Moviefone Editorial

Tag: billie-lourd

  • ‘Adulthood’ Interview: Director Alex Winter

    Director Alex Winter on the set of 'Adulthood'. Photo: Petr Maur.
    Director Alex Winter on the set of ‘Adulthood’. Photo: Petr Maur.

    Opening in select theaters on September 19th and On Digital September 23rd is the new dark comedy from actor turned director Alex Winter (‘Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’) called ‘Adulthood’.

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    The film stars Josh Gad (‘Frozen’), Kaya Scodelario (‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’), Billie Lourd (‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’), and Anthony Carrigan (‘Superman’).

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Alex Winter about his work on ‘Adulthood’, his first reaction to the screenplay and why he wanted to make the movie, balancing the right tone, the situation that brings the characters closer together, his casting process, and how being an actor informs the way he directs other actors.

    Related Article: Mel Brooks and Josh Gad are Planning a Sequel to ‘Spaceballs’

    Director Alex Winter on the set of 'Adulthood'. Photo: Petr Maur.
    Director Alex Winter on the set of ‘Adulthood’. Photo: Petr Maur.

    MF: To begin with, Alex, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and why you wanted to direct this movie?

    Alex Winter: I wanted to make something that was very cinematic but that I could make on a budget. So those were specific parameters that I was working with, and my producing partner, Russell Hollander, knew Michael Galvin, the writer, and knew of this script that was great in its bones but needed some work specific to the vision I had for what type of movie I wanted to make. So, I loved the essence of what Michael had, there was very good stuff in there. Then I came on board, and we started working on the script to drive it towards what it became. It was very much a commentary and a farcical in an entertaining way, hopefully, about the conundrum of modern life. The impossibility of modern adulthood and generational secrets and life. What it’s like to wake up to the fact that you are now officially an adult, and your parents are getting old, and life is not exactly what you thought it was going to be. They find a kind of proverbial skeleton in the closet, right? You realize there are things about the generation in front of you that are more complex than you had thought when you were a child. So, it’s obviously symbolic for the revelation of growing up and becoming an adult and confronting these things. Also, what the consequences are of that, right?

    MF: Can you talk about the situation that the siblings in the movie find themselves in and how it changes them and brings them closer together?

    AW: I wanted to make a film about family and about the relationships that we have with our families that can be, in some ways, distant and sometimes challenging and complicated. But the deep bond that underlies that and at the end of the day that we are inextricably entwined, regardless of those conflicts and challenges, which can be a good thing as well, as a difficult thing. But I also wanted to make a film where characters change substantially from the beginning to the end. So, I wanted actors that could really convey two sides of their personality in a very convincing way. Both Josh and Kaya are very good at that. I’ve seen that in their work in other projects. I knew that they could really sell what I would call the twist of the movie, which is that they both become different people about halfway through and then take over from there.

    (L to R) Josh Gad and Kaya Scodelario in 'Adulthood'. Photo: Petr Maur.
    (L to R) Josh Gad and Kaya Scodelario in ‘Adulthood’. Photo: Petr Maur.

    MF: Can you talk about your casting process and finding actors like Josh Gad, Kaya Scodelario, Billie Lourd and Anthony Carrigan for this film?

    AW: I got Josh signed on relatively early and was very supportive and helpful all the way through when I was putting the financing together and building the movie and getting it up on his feet and all of that. Then I was very enamored with Kaya’s work all throughout her career going back to ‘Skins’, frankly, and her work in Andrea Arnold‘s ‘Wuthering Heights’, which I just love. I knew of her, and I felt like she’d been untapped as a comedian because I’ve always found her funny when she’s doing roles that required her to be very funny and have a great sharp wit, but I also knew she could get very serious when it needed to happen. Once I was able to get the cast assembled and Billie Lourd came on, who’s just a genius, and sort of built to be a noir femme fatale. Then Anthony Carrigan, who’s a friend of mine and had been in ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ with me came on and we had this amazing ensemble cast. We just started working together in the lead up to the shoot, sometimes over Zoom, building chemistry and creating the report.

    MF: Can you tell us more about your rehearsal process and is that something you try to do on all the movies you direct?

    AW: I feel that in the modern industry, things have gotten very fast. I would say too fast. I think that what I really try to aim for is as much rehearsal time, as much time with the actors being together, and as much prep as humanly possible. You’re usually having to claw that out in various ways, and sometimes in informal ways. You’re off the clock. You’re meeting on Zoom at crazy hours. But you do it, and you get it done. It was very helpful here because by the time Josh and Kaya got to set, they had this amazing chemistry, just right out of the gate. But that didn’t come from nowhere. They’d been working together for a little bit.

    (L to R) Josh Gad and director Alex Winter on the set of 'Adulthood'. Photo: Petr Maur.
    (L to R) Josh Gad and director Alex Winter on the set of ‘Adulthood’. Photo: Petr Maur.

    MF: Do you think that your experience as an actor informs the way you direct and work with actors on set? Do you think they naturally trust you more than other directors because you are also an actor?

    AW: I find it extremely helpful. I know how I would like to be spoken to as an actor. I know what creates trust for myself as an actor and what breaks that trust. I said this to my cast, I really consider them partners and collaborators, and I want their opinions, I want their thoughts on theme and tone and things like that. I want to be able to process that with what I’m doing. I mean, it’s helped me, in innumerable ways, but largely, I just have a gut instinct for what, works for me as an actor and what helps me to prepare and know what’s going on. So, for example, on this film, we were shooting very quickly, and we’re shooting totally out of order like most movies do. The arc of the film was very specific emotionally, who they are can change radically from one scene to the next, based on consequences and circumstance. So, I literally created an emotional flow chart day by day or even hour by hour for these characters for those scenes. I just handed them to Josh and Kaya. I said, “You may want to stick this up in your dressing room if it’s helpful, because you’re going to be Noah as one type of person in the morning and then Noah is a completely different type of person in the afternoon. You may just get very scrambled on who you are and where you are. This may help guide you.” If I was an actor, I would find that very useful.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about the challenges of balancing the movie’s comedic and dramatic tones?

    AW: I mean, that’s the whole ball of wax on a movie like this. You live or die on balancing tone. What helped me greatly was that I’m an old school aficionado of Noir and have studied them very carefully. I think this movie, the work of Fritz Lang, the work of Hitchcock‘s early period, were things that I was studying closely. But keeping that balance working through with the DP, with the composer, with the sound designer, and obviously, most importantly, with the editor, was the most critical thing. Doing that with the actors is the whole thing, but, I mean, that was our shoot. All my work in post was on underscoring tone. Then I wanted people to laugh, so I wanted it to continue to be funny while things got hairy, you know?

    (L to R) Director Alex Winter and Josh Gad on the set of 'Adulthood'. Photo: Petr Maur.
    (L to R) Director Alex Winter and Josh Gad on the set of ‘Adulthood’. Photo: Petr Maur.

    What is the plot of ‘Adulthood’?

    A brother (Josh Gad) and sister (Kaya Scodelario) discover a dead body in their parents’ basement.

    Who is in the cast of Adulthood’?

    • Josh Gad as Noah
    • Kaya Scodelario as Megan
    • Billie Lourd
    • Alex Winter
    • Anthony Carrigan
    (L to R) Josh Gad and Kaya Scodelario in 'Adulthood'. Photo: Petr Maur.
    (L to R) Josh Gad and Kaya Scodelario in ‘Adulthood’. Photo: Petr Maur.

    List of Movies Directed by Alex Winter:

    Buy Alex Winter Movies on Amazon

  • Movie Review: ‘The Last Showgirl’

    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    Opening in theaters January 10th is ‘The Last Showgirl,’ directed by Gia Coppola and starring Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, and Jason Schwartzman.

    Related Article: Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis Talk Drama ‘The Last Showgirl’

    Initial Thoughts

    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    It’s lately been a thing that a number of our best-known actresses have delivered performances that were especially raw physically, emotionally, or both, with many of them involving a change in appearance about as far from red carpet movie star glamour as one could imagine. Amy Adams in ‘Nightbitch.’ Demi Moore in ‘The Substance.’ Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ And now you can add one-time ‘Baywatch’ star and all-around TV sexpot Pamela Anderson to that list with her achingly poignant work in ‘The Last Showgirl.’

    The movie itself, directed by Gia Coppola (yes, a third-generation Coppola filmmaker), isn’t going to change the world, and it may not even change much about the current status of Anderson’s career. But it shows that underneath the pneumatic figure and red bathing suit that defined much of her tenure, Anderson is capable of pulling a fine piece of acting out of her heart and soul. Shelley Gardner, the last showgirl of the title, is far from perfect, but she’s endearing and human and worth your time, even if the movie itself is merely okay.

    Story and Direction

    'The Last Showgirl' director Gia Coppola.
    ‘The Last Showgirl’ director Gia Coppola.

    As ‘The Last Showgirl’ opens – after a prologue in which we see Shelley nervously about to embark on an audition – we learn that the Las Vegas show she’s been part of for 30 years, “Le Razzle Dazzle,” has been given its last rites and will close in two weeks. Shelley and some of her friends in the ensemble – younger dancers like Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) who treat her like a reluctant mother figure – are informed of this by Eddie (Dave Bautista), their quiet stage manager with whom it’s hinted that Shelley has a history. But the more immediate concern for all is where they go from here.

    For Shelley, it’s an especially tough blow: she sees “Le Razzle Dazzle” as “the last true showgirl show in Vegas,” with its peekaboo nudity and old-school raunchiness giving way to either more explicit sexcapades or family-friendly spectacles like the circus that’s taking over their stage. “They used to treat us like movie stars,” Shelley says mournfully at one point. “Ambassadors for style and grace.” She’s even in the 1980s press shots for the show – which means it’s going to be even harder for her to find work in something new, as a casting director (Jason Schwartzman) viciously points out in the scene that we eventually circle back to from the prologue.

    Jamie Lee Curtis in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    She could become a cocktail waitress like her friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), a former dancer who can barely fit into her work uniform and can’t make ends meet when she’s around slot machines all the time. But Shelley has always aspired to be onstage – an ambition in life that once almost led her to the Rockettes (“I found all that kicking very redundant”) but that also led her, on a more serious note, to all but abandon her daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd), now about to graduate college, who Shelley wants to reconnect with.

    The tension between Hannah and Shelly forms the main spine of ‘The Last Showgirl,’ in addition to the impending end of the show, but it turns out that those are barely enough to sustain the film’s 90-minute runtime. It’s not an expensive movie, to be sure, with much of it taking place either in Shelley’s cramped little house or the equally small backstage area of the show. But despite its meaningful themes, it’s also not as fleshed-out as it could be. Bewildering montages of Shelley and/or Hannah wandering the avenues of Vegas among its monstrous edifices of vice make it painfully obvious that Coppola is stretching the film to feature length.

    Which is a shame because there’s room for more here. Shelley is no angel: “Mothers aren’t saints or saviors,” she says, “Just regular people doing the best they can with the tools they have.” Yet the movie kind of papers over the fact that she left her child behind to pursue her dreams – dreams which led her to spend most of her life in what Hannah calls “a stupid nudie show” when she finally sees what she lost her mom to. There’s something subversive about the idea of Shelley sacrificing a normal relationship with her child and not exactly regretting it, but the movie doesn’t examine this – or much else – in too much depth, relying instead on Anderson to carry it forward.

    The Cast

    (L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Pamela Anderson star in 'The Last Showgirl'.
    (L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Pamela Anderson star in ‘The Last Showgirl’.

    Make no mistake, this is the Pamela Anderson show. She still cuts an impressive figure even though she’s a long way from her TV lifeguard days, and there’s no doubt that in her work here she is channeling her own journey from ‘Baywatch’ breakout to failed movie star to sex tape joke to righteous animal activist. But while we don’t imagine this will jumpstart her acting career, this is still surprisingly resonant work from the actor. Anderson brings both a vulnerability and a steely dignity to the role of Shelley, and certainly stretches herself for this role in a way that her previous onscreen work never hinted at.

    Also impressive is Jamie Lee Curtis disappearing again into an almost unrecognizable, deglammed role as Annette, while Dave Bautista adds to his own catalog of sensitive, empathetic performances that belie his physical bulk. Less memorable are Billie Lourd as Shelley’s daughter and both Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka as her friends from the show, all of whom are fine but don’t get quite the character depth as the three leads. Lourd’s Hannah in particular has a reactive turn halfway through the movie that doesn’t seem believable, although the emotions between Hannah and Shelley feel real. Meanwhile, Jason Schwartzman cameos as that callous casting director in what must be his 118th film appearance of the past year.

    Final Thoughts

    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    ‘The Last Showgirl’ touches on a lot of genuine issues: aging, identity, responsibility, and the fear of irrelevance, all filtered through the perspective of women who almost always have it way tougher when it comes to these challenges. Yet “touches” is the right word, because ‘The Last Showgirl’ doesn’t spend a lot of time on any of them and as a film is rather evanescent and lightly developed.

    As a vehicle for a woman who has no doubt grappled with these issues herself, ‘The Last Showgirl’ is fascinating. It will change your perspective on Pamela Anderson, who appears here – to trot out a well-worn phrase – like you’ve never seen her before, and it will make you think about the way women are carelessly tossed to the side in show business – and other businesses – like clothes that are no longer in fashion. “I just have to disappear,” Shelley says bitterly near the end, before asserting that she has “no regrets, none.” Despite its flaws, Anderson should have no regrets about starring in ‘The Last Showgirl,’ and in the end you should have none about watching her in it.

    ‘The Last Showgirl’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Last Showgirl’?

    After a successful thirty-year run, a seasoned showgirl (Pamela Anderson) must plan her future after the show closes abruptly.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Last Showgirl’?

    • Pamela Anderson as Shelly
    • Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette
    • Dave Bautista as Eddie
    • Brenda Song as Mary-Anne
    • Kiernan Shipka as Jodie
    • Billie Lourd as Hannah
    • Jason Schwartzman as a director
    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    Movies Directed By Gia Coppola:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Last Showgirl’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pamela Anderson Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘The Last Showgirl’s Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis

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    Opening in theaters in wide release on January 10th is the new film from director Gia Coppola (‘Palo Alto’) entitled ‘The Last Showgirl’, which stars Golden Globe nominee Pamela Anderson (‘Baywatch’), Dave Bautista (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’), Brenda Song (‘The Social Network’), Kiernan Shipka (‘Red One’), Billie Lourd (‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’), and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’).

    Related Article: 20 Best Jamie Lee Curtis Movies

    (L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Pamela Anderson star in 'The Last Showgirl'.
    (L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Pamela Anderson star in ‘The Last Showgirl’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis about their work on ‘The Last Showgirl’, Anderson’s first reaction to the screenplay, how she related to her character, why Curtis wanted to work with Anderson and their characters’ friendship, and working with director Gia Coppola.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Anderson, Curtis, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and director Gia Coppola.

    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Pamela, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and your approach to playing Shelly? Did you relate to the character right away?

    Pamela Anderson: Well, once the script finally found me through a few obstacles, I just fell in love with it. When I read it, I could hear the voice already, I could see it so clearly, I just couldn’t wait to get started. I had happy feet. I was just like; I must get started. I got to get that first scene done, what do you call it, “in the can”. Once it was there, we hit the ground running and everyone jumped in headfirst. But I was so appreciative because I’ve always dreamt of, I always wanted to do something good. I want my legacy to be something I’m proud of and I’ve always wanted to make my family and my kids proud. I remember seeing my kid’s front row when I played Roxie in ‘Chicago’ on Broadway on the opening night and when the lights came up and they were there, it was so amazing to see them proud of me. So same thing with this movie.

    Jamie Lee Curtis in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    MF: Jamie Lee, can you talk about the friendship between Annette and Shelly, and what it was like for you creating that relationship with Pamela on screen?

    Jamie Lee Curtis: Instantaneous. I signed up to do the movie because Pamela was going to be in it. We’ve never met, we don’t know each other, but I knew who she was. My female friendships are incredibly important to me, and so this is just a beautiful extension of a female friendship. This is that ride-or-die bestie that have been through everything together and we don’t need to have known each other because we know each other because women know each other because we’ve all been there, we’ve all done it. So, I’m just thrilled to have been able to meet her and fall in love with her the way that we have done so on film.

    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    MF: Jamie Lee, has the friendship between you and Pamela that you created for this movie continued after filming was completed?

    JLC: Oh, absolutely. Are you kidding? That’s not fake. We may not see each other a lot. Pamela lives in Vancouver. I live in Los Angeles. We’re both working all the time now. Chances are we aren’t going to be having sleepovers, but we will now forever be in each other’s hearts for sure.

    'The Last Showgirl' director Gia Coppola.
    ‘The Last Showgirl’ director Gia Coppola.

    MF: Pamela, what was it like collaborating with director Gia Coppola on set?

    PA: Oh, she’s a wonderful director. She’s very soft-spoken, but very decisive. You feel completely safe with her. Like I said, this is a new world for me, these are all new feelings that I’m savoring, and she’s such a big part of that. But she’s sneaky because she’s very kind and sweet but then when she’s on set, she has her own video monitor, and she doesn’t have everybody chiming in.

    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    MF: Finally, Pamela, can you talk about the challenges of shooting this movie in only 18 days in Las Vegas?

    PA: It was challenging, fun and exciting, and that’s how you want it. You want it to break you down and find things that you never knew existed, and it takes a challenge like that. The whole thing was just 18 days, I know movies take longer than that, but I don’t really have that experience, so I just shot eight or nine scenes a day. I needed to be ready when I got there.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Last Showgirl’?

    After a successful thirty-year run, a seasoned showgirl (Pamela Anderson) must plan her future after the show closes abruptly.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Last Showgirl’?

    • Pamela Anderson as Shelly
    • Jamie Lee Curtis as Annette
    • Dave Bautista as Eddie
    • Brenda Song as Mary-Anne
    • Kiernan Shipka as Jodie
    • Billie Lourd as Hannah
    • Jason Schwartzman as a director
    Pamela Anderson in 'The Last Showgirl'. Photo: Roadside Attractions.
    Pamela Anderson in ‘The Last Showgirl’. Photo: Roadside Attractions.

    Movies Directed By Gia Coppola:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Last Showgirl’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pamela Anderson Movies on Amazon

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Ticket to Paradise’

    George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures' 'Ticket to Paradise.'
    (L to R) George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures’ ‘Ticket to Paradise.’

    Opening in theaters on October 21st, ‘Ticket to Paradise’ aims to make up for several years without a star-focused romantic comedy. And it has two major, not-so-secret weapons in Julia Roberts and George Clooney.

    The film, written by Ol Parker and Daniel Pipski, and directed by Parker, is also a throwback to an earlier era of rom-com, one before the cast were even born (think 1940’s ‘His Girl Friday’).

    ‘Ticket to Paradise’ kicks off with divorced couple David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts) who begrudgingly reunite to attend daughter Lily’s (Kaitlyn Dever) graduation. The pair jumped into marriage 25 years ago, only for the relationship to flame out after half a decade.

    Since going their separate ways, they’ve largely stayed away from each other, since their interactions tend to devolve into sniping (“worst 19 years of my life,” David cracks when Georgia mentions to someone that they used to be married. “We were only married for five,” Georgia reminds him. “I’m counting the recovery,” says David).

    But when Lily and best friend Wren (Billie Lourd) head off to Bali to celebrate finishing college, Lily ends up meeting hunky, sweet local Gede (Maxime Bouttier), and decides she’s going to stay and marry him. Horrified at the idea of their genius offspring ditching a promising law career for life with a seaweed farmer, the parents agree to put aside their differences and work to stop Lily making what they see as a huge mistake – just like the one they made.

    George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures' 'Ticket to Paradise.'
    (L to R) George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures’ ‘Ticket to Paradise.’

    Upon arrival in Bali, though, they discover how open and agreeable Gede’s large extended family is, and, despite going through with part of their plan to curtail the wedding (George steals the rings that form a vital part of the ceremony), their time spent together on the island makes them start to reconsider their attitude – and not just to Lily’s decision.

    Like a path established through a jungle, ‘Ticket to Paradise’ knows exactly where it is going and no one should be surprised by where it ends up. Frustratingly, though, there is one moment where it appears the movie will completely subvert your expectations, undercutting a particularly romantic sequence with a realization between two characters that it’ll never work before going right back to the expected denouement at the very end.

    Still, the real joy in ‘Ticket’ is the journey it takes to get there and the people you meet along the way. Roberts and Clooney are, of course, screen dynamite, bringing decades of real-life friendship to the role, one that has only been exploited to full use a few times on screen before.

    They’re entertaining whether they’re delivering rat-a-tat insults towards each other or trying to work together for a common goal. Though this bickering twosome could be seen as charmless complainers, the sheer likability of the pair short-circuits that.

    And, though it is primarily the George-and-Julia show, the movie smartly doesn’t forget to create supporting characters who matter and recruit talented people to play them.

    George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures' 'Ticket to Paradise.'
    (L to R) George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures’ ‘Ticket to Paradise,’ directed by Ol Parker. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures.

    Dever, who shined in ‘Booksmart’ and more recently in her own rom-com twist with ‘Rosaline’, imbues Lily with sweetness and smarts and makes you believe she is the product of these two slightly damaged people. Plus she can hold her own on the comedy front, even if she doesn’t get as much chance to. She’s ably assisted in that by Lourd, who appears to be channelling her real-life mother (Carrie Fisher) as the party-happy, snark-tastic Wren.

    French-born Indonesian actor Bouttier, meanwhile, fits well as the Balinese local who is the object of Lily’s affections. He and his family portray local customs and attitudes without the movie using them for cheap comedic effect. They come across as actual people, not stereotypes (even if the movie was shot on Australia’s Gold Coast, more than 2,000 miles away).

    And Georgia’s current beau, commercial pilot Paul (Lucas Bravo from the recent ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’) also shows up to profess his undying love for her, proposing marriage at a romantic, secluded location that unfortunately also happens to be a local snake habitat.

    We’ll leave you to figure out what happens there, but his storyline is perhaps one of the weaker elements of the movie, which, alongside an unexpectedly violent encounter between Clooney and a pod of dolphins represent the movie stretching to add unnecessary comic business to a movie that works better when it is letting the stars talk and not pratfall.

    Still, Parker, who has made the likes of ‘Imagine Me & You’, ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ along with writing wrote both of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ movies, is a past master at this genre, bringing a light touch to lightweight material.

    Director Ol Parker, Julia Roberts and George Clooney on the set of 'Ticket to Paradise.'
    (L to R) Director Ol Parker, Julia Roberts and George Clooney on the set of ‘Ticket to Paradise.’ © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    The scenery’s beautiful, the time passes by, and before you know it, you’re sucked into the story of squabbling adults realizing that maybe, just maybe their daughter has this whole romance thing figured out to a far greater degree than they can ever claim.

    Parker’s latest effort might not challenge the great romantic comedies of our time, but it has enough charisma and laughs to work. It’s fluffy and unchallenging, but anchored by star performances and a solid enough script, it has the goods as a rom-com.

    Those after an easy date night or pick-me-up – or are interested whether Roberts and Clooney still have the chemistry after the ‘Ocean’s movies (spoiler alert: they do), will be charmed by this one.

    ‘Ticket to Paradise’ proves that if you put the right pieces together, any genre can be made to work in today’s movie marketplace. It’s not perfect, by any means and the stakes are so low they could win a limbo competition, but it’s light, frothy, funny, and despite the seemingly unlikeable main duo, carries it off with aplomb.

    ‘Ticket to Paradise’ receives 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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  • George Clooney and Julia Roberts Argue in the ‘Ticket to Paradise’ Trailer

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    George Clooney and Julia Roberts always had a sparky, snarky chemistry in the ‘Oceans’ films, and they’re drawing on that – plus their real-life friendship – for new romantic comedy ‘Ticket to Paradise’, which has its first trailer online.

    ‘Paradise’, however, turns that chemistry into more of a sparring, insulting back-and-forth as they play exes who definitely (at first) don’t seem to have the same sense of lingering longing shown by Danny and Tess Ocean.

    Instead, Clooney refers to their 19 years together, while Roberts snaps back that they were only married for five. “I’m counting the recovery”, Clooney quips.

    But they’re forced to work together as they’re headed to Bali, where their daughter Lily (played by ‘Booksmart’s Kaitlyn Dever) is vacationing with her best pal Wren (Billie Lourd) after they graduate college.

    Turns out Lily has fallen hard for a local called Gede (Lucas Bravo) and is planning a quickie wedding. With their bitter experience of marriage and convinced she’s making a horrible mistake – they also got hitched quick – the couple agree a shaky truce to work together and stop it from going forward. And if that means stealing the wedding rings, then so be it!

    Director Ol Parker, Julia Roberts and George Clooney on the set of 'Ticket to Paradise.'
    (L to R) Director Ol Parker, Julia Roberts and George Clooney on the set of ‘Ticket to Paradise.’ © 2022 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Yet as the pair spend time in the tropical paradise, get drunk together and embarrassing their offspring by dancing in true parental style, it appears that feelings might just be rekindling between the two of them. Who would’ve seen that coming?

    ‘Ticket to Paradise’ boasts the considerable star charm of its leading duo, plus Dever and Lourd, who have both been fun in other movies. Sean Lynch, Talha Şentürk, Maxime Bouttier, Cintya Dharmayanti and Rowan Chapman are also all in the cast.

    And it comes from romantic comedy old hand Ol Parker, who directs and wrote the script with Daniel Pipski. Parker, of course, was behind the likes of ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and its sequel, plus ‘Mama Mia! Here We Go Again’, which all delivered easygoing, comedy set in tropical locations.

    It wasn’t exactly plain sailing behind the scenes, though, as production was interrupted by a Covid outbreak in Australia’s Queensland state where the movie was using the Whitsunday Islands, Brisbane and the nearby Gold Coast to stand in for Bali.

    The movie was two weeks away from finishing shooting when 12 members of the cast and crew came down with the virus and production shut down for a few weeks. Fortunately, the team was able to get back in action quick enough for the film to meet its release date.

    ‘Ticket to Paradise’ has a premiere scheduled for the Venice Film Festival in August, ahead of an October 21st release in theaters.

    George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures' 'Ticket to Paradise.'
    (L to R) George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Universal Pictures’ ‘Ticket to Paradise.’
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  • ‘American Horror Story: 1984’ Sets Cast, Including Matthew Morrison and Billie Lourd

    ‘American Horror Story: 1984’ Sets Cast, Including Matthew Morrison and Billie Lourd

    ABC

    “American Horror Story: 1984” has found its clique.

    Season 9 of FX’s horror anthology has set its cast, which reportedly won’t include Sarah Paulson but will feature returning stars Billie Lourd, Cody Fern and Leslie Grossman.

    They join previously announced returnee Emma Roberts and franchise newcomer Gus Kenworthy.

    And more fresh faces will be coming to “AHS”: Matthew Morrison, DeRon Horton, Zach Villa, and “Pose” star Angelica Ross.

    The new season takes place at a summer camp and will pay homage to slasher flicks like “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street.”

    To celebrate the season’s first day of shooting, creator Ryan Murphy dropped the first teaser, which provides a sneak peek at the “’80s lewks” of the cast:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BzyHgu7JL4t/?utm_source=ig_embed

    “American Horror Story: 1984” premieres September 18 on FX.

  • Carrie Fisher Wins Posthumous Grammy; Read Billie Lourd’s Sweet Tribute

    In addition to her accomplished acting career, the late, great Carrie Fisher was also a talented writer, too, working as a script doctor and penning multiple bestsellers throughout her too-short lifetime. Those two worlds collided when she performed the audio book narration for her last work before her death, the “Star Wars“-themed memoir “The Princess Diarist,” and now, that recording has snagged Fisher a posthumous Grammy Award.

    Fisher prevailed in the Spoken Word Album category on Sunday night, beating out the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Mark Ruffalo and Bernie Sanders. “The Princess Diarist” caused a stir when it was first released, shortly before the writer-actress’s sudden death in December 2016 at age 60, revealing Fisher’s affair with her then-married co-star Harrison Ford during the making of the first “Star Wars” film.

    The late star’s family and friends celebrated her big win in her stead, with her daughter, Billie Lourd, offering the sweetest tribute to Fisher’s achievement. In post on Instagram, Lourd shared a throwback photo of her mother carrying her down a red carpet when she was a little girl.

    Noting that she wished Fisher could be with her to share in her joy, Lourd wrote the she would “instead … celebrate in true Carrie style: in bed in front of the TV over cold Coca Colas and warm e cigs. I’m beyond proud.”

    Mark Hamill, Fisher’s “Star Wars” castmate, let his hashtags do most of the talking, tweeting a big, all-caps “CONGRATULATIONS” to his “#SpaceSis.”

    “#AlwaysWithUs #AlwaysAWinner #CarrieOnFOREVER,” the actor added.

    Fisher’s half-sister, Joely Fisher, and Grammys category mate, Mark Ruffalo, also tweeted their congrats to the late actress.

    We only wish Fisher could have been here to enjoy the honor herself. We miss you, Princess.

  • ‘Last Jedi” Star Billie Lourd Is Never Recognized… Unless She Wears Braids

    Billie LourdBillie Lourd honored her late mother Carrie Fisher at the “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” premiere with a Leia-like updo, but it’s not a look she wears if she wants to avoid being recognized.

    Talking to THR, Lourd admits she still has no trouble attending regular screenings of the latest “Star Wars” Installment (in which she has a small role as Lieutenant Connix)… unless she wears her hair with a “Star Wars” twist.

    “I can totally get away with it,” the 25-year-old tells THR. “No one knows who I am. I am free at this point. Well, unless I have my hair in buns or braids.”

    Her much more famous mom (who passed away in December 2016) could never escape being recognized, she adds, even when the focus was on Lourd’s TV series, ‘Scream Queens’ at Comic-Con. “She showed up with mismatched socks and hadn’t brushed her hair, and she tried to get in, but everyone was like, ‘There’s Carrie Fisher!’ She turned to me and was like, “I just want to watch ‘Scream Queens’,” recalls Lourd. “We tried to do the same thing with ‘The Force Awakens,’ but no chance.”

    Lourd played Manson Family member Linda Kasabian in “American Horror Story: Cult” and next appears in “Billionaire Boys Club.”

    [Via THR]

  • Billie Lourd Shares Impassioned Response to Carrie Fisher’s Cause of Death

    Premiere Of Walt Disney Pictures And Lucasfilm's 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' - ArrivalsCarrie Fisher‘s daughter Billie Lourd wants her mother’s death to encourage others to be open about their struggles with drug addition and mental illness, and to please seek help.

    There are still mysteries surrounding Fisher’s December 2016 death, even after a new report from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The Associated Press quoted from the coroner’s release, alleging Fisher died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors — including a buildup of fatty tissue in the walls of her arteries.

    According to People‘s copy of the report, Fisher had cocaine, methadone, ethanol, and opiates in her system, as well as a “remote exposure to MDMA.” The report added, “The exposure to cocaine took place sometime approximately in the last 72 hours of the sample that was obtained.” However, “Based on the available toxicological information, we cannot establish the significance of the multiple substances that were detected in Ms. Fisher’s blood and tissue, with regard to the cause of death.”

    Overall, investigators are ruling Fisher’s death “undetermined.”

    Fisher’s daughter, actress Billy Lourd, shared a statement with People after the report came out:

    “My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it. She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases.

    She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs. Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure. Love you Momby.”

    Fisher, 60, suffered a heart attack on a plane from London to Los Angeles on December 23, 2016. She later died in the hospital on Dec. 27, followed one day later by her mother Debbie Reynolds.

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  • Carrie Fisher’s Star Wars Celebration Tribute Will Give You All the Feels

    You can’t celebrate the 40-year legacy of “Star Wars” without acknowledging Carrie Fisher.

    George Lucas, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, and Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, came out for the 40th anniversary Star Wars Celebration panel in Orlando Thursday to pay tribute to the late actress, who passed away in December 2016.

    “I’ve said many times now that she really is a modern woman, and she isn’t just a woman that you put guys clothes on her and she becomes a hero,” a choked-up Lucas said. “She was a princess, she was a senator, she played a part that was very smart.” He added, “She was the boss; it was her role.”

    Lucas explained that he wanted someone young to play the role of Princess Leia, and Fisher dazzled the “Star Wars” creator with her strength, smarts, humor, and her bold and tough personality.

    “There really wasn’t much of a question,” Lucas revealed. “They’re one in a billion, and for this particular part, she was absolutely perfect.”

    Even though “she wore a dress through the whole thing,” Lucas called her “the toughest one of the group.”

    “She’ll always be the princess who took command and never backed down — she never was in jeopardy, she was always helping the other guys get out of the messes they created,” he concluded. “We’ll all love her forever and ever.”

    For Kennedy, “there was no greater honor” than working with Fisher. “She will be remembered forever, even by those who are not old enough to say the words ‘May the Force be with you.’” Watch the video tribute below:Perhaps the most emotional moment was when Lourd, dressed as in a very Leia-esque white dress, took center stage. She recalled of her mother: “She was imperfect in many ways but her imperfections and willingness to speak about them are what made her more than perfect.”

    “My mom, like Leia, was never afraid to speak her mind and say things that might have made most people uncomfortable. But not me and not you. That was why she loved you, because you accepted and embraced all of her — the strong soldier of a woman she was, and also the vulnerable side of her, who also openly fought her own dark side.”

    As she paused occasionally to compose herself, she added: “In our world, ‘Star Wars’ ultimately became our religion, our family, and our way of life, and I wanted to be here with all of you because I know that many of you feel the same way.”

    Fans stood up in applause as Lourd finished by reciting Leia’s famous plea to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

    Fans held back tears as the panel concluded, first with a video montage of behind-the-scenes footage of Fisher, intercut with clips from various interviews and convention appearances.

    The panel ended with a surprise appearance by “Star Wars” composer John Williams leading the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in a live performance of “Leia’s Theme.”