Cancel humanity, folks. You can all go home. The tech firm Soul Machines is resurrecting screen legend Marilyn Monroe as a “hyper-real” AI-generated digital Chatbot that lets you engage in conversations with the blonde bombshell in real-time. John Connor is seething somewhere, and Skynet is laughing at the thought of not lifting a finger to doom the human race through smart-learning technology. In addition to participating in conversations, the Marilyn Monroe avatar can answer questions “in Marilyn’s signature voice and style.” Look out, Alexa, the late star of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch, is gunning for your job!
The company behind the Digital Marilyn interactive experience says the AI-generated icon “shares anecdotes and even delivers personalized greetings, creating an unforgettable experience for Marilyn fans.” Do you want Marilyn to sing “Happy Birthday” to you like she did for John F. Kennedy? You can make that happen with Digital Marilyn! According to Soul Machines, you can speak with Digital Marilyn “in real-time using advanced natural language processing, deep learning and GPT 3.5.”
Want to hear the scariest part? Digital Marilyn can read your emotions and respond to you accordingly using Soul Machine’s proprietary camera and microphone technology. “Every interaction is unique. Digital Marilyn analyzes your preferences and tailors her responses accordingly, fostering a genuine connection that resonates with you on an individual level,” a representative of Soul Machines said. Conversations with Digital Marilyn can last up to 20 minutes and cover many day-to-day examples of “weather talk” to more meaningful topics.
If you’re concerned about the conversations becoming stiff and predictable, don’t be. Soul Machine’s tech “enables her to engage in natural, fluid dialogue, adapting to your questions and interests in real-time… Mimicking the human nervous system, this technology allows Digital Marilyn to respond with realistic emotions and nuanced expressions, creating a deeply personal and memorable experience.”
“Marilyn Monroe remains a timeless icon, inspiring generations with her talent, charisma, and enduring legacy,” Dana Carpenter, EVP of entertainment at Authentic, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to partner with Soul Machines, whose cutting-edge technology is the perfect match to bring Marilyn to life in the AI age. While Marilyn Monroe can never be replaced or duplicated, Digital Marilyn opens exciting possibilities for multiple generations of fans to engage with her in a whole new way, fostering a deeper connection and appreciation for her enduring spirit and the mark she left on the world.”
All joking aside, what are we doing here, folks? Who’s next in the AI-generated Chatbot lineup? Elvis? Michael Jackson? John Lennon? David Bowie? Who would you want to talk to in a Chatbot-style conversation? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Core Four is no more. Although Scream (2022) and Scream VI set up the characters of Samantha Carpenter, Tara Carpenter, Mindy Meeks-Martin, and Chad Meeks-Martin as the new leads of the Scream franchise, that group is not going to end up being in Scream 7, whenever that film goes into production. Jenna Ortega allegedly wanted a substantial pay raise to reprise the role of Tara… and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. So Ortega was out, but Melissa Barrera was on board to come back as Tara’s sister Samantha. Until she was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Mindy may or not be in the movie; we can’t be sure yet, because Jasmin Savoy Brown hasn’t gotten a call about reprising the role. During an interview with Variety, Mason Gooding, who played Mindy’s brother Chad, said that he’s not being kept in the loop on the development of Scream 7, either. But he is quite confident the movie is going to be made.
Gooding said, “If it could make money, I guarantee you, they’ll make it. It’s one of those things where you wait to hear from the people that make the big decisions. It’s all about keeping up with what feels like is the best movie for the fans. Scream doesn’t exist without the people who enjoy it as much as they do… If people want it, they will certainly try their best to see it happen.“
Gooding also doesn’t seem to be too bummed over the idea of at least half of the Core Four being left out of the new movie, because the actors who played the characters are still “a family beyond the work.”
As Gooding suspects, Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures are still eager to get a Scream 7 out into the world. Returning writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick working on the script, and last we heard they were hoping to get Neve Campbell back in the lead as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott. Patrick Dempsey, who played LAPD homicide detective – and Sidney’s love interest – Mark Kincaid in Scream 3, might also be part of the new plan for the seventh film. Scream (2022) and Scream VI directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett will not be at the helm of the new film. Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon had been hired to direct it, but he left when the original version of the film crumbled out from under him. Alone and Sick director John Hyams may be in the running to direct Scream 7 now, along with an unspecified female director.
Even if Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera are out, do you hope to see Mason Gooding and/or Jasmin Savoy Brown in Scream 7? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
In the latest from Blumhouse, evil has found a new home in a cute little teddy bear. Imaginary tells the story of Jessica who returns to her childhood home with her family. Things don’t go so well when they discover a sweet old teddy bear, locked away in a secret door. What’s up with this scary bear? I won’t spoil it here. The Jeff Wadlow-directed feature stars DeWanda Wise, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Tom Payne, and Betty Buckley. And tomorrow, you can discover the secrets of this frightful childhood toy.
We sat down with the fine folks behind this new fright flick. First came the family, as we chatted with the lovely and talented DeWanda Wise as well as Taegen Burns and Pyper Braun. For Wise, she talked about taking on the lead in a Blumhouse thriller. She opened up about working with Jeff Wadlow, and dealing with childhood fears. As for Taegen and Pyper, the two were a joy to speak with. Braun is a delightful interview, as is her terrific co-star, Braun. The two talked about working with Jeff and childhood fears.
We then spoke with Jason Blum and Jeff Wadlow. I’ve spoken to Mr. Blum on several occasions, and it’s always a pleasure. And frankly, the same can be said about Mr. Wadlow. Jason discussed how films like Imaginary are perhaps shaping Blumhouse. Wadlow talked about bringing childhood fears to life, and finding the right family to scare. It was terrific chatting frights with this crew. And if you would like to check out Imaginary, you can get a look at Chauncey the Bear. Be cautious of that little fella. Imaginary is now open. Read our review here!
In the latest from Blumhouse, evil has found a new home in a cute little teddy bear. Imaginary tells the story of Jessica who returns to her childhood home with her family. Things don’t go so well when they discover a sweet old teddy bear, locked away in a secret door. What’s up with this scary bear? I won’t spoil it here. The Jeff Wadlow-directed feature stars DeWanda Wise, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Tom Payne, and Betty Buckley. And now you can discover the secrets of this frightful childhood toy.
We sat down with the fine folks behind this new fright flick. First came the family, as we chatted with the lovely and talented DeWanda Wise as well as Taegen Burns and Pyper Braun. For Wise, she talked about taking on the lead in a Blumhouse thriller. She opened up about working with Jeff Wadlow, and dealing with childhood fears. As for Taegen and Pyper, the two were a joy to speak with. Braun is a delightful interview, as is her terrific co-star, Braun. The two talked about working with Jeff and childhood fears.
We then spoke with Jason Blum and Jeff Wadlow. I’ve spoken to Mr. Blum on several occasions, and it’s always a pleasure. And frankly, the same can be said about Mr. Wadlow. Jason discussed how films like Imaginary are perhaps shaping Blumhouse. Wadlow talked about bringing childhood fears to life, and finding the right family to scare. It was terrific chatting frights with this crew. And if you would like to check out Imaginary, you can get a look at Chauncey the Bear. Be cautious of that little fella. Imaginary is now open. Read our review here!
As mentioned, Imaginary shows us what happens when Jessica, who moves back into her childhood home with her family, and her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behavior becomes more concerning, Jessica intervenes, only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believes him to be.
Paul Giamatti is the everyman kind of celebrity where even though he’s an actor who has worked in big films amongst big stars, he will still go to In-N-Out Burger to celebrate an awards win. During the pandemic, when Zoom communication skyrocketed, Giamatti found a peer in Stephen Asma, an author and philosophy professor at Columbia College Chicago. Giamatti sought out the professor after being intrigued by his lectures about imagination and consciousness. He explained, “We were Zooming when Zoom was a new thing. It was nice to chat with this guy, and we found each other having these longer and longer chat. Stephen jokingly said, ‘We ought to do something with this.’ ”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Giamatti followed suit with his fellow actors who turned to podcasting, except Giamatti’s show would not feature co-stars or Hollywood friends to promote their projects, but instead have them dig deep into their geeky recesses. Last April Giamatti and Asma debuted Chinwag at SXSW with a live recording about monsters. Their show would discuss time travel with Tom Hanks, tell ghost stories with Billy Bob Thornton, discuss the topic of cults with Kathryn Hahn, dug into the concept of the Mandela effect with Patton Oswalt, had Amy Sedaris speak about Japanese subways, have Don Cheadle explain how he feels religion helps tame the ego, explored Jungian archetypes with Late Night host Stephen Colbert and spoke with Natasha Lyonne as she passionately explained her belief in extraterrestrials, ghosts and bigfoot.
Giamatti has expounded, “I know from being interviewed over the years that I often get most excited when the conversation goes off topic and I get to talk about something other than me. I get bored talking about myself, or a particular project, I gotta be honest.” Oscar Guido, one of the founders of the company that produces Chinwag says Giamatti’s podcast exploded with popularity, “The types of emails and socials that we get are long letters from folks saying not only that they love Paul and Stephen, but then diving into their own experiences of the supernatural. I’m talking like four- or five-page long essays. We’ve gotten fan art, we’ve gotten sketches, posters. I mean the engagement on this has really been through the roof.”
Giamatti’s passion for it doesn’t look to be going anywhere soon as he states, “I’ll be able to fully concentrate on it again soon, because for the past three months, my attention got completely taken away. Hopefully all these things will come to fruition in different ways.”
The countdown to the Academy Awards is winding down, and while many are debating about who got snubbed and why, one of the stars of this year’s Best Picture nominees is capturing the hearts of everyone. Messi, the border collie who stole scenes in the film Anatomy of a Fall, would continue to steal the spotlight — this time, from Hollywood A-listers — at the annual Academy Awards nominee luncheon. The dog’s trainer/owner, Laura Martin, would glow about Messi’s experience at the event, “The big moment was with Billie Eilish, who bonded with Messi for almost 10 minutes. They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”
Not to mention, the pooch also rubbed elbows with Ryan Gosling in a viral video where the Barbie star was quite taken by Messi. But alas, despite all the connections the French canine made in Tinsel Town, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Messi will not be in attendance for the Academy Awards this Sunday. Martin recollected the journey of her four-legged actor, “All of this attention began at Cannes. There were a few interviews in France, but what we’ve been experiencing here in America — with the attention to this dog and his acting — it’s beyond anything we anticipated. It’s probably the maximum that you can accomplish in this field.”
Messi lives with his human, Martin, in Paris and the trip to Hollywood would be the only brief appearance he’d be able to make. Plus, although he made a splash with his on-screen performance, Messi is not actually nominated for an award. However, despite that, it would not be a factor to completely rule out an appearance at the industry event as Uggie, the adorable dog from 2011’s Best Picture winner The Artist would show up to the red carpet with a little bow tie on and even got to be on stage while the director, Michel Hazanavicius, made his acceptance speech.
Back in December, the James Cameron films The Abyss, Aliens, True Lies, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water were all given 4K digital releases. Next Tuesday, March 12th, is the day when The Abyss, Aliens, and True Lies are going to get their physical 4K UHD releases – and to mark the occasion, we got our hands on an EXCLUSIVE clip from one of the bonus featurettes that will be on The Abyss disc! You can check it out in the embed above.
The Abyss has the following synopsis: In this underwater sci-fi adventure written and directed by James Cameron, a nuclear sub mysteriously sinks and a private oil rig crew, led by foreman Bud Brigman, is recruited to join a team of Navy SEALs on a search and rescue effort. The group soon finds themselves on a spectacular life-and-death odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, where they find a mysterious force that could either change the world — or destroy it.
The film stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Captain “Kidd” Brewer Jr., George Robert Klek, Christopher Murphy, Adam Nelson, Chris Elliott, Richard Warlock, Jimmie Ray Weeks, J. Kenneth Campbell, William Wisher Jr., and Ken Jenkins.
The 4K release of The Abyss (you can pre-order it HERE) includes both the theatrical version (which has a run time of 145 minutes) and the special edition (which runs 171 minutes). Here’s the list of bonus features:
NEW: Documentaries • Deep Dive: A Conversation with James Cameron – An exclusive new sit-down with James Cameron as he revisits the origin of the project and addresses some of the myths behind the production. • The Legacy of THE ABYSS – Discover the lasting legacy of THE ABYSS with stories from James Cameron and the crew about how and why the film continues to have an impact on filmmaking today.
ADDITIONAL BONUS:
Documentary • Under Pressure: Making THE ABYSS – The original documentary about the infamous production of THE ABYSS, with candid commentary by the actors and crew.
Archives • Deepcore Timelapse – Watch this production timelapse of the Deepcore set being created. • Videomatics Montage – Watch a montage of behind-the-scenes production videomatics. • Montana Bridge Flooding – See behind-the-scenes footage of the Montana bridge flooding. • Engine Room Flooding – See behind-the-scenes footage of the engine room flooding. • Surface Shoot Montage – Watch a behind-the-scenes montage of the surface shoot. • Crane Crash Shoot – Check out behind-the-scenes footage of the crane crashing sequence. • Visual Effects Reel – Watch a reel of visual effects progressions to see how they were developed for the film. • Miniature Rear-Projection – Watch behind-the-scenes footage of how production used rear-projection techniques on miniatures. • Motion Control Timelapse – Watch this production timelapse of the motion control technology being used. • Teaser Trailer • Main Trailer • Reviews Trailer
Still Gallery – Presented here are extras as they appeared in the “Imaging Station” on the Special Edition DVD release of THE ABYSS, along with the trailers. Since their original presentation has been preserved, resolution and clarity will vary from element to element.
As mentioned, Collector’s Editions of The Abyss, True Lies and Aliens, will be released on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time on March 12. Will you be picking up copies? Let us know by leaving a comment below – but first, check out that exclusive clip!
On August 12, 2012, 750 million sets of eyes were entranced by the closing ceremony of the London Olympics, a spectacle celebrating the host city and nation. From under the stage emerged Eric Idle, surrounded by nuns on roller skates and Roman soldiers. Idle led the audience in a rendition of his hit comedy anthem “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. The live crowd joined in on every word, even thirty years after the song’s initial release.
Since the 1960s, Eric Idle has reminded us to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”. More than that, he has made doing so a lot easier with his unique brand of comedy and creativity. Idle rose to prominence with his fellow Pythons in the late 1960s and was a staple of screens big and small in the decades to follow. He has largely stepped away from the spotlight in recent years, which begs the question, “What happened to Eric Idle?” It’s nice to think he’s embraced the comforts of retirement, but the truth may not be quite so rosy.
But we can’t know where we’re going without knowing where we’ve been, so we’ll start where we always do: in the beginning, where the beginning began to begin.
Eric Idle was born in South Shields, England, on March 29, 1943. His mother was a nurse, and his father served in the Royal Air Force but was killed in a road accident when Eric was only 2 years old. Idle’s mother did not take his father’s death well and effectively abandoned him from that point on. He was in the care of his grandparents until 1950 when his mother left him at Royal School Wolverhampton, a live-in facility primarily for boys whose fathers had been killed in World War II. He performed well enough in school to enter Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. It was around this time he met his future Monty Python colleagues.
Also in 1965, Eric Idle began working for the BBC, appearing in TV Movies Alice in Wonderland and Isadora and writing for numerous radio and television programs. His first big hit was the family sketch comedy show Do Not Adjust Your Set, which he wrote for and appeared in from 1967-1969. The show’s success, which also featured Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, earned Idle and the rest of the Pythons the opportunity to showcase their talents as a group in Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which ran from 1969-1974.
It’s impossible to overstate Eric Idle’s contributions to FlyingCircus. He brought memorable writing, catchy composing, and versatile performing to the sketch comedy series. He was always committed and enthusiastic, which was plain to see in the “Nudge Nudge” sketch, which featured a great buildup to a classic punchline. His sharp writing shined in “Marriage Guidance Counselor,” his measured delivery balanced the great inversion sketch “Working Class Playwright.”
1971’s And Now for Something Completely Different was a reproduction of some of the best Flying Circus sketches, intended to introduce Monty Python to the American audience. Idle is featured heavily as a writer and performer, and he displays his versatility by portraying a lawyer, a mountaineer, a lumberjack, and a fairy, among other characters. He also lent his iconic voice to voiceover and narration work.
Monty Python produced a similar effort for the German market in 1972 in the form of Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus. Reports vary about the Pythons’ comfort with the German language, but the final results and the fact that the second episode is in English could allude to that comfort being low.
Eric Idle and the rest of the Pythons produced the 1975 feature film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Music industry connections made the movie possible, as it was almost entirely funded by record labels and musicians from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jethro Tull. Eric Idle played multiple roles in the film, notably Sir Robin the-not-quite-so-brave-as-Sir-Lancelot. Sir Robin is the only knight created anew for the movie rather than derived from Arthurian lore. And the brave part of his name is definitely ironic, which Idle played into perfectly. If only he knew the capital of Assyria. Holy Grail was a huge success upon release, and its stature has only grown since, as it’s considered by many to be one of the best comedy films of all time.
Idle ventured without his Python cohorts to create Rutland Weekend Television, which ran on BBC2 from 1975 to 1976. It was a sketch comedy show parodying low-budget regional television and pretty much everything else under the sun. Eric Idle served as the primary lead on the show, portraying characters like a sadistic judge who sentences people to death for trivial offences and narrating the entire history of the world in three minutes. His friend George Harrison of the Beatles featured in the show’s Christmas special.
Speaking of the Beatles, one of the most enduring aspects of Rutland Weekend Television was the creation of The Rutles. This Beatles parody band would go on to feature in mockumentaries The Rutles: All You Need is Cash in 1978 and return in 2003 for The Rutles 2: Can’t Buy Me Lunch. Idle portrayed Dirk McQuickly, a pastiche of Paul McCartney. Idle’s performance as McQuickly displayed his comedic and musical talents, along with his love for the Beatles and his friend George Harrison.
Idle would need a little help from his friend when it came time to fund Monty Python’s next venture: 1979’s Life of Brian. Despite the success of Holy Grail, the studio dropped Life of Brian just days before it went into production, owing to the controversial subject matter. Idle complained of the predicament to his friend George Harrison, but never could have reasonably expected what happened next. Harrison mortgaged his home, and his business manager Denis O’Brien mortgaged his offices, and the pair formed HandMade Films and fully funded Life of Brian.
The film would go on to box office success, earning over 5 times its budget and earn wide regard as another Monty Python film among the best comedies of all time. It’s original and memorable, and its themes are explored with a deft hand. Eric Idle helped pen the film and portrayed multiple roles. His most enduring legacy from the film is his writing and performance of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, which persists as an anthem for optimism. Idle would celebrate Life of Brian in the form of the live oratorio Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy) in 2007 and record it for television in 2009.
Eric Idle and the other Pythons performed Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl in 1982, primarily featuring sketches Flying Circus made famous. Idle notably takes the lead in “The Lumberjack Song”, for this rendition.
1983 saw the release of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, a hilarious exploration of…well…the meaning of life through its various stages. Idle’s performances contribute to the irreverence and absurdity of the film, and the soundtrack he wrote, composed, and performed is among the movie’s most memorable aspects.
Idle made his mark in National Lampoon’s European Vacation in 1985, playing a memorable role as a bike rider inadvertently struck by Clark Griswold’s car. Don’t worry, it was just a flesh wound.
He brought his trademark quirkiness and charm to the comic relief character Wreck-Gar in the animated film The Transformers: The Movie. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts prevented him from reprising the role for Transformers Animated in 2007.
In 1989, Eric Idle led the short-lived supernatural sitcom Nearly Departed. Despite his usual wit and charm, the show failed to attract an audience. That same year, Idle featured in fellow Python Terry Gilliam’s production of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. His performance aligned well with the film’s whimsical absurdist tone, with the two characters he portrays being confused for each other. Alas, tragedy also struck in 1989, when original Python member (and the most gifted actor of the bunch) Graham Chapman passed away at only 48 years old.
Idle’s career went into pretty high gear in the early nineties, with his British comedy Nuns on the Run a surprise hit, leading to a follow-up, Splitting Heirs (which we recently dug into), co-starring fellow Python member John Cleese.
Idle also played a prominent role in 1995’s Casper as the lackey to the main antagonist, injecting comedic flair into what would otherwise be a rather dour kids’ movie.
In 1996, Idle appeared in The Wind in the Willows (released in the United States as Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride), directed by Monty Python co-founder Terry Jones. Though not a financial success, the film and Eric Idle’s performance as Rat were well-regarded by critics and audiences.
He lent his voice to the animated series Hercules from 1998 to 1999, voicing Mr. Parentheses, the principal of Prometheus Academy.
Idle brought his trademark eccentricity to the role of Ian Maxtone-Graham in the sitcom Suddenly Susan for the show’s final season from 1999 to 2000. He voiced Waddlesworth in the Oscar-nominated 102 Dalmatians in 2000, a Macaw with a canine identity crisis.
From 2003 to 2012, Idle voiced a recurring character on The Simpsons named Declan Desmond, a documentary filmmaker not-so-subtly based on David Attenborough. He served as the narrator for 2004’s Ella Enchanted, enchanting the tale with his distinctive voice and lending it humor and heart.
Arguably Idle’s most successful venture is the musical Spamalot, a Broadway show based on Monty Python’s Holy Grail, which debuted in December of 2004. The show garnered three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In 2014, Eric Idle produced Monty Python Live (mostly) – One Down Five to Go, a mostly live stage show aimed at recouping lost funds from a lawsuit. The performances, featuring classic sketches and songs, sold out rapidly.
In 2018, Idle released his memoir: “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography,” offering a funny and candid account of his career and friendships.
In 2019, Idle was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but survived thanks to early detection and surgery. He has since become an advocate for cancer research funding and screening.
Despite attempts to produce a Spamalot movie in 2021, it was reportedly vetoed by other Pythons.
In 2024, nearing his 81st birthday, Idle expressed his need to keep working for a living, emphasizing his engagement in writing and creating a new show. In this rant, he took issue with how Monty Python’s finances were being handled by Terry Gilliam’s daughter, Holly, writing: “We own everything we ever made in Python, and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager, you should not be so surprised. One Gilliam is bad enough. Two can take out any company.”
This prompted a stern (but possibly tongue-in-cheek) rebuttal from John Cleese, in which he defended Holly and wrote about Idle, “we always loathed and despised each other, but it’s only recently that the truth has begun to emerge.” While everyone would like to think the members of Python just rode off into the sunset to enjoy their retirement, the truth isn’t always quite so simple.
Whatever the case may be, throughout his six-decade career, Eric Idle has been not only a master of comedy but also a generous supporter of various causes and charities, including Comic Relief, Amnesty International, and cancer research. He remains an inspiration to many comedians and artists worldwide, and even if he may not be as well-off in retirement as we all assumed, his place in the pantheon of comic greats is assured. He’s a living legend, and we’re lucky to have him.
Terry Crews is a serial entertainer. The energetic actor has a muscular physique that action icons Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were impressed with when they worked with him on The Expendables franchise. However, despite the hulking image, Crews would not limit himself to action movies as he would use his charismatic charm for such sitcoms like Everybody Hates Chris and Are We There Yet?, as well as being the host for the reality competition, America’s Got Talent. Crews is now ready to throw some fists and let the bullets fly yet again. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Crews will be seen in an upcoming action-comedy that will co-star the equally charismatic muscleman, Dave Bautista. Crews and Bautista have recently wrapped filming on The Killer’s Game.
The film’s synopsis, as reported by THR, says, “Based on Jay Bonansinga’s novel, The Killer’s Game follows a veteran assassin (Bautista), who, according to the film’s synopsis, is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and authorizes a hit on himself to avoid the pain that is destined to follow. But soon after, he finds out that he was misdiagnosed— and must fend off an army of former colleagues trying to kill him.”
Crews is reportedly playing a character that was previously set to be played by rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube. The cast also includes Ben Kingsley and Sofia Boutella, who can currently be seen in Zack Snyder‘s Netflix space opera, Rebel Moon.
The movie is directed by stuntman J.J. Perry, who has directed action sequences in second units for films like some of the recent Fast & Furious sequels, Warrior and Blood and Bone. Perry made his feature directing debut with the Jamie Foxx/Dave Franco horror-action-comedy Day Shift, which can be seen on Netflix. The screenplay was written by Rand Ravich and James Coyne. Mad Chance’s Andrew Lazar and Endurance Media’s Steve Richards are on board as producers of the film, along with Kia Jam. In addition to starring in the movie, Dave Bautista will executive produce with Jonathan Meisner for Dogbone Entertainment. Scott Lambert is also executive producing. Jake Katofsky and Vanessa Humphrey will be co-producing as well.
Well, everyone, the winners for the 22nd Annual Golden Schmoes for the year 2023 are in. As expected, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer walked away the big winner, earning nine Schmoes. It took home most of the big prizes, including Best Movie, Actor, Supporting Actor, Director, Screenplay, Poster, Trailer, Line of the Year and Best Sequence. While an excellent showing that beat the seven wins Everything Everywhere All At Once took home last year, it still falls short of our all-time winner here at the Schmoes, Nolan’s own The Dark Knight, which won an amazing 12 awards.
Otherwise, the winners were an eclectic mix. Godzilla Minus One, which is now widely considered the greatest Kaiju movie ever made, took home three awards, including Best VFX, which is impressive considering how small its budget was compared to the competition. Third place was an interesting tie, with John Wick: Chapter 4, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Barbie all winning two awards each (although as Barbie’s 2nd award was for Most Overrated Movie, not sure that’s really a “win”). Another interesting win is that Tom Cruise won the Favorite Celebrity of the Year Award for the second year in a row. Always happy to see Mr. Cruise, one of the last of the living legends, get his due!
Meanwhile, Disney had a rough year at the Schmoes, with only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 having a decent showing, winning for Best Music in a Movie. The only other award the House of Mouse took home was one I’m sure they’d rather not have won – Biggest Disappointment, which was “awarded” to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Ouch. On the upside, they didn’t end up taking Worst Movie this year for the widely reviled Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Instead, that “honour” went to a movie our man Tyler Nichols recently railed against, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. I wonder if the sequel will take this award next year, too.
Check out all of the winners for the 2023 Golden Schmoes below:
Most Wins:
Oppenheimer: 9 wins
Godzilla Minus One: 3 wins
(Tie) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Barbie, John Wick Chapter 4: 2 wins
Favorite Movie – Oppenheimer – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – John Wick: Chapter 4 – Barbie – Killers of the Flower Moon
Worst Movie – The Flash – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – Exorcist: Believer – Expend4bles – Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
Best Director – Christopher Nolan: Oppenheimer – Yorgos Lanthimos: Poor Things – James Gunn: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – Martin Scorsese: Killers of the Flower Moon – Greta Gerwig: Barbie
Best Screenplay – Oppenheimer – Barbie – The Holdovers – Killers of the Flower Moon – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Most Overrated Movie of the Year – Barbie – Oppenheimer – Maestro – The Super Mario Bros. Movie – Killers of the Flower Moon
Most Underrated Movie – Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – The Creator – The Iron Claw – Renfield – Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant
Trippiest Movie – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Poor Things – Infinity Pool – Beau is Afraid – Asteroid City
Best Comedy – Barbie – The Holdovers – No Hard Feelings – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Bottoms
Best Horror – Talk to Me – Scream VI – Evil Dead Rise – Thanksgiving – M3GAN
Best Animated – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – Elemental – The Boy and the Heron – The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Best Sci-Fi Flick – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – Godzilla Minus One – The Creator – Infinity Pool – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Breakthrough Performance – Dominic Cessa: The Holdovers – Abby Ryder Fortson: Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret – Lily Gladstone: Killers of the Flower Moon – Sophie Wilde: Talk to Me – Cailee Spaeny: Priscilla
Biggest Disappointment – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – The Flash – Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – Shazam: Fury of the Gods
Biggest Surprise – Barbie – Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – Godzilla Minus One – Wonka – Talk to Me
Best Actor – Cillian Murphy: Oppenheimer – Leonardo DiCaprio: Killers of the Flower Moon – Zac Efron: The Iron Claw – Paul Giamatti: The Holdovers – Jeffrey Wright: American Fiction
Best Actress – Emma Stone: Poor Things – Margot Robbie: Barbie – Lily Gladstone: Killers of the Flower Moon – Carey Mulligan: Maestro – Greta Lee: Past Lives
Best Supporting Actor – Robert Downey Jr: Oppenheimer – Mark Ruffalo: Poor Things – Robert De Niro: Killers of the Flower Moon – Charles Melton: May/ December – Ryan Gosling: Barbie
Best Supporting Actress: – Rosamund Pike: Saltburn – Da’Vine Joy Randolph: The Holdovers – America Ferrera: Barbie – Julianne Moore: May/ December – Emily Blunt: Oppenheimer
Coolest Character – John Wick: John Wick Chapter 4 – Caine: John Wick Chapter 4 – Ken: Barbie – Barbie: Barbie – Ethan Hunt: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Best Music – Oppenheimer – Barbie – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – Killers of the Flower Moon
Favorite Poster – Oppenheimer – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Barbie – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Best Trailer – Oppenheimer – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Killers of the Flower Moon – Barbie
Most Memorable Scene – Oppenheimer: Trinity Test – Barbie: Battle of the Ken’s – John Wick Chapter 4: Finale – Godzilla Minus One: First Attack – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cliffhanger ending
Best Action Sequence – Dead Reckoning: Train Sequence – Extraction 2: 20-minute “oner” – Across the Spider-Verse: Spider-Society Chase – John Wick: Chapter 4: Staircase Sequence – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3: No Sleep till’ Brooklyn Fight
Favorite Celebrity – Cillian Murphy – Margot Robbie – Ryan Gosling – Emma Stone – Tom Cruise
Best Line of the Year – I am Kenough: Barbie – I believe we did: Oppenheimer – Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds: Oppenheimer – Gloria’s Speech: Barbie – Imma do my own thing: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Special Effects of the Year – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Creator – Oppenheimer – Godzilla Minus One – Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
