Oppenheimer Stars Leave London Premiere As Part Of Strike By Hollywood Performers

Posted on 13/07/2023 by Boris Clair

Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan told the audience at the film’s London premiere Thursday night that stars of the film had left the premiere to “write their picket signs” as part of their involvement with the Screen Actors Guild strike.

In a video shared by Deadline, Nolan made the comments shortly before the strike was officially announced.

The BBC confirmed that actors Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy were among those who walked out.

Earlier, Blunt told Deadline at the premiere’s red carpet that they were prepared to walk off.

“I think right now we are just sort of … I hope everyone makes a fair deal, and we are here to celebrate this movie. And if they call it, we’ll be leaving together as a cast in unity with everyone … We are gonna have to. We are gonna have to. We will see what happens. Right now, it’s the joy to be together,” she said.

They are among some 160,000 performers joining the picket line after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers fell apart Thursday. SAG members have been seeking new terms on minimum pay, residuals for shows on streaming services, pensions and the use of artificial intelligence, among several other issues.

“The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us,” Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president and iconic star of the ’90s sitcom The Nanny, said in a statement. “Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”

This is the first SAG strike since 2000 and the first time in about 60 years that both the actors’ union and the Writers Guild of America members have been on strike at the same time. The latter has been picketing for more than two months.

Rob McElhenney Reveals Diagnosis Of Learning Disabilities

Posted on 13/07/2023 by Boris Clair

Rob McElhenney, star of the hit show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, revealed that he has been diagnosed with “a host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities”.

The actor, 46, shared news of the diagnosis Tuesday on Twitter but did not disclose the specifics. McElhenney acknowledged in his tweet that he typically wouldn’t share such information publicly but decided to do so to help others in similar situations.

Examples of neurodevelopmental disabilities can include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, learning disabilities, visual and hearing disabilities, and cerebral palsy.

According to a study conducted from 2009 to 2017 by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six children ages six to 17 had a developmental disability. The American Psychiatric Association found that 2.5% of adults in the US have ADHD. But some research shows that many adults with ADHD remain undiagnosed.

“It’s not something I would normally talk about publicly but I figured there are others who struggle with similar things and I wanted to remind you that you’re not alone. You’re not stupid. You’re not ‘bad’. It might feel that way sometimes. But it’s not true :)” he tweeted.

I was recently diagnosed with a host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities! At 46!

I go through the full diagnosis/prognosis on the @thesunnypodcast (which drops in 2 weeks)

It’s not something I would normally talk about publicly but I figured there are…

— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) July 11, 2023

Fans responded to his tweet with an outpouring of support and gratitude for his openness, with several sharing their experiences with disability diagnoses as well.

McElhenney will be sharing the full diagnosis and prognosis in an episode of The Always Sunny Podcast, a production that McElhenney and his co-stars Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day began hosting together in 2021.

Emily Blunt Says She’s Taking A Break From Acting Due To The ‘Emotional Cost’

Posted on 12/07/2023 by Boris Clair

Emily Blunt has revealed that she is taking a break from acting due to the “emotional cost” of leaving her young children to take on projects.

“This year, I’m not working,” the Oppenheimer actor said during an appearance on Bruce Bozzi’s Table for Two podcast on Monday. “I worked quite a bit last year and my oldest baby is 9, like, we’re in the last year of single digits.”

Blunt is married to Office actor John Krasinski, whom she shares two daughters with: Hazel, 9, and Violet, 7.

“I just feel there are cornerstones to their day that are so important when they’re little,” she explained. “And it’s, ‘Will you wake me up? Will you take me to school? Will you pick me up? Will you put me to bed?’ And I just need to be there for all of them ― for a good stretch. And I just felt that in my bones.”

Blunt said that she worked a lot last year on projects that were at times intense and time-consuming, which prompted her to step back from working for a bit.

“The ones that are time-consuming, I think for me are becoming few and further between because of just the emotional cost on me, on the kids, on balance,” she said, adding that she is “very prone to guilt.”

Blunt attends the 19th Annual AFI Awards in Beverly Hills on Jan. 4, 2019, in Los Angeles.

“I think maybe all mothers are,” Blunt explained. “You’re just prone to feeling bad for, god forbid, wanting something outside of being a mother.”

She also said that she struggles with moderation while working, and said her idea of balance “sways in extremes”.

“I’ll work too much, and then i’ll have a complete reaction against it and an aversion to being on a film set for some time,” she said. “And then I’ll desperately want to work again.”

As far as her kids watching any of her projects, The Devil Wears Prada star joked that her children are “embarrassed” and “horrified by the fact” that she is an actress.

They “have no desire to watch me in anything, which is very healthy, because they just want me to be their mom”, she said.

Blunt has previously admitted that both of her children don’t really rush to watch either parent on-screen, and are rather indifferent to their fame.

“When I see myself up on a billboard, I have this complete disassociation with it … I’m like, who’s that?” Blunt said in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK last month. “And I can see my children doing the same — they might say, ‘Oh, there’s mama,’ but it’s not exciting for them. What’s exciting for them is when I can pick them up from school and take them swimming.”

Matt Damon’s Daughters Look So Grown Up During Rare Red Carpet Appearance With Dad

Posted on 12/07/2023 by Boris Clair

It seems Matt Damon decided to celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day in July.

On Tuesday, the Good Will Hunting star posed on the red carpet alongside three of his four daughters at a Paris premiere of his new film “Oppenheimer.”

Damon beamed with pride as he wrapped his arms around daughters Stella, 12, who wore a black mini-dress, and Gia, 14, who opted for a long white dress. Alexia Barroso, 24, Damon’s stepdaughter, wore a simple black dress with bows on the straps.

Two unidentified guests, Stella Damon, Matt Damon, Gia Damon, Alexia Barroso and another guest at the "Oppenheimer" premiere. — Two unidentified guests, Stella Damon, Matt Damon, Gia Damon, Alexia Barroso and another guest at the “Oppenheimer” premiere.

It’s unclear if Damon’s wife, Luciana Barroso, or his other daughter, Isabella, 17, were in attendance at the premiere; they were not photographed on the red carpet.

The family and guests appeared together on the red carpet for the new movie.

Although it’s rare to see photos of Damon’s girls, they also accompanied their dad to the premiere of his film Air in March. During this premiere, Luciana Barroso and Isabella were photographed alongside Alexia, Stella and Matt Damon.

Luciana Barroso with Isabella, Stella, Gia and Matt Damon at the “Air” premiere in March.

In 2019, Damon proved his love for his girls was eternal when he got all four of their names tattooed on his right upper arm. Their names appear close to a preexisting “Lucy” tattoo, which he previously got in honor of Luciana.

“On a whim, my wife said, ‘We’re going to get tattoos today,’ so I got a tattoo of her name,” Damon told Access Hollywood of his body art. “And it always felt alone on my arm, and I’ve always wanted to put the kids on there.”

He added: “So now, I got the kids on there, and now I’ve got to figure out a way to pull it all together.”

May we suggest he ties it all together with a “Ben” tattoo? But just the name — and not a giant phoenix on his back.

Dua Lipa Wears Just A Sparkly Thong Under Sheer Chain Mail Dress At Barbie Premiere

Posted on 11/07/2023 by Boris Clair

Pop star and first-time actor Dua Lipa is entering the world of Barbie with a bang.

The three-time Grammy winner turned up at the premiere of the Barbie film in Los Angeles on Sunday wearing a sheer Bottega Veneta gown that appeared to be constructed out of chain mail. (NSFW images below.)

Lipa wore only a thong under the floor-length dress, which was completely see-through.

She accessorized her look in a pair of silver rocket mules, also by Bottega Veneta, as well as Tiffany’s jewelry.

Lipa appeared to be channeling her character from the movie, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. She makes her big-screen acting debut with a small role as Mermaid Barbie.

From the sounds of it, “Barbie” will be the first of many Hollywood projects for Lipa. In fact, she’s already booked a follow-up role in Argylle, a spy thriller starring Henry Cavill and Bryce Dallas Howard.

That isn’t to say she’s abandoning her musical pursuits, as her latest single, Dance the Night, is featured on the Barbie soundtrack.

Speaking to Dazed last month, Lipa said she was eager to work with Barbie director Greta Gerwig, whose films “never really feel like the male gaze. They have very interesting female protagonists”.

“The film ― and there’s a lot of diversity in the cast ― is touching exactly on the buttons that maybe it presses, and shows a different story,” she said. As for the soundtrack, she added: “Greta said that the whole film was inspired by disco. There’s a lot of very glittery and pop moments in it.”

Everything We Know About The Allegations Against A BBC Presenter

Posted on 10/07/2023 by Boris Clair

The BBC on Sunday suspended a member of staff following an allegation in The Sun newspaper that one of its star presenters paid a teenager to pose for sexually explicit photos. Neither the star, nor the youth, was identified.

The Metropolitan Police said on Monday there is “no investigation at this time” into the claims.

Later on Monday, the BBC reported on a letter from a lawyer acting for the young person claiming that The Sun’s allegations are “rubbish” and that “nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality”.

The crisis deepened on Tuesday when the BBC’s news division reported that the male presenter had sent abusive messages to a second person, aged in their early 20s.

What are the initial allegations?

The Sun newspaper on Friday reported allegations that the male presenter allegedly gave the teenager £35,000 starting in 2020 when they were 17.

Though the age of sexual consent in the UK is 16, it’s a crime to make or possess indecent images of anyone under 18.

According to the newspaper, the family complained to the broadcaster on May 19, but the presenter was not immediately taken off air.

The mother told the newspaper that the teenager had used the cash to fund a crack cocaine habit.

The family had not requested payment for their story, The Sun reported.

What has the BBC said?

The BBC said in a statement on Sunday that it “first became aware of a complaint in May”, but that “new allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature” – a day before The Sun published its story.

The broadcaster said “the BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations”. It said the corporation had also been in touch with “external authorities,” but did not specify whether that was the police.

“This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps,” the BBC said.

“We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.”

According to a timeline published by the broadcaster, a member of the young person’s family walked into a BBC building on May 18 to make a complaint. The family member contacted BBC Audience Services the next day.

The BBC said it made two unsuccessful attempts – one email and one phone call – to respond to the complainant.

The Sun contacted the BBC seven weeks later on July 6 with different allegations, the broadcaster said on Tuesday, and senior management were informed for the first time.

“The events of recent days have shown how complex and challenging these kinds of cases can be and how vital it is that they are handled with the utmost diligence and care,” BBC Director General Tim Davie told reporters after the corporation published its annual report.

Davie, who said he had not personally spoken to the presenter, said the new information provided by the Sun on July 6 “clearly related to potential criminal activity”.

What has the police said?

The Metropolitan Police said on Monday the force had met BBC bosses earlier in the day and that officers were making further enquiries about the allegations.

The Met said in a statement: “Detectives from the Met’s specialist crime command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, July 10. The meeting took place virtually.

“They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.

“There is no investigation at this time.”

On Tuesday, it asked the BBC to pause its inquiries while specialist officers decide if there is any justification for a criminal investigation.

What did the young person’s lawyer say?

The BBC reported it had received a letter from a lawyer representing the young person involved in the story.

It wrote: “For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in the Sun newspaper are rubbish.”

The BBC also reported “the young person sent a denial to the Sun on Friday evening saying there was ‘no truth to it’. However, the “inappropriate article” was still published, the lawyer said.

The Sun responded to this claim by stating: “We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child.

“Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC.

“We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate.”

What is the second claim?

BBC News said on Tuesday it had been contacted by a second young person – unconnected to the first – who said they had been approached by the presenter on a dating app.

When the person, who never met the presenter, hinted online that they would reveal his identity, they were sent abusive, expletive-filled messages, the BBC said.

BBC News said it had verified that the messages were sent from a phone belonging to the presenter. It said it had received no response to the latest allegations from either the presenter or his lawyer.

Late on Tuesday, The Sun claimed the presenter allegedly broke lockdown rules to meet a young stranger from a dating site.

Why has the presenter not been named?

The male presenter has not been named by the Sun or any other outlets who know their identity, with the media having to balance the public’s right to know with the legal risks.

Unless there are any criminal charges, there will be two aspects of the law weighing heavily on newsrooms – defamation and privacy.

Defamation

The law of defamation protects an individual’s reputation from the harm caused by lies. Identifying an individual and making false allegations against them that would lower them in the eyes of right-thinking members of society exposes the publisher to being sued if the claims are false.

The principle defence against defamation is that the allegation is true. But the burden of proof is on the publisher, and the bar is particularly high in sexual offence cases.

A person under criminal investigation has a reasonable expectation of privacy until charged, the Supreme Court decided last year. As I wrote at the time, the news organisation we have to thank for turning this principle into a precedent is the specialist business service…

— Joshua Rozenberg (@JoshuaRozenberg) July 9, 2023

Two relatively recent cases have had a big impact on editorial decision-making when it comes to an individual’s right to privacy.

In 2018, Cliff Richard won a privacy case against the BBC over the broadcaster’s coverage of a police raid on his home following a false child sexual assault allegation, which has since tipped the balance in favour of privacy over a right to know.

Added to this, the Supreme Court, the UK’s highest court, ruled in 2022 that a person being investigated for a crime generally has “a reasonable expectation of privacy” until charged – turning what was an accepted principle into legal precedent.

In an email to staff on Monday, Davie said the BBC was taking the allegations “incredibly seriously”.

He added: “By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.

“I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts.”

What are BBC presenters saying?

Amid speculation on social media about the identity of the presenter, several of the BBC’s best-known stars spoke up to say it wasn’t them, including Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark, Nicky Campbell and Jeremy Vine.

The laws of defamation apply to social media as much as they do the media, but that hasn’t stopped some people accusing presenters without any foundation.

Campbell addressed the online speculation on the radio. On BBC Radio 5 Live, he opened his programme on Monday saying: “Thoughts with the alleged victim and family.”

He added: “It was a distressing weekend, I can’t deny it, for me and others falsely named.

“Today I’m having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.”

On his Radio 2 show, Vine did the same, saying: “I’m in that shortlist of BBC presenters who ended up being smacked around on Twitter yesterday and the day before. But what can you do? Are you going to tell me to take out 85 different lawsuits?”

On Tuesday, Vine suggested the star at the centre of the allegations reveal themself publicly.

Friends Forever – All The Times The Cast Reunited On Screen After The Sitcom’s Finale

Posted on 09/07/2023 by Boris Clair

It’s been almost 20 years since since Friends aired its fina episode, which saw longtime fans saying goodbye to Joey, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Phoebe, and Monica once and for all.

But even though Friends has been off the air for two decades, the show wouldn’t be the last time its cast – Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow – would work together.

Since Friends ended in 2004, some of the stars have reunited on-screen for a variety of shows, from Episodes, to Cougar Town.

Here’s a look back at all the times the Friends cast have appeared on screen together since Friends came to an end…

Dirt

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In 2007, Courteney took the lead in Dirt, a drama about a high-end tabloid, in which she played editor Lucy Spiller.

Jennifer popped up in the season one finale as the editor of a rival publication called Tina Harold, who ending up sharing a kiss with Lucy.

The guest role also marked Jen’s first appearance in a TV show since Friends came to an end three years prior.

Web Therapy

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Lisa’s improvised series Web Therapy, which aired for four seasons between 2011 and 2015, saw the actor transform into online therapist Fiona Wallace.

During its run, she was joined by all of her former Friends co-stars in various guest roles, except for Jennifer, who was approached about an appearance shortly before the series was cancelled.

Cougar Town

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Sentimentality has never had a place in pop culture, which has always evolved at warped speed. Audiences today have a lot of options on what to watch, listen to, and read, and how to do so — too many, as some have said. Then there’s Hollywood’s constant, foolhardy task of peddling remakes of older films to fit the current social mores, in a race to be on the right side of history.

The surplus of art is so excessive that storytellers like Taika Waititi have resigned themselves to the belief that new content coming out now will be antiquated in as soon as a decade or two.

“No one’s going to remember us,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “What’s the name of the director of Casablanca? Arguably one of the greatest films of all time. No one knows his name. Let’s just live, make some movies. They’ll be obsolete and irrelevant in 15 or 20 years.”

That’s bleak as hell. Though, sadly, not far from the truth. (And, if you’re wondering, Michael Curtiz directed Casablanca.)

Still, this begs an important question. What is to become of the practice of re-releasing and restoring older offerings like Park Chan-wook’s 2003 thriller Oldboy, returning to cinemas this August, or 1997’s Titanic, which had its re-outing in January, so that they do stay relevant or can at least be studied and challenged?

How can re-releases thrive when some apparently feel these films no longer have significance?

Director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 thriller “Oldboy” returns to theaters next month.

This also comes to mind as we step into the summer season. Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary by re-releasing eight of its classic films for two-week limited runs at cinemas from July to October.

Cities like New York host screenings of older films as fun outdoor events, and venues such as the Metrograph continue to curate and screen a robust variety of re-released and mostly restored vintage cinema.

Those coming up at the New York City cinema include director Roger Vadim’s 1968 comedy Barbarella, Sidney Lumet’s 1973 drama Serpico and Ridley Scott’s 1982 action film Blade Runner.

But with greater attention and promotions around remakes and reimaginings than ever, like this year’s The Little Mermaid, Teen Wolf: The Movie, White Men Can’t Jump and the upcoming The Color Purple, it’s a wonder how the older counterparts can sustain interest. That’s particularly concerning when re-releases get far less marketing and reach fewer audiences.

Alexander Olch, founder of the Metrograph, isn’t especially concerned about competing with popular remakes, or even the presumed fading importance of showing re-releases and newly restored older films. Arthouse cinemas like his, he said, thrive by attracting a variety of audiences interested in both older and contemporary classics as well as unique filmmaking.

“There will never be a shortage of excitement around authenticity,” Olch told me over the phone. “So, the original of any idea is always going to be fascinating and of interest to, in our opinions, quite a large audience.”

Despite the typically more modest promotions around re-releases, 1997's "Titanic" boasted impressive box-office numbers when it returned to theaters in January. — Despite the typically more modest promotions around re-releases, 1997’s “Titanic” boasted impressive box-office numbers when it returned to theaters in January.

He believes that watching an original film is the gateway to appreciating subsequent material.

“The interesting thing about watching the original is that it really is the cornerstone of any exploration of that idea — whether you’re looking at other work by that same filmmaker, by those same actors or artists, or potential remakes later on in time,” he said.

That’s fair. But re-releases still have to fit inside the Hollywood business model of making money. While they can’t be expected to compete with remakes at the box office (though recent re-releases of titles like Jaws and Titanic did quite well), it’s easy to presume that remakes’ overwhelming success could overshadow the efforts of a re-release.

Olch said there are more re-releases that defy that assumption than we may think, and that could be dependent on several factors, including the film itself. For instance, director Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 horror “Possession” was a huge hit at Metrograph, both at the cinema and on its website. Much of that is due to the built-in fan base around the title itself.

“Part of the reason it had such excitement is that many people had seen the film and they just wanted to see it again, which is a particular kind of interest and that ended up being a huge hit,” Olch said. “That’s just a film that invites repeat viewings and has a particularly avid fan base.”

But where do re-releases fit in today’s fast-paced culture?

With greater attention and promotions around remakes like this year’s “The Little Mermaid," it’s a wonder how their older counterparts can sustain interest. — With greater attention and promotions around remakes like this year’s “The Little Mermaid,” it’s a wonder how their older counterparts can sustain interest.

It’s also worth pointing out that the cost to re-release a film is far less than bringing a new remake to cinemas, in part because studios don’t have to worry about hiring a cast and crew.

Script supervisor Jennifer Carriere brought this up when we jumped on a separate call about the role of re-releases in today’s remake market.

“Consider that there are not those same production dollars going into re-releasing a classic film,” she said. “So, there is a cost benefit to re-releasing something without having to set aside another tens of millions of dollars to create something new. It’s something that already exists.”

So, when you think about it that way, continuing to re-release films is in the studios’ favour, making them a relatively lower financial risk that has the potential for a worthy return. It’s reliable. But whether reliable is good enough for some green-hungry studios remains debatable.

There’s another aspect of this: If you have a winning programming strategy, like at the Metrograph, you figure out a way to make some of these new remakes work to the advantage of a classic film re-release. For example, Olch’s team is sometimes inspired to pursue screening certain films because their forthcoming remakes could amplify excitement around the original version.

Carriere agreed that re-releases can play an important role in today’s remake culture. “It could be something that is laying the groundwork for a remake in the future, and they want to strengthen the fan base and even test the waters in terms of interest,” she explained.

But that doesn’t mean saturating the market.

“I just think it’s part of the risk,” Carriere continued. “But you do have to diversify when it comes to your content. So, you can’t have all remakes.”

And with original intellectual properties, “there is a place for re-releasing historic filmmaking pieces and getting audiences excited,” she added.

Alexander Olch, founder of the Metrograph in New York that's screening 1968's "Barbarella" this month, feels the overwhelming interest in remakes “does not bear on what’s sitting in the archive.” — Alexander Olch, founder of the Metrograph in New York that’s screening 1968’s “Barbarella” this month, feels the overwhelming interest in remakes “does not bear on what’s sitting in the archive.”

That balance and even the overwhelming number of remakes today, Olch said, “does not bear on what’s sitting in the archive.” But he also conceded it’s impossible not to consider the saturation of art and content that is current.

“Everything is so here and now that the opposite starts to become inevitably interesting,” Olch added, “which is something that is authentic that existed 10, 20, 30, 50 years ago that has a respect and a following of critics, or audiences, or filmmakers or artists.”

Something, he concluded, that even filmmakers today reference as art that has moved them.

But moviegoers’ interest in exploring older titles still seems rather niche. Audiences often lack a curiosity to explore deeper film history, even as specialty theatres curate older films around new pop culture dialogues.

These cinemas, including Metrograph and others across the nation and the world, also offer artist callbacks and film series to introduce — and reintroduce — viewers to older content. And if audiences are unable to attend in person, some offer online viewing platforms that movie lovers can explore.

There’s also a whole other platform where older films can be found and, arguably most easily, accessed: streaming platforms.

How streaming classic films keeps film history alive.

How do we engage in a discussion around the preservation of film history as well as a growing concern over what films "hold up" today? Above, an image from this year's remake of 1992's "White Men Can't Jump." — How do we engage in a discussion around the preservation of film history as well as a growing concern over what films “hold up” today? Above, an image from this year’s remake of 1992’s “White Men Can’t Jump.”

In the same places where hits like “Succession, Yellowjackets and The Bear are streamed, films such as 1989’s The Little Mermaid and 1985’s The Color Purple and Teen Wolf, as well as older classics including 1953’s Roman Holiday and 1963’s The Birds, can also be viewed.

Particularly in the aftermath of the Warner Bros. Discovery/TCM shake-up last month, cinephiles have been advocating to preserve these archival offerings.

“Turner Classic Movies has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember,” actor Ryan Reynolds tweeted. “It’s a holy corner of film history — and a living, breathing library for an entire art form.”

Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns TCM, had previously laid off the network’s top execs. Then, following a significant outcry from fans worried that the losses at TCM could signal the loss of access to classic films in the vein of FilmStruck’s 2018 demise, the network reinstated TCM’s head of content and curation, Charlie Tabesh.

Filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson will also help guide programming and curation.

As passionate and necessary as that conversation has been, classics, particularly on streamers, are still largely overshadowed amid the flurry of excitement many audiences have about the most current title streaming.

That’s even true when it’s something bad, like The Idol. Many people refuse to explore the larger library on these platforms.

Even Carriere admitted to that. “Genuinely, I’m thinking about it myself, and it doesn’t even occur to me to go dig up older things,” she said. “I tend to just look at whatever is trending based on my preferences, and the streaming service itself tells me what that is.”

With less emphasis on film literacy, it's hard to tell whether some audiences today are even aware that certain films are remakes. Will the upcoming "The Color Purple" encourage viewers to revisit the 1985 original film (seen above) — or perhaps watch it for the first time? — With less emphasis on film literacy, it’s hard to tell whether some audiences today are even aware that certain films are remakes. Will the upcoming “The Color Purple” encourage viewers to revisit the 1985 original film (seen above) — or perhaps watch it for the first time?

A lot of people share this habit. As Carriere mentioned, doing a little exploration on a streaming platform takes extra time out of your day and adds another task to it — a fun task, but a task nonetheless. That extra time should be worth it to explore your own interests beyond what is recommended.

Sadly, though, in today’s fast-paced culture, many social media chats underscore how everything new is cool. Even if it’s not actually cool, it’s still new.

Beyond many viewers’ general lack of curiosity, Carriere puts the onus on streamers. They don’t recommend older films to subscribers in the way they do the newer content.

Free platforms like Tubi, which is one of the best online platforms on which to watch classic movies apart from Criterion, a paid streamer exclusively dedicated to the archive, tend to do this a little better.

But paid platforms like Max, which also has a treasure trove of older work due to its TCM partnership, rarely promote classics, even if you frequently watch those titles. And the fear is that those films might become even more buried as the platform continues to roll out changes.

“Because it’s such a competitive landscape between the streaming platforms, they probably want to push and promote those things that are most likely to keep the subscribers subscribed,” Carriere said.

Promotions around the streaming of original movies like 1985's "Teen Wolf" pale in comparison to those for its modern reimagining "Teen Wolf: The Movie" (above). — Promotions around the streaming of original movies like 1985’s “Teen Wolf” pale in comparison to those for its modern reimagining “Teen Wolf: The Movie” (above).

But if so many subscribers are only interested in what they’re told is interesting on the platform, the algorithm is counterintuitive.

That’s where the balance can come in, though. Not everything that appears on a streamer’s homepage has to be what is current, but rather it could also show films that are new to the platform — which should include the classics. This could help establish a routine of watching older films in tandem with their newer counterparts.

It could also build excitement around re-releases that shouldn’t have to shoulder that responsibility on their own. When the sentiment around original filmmaking is widely dismissive, it creates a challenge.

“So, while they do have these huge libraries of older content available, [unless] you explore the older content, I don’t see how they’re going to promote the older stuff, knowing that the vast majority of the audience is looking for the most recent releases above all,” Carriere said.

This could help explain why there is still so much older content that is not available to stream, beyond the ever-constant challenge of securing rights.

Streamers don’t seem confident they’re going to perform well and are not interested enough to test them out. But really, it’s difficult to gauge performance when streamers rarely share viewership numbers, good or bad.

There’s also the concern over whether an older work “holds up” to today’s cultural standards, which could dictate whether something is promoted or even available on a streaming service and certainly whether it’s brought to the big screen again.

But that sometimes calls for discernment rather than dismissal, for the sake of film literacy in a landscape where audiences sometimes don’t even realise when a movie is a remake.

“I do think that there is a preserving film history aspect to it,” Carriere said. “We are building on a history of filmmaking, even though we don’t want to lean into celebrating regressive storytelling. But there is a place for preserving the film history and introducing classics to new audiences.”

The way we reexamine classic films deserves a discussion.

Classics like 1985's "Teen Wolf" are still largely overshadowed amid the flurry of excitement many audiences have around the most current title streaming. — Classics like 1985’s “Teen Wolf” are still largely overshadowed amid the flurry of excitement many audiences have around the most current title streaming.

And focus groups, as Carriere suggested, could also help with determining whether a film should re-enter the cultural sphere in 2023. There’s obviously no need for something like, say, 1915’s The Birth Of A Nation to repopulate today — though, that shouldn’t have emerged in 1915 either.

“Studios have to be careful about this and make sure that they’re vetting and testing and talking to [people] to decide whether or not it’s worthwhile to release something for fear of putting something out into the world that just doesn’t need to be seen or heard anymore,” she added.

True. Though it’s also worth distinguishing that not everything old is problematic, and not everything problematic is old. While today’s culture is quick to thoughtfully assess problematic contemporary works, it seems less interested in reexamining uncomfortable art from yesteryear with as much nuance. That doesn’t bode well for future re-releases.

But that concern could be challenged as the Writers Guild of America strike wages on, and audiences are faced with significantly fewer options in newer content — while the once-recent titles become a part of the archive just as quickly as they appeared. Will re-releases and archival titles on streamers get a viewership boost and/or stronger promotional strategies? That’s hard to predict.

Beyond that remains the issue of films being considered obsolete in a decade’s time. That sentiment means remakes are bound to happen, and whether they draw attention to the original film’s supplemental re-release or streaming availability doesn’t seem to be a priority for film studios that are shoveling out countless marketing dollars on the update.

Most of the streamers aren’t doing more to promote the archives either. So, the question of relevance persists, even when it’s something as recent as Oldboy or Titanic.

Al Pacino is masterful in 1973's "Serpico," screening at the Metrograph this month. “To think that a performance is outdated in only a few years' time is kind of a depressing thought,” script supervisor Jennifer Carriere said. — Al Pacino is masterful in 1973’s “Serpico,” screening at the Metrograph this month. “To think that a performance is outdated in only a few years’ time is kind of a depressing thought,” script supervisor Jennifer Carriere said.

“To think that a performance is outdated in only a few years’ time is kind of a depressing thought,” Carriere said. “It would be nice if we could find ways to celebrate properties and performances and scripts and continue to keep them relevant.”

But she ultimately thinks that is a bit idealistic. “That’s just kind of going to be tougher to do, the shorter people’s attention spans become and the more competition for attention there is,” she continued. “That’s just part of the way in which our world is evolving. Yesterday’s news is yesterday very quickly.”

Shouldn’t we be more concerned about that? It’s not just that remakes of older films are dominating the conversation around the older film itself. It’s also that the rapidly evolving cultural landscape doesn’t allow much space for the archives to thrive on most mediums.

But Olch said audiences that are interested in experiencing these original films again, or even for the first time, usually seek out the opportunity to do so. And those who aren’t, well, don’t. Not everything is going to be for everyone and at all times. But we should still find a way to acknowledge and examine them while they are available, and often at our own fingertips.

“On a metaphysical level, I think all artists — we’re all building sandcastles and one day [they] are going to be washed away,” he said. “But the fun of it is to walk down the beach and admire everyone’s sandcastles while they’re standing.”

That sense of finiteness is where the work of re-releases becomes especially urgent, though.

“The nice thing about restorations is, in some ways,” Olch said, “it sort of holds the waves back a little longer before washing over the sandcastles.”