Some things in life are just certain. Death. Taxes. Robert Pattinson affecting a weird accent in a movie. So, which ones are his absolute weirdest? The competition is pretty tough, if I'm being honest.
Pattinson's accent work isn't just some running bit; as he told Terry Gross and NPR in 2019, it's an essential part of his process. After saying that he and his friends spent their childhoods listening to American rap music and mimicking the accents, Pattinson continued, "And still to this day, I mean, whenever I'm doing a movie or a character in an English accent, I mean, I find -- I literally feel like I'm naked. And I can't -- I'm incapable of doing my normal voice in a character. It just doesn't come out at all. It's -- every single time I read something, the first thing to change is -- has something to do with my voice.
Pattinson's accent work isn't just some running bit; as he told Terry Gross and NPR in 2019, it's an essential part of his process. After saying that he and his friends spent their childhoods listening to American rap music and mimicking the accents, Pattinson continued, "And still to this day, I mean, whenever I'm doing a movie or a character in an English accent, I mean, I find -- I literally feel like I'm naked. And I can't -- I'm incapable of doing my normal voice in a character. It just doesn't come out at all. It's -- every single time I read something, the first thing to change is -- has something to do with my voice.
- 10/27/2024
- by Nina Starner
- Slash Film
Joaquin Phoenix’s Net Worth 2024 Revealed (Photo Credit – Instagram)
Joaquin Phoenix, a master of transformation, has captured accolades for his unforgettable performances in films like Gladiator and Joker. Known for his intense dedication to his credit, the actor has always fully immersed himself in complex characters, earning him an Academy Award. He is no stranger to accolades like Golden Globes and Oscars and has been rewarded for his emotional performances.
Born as Joaquin Rafael Bottom, the actor has a net worth of $80 million per Celebrity Net Worth. The actor’s acting career began at a young age, and he earned his breakthrough in To Die For. However, his portrayal of Commodus in Gladiator made him an international star and earned him his first Academy Award nomination.
At the age of 8, Phoenix began his acting with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He told Fresh Air’s Terry Gross about his first acting experience,...
Joaquin Phoenix, a master of transformation, has captured accolades for his unforgettable performances in films like Gladiator and Joker. Known for his intense dedication to his credit, the actor has always fully immersed himself in complex characters, earning him an Academy Award. He is no stranger to accolades like Golden Globes and Oscars and has been rewarded for his emotional performances.
Born as Joaquin Rafael Bottom, the actor has a net worth of $80 million per Celebrity Net Worth. The actor’s acting career began at a young age, and he earned his breakthrough in To Die For. However, his portrayal of Commodus in Gladiator made him an international star and earned him his first Academy Award nomination.
At the age of 8, Phoenix began his acting with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He told Fresh Air’s Terry Gross about his first acting experience,...
- 10/18/2024
- by Samridhi Goel
- KoiMoi
“Joker: Folie à Deux” filmmaker Todd Phillips is backpedaling on whether or not the supervillain sequel is a musical, admitting in a “Fresh Air” interview Monday that it is, in fact, “the very definition of a musical.”
“I’ve gotten a little bit in trouble in the past for, you know, kind of saying, ‘Well, the movie’s not really a musical.’ And I, for the record, probably should be correcting that,” the director and co-writer told Terry Gross after the journalist pressed him on if he was a fan of the genre.
“It is, in fact, you know, it’s a movie with music in it where people sing, sometimes what they’re feeling — it’s the very definition of a musical,” he relented.
But the Oscar nominee, previously known for comedies like “Old School” and the “Hangover” trilogy, took the opportunity to explain why he’s “always been...
“I’ve gotten a little bit in trouble in the past for, you know, kind of saying, ‘Well, the movie’s not really a musical.’ And I, for the record, probably should be correcting that,” the director and co-writer told Terry Gross after the journalist pressed him on if he was a fan of the genre.
“It is, in fact, you know, it’s a movie with music in it where people sing, sometimes what they’re feeling — it’s the very definition of a musical,” he relented.
But the Oscar nominee, previously known for comedies like “Old School” and the “Hangover” trilogy, took the opportunity to explain why he’s “always been...
- 9/24/2024
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
Denzel Washington, one of the best actors of his generation, has been on a hot streak ever since he began acting in films in 1981. He had turned in dozens of great, memorable performances, typically playing stalwart, principled, and confident characters; it's rare that you'll find Washington playing a sniveling, weak-willed man. His role in Antoine Fuqua's 2001 cop drama "Training Day" was an aberration for Washington, as his character, Detective Alonzo Harris, committed open acts of violent corruption. He was the villain of the piece and a man who needed to be taught a lesson by his rookie sidekick, the overwhelmed Jake Hoyt, played by Ethan Hawke.
Despite his villainy, however, Alonzo was also a principled character who believed his violent corruption was ultimately an effective tool against his city's criminal underworld. "They build jails because of me," he says at one point. "Judges have handed out over 15,000 man-years of...
Despite his villainy, however, Alonzo was also a principled character who believed his violent corruption was ultimately an effective tool against his city's criminal underworld. "They build jails because of me," he says at one point. "Judges have handed out over 15,000 man-years of...
- 9/22/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Not all actors enjoy watching themselves on-screen — Adam Driver famously walked out of an interview with NPR's Terry Gross when she played a clip of one of his scenes from "Marriage Story," to present the most extreme example. Apparently, Mayim Bialik also hates watching her own performances, and that includes her nine-season run on the hit CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory."
Bialik talked to The Metro UK in June 2020 — roughly one year after "The Big Bang Theory" concluded after 12 seasons — about her career and made a surprising admission: she's watched very little of the show that revived her career. "I've never seen most of the episodes," Bialik revealed. "I don't watch myself on television. I've never sat and watched an episode of our show, ever."
Obviously, Bialik isn't being entirely literal here; during the filming process, she ended up watching scenes that featured her. What the actress meant...
Bialik talked to The Metro UK in June 2020 — roughly one year after "The Big Bang Theory" concluded after 12 seasons — about her career and made a surprising admission: she's watched very little of the show that revived her career. "I've never seen most of the episodes," Bialik revealed. "I don't watch myself on television. I've never sat and watched an episode of our show, ever."
Obviously, Bialik isn't being entirely literal here; during the filming process, she ended up watching scenes that featured her. What the actress meant...
- 8/25/2024
- by Nina Starner
- Slash Film
You wouldn’t think an episode of NPR’s Fresh Air would be the place for Nikki Glaser to get real about sex and comedy, but here we are. Blame the spicy, salacious interview style of Terry Gross, who wanted to know how sex and Glaser’s own body become the focus of so much of her comedy. The answer? Write about what terrifies you.
“Sex was always the scariest thing to me,” Glazer confessed. “It was always the most interesting thing.”
Part of that fear stems from being a late bloomer, at least as Glaser defines the term. She didn’t kiss a boy until she was 18; she was a virgin until she was 21. Discomfort with her body made her scared of men and sex and, like many stand-up comics, Glaser mined her shame for material.
“When I started doing stand-up, (I) was attracted to those kinds of unspeakable...
“Sex was always the scariest thing to me,” Glazer confessed. “It was always the most interesting thing.”
Part of that fear stems from being a late bloomer, at least as Glaser defines the term. She didn’t kiss a boy until she was 18; she was a virgin until she was 21. Discomfort with her body made her scared of men and sex and, like many stand-up comics, Glaser mined her shame for material.
“When I started doing stand-up, (I) was attracted to those kinds of unspeakable...
- 7/30/2024
- Cracked
Robert Redford had a dream-like Hollywood run before his retirement in 2018. He had a celebrated acting and directing career and was showered with several prestigious accolades. The Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor is also renowned for founding the Sundance Film Festival.
While it can be undoubtedly said that Robert Redford’s career will always be a dream for many, the War Hunt actor almost lost it all in his childhood. The former actor, who is mostly known to keep his personal life private shared one of the darkest moments in his life- when he had polio at 11.
Robert Redford in Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Marvel Studios
For those who are well-acquainted with Robert Redford’s past, the actor has a harrowing backstory. Sadly, life was never very kind to him on the personal front. From losing loved ones to finding himself in numerous near-death experiences, the 87-year-old saw it all.
While it can be undoubtedly said that Robert Redford’s career will always be a dream for many, the War Hunt actor almost lost it all in his childhood. The former actor, who is mostly known to keep his personal life private shared one of the darkest moments in his life- when he had polio at 11.
Robert Redford in Captain America: The Winter Soldier | Marvel Studios
For those who are well-acquainted with Robert Redford’s past, the actor has a harrowing backstory. Sadly, life was never very kind to him on the personal front. From losing loved ones to finding himself in numerous near-death experiences, the 87-year-old saw it all.
- 7/15/2024
- by Subham Mandal
- FandomWire
Fresh Air radio co-host Tonya Mosley is set to launch the She Has a Name podcast next month, about a young Detroit mother lost amid that city’s economic collapse and crack cocaine epidemic.
The 10-part documentary podcast from Apm Studios will kick off March 28. Mosley, who grew up in Detroit in the 1980s and ’90s and is now co-host of Fresh Air With Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, is joined by her nephew, Antonio Wiley, to tell a story of family disconnection and healing.
The origins of the podcast, which blends investigative journalism and memoir, came in 1987 when Detroit firefighters discovered the remains of an unidentified young woman in a vacant house deliberately set on fire.
Buried in a cemetery as “Unknown Woman 1987,” it took a DNA program 30 years later to identify the young woman’s remains as those of Anita — the mother of Antonio Wiley and the sister...
The 10-part documentary podcast from Apm Studios will kick off March 28. Mosley, who grew up in Detroit in the 1980s and ’90s and is now co-host of Fresh Air With Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, is joined by her nephew, Antonio Wiley, to tell a story of family disconnection and healing.
The origins of the podcast, which blends investigative journalism and memoir, came in 1987 when Detroit firefighters discovered the remains of an unidentified young woman in a vacant house deliberately set on fire.
Buried in a cemetery as “Unknown Woman 1987,” it took a DNA program 30 years later to identify the young woman’s remains as those of Anita — the mother of Antonio Wiley and the sister...
- 2/15/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As played by Zach Woods, who’s made a career specializing in awkward, alarmingly pasty nerds, NPR host Lauren Caspian is the type of tote-bag-carrying, kombucha-swigging, self-described sapiosexual that any other show might mock by having him drop a particularly overexposed Hamilton quote. On Peacock’s In the Know, though, a simple “Immigrants, we get the job done” doesn’t cut it.
No, this comedy reaches instead for a deep-cut reference to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s West Wing rap, and sprinkles in throwaway details about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s autobiography or Lin-Manuel Miranda interviewing himself at the New Yorker Festival for good measure. They’re jokes precise enough that they feel like they could only be coming from inside the house, from people who know and love this world quite well. And while it takes In the Know a few episodes to come fully into its own, that combination of specificity and...
No, this comedy reaches instead for a deep-cut reference to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s West Wing rap, and sprinkles in throwaway details about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s autobiography or Lin-Manuel Miranda interviewing himself at the New Yorker Festival for good measure. They’re jokes precise enough that they feel like they could only be coming from inside the house, from people who know and love this world quite well. And while it takes In the Know a few episodes to come fully into its own, that combination of specificity and...
- 1/24/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Within Barbra Streisand, there exists two personalities: one that is the legendary entertainer who’s confident, precise and ready to take charge — and another who’ll as soon concede that nothing she’s put out in the world is any good.
That “two different sides of personality,” she admitted, might be reason enough to revisit therapy.
“God, I have to go back to therapy, I think! But I’m not that interested in myself again, so,” she said, humorously speaking with NPR host Terry Gross on a Nov. 8 episode of “Fresh Air.”
“I love being interested in my grandchildren,” the 81-year-old concluded.
Streisand got particularly introspective on the matter while speaking with Gross, reflecting on her tough-love, overly critical mother and her “emotionally abusive” stepfather’s possible impact on her own self-worth.
“I don’t have a swelled head, my mother didn’t have to worry — I never got that swelled head.
That “two different sides of personality,” she admitted, might be reason enough to revisit therapy.
“God, I have to go back to therapy, I think! But I’m not that interested in myself again, so,” she said, humorously speaking with NPR host Terry Gross on a Nov. 8 episode of “Fresh Air.”
“I love being interested in my grandchildren,” the 81-year-old concluded.
Streisand got particularly introspective on the matter while speaking with Gross, reflecting on her tough-love, overly critical mother and her “emotionally abusive” stepfather’s possible impact on her own self-worth.
“I don’t have a swelled head, my mother didn’t have to worry — I never got that swelled head.
- 11/15/2023
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
Shattering The System investigates a variety of crimes and the systems and structures that make them possible. Hosted by pioneering audio journalist Sonari Glinton, the series looks into the true crimes of our day to tell the stories and dig into the issues that affect us all.
Sonari Glinton has covered everything from corruption at Cook County’s Juvenile Jail to the ascent of Barack Obama to breaking the Volkswagen diesel scandal. He’s produced segments for This American Life, directed NPR’s All Things Considered, reported for NPR’s business and politics desks and guest hosted the ground-breaking podcast Planet Money and Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
In 2004, he co-created The Rundown, one of the first and longest-running daily news podcasts. Whether he’s organizing his colleagues in public media, working with youth journalists from Yr Media, or co-creating virtual camp for teens, Sonari has shown his commitment to...
Sonari Glinton has covered everything from corruption at Cook County’s Juvenile Jail to the ascent of Barack Obama to breaking the Volkswagen diesel scandal. He’s produced segments for This American Life, directed NPR’s All Things Considered, reported for NPR’s business and politics desks and guest hosted the ground-breaking podcast Planet Money and Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
In 2004, he co-created The Rundown, one of the first and longest-running daily news podcasts. Whether he’s organizing his colleagues in public media, working with youth journalists from Yr Media, or co-creating virtual camp for teens, Sonari has shown his commitment to...
- 7/27/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Gwar know their own legend. When the self-professed Scumdogs of the Universe dipped through NPR for a Tiny Desk Concert recently, frontman Blöthar the Berserker admitted, “Let’s face it, Gwar’s a little bit lowbrow … sub-brow maybe.” But nevertheless, they performed a four-song, 20-minute set of their special brand of intergalactic dreck for the highbrow, nonprofit news network.
Although they abstained from their usual antics — celebrity murders, spraying everyone with fake semen — the costumed headbangers still brought along beloved maestro Willhelm Fartwrangler to conduct “Sex Cow in G-flat Minor,...
Although they abstained from their usual antics — celebrity murders, spraying everyone with fake semen — the costumed headbangers still brought along beloved maestro Willhelm Fartwrangler to conduct “Sex Cow in G-flat Minor,...
- 7/17/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
[This story contains spoilers from the Succession series finale, “With Open Eyes.”]
Since the Succession series finale released last weekend, creator Jesse Armstrong has only briefly weighed in on the tragic ending he delivered for the Roy family saga.
Speaking after the May 28 episode in HBO’s featurette, Armstrong said Roman (Kieran Culkin) ended in a “reductive, brutal way” as he drinks at a bar; Shiv (Sarah Snook) in a “terrifying, frozen, emotionally barren place” as the wife of newly named Waystar Royco CEO Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and for Kendall (Jeremy Strong), “This will never stop being the central event of his life, central days of his life, central couple years of his life. Maybe he could go on and start a company or do a thing, but the chances of him achieving the sort of corporate status that his dad achieved are very low, and I think that will mark at his whole life.”
He...
Since the Succession series finale released last weekend, creator Jesse Armstrong has only briefly weighed in on the tragic ending he delivered for the Roy family saga.
Speaking after the May 28 episode in HBO’s featurette, Armstrong said Roman (Kieran Culkin) ended in a “reductive, brutal way” as he drinks at a bar; Shiv (Sarah Snook) in a “terrifying, frozen, emotionally barren place” as the wife of newly named Waystar Royco CEO Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and for Kendall (Jeremy Strong), “This will never stop being the central event of his life, central days of his life, central couple years of his life. Maybe he could go on and start a company or do a thing, but the chances of him achieving the sort of corporate status that his dad achieved are very low, and I think that will mark at his whole life.”
He...
- 6/5/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: This review contains spoilers from “With Open Eyes,” the series finale of HBO’s “Succession,” now streaming on Max.
“Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong admitted in a new interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air” that he was “terrified” when Jeremy Strong spontaneously tried to jump into the Hudson River while filming Kendall Roy’s final scene on the Emmy-winning HBO drama series. Strong revealed the tidbit in a Vanity Fair interview published after the “Succession” series finale aired on May 29.
“I was terrified. I was terrified that he might fall in and be injured,” Armstrong said. “He didn’t look like he was going to jump in. But once he climbed over that barrier, when you film, there are generally a lot of health and safety assessments made, and that was not our plan that day.”
“If we’d even been thinking of that happening, we would have had...
“Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong admitted in a new interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air” that he was “terrified” when Jeremy Strong spontaneously tried to jump into the Hudson River while filming Kendall Roy’s final scene on the Emmy-winning HBO drama series. Strong revealed the tidbit in a Vanity Fair interview published after the “Succession” series finale aired on May 29.
“I was terrified. I was terrified that he might fall in and be injured,” Armstrong said. “He didn’t look like he was going to jump in. But once he climbed over that barrier, when you film, there are generally a lot of health and safety assessments made, and that was not our plan that day.”
“If we’d even been thinking of that happening, we would have had...
- 6/5/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
In a new interview with NPR host Terry Gross, “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong said his take on the show’s final image of Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) and Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) barely holding hands was a sign of their “terrifying equality.”
When asked about the shot, the ever-modest Armstrong said, “Everyone has their own view, and I can tell you mine, which is that for me it was a moment of equality. Chilly, rather terrifying equality, but equality, which has never been the case in that relationship before.”
As written by Armstrong – the “Succession” creator and a five-time Emmy winner – the finale reveals Tom as the new Waystar Royco CEO, a role he secures when Shiv stabs her brother Kendall (Jeremy Strong) in the back at the last moment, thus sabotaging his own attempt to lead.
“Tom has always been subservient. Now he has this status, but his status is contingent.
When asked about the shot, the ever-modest Armstrong said, “Everyone has their own view, and I can tell you mine, which is that for me it was a moment of equality. Chilly, rather terrifying equality, but equality, which has never been the case in that relationship before.”
As written by Armstrong – the “Succession” creator and a five-time Emmy winner – the finale reveals Tom as the new Waystar Royco CEO, a role he secures when Shiv stabs her brother Kendall (Jeremy Strong) in the back at the last moment, thus sabotaging his own attempt to lead.
“Tom has always been subservient. Now he has this status, but his status is contingent.
- 6/5/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
This post contains minor spoilers for the premiere of "White House Plumbers."
HBO's newest miniseries "White House Plumbers" introduces us to G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), a pretty strange guy. Before co-protagonist Howard Hunt meets him, he's told an anecdote about the man: "[Liddy] has a thing that he does to prove his commitment. He'll hold his hand in the flame of a candle... He gets third-degree burns every time. Never flinches."
Even mere first-degree burns are incredibly painful, so it's easy to see how this can be interpreted as a pretty badass move on Liddy's part. Talking about it in his 1976 autobiography "Will," Liddy even gave readers an example of how he used this technique to win the trust of a potential candidate for his and Hunt's escapades, a woman named Sherry Stevens:
"I told her to light her cigarette lighter and hold it out. She did and I locked...
HBO's newest miniseries "White House Plumbers" introduces us to G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), a pretty strange guy. Before co-protagonist Howard Hunt meets him, he's told an anecdote about the man: "[Liddy] has a thing that he does to prove his commitment. He'll hold his hand in the flame of a candle... He gets third-degree burns every time. Never flinches."
Even mere first-degree burns are incredibly painful, so it's easy to see how this can be interpreted as a pretty badass move on Liddy's part. Talking about it in his 1976 autobiography "Will," Liddy even gave readers an example of how he used this technique to win the trust of a potential candidate for his and Hunt's escapades, a woman named Sherry Stevens:
"I told her to light her cigarette lighter and hold it out. She did and I locked...
- 5/1/2023
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Michael Lerner, the busy Oscar-nominated character actor who had memorable turns as bombastic types in Barton Fink, Harlem Nights, Eight Men Out and so much more, has died. He was 81.
Lerner died Saturday night, according to an Instagram post from his nephew, Sam Lerner, who is also an actor (ABC’s The Goldbergs). The cause of death was not immediately known.
“It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me,” Sam wrote. “His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special. Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sam Lerner (@samlerner)
Raised in a Brooklyn housing project as...
Lerner died Saturday night, according to an Instagram post from his nephew, Sam Lerner, who is also an actor (ABC’s The Goldbergs). The cause of death was not immediately known.
“It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me,” Sam wrote. “His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special. Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sam Lerner (@samlerner)
Raised in a Brooklyn housing project as...
- 4/9/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When John Lennon‘s first wife, Cynthia, heard their son, Julian Lennon, sing for the first time following John’s 1980 murder, she had to do a double take. She wasn’t alone. Fans worldwide were stunned when they heard the Beatle’s son sing.
Julian Lennon | Bettmann/Getty Images John Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, was stunned when she heard her son, Julian Lennon, sing
Cynthia Lennon was John’s first wife from 1962 to 1968. She knew John before The Beatles were swept up in fame and experienced the most hectic moments of the band’s popularity. So, she got to see many of the behind-the-scenes moments of one of the most important bands in history.
Her marriage crumbled in the late 1960s after John started his affair with Yoko Ono. However, she never stopped loving the musician. While he started a new life and solo career in the 1970s, she...
Julian Lennon | Bettmann/Getty Images John Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, was stunned when she heard her son, Julian Lennon, sing
Cynthia Lennon was John’s first wife from 1962 to 1968. She knew John before The Beatles were swept up in fame and experienced the most hectic moments of the band’s popularity. So, she got to see many of the behind-the-scenes moments of one of the most important bands in history.
Her marriage crumbled in the late 1960s after John started his affair with Yoko Ono. However, she never stopped loving the musician. While he started a new life and solo career in the 1970s, she...
- 4/6/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
NBC’s Today, the morning news show that launched more than 70 years ago, has received this year’s Peabody Institutional Award, the group said Wednesday.
The honor, voted on by the Peabody Board of Jurors, recognizes “institutions and organizations, as well as series and programs, for their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.”
The NBC News program joins recent winners of the Institutional Award including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Ava DuVernay’s Array, The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, Sesame Street, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Kartemquin Films, Frontline and Itvs.
Today, which premiered on January 14, 1952, currently features a lineup led by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Carson Daly on the main telecast, with additional hours including Jenna Bush Hager, Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones and with Willie Geist on Sundays.
“For nearly three quarters of a century,...
The honor, voted on by the Peabody Board of Jurors, recognizes “institutions and organizations, as well as series and programs, for their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.”
The NBC News program joins recent winners of the Institutional Award including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Ava DuVernay’s Array, The Simpsons, 60 Minutes, Sesame Street, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Kartemquin Films, Frontline and Itvs.
Today, which premiered on January 14, 1952, currently features a lineup led by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Carson Daly on the main telecast, with additional hours including Jenna Bush Hager, Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones and with Willie Geist on Sundays.
“For nearly three quarters of a century,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
While the exact origin of the trend cannot necessarily be pinpointed, something calcified in the popular consciousness with the release of Gary Ross' 2012 film "The Hunger Games." It seemed that archery was the hippest way for an action heroine to defend themselves.
In "The Hunger Games," Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen, an impoverished teenager living in a dystopian future carefully segregated by class. Katniss enlists in the titular Games, a televised fight to the death. Luckily, Katniss is skilled with a bow and is be able to defend herself from other teen attackers. Katniss became part of a cadre of pop culture archers that included Neytiri from "Avatar," Merida in "Brave," Mulan in "Mulan," Hanna in "Hanna," Ygritte in "Game of Thrones," Eva Green's character in "The Golden Compass," Bae Doona's character in "The Host," the 2005 version of Guinevere, and Hawkeye from "The Avengers." Also, one might loop...
In "The Hunger Games," Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen, an impoverished teenager living in a dystopian future carefully segregated by class. Katniss enlists in the titular Games, a televised fight to the death. Luckily, Katniss is skilled with a bow and is be able to defend herself from other teen attackers. Katniss became part of a cadre of pop culture archers that included Neytiri from "Avatar," Merida in "Brave," Mulan in "Mulan," Hanna in "Hanna," Ygritte in "Game of Thrones," Eva Green's character in "The Golden Compass," Bae Doona's character in "The Host," the 2005 version of Guinevere, and Hawkeye from "The Avengers." Also, one might loop...
- 4/1/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
It would be difficult to understate just how enormous "Rawhide" was when it debuted in 1959. Directories of TV ratings at the time revealed that "Rawhide" remained in the top 30 most-watched TV shows from its start through its fifth season, peaking at number 6 in its third. The show ran for eight years, and its theme song — performed by Frankie Laine — has been branded into the brains of anyone who has heard it. "Keep them doggies movin'" will cause many to break into song. Notably, one of the lyrics was "Don't try to understand 'em. Just rope an' throw an' brand 'em. Soon we'll be living high and wide." For those weaned on reruns in the 1980s, "Rawhide" was often discussed in hushed tones by the older generations.
"Rawhide" followed the many adventures of cattle ranchers in the Old West. It was a working-class show about the salt-of-the-earth cowboys that formed the American foundation.
"Rawhide" followed the many adventures of cattle ranchers in the Old West. It was a working-class show about the salt-of-the-earth cowboys that formed the American foundation.
- 2/22/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Western might be the quintessential American film genre, but it probably would've fallen completely out of favor in the 1960s were it not for Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone. With loads of ingenuity and not a lot of money (initially at least), Leone overhauled the increasingly staid formula, and knocked out a surprise international hit via "A Fistful of Dollars." Aside from Leone's striking widescreen compositions, there were two keys to the film's success: Clint Eastwood's taciturn portrayal of The Man with No Name and Ennio Morricone's bizarrely innovative score.
When Eastwood traveled to Spain in 1964 to shoot "A Fistful of Dollars," he was nearing the end of his run as cowboy Rowdy Yates on CBS' Western series "Rawhide." Despite the name, his character was a bit of a cliched bore, so teaming with the up-and-coming Leone far away from Hollywood gave Eastwood the opportunity to transform his...
When Eastwood traveled to Spain in 1964 to shoot "A Fistful of Dollars," he was nearing the end of his run as cowboy Rowdy Yates on CBS' Western series "Rawhide." Despite the name, his character was a bit of a cliched bore, so teaming with the up-and-coming Leone far away from Hollywood gave Eastwood the opportunity to transform his...
- 2/17/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The tone of Clint Eastwood's 2006 war film "Flags of Our Fathers" might be surprising. "Flags of Our Fathers" is a film extrapolated from the celebrated 1945 Joe Rosenthal photograph titled "Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima," taken at the eponymous battle, and featuring a group of American soldiers hoisting their nation's flag just after the carnage. The photograph also served as the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial, sculpted in 1954 and located in Arlington, Virginia. The screenplay was an adaptation of a book by James Bradley and Ron Powers, whose fathers are featured in the photograph, hence the title.
Ever since the days of "Twelve O'Clock High" in 1949, whenever American filmmakers make movies about American soldiers, they tend to be romanticized stories of survival and victory. Given the subject matter of "Flags of Our Fathers," one might presume that it, too, stands as a tale of honor and tenacity.
Ever since the days of "Twelve O'Clock High" in 1949, whenever American filmmakers make movies about American soldiers, they tend to be romanticized stories of survival and victory. Given the subject matter of "Flags of Our Fathers," one might presume that it, too, stands as a tale of honor and tenacity.
- 1/21/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Comedy king Mel Brooks has always pushed the envelope. He's been no stranger to controversy over the years, and a lot of his films have raised even more eyebrows in today's political climate than they did upon their release. But still, to this day, there isn't a single joke that Brooks would take back. In fact, he regrets not going even further.
Brooks' 1974 film "Blazing Saddles" examines race through a parody of classic Hollywood Westerns. Despite being a critique of racism, Brooks has argued that fear of political correctness would have censored the film if he had tried to make it today.
"We have become stupidly politically correct, which is the death of comedy," he explained to BBC Radio 4 (via Variety) back in 2017. "It's okay not to hurt feelings of various tribes and groups. However, it's not good for comedy. Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks.
Brooks' 1974 film "Blazing Saddles" examines race through a parody of classic Hollywood Westerns. Despite being a critique of racism, Brooks has argued that fear of political correctness would have censored the film if he had tried to make it today.
"We have become stupidly politically correct, which is the death of comedy," he explained to BBC Radio 4 (via Variety) back in 2017. "It's okay not to hurt feelings of various tribes and groups. However, it's not good for comedy. Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks.
- 1/8/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
In 2006, Clint Eastwood directed a pair of war dramas that stood as companion pieces. The first, "Flags of Our Fathers," based on the 2000 book by James Bradley and Ron Powers, was a contemplative and violent dramatization of the Battle of Iwo Jima, told from the perspective of the seven American soldiers who famously raised an American flag to signify their battlefield victory. The raising of the flag was captured on film by the Pulitzer-winning photographer Joe Rosenthal, and his picture served as the inspiration for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington DC. Eastwood's film climaxed with Rosenthal's taking of the picture.
"Flags of Our Fathers" was released on October 20, and its companion, "Letters from Iwo Jima" was released on December 20. "Letters" also detailed the events of the Battle of Iwo Jima, but from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers. Ken Watanabe gave an excellent performance as real-life General Tadamichi Kuribayashi,...
"Flags of Our Fathers" was released on October 20, and its companion, "Letters from Iwo Jima" was released on December 20. "Letters" also detailed the events of the Battle of Iwo Jima, but from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers. Ken Watanabe gave an excellent performance as real-life General Tadamichi Kuribayashi,...
- 12/29/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
By the time "Dirty Harry" came along, Clint Eastwood was already a movie star. So, it's fair to say that this film not only solidified his place in the Hollywood firmament but also crystallized his star persona. The role of Harry Callahan took someone who was already the embodiment of traditional toxic masculinity, and cranked that up to 11, captivating enough people to make it the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1971. "Dirty Harry" features so many things I find objectionable, yet I cannot say that the film isn't an entertaining watch. That is due in large part to Eastwood's performance, clearly enjoying playing a hard-ass cop who doesn't play by the rules.
While Eastwood and "Dirty Harry" are now inextricably linked thanks to the five-film franchise that it spawned (six if you count the unofficial spiritual sequel "Gran Torino"), he was not the first actor the studio looked to star in the film.
While Eastwood and "Dirty Harry" are now inextricably linked thanks to the five-film franchise that it spawned (six if you count the unofficial spiritual sequel "Gran Torino"), he was not the first actor the studio looked to star in the film.
- 12/29/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
The thing about being a fan of horror movies is that the more of them you see the less scary they become. The mind starts to desensitize itself to the jump scares and the gore so that what might be downright terrifying to the uninitiated ends up being only mildly frightening to a super fan. Recently, "Terrifier 2," the sequel to Damien Leone's 2016 splatter film about the homicidal Art the Clown, has been making headlines for its decision to really Go There with its gore. There have been reports of people passing out in theaters, seemingly unable to stomach the horrors on screen, and even horror fans with the strongest of stomachs have commented on the extreme brutality of this new film. Over the years, many horror films have disturbed audiences in similar, visceral ways, but only one paved the way for the future of gore: Tobe Hooper's 1974 masterpiece,...
- 10/19/2022
- by Miyako Pleines
- Slash Film
Emily Ratajkowski, the model and bestselling author of essay collection “My Body,” is ready to add “podcast host” to her resumé. “High Low with EmRata,” which Ratajkowski describes as “‘Call Her Daddy’ meets ‘Fresh Air,'” will launch Tuesday, November 1.
“I decided I wanted to write the book before I ever would even think about a podcast, but it’s sort of a natural progression for me,” the 31 year-old tells Variety exclusively. “I’m very excited about producing the show and doing it in my own way.”
Launching in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, “High Low with EmRata” will release two episodes a week plus a bonus episode for subscribers only. The two main episodes will consist of one guest interview and one “themed” episode that Ratajkowski describes as “a monologue” more in the vein of her essays. “I grew up listening to NPR and radio because we didn’t have television…...
“I decided I wanted to write the book before I ever would even think about a podcast, but it’s sort of a natural progression for me,” the 31 year-old tells Variety exclusively. “I’m very excited about producing the show and doing it in my own way.”
Launching in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, “High Low with EmRata” will release two episodes a week plus a bonus episode for subscribers only. The two main episodes will consist of one guest interview and one “themed” episode that Ratajkowski describes as “a monologue” more in the vein of her essays. “I grew up listening to NPR and radio because we didn’t have television…...
- 10/12/2022
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
The only other actor who has spent more time in a makeup chair than Doug Jones might possibly be his "Hellboy" co-star Ron Perlman. A look back at both actors' respective filmographies fids a litany of creatures and nonhuman characters that often require a lot of fur, tendrils, and other creative prosthetics. It's a credit to both men that they have been able to provide expressive and empathetic performances through enormous silicone headpieces and masks that often block out their hearing and vision.
Jones in particular so often plays creatures that it's a rare treat to see him without makeup. Jones currently plays the gentle Kelpien Capt. Saru in "Star Trek: Discovery," and has previous played a clown in "Batman Returns," kangaroo people in both "Tank Girl" and "Warriors of Virtue," a yeti in "Monkeybone," the Silver Surfer in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," and several notable creature...
Jones in particular so often plays creatures that it's a rare treat to see him without makeup. Jones currently plays the gentle Kelpien Capt. Saru in "Star Trek: Discovery," and has previous played a clown in "Batman Returns," kangaroo people in both "Tank Girl" and "Warriors of Virtue," a yeti in "Monkeybone," the Silver Surfer in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," and several notable creature...
- 9/26/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In moments of extreme duress, human beings are allegedly capable of amazing physical feats. This phenomenon is called "hysterical strength." There can be no accurate study of the condition because the surge of adrenaline (or possibly norepinephrine) is highly situational and momentary. So all we've got to go on are unverified stories of, say, a woman lifting a car that had fallen off its jacks to save her baby — an incredible event comic-book legend Jack Kirby claimed to have witnessed, which led to the creation of the Hulk.
Esteemed actor Edward Norton knows a thing or two about the Hulk. He also knows about bulking up for a role (the man got positively chiseled to play a skinhead in Tony Kaye's "American History X"). He is a fiercely committed performer who'll do whatever it takes to do what the screenplay and his director demands of him. But when it...
Esteemed actor Edward Norton knows a thing or two about the Hulk. He also knows about bulking up for a role (the man got positively chiseled to play a skinhead in Tony Kaye's "American History X"). He is a fiercely committed performer who'll do whatever it takes to do what the screenplay and his director demands of him. But when it...
- 9/4/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Stephen P. Neary, the creator of HBO Max animated series “The Fungies!,” tweeted a string of statements Thursday voicing his heartbreak over the show being pulled from the streaming service.
“Last night during a figure drawing class I found out that ‘The Fungies!’ was getting pulled from HBO Max this week. I’m heartbroken but I want to take this opportunity to thank all the amazing artists and production folks for their hard work on this sincere, fever dream of a show,” Neary’s initial tweet said.
The show first premiered on HBO Max in August 2020 following its initial series greenlight for Cartoon Network in 2019. It followed a prehistoric metropolis called Fungietown and its fungi-looking inhabitants, along with occasional appearances from dinosaurs. Voice cast for the series included Neary, Sam Richardson, Jennifer Coolidge, Terry Gross and more. It ran for three seasons, with its final season premiering last December.
Neary...
“Last night during a figure drawing class I found out that ‘The Fungies!’ was getting pulled from HBO Max this week. I’m heartbroken but I want to take this opportunity to thank all the amazing artists and production folks for their hard work on this sincere, fever dream of a show,” Neary’s initial tweet said.
The show first premiered on HBO Max in August 2020 following its initial series greenlight for Cartoon Network in 2019. It followed a prehistoric metropolis called Fungietown and its fungi-looking inhabitants, along with occasional appearances from dinosaurs. Voice cast for the series included Neary, Sam Richardson, Jennifer Coolidge, Terry Gross and more. It ran for three seasons, with its final season premiering last December.
Neary...
- 8/18/2022
- by EJ Panaligan
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen P. Neary, creator of animated series The Fungies!, has slammed HBO Max for pulling his Jennifer Coolidge-voiced show from the service.
The Fungies! is among 30 titles that are set to be removed from the streamer as Warner Bros. Discovery continues its cost-cutting measures and ahead of the merger of the HBO Max and Discovery+ services next year.
Neary took aim for a lack of promotion for his “fever dream of a show” and also highlighted the fact that he and his team worked hard through the pandemic to ensure that it could air.
Neary, who has also worked on Cartoon Network’s Clarence and as a story artist on animated feature films including Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Rio, said on Twitter: “Last night during a figure drawing class I found out that The Fungies! was getting pulled from HBO Max this week. I’m heartbroken...
The Fungies! is among 30 titles that are set to be removed from the streamer as Warner Bros. Discovery continues its cost-cutting measures and ahead of the merger of the HBO Max and Discovery+ services next year.
Neary took aim for a lack of promotion for his “fever dream of a show” and also highlighted the fact that he and his team worked hard through the pandemic to ensure that it could air.
Neary, who has also worked on Cartoon Network’s Clarence and as a story artist on animated feature films including Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Rio, said on Twitter: “Last night during a figure drawing class I found out that The Fungies! was getting pulled from HBO Max this week. I’m heartbroken...
- 8/18/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
After wrapping an interview with Terry Gross for her NPR radio series Fresh Air in September, B.J. Novak surprised the iconic interviewer with an offer.
“I said, ‘Hey, I have a role for you,’ and she was so confused and surprised,” Novak tells THR‘s Kim Masters on a new episode of Kcrw’s The Business.
The multihyphenate wanted Gross for his new film, Vengeance, which he wrote, directed and stars in as a radio host from New York who travels to the South and winds up investigating the murder of a former fling. Issa Rae plays his character’s producer, and Novak zeroed in on Gross to portray the “queen bee” of the radio enterprise.
“It’s someone we only hear as a voice, and it’s a huge deal to my character when she calls and likes what he’s working on,...
After wrapping an interview with Terry Gross for her NPR radio series Fresh Air in September, B.J. Novak surprised the iconic interviewer with an offer.
“I said, ‘Hey, I have a role for you,’ and she was so confused and surprised,” Novak tells THR‘s Kim Masters on a new episode of Kcrw’s The Business.
The multihyphenate wanted Gross for his new film, Vengeance, which he wrote, directed and stars in as a radio host from New York who travels to the South and winds up investigating the murder of a former fling. Issa Rae plays his character’s producer, and Novak zeroed in on Gross to portray the “queen bee” of the radio enterprise.
“It’s someone we only hear as a voice, and it’s a huge deal to my character when she calls and likes what he’s working on,...
- 7/24/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Ghostbusters" is a classic. This 1984 film is one of my all-time favorites and I quote it to an annoying degree. My only solace is that you likely do the same. With the recent film "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" bringing back the classic characters (even Harold Ramis' Egon Spengler as a ghost), many fans are taking a look into the past to do a rewatch of the first film.
But the first film could have looked very different from the one we all fell in love with. Ramis, who wrote the "Ghostbusters" script with Dan Aykroyd, did an interview with NPR's Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" back in...
The post Ghostbusters' Script Was Saved By A Major Change From Harold Ramis appeared first on /Film.
But the first film could have looked very different from the one we all fell in love with. Ramis, who wrote the "Ghostbusters" script with Dan Aykroyd, did an interview with NPR's Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" back in...
The post Ghostbusters' Script Was Saved By A Major Change From Harold Ramis appeared first on /Film.
- 6/16/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Updated with final winners: The Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul, Bo Burnham’s Emmy-winning musical comedy special Inside, Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad and Raoul Peck’s Exterminate All the Brutes are among the final list of winners of 2022 Peabody Awards.
The Peabodys, in their 82nd year, honor the year’s most powerful content across the fields of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, and public service programming. The organization based at the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia wrapped up a a weeklong rollout of all 30 winners Thursday.
This year’s awards were presented by the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Morgan Freeman, John Legend, Kevin Bacon, H.E.R., Ethan Hawke, Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Riz Ahmed, LeVar Burton, Jenny Slate, Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Scott.
Newsman Dan Rather and Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross have already won this year’s Career Achievement Award and Institutional Award,...
The Peabodys, in their 82nd year, honor the year’s most powerful content across the fields of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, and public service programming. The organization based at the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia wrapped up a a weeklong rollout of all 30 winners Thursday.
This year’s awards were presented by the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Morgan Freeman, John Legend, Kevin Bacon, H.E.R., Ethan Hawke, Jon Stewart, Hasan Minhaj, Riz Ahmed, LeVar Burton, Jenny Slate, Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Scott.
Newsman Dan Rather and Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross have already won this year’s Career Achievement Award and Institutional Award,...
- 6/9/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Terry Gross, the host of NPR’s longrunning radio series Fresh Air, has won the Peabody’s Institutional Award, an honor presented by Stephen Colbert.
Described by Colbert as “part conversationalist, part therapist and part oral historian” (watch the video above), Gross, along with the Fresh Air team, were presented the award that recognizes institutions and organizations, as well as series and programs, for “their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.”
Fresh Air, which originated from Whyy in Philadelphia and broadcasts daily through NPR, is specifically being recognized for its “rich conversation for over 35 years, becoming the indispensable place for listeners to engage with many of the most beloved artists who have shaped society over the last century.”
“Gross possesses what musicians often call ‘big ears’ – a habit of being deeply immersed in the play of the conversation at hand through acute listening,...
Described by Colbert as “part conversationalist, part therapist and part oral historian” (watch the video above), Gross, along with the Fresh Air team, were presented the award that recognizes institutions and organizations, as well as series and programs, for “their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.”
Fresh Air, which originated from Whyy in Philadelphia and broadcasts daily through NPR, is specifically being recognized for its “rich conversation for over 35 years, becoming the indispensable place for listeners to engage with many of the most beloved artists who have shaped society over the last century.”
“Gross possesses what musicians often call ‘big ears’ – a habit of being deeply immersed in the play of the conversation at hand through acute listening,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Moving through the lobby of a posh Santa Monica hotel one May afternoon, Jerrod Carmichael is not so much walking as strutting. Tall and slender, he’s wearing a black cashmere sweater, matching pants, loafers, an Afro pick, and an outsize smile. And then there’s the brooch: Stunning gold. Cursive font. The letter R. “I love it so much,” Carmichael says, gazing down to admire the pin. It was a gift from a friend a few weeks ago, for Carmichael’s 35th birthday. Ever since, he’s been “building outfits around it.
- 5/17/2022
- by Dan Hyman
- Rollingstone.com
At times, nothing is as gratifying to watch as a movie about obsession that lures you into sharing the obsession. “Fire of Love,” one of the movies that are opening the Sundance Film Festival tonight, is a documentary about an unassuming French couple, Maurice and Katia Krafft, who became the world’s most ardent volcanologists. Starting in 1966, when they met, and over the next 25 years, the two traveled to as many active volcanos as they could find, from Zaire to Colombia to Iceland to America to Japan — and when I say active, I don’t mean wisps of smoke billowing out of the crater. The Kraffts got as close as possible to the danger and spectacle of these seismic tectonic eruptions from the depths of the earth. They stood right next to gleaming rivers of lava, to massive showers of hot rocks, and recorded it all, leaving a filmed and...
- 1/21/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen Sondheim, the legendary Broadway songwriter, has died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 91, according to The New York Times. The prolific composer and lyricist was the creative force behind some 20 musicals starting in 1954 — including West Side Story (lyrics), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and more — as well as numerous film and TV projects, from adaptations of his Broadway hits to original songs for movies such as Dick Tracy and The Birdcage. Over his remarkable, seven-decade career,...
- 11/27/2021
- by Maria Fontoura
- Rollingstone.com
[This post originally appeared as part of Recommendation Machine, IndieWire’s daily TV picks feature.]
Where to Watch ‘The Fungies!’: HBO Max
It’s not easy to describe what exactly the Fungies are. The theme song for the animated HBO Max Original presents them as “prehistoric fungi,” though de facto main character Seth (voiced by Harry Teitelman) is basically shaded like a tomato and the inhabitants of bustling Fungietown live in giant mushroom buildings, so everything in this world follows a kind of internal children’s-show logic. Whatever adjectives you choose to use, that character design serves as the first and main draw of “The Fungies!”
Most of the creatures of “The Fungies!” function somewhere between Potato Head, putty, and whatever’s in a lava lamp. Normal day-to-day life involves detaching and rearranging limbs, getting smushed together as component parts of giant innovative apparatuses, and in the case of Seth’s siblings The Twins, existing as modular halves of a single whole.
Where to Watch ‘The Fungies!’: HBO Max
It’s not easy to describe what exactly the Fungies are. The theme song for the animated HBO Max Original presents them as “prehistoric fungi,” though de facto main character Seth (voiced by Harry Teitelman) is basically shaded like a tomato and the inhabitants of bustling Fungietown live in giant mushroom buildings, so everything in this world follows a kind of internal children’s-show logic. Whatever adjectives you choose to use, that character design serves as the first and main draw of “The Fungies!”
Most of the creatures of “The Fungies!” function somewhere between Potato Head, putty, and whatever’s in a lava lamp. Normal day-to-day life involves detaching and rearranging limbs, getting smushed together as component parts of giant innovative apparatuses, and in the case of Seth’s siblings The Twins, existing as modular halves of a single whole.
- 10/12/2021
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Starz announced that “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” will premiere on July 18.
Set in ’90s South Jamaica, Queens and serving as a prequel to the original Power franchise, the series stars Patina Miller, Mekai Curtis, Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$, Tony Sandeman, Shanley Caswell, Lovie Simone and Quincy Brown.
Creator and showrunner Sascha Penn executive produces alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Courtney A. Kemp, Mark Canton, Chris Selak, Danielle De Jesus, Shana Stein and Bart Wenrich.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates
ABC announced that the special tribute episode of “General Hospital,” which will celebrate actor John Reilly, will air on May 21. The episode features “General Hospital” fan-favorites Kristina Wagner, John J. York, Finola Hughes, Genie Francis and Jon Lindstrom reprising their respective roles as Felicia Scorpio, Malcolm “Mac” Scorpio, Anna Devane, Laura Collins and Kevin Collins. While mourning the death of World Security...
Set in ’90s South Jamaica, Queens and serving as a prequel to the original Power franchise, the series stars Patina Miller, Mekai Curtis, Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$, Tony Sandeman, Shanley Caswell, Lovie Simone and Quincy Brown.
Creator and showrunner Sascha Penn executive produces alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Courtney A. Kemp, Mark Canton, Chris Selak, Danielle De Jesus, Shana Stein and Bart Wenrich.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
Dates
ABC announced that the special tribute episode of “General Hospital,” which will celebrate actor John Reilly, will air on May 21. The episode features “General Hospital” fan-favorites Kristina Wagner, John J. York, Finola Hughes, Genie Francis and Jon Lindstrom reprising their respective roles as Felicia Scorpio, Malcolm “Mac” Scorpio, Anna Devane, Laura Collins and Kevin Collins. While mourning the death of World Security...
- 4/26/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Carl Reiner, actor, writer, director and one of the defining comedic talents of the 20th century, has died, Variety reports. He was 98.
Reiner’s assistant, Judy Nagy, confirmed his death. She said he died of natural causes on Monday night at his home in Beverly Hills. Reiner’s son, the actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner, posted on Twitter: “Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.”
Reiner was a comedy stalwart for nearly seven decades, a ceaseless worker who...
Reiner’s assistant, Judy Nagy, confirmed his death. She said he died of natural causes on Monday night at his home in Beverly Hills. Reiner’s son, the actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner, posted on Twitter: “Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.”
Reiner was a comedy stalwart for nearly seven decades, a ceaseless worker who...
- 6/30/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Irresistible takes place in Rural America, Heartland USA. Seriously, that’s the insert title placed over a small Wisconsin town where farmer Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) becomes a viral sensation after criticizing his local government’s voter ID law. It’s also the kind of generic Americana imagery sold to us every two years by an endless barrage of political campaign ads, a fact writer-director Jon Stewart aims to deconstruct in this parable about red states and blue states, and Cooper’s country mouse meeting a particularly desperate city one—elite Democrat strategist Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell).
As Stewart’s second film after Rosewater, which was an ambitious biopic about a tortured journalist in Iran, Irresistible feels like it should be a return to familiar territory, one that’s in the same direction as his 16-year stint on The Daily Show. There he was acerbic but approachable, intellectually rigorous in...
As Stewart’s second film after Rosewater, which was an ambitious biopic about a tortured journalist in Iran, Irresistible feels like it should be a return to familiar territory, one that’s in the same direction as his 16-year stint on The Daily Show. There he was acerbic but approachable, intellectually rigorous in...
- 6/23/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
President Trump has demonstrated on several occasions that he views the coronavirus pandemic not through the lens of keeping Americans safe, but of how it will impact his re-election chances. He all but said as much last week, telling reporters that he’d rather keep passengers on a Grand Princess cruise ship who tested positive out of America because “he likes the numbers being where they are.”
The same day, Dan Diamond of Politico reported on how Trump has “undermined his administration’s own efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak...
The same day, Dan Diamond of Politico reported on how Trump has “undermined his administration’s own efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak...
- 3/13/2020
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
The family of a victim in the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises are outraged over Joker director Todd Phillip’s “flippant” remarks about their concerns.
Since opening, Joker has gone on to gross over $1 billion, and has landed its star Joaquin Phoenix at the front of the Oscar race for Best Actor. But the dark thriller has also stirred controversy for its violent storyline and centering on a villain.
When Phillips addressed the backlash on a recent episode of NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast with Terry Gross, the director said people just like to be outraged.
Since opening, Joker has gone on to gross over $1 billion, and has landed its star Joaquin Phoenix at the front of the Oscar race for Best Actor. But the dark thriller has also stirred controversy for its violent storyline and centering on a villain.
When Phillips addressed the backlash on a recent episode of NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast with Terry Gross, the director said people just like to be outraged.
- 1/10/2020
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
The fomenting discussion around the depiction of gun violence in “Joker” and whether the revisionist DC origin story celebrates it or not isn’t going away anytime soon. Especially as we inch closer and closer to the Academy Awards nominations announcement, bright and early this coming Monday, January 13.
Following in the footsteps of the surviving families who spoke out last year when the film was released theatrically, parents of a victim of the 2012 Aurora shooting — where 12 lives were lost at a Colorado movie theater screening “The Dark Knight Rises” — have spoken out against “Joker” director Todd Phillips and distributor Warner Bros. in an open letter published Tuesday (shared by Yahoo!), Sandy and Lonnie Phillips expressed concern over Todd Phillips’ (no relation) “flippant” remarks regarding his film’s portrayal of violence as he recently told Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” The full letter, which arrived via Twitter, is embedded below.
Following in the footsteps of the surviving families who spoke out last year when the film was released theatrically, parents of a victim of the 2012 Aurora shooting — where 12 lives were lost at a Colorado movie theater screening “The Dark Knight Rises” — have spoken out against “Joker” director Todd Phillips and distributor Warner Bros. in an open letter published Tuesday (shared by Yahoo!), Sandy and Lonnie Phillips expressed concern over Todd Phillips’ (no relation) “flippant” remarks regarding his film’s portrayal of violence as he recently told Terry Gross on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” The full letter, which arrived via Twitter, is embedded below.
- 1/9/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Actor reportedly walked out of NPR’s Fresh Air rather than sit through a clip of himself singing a song from movie
Adam Driver really does not like to listen to the sound of his own voice. In the middle of an interview on the NPR program Fresh Air earlier this month, the actor reportedly walked out rather than sitting through a clip of himself singing a song from the recent movie Marriage Story.
Driver, who also appears in the new Star Wars film, left the New York studio abruptly during a remote interview with the show’s longtime host Terry Gross, Fresh Air’s executive producer Danny Miller confirmed to the Daily Beast. The producers of the show were aware that Driver preferred not to listen to or watch his own work – he told Gross as much in a previous interview – and said they encouraged him to remove his headphones,...
Adam Driver really does not like to listen to the sound of his own voice. In the middle of an interview on the NPR program Fresh Air earlier this month, the actor reportedly walked out rather than sitting through a clip of himself singing a song from the recent movie Marriage Story.
Driver, who also appears in the new Star Wars film, left the New York studio abruptly during a remote interview with the show’s longtime host Terry Gross, Fresh Air’s executive producer Danny Miller confirmed to the Daily Beast. The producers of the show were aware that Driver preferred not to listen to or watch his own work – he told Gross as much in a previous interview – and said they encouraged him to remove his headphones,...
- 12/18/2019
- by Luke O'Neil
- The Guardian - Film News
“Marriage Story” actor Adam Driver walked out of a taping of NPR’s “Fresh Air” with host Terry Gross earlier this month after a clip of him singing from the Netflix film was played during his interview.
“We don’t really understand why he left,” the program’s executive producer Danny Miller said in a statement. “We were looking forward to the interview — Terry thinks he’s a terrific actor, he was a great guest when he was on (“Fresh Air”) in 2015 — so we were disappointed that we didn’t have a new interview to share with our listeners about ‘Marriage Story.'”
The clip that was played comes late in the Netflix movie when Driver’s character sings Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive” in a karaoke bar.
Also Read: 'Marriage Story,' 'Chernobyl' Lead 2020 Golden Globes Nominations
Ironically, Driver had told “Fresh Air” about his apprehension hearing himself back in 2015. “Yeah,...
“We don’t really understand why he left,” the program’s executive producer Danny Miller said in a statement. “We were looking forward to the interview — Terry thinks he’s a terrific actor, he was a great guest when he was on (“Fresh Air”) in 2015 — so we were disappointed that we didn’t have a new interview to share with our listeners about ‘Marriage Story.'”
The clip that was played comes late in the Netflix movie when Driver’s character sings Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive” in a karaoke bar.
Also Read: 'Marriage Story,' 'Chernobyl' Lead 2020 Golden Globes Nominations
Ironically, Driver had told “Fresh Air” about his apprehension hearing himself back in 2015. “Yeah,...
- 12/18/2019
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Adam Driver, who stars in two of the most-talked-about movies this December – “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and Netflix’s “Marriage Story – recently walked out of an interview with NPR’s talk show “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross.
Sources confirm to Variety that Driver, who was recording his side of the radio interview at NPR’s New York offices while Gross was at “Fresh Air’s” main studio in Philadelphia, left mid-interview after “Fresh Air” played a clip of the actor singing a rendition of “Being Alive,” one of the most memorable scenes from Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”
“We don’t really understand why he left,” Danny Miller, exec producer of “Fresh Air,” said in a statement. “We were looking forward to the interview—Terry thinks he’s a terrific actor, he was a great guest when he was on [“Fresh Air”] in 2015—so we were disappointed that we didn...
Sources confirm to Variety that Driver, who was recording his side of the radio interview at NPR’s New York offices while Gross was at “Fresh Air’s” main studio in Philadelphia, left mid-interview after “Fresh Air” played a clip of the actor singing a rendition of “Being Alive,” one of the most memorable scenes from Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”
“We don’t really understand why he left,” Danny Miller, exec producer of “Fresh Air,” said in a statement. “We were looking forward to the interview—Terry thinks he’s a terrific actor, he was a great guest when he was on [“Fresh Air”] in 2015—so we were disappointed that we didn...
- 12/17/2019
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
An episode of NPR’s “Fresh Air” featuring Adam Driver was scheduled to air this month, but host Terry Gross surprised viewers when she announced last week’s episode would instead be a re-run of an interview with Conan O’Brien. “[We] had promised you an interview with actor Adam Driver today, but unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it as planned,” Gross told listeners. According to a report from The Daily Beast, Driver’s “Fresh Air” interview was canned after the actor walked out of the discussion. Driver was on “Fresh Air” to promote “Marriage Story” but left “after expressing displeasure at the idea of listening to a clip of himself singing ‘Being Alive’ from the musical ‘Company,'” according to a source.
Driver has long been resistant to watching or listening to his acting work. The actor appeared on “Fresh Air” in 2015 and told Gross, “I’ve watched myself or listened to myself before,...
Driver has long been resistant to watching or listening to his acting work. The actor appeared on “Fresh Air” in 2015 and told Gross, “I’ve watched myself or listened to myself before,...
- 12/17/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
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