Taylor Swift is in this email.
Technically it's her music video release party, but I'll take what I can get.
THE QUOTE đŹ đŹ
âWhatâs he like?
God? Lonely. But funny. Heâs got a great sense of humor. Take sex for example, thereâs nothing funnier than the ridiculous faces you people make mid-coitus.
Sex is a joke in heaven?
The way I understand it, itâs mostly a joke down here, too.â
hint: a religious movie, if a wee bit blasphemous
THINK THOUGHTS đ
Lots to cover this week so going to keep it short here.
But I will comment briefly on the story of the moment, which is an AI âactor" causing a heck of a lot of hullabaloo.
Could âthe next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portmanâ be an AI avatar? - NPR
NPR frames it provocatively because of course âTilly Norwood,â this named AI avatar, couldnât be the next Portman or Johansson. Cuz theyâre real, and Norwood is not. But that might not matter depending on what you need from an âactor.â
Though to be clear, she hasnât appeared in anything yet (besides social posts), itâs just the mere presence and possibility thatâs causing the headlines. And itâs very clear sheâs AI generated (at least I think it is??).
But this will not be going away. Because ChatGPT maker OpenAI also just launched Sora 2, their updated video creation tool and a TikTok like app to create and watch other peopleâs creations.
I donât have time, nor is this the venue to get into the broader implications for the world, but itâs pretty clear this type of âcontentâ will be with us going forward, so it makes sense to try and figure out how we want to deal with it.
Because as we know, humans gonna human, and that means if the silly stuff people make on this Sora app is entertaining enough, or the creators of Norwood are able to make her believable as a person in compelling scenarios, people will watch.
But humans also love other practical real live humans. Itâs pretty innate. So yes we get sucked into the fake and imaginary, but I would argue we connect best with it when itâs connecting us to other humans. Whether itâs through empathy, shared beliefs or even dancing tiny little chefs who evoke a certain humanistic quality.
So yes, the world will be different than it was, but it will also always be the same as it is.
NEWSY BITS đŸ
âVeepâ Creator Armando Iannucci Struggling To Fund Trump Project Amid MAGA Retribution Fears - hmmm - Deadline
Trump announces 100% tariff on foreign-made movies - a sequel to the first one that never happened. As in this threat has been levied before. Thereâs still no date set for when (and if?) these taxes tariffs would start. - CNN
NOTABLE NEW RELEASE(S) đ & đș
The Smashing Machine
Thatâs The Rock
Aka Dwayne Johnson.
Aka The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment
What, couldnât you identify him by his pecs and biceps alone? The dudeâs been half-naked for most of his adult life to the point itâs almost weird see him with clothes on. But while heâs always been a performer, thereâs definitely haters out there whoâve asked, âbut is he an actOR?â
Writer/director Benny Safdieâs The Smashing Machine is his response and the answer seems to be an emphatic, âfuck yeah, and fuck you.â
Because while Johnsonâs face has been altered to resemble MMA fighter Mark Kerr, itâs still him, the same dude whoâs signature move to get a crowd in a frenzy was to simply raise an eyebrow. This movie gives him an opportunity to show that heâs capable of more than that, much more. To the point itâs likely heâll be nominated for Best Actor at next yearâs Academy Awards.
Is that reason enough to see the movie? Yeah, probably! As reviews say the performance is that good, and that while the rest of the movie is also good, it may not quite be at Johnsonâs level (though co-star Emily Blunt probably is, because of course she is), if only because it almost works too hard against the traditional sports formula.
Out: Friday
Where: Movie Theaters
Details: 2 hrs 3 mins | R | đ : 77%
Bone Lake
Sex. Violence. Double entendre titles. Great reviews.
I mean, what else do you want from your horror movies? Sure, itâs always nice if they give you crippling anxiety about closing your eyes for fear of falling asleep because a scarred-face man will terrify your dreams. But letâs not get greedy here.
Bone Lake is very much of the moment horror in that it has two couples who âaccidentallyâ book the same Airbnb for the weekend. No way! That neeeever happens (except in horror movies).
But itâs also showcasing an almost nostalgic tendency for a time when movies were intentionally sex forward because, yay sex stuff! đ„” But then itâs also modern again in that it doesnât just use its sexuality to titillate, but as a means to get at the nature of long term relationships. But that doesnât mean it wonât titillate, just that it doesnât seem like the kind of movie to ogle a woman taking off her bikini because âteenage boys!â
Cuz like, is that ever a good reason??
(editorâs note: um, remember Star Wars bro?)
Shit, good point.
Out: Friday
Where: Movie Theaters
Details: 1 hr 34 mins | R | đ : 96%
Good Boy
Itâs another horror movie.
Except this time, the main character is an adorable pup named Indy and the story is told entirely from his perspective. Humans are there, but theyâre almost always just out of frame and itâs up to Indy to stop the creepy crawlies that have begun to appear after he and his owner moved to a remote cabin in the woods.
Look, I know what youâre thinkingâŠ
âDOES THE DOG DIE AT THE END???â
âŠbecause youâre screaming it at the screen.
âIâM NOT WATCHING IF THE DOG DIES AT THE END!!!!!â
Iâm not (that big of) an idiot, I understand the amount of pure ânope!â this movie is going to inspire is probably unrivaled because the distress animals in peril can cause is astronomical. But apparently the reviews say it justifies the emotional toll it may take because itâs not just about using Indy to terrify you, but remind you why you care so damn much about your furry best friend in the first place.
And if you must know, you can visit DoesTheDogDie.com to get your answer.
Out: Friday
Where: Movie Theaters
Details: 1 hr 13 mins | R | đ : 91%
The Lost Bus
Director Paul Greengrass excels in kinetic, moment by moment movies where youâre seeing (characters based on) real people react in real time to unimaginable circumstances, like in Captain Phillips or United 93.
So take that into account when considering The Lost Bus, a story about a bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) and teacher (American Ferrera) trying to save a classroom of children from the wildfires in Paradise, Californiaâas the trailer will emphasize, the stateâs deadliest.
Because if it might seem on the surface like a straight forward rescue story, thereâs a lot of talent and skill working to present the story in the most compelling way possible. And reviews say it really is compelling. Exhausting even. But like in a good way? Even if the situation itself is so damn bad.
But thatâs why a movie like this can be compelling, to see the light through the darkness. That and to give your grip strength a boost.
Out: Friday
Where: AppleTV +
Details: 2 hrs 9 mins | R | đ : 83%
EXTRA CREDIT MOVIE(S) đ
Taylor Swift \ The Official Release Party of a Showgirl - Swift is doing an album release party in AMC theaters. Donât have tickets yet? Better hurry! Itâs only for this weekend. The reviews say⊠nothing. Come on, we know it doesnât matter. Playing in AMC Theaters Friday
Play Dirty - Massive amounts of casual violence. Quips. Mark Wahlberg. LaKeith Stanfield. Shane Black. The reviews say Blackâs styleâwho is famous for writing/directing action-comedies Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys, as well as writing Lethal Weaponâis still mostly welcome even if itâs not going to revive the genre to the 90âs days of hey. Streaming on Amazon Prime NOW
All of You - forgot to feature this sci-fi romance last week. Silly me! And oh how Iâm sure someone needed a love story. Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent!) and Imogen Poots are the bestest of friends who live in a future world where you can take a test to find your âsoulmate.â Quotes because what even is that? Well, these two crazy kids are about to find out. The reviews say itâs an endearing romance that plays it straight⊠for love. Streaming on AppleTV+ NOW
Anemone - Daniel Day-Lewisâ return to acting, as directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis (Daniel also co-wrote). The reviews say daddy Day-Lewis sure as hell didnât forget how to act, but that this (mostly) two-hander with Sean Bean about the aftermath of The Troubles in Ireland is a bit overly talky without enough payoff. Though there is still style to enjoy - even if some may consider it a wee bit pretentious. Playing in Limited Theaters Friday
Coyotes - Justin Long and Kate Bosworth (who are married in real life) play a couple who battle coyotes in a cheeky B-movie light horror. The reviews say it knows its horror movies, and itself, enough to be a fun gay old time. Playing in Limited Theaters Friday
THE TRAILERS âŻ
Jay Kelly - George Clooney is Jay Kelly. And Jay Kelly is George Clooney? Probably not, but this Noam Baumbach about a supremely famous actor questioning what itâs all for is certainly close enough to reality to raise questions. And yes, thatâs Adam Sandler, who playâs Clooneyâs, er, Kellyâs, manager.
In Your Dreams - Netflix might be on a role with good animated movies (see: KPop Demon Hunters) as this also looks fun. If not likely to reach KPop levelsâhow could you without the #1 song in the country for 7 weeks running.
Pillion - maybe unfair comparison, but looks like like a funny, gay Fifty Shades of Grey starring Alexander SkaarsgÄrd and Harry Melling from the Harry Potter movies.
Frankenstein - full trailer for Guillermo del Toroâs gothic take on the classic (starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi).
Greenland 2: Migration - ya know what, good for them. I donât imagine the filmâs creators thought their astroid destroys earth movie would spawn a sequel, but thatâs the power of Gerard Butler in total dad-movie mode.
A House of Dynamite - another look at Kathryn Bigelowâs real time âwarningâ film about nuclear war.