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Tag: Susan Sarandon

  • Sabrina Carpenter Creates Yet Another Taurus Anthem With “Tears”

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    Evidently continuing to assert herself as the reigning queen of making Taurus anthems (sorry Adele [though “Someone Like You” still slaps, particularly as a Taurus anthem/torch song]), with “Taste” (not to be confused with Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s) and “Please Please Please” being some of the pinnacles of what that means, Sabrina Carpenter has released yet another one: “Tears.” Marking the second hit single from Man’s Best Friend (following “Manchild”), it’s very much in keeping with the tropes of this specific zodiac sign—more to the point, her specific zodiac sign. And yes, it was Carpenter herself who once said, “My favorite thing about being a Taurus is that I get to use the excuse ‘I’m sorry I’m a Taurus.’ It kinda works in every facet of life.” 

    Not least of which is lusting after a man who’s responsible, reliable and “good around the house.” For there’s nothing a Taurus loves more than someone who not only respects the sanctity of their domestic space, but even seeks to further elevate it. For their (usually-not-so-humble) abode is an environment they especially deem their “kingdom” (though they tend to see most everywhere else as part of their “dominion,” too). And, considering that Carpenter has been on tour for the past two years (embarking on the Short n’ Sweet Tour from 2024 to 2025), it’s no wonder she would deliver such comforts-of-home-craving lines as, “Assemble a chair from Ikea, I’m like, ‘Uh.’” Granted, the unabashed decadence of Taurean tastes means you won’t typically find them anywhere near an Ikea. Particularly with a limitless budget like Carpenter’s. 

    What they can be found near, however, are spooky houses with sumptuous interiors, as is the case with the Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired video that accompanies the track. For what is a Taurus if not adventurous and naughty, paired with a dichotomous penchant for desiring luxury, debauchery and comfort? Then, of course, there’s the “problem” of being ruled by Venus, which applies not just to the planet, but to the goddess also known as Aphrodite. Her sensual nature, which makes the frequently-depicted-in-the-buff deity a natural fit for embodying the Goddess of Love, is what extends to the sign she reigns over, with the Taurus’ sense of raunchiness (and, as Carpenter also represents, general horniness)—e.g., “I get wet at the thought of you/Being a responsible guy…/Tears run down my thighs—getting them into almost as much trouble as their stubbornness. 

    Regarding the raunch factor, it’s at least part of what draws “innocent” (even if only in appearance) Carpenter to the abandoned-looking ramshackle of a house after her incompetent boyfriend apparently got them into a car crash. Then, like Alice down the rabbit hole or Dorothy in Oz, Carpenter stumbles upon a “land” that makes everything suddenly feel like it’s in Technicolor, having formerly existed in a bland, black-and-white way in the life she shared with her now-presumed-dead boyfriend. But Carpenter’s Easter Sunday appearance quickly gives way to clothes coming off (quite literally) as she dances and prances with Colman Domingo (a Sag cusping Scorpio, Taurus’ opposite on the zodiac wheel, which also makes Scorpio something like their diabolical id) in the overt Dr. Frank-N-Furter role. A pied piper bringing out all of Carpenter’s inner kink. On this note, it seems an unfair (and inaccurate) stereotype that Taureans are also often accused of being “boring” when, in fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. For their love of “responsibility” is matched only by their love of fun and beauty (these things, increasingly, often being what only money can buy and, therefore, part of the Taurean obsession with making as much of it as possible).

    This love of fun and beauty is what Carpenter embodies in the Bardia Zeinali-directed video (following what he did for another one of Carpenter’s Taurus anthems, “Please Please Please”). Her Taurean fervor for the heady combination of vibrant aesthetics and sensuality reaches an especial crescendo as she “just happens to find herself” in frilly lingerie while pole-dancing in some nearby cornfield. And not just because, as an Earth sign, Carpenter can’t help but show some love for “the land.” With cornfields also being a “necessary” cliché in many horror movies (see, most recently: Pearl, with the eponymous character putting her own “sexy spin” on what a cornfield can provide, mood-wise…apart from just creepiness). But the “horror” (or horror-comedy, considering the movie it pays homage to) pastiche of “Tears” is wielded, ultimately, to emphasize a “pure” and “wholesome” girl (read: a Taurus) coming to terms with her irrepressible sexuality (read: a Taurus at war with their so-called dark side). Much like Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

    By the same token, what awakens the sexual gratitude in a Taurus are the very “normie,” Hestia-oriented types of things Carpenter brings up when she declares, “A little respect for women can get you very, very far/Remembering how to use your phone gets me oh so, oh so hot/Considering I have feelings, I’m like, ‘Why are my clothes still on?’/Offering to do anything, I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’” And, of course, the domesticity “codedness” of, “I get wet at the thought of you/Being a responsible guy/Treating me like you’re supposed to do/Tears run down my thighs” can’t be overemphasized enough. Mixing the pure and the profane as only a Taurus can with that chorus (no rhyme intended), Carpenter then continues, “A little initiative can go a very long, long way/Baby, just do the dishes, I’ll give you what you, what you want/A little communication, yes, that’s my ideal foreplay.”

    It doesn’t get more “banal” than that—and yet, this expression of “just wanting some safeness and dependability” is spiced up in a manner that only a Taurus can do it, with their keen ability to infuse the quotidian with a much-needed tincture of sexiness and sassiness. A skill that, lately, Carpenter has been quite keen to flex. Because, yes, a bit of a “nobody does it better” attitude is also part and parcel of being a “standard” Taurus. Along with plenty of snark “hidden” behind that false veneer of “being slow” (or slow-talking).

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    Genna Rivieccio

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  • The Sabrina Horror Picture Show, Or: The “Tears” Video

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    Sabrina Carpenter’s vocal doppelgänger, Ariana Grande, may have once said, “Ain’t got no tears left to cry,” but Carpenter is telling a different tale on “Tears,” the second single and video from her bop-laden seventh album, Man’s Best Friend. A song that indicates she has plenty of “moisture” left to…cry. Only not from her eyes so much as from her vag, ergo the chorus, “I get wet at the thought of you/Being a responsible guy/Treating me like you’re supposed to do/Tears run down my thighs.” Unfortunately, tears running down a girl’s thighs is an increasing rarity amid a climate of irresponsible men (in every possibly form that irresponsibility can take). 

    Like “Please Please Please,” “Tears” is once again directed by Bardia Zeinali (who also, incidentally, directed the Ariana Grande video for “In My Head”). But rather than riffing on a very hetero Bonnie and Clyde theme (complete with Barry Keoghan in the “Clyde” role), this time, Carpenter opts for a rightfully kitschy homage to the masterpiece of camp that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Borrowing key elements from the first act of the movie, the well-timed-for-the-advent-of-fall video opens on an overhead shot of a car that’s clearly crashed (though into what is never made apparent), with Carpenter lying face-down off to the side of the passenger seat, as though she was thrown from the vehicle. 

    Dressed in what can best be described as her Easter Sunday best, Carpenter “comes to” as the sound of a howling wolf in the dead of night only adds to the creep factor of her environment. Seeing that they’ve conveniently crashed right near someone’s spooky house (much more convenient than the distance Brad [Barry Bostwick] and Janet [Susan Sarandon] had to walk in order to get to Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s [Tim Curry] castle), Carpenter decides to approach the seemingly abandoned abode to get help. Even if all the signs point to the fact that she ought to just run the other way, lest, like Brad and Janet, she ends up going down a “dark path” from whence she can’t return. 

    When she knocks on the door (with the “spooky vocalizing” of the song briefly playing), no one answers. Yet when she peers through the boarded-up window emanating a glowing red light, she sees a “sexy leg” with a fishnet stocking on it, lifted up on a chair. Dropping her hat at the “salacious” sight, she steps backward and sees that the front door is now partially ajar. It doesn’t exactly emulate the way Brad and Janet are greeted by the handyman, Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien, who also wrote The Rocky Horror Picture Show), suggestively remarking to the couple, “You’re wet.” Soon after, he adds, “I think perhaps you better both…come inside.” These, of course, being the kind of innuendos that Carpenter can readily get on board with (and likely part of her attraction to the cult classic). 

    Just as she gets on board with Colman Domingo in the ostensible Dr. Frank-N-Furter role, along with his coterie of “colorful” guests (a polite word for pearl-clutchers to say “trans”). Guests who make Carpenter feel right at home as they sing along to such lyrics as, “A little initiative can go a very long, long way/Baby, just do the dishes, I’ll give you what you, what you want/A little communication, yes, that’s my ideal foreplay/Assemble a chair from Ikea, I’m like, ‘Uh.’” 

    In the next scene, she’s thrust into a “red room,” with a number of disembodied hands (with over-the-top acrylics) disrobing her as one of them passes her a Coke-inspired can with the “brand” Tears on it and the tag line, “Get wet.” To be sure, these eerily detached arms and hands recall something out of Jean Cocteau’s La Belle et la Bête more than they do The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

    Before she knows it, she is getting pretty wet over “Colman Frank-N-Furter’s” vibe and lifestyle, finding herself pole dancing in a cornfield (something about this feeling very Pearl) as this ringleader of “dolls” (as in, “Protect the dolls”) observes her with something like aroused approval (but, like, a gay man’s kind of approval) from his perch on a tractor. Talk about campifying “butch” paraphernalia. 

    The 70s (a.k.a. disco-fied) sound of the track intensifies after Carpenter announces, “Dance break,” which singals yet another backdrop change. One that showcases Carpenter in a showgirl-y number (think: Cher on The Sonny & Cher Show) as she prances along the streets of some alley (for this house is apparently magical in its ability to provide all kinds of milieus at the literal drop of a hat). 

    It would seem that, having been out of the house for so long in these random outdoor settings, the abode evidently realizes it can’t sustain Carpenter’s fundamental heteronormativity, spitting her back out after her choreo with the trans residents runs its course. Once again outfitted in her “Easter Sunday” ensemble, Carpenter tries to get her bearings just as her boyfriend, billed as “the guy who has to die” (Joe Apollonio), randomly appears to say, “Baby! I’m so glad you’re okay.” Carpenter, on the other hand, doesn’t look all that glad that he’s okay, responding, “Wait…no.” 

    Perhaps blaming him (and his straightness) in some way for getting her “bounced” from the house, she continues, “You died earlier I thought.” He replies, “Babe, what are you talking about?” She then meta-ly explains, “It’s a thing, it has to…someone has to die every video.” This being a reference to “Taste” (another one-word single that starts with a “T”). Looking and sounding horrified at what she’s suggesting, before he knows what’s happening, Carpenter says, “Sorry, we’ll always remember you though.” And with that, she boomerangs her high heel into his chest. 

    Carpenter then gets up from the porch and declares, “You have to give the people what they want.” And what the people with, that’s right, taste want are references to The Rocky Horror Picture Show from a mainstream artist at a time when transphobia in the U.S. has ramped up at an alarming rate. Thus, Domingo’s tweet announcing the arrival of the video with, “Protect all the Dolls.”

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    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner steal the show for final day of Venice Film Festival

    Susan Sarandon and Kevin Costner steal the show for final day of Venice Film Festival

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    The Venice Film Festival sadly concludes on Saturday, but major stars still came out to play in the closing moments, including the likes of Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner and Luke Wilson.

    Kevin and Susan had become a fixture in the closing days of the Festival with the pair reuniting for the Better World gala on Thursday, while Kevin promoted the second and third part of his Western epic on Friday and Saturday.

    Kevin wasn’t alone for the Venice Film Festival as son Cayden Wyatt Costner also joined his father for some red carpet appearances.

    Scroll down to the best famous faces from the closing day…

    © Daniele Venturelli

    Kevin Costner

    Kevin is both directing and starring in Horizon: An American Saga, and the actor looked worlds away from his hero. The star looked suave in a grey suit as he attended the premiere for his latest flick.

    Susan Sarandon in a black pantsuit and silver jacket© Ernesto Ruscio

    Susan Sarandon

    Susan made sure to support her close friend at the premiere of his film and the actress looked beautiful in a black pantsuit with a glimmering silver jacket.

    Luke Wilson in a grey suit© Daniele Venturelli

    Luke Wilson

    Luke following in Kevin’s footsteps when it came to his red carpet fashion choice, with the actor choosing a grey suit for the occasion.

    Abbey Lee in a lacy top and sheer skirt© Daniele Venturelli

    Abbey Lee

    Abbey made an appearance as Marigold in Horizon’s first film and the Australian model supported her former co-star and looked phenomenal in a lacy black and white number.

    Isabelle Fuhrman in a black tulle dress© Victor Boyko

    Isabelle Fuhrman

    Isabelle is starring as Diamond in the Horizon series and the glam star looked ravishing in her black tulle dress.

    Kevin Costner with son Cayden Wyatt Costner© MARCO BERTORELLO

    Cayden Wyatt Costner

    Kevin wasn’t just supported by his co-stars at the premiere, but his teenage son Caleb Wyatt also joined his father. The 17-year-old looked dapper in a tan suit with a black shirt.

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    Matthew Moore

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  • Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon and Sheryl Lee Ralph of ‘The Fabulous Four’ cherish longtime friends

    Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon and Sheryl Lee Ralph of ‘The Fabulous Four’ cherish longtime friends

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    From “Beaches” to “First Wives Club” and “Hocus Pocus,” Bette Midler has starred in a number of projects where women aren’t just at the center of the story — but also female friendship is a major theme.

    “The most fun ones are the women ones, I have to say,” said Midler in a recent interview.

    Her latest project is working alongside Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullally in “The Fabulous Four.” Midler plays Marilyn, a widow getting married who wants her besties from her 20s to be bridesmaids. The production was granted a waiver to film last year during the Hollywood strikes which meant they had to be nimble and open to last-minute changes to get the job done quickly.

    “It was like someone blew the whistle and we all got on a plane,” recalled Sarandon. “It really was lucky that we had four women who were such pros and who were game to go under those circumstances.”

    While she and her co-stars were focused because they were working under a special circumstance, Sarandon says they made a point to cheer each other on for a big on-camera moment or scene.

    “When it was somebody’s time to be celebrated, we celebrated that person. And when somebody else had their scene, we were all standing around while they got their moment,” Sarandon said, adding that on some sets, actors choose to “not be really involved when it’s not about them.”

    As for friendships, Midler says “there’s nothing like having an old friend because they knew you when.” Two particular people come to mind when she thinks about her own friendships. One is the sister of a close friend who died. “The other is the girl that I came to New York with when we were both 19.”

    “They don’t take any bs from you, and you really can be yourself,” said Midler.

    Sarandon relies on “six women” and “scores of gay guys that have been in my life for 30, 40 years.”

    “We’ve been through kids and divorces and whatever, and I definitely count on them and sometimes disagree with them, but they are definitely in my tribe,” she said.

    Ralph, an Emmy winner for her role on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” still keeps in touch with her childhood best friend, Elizabeth. “I’ll hear from her on social media every now and again,” she said.

    “My friend Carol — we met at the Miss Black Teenage America pageant. We’re still friends to this day. All the ladies from ‘Dreamgirls,’ — Loretta Devine, Jenifer Lewis, Jennifer Holliday — we still talk. There are just so many of those relationships, and you don’t have to start from the beginning. You can just pick up right where you were.”

    It’s her appreciation for her own longtime friendships that made Ralph want to be in “The Fabulous Four.”

    “I loved the fact that they weren’t 19, 20 or 30 or 40. These were seasoned women, or, as we say in the vernacular, grown (expletive) women living their lives.”

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  • ‘Rebel Nun’ Review: Sister Helen Prejean, the Activist Who Inspired ‘Dead Man Walking,’ Gets a Lackluster Doc Portrait

    ‘Rebel Nun’ Review: Sister Helen Prejean, the Activist Who Inspired ‘Dead Man Walking,’ Gets a Lackluster Doc Portrait

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    Sister Helen Prejean is best known as the inspiration for the film Dead Man Walking, based on her 1993 book, with Sean Penn as a man facing the death sentence and Susan Sarandon as Sister Helen. But her story goes well beyond that. In the decades since, she has continued her campaign to save men from execution, without success, and to offer them comfort, guilty as they may be and however much she is horrified by their crimes. It’s a life’s work she continues to do at age 85. “I’ve watched six men die on death row and I’m about to watch my seventh,” she says in Rebel Nun. Yet, “I wake up each morning filled with hope.”

    That story deserves a great documentary. This well-meaning film is far from that. Rebel Nun is pedestrian at its best and cringe-worthy at its faux-arty worst. Sister Helen’s narrative is interrupted by clichéd filmmaking that includes flat-footed imagistic montages and far too many tracking shots down narrow prison hallways toward an execution chamber. Sister Helen herself is a powerful but soothing presence, and fortunately much of the running time is given over to her first-person account, straightforward and down-to-earth. Her strong character doesn’t get lost, but to see it you have to get past the director Dominic Sivyer’s (the Netflix series The Masked Scammer) stock choices.

    Rebel Nun

    The Bottom Line

    A missed opportunity.

    Venue: Tribeca Film Festival (Spotlight Documentary)
    Director: Dominic Sivyer
    Writers: Dominic Sivyer, Kari Lia

    1 hour 40 minutes

    Sister Helen’s narrative goes back to her middle-class Catholic childhood in Louisiana in the 1950s, seen in family photos, and her decision to become a nun. In the early 1980s, working in disadvantaged communities, she was asked to volunteer as a pen pal for prisoners, and eventually went to meet Patrick Sonnier, a murderer and rapist. She recalls that when she first entered the ominous gates of Angola State Prison, she thought, “I’m not in nunville anymore. Bride of Christ? Let that go.” You can see why people relate to her. She was at Sonnier’s execution but closed her eyes as he died. On the drive home she vomited but later decided she’d be a witness and never shut her eyes at an execution again. Her memory and descriptions are vivid and create a portrait of how she came to be the person she is, visiting killers and puttering around her house feeding pet birds.

    But then there are those montages. The first, when we’re introduced to Sister Helen’s work, includes a smash-up of religious music and statues, bolts of electrical currents (as if we wouldn’t get it — electrocution!), wilting flowers and an old-fashioned clock. Later, she talks about how the Catholic Church’s reforms in the 1960s changed the dynamic of her social service. Able to wear ordinary clothes instead of a nun’s habit made it easier to connect with people. That good point is almost overshadowed by a 60s montage: flower children and a rocket being launched into space backed by the song “The Age of Aquarius.” Maybe these images were meant to jazz up the narrative or add a visceral connection, but they land as hokey and laughable.

    Sarandon is in a bland scene, visiting Sister Helen today. Kim Kardashian is seen Face-Timing with her, as Sister Helen enlists her help spreading the word on social media about Richard Glossip, currently on death row. The celebrity scenes add little except a bit of glamour and a sense of Sister Helen’s determination.  

    The documentary is up to the minute taking us through to Glossip’s case. He was convicted on shaky evidence, not of committing a murder but of ordering it. Even a conservative legislator in Oklahoma, where the killing occurred, says he believes the case was mishandled. The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the execution, and Glossip is waiting for a ruling on whether he will get a new trial. He would be the first convict Sister Helen actually saved from a death sentence.

    In a section more revealing than most, we see archival video of Sister Helen meeting the parents of Faith Hawkins, murdered by Robert Lee Willie (one of two men Penn’s movie character was based on). They are furious at her. And in a new interview for the film, Hawkins’ sister resists the idea that people suffer when they are electrocuted. “Unlike their victims, they feel nothing,” she says. Depicting this tension doesn’t both-sides the issue — the film is consistently on Sister Helen’s side — but it demonstrates the complexity of the subject, and that advocates against capital punishment aren’t dismissing the anguish of the victims’ families. “No matter how much pain and grief [the families] suffer, no human being deserves to be executed,” Sister Helen says. If only Sivyer had created the film this thoughtful activist deserves.

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    Caryn James

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  • ‘The Gutter’ Review: Susan Sarandon and Shameik Moore Face Off in a Boisterous Bowling Comedy

    ‘The Gutter’ Review: Susan Sarandon and Shameik Moore Face Off in a Boisterous Bowling Comedy

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    AlleyCatz, an unassuming bowling alley in a fictional California town, isn’t compelling to passersby or potential customers from the outside. The venue run by Mozell (Sister Sister’s Jackée Harry) has a drab brick exterior, a monument to the sad architecture of suburban shopping centers. It doesn’t offer much when you walk inside either. The lanes need waxing, the bar requires tending and the equipment is in various stages of disrepair. Some people might take one look at AlleyCatz and run, but Walt (Shameik Moore), the silly protagonist of Yassir and Isaiah Lester’s boisterous directorial debut The Gutter, doesn’t have a choice. He needs a job. 

    The young man, who prefers to live life without a shirt, has been fired from more gigs than he can count. In a particularly amusing early sequence, Walt recounts his shoddy employment history to Mozell, whose face becomes increasingly disturbed with each revelation. But like Walt, Mozell has no options. AlleyCatz is falling apart and the intrepid entrepreneur needs help. Compelled by glimmers of Walt’s charm and her own desperation, Mozell hires him to tend the bar and de-roach the bowling shoes.

    The Gutter

    The Bottom Line

    A comedic win, if not a perfect strike.

    Venue: SXSW Film Festival (Narrative Spotlight)
    Cast: Shameik Moore, Susan Sarandon, D’Arcy Carden, Jay Ellis, Jackée Harry, Paul Reiser
    Directors: Yassir Lester, Isaiah Lester
    Screenwriter: Yassir Lester

    1 hour 29 minutes

    The Gutter, an exciting feature that premiered at SXSW, is a nervy comedy that follows Walt as he goes from tending the AlleyCatz bar to breaking records as a dynamite bowler. The film is a passion project that riffs on different comedic genres — satire, physical and sketch — to create an absurdist adventure. Even when the narrative falters, demanding more than the screenplay (written by Yassir) can offer in a brisk 89 minutes, The Gutter’s humor rarely misses. The Lester brothers deploy jokes with precision, taking aim at everything and everyone. Their plucky abrasiveness might rub against mainstream sensibilities, but The Gutter — like an early Paul Beatty novel — seems destined to be a cult classic. 

    On his first day, Walt meets a set of characters that make one wonder if The Gutter might have worked better as a sitcom. Stationed at the bar is Skunk (D’Arcy Carden), a former pro-bowler champion whose alcoholism has all but tanked her legacy. Brotha Candy (Rell Battle), a smarmy “hotep” pulled right of The Boondocks, has made a camp outside, where he spews conspiratorial ideas through a megaphone. And in his brief appearance as a city health inspector, Adam Brody trades his slick-talking producer persona from American Fiction for a more Seth Cohen-coded deadpan. 

    Just as Walt gets comfortable with his newfound employment, which might help him and his mother Vicki (Kim Fields) keep the lights on, he finds out AlleyCatz is at risk of permanent closure. That visit from Brody’s character, who goes unnamed, was a grim sign. If AlleyCatz doesn’t clean up its act and meet the health code, the city will shut down the venue. The transition from this disappointing news to Skunk’s outrageous plan happens in a blink of an eye, and it’s one of a handful of moments in the film that feels overly. 

    After Skunk witnesses Walt’s impressive bowling skills — no matter how he releases the ball down the lane, he bowls a perfect strike — she convinces him to play competitively. The money he wins from each game, she insists, can help Mozell with the AlleyCatz repairs. It’s a sound plan that, against the film’s own logic, Lester sidelines for whatever funny antics demand attention. 

    This isn’t a problem at first. Walt and Skunk hit the road, participating in competitions that yield some of The Gutter’s funniest jokes. Their success rate catches the attention of Angelo Powers (an ace Paul Reiser), a ratings-obsessed new anchor and a hater. He launches a segment called BLM (Bowl Lives Matter), which simultaneously capitalizes on Walt’s increased fame and denigrates the former bartender. Walt’s record-shattering wins also brings bowling champion Linda Curson (an equally sharp Susan Sarandon) back from retirement. Meanwhile, Walt’s friends and family (played by Langston Kerman and Jay Ellis) cheer him on. 

    The Gutter is strongest and most refreshing tracing the early part of Walt’s success. Getting the job at AlleyCatz, winning his first games and scoring a series of hilarious sponsorships fuel the film’s humor and our investment in these characters. But the narrative loses some steam when it’s faced with fulfilling the emotional stakes. Just as Walt is most unstoppable, his winning streak comes to a mysterious end. Here, The Gutter requires a few dramatic turns that the performers struggle to land. The film doesn’t navigate the fallout between Skunk and Walt and other subsequent revelations with the same confidence as it does establishing Walt’s world. This shortcoming doesn’t undo the fine work of these promising filmmakers, but it does mean that The Gutter doesn’t quite hit all the pins. 

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    Lovia Gyarkye

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  • Susan Sarandon Apologizes for Pro-Palestinian Rally Remarks

    Susan Sarandon Apologizes for Pro-Palestinian Rally Remarks

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    Two weeks after Susan Sarandon spoke at a rally in support of Palestine, the actress is eating her words. The Thelma and Louise star, who also has a long career as an activist, was dropped by her talent agency last month after she made remarks viewed by many as antisemitic from a platform at the demonstration. But in an Instagram post published Friday night, Sarandon apologized for her public statements, and said they were intended to “show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds.”

    The matter began on November 17, when Sarandon took the dais (technically, the back of a truck) to address the crowd at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City’s Union Square. In a three-minute-long speech (per The New York Post), Sarandon said “There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.” 

    “There’s a terrible thing that’s happened where antisemitism has been confused with speaking up against Israel,” The New York Times quoted Sarandon as saying. “I am against antisemitism. I am against Islamophobia.”

    As Sarandon predicted, however, her words were indeed perceived as being antisemitic by folks like Aviva Klompas, a former speechwriter for Israel’s delegation to the United Nations. “When Susan Sarandon said that Jews ‘are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country,’ she was saying that American Jews have it coming – that we don’t deserve to live free from harassment and assault,” Klompas wrote on X (formerly Twitter) a few days after the speech had been widely shared.

    The same day Klompas published that tweet, Sarandon was dropped by United Talent Agency (UTA), a representative of the agency confirmed. Sarandon, characterized by the NYT as “a regular figure at protests throughout the city” against the Israel-Hamas war, did not respond to the outcry over her remarks, and her previously active social media presence fell silent. (Vanity Fair reached out to Sarandon and UTA for comment; neither have responded as of publication time.)

    That silence ended Friday when, via Instagram, Sarandon posted an explanation of her remarks, and apologized to those hurt by her statements. “Recently, I attended a rally alongside a diverse group of activists seeking to highlight the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for a ceasefire,” Sarandon wrote of last month’s event. “I had not planned to speak but was invited to take the stage and say a few words.”

    “Intending to communicate my concern for an increase in hate crimes, I said that Jewish Americans, as the targets of rising antisemitic hate, ‘are getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.’ This phrasing was a terrible mistake, as it implies that until recently Jews have been strangers to persecution, when the opposite is true. As we all know, from centuries of oppression and genocide in Europe, to the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA, Jews have long been familiar with discrimination and religious violence which continues to this day. I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment.”

    “I will continue my commitment to peace, truth, justice, and compassion for all people,” Sarandon wrote in conclusion. “I hope that we can meet with love and willingness to engage in dialogue, especially with those with whom we disagree.”

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    Eve Batey

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  • Susan Sarandon dropped by talent agency after pro-Palestinian rally comments – National | Globalnews.ca

    Susan Sarandon dropped by talent agency after pro-Palestinian rally comments – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Actor Susan Sarandon has been dropped by her talent agency after she spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York this weekend, a representative for the agency confirmed.

    A spokesperson for United Talent Agency (UTA), the group that signed Sarandon in 2014, on Tuesday told The Hollywood Reporter the agency would no longer be representing the Dead Man Walking actor.

    Sarandon, 77, was dropped after she attended a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City’s Union Square on Nov. 17 and stood on the back of a truck to address the crowd of protesters.

    “There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence,” the Oscar winner told the crowd. “All over the world, all over the United States, people are questioning, people are standing up, people are educating themselves, people are stepping away from brainwashing that started when they were kids.”

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    Sarandon encouraged the crowd to “stand with anyone who has the courage to speak out in your office, in your school, in your homes.”

    Sarandon thanked Jewish community members who were present at the New York rally and said they attended “to have our backs.”

    @stephaniekeith17

    Actor Susan Sarandon expresses support for Palestine and says being anti-Palestinian is American brain washing #palestine #susansarandon #protest #freepalestine #nyc

    ♬ original sound – stephaniekeith17

    Sarandon has been seen at multiple American pro-Palestinian rallies in the U.S. since conflict erupted on Oct. 7.

    On that day, several thousand Hamas militants burst across the border into Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Most of the dead were civilians, while the hostages include small children, women and seniors.

    Israel responded with weeks of blistering airstrikes on Gaza, followed by a ground invasion that began over three weeks ago.

    More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli offensive, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. It does not differentiate between civilians and militants, though Israel says thousands of Hamas militants have been killed.

    The Gaza Health Ministry has said at least 5,600 children have been confirmed killed in the Israeli bombardment, according to Reuters.

    On Tuesday, Palestinian officials said they can no longer count the dead due to the collapse of many regional health systems and the difficulty of retrieving bodies from areas overrun by Israeli tanks and troops. Verifying a death count has become increasingly difficult as Israel’s ground invasion has intensified and at times severed phone and internet service and sown chaos across the territory, The Associated Press reported.

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    Israel’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a temporary ceasefire with Hamas that is expected to bring the first halt in fighting in a devastating six-week conflict and win freedom for dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.


    Click to play video: 'Israel-Hamas deal: 50 hostages in Gaza to be released in exchange for temporary ceasefire'


    Israel-Hamas deal: 50 hostages in Gaza to be released in exchange for temporary ceasefire


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    Melissa Barrera and others

    Sarandon isn’t the only Hollywood actor to face backlash for their statements about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

    On Tuesday, actor Melissa Barrera, the star of the fifth and sixth Scream movies, was fired from the upcoming Scream V11 film after the project’s production company said her pro-Palestinian social media posts were antisemitic.

    The production company Spyglass told Variety they fired Barrera, 33, because they have “zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form.”

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    Though Spyglass did not point to any social media posts specifically, Barrera has made statements condemning Israel for “genocide and ethnic cleansing.”


    Melissa Barrera at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Carmen’ held at the Linwood Dunn Theatre on April 20, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif.

    Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

    In October, high-ranking Creative Artists Agency (CAA) agent Maha Dakhil resigned from an internal board after she reshared an Instagram post condemning Israel for “genocide,” Variety reported.

    The post read, “You’re currently learning who supports genocide.”

    Dakhil added a short sentence of her own, writing, “That’s the line for me.” Dakhil then posted another photo with the caption, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.”

    Dakhil has since deleted the posts and has publicly apologized.

    She also resigned from her duties as co-head of CAA’s motion pictures department.

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    Dakhil represents a number of celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Natalie Portman and Madonna.

    — With files from The Associated Press

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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  • Susan Sarandon and Melissa Barrera Face Career Fallout Over Israel-Hamas Remarks

    Susan Sarandon and Melissa Barrera Face Career Fallout Over Israel-Hamas Remarks

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    Actors Susan Sarandon and Melissa Barrera are both facing professional repercussions for their separate remarks regarding the Israel-Hamas war.

    Sarandon, an Academy Award–winning performer who has worked in Hollywood for more than five decades, was dropped by United Talent Agency over comments she made at a pro-Palestinian rally last week, a rep for the agency confirmed to Deadline on Tuesday. “There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence,” Sarandon can be seen saying at the New York City demonstration in a video published by the New York Post.

    These comments were criticized on social media, including by Aviva Klompas, a former speechwriter for Israel’s delegation to the United Nations, who said on X (formerly Twitter) that she had understood Sarandon’s statement to mean that Jews “have it coming—that we don’t deserve to live free from harassment and assault.”

    Sarandon said at the rally that condemning Israel should not be characterized as antisemitic. “There’s a terrible thing that’s happened where antisemitism has been confused with speaking up against Israel,” she said, as reported by The New York Times. “I am against antisemitism. I am against Islamophobia.” Vanity Fair has reached out to a representative for Sarandon for comment.

    Barrera, a relative newcomer known for her roles in Vida and In the Heights, has been cut from the upcoming thriller Scream VII, in which she was slated to return as Sam Carpenter. According to Variety, Barrera was “quietly dropped” from the film because of her social media posts that “referred to Israel as a ‘colonized’ land.”

    Spyglass Media Group, the production company behind Scream VII, said in a statement to the outlet: “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.” Christopher Landon, who is set to direct the Scream VII, wrote in a now deleted post on X: “Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.”

    Barrera has not officially commented on her departure from the film, but reposted on her Instagram stories a photo that reads: “At the end of the day, I’d rather be excluded for who I include than be included for who I exclude.” VF has reached out to Barrera’s reps for comment.

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    Savannah Walsh

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  • Blue Beetle: Susan Sarandon praises director Angel Manuel, says ‘He was so passionate…’

    Blue Beetle: Susan Sarandon praises director Angel Manuel, says ‘He was so passionate…’

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    Blue Beetle is all set to hit theaters nationwide on August 18. The film not only introduces a fresh face to the DC universe but also brings with it a wave of praise from none other than Susan Sarandon. The seasoned actress, who takes on a captivating role in the movie, couldn’t help but heap praise on the film’s director, Angel Manuel Soto, for his remarkable passion and playful demeanor.

    Susan Sarandon opens up about working with Angel Manuel Soto

    Amid the buzz surrounding Blue Beetle, Susan Sarandon spoke about the film’s behind-the-scenes magic. The accomplished actress expressed an admiration for Angel Manuel Soto’s direction that is unmistakable. Susan remarked, “The ensemble he curated, encompassing not only the actors but also the crew, such as the costume designer and others, was truly remarkable.”

    She elaborated, saying, “What captivated me about the script and the entire experience was its strong focus on human connections. Ultimately, the prevailing force is love and the concept of family. The protagonist’s evolution from resisting responsibility to ultimately embracing it offers a captivating narrative. As a mother of two boys, I see them venturing into a world traditionally molded for men, where the expectation of dominance clashes with the reality of survival as they mature. The crux of their journey lies in acknowledging their own capabilities, understanding that true empowerment comes from within, and recognizing the necessity of self-driven determination. This evolution resonates with the character’s transformative path.”

    The actress underlined the distinctive characteristics of Soto’s personality by saying, “He was passionate and playful at the same time, and you won’t find such a combination very often.” 

    ALSO READ: Blue Beetle: Xolo Maridueña teases DCU cameos in upcoming superhero film at Barbie premiere; Find out more

    Susan Sarandon reflects on Blue Beetle

    As the DC enthusiasts eagerly await the arrival of Blue Beetle, the film’s foundation rests on the captivating journey of Jaime Reyes, portrayed by the talented Xolo Maridueña. The storyline, deeply rooted in the themes of love, responsibility, and self-discovery, resonates with audiences far and wide. Susan Sarandon reflected on Blue Beetle and said, “The superpower is love and the family… understanding that nothing’s gonna come from the top, that they have to be their own hero.”

    Blue Beetle features an ensemble cast, including Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, and the illustrious Susan Sarandon. This eclectic mix of talent promises to bring depth and authenticity to the characters that audiences will soon come to love. Adding to the film’s charm, Blue Beetle will be released in multiple languages, making it accessible to a wider audience. With its release in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, the movie ensures that its message and excitement cross linguistic barriers.

    ALSO READ: Blue Beetle trailer: Jamie Reyes suits up and fights against Victoria Kord and Conrad Carapax; DEETS here

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  • The Most Iconic Red Hair Moments of All Time

    The Most Iconic Red Hair Moments of All Time

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    Tasha Nicole Smith is ELLE Magazine’s beauty assistant. She loves all things hair, makeup, and skincare so you’ll find her talking about it here. She enjoys Marvel movies, a good pair of heels, and lemon drop martinis and also shares a birthday with Beyoncé, which is her go to fun fact.
     

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  • Susan Sarandon Reacts To Daughter Eva Amurri Calling Her Upbringing A ‘Circus’ (Exclusive)

    Susan Sarandon Reacts To Daughter Eva Amurri Calling Her Upbringing A ‘Circus’ (Exclusive)

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    By Paige Gawley, ETOnline.com.
    Published:

    Susan Sarandon is opening up about her parenting style. The same month that Sarandon’s daughter, Eva Amurri, described her upbringing as “a circus,” the 76-year-old actress responded to the claim in an interview with ET’s Matt Cohen.

    Amurri, 37, made her statement on TikTok, explaining, “People in the industry, who grew up in the industry, sometimes liken the experience to growing up in the circus.”

    “You kind of spend these really surreal periods of time really closely intertwined with other people… You become so, so close almost like family. And then one of the things that’s really disorienting about the acting world is then, when the project is done, a lot of times everyone just goes their separate ways and you kind of just disappear back into real life,” she said. “It can be really sad sometimes… It’s always a unique experience to grow up that way.”

    As for what Sarandon thinks about her daughter’s point of view, she told ET, “I think normal is very overrated.”

    “I think everyone likes to go to the circus, so I don’t see any problem with that as long as all the animals don’t get too out of control,” she said. “I think our life is unusual and they’re exposed to lots of [things]. I dragged them with me whenever I worked, so they went all over the globe. I think it’s one of the best things that I ever gave them, that view of their place in the world.”

    “Also, they’re very flexible and adjustable and I think that’s a really, really important thing for kids to have that adults have,” Sarandon added. “So, no apologies here. I’ll talk to her therapist, but I don’t apologize.”

    @thehappilyeva

    #answer to @christinemarieb_128 All about celebrity families spending time together! #celebritykids #showbusiness #actress

    ♬ original sound – Eva Amurri

    Sarandon, who is also mom to Miles, 30, and Jack, 33, admitted that, to keep up with her kids, she does “go online and look.”

    “I go to Instagram, I go to Twitter. They tell me a lot,” she said. “I go to my daughter’s blog and that tells me a lot.”

    The actress’ “Maybe I Do” co-stars take a different approach, with Diane Keaton telling ET that she finds it “best to stay on the outer bounds” when it comes to Duke, 23, and Dexter, 28. As for Richard Gere, he manages to get updates on 22-year-old Homer “straight from my son.”

    “He tells me a lot,” Gere, who’s also dad to 3-year-old Alexander, said of his eldest child. “Not because I’m trying, but we have a good relationship.”

    While they all have different styles when it comes to parenting, Sarandon, Keaton and Gere all agree that they were delighted to team up for “Maybe I Do”. Gere gushed that the cast, which also includes William H. Macy, Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, was “a true ensemble.”

    “Our director was really good about letting us kind of be who we are,” Keaton noted of Michael Jacobs. “… It just made it all better because he didn’t interfere in a way that stopped us from being those people.”

    “I trusted that when you work with people that come prepared, are kind of loose and ready to go with the wind, that’s when the surprises happen, and that’s when you really learn something,” Sarandon added. “This group does great, so that really is what made the difference for me.”

    “Maybe I Do” is now playing in theatres nationwide.

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