Latest news with #Sereda
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is That Clint Eastwood Interview Real? HFPA Journalist Says She Aggregated Old Quotes After Director Calls Out ‘Phony' Story
A viral Clint Eastwood interview that gained attention over the past week, in which the 95-year-old star and director criticized Hollywood's 'era of remakes and franchises,' has been debunked by the director, who called the article 'entirely phony.' But in a new wrinkle, the journalist behind the piece claims that the quotes contained in the interview are, in fact, authentic — they just date back to years before its publication. In a statement to Variety, Elisabeth Sereda, a journalist and longtime member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, says that she was tapped by Austrian publication Kurier to write a tribute timed to Eastwood's 95th birthday on May 31. Sereda says she pulled quotes from various Eastwood interviews conducted by the HFPA, dating back to 1976. More from Variety Clint Eastwood Plans to Direct New Movie at 95, Shades 'Era of Remakes and Franchises': 'Do Something New or Stay at Home' Bill Murray Says There's One Director He Wishes He Had Worked With: 'It's One of the Few Regrets I Have' Theo Kingma, Former HFPA President, Dies at 58 'Quotes from Mr. Eastwood cited in the story are culled from several of those 14 press conferences I attended and covered,' Sereda writes. The Kurier tribute, published in German, was then translated and aggregated by various outlets, including Variety. On Monday, Eastwood released a statement to Deadline in which he 'set the record straight,' and clarified that 'I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony.' Per Reuters, Kurier has since pulled the article, reporting that the publication said 'the article fell short of its standards.' It's not the first time that a Hollywood Foreign Press member has claimed that they drew from group press conferences for an article. In 2018, former HFPA president Aida Takla O'Reilly said a bizarre interview with Drew Barrymore, published by EgyptAir's in-flight magazine, was 'genuine and far from fake,' though may have been erroneously edited by the publication. Sereda's statement would indicate that Eastwood did, in fact, give the quotes contained within her article — but they could've been spoken at any time over several decades. One quote, in which Eastwood says he's 'shot sequels three times,' may provide a hint. By 1980, Eastwood had made two 'Dirty Harry' follow-ups — 'Magnum Force' (1973) and 'The Enforcer' (1976) — as well as the primate buddy-comedy sequel 'Any Which Way You Can.' Another 'Dirty Harry' sequel, his self-directed 'Sudden Impact,' released in 1983. (This isn't counting Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name spaghetti westerns, which were packaged and marketed as a trilogy after the production of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.') With that math, this full Eastwood quote — 'We live in an era of remakes and franchises. I've shot sequels three times, but I haven't been interested in that for a long while. My philosophy is: do something new or stay at home' — may date back to the early-'80s. That that potentially decades-old statement was widely interpreted as contemporaneous, and still resonates with readers now, is certainly something though. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Austrian Publication That Ran ‘Phony' Clint Eastwood Interview Cuts Ties with HFPA Member Author
Kurier, the Austrian newspaper that last week published an interview with Clint Eastwood that the director and actor on Monday called 'entirely phony,' has retracted the article and said it will no longer work with the author of the piece. The author, Elisabeth Sereda, is a freelance entertainment journalist for Kurier and was a member of the now-dissolved Hollywood Foreign Press Association. She is also currently a voter for the Golden Globes (the Golden Globes are co-owned by PMC, which is the parent company of IndieWire), though she is not a Golden Globes employee. In written remarks to IndieWire, Sereda explained that the quotes from Eastwood, while factual, were all compiled as part of a 'Best Of' story for the occasion of his 95th birthday. More from IndieWire Luca Guadagnino Attached to Direct AI Business Comedy 'Artificial' for Amazon MGM 'Ride or Die' First Look: Jamie Foxx Produces Indie Queer Road Trip Thriller Premiering at Tribeca Sereda said the quotes were drawn from 14 different interviews Eastwood gave to the HFPA as part of various panel discussions with HFPA members, and for which Sereda has spoken to Eastwood several times over the years. Transcripts of those interviews historically have been free to be used by HFPA members in articles, and Sereda said that while Eastwood may not have heard of Kurier, 'he is certainly familiar with the HFPA — having given more than 20 interviews to the group dating back to 1976.' However, the original article was presented as though it were a fresh conversation given for his 95th birthday. Kurier on Tuesday replaced the link to the original article with a statement from the editor, explaining that it had no reason to doubt Sereda had spoken with Eastwood and that the article was formatted 'as an interview, not a portrait,' ultimately agreeing that the article didn't meet Kurier's standards. 'According to Sereda, she wrote the current article based on these conversations. This means that all of Eastwood's statements were made exactly as they were, and this is documented. Using multiple interviews for a birthday portrait is common practice,' the Kurier statement reads (translated via Google). 'The article was formatted as an interview, not a portrait. This was intended to create the impression that it was a new interview. The fact that this wasn't the case is not in keeping with the quality standards the Kurier maintains.' The original Kurier article written by Sereda quoted Eastwood as saying 'I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote movies like 'Casablanca' in small bungalows on the studio lot,' and that 'we live in an era of remakes and franchises.' The article also suggested that Eastwood told the publication he was in pre-production on another movie. Sereda told IndieWire the mention of him directing another movie is based on her research via IMDB Pro, which lists an upcoming project of his as 'in development,' and 'the project is never mentioned in a direct quote, only in the intro to the article.' Kurier's statement concludes saying it will no longer work with Sereda 'because transparency and our strict editorial standards are paramount to us.' Sereda disputed the publication's explanation slightly, saying she 'was asked' by Kurier to write a 'Best of' compilation with prior quotes she had done. She also added that she was a freelance contributor, not an employee of Kurier, and over the past six months has 'phased out her contributions' following the publication of her recent historical fiction novel. A rep for the Golden Globes said that Sereda is not an employee of the awards body and clarifies that the HFPA has not been affiliated with the Globes since 2023 when it was dissolved after being acquired by Penske Media and Dick Clark Productions. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Global News
13-05-2025
- Health
- Global News
Saskatoon's overdose numbers are once again hitting record levels
On Tuesday, May 13th, an advisory was sent out by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health stating that an unknown substance in Saskatoon has been causing higher risk of overdose. From May 9th to May 11th, the Saskatoon Fire Department responded to 30 overdoses, 17 of which took place on the 11th. Recent testing has shown that multiple dangerous substances are circulating in Saskatoon. To help find the root of the issue, Prairie Harm Reduction has also been testing drugs brought in for any abnormalities. At first, they tested party drugs and now they are looking to further testing on street substances. Anyone who partakes in drugs but is scared due to this spike can take their substances to the centre to be tested. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Saskatoon Fire Department is urging more citizens to get take home Naloxone kits. Kits can be found in pharmacies and health centers across the province. A list of extra locations can be found here. Story continues below advertisement With the sudden spike after a brief reprieve, Kyle Sereda, Saskatoon Chief of Medavie Health Services West says stress has been high for paramedics. 'We see some challenges on our streets, we see some of the challenges with mental health and addictions and paramedic by nature is just looking to help those (in need), but we have limited resources on what we can and can't do on the streets.' explains Sereda. 'We provide whatever we can so that our paramedics and teams can still deliver services while not overburdening them and keeping in mind all the other emergencies that are going on at the same time.' Kayla Demong, executive director for Prairie Harm Reduction says that the homelessness crisis is just as big of an issue in the province. 'When we don't have proper supports in place for people, there's a ripple effect and increased drug use is one of those things.'
