Venice Certainties

Been hearing a lot of rumors about Venice and "The Other Side of the Wind" opening the festival. What an epic F you that would be for Cannes. Almost a passing of the guard. Venice this year, I hear, are going full-stop and trying to really make it count. 

I am told these are certainties:

Luca Guadagnino's "Suspiria" out of competition

Jacques Audiard's "The Sisters Brothers" will definitely premiere

Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma" in competition
Francois Ozon's "Alexandre" in competition

Fukunaga no longer directing Kubrick's "Napoleon"?

A couple of months before Stanley Kubrick and screenwriter Calder Willingham embarked on their masterful "Paths of Glory" collaboration, they were working a screenplay adaptation of Stefan Zweig’s “The Burning Secret“, a 1913 novel about the manipulative backstabbing between a divorced mother, her new love interest, and her 12 year old son. Sounds like it would have been right up Kubrick's alley. A nice companion piece to his "Lolita." The script was submitted to the MGM script department on 10.24.56, but MGM execs rejected it and it was never to be worked on again.

During the late '80s Andrew Birkin, a Kubrick worker on "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Napoleon," wrote and directed his own version of "The Burning Secret" starring Faye Dunaway. I've never seen the film, but reception back in 1989 was mixed on it.

All of this to say, Bangor University film professor Nathan Abrams has found a copy of Kubrick's screenplay for "The Burning Secret." Is an adaptation on the horizon?

It does make sense, especially given the fact that HBO had announced they were producing a version of Kubrick’s ultimate unrealized opus, "Napoleon." Cary Fukunaga was supposed to direct with Steven Spielberg producing.  

Now that we've mentioned "Napoleon," what exactly is going on with that? The project is still categorized as in development on its IMDB page, but with Fukunaga not mentioned as director. 

I never thought Fukunaga was a good fit for the screenplay and, for that matter, Kubrick's original artistic intent. Having read the Napoleon screenplay many years ago, I do know that the film would have very much benefited from having the artistic style Kubrick was developing for himself back in the late '70s. I always mention to people that the unrealized screenplay very much read like it needed the visual sensibilities that Kubrick masterfully brought to "Barry Lyndon," but mixed with the subversive edge of "A Clockwork Orange." Only Kubrick could have directed that  'Napoleon" screenplay and, maybe, Paul Thomas Anderson today. PTA is the only modern director that could pull off a Kubrick "Napoleon," with the darkly obsessive visual style and modern-day subversiveness that it was intended to be delivered with. And, maybe, Christopher Nolan. Yes, subversiveness is very much missing in Nolan's vocabulary, but he does have the visual style to pull it off. Just watch "Dunkirk."

“Skyscraper" bombing at the Box-Office; Another Dwayne Johnson misfire.

Dwayne Johnson has been trying to find himself of late at the box-office. His feud with Vin Diesel didn't help, which consequentially, whether you want to admit it or not, had Johnson leave the franchise for a spinoff film. 

It doesn't look like Johnson's stock has gone any higher either this past weekend as his "Skyscraper," which felt like Die Hard injected on a ton of elephant steroids, made only $9 million on Friday night, its projected 3-day week-end take right now stands at $24 to $28 million. That's what it would be making by Sunday night — a third-place finish behind "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation and Disney-Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. 

Ok, fine. I'll concede that Jumanji was a giant hit. However, in all essence, it was not necessarily a typical Johnson-driven vehicle. However, "Skyscraper," "Rampage," and "Baywatch" all, very much, tried to bank him as the lead. This should be of concern for Johnson, who seems to be making countless movies a year. Maybe he's over-saturated the market and people are starting to get tired of his shtick, who knows, but if he didn't have "Jumanji" in there, we'd be seriously talking about his market value having gone down.

Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood-Elsewhere said it best:

"Could it be that audiences are finally waking up to Hollywood Elsewhere’s longstanding assessment of Johnson, which is that he is fundamentally opposed to making good films and that his default instinct is to topline high-concept action films that are relentlessly stupid and implausible? In short, did audiences steer clear because critics are saying that Skyscraper is so dumb it’ll turn your brain into a volleyball? Are they finally starting to realize that Johnson has repeatedly shown contempt for audiences by making nothing but crap?"

Wells then refers us to a rebuttal from Deadline‘s Anthony D’Alessandro:

 “There [are] a few reasons why Skyscraper is in shambles,” he wrote this morning, “but chiefly Johnson’s family crowd here is being swallowed up whole by both Hotel Transylvania 3 and the second weekend of Ant-Man and the Wasp.” He also said something about Johnson’s brand being over-exposed with the recent double application of Jumanji and Rampage, i..e, “where’s the fresh face?” He quotes a RelishMix observation about Skyscraper “literally [looking] like a Die Hard update, but with a hero challenged by a prosthetic.” But shouldn’t the fact that Skyscraper is a shitty film…shouldn’t that at least be factored in? Quality counts for something, no?

Disney would control 40% of the US box office if it buys Fox

Disney is already monopolizing the box-office with their consistently delivered Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel movies. However, according to a senior market analyst interviewed by CNN, Disney would control 40% of the US box office if it buys Fox.

That's what Barton Crockett, a senior analyst at FBR Capital Markets, told the news network. According to him, by the end of the year, the total control would almost certainly be at around the 40% level.

When Disney's $71.3 billion deal, for most of 21st Century Fox, goes through then the company stands the chance to monetize even further with the addition of juggernaut franchises such as Deadpool, the X-Men, and Avatar. 

Crockett went on to add that Disney would become the "Walmart of Hollywood."

"They'll have so much share, that it will seem to give them leverage up and down the supply chain," Crockett added. "It's what happens in a world where one studio, mainly Disney, is having outsized success in doubling down on its investments, and most of the other studios seem to be on their heels a bit when it comes to making movies."

"If they continue to grow their share of domestic box office, it's hard to escape the conclusion that they'd have leverage over time to get an even higher share of movie receipts," Crockett said.

Jim Jarmusch begins filming a Zombie movie starring Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, And Chloë Sevigny. Daniel Craig and Rosie Perez are also expected to join.

Earlier today, The Film Stage‘s Jordan Raup reported that Jim Jarmusch is finally in production for his new film, a“’70s zombie movie” set in a small Delaware County town. 

Adam Driver, Bill Murray and Chloe Sevigny will star as cops; Selena Gomez and Austin Butler are also part of the cast but in unknown roles. Also rumored to be in the cast are Steve Buscemi and Tilda Swinton. The film is titled "Kill The Head or The Dead Don’t Die." 

A Philadelpha Inquirer article has Murray describing Jarmusch’s zombie script as “hilarious.” 

Jarmusch hasn't made a film since his masterful, and possibly best film of his career, "Paterson" was released back in 2016. I've had a love/hate relationship with Jarmusch since his 1980 directorial debut, but I still believe he's one of the absolute best American masters currently working today in cinema. Although, I really need to give "Only Lovers Left Alive" another shot, he has been consistent in quality for the better part of almost 4 decades. His best films will always be "Stranger Than Paradise," "Broken Flowers," "Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai," and "Paterson." 

Harvey Weinstein Admits Offered Sex For Movie Roles, But Denies He Ever Raped Anyone

Harvey Weinstein. His dirty criminal behavior towards women kick-started the whole #MeToo movement. The sheer mention of his name repulses people worldwide. In fact, if anybody is going to get jail time out of all the perpetrators ousted since the movement began, it will sure be Harvey.

Weinstein pleaded not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court two weeks ago. The charges are two counts of rape and one first-degree criminal sex act charge. All of this to say that if he is found guilty he could face life in prison. 

The former Miranmax mogul posted a cool $1 million bail (in cash, no less) and has taken the opportunity of short-term freedom to give interviews by pleading his case to the media.

Columnist Taki Theodoracopulos, a friend of his and supporter of his innocence, interviewed Weinstein for Spectator USA. “He used to ring me via his assistants and make me wait on hold. It was normal; he was, after all, the biggest Hollywood tycoon of them all,”  Theodoracopulos said.

When it came the time for a juicy soundbite, Weinstein defended himself to Theodoracopulos and said he was no criminal “Yes, I did offer them acting jobs in exchange for sex, but so did and still does everyone. But I never ever forced myself on a single woman,” he said.

“I was born poor, ugly, Jewish and had to fight all my life to get somewhere,” he said  “You got lotsa girls, no girl looked at me until I made it big in Hollywood.”

” Call me naïve or stupid, but in a funny way I believe him,” the columnist wrote.

Rose McGowan responded on twitter: “Rapists are liars. Being that I was in the middle of my second film for his company, having NEVER met him before the morning of my rape, and never worked for him again, this is a clear lie. Nice try, rapist.”

‘Eighth Grade’: Bo Burnham On This Generation’s More Affectionate Version Of ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’ [Interview]

With his raw, tender and heartfelt “Eighth Grade,” comedian-turned-filmmaker Bo Burnham has made one of the very best films of the year. Burnham‘s miracle of a movie is made all the more impressive by the fact this is the feature-length debut for the 27 year-old YouTube comedian known for small parts in movies from Judd Apatow and most recently, “The Big Sick.”

The film follows Kayla (Elsie Fisher), whose constant self-reflectiveness is familiar enough to make you cringe at every stutter. Kayla’s dad (Josh Hamilton) is as good a single dad as you can be, given the fact that he has to contend with his teenage girl entering the most awkward and uncomfortable phase of her life.

READ MORE: Bo Burnham’s ‘Eighth Grade’ Is A Millennial ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’ [Review] 

The anxiety Kayla has within her, always in a state of questioning, makes the case for a kind of early-adolescent humanism we haven’t seen depicted on-screen so acutely. In “Eighth Grade” Burnham offers a snapshot of history in the making depicting a millennial generation as a zombie-like student body in are slaves to technology, social media, and their phones.

I spoke to the director about the film, his own personal identifying with Kayla and his transition from YouTube video-maker to, now, one of the most celebrated debut filmmakers of the year.

Click here for the interview

Scarlett Johansson Exits ‘Rub & Tug’ Amidst ‘Ciswashing' Backlash Of Playing A Trans Man

The act of 'Ciswashing' wasn't a controversial topic until Scarlett Johansson‘s casting,
and agreeing, to play the part of real-life trans massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill in the upcoming (and now probably doomed) "Rub & Tug." 

Johansson’s response to her detractors [“Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.”] came with severe backlash.

After all that drama, Johansson is finally backtracking.  In a just-released statement to Out Magazine, the actress describes her comments as “insensitive” and that she has ”learned a lot from the community.” 

Here’s the full statement.

“In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project. Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive. I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues. According to GLAAD, LGBTQ+ characters dropped 40% in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release.”

She continued, “While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person, and I am thankful that this casting debate, albeit controversial, has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film. I believe that all artists should be considered equally and fairly. My production company, These Pictures, actively pursues projects that both entertain and push boundaries. We look forward to working with every community to bring these most poignant and important stories to audiences worldwide.”

Brian Sosin on Facebook said it best:

So here is what will happen now:

• Fewer and fewer Producers will be willing to finance or package films about the Trans community because they will cause an uproar

• There will be a belief that they cannot include these characters in these films

• Most Producers will follow suit with the accurate inverse belief that if Scarlett Johansson couldn't play a Trans Man, why should any Trans actor be given the opportunity to play a CIS character. That is 100% valid.

• Progress was being made. This is the dumbest controversy in recent memory.

‘Eighth Grade’: Bo Burnham On This Generation’s More Affectionate Version Of ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’ [Interview]

With his raw, tender and heartfelt “Eighth Grade,” comedian-turned-filmmaker Bo Burnham has made one of the very best films of the year. Burnham‘s miracle of a movie is made all the more impressive by the fact this is the feature-length debut for the 27 year-old YouTube comedian known for small parts in movies from Judd Apatow and most recently, “The Big Sick.”

The film follows Kayla (Elsie Fisher), whose constant self-reflectiveness is familiar enough to make you cringe at every stutter. Kayla’s dad (Josh Hamilton) is as good a single dad as you can be, given the fact that he has to contend with his teenage girl entering the most awkward and uncomfortable phase of her life.

READ MORE: Bo Burnham’s ‘Eighth Grade’ Is A Millennial ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’ [Review] 

The anxiety Kayla has within her, always in a state of questioning, makes the case for a kind of early-adolescent humanism we haven’t seen depicted on-screen so acutely. In “Eighth Grade” Burnham offers a snapshot of history in the making depicting a millennial generation as a zombie-like student body in are slaves to technology, social media, and their phones.

I spoke to the director about the film, his own personal identifying with Kayla and his transition from YouTube video-maker to, now, one of the most celebrated debut filmmakers of the year.

Click here for the interview.

Joaquin Phoenix Finally Talks About The Joker; Describing it as “Unique" and that it “F***ing Scares the S**t" Out of Him

The Joaquin Phoenix/Joker movie is actually happening. THR has confirmed that Phoenix will indeed be playing the clown-terrorist in an origin film directed and co-written by Todd Phillips. Shooting is supposed to begin this fall. Phoenix will follow in the footsteps of Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson,, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto (who must be royally pissed this is happening). 

In an interview with Collider, Phoenix is finally talking about The Joker movie. Yes, the actor has been deflecting questions about it for months, or, at least, ever since we heard the rumors he was going to play the villain.

“I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on always. So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd [Phillips]. I think he’s very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he’s trying to say. And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the fucking shit out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”

Phoenix says he was lured by how cheap and small the film:

“Three or four years ago, I called my agent and said ‘Why don’t they want to take one of these characters and just make a lower budget film about it, a movie but a character study, and why not take one of the villains?’ And I thought, ‘You can’t do the Joker, because, you know, it’s just you can’t do that character, it’s just been done.’ So I was trying to think of other characters, and he said ‘I’ll set up a general meeting with Warner Bros.’ And I said ‘I’m not gonna go, I can’t go to a general meeting.’ So I completely forgot about it, and so then I heard about this idea, I was like, ‘Oh that’s so exciting, that’s the kind of experience I wanted to have, with a movie based on a comic character.’ I felt like you could get something on screen.”

Rumor has it that the film might be R-rated and that it will be set in the ‘80s. Don't expect the DCEU to be connected to it:

“I wouldn’t quite classify this as like any genre. I wouldn’t say it’s a superhero movie, or a studio movie or a … It feels unique, and I think more then anything, and probably the most important thing, is Todd seems very passionate about it and very giving, and so that’s exciting. I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn’t, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that’s what Todd sees appealing about this idea.”

Todd Phillips has been tasked in directing the Phoenix/Origin Joker flick. How did he manage to nab the job? I truly, for the life of me, have no clue. Yes, he did commendable work on "War Dogs," but Phillips' filmography consists of 95% comedy ("Frat House," "Road Trip," Old School," 'Starsky and Hutch," "School for Scoundrels," "The Hangover," "The Hangover II," "The Hangover III," and "Due Date.")

‘Mary Queen of Scots' has Saoirse Ronan going for Oscar gold

This film, "Mary Queen of Scots," has to do with the titular monarch (as played by Saoirse Ronan) and her bitter, bloody, rivalry with Queen Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) in the 1500s. 

Check out the cinematography by dp John Mathiesen. Wowza. Directed by Josie Rourke and written by Beau Willimon ("House of Cards"), this could either be a stuffy, dull epic or the kind of risk-taking, feminist, endeavor, I welcome with open arms. Early word has it that Ronan has a graphic sex scene here. This is her adult home-coming role and I wouldn't be surprised if she finally gets that Oscar for this performance. It will surely debut at TIFF.

This Focus Features release opens on 12.4.

Henry Cavill Says #MeToo Has Made Him Hesitate to Flirt With Women Because He Might “Be Called A Rapist”

Oh boy, Henry Cavill was interviewed by GQ, and when the topic of #MeToo came into the conversation Cavill didn't mince words and was, by all accounts, a little too honest for today's political spectrum [a Backlash has already happened].

Because GQ is a men's magazine, Cavill's answer was given from a male's perspective and so his worded answer delved into how #MeToo affects men in Hollywood:

“It’s very difficult to do that if there are certain rules in place. Because then it’s like: ‘Well, I don’t want to go up and talk to her, because I’m going to be called a rapist or something’. So you’re like, ‘Forget it, I’m going to call an ex-girlfriend instead, and then just go back to a relationship, which never really worked’. But it’s way safer than casting myself into the fires of hell because I’m someone in the public eye, and if I go and flirt with someone, then who knows what’s going to happen?"

“Now? Now you really can’t pursue someone further than, ‘No’. It’s like, ‘OK, cool’. But then there’s the, ‘Oh why’d you give up?’ And it’s like, ‘Well, because I didn’t want to go to jail?’”

Neil Blomkamp to direct “Robocop" remake

After his stunning debut, except for the idiotic last 10 or so minutes, "District 9" director Neil Blomkamp was seen as the second-coming for sci-fi, a visionary that could change the game for the genre. Of course, that didn't happen. His follow-up "Elysium," which I like by the way, was met with a major shrug and then, even worse, his third film "Chappie" was a total unmitigated disaster, a Hugh Jackman robot movie that was mocked to no ends. Nevertheless, MGM has decided to hire Blomkamp to "What I connected to as a kid has evolved over time," Blomkamp told Deadline. "

MGM wants to revive the franchise with the titled "RoboCop Returns," which will apparently directly follow the 1987 original film. MGM is basically saying, "hey, let's totally ignore the 2014 reboot." I'm ok with that.

“Die Hard" celebrates 30 years

McTiernan’s “Die Hard” isn’t high art but it got the job done in high octane fashion and set the standard for what an action film should be like in the 21st century. It spawned numerous rip-offs in the 90’s and still does today, none of which have attained the excitement of McTiernan’s original. It is in fact not overblown to say that “Die Hard” is the perfect modern action movie, a film with well sketched characters and a script that just doesn’t let up. It might not make you think much but it does make you feel as excited and pumped up as any movie can. Bruce Willis’ John McClane is the film’s heroic action figure, yet at the same time Willis doesn’t play the role too seriously as if winking at his audience by saying “hey, this is just a movie”. It’s a snarky, perfect performance that eventually sent Willis into superstardom mode and spawned a slew of sequels afterwards. 

Willis’ McClane is the average man caught in a non-average situation. We tend to recognize ourselves in his character; whatever he does we understand why he does it. He gets shot, he bleeds. He panics, he cries. He’s not a perfect man, he’s flawed and we look up to his flaws as being part our own. This sort of identity to the main hero is what lacks in many of today’s action movies (“The Expendables” anybody?) where we can’t identify with anyone, the heroes are cardboard and the viewer is isolated and ultimately disappointed by the experience. 

For an action movie to be great its hero has got to be likeable and humane -Willis does that job very well here- but a great action movie has got to also have a great villain and Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is just that. Gruber is not a one dimensional terrorist; he is a manipulating, well versed and educated man that knows exactly what he wants to do. Gruber is methodical and is patient with his intentions. His charm and intelligence make him seem like someone who wouldn’t cause harm but he can. He is in fact very scary because he is very real. Rickman, with his well-trimmed goatee, gives us a grueling, intense portrayal of evil. 

The film is a great example of what happens when all the pieces of a film fall together in the right place. There are no flaws, no plot holes and no letdowns. Its 131 epic minutes are not wasted and don’t let up right up until its very last shot. In short, “Die Hard” puts you on the highest of highs and McTiernan reaches a peak he has since never attained again. His film redefines the “action movie” and the “action star”, presenting a new language to the genre and re-inventing the game with an incredible balance of character development and action. Of course Oscar didn’t come knocking, why would it anyways? Action movies are not the Academy’s thing and for good reason. They are –most of the time- loud, abrasive, dumbed down and ultimately artless films (‘The Expendables” anybody?) but sometimes a movie like “Die Hard” goes beyond genre and achieves something special through sheer perfection of the craft. Yipee-ki-yay indeed.

David Cronenberg Says Cinema Isn’t Dying, It’s “Changing, Evolving”

I wrote about David Cronenberg's comments regarding the evolution of cinema. 

You can read more about my thoughts here.

This phenomenon of “movie-nostalgia hardliners” is not new. There was a pushback against bringing sound to movies with “The Jazz Singer” back in 1927 and having technicolor instead of black and white back in 1939 with “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone With the Wind. However, we survived the onslaught and masterful cinema continued to be made. It is part of the never-ending evolution of the art form. Instead of screaming about the sky falling, maybe we should embrace the new and exciting times ahead of us at the movies, whatever the definition of “movies” may come to be.

Official: Joaquin Phoenix Joker Movie Happening; Shooting Set to Begin This Fall

The Joaquin Phoenix/Joker movie is actually happening. THR has confirmed that Phoenix will indeed be playing the clown-terrorist in an origin film directed and co-written by Todd Phillips. Shooting is supposed to begin this fall. Phoenix will follow in the footsteps of Caesar Romero, Jack Nicholson,, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto (who must be royally pissed this is happening). 

However, Leto will be happy to know that he won't be out of the picture. Variety reports that Leto “will not only be back for the "Suicide Squad" sequel [but] is also developing his own standalone movie that will be separate from Phoenix’s Joker project.” Jesus Christ. The WB sure has chutzpah. They're milking it all the way to the bank.

If it were up to me? I'd totally scrap the Leto projects and concentrate on Phoenix, who might just be the most talented actor to have ever partaken in this type of movie, and, yes, I am including Heath Ledger, whose legendary performance as The Joker in 2008's "The Dark Knight" will surely be very hard to beat.

Todd Phillips has been tasked in directing the Phoenix/Origin Joker flick. How did he manage to nab the job? I truly, for the life of me, have no clue. Yes, he did commendable work on "War Dogs," but Phillips' filmography consists of 95% comedy ("Frat House," "Road Trip," Old School," 'Starsky and Hutch," "School for Scoundrels," "The Hangover," "The Hangover II," "The Hangover III," and "Due Date.") 

I guess the WB were vastly impressed by the action sequences in "War Dogs" to trust Phillips with such an important project. Hell, even Martin Scorsese is confident enough that he is set to be a producer on this film.

Showtime's “Who Is America?": Sacha Baron Cohen tricked Sarah Palin for new show by pretending to be a wounded veteran

"

We are all very excited to see what comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has in store for us this coming Sunday when his new TV series "Who Is America?" is set to premiere on Showtime. 

A warning shot was launched via tweet earlier today by, of all people, Matt Drudge who is saying it's not just Republicans that will be duped in the show.

"Sacha Baron Cohen at it again!" said Drudge, who always deletes his tweets shortly after they're published. "This time for CBS/SHOWTIME. Lots of tricks played. Both Republicans and Democrats are getting caught up in the madness. Sacha has finked Cheney, Palin, Howard Dean, Alberto Gonzales, Bernie, Trent Lott, Patraeus, Ted Koppel, and more… BEWARE!" 

Earlier this week, we already got a teaser showing us a snippet of the show, in which Dick Cheney was asked to sign a waterboarding kit by an unidentified, off-camera host. Now things are starting to really get interesting as Sarah Palin has come out and admitted she was also duped by Cohen, and she's none too pleased about it.

According to Palin [Via The Daily Mail] Cohen posed as a wounded veteran in a wheelchair for an interview which might/will air in the next few weeks. Palin is asking Showtime to donate profits of the show to a Veterans charity. Showtime was asked to comment but refused to get involved, but Palin did release a statement:

'This "legit opportunity" to honor American Vets and contribute to a “legit Showtime historical documentary” was requested of me via a speakers bureau,' said Palin. 

'For my interview, my daughter and I were asked to travel across the country where Cohen (I presume) had heavily disguised himself as a disabled US Veteran, fake wheelchair and all,' explained Palin. 

'Out of respect for what I was led to believe would be a thoughtful discussion with someone who had served in uniform, I sat through a long "interview" full of Hollywoodism’s disrespect and sarcasm - but finally had enough and literally, physically removed my mic and walked out, much to Cohen’s chagrin.' 

'The disrespect of our US military and middle-class Americans via Cohen’s foreign commentaries under the guise of interview questions was perverse.'

'Here is my challenge, shallow Sacha boy: go ahead - air the footage. Experience tells us it will be heavily edited, not pretty, and intended to humiliate,' said Palin.

'The challenge is to Cohen, CBS and Showtime: donate all proceeds to a charitable group that actually respects and supports American Vets. Mock politicians and innocent public personalities all you want, if that lets you sleep at night, but HOW DARE YOU mock those who have fought and served our country.' 

Palin was with her 16 year old daughter when the 'incident' happened, they were both supposed to take a flight back to Alaska after the interview, but instead of bringing them to the right airport, a network-hired driver brought Palin and daughter Piper to the wrong location, which consequentially had them miss their flight home and left 'stranded' for three days. 

'After refusing to take our calls to help get us out of the bind they’d put us in for three days, I wrote this off as yet another example of the sick nature that is media-slash-entertainment today,' said Palin.

Cohen has been secretly filming his new show for the last year. The Cheney video hinted at a potential “Da Ali G Show”-esque series of interviews, but with Cohen taking on brand new characters.

In the aforementioned Dick Cheney teaser, after being offered the waterboard kit, the ex-vice President exclaims “That’s a first. That’s the first time I’ve ever signed a waterboard,” after which he goes on to sign it.

"Who is America?" premiere on Showtime July 15.

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post" Was Underserving of Sundance Grand Jury prize

Desiree Akhavan "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" unfairly won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize this past January. And, for once, it actually was a very strong competition. Bo Burnham's "Eighth Grade" (look for an interview I conducted him this week) was the film I thought would snag the prize, alas, the jury, which included Ava Duvernay and Octavia Spencer went for a mostly obvious film which not much new to say, except, hey, homophobia exists and gay conversion therapy is real!

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is based on the novel of the same name by Emily M. Danforth and stars Chloe Moretz as Cameron, a lesbian teenager sent to gay conversion therapy camp. Moretz is fine in the role, but the movie never really takes off. The agenda of the movie does come with good intentions, but the characters are underdeveloped and feel like caricatures.

I didn't even bother reviewing it, but eventually I will have to.

Billy Dee Williams' Lando Calrissian to Return for “Star Wars: Episode IX"

According to The Hollywood Reporter Billy Dee Williams will return as Lando Calrissian in J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Wars: Episode IX." No other details were revealed to us in the report, but, suffice to say, this is confirmation of the rumors that have been swirling around for a few months now that Lando would be included in the concluding film of the trilogy. Williams is 81 years old and walks with a cane, so this will clearly not be a physical role by any stretch of the imagination.

"Episode IX" is set to start shooting this summer and will be directed by J.J. Abrams. The returning cast will include Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver, with Keri Russell being a noteworthy addition.

The film is set to open Dec. 20, 2019.

Terry Gilliam Criticizes Marvel and “Alien"; Praises “Get Out," and “Whiplash"

Terry Gilliam isn't someone to hold back on what he thinks. During a recent interview with RogerEbert.com at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the 77 year old director attacked Marvel movies as having "no real tension," and for their predictability.

“On a technical level, these films are brilliant, but I find myself watching them from a distance because there is no real tension,” Gilliam said. “There is no real threat. You just know they’ll win somehow, or they’ll win if the whole civilization doesn’t collapse around them first. It’s kind of like us in real life. The heroes in my films don’t win, they survive.”

“There’s always got to be reality in my films,” Gilliam said. “Maybe it’s the only way I can stop myself from going completely mad. It’s the tension between reality and fantasy that is interesting, and that’s why I don’t like all the big Marvel movies. There are too many of them, they are dominating the industry, and everybody just wants to see the next one and go, ‘Well, there’s the Hulk again.’”

I don't want to delve again into the nitty-gritty about superhero movies, I've tackled this topic countless times on this site, but I will say this: Not every Marvel movie is the same. As much as I dislike some of the MCU releases, and do agree with Gilliam that ALL of these movies are predictable and are, basically, carefully assembled marketing packages, I do think there are exceptions to the rule. For example I love how “Iron Man 3,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and the “Captain America” tried to break the mold and set themselves apart from the others. These were worthy additions to the genre.

Gilliam went to cite “Get Out,” and “Whiplash,” two of the great movies this decade, as example of mainstream cinema done right.

“I like the simpler movies that are about real people and good ideas,” Gilliam said. “What I liked so much about ‘Get Out’ is that you had to have been a black guy to have written and directed it. A white guy could’ve never done it, and I thought that was important. It was so specific to the black experience.”