fire
Fire Film Productions LLC

Rosario
Rosario The Movie LLC

Roses On The Vine
Roses Movie LLC

Rotting In The Sun
Rotting in the Sun LLC

Save Yourself
Be About It Doc LLC

Scared Shitless
Golden Plunger LLC

Scary Tales Anthology
Very Scary Tales LLC

Second Coming Of John Cooper, The
Bonus Level Productions LL

Sell Out
The Benny Dink Movie LLC

Shadow Dance
October Twenty-Four Pictures Corp

Shakey Grounds
Shakey Grounds LLC

Sharp Corner
Sharp Corner Inc.

She Came To Me
AI Film Production Services Inc.

Shining Hour, The
Cardinal Films LLC

Short Game, The
The Green Jacket Productions LLC

Shining Hour, The
Cardinal Films LLC

Shoulder Dance
Shoulder Dance LLC

Sing Sing
Mummy Time Inc./STBS Productions Designated

Sod and Stubble
Sod and Stubble LLC

Sound, The
The Sound Film LLC

Space Bears
Space Bears LLC

Starstruck
Star Struck Movie LLC

Stealing Cars
Stolen Street LLCC

Strange Dark, The
Christoph J Messineo

Summer Book, The
Summer Book Movie LLC

Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)
Sunfish Pictures LLC

Superthief
Superthief LLC

Susie Searches
Susie Production Inc.

Sydney Vs. Sean
Ryan Powers

Things Will Be Different
Last Life LLC

Threads
Dre Vision Studios LLC

Til Death…Do You
Rubyjewel Media LLC

Tower, The
TheTowerFilm LLC

Transamazonia
Cinema DeFacto

Tricked & Treated
Tricked & Treated LLC

Triggermen
Triggermen LLC

Under My Skin
Under My Skin Productions LLC

Unknown Country, The
Morissa Maltz LLC

Until He’s Destroyed
Restricted Pictures LLC

Untitled Guy Ritchie Project
Green Gold Productions Limited

Untitled Instant Pot Project
TraLaLoo Productions LLC

Untitled Jazzy Project, The
Jazzy Film Production LLC

Untitled Peter Greenaway Project
FEG Development Limited

Untitled Rebuilding Project
Crowded Table LLC

Uppercut
Hello Moment Productions GmbH

Velocipastor 2, The
Belka Strelka LLC

Very Stinky Summer, A
Cinematic Productions LLC

Videoheaven
Cinema Conservancy Incorporated

Watchers, The
Hunched Lady Productions LLC

Water For Life
Mill Valley Film Group

Wayfinders, The
Wayfinders LLC

Week End Escape Project
Grive Productions SARL

Westhampton
TXE Westhampton LLC

What Comes Next
Next Moon Media Inc.

What Happens Later
Terminal 4 LLC

What Rhymes With Magdalena
What Rhymes With Magdalena LLC

What She Doesn’t Know
WSDK Project LLC

Who Says You Can’t Go Home
Rolling Thunder Films LLC

Who’s Watching
No Resolution LLC

Wildcat
Flannery Film LLC

Wilderness, The
The Wilderness LLC

Wildfire
Wildfire the Movie LLC

Witchboard
A-Nation Media Inc.

Without Consequence
Lost Galleon Films LLC

Yellow Tie, The
Oblique Media SRL

You Can’t Stay Here
You Can’t Stay Here LLC

Young Claude
Brick By Brick Productions LLC

Your Lucky Day
King City Films LLC

SERIES

*Autobahn (23/24)
Autobahn TV Inc.

Bar, The (Pilot)
James Woods

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (23/24)
X Factor S2 LLC

Chosen, The (23/24)
The Chosen Texas LLC

Fairwood (23/24)
Metropolitan Sound + Vision LLC

Gray House (2023)
Gray House Inc.

Green Veil, The (20/21)
The Boathouse LLC

Guns And Grams, The Pizza Connection (pilot)
Black Egypt Entertainment Studios LLC

Hal & Harper (23/24)
Bad Bangs LLC

Sight Unseen (23/24)
Sight Unseen S1 Productions BC Inc

Small Town Big Story (23/24)
Activity Company

Tehran (23/24)
Donna & Shula Studios LTD

Underdeveloped (23/24)
Black Jellybeans LLC

When Calls The Heart (23/24)
WCTH 11 Productions Inc.

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UPDATED with latest additions: SAG-AFTRA, which launched

Tech

Representation in films and television isn’t only about race and ethnicity. It’s also about giving deserved respect to genres and recognizing the allies who do the work to ensure those stories are appropriately told. That’s what director Dan Trachtenberg achieves with the science-fiction horror flick “Prey,” while working hand-in-hand with Indigenous producer Jhane Myers. The Hulu film is among the nominated contenders for outstanding television movie, making Myers the first Indigenous woman ever nominated for producing at the Emmys.

“Those conversations were not hard,” Myers tells Variety about working with Trachtenberg. “He was open. Plus, with Amber [Midthunder] being Native and most of our cast, it was organic. That’s what makes this film remarkable. I can tell you this: until this day, we’ve never argued.”

Myers, a Comanche and Blackfeet American Indian, has long advocated for Native language, cultural advising and advancement in the entertainment industry. Trachtenberg credits the film’s success to Myers’ involvement. “Jhane bears an emotional resemblance to Nadu,” he says. “Finding her and having her influence, not only in the obvious things but her being in touch with the culture bears of her tribe, and working with the costume designer to make the wardrobe.

Trachtenberg likewise received love among the Hulu film’s impressive six Emmy noms — for directing (limited or anthology series or movie) and writing, which he shares with scribe Patrick Aison.

“Prey” is the seventh installment in the “Predator” franchise. It stars Amber Midthunder as Naru, a young Comanche warrior in the Great Plains in 1719 who fights to protect her tribe against the primitive villain with advanced weaponry that threatens their existence.

In a conversation over Zoom, Variety spoke with the two Emmy nominees about their experience in making the film. In addition, they discuss their upcoming projects, including the final season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and an new documentary about the “Nelson Mandela of the Americas.”

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.

Variety: It’s so cool to see the Television Academy significantly embrace a science-fiction/horror film like “Prey.” Why do you want to do this film, and how does it feel to see the genre represented?

Trachtenberg: My biggest takeaway from the nomination is how awesome it is for voters to nominate what is ostensibly Predator Part 5. Something that I always wondered growing up while idolizing John Woo, Jackie Chan, and James Cameron — Why aren’t those movies nominated for awards? Certainly, movies have broken through over the years, but it’s cool that now the movie that Jhane and I made is one of those things.

My desire to make a Predator movie first came with wanting to make an underdog story. I also wanted to do a period-sci-fi film, which I had been thinking about forever. I was asking myself, was there a way to do that? Instead of peanut butter and jelly, would this be peanut butter and chocolate or some other bad metaphor for a bad mixture? The predator, being the sci-fi element, was great at unlocking the mix. We were telling a story about this creature with an ethos that is looking for a trophy, looking for the alpha, and we have a character that’s separate from that story, who in her own culture is trying to prove herself worthy.

Myers: During the pandemic, I wasn’t working, and I was interviewing for jobs. The studio called and asked if I was interested [in ‘Prey’]. When they sent me the script, I was so excited. Because No. 1, I’m a Comanche and Blackfeet. To see something around our culture that is totally inclusive of our culture was amazing. When you read scripts like this, you’ll have a dash of native content. This was 100% through and through.

This is your second feature directing effort, coming after “10 Cloverfield Lane,” which was another refreshing take on another franchise, “Cloverfield.” Are you looking at any other franchises, considering you’re seemingly good at revitalizing them?

Trachtenberg: Nothing that I could admit to [laughs]. It does happen to be the case that when I’m done, I’m working on various movies and TV things, some of which are originals, and some are based on other things. I tend to get pulled toward properties with an established IP that isn’t already firing on all cylinders. That’s exciting to me because it’s like an underdog. I love underdog stories. I always felt like I was less equipped than those around me. I imagine many of us think that way. I consider movie IP the same way. What is the thing that no one else believes is being taken seriously? Part of the inception, unlike Prey, is what if we did this crazy thing? Then, I get sucked into that vortex.

Even though it wouldn’t have made sense considering this takes place in the 1700s, was there a thought of finding a way to give some cameo to either Arnold Schwarzenneger or Danny Glover from the first two ‘Predator’ films?

Trachtenberg: I don’t know how to do things, but I’m learning how to do things. I did learn there was an attempt to have Arnold in ‘Predators’ (2010). All I’ll say is — there’s still time for those guys. They’re still around, and wouldn’t that be awesome?

What can you tell us about your upcoming directing stint on the next season of “Stranger Things?”

Trachtenberg: That’s the big part of the strike. I have read my episode, and I had been prepping the episode before the strike. I can tell you that it’s awesome. I haven’t really done an episode of a TV show. I’ve stuck to doing pilots and movies, but ‘Stranger Things’ is a laser into my heart. The Duffer Brothers are incredible, and we have so much in common. With this being the last season and hearing a little bit about what could be an episode I could do, I got excited.

I don’t think ‘Stranger Things’ falls into a category of television seasons like ‘Game of Thrones’ where the pilot is cool, slows down, and the last two episodes are the big battle. I can tell you, and pointing to other seasons, there is rock and roll throughout the entire season.

What are you working on Jhane next to ensure you’re not the last Indigenous producer to be recognized?

Myers: In this situation, culture and diversity are the first to get cut. I’ve survived that before, back in 2009. We have so many native creatives, and everyone is using this time to finish the things they couldn’t because they were working. Hopefully, when the strike is over, everyone has new work to pitch, and it won’t be many years before we see another ‘Prey’ installment. My background is in documentaries. I have one meaningful one about a prolific person throughout the Native community. I can best describe him as the Nelson Mandela of the Americas.

“Prey” is also nominated for music composition, sound editing and picture editing. The film is now streaming on Hulu—the final Emmy voting rounds close on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. PST.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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Video

Composer Nicholas Britell didn’t know what was going to happen in Season 4 of “Succession,” let alone the series’ final moments, but he instinctively knew he had already figured out what music would be playing under those last images of the Roy family saga.

“I didn’t tell [series creator] Jesse [Armstrong] this, but I’d written a piece that just felt like a conclusion to the show, somehow on an emotional level,” Britell told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast.

In the video above, the composer traces the roots of that concluding composition (“Andante Risoluto”) back to the piece he wrote for the last scene of the “Succession” pilot (“Andante Con Moto”), and how he then riffed on it for Season 2, Episode 2 (“Andante Con Moto”), when a hollowed-out Kendall rides off on a motorcycle, after icily shuttering Vaulter and shoplifting a Bic lighter.

“That piece evolved,” said Britell, who liked the concept of the underlying piece used in the pilot and made a concerted effort to return to it once a season for key moments of conclusion. “I would start it the same way, and then it would take a turn, and it would go in a whole other place.”

In Season 3, when the FBI raided Waystar’s offices, the composer returnd to the composition, this time creating a far grander version with strings and orchestra (“Andante Agitato”), lending itself to the moment Logan Roy is rendered powerless and facing what might be the end of his media empire.

When Britell returned to it for Season 4, he focused on finding a chord progression that could capture a “cycles of time” feeling that the composer sensed would be appropriate for the finale.

“It’s not all sadness and pain, I wanted to give a sense of possibility,” said Britell of the music that would eventually accompany our final glimpses of Roman (at the bar), Shiv and Tom (in the back of the car, distant, but reluctantly holding hands), and Kendall (walking toward the Hudson River at sunset). “We’ll never really know where this is all headed after this show, but I wanted there to be a kernel of, ‘Is there a future? What is that future?’ It’s not all darkness.”

Britell reported that, when he eventually played the track for Armstrong, the series’ creator said, “‘I think that’s the ending of the show.’ And it was so fascinating because that was before we had actually worked on the last episode, and yet, I had thought that it might be too.”

While on the hour-long podcast, the composer reflected on completing his first television series, which he worked on over the course of seven years. One of the big takeaways for Britell was the importance of end credit music. In an age of streaming services automatically kicking you over to the next piece of content seconds into the credits, Britell explored how end credit music could enrich the viewer’s experience

“End credit sequences matter, and give you a chance to reflect on what you’ve just watched,” said Britell. “One idea that I explored further [for end credits] was the idea of possibly using a choir because there is an intensity and a gravitas, and I always felt, ‘OK, what’s the furthest you can go with that kind of intensity of emotional musical experience?’ And certainly, the choir’s the most full-on version of that.”

Using choir always felt like a bridge too far. Even when Britell wrote the elegy for Logan’s death in “Conor’s Wedding,” he found a choir was “too much.” There was something about reflecting with the characters on what they’ve experienced, where human voices felt like stepping outside the narrative by commenting on a sense of finality.

“But there was this idea of could there be a conclusion,” said Britell, who kept the idea of using choir in his back pocket for the final end credit sequence after the series cut to black. “What if the whole thing ended with voices? As sort of a human statement after all of this pain and complication, there’s almost something comforting about human voices there to me.”

That choir comfort wasn’t simply for the characters suffering their final blow or even the audience reeling from the tragic conclusion and saying goodbye to a story they had invested in so much.

“This chapter is over, this moment of life is over, and in a sense too, it’s for all of us on the show,” said Britell. “I feel personally, this whole chapter of our lives is over. It’s been about seven years of my life, from when I first [joined] the pilot to now. It’s sad, and do think it has finality to it.”

To hear the final choir, watch the video at the top of the page. To listen to the full discussion, subscribe to the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast below:

The Filmmaker Toolkit podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and Stitcher. The music used in this podcast is from the “Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present” score, courtesy of composer Nathan Halpern.

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Composer Nicholas Britell didn’t know what was

Entertaintment

After world premiering to critical acclaim at Sundance back in January, the darkly comedic dating thriller Cat Person has finally unveiled a first trailer and release date, having been set to open in U.S. theaters via Rialto Pictures beginning October 6th.

An adaptation of Kristen Roupenian viral New Yorker short story from DGA Award-winning director Susanna Fogel, the film fully financed by Studiocanal looks at the brief relationship between 20-year-old college sophomore Margot (CODA’s Emilia Jones) and the somewhat-older Robert (Succession’s Nicholas Braun) from the perspective of both characters, as a means of commenting on the experience of dating today.

In an appearance alongside her leads at Deadline’s Sundance studio earlier this year, Fogel noted that the idea of toggling back and forth between the POVs of her protagonists was compelling, as a means of exploring “miscommunications and the cultural baggage that men and women bring into dating,” particularly in our post-#MeToo moment.

Summing up their disparate perspectives on their shared dating experience is the following quote from Margaret Atwood, which serves as the film’s epigraph: “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”

Also starring Geraldine Viswanathan, Hope Davis, Michael Gandolfini, Liza Koshy, Fred Melamed, Isaac Powell, Isabella Rossellini and Donald Elise Watkins, Cat Person was scripted by Michelle Ashford. Jeremy Steckler and Conde Nast Entertainment/The New Yorker Studios’ Helen Estabrook produced the film, with Fogel, Ashford and Daniel Hank aboard as EPs.

Check out the Cat Person trailer above.

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After world premiering to critical acclaim at

Movies

Five Terrible TV Show Finales, And Four Perfect TV Endings

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Five Terrible TV Show Finales, And Four

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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

Dust off your jerseys and roll out that Traeger grill because is back, baby.

The 2023 college football season kicks off this Saturday, Aug. 26, with the full Week 1 schedule kicking off on Aug. 31, marking the end of a dormant offseason and the beginning of action-packed weekends leading up to the national championships. The best way to stream the 2023 college football season is on Sling TV.

Sling TV Free Trial Buy Now

Conference realignment is set to shake up the upcoming season. UCLA and USC have left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, alongside Oregon and Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, leaving a bleak outlook for the Pack-12. However, some things will stay the same: the Michigan Wolverines, who have remained beasts on the field are likely to win the conference, beat their rivals and make the College Football Playoff again this year, while two-time defending champion Georgia will still be the team to beat in FBS.

The 2023 college football season will be broadcast on local channels (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC), in addition to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, CBS Sports Network and SEC Network. If you don’t have cable, the best way to stream the 2023 college football season online is through Sling TV, whose Orange + Blue package boasts access to the top teams and conferences like Big Ten and SEC, and features more than 50 channels such as Fox, NBC and ESPN and ESPN3, which has a live simulcast of every ABC game.

Plus, by adding Sling’s Sports Extras for an additional $15/month, you’ll get access to the NFL Redzone, ACCN ESPN and Big Network for replays, post-game coverage and analysis. Add on Paramount+ (at a competitive $6/month) to stream every Power 5 match.

Stream the 2023 college football season on Sling TV below:

Sling TV Free Trial Buy Now

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MCU

Marvel Studios seemingly had one mandate for the Green Goblin’s MCU debut in Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

After nearly 20 years, Willem Dafoe’s take on the iconic Spider-Man villain was thrust back into the spotlight in No Way Home thanks to the Multiversal shenanigans of Tom Holland’s wall-crawling threequel. 

Dafoe’s Marvel return was something that took a lot of planning from Marvel Studios, with his character going through multiple iterations before the final design was settled upon.

These alternate designs included several differing looks including one in which the character would have worn pieces of an Iron Man suit. 

Marvel’s One Green Goblin Request

Marvel Studios

According to new information revealed as a part of the Spider-Man: No Way Home: Art of the Movie artbook, Marvel Studios had one mandate for the return of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin to the big screen. 

According to Marvel Studios Head of Visual Development, Ryan Meinerding, the No Way Home team worked tirelessly at taking the “heightened look [of the character] from the first film” and “making it feel like it existed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:”

“The Green Goblin is another character that had a very iconic, heightened look from the first film. We were tasked with seeing how much of that we could keep while still making it feel like it existed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since a lot of the MCU is about technology, I think Adi Granov was the first one to try to add the hood. Everybody was doing such gorgeous work–Visual Development Concept Illustrator Phil Saunders did some hugely dynamic, amazing images of the Goblin on the glider about to throw pumpkins–and it was all aimed at essentially trying to ground the character a little bit more.”

Green Goblin No Way Home 2
Marvel Studios

Concept artist Phil Saunders added that “There were thoughts about [the villain] getting access to a lot of MCU tech” as the team tried to incorporate the original design from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films:

“There were thoughts about him getting access to a lot of MCU tech and being able to generate a new suit for himself. And there were different ideas of what that could be.”

He mentioned that one of those ideas was this Marvel mandate of including “the purple-and-green colors of the comic book character.” 

Green Goblin Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics

Saunders explored this idea by trying to incorporate purple elements of tech into the Golbin armor, with hints of purple peaking out as a polyurethane layer under his suit. 

The Marvel concept artist remembered thinking, “Let’s take the suit from the Raimi-verse and just MCU it up a bit,” resulting in the costume’s final design:

“Let’s take the suit from the Raimi-verse and just MCU it up a bit. In other words, what would that effective design be with the costume molding technology that we have today? A lot of the effort that I put in on the suit was in that direction, trying to make something that, at first glance, is clearly recognizable as the Raimi suit, but just has a little bit of an upgrade to today’s standards and expectations for Super Hero costume design and fabrication.”

Was Green Goblin’s MCU Costume a Success?

Coming off the divisive look of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin from 2002’s Spider-Man, fans were fascinated to see just what Marvel Studios would do with the iconic (and at times infamous) armor. 

What resulted was a modern take on a comic classic, bringing in that green and purple the character is known for. 

While the No Way Home outfit did not go full-comic book as some MCU suits have in the past (i.e., Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio), it did pay homage to the caped and hooded version of the character fans have seen on pages for years. 

And that was probably as far as Marvel Studios was ever going to go. The actual green-skinned Goblin look is a hard thing to pull off on the big screen and have audiences buy it (just look to Dane DeHaan’s take on the character from The Amazing Spider-Man 2). 

That is not to say a fully deformed Goblin will never happen in the MCU, but given that Dafoe’s version of the Marvel Comics big bad only ever sported the Green Goblin armor, it made sense to just update that. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home can be purchased both digitally and physically now. 

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DCU

Batman’s infamous villain, the Joker, up until this point, has appeared in nine different films.

The Dark Knight boasts one of the largest and most complex rogue galleries in all of comics, standing right up there with Spider-Man. This includes the likes of Mr. Freeze, Clayface (who might be in The Batman Part II), Riddler, Penguin, Killer Croc, and more.

However, despite all of those villains and their big-screen potential, the Joker still manages to show up in nearly every adaption of the Caped Crusader.

Joker’s Movie Appearances & Order of Release

Cesar Romero – Batman (1966)

Cesar Romero

Cesar Romero was given the unique honor of being the first live-action Joker to feature on the movie screen.

While he was a key villain in the film, he actually first debuted in Adam West’s Batman television series. There, he was one of the baddies with the most appearances, tying only with The Penguin.

This version of the Joker wasn’t nearly as destructive or demented as those that would follow decades later. In fact, many of his antics didn’t amount to anything more than goofy amusement.

During his time in the spotlight, he was notably obsessed with unmasking Batman—something that later incarnations of the character are specifically against doing.

Jack Nicholson – Batman (1989)

Jack Nicholson, Joker, Batman
Jack Nicholson

Michael Keaton’s original Batman film is a beloved entry in the franchise, and a lot of that has to do with Jack Nicholson’s Clown Prince of Crime.

Nicholson’s villain starts the movie off as Jack Napier, a simple mob enforcer. After a botched operation at Axis Chemicals, Napier ends up getting shot and falling into a vat of chemicals—turning him bleach white and changing his hair to a sickly green color.

The chemicals, and questionable plastic surgery, would go on to create Jack’s new Joker persona. The former mafia enforcer quickly becomes a crime boss himself as he looks to take out his revenge on both Batman and Gotham City. 

By the end of the movie, Joker is defeated by Batman and dies after falling from a helicopter.

An additional fun fact about this take on the Joker is that, long before his radical transformation, Napier was the one who shot both of Bruce Wayne’s parents dead in the street.

Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight (2008)

Heath Ledger, Joker, The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger gave what is easily the most famous live-action portrayal of the demented clown to date. For many, his performance transcended the genre, creating one of the best villains there ever was.

The Dark Knight’s Joker was a true psychopath, one whose sole goal was to create chaos across all of Gotham. He also aimed to prove that everyone can be corrupted.

The movie ends with Batman choosing not to kill Joker but instead taking him into the system to be tried for his crimes.

Sadly, Ledger committed suicide before the movie was released. If that never happened, the character was likely to have made an appearance in the following sequel.

Suicide Squad (2016) – Jared Leto

Jared Leto, Joker, Suicide Squad
Jared Leto

Jared Leto’s version of the iconic supervillain in Suicide Squad is arguably the most hated adaptation of the character to date—disgust for this version runs deep among fans.

Ironically, he was also given very little time in the spotlight. By the time the final movie had been released, a majority of Leto’s original scenes had been mostly removed.

Like Jack Nicholson’s Joker, Leto’s clown was a crime boss as well. Here, his style choices were brought up to eleven, with a bright purple trench coach that gave pimp-vibes and a wide array of despised controversial tattoos.

Leto’s version of the character is also known for introducing the now iconic character of Harley Quinn—his former lover, who he spends most of the film hunting down.

Joker (2019) – Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Joaquin Phoenix

The 2019 Joker film follows Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck before he ever becomes the infamous villain. This story also takes place long before there’s ever a Batman protecting Gotham City.

Fleck is a failed stand-up comedian whose sanity is on the brink of collapse as he feels the world is against him. He also has a unique laughing disorder that causes him to manically giggle at inappropriate times.

On the side, the comedian also works as a clown—a look that carries over to when he finally snaps and becomes something reminiscent of the Joker fans know.

Birds of Prey (2020) – Jared Leto

Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joker, Harley Quinn, Birds of Prey
Jared Leto / Margot Robbie

Joker really only plays into the events of Birds of Prey off-camera. The movie mainly focuses on Harley Quinn following her offscreen breakup with Mr. J.

From there, Joker is referenced with archival footage from 2016’s Suicide Squad and inserted in brief new scenes thanks to a stand-in. Jared Leto, however, did not properly return to film new scenes.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) – Jared Leto

Jared Leto, Joker, Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Jared Leto

Jared Leto’s role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a confusing one. The clown criminal is seen in the film’s epilogue, where he’s teamed up with Batman and a few other survivors of the Knightmare timeline (a point in the future where Earth is all but destroyed by Darkseid).

The scene indicates that Ben Affleck’s Batman believes the Joker could be key in helping reverse the damage done by the cosmic supervillain—though it’s unclear what that could possibly be.

This big tease will likely forever go unresolved, on top of being the last appearance of Leto’s Joker.

The Batman (2022) – Barry Keoghan

Barry Keoghan, Joker
Barry Keoghan

While Paul Dano’s Riddler was the main villain of Matt Reeves’ recent take on the Dark Knight, that didn’t stop the Joker from partaking in the fun.

This iteration saw Barry Keoghan take the reins. While his time was brief (amounting to two scenes), he nevertheless made an impact on audiences.

In this world, he had already met Robert Pattinson’s Batman and been taken into Arkham Asylum offscreen before the events of the film. In a deleted scene, the Caped Crusader is forced to consult with the maniac after Riddler’s antics get out of hand.

It’s likely that fans will see more of Keoghan’s gnarly smile in both The Batman Part II and other future Reevesverse projects. 

Joker: Folie á Deux (2024) – Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Joaquin Phoenix

Joker: Folie á Deux isn’t released yet, but fans are excited to see the next step in Joaquin Phoenix’s demented journey as Arthur Fleck.

Rumor indicates that a majority of the film will take place in the infamous Arkham Asylum. Lady Gaga will also be joining the fun as Harley Quinn herself, giving fans another adaptation of the two villain’s toxic dynamic.

To make matters even more interesting? The upcoming movie will even be part musical.

The Talent Behind Joker’s Voice

Of course, live-action performances are hardly the only place where the Joker is brought to life.

One of the most iconic portrayals of the Clown Prince of Crime comes from Mark Hamill, who voiced the villain in The Batman Animated Series as well as the Arkham Asylum game series. When many fans think of the Joker, this is usually who they hear.

Other actors who have had their hand in Joker’s legacy include Troy Baker, Michael Emerson, John DiMaggio, Alan Tudyk, Kevin Michael Richardson, and more.

The Joker is such an iconic character that his legacy will likely always continue to evolve so long as the world keeps spinning. Perhaps in a decade, audiences will think of someone completely different behind the white makeup.

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Comics

The Nicki Minaj Operator bundle is now available for purchase in Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare II, bringing the singer and actress to Call of Duty for the first time.

The bundle includes Minaj as a playable Operator, as well as items themed around her and her favorite color: pink. These items include a special loading screen, the “Nicki Whip” vehicle skin, and “The Baddest” and “Super Freaky” weapon blueprints.

She has a tracer pack, too, which makes bullets look pink. Her finishing moves involving leaping into the air and killing her enemies with her high heels and chopping her foes with a well-placed slam to the neck. Some of her voice lines in the game include, “Trust me, you want this bad bitch on your side” and “You’re dead, bitch!”

The Nicki Minaj Operator bundle is available from the Call of Duty Store for 2,400 Call of Duty Points, which is about $20. This is the normal going rate for top-tier Call of Duty Operator bundles.

Activision and Minaj previously worked together on a trailer for 2022’s Modern Warfare II. She’s not the only rapper in Call of Duty, as Snoop Dogg returned earlier this year and 21 Savage is coming next.

The Nicki Minaj Operator bundle and others will be available in Modern Warfare III when it launches in November.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

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Festivals

EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has been tapped for the role of God in the forthcoming comedy Not Another Church Movie, Deadline has learned. In the film from writer-director Johnny Mack, he appears opposite The Wrestler‘s Mickey Rourke, who inhabits the role of the Devil, as previously announced.

Pic shot prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and is eyeing a theatrical release in Q4. Sirens‘ Kevin Daniels leads the ensemble, with Vivica A. Fox, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy, Kyla Pratt and Lamorne Morris rounding it out.

The Monty the Dog Production is billed as a wild ride through the fabulous world of Taylor Pharry (Daniels), an ambitious young man given a holy mission from God himself: to tell his family’s stories and inspire his community. His only concern? His family and community. What he doesn’t know is that the Devil has plans of his own.

Pic’s producers are James Michael Cummings and former Warner Bros exec Jim Cardwell. Valerie McCaffrey served as executive producer.

“We are thrilled to have Mr. Foxx be a part of this hilarious comedy and bring his incredible talent to the role of God, working with Foxx and Johnny Mack was a true blessing,” said producer Cummings in a statement to Deadline. “This film is a unique blend of new and established talent, and we can’t wait to hear the laughs and for audiences to see the magic that happens on the big screen. This movie will not disappoint.”

Added McCaffrey, “The name talent that has come together for this fun comedy is unprecedented. You see all the actors having fun, especially Foxx playing God.”

Best known for roles in films like Ray, Collateral, Django Unchained and Dreamgirls, Foxx has most recently been seen in films like the vampire hunter horror comedy Day Shift, which spent a full month on Netflix’s Global English Top 10 chart, as well as the streamer’s acclaimed sci-fi comedy They Cloned Tyrone, which had him starring opposite John Boyega.

The actor, who was been open about going “to hell and back” while recovering from a medical emergency back in April, also voiced a key role opposite Will Ferrell and Isla Fisher in the R-rated talking dog comedy Strays, which Uni released August 18th. Among other projects coming up for him is Amazon’s The Burial with Tommy Lee Jones. That legal drama from filmmaker Maggie Betts will premiere at TIFF in September — most likely without actors in attendance amidst the SAG-AFTRA strike — and has not yet been dated for release.

Foxx is repped by CAA, LBI Entertainment and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

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EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has

TV

Watch Jason Kelce’s Wife Hilariously Roast Him and More Sweet Family Moments in ‘Kelce’ Documentary Trailer | Entertainment Tonight
































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What to Watch

There is always something going on in the world of Stephen King. Whether it’s news about a new book, developments regarding an upcoming adaptation, special anniversaries or exciting events, a week never goes by without some significance for Constant Readers. It’s a special and fascinating element of modern pop culture to track – and it’s the inspiration behind my new Thursday column for CinemaBlend: The King Beat.

This week, we got news that one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time getting a big screen re-release; King wrote a piece about the current state of artificial intelligence; and a brand new and very special collectable has arrived following pre-orders placed in early spring. Let’s dig in!

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

John Carpenter’s Christine Is Returning To The Big Screen In September

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There is always something going on in

Awards

It wasn’t all fun and games on the set of “Friends.”

Screenwriter Patty Lin, who worked for one season of the hit sitcom, wrote in her memoir “End Credits: How I Broke Up with Hollywood” (via Time) that the cast was “unhappy” in later seasons. Lin joined “Friends” for its sixth season in 2000 after having written for “Freaks and Geeks.”

She wrote that the “novelty” of working with the “Friends” cast including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc “wore off fast” due to their respective attitudes towards the series.

“The actors seemed unhappy to be chained to a tired old show when they could be branching out,” Lin penned, adding that the actors would “deliberately tank” jokes they didn’t like.

“They all knew how to get a laugh, but if they didn’t like a joke, they seemed to deliberately tank it, knowing we’d rewrite it. Dozens of good jokes would get thrown out just because one of them had mumbled the line through a mouthful of bacon,” she wrote. “Seeing themselves as guardians of their characters, they often argued that they would never do or say such-and-such. That was occasionally helpful, but overall, these sessions had a dire, aggressive quality that lacked all the levity you’d expect from the making of a sitcom.”

Lin shared that former boss Judd Apatow “warned me about taking the job.” Lin recalled Apatow telling her, “‘The show’s been on for what? Six seasons? It’s a well-oiled machine. You’re not going to learn that much.’”

Lin noted that it was an “uncomfortable” situation in the “Friends” writers’ room as NBC had launched an affirmative action-like diversity program. Lin called the practice a “major mindfuck,” writing, “Naturally, I wondered whether I was hired for ‘Friends’ because of the diversity program or because I was the right person for the job. But dwelling on that question wasn’t going to help my career.”

Lin was the only person of color writing for “Friends” at the time.

“In all of my fears about the new job, I never predicted one of the challenges I would face was that the ‘Friends’ writing staff was cliquey, more so than at any other show I would work on,” Lin wrote. “They reminded me of the preppy rich kids in my high school who shopped at Abercrombie & Fitch and drove brand-new convertibles.”

Lin retired in 2008 after going on to write for “Desperate Housewives.” Now, the legacy of “Friends” has been called into question, ranging from critiques of Kathleen Turner’s transgender character and the lack of racial diversity in the series. “Friends” co-creator Marta Kauffman has addressed the issues, and even announced a $4 million donation to her alma mater Brandeis University to establish a fund to support scholars studying Africa and the African diaspora.

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It wasn’t all fun and games on

Music

Carlos Santana took some time out of a recent concert to share his thoughts on trans people and express his solidarity with Dave Chappelle. The impromptu speech during a concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey took place last month, but a video clip has only just started to circulate widely online.

In the clip, Santana says, “When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are. Later on, when you grow out of it, you see things, and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good, but you know it ain’t right. Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man. That’s it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that’s your business. I’m OK with that.” 

Santana then held his hands together and said, “I am like this with my brother Dave Chappelle.” (Chappelle has, of course, come under fire for an array of transphobic remarks and jokes in his stand-up routines.) 

A rep for Santana said the musician had no further comment.

Santana’s speech did garner some attention at the time, with one concert attendee describing it and sharing a short video on Reddit after the show. The poster said Santana “spent a solid 15 minutes spouting the most insane anti-trans BS I’ve maybe ever heard.” 

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A few other people who attended the show also commented on the thread. One said, “I was there too. It was very uncomfortable, especially the guy shouting Amen throughout. It was weird that he went on about how we are all special and unique after.” Another remarked, “I was there, fuck that guy. And the worst part is most people around me were applauding his garbage sermon. Fuck all those people too.”

Santana is far from the only classic rocker to share some hurtful and scientifically dubious remarks about trans people, gender identity, and gender expression. KISS’ Paul Stanley and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider recently came under fire for their remarks on the matter. And Alice Cooper went off in a recent interview with Stereogum, saying he was worried being transgender was a “fad” while also leaning on debunked bathroom predator myths. 

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The film industry is one that is rapidly evolving. And because of this ever-changing environment, we’re presented with opportunities and challenges alike. To succeed in the industry isn’t a matter of luck. Rather, it takes strategic planning and well-informed financial decisions to truly “make it”. This article will explore how leveraging insights from a career in the film industry can lead to long-term financial prosperity. 

For long-term financial growth, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the dynamic of the film industry. In this section, we’ll dig deeper into the key aspects of the film industry.

The Income Structure 

In this field, income can be erratic – a common characteristic in the entertainment industry. Of course, it depends on the projects you’re involved in, the role you play, and the demand for your skills. While there are indeed high-profile directors and actors who rake in the big bucks, that isn’t the case for many professionals in the industry whose income can fluctuate from one project to the next. 

Because of this income structure, financial planning becomes imperative to thrive in the film industry. Understanding how to navigate the rough financial waters is essential for long-term growth and requires you to leverage multiple financial strategies. We’ll delve deeper into these strategies later in this article. 

The Role of Networking 

Sometimes, it isn’t just about what you know. It’s also about who you know. Relationships are everything in the film business. By expanding your network, you expose yourself to new opportunities to go further in your career. Build relationships with everyone – actors, directors, producers, and crew members. These opportunities often lead to something greater. For example, you might find the right mentor for your film career or even get access to off-the-radar projects. 

To achieve financial stability, it’s important to be aware of the right investment strategies, particularly in an industry like film where income can be quite unstable. We’ll delve deeper into these strategies to help you build a solid financial foundation while thriving in the film industry. 

Diversification of Income Streams 

If you’re looking for long-term financial prosperity, diversification is key. There are various investment avenues available, such as stocks and real estate. You can even start your own business! Diversifying your income streams creates a cushion during lean periods. 

However, to properly diversify your income streams, you’ll need a good understanding of the market. For example, if you want to diversify your investments in stocks and bonds, you’ll have to do your prior research. And that goes for all investment avenues, primarily because all investments come with a form of risk. 

Thus, it’s crucial to choose your investments according to your risk tolerance. For example, if you’re undergoing a drought in film projects, then it might be a better idea to hold off on taking huge risks. Conversely, when you have multiple projects lined up, you might be ready to take bigger risks. At the end of the day, only you can tell what’s right for you. But before anything else, you must have an emergency fund. 

Use Debt to Build Wealth

As counterintuitive as it may sound, you can use debt to build wealth. However, you have to be extremely careful with how you approach this strategy. Borrowing money at a certain interest rate allows you to invest in other opportunities that might yield high returns. In this situation, your goal is to earn more from the investment than debt. When done right, leveraging debt can lead to financial growth. However, it’s worth noting that the risks are magnified. 

First, you have to choose the right opportunities. As a film professional, you have a deep knowledge of the industry – more so than the average Joe. You might want to consider investing in promising film projects or even media companies. It could also pay off to collaborate with other financial advisors who understand the industry. Their assistance is invaluable in the assessment and management of risks. 

Retirement Planning 

For a long-term approach to investing, plan for your retirement. With the unpredictable nature of the film industry, this becomes much more crucial. You’ll have to understand your long-term goals and lifestyle expectations. This includes evaluating how much money you’ll need for retirement or even a potential early retirement.

Film professionals might have access to industry-specific or company-specific pension plans. These must be maximized to provide a strong foundation for retirement. Additionally, the film industry can be quite volatile – affected by various technological and economic conditions. Other professionals may also find themselves shifting roles within the industry, which can also affect retirement planning. These factors must also be considered for retirement planning through effective risk management. 

To financially prosper from a career in film, it’s important to leverage your insights from the industry. By embracing different investment strategies such as diversification, leveraging of debt, and retirement planning, individuals can achieve long-term financial success in their film careers. 

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Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley The 52nd ACM Awards, Arrivals, Las Vegas, USA - 02 Apr 2017


Todd Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, Chase Chrisley 53rd Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards - Arrivals, Las Vegas, USA - 15 Apr 2018


Todd Chrisley and son Grayson Chrisley 'Ghostbusters' film premiere, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 09 Jul 2016 Ghostbusters - Los Angeles Premiere

Image Credit: Gpa/Imagespace/Shutterstock

Chase Chrisley gave some troubling insight into how his parents Todd and Julie Chrisley are doing in prison as they both serve time for tax fraud. “They’re hanging in there. It’s a terrible situation,” the 27-year-old told Extra on August 23. “The conditions are awful and if you read all these headlines they say the polar opposite, but it is not the truth and we’re going to be spreading a lot of awareness to that as well,” he added.

Todd, 54, and Julie, 50 are currently both serving a combined 19 years in prison after being convicted of federal tax fraud in June 2022. Todd is serving 12 years at Florida’s Federal Prison Camp Pensacola, while Julie is locked up at Kentucky’s FMC Lexington for the next seven years.

Todd Chrisley
Chase Chrisley, Julie Chrisley, and Todd Chrisley (Photo: Gpa/Imagespace/Shutterstock)

In his interview with Extra, Chase explained the rough prison conditions that his mom and dad are dealing with in their respective facilities. “Everyone has this perception that my parents are in this country club prison and that’s just not the case at all,” he said. “My mom’s sitting up there with no air, and my dad’s facility has no air. They both have black mold, lead-based paint, the roof is falling in on both facilities. So it’s just, it’s just a lie.”

Chase also revealed that Todd and Julie haven’t spoken since they reported to prison over 200 days ago. He said that’s “really tough for them because my mom and dad are obsessed with each other.” On the bright side, Chase said that the family has actually gotten “a lot closer” with each other. “When you get hit with something like this, I feel like a lot of people either separate and go their own ways or they cling together, which is how we were raised,” he said. “We’ve clung together and we’re still fighting.”

Chase confirmed to Extra that the Chrisleys are working on a new unscripted series after Chrisley Knows Best was canceled. He said the show will feature himself, Savannah, Grayson, Chloe, and “Nanny Faye” with possible brief appearances from Todd and Julie in prison. “There definitely will be times we’ll be on phone calls and going to visit and stuff like that,” Chase said, noting that the family will “air out” everything that’s going on in their lives on their new show.

Todd and Julie’s son previously discussed their life behind bars when he went on his sister Savannah’s podcast in July. Chase explained that Todd’s prison conditions in Florida are a “nightmare.” He said that neither of his parents have air conditioning in their facilities, while Savannah alleged that Julie “has rattlesnakes just casually slithering on the floor in front of her” in her cell. On the Aug. 2 episode of her podcast, Savannah revealed that Todd’s blonde hair has turned gray in prison.

The Chrisley parents both reported to prison on Jan. 17.  In addition to their combined 19-year sentence, they must also serve an additional 16 months of probation after they’re released from jail. Todd and Julie have argued that they’re innocent but they’ve have had no luck in their fight to appeal their case so far.

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While The Crown is no stranger to the Emmys — it has, to date, 21 wins (including best drama series in 2021) and 69 nominations — it was only recognized in one acting category for its fifth season: supporting actress in a drama, for the indomitable Elizabeth Debicki’s portrayal of Princess Diana. Over the course of a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter (which took place on July 12, two days ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike), Debicki, who’s originally from Australia, explains how her initial involvement with The Crown began long before the role of Diana was even being cast; how coming up in Australia, she’s seen some very familiar faces on the awards circuit this year; and what the daunting process of transforming into one of global culture’s most recognizable, adored figure actually looked like. 

Can you tell me a bit about where you were when you received the news of your nomination?

I’m in Australia, visiting my family. And I was asleep. Before going to bed, I said to my family, “What should I do?” I was so jet-lagged, because I just flew back from Paris Fashion Week, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So I went to sleep, [after] I had a whole bunch of family and people around for dinner last night. And actually, my little sister, she crept in this morning, just before she went to work, and said “You [got nominated] for an Emmy,” and she snuck out. That’s actually the nicest way ever to be told that you’ve been nominated for an Emmy, to have your little sister sneak into your room.

It’s really new to me, this sort of layer of being in this industry. And it’s very exciting. You don’t really know how to think about it — obviously, you’d really like it to happen, but you do that thing of “Well, you know, you’ve done your best. We’ll see.”

What was the audition process like?

I had an interesting introduction to [the project], which led to quite a long road of processing doing the part. I auditioned for a small role in season two. I’ll never tell anyone what the role is, because obviously I didn’t get it, but also the person who did it was so good. The Crown has these amazing smaller parts that are in, like, one or two episodes. So, I had literally just seen season one, because it aired a week or two before. I was in the U.K., doing a play in London. They asked me to come and read, and it was just that thing where your agents suggest, even if you don’t think you’re right for the thing, it’s always a good idea to do some work in front of people. So I went in and read this part, and I think the people in that audition actually saw the potential for me to play Diana way back then, and they reached out to my reps. I thought, “Well, there’s no way — years will pass — that they’ll still be in that line of thinking.” But in fact, they were.

Then eventually, at the very beginning of 2020, I went and sat down with Peter [Morgan, creator and showrunner], and Suzanne Mackie, one of our producers, and they formally asked me to do the part. Then, of course, the world just ground to a halt, and we had that very strange pandemic experience that pushed shooting for about a year. I had this phenomenally long amount of time to do research. For me, how to pace through that time that I suddenly found I had, and how to research that part, and where to put my energy, it was just a really interesting psychological experiment. It was really unusual. I can’t imagine that ever happening again in my career.

What were the biggest challenges in taking on the role of Diana?

The things that were most overwhelming about approaching it were more conceptual than any kind of physical challenges, if that makes sense. Which, I think, is the case for a lot of acting — you have to begin it to get out of your own way. Until you put your hands on it, it can feel very overwhelming. I guess the baseline of that fear was just me loving and admiring the real-life person, and what she became symbolically, understanding the impact in our collective consciousness, in our history. That’s an enormous, pretty epic scope of impact, and how on earth do you access that, play that, become that?

In the end, it was almost like the most basic acting rules that you learn when you’re in school and you’re doing Shakespeare: You cannot play Lear, others make you Lear. It was a lot of returning to a skeletal framework of what [I] know I can use. If I ever spiraled off in one direction, I would really pull myself back and say, “No, you know how to do this. Just simplify — just do what you always have done as an actor.” When I got a handle on the psychological stuff, then I started working with people [like a] movement coach … Dialect was really important to me, a very strong, muscular blueprint. At the very least, I can fall back on that, if day one is very overwhelming. Having also watched The Crown, what I enjoyed about it as an audience so much was knowing that the actors were offering never mimicry, [but rather] an essence of a person. 

Are there other nominations, shows or performances this year that have really impacted you?

Well, The Crown — I’ve lived in that show for more than two years. As actors on that show, we can only do so much in the work without the costume department, or hair and makeup. The whole thing was to work symbiotically. And also the people who come on and do these remarkable smaller parts on The Crown — like Prasanna [Puwanarajah], who plays Martin Bashir — did the most remarkable job. What I was able to do as an actor during that season was because of people like Prasanna who gave me this remarkable person to play off of. In terms of good work that I’ve seen this year on TV, it’s kind of phenomenal.

I don’t usually get to watch a lot of TV, which it’s so ironic because we work in TV and we don’t have any time to watch TV, but I watched things that I just could not get enough of. Succession is an insanely wonderful show, and Sarah Snook … We’re both Australian, and we’ve known each other since we were really young. We used to audition with each other, and it always used to be Snook and I, down to the last two for whatever role. If she wasn’t in the waiting room when I walked in to do my audition, she’d be there when I came out. We were always like, “Hey, how are you?” I was just astonished by her work. I’m so proud of her. And that whole cast just absolutely broke my heart. Obviously, White Lotus was a revelation, and Beef was incredible. It’s a massive smorgasbord of exceptionally talented people making things.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

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YouTube is rolling out rounded edges on the main video player you see on YouTube.com, spokesperson Allison Toh confirmed to The Verge on Tuesday. They’re coming to all users, so if you’re not seeing them now, you should be seeing them soon.

I asked about the corners after noticing them while browsing YouTube on the web over the past day or two. (I included a screenshot of what I see at the top of this post.) I think the rounded corners look really nice. They also make YouTube’s desktop design feel more holistic since you’ll see rounded corners on a video and rounded corners on thumbnails off to the side.

Understandably, I’m only seeing the rounded corners when viewing the standard-sized video player; in theater mode, which expands the video to the edges of your browser window, the corners are still right angles.

Toh says the change is a continuation of the design updates introduced in October, which included a more precise way to fast forward or rewind.

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Entertaintment

As a co-writer of 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” David Ayer helped launch one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time. Yet, the “Suicide Squad” and “End of Watch” director says he has “nothing to show” for his contributions to Universal Pictures’ high-octane racing series.

“Biggest franchise in Hollywood, and I don’t have any of it,” Ayer said on a recent episode of Jon Bernthal’s “Real Ones” podcast (via EW). “I got nothing to show for it, nothing, because of the way the business works.”

With 10 mainline movies plus a “Hobbs & Shaw” spinoff, the “Fast & Furious” franchise has grossed over $7 billion. A follow-up to 2023’s “Fast X,” as well as another standalone movie focused on Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs, are already in the works.

“The narrative is I didn’t do shit, right?” Ayer continued. “It’s like people hijack narratives, control narratives, create narratives to empower themselves, right? And because I was always an outsider and because, like, I don’t go to the fucking parties. I don’t go to the meals, I don’t do any of that stuff. The people that did were able to control and manage narratives because they’re socialized in that part of the problem. I was never socialized in that part of the problem so I was always like the dark, creative dude, beware.”

Co-writers Gary Scott Thompson and Erik Bergquist had written previous drafts of “The Fast and the Furious,” based on a 1998 Vibe magazine article titled “Racer X.” But Ayer says he came in and completely changed the setting, grounding the story in authentic Los Angeles street racing culture.

“When I got that script, that shit was set in New York, it was all Italian kids, right?” Ayers said. “I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m not gonna take it unless I can set it in L.A. and make it look like the people I know in L.A., right?’ So then I started, like, writing in people of color, and writing in the street stuff, and writing in the culture, and no one knew shit about street racing at the time.”

Explaining the research he did for the script, Ayer added, “I went to a shop in the Valley and met with like the first guys that were doing the hacking of the fuel curves for the injectors and stuff like that, and they had just figured it out and they were showing it, and I’m like, ‘Oh fuck yeah, I’m gonna put that in the movie.’”

The film’s sequel, 2003’s “2 Fast 2 Furious,” was written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, with Thompson receiving a “story by” credit.

Ayer went on to speak more generally about how his experience dealing with studio executives has restricted his creative freedom, as evident in the long-mythologized “Ayer Cut” of 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” for which DC fans are still holding out hope. (Ayer recently said on Twitter/X that DC boss James Gunn told him the director’s cut “would have its time to be shared.)

“Fuck all the middlemen, right? I get it. It’s up to me, I gotta self-rescue, right?” Ayer told Bernthal. “I can fucking whine about getting shot at and all the rounds I’ve taken over my career — I’ve gotta self-rescue, and I’ve gotta create an ecology where it’s safe for me to be creative, and that’s it. And that’s what I’m doing now.”

Universal Pictures did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

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Kriti Sanon had won News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2023 for Mimi. Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani starrer Shershaah was also crowned the winner.

Kriti Sanon’s performance in Mimi and Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani starrer Shershaah were awarded Best Actress and Best Film at News18 Showsha Reel Awards earlier this year and now have won honours at the National Film Awards too.

Actress Kriti Sanon and and the team of Shershah will have a dejavu moment on Thursday as they won the National Film Awards. While Kriti Sanon, who won for Mimi, will share the award with Alia Bhatt (for Gangubai Kathiawadi), the Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra starrer Shershah has bagged the Special Jury Award in the Features Film category.

Not so long ago, in February 2023, Kriti Sanon won the same award at the News18 Showsha Reel Awards held in Mumbai. Her performance as the protagonist in Mimi has been the highlight of her career. In her acceptance speech, Kriti had said, “it is such an honour to receive the award from you. Thank you News18. I kind of almost got confused because I thought Mimi’s year is gone. But this award is being given for 2 years, so it is even more special. With such amazing contemporaries and performances, I suddenly was sitting and feeling less deserving of it.”

“Mimi has been a very special film. If given a chance to re-live and re-shoot a film, I will surely choose Mimi. I’m not too sure about the 15 kgs (of weight gain), but the rest of it is for sure. I have to thank Dinesh Vijan, Maddock Films and Laxman Utekar Sir, for simply believing in me and that I can pull this off. For truly believing in my talent from the beginning. When you enter the industry with big dream, you just need a few people who believe in you and your talent and just give you that opportunity,” she added.

For the team of Shershah, the News18 Showsha Reel Awards was a night to remember, as it brought together then newlyweds Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani on a public platform for the first time as Mr and Mrs. Producers Karan Johar and Shabbir Boxxwala were handed over the Best Film Award at the grand finale of the event. Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy presented the award to Karan Johar and Shabbir Boxwala, the producers of Shershaah.

In his acceptance speech, Shabbir Boxwala said, “Shershaah has been so special for us and we’ve been receiving love from the audiences on all sorts of platforms. We’ve received a lot of accolades and glory. But today it’s very special because our lead characters, who were the soul of the film, Vikram and Dimple, have become real life husband and wife. It’s special because on Day 1 we started with the love scene in the film. And when we all watched the monitor, everyone’s expression was that they look so good together. And today they’re together forever.”

Karan Johar had thanked Shabbir Boxwala for beginning the journey of Shershaah as well as Sidharth Malhotra. The film-maker and producer expressed, “This film would not be possible without the support and love of Captain Vikram Batra’s family, and Vishal I have to say, that you’ve been such an amazing support. You, your parents, your sisters have all been such a source of inspiration and love for everyone. They actually saw their son, their brother in Sid. There was and there will be no better Vikram Batra than Sidharth Malhotra.”

The 69th National Awards winners were announced today, August 24. The films that were censored from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, were in the running for a National Award this year. On Thursday evening, the jury of the National Awards announced that Rocketry: The Nambi Effect won Best Feature Film Award. The Best Actor Award was presented to Allu Arjun for Pushpa: The Rise, whereas the Best Actress Award was given to Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi.

Yatamanyu Narain

Yatamanyu is a multi-disciplinary Journalist & Photographer who dabbles in Films, Poetry, Music, Politics, Pop-Culture and everything in between. …Read More

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MCU

For the first time ever, Disney will be releasing physical media for their most popular streaming series when The Mandalorian, WandaVision, and Loki all get Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases later this year.

Loki will be the first series to hit shelves when it arrives on September 26. The hit Marvel series will be followed by WandaVision on November 28 and the first two seasons of The Mandalorian on December 12.

Loki Blu-Ray

Photo: Disney

The titles will feature “SteelBook packaging, concept art cards and some never-before-seen bonus features.”

The SteelBook edition will feature brand-new box art designed by artist Attila Szarka and collectible concept art cards.

WandaVision Blu Ray

Photo: Disney

The Foundation of Disney+

The three series represent the foundation of Disney’s streaming success.

The Mandalorian debuted with the rest of Disney+ on November 12, 2019, and has remained the streamer’s flagship show.

Mandalorian Blu Ray

Photo: Disney

The success of The Mandalorian not only helped revitalize Star Wars as a franchise, but led to the creation of Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.

WandaVision, meanwhile, was the first Marvel Studios Disney+ series and thus introduced the MCU to streaming. The series was a massive success with both audiences and critics, helping to pave the way for a slew of Marvel shows including The Falcon and the Winter Solider, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and more.

WandaVision Blu Ray

Photo: Disney

Loki, another Marvel show, quickly followed in WandaVision’s footsteps, on its way to becoming the most-watched MCU series, as well as the first to warrant a second season.

Loki Blu Ray

Photo: Disney

While we don’t yet know the special features include in the WandaVision and Mandalorian releases, Disney has released details on what Loki will include.

‘Loki’ Bonus Features

The Loki bonus feature will include:

Loki Blu-Ray

Photo: Disney

  • Designing the TVA- Step into the incredible set of Loki Season 1 with Production Designer, Kasra Farahani, and Tom Hiddleston while getting a sneak peek into Season 2.
  • The Official TVA Orientation Video- Miss Minutes explains the inner workings of the TVA timeline in her orientation video.
  • Gag Reel– Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Loki Season 1
  • Deleted Scene: Loki’s Coronation- Mobius reviews some moments from Loki’s timeline, in which Frog Thor makes an appearance during Loki’s coronation.
  • Deleted Scene: The Standoff- Loki holds Sylvie hostage against the TVA in a standoff.
  • Assembled: The Making of Loki- Loki explores the series centering on the MCU’s chief mischief maker.
Loki

Source: syfy.com

All four of the upcoming Disney+ titles will be available to pre-order beginning on August 28.

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

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DCU

Summary

  • Working as a writer on Friends was not as enjoyable as one might think, with the big-name actors constantly critiquing and pushing out jokes they didn’t like.
  • The cast of Friends seemed unhappy to be on the show and were more focused on how each script would serve them personally.
  • By the time season 7 came around, the cast and crew of Friends were already ready to call it a day, with many not wanting to return for more seasons.


You would think that being a writer on a massive hit show like Friends would be the dream job and goal of many budding scribes in Hollywood. It seems that for one TV writer that was not necessarily the case, and working with the big name stars of the show was something that she came to dread rather than enjoy.

Friends is one of the most popular shows the last three decades, having initially run for ten seasons, and never been out of syndication since. The proof of the series’ ongoing popularity was further shown with the Friends reunion special on HBO last year, which brought back the main cast for a one-off special to catch up and reminisce about good-times past.

In a new book, though, TV writer Patty Lin, whose other credits also include Desperate Housewives and Breaking Bad, revealed the not so joyful truth about working on the series, and having to watch her jokes and material being criticised or purposely pushed out by the stars of the show. As shared in an excerpt of her new book, End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood (via Time), Lin recounted the issues she faced when joining the writer’s room on Friends in 2000. She wrote:

“But the novelty of seeing Big Stars up close wore off fast, along with my zeal about breakfast. The actors seemed unhappy to be chained to a tired old show when they could be branching out, and I felt like they were constantly wondering how every given script would specifically serve them. They all knew how to get a laugh, but if they didn’t like a joke, they seemed to deliberately tank it, knowing we’d rewrite it. Dozens of good jokes would get thrown out just because one of them had mumbled the line through a mouthful of bacon. David and Marta never said, “This joke is funny. The actor just needs to sell it.”

Once the first rewrite was finished, we’d have a run-through on the set, where the actors would rehearse and work out blocking with the director. Then everyone would sit around Monica and Chandler’s apartment and discuss the script. This was the actors’ first opportunity to voice their opinions, which they did vociferously. They rarely had anything positive to say, and when they brought up problems, they didn’t suggest feasible solutions. Seeing themselves as guardians of their characters, they often argued that they would never do or say such-and-such. That was occasionally helpful, but overall, these sessions had a dire, aggressive quality that lacked all the levity you’d expect from the making of a sitcom.”

Related: Jennifer Aniston Comments on Today’s Generation Finding Friends to Be Offensive


The Friends Bubble Began To Burst Around Season 7.

Warner Bros. Television

While Friends fans were distraught at the show coming to an end with its tenth season, for those involved, it seems that the show’s cast were preparing to call it a day much earlier. In fact, the season Lin describes working on her book, which would season 7, was probably where things were starting to get harder for everyone, with the cast wanting to go off and do other things.

Lin worked as executive story editor on that season, which culminated in the wedding of Monica and Chandler, but she did not return for season 8. By the time season 10 came around, it was claimed by creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman that many people involved in the show, from cast to crew, were ready to call it a day, with many simply not wanting to return for more.

By the time the series came to an end, there were many other issues surrounding the production of the show, including the massive $1 million per episode pay demands of the cast, and it seems like the ending of Friends after season 10 was the best thing for everyone. While there are still those who long to see a full reunion happen, it is perhaps better if the show retains the legacy it has, as clearly if it had continued, things would have started to go seriously wrong.

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Comics

Every aspect of Fae Farm that has been shown off so far has been met with excitement by fans who have been anxiously awaiting its upcoming release. There has been nothing but positivity surrounding the game, or at least mostly. There has been a singular sore spot that some fans have found hard to get past. That is the $59.99 price tag that the game has been sporting. This has now changed as Phoenix Labs has readjusted the price of Fae Farm to $39.99. They are now offering a Deluxe Version at the original price point of $59.99.

There are so many reasons why different games should be worth different prices and they all come with individual value. One issue that indie developers, in particular, run into time and time again is that people are used to purchasing independently developed games at a lower price point. Whenever an indie game is priced higher, it is often scrutinized more than other developers, regardless of the actual amount of content that the game offers.

Image via Phoenix Labs

It seems that Phoenix Labs has come up with a creative way to solve this complaint from the community. Dropping the price of Fae Farm to $39.99 is a significant decrease. A $20 drop will undoubtedly allow for a broader number of players to purchase the game. People who may have been unsure due to the price are now more likely to jump in on day one.

Phoenix Labs has always been transparent regarding the fact that they plan to add two significantly sized DLC packs to Fae Farm in the future. Now, Fae Farm players will have the following options:

  • Purchase the standard edition of Fae Farm for $39.99.
    (This will mean the DLC will need to be purchased in the future if desired.)
  • Purchase the deluxe edition of Fae Farm for $59.99, including the two future DLC packs.

Related: Starfield’s Side Activities Could Be Even Better Than the Main Story

According to the Fae Farm Deluxe Edition listing on the Epic Games Store, this edition comes with the following:

  • Fae Farm: Escape to the magical life of your dreams in Fae Farm, a cozy farm sim RPG for 1-4 players.
  • Fae Farm – Original Soundtrack: Over an hour of the orchestral themes composed by Cris Velasco.
  • Fae Farm – Content Packs(x2): between December 2023 and June 2024, two waves of additional content will be released and automatically offered upon their release to the owners of the Deluxe Edition.

So far, both the Steam page and Epic Games Store page for Fae Farm have made this price update. It makes sense that the Nintendo Switch version will also be updated to reflect this change in the near future, though it’s not confirmed currently.

About the Author

Priscilla Wells

Priscilla is a weekend editor and freelance writer for Prima Games. She is an Australian living in the United States with her family. Priscilla has grown up playing video games, and most often plays her PS5 and Nintendo Switch consoles.

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Festivals

After a series of talks, upstart Madrid-based international sales agency Feel Sales has nabbed all worldwide rights, with the exception of Chile, to “Allanamiento” (“Breaking and Entering”), the investigative police thriller in official competition at the 19th Santiago Int’l Film Festival (Sanfic). 

Feel Sales Acquisitions head Yvette de los Santos closed the deal with producer Camila Rodó Carvallo of Pira Films.

Directed by Tomás Gonzales Matos, the drama first participated at Sanfic’s Works in Progress section and was later presented at the Cannes Marché du Films last year. Producer-distributor Storyboard Media, which also runs Sanfic, releases the police procedural in Chile on Aug. 31, said Carvallo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sebastián Soto Salas. 

Inspired by actual events, the feature revolves around a case where a deputy commissioner of the investigative police unit asks a fellow commissioner to break into a prosecutor’s office and get rid of recordings that implicate them in drug trafficking, torture and corruption. They have only 48 hours to do the deed. 

Given the mainstream appeal of the movie, Feel Sales is eyeing platforms and more exposure on the international festival circuit. With the exponential growth of content-driven SVOD and AVOD platforms worldwide, the company has a plethora of choices. 

Led by Luis Collar, a partner and CEO of The Circular Group, a diversified film company, Feel Sales has built up a diverse portfolio that includes Gracia Querejeta’s “The Invisible”; Uruguayan director-producer Diego Fernández Pujol’s “La teoría de los vidrios rotos” (“The Broken Glass Theory”), and Ed Antoja’s “Unconsented” from Spain. 

Company handles not only Spanish-language movies but features from the rest of Europe that include mainstream, genre and festival films.

Pira Films, which describes itself as production house that is focused on developing projects with strong gender and social components, is developing the second feature film by Nicol Ruiz Benavides whose debut film “Forgotten Roads” picked up a host of awards at home and abroad, including best director at Spain’s Huelva and at Sanfic. 

Ruiz Benavides’ latest project, “Cuando la lluvia no me toca,” delves into the issue of the sexual abuse of minors through a drama with touches of fantasy. In the story, 12-year-old Cristina, after her grandmother’s death, finds herself haunted by shadows at night. She takes refuge in the hillside with a friend to think up a plan to defeat these shadows but in order to succeed, “she needs her mother to believe that the shadows come from a much closer and painful place,” the synopsis concludes.

Pira Films is currently in post on the experimental short film “Animales nocturnos,” the documentary feature “Nos volvemos a llamar Pueblo” and is in development on the non-binary comedy feature film, “Shooting Schedule.”

Sanfic runs Aug. 20-27. 

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After a series of talks, upstart Madrid-based

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MAY 23, 2023

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MAY 15, 2023

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MAY 6, 2023

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MAY 6, 2023

Watch King Charles and Queen Camilla Greet the Crowd After Coronation Ceremony

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MAY 6, 2023

Movies

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AUG 22, 2023

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AUG 14, 2023

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AUG 11, 2023

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'Barbie's Ryan Gosling Earns Surprising Milestone Thanks to 'I'm Just Ken' Song

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AUG 4, 2023

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AUG 3, 2023

'Saw X': Official Trailer (Red Band)

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JUL 30, 2023

‘Strays’: Watch Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx Record the R-Rated Dog Comedy! (Exclusive)

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JUL 28, 2023

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JUL 25, 2023

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JUL 25, 2023

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JUL 25, 2023

Inside Black Hollywood

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MAY 6, 2023

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APR 25, 2023

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APR 21, 2023

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MAR 10, 2023

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FEB 26, 2023

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FEB 13, 2023

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Nia Vardalos Highlights Must-See Moments From 'My

TV

Eight GOP presidential candidates — minus frontrunner Donald Trump — faced off Wednesday night in the first Republican presidential primary debate of the season in Milwaukee.

Even though Trump skipped the Fox News event for a one-on-one interview with Tucker Carlson on his X (aka Twitter) account, the former president still managed to dominate the Fox News-hosted broadcast in absentia.

The Republican contenders — meeting on a stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — took shots Trump while trying to one-up one another — often loudly. And the yelling didn’t just come from onstage, the raucous audience got involved too, frequently shouting down candidates who — you guessed it — spoke ill of the former president.

On hand were former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.


Fox kicked off the debate broadcast with the National Anthem, sung by Christian music star Natalie Grant, followed by a first debate question focused on the unlikely hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond.” But before the debate began properly, commentator Trey Gowdy, a former GOP congressman from South Carolina, offered a brutal assessment of the candidates by noting what they have in common.

“They’re all behind,” Gowdy said, adding that all eight candidates need to be bold to get noticed by Republican voters who favor Trump.

During the debate, some of the heaviest jeers came to Ramaswamy when he bashed the other candidates and the “climate change agenda.”

“Let us be honest as Republicans. I’m the only person on the stage who isn’t bought and paid for, so I can say this. Climate change agenda is a hoax,” Ramaswamy said, adding that it also is a “wet blanket” on the economy

Christie slammed Ramaswamy for his lack of political experience.

“I’ve had enough of a guy… who sounds like Chat GPT,” Christie, 60, said of Ramaswamy, who is 38.

Ramaswamy introduced himself to voters who might be asking “who is this skinny guy with the funny last name?” and proudly proclaimed himself as an entrepreneur, not a politician.

Christie said the last presidential candidate who introduced himself that way was Barack Obama, and warned voters not to vote for a repeat of that Democratic president.


Neal Katyal

“I am afraid we are dealing with the same type of amateur standing on the stage tonight.”

Christie said the party also needs to stop supporting Trump, “who disrespects the Constitution.” Christie said he doesn’t know how Trump’s criminal trials will go, but “the conduct is beneath the office of the United States.” Jeered by Trump supporters in the crowd, Christie said he supports their free speech. “Booing is allowed, but it doesn’t change the truth,” Christie said.

Ramaswamy said Christie sounds like he’s “running for president of MSNBC.”

In one of the few positive comments between candidates, Christie praised Pence for rejecting Trump’s request for Pence to try to overturn the results of the last election in Pence’s role as president of the U.S. Senate.

“Mike Pence stood for the Constitution… He deserves our thanks as Americans,” Christie said.


morning-joe-ken-dilanian

Ramaswamy took the opportunity to double down as the only candidate to pledge that if he wins, he will issue a presidential pardon to Trump, earning another jab from Christie

“Here’s the bottom line. someone’s got to stop normalizing (Trump’s) conduct,” Christie said. “Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of president of the united states. And you know, this is the great thing about this country, booing is aloud but it doesn’t change the truth.”


A close-up of former President Donald Trump, a man with light reddish skin and blonde hair

Pence, meanwhile, said he was proud of the job he did supporting the Constitution as vice president.

“No one’s above the law, and President Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence… but the American people deserve to know that the President… asked me to put him over the constitution. And I chose the constitution, and I always will.” He added that Kamala Harris also wouldn’t be able to overturn the 2024 election results.

Christie and Ramaswamy got into another shouting match over Trump and over Ramaswamy’s book. Christie said Ramaswamy was more critical of Trump in the book than on the campaign trail.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came out firmly against abortion.

“I will support the cause of life,” DeSantis said. “We’re better than what the Democrats are selling.”

He argued that he would also put American back on track after four years of Biden.

“Our country is in decline,” DeSantis said. “We need to send Joe back to his basement so Amerians have a chance to succeed again.”


morning-joe-trump-poll

One of the boldest statements of the night came from Scott, who bashed teachers unions for ruining education in America.

“The only way we change education in this nation is to  break the backs of the teachers unions. They are standing in the door house of our kids, locking them into failing schools and locking them out of the greatest future they could have,” Scott said.

To qualify for the Republican National Committee’s event, the candidates had to secure at least 1 percent in several polls in early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. (They also had to show that at least 40,000 unique donors had given to their campaign committees.)

The candidates also had to sign a pledge that they would support the eventual GOP presidential nominee; they had to agree not to participate in any non-RNC-sponsored debate for the remainder of the 2024 election cycle, and they had to pledge to share data with the national committee.

Trump, who is currently leading by 30-40 points in national polling, was coy for months about whether or not he would participate in the official GOP debates, but amid the RNC demands, Trump decided to go his own way with Carlson, who was fired by Fox News earlier this year.

With both Trump and Carlson setting their own agendas, the two men found common ground in a largely friendly conversation Wednesday night.


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Eight GOP presidential candidates — minus frontrunner

What to Watch

After a widely appreciated third season, The Great Season 4 release date is highly appreciated by fans. It is a series that brings the events of 18th-century Russia to life and focuses on the comedic events that led to the rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great. But will she be back for a fourth season? When is it coming out?

Here’s all of The Great Season 4 release date information we know so far and all the details on when it is coming out.

Is there a The Great Season 4 release date?

The Great Season 4 does not have an official release date, but it will likely be announced in the future.

At the moment of writing, season 4 has not been officially renewed. The ongoing Writers’ and Actors’ strikes could have delayed the proceedings. But since the third season was received very well, Hulu is expected to bring the series back for another season.

The first season arrived in May 2020, while the second season followed in November 2021. Then, season 3 arrived in May 2023. So, following the pattern, Season 4 could arrive by late 2024. But since there’s a waiting period for its renewal, and the Writers’ strike is yet to be over, we could also expect to see it in 2025.

This date is an estimation based on the information we have so far. ComingSoon will provide an update to this story once we receive official details.

The possibilities of what happens in Season 4 are limitless. After all, the series has gone in its own way of telling Catherine the Great’s story instead of following her actual life history. She is in a tough spot after her husband Peter died in Season 3. So, season 4 will explore how she copes with that and uses her power after the previous season’s events.

Elle Fanning will surely return as Catherine the Great if and when Season 4 happens. Others who could reprise their roles are Gwilym Lee as Grigor, Phoebe Fox as Mariel, Adam Godley as Archie, Belinda Bromilow as Aunt Elizabeth, and Douglas Hodge as General Velementov.

Where is The Great Season 4 coming out?

The Great Season 4 is expected to come out on Hulu.

The official synopsis for The Great reads:

“A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th century Russia following the rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great and her explosive relationship with husband Peter, the emperor of Russia.”

For more entertainment content, here’s why Exorcist: The Beginning deserves to be exorcised from the franchise. Also, ComingSoon has ranked the best blockbuster movies of 2023 so far.

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After a widely appreciated third season, The

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Stop us if you think you’ve heard this one before: Tucker Carlson posts a new episode of his show on the platform formerly known as Twitter, and within hours a gushing press release brags about truly amazing viewership. Except it turns out no, probably not really that amazing.

This time, it involves disgraced former president Donald Trump, who was interviewed for an episode of Carlson’s web series “Tucker on X” that dropped Wednesday night, just minutes before the Fox News-hosted GOP primary debate. A debate that, of course, Trump didn’t attend.

Prior to the debate, Carlson boasted that viewership of his interview with Trump would dwarf Fox News ratings, and superficially that prediction came true. As of this writing, the video has clocked more than 108 million views. Cue a Trump press release bragging that the interview “completely” overshadowed “all of television programming on Wednesday night.”


But, not so fast. Yes, 108 million is an amazing sounding number. But as we explained back in June, it’s also almost meaningless.

According to the X (formerly Twitter) FAQ, which you can read here, practically anything counts as a view.

“Anyone who is logged into Twitter who views a Tweet counts as a view, regardless of where they see the Tweet (e.g. Home, Search, Profiles, etc.) or whether or not they follow the author. If you’re the author, looking at your own Tweet also counts as a view,” the company says

In other words, a view is counted even if you didn’t actively look at the post — posts by the way were formerly known as “tweets” before Elon Musk changed the site’s name to X — even if all it did was cross your screen while you were scrolling. Which by the way is a very likely occurrence on X’s algorithmic “For You” tab… especially if that tweet features content by users Twitter owner Elon Musk personally wants to boost.

That’s not all. “Multiple views may be counted if you view a Tweet more than once, but not all views are unique. For example, you could look at a Tweet on web and then on your phone, and that would count as two views.”


Brian Stelter on Alex Wagner Tonight

Did the Tweet — sorry, we mean post — come across your feed more than once, either algorithmically, or because someone or ones retweeted it? Did you see it on mobile and desktop? Every single time you see it might, and probably does, count as individual views.

The upshot: Twitter “views” tell us next to nothing whatsoever about the popularity or virality of a given post, because views have no relationship whatsoever to how much actual engagement the post got.

And shocker: The numbers that record real engagement tell a much different story.

As of this writing, Carlson’s interview with Trump has been reposted (formerly “retweeted”) 139,700 times, quote-posted (formerly “quote-tweeted”) 11,100 times, liked 457,00 times, bookmarked 31,800 times, and has been replied to around 40,000 times. Not especially low numbers, and they’re likely to go up overnight. It’s undeniable that Trump has a lot of supporters, many of whom swarm on Twitter.

But these days, Fox averages about 1.7 million viewers during its primetime broadcast. And notice, the specificity of the word “viewers.” Because none of the numbers tracking engagement on a X post tell you if someone actually watched the video.

We have no idea how many people sat through the whole 45 minute interview between the former president who has been indicted 4 times, and the man who used to host what the New York Times declared to be “the most racist show in the history of cable news.” It’s impossible to draw any conclusion whatsoever. But if we assume engagement is a likelier means of getting an accurate count than passive “views,” the interview almost certainly did not end up “overshadowing all of Television programming on Wednesday night,” even if ratings were halved by Trump’s absence, as Brian Stelter predicted.

Representatives for X (formerly Twitter) didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.

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Stop us if you think you’ve heard

Docs

CINEQUEST FILM FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW! Countless paths exist or are used to find one’s way out of grief, which is a personal feeling. Bibi is such a journey on the screen that turns into a treatise on madness, coping, and the evil malaise that lurks within when tragedy strikes.

Director and Writer Christopher Beatty fashions a series of stylized bleak images of one person, in this case, Vivian Ashwood’s (Elizabeth Paige) trip into addiction, delusion, and daytime nightmares. With impeccable camera work and almost chiaroscuro, nighttime lighting gives the film a stylized look into the labyrinth of a diseased mind. Vivian’s face is in profile in cracked mirrors. Bibi (Judith Ann DiMinni), who lives in the home, goes through the hollow motions of life. Vivian and Bibi move stylistically in almost a dance movement floating in the air and the space of the home.

“…horror also manifests itself in the presence of a black-clad large male intruder…”

Vivian has lost a child and is under treatment from Doctor and Family friend Dr Grayson (Rick Zahn). Medically she is given a mixture of pills to allow her to control her feelings, calm her and stop the nightmares. Those nightmares are of a child in a stable and memories that surface. The personal horror also manifests itself in the presence of a black-clad large male intruder, either seen on the property at a distance or in the home.

Vivian and Bibi go through the routines of life yet never savor what it can offer. They both go to a pool to sunbathe and sit like automatons. The dialogue is stilted, and the movements are bird-like in head turns. The only thing that seems to snap Vivian out of her melancholia is a visit to an old friend named Tammy (Nancy Blanchard). Tammy is a childhood friend who loves her drink, life, and younger men. She urges Vivian to join her at a local club gathering for the Hot lead singer of a band, only to be rebuffed. Nancy is everything Vivian isn’t, and the two seem to be on a collision course.

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CINEQUEST FILM FESTIVAL 2023 REVIEW! Countless paths

Global

As Canada struggles through its worst fire season in recorded history, a new survey suggests protecting forests remains one issue that unites most Canadians no matter who they are or where they live.

However, other parts of the survey done for Nature Canada and the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests the climate change debate is spilling over into the woods – especially in a season of unprecedented wildfires.

“That is deeply concerning and it does reflect widespread disinformation on climate issues,” said Michael Polanyi of Nature Canada.

The two environmental groups commissioned Ekos Research to conduct the survey of more than 1,000 Canadians between July 28 and Aug. 9 on a wide range of forestry and policy issues. The margin of error was three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

It found 81 per cent of respondents agreed the federal government should be doing more to protect Canada’s forests and wildlife.

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That figure changed little across the country. The lowest support for protection came from Alberta – but even there, 76 per cent were in favour.

Support also held up despite political belief. A majority – 53 per cent – of People’s Party of Canada supporters, the most right-wing of Canada’s mainstream parties, agreed more protection is needed.


Click to play video: 'Wildfires: Insurance costs across Canada expected to jump despite heroic firefighting efforts'


Wildfires: Insurance costs across Canada expected to jump despite heroic firefighting efforts


High levels of support continued despite varying household income or education. It also corresponds with similar Ekos polling done last year.

“It is a strong indication of how much Canadians value forests,” Polanyi said.

The poll suggests 80 per cent of Canadians want more protection even if it puts limits on the forestry industry. That support held even in British Columbia and Quebec, which both have major logging industries, and across education and income levels.

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The survey also asked people what they felt was responsible for Canada’s record wildfire surge.

Overall, almost a third of Canadians attributed the increased burning to arson. Almost half of Conservatives and nearly two-thirds of those who support the People’s Party said arsonists are the main reason so much forest burned this year.

That cause is widely dismissed by scientists. Yan Boulanger of the Canadian Forest Service said Tuesday that the source of ignition has little to do with the size of the resulting fire.

“It is because of weather conditions that those fires spread and it’s not a case of ignition sources,” he said.


Click to play video: 'Canada must protect ‘critical infrastructure’ amid ongoing wildfires, Wilkinson says'


Canada must protect ‘critical infrastructure’ amid ongoing wildfires, Wilkinson says


Right-of-centre political leaders have downplayed connections between wildfires and climate change.

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One of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s responses to that province’s fires this summer was to say she’d hire arson investigators. Ontario Premier Doug Ford accused a New Democrat MPP of “politicizing” wildfires when she asked if he accepted a link between them and climate change.

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“It does reflect a polarization of views when it comes to climate issues,” said Polanyi. “I don’t think it helps when leaders are not grounded in or communicating effectively the scientific consensus.”

The poll also asked about a wide range of possible conservation policies. It found support for phasing out clear-cutting, ensuring forestry companies report their emissions accurately and following sustainability rules set by countries that import Canadian wood.


Click to play video: 'Unprecedented wildfire season “most definitely” linked to climate change: expert'


Unprecedented wildfire season “most definitely” linked to climate change: expert


Jennifer Skene of the Natural Resources Defense Council said the poll – especially when it comes during a summer that has put such strain on Canadian forests – shows that the federal government needs to step up its protection efforts.

“This is the moment when Canada needs to look inward and adopt the kind of transformative change that will align with a safe, sustainable and viable future. This poll illustrates that is not a theoretical thing, but something that Canadians understand and feel.”

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Polanyi said the across-the-board support the poll suggests Canadians feel for forest protection could provide common ground for movement on environmental issues.

“Maybe nature offers a way forward in terms of environmental issues, as a way to bring all Canadians together.”

&copy 2023 The Canadian Press

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As Canada struggles through its worst fire

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Mike Windle/Getty Images

Howie Mandel defended his joke about Sofia Vergara’s newly single status — and revealed he’s on a mission to find her Mr. Right. 

“I think everybody watching [America’s Got Talent] who is available believes they’re the perfect match for Sofia,” Mandel, 67, told Extra in an interview published on Wednesday, August 23. “I don’t think Sofía, to be honest … she doesn’t need my help. She really doesn’t. I believe that she’ll be fending them off.” 

He continued: “Let’s try and do it by the end of the season. We’ll find her a match and leave it to America to vote.”

Mandel, who cohosts AGT with Vergara, 51, called the actress “a great friend, a brilliant person, businessperson [and] powerhouse” with “an amazing sense of humor” before noting that whoever she ends up with is “really, really lucky.” 

Mandel’s comments come one day after AGT’s first week of live shows, which kicked off on Tuesday, August 22, where he had some surprising advice for 12-year-old ventriloquist Brynn Cummings. 

“I have one word of advice. If you’re looking for eligible bachelors, you should have talked to Sofia, because she’s in the market right now,” he joked, to which Vergara — who split from estranged husband Joe Manganiello in July — enthusiastically replied, “Yes!” 

When talking to Extra on Wednesday, Mandel defended his remarks, despite receiving some pushback for trying to get Vergara to go on a date so quickly after calling it quits with Manganiello.

2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones - Arrivals
Amy Sussman/Getty Images

“People were online saying, ‘Too soon.’ I think as soon as you’re available, it’s never too soon. She’s fresh, people,” he quipped. “People thought that was mean and insensitive. If you watched Sofia, she screamed after she came over to me and thought it was funny. She said, ‘Yes,’ so she’s got a great sense of humor and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt a fellow — a friend first, and a fellow co-worker.”

After clearing the air, Mandel added: “‘[If] you can think of somebody [for Sofia to date], send it our way and we will either swipe left or right.” 

Tuesday’s episode of the NBC talent show marked Vergara’s first TV appearance since Manganiello, 46, filed for divorce after almost eight years of marriage. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly at the time, the estranged couple’s date of separation was listed as July 2. A source later told Us that Vergara and Manganiello were no longer “on the same page” in their relationship. 

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

The actress has since filed legal documents requesting for the course to enforce the pair’s prenup, requesting certain assets to remain under her ownership and to maintain her earnings from before and during her relationship with Manganiello.

As Vergara sorts out the details of her split, Mandel isn’t the only one of her friends to comment on her potential future romances. Julie Bowen, who starred alongside Vergara on Modern Family from 2009 to 2020, gushed over her longtime pal earlier this month. 

“Everything [Sofia] does, she does with grace,” Bowen, 53, told E! News on Monday, August 21. “And she rises above and she just goes forward. She’s warm and generous and giving to everybody around her. I have no doubt that if she wishes to be in a relationship she will be but she sure don’t need one.”

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Mike Windle/Getty Images Howie Mandel defended his joke

Tech

We recently asked educators, professors, and high school and college students to tell us about their experiences using A.I. chatbots for teaching and learning. We got a massive response — more than 350 submissions. Here are some highlights:

Teaching with A.I.

I love A.I. chatbots! I use them to make variations on quiz questions. I have them check my instructions for clarity. I have them brainstorm activity and assignment ideas. I’ve tried using them to evaluate student essays, but it isn’t great at that.

— Katy Pearce, associate professor, University of Washington

Before they even use ChatGPT, I help students discern what is worth knowing, figuring out how to look it up, and what information or research is worth “outsourcing” to A.I. I also teach students how to think critically about the data collected from the chatbot — what might be missing, what can be improved and how they can expand the “conversation” to get richer feedback.

— Nicole Haddad, Southern Methodist University

Studying with A.I. tools

I used ChatGPT and a math plug-in to help prepare me in geometry for next year. That was very helpful for me because you can ask it a million questions and it never gets tired. It was like my personalized tutor in math.

— Amedeo Bettauer, age 13, rising ninth grader, Brookline High School

A.I. chatbots are making it a lot easier for students to understand difficult concepts in a simple way. The tailored responses one can obtain through specific prompts are incredible. It can provide students with endless examples of how to outline essays, business plans and emails. It’s a real time saver.

— Sam Avery, recent graduate, University of Iowa

A.I. chatbots can give students an out. You don’t have to think about a text deeply or write about a connection that you had to find, you can simply just ask a robot to analyze a quote and it will do it in a matter of seconds. I don’t know the effects that A.I. will have on students in the long run but I just don’t want it to make students lazy, as the joy of learning is that “AHA!” moment that comes from figuring something out yourself.

— Emma Nazario, first-year student, Wheaton College

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We recently asked educators, professors, and high

Video

Celebrated director (and sometime actor) Werner Herzog and his longtime cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger will be bestowed with the Cinematographer-Director Duo Award at this year’s 31st EnergaCamerimage festival this fall in Toruń, Poland, a European celebration of the best-of-the-best cinematographers around the world. The honor will also include a retrospective of their work which will include narrative features as well as documentaries.

Herzog and Zeitlinger first collaborated on the 1995 German film “Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices” and have teamed up for many of the former’s most notable films, including “Grizzly Man,” “Rescue Dawn,” “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” and “Into the Abyss.” It is expected a number of these films will be shown alongside the soon-to-be-announced competition films at Camerimage.


Joining Herzog and Zeitlinger for honors at the 2023 fest is the already-announced, Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Biziou, the lenser behind such films as “Time Bandits,” “The Truman Show,” “In the Name of the Father” and “Mississippi Burning,” the latter for which he won the Academy Award as well as the BAFTA. Biziou will be presented the Lifetime Achievement Award and is expected to attend the fete where many of his works will be screened.

The Camerimage festival is oft-regarded as a solid predictor for Oscar season’s cinematography awards. Last year’s top-prize winner was Florian Hoffmeister for “Tár” who—along with one of the runner-up winners, “Bardo” DP Darius Khondji— was later nominated for the Academy Award. The eventual winner for 2022, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” also played at 2022’s Camerimage with Oscar-winner James Friend in attendance alongside director Edward Berger.

The 2023 EnergaCamerimage festival will take place in Toruń, Poland from November 11-18. For more information on the festival, visit the official site.


barbie-ryan-gosling-margot-robbie

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Celebrated director (and sometime actor) Werner Herzog

Entertaintment

International sales agent Films Boutique has revealed the first sales and a trailer for Hungarian filmmaker Gábor Reisz’s “Explanation for Everything,” which will world premiere at the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons strand.

Films Boutique has sold the film to I Wonder Pictures for Italy and Filmtett for Romania.

The film is Reisz’s third feature after the acclaimed “Some Inexplicable Reason” (2014) and “Bad Poems” (2018). Set in summer in Budapest, the film follows high school student Abel who is struggling to focus on his final exams, while coming to the realization that he is hopelessly in love with his best friend Janka. The studious Janka has her own unrequited love with married history teacher Jakab — who had a previous confrontation with Abel’s conservative father. The tensions of a polarized society come unexpectedly to the surface when Abel’s history graduation exam turns into a national scandal.

“For a long time, I have felt suffocated by the atmosphere of my divided country, which permeates my everyday life. In 2021, the University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest lost its autonomy when it was completely reorganized from above as directed by the state, and the professors and students did not agree with this at all,” Reisz says in his director’s notes.

“The young people blockaded the university – for lack of any better means – and events soon took a party politics turn, even though the students’ only aim was to be able to take part in autonomous education. As a filmmaker and former student of the university, I joined their struggle, and one day, on the way home from a demonstration, it occurred to me that we need to talk about the situation that surrounds us, and that every art form, including film, should be a medium through which to do this. This is what prompted the main idea of ‘Explanation for Everything,” Reisz adds.

The film is produced by Proton Cinema and Mphilms with the support of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund.

Watch the trailer here:

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International sales agent Films Boutique has revealed

Movies

My son’s first movie was “La La Land,” which he watched strapped to my chest during a baby-friendly matinee in Brooklyn. He was 7 months old then, hungry and appropriately fussy, which means that I spent most of the movie standing at the back of the theater — nursing, jiggling, shushing — and that neither of us has seen “La La Land” all the way through. But you can’t say I didn’t start him early.

For me, moviegoing is a pleasure learned in the 1980s from my own mother. She mostly took me to movies that she wanted to see — “Stranger Than Paradise,” “Heat and Dust.” That decade brought plenty of kid-centered blockbusters too: “E.T.,” “The Goonies,” “The Princess Bride.” Moviegoing is a habit I’ve hoped to instill in my own children. A theatrical experience insists that we all watch the same thing at the same time. At home, on movie night, I’m as likely to be dealing with the dishes or scrolling on my phone. In a theater, we share the experience. Also: popcorn.

But as we’re not superhero fans (and unlike my mother, I balk at taking school-age kids to R-rated films), our moviegoing has been sporadic. Most months, there’s nothing we want to see in theaters. We’re not alone.

In the spring, Matt Singer, the editor and critic at ScreenCrush.com, posted on Twitter, “As a parent of little kids it would be great if there was literally *any* movie in theaters right now I could take them to.” His choices at the time were “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” a PG-13 sequel with a body count that would have terrified his 5-year-old, or “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” which had already been running for four months, mostly because exhibitors keen to attract a family audience had no other options.

Now, in August, there are a few more films in wide release. My kids, 7 and 10, recently saw “Elemental,” Pixar and Disney’s latest animated collab, with my mom. (Her tastes have mellowed.) Theaters are still showing the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” and the computer-animated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” seems to have come and gone more quickly, though it remains available on demand.

David A. Gross, a film consultant who publishes a newsletter on box office numbers, estimates that family films will earn about $4.9 billion this year, commensurate, or nearly, with recent prepandemic totals. But there are only 12 major theatrical releases currently scheduled for the whole of 2023, about half as many as in 2019. And the lineup, which includes the current “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and the forthcoming “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” and “Trolls Band Together,” is not particularly inspiring.

“The companies aren’t in it for charity,” Gross said. “They’re going make movies that have an advantage.”

Of these 12, a third could reasonably be called original: “Elemental,” “Ruby Gillman” and the forthcoming “Wish,” with Ariana DeBose voicing Disney’s latest animated heroine, and “Migration,” about a family of ducks written improbably by Mike White (“White Lotus”). The others all depend on pre-existing intellectual property — cartoons, video games, books. Many of these movies, though by no means all, have a lowest-common-denominator feel, testifying to conservatism among studios and a deficit of imagination and ambition.

So what happened to the great family movie?

Well, a lot of things. “It’s cultural, it’s technological, it’s financial, it’s sociological,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, a media analytics company.

While certain stressors on the family film predate 2020, the pandemic obviously compounded the current predicament: It disrupted the supply chain, pushed many families out of the moviegoing groove and diverted quality releases to streaming services. Of the major genres, the family film has been the slowest to rebound theatrically, which has made studios reluctant to take chances on a wide release for riskier material.

“Right now, the question is what does it take to get any movie in the theater that isn’t giant branded I.P.,” said Nina Jacobson, a producer and a past president of the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, a studio in the Walt Disney Company. The theatrical marketplace, she suggested, has largely stopped taking those chances, creating a closed loop. “If you don’t give people anything to go to see other than Marvel movies, then you can say only Marvel movies work,” Jacobson said.

But family films have been undergoing a shift that predates both 2020 and Marvel dominance. The G rating, a stalwart of the films of my childhood, has nearly disappeared, a corollary to the reluctance of producers of family films to admit that they’re meant for families.

“My entire career, there has been a shortage of movies that the youngest kids can see in the theater,” said Betsy Bozdech, an editorial director at Commonsense Media, a site that rates and reviews media aimed at children. “The G rating basically doesn’t exist anymore.” This year, we will probably see no full-length G-rated movies. (Even the “Paw Patrol” sequel is PG.) Only a decade ago, there were 18. In 2003? More than 30.

The dearth of family films is also a function of the much chronicled demise of midbudget movies — including ones that Jacobson oversaw, like “Freaky Friday” and “The Princess Diaries.” Midbudget movies don’t have to work as hard to earn back their investment and they can afford to appeal to a narrower tranche of the moviegoing public, meaning the releases can be more particular in tone and style.

Since the turn of the millennium, there has been a related move away from live-action theatrical family films and toward animation. What live action there is, as in the case of Disney’s high-grossing remakes, often relies on so many computer-generated effects that it doesn’t seem live at all. (Compare the recent, dutiful live action “Beauty and the Beast,” with 1989’s delightful “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” or 1991’s delirious “Hook.”) These movies can still delight and make meaning, as with the ecstatic kid reactions to Halle Bailey’s Little Mermaid. But there’s particular wonder and possibility in seeing characters who look like you or behave like you onscreen, in real-world or real-world adjacent situations.

“To see a young lead in a movie who you identify with, to see a story with you in mind, to see that you matter in that storytelling as a young person, those are movies that you hold onto,” Jacobson said.

No one has to go to the movies anymore. Wait a month or two or six and you can see these same films from the comfort of your couch. And quality may not even matter absolutely. Certainly there are days — rainy or too hot — when the temptation of a climate-controlled seat and Raisinets suffices, no matter the movie on offer.

But if we want movie theaters to survive, that will mean building the moviegoing habit in children, which means giving them an experience, beyond the candy counter, that keeps them coming back. A third “Trolls” movie may not offer that. Instead studios will need to get comfortable with some risk and some trust, making movies for children that don’t talk down to them.

“Kids are more sophisticated and have the emotional capacity to be able to absorb things that traditional Hollywood doesn’t think they can absorb,” said Todd Lieberman, a producer whose coming-of-age World War II tale, “White Bird: A Wonder Story,” will be released later this year.

We can’t expect an “E.T.” every year, or even movies commensurate with the gems I recall from my youth: Agnieszka Holland’s “The Secret Garden,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “A Little Princess,” John Sayles’s “The Secret of Roan Inish.” But we should expect better. And better remains possible.

Prestige directors are still interested in family movies — see “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” and planned Narnia movies. And have you seen the “Paddington” movies? Perfection. So it doesn’t seem unreasonable to imagine a future in which there are more and finer children’s movies in theaters, ones that send you back out into the light blinking and amazed. As an adult moviegoer, I often feel spoiled for choice. If we want children to return as adults, we should spoil them, too.

“Give people great original family content and they will show up,” Jacobson said. “But it’s on us to give it to them.”

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My son’s first movie was “La La

Latest News

This Tuesday, San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse begins performances of “The Untitled, Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical.”

Yes, you read that right. The esteemed, eccentric, irreverent, intoxicated, gun-wielding godfather of gonzo journalism is the subject of an intriguing new stage show.

This world-premiere production, starring Tony-winning actor Gabriel Ebert as Thompson, is running through Oct. 8 — a week longer than initially scheduled, due to strong advance ticket sales. And its sights are aimed at Broadway.

Whatever confusion you’re feeling right now, Joe Iconis knows it well. “Yes, it’s actually a really terrible idea to try to write a musical about Hunter Thompson,” said the composer-lyricist, from whom the Playhouse commissioned the show 17 years ago.

“So many times throughout this process, I’ve definitely had moments where I’m like, ‘Am I out of my mind by having this person to be our leading character?’ Because it’s really scary to put someone like him at the center of a musical today.”

But Iconis — known for boosting the wild and weird through his popular Family concerts and the musical “Be More Chill” — has a relatively rebellious plan for showcasing this unconventional subject in what he considers an all-too-formulaic framework.

“Musicals that are authorized ‘biographies’ tend to center people who feel untouchable because any ugliness or flaws in their character are usually super smoothed out, or they make a little appearance and then, after a ‘come to Jesus’ moment in the middle of Act 2, they’re redeemed by the end of the show,” he explained, not naming any bio-musical in particular.

Joe Iconis has spent 17 years working on “The Untitled, Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical.”

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“The point of this is not to simply tell [Thompson’s] life story and celebrate what a great man he was,” he continued.

“His art, his ideas and his contributions to the world are worthy enough of a true examination, but so many of his actions were questionable in their own time, and especially when filtered through the lens of 2023. So I don’t want to sugarcoat anything or soften him up. I want to put this complex, challenging man at the center of this story, and not make any bones about the fact that he is complex and challenging.”

Of course, this disruptive approach to the bio-musical, now a staple of the American musical theater landscape, echoes Thompson’s iconoclastic attitudes toward journalistic conventions. By injecting himself into his reportage and prioritizing his subjective view over a universal objectivity, he captured the social and political turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s in an unprecedented way.

“[His] 1972 campaign dispatches for Rolling Stone conveyed the energy, the isolation, the mood swings, the tension and the emotional wear of politics in a fashion that made him the most distinctive and entertaining writer in the country,” wrote Times staff writer John Balzar in 2001. “His humor, hyperbole, hope, insight, ego, angst, aggression and action — all pumped up to manic excess — defined an elastic style of reportage called Gonzo. No one has successfully imitated it. It was — is? — the style of one man alone.”

But Thompson became as known for writing about the counterculture as he was for embodying it himself — on the page and in the flesh. “He created a hard-drinking, drug-ingesting persona for himself; … he made being way out of control his topic,” wrote Times film critic Kenneth Turan in 2008. “In the end, he became as much a prisoner of that façade as any square trapped in a nine-to-five job.”

A man standing sideways and facing the camera with a cigarette in his mouth

Hunter S Thompson stands next to his Link Trainer with a pistol on Oct. 12, 1990, in Aspen, Colo.

(Paul Harris / Getty Images)

The musical, which spans Thompson’s childhood in Kentucky to his death in Colorado, tracks the creation of his mythologized image through his best-known works — “Hell’s Angels,” “The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72” — and how his fame impacted the characters of his life: his first wife, Sandra Conklin; his Rolling Stone editor, Jann Wenner; his nemesis, President Richard Nixon; and his close friends, illustrator Ralph Steadman and civil rights activist Oscar “Zeta” Acosta.

“Some of the material is upsetting because Hunter burned a lot of bridges,” said Ebert, referring to Steadman and Acosta. “He did some pretty despicable stuff to both of these men who believed they had a real friendship and helped him get to the places he had gotten to. Joe is adeptly telling a story of how the power of writing and art can change the world, but also how hubris and arrogance can really destroy relationships. The show honors these key figures, even as Hunter dishonors them.”

Take the musical’s notable treatment of Acosta, whom Thompson famously maligned by obscuring his background in the 1971 novel “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”

A man in glasses staring at the camera with hands folded

George Salazar portrays Oscar “Zeta” Acosta Fierro in “The Untitled, Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical” at the La Jolla Playhouse.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“There would be no gonzo without Oscar,” said George Salazar, Iconis’ frequent collaborator, who portrays Acosta. “He’s a real badass with an incredible mind, and he was proud of who he was. But the way he’s depicted, Oscar was often a caricature.”

Onstage, the Chicano attorney roars in with a rollicking introductory number that outlines his achievements, attitudes and Thompson-like affinities for drugs, booze and radical politics. “I want that song to feel like an event, like the show was just stolen away from Hunter by Oscar,” explained Iconis. “And when Oscar disappears, I hope his absence feels cruel to the audience.”

A bio-musical sanctioned by Thompson’s estate may not have the freedom to portray these parts of his past so bluntly. (Iconis, who also co-wrote the show’s book with Gregory S. Moss, says he approached the late author’s estate in 2016 anyway, more to respectfully notify it of the show’s existence. “The estate was very much like, ‘It feels like it will be impossible for you to ever afford the actual rights to any of these things so, as long as you’re not quoting anything directly, make your piece of art,” he recalled. “All things considered, they were super cool about the whole thing.”)

Still, the show infuses Thompson’s signature characteristics into its numerous storytelling elements. Linked together as if all part of one continuous stream of consciousness, the songs lyrically outline the writer’s cultural observations, political optimism and admiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald; their compositions, played by an all-analog band positioned onstage, echo his rhythmic sentences and peculiar speech patterns. During these numbers, characters regularly break the fourth wall to address the audience.

“The show is so aware of the fact that we’re all in a room together; it calls attention to itself in the way that Hunter put himself at the center of his writing,” said Iconis. “He addressed the reader directly, he talked about himself. And so it just makes sense that a piece about him would do the same thing.” (Because of Thompson’s mumbling habit, Iconis briefly considered a delivery akin to spoken word, “but you know what? It’s a musical. Hunter is our leading man. He’s gonna sing for real.”)

George Salazar, Joe Iconis and Gabriel Ebert

George Salazar, Joe Iconis and Gabriel Ebert of “The Untitled, Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical.”

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

To chart Thompson’s penchant for psychedelia, Ebert — donning the iconic bucket hat, aviator sunglasses and cigarette holder — is experimenting with “bolder physicality that’s more luxurious and bendy” when Thompson is younger, and then depicting the corporal effects of his legendary drug and alcohol use as he aged. (Also sprinkled throughout Ebert’s performance: homages to Bill Murray’s Hunter from the 1980 film “Where the Buffalo Roam” and Johnny Depp’s Hunter in the 1998 film “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.”)

And the subject’s aggressively spontaneous spirit is represented by the pace of events, revisited by Thompson from his Colorado cabin. The 10-actor cast rarely leaves the stage; they each quickly pivot among several roles and settings by grabbing costume pieces from the walls, pulling props from the couches or animating puppets without warning.

“There’s a real anarchic theatricality,” said director Christopher Ashley. “Nothing’s ever quietly naturalistic, it’s always had a bit of dementia or a hallucinatory feeling that anything can happen at any time.”

“We wanted this to feel handmade, scrappy, alive and strange,” added Iconis. “So many musicals I see feel very corporate and clean and created by committee. I don’t create by committee, and Hunter didn’t either. So I hope that the people who know him well can come to the show, look at the way this story is told and be like, ‘Yeah, that right there is a gonzo musical.’”

‘The Untitled, Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical’

Where: La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Ends Oct. 8.
Tickets: Start at $25
Info: LaJollaPlayhouse.org, (858) 550-1010
Running time: TBA

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This Tuesday, San Diego’s La Jolla

MCU

Marvel Studios looked back to Cobie Smulders’ performance as Maria Hill with a tribute following the MCU veteran’s unexpected death.

Fans got quite the shocking moment for Maria Hill when Cobie Smulders’ longtime MCU veteran met her unceremonious and untimely death in the final scene of Secret Invasion‘s first episode on Disney+.

Marvel Studios

This came as a frustrating event for MCU fans as the franchise killed off yet another original female supporting character, with many looking forward to seeing what Hill would do in her first live-action showing since the end of the Infinity Saga.

Marvel Celebrates MCU’s Maria Hill

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Secret Invasion
Marvel Studos

Marvel Studios’ UK Instagram page posted a duo of pictures in tribute to Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill following the character’s death in the MCU’s Secret Invasion.

In that scene, Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik came to the town gathering in Russia, setting off a bomb as part of a terror attack before disguising himself as Nick Fury and shooting Maria Hill from point-blank range.

The picture features Hill sitting at a bar table with a drink in her hand and a chess board in front of her, smiling as she reacquaints herself with a former colleague and friend.

Cobie Smulders, Maria Hill, Secret Invasion
Marvel Studios

That colleague is none other than Samuel L. Jackson’s veteran MCU hero, Nick Fury, with whom she worked during the entire first episode of Secret Invasion. 

That episode saw them reunite on Earth for the first time since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, although Hill’s death didn’t come long after this moment.

The Direct Image

The post included a touching caption reading “Here’s to you, Agent Hill,” reminiscing on Smuders’ 11-year run playing the hero between 2012’s The Avengers and 2023’s Secret Invasion.

Did Secret Invasion Do Maria Hill Justice?

After seven appearances across the MCU, which even included a couple of important moments in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, many fans were expecting a lot out of Maria Hill’s long-awaited comeback in Secret Invasion.

But with her inclusion in Secret Invasion really only being used to further the plot for Nick Fury in his fight against the Skrulls, many have shared their complaints about the moment not sending her off on the highest of notes.

For the time being, it appears that Maria Hill’s death is now a permanent piece of MCU history, with no plans for the former SHIELD agent to make her way back into the story in any future Multiverse Saga films or shows.

And while Smulders doesn’t seem to be finished playing the role in other venues, there will always be the question of “what could have been” after seeing her depart the MCU so soon in this series.

Secret Invasion is now streaming on Disney+.

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DCU

Blue Beetle came in at a record-low weekend box office opening for DC, despite wonderful critic and user reviews. And it just cemented something we’ve all known for a long time. As far as films are concerned, to the general audience, the DC cinematic brand is broken. Yes, Marvel can get comic C-list titles like Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy and turn them into box office gold. But Warner Brothers has struggled for a decade to make anything click that’s not Batman, or Batman-related like Joker. Sure, Wonder Woman and Aquaman made a lot of money, but those are the exceptions and not the rule.

The DC Movie Stigma Is a Hard One to Overcome

Warner Bros.

We can get into the why of it all, but the “why” is a matter of opinion. Some folks believe the initial Synder tone of Man of Steel, BvS, and Justice League was too much of a turn-off to many in the general audience. Certainly, a vocal bunch of folks think turning away from Snyder was the problem. Whatever you think it is, the box office numbers don’t lie. The audience is just not here for the DCEU as we know it in large numbers. As for as this iteration of a cinematic DC universe goes, it was long past time to put a fork in it. DCEU, R.I.P., 2013-2023.

So what do DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran do? They’ve already laid out their initial slate of films and streaming series. They’ve titled DCU Chapter 1 as “Gods and Monsters.” Some say their announcement of the new DCU killed any enthusiasm for whatever DC films were left after the fact. While they might already have their approach in mind, at this critical moment, when the DC brand in movies has the stink of failed promise and struggles to lure in moviegoers, it’s time to look towards the past. Because DC has been in this exact place before. DC Comics, that is.

In the Early ’80s, DC Comics’ Biggest Challenge Was Marvel

Marvel covers from 1984, for series Hercules, Dazzler, and ROM, all which outsold Superman and Batman comics.
Marvel Comics

From the ‘40s all the way through to the ‘60s, DC Comics was the brand to beat in terms of comic book sales. Nothing could touch them. Then, in the ‘60s, upstart publisher Marvel Comics changed the game, and by the end of that decade, DC seemed like your grandpa’s comics. Marvel continued to grow and grow in popularity. By the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Marvel left DC in the dust, sales-wise. By 1984, Marvel titles like Hercules and Dazzler and even ROM were easily outselling DC’s pop culture icons like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League. Only DC’s New Teen Titans, and to a lesser extent, Legion of Super-Heroes, sold in numbers comparable to Marvel. And in many ways, they were the most Marvel-esque books, focusing on the interpersonal melodrama of attractive young heroes.

DC Comics Rebooted Their Entire Universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths

Alex Ross pays homage to George Perez's epic Crisis on Infinite Earths
DC Comics

So DC Comics did what they had to do, and took drastic measures. They blew it all up. With Crisis on Infinite Earths, they destroyed their previous multiverse, and five decades of continuity, and started fresh with their biggest icons in a newly rebooted world. In 1986, Superman got a massive reimagining, jettisoning years of clutter around the Superman mythos, under the guidance of former X-Men creator John Byrne. Wonder Woman received an even bigger transformation, under the guidance of writer/artist George Perez. The stalwart Justice League of America became the action-sitcom Justice League International. And Flash became the first true legacy hero series, about a young ex-sidekick taking on a huge heroic legacy.

DC's Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman get massive makeovers in 1986.
DC Comics

And then, of course, there was Batman. Frank Miller reinvigorated the Dark Knight’s mythos and brought him back to his 1939 roots with Batman: Year One. From there, it was off to the races. The fog that surrounded Bruce Wayne’s reputation ever since the Batman ’66 series suddenly lifted, and he was a big player again. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention DC taking a gamble on old forgotten titles like Animal Man and Sandman, titles that changed how the mainstream perceived comics. All of these things happened within a span of just a couple of years. But DC’s gambit worked. Their newly rebooted universe didn’t dethrone Marvel, but gone were the days of DC doing time at the bottom of the top 100. DC was finally a contender again.

The Rebooted DC Universe Led to a Sales Renaissance

According to the comic book sales history website Comichron, the difference between where DC Comics were selling pre-Crisis and post-Crisis is significant. Superman, which in 1984 was in the #76 and #80 positions in the Top 100, was the #1 monthly comic from June-October of 1986, and sold well in the years after that. Justice League, which was in the bottom 50 in 1984, was a consistently top 10/top 20 series by 1987. Flash and Wonder Woman were also selling in numbers they hadn’t in decades. And Batman? Well, by early 1989, Batman was neck-and-neck with Marvel’s X-Men. All of these things would have been unheard of just a few years before.

John Byrnes take on Superman, the Justice League International by Kevin Maguire, and Wonder Woman by George Perez.
DC Comics

James Gunn needs to look at this era, especially for inspiration. Although DC rebooted its universe, giving tweaked updates to the hero’s origins, it was a universe with some history behind it. And a history that was more or less familiar. Superman, Batman and the Justice League had been around, we just learned that their histories became altered. Only Wonder Woman was presented as a fresh new heroine on the scene. A version of the DC history as we’d known it played out. However, DC writers were allowed to pick and choose what aspects to use. Sometimes this created big continuity messes. But mostly, it worked and truly gave these long-running characters a new lease on life.

DC Comics' Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner, and Metamorpho, all heroes coming to live-action in Superman: Legacy.
DC Comics

It seems that already Gunn might be taking this approach. He’s said that his Superman: Legacy won’t be an origin story. And clearly, with the addition of many well-known DC heroes to that film, this will be a universe with history behind it. An older Dark Knight in Batman: The Brave and the Bold suggests the same thing. But while retaining a sense of history is important, much like DC Comics did, Gunn and Safran can’t be afraid to go nuts. Post-Crisis Superman changed many aspects of Kal-El’s lore for a new generation. Things like how Krypton was presented, and Lex Luthor’s role in his life. DC wasn’t afraid to jettison key parts of Wonder Woman’s mythos, either. Gone were things like her secret identity or her invisible plane, in order to update the concept. DC Comics was not afraid to take big swings. And DC Studios shouldn’t either.

Always Look to the Comics

We should note, that while DC Comics really re-jiggered their biggest icons, the successful series that pre-dated the reboot did continue intact. So, a big seller like New Teen Titans could go on as is, and it mostly worked. Gunn also seems to use this approach with Peacemaker, which existed, albeit tangentially at best, in the old DCEU. With something as successful, and as off to the side from DC’s “Big Guns” as Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, there’s no reason not to include them. The signal to the general audience that this will be a “new universe” will be in recasting their biggest most iconic characters. Not removing ones like Peacemaker or Blue Beetle.

Without a doubt, Gunn and Safran have their work cut out for them. The DC brand on film lies shattered on the movie theater floor. And they’re going to have to do a lot of work behind the scenes in front of the public to convince people that this new DCU is something different. But as history proves, DC Comics did it all before. DC Comics turned it all around, so here’s hoping DC Studios pulls the same trick. Really, in the end, the comics should be the source of inspiration for every live-action superhero movie property. No matter which studio it’s coming from.











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Blue Beetle came in at a record-low

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Do you remember the very first moment when you realized a movie could be far more than just a brief, amiable diversion from the temporal slog of life as an extant human? That first moment you realized film could be art capable of providing a fully nourishing spiritual experience? That perhaps even made you want to become a filmmaker in order to provide that experience to someone else? Just as important: Do you recall the most recent movie that gave you that same feeling or fit of inspiration? Well, in this week’s Survey Says that’s just what we asked: What’s the first movie you saw that you considered a masterpiece… and the most recent?

Film Independent has been using 2023 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Artist Development programs–incredible industry incubators like the Fi Producing Lab, Screenwriting Lab, Documentary Lab, Fast Track, Episodic Lab, Global Media Makers, Grants & Awards and many more—all of which are made possible by Film Independent Members and supporters. Which brings us to our annual donor matching campaign! If you feel like supporting the next three decades of Hollywood’s future, give today…

Thirty whirlwind years of Artist Development also means access to the accumulated wisdom Film Independent Fellows. So with our latest query in hand, we took a trip down memory road to find out which titles—past and present—light our our creative community’s sense of wonder, purpose and fascination.

 

What’s the first movie you saw you ever considered a masterpiece? The most recent?

‘Nights of Cabiria’ (1957, dir. Federico Fellini)

One film that had a profound impact on me is Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria. I first watched it when I was going through a difficult transition in my life. It remains one of the few films where I’ve genuinely felt a deep catharsis after the final frame; its message of resilience is something that still deeply resonates with me—the kind of emotional storytelling that I aspire to make. A recent film where I’ve felt a similar gut punch of emotion is Joachim Trier’s Worst Person in the World. I consider both of these masterpieces in how they balance joy and sadness, levity and drama. (Gerry Kim, Fast Track, Grants & Awards recipient)

The film that made me want to be a director, for better or worse, was Tim Burton’s Batman. The most recent masterpiece I’ve seen is Barbie. (Jen Heck, Documentary Lab)

The earliest masterpiece that deeply impacted me was The Joy Luck Club. The most recent film that I’m still thinking about is Polite Society. (Jess Dang, Fast Track)

Once Upon a Time in America was the first time I felt I was watching something more than just a movie. I was around 14-years-old and it moved me in a way that nothing else had before it. Matthias Grunsky (Grants & Award recipient)

The Godfather, Part II will always be an absolute marvel. That film really sparked the fire. Most recently, I’m madly obsessed with Thodōros Angelopoulos’ work, especially The Travelling Players. I really hope we can still make films like that. (Li Lu, Screenwriting Lab)

I can’t pick just one, but if you twist my arm I’ve always felt like Harold and Maude is a masterpiece. Most recently, I thought Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was a visual masterpiece. I also thought Everything Everywhere All At Once was fantastic. (Rachel Goldberg, Project Involve, Screenwriting Lab)

Most earliest is perhaps The Wizard of Oz. The color-change thing they did, plus the message that you have the power to define your own future, has always stayed with me. Most recent one I watched is a tie between Kubo and the Two Strings and Black Orpheus (which is not a very recent film). The artistry in Kubo is what animation dreams are made of—plus it’s a film about being who are and how what your special sauce is just might be what is needed to change the world. Just beautiful! Black Orpheus has a theme about love, life and death and how they played that out. The end sequence with the kids was just heart-wrenching—I did not see that one coming! (Yolanda Keabetswe Mogatusi, Global Media Makers)

E.T. was the first movie I saw in theaters. It made me love film. I just took my kids to see it for the first time at the newly reopened Vidiots, on the big screen. It’s still a masterpiece. (Jennifer Westin, Producing Lab)

I think the earliest I can remember is either The Lion King or Pulp Fiction. I was a kid so Lion King was amazing and I had no business watching Pulp Fiction, but even then I knew it was something special. Most recent is maybe Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? (Brian Grigsby, Project Involve, Fiscal Sponsorship)

The most recent is Triangle of Sadness. I saw it three times and also attended the Film Independent Live Read led by Ruben Östlund—which was a delight. I was thrilled to learn that Östlund referenced, both in his direction and in the script itself, the YouTube video “Denver Official Guilty Dog Video” to achieve a very specific moment. (GG Hawkins, Episodic Lab)

‘Touki Bouki’ (1973, dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty)

Goodfellas was the first movie I saw where I knew that I was watching something different. It haunted me for years. Most recent, I actually really enjoyed the new Spider-verse movie. For being a Marvel movie, the storytelling is very unique and celebratory of diversity. It touches on the core of youth culture while continuing to have the lead be a person of color. (George Gomez, Project Involve)

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a classic action-adventure film that’s still as entertaining today as it was when it was first released. It has everything you could want in a movie: exciting action sequences, a witty and charming protagonist and a suspenseful plot. It blew my mind as a kid; I’d never seen anything like it before. It’s a film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, that I’ll never forget. The most recent film I enjoyed was Flamin’ Hot by Eva Longoria. The film is a heartwarming and inspiring story about the power of dreams and the importance of never giving up on your goals. It’s also a celebration of Mexican American culture and the contributions of Latinos to American society. The film is beautifully shot and features some excellent performances. The script is well-written and the pacing is perfect. Flamin’ Hot is a film that will stay with you long after you’ve seen it. (Mario Novoa, Project Involve)

The first film I saw that shifted what movies could ALSO be was Merchant/Ivory’s “Howard’s End.” A recent film I loved was Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s Mutt. (Jonathan Wysocki, Fast Track, Project Involve)

First? Mean Streets. Most recent? Triangle of Sadness. (Evan Ward-Henniger, Project Involve)

The earliest film I saw that was a masterpiece remains Cinema Paradiso. It was made in Italy and yet I was convinced that it was the story of my own father’s childhood in the 1950s. The music, the film projector, the infectious laughter and tears in the entire theatre—it felt like the first real spiritual experience of my life. I was 12 then. The most recent film that is a masterpiece is Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. (Eric Nazarian, Project Involve)

For the earliest I would say Touki Bouki, a film that undeniably shaped the landscape of African cinema. A true original and cult classic. The cinema of our continent was born out of our struggle for our independence, so many of our first films were embedded with socialist realism narratives, but Mambéty saw beyond that. For him, “Cinema is magic in the service of dreams.” The film beautifully weaves the fears, desire, and contradictions of its main characters, Mory and Anta, through a non-linear, dreamlike narrative. With rawness that deviates from typical road trip genres, Touki Bouki resembles a poetic masterpiece intertwined with the soul of jazz, while always remaining rooted in its political essence. On the other end of the spectrum, a recent gem that captivated me is Happy as Lazzaro. This film reminded me of the true essence of cinema and art. It gradually seeps into the depths of the audience’s being, addressing vital issues of our era, such as class, exploitation and labor. Skillfully crafted by Alice Rohrwacher, the film delves into the human experience, leaving an indelible mark. Rohrwacher’s manipulation of time and space creates a profound sense of being immersed in a memory or an unparalleled dreamlike state. While some may argue that Lazzaro—the film’s main character—is too pure for the world he inhabits, I firmly believe that both Lazzaro and Alice Rohrwacher’s impeccable film represent precisely what the world needs. (Fradique Bastos, Global Media Makers)

The Last Emperor was my first and left an indelible mark. The most recent was Everything Everywhere All At Once. (Veronica Nickel, Fast Track)

An earlier film: Pan’s Labyrinth is a film that is mystical and magical with deep meaning. Most recent film: My Father the Devil, by Ellie Foumbi, which is deep and quietly disturbing, a well-crafted film by a Film Independent Fellow. (Dominique Jessie, Global Media Makers)

Earliest: Jurassic Park. I’ll fight anyone that thinks differently. That movie is perfection. 

Latest: Beef. It’s not a film, but that finale was the best episode of television I’ve ever seen in my life. A masterclass in filmmaking and comedy. (Marvin Lemus, Project Involve)

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ (1962, dir. Robert Mulligan)

I love Disney’s Fantasia. The blending on the music with imaginative visuals really captured my attention at a young age. I didn’t know I’d end up being a filmmaker at the time, but it left me with such a respect for the arts that has shaped who I am today. A recent film that really left me saying wow was The Woman King. Everything from the great acting, clarity of the action sequences, the lighting, to the very real and powerful images of the slave trade just hit me with so many feelings throughout the movie. (Phillip Jackson, Project Involve)

Zerkalo, Ordet, Damnation, Werckmeister Harmonies, Mayak, La Notte, La Jetee. These are my early favorites. If I had to pick just one, I can choose Zerkalo. Most Recent: So Long My Son, by Wang Xiaoshuai. (Elif  Sözen, Directing Lab)

Requiem For A Dream. I was in Cannes in a student program and I saw the premiere and my brain was in awe. Most recent: Whiplash. (Ron Najor, Screenwriting Lab)

I’m going say the most recent film I saw that was a masterpiece is Barbarian. It is a horror film, however it was well done and it has humor along with the elements of surprise and fear. (Alicia Simmons Miracle, Project Involve)

A Room with a View. I saw it as a teenager and it was unlike any film I’d ever seen. Because of their perspective and identity as queer artists, Merchant and Ivory gave me a new way of looking at film. (Danielle Ellen, Project Involve)

I remember walking circles around our floor heater and weeping as a kid when The Land Before Time was over. Same for Bambi. I was also obsessed with To Kill a Mockingbird and Notorious (the Hitchcock one, not the Notorious B.I.G. biopic, though I’m sure that was great too). Most recently, I saw Asteroid City and I’d call that a masterpiece. (Anna Greenfield, Screenwriting Lab)

Picnic at Hanging Rock, when I was 12. I remembered watching the film in Pakistan late one night as it was aired on an Indian channel. I was mesmerized by the story of the girls who disappeared. The frames from the film haunted me for days. Apparently, it was based on a true story. I couldn’t stop wondering what happened to the girls. I recently caught up with Midsommar. It also has a haunting quality, in an unnerving way. The blending of reality with the fantastical opens up possibilities for our imagination to soak in interpretations that could change after every viewing. Those are the kinds of films I love. (Afia Nathaniel, Fast Track)

In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar Wai, which seems like the cliche film nerd answer. But what I love most about it is how the things you don’t see on screen are just as important as the beautiful story and images so painstakingly assembled. Most recently, I was blown away by Sanson and Me, by Rodrigo Reyes. It pushes the documentary form while always searching for creative—and meta!—ways to depict truth. (Jin Yoo-Kim, CNN Docuseries Intensive, Documentary Lab)

So many films are just perfection in accomplishing what they are trying to do. A few specific shout outs would be Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun and Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland. I think the earliest film I saw that I considered a masterpiece was Bette Blue, when I was a teenager. It dade me see movies differently. (Christina Sibul, Fast Track, Producing Lab)

The first film that struck me as a masterpiece was Hector Babenco’s Pixote. The most recent film I saw that I consider a masterpiece is Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave. (Alexandre Moratto, Fast Track, Grants & Awards, Screenwriting Lab)

The Color Purple is still my favorite movie of all time. It was a staple in my family growing up and to this day when I see it, I think of home. Recently, I would say Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This movie spoke of grief which my family was going through at the time of its release. Three members of my family passed away within six months. This movie came at the right time for me. It was beautiful. It was healing. (Thomas Ferguson, Project Involve)

Film Independent promotes unique independent voices, providing a wide variety of resources to help filmmakers create and advance new work. Learn more online and become a Member of Film Independent today.

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20 hours ago

Happy hump day everyone! For this week’s pod Mike and Matt chat about an incredible comedy, Strays starring a bunch of cool dogs voiced by several famous humans. Not fouled mouthed mut topics include Nintendo 64 regrets, iPhone lines, and biting.

For next week’s review we head back to the theaters to check out a video game movie but also a biopic, Gran Turismo. Don’t forget to stay for the end to hear Ma Hinshaw Loses Her Cookies Episode #26, I think this is her best one yet! Thank you for listening and we will chat with you next week!

If you have a film you would like Matt and Mike to review, email us at nerds@reelfilmnerds.com

You can find us on all things social such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Why not join our Facebook Fan Group so you can yell at Mike and Matt from the comfort of your keyboard while talking about films. We also have an old fashioned website where you can watch trailers, read the host’s bios, listen to the podcast, and get a ton more info on the movies we review.  http://www.ReelFilmNerds.com Thank you for liking, subscribing, rating, reviewing, and telling your friends about our podcast.

Finally go out and catch as many movies as you can!

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20 hours agoHappy hump day everyone! For

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Shaken, stirred, or even streamed, spy movies make up many of the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat stories the movies have to offer. From the harrowing heights of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise to the suave savvy of six James Bonds, espionage has become the thematic ground on which some of cinema’s most epic dramas, thrillers, and comedies (hello, “Austin Powers”) are built. Even films primarily centered on other subject matter make frequent use of spy drama beats (see Star Wars and Marvel, for starters), proving it’s a bedrock source for onscreen entertainment.

The espionage genre is as old as filmmaking itself with silent spy movies set against the backdrop of World War I (1914’s “The German Spy Peril” is on YouTube) testing the medium’s limitations early in the 20th century. Literary works inspired many more of the spy movies to follow. Over the years, filmmakers have repeatedly adapted the works of John le Carré, Robert Ludlum, Ian Fleming, and more spy novelists imagining the covert operations of local, national, and international enemies. Great spy stories may make use of the genre’s irresistible tropes — fast cars, strong drinks, double-crosses, etc. — but they do so while rendering unique portraits of the complex characters caught in their tale’s crosshairs.

Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, and the Coen brothers are just a handful of the legendary auteurs who have put their talents toward the art of the spy movie. Along the way, they’ve enlisted top-tier acting talent, creating living legends with A-list actors from Cary Grant to Tom Cruise. Measured by how well they make use of the genre, here are the top 20 best spy movies ever made.

[Editor’s note: This list was published in July 2022 and has been updated since.] With editorial contributions by Wilson Chapman.

20. “Spy” (2015)

SPY, Melissa McCarthy, 2015. ph: Larry Horricks/TM and Copyright ©20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved./courtesy Everett Collection
“Spy”©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

The spy comedy is a surprisingly fertile microgenre, between “Spy Hard” and the ever popular “Austin Powers” franchise. But none can hold a candle to the simply named “Spy,” which provides Melissa McCarthy with her best/possibly only great post-“Bridesmaids” comedic turn, complete with Paul Feig returning to direct her. Cast against type as a doormat, McCarthy’s character Susan Cooper has been confined to a desk job for years thanks to her passive nature, working as a backup for her crush Bradley Fine (Jude Law). But when Fine gets murdered on the job, she decides to step onto the field to track down nukes dealer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). McCarthy is an utter delight as Susan, and her journey to becoming a confident, badass action hero makes for a rewarding, surprisingly moving character arc. The only bad thing about “Spy” is it somehow hasn’t gotten a sequel yet. —WC

19. “BlacKkKlansman” (2018)

Laura Harrier, John David Washington in
“BlacKkKlansman”Focus Features / Everett Collect

Detectives Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) and Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) go undercover in the Ku Klux Klan for Spike Lee’s darkly hilarious “BlacKkKlansman.” Based on Stallworth’s 2014 memoir of the same name, this 2018 Best Picture contender won Best Adapted Screenplay, earning Lee his first competitive Oscar 30 years after “Do The Right Thing.” (Lee won an honorary Oscar for his body of work in 2015). Set in 1970s Colorado, “BlacKkKlansman” might not be a spy movie in the most traditional sense of international espionage. But it maneuvers perspective and dramatic irony with enough panache characteristic of the genre to overpower any classification technicalities. It earned additional Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Supporting Actor for Driver.

18. “Bridge of Spies” (2015)

Tom Hanks in
“Bridge of Spies”Disney/Everett Collection

Among Tom Hanks’ best roles is his performance in “Bridge of Spies” as the real James B. Donovan, a Cold War-era attorney tasked with negotiating the release of U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell). The 2015 historical drama not only stirringly reenacts the events of the 1960 U-2 crisis, but sees the Best Picture nominee’s staggeringly skilled team combine their mega-watt talents for some of the most memorable beats in spy cinema. Steven Spielberg directs with a script from Matt Charman and the Coen brothers. Mark Rylance won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

17. “The Imitation Game” (2014)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley in
“The Imitation Game”Weinstein/Everett Collection

Directed by Morten Tyldum, “The Imitation Game” tells the compelling true story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a brilliant mathematician and computer scientist who worked as a code-breaker for the British during World War II. This poignant spy drama offers not only a fascinating glimpse into Turing’s most salient innovations and discoveries, but also a heartbreaking espionage story that fearlessly interrogates what generations of LGBTQ people have been asked to sacrifice — and hide. “The Imitation Game” was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Actor for Cumberbatch and Best Supporting Actress for Keira Knightley, who plays code-breaker Joan Clarke. Screenwriter Graham Moore won for Best Adapted Screenplay, having based the project on Andrew Hodges’ biography “Alan Turing: The Enigma.”

16. “Munich” (2005)

MUNICH, Eric Bana, Geoffrey Rush, 2005, (c) Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
“Munich”©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

Israel’s occupation of Palestine is a truly touchy subject, but Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” is one of the few great portrayals of the conflict on film. A slightly fictionalized account of the events following the 1972 Black September attacks that lead to the deaths of 11 Israel Olympic Team Members in Munich, the film focuses on a team lead by Mossad agent Avner (Eric Bana), as they travel the world to assassinate several Palestinians allegedly involved in the attack. The film doesn’t take the side of the agents, necessarily, instead focusing on the queasy morality of their actions and the cycle of violence that results in nothing but harm to both sides. Yes, the sex scene is a little goofy, but “Munich” remains one of Spielberg’s best. —WC

15. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969)

George Lazenby in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"

The Best James Bond Movies is a ranking unto itself, to be sure. But it just doesn’t get more quintessentially 007 than the George Lazenby-starring “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Not only does it include intoxicating levels of Bond charm (“There’s something formal about the point of a pistol…”), but it also has one of the best Bond action sequences (ski chase!), one of the best Bond scores (John Barry outdoes himself, along with “We Have All the Time in the World” performed by Louis Armstrong), and one of the best Bond love interests (Diana Rigg as Bond’s only wife, Traci di Vicenzo).

14. “Enemy of the State” (1998)

Lisa Bonet, Will Smith in
“Enemy of the State”Buena Vista Pictures/Everett Collection

Bobby Dean (Will Smith) finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time in director Tony Scott’s “Enemy of the State.” When Bobby’s old friend from college (Jason Lee) witnesses a murder involving high-level government officials, the pair’s chance meeting at a shopping center leaves the ill-fated labor lawyer with critical evidence. Soon, he’s on the run with the head of the NSA (Jon Voight) and a congressman (Gene Hackman) in hot pursuit. Regina King and Lisa Bonet also appear.

13. “The Hunt for Red October” (1990)

Alec Baldwin, James Earl Jones in
“The Hunt for Red October”Paramount/Everett Collection

Still the best adaptation of a Tom Clancy novel to date, “The Hunt for Red October” chronicles the search for a hard-to-detect submarine off the east coast of the U.S. The powerful ballistic missile sub may be captained by Soviet captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), but it’s the CIA’s duty to find and stop it. Alec Baldwin leads as agent Jack Ryan, alongside Tim Curry, Peter Firth, James Earl Jones, Joss Ackland, and more. The 1990 spy thriller earned three Oscar nominations, winning for Best Sound Effects Editing.

12. “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962)

Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey in
“The Manchurian Candidate”Everett Collection

Released at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, director John Frankenheimer’s “The Manchurian Candidate” redefined the double-cross with the story of a soldier, played by Laurence Harvey, who is unwittingly weaponized by foreign enemies. The concept comes from author Richard Condon’s gripping 1959 novel, but is made even more compelling by the onscreen talents of a cast that boasts Harvey, Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh, and Angela Lansbury, who got her first Best Actress nomination for her part. “The Manchurian Candidate” was also nominated for Best Film Editing.

11. “The Lady Vanishes” (1938)

THE LADY VANISHES, from left: Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Linden Travers, Paul Kukas, 1938
“The Lady Vanishes”Courtesy Everett Collection

Alfred Hitchcock is the only director on this list to have three separate entries, which is highly unsurprising; as the master of suspense, the British filmmaker’s talents are perfect for the spy genre. One of his earliest and best spy films is “The Lady Vanishes,” His 1938 British film about an English tourist (played by Margaret Lockwood) traveling through the (fictional) country of Bandrika, who befriends an elderly passenger (May Whitty) on board her train home. But when she falls asleep, the elderly woman vanishes, and everyone else on board denies ever having seen her, forcing the tourist to team up with an irritating musicologist (Michael Redgrave) in order to suss out the mystery. The film remains crackerjack entertainment decades later, thanks to Hitchcock’s already impeccable direction and sizzling chemistry between Lockwood and Redgrave.

10. “The Bourne Identity” (2002)

THE BOURNE IDENTITY, Matt Damon, 2002. ©Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection
“The Bourne Identity” ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

When the “James Bond” series relaunched with “Casino Royale” in 2006, it looked very different, with a grittier, more down-to-earth tone that was worlds away from the invisible cars of “Die Another Day.” That change in direction owed more than a little to 2002’s “The Bourne Identity,” which brought a rough and tumble quality to the spy genre that proved wildly influential. Matt Damon stars as the titular Jason Bourne, a man with amnesia rescued from near death by the sea, who discovers that he’s at the center of a massive CIA conspiracy. The film spawned four sequels, but Doug Liman’s original remains the best, with action scenes and a mystery that remains a thrill two decades later.

9. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” (2018)

Tom Cruise in
“Mission: Impossible — Fallout”Paramount/Everett Collection / Everett Collection

Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” tops IndieWire’s complete ranking of the super-spy action franchise with good reason. Featuring some of the series’ best stunts (Tom Cruise leaping out of a C-17 at 25,000 feet!) and a satisfactorily compelling plot (anarchists have access to atom bombs), the sixth “Mission: Impossible” title justifies itself by delivering more of the same better, faster, further. Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Kirby, and more round out the cast.

8. “Three Days of the Condor” (1975)

Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway in
“Three Days of the Condor”Everett Collection

In Sydney Pollack’s 1975 espionage masterclass, CIA bureaucrat Joe Turner (Robert Redford) leaves the office to get lunch, only to return and find all six of his colleagues murdered. Afraid for his life, Joe enlists the help of a woman off the street named Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway). Together, the pair attempt to piece together what to do and who they can trust in a dizzying spectacle of spy tropes. Max Von Sydow’s mustachioed Joubert offers an all-time great antagonist.

7. “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” (1965)

Claire Bloom, Richard Burton in
“The Spy Who Came in from The Cold”Everett Collection

Directed by Martin Ritt, this 1965 espionage staple follows MI6 agent Alec Leamas (Richard Burton) through a harrowing steeplechase of betrayal and brilliance. When the jaded Leamas, nearing retirement, is asked to sell British secrets to the East German Intelligence Service, his decision to defect sets off a mesmerizing feat of deception that places him and colleague-turned-love interest Nan Perry (Claire Bloom) in grave danger. The dark tale earned Burton an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, as well as accolades for Best Art Direction.

6. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2011)

Gary Oldman in
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”Focus Features/Everett Collection

Based on John le Carré’s page-turner of the same name, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” sets forth a seemingly straight-forward puzzle: Who is the mole at the top of British intelligence? Directed by Tomas Alfredson, this thorny espionage drama stars Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Stephen Graham, Tom Hardy, and more in a circuitous plot set against the backdrop of the Cold War. At the Oscars, Oldman earned a Best Actor nod, while screenwriters Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan were nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Composer Alberto Iglesias was also nominated for Best Original Score.

5. “No Way Out” (1987)

Kevin Costner in
“No Way Out”MGM/Everett Collection

In director Roger Donaldson’s “No Way Out,” a naval lieutenant commander (Kevin Costner) makes a terrible mistake when he accidentally begins an affair with the mistress (Sean Young) of his new boss, the U.S. secretary of defense (Gene Hackman). That would-be basis for a Washingtonian rom-com doesn’t sound too bad. But when the secretary murders his lover in cold blood, evidence linking both men to the victim begets a coverup that reaches the Pentagon. Based on author Kenneth Fearing’s “The Big Clock,” this 1987 political thriller may be the most outright entertaining on this list. (Seriously, just think of that ending!)

4. “Notorious” (1946)

NOTORIOUS, from left, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, 1946
“Notorious”Courtesy Everett Collection

One of Hitchcock’s all time greatest films, “Notorious” features Ingrid Bergman in her other acclaimed film about a woman caught in a love triangle between two men. Like in “Casablanca,” Bergman plays a spy, though this time one for America in Alicia, who works with U.S. government agent Devlin (Cary Grant) to infiltrate a Nazi group who escaped punishment from World War II in Brazil. Alicia, the daughter of a German war criminal, is assigned to seduce a leader of the group Sebastian (Claude Raims) — a mission that proves deeply complicated when she and Devlin develop intense feelings for each other. For fans of modern spy fiction like “The Americans” that mixes espionage with romantic stakes, “Notorious” and its intoxicating mix of thrills with anguished passion is an absolute must watch.

3. “The Conversation” (1974)

Gene Hackman in
“The Conversation”Everett Collection

Gene Hackman stars as surveillance expert Harry Caul in “The Conversation,” a 1974 psychological thriller that director Francis Ford Coppola once said was his favorite of his films. Its plot revolves around Caul and his colleagues’ mission to covertly record a couple’s conversation for a secretive client. What sets this Best Picture contender apart (funnily enough, it lost out to Coppola’s better loved “Godfather Part II” that year) is its multi-purposed use of character interiority, commingling the protagonist’s persnickety sense of self with broader dystopian themes of guilt and responsibility in the post-privacy era. 

2. “Burn After Reading” (2008)

Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand in
“Burn After Reading”Focus Features/Everett Collection

Writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen eschew the sleekness of other spy sagas for the hilariously messy “Burn After Reading.” When some not especially important documents belonging to former CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) fall into the inept hands of two gym employees (Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand), a ridiculous blackmail scheme unfolds. Although it involves spies more than it is about spying, “Burn After Reading” seamlessly blends spoofy espionage humor with a serpentine plot evocative of the genre’s greatest hits. George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Elizabeth Marvel, J. K. Simmons, Richard Jenkins, and more also appear. 

1. “North By Northwest” (1959)

In the upper echelon of the all-too-masterful Alfred Hitchcock catalog, “North by Northwest” is in contention for cinema’s most thrilling case of mistaken identity, and IndieWire’s pick for the definitive best spy movie. When ad exec Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) lands in the crosshairs of a mysterious espionage organization helmed by the villainous Vandamm (James Mason), he’s forced into a terrifying cat-and-mouse chase that takes him across numerous states, magnificent set-pieces, and sweeping American scenery.

From the instantly recognizable crop-duster sequence to the equally iconic climax on Mount Rushmore, Hitchcock’s 1959 film is definitive proof that a Cold War-era spy saga can build paranoid tension without relying on the claustrophobic visual cues of a bunker or submarine. Plus, Grant and Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) share a witty chemistry that makes the stylish but still exacting script from Ernest Lehman go down smooth.

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Shaken, stirred, or even streamed, spy movies