Browsing Tag

Charlize Theron

Taylor Swift Spins a Compelling Tale with Folklore

-What are we all thinking about Taylor Swift‘s new album? I’m only two listens in but I’m digging it. It’s restrained and contemplative (but not introspective — some of the songs are clearly fiction, like “The Last Great American Dynasty,” which is about Rebekah Harkness who once owned Swift’s house, or “Cardigan,” “August” and “Betty” — which is a trilogy revolving around a high school love triangle. Of course, many people think the trilogy is really about Karlie Kloss). My favourite songs from her in the past few years are “Archer” and “Dress,” so I was already in the bag for stripped-down Taylor.

-The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with the Guardian giving it 5 stars and saying while it’s “Swift’s most coherent record since her staunchly country days, it’s nonetheless her most experimental, developing on Lover’s stranger, more minimalist end,” Buzzfeed saying that “in isolation, alone with a paper and a pen and a guitar, she’s yet again written some fucking great songs,” Rolling Stone praising it for “the most head-spinning, heart-breaking, emotionally ambitious songs of her life,” Billboard noting “there’s nothing quiet about this songwriting tour de force,”  Teen Vogue saying “in her restraint, she leaves space for couplets that slice through the heart,” and Variety observing “at least this one won’t require an album-length Ryan Adams remake to convince anyone that there’s songwriting there.”

–Jennifer Lopez turns 51 today, just in case you want to feel bad about yourself.

–Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani debuted the video for their new duet “Happy Anywhere”, which was shot by her brother, Todd Stefani, who quarantined with the couple at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch.

-There was a panel for The New Mutants at Comic-Con and I think everyone is shocked that it’s still going ahead.

–Mel Gibson‘s rep reveals he was hospitalized back in April with covid. Unlike Tom Hanks, I guess he didn’t feel the duty to share his experience and educate his fans on the seriousness of the virus.

-Here’s another good breakdown of the Britney Spears conservatorship.

-I don’t believe for a second any of the “ratings” numbers Netflix releases, but if they’re bragging about the performance of Charlize Theron‘s Old Guard, hopefully that means a sequel is coming.

-Also, Charlize doesn’t strike me as the most social media plugged in celeb, so her responding to fan praise is great.

-This is a really good piece on how baffling it is that this far into the streaming wars, nobody (not even Netflix) seems to know how to build a good user interface, making browsing a headache and searching an embarrassment. I recently did a Happy Endings rewatch on Amazon Prime and every single time I’d have to search for the next episode, even though I’d watched the previous one the day before.

-Speaking of Amazon Prime, How To Build a Girl starring Beanie Feldstein hits the streaming service today. I saw this last year at TIFF and was very charmed by it.

-Stranger Things’ Joe Keery plays a rideshare driver on a murder spree on the trailer for Spree.

Jada Pinkett Smith Confirms Affair with August Alsina

–Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith sat down to talk about their marriage in the latest episode of Red Table Talk, in which she confirmed she had an “entanglement” with August Alsina. She said it was about 4.5 years ago, when she and Smith were secretly separated.

–Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers announced the end of their 10 year marriage via a pair of identical Instagram posts Friday afternoon, writing “Thirteen years as best friends, soulmates, partners and then parents. It has been an incredible journey, but together, we’ve decided to turn the page and move on from our marriage. As we enter into this next chapter, our children and relationship as co-parents and dear friends will remain our priority. We understand this news lends itself to public dialogue, but in the interest of our children and our family, we’re asking for privacy, compassion and love during this time.” The couple, who have two kids, had been spending their quarantine in the Cayman Islands, but he was been spotted in LA this week.

-We’ve now entered the “who shit on the bed?” portion of the Johnny Depp trial.

-In an interview, SNL’s Colin Jost was asked about his costars and said “Kate McKinnon loves books, and before she was on SNL, she was a ghostwriter for a number of YA fantasy series.” I need to know which books!!

-Roswell New Mexico’s showrunner Carina Adly MacKenzie has left the series ahead of its third season. According to THR, she had tension with lead actress Jeanine Mason, spent an unusual amount of time on the set in New Mexico instead of in the writers room in LA, and recently angered WBTV by calling out British broadcaster ITV on Twitter for editing a gay love scene. In her Instagram post, she said she’s leaving “due to fundamental differences” and denied reports of tension with the cast or writers. Interestingly, Roswell actors Lily Cowles, Michael Vlamis, Tyler Blackburn and Heather Hemmens all commented on her post with messages of support, but Mason has not (yet).

-HBO Max has ordered a new show set in the same city as Robert Pattinson‘s The Batman that will focus on the Gotham police. Isn’t this…the show Gotham?

-Terrible: Glee’s Naya Rivera is now presumed dead after the search shifted from a rescue to a recovery mission.

–Sarah Paulson was asked about her working relationship with Lea Michele on Watch What Happens Live! and very politely refused to answer the question (it’s around the 5 min mark).

-In his final performance, Carl Reiner appeared in the last scene of Jason Reitman‘s version of The Princess Bride. I cancelled my Quibi subscription before I got to the end but the clip in this article made me teary.

–Charlize Theron‘s The Old Guard, which hits Netflix today, is getting mostly great reviews.

-There’s a new trailer for Zac Efron’s Netflix show. and the internet is loving his new Daddy energy.

-Here’s the first clip for 30 Rock’s reunion episode, (which is doubling as NBC’s upfronts presentation), airing Thursday.

Charlize Theron’s Backyard Photo Shoot

–Charlize Theron photographed herself (with the help of her kids) for EW’s new digital cover to promote Netflix’s The Old Guard, which drops this weekend. I’m mesmerized by every single video in this article.

-This new interview with Kanye West seems to indicate that the man is not well. It is totally unhinged. If you don’t want to give it clicks, The Root did a recap of it.

–Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are trying to be more cordial coparents — though Pitt’s relationship with Maddox is reportedly “non-existent.”

-Clear my schedule — Mariah Carey is releasing a memoir!

-Day two of Johnny Depp‘s libel trial against The Sun saw the actor denying allegations he hit Amber Heard for laughing at his “Wino Forever” tattoo. He also dismissed the texts he sent to Paul Bettany about drowning and burning her by saying he was angry she was acting like “the moral police” and “resentful of the fact Ms. Heard was very aggressive and quite insulting about my use of alcohol.” (Interestingly, in a previous written statement, he claimed Heard encouraged him to continue abusing drugs and alcohol.)

-So this is what it’s come to: according to Page Six, some television networks are now providing “good-behavior bonuses” to their reality TV stars in an attempt to get them to not be racist, sexist, transphobic, or homophobic on social media.

–E. Alex Jung got 14 hours to interview Michaela Coel? No wonder is profiles are so good.  That is not the norm.

-The Toronto, New York, Telluride and Venice film festivals have unveiled a joint statement that commits the long-time rivals to cooperate and not compete for film titles and awards-season bragging rights in the fall. I love this. If I’m going to a stripped down TIFF this fall, I want to see world premieres only.

-A day after announcing he quit the band, Kasabian singer Tom Meighan appeared in court for domestic abuse charges. He escaped jail time after admitting to assaulting his fiancee (which he initially denied until police showed him CCTV footage of him dragging her through their backyard by her ankles).

-Hamilton fans are debating Eliza’s gasp at the end. I assumed it was breaking the fourth wall and she was seeing the audience, realizing that her/Hamilton’s story was being told. But heaven also works.

–J.K. Rowling is back to demonstrating free speech, punching down, and advocating for someone to be cancelled the day after participating in that open letter about how free speech is being threatened by cancel culture. Sounds about right.

-Meanwhile, I liked this take on the letter.

-A gorilla dreams of reuniting with his sister in a new trailer for Disney+’s The One and Only Ivan, starring Bryan Cranston and the voices of Sam Rockwell, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren and Danny DeVito.