‘Rust’ set to premiere at Camerimage Festival, honoring Halyna Hutchins
Three years after a fatal on-set tragedy, the premiere of “Rust” is now only weeks away. The film was being shot in October 2021 when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally shot and killed.
The premiere for the movie is now set for next month at a film festival in Poland. “Rust” tells a story of a 13-year-old boy navigating through life in the 1880s after losing his parents.
The film’s team has emphasized their commitment to maintaining Halyna Hutchins’ artistic vision. Organizers of the film festival said it was important to celebrate her achievements and passion for cinematography as part of the event.
After the screening, there will be a panel featuring Director Joel Souza, who was also injured in the 2021 incident. Hutchins was best known for her work on films like “Archenemy,” “Blindfire” and “Darlin.”
In recognition of her contributions, she was posthumously awards honorary membership into the American Society of Cinematographers. The American Film Institute has also established a memorial scholarship fund in her name.
In the aftermath of her tragic death, Alec Baldwin faced manslaughter charges, which were later dismissed due to issues with evidence. Meanwhile, “Rust” armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed is currently serving an 18-month sentence. Her defense has requested a new trial, but was denied.
FCC commissioner: ‘Special shortcut’ allowed Soros to buy 200 radio stations
The Federal Communications Commission has approved a controversial deal that grants control of over 200 radio stations to a nonprofit funded by Democratic megadonor George Soros. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans in Congress, who argue it aims to influence the upcoming election. The House Oversight Committee is investigating the FCC’s handling of the approval process.
Audacy, a company currently in bankruptcy, holds radio station licenses from around the country in 40 media markets, reaching more than 165 million Americans.
The Soros-backed nonprofit, called the Fund for Policy Reform, will now acquire those stations, some of which are home to major conservative talk shows, including those hosted by Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin.
He questioned the motives behind the unique approval process, stating, “We have established over a number of years one way to get approval from the FCC when you have more than 25% foreign ownership, which this transaction does. It’s very much out of the ordinary; we’ll be creating a special shortcut just for this one entity backed ultimately by this George Soros group.”
In its letter to the FCC chairwoman, the House Oversight Committee sought answers, asserting, “By all appearances, the FCC majority isn’t just expediting, but is bypassing an established process to do a favor for George Soros and facilitate his influence over hundreds of radio stations before the November election.”
In response, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel defended the FCC’s decision, stating that the agency followed the same process in other recent bankruptcy-related cases. She characterized the criticism as “cynical and wrong.”
Daniel Day-Lewis returns to acting for his son’s directorial debut
Acclaimed Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired from acting seven years ago, but he will soon be returning to the silver screen for a movie close to his heart. The 67-year-old has confirmed that he will work with his son on a film.
Ronan Day-Lewis, the 26-year-old son of the actor, managed to convince his three time Oscar winning father to come out of retirement. The father-son duo will collaborate on the new film, titled “Anemone,” which they wrote together. Alongside Day-Lewis, the film reportedly stars Sean Bean and Samantha Morton.
Daniel Day-Lewis quit acting after his 2017 role in “Phantom Thread.” While he often took long breaks between roles, he described an intense “sadness” during the making of the film, which solidified his desire to stop acting.
He shared more about his retirement decision in an interview, saying, “All my life, I’ve talked about quitting, and this time, the urge just became a compulsion. It was just something I had to do.”
Since his retirement, Day-Lewis has kept a low profile, only making rare public appearances. One of those moments came in January, when he surprised the crowd at the National Board of Review Awards to present an honor to his old friend and director, Martin Scorsese.
The father-son movie that brings Day-Lewis back to the world of acting is already in production. The story is set to explore deep, complex relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, focusing on the powerful dynamics of family bonds.
Gov. Newsom, with Demi Lovato, signs bills to protect young actors, creators
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, just signed two bills into law meant to protect the earnings of children and teenagers involved in creating online content. The New York Times reported that some young influencers can make between $10,000 and $20,000 per post.
One of the legislation’s biggest supporters is singer Demi Lovato. She recently went on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” to call on Gov. Newsom to sign these bills.
“In order to make things different for future generations, there have to be protections put in place for minors of the digital age,” Lovato said.
“So we’re talking about families who are profiting off of social media, you know, minors need to be compensated for that. And there’s actually a bill on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk right now. He has until September 30 to sign it. And it advocates for the compensation of minors working on social media. Let’s go. Let’s get that signed and moving. Let’s go. Let’s go.” She continued.
And Newsom was watching. He discussed the issue with Lovato on the latest episode of his podcast, “Politickin’,” with cohosts Marshawn Lynch and Doug Hendrickson.
“She was attacking me Doug, on Fallon,” Newsom jokingly said on the podcast. “She’s saying, ‘This Newsom guy, we’re gonna track him down.’ And I think Fallon also said, ‘Newsom’s watching’ or something. I’m like, Jesus, this is next level pressure.”
But it seemed to get his attention. A video posted to the Democratic governor’s YouTube channel on Thursday, Sept. 26, showed him signing the legislation alongside Lovato.
One of the bills requires parents and guardians who feature their children in at least 30% of their online videos to set aside a percentage of earnings in trust accounts. Straight Arrow News reported on a similar law in Illinois that took effect in July.
The other bill expands on a law passed decades ago that protects child actors. Lovato, who rose to fame as a child actor on the Disney Channel released a documentary on Hulu this month titled “Child Star,” which took a close look at what it’s like growing up in front of the cameras, the good and the bad.
In their video, Newsom and Lovato explain how a child actor from a century ago who starred in Charlie Chaplin films is helping the social media creators of today.
“People don’t know who Jackie Coogan was,” Newsom said. “We wouldn’t be here. We’re building off Coogan’s Law. An actor back in the 1920s.”
This second bill expands the Coogan Law to include young creators who made content themselves for platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Under this law, 15% of a child actor’s earnings is put away in trusts until they turn 18.
Lovato is hoping her influence that helped create these new laws will lead to similar legislation across the country.
Batman makes history as first superhero honored with Hollywood star
After 85 years of fighting crime and captivating audience in different forms of media, Batman has reached a new milestone. Thursday, Sept. 26, the iconic superhero received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Batman has become the first superhero to receive such an honor. To top it off, he was also awarded a Guinness World Record for being the first superhero to get such a star.
This all traces back to 1939 when Batman, or Bruce Wayne, first debuted in “Detective Comics.” Alongside his loyal ally Commissioner Gordon, Batman became a fan favorite.
Though this is Batman’s first star, his connection to the Hollywood Walk of Fame isn’t new. Adam West, who portrayed the hero back in the 1960s TV series, was honored with a star in 2012. His sidekick Robin, played by Burt Ward, followed with his own star in 2020.
Batman is not the first fictional character to get a star, Mickey Mouse beat the caped crusader to that honor back in 1978. Batman’s star is number 2,790 on the walk.
What else does the dark knight have up and coming? A new comic book series, “Absolute Batman,” is set to launch on Oct. 9, and Batman’s legacy only continues to grow.