Steve Pond's Blog, page 44

Bill Maher Dings Democrats for Not Legalizing Cannabis and Letting Trump Steal the Issue, Jokes ‘He Finally Got to Me’ | Video

It seems most of the good vibes Bill Maher insisted he experienced during his much-criticized dinner with Donald Trump have finally worn off. During his monologue on Friday’s “Real Time,” Maher discussed several of the most disturbing things that Trump has done recently, described the current situation as a “police state,” and offered up a bleakly funny assessment of where things are headed if something doesn’t change.

“I’ll say this, ladies and gentlemen, in the future historians will say this is a very dark time in American history. They won’t say it publicly or put it in a book,” he joked. “They’ll whisper it to each other when the cell phones are off.”

“So remember to support your local police state,” Maher added.

But not all the good vibes were gone. During the “New Rules” segment at the end of the episode, Maher joked that Trump may have actually won his support, thanks to the possibility he may change the legal status of cannabis. This came at the end of an extended rant against Democrats, who he criticized consistently running away from popular issues, like cannabis legalization, and running candidates who lack “the political skill” to sell important issues.

This, he said, effectively handed advantages — and elections — to Trump. Watch that below:

But back during his monologue, Maher’s bleak assessment of America’s situation was inspired by the news on Friday that the Trump administration raided the home of Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton to investigate, so they say, whether he illegally retained classified documents. Something, coincidentally, that the Biden administration failed to prosecute Trump for. Critics warn that it’s yet another example of the Trump administration using the power of the law to attack critics

“Remember John Bolton?” Maher asked, and then based on the audience’s enthusiastic reaction joked, “sophisticated crowd.”

“Yeah,” Maher continued. “John Fulton, there he is. He was in the Trump administration, and then he left the administration. Wrote a book, you know, a kind of a tell-all book, and said Trump only cares about retribution and will abuse the Justice Department. And today, the FBI raided his home.”

“The administration says it wasn’t about retribution. It was about law and order. They think he might have been the guy who beat up big balls,” Maher joked.

Then, after his comments about America’s precarity that immediately followed the John Bolton comments, Maher indicated he thinks that the Trump administration’s actions are being ignored by Americans.

“That is not what is bothering a lot of America. What is bothering a lot of America is that Cracker Barrel, I couldn’t make this s— up, Cracker Barrel has changed their logo. It’s just putting the words Cracker Barrel. They used to have a barrel, and, quite frankly, a cracker standing next to the barrel and now it’s just the word. Conservatives have not been this upset about a rebrand since Caitlyn Jenner,” Maher said.

The post Bill Maher Dings Democrats for Not Legalizing Cannabis and Letting Trump Steal the Issue, Jokes ‘He Finally Got to Me’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Both Menendez Brothers to Remain in Prison After Lyle’s Parole Request Rejected

Like his brother, Erik, just 24 hours earlier, Lyle Menendez’s request for parole was denied Friday evening by a California Parole Board panel.

While the decision isn’t final yet — it won’t become official until the CPB review process is finalized, including a separate hearing where the panel will explain their reasoning for denying parole — only rarely does the larger Parole Board overrule a rejection. And while California Gov. Gavin Newsom has the power to make the final call, he has already indicated he will likely follow whatever CPB recommends.

As such, it puts an end, for now at least, to the Menendez Brothers’ quest to be released from prison, where they are currently serving 50 years to life for the 1989 murder of their parents. However, now 54 and 57 respectively, the brothers’ efforts to secure release from prison isn’t over. Both of them are petitioning the state for clemency and are separately seeking new trials.

As on Thursday, Friday’s hearing was held virtually from San Diego’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.

The Menendez brothers murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, on Aug. 20, 1089 when Erik was 18 and Lyle was 21. They have been imprisoned since their arrest a few months later in 1990.

After a lengthy legal battle — their first court case infamously ended with a mistrial — the brothers were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996.

But in years after their conviction, they became an unlikely cause célèbre. After a decades long campaign for their release, they became eligible for parole in May of 2025, when a Los Angeles judge reduced their sentences to 50 years to life. The reason given that they were younger than 26 when the crimes occurred, which according to local law makes them eligible.

But being eligible for parole and actually receiving it are very different matters, as both brothers learned this week.

The post Both Menendez Brothers to Remain in Prison After Lyle’s Parole Request Rejected appeared first on TheWrap.

Kobe Bryant NBA Draft Movie ‘With The 8th Pick’ in the Works at Warner Bros.

Warner Brothers. has acquired the spec script “With The 8th Pick,” about the behind-the-scenes 1996 NBA drafting of Kobe Bryant, TheWrap has confirmed.

The script was written by Alex Sohn and Gavin Johannsen. The projects is being described as “Social Network” meets “Air” meets “Moneyball” with a thriller bent.

“With The 8th Pick” centers on New Jersey Nets GM John Nash and newly-appointed head coach John Calipari, as the story explores their pursuit of Kobe Bryant as Calipari’s inaugural NBA draft selection.

No director is currently attached to the project.

“King Richard” producers Tim and Trevor White of Star Thrower Entertainment are attached to produce along with Religion of Sports’ Ryan Stowell and Gotham Chopra.

Sohn and Johannsen are repped by Verve Talent and Literary Agency. Sohn is managed by Lit Entertainment Group and Johannsen by Gotham Group.

A rep for Warner Brothers. did not respond to request for comment.

The InSneider first reported the news.

The post Kobe Bryant NBA Draft Movie ‘With The 8th Pick’ in the Works at Warner Bros. appeared first on TheWrap.

Zach Braff Says ‘Scrubs’ Creator Wrote His ‘Insane’ Weekend Hangs With Donald Faison Into the Series | Video

Few friendships on television are as lasting and iconic as J.D. and Turk’s “bromance” on “Scrubs.” But Bill Lawrence wasn’t just pulling the characters’ (played by Zach Braff and Donald Faison) dynamic out of thin air.

Braff recalled on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast Friday that the series creator would literally take “insane” stories from the actors’ real relationship and put them into the show.

“We literally met at the table read, and it was love at first sight,” Braff told host Conan O’Brien. “We became those characters. And then it fed itself, because Bill would be like, ‘What did you guys do this weekend?’ And we’d tell him some insane story, and then a week later, there would be a version of it in the script for the characters.”

Braff went on “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” on Friday, talking to the former late-night host about his time on the long-running comedy series. On the episode, O’Brien called the union of Braff and Faison one of “divine intervention,” and a “gift that keeps giving” for the comedy series.

“You could see it on the show that you guys really clicked,” O’Brien said. “I hadn’t seen two young men before on a show [where] you’re constantly hugging each other and telling each other, ‘I love you.’ It’s so sweet.”

You can watch the full video below.

“Scrubs” ran from 2001 to 2008 on NBC before switching to ABC through 2010. The hospital-set sitcom was one of the first series with Lawrence credited as a creator, preceded only by “Spin City.” He has since had an accomplished career, with series like “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking” receiving critical, audience and awards acclaim.

One of the signature features of “Scrubs” was the friendship between Turk and J.D., which has lasted long past the show’s finale. Braff and Faison have continued their real-life friendship, appearing together in commercials and launching a 2020 podcast titled “Fake Doctors, Real Friends.”

In July of 2025, a “Scrubs” revival got a straight-to-series order from ABC, scheduled for the 2025-2026 TV season. Alongside EP Lawrence and original series co-star Sarah Chalke, both halves of the Braff/Faison bromance are slated to return.

“I think it was really, I think he was also doing a commentary on masculinity himself. And I think Bill was trying to show, you know, it became the term ‘bromance,’ right? But to show two best friends who love each other so much. They happen to be straight, but in all other ways, they’re in love,” Braff said of J.D. and Turk. “They love each other, and they just, all they ever want to do is spend time with each other. And, um, so I think Bill, I think that’s what was so great about the characters that Bill created. And of course Donald and I really were that.”

“Well, you could tell, like, watching the first season, I was like, ‘Oh, they’re also screwing around, acting like idiots off-camera, and probably annoying people'” O’Brien joked.

The post Zach Braff Says ‘Scrubs’ Creator Wrote His ‘Insane’ Weekend Hangs With Donald Faison Into the Series | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Charm La’Donna Breaks Down the Iconic Dances in Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Shows

Beyoncé’s Christmas Day NFL performance, otherwise known as Beyoncé Bowl, and Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show might just be two of the most culture-defining performances of the past year, and the same creative force was behind both of them.

Dancer-turned-choreographer Charm La’Donna has worked with some of music’s most influential voices, including Beyoncé, Rosalía, Shakira, Dua  Lipa, Selena Gomez, Meghan Trainor, Madonna, Pharrell Williams and The Weeknd. She choreographed Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour as well as recent tours for Lamar, Dua Lipa and the Weeknd. This year, La’Donna’s work scored her two Emmy nominations for outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming for Beyoncé Bowl and Lamar’s halftime show.

The double nominations in the category, which also includes nods to Doechii’s Grammy performance, “The Lion King” at the Hollywood Bowl and the Oscars’ tributes to James Bond and Quincy Jones, was an awe-striking moment for La’Donna, who long considered the accolade from the TV Academy a career goal.

“I was in shock — I was stopped in my tracks,” La’Donna said of receiving the nominations. “Every project is special. Every project is a piece of me.”

Whether she’s choreographing for Lamar or Dua Lipa, La’Donna said she approaches each project with several “ingredients,” which include bringing herself and her prior experiences to the table and feeling the music and the presence of dancers. The last step, however, is always embracing the fun and enjoyment in these dream jobs, as La’Donna strives to acknowledge “I’m blessed to be able to create on such a platform all around the world.”

La’Donna especially leans on her past experiences as “tools and skills,” saying “as artists, [and] as just people in general, we go through life and we learn. We take our experiences into our next journey.”

The choreographer was certainly able to draw from her past experiences while working on Lamar’s halftime show, having had her first Super Bowl gig as a dancer for the Black Eyed Peas in 2011. At the time, La’Donna was under the direction of her mentor Fatima Robinson, who is one of four Black women to ever be nominated in a choreography category at the Emmys, alongside Debbie Allen, Chloé Arnold and, now, La’Donna.

“I’ve been on the field before, but in a different space,” La’Donna said. “There were a lot of dancers on the field and a lot of colors — it was a task.”

US rapper Kendrick Lamar performs during Super Bowl LIX Chiefs vs Eagles Apple Music Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 9, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

As Lamar performed a medley of his biggest hits for the Super Bowl, La’Donna worked in tandem with the creative and production teams to make sure each formation and routine was spot on.

“It’s speaking to the set designers, the creative directors on it, and really getting an understanding of what — I call it the the playground where the dancers move, where the artist moves — and what is our real estate of it,” La’Donna said. “Once you understand that, you can just create in it.”

La’Donna also partnered with Lamar for the “Not Like Us” music video, which paid tribute to both La’Donna and Lamar’s hometown of Compton by welcoming in hip hop extraordinaire Tommy the Clown and other local dancers.

“It’s imperative to our culture as a dance community, and being a part of that was special,” La’Donna said. “I was able to hang out with dancers and and hire some friends and and just represent for a city and a space that raised me … I was at home, in more than one way, physically and spiritually.”

The next step for La’Donna is combining her love of dance with her passion for filmmaking, marking the next step in her creative evolution after growing from dancer to choreographer to creative director to a director on shorts and music videos. “I want to start to tell dance stories, and telling stories differently with camera, with movement, about dancers in different ways,” she said.

As La’Donna becomes the fourth Black woman to be nominated in an Emmys choreographer category, she said she feels gratitude to follow in the steps of Robinson, Allen and Arnold. “[I’m] hoping and praying that years down the line, there’s more Black women and more Black voices” represented in the accolades. “I’m proud, and I’m honored to continue and to push boundaries and removing limitations,” she said.

The post Charm La’Donna Breaks Down the Iconic Dances in Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Shows appeared first on TheWrap.

Amazon MGM Studios Taps Helen Moss as Head of International Theatrical Distribution

Amazon MGM Studios has tapped Helen Moss to become their new Head of International Theatrical Distribution, the studio announced on Friday.

Moss was previously the SVP of International Distribution at Paramount and will launch Amazon MGM Studios new foreign theatrical distribution arm.

Amazon MGM Studios Head of Film, Streaming and Theatrical, Courtenay Valenti, informed staffers with a memo.

Dear Amazon MGM Studios Team,

I am thrilled to welcome Helen Moss as the new Head of International Theatrical Distribution. Helen brings over 15 years of experience in international distribution and we are excited to welcome her expertise. With 15 films scheduled for 2026 and significant growth planned for the coming years, we are entering an exciting new chapter where we will control and execute on our theatrical strategy on a worldwide basis. Helen’s leadership will be instrumental in realizing these ambitious goals.

In her role, Helen will report to me and work closely with Sue Kroll, Global Head of Marketing, along with Kevin Wilson, Head of Domestic Theatrical Distribution, and Charlie Coleman, Head of International Theatrical Marketing along with Stephen Bruno, Head of Film Marketing, and Co-Heads of Film Publicity, Adriene Bowles and Christine Batista, ensuring seamless integration across our worldwide theatrical operations and marketing initiatives.

Helen was most recently at Paramount Pictures, where she served as Senior VP of International Theatrical Distribution. In this role, she oversaw the planning and execution of all theatrical releases, earning a stellar reputation for growing film franchises and achieving remarkable box office success. Some notable films she has been involved with include Mission Impossible: Fallout, Top Gun: Maverick, and A Quiet Place, among others.

Helen brings a wealth of experience and skills to our team. Known for embracing innovation and possessing an acute strategic vision, Helen has consistently demonstrated her ability to inspire and lead first-class teams. Her diverse business background, including roles at Expedia and Intercontinental Hotels Group, provides a unique perspective that will undoubtedly benefit our operations. This combination of industry knowledge, leadership prowess, and financial understanding makes Helen an exceptional addition to our team.

Please join me in giving Helen a warm welcome to the Amazon MGM Studios family. 

Best, Courtenay

The move comes as Amazon MGM Studios is looking to launch its own international theatrical distribution arm, with its current foreign distribution deal with Warner Bros. set to expire at the end of this year. The studio aims to have the division operational in 2026.

Deadline first reported the news.

The post Amazon MGM Studios Taps Helen Moss as Head of International Theatrical Distribution appeared first on TheWrap.

CNN’s Harry Enten Explains Why Gavin Newsom’s Trump Feud Is Earning Him ‘A Rising Tide of Support’ | Video

CNN’s Harry Enten explained how Gavin Newsom’s continued feud with Donald Trump is leading to “a rising tide of support” from voters, particularly California Democrats.

The network’s chief data analyst explained Friday how the California governor’s many prods and call-outs against the president have only led to his growing success in the polls.

“I absolutely think it’s showing signs of working; and let’s take a look at the voters who know Gavin Newsom best — those voters out in California, those California Democrats,” Enten said. “California Democrats on Newsom for [president]. You go back to 2023, just 35% wanted him to run for president. Look at the percentage now who are excited for a run for president for Gavin Newsom. What is that? That’s a 40-point climb, my goodness gracious! A rising tide of support for Gavin Newsom.”

He continued: “Remember, back in 2023, the majority of Democrats did not want Joe Biden to run for another term; but California Democrats in Gavin Newsom’s home state did not want him to run, either. And now, 75% are excited for him to run; and more than that, he’s getting a higher percentage of the vote than Kamala Harris in her home state. He is beating the former vice president — who, of course, was the Democratic nominee in 2024. As I said, a rising tide of support for the California governor.”

Big signal for Newsom: A rising tide of support from the voters who know him best.

75% of CA Dems are excited for him to run for prez vs. just 35% who wanted him to run in 2023. He beats Harris!

Every nominee has won their home state in the primary & led early polls in them. pic.twitter.com/AeSdRd1yhz

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 22, 2025

Much of Newsom’s recent sparring with Trump came in the form of his office mocking and trolling the way the president posts to his Truth Social account – often all caps, full of exclamation points and piping with vitriol for whatever topic he deems fit. The governor explained the strategy last week in a press conference.

“I hope it’s a wakeup call. The President of the United States — I’m sort of following his example. And if you’ve got issues with what I’m putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns about what he’s putting out as president,” the governor said at the end of the press conference.

He continued: “So to the extent it’s gotten some attention, I’m pleased. But I think the deeper question is: How have we allowed the normalization of his tweets, Truth Social posts over the course of the last many years to go without similar scrutiny and notice?”

You can watch Enten’s CNN segment in the clip above.

The post CNN’s Harry Enten Explains Why Gavin Newsom’s Trump Feud Is Earning Him ‘A Rising Tide of Support’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Katee Sackhoff Says ‘I Lost All My Confidence’ as an Actor After ‘The Mandalorian’: ‘It Just Broke Me’

Working on “The Mandalorian” destroyed all of Katee Sackhoff’s confidence.

While talking on her podcast “The Sackhoff Show,” the “Battlestar Galactica” alum opened up about working on the Disney+ original Star Wars series and how it decimated her acting confidence. According to her, she just could not figure out her character Bo-Katan.

“I lost all of my confidence after ‘Mandalorian.’ All of it,” Sackhoff said. “I’ve always played two steps removed from myself, in a sense. It always felt grounded in some part of my belly, of who I was. Bo-Katan is nowhere near who I am as a human being. Her life, what she wants — I didn’t understand her. As much as I understood her, I never felt her in my stomach. I never identified with her. I didn’t know how to find her.”

She continued: “It broke me. It just broke me. I started doubting everything about myself. I’m not a strong auditioner on tape, and I was having to put myself on tape. I wasn’t booking anything. And for three years, I basically didn’t work, and it just destroyed my confidence.”

Sackhoff has been playing Bo-Katan – a Mandalorian fighting for the freedom of her people – for years. She started off voicing the character in the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” back in 2012. She returned as the character in a second animated show – “Star Wars: Rebels” – in 2017.

Sackhoff then became one of a few voice actors who transitioned into playing their characters in a live-action Star Wars series. She joined “The Mandalorian” for a pair of episodes in the show’s second season before becoming a core cast member for the more divisive Season 3.

Her next role reunites her with “Oculus” director Mike Flanagan. Sackhoff is set to join Flanagan’s latest Stephen King adaptation – this time a TV series based on “Carrie” streaming on Prime Video.

The post Katee Sackhoff Says ‘I Lost All My Confidence’ as an Actor After ‘The Mandalorian’: ‘It Just Broke Me’ appeared first on TheWrap.

The 15 Best Action Movie Sequels

It was widely believed for many decades that, with very few exceptions, sequels were always inferior to the original. And to be fair, there was something to that. For most of Hollywood history, sequels were given less time, less money, and less creative attention than their predecessors. Most of them were out to capitalize as quickly and cheaply as possible upon the existing zeitgeist in a cynical attempt to eke out a quick buck.

But times have changed and sequels now, more than ever, often turn out just as good as the original. Or better. Or at least really danged fun. Hollywood is in the sequel business, as much as or more than anything, so they get to soak up all the resources. Which can be an especially big boon for the action genre, since bigger is often better as far as shootouts, explosions and sword fights are concerned.

We’ve taken a look at the history of the genre and we’ve emerged with our picks for The 15 Best Action Movie Sequels, which wasn’t easy, dang it. We gave ourselves two rules: 1. No prequels (that’d be a different list), and 2. Only one sequel per franchise, which sounds like it would make our lives easier, but actually made it a lot harder to pick just one film from a lot of these franchises.

‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ (1987)Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold in ‘Beverly Hills Cop II’ (Paramount)

Martin Brest’s blockbuster “Beverly Hills Cop” was a comedy that sometimes remembered it was an action movie. Tony Scott flipped that script, and made a stylish, powerhouse action movie that sometimes remembered it was funny. Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who returns to Beverly Hills to stop a crime ring with impeccable taste in sunglasses after they shoot his old pal, Captain Bogomil (Ronny Cox). “Beverly Hills Cop 2” is as slick as a 1980s action movie gets, and somehow successfully converts the adorable goody-two-shoes Det. Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) into an unlikely badass, on par with Charles Bronson, without ever forgetting he’s still a total dork.

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)Heath Ledger in ‘The Dark Knight’ (Warner Bros.)

When Christopher Nolan rebooted the world’s most popular superhero franchise with “Batman Begins,” it was critically acclaimed, but only a modest hit. But when he returned with “The Dark Knight,” and reimagined the Joker as a brilliant and enigmatic anarchist played by Heath Ledger, audiences flocked to the theaters. “The Dark Knight” solidified Nolan’s credibility as a blockbuster filmmaker, and successfully translated the world of costumed crimefighters into a semi-plausible, somewhat grounded modern mythology. The legacy of “The Dark Knight” has been somewhat complicated, with many filmmakers trying and failing to recapture that magic. But the original remains as impeccably crafted and compulsively watchable as ever.

‘Desperado’ (1995)Antonio Banderas in ‘Desperado’ (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Robert Rodriguez burst onto the scene in 1992 with the micro-budget action classic “El Mariachi,” starring Carlos Gallardo as a wandering musician who gets mistaken for a deadly criminal. In the (comparatively) big-budget studio sequel, Antonio Banderas takes over the lead role, now wandering the mean streets of Mexico on a mission of endless revenge against the criminal underworld that killed his lady love. “Desperado” combines Rodriguez’s breathless cinematic enthusiasm with the indie crime comedy tropes of the 1990s and the balletic action of the Hong Kong “gun fu” genre, crafting a spectacular medley of slick action, oddball comedy and — thanks to the unbelievable on-screen chemistry of Banderas and his co-star, Salma Hayek — staggering sexual chemistry.

‘Drunken Master II’ (1994)Jackie Chan in ‘Drunken Master II’ (Golden Harvest)

The original 1978 kung fu classic, starring Jackie Chan and directed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping, remains one of the best kung fu comedies ever made. The sequel might be even better. Chan stars as Cantonese historical hero Wong Fei-hung, who tries to fight off a British criminal enterprise that’s smuggling Chinese artifacts out of the country. And he’s gotta do it while trying, and failing, to keep a promise to his father that he won’t engage in any drunken boxing — a.k.a. the art of getting totally blasted and using the altered equilibrium and unpredictable movements to supercharge your kung fu. “Drunken Master II” wasn’t released in the United States until 2000, under the title “Legend of the Drunken Master,” but it was worth the wait. Jackie Chan’s fight scenes don’t get much wilder, more elaborate or funnier than this.

‘Fast & Furious 6′ (2013)Michelle Rodriguez in ‘Fast & Furious 6’ (Universal)

Choosing the best “Fast and Furious” movie is pretty easy — it’s “Fast Five,” dang it — but the best sequel is “Fast & Furious 6,” which picks up everything the fifth installment laid down and drives away with it at impossible speeds. Michelle Rodriguez returns as Letty, who’s not only back from the dead, but has amnesia and is working with the bad guys, in a plot point ripped right out of a daytime soap opera. It’s about family, as always, but it’s also about cars with ramps built into the front — a gag possibly swiped from an old Carrot Top routine — and fighting a frickin’ tank. It’s also got one of the best lines in action movie history, which confirms once and for all that this franchise has abandoned reality in favor of cartoon logic: “How did you know there’d be a car there to break our fall?” As though cars broke falls, and not every bone in your body.

‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ (1989)Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ (Paramount)

The man in the hat was back, and arguably better than ever. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” begins with the hero’s origin story — played as a teenager by the late, great River Phoenix — before sending the adult version on a mission to find his missing father and, while he’s at it, the Holy Grail. Harrison Ford has swagger to spare, and Sean Connery plays gloriously against type as a mild-mannered nerd, and together they kill Nazis aplenty and solve exciting ancient puzzles. Some fans think “The Last Crusade” is too jokey, but the balance between action and comedy is impressively even, and there’s more emotion in this third installment than all the others combined. It’s long-since supplanted the racist “Temple of Doom” as the best sequel in the series, and it’s got a convincing case for being the greatest overall film in the whole series.

‘John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum’ (2019)Keanu Reeves in ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ (Lionsgate)

After the original, relatively grounded original “John Wick” — about a former hitman who gets back into the game after criminals killed his dog — the franchise spiraled into an elaborate, exaggerated mythos with more rules than “Magic: The Gathering.” All the sequels are exciting, but the one that has the most to offer fans of the straightforward original and fans of the wacky world building is “John Wick: Chapter 3,” which finds Keanu Reeves’ unstoppable hero fighting every assassin in New York — which seems, by any conservative estimate, to be about a third of the whole city — before traveling the world to solve his problems, teaming up with Halle Berry and her man-eating dogs to fight the bad (well, worse) guys and come out on top. For a few minutes anyway. “Parabellum” has some of the most breathless action ever filmed, and that’s saying something.

‘Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons’ (1973)Ogami Itto in ‘Lone Wolf and Cub in the Land of Demons’ (Toho)

There are no bad “Lone Wolf and Cub” movies, and choosing between the sequels is a nightmare, but it’s hard to beat “Baby Cart in the Land of Demons” for thrilling samurai action. The fifth installment in the hit action series, based on the same manga that inspired knockoffs like “Road to Perdition” and “The Mandalorian,” finds the traveling assassin Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his young son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikaway) forced to fight a series of duels, with every slain opponent revealing a new piece of his latest assignment. It culminates in one of the most thrilling and incredibly edited sword fights in cinema history. But again, you can’t go wrong with any film in this franchise. (The same can be said for “Zatoichi,” to the extent that we couldn’t narrow down just one Zatoichi film for this list; they’re all so damn good.)

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)Charlize Theron in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (Warner Bros.)

Our self-imposed rule that we could only include one sequel per franchise might as well be called the “Mad Max” rule, because “Mad Max II: The Road Warrior” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” are two of the best sequels ever produced in any genre. We gotta give “Fury Road” the edge though. Both films have game-changing action sequences, with car chases that put almost every other film to shame (before or since), but the emotional heft of “Mad Max: Fury Road” outclasses the grim determination of “The Road Warrior.” Plus, only one of them has a flame-throwing guitar soloist riding into battle on a roving platform of towering amps. You just can’t compete with that.

‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ (2018)Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (Paramount)

We’re on record as saying “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” is the best “Mission: Impossible” movie, and our opinion has not changed. But again, the question isn’t what’s the best overall film, it’s what’s the best sequel, and “Fallout” has that honor in the bag. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has to deal with the aftermath of “Rogue Nation,” as the villainous Syndicate remains at large despite their leader’s arrest, and so he must engage in even more feats of acrobatic insanity to save the world and wrap up his various subplots. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” may have overshot the mark a little, since it does such a great job of concluding the franchise that the two “Reckoning” films that followed — films which were specifically designed to do that same thing — felt unnecessary.

‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)George Lazenby in ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (United Artists)

There are a lot of great James Bond movies. There are also a lot of stinkers. But one of the best was also, for many years, one of the most notorious. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was the first film in the Eon series without Sean Connery (not counting the made-for-TV and then the satirical “Casino Royale” movie), and many fans never forgave it for that. George Lazenby takes over the title role, and he doesn’t have the Connery version’s edge — or his raging misogny — but he does have a wry sense of humor, a convincing action demeanor and a convincing love story with arguably the best “Bond Girl” ever, Countess Tracy di Vicenzo, played by the impeccable Diana Rigg. The great Telly Savalas takes over as Bond’s arch-nemesis Blofeld, who’s picking up the pieces after Bond blew up SPECTRE at the end of “You Only Live Twice.” Exciting, enjoyable, and in the film’s unforgettable conclusion, surprisingly intense.

‘Sanjuro’ (1962)Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in ‘Sanjuro’ (Toho)

Akira Kurosawa’s samurai classic “Yojimbo” is one of the filmmaker’s most influential films, which is no small feat, but his equally brilliant sequel often gets overlooked. “Sanjuro” stars Toshiro Mifune as a wandering samurai who stumbles into a corrupt town, where the idealistic young men trying to save their community make terrible decisions that will get everyone killed if our hero can’t fix their mistakes. “Sanjuro” is a great action movie about why action movies are bad, actually, since the hero has to constantly explain to his fans why they’ve learned all the wrong lessons from tales of daring-do. It all ends with one of the most incredible samurai duels in history, which pisses the hero off to no end, since it should have been completely unnecessary.

‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina in ‘Spider-Man 2’ (Sony Pictures)

The first “Spider-Man” movie proved that superhero movies could be four-quadrant, universally-appealing blockbusters, convincing the whole film industry to double down on the genre for over two decades and counting. The second “Spider-Man” proved that they could also improve with every passing film. “Spider-Man 2” finds Tobey Maguire’s hero stretched to the breaking point, sacrificing so much of himself to be a hero that even his heroism is falling apart. When he tries to engage in some much-needed self-care, his personal life improves, but the dastardly Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) runs amok in the city, uncontested. Some of the best character work in the whole superhero genre is right here, with a dynamic cast acting out an intense tale of inner turmoil, and Sam Raimi’s trademark virtuosity brings all the action to life with camera angles and edits that make most modern superhero movies look half-assed.

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)Linda Hamilton in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (Columbia Pictures)

James Cameron’s “The Terminator” was a sci-fi horror movie with action trappings, in which an evil cyborg and a human hero travel back in time to fight over a woman’s right to reproduce. The sequel still has its scary moments, but it’s firmly in action territory. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is another time travel story except this time Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the villain the first time around, gets to be the hero, teaming up with the chosen one John Connor (Edward Furlong) and his mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton), who turned herself into a human terminator to keep him safe. The villain this time is a liquid metal shapeshifter played by Robert Patrick, a concept that seems familiar now but was mind-blowingly unique when James Cameron came up with it over three decades ago. “T2” was a major step forward in visual effects, but it’s also one of the best damned sequels ever, repeating but improving and expanding on everything that made the first installment great.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount)

“Top Gun: Maverick” is slick. Impossibly slick. So slick you may not care that it’s shameless propaganda that completely rejects the point of the original movie, which is that the hero needed to grow up and be a team player to achieve greatness. “Maverick” is all about how everyone else needs to grow down and be more like Tom Cruise’s hero, who hasn’t learned a thing in decades, but is exactly who America needs to take down the anonymously evil country that wants to destroy us, in an action sequence that’s literally just the Death Star run. But you know, it’s easy to be cynical about “Top Gun: Maverick” — and it’s reasonable too — but Joseph Kosinski still films the living hell out of this thing, giving it polish and class which seem utterly alien to the modern-day action genre. Action movies don’t get much more muscular and shiny. Or narcissistic and fascistic. But whatever, we guess.

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Harrison Dossick, Prominent Copyright Litigator for Angelina Jolie and Paramount, Dies at 65

Harrison Dossick, a prominent entertainment and copyright litigator, has died at the age of 65.

Dossick spent over four decades handling a variety of media legal disputes, intellectual property litigation and commercial litigation. Among his biggest cases were defending Angelina Jolie surrounding “In the Land of Blood and Honey” copyright infringement litigation and FilmDistrict Distribution LLC in false advertising claims over Ryan Gosling’s 2011 film “Drive.”

“Harrison was an exceptional lawyer and a treasured colleague and friend,” Peter Weil, Managing Partner of Glaser Weil, said. “He combined intellectual brilliance with warmth, humor and integrity, earning the trust of his clients and the deep admiration of everyone who worked alongside him. Harrison’s sudden passing is an immeasurable loss to our firm and to the legal community. We will miss him greatly, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and all who loved him.”

Other disputes Dossick oversaw include working with Paramount Pictures in copyright and idea submission claims related to “What Men Want,” and Sony Pictures Entertainment in a profit participation dispute over “Basic Instinct” sequel. He also represented Sony’s Screen Gems in a likeness and profit participation dispute tied to “The Partridge Family.”

His work earned him recognition from The Legal 500 –  one of the world’s leading legal services benchmarking platforms – and “The Best Lawyers in America (2024-26)” in the category of Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television.

Prior to joining Glaser Weil, Dossick served as a partner at Reed Smith LLP from 2012-2023, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP from 2000 to 2012 and Hill Wynne Troop & Meisinger from 1988 to 2000.

Dossick is survived by his wife, Joanne, and children, Artie and Carly.

The post Harrison Dossick, Prominent Copyright Litigator for Angelina Jolie and Paramount, Dies at 65 appeared first on TheWrap.