Victoria Fox's Blog, page 205

One Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Scene Made Christina Chong & Paul Wesley Want To Puke

A recent episode of “Strange New Worlds,” called “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” saw Christina Chong and her co-star Paul Wesley transported to 2023 Toronto. Many of their scenes took place in Canada, but several of them were filmed against an AR wall back in the studio. Notably, a scene that took place in a car had to be filmed in a stationary car while the background swirled past them on the screens outside. This sequence, Chong said, was enough to make her and Wesley nauseated:

“[T]he most non-fun scene to shoot. That was the car scene, the interior of the car. Because it was shot on the VR wall, a virtual reality wall. They shot the plates of Toronto, the outside of Toronto, projected it onto the virtual reality wall and then we brought the car into the studio. We were in the car and watching the screen move, but the car was stationary. You can imagine that creates motion sickness, and both Paul and I are massive motion sickness people. We were like, ‘Guys, we can’t do this. We can’t do it. We can’t look at the wall.'”

This may be a similar effect experienced by actors in the 1930s who had to act in front of a rear-screen projection for the first time. Rear-screen projection, of course, was the practice of running an actual film reel against a screen that was on set with the actors, making it look like they were driving a car. One can imagine some actors standing up close to a speeding movie screen and feeling a little dizzy by the speeding movement. The modern AR wall seems to be the juiced-up, high-tech version of the same thing. Chong and Wesley felt a little ill.

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Why Taylor Sheridan Refuses To Hire A Writers’ Room For Yellowstone

The notion that an individual writer can pen an entire show and maintain quality control is one that greedy studios have been all too eager to endorse in the streaming era. But collaboration has always been the name of the game when it comes to writing half-decent television, no matter how much we might sing the praises of any individual storyteller. (For example, as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fans would gladly tell you, there was always more to the show than Joss Whedon.) In fact, studios attempting to cut down on costs by hiring as few writers for as little time as possible is one of the primary causes of the ongoing writers’ strike.

In that light, it’s hard not to side-eye Taylor Sheridan’s explanation for why he writes “Yellowstone” by himself:

“My stories have a very simple plot that is driven by the characters as opposed to characters driven by a plot — the antithesis of the way television is normally modeled. I’m really interested in the dirty of the relationships in literally every scene. But when you hire a room that may not be motivated by those same qualities — and a writer always wants to take ownership of something they’re writing — and I give this directive and they’re not feeling it, then they’re going to come up with their own qualities. So for me, writers rooms, they haven’t worked.”

Call me clueless, but hasn’t getting to really explore “the dirty of the relationships” between characters always been the reason to tell a story through the long form of television rather than film? Even a show as old as “Star Trek: The Original Series” was arguably more about Kirk’s dynamic with his crew than their weekly adventures.

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Simon Pegg’s Most Chilling Mission: Impossible Moment Was Done All From His Phone

/Film’s Jeremy Mathai spoke with Simon Pegg about “Dead Reckoning,” and asked about the scene where the Entity impersonates Benji’s voice, fooling Ethan and the rest of the team. “What kind of direction did you get from Chris [McQuarrie] about exactly how to deliver those lines … ?” was the question. Pegg first revealed that “a lot of the stuff” used in the film was done directly via Pegg’s phone. “We were talking about it, I was at home, McQ was in the edit, and he’s saying, ‘Oh, we want to get this,'” Pegg said. “And so we started delivering the lines. I went to the edit and did some more ADR. But I think, in the end, we used what I did on my phone because it felt like the best-pitched version of it. Because … it could have gone like HAL in ‘2001 or it could have gone a little bit silly.”

And what about the kind of voice Pegg uses? To be clear, it sounds like Pegg’s actual voice, just slightly … robotic. And, well, creepy. As Pegg puts it:

“But the idea was, it’s just this thing recorded Benji’s voice when he was talking to the bomb and can now just become him. And the fact that the Entity possesses one of Ethan’s most trusted friends, it’s like a f***ing horror movie at that moment. It just chills me to the bone every time I watch it. And you just hear it making Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) go to the bridge. It’s giving me goosebumps talking about it.”

It is a genuinely unsettling moment, all the more so for the chaos it causes. And the implications are clear and disturbing: the Entity can be anyone. Anyone at all. 

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is now in theaters. 

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Why Greta Gerwig Sees Barbieland As ‘Almost Like Planet Of The Apes’

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Greta Gerwig was pressed on her repeated use of the term “humanist” rather than “feminist” while discussing her film’s point of view. She countered with this fascinating observation:

“Of course, I am a feminist. But this movie is also dealing with [the idea that] any kind of hierarchical power structure that moves in any direction isn’t so great. You go to Mattel and it is really like, ‘Oh, Barbie has been president since 1991. Barbie had gone to the moon before women could get credit cards.’ We kind of extrapolated out from that that Barbieland is this reversed world [where Barbies rule and Kens are an underclass]. The reverse structure of whatever Barbieland is, is almost like ‘Planet of the Apes.’ You can see how unfair this is for the Kens because it’s totally unsustainable.”

That’s a nuanced perspective that could upset viewers looking for a studio-financed fist-pump about female empowerment, but it’s the simple truth. Be it apes or Barbies, any civilization dominated by one particular class is inherently unjust. In “Planet of the Apes,” our simian relatives seize control of a world obliterated by nuclear war, and impose a theocracy that assigns species to specific functions while oppressing what’s left of humankind. Absolute power corrupts (and destroys) absolutely.

The hope in this particular case is that this realization will shake up moviegoers who thought they were in for two hours of unabashedly silly entertainment. More than being president or an astronaut, Margot Robbie pounding her fist in the sand as she looks upon the ruin of her Malibu Beach House could be Barbie’s finest hour.

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Dolly Parton has no retirement plans, wants to ‘drop dead in the middle of a song onstage’

Dolly Parton has no plans to stop working, apparently ever.

In an interview with the “Greatest Hits Radio” show, Parton explained that she feels a responsibility to continue her career.

“I always believe that if you’ve wanted your dreams to come true and you are lucky enough to have that happen, then you’ve got to be responsible because you gotta keep the dream alive,” Parton said. “And every dream kind of spawns another dream. You can branch off of almost anything that happens and make a business of that as well. So it’s kind of like a tree with good roots – it’s got a lot of limbs and it’s also got a lot of leafs. So, why not make the most of it? And I’m not one to sit around and do nothing.”

Then she joked, “I would never retire. I’ll just hopefully drop dead in the middle of a song onstage someday.” 

“That’s how I hope to go,” Parton continued. “Of course, we don’t have much of a choice in that. But as long as I’m able to work, as long as my health is good and my husband is good. I mean, the only way that I would ever slow down or stop would be for that reason. But in the meantime I’m gonna make hay while the sun shines.”

Dolly Parton said she has no retirement plans, joking she’ll “hopefully drop dead in the middle of a song onstage someday.” (Sam Hodde/Getty Images for ABA)

DOLLY PARTON CREDITS FAITH FOR BEING A ‘GUIDING LIGHT’: ‘THROUGH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE’

Parton got her start performing as a child and her sing and songwriting career took off in the 1960s. Since then, she’s won 12 Grammys, been nominated for two Oscars, and earned 13 Academy of Country Music Awards, and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

During the interview, Parton also shared her future plans. 

“I have new dreams every day,” the 77-year-old said. “I want to have my own network TV show where I can actually do a lot of new things and produce and I want to have my own story called ‘The Life of Many Colors,” where I have a whole series of my life, stuff that people haven’t seen or known or heard about and my people where I come from, how I’ve got to be and how and who I am, but to really have the behind the scenes and the adventures of my life.” 

Dolly Parton has been a country music star for decades, beginning in the 1960s and has earned dozens of awards and accolades during her career. (Daniel Boczarski)

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She also shared she wants to add more TV hosting gigs in the future, and expand her lifestyle brand.

Dolly Parton at the press conference for her new album, “Rockstar,” a departure from her typical country music. Parton has said she has “new dreams every day” and plans to add more televisona and film work to her resume. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)

“But I do want to have my own line of makeup, my own line of wigs that sort of thing, and clothes. So those things all come under that ‘branding’ which we’re doing so much of now,” she said. 

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“So, once you get to a certain place in your career, you get a lot of offers and some of them are just a little hard to turn down.”

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Why Netflix’s Post-Apocalyptic Comedy Daybreak Was Canceled

“Daybreak” wasn’t exactly the buzziest Netflix show, so it might not have even been on your radar. The series premiered on Netflix back in 2019, and came from creators Brad Peyton

and Aron Eli Coleite, adapting the comic series by Brian Ralph. The series was essentially a high school comedy that just happened to be set in a post-apocalyptic world. Here’s the official synopsis: 

High school isn’t the end of the world… until it is. In this post-apocalyptic, genre-bending series, the city of Glendale, California is populated by marauding gangs of jocks, gamers, the 4-H Club, and other fearsome tribes who are kicking ass as they fight to survive in the wake of a nuclear blast (on the night of Homecoming…ugh). Following an eclectic group of survivors as they navigate this strange and treacherous world, Daybreak is part samurai saga, part endearing coming-of-age story, and part Battle Royale.

The cast included Colin Ford, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Sophie Simnett, Austin Crute, Cody Kearsley, Jeanté Godlock, Gregory Kasyan, Krysta Rodriguez, and Matthew Broderick.

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‘Wonka’ Director on How Many Sweets Were Eaten on Set, Creating a Massive Vat of Chocolate for Timothée Chalamet

The Wonka cast and crew had a steady supply of chocolate on the set of the upcoming Timothée Chalamet-starring Warner Bros. prequel.

In an interview with People magazine, director Paul King discussed the “great deal” of chocolate that was consumed on set, joking that he was one of the taste testers and hopes to lose some of the 50 pounds he gained during production ahead of the movie’s December release.

“We had this incredible chocolatier,” he told the publication. “She made these incredible concoctions, and we would taste them.”

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The Paddington helmer noted that the sweets tasted even better than they needed to. “Obviously, actors are good at pretending things,” he added, “but the miracle was they tasted every bit as good as they looked.”

The chocolatier, who King didn’t name, also helped the cast and crew with one particular scene that involves Chalamet’s Willy Wonka and his friend Noodle, played by Calah Lane, in a massive tub of chocolate.

“We actually made an enormous vat of hot chocolate — not scalding, just warm hot chocolate for them to immerse themselves in,” King said. “So there was there a lot of chocolate around.”

In a conversation with Rolling Stone that published earlier in the week, the filmmaker also explained that Chalamet was his only choice to play Wonka. The Dune actor didn’t even have to audition for the role. King just wanted to make sure that his star could handle the musical aspects.

“It was a straight offer because he’s great, and he was the only person in my mind who could do it,” the director told the magazine. “But because he’s Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances are on YouTube and have hundreds of thousands of views. So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well.”

Despite being fairly certain that the Call Me By Your Name star could do it, he admitted he was still blown away by just how talented the actor was.

“When I spoke to him he was quite keen,” King said. “He’d done tap dancing in high school, and he was like, ‘I’d quite like to show people I can do that.’”

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How To Watch The Blackening At Home

Lionsgate

“We can’t all die first.” The tagline for the horror-comedy “The Blackening” is a reference to a longstanding horror trope where the typically tokenized Black character in a horror film is the first to go. The concept is so well-known, Shudder’s phenomenal documentary “Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror” dedicated an entire segment to breaking it down. Based on 3Peat’s 2018 short film of the same name, “The Blackening” pokes fun at slashers and delivers one of the strongest satires of the genre in decades. But the film is not just looking to play with the conventions of horror films, it’s also a solid-as-hell exploration of Black American culture.

/Film’s own Ryan Scott even had the opportunity to interview director Tim Story about the film, who explained that it took over four years to bring the movie to the big screen. The transition from short film to full-blown feature was a raucous success and made for one of the best comedies of 2023. Here’s the official synopsis:

“The Blackening” follows a group of Black friends reunited for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a masked killer who forces them to play a twisted board game by his rules, which they soon realize ain’t no motherf***ing game. The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: If the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?

With a screenplay by Tracy Oliver (“Girl’s Trip”) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show”), “The Blackening” stars Grace Byers (“Empire”), Jermaine Fowler (“Coming 2 America”), Melvin Gregg (“House Party’), X Mayo (“American Auto”), Dewayne Perkins (“The Upshaws”), Antoinette Robertson (“Dear White People”), Sinqua Walls (“White Men Can’t Jump”), Jay Pharoah (“Saturday Night Live”), Yvonne Orji “Insecure”), and Diedrich Bader (“Veep”).

If you somehow missed “The Blackening” in theaters, never fear, because the film will soon arrive at home.

How to watch The Blackening on digital Lionsgate

“The Blackening” will be available on digital and on-demand starting August 15, 2023. A reminder that this is for rental and purchasing, and it will not available on a streaming service on this date. Lionsgate has yet to announce a date for streaming. However, the arrival on VOD and on-demand means we can anticipate “The Blackening” leaving theaters after a solid 60-day run. The film was released on Juneteenth earlier this summer and has already brought in nearly $17 million against an estimated $5 million budget. Original horror continues to reign supreme at the box office!

The Blackening is coming to physical media Lionsgate

In even better news for the physical media connoisseurs out there, “The Blackening” is getting a 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (+Blu-ray & Digital), Blu-ray (+DVD & Digital), and DVD release from Lionsgate on August 22, 2023. While prices will vary depending on the resellers, the suggested retail prices are $29.96 for DVD, $39.99 for the Blu-ray Combo pack, and $42.99 for the 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack. Even better, the physical releases include bonus features, ensuring your purchase is well worth the price tag. Here’s what you can expect:

Audio Commentary with Director Tim Story and Writers Tracy Oliver and Dewayne PerkinsDo the Write ThingThey Can’t All Talk FirstShall We Play a Game?Cabin in the Woods“Who’s the Blackest?” Game ShowTheatrical TrailerAnd more!

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Disney Holds ‘Haunted Mansion’ Premiere Without Its Stars For First Major Event Impacted By Actors Strike

Disney’s Haunted Mansion premiere, held at Disneyland on Saturday night, looked a little different from what the studio originally planned as it became the first major Hollywood event to take place after SAG-AFTRA took to the picket lines.

Stars Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hasan Minhaj, Marilu Henner, Lindsay Lamb, director Justin Simien, producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, executive producers Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman and composer Kris Bowers were initially scheduled to walk the red carpet, held in front of the theme park’s Haunted Mansion ride. But when the actors strike was called on Thursday, the stars were no longer able to attend the event. Strike guidelines prohibit not only on-camera work but also promotional activity, including premieres, interviews, festivals, FYC events, award shows and podcasts.

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While several studios and streamers have opted to cancel their upcoming events — most notably the Oppenheimer red carpet in New York set for Monday — Disney moved forward with the premiere, leaning on its theme park characters in the absence of the actors.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Maleficent, Snow White‘s Evil Queen and Cruella posed for photos with fans throughout the two-hour red carpet, as influencers and other guests also got private access to ride the Haunted Mansion attraction. Producers, as well as Simien, arrived about halfway through the event, stopping for group photos before the director briefly talked to press.

“I feel very ambivalent about it, but at the same time, I’m just so proud of this cast and I’m so, so proud of Katie Dippold who wrote the script, and so much of why I did this was to honor her words and to honor their work,” Simien told The Hollywood Reporter on the carpet. “If they can’t be here to speak for it, I felt like I had to be here to speak for it. It’s sad that they’re not here, at the same time, I totally support the reason why they’re not here. And I’m happy to be the one to ring the bell in their stead.” He also noted that he finds the AI issues coming up in SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations to be “a very important thing to hammer home and to figure out.”

The red carpet was followed by a screening at California Adventure’s Hyperion Theater, where Simien took the stage, reflecting on how he used to work at Disneyland, and thanked his collaborators and Disney execs.

“Obviously we’re here at a weird time in the industry, there’s some folks that aren’t here — of course I’m referring to the multiple walkouts on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Frankly I’m broiled by the drama this season. No, there’s some other things going on too,” Simien added in reference to the strike, also shouting out the star-studded cast by name.

SAG-AFTRA announced the work stoppage after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers faltered on Wednesday night.

The group representing studios and streamers said it “presented a deal that offered historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, and a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses.” SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher called the offer “insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry,” criticizing, “how they plead poverty when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It’s disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment.”

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Dear Abby: No one in my family visited my dad when he got Alzheimer’s

DEAR ABBY: Is it normal for people to ignore relatives who have Alzheimer’s? My father spent more than two years in a veteran’s hospital before his death. During that time, he was visited regularly by his children (including me) and my aunt (his sister). His grandchildren and another aunt visited a few times. Two of my uncles saw him once. 

None of his other relatives — nephews, nieces, cousins — ever went to visit him. If they did, they never mentioned it to me, nor did any of the staff in my father’s dementia ward, leaving me 99% certain that no one else came. 

There are no conflicts going on in my extended family. Dad got along with everyone and never spoke ill about anyone. So I’m left with the conclusion that either no one cared, or they were for some reason afraid to see someone with Alzheimer’s. Maybe the thinking was that Dad wouldn’t remember the visit, so why bother? None of those alternatives are comforting, and I’m finding it hard to think of most of my relatives the way I used to. 

Please let your readers know that even one token visit to an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s is, literally, the least they could do. It may not be remembered by the patient, but it will be remembered by his kids. — DISAPPOINTED IN MASSACHUSETTS

DEAR DISAPPOINTED: Unfortunately, your situation is not uncommon. Many people struggle with what to say and do when a family member is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. Efforts to be supportive can be dampened by not knowing how to engage with someone as Alzheimer’s progresses, which can lead some individuals to distance themselves completely. This only adds to the sadness and isolation families may experience. 

While my advice is too late to help you and your family members, I encourage others in your situation to be open and honest in their conversations with family and friends. Let them know that while Alzheimer’s disease has changed your family member, their friendship and presence is valuable to everyone involved. 

Invite them to stay connected with your family member. Offer to answer their questions and even provide suggestions on how they might be supportive. If they want to visit, let them know in advance what they may expect, and offer suggestions on how they can communicate with the person and what activities might offer an opportunity to connect.

The Alzheimer’s Association website (alz.org) offers information and resources to help families navigate disease-related challenges. The association also offers free education programs and support groups, and a free 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900) available day and night to answer questions and to provide guidance.

I understand your disappointment in those relatives who let you and Dad down during a difficult time, but please don’t assume their actions were ill-intended. Many of them may have been at a loss for how to interact with your dad. Hopefully, your letter will encourage others in similar situations to learn how they can stay connected with those with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia as the disease progresses. 

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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