Could Bill Clinton and other recognizable figures appear in Call of Duty Black Ops 6? The recent reveal trailer hints at a return to a dark corner of the franchise’s past. The original Black Ops featured the infamous level Five in which players faced off against zombies alongside world leaders including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro, and Robert McNamara.
The trailer has sparked many speculations, including a potential resurrection of the controversial Zombie mode, and with the Black Ops 6 official reveal set for June 9, more information will be available.
Bill Clinton in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Teaser Trailer Bill Clinton in the Black Ops 6 live-action trailer.
Microsoft has released the trailer for the latest Call of Duty game in the form of a live-action movie under the title The Truth Lies. The video, which is under one minute long, shows many world leaders, including Bill Clinton,...
The trailer has sparked many speculations, including a potential resurrection of the controversial Zombie mode, and with the Black Ops 6 official reveal set for June 9, more information will be available.
Bill Clinton in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Teaser Trailer Bill Clinton in the Black Ops 6 live-action trailer.
Microsoft has released the trailer for the latest Call of Duty game in the form of a live-action movie under the title The Truth Lies. The video, which is under one minute long, shows many world leaders, including Bill Clinton,...
- 5/31/2024
- by Nikola Pajtic
- FandomWire
For some reason, there has yet to be a mainstream Hollywood feature film about Donald Trump dramatizing any aspect of Trump's life, with an actor portraying him.
There have been countless documentaries about Trump, both for him and against him, and various comedians have portrayed him, including Alec Baldwin and later James Austin Johnson on Saturday Night Live.
The Comey Rule, a 2020 Showtime miniseries based on the memoirs of former FBI director James Comey, starred Brendan Gleeson as the 45th president, opposite Jeff Daniels as Comey.
At the same time, quite a few feature films, like The Oath in 2018 and Irresistible and The Hunt in 2020, have attempted to make dramatic hay out of the political controversies of the Trump years.
However, those who have not featured a Trump-based character have not referenced him directly.
However, what the movies have avoided is a direct dramatization of any part of Trump's life,...
There have been countless documentaries about Trump, both for him and against him, and various comedians have portrayed him, including Alec Baldwin and later James Austin Johnson on Saturday Night Live.
The Comey Rule, a 2020 Showtime miniseries based on the memoirs of former FBI director James Comey, starred Brendan Gleeson as the 45th president, opposite Jeff Daniels as Comey.
At the same time, quite a few feature films, like The Oath in 2018 and Irresistible and The Hunt in 2020, have attempted to make dramatic hay out of the political controversies of the Trump years.
However, those who have not featured a Trump-based character have not referenced him directly.
However, what the movies have avoided is a direct dramatization of any part of Trump's life,...
- 5/30/2024
- by Stephen Silver
- TVfanatic
Call of Duty is going full Gulf War. In a reveal trailer released Tuesday, Microsoft has officially confirmed that the latest iteration of its annual military shooter, Black Ops 6, will at least partially take place during the geopolitical conflict of the early Nineties, and feature political figures from the era, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, as well as former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
The live-action trailer sees actors portraying the historical figure all shrouded in darkness as they dole...
The live-action trailer sees actors portraying the historical figure all shrouded in darkness as they dole...
- 5/28/2024
- by Christopher Cruz
- Rollingstone.com
Jeremy Strong and Sebastian Stan in The ApprenticeImage: Premier
In many ways Roy Cohn is one of the linchpins of the 20th century, a man whose influence on global political and social life resonates to this day. He was the prosecuting attorney who sent convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg...
In many ways Roy Cohn is one of the linchpins of the 20th century, a man whose influence on global political and social life resonates to this day. He was the prosecuting attorney who sent convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jason Gorber
- avclub.com
One of only nine directors to win the Palme d’Or twice, Francis Ford Coppola took home his first 50 years ago — back when the award was still called the Grand Prix — for The Conversation.
A psychological thriller starring Gene Hackman as a morally conflicted surveillance expert in San Francisco, The Conversation couldn’t have been released at a more appropriate time. Hitting U.S. theaters on April 7, 1974, the movie asked pointed questions about power, responsibility and technology — subjects that had been top of the American mind for two years as a result of the Watergate scandal. It was pure serendipity; Coppola had started writing the screenplay in the 1960s. Just four months after the film’s release, Richard Nixon would resign the presidency for his role in the infamous cover-up.
In the intervening years, the film has only seen its cultural resonance increase. In 1995, it was chosen for preservation by...
A psychological thriller starring Gene Hackman as a morally conflicted surveillance expert in San Francisco, The Conversation couldn’t have been released at a more appropriate time. Hitting U.S. theaters on April 7, 1974, the movie asked pointed questions about power, responsibility and technology — subjects that had been top of the American mind for two years as a result of the Watergate scandal. It was pure serendipity; Coppola had started writing the screenplay in the 1960s. Just four months after the film’s release, Richard Nixon would resign the presidency for his role in the infamous cover-up.
In the intervening years, the film has only seen its cultural resonance increase. In 1995, it was chosen for preservation by...
- 5/19/2024
- by Shannon L. Bowen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you were to learn that Disney+, from the company that owns the work created by the late Jim Henson, was broadcasting a documentary about the visionary puppeteer and filmmaker and that doc was being directed by Ron Howard with substantial input from Henson’s family, you could probably guess what the movie would be like.
And you’d be right.
In this case, though, there’s nothing wrong with a little predictability. Henson and Howard are a fine match, and the sort of film you’d expect Ron Howard to make – straightforward, skillful, honest and sympathetic – is pretty much the kind of movie you’d want about Jim Henson.
There are surprises in “Jim Henson Idea Man,” which had its world premiere on Saturday night in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival. But there’s nothing shocking, nothing earthshaking about this portrait of the man who gave us Big Bird,...
And you’d be right.
In this case, though, there’s nothing wrong with a little predictability. Henson and Howard are a fine match, and the sort of film you’d expect Ron Howard to make – straightforward, skillful, honest and sympathetic – is pretty much the kind of movie you’d want about Jim Henson.
There are surprises in “Jim Henson Idea Man,” which had its world premiere on Saturday night in the Cannes Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival. But there’s nothing shocking, nothing earthshaking about this portrait of the man who gave us Big Bird,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The 2024 Pen America Literary Gala welcomed hundreds of guests inside Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History on Thursday, including several prominent figures from the entertainment industry. Seth Meyers served as emcee for the annual black-tie fundraiser, which recognizes individuals who “celebrate, champion and defend freedom of expression.”
The gala took place following the recent cancellation of the annual Pen America Literary Awards and World Voices Festival. Several Pen-affiliated writers, including nine of those who received nods for the Pen/Jean Stein award for best book, chose to boycott these events in light of the organization’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Pen America has been under scrutiny as several Pen-affiliated authors have alleged that the free speech and literary organization has favored Israel amidst the war and not properly acknowledged the violence afflicted upon Palestinian writers and journalists.
While the fundraiser took place as planned, the evening was not without...
The gala took place following the recent cancellation of the annual Pen America Literary Awards and World Voices Festival. Several Pen-affiliated writers, including nine of those who received nods for the Pen/Jean Stein award for best book, chose to boycott these events in light of the organization’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. Pen America has been under scrutiny as several Pen-affiliated authors have alleged that the free speech and literary organization has favored Israel amidst the war and not properly acknowledged the violence afflicted upon Palestinian writers and journalists.
While the fundraiser took place as planned, the evening was not without...
- 5/17/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lame duck Sen. Mitt Romney (R–Utah) is one of Donald Trump’s harshest critics among the congressional GOP — until it comes to the former president’s criminal indictments.
Romney sat down with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle for an interview to air Wednesday night where he revealed if he was in charge, he would have pardoned Trump.
“Had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought out indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him. I’d have pardoned President Trump,” Romney said. “Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden,...
Romney sat down with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle for an interview to air Wednesday night where he revealed if he was in charge, he would have pardoned Trump.
“Had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought out indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him. I’d have pardoned President Trump,” Romney said. “Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Jeremy Childs
- Rollingstone.com
ABC News plans to make its coverage of the second presidential debate in September available to other networks for simulcast.
The network announced today that it will host a debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10. That followed an earlier announcement by CNN that Biden and Trump had agreed to a first debate on June 27 at the network’s Atlanta studios, with no audience.
For both networks, the debates are likely to be ratings blockbusters, showcasing their top talent and personalities. But very soon after the dates were announced, there was some question as to how wide of a reach each of the events will get.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has hosted the debates each cycle since 1988, but the general election matchups were not exclusive to any one network. Rather, a feed was made widely available to networks and streaming services. That undoubtedly helped drive viewership up,...
The network announced today that it will host a debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10. That followed an earlier announcement by CNN that Biden and Trump had agreed to a first debate on June 27 at the network’s Atlanta studios, with no audience.
For both networks, the debates are likely to be ratings blockbusters, showcasing their top talent and personalities. But very soon after the dates were announced, there was some question as to how wide of a reach each of the events will get.
The Commission on Presidential Debates has hosted the debates each cycle since 1988, but the general election matchups were not exclusive to any one network. Rather, a feed was made widely available to networks and streaming services. That undoubtedly helped drive viewership up,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
What’s the connection between “Late Night with the Devil” and a real-life secret society? ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Caution: spoilers ahead. Additionally, please take the content of this article with a grain of salt, as it essentially incorporates conspiracy theories. While some elements may be grounded in reality, they are heavily intertwined with conjecture. Avoid accepting anything stated here at face value.
“Late Night with the Devil,” the hit horror film that debuted at SXSW 2023, continues to dominate streaming platforms, earning praise and shattering records. Audiences are enthralled by its eerie depiction of a 1970s late-night talk show spiraling into darkness.
Set in the late 1970s, David Dastmalchian plays the host of a fictional show called “Night Owls.” In the movie, his character, Jack Delroy, gets tangled up with a secretive society and makes a deal with them for success using occult means. Even though the movie is made up,...
Caution: spoilers ahead. Additionally, please take the content of this article with a grain of salt, as it essentially incorporates conspiracy theories. While some elements may be grounded in reality, they are heavily intertwined with conjecture. Avoid accepting anything stated here at face value.
“Late Night with the Devil,” the hit horror film that debuted at SXSW 2023, continues to dominate streaming platforms, earning praise and shattering records. Audiences are enthralled by its eerie depiction of a 1970s late-night talk show spiraling into darkness.
Set in the late 1970s, David Dastmalchian plays the host of a fictional show called “Night Owls.” In the movie, his character, Jack Delroy, gets tangled up with a secretive society and makes a deal with them for success using occult means. Even though the movie is made up,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Hari P N
- KoiMoi
The only person who believed in David Bowie’s vision of “Young Americans” more than Bowie himself was David Sanborn. The saxophonist, who was trained in jazz, had broken into the pop world as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and by guesting on Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book. Sanborn, who died Sunday, was in his late 20s when he linked up with Bowie for the Diamond Dogs Tour — he’s featured on the David Live double-album — and joined him in the studio for the recording of Bowie...
- 5/14/2024
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
On “Palm Royale,” Maxine knows how to throw a memorable party. Unfortunately for her attempts to break into Palm Beach society circa 1969, that isn’t the same thing as throwing a good party.
At the end-of-season Beach Ball — which also ends Season 1 of Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale” — Maxine should be poised for triumph. None other than President Richard Nixon is in attendance. He, like most of the other well-heeled guests, is eager to meet the guest-of-honor astronaut. Except the man in the space suit is actually Maxine’s pool boy. And her co-host, Evelyn (Allison Janney), left to have sex with her younger lover. Not to mention the revelation that Maxine’s friend, Mitzi, is pregnant by Maxine’s husband. And that’s not even including the showgirls and elaborate decor that is as kinetic as the revelations are frenetic. Is it any wonder Maxine’s planned performance of...
At the end-of-season Beach Ball — which also ends Season 1 of Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale” — Maxine should be poised for triumph. None other than President Richard Nixon is in attendance. He, like most of the other well-heeled guests, is eager to meet the guest-of-honor astronaut. Except the man in the space suit is actually Maxine’s pool boy. And her co-host, Evelyn (Allison Janney), left to have sex with her younger lover. Not to mention the revelation that Maxine’s friend, Mitzi, is pregnant by Maxine’s husband. And that’s not even including the showgirls and elaborate decor that is as kinetic as the revelations are frenetic. Is it any wonder Maxine’s planned performance of...
- 5/8/2024
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Norman Lear knew what he was getting into with "All in the Family." The late TV giant was warned from the outset that Americans would revolt against a sitcom that talked about the hot political topics of the day and didn't try to sugarcoat the country's history of racism and using religion to justify its bigotry and hatreds towards those deemed "the other." Nor, for that matter, did his doubters buy into the concept that audiences wanted to see an honest reflection of how families behave in the comfort of their homes.
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Anthony Hopkins, who has embodied a cast of real-life characters in his long career, ranging from Richard Nixon (in Nixon) and Sigmund Freund (Freud’s Last Session) to Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock), and Adolf Hitler (1981 TV movie The Bunker), is set to play composer George Frideric Handel in the upcoming feature The King of Covent Garden.
Minamata filmmaker Andrew Levitas is attached to direct the biopic focused on how the German-British Baroque composer created his 1741 masterpiece Messiah. Tim Slover wrote the screenplay. Dan Lupovitz and Kevan Van Thompson will produce.
Opera star Katherine Jenkins is attached as an executive producer on the project and will be involved as a musical advisor on the project as well as helping with future marketing efforts. Peter Touche (Military Wives, The Son) is also executive producing.
Embankment Films is handling global pre-sales on The King of Covent Garden and will be pitching it to buyers at...
Minamata filmmaker Andrew Levitas is attached to direct the biopic focused on how the German-British Baroque composer created his 1741 masterpiece Messiah. Tim Slover wrote the screenplay. Dan Lupovitz and Kevan Van Thompson will produce.
Opera star Katherine Jenkins is attached as an executive producer on the project and will be involved as a musical advisor on the project as well as helping with future marketing efforts. Peter Touche (Military Wives, The Son) is also executive producing.
Embankment Films is handling global pre-sales on The King of Covent Garden and will be pitching it to buyers at...
- 5/2/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The federal government is on the verge of a landmark retreat from the “reefer-madness” hysteria that has defined the Drug War since its inception more than 50 years ago.
The Drug Enforcement Agency is moving to strike cannabis from the top tier of prohibited substances — Schedule I, the same as heroin — and classify it, instead, as Schedule III, reserved for drugs with “moderate to low potential” for addiction. The news was broken by the Associated Press yesterday, and the Department of Justice confirmed Tuesday evening that the attorney general was circulating...
The Drug Enforcement Agency is moving to strike cannabis from the top tier of prohibited substances — Schedule I, the same as heroin — and classify it, instead, as Schedule III, reserved for drugs with “moderate to low potential” for addiction. The news was broken by the Associated Press yesterday, and the Department of Justice confirmed Tuesday evening that the attorney general was circulating...
- 5/1/2024
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
As SAG-AFTRA and other artists’ groups sound the alarm over the proliferation of AI deepfakes, studios are warning that too sweeping a proposed solution would violate the First Amendment.
The alternate views of a draft bill, called the No Fakes Act, were apparent in a Senate hearing on Tuesday, underscoring the thorny task at hand for lawmakers as they try to establish guardrails around AI technology.
The Motion Picture Association’s senior VP Ben Sheffner cautioned that “legislating in this area involves doing something that the First Amendment sharply limits: Regulating the content of speech.”
“It will take very careful drafting to accomplish the bill’s goals without inadvertently chilling or even prohibiting legitimate, Constitutionally protected uses of technology to enhance storytelling,” he said.
The draft Senate bill would give individuals a “digital replication right” to authorize the use of their image, voice or visual likeness. The right also would extend to the heirs,...
The alternate views of a draft bill, called the No Fakes Act, were apparent in a Senate hearing on Tuesday, underscoring the thorny task at hand for lawmakers as they try to establish guardrails around AI technology.
The Motion Picture Association’s senior VP Ben Sheffner cautioned that “legislating in this area involves doing something that the First Amendment sharply limits: Regulating the content of speech.”
“It will take very careful drafting to accomplish the bill’s goals without inadvertently chilling or even prohibiting legitimate, Constitutionally protected uses of technology to enhance storytelling,” he said.
The draft Senate bill would give individuals a “digital replication right” to authorize the use of their image, voice or visual likeness. The right also would extend to the heirs,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Supreme Court oral arguments were made for social media. Social media was not made to make Supreme Court arguments persuasive or even understandable.
The court’s latest Donald Trump case is a perfect illustration. The justices on this court are relatively young. Their questions are clear and direct, and they all are engaged, respectful, and fair. If you listen from start to finish, you can’t help but think this is the most deliberate and serious branch of the three-ring circus that is Washington, D.C.
Yet clips from any argument,...
The court’s latest Donald Trump case is a perfect illustration. The justices on this court are relatively young. Their questions are clear and direct, and they all are engaged, respectful, and fair. If you listen from start to finish, you can’t help but think this is the most deliberate and serious branch of the three-ring circus that is Washington, D.C.
Yet clips from any argument,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Lawrence Lessig
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been less than 12 years since Dan Stevens raised a middle finger to the British aristocracy, quitting “Downton Abbey” as the show neared its Emmy-amassing zenith and setting sail for America with his family. As he admits, he had “absolutely no idea” what was going to happen to him.
“There was no roadmap,” the 41-year-old actor explains with frank honestly about a decision that, at the time, was considered by many to be sheer lunacy. “I left ‘Downton’ with a blank slate. It was just, ‘I think I want to do other things.’ But I didn’t know what that looked like.”
To have an idea of what that currently looks like, anyone need just head to their nearest cinema, where Stevens is going head-to-head against himself in two of the biggest studio releases of the season. In what has become something of a calling card for the Brit...
“There was no roadmap,” the 41-year-old actor explains with frank honestly about a decision that, at the time, was considered by many to be sheer lunacy. “I left ‘Downton’ with a blank slate. It was just, ‘I think I want to do other things.’ But I didn’t know what that looked like.”
To have an idea of what that currently looks like, anyone need just head to their nearest cinema, where Stevens is going head-to-head against himself in two of the biggest studio releases of the season. In what has become something of a calling card for the Brit...
- 4/23/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
HBO and Max’s latest original series, The Sympathizer, has been a critical success since premiering this April, blending dark comedy with historical drama and life-or-death stakes. Like its 2015 source material, by author Viet Thanh Nguyen, the main story begins in 1975, framed against the backdrop of the fall of Saigon, the historical capital of South Vietnam. This real-life event not only opens The Sympathizer, but its fallout and the shadow of the Vietnam has far-reaching consequences for the rest of the series and its main characters.
With this in mind, a refresher on the real-world history behind the Vietnam War, both during and after the formal withdrawal of American forces in the conflict, is well-worth the time to read to better familiarize oneself with the actual context behind the story. Keep in mind, this isn’t intended to be an authoritative academic source on explaining the history of the Vietnam...
With this in mind, a refresher on the real-world history behind the Vietnam War, both during and after the formal withdrawal of American forces in the conflict, is well-worth the time to read to better familiarize oneself with the actual context behind the story. Keep in mind, this isn’t intended to be an authoritative academic source on explaining the history of the Vietnam...
- 4/21/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Elvis Presley had enough star power that he was able to meet with high-ranking politicians with very little scheduling in advance. He appeared at the White House to meet Richard Nixon and he had his sights set on gifting Spiro Agnew a gun. Not long afterward, Elvis wanted nothing to do with Agnew.
Elvis turned on a politician he once met
Elvis liked surrounding himself with authority figures like law enforcement and politicians. Therefore, when he heard Agnew was in Palm Springs, he made it a point to meet with him. He was intent on giving Agnew a gift.
“The Vice-President was staying in Palm Springs when Elvis was there,” bodyguard Sonny West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “Anyway, he set up a meeting with him. We all went to the house he was staying at and Elvis had bought a gold inlaid .357 Magnum revolver.
Elvis turned on a politician he once met
Elvis liked surrounding himself with authority figures like law enforcement and politicians. Therefore, when he heard Agnew was in Palm Springs, he made it a point to meet with him. He was intent on giving Agnew a gift.
“The Vice-President was staying in Palm Springs when Elvis was there,” bodyguard Sonny West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “Anyway, he set up a meeting with him. We all went to the house he was staying at and Elvis had bought a gold inlaid .357 Magnum revolver.
- 4/21/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Update, April 14, 6:51 Am: Major news organizations released their joint statement this morning urging Joe Biden and Donald Trump to “publicly commit” to participating in general election debates.
“If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation,” the letter read.
ABC News, the Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-span, Fox News Media, NBC Universal News Group, NewsNation, Noticias Univision, NPR, PBS NewsHour and USA Today signed on to the statement.
Word that the statement was coming leaked out last week. The last time that a presidential election cycle went without a general election debate was 1972. But there has been increasing speculation that this cycle will go without any debates,...
“If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high. Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation,” the letter read.
ABC News, the Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-span, Fox News Media, NBC Universal News Group, NewsNation, Noticias Univision, NPR, PBS NewsHour and USA Today signed on to the statement.
Word that the statement was coming leaked out last week. The last time that a presidential election cycle went without a general election debate was 1972. But there has been increasing speculation that this cycle will go without any debates,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
On September 15, Robert Downey Jr. will almost certainly take home his first Emmy as best supporting actor in a limited series for HBO’s The Sympathizer.
It will be the latest coronation in a year of coronations for a star who is undisputedly one of our finest, and it will be difficult to begrudge; what Downey does in The Sympathizer hits that sweet spot between “ridiculously entertaining” and “a whole lot of acting” that award-givers love.
But two things can be true: Downey’s performance in The Sympathizer can be saluted as a dexterous feat of actorly gymnastics. At the same time, it’s the misplaced fulcrum that too often causes this seven-episode adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to lose its tonal and narrative balance.
This version of The Sympathizer is still substantive and audacious, a slab of satire and deeply felt human tragedy that’s worthy of conversation and consideration,...
It will be the latest coronation in a year of coronations for a star who is undisputedly one of our finest, and it will be difficult to begrudge; what Downey does in The Sympathizer hits that sweet spot between “ridiculously entertaining” and “a whole lot of acting” that award-givers love.
But two things can be true: Downey’s performance in The Sympathizer can be saluted as a dexterous feat of actorly gymnastics. At the same time, it’s the misplaced fulcrum that too often causes this seven-episode adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to lose its tonal and narrative balance.
This version of The Sympathizer is still substantive and audacious, a slab of satire and deeply felt human tragedy that’s worthy of conversation and consideration,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There was perhaps no movie director more in demand in the 1970s than Francis Ford Coppola, who was leading the New Hollywood film movement with epics like “The Godfather” (1972), “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979). But fewer viewers remember his quiet neo-noir drama “The Conversation,” a complete turnaround in production scale and arguably his only intimate, simple dramatic film. While it was not as financially successful as the previously aforementioned grander classics, the mystery thriller was just as acclaimed and lauded, earning three Oscar nominations and winning the Palme d’Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. Now on its 50th anniversary, let’s look back at one of Coppola’s overlooked films, “The Conversation,” which was released on April 7, 1974.
The picture stars Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a top surveillance expert who stumbles upon an ambiguous comment – that may lead to a potential murder – while recording for one of...
The picture stars Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a top surveillance expert who stumbles upon an ambiguous comment – that may lead to a potential murder – while recording for one of...
- 4/9/2024
- by Christopher Tsang
- Gold Derby
If you’ve watched Russell Chuck’s 1988 movie The Blob as a kid, my sympathies. Anybody who has seen the movie is bound to be uncomfortable at the mention of blobs throughout their lives. Netflix’s Files of the Unexplained takes you to a small town in Washington where mysterious blobs fell out of the sky in the early 90s.
What Happened In Oakville?
From August 7, 1994, a series of rainy days began in Oakville. Oakville residents Sunny Barclift and her mother noticed small, transparent, gelatinous blobs falling from the sky along with the rain. Sunny and her mother thought the rain looked ‘thick.’ When her mother fell ill after touching the substance, Sunny decided to conduct tests on it. The blobs float in water, dissolve in alcohol but don’t break down, and have zero flammability. Soon after Sunny’s mother fell ill, reports of other people in town falling...
What Happened In Oakville?
From August 7, 1994, a series of rainy days began in Oakville. Oakville residents Sunny Barclift and her mother noticed small, transparent, gelatinous blobs falling from the sky along with the rain. Sunny and her mother thought the rain looked ‘thick.’ When her mother fell ill after touching the substance, Sunny decided to conduct tests on it. The blobs float in water, dissolve in alcohol but don’t break down, and have zero flammability. Soon after Sunny’s mother fell ill, reports of other people in town falling...
- 4/3/2024
- by Aniket Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
Joe Flaherty, the actor, writer and comedian known for his roles on the Canadian sketch comedy series “Second City Television” and “Freaks and Geeks,” died on Monday. He was 82.
Flaherty’s daughter, Gudrun, confirmed the news to Variety in a statement through the Comedic Artists Alliance, which had previously raised funds for Flaherty to obtain a 24-hour care provider.
“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” Gudrun said. “Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s. His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of...
Flaherty’s daughter, Gudrun, confirmed the news to Variety in a statement through the Comedic Artists Alliance, which had previously raised funds for Flaherty to obtain a 24-hour care provider.
“After a brief illness, he left us yesterday, and since then, I’ve been struggling to come to terms with this immense loss,” Gudrun said. “Dad was an extraordinary man, known for his boundless heart and an unwavering passion for movies from the ’40s and ’50s. His insights into the golden age of cinema didn’t just shape his professional life; they were also a source of endless fascination for me. In these last few months, as he faced his health challenges, we had the precious opportunity to watch many of...
- 4/2/2024
- by Jaden Thompson and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Elvis Presley was quite generous with his friends, often buying them expensive gifts without reason. He relied heavily on his entourage and trusted them with his secrets. Because of this, he took it hard when they betrayed him. When Elvis suspected that one of his friends was stealing from him, he chased him down and arrested him as though he was a police officer.
Elvis suspected a friend was stealing from him
In 1973, Elvis hired a man the other members of his entourage referred to as “Fetchum Bill.” He soon joined the group on a trip to Las Vegas. Bill lost the $500 Elvis gave each member of the entourage and they began to suspect he was forging checks. Around this time, Elvis discovered some of his jewelry was missing.
Elvis Presley | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
“About this time, there were several rings of Elvis’s missing, and we suspected Bill,...
Elvis suspected a friend was stealing from him
In 1973, Elvis hired a man the other members of his entourage referred to as “Fetchum Bill.” He soon joined the group on a trip to Las Vegas. Bill lost the $500 Elvis gave each member of the entourage and they began to suspect he was forging checks. Around this time, Elvis discovered some of his jewelry was missing.
Elvis Presley | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
“About this time, there were several rings of Elvis’s missing, and we suspected Bill,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Eight years before "Saturday Night Live" started stirring up trouble for NBC, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was the counterculture bane of CBS' programming existence. And unlike the surprisingly game gang at 30 Rockefeller Center, the suits at the Eye (that's the nickname for CBS' logo) could not be mollified by high ratings.
The enmity between CBS and Smothers was forged by a perfect confluence of time and content. When the variety show premiered on February 5, 1967, the United States was waging two very different wars on two geographically inconvenient fronts. The country had just entered its second year of full-on, boots-on-the-ground combat in Vietnam, and though a slim majority still supported the conflict, the nation's youth weren't keen on getting drafted to fight an enemy that didn't pose an immediate physical threat to America. This unease dovetailed with the unrest at home: anti-war protests, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, and a...
The enmity between CBS and Smothers was forged by a perfect confluence of time and content. When the variety show premiered on February 5, 1967, the United States was waging two very different wars on two geographically inconvenient fronts. The country had just entered its second year of full-on, boots-on-the-ground combat in Vietnam, and though a slim majority still supported the conflict, the nation's youth weren't keen on getting drafted to fight an enemy that didn't pose an immediate physical threat to America. This unease dovetailed with the unrest at home: anti-war protests, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, and a...
- 3/22/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we have a conversation about what it means to be underappreciated. Not underrated necessarily. But underappreciated. And, boy, is Don Cheadle underappreciated. The Oscar-nominated actor has been elevating films in supporting roles since the late ‘80s.
Our guest today is Mitchell Beaupre, senior editor at Letterboxd.
Our B-Sides today include: The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Traitor, The Guard, and No Sudden Move. There is also a brief-but-worthwhile tangent on the Scott Caan-directed (!) indie The Dog Problem. Also the Sundance darling Manic from the early 2000s.
We discuss Cheadle’s incredible ability to listen as an actor. There may not be a better active listener working today. We offer some context into legend Steve Martin (who...
Today we have a conversation about what it means to be underappreciated. Not underrated necessarily. But underappreciated. And, boy, is Don Cheadle underappreciated. The Oscar-nominated actor has been elevating films in supporting roles since the late ‘80s.
Our guest today is Mitchell Beaupre, senior editor at Letterboxd.
Our B-Sides today include: The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Traitor, The Guard, and No Sudden Move. There is also a brief-but-worthwhile tangent on the Scott Caan-directed (!) indie The Dog Problem. Also the Sundance darling Manic from the early 2000s.
We discuss Cheadle’s incredible ability to listen as an actor. There may not be a better active listener working today. We offer some context into legend Steve Martin (who...
- 3/21/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
On March 20, 2024, Apple TV+ premiered “Palm Royale,” a star-studded new comedy series with Kristen Wiig playing an ambitious woman scheming to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society circa 1969. Reviews are mixed (it’s currently at 60% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), but viewers are sure to enjoy the ensemble cast that includes Carol Burnett, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Josh Lucas and Ricky Martin (to name a few!).
“Palm Royale” was created by Abe Sylvia (“George & Tammy”) and is based on the 2018 novel “Mr. & Mrs. American Pie” by Juliet McDaniel. The 10-episode series kicks off with “Maxing Goes to Palm Beach,” written by Sylvia and directed by Tate Taylor. Read our full review round-up below.
See Kristen Wiig attempts to break into high society in Apple TV+’s stylish ‘Palm Royale’ trailer
Judy Berman of Time Magazine notes, “The self-aware soap is an increasingly popular format,...
“Palm Royale” was created by Abe Sylvia (“George & Tammy”) and is based on the 2018 novel “Mr. & Mrs. American Pie” by Juliet McDaniel. The 10-episode series kicks off with “Maxing Goes to Palm Beach,” written by Sylvia and directed by Tate Taylor. Read our full review round-up below.
See Kristen Wiig attempts to break into high society in Apple TV+’s stylish ‘Palm Royale’ trailer
Judy Berman of Time Magazine notes, “The self-aware soap is an increasingly popular format,...
- 3/20/2024
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
As the social and political turmoil of 1960s America spilled into the 1970s, network television executives and producers knew they could no longer ignore the thorny issues being argued over kitchen tables and at work/school. The Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Equal Rights Amendment, etc. were driving a wedge between families and neighbors. So when Norman Lear trotted out the unrepentant bigot Archie Bunker on "All in the Family" in 1971, many people in the country felt seen. And while they might not agree on the hot-button topics explored on this show, they could at least laugh through their many disagreements.
There came a point, however (somewhere between President Richard M. Nixon's resignation and the end of the Vietnam War), where television viewers grew weary of all these socially conscious sitcoms. Yes, they were still watching them in huge numbers, but they needed a break from the nonstop tumult of their lives.
There came a point, however (somewhere between President Richard M. Nixon's resignation and the end of the Vietnam War), where television viewers grew weary of all these socially conscious sitcoms. Yes, they were still watching them in huge numbers, but they needed a break from the nonstop tumult of their lives.
- 3/17/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Warning: this post will contain spoilers for Zack Snyder's "Watchmen."
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' 1986 comic book classic "Watchmen" takes place in the then-present but also in a parallel universe wherein Richard Nixon is still president in the '80s. "Watchmen" took its cues from the superhero comics of the late 1930s while extrapolating history forward, asking what the world would look like if such fantastical beings actually came to be at that time. Naturally, conflicts like the Vietnam War would have ended differently, technology would have advanced by leaps and bounds ... and corruption would've still run rampant. Nixon, thanks to the positive outcome of the Vietnam War, was able to stay in office by repealing term limits. By 1977, however, public opinion had turned against super-vigilantes, and their existence was banned.
Moore and Gibbons were clearly making a comment on the rampant Reagan/Thatcher conservatism that was rolling high in the U.
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' 1986 comic book classic "Watchmen" takes place in the then-present but also in a parallel universe wherein Richard Nixon is still president in the '80s. "Watchmen" took its cues from the superhero comics of the late 1930s while extrapolating history forward, asking what the world would look like if such fantastical beings actually came to be at that time. Naturally, conflicts like the Vietnam War would have ended differently, technology would have advanced by leaps and bounds ... and corruption would've still run rampant. Nixon, thanks to the positive outcome of the Vietnam War, was able to stay in office by repealing term limits. By 1977, however, public opinion had turned against super-vigilantes, and their existence was banned.
Moore and Gibbons were clearly making a comment on the rampant Reagan/Thatcher conservatism that was rolling high in the U.
- 3/17/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Max’s political dramedy The Girls on the Bus is less about the commonly depicted cutthroat world of politics and more about the unique friendships that can be cultivated in such a high-pressure environment along the way.
The series, based on journalist Amy Chozick’s 2018 memoir Chasing Hillary, follows four female journalists — played by Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina Elmore and Natasha Behnam— as they cover the successes and scandals of the presidential primary while on the campaign trail. Though each of the women come from different backgrounds and harbors different opinions from each other on controversial topics and are sometimes in direct competition with each other, they nevertheless find themselves foraging a bond during their travels.
The title of the series, which comes from a singular chapter in Chozick’s book, is a nod to Timothy Crouse’s 1973 book, The Boys on the Bus, which detailed life on the...
The series, based on journalist Amy Chozick’s 2018 memoir Chasing Hillary, follows four female journalists — played by Melissa Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina Elmore and Natasha Behnam— as they cover the successes and scandals of the presidential primary while on the campaign trail. Though each of the women come from different backgrounds and harbors different opinions from each other on controversial topics and are sometimes in direct competition with each other, they nevertheless find themselves foraging a bond during their travels.
The title of the series, which comes from a singular chapter in Chozick’s book, is a nod to Timothy Crouse’s 1973 book, The Boys on the Bus, which detailed life on the...
- 3/15/2024
- by Destiny Jackson
- Deadline Film + TV
Many may not know the name Shirley Chisholm, but it is not for lack of Hollywood trying to keep her flame alive. The seven-term Brooklyn congresswoman, who became the first African American woman elected to Congress when she won in 1968, also became the first woman and first African American to seek the nomination for President of either major party when she ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972. She defined the word “trailblazer” and her story is indeed inspiring, if also frustrating for all the obstacles she had to overcome in a male-dominated business of governing. Uzo Aduba won an Emmy for her supporting role as Chisholm the 2020 limited series Mrs. America, even as the series itself was focused on conservative gadfly Phyllis Schaffly played by Cate Blanchett. That series touched on the 1972 campaign and thus Chisholm as well, but now, after 15 years of trying, Regina King has realized a longtime...
- 3/15/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Elvis Presley‘s Graceland is on the National Register of Historic Places and was named a National Historic Landmark. It is a must-see for music fans who travel to Memphis, Tennessee, to view items which are part of the King of Rock and Roll’s legacy. However, it was also where a sitting United States president and Japan’s prime minister unleashed their inner rock stars, to the delight of Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie and his ex-wife Priscilla Presley.
Graceland has only hosted 1 sitting U.S. president
In 2006, United States President George W. Bush visited Elvis Presley’s Graceland home. He was the first sitting president to do so.
However, the visit wasn’t directly for President Bush and his wife, Laura. The visit was for the benefit of Japan’s prime minister.
The visit was a going-away present for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Bush knew of Koizumi’s love of Presley’s music,...
Graceland has only hosted 1 sitting U.S. president
In 2006, United States President George W. Bush visited Elvis Presley’s Graceland home. He was the first sitting president to do so.
However, the visit wasn’t directly for President Bush and his wife, Laura. The visit was for the benefit of Japan’s prime minister.
The visit was a going-away present for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Bush knew of Koizumi’s love of Presley’s music,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Political candidate and former newspaper reporter Derek Myers appears in an undated headshot provided by his campaign. (Courtesy photo)
A former newspaper reporter and Congressional aide-turned-politician is suing an Ohio newspaper over a featured news article that he characterized as defamatory.
The suit, filed by Derek Myers, comes several days after the Cincinnati Enquirer and some of its co-owned local newspapers published an article written by journalists Scott Wartman and Amber Hunt that detailed some of his prior arrests.
The story published earlier this week claimed that Myers “has been either a plaintiff or a defendant in multiple civil and criminal cases” covering a wide range of accusations, from illegal wiretapping to assault and disorderly conduct.
The wiretapping case was widely reported on when it occurred nearly two years ago. In that incident, Myers was accused of recording audio of a murder trial he attended as a reporter for the Scotio Valley Guardian newspaper.
A former newspaper reporter and Congressional aide-turned-politician is suing an Ohio newspaper over a featured news article that he characterized as defamatory.
The suit, filed by Derek Myers, comes several days after the Cincinnati Enquirer and some of its co-owned local newspapers published an article written by journalists Scott Wartman and Amber Hunt that detailed some of his prior arrests.
The story published earlier this week claimed that Myers “has been either a plaintiff or a defendant in multiple civil and criminal cases” covering a wide range of accusations, from illegal wiretapping to assault and disorderly conduct.
The wiretapping case was widely reported on when it occurred nearly two years ago. In that incident, Myers was accused of recording audio of a murder trial he attended as a reporter for the Scotio Valley Guardian newspaper.
- 3/15/2024
- by Matthew Keys
- The Desk
The premise of "Air Force One" — President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) foils terrorists who hijack his plane, John McClane-style — requires national unity. The film calls for you to root for the president and only works if the majority of the audience (i.e. the U.S. population) sees their president as an unimpeachable good guy (pun intended). That is simply not the reality of America of 2024. "Air Force One" screenwriter Andrew Marlowe spoke to Syfy recently about why, to use the cliché, the film couldn't be made today.
"When we were doing it, the presidency and that position was not as politically charged as it is today. And so, I think that there are specific challenges about doing it in the contemporary climate that we would have to figure out."
Marlowe adds he'd only be interested in a follow-up if it reflected the world as is now: "Are we saying something new?...
"When we were doing it, the presidency and that position was not as politically charged as it is today. And so, I think that there are specific challenges about doing it in the contemporary climate that we would have to figure out."
Marlowe adds he'd only be interested in a follow-up if it reflected the world as is now: "Are we saying something new?...
- 3/7/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise was a big gamble, for he did not believe the first movie would ever make it. Yet now, the franchise is one of the biggest and most successful cinematic universes of all time and even made Lucas over $10 billion rich at one point.
George Lucas (Photo Credit: Late Night with Conan O’Brien)
While the filmmaker, like any other auteur, had numerous inspirations from his own life and reality, he took one US President as his sole inspiration to create one of the most deadly and scary Star Wars villains. In the oral history of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Lucas revealed that the Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine was actually inspired by none other than former US President Richard Nixon.
George Lucas Reveals Emperor Palpatine Was Inspired By Richard Nixon
Clive Revill as Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back
Former US President Richard...
George Lucas (Photo Credit: Late Night with Conan O’Brien)
While the filmmaker, like any other auteur, had numerous inspirations from his own life and reality, he took one US President as his sole inspiration to create one of the most deadly and scary Star Wars villains. In the oral history of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Lucas revealed that the Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine was actually inspired by none other than former US President Richard Nixon.
George Lucas Reveals Emperor Palpatine Was Inspired By Richard Nixon
Clive Revill as Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back
Former US President Richard...
- 3/5/2024
- by Maria Sultan
- FandomWire
The Conservative Political Action Committee has returned to D.C. this week for its annual conference, and it’s serving up heaping platters of lazy, hateful political commentary to conservative voters.
On Thursday, the conference hosted a panel titled “Cat Fight? Michelle vs. Kamala.” The event featured white conservative commentators teeing off on former First Lady Michelle Obama and current Vice President Kamala Harris for half an hour — offering plenty of commentary on the two women’s race, gender, and their fantasies, or nightmares, that one of them might replace...
On Thursday, the conference hosted a panel titled “Cat Fight? Michelle vs. Kamala.” The event featured white conservative commentators teeing off on former First Lady Michelle Obama and current Vice President Kamala Harris for half an hour — offering plenty of commentary on the two women’s race, gender, and their fantasies, or nightmares, that one of them might replace...
- 2/22/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
One of Elvis Presley’s good friends was Welsh singer Tom Jones. The two singers met in the 1960s and began spending time together. Though Elvis was fond of Jones, he reportedly could be relatively unpleasant to him. According to Elvis’ bodyguard, Sonny West, the “Heartbreak Hotel” singer often put Jones down in order to make himself seem better.
Elvis could be unkind to Tom Jones
While on vacation in Hawaii with Priscilla Presley, Elvis met Jones. The two singers quickly hit it off and continued to spend time together after the vacation ended. Still, Elvis’ bodyguard said he liked to be the most important person in the room, which caused him to put down Jones.
“We used to see a lot of Tom Jones in Las Vegas and he was a real gentleman,” West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “We would go to his...
Elvis could be unkind to Tom Jones
While on vacation in Hawaii with Priscilla Presley, Elvis met Jones. The two singers quickly hit it off and continued to spend time together after the vacation ended. Still, Elvis’ bodyguard said he liked to be the most important person in the room, which caused him to put down Jones.
“We used to see a lot of Tom Jones in Las Vegas and he was a real gentleman,” West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “We would go to his...
- 2/22/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Voice actor Billy West plays several of the lead characters on Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's 31st-century sitcom "Futurama." His voice for Fry, he has said, is essentially how he sounded when he was in his 20s. He also voices the elderly Professor Farnsworth, the incompetent lobster Dr. Zoidberg, the blow-hard Shatnerian space captain Zapp Brannigan, and the severed head of Richard Nixon. He's also played a wide variety of store clerks, alien slugs, terrifying robots, and North Pole elves in his tenure on "Futurama." There is nothing, it seems, he can't do.
It also takes a great deal of professionalism to be so silly. Voice actors, especially prolific ones, have to recall how dozens of characters sound in a split second, able to call up whatever voices a scene needs. In West's case, he likely has to have conversations with himself, using two or more unique voices in a single scene.
It also takes a great deal of professionalism to be so silly. Voice actors, especially prolific ones, have to recall how dozens of characters sound in a split second, able to call up whatever voices a scene needs. In West's case, he likely has to have conversations with himself, using two or more unique voices in a single scene.
- 2/15/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Liev Schreiber is backing the documentary Ukrainians in Exile. Janek Ambros’ doc, executive produced by two-time Oscar winner Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List), will go out two days before the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Feb. 24.
Spotlight and Everything Is Illuminated star Schreiber is throwing his support behind the short documentary looking at the refugee crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Schreiber’s charity BlueCheck Ukraine, which the actor set in the wake of the invasion to vet and raise funds for nongovernmental organizations on the ground, is joining with Ambros on the release of the doc, which will go out online Thursday, Feb. 22. The Nation Magazine is bowing the film multiplatform across its website, YouTube and social media accounts. BlueCheck Ukraine will use the release to call on viewers to donate via bluecheck.in. Steven Spielberg’s longtime cinematographer Kaminski (Schindler’s List) is an...
Spotlight and Everything Is Illuminated star Schreiber is throwing his support behind the short documentary looking at the refugee crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Schreiber’s charity BlueCheck Ukraine, which the actor set in the wake of the invasion to vet and raise funds for nongovernmental organizations on the ground, is joining with Ambros on the release of the doc, which will go out online Thursday, Feb. 22. The Nation Magazine is bowing the film multiplatform across its website, YouTube and social media accounts. BlueCheck Ukraine will use the release to call on viewers to donate via bluecheck.in. Steven Spielberg’s longtime cinematographer Kaminski (Schindler’s List) is an...
- 2/15/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent for the White House, leaned heavily on his late uncle’s political legacy with a Super Bowl spot that recreated a vintage TV ad from John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign.
Kennedy Jr., who is the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of JFK, is pursuing a controversial political agenda that includes advocating against vaccines for Covid and other diseases. He is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
The original spot uses rudimentary animation and stop motion edits that blend photos and headline messages such “Vote Kennedy,” “A Time for Greatness” and “Vote Democratic.” Rfk Jr.’s version featured photos of himself where his uncle had been and other adjustments.
The spot aired during the first half of the NFL championship game between the San Francisoco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rfk Jr. distributed the ad via his social media channels.
Kennedy Jr., who is the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of JFK, is pursuing a controversial political agenda that includes advocating against vaccines for Covid and other diseases. He is married to actress Cheryl Hines.
The original spot uses rudimentary animation and stop motion edits that blend photos and headline messages such “Vote Kennedy,” “A Time for Greatness” and “Vote Democratic.” Rfk Jr.’s version featured photos of himself where his uncle had been and other adjustments.
The spot aired during the first half of the NFL championship game between the San Francisoco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rfk Jr. distributed the ad via his social media channels.
- 2/12/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
One of the funniest "Futurama" characters is the newscaster Morbo (voiced by Maurice Lamarche). A green-skinned alien with an enlarged head (a design speculated to be based on the invaders from the 1957 B-movie "Invasion of the Saucer Men"), Morbo is implied to be an advance scout for an invasion of Earth — and does a terrible job hiding it.
In almost every scene he's in, he loudly proclaims his hatred for "puny Earthlings" and intent to conquer them: "All humans are vermin in the eyes of Morbo." His co-host, the cheery Linda (Tress MacNeille), always laughs off Morbo's blatant threats and hatred for humanity. The episode "The Prisoners of Benda" best encapsulates their dynamic with a five-second cold open:
Linda: "Tonight at 11"-
Morbo: "Doooom!"
So, Morbo's character is a pretty one-note joke, but it's a very funny joke. Most of this comes down to his booming voice ("Viewers trust a...
In almost every scene he's in, he loudly proclaims his hatred for "puny Earthlings" and intent to conquer them: "All humans are vermin in the eyes of Morbo." His co-host, the cheery Linda (Tress MacNeille), always laughs off Morbo's blatant threats and hatred for humanity. The episode "The Prisoners of Benda" best encapsulates their dynamic with a five-second cold open:
Linda: "Tonight at 11"-
Morbo: "Doooom!"
So, Morbo's character is a pretty one-note joke, but it's a very funny joke. Most of this comes down to his booming voice ("Viewers trust a...
- 2/3/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Like many of the musicians in his generation, Paul McCartney grew up idolizing Elvis Presley. He listened obsessively to the American singer and took inspiration from his records. When McCartney himself rose to fame with The Beatles, he had the opportunity to meet Elvis. In the years after this, though, his perception of Elvis changed. He shared why he ultimately felt the singer had betrayed him.
Paul McCartney felt Elvis Presley betrayed The Beatles
In 1970, several years after he met The Beatles and months after they had announced their break up, Elvis told Richard Nixon to be cautious about the group. He claimed they had been a “real force for anti-American spirit” (via Vox). He also said they “came to this country, made their money, and then returned to England where they promoted an anti-American theme.”
This was, of course, disappointing for The Beatles. It was a betrayal to know...
Paul McCartney felt Elvis Presley betrayed The Beatles
In 1970, several years after he met The Beatles and months after they had announced their break up, Elvis told Richard Nixon to be cautious about the group. He claimed they had been a “real force for anti-American spirit” (via Vox). He also said they “came to this country, made their money, and then returned to England where they promoted an anti-American theme.”
This was, of course, disappointing for The Beatles. It was a betrayal to know...
- 1/29/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
This month, Donald Trump’s lawyers have argued in a federal appeals court that he, as a former American president, is “absolutely” immune from criminal prosecution, possibly even if he were to order the assassination of his political enemies. But the arguments that Trump’s lawyers are currently litigating in public are just a preview of Trump and his allies’ private plans to dramatically expand presidential immunity, if he defeats Joe Biden in the 2024 election.
According to two sources who have discussed the topic with the ex-president since last year,...
According to two sources who have discussed the topic with the ex-president since last year,...
- 1/29/2024
- by Asawin Suebsaeng and Adam Rawnsley
- Rollingstone.com
On June 17, 1972, thieves acting on behalf of Richard Nixon's presidential campaign broke into the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC, the location of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The group was looking for papers and secrets that would have given Nixon an unfair advantage in the election. Nixon was bafflingly still elected during this kerfuffle and served as president for two more years before enough details about the break-in emerged to warrant his infamous resignation from office. The many, many details of the Watergate scandal have been recorded in innumerable books, documentaries, and Hollywood dramas in the ensuing decades, and Watergate shows are being made to this day; the miniseries "Gaslit" aired in 2022 and "White House Plumbers" in 2023.
The Watergate scandal represented a loss of American innocence for many. It was positive proof that the Republican party was openly corrupt. The scandal was bad enough, but then Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon of all his recorded,...
The Watergate scandal represented a loss of American innocence for many. It was positive proof that the Republican party was openly corrupt. The scandal was bad enough, but then Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon of all his recorded,...
- 1/27/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
After months on political life support, Ron DeSantis has finally put himself — and everyone else — out of his misery and suspended his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination. While the Florida governor ran on a wet dream policy package for extremist, culture war-obsessed conservatives, his campaign simply could not overcome its biggest obstacle: Ron DeSantis himself.
American presidential politics has a storied history of promising candidates tanking over awkward moments and unfortunate gaffes. Jeb Bush begging his audience to “please clap,” Howard Dean’s scream, Richard Nixon looking super sweaty during...
American presidential politics has a storied history of promising candidates tanking over awkward moments and unfortunate gaffes. Jeb Bush begging his audience to “please clap,” Howard Dean’s scream, Richard Nixon looking super sweaty during...
- 1/22/2024
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Henry Kissinger, the late secretary of state under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford whose decisions are linked to millions of deaths around the world, died of congestive heart failure, according to police reports newly obtained by Rolling Stone.
Kissinger died at the age of 100 in his house in Connecticut on Nov. 29. The news was confirmed in a statement from his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, but the statement did not include his cause of death.
According to Greg Grandin, the Yale University historian and author of the 2015 biography Kissinger’s Shadow,...
Kissinger died at the age of 100 in his house in Connecticut on Nov. 29. The news was confirmed in a statement from his consulting firm, Kissinger Associates, but the statement did not include his cause of death.
According to Greg Grandin, the Yale University historian and author of the 2015 biography Kissinger’s Shadow,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Caroline Haskins
- Rollingstone.com
For much of Elvis Presley’s career, he relied on drugs to get him to sleep and keep him awake. He also liked befriending local law enforcement in the cities he visited on tours. These two habits became a problem for him in Denver. Police officers took note of his drug use and encouraged him to seek treatment for it. In response, Elvis fled the city.
Elvis left Denver after police officers spoke to him about his drug use
Elvis visited Denver many times on his tours and befriended several of the city’s detectives. He used his connections with them to seek out a prescription from a police doctor. This backfired on him.
“Anyway, in Denver he had this infection from an ingrown toenail,” former bodyguard Red West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? “Now the police doctor comes along, who is introduced by these two narc cops.
Elvis left Denver after police officers spoke to him about his drug use
Elvis visited Denver many times on his tours and befriended several of the city’s detectives. He used his connections with them to seek out a prescription from a police doctor. This backfired on him.
“Anyway, in Denver he had this infection from an ingrown toenail,” former bodyguard Red West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? “Now the police doctor comes along, who is introduced by these two narc cops.
- 1/10/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Back in September, Enrique Tarrio, the former chairman of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison on “seditious conspiracy” charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, raid of the U.S. Capitol.
According to the Justice Department, the far-right group “played a central role in setting the January 6th attack on our Capitol into motion,” and as its leader, Tarrio created a special group within the militant organization called the Ministry of Self Defense that “established a chain of command, chose a time and place for their attack, and...
According to the Justice Department, the far-right group “played a central role in setting the January 6th attack on our Capitol into motion,” and as its leader, Tarrio created a special group within the militant organization called the Ministry of Self Defense that “established a chain of command, chose a time and place for their attack, and...
- 1/4/2024
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
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