The “Arrested Development” story is one that just won’t die, and now Amanda Seyfried has added some more fodder to the fire. During the show’s Season 4 revival in 2013, it came out that Jeffrey Tambor, who has since fallen victim to a #MeToo scandal that cost him his job on Amazon’s “Transparent”, verbally abused costar Jessica Walters.
Walters, who plays the family matriarch Lucille Bluth on “Arrested Development” has spoken about it in the past, ad during a May interview with “The New York Times” promoting the show’s fifth season, it was once again brought up in an interview with the whole cast.
“Arrested Development” follows the Bluth family as they find themselves suddenly poor. Photo courtesy of nme.com
Walters was actually moved to tears while describing the fateful encounter with Tambor, but the worst part about it was how her costars reacted. Jason Bateman and David Cross not only spoke over Walters, but defended Tambor time and time again. The other female cast member Alia Shawkat (costar Portia de Rossi declined to participate), tried to stand up for Walters, but her voice was mostly drowned out.
Many people were disgusted with Tambor, Bateman and Cross’s handling of the situation and tone during the interview, leading the latter two to release public statements apologizing for their behavior.
It seemed to be forgotten about, but now Amanda Seyfried has reinvigorated the discussion with her latest Instagram post, which featured her husband, “John Wick” costar Thomas Sadowski, smiling with Walters. The caption mentions that Sadowski lost work for posting a similarly impassioned post sticking up for Jessica.
Before reposting her husband’s caption, Seyfried wrote “Here’s a somewhat recent post from my husband who, in return for standing beside a badass woman who’d recently been bullied, recently lost out on a job because of this. I’d rather speak up and lose out. Integrity, ladies and gentlemen. #Repost@thomas_sadoski” The full caption can be read below.
What do you think of this whole “Arrested Development” scandal? Are you still waiting for the second half of season five to drop on Netflix, or has this tainted your perception of the show? Let me know in the comments below!
It’s no surprise that Lars von Trier is a controversial filmmaker. The castration scene in “Antichrist” Bjork’s heartbreaking final song in “Dancer in the Dark” and the graphic and violent sex scenes in “Nymphomaniac” are only some of the many times the controversial auteur has been accused of going too far. His new film “The House That Jack Built” is no exception, as many are claiming its his most shocking film yet.
Promotional photo for Lars von Trier’s “The House That Jack Built.” Photo courtesy of vulture.com
The movie, which stars Matt Dillon as a serial killer recounting his life story, premiered at the Cannes film festival this past May to countless walkouts and boos. The film is split in sections, each devoted to a different murder Jack committed. According to audiences who have seen it, there’s an especially disturbing sequence involving children’s corpses and the torturing of a baby duck. The film was so controversial that it’s no longer being shown in its entirety. The version that played at Cannes is now being labeled the Unrated Version, while an edited, slightly less graphic cut of the film will be available to stream or watch in the theaters next month.
However, on November 28, IFC Theaters released the Unrated Version of “The House That Jack Built” for a one night only, special engagement, for fans of more shocking cinema. However, the MPAA (the Motion Picture Association of America), who are in charge of rating a film from G through NC-17, say that the theater violated rules by showing an unrated film.
Lars von Trier poses for a poster for his new film “The House That Jack Built.” Photo courtesy of indiewire.com
In a statement released last night, the MPAA said they have “communicated to the distributor, IFC Films, that the screening of an unrated version of the film in such close proximity to the release of the rated version – without obtaining a waiver – is in violation of the rating system’s rules.” They’re threatening to sanction the theaters and take future action regarding their upcoming slate of releases.
If anyone needs convincing that the MPAA is power hungry and ridiculously unnecessary, take a look at the 2006 documentary “This Film is Not Yet Rated” which reveals that shady business practices, arbitrary rules and cult-ish behavior of the association. It’s eye-opening, surprising and only further cements that they should be, if not disbanded, severely amended.
Matt Dillon stars as the title character in “The House That Jack Built.” Photo courtesy of orlandoweekly.com
We’ll have to wait and see what the MPAA’s next move is, as well as how IFC responds.
Von Trier’s previous film “Nymphomaniac” also had an Unrated cut. The five and a half hour film was split into two parts, and while they were both available to stream on Netflix, their Unrated counterparts were also available, giving viewers the option as to which one they wanted to watch. I wonder if “The House That Jack Built” will have a similar release strategy, or if this controversy is the final nail on the Unrated Version’s future.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to log onto amandaplease.com to hear that Amanda Bynes is back to her normal self!
In Paper Magazine’s “Break the Internet” issue, the former “Amanda Show” star sat down for a deep interview about her past, including her very public breakdown back in 2013. The in depth interview recounts her career, from “the Amanda Show” through “What I Like About You” “Hairspray” and “Easy A.”
Amanda “breaks the internet” with Paper Magazine’s annual issue. Photo courtesy of papermag.com
She recounts how she fought for Channing Tatum to be cast in “She’s the Man,” her body issues and her eventual drug-addiction that led to her breakdown.
Back in 2013, Bynes was Twitter famous for a bong out of her apartment building window and tweeting that she wanted Drake to “murder [her] vagina.” However, as time has passed, it’s become increasingly obvious that she was going through a lot, and with her diagnosis with schizophrenia, it became even more clear that she wasn’t getting the help she clearly needed.
She discusses her nearly four years of sobriety, as well as her classes at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. She hopes to eventually return to acting, but doesn’t have a return-date set. She’s hopeful for the future and feels that since she’s been through the worst, nothing can stop her.
The Gotham Independent Film Awards kicked off this year’s Oscar season. As the name would suggest, only independent movies were in contention, so this year’s bigger movies like “Black Panther” or even “A Star is Born” weren’t eligible.
Why does it matter? Well, last year’s Gotham Award winners ended up being pretty big contenders throughout the season. “Call Me by Your Name” “Get Out” “Lady Bird” and “Mudbound” all won Gothams and, while they didn’t end up with the Best Picture Oscar, the first three were nominated for it and all four were featured heavily throughout the awards season. While not always a surefire, the winners are almost staples of the upcoming awards shows.
Of this year’s big winners, the only one I hadn’t heard of, “The Rider” took home best feature film, the Gotham Awards equivalent to Best Picture. I’m not sure how it is that I haven’t heard of it — maybe it’s just that indie. Either way, here’s the trailer:
Personally, it doesn’t look like my kind of movie, but if it does keep showing up throughout awards season, I guess I’ll have to watch it and see what all the hype is about.
Ethan Hawke took home Best Actor for his role in “First Reformed.” Photo courtesy of variety.com
When I saw “First Reformed” this summer, I was worried it would be forgotten by the time awards season got here. At least for now, I was wrong because it won Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Ethan Hawke. It’s a slow, quiet film about a priest (Hawke) who’s struggling with his faith against
You definitely don’t have to be religious to enjoy this movie. It’s written and directed by Paul Schrader, the screenwriter of “Taxi Driver” but it doesn’t have much in common with the 1976 Scorsese movie. “First Reformed” is about losing hope, whether it be religious faith or faith in the future.
It’s available to stream for free if you have Amazon Prime, so why not give it a try?
Toni Collette stars as the grief-stricken Annie in “Hereditary.” Photo courtesy of ign.com
“Hereditary” is a ridiculously ambitious movie that got Toni Collette a much deserved Best Actress award. It’s a horror movie but it can also be seen as a melodrama about grief. Toni Collette plays a completely devastated woman, and her grief rings so painfully true, that it’s impossible to walk out of “Hereditary” not singing her praises. You can think it didn’t have a great ending or that it wasn’t what you expected, but you can’t say Collette didn’t do an amazing job.
If you haven’t seen “Hereditary” I strongly urge you to watch it sooner, rather than later, because it has some twists that the trailers definitely hadn’t prepared me for. It’s also insanely well directed, a feature debut for Ari Asher, who was also nominated for Breakthrough Director and the Audience Award.
Elsie Fisher won Best Breakthrough Actor for her work in “Eighth Grade.” Photo courtesy of A24
I’ve talked about how awkwardly accurate “Eighth Grade” feels, and the Gotham Awards seemed to agree, giving it both Breakthrough Director and Breakthrough Actress. I still think it’s too small to get anything other than a Best Screenplay nomination at the Oscars, but I could be wrong.
Largos Lanthimos’s “The Favourite” received Best Ensemble Cast for Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Colman while “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” won the Audience Award. I loved the Mr. Rogers documentary, but the fact that it couldn’t win Best Documentary here doesn’t speak well for its overall chances against Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s documentary “RBG.”
The Golden Globes nominations will be announced on December 6, with the actual show taking place one month later, on January 6.
As we look back at 2018, I think we’ll see it as a year of inclusion. Sure, the vast majority of films released within the past year starred straight white characters, but for once, it seems as though real representation has come to Hollywood. With mainstream movies focusing on African Americans, homosexuals, Asians and Hispanics coming out and being well received, the tides are finally changing.
“BLACK PANTHER”
Chadwick Boseman stars as the title character in “Black Panther.” Photo courtesy of thewrap.com
Marvel’s megahit this past February was, without a doubt, a game changer. Director Ryan Coogler took the relatively straightforward story of “Black Panther” and made it an international sensation. Its all-star cast, including but certainly not limited to Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Angela Bassett, the script by Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole and top-notch action scenes all came together to yield a real game-changer of a movie.
Grossing over $1 billion and getting significant Oscar buzz, it seems likely that, even if it doesn’t win Best Picture, “Black Panther” will likely be considered the movie of 2018.
“LOVE, SIMON”
Directed by “Riverdale” Executive Producer Greg Berlanti, “Love, Simon” stars Nick Robinson as closeted teenager Simon. Photo courtesy of foxmovies.com
Coming of age movies are nothing new; John Hughes made a whole career of making them. However, they have almost exclusively been centered around straight protagonists. “The Breakfast Club” “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” gave teens in the 80’s something to relate to, and those films are still revered to this day (even though star Molly Ringwald pointed out how they’ve become problematic). In 2018, “Love, Simon” based on the teen novel “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” has finally given gay teenagers a film to call their own.
Is “Love, Simon” groundbreaking? I would certainly say yes. Its protagonist, Simon, is a closeted gay teenager, but the film treats him like any other John Hughes lead. I think that’s incredibly important. While “Love, Simon” is in large part about homosexuality, it makes the whole journey of self-acceptance and coming out not only relatable but understandable to heterosexual viewers. I imagine that closeted teenagers watching “Love, Simon” will feel a sense of normalcy and sameness that teens in older generations weren’t privy to. It’s a film that wouldn’t have been made even 10 years ago, and in my eyes, that’s what progress looks like.
“CRAZY RICH ASIANS”
“Crazy Rich Asians” was the surprise hit of the summer. Photo courtesy of thetalonnews.com
The last time an all-Asian cast led a film was 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club” which means that for the entirety of my first 22 years, I never saw a movie with an all-Asian cast. That, of course, changed this past August when “Crazy Rich Asians” based on the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name, was released. Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Akwafina, the romantic comedy grossed over $200 million at the worldwide box office.
For decades, Asian characters have been tossed to the sidelines, at best playing the quirky best friend. “Crazy Rich Asians” proves that people will go and support a film starring an Asian cast. There have been rumors about the remaining two novels in Kwan’s trilogy being adapted, and with the monetary results and positive word of mouth “Crazy Rich Asians” received, they would be silly not to capitalize on its success.
“ROMA”
“Roma” is director Alfonso Cuarón’s follow up to “Gravity.” Photo courtesy of cineavatar.it
Three of the past five recipients of the Best Director Oscar have been Hispanic. Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Iñárritu and Alfonso Cuarón were all born and raised in Mexico. That on its own should once again prove the changing tides in the entertainment industry. Now that these directors have industry respect and recognition, they’re able to create their passion projects, and for Cuarón, that project is “Roma.”
Already an awards frontrunner, “Roma” is a black and white, Spanish language film that tells a family’s story in Mexico City during the early 1970s. The movie’s exclusive release to Netflix on December 14 shouldn’t inspire fear or worry in viewers. Would you spend money to buy a theatrical ticket to a small, black and white, foreign film? I would, but that’s probably in small part why my friends make fun of my “less than mainstream” film choices. In actuality, “Roma” is poised to do much better on streaming, where it will be immediately available for everyone with a Netflix account.
Judging by the critics who have seen “Roma” it’s apparently deeply moving and personal to Cuarón. That’s the luxury of winning an Oscar; you’re essentially on the top of the world and get to pick the projects that interest you. After his statue and acclaim for helming “Gravity,” Cuarón decided to make a film that recounts his experiences growing up in Mexico City. The other thing that makes “Roma” especially interesting is that it is likely to be the first Netflix release to snap a Best Picture nomination. Sure, other streaming services like Amazon Prime’s “Manchester by the Sea” did this first a few years ago, but Netflix seems to be on a whole different level of popularity and international reach.
Those four movies aren’t the only examples of how 2018 can be considered especially inclusive, but I think they underline that point quite well. Were there any other movies that came out in 2018 that you felt shined a light on an often tossed-to-the-sidelines group? Let me know in the comments below!
Kevin Hart and his wife, Eniko Parrish, came under fire this weekend for throwing their son a “cowboys and Indians” themed birthday party.
Parrish and Hart’s son, Kenzo Kash, celebrated his first birthday at the party. Fans dropped into the comments to scold both parents for cultural appropriation, and worse.
Imagine being so woefully out of touch, that one marginalized group appropriates another,” one person wrote. “So ignorant it hurts,” wrote another. “Learn your history!”
Parrish posted a photo and video of the festivities on Instagram.It showed a crowd of people in patterned blankets, cowboy hats and bandanas. While the concept is an old and popular one amongst American kids, many fans thought it was a tone-deaf move in 2018.
“Zo’s cowboys [and] Indians party was nothing but amazing!” she wrote in the caption. “Thanks to everyone for coming. We love you guys!”
Though, many did not like the theme party idea. There were others who came to the defense of Hart and his wife. People wrote long paragraphs about “over-sensitivity” and “snowflakes,”.
What the hell is happening, I’m glad I lived a childhood where children could dress up in what they wanted,” someone wrote. “Now people get offended by everything, ruin everything for everyone… Nice”, said one user.
Hart haswith the Native American community before. Several years ago, he came out in defense of the Washington Redskins, at a time when many people were calling for the team to change its name. He argued that the team name had transcended its racial implications and could no longer be taken as an insult.
What are thoughts on this controversy. Do you feel people are too sensitive now a days?
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