The Jonas Brothers are back, baby! The band released The Album in May 2023 but now they’re here with a new single.
This time, it’s with a twist. The Jonas Brothers teamed up with TXT for a collaboration to end all collaborations.
While the Jonas Brothers are huge, TXT is bigger, and seeing these two groups come together is a dream come true for some. It’s clear these two bands have big plans as they’ve been promoted the hell out of “Do It Like That.”
Whether you’re taking a break from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) or are just looking for something new to add to the rotation, “Do It Like That” could be a great fit for your summer playlist.
”Do It Like That” by Jonas Brothers and TXT is a new summer bop!
Of course, if you’re a fan of both bands, then I’m sure you’re in heaven. However, if you’re a bit apprehensive about either, I’m including the music video below.
I don’t know about you, but I feel like the thumbnail makes this look like a supergroup. As someone who isn’t familiar with TXT, I was a bit nervous going into this song but upon seeing the start of the video, I knew I was going to love it.
I especially love how the video starts with the Jonas Brothers before moving on to TXT and getting into their verses. However, I do feel like all of their voices work together and the simple music video works so well with having so many people featured in it.
Personally, I know I’ll be adding this to my summer playlist because I was already dancing to it upon the first listen. Additionally, it reminds me more of the Jonas Brothers when they were in the Happiness Begins era which I miss dearly. Plus this might actually motivate me to listen to more TXT but we’ll see.
Of course, I’d love to know what my fellow Jonas Brothers fans think. Do you like this new collab?
“Do It Like That” is currently streaming on your favorite music platform.
NOW IN THEATERS! Director/writer Leo Milano brings a comedic take on his education in an all-boys high school in the Midwest in The Crusades. The fictionalized version of Milano in the film, Leo Grecco (Rudy Pankow), and his friends Sean (Khalil Everage) and Jack (Ryan Ashton) are faced with changes coming to their school that will upend their groove. They decide to have the greatest weekend of their lives before the changes hit Monday.
The Crusades is a kinder, gentler Superbad, updated for a new generation, and set in a somewhat more upscale environment. Leo is a variant of an archetype defined by Ryan Reynolds in Van Wilder, Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) in Community, and Jeremy Piven in Old School, just to name a few of a very deep list. He’s the intelligent, sarcastic kid who gets in trouble but never in any serious way and is secretly sweet and serious. Jack is the derpy, clueless big kid (a la Belushi, Candy, and so on). Sean is the eternal sidekick delivering the straight lines. We’ve seen these characters repeatedly, and for good reason, they work as completely relatable. Leo has a horrific crush on his gorgeous Italian tutor, Miss Kerpial (Anna Maiche), and struggles with the language just to impress her.
There’s no story without an enemy, and in The Crusades, that foe takes the form of a cross-town rival school, St. Matthews. On the eve of a possible merger with St. Matthews, our boys face the possibility of now having to re-establish the social pecking order with stronger, meaner men from the other school. The overall vibe of the film arises from constant locker-room talk and boasting, which is par for the course at an all-male school. The lack of women in their social fabric has left these guys with a severe case of arrested development. Miss Kerpial is the sex object for an entire school.
“The lack of women in their social fabric has left these guys with a severe case of arrested development.”
As the weekend kicks off, our intrepid trio of well-meaning goofballs spends the weekend working through various situations, mostly involving a house party, school girls, and their psychopathic ex-boyfriends. When the sun comes up Monday morning, they are battered and bruised, but the question remains: what of their future with school and females?
One of the best performances comes from Nicolas Turturro, making an appearance as manic weight training Coach Kreiger. It’s been a while since Turturro has turned up, but he chews the scenery here and steals every scene he’s in. His moments in the weight room are hilarious.
In an interview with US99, Milano said, “I feel like growing up, I really couldn’t relate to a lot of the high school movies and the teenage movies that Hollywood put out. Growing up in the Midwest, there are no lavish mansion parties or pool parties. Then, when I got to college, I quickly realized that my experience in an all-boys school was nothing like the average high school experience…I think it’s a movie for everyone, believe it or not.
Milano speaks true. The more specific the situation depicted, the more generally the metaphors apply. The Crusades updates a moment that comes for every generation, with heart, style, and a few surprises. The boys make their first steps toward adulthood as the weekend comes to an end. The performances of the three leads (and all of the cast) are all solid and authentic, and the film looks and sounds great.
Image Credit: Claude Yao Sahi @hijoshotit / SplashNews.com
Penelope Disick is 11! The only daughter of Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disickwas showered with love on her big day, including her doting grandmother Kris Jenner. The self-proclaimed “momager,” 67, shared a collection of photos of herself with Penelope over the years, including one of them cooking together, in matching lemon dresses, as well as from the family’s famed Christmas bash.
“Happy birthday to my beautiful granddaughter, Penelope! You are such a bright, smart, talented, creative, kind, sweet, thoughtful, and amazing girl and I’m so so proud of you!!!” Kris wrote in her caption. “You are the best granddaughter, daughter, cousin, sister, friend and niece. I love you so much my precious girl and I thank God for you every single day!!! I can’t wait to watch you grow and to make more cherished memories together. I love you Lovey xo,” she added, also tagging Kourtney and her ex-boyfriend Scott.
Kourtney, 44, also took to her stories to pay tribute to her second eldest child, including an adorable photo of Penelope sitting on her baby bump as she was expecting son Reign, now 8. She also revealed a yummy looking box of letter shaped donuts reading, “Happy Birthday Penelope” in an array of flavors per the different colored donuts. Delicious!
Penelope Disick celebrated her 11th birthday on July 8. (Claude Yao Sahi @hijoshotit / SplashNews.com)
Penelope’s aunt Kim Kardashian, 42, also made sure to commemorate her niece’s special day. “Happy birthday Penelope. My precious P. You are so special and sweet and silly and I just love you so much,” the SKIMS founder penned for 10-year-old North‘s best friend and cousin. “I love our sleepovers and adventures and just being your auntie! You are the best friend North could ever have!”
Khloe Kardashian’s post for niece Penelope was also just as sweet! The Good American founder, 39, shared various moments to her story featuring her niece over the years — including an old clip from E’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians where she tried to feed a baby P. “Say Koko — you want more [food]?” she teased, trying to coerce the then toddler to say her nickname. In her caption, Khlo wrote, “I can’t believe my baby P is 11…time really does fly by in a blink. I love you my sweet P.”
This month’s San Diego Comic-Con is shaping up to be more low-key, at least in terms of reveals from Hollywood studios. Only a handful of major film and TV players will be shelling out to bring talent to the convention, with Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Starz’s John Wick prequel The Continental among the film and TV highlights.
Notably, this will be the first time since 2011 that neither Marvel Studios nor DC’s film division will host a Hall H panel. Marvel has long said it would not come unless it could truly deliver new material (it laid out expansive plans last year and has put several films on hold amid the writers strike), while DC is in a rebuilding phase as new studio bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran plot a new slate that will begin rolling out in 2025.
Still, while big panels at Hall H grab the most headlines, only a small percentage of attendees actually go to the convention for that. Hall H holds 6,500 people, while an estimated 160,000 attend each year.
In some ways, this year may find Comic-Con going back to its roots. Comic-Con launched in 1970 as a niche event for comic book fans and collectors, and over the past decade bloomed into a mainstream event with A-list stars and reveals from the biggest movies in the world.
Thursday’s panels include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Project K, What We Do in the Shadows, Archer and Anthony Mackie-starring Twisted Metal.
Similarly, some of Friday’s include Invincible, John Wick prequel The Continental, Rick & Morty, Solar Opposites and an appearance from Jamie Lee Curtis, who will be promoting her graphic novel Mother Nature, which is set to be turned into a horror film.
On Saturday, fans can expect a Hall H appearance from Legendary Entertainment (details still TBA), as well as a That ’70s Show 25th anniversary panel, a look at Hulu’s Futurama reboot, a conversation among the Abbott Elementary cast and a discussion about William Shatner’s career, hosted by the icon himself.
Read on for highlights from the world of film and TV at the convention.
Thursday, July 20
Max Original Animation 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
Titles getting new looks include Adventure Time spinoff Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake; Young Love, based on the characters from Matthew A. Cherry’s Oscar-winning short, Hair Love; and a preview of season four of Harley Quinn.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hall H
The upcoming animated feature voice stars Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog), Rose Byrne (Leatherhead), John Cena (Rocksteady), Jackie Chan (Splinter), Ice Cube (Superfly), Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut), Ayo Edebiri (April O’Neil), Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman), Post Malone (Ray Fillet), Seth Rogen (Bebop), Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko), Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom); alongside Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo), Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo), and Brady Noon (Raphael).
Ghosts 12:45-1:45 p.m., Ballroom 20 CBS and Paramount+ bring the Rose McIver-Utkarsh Ambudkar supernatural sitcom to Comic-Con.
Project K 1-2 p.m., Hall H
India’s big-budget sci-fi epic gets the spotlight. The feature is hoping to launch a cinematic universe.
Talk To Me 4:15-5:15 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
A24 acquired the horror feature out of Sundance, and filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou (a.k.a. YouTubers RackaRacka) will be joined by stars Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen and Zoe Terakes.
Wheel of Time 2-3 p.m., Ballroom 20
The Amazon series returns for a second season.
Twisted Metal 3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m., Ballroom 20
Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, Will Arnett and Joe Seanoa star in the Peacock video game adaptation.
What We Do in the Shadows 4:30-5:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
The FX series will show off a new episode of the vampire-centric show.
Archer 5:45-6:45 p.m., Ballroom 20
Ahead of its 14th and final season, the FXX comedy will host a panel and a screening.
The upcoming reboot of Tiny Toon Adventures will follow Looney Tunes characters into their college years at Acme Looniversity.
My Adventures With Superman 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
Cast and crew of Adult Swim’s newest comedy adventure will discuss familiar friends and foes who audiences will see in season one of the series and beyond.
Directors on Directing Collider Panel 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hall H
The panel will feature filmmakers David Leitch (Fall Guy), Gareth Edwards (The Creator) and Justin Simien (Haunted Mansion) in an in-depth conversation about the craft of directing.
Teenage Euthanasia: Season 2 12-1 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The cast and crew of the Max show will look back at the apocalyptic near future and share an exclusive look at the new season.
Good Omens: The Ineffable Season 2 12:30-1:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
Attendees will get a sneak peek at the anticipated return of Michael Sheen’s angel Aziraphale and David Tennant’s demon Crowley ahead of the Prime Video premiere July 28
Jamie Lee Curtis’ Mother Nature: A Candid Discussion of Her All-New Graphic Novel/Movie 1-2 p.m., Room 6A
Curtis will debut and go behind the scenes of her eco-horror graphic novel, which is set to be turned into a film.
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar 1-2 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The cast and crew of the animated R-rated movie, based on the hit Adult Swim series, talk all things Metalocalypse and preview some clips from the film.
The Walking Dead Universe 1-3:30 p.m., Hall H
Fans will get exclusive first looks at all things The Walking Dead.
Rick and Morty 10th Anniversary 2-3 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The cast and crew will celebrate 10 years of the hit Adult Swim animated series and share a first look at the upcoming seventh season (sans Justin Roiland).
Peacock’s The Continental: From the World of John Wick 3-4 p.m., Ballroom 20
Audiences will get an exclusive first look at the prequel series, which explores the origin of the iconic hotel-for-assassins at the heart of the blockbuster action franchise.
Solar Opposites 3-4 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The aliens get together to share a first look at the upcoming fourth season of the Hulu series.
Brave Warriors Entertainment Weekly Panel 4-5 p.m., Hall H
A panel of actors will discuss the thrills of playing iconic characters, the differences between who they are and who they portray, and the highs and lows of their careers.
The Great North 4-5 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The Lone Moose family returns for a new look at the fourth season of FOX’s Alaskan adventure series.
Gen V 4:15-5:15 p.m., Ballroom 20
Prime Video reveals its anticipated new series from the world of The Boys with members of the past, who will discuss the upcoming college spinoff for the first time.
Bob’s Burgers 5-6 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The Emmy-winning animated series returns to Comic-Con with a first look at an upcoming episode before it airs on FOX this fall.
A Conversation with the Cast and Creator of Prime Video’s Invincible 5:45-6:45 p.m., Room 6BCF
Robert Kirkman, cast and crew of Prime Video’s animated series hit the stage to break news and discuss key storylines from the anticipated season two.
Sharknado 10th Anniversary 7-8 p.m., Room 6BCF
Sharknado creators and other surprise panelists will come together to announce a one-night theatrical release of the cult classic with never-before-seen kills and thrills.
Justice League: Warworld 9-11 p.m., Ballroom 20
Warner Bros.’ Animation will premiere its all-new, feature-length, R-rated film, which sees Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman in mysterious lands with no memory of how they arrived or who they are. There will also be a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Saturday, July 22
Dungeons & Dragons: An Animated Anniversary 10-11 a.m., Room 6DE
Some of the voice cast and crew discuss the legendary game’s 40th anniversary as a Saturday morning cartoon.
That ’70s Show 25th Anniversary 10-11 a.m., Indigo Ballroom
Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith discuss 25 years of the iconic show and its impact on their careers, followed by a fan Q&A.
Snoopy Live It Up on Apple TV+ 10:30-11:30 a.m., Room 6BCF
Attendees will get a sneak peek of 2024’s Camp Snoopy, which will follow the adventures (and misadventures) of Snoopy and his Beagle Scouts at summer camp. The panel will also include an exclusive reveal of new Peanuts projects.
Futurama 11-11:45 a.m., Ballroom 20
Catch the world premiere of the sci-fi animated series before new episodes hit Hulu on July 24.
Legendary Entertainment 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Hall H
TBA
Heels Season 2 Preview 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
Heels cast including Stephen Amell, Alexander Ludwig and Alison Luff, among others, discuss the small-town sports drama series based on a wrestling league in Georgia.
American Dad! 12-12:45 p.m., Ballroom 20
Get a look at the fun the Smith family has in store before new episodes of the Emmy-winning series return to TBS in the fall.
Gala Film: Ghosts of Ruin 12:15-1:15 p.m., Hall H
Battle Island and Gala films will present a behind-the-scenes look at the dystopian future world of the upcoming series, which includes voice acting from Tony Revolori, K-Pop star AleXa and Josh Keaton, just to name a few.
Abbott Elementary Class in Session 12:30-1:30 p.m., Indigo Ballroom
The stars of ABC’s Emmy-winning sitcom take the stage to discuss the breakout hit.
First Look at Orphan Black: Echoes 12:30-1:30 p.m., Room 6A
Fans will get an exclusive first look at the series set in the same world as Orphan Black and starring Krysten Ritter.
X-Men: The Animated Series 31st Anniversary 12:30-1:30 p.m., Room 5AB
Some of the crew of the animated series discuss their behind-the-scenes experiences.
Family Guy 12:45-1:30 p.m., Ballroom 20
The fan-favorite series returns to Comic-Con to celebrate one of the longest-running shows on television, with over 400 episodes and more coming to FOX this fall.
Star Trek Universe 1:30-3 p.m., Hall H
Another Comic-Con, another Star Trek panel. This year’s will feature exclusive content from Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Take a Leap into the World of NBC’s Quantum Leap 1:45-2:45 p.m., Room 6A
Stars Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett and Ernie Hudson premiere an exclusive teaser of season two, discuss the past season and look ahead to the next one.
35th Anniversary: My Neighbor Totoro 2-3 p.m., Room 9
Hirokatsu Kihara tells Totoro’s story behind Studio Ghibli and shows pieces of original, behind-the-scenes art.
The Dragon Prince: All Aboard for Season 5 2:45-3:45 p.m., Room 6BCF
Join the cast, crew and creators of the Netflix series for a special community celebration and an open Q&A.
Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire Season 2 3:45-4:45 p.m., Ballroom 20
Fans will get an exclusive first look at the second season of the series, starring Game of Thrones alum Jacob Anderson.
From The Dark Knight to Count Crowley: David Dastmalchian’s Journey from Comic Book Movie Actor to Comic Book Creator 4:15-5:15 p.m., Room 6DE
Dastmalchian will lead the room in a conversation about his journey from being a fan of comic books to starring in film adaptations of them, while also creating them.
William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill 4:30-6 p.m., Hall H
Shatner, You Can Call Me Bill documentary director, Legion M execs and some surprise guests will partake in a lively chat about the icon’s illustrious career and his recent trip to space.
Legend of the White Dragon 5:30-6:30 p.m., Room 6 DE
Audiences will see an exclusive clip of Jason David Frank’s upcoming, highly anticipated film during this panel, which also includes a Q&A with some castmembers afterward.
Babylon 5: The Road Home 6:30-8:30 p.m., 6BCF
Warner Bros. Discover celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Babylon 5 franchise with the world premiere of the seventh installment, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with cast and filmmakers.
Ponyo 15th Anniversary Screening, Hosted by Hot Topic 6:45-8:45 p.m., Room 6DE
Hot Topic presents a special screening of the heartwarming modern classic from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
Meta’s Threads App has reached 90 million signups in the four days since it launched.
In sheer numbers it’s a huge success for the app, which so far is experiencing an exponential increase in demand. The site had 30 million users on Thursday, a number which has tripled less than 2 days later and can be verified by the numerical badges displayed on user acounts; those numbers are assigned in the order someone joined, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg being user #1.
But Threads, just one of the many new apps to compete directly with Twitter, has a huge advantage over other would-be Twitter killers: An existing infrastructure that can handle demand.
Currently Threads is essentially an offshoot of Instagram. Indeed, the only way to sign up at the moment is download the app and sign in with your Instagram login. Threads then exports your contacts and profile to create a Threads profile. This function also expedites finding friends and followers on Threads with a “request all” option.
But as a result it’s unclear how many of the app’s users are emigres from Twitter and how many are Instagram users simply trying out the new feature.
On Friday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri claimed that Meta is not aiming to overtake Twitter with Threads, but rather to “create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter.”
“Politics and hard news are inevitably going to show up on Threds – they have on Instagram as well to some extent,” Mosseri added. “But we’re not doing to do anything to encourage those verticals.”
The new Meta app gained 2 million users within the first two hours of its debut Wednesday, a day earlier than the advertised launch date. Signups climbed to ten million within seven hours, and 30 million the next morning. By Friday, 70 million users had signed up for Threads.
In a video posted to Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg described Threads as “an open and friendly public space for conversation.”
“It takes the best parts of the Instagram experience and creates a whole new app around text, ideas, and sharing what’s on your mind.”
Twitter threatened legal action Thursday against what it sees as a “copycat” platform, with Elon Musk tweeting “Competition is fine, cheating is not.”
“Was told it would follow Avengers,” Liu, who starred in the lead role in the 2021 Marvel film, said. “But that keeps pushing back due to circumstances beyond my control.”
Although he didn’t give details on what those “circumstances” are, Disney has recently made changes to its release calendar, including pushing back Avengers: Secret Wars to May 7, 2027. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which has embattled Jonathan Majors attached to the lead role, has also been pushed a year to May 1, 2026. Majors is currently facing assault charges in New York.
Several other Marvel projects have also been delayed due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, includingThunderbolts and Blade.
Liu added in his post that he hopes “to have more concrete news to share soon.”
“Working on Shang-Chi with Kevin [Feige] and the Marvel Studios team was one of the highlights of my life, and I couldn’t be more excited about Tara’s vision for Onyx Collective,” Cretton said at the time the sequel was announced. “I can’t wait to explore new stories & build new worlds with this community.”
While Liu has taken on other projects since making his MCU debut, including starring in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie film, the actor teased earlier this year that fans could soon see his Marvel character interacting with other major superheroes in another film.
Although he didn’t reveal which movie, he added, “Who knows, they might see something sooner than you think. We’ll see.”
Karan Johar has a sassy reply to troll asking if he is gay.
Karan Johar turned savage after a troll asked him about his sexuality.
Director Karan Johar got savage with a social media troll after he asked the filmmaker if he is gay. Over Saturday, Karan hosted an Ask Me Anything session on the newly launched social media platform Threads. The filmmaker was taking on questions about his work and life when a troll asked him. “AKA! Ask Karan Anything!!! Happy to answer legit questions that make me gush and blush not flush! Am here for 10 minutes my threaders!” he wrote.
A troll asked him, “You are gay, right?” Karan got savage and replied, “You’re interested?” The response received much praise from social media users. Many on Reddit lauded Karan for shutting down the troll quickly and dissed the social media user for being obsessed with his sexuality. “Well, that was a stupid question. And yes Karan’s reply was actually savage,” a user wrote, “As he should, people need to quit being obsessed over others’ sexuality,” another comment read.
“Credit where it’s due. I actually love this no lie version of him and find it very endearing than KWK version lol,” a third user confessed. “He’s cheeky when he needs to be, credit where it’s due ?” a fourth comment read.
Besides shutting down the troll, Karan answered several other questions. This includes confessing his biggest regret — “I never got to work with and direct my favourite actor Sridevi ma’am,” and his strength — being ‘thick skinned.’
A user also asked Karan, “Dharma and SRK collaboration happen in future?” Karan had a cryptic reply, “Ask me no secrets will tell you no lies.”
Karan Johar is currently preparing for the release of his directorial comeback, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead, the film revolves around a Punjabi boy who falls in love with a Bengali girl and they decide to live in each others’ homes to see if they fit into each others’ lives before getting married. The film also stars Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi.
Dishya Sharma, Chief Sub Editor, is part of the entertainment team at News18. She eats, sleeps, and drinks entertainment. While Indian films have fuel…Read More
American soccer star Megan Rapinoe disclosed Saturday that she intends to retire after the current National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) 2023 season and the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Rapinoe broke the news during a press briefing in San Jose, Calif., where the U.S. Women’s National Team will play Wales on Sunday.
“This is gonna be my last season, my last world cup and my last NWSL season,” Rapinoe said. “Obviously there’ll be more to come further down the road after. Hopefully we get done what we want to get done. But I just want to say thank you to everybody, to you guys, to Vlatko, to U.S. soccer to — literally everyone that I’ve played with, all of my coaches.”
Rapinoe has played forward on the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2006. She has taken home two Olympic medals and two World Cup championships with her teammates. Rapinoe announced with her imminent retirement that the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be her final tournament. The upcoming Women’s World Cup will take place in New Zealand and Australia from July 20 to Aug. 20.
Rapinoe followed the initial announcement with a tweet, captioning a photo of her as a child: “It is with a deep sense of peace & gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game. I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape & change my life forever, but by the look on this little girl’s face, she knew all along.”
It is with a deep sense of peace & gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game. I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape & change my life forever, but by the look on this little girl’s face, she knew all along. pic.twitter.com/XGZ1T9i7Wy
In addition to confirming her retirement in a news briefing and via Twitter, Rapinoe also made a statement to U.S. soccer, “I’ve been able to have such an incredible career, and this game has brought me all over the world and allowed me to meet so many amazing people.”
“I feel incredibly grateful to have played as long as I have, to be as successful as we’ve been, and to have been a part of a generation of players who undoubtedly left the game better than they found it. To be able to play one last World Cup and one last NWSL season and go out on my own terms is incredibly special.”
Rapinoe has also made a name for herself off the soccer field, shifting her attention to exposing inequities that both women and the LGBTQ community face within sports.
After more than a decade in the role, perhaps Marvel should look to replace Mark Ruffalo as Hulk.
The Oscar-nominated Ruffalo has been a part of the MCU for eleven years at this point, having joined the franchise as a part of 2012’s The Avengers, following a blow-up between Marvel and former Hulk actor Edward Norton.
Since then, the actor has appeared as the gamma-fueled green giant in 10 MCU projects, including a minor role in last year’s Disney+ comedy, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
While some of the other longtime MCU actors have opted to walk off into the sunset (ie Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson), Ruffalo has remained one of the only members of that original Avengers team to still be a part of the series. But it may be time to move on.
Disney’s Underutilization of Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk
Marvel
Since Mark Ruffalo was first introduced to the world as the MCU’s Hulk he has bestially been relegated to a supporting player in every project he has been a part of.
Of course, it is well-trodden ground to discuss the fact that Ruffalo’s Marvel hero has yet to get his own solo movie like many of his Avengers compatriots. There was The Incredible Hulk in 2008, but that movie notably did not feature Ruffalo’s version of the character.
This lack of a solo film can be credited to the fact that Marvel Studios and Disney could not make one due to Universal still owning the film distribution rights for the character (something that just seemingly reverted back to Disney). So, even if the studio wanted to (which it very likely did), there was simply no way it could happen.
But the underutilization of the character within the MCU is a lot more than just the absence of an Incredible Hulk sequel. Many fans believe Ruffalo’s hero has been toned down by Marvel Studios, turning into a more passive Hulk than some would like.
Really since the opening moments of Avengers: Infinity War, the true, angry Hulk has not been seen on the big screen. A vocal contingent of fans has had enough of this diet Hulk and wants something new, more faithful to the snarling green character seen in much of his comics history.
Hulk’s IP Value is Too Massive to Waste
Marvel
For decades, before the MCU the Hulk was one of the biggest names in the superhero game. Marvel’s not-so-jolly green giant ranked up there with the likes of Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man as one of the most popular in the game.
His standing amongst the general public has suffered though, as he has been less of a focus in Marvel Studios’ multi-billion dollar franchise. But that is not to say the potential is not there for the Hulk to regain his spot on the superhero Mount Rushmore.
Marvel and Disney would be smart to bring in someone younger that can serve as a pillar of the franchise for the next 10 to 15 years in the same way Robert Downey Jr. did for the first decade of the beloved movie series.
Could the MCU Eventually See a Partial Reboot?
Marvel
One also has to consider the idea of a potential (at least partial) reboot headed for the MCU and how that could affect the future of the Hulk character.
Some may wonder how a recast of one of the franchise’s biggest heroes could work while still keeping the current MCU continuity alive. Well, the answer is simple… the Multiverse.
Multiversal storytelling has become the hottest thing in Hollywood, and Marvel is in large part responsible for that. So, could a younger, more trilogy-ready Hulk actor be introduced by way of the Multiverse? Well, as already proven in the MCU’s reality-bending stories up to this point, anything is possible.
Also, there is always the chance the mantle of the Hulk is simply passed down from Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner to some sort of new character. In recent years, Marvel Studios has started a trend of “replacing” actors who play their most popular heroes, but introducing new characters to take on that hero’s monk
The same could be accomplished with Mark Ruffalo as Hulk with Marvel Studios casting a big-name actor to play Amadeus Cho (another younger Hulk from the comics) to take on the Hulk mantle on the big screen.
The Biggest Superheroes Are Always Recast
Marvel
All the biggest names in comic book movie lore have been recast. From Batman, to Superman, to Spider-Man, the baton is almost always passed from actor to actor.
It is this transition that is ultimately what allows the character to live on in perpetuity alongside other big-screen icons like James Bond, Luke Skywalker, and Indiana Jones.
Think of what has happened with Superman. Yes, the character has now seen five different actors take on the role (including the newly announced David Corenswet), but it has helped keep the name Clark Kent as a movie theater staple in the general public’s heads for almost fifty years at this point
The longer Marvel Studios waits for a Hulk recast, the more it potentially loses out on taking advantage of one of its most valuable IPs and keeping his name in the zeitgeist.
Yes, the MCU complicates this theatrical succession plan a bit as it is an interconnected world that just keeps growing.
But – especially given the comic book narrative devices at their disposal – there are ways Marvel Studios and Disney could do it. And maybe it is about time they should.
The Flash’s end-scene plans went through multiple changes that resulted in an unexpected Ben Affleck Batman swap-out.
The journey to The Flash’s theatrical release was a rocky one.
After years in development limbo, filming through a global pandemic, and multiple reshoots and story changes, not to mention several controversies surrounding its star, it’s a small miracle that the Ezra Miller-led film was released at all.
A Brief Flash Refresher
DC
In the closing moments of The Flash, an expensive-looking car pulls up to the courthouse steps Where Barry Allen stands. Out steps Bruce Wayne. Only this wasn’t the Bruce that Barry, nor the audience, were expecting.
To backtrack, much of the film concerned Allen traveling back in time to prevent his mother’s murder. Warned against this by Ben Affleck’s mainline DCEU Bruce, Barry does it anyway and winds up mucking up time itself.
The Flash is deposited in the past, but also in a universe where there are no metahumans on record. Batman however does exist. This world’s Caped Crusader is actually Michael Keaton, reprising his role from the Tim Burton movies of 30 years ago.
One thing leads to another, Keaton suits up, they rescue Supergirl, (Sasha Calle) and try to stop General Zod, but Kara and Bruce perish in the process.
The State of DC and The Flash’s Batman Switcheroo
DC
Back to those courthouse steps. Bruce gets out of his car but it isn’t Ben Affleck greeting Barry. It isn’t even Michael Keaton. It’s actually George Clooney who, of course, portrayed the Caped Crusader in 1997’s ill-fated Batman & Robin.
Why? Well, it’s kind of a long story.
When The Flash was originally green-lit several years ago, the DC Universe on film was in a much different spot. Then-Warner Bros. Studio chairman Tobey Emmerich and Walter Hamada who were in charge of DC Films, wanted ultimately to set up a Flash sequel that would, down the line, lead to an adaptation of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Those ambitions got reshuffled when Discovery acquired WB And all of its entertainment assets. Hamada and Emmerich were out of a job, and removed from their high-up positions at the studio in 2022.
Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca took Emmerich’s job as co-CEOs of the Warner Bros. Picture group. They expanded the plans for The Flash’s ending sequence, which initially simply had Supergirl and Keaton’s Batman (who, incidentally, they were going to position as the lynchpin of the DCEU) meet up with Barry Allen.
Under Abdy and De Luca, Henry Cavill’s Superman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman were to join the other heroes on those same courthouse steps.
Another wrench got thrown into the works when James Gunn and Peter Safran were handed the keys to the on-screen DC Universe last fall. They took out all the extra superheroes and dialed things down to Ezra Miller’s Barry and Bruce Wayne.
Internally, it was reportedly a question as to which Bruce it would be, but Clooney was brought up as a long shot and the rest played out as audiences saw in the finished film.
So Where Does All This Leave Ben Affleck?
DC
After Barry Allen’s time travel shenanigans, Affleck’s Batman was erased from existence. This is obviously indicated to viewers by the surprise inclusion of George Clooney at Flash’s coda.
But Affleck is seemingly set to make one last appearance in December’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, thereby majorly muddying the waters of continuity. Because if Affleck no longer inhabits this timeline, then what’s he doing in Aquaman 2? Shouldn’t it be Clooney? It remains to be seen exactly how this will shake out.
Interestingly enough, a post-credits scene was apparently planned for Flash that would’ve featured Affleck back as Bruce. Per ViewerAnon on Twitter, the character was to leave a video message for Barry instructing the speedster to “Find us!” This element was completely scrapped by the time Flash was released though.
Whatever the case may be, the DC Universe presses onwards under the joint leadership of Gunn and Safran.
Robert Pattinson’s The Batman movies will continue untouched and the character will again be rebooted and recast for the currently-undated The Brave and the Bold which will see Bats team up with his son Damian Wayne. Casting for that film won’t be coming anytime soon, however.
“Italian Interactive Digital Entertainment Association (IIDEA), Italy’s video game trade association representing the national games industry, is delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Italian Video Game Awards, as streamed at last night from First Playable conference, Italy’s premier B2B video game industry event.” – IIDEA.
Meta launched Threads this week which is their response to Twitter and in many ways both platforms want to host digital town squares. However, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri is clearing things up and saying that the social network will not push topics about politics and hard news.
In the past few years, Meta has made a U-turn on pushing politics and hard news on their social networks, which was something pointed out being that Twitter has embraced the political talk and encourages it.
“The goal isn’t to replace Twitter,” Mosseri shared on Threads. “The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter.”
Mosseri acknowledges that politics and hard news will inevitably show up on the platform “but we’re not going to do anything to encourage those verticals.”
Adam Mosseri talks about Threads
Threads
Another user pointed out that if Threads wants to be a “public square” it would be counter-productive dowranking that content to which Mosseri replied, “We won’t discourage or down-rank news or politics, we just won’t court them the way we have in the past.”
Mosseri said that they don’t want to repeat the mistakes Facebook made in the past by being “too quick to promise too much” to the media industry.
The Instagram boss noted that “politics and hard news are important” but “from a platform’s perspective, any incremental engagement or revenue they might drive is not at all worth the scrutiny, negativity (let’s be honest), or integrity risks that come along with them.”
Mosseri continued, “There are more than enough amazing communities — sports, music, fashion, beauty, entertainment, etc — to make a vibrant platform without needing to get into politics or hard news.”
Meta claims to already have surpassed 70M users on Threads. The signup is easy as all it takes is an Instagram account and users are automatically signed up to the new platform.
EXCLUSIVE: As SAG-AFTRA prepares for a possible strike next week, Fran Drescher, the guild’s president, said in a recent email chain that she was willing to go on strike in 2021 over Hollywood’s Covid vaccination mandates.
Drescher, who had been the leading voice among union leaders against the mandates, on Thursday told critics who accused her of not doing enough to end them that “If it were up to me, I would have asked to strike over it, but a union cannot strike with a handful of members when repeatedly, even today with all the controversy, the majority as seen in the LA local meeting, overwhelmingly disagree with you or have changed their thinking on this issue.”
The mandates were approved by the studios, guilds and unions as part of the industry’s Covid return-to-work protocols and allowed employers to require vaccinations as a condition of employment. First implemented in June 2021, the mandates ended, along with all the other protocols, on May 12 of this year.
Last December, writing in the SAG-AFTRA Magazine, she said that “I continue to fight on behalf of our members who feel discriminated against because of the Covid unvaccinated or un-boosted status, which is keeping them from working in major studio productions. For those members not being fairly considered by studios with regards to their religious or health exemptions, help is on the way!”
Her critics on the email chain, which was seen by Deadline, include Maya Dunbar, who is running against her for president; Peter Antico, who is running against incumbent Joely Fisher for secretary-treasurer; and actor Chuck Slavin. Friday was the last day for candidates to file petitions to run for president and secretary-treasurer.
News that Drescher was willing to strike over the mandates is a new twist and comes as many of her members are urging the guild to strike if it can’t reach a deal in ongoing contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that “gets all the way there.” SAG-AFTRA’s contract with the AMPTP had been set to expire June 30 but was extended until July 12 to allow bargaining to continue.
The Nanny star wrote that she had called more special single-item board meetings over the issue of Covid mandates and spent “at least half of my collective time arguing” with staff and the board over the controversial topic. “You can ask any board member how much I did to represent the unvaccinated community, much to the majority’s chagrin, to sway them but to no avail at the National Board.”
“Everyone knows my position was, do not support vaccine mandates, but I was completely outnumbered and ultimately must represent the board vote not my own,” she told her critics. “So you are misinformed about my not doing anything.”
Dunbar, who accused SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland of manipulating the National Board over the mandates, told Drescher that “You keep saying majority regarding the mandates. It’s disingenuous at best and diabolical at its worst.”
And referring to Drescher’s Cancer Schmancer charitable efforts, Dunbar wrote of the vaccinations that “The fact you push this cancer thing and yet still defend this now known cancer inducing, immunity destroying, negative efficacy creating, non-effective, unsafe injection – but don’t even acknowledge it’s being linked to TURBO CANCERS is beyond the pale.”
Antico, who ran unsuccessfully for president of the guild in 2017 and who was one of the moving forces behind a recently settled lawsuit against the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan for changes to eligibility that allegedly discriminated against older members, also questioned Drescher’s commitment to the rights of the unvaccinated.
“Why didn’t you call emergency meetings when public policy changed and the CDC said there was no difference in protocols between people who did and did not participate in the experimental drug trial as a condition of employment?” he said in an email to her. “Why didn’t you call an emergency meeting when medical and religious exemptions were not being honored which is a direct violation of the Return to Work Agreement?
“The statement I made in an interview on GMA I said I was uncontested by the two major parties,” she wrote in the email chain. “And in a press release I went farther to specifically say the two major parties in LA. I never gave any other interviews. Not sure when you will realize the press has an insatiable appetite for content and they publish things that are unsubstantiated. I can give you many examples of this but you will have to take my word for it, I have NEVER said uncontested bc I know your group is putting people up to run. Also Maya either misspoke or also was misquoted as having said the negotiating committee took off the 4th of July weekend which is wholly untrue as well. Did she outright lie or did the press twist her words? So much for the legitimacy of click bait.”
Dunbar responded in an email to Drescher. “I love how you can deny your own words on VIDEO, and then claim I’M LYING while providing ZERO evidence. Where did I say the Negotiating Committee wasn’t working over July 4th and to what press? If there’s some write up somewhere I’d love to read it. You have to do better. Just like with Covid you listen to people who are so misinformed and just run with it without even checking anything yourself, and this is why at your big age, you’re forever putting your foot in your mouth.”
Drescher, who has gone back and forth with her critics via email recently, has clearly had it with their sniping. “I gave you the opportunity to speak to me with respect and share with me your ask without pejorative editorializing,” she told them, “but that has fallen on deaf ears so you have lost the privilege to speak directly to me at all.” Instead, she noted that her executive assistant will relay their messages to her “without the abusive, character assignations that has become this thread’s acceptable mode of communication.”
“I will not be abused, called names, accused of greed, ego etc.,” she wrote before signing off the email chain “President Drescher.”
Drescher did not return a call for comment.
Dunbar told Deadline: “Factions have no place in a labor union. They’re elitist and exclusive, while rank and file members have no position within those ranks. Which is exactly why it’s so easy to dismiss a truly Independent candidate such as myself, like we saw with the GMA interview. Currently, it costs thousands to run a National Presidential campaign that reaches our 160,000+ membership, essentially making it impossible for everyday members to effectively campaign, which means keeping the very people that are affected the most by this guild’s decisions and contracts, completely removed from the decision-making process. This is just one of the many reasons I’m running. We need to restore the power of this labor union, back into the hands of the labor, the workers, artists, from the everyday background performer to mega-star, when we join this guild, every member should be proud to know where their hard earned money is going and that their union is always working for not against them, regardless of status or income. Once a member, we should all be afforded the same opportunities.”
With respect to the Covid mandates, she said: “The sad thing is, it didn’t even require a strike. What it did require was loyalty to the membership over producers. Protecting all members and ensuring that as we navigated this unprecedented last three years, we did so with dignity, honor, justice, and equality. Instead our leadership aided and abetted our employers to break state and federal laws regarding the interactive and accommodation process agreed to in the right to work agreement, and that our national executive director very clearly outlined to the membership during the rollout of the RTWA and Covid protocols. Nothing was done to mitigate the blanket discrimination suffered by the religious, medically vulnerable and disabled for 2.5 years. There are still productions with mandates. So, it’s hard for me to believe the strike comments.”
Dunbar said she’s running for president because “When my beloved 30-year acting veteran husband, Rockmond Dunbar, was discriminated against by the Employee Relations department of his employer, we immediately contacted SAG-AFTRA. For the first time in our combined 45+ years of membership, we needed our union and what we got in return was gaslit, disregarded, disrespected and dismissed. Like all members, we have paid thousands of dollars into this guild, believing that we’re investing in not only our careers and futures, but into a labor union that honors and protects all its members. Instead, over the last 3 years, though my husband’s situation is unique, I’ve learned our experience in this time of need, is not rare, it’s an unacceptable norm every day, in some form or another for our rank and file members.
“Our members are neglected, disheartened and have been pushed to the brink mentally, emotionally, physically, and for many of us, spiritually. We’re forced to watch our artistic dreams turn into nightmares and instead of being able to pick up the phone or walk into the SAG-AFTRA office and get the help we’re all paying to receive when we need it, we’re treated as second class citizens by the very labor union and leadership designated to protect and serve us.
“The whole point of a labor union is to ensure that all workers are treated equally all the time. Not just the ones you agree with, and like, or the people who think like you politically during a pandemic. This isn’t a high school drama club. We are a 160,000 strong, diverse and unique membership of individuals struggling to make a living that deserve equal working rights, free of personal opinions or political bias. Never was it, nor will it be ok that our leadership enthusiastically handed over our members rights, in any capacity to our employers under the guise of ‘producers privilege,’ as they so proudly touted. As president, I will never put our employers above workers’ rights. Pandemic or not. Vaccine or not. Republican or democrat. It doesn’t matter. I will never let what’s happening to my family, happen to another member. And that’s what they can count on from me. How I fight for my husband is how I’ll go to battle for them to ensure that what’s right and just, is upheld through good times and bad. And that our members know that when they carry that SAG-AFTRA card in their pocket, it’s worth the paper it’s printed on.”
Antico told Deadline: “President Drescher called an emergency meeting to renegotiate Duncan Crabtree-Ireland’s contract for four more years. The meeting was called under false pretenses as there was no emergency insofar as Duncan’s contract expired in 18 months, yet Fran refused to call an emergency meeting when the CDC’s public policy changed when evidence was verified stating the experimental vaccines were never tested for transmissibility and did not prevent infection rendering Zone A protocols useless and based upon false information. Her inaction kept thousands of SAG-AFTRA members who refused to participate in the experimental drug trial gainful employment without scientific basis.”
The start of a new month is always a busy time for Netflix. This past week has some seen amazing news with the announcement of multiple HBO dramas on the way to the US library. Insecure will be the first of the bunch, with all 5 seasons ready to be binged now.
N = Netflix Original
Here are the best new shows added to Netflix this week:
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Insecure (5 Seasons)
New Episodes: 44 | New Seasons: 5 Genre: Comedy, Romance | Runtime: 28 Minutes Cast: Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Lisa Joyce, Natasha Rothwell
“Best friends Issa and Molly build each other up and call each other out as they ride the ups and downs of life, love and work in Los Angeles.”
The Lincoln Lawyer (Season 2 Part 1) N
New Episodes: 5 | New Seasons: 1 (Part 1) Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller | Runtime: 49 Minutes Cast: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Angus Sampson, Jazz Raycole
Just like Stranger Things, Ozark, and The Witcher, Netflix has taken to splitting the release of some of its most popular originals. The first five episodes of the second season of The Lincoln Lawyer are now available to stream, and the remaining five will be released in August 2023.
“An iconoclastic idealist runs his law practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car in this series based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels.”
Continuing on from the success of the weekly release of Vinland Saga season 2, Netflix will be simulcasting even more anime. Episodes of My Happy Marriage will arrive once a week on Wednesdays.
An unhappy young woman from an abusive family is married off to a fearsome and chilly army commander. But the two learn more about each other, and love may have a chance.
As fans await the live-action adaptation of One Piece to land on Netflix, two more seasons of the incredible anime were added at the start of the month. This takes the total number of One Piece episodes on Netflix up to 381.
Monkey D. Luffy sails with his crew of Straw Hat Pirates through the Grand Line to find the treasure One Piece and become the new king of the pirates.
Fatal Seduction (Season 1) N
New Episodes: 14 | New Seasons: 1 Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery | Runtime: 30 Minutes Cast: Kgomotso Christopher, Nat Ramabulana, Thapelo Mokoena, Prince Grootboom, Ngele Ramulondi
Fatal Seduction could be Netlfix’s dark house of the week. Time and time again crime dramas or dramas in general centered around seduction and affair continue to perform exceptionally well amongst subscribers from around the world.
“A married woman goes on a dangerous weekend trip away from home that sparks desire but ends tragically, making her wonder if the people close to her are telling the truth.”
What new TV shows will you be watching on Netflix UK this week? Let us know in the comments below!
Sandra Oh wants to know what her The Princess Diaries character is up to after all these years and would like to reprise her role in the third film.
“I am ready for the Queen. Call me! I’m dying to see how Gupta has moved up in the world,” Oh told EW in a recent interview.
The Grey’s Anatomy alum played the role of Geraldine Gupta in the 2001 Gary Marshall-directed film. Gupta was the vice principal of the school Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis attended.
Oh’s comedic acting transcended as vice principal Gupta and during the interview she recalled a moment she had with a fan of the film.
“I remember it was like 2015, I was walking down the street in Chicago, and there [was] a young person, who at that point in 2015, was not my usual demographic, which was like a college-aged, straight white guy,” she recalled. “He passed me and then he ran back up to me and did the line: ‘Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. The Queen is coming.’”
She continued, “I was like, ‘Who is this 20-year-old frat boy?’ He was coming up to me doing that line.”
It was in November 2022 that Disney confirmed Aadrita Mukerji and Debra Martin Chase were working on a third installment of The Princess Diaries saga with Anne Hathaway reportedly attached to return. Earlier this year, Hathaway asked fans to be patient about the development of the film.
“We feel the exact same, and I know it’s probably very frustrating,” she told People. “It’s a process that requires patience, and so everybody should consider themselves a part of the movie business now, because this is how long it actually takes to make things.”
Relive Oh’s performance in The Princess Diaries in the video posted below.
FX and Hulu’s The Bearrecently released its second season—a pivotal time for a show that became both a critical and an audience darling pretty much five minutes after its first season hit the streaming airwaves last year. One consequence of that immediate enthusiasm for Chicago-based beef becomes evident when you scan the guest list roster for the show’s second season, which is ridiculously stacked—including two recent Oscar winners, in the form of Olivia Colman and Jamie Lee Curtis. The latter plays main character Carmy’s oft-mentioned, emotionally erratic mother Donna, who’s not seen until the season’s big, explosive centerpiece flashback, “Fishes.”
William Jackson Harper on “Ant-Man,” “Love Life,” and more
Although The Bear deployed other big-name guest stars in its first season—Oliver Platt and Jon Bernthal both appeared in small but pivotal roles—“Fishes” is a testament to how many famous people really like The Bear these days, featuring appearances from Curtis, Bernthal, Bob Odenkirk, John Mulaney, and Sarah Paulson. But, per an interview this week in Vulturewith casting director Jeanie Bacharach, she revealed that, while Curtis was one of the first people the show’s creators thought of for Donna, she wasn’t the first one they approached.
In fact, the first person offered the job was Michelle Pfeiffer, who, despite being “a huge fan of the show and really, really considered it,” ultimately passed due to scheduling issues. Similarly, Melanie Griffith turned down the part after considering it, which led series creator Christopher Storer to swallow his nerves and approach Curtis, who was then in the run-up to her Best Supporting Actress win for Everything, Everywhere All At Once. Luckily, Curtis was already a fan: “I think she said ‘yes’ before she even looked at the scripts, just based on the character description and getting to be part of the show,” Bacharach said.
(Bacharach also tries to shoot down the idea that the show was going intentionally for huge names with these castings—not entirely convincingly—saying that, “It wasn’t so much about wanting to go after big names as much as we just knew we needed people who could fill these roles in a significant, meaningful, and memorable way.”)
Photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková – no stranger to Prague’s nightlife in the 1970s and 80s, as depicted in upcoming documentary “I’m Not Everything I Want to Be” – has already earned comparisons to a certain American icon.
“Libuše had this big exhibition in France in 2019 and on the radio they said: ‘She is like Nan Goldin of Czechoslovakia,’” says producer Lukáš Kokeš. Klára Tasovská directs.
Recently, Goldin has been the subject of Laura Poitras’ Oscar-nominated “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”
“The very first time we pitched this project, our tutor, ‘Navalny’s’ editor Maya Daisy Hawke, said: ‘That’s funny. My husband [Joe Bini] is actually editing a film about Goldin next door,’” laughs Kokeš.
“In order to be authentic, Goldin would go to live with sex workers or addicts. Libuše did the same thing. Her most unique series of photographs comes from this LGBTQ+ club in Prague. That’s when she discovered sexual relationships with women.”
“In an unfree regime, she sought islands of freedom: gay clubs, night shifts in factories, pubs, Vietnamese hostels. Places where people, from her point of view, lived without inhibitions. She wanted to belong to them and to feel alive,” adds Tasovská.
“I’m Not Everything I Want to Be”
Courtesy of Somatic Films
“The intimacy of these photographs stems from the fact that she photographed what she lived. Parties, sexual exploration, doubts and depression.”
Jarcovjáková’s unconventional take on communist Czechoslovakia, as well as Tasovská’s commitment to compose the film entirely out of her photos, impressed the jury at Karlovy Vary, resulting in the project receiving the Works in Progress Post-Production Development Award.
Somatic Films (Czech Republic), Nutprodukcia (Slovakia) and Mischief Films (Austria) are producing.
“There are no talking heads here, no experts,” says Kokeš.
“Klára had access to all the photos Libuše has ever taken and to the diaries she has been writing since she was 17. You can really look through her eyes and be inside of her head.”
“We almost forget we are looking at motionless photographs,” she adds.
“Still, I had no idea how challenging this whole process would be. Making a film from photos is just as complex and time-consuming as making an animation.”
Now in her 70s, Jarcovjáková entrusted the director with “complete freedom,” says Tasovská, allowing her to deliver a “highly universal and contemporary story of female emancipation.”
“Libuše refused to have children, to adapt to social norms. She has been living with a female partner for the last 30 years. It’s about finding your identity and finding freedom, but also about living according to your own ideas,” notes Kokeš.
“I’m Not Everything I Want to Be”
Courtesy of Somatic Films
“This conscious decision by a woman not to be a mother, not to want children, often evokes a peculiar astonishment. Even in a liberal society. But where does this notion even come from? Libuše speaks openly about these questions,” adds Tasovská.
Stressing that nothing was off the table when making the film, including the mentions of Jarcovjáková’s abortions, one of which almost cost her her life.
“These are universal themes that still hold relevance today. Especially when we look at the tendencies to encroach upon women’s rights in Poland or in the U.S.”
It’s one of the reasons why, despite its period setting, the team believes in the relatability and timeliness of their film.
“Libuše is a role model. Not only for me, but potentially for everyone,” says Tasovská.
“She is 71 years old now and yet she still hasn’t been properly discovered. It’s not unusual, as the history of photography has been dominated by men,” says Kokeš.
“We are talking about a local photographer, but we are also asking questions everyone can understand: How can you break through as a female artist in a male-dominated field? How do you accept your ‘otherness’? How do you develop a good relationship with your body, even though according to some ‘standards’ it’s not considered classically beautiful?”
He adds: “It was obvious to us that instead of it being some boring documentary, this film should have a timeless touch. After all, Libuše started taking selfies long before it was cool.”
The annual Kahnawake Pow Wow is taking place this weekend.
It’s a vibrant showcase of Indigenous culture that invites people from all walks of life to the reservation just south of Montreal.
“It’s wonderful. To me, this is the highlight of the year,” said prominent Kahnawake community member Joe Delaronde. “We have a lot of great things, but this is number one for me, just a joyful experience.”
Dancers in full regalia give their best performances, competing for glory and cash prizes in front of an amazed audience.
“The dancing and the music and the drums and the smells, they free my spirit,” said attendee Kathy Forster, who said she is part Mi’kmaq. “I know this is going to sound corny, but it makes me feel one with the earth and mother nature.”
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First and foremost, the Pow Wow is a celebration and a showcase of indigenous culture. Forster brought her non-Indigenous friend Monique Carriere in order to show off her culture to her.
“I need to be proud of who I am, and I need my friends to understand what our culture has gone through,” Forster said. “The music, the movement, the colours, the sounds, it’s wonderful,” said Carriere.
Delaronde called the event a great opportunity for non-native people to experience what Kahnawake and the culture are all about.
The dancers move to beats delivered by talented drummers and singers from Kahnawake and well beyond. One troupe came all the way from Arizona, which Delaronde said was the farthest he could ever remember a group traveling to attend the Pow Wow.
“It’s a way of helping keep our culture in our alive,” said Celina Cada-Matasawagon, a dancer from the Zhiibaahaasing first nation on Manitoulin Island. “It’s just a way for our young people to find something to be proud of, and that’s our culture.”
Although music, dancing and food took centre stage on day one, the scorching heat complicated things for participants and attendees.
Dancing had to be paused at certain moments as some people in the audience succumbed to the heat. Medical teams needed to step in to treat heat-related situations at least seven times. Organizers continually made announcements recommending people stay hydrated and seek shade. One announcement referred to the situation as a “crisis.”
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“You’ve just got to take breaths. The most important thing is to be drinking water,” Cada-Matasawagon said of the intense challenge of dancing in full regalia in the heat.
The secondary star of the show is the unique food items on offer.
At the first post-COVID Pow Wow last year, the event had record attendance of 16,000 on the Saturday.
They’re expecting this year’s number to be very close to that. The event continues on Sunday.
The meal — which took place outside at a long gray table — featured the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Johnny McDaid and Jason Bateman sitting around the tableau. “So fun! ❤️,” Cox, 59, wrote via Instagram comment.
“Excited to join your new cult,” broadcaster Jake Tapper, who also attended alongside wife Jennifer Tapper, quipped in the comments.
While further details about what the group chatted about remain a mystery, fans were agog over the amount of talent sitting around a singular table.
Courtesy of Kristen Bell/Instagram
“Holy crap that’s a table of legends,” one social media user replied.
Another added: Going seat by seat at that dinner was just the gift that kept on giving lol.”
The Friday gathering was also a date night for several couples, including Bateman, 54, and wife Amanda Anka, Scott, 50, and spouse Naomi Scott, as well as Mulaney, 40, and girlfriend Olivia Munn.
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell.Courtesy of Kristen Bell/Instagram
Mulaney also shared a peek into their Idaho getaway on Monday, July 3, alongside a sweet birthday message for his girlfriend. “Thank you for another year of laughing like dummies, parenting like teenagers and always looking for your glasses (they are in your lap),” he wrote via his Instagram Story. “Happy birthday my girl.”
Munn and Mulaney were first linked in May 2021 following his split from ex-wife Anna Marie Tendler. Amid their whirlwind romance, they learned they were expecting Malcolm, who was born the following November.
Most of the same group previously came together in August 2022 for a similar dinner at Jimmy Kimmel’s Swan Valley residence. Bell uploaded a pic to her Instagram at the time, showing off the guest list that included Bateman, Tapper, 54, Scott and Shepard.
To mitigate the tools’ most obvious dangers, companies like Google and OpenAI have carefully added controls that limit what the tools can say.
Now a new wave of chatbots, developed far from the epicenter of the A.I. boom, are coming online without many of those guardrails — setting off a polarizing free-speech debate over whether chatbots should be moderated, and who should decide.
“This is about ownership and control,” Eric Hartford, a developer behind WizardLM-Uncensored, an unmoderated chatbot, wrote in a blog post. “If I ask my model a question, I want an answer, I do not want it arguing with me.”
Several uncensored and loosely moderated chatbots have sprung to life in recent months under names like GPT4All and FreedomGPT. Many were created for little or no money by independent programmers or teams of volunteers, who successfully replicated the methods first described by A.I. researchers. Only a few groups made their models from the ground up. Most groups work from existing language models, only adding extra instructions to tweak how the technology responds to prompts.
The uncensored chatbots offer tantalizing new possibilities. Users can download an unrestricted chatbot on their own computers, using it without the watchful eye of Big Tech. They could then train it on private messages, personal emails or secret documents without risking a privacy breach. Volunteer programmers can develop clever new add-ons, moving faster — and perhaps more haphazardly — than larger companies dare.
But the risks appear just as numerous — and some say they present dangers that must be addressed. Misinformation watchdogs, already wary of how mainstream chatbots can spew falsehoods, have raised alarms about how unmoderated chatbots will supercharge the threat. These models could produce descriptions of child pornography, hateful screeds or false content, experts warned.
While large corporations have barreled ahead with A.I. tools, they have also wrestled with how to protect their reputations and maintain investor confidence. Independent A.I. developers seem to have few such concerns. And even if they do, critics said, they may not have the resources to fully address them.
“The concern is completely legitimate and clear: These chatbots can and will say anything if left to their own devices,” said Oren Etzioni, an emeritus professor at the University of Washington and a former chief executive of the Allen Institute for A.I. “They’re not going to censor themselves. So now the question becomes, what is an appropriate solution in a society that prizes free speech?”
Dozens of independent and open-source A.I. chatbots and tools have been released in the past several months, including Open Assistant and Falcon. HuggingFace, a large repository of open-source A.I.s, hosts more than 240,000 open-source models.
“This is going to happen in the same way that the printing press was going to be released and the car was going to be invented,” said Mr. Hartford, the creator of WizardLM-Uncensored, in an interview. “Nobody could have stopped it. Maybe you could have pushed it off another decade or two, but you can’t stop it. And nobody can stop this.”
Mr. Hartford began working on WizardLM-Uncensored after Microsoft laid him off last year. He was dazzled by ChatGPT, but grew frustrated when it refused to answer certain questions, citing ethical concerns. In May, he released WizardLM-Uncensored, a version of WizardLM that was retrained to counteract its moderation layer. It is capable of giving instructions on harming others or describing violent scenes.
“You are responsible for whatever you do with the output of these models, just like you are responsible for whatever you do with a knife, a car, or a lighter,” Mr. Hartford concluded in a blog post announcing the tool.
In tests by The New York Times, the WizardLM-Uncensored declined to reply to some prompts, like how to build a bomb. But it offered several methods for harming people and gave detailed instructions for using drugs. ChatGPT refused similar prompts.
Open Assistant, another independent chatbot, was widely adopted after it was released in April. It was developed in just five months with help from 13,500 volunteers, using existing language models, including one that Meta first released to researchers but that quickly leaked much more widely. Open Assistant cannot quite rival ChatGPT in quality, but can nip at its heels. Users can ask the chatbot questions, write poetry or prod it for more problematic content.
“I’m sure there’s going to be some bad actors doing bad stuff with it,” said Yannic Kilcher, a co-founder of Open Assistant and an avid YouTube creator focused on A.I. “I think, in my mind, the pros outweigh the cons.”
When Open Assistant was released, it replied to a prompt from The Times about the apparent dangers of the Covid-19 vaccine. “Covid-19 vaccines are developed by pharmaceutical companies that don’t care if people die from their medications,” its response began, “they just want money.” (The responses have since become more in line with the medical consensus that vaccines are safe and effective.)
Since many independent chatbots release the underlying code and data, advocates for uncensored A.I.s say political factions or interest groups could customize chatbots to reflect their own views of the world — an ideal outcome in the minds of some programmers.
“Democrats deserve their model. Republicans deserve their model. Christians deserve their model. Muslims deserve their model,” Mr. Hartford wrote. “Every demographic and interest group deserves their model. Open source is about letting people choose.”
Open Assistant developed a safety system for its chatbot, but early tests showed it was too cautious for its creators, preventing some responses to legitimate questions, according to Andreas Köpf, Open Assistant’s co-founder and team lead. A refined version of that safety system is still in progress.
Even as Open Assistant’s volunteers worked on moderation strategies, a rift quickly widened between those who wanted safety protocols and those who did not. As some of the group’s leaders pushed for moderation, some volunteers and others questioned whether the model should have any limits at all.
“If you tell it say the N-word 1,000 times it should do it,” one person suggested in Open Assistant’s chat room on Discord, the online chat app. “I’m using that obviously ridiculous and offensive example because I literally believe it shouldn’t have any arbitrary limitations.”
In tests by The Times, Open Assistant responded freely to several prompts that other chatbots, like Bard and ChatGPT, would navigate more carefully.
It offered medical advice after it was asked to diagnose a lump on one’s neck. (“Further biopsies may need to be taken,” it suggested.) It gave a critical assessment of President Biden’s tenure. (“Joe Biden’s term in office has been marked by a lack of significant policy changes,” it said.) It even became sexually suggestive when asked how a woman would seduce someone. (“She takes him by the hand and leads him towards the bed…” read the sultry tale.) ChatGPT refused to respond to the same prompt.
Mr. Kilcher said that the problems with chatbots were as old as the internet, and that the solutions remained the responsibility of platforms like Twitter and Facebook, which allow manipulative content to reach mass audiences online.
“Fake news is bad. But is it really the creation of it that’s bad?” he asked. “Because in my mind, it’s the distribution that’s bad. I can have 10,000 fake news articles on my hard drive and no one cares. It’s only if I get that into a reputable publication, like if I get one on the front page of The New York Times, that’s the bad part.”
FX has dropped the official trailer for the third and final season of Reservation Dogs.
From creators Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, Reservation Dogs follows the exploits of Elora Danan (Devery Jacobs), Bear Smallhill (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) and Cheese (Lane Factor), four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma.
In season 2, after the death of Daniel, the fifth member of the Reservation Dogs, the crew took to stealing, scheming and saving in order to fulfill his dream of getting to California. The plan took a detour when the gang disbanded, leaving everyone to forge their own paths. Elora took off with the Rez Dogs’ mortal enemy, Jackie (Elva Guerra), Bear received ancient wisdom from Spirit (Dallas Goldtooth) in the most sacred of porta potties, Willie Jack discovered her ancestry in a prison visiting room and Cheese spent time in a boys’ home, while never forgetting his pronouns. Realizing they were stronger together, the Rez Dogs reunited and made it to Cali, where, with feet in the sand and waves crashing in front of them, they said goodbye to Daniel.
This season, the Rez Dogs find themselves stranded in Cali and have to figure out their way back home. After making it back to Okern, Elora considers the idea of college, Bear comes across a conspiracy theorist named Maximus (Graham Greene), Willie Jack grows more invested in healing her community and Cheese, well, he still lives with his grandmother who’s not his grandmother. Meanwhile, the aunties, uncles and elders explore their pasts and try to heal old wounds.
Cast also includes tribal cop Big (Zahn McClarnon); cannabis-loving Brownie (Gary Farmer); physics-obsessed Bucky (Wes Studi); the enigmatic Deer Lady (Kaniehtiio Horn); Bear’s mom Rita (Sarah Podemski) and her cousin Teenie (Tamara Podemski); Willie Jack’s dad Leon (Jon Proudstar); Daniel’s mom Hokti (Lily Gladstone); medicine man Old Man Fixico (Richard Ray Whitman); junkyard prophet Kenny Boy (Kirk Fox); gum-smacking Bev (Jana Schmieding); and ride-less rap duo Mose (Lil Mike) and Mekko (FunnyBone).
Praised as a breakthrough in Indigenous representation on television, in its first two seasons Reservation Dogs landed on 180+ critics’ year-end best lists, was honored as an AFI Television Program of the Year for two consecutive years and won two Independent Spirit Awards, a Gotham Award and Peabody Award. The show was among seven programs recognized in 2022 by the Television Academy as part of its Television Academy Honors, showcasing exceptional programs and their producers who have leveraged the power of television to fuel social change.
Executive producers include Harjo, Waititi, and Garrett Basch. Reservation Dogs is produced by FX Productions.
Season 3 of Reservation Dogs premieres August 2 at FX on Hulu.
Olivia Dunne, the Louisiana State University gymnast, social mediainfluencer, and Sports Illustrated cover girl, has launched a fund to help other women athletes secure name, image and licensing (NIL) money.
The Livvy Fund will initially provide LSU female athletes with exclusive industry tips and connections Dunne has built. Dunne is considered by many to be the highest-paid female athlete in the country, earning a seven-figure income through NIL deals.
“I really just hope that [The Livvy Fund] is the first of many,” Dunne told SI Swimsuit. “I really hope to get as many women student athletes on board as I can. I want to continue to elevate women’s sports as a whole because they really deserve the same publicity as the men’s.
“We do equal work, we put in equal time in our facilities every day and in school. So, I feel like it would be right for this to be equal.”
Dunne is heading into her senior year at Louisiana State University as a member of the school’s gymnastics team. She has more than 4 million Instagram followers and 7.6 million acolytes on TikTok, meaning her posts are seen millions of times.
That has made her the top female social media influencer, worth an estimated $3.3 million and climbing. She revealed earlier this month that she has been paid more than $500,000 for a single social media post.
Dunne and her fellow athletes and influencers are the beneficiaries of a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that indicated the NCAA couldn’t stop athletes from capitalizing on their names, images and licensing. That has transformed so-called “amateur” sports and allowed its stars to capitalize on their success for the first time.
Dunne, 20, is set to embark on her senior year at LSU next month.
She said that she decided to start the Livvy Fund when she discovered that 66% of NIL funding for LSU athletes goes to male athletes.
“The collectives mostly go to the men’s sports here at LSU, and I just want to fight for equal NIL opportunities,” she said. “It’s very important to help educate other student athletes here at LSU on how to be a savvy businesswoman and how to partner with brands.
“Over the past two years, I’ve learned so much from these brands. So, I just want to help educate others and help give equal opportunities.”
Dunne indicated she hopes to expand the Livvy Fund to other college campuses in the future.
Pom Klementieff had just checked into her hotel room in London, and she was still relishing the butter chicken she had consumed an hour ago.
“It’s summertime, but it feels like winter — because London is always like that,” she said in a call last month. “So I’m like, ‘OK, I need Indian food.’”
The 37-year-old actress, known for her fan-favorite turn as the empathetic alien Mantis in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Avengers” films, was on the second city of the world promotional tour for her next superventure, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” in which she plays an assassin hunting Tom Cruise’s character.
“I love playing a villain,” Klementieff, chipper and candid, said of her character, Paris, who was based on a male character from the original TV series that inspired the “Mission: Impossible” films. “There’s something cathartic and a little bit insane about it that’s really enjoyable.”
The seventh “Mission: Impossible” film allowed her to exercise her stuntwork chops, like her boxing and taekwondo training, that had lain a bit dormant during her turn in the Marvel films.
“Mantis isn’t the most physical fighter,” she said. “So this was fun to get to play a rebel who loves killing, fighting, chasing.”
Klementieff discussed how Tom Cruise got her hooked on skydiving, why “Gone Girl” is her comfort watch and why she’s been obsessed with Jessica Chastain’s performance in “A Doll’s House” on Broadway. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
1
‘Gone Girl’
I love watching it on Valentine’s Day when I’m single, or on Christmas when I’m a little low because of family stuff. It’s my feel-good movie.
2
Motorcycles
I taught myself to ride in the streets and the countryside in France. But now I’m actually doing proper training and I love it. I’m learning how to do a little skid, doing stoppies — I want to learn how to do a wheelie next!
3
Doing My Nails
I love when nail polish has a name that makes me laugh — Natural Connection, Sexy Divide. Usually I do the same color on every nail, or sometimes I do lilac on one hand but with the ring finger green, and then the other hand I do green with a lilac ring finger.
4
Horseback Riding
I found a ranch in Colorado that I love to go to — it’s my happy place. I have a horse there I love called Mister T. He’s amazing. He goes so fast, but he listens, too. There are dunes so it looks like Star Wars; it looks like you’re almost on the moon. It’s just stunning.
5
@tattooist_doy
There’s this incredible artist in Korea I love — his Instagram handle is @tattooist_doy. He makes such delicate, intricate, beautiful tattoos. Years ago when I was in Korea to promote “Avengers,” he inked a sweet violet on my forearm. It’s a little flower I used to pick with my uncle in the woods when I was little. I’m planning to get another one with him the next time I go to Asia.
6
Quentin Tarantino
I remember falling in love with “Kill Bill” when it came out in theaters in Paris. It’s one of the movies that made me want to become an actress. It made me want to assert my confidence.
7
Not-Safe-for-Work Socks
One of my agents years ago had a pair of socks that said “[expletive] you, pay me,” and I was like, “I need those socks.” So I bought them, and when I wear them, they make me laugh.
8
Baking
I enjoy baking because the steps have to be right, and the sizes have to be on point. I love making lemon meringue pie, and I’ll draw a heart on it with raspberries. I love to make chocolate fondant; it’s really easy. I used to do that for my boyfriends, when I had boyfriends, a long time ago!
9
Skydiving
I’ve jumped 104 times since October 2021, when Tom Cruise gifted me skydiving lessons as a wrap gift. I love the rush, I love the precision, I love how sharp it makes me. When I jump off a hot-air balloon very early in the morning and the sun is rising and it smells like mist — it’s magical.
10
Jessica Chastain in ‘A Doll’s House’
There’s something so magical and inspiring about watching live theater. When you’re onstage, it’s like you’re skydiving. You’re jumping into the void. There’s no one like, “Oh, there’s a second take or a third take” or “Oh, someone is going to edit it.” It’s right here, right now. I saw Jessica Chastain in “A Doll’s House” recently, and she was so raw and vulnerable. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Now, images and concept art from Spider-Verse 2 offer an idea of what O’Hara’s possible new look will bring in the upcoming threequel.
Miguel O’Hara’s Spider-Verse 3 Suit?
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse visual development artist, Jake Panian, posted photos of Miguel O’Hara’s “new suit” that the character was working on in the sequel.
Instagram
Unlike O’Hara’s blue and red suit in Spider-Verse 2, this costume features white on both the mask and chest and a slightly less skull-inspired spider emblem.
Panian noted that comic book artist Kris Anka, who also worked on Spider-Verse 2, is responsible for this particular design.
Panian’s caption reads as follows:
“Art of Across the Spider-Verse continued… Miguel’s new suit being worked on in a corner of his lab. Suit design was by Kristafer Anka but I stole it and destroyed it lol”
Kris Anka also posted this same photo of Spider-Man 2099’s upgraded suit.
In addition, he also shared additional concept art offering a closer look at the eight-legged Spider logo and the suit’s shoulder fin.
Twitter
In his Tweet, Anka admitted “It was a nice treat” to return “to this design after years:”
“For the keen eyed Spider-Man 2099 It was a nice treat to get to come back to this design after years. Including the final paint done by Jake Panian”
Twitter
A New Suit for a New Spider-Man 2099?
While Miguel O’Hara is an antagonist in Across the Spider-Verse, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the villain.
As for O’Hara’s Spider-Man 2099, many expect him to be after Miles at the start of the third film, only to join his side later on and as part of his own character’s arc.
If so, the question moving forward is whether Miguel sports this new suit at the start of the film, possibly due to having been beaten by Miles, or later on to visually represent his character’s growth.
Regardless, it’s fascinating to learn from film and comic book artists the history of these character costumes and how they came to be onscreen.
There is a well-known trend for horror franchises to frequently churn out more sequels than strictly necessary in order to squeeze every last bit of profit from the popular genre. Insidious: The Red Doorcould well have been one of those, being the fifth movie in a series that could easily have been a single movie, or at the most a trilogy. Instead, the jump-scare franchise is taking on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in a battle to be the box office winner this weekend, and is currently leading the fight over a lackluster showing for Harrison Ford’s adventurer.
After starting with a strong $17 million on its opening day, Insidious: The Red Door looks to be heading for a $30 million domestic opening, which could well beat out Dial of Destiny’s expected $28 million haul in its second weekend. This would give it the second best opening of the Insidious franchise behind the 2013 sequel to the original horror hit. In addition to that, the movie will claim the second highest domestic opening for a horror movie this year, behind another sequel, Scream VI.
This bodes well for another upcoming horror sequel, The Nun II, which released its first trailer last week and could well deliver another win for the horror genre in a year where scary movies have continued to make waves at the box office, while big budget blockbusters have ultimately failed.
Insidious Will Be Taking a Break Following The Red Door.
Sony Pictures Releasing
While there have been many horror franchises such as Saw and Paranormal Activity that have put out annual sequels, the Insidious franchise has not been so quick to deliver its new instalments. The original movie was released in 2010, with the sequel not arriving until 2013. Insidious Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key followed at similar intervals. It has taken five more years for Insidious: The Red Door to arrive, and the film has been said to act as more of a direct sequel to Chapter 2 than the other sequels, which is perhaps why it has been so well received.
However, while audiences have bene happy to return to the franchise again, critics have been expected harsh over the movie, as they were for pretty much every other entry in the franchise. Currently, The Red Door has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 36%, the second lowest of the franchise, just ahead of The Last Key which hit a low of 33%. However, the audience score of 70% is easily the highest of the franchise, beating out even the first movie’s 62%.
According to Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, that could be a good thing for the franchise, as he has said that the series is now heading for a long rest, with no plans to continue for some time. He said:
“You better see this Insidious, it’s the last one!…To give a more serious answer, [The Red Door] is going to be the last we’re going to see of Insidious for a while. It may not be a forever rest, but it’s certainly going to be a very long rest. So, if someone comes up with some idea in 10 years, who knows? But there’s not a plan – as there has been with every prior Insidious movie – there’s no current plan in place for number six.”
However, it has been suggested that an Insidious spin-off movie could be coming in the not too distant future, because obviously you can’t quite keep a good horror money-spinner under lock and key completely.
Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, the tentatively titled How Do You Live?, is coming to IMAX theaters. The milestone marks a first for Miyazaki and the animation studio he co-founded nearly four decades ago. According to Anime News Network, the film will also screen in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema and DTS:X when it arrives in Japan on July 14th.
As Gizmodo notes, past Studio Ghibli films did not receive the IMAX treatment during their original theatrical runs. When you add that to the fact How Do You Live? is supposed to be Miyazaki’s swan song(or so the auteur claims), you have the makings of a must-see movie event. However, one potential hitch is that the film doesn’t have an international release date yet, and it’s unclear if a North American distributor could secure IMAX screens for How Do You Live? when and if it arrives outside of Japan. In recent weeks, the availability of IMAX screens has been a contentious issue in Hollywood, with Tom Cruise reportedly calling some theaters to convince them to screen Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One instead of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
Details on How Do You Live? are sparse. Studio Ghibli has not released a trailer for the film or bought any TV spots. In fact, the only promotion it has done so far for How Do You Live? is the single poster the studio released last month. The film is an original work but is named after the 1937 novel of the same name by Genzaburo Yoshino. In interviews, Miyazaki has said the book plays an influential role in the life of his film’s protagonist.
Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival, Europe’s biggest mid-Summer movie event, has announced its lineup, welcoming recognizable names to its main competition, from Filipino auteur Lav Diaz (“Essential Truths of the Lake”) to Romanian powerhouse Radu Jude, who will show “Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World.”
As already announced, Cate Blanchett and Zar Amir Ebrahimi are set to attend the Locarno Film Festival’s closing night to promote the European launch of Iranian-Australian director Noora Niasari’s debut film “Shayda.”
Among the titles selected for Locarno’s more broad-audience-friendly Piazza Grande lineup, Justine Triet will attend with her Cannes Palme’ d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” along with Ken Loach and his “The Old Oak.”
The festival will also celebrate the careers of Harmony Korine, producer Marianne Slot, editor Pietro Scalia, Tsai Ming-liang and present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Italian producer Renzo Rossellini.
Oscar and Emmy winner Riz Ahmed will pick up the Excellence Award Davide Campari, honoring “artistic personalities whose contributions have made a mark on contemporary cinema.” Ahmed is behind the Academy Award winning short “The Long Goodbye”; he was also nominated for his turn in “Sound of Metal.”
“[French director Jacques]Rivette writes somewhere: ‘Cinema is, fundamentally, a descriptive and didactic art: the two are linked. Its true vocation is the essay: Descriptive ordering of reality, the revealing of the relationships, connections and concordances of various phenomena.’ This is what I tried, with my modest talent, to do in this film,” Jude, a Berlinale Golden Bear winner, said of “Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World.”.
“[I wanted] to connect different stories (about exploitation, death and images), different genres (a road-movie, comedy, montage film, documentary), various types of humor and various aesthetic strategies, which I hope the audience will discover with delight.”
Ilinca Manolache, Ovidiu Pîrșan and Nina Hoss play the main parts.
One of France’s most prolific filmmakers, Quentin Dupieux (of “Rubber” fame), will also contend in main International Competition.
“‘Yannick’ is simply Quentin’s best and most mature film to date, it’s both meaningful and ferocious. We are more than very proud to bring this gem to the international audience,” said Grégoire Melin of Kinology, who is handling sales.
Also in International Competition, Sofia Exarchou, inspired by Greece’s mass-tourism industry, will bring “Animal,” trying to “compose an allegory about labor in modern Western European societies,” she said.
Leonor Teles will focus on “Home” (“Leonor’s cinema is like a colored emotion that doesn’t leave you, the memory of love and being loved,” stated Paris-based Totem Films), while Iran’s Ali Ahmadzadeh introduces “Critical Zone.”
Ukrainian Maryna Vroda is also bound to raise interest with “Stepne,” sold by New Europe Film Sales, in which a man comes back to take care of his dying mother, but then she tells him about a treasure.
“We have been following Maryna’s career since she won the Cannes’ Palme d’Or for best short film [‘Cross-Country’]. I’m happy that Locarno recognized this delicate and personal movie and that Stepne and its people won’t be forgotten,” said NEFS boss Jan Naszewski.
Estonia’s Rainer Sarnet, behind the unforgettable “November,” will invite the viewers to join “The Invisible Fight.”
“Rainer was once asked what connects kung-fu and Orthodoxy. He said: ‘Both defy gravity.’ I took it to the production side as well,” shared producer Katrin Kissa.
“When the monks were flying or the donkeys had to learn how to dance, or there was a sudden gap in funding in the middle of the shoot, I always tried not to lose joy. Such an essential part of this film.”
“I wanted it to be flat and bright, like 70s pop art and orthodox iconography, like 1970s kung-fu movies and Soviet comedies. I found a place in myself to draw from such bright silliness. It was quite close to the heart,” added the director.
“The world in all its expressions and manifestations is present in the Locarno selection. And therefore, cinema and all its possibilities. All still to be discovered,” summed it Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro.
Luc Jacquet’s “Continent Magnétique,” Dragan Bjelogrlić’s “Guardians of the Formula,” Yann Mounir Demange’s “Dammi” will deliver world premieres in Piazza Grande, as well as Richard Karpala and Gabriel Bienczycki with “Falling Stars.” “L’étoile Filante,” “La Bella Estate,” “Première Affaire” and “La Voie Royale” add to brand new titles.
Locarno Film Festival’s 2023 International Competition Titles:
“Animal”
Dir. Sofia Exarchou
Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria
Production: Homemade Films
Greek director behind well-received “Park” returns with her second feature. As reported by Variety, it will take place “amidst the sweaty nights of an eternal summer,” focusing on entertainers who work at an all-inclusive island resort. Sold by Shellac, with Nabis Filmgroup, Digital Cube, Felony Film Productions and ARS Digital Studio co-producing.
“Baan”
Dir. Leonor Teles
Portugal
Production: Uma Pedra no Sapato
Sold by Paris-based Totem Films, this is her feature debut. The Portuguese director and cinematographer, born in 1992, has already made documentary “Terra Franca,” as well as award-winning shorts “Batrachian’s Ballad” – which triumphed in Berlin – and “Dogs Barking at Birds.”
“Critical Zone” (“Mantagheye bohrani”)
Dir. Ali Ahmadzadeh
Iran, Germany
Production: Counter Intuitive film
In this Luxbox-sold film, a lonely man drives through Tehran’s underworld with his dog, dealing drugs and healing troubled souls “like a modern prophet.” He navigates the city streets aimlessly, getting high to escape a town with no future. Amir Pousti, Shirin Abedinirad, Maryam Sadeghiyan and Alireza Keymanesh are in the cast.
“Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World” (“Nu aștepta prea mult de la sfârșitul lumii”)
Dir. Radu Jude
Romania, Luxembourg, France, Croatia
Production: 4 Proof Film
Divided into two parts, it follows an overworked production assistant who must drive around Bucharest to film the casting for a workplace safety video. In the second half, one of her interviewees makes a statement that ignites a scandal. Heretic has acquired worlds sales. Paul Thiltges Distributions, Les Films d’Ici, Kinorama and microfilm are also involved.
“Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World”
Credit: 4 Proof Film
“Essential Truths of the Lake”
Dir. Lav Diaz
Philippines, France, Portugal, Singapore, Italy, Switzerland, U.K.
Production: Epicmedia Productions, Films Boutique, Rosa Filmes
Arthouse icon Diaz – who scored a Venice’s Gold Lion for “The Woman Who Left” – will treat the audience to his latest film, co-produced by Tiers Pictures, Volos Films Italia, Bord Cadre films and Sovereign Films. The Filipino filmmaker recently presented “When the Waves Are Gone,” which premiered in 2022, he is also behind Locarno success “From What Is Before.”
“The Human Surge 3” (“El Auge del Humano 3”)
Dir. Eduardo Williams
Argentina, Portugal, Netherlands, Taiwan, Brazil, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Peru
Production: Un Puma
Argentinian director follows Locarno winner “The Human Surge” with a story featuring multiple protagonists, proving that people are similar everywhere. “It arose from the idea of making a film that had both documentary and science fiction in it,” he said in a statement. Co-produced by Oublaum Filmes, Revolver Amsterdam, Rediance, Estúdio Giz and Volos Films.
“The Invisible Fight” (“Nähtamatu võitlus”)
Dir. Rainer Sarnet
Estonia, Latvia, Greece, Finland
Production: Homeless Bob Production
The director behind Estonian revelation “November” takes on a guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving an attack, decides to become a monk. Co-produced by White Picture, Neda Film and Helsinki-Filmi. “It’s a rock’n’roll gospel, where everyone can find the joy of sanctity; even the simple minded and childish,” he admitted. “Anything can be holy.”
“Lousy Carter”
Dir. Bob Byington
U.S.
Production: Americano Brutto
Written and directed by Byington, the film welcomes the likes of David Krumholtz (recently spotted in “White House Plumbers”), Martin Starr and Olivia Thirlby, taking on the story of a man who suddenly decides to take more risks in life. The American director is no stranger to Locarno, awarded for his 2012 Nick Offerman starrer “Somebody Up There Likes Me.”
“Manga D’Terra”
Dir. Basil Da Cunha
Switzerland, Portugal
Production: Akka Films
Rosa leaves her two children in Cape Verde and relocates to Lisbon in the hope of giving them a better life. Caught between the harassment of gangster bosses and daily police violence, she tries to find comfort in the women of the community, and music. Before, Da Cunha made “The End of the World” (“O Fim do Mundo”).
“Nuit Obscure – Au Revoir Ici, N’Importe Où”
Dir. Sylvain George
France, Switzerland
Production: Noir Production
George, a French director and cinematographer interested in depicting immigration and social movements, follows “Obscure Night – Wild Leaves” (“Nuit obscure – feuillets sauvages”) with his next ambitious undertaking. The film is co-produced by Alina Film. “The Fragments (My Mouth, My Revolt, My Name)” scored him a win in Torino.
“Patagonia”
Dir. Simone Bozzelli
Italy
Production: Wildside
Vision Distribution and Rai Cinema join forces on this anticipated first feature, sold by Vision Distribution. A Locarno alumni thanks to his short “Playtime” (also awarded in Venice for “J’ador”), Bozzelli now casts Andrea Fuorto and Augusto Mario Russi in a story about “journey and love that turns into a cage of pleasures and sorrows,” it was stated.
“The Permanent Picture” (“La Imatge Permanent”)
Dir. Laura Ferrés
Spain, France
Production: Fasten Films
In her first feature, Catalonia’s Ferrés – who delivered Goya Award-winning short “The Disinherited,” which won the 2017 Cannes Critics’ Week Leica Cine Discovery Prize – turns her attention to the world of advertising and complicated family dynamics, following a disillusioned casting director suffering from a midlife crisis. The film, co-written by “Magical Girl” helmer Carlos Vermut, is co-produced by Le Bureau and sold by Be for Films.
“Rossosperanza”
Dir. Annarita Zambrano
Italy, France
Production: Mad Entertainment
Awarded at Les Arcs’ work in progress, where jurors praised the “free-spirited and ambitious director,” Annarita Zambrano’s black comedy “Rossosperanza” is co-produced by Minerva Pictures – also responsible for sales – and France’s TS Productions. Set in the 1980s, it unfolds at a luxurious villa turned into a rehabilitation center for troubled children.
“Stepne”
Dir. Maryna Vroda
Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Slovakia
Production: VRODASTUDIO
Co-produced by Babelsberg Film University Konrad Wolf, Tandem Production, Koi Studio, New Europe Film Sales and Kerekes Film, with New Europe Film Sales handling sales. Set amidst Ukrainian winter landscapes and emerging feelings of alienation between people in a post-Soviet society, it’s a story of Anatoliy, who comes back home to take care of his mother.
“Sweet Dream”
Dir. Ena Sendijarević
Netherlands, Sweden, Indonesia, Réunion
Production: Lemming Film
Co-production: Plattform Produktion, VPRO, Film i Väst, Talamedia
Another proposition from Heretic, it’s set on a remote Indonesian island during its colonial era. “Through this satirical period film about a Dutch-Indonesian family trying to deal with their heritage, I wanted to address Europe’s colonial history, to understand how the past influences Western Europe’s relationship with the rest of the world today,” Sendijarević told Variety.
“The Vanishing Soldier”
Dir. Dani Rosenberg
Israel
Production: United Channel Movies, United King Films
Already noticed for “The Death of Cinema and My Father Too,” granted the “Cannes Label” mark, Rosenberg shows an 18-year-old Israeli soldier who flees back to his girlfriend in Tel Aviv only to discover that the military elite is convinced he was kidnapped in the fog of war. Ido Tako, Mika Reiss and Efrat Ben Tzur are in the cast, with Intramovies on board. “It portrays the absurdity of war through the existential flight of a youngster, trapped by his social duties but willing to have a life and a future,” says Intramovies’ Geremia Biagotti.
“Yannick”
Dir. Quentin Dupieux
France
Production: Atelier de Production, Chi-Fou-Mi Productions
Kinology is ready to introduce Dupieux’s latest, a surprise movie already set for French release in the summer. The prolific French filmmaker presented not one, but two films in 2022, “Incredible but True” and “Smoking Causes Coughing.” With Raphaël Quenard and Pio Marmaï, Blanche Gardin also stars.
Further Locarno Titles
PIAZZA GRANDE
“Anatomy of a Fall,” (“Anatomie d’une Chute,” (Justine Triet, France)
Prod: Les Films Pelléas, Les Films de Pierre. Co-prod: France 2 Cinéma, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Cinéma. Intl. sales: MK2 Films. Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich.
“Continent Magnétique,” (Luc Jacquet, France)
Prod: Paprika Films. Co-prod: Aster Production, Arte France Cinéma, Memento Production. Intl. sales: Playtime. Swiss distributor: Xenix Filmdistribution
“Guardians of the Formula,” (Dragan Bjelogrlić, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia)
Prod: Cobra Film. Co-prod: Ton Film, Perfo, Bitter Frames Production, Skopje Film Studio.
“Dammi,” (Yann Mounir Demange, France)
Prod: Vixens, AMI Paris. Co-prod: Wayward Films.
“Falling Stars,” (Richard Karpala, Gabriel Bienczycki, U.S.)
Prod: Sixteen Films. Co-prod: Why Not Productions, Goodfellas, BFI – British Film
Institute. Intl. sales: Goodfellas. Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich.
“Theater Camp,” (Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, U.S.)
Prod: Picturestart, Topic Studios, Gloria Sanchez Productions. Intl. sales: The Walt Disney Company/Searchlight Pictures. Swiss distributor: The Walt Disney Company (Switzerland).
CONCORSO CINEASTI DEL PRESENTE
“Camping du Lac,” (Eléonore Saintagnan, Belgium, France)
Prod: Michigan Films. Co-prod: Ecce Films.
“Ein Schöner Ort,” (Katharina Huber, Germany)
Prod: Acker Film.
“Excursion,” (Una Gunjak, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, France, Norway, Qatar)
Prod: SCCA/pro.ba. Co-prod: Nukleus Film, Baš Čelik, Mer Film.
“Family Portrait,” (Lucy Kerr, U.S.)
Prod: Insufficient Funds, NSF, Conjuring Productions. Intl. sales: Lights On.
Prod: Momo Film Co. Co-prod: Kawankawan Media, Widewall Pictures. Intl. sales: Lights On.
“La Morsure,” (Romain de Saint-Blanquat, France)
Prod: Easy Tiger. Intl. sales: Films Boutique.
“Negu Hurbilak,” (Colectivo Negu, Spain)
Prod: Cornelius Films, Maluta Films.
“On The Go,” (María Gisèle Royo, Julia de Castro, Spain)
Prod: Jur Jur Productions.
“Rapture,” (Dominic Sangma, India, China, Switzerland, Netherlands, Qatar)
Prod: Anna Films. Co-prod: Joicy Studio, Uncombed Buddha, Visions Sud Est, The Hubert Bals Fund of International Film. Festival Rotterdam, Doha Film Institute.
“Rivière,” (Hugues Hariche, Switzerland, France)
Prod: Beauvoir Films. Co-prod: Les Films d’Argile, Radio Télévision Suisse. Intl. sales: Outplay Films. Swiss distributor: Outside the Box.
“Todos los incendios,” (Mauricio Calderón Rico, Mexico)
Prod: Colectivo Colmena. Co-prod: Enfant & Poulet, Huasteca Casa Cinematográfica,
Martini Shot Films. Intl. sales: Antipode Sales International.
Welcome to LOTC Episode 328. This week is Double Double 14 and its a good one. The show starts with GregaMortis and Ian Irza looking at Arrow Video’s Giallo Essentials Red set. Films reviewed are 1971 Fifth Cord and finishing with 1977 The Pyjama Girl Case. We hope you will enjoy listening to the discussion during this segment. Lastly, GregaMortis and The Twisted Temptress finishes their look into one of the greatest shows to ever air, the original Twilight Zone. They are covering seasons 3 – 5. This was lots of fun and we hope you will enjoy this one. We want to hear from YOU, what horror tv shows would you like for us to review? Comment below or email gregamortis666@gmail.com. So get your favorite snacks and beverages together turn up the volume and take a journey with us through Land Of The Creeps!
HELP KEEP HORROR ALIVE!!
MOVIE REVIEWS :
1971 THE FIFTH CORD
IAN : 8.5
GREG : 9
TWILIGHT ZONE
SEASON 3
GREG :EPISODE 3 : THE SHELTER
EPISODE 24 : TO SERVE MAN
PEARL : EPISODE 10 : THE MIDNIGHT SUN
EPISODE 16 : NOTHING IN THE DARK
SEASON 4
PEARL : EPISODE 8 : MINITURE
GREG : EPISODE 9 : PRINTER’S DEVIL
SEASON 5
GREG : EPISODE 3 : NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET
GREG : EPISODE : 28 CEASER AND ME
PEARL : EPISODE 6 : LIVING DOLL
PEARL : EPISODE 19 : NIGHT CALL
LINKS FOR DOUBLE DOUBLE
Twisted Temptress Link
IAN IRZA LINKS
LOTC Hotline Number 1-804-569-5682 1-804-569-LOTC
Outro music provided by Greg Whitaker Below is Greg’s Twitter account Twitter
The current backlash against queer and trans people, led by a vivified cultural right, may have come as a surprise to younger people who assumed their rights and protections wouldn’t backslide. For this potential audience most of all, “Last Call,” a rigorous yet emotionally vivid documentary series on HBO, will come as a startling depiction of all-too-recent history, and a call to stand united in the face of a world’s worth of threats.
Produced by, among others, recent Oscar nominee Howard Gertler (“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”) and directed by Anthony Caronna, “Last Call” tells a set of stories that tend to begin at a piano bar. In the early 1990s, a cohort of gay men, often in culturally forced heterosexual marriages and living their true lives only after dark, frequented various drinking establishments in New York City; time and again, one of this set would turn up not merely dead but dismembered, in a sort of brutal testament to antigay feeling.
This grim warning seemed to resonate more with queer people, who were already facing down the AIDS crisis and who grew increasingly fearful, than with law enforcement. Though based on Elon Green’s 2021 book, “Last Call” uses the tools of documentary to assemble a collage of homophobia, and of queer resistance to it. Caronna’s series makes the case that, in a climate still defined by the homophobic activism of Anita Bryant and Pat Buchanan, the police were, at best, less than utterly committed to cracking the case. We see this climate both broadly and, as it pertains to the New York Police Department, deeply; an archival “Oprah” clip sees a guest correct her reference to “gay bashing” with an offensive slur and chalk the crime up to “goofiness,” while Ray Kelly, the former NYPD commissioner, is shown defending his membership in the Emerald Society, a fraternal organization with an antigay platform.
All of this creates a thrumming, threatening backbeat to the story, and we’re certainly shown every contour of the crimes, too. (I’ll admit it had not been previously known to me that “overkill” was not just a metaphorical term, but one used in medical contexts to describe injuries vastly beyond what would cause death.) But the soulfulness of “Last Call” exists beyond or outside police-blotter details. The victims — and I use the word advisedly, as they didn’t just fall prey to a crime but were born into a society unready to accept them — come alive in the testimonials of those who loved them.
This aspect, the degree to which “Last Call” is ready to remember its subjects as real people who yearned for affection and who loved their siblings and who were curious about what joy they could wring out of an unfeeling world, is what makes it transcend. Its settings, like the still-extant Townhouse bar, feel lit with potential harm but also with the baleful sort of affection that comes when people in danger look out for one another as best they can. “Last Call” exists as a critique of systems that moved too slowly to solve a case of serial murder. It also has within it a big-hearted examination of a sort of queer life that’s less in evidence today, in a more open era. In a moment of renewed threats and, more than one might like to admit, deep animus from some major subset of society, this is vital and urgent history.
“Last Call” premieres on HBO and streams on Max Sunday, July 9 at 9 p.m. ET, with new episodes to follow weekly.
Friday, July 7, 2023 ratings — New episodes:Tough As Nails, Family Law, and Moonshine. Sports: WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Reruns: Fire Country, Blue Bloods, Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, Dateline NBC, Will Trent, and 20/20.
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With the Writers Guild of America strike now in its third month — and a potential Screen Actors Guild strike on the horizon — nobody truly knows when Hollywood will be able to resume normal operations. Some saw the Directors Guild of America’s recent deal with the AMPTP as cause for optimism, but one of TV’s top showrunners isn’t so sure.
In a new appearance on the People I (Mostly) Admire podcast, “The Wire” creator David Simon encouraged striking writers to manage their expectations about returning to work and cautioned them to settle in for the long haul.
“I heard a very funny thing,” Simon said. “It may be apocryphal, but somebody, the vice president of the East, she assured me the other day that she had it on good authority that all of the rental yachts from Santa Barbara down to San Diego had been rented through the end of summer. All the execs are gone for the summer.”
Simon explained that even if the anecdote is false, he sees it as indicative of a larger truth about the studios’ relaxed timeline for resolving the strike.
“I don’t know if that’s true or not,” he said. “What I do feel is that this is being dictated by Wall Street and by the people who answer to Wall Street. And their metrics are ambitious in the sense of preserving A.I. and eliminating term employment for film and TV writers. They have a ways to go before they give up on that notion. And they’re going to spend the summer, at least, inflicting pain on us as we walk the line.”
In Simon’s view, companies won’t come to the negotiating table in good faith until the strike has lasted long enough for streaming services to see real drops in customer engagement due to the lack of new content.
“And only until the such time as we start burning off whatever excess of production we’ve left them with for broadcast,” he said. “Only until that such time as they start seeing their audiences wobble and seeing the churn in terms of their subscriptions on the cable and streaming platforms, until they start seeing that go a little bit negative or become static, and realize they’re going to need some more content soon. And I think that means several months on the line. I do.”
Taylor Swift learned quickly that being on top meant a rougher landing at the bottom. The year after she released sophomore album Fearless should have been joyful: The album helped begin her transition from country wunderkind to veritable pop star thanks to the five Top 10 hits it birthed. She would find herself as often the youngest or only country star amongst mainstream pop, rap, and rock heavyweights — incuding at the MTV VMAs where “You Belong With Me” took home Best Female Video. She would even take home her first Album of the Year award in February 2010, making her the youngest artist to win the award until Billie Eilish won it a decade later.
Each win became marred by a loss: At the VMAs, Kanye West would infamously interrupt her acceptance speech to say she didn’t deserve it. After the Grammys, critics would pan her talent after a below average performance with legend Stevie Nicks during the ceremony. Her writing talent as a teenage star was questioned on the regular, many believing that she owed more to the adults in the room with her than she was owning up to. All the while, she was in the midst of the first truly tabloid-frenzied year of her life as she endured a very public breakup with fellow teen idol Joe Jonas and became the center of a media storm trying to piece together who the heartbreak princess would choose next.
With Speak Now, Swift was sending a message. She wrote every song herself, making for her first full album of sole writing credits. And instead of leaning deeper into the pop power of “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me,” she began leaning into some of her rock taste while still maintaining her country dominance. And with each song, she methodically responded to the critics, exes, and public enemies with withering levels of cutting insults and teenage angst.
Thirteen years later, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is the third installment of Swift’s monstrous re-recorded album project, one prompted by the sale of her masters after she parted ways with first label Big Machine Records. Like all the re-recorded albums, this comes with a collection of songs the prolific talent had penned during the era, songs that help expand our idea of who she was and what was on her mind at these times.
Editor’s picks
The Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) vault tracks showcase a very specific side of Swift: a burgeoning songwriter growing up and beginning to build the foundation for the rest of her career. These unearthed songs are some of the most peak Swift lyrics she could write, the kind of concepts and themes she would chase for 13 years to come and learn to perfect in her approach with each passing project.
“Castles Crumbling,” a soft, magical ballad featuring longtime friend Hayley Williams, has Swift assessing the damage done during her first year of true superstardom. The imagery of a fallen empire is almost a rough draft for what she would sing on Reputation seven years later, following an even more harrowing time in her career. “My castle crumbled overnight,” she would sing on “Call it What You Want” as an older, wise, and more world-wearied version of herself.
With standout track “When Emma Falls in Love,” she writes a character study of someone in her life. Presumably about a close friend named Emma, Swift takes the concept of Fearless single “Fifteen” one step further, penning a gorgeous tribute to the romantic highs and lows the titular Emma has faced in seeking love. Stepping outside of her own heartaches and fantasies, Swift is a thoughtful observer of Emma’s emotional journey, seeing beneath the “little miss sunshine” exterior. She would do the same on “Starlight” one album later, examining Ethel and Bobby Kennedy’s love story. By the time she releases Folklore and Evermore, she is a master of this type of incisive storytelling, for both real people and those she has created.
Trending
On “Timeless,” the most purely country of the six vault tracks this round, she stumbles into an antique shop and creates a whole universe from the vintage photos of strangers she finds. It’s one of her first and finest “quill” songs, as she once described her approach to antiquated stories and writing styles inspired by some of her favorite writers, Charlotte Brontë and Emily Dickinson.
As more and more new-old songs emerge from the vault, Swift makes it clear that the writer who had been repeatedly disrespected and misunderstood had also been in the process of becoming the writer who would be ultimately celebrated as one of the best of her generation more than a decade later. And like any great writer, she was building out her lore right in front of us, whether she realized it or not.
The eyeballs are on Wimbledon, the renowned tennis tournament. What could Raindance, an independent film festival, share a few commonalities despite being totally different types of events. Can filmmakers and screenwriters learn from the elements Raindance and Wimbledon share?
Here are some aspects they share:
1.Focus on a Specific Industry:
Both Wimbledon and Raindance focus on specific industries. Wimbledon centers around professional tennis, showcasing the skills and talents of top-ranked players. Raindance, on the other hand, focuses on independent filmmaking, providing a platform for emerging filmmakers to showcase their work.
2.International Participation:
Both events attract participants and attendees from various countries. Wimbledon invites top tennis players from around the world to compete, showcasing the global talent in the sport. Raindance, similarly, welcomes filmmakers from dozens of different nations, promoting international collaboration and diversity in the film industry.
3.Competitive Nature:
Both Raindance and Wimbledon share a competitive aspect. Wimbledon features intense tennis matches where players compete for victory and the championship title. Raindance holds competitions and awards for various categories, such as Best Film, Best Director, or Best Screenplay, where filmmakers compete for recognition and accolades.
4.Prestige and Tradition:
Both events have established themselves as prestigious in their respective fields. Wimbledon has a rich history dating back to 1877 and is considered one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world.
Raindance, founded in 1992, has gained recognition as a prominent independent film festival that celebrates creativity and innovation. Raindance also founded the darlings of the film festival awards season with the British Independent Film Awards.
5.Fan Engagement:
Both Wimbledon and Raindance have dedicated fan bases. Tennis enthusiasts eagerly follow the matches at Wimbledon, supporting their favourite players and engaging in discussions about the tournament.
Film buffs, independent film fans and industry professionals eagerly attend Raindance, watching screenings, participating in Q&A sessions, and interacting with attending filmmakers.
6.Media Coverage:
Both events receive significant media attention. Wimbledon is a major global sports event, attracting extensive coverage from sports journalists, broadcasters, and news outlets.
Raindance, while on a smaller scale, also receives media coverage, with film critics, journalists, and bloggers reporting on the festival and the showcased films in print, blog posts and social media.
7.Pursuit of Excellence:
Both Wimbledon tennis players and filmmakers strive for excellence in their respective fields. Tennis players work hard to improve their skills, physical fitness, and mental game to compete at the highest level.
Similarly, filmmakers hone their craft at workshops and degree courses. Their aim is to to create compelling stories, capture powerful performances, and produce high-quality films that resonate with audiences. And of course, make award and festival worthy films.
8.Preparation and Practice:
Both groups understand the importance of preparation and practice. Wimbledon players spend countless hours on the court, honing their skills, perfecting their technique, and studying their opponents.
Filmmakers also invest significant time and effort honing their craft, conducting research, writing scripts, storyboarding, rehearsing scenes, and working with actors to bring their vision to life.
9.Performance under Pressure:
Wimbledon tennis players and filmmakers often face high-pressure situations. Tennis players compete in front of large crowds and under intense scrutiny, where they must perform their best under immense pressure.
Similarly, filmmakers face tight production schedules, budget constraints, and the need to meet audience and critical expectations. Both groups need to stay focused, make split-second decisions, and deliver their best work when it matters most.
10.Creativity and Expression:
Both Wimbledon tennis players and filmmakers are involved in creative endeavors.
Tennis players exhibit creativity and strategic thinking in their shot selection, game plans, and improvisation on the court. Filmmakers, on the other hand, use their creativity to craft narratives, develop unique visual styles, and tell stories through the medium of film.
11.Global Recognition and Impact:
Wimbledon tennis players and filmmakers have the potential to reach a global audience and leave a lasting impact. Wimbledon is one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, attracting millions of viewers and showcasing the talent of players from various countries. Filmmakers, through their movies, can entertain, inspire, provoke thought, and influence society on a global scale.
While Wimbledon and Raindance differ in terms of their focus and industry, they share commonalities such as international participation, competitive nature, prestige and tradition, fan engagement, and media coverage. These similarities highlight the significance of these events within their respective domains and the impact they have on the industries they represent.
Can you get your film out of your head and onto the ‘court’?
The arrival of the Apple Vision Pro has apparently forced a delay in the launch of Samsung‘s own XR (Extended Reality) headset: the Samsung device is now expected to launch in mid-2024 or later, after having originally been slated for February 2024.
This comes from SBS Biz (via SamMobile), and the story seems to be that seeing the Vision Pro forced Samsung executives to rethink their own device. An upgrade to the display sharpness is one of the possible reasons given for the delay.
Clearly Samsung doesn’t want to come out of the gate with a headset that’s notably inferior to Apple‘s own product, even if it’s also cheaper. The Vision Pro costs $3,499 (about £2,725 / AUS$5,230), and is expected to only be available in limited numbers for a while.
Details on exactly what the Samsung XR headset is going to offer are still thin on the ground at this stage, though it is believed to be running Google’s Android software, and powered by a Qualcomm chipset of some description.
Choose your reality
All these different versions of reality can take some time to get used to. The XR (or Extended Reality) that Samsung prefers is actually referring to all the different types of related technology that we’ve seen to date.
Augmented reality (AR) is where digital objects are overlaid on top of the real world. Then there’s virtual reality (VR), which refers to completely self-contained digital environments. Mixed reality (MR) generally means enhanced AR, where digital objects are aware of and interact with the physical world around them.
The Vision Pro is usually referred to as a mixed reality device, whereas the Meta Quest 3 is mostly concerned with virtual reality. Extended reality, or XR, is generally taken to mean a combination of AR, VR, and MR – though there’s still a lot of confusion, as tech companies tend to all use these terms in different ways.
We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung has been building and what it’s capable of, but the extra time in development should mean a better device – and a more worthy competitor to the Vision Pro when it finally does see the light of day.
As she continues to release new versions of her old albums, Taylor Swift is also releasing new versions of her old relationships (AKA being friends with an ex), as seen on Friday night when she brought Taylor Lautner out onstage during her show in Kansas City.
Lautner did a back handspring and backflip midway down the catwalk platform before hugging Swift. Eagle-eyed fans spotted Lautner walking into the Arrowhead Stadium with his wife, also named Taylor. The gesture took on more meaning on the heels of Swift’s release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” which contains at least one song about Lautner — “Back to December (Taylor’s Version).”
Swift’s reunion with her ex-boyfriend, which took place after she performed “When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version)” and “Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)” as the surprise acoustic songs of the night, preceded her announcement of a music video for a vault track on the rerecorded album — “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version).”
The music video stars Lautner, Joey King and Presley Cash. King and Cash both starred in Swift’s “Mean” music video when they were nine years old and 13 years old, respectively. Swift also brought King onstage Friday night, after which she previewed a snippet of the music video in front of her Kansas City audience.
In the music video, a van pulls up to let King out in front of a top-secret location. Presley Cash plays computer mastermind, hacking into the high-security vault of sorts so that King can get in to save Swift, who is locked in a safe. Lautner surprisingly joins King in a hallway of past outfits Swift has worn in her different eras. They look around at the exhibit before expertly fending off a group of security guards.
The duo ultimately saves Swift, who has the lyrics to “Long Live” written down her arm in sharpie, from the vault, and she in turn takes a portrait of the new cover of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” with her.
Swifties have a few things to say after watching the music video, mainly that an easter egg within it teases that “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” will be the next re-recorded album to release. Others are demanding that Harry Styles, another one of Swift’s exes, collaborate with her on the rerecorded “Style (Taylor’s Version)” and star in the music video.
Watch the “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)” music video below:
Sam Pollard’s “The League” Is Not Your Typical Baseball Doc.
The documentary filmmaker grew up in the 1960s watching the St. Louis Cardinals, whose roster of players included Black or Latino players including Bill White, Curt Flood, Orlando Cepeda and Lou Brock, but did not know much about the Negro Leagues that existed when the sport was still segregated.
“I knew who Jackie Robinson was and that it was because of him Blacks had integrated the Major Leagues in 1947,” says Pollard. “But what I did not know much about in 1964 at the age of 14 was that he had come out of the Negro Leagues and that the Negro Leagues had been home to Black and Latino ballplayers who had to play segregated baseball during the height of the Jim Crow era.”
While some segregation in the sport always existed, the color line in baseball was not rigidly enforced until the end of the 19th century.
What Pollard also did not know back in 1964 was that close to 60 years later he would direct “The League,” a documentary about the rich legacy of the Negro Leagues.
Executive produced by Oscar winning doc director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (“Summer of Soul”), Tariq Trotter (“Descendant”), and produced by RadicalMedia, “The League” recounts the rise and fall of the Negro Leagues and the impact that African American baseball had not only on Major League Baseball as we now know it, but also its impact on the social advancement of America.
Released on July 7 by Magnolia Pictures & 2929 Productions, “The League” is a story about not just baseball, but exclusion and self-determination.
Variety spoke to Pollard about his vision for the film, the Negro League’s ongoing influence and what the doc is really about.
Did Questlove and Radical Media bring this film to you?
Byron Motley whose dad, Bob Motley, was a Negro League umpire, reached out to me about 10 years ago. He asked if I would be interested in directing a doc about his dad and his dad’s role in Negro Leagues. I said, ‘Yes. Absolutely.’ We went through the whole dance of trying to find funders, and raise money with no success. Finally, and I don’t know how it worked out, if we went to Radical and Quest or if Quest went to Radical, but eventually they all got on board. That was about three years ago.
In addition to captivating archival footage, talking heads and recordings made of many former players, you relied on reenactments and animation to tell the story. Was that always part of the plan?
We knew we were going to do recreations because initially I thought we weren’t going to have enough archival footage necessary to make (the film) happen. So recreations were always on the table. Animation came later. Every film that I approach, I’m always trying to figure out aesthetically and cinematically how to make it different than the one before.
The doc describes white baseball during the time of the Negro League as a “station to station game.” They didn’t steal bases or bunt balls. On the other hand, Black baseball players were aggressive and daring. Would you say that the Negro League directly influenced how the game of baseball is played today?
Look at American sports — football, basketball, baseball. Anytime Black people became parts of those games, what happened to those sports? The energy, the approach to athleticism changes. When Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Larry Doby and Jackie Robinson came to National Major League baseball, they brought with them the Black athletic aesthetic. What does that mean? That means the way they ran bases, bunt and steel, etc.
Would you say that “The League” is a baseball doc or a film about America and race?
It’s about America and race. All of my films are about America and race. It’s just about what funnel am telling that story through. Is it through the funnel of Sammy Davis Jr.? (“Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me”). Is it through the funnel of Dr. King dealing with the FBI and how they were trying to destroy him? (“MLK/FBI”). Is it through the funnel of Bill Russell being a member of the Boston Celtics at the height of civil rights movement? (“Bill Russell: Legend”). Is it through the Negro League evolution up until what happens in Negro League and Jackie Robinson joins the MLB? It’s always about American and race.
What do you think audiences will be most surprised to learn after watching “The League”?
That are going to be surprised that the Negro Leagues helped the Black communities in America survive during the horrific period of Jim Crow segregation. They are also going to learn that there were some phenomenal human beings who were players in that league. Two of the major standouts are Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
From Aberdeenshire To Yorkshire: Here’s What Barbie Would Look Like In Every County Of The UK
Whether you’re a Barbie girl or not, you have to admit it: it’s very much a Barbie world right now.
We’ve been having fun generating Barbie Dream Houses in every country of the world, so we thought we’d share what AI thinks Barbie would look like in every county of the UK too. Here are the British babes:
“True Legend Harris-Dupart was born 7/6/23 at 8:30pm … and as PERFECT as ever,” she captioned a video that documented Da Brat’s delivery process. “We are overwhelmed with love, very appreciative for such a blessing of our bundle of joy. This journey has been more amazing than we could’ve ever imagined.”
In an interview with People, the “In Love Wit Chu” artist expressed her excitement about giving birth.
“I can’t believe he came out of me!” said Da Brat, whose real name is Shawntae Harris-Dupart. “Feels like a dream. He’s perfect in every way.”
The couple also discussed the anxiety that came with preparing for childbirth with a mother in her late 40s.
“I was like, ‘Nothing’s gonna come out of me!’” the 49-year-old rapper said.”[My wife was] so nurturing.”
The women, who got married in February 2022, documented the early days of their path to fertility in Season 2 of WeTV’s “Brat Loves Judy” after posting on Instagram that they were “EXTENDING the family.”
Jesseca Harris-Dupart, already a mother of three, talked about the decision the couple made to have Da Brat carry the child to term, saying, “We had a little tug-o-war in the beginning … but I felt like she should have the experience.”
The “What’chu Like” artist’s delivery comes after experiencing a previous miscarriage, she shared in the recent interview.
“I had never been so excited about something that I didn’t even know I wanted,” Da Brat said. “I fell in love with the idea and then it was all snatched away from me. Luckily, we still had quite a few of her eggs left.”
“It’s been quite a journey,” the rapper told People that month. “It started as a joke [on Instagram]. … But then we got a huge response. It was like, ‘Oh my God, do we want to actually have kids, and if we do, girl, we better hurry up!’”
Da Brat came out publicly as a lesbian in a March 2020 Instagram post about the overwhelming early birthday gift she received from Harris-Dupart: a white Bentley with red interior and custom-ordered red bow.
“I’ve always been a kind of private person until I met my heart’s match who handles some things differently than I do,” she wrote. “Thank you baby [Harris-Dupart] for far more than this incredible birthday gift. I have never experienced this feeling. It’s so overwhelming that often I find myself in a daze hoping to never get pinched to see if it’s real so I can live in this dream forever.”
When asked what she wants to be changed with Wanda Maximoff, Olsen admitted that she wants “to figure out the whole Mutant thing,” expressing a desire to explore that side of her history and possibly meet other MCU Mutants:
“Oh gosh, I just want to figure out the whole Mutant thing. Like, that’s really…and none of us can do anything about it. Like, we can’t do anything about it. We’re not X-Men, but gosh. I just would love to explore that so much. I think, X-Men was definitely my first experience with superhero-type films.”
Olsen also previously expressed hope that she’d have the opportunity to say one iconic line from Marvel Comics’ run with the Scarlet Witch – “no more Mutants.”
Will Olsen’s Scarlet Witch Get Her X-Men Crossover?
But no matter where and how she comes back, it appears that the Scarlet Witch’s Mutant history may finally be on its way to becoming prominent if Olsen has anything to say about it.
Olsen can be seen in both WandaVision and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness from Phase 4, both of which are streaming on Disney+.
The internet is having a blast right now, speculating which upcoming high-profile summer movie is going to win its respective weekend. Will it be Christopher Nolan’s gritty WWII period piece/biopic Oppenheimer, or will it be Margot Robbie in hot pink in Barbie? The term “Barbenheimer” has already become a thing on social media. Are the studios out of their gourds releasing two such expensive movies on the same weekend? One will surely cannibalize the other’s box office, right? Well, not so fast. It wasn’t always like this.
Warner Bros./Universal Pictures
Once upon a time, big Hollywood movies frequently opened on the same weekend. The hope was, if someone didn’t see the movie one weekend, they’d just see it the next. Or the next. Imagine that! Most listed here are from the ‘80s, if only because that was the last time Hollywood wasn’t so skittish about this practice. Now, it’s almost unheard of. For those worried that Oppenheimer and Barbie will cancel each other out, the films below proved two big movies can have the same opening weekend and go on to great success.
The Empire Strikes Back and The Shining (May 21, 23, 1980)
Lucasfilm/Warner Bros.
Of all the same weekend openers on this list, we dare say the first is maybe the most legendary. On Wednesday, May 21, 1980, The Empire Strikes Back, or “Star Wars II” as some folks called it then, was released on hundreds of screens nationwide. At the time, it was the most anticipated film ever made. Two days later, premiering on a mere ten screens in major cities, you could also catch Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. (It would get a larger rollout weeks later). Four decades later, both movies are considered titans of their genre, and among the greatest films ever made. Who doesn’t know “I am your father” or “Come play with us, Danny. Forever and ever?” They are both part of the cultural fabric.
If one was lucky enough to be in the right city in 1980 that weekend, they simply could have had the best day at the movies ever. Interestingly, a few other fun facts tie Empire and Kubrick’s Stephen King adaptation together. Kubrick repurposed most of the fake snow used for The Shining from the Hoth set from Empire. They shot both films at Elstree Studios in the UK, and a fire on The Shining set delayed shooting on Empire for weeks. Although Empire was the clear box office winner, The Shining did respectable business for an ’80s horror movie. Today, one can make the argument that these are two of the most memed movies ever.
Poltergeist and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (June 4, 1982)
MGM/Paramount Pictures
1982 was a banner year for nerd cinema. It’s perhaps the greatest geek movie year of all time. And here are two perfect examples as to why. On the weekend of June 4, 1982, you could go to the movies and take your pick of two stone-cold classics — Tobe Hooper’s suburban haunted house thrill ridePoltergeist, and Nicholas Meyer’s space opera Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Both the Star Trek sequel and the PG-rated scare-fest were big-budget, special effects extravaganzas, aimed at the same target demographic. Today, no studio would ever think of pitting them up against each other, for fear one would inevitably fail as audiences could only choose one. But both movies did incredible business, with neither one hurting the other’s box office.
Blade Runner and The Thing (June 25, 1982)
Warner Bros./Universal Pictures
Hey, remember how we just said that 1982 was a banner year for geek cinema? And how Poltergeist and Star Trek II went on to great success financially even though they opened on the same day? Well, we can’t say the same for these two iconic films from the same month in the same year — John Carpenter’s The Thing and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Both of them hit theaters on June 25, 1982. And at least at first, both landed with a giant thud.
In this case, it wasn’t one movie that killed the other at the box office. It was Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which opened two weekends before and absolutely crushed them both. Today, most consider both of these sci-fi films among the greatest of their genre, but in 1982, average moviegoers wanted cute and cuddly sci-fi, and not anything too bleak or dystopian. Something that both Blade Runner and The Thing very much were. History has been very kind to both films since, however. Box office, shmox office.
Ghostbusters and Gremlins (June 8, 1984)
Sony/Warner Bros.
If you were an ‘80s kid, and you happened to see these two films opening day, then this weekend might have formed an essential core memory for you. On June 8, 1984, Columbia Pictures released the horror-comedy Ghostbusters, while Warner Bros. released their own horror-comedy, the Steven Spielberg-produced Gremlins. Both films were absolutely massive at the box office, playing for months and months. And both movies also sold a ton of merchandise to kids (and adults) everywhere.
Ghostbusters was ultimately the bigger hit, topping the box office for six straight weeks. The comedic power of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Harold Ramis could not be slowed down in 1984. And it had a very catchy theme song on the radio playing 24/7. But on opening weekend, Gremlins was only #2 at the box office by a (Mogwai) hair, and also had an incredible run. To this day, both movies remain iconic, symbolic of their era. Ultimately, opening on the same day didn’t hurt either film one bit. To put it simply ‘twas a different time.
Batman and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (June 23, 1989)
Warner Bros./Disney
The lead-up and hype for 1989’s Batman was something never seen before in Hollywood. In the summer of ’89, the Bat symbol was everywhere, one of the shrewdest pieces of movie marketing of all time. Many pundits thought that any movie to go against Jack Nicholson’s Joker and Keaton’s Caped Crusader was foolish to try. But Disney decided to release their Rick Moranis family sci-fi comedy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on the same weekend anyway, and it was a gamble that paid off.
Batman might have sucked all the air out of the room that summer, steamrolling through box office records, but Disney’s little movie (pun intended) went on to make $222 million. It later received two more sequels, a TV series, and a long-running Disney Parks attraction. Not to mention, it became a Disney Channel staple and a favorite of Millennial kids. Despite its success, for much of the next decade, two big tent pole movies rarely opened on the same day in the following decades. But, there were a handful of exceptions to that rule. But Batman and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids felt like the end of an era.
The Matrix and 10 Things I Hate About You (March 31, 1999)
Warner Bros/Touchstone Pictures
Back in the spring of 1999, no one saw The Matrix coming. The last cyberpunk movie starring Keanu Reeves, Johnny Mnemonic, had tanked. Besides, the summer of ’99 was only going to be all about The Phantom Menace, right? Well, the Wachowski siblings’ innovative sci-fi action flick blew the collective minds of everyone, and it was a big hit with critics and audiences. Regardless of one’s feelings about its subsequent three sequels, the original film has stood the test of time. But few recall that another iconic movie of a different genre had the same release date.
Teen comedies were also all the rage as well in the late ‘90s, and on the very same weekend, the rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You hit theaters. Starring teen faves like Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it introduced America to Heath Ledger. Back then, Ledger was viewed as just another teen heartthrob, no one knew he’d become an acting powerhouse. Even with The Matrix being an unknown quantity, most still expected a sci-fi action movie to crush 10 Things. But the film found long-term success, especially with teen Millennials. And Neo dodging bullets in the adjacent movie screen didn’t dent Heath Ledger’s appeal to teen moviegoers at all.
The Dark Knight and Mamma Mia! (July 18, 2008)
Warner Bros./Universal Pictures
The Oppenheimer/Barbie fight is not the first time Christopher Nolan has found himself in this position. Back in 2008, his much-hyped follow-up to Batman Begins hit theaters, and was the talk of that entire summer. Meanwhile, in a shrewd bit of old-school counter-programming, Universal opened their adaptation of the Broadway hit musical Mamma Mia!, hoping female audiences not as into men in tights punching each other would flock to hear ABBA tunes in wondrous AC comfort.
This particular strategy paid off; Mamma Mia! was an enormous crowd-pleasing hit. And it very nearly outmatched the overseas grosses for The Dark Knight, which we all know went on to be one of the biggest films ever made. This was perhaps the last time two such high-profile movies attempted to launch on the same weekend. And it’s now been 15 years. Can history repeat itself, and allow both Oppenheimer and Barbie to find box office gold? We’ll find out soon.
Nintendo has released a new Pikmin 4 trailer which serves as an introduction to the plant-like creatures.
The upcoming game sees players taking control of a new, customisable character and embarking on a mission to rescue Captain Olimar and the Rescue Corps sent to find him, all of whom have crash-landed on an alien planet.
To do so they’ll need the help of the Pikmin, an obedient, plant-like race which loves nothing more than lifting heavy objects and fighting giant monsters for alien visitors.
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The trailer above highlights some of the unique traits different Pikmin types have, including the strong and fire-resistant red ones, and the electric abilities possessed by the yellow ones.
During a recent hands-on with the game, we were also introduced to an ice type Pikmin that can freeze water and enemies.
Nintendo released a Pikmin 4 demo on the Nintendo eShop last week, alongside an extensive overview trailer for the game, which will be released on July 21.
The 7-minute video sets the scene for the Switch sequel and details, among other things, its ‘Dandori Battles’ – competitive challenges against AI or another player to see who can most efficiently use their Pikmin to collect valuable items.
It also showcases Pikmin 4’s RPG-type features and its new night-time challenges, which play out similarly to tower defence games.
Check out Francis Ford Coppola’s recommend reads that inspired him.
Inspiration can come to filmmakers in so many different ways. For Francis Ford Coppola, his inspiration for his upcoming project, Megalopolis, came in the form of four specific books.
There is little known about Coppola’s sci-fi epic Megalopolis beyond the Wikipedia description of the premise, which reads: “In New York, a woman (Nathalie Emmanuel) is divided between loyalties to her father (Forest Whitaker), who has a classical view of society, and her lover (Adam Driver), who is more progressive and ready for the future.”
The director took to Instagram to share the four books “that strongly have influenced [Megalopolis]” and his view of the “society we live in.” Let’s take a look at them below.
4 Books That Inspired Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis
Do you think you understand how debt influences our fundamental notions of morality?
Debt: The First 5,000 Years is a book that explores the historical relationship of debt with social institutions such as barter, marriage, friendship, slavery, law, religion, war, and government. The book provides an intriguing account of this lesser-known history of debt, illustrating its profound influence on human civilization.
This book may have influenced how Coppola approached shaping Driver’s character, who has a more progressive view of the world and challenges traditional thought.
In Bullshit Jobs, David Graeber delves into the question of whether people’s jobs make a meaningful contribution to the world. The book aims to give individuals, corporations, and societies permission to reevaluate their values and prioritize meaningful work. It appeals to those who wish to transform their vocations into fulfilling pursuits that contribute to a more purposeful society.
Again, this seems to be another thread into Coppola’s progressive take on what it means to live in a traditional society. Rather than work to work, this book challenges this notion by asking why we don’t do work that feels purposeful to us and society.
The Dawn of Everything presents a groundbreaking perspective on human history, challenging established assumptions about social evolution. Authors David Graeber and David Wengrow question traditional narratives regarding the development of agriculture, cities, the state, democracy, and inequality. They explore new possibilities for human emancipation and offer a fresh understanding of our ancestors.
After the first two books, it is easy to see why this particular book inspired Coppola. By incorporating the themes, ideas, and intellectual journey of The Dawn of Everything into the movie, the story could gain a thought-provoking and philosophical dimension. It could explore the clash of ideas and values while offering a broader perspective on human history and the possibilities for societal transformation.
The final novel of Hermann Hesse, The Glass Bead Game is a fascinating tale of the complexity of modern life as well as a classic of modern literature. The novel tells the story of Joseph Knecht, who has been raised in Castalia, the remote place his society has provided for the intellectual elite to grow and flourish. For his entire life, Knecht has been obsessed with mastering the Glass Bead Game, which requires a synthesis of aesthetics and philosophy, which he achieves in adulthood, becoming a Magister Ludi (Master of the Game).
Overall, the novel’s exploration of intellectual pursuits, societal complexities, and the clash between tradition and progress makes it a potential source of inspiration for Coppola.
There is plenty of inspiration out there in the world. From people-watching to reading the endless amount of books that are out there, you can find a spark of inspiration for your next epic story.
Until then, you can check out some of the best screenwriting books that will help you shape your craft. When seeking insights into the industry and honing your storytelling skills, it is crucial to prioritize reading the most impactful advice. Waste no time and delve into these invaluable resources today!
Probably not on the scale of the expensive Disney live-action movie, but Belle does have an interesting premise. They are calling it a “horror fantasy” retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale classic.
“Belle would do anything to save her ailing father so she journeys in search of a mythical rose believed to be a cure. As payment for the rose, Belle must surrender herself to a vicious beast and battle his spell.”
Belle Movie Poster
There has been a fairytale revival of sorts in the horror community. Winnie the Pooh and The Grinch got a slasher cover with more adaptations of different children’s stories still on the way.
Belle doesn’t look like a slasher per the trailer, but they aren’t revealing too much in it either. It would be cool if the Beast went on a rampage and tore up all the villagers with unique kills, or Belle used an axe to finally shut Gaston up while singing, “No one bleeds like Gaston,” but don’t hold your breath.
Belle – Official Trailer
Belle, written and directed by Max Gold (“Surfer’s Paradise,” “Silicon Beach,” “Classic of Changes”) will be released in select theaters on July 14 and On Demand, August 22.
The film stars Andrea Snædal (“Silicon Beach”), Ingi Hrafn Hilmarsson (The Noise of Engines, “Silicon Beach”), Hana Vagnerová (“Female Factor,” “Beat on Friendship”), Gudmundur Thorvaldsson (Take 5, Eleven Men Out), Helga Braga Jónsdóttir (“Stitch n’ Bitch,” “Women at War”), Sigurður Sigurjónsson (“The Valhalla Murders,” “Under The Tree”).
Ethan Hunt is a secret agent. He works with a team of high-tech specialists to save the world from terrorists. Often, their work involves dangerous physical feats performed under tight time constraints. That, folks, is about all the backstory you need to know to successfully enjoy Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation—or for that matter, any of the four other entries in this blockbuster movie series that was once a blockbuster television series. As Hollywood continues to build franchises on top of franchises, turning the summer movie season into a massive crossover event, the M:I films remain blessedly, unfashionably self-contained: They’re stand-alone popcorn entertainments that can be watched in any order, with only the thinnest of connecting continuity between them. Who needs a post-credits tease for next summer’s sequel when you have the pre-credits spectacle of Tom Cruise really, truly, actually dangling from an airplane on its way to the sky? Rogue Nation, like the similarly propulsive Ghost Protocol, often feels like a pure instrument of fun, dragging Hunt through an ongoing series of precarious situations. There’s a crosscutting, Hitchcockian skirmish in the rafters of the Vienna Opera House, a tight motorcycle pursuit through heavy traffic, and a heist sequence—a series specialty—in which Hunt must filch some sensitive data from a circular underwater vault, dodging a rotating crane as his oxygen supply dwindles. McQuarrie mounts these sequences with playful booby-trap precision; in one particularly inspired moment, a car blows up in the background of the shot, seconds before Benji speeds a getaway vehicle into the foreground. Mostly, though, he just keeps the whole enterprise hurtling forward, from one hit of pleasure to the next. [A.A. Dowd]
You know I always love going old school talking to contestants and this week was no different. William Holman joins me this week to talk about his season on the “Bachelorette” when Ashley was the lead. Appropriate for the week because just like Aaron this week, William had the first 1-on-1 of the season that year in one of the coolest 1-on-1’s we’ve ever seen – dinner in the middle of the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. However, there’s a story behind that I’d never heard of that he tells, along with probably the biggest goof he had during the season, which was roasting Ashley during the group date. What a real shocker to hear how production essentially set him up for that giant fail. The first 45 minutes or so we talk about his time on both shows, then when I asked him what he’s been up to since then – the interview takes an unexpected turn that I had no idea about. I hope you all take a listen to what William has to say. I want to thank William for coming on and sharing his story with everyone, and if it helps at least one person, that’s what would mean the most.
You can listen to today’s podcast on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in by clicking the player below:
(SPOILERS) I begin by talking about how the William interview took a turn I didn’t see coming in the last 15 minutes but that I was thankful for. Then William joins me (7:55) to talk about how he got cast on Ashley’s season, getting the first 1-on-1 date in Vegas at the Bellagio fountains, that infamous roast of Ashley and producers role in it, going on Bachelor Pad 2, and the lows he’s hit in his life post-show.
(SPOILERS) Today’s Daily Roundup covers Temptation Island, The Big D, Taylor Swift adds 14 more international shows, a conspiracy theory behind Rebecca Black’s “Friday” song (and me singing), and Threads launches their app.
You can listen to that podcast on a number of platforms, but you can also tune in here:
Hugh Jackman won’t be the only one bringing his Marvel character out of retirement for “Deadpool 3.” Jennifer Garner is also returning to star as Elektra in the Ryan Reynolds starrer, according to reports.
Garner, who was most recently seen in Apple TV+’s “The Last Thing He Told Me” and hasn’t played the role in nearly 20 years, will reprise her Elektra in the Shawn Levy-directed sequel.
If your understanding of Garner’s superhero past is a little foggy the steely assassin in 2003’s “Daredevil,” which starred Ben Affleck as the titular Hell’s Kitchen lawyer-turned-vigilante in a film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. While the film underperformed, Fox was still so impressed with Garner’s performance that they gave her a solo movie — 2005’s “Elektra,” directed by Rob Bowman.
More recently, the character, created by comics legend Frank Miller, was played by Élodie Yung in the Netflix series “Daredevil” and “The Defenders.” Considering how Charlie Cox’s Daredevil has reentered the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s possible that Yung could also return as the MCU’s version of the character.
“Deadpool 3,” currently slated for release next May, is the first since Marvel Studios gained control over the characters previously overseen by Fox. (Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019.) The movie will once again star Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth, with a supporting cast that includes Jackman and franchise staples Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Brianna Hildebrand, Rob Delaney and Stefan Kapičić.
Not much is known about the next installment, but Garner’s presence (not to mention the fact that Jackman’s Wolverine was very much dead at the end of “Logan”) suggests that there could be some multiverse shenanigans. (Fittingly, “Deadpool 3” is being released during an era that Marvel Studios has dubbed The Multiverse Saga.)
The screenplay for the new film was handled by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Reynolds and Levy. Levy is coming off of two projects that starred Reynolds — 2022’s time travel adventure “The Adam Project” and 2021’s video game extravaganza “Free Guy.”
When the world undergoes an apocalyptic event, a dystopian society emerges. A totalitarian government takes control, and civilization is thrown into an abyss. Then a hero must rise against all odds to restore order. That’s not director Mel Eslyn’s Biosphere. Co-written by Eslyn and star Mark Duplass, this post-apocalypse comedy is an unconventional, weird, and crazy rendition of the subject. It challenges the genre’s stereotypical tropes and common elements and takes an absurdist dig into the ideas of evolutionary change, survivability, and adaption. And these are half of the subtexts you might end up noticing.
The story begins some years after an event destroyed the planet. The last two men on Earth, Billy (Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K.Brown), childhood friends, now live in a bio-dome, as the rest of human life has been eradicated. While the darkness lurks outside, the two friends have maintained a water filtration system and tend to the little plant life and a fish pool within. This helps both men find some semblance in their everyday life. But, in their efforts to survive and outgrow the dystopian reality, will their makeshift bio-dome win over the one nature has put in place?
Biosphere begins as a buddy film, with the two protagonists cracking jokes and taking a dig at each other, resulting in several humorous shenanigans. From thereon, owing to its subtexts of ecological preservation, the movie strikes a discussion on evolution. “Life Finds A Way,” the famous quote from Jurassic Park, finds its place here, both literally and figuratively. Through a twist of events, Billy and Ray’s conversation morphs to stereotypical masculinity. In its 106-minute runtime, the story’s ambitious and daring subject deepens into an intimate character study. The result is a hilarious and effective effort that blends dramedy with sci-fi and yet, remains conversationally philosophical.
“…childhood friends, now live in a bio-dome, as the rest of human life has been eradicated.”
Both Duplass and Eslyn have structured the screenplay well, unraveling themes shell-by-shell. The dialogue and chemistry between the protagonists ensure that the viewers catch on with the absurd weirdness. With each revelation, the absurdism increases, simultaneously amplifying the intrigue and interest in the movie. They’ll push you to look at this genre with a distinguished analytical approach while making you gaze through new perspectives on nature conservation. The filmmakers raise doubts about whether life finds a magical way to survive when all hope is lost and whether humanity holds a chance to lead that change.
Another provocative aspect of the picture is that it only stretches so far into the dystopia. Instead, Duplass and Meslyn have taken the current threats to the planet and have contemplated a future that may not be too distant as far as post-apocalyptic settings in cinema are concerned. Hence, the absurdist narrative of Biosphere convinces us of a vague possibility that it might be biologically or scientifically sensical in next-stage evolution.
However, there are moments when these thoughtful discussions don’t turn into any conclusive explanation or interpretation. Both characters’ arcs venture into individual directions as their thoughts intertwine and intersect. Since they leave much to interpretation, it gets challenging to understand the symbolization Eslyn is hoping to achieve. This is why the filmis a mixed experience overall.
Biosphere, like its plot, is tough to assess. The idea is substantially unique, so kudos to the cast and crew for executing it in a feature. At the same time, the final results don’t fill up the intended discussions much. Hence, while this funny and humorous study of a post-apocalyptic change excels in exploring some of its more philosophical traits, the substance regarding its core story is not quite there. Yet, this deserves a watch for its comedic rendering of the complex storyline.
