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Irish Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Bad Guys 2: Putting the guff in McGuffins
The Bad Guys 2 Director : Pierre Perifel Cert : G Starring : Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne Running Time : 1 hr 44 mins There should be a word in German for that thing where a movie makes a joke ridiculing some offence the film itself is currently committing. 'We know! So don't nag us. Okay?' There has rarely been a more egregious example than that found at the centre of this tolerable sequel to a modestly successful 2022 animation . The titular troupe of anthropomorphic grifters realise that a set of recent robberies hinge on desire for a magical substance called McGuffinite. If you didn't get that, the material is named for the device in a Hitchcock film that serves merely as an accelerant for the plot. The mysterious wine bottle in Notorious. That sort of thing. The Bad Guys 2, though big on zany visuals of the Hanna Barbera school, is dragged down by an overcomplicated plot about which it becomes increasingly hard to give a hoot. Mr Wolf, Mr Snake, Mr Shark and the rest, after saving the world in the first film, have now settled down to the boring straight existence. The former crooks are, to paraphrase the last lines of Goodfellas, learning to live the rest of their lives like a schnook. Crummy jobs. Cheap cars. No action. [ The Bad Guys: Bad, but not in a good way Opens in new window ] Life heats up when a party of female animals, led by a snow leopard named Kitty Kat, carry out a series of robberies that are blamed on our Bad Guys. Cross and double cross eventually send everyone into space for what wants to be a spectacular denouement. Who is friend? Who is foe? Who really cares? None of which is to suggest there isn't uncomplicated fun to be had here. Pierre Perifel, the French director of both films, seems to have enjoyed his Saturday-morning cartoons as a child. The clamorous, body-twisting set pieces sit somewhere between the ballet of Looney Tunes and the less sophisticated visual blare of Scooby Doo. Nothing wrong with any of that. But one remains puzzled as to what these films want to be. Not nearly enough is done with the animal natures of the heroes. Mr Wolf, voiced by Sam Rockwell, may have big teeth (Grandma), but, the odd growl aside, he does little that George Clooney didn't to in the Oceans films. In contrast, far too much is done with that increasingly unwieldy plot. If you keep yakking about the McGuffin the audience will worry if they should genuinely care about it. That isn't happening here. In cinemas from July 25th
USA Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'White Lotus' sweeps Emmy acting nominations. Does it really deserve it?
'The White Lotus'? 'The Studio'? Nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards prove that Emmy voters are notoriously and aggravatingly lazy. Every major award show has its Achilles' heel. The Academy Awards throw their golden statue at any studio willing to fork up the cash. The Grammys have terrible taste and seldom get it right. The Tonys are mostly fine, and who even cares about the Golden Globes? The Emmys, the awards body for the Television Academy, is no exception. Nominations for the 77th Emmy Awards, announced July 15, prove that Emmy voters are notoriously and aggravatingly lazy. Apple TV+'s "Severance" received the most nominations (27), followed by HBO Max's "The Penguin" with 24. "The Studio" and "The White Lotus" got 23 nods. I liked this season of "Severance," and I'm glad a show with such a captivating concept and incredible performances is getting this praise. I haven't watched "The Penguin," and "The Studio" is … fine, but when looking through the acting categories, particularly the supporting categories, I noticed a common phenomenon: Most of the nominees are from the same two shows. This isn't the first time, either. For the 75th Emmy Awards in 2023, every nominee in the supporting actor category was either from 'The White Lotus' or another HBO Max show, 'Succession' (come back, the kids miss you). This time, six of the seven supporting actor nominees and five out of seven supporting actress nominees are either from "The White Lotus" or "Severance." Opinion: The Grammys are notoriously bad. Here's how to make the show less terrible. I like "Severance" and I genuinely think the nods are deserved, so they get a pass (for now). But in an era when there's so much quality television to watch and amazing performances to praise, the lack of diversity is unsettling and flat-out boring. 2025 Emmy snubs wouldn't be so bad if voters weren't so lazy Are Emmy voters so lazy that they must clog up the acting noms with undeserving "White Lotus" performances to circumvent doing their jobs – actually watching the bounty of available television and nominating worthy performances from an array of programs? Do Sam Rockwell, Walton Goggins and Jason Isaacs all need to be nominated? I can make a compelling case for Isaacs, but IDK about the other two. The motivation, or lack thereof, behind Emmy voters' laziness remains unknown to us industry outsiders. Is their tunnel vision a result of artificially ushering certain shows into the TV Hall of Fame by drowning them in nominations? Do they just not have an eye for good performances? Is HBO lining their pockets? For us normal viewers, it doesn't matter, nor does it make this whole ordeal any less boring. Maybe if Emmy voters got off their butts and actually did their jobs – how hard can watching TV truly be? I do it constantly – there wouldn't be so many egregious snubs. "Industry" and "Interview with the Vampire" continue to be Emmy-less despite arguably being two of the best shows on TV right now. Opinion: And the Oscar goes to ... another underwhelming, safe choice for the academy "The Bear" is still getting away with category fraud, receiving comedy nominations when it's so clearly a drama (and no, I don't care for your pretentious explanations). Has anyone even watched season four? Perhaps if it were put in its rightful place, 'The Rehearsal' starring Nathan Fielder could have gotten some nods. When are the Emmys? Why I'll still watch. Nevertheless, there are some, some (some) silver linings. I was happy to see Janelle James and Michelle Williams get nods for their performances in "Abbott Elementary" and "Dying for Sex," respectively. Owen Cooper from Netflix's "Adolescence" became the youngest nominee ever for best supporting actor in a limited/anthology series or TV movie. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Beyoncé received two nominations for her Beyoncé Bowl special. She was previously nominated in Variety Special categories for "Lemonade" and "Homecoming" but lost to James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke" both times. Yes, you read that right. Despite all my complaining, I will be seated on Sept. 14 for the Emmys ceremony. The Emmys are usually good at picking the least bad out of their disappointing nominees. Also, I'm a sucker for award shows; I love watching an actor's dreams come true. But if "The White Lotus" wins more than two Emmys, we will have a problem. Kofi Mframa is a columnist and digital producer for USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network. Stream "Industry" on HBO Max, please. You won't regret it. You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Rockwell Says He Still Gets Residual Checks for ‘Lean on Me' 'Even Though I'm Not in It'
Sam Rockwell may not actually be in the 1989 film Lean on Me, but he's still paid for the role he almost had. The Oscar winner recently shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he, Michael Imperioli and Kevin Corrigan drove together in a van to New Jersey to audition for a single line in the movie, starring Morgan Freeman and Beverly Todd. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Awards Chatter' Live Pod: Sam Rockwell on That 'White Lotus' Monologue, 'Three Billboards' Award Season and Upcoming Martin McDonagh Reunion 'Wild Horse Nine' Newport Beach TV Fest: 'White Lotus' Star Sam Rockwell Set for TV Supporting Performance of the Year Award, Live 'Awards Chatter' Podcast Walton Goggins Waited Six Months (and Seven Hours) to Film That 'White Lotus' Scene While Rockwell ultimately landed the role, he admitted they 'never got to my scene' during filming. 'So they had to let me go because they didn't want to pay me for a week,' he said, adding that they just paid him for the day. 'They were like, we can't pay him a week for one line.' Imperioli was later cast for the role, but The White Lotus actor said, 'I still get residual checks for that even though I'm not in it.' This wasn't the only time Rockwell and Imperioli were cast in the same role. He also told host Josh Horowitz that he was later called to star in 1998's Celebrity, starring Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis and Leonardo DiCaprio. 'I was part of DiCaprio's entourage and I had a few lines and they said, 'Woody [Allen, director] wants you to dye your hair bleach blonde.' And I said, 'I'm not dying my hair bleach blonde for like five lines. What are you crazy?' And they're like, 'Woody wants you to do it,' and I'm like, 'Well I'm not doing it.'' That's when production told him, ''Well Michael Imperioli was going to do it,' 'cause he had dropped out, and I was replacing Michael because Michael was going to do a little pilot called Sopranos,' he added before quipping, 'I heard it didn't go anywhere.' Rockwell ended up giving in: 'I said, 'All right, I'll dye my hair.' And I bleached my hair.' As for Imperioli, The Sopranos definitely did go somewhere, running for eight seasons and winning multiple Emmys. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Leslie Bibb Set the Record Straight on Why She Hasn't Married Sam Rockwell After 18 Years Together
After both starring in season 3 of The White Lotus, fans are realizing how sweet Leslie Bibb and Sam Rockwell are more than ever before. The duo, who have been together for 18 years, are a true Hollywood power couple, but have no plans to walk down the aisle anytime soon. As this week's guest co-host of the Today Show with Jenna Bush Hager, Bibb finally explained why they've never 'put a ring on it.' More from SheKnows Eric Dane Was Reportedly Dating Two Women Before His Red Carpet Debut With Janell Shirtcliff 'Listen, I love Sam Rockwell,' she told Bush Hager of the Oscar winner. 'I would put him in my pocket and carry him with me all the time. I love him, [but] I do not want to get married.' Bush Hager then asked if it was something that came up at the beginning of their relationship. As it turns out, Rockwell even annoyed her by asking her over and over again if she was sure. 'He kept saying, 'Really, you don't want to get married?'' Bibb remembered. ''Stop asking me as if I'm gonna pull a sneak on you,' but he didn't want it either.' 'Maybe it's probably something about the way we grew up, but I feel like if it ain't broke, don't fix it,' she said. Bibb then went on to say that all relationships, regardless of being married or not, have their ups and downs. 'I think this is an ideal that has been ingrained in us of long hair, fairytale, that someone's gonna come in and if we're in a relationship, everything will be okay,' she said. '[But] it's not gonna be okay, stuff happens, and it's gonna be highs and lows.' She also added that she never wanted to become a mom. 'I just don't have that chip in me,' she shared. And, despite the 18 years together, it seems Bibb and Rockwell are keeping their spark alive. 'I do think it gets better,' she said. 'I think the intimacy of a relationship is sexy to me. You can all have all the hot sex in the beginning, but you gotta reinvent.' Later on in the episode, Rockwell joined both Bibb and Bush Hager for an interview. There, Bush Hagr asked Rockwell about his first impressions of his girlfriend. 'We had that kind of thunderbolt, like 'Dream Weaver' moment in Wayne's World when we saw each other,' Rockwell gushed. 'I found out that she studied in the same acting school that I did, so that was really handy.' Bibb, on the other hand, tried to play it cool. 'I thought you were really cute and I pretended I didn't know who you were,' she remembered. Speaking of their first date, Rockwell remembered that they ended up extending their date to dinner after their day date went so well. 'It's good, you were single, you were ready to mingle,' she told him. 'And I just put my little talons and I said 'No, you're mine.'' 'And they're still in,' Rockwell added. How adorable is that?Best of SheKnows 17 Movies & TV Shows That Educate About the History of American Slavery All of Chris Martin's Confirmed & Rumored Relationships Over the Years 13 Times Meghan Markle Reminded Us So Much of Princess Diana
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Rockwell initially considered teleprompter for White Lotus monologue
Sam Rockwell has revealed that he initially considered using a teleprompter for his monologue in The White Lotus. Earlier this year, the actor went viral after making a surprise appearance in the latest season of The White Lotus, delivering a wild monologue that stole the show. In a new interview with GQ, Rockwell admitted that he had been worried about memorising the lengthy and emotional monologue. "Well, I joked with (creator) Mike White and the producers that I might possibly need an earwig, a teleprompter kind of thing, because I was fearful that I wouldn't know the lines," he explained. However, the actor then revealed that his partner, Leslie Bibb, who played Kate in the show, helped him learn his lines. "Leslie came to visit me on the other movie and drilled me on the lines and ran them over and over again on safari in Africa," he divulged. "They did have an earwig prepped, but I never needed it. I did the first take in one take in a close-up." Explaining his decision to do a close-up, Rockwell said that he wanted the scene to be like a "confessional" as his character was "revealing this really secret part of himself". Rockwell shot his character Frank's monologue scene alongside Walton Goggins, who played his longtime friend Rick. "I couldn't do the monologue without Walt. Walt is my tennis player," he said of his "incredibly helpful" co-star. "We've been friends for such a long time and we were playing friends in the show," he continued. "And, you know, Walt and I have seen things in real life that I wouldn't even know if it really happened unless I called Walt and said, 'Hey, did that really happen?' And he would say, 'Yeah, dude, that really happened.'"
