by tyler | Jun 1, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Lizzo is striking back at anti-fat comments about her.
In a series of social media posts that can only be viewed by her followers, the singer responded to a tweet in which someone posted video of Lizzo’s recent Tina Turner tribute performance of “Proud Mary” and commented on her weight.
“I JUST logged on and the app and this is the type of s— I see about me on a daily basis,” Lizzo tweeted. “It’s really starting to make me hate the world. Then someone in the comments said I eat ‘lots of fast food.’ I LITERALLY STOPPED EATING FAST FOOD YEARS AGO…”
She also shared a tweet that theorized she was unwilling to shed weight because “it’s her brand.”
“I’m not trying to BE fat. I’m not trying to BE smaller,” Lizzo tweeted in response. “I’m literally just trying to live and be healthy. This is what my body looks like even when I’m eating super clean and working out!”
She then added, “I HATE IT HERE.”
The Grammy-winning performer has been battling fat shaming her entire career. And while many fans have been supportive, Lizzo sounded over the critiques.
“The Love definitely do not outweigh the Hate on social media… all because I’m fat????” she tweeted. “This is CRAZY.”
She said she feels close to quitting the industry and reiterated that her weight has nothing to do with her brand.
“I’ve always led w my TALENT…,” she tweeted. “But when I dropped Good As Hell feel good music was ‘corny.’ When I dropped Juice disco pop wasn’t ‘for them.’ When I was body positive in 2016 being body positive was ‘pandering.’ Now everybody on that wave and I’m still s— on?! man f— y’all.”
by tyler | Jun 1, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
The stunning visual palette of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soared in 2018, combining that eye-popping animation with an abiding love of the comics and plenty of goofy humor. Coming almost five years later, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” spins a much denser web, padding on about 40 minutes that make this exercise heavier and considerably less nimble.
While the movie remains a dazzling experience in terms of what the animation achieves, it indulges in what feels like sensory overload, seeking emotional heft in ways that slow down the action. The movie also falls victim, somewhat, to the blessings and curses associated with the multiverse, which offers infinite possibilities but also the occasional sense that there are so many permutations none of them matter all that much.
Given the first movie’s Oscar-winning success, the producers have taken the practical step of positioning this as a franchise that’s going to be around for a while. Yet that makes “Across the Spider-Verse” in some respects play like the protracted setup for what potentially promises to be another more satisfying sequel.
Although the focus is again on Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), this “Spider-Verse” gives near-equal time to Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), one of the other spider-folk that he encountered in his first foray into parallel universes. He’s clearly pining for her, while grappling with the challenges of juggling school, his suspicious parents (Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez) and sneaking off to do super-heroic deeds.
Miles’ arc begins innocently enough, as he comically battles a semi-inept, dimension-hopping villain known as the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) while rushing to make an appointment with a school counselor. The larger game, however, soon presents itself, as Gwen gets recruited by an elite squad of spider-folk who essentially police the multiverse, under the fierce leadership of a character voiced by Oscar Isaac.
Assembled by trios of directors (Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson) and writers (David Callahan and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller), “Across the Spider-Verse” bombards the audience with a dizzying array of visual gags of the blink-and-you’ll-miss-one variety.
Again, that worked better in a more compact package, and there’s a more-is-less quality to the psychedelic assault, especially when contemplating the movie’s appeal to younger kids. The spider-people overall also aren’t as amusing as the original batch of alternate-universe eccentrics, and the same goes for the villain, lacking the menacing presence the Kingpin provided as a more grounded adversary.
Despite the interval between movies, and the fact “Spider-Man: No Way Home” explored similar themes, the creative team does cleverly bore into a fundamental part of the hero’s Marvel mythology, which is that his “great power” comes not only with responsibility, but also loss. “Being Spider-Man is a sacrifice,” Miles is told, which serves as the film’s emotional foundation.
There are moments when “Across the Spider-Verse” genuinely delivers on a storytelling level, and the sheer artistry is never less than impressive, if lacking in the same sense of discovery. Like its predecessor, this is one of those movies made to be watched again, though more in bits and pieces here than sitting through the whole thing, which perhaps best defines the gap between them.
Hope, as they say, springs eternal, and we haven’t seen the last of the Spider-Verse. Yet that doesn’t fully offset the spider-tingle that says this plus-sized version of “Spider-Man” sticks around longer than it should.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” premieres June 2 in US theaters. It’s rated PG.
by tyler | Jun 1, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Hi, I’m “Dave.” And here is Brad Pitt.
The FX series “Dave” landed a big one, in the form of Oscar-winner Pitt starring in this season’s finale as himself, but really named Luke.
The episode, titled “Looking for Love,” comes in at 46-minutes and was directed by Kitao Sakurai and written by Dave Burd and Vanessa McGee.
Pitt starts out with a role in Lil Dicky’s music video, set up by actress Rachel McAdams. When Pitt goes to Dave’s house, Dave is being held hostage by a crazed fan named Bella.
This is not the first time Pitt has popped up in a television series. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for playing Will on “Friends,” the man who forever hates Rachel (Jennifer Aniston.) He was later nominate again for playing Dr. Anthony Fauci in a “Saturday Night Live” appearance.
“Dave” pulled off some impressive cameos this season, including a hilarious Usher sighting and a Rick Ross jewelry heist. Demi Lovato, Don Cheadle, Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Killer Mike, Travis Barker, Jack Harlow, Lil Gotit, Emma Chamberlain, David Dobrik and Finneas O’Connell have also appeared on the show.
Episode 10 of “Dave” is streaming on Hulu.
by tyler | Jun 1, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
The live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” stirred strong reaction before production even began on the film, and that has continued since the movie’s debut in theaters last week.
Despite box office sales of more than $200 million worldwide to date, the film has allegedly been targeted by “review bombing,” where people are motivated – often by factors that have little to do with the actual film – to leave negative reviews online in an attempt to lower the rating.
Since its release last week, “The Little Mermaid” has attracted 43,000 user ratings on IMDb with an average score of 7 out of 10 stars.
That is consistent with the published reviews of the film, which stars actress Halle Bailey as the mermaid who longs to be human.
But IMDb posted a special note atop its rating scale for the movie.
“Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title,” it reads. “To preserve the reliability of our rating system, an alternate weighting calculation has been applied.”
There was backlash last year when it was announced that Bailey, who is Black, would portray the lead role, something many on social media are blaming for the negative reviews.
Past films, including 2016’s all-female remake of “Ghostbusters,” as well as the massive Marvel hit “Black Panther,” have also been the target of “review bombing” campaigns.
by tyler | Jun 1, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Musician Billy Joel will end his ten-year, record-breaking residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City, officials at MSG Entertainment announced Thursday.
The first of the final ten concerts will take place in October and conclude with his 150th lifetime show in July 2024, Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of MSG Entertainment, said.
“What Billy Joel has accomplished is extraordinary,” Dolan said, adding that over the last ten years, Joel has entertained 1.6 million fans at MSG.
“Although the residency is coming to an end, we look forward to an exciting closing run to celebrate all that you have accomplished and forever welcoming you back home to the garden anytime, anytime you like,” Dolan said to Joel, who was in attendance at Thursday’s press conference.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve been able to do this for ten years,” Joel said. “Madison Square Garden is more than just our office, it’s home.”
“It’s hard to end – even 150 lifetime shows, but as I said, we’re not abandoning New York, we’re just spending a bit more time someplace else,” Joel said.
Joel’s performances at MSG started with a three-night run in 1978. Since then he has headlined 136 concerts – 60 more than any other artist, according to MSG Executive Vice President Josephine Vaccarello. Joel also holds a record for the most consecutive performances by any artist at MSG, she said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Joel is “not merely an entertainer,” but someone who “captured the essence of New York City.”
“He was an ambassador about what’s great about New York,” Adams said.
by tyler | Jun 1, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Alec Baldwin is recovering from a recent surgery, according to his wife.
Hilaria Baldwin posted on her verified Instagram account that her husband had hip replacement.
“Alec got a new hip today…it was a long time necessary,” she wrote on a photo that appears to show the couple in a hospital. “We have been through so much together…as your partner and as you heal, I want so very much for you to leave this very intense chronic pain chapter behind and improve your quality of life.”
She thanked his doctors and nurses “and the other amazing people who so generously are bringing him safely through this.”
Alec Baldwin hopped in the comments to offer his wife some thanks as well.
“And you,” he posted. “Thanks to you…”
The 65-year-old actor recently became a first-time grandfather, when his daughter with ex-wife Kim Basinger, Ireland Baldwin, gave birth to her first child.
