Space mission to mars

Karina Longworth ’s house is, quite possibly, haunted. This is not necessarily something she has experienced herself, she tells me of her pale-pink 1926 Mediterranean, where Longworth could be found one July morning on the frond-shadowed patio. But it is something she has on authority from a friend who drunkenly stumbled in from the pool one night and heard, in the empty home, a dinner party going on in the dining room upstairs. Since then, the hauntedness or unhauntedness of Longworth’s abode has become a matter of some debate. “My friend thinks my house is haunted,” she says wryly. “I think he drinks too much.” Either way, there is certainly no one better at reviving Hollywood ’s ghosts than Longworth. A film critic and historian, she is best known for the podcast You Must Remember This, which she researches, writes, and records in a tiny foam-lined closet off the downstairs office of her husband, director Rian Johnson. In the eight years since she launched the podcast with an … [Read more...] about How Karina Longworth Brought Sex and Sleaze Back to Hollywood History

On Sept. 25, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures held its opening gala with a starry guest list that included Lady Gaga, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Queen Latifah, Patty Jenkins, Tiffany Haddish, Kristen Stewart, and Jurnee Smollet. It was a moment long in the making, given that planning of the Renzo Piano-designed mecca celebrating the history of film first began back in 2005 and was delayed by the rise of the Covid pandemic. Though eyebrows were raised by the fact that the A-list revelers mingled maskless inside the 33,000-square-foot space on Wilshire Boulevard at a time when celebrities were publicly chastising those who ignored Covid precautions, a much bigger controversy was brewing. Donors and influential Academy members, many of whom already had received private tours, were outraged that Hollywood ’s origin story — wherein a group of mostly Jewish émigrés fled persecution in their home countries to create what would become a multibillion-dollar, American-led industry — … [Read more...] about ‘Where Are the Jews?’: Scandal Erupts at the Academy Museum

This year’s Kennedy Center Honors will recognize artists from a wide swath of American culture, including soft rockers Eagles , singer-songwriter Carole King and Star Wars creator George Lucas . Actress and singer Rita Moreno, classical conductor Seiji Ozawa and actress Cicely Tyson will all also receive awards. The Honors recognize people whose “impact and genius” have left indelible marks on civilization, Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein explained in a statement. The gala ceremony will be held in the recipients’ honor on December 6th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and will be broadcast on CBS at 9 p.m. EST on December 29th. As with previous years, each of the honorees will be saluted by performers whom they have influenced. President Obama and the first lady are expected to be in attendance. “We are deeply grateful to have been named a Kennedy Center honoree,” the Eagles said in a collective statement. The band’s … [Read more...] about Eagles, George Lucas, Carole King to Receive Kennedy Center Honors

TMZ.com The L.A. Mission thinks Kanye West needs to turn his words into action, and the org. is frustrated he hasn't followed through on his vow to help the homeless get jobs and housing ... folks familiar with the Mission's struggles tell TMZ. Kanye got all inspirational Friday, posting this on IG ...  "look to the homeless as the biggest inspiration for all design." It's unclear what he meant, but it resurfaces some of the promises the rapper made last year, when he visited the Mission and vowed to use his companies to help the homeless get jobs, education and housing. Our sources say little if anything has been done since. TMZ.com Kanye West Planning Fashion Show Starring Homeless People Kanye waxing philosophical isn't moving the ball forward for the homeless crisis in L.A. As we reported, Kanye met with leaders of the org . last November, where he laid out ambitious plans on how to tackle City's biggest challenge … [Read more...] about L.A. Shelter Frustrated by Kanye, Please Deliver What You Promised

Bill Maher made an incredibly strong case Friday night that Hollywood is ruining itself by pigeonholing actors into narrow lanes based on their heritage, sexual orientation, identity, etc. The "Real Time" host made his case and, frankly, you gotta listen to it because it cuts to the core ... that casting directors now take their cues from the casting cops. He lays out his case, beginning with John Leguizamo , who was incredulous James Franco was picked to play Fidel Castro , saying "No more appropriation Hollywood ... Boycott! This f'd up."  Bill noted John, a Columbian actor, ain't Venetian but he played one ... nor is he a little French man nor an Italian plumber ... but yeah, he played them too. As he says, "People become actors so they can spend their lives not being who they are." He notes Sean Penn snagged an Oscar for playing gay activist Harvey Milk ... that was once considered courageous ... now it's the opposite. Eddie Redmayne … [Read more...] about Bill Maher Blasts Appropriation Movement in Casting Decisons for Movie Roles

There’s a lot of ways to describe Jordan Peele ’s Nope : an update on “Watch the Skies!” sci-fi from the 1950s; a tribute to Steven Spielberg’s 1970s blockbuster building blocks (what if those Close Encounter of the Third Kind UFOs were just hungry, extraterrestrial great white sharks?); a 21st century meta-text about what we watch and why we keep watching it. All 100-percent accurate. But read the reviews and explainers and numerous think pieces on Peele’s latest blend of horror and commentary, and there’s one word that keeps popping up, again and again. It’s mentioned when they talk about Jupiter’s Claim, the modest frontier-themed amusement park run by Steven Yuen’s former child actor, who once played a pint-sized sheriff in a movie and still takes his fancy sartorial cues from that role. It’s namechecked in the film posters you see at Haywood Ranch, notably Buck and the Preacher and Duel at Diablo . You can see traces of it in the movie’s scenes of folks handling horses … [Read more...] about How Do You Make a Western in the 21st Century?

Stranger Things earned 13 Emmy nominations this season, including Outstanding Drama Series, thanks to the unsung heroes of the show—the below-the-line departments who put in the tireless effort to create the “surreal madness” of the series. From ‘de-aging’ Millie Bobbie Brown to building Vecna and his lair in the Upside Down, the collaboration of the craft departments continues to bring the series to new heights. Here, some of the Emmy-nominated craft department heads give insight into the most important aspects of this season. Eleven One of the most difficult tasks this season was de-aging Eleven for flashback scenes. “Before shooting we explored just about every option, including deepfake, full CG head replacement, smoothing and warping,” says VFX supervisor Michael Maher Jr . “Luckily, our experienced friends at Lola Visual Effects agreed to take on the work and help us out. They arranged a shoot with a special, proprietary camera and lighting rig called an egg. Using a … [Read more...] about ‘Stranger Things’ Craft Heads On Piecing Together The “Surreal Madness” Of The Series

Jennifer Coolidge is fresh from shooting Season 2 of The White Lotus and she’s on a high. Having made such an indelible mark in Season 1 of Mike White’s limited series set in a luxury Hawaiian resort, she’s the only main character returning for a second shot. For now, she’s having to keep plot details under wraps, but she’s positive that it will be another hit: “It would be impossible to not like it,” she says. All we know is that Season 2 will see Coolidge, Emmy-nominated for her role, back as the tortured and grieving Tanya McQuoid alongside her terminally ill boyfriend Greg (Jon Gries). This time the setting is a Sicilian White Lotus resort, where they’ll be joined by such new cast members as Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco and Tom Hollander. Here, she reminisces on a career that’s seen her stealing scenes in classic modern comedies such as American Pie and Legally Blonde . My First Film Lesson The first most depressing lesson I ever learned … [Read more...] about On My Screen: ‘White Lotus’ Star Jennifer Coolidge On Her Most-Quoted Role, The Part She Didn’t Get To Play & Why “Character Is Fate”

Call it a seven-year itch, but the sands of late-night are shifting. James Corden is leaving The Late Late Show next year after seven years in the CBS hotseat, Samantha Bee’s Full Frontal was canceled at TBS, the latest cull of the new Warner Bros. Discovery empire, and Desus & Mero split up and ended their Showtime series. Jon Batiste, bandleader of Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show is leaving after seven years and even Jimmy Kimmel is considering ending his 20-year run on ABC. Seth Meyers, who hosts NBC’s Late Night, which scored its first major Emmy nomination since launching his show in February 2014, tells Deadline that we’ve reached a new inflection point. “It’s notable that when we started, around eight and a half years ago, it seemed like there was this massive wave of new shows, and that seemed like the last inflection point. What was really exciting about that wave is you have someone like me, who looks a lot like people who’ve had these shows … [Read more...] about Late-Night Landscape Shift Brings New Opportunities & Challenges

Kim Kardashian is a billionaire, in case you didn't know, and she's opened up her massive SKKN headquarters to remove any doubt. Kim is showcasing her massive, 40,000-square-foot office space ... and gotta say ... it's pretty damn awesome. The bells and whistles are impressive ... a massive kitchen, amphitheater, model glam room and private glam room, and on and on. SKKN By Kim Kim didn't cheap out with decorators and designers ... Tommy Clements and Waldo Fernandez did the decor while Michele Lamy and Rick Owens designed the furniture. Check out the glam room filled with robes, chairs for models and other stuff used for tailoring clothes. SKKN By Kim Kim also gave a peek into her photo studio ... pretty cool. As for why she has a "private" glam room, she says it's where she kicks back and watches TV ... not a cord-cutter we guess. SKKN By Kim Then there's the luxury shower with a chair … [Read more...] about Kim Kardashian Shows Off SKKNs Offices with Gym, Glam Rooms, the Works