The Last Major Movie Studio in Hollywood
When you say “Hollywood,” what does it mean? Hollywood Boulevard? The Hollywood Hills? The Hollywood Sign? Or is it the culture—perhaps even the attitude— that’s come to be known as “so Hollywood”? At some point, Hollywood ceased to be where movies and dreams are made. You see, most of our movies (and TV shows) now are actually not shot in Hollywood, but somewhere else within the 30-mile studio zone—be it at one of the remaining movie ranches in the San Fernando or Santa Clarita Valleys, Universal City (Universal Studios), Burbank (Warner), Rancho Park (Fox), or Culver City (Sony). There’s just one major Hollywood studio that’s actually in Hollywood, and on the same property where it originally opened: Paramount Studios.
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1. The main gate of Paramount is an
iconic fixture in both the neighborhood and movies like Sunset Boulevard. 2. The Paramount Water Tank is a very visible Hollywood landmark. 3. At Stage 30, you can get an uninterrupted view of the Hollywood Sign. 4. Actors, costumers, setbuilders, and others all leave a little magic behind with each completed production. 5. Their prop house contains a hodgepodge of various items and costumes from productions of the past, present,
and future. 6. While you’re enjoying your time in
Hollywood, you can also visit the studio’s approximation of New York neighborhoods that it’s done a good job of convincing the world it really was New York.
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The Entire World is Streaming One major reason to consider a video streaming service over physical media for watching movies is the potential savings. If you buy one or more 4K UHD Blu-rays every month (typically $15-$30 depending on how recently they were released), it’s likely cheaper to subscribe to a video streaming service— at least as far as watching movies goes. However, if you only buy 4K UHD Blurays occasionally or only feel the need to buy standard DVDs or Blu-Rays, you might end up paying less over the same period compared to if you had subscribed to a video streaming service. HBO Max and Netflix’s Premium plan (the only tier that supports 4K streaming) cost the most of any of the on-demand services we’ve reviewed at $14.99 and $17.99 per month respectively. The Criterion Channel and Mubi are both $10.99 per month. At the lower end of the price range, Paramount+ is $9.99 per month, Prime Video is $8.99 per month, Disney+ charges $7.99 per month, and Ovid.tv is $6.99 per month. Hulu’s ad-supported plan, KweliTV, and Shudder are all $5.99 per month. For about $5 per month, you can get Apple TV+ or Filmatique. Crackle, Peacock, and Tubi are free, though you need to pay $4.99 per month to get all of Peacock’s content. Philo, a live TV service, is $20 per month, but that’s inexpensive for the category. On one hand, the constantly changing library of video streaming services may not appeal to people who like to rewatch movies from time to time. When you buy a physical disk, presumably it’s because that movie is one you specifically want to watch many times or otherwise keep for collection purposes. The fact that a service might not have all of the movies you
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want to watch is problematic, too. Other people may just like the prospect of having physical disks offline for eternity (unless you lose them). If you buy a digital movie from iTunes or Amazon, a recent lawsuit reminds us that digital content ownership may still be subject to factors outside your control. On the other hand, the opportunity to discover new films is a definite benefit of a changing library of movies. Mubi, for instance, updates its Now Streaming section of 30 curated films every day, so you always have something new to watch. There are ways to use video streaming services offline, too. Many services support offline downloads on mobile devices, for example. It may not be ideal to watch a movie on a small screen of a mobile device, but it’s still more convenient than carrying around a portable DVD player or laptop with a compatible disc drive.
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Saying Goodbye to Black Widow 5
Scarlett Johansson says leaving Black Widow behind feels ‘bittersweet’
ctress Scarlett Johansson said A she is proud of how her character
Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, evolved over time since her first appearance in 2010’s Iron Man 2. “When we see her in Iron Man 2 she’s a caricature of the person, reacting to all the male characters. She’s a leader and complicated when we see her in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). In Avengers: End Game (2019), she’s a fully formed person. It’s been progressive and I’m proud of that,” she told reporters during an online press conference on Thursday, June 24. Recalling her experience portraying Romanoff as “a very unique experience”, the acclaimed actress expressed excitement about presenting the Black Widow stand-alone film after over a decade in the role. On what she looks for when selecting projects she wants to work on, Johansson said she usually looks for opportunities to collaborate with directors she admires. “Sometimes I’ll find a great script and then bring it to a director. But it always ends up being about that collaboration. That’s my greatest joy. I love working for directors and helping to make their vision a reality. That relationship is everything to me. It brings me great satisfaction,” the actress said. Director Cate Shortland described Black Widow as an action movie with a lot of heart, adding that Romanoff’s psychological journey is at the centre of the story. “It’s an action movie that’s driven by the desire to make the audience feel uplifted. Rather than being a black-and-white character, there’s ambiguity in Natasha. I think that’s what’s beautiful about this film and it’s about being true to her,” she explained. Shortland added, “What we tried to do was to make sure each action sequence moves the narrative for-
ward. The character would discover something more about herself or other relationships. If that wasn’t happening, the action sequence wasn’t working. The psychological journey that she was going on had to be part of the action sequences.” In Black Widow, Romanoff reunites with figures from her past – Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Red Guardian (David Harbor) – to destroy the perilous Red Room, a top-secret facility that trains young girls to become deadly weapons. The film was supposed to hit local theatres in April last year, but its release was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Johansson, what really separates Natasha from the other Avengers is that “her strength is in her vulnerability”.
“I think it’s great to go out on a high note” “Some of the other Avengers probably are not as comfortable about their vulnerabilities. It may be a male ego thing, I’m not sure, but she embraces that. I think that’s one of the qualities that makes her so endearing,” the actress said. Meanwhile, the director said they used humour to deliver the film’s message and were careful in portraying the characters as survivors, not victims. “I think it’s an important film. It’s about people who have a lack of control over their life and what they do to get that back and to feel loved and heard. I think women in the world have been going through that since the beginning
of time,” Shortland said. “It wouldn’t have been made without MCU’s preceding works such as Black Panther (2018) or DC’s Wonder Woman (2020) because they made studios believe there is an audience outside white men. I think that was also important. So I hope we’re opening the door for other filmmakers or actors to step through,” she added. For Johansson, Black Widow has a special meaning because she not only starred in the film, but also produced it. “It’s a movie we made because we wanted to, not because we had to. Everybody bonded together to tell the story about a character that I feel so much love and compassion for,” she said. “As a producer, I took part in the whole process and I really felt like I was heard throughout. I think I work best in situations where I’m able to collaborate with people that are at the top of their game, and we all challenge one another to think big and the best idea rises to the top. I think a producer’s job is to make it a safe place for that to happen and make sure that everyone is heard. I function well in that position so that was a revelation for me.” The actress also encouraged everyone to see the film in theatres. “This year has been an opportunity to reflect on our priorities , so I think the film coming out at just the right time when people can come together in theatres and celebrate the family that we choose,” Johansson said.
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Luca
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F9: The Fast Saga
In the Heights
PG/ 95 min/ Animation, PG-13/ 145 min/ Action, PG-13/ 143 min/ Drama, Adventure, Comedy Adventure, Crime Music, Musical On the Italian Riviera, Cipher enlists the help A film version of the an unlikely but strong of Jakob, Dom’s younger Broadway musical in friendship grows bebrother to take revenge which Usnavi, a sympatween a human being on Dom and his team. thetic New York bodega and a sea monster disDirector: Justin Lin owner, saves every penny guised as a human. Stars: Vin Diesel, Mi- every day as imagines and Director: Enrico Casa- chelle Rodriguez, Jordana sings about a better life. rosa Brewster, Tyrese Gibson Director: Jon M. Chu Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Stars: Anthony Ramos, Jack Dylan Grazer, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Emma Berman, Saverio Grace, Melissa Barrera Raimondo
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Fatherhood PG-13/ 109 min/ Comedy, Drama
A father brings up his baby girl as a single dad after the unexpected death of his wife who dies a day after their daughter’s birth. Director: Paul Weitz Stars: Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Lil Rel Howery, DeWanda Wise
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The Suicide Squad
R/ Action, Comedy A collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secert, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Director: James Gunn Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman
Top 10 Movies of 7
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Cruella
Raya and the Last Dragon
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
PG-13/ 134 min/ Comedy, Crime When Estella befriends fashion legend Baroness von Hellman, she embraces her wicked side to become the raucous and revenge-bent Cruella. Director: Craig Gillespie Stars: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser
PG/ 107 min/ Animation, Action, Adventure In a realm known as kumandra, a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization, a warrior named Raya is determined to find the last dragon. Directors: Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Paul Briggs, John Ripa Stars: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Izaac Wang
R/ 100 min/ Action, Comedy, Crime The bodyguard Michael Bryce continues his friendship with assassin Darius Kincaid as they try to save Darius’ wife Sonia. Director: Patrick Hughes Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas
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Infinite
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The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
PG-13/ 106 min/ Action, R/ 112 min/ Horror, Sci-Fi Thriller Mystery, Thriller A man discovers that his hallucinations are actually The Warrens investigate a murder that may be visions from past lives. linked to a demonic Director: Antoine Fuqua possession. Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Director: Michael Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sophie Chaves Cookson, Dylan O’Brien Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook
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How to find the 1. If you’re stressed, check out a comedy. That seems straightforward— after all, a tense movie might only make you more stressed—but there’s a real, biological reason for aiming for a chuckle. A study found that laughing while watching a comedic film causes your blood vessels to dilate by 22 percent, counteracting the effects of stress hormones. 2. Horror movies can have the opposite effect, increasing your cortisol levels even though you aren’t in any actual danger. But as long as you don’t have heart problems to worry about, this doesn’t mean the effects are all bad. The increased heart rate and spike in adrenaline are what make these flicks feel so thrilling to fans. 3. If you’re feeling lucky, you could leave it all up to chance with NetflixRoulette.net, which spits out a single option with each spin (click of a button). You can enter some basic criteria like genre and whether you’re looking for a movie or a television show, but the beauty is being told what to watch. 4. If you’re struggling with problems in your life, it might seem like a news documentary would help to put things in perspective, but studies show that it could make your own issues loom larger. In fact, just 15 minutes of watching negative news caused people to feel more “catastrophic” about concerns in their own lives. Best to save the harrowing documentaries for a brighter day. 5. When picking a film, if gender parity is important to you, try applying the Bechdel Test, a series of questions established in the 1980s for weeding out films with fair representations of women from, well, most other films. Ask yourself: (1) Does this movie have more than one woman in it? (2) Do they talk to each other? (3) Is their conversation about something other than a guy?
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Ideal Film 6. Visit SuggestMeMovie.com, because it does exactly that. Tell the site the time frame, genre, IMDb score, and any keywords you’re interested in and it will give you a movie suggestion, complete with a trailer. 7. AGoodMovieToWatch.com is a little more specific, but it’s great if you’re looking for something a tad more obscure. They also show you movies that weren’t big box office hits, the site aims to help you discover flicks you might otherwise miss. 8. When it comes to picking a family-friendly film, parents get the final say about what’s fair game for a certain age group, but who better to know if your kids will enjoy it than someone else their age? 9. As your kids get a little older, encourage them to watch something fantasy-based. A recent study showed that children exposed to just 15 minutes of highly-imaginative clips from movies—specifically, magical scenes from the Harry Potter films—scored better on tests of creativity than kids who were shown non-magical clips.
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Emma Stone: The Return of Cruella
Emma Stone is back with a vengeance. Well, character wise, anyway. The return of one of the decade’s best-loved actresses couldn’t be heralded with a bigger bang, as she takes on the role of the ultimate Disney villainess, Cruella De Vil, in a prequel to the 101 Dalmatians films that delves into the origin story of the brilliant, maniacal and ruthless woman that everyone loves-tohate. The film, which documents the early life of Cruella (formerly, Estella) in the UK and London, is partially a love letter to the city in the 1970s. David Bowie punctuates the soundtrack, and if it’s not Bowie, it’s Sex Pistols-inspired punk wending its way through both the audio and visual elements of the movie. The fashion and beauty looks are phenomenal too, elevating Cruella beyond her iconic spotted fur coat, into haute couture territory.
version of myself. It’s kind of a nice delineation, it’s like a clarification of how somebody is sort of seeing me. So, there has been a little bit of an interesting avatar aspect to the Emma of my life rather than the Emily. It’s kind of a nice aspect to have. I’ve always wished that I could be Emily Stone everywhere, but now I’m kind of grateful that there’s a distinction.
“There’s something about Cruella that is enticing”
How much could you relate to Cruella’s rebellious early years?
Can you relate to your character’s two personalities - Estella and Cruella - given your real name is Emily? It’s an interesting question, I actually do really love that my name was taken at Screen Actors Guild, because that’s my name and so I wasn’t able to get it when I was registering for my name. So it is interesting, because sometimes I’ll introduce myself as Emily, which is how I introduce myself, and the person will still call me Emma and I’ll know that they’re kind of associating me with a sort of different
Jasper and Horace are Cruella’s sidekicks, but who are your sidekicks? There’s a large number of people I would want to have with me, definitely my family, and I have a group of four very, very close friends. There are two other friends I can think of that I’d really love to have with me. I think there’s a good amount of people I would be very sad to be without. I mean, I’d probably choose my guy, that’s who I’d go with.
I definitely have rebellion in me for sure. But my rebellion didn’t go too, too far because my mum is very open and accepting. So I would always admit my rebellion to her Like, ‘mum, I had a cigarette,’ or whatever and she’d be like, ‘oh, woah.’ She had an acceptance that kids are going to do certain things as a rite of passage, they’re going to try little things. When it came to like really intense stuff that was a no-go, but you could only rebel so much when your mum’s pretty accepting. Then... it’s not that exciting to go do something crazy. Who was your inspiration for Cruella’s accent? The thing about the Cruella accent, which is a more complicated, not quite purely British accent, is because my inspiration for the was Tallulah Bankhead who had
the kind of 1940s mid-Atlantic accent. You know those accents that they were doing back then. They were American, but they had that British lilt. So it’s more that than fully British, it’s more of like a full blown 1940s character. Yeah, that’s a complicated accent. How much fun was it to play a villain? It was so much fun. It’s so much fun when she’s full-blown Cruella. Not to give anything away, but there are moments when she’s full Estella, or half-Estella, half-Cruella, but just once she’s leaned into full Cruella, ugh, heaven. It’s such a blast to get to drop all of the social niceties and empathy, honestly. To get to drop empathy and just be ruthless, and go for exactly what you want is really cathartic. It’s a really interesting experience. It’s not something I would want so much in real life because I like to be nice to people and have nice interactions, but a blast to play. How did you react to seeing yourself as Cruella for the first time? Seeing myself in costume for the first time, they actually released a picture of that day. I’m holding the three Dalmatians and the two guys are with me. It was that first picture that they put out from the movie, that was the camera test day when we first got into full hair and makeup and it was just surreal. It was so, so cool. The black and white hair, I think because it’s such a popular Halloween costume at least here in the States, it’s just so crazy to play this character that you’ve known for such a long time, to get to wear all of that was just mindblowing. It was a really cool day.
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