Film
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 ...
Ron Perlman to Voice Optimus Primal in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Next year, we’ll get our next dose of the Transformers franchise, and it’s looking promising so far: Ron Perlman has been cast as the voice of Optimus Primal in the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Collider reports that the Hellboy star will be portraying the fearless leader of the Maximals, reprising the role after appearing in the Transformers: Power of the Primes animated web series. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be inspired by the Beast Wars stroyline, bringing characters like the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons together with the Autobots and Decepticons. Unlike the robot-to-vehicle transformations of those latter Cybertronian factions, the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons turn into animals. Optimus Primal’s form is that of a gorilla, and if you’re going to hav...
Video of a Young Tom Holland Dreaming About Being Spider-Man Goes Viral: Watch
Back when Tom Holland was just 13 years old, he was cast in his first-ever major Hollywood picture, The Impossible, alongside Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. It was an exciting time for the budding star, and most of his interviews from back then were defined by his wide-eyed excitement at it all. Earlier this month, one fan was revisiting that period of Holland’s career when they made an incredible discovery: During one of those old interviews, a very young Holland can be heard talking about what a dream it would be to play Spider-Man later in life. In this particular video, the journalist recognizes Holland’s talent and appears to ask him which characters he would like to play in the future. “There are so many roles made every year,” says Holland. “It’s impossible to say exactly what you w...
Quentin Tarantino Doubles Down on Plans to Retire After His Next Film
If you’ve been hoping that Quentin Tarantino still has a bunch of movies left in him, don’t hold your breath: the filmmaker has doubled down on his intent to retire after his next feature film. He confirmed this on a recent appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher to promote his new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood companion novel. “You’re too young to quit,” Maher told 58-year-old Tarantino. “You’re at the top of your game.” The director-screenwriter responded: “That’s why I want to quit! Because I know film history, and from here on end, directors do not get better. Tarantino continued: “Working for 30 years, doing as many movies as I’ve done — which isn’t as many as other people — but, that’s a long career. That’s a really long career, and I’ve given it everything I have.” Related Video As ...
Every Fast and Furious Movie Ranked by Least Family to Most Family
“I don’t have friends. I got family.” For the vast majority of the Fast and the Furious franchise’s twenty-year lifespan, one overriding ethos has dominated the series even more than its love of tricked-out imported street cars: The physics-defying, bone-deep earnest love of family. (Or, as series star Vin Diesel so frequently rumbles, fambly.) In the Fast movies, having a family and a code by which to honor them is the most powerful force on Earth. It can defy the laws of governments as much as it can the laws of physics; it can even restore memory and bring back the dead. It can turn your most sworn enemy into your dearest comrade. And most of all, it can make Corona Lites palatable. With the latest entry in the series, F9, now in theaters, it’s high time to look back at the franchise’s ...
