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Twice a year, the style set gathers in Milan to witness gorgeous collections from top Italian labels like Prada, Gucci, and Versace. Year after year, Milan fashion week’s street style attracts almost the same buzz as the runways, thanks to the perfectly dressed attendees. Fashion lovers can always count on street style tastemakers to display this season’s must-have pieces before they go mainstream, which is exactly what happened over the past few days outside the fall/winter 2023 shows. Here’s the 411: the sock game was strong.
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Yes, socks can sometimes be considered more of an after thought when putting together an ensemble, but as the street elite proved, socks of all styles and materials can be be the ultimate outfit makers. For example, some show attendees took daring looks to the next level with strategically-chosen socks, wearing bodysuits with ribbed over-the-knee socks and platform heels. Others opted for classic dress socks to marry the accessory with other key trends of the season, donning cotton socks with unexpected denim separates and micro mini skirts over bike shorts. On the other hand, digital creators like Nataly Osmann kept it simple with ankle socks and Prada slingbacks to highlight the trend functionally and fashionably. We even spotted slouchy mid-calf iterations, proving that there’s a whole variety of socks on the market to amp up any look.
While we saw a bountiful supply of socks on display in Milan, the sock trend isn’t that shocking. Like the ’80s resurgence we’re seeing in dresses and other ready-to-wear garments, socks were also a key trend piece during the decade of decadence. Since then, style stars like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber have replicated those iconic ’80s style moments with modern twists. Legs have become a focus point for stylish outfits as oversized blazers sans pants became fashionable, and the right pair of socks instantly adds an extra element of interest for the eyes. While we’re used to playing with different layering equations above the waist, it’s only natural that the lower half of our outfits get the same attention to detail.
You can fully lean into the “geek chic” look and pair classic knee-high wool socks with platform boots and a midi skirt, or you can play it safe and style above-the-ankle cashmere socks with loafers and a blazer dress. Whichever sock direction you take for winter and spring outfits this year, it’s an easy way to play up your personal style without breaking the bank.
If you want to experiment with this fashionable sock trend, we rounded up some great sock options for the season ahead.
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From Dua Lipa to Christian Louboutin, here all the best moments inside the 2022 FNAAs.
Inside the 2022 Footwear News Achievement Awards
Michael Jordan is synonymous with excellence, and nearly two decades after his career on the basketball court ended, his namesake Nike-backed label continues to thrive. However, the look and feel of Jordan Brand — built off basketball and its highly influential culture — has evolved into an acute focus on the celebration of Black culture and improving conditions for the Black community.
It is pursuing this mission under the leadership of Craig Williams, who assumed the president role in January 2019 as industry legend Larry Miller transitioned to chairman.
Backed by a leadership team of 22 that is 74% persons of color, Williams oversaw the biggest year in Jordan Brand’s history in fiscal 2021, with revenues of $4.7 billion (a 31% increase year-over-year). These gains took place as the company’s investments in the Black community ramped up more than ever.
A key contributor to its success is an ecosystem of collaborators and ambassadors, who are more akin to family than partners and who are shaping the brand’s future.
In an FN exclusive, Williams joined retail mogul James Whitner, design phenom Aleali May and WNBA champion Aerial Powers for a cover shoot and interviews, to discuss the purpose-driven principles behind the influential Jordan Brand.
Photographed by Scrill Davis on Jan. 21 at Cam Kirk Studios in Atlanta. Hair by Shaquan (Shay) Smith. Makeup by Rumana Dashti. Grooming by Anthony Banks.
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
Jordan Brand: The FN Cover Shoot
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Looking for a breezy heist movie that stars Fast X‘s Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez to watch this weekend? You’re in luck because the 2013 thriller Parker is streaming for free on Tubi right now. This probably won’t be the most mind-blowing action film you’ll see this year, but it could be the perfect Sunday afternoon watch if you’re bored.
Parker is a film adaptation of the Donald Westlake (pen name Richard Stark) novel Flashfire. Jason Statham stars as the titular thief, who enlists the help of a real estate agent (Jennifer Lopez) to pull off a heist to get back at his accomplices who double-crossed him. The film is directed by Taylor Hackford and adapted by John J. McLaughlin.
Along with Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, Parker has a solid cast that includes Michael Chiklis, Wendell Pierce, Clifton Collins Jr, Bobby Cannavale, Patti LuPone, Carlos Carrasco, Michah Hauptman, Emma Booth, and Nick Nolte. While Parker is a decent enough film, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Looking at the Rotten Tomatoes score, you can see critics were a bit harsher with an aggregate 41% score compared to the 48% from audiences.
Despite having marquee stars like Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, Parker had a fairly middling performance at the box office. The film managed to gross around $17.6 million domestically and $46.9 million against a budget of $35 million. The film even pushed its release date back due to potential competition from films like Ryan Gosling’s Gangster Squad and Here Comes the Boom.
While Parker is the only film about the character that stars Jason Statham, there are several other films adapted from Parker novels out there. Westlake, the author of the novel series, wouldn’t allow films to be made using the actual Parker name unless the studios planned a whole series of films. Rather than set up a franchise, substitute names were used in place of Parker.
The films that include the Parker character and that adapt the novels include Lee Marvin in Point Blank (based on The Hunter), Michel Constantin in Pillaged (based on The Score), Anna Karina in Made in U.S.A. (partly based on The Jugger), Jim Brown in The Split, Robert Duvall in The Outfit, Peter Coyote in Slayground, and Mel Gibson in Payback. Interestingly, the Parker with Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez was the first movie where they actually could use the Parker name. This is because Westlake’s widow sold screen rights for the Flashfire novel to Les Alexander after Westlake’s death, with the caveat that the name could be used if there were options for future adaptations if the film was successful.
While the Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez Parker never really took off, we do have an update on the franchise all of these years later. Shane Black is set to develop a series of movie and TV projects for Amazon Studios based on the Westlake novels. The first film in the deal is reportedly Play Dirty and will star Robert Downey Jr in the Parker role.
While we wait to see Parker return to the big screen, you might as well check out the 2013 adaptation. While the Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez version probably won’t be as good as the upcoming RDJ film, it’s still the most recent adaptation we have. Stay tuned for more news on the upcoming Parker film.
The post Jason Statham & Jennifer Lopez Team Up For Hard-Hitting Action Movie You Can Stream Free Right Now appeared first on GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT.
GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT
We’re sure that at some point in your life, you’ve once heard the phrase “you can’t win ’em all,” and we wanted to let you know that Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have probably heard something similar after the release of Babylon. According to FlixPatrol, the movie sits pretty as the most streamed movie on Paramount+, despite it bombing with a 65 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. While most stars put out a clunker or two, this seems to be par for the course for the Suicide Squad star.
On Twitter, the bashing seems relentless. User Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) says that it’s a matter of following the pattern, stating “her last movie, Amsterdam, also bombed,” that Margot Robbie was the only featured star on the Babylon poster, and has yet to carry a lead role in any box office hit. Randolph wraps up the check list by stating “a pattern is developing for her, and not with Pitt or Chazelle.”
Twitter user Dean Hacker (@dhacker615) piggybacks off of Randolph’s criticism, stating that Birds of Prey was also a flop, and adds “I like Margot Robbie a lot, but Hollywood doesn’t really know how to make movie stars anymore.” Even though the actress was the breakout character in The Suicide Squad, we’re wondering if it’s simply a matter of Robbie taking on the wrong roles at this point in her career, or if she can only truly shine in a supporting role. While The Suicide Squad quickly became one of the most streamed DCEU films on HBO Max, it failed to bring back its budget in box office revenue.
Babylon is a period piece that takes place in 1920s Hollywood. The plot follows the waning careers of silent movie stars grasping at the last straws of relevancy as the film industry is moving onto bigger and better things in the form of movies with sound (otherwise known as “talkies”). Given how poorly this film was received, it’s safe to say that Margot Robbie may feel like her career is on a similar trajectory to her character Nellie LaRoy.
So what’s going on here? Is it that Margot Robbie is taking on roles that don’t fit her skill-set, or is it the entire production that is to blame for Babylon‘s lackluster performance at the worldwide box office? We’ve seen the 32-year-old Australian star’s drive, talent, and charisma manifest in the form of supporting roles in films such as The Wolf of Wall Street, and she’s certainly cut her teeth on some lead roles like her Oscar-nominated performance in I, Tonya.
Maybe it’s just a matter of Margot Robbie being at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Robbie has proven to us that she has serious acting chops, and takes her work seriously. Given the right script and direction, we know she’s still got a chance to make a lasting impression. Let’s just hope that her next role puts her on a higher level and that the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood co-star sees a string of good luck in the future.
Jason Statham is killing it on Paramount+. According to FlixPatrol, Wrath of Man, Statham’s fourth collaboration with director Guy Ritchie, hit the number seven spot on the streamer, marking a resurgence for the 2021 film. Wrath of Man opened to mid-range reviews and more than $100 million at the box office, but its new life on streaming is turning the Fast X star’s film into a cult hit.
Wrath of Man follows Jason Statham as H, a new recruit for an armored car security outfit. When H’s truck is stopped for a heist, he baffles his colleagues with ruthless, expert marksmanship that eliminates the entire team of thieves. What follows is a complex unraveling of mystery and payback as Statham presses forward on a vengeful mission.
Director Guy Ritchie has been pumping movies out steadily for years. Best known for films like 2000’s Snatch and 2009’s Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, Ritchie is also responsible for recent hits like the Matthew McConaughey-led The Gentlemen and Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. The director’s next film reunites him with Jason Statham once again.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre releases in theaters this Friday. The action/comedy film stars Jason Statham as a special agent who enlists a movie star for an undercover mission to thwart a high-stakes arms deal. Operation Fortune teams Jason Statham with co-stars Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, and Hugh Grant.
And that’s just the beginning for Jason Statham in 2023. The action icon is also set to reprise several roles in a slew of sequels. Statham will return as Deckard Shaw in the climactic Fast X before descending to the depths of the ocean in The Meg 2: The Trench. The actor will top the year off with the action extravaganza The Expendables 4.
Jason Statham is also hard at work on David Ayer’s The Beekeeper, Paul Feig’s Spy 2, and the crime drama series Viva La Madness. Statham has amassed an impressive list of credits since his 1998 debut in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He has headed original action hits like Crank and The Mechanic, blasted through franchises like The Transporter and the Fast Saga, and has even dabbled in comedy alongside Melissa McCarthy in 2015’s Spy.
Before Jason Statham was a movie star, he was a professional diver on the British National Diving Team. He also worked as a fashion model before eventually finding his way to the movies, where he established himself as one of the most prolific and respected action stars in the industry. His charisma, believability, and action prowess have turned many mediocre action titles into hits.
Throughout his career, Tom Cruise has been attached to various scripts. For example, he almost appeared in The Notebook alongside Britney Spears. As we'll reveal in the following, there are other parts Cruise was up for, including Johnny Depp's role in Edward Scissorhands.
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In the following, we'll take a look at roles Tom Cruise was considered for, and the biggest project he ended up turning down. Cruise was attached to the MCU for this particular role, but it wasn't meant to be. We're going to reveal what went down behind the scenes, and who got cast in the role instead. It seems like things worked out they way they should have.
It Was Far From The Only Time Tom Cruise Rejected A Major Project
Throughout his career, Tom Cruise has been forced to turn down many memorable scripts. Either he didn't like them creatively, or there was a scheduling issue. Among the list includes The Shawshank Redemption, Footloose and A Beautiful Mind.
Cruise was also in the conversation for Edward Scissorhands, but it seems like he might've asked one too many questions creatively for the part.
Caroline Thompson who did the Screenplay spoke out about her interaction with Cruise.
“(Cruise) wanted to know how Edward went to the bathroom,” says Thompson, “he was asking the kind of questions about the character that can’t be asked for this character!"
"Part of the delicacy of the story was not answering questions like, ‘How does he go to the bathroom? How did he live without eating all those years?’ Tom Cruise was certainly unwilling to be in the movie without those questions being answered.”
It wouldn't be the last memorable project Cruise turned down. Perhaps the biggest of his career came alongside the MCU, turning down a major role.
Tom Cruise Was Offered Iron Man But Turned It Down Given That It Didn't Feel Right Creatively
Iron Man became a monster for the MCU. At the box office, the first film brought in $585 million, while the sequel and third film made $629 million and $1.2 billion.
Cruise could've been at the center of this type of revenue, however, he decided against it. Here's why Cruise turned down the role:
“[Marvel Studios] came to me at a certain time and, when I do something, I wanna do it right. If I commit to something, it has to be done in a way that I know it’s gonna be something special. And as it was lining up, it just didn’t feel to me like it was gonna work. I need to be able to make decisions and make the film as great as it can be, it just didn’t go down that road that way.”
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Aubrey Plaza, who gained fame from her "Parks and Recreation" role, has been in over 30 films.
Critics loved movies like "Emily the Criminal" (2022) and "Safety Not Guaranteed" (2012).
Some of her lowest-rated films include "Dirty Grandpa" (2016) and "Playing It Cool" (2014).
She was Jeanine in "Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You" (2011).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 9%
Summary: Lonely teenager James Sveck (Toby Regbo) tries to navigate early adulthood with an open heart. In the drama, Plaza had a minor role as Jeanine Breemer.
Though critics thought the cast tried to elevate the material, the indie film received poor reviews.
"The actors work overtime to make this would-be sensitive study of troubled youth work, but are undone by the windy triteness of the script," David Noh wrote in a review for Film Journal International.
In "Dirty Grandpa" (2016), Plaza played Lenore.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%
Summary: A recently widowed grandfather (Robert De Niro) tricks his corporate lawyer grandson, Jason Kelly (Zac Efron), into going to Florida for a wild spring break. Plaza played Lenore, a friend of Shadia's (Zoey Deutch).
The comedy was panned across the board, but several critics pointed to Plaza's performance as a highlight of the film.
"There is one saving grace in Aubrey Plaza, of 'Parks and Recreation' fame, who plays an incorrigible flirt," Alison Rowat wrote for The Herald. "Otherwise, cold showers all round."
She appeared as Mallory in "Playing It Cool" (2014).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%
Summary: In "Playing It Cool," Los Angeles screenwriter Me (Chris Evans) meets Elle (Michelle Monaghan) and falls in love for the first time. Plaza appeared as Me's friend, Mallory.
Critics agreed that the film lacked substance despite posturing as a subversive romantic comedy.
"There's nothing clever or subversive about 'Playing It Cool,' which makes the film's overt self-satisfaction exponentially more infuriating," Charles Bramesco wrote in a review for The Dissolve.
In "A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III" (2012), she played Marnie.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%
Summary: When the girl of his dreams walks out on him, graphic designer Charles Swan III (Charlie Sheen) slips from one fever dream to the next as his heart reels from the breakup. Plaza played Marnie in the comedic drama.
Overall, critics were less than impressed by the fantastical film.
"The what-the-heck-was-that? novelty wears off with astonishing speed once it sinks in that none of this is going anywhere," Eric D. Snider wrote for About.com.
She voiced Grumpy Cat in "Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever" (2014).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%
Summary: When a little girl named Crystal (Megan Charpentier) visits a pet store and hears Grumpy Cat (voiced by Plaza) speak, the two become fast friends and holiday hijinks ensue.
Critics were charmed by Plaza's central performance but felt the film lacked the magic of a lasting Christmas favorite.
HitFix critic Alan Sepinwall wrote the film had some funny lines "but is mostly trying to do what it can within the limitations of its budget, its network, and its leading feline."
She was Ashley in "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman" (2013).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%
Summary: American tourist Charlie Countryman (Shia LaBeouf) traveling in Romania falls for the wife (Evan Rachel Wood) of a mobster (Mads Mikkelsen). Plaza had a brief role as Ashley in the crime drama.
Critics thought the film came across as more trashy than innovative.
"There's quirky, and then there's straight-up annoying," Adam Woodward wrote in a review for Little White Lies.
The actress was Kelly in "Addicted to Fresno" (2015).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%
Summary: After Shannon (Judy Greer) moves to Fresno to live with her sister Martha (Natasha Lyonne), both panic when they accidentally kill a hotel guest at work. Plaza played Martha's friend, Kelly, in the dark comedy.
Critics praised the ensemble cast, which also included Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, and Kumail Nanjiani, but thought the movie itself missed the mark.
"The sisterly bond at the center winds up resonating the most, but it seems problematic when the most memorable parts of a comedy are the unfunny parts," C.J. Prince wrote for Way Too Indie.
Plaza was Tatiana in "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" (2016).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 38%
Summary: Brothers Mike (Adam DeVine) and Dave Stangle (Efron) pick seemingly sweet Alice (Anna Kendrick) and Tatiana (Plaza) as dates to their sister's wedding but the two girls turn out to be more than they bargained for.
The comedy divided critics but the lead actresses earned the lion's share of critical praise.
"Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick truly stole the show with their bad-girl jokes and antics," Sharronda Williams wrote in a review for Pay or Wait.
She starred as Beth in "Life After Beth" (2014).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%
Summary: When Zach's (Dane DeHaan) girlfriend, Beth (Plaza), dies in a tragic accident, she rises from the dead and continues to live with her parents (Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly).
Critics were split on their consensus of the film, as some felt like the zombie flick was a little underdeveloped.
"A charming cast and a few moments of inspired lunacy make it passingly worthwhile for genre fans," Richard Haridy wrote for Quickflix.
In "About Alex" (2014), she played Sarah.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%
Summary: When Alex (Jason Ritter) attempts to die by suicide, old friends Sarah (Plaza), Kate (Jane Levy), Josh (Max Greenfield), and more reunite for a long weekend to repair their estranged relationships.
A strong cast and well-intentioned script weren't enough to please every critic.
"But as good as the performances are, by the end of the film the story descends into melodrama which underscores the overall unoriginality of the script," wrote critic Richard Crouse.
She played Kat in "Spin Me Round" (2022).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
Summary: Restaurant manager Amber (Alison Brie) is ecstatic when she's chosen for an all-expense paid cooking program in Italy but she soon realizes the trip is more dangerous than she thought. Plaza played an assistant, Kat.
Critics generally agreed that "Spin Me Round" had an interesting premise and a game cast but the final result was less than satisfactory.
"Alison Brie and the cast are fantastic, but the story veers unsuccessfully from light to dark to silly," Richard Roeper wrote in a review for Chicago Sun-Times.
In "Best Sellers" (2021), Plaza played Lucy Stanbridge.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
Summary: After inheriting her father's publishing house, Lucy Stanbridge (Plaza) butts heads with washed-up novelist Harris Shaw (Michael Caine) as he tries to dodge his writing deadline.
Many critics wrote thought the comedic drama was overly predictable but others saw redeeming qualities in Plaza's performance.
"Though the pairing of Caine and Plaza is a highly unlikely one, there is a definite chemistry there that has you wishing they were in a slightly better movie than this," Leigh Paatsch wrote for the Herald Sun.
She was Lulu Danger in "An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn" (2018).
Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
Summary: Waitress Lulu Danger (Plaza) gets swept up in a minor crime gone awry during the same weekend an old flame, Beverly Luff Linn (Craig Robinson), comes to town to perform.
Critics were largely split on their consensus of the off-beat comedy, though many thought it had originality.
"At nearly two hours, 'An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn' grossly overstays its welcome, but the Hail Mary ending proves it to be a rather sweet and tender story about love lost and found in the unlikeliest of places," Katie Walsh wrote in a review for the Los Angeles Times.
20th Century Studios has announced new plot details, cast additions and production status for the latest “Alien” film.
While the premise for the yet-to-be-titled movie has been kept under wraps, the studio did reveal that the film will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
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Those who will be faced with the terrifying forms are David Jonsson (“Industry”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“Rosaline”), Spike Fearn (“The Batman”) and Aileen Wu (“Away from Home”), all of whom will join the previously announced lead, Cailee Spaeny (“Mare of Easttown”).
In addition to the cast announcement, 20th Century Studios announced that the ninth film in the franchise will begin production on March 9 in Budapest.
Fede Alvarez, serves as the director, screenwriter and producer, following his direction of horror films, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” “Don’t Breathe” and the “Evil Dead” remake. Under the Scott Free banner, original “Alien” director, Ridley Scott serves as an executive producer with Michael Pruss (“Our Friend”). Scott and Pruss are joined by producers Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), Elizabeth Cantillon (“Persuasion”) and Tom Moran (“The Donut King”).
The untitled project joins the prequel series, which first premiered in 2012, with “Prometheus,” followed by “Alien: Covenant.” The prequel series is the latest iteration, and follows the original series which began in 1979, with “Alien,” followed by “Aliens,” “Alien 3,” “Alien Resurrection,” and then the crossover series which began in 2004, with “Alien vs. Predator” and “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.”
While the production date has been announced for next week, the untitled project has yet to set a premiere date.
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20th Century Studios has announced new plot details, cast additions and production status for the latest “Alien” film.
While the premise for the yet-to-be-titled movie has been kept under wraps, the studio did reveal that the film will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Those who will be faced with the terrifying forms are David Jonsson (“Industry”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“Rosaline”), Spike Fearn (“The Batman”) and Aileen Wu (“Away from Home”), all of whom will join the previously announced lead, Cailee Spaeny (“Mare of Easttown”).
In addition to the cast announcement, 20th Century Studios announced that the ninth film in the franchise will begin production on March 9 in Budapest.
Fede Alvarez, serves as the director, screenwriter and producer, following his direction of horror films, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” “Don’t Breathe” and the “Evil Dead” remake. Under the Scott Free banner, original “Alien” director, Ridley Scott serves as an executive producer with Michael Pruss (“Our Friend”). Scott and Pruss are joined by producers Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), Elizabeth Cantillon (“Persuasion”) and Tom Moran (“The Donut King”).
The untitled project joins the prequel series, which first premiered in 2012, with “Prometheus,” followed by “Alien: Covenant.” The prequel series is the latest iteration, and follows the original series which began in 1979, with “Alien,” followed by “Aliens,” “Alien 3,” “Alien Resurrection,” and then the crossover series which began in 2004, with “Alien vs. Predator” and “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.”
While the production date has been announced for next week, the untitled project has yet to set a premiere date.
Emma Stone got really into character while working with Willem Dafoe — on his insistence!
The actors and Yorgos Lanthimos, who directed Stone and Dafoe in his upcoming movie And, opened up about the process in a Dafoe profile for The New York Times published Thursday.
According the Times, there's a scene in the film where Stone, 34, slaps Dafoe, 67, in the face off-camera — but Dafoe had his costar slap him in real life around 20 times to help make the action look more believable.
Stone also gave some complimentary insight into the type of actor the latter is in her comments to the Times.
"There's this instinct to perform that many actors have — the 'Look at me, look at me!' kind of performer," said the Oscar winner of Dafoe. "He's the opposite of that."
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RELATED: Look Back at Willem Dafoe's Most Memorable Roles Ahead of His Saturday Night Live Debut
Plot details about And are still being kept under wraps, but it was reported back in October 2022 that the film — which has finished shooting in New Orleans, according to the Times — would also star Jesse Plemons, Joe Alwyn, Margaret Qualley and Hong Chau.
Lanthimos, Stone and Alwyn, 32, previously collaborated on the 2018 film The Favourite, which was nominated for 10 Oscars. Olivia Colman won Best Actress for her performance as Queen Anne, while Stone and Rachel Weisz both earned Best Supporting Actress nominations.
"We are so excited to be collaborating with Joe once again after our extraordinary journey together on The Favourite," Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum, presidents of Searchlight Pictures, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "He is a brilliant actor and a welcome addition to the all-star cast Yorgos has put together here."
Lanthimos' past films include 2015's The Lobster and 2017's The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The Greek writer-director's next feature film, Poor Things, is expected to release in 2023 and stars Stone, Dafoe and Qualley, 28, plus, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef and comedian Jerrod Carmichael.
RELATED VIDEO: Emma Stone Reveals Her Favorite Movie Moment of All Time
Following his villainous return to the Spider-Man franchise as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Dafoe graced the Saturday Night Live stage for the first time as host in January 2022.
In his opening monologue, Dafoe joked about his roles throughout the years, responding to criticism that his acting is "over the top."
"I can't help that I have an expressive face," he explained. "I can't control it. I don't think about controlling it. I'm not one of those subtle actors like Nicolas Cage or Al Pacino."
The Nightmare Alley star added, "Maybe that's why people come up to me and say, 'You know what role you'd be perfect for? The Joker.' It's always nice to hear that you got the vibe of a sociopath."
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Is there anything in film quite as dramatic as watching two gladiator-quality athletes throw a truly epic beatdown on each other in the ring, especially when the stakes—professional, emotional, even existential—are sky high? A powerfully choreographed and tightly edited screen fight has worked durably through the history of cinema, from 1931’s The Champ right up to the modern-day Creed films.
We’re leaning hard into classic movie confrontations in the ring and beyond here, featuring all-too-mortal combatants (no soaring wuxia warriors, superheroes, or spies on this list). Whether these brawlers are pummeling a competitor with brutal jabs, hooks and uppercuts, leveling opponents with roundhouse kicks or grappling a foe to the mat, they’ve all made us feel their triumphs and their tragedies. Here then, in alphabetical order, are some of the screen’s most brilliant and bruising matches.
Metallica frontman James Hetfield will step outside of his wheelhouse to act in the upcoming Western thriller, The Thicket, according to Deadline. Based on Joe R. Lansdale’s like-titled book, the film also stars Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Juliette Lewis. Hetfield’s role has not yet been revealed. Filming has begun in Calgary, Canada.
The film, which Tubi is producing, focuses on a kidnapping in West Texas. When a killer known as Cut Throat Bill (Lewis) abducts a girl, her brother hires a bounty hunter named Reginald Jones (Dinklage) to track her down. He soon finds himself leading a group of misfits who accompany him on his journey. Leon Hawke (The Crowded Room) plays the brother, while Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna) plays his sister.
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“I’m so very excited to bring Joe Lansdale’s riveting story to the screen,” Dinklage said, according to Deadline. “A journey into the heart of darkness to find love and return it to its rightful place.”
Elliot Lester (Nightingale) will direct the picture, which features a script by playwright Christopher Kelly. No projected release date is currently available.
A few years back, Hetfield appeared as a cop in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost) directed; that film starred Zac Efron and Lily Collins. He’s also voiced characters in Netflix’s Skylanders Academy and other cartoons, and he has played a fictionalized version of himself, alongside his Metallica bandmates, on Billions. In 2014, Hetfield narrated the History Channel series The Hunt about bears.
“James Hetfield, to his credit, and absolutely nailed the part, he just crushed it,” Efron told talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel of the singer’s work in Extremely Wicked, according to Blabbermouth. “It’s like he’s been acting his own life. He had no fear. He did a great job. I was ready to maybe give James Hetfield [an acting] tip, but he didn’t ask for a single one. James Hetfield is the s***.”
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Following 1995's GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan starred in his second James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies two years later. This time around 007 would team up with Chinese agent Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh who is Oscar-nominated for her performance this year in Everything Everywhere All At Once. The 60-year-old Malaysian actress has gone on to star in some big Western movies, although right after Bond it was really difficult for her.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Yeoh said: "The first movie I did after I came to America was Tomorrow Never Dies with Pierce Brosnan. James Bond at that point had only been known as macho, and the girls were just the ones with cutesy names."
The Malaysian star turned the idea of the submissive Bond girl on its head by not only saving 007's life but also pushing away his sexual advances. After impressing audiences and Hollywood, the offers began coming in, but they weren't quite what she was hoping for.
READ MORE: Sean Connery was 'furious' on 007 set right before quitting James Bond
Yeoh continued: "At that point, people in the industry couldn't really tell the difference between whether I was Chinese or Japanese or Korean or if I even spoke English. They would talk very loudly and very slow. I didn't work for almost two years, until Crouching Tiger, [Hidden Dragon] simply because I could not agree with the stereotypical roles that were put forward to me."
Her role in the latter would earn her first Best Actress BAFTA nomination, which was followed this year for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
If anyone knows me, they know I like horror. Like, a lot of horror. I’m pretty much a horror freak at this point.
I was raised on it with the Halloween movies and that only started to translate into me loving more and more franchises as time has gone on. From admiring the kills in the Nightmare on Elm Street series or saying how Scream is honestly one of the best horror movie series out there, I’ve watched so many of the best horror movies. But you want to know what movies I never watched? The Terrifier ones.
That’s right, I’m talking about Terrifier, Terrifier 2 and its spiritual predecessor, All Hallows’ Eve. To be honest, I had never even heard of them for the longest time, because they were smaller films, but after 2022, I decided to give them a try.
And oh boy, do I have thoughts. Let’s get into it.
Wow, Yeah, These Movies Are Gross As Hell
So, yeah, these movies are disgusting.
As I’ve said before, I’ve seen a lot of horror movies – which means I’ve seen some pretty gross ones, ones that are bloody and have some really graphic scenes. I’ve seen the Saw movies once or twice (never again). I’ve seen some terrifying scenes in the Ari Aster horror films, and I’ve been practically raised in the slasher genre of horror.
The Terrifier movies take slasher to different levels throughout the whole entire franchise. And I mean that in literally the best way. It’s almost refreshing.
A lot of the newer horror movies that I have seen have really focused on terrifying the audience mentally. Where you think you saw something in the corner of the frame but it was really just a lamp, or there’s a looming figure in the background that you only see for the first time on your second watch.
But there’s just something so refreshing about seeing a movie be just so unapologetically bloody and disgusting. It knows exactly what it is and I can’t be mad or bothered by it for a single second because it’s not like I didn’t sign up for this. It’s not like I didn’t know Terrifier 2’s reputation before watching it. And yeah, my stomach did flip a few times.
However, in this day and age where many horror movies have often felt toned-down so that way more audiences can watch them (looking at you, M3GAN), these films really don’t do that at all – and I can appreciate that as a horror fan.
But I Have Seen Grosser
But admittedly, I have seen grosser than this.
As I said before, I know that these movies have a pretty nasty reputation when it comes to the goriness and without giving much away, it certainly earns that a few times over. But as a horror lover, I can fully say there are other movies out there that are just as gross – if not more gross – than Terrifier.
Some of them I’ve gone over in my list regarding certain horror movies that got popular on TikTok. Others have been ones I’ve stumbled across. Few have been recommendations from other horror fans – I mean, Jeff Goldblum’s transformation in The Fly is something that honestly grossed me out more than some of the stuff in Terrifier, if we’re being honest. Or, if you want a really unsettling and disgusting movie, A Serbian Film is the way to go.
However, I can say that Terrifier and its sequel is pretty freaking gross – just not the grossest I’ve ever seen.
All Hallows’ Eve Is A Great Introduction To Art The Clown
I’m a huge supporter of anthology movies and TV shows. I think they are the coolest thing ever. Maybe that’s why I loved the Ryan Murphy-created series, American Horror Story for so long, because every season told a different story with different cast members. It’s something I still appreciate to this day.
All Hallows’ Eve takes that and turns it on its head by giving individualized stories about Art the Clown, only making him more terrifying as time goes on. For those who don’t know, All Hallows’ Eve isn’t considered an official Terrifier movie, but it’s the first film that introduced the main antagonist of those films, so I had to give it a shot, and I really liked it.
It was twisted, bloody, and everything I could imagine for the introduction to who Art is as a villain, and the ending is seriously one of the best ones I’ve seen in horror in a while because it reaches its climax so fast. I love it. I would recommend anyone to watch it.
And Art The Clown Is A Pretty Creepy Villain In The Terrifier Movies
While I also really like All Hallows’ Eve sort of as the origin story for Art’s rampage, I think he’s even better in the movies that come after. I could talk about the other characters and everything they did well, but we’re here to talk about that murderous clown – and he’s turned up to 1000% in the movies that are centered around him.
Art is even scarier, gorier, and more evil, which I didn’t even think he could really get after watching All Hallows’ Eve. Sometimes, I like to have a complex villain and other times, I literally just want someone who is pure evil and just likes to kill things – and that’s where Art comes in.
He’s just so chaotic. He feels almost like a bloodier Michael Myers, if that makes sense, just creepier. I don’t know, maybe it’s just clowns I’m afraid of. All I know is that he’s up there with American Horror Story’s Twisty the Clown villain.
I Also Like The Story Of Terrifier 2 A Lot More
But if we’re being honest, I really liked Terrifier 2 better – as it seems to be the case with many people that they feel the same. It just flows better.
I will admit that the chaos of Terrifier fit the genre, but the narrative felt far too forgettable and overridden by Art. While he is the face of the franchise, sometimes I do like to feel connected to the protagonists and Tara and Victoria just didn’t do it for me. However, I freaking loved Sienna Shaw.
She was a protagonist that reminded me of all the best scream queens from classic horror movies, like Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween, or Heather Langenkamp in A Nightmare on Elm Street.
This is the kind of stuff I was looking for – a strong protagonist and a freaking bloody and disgusting time, and out of all three of these films, Terrifier 2 was my absolute favorite by far – and I would rock that Valkyrie costume that Sienna wears.
If you’ve been holding off seeing these movies, be sure to check them out. I had a fun time watching them and I think you will too – that is if you have the stomach to handle it. Maybe skip the dinner part and just head straight to the show.
Stream All Hallows’ Eve on Tubi. Stream Terrifier on Tubi. Rent/Buy Terrifier 2 on Amazon.
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- Leonardo DiCaprio and Kim Kardashian were interviewed by the FBI in 2018 and 2019, Bloomberg reported.
- The stars had received gifts from Jho Low, who is accused of masterminding the 1MDB scandal.
- Earlier, DiCaprio had to return a number of gifts given to him by Low, including an Oscar won by Marlon Brando.
In 2013, Leonardo DiCaprio starred in "The Wolf of Wall Street," a film about a convicted fraudster, which was financed by a man later embroiled in a scandal surrounding Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB.
Jho Low, prosecutors say, masterminded the scandal which saw billions of government dollars channeled through shell companies and offshore bank accounts, and into the pockets of Low and his associates.
Rupert Murdoch’s admission was startling.
During a January deposition, the media mogul acknowledged that he knew former President Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election were false, but he did not intervene to stop Fox News hosts and conspiracy-spinning guests from giving the assertions oxygen — even after the Jan. 6, 2021, rampage on the U.S. Capitol, which left seven people dead.
Court testimony and internal emails — which have become evidence in a $1.6-billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News by software and voting machine supplier Dominion Voting Systems — exposed a campaign by Murdoch, his son Lachlan and other key Fox News figures to keep Trump-loving viewers and advertisers in the fold. The network and its stars, including Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, were spooked by dipping ratings after the election and feared their audience might switch to other right-wing networks.
Murdoch, during his deposition, expressed some regret about his network’s handling of the stolen-election narrative.
“I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it, in hindsight,” Murdoch said in his deposition.
The revelations have shined a harsh light on the actions of the Australian-born media baron, who turns 92 this month, and affirmed what his lieutenants have long said: Although the Fox News co-founder is a libertarian-leaning conservative, he is less motivated by ideology than by amassing money and power.
It’s not the first time a Murdoch media outlet, or some of his underlings, have been accused of unethical conduct in pursuit of higher ratings or newspaper sales. The Fox News crisis poses the biggest threat to his company since the British phone-hacking scandal destroyed one of his London tabloids 12 years ago.
“In this particular [Fox News] instance, we have one of the worst offenses you could commit in journalism, which is broadcasting something that you know is completely false,” said Gabriel Kahn, a USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism professor and a former Wall Street Journal reporter. “We’re talking about supporting a bogus theory — a theory they knew was bogus — which was part of a strategy to overturn a legitimate election.”
Fox maintains that its coverage of unfounded theories about voter fraud was protected by the 1st Amendment. The company has said the issue was newsworthy because of long-standing concerns about the reliability of digital vote tabulation devices, and because the fraud claims were made by a sitting president.
Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, through a spokesman, declined The Times’ interview requests.
“Criticism by competitors, individuals and organizations with partisan agendas is part of being No. 1 in the news business,” a Fox News spokesperson said. “We remain focused on the core values of our business — free press, free speech and free expression — which reflects our unwavering commitment to the people’s right to know, to be informed and to participate in the marketplace of ideas.”
During his deposition on the Fox studio lot in West Los Angeles, the elder Murdoch, who is chairman of Fox Corp., sought to draw a distinction between the network’s news programs, which offered a more critical take, and its opinion hosts, including Carlson, Hannity and Maria Bartiromo, who have more leeway.
But critics contend Fox News paved the way for its current crisis by providing a platform for previous conspiracies — including Trump’s unfounded assertions more than a decade ago that President Obama wasn’t born in the U.S., or erroneously blaming Seth Rich, a young Democratic National Committee assistant who was fatally shot in Washington in 2016, for the leak of Hillary Clinton’s emails.
During Fox’s nightly news show, “Special Report With Bret Baier,” a guest said questions lingered over “whether Seth Rich was assassinated by Hillary Clinton,” according to a lawsuit filed by the Rich family. Fox settled the case in 2020.
Fox News also has dealt with other scandals involving its workplace culture, including the 2016 ouster of powerful Chairman Roger Ailes and popular prime-time host Bill O’Reilly, a year later, over sexual harassment claims.
Currently, two former 21st Century Fox executives are on trial in Brooklyn, N.Y., accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes to soccer officials to land soccer tournament rights, including the World Cup, for Fox. The executives have denied the charges, and Fox Corp. said the executives were not involved in the World Cup bidding process and that Fox had the strongest bid.
“It’s all about a ruthless pursuit of the story.”
— Author Nick Davies
The latest predicament at Fox News comes more than a decade after Britain was rocked by revelations that Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid had illegally tapped into voicemail messages of crime victims, politicians and celebrities — including actor Hugh Grant, soccer star David Beckham and royal family members, including Princes William and Harry — in search of salacious stories.
Reporters also paid bribes to police officers in exchange for news tips. A British army intelligence officer’s computer and emails were hacked, allegedly to find information about Northern Ireland political informants.
The phone hacking scandal sparked a firestorm in Britain over media ethics and forced the Murdochs to shut down the News of the World, lay off about 200 people and abandon a bid for control of a popular satellite TV service, Sky. Murdoch and his son James were called in front of a Parliament committee in 2011, where they said they had been unaware of the crimes being committed in the bowels of their organization.
Murdoch called the historic reckoning before Parliament “the most humble day of my life.”
A nearly yearlong judicial inquiry concluded with the British press being chided for its occasional use of deceptive and covert means.
“There has been a recklessness in prioritizing sensational stories, almost irrespective of the harm the stories may cause and the rights of those who would be affected,” Sir Brian Leveson, who led the inquiry, said in 2012.
The company has since settled more than 1,000 claims brought by alleged victims. Over the years, legal fees, expenses and payouts to phone hacking victims have cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars, according to regulatory filings.
“Why were journalists behaving in this way? Well, it comes from the top,” said British journalist Nick Davies, who exposed the phone hacking scandal while reporting for the Guardian.
“Rupert Murdoch wants to make more money, and he passes this culture down through the different levels of the hierarchy: from corporate executives, down to the editors ... and onto the reporters,” said Davies, author of “Hack Attack: The Inside Story of How the Truth Caught Up With Rupert Murdoch.”
“It’s all about a ruthless pursuit of the story in order to generate readers or ratings in order to generate money,” Davies said.
‘Bit of a political junkie and a news junkie’
The grandson of a Scottish Presbyterian minister and son of a respected Australian newspaper editor and war hero, Murdoch was thrust into publishing in his early 20s after his father died, leaving him the Adelaide News. From that single newspaper, he spent the next 65 years building what would become a global media colossus once valued at more than $100 billion.
Murdoch began unwinding properties with the 2019 sale of much of his Hollywood operation, including the 20th Century Fox film and TV studios, to Walt Disney Co. Murdoch folded his remaining TV assets, including Fox News, into Fox Corp. His publishing assets, including the Wall Street Journal, are housed in a separate entity that he controls, News Corp.
“I admit I am a bit of a political junkie and a news junkie,” Murdoch told Dominion’s lawyers during his deposition.
Over the years, he has shrewdly employed a populist formula to win readers in Australia, then Britain, and later, the U.S. His publications are high-brow and low-brow. News Corp. owns the respectable Wall Street Journal and the gritty New York Post.
In Britain, News Corp. owns the venerable Times of London and splashy Sun, which late last year was forced to apologize to Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, after one of the tabloid’s columnists wrote he “dreams of the day when [Markle] is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her.”
“There has been an increasingly bullying nature to British culture. I don’t want to say it started with Murdoch, but it has certainly grown under Murdoch,” Kahn said. “It’s been a winning business strategy for him.”
Murdoch has never been shy about using his media outlets as a political sword.
As revealed in the Fox News defamation case, Murdoch in 2020 gave Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner an advanced look at then-candidate Joe Biden’s TV commercials. On Friday, the progressive nonprofit group Media Matters filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission, alleging Murdoch’s sharing of confidential information was tantamount to making “an illegal corporate contribution” to the Trump campaign.
Emails also show Murdoch instructed his underlings to ease up on Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). “Could Sean [Hannity] say something supportive?” Murdoch wrote. “We cannot lose the Senate if at all possible.”
Years ago, his publications championed Britain’s conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher but switched sides to back the Labor Party‘s Tony Blair. His outlets occasionally have split on its causes. In contrast to the Times of London, the Sun was a boisterous cheerleader for Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, Brexit, claiming: “We must set ourselves free from dictatorial Brussels.”
“We have the Murdoch titles to thank for the fact that we’re no longer in the European Union,” Davies said. “It’s about poisoning the mainstream of public debate with falsehood and distortion. It may be to sell newspapers, it may be to attack a rival and sometimes it’s a random election.”
On the night of the 2020 election, Fox News’ decision desk made an early (and accurate) call that key swing state Arizona had tipped to Biden. That infuriated Trump and legions of his supporters.
The network immediately felt a viewer backlash.
“I’ve never seen a reaction like this, to any media company. Kills me to watch it,” Carlson told Fox News Chief Suzanne Scott.
The weekend after the election, Bartiromo invited onto her show lawyer Sidney Powell, who spouted untrue allegations such as Dominion systems were “flipping votes in the computer system or adding votes that did not exist.” Trump surrogates also falsely suggested Dominion’s software was developed by a Venezuelan company with ties to strongman Hugo Chavez to help him tilt elections.
That night, Carlson fumed in an email that the “software s— is absurd. … Half our viewers have seen the Maria clip,” according to court filings.
That same day, Nov. 8, 2020, Murdoch sent a message to Scott, saying Fox was “getting creamed by CNN !”
A synopsis of CNN’s coverage, sent to Scott, showed the rival network was teeing off on Fox News, charging it was “aiming to destabilize the American system by telling viewers the election was stolen by deep state Democrats,” according to Dominion’s court filings.
Scott then had “a long talk” with Murdoch and Lachlan, Fox Corp.’s chief executive, the Dominion motion said. They allegedly discussed ways to cover the news without alienating Trump fans.
“Viewers going through the 5 stages of grief,” Scott wrote the next day in an email to Lachlan Murdoch. “It’s a question of trust — the AZ [call] was damaging but we will highlight our stars and plant flags letting the viewers know we hear them and respect them.”
Lachlan Murdoch responded: “Yes. But needs constant rebuilding without any missteps,” according to Dominion’s brief. Lachlan Murdoch testified that a drop in Fox News ratings would “keep me awake” at night, according to a Dominion court filing.
“That’s been the dynamic that’s caused this trouble,” Davies, the British journalist, said. “Fox for commercial reasons, not for political reasons, supported the Trump lies in order to keep the viewers happy, so that they can keep the revenue coming in.”
During his deposition, Rupert Murdoch insisted the network’s coverage was warranted.
“We report the news. ... And this was big news. The President of the United States was making wild claims, but that is news,” Murdoch said.
Fox said in a statement that Dominion’s motions take “an extreme, unsupported view of defamation law that would prevent journalists from basic reporting and their efforts to publicly smear Fox for covering and commenting on allegations by a sitting President of the United States should be recognized for what it is: a blatant violation of the First Amendment.”
The Dominion documents show that, a month after the election, Fox’s board members began objecting to the stolen-election drumbeat.
“We are entering a truly bizarre phase of this where [Trump] has actually convinced himself of this farce and will do more bizarre things to delegitimize the election,” former House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who serves on Fox Corp.’s board, wrote in a Dec. 6, 2020, text message to the Murdochs.
“I see this as a key inflection point for Fox, where the right thing and the smart business thing to do line up nicely,” Ryan wrote.
The claims continued.
On the eve of the Capitol assault, Rupert Murdoch suggested to Scott that Fox News’ prime-time hosts — Hannity, Carlson and Laura Ingraham — could announce “something like ‘the election is over and Joe Biden won,’ ” Murdoch reportedly said, noting that “would go a long way to stop the Trump myth” that the election was stolen.
Scott, according to Dominion, told one of her lieutenants: “I told Rupert that privately they are all there — we need to be careful about using the shows and pissing off the viewers but they know how to navigate.”
In his testimony, Ryan agreed that “some high percentage of Americans” thought the election was stolen “because they got a diet of information telling them the election was stolen from what they believe were credible sources.”
Opinion polls have consistently shown a majority of Republicans doubt Biden legitimately won.
After the Capitol riots, Fox board member Anne Dias prodded the Murdochs for more.
“Considering how important Fox News has been as a megaphone for Donald Trump, directly or indirectly, I believe the time has come for Fox News or for you, Lachlan, to take a stance,” Dias wrote, according to the Dominion documents. “It is an existential moment for the nation and for Fox News as a brand.”
Lachlan Murdoch then shared the email with his father.
“Just tell her we have been talking internally and intensely along these lines, and Fox News, which called the election correctly, is pivoting as fast as possible,” Rupert Murdoch replied. “We have to lead our viewers, which is not as easy as it might seem.”
For years, the Food and Drug Administration has defended its efforts to intercept prescription drugs coming from abroad by mail as necessary to keep out dangerous opioids, including fentanyl.
The pharmaceutical industry frequently cites such concerns in its battle to stymie numerous proposals in Washington to allow Americans to buy drugs from Canada and other countries where prices are almost always much lower.
But the agency’s own data from recent years on its seizure of packages containing drugs coming through international mail provides scant evidence that a significant number of opioids enters this way. In the two years for which KHN obtained data from the agency, only a tiny fraction of the drugs inspected contained opioids.
The overwhelming majority were uncontrolled prescription drugs that people had ordered, presumably because they can’t afford the prices at home.
The FDA still stops those drugs, because they lack U.S. labeling and packaging, which federal authorities say ensure they were made under U.S. supervision and tracking.
The FDA said it found 33 packages of opioids and no fentanyl sent by mail in 2022 out of nearly 53,000 drug shipments its inspectors examined at international mail facilities. That’s about 0.06% of examined packages.
According to a detailed breakdown of drugs intercepted in 2020, the lion’s share of what was intercepted — and most often destroyed — was pharmaceuticals. The No. 1 item was cheap erectile dysfunction pills, like generic Viagra. But there were also prescribed medicines to treat asthma, diabetes, cancer, and HIV.
FDA spokesperson Devin Koontz said the figures don’t reflect the full picture because U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the primary screener at the mail facilities.
But data obtained from the customs agency shows it likewise found few opioids: Of more than 30,000 drugs it intercepted in 2022 at the international mail facilities, only 111 were fentanyl and 116 were other opioids.
On average, Americans pay more than twice the price for exactly the same drugs as people in other countries. In polling, 7% of U.S. adults say they do not take their medicines because they can’t afford them. About 8% admit they or someone else in their household has ordered medicines from overseas to save money, though it is technically illegal in most cases. At least four states — Florida, Colorado, New Hampshire, and New Mexico — have proposed programs that would allow residents to import drugs from Canada.
While the FDA has found only a relatively small number of opioids, including fentanyl, in international mail, Congress gave the agency a total of $10 million in 2022 and 2023 to expand efforts to interdict shipments of opioids and other unapproved drugs.
“Additional staffing coupled with improved analytical technology and data analytics techniques will allow us to not only examine more packages but will also increase our targeting abilities to ensure we are examining packages with a high probability of containing violative products,” said Dan Solis, assistant commissioner for import operations at the FDA.
But drug importation proponents worry the increased inspections targeting opioids will result in more uncontrolled substances being blocked in the mail.
“The FDA continues to ask for more and more taxpayer money to stop fentanyl and opioids at international mail facilities, but it appears to be using that money to refuse and destroy an increasing number of regular international prescription drug orders,” said Gabe Levitt, president of PharmacyChecker.com, which accredits foreign online pharmacies that sell medicines to customers in the U.S. and worldwide. “The argument that importing drugs is going to inflame the opioid crisis doesn’t make any sense.”
“The nation’s fentanyl import crisis should not be conflated with safe personal drug importation,” Levitt said.
He was not surprised at the low number of opioids being sent through the mail: In 2022, an organization he heads called Prescription Justice received 2020 FDA data through a Freedom of Information Act request. It showed that FDA inspectors intercepted 214 packages with opioids and no fentanyl out of roughly 50,000 drug shipments. In contrast, they found nearly 12,000 packages containing erectile dysfunction pills. They also blocked thousands of packages containing prescription medicines to treat a host of other conditions.
Over 90% of the drugs found at international mail facilities are destroyed or denied entry into the United States, FDA officials said.
In 2019, an FDA document touted the agency’s efforts to stop fentanyl coming into the United States by mail amid efforts to stop other illegal drugs.
Levitt was pleased that Congress in December added language to a federal spending bill that he said would refocus the FDA mail inspections. It said the “FDA’s efforts at International Mail Facilities must focus on preventing controlled, counterfeit, or otherwise dangerous pharmaceuticals from entering the United States. Further, funds made available in this Act should prioritize cases in which importation poses a significant threat to public health.”
Levitt said the language should shift the FDA from stopping shipments containing drugs for cancer, heart conditions, and erectile dysfunction to blocking controlled substances, including opioids.
But the FDA’s Koontz said the language won’t change the type of drugs FDA inspectors examine, because every drug is potentially dangerous. “Importing drugs from abroad simply for cost savings is not a good enough reason to expose yourself to the additional risks,” he said. “The drug may be fine, but we don’t know, so we assume it is not.”
He said even drugs that are made in the same manufacturing facilities as drugs intended for sale in the United States can be dangerous because they lack U.S. labeling and packaging that ensure they were made properly and handled within the U.S. supply chain.
FDA officials say drugs bought from foreign pharmacies are 10 times as likely to be counterfeit as drugs sold in the United States.
To back up that claim, the FDA cites congressional testimony from a former agency official in 2005 who — while working for a drug industry-funded think tank — said between 8% and 10% of the global medicine supply chain is counterfeit.
The FDA said it doesn’t have data showing which drugs it finds are unsafe counterfeits and which drugs lack proper labeling or packaging. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows that, among the more than 30,000 drugs it inspected in 2022, it found 365 counterfeits.
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the trade group for the industry, funds a nonprofit advocacy organization called Partnership for Safe Medicines, which has run media campaigns to oppose drug importation efforts with the argument that it would worsen the fentanyl epidemic.
Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, a group funded by U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers, said he was surprised the amount of fentanyl and opioids found by customs and FDA inspectors in the mail was so low. He said that historically it has been a problem, but he could not provide proof of that claim.
He said federal agencies are not inspecting enough packages to get the full picture. “With limited resources we may be getting fooled by the smugglers,” he said. “We need to be inspecting the right 50,000 packages each year.”
For decades, millions of Americans seeking to save money have bought drugs from foreign pharmacies, with most sales done online. Although the FDA says people are not allowed to bring prescription drugs into the United States except in rare cases, dozens of cities, county governments, and school districts help their employees buy drugs from abroad.
The Trump administration said in 2020 that drugs could be safely imported and opened the door for states to apply to the FDA to start importation programs. But the Biden administration has yet to approve any.
A federal judge in February threw out a lawsuit filed by PhRMA and the Partnership for Safe Medicines to block the federal drug importation program, saying it’s unclear when, if ever, the federal government would approve any state programs.
Levitt and other importation advocates say the process is often safe largely because the drugs being sold to people with valid prescriptions via international mail are FDA-approved drugs with labeling different from that found at U.S. pharmacies, or foreign versions of FDA-approved drugs made at the same facilities as drugs sold in the U.S. or similarly regulated facilities. Most drugs sold at U.S. pharmacies are already produced abroad.
Because of the sheer volume of mail, even as the FDA has stepped up staffing at the mail facilities in recent years, the agency can physically inspect fewer than 1% of packages presumed to contain drugs, FDA officials said.
Solis said the agency targets its interdiction efforts to packages from countries from which it believes counterfeit or illegal drugs are more likely to come.
Advocates for importation say efforts to block it protect the pharmaceutical industry’s profits and hurt U.S. residents trying to afford their medicines.
“We have never seen a rash of deaths or harm from prescription drugs that people bring across the border from verified pharmacies, because these are the same drugs that people buy in American pharmacies,” said Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, which advocates for lower drug prices. “The pharmaceutical industry is using the FDA to protect their price monopoly to keep their prices high.”
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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Top 100 Hollywood Movies(Must Watch)
by vishumertiya-995-442625 | created - 15 Jul 2012 | updated - 02 Jan 2013 | Public
1. Schindler's List (1993)
T | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1.369.099 | Gross: $96.90M
2. Il padrino - Parte II (1974)
VM14 | 202 min | Crime, Drama
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1.284.786 | Gross: $57.30M
3. Il padrino (1972)
T | 175 min | Crime, Drama
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in postwar New York City transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1.881.850 | Gross: $134.97M
4. Il discorso del re (2010)
T | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King George VI, his impromptu ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 686.839 | Gross: $138.80M
5. Forrest Gump (1994)
T | 142 min | Drama, Romance
The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and other historical events unfold from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, whose only desire is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Votes: 2.105.511 | Gross: $330.25M
6. Matrix (1999)
T | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 1.933.111 | Gross: $171.48M
7. Inception (2010)
T | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 2.380.777 | Gross: $292.58M
8. Prova a prendermi (2002)
T | 141 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Barely 21 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Votes: 1.002.167 | Gross: $164.62M
9. Il cavaliere oscuro (2008)
T | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2.682.820 | Gross: $534.86M
10. Il Signore degli Anelli - Il ritorno del re (2003)
T | 201 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1.865.000 | Gross: $377.85M
11. Il Signore degli Anelli - La compagnia dell'Anello (2001)
T | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 1.894.530 | Gross: $315.54M
12. Il cavaliere oscuro - Il ritorno (2012)
T | 164 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Eight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman
Votes: 1.721.962 | Gross: $448.14M
13. Il gladiatore (2000)
T | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Votes: 1.516.555 | Gross: $187.71M
14. Will Hunting - Genio ribelle (1997)
T | 126 min | Drama, Romance
Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 986.815 | Gross: $138.43M
15. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
T | 135 min | Biography, Drama
After John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
Votes: 941.329 | Gross: $170.74M
16. Fight Club (1999)
VM14 | 139 min | Drama
An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier
Votes: 2.153.841 | Gross: $37.03M
17. Il codice da Vinci (2006)
T | 149 min | Mystery, Thriller
A murder inside the Louvre, and clues in Da Vinci paintings, lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years, which could shake the foundations of Christianity.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellen
Votes: 439.682 | Gross: $217.54M
18. Angeli e demoni (2009)
T | 138 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works with a nuclear physicist to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican during one of the significant events within the church.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 298.034 | Gross: $133.38M
19. Il mistero dei Templari (2004)
T | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
A historian races to find the legendary Templar Treasure before a team of mercenaries.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean
Votes: 339.540 | Gross: $173.01M
20. Qualcuno volò sul nido del cuculo (1975)
VM14 | 133 min | Drama
In the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco
Votes: 1.016.999 | Gross: $112.00M
21. Cast Away (2000)
T | 143 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
A FedEx executive undergoes a physical and emotional transformation after crash landing on a deserted island.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Paul Sanchez, Lari White
Votes: 601.701 | Gross: $233.63M
22. La parola ai giurati (1957)
T | 96 min | Crime, Drama
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler
Votes: 800.558 | Gross: $4.36M
23. The Aviator (2004)
T | 170 min | Biography, Drama
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly
Votes: 367.590 | Gross: $102.61M
24. Rain Man - L'uomo della pioggia (1988)
T | 133 min | Drama
After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
Votes: 521.157 | Gross: $178.80M
25. Pulp Fiction (1994)
VM18 | 154 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Votes: 2.080.453 | Gross: $107.93M
26. Ritorno al futuro (1985)
T | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1.220.781 | Gross: $210.61M
27. Serpico (1973)
T | 130 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An honest New York cop named Frank Serpico blows the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire
Votes: 126.189 | Gross: $29.80M
28. The Others (2001)
VM14 | 101 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A woman who lives in her darkened old family house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that the home is haunted.
Director: Alejandro Amenábar | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Fionnula Flanagan, Alakina Mann
Votes: 372.894 | Gross: $96.52M
29. Se mi lasci ti cancello (2004)
T | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories for ever.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Votes: 1.019.744 | Gross: $34.40M
30. WALL·E (2008)
T | 98 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
In the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.
Director: Andrew Stanton | Stars: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard
Votes: 1.128.631 | Gross: $223.81M
31. Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
VM14 | 161 min | Adventure, Western
A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.
Director: Sergio Leone | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè
Votes: 769.112 | Gross: $6.10M
32. Memento (2000)
T | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior
Votes: 1.250.553 | Gross: $25.54M
33. Il silenzio degli innocenti (1991)
T | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney, Kasi Lemmons
Votes: 1.448.696 | Gross: $130.74M
34. Terminator 2 - Il giorno del giudizio (1991)
T | 137 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her 10-year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Votes: 1.110.555 | Gross: $204.84M
35. Terminator (1984)
VM14 | 107 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Votes: 875.835 | Gross: $38.40M
36. Scarface (1983)
VM14 | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 853.438 | Gross: $45.60M
37. The Hurt Locker (2008)
T | 131 min | Drama, Thriller, War
During the Iraq War, a Sergeant recently assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce
Votes: 457.279 | Gross: $17.02M
38. The Terminal (2004)
T | 128 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 467.336 | Gross: $77.87M
39. The Social Network (2010)
T | 120 min | Biography, Drama
As Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara
Votes: 714.227 | Gross: $96.96M
40. Titanic (1997)
T | 194 min | Drama, Romance
A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
Votes: 1.201.241 | Gross: $659.33M
41. Le pagine della nostra vita (2004)
T | 123 min | Drama, Romance
A poor yet passionate young man (Ryan Gosling) falls in love with a rich young woman (Rachel McAdams), giving her a sense of freedom, but they are soon separated because of their social differences.
Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling
Votes: 581.827 | Gross: $81.00M
42. La vita è bella (1997)
T | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor, and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.
Director: Roberto Benigni | Stars: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano
Votes: 703.206 | Gross: $57.60M
43. Constantine (2005)
T | 121 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Supernatural exorcist and demonologist John Constantine helps a policewoman prove her sister's death was not a suicide, but something more.
Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou, Shia LaBeouf
Votes: 353.098 | Gross: $75.98M
44. Seven (1995)
T | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1.673.244 | Gross: $100.13M
45. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
VM18 | 102 min | Drama
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Votes: 852.123 | Gross: $3.64M
46. I passi dell'amore (2002)
T | 101 min | Drama, Romance
Two North Carolina teens, Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan, are thrown together after Landon gets into trouble and is sentenced to perform community service.
Director: Adam Shankman | Stars: Mandy Moore, Shane West, Peter Coyote, Daryl Hannah
Votes: 214.217 | Gross: $41.28M
47. The Departed - Il bene e il male (2006)
T | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1.339.296 | Gross: $132.38M
48. The Bourne Identity (2002)
T | 119 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen
Votes: 553.417 | Gross: $121.66M
49. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
T | 108 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
When Jason Bourne is framed for a CIA operation gone awry, he is forced to resume his former life as a trained assassin to survive.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Joan Allen, Brian Cox
Votes: 469.317 | Gross: $176.24M
50. The Bourne Ultimatum - Il ritorno dello sciacallo (2007)
T | 115 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
Jason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and his Agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles
Votes: 640.000 | Gross: $227.47M
51. Serendipity - Quando l'amore è magia (2001)
T | 90 min | Comedy, Romance
A couple search for each other years after the night they first met, fell in love, and separated, convinced that one day they'd end up together.
Director: Peter Chelsom | Stars: John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Jeremy Piven, Bridget Moynahan
Votes: 115.950 | Gross: $50.29M
52. Toy Story 3 - La grande fuga (2010)
T | 103 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.
Director: Lee Unkrich | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Votes: 845.319 | Gross: $415.00M
53. Toy Story - Il mondo dei giocattoli (1995)
T | 81 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman action figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's bedroom.
Director: John Lasseter | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
Votes: 1.005.177 | Gross: $191.80M
54. Toy Story 2 - Woody & Buzz alla riscossa (1999)
T | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends set out on a rescue mission to save Woody before he becomes a museum toy property with his roundup gang Jessie, Prospector, and Bullseye.
Directors: John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer
Votes: 589.168 | Gross: $245.85M
55. X-Men (2000)
T | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen
Votes: 622.522 | Gross: $157.30M
56. The Butterfly Effect (2004)
VM14 | 113 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Evan Treborn suffers blackouts during significant events of his life. As he grows up, he finds a way to remember these lost memories and a supernatural way to alter his life by reading his journal.
Directors: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber | Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters, Elden Henson
Votes: 496.823 | Gross: $57.94M
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Hollywood (miniseries)
| Hollywood | |
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| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Nathan Barr |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
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| Running time | 44–57 minutes |
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| Release | |
| Original network | Netflix |
| Original release | May 1, 2020 |
Hollywood is an American drama streaming television miniseries starring an ensemble cast including David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Laura Harrier, Joe Mantello, Dylan McDermott, Jake Picking, Jeremy Pope, Holland Taylor, Samara Weaving, Jim Parsons, and Patti LuPone. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, it was released on Netflix on May 1, 2020.[1]
The miniseries is about a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers during the Hollywood Golden Age in the post-World War II era trying to make their dreams come true.[2] The series received mixed reviews from critics who praised the acting and production values, but criticized the tone, writing, and artistic license taken.[3] The series received 12 nominations at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, including acting nods for Pope, Taylor, McDermott, and Parsons, winning two.
Premise[edit]
The series explores Hollywood in 1946-1949, following World War II where traditional power dynamics in the American film industry are systematically dismantled and racism and homophobia are assigned to the dustbin of history.
Cast and characters[edit]
Main[edit]
- David Corenswet as Jack Castello, a World War II veteran who moves to Hollywood in hopes of becoming an actor
- Darren Criss as Raymond Ainsley, a half-Filipino aspiring film director hoping to break boundaries in Hollywood, and Camille's boyfriend
- Laura Harrier as Camille Washington, an up-and-coming Black actress facing prejudice because of her race, and Raymond's girlfriend
- Joe Mantello as Richard "Dick" Samuels, a studio executive at Ace Studios who is a closeted gay man. Hank Stuever of The Washington Post describes him as "intimidating but receptive".[4]
- Dylan McDermott as Ernest "Ernie" West, a pimp, based on Scotty Bowers, who runs his business out of a gas station and recruits Jack
- Jake Picking as Roy Fitzgerald / Rock Hudson, a fictionalized version of the actor, and Archie's boyfriend. Liz Cantrell of Town & Country magazine characterized this version of Rock Hudson as "a young unknown...trying to make his way in the world, and beginning to understand who he really is."[5]
- Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman, a Black aspiring screenwriter facing prejudice, and Roy's boyfriend
- Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid, a studio executive and mentor for aspiring actors at Ace Studios. Cantrell wrote that the character "gets what she wants and knows a star when she sees one."[5]
- Samara Weaving as Claire Wood, an up-and-coming actress, Camille's rival, and the daughter of Ace and Avis Amberg. Cantrell described her as "an ambitious up-and-comer".[5]
- Jim Parsons as Henry Willson, a fictionalized version of the Hollywood talent agent whose clients included Rock Hudson
- Patti LuPone as Avis Amberg, wife of Ace Amberg, the head of Ace Studios, and a former actress
Recurring[edit]
- Maude Apatow as Henrietta Castello, Jack's wife who is pregnant with twins and works as a waitress. Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the character serves "largely as a millstone" and that the storyline does not give a lot of "attention" to her.[6]
- Mira Sorvino as Jeanne Crandall, a successful but aging actress, Ace's mistress, and Camille's scene partner
- Michelle Krusiec as Anna May Wong, a fictionalized version of the Chinese-American actress, whom Raymond tries to help
Guest[edit]
- Rob Reiner as Ace Amberg, the head of Ace Studios and the husband of Avis
- Brian Chenoweth as Lon Silver, Ace's attorney
- Jake Regal as Erwin Kaye, a man Henrietta works with and has an affair with
- William Frederick Knight as Harry Golden, a veteran film editor at Ace Studios
- Queen Latifah as Hattie McDaniel, a fictionalized version of the actress, who gives Camille advice
- Katie McGuinness as Vivien Leigh, a fictionalized version of the actress
- Paget Brewster as Tallulah Bankhead, a fictionalized version of the actress
- Harriet Sansom Harris as Eleanor Roosevelt, a fictionalized version of the First Lady and Avis's friend
- Daniel London as George Cukor, a fictionalized version of the director and producer known for his grand house parties
- Billy Boyd as Noël Coward, a fictionalized version of the playwright, composer, director, and actor
- Alison Wright as Ms. Roswell, the gatekeeper to Ace Studios
Episodes[edit]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hooray for Hollywood" | Ryan Murphy | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | May 1, 2020 | |
| In post-World War II, veteran Jack Castello moves to Los Angeles to make his big break in Hollywood. However, he struggles in the business and has a hard time even being cast as an extra. This bothers his wife Henrietta who is pregnant and wanting to buy a house. At a bar, Jack meets Ernie West, who offers him a job at his gas station, which Jack accepts. Ernie reveals that he makes his attendants service female customers for extra money, which Jack begins doing. However, Jack quits when Ernie tries to force him to service a male customer, but gets his job back after discovering Henrietta is pregnant with twins. He later meets black male prostitute and aspiring screenwriter Archie Coleman, and convinces Ernie to hire him. On his first day on the job, Archie services aspiring actor Roy Fitzgerald. After servicing a casting director, Jack finally lands an acting job. However, he is later tricked by a police officer undercover as a client who has him arrested. | |||||
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