Snatched Review: Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn Almost Save So-So Raunch-Com

There have been complaints in early reviews about Snatched being disposable junk. Huh? Lets back up a minute. The comedy stars Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer as mom and daughter those words alone should mean something for film enthusiasts, and not just because Mothers Day weekend. Schumer, the baby-faced bad girl of 2.0 comedy, is teaming up with Hawn, a laugh-inducing golden girl since she won an Oscar for her breakthrough role in 1969s Cactus Flower. So, yes, well allow that this female raunch-com is built on a script by Katie Dippold (The Heat, Ghostbusters) that would have to go a long way to qualify as flimsy. And that director Jonathan Levine (50/50) is too often flying blind. But watching this dynamic comic duo mix it up on screen that is not be sniffed at.

The caper plot, such as it is, evaporates while youre watching it. Schumer plays Emily, a bachelorette whos just lost her retail job and been dumped by her musician boyfriend (Randall Park). What to do now that shes stuck with two non-refundable vacation tickets to Ecuador? Call mom, of course. Linda (Hawn), divorced and living with cats and her agoraphobic son (Ike Barinholtz), is talked into it. Soon the two are poolside arguing about sunblock. She frets when Emily hooks up with a Brit hottie (Tom Bateman), who catches Emily doing an impromptu douche. The real panic ensues when mom and daughter are kidnapped by cue the racial stereotypes a nefarious gangster (Oscar Jaenada) and his thugs, leading to an escape run through the jungles of the Amazon.

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So no, its not exactly one for the ages. Schumer, as star and screenwriter, made such an impact mining her own life for edgy fun and feeling in 2015s Trainwreck, with the estimable Judd Apatow directing, that we got pretty damned spoiled. Snatched never reaches those fizzy heights. The pleasures here come almost exclusively from Schumer and Hawn playing off each other like the rock stars of comedy they are. Hawn hasnt made a film since 2002s The Banger Sisters, but the timing she showed in such hits as Private Benjamin, Shampoo, Overboard, Death Becomes Her and The First Wives Club, hasnt dimmed with the years. Best of all, Schumers love and respect for her costar shines through every frame. Even in the reduced circumstances of this less-than-stellar comedy, thats a sight to see.

New Douglas Adams Bio to Include Unseen Hitchhikers Guide Material

A new excerpt from a deserted draft of Douglas AdamsHitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy novel, along with a score of previously unseen material, will be published in an upcoming biography of the author, The Guardian reports.

Biographer Jem Roberts bookThe Froodwill include discarded parts from the firstHitchhikersbook (which was turned into a movie in 2005), as well as sections from the lost draft ofLife, The Universe and Everything, which Roberts says has whole chapters where the characters are doing different things different ideas he never got round to using, [such as] chapters written from Arthur Dents point of view. Roberts foundthe pages amongst a staggering amount of unpublished work stored in Adams archives at St. Johns College in Cambridge.

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While a collection of story fragments and part of an unfinished novel were published posthumously as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002 (Adams died the previous year), those were culled from the authors hard drives. Nobody had ever thought about a paper trail though, Roberts said. Douglas Adams was the king of new technology, and people probably thought hed had a huge bonfire of all his papers. But there are boxes and boxes of notebooks, lots of typescript stuff, paper printed from the computer it was just an enormous job.

The well of Adams work is deep, and The Frood will also feature an alternative original pitch for Hitchhikers Guide, a draft for the second television series and unused material boasting characteristically absurd, grandiose titles like Baggy the Runch and The Assumption of Saint Zalabad.

Roberts did stress, however, that none of this stuff is finished. Its very important to contextualize this material properly and I understand people thinking that this is raw material and he didnt want it to be seen. I spend part of the book asking what Douglas would have wanted but there are so many great Douglas Adams jokes which have been completely air-sealed for the last 20 years. [And] I think its wonderful that we finally get to read some of this stuff.

The Frood is set to be published this fall. While there have been other biographies of Adams, The Frood is the first authorized by the authors estate and family.

Ron Howard on the Making of Pavarotti

Ron Howard doesnt remember meeting Luciano Pavarotti so much as feeling his presence. My memory has less to do with my brief handshake and fleeting eye contact with the maestro and more to do with the fact that it was at this giant Golden Globes event with major movie stars and elite television stars, the film director says. But even with those people there, when he arrived, he was it. And that was in the early Eighties, before the Three Tenors even. He was beginning to have that kind of impact, at least on the creative community. The fact he was there meant more to all of us than anything.

Now Howard is taking a closer look at Pavarottis impact in a new, feature-length documentary named after the famed tenor. Pavarotti traces the opera legends life from his youth in war-torn Modena, Italy to the world stage through commentary from both of his wives, the daughters from his first marriage, the two surviving Three Tenors, Bono and many others, along with vintage interviews with the late singer. It contains rare footage and recordings, including shots of him performing in a choir with his father before his fame, a clip of him singing in La Bohme mere months after his stage debut and handkerchief-clutching performances in locales as varied as Liberty, Missouri, Brazil and Russia. There is also private home video footage he made for his family. Although it skates past a few rough patches in Pavarottis life, it provides insight into the singers desire to bring opera to everyone and just how he saw the world, prior to his death in 2007. (It hits theaters on June 7th.)

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We felt like it was a surprising story, Howard says, including himself with the rest of the docs creative team, who helped him make The Beatles: Eight Days a Week. Even though hes a household name, there was so much that none of us really knew about his life, which turned out to be pretty operatic in its own right. The more I dug into the reading and watching performances, I, as a movie director, felt like the close-ups of him singing were akin to Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire or something. Hes so powerful, emotional and expressive.

As he got more into it, Howard realized that people may know Pavarottis name but even opera buffs might not know the whole of the wild-haired vocal virtuosos outsized story, so he worked on making it accessible much in the same way Pavarotti wanted to make opera itself more accessible. But in the end, Howard says he had a greater goal: To deepen peoples understanding of how emotional his singing can be. Its something he felt firsthand.

What surprised you most about Pavarottis life, as you did the research for this doc?
The sheer joy he had, and the sort of maverick side of his life, whether that had to do with his personal romantic relationships or choosing to sing with pop stars to help bring awareness to opera or to raise money for philanthropic programs. These things caused him a lot of grief. Often, he knew he was going to be criticized and yet he chose to go ahead and engage in whatever it was he believed in, either on principle or commitment to a cause.

In the interview that he did later with his second wife a year or so before he died he talks about how it hurts to be criticized. And you then recognize he would still choose to make these controversial decisions, whether they were personal or professional. Thats a brand of courage that I think is useful and important to acknowledge.

Was it difficult for you to get his first wife, Adua, and second wife, Nicoletta, in the same film?
Well, its very significant in that its the first time that the families have really cooperated with each other to a significant degree. And yes, it was difficult. I dont think I wouldve done the movie without their cooperation and involvement because I didnt want to just skip through his career and the headlines. Whats interesting to me is that despite the heartache, his family loves him, misses him and wants him to be well remembered.

There was a bitter dispute over Pavarottis estate and will after he died. How did it seem between everyone now?
Theres a lot of tension. It was very hard to go back and talk about some of these things and hard for them to go back and see the movie. Their participation, to me, is kind of inspiring. Its almost a lesson in understanding and even forgiving. Theyre not forgetting, but theyre really coming to terms with it in a way thats admirable. And they did some of that when he was alive, which is so powerful and moving to me. They talk about how, on his deathbed, all of them, including ex-lovers who were never married to him, arrived to connect with him. His first wife, as upsetting as it might have been, tried to cook for him one last time. These things were very unexpected for all of us.

On a similar note, did Plcido Domingo or Jos Carreras joke about any lingering rivalries with Pavarotti when they did their interviews? His fame eclipsed theirs.
No, just as they said on camera, they maintained that it was mostly fun and games. With the Three Tenors, there were some business squabbles and things like that. But all that got ironed out and we didnt feel it made sense or needed to be in the film.

What I love about that sequence in our movie is that while everybody knows about the Three Tenors, not very many people know why or how the act came to be, that it just began as a way to help get Carreras back out onstage and prove that he could still perform at that level. And boy, does he.

There were a few negative parts of Pavarottis life that seemed significant that werent heavily represented in the film. There was the time he was booed at La Scala at the peak of his fame. His final tour had many cancellations. Why werent those incidents mentioned much?
Well, we did mention that he went through a period where he was cancelling tours. On the final tour, we didnt feel like that was as significant as the way people were responding to his performances. And Bonos defense was so powerful and passionate that we ultimately decided to focus on that aspect of the final tour.

Well, the incident at La Scala was in 1992, when he was at the peak of his fame and long before his death, and it generated a lot of negative press. That seems important to address.
Well, that was also in that little period around the time where we say he was kind of having a midlife malaise. One of the critics that we have speaking in the film talks about how he was a little bit out at sea. I think that was around the time. The Tenors had happened, but its right around the time where he seemed to have this awakening around philanthropic projects.

And so, you know, youre right. We didnt play up that moment. But it wasnt taken out particularly tactically or strategically. It really was just us trying to cover as much ground as we could and not repeat ourselves.

How did you come across some of the rare footage in the doc?
The family was making a lot of that available. Theres some great footage from the wings when hes doing La Fille du Rgiment, where hes hitting the High Cs. There are, like, seven or eight of them in a row. I dont think thats been seen before, at least widely. And we took pains to do a spectacular job mixing the audio.

How did you go about that?
Chris Jenkins, who mixed Eight Days a Week, wanted to go back to Abbey Road to mix this. He was almost being superstitious about it, because we had a good experience on The Beatles. So were mixing and suddenly he finds out that in the big hall, the LSO is about to record the next day, so the mics are all set up in the room to record the orchestra. He asks permission to go in and record tracks. He stripped out some of the vocals on some of Lucianos performances and we recorded it so that we could make the whole thing feel a little bit more in the way were accustomed to hearing symphonic recordings.

In the film, Zubin Mehta, who conducted the Three Tenors, says that whenever Pavarotti would hit a high C, your ears would vibrate. I could feel that when I saw it.
I felt that, too, the last time we mixed the Three Tenors. The hairs went up on the back of my neck on our final soundcheck. Certainly, that kind of visceral response from the audience is something we were shooting for.

Christopher Lee: The Actors Secret Life in Heavy Metal

Does a man have to fight all his life only in death to take flight to the skies?/Warmongers vie to take my throne, no respect is ever shown.

The lyrics from the song Massacre of the Saxons could easily be mistaken for something by Iron Maiden, yet they came from the mouth of the then-91-year old British actor Christopher Lee, whodied from respiratory problems and heart failure todayat the age of 93.

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While hes best remembered for playing various evil characters Dracula and Frankensteins monster for Britains Hammer Films, James Bonds foil Francisco Scaramanga in 1974s The Man With the Golden Gun and the wizard Saruman in Peter Jacksons Lord of the Ring flicks Lee had a longstanding fascination with metal, which he channeled into his own music late in his life.

Lee became a fan of metal in the early Seventies when he first heard Black Sabbath, whose guitarist Tony Iommi reciprocated the respect the actor had for his band and the genre it spawned. In a 2013 promotional video for one of Lees own albums, he told Iommi, You are the father of metal, to which the guitarist replied, But youre the one that started it, really, because we used to go watch Dracula and the horror films you did and thats what influenced us.

Regardless of whether metal started in 1958 with The Horror of Dracula or in 1970 with Black Sabbath, Lees first musical contribution to the genre didnt come until 2005 when the actor provided guest narration on Rhapsody of Fires single The Magic of the Wizards Dream. Two years later he dabbled in the genre again on his own 2006 operatic pop album, Revelation, with Toreador March (Metal Mix), a guitar-heavy reimagining of the song from the opera Carmen. Then in 2010 he teamed up with Manowar when the kings of power metal re-recorded their 1982 debut album, Battle Hymns, as Battle Hymns MMXI; Lee recited a spoken word passage originally performed by Orson Welles for the reworked version of the song Dark Avenger.

We mourn the loss of our friend Sir Christopher Lee posted Manowar bassist Joey DeMaio on Facebook. He was not only a great man and a talented actor, but also a great singer and a dear friend.

By the time of his collaboration with Manowar, Lee was already a bona fide metal recording artist in his own right, having released the galloping symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross earlier in 2010. On it, the actor-turned-musician who released the records lead single, Let Legend Mark Me as the King, on his 90th birthday chronicled the history of the first Holy Roman Emperor in sung and spoken parts. He was, in fact, my ancestor and we can prove it, Lee told an audience at a speech in University College in Dublin.

Three years later, the actor took things to a new level of confidence and power with the heavier, more majestic Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, which was arranged by guitarist Richie Faulker right before he replaced K.K. Downing in Judas Priest. It is entirely heavy metal, Lee said in a promotional clip. Indeed, the album features Lee singing in an imposing baritone and other guest vocalists growling away while drums gallop and guitars chug and wail in accompaniment.

Lees final real metal release was the 2014 EP, Metal Knight, a hodgepodge of standards recorded with storming beats and crunching riffs. Lee also enjoyed putting out high-volume Christmas carols; 2012 EP A Heavy Metal Christmas featured amped-up renditions of The Little Drummer Boy, and Silent Night, and 2013s A Heavy Metal Christmas Too contained the single Jingle Hell. His last holiday tune was Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing, a spoof of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, which came out last December.

Due to his many contributions to the headbanging arts, both through music and film, Lee received the Spirit of Metal award from Iommi at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards show in 2010.

I have a great belief that things, no matter what they are music, literature, anything in life should from time to time surprise people and thats what I believe in: surprising people, he told Metal Hammerlast year. Heavy metal has, since its very beginning, surprised in the best sense of the word, and people all over the world. To be involved in that, and to show people that even now I can still surprise my audience, its very important. Ive spent my entire career taking risks. Acting is a risk, it has to be. Ive never been afraid, and Ive done my best to take those risks.

Sasha Grey, The Dirtiest Girl in the World: The Story Behind the Story

Sasha Grey is the adult industrys reigning princess of porn, a rock & roll 21-year-old with an actual mission statement Most of the XXX I see is boring, and does not arouse me physically or visually. I am determined and ready to be a commodity that fulfills everyones fantasies and few taboos. Rolling Stones Vanessa Grigoriadis jumped into Greys wild world for a profile in the new issue, and describes the Kate Beckinsale lookalike as the smartest person Ive ever met in that industry (Grigoriadis has previously visited porn sets to profile XXX goddesses like Jenna Jameson).

(Exclusive photos: porns dirtiest girl poses for Rolling Stone)

Though the pornography biz has been reshaped by the recession and the digital age, Grey has managed to make the jump from bondage flicks on the Net to a Steven Soderbergh film at the Tribeca Film Festival. But as Grigoriadis quickly learned, Grey is far from a typical porn star. Shes co-managed by Dave Navarro, pals with Billy Corgan and cites French director Jean-Luc Godard in everyday conversation. While most porn actresses would jump at the chance to get naked on the Howard Stern Show, Sasha wants to appear on the shock jocks program with a Palestinian flag wrapped around her breasts to confront the man she believes is a closet racist.

Soon, Grey will be seen on the big screen as a call girl in Soderberghs The Girlfriend Experience She definitely has higher aspirations, far larger than porn, says Grigoriadis. She wants to get into indie mainstream film; I cant see her being interested in any Michael Bay projects, she adds, referring to the director of blockbusters like Transformers. She took acting lessons for 10 years in Sacramento, so she wants to be an actress.

Grey also told Grigoriadis she aspires to be like controversial French author/director Catherine Breillat, who elevated conventional pornography into something more artistic and sumptuous. She is not that interested in a lot of the porn she shoots anymore, Grigoriadis tells Rock Daily. She said, I dont need to see genitalia up close; I dont need to see a dirty yellow couch against a white wall. I want to see something different, like this is not exciting to me.

Grigoriadis, who profiled Taylor Swift for the country crossovers Rolling Stone cover story, reveals she sees some similarities between the unlikely pair of young stars. Theres some interesting comparisons there about two women who are incredibly precocious for their ages and really driven, ambitious and also really sure that their point of view is the right one, and that what they are doing is liberating for women, Grigoriadis says. Both of them are very clear that they think that what theyre doing [is feminist], even though Sashas case is completely different than Taylors. Grey, a 1970s film nut and bohemian who avoids listening to the radio, told Grigoriadis shes never even heard of Taylor Swift.

To me, whats most important about her is her impact on feminism, Grigoriadis says. Porn has been one of feminisms most divisive issues because it hits on such a raw level to so many woman. Here are the fantasies of men, and its of course better to live out those fantasies through pornography than to try to do them in the real world, but the fact is the real world is impacted by it. Grey says, If you look at me and you think Heres a woman whos intelligent, cognizant and making her own choices, and you still tell me that what Im doing is wrong, screw you, because that should end the debate.

To read our full Sasha Grey feature, check out the new issue of Rolling Stone.

The Tao of Keanu Reeves, From Whoa! to John Wick

The appeal of Keanu Reeves philosopher, lover, martial artist, musician, motorcycle enthusiast, movie star is that he carries himself lightly, even in the movies that require him to turn from cool breeze (the Hawaiian translation of his first name, for those of you playing at home) to howling tempest. Hes the type of guy whos had to deny being Buddhist, even though hes played the Buddha onscreen because its just widely assumed that he would swing that way religiously. (I havent take refuge in the dharma, he has assured us.)

But theres always been a slight philosophical bent to his roles. Hes The One in The Matrix because hes chosen, not because he has the ego to assert himself. His time-traveling stoner Theodore Ted Logan has learned the study of fundamental knowledge from some of the greats (literally). Hes been photographed contemplating the meaning of the universe in a sandwich. And even in 2014s John Wick, playing a super-assassin haunted by his past, hes not big on material possessions. He would have lived alone in peace forever if Russian thugs had merely stolen his car instead of murdering his puppy for sport. You simply do not do that to even the most enlightened of men.

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With John Wick: Chapter 2 bringing the reluctant warrior back into action this week (and letting him utter such platitudes as The blade is in your aorta, pull it and you will die. Consider this a professional courtesy), its worth marveling at both the Taoist principles and more Westernized concepts that flow through his words of wisdom both in his interviews and some of his more mind-blowing bits of dialogue. The movies are Keanu. Keanu is the movies. Whoa.

On Women
Its always wonderful to get to know women, with the mystery and the joy and the depth. Men dont have that they just have really smelly underwear, or at least thats what Ive found. Anyway, if you can make a woman laugh, youre probably seeing the most beautiful thing on Gods Earth. via CBS News

The correct term is Babes, sir. Point Break (1991)

Oh you beautiful babes from England, for whom we have traveled through time: Will you go to prom with us in San Dimas? We will have a most triumphant time! Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure (1989)

I believe in love at first sight. You want that connection, and then you want some problems. via Entertainment Weekly

Now we can record our love. Parenthood (1989)

November is all I know, and all I ever wanna know. Sweet November (2001)

On Living Modestly
Money doesnt mean anything to me. Ive made a lot of money, but I want to enjoy life and not stress myself building a bank account. I give lots away and live simply, mostly out of a suitcase in hotels. We all know that good health is much more important. via Hollywood-dot-com

Its when you start doing things for free that you start to grow wings. My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Every moment is precious. Im trying to travel. I want to go to Paris. Its probably just a pipe dream. Id like to read some books. Take some voice lessons. Interview Magazine

To learn is to change. The path to enlightenment is in the middle way. It is the lie between all opposite extremes. Little Buddha (1993)

Im a meathead. I cant help it, man. Youve got smart people and youve got dumb people. via The Guardian

How great is it for you that Im not intimidated by your brilliance? Somethings Gotta Give (2003)

On Living the Creative Life:
I was overwhelmed at what I had to do it was like, Oh, no! Can I do this? I was afraid. But Gus [Van Sant] and River [Phoenix] made me fit in. Said, Lets do one bitchin movie. Interview Magazine

I know I want to have truthful acting. Maybe that can turn into a truthful life. Post-Gazette.com

I guess if you collect some of those strings and hold them in one hand, it can tend to look like a bouquet. The Guardian, on asked if there was some Zeb theme guiding his career

Youre sayin the FBIs gonna pay me to learn to surf?!? Point Break (1991)

On Spirituality:
Do I believe in God, faith, inner faith, the self, passion, and things? Yes, of course! Im very spiritual Supremely spiritual Bountifully spiritual Supremely bountiful. via The Daily Beast

I have been born to reach Enlightenment and free all creatures from suffering. Little Buddha (1993)

In The Bible, you lose. Were destined to lose, dad! The Devils Advocate (1997)

Energy cant be created or destroyed, and energy flows. It must be in a direction, with some kind of internal, emotive, spiritual direction. It must have some effect somewhere I do think there must be some kind of interaction between your living life and the life that goes on from here. via AP/Today.com

Gods a kid with an ant farm, lady. Hes not planning anything. Constantine (2005)

Vaya con dios. Point Break (1991)

Catch you later, God! Bill & Teds Bogus Journey (1991)

On Being and Nothingness
Im Mickey [Mouse]. They dont know whos inside the suit. via Vanity Fair

I can carry nearly eighty gigs of data in my head. Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

You ever have that feeling where youre not sure if youre awake or still dreaming? The Matrix (1999)

My body is. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), upon being asked if he is human

Oftentimes, when we think of 3-D, we think of things coming out of the screen, but actually, youve got this zero, this negative space, what they call negative space, which is the scene, whats being filmed in the positive space of the audience. As you can have things come out, you can have all of this depth. via Collider

I think your experiment just got a mind of its own. Chain Reaction (1996)

I realized I didnt hate the cabinet door, I hated my life My house, my family, my backyard, my power mower. Nothing would ever change; nothing new could ever be expected. It had to end, and it did. A Scanner Darkly

Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever. The Replacements (2000)

It was just bottomless, man. You could go as far as you could go, you know? Interview Magazine

Whoa. The Matrix (1999)

On Making a Good, Solid Kung Fu Movie
I want to make a good, solid kung fu movie. Good story, good plot but lets get some good kung fu going! via MTV News

You owe me a life. Man of Tai Chi (2013)

I know kung fu! The Matrix (1999)

On Being Back
People keep asking me if Im back and I havent really had an answer. But now, yeah, Im thinkin Im back. [Pause] So you can either hand over your son or you can die screaming along with him. John Wick (2014)

Rolling Stones Ponder Next Reissue at Stones in Exile Screening

We cut the track Sweet Black Angel on the lawn, with the microphones outside, Mick Jagger recalled of the Rolling Stones infamous sessions for Exile on Main Street last night in New York. Just because we could. Jagger, Keith Richards, and producer Don Was were joined by admirers like ?uestlove, Saturday Night Lives Will Forte and Kristen Wiig, and Jimmy Fallon at the Museum of Modern Art for a screening of the new documentary Stones in Exile. The film, which tracks the recording of the 1972 album (due as a reissue May 18th), will debut on Fallons show Friday as part of the hosts week-long celebration of the reissue. You see footage of the Rolling Stones recording the record and its just booze, drugs and girls, says Fallon. Its pretty out of control.

Rolling Stone takes an exclusive look at the making of the Stones gritty Exile on Main Street in our new issue.

The new edition of Exile comes bundled with previously unreleased tracks like Following the River, Plundered My Soul and Dancing in the Light (for more on the release, check out The Secrets Behind Exile on Main Street .) Jagger wrote and recorded new lyrics for these tunes, and while he wasnt able to conjure the same vocal style he had in the Seventies, he was still inspired after watching old footage of the band. I said, Sod it, Jagger told RS with a laugh. Im just going to sing it like I want to sing it. Its no longer Keiths basement.

Torn and Frayed: Photos from the making of Exile on Main Street.

With the epic Exile project behind them, the Stones revealed which album theyd like to tackle next for a deluxe reissue: 1978s Some Girls. I dont really want to play around with it too much, Richards said, but if we can retain the basic sound and feel of it Was confirmed leftovers do indeed exist from those sessions. Theres a lot from the Some Girls and Emotional Rescue period, he said. There are eight or nine really good songs that dont go on the album each time for some reason maybe theres too many ballads or something like that. But they could make a lot of albums from unused material. If he had his way, Was would gather up Stones leftovers for a series of LPs. I dont know if its got to be linked to a specific album It doesnt have to be for musicologists, he said. Maybe you just put 10 great songs together from a long time ago, like [the rarity] Give Me a Hamburger, which was recorded a little to early to make the new Exile. You could do 10 albums like that, easy.

More Rolling Stones:

The Rolling Stones: The RS Covers
Shine a Light: Rockers on the Genius of Exile on Main Street
The Rolling Stones Best Live Shots

Get an early look at Stones in Exile in our exclusive clip:

Carrie Underwood Celebrates the Beatles at the Emmys

Its been just about 50 years since the Beatles touched down on American soil, and last nights 65th Primetime Emmy Awards paid tribute to the game-changing moment in music history with a tribute by Don Cheadle and Carrie Underwood, who sang Yesterday.

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Underwood wore an elegant black and blue dress and sang Yesterday in tribute to the historic events of 50 years ago and to remind us that TV continues to be a starting place for superstar musical talent since she got her start on the Fox singing competitionAmerican Idol. This is the second big appearance by the country star in the last three weeks; on September 8th, she kicked off the new NFL season as the vocalist on NBCs Sunday Night Football theme.

See Jessica Chastain Decry Disturbing, Low Female Representation in Film

Jessica Chastain criticized the inadequate representation of women in film as a jurist for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Chastain gave her remarks during a press conference following the festivals final ceremony.

This is the first time Ive watched 20 films in 10 days, and I love movies, and the one thing I really took away from this experience is how the world views women from the female characters that I saw represented, Chastain said. It was quite disturbing to me, to be honest. There are some exceptions, I will say. But for the most part I was surprised by the representation of female characters on screen in these films, and I do hope that when we include more female storytellers we will have more of the women that I recognize in my day-to-day life. Ones who are proactive, have their own agency, dont just react to the men around them, they have their own point of view.

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While Cannes 70th installment notably ended with Sofia Coppola becoming the first woman since 1961 to win Best Directorfor her new movie The Beguiled, the majority of filmmakers competing for top prizes were men. Of the 19 filmmakers up for Cannes coveted Palme dOr, only three were women, including Coppola, Japans Naomi Kawase and Scotlands Lynne Ramsay. Ramsay was the only other woman to win a top non-acting award, earning Best Screenplay for her film, You Were Never Really Here; she shared the prize with Greek filmmakers Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou for their movie, The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Chastains critique at Cannes drew praise from women around Hollywood, including Ava DuVernay and America Ferrera. The actress spoke about Hollywoods struggle with gender equality, tellingVariety that she is no longer taking jobs where she makes less than a male co-star.

What I do now, when Im taking on a film, I always ask about the fairness of the pay, Chastain said. I ask what theyre offering me in comparison to the guy. I dont care about how much I get paid; Im in an industry where were overcompensated for the work we do. But I dont want to be on a set where Im doing the same work as someone else and theyre getting five times what Im getting.

David Byrnes Contemporary Color Documentary Heading to Theaters

Oscilloscope Laboratories has announced thepurchase of the North American rights to Contemporay Color, thedocumentary about David Byrneslatestperformance project. The filmdebuted at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year.

Byrnes interest in color guard an organized sport that involves groups of high school students executing coordinated movements while holding flags, rifles, and sabers led to a 2015 showdubbed Contemporary Color. Byrne recruited a number of musicians, including Dev Hynes, Nelly Furtado, and St. Vincent, to write original music for the project. Various color guard groups from around the country then performed routines to this music in Toronto and Brooklyn.

Filmmakers Bill Ross and Turner Ross documented thisprocess and eventually transformed their footage into a feature-length film. The teams and the musicians created this glorious, inspiring thing that runs counter to much of what is happening in the world right now, Byrne said in a statement. The Ross brothers were the ones to feel that and capture it. We need an antidote, and here it is. The world is better than we think it is.

Contemporary Color won awards for Best Documentary Cinematography and Best Documentary Editing at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival; it also captured the imagination of Oscilloscope Laboratories, who subsequently obtained the rights for the movie. The companys Dan Berger called Contemporary Color an otherworldly blend of athleticism, grace, spirit and art captured in an unbelievably electric and creative way.

Watching Contemporary Color isnt just watching a film, he continued. It is experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime performance that is so much more than the sum of its set list.

The film is slated tohit screensin 2017.

Diddy to Premiere Cant Stop, Wont Stop: The Bad Boy Story Doc at Tribeca

Diddy will premiere the documentary Cant Stop, Wont Stop: The Bad Boy Story at Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April.

Directed by Daniel Kaufman, the film chronicles the time leading up to the Bad Boy Reunion concerts held at Barclays Center last May. The shows were part of the labels 20th anniversary celebration, which also marked what would have been the Notorious B.I.G.s 44th birthday and subsequently led to a wider tour. Mase, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and Total were among the Bad Boy artists to participate.

According to Tribecas festival guide, the film is a raw and exclusive look behind the scenes at the history and legacy of Bad Boy through a complex portrait of the labels mastermind, Sean Diddy Combs aka Puff Daddy, as he tries to reunite his Bad Boy Family in the course of a three-week rehearsal period.

Whitney Houston and Iranian MC Shahin Najafi are the subjects of two other music-related documentaries that will also be featured at Tribeca. The Nick Broomfield-helmed Whitney: Can I Be Me explores Houstons rise and fall and includes never-before-seen footage, and the Till Schauder-directed When God Sleepschronicles Najafis career and explores freedom of speech. The rapper was forced into hiding after criticism for his lyrics from religious clerics.

The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 19th through 30th.

Ellen Page Comes Out as Gay With Inspiring Speech

Actress Ellen Page came out as gay on Friday night during a powerful speech delivered at the Human Rights Campaigns Time to Thrive conference in Las Vegas, theLos Angeles Times reports.

Im here today because I am gay, Page told the audience at Ballys Hotel and Casino during the conference dedicated to promoting safety and inclusion for LGBTQ youth. And because maybe I can make a difference. To help others have an easier and more hopeful time.

The Hidden War Against Gay Teens

With her voice shaking, the 26-year old star of the 2007 indie hit Juno and the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past revealed the pressure she felt to conform to Hollywoods expectations.

Here I am, an actress, representing at least in some sense an industry that places crushing standards on all of us, she said. Standards of beauty. Of a good life. Of success. Standards that, I hate to admit, have affected me. You have ideas planted in your head, thoughts you never had before, that tell you how you have to act, how you have to dress and who you have to be. I have been trying to push back, to be authentic, to follow my heart, but it can be hard.

Page discussed what it felt like to have her appearance scrutinized on gossip websites, recalling an instance where wearing sweatpants to the gym raised eyebrows.

There are pervasive stereotypes about masculinity and femininity that define how we are all supposed to act, dress and speak. They serve no one, she said. Anyone who defies these so-called norms becomes worthy of comment and scrutiny. The LGBT community knows this all too well.

She went on to praise football player Michael Sam, actress Lavern Cox and Tegan and Sarah Quinn for their courage, and hailed the educators and counselors at the conference for their work fighting against those attitudes.

Why is ESPN Being So Weird About Michael Sam?

Youre here because youve adopted as a core motivation the simple fact that this world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another, she said. If we took just 5 minutes to recognize each others beauty, instead of attacking each other for our differences. Thats not hard. Its really an easier and better way to live. And ultimately, it saves lives. Then again, its not easy at all. It can be the hardest thing, because loving other people starts with loving ourselves and accepting ourselves.

I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission, Page declared toward the end of her speech. I suffered for years because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. And Im standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain. I am young, yes, but what I have learned is that love, the beauty of it, the joy of it and yes, even the pain of it, is the most incredible gift to give and to receive as a human being. And we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise.

Pages speech prompted a flood of admiring messages from her colleagues in Hollywood:

Props to @EllenPage for helping so many people through their daily struggles by courageously leading by example and coming out on V Day!

Emile Hirsch (@EmileHirsch) February 15, 2014

Mad mad mad mad mad mad crazy love and praise for @EllenPage today. Congrats to you, you light, talent, and beauty.

Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) February 15, 2014

Love love LOVE @EllenPage & the message she sent out today! What a perfect way to end Valentines Day!

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) February 15, 2014

Star Wars R2-D2 Unit Sells for $2.76 Million

R2-D2 may have weathered a lot of galaxy turmoil, from being abducted to taking fire in several attacks, but despite the droids battle wounds, the robot was not worse for wear when it came to its worth in an auction held on Wednesday. As Associated Press reports, an R2-D2 unit that was used in multiple Star Wars films commanded $2.76 million in an auction held by Profiles in History.

It was the most expensive item available at the movie memorabilia auction. The R2-D2 buyers name was not revealed. Prior to the event, Profiles in History estimated the droid could fetch up to $2 million. The 43-inch tall unit was assembled from parts used in the film franchises original trilogy. Other Star Wars auction items included Luke Skywalkers lightsaber that was used in the first two films, which sold for $450,000, and Darth Vaders helmet from the original film fetched $96,000.

For those that are aching for more Star Wars memorabilia and have the cash, Profiles in History is also holding a Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds personal property auction beginning on September 23rd. The multi-day auction will include more than 1500 lots and portions of the proceeds will benefit Reynolds charity The Thalians and The Jed Foundation, which was chosen as a beneficiary by Fishers daughter Billie Lourd.

Star Wars memorabilia from the September auction includes a life-sized Princess Leia blaster statue in a wooden phone booth that was featured in her HBO special Wishful Drinking and in the documentary, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Fishers personalized on-set chair from Return of the Jedi, her life-sized C-3PO with electronic lighting parts and her original 1978 Princess Leia action figure in its original packaging are some of the items that will be for sale during the fall auction.

Trailers of the Week: Gemini Man, 21 Bridges, Deadwood

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Sundance 2015: Intimate Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Doc Stuns at Premiere

Its now my duty to completely drain you. You expected to hearNirvana songs playing over the MARC Theaters P.A. system before the world premiere of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. But when that line from Neverminds Drain You came on a few minutes before the lights dimmed, you wouldnt have guessed just how prophetic the sentiment was. A multimedia mix of the singer-songwriters home movies, journal entries, drawings, notebook scrawlings and audio recordings (buffered, naturally, by vintage interview excerpts and concert clips), Brett Morgens documentary is more than just a must-see for Nirvana fans. Its an eight-years-in-the-making collective labor of love that offers a private peek into the artists mind, from the first creative stirrings to the spiral downward. And by the time you get to the final shot of Kurt thanking the audience at the bands MTV Unplugged show, you dont just feel as if youve gotten to know the man better. Youre left completely emotionally spent.

Q&A: Dave Grohl on Kurt's Last Days and the Making of 'In Utero'Performing With Missy Elliott, 17 Years LaterThurston Moore: 5 Songs That Influenced Me Early On

I just wanted to give Frances a few more hours with her dad, Morgen said during his long introduction. She was in the audience, as was Kurts mom, his sister Kim, Krist Novoselic and Courtney Love, who was thanked profusely by the director for her trust. I dare you to find someone else whod hand you the keys to their storage facility, he cracked, and say Go through all my shit, make a fucking movie and Ill see it when its done.' To say that Morgen got unfettered access to the frontmans personal belongings would be putting it mildly. Theres Super 8 footage of Kurt as a towheaded toddler, banging away on a toy piano and blowing out candles on a birthday cake. There are snapshots of him as a sullen teen, with Kurts voiceover describing how discovering pot and punk helped him cope with a profound sense of alienation. Ever wanted to see his birth certificate, or hear Cobains taped conversation with Melvins singer Buzz Osborne about how shitty Aberdeen is? Its in here, as are glimpses of endless notebooks filled with artwork, prospective band names (The Reaganites, Hare Lip), and embryonic versions of what would become iconic songs.

Testimonials from his family members, ex-girlfriend Tracy Marander, Novoselic and Love help bridge the gaps between flipping through the pages and sifting through the Kurtaphenalia. (Dave Grohl is conspicuously absent, which Morgen explained in the postscreening Q&A: He only interviewed the Foo Fighter three weeks ago, after hed locked the film down. Theres a chance hell edit the footage in some time in the future, the director said.) But any Rock Documentary 101 concessions pretty much stop there. Montage of Heck takes its title from one of the mix tapes Cobain would fill with miscellaneous voices, noise, taped snippets and the occasional demo, and Morgen borrows that odds-and-ends format in order to get at something much more personal. Key parts of the Nirvana mythology, from Kurt finding inspiration in Kathleen Hannas graffiti to when/how Grohl joined the band, are AWOL. David Geffens phone number is briefly glimpsed on a notepad. Even theSmells Like Teen Spirit video is overlaid with a version of the song sung by a childrens choir.

Instead, we get the unfiltered Kurt experience, all disturbing sketches, poems in progress and aspirational lists. We also get a disjointed, disorienting look at fame through his eyes, seen as a jumble of shows, news reports and vapid TV interrogations that all bleed together. And we get an uncomfortably intimate look at his life with Courtney, including self-shot close-ups of the couple making out, bitching about their treatment in the press and a pregnant Love showing off her breasts. This is a couple drunk on love, and per the glossy-to-tabloid reports that Morgen sprinkles in, often high on drugs. But its that first part that really comes across, especially when Frances Bean Cobain enters the picture. Frances told me that, People act like my dad was Santa Claus,' Morgen said after the screening. And he wasnt Santa Claus. I think she realized that after seeing the movie. Kurt was a doting dad, even when outside pressures put him on edge or his health problems zonked him out. His love for his child was always public knowledge, but witnessing him rolling around on the floor with her as she cracks up drives the point home. This is not a spokesman for a generation. This is a human being, and a husband, and a father.

Which just makes it that much more heartbreaking to watch Kurt unravel via violent voicemails and pages of his notebook that attest to a cry for help one entry is simply the phrase Go kill yourself repeated over and over. The most haunting moment comes when Rolling StonesDavid Fricke can be heard over the soundtrack asking Cobain about theIn Utero outtake I Hate Myself and Want to Die: Either youre being really satirical, or youre going to a real dark place here. Kurts response is a laugh thats positively chilling.

But as the director himself said when questioned about why he didnt go into Kurts passing, I didnt want to make a celebration of deathI wanted to make a celebration of life. Anyone could have crafted a documentary about a band. Morgens experimental, road-less-traveled approach does something thats much deeper: letting you feel as if youve pored through someones scrapbook. You get the sense that Kurt would have liked this. As for his fans, be prepared to meet the man you admire, warts and all.

Check out ourSundance page for complete coverage of the 2015 festival.

The Last Word: Michael Moore on Trump, Springsteen and Where Were Headed

On July 21st, 2016 at a time when nearly every political pundit and member of the mainstream media thought that Donald Trump didnt have even a chance of beating Hillary Clinton Michael Moore went public with his belief that the Republican candidate was going to win. You are living in a bubble that comes with an adjoining echo chamber where you and your friends are convinced the American people are not going to elect an idiot for president, he wrote in a pleading messages to Americans, urging them to wake up to the danger. You alternate between being appalled at him and laughing at him because of his latest crazy comment or his embarrassingly narcissistic stance on everything because everything is about him You need to exit that bubble right now.

Sitting at a booth at the midtown Manhattan restaurant Cafe Un Deux Trois one day after the final night of his Broadway play The Terms of My Surrender, Moore is no mood to gloat that he was right. I never wanted to be more wrong about anything in my life, he says. I was trying to tell anybody who was connected to the Clinton campaign that she needed to get out to Michigan and Wisconsin. Days before the election,The New York Times said he had a 15 percent chance of winning. Why would you believe anything The New York Times says after that? This is a paper that, like much of the media, has been out of touch. Theyre still distracted about all the wrong things about Trump, and they are in many ways contributing to his being in office until January 2025.

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Throughout a 40 minute conversation we spoke with Moore about Trumps odds of reelection, Bob Dylan, George W. Bush, Stanley Kubrick and why he really wishes he never lost touch with one particular ex-girlfriend.

Whats the best part of success?
When I sold my first film [1989s Roger & Me], I was still getting $98 a week in unemployment welfare checks. After that, I never again had to follow the orders of someone else. Now, everything I say and do is literally what I want it to be. The audience can trust that the invisible hand of authority, of the profit motive, is nowhere in the mix.

Whats the worst part of success?
Probably the attempts on my life. I have documented them. Im not afraid. I dont live in constant fear. I just would like to have a little more time on Earth.

Whats the best advice youve ever received?
I remember being in a church and listening to Jesse Jackson say that you cant get into heaven without a permission slip from the poor. Your life should be evaluated by what you did for those who had less than you.

Who are your heroes?
Any of a number of artists that march to their own drummer: Salvador Dali, Bob Dylan, Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, the Marx Brothers, Kubrick. People who are willing to invent something, take it to the edge.

Dylan and Kubrick were both willing to create something totally perfect and then never do anything else like it ever again.
Right. And they didnt listen to what anybody was saying. Read some of the early reviews of Dylan preforming in the Village. Those reviews were meant to put him to rest. Read the reviews of Dr. Strangelove the day it came out, ripping it apart. They never listened to any of that stuff. They only listened to themselves and they trusted that enough people liked them that would probably like it.

I tell this to kids in film schools too. Make the film you want to make and then trust that out of a nation of 320 million, 319 million may hate what you have done. But if a million love it, just one million, and see it at your opening week at the box office, you will make $50 million. So fuck it. Just do what you want to do.

What music still moves you the most?
Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Motown, Iggy Pop, the Clash, Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy. Anything that tapped into the part of me that wanted to rebel and to stop the evil forces in front of us.

What drew you to Springsteen?
He really captured the voice of a white working-class experience. Hes somebody that didnt go to college. We had a similar experience in the sense of growing up in that environment, and his music is extremely moving on that level.

What was your favorite book as a child and what does it say about you?
Well, in grade school my favorite books were all the Sherlock Holmes books. I loved the idea of a character who was a little deranged, but used his brain to solve a problem. In high school, I would say Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown. It was really the definitive history of Native Americans. As a teenager not really having heard that before, not knowing that was so shocking, so mind-numbingly terrifying, that this country I live in was founded on this kind of genocide. And then built on the backs of slaves. They are the two original sins that we have yet to make amends for.

Whats your favorite movie?
A Clockwork Orange. It was bone-chilling. As a teenager sneaking into what was then an X-rated film, Kubricks vision of the future and the way fascism and how it was going to take place. it wasnt going to happen with Storm Troopers. It was going to happen in a different way.

Youre from Flint, Michigan. Whats the most Flint thing about you?
Bad eating habits. You will never eat a better hot dog than in Flint. We call them Coney Islands. The absolute best bakery is in Davison, Michigan, just outside of Flint. Its called Home Bakery. No doughnut anywhere can hold a candle to these doughnuts.

What I also love about Flint is the complete lack of pretension. I have been fortunate enough to see both a thriving middle class in Flint, as well as the exact opposite of that. The city that created the middle class is now treated like a Third World country.

The Democratic Party is going to lead us to more losses. People reading this have to run for office.

What advice do you wish you could give yourself at age 21?
Oh my God um Call Lynn Sharon and go out with her more. Thats spelled L-y-n-n S-h-a-r-o-n

Publicist: Are you sure thats not off the record?

No. I dont care. What does it matter at this age?

Why her?
Because she was a wonderful, wonderful person. On our first date she took me out to the Floyd McCree Theatre in Flint to a production of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. She won my heart at that moment.

When was the last time you spoke to her?
I just wished her a happy birthday on Facebook last week, but I havent seen her in um, jeez the last time that I saw her was probably 1990. [Softly] So, thats yeah thats my advice. Follow your heart.

Is there anything about Donald Trump that you admire?
[Long Pause] I am pausing to think because hes a human being and I am trying to see if there is some place where I can give him the benefit of the doubt. Every human deserves that. Having thought about it, no. I know what a lot of people do admire about him. They may not agree with his politics, but they love the fact that he can just say whatever is in his head. And who wishes that they couldnt have that? Sitting in your cubicle wishing you could fucking say whatever was floating through your head.

Imagine youre talking to an unemployed factory worker in Michigan and he says, I love Trump. He speaks his mind. He understands my anger. Hes shaking things up. I dont care things arent getting through Congress. My life didnt get better under Bill Clinton, George W. Bush or Barack Obama. I wanted something completely different and I dont regret it.
Message delivered. You got your message through. Everybody has heard you loud and clear. You threw a Molotov Cocktail into the system and now he is in the process of blowing everything up. So congratulations, you have succeeded.

But now what are we going to do? Because you really dont want him to take away your healthcare, do you? And you really dont want him to take away your pension or your Medicare when you are old. You dont want any of that to happen. So now everybody has got the message, lets fix this. Lets figure out what we can do because you know hes not the answer. You know hes not actually fixing anything. You have [been] done in by the system and you have a right to be angry.

You didnt say the person was white, but it was implied. Id also say that you have been abused by the system. You have a right to be angry. Do you think African Americans have also been abused by the system? Do you think Hispanics have been abused by the system? They dont go in the voting booth and say, I want to vote for the hater. Im going to vote for the bigot, thats how I am going to get my anger out. They go in and in large number vote for the candidate that stands for love and peace and understanding and tolerance. They do that even though they have had the crap kicked out of them. You need to raise your bar and aspire to that level of what Blacks and Hispanics have been able to do. To say, Im still going to go in there and still going to try to vote for the right person even though the whole system is rigged against me.

Do you view George W. Bush any differently when you compare him to Trump?
[Sternly] No. No. Not at all. No. And my condolences to the nearly 10,000 parents who lost a son or a daughter in the Iraq war and more in the never-ending war in Afghanistan. No, absolutely not. To those who died on 9/11, had he bothered during his vacation in August 2001 to read the report that Bin Laden was set to attack the United States possibly with planes, maybe, we dont know now, but maybe it could have been prevented. No. He has forever those deaths from those wars on his conscience. That blood is on his hands and we havent recovered from it.

What are the percent odds that Trump gets reelected?
Youre asking me to be Nate Silver. I reject Nate Silver-ism. But Id say theres a 55% chance of Trump being reelected. Better than half. We will get more popular votes in the next election than we did the last one. Absolutely that I believe, but will he win the same states? As of now, yes.

How could Trump be so smart about tapping into the anger of the white working-class people that have nothing in common with him?
One of the things I do early on in my play is I tell the audience they are in a 12-step program with me. And I want them to repeat after me. Step one, Donald Trump outsmarted us all. I am being generous by including myself in the us because he didnt outsmart me; I knew this was going to happen. Trump was smarter than the entire DNC. Smarter than the Clinton campaign. Smarter than Nate Silver. Smarter than all of them.

The Democratic Party establishment is going to lead us to more losses. People reading this need to understand that the only people who are going to save us are us. People reading this have to run for office. People reading this have to find someone to run in their district that is going to win. Run an Iraq War veteran who is a good progressive Democrat. Run a woman. Run a beloved government teacher. If you keep listening to the New York Times, if you keep listening to the DNC, we will get the same results. We have got to think way outside the box now. We have to think way way outside the box. Also, please tattoo on your forearm, Bush got two terms. Look at that every day. Bush got two terms.

When you look ahead 20 years do you think America will be better off or worse off than it is now?
In 20 years we will be better off.

Why?
Because we are going to end this. But you may have to scrape the bottom of the barrel I am sad to say. Two-term Trump is called the bottom of the barrel and then the country will respond to that.

Oscars the Morning After: What Sucked and What Didnt?

Slumdog Millionaire swept the Oscars with 8 wins. Who predicted that? Practically everyone.

Photo: Merritt/Getty

Kate Winslet won Best Actress for The Reader, just like the cover of Time magazine insisted she would do three days earlier. The arrogant stunt almost made me root for her to lose. Heath Ledger of The Dark Knight became the second actor in history to win an Oscar after his death (following Peter Finch for 1976s Network). No surprise there. There would have been a riot if he didnt.

You get my point. Shock and awe were noticeably absent from last nights Oscarcast, except maybe for the cult of Mickey The Wrestler nominee for Best Actor had recently mourned the death of his beloved chihuahua Loki. The cultists wanted to see Comeback Kid Rourke leave fellow nominee (and winner) Sean Penn crying over spilt Milk. My fave comment around the Rolling Stone office went: The Academy just spit on Lokis grave!

My, my. So the talk today centers not on who won or lost but the show, produced by the Dreamgirls team of Bill Condon and Larry Mark. How the hell was it? My reaction was like and loathe.

Photo: Winter/Getty

I liked Hugh Jackman as host, especially in the opening number when he did a love duet as David Frost to Anne Hathaways Richard Nixon.

I loathed the big centerpiece production number, chaotically choreographed by Jackmans Australia director Baz Luhrmann, in which Hugh and Beyonce sang a mishmash medley of movie songs that combined West Side Story with Jesus Christ Superstar. And the addition of High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, plus Mamma Mia! lovers Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper, felt like a major beg for the youth audience (watch us, please!). Big mistake. Any smart kid past puberty would bolt for the exits.

I liked the idea of having former Oscar winners come on stage and talk directly to a 2009 acting nominee. I have never seen Robert De Niro more relaxed, funny and genuine than he was referring to his pal Sean Penn (How did he do it? How, for so many years, did Sean Penn get all those straight roles?) And a laser-eyed Shirley MacLaine was refreshingly blunt giving a cheer to the potential of Rachel Getting Married nominee Anne Hathaway. It didnt all work. Nicole Kidmans tribute to Changeling nominee Angelina Jolie had the feel of a cattle prod. But still, a good idea to keep and nurture.

I loathed the fact that last years acting winners, Daniel Dy Lewis (There Will Be Blood) and Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) couldnt interrupt their schedules to be there and pass the torch the way 2008 winners Marion Cotillard (Le Vie en Rose) and Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) did in their categories.

Photo: Winter/Getty

I liked the elegant wit Steve Martin and Tina Fey brought to their roles as presenters of the writing awards. It has been said that to write is to live forever, said Fey. Countered Martin: The man who said that is dead. Even better was the way Martin caught Fey glancing at him as he spoke. Do NOT fall in love with me, he warned. Someone get these two a movie.

I loathed the presenter pairing that put Jennifer Aniston (with Jack Black) directly in front of nominees Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and then had the camera act all coy about catching the Brangelina reactions, except for a quick glimpse of Jolie faking a smile. It was a peekaboo setup designed to make us all feel guilty for looking.

I liked (make that loved) the Judd Apatow-produced bit showing Pineapple Express stoners James Franco and Seth Rogen watching dead-serious fare (The Reader, Doubt) and laughing like hyenas. Also, the erotic charge they felt looking at Franco and Penn make out in Milk. Best of all was Franco mistaking The Love Guru for Slumdog Millionaire. Who said satire died at the Oscars?

I loathed the other clip jobs action, romance, etc that slowed down the show to a crawl. And for what purpose? To highlight hit movies that audiences loved and the Academy ignored? And the inserts of classic clips from the likes of Casablanca and 12 Angry Men into the final montage of Best Picture nominees was not only confusing but a major insult to the new movies. What, they werent good enough, even on their Big Night?

I laughed out loud at Ben Stillers impersonation of a bearded, zonked-out Joaquin Phoenix.

I laughed not at all at Eddie Murphys humorless, graceless presentation of a humanitarian award to Jerry Lewis, whose masterwork The Nutty Professor Murphy ripped off and called an hommage.

I liked the spontaneous moment when Philippe Petit, whose Man On Wire took the documentary prize, balanced the Oscar on his chin.

I loathed the setup of having Cuba Gooding, Jr. introduce Robert Downey, Jr.s performance in Tropic Thunder, turning Downeys brilliant turn as an Aussie playing a black soldier into a cheap race joke.

I liked, for Best Acceptance Speech, Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black movingly telling us why he took the film personally; Supporting Actress winner Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) asking has anyone ever fainted up here?; director winner Danny Boyle unable to contain his joy over the Slumdog sweep; and especially actor winner Sean Penn thanking the Commie-and-homo-loving sons of guns who voted him in and berating those who passed Prop 8 in California and banned gay marriage. How do you not give props to an actor who admits, I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me.

I loathed the Mickey sore losers who have so little faith in Rourke that they think The Wrestler is his last chance to win an Oscar. Have faith, people.

OK, enough of me. I give the show high marks as a whole, and the overnights suggest the ratings are marginally up. What were the moments on last nights Oscarcast that youll want to remember or will work hard to forget? Let me know at asktravers@rollingstone.com.

BlacKkKlansman: Spike Lees New Film About KKK Infiltration Gets First Trailer

Spike Lee highlights the fascinating true story of Ron Stallworth, an African-American detective who resolves to take down the Ku Klux Klan, in the magnetic first trailer for his upcoming film BlacKkKlansman.

The clip opens with Stallworth (John David Washington) applying for and receiving a job at the Colorado Springs Police Department, where he becomes the first-ever black officer. Theres never been a black cop in this city, his superior informs him. We think you might be the man to open things up around here.

After settling into the new gig, Stallworth hatches a plan to infiltrate the KKK using his veteran colleague Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) as his in-person proxy at their meetings. Posing as a white man on the phone, he calls up Grand Wizard David Duke (Topher Grace) and manages to set up an introduction. I hate blacks. I hate Jews, Mexicans and Irish, Italians and Chinese, he says. But my mouth to Gods ears, I really hate those black rats and anyone else really that doesnt have pure white Aryan blood running through their veins.

Zimmerman meets with the KKK members and learns of their plans for a big year filled with cross burnings and marches. Meanwhile, as the Black Power movement builds momentum, we learn from the KKK that a wars a comin.

Jordan Peele (Key & Peele, Get Out) co-produced BlacKkKlansman, which hits theaters on August 10th.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Do you remember how gobsmacked we were in 2011 when Rise of the Planet of the Apes opened and we all thought it would suck and, well, it didnt? Sequel fatigue from four follow-ups to the stellar 1968 original, plus Tim Burtons plodding 2001 reboot, had left us with less than zero expectations. And then, pow, Rise got our adrenaline pumping with actors playing apes in motion-capture suits, using digital technology to help register ferocity and feeling, even in the subtlest eye blink. We were hooked.

The good news about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, set a decade after Rise, is that the apes look even better. Hell, theyre running, stomping, gun-toting, horseback-riding, English-speaking wonders. The downside is that the success of Rise built up impossible hopes for Dawn. Maybe the human actors wouldnt be so lame, maybe the grunting plot clichs would be banished to the next Michael Bay film.

That didnt happen. Still, within the fertile area between promise and execution, Dawn is dynamite entertainment, especially in the rousing first hour. Taking over the directing reins from Rises Rupert Wyatt, Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) pinballs us right into the action. The simian virus that James Franco concocted in the last film has enhanced the ape brain but near-decimated the human population. The apes who fled into the woods outside San Francisco are now in charge. Just watch alpha ape Caesar, again played by the indisputably great Andy Serkis, lead his band of brothers as they swing from trees, attack a herd of elk and then vanquish a giant bear. Youll be astonished at what film can do in the digital era. Rise was basically shot in a studio. In Dawn, Reeves and cinematographer Michael Seresin bring the 3D technology right out into real space, the forests of Vancouver standing in for Northern Cali. The effect inspires awe, making you wish that Dawn could truly be a planet of just apes.

Its a bummer when the damn dirty humans show up, trying to regain the upper hand. The apes are horrified. I was, too. No slur on the actors. Thats the esteemed Gary Oldman as a nutso ex-cop who blames the apes for killing his family. And Jason Clarke does what he can as an architect and widower trying to raise his teen son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) while romancing a medic (Keri Russell) and rebuilding a power plant. But how can they counteract a script by Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver that gets silly, especially when the chimps indulge in halting English: Ape no kill ape?

Critic no kill plot twists, except to say that the climactic battle is a humdinger. Save the biggest cheer for Serkis, whose triumphant performance is the gold standard in mo-cap acting. Caesars desire for peace puts him in mortal conflict with Koba (the superb Toby Kebbell), an ape who seeks the annihilation of all mankind. In case you miss the point that the same split exists in the human community, the script hammers it home repeatedly. As profundity, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes falls short. As spectacle, its a groundbreaker.

James Gunn to Direct Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn announced on his Facebook page yesterday that he will direct Marvels upcoming live-action film Guardians of the Galaxy.

I am rewriting and directing Guardians of the Galaxy. As a lifelong lover of Marvel comics, space epics AND raccoons, this is the movie Ive been waiting to make since I was nine years old. Kevin [Smith], Joss [Whedon] and all the folks at Marvel have been amazing collaborators so far, and were committed to bringing you something majestic, beautiful and unique, Gunn wrote. I am incredibly excited.

Gunn teased an August 2014 release for Guardians. He also visited superheroes in his last film, 2010s Super, and is best known for writing and directing the 2006 horror-comedy Slither.

See Justice League Form to Honor Superman in New Trailer

Fresh off Wonder Woman hosting Saturday Night Live, Warner Bros. has unveiled the latest trailer for Justice League, the DC Cinematic Universes superhero blockbuster.

As opposed to previous Justice League previews, the latest trailer is distinct in that it puts Henry Cavills Superman front-and-center instead of simply teasing his presence. Here, Clark Kent is shown in a pre-Dawn of Justice flashback, cementing that Superman will feature in Justice League in some capacity.

The addition of Joss Whedon to the film is also felt in the lighter tone of the new trailer: Even though violence, acts of war and terrorism are all on the rise following the death of Superman, Justice League now projects added humor and excitement thats more in line with the acclaimed Wonder Woman than director Zack Snyders grim caped hero predecessors.

The trailer also utilizes Gang of Youths cover of David Bowies Heroes.

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Supermans selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy, the films synopsis reads.

Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroesBatman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flashit may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Justice League opens November 17th.

Will Ferrell Accepts RHCP Chad Smiths Drum Challenge

Will Ferrell has accepted Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer/Ferrell doppelganger Chad Smiths drum battle for charity.

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In a video posted last week via Funny or Die, Smith called out his lookalike Ferrell for his drumming abilities or lack thereof. Ive seen your skills, says Smith. You dont got em.During Smiths recent Reddit AMA, Ferrell responded, writing, Hi, Chad. Will Ferrell here. I sawyour videoand I graciously accept your invitation to a drum battle. If we canraise $300,000 for Cancer for CollegeI will face off with you in the greatest drum vs. cowbell showdown the world has ever seen.We can do it on stage at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert or in front of a mutually convenient public library. Your call.Also, would you rather fight a hundred duck sized ducks or one horse sized horse?

Smith poked at Ferrell earlier in the AMA. When asked if the drum battle would actually happen, the drummer replied, Mr. Ferrell is a delusional imposter. It seems to me that he has gone off his meds and he needs to seek professional help because I am obviously more talented and handsome than he is. You know, his cowbell work is well-documented, but his drumset skills are nominal based on Step Brothers the film. Other than wiping his testicles on the drums, which of course I give high marks to.

Tell Will Ferrell anytime, anyplace, Ill take him down. I dont want to embarrass him, but Id say dont bring your family. Especially children. I dont want them to see this.After the AMA, Smith tweeted a picture of himself giving blood with the caption, Gettin juiced for the drum battle.

The uncanny resemblance between the two stars received renewed notice since Ferrell answered a question about it in his AMA earlier this month, but its hardly the first time someone has noticed it. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Smith was told that after Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared on the cover, everyone thought he was the comedian. After mentioning that he didnt think they looked alike, he recounted the only time the two met each other.

It was at the premiere of Ladies Man many years ago, said Smith. Im looking at Will and thinking, People really think I look like him? I dont fucking look like that. He looks me up and down and says, Youre very handsome, and walks away. Totally deadpan. I was like, Youre funny. Youre funny.'

No date or location has been determined for the battle.

At the Toronto Film Festival: Kurt Cobain Narrates His Own Bio Film From the Grave

The highly anticipated documentary Kurt Cobain: About A Son had its world premiere last night at Torontos Cumberland Theatre, leading a slew of music-centric films slated to debut at the Toronto Film Festival later this week. Director AJ Schnack culled 25 hours of audiotaped interviews conducted by writer Michael Azerrad for his 1993 book Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana; the effect is that Cobain narrates his own story.

The soundtrack, curated by Seattle musician/producer (and Nirvana collaborator) Steve Fisk and Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard, compiles music that served as inspiration for the singer; no Nirvana music is included, which may upset some fans. But the candid conversations with Azerrad that make up the bulk of the film offer a nice glimpse of Cobains humor and foresight. I hope people get a sense of him that they havent before, Schnack said before the screening.

David Spade Explains Why He Didnt Attend Chris Farleys Funeral

Its been nearly two decades since Chris Farley died. But his Tommy Boy and Black Sheep costar, David Spade, said that he thinks of the physical comedy genius every day in a Reddit AMAsession Wednesday. Recalling stories about their time together on Saturday Night Live to his decision not to attend Farleys funeral, Spade wrote his answers with detail and candor. He also discussed his film and TV career beyond Farley, including a surprising number of questions about his 2001 movie The Adventures of Joe Dirt and his magazine-themed sitcom Just Shoot Me. Here are the five most revealing moments from the discussion.

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1. Chris Farley had no inhibitions in real life.
Me, him and Adam Sandler were walking to dinner, during SNL, and this cute girl was getting in a cab, and we commented how pretty she was, Spade wrote. So Chris ran over and climbed in the cab with her, and said, Hey, you goin downtown? Lets share a cab! and she started yelling at him and kicking him. And he finally came back, and we said, Chris, if they dont know who you are, you are just a crazy fat guy trying to climb in a cab with them. And then we all laughed, it was very funny to us. He would do stuff like that for us every day to make us laugh.

2. Farley used to do Fat Guy in a Little Coat around the office.
Chris was always doing that bit to me at work, Spade wrote. We shared an office, and you had to walk through our office to get to Chris Rock and Adam Sandlers office, so these two microscopic offices were back to back, and Chris desk was behind mine, and he didnt really know how to write, or read, really (kidding!) but he would come in bored, because I would have to write my sketches to try to get on but they would always let him on, so he would get behind me and be bored, everyone would write him sketches, and he would say, Davey. . . Turn around, and I said, If this is Fat Guy in a Little Coat, Im not turning around. Its not funny anymore. And he would say, No, Ive got a whole new thing Im doing. And then Id turn around, and it would be him in my Levi jacket, and he would say, Fat guy in little coat! Dont you give up on it!

And so when we did Tommy Boy, we were just looking for jokes and scenes to make them better, and we decided that was funny to us, maybe it would be funny to there people, he continued. So we put Fat Guy in a Little Coat in, and he sang it (which was funny, and not the plan), and then we had to cut the coat in the back to make sure it would rip. So that was a long answer for the question of Did he really rip it? We had to make sure it would rip, and sound funny, so we had to help it a little bit.

3. People misunderstood why David Spade did not attend Farleys funeral.
I think about him all the time, he wrote. We had such a good time for so long and we were crammed together for so long that we did have our squabbles, but I think people misunderstood me not going to that funeral. It was nothing about that. It was just too. . . emotional and I wouldnt be able to handle it.

4. Spade had to ask Def Leppards permission for Kid Rock to yell Def Leppard sucks in Joe Dirt.
When you do a movie, and you use a song, or a band, or an image on a T-shirt of a band, theres a quiet clause stating that you cant say anything negative about them, he wrote. And its sort of just understood if theyre selling you a song, or letting you use a T-shirt, youre going to be respectful. So that line was not in the script, but I asked Kid Rock to yell it to me when I ran off, so I could make an extra whimper, like that was a real dagger. And so when we did it, we couldnt put it in the movie yet until I talked to Def Leppards manager to make sure that was OK. So I called someone, cause we originally couldnt put it in, and said, Hey, is there any way we can do this? And I had to explain that Kid Rock is the bad guy, he doesnt like Def Leppard, but the good guy does. And they were very cool because they got that and let us use it.

5. Spade knows the value of a good magazine cover (and a good TV show).
If I didnt have Just Shoot Me, I wouldnt have had a lot of stuff, he wrote. I would have never gotten a cover of Rolling Stone, I never would have gotten the house I had, and I got to work with fun people and do a show that I was proud of. He also credits a certain magazine with giving Kid Rock an edge over him with impressing women around the time he made Joe Dirt. It was my movie, but he had a slight advantage, because he had a Rolling Stone cover during the shooting, he said. Which is a real good move. So I had to compete with that.

Watch Will Smiths Genie Belt Friend Like Me in New Aladdin Trailer

Disney unveiled an extended look at their new live-action remake of Aladdin, which is set to hit theaters May 24th. The new clip teases director Guy Ritchies take on several classic scenes and songs from the original animated film, starting with the palace guards chasing Aladdin through the streets of Agrabah. Later, Will Smiths Genie belts a bit of his version of Friend Like Me, while the trailer closes with Aladdin and Jasmine singing A Whole New World as they fly over the city.

The new version of Aladdin will star Mena Massoud in the title role, while Naomi Scott will play Jasmine. Marwan Kenzari will play Jafar, Billy Magnussen will play Prince Anders and Nasim Pedrad will play Dalia.

Aladdin is one of several planned live-action adaptations of classic Disney films set to be released in the coming years. Already the studio has released remakes of The Jungle Book and The Beauty And the Beast, while Tim Burtons take on Dumbo arrives March 28th and a live-action Lion King starring Donald Glover and Beyonc as Simba and Nala will hit theaters July 19th.

Mutants Get Sixties Swagger in X-Men: First Class

Peter Travers was almost certain that X-Men: First Class would suck as much as X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but as it turns out, it's actually one of the better movies of the summer so far. The film, which follows the early adventures of Professor X and Magneto in the Sixties, is a bit too overstuffed with mutant characters, but James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are both excellent and the picture has a charming Bond-like swagger.

This Week's Reviews:

X-Men: First Class

Submarine

Beginners

Beautiful Boy

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Scores Record-Setting $238 Million Weekend

The most anticipated movie of 2015 put up the best opening weekend of all time as Star Wars: The Force Awakensshattered nearly every box office record on its way to an astounding $238 million weekend in North America alone. By weekends end, The Force Awakens could soar past $245 million to lock down the biggest opening weekend ever, toppling the previous champ, Jurassic Worlds $208 million opening, The Hollywood Reporter writes.

Episode VII also generated another $279 million internationally, pushing its overall haul to $517 million. Thats good enough for Number Two all time behind Jurassic Worlds combined box office of $525 million, although that blockbuster benefitted from a Chinese release that same week; China which never caught Star Wars fever, as Stephen Colbert pointed out wont get The Force Awakens in theaters until January 9th.

The Force Awakens also cruised to the best December opening of all time, trouncing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journeys $84.6 opening weekend in 2012, and put it on a trajectory to perhaps usurp James Camerons Avatar as the all-time box office king; Avatar opened up with a now-modest $77 million during the December 17th weekend in 2009 on its way to a record-holding $2.8 billion bounty.

The Force Awakens also set North American records for widest December release, biggest Thursday night previews, fastest film to $100 million and $200 million at the box office, biggest IMAX opening and highest per-theater average for a wide release ($58,000). As Variety notes, the film has already earned more than its reported $200 million production budget, and with school vacations set to start this week, next weeksbox office should continue to rake in the tickets.

By comparison, the weekends Number Two film, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, drew $14 million in its opening week. The Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy Sisters opened at Number Three with $13.4 million