by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Michael J. Fox is getting candid about life with Parkinson’s disease, and the moment he decided to step away from acting for good.
The “Back to the Future” star recalled that during filming for “The Good Fight,” a spin-off of legal drama “The Good Wife,” he couldn’t remember his lines – an incident that reminded him of a scene in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“I thought of ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.’ There’s a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character can’t remember his lines anymore. He goes back to his dressing room and he’s screaming at himself in the mirror. Just freaking insane,” Fox said in an interview with Empire. “I had this moment where I was looking in the mirror and thought, ‘I cannot remember it anymore.’”
The star added that he dealt with the realization calmly, saying to himself: “‘Well, let’s move on.’ It was peaceful.”
Fox, who rose to fame as Alex P. Keaton on the hit 1980s sitcom “Family Ties,” was diagnosed in 1991 with the incurable degenerative disease, which affects the nervous system and motor skills including walking and speech.
The five-time Emmy Award-winning actor, who also has four Golden Globes, a Grammy and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, last month opened up to Jane Pauley for “CBS Sunday Morning” about how Parkinson’s “is the gift that keeps on taking.”
“I’m not gonna lie. It’s getting harder,” Fox said, adding, “Every day it’s tougher.”
His life with his family, and how living with Parkinson’s affects their day-to-day reality, will be covered in the new documentary “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which lands on Apple TV+ on Friday.
The actor explained in the CBS interview that he recently underwent spinal surgery for a benign tumor, and has suffered two broken arms, a broken hand and broken bones in his face as a result of falls.
“(Falling) is a big killer with Parkinson’s,” Fox noted. “It’s falling, and aspirating food and pneumonia – all these subtle ways that (it) gets you. You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s.”
But the actor also mentioned that he’s been living with the disease for “30 plus years,” and that his “life is set up so that I can pack Parkinson’s along with me if I have to.”
“I recognize how hard this is for people, and I recognize how hard it is for me, but I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff,” he told Pauley. “And I realize, with gratitude, optimism is sustainable.”
“If you can find something to be grateful for, then you can find something to look forward to, and you carry on,” he said.
Fox told Empire that he still has big plans following his retirement from acting – for one, he will be putting his efforts into the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, founded in 2000, where, he said, “there’s some really big stuff going on.”
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
“Ghosts” concluded its season with the smallest of cliffhangers, leaving the audience to dangle into the fall (and possibly beyond, depending on how long the writers strike drags on). Yet the finale more broadly underscored the growth of this very funny CBS comedy, which has joined ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” in helping breathe life (ironically, in this case) into the genre on the major networks.
Adapted from a British series, “Ghosts” has become a hit for CBS practically from the get-go, creating a potent one-two punch with “Young Sheldon” on Thursday nights. Easily overlooked, though, in the show’s broadly comic elements, as it mixes ghosts from across decades and indeed centuries, is its underlying sweetness as those relationships have developed and evolved over two seasons.
That aspect unfolded on two fronts in the season finale, which saw Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones), who was closeted when the series began, take the leap of proposing to his boyfriend Nigel (John Hartman); and Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) deal with her feelings of betrayal regarding Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), who had hid the details of Alberta’s death from her for roughly a century.
If that wasn’t enough, the great mansion’s living couple, Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), nearly had the house scammed away from them by a woman claiming to have an ancestral right to the estate.
The prospect of losing the property prompted a wistful Sam to remember all the good memories they had amassed there, before the cliffhanging moment: A blinding light suggesting one of the ghosts, identity unknown, had been sucked off to Heaven. (The terminology remains a small triumph for the writers over the network’s standards-and-practices department.)
Granted, the question of who was taken probably won’t amount to much in terms of the core cast, but simply as a practical matter, letting the audience ponder what happened during the show’s potentially more-extended-than-usual hiatus certainly isn’t a bad idea.
Although the show employs a single-camera format, “Ghosts” possesses all the virtues of an old-style ensemble sitcom, with the added benefit of being able to weave in new characters and issue callbacks involving older ones, like this season’s encore appearance by Hetty’s detestable husband.
Genuine hits on broadcast television have become particularly rare in the streaming era, especially in terms of shows that bend the cookie-cutter mold of franchise-able drama series. In that sense, “Ghosts” seems underappreciated, though to be fair, having a cast this big and talented works against it in terms of individual accolades.
CBS, however, knows a hit when it sees one. Given that, whatever the resolution of the cliffhanger, if the network has its way “Ghosts” won’t be heading into the light anytime soon.
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
One of Hollywood’s most famous power couples score a split decision starring in separate thrillers hitting the market the same day, as Ben Affleck’s lower-profile “Hypnotic” significantly outshines Jennifer Lopez’s just-in-time-for-Mother’s Day Netflix movie, “The Mother,” which comes across as an ultra-violent Hallmark card.
Lopez puts on her Liam Neeson hat in a movie whose abundant action is either enhanced or undermined, take your pick, by its unintentional giggles. The kill count generally provides the requisite thrills, but everything else seems stitched together from genre clichés.
The opening sequence sets the tone, with Lopez portraying a well-trained sniper who served in Afghanistan, negotiating a witness-protection deal in exchange for her testimony against two very bad guys, having been in relationships with both of them. After a violent raid she’s taken into FBI custody, allowing Edie Falco to appear for about 45 seconds, just long enough to force the nameless assassin to give up her newborn daughter in order to protect her.
Twelve years later, Lopez’s character is maintaining her anonymity by hanging out in the Alaskan wilderness when the girl, Zoe (Lucy Paez), has her cover blown, forcing her biological mom and an FBI agent (“Power’s” Omari Hardwick, like most of the supporting cast, deserving better) to dash off to retrieve her. They do, setting up a chance for mother and daughter to get to know each other – bonding between lessons in combat techniques – before the inevitable showdown.
Directed by Niki Caro (“Mulan”), “The Mother” gives Lopez (who doubled as its producer) an opportunity to snap off tough one-liners a la “Taken.” Realizing the girl is serving as bait in a trap, her proposed solution is to “Kill every last one of them.”
Joseph Fiennes and Gael Garcia Bernal can’t class up the joint as the bad boys from her past, who both excel at holding grudges. Yet beyond the inevitable tween-behaving-stupidly moments, there are head-scratching sequences, like a snowmobile chase that appears to have parachuted in from a James Bond movie.
Lopez has kept busy since her well-deserved Oscar nomination for “Hustlers,” but that’s come in the form of mostly forgettable vehicles, including the rom-com “Marry Me” and “Shotgun Wedding.” While she has admirably taken control over her career as a producer, her sniper character’s aim is considerably truer than her recent choices of material.
For Netflix, of course, just the image of Lopez across its home page – pointing a rifle under a big furry hat – is probably enough, and plenty of subscribers will likely be inclined to give “The Mother” a shot.
At one point, the mother speaks of Zoe’s ordeal by saying, “Let this all just be a bad memory.” “The Mother” isn’t quite that bad, but that sentiment resonates a more than it should.
Affleck fares considerably better in “Hypnotic,” a spare thriller from director/co-writer Robert Rodriguez that has the feel of a “Twilight Zone” episode, with no shortage of twists along the way.
Affleck plays Danny Rourke, a detective still devastated by the abduction of his young daughter. A strange tip connects him back to the crime, and to a psychic (Alice Braga) who tells him seemingly unrelated crimes are the work of a powerful hypnotic (William Fichtner, appropriately creepy), who can exercise a kind of mind control, prompting people to carry out whatever acts he desires.
There’s a lot more to it than that, including mind-bending visuals underscoring that it’s not always possible to believe your eyes against such an opponent. The sort-of possession involved evokes the Denzel Washington thriller “Fallen,” which had a more macabre tone but echoed the sense danger could come from anywhere.
“Hypnotic” becomes a little strained over its final act, but for the most part it’s fast-paced and clever, capitalizing on Rodriguez’s economical filmmaking style, which includes shooting and editing the film while enlisting family members in other key roles.
Although the movie is premiering theatrically, it’ll likely be streaming sooner than later, where it should play well.
As for Affleck, he actually has his own directing effort, “Air,” hitting Amazon Prime after a solid theatrical run. If the combination makes this a big weekend in the Affleck-Lopez household, it’s a better one for the first half of that equation.
“The Mother” premieres May 12 on Netflix. It’s rated R.
“Hypnotic” premieres May 12 in US theaters. It’s rated R.
by tyler | May 12, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
The 58th Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards kicked off Thursday with co-hosts Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks taking the stage live from the Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.
The ACM’s celebrate country music’s biggest stars and emerging talent.
Miranda Lambert, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Keith Urban and Jelly Roll are among the evening’s many performers, with co-host and 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Parton set to close out the show with a performance of a new song from her highly-anticipated rock album, “Rockstar.”
HARDY leads this year’s nominees with seven total, while Lainey Wilson follows with six nods.
The ACM’s are streaming live on Prime Video and will be rebroadcast on Friday for free on Amazon Freevee starting at 8 p.m. ET.
See below for a full list of nominees with the winners indicated in bold.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Morgan Wallen
FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
Lainey Wilson *WINNER
MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Jordan Davis
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen *WINNER
DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne *WINNER
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War and Treaty
GROUP OF THE YEAR
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion *WINNER
Zac Brown Band
NEW FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Priscilla Block
Megan Moroney
Caitlyn Smith
Morgan Wade
Hailey Whitters
NEW MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Zach Bryan
Jackson Dean
ERNEST
Dylan Scott
Nate Smith
Bailey Zimmerman
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville” – Ashley McBryde
“Bell Bottom Country” – Lainey Wilson
“Growin’ Up” – Luke Combs
“Mr. Saturday Night” – Jon Pardi
“Palomino” – Miranda Lambert
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
“Heart Like A Truck” – Lainey Wilson
“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde
“She Had Me At Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell *WINNER
“Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
“‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Sand In My Boots” – Morgan Wallen
“She Had Me At Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell *WINNER
“‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
“Wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
“You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
VISUAL MEDIA OF THE YEAR
“HEARTFIRST” – Kelsea Ballerini
“She Had Me At Heads Carolina” – Cole Swindell
“Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
“‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
“Wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson
“What He Didn’t Do” – Carly Pearce
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Nicolle Galyon
Ashley Gorley
Chase McGill
Josh Osborne
Hunter Phelps
ARTIST-SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
ERNEST
HARDY
Miranda Lambert
Morgan Wallen
MUSIC EVENT OF THE YEAR
“At the End of a Bar” – Chris Young with Mitchell Tenpenny
“She Had Me At Heads Carolina [Remix]” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina
“Thank God” – Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown
“Thinking ‘Bout You” – Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter
“Wait in the truck” – HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson *WINNER
by tyler | May 9, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Actor Jonathan Majors appeared in court virtually on Tuesday for a hearing related to the assault and harassment charges brought against him in March by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
During the morning status conference, the DA provided more information regarding an incident that took place on March 25 between Majors and a female accuser. Previously, the complaint stated that Majors had allegedly struck the woman in her face with an open hand, causing a laceration behind her ear. The complaint now states that the woman also sustained injuries to her arm and hand and that she was allegedly pushed into the side of a vehicle by Majors.
He has denied the allegations.
In a statement to CNN following the hearing, Majors’ attorney Priya Chaudhry accused prosecutors of racial bias in the case and reiterated that her team has provided investigators video evidence that allegedly exonerates Majors.
“This is a witch hunt against Jonathan Majors, driven by baseless claims,” Chaudhry’s statement read in part. “To be clear, there are no new charges against Mr. Majors.”
CNN has reached out to the DA for comment.
Majors, who recently starred in “Creed III” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp, was reportedly told by Judge Rachel S. Pauley on Tuesday that he must adhere to the full stay away order for protection and have no contact with his accuser.
In addition to his recent high-profile roles, Majors, who was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” is slated to star in the title role of the upcoming Marvel film, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.”
The next court hearing in this case is scheduled for June 13.
by tyler | May 9, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Scarlett Johansson may have sued Disney in 2021 for breach of contract, but the “Black Widow” star still is – and always has been – a full-fledged Disney adult. (A Disney adult can be defined in many ways depending on one’s level of fandom, but the term tends to refer to a grown person that is a dedicated Disney fan.)
Johansson shed some light on her level of Disney devoutness in a new Variety interview published on Tuesday, where it was revealed that the actor still visits Disney World at least 10 times a year and was described as somebody who “geeks out” when speaking about Disney movies.
“We had annual passes to Disney World, and I have a real passion for the Disney parks,” Johansson said, adding that the obsession with Disney began when her family lived in Florida for two years when she was younger.
She went on to share that when she was growing up, “it was a great time for Disney animation — ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Lion King’ with the incredible soundtrack. Like, I will be pre-buying tickets to ‘The Little Mermaid.’”
“I actually need to text my sister about that,” she added.
The star even said her dream job is to have a “corner office” on the Disney studio lot when she appeared on Bruce Bozzi’s “Table for Two” podcast in 2022.
Johansson has appeared in nine Disney-owned Marvel films as the Black Widow, since 2010, and is still attached to headline Disney’s Taika Waititi-directed “Tower of Terror” movie based on the iconic theme park ride.
Johansson sued the studio in 2021, alleging Disney breached her contract by releasing “Black Widow,” a 2021 Marvel film she starred in, on home streaming platform Disney+ the same day it was released in theaters.
The actor claimed in the suit that the same-day streaming release would reduce her financial stake in the film because she agreed her salary would largely be based on the film’s box office numbers. When Bob Chapek, then-CEO of Disney, released a statement in which he revealed her $20 million salary, the legal battle escalated.
Ultimately, Johansson and Disney came to a settlement in the fall of 2021, the terms of which were not publicly disclosed, and in what is perhaps the ultimate sign of pure Disney devotion, Johansson said in Tuesday’s interview that she harbors no bad blood.
Remaining steadfast, she said, “I believe in the magic of Disney.”
