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☆ Angelo Badalamenti, ‘Twin Peaks’ composer, dies at 85
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Angelo Badalamenti, the composer behind several beloved soundtracks, including David Lynch’s cult hit “Twin Peaks,” has died at 85. Badalamenti and Lynch worked together for decadesBefore he was a film composer, the Brooklyn-born Badalamenti was a musical jack-of-all-trades. “I tried to make the music have a haunting feeling,” Badalamenti said in 2019 of his “Twin Peaks” score. Film writer Scott Tobias remembered the immediate impact of watching “Twin Peaks” for the first time and recognizing it was something special. “One of the greatest.”Kyle MacLachlan, who played the unusual, coffee-loving Agent Dale Cooper on “Twin Peaks,” called Badalamenti a “brilliant and talented maestro who was a master at setting a mood.

Why did Field create Tár as a lesbian rather than a straight woman, or one of the great men themselves? The decision by director and screenwriter Todd Field to make Tár a lesbian unsettled me. The film’s core is not so much about a lesbian predator but about the more general use and abuse of power, including sexual power, that Lydia wields at will. So why did Field create Tár as a lesbian rather than a straight woman, or one of the great men themselves? — “Tár on Tár,” and is soon to conduct a landmark live recording of Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No.

☆ 'The Whale' reaches the big screen after a decadelong journey from the stage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rendy Jones | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“‘The Whale’ was seminal for me, both in my career but also, kind of, for me personally. It was the first time that I had … really personal stuff from my own history and put it into a play,” Hunter said. The story is set in Moscow, Idaho, where Hunter grew up, and, like Charlie, Hunter said he, too, had a fraught relationship with religious fundamentalism and self-medicated his depression with food. “I’m out of the closet, I’m fine now, but that masks a lot of stuff that I just had not processed. I think it’s worth talking about.”While “The Whale” deals with heavy subject matter, Hunter said it’s still a hopeful film.

☆ UN agency says Israel is delaying new visas for its staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Jerusalem CNN —A United Nations agency that operates in the West Bank and Gaza says Israel is not processing visas for its newly recruited staff, while Israeli officials accuse the agency of “ignoring Israeli victims of terror” in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, a charge the agency denies. The UN considers East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be occupied territory, and Israelis living there to be living in illegal settlements. Erdan said when OCHA is asked why they don’t count Israeli victims, they are told the agency does not have reliable data. “Of course you don’t, you don’t employ Hebrew speakers, and the senior manager of the agency is Palestinian,” Erdan said. OCHA’s latest report does record some instances of Israelis being injured by stones thrown at civilian vehicles traveling in the West Bank.

☆ 'It's A Wonderful Life': See the classic Christmas film on the big screen this month
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jeanne Bonner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Karolyn Grimes and James Stewart in "It's A Wonderful Life." Fathom has long wanted to revive showings of “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Carey said, noting that fans have been asking for it. No film is a failure if it has fansWhat’s long delighted film historians is the fact that when “It’s a Wonderful Life” debuted, it was largely deemed a wash. As film historian Jeanine Basinger writes in her compendium, “The It’s A Wonderful Life Book,” the original idea for the film languished for years before the studio RKO sold it to Capra in 1945 for a mere $10,000. William Edmunds and James Stewart in 1946's "It's A Wonderful Life."

☆ Fact Check-Viral video promotes baseless vaccine depopulation theory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

However, there is no evidence that mortality rates have surged or that stillbirths have increased as a result of COVID-19 vaccines. News reports about cardiac arrests and unexpected deaths are then shown on screen and are baselessly attributed to COVID-19 vaccines. There have been 55 deaths involving COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in England between March 2020 and October 2022. While stillbirth rates remain constant, global birth or fertility rates, including in the U.S., have been declining for decades (here, here, here, here). The film does not provide evidence that the global elite are depopulating the world through COVID-19 vaccines.

“Spoiler Alert” opened in U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “Women Talking” opened in select U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “The Whale” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 9. “Babylon” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23.

☆ Yes, the viral ‘Cocaine Bear’ movie is based on a true story (kinda)
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If you’ve seen the astonishing trailer for “Cocaine Bear” making the rounds on Twitter, you might have questions about the film’s claim that it is “inspired by true events.” But the story is indeed based on the true story of a bear who overdosed on cocaine in the 1980s. In the film, the bear goes on a cocaine-fueled killing spree after its drug binge. The black bear was found dead near a duffel bag and 40 packages of cocaine, ripped open and scattered over the hillside. It’s unclear from the AP report exactly how much cocaine the bear consumed – but the duffel bag would have originally contained around 88 pounds of the powerful drug. The Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington claims to have the stuffed remains of the "Cocaine Bear" on display.

“Spoiler Alert,” the new film based on entertainment journalist Michael Ausiello’s heartbreaking 2017 memoir, certainly doesn’t have a storybook ending. The film, directed by Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”), closely follows “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” which Ausiello wrote in the wake of his husband Kit Cowan’s death from colorectal cancer, at age 42. Even watching the movie now, it’s still a bit of a head trip to see it.”From left, Ben Aldridge, Jim Parsons, Sally Field and Bill Irwin in "Spoiler Alert." But, in general, these moments — and even the comedic stylings of Sally Field — aren’t able to distract from the inherent sadness of “Spoiler Alert” for very long. “I want them to have their own experience seeing the movie,” Ausiello said of audience members.

☆ Netflix to Let Tens of Thousands of Subscribers Preview Content
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Sarah Krouse | Jessica Toonkel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Before Netflix Inc.’s 2021 release of “Don’t Look Up,” a small group of its U.S. subscribers previewed the film and told the streaming giant that the movie came across as too serious, according to people familiar with the matter. The film’s creators used that feedback to dial up the comedic element of the film and make it appeal to a broader audience, the people said. While the film received lukewarm reviews among critics, “Don’t Look Up” was nominated for four Academy Awards and broke a Netflix record for weekly viewing hours of a film, a record it still holds.

☆ Netflix to Let Tens of Thousands of Subscribers Give Early Feedback on Content
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Sarah Krouse | Jessica Toonkel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Will Smith's 'Emancipation' scores mixed reviews so far
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ben Foster, Jordyn McIntosh, Jeremiah Friedlander, Will Smith and Charmaine Bingwa attend a premiere for the film "Emancipation" in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniDec 1 (Reuters) - Apple TV+’s 2022 slavery drama “Emancipation", actor Will Smith's first film since his famous slap of comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, has received mixed early reviews from film critics. The movie has scored a 59% positive rating on Rotton Tomatoes so far, with 14 out of 24 reviewers applauding the film as of Thursday afternoon. The first batch of reviews have earned “Emancipation” the rotten label, as many reviewers voice their disappointment in the historical action film’s execution. “Emancipation devolves into a confused jumble of messages,” Lovia Gyarke from The Hollywood Reporter wrote.

☆ 'Willow' review: Warwick Davis returns in Lucasfilm's series sequel for Disney+
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Setting that aside, a Disney+ revival series isn’t without its charms, in a more contemporary narrative that brings back Warwick Davis while focusing on the next generation. The latter were played by Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, respectively, who as an off-screen bonus got married after the film. Jonathan Kasdan (who also worked on “Solo”) serves as showrunner, collaborating with four directors who each oversaw back-to-back episodes. While that combination doesn’t add up into making “Willow” significantly worthier of the “beloved” label than its late-’80s predecessor, consumed on its own unpretentious terms, it’s easy enough to like. “Willow” premieres November 30 on Disney+.

☆ Death of Irene Cara, 'Fame' movie star and singer, evoked the loss of my youth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Diane Forman | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

I was heartbroken when I learned that Irene Cara, who starred in the 1980 movie “Fame,” died over the weekend at age 63. Many people seem to like listening to sad music, in part because it’s a stronger trigger for nostalgia than sadness. I always felt like Cara was singing right to me, that she had a window into my emotional experience, which made me feel less alone. I’ve seen the original version of “Fame” a dozen times, always mesmerized by the character Coco, played by Cara. All of which might explain my strong reaction to hearing of Cara’s death even though she was a complete stranger.

☆ 'Goncharov' isn't a real Martin Scorsese movie, but Tumblr convinced the internet it's a classic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Martin Scorsese presents GONCHAROV. In 2020, another Tumblr user reblogged the post with a screenshot of a comment that read, "this idiot hasn't seen goncharov." The New York Times reports that "Goncharov" was the top trending topic on Tumblr by Monday evening, followed by "Martin Scorsese." "The goncharov bit on tumblr right now is one of the insane things I eve ever seen," Twitter user @gwenstacying said. Martin Scorsese is in on the joke.

☆ The secrets behind these Christmas movie classics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ was supposed to be a flop"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a beloved special, but those involved in its production worried that they'd created a dud. Classic songs were reused, rewritten and dubbed for ‘White Christmas’"White Christmas" is a movie that has a lot of behind-the-scenes lore. Paramount/Kobal/ShutterstockThe 1954 film “White Christmas” is brimming with behind-the-scenes lore, especially when it comes to the music. The animators behind 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” used about 400 different hand-sculpted heads to bring Jack Skellington to life. Michael Caine did a literal balancing act during ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’The Ghost of Christmas Present, left, and Michael Caine, right, in 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

☆ Marsai Martin and Omari Harwick play to win in ‘Fantasy Football’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The new film “Fantasy Football” capitalizes on some of its stars natural talent. Marsai Martin channels lots of girl-boss energy playing Callie Coleman, a tech-savvy young woman whose father’s long career in the NFL lands him with the Atlanta Falcons team. (Martin, 18, set a Guinness World Record in 2020 as the youngest Hollywood executive producer to work on a major production.) Marsai Martin as Callie Coleman and Omari Hardwick as Bobby Coleman in "Fantasy Football." “We respect each other and we brought out the best in each other.”“Fantasy Football” debuts Friday on Paramount+.

☆ ‘Love Actually’ cast to reunite for 20th anniversary TV special
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —One of the most beloved modern Christmas classics is turning 20 next year, and to mark the occasion, cast members from the landmark 2003 romantic comedy “Love Actually” are reuniting for a TV special to air on ABC next week, the network announced Tuesday. Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy and Thomas Brodie-Sangster are taking part in the special, along with the film’s writer-director Richard Curtis. The new reunion is not the first time the actors from “Love Actually” – who also include Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth – have come together again. In 2017, a short sequel to the film was produced for NBC in honor of Red Nose Day, a charity for children in need created by Curtis. “The Laughter & Secrets of ‘Love Actually’: 20 Years Later – A Diane Sawyer Special” airs Nov. 29 at 8 p.m.

☆ 'She Said' review: Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as the New York Times reporters who helped break the Harvey Weinstein story
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“She Said” nevertheless joins a long tradition of movies about dogged reporters exposing injustice, and in this case helping spawn a sweeping movement. The film is adapted from the book by New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, which might explain why the work of Ronan Farrow is mentioned but conspicuously shortchanged. Setting that aside, the heart of “She Said,” which begins with Twohey (Carey Mulligan) reporting on Donald Trump, centers on her collaboration with Kantor (Zoe Kazan) to lay bare the predatory behavior of Harvey Weinstein. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan play New York Times reporters in the fact-based movie "She Said." (The film’s producers include Brad Pitt, who has spoken of confronting Weinstein back when he was dating Gwyneth Paltrow.)

☆ 'The Wonder': Florence Pugh's performance makes eerie drama essential viewing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Review Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But when she finds herself in a film that can match her talents, as she does in Sebastián Lelio’s “The Wonder,” she’s a marvel. In “The Wonder,” a film of considerable emotional depth that asks much of its actors, the result is perhaps her finest work to date. Left to right: Kíla Lord Cassidy, Tom Burke and Florence Pugh in "The Wonder." Florence Pugh as Lib Wright and Kíla Lord Cassidy as Anna O'Donnell in "The Wonder." “The Wonder” is available in select cinemas on November 2 and available on Netflix November 16.

☆ ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ notches record opening for November
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Frank Pallotta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” had the major challenge of following “Black Panther,” one of the biggest blockbusters ever, and had to do so without star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020. Despite all of the challenges, “Wakanda Forever” notched a sizable box office opening this weekend. As for its critical reception, “Wakanda Forever” notched an 84% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes. “‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ faced an inordinate degree of difficulty, addressing the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman,” Brian Lowry, CNN’s media critic, wrote in his review. The debut of “Wakanda Forever” will unlikely impact Disney’s stock since investors remain heavily focused on the company’s streaming endeavors.

☆ Namor: Marvel's watertight efforts to make him different from Aquaman
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: The following contains minor spoilers about “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”CNN —In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the aquatic adversary known as Namor wastes no time establishing himself as one of those beguiling but strange characters that can polarize an audience: the ocean-dwelling deity uses conch shells like smartphones and has feathered wings on his ankles. (CNN, DC Films and Warner Bros, which produced “Aquaman,” are part of the same parent company, Warner Bros. Also known as the Sub-Mariner, Namor first appeared in comics in 1939, while DC’s Aquaman debuted in 1941. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” also had the daunting task of presenting Namor’s origins in a way that swam clear of those seen in “Aquaman,” and of doing it a movie not meant to operate solely as an origin story. But before that happens, and thanks to Mejía’s nuanced performance in “Wakanda Forever,” Namor should be able to avoid many more comparisons to other oceanic demigods, and ride his own wave into the future.

☆ Alec Baldwin Sues Some ‘Rust’ Crew Members Over Fatal Shooting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Talal Ansari | Suryatapa Bhattacharya | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Alec Baldwin in costume on the set of ’Rust,’ site of a fatal shooting last year. Actor Alec Baldwin filed a lawsuit against several original “Rust” crew members, accusing them of negligence that led to the fatal shooting on the New Mexico set of the film last year. The suit names Hannah Gutierrez-Reed , the armorer and assistant prop master for the Western; David Halls , the first assistant director; Seth Kenney , an assistant armorer for the film who also supplied prop weapons and ammunition for the movie; and Sarah Zachry , the film’s prop master.

☆ Alec Baldwin files suit over 'Rust' shooting, seeks to 'clear his name'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Baldwin named all four as cross-defendants in a lawsuit originally filed against him last year by Mamie Mitchell, the film’s script supervisor. Baldwin said he relied on all four to do their jobs, and that Hutchins died as a result of their negligence. As a result, Baldwin says he has experienced “immense grief” and suffered an “emotional, physical and financial toll.”“More than anyone else on that set, Baldwin has been wrongfully viewed as the perpetrator of this tragedy,” wrote Baldwin’s attorney, Luke Nikas. Further, Baldwin accuses Seth Kenney, the supplier, of showing a “cavalier disregard for proper separation between live and dummy ammunition.”All four have previously denied culpability. In a statement Thursday, Gloria Allred, who represents Mitchell, said Baldwin should take responsibility for his actions.

☆ Lindsay Lohan's 'Falling for Christmas' isn't what you hoped it'd be -- it's so much more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Sandra Gonzalez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Aliana Lohan, Lindsay Lohan and Chase Ramsey in "Falling For Christmas." You don’t need a crystal ball for the rest, nor should anyone have the delightful cheesiness and bacon redemption that takes place next ruined for them. It’s a joyful reminder that you don’t need to lose your memory to remember how precious fresh starts are. Lohan’s magic power has always been bringing to life films that have the simple goal of being unchallenging delights. If for that and that alone, “Falling for Christmas” is a gift.

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