Month: May 2024

Nobody (except for Taylor Sheridan, presumably) knows how Kevin Costner’s dramatic Yellowstone write-off will go down onscreen. Costner recently opened up about being irked at being blamed for his departure by “those f*cking guys,” but he has mainly been focused upon reigniting his feature-film directing career beginning with Horizon: An American Saga (the first part premiered at Cannes over the weekend).

Actually, there are already two parts for Horizon that will release this year in theaters. Costner stars in these movies as well, along with Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Michael Rooker, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, and more. And the Dances With Wolves helmer wants to make four parts — not too surprising that the guy who made Waterworld doesn’t want to go small — but he’s not entirely sure that he will even finish the third movie, at least not without more money. As Deadline notes, he’s spent much of his time in Cannes attempting to secure more funding:

“I don’t know why it’s so hard to get people to believe in the movie I wanted to make. I don’t think anybody’s else’s movie is better than mine. I made it for people. It’s a pattern that happens with me … the things I want to make are harder to make … I’m trying to make the third one. I knocked on every boat in Cannes to help me. The guys say, ‘C’mon, we’ll get a picture.’ I said. ‘No, get your checkbook out.’”

He further added, “I use to get no money to do this, then I got paid a lot of money to do this, now I need to pay my own money to do this.” In the below video clip, you can year the above remarks and Costner’s promise that he will mortgage all four of his homes if need be. He has already done so with his ranch to make the first two films and vowed “to go as far as my money takes me.”

Here’s Costner growing weepy during a Cannes standing ovation (the film premiered out of competition) that lasted at least seven minutes.

From the Horizon synopsis:

Horizon: An American Saga explores the lure of the Old West and how it was won – and lost – through the blood, sweat and tears of many. Spanning the four years of the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, Costner’s ambitious cinematic adventure will take audiences on an emotional journey across a country at war with itself, experienced through the lens of families, friends and foes all attempting to discover what it truly means to be the United States of America.

Horizon‘s first two parts are being distributed by Warner Bros on June 28 and August 16.

Tyla won her first Grammy before releasing an album, but once her self-titled debut studio album arrived in March, Tyla proved more than worthy of any award. Uproxx’s Wongo Okon reviewed the album and called it “a declaration of the singer’s pop stardom.” The newly released video for “Jump,” a standout Tyla track with Gunna and Skillibeng, reinforces that observation.

Directed by Nabil, the video finds Tyla putting her love for Johannesburg, South Africa on display while recognizing that she has grown into a worldwide figure. “They never had a pretty girl from Joburg,” Tyla sings while Gunna drives her down the street, followed by Tyla dancing on a pool table. “See me now, and that’s what they prefer / I don’t touch no wheel ’cause I got a chauffeur / First class how I get ’round the world.”

Tyla is the center of attention throughout the video, and she can’t be bothered by two men who come crashing through her window to brawl. Eventually, Gunna serenades Tyla in the club, and Skillibeng cooly delivers his verse while Tyla literally halts traffic in order to start a twerk party in the street.

The “Jump” video follows Tyla’s videos for “Truth Or Dare” and “Water (Remix)” with Travis Scott. Tyla debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Watch the “Jump” video above.

While Kid Rock has a musical library featuring hits like “Bawitdaba,” “Picture,” and “All Summer Long,” in recent years, he has largely fallen out of public favor due to controversial actions and opinions. Rolling Stone got together with Rock for a new feature covering that aspect of his life and more, and it’s a lot.

For example, the piece, written by David Peisner, describes the end of a tense interaction:

“After another five or 10 minutes of this back-and-forth, he finally seems to lose steam and agrees to drive me back to my car. As he pours himself one more drink for the road, he looks me up and down.

‘Do you think you could whup the sh*t out of me?’ he asks.

I laugh. ‘Probably not.’

‘You can take a shot if you want.’

‘No, thanks. I’m good.’”

Elsewhere, Rock is quoted repeatedly using a racial slur and Peisner notes, “It’s worth mentioning these are not the only times Ritchie drops the n-word during my visit.”

The piece later concludes:

“He stops the ATV. I get out and we shake hands. Then he motions for me to come close, as if he has a secret he wants to tell me.

‘Would you do me a favor?’ he asks, practically whispering. ‘Just write the most horrific article about me. Do it. It helps me.’

I walk toward my car, and just before I get to it, he calls out one more time.

‘Will you tell everyone that I was halfway cool?’”

Read the full feature here.

The most talked-about film of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival isn’t Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Horizon: An American Saga, or even Francis Ford Coppola’s long-in-the-works Megalopolis. It’s The Substance.

Directed by Coralie Fargeat (blood-soaked action thriller Revenge), the body horror film is about a product called The Substance, which “generates another you,” according to the official festival synopsis. “A new, younger, more beautiful, more perfect, you. And there’s only one rule: You share time. One week for you. One week for the new you. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy. Right? If you respect the balance… what could possibly go wrong?”

The Substance is being praised for its subversiveness, shocking finale, and stunning lead performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, who have several full-frontal nude scenes. Following the Cannes premiere, the film received anywhere from a 9- to 11- to 13-minute standing ovation. The festival really should hire someone whose entire job is timing the ovations.

Here are the early reviews for The Substance

David Ehrlich for Indiewire:

The Substance is a non-stop, go-until-you-gag epic that builds and builds and builds until it scars everyone in the audience with a deep-seated physiological aversion to the idea that we can ever hope to escape from ourselves. Fargaet’s movie escalates with the kind of ultra-confident audacity that leaves you laughing out loud at sights that would otherwise make you shriek instead, and it simply refuses to end until even Harvey himself is sickened by how society pressures women into shaping their bodies.

Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian:

In its trashiness – and, yes, its refusal of serious substance – The Substance should really be put out on VHS cassettes and watched at home in homage to the great era of home entertainment pulp and video-store masterpieces of weirdness and crassness.

Owen Gleiberman for Variety:

The Substance does indeed play off Showgirls and the whole history of Hollywood cat-fight melodramas. The movie, in its visceral way, is deliriously ambitious (and, at 140 minutes, easily 20 minutes too long). But as it moves into the final chapter, its relatively restrained interface with body horror erupts into something cathartic in its extremity.

Beyond Fest:

Cannes just got splattered. THE SUBSTANCE is the most batshitfuckinginsane movie of the last 20 years. It is on such a freakish level that it’s impossible to believe it exists. Demi Moore goes there and @coraliefargeat has carved a contemporary horror unlike anything you’ve seen.

Damon Wise for Deadline:

Fargeat rewards your patience with a finale that channels the pathos of Lynch’s Elephant Man and the fleshy absurdity of Brian Yuzna’s 1989 squishy cult classic Society. Squeamish viewers should steer clear, but, for Cannes audiences at least, The Substance ends with the most spectacular demise since Monty Python’s Mr. Creosote ate that final, fatal wafer-thin mint in 1983.

Chase Hutchinson for The Wrap:

While not as sensational as body horror films of festivals past, namely Raw and Titane, The Substance has all the right stuff on the inside. As we see everything come spilling out, it proves to be yet another stellar genre film from Fargeat after her 2017 feature debut, Revenge. The film may not have the same style, but it is a boldly stark work, ensuring you feel every punch in your gut all the same. Be warned: it won’t be easy to stomach for all.

The Substance does not have a release date, but check out the promo below.

Angel Reese has packed a lifetime of bucket list items into six weeks. The former LSU star finished her storied collegiate basketball career, declared for the WNBA Draft in Vogue, went No. 7 overall to the Chicago Sky, attended the 2024 Met Gala, received support from Latto at her WNBA debut on May 15, and contributed to Chicago’s first win of the season on May 18. Somehow, Reese outdid herself yet again on Sunday night, May 19.

Reese posted a TikTok with Megan Thee Stallion, soundtracked by Meg’s “Girls In The Hood,” as Hot Girl Meg’s Hot Girl Summer Tour rolled through Chicago’s United Center. As relayed by Chicago Tribune reporter Julia Poe on X (formerly Twitter), Reese had stated at WNBA media day that the top celebrities she’d like to meet were Michael Jordan and Megan Thee Stallion. It took Reese less than a month to check one off the list.

As if meeting Meg and making a TikTok weren’t enough, GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion welcomed Reese and her Chicago Sky teammates to the stage during the concert. Meg twerked on Reese, which feels like some sort of coronation, according to several fan-taken videos circulating on X.

The Hot Girl Summer Tour is due next at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, May 21, and here’s to hoping she makes a habit out of bringing out WNBA teams at her remaining shows.

See some of the clips and Reese’s posts below.

Diddy has come under fire lately, but especially in recent days, after a video of him assaulting Cassie surfaced. He has since shared an apology video, and while Cassie herself has yet to publicly respond, he lawyer has.

In a statement shared with Deadline, Meredith Firetog — a partner at Wigdor LLP, who represented Cassie in her Diddy settlement — said:

“Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt. When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday. That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”

In Diddy’s video, he said, “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

AMC isn’t clowning around when it comes to Goodfellas.

Back in 2020, the network added a trigger warning to the Martin Scorsese mob classic, warning viewers that “this the film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today’s standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers.” But the disclaimer only recently went viral after former New York Post reporter Ken Lovett tweeted, “Now I’ve seen it all. AMC message before the classic film Goodfellas.”

“In 2020, we began adding advisories in front of certain films that include racial or cultural references that some viewers might find offensive,” an AMC rep told the Post.

Many actors and directors have spoken out against trigger warnings being attached to films, including Cate Blanchett. She told the Sunday Times, “We are terrified of tough conversations… but we need them. We talk about radical candor, but when there’s a trigger warning in front of something you are implying that there is a lack of mutual respect or that the subject hasn’t been properly interrogated.”

Quentin Tarantino is also opposed to the disclaimers. “I reject the word ‘offended.’ Anyone can be offended by anything,” he explained to La Liberation. “Frankly, I think most of the time – and there are no doubt some exceptions – saying that you are ‘offended’ by a film is the first response of a very narrow mind.”

You can see the Goodfellas warning below.

(Via the New York Post)

As an X (formerly Twitter) user tweeted earlier this month, “the industry was sorely lacking an unserious fun pop girlie & now we have sabrina.” That was directly in reference to Sabrina Carpenter’s 25th birthday cake, which featured a Leonardo DiCaprio meme. Indeed, Carpenter has become known for routinely having fun and joking around, and she kept that energy up over the weekend.

At a recent concert, Adele expressed her admiration for Carpenter’s hit “Espresso,” saying, “As I got into bed last night, because [it] was a very late night for me, I found myself singing, ‘I’m working late, ’cause I’m a singer,’ that Sabrina Carpenter song. That song is my jam!”

Then, Carpenter struck, sharing a tweet relaying that quote and adding, “all i read was Adele thinks about me in bed <3.”

all i read was Adele thinks about me in bed <3 https://t.co/V2nfgHI1hS

— Sabrina Carpenter (@SabrinaAnnLynn) May 19, 2024

That tweet was just a blip in the stellar weekend Carpenter just enjoyed. Most notably, she made her debut appearance as musical guest on Saturday Night Live, where she performed “Espresso” and a medley of “Feather” and “Nonsense.” She also got in one of the episode’s more memorable sketches, a Scooby-Doo parody where things go completely off the walls in a way that has never happened in the classic cartoon.

The Denver Nuggets’ title defense came to an end on Sunday night, as the Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 20-point second half deficit to stun the defending champs at home in Game 7 of their incredible second round series.

It was a shocking collapse from the Nuggets, who went ice cold offensively in the second half, scoring just 37 points, while the Timberwolves cracked the code of Denver’s defense and started creating tremendous looks. After being dominant late in games for the past two years, it was pretty incredible seeing the Wolves, not the Nuggets, as the team that handled themselves better in the crucial minutes of the fourth quarter. Denver looked like a team that thought they’d won the game when they went up 20, and could never regain control.

After the game, the Nuggets were unsurprisingly not in the best mood, which can create a somewhat contentious atmosphere as they answer questions from the assembled media. For coach Michael Malone, he wasn’t too interested in answering a question about whether it hurt more losing a 20-point lead, grumbling after about “stupid ass questions.”

It’s not the best question in the world — anything in the “how does it feel” realm is going to get a “bad” after a big loss and “great” after a big win — but I think in this case the reporter served as a bit of an outlet for Malone’s greater frustration with how the night went. That, in and of itself, is an answer to the question, even if it was one Malone wasn’t particularly happy to have lobbed his way.

The NASCAR All-Star Race moved to the renovated North Wilkesboro Speedway last year, turning the race into a short track event after spending most of its history at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Short track racing means a lot more contact and, often, a lot greater chance of tempers flaring, and we got that on Sunday night on Lap 2, when Kyle Busch turned Ricky Stenhouse Jr. into the wall.

Stenhouse took exception to that, unsurprisingly, and parked his wrecked car in the 8’s pit stall, climbed up the ladder, and informed his crew chief that he’d be waiting for him after the race. True to his word, after Busch finished 10th in the race, with Joey Logano taking the checkered flag, Stenhouse strolled out to have a word with Busch by the No. 8 car’s hauler. The conversation didn’t stay cordial for long, as Stenhouse threw a right hand at Busch that sparked an all-out brawl between the teams, with Stenhouse’s crew coming after Busch and Busch’s crew tossing guys off the hauler like a Royal Rumble.

It was a good ol’ fashioned short track scrap. It didn’t seem like anyone landed any punches clean, but Stenhouse had made clear he was going to start an incident with Busch when he met with reporters after he got crashed out, so there was no surprise when hands started flying. NASCAR will probably have a sitdown with both drivers soon, but it brought a little extra juice to the All-Star Race, so I’m sure they’re not too broken up about the scuffle.