John Waters’ annual top 10 movies list is always an eclectic one, filled with movies on the fringe that we may have never even heard of, ever a champion for the maligned. But the most interesting addition this year is one that got a lot of attention this year – just for all the wrong reasons.
Taking the #6 spot on his list of the top 10 movies of 2024 for Vulture, John Waters picked Todd Phillips’ much-derided Joker: Folie à Deux, which had all of the hype possible behind it but flopped with critics and audiences. In his write-up, Waters told us just what worked for him: “Finally, a love story I can relate to. So insane, so well thought out, so well directed, so much smoking! It’s Jailhouse Rock meets Busby Berkeley with a 9/11 That’s Entertainment! ending that will make you shake your head in cinematic astonishment. Stupid critics. Gaga so good. Joker so right. Die, dumbbells, die!”
Supporters of Joker: Folie à Deux are few and far (we gave it a 5/10 in our review), but John Waters naming it to his top 10 of 2024 does put him in the company of Quentin Tarantino, who absolutely loved it and said Joaquin Phoenix’s performances is one of the best he’s ever seen. What, you think Tarantino is ever hyperbolic?
Joining the Joker sequel on John Waters’ top 10 list would be Rose Glass’ Love Lies Bleeding at #1, Luda Guadagnino’s Queer at #2, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist at #3, Mike Leigh’s Hard Truth at #4, Alexi Wasser’s Messy at #5, Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s Femme at #7, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez at #8, Halina Reijn’s Babygirl at #9, and Truong Minh Quy’s Viet and Nam at the bottom. In 2019, Waters put Joker in the #10 spot, while last year he picked Beau Is Afraid as his favorite film, so Waters is most definitely a fan of Joaquin Phoenix.
For those that skipped Joker: Folie à Deux in theaters – and there were a lot of us, as the sequel made about a sixth of the first – it will be hitting Max on December 13th.
For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up-and-coming, or well-established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…
Barret Chapman
Barret Chapman is an art director and part time illustrator. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his family. Barret studied classical animation at Capilano University [then College] and worked in the animation industry in the early 2000’s. Some of his good friends from school suggested becoming a concept artist for Next Level Games and he has been there ever since. When Barret became the studios art director he found he didn’t get to draw as much for work anymore so, to keep his chops up, he started making movie posters for fun. Things started picking up after Barret did a couple of pieces for Bottleneck Gallery’s “It Came from 1984” show….and soon after Barret started doing commissions for low budget films and alternative movie posters. In 2016 Barret was approached by Hero Complex Gallery to do a screen-print for the film Leon. That started a relationship that continues to this day. Lately, Barret balances the day job with the occasional poster gig with HCG and Sideshow….and he is loving it.
JOBLO: What got you started as an artist? BARRET: My dad was a pretty good artist and he showed my brother and I how to draw. He was also a big movie lover and since we were kids of the 80’s we got to watch everything. My first figure drawing lesson came from watching Conan the Barbarian multiple times and then drawing Conan over and over, HA! I love doing portraits more than anything….and in my mind, no one is better than Drew Struzan at capturing likeness…so his work was a big inspiration for me growing up.
Who were some of your favorite artists growing up? My brother and I were a bit obsessed with movies and special makeup effects when we were growing up, so our room was plastered with Drew Struzan, Richard Amsel, John Alvin, Roger Kastel, plus posters from Fangoria and Gorezone showing off the work of Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Tom Savini, Kevin Yager Jim Henson and Stan Winston. Later as I got more into art I fell in love with the work of Bernie Wrightson, Mike Mignola, Frank Frazetta and Michael Whelan.
What advice would you have for budding artists today? I’d start by saying make art for yourself first and foremost. Don’t chase the likes or the follows. If you make something you feel proud of, and makes you smile even if its only for 5 minutes before you can’t look at it anymore and move onto the next piece, you will keep making art and be fulfilled. Just keep making art….real art, not AI….old man rant over.
What should we be looking out for from you in the future? I have something coming up soon with Sideshow. Also, I have a new The Shawshank Redemption print with Hero Complex Gallery dropping today, easily one of my favorite movies. This is my second print for Shawshank, I’m a full-fledged Constant Reader so revisiting this film has been too much fun! Its available now at Hero Complex Gallery.
Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time? If I had to pick my absolute favorite movie….I’d go with Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Barret as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Hero Complex Gallery / Shop
For years, Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up-and-coming, or well-established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…
Barret Chapman
Barret Chapman is an art director and part time illustrator. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his family. Barret studied classical animation at Capilano University [then College] and worked in the animation industry in the early 2000’s. Some of his good friends from school suggested becoming a concept artist for Next Level Games and he has been there ever since. When Barret became the studios art director he found he didn’t get to draw as much for work anymore so, to keep his chops up, he started making movie posters for fun. Things started picking up after Barret did a couple of pieces for Bottleneck Gallery’s “It Came from 1984” show….and soon after Barret started doing commissions for low budget films and alternative movie posters. In 2016 Barret was approached by Hero Complex Gallery to do a screen-print for the film Leon. That started a relationship that continues to this day. Lately, Barret balances the day job with the occasional poster gig with HCG and Sideshow….and he is loving it.
JOBLO: What got you started as an artist? BARRET: My dad was a pretty good artist and he showed my brother and I how to draw. He was also a big movie lover and since we were kids of the 80’s we got to watch everything. My first figure drawing lesson came from watching Conan the Barbarian multiple times and then drawing Conan over and over, HA! I love doing portraits more than anything….and in my mind, no one is better than Drew Struzan at capturing likeness…so his work was a big inspiration for me growing up.
Who were some of your favorite artists growing up? My brother and I were a bit obsessed with movies and special makeup effects when we were growing up, so our room was plastered with Drew Struzan, Richard Amsel, John Alvin, Roger Kastel, plus posters from Fangoria and Gorezone showing off the work of Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Tom Savini, Kevin Yager Jim Henson and Stan Winston. Later as I got more into art I fell in love with the work of Bernie Wrightson, Mike Mignola, Frank Frazetta and Michael Whelan.
What advice would you have for budding artists today? I’d start by saying make art for yourself first and foremost. Don’t chase the likes or the follows. If you make something you feel proud of, and makes you smile even if its only for 5 minutes before you can’t look at it anymore and move onto the next piece, you will keep making art and be fulfilled. Just keep making art….real art, not AI….old man rant over.
What should we be looking out for from you in the future? I have something coming up soon with Sideshow. Also, I have a new The Shawshank Redemption print with Hero Complex Gallery dropping today, easily one of my favorite movies. This is my second print for Shawshank, I’m a full-fledged Constant Reader so revisiting this film has been too much fun! Its available now at Hero Complex Gallery.
Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time? If I had to pick my absolute favorite movie….I’d go with Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Barret as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Hero Complex Gallery / Shop
On the cusp of the 50th anniversary celebration of Saturday Night Live – with a special show set for February – we’re all going to be remembering our favorite cast members and sketches. Maybe you go all the way back to the original, chaotic cast; or maybe Eddie Murphy’s Gumby is still the pinnacle of sketch comedy for you; or maybe, like myself, you came on with the Bad Boys of SNL and think that’s the peak of SNL. Chances are, you won’t find anyone who thinks the show has never been better than it is today. But even Bill Murray – who came on board SNL in season two – is tired of people complaining about the current group. In fact, he’d like to join them.
Bill Murray says he still gets hassled (come on, he’s local!) from time to time by fans who were watching SNL back in the ‘70s, particularly when it comes to how the show never lived up to his crew. “People always give me a hard time about, ‘Oh, the original show was so great and it’s lousy now. And I say, ‘No, it’s not.’ The show that’s on now, they do stuff that’s just as good as anybody ever did, all the time.”
No doubt Bill Murray will be part of the SNL 50 celebration next year, but he’d still like to get another shot at hosting. “I told ’em I’d like to host one this year. So, maybe if I get organized. I think I did it two other times when I was there. I’d like to try it one more time. It might be the last time to try it.” Murray hasn’t hosted since 1999, hitting the Five-Timers Club with that season 24 episode; his first hosting stint was in 1981, the year after he left SNL.
Bill Murray’s stance might be a bit questionable – are we really banking on the Beavis & Butthead sketch to be an all-timer? – but it’s still nice to see one of the original SNL cast members sticking up for the new faces of comedy. It also goes in opposing view of Garrett Morris, one of the OG SNL cast members, who said he still watches the show but that it lacks the punch of the first few seasons.
Where do you stand on the modern SNL cast and seasons?
On the cusp of the 50th anniversary celebration of Saturday Night Live – with a special show set for February – we’re all going to be remembering our favorite cast members and sketches. Maybe you go all the way back to the original, chaotic cast; or maybe Eddie Murphy’s Gumby is still the pinnacle of sketch comedy for you; or maybe, like myself, you came on with the Bad Boys of SNL and think that’s the peak of SNL. Chances are, you won’t find anyone who thinks the show has never been better than it is today. But even Bill Murray – who came on board SNL in season two – is tired of people complaining about the current group. In fact, he’d like to join them.
Bill Murray says he still gets hassled (come on, he’s local!) from time to time by fans who were watching SNL back in the ‘70s, particularly when it comes to how the show never lived up to his crew. “People always give me a hard time about, ‘Oh, the original show was so great and it’s lousy now. And I say, ‘No, it’s not.’ The show that’s on now, they do stuff that’s just as good as anybody ever did, all the time.”
No doubt Bill Murray will be part of the SNL 50 celebration next year, but he’d still like to get another shot at hosting. “I told ’em I’d like to host one this year. So, maybe if I get organized. I think I did it two other times when I was there. I’d like to try it one more time. It might be the last time to try it.” Murray hasn’t hosted since 1999, hitting the Five-Timers Club with that season 24 episode; his first hosting stint was in 1981, the year after he left SNL.
Bill Murray’s stance might be a bit questionable – are we really banking on the Beavis & Butthead sketch to be an all-timer? – but it’s still nice to see one of the original SNL cast members sticking up for the new faces of comedy. It also goes in opposing view of Garrett Morris, one of the OG SNL cast members, who said he still watches the show but that it lacks the punch of the first few seasons.
Where do you stand on the modern SNL cast and seasons?
This week, a low-quality video may have given us our first look at the Joy-Con that will be used by the successor to the Nintendo Switch. Also, Sony celebrated the 30th anniversary of PlayStation by putting the original console’s boot-up sound on PS5, along with customization options that let people apply the familiar…
This week, a low-quality video may have given us our first look at the Joy-Con that will be used by the successor to the Nintendo Switch. Also, Sony celebrated the 30th anniversary of PlayStation by putting the original console’s boot-up sound on PS5, along with customization options that let people apply the familiar…
One of 2024’s biggest disappointments in movie theaters will soon be able to try and redeem itself in your homes. Before you and yours get into the holiday spirit on Christmas Day, Joker: Folie à Deux will be available to stream on Max on December 13.
One of 2024’s biggest disappointments in movie theaters will soon be able to try and redeem itself in your homes. Before you and yours get into the holiday spirit on Christmas Day, Joker: Folie à Deux will be available to stream on Max on December 13.
The casting process for HBO’s Harry Potter TV series is in full swing, and according to Deadline, rumours have been swirling about some possible big-name additions to the series, including Mark Strong (The Penguin), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso), and more.
Mark Strong has reportedly emerged as a potential Albus Dumbledore. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) was previously said to be close to signing on to play the role, but Strong may be another contender. Brett Goldstein is also rumoured to be up for the role of Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper played by late Robbie Coltrane in the movie franchise.
The rumour mill also points to Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters) being considered for Professor Minerva McGonagall, played by the late Maggie Smith in the movies. Rachel Weisz (Black Widow) may also be on the wish list for the role. As reported earlier this week, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) is being eyed for the role of Professor Severus Snape.
As usual, HBO wouldn’t confirm or deny anything, merely saying, “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.“
The casting process for the three main kids is underway. An open call was put out for children who are residents of the U.K. and Ireland and will be between the ages of 9 and 11 in April 2025 to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. It’s said that over 32,000 kids have auditioned for the roles. Succession‘s Francesca Gardiner will serve as a writer and showrunner on the series, while Mark Mylod signed on to executive produce and direct multiple episodes. The project was originally developed for Max but made the leap to HBO (along with a variety of other Max shows) in June.
Each season of the Harry Potter TV series is said to cover one of Rowling’s novels, for a total of seven seasons. While the movies were able to fit quite a lot in, there were plenty of moments cut from the novels that the TV series will finally be able to bring to life. Last year, the studio released a statement saying, “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.” Production is expected to kick off in the summer of 2025.
