Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s most heralded rookie since LeBron James entered in 2003, didn’t exactly light up the Summer League scorecard in his debut.
But if opening night jitters held him back a tad on the scorecard, it didn’t matter on the scoreboard. The San Antonio Spurs topped the Charlotte Hornets 76-68, as former St. John’s star Josh Champagne led the Spurs with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Wembanyama made some slick passes in his 27 minutes of action, but shot a poor 2-13 from the field. He finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, although he did a solid job of protecting the rim with 5 blocks. He showed a good handle in bringing the ball up, and hit a 3-point shot, reflecting his all-around game.
Wembanyama, a French player who was the No. 1 draft choice a month ago, entered the court to a roar from the crowd, who wanted to see whether his multiple talents would manifest in a higher-caliber league than his native France. The game was also televised by ESPN, lending a bigger aura to the game than the usual summer league matches, which feature free agents and players still trying to make their mark.
The No. 1 draftee was actually outscored by Brandon Miller of Charlotte, the No. 2. Miller had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes.
Remember Amazon Prime Day? Yep, it’s that time of year again to shop the best Prime Day deals of 2023. Though it’s right around the corner–Prime Day(s) is July 11 and 12–you can find plenty of unbeatable price slashes across every category imaginable now. We already have our eyes on Prime Day clothing deals, noise-canceling earbuds, best-selling leggings, a few new Amazon bras, and sex toy sales galore. Of course, the majority of it comes with free two-day shipping, courtesy of your Prime membership. (And if you’re not already signed up, now’s the time to do it—you can even score a free 30-day trial right now.)
Who can shop Amazon Prime Day?
Prime Day is open exclusively to Amazon Prime members, who’ll get access to lightning deals, free two-day shipping, and extra benefits like Prime Video and Amazon Prime Music. If you don’t have a membership, you might get lucky with coupons or a few unofficial Prime Day deals from select sellers, but you’ll be missing out on all the extra perks of membership. If you’re still on the fence, you can get a free 30-day trial below.
What are the best Amazon Prime Day deals?
We thought you’d never ask. Last year brands like Peloton and New Balance were on sale, and Alexa-enabled devices and Fire TVs were marked down as much as 80%. Although the vast majority of the upcoming sales are still under wraps, you can already score a ton of early Prime Day deals on vacuums, jeans, bestselling beauty, baby goods, and deals for your pets.
And those are just the best early deals—if previous events are any indication, we’re in for a landslide of steals on everything from white T-shirts to wireless bralettes, Instant Pots to air fryers, smart TVs to Bluetooth speakers. While you could go at it alone, there’s no need to. We’re experts on all things Prime Day at Glamour—and we’re here to sift through the deals for you. As you gear up for the big day, we recommend looking through our Prime Day coverage and signing up for our shopping newsletter to get all the best Amazon deals delivered directly to your inbox. (Think of us as your personal online shoppers.)
To make the deals easier to find, we curated all (yes, all) of the pre-event markdowns worth your time.
These fashion markdowns prove that as with everything else in your home, you can buy a complete wardrobe on Amazon. Start completing your summer wardrobe as you scroll through discounts and coupons on dresses, and get ahead on fall styles with new jeans and sweat sets.
While Amazon may be a go-to for tech and clothes, it’s also home to a top-notch selection of editor-approved beauty brands and coveted treatments on ultra-sale, like some of our favorite hair dryers (this blow dry brush is the perfect 2-in-1), a viral foot peel that really, and popular picks from Drunk Elephant, to name a few.
Best Amazon Prime Day Home, Kitchen & Vacuum Deals 2023
Cozy linen sheets, plush mattresses, and silk pillowcases are all up for grabs at some of the best prices we’ve ever seen. What are you waiting for? Prime Day is also the perfect time to give your kitchen a little TLC. Pick up Prime Day sales on air fryers, standing mixers, and cast-iron skillets at some of the lowest prices imaginable while you can. And don’t forget to snag a new vacuum while you’re at it. You can take advantage of these Amazon Prime Day deals to achieve dust-free floors at a fraction of the MSRP. After all, there’s no time like the present to grab a Wi-Fi-enabled robo vac.
Best Amazon Prime Day Bedding Deals 2023
Is your bedding looking a little… ratty? There’s no time like the present (okay, like a sale) to stock up on fresh sheets, like the Mellani set below. They’re marked down to $35, but according to Glamour editors, who have slept in them, they feel incredibly high-end, super soft. Our testers have also endorsed this silk pillowcase, saying it’s helped improve not only their sleep, but also their hair and skin.
Best Amazon Prime Day Tech Deals 2023
Create your very own smart home with the best Prime Day deals on high-tech gadgets. We spy coveted headphones, smart speakers with Alexa voice control, and extra-brainy TV accessories among the markdowns—but we can’t promise that they’ll stick around for long. Shopping for a gift for a teen? They’ll especially love this Instant Camera.
The ’zon tends to slash prices on everything from powerful vibrators to stainless-steel wands to top-rated Lelo sex toys with marathon-length battery life. The early sales include nearly 50% off a Womanizer toy that Glamour’s resident sex experts (and editors) have raved about. “I had a friend use one for the first time and she breathlessly left me a voice note expressing her shock and joy at how strongly and quickly she came,” Caroline West, PhD, a lecturer in sexuality studies and host of the podcast Glow West tells Glamour. “She’s now gotten her friends to buy it, and it’s opened up a world of conversations between them about pleasure. That, I believe, is the true sign of a good toy—one that you will joyously and authentically recommend to your friends without any shame.”
Best Amazon Prime Day Luggage Deals 2023
Another category to take into consideration this Prime Day is Amazon’s luggage department. Get ready for your summer travels with a hard-shell suitcase, complete luggage sets, packing cubes, and expandable toiletry bags.
Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Expandable Luggage With Spinner Wheels
Best Amazon Prime Day Baby Deals 2023
Whether you’re in the market for a gift for a new mom (or new dad) or you’re stocking up on goodies for your own little one, Amazon has tons of Prime Day baby deals on everything from cute play mats (can you even resist this inflatable fishy option?) strollers, a Glamour editor beloved breast pump (the Elvie below has earned top marks), nursery gliders (one of our faves is 30% off), affordable clothes for newborns and toddlers, and a soother that’s a real hoot (see what we did there?)
Bob Gear Alterrain Pro Jogging Stroller Lunar Ultra-Reflective Accents
Best Amazon Prime Day Pet Deals 2023
Of course we haven’t forgotten about your fur friends. Prime Day pet deals are already stacked with our favorite dog camera (Glamour editors love the Furbo), a pet pillow that’s so lush you’ll want to join your pup in it, and a leash with over 80,000 five-star reviews.
Raindance alumni Jamie Robson is an award winning Scottish actor, with accolades ranging from leading in a BAFTA winning film, to working with the highly praised Charlotte Wells, cinematographer Robbie Ryan, and those alike. His first step as an actor, in the starring role, debuted at Raindance in 2018, which was a catalyst for everything that followed. I had the opportunity to chat with Jamie about his films, experiences thus far, the world of independent cinema and festivals, and what he has learned.
Your first film, Blue Christmas, debuted at Raindance in 2018. How was your experience?
Blue Christmas (2017)
It was wonderful; a packed house and great atmosphere. We all attended; my partner, my agent Wendy Scozzaro, Charlotte Wells, her partner and family. It was a great start to my career as an actor, I was very lucky – getting the lead role, working with Robbie Ryan, shooting on celluloid, going to Sundance, Raindance, TIFF, SXSW. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the casting directors, Simone Pereira-Hind and Anna Dawson. Their support and advocacy played a huge part in the foundations of my career.
What was the most important thing you learned from working with Charlotte Wells?
The value of observation and language of collaboration; the project involved many talented people, such as Robbie Ryan, the Palme d’Or winning cinematographer who has worked with the likes of Yorgos Lanthimos and Andrea Arnold. By carefully watching how others operated, I learned how to exist on set. From there, I found I was more able to express ideas in a diplomatic but practical manner. Charlotte and I became close friends and we’re developing another project together.
How did your acting journey begin? What inspired you?
My love of film and interesting actors was the primary catalyst, then friends who were upcoming filmmakers, such as Peter Marsden, drew me in with opportunities on their music videos and short films; it just took off from there. Early on, I had the fortune of meeting Mark Cousins (Story of Film) who became somewhat of a mentor. Around the same time, I was introduced to Simone, who cast me in my first paid acting role, Blue Christmas, which was nominated at Sundance; then I did My Loneliness Is Killing Me, which won a BAFTA; and it all snowballed from there.
What role did Raindance have in shaping your journey in the film industry?
Elliot Grove has always been a source of positivity and optimism. He’s a bastion of independent cinema and his support has helped my confidence grow as an actor. Having an ongoing relationship with Raindance, BIFA and their respective teams has been very valuable psychologically.
What advice would you give your five years ago self?
Archivia (2023)
Be more patient, trust in the process and loosen the reins a little. I perhaps “curated” my career trajectory too stubbornly in the beginning, which looks good with regards to leading in critically lauded work, but it maybe stifled me of some creative and financial opportunities. These days, my approach is more fluid and flowing.
How did you feel during the Scottish BAFTA win for My Loneliness is Killing Me?
Delighted – and it didn’t stop with the BAFTA; it won Short of the Week, the BFI Flare and was screened on the BBC. The film was an exhausting experience, with night shoots, weight gains and difficult scenes. So when it was received with such positivity, it justified all of those challenges. I’m very proud of Tim, he’s a lovely person, highly intelligent and incredibly talented. I’m looking forward to collaborating with him again soon.
What is something you prioritise when preparing for a new role?
Fundamentally, I want to understand exactly what the director wants from me, so I ask a myriad of questions about the role. Then I build the character up with various elements such as posture, mannerism and intonation. This “suit” means I can adopt it immediately when needed on set. I don’t have to stay in character or anything like that. I just take the suit on and off when required. After that, it’s just arrive on time, hit your mark and remember the lines!
You just finished working on one of your latest projects, Salvage? Tell us a little about it – why is it an important story?
Salvage (2023)
It was an opportunity to work within the exciting Cornish film scene, notable for people such as Mark Jenkin and films like Bait. Salvage was exec-produced by Bosena who produced Enys Men. It was also another chance to collaborate with Jonny Dry, who I really enjoy working with. Actually, one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as an actor happened when I previously worked with Jonny, so it was a no-brainer really. However, I was nervous about the role, mainly because of the accent and how personal the project was to the writer. I think the story is a timeless one, told with some unique insights into a rarely seen world. It was quite an immersive experience and I’m proud of the film we made. Jonny is a rarity in so much as his talent is matched by his character, he’s a good person as well as a great director. The main producer, Ella Turner (Studio Erma) did a fantastic job of making the whole thing happen. It was a great team.
Do you find a lot of similarities in the roles you take? Are there challenges or do you feel it’s natural to fall into the character’s mindset?
I tend to be drawn to the more challenging performances and films that’ll perhaps be an intense experience for the audience. I admire performances like Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980) or Louise Brooks in Pandora’s Box (1929) or Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant (1992); they exhibit a form of “eccentric realism”. There’s something about those types of performances – rooted in realism but punctuated with something else that’s hard to describe in words. I don’t struggle to “get into character” because of that suiting process described earlier. As we know from childhood, it’s easier to pretend you’re someone else once you’re in costume. The only difference now is that the costume is more psychophysical, rather than just clothing.
Can you compare how you felt the first time you acted to now?
I’m definitely more informed and experienced thus generally more at ease these days. I still feel that butterfly energy that comes with the territory, an excited buzz of sorts; but I can harness it now, rather than be distracted by it. Any on-set nerves don’t extend beyond the first day anymore. After day one, it feels like home.
Why are independent festivals like Raindance important to new filmmakers and actors?
Particularly in the UK, with the way public funding is going and the lack of any extensive studio system – these festivals are an essential platform for new talent, without which, they may never be discovered. In many ways, they gently ease people into the wider film industry. There’s a supportive culture around these events which addresses any issues of imposter syndrome; something I suffered from terribly. Personally, I learned my trade with independent productions and festivals. I built a network of collaborators and mentors. I established in myself what acting meant for me and how I intended to pursue it. So, with any transition towards larger commercial and mainstream opportunities, I bring with me an infrastructure built on independent soil. I think that transmission benefits both sides of the fence.
Read more about Jamie Robson:
Kaleen Gendreau is an intern at Raindance, and she previously earned her BA in Mass Communications and Production from the University of South Florida, Tampa, in the spring of 2023. She’s written and directed two student film projects, and spent a lot of her time at university working and filming in a virtual production studio.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsstar Kyle Richards, 54, was vague when asked about her rumored romance with country singer Morgan Wade, 28, while at a gas station in Los Angeles on Jul. 7 (watch VIDEO HERE). When the reporter asked if she is enjoying being “single,” Kyle rejected the claim. “I’m not single,” she said. Later, the paparazzo asked the TV personality if she is “dating Morgan Wade,” to which she appeared flustered by. “I’m not going to answer that,” the wife of Mauricio Umansky, 53, said.
Kyle Richards played it coy when asked if she’s dating singer Morgan Wade on Jul. 7. (CraSH/Scott Kirkland/Shutterstock)
Despite not confirming or denying whether or not she and the “Wilder Days” songstress are an item, Kyle did share that they are “very good friends.” The 54-year-old doubled down once more after the paparazzo claimed that she and the real estate mogul are divorced. “I’m not divorced!”, Kyle quipped. She then instructed the reporter to “read” her “statement on Instagram,” which she shared on Jul. 4. While at the gas pump, the Bravo star rocked a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a wide-brim sunhat.
As many know, rumors that the longtime Hollywood couple had separated began swirling on Jul. 3 after a source told PEOPLE that Kyle and Mauricio were over. Hours later, the mother-of-four took to Instagram and shared a joint statement with her husband to shut down the breakup rumors. “In regards to the news that came out about us today…any claims regarding us divorcing are untrue,” the statement read in white letters over a plain black background. “However, yes, we have had a rough year. The most challenging one of our marriage. But we both love and respect each other tremendously.”
Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky have been married since 1996. (MediaPunch/Shutterstock)
Prior to the pair’s statement, a source claimed to PEOPLE that Kyle and the 53-year-old had been “separated for a while.” The insider also alleged that the husband and wife were still living together. “Kyle and Mauricio have been separated for a while now but are still living under the same roof,” the mag’s source claimed. “They remain amicable as they figure out what’s next for them and their family.” Despite this, the couple of 27 years rejected the claims hours later, as mentioned above.
This is not the first time this year that Mauricio faced divorce speculation with Kyle, as he appeared on Two Ts In A Pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge podcast in Apr. to chat about it. “We’re not getting divorced,” he told the RHOCstar and her co-host. “I mean, it’s so dumb.” And since Kyle and Morgan have been spotted on each other’s Instagrams more frequently in the last few months, there have been rumors online that they are linked. The proud mom even took to Instagram on Dec. 10, 2022, to wish the 28-year-old a happy birthday with a series of photos of them together. “Happy birthday @morganwademusic May all your dreams continue to come true! Keep shining We love you,” Kyle captioned the post.
Bradley Cooper wants to bring a new slate of “real people telling real stories” to your earbuds.
The actor and filmmaker’s Lea Pictures production company signed a multiyear audio deal with iHeartPodcasts, the podcast division of iHeartMedia. The collaboration will encompass several co-produced shows including “The Good Stuff Podcast,” which debuted earlier this month and marks Lea Pictures’ first audio project. Cooper will serve as executive producer for the entire slate, which will be distributed by iHeartPodcasts on the iHeartRadio app and other audio platforms.
“Sharing stories that inspire, motivate and resonate is one of the reasons I started Lea Pictures, and I’m excited to team up with iHeartPodcasts to bring them to life for millions of listeners,” Cooper said in a statement provided to Variety. “Our shows will feature real people telling real stories, and we knew iHeart was the perfect partner to reach as many people as possible. I look forward to dreaming up more extraordinary stories together.”
“The Good Stuff Podcast” (available at this link) is a weekly show hosted by Jacob Schick, CEO of One Tribe Foundation and a third-generation U.S. Marine, and his wife, Ashley Schick, marketing and social media manager at One Tribe, which is dedicated to raising awareness and combatting suicide among military veterans, first responders, medical frontline workers and their families. On the podcast, the couple “showcase individuals who have made a positive impact through their acts of kindness, successful careers, businesses and military service,” according to Lea Pictures. “The Good Stuff Podcast” is executive produced by Cooper, Weston Middleton, Kristen Barnett and Rebecca Shapiro for Lea Pictures and Lyra Smith for iHeartPodcasts.
“Bradley is one of the great creators of our time, inventing and reinventing, again and again, how great stories are told — across multiple genres and formats,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Audio Group. “We could not be more proud and excited to introduce his expertise, vision and approach to the exploding podcast medium with this partnership.”
Cooper formed Lea Pictures in 2020 to develop and produce feature films, television, documentary films and digital content, building on his producing work on Oscar-nominated films “Nightmare Alley,” “A Star Is Born,” “American Sniper” and “Joker.” Lea Pictures execs include Weston Middleton, who heads up the film division and has worked with Cooper for the past 15 years; Kristen Barnett, who joined in 2022 to run the TV division; and Anneliese Barron, who heads Cooper’s One Family Foundation.
Cooper’s first feature film under the Lea Pictures banner is “Maestro,” which will be released on Netflix this fall. Cooper produced, co-wrote, directed and will star in the film. With a first-look film deal at Netflix and a first-look television deal at Apple TV+, the Lea Pictures’ slate also includes Searchlight’s “Is This Thing On,” which Cooper will also direct; Warner Bros.’ “Bullitt and Hyperion”; and the History Channel’s six-hour miniseries “FDR,” which premiered this summer on A&E.
In what was the most exciting and action packed episode of Jack Ryan season four, so far, Jack, Chavez and Mike pursue the leader of the Marketplace in Croatia in a disturbing case. Chao makes a mandatory trip to Geneva to talk to his boss, and Greer works to connect the two front companies.
In the previous episode, the mission to take down the convergence began, a lot was uncovered with the help of Chavez, who at one point extracted the location of The Marketplace from Marin, as well as the name of the man running it, Josip Olafsky. The Marketplace was their only way to get to Chao Fah. Greer was given a warning by Tuttle to stop investigating, as he was getting to close to the truth.
In Episode 4, the mission kicks into high gear. Jack, Chavez and Mike have arrived in Croatia, they head to a brothel which apparently Mike was a usual at after being fired from the CIA. His contact Katarina, does business with Olafsky, she tells Jack that every sinner in the world knows where the Marketplace is, but getting in is difficult, you need an invitation from Olafsky himself, with that, she let’s them out, but Mike stays behind to try to persuade her. She reveals to Mike that a mutual friend of Jack and Mike has an invite and has been hiding out at the harbor.
Despite Tuttle’s warning, Greer continues his investigation with help from Patrick, he informs him that he found a company that worked at BizHub that seems shady that goes by the name Southwest Petro, Patrick reminds him Greer always says the CIA has no imagination when it comes to shell companies. Greer then notices that the company shut down the day after Miller left. The company is registered under the name Dominick Sanderson, who lives in Bethesda. Later on after visiting Dominik’s house, and speaking to his mother, who got very upset when Greer mentioned he had come to check in on him, he steals a piece of mail, which leads him to a hospital, to Greer’s surprise, Dominik is comatose in the ICU. When Greer heads back to his car we see that Tuttle has been following him the entire time.
Senator Henshaw and Senator Jennings meets with Wright for a brief on her trip to Lagos, she informs them that they have a temporary peace between President Okoli and Ekon Ameh. However he reprimands her for abandoning her official position at work at missing the Senate hearings. Wright admits that to her, national security takes precedence. Henshaw points out that Wrighr is simply another Jack Ryan, she takes that as a compliment. He warns Wright to stay out of whatever Jack is doing and to focus on her job.
Meanwhile in Myanmar, Tin Tung informs Chao that their boss wants him in Geneva. Although he was supposed to head to Dubrovnik to the Marketplace, but now Tung is going in his place.
Back in Croatia, the “mutual friend” Katarina mentioned ends up being Levan Zubkov, the arms dealer from season 3. Chavez pretends to be drunk and climbs aboard Zubkov’s boat, while Jack and Mike sneak onboard from the back taking out his guards. The first and only thing Zubkov has to has to them is no. He tells them Olafsky is insane. Once again Chavez has to resort to extremes to get him to comply,
Courtesy of Prime
so he holds a knife to an artery in his leg and tells him he’ll be dead in one minute. All it took was one prick for Zubkov to confess that he delivers sex to Olafsky’s marketplace, not just party favours.
Katarina agrees to help get the men into The Marketplace if the CIA helps her and her girls dissappear. First, Jack asks to know everything she knows, she obliges. She promises to get them out.
While Jack and Chavez surveil Olafsky’s compound, Chao has made it to his destination in Geneva. As he waits to meet his boss, we are kept in suspense wondering who it could be. Simultaneously we see Tun arrive in Dubrovnik. When Chao finally comes face to face with his boss, we see it is none other than Zeyara, who as you may remember from the previous episodes has now befriended Cathy and got her to join her organization. She tells Chao that Tun is in Dubrovnik because he is a master of “simplicity in violence” but Chao is meant for something more and that when he goes back to Myanmar, the entire Triad operation will be his.
Jack and Chavez Discuss whether Chao’s Intel is good enough to prove they were right, Chavez points out that Chao is risking his life to save his family, that’s how you know the Intel is good. On his way back home, Greer calls Patrick to tell him what he found, and tells him to update Wright, but as he’s talking to Patrick, Tuttle rams his car from behind causing him to crash on a bridge, Tuttle then proceeds to stab Greer, luckily he manages to fight his off and get away, just before Tuttle is about to shoot him, Greer jumps from the bridge into the river and narrowly escapes.
At Olafsky’s Marketplace, Mike arrives with Zubkov as guests, the two make their way through the front, the place is just as Wright and Jack thought it would be. Full of drugs, weapons, people selling sex, humans and more. A sespool of all the worst and richest people in the world. Meanwhile Katarina was arriving at the dock at the back with her girls, hidden amongst the girls were Jack and Chavez. After taking out the guards at the dock he gives the boat to Katarina and tells her to take the girls anywhere she wants. Jack and Chavez then proceed into the Marketplace.
Tin Tun enters the marketplace, Mike confuses him for Chao Fa and follows him. Jack and Chavez proceed to head towards Mike, taking out as many men as they can. Mike eavesdropping on Olafsky and Tin Tung’s meeting, by the time he realises that’s not Chao Fa, it’s too late to get out. He overhears Tun trying to sell 5 triggers to something at different locations to Olafsky. Triggers to what, we still do not know. Tun goes on to mention that the triggers can be coded to one’s thumbprint and can only be activated by that person. After hearing this, Mike acts fast, he moves in and grabs the triggers, punches Olafsky which then causes his men to escort him downstairs. Jack goes after Mike, and Chavez goes to get back-up, in the form of a grenade launcher.
At Olafsky’s Marketplace, Mike arrives with Zubkov as guests, the two make their way through the front, the place is just as Wright and Jack thought it would be. Full of drugs, weapons, people selling sex, humans and more. A sespool of all the worst and richest people in the world. Meanwhile Katarina was arriving at the dock at the back with her girls, hidden amongst the girls were Jack and Chavez. After taking out the guards at the dock he gives the boat to Katarina and tells her to take the girls anywhere she wants. Jack and Chavez then proceed into the Marketplace.
Courtesy of Prime
Tin Tun enters the marketplace, Mike confuses him for Chao Fa and follows him. Jack and Chavez proceed to head towards Mike, taking out as many men as they can. Mike eavesdropping on Olafsky and Tin Tung’s meeting, by the time he realises that’s not Chao Fa, it’s too late to get out. He overhears Tun trying to sell 5 triggers to something at different locations to Olafsky. Triggers to what, we still do not know. Tun goes on to mention that the triggers can be coded to one’s thumbprint and can only be activated by that person. After hearing this, Mike acts fast, he moves in and grabs the triggers, punches Olafsky which then causes his men to escort him downstairs. Jack goes after Mike, and Chavez goes to get back-up, in the form of a grenade launcher.
Jack and Chavez finally make their way to Mike, who has now got the upper hand on Olafsky. When Jack looks at the trigger he immediately asks Olafsky what’s on the other end, however Olafsky delivers an ominous reply telling him it’s a way to change the world. He then threatens them and their families saying they’ll all be dead in a week. Mike then shoots him in the head. Chavez then takes a picture with the body that he later on sends to Chao Fa who shows the picture to Zeyara. With Tun’s men approaching they have no choice but to jump out the window from the highest room of the marketplace, landing on the path below. They continue running from Tun’s men until they reach a dead end at a cliff, they jump off the cliff into the ocean where Katarina is waiting for them in a boat.
We now see Greer lying in a hospital bed recovering from his stabbing and jumping
Courtesy of Prime
into the river, luckily Greer managed to grab the knife which he says is a military knife, Patrick is with him talking about the forensics, he asks him to run military blood samples when Wright walks in. She comes to check on him and Greer tells her about Tuttle’s threat, he now beleives it’s all connected and that Myanmar is the source but is run through Washington. He updates her on his investigation and how it all leads back to Miller. Greer tells Wright that she has to help Jack but her hands are tied.
Aboard Zubkov’s yacht, Marin’s phone receives a notification saying the amount 11.62 was deposited into his account. With 3 more deposits following suite. The team is confused as to why Chao is depositing this money, but Jack takes a look at it and realizes it’s not just money, the four different transactions amount to 12 digits, they make up coordinates. A very unique and never before seen move. One that made for a very interesting episode end.
This episode gave us a classic spy adventure to enjoy along with the signature espionage, political intrigue and high drama that we have come to love about “Jack Ryan”. This episode delivers on all fronts, writing, cinematography, acting and increble performances.
Michael Kelly was definitely one of the episodes standout performers. John Krasinski and Michael Peña make an absolutely amazing duo onscreen. Separate and together, their acting is incredible but this season these two have really shone as a pair.
In the 3rd episode of Jack Ryan Season 4, things really start to get tense. After Miller’s death, Jack and his team head to Mexico in search of answers. Meanwhile, Wright tries to calm things down in Nigeria in the hope of finding a solution on her own.
In the previous episode, we saw Jack and Chavez begin to work together to get to Chao Fah who is a mole in the Silver Lotus Triad to take down what they had now learned was the fusion of a drug cartel and a terrorist organization, but when Jack approaches former CIA director Miller about this rogue operation, he is killed.
Episode 4 begins with Wright and Osoji on a plane to Nigeria, on her way there she watches the news which depicts political unrest and violence in the country since President Udoh’s assassination, a warlord Ekon Ameh who is also expected to make a play for the presidency overthrowing interim president Okoli is also mentioned. Wright then discusses the situation with Osoji, until we see her receive a call informing her that Miller is dead.
Chao Fah receives a text simply saying ‘Miller is Dead’. This either means he was the one who hired the hit or Tuttle is just now informing him. Back in Washington, the cops of course beleive it was a suicide and so does the press. Jack’s teammate Mike November makes his entrance, to Greer’s surprise. Now with the team complete, they can get to work. First thing on the agenda, find Chavez. Jack seems to think he’s going to find Chao Fah, and he knows exactly where he is, so he sends Mike to go get him.
Meanwhile, Chavez retrieves money and a gun from his uncle’s house. Later on we see him and his auncle sit down for a meal. He tells him he has to leave, and it’ll be better if his auncle left too, as his cousin Marin and Marquez will be coming for him with the entire cartel. Chavez goes on to say that he made a mistake but he needs to make it right. Cue Jack Ryan.
Soe Wai who is Chao’s brother in law tells him he has been requested by Tin Tun himself to “inspect” a new shipment, when they reach the docks Tung tells him the powers that be request that he oversee it. Clearly he is being tested as the shipment turns out to be a group of girls who have been trafficked to Myanmar. When a member of the Triad tries to spray them with a hose, Chao says not here, although Tin Tun suspiciously asks why, he firmly tells him that they may catch a chill and die, and the money is all that matters.
Back in Washington, Jack meets with President Bachler to brief him on everything that has unfolded. Jack tells him he’s resigning from his position as Deputy Director so he can work on stopping Convergence and because the senate comitee has their sights set on him. However he already has a much more qualified candidate in mind, and that is Greer. Greer who is at his son’s football game gets a call from the president, when his son turns to see him leaving, we can see the disappointed look on his face.
Courtesy of Prime
Wright meets with President Okoli, she is shocked when she sees the warlord Ekon Ame walk in. Ame swears he did not kill president Udoh, which is something we of course already knew, and Wright promises they did not either. They then reveal the true reason why she was invited there. These two so called “sworn enemies” ask Wright to help them find out who killed president Udoh.
As Chavez is leaving his auncles place, He runs into, or more likely almost shoots Mike. He admits it was Jack’s idea to track him down using the church tattoo on his arm. Chao and his wife talk in secret as he is being watched. He tells her it’s too risky to make any moves right now, and especially since Tin Tun suspects him. Once their position is secure they can leave.
Elizabeth calls her new Deputy Director, Greer and asks him to trace the burner phone which was found on one of the assassins during President Udohs Assassination, Greer and Patrick trace the phone leads to BizHub. The place that Tuttle used to run the operation in Episode 1. Jack congratulates Greer on his new position, and if you play close attention, you’ll notice, he gives Greer the same baseball we see him playing with in the pilot episode of Jack Ryan. Mike then calls and informs Jack of Chavez’s location, and Jack heads off to Mexico.
Greer goes to check out the BizHub office, he finds out that the number leads to the office’s reception, he then asks for a list of the current businesses. Greer is closer than he thinks, because at the same time we see Tuttle watching him and speaking to someone on the phone saying “Greer’s getting close, what do you want me to do?”.
We then see Jack who has arrived in Mexico at Chavez’s Auncles house, the three of them have sat down to dinner. Chavez’s auncle greets him as the man who is going to keep his nephew safe. Chavez tells Jack they’ll talk tomorrow, as he wants to enjoy this night, because he may not get another chance.
The next day Jack and Chavez discuss how Ryan has been ordered to stop any threat of Convergence, Chavez mentions that he has no way of contacting Chao directly, so they’ll have to send him a signal. Chavez plans to follow his operation up the ladder and burn it all to the ground. We then hear the first mention of “The Marketplace” which Chavez learned about from his cousin, as their only lead, the two decide to follow it.
In the previous episode Cathy had befriended, Zeyara Lemos and Cathy we now see them meet for lunch. Zeyara expresses her intentions to extend help to those suffering in the Pleasure Casinos in Myanmar. She refers to money launderers, drug dealers and human trafficking. One can’t help but wonder whether she knows more about what’s going on than she’s letting on. She then asks Cathy for her help and to join the WHO foundation. Cathy agrees without hesitation.
Soe confronts Chao and admits that he knows the truth about him. He says he knows that his wife Fyi and daughter Bannu left the compound when they were in Mexico, and he knows he intends to leave the Triad. He warns Chao that the only way out is if he dissappears and leaves Fyi and Bannu behind with him. Chao tells him to leave as well, but he says no. This leads to Chao shooting Soe in the head. He then brings him back to the compound, presents him to Tin Tun and tells him Soe was the mole.
Chavez visits Officer Morales in Yucatan Mexico, he gives him the money he was owed, and asks him to lure Marin out by raiding the docks that Marquez owns and to agree to take him, Jack and Mike with him. Once the police raid the port, Morales calls Marin down there, which of course is
Courtesy of Prime
a trap as Chavez, Jack and Mike lie in wait.
When Marin arrives, Morales lures him into a secluded area, Chavez emerges from behind the door, Marin doesn’t hesitate in calling him a traitor. Jack asks him where the marketplace is. When he doesn’t answer he says that they now have photos of him talking to the CIA as he points to Mike taking pictures with a phone. When that doesn’t work, Chavez takes a bit of a more aggressive approach, by wrapping his head in plastic wrapuntil he couldn’t breathe. His method does end up yielding results as Marin let’s out the location of the marketplace, Dubrovnik, Croatia, and the name of the person who runs it. Josip Olafsky. It turns out, Mike knows someone who worked with him.
Jack finally calls Wright to update her on the situation and where they’re headed. Jack tells her they were right about Convergence, the path leads through the Croatian operation into the Mexico port. He informs her that they are headed to find the private marketplace and cut it off. In a roundabout way Wright tells Jack that she wont be able to protect him as they are under a high-level scrutiny right now.
We see Greer call his son to apologize for missing his game, but his son is too upset to care. Greer hears a knocking at his door. It’s Tuttle, he mentions Greer’s son which pisses him off, but when he steps outside Tuttle pulls a gun on him. He simply tells him to stop, as a threat to stop digging and if he doesn’t, either he or his family will pay the price.
Considering the season 4 episodes are being released in pairs, consider this part 1 of a 2 part mission. Episode 3: Gather Intel, Episode 4: Stealth Infiltration and Recovery. This classic thrilling storytelling style that we have gotten used to from the Jack Ryan writers is what keeps us on edge and what keeps us going back for more. This episode really gets the ball rolling. Jack’s got his intel, he’s got his team, you have no idea what comes next.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – It’s… fine.
Fans, audience members, and critics can be a fickle bunch, especially in regards to franchises. From Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and many, many more; all of these groups love and hate various different aspects of them. However, one franchise which seems to have people in unanimous agreement is Indiana Jones. This agreement comes down to one simple fact, these films ended perfectly with The Last Crusade. An iconic hero rode off into the sunset. Then, years later, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released. While not a terrible film, this movie is loathed by many, and most everyone, including those more sympathetic to the fourth outing, agree that Last Crusade should’ve been the last one.
Now, with Dial of Destiny, once again these sentiments are being expressed, almost more now than ever before. This isn’t to say Dial of Destiny has no redeeming qualities. In many ways, it is an improvement over the fourth outing, with improved effects, a stellar opening, and a happy enough ending. In others, however, it’s utterly safe, predictable, a begs the question, did this really need to exist?
Elements of Promise
It should be stated that the first twenty minutes of the film are easily the best part. The de-aging of Harrison Ford is very impressive. Set towards the end of World War 2, recovering artifacts from Nazis, and the action is fast and frantic. Simply put, it feels as though one is watching a lost Indiana Jones film from a different timeline.
This isn’t to say that the rest of the film doesn’t have highlights. The action set in the ‘present time’ is surprisingly well done. Harrison Ford puts his all into this older Jones, and in many ways he gives his most emotional, reflective performance. This Jones has seen it all, been through tragedy, and is a hero out of time. In many ways, it’s hard to see such an iconic hero in such a weary state. However, it’s for this premise that the film ends on a surprisingly tender note, calling back to the first film in a rather resonant way. Mads Mikkelsen, of course, gives his all as villain Jurgen Voller. And while Indiana Jones and CGI have a mixed history, the years of progress since Crystal Skull do help this film look visually beautiful.
Safe, Sound, and Sigh-worthy
As previously stated, Dial of Destiny still has various aspects which hold it back. Newcomer character Helena Shaw(Phoebe Waller-Bridge), in many respects acts in the same way that Mutt did in Crystal Skull; a youthful character to pick up for the aging Jones, and potentially carry the franchise forward. Unfortunately, Helena is just as successful as Mutt, which is to say not very.
While Mutt struggled due in part to Shia LaBeouf’s performance, Helena is written in such a way which makes her unbearably annoying and at times a sociopath. Almost constantly belittling Indy, getting people killed with few regrets, and putting many people actively in danger, it made many in the theater dislike her more than the villain at times. While there is some attempt to give her an arc of learning from Indy and improving as a person, this change comes so far late into the film, that it becomes too little, too late.
At least, however, it got an emotional response. Most of this film is strangely safe, and at times, boring. A lot of the action and scenes have been done not just in this series, but in other films. Comparatively, while the action scenes are well made, there is a slow, meandering pace to them. Part of it may be due to Indy’s(and by extension Ford’s) old age, but there is a slowness to the action which makes it hard to get invested in. Say what you will about Crystal Skull, but that movie had so many unique ideas for the franchise. In that regard, it makes Crystal Skull easier to remember. Walking out of Dial of Destiny, outside of the beginning, ending, and a few small instances, I struggled to remember much about this film.
A Fine Finale
Walking out of Dial of Destiny, everyone in the theater said the same thing. This movie exists. It is overall a mixed bag, with some strong points, some weak points, but is overall just average. Yet as the final film in a beloved franchise, and in an era of franchises providing increasingly safe and predictable franchise films, average isn’t enough any more. Still, this film does nail the most important part, the ending. It’s a happy enough ending, and I was happy to see it for that alone. Hopefully, Lucasfilm sticks to its word, and let’s have Indiana Jones end here.
FINAL RATING – 6/10
Check out Indiana Jones on Disney +. Get your tickets for Dial of Destiny here.
Miramax Presents The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists.
Every installment asks the same five questions. This week’s subject is Zoe Saldaña. Fresh from her latest turns in Avatar: The Way of Water and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, the actress met with us at the Taormina Film Festival, where she and her husband Marco Perego premiered The Absence of Eden, a searing look at the desperate attempt by illegal immigrants to try for a better life in the U.S. It is the feature debut of Perego, an accomplished artist, and their first film collaboration.
Saldaña’s star turns in the two Avatar films and Avengers: Endgame make her the only performer to star in the three top-grossing films of all time. She began as an aspiring dancer who turned to acting on the stage in New York. Small parts in series and movies led to a breakthrough in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Lt. Uhura in the Star Trek reboots. That led to the first Avatar, the crime thriller Colombiana, teaming with Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman in the upcoming Taylor Sheridan series creation Special Ops: Lioness, and Out of the Furnace, which she discusses in this video. Find out how she got her mojo.
It starts with a clap, and then the feet tap along to the beat: four times on each side, followed by a quick jump. As the melody rises, dancers dip low and twirl.
It’s a dance easy enough for anyone to learn, and people all around the world have done so, with everyone from an urban dance crew in Angola to Franciscan nuns in Europe showing off their moves on social media.
The “Jerusalema” dance, named for the South African hit song that inspired it, provided a moment of global joy during the lockdowns of the pandemic, a welcome distraction from the isolation and collective grief.
But it was the chorus, a lamentation over a heavy bass beat, that was balm to millions. Sung in a low alto in isiZulu, one of the official languages of South Africa, audiences didn’t need to understand the song to be moved by it.
The singer Nomcebo Nkwanyana, who goes by Nomcebo Zikode professionally, drew on her own intense pain when she wrote it.
“Jerusalem is my home,” she sang. “Guard me. Walk with me. Do not leave me here.”
After more than decade as an overlooked backing vocalist, and with her faith in music faltering, Ms. Zikode, 37, was in a dark place in 2019 when she wrote those words.
Her manager, who is also her husband, insisted she write the lyrics to help her crowd out the voices in her head that were telling her to give up on music, and herself.
“As if there’s a voice that says you must kill yourself,” she said, describing her depression at the time. “I remember talking to myself saying, ‘no, I can’t kill myself. I’ve got my kids to raise. I can’t, I can’t do that.’”
She didn’t listen to the recording of the song until a day after it was made. As the bass began to reverberate through her car, everything went dark, she said, and she almost lost control of the vehicle. She pulled over, tears streaming down her face.
“Even if you don’t believe it, this is my story,” she said. “I heard the voice saying to me, ‘Nomcebo, this is going to be a big song all over the world.’”
And that prognostication soon proved true.
In February 2020, a group of dancers in Angola uploaded a video showing off their choreography to the song, and challenging others to outdo them. As lockdowns were enforced just weeks later, the song was shared around the world.
The global success of “Jerusalema” has taken Ms. Zikode on tour to Europe, the Caribbean and the United States. It also led to her being featured on the song “Bayethe,” which would win the Grammy award for Best Global Music Performance earlier this year.
But while “Jerusalema” has brought her global renown, she has had to fight to earn any financial reward from it and to be recognized as part of its creative force.
She sued her record label, and a settlement in December called for her to receive a percentage of the song’s royalties and to be allowed to audit the books of the label, Open Mic Productions, that owns the song.
At least as important, the agreement also states that Ms. Zikode must be cited as the song’s “primary artist” alongside Kgaogelo Moagi, more commonly known as Master KG, the producer behind the instrumental track on “Jerusalema.”
But even this victory in South Africa’s male-dominated music industry comes with significant caveats: For one, Master KG is receiving a higher percentage of royalties. And Ms. Zikode said she has yet to see payment. “I’m still waiting for my money,” she said.
Open Mic did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but in a statement put out after her Grammy win, the label said: “She is a very talented artist and we welcome this agreement as a progressive resolution.”
Struggles with money are nothing new to her.
The youngest of four children born in a polygamous marriage, Ms. Zikode’s father died when she was young and her mother, the third wife, was left destitute. Desperate, her mother let a church outside Hammarsdale, a small town in South Africa’s eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, take her daughter in for four years.
There, she slept on bunk beds among rows of other children. She sewed her own clothes and helped to clean the dormitories. The church choir was a solace, but she sorely missed home until she was able to return in the 10th grade.
Her mother sold maize or bartered what vegetables she could grow for secondhand clothes. The neighbors who would ask the young Ms. Zikode to sing for them would feed her and take her in for a few nights as her mother struggled.
When she was old enough, Ms. Zikode learned to braid other people’s hair to earn some money, but remembers self-consciously pressing her elbows to her side, for fear that her customers would smell that she could not afford deodorant.
But what she really wanted was to sing, and she got her break at an open-call audition. She spent years singing backup for gospel stars, sharing crowded apartments with other backing vocalists. When gigs dried up, she took computer classes as a career backup plan.
Ms Zikode’s first major South African hit came in 2017 when she sang vocals on the song “Emazulwini” for a well-known house music producer and D.J., Frederick Ganyani Tshabalala. But what had seemed like a long-awaited break turned into a letdown when DJ Ganyani, as he is known, did all he could, she said, to prevent her from performing the song live on her own.
“They try by all means to suppress the singers,” Ms. Zikode said of the D.J.s and producers who hold most of the power in South Africa’s music industry.
DJ Ganyani did not respond to requests for comment.
Hoping a record label would better protect her rights, Ms. Zikode signed with Open Mic, but once the deal was inked, the label went quiet, she said, and she was left hustling to record her debut album.
Feeling abandoned by the record company, her husband and manager, Selwyn Fraser, sent messages to other artists, masquerading as his wife on Instagram and Twitter, trying to get bigger names to work with her.
This outreach campaign connected Ms. Zikode with Master KG and resulted in “Jerusalema.”
It’s not only the song that has made her a household name in South Africa, but also her very public fight for her royalties and recognition, in the courts and on social media, said Kgopolo Mphela, a South African entertainment commentator.
“She’s coming across as the hero, or the underdog, taking on Goliath,” Mr. Mphela said.
For all her struggles with reaping the monetary benefits of “Jerusalema,” Ms. Zikode’s musical career has made her financially comfortable and she now has a music publishing deal with a division of Sony Music.
Her 17-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son want for nothing, she said. She and her husband renovated their home, adding an in-house studio.
Ms. Zikode can also bask in the accolades that have come with her Grammy win for “Bayethe.”
On a chilly April night in Johannesburg, in the Grammy’s afterglow, Ms. Zikode stepped out of a borrowed Bentley at an event to celebrate South Africans who have achieved international success.
As she walked the red carpet, determined to own the moment, she granted every interview request, whether from the national broadcaster or a TikTok influencer. Later that night, she accepted two checks, one for herself and one for a charity she founded that helps impoverished young women.
When she took the stage to perform the song that made her famous, she hiked up her gown to dance the “Jerusalema.”
“Average writers attempt originality,” declares Richard E. Grant’s fictional acclaimed author J.M. Sinclair — more than a bit smugly — in the prologue to “The Lesson.” “Good writers have the sense to borrow from their betters. Great writers steal.”
Adhering to Sinclair’s philosophy, this neo-noirish literary thriller cribs rather liberally from other examples of the genre, from Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap” and Stephen King’s “Misery” to the more recent “Intrigo: Death of an Author,” with above-average results.
Enlisted to tutor the renowned writer’s teenage son, Bertie (Stephen McMillan), at their idyllic, sun-drenched family estate, aspiring scribe Liam (Daryl McCormack) figures he’s landed a dream gig.
But as he preps the sensitive young Bertie for his entrance exams at Oxford, Liam soon realizes that the Sinclair household harbors more than its share of dark family secrets, starting with the tragic drowning of another son, Felix, several years earlier.
Daryl McCormack in the movie “The Lesson.”
(Anna Patarakina / Bleecker Street)
As tensions between the creatively impotent Sinclair and his French artist-wife, Hélène (Julie Delpy), grow more palpable, it becomes apparent to Liam that he isn’t the only one with a hidden agenda.
The always-up-for-anything Grant (who made an Oscar-nominated impression as hard-living Lee Israel confidant Jack Hock in Marielle Heller’s “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) plays Sinclair with an ideal blend of pretention and barely contained desperation.
He proves well matched with handsome Irish actor McCormack, recently cast as Emma Thompson’s attentive male escort in “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.” Liam’s wide-eyed, eager-to-please demeanor serves as a handy front for some decidedly more calculated deeds.
Together the pair proceed to smudge the dividing line between mentor and protégé, while Delpy’s tight-lipped Hélène patiently keeps to the sidelines, awaiting the perfect opportunity to contribute a wily plotline of her own.
In her handling of a screenplay by Alex MacKeith, British TV director Alice Troughton (“Doctor Who”) has done her homework, tapping into Hitchcock and Polanski for stylistic, elegantly photographed inspiration. Meanwhile, MacKeith’s script takes a page from Patricia Highsmith when it comes to character dynamics and matters of social climbing .
Those influences can’t help but draw unfortunate attention to the predictability of a story that could have benefited from one more twist, especially during a languid third act, which needed to ratchet up the tension by several notches.
But in the thoroughly capable hands of Grant, Delpy and McCormack, whose interplay has been playfully choreographed to the 1-2-3 tempo of a waltz-infused score by composer Isobel Waller-Bridge (Phoebe’s sister), the film proves as pleasingly undemanding as a typical summer read: neither a legit page-turner, nor easy to put down.
‘The Lesson’
Rating: R, for language and some sexual content Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes Playing: Starts July 7 at Landmark Theatres Sunset, West Hollywood; Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino; Laemmle NoHo 7, North Hollywood
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw Star Lord, Drax, Rocket, and the rest of the Guardians set off on one last adventure together. The film was a certified hit, bringing in $838 million worldwide.
While most Marvel fans probably already saw Guardians 3, you can now watch, or re-watch, the film in the comfort of your own home.
That’s right, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available for purchase on Amazon, Vudo, and Roku!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees Peter Quill still steeped in grief. Despite this, the Guardians’ leader must rally the team to set off on an adventure to save the universe and protect Rocket. The film was written and directed by James Gunn.
When Will Physical Media Be Released?
While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now available on digital, fans will have to wait a little while longer for a physical release.
Guardians 3 will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on August 1. As of yet, there is no word on a Disney+ release date.
Bonus Features
Both the digital and physical releases of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3., will come with a slew of bonus features.
These will include:
FEATURETTES
The Imperfect, Perfect Family – View the evolution of the Guardians through the cast and crew’s passion for each other and the entire franchise. Join this tight-knit “found family” as they leave behind a legacy and recount their best memories wrapping up this epic trilogy’s final film. Creating Rocket Raccoon – Director James Gunn talks about bringing Rocket to life and how personal the character is to him. Uncover BTS footage, the research and development of the visual effects process, and the inspiration for Rocket through conversations with cast and crew.
Photo: Marvel
DELETED SCENES
A Bit Much – Adam Warlock explains to Ayesha what he plans to do with the Guardians. A Lending Hand – Peter lends a hand to an injured humanimal on Counter-Earth and shows he means no harm. Drax’s Analogies and Metaphors – Drax gives Peter some interesting life analogies and metaphors. The Perfect Society – The High Evolutionary reveals his mission to perfect the universe. The Search for 89P13 – Behemoth brings not-so-good news to The High Evolutionary. Annoyed Peter – Peter gets annoyed while altering the shield. A Burning Escape – Peter runs back to grab his music player before escaping a blazing inferno on the Arête. Knowhere After the Battle – The High Evolutionary is brought back to Knowhere and locked up while Kraglin recruits Adam Warlock.
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY – “The Wonderful World of Disney” makes an epic return with the network broadcast premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy,” WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23 (8:00-10:30 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (MARVEL STUDIOS) CHRIS PRATT, DAVE BAUTISTA, ZOE SALDANA
GAG REEL
Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY
Watch the film with audio commentary by director James Gunn.
(Disney-Marvel via AP)
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On BlueSky Social, shared via Twitter, James Gunn confirmed the new DC reboot’s Superman will be the same age as Henry Cavill’s replacement, David Corenswet.
With Superman: Legacy set to film throughout the first half of 2024 and Corenswet turning 31 years old on July 8, this would make Superman 31 years old.
For reference, Henry Cavill is currently 40 years old. However, when Corenswet begins filming next year, he will be older than Cavill was when filming 2013’s Man of Steel(Cavill was 29 during production).
Gunn soon set the record straight stating “All [he] ever said was Superman was younger than in his forties,” a clarification which not only supports Corenswet’s early thirties age range but also disqualifies Cavill.
What Superman’s Age Means for DC’s New Batman
Now that fans know the age of cinema’s new Superman, the question moving forward is why James Gunn’s script required a thirty-something Kryptonian, somewhere between youth and middle age?
Given the director’s track record of character-focused films, there’s sure to be a specific reason.
According to Superman: Legacy‘s initial synopsis, the film intends to tell “the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing…”
Perhaps Clark Kent’s age is an important factor in this character arc.
In the meantime, not only does Gunn’s age confirmation support his previous statements about recasting Superman, but it also revealed another character’s age: The Brave and the Bold‘sBatman.
If that intention still holds, DC’s new Batman will be well into his thirties, if not older.
In true James Gunn fashion, more details concerning both Superman and Batman can be expected in the months to come, especially ahead of production for Superman: Legacy.
Superman: Legacy arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.
While we’re excited for the release of our first Fontaine characters to be revealed in Genshin Impact, Hoyoverse decided that this wasn’t enough. Shortly after introducing Lyney, Lynette, and Ferdinand for Genshin Impact, they announced the release of Five-Star Characters for Honkai: Star Rail which will be featured in the next banner. Yes, although there is still some time before 1.2 is set to release on Hoyoverse’s newest game, they decided that while the iron was hot and the hype amongst their audience was buzzing, they’d reveal even more characters to keep generating interest!
Five-Star Dan Heng and Fu Xuan’s Splash Art Revealed by Honkai: Star Rail and Are Confirmed for 1.3 Banner
Oh my gosh, who could have seen this coming?! Dan Heng has a Five-Star form, how is that going to work?! How crazy! And Fu Xuan, available already?! So exciting…
I’m not really surprised about the character leaks since I have a fondness for learning about them.. But what is quite astonishing is that Hoyoverse themselves is releasing information so insanely early and so shortly after Genshin Impact’s 4.0 Character Banners confirmation.
Naturally, you may be of the mind where you play one game and not the other, so this may not make sense to you. But if you play both like I do, then this is a lot of information. I’ve been following Genshin Impact and the company behind the game for years and they’ve never been this upfront with information. It would be months before you heard a word from these developers. This is possibly because they are trying to confront leakers at their own game and are trying to generate interest by steadily releasing Character Splash Art to let us know what characters are slotted for the next banners after Blade and Kafka have had their run.
So yes, Dan Heng will be receiving a Five-Star form where he begins to look more like a dragon from Chinese myth. He is associated with water, and the dragon’s form is long and slender with antler-like horns which we will actually see represented in Dan Heng’s character model as well. All of it is absolutely fascinating and I love the design. Mostly because it does remind me of Xiao from Genshin Impact, so I am getting really hyped for this character release.
Dan Heng (Five-Star) will be Imaginary Destruction which adds to our Imaginary branch a bit. Previously, the Imaginary element had limited characters, but we are now expanding it. As for how we are going to be receiving this model, I’ve theorized in the past that what will happen is likely to be able to transition the models, similar to the Trailblazer, and switch between the different forms of Dan Heng. This isn’t confirmed, but it is how I would think the game would make this work, rather than just giving us a whole new Dan Heng form. It wouldn’t make sense if we could have two Dan Hengs in a fight. It would be far too overpowered.
A couple of days later, after Dan Heng’s Five-Star form was revealed, we also see confirmation that Fu Xuan will be featured in the banner as well. Not the same one, but whereas Dan Heng will feature in the first half of 1.3, Fu Xuan will be wrapping up by premiering in the second half. She is a Quantum Preservation character which is sure to be interesting since most of the Quantum characters that we have currently are ones that are known for their attacks. So will she be like March 7th where she can attack and add shields, or is her role primarily to be a shielder and debuffer like Gepard? Time will only tell. We only know that she’s going to join the short game alongside Pela and Qingque.
Character Card | The Xianzhou Luofu | Fu Xuan The head of the Xianzhou Luofu’s Divination Commission. A confident and blunt sage. Using her third eye and the Matrix of Prescience, Fu Xuan calculates the Xianzhou’s route and predicts the fortune of future events. She firmly… pic.twitter.com/e0a88B9ap0
— Honkai: Star Rail (@honkaistarrail) July 5, 2023
We still have some time before 1.3, but I guarantee you that now that we have received the two five-star characters that will be featured in that patch, we are going to see a new Four-Star as well. Honkai: Star Rail has been keeping up a pattern so far, and while it may be presumptuous to say, I think Hoyoverse will reveal one more character before the live stream.
Based on what we’ve seen in the past, I think it may be Lynx from Jarilo-VI or Screwllum from the IPC. Now, the latter has said that he may premiere as a Five-Star, but based on his design, it just screams Four-Star energy, you know? It’s not detailed or enough for me to think that, yes, this is a Five-Star character. We may see another form of him later that will be a Five-Star similar to Dan Heng, but these are the two characters who I think will be revealed in 1.3.
With Hoyoverse at the helm, there is so much to keep up with so if you’ve missed out on it already, we do already know who is going to be alongside Blade and Kafka when it comes to Four-Stars. If you’d like to know more about Dan Heng and Fu Xuan’s possible kits, we have theorized those as well. Be sure to check out those articles below, and as always, Happy Trailblazing!
What are the similarities and differences when it comes to working in film versus working in podcasting? What lessons can we take from filmmaking into the audio space, and vice versa?
How ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ De-Aged Harrison Ford – IndieWire
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There was no magic tech bullet for crafting Ford’s younger face, so ILM assembled a suite of tools that they strategically used on a shot-by-shot basis.
Insecureis now on Netflix, so if you never tuned in when the excellent Issa Rae comedy was airing on HBO, it’s the perfect time to catch up. The series, which evolved from Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl, was created by the comedy dream team of Rae and Larry Wilmore, and boasts an ensemble cast featuring Yvonne Orji, Natasha Rothwell, Amanda Seales and Jay Ellis. Insecure established itself as a must-see dramedy over the five seasons it aired, cleverly balancing laugh-out-loud moments with cringe and heartbreak.
NOW ON VOD! A film in the making for seven years starring the late Carrie Fisher as an artsy good witch named Hazel, Wonderwell is a fantastical film filled with graphic allure. Set in an Etruscan Italian town in Tuscany, Wonderwell is a modern-day fairytale where 12-year-old Violet (Kiera Milward) is thrust into a coming-of-age journey with a mix of adult realities and fantasies shrouded in a bizarre mystery and seemingly caught in the underbelly of nature.
From the onset, Wonderwell’s opening, with its captivating botanical animation, sets a tone for something unusual but very appealing. Upon meeting Violet, she immediately reveals her witchcraft abilities as she casts a spell to bring her family together by baking cookies, which unfortunately burned. However, Violet’s special gift is that flowers are interested in her and wrap themselves around her wrist except when around Yana (Rita Ora), in which they die.
In a bizarre plot, Wonderwell combines high-end fashion and models with an ancient sister feud between Hazel and Yana that only Violet can end. However, Violet is unaware of her purpose, which is where “the well” under a large drain stop provides the answers.
“…reveals her witchcraft abilities as she casts a spell to bring her family together…”
Violet’s sister Savannah (Nell Tiger Free) is desperate to be a model supported by her father, Adam (Lloyd Owen), and not so much by her mother, Chloe (Megan Dodds), even though they are living in Italy for this purpose, or so it seems. It’s inferred that they have a bad marriage. However, that storyline isn’t fleshed out enough to understand if that is happening or if fantasy suggests something else, which is a little unconventional for a 12-year-old to understand but enough to know people are behaving badly.
Violet leaves her sister’s modeling shoot and her parents to explore the town, which leads to the woods, where she meets Hazel. Along the way, she befriends Daniele (Sebastian Croft) on his scooter, who warns her of the bad element. The fantasy kicks in with Hazel, and Violet’s journey begins with Venus flytrap plants trying to consume her and an enormous Medusa-like mask speaking to her at the well. As comforting as Hazel is to Violet, she encourages her to see “the other side,” a coming-of-age moment for Violet where much ensues, including a kiss by Daniele and saving her sister from Yana from a bizarre cult of fashionistas once she dives into the well to see the other side.
Wonderwell must have been an incredible film to make in Tuscany, where an entire town was seemingly at the production’s disposal as Violet walks around empty streets or through parades of people from Renaissance flag throwers and modern-day townspeople to the odd scenario of Violet’s family roaming around and acting disparate. Fashion, treachery, and rivalry with a sword are all part of Wonderwell’s attraction, even if the storyline doesn’t quite add up—it’s still a feast for the eyes in visual effects, wardrobe, sets, and set dressings.
A great deal of imagination produced Hazel’s forest home, the visual effects of being trapped in an enormous Venus flytrap plant, the well, and the functioning of flowers, vines, and water. It’s stunning on the screen, and Violet does hold one’s attention until the end. Wonderwell is an interesting fantasy fiction drama, and what it lacks in a story is certainly made up in its imaginative and very conceptual visuals on screen.
British tourists are facing heavy fines for breaching a list of Italian beach etiquette rules, which include eating an ice cream or a sandwich.
Residents and tourists in Sant’Antioco, a town on an island of the same name in southern Sardinia, were shocked by the catalogue of 23 activities that are prohibited on the beach.
The list includes taking part in sports, using stones to stabilise a sunshade and consuming any type of food.
The regulations, set in place by Ignazio Locci, mayor of Sant’Antioco, state the maximum charge for eating is £430.
Residents and media in the town, which is a popular destination for foreign holidaymakers and Italians, have criticised the restrictions.
Residents and tourists in Sant’Antioco, a town on an island of the same name in southern Sardinia, were shocked by the catalogue of 23 activities that are now prohibited on the beach
An unnamed male resident of Sant’Antioco told local media: ‘This means we are prevented from eating anything even if we spend the whole day on the beach? My kids and I can’t buy some ice cream and eat it under our sunshade?’
A mother from the town said: ‘This means I can’t provide my girl with a snack when she joins the town’s holiday camp for kids? That’s a bit weird.’
But Locci said: ‘If it can help in making people stick to the rules then yes, I am absolutely against the fact that you eat anything on the beach.
‘We continue to see lunches by the sea with banquets featuring huge watermelons, lasagne and sliced bread.’
He added: ‘I acknowledge that the ban may appear exaggerated. But in just appealing to common sense, our eyes have often been closed on too many fronts.’
The new beach bylaw makes ‘having a picnic’ a punishable offence. But the ruling also warns those who just have a snack or an ice cream without leaving any waste would be asked to pay up too.
The new rules also state it is forbidden to set up tents or gather umbrellas.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann and husband Kroy Biermann have reconciled two months after they both filed for divorce — but their relationship still isn’t rock-solid.
“They’re getting along so [Kim] called it off,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, noting that the pair may change their relationship status again in the future. “Tomorrow might be different,” the insider adds.
Zolciak-Biermann, 44, and Bierman, 37 — who share sons Kroy “KJ” Jr., 11, and Kash, 10, and twins Kaia and Kane, 9 — both filed for divorce in May. Us later confirmed on Friday, July 7, that the pair decided to rekindle their romance after a messy months-months legal battle.
According to the source, the spouses are giving their marriage another shot for their children’s benefit.
“They are doing the best for their kids,” the insider explains, noting that the duo are “getting along at the moment” but “Lord only knows what will happen.”
At the time of their split in May, Biermann claimed in documents obtained by Us that the couple’s marriage was “irretrievably broken.” The former NFL star — who adopted Zolciak-Biermann’s daughters Brielle, 26, and Ariana, 21, after tying the knot with the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum in 2011 — also requested “the temporary and permanent sole legal and sole physical custody” of his and his ex’s four children.
Zolciak-Biermann, for her part, filed a motion to have Biermann drug-tested. In the May 16 paperwork obtained by Us, she claimed to have “seen Respondent smoking marijuana, and she has serious concerns for the safety and well-being of the minor children while in Respondent’s care. She is fearful that the children will be exposed to Respondent’s drug use.”
The custody battle between the twosome grew even more heated — despite them still living together in their Alpharetta, Georgia, home — when Biermann requested that Zolciak-Biermann undergo a psychological evaluation and alleged she had a gambling problem. Zolciak-Biermann denied the claims via her lawyer in a statement to Peopleat the time, calling Biermann’s allegations “harmful and incredibly misleading.”
Weeks later, Biermann claimed that Zolciak-Biermann’s friend attempted to kidnap their son. He allegedly planned to file “kidnapping [charges] for his son going to the rodeo” after Zolciak-Biermann’s friend Elise Humphries took him to the event. Zolciak-Biermann subsequently denied Biermann’s kidnapping claims in a call to 911, while Humphries also slammed the athlete’s allegations.
Despite their increasingly tumultuous custody disputes, a source exclusively told Us just days before their reconciliation that Zolciak-Biermann and Biermann were “determined to remain amicable” for their family’s well-being. The pair were even photographed taking their children to church last week, according to photos obtained by TMZ.
“Despite everything Kim and Kroy are going through, they will always put their children’s needs above all else,” a source exclusively told Us at the time. “That’s their No. 1 priority no matter what and what will help them coparent moving forward.”
Insidious: The Red Doorstar-directorPatrick Wilson thought he was done with the Insidious franchise, but The Further wasn’t done with him or his character quite yet.
In 2019, Wilson was quietly looking around for an opportunity to make his directorial debut, and when franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell happened to come up with an idea for a fifth Insidious film involving the return of the Lambert family, Wilson’s agent asked Blumhouse if Wilson could direct and star. One thing led to another, and Wilson found himself brainstorming for his first directorial effort in his backyard with screenwriter Scott Teems. But then the global pandemic derailed the entire world and entertainment industry alike, and so Wilson kept busy as an actor until Insidious 5 got back on track.
However, The Further wasn’t far from his mind, as Wilson daydreamed about his future directorial debut while filming Roland Emmerich’s Moonfall (2022) and Insidious co-creator James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (due out Dec. 16).
“There hasn’t been a day in the past four years that I haven’t thought about this movie. That’s the honest-to-God truth. Every day on the sets of these other movies, including Aquaman 2, I was reworking things and rewriting things,” Wilson tells The Hollywood Reporter.
The Red Door reconvenes with the Lamberts a decade after Insidious: Chapter 2, and because of their hypnotism at the end of the latter film, Josh (Wilson) and his now-18-year-old son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), still have no recollection of their astral projections to The Further and subsequent duels with the Lipstick Demon (Joseph Bishara). Their father-and-son relationship has also become strained as a result of Josh and Renai’s (Rose Byrne) divorce, as well as their missing backstory. So, in an attempt to mend fences, Josh drives Dalton to his East Coast art school while their past demons begin to resurface.
Wilson has a whole new appreciation for his past directors, considering that he now understands just how much compromise comes with the territory of being a filmmaker. In fact, Wilson had to go to bat for an early shot in the film, because he did not want to do anything that might overly resemble or repeat the franchise’s greatest scares.
“You’re never gonna repeat Joe Bishara’s Lipstick Demon behind [Josh’s] head [from Insidious (2010)],” Wilson says. “It’s never gonna happen again. So you want to say to everyone above you: ‘Get over that. That kind of jump scare is not gonna happen. I’m not gonna do that. It can’t happen twice.’”
The feature is off to a solid start at the box office, collecting $5 million in Thursday previews.
Wilson is also offering a brief update on his character, Orm, in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, as he participated in reshoots just a couple weeks ago.
“Orm is awesome. I was with him last week,” Wison says.
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Wilson also discusses his directorial influences and how he ended up singing on Ghost’s end-credit cover of the Shakespears Sister’s “Stay.”
Well, when I last interviewed you for Midway in 2019, I asked you if anything was happening on the Insidious front, and you responded with a dramatic pause and a bit of laughter. So has this been taking shape for quite a while?
Yes, it has, and it’s awesome that you remember that. It was exactly four years ago. June of 2019 is when I was pitched this idea. We didn’t have a script yet, but we had an idea. “We had a dream! We had a vision!” So we only had 20 pages and a dream, and then I started thinking of some ideas and the kind of movie that I would want to make. It was a little different from what Leigh [Whannell] had pitched, but the nuts and bolts were the same. Dalton [Ty Simpkins] goes to a college somewhere far away from California, and he also had a little light and dark theme in there.
And then I started crafting it in my head, and we brought on Scott Teems to write it. Scott flew to me in the fall of 2019, and he just sat in my backyard and asked me, “What kind of movie do you wanna make?” He’s a filmmaker, too, and he couldn’t be a sweeter guy. He’s a super skilled writer, and I expunged all these ideas on him. I said, “This is what I want to do. I want a father-son relationship, and let’s have Dalton go to art school.” And so we just started kicking around these ideas before he went off and wrote it.
And then the pandemic hit, and the world collapsed. So I went and did Moonfall and Aquaman 2, but there hasn’t been a day in the past four years that I haven’t thought about this movie. That’s the honest-to-God truth. Every day on the sets of these other movies, including Aquaman 2, I was reworking things and rewriting things. I would then send it all to Scott, we’d talk about it and he’d put it in his words. So I had a really great collaboration with Scott over the past three years of writing.
Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins on the set of Insidious: The Red Door
Boris Martin/Sony Pictures
I profiled your Insidious producer and Aquaman director James Wan recently, and I’m thankful for your participation in that.
Yes, absolutely.
Anyway, when I asked James about how your directorial debut came to be, he made it sound as simple as you making a phone call and asking. Was it actually a little more complicated than that?
It was literally my agent asking. It got pitched to me. They came to me with an idea for a story. Before they wrote a story about the Lamberts, they wanted to know if the Lamberts would do it, because I had left this franchise behind. There was no ill will. It was fine. It had just run its course. So they wanted this movie to be about Dalton, but they asked if I would come back for a couple scenes. To be honest with you, I probably wouldn’t have done that even though they’re my friends, but it was actually my agent who said, “What if Patrick directs it?” My agent and I had been looking for things to direct, and at that point, Blumhouse didn’t know that I even wanted to direct or that I had a desire. So when my agent asked, “What if Patrick directs it?” Blumhouse went, “Of course, yes! That’s a great idea. We didn’t know he wanted to do that.” And so it really was that easy.
Once I thought about the movie that I wanted to make, it was very personal, so I didn’t feel like I had to pitch myself. My agent asked, they said yes, and then I went to L.A. to meet with [President, Feature Films, Blumhouse] Couper Samuelson. I also talked to Steve Bersch at Sony [President, Screen Gems] on the phone and just said, “If you don’t want to make this kind of movie, that’s fine, but if I’m gonna do this movie, I’m gonna go back and deal with what happened at the end of Insidious: Chapter 2. That’s the movie I want to make. I want to deal with this family’s trauma through the eyes of a horror movie. That’s the story I’d like to tell with a father-son relationship.” And they said, “Great, go for it.” So it really was that much of a blessing.
I have to imagine that you’ve said to yourself over the years, “If I ever get the chance to direct, I’m going to try x, y and z.” What would you define as your x, y and z?
That’s a great question, and I can say that I wanted scope. I wanted it to feel expansive. Specifically, I like a lot of symmetrical shots that can make a scene really uncomfortable, but I like starting from a place of symmetry. So I do that a couple times throughout the film, and I intended to do that from the get-go. I like that. I’m equally Coen Brothers, as I am Wes Anderson, as I am Steven Spielberg. Those are all the guys that I enjoy watching. I also wanted an emotional ending. I wanted to make sure I had a lot of emotion in my film. I like the highs and lows of movies. I like the melodrama of movies. So, regardless of the genre, I didn’t want anything to be boring. So I know that seems a little general, but certainly between the symmetry of shots and the emotional highs and lows, those are definitely the things that I really wanted to put in my movie.
Patrick Wilson in Insidious: The Red Door
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Conversely, what was something you didn’t anticipate? What caught you off guard despite being on sets with other directors for the last 20-plus years?
You’re right, and there is stuff. I’m sure every filmmaker that reads this would laugh at this, but it really is true. The amount of compromise that comes in making a film, you start to wonder, “How does anything ever get done?” I don’t know what the term “green light” means. You hear these words: “My story is greenlit. We got greenlit. We start pre-production.” And then you get in there and they’re like, “I need you to cut this, this, this and this.” And you’re like, “But you greenlit the movie!” And they’re like, “Yeah, well, we don’t have the money to do that.” And you’re like, “But you said you’d do the script.” So, from the get-go, you’re playing catch-up.
And then you start to wonder, “Oh, this is why directors get really angry and really prideful and borderline arrogant. This is why they’ll say, ‘No, this is what’s happening.’” And I get it from a production standpoint. It’s like, “Hey, can we save money this way? Is there a way you can do this quicker? Is there a way you can do this easier? Is there a way you can do this cheaper?” And that’s fine. It’s their job to manage money, but it’s my job to make the movie.
So the business side of that and how it funnels down into the images you have to put on the screen, I don’t know that I expected that much of it. Luckily, I’ve got a great group of people that I feel very comfortable with, saying, “I don’t like this, or thank you for that.” They really have my back, and I really do believe that, but it’s difficult. It’s just hard to get anything done, certainly in this climate. And when we were shooting in Covid, it was even harder. So I get all of that, but it’s a lot of compromise.
In terms of process, would you say you borrowed the most from James’ way of doing things? Or did you pull from a number of your directors over the years?
I pulled from a number of different people. Because I’m an actor, I direct differently than James, for sure. I mean, it goes without saying, but I love working with James. So I look at it through the script inside out, not like some directors who would just say, “Make the scene happen in this space.” There are a lot of very visual shots that I had in my mind early on and are now in the film. So I probably am closer to either Todd Field or Mike Nichols, who are totally different people by the way they act, but they are people that come from a performing side. So, in the way that I communicate with actors, I think that’s probably closer to what I am, not by any choice. It’s just how I grew up. It’s how I understand text. So, when talking about how I direct with actors, I think that’s probably closer.
Patrick Wilson in Insidious: The Red Door
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
I loved the way you used shallow depth of field, especially that impressive shot outside Josh’s Land Cruiser. Was that among those early shots you conceived?
No, that was a late-game addition. I needed more of Josh, honestly. I overlooked the importance of Josh’s storyline early on, so that was a late-game addition. And to be honest with you, when I saw the scene, I saw it very clearly in my head, and it was hard to convince other people of what it was gonna be. [They asked], “Well, where’s the big scare at the end? He comes in and he’s right there in the car?” And I was like, “No, it’s not that type of scare.” And this is no disrespect to my coworkers, but trying to convince people that you want to do something different, even in a genre that you know works … James did so many different types of scares in the first film. Some of his best scares ever are in the first film, but you’re never gonna repeat Joe Bishara’s Lipstick Demon behind my head. It’s never gonna happen again. So you want to say to everyone above you: “Get over that. That kind of jump scare is not gonna happen. I’m not gonna do that. It can’t happen twice.”
So I tried to pick different types of scares. I knew I wanted to get into the Insidious title, but not with the same musical sting. I didn’t want to feel like I was overpromising and under-delivering on a scare, so I wanted that shot to be more of a tonal scare. I wanted to show the balance of a guy looking at a video, and I’m actually looking at a video of me and my son from 17 years ago. So Josh is looking at a video, and while it should be a joyous moment, there’s an image behind him that is anything but joyous, coming towards you. That’s the balance of positive and negative, light and dark that I wanted throughout the whole movie.
Also, nobody wanted me to put the text [messages] on the screen either, and I was like, “No, this is what I want. It’s cool. I don’t want it to be defined by whatever the iOS format is right now.” So the texting conversations alone were weeks and weeks and months and months of that. I wanted your eyes to go here and then here, and then it’s like, “Oh God, what’s that!?”
Footage from the first two movies is utilized in a new way, so did you gain access to the dailies for both films in order to blend your own new footage?
Everything, yeah. I knew I wanted to do that device or gimmick, whatever you call it, but I wanted to take it a step further than what James had done in the second film. I also have the benefit of the actor [Ty Simpkins] being older and seeing his younger self. So, before I started looking through the dailies, I just combed through Insidious: Chapter Two, and I saw a couple shots that were behind bookshelves. And I thought, “That’s Dalton’s POV. I can get him back in that room and turn the camera around. That’s him.” So then I gave that assignment to my editor [Derek Ambrosi], who I’m sure gave it to an assistant editor to comb through hours and hours of dailies, some which were shot on a Red and a Canon. So there were all different types of footage and stock, really, and trying to track down the dailies from the first movie was a feat in itself. The second movie was shot on the Red, so they had those files. But [Derek] came back to me one day and said, “Hey, I found a shot where Ty was looking right at the camera.” And I thought, “Oh, that’s perfect. Please tell me it’s in that back corner of the room.” And he goes, “It is.” And I was like, “Yes!” So I knew I could use that. I know it seems kind of flippant to be using something that was never used in the second film, but those were those special moments. When do you get that kind of opportunity? So then I just started crafting the scene from there.
When you eventually screened the movie for the franchise architects, James and Leigh, what sequences were you most excited for them to see?
The [aforementioned] basement and laundry room sequence was one I was really proud of, and the emotional scenes. The dramatic scenes. They knew that I was having a different tone than their films, so that was exciting to them. Leigh was super helpful with the MRI sequence. I said, “I need this kind of scene. I want Josh to be active. He needs to find an answer for this.” And so I thought about an MRI or a doctor sequence, and then Leigh was like, “Let’s make an MRI scene.” So Leigh came up with that idea, which was awesome. We just really saw eye to eye on it. And then as soon as you hear that idea, you’re like, “Oh, I know exactly how to shoot it. It’s symmetrical going into the tube with all these static angles. It’s gonna be perfect.” So he was a tremendous help on the day.
So, knowing that you were now steering the ship, I did wonder if you were going to give Josh a moment to sing, and I thought one was coming when REO Speedwagon started playing during the road trip. It’d be another opportunity to annoy Dalton. Instead, you saved your pipes for the end credits, in a collaboration with Ghost. Did it take a lot of restraint to save it for the credits?
(Laughs.) No, I usually have to sing badly in films, to be honest with you. I’m usually half-assing it. I’m not really singing in movies. But I wanted to sing the end-credit song; I really did. I didn’t know if it was gonna be just me or me and a band, but I just had this feeling it was gonna work itself out. And so that was something that I worked on with one of my producers, and really, when it came down to it, it was just me and my music supervisor because I didn’t think anybody was gonna be on board with it. The time was getting close.
I also knew Ghost very well. I love that band, and they worked with Blumhouse on Halloween, so I knew I could get to their label and their manager. We kept going back and forth, and ultimately, the choices that they kept sending me just didn’t really work and I didn’t want it to be a gimmick. And then I said, “I don’t know if this is even gonna work, but these are the themes that I’m working with.” And then Tim Bickford at their label said, “There’s a cover of the Shakespears Sister tune ‘Stay’ that Tobias Forge of Ghost is gonna release in a box set in October. It’s all done. So he doesn’t need to record anything, and if you wanna sing on it, you could do the first two verses. Tell me what you think.” And I listened to these lyrics and thought, “Oh, it’s fantastic.” It fit perfectly, and it has that push and pull of a beautiful song with haunting lyrics. I really love that balance.
So I talked to Tobias, and I went and recorded it with a guy that engineered a couple of Ghost’s albums. So I sang on it, and I did my own little stuff at the end, channeling my inner Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. (Laughs.) And it worked out great. It’s gonna be released next week.
Do you have the directing bug now? Are you itching to do it again?
For sure, yeah. This never seemed like a one-off. It just seemed like the first step. So I’m already looking at other things.
Lastly, how’s our buddy Orm doing? [Writer’s Note: This interview was conducted on 6/28]
(Laughs.) Orm is awesome. I was with him last week.
*** Insidious: The Red Door is now playing in movie theaters. This interview was edited for length and clarity.
If “The Bear” Season 2 proved anything, it’s that our man Carmy Berzatto desperately needs some therapy. And apparently series star Jeremy Allen White has debated getting him there — even though he doesn’t think it’ll happen onscreen.
The second season of the FX dramedy saw Carmy (White) and his colleagues working at a breakneck pace in an effort to open their new restaurant. Of course, it became abundantly clear in Season 1 that Carmy has some hang-ups to work through in order to do that, and those struggles only escalated this time around.
We do actually see him speaking in some kind of group-share setting in one episode, but it isn’t really explained or explored further. At this point, White believes that Carmy could use the help therapy provides — and he’s actually gone so far as considering taking him there himself while still in character.
“It’s so interesting. I was thinking about this the other day. I was like, ‘Should I see a therapist as Carmy and kind of see what they have to say?,’” White told TheWrap. “For sure he should. So many people should see therapists.”
That said, White doesn’t expect therapy to be in the cards for the chef, even if and when the show gets a third season.
“Do I see that in Carmy’s immediate future? No,” he admitted. “I think, you know, if we’re lucky enough to do more, and do Season 3, you’re leaving Carmy in this place where he feels like he’s really kind of extended himself and been vulnerable with somebody for the first time, and then his whole world seemingly crashed around him, and he lost control and the wheels came off.”
Indeed, in the final episode of the latest season, Carmy and his crew make it to opening night of their fine dining restaurant, The Bear — and though it all worked out in the end, there was no shortage of hurdles and losses. One chef went missing because he was doing meth in the alley. Food was left out too long. Family didn’t show. And, naturally, Carmy got himself stuck in a walk-in refrigerator, which inexplicably led to him ending things with his new girlfriend Claire (Molly Gordon).
In reality, Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) were able to get The Bear’s opening across the finish line. But, in Carmy’s mind, he was too distracted by Claire and let himself get steered off course.
“From his perspective, you know, he let himself slip, and everything crashed,” White explained. “So, yeah, I don’t know what kind of Carmy we’re going to be dealing with later on.”
For now, White isn’t too worried about it. He’s simply enjoying — and perhaps still marveling at — how easily “The Bear” Season 2 came together, destroying any nerves about a sophomore slump.
“I think prior to filming Season 2, yeah, I mean, I was nervous,” he said. “I was nervous about getting back to set. I was nervous, like, are we going to be able to achieve what we did the first season? And kind of just being in our own little bubble and sort of forget about all the ideas that have been thrown at us over the last seven or eight months?”
Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliot and Jeremy Allen White in “The Bear.” (Chuck Hodes/FX)
He continued, “And we got to set and it was kind of amazing how easy things felt. Instantly, everything seemed very simple, approachable. And I remember even asking our DP, or he asked me, you know, ‘How are you feeling?’ And I said, ‘I feel good, I feel too good. Like, I feel like it shouldn’t be this easy. It’s making me nervous.’”
Much like Carmy, White says he often sees struggle as a prerequisite for anything to turn out well.
“Something needs to be kind of painful or intense for it to be good,” he said. “And it turns out — and what a relief, you know — we’re just all so dialed and we love being around one another so much. Everybody’s so good at what they do on this show. It was just easy. And it felt very natural. And yeah, I just feel so lucky.”
I don’t know if it’s the fun accents or incredible banter, but Love Island UK has me hooked. Season 10 of the reality dating show just dropped on Hulu on June 10 and I can’t stop watching. The series focuses on a group of young single people who move into a luxury villa for the summer in hopes of finding love… and winning the £50,000 prize. With games full of snogs, twists, and secrets, each episode is packed with islander drama. And despite constantly stealing each others’ partners, the contestants somehow manage to become friends and root for each other throughout the process. It’s still “early days” in the new season, but with a new episode every night, there’s plenty to binge before you’re all caught up.
Korean singer Lee Sang Eun passed away on July 6. Sharman Joshi hints 3 Idiots 2.
Korean Singer Lee Sang Eun passed away on Thursday. Sharman Joshi hinted at a sequel of 3 Idiots.
Korean singer Lee Sang Eun passed away on Thursday, July 6. Reportedly, she was found dead in her bathroom just minutes before her performance at the 33rd Regular Concert of the Gimcheon Municipal Choir.
Sharman Joshi has once again shared an update on the sequel of his, Aamir Khan and R Madhavan starrer 3 Idiots. In a recent interview, Sharman Joshi, who played the role of Raju in 3 Idiots, shared that the director Rajkumar Hirani has already discussed some ideas about the story of the film. He also added that Hirani does not want to comprise on the quality of the plot and therefore they all hope that the sequel will happen soon.
The anticipation around Gadar 2 is at its peak, since the teaser of the film has come out. Gadar 2 is a sequel to 2001 cult blockbuster, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, featuring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel in leading roles. The film is all set to bring back the iconic duo and eternal love story of Tara Singh and Sakina. Director-producer Anil Sharma shares his thoughts on his bond with the leading lady of Gadar 2, their collaboration on the original film was highly successful, and now they are set to recreate the magic with Gadar 2, bringing back the iconic characters and their eternal love story.
Veteran actress Saira Banu made her Instagram debut on Friday, July 7, which also happens to be her late husband and legendary actor Dilip Kumar’s death anniversary.
Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor took to his Instagram handle on Friday to wish his ‘wife for life’ Mira Rajput a happy anniversary. The couple, dressed in white, can be seen sharing a passionate lip kiss in the sweet photo taken during a vacation. The couple got married on July 7, 2015 and are celebrating their eighth anniversary today.
Yatamanyu is a multi-disciplinary Journalist & Photographer who dabbles in Films, Poetry, Music, Politics, Pop-Culture and everything in between. …Read More
Being a television personality is a lot different than playing a television character. For someone like cooking TV personality Matty Matheson, the latter can be terrifying.
“Acting scares the shit out of me,” said Matheson, actor and executive producer on FX’s acclaimed restaurant dramedy series “The Bear.” On the show, Matheson plays Neil Fak, better known simply as Fak, the childhood friend of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Carmy’s cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Fak is sensitive and sweet and sometimes spacey, but does his best in both seasons to keep first the Beef and then the Bear running as a handyman and server.
But even before joining “The Bear” in 2021, Matheson always had several irons in the culinary fire, running restaurants like Cà Phê Rang, Prime Seafood Palace, Rizzo’s House of Parm (named after his daughter, Rizzo) and Fonda Balam, all under the umbrella of his hospitality company Our House. He’s been the face of numerous food programs such as Vice’s “Munchies,” “Dead Set on Life” and “It’s Suppertime” along with YouTube series “Cookin’ Somethin’ W/ Matty Matheson” and “Stupid F*cking Cooking Show.”
Yet, still, the heat of the kitchen and under documentary camera lights is nothing compared to the heat on the set of “The Bear.”
“Acting is really difficult,” Matheson asserts in an interview with Variety. “It’s, like, a lot of hard work. I spent hours trying to remember, like, four lines. As comfortable as I am with everybody, and how helpful everybody is, you want to show up prepared and ready to rock with everybody else — and everyone else is so good. It’s very nerve-wracking for me, personally.”
Characters like Carmy, Richie and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) received spotlight episodes this season, filling in their backstories that enhance their culinary journeys. While Fak is a staple character on the show, appearing in all 10 episodes of Season 2, Matheson has yet to get an episode to explore him. And much like Fak, he’d be a little nervous to be put in the spotlight.
“To have a whole episode around me — I don’t know. I’m just happy to be here,” he says.
Matheson worked with Courtney Storer (who goes by Coco), the sister of show creator Christopher Storer, and the culinary producer on the show, using his experience as a longtime chef to help bring accuracy and delectability to “The Bear’s” storyline.
“Coco and I, we worked together in detail,” says Matheson. “So I’m writing a menu, and she’s writing a menu.” When giving writers input on the kitchen-centric dialogue between Carmy and Syd, Matheson says he and Courtney would look at their own culinary conversations in order to channel White and Edebiri on-screen.
“We’d ask ourselves, ‘What are we doing together? How are we collaborating? What are they going to be doing? What are they going to be cooking on camera? How are they going to be doing that? How do we then give them the steps to bring that to life on set?’”
“Even when Carmy and Sydney are talking, we’re trying to figure that out mentally,” says Matheson. “The way that I think about food and the way that Coco thinks about food are very different. But it’s always the same structure. Thinking of a pasta dish, we’d ask, “Where does that pasta dish come from? Where do I come from? What are the flavors that I could take, and put into a pasta?”
“So, we’re trying to figure that out for Sydney and Carmy,” he says.
Matheson also helps Courtney develop dishes for the show, like the honey bun, savory cannoli, focaccia and welcome broth on the Bear menu, or the Italian dishes in the flashback family affair episode “Fishes.” Matheson says it starts in the writers’ room, with an overarching concept from Christopher Storer and Joanna Calo, the co-showrunner of “The Bear”.
“They come with the grand scheme of things. Like, ‘seven fishes’ is vague, but then we come in and are like, ‘OK, we’re gonna do branzino and stuffed clams.’ We get a vague umbrella, and then hyper tune it to make it realistic,” he says.
When asked about the simple yet brilliant Boursin cheese and sour cream potato chip omelet made by Sydney in Episode 9 (aptly titled “Omelette”), Matheson says it represents what’s at a chef’s core; the dishes they learned to make in the first days of culinary school that they can still make in their sleep.
“That was a French technique-driven thing, like, ‘What is one of those simple things that is like muscle memory or shows you doing something repeatedly — something that’s just ingrained in you?’” he says.
Yet, as much as “The Bear” revolves around the perils of the restaurant business and appreciating food, Matheson doesn’t feel that the show is simply about or for chefs.
“I think the only reason ‘The Bear’ is what it is, is because of Chris Storer and Chris Zucchero’s [owner of Mr. Beef in Chicago] relationship as kids,” he says. “And it’s always been that way. I don’t think it was like, ‘Let’s make a chef show.’ I think it was like, ‘Let’s make a show about a beef shop, and what goes around that.’”
“It shows that everyone comes from something,” he says. “People connect with it because everyone’s broken. And it’s just like, ‘How do we put ourselves back together every day?’”
“Yeah, it’s lifting the veil a little bit on how intense or dysfunctional restaurants are, but way more on unmanageability and people not being able to deal with their emotions or articulate their needs,” Matheson says.
Reflecting on the past two seasons, Matheson admits he never expected “The Bear” to get such immediate acclaim.
“I think after the first season we were like, ‘See you never!’ We felt we made this thing that was maybe a cult classic, something where in a couple of years people would be like, ‘Remember that one show ‘The Bear?’”
As for another run in the kitchen, the chef-turned-actor has no idea what’s next. Especially with the writers strike delaying things.
“I’m just looking forward to making it and hanging out with everybody again. It’s one of those things that’s obviously going in chronological order — a natural progression,” Matheson says. “Ain’t nothing written, so, who knows? When Chris or Joanna ask me for some input, then I’ll know something. But I think that’s a couple months away, for sure.”
More of Variety‘s coverage of “The Bear”: For an interview with Jeremy Allen White, click here. For an interview with Ebon Moss-Bachrach, click here. For an interview with Jon Bernthal, click here. For interview with Will Poulter, click here. For Variety’s review of “Forks,” click here. For Variety’s S2 review, click here. For an interview with culinary producer Courtney Storer, click here. For an interview with Episode 4 star Lionel Boyce and director Ramy Youssef, click here. For more on the S2 soundtrack, click here. For S2 cameo breakdown, click here. For an interview with Mr. Beef owner Chris Zucchero, click here.
Garner, who recently worked with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy on The Adam Project, previously played the master assassin in 2003’s Daredevil film (starring Ben Affleck), eventually getting a spin-off of her own in the form of 2005’s Elektra.
Both Daredevil and Elektra were critically maligned upon release, with the pair currently sitting at 43% and 11% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes.
THR’s Heat Vision newsletter adds to the news of Garner’s involvement that the role has been described as a “cameo” in the Deadpool threequel set to feature Reynolds alongside another legacy Marvel actor Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates!
“I always love playing an acerbic bitch,” quipped Elizabeth Perkins about her upcoming role in season two of The Afterparty, Apple TV+’s hilarious whodunit comedy. “So right off the page, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is gonna be fun.”
In season two, Perkins plays Isabel, the rich mother of two very different children. Death and mayhem are but a few of the creative party favors going around when a destination wedding tanks after the groom is found dead. The show brings back Tiffany Haddish as Detective Danner, along with Sam Richardson and Zoe Chao from season one.
Newcomer Anna Konkle (PEN15) enters the fold alongside Zach Woods, Poppy Liu, Jack Whitehall, Ken Jeong, Paul Walter Hauser, John Cho, and Vivian Wu. In the exclusive MovieWeb video interview above and highlights below, Elizabeth Perkins and Anna Konkle take us on a deep dive into the hilarity that ensues.
A Toast… To Another Murder?
Apple TV+
The Afterparty found a great fan base after last year’s debut thanks, in part, to its inventive concept. Each episode explores a different character’s account of the fateful evening, but all told through the lens of popular film genres, using unique visual effects to match the storyteller’s perspective.
Which brings us to season two’s set-up — a wedding heads south when the groom is murdered, and every guest is a suspect. Detective Danner (Haddish) returns to help pals Aniq and Zoë (Sam Richardson and Zoe Chao) solve the crime. Round up the suspects — everybody from family and star-crossed lovers to business partners and others who retell the events of the weekend. Think of it like the game of Clue on steroids. And we love it.
“The great thing about Greg Archer Chris Miller and the way he established his characters is that there’s always a flip side,” Elizabeth Perkins told MovieWeb. “There’s always an explanation for why this person is the way they are. So, as you get deeper into the story, and particularly, when you get to my episode, you actually see that Isabel is not just this, you know, alcoholic, off-the-wall person. She’s incredibly scared, very isolated, and has had tremendous loss. It was great to have an episode that that was basically my backstory, or my inner life. That sort of propelled me through the entire story.”
Perkins was in good hands, of course. Chris Miller, along with partner Phil Lord won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as producers of 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). The sequel (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse) already nabbed more $400 million at the global box office thus far. Will magic strike again in season two of The Afterparty for the duo? Perkins thinks so:
There’s so much content [out there] that sometimes I’ll turn and go, ‘I just don’t want to go to the nihilism and the end of the world. What’s great about this show is yes, it’s a murder mystery, but every episode is completely different. It’s really fun… it’s hard to find something that is solid throughout the season. I’m not just saying that because I’m here promoting it. I would watch this show and wait to the next episode. I love it.
Anna Konkle and Elizabeth Perkins Were Mutual Fans
Apple TV+
Anna Konkle turned heads playing a dweeby tween in her breakout hit PEN15 alongside star and co-creator Maya Erskine. Fans will recall her from Rosewood and Hulu’s exceptional comedy The Drop. In season two of The Afterparty, she plays Hannah, Isabel’s daughter and Edgar’s (Zach Woods) mysterious sister.
“I think people will come for the murder comedy mystery, and they’ll stay for the heart,” said Konkle of season two. “The characters are so fun.” Watch for a surprising twist when it comes to Konkle’s Hannah here. It drives the murder mystery in a completely new direction.
About her specific Hannah-focused episode and what genre it dips into, Konkle said it was tres Wes Anderson (Asteroid City), and that she was, “really intimidated going in because that’s a genre and style filmmaking that I’ve always loved. And film noir was probably my favorite to do, it’s so self-serious… such a moment in time that passed.” She continued:
But in terms of like, playing with the way that we talk, it’s just so affected and satisfying for humor. And Wes Anderson has all that soft and gooey stuff, and it shows the emotional sides of Hannah. So, I felt lucky that I got to kind of do a little bit of everything.
As for working with Elizabeth Perkins, Konkle said she came into the project, obviously, as a massive fan. “Elizabeth is just an amazing actress with a very long career that I’ve always admired and looked up to.”
Perkins was quick to note: “I was a huge fan of PEN15. My daughter turned me onto it. She was like, ‘Mom, you have to watch this show.’” Later, after Konkle had been cast in The Afterparty, Perkins knew what to do. “The first thing I did was called my daughter. I said, ‘Oh my God. You’re never going to guess who’s playing my daughter?’ I was such a huge fan of hers and I couldn’t have asked for a better sparring partner in this.”
Well, viewers couldn’t have asked for a better season than this. Dive into season two of The Afterparty on July 7 on Apple TV+.
The Wire co-creator and producer David Simon is urging a Manhattan judge to show leniency in sentencing the 71-year-old man who sold the fentanyl that resulted in the 2021 death of Simon’s friend, the Wire actor Michael K. Williams.
In a three-page letter obtained by The New York Times, Simon asks Federal District Court Judge Ronnie Abrams to show mercy in the upcoming sentencing of Carlos Macci, one of four men who has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing the narcotics that took the life of the 54-year-old Williams on Sept. 6, 2021.
“What happened to Mike is a grievous tragedy,” Simon wrote in the letter, according to The Times. “But I know that Michael would look upon the undone and desolate life of Mr. Macci and know two things with certainty: First, that it was Michael who bears the fuller responsibility for what happened.”
Simon continues that, secondly, “No possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction.” Simon writes that Macci sold drugs not for profit “but rather as someone caught up in the diaspora of addiction himself.”
The letter was part of a filing on Thursday by Macci’s lawyer Benjamin Zeman. The attorney is requesting that Macci be sentenced to time served, or about a year and a half. The court’s probation office has recommended a sentence of 10 years.
In his letter, Simon says that Williams always took responsibility for his drug use and was opposed to the mass incarceration that resulted from the so-called war on drugs. Simon says he is convinced that Williams “would want me to write this letter.”
In a career-making performance, Williams starred as criminal Omar Little in HBO’s The Wire, which ended a five-season run in 2008. According to Simon, Williams acknowledged his addiction during the show’s third season, agreeing to allow a crew member to serve as a constant companion “to assure some distance between Mike and temptation.”
Williams, Simon writes, was “one of the finest actors with whom I have had the honor to collaborate and one of the most thoughtful, gracious and charitable souls I could ever call a friend…I never failed to see him take responsibility for himself and his decisions.”
Macci’s sentencing – the first of the four defendants – is scheduled for later this month.
Eliza Taylor is busting out her comedic chops in the latest trailer for her film, It Only Takes A Night. The 100 alum, who also was an executive producer, plays a young woman named Ruby, who experiences a wild night in London after her boyfriend breaks up with her.
There’s something magical about Eliza’s performance range: she can go from being this happy, feeling-in-love young, no-fearing woman to derailing from the heartbreaking news and taking on new boundaries in just a few minutes.
And how about her “fake” Australian accent? Eliza’s a Melbourne native, so her giving a twist on her own is a hilarious and delightful treat in the film.
Then you have Clarke Griffin- another character of Eliza’s expert performances– who had the entire world on her shoulders and endured so much pain and agony you wonder how she indeed survived. Yet, at the same time, Eliza’s deliverance of Clarke is due to her magical aura as she conveyed many emotions in the seven-season run.
The film’s synopsis gives a brief detail of the narrative.
“Four best friends on a girl’s night end up on a path none of them expected, and find out it really does take one night to change your life.”
What makes this trailer compelling is the bonding and support of four women, who got each other’s backs when life decides to take a turn. It Only Takes A Night seemingly embodies that feel-good, laugh-out-loud film that’ll leave a bubbly, warm feeling when you leave the theater or following a watch.
Earlier this year, Eliza starred in the sci-fi thriller, I’ll Be Watchingalongside her The 100 co-star (and husband) Bob Morley. In the film, Eliza and Bob portray a conflicted married couple who move to the country to try to revive their relationship but wind up in a very different (and dangerous) situation. The film is available to stream on most platforms.
It Only Takes A Night opens exclusively on July 14 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica and tickets can be brought in advance online.
The Flash continued on Tuesday night with a new threat and some new trouble for Frost in the process as the Speed Force threat grew stronger.
In case you missed it, here is what went down in episode 7×07, titled “Growing Pains”.
Things get icy
The main plot of the episode revolved around an icy new villain causing havoc in Central City. Chester gets called to his first CCPD crime scene: an ice attack that killed a driver. Kramer arrives at the scene and blames Killer Frost with no proof to back those claims.
Joe points out that Frost isn’t the only criminal who uses ice, but Kramer refuses to listen and issues a warrant for her arrest. Frost heads to her old bar and meets up with the new bartender, Mark, who tells her there’s a reward for information leading to her arrest.
The news breaks while she’s at the bar and everyone wants that money, so this forces Frost to fight off the patrons and Mark gives her intel on where she can find this new ice meta. However, while Frost is chasing that lead, Caitlin is arrested by Kramer.
Chester gets a lead on the new ice meta, who calls himself Chillblaine. Chester discovers that the villain used artificial dark matter and knows Caitlin and Frost used to be the same person. It is then revealed Mark is actually Chillblaine.
Chillblaine gets Frost to the bar and reveals he was studying her so that he could set her up for his crime. That allowed him to steal back tech he made after his some very questionable experiments led him to be fired from his job. He wants her powers and planned to kill her, but The Flash and Allegra show up just in time to save her and Frost got a confession on tape.
Episode Notes
Kramer shows up at the bar to arrest Frost, who decides to surrender since she really did do the crimes that she’s accused of.
The subplot of the episode revolved around Barry and Speed Force Nora. Barry’s powers are glitching, but Nora says she is boosting his speed so it will take getting used to. This clearly bothers Barry for the whole episode. But at the end, he and Speed Force Nora talk things out and decide to start a new relationship.
What did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments below!
The sheer volume of films on Netflix — and the site’s less than ideal interface — can make finding a genuinely great movie there a difficult task. To help, we’ve plucked out the 50 best films currently streaming on the service in the United States, updated regularly as titles come and go. And as a bonus, we link to more great movies on Netflix within many of our write-ups below. (Note: Streaming services sometimes remove titles or change starting dates without giving notice.)
Few expected James Cameron’s dramatization (and fictionalization) of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic to become a nearly unmatched commercial success and Academy Award winner (for best picture and best director, among others); most of its prerelease publicity concerned its over-budget and over-schedule production. But in retrospect, we should have known — it was the kind of something-for-everyone entertainment that recalled blockbusters of the past, deftly combining historical drama, wide-screen adventure and heartfelt romance. And its stars, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, became one of the great onscreen pairings of the 1990s. Our critic called it a “huge, thrilling three-and-a-quarter-hour experience.” (For more Oscar-winning drama, stream “Ray.”)
‘The Imitation Game’ (2014)
Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley star in this Oscar-nominated biopic about the British mathematician Alan Turing, who went to work as a German code-cracker in World War II and, in the process, created a machine that many consider the first incarnation of the modern computer. Cumberbatch adroitly conveys the tortured brilliance of Turing, who helped save his country, and was later prosecuted by it for his homosexuality. The efficient direction by Morten Tyldum captures the immediacy and intensity of its subject’s work, yet cleverly folds in his later mistreatment as tragic counterpoint. “The Imitation Game” never quite explodes the conventions of the big-screen biopic, but it’s a sleek, well-made example of the form. (For more Oscar-nominated drama, try “Dunkirk” and “Living.”)
This hit family adventure, the first film adaptation of the beloved 1981 children’s book, stars Robin Williams as a child trapped for decades in a board game, Bonnie Hunt as a friend who barely made it out and Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce as the contemporary children who help him escape — and must then finish the game. Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) directs with the proper mixture of childlike enthusiasm and wide-eyed terror, and the special effects (of wild animals and swarms of insects descending on suburban enclaves) remain startlingly convincing.
‘Bridesmaids’ (2011)
Kristen Wiig stars in and wrote (with her frequent collaborator Annie Mumolo) this “unexpectedly funny” comedy smash from the director Paul Feig. Wiig is Annie, an aimless baker whose lifelong pal, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), is getting hitched. When Lillian asks Annie to serve as maid of honor, it sets off an uproarious series of broad comic set-pieces and thoughtful introspection. The comedy and drama are played to the hilt by an ensemble that includes Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O’Dowd and Melissa McCarthy, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role.
Channing Tatum stars in this “funny, enjoyable romp”(per the New York Times critic Manohla Dargis), based on Tatum’s own early-career exploits as a stripper — or, as the film puts it, a “male entertainer.” The director Steven Soderbergh offers a fairly traditional story about a young performer who must learn the ropes of show business, but he adds a few twists: a preoccupation with economic systems, for one, and a convincing portrayal of feminine lust — rare for a mainstream movie, particularly one directed by a man. Matthew McConaughey is hilarious as the ringleader of the bump-and-grind roadshow at the movie’s center. (The delightful sequel “Magic Mike XXL” is also on Netflix.)
A high school comedy has rarely been told with a rapier wit or the surgical precision of this teen outing from Mark Waters, directing a script adapted by Tina Fey from the Rosalind Wiseman book “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” Fey turned Wiseman’s youth-focused self-help book into the fabulously funny story of a new girl (Lindsay Lohan) who must quickly learn how to navigate a tricky social stratum. Rachel McAdams is deliciously despicable as the most popular (and thus, the most powerful) girl in school, while the “Saturday Night Live” veterans Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer and Fey herself delight in supporting turns. (“The Breakfast Club” offers a similarly insightful look at high school angst.)
Once upon a time, “The Terminator” was just a one-off sci-fi action flick — a pulpy, low-budget but tremendously profitable film that gave a considerable boost to its co-writer and director, James Cameron, and its star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. But it didn’t scream “sequel potential,” at least not until Cameron directed “Aliens” and figured out how to raise a sequel’s stakes by amping up the story’s scope and intensity. “T2” did that and then some, mixing state-of-the-art special effects, bruising action sequences, genuine emotional interest and a fair amount of winking (“Hasta la vista, baby”) to make that rarest of cinematic beasts: a follow-up that tops the original. (The Schwarzenegger-fronted “Conan the Barbarian” is also on Netflix.)
Patricia Highsmith’s second novel, “The Price of Salt,” is sensitively and intelligently adapted by the director Todd Haynes into this companion to his earlier masterpiece “Far From Heaven.” Cate Blanchett is smashing as a suburban ’50s housewife who finds herself so intoxicated by a bohemian shopgirl (an enchanting Rooney Mara) that she’s willing to risk her entire comfortable existence in order, just once, to follow her heart. Our critic said it’s “at once ardent and analytical, cerebral and swooning.” (If you like modest relationship dramas, try “To Leslie.”)
The writer and director Rian Johnson follows up his Agatha Christie-style whodunit hit “Knives Out” with this delightfully clever comedy-mystery, featuring the further adventures of the world’s greatest detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, still outfitted with neckerchiefs and a deliciously Southern-fried accent). Johnson constructs a “classic detective story with equal measures of breeziness and rigor,” again focusing on the haves and have-nots, as a gang of rich pals (including Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista and Kathryn Hahn) meet up on the isolated island of a Silicon Valley millionaire (Edward Norton). Janelle Monáe, not unlike Ana de Armas in the original, steals the show as the interloper who’s not what she seems.
Penny Marshall directed this wildly entertaining sports comedy based on the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, who barnstormed the United States while its boys were off fighting in World War II. Geena Davis is in top form as “Dottie” Hinson, the catcher and star of the Rockford Peaches, while Tom Hanks is uproariously funny as Jimmy Dugan, the team’s ostensible (and reliably drunken) manager. Rosie O’Donnell, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz and Madonna round out the ace ensemble cast, with the latter winningly and winkingly using her real-life good-time-girl persona to earn several big laughs. Our critic called it “one of the year’s most cheerful, most relaxed, most easily enjoyable comedies.” (Hanks also shines in “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Captain Phillips.”)
Two young men growing up in Park Slope, Brooklyn, weather their parents’ nasty divorce in this ruthlessly intelligent and mercilessly evenhanded coming-of-age story from the writer and director Noah Baumbach, who drew upon his own teenage memories and put himself, not altogether appealingly, into the character of the 16-year-old Walt (a spot-on Jesse Eisenberg). Laura Linney is passive-aggressive perfection as his mother, while Jeff Daniels, as the father, captures a specific type of sneeringly dissatisfied Brooklyn intellectual. The film is “both sharply comical and piercingly sad,” A.O. Scott wrote, as Baumbach dissects this family’s woes and drama with knowing precision. (Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” and “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)” are also on Netflix.)
Two years after their celebrated collaboration on “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” the writer and director John Hughes and the comedian John Candy reunited for this rough-and-tumble comedy. Candy is the title character, the black sheep of a well-to-do nuclear family who is brought in as a last-choice babysitter when the parents leave town for a medical emergency. Candy’s Buck at first seems like a rehash of his “Planes, Trains” character, a vulgarian chatterbox hilariously out of his element. But Hughes’s savvy script slowly reveals that Buck is wiser than he seems, and Amy Madigan lends welcome support as his best girl. Hughes was so taken by the performance of little Macaulay Culkin that he wrote the kid his own vehicle — “Home Alone.” (For more wild comedy, try “This Is the End” and “Liar Liar.”)
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, twin titans of their acting generation, had never shared the screen before the writer and director Michael Mann put them on opposite sides of the law in this moody, thrilling cops-and-robbers story from 1995. (Although they appeared in separate sequences of “The Godfather Part II.”) Mann gives that matchup the proper weight: By the time it arrives halfway into this expansive, three-hour movie, we’re expecting fireworks, and we get them. But the best surprise is that there’s so much more to “Heat” than The Big Scene — it features a cool-as-a-cucumber heist scene, a heart-stopping shootout on the streets of Los Angeles, multiple meditations on the nature of obsession, stylish cinematography, and a jaw-dropping deep bench of supporting players. That scene, though. It’s really something. (If you love crime epics — and Al Pacino — try “Donnie Brasco.”)
F. Gary Gray’s fleet-footed remake isn’t terribly faithful to the source: He keeps the title, the broadest of story strokes and the Mini Coopers but jettisons the rest in favor of a mustachioed Edward Norton, who double-crosses his fellow thieves, prompting them to reunite to take revenge. Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron generate some sparks, Mos Def and Seth Green get some laughs, and Jason Statham does his best slow burns, but the Coopers steal the show with a thrillingly staged climax that manages to one-up the original’s.
Jane Austen adaptations aren’t terribly hard to come by these days, but the filmmaker Joe Wright (making his feature directorial debut) rendered this take on Austen’s classic novel into something new and noteworthy. He takes an earthy, borderline erotic approach to the material, eschewing the starchiness and formality of many a period drama to focus on the timeless quality of its attractions and frustrations. And he gets a big boost in the endeavor from its stars, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden, who tune in to the picture’s specific sensuality with gusto. Our critic called it “satisfyingly rich and robust.”
The journalist Mark Bowden wrote about the 1993 United States military raid in Mogadishu, Somalia, in his 1999 nonfiction book of the same name. That book took its title from the downing of two American helicopters that raised the stakes of the mission, and this film adaptation from the director Ridley Scott dramatizes that harrowing episode and the battle that followed with horrifying immediacy and visceral terror. Scott manages, as few filmmakers have, to capture the feeling of helplessness that armed conflict can provoke and the camaraderie that becomes the foot soldier’s last hope. Marshaling a large cast of up-and-comers (including Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana and Tom Hardy) and first-rate character actors (Sam Shepard, Tom Sizemore and Zeljko Ivanek), Scott comes up with one of the most powerful war films of recent years.
Aardman Animations, the British stop-motion studio behind the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit shorts, made its feature debut with this delightful cross between barnyard farce and prison escape caper, in which a headstrong hen enlists a cocky circus rooster to help her and her friends flee their henhouse before the evil farmer turns them into pies. The animation is, per the company’s standard, breathtakingly meticulous. But parents will enjoy this one as much as their kids do, as the directors Nick Park and Peter Lord inject copious doses of British wit and winking nods to classic adventure movies. Our critic called it “immensely satisfying, a divinely relaxed and confident film.” (For more family viewing, try “The Wiz” or “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”
Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for best director for this tough, wise and somewhat cynical take on the war on drugs. He tells it in three interlocking stories, all captured with the energy of a ground-level documentary. The result is a panorama of a film, its variety of styles and aesthetics masterfully matching the geopolitical complexity of its subject. The performances are stunning, with standout turns by Benicio del Toro (who won an Oscar for the role) as a good cop trying to play both sides of the fence, Catherine Zeta-Jones as a California housewife whose husband’s arrest brings out her inner kingpin, and Michael Douglas as the political expert who discovers exactly how much he doesn’t know.
The director Paul Verhoeven pulled one of the great bait-and-switches of the modern blockbuster era with this 1997 sci-fi and action hybrid, which lured in viewers with the promise of laser-toting heroes vaporizing giant bug creatures. It delivered that action, but then surrounded it with a merciless satire, in which a futuristic authoritarian government uses propaganda and jingoism to convince its youth to die cheerfully for the flag. His young, pretty cast — including Denise Richards, Casper Van Dien, Neil Patrick Harris and Dina Meyer — plays the material absolutely straight, which somehow renders it especially disturbing.
This rah-rah sports drama has been so thoroughly embedded into popular culture, it’s easy to forget that it was once as much of a scrappy underdog as its hero, a New Jersey teenager who moves to California and stumbles into the cross-hairs of a gang of local bullies. The director, John G. Avildsen, was an old hand at stories like this; he directed the original “Rocky,” and as is true of that classic, the power of “The Karate Kid” lies less in the conflict at its conclusion than in the complex relationships that lead its characters there. (If you love classic coming-of-age stories, try George Lucas’s “American Graffiti.”)
The thumbnail summary — “Aubrey Plaza becomes a thief” — conjures up a bone-dry comedy in which her deadpan persona creates ironic friction with the criminal underworld. But “Emily the Criminal” isn’t that movie at all; it’s a “chilly, assured thriller,” a Michael Mann-ish procedural with nary a wink in sight, and it absolutely (albeit surprisingly) works. The writer and director John Patton Ford creates moments of real tension while also giving what feels like an insider’s view of this world of thieves and hustlers. And if Plaza’s turn as a deep-in-debt temp worker trying her hand at life on the margins sounds like novelty casting, think again — she’s spectacular. (For more indie drama, try “Leave No Trace” or “We the Animals.”)
An armed robber (Clive Owen) takes over a Wall Street bank, holding its clerks and customers hostage, but this is no mere “Dog Day Afternoon” riff. The gunman’s exact motives are a puzzle, confounding the brilliant N.Y.P.D. hostage negotiator (Denzel Washington) at its center. The director Spike Lee gives what could’ve been a bank-job retread a palpable sense of time and place, and fills his frames with New York characters: wiseguy cops, seen-it-all looky-loos, and slick power brokers (Jodie Foster and Christopher Plummer). But his most fascinating character is Owen’s master criminal. It’s a dazzling and rambunctious crime movie, with a humdinger of an ending.
In the aftermath of a raging zombie apocalypse, it’s kill or be killed. And the primary pleasure of this double-barreled action comedy is the extent to which the screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have worked through the logistics of this hellscape, as articulated by the hero (Jesse Eisenberg) and his rules for survival. An introverted college student, he joins forces with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a gunslinging cowboy type, and the sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) on a journey through the chaos. The director Ruben Fleischer keeps the laughs and gore coming at a steady clip — so thoroughly adopting the hip approach of “Ghostbusters” that Bill Murray even shows up to play along. (Action/comedy fans should also give “The Nice Guys” a spin.)
The collaborations of the superstar Burt Reynolds and his best buddy, the stuntman-turned-filmmaker Hal Needham, were widely derided in their time (and to be fair, the likes of “Stroker Ace” are indefensible). But this fast-paced chase comedy, their biggest hit and most duplicated effort, is a good old-fashioned hoot. Reynolds is at his charismatic best as the Bandit, a good ol’ boy with a Trans Am and a heavy foot, and Sally Field (his offscreen partner as well, for a time) is charming as a runaway bride who ends up in the passenger seat. But Jackie Gleason steals the show as Bandit’s nemesis, the sputtering Sheriff Buford T. Justice. (Field would subsequently make her way to more dramatic fare like “Steel Magnolias,” also on Netflix.)
If you’re looking for breathless, relentless action, you can’t do much better than Gareth Evans’s sequel to his 2012 cops-and-crooks extravaganza “The Raid: Redemption” (also on Netflix). Evans is a master of the bone-crunching set piece — the more participants and more unlikely the location, the better. The best of them is hard to pin down, but the extended subway confrontation between our hero, a man with a baseball bat and a woman with two furiously flying hammers is certainly a highlight. As our critic noted, “Neither its undercover drama nor its two-and-a-half-hour length bog down the bracing, and numerous, fight fests.”
Tom Hanks is a sensitive widower who pours out his heart in a searching monologue on a radio call-in show; Meg Ryan, listening in, is so smitten that she travels across the country to track him down. That’s the premise of this “feather-light romantic comedy” from the writer and director Nora Ephron, who infuses her tale of love lost and found with plentiful homages to the classic tear-jerker “An Affair to Remember,” including a climactic meet-up atop the Empire State Building. This was Hanks and Ryan’s second onscreen collaboration (after “Joe Versus the Volcano”), though they spend most of it apart — amusingly so, as their near-misses prove both funny and poignant. (Rom-com lovers should also check out “The Five-Year Engagement.”)
This “breezy, busy” comedy-drama from Nora Ephron is an adaptation of two books: one by Julie Powell, a blogger who attempted to work her way through all the recipes in Julia Child’s influential “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”; the other by Child, a memoir she wrote with Alex Prud’homme that details the development of those recipes. The juxtaposition is ingenious, giving the viewer two funny — and mouthwatering — movies for the price of one, and the performances (particularly by Meryl Streep as Child, Amy Adams as Powell and Stanley Tucci as Child’s devoted husband, Paul) are first-rate.
Seven years after his microbudget smash “Once,” the director John Carney took a big step up in size and scope for “Begin Again,” which features slick production value and marquee stars (specifically, Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo). Still, Carney maintains the indie spirit and storytelling style of his earlier film, spinning a tale of a romance that cannot be — instead manifesting itself in its protagonists’ shared love of music and the charge they get from creating it. It’s a feel-good, pick-me-up kind of a movie, one that lifts the spirit while avoiding conventional (and simplistic) happy endings.
A struggling young actor named Sylvester Stallone became a worldwide superstar when he wrote himself the plum role of a C-list boxer who gets a shot at the championship. And it’s a star-making performance, with a vulnerability that the actor shed far too quickly. (This work is closer to Brando than Rambo.) John G. Avildsen directs in a modest, unaffected style that underlines the palooka’s solitude. The supporting cast is stunning, particularly Burgess Meredith’s turn as Rocky’s tough trainer, Mickey, and Talia Shire’s heartbreaking work as Adrian, the painfully shy object of Rocky’s affection. (The first and best of its sequels, “Rocky II,” is also on Netflix, as is Stallone’s “Cliffhanger.”)
Assembling an enviable ensemble cast of hard-boiled character actor types, a movie-savvy young writer and director named Quentin Tarantino shook up the clichés of the heist movie with this blood-soaked cult hit. Telling the story of a jewelry store robbery gone sideways, Tarantino’s clever script skipped over the robbery itself entirely, focusing instead on the assembly of the crew and their frayed nerves at a meet-up afterward. He further kept viewers off-balance with a scrambled chronology that reveals new complexities of plot and character with each scene, resulting in one of the most electrifying debut features of the ’90s indie scene. Our critic praised its “dazzling cinematic pyrotechnics and over-the-top dramatic energy.”
This winking update to “The Scarlet Letter” has much to recommend it, including the witty and quotable screenplay, the sly indictments of bullying and rumor-mongering and the deep bench of supporting players. But “Easy A” is mostly memorable as the breakthrough of Emma Stone, an “irresistible presence” whose turn as a high-school cause célèbre quickly transformed her from a memorable supporting player to a soaring leading lady — and with good reason. She’s wise and wisecracking, quick with a quip but never less than convincing as a tortured teen.
Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams star as members of a strict Orthodox Jewish community whose shared past forcefully returns in this powerful drama from the director Sebastián Lelio (adapting Naomi Alderman’s novel). Ronit (Weisz), estranged from the community, returns following the death of her father and resumes her romance with Esti (McAdams), who has repressed her desires and entered a loveless marriage. Lelio approaches the material matter-of-factly, refusing to either sensationalize or desexualize the relationship; it’s a rare mainstream portrayal of same-sex attraction that considers both emotional and physical attraction on equal footing. (“Call Me By Your Name” is a similarly intense romantic drama.)
When the remains of the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States, were discovered off the shore of Mobile, Ala., in 2019, it was physical evidence of a long-told piece of local lore — an illegal operation, long after such ships were outlawed, five years before emancipation. So this amounted to the excavation of a crime scene, prompting a giant question for the descendants of those victims: What does justice look like? Margaret Brown’s spellbinding documentary asks that question, which opens up many more thornier conversations about history, complicity and legacy. Our critic called it “deeply attentive” and “moving.” (Documentary lovers will also enjoy “What Happened, Miss Simone?” and “Sr.”)
It’s understandable to look upon a period literary biopic starring Keira Knightley and presume an object of arid stuffiness. But the director Wash Westmoreland gives us anything but — this is a rowdy, ribald picture, about a woman who wrote rowdy, ribald stories. She went from a shy innocent to a proud hedonist, and Westmoreland eagerly takes that journey alongside her. But he also dramatizes her intellectual awakening, and her insistence on being regarded as both a real writer and a full person. Manohla Dargis praised its “light, enjoyably fizzy approach to its subject.”
This forceful biopic from the director Antonio Campos dramatizes the life and death of Christine Chubbuck, the Florida news personality who killed herself on live television in 1974. What was, for years, a grisly footnote in television history is here rendered as a wrenching snapshot of mental illness, thanks to Craig Shilowich’s sensitive screenplay and Rebecca Hall’s stunning work as Chubbuck, a deeply felt turn in which every harsh word and casual slight lands like a body blow. (For more indie drama, try“The Swimmers” or “Happy as Lazzaro.”)
In December of 1978, Richard Pryor took the stage of the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, Calif., and delivered what may still be the greatest recorded stand-up comedy performance in history. It captures the comic at his zenith; his insights are razor-sharp, his physical gifts are peerless, and his powers of personification are remarkable as he gives thought and voice to household pets, woodland creatures, deflating tires and uncooperative parts of his own body. But as with the best of Pryor’s stage work, what’s most striking is his vulnerability. In sharing his own struggles with health, relationships, sex and masculinity, Pryor was forging a path to the kind of unapologetic candor that defines so much of contemporary comedy.
Barry Jenkins followed up the triumph of his Oscar-winning “Moonlight” with this “anguished and mournful” adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel. It is, first and foremost, a love story, and the warmth and electricity Jenkins captures and conveys between stars KiKi Layne and Stephan James is overwhelming. But it’s also a love story between two African Americans in 1960s Harlem, and the delicacy with which the filmmaker threads in the troubles of that time, and the injustice that ultimately tears his main characters apart, is heart-wrenching. Masterly performances abound — particularly from Regina King, who won an Oscar for her complex, layered portrayal of a mother on a mission. (Other Oscar winners on Netflix include “Girl, Interrupted” and “Darkest Hour.”)
When Todd (James Sweeney) and Rory (Katie Findlay) first meet, they bond over a shared love of “Gilmore Girls.” That show’s rat-tat-tat dialogue, pop culture savvy and unabashed sentimentality are all over this unconventional romantic comedy. Sweeney also wrote and directed, augmenting the normally drab rom-com template with a cornucopia of quirky and unexpected visual flourishes, and his screenplay is painfully astute, displaying an enviable ear for how, with the right partner, the affectations and witticisms of dating give way to confession and vulnerability.
The actor-turned-filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal writes and directs this adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel, starring Olivia Colman as a professor on vacation whose strained interactions with a large, unruly American family — particularly a young, stressed mother (Dakota Johnson) — send her down a rabbit hole of her memories, a switch-flip intermingling of past and present. There is a bit of back story to untangle, which turns the film into something like a mystery. But “The Lost Daughter” is mostly noteworthy for its willingness to explore the darkest moments of parenthood, the horrible feeling of giving up and longing for escape. Colman brings humanity and even warmth to a difficult character, while Jessie Buckley beautifully connects the dots as her younger iteration. Our critic calls it “a sophisticated, elusively plotted psychological thriller.” (The Gyllenhaal vehicle “The Kindergarten Teacher” is similarly unnerving.)
“I wonder what little lady made these?” Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) asks about the paper flowers created by Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) — the first indication of the initial theme of Jane Campion’s new film, an adaptation of the novel by Thomas Savage. Phil is a real piece of work, and when his brother and ranching partner George (Jesse Plemons) marries Peter’s mother, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), it brings all of Phil’s resentment and nastiness to the surface as he tries, in multiple, hostile ways, to exert his dominance and display his dissatisfaction. That tension and conflict would be enough for a lesser filmmaker, but Campion burrows deeper, taking a carefully executed turn to explore his complicated motives — and desires in this film of welcome complexity and unexpected tenderness; Manohla Dargis called it “a great American story and a dazzling evisceration of one of the country’s foundational myths.” (For more frontier drama, stream “Legends of the Fall.”)
“She’s a girl from Chicago I used to know,” Irene (Tessa Thompson) says of Clare (Ruth Negga) — a statement that is accurate on the surface but that contains volumes of history, tension and secrets. Irene and Clare are both light-skinned Black women who have made different choices about how to live their lives, but when they reconnect, they are both prompted to reckon with who, exactly, they are. The screenplay and direction by Rebecca Hall (adapting Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel) delicately yet precisely plumbs their psychological depths and wounds, and the sumptuous costumes and immaculate black and white cinematography serve as dazzling counterpoints to what Manohla Dargis called “an anguished story of identity and belonging.”
In this powerful adaptation by the director Dee Rees of the novel by Hillary Jordan, two families — one white and one Black — are connected by a plot of land in the Jim Crow South. Rees gracefully tells both stories (and the larger tale of postwar America) without veering into didacticism, and her ensemble cast brings every moment of text and subtext into sharp focus. Our critic called it a work of “disquieting, illuminating force.” (For more period drama, queue up “The Beguiled” and “Crimson Peak.”)
The acclaimed stage director George C. Wolfe brings August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winner to the screen, quite faithfully — which is just fine, as a play this good requires little in the way of “opening up,” so rich are the characters and so loaded is the dialogue. The setting is a Chicago music studio in 1927, where the “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) and her band are meeting to record several of her hits, though that business is frequently disrupted by the tensions within the group over matters both personal and artistic. Davis is superb as Rainey, chewing up her lines and spitting them out with contempt at anyone who crosses her, and Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 and won a posthumous Golden Globe best actor award for his performance, is electrifying as the showy sideman, Levee, a boiling pot of charisma, flash and barely concealed rage. A.O. Scott calls the film “a powerful and pungent reminder of the necessity of art.” (For more character-driven drama, check out “The Two Popes” and “High Flying Bird.”)
“I’ve always wanted to be in the movies,” Dick Johnson tells his daughter Kirsten, and he’s in luck — she makes them, documentaries mostly, dealing with the biggest questions of life and death. So they turn his struggle with Alzheimer’s and looming mortality into a movie, a “resonant and, in moments, profound” one (per Manohla Dargis), combining staged fake deaths and heavenly reunions with difficult familial interactions. He’s an affable fellow, warm and constantly chuckling, and a good sport, cheerfully playing along with these intricate, macabre (and darkly funny) scenarios. But it’s really a film about a father and daughter, and their lifelong closeness gives the picture an intimacy and openness uncommon even in the best documentaries. It’s joyful, and melancholy and moving, all at once.
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of Greg Rucka’s comic book series delivers the expected goods: The action beats are crisply executed, the mythology is clearly defined and the pieces are carefully placed for future installments. But that’s not what makes it special. Prince-Bythewood’s background is in character-driven drama (her credits include “Love and Basketball” and “Beyond the Lights”), and the film is driven by its relationships rather than its effects — and by a thoughtful attentiveness to the morality of its conflicts. A.O. Scott deemed it a “fresh take on the superhero genre,” and he’s right; though based on a comic book, it’s far from cartoonish. (Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King” and “Beyond the Lights” are also on Netflix.)
Spike Lee’s latest is a genre-hopping combination of war movie, protest film, political thriller, character drama and graduate-level history course in which four African American Vietnam vets go back to the jungle to dig up the remains of a fallen compatriot — and, while they’re at it, a forgotten cache of stolen war gold. In other hands, it could’ve been a conventional back-to-Nam picture or “Rambo”-style action/adventure (and those elements, to be clear, are thrilling). But Lee goes deeper, packing the film with historical references and subtext, explicitly drawing lines from the civil rights struggle of the period to the protests of our moment. A.O. Scott called it a “long, anguished, funny, violent excursion into a hidden chamber of the nation’s heart of darkness.” (For more Vietnam-set drama, check out “Born on the Fourth of July.”)
Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) directs this wide-ranging deep dive into mass incarceration, tracing the advent of America’s modern prison system — overcrowded and disproportionately populated by Black inmates — back to the 13th Amendment. It’s a giant topic to take on in 100 minutes, and DuVernay understandably has to do some skimming and slicing. But that necessity engenders its style: “13TH” tears through history with a palpable urgency that pairs nicely with its righteous fury. Our critic called it “powerful, infuriating and at times overwhelming.” (Documentary aficionados may also enjoy “Procession.”)
Documentary filmmakers have long been fascinated by the logistics and complexities of manual labor, but Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s recent Oscar winner for best documentary feature views these issues through a decidedly 21st-century lens. Focusing on a closed GM plant in Dayton, Ohio, that’s taken over by a Chinese auto glass company, Bognar and Reichert thoughtfully, sensitively (and often humorously) explore how cultures — both corporate and general — clash. Manohla Dargis calls it “complex, stirring, timely and beautifully shaped, spanning continents as it surveys the past, present and possible future of American labor.” (Documentary fans should also seek out “The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson” and “F.T.A.”)
Martin Scorsese teams up with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for the first time since “Casino” (1995), itself a return to the organized crime territory of their earlier 1990 collaboration “Goodfellas” — and then adds Al Pacino as Jimmy Hoffa. A lazier filmmaker might merely have put them back together to play their greatest hits. Scorsese does something far trickier, and more poignant: He takes all the elements we expect in a Scorsese gangster movie with this cast, and then he strips it all down, turning this story of turf wars, union battles and power struggles into a chamber piece of quiet conversations and moral contemplation. A.O. Scott called it “long and dark: long like a novel by Dostoyevsky or Dreiser, dark like a painting by Rembrandt.” (For more period drama, queue up “American Hustle” and “Phantom Thread.”)
This vivid, evocative memory play from Alfonso Cuarón is a story of two Mexican women in the early 1970s: Sofía (Marina de Tavira), a mother of four whose husband (and provider) is on his way out the door, and Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), the family’s nanny, maid and support system. The scenes are occasionally stressful, often heart-wrenching, and they unfailingly burst with life and emotion. Our critic called it “an expansive, emotional portrait of life buffeted by violent forces, and a masterpiece.” (Cuarón’s adaptation of “A Little Princess” is also streaming on Netflix.)
Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti shine as two New York creative types whose attempts to start a family — by adoption, by fertilization, by whatever it takes — test the mettle of their relationships and sanity. The wise script by the director Tamara Jenkins is not only funny and truthful but also sharply tuned to their specific world: Few films have better captured the very public nature of marital trouble in New York, when every meltdown is interrupted by passers-by and lookie-loos. “Private Life,” which our critic called “piquant and perfect,” is a marvelous balancing act of sympathy and cynicism, both caring for its subjects and knowing them and their flaws well enough to wink and chuckle.
Mati Diop’s Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner is set in Senegal, where a young woman named Ava (Mama Sané) loses the boy she loves to the sea, just days before her arranged marriage to another man. What begins as a story of love lost moves, with the ease and imagination of a particularly satisfying dream, into something far stranger, as Diop savvily works elements of genre cinema into the fabric of a story that wouldn’t seem to accommodate them. A.O. Scott called it “a suspenseful, sensual, exciting movie, and therefore a deeply haunting one as well.” (For similarly out-of-this-world vibes, try Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja.”)
Office With a View: The managing partner of Ramo Law PC revealed how she went from a backlot attorney to representing the industry’s biggest names
“I was literally the girl on the Universal backlot who could do your production legal for basically no cost because I was excited to sign a client,” Ramo told TheWrap for this week’s Office With a View. “It was sort of a perfect storm of geographically being in the right place.”
Ramo filled a gap in the market again in 2008. During that earlier WGA strike, she and her team shifted to unscripted. That expertise led to Ramo Law PC later selling Netflix its very first docuseries, “Chef’s Table” from Boardwalk Pictures.
Since that summer in 2005, Ramo’s firm has grown to employ 22 attorneys across New York and Los Angeles. Ramo Law has advised top-name production companies such as Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud and Hartbeat Productions, Reese Witherspoon and Seth Rodsky’s Hello Sunshine, David Ellison’s Skydance, Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee, the Jim Henson Company, Boardwalk Pictures and Scout Productions.
TheWrap spoke with Ramo about the importance of courage in leadership, the current “glacial” pace of dealmaking and how spotting and capitalizing on gaps in the entertainment industry has helped her career.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to take a less traditional approach and capitalize on the gaps in their industry? When a problem is identified, everyone else is also trying to actively solve it. Particularly in the legal field and in the representation field, I would say a large majority approach is to just look backwards and rely on precedent and how it’s been done. It takes people a while to evolve.
Part of it is to be unafraid and open to being creative in how filmmaking is thought about and understanding that nothing is necessarily meant to conform to how it used to be done. In that respect, I think there’s a tremendous opportunity in the entertainment industry right now. If you’re just looking at how net profits are paid, how streamers do business, that is not a stagnant reality. It’s one that is shifting underneath us.
When these new business models run downstream, one has to be willing to look at it completely fresh and completely with a new perspective, utilizing the experience and the know-how that they have. It’s about approaching something with a fresh set of eyes and not relying on a formula or boilerplate or precedent.
What shifts are you currently seeing in the marketplace when it comes to dealmaking? Everything is so strike-focused. It’s the combination of the strike focus and every single studio and streamer having an existential crisis of who they are. First quarter we had a ton of layoffs. Second quarter was all about the strike.
I would say in dealmaking now there’s a lot of wait-and-see. The pace is glacial. Buyers are not quick to buy. Sellers are contemplating and really thinking about what’s being proposed and offered and not necessarily pushing to close. It feels slow because everybody wants to see is there a vision from the streamers and studios as to what they’re trying to do next? Are there going to be resolutions on these labor issues? And so it just feels like unproductive dealmaking, for lack of a better way of putting it.
I think there is non-WGA development that might be happening off record or internally by people or films that are being made with the idea of going to market and being, ideally, sold in a robust market where the streamers and studios are going to be starving for content. It’s like everyone’s in the workshop actually creating a little bit off record. It’ll be interesting to see once the wait-and-see period is over, the strikes have resolved and the streamers and studios have decided what they’re planning to do. Will there be this renaissance of content that pours out that everyone’s kind of holding to themselves? That’s at least my hope of why it feels so slow right now.
You’ve spent a good amount of time and energy investing in others. For example, you founded the Professional Entertainment Female Attorneys network. Why is giving back such a priority for you? I think a lot of why I started the way I started was I didn’t really have an opportunity or a lot of choice as a woman in my early twenties in like the early 2000s starting out. It was very hard to walk in the door because it was very much an established old-boys club, and I really struggled.
I am so appreciative of the handful of mentors and the women and men who’ve really given me a chance when nobody else would. In our industry, it’s so relationship-oriented that if you don’t put yourself out there to establish relationships with somebody who may not be anybody right now but will eventually be someone, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
I feel like it’s as much a give-and-get as it is a responsibility. A woman who’s graduating law school in her twenties, she could be running a BA department at a major studio. Why not? My friends now do it.
But creating Professional Entertainment Female Attorneys as a nonprofit and aggregating this community that feels a lot of responsibility to be a mentor and to connect with one another has been very important to me. I do think you have to create an organized community around that and to not just be in the post-#MeToo movement and checking off a box. You have to do the actions. I really feel like we all, in whatever position we’re in, have that responsibility to do that for the betterment of our entertainment industry as a whole.
What is the best piece professional advice you can give someone? First of all, in the words of Kendrick Lamar, “Sit down, be humble.” That’s a big part of it. But I think more than anything you have to know where your passion lies. It’s why you’re doing this in the industry. And be unafraid, unafraid to walk into a room and pitch if you’ve never done it before. Be unafraid to take on a deal for someone when you’ve never represented that person. There’s a bit of courage to be in those uncomfortable inflection points, especially in our industry, because it’s not about doing really well in a similar job. It’s about how do you make yourself uncomfortable to get into the next opportunity? And you have to do that with with a little bit of courage and confidence to get there.
Janelle Monáe has shared the music video for The Age of Pleasure’s “Water Slide.” The fun visual shares aesthetic and free-spirited sensibilities with the “Lipstick Lover” music video, and Monáe co-directed both videos with Alan Ferguson. Check out the new “Water Slide” clip below.
“Water Slide” is one of two Age of Pleasure songs that Monáe made with Jamaican dancehall legend Sister Nancy; the other is “The French 75.” Additional contributors to the album include Grace Jones, Amaarae, Doechii, Nia Long, and Ckay.
Filmmaker Savannah Leaf’s journey toward making Earth Mama, her feature debut, was not a linear one. The seeds of the new A24 release—about a young single mother in circa-2000s Oakland, dealing with a late-term pregnancy while simultaneously trying to extract her two older children from foster care—reach back to Leaf’s own experience gaining an adopted sister when she was 16, the same age as her new baby sister’s birth mother. Fascinated by this mirror version of herself, the idea nevertheless percolated for years while Leaf pursued a career as an Olympic volleyball player, representing Great Britain in 2012 in London.
From there came the documentary short The Heart Still Hums, which likewise provides an experiential glimpse into the lives of women caught up—in various ways—in the foster care and open adoption systems. But the goal was always a narrative feature. So now comes Earth Mama, opening this weekend in art house theaters nationwide, starring rapper-turned-actor Tia Nomore in the breakout role of Gia, a capable young woman stuck in a fraught situation.
We recently spoke to Leaf about developing her idea through several stages of writing and research, her visual approach to the film, working with first-time actors, social impact and more. To see more of the best indie film releases, check out our July Don’t-Miss Indies.
SAVANNAH LEAF
Leaf (photo courtesy of A24)
So as part of my research I went back and watched The Heart Still Hums, the nonfiction short you made about the same subject. How’d you make the leap from the documentary project to Earth Mama?
Leaf: I actually wrote a draft of the feature script first. It was basically about me meeting my sister’s birth mother and putting myself in her shoes, envisioning myself as her because we were so similar in age. There was something exciting about imagining her and her life and meeting her really changed my life from then on. You know, [her daughter] was my first sibling. I was 16 years older than [my sister] so I was kind of like her second mom. So that was the first version of the script. I decided to make the short documentary as kind of like emotional research, meeting a lot of different women who were going through a similar situation. So the next phase of the script was taking onboard a lot of the emotions of all of these women, as well as doing some further bureaucratic research into the foster care system.
Did you ever consider just making a feature-length doc?
Leaf: I knew that I didn’t want to follow these women around every day and maybe reveal things that could affect their court cases. I just kind of wanted to retrieve some of that emotional resonance. In a feature-length documentary you would have to follow people around a bit more, and that felt kind of ethically wrong. To me, a fictionalized story meant I could take all of these other stories onboard and not feel worried about whether or not somebody’s going to get their child back after this.
‘Earth Mama’ (2023, dir. Savannah Leaf)
Could you talk a little bit about your visual approach to the film?
Leaf: Something that was really important to me was to not force any sort of emotion through our camera language. Which meant just stepping away a little bit and not having the camera right up in our actors’ faces. I tried to create a camera language that enabled first-time actors to do a performance once and not repeat themselves for another camera angle, giving them some space to move around in a natural way. The other side of it was that I didn’t want to force a heavy tone on something we already know is so heavy.
I really love the color palette of the film, with all those soft pastels.
Leaf: Yeah, definitely. It’s kind of a nostalgic feel, for me, of the mid-2000s in the Bay—almost dreamlike and hazy and not completely reality.
It gives it that texture, where it feels like a physical object when you look at it.
Leaf: Exactly.
Tia Nomore (L) and Doechii in ‘Earth Mama’
Tia Nomore wasn’t an artist I was familiar with beforehand, but she’s in practically every frame of this film. What was it like working with her and how did you get her involved?
Leaf: We looked everywhere, at everyone. Experienced actors, less experienced actors, people who had never acted before at all. I wanted someone who already had a relationship to motherhood—mostly for the physicality of being pregnant. I feel like I see a lot of movies where someone is pregnant, but the belly looks fake and they’re carrying themselves in a way that doesn’t feel authentic. Tia had just had a baby a year or two earlier, so she was still dealing with postpartum and breastfeeding. And she carried that with her in her whole performance.
Were you trepidations about casting so many people for whom this was their first film?
Leaf: I was kind of terrified, because [Gia] is such a big role and I’m asking so much. Tia was going to have to be in hours of prosthetic makeup in the morning every day before she started shooting. It was nice knowing she had experience as a musician and a performer, because she knows what it’s like to wake up and do a show and then do another show the next day. She’s also from the Bay Area, so even the way she speaks it’s great to have that sense of authenticity.
The film really does have a great sense of place without ever, like, showing the bridge or something. I think it was only like 10 or 15 minutes before I thought, “Oh okay, this is the East Bay.”
Leaf: Yeah, exactly. That’s great. I’m glad you felt that way.
You’re being released theatrically by A24. But for a film like this that touches on so many social issues is there any sort of impact campaign that’s running concurrent with the film’s distribution?
Leaf: We’ve been talking about various things. The most important thing for us right now is to get conversations happening. We’ve been talking to organizations throughout the US about seeing the movie, and in a lot of our special screenings prior to the film’s release we’ve been inviting a lot of nonprofits that are a hand’s reach away from the subject matter. We don’t have a specific organization we’re pointing people towards as the one to donate to—I feel that every community needs something that’s specifically curated for that community.
Lastly, do you have another project in the works?
Leaf: Something that’s really exciting that’s out now is a short film I made called “Run” that’s at the Hauser & Wirth Gallery in downtown LA. It’s about a retired athlete—really, me being a retired athlete—and it’s going to be playing for about a month-and-a-half alongside some other great Black female artists.
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Col. Jeremy Hansen is preparing to become the first Canadian to travel to the moon as part of the Artemis II mission, but Friday he cowboyed up to become the second astronaut to be marshal of the Calgary Stampede parade.
The 10-day Artemis II mission could launch as early as November of next year and involves slingshotting into deep space for a figure-8 manoeuvre around the far side of the moon. It would mark the first time any human has ventured so far from Earth.
Hansen, wearing a grey cowboy hat, blue jeans and cowboy boots, was part of the two-hour parade ride through downtown. A blue NASA jacket was a giveaway that it wasn’t his world.
“This is pretty special. I am Christmas-kid kind of excited about riding Cisco today and being amongst all these cowboys,” Hansen said on horseback just before the parade began.
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“I am just a pretender today, I guess, but excited to be here. It feels good.”
Chris Hadfield was the first Canadian astronaut to be parade marshal after flying two space shuttle missions and serving as commander of the International Space Station.
“I did reach out to Chris Hadfield to get some advice since he was the parade marshal in 2013, and he said two things: Make sure you ride your horse in advance and watch out for the fireworks,” Hansen said.
“It was basically ‘don’t fall off the horse and you’ll be fine.’”
Hansen seemed at ease as he rode the parade route, smiling and waving to loud cheers.
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An estimated 300,000 spectators lined the streets to watch floats, marching bands and dignitaries go by. People have traditionally arrived hours before the parade to get good seats.
“I’m pretty excited. I came all the way here from Ontario and been looking forward to this for a long time,” said Debbie Hazlett, who flew in to Calgary on Thursday night.
“I’ve been to the parade a couple of times, but I actually marched in the parade when I was 10, so this is a big moment for me. I’m excited to see the bands play.”
Calgary Stampede 2023 Preview
Rei Pacunayen and her family also showed up early and, to get in the spirit, her St. Bernard dog named Appa donned a black cowboy hat.
“My sister put it on but I’m not sure how long it’s going to hold, especially when he gets excited when the horses walk by,” she said.
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It’ was also her first time at the parade since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s good to be back. Calgary is the Stampede. The Stampede is Calgary.”
Stampede Park has been a beehive of activity for the past week with the setting up of rides and concession stands.
“It’s like prom. We’re getting ready for the big day and when it starts we can put a corsage on it,” said Gregg (Scooter) Korek, vice-president of client services for North American Midway Entertainment, who will be making his 46th appearance at the Stampede.
Growing up in Calgary, he joined the midway group as a teen. Korek said it’s a relief the COVID-19 pandemic is in the past.
“It was very trying times with the hand sanitizing and the sanitizing of all of our equipment. That was a tough go, but … we did a very successful job of it.
As always, to play it safe, double check the recipes to make sure your bot isn’t hallucinating.
Gifts
Let’s move on to gift giving — a talent that some of us possess more than others. There are several A.I. tools that aim to make selecting a gift easier, including a website that comes up with gift ideas based on someone’s Instagram profile.
I preferred DreamGift, which uses a chatbot to ask you a series of questions about your gift recipient’s age, gender, interests and hobbies, along with how much you’re willing to spend, and automatically provides ideas and links to order the items online. (My wife confessed that she liked some of the bot’s gift suggestions, which included an indoor herb-growing kit, more than some of the gifts I’d given her over the years. Ouch.)
Let’s end with something more creative. You can use A.I. to create a customized bedtime story or even your own hard-copy children’s book.
Give a chatbot like ChatGPT or Bard a detailed prompt that includes your child’s preferred storytelling style, any details you’d like to include and the situation that you want the story to address. Here’s a prompt I wrote for a hypothetical child who is unhappy about moving to a new home. I asked it to involve some familiar characters:
Act as a children’s book writer, mimicking “Frog and Toad.” My kid is going through a rough time — we are moving to a new home and changing schools. Write a story to help him process that. Incorporate our dogs, Max and Mochi the corgis, as characters.
The chatbot generated a heartfelt story about Max and Mochi, a pair of furry siblings. They enjoyed playing in the park and were sad to move to a new home. But they supported each other and eventually went to a new school, where they made new friends: Bella the sprightly Beagle and Charlie the cheeky Chihuahua. Everything worked out in the end.
‘There’s something wrong with this school. Something doesn’t feel right.” The foreboding voiceover is heard at the beginning of The Nun 2 trailer, the first look at upcoming The Conjuring universe sequel.
Taissa Farmiga and Storm Reid star in the sequel to 2018’s global blockbuster The Nun, which came in as the highest-grossing film out of The Conjuring universe to date.
Directed by Michael Chaves (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) from a script by Akela Cooper, the sequel picks up in 1956 following the murder of a priest. The sequel follows Sister Irene (Farmiga) as she once again comes face-to-face with the demon Valak, played by Bonnie Aarons. Jonas Bloquet also reprises his role as Maurice. Reid stars with Farmiga as a new character, along with Katelyn Rose Downey as Sophie and Anna Popplewell as Marcella.
Cooper wrote the screenplay with current revisions by The Walking Dead writers Ian Goldberg and Richard Naing. Atomic Monster’s James Wan and The Safran Company’s Peter Safran will produce. Wan and Safran have produced all eight of The Conjuring franchise films. Judson Scott will oversee for Atomic Monster with Michael Clear and Gary Dauberman executive producing.
Globally, four of The Conjuring movies rank in the top ten horror movies of all time with more than $300M worldwide each (The Nun at $365.5M, The Conjuring 2 at $322M WW, The Conjuring with $320M WW, and Annabelle: Creation at $307M WW) with all seven in the top 30.
New Line releases the horror sequel in theaters on September 8.
Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s film starts with a mysterious red flare streaking down from the sky, so right away we suspect who (or what) will trigger the plot. And it might not be friendly, because the odds of a backpacking trip going right in a sci-fi movie are fairly low. Indeed, things quickly go awry after Harry (Jake Lacy, from Season 1 of “The White Lotus”) and his girlfriend, Ruth (Maika Monroe, “It Follows”), take off on an isolated Oregon trail. She is wracked by anxiety so crippling that she has been taking medication and seeing a therapist, but gamely tries to not spoil a trip Jake has carefully planned. And then, of course, it all goes to pot, with a couple of nifty red herrings and plot twists spicing up the script. “Significant Other” (the title cleverly plays off a couple of different meanings) is a tight, effective hybrid of science fiction and horror, with the scares generated less by shock tactics than by a growing dread. That anguish is generated in the viewer in part by good filmmaking — the movie is briskly paced, well acted and moodily atmospheric (only the C.G.I. looks a little cheap). And partly it derives from “Significant Other” dealing with common preoccupations: Do we ever fully know who we lie next to?
Following “Possessor” (2020), Brandon Cronenberg continues his investigation of the nature of identity — it’s a big subject in this week’s column — layered with a savage satirical element: Turns out, rich people can and will exploit their ability to buy their way out of anything. Alexander Skarsgard plays James, a blocked writer who enjoys a high-flying life thanks to his rich wife, Em (Cleopatra Coleman). One fateful night, while the couple is on vacation in the imaginary country of Li Tolqa, James accidentally kills a local man. He escapes the death penalty by agreeing to have a double of himself created, then watch that duplicate be executed. This jolts him from his anomie and he falls in with a group of wealthy, hedonistic vacationers (including Mia Goth and Jalil Lespert as a particularly perverse couple) who mine the legal loophole to indulge in depraved kicks. “Infinity Pool” portrays a decadent amorality that does not even feel all that far-fetched — entitled impunity runs rampant in real life, and the movie’s cloning technology might be around the corner at this point. This nightmare may be couched in the sun-kissed tones of swank travel brochures, but that makes it even more chilling.
As Mounia Akl’s lovely, low-key debut feature begins, a title informs us that we are in “Lebanon, in the near future.” Beirut has become nearly entirely dysfunctional, consumed by a garbage crisis that has spun out of control. This does not affect the Bakri family, which is headed by the headstrong Walid (Saleh Bakri) and lives in self-sufficient isolation in a countryside compound. Then one day, workmen turn up and inform the Bakris that a landfill is coming next door. Walid’s family is not quite as upset about it as he is. His wife, Souraya (Nadine Labaki, the director of such films as “Capernaum” and “Caramel”), used to be a singer of some renown and misses parts of her old life; the new crisis could be a way out for her. Their two young daughters are fascinated by the change in their routine. As blue trash bags start popping up in the heretofore pristine landscape, it’s hard not to be heartbroken by this vision of a planet slowly descending into self-destruction. At its heart, though, “Costa Brava, Lebanon” is a delicately wrought portrait of a family desperately trying to keep it together in the face of a world gone mad.
Peter (Matthew Jeffers) is in dire need of money, so when his neighbor Winona (Sarah Hay) offers him $1,700 in cash to be driven to Canada, he is desperate enough to agree, albeit very grumpily. He has a reason to go along besides the money, while Winona has a mission of an entirely different kind: She informs Peter she was abducted by aliens from Andromeda when she was 15, and after a long absence they have just instructed her to meet at a specific time and place in Canada. Road movies are a favored subgenre in the low-budget indie realm, but Juan Felipe Zuleta’s feature easily stands out from the pack. The director has a sure hand with image composition and editing (which sounds like a basic filmmaking requirement but actually is far from a given), and his movie is anchored by Jeffers and Hay’s superb performances. Like many movies about a journey, “Unidentified Objects” is structured around a succession of encounters, some quirky and others heartbreaking, until the fateful moment when Peter and Winona reach their destination. The payoff actually works.
Artificial intelligence has long been an obsession of speculative fiction, but there is a big change now: Reality is catching up. In this Canadian movie directed by April Mullen, seventh-generation “simulants” have become physically undistinguishable from humans. (In a nice touch, they are numbered like some fancy Apple product.) The big question is whether they have also become intellectually and emotionally closer to us. Look, it’s our old friend “ambiguous identity” again!
The main characters include a couple (Jordana Brewster and Robbie Amell) in which the husband was replaced by an exact android copy after an accident; an agent from Artificial Intelligence Compliance Enforcement (Sam Worthington) tracking down “sims” that have been illegally rebooted; and a techie (Simu Liu) with a mysterious agenda.
Whenever it tries to go for action, “Simulant” comes up short, and the pounding score by Blitz//Berlin does not help — nobody will mistake this for “Blade Runner.” The film is on much firmer ground as a relationship drama, in the vein of the British series “Humans,” where the artificial creations are called “synths.” The dominant theme is the increasing fudging of the line between human and man-made: Can sims have a soul? Can they love? In this hall of mirrors, you are never sure who is the original and who is the reflection, and what, if anything, separates the two.
The “Mission: Impossible” franchise is one of life’s greatest goofy pleasures. The seventh movie, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” — one of the most anticipated movies of summer 2023 — hits theatres July 12, which gave me the perfect excuse to rewatch the six movies in the franchise
Here’s my highly personal — and slightly controversial — ranking of the series so far.
6. “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” (2015)
The Syndicate, led by stern little mole person Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), causes enough mischief to result in the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) being decommissioned. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) receives the help of Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a mystery woman with killer fighting skills.
Director trademark: Christopher McQuarrie is primarily interested in enabling Tom’s deeply unhealthy and wonderfully entertaining obsession with topping his bonkers “Mission: Impossible” stunts. This time, Tom Cruise both dangles beneath a helicopter and flies the damn thing, for real.
Zaniest set-piece: A slightly out-of-it Ethan — who just, y’know, briefly died during an underwater mission — drags hapless field agent Benji (Simon Pegg) along for a rip-roaring car chase through the streets of Casablanca.
Coolest gadget: A gun made out of a flute is quite trilling (sorry).
Most unhinged moment: Ethan is too late to get into the plane carrying the nerve gas so he just jumps onto the plane. And did Tom do this IRL? What do you think?!
Is there running? He has to get on the outside of that plane somehow!
Tom Cruise’s hair: “I’m too busy stopping assassinations at the opera to get regular haircuts.”
5. “Mission: Impossible II”(2000)
A deadly virus has been stolen and Ethan is called on to recruit a wise-ass thief Nya (Thandiwe Newton) to help him get it back, “Notorious”-style.
Director trademark: John Woo’s constant slow-motion shots. (Seriously, you could make a drinking game out of how often he slows down the celluloid for dramatic effect.)
Zaniest set-piece: Ethan and Nya have a sick car-chase-slash-make-out. (More slow-motion; take a drink.)
Coolest gadget: This instalment features a truly ludicrous amount of dramatic mask reveals, so if these are your favourite recurring “Mission: Impossible”bits, this is the sequel for you.
Most unhinged moment: Two motorcycles crashing into each other head on.
Is there running? This is a less ambulatory instalment, but there is a precious moment when Ethan blows a hole in the wall of a skyscraper and leaps out of it.
Tom Cruise’s hair: The longest mane of the franchise.
4. “Mission: Impossible III” (2006)
Ethan tries to settle down with a cute nurse (Michelle Monaghan), but is drawn back into a life of spycraft when his old boss needs help taking down a terrifying arms dealer played by a slumming — but always brilliant — Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Director trademark: J.J. Abrams creates a lighter, jokey tone helped along with a sprightly Michael Giacchino score.
Zaniest set-piece: Ethan and team (including Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q, making their only series appearances) must smuggle the arms dealer out of a Vatican cocktail party, complete with body doubles and car explosions.
Coolest gadget: The villain is constantly jamming explosive devices up people’s noses. Ouch.
Most unhinged moment: Ethan runs up the Vatican City wall via some kind of rappelling rope device, rolls on top of the wall, looks directly into the camera and says, “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.” Yes, actually.
Is there running? There a 30-second-long tracking shot of Ethan just booking it through a crowded market. (We timed it.)
Tom Cruise’s hair: Back to a shorter crop, as befitting a mid-level government employee and sweet undercover Virginia family man.
3. “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” (2011)
Someone blew up the Kremlin and they’re blaming it on Ethan! He and his pals must track down the baddie and stop a nuclear war. Agent Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and Benji are along for the ride, plus surly pencil-pusher William Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Bonus: the terrifying shark calm of Léa Seydoux, an assassin paid in diamonds.
Director trademark: The movie opens with a lighthearted Russian jailbreak set to Dean Martin’s “Ain’t Love a Kick in the Head,” which sums up Brad Bird’s whimsical sensibilities.
Zaniest set-piece: The team must intercept a nuclear codes drop, which involves Ethan crawling on the outside of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The sequence is edited more tightly than Hitchcock.
Coolest gadget: The climbing gloves Ethan wears to scale 10 floors straight up.
Most unhinged moment: Ethan and Benji dress up as Russian officers and set up a portable video screen to hide their entrance into a Kremlin vault.
Is there running? Ethan zips through a full-blown sandstorm in pursuit of an antagonist.
Tom Cruise’s hair: Longish, luxe and living la vida layers.
2. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” (2018)
Ethan must track down a suitcase of plutonium, so that it doesn’t fall into the hands of assassin cabal the Apostles. He’s also saddled with hulking buzzkill August Walker (Henry Cavill) from the CIA.
Zaniest set-piece: Ethan and Agent Walker pair up to beat the living daylights out of a rogue operative in a pristine white Paris club bathroom, leading to the now iconic moment of Walker “cocking” his fists pre-fight. Glorious!
Most unhinged moment: The only way to bust into France undetected? Why, a HALO jump out of an airplane, of course. At sunset.
Is there running? This film features an extended sequence of Ethan sprinting over London rooftops at top Cruise-ing speed, culminating in a moment when he actually snaps his ankle in half on the side of a building. Like a champ, he walks it off, all of which is captured on film and used in the final cut. (I love it.)
Tom Cruise’s hair: It’s settled into a sensible older-man cut: not too much pizzazz, but not shorn short, either. Elder statesman vibes.
1. “Mission: Impossible” (1996)
Grandfatherly handler Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) runs a team of undercover agents, including handsome superspy/sentient grin Ethan, his suspiciously gorgeous French wife (Emanuelle Béart) and a jolly team of sassy operatives (fun cameos REDACTED). Things go awry when they try to prevent a valuable list of secret-agent names from getting out in the open. Canadian treasure and human hound-dog Henry Czerny is, as usual, the fun police.
Director trademark: Brian De Palma brings the zany close-ups, ominous music, and plenty of twists and turns, plus a frisson of sexual tension between Ethan and the suspiciously gorgeous French wife.
Zaniest set-piece: Ethan descends into a security vault from the ceiling, instantly creating one of the series’ most beloved trademarks.
Coolest gadget: Chewing gum that doubles as an explosive? Yum.
Most unhinged moment: What’s cooler than a chase atop a speeding bullet train? A chase atop a speeding bullet train inside a tunnel with a helicopter trying to kill you at the same time!
Tom Cruise’s hair: An almost military-esque haircut: smooth, aerodynamic — and very nineties.
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While the plot of Captain America: Brave New World has been kept under wraps, Marvel has confirmed that Harrison Ford will be assuming the role of Thunderbolt Ross from the late William Hurt.
Ross’ return to the MCU, combined with a behind-the-scenes photo showing Harrison Ford in tattered pants, has led many to speculate that we will see the MCU debut of Red Hulk in the upcoming film.
Photo: ScreenGeek
The History of Red Hulk
For those who don’t know, in the comics, Thunderbolt Ross transforms himself into the Red Hulk into order to battle Bruce Banner/The Hulk.
Photo: Marvel
Other originally appearing as a villain and antagonist for the Hulk, Red Hulk eventually became something of an anti-hero and even joined the Avengers at one point.
Ford and Mackie Respond
Ever since the release of the photo of Harrison Ford wearing tattered pants, fans have pestered both Ford and fellow Brave New World star Anthony Mackie about the possible inclusion of Red Hulk in the film.
For his part, Ford has remained ambiguous, simply stating that the photo “may or may not be” a clue that Red Hulk will appear.
The photo in question
Mackie however, insists that the shredded pants were not some kind of cryptic hint, but instead the result of a lost luggage incident.
“See, Harrison [Ford] and I go way back. A lot of people don’t know this… This is our second time working together. He came down to Atlanta, they lost his luggage, so I gave him a pair of pants, but those are my work pants from working in the yard. Harrison, he’s a curmudgeon, so he goes, ‘Anthony, just give me the damned pants.’ And I was like, ‘Alright.’ So that’s all that was. He just needed some pants.”
Image Credit: AP Images/Invision
Whether or not Mackie is telling the truth, it seems as if fans will have to wait to find out whether or not Red Hulk is coming to the MCU. Perhaps the first Brave New World trailer will shed light on the situation, but until then speculation will run rampant.
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Colonel Sanders, the founder and perennial mascot of KFC, is an American icon. Well, you may think that you know the Colonel, but you’ve probably never seen him quite like this before. Recently, KFC Canada took the opportunity to create a playable hero in Street Fighter 6. One that any serious KFC fan can get behind. Yes, that Street Fighter 6 hero is Chef Colonel Sanders himself. Just like Popeye grew muscles when he ate his spinach, it seems in the gameplay, the Colonel grows muscle thanks to his tasty chicken. You can see the newly swole fast food icon flex his guns and kick his opponents’ butts in the video down below:
Street Fighter 6 is the first in the iconic game to allow users to fully customize playable avatars. They can then share them with fellow players via special codes, or “recipes.” Yes, as in the Colonel’s “secret recipe.” We’re here for a good callback. Whatever the secret recipe is, if it makes you look as buff as good old Harland Sanders here, we want a taste. Now, KFC is sharing the recipe with the world. And any player can kick butt in Street Fighter 6 using the Colonel avatar. Players who record their Colonel with a hit combo could win a KFC gift card to buy actual food combos.
KFC
Harland Sanders, the actual founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, sold the company in 1964. However, his image remained with the company, making his face as ubiquitous as Ronald McDonald’s. The Colonel died in 1980 at the age of 90, so who knows what he would have thought at seeing his face become the symbol of American consumerism. However, he probably would have gotten a kick out of seeing himself take out a bunch of schmoes as if he were Superman. We really wouldn’t blame him one bit.
Threads, Meta’s text-based Twitter rival, is finally out in the world (most of it, anyway). Compared with other would-be Twitter challengers, Threads has absolutely exploded. By the morning after its launch, the Instagram offshoot had already attracted more than 30 million new sign-ups, according to Mark Zuckerberg.
The momentum seems to have spooked Elon Musk, whose personal lawyer has reportedly threatened to sue Meta over unspecified “trade secrets.” But while the Meta vs. Twitter rivalry continues to play out, there are still some major questions about the new platform and how Meta intends to run it.
Why the relentless focus on brands and influencers?
It’s no secret that Meta began testing Threads with a relatively small group of creators and celebrities ahead of its official launch. The group provided some early feedback to the company, and helped ensure that when the floodgates did eventually open, new users were greeted with more than an empty feed.
The ploy worked. New Threads users found a lively feed filled with posts upon joining. But it’s also led to the main feed feeling a bit… underwhelming. Finding posts from friends, particularly recent posts, can be difficult as the current feed algorithm seems to heavily favor influencers, celebrities, brands and other higher profile accounts. Which leads us to..
What about a non-algorithmic feed?
If you know anything about Twitter, it’s that the original, reverse chronological feed is sacred to many longtime users. The same is true in some corners of Instagram, which brought back its chronological feed last year following a five-year hiatus.
So it can feel a bit jarring that Threads currently has a single algorithmic feed that seems to lean quite heavily on recommended posts from accounts you’re not already following. Not only is there no chronological feed, but there’s no way to view a feed of posts from only accounts you follow (though some have devised a workaround by messing with the app’s notification settings.)
Both Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Zuckerberg have since confirmed that a “following” feed — that is a feed dedicated solely to accounts you follow — is in the works, though it’’s unclear if this feed will be chronological or algorithmic) That should help address the “garbage hose” problem, as Slate’s Alex Kirshner described it,
How will Threads tie into the broader Fediverse?
One of the more intriguing aspects of Threads is Meta’s promise to integrate ActivityPub, the open-source protocol that powers Mastodon and other decentralized platforms that make up the “Fediverse.”
Mosseri told The Verge that Threads launched without ActivityPub due to the complexity involved. “It requires a bunch more work,” he said. But the company seems committed to the idea.
In its announcement, the company suggested it was all-in on the open standard, and what it represents for the future of social networks. “Our vision is that people using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with people on Threads without having a Threads account, and vice versa, ushering in a new era of diverse and interconnected networks,” Meta wrote.
But the prospect of eventual Fediverse integration raises all kinds of new questions as well. How will the app, which is currently an offshoot of Instagram, handle interoperability with other federated platforms? Right now, Threads requires an Instagram account, which is neither decentralized or open-source, much less compatible with ActivityPub. Users can’t even delete their Threads account without also deleting their Instagram. So how will Threads users take their audience with them if they decide to leave? (Even on Mastodon, the process is far from simple.)
How will people on the thousands of Mastodon servers view and interact with posts on Threads? Mastodon CEO Eugen Rochko has suggested it will be up to individual server admins to enable compatibility, but it’s still far from clear how this functionality would work. And that doesn’t address what might be possible on other platforms that pledged to support ActivityPub, like Tumblr and Flipboard, which may be less enthused about their platforms’ content being accessible a Meta-owned service.
Fediverse support also raises all kinds of questions about content moderation. Officially, Threads has the same community guidelines as Instagram, but federated platforms are free to set their own standards and norms. How will Meta keep content from other platforms that goes against its rules from Threads once posts are interoperable?
What about content moderation?
Speaking of content moderation, Meta hasn’t really addressed how it plans to scale its content moderation operation to handle the sudden influx of new users to a brand new platform. Up to now, the company has been clear that Instagram’s existing community guidelines apply on Threads and that it’s hoping to foster a more “positive” environment.
But it’s unclear how the company is handling enforcement internally. And as much as Meta execs try to emphasize the good vibes, history has taught us that where there are millions of users there will inevitably be bad actors spreading hate speech, misinformation and all the familiar ills of giant social media platforms.
For now, it seems like Threads is largely relying on Instagram’s moderation infrastructure. For example, the app will warn you before attempting to follow a user that’s repeatedly shared misinformation. The company is also pushing users to carry over their block, restrict and word filtering settings from Instagram. But with more than 95 million posts on its first day of existence, Threads will at some point likely need its own moderation resources.
Where are all the… other features?
More immediately, the most pressing question for most Threads users is when Meta will start adding a bunch of basic features that could make Threads more functionally like Twitter and other services. For now, many have raised the absence of a number of basic capabilities.
Direct Messages: Unlike Twitter and Instagram, Threads has no private messaging. And so far, it’s unclear if that could change. Mosseri seems cautious about the idea, telling The Verge he was hesitant to contribute to “inbox fatigue.”
Web interface: For a lot of Twitter power users, one of the more frustrating aspects of Threads is the lack of a proper web interface. For now, you can manually view Threads posts by navigating to user’s public profiles, but there’s no way to view your feed or interact with posts. Here, again, Mosseri says that’s in the works. “The priority is the mobile apps, but we are working on www,” he wrote.
Search and hashtags: While Threads makes it easy enough to find people from your existing social graph, Threads doesn’t allow you to search posts or even use basic filtering tools like hashtags.
Accessibility: Unfortunately, as with so many other new platforms, Threads so far has ignored some basic accessibility features. There’s no support for alt text for photos, for example, which feels like a pretty glaring omission given Threads ties to Instagram.
Ads: Most users (brands, aside) probably aren’t clamoring for ads in their new feeds. But the launch of Threads has prompted questions about what Meta’s eventual plan for advertising is. According to Zuckerberg, the ads won’t be coming any time soon. “Our approach will be the same as all our other products: make the product work well first, then see if we can get it on a clear path to 1 billion people, and only then think about monetization at that point,” he wrote on Threads.
While we don’t know exactly which features Meta is prioritizing first, it seems safe to say we won’t have to wait too long for at least some of these features. One advantage Threads has over many of its upstart competitors is that Meta has infinitely more engineers it can dedicate to these issues. And new features will be key if the company wants Threads to be a long term success and not just a novelty.
The great Choi Min-sik was on hand to take early headlines at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan).
Described somewhat blandly as “a highly reliable performer” by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Choi is not only the star of Korea’s top grossing film of all time “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” he continues to be available for work of all different levels. He appears in no less than ten titles that played at the festival this week.
The festival also does reliable — in its own way – as it plays up to its “stay strange” mantra, cooperates with other festivals of a similar fantasy leaning and sidesteps the political infighting that currently bedevil Korea’s best-known festivals.
The selection runs from a documentary about Korean reunification to Anurag Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” a crime drama in which former adult movie star Sunny Leone gets to show that she has evolved into a versatile and confident actor.
BiFan explored multiple variants of ‘genre film’ and deliberately cross-references. The Mad Max section focused on genre film’s leading names, including Quentin Dupieux with “Smoking Causes Coughing”) and Alex de la Iglesia (with “Four’s a Crowd”). It reserved its Adrenaline Drive section for on the nose horror and action films including “Evil Dead Rise,” “Infinity Pool” and “Terrifier 2.” There was also a one-off section containing films from 1973 that marked the city of Bucheon’s own 50th anniversary.
As in many previous editions, the Bifan Industry Gathering (B.I.G.) and its Network of Asin Fantasy Film (NAFF) project market were the secret sauce that made BiFan industry-relevant, as well as meaningful for the Bucheon public.
The panoply of film school, project incubator, VR showcase and meeting point for East-West project-development conversations have hatched “In My Mother’s Skin” which played in Sundance this year and Amanda Nell Eu’s “Tiger Stripes,” the Malaysian cross-genre drama that debuted in Cannes this year.
The festival’s industry section wound down with project market prizes awarded on Tuesday. That was followed Friday by awards in the main festival, but the festival runs through the weekend, giving the local public a further chance to catch up.
The jury provided guidance. “We enjoyed taking this fantastic journey around the world through 10 inventive films, each offering a creative perspective that reminded us to ‘stay strange.’ The visions of the filmmakers and the skills of the casts and crews combined to make our decisions difficult. These films are thrilling, funny, scary, moving and provocative, sometimes all at the same time,” said the jury.
The team singled out Chilean picture “Sorcery” for the festival’s top prize and called it “hushed Chilean thriller [that] blends drama and mysticism to astutely depict a collision of colonial attitudes, local politics and indigenous magic.”
Bucheon Choice: Features Best of Bucheon (KRW20 million) “Sorcery” dir. Christopher Murray
Best Director Choice (KRW 5 million) “Superposition” dir. Karoline Lyngbye
Jury’s Choice (KRW 5 million) “The Artifice Girl” dir. Franklin Ritch
Audience Award “The Artifice Girl” dir. Franklin Ritch
Korean Fantastic: Features
Best Korean Fantastic Film (KRW 20 million) “Iron Mask” dir. Kim Sung Hwan
Korean Fantastic Best Director (KRW 5 million) “Risk Society” dir. Kim Byung Jun
Korean Fantastic Actors Jung E-seo for “Her Hobby” Jang Seongbeom for “Abroad”
Korean Fantastic Audience Award “Abroad” dir. Giovanni Fumu
Nonghyup Award – Distribution Award (KRW 10 million) “Her Hobby” dir. Ha Myung-mi
Watcha’s Pick for Korean Fantastic (KRW 3 million) “Iron Mask” dir. Kim Sung Hwan
Special Mention “Unknown Narrative: Skyrocket Junipers Under the Crescent” dir. Yang Gun-young
Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Award for Best Asian Film “Best Regards to All” dir. Shimotsu Yuta.
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) 2023 Award Winners
NETPAC Award “Hungry Ghost Diner” dir. Cho We Jun
Odd Family Award “Battery Mommy” dir. Jeon Seungbae “Burger Song Challenge” dir. Kim Min-ha.
Prime Day 2023 is almost here, and you know what that means: The best Amazon clothes sales of the year are on the way. Sure, when you think of the best Prime Day deals, you might picture marked-down tech and home goods—but the mega-retailer’s shopping event isn’t complete without a few steals on T-shirts, walking sandals, summer dresses, swimsuits, and TikTok-viral finds. (You’ll even encounter marked-down puffer jackets, should you want to get a head start on your fall wardrobe.)
Amazon Prime Day officially takes place on July 11 and 12 this year, but there’s already a plethora of fashion deals up for grabs. That means it’s high time to get started on snagging gorgeous pieces—from wardrobe essentials to seasonal staples—you need. The only catch? You need to be a Prime Member to shop most of these Amazon clothes sales. (No worries—signing up for a trial is free and supremely easy).
And not to be dramatic, but these are some of the best deals we’ve seen. The site is stocked with summer capsule wardrobe essentials—think white sneakers, athletic shorts, summer dresses, and black leggings, all on deep discount. That’s not even getting into specific brands, either—you’ll find Prime Day deals on the likes of Levi’s, Ugg, and Nike, among many others. Combing through Amazon’s many, many fashion sales can get overwhelming quickly, so get a head start on your cart with our favorite Amazon Prime clothing deals below.
With so many fashion deals from TikTok-approved brands, it’s hard to know where to start, so we suggest tracking down the pieces your summer wardrobe is still missing. Need a breezy top to wear to dinner? A pair of jeans to wear with every tank top or short-sleeve shirt you own? Bike shorts for staying cute and sweat-free? You’ve come to the right place.
Amazon Prime Day 2023 Shoe Deals
Amazon’s shoes are criminally overlooked. Right now the site’s sale includes at least a few you’re destined to fall in love with; just look at the sandals and those sneakers (which are just begging to be paired with a long-sleeve button-down and worn-in denim). Stop at one pair—we dare you.
Amazon’s selection of wedding guest dresses, summery minis, and event-ready gowns is pretty impressive, especially considering it’s also the site you use to stock up on groceries and deodorant. Treat yourself to a new number and spend the rest of the summer in style.
Amazon Prime Day 2023 Accessory Deals
We’re wading into Amazon’s biggest sale of the year, so of course it’s a one-stop shop for purses, summer hats, and other chic accessories that’ll take any ’fit to the next level.
Amazon Prime Day 2023 Activewear Deals
Prime Day is one of the best times to refresh your collection of workout clothes—especially in the under-$100 deals. Snag markdowns on buttery-soft leggings, breathable running shorts, and supportive sports bras, among other Amazon essentials to help you go the extra mile (and look good doing it).
Blue Christmas (2017)
