Film
Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard Sang Sparks Songs While Simulating Oral Sex for Musical Annette
Instead of pre-recording the songs in Annette, director Leos Carax had the actors perform every musical number live on set. This led to Adam Driver singing Sparks songs while simulating oral sex on his co-star Marion Cotillard, which honestly sounds like quite a mouthful. Via Insider, Cotillard dove into the deep end in a press packet for Cannes Film Festival, where Annette opened the festival today, July 6th. “On most classic musicals, you record your songs in advance and then you do playback on the set,” she said. “But there, Leos wanted everything to be completely live.” Obviously, this didn’t make the actors’ jobs easier. “It added to the complexity of the set: we found ourselves singing in very complicated positions, doing back-crawling or mimicking cunni...
Blade’s Stephen Dorff Slams Marvel Movies, Says Black Widow “Looks Like Garbage”
Marvel may be at the top of the food chain in terms of superhero cinema, but for one former star, they’re just cattle. Stephen Dorff, who played villain Deacon Frost in 1998’s Blade, has criticized the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in particular throwing shade at the upcoming Black Widow for looking “like a bad video game.” Speaking with the UK’s Independent about his new film, Embattled, Dorff was asked about what roles he looks for in modern Hollywood. The actor took that as a prompt to bash the company that elevated his career by making him the star of one of the first successful post-Batman comic book adaptations. “I still hunt out the good shit because I don’t want to be in Black Widow,” said Dorff, continuing, “It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video g...
R.I.P. Richard Donner, Legendary Superman, The Goonies Director Dead at 91
Richard Donner, the beloved filmmaker who brought new meaning to the Hollywood blockbuster with films like Superman, The Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon franchise, has died. He was 91 years old. According to his wife, producer Lauren Schuler Donner, and his business manager, Donner passed away on Monday, July 5th (via Deadline). Donner’s seven-decade career began in television, where he directed episodes of a number of classic series including Gilligan’s Island, The Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, Get Smart, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Route 66, Perry Mason, and The Wild Wild West. He transitioned to features with the 1968 Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford starrer Salt and Pepper, a crime comedy that somewhat foreshadowed his future creation of Lethal Weapon. Related Video Followin...
Matthew McConaughey Says “As a Country, We’re Basically Going Through Puberty” in 4th of July Speech
You’ll know Matthew McConaughey is seriously considering a Texas gubernatorial run when he gives an impassioned speech in front of the American flag. Well, happy 4th of July, because the Academy Award winner celebrated Independence Day with just such an address. In a video posted to his Twitter account, McConaughey wished the country a happy birthday by reminding everyone that we’re still a relatively young nation. “…Let’s admit that this last year, this trip around the sun, was also another head-scratcher,” he said. “But let’s also remember that we’re babies as a country. We’re basically going through puberty in comparison to other countries’ timelines, and we’re going to go through growing pains. We are going through growing pains.” McConaughey continued, “I believe we are an aspiration....
Porky Pig Nearly Chokes on Stage in Space Jam: A New Legacy Sneak Peek: Watch
In a prime example of things nobody asked for, Porky Pig will be taking the stage for a rap battle in the Lebron James-starring Space Jam: A New Legacy. Proving the movie is desperately trying to live up to its title, Cartoon Network shared a sneak peek of the scene in which the porcine character sheds his trademark stutter and takes on the persona of The Notorious P.I.G. Urged on stage by a hoodie-wearing Daffy Duck, an initially tentative Porky steps up to the plate while dressed in an outfit meant to evoke the late Biggie Smalls: tinted sunglasses, backwards hat, puffer vest, and gold chain. Taking the ham-fisted homage a step further, the chosen instrumental for the battle is from Craig Mack’s “Flava in Ya Ear,” which featured a young Notorious B.I.G. on the remix. Once Porky finally g...
Blood Orange’s “Born to Be” Soundtracks Trailer for Netflix’s Beckett: Watch
Netflix has unveiled a first look at its upcoming action movie Beckett, and the tense teaser is soundtracked by a brand-new song by Blood Orange. Starring John David Washington, the thriller tells the story of an American tourist in Greece who becomes the center of a dark political conspiracy after his girlfriend mysteriously disappears. As the couple’s car careens over a cliff and Washington’s Beckett wakes up in a hospital with more questions than answers, the atmospheric track “Born to Be” plays on top of the clip. “Not a soul will take my breath,” Blood Orange croons as the Greek police turn on Beckett and he finds himself on the run for his life. A figure at the American embassy says, “I know you’re scared, I get it. But you don’t have the whole picture,” leading Beckett to ask, “Then...
James Franco to Pay $2.2 Million to Settle Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit
Back in 2019, two of James Franco’s former film students filed a lawsuit accusing him of engaging in sexual misconduct. Now, the actor-director has agreed to pay over $2.2 million to finally settle that suit. Sarah Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, the two students behind the accusations, filed their lawsuit in October 2019. They claimed that Franco and his partners “engaged in widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behavior towards female students by sexualizing their power as a teacher and an employer by dangling the opportunity for roles in their projects.” The lawsuit named Franco, his business partner, and their production company Rabbit Bandini. Franco ran a film and acting school called Studio 4 from 2014 to 2017. It was there, said Tither-Kaplan and Gall, that the actor and direc...
Chris Kattan Kicked Off Flight for Refusing to Wear Mask
Saturday Night Live alumnus Chris Kattan was booted from an American Airlines flight on Monday when he refused to wear his mask correctly. Apparently in the process he frightened several of his fellow first-class passengers. Kattan was scheduled to fly to LAX from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. According to TMZ, he was “stumbling and seemed sick” when boarding the plane, in part because “he had mucous hanging out of his nose when he leaned over.” Kattan was not wearing a mask at that point, so passengers alerted flight attendants about the potential health risk. The airline staff quickly handed Kattan paper towels and ordered him to put a mask on. Technically, Kattan put a mask on over his mouth, but refused to properly wear it over his nose as well. The federal mask mandate is still in pl...
Zola Turns a Twitter Thread Into a Thrilling Dark Comedy: Review
This review originally ran as part of our Sundance 2020 coverage and has been updated as of June 2021. The Pitch: “Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out????????” began Aziah “Zola” Wells’ epic 2015 Twitter thread, a near-mythic tale of strippers, murder, and kidnappings that went immediately viral. Five years later, here we are, with the first film ever derived from a series of tweets, recounting the story of how Zola (Taylour Paige) falls in with a fellow stripper named Stefani (Riley Keough), who ends up roping her into a road trip to Tampa with her boyfriend Derrek (Succession‘s Cousin Greg himself, Nicholas Braun) and her “roommate” X (Colman Domingo). But it doesn’t take long before Zola figures out the real score: Stefani turns out to be a sex work...
Terminator 2: Judgment Day Turns 30: Better Than The Terminator?
This article originally ran in 2016 and has been updated for the 30th anniversary of Terminator 2 on June 30th, 2021. Welcome to another installment of Vs. This time, in celebration of Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘s 30th anniversary, Mike Vanderbilt and David Buchanan battle over whether the original or the sequel kills it more. The Case for The Terminator Related Video The Terminator was a surprise hit in the fall of 1984, surprising audiences and critics alike with its blend of sci-fi, horror, brutal action, and a surprisingly bittersweet love story. James Cameron — a graduate of the Roger Corman school of hard knocks — cut his teeth on low-budget fare such as Battle Beyond the Stars and Piranha 2: The Spawning before selling the rights for The Terminator to producer (and fellow Corman pro...
Dwayne Johnson Teases Christmas Movie Red One
From action blockbusters to Disney animated features, Dwayne Johnson has starred in most every type of movie over the years. However, there’s one type of film that’s remained just out of reach for him, and now he’s aiming to fix that. Yes, dear reader, you guessed it: The Rock has announced that he’s working on a Christmas movie called Red One. In an enthusiastic Instagram post, Johnson explained his plans for Red One, which stems from a new partnership between Seven Bucks Production and Amazon Studios. “A new twist on our CHRISTMAS MYTHOLOGY and creating the most fun HOLIDAY UNIVERSE to enjoy. Imagine HOBBS meets MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET,” he wrote. “Christmas is my favorite time of year and I can’t for us to make this movie for you and your families.” The Rock has already tapped screenwrit...
Young Thug to Star in Tiffany Haddish-Produced Rap Musical Throw It Back
Young Thug is headed for the big screen. The rapper has been cast in an upcoming hip-hop musical called Throw It Back, which will be co-produced by Tiffany Haddish. According to a press release, the film will be a “dance-filled musical dramedy set to a soundtrack of southern hip-hop and HBCU collegiate band rhythms.” Additionally, Young Thug is set to executive produce the film’s soundtrack and release it on his own label, Young Stoner Life Records. Throw It Back will also star Shahadi Wright Joseph, known for her role in Jordan Peele’s Us. Paul Feig is co-producing the film alongside Haddish. Shadae Lamar Smith is set to direct, having written the script with Rochée Jeffrey. Related Video The statement explains that “Throw It Back follows Wytrell, a high school senior who has never ...
