Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13407951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wendi-mclendon-covey" source="Orion">Wendi McLendon-Covey</keyword> has said her "<keyword id="13407953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-goldbergs" source="Orion">The Goldbergs</keyword>" costar <keyword id="13407952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jeff-garlin" source="Orion">Jeff Garlin</keyword> "didn't want to be there."</li><li>Garlin left the sitcom in December after allegations of on-set misconduct.</li></ul>Wendi McLendon-Covey has spoken out about her former costar Jeff Garlin, who departed "The Goldbergs" in December.Garlin, who played family patriarch Murray Goldberg, left the <keyword id="11896774" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abc" source="Orion">ABC</keyword> sitcom midway through the filming of season nine after <a href="https://www.insider.com/jeff-garlin-leaves-the-goldbergs-amid-inappropriate-behavior-accusations-2021-12">allegations of misconduct</a> on set."The Goldbergs" has compensated for Garlin's absence with the use of stand-ins, outtakes, and CGI. Freelance journalist Noel Murray tweeted a video example of this, which showed an outtake of Garlin awkwardly inserted into a new scene."They should either cancel The Goldbergs or kill off Jeff Garlin's character because the workarounds they've been using this season ain't working," he <a href="https://twitter.com/NoelMu/status/1503380010358427649">tweeted</a>.<div type="image" title="Jeff Garlin on &quot;The Goldbergs.&quot;" height="2000" width="3000" msid="90297563" hostid="261"></div>Star Wendi McLendon-Covey, who played Garlin's on-screen wife Beverly, responded to Murray's criticism."Thanks for the great suggestion Noel!" she wrote."This season threw us for a loop because a.) it's hard to incorporate someone who doesn't want to be there and wants to leave mid-scene, and b.) we werent about to re-write the 2nd half of the season.""We're doing our best," McLendon-Covey added.Garlin has previously spoken about the allegations regarding his on-set behavior.In December, prior to Garlin coming to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-12-16/jeff-garlin-leaving-the-goldbergs">a mutual agreement with Sony Pictures Television to leave the series</a>, the actor <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/12/jeff-garlin-responds-to-talk-of-misbehavior-on-set">told Vanity Fair</a>, "It's always the same thing. It's about me and my silliness on set.""They don't think it's appropriate. I do. That's where we're at. I've not been fired because of it. We just think differently."

Wendi McLendon-Covey says 'The Goldbergs' costar Jeff Garlin 'didn't want to be there'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nicolas Cage didn't break character while on the set of "Renfield."</li><li>"He would still be 100% living in that attitude after we stopped shooting," director Chris McKay told Insider.</li></ul>It sounds like Nicolas Cage was having so much fun playing Dracula in "Renfield," he couldn't let go of the character when a scene was finished."Renfield" director Chris McKay ("The Lego Batman Movie," "The Tomorrow War") revealed to Insider that the actor, whose dedication to his performances has become legendary, would stay in character even when cameras stopped."Whatever scene we did he would still be 100% living in that attitude after we stopped shooting," McKay said while promoting the movie over the weekend. "So if he's a little frosty in the scene he's going to have a little bit of that between takes. But still up for whatever we were doing."McKay said there would even be times when he would have to have "a real conversation" about a scene with Cage and the actor would still not break being the Dracula character.<div type="image" title="Chris McKay in a mask looping at an iPad with Nicolas Cage dressed as Dracula on the set of Renfield" height="1394" width="2300" msid="99037675" hostid="261" sizebytes="136714"></div>"But you also have to remember, he's covered head to toe in Dracula makeup and costume, so it's a different thing," McKay said. "Sometimes he couldn't even bend his body very much because he's got a whole body appliance on. So he's Dracula whether he wants to be Dracula or not."This is hardly the first time Cage has engulfed himself in a character he plays. Back in 2016, director <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-schrader-interview-nicolas-cage-dog-eat-dog-2016-10">Paul Schrader told Insider</a> how the actor convinced him to allow his character to channel screen icon Humphrey Bogart at the end of the movie "Dog Eat Dog" (yes, Cage does a Bogart impersonation in that movie).The same year, actress <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wendi-mclendon-covey-nicolas-cage-army-of-one-2016-11">Wendi McLendon-Covey told Insider</a> that Cage was so deep into character for their movie "Army of One," in which Cage plays a guy who tries to hunt down Osama bin Laden with just a samurai sword, that she admitted: "I can't say that I've met Nicolas Cage."The horror/comedy "Renfield" opens on April 14 and stars Nicolas Hoult as R. M. Renfield, the long-suffering servant of Cage's Dracula. Set in the modern day, we watch as Renfield finally tries to leave the toxic relationship he has with his master.The movie also stars Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz.

Nicolas Cage would stay in character between shooting scenes of 'Renfield,' says director

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Director Chris McKay told Insider that Universal was initially worried "Renfield" was too gory.</li><li>"They were really concerned in how disgusting it was," McKay said of an early scene featuring Nicolas Cage's Dracula.</li></ul>After directing "The Lego Batman Movie" in 2017 and "The Tomorrow War" in 2021, director Chris McKay's latest "Renfield" showcases the filmmaker's evolution as he delivers a modern-day Dracula tale that's filled with laughs, action, and gore.Nicolas Cage plays the prince of darkness, but the movie's main focus is on Dracula's long-suffering servant R. M. Renfield (played by Nicholas Hoult) who is ready to exit this toxic relationship after centuries of being at his master's beck and call.Living in modern-day New Orleans, while Dracula is recovering from his latest battle, Renfield is a regular at a support group and falls for traffic cop Rebecca (Awkwafina). Now, he hopes he's emotionally strong enough to escape, though Dracula teaming with a drug cartel complicates things.Out Friday, "Renfield" is fueled by the fun interactions between Cage and Hoult, Awkwafina's foul mouth, and the numerous top-flight action sequences that are filled with a surprising amount of gore. — an aspect McKay admits the studio releasing the movie, Universal, initially wasn't too keen on.McKay revealed to Insider the steps he took to get Universal to buy into his bloody Dracula movie and eventually give him an extra $1 million to make one action scene perfect. He also talked about interacting with Cage between shooting scenes, and his hopes for a theatrical release for "The Tomorrow War" sequel.<div type="image" title="Nicolas Cage as Dracula leaning with a smile next to a sitting Nicholas Hoult" height="1534" width="2300" msid="99416666" hostid="261"></div>The movie plays outside the box with horror, action, comedy, and it sounds like that vibe started from the very beginning with the unconventional way you did the camera test with Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult. Yeah. You actually created a set and played the score from Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula." Why go the extra mile like that on just a camera test?Universal gave us a certain budget to shoot this movie, it was generous but obviously the ambition for our movie was big with the action, practical effects, and all the locations, so you have to set the tone as quickly as possible.I had such a great production designer in Alec Hammond. I told him I want the camera test to feel like we're shooting the movie. I want people to be into it. When the executives see Cage as Dracula for the first time I want there to be mist and candelabras and play the score from Coppola's "Dracula." Suddenly everyone got what we were making.As you mention, Universal is going to have a ceiling in regards to money it will put in for a movie like this, so when you set the tone early like that, does it help later on when you may need to go back and ask for some more money?When the footage is coming in great and for the most part you're staying on budget and on time it does help. There was a scene where I needed to go back while were still shooting and get some more footage because we were dealing with COVID and there was a close-contact situation so we couldn't shoot certain things.So in that instance, Universal did step up and gave us extra money, an extra million dollars actually, to shoot some more footage. <div type="image" title="Nicholas Hoult throwing a punch" height="1533" width="2300" msid="99416668" hostid="261"></div>Was it a significant scene?Basically it was the restaurant fight scene. Definitely significant! It's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LmO6rmDW08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">major part of the trailer</a>. Yeah. It's a big scene. So, because of the way things happened with close contact, we had to move some people around and move shooting days around so we didn't get everything that we wanted for that scene. So they gave us the very end of the schedule, the money to go back in there and we were able to add in some key moments from the sequence.That's the moment when Renfield does things for the first time outside of the world of Dracula. Also, we are able to introduce the Jackie Chan vibe of the movie with the mix of action and comedy. "Renfield" is very much a Jackie Chan movie mixed with the gore of Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive," would that be fair to say?[Laughs.] Yes. Peter Jackson and even Sam Raimi, both their spirits hover over our movie. I'm a huge fan of both. Was Universal surprised by that action and gore? I mean, I'm sure you explained the tone, but when they actually saw footage were they like, "Shit, he meant it!" There was a little bit of that. When I pitched the project, one of the reference points I put out there was "Evil Dead 2" and "Dead Alive" and "Zombieland," "American Werewolf in London."There was concern that things would go too far but they also allowed me to go too far so we had the footage to be able to dial things up and dial things down when needed.Even Nic Cage's makeup, when he's brutally injured in the beginning, they were really concerned in how disgusting it was. <div type="image" title="Nicolas Cage as Dracula showing his fangs" height="858" width="2048" msid="99416670" hostid="261"></div>I <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wendi-mclendon-covey-nicolas-cage-army-of-one-2016-11">interviewed Wendi McLendon-Covey</a> once when she did a movie with Nicolas Cage called "Army of One." She admitted she never actually met the real Nic Cage on that set because he was always in character. Was Cage in character as Dracula between takes on "Renfield?"That's for the most part correct. Obviously I have to have conversations with him, I've got a lot of reference and he's a cinephile and there's a lot of touch points and we have to have a real conversation, because he's going to come in with ideas.On the first few takes I try not to interfere too much. But you also have to remember he's covered head to toe in Dracula makeup so it's a different thing. He can't even bend his body very much because he's got a whole body appliance. So he's Dracula whether he wants to be Dracula or not. But to the point that when you're having these serious conversations, is he still in the voice?[Laughs.] I've gotta say he would still be in the attitude of the scene. Whatever scene we did he would still be 100% living in that attitude after we stopped shooting. So if he's a little frosty in the scene he's going to have a little bit of that between takes. But still up for whatever we were doing. [Editor's note: When Cage was asked by <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nicolas-cage-dismisses-reports-went-method-dracula-renfield-1235363214/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a> about him being in character between scenes, the actor said: "I just don't have that recollection, I don't know why Chris said that. I had a lot of laughs in between takes with both Chris McKay and Nick Hoult, so maybe that was his experience, maybe because I still had the fangs in my mouth that made me speak a certain way, but that wasn't my experience."]It seems with movies like this, "<a href="https://www.insider.com/cocaine-bear-elizabeth-banks-interview-gory-scenes-kids-drug-scene-2023-2">Cocaine Bear,</a>" and, coming this summer "Joy Ride," that the hard R movie is back. Are you getting that sense when you're taking meetings around town, that audiences want that hard R flavor back in their movies?I agree with what you're saying but I would also say something I've noticed is that studios are looking for reasons for people to want to go back to movies in movie theaters. That can be epic scope like a Marvel or "Avatar," but there are some comedies and action movies that are meant to be seen in movie theaters.So something that's R-rated and pushing the envelope, something you're not going to get on a Netflix or something else, that falls into that category too, I believe. And that includes characters they've had in their vault for over 100 years. That leads me to my next question, with what you've done here with Dracula, I would have to think you've talked to Universal or even Blumhouse about diving into the projects they are developing with the studio's classic monster IPs. Does that interest you to go deeper? I love Universal monster and horror movies, so I'd love to continue to play with that. So have you had meetings?[Laughs.] I literally, just before I flew to New York, I had a meeting with Jason Blum to talk about stuff. So we'll see what happens, but it's stuff I would love to do. <div type="image" title="the tomorrow war amazon studios" height="1149" width="2000" msid="99416672" hostid="261"></div>Any update on "The Tomorrow War" sequel?There's a script that's landing in a couple of weeks and I'm really looking forward to reading it. The first movie was released streaming on Prime Video, do you want this next one to be theatrical?Absolutely. We made the first one for theaters but we finished the movie during the pandemic and just realized we couldn't do it. So Amazon stepped up.I would love to put this one out in theaters just because the scope is huge with this franchise. I hope people had a good experience watching the movie at home but if you saw that movie in a movie theater with the sound design that was put together, the scope of it, Chris Pratt's performance, it was really meant for a movie theater. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

'Renfield' director Chris McKay shares Nicolas Cage's 'frosty' approach to playing Dracula and the studio's initial 'concern' about the movie's gore

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Nicolas Cage's latest film finds the Oscar-winning actor in a surreal comedy about one man's hunt&#xa0;for Osama bin Laden.In "Army of One," Cage stars as&#xa0;Gary Faulkner, "an ex-con, unemployed handyman, and modern-day Don Quixote," who heads to Pakistan after a vision of God - played by Russell Brand - tells him to find bin Laden, according to <a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/10/army-of-one-trailer-nicolas-cage">Entertainment Weekly</a>.&#xa0;The film is loosely based on <a href="http://www.gq.com/story/gary-faulkner-hunts-osama-bin-laden">a 2010 GQ article</a>, which details&#xa0;how the real-life Faulkner attempted to capture the Al Qaeda&#xa0;leader in&#xa0;Pakistan while "equipped with little more than a sword he'd bought on a home-shopping network."&#xa0;"Army of One" is directed by Larry Charles ("Borat," "Curb Your Enthusiasm") and written by renowned playwright Rajiv Joseph and Scott Rothman.&#xa0;It&#xa0;costars Wendi McLendon-Covey ("Bridesmaids"), Rainn Wilson ("The Office"), and Paul Scheer ("The League").The film will be released to&#xa0;video on demand on November 4 before arriving on Blu-ray November 15.Watch the trailer below, via Entertainment Weekly.<div></div>&#xa0; <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/alec-baldwin-debuts-trump-impression-saturday-night-live-microphone-2016-10">Watch Alec Baldwin mock Trump's mic issues on 'Saturday Night Live'</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VwaXU3NjE67C5W4pZq0AeGrXix6PzkMG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Nicolas Cage hunts for Osama bin Laden in a surreal comedy trailer

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Michael Loccisano/GettyWendi McLendon-Covey.</div></div></div>Wendi McLendon-Covey is best known for her outlandish comedic work on the cult TV show "Reno 911!" "Bridesmaids," and now on ABC's "The Goldbergs." But in her new movie "Army of One" (in limited release and available on VOD Friday), she plays the stable woman opposite Nicolas Cage's <a href="http://www.gq.com/story/gary-faulkner-hunts-osama-bin-laden" target="_blank">Gary Faulkner</a>, a real man who really tried to hunt down Osama bin Laden with just a samurai sword because he says God told him to. Cage goes all in with long hair and a high-pitched voice as Faulkner, who is living a down-and-out life until he runs into an old friend, Marci (McLendon-Covey), and the two start a relationship. Faulkner also starts a relationship with God (Russel Brand) who commands him to go to Afghanistan and do what the Allied Forces can't.Business Insider talked to McLendon-Covey about the experience working with an actor like Cage who "doesn't break character," if there will ever be a "Reno 911!" reunion, and why she got cut out of "Magic Mike."Jason Guerrasio: Was it fun playing the straight man, so to speak? You don't get to do it often.Wendi McLendon-Covey: I think everybody pretty much looks straight compared to Gary Faulkner. There had to be a couple of people in the movie who would ask questions like, "What are you talking about?" "Voices from God, what?"Guerrasio: So you're the voice of reason.McLendon-Covey: Yeah. Or at least a voice of why.Guerrasio: Asking the important question.McLendon-Covey: Yeah. "Osama bin Laden, he's got to go, but why you?" When [director] Larry Charles talked to me about it my answer was going to be yes because I've always wanted to work with Larry Charles [director of "Borat"]. But when I watched the videos and saw that this is a real person who really felt this way and he's still out there I felt I really want to go on this journey.Guerrasio: And on top of that you then have Nicolas Cage playing the guy. Did you get a warning that he was doing the high-pitched voice and the long hair?McLendon-Covey: I did get that warning because by the time I had worked with him he had been living in this character for months. So our scenes were the very last and I thought, "Okay, I've never met Mr. Cage before, but I know how he works so this will be interesting." And I didn't meet him until, like, five minutes before we started shooting. So I can't say that I've met Nicolas Cage. [Laughs] I only know him as Gary.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dimension/Anchor Bay Entertainment"Army of One."</div></div></div>Guerrasio: So when he walked up and introduced himself, he was already in the voice?McLendon-Covey: Oh, he's in the voice, he's in the character. He lived with his hair like that for months. He just doesn't break character.Guerrasio: Had you ever encountered that before in your career?McLendon-Covey: No. Not to that degree. And when I think about it, that can't be easy to live with that character for that many months. I mean, my God. He must have just been dying to shake it off by the time I met him.Guerrasio: Did you ever try to talk to him between takes?McLendon-Covey: Well, we did speak a little bit between shots and I found out that as a kid he grew up very close to where I live now in Long Beach. Like, not even a mile away. I know exactly the street he mentioned. So that was a trip for me. So we would talk a little bit but Larry runs a very tight ship and there's not a lot of down time.Guerrasio: And Nic would have this conversation with you in the Gary voice?McLendon-Covey: He let that voice go a little bit.Guerrasio: You get to handle Gary's samurai sword in the movie. Any funny stories using it?McLendon-Covey: I'm so accident-prone I didn't want to touch it - I thought someone was going to lose an ear if I held it. I knew I would have to do that scene - it wasn't like they surprised me with that. It was in the script. But every time I had to touch that thing I got skeeved out.Guerrasio: I have to ask because I'm such a fan: Are there any plans to bring together the "Reno 911!" gang for a reunion or movie?McLendon-Covey: Oh, I wouldn't be the one to ask. I don't know. I'm so busy with what I'm doing. Everybody has jobs.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Comedy Central"Reno 911!"</div></div></div>Guerrasio: Are you up for it if called upon?McLendon-Covey: I don't know. I would have to think about that. I haven't really seen a reunion - I mean, does anyone get what they need from that? I don't know?Guerrasio: If you guys did a movie again I think fans would run to that.McLendon-Covey: I don't know. That's so far in the past.Guerrasio: So this isn't a scenario where you drop everything if cocreator Thomas Lennon or someone from the show calls?McLendon-Covey: No. I would have to read it and see what else is happening. Listen, I love them all, but it's just so far in the past, I would be surprised if it happens.Guerrasio: Before "Magic Mike" shot, I remember news in the trades that you were cast. What happened?McLendon-Covey: My scene just got cut out.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Warner Bros."Magic Mike."</div></div></div>Guerrasio: So you did film something?McLendon-Covey: Yeah. I actually have the scene and it just didn't fit in the movie. It didn't advance the story along. It was fun for me but I totally see why they cut it.Guerrasio: What was it?McLendon-Covey: I was a realtor or something and I had taken my car to Channing Tatum to get detailed or something and he was dragging his feet so I had to go find him at his home and he kind of sweet-talks me out of being mad.Guerrasio: Ah, okay.McLendon-Covey: [Laughs] See, it's not that interesting. But I have it, it does exist. And I stayed in the cut long enough to still get residuals from it. So that's good. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-watch-original-star-wars-first-time-2016-10">2 millennials watched the original 'Star Wars' for the first time</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="hkaHJreTrlo4S8BbpTh4FFYr3QAYSZFi" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Nicolas Cage's costar explains his unusual on-set behavior: 'I can't say that I've met' him

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Nicolas Cage is an Oscar-winning actor who has built his career on choosing movies and characters that never pigeonhole him into one type of movie star.But there's another tool in Cage's arsenal that sets him apart from most actors. His over-the-top performances are can't-miss spectacles that you can't really compare to anyone else.When many&#xa0;actors&#xa0;turn up the crazy, it looks forced and is embarrassing for all involved to watch. But when Cage does it, it's unlike any movie experience you've ever had. The beady eyes, weird voices, and disregard for his own safety is an art form in itself.And right now you can stream two new Cage movies that fall under this special category: "Dog Eat Dog" and "Army of One."If you've never seen movies like "Vampire's Kiss," "The Wicker Man," "Deadfall," "Zandalee," "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," or "Face/Off," you aren't familiar with Cage's ability to do strange and peculiar things on-screen.Here's a montage for you (warning: NSFW):<div></div>Cage isn't the first person to "chew the scenery" in movie history. Johnny Depp, David Caruso, Marlon Brando, Matthew McConaughey, Jim Carrey, and Al Pacino all come to mind.But none of them has made it into a highly anticipated moviegoing experience in the way Cage has.Sure, Pacino yelling out "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5vlco4yvSc&amp;app=desktop" target="_blank">Great ass!</a>" in "Heat" is incredible because he goes from calm and collected to lunatic in five seconds flat, but Cage stretches out that intensity for a full&#xa0;feature film. It's practically an athletic talent."That can't be easy," Cage's "Army of One" costar Wendi McLendon-Covey told&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wendi-mclendon-covey-nicolas-cage-army-of-one-2016-11">Business Insider</a> about Cage as Gary Faulkner, the real guy who tried to hunt down Osama bin Laden with just a samurai sword because he says God told him to.The movie is vintage crazy Cage as he plays Faulkner with a high-pitched voice and long gray beard and hair that goes into a ponytail. It's a character that McLendon-Covey said Cage had been doing for months before she came on the film. And he rarely ever broke character."I mean, my God," McLendon-Covey said, "he must have just been dying to shake it off by the time I met him."<div></div>But seriously, would you see a movie about a guy who single-handedly tried to hunt down bin Laden if Nicolas Cage weren't playing the character?There are just some roles that can't be done by normal actors.Nicolas Cage has realized that he doesn't have to play the Hollywood game anymore to make a living. The actor has made a healthy income the past few years through the straight-to-VOD market because audiences will happily spend a weekend renting a movie of his at home rather than going to the theater."Dog Eat Dog" director Paul Schrader told <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/paul-schrader-interview-nicolas-cage-dog-eat-dog-2016-10">Business Insider</a> the "good news" and "bad news" of working with Cage."Nic gets your movie financed," Schrader said. "That's the good news. The bad news is that he eats up most of your budget in the process of getting it financed because you end up basically paying him the budget. But he still commands those big numbers."But you get your money's worth. Because Cage's involvement likely means your movie will become instantly memorable. (Trust me, I would not be writing about either of these movies if Nic Cage didn't star in them.)<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>In Schrader's film, Cage is an ex-con who along with his two buddies (one played by Willem Dafoe) takes on jobs from the Cleveland underworld to make a living, until things go horribly wrong on one job.Sounds like you've seen that movie before, right? But in the last 10 minutes of the movie, Cage's character suddenly thinks he's Humphrey Bogart, with Cage delivering a Bogie impression that you will likely rewind just to make sure you really did just witness it.Even Schrader was surprised when he first saw it."He kind of stunned this on me on the day we were shooting that," the director said. "We went through it and all of a sudden he's doing it as Bogie and I was like, 'Whoa, you sure you want to do that?' And he said, 'Look, you've been telling me for five weeks that we have to be bold. This is the only way you can do this genre today.' He said, 'I think this is a bold choice.' I said, 'Yeah, I think it is, too. Let's do it.'"In a movie with many flaws, it's Cage's unthinkable morphing into Bogart that is worth the price of the movie.And that's the magic of Cage's performances. Though they seem to be awful ideas on paper, when they pop off the screen, you are overjoyed watching someone who will take chances with such disregard for second-guessing or criticism.There are many things we can complain about in today's movie industry: the lack of originality from major studios, how expensive it is to go to the multiplex, bland young stars. But as the latest work of Nicolas Cage proves, there are still some things we can celebrate.Don't ever change, Nic Cage!"Army of One" is <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/army-of-one/id1169017919" target="_blank">currently available</a> on iTunes and "Dog Eat Dog" <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/dog-eat-dog/id1163382818" target="_blank">will be available</a> on Friday. Both titles are also currently in limited theatrical release.<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-watch-original-star-wars-first-time-2016-10">2 millennials watched the original 'Star Wars' for the first time</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="hkaHJreTrlo4S8BbpTh4FFYr3QAYSZFi" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Why there's no other movie star in the world like Nicolas Cage - and that's a blessing

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><a href="http://www.groundlings.com/" target="_blank">The Groundlings </a>comedy troupe allege that "Saturday Night Live" stole one of their sketches.
In this weekend's SNL episode, host Sarah Silverman, along with cast members Cecily Strong and Sasheer Zamata, perform "Proud Mary" on a riverboat casino while telling the audience about their life up until this point.
The sketch has been removed from NBC and Hulu's websites, but you can <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/comedy-group-alleges-snl-ripped-off-its-tina-turner-sketch/#ooid=9zbGh3cDqjqEUzdsM2AWj7nfcFBCFDg_" target="_blank">watch it here</a>. Here's a GIF to give you an idea:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>
After the sketch aired, people started to notice the similarities. Kimberly Condict, who originated the role in the Groundlings sketch, tweeted:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" data-cards="hidden">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/snl?src=hash">#snl</a> just totally jacked our steez!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flattered?src=hash">#flattered</a>? <a href="http://t.co/IKT9YOzNlI">pic.twitter.com/IKT9YOzNlI</a>
- Kimberly Condict (@KimberlyCondict) <a href="https://twitter.com/KimberlyCondict/status/518670096970301441">October 5, 2014</a></blockquote>


Her friends and fans were quick to back her up:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I mean come on. <a href="https://twitter.com/KimberlyCondict">@KimberlyCondict</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/vanessaragland">@vanessaragland</a> killin it original style. <a href="http://t.co/ZpKdNZEujO">pic.twitter.com/ZpKdNZEujO</a>
- Lee Newton (@leenewtonsays) <a href="https://twitter.com/leenewtonsays/status/518670704212848640">October 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Just watched an SNL sketch that was DIRECTLY ripped off from The Groundlings Sunday company stage... The good news, my friends were funnier.
- Lee Newton (@leenewtonsays) <a href="https://twitter.com/leenewtonsays/status/518665997373296640">October 5, 2014</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" data-conversation="none">
<a href="https://twitter.com/vanessaragland">@vanessaragland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KimberlyCondict">@kimberlycondict</a> I'm sorry SNL stole your sketch! That sucks!
- Wendi McLendon-Covey (@wendimclendonco) <a href="https://twitter.com/wendimclendonco/status/519173330348167168">October 6, 2014</a></blockquote>
Ian Gary, <a href="http://www.groundlings.com/performers/performer-details.aspx?performerID=409" target="_blank">a teacher</a> at the Groundlings in Los Angeles, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iangary/posts/10152721779947560" target="_blank">posted to his Facebook page</a>:<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>
 ...over the years I have seen MANY, MANY sketches flat out stolen from my friends by Saturday Night Live. Nearly verbatim. Word for word… And everyone in our community goes "Oh man. That sucks." and nobody says anything because I guess SNL is still some dream for some people or they don't want to get involved, or a million other reasonable things that stop people from standing up for each other when things are blatantly wrong.
Well, enough of that. This is f----- up.
L.A.-based writer and director John Irwin <a href="https://www.facebook.com/johnrobinsonirwin" target="_blank">posted to his Facebook page</a>:
Ah! No way! For several weeks at the Groundlings, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vanessaragland" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=6203839">Vanessa Bruiser Ragland</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/condict" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=9614262">Kimberly Condict</a> performed the heck out of their brilliant and hillarious sketch featuring a Tina Turner tribute band singing "Rollin'" at a casino with their musings during the music pauses about the establishment's food, the bad hands life dealt them, and a past gig on a Nebraska river boat-- the sketch ends with the MC piping in.
Last night on SNL, a Tina Turner tribute band sang "Rollin'" with their musings in the music pauses about the establishment's food, the Nebraska river boat they're currently on and the bad hands life dealt them -- the sketch ends with the MC piping in. 
I'd say imitation is the best form of flattery but I mean, come on! If you're going to rip something off, at least do it right! The SNL version was WAYYYY less funny and the writing and performances were poor at best. Just sayin… nobody does it like my girl and kimbo. They killed it.
Watch the Groundlings version of the original sketch below:
"Saturday Night Live" has not officially responded to the controversy, but "an individual close to the show" <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/snl-denies-ripping-off-rivers-sisters-sketch-from-the-groundlings/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=contactology" target="_blank">told The Wrap</a> any similarities were "mere coincidence" and claim SNL writers were unfamiliar with The Groundlings sketch in question.
"It's a common idea since Tina Turner is such an iconic figure," the source said. "The similarities represent parallel thinking in the comedy world."
But the Tina Turner sketch wasn't the only one in question on the most recent SNL episode.
As <a href="http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/saturday-night-live-sarah-silvermanmaroon-5-210107" target="_blank">A.V. Club noticed</a>: "The idea of Secret Service head Julia Pierson testifying while President Obama is being chased in the background would be a funnier 'Weekend Update' joke… if sister publication The Onion hadn't made it <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/obama-currently-being-chased-in-background-of-secr,37073/" target="_self">on Wednesday</a>!"
The joke below:

The Onion's <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/obama-currently-being-chased-in-background-of-secr,37073/" target="_blank">previous article</a>:
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>

The Groundlings Allege 'SNL' Stole Their Tina Turner Sketch - Here's The Proof

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">Warner Bros.</div></div></div>Reviews for Adam Sandler's next movie "Blended" are <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blended/" target="_blank">finally coming out a day ahead of the film's release</a>, and they're not good. 
This time around, Drew Barrymore teams up with Sandler on a disaster vacation with their separate families to Africa. It will be the duo's third movie together after "The Wedding Singer" and "50 First Dates." 
Here's why the movie sounds like a pass. 
The Telegraph says it's Barrymore and Sandler's "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10847503/Blended-review-contrived-comedy.html">least-convincing rom-com</a>." <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">Warner Bros.</div></div></div> 
"This relationship feels more circumstantial than romantic. It's about creating a new family unit where the girls can have a mother, the boys a father, and each parent a helping hand." 
That's a shame, because the main problem with the film sounds like it tries too hard, rather than allow the organic relationships of the two leads to play out. 
<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/2014/05/21/movie-review-barrymore-sandler-blended-stars/2327812/">Arizona Republic</a>:
"Trust in the audience is not a hallmark of the filmmakers. If it were, then maybe they could allow at least one semiserious scene to play out without beating us over the head with a trademark silly Sandler gag." 
<a href="http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-blended-1201188878/">Variety</a>:
"'Blended' suffers from a fundamental lack of trust in its audience, following every unexpectedly smart exchange with a numbskull pratfall or one-liner, and every instance of genuine sincerity with an avalanche of schmaltz."
"The harder the film tries to wring out a laugh, the more awkwardly it whiffs, which makes it all the more puzzling that Sandler and Barrymore's far looser, seemingly unscripted banter isn't afforded more screentime." 
There are a few uncomfortable gags - one involving copulating rhinos - but not more than the average recent Sandler film. 
<a href="http://www.thewrap.com/blended-review-adam-sandler-drew-barrymore/">The Wrap</a>: 
"Then there's the uncomfortable and constant slur-slinging against supposedly ugly and/or flat-chested women … the chauvinistic cracks go a long way in undoing the strong moments of female solidarity scattered throughout the movie." 
The movie explains itself way too much. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">Warner Bros.</div></div></div>
<a href="http://www.comingsoon.net/news/weekendwarriornews.php?id=118508#1">Comingsoon.net</a>:
"In fact, the amount of time the movie spends actually setting up what should be a fairly simple premise could very well be its undoing since it is that time when Sandler really tests the audience's limits." 
<a href="http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-blended-1201188878/">Variety</a>:
"[A] laborious setup takes at least 45 minutes of screen time to get through, and it may well go down as the most boring extended stretch in Sandler's entire filmography." 
Drew Barrymore and Terry Crews are the two bright spots of this film. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">Warner Bros.</div></div></div>
<a href="http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=138611">Empire</a>: 
"Barrymore's much more fun with Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids) as her cynical business partner - a spin-off with those two might be worth watching." 
<a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/blended-film-review-705522">The Hollywood Reporter</a>: 
"Sandler and Barrymore have an onscreen connection that lends a grounding warmth to the clunkiest comedy setups - in this case, a narrative that places two single parents on an African vacation as second date. Unenthusiastic reviews aside, the lead duo will be a strong draw for audiences who aren't keen on superhero action of the X-Men variety." 
<a href="http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-blended-1201188878/">Variety</a>: 
"Terry Crews steals the most scenes as an insinuating South African lounge singer who appears throughout as a sort of sleazy Greek chorus."
Despite the reviews, "Blended" should perform well. For one thing, Sandler movies <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adam-sandler-movie-timeline-2013-7">historically make money no matter how poorly the film</a> is critiqued or how many Razzies it wins. 
Last year's "Grown Ups 2," which received <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/grown_ups_2/">7% on Rotten Tomatoes</a> and cost about $80 million to make, made <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=grownups2.htm">more than $246 million worldwide</a>. The sequel was nominated for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191701/awards?ref_=tt_awd">9 Razzies</a>. 
The movie is currently tracking for a <a href="http://www.boxoffice.com/statistics/movies/blended-2014?q=blended" target="_blank">$25 million opening weekend</a> - at the low end for Sandler movies - however, the film has steep competition from "X-Men: Days of Future Past," which should be the first movie this year to break $100 million opening weekend. 
Watch a trailer below:

You Searched For "wendi mclendon covey" and got 8 results

Wendi McLendon-Covey says 'The Goldbergs' costar Jeff Garlin 'didn't want to be there'

Patrick Sproull

Nicolas Cage would stay in character between shooting scenes of 'Renfield,' says director

Jason Guerrasio

'Renfield' director Chris McKay shares Nicolas Cage's 'frosty' approach to playing Dracula and the studio's initial 'concern' about the movie's gore

Jason Guerrasio

Nicolas Cage hunts for Osama bin Laden in a surreal comedy trailer

John Lynch

Nicolas Cage's costar explains his unusual on-set behavior: 'I can't say that I've met' him

Jason Guerrasio

Why there's no other movie star in the world like Nicolas Cage - and that's a blessing

Jason Guerrasio

The Groundlings Allege 'SNL' Stole Their Tina Turner Sketch - Here's The Proof

Aly Weisman

Reviews For Adam Sandler's New Movie 'Blended' Are Absolutely Awful

Kirsten Acuna

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides