Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera absolutely charmed the Cannes Film Festival audience at its world premiere in competition this afternoon, receiving a 9-minute standing ovation inside the Palais’ Lumière theater. For those keeping score, that ties for the longest of this year’s event with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon which played out of competition.
An emotional Rohrwacher spoke in both Italian and French. Her first comment was “Grazie a tutti” in her native language before segueing to French and recounting that the film was made among friends. She continued, “This film couldn’t have been done without everybody who is here and especially Josh O’Connor.” The two then shared an embrace.
La Chimera, as Deadline’s Pete Hammond wrote in his review, is “an adventure, an ethereal and spiritual journey, a love story even on different levels, and a heist movie like no other.”
The center of action is set in the 1980s and deals with Italy’s notorious Tombaroli, a group of grave robbers who aim to live the easy life by taking from the dead and digging up and invading cemeteries and tombs to steal treasures from bygone eras thousands of years old to sell them off to fences, notably here the mystery person known only as Spartaco.
O’Connor plays a foreigner who is on a mission to perhaps discover a key to the afterlife so he can reunite with his true love. His unique talents for excavating the past in other ways leads to his association with the Tombaroli.
Rohrwacher, who has won prizes at Cannes for two previous films, 2014’s The Wonders (Grand Prix) and 2018’s Happy As Lazzaro (Screenplay) and was nominated for an Oscar this year for her live action short Le Pupille, has carved out a formidable reputation for herself, notably by gatecrashing the boys’ club that is traditionally the Cannes competition.
On May 23, the “Diamonds” singer poked a bit of fun at the stealth wealth trend popularized by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Succession’s Shiv Roy by rocking a 9-carat pearl-shaped diamond toe ring, which is estimated to be worth around $1 million, according to Page Six. Jewelry expert Maxwell Stone of Steven Stone Jewellers also told the publication that the pearl shape diamond is “believed to symbolize the empowerment and independence of the wearer,” making it the “perfect choice for a global superstar like Rihanna.”
“Quiet luxury,” Rihanna captioned the clip, which features the singer walking in a pair of sparkling heels to show off the unexpected accessory.
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It’s likely Rihanna recorded the short clip the same day she wore her pre-Met Gala feathered Chanel look, featuring a white feathered mini-dress with a matching jacket and hat from the fashion house’s 1994 collection. On April 30, she posted the avant-garde look on Instagram, which also included the Amina Muaddi sandals and XIV Karats toe ring.
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“NOTHING QUIET ABOUT A NINE KARAT RING ON FEET,” one fan replied to the video, while another wrote, “It’s pretty loud sis.”
Look, there’s obviously nothing quiet about Rihanna’s style, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, the pregnant Fenty Beauty mogul just revived her iconic Dior lingerie moment of 2022 in yet another mesh slip dress. This time, however, Rihanna is preparing for baby number two and the dress is from her own lingerie brand Savage x Fenty. She recently wore the “unreleased Savage slip” while out in Tokyo, pairing the sexy dress with a black bra and underwear, an oversized leather jacket, a statement gold choker, and alien-inspired sunglasses.
Your weekly horoscope is here. As we stride across the midpoint of 2023, Saturday’s Luna maximum may add a sense of urgency. Under the illuminating beams, zoom out and gauge your progress so far. Embrace the big picture, be free from self-judgment, and look for wins and moments of achievement. Take the opportunity to reevaluate your plans to hit your target; aim high and focus rather than scatter your arrows.
Read on to discover your weekly horoscope and what’s in store for your sign during the week of May 28 through June 3, 2023.
Aries
The run-up to the weekend’s full moon is an exercise in larger-than-life feelings and attending to your grandest vision. The key is to follow your instinct and cleave to your highest philosophy. Expansion, vision, and pursuit of God-dess/a higher power or calling are all on this week’s memo. As the full moon forms a brilliant angle (flow) to your sign, your wattage brightens as you align with your vision. Plenty of sage advice recommends we hitch our wagon to a higher cause, and this week it rings true for you. That could be finding an avenue of study, hopping on the plan, or delving deep into conversation and listening in for what lights your inner fire, then following its guiding light.
Taurus
Ooh la la Taurus, this weekend’s full moon reveal is, as the British like to say, ‘dead sexy.’ Take a mystery tour of someone else’s secrets as truth and adventure make an erotic combination. If you are bingeing a dating show for all the gory drama, blame it, la Luna. Leave the showdowns for the streaming platforms and revel in the pleasurable side of intimacy. That may look like an incredibly close weekend with your lover or a long, deep, and meaningful with trusted, honest, yet upbeat friends. Dig into a taboo topic while a sense of detachment and buoyancy prevail. Truths may surface over the week, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. Self-revelation is on the cards, so explore your inner emotional terrain and enjoy the ride! Balance by maintaining your private island of stability, ideas aka intellectual property, and income.
With Below Deckseason 10 wrapped up and Below Deck Mediterraneanseason 7 in the books, fans of the franchise have many memorable seasons to look back on. Spread across four different series, the over-the-top antics of the high-profile luxury yacht industry has made for amazing reality TV.
No matter what ship the audience sails with, they are guaranteed an exciting and dramatic time on the high seas. Though the shows have always been must-watch TV, some seasons of the franchise left a lasting impression on viewers due to the high-scale drama and earned much higher scores on IMDb.
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Below Deck Mediterranean Season 2 – 7.04
Like its predecessor, Mediterranean had a rocky first season but came into its own by season 2. Almost completely replacing the cast from season 1, Sirocco’s crew was all-new, and what made the season great was learning about them. Hannah and Bobby’s bond was tested throughout the season as the two veterans split over handling day-to-day operations in the face of a new captain and crew. Love triangles formed, and the entire season exploded when Bugsy and Hannah had a massive falling out. Though the show would get more dramatic as the years progressed, season 2 planted many seeds that would pay off later.
Below Deck Mediterranean Season 3 – 7.05
As a companion piece to the previous season, the third outing of Mediterranean continued some of the most gripping storylines. The show’s characters were put on full display, and their interactions with guests and each other were the season’s bread and butter. Starting with some of the worst yacht guests of all time, the entire season sees Hannah struggling with her career path, and she is unsure if yachting is what she wants to do with her life.
Below Deck Season 2 – 7.11
Though Below Deck‘s season 1 was essential and helped launch it into a franchise, season 2 is where the show blossomed. Weaving its narrative quite fluently, the season set itself apart from most other reality shows by telling a complete story that includes all its characters. Relationships were formed and tested throughout the season, and whether deckhands were fighting or flirting, it seemed as if there was always something interesting going on. A good reality show needs balance, and season 2 was able to perfectly mix its drama with the behind-the-scenes antics that made the show enjoyable in the first place.
Below Deck Season 3 – 7.31
Like Mediterranean, Below Deck‘s season 3 was an improvement because it was a growth and continuation of ideas in the second year. The over-the-top drama that would characterize the show started to creep in, but there was still much yachting action. Eddie’s shocking return was a perfect hook for the season to come, and there was tension in the episodes that built around scandals and relationship drama. Though some of the fakest things about the show began to enter into the mix by season 3, it was never a tedious watch.
Below Deck Season 5 – 7.48
The fifth season of the flagship show was a turnover year, and a ship full of inexperienced hands was a recipe for instant drama. Because the show is a reality program and essentially runs on drama, the arrival of new crew members was like a refresh button that kept the show from growing stale. Even with new crew members, the veterans continued to grow into their characters, and Kate had a particularly illuminating season when she went ashore. Though it was tough to let go of some familiar faces, season 5 was a burst of new energy that kept the show strong.
Below Deck Down Under Season 1 – 7.51
Generally considered one of the best new shows of 2022, the latest installment in the franchise didn’t have the same difficult start as its predecessors. Below Deck Down Undertook the franchise’s yachting excitement and transported it to the coast of Australia. With years of Below Deck under their belts, the new show’s producers knew exactly how to ratchet up the drama right off the bat. The characters were mostly new to their jobs, and their development was exciting to watch. Additionally, the usual romances were on full display, and every crew member played a part in the narrative.
Below Deck Season 4 – 7.57
Just before the big reset in season 5, season 4 saw the culmination of many of the series’ long-running crew members. Romances had played out, and it was clear that a significant change was on the horizon, yet the show remained interesting. Aside from some of the best boatmances, the season also featured many exciting developments that gave audiences a glimpse into the realities of working on a ship. A boating accident and dangerous storms endangered the guests and crew, and it was a reminder that yachting is more than just interpersonal drama.
Below Deck Season 7 – 7.59
Though the show has slowly become more and more over-the-top with each subsequent season, a perfect balance was reached in the seventh year. The ship set sail to Thailand to start the season, and the return of memorable charter guests improved the show. The humor was ramped up, but there were also shocking, dramatic moments, including Kate’s near departure from the show. While it had come a long way since season 1 and was almost unrecognizable, season 7 is viewed as the last great season of the original series.
Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4 – 7.70
Once again returning to the Sirocco, and with a primarily new crew in tow, Mediterranean’s season 4 was anything but a mid-run low point. Some familiar faces returned from season 3 to be a guiding voice, but the new crew members were what made the season shine. The coast of France was the setting for the season, and its beautiful vistas are the backdrop to some fantastic inter-crew drama. Aside from that, the antics of guests like former baseball star Johnny Damon were the cherry on top of an entertaining season.
Below Deck Season 6 – 7.91
Below Deck‘s season 6 set the standard for what a great year the franchise could be. Perfectly mixing its interpersonal drama with its yachting action, the season never slowed down and was an intense experience throughout. Introducing the “outrageous moments” episode to the season for the first time, it still managed to shine despite using a clip show. Though every episode was packed with drama and intrigue, Ashton’s near-death experience when going overboard was undoubtedly an unforgettable moment.
Whether it’s because of COVID shutdowns, reboots, spin-offs or a gap between seasons, more and more actors in Emmy-eligible shows are coming to their roles after much delay. While this could create financial or scheduling concerns, it also gives the talent more time to ruminate on the part, new or old.
More often, actors returned to characters they previously inhabited. Alan Cumming, nominated three times for playing the slippery Eli Gold on the CBS drama “The Good Wife,” reprised the role as a guest star for the final season of its spin-off, Paramount+’s “The Good Fight.”
Adam DeVine, who played frequent foil Bumper Allen in the “Pitch Perfect” movies, became the lead of the Peacock spinoff, “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin.” And Adam Scott, Emmy-nominated for his performance in “Severance” last year, joined other cast members from the Starz comedy “Party Down” for the cater-waiter comedy’s third season, which aired 13 years after the previous season.
Scott acknowledges that “it’s almost become a cliché at this point” for actors to talk about returning to projects because there are so many reboots. But he says that “Party Down” is “unique because it was unfinished business,” adding, “we were cut off prematurely.”
Colleen Hayes
“Party Down” revolves around people trying to make names for themselves while catering to those who already have. Scott is more established now than he was when the series premiered — he joined “Parks and Recreation” in 2010, as the second season of “Party Down” was airing — and his career trajectory is hard to ignore as he revisits the role of Henry Pollard, an actor who got his 15 minutes of fame after a viral commercial. In the third season, he’s retired and teaching high school, waiting on the weekend to supplement a divorce settlement.
Henry’s OK with his life choices. For Scott, it “would have been harder” for him to return to this role had he not succeeded in shows including “Big Little Lies.” Last year, he appeared in Apple TV+’s “Loot” in addition to “Severance.”
Still, he would have returned.
“There have been moments in this past 12 years where I’ve been in some tough spots, career-wise, where I had to kind of stop and reconfigure what I was doing,” he says. “I’m certainly lucky that whatever avenue I’ve chosen, or been lucky enough to fall into, is working right now … it ebbs and flows. That’s the only thing you can count on.”
For other actors, the delay due to COVID-19 simply met more prep time. “Daisy Jones & the Six” actor Sebastian Chacon, for example, was able to spend months learning the drums in his brother’s Williamsburg basement.
“For a lot of the quarantine, it seemed more like I was a professional drummer because I was practicing every day,” says the actor, who was cast a few weeks before the world shut down as drummer Warren Rojas in Prime Video’s limited series.
To prepare for the role, he also watched documentaries and listened to music from the period. He worked with a coach on how musicians of that period moved and learned to get more comfortable on stage. When the cast finally got the OK to start filming, Chacon realized he “started making a lot of different choices for the way that [Warren] plays that I wouldn’t have ever really been able to make or would have been informed enough to make.”
Chacon, whose prior experience with the instrument included high school marching bands, would have done his homework anyway, but notes, “getting the time to really do that and allow it to live in my body was, honestly, a gift.”
Sometimes, best laid plans that go awry are exactly that: A gift.
Taylor Swift brought her Eras Tour – which, so far, has seen arguably the biggest pop star on the planet playing to sold-out crowds on a trek that’s on track to net at least $590 million in ticket sales – to East Rutherford, New Jersey for a second night on Saturday (May 27).
Aside from the hoops everyone at MetLife Stadium went through to be present (Swift’s tour ticket sales proved too much for Ticketmaster to handle, a situation that escalated to the U.S. Congress), people showed up with fairly high expectations for the evening. After all, the previous night’s Eras Tour stop in Jersey saw a surprise appearance from Ice Spice on their newly released “Karma” remix; Jack Antonoff joined his frequent collaborator for “Getaway Car” on one of two surprise songs; and Swift debuted three flashy new outfits.
So on Saturday, the crowd was prepared for a show. And after a three-and-a-half-hour tour through the catalog of one of the 21st century’s biggest artists – one whose discography has shown a lyrical breadth and growth that few of her peers can lay claim to – attendees were more than satisfied, if not ecstatic, after night two of the MetLife dates.
It didn’t hurt that Ice Spice made her second consecutive appearance on the tour for the show-ending “Karma,” a sly pop bop that afforded the Bronx-based rapper the opportunity to flex in front of a 74,000-strong crowd of New York and New Jersey folks following the breakout success of “Munch (Feelin’ U)” and the Nicki Minaj collab “Princess Diana.”
Here are the seven best moments of Taylor Swift’s second night at MetLife Stadium.
Fan Appreciation
Early in the show, Swift acknowledged that the crowd – an audience three-times larger than the capacity at a venue like Madison Square Garden across the river — was an achievement. “New Jersey, I’m not gonna lie to you, you’re making me feel phenomenal,” Swift said. “There are a trillion things you could do this evening…. Correct me if I’m wrong and scream if I’m right: You went to a lot of effort to be here with us.” Unsurprisingly, there were no corrections forthcoming.
‘Tis the Dusk Season
For a show of the caliber of the Eras Tour, it’s not always easy to tell which magical moments are meticulously plotted and which ones simply fall into place. But on Saturday night, the rotation of the earth dovetailed nicely with the show. As dusk fell and pine trees emerged from the bottom of the stage (conifers that almost seemed lifted from the experiential theater Sleep No More in NYC), Swift began singing “’Tis the Damn Season” while golden hues drenched the stage against the evening twilight.
Fans Invoke Villainous Behavior
During the Reputation segment of the evening – an era that found Swift exploring and embracing some of the inevitable cracks in the façade of perfection – a few fans took it upon themselves to play the bad guy role. A trio of Swifties invaded a couple’s floor seats when they left their chairs for a moment, and when gently questioned, they merely offered, “It’s our favorite song” before “…Ready for It” was performed. Well, that’s one way to celebrate Swift’s so-called villain era. (Most Swifties, it should be said, were excessively friendly and considerate during the show.)
Farewell to Phoebe
While opening act Phoebe Bridgers had one night left to go on the Eras Tour, Swift was already mourning the impending loss of one of her “favorite artists” on Saturday. Calling the fact that Jersey was Bridgers’ last Eras Tour stop “devastating,” Swift seemed especially attuned to Bridgers as the two duetted on “Nothing New” during the show.
Surprise Song #1
Swift has said that during the surprise song segments on each stop of the Eras Tour, she intends to perform songs that hadn’t previously appeared on the tour’s setlist — and never repeat a tune. Given the perimeters, speculation is pretty high each night of the tour, so after Taylor announced she would be playing “One of my favorites…. I feel like it’s a pretty good choice for tonight,” the crowd all but melted when she began playing Red track “Holy Ground.”
Surprise Song #2
Moving to the upright piano after “Holy Ground,” Swift gave one Lover track its first-ever live moment in the spotlight: “False God,” her saxophone-assisted exploration of religion and sex, which helped set up the final portion of the night as Swift transitioned into Midnights.
Spice Is Twice As Nice
Twenty-four hours after Ice Spice helped Taylor give the “Karma” remix its live debut at MetLife Stadium, the Bronx rapper returned to the massive New Jersey venue to once again deliver her smooth, confident verse on the collab. Anyone thinking lightning couldn’t strike twice in the same spot was in for a rude awakening on Saturday — Spice and Swift slayed just as hard the second time.
David Sacks, a venture capitalist who moderated the Twitter conversation, declared it “by far the biggest room ever held on social media.” Afterward, Mr. DeSantis, a Florida Republican, said in a podcast interview that he thought by later that day “probably over 10 million people” would have “watched” the event, called a Twitter Space, or a recording of it.
They were wrong on both counts.
According to Twitter’s metrics, the audio event — which was initially marred by more than 20 minutes of technical glitches before it was restarted — garnered a high of about 300,000 concurrent listeners, or those who simultaneously tuned in as Mr. DeSantis made his announcement. As of Thursday, 3.4 million people had listened to the Space or a recording of it, according to Twitter’s numbers.
Those figures fell short of 10 million people and were far from being “the biggest room ever held on social media” compared with past livestreams.
Consider that a 2016 Facebook Live event, featuring two BuzzFeed employees placing rubber bands around a watermelon until it exploded, drew more than 800,000 concurrent viewers and a total of five million views within hours of its conclusion. The 2017 livestream of a pregnant giraffe on YouTube brought in five million viewers a day.
The event with Mr. DeSantis was even dwarfed by past audio livestreams on Twitter. Last month, more than three million people at one point concurrently listened to an interview of Elon Musk, Twitter’s owner, by a BBC reporter in a Twitter Space, according to the company’s numbers. A recording of that Space said 2.6 million listeners had ultimately “tuned in.” (Twitter did not explain the discrepancy between the concurrent listener count and the “tuned in” figure.)
“Getting a few hundred thousand people to do something for some number of minutes is not that big of a deal,” said Brian Wieser, a longtime media analyst who runs Madison and Wall, a strategic advisory firm. “I’m not quite sure that using Twitter to announce a presidential campaign was the most impactful environment, though maybe Twitter could become that.”
Determining the reach and audience for Mr. DeSantis’s announcement on Twitter is significant because the online event had been heralded as a modern way of making political proclamations, bypassing traditional media such as cable news and network television. Yet the initial numbers from Twitter raise questions about whether presidential candidates can ignore traditional media for their big campaign announcements.
Although television does not generally pull in the same numbers that it did a decade ago, some political events that are broadcast live still garner large audiences. When President Biden delivered his State of the Union address on Feb. 7, for instance, the speech was aired live to 27.3 million people watching on 16 TV networks, according to Nielsen.
In an email, Mr. Sacks said his assertion that the Space with Mr. DeSantis was “the biggest room ever” had come from a Twitter engineer. He said he had counted other livestreams that shared the same audio as the original Space.
“I’ve asked for more detailed analytics, but they’re a little busy right now,” Mr. Sacks said.
Mr. Musk and representatives for Mr. DeSantis, who followed his Twitter Space by appearing on Fox News, did not respond to requests for comment.
That is not to say that using social media to make political announcements cannot be powerful. Mr. Wieser said that with so much media fragmentation happening, there was no unifying platform and that the quality of the audience was often a motivating factor for politicians. Perhaps, he said, Mr. DeSantis’s goal was not reaching the most people, but reaching those who would be best persuaded to donate to him or help spread his message.
Comparing social media’s reach with television broadcasts also can be difficult. A “unique” view on social media represents each individual account that visits a post or other content, rather than the number of times it is visited. Such views do not necessarily come from humans, because bot activity might be involved, and do not denote whether a viewer tuned in for half a second or half an hour. By contrast, TV ratings represent the average number of viewers across a longer period, Mr. Wieser said.
Twitter also does not explain the difference in how it counts listeners on its livestreams and those who have listened to recordings of Twitter Spaces.
“The reach on Twitter is artificial: People tune in and out more quickly, they’re likely watching on a mobile device that just isn’t as effective in getting people’s attention as a large TV set,” said Ross Benes, a senior analyst with Insider Intelligence who covers digital video, TV and streaming.
After the conclusion of the Twitter Space on Wednesday with Mr. DeSantis, traditional media poked fun at the technical glitches of the event. When Mr. DeSantis appeared on Fox News, Trey Gowdy, the host, quipped, “Fox News will not crash during this interview.” The segment drew nearly two million viewers.
On Thursday, Mr. DeSantis also tried to make light of the Twitter Space’s technical problems. His campaign sent out fund-raising emails and showcased T-shirts saying the presidential candidate “broke the internet.”
Nicholas Nehamas and John Koblin contributed reporting.
As a feat of pure visual craftsmanship, “Elemental” is anything but simple, often delighting the eyes with inventive character designs and trailblazing animation techniques. For that alone, the Pixar-produced, Peter Sohn-directed feature makes a fitting cap for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, closing the prestigious event with an incident rich and formally vibrant showcase for studio animation might.
Though as return to form for Pixar itself – a rekindling of that fire that set hearts ablaze by wedding prodigious technique to (ahem) elementally simple metaphor – the film falls somewhat short of previous highs. By way of pure storytelling magic, the film also unfortunately lives up to its title.
Building on multiple elements from last year’s “Turning Red,” this latest Pixar joint mines family expectations for narrative tension, doing so with a refreshing absence of conventional antagonists. This time, “Elemental” foregrounds the first-generation immigrant experience right from the start, beginning with a short prologue that follows the freshly-arrived Lumen family off the boat and into their new lives in the suburbs of Element City.
Once we catch-up with the now adult Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis), the only-child has become a fixture of her Firetown community and a hair-trigger presence at her family’s all-purpose deli. The corner store is a fun place to hang — the kind of neighborhood hub where alter kakers kvetch over pools of java, where the native-tongue of Firish is spoken more than English, and where the Old Country bears certain hallmarks of East Asia, altogether reflecting the many immigrant communities the Fire elements are meant to represent. But Ember would rather be anywhere else.
She certainly doesn’t hide her impatience, as her red flames turn purple around the edges when annoyance turns to ire and then explode into a violent fireball when ire burns to rage. One furious release accidentally dislodges a basement pipeline, spewing water all over the supply room and sending Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie) into her life. As in all proper rom-coms, theirs is an antagonistic relationship at first, as water element Wade just so happens to work as a building inspector and just so happened to gush out into a regulatory disaster zone.
Soon Wade heads back to city hall to process his injunctions and Ember follows in quick pursuit, hoping to do whatever possible to save her family business. And so begins a densely packed if rather episodic narrative that takes the duo from foils to friends to frustrated soul mates, but for their incompatible makeups and family duties.
To say that “Elemental” feels closer in certain aspects to a series of children’s books than to a propulsive narrative is in no way a jab; the episodic film just shares so many of its highest pleasures with mid-century classics from Richard Scarry and Peggy Parish, joyfully anthropomorphizes any odd element and builds visual gags out of puns and plays on words in ways similar to the Busytown series or to “Amelia Bedelia.” The filmmakers really do mine these elements for their full potential, delighting us as Water spectators do the wave in a very literal way at a sports match, or as Ember realizes her glass-making potential upon a trip to the beach. While playful and pun-forward, “Elemental” always takes this world seriously, finding great visual wit in the ways fire, water, land and air interact with one another in a shared metropolis that resembles a coral reef.
The fact that Ember – like most residents of Element City’s Firetown suburb – only view the big city from afar widens the film’s allegorical scope. While we do hear the old “Elements don’t mix” from the flame’s old-timer parents, Ember seems to avoid the downtown for more physical reasons: Many spaces are just not made for her. Though the film dances around interesting questions of accessibility, it mostly does so around the edges. If anything, director Pete Sohn is far more interested in what marvels characters’ bodies can accomplish.
Keeping with the real elements’ unfixed natural states, the fire and water characters have porous physical boundaries; they can shrink and swell and dwindle and spread according to the context. And when met with the advanced rendering tools and animation techniques that makes these often impossible elements now workable onscreen, the wider film becomes rife with visual possibilities, but hampered by a paint-by-number narrative replete with chase-scenes at every 15-minute mark and a third-act recycled from just about 15 other films.
With story beats and character turns that strain well beyond familiarity, “Elemental” matches formal adventure with storytelling timidity. Here is a new spin on the old formula, livened up by advances in technology and delivered with real artistry. The film is full of complex and volatile parts, all held together in the most elemental of containers.
The Writers Guild of America is asking members that are nominated for the Tony Awards not to attend the ceremony on June 11, sources confirm to Deadline.
While the WGA is asking its members that are also nominated for the Tonys not to attend the award show, it has allowed them to pre-tape an acceptance speech in case they win. Another alternative the WGA is giving members is to ask a non-member to accept the award on their behalf.
The WGA said they would not picket the Tony Awards set to take place at the United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights.
“Tony Awards Productions (a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing) has communicated with us that they are altering this year’s show to conform with specific requests from the WGA, and therefore the WGA will not be picketing the show,” the WGA said in a statement.
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma got married in Tuscany, Italy in 2018. It was a fairytale wedding
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are one of the most loved couples. Fans love their chemistry and always shower them with a lot of love. After dating for a long time, the couple tied the knot in 2018 and it was surely one of the most talked about weddings of the year. However, in an interview, Virat Kohli shared how Anushka has stopped him from revealing wedding details to anyone even to his best friend.
Virat shared that his wife, Anushka Sharma, had kept their wedding details a closely guarded secret. During an interview with Graham Besinger, Virat Kohli said, “So the plan was all executed by Anushka because I was in the middle of the series. So she (Anushka) figured out the location and everything. And she mentioned it pretty categorically that we have to keep it confidential and there was no other way around it.” “It was in Italy, right?” Graham asked, to which, he said, “Yeah, but even then one of the media guys reached there but wasn’t allowed to enter.”
The cricketer’s close friend (Gagan Gujral), who was also present there, shared that they were also not told about the location. Gagan shared, “It was so confidential he didn’t tell us until we landed in Florence. We landed in Florence and asked the driver ‘Where are we going?’ and he said ‘Am not supposed to tell you that’.”
Virat was also heard saying, “There was top security and people had to get in with their cards or they couldn’t enter. So proper top-level stuff. And then we came to Bombay to do another celebration for her industry friends, my cricketer friends. So across two celebrations, after they ended, the next day our families said ‘We are so glad you did it in Italy’. That’s when we said imagine if the main thing had happened in India. It would have been madness. They (family) couldn’t handle two celebrations parties. That’s when they realised ‘Ok, what they did was the right thing.”
Talking about Anushka, she will be making a comeback with Chakda Xpress which is a sports drama and is based on the life of Jhulan Goswami.
Pan Distribution has acquired French rights to Joanna Arnow’s dark comedy “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” following its Cannes Film Festival debut. Loco Films is handling international sales on the title. The film is a major breakthrough for Arnow, who not only makes her narrative feature directing debut, but also wrote, edited and stars in the picture.
Critics liked her vision, with Variety‘s Catherine Bray praising “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” as “brilliantly sardonic” and adding that “you would hope that this is the kind of film that would lead to fame and fortune for Arnow.” The film follows the life of a thirtysomething woman named Ann, as she engages in a casual BDSM relationship, grapples with her low-level corporate job, and deals with her bickering family.
Arnow previously directed shorts including “Bad at Dancing,” “Laying Out,” and the feature doc “I hate myself :).”
“The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” also features Scott Cohen (“Gilmore Girls”), Babak Tafti (“Billions,” “Succession”), and Alysia Reiner (“Fig,” Orange is the New Black”). The film was produced by Graham Swon, Pierce Varous, Magnetic Labs, Ravenser Odd and Nice Dissolve, with “Tangerine” filmmaker Sean Baker among the executive producers. Adam Mirels and Robbie Mirels also served as executive producers.
“Distributing and championing debut features has always been a core driving force for Pan Distribution, said Philippe Godeau, head of Pan Distribution. “I am delighted to introduce the French public to this witty and audacious comedy that fearlessly explores female sexuality. This emerging generation of filmmakers has a lot to say, and American director Joanna Arnow stands out by breaking formal codes and redefining traditional narratives.”
“Response at Cannes has been remarkable, and we are excited to work with Pan Distribution to reach wide audiences in France,” said Swon.
The deal was brokered by Laurent Daniélou and Arnaud Godart on behalf of Loco Film and Philippe Godeau for Pan Distribution.
The Fast & Furious franchise has now tallied 11 theatrically released movies featuring dozens of beloved characters played by some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Fast X has an influx of new characters such as Tess played by Brie Larson, Aimes played by Alan Ritchson, and Isabel played by Daniela Melchior. The beginning of the final Fast trilogy also marks the return of a number of Family legends.
There are over 30 different characters who have appeared in multiple movies in the Fast Saga and a few of them are coming on two decades of playing these roles.
1.) Vin Diesel (Dom Toretto)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 9
The Fast and the Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9, Fast X
The face of the franchise, the Patron Saint of Family, and the Godfather of Street Racing, Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto has only been sidelined for two movies eligible for this list. If the stars and moon align correctly Mark Sinclair will be playing this role for the rest of his life.
2.) Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 7
The Fast and the Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9, Fast X
An OG of the franchise that took the most soap opera-style break from the franchise after being considered dead between Fast & Furious and Furious 7. Michelle Rodriguez wonders how many Marvel movies they can make before everyone is sick of them…which is a level of ignorance everyone should strive for.
3.) Jordana Brewster (Mia Toretto)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 7
The Fast and the Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, F9, Fast X
The mother of the franchise is Jordana Brewster’s Mia Toretto. The Juliet to Paul Walker’s Romeo and the glue that holds every retcon together. After seven appearances, fans are wondering when they will actually give Mia something to do.
4.) Tyrese (Roman Pearce)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 7
2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9, Fast X
Fast & Furious is the only franchise in recent history with three origins movies. The second of which introduced the Miami family spearheaded by Tyrese’s comedic relief legend Roman Pearce.
5.) Ludacris (Tej Parker)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 7
2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9, Fast X
Another member of the Miami Family is Ludacris’s Tej Parker. The best example of a character representing the trajectory of the franchise as he began racing jet skis and now is one of the greatest technical minds this world has ever seen.
6.) Paul Walker (Brian O’Conner)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 6
The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7
Should be tied with Vin Diesel at nine, but Paul Walker was taken from the world too soon during the production of Furious 7. Rest in Peace Paul Walker.
7.) Sung Kang (Han Lue)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 6
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, F9, Fast X
The third origin story of The Fast Franchise is Tokyo Drift and the character of note is Sung Kang’s Han. Han is the poster child for anyone and everyone being eligible to return after their death. Reminder, they have shown Han exploding in a car crash fource different times… and no one cares. Long Live Han.
It took six movies to bring an antagonist to the BBQ but it has now become a Fast staple. Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs has become an icon in this franchise and this sumbitch isn’t anywhere close to finished.
9.) Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 6
Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, F9, Fast X
Deckard Shaw is the ultimate Fast & Furious scene stealer as Jason Statham has forced his way into being a foundational piece of this franchise.
10.) Gal Gadot (Gisele Yashar)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 4
Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Fast X
Somehow… Gal Gadot has returned. Gisele is back for Fast X and fans cannot wait to see her and Han reunite in Fast XI… unless Han died again.
It is important to note that Gisele’s death in Fast & Furious 6 was incredibly impactful because they hadn’t brought anyone back from the dead to that level yet.
11.) Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 4
Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9, Fast X
Nathalie Emmanuel could have easily been a one-off mcguffin character in Furious 7, but somehow she has cemented herself into a major exploration leader of the Family.
12.) Elsa Pataky (Elena Neves)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 4
Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious
One of the most interesting characters in the Fast Saga, Elena Neves is the placeholder for Dom Toretto’s romantic side while Letty was considered gone. Fast X continues the Neves name but it seems that sadly Elena will not be making a return.
13.) Helen Mirren (Magdalene Shaw)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 4
The Fate of the Furious, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, F9, Fast X
Anyone who says that the Fast & Furious franchise doesn’t deserve respect has not consulted with Dame Helen Mirren. Lady Shaw popped in from time to time for one reason and one reason only to bring the biggest smile possible to Vin Diesel’s face.
14.) Luke Evans (Owen Shaw)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 3
Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious
Kid Shaw had one of the best villain appearances in the saga before being consulted to a cameo-only role. If predictions are correct, Luke Evans is in line for a major role in Fast XI as his brother Deckard is off to save mother Shaw.
15.) Charlize Theron (Cipher)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 3
The Fate of the Furious, F9, Fast X
Three appearances, three haircuts, and three movies where Charlize Theron stays collecting paychecks. Cipher has been the straw that has stirred the franchise into the level of outrageous global espionage. If the Family are superheroes this is their Lex Luthor.
BONUS: Kurt Russell (Mr. Nobody)
Fast & Furious
Number of Appearances: 3
Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, F9
After a big pop appearance in Furious 7, Mr. Nobody has become a Bosley-type character giving the Family their missions. This man is basically the Fast cast’s Nick Fury.
Sony has reportedly scaled back the size of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game, following an evaluation of the project by the platform holder and newly-acquired Bungie.
According to Bloomberg, the number of people working on the project has been reduced, partly as a result of the Destiny studio’s feedback as to its quality and viability.
“Bungie raised questions about the The Last of Us multiplayer project’s ability to keep players engaged for a long period of time, which led to the reassessment,” the Bloomberg report claims.
According to the publication, while the game has not been cancelled, many of its developers have been moved to other projects and a small group remains while Sony re-evaluates its direction.
Shortly before the Bloomberg report’s publication, Naughty Dog seemingly pre-empted the story with a statement on social media, in which it indicated that The Last of Us multiplayer game would require more time in development.
“As development has continued, we’ve realised what is best for the game is to give it more time,” the studio stated. “Out team will continue to work on the project, as well as our other games in development, including a brand new single-player experience”.
During a business webcast on Tuesday, SIE reiterated that it’s planning to have 12 live service titles in the market by its fiscal year ending in March 2026 – up from three during its last business year ended this March.
And Sony says it has made Destiny studio Bungie – which it acquired last summer for $3.6 billion – an integral part of ensuring these titles have the best chance of success, by taking learnings from the studio’s wealth of experience in the genre.
Before you ask, yes, Lou Reed’s rock standard “Perfect Day” does indeed make an appearance in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days”: on the protagonist’s stereo as suitably ideal sunlight pours into his small, neat Tokyo apartment, before swarming the soundtrack as we head out into the city on a calm weekend afternoon. If that sounds a little obvious, basic even, said protagonist Hirayama — a mellow, soft-spoken toilet cleaner beautifully played by Kōji Yakusho — would probably agree with a shrug. He’s into simple pleasures, not deep cuts. His solitary life is built around the things that make him happy and the work that keeps him solvent. He’s not inclined to wonder what other people make of it. Wenders’ film, in turn, is sincere and unassuming, and owns its sentimentality with good humor.
“Perfect Days” finds its maker in bracing, uncomplicated form: It hasn’t the ecstatic spiritualist philosophy of “Wings of Desire” or the penetrating poetry of human and cultural desolation that marked “Paris, Texas.” But the new film’s humane, hopeful embrace of everyday blessings is enough to make it Wenders’ freshest, most rewarding and arthouse-friendly fiction feature in close on 30 years — following a 21st-century run of dusty or disheveled works dwarfed by the artistry and elan of his recent documentary work. As it happens, “Perfect Days” bows in Cannes mere days after the director’s dazzling 3D art doc “Anselm.” Rather than one showing the other up, both pleasingly demonstrate the range of forms, scales and tones in which the 77-year-old filmmaker can still work.
Indeed, there’s something of a documentarian’s eye to the film’s patient examination of process and routine, as it follows Hirayama on his daily rounds with minimal fuss or incident. Beginning with the first blush of orangey morning light on his sleeping mat — captured by DP Franz Lustig as a slice of mimosa-bright intensity amid the drear — we observe as the sixtysomething man folds up his bedding, brushes his teeth, dresses, waters his collection of potted sapling trees, and hops into a small van filled with all his cleaning materials. He picks a cassette tape from the many stashed above the windscreen, and putters along the highways of Tokyo to the jangling strains of The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun.” Again, his musical selections don’t shy from the literal.
Hirayama has a fixed cleaning rota, shared with younger slacker colleague Takashi (Tokio Emoto), that covers the public toilets in the city parks of the Shibuya ward. “Perfect Days” began life as a short film project, commissioned by Japanese urban authorities, intended to celebrate their state-of-the-art public toilet system — and as far as Wenders’ feature has drifted from that brief, it still permits us ample time to marvel at a variety of architect-designed, art-adorned tinkle temples. They are largely taken for granted by their caught-short customers, as is Hirayama himself, used to being silently brushed past as if he, too, were a mere facility.
If he minds his job, however, it doesn’t show on his creased, still keen-eyed face. He appears to take pleasure in its methodical regularity, just as he enjoys his daily lunch breaks in the same outdoor spot — where he photographs the same trees and smiles at the same strangers — and his daily post-work drink at the same busy commuter bar. When one day is complete, Wenders takes us through the schedule all over again; weekends, with bicycle trips to the laundromat, the bookshop and a hole-in-the-wall restaurant run by cheerfully nurturing Mama (Sayuri Ishikawa), are different but just as contentedly regimented.
The variations come in the cultural fabric of Hirayama’s leisure time: the books he reads (Patricia Highsmith one day, William Faulkner another) and the music that he picks from his large collection of classic rock and soul — Patti Smith, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, Nina Simone — all on cassette. (His is a stubbornly analog existence, to the amusement of his juniors.) But when Niko (Arisa Nakano), the teenage daughter of his estranged sister Keiko (Yumi Aso), turns up unannounced on his doorstep and decides to stay a few days, the ensuing disruptions to his routine also expose what a deliberate construction that routine is in the first place: a defense against a past life he doesn’t want back.
We’re left to intuit much of this through the small sighs and pauses in Yakusho’s graceful performance, with his unhurried but purposeful gait, and his taciturn but open-faced demeanor. He and his director alike resist condescending to the character as they etch in the tightly managed confines of his existence. Monochrome dream sequences by Wenders’ wife Donata — drawing on the Japanese concept of komerebi, or the play of light in trees — allude to Hirayama’s equally peaceful but poetically-inclined inner life.
Such touches can border on the corny. The theme of seeking beauty in the mundane — well served by Lustig’s boxily framed but expansively lit tableaux of urban development and domestic space — is at no risk of understatement. But here and there, “Perfect Days” startles with flourishes of more stoic lyricism and disciplined emotional torment: A later surprise family reunion is heart-rending in its brief, unspoken flash of shared anguish, while a charged encounter with a stranger culminates in a literal shadow-dance of unbidden, childlike playfulness. This beguiling film may trade in the tranquil security of routine, but makes an occasional, heart-quickening case for the unexpected.
It may be hard to imagine Robert Downey Jr. as anyone other than Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but director Jon Favreau revealed that he was considered for another superhero project before becoming the beloved Tony Stark.
“I remember you had all met with him [Downey] already for like Doctor Doom or something on another project,” The Mandalorian creator said. “I think he had come through on like maybe Fantastic Four, so everybody sort of knew who he was.”
Favreau didn’t confirm how far Downey made it in the audition process for Tim Story’s 2005 film, but at the time, the movie rights to Fantastic Four were owned by 20th Century Fox until Disney acquired the studio in 2019.
The director said they ended up bringing the actor in for a screen test for Iron Man and that’s when they saw “that spark in him,” and knew he was perfect for the role.
“Once it was him, that’s when my life got a lot easier because he understood the voice of the character,” Favreau explained. “And then one by one, people were just signing on board because now it became something interesting.”
Iron Man went on to earn more than $585 million worldwide, as well as Downey reprising the role in two Iron Man sequels, four Avengers films, Captain America: Civil War and more. Feige also credits Downey for helping make the MCU what it is today.
“I remember on later movies – we’ll talk about them on the 15th anniversary of those – there were dark days,” the Marvel boss said. “I would say to Robert, ‘We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you,’ meaning we wouldn’t have a studio if it wasn’t for him. Or you [Favreau].”
George Maharis, who starred as the brooding Buz Murdock on Route 66 before he quit the acclaimed 1960s CBS drama after contracting hepatitis, has died. He was 94.
Maharis died Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills, his longtime friend and caregiver Marc Bahan told The Hollywood Reporter.
Route 66, created by Stirling Silliphant and Herbert B. Leonard, featured the Hell’s Kitchen native Murdock and Martin Milner‘s Yale dropout Tod Stiles touring the highways of America in Tod’s Chevrolet Corvette, encountering adventure along the way.
The show “was really kind of a searching or what you may have seen hundreds of years ago where the people came over the mountains to go from one place to the other to find a better life, a place where they belonged, and they didn’t rely on anybody else to do it for them,” Maharis told The Seattle Times in 2008.
All 116 installments of the series over four seasons starting in October 1960 were filmed in cities across the U.S., making for a grueling production schedule.
Midway through the third season in late 1962, Maharis came down with hepatitis, was hospitalized for a month and missed several episodes. (On the show, it was explained that Buz was in a Cleveland hospital battling an “echo-virus,” and Tod got a new traveling companion, Lincoln Case, played by Glenn Corbett).
Maharis returned to Route 66 but didn’t stay long, suffering a relapse. “The doctor said, ‘If you don’t get out now, you’re either going to be dead or you’re going to have permanent liver damage,’ ” Maharis recalled in a 2007 interview.
Maharis, who had received an Emmy nomination in 1962 for playing Buz, said it took him more than two years before he was able to regularly work again.
The dark-haired actor ventured into movies, starring in John Sturges’ The Satan Bug (1965), a sci-fi thriller for The Mirisch Co. and United Artists, but he never attained the rebel-stardom his TV popularity augured.
Maharis was born on Sept. 1, 1928, in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, one of seven children to Greek immigrants. He attended Flushing High School and spent 18 months with the U.S. Marines.
He aspired to become a singer but became interested in acting and studied with Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio, then did a parody of fellow Method actor Marlon Brando on the NBC comedy Mister Peepers in 1955.
Maharis landed his first big role in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s Deathwatch in 1958 and appeared in Edward Albee‘s first produced play, The Zoo Story, also off-Broadway, two years later.
He portrayed an underground freedom fighter for Otto Preminger in Exodus (1960), and on the CBS soap Search for Tomorrow, he starred as a gambler who mistreated his wife.
On an April 1959 episode of Naked City, the gritty ABC series created by Silliphant, Maharis appeared as a character who longed to see the world, and that installment served as a pilot for Route 66.
During production of Route 66, Maharis somehow found time to fly to New York City to record a 1962 album for Epic Records, and he had a single that made to No. 25 on the Billboard charts, “Teach Me Tonight.”
After he became sick, Maharis asked that his hours on Route 66 be reduced, but producers refused. In the 2007 interview, he discounted talk that he used his condition to break his contract in order to jump into the movies. A lack of chemistry between Milner and Corbett contributed to Route 66 being canceled in March 1964.
Maharis’ first movie after his starring turn on television was the light comedy Quick Before It Melts (1964). He then starred as a private detective opposite Carroll Baker in Sylvia (1965), in A Covenant With Death (1967) and, as a hippie, in The Happening (1967).
In the 1970s, Maharis turned back to TV. He, Ralph Bellamy and Yvette Mimieux portrayed criminologists on the short-lived series The Most Deadly Game, and he was a prizefighter on the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. He also appeared on such shows as Marcus Welby, M.D., Night Gallery, McMillan & Wife, The Bionic Woman and Fantasy Island.
Maharis later made occasional ventures back into film, which included playing a resurrected warlock in The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), and his last onscreen appearance came in The Evil Within (1993).
In July 1973, he posed nude for Playgirl magazine, becoming the second actor (after Lyle Waggoner) to do so.
From iconic Western face-offs to battles between cops and robbers and even vigilante justice, some of cinema’s best pictures feature thrillingly epic shootouts. Audiences are in for a wild ride in these electrifying action flicks and are able to live vicariously through their fearless and tenacious leads. It can be quite a tall order to produce a cutting-edge, visually stunning, and entertaining showdown, but when filmmakers are able to masterfully do it, the result is spectacular. Some of the most memorable and notorious action sequences contain such spectacles, cementing their status in Hollywood history.
Whether it’s Keanu Reeves as John Wick avenging the death of his beloved puppy, Clint Eastwood taking on both the Bad and the Ugly, or famous outlaws going out in a riveting blaze of glory, the cinema has been home to some pretty magnificent movie moments. There are a few standouts that have truly transcended their fellow flicks, providing viewers with a spellbinding and rousing good time. These are some of the best shootouts in movie history.
Updated May 2023: If you’re a fan of movies with great shootouts, you’re in luck. This article has been updated with fresh and new content for your enjoyment by Nikole Finger.
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11 Desperado
Sony Pictures Releasing
The 1995 neo-Western action film Desperadostars Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi, a vigilante musician who seeks revenge against the drug lord who killed his lover. The Robert Rodriquez picture is famous for its epic gun fights and thrilling battles, but by far the most memorable and superior showdown is when El Mariachi ends up at the Tarasco Bar, where the drug kingpin’s men lie in wait. Mariachi shows up with his guitar case in hand which, unbeknownst to the goons, is packed full of guns to aid in the fight.
The stunning and well-choreographed gun battle that ensues is perfectly over-the-top and visually breathtaking, as Mariachi defies the odds and takes out every single henchmen. Director Quentin Tarantino, a close friend of Rodriquez’s, makes a playful cameo in the tense scene, getting killed by his associates when he is used as a human shield after cracking a joke about a bartender and urination.
10 The Godfather
Paramount Pictures
The Godfather is easily considered the pinnacle of movies about the mafia, and for good reason. Director Francis Ford Coppola masterfully creates tension throughout the whole film, and while there are many shootouts throughout the film, as to be expected with the topic, none of them compare to the dramatic and cinematic ending when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) has his henchmen kill the heads of the other families while he peacefully enjoys his daughter’s baptism. While this shootout is very one-sided, as the Corleone family attacks their victims when it’s least expected, the ambush nature of it, combined with the juxtaposition of Michael being in church, make it just as memorable and impactful as any other scene on this list.
While this scene does show the protagonist “winning,” the scene finalizes Michael’s transformation into a mobster and the audiences’ terror of what he has become. The baptism is so angelic, soft, and holy, signifying a new start to life. This chilling comparison to Michael’s plan that is being carried out simultaneously, with his henchmen preparing their weapons delicately like the priest does with his holy relics, leaves no room for doubt that the heads of the families are being sacrificed for Micheal to start his new life. The dynamic concept that Coppola chose to convey with this ending scene earns it a spot on this list.
9 The Untouchables
Paramount Pictures
Brian De Palma’s 1987 crime flick The Untouchablesfeatures an impressive cast of Hollywood greats like Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery, and follows Prohibition agent Elliot Ness (Costner) as he forms the Untouchables team to bring down infamous gangster Al Capone (De Niro). The Oscar-winning picture depicts the notorious lawman as he and fellow officer George Stone are caught in a slow-motion shootout on the stairs at Union Station.
The dramatic scene showcases Ness as he attempts to protect a baby in a carriage during the surprise gangster attack, and though outnumbered, the pair manage to kill all the mobsters and keep the mother and child safe (in a visual reference to the old masterpiece Battleship Potemkin). Now that’s going above and beyond the call of duty! The Associated Press called the drama, “a terrific movie, full of the same brand of fierce vitality that made the 1930s gangster films so compelling.”
8 The Devil All The Time
Netflix
While The Devil All The Time may be a lesser-known film compared to the others on this list, the ending shootout earns it a spot on this list. Without revealing too much about the ending, the protagonist, Arvin (Tom Holland), finds himself in multiple dangerous situations where he has to fight for his life. He finds himself face-to-face with one character in particular in the finale of the film that challenges him even more than the others. While Arvin always had some sort of advantage against the other antagonists he faced, this time, the odds are not in his favor.
The film offers no relief for the audience after the start of the action, with the tension only rising until it finally comes to a crescendo. The ending shootout is well worth watching the film without any spoilers.
7 John Wick
Summit Entertainment
The Keanu Reeves-led neo-noir action franchise John Wickis no stranger to electrifying fights, violent combat, and rousing gun battles, and the actor’s commitment to the role is blatantly clear to fans of the films. To prepare for his action-filled portrayal, Reeves spent four months learning Judo, Japanese ju-jitsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and practiced close-range combat that blended martial arts and guns.
During the scene in which Wick shows up at the Red Circle nightclub, he single-handedly dispatches and kills a horde of thugs with no hesitation, demonstrating how much of a gifted marksman and professional he is. Wick’s cool head and hand-to-hand combat skills really elevate the moment, and it shows just how far the revenge-seeking assassin will go to avenge his puppy and stolen car. While his actions are violent, they absolutely feel justified, so it’s easy to get excited for Wick.
6 Django Unchained
Columbia Pictures
The master of stylized violence himself Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the 2012 American Revisionist Western Django Unchained, centering on a freed slave who sets out with the help of a German bounty hunter to rescue his wife from a merciless plantation owner in Mississippi. Django will stop at nothing to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda, and during a major climatic scene in which both his nemesis and ally are murdered, he goes on a bloody rampage with his fury and six-shooter in tow.
Django is merciless in his execution of the bad guys, and the massacre at the Candyland plantation is without-a-doubt one of Tarantino’s most shockingly gory yet. The New York Times called the film “crazily entertaining, brazenly irresponsible and also ethically serious in a way that is entirely consistent with its playfulness.”
5 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
United Artists
Cinema legends Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach star in the 1966 critically acclaimed spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,which follows a trio of gunslingers who are competing to find a hidden fortune in a buried cache of Confederate gold. Though over 220 dead bodies were stacked up by the end of the picture, the most paramount and gripping battle was the final shootout between the three titular characters.
The iconic Mexican standoff features a nerve-wracking stare-down between the triggermen, with close-up shots and drawn-out silence building among them. Director Sergio Leone used his signature long-drawn and close-up style of filming to build up the tension and suspense among audiences, falling back on Ennio Morricone’s haunting and perfect score when he needs to. This epic showdown culminates in Blondie (Eastwood) shooting Angel Eyes (Van Cleef), eliminating the bad guy, and having his body land right into an open grave.
4 Heat
Warner Bros. Pictures
Michael Mann’s 1995 crime drama Heathas an ensemble cast of gifted performers led by Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer, and details the conflict between an LAPD detective (Pacino) and a career thief (De Niro) as they battle to gain the upper hand. One of the movie’s most legendary shootouts occurs after a bank robbery, and the ensuing battle between the cops and the robbers is a massive showdown in the streets that is both realistic and extremely riveting.
Each character knows how to handle the gun they’re using, and when to take cover and go in for a kill. Due to its well-crafted action sequences and knockout performances of its A-list leads, Heat is regarded as one of the most influential films of its genre and would go on to set a precedent for future crime flicks.
3 The Boondock Saints
Franchise Pictures
The 1999 vigilante action thrillerThe Boondock Saintsstars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Irish Catholic brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian mafia in self-defense and set out to rid Boston of its criminal underworld in the name of God. Though initially flopping during its theatrical release, the movie found new life with video sales and went on to develop a large cult following.
The Boondock Saints is full of exciting shootouts and rousing action sequences, but the Saints facing off in a suburban street against II Duce is one of the greatest. Featuring a dramatic narration from Willem Dafoe, the scene is complemented by classical music and slow-motion cinematography that truly heightens the epic battle. The classic thriller led to a 2009 sequel, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, and a follow-up is scheduled for production this year.
2 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
20th Century Fox
Undeniably one of cinema’s greatest Westerns of all time, George Roy Hill’s 1969 picture Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidfollows acting legends Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the real-life iconic outlaws, who are on the run from a crack U.S. posse after a string of train robberies and decide to escape to Bolivia. In one of the most sensational blaze-of-glory finales ever crafted, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid find themselves targeted by the local police at the end of the incredible picture and must take refuge from the crossfire. The outlaws are confident they can get the upper hand, and emerge from the building with their guns drawn directly into a hail of bullets.
The director famously ends the Western on a freeze-frame, with the doomed duo’s fate implied but never confirmed. Empire praised the 1960s staple, writing, “Note-perfect performances, a screenplay steeped in both nostalgia and a timely sense of insight, and anti-heroes you can’t help but love: it’s no surprise that the always re-watchable Butch and Sundance was once labeled the most likable films ever made.”
1 Scarface
Universal Pictures
“Say hello to my little friend!” Few films are as memorable and quotable as the 1983 crime drama Scarface, which features Al Pacino in a star-making role as the Cuban drug lord Tony Montana. The film depicts Montana’s rise to power in 1980s Miami, from being a penniless refugee to becoming a dominating and feared kingpin. Scarface’s climax revolves around the coked-out drug lord as he takes cover in his office from bloodthirsty assassins, pulling out a grenade launcher-equipped rifle before mowing down many of the killers.
The carnage that ensues is violent and extreme, with bullets flying and Montana continuously taunting his executioners despite his overwhelming odds of defeat. The notorious shootout also includes a single camera shot that was actually directed by Steven Spielberg, who was visiting the set, and Brian De Palma; together, the two visionaries crafted a fabled grand finale and one of the best shootouts in movie history.
If there was an award for the savviest U.S. distributor at the CannesFilm Festival, it would have to go to Neon, which scored its fourth consecutive Palme d’Or at the conclusion of the 76th edition on Saturday. The top prize went to French director Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall,” a murder mystery and courtroom drama starring Sandra Hüller that Neon acquired shortly after its festival premiere on Tuesday.
In the two weeks leading up to the end of this year’s festival, critical consensus focused on “The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer’s austere riff on Martin Amis’ novel about the commander of Auschwitz. As a result, many assumed it would be an obvious choice for the Palme.
But critics don’t pick that prize; the jury is composed of filmmakers and actors who tend to land on a consensus choice for the top prize while spreading the love in other categories (the Palme winner can’t be awarded any other prizes). “Zone” won the Grand Prix — essentially second-place — setting up the A24 project for a bright future beyond the festival. The German-language production could wind up as an international Oscar submission for the UK, while the impeccable craft of the movie could set it up for other major categories, including Best Director and Best Picture.
Still, many journalists seemed surprised that the one movie that generated the most noise over the course of two weeks didn’t get the biggest award. “It was not easy,” a coy Ostlund said at a jury press conference. “I think all of us had to really fight for what we believed was the right film and the competition was hard.” He added that the premiere of “Anatomy” was “an intense screening. It’s exactly what cinema should be about. I’m very excited to see that film come out in the world.”
For now, then, the spotlight shines brightest on “Anatomy of a Fall” — and it’s in good company. Neon’s first Palme win came in 2020 with “Parasite,” which launched it into a long awards season that culminated with its historic Best Picture win. It was followed by 2021’s “Titane,” Julia Ducournau’s feminist body horror effort that became France’s official submission, and then last year’s Ruben Ostlund-directed satire “Triangle of Sadness,” which landed Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Will “Anatomy of a Fall” continue on a similar path?
The directors of those last two winners took part in this year’s jury, with Ostlund serving as its president. The Swedish filmmaker said at the start of the festival that he would rather win a third Palme d’Or than an Oscar. However, as both of his Palme d’Or winners were also Oscar nominees (he was also nominated for his earlier Palme winner “The Square”), Ostlund understands the potential springboard effect of a Palme win — and so does Neon, which will now aim to position the movie for the year ahead with a few obvious categories.
Hüller, who has been a Cannes favorite ever since her acclaimed turn in the 2016 comedy “Toni Erdmann,” also had a supporting role as the wife of the Auschwitz commander played by Christian Friedel. Many expected Hüller to take home a Best Actress prize in her most prominent year at the festival. She didn’t, but still got called back to the festival to join Triet onstage for the awards, and the UTA-repped actress stands a good chance of expanding her U.S. profile this year as the centerpiece of a largely English-language production.
That also creates a curious challenge for “Anatomy” when it comes to Oscar potential. “Anatomy of a Fall” will prove to be a challenging theatrical proposition, but any audiences wary of so-called “foreign language” movies won’t be deterred. The movie finds Hüller playing a German novelist accused of murdering her husband at their snowy lodge. Her courtroom interrogation consumes a large portion of the story as it bathes in ambiguity, and she often uses English language to communicate because her character struggles in French.
Oscar requirements for international submissions mandate that at least 51 percent of the dialogue must be in a language other than English, and English dominates several key scenes in the movie. However, sources tell IndieWire that sales agent mk2 make it clear in negotiations that the dialogue of “Anatomy” is predominantly French, and could qualify for the country’s Oscar submission if its committee were to select it later this year. It’s up to the Academy now to check the math on that.
French director Justine Triet (L) and German actress Sandra Hueller attend a press conference for the film “Anatomie d’une Chute” (Anatomy of a Fall) during the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 22, 2023. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP) (Photo by JULIE SEBADELHA/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
The Palme win for Triet marks only the third time the prize has gone to a woman after Ducournau’s own win in 2021, which followed Jane Campion’s prize for “The Piano” way back in 1993. With 33 percent of the Cannes selection directed by women and seven in competition, the odds were higher than ever before for another woman to take the prize. Onstage to present the announcement of the Palme d’Or this year, Jane Fonda put that progress in a historical context by recalling her first trip to the festival in the early 1960s. “There were no women directors competing at that time and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that,” she said. “We’ve come a long way, and we have a long way to go, but still we have to celebrate change when it happens.”
Nevertheless, it would be a fool’s errand to argue that the jury singled out Triet solely on the basis of her gender. “Anatomy of a Fall” is first-rate Hitchcockian storytelling with an audacious legal twist that keeps audiences guessing, and it follows Triet’s well-received dark comedy “Sybil” that played in competition in 2019. She has been on track to deliver a universally well-received Cannes hit for a while now. “This film is the most intimate one I’ve ever written, the one that’s closest to me,” she said in her Cannes speech. She added that she initially planned the project as a TV series until her producers talked her into making it as a feature. “I thought I would move on quickly, do something else,” she said. “I simply would like to say at this stage that I’m very pleased I’ve made a film.”
Triet’s speech took a political turn when she noted the current protests over France’s decision to raise the retirement from 62 to 64. On top of that, she also expressed concern over the end to France’s “cultural exception” to art that reduces the value-added tax for creative endeavors. “The merchandization of culture defended by the French government is breaking the French cultural exception,” she said. “Without this cultural exception, I would not be here before you today. This award is dedicated to all those who cannot manage to shoot films today. I occupied this space 15 years ago in a less hostile world where it was still possible to make mistakes and start again.”
The specificity of those remarks may or may not remain a part of Triet’s campaign as “Anatomy of a Fall” makes its way into the world. But whatever happens next, it seems likely that its profile will keep expanding after Cannes. As the ceremony host Chiara Mastroianni said at the start of the show: “It’s the closing night, but it’s not finished. Spectators will now step in and spread the word about the films here.”
Rookie quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome recorded a pair of touchdown runs, including a late game-winning 46-yard sprint into the end zone, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers survived a comeback bid to open up their CFL pre-season play with a 25-23 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday afternoon.
Edmonton dropped to 0-2 in exhibition action.
“We took a little bit to get going, but once we got going everybody was moving in sync, we were moving together and I thought the offence was moving the ball pretty well,” said Elks backup QB Tre Ford, who scored one of Edmonton’s touchdowns.
The Elks scored on their opening drive, getting a 35-yard field goal from Dean Faithfull.
Winnipeg was quick to respond, as veteran quarterback Zach Collaros found Kenny Lawler on a 67-yard touchdown pass.
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Edmonton got a single back on a missed 44-yard Faithfull attempt.
The Blue Bombers started the second quarter with a one-yard TD plunge from Pigrome.
Faithfull completed a long drive engineered by backup QB Ford with a 31-yard field goal before the Winnipeg kicker nailed a 34-yarder to put the Bombers up 17-7 at the midway mark.
Ford continued to look good behind centre for Edmonton as he started the third quarter with another strong drive, capped off by a seven-yard rush and big dive into the end zone to bring the Elks to within three.
Edmonton would then draw even at the start of the final frame on a 19-yard Faithfull field goal.
Pigrome displayed some fleet feet of his own four minutes into the fourth, putting his team back in front with a 46-yard touchdown run.
The Bombers got a bonus point on a punt single.
Edmonton came storming back with 1:54 to play as third-string QB Kai Locksley found CJ Sims on a 44-yard passing play, setting up another toss for a TD to Raphael Leonard. However, the two-point convert attempt to tie the contest was incomplete.
A 52-yard field goal attempt by Faithfull with time expired to win it was blocked.
“We have to find ways to not shoot ourselves in the foot earlier in the game and we would probably be in a lot different situation,” said Elks head coach Chris Jones. “But we did scratch and claw and give ourselves a chance to win the game late and unfortunately we came up a little short.”
Pigrome, a native of Birmingham, Ala., who went to Towson, made a good case for himself in his debut as he tries to earn the third-string QB role in a perceived battle with Josh Jones.
“He can really move, he’s very athletic,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “When he decides to take off, he is going to be tough to handle.”
Pigrome was happy to make an early impact.
“I’m blessed to be here, blessed for the opportunity,” he said. “For those things to happen to me in my first game, it is a blessing. This is just the beginning, though. I still have to make the team and I still have to keep working and pushing and trying to better myself.”
The Bombers close out their pre-season schedule at home to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday in advance of also opening the season at home on June 9 against Hamilton. The Elks are off until June 11, when they play host to Saskatchewan in their season lid-lifter.
For anyone looking for a fast workstation PC that’s also portable and relatively affordable, there’s the Nucbox K1 mini PC. At the time of writing (and until June 4, 2023), you can purchase it from Amazon for $519.99 after a $80 instant coupon. I love the fact that all this power and storage is neatly packaged in a metal box that’s barely bigger than a DVD boxset.
As expected from any workstation worthy of the label, this one runs on Windows 11 Pro: it has a powerful processor, an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, plenty of memory (two 16GB DDR5-4800 modules arranged in dual channel mode) and a large 1TB SSD (albeit PCIe 3.0 rather than 4.0).
You should be able to add an additional 2.5-inch SSD as well. There’s no dedicated graphics card, only an AMD Radeon 680M onboard GPU, so any workload that involves 3D rendering or GPU hardware acceleration will likely be slow on the K1; the lack of Thunderbolt ports mean that you won’t be able to plug in an external GPU to compensate.
Speaking of ports, you can connect up to three monitors and there’s even a 2.5GbE LAN connector; note the presence of a VESA mount as well, great if you want to convert a monitor into a pseudo-all-in-one PC. The K1 comes with a two-year warranty but no next business day support. We haven’t reviewed it yet but we’re getting one very soon.
How to choose the right workstation for you?
It’s not always about the best but it is always about the right fit for your applications. With that in mind, answering the following three questions will help you narrow down the choices available to you.
✅Are you brand agnostic? Being brand agnostic means that you can explore the entirety of the market rather than just a subset of it. There’s no real reason to be brand agnostic these days (unless if you are an Apple user, in which case, you will probably need to stick with your Mac workstation). On the contrary, big brands tend to be more conservative than others when it comes to component choices; which explains why some smaller vendors have adopted AMD’s Epyc server CPUs. ✅ What is your budget? Knowing how much you can spend will inform what you can choose. In theory, any PC can be a workstation but some of their features (e.g. Windows 11 Pro, after sales support, enhanced expansion capabilities beefier components) means that desktop workstations are generally more expensive although deals can be had. You can get good all-rounder workstations for around $500 but you will have to fork out up far more (several orders of magnitude) for something like AI development. ✅ What sort of support do you need? Standard warranty will not cut it in most cases for professionals and businesses that reply on their workstations to work. This is where the big brands, with their extensive after sales network have the upper hand and can offer accidental coverage, next business day support and more. ✅ What applications do you plan to run? Different applications require different types of workstations. 3D rendering requires a powerful GPU, whereas machine learning and data science need as much memory as they can. Your toolbox will determine what sort of workstation will fit the bill.
So there we have the four questions you should ask yourself when choosing the right workstation for the job. Just bear in mind that there’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to which question comes first.
Jennifer Lawrence is having a pretty rotten run in the latest NSFW trailer for No Hard Feelings. Have a look above.
The Oscar winner returns to comedy in the R-rated pic from director Gene Stupnitsky, who penned the screenplay with John Phillips. She plays Maddie, a woman who seems to have trouble making good life decisions. When she realizes she’s on the brink of losing her childhood home, she finds an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son Percy (Andrew Feldman) before he leaves for college.
Or “quote-date,” as she puts it. When she tells her pals about the deal, one says: “You won’t even rent your house out, but now you’re gonna rent out your vag?” Maddie replies: “You have a Roadrunner tattoo covering your entire back — I don’t think you should tell anybody what to do with their body.”
A few more-than-awkward scenes with the more-than-awkward teenager ensue, all of which Lawrence appears to be relishing. Take the “dance party”-turned-lap dance moment that devolves into more of a mall Santa vibe. Sort of.
Natalie Morales and Scott MacArthur play Maddie’s pals, and Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti are Percy’s parents. The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach also stars. Alex Saks, Marc Provissiero, Naomi Odenkirk, Lawrence and Justine Ciarrochi are producing. Phillips and Kerry Orent are executive producers.
Sony picked up the rights in October 2021 in an auction for the package that had stiff competition and will release the Columbia Pictures film June 23 in theaters.
Fantasy show composers Gustavo Santaolalla (“The Last of Us”), Bear McCreary (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”) and Ramin Djawadi (“House of the Dragon”) knew going in that their respective projects had built-in audiences — and that those fandoms should be kept in mind while creating their scores.
“The Last of Us” showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin told Santaolalla that music needed to be “another character” for the HBO series adapted from the video game he previously scored. Rather than create new themes, Santaolalla organically transitioned the music to TV. The South American instrument called “the ronroco,” which he used to write “The Last of Us” theme, was integral in keeping that connectivity for fans who had experienced Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsay) journey before.
Santaolalla also brought back “All Gone,” “The Path” and other fan-favorite tracks for “The Last of Us” TV series. “They all became iconic. I made sure to readapt them for the series,” he says. “Fans of the video game have such devotion to the music. And it connected me to 12-15-year-old kids who didn’t know anything about me beforehand,” he adds.
Similarly, Djawadi’s work on the cultural juggernaut “Game of Thrones” over eight seasons is well known among its many fans. “House of the Dragon,” a prequel to that earlier series and also based on work by author George R.R. Martin, is loaded with references to its many memorable motifs, and that was very much by design.
“We sat down and discussed how many of the old themes we wanted to bring back,” he says, estimating that “90% of it is probably new music. But it’s a family [the Targaryens] that we’re already familiar with, so it had to be sonically connected. The cello, for me, was still the main instrument, and just a core sound of the show. And so, I felt like that should be untouched.”
The main “Game of Thrones” theme song was also used for “House of the Dragon,” as it was designed to connect the two shows and give them an overarching theme.
McCreary also aimed for a sense of continuity. The composer knew audiences would be well acquainted with Howard Shore’s multi-Oscar winning work on “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, but he also considered viewers of the Amazon series who weren’t.
“I am writing for an audience that will watch this far in the future when all of this is in the rearview mirror, and they’ll say, ‘Hey, let’s watch the live-action Tolkien adaptations in narrative order,” says McCreary. “Continuity is what I really wanted to preserve. I wanted to create music that would fit alongside and flow into what Howard Shore did and in some cases even fly against it, particularly for societies that we see in ‘The Rings of Power’ that don’t exist anymore in the Peter Jackson films.”
Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” won the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in a ceremony Saturday that bestowed the festival’s prestigious top prize on an engrossing, rigorously plotted French courtroom drama that puts a marriage on trial.
“Anatomy of a Fall,” which stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death, is only the third film directed by a woman to win the Palme d’Or. One of the two previous winners, Julia Ducournau, was on this year’s jury.
Cannes’ Grand Prix, its second prize, went to Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” a chilling Martin Amis adaptation about a German family living next door to Auschwitz. Hüller also stars in that film.
The awards were decided by a jury presided over by two-time Palme winner Ruben Östlund, the Swedish director who won the prize last year for “Triangle of Sadness.” The ceremony preceded the festival’s closing night film, the Pixar animation “Elemental.”
Remarkably, the award for “Anatomy of a Fall” gives the indie distributor Neon its fourth straight Palme winners. Neon, which acquired the film after its premiere in Cannes, also backed “Triangle of Sadness,”Ducournau’s “Titane” and Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” which it steered to a best picture win at the Academy Awards.
Triet was presented the Palme by Jane Fonda, who recalled coming to Cannes in 1963 when, she said, there were no female filmmakers competing “and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that.” This year, a record seven out of the 21 films in competition at Cannes were directed by women.
After a rousing standing ovation, Triet, the 44-year-old French filmmaker, spoke passionately about the protests that have roiled France this year over reforms to pension plans and the retirement age. Several protests were held during Cannes this year, but demonstrations were — as they have been in many high-profile locations throughout France — banned from the area around the Palais des Festivals. Protesters were largely relegated to the outskirts of Cannes.
“The protests were denied and repressed in a shocking way,” said Triet, who linked that governmental influence to that in cinema. “The merchandising of culture, defended by a liberal government, is breaking the French cultural exception.”
“This award is dedicated to all the young women directors and all the young male directors and all those who cannot manage to shoot films today,” she added. “We must give them the space I occupied 15 years ago in a less hostile world where it was still possible to make mistakes and start again.”
After the ceremony, Triet reflected on being the third female director to win the Palme, following Ducournau and Jane Campion (“The Piano”).
“Things are truly changing,” she said.
Speaking to reporters, Triet was joined by her star, Hüller, whose performance was arguably the most acclaimed of the festival. (The festival encourages juries not to give films more than one award.) But “Anatomy of a Fall” did pocket one other sought-after prize: the Palme Dog. The honour given to the best canine in the festival’s films went to the film’s border collie, Snoop.
The jury prize went to Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” a deadpan love story about a romance that blooms in a loveless workaday Helsinki where dispatches from the war in Ukraine regularly play on the radio.
Best actor went to veteran Japanese star Koji Yakusho, who plays a reflective, middle-aged Tokyo man who cleans toilets in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” a gentle, quotidian character study.
The Turkish actor Merve Dizdar took best actress for the Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses.” Ceylan’s expansive tale is set in snowy eastern Anatolia about a teacher, Samet (Deniz Celiloğlu), accused of misconduct by a young female student. Dizdar plays a friend both attracted and repelled by Samet.
“I understand what it’s like to be a woman in this area of the country,” said Dizdar. “I would like to dedicate this prize to all the women who are fighting to exist and overcome difficulties in this world and to retrain hope.”
Vietnamese-French director Tràn Anh Hùng took best director for “Pot-au-Feu,” a lush, foodie love story starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel and set in a 19th century French gourmet château.
Best screenplay was won by Yuji Sakamoto for “Monster.” Sakamoto penned Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s nuanced drama, with shifting perspectives, about two boys struggling for acceptance in their school at home. “Monster” also won the Queer Palm, an honour bestowed by journalists for the festival’s strongest LGBTQ-themed film.
Quentin Tarantino, who won Cannes’ top award for “Pulp Fiction,” attended the ceremony to present a tribute to filmmaker Roger Corman. Tarantino praised Corman for filling him and countless moviegoers with “unadulterated cinema pleasure.”
“My cinema is uninhibited, full of excess and fun,” said Corman, the independent film maverick. “I feel like this what Cannes is about.”
The festival’s Un Certain Regard section handed out its awards on Friday, giving the top prize to Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature, “How to Have Sex.”
Saturday’s ceremony drew to close a Cannes edition that hasn’t lacked spectacle, stars or controversy.
The biggest wattage premieres came out of competition. Martin Scorsese debuted his Osage murders epic “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a sprawling vision of American exploitation with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford’s Indy farewell, launched with a tribute to Ford. Wes Anderson premiered “Asteroid City.”
The festival opened on a note of controversy. “Jeanne du Barry,” a period drama co-starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, played as the opening night film. The premiere marked Depp’s highest profile appearance since the conclusion of his explosive trial last year with ex-wife Amber Heard.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
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For more coverage of this year’s festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/cannes-film-festival
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The French director Justine Triet became the third female filmmaker to take top honors at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Palme d’Or from the competition jury on Saturday for her roundly admired dramatic thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” (“Anatomie d’une Chute”).
An emotionally intricate marriage story by way of a knotty courtroom drama, Triet’s movie — primarily in French, but with some English and German dialogue as well — was acquired mid-festival for U.S. distribution by Neon, extending the company’s recent streak of Palme winners including “Parasite” (2019), “Titane” (2021) and “Triangle of Sadness” (2022).
“Titane” itself was only the second Palme winner directed by a woman, the French auteur Julia Ducournau — something it accomplished decades after Jane Campion’s “The Piano” (1993) became the first. (Ducournau served on this year’s competition jury, which was presided over by “Triangle of Sadness” director Ruben Östlund.)
The nearly back-to-back Palme wins for Ducournau and Triet spoke to the rising number of female filmmakers in competition each year at Cannes, which has long been criticized for programming so few women in its most prestigious section. (Seven of the 21 directors in competition this year were women, a Cannes record.) But it also spoke to the demographics of the French film industry, where female directors are better represented than in many other countries, the U.S. included.
Triet received the Palme from Jane Fonda, who reminisced about the first time she came to Cannes decades ago: “There were no women directors competing at that time, and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that .… We have a long way to go. But still, we have to celebrate change when it happens.”
Triet was joined onstage by her “Anatomy of a Fall” cast and crew, led by the German actor Sandra Hüller, who stars as a woman on trial for her husband’s murder. Hüller was one of the most prominent faces in the Cannes competition, having also costarred in “The Zone of Interest,” a disquieting, meticulously controlled Holocaust drama that had been widely tipped for the Palme.
Sandra Hüller in the movie “Anatomy of a Fall.”
(Cannes Film Festival)
Instead, the German-language “Zone of Interest,” written and directed by the British filmmaker Jonathan Glazer, was awarded the Grand Prix, or second place. Screened early in the festival, the movie proved an immediate critical favorite; it will be released in U.S. theaters by A24.
During his speech, Glazer said he wanted “to honor the memory of Martin Amis,” who wrote the 2014 novel from which “The Zone of Interest” was loosely adapted. Amis died last week, the same day the movie premiered in Cannes.
The French Vietnamese writer-director Trần Anh Hùng was named best director for “The Pot-au-Feu,” a French foodie’s delight that proved one of the late-breaking hits of the competition. Starring Benoît Magimel and Juliette Binoche as a 19th-century gourmet and his cook, this adaptation of a novel by Marcel Rouff charmed critics and audiences with its mouthwatering culinary sequences and genteel romance.
The jury prize, or third place, went to “Fallen Leaves,” a characteristically funny and melancholy romantic charmer from the Finnish writer-director Aki Kaurismäki. The award was accepted by Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen, the movie’s stars, who read a speech from their director that ended with a joyous outburst: “Twist and shout!” It’s the first prize Kaurismäki has won at Cannes in more than two decades, since he took the Grand Prix for 2002’s “The Man Without a Past.”
The Japanese writer Yuji Sakamoto won the screenplay prize for “Monster,” an intricately structured three-part drama about an apparent school bullying incident that spirals out of control. The award was accepted by the movie’s director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, a Cannes fixture who won the Palme for 2018’s “Shoplifters.”
The screenplay honor was presented by John C. Reilly, who, in what could be interpreted as a gesture of support for writers striking in Hollywood, began his speech with a few moments of silence and then said, “What we just experienced was what a movie would be like without screenwriters.… Every film begins with an idea and the first thing we do is write it down.”
Kôji Yakusho won the best actor prize for his performance in “Perfect Days,” a warmly observed drama centered on a quiet, gentle-souled man who spends his days cleaning public toilets around Tokyo. The movie was widely hailed as the strongest narrative feature in many years for the German director Wim Wenders (“Paris, Texas,” “Wings of Desire”), who also premiered a new 3-D documentary, “Anselm,” about the artist Anselm Kiefer, out of competition.
The Turkish actor Merve Dizdar won the best actress award for her performance in the Turkish drama “About Dry Grasses,” in which she plays an independent-minded schoolteacher who draws (and sharply rebuts) the romantic attentions of two male friends. The movie was directed and co-written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a frequent Cannes prize winner who won the Palme for 2014’s “Winter Sleep.”
The Caméra d’Or prize, presented annually to a first feature from across all sections of the festival, was awarded to the Vietnamese director Thien An Pham for “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell” (“L’arbre aux Papillons d’Or”). The movie was a critical standout in Directors’ Fortnight, an independent program that runs parallel to the festival’s official selection; along with Trần’s win for “The Pot-au-Feu,” it completed a strong night overall for Vietnamese filmmakers.
The Palme d’Or for best short film was awarded to “27,” an animated work from the Hungarian director Flóra Anna Buda.
At an earlier ceremony held Friday, the top prize in Un Certain Regard, a sidebar program, was awarded to “How to Have Sex,” a well-received debut feature from the English director Molly Manning Walker.
Marvel Studios director James Gunn has opened up about his struggles with addiction and mental health in a new interview.
The newly appointed DC Studios boss has been on a winning streak of late, releasing his final Guardians of the Galaxy film to rave reviews and preparing to direct his first film in the new DCU, Superman: Legacy.
However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Gunn over the years. The director has always been candid on social media which has led to him being very open about the challenges he’s overcome throughout his life.
James Gunn Reflects on His Personal Struggles
James Gunn
In a new interview with EL PAÍS, James Gunn revealed how the process of making films has helped him deal with his past traumas.
Gunn told the outlet that his “demons change over the years” moving from substance addiction to the more current challenges he faces as a high-profile director such as “money, power, attention, negativity”:
“My demons change over the years. I was an alcoholic as a young person, and a drug addict. I went through a number of crazy years. I think that for me, it’s really about focusing on the creative process and not being distracted by money, power, attention, negativity, and just focusing on the creative process.”
The director has been open about his personal struggles in the past. In response to a Tweet in July 2022, Gunn revealed he was a “violent teenager addicted to drugs” but was able to enter recovery and heal with the support of his family:
“As someone who was himself a violent teenager addicted to drugs & entered recovery with the help & love of his family, as well as someone who has seen dozens of other young men stay sober & become fruitful members of society, these are not the only two options.”
Gunn added in his recent interview with EL PAÍS that the creative process has been a huge anchor for him and that if he maintains this focus then “everything works out really well”:
“If I can do that, then everything works out really well. It still can be a struggle, mentally. But life is difficult enough without me making it more difficult.”
This is not the first time Gunn has cited creativity and entertainment as his saving grace. In an honest Facebook post in 2017, he wrote that after facing “suicidal thoughts” in his youth he found solace in “popular entertainment”, which included his love of Marvel comics:
“When I was young I felt utterly alone, at times to the point of suicidal thoughts. I never felt like I belonged, had an incredibly difficult time connecting to other people and, despite having love around me, I had an impossible time experiencing it, or taking it in.
But I found my respite in popular entertainment – Marvel comics, science fiction and horror films, the music of The Sex Pistols, The Replacements, and Queen.”
It’s clear that Gunn’s personal struggles are reflected in his work, with his Facebook post detailing how he sees himself in the “heartbroken misfits” of the Guardians of the Galaxy:
“[The Guardians are] a group of heartbroken misfits whose lives have been bereft of tenderness and connection and who have a nearly impossible time trusting themselves or others. But they’re learning, one step at a time.”
“They are me. They are you. We are Groot.”
“And no matter how much world leaders are telling you we aren’t in this together, we are. You are not alone.”
The Creative Healing Process
Mental health remains a huge challenge in society and James Gunn is just one of many high-profile people in Hollywood to have grappled with these issues.
In 2021, Batman actor Ben Affleck spoke about his struggles with alcoholism during the filming of Justice League, saying “it’s a hard thing to confront” and adding that these types of issues are “the most ordinary thing in the world in Hollywood.”
For Gunn at least, it’s empowering to see that the creative process has been able to offer him some respite. Hopefully, his being open with these issues and how to overcome them will help others who are in a similar place.
While Batman’s debut in Gotham City coincided with the League of Shadows’ attack in Batman Begins, Scarecrow actually helped the Dark Knight and his legacy. Played by Christian Bale, Bruce Wayne’s legend as Batman started in Gotham after he successfully took down Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy). However, the idea of a man dressing up as a bat and striking fear into the hearts of criminals might not have worked if not for Doctor Jonathan Crane.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAYSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Directed by Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins creates a very real and grounded version of Gotham City, a tone and sense of realism that would continue with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Likewise, the creation of the Batman symbol and its power needed to be just as grounded. Although the classic Batman line from the comics is that “criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot”, Nolan explored what that actually looked like concerning how the Dark Knight became a figure of superstition to be feared. To that end, a big reason why Batman became so frightening was thanks to Doctor Crane, aka Scarecrow.
Bruce Wayne Created The Batman To Be A Symbol Of Fear
As Bruce Wayne explains in Batman Begins when Alfred (Michael Caine) asks him why he chose bats, Bruce admits that bats have always frightened him, and he wants Gotham’s criminals to feel the same way: “It’s time my enemies shared my dread”. Whether it’s the comics, the Dark Knight trilogy, or any other version of the Caped Crusader, fear has always been Batman’s greatest tool. By keeping criminals scared of him, he can mitigate their motivation to commit more crimes, while also making his job easier when facing them at night in the streets of Gotham.
However, Christian Bale’s Batman didn’t become a figure to be feared simply because he dressed like a bat. Although his resources and training from the League of Shadows helped him employ intimidation tactics and theatrics to make himself appear to be more than a mere man, Nolan went further with Batman’s legend. Thanks to Scarecrow and his fear toxin developed for the League of Shadows’ Ra’s al Ghul, the Dark Knight was transformed into an objectively frightening figure to the vast majority of Gotham’s worst criminals.
Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin Helped Cement Batman As A Legend
After the League dumped Scarecrow’s fear toxin into the water supply and then vaporized it with a microwave emitter, the Narrows and Gotham’s Arkham Asylum were the first parts of the city to be hit by the aerosolized hallucinogenic. Seeking to stop Ra’s and the emitter from reaching Wayne Tower, which would spread the toxin over the whole city, Batman glided over the Narrows and was seen by all of Arkham’s inmates who’d been freed in the chaos. As such, all of Gotham’s worst criminals and psychopaths were affected by the fear toxin and saw the Dark Knight as a literal bat-monster with fangs, glowing eyes, and actual wings.
It stands to reason that rumors and myths of this frightening creature spread among Gotham’s superstitious and cowardly criminals in the aftermath, supporting the legend and symbol Bruce Wayne desired by creating Batman in the first place. While Wayne might have forged the legend on his own over time, Scarecrow’s toxin inadvertently cemented the legacy during Batman’s debut in Gotham, ensuring that the Dark Knight would be a symbol of fear to Gotham’s criminals as well as justice to its innocents following Batman Begins, the first chapter of the Dark Knight trilogy.
With the exception of a series of special battle challenges, Final Fantasy XVI does not have any mini-games in the traditional sense of the word. That means no fishing, farming, gambling or participating in a fictional sport like Final Fantasy X’s Blitzball.
The reason behind this is that such activities did not match the vision director Hiroshi Takai had for the 35-year-old series’ latest installment. He wants the player to become one with main protagonist Clive Rosfield, avoiding anything that would detract from that aim.
In the beginning of Final Fantasy XVI’s story, Clive’s younger brother Joshua is killed right in front of his eyes. Clive – who had devoted his life to the art of swordsmanship in order to protect Joshua – has failed his most important duty, and loses his dearest friend. After this event, Clive’s mere purpose of living becomes revenge.
“I just can’t imagine that a protagonist bearing such a harsh fate and someone who feels like he has lost his humanity would want to play a puzzle game that doesn’t match his goals, or relax and go fishing,” Takai tells IGN, in an exclusive interview at Square Enix’s Tokyo office.
“Of course, you can put activities like that in the game and leave it up to the player whether or not to engage in them – that’s certainly a way of approaching things,” says Takai. “But for us, the most important thing was to depict Clive’s way of living. Adding unnecessary elements for the sake of variety didn’t seem the right thing to do, so we refrained from implementing activities that Clive probably wouldn’t be mentally willing to engage in as much as possible.”
Final Fantasy XVI does include a wide array of side quests, but even these are not always available for the player to accept.
“There’s a situation in which Clive is extremely depressed, so we decided to block side quests during that time,” explains Takai. “When Clive is depressed to the extent that he feels like he might as well die, we just don’t see him taking on a quest to go and collect wood. Even if it is the player’s own choice to engage in such a quest, the sight of Clive running around with a tree on his back in such a moment would seem ridiculous. We didn’t want the player to experience something like that.”
“As soon as something like that happens, you start to pull back,” adds Creative Director and Scenario Writer Kazutoyo Maehiro.
“If something like that happens when you’re immersed in the experience, it will make you realize that it’s just a game,” Maehiro continues. “We wanted to avoid that, because we were aiming for an experience that is as immersive as possible. By avoiding unnecessary elements, I believe it really became that immersive game we were striving for.”
Interactions with Clive’s wolf buddy Torgal also shows this dedication of wanting the player to behave as the main protagonist would himself. As announced during a panel at PAX East, it is possible to pet Torgal in Final Fantasy XVI. However, not always. If there is a moment the game does not let you pet Torgal, it probably means that the current situation or Clive’s feelings are standing in the way.
When we asked if such temporary restraints are explained to the player by having Clive mentioning he is not in the mood, Takai answered by saying that even that would break the immersion.
“Having Clive saying something in order to block some of the game’s systems alone would stand in the way of immersion,” says Takai. “However, we do make the player aware of the situation through other dialogue in a less obvious way. For example, if Clive is saying something like, ‘What’s left for me to do?’, that’s enough to deliver the message. So we’re actually telling the player that Clive is not in the mood within the story.”
It seems that Takai and his team are doing everything they can to let the player truly become Clive in Final Fantasy XVI. Whether this dedication will create a roleplaying experience worthy of the Final Fantasy name or not remains to be seen when the game releases on June 22 for PlayStation 5.
The tools you use aren’t just in your camera anymore.
UPDATE: Fujifilm has currently suspended distribution of the XApp due to a display problem.
Getting the shot is just the first step in a long pipeline toward exhibition, no matter where it ends up. That’s why having complete control over your camera and the ability to seamlessly transfer and organize your footage is crucial for crafting immersive narratives.
Fujifilm made this process easier by introducing the Fujifilm XApp, an app designed for use with its GFX / X Series of digital cameras.
But how does the XApp empower filmmakers? Is it just the enhanced control and streamlined workflows? Or is there more under the hood?
Remote Camera Control
Control over Fujifilm cameras has already been a thing with the previous app for several years. But it always felt like an addition rather than an implemented feature. Connectivity and usability were there, until it wasn’t.
With the XApp, Fujifilm aims to change that. Remote control of any GFX / X Series camera is still here, with direct control via a smartphone or tablet.
This includes the entire modern GFX series, as well as the following X series cameras:
While the original app allowed for connectivity and control, the new app enhances usability, allowing creatives to adjust camera settings, frame, and capture footage while monitoring the camera’s rear LCD screen in real time from a distance.
The added usability is a nice touch, which has me reaching for the app a lot more than the previous version did. But what really piqued my interest is the footage transfer.
Footage Transfer and Organization
Gone are the days of laborious file transfers and jumbled footage organization. The previous app offered this in a limited capacity, but I always ended up with a dropped connection or reduced image quality. While that could have been a user error, the previous app wasn’t usable enough to really entice me to use the feature, especially when I could just dump the card.
The XApp simplifies the process by enabling filmmakers to seamlessly transfer their footage from the camera to their smartphone or tablet. This transfer also keeps all of your crucial shooting information, such as camera and lens data and location data.
XApp Timeline FeatureCredit: Fujifilm
For me, filmmaking is all about storytelling, and the XApp introduces a cool feature called the Timeline. This addition chronologically organizes shooting activities, complete with details like the camera and lens used, frame count, and shooting locations.
It’s like a personalized story journal that allows me to add titles and notes to further enhance how I organize my footage and photos.
XApp Activity FeatureCredit: Fujifilm
This is further supported by the XApp’s Activity feature, which automatically aggregates cumulative shooting data, including the total number of frames captured and the frequency of using specific features like the Film Simulation function. While it seems like a simple administrative feature, I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a photo I took and couldn’t find the Fuji “recipe” I used.
By visualizing this information, I can gain valuable insights into the creative choices I made ages ago.
A Solid Next Step
I’ve always wanted a solid companion app for my Fuji camera, and the XApp is turning into a nice addition to my workflow.
As smartphones continue becoming better at taking pictures we want to show and use for professional projects, modern cameras have to keep up in different ways. Image quality isn’t really the be-all end-all selling point anymore.
If you have a compatible camera, get the XApp for iOS or Android.
With additions like this, I’m starting to get excited about using my Fuji camera again. But the question is, are you? Let us know in the comments!
Justine Triet won the the Palm d’Or, the top prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival becoming only the third woman to receive the honor in the 76-year history of the event.
Triet directed the film Anatomy of a Fall which stars Sandra Hüller, a writer trying to prove her innocence in her after her husband’s death.
Other winners of the night included Jonathan Glazer that took the Grand Prix accolade for The Zone of Interest, Tran Anh Hung was Best Director for The Pot au Feu, Kōji Yakusho was Best Actor for his work in Perfect Days and Merve Dizdar was Best Actress for her work on About Dry Grasses.
The Jury Prize award went to Fallen Leaves, which was directed by Aki Kaurismäki, and Best Screenplay went to Monster by Yuji Sakamoto.
Jonathan Glazer poses with The Grand Prix Award for ‘The Zone of Interest’
Cannes Film Festival 2023 Winners
Image Credit: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Cambodian director Pham An Thien (L) poses with French actress and President of the Camera d’or jury Anais Demoustier (R) after he won the Camera d’Or
Cannes Film Festival 2023 Winners
Image Credit: Loic Venance / AFP / Getty Images
Finnish actress and singer Alma Poysti (L) and Finnish actor Jussi Vatanen pose after they accepted the Jury Prize for the film “Kuolleet Lehdet” (Fallen Leaves) on behalf of Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki
Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung poses with the trophy after he won the Best Director prize for the film “La Passion de Dodin Bouffant” (The Pot-au-Feu)
George Maharis, the Route 66 actor that left the series during the height of its popularity, died on Wednesday, May 24. He was 94.
“George is well known for his stardom in Route 66, stage productions, singing, artist, and above all a great guy would do anything for anyone. My dear friend, you’ll be terribly missed,” Maharis’ friend Marc Bahan shared in a Facebook post.
Maharis was born on September 1, 1928, in Astoria, New York. He studied at the Actors Studio and got his start working in off-Broadway productions.
His first television role came in 1958 with The Mugger. Maharis would go on to land other TV credits in shows like Naked City, Exodus and Search for Tomorrow. It would be until 1960 that he would land the role of Buz Murdock on Route 66, an indirect spinoff of Naked City that shared its same creator Stirling Silliphant. Maharis would be forced to leave the show midway through Season 3 due to health issues.
Maharis would continue acting and appear in films like Quick Before It Melts (1964), Sylvia (1965), A Covenant with Death (1967) and The Happening (1967).
In the 1970’s, Maharis returned to television and starred in shows like Night Gallery, The Mostly Deadly Game, Medical Center, Mission: Impossible, Barnaby Jones, Shaft, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Snoop Sisters, Rich Man, Poor Man, The Bionic Woman, Kojak, Fantasy Island, and many more.
Maharis’ final credit was in the film Doppelganger directed by Avi Neshar in 1993 which starred Drew Barrymore and George Newbern.
When a man visits his ancestral village, where terror reigns after a chain of unexplained deaths, he must unravel mystical secrets before it’s too late.
Certificate:TV-14 Parents strongly cautioned. May not be suitable for ages under 14.
Add “scroll-throwing” to the list of potential exercises for Jane Fonda’s next workout tape.
After the film legend presented director Justine Triet with this year’s Palme d’Or award at Cannes on Saturday, she noticed Triet was beginning to walk away without taking the traditional scroll that comes with the award. Fonda tapped her on the back to get her attention to take the scroll, but the “Anatomy of a Fall” director was already far from the podium. So, Fonda just flung it at her.
The scroll smacked Triet square on the back of her head but she still didn’t turn to Fonda in response. The audience and those on stage erupted into laughter. Fonda looked into the crowd below and stretched her arms out like, “WTH?” then marched upstage toward Triet, who was getting a congratulatory hug.
Check out the hilarious video below.
favorite cannes moment is officially jane fonda throwing the palme d’or certificate at justine triet because she forgot to take it pic.twitter.com/6tv8TEj8zw
Fonda, an honorary Palme d’Or winner herself, presented Triet the prestigious award for her dramatic thriller film “Anatomy of a Fall” (“Anatomie d’une Chute”). In her speech, Fonda reflected on the first time she attended the French film festival many years ago.
“There were no women directors competing at that time, and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that,” Fonda said. “We have a long way to go. But still, we have to celebrate change when it happens.”
In addition to scrolls, Fonda has also been throwing shade at this year’s French festival. On Friday, the “Book Club: The Next Chapter” star spoke in a wide-ranging conversation at the “Rendezvous with Jane Fonda” event at the Salle Buñuel theater. During the interview, she dished about some of the biggest names she’s worked with over the course of her prolific career.
Regarding her former co-star Robert Redford, Fonda said the “Barefoot in the Park” star didn’t seem to enjoy their shared kissing scenes and “just has an issue with women,” per Deadline. Speaking of French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, Fonda deemed him “a great filmmaker. But as a man? I’m sorry. No, no.”
Taylor Swift is one of the most exciting pop artists of the last 20 years. The country darling turned full-fledged musical mogul is once again gracing us with some extras.
While Midnights was a surprise in itself, Taylor isn’t letting the fun end. If anything, she’s giving us even more love. Aside from releasing songs such as “Hits Different” and “You’re Losing Me,” she also announced a remix of “Karma” featuring Ice Spice included in the “Til Dawn” edition.
This isn’t the first time Taylor has featured a dynamic female performer with her, but we rarely see her team up with a rapper like Ice Spice. In addition, she and Ice Spice starred in a music video from “Karma”, which is one of Taylor’s most visually appealing music videos to date.
In honor of the new music video for “Karma”, I wanted to write an entire appreciation post for why this is such a good music video.
The music video for Karma with Taylor Swift and Ice Spice is iconic.
If you have yet to watch it, I’m going to feature it below because how could you not have seen it yet? This music video might be one of my new favorites from Taylor Swift but let me share the clip first before I talk anymore.
Let me start by saying that this remix is everything. I’d never listened to Ice Spice before now, so I had no idea what to expect. However, she brought the exact energy to “Karma” that it needed. Plus she’s an amazing rapper so I can see why Taylor decided to feature her on a song like “Karma.”
As for the music video, my favorite thing about this was easily the outfits. Somehow, Taylor and Ice Spice managed to outdo themselves. There was something so fun about seeing their outfits continue to change along with the backgrounds. I don’t know about you but I had to watch it two times before I finally got enough of it.
While Taylor was the featured artist on the track, I do feel like Ice Spice had her moments too which is always good. In recent albums, it’s felt like the featured artist didn’t get as much time as they should. This time though, it feels like a good amount of time for Ice Spice to do her thing and add something else to the song which is always appreciated.
Considering that Ice Spice joined Taylor Swift during her stop in New Jersey, I feel like we’re not going to escape this song anytime soon. I’m not mad about it because this music video is so much fun to watch. I especially loved all of the gold featured which feels like a throwback to Fearless. I’m so happy and pleasantly surprised by this remix and music video so I’m making sure everyone knows to check it out.
If you’ve watched the “Karma” music video, be sure to share your thoughts below and let us know your favorite moments from it.
President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached what both men called an “agreement in principle” on Saturday to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit and cut some spending, as they sought to end a months-long stalemate that brought the government to the brink of defaulting on its credit for the first time.
The deal must still pass Congress. Its failure could upend the global financial system, jarring markets from Tokyo to London, jeopardizing Medicare and Social Security payments and calling into question the United States’ role as the world’s most reliable economy.
McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) said that he and Biden had agreed to a two-year increase on the $31.4-trillion debt ceiling, extending the nation’s borrowing limit until after the 2024 presidential election. The White House said it would accept temporary spending caps on nondiscretionary funding, tougher work requirements on social safety net programs and permitting changes to speed up energy and gas projects.
Biden and McCarthy will need to sell the compromise to their respective allies in Congress, an uphill battle that includes convincing far-right GOP members who wanted McCarthy to go further in extracting spending cuts and progressive Democrats who say Biden caved to right-wing demands.
McCarthy said that he and Biden had spoken twice on Saturday and that “we still have a lot of work to do. But I believe this is an agreement in principle that’s worthy of the American people.”
The bill has “historic reductions in spending, consequential reforms that will lift people out of poverty into the workforce,” the speaker said.
He said he expected that the bill would be written and posted by Sunday, with a House vote on Wednesday.
Biden, in a statement late Saturday, called the agreement “an important step forward that reduces spending while protecting critical programs for working people and growing the economy for everyone.”
He said that the agreement protects his signature legislative accomplishments but conceded that it “represents a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want.” He urged Congress to approve it quickly to avoid “catastrophic default.”
A source familiar with the pact said the new work requirements for safety net programs are limited, sparing Medicaid, for example. But they do include some new work requirements for people who receive SNAP benefits, known as food stamps. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the deal publicly, said the agreement does not curtail spending approved last year as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature climate legislation.
House Republicans demanded sweeping spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. The White House initially insisted that the once-perfunctory practice of raising the borrowing limit should be considered separately from the budget talks, since it allows the government to continue borrowing to pay bills it has already accrued.
A compromise is a political risk for McCarthy, who secured the speaker’s gavel in January by empowering right-wing House members and striking a deal that allows a single vote to oust him as speaker. Passing a brokered deal with Biden could avert an unprecedented default, but could also cost the California Republican his leadership post.
Several members of the Republicans’ hard-right faction have expressed frustration that McCarthy diluted a GOP debt limit bill passed in April that featured deep spending cuts, clawed back billions of dollars in funding for the Internal Revenue Service and unspent COVID-19 money, and repealed parts of the White House climate agenda.
McCarthy and the White House will need dozens of Democrats to back the bipartisan plan in order to pass it in the narrowly divided House. Both the House and the Democratic-controlled Senate need to pass a bill by June 5, when the Treasury Department projects the government will run out of cash to pay its bills.
A default could trigger economic chaos that could potentially cascade across global financial markets and devastate millions of Americans. The White House has warned it would disrupt payments to Social Security beneficiaries, government employees and members of the military.
A default would almost certainly knock the already fragile American economy into a recession and risk causing irreparable long-term damage to the credibility and safety of the U.S. dollar, the reserve currency that anchors the global financial system.
The U.S. has trillions of dollars in outstanding debt, and missing interest payments on its obligations would shock stock markets and sharply raise the cost of borrowing to finance Washington’s deficit spending, ultimately rippling through businesses and consumers.
The threat of a default has had Wall Street on edge — stocks have been trending lower in recent days — but the damage was mitigated by investors’ expectation that even die-hard partisan politics wouldn’t dare allow a breach to the debt ceiling. They knew that if there’s a default, “there’s no way to hide,” said Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
“Up and down the income and wealth spectrum, it would be an economic catastrophe,” Sweet said.
On Wednesday, credit rating agency Fitch placed the United States’ AAA rating on negative, warning of a potential downgrade if lawmakers fail to pass a deal. The agency said that “brinkmanship over the debt ceiling” threatened the U.S. rating — the highest available — but it expected a resolution before the projected June 5 deadline.
The government narrowly averted a default under President Obama in 2011, but Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating as a result of that fiscal showdown.
Progressive Democrats have pointed to the 2011 debt crisis as an example of how GOP lawmakers have used the debt ceiling as a means of extracting policy concessions, noting that Republicans lifted the nation’s borrowing limit three times under former President Trump without issue.
Some progressive lawmakers have pushed Biden to invoke the 14th Amendment, which says the “validity of the public debt, authorized by law … shall not be questioned.”
Biden has said he believes he has the authority to use the amendment to bypass Congress and allow for more debt to be issued, but acknowledged that move would be challenged in courts.
Earlier this month, the president canceled a high-profile trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea following the Group of 7 summit in Japan, returning to Washington early to meet with McCarthy. The two men failed to make any immediate progress and negotiators continued haggling into Memorial Day weekend, telling congressional members to be ready to return to Washington to vote on a bipartisan bill ahead of the deadline.
“The American people deserve to know that their Social Security payments will be there, that veterans hospitals remain open, and that economic progress will be made and we’re going to continue to make it,” Biden said Thursday during a Rose Garden ceremony to announce Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as his next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Default puts all that at risk,” he said. “Congressional leaders understand that, and they’ve all agreed: There will be no default.”
Kelly Clarkson is opening up about the reason she is relocating her eponymous daytime talk show to New York City after four seasons in Los Angeles.
The American Idol winner was interviewed by Nancy O’Dell for TalkShopLive where the singer said she told the staff about her decision in January.
“I talked to them because I was like, ‘Guys, I need you to know what’s happening. It’s either I’m not going to be able to continue the show or I gotta go East Coast,” she recalled. “Covid, pointed out [that] being isolated and so far from your family… that’s not good for anyone. And my family is East Coast, they’re North Carolina based. So it was one of those things where I just had to… and also there was a lot of personal things going on, too.”
Clarkson went on to explain that she felt her kids and family also “really needed a fresh start” that she couldn’t make happen due to “hurdle after hurdle with things.”
The Since U Been Gone singer said that the move “was 100 percent my idea and it was really cool that NBC backed me because I was like, ‘Y’all, I love doing this show. I really do. I didn’t even know I would but I gotta make a change for me and my family. Any chance we could do this? I know we can’t do this from my ranch so any chance we could do it in New York [because] it’s at least closer to my family.’ That was really the main reason.”
Clarkson also hinted that another reason for her move to the Big Apple was because she loves theater and Broadway and would like to pursue an opportunity “to do anything related to that.”
Add “scroll-throwing” to the list of potential exercises for Jane Fonda’s next workout tape.
After the film legend presented director Justine Triet with this year’s Palme d’Or award at Cannes on Saturday, she noticed Triet was beginning to walk away without taking the traditional scroll that comes with the award. Fonda tapped her on the back to get her attention to take the scroll, but the “Anatomy of a Fall” director was already far from the podium. So, Fonda just flung it at her.
The scroll smacked Triet square on the back of her head but she still didn’t turn to Fonda in response. The audience and those on stage erupted into laughter. Fonda looked into the crowd below and stretched her arms out like, “WTH?” then marched upstage toward Triet, who was getting a congratulatory hug.
Check out the hilarious video below.
favorite cannes moment is officially jane fonda throwing the palme d’or certificate at justine triet because she forgot to take it pic.twitter.com/6tv8TEj8zw
Fonda, an honorary Palme d’Or winner herself, presented Triet the prestigious award for her dramatic thriller film “Anatomy of a Fall” (“Anatomie d’une Chute”). In her speech, Fonda reflected on the first time she attended the French film festival many years ago.
“There were no women directors competing at that time, and it never even occurred to us that there was something wrong with that,” Fonda said. “We have a long way to go. But still, we have to celebrate change when it happens.”
In addition to scrolls, Fonda has also been throwing shade at this year’s French festival. On Friday, the “Book Club: The Next Chapter” star spoke in a wide-ranging conversation at the “Rendezvous with Jane Fonda” event at the Salle Buñuel theater. During the interview, she dished about some of the biggest names she’s worked with over the course of her prolific career.
Regarding her former co-star Robert Redford, Fonda said the “Barefoot in the Park” star didn’t seem to enjoy their shared kissing scenes and “just has an issue with women,” per Deadline. Speaking of French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, Fonda deemed him “a great filmmaker. But as a man? I’m sorry. No, no.”
A reporter with ABC station WATN in Memphis, Tennessee, was interviewing a local woman about the rise in crime when a drive-by shooting erupted in their vicinity and they dove for cover.
“We report about the city’s crime problem almost every day, but today that problem hit home for one of our crews while doing a story about crime in Whitehaven,” WANT anchor Richard Ransom said. “We were interviewing a woman about the Memphis PD’s plan to enforce the city’s teen curfew when out of nowhere a drive-by shooting across the street.”
Yolanda Cooper Sutton was spelling her name for the on-the-scene reporter, Jay Jones, when the spray of bullets very close by stopped them in their tracks and they dove out of camera range.
“Get down, get down, get down, just stay down and get down,” she told Jones calmly. “That’s OK. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Stay down and get down.”
Fox News’ John Roberts spoke with community leader Cooper Sutton who said she was speaking with the reporter about the peak in crime in America. “It has extremely been hard here in Memphis, Tennessee, with the juvenile crime and the gun laws that have been instituted in the state of Tennessee. It’s absolutely reckless,” Sutton said.
She recounted how the interview was just getting ready to start when all hell broke loose. “All of a sudden, just out of nowhere, you hear gunfire and after that, you just see us hit the ground,” Cooper Sutton said. “I knew it was gunshots because it rings around the city like church bells on a regular basis. I just know — now it’s just having to practice to get down like a fire drill here in Memphis because the crime has escalated so much. And I just knew to get down because a moving target is a hit target. And so, the best thing for anyone to do is just to get down. And that was just instincts. Just my instincts kicked in immediately.”
Roger Waters has defended himself against a “smear” campaign that accused the singer of wearing a “Nazi-style” outfit during his recent concert in Berlin, which subsequently prompted a police investigation.
“My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles,” Waters wrote in a statement Friday.
The “Nazi-style” costume in question was inspired by the uniform that featured prominently in the 1980 film The Wall, and at both Pink Floyd and Waters concerts in the decades that followed.
Waters had worn similar suits, which has the album’s signature “marching hammers” in place of the swastika, while performing The Wall songs at least 10 times in Germany — most notably, an all-star 1990 concert in Berlin that was released as a concert film — with no previous issues.
However, following this week’s Berlin concert, police chief inspector Martin Halweg stated, “The State Security Department at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office has initiated a criminal investigation procedure regarding the suspicion of incitement of the people… The context of the clothing worn is deemed capable of approving, glorifying or justifying the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a manner that violates the dignity of the victims and thereby disrupts public peace.”
“The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms,” Waters continued. “Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated.”
Given the controversy surrounding Waters’ alleged antisemitic and pro-Putin remarks in recent years, Waters’ This Is Not a Drill tour in Europe has faced additional scrutiny at nearly every stop, with some cities — like Frankfurt, Germany, and potentially Manchester, England — canceling the scheduled concerts due to Waters’ actions and comments.
Another point of issue at the Berlin show was an out-of-context photo of the name of “Anne Frank” shown on the concert’s video screen, which some people — perhaps unaware that Frank’s name appeared alongside many other notable victims of war — found offensive. (That segment, like The Wall suit, has featured at every Waters’ tour stop prior to the Berlin show.)
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“When I was a child after the war, the name of Anne Frank was often spoken in our house, she became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked,” Waters, who was five months old when his father was killed in World War II, wrote. “My parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the the ultimate price.”
“I have spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it,” Waters wrote. “Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”
The 76th Cannes Film Festival ended Saturday with the Palme d’Or awarded to “Anatomy of a Fall.” Directed by Justine Triet, this intellectual thriller centers on a woman who is brought to trial after the mysterious death of her husband. Written by Triet and Arthur Harari, the film was an early favorite with critics.
Triet is the third woman to have won the Palme; Julia Ducournau won in 2021 for “Titane,” and Jane Campion took the prize in 1993 for “The Piano.”
The Palme was presented to Triet by Jane Fonda, who noted the “historic” number of women — seven — who had films competing for the top honor. The strong main competition, with a jury led by the director Ruben Ostlund, effectively announced that the festival had returned to full strength after several unsteady pandemic years.
The Grand Prix, essentially the festival’s runner-up award, was given to “The Zone of Interest.” Directed by Jonathan Glazer and based on the novel of the same title by Martin Amis, the film centers on the commandant of Auschwitz and his wife, whose home is adjacent to the extermination camp. An icy exploration of the banality of evil — the family eats, relaxes and sleeps to the constant sounds of screams, shouts and gunfire — the movie sharply divided the critics here.
“Fallen Leaves,” the latest from the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki, won the Jury Prize. A love story in a gently funny and melancholic key, the movie stars Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen as a couple who meet one night in Helsinki. The actors accepted the award on behalf of their director, who sat out the presentation.
Best director went to the Vietnamese-French filmmaker Tran Anh Hung for “The Pot-au-Feu.” A sumptuous drama set in the late 19th century, the film stars Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel as a gourmand couple who live and cook in rural France. The movie’s focus on the sensual pleasures of food charmed many, though a less-enchanted critic likened it to a French Nancy Meyers movie.
The screenwriting prize was awarded to Yuji Sakamoto for “Monster.” Directed by the Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, this touching drama centers on a boy whose sudden behavior issues at school escalate with profound consequences. “Monster” features a delicate score by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died last month.
The best actor prize went to the great veteran Japanese actor Koji Yakusho, the star of Wim Wenders’s “Perfect Days.” The film centers on a loner who works cleaning (some amazing) public restrooms in Tokyo. His quiet, routinized existence is disrupted by an unexpected visit from a niece, an interlude that brings him joy but also anguish. Wenders, whose documentary “Anselm” was shown out of competition, watched with a broad smile as Yakusho received the award.
The best actress prize went to Merve Dizdar for her role as a teacher in “About Dry Grasses” from the Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan. This slow-boiling drama centers on a male teacher, Samet, who becomes increasingly bitter about his job teaching in remote Eastern Anatolia. Dizdar’s character, Nuray, helps him through his crisis, a stereotypical role that the actress elevates with warmth and subtlety.
The prize for Un Certain Regard, a section that tends to feature younger directors and what the festival calls “more artistically daring” work than in the main competition, was won by “How to Have Sex,” the directorial debut from the British filmmaker Molly Manning Walker. The prize for first feature, the Caméra d’Or, was given to “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” from the Vietnamese-born director Thien An Pham. The Palme for the best short film was presented to “27,” from the Hungarian animator Flóra Anna Buda.
I reckon there are more ideas per second of screentime in “Elemental” than any other Pixar movie to date. So why does this imagination-teasing opposites-attract rom-com feel like a misfire?
No one can accuse director Peter Sohn (“The Good Dinosaur”) or his team of under-thinking the ultra-creative studio’s latest high-concept feature, which takes the four elements as identified by various ancient cultures — Fire, Water, Earth and Air — and reimagines them as uneasy neighbors in a crowded modern metropolis. But fun as it can be to soak in the movie’s cheeky sense of detail (from flame-retardant costumes to blink-and-you-miss-them background puns), the whole scenario seems forced: so much world-building to tell a story better suited to flesh-and-blood human characters.
In its over-designed, nuevo-New-York way, Element City feels an awful lot like Zootopia, but with gelatinous blue blobs (Water) and glowing orange torch-people (Fire) in place of animal species. Just as tensions arose between predators and prey in Disney’s dealing-with-differences allegory, even a toddler will get why it’s tough for Fire and Water to be friends: If one doesn’t accidentally extinguish the other, then the relationship’s bound to get uncomfortable once it reaches a boil.
Naturally, fear of either option poses a problem for lava girl Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis) and her aquatic new acquaintance, Wade (Mamoudou Athie), who meet when a pipe bursts in the basement of her father’s shop. Conventional wisdom says they can’t be together, further complicated by the expectations of Ember’s immigrant parents, Ernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), who expect their daughter to take over the family business.
The metaphor here is clear: Plenty of parents pressure their kids to partner up within their race or religion (“Marry Fire!” Ember’s grandmother insists on her deathbed), whereas Sohn wants to show that the alternative needn’t be a bad thing … which every child weaned on American TV and movies has heard a million times already. The message may be obvious, but it’s a little tricky to follow quite how Element City is supposed to correspond to the real world, since there are practical reasons these different characters can’t mix that no amount of rainbows and butterflies can fix.
By far the most volatile of the elements, Fire — flickering hot-heads who incinerate practically everything they touch — stays sequestered in the ghetto, where these highly combustible characters can smolder safely. Water tends to prefer the posh high-rises, flowing wherever it pleases. Those characters tend to be more sensitive, crying jets of tears at the slightest provocation. We see less of Earth and Air, who have almost nothing to do. The former look like dung-beetle balls, with stone noses and greenery sprouting from all parts of their brown-dirt bodies. Air people are shaped like cotton-candy clouds and dissipate on contact — close cousins with fluffy gray Gus from Sohn’s 2009 short “Partly Cloudy.”
Best known to Pixar fans as the employee who inspired the Russell character in “Up,” Sohn has a very particular aesthetic, different from the studio’s other directors, that plays funny tricks with characters’ proportions — which is doubly weird when they’re made of fluid, flame or puffs of smoke. It’s often said that Pixar doesn’t have a house style, but there’s a signature touch, evident from the care put into individualizing every background character, that makes “Elemental” instantly recognizable as coming from the studio that made “Inside Out” (where human emotions were the heroes) and “Soul” (in which death was just the beginning).
The project follows in the same abstract conceptual vein as those two films — standouts not only in the Pixar oeuvre, but 21st-century animation overall — though “Elemental” lacks the intuitive story logic that made them such original toons. Maybe it’s because no one thinks of the world in terms of “elements” (any more than they do the body’s “four humors”), the outdated nature of which seems at odds with the cutting-edge city and its computer-generated inhabitants.
For the longest time, Pixar’s formula involved letting directors pick a part of the world that interested them — à la Mexico in “Coco” or France for “Ratatouille” — and then appropriating as much culture as they could into the finished product. That was back when only the original “brain trust” (all white men) got to make features. To balance that out, Pixar has been grooming new voices through its shorts program, encouraging artists of different backgrounds to explore their heritage (as in “Sanjay’s Super Team” and “Bao”).
That mentality extends to the latest wave of Pixar originals (one-offs like “Luca” and “Turning Red,” breaking up a slate thick with sequels), in which the studio wisely encourages those same directors to get personal. This movie is no exception, drawing from Sohn’s second-generation immigrant status. Much of what works about the film is informed by his experience, and that of other Pixar employees.
The most emotional moment of the film occurs between Ember and her father, when the fiery young woman (who can melt glass with her hands and wants to be an artist) admits wanting to do something else with her life, and he tells her, “The shop was never the dream. You were the dream.” It’s a great scene — better than the set-piece where Ember and Wade visit an underwater flower garden together, or their first date, which becomes a kind of elemental fireworks display — and that’s because it seems to come from real life.
The element element, on the other hand, corresponds to practically nothing children know or recognize about the natural world. Instead of giving them a deeper understanding of Fire, Water, etc., the over-complicated premise creates all sorts of confusing new rules for them to learn — rules which don’t really apply outside the film. “Elemental” is so elaborate and calls for so much exposition that the briskly paced movie is still trying to shoehorn essential backstory into the film’s final reel. Sohn should have made the plot simpler, not faster. There’s poetry and soul here, but both are watered down by how much the movie seems to be multitasking. With Pixar, sincerity is elemental. The rest risks distracting from what really matters.
With the next generation of the hero set to hit theaters next year with Anthony Mackie’sSam Wilson, it’s time to take a look back at the history of the MCU’s Captain America with all the canon movies to watch in order.
Cap has come a long way, being one of the primary pillars of which Marvel Studios’ super-powered franchise. The role was originally played by Chris Evans, whose Steve Rogers went from plucky Brooklyn underdog to universe-saving superhero before ultimately getting his happy ending and passing the mantle off to another up-and-comer.
Now with seven impactful movie appearances across the franchise, here is how to watch every MCU Captain America movie in order.
Every MCU Captain America Movie in Order
1.) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Marvel Studios
“Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are, not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”
Getting his start in the MCU, Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers put his body on the line and took on some Nazis in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. This wartime adventure saw Evans’ scrawny Brooklyn native get a jolt of the mysterious Super Soldier Serum, becoming the adonis-like superhero fans know and love. Along the way, he came face-to-face with the villainous Red Mask, fell in love, and went down in the chilly waters of the Atlantic before waking up in the modern day at the movie’s close.
2.) The Avengers (2012)
Marvel Studios
“Put on the suit. Let’s go a few rounds.”
70 years and one freezing cold dip in the Atlantic Ocean later, The Avengers sees Cap coming to grips with having missed a lifetime of super-powered antics. While he largely worked alone in his first adventure during World War II, he must team up with five other heroes (Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye) to for the Avengers and save the world from an alien invasion and the devious antics of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. While the team is at odds at first, they come together with Steve Rogers helping lead the charge to take down the series’ first ‘Avengers-level threat.
3.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Marvel Studios
“I think it’s time to tell the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was.”
Captain America: The Winter Soldier sees Captain America going undercover alongside Samuel L. Jackson’sNick Fury and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff while going up against a familiar threat he thought long gone in his presumed dead wartime best friend Bucky Barnes (aka the Winter Soldier). After it’s revealed the dastardly Hydra has infiltrated SHIELD and Cap, Fury, Romanoff, and the newly-introduced Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) take down Project Insight, a SHIELD program that would have murdered thousands.
4.) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Marvel Studios
“I once had strings, but now I’m free… There are no strings on me!”
With SHIELD gone, Avengers: Age of Ultron sees Steve Rogers and co. looking for answers on how they can better protect the world from threats like a HYDRA infiltration into their most trusted government agency. Going against Cap’s wishes, this leads to the creation of rogue AI Ultron. Cap and the rest of the Avengers thwart Ultron in the fictional country of Sokovia, leaving hundreds dead and billions of dollars in damage. The film closes with Steve introducing audiences to a new generation of Avengers heroes including Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Falcon.
5.) Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Marvel Studios
“We’re outside the law on this one, so if you come with us, you’re a wanted man.”
Following the events of Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War divides the Avengers team with Captain America on one side and Iron Man on the other. The pair feud over government control of superheroes with Cap falling on the side of against the idea. The two teams of heroes come to blows on an airport tarmac in Germany, and Civil War finishes with Cap lodging his shield in Iron Man’s chest and breaking his friends out of the high-security prison known as the Raft.
6.) Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Marvel Studios
“Evacuate the city! Engage all defenses! And get this man a shield!”
Avengers: Infinity War thrusts Captain America back into the spotlight after some time in hiding. With the Mad Titan Thanos on a conquest to collect all six Infinity Stones in an effort to wipe out half of all life, Cap teams up with a handful of Earth-based heroes, taking on Thanos’ armies in the wilds of Wakanda. Despite coming to blows with the Mad Titan himself, Evans’ Marvel hero loses, with Thanos snapping half the universe to dust.
7.) Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Marvel Studios
“Avengers! Assemble.”
Rounding out Chris Evans’ time as Captain America is the time-traveling epic, Avengers: Endgame. Five years after killing Thanos, Cap leads a Quantum-tech-powered mission back in time to collect the Infinity Stones to hopefully bring back those that were snapped. From there, he goes to battle again, this time against the 2014 version of Thanos and issuing a battle cry to the entire MCU. He helps take down the Mad Titan, bringing back everyone who was turned to dust. Evans’ MCU tenure comes to an end as he hands off the mantle to Anthony Mackie’s Sam and teleports back in time to be with his one true love, Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell).
BONUS: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021 series)
Marvel
The Falcon and the Winter Soldiersees the next generation of Captain America being officially crowned, as Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson grapples with taking on the shield and the legacy that comes with it. The Disney+ series ends with Mackie’s MCU hero sporting a new suit and officially stepping into the Captain America role full-time.
While Captain America has made his presence felt in some pretty major appearances across the MCU’s filmography, he has also popped up elsewhere in the franchise in a number of smaller roles.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Captain America proper does not appear in Thor: The Dark World; however, he does show up by way of a Loki-created illusion. Amidst Thor’s escape attempt from Asgard, Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief embodies Cap for a split-second, asking Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian hero if he wants “to have a rousing discussion on truth, honor, [or] patriotism” all before Thor throws him against a wall.
Ant-Man (2015)
Despite not showing up throughout Ant-Man‘s 177-minute runtime, Steve Rogers is one of the main characters of the film’s post-credits stinger. Focusing on Cap and Sam Wilson as they seem to have Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes imprisoned, the Star-Spangled Man ruminates on who can help them, to which Mackie’s Sam replies, “I know a guy.”
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Captain America may not be the funniest hero in the MCU, but he gets one of the biggest laughs in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. The great American hero cameos by way of a series of high school PSAs in Peter Parker’s gym class and again in detention. This joke is then called back to in the post-credits scene, playing on the Marvel Studios staple of staying to the end to get a tease of what’s next, with Cap teaching audiences about the virtue of patience.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Another post-credits appearance for Captain America comes in Captain Marvel. With much of the Brie-Larson-starring blockbuster taking place during the 1990s, the stinger sees the hero answer the call being sent by Cap and co. after half the universe was snapped away by Thanos at the end of Infinity War.
Loki (2021 series)
The only of these cameos in which no new footage was actually filmed came in Season 1 of Loki. Captain America appears alongside the other Avengers when Loki is being shown his memories by Owen Wilson’sMobius. This is done with archival footage from Avengers: Endgame and The Avengers.
When Will Captain America Next Appear in the MCU?
While fans may have seen the last of Chris Evans’ Captain America, that is not to say the character is done in the MCU.
Anthony Mackie’s take on the iconic character will next pop up in his first solo movie as the character in next year’s Captain America: New World Order.
Of course, with Steve Rogers seemingly still out there as well, there is also always the chance that he comes back to reprise his role for a mega MCU event (a la Secret Wars), potentially giving fans the chance to see two different Caps on-screen at the same time.
Captain America can next be seen when Captain America: New World Order comes to theaters on May 3, 2024.
Review: Nightwing #104 [Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writers: Tom Taylor and C.S. Pacat Art: Travis Moore and Daniel Hore & Jonan Trindade Colors: Adriano Lucas Letters: Wes Abbott
Reviewed by Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
Bestowed with Superman-like powers, Nightwing must face Neron’s temptation- hand over Olivia and keep the powers.
Positives
Is there any question that Nightwing would know how to use super-powers wisely? Nightwing and Superman (Clark Kent) have very similar personalities and outlooks on life, despite their dissimilar origins and because of their similar origins. As this series has been all along, Nightwing #104 is character focused. Taylor doesn’t ever make the reader try and believe that Nightwing is actually tempted to keep the power, it’s not in his nature. The insight comes from seeing what Nightwing does with his short-lived powers and the obvious parallel that Taylor builds with the Man of Steel. Clark’s appearance is appropriate in the issue as it also turns the plot back towards the mission the Justice League turned over to the Titans back in Nightwing #100, to take over for the League while the League is on hiatus.
While Nightwing may not be tempted, the reader might be. Even some of Dick’s teammates seem to wish he had the powers permanently as they observe how well they suit him. This comparison to Superman runs deep in the Nighwing lore, Nightwing selected his name from Superman’s adventures in Kandor as Nightwing a Batman-like identity that Superman used for the first time back in Superman #158 (January 1963). The history of the Kryptonian Nightwing has been altered through the years, but it remains a deep point of connection between Dick Grayson and Clark.
Negatives
If there’s negatives in Nightwing #104 they are sins of omission as opposed to commission. Barbara (Batgirl/Oracle) Gordon while appearing in the background of the Titans’ fight with Neron’s hordes is missing in the wrap up. This series has used Dick and Babs relationship that it feels odd for her not to have a significant moment at the end of story arc.
While the editor’s note tells the reader when this story takes place, the timing doesn’t match up exactly with the publishing schedule. Most significantly, it was a little odd reading Titans #1 last week when this issue clearly concludes before the events of that issue.
Verdict
Overall, the negatives in Nightwing #104 are minimal at best and the “Rise of the Underworld” story arc concludes with a strong look at Dick Grayson’s character. Initially, while Neron seemed to fit as a villain for the Titans, he doesn’t seem like a proper antagonist for Nightwing. Despite this the finale provides a character driven story that does fit what makes Nightwing tick. The issue also utilizes the deep history between Dick and Clark to add depth to the events.
Will Ferrell is reportedly in talks to portray NFL figure John Madden in an upcoming theatrical feature titled Madden. Citing unnamed multiple sources, Deadline is reporting that the project is set to be directed by five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook), and a collaboration between Amazon and MGM.
While Amazon declined to comment on the news, the concept for Madden has reportedly been in development for some time. Based on a script by Cambron Clark, which appeared on the Black List, Russell had been working on revisions until the project was put on hold due to the writers’ strike.
Madden, categorized as a Prime Video Sports Original, aims to explore the life of the charismatic Madden, a prominent figure on NFL sidelines. Madden’s aspiration was to become a head coach, and he achieved great success in that role. However, the demanding nature of the job eventually took its toll, prompting him to step away from coaching.
The film will primarily focus on Madden’s friendship with Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, and how Madden found a new path that brought him even greater recognition. Despite having no personal experience with video games, Madden played a crucial role in revolutionizing the gaming industry as the figurehead of the popular Madden NFL franchise, which has consistently been a top seller published by Electronic Arts.
Produced by Escape Artists, with Todd Black, Jonathan Shukat, and Jason Blumenthal, Madden has high hopes of capturing the essence of one of the NFL’s most beloved figures. Notably, Steve Tisch, co-owner of the New York Giants, is also among the film’s producers.
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What has fallen flat at Pixar? This is the innovative animation studio that pushed all before it in the first decade of this millennium, that invented a way of turning the plastic finish of digital animation to its advantage in the towering Toy Story, that was prepared to start a film with a 20-minute scene with no dialogue in Wall-E – and revealed that kids didn’t care – and that would make an adventure film with a hero aged 78 years young in UP!. Kids didn’t care about that either, as it turned out, because Carl Fredricksen was a grumpy-gramps adventurer who also didn’t care what others thought of him. Pixar always had something new up its collective artistic sleeve. And yet here they are, coming out with a film as dull-witted and syrupy as Elemental.
The title suggests the kids will get a head start on the periodic table, which was apparently director Peter Sohn’s first idea, but no. The elements in Elemental, which closed the Cannes Film Festival this evening, are now the Ancient Greek ones: fire, water, air and earth. Element City, a candy-colored version of New York, is a watery city full of canals, drains and barrages; its citizens include earth people with flowers in their armpits and air people who billow like clouds. Its dominant liquid citizens look like balloons, moving humanoids made of water who can, when under pressure, dissolve into their natural element and then pop up in drainpipes, fully reconstituted, which is how Wade Ripple, city inspector of waterworks, arrives in the shop run by an elderly couple of fire people and meets Ember, their sparky daughter.
Fire people are dangerous goods. Water people, afraid of being turned into steam, ban them from public buildings. Nasty ones regularly tell them to get back where they came from, meaning Fireland. Ember’s family are immigrants who came to Element City from Fireland after storms laid waste to their hometown. “It was the only way to create a better life… it was the last time your father saw his family,” Ember’s mother says, her eyes squeezed tight even though her cindery eyes can’t cry.
The barely-tolerated fire people therefore stick with their own. They live across the river from the city and avoid taking trains where they might inadvertently turn the earth people’s leafy hair to ash or get sloshed with water from the overhead aqueducts. “The city isn’t made with fire people in mind,” says Ember as she sets out on a delivery run for her dad’s shop, which sells the kind of chili balls fire people like to eat. “It would take an act of God to get me over that bridge… everything I need is here.” That is until she meets Wade, a transparent sausage of wet love who cries at almost anything and really fancies Ember, even if he can’t touch her.
Wade takes her to the city, where they go to see the view from a very tall building — uh-huh, check the Empire State — and then go to the movies. Tide and Prejudice is showing. There is a sprinkling of these visual jokes, the customary game of Spotto provided for guardians sitting through family films; you can rely on Pixar’s rooms full of geniuses to come up with myriad quirky details. Let’s not shortchange it. There are also some wild explosions, particularly when Ember loses her temper. There are sensational floods and a colorfully conceived football match between aggressive clouds. There just isn’t a line or a situation that would make you laugh out loud. Not even if you were four.
Nobody knows anything, as William Goldman said. It is true that children were happy to watch a film about a tin box’s friendship with a steering wheel in Wall-E, which must have seemed unlikely before it happened. Even so, I am confident they will find the twee romance between the mismatched Ember and Wade simply icky. Because it IS icky.
Elemental, a film that starts out with a clever concept and proceeds to build a world full of invention – exactly what we expect from Pixar – then uses that world as a backdrop for a protracted will they-won’t they flirtation that could have been ripped from the script of a telenovela. I know kids are wise to the ways of the world these days, but that’s the kind of thing that makes them simply embarrassed to be alive, especially when it culminates in a big, gloopy fire-and-water kiss and their parents are in the room.
There are bits that are just plain dull. I wonder if the young audience will seize the proffered opportunity to learn more about the role of water pressure in a canal system, which certainly lost me. Perhaps the romance is aimed at girls, while the engineering snippets are a sop offered to the boys? That kind of gender stereotyping is supposed to have gone out with the Ark, but we know it still works and, after all, there are pesky (and currently difficult) market realities to consider.
Then there are the oft-repeated pieties about hard-working immigrants and moments when we see how nasty racists are, signaling a worthy message of inclusivity with all the subtlety of a pipe bursting under the sink. Smug moralizing is an enduring element of family entertainment, admittedly. Once again, kids won’t care, but seeing the genuinely wrenching experience of refugees spun into yet more sugar glazing, dolloped on top of the core romance, may prove too much for even the most sympathetically woke adults. Elemental could, in fact, simply have been called Sentimental. It would have saved time.
Title: Elemental Section: Cannes (Out of Competition) Director: Peter Sohn Screenwriters: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, Brenda Hsueh, Peter Sohn VoiceCast: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie Running time: 1 hr 42 mins
There were more than a few misty eyes in the audience at the premiere of Pixar’s animated adventure “Elemental,” which closed out this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The sweet, opposites-attract love story proved charming to attendees, closing out the festival with a five-minute standing ovation. At least one grown man in the orchestra was wiping away his cascading tears as the credits began to roll. And it’s safe to assume he wasn’t alone in his emotional response to the film.
“My heart is about to explode,” said “Elemental” director Peter Sohn as the ovation began to die down. “This film has been about the richness of diversity. Our lives are better when there are different points of view.”
Prior to the screening, Jane Fonda, Quentin Tarantino, John C. Riley, “Game of Thrones” star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Orlando Bloom, as well as jury president Ruben Östlund and jury members Brie Larson, Paul Dano and Julia Ducournau walked the famed red carpet one last time this festival.
The closing night film was preceded by an hour-long awards ceremony, in which the Palme D’Or was awarded to Justine Triet‘s “Anatomy of a Fall” and the Grand Prix was given to Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Silence.”
It was a long night for those at the Palais, who arrived at the call time of 7:30 p.m and left after the credits rolled just before midnight. But as they walked out, they were greeted with a spectacular, nearly-heart stopping display of fireworks over the Croisette. What’s that saying? Good things come to those who wait.
But before all the pyrotechnics brought the 2023 festival to a close, there was plenty of sitting around in the theater. During the 20 minutes in between the ceremony and the screening of “Elemental,” which began closer to 10 p.m., most of the room managed to stretch their legs as they dutifully filed out for a smoke break. Several audience members left the premises after the closing ceremony, so after the movie ended, those who were still in their seats were quick to run to the center aisles to get a better view of the voice cast and filmmaker.
“It’s an honor to bring this film to Cannes. Thierry, it’s an honor,” Sohn said as the festival chief Thierry Fremaux embraced him with a hug.
“Elemental” is set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature — some of which blend well together and some who don’t. The story revolves around the friendship between fire element Ember, a fearless and quick-witted young woman with a strong personality, and water element Wade, a sentimental, fun-loving, go-with-the-flow boy. Though their varying characteristics mean they cannot touch each other, they discover how much they actually have in common.
Sohn says “Elemental” draws inspiration from romantic films like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “Moonstruck” and “Amélie.” It’s the fourth Pixar movie to screen at Cannes, following 2009’s “Up,” 2015’s “Inside Out” and 2020’s “Soul.” It’s scheduled to debut theatrically on June 16.
The voice cast, most of whom walked the carpet for Saturday’s premiere, includes Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Catherine O’Hara.
Several high-profile Hollywood movies premiered at this year’s Cannes, including Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and James Mangold’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” The 76th edition kicked off with Maiwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp, on May 16.
Variety’s Actors on Actors series returns featuring the biggest stars in this year’s TV Emmys race for Season 18. The four episodes will debut on PBS SoCal on Thursday, June 15th starting at 8 p.m., followed by encores on KCET and public television stations across the country and the WORLD Channel (check local listings). All episodes will stream on pbssocal.org and the free PBS App following their premieres.
Variety’s Actors on Actors issue will hit newsstands on June 7th and the conversations will start airing on Tuesday, June 6th on Variety.com and its social media channels.
This year’s “Actors on Actors” lineup includes:
Katherine Heigl (“Firefly Lane”) with Ellen Pompeo (“Grey’s Anatomy”)
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) with Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”)
Ali Wong (“Beef”) with Jason Segel (“Shrinking”)
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) with Elle Fanning (“The Great”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession”) with Claire Danes (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”)
Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”) with Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face”)
Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”) with Theo James (“The White Lotus”)
Steven Yeun (“Beef”) with Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”)
Diego Luna (“Andor”) with Hayden Christensen (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”)
Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”) with Elizabeth Olsen (“Love and Death”)
Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) with Jennifer Garner (“The Last Thing He Told Me”)
Brian Cox (“Succession”) with Emily Blunt (“The English”)
Rachel Weisz (“Dead Ringers”) with Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”)
“Variety Studio: Actors on Actors” won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2019, as well as the Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for best entertainment programming in 2015 and 2016. The series is produced by PBS SoCal in partnership with Variety Media, LLC.
About Variety Now celebrating its 117th year anniversary, Variety is the leading and most trusted voice of the entertainment industry. Featuring award-winning breaking news reporting, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players, Variety is the trusted source for the business of global entertainment. Read by a highly engaged audience of industry insiders, Variety’s multi-platform content coverage expands across digital, mobile, social, print and branded content, events and summits.
About PBS SoCal
PBS SoCal is a donor-supported community institution that is a part of Public Media Group of Southern California, the flagship PBS station formed by the merger of PBS SoCal and KCETLink Media Group. PBS SoCal delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and entertain – over the air, online, in the community and in the classroom. We offer the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, Independent Lens, a broad library of documentary films including works from Ken Burns; and educational PBS KIDS programs including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Curious George. PBS programming is available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast.
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