A hundred minutes into writer, director Alex Garland’s Civil War, I was hit with a wild case of déjà vu. Since the movie wasn’t engaging, I had plenty of head space to explore this feeling. What is this? Where is this déjà vu coming from? Maybe it has nothing to do with the movie. Maybe this is how everyone feels after eating a bag of licorice purchased at Big Lots?
Then it hit me.
From Hollywood’s first rupture with American audiences in the early 2000s, it didn’t take long for identity politics to destroy the industry.
I’ve been writing for years about the steep decline of cinema — in fact all art and media — this century. My very first article for this fine publication (fortunately for my integrity, a true statement rather than a transparent bid for a raise) a shocking six years ago explored how even a moderately good action picture like 2008’s Taken was beyond the capability or intent of 2018 Hollywood. Because the idea of a loving tough-guy dad rescuing his helpless teen daughter with manly “certain skills” while his gorgeous ex-wife frets realistically became anathema soon afterward. Hollywood had not yet fully mutated into Hollywoke, but it devolved fast.
New Mexico state prosecutors plan to argue that Alec Baldwin was unable to control his emotions on the set of the film Rust, where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when a gun held by the actor went off – and that he “shamelessly lied” and changed his story about the deadly shooting.
The 66-year-old actor is due to go on trial in July on a charge of involuntary manslaughter for his part in Hutchins’ death in Santa Fe. Baldwin has denied wrongdoing. But in a 32-page public filing released on Monday, prosecutor Kari Morrissey alleged that the actor would shout and swear on the set, and his uncontrolled behavior had affected safety.
“Civil War” has played it extremely close to the ideological vest in its trailers and promotion, but CBS Sunday Morning may have let the cat out of the bag. If true, a promising film may in fact yet be another exercise in Hollywood leftist projection.
The day after the August 7th fire in Lahaina, Oprah Winfrey brought pillows and blankets at the War Memorial Stadium on Maui. The 1,000 people who sheltered there were grateful. They had escaped the fire with the clothes they were wearing.
Perhaps her largesse caused her to believe that what she had done gave her entree to those who were so devastated, not knowing where their family, friends, or even pets were. “Ohps,” as she is called by some residents, showed up two days later with a CBS camera crew intent on filming the misery of people living in tents. That unsuccessful attempt turned any previous goodwill against her.
Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould, Chloe Fineman and More Jewish Creatives Support Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars Speech in Open Letter
Now that Disney Grooming Syndicate CEO Bob Iger has survived a proxy fight, he’s apparently feeling invincible enough to tell audacious lies about his disgraced corporation not advancing political and sexual agendas, including those directly aimed at grooming small children.
Unemployed Hollywood writers are reportedly resorting to gig work as bartenders and Doordash drivers as studios continue to slash spending across the board, resulting in a dramatic reduction in the number of TV pilots and shows receiving the green light.
“As a showrunner who is a queer woman of color and I can’t get work? That’s saying a lot. It’s very frustrating.” one industry veteran told The Hollywood Reporter.
Advertising all the woke check boxes you tick is no way to win hearts and minds. Try not making crap for a change.
On last night’s episode of CBS’s FBI, the villains were left-wing terrorists who had participated in anti-police riots.
Tuesday’s episode, “Behind the Veil,” began with a bombing at a speech by fictional congresswoman Carol Jones. The bomb kills the congresswoman and much of her audience, as well as a child on the street outside the venue.
“Carol Jones. She’s far-right, controversial,” says an FBI agent who arrives at the scene of the crime.
Three of the women that Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly paid as sex workers have spoken out since they were named in one of the sexual assault lawsuits filed against the music mogul.
On March 25, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones amended the lawsuit he had filed against Combs, 54, back in February. In it, he claimed that City Girls rapper Yung Miami and models Jade Ramey and Daphne Joy—who shares a child with hip-hop star 50 Cent—were hired as sex workers for Combs.
The complaint alleges that Combs would boast about paying a “monthly stipend” for sexual services to the three women. Now, Joy has denied these allegations, while the other two women have been more vague in their posts online.
Who could’ve seen this coming?
Last summer, Sound of Freedom surprised many with a massive box office success that opened many people’s eyes to the ongoing reality of child exploitation. Now, a hit show from Investigation Discovery reveals that some of those children suffering abuse aren’t as far away as we might have thought.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — “Civil War,” Alex Garland’s election-year provocation, debuted Thursday at the SXSW Film and TV Festival, unveiling a violent vision of a near-future America at war with itself.
“Civil War,” reportedly A24’s biggest budget release yet, is a bold gamble to capitalize on some of the anxieties that have grown in highly partisan times and ahead of a potentially momentous November presidential election.
Lawyers for US actor Alec Baldwin have asked a judge to dismiss involuntary manslaughter charges against him over a fatal shooting on a movie set in 2021.
A new court motion accuses prosecutors of “unfairly stacking the deck” against the Emmy award-winning actor.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey said she would respond in court and has 14 days to file a reply, Reuters reports.
Hollywood’s top-ranked award show will dominate media coverage for the day and will be forgotten well before the week is over. The big FYC billboards will be rolled up and recycled. And the little golden statues will eventually end up on eBay.
The Academy Awards started out as a private industry party and has become that again. And the Oscars are less relevant than ever because Hollywood is less relevant than ever.
You can hear the joy in the audience at the Oscars when a Jew renounces his Jewishness and invokes the Holocaust.
During Corbyn’s Labour Party conference, the biggest ovation was for someone denying Labour antisemitism “as a Jew”. The stamp of approval pic.twitter.com/Q6OpwY5aX2
— Alex Hearn (@hearnimator) March 11, 2024
Just a note; I have fallen asleep twice trying to watch Oppenheimer. While it may well be a quality soap opera it sure ain’t history.
