Melyssa Ford & Vanessa Simmons Among Cast Of Indie Rom-Com ‘Red Flags'
The film's ensemble also features Travis Cure (Tyler Perry's The Oval) and newcomer Jamy Pierrevil (Young. Wild. Free.)
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Written by Roni Davis and directed by Caleb Davis, the film follows Ryan (Simmons), a bride-to-be whose wedding day unravels when her fiercely loyal best friend (Ford) uncovers a shocking secret about the groom (Cure). What begins as a celebration turns into a chaotic, heartfelt reckoning with friendship, trust, and the red flags we ignore in the name of love.
Red Flags is produced by Creative Direction Group, LLC, the Los Angeles-based company founded by Caleb and Roni Davis, the Emmy-nominated creators of the Tough Love series. Their work has previously aired on TV One, Cleo TV, and BET+. The film is currently in post.
Ford is a Canadian actor and media personality. She is perhaps best known as a host on the popular Joe Budden Podcast. Her acting credits include Think Like a Man (2012), Three Can Play That Game (2007), and Entourage (2004).
Simmons is an actor and TV personality. Audiences may recognize her as the daughter of Joseph Simmons, a founding member of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC. Run's House, the popular reality series about the family's life, ran from 2005-2009. Her acting credits include Hip Hop Family Christmas (2021), Games People Play (2019), and Monogamy (2018).
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USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Gene Simmons brings revelry to Buffalo Chip concert at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
STURGIS – It's hard to accept that 'The Demon' in KISS is not immortal. The towering Gene Simmons prowled the stage for nearly a half-century, managing to beguile crowds with his wicked tongue, raspy scream and staged blood boiling out of his mouth as if he was dying right in front of fans. He looked like a nightmare and performed like a dream, but 'open your eyes, baby,' Simmons says, having shaken off a decades-long hangover and a kink in his neck from the 30-pound dragon armor he donned. Now, at an Aug. 3 performance for thousands of bikers at the 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, Simmons is witty, thoughtful and affectionate with a side of raunch. 'This is much easier now,' he says of his one-man show as The Gene Simmons band. 'It makes me feel good.' Fans say Gene Simmons 'introduced me to music' Touring as part of the American rock band KISS, Simmons says 'it was a traveling city,' with private jets, multiple double-decker buses, 20 tractor trailers, five miles of cable and more than 60 people to help set the stage for one show. 'When I was a kid, there was always that mote,' he said earlier in the week while hanging out with his five dogs in one of his houses on the West Coast. His favorite metal bands Sly and the Family Stone and Loving Spoonful were untouchable, 'where the enemy is coming right up to the castle but he can't get in because it's surrounded by alligator-filled waters. 'With my solo band, the draw bridge is down and anybody can come into the castle with me and have lots of fun," he said. More from the rally: Welcome to The Buffalo Chip: Sturgis rally 'headquarters' hosts rockers, campers. On Aug. 3 at The Buffalo Chip, he welcomed all 10 contestants from a bikini contest earlier that night — still in swimwear and that's all — to sing along with him. There were no pyrotechnics to turn anyone who came on stage 'into shish kabobs,' and Simmons' two guitarists Brent Wood and Jason Walker joined the girls on the same mic, like it was karaoke night in a small-town bar. He asked the crowd what they wanted to hear, sang covers from Motörhead and often hung his sunglasses on his black T-shirt collar so he could wipe his sweaty jowls. Then he quieted down the crowd to honor the late Ozzy Osbourne, only for them to rev their engines in respect. 'KISS introduced me to music,' said Blake Griffin, who with his fiancée, Hannah Hotchkiss, stood in the best seat in the house that night, hanging over the Wolfman Jack Stage at the Chip and bouncing in place like he was about to enter a boxing ring, his adrenaline unhinged. He was wearing a cut-off KISS T-shirt he bought in 2008 when he last saw them perform and had a tattoo of The Demon on his lower left shin. This was his first time seeing Simmons on stage alone. 'He loves Gene Simmons more than anything,' Hotchkiss says of Griffin. 'I'm so happy he gets to experience this.' More from the rally: Motorcross daredevil Colby Raha soars into history with record-breaking motorcycle jump Gene Simmons and a redefining of rock shows Simmons turned KISS into an omnipresent brand. Even if you had never listened to 'Rock and Roll All Night,' 'Beth' or 'Shout it Out Loud,' you knew their makeup and most definitely saw someone dressed like them for Halloween. 'All that legacy stuff is self-aggrandizing,' said Simmons, 75. 'The only thing I ever hoped for, and that the band ever hoped for, was to raise the level of quality in a concert experience. 'With the advent of better technology, we decided to put all the money we made back into the show, and, yeah, that included flying off the stage and some pyrotechnics.' Their daredevil approach redefined rock shows, 'broke the barrier for what a band is supposed to be,' he said, and built a legacy for Simmons whether he wanted it or not. Gloria and Graham Thompson traveled 1,500 miles from the Florida panhandle to weave through Needles Highway during the day and hit every show at the rally at night. They didn't even mind that it was Simmons without The Demon persona. They came for the nostalgia. 'We're just old people enjoying our old age,' Graham said. They parked their hog right in the front row for Simmons and had not moved since 6 that night. (Simmons came on around 10:30 p.m.) 'And we love it,' he said. The KISS brand lives on Last year, music investment firm Pophouse Entertainment purchased the KISS brand, including its entire music catalogue and trademarks. Simmons said he's excited for the $300 million acquisition because now there will be Broadway shows, documentaries, comic books and 'a chance to spread my wings and do whatever I want.' Simmons also runs a chain of Rock & Brews restaurants and casinos, of which he started with KISS bandmates, and co-founded his own film production company in 2023 with producer Gary Hamilton. Simmons/Hamilton Productions has already finished their first horror film, 'Deep Waters,' slated for a release later this year about an airplane that crashes into shark-infested waters. The thriller persona will never completely die. Today, Simmons' face is on wines and vodkas, Harley-Davidsons and motor bikes, condoms and Tumblers, lunch boxes and even your own casket, if you wish. But he's no demon. He's just the perverted grandfather who can still rock out in the garage with you. He'll purse his lips, thrust his hips, grab his crotch, tap his metal boots that curl, then give you an endearing wink like he was in on the prank all along. 'We're all here just to have a good time,' he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Jennifer Aniston's 'Friends' Co-Star Weighs In On Her Rumored Romance
Jennifer Aniston may be glowing over her new relationship with Jim Curtis, but not everyone in her inner circle is ready to celebrate just yet. Concerned that Aniston is moving too fast, longtime friend Courteney Cox is reportedly urging her to slow things down. However, the concern stands in contrast to what Curtis' ex-girlfriend shared just last month, describing him as someone she only left for personal reasons, not because of any red flags. Jennifer Aniston and Jim Curtis made their relationship public during the Fourth of July weekend with their trip to Spain. Jennifer Aniston's Close Pal Courteney Cox Wants Her To Slow Down With New Beau The actress has been getting serious with Curtis, but friends, including Cox, are growing concerned. Sources say the new beau has a magnetic personality, but behind the charm are red flags that have some in Aniston's circle on edge. "Courteney has seen Jen get hurt over and over, and she doesn't want to see the past repeating itself. She's urging her friend to be careful," one source shared. According to RadarOnline, one insider shares that the hypnotherapist has admitted to having trouble maintaining long-term relationships because he "gets bored easily," and even has tension within his own family. That, coupled with worries he may be leaning on Aniston's fame to boost his own image, has close pals waving caution flags. Ex-Girlfriend Defends The 'Horrible Bosses' Star's New Man While some of Aniston's friends are reportedly raising red flags about her new relationship, one woman who dated him in the past says there is nothing to worry about. The Blast reported that Curtis's ex, Cait Pettinato, is setting the record straight. Pettinato says she was the one who walked away from the short-lived romance and insists Curtis is not the problem. "We went on a few dates. He's just a nice guy," she revealed, admitting that she ghosted him without any drama. "We didn't work out. It's my fault." In fact, Pettinato had nothing but praise for Curtis, calling him "unproblematic," "mindful," and "easy to talk to." She added that he is calm, smart, and successful, traits she believes many women find appealing. "He's got a nice face," she said. "I think he would be a fantastic partner to somebody." Aniston's New Man Gushes About 'Magic' In His Life After Romantic Getaway While Aniston's friends seem to question her new relationship, Curtis appears to be fully embracing it and even sharing how he feels. The Blast highlighted Curtis's heartfelt message in a July newsletter, just days after he and Aniston were spotted enjoying a romantic getaway in Mallorca, Spain, alongside some of her A-list friends. Though he did not name Aniston directly, the wellness coach opened up about how the experience had a profound effect on him. "When I was sick, sad, stuck, and in pain, I never thought I would have the abundance, joy, and love I now experience on a daily basis," he wrote. Curtis went on to reflect on how one small decision led to something life-changing, writing, "That course, that life change, that pain, resulted in this magic." Jennifer Aniston's New Romance Is Not Moving Fast Aniston is not rushing into anything, even if her friends are on edge. She seems more interested in building something meaningful than jumping in headfirst. While the connection between the 56-year-old and Curtis is real, she is reportedly keeping a healthy pace. A source close to the situation noted, "Jennifer is dating Jim and is very happy, but she's still taking things slowly for now." Curtis appears to be her first relationship since Justin Theroux, but what makes this bond different? The two reportedly share a strong passion for personal growth, something Aniston finds refreshing. She is said to be impressed by Curtis's mindset and believes their connection is deeper than past relationships. Courteney Cox Shares The Pre-Show Tradition That Brought The 'Friends' Cast Closer Before the lights came up and the cameras rolled, the cast had one ritual that made all the difference. The Blast noted that Cox, who played the character Monica Geller, looked back on the moments just before taping each episode. For her, it helped them form the tight-knit bond fans could feel on screen. Cox explained how the group would gather in a circle before filming, bringing everyone into the same mindset. "We'd get in a huddle and we would say, 'Alright, everybody! Good luck!' And we'd give each other a hug and a high five," she said during her talk at the Inc. 5000 event. It was not just about good vibes; it was about showing up for each other, every single time. Solve the daily Crossword
The Verge
5 days ago
- The Verge
I tried ‘Bricking' my phone to fix my brain
'We need to talk.' Nobody likes to hear those words from their spouse. Especially when it's delivered in a grave tone as you rot on a couch in a grubby blankie, staring like a zombie while doomscrolling. 'Wut?' I said, very intelligently. What came next was a compassionate but firm speech about how I was in dire need of an intervention. My attention span, my spouse said, was utterly shot to hell. They'd just asked my opinion about something happening on the TV show we were watching. I hadn't heard them. At all. Apparently, they'd repeated the question three times. Instead, I'd been engrossed in… actually, I couldn't tell you. 'You have a problem,' they said, tapping my phone. 'You can't put it down.' I launched into an impassioned self-defense. A close friend was going through a tough time, and I was worried about them. My bestie was asking my opinion on a dicey work matter. Those texts could not wait! Plus, it was a busy week at work, and I was keeping an eye on something in Slack. And I'd only picked up my phone during our sacred viewing of Love is Blind to look up a factoid about the tea the show producers had kept hidden, and then I'd seen an ad for a new sunscreen and — oh. 'It's not a 'you' problem,' my infinitely patient spouse said. 'I do it, too. Which is why I think you should Brick yourself.' For the second time that night, I uttered a very intelligent, 'Wut?' As it turns out, my spouse heard about Brick from a podcast and had been using it for months. It's an app that 'bricks' distracting apps and their notifications. Similar to other screen-time apps, you can create modes that let you pick and choose which distracting apps to block. For example, a 'deep work mode' that blocks all social media. But unlike other screen time apps, this one gets a bit nuclear. Brick comes with a physical key — a small NFC-enabled square about the size of an AirPods case. You tap your phone to the key to brick it, and you must tap the device again to unbrick it. If you lose the key, you can't unbrick your phone. The company gives you only five 'emergency unbrick' codes to manually override blocked apps in a pinch. Once you use one, it's gone. Forever. If you use the codes up and lose the key, well. You've got to factory-reset. There's even a 'strict mode' that prevents you from deleting all apps while your phone is bricked. As in, you won't be able to bypass it by deleting and redownloading blocked apps. My spouse had lost their Brick. Apparently, that's why they hadn't been on social media in weeks. They were adamant that my attention span — and therefore my life — would dramatically improve if I tried it too. So I gave it an honest go. It went poorly. The main problem is that Brick requires you to be intentional about being present. I was addicted to being omnipresent. I became so worried about losing the key — and therefore my connection to Knowing Things — that I carried it with me everywhere. When you carry the key with you, it becomes stupidly easy to just unbrick your phone whenever temptation or mild inconvenience strikes. My failure was useful, though. It underscored everything my spouse said about how my attention span had eroded over the past five years. Humbling as it was, I had to look at how I got here. As a caretaker, I'd gotten used to allowing every notification because I was afraid of missing an important one. As executor of my mother's estate, I'd been trained to jump at every email and to pick up every unknown call because it could be a bank representative, an unpaid bill collector, or a long-lost friend wanting to know what happened. And, well, in journalism, you're incentivized to pivot at a moment's notice if news breaks. It's hard to fully unplug when a small portion of your brain is always on call. Despite the dopamine rush I get from answering notifications, it's a bad way to live long-term. I love reading. I used to be able to devour A Song of Ice and Fire books in a single sitting. I was one of those dorks who read nearly 100 books a year. But in the last year, getting through a single chapter was a Herculean struggle. But where I noticed it most was while watching TV shows and movies. At first, it started with recognizing an actor but not knowing from where. I'd reach for my phone, look them up, and go back to watching. Simple. But somewhere along the way, particularly while watching thrillers or horror movies, I became unable to handle the anxiety of not knowing what would happen next. The internet is glorious for that. Some people hate spoilers, but I devoured them. I started avoiding movie theaters, not just because they were expensive, but because my hands would itch with the urge to look things up. And once you pick up your phone, something else will grab your attention next. It wasn't until I saw Old Friends and John Proctor is the Villain that it hit me. In a Broadway theater, a grumpy usher will kick you out if you're on your phone. (Or, Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone might snatch it from your hand.) The not-knowing was uncomfortable at first. But sitting with that discomfort also allowed me to feel delighted when moments of the shows surprised me. I remembered that not knowing isn't always a portent of disaster. It can be a good thing. Maybe I'd failed with Brick because of my tendency to optimize for every scenario. Right off the bat, I'd created a Work mode, a Writing mode, a Reading mode, a TV mode, a Fitness mode, and so on and so forth. Who in their right mind is going to remember to tap a device every time they switch gears? I put maybe two hours of work into selecting which apps to block for each without knowing what I actually needed. That only frustrated me when I required something from my phone. Ultimately, I put myself in a situation where I couldn't possibly succeed. But what if I just used Brick for one scenario: Watching TV. I remembered that not knowing isn't always a portent of disaster. It can be a good thing. I've since edited my Brick's TV mode. When enabled, the only apps I can use are Messages and utilities like the Clock, Calls, or the Wallet app. People can reach me in real emergencies, but once a show starts, I now put my phone face down on the table and take off my smartwatches. I'm trying a thing where, if I have an insatiable burning need to know something during an episode, I write it down on a memo pad. So far, I've learned the world doesn't end if I am late to respond — even if people, usually other chronically online friends, get tetchy with me. My attention span hasn't been fully rehabilitated. My spouse and I are currently rewatching Law and Order SVU, and every time there's a cameo, I nearly lose my mind trying to figure out who it is. But I miss fewer plot points. I laugh more because I'm not missing Ice-T's infamous zingers. I'm still struggling with longer movies and prestige shows, but I've started reading more easily again. I can't prove these two things are related, but it feels like they are. I don't know that I'll ever find the perfect balance between being connected and disconnected. Brick still doesn't work for me in every scenario. I don't think this is a solution that'll work for everyone in the same boat. But this experiment has been a helpful reminder that you don't always have to go big and fix everything at once. Sometimes, all it takes is a tweak to get a small win. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue my Brick key from my cat. I like a little peace, but I'm not ready to lose an emergency unbrick code just from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Victoria Song Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. 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