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The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesAnother political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Fred White, 67. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, Henry Kissinger, Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter, Silvio Berlusconi, Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley, James Abourezk, Nigel Lawson, Pervez Musharraf, Sandra Day O’Connor, Li Keqiang, Martti Ahtisaari, United Nations Bill Richardson, Gov, Sheila Oliver, Theodoros Pangalos, Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree, Tom Sizemore, Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Cormac McCarthy, William Friedkin, Bob Barker, Jerry Springer, Louise Glück, Jeff Beck, Mary Quant, Kaija Saariaho, Lloyd Morrisett, Fred White, Maurice, Verdine White, Ken Block, Walter Cunningham, Fay Weldon, ” Jan, Russell Pearce, Charles Simic, Lynette “ Diamond ” Hardaway, Donald Trump, Diamond, Constantine, Jan, Tatjana Patitz, George Michael’s, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley, Robbie Knievel, Evel Knievel, Ray Cordeiro, Elmo, Cookie, Gina Lollobrigida, Chris Ford, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Cindy Williams, Shirley, “ Laverne, Billy Packer, Sylvia Syms, Alex ”, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, “ Papa, Rollin ’ Stone, Tom Verlaine, Patti Smith, Bobby Hull, Paco Rabanne, Harry Whittington, Dick Cheney, Hsing Yun, ”, San Jose ”, Carlos Saura, Spain’s, Hugh Hudson, Oscar, “ Greystroke, Hans Modrow, David Jude Jolicoeur, Huey “, ” Smith, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, “, Leiji Matsumoto, Yamato ”, Tim McCarver, Stella Stevens, Jerry Lewis’s, John Munch, Ahmed Qureia, Betty Boothroyd, Ricou Browning, Gill, Gérard Latortue, Fontaine, Barbara Everitt Bryant, Ryan ”, Kenzaburo Oe, Judy Heumann, Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Georgina Beyer, Traute Lafrenz, Rose, Peterson Zah, Tevye, Robert Blake, Jiang Yanyong, Bud Grant, Dick Fosbury, Pat Schroeder, Gloria Bosman, Jacqueline Gold, Britain’s Ann Summers, John Wick ”, John Jenrette, Juana La, Willis Reed, Darcelle, Paul O’Grady, Lily Savage, Emperor ”, Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter, Margaret Thatcher, Ben Ferencz, Nuremberg, Elisabeth Kopp, Michael Lerner, Jack Lipnick, “ Barton Fink, Bugsy Calhoun, Anne Perry, Thomas Pitt, William Monk, Al Jaffee, magazine’s, Charles Stanley, Richard Riordan, Todd Haimes, Tony Awards, Barry Humphries, Tony, Dame Edna Everage, Len Goodman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, Emmett Till, LeRoy “ Lee ” Carhart, Larry “, ___ Gordon Lightfoot, Tori Bowie, Vida, Grace Bumbry, Rock ”, Ovelha, Denny Crum, Heather Armstrong, Bobbie Spencer, Rolf Harris, Kenneth Anger, Doyle Brunson, Jim Brown, Timothy Keller, Andy Rourke, Ray Stevenson, Thor ”, Ed Ames, George Maharis, Carroll Cooley, Miranda, John Beasley, Kaija, George Winston, Ipanema ”, Robert Hanssen, Richard Snyder, Simon & Schuster, Françoise Gilot, Pablo Picasso —, Pat Robertson, Theodore “ Ted ” Kaczynski, Roger Payne, Treat Williams, Glenda Jackson, Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Nixon, Big, George Frazier, Lee Sarokin, Rubin “, ” Carter, Winnie Ewing, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock, “ Fiorello, John Goodenough, Peg Yorkin, Sue Johanson, Yan Mingfu, John Berylson, James Lewis, poisonings, Mikala Jones, André Watts, Jane Birkin, Kevin Mitnick, San Francisco ”, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Hugh “ Sonny ” Carter Jr, Jimmy, Randy Meisner, Herman, Angus Cloud, Fezco, ” O’Neill, ___, Mark Margolis, Hector Salamanca, Saul, Sixto Rodriguez, flamed, Robbie Robertson, Tom Jones, Magoo, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Clarence Avant, Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, Ada Deer, Jerry Moss, Herb Alpert, Alpert, Michael Parkinson, Muhammad Ali, Miss Piggy, Jiri Cerny, Betty Tyson, Richard Nixon’s, John Warnock, Ron Cephas Jones, Howard Hubbard, Samuel “ Joe ” Wurzelbacher, Joe, Barack Obama, Gil Brandt, Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, Bill Richardson, Steve Harwell, Shabtai Shavit, Jordan, Ian Wilmut, Dolly, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Roy Kidd, Eno Ichikawa, Michael McGrath, Fernando Botero, Giorgio Napolitano, Matteo Messina Denaro, Michael Gambon, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter ”, Mankombu Sambasivan, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Hosni Mubarak, Tim Wakefield, Dick Butkus, Michael Chiarello, Michael Chiarello ”, Masters, Burt Young, Paulie, Sylvester Stallone, Hughes Van Ellis, Kevin Phillips, Louise Meriwether, Mark Goddard, Major Don West, Rudolph Isley, Isley, unblinking, Piper Laurie, Chrissy Snow, Bobby Charlton, Bishan Bedi, Richard Moll, Xi Jinping, Wu Zunyou, Chandler Bing, Ken Mattingly, Bob Knight, Frank Borman, Steve Norton, Don Walsh, Mariana Trench, Terry R, Taylor, Daisaku Ikeda, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Ussery, George “ Funky ” Brown, Joanna ”, Marty Krofft, Pufnstuf, Donny, Marie ”, Terry Venables, Tim Dorsey, Serge A, Frances Sternhagen, ” “, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Gerald Ford, Shane MacGowan, Bernard McGhee Organizations: Wagner Group, Russian, White House, U.S, Supreme, United Nations, Greek Foreign, Republican, Hong, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBC, CBS, Television, Fame, Chicago Blackhawks, ”, New, of Fame, Louis Cardinals, “, Palestinian, Israel, South Dakota Democrat, Arab, Arab American U.S, Britain’s, Commons, . Census Bureau, Alabama ”, Zealand, Navajo, Minnesota Vikings, People, Playboy, Capitol, Juana La Cubana, New York Knicks, Guinness, World Records, Hollywood, Treasury, Southern Baptist Convention, Los Angeles, Roundabout Theatre Company, Air Force, Harlem Globetrotters, Janeiro Games, baseball’s, Germany’s Bayreuth, NCAA, Hall of Famer, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Legion, Ames, Phoenix, FBI, Simon &, Christian Broadcasting Network, Republican Party, Christian Coalition, Harvard, Feminist Majority Foundation, “ Little, Communist Party, Millwall, New York Philharmonic, San, Brigade, Wing, Eagles, HBO, of Indian Affairs, M, Police, Carpenters, Adobe Systems, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, escapist, Democratic, Zulu, Eastern, AA, Broadway, Communist, U.S . Senate, Red Sox, Yankees, Boston, Chicago Bears, Major, Isley Brothers, New York Times, Manchester United, India, Indiana, Nevada — Resorts, Atlantic City —, Navy, Associated Press, Soka Gakkai, Kentucky Derby, Kool, The, European, Barcelona, Tottenham, City Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russian, U.S, Finnish, New Mexico, New Jersey, British, Greece, American, Hong Kong, Italian, America, New York, Spanish, catwalks, Texas, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, San, New Orleans, Rosebud, Arab American, Haiti, “, African, Brooklyn, London, Los, Mississippi, United States, Rivers, Georgia, Savannah, Louisville, New York City, Irish, HBO’s “ Rome, Brazilian, Ipanema, Moscow, Virginia, Montana, Vietnam, Canada, Asia, Chicago, Hawaii, France, South Africa, Wisconsin, Los Angeles, Czech, Eastern Kentucky, Colombian, ”, California, Tulsa, Finland, China, Nevada, Atlantic City, Florida, Berkshire

☆ How the spritz became the ‘cocktail of the moment’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Martinis and margaritas might still be people’s drink of choice, but the spritz is bubbling to the top. Bartenders are experimenting so much with the spritz, swapping in different liqueurs or juices in place of Campari or Aperol, that it’s becoming the “cocktail for the moment” and expanding its appeal year-round, a recent report from bar analytics service Union said. “By all accounts, the spritz has had a smashing year, showing strong growth across every month, peaking smack-dab in the middle of summer,” Union said. Data shows that spritz sales started growing in sales this year a month earlier — in April — than usual. Just scrolling on TikTok, Rosenstein notices different variations of a spritz (such as a Hugo spritz, made with St-Germain elderflower liqueur, or a Lillet spritz made with the wine-based liqueur) in her feed.

Persons: New York CNN —, it’s, —, Matthew Crompton, Jennifer Coolidge, Andrea Sengara, ” Sengara, “ We’ve, Yvonne Tnt, Shutterstock Sting, Sting, “, Ana Rosenstein, ”, Rosenstein, Hugo spritz, Germain elderflower, spritzes Organizations: New, New York CNN, NIQ, ”, CNN, Coachella, US, St Locations: New York, California, Aperol, Campari, York

☆ David Beckham: Filmmaker Fisher Stevens explains how ‘Succession’ and Leonardo DiCaprio helped land him Netflix documentary series
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Don Riddell | Glen Levy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —At first glance, the American actor and filmmaker Fisher Stevens wasn’t the obvious choice to helm the four-part Netflix documentary series about English soccer great David Beckham. “When they first called me, my response was …’why me for David Beckham?’” the 59-year-old said to CNN Sport’s Don Riddell. “I said, ‘Hey, I have a call with David Beckham, but I’m not sure,’” Fisher fondly recalled. I say what’s really strong, their relationship is really strong and if you can work with your wife and it works, God bless, man,” he said. But that’s why he’s also such a good guy, because he’s worried about you too.”A second series?

Persons: Fisher Stevens, David Beckham, Stevens, ’, CNN Sport’s Don Riddell, “, ”, Beckham, Alex Ferguson, Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi, ” Adams, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Becks ’, Jesse Armstrong, HBO’s, Tony Roche, Hugo, Oscar, Leonardo DiCaprio, DiCaprio, ‘, I’m, ’ ” Fisher, Logan Roy, ” Brand Beckham, David, he’s, “ Beckham, Ted, Ferguson, Scot, Megan Briggs, Victoria, ‘ David we’ll, ‘ David, that’s, Joseph West, ” Stevens Organizations: CNN, Netflix, Manchester United, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Argentina, Spice, HBO, Warner Bros, United, Real Madrid, Variety, Qatar, Jewish Locations: American, England, Spain, America, Italy, France, United States, “, Victoria

☆ ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ Review: Nicolas Cage Goes Bison Hunting
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Nicolas Cage Photo: Butcher's Crossing Film LLCThe Western “Butcher’s Crossing” begins in 1874 Kansas, where a cosseted young Harvard student is heading west in search of adventure, love or meaning—possibly all three. The audience settles in knowingly to watch as every force on the frontier conspires to delete that grin. “I’m a rather quick study,” Will tells townspeople as he searches for a job, the more arduous the better. McDonald ( Paul Raci ), an ornery old cuss who deals in buffalo hides, tells him to get lost. Neither the fear of being scalped nor the possibility of freezing to death in a prairie winter are as daunting as this man, mainly because he’s played by Nicolas Cage .

Persons: Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, ” Will, McDonald, Paul Raci, Miller, he’s Organizations: Harvard Locations: Kansas

☆ How F1 and ‘Drive to Survive’ are changing way we watch sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“Hard Knocks” is a docuseries that focuses on a single NFL team as it prepares for the upcoming NFL season. F1 is already a dangerous and exciting sport on its own, but “Drive to Survive” transforms it into a soap opera. By the end, hopefully, they’re consuming the product; in this case, actually watching the live sport. But his strength on the field isn’t why Travis Kelce is a household name. In last season’s Super Bowl, Travis Kelce went head-to-head against brother Jason Kelce, when the Chiefs faced the Philadelphia Eagles.

Persons: “ I’ve, it’s, Michael Jordan, Travis Vogan, Vogan, ” Vogan, Aaron Rodgers, isn’t, It’s, They’re, ”, “, Lewis Hamilton, Tom Brady’s, Sergio Perez’s, James Gay, Rees, “ It’s, ” Gay, weren’t, ” Haas, Mick Schumacher, Patrick T, Fallon, Cody Havard, Woods, Williams, Lance Armstrong, they’ve, “ They’re, they’re, Travis Kelce, Kelce, Jason Kelce, Travis, Taylor Swift, Swifties, Swift, David Eulitt, ‘, ’ ” Havard, There’s, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Rory McIlroy, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, ” Havard, Havard, Patrick McElhenney, Ted Lasso ”, Hannah Waddingham, “ Ted Lasso, — she’s, Marshawn Lynch Organizations: CNN, Sports, Studios, Chicago Bulls, Covid, NFL, HBO, Warner Bros ., NFL Films, University of Iowa, New York Jets, Netflix, Films, PGA Tour, de, Formula One United, Prix, Getty, University of Memphis, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Wrexham AFC, Welsh soccer, Los Angeles Lakers, AFC Richmond, Manchester City, West Ham United, English Premier League, Fox Locations: Europe, China, Brazil, Mexico, Austin , Texas, ”, Formula One United States, Wrexham, Welsh, United States, “

☆ How a lonely mountain lion led to the creation of the world’s largest wildlife overpass
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Martha Shade | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A photo of P-22 mountain lion National Park Service“A mountain lion lived in L.A. and people didn’t fear him,” said Pratt, who has memorialized P-22 on her arm with a tattoo. The idea of a wildlife overpass was garnering interest, but funding it was another issue. A rendering of the completed Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Overpass Courtesy National Wildlife FederationEngineers are also taking into account animals’ fear of bright lights. And that’s exactly what needs to happen at the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Overpass, where the freeway bisects the local cougar habitat. He has inspired the building of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

Persons: he’s, ”, Beth Pratt, Pratt, Alan Ruck —, Ferris, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rainn Wilson, Barbra Streisand, David Crosby, ” Pratt, “, Watts, Wallis Annenberg, don’t, ” It’s, Martha Shade, koalas, We’ve, ’ Organizations: CNN, National Wildlife Federation, Hollywood, Service, Wallis Annenberg, Wildlife Federation Engineers, National Park Service, Banff National, grizzlies, Federal, Administration Locations: California, Los Angeles, L.A, HBO’s, Watts, South Los Angeles, Beverly, France, Europe, Netherlands, Brignoles, Queensland, Australia, Canada, Banff, Pratt

☆ Julia Ormond sues Harvey Weinstein for battery along with Disney, CAA and Miramax as enablers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Actress Julia Ormond is suing disgraced former film producer Harvey Weinstein for battery and sexual assault she says occurred in 1995, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by CNN. Ormond is also suing the once Weinstein-owned Miramax as well the Walt Disney Company, which purchased Miramax in 1993, for negligence and Hollywood talent agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency), who represented the actress, for negligence and breach of fiduciary trust. (A majority stake of CAA was recently purchased by the Artémis investment firm.) In the complaint, first reported by Variety, Ormond alleges that in December 1995, she and Weinstein were supposed to have a business dinner to discuss a project. Weinstein, 71, was at the center of allegations that fueled the global #MeToo movement in 2017.

Persons: Julia Ormond, Harvey Weinstein, Ormond, Weinstein, Weinstein “, ” “ Harvey Weinstein, ”, Ormond’s, ” Ormond, Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, “, Sabrina ”, Grandin, Ormond Douglas H, Wigdor, Effie Blassberger, Rosenberg Kirshner, Linder, he’d Organizations: CNN, Miramax, Walt Disney Company, Hollywood, CAA, Creative Artists Agency, Variety, Mr, Disney, ” CNN, Warner Brothers Discovery, AMC, Wigdor LLP, Linder LLP Locations: “, Clayman, Los Angeles, New York

☆ 'Heart of Invictus' review: Prince Harry uses his producing clout on the uplifting Netflix docuseries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —There is a small strata of Hollywood deal-making where who’s behind a project – and with whom the programmer gets to align itself – carries more weight than the specifics. That would seem to define Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry’s producing arrangement with Netflix, which bears fruit this week with “Heart of Invictus,” a docuseries about the games devoted to wounded, ill and injured veterans. The streaming giant’s 2020 partnership with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex clearly appeared to be modeled after its relationship with Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground. Yet even with that disclaimer, there are moments in “Heart of Invictus” where one has to be pretty heartless not to get a bit choked up, and it’s hard to question that its heart is in the right place. “Heart of Invictus” premieres August 30 on Netflix.

Persons: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry’s, ”, Duke, Duchess, Barack, Michelle Obama’s, Ted Sarandos “, Harry, Prince Harry, Orlando von Einsiedel, Julien Allen, Na Hyeongyoon, Invictus ” Organizations: CNN, Netflix, “, Daily Mail, Hague, Invictus Games, “ Wheelchair rugby, South Locations: Sussex, Netherlands, Ukraine, Iraq, “, South Korean

☆ 20 Secrets of Sicily: The Restaurants, Beaches and Museums Most Tourists Miss
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Roy Vlcek | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

UNDER SIEGE The Castello Maniace, a 13th-century citadel in Syracuse’s old town, is just one vestige of Sicily’s long history of occupation and conquest. Photo: Alamy Stock PhotoEven before HBO’s “The White Lotus,” Sicily was a hotspot for travelers looking beyond the Italian mainland—and for good reason. The island has its own cuisine, drawn in equal measure from the sea and the fertile slopes of Mount Etna; its own varieties of wine; even its own language. Its history, as a crossroads of trade and conquest in the Mediterranean, stretches back thousands of years.

Persons: HBO’s “ Locations: Castello, Syracuse’s, Sicily, Mount Etna

☆ How Hip-Hop Changed the English Language Forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Miles Marshall Lewis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +16 min

We unpacked five words — dope, woke, cake, wildin’ and ghost — that show rap’s unique linguistic influence. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc. Please import it manually on src/routes/(pages)/$PAGE/+page.svelte and add it to the body loop referencing a name on the Google Doc.

Persons: vibrancy, Dave, — Slick Rick, “, ”, �, Homer Simpson, Rihanna, “ FourFiveSeconds ”, wilding, Erykah Badu, Megan Thee, Spoonie Gee, Lil Wayne, Spivey’s, “ It’s, Pharrell Williams, Shameik Moore, Zoë Kravitz, ” “, Lana Del Rey, Joe, Marcus Garvey, Lauryn Hill, Marcus Garvey intoned, Ramblin ’ Thomas, William Melvin Kelley’s, presciently, Badu’s, repopularized “, Badu, ” — Childish Gambino, “ Redbone ”, Donald J, Kendrick Lamar’s, Joey Bada, Lil Durk’s, Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk, Sir, they’ve, Munch, Red’s, ” Megan Thee, Patty, Nicki Minaj, “ Heard, Jay, Stackin, Al Pacino, Tony Montana, Morton, wildin, illin, killin, “ Buck Whylin ’, Chuck D, “ Buck Whylin ’ ”, Tonya Harding, Nick Cannon’s, “ wilding ”, Barry Michael Cooper, “ Wilding, Donald Trump’s, Wildin, “ Stylin, — Bruno Mars, Greg Nice, “ Swayze, Patrick Swayze’s, Guy, ghosting, Glock, I’m Swayze, Jared Seay Organizations: Daily News, src, Google, Oxford English, Queens, MTV, New York Times, Trump, Republican, Hulu, WAP, raunch, “, Morton Music, Public, The Daily News, Central Park, Oxford, ”, Adidas, Royce Locations: Oxford, Ethiopia, Africa, Florida, America, U.S

☆ ‘Winning Time’ Is Back. Here’s What to Know Ahead of Season 2
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Tania Ganguli | More About Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fictionalized shows drawn from real life don’t always satisfy the people depicted. But when the subjects are superstars accustomed to speaking for themselves, their criticism can take on a life of its own. That’s what happened after the first season of HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” which returns for a second season on Sunday. But many of the people portrayed in Season 1 objected loudly to the way they and others were depicted — Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) and Coach Jerry West (Jason Clarke) among them. West even demanded an apology from HBO (and his character does seem more muted in the coming season).

Persons: don’t, Jeff Pearlman’s, ”, Jerry Buss, John C, Reilly, Magic Johnson, Quincy Isaiah, Kareem Abdul, Jabbar, Solomon Hughes, Jerry West, Jason Clarke, Max Borenstein, “, they’ve Organizations: Lakers, Los Angeles Lakers, Showtime Lakers —, HBO Locations: West

☆ AI is a concern for writers. But actors could have even more to fear
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —How many actors does it take to make the movies and shows produced by studios and streaming services? SAG-AFTRA, the actors union that has had 160,000 members on strike since last week, is afraid that artificial intelligence will lead to far fewer employed actors in the future. And winning limits on AI is an issue for the Writers Guild of America, which has been on strike against the same studios and streaming services since May 2. The fight over virtual actors and performancesComputer-generated imagery, or CGI, to create virtual actors and extras is somewhat old hat in Hollywood. “The actors and writers, they’re kind of a canary in the coal mine,” said David Gunkel, a communications professor at Northern Illinois University who tracks AI in media and entertainment.

Persons: ”, Fran Drescher, AFTRA, Tom, “, Duncan Crabtree, AMPTP, don’t, Anthony Palomba, wasn’t, Nancy Marchand, Tony Soprano’s, HBO’s, Rowan Curran, Forrester, Joshua Glick, Bard, University of Virginia’s Palomba, “ I’m, Andrea Schneider, Goldman Sachs, David Gunkel Organizations: New, New York CNN, SAG, Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Motion Pictures, Television Producers, University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, University of Virginia’s, Cardozo Law School, Northern Illinois University, UPS Locations: New York, Hollywood, Ireland

It was 10 a.m., adoring union members had already more or less mobbed their president, Fran Drescher, and the crowd was growing by the minute. Outside Netflix offices in Hollywood, a festive, celebratory mood had taken over the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue. It was a workers’ strike, to be sure. But it felt a little like a summer Friday street party — one with a few famous guests. We bring so much joy to people by entertaining them,” Crew added.

Persons: Fran Drescher, “ We’re, ”, Amanda Crew, Dustin Milligan, “ Organizations: Netflix Locations: Hollywood, Sunset, Van, Silicon

☆ UK-filmed TV shows could go ahead despite SAG strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —As a host of Hollywood actors join film and TV writers in a strike against major studios and streaming services, filming and production of some popular shows – including “House of the Dragon” and “Industry” – could continue, due to UK strike laws. A source with knowledge of the productions confirmed to CNN that both are Equity contract shows. Actors are calling for increased pay as well as progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services. They join 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike for two months. Production of many movies and television shows has already been shut down by the current writers’ strike, and the actors’ strike threatens to bring most remaining productions to a halt, other than on some independent films not associated with studios.

Persons: “, HBO’s, ”, Joseph Charlton, Paul Fleming Organizations: London CNN, Hollywood, “, Equity, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, “ SAG, Leavesden Studios, HBO, Industry, CNN, Warner Bros ., SAG, Wednesday, Writers Guild of America Locations: British, England, Watford, London, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Six Ways to Find a Little Elbow Room in Dubrovnik
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Joe Orovic | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Pile and Ploce Gates, the two entrances into Dubrovnik’s Old Town, once had drawbridges that lifted during the overnight hours, forcing visitors wanting to enter to wait outside its stone walls until morning. The bridges no longer lift, yet the bottlenecks of morning visitors remain. This compact, seaside city in Croatia has drawn millions of travelers from around the globe for years. Game the cruise ship scheduleDubrovnik is a mainstay on the itineraries of cruise ships navigating the Mediterranean, and 377,000 passengers disembarked last year, according to the city’s Port Authority. This year that number could jump to 500,000, as up to five ships are expected to arrive daily during the high season.

Persons: Ploce Gates, HBO’s, Pearl Organizations: Croatian National Tourist Board, Authority Locations: Dubrovnik’s, Croatia, Dubrovnik, city’s

☆ Murray Hill Is Ready to Share His Personal Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Shane O Neill | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Murray Hill’s signature catchphrase is a percussive “Showbiz!” When he began performing as a drag king in New York during the mid-90s on stages he recalls being “the size of a postage stamp,” shouting “Showbiz!” called out the irony of his Vegas showman persona against the gritty and grimy environs of underground drag clubs. Today, at age 51, with roles as Fred Rococo on HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere,” which was recently renewed for a third season, and as host of Hulu’s new game show “Drag Me to Dinner,” the distance between Mr. Hill and the mainstream is shrinking. Still, his life isn’t wall-to-wall glamour. “I’m in a two-bedroom apartment right now, the second bedroom being my bathroom where I’m talking to you,” he told me from his home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, during our video call. For Pride season, which lasts the month of June, we unleashed Mr. Hill on the town with his iPhone to capture some of his most “Showbiz!” moments.

Persons: Murray, Fred Rococo, Hill, “, ” Locations: New York, Greenpoint , Brooklyn

☆ ‘And Just Like That…’ we are back thinking about that feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —I am going to say the quiet part out loud: some people very much enjoy drama. Because while we say we want only positivity, social media probably wouldn’t even be a thing if that were completely true. AP/ReutersWell-documented Adele fan over here, but I fell even more in love with her after a story Sylvester Stallone recently shared. You should listen to…Kelly Clarkson performs onstage during the 2023 iHeartRadio Music at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2023 in Hollywood, California. Monica Schipper/Getty Images North AmericaSpeaking of singers I admire, I don’t think Kelly Clarkson has ever met a note she cannot hit.

Persons: CNN —, Patricia Field, Kim Cattrall, Andy Kropa, Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cattrall, Samantha Jones, Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon –, ”, Sylvester Stallone, Adele, Stallone, “, … Kelly Clarkson, Monica Schipper, Kelly Clarkson, It’s, Brandon Blackstock, Clarkson, ” “ Organizations: CNN, SVA, Max, Warner Bros ., City, Reuters, Beverly Hills, Dolby Theatre Locations: New York, Beverly, Hollywood , California, Chicago, Hulu

The New York Times Audio app includes podcasts, narrated articles from the newsroom and other publishers and exclusive new shows — including this one — which we’re making available to readers for a limited time. Download the audio app here. On this special episode of “Matter of Opinion,” Michelle Cottle, Ross Douthat, Carlos Lozada and Lydia Polgreen send off HBO’s “Succession” and its cast of back-stabbing ultrawealthy characters. The hosts break down key moments of the finale (turns out it pays to be a pain sponge) and discuss the real story “Succession” told about America today. (A full transcript of the episode will be available shortly on the Times website.)

☆ Opinion | Can the Writers’ Strike Fix Hollywood?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A somewhat more pessimistic analysis, offered by writers like Sonny Bunch and Jessa Crispin, emphasizes that the superhero-sweatshop corporate strategy evolved because it’s giving audiences what they want. And so even if the strike is an opportunity for reconsiderations, it’s probably not a lever that can change the system as a whole. Personally I would like to see the strike lever a different Hollywood system into being. (HBO’s “Westworld,” for instance, or lately Showtime’s “Yellowjackets.”) Sometimes they play like thin imitations of the previous decade’s antihero dramas. Or they take on the character of the theatrical experience but somewhat worse — with too-big-to-fail franchises that nobody really enjoys.

☆ Opinion | Why ‘Succession’ Is a Work of Fantasy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Between the Dominion Voting Systems settlement and the Tucker Carlson firing, we’ve had a lot of real-world Fox drama lately, and the contrast between reality and fiction tells us something interesting about how art depicts our politics — and how the nature of democratic politics can resist successful dramatization. In the world of “Succession,” the key election-night dilemma is somewhat similar — when to call a crucial state — but the dynamics are quite different. The show’s presidential election is disrupted by a fire (arson?) at a Milwaukee precinct that destroys thousands of ballots, leaving the right-wing candidate ahead pending litigation, and his campaign wants ATN (the show’s Fox News) to call Wisconsin for him immediately. With two episodes left, the dice seem loaded for the second outcome: Failsons and a faildaughter lose their company and, oops, bring down the American republic along the way.

☆ On ‘Succession,’ if You’re Eating, You’re Losing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Tejal Rao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Autumn light filters through the treetops of Central Park West, streaming into Jean-Georges, giving the gray banquettes a matte, silver gleam. Each table, though in clear view of the others, is luxuriously cocooned by space, almost private. It’s the ideal place, really, for the Roy children — the scions of the Waystar Royco media empire on HBO’s “Succession” — to discuss their father’s funeral arrangements. The conversation is brisk, and though they chose Jean-Georges as their meeting spot, they don’t eat the food. They leave the pastries — the dark, oversize canelés and fruit-studded buns — along with the platter of fanned, cut fruit, completely untouched.

☆ Alan Ruck Is Ready to Leave the Roy Family
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Finn Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The article includes spoilers for the most recent episode of “Succession.”One of the most impressive tricks HBO’s “Succession” has played on viewers over the course of four seasons is generating sympathy for reprehensible people. Sunday’s episode, in which democracy is discarded, apparently because Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) had to eat too much chicken as a child, puts most of that sympathy to rest. It was perhaps the darkest moment for a character who has largely been relegated to buffoon status, but Ruck sees Connor’s ignorance as his main political tool. “He’ll believe whatever sounds good to him that day,” Ruck said in a recent video call full of vivid anecdotes and laughter. “He’ll read something online or he’ll hear something on television, then that’ll become, like, the central plank of his platform for that day.

☆ ‘White House Plumbers’ Co-Star Rich Sommer Found Fame on Local TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Marc Myers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rich Sommer, 45, is an actor best known for his roles in “The Devil Wears Prada” and the “Mad Men” TV series. He currently co-stars in HBO’s “White House Plumbers” miniseries. I wasn’t a particularly driven student growing up. Instead, I was a bit of a class clown in junior high, but more annoying than funny. I’m not sure it worked.

☆ Why the N.F.L. Draft Is About Much More Than Football
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Elena Bergeron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

has televised its draft since 1980, and soon after, pro sports leagues realized they could sell rights to their selection shows to emerging cable networks thirsty for content. In the four decades since, football’s rookie roll call has far eclipsed those of its sports peers, giving the N.F.L. At last year’s draft, N.F.L. draft, which begins Thursday in Kansas City, Mo., draws an audience of upward of 11 million people every year for broadcasts across four networks. Even at its worst, the draft is a hit.

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Film and TV adaptations of video games have a chequered history. But Nintendo’s “Super Mario”, along with HBO’s “The Last of Us”, is flipping the script. Jefferies analysts estimate that the “Super Mario” movie could add $350 million to Nintendo’s operating profit – equivalent to around 8% of its total for the year ending March 2022. The success of recent adaptations may lead media giants like Walt Disney (DIS.N), Comcast and Netflix to wonder what other goodies lie in video game companies. Follow @olivertaslic on TwitterCONTEXT NEWS“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, an animated film co-financed by Nintendo and Universal Pictures, was released in North America on April 5.

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