Links: Sharon Stone, Britney Spears, Tower of Terror, The Little Mermaid
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 9:00PM Let's start with the obvious...
Sharon Stone photographed by Michael Muller
• Zoomer Sharon Stone talks up her memoir and (eventually) sets the internet on fire by bringing up the idolization of Meryl Streep. Weird how it took this a whole month to go viral since actors usually only risk general platitudes about other people/careers in their interviews. Everything she says is true and if you actually read the interview, it's not a diss on Meryl; it's a diss on the system where there can only be one.
Paparazzi set photos from The Little Mermaid, Britney Spears, Near Dark, Jean Smart's big year, Pride month and more after the jump in the link roundup...
• /Film Things we learned from James Cameron's "MasterClass" on filmmaking
• Deadline Britney Spears finally speaks to the court about her controversial conservatorship
• Caligula um.... there's going to be a coffee table book on the making of Caligula "filled with rare behind-the-scenes photos"
• Coming Soon some lucky photographers got shots of The Little Mermaid filming on the beach
• Bloody Disgusting great news for Kathryn Bigelow fans. Her breakthrough film Near Dark, long unavaible, is getting a restoration!
• GKids picks up their second Japanese would-be Animated Feature Oscar contender of the year with The Deer King
• Superhero Hype Scarlett Johansson will produce/star in Disney's movie adaptation of the Tower of Terror ride
• IndieWire a terrific interview with Jean Smart on her supernova year with both Hacks and Mare of Easttown seeking Emmys
• Playbill Thelma & Louise getting the stage musical treatment
• /Film What 7 details in the Loki series could mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH
• Out Q Force trailer, a new Netflix animated gay comedy series. The voice cast includes Sean Hayes, Laurie Metcalf, Wanda Sykes, David Harbour, Patti Harrison, and friend of TFE Matt Rogers!
• MNPP Jason has been tracking Terence Davies gay romance film Benediction and now it'll be premiering at TIFF; Jack Lowden and Jeremy Irvine star
• Instagram Congrats to Carl Nassib of the Las Vegas Raiders. He's the first active NFL player to come out of the closet.
Hacks, Jean Smart, Kathryn Bigelow, Near Dark, links
Reader Comments (45)
I don't agree with EVERYTHING Stone says but she sure stepped in it. Had to put a clarification statement. She sounds insecure to me IMHO.
The Britney Spears situation is just horrible. They honestly won’t even let her remove her IUD to have another baby. How sick is that!
I don't like Sharon Stone as an actress but I adore Sharon Stone as a movie star.
Peggy Sue-
TOTALLY agree. She is one of the very very few (aside from maybe Cate Blanchett) who could've easily fit right in with the glamorous movie star goddesses of the 40s.
It's just refreshing how Sharon Stone doesn't give a f***...totally agree with her, I read her memoir and it is great. She is a movie star of high caliber and I do love her as an actress, She so deserved that Oscar for Casino and she's fierce on her career choices (Simpatico, Bobby, Lovelace, Last Dance, Mosaic),and nobody, I mean, nobody, does charismatic, sexually confident, icy, delivering menacing wisecraks like her. Plus, Streep could not have delivered "the" Catherine Tramell Stone did but I guess Stone would've been amazing as Miranda.
Loki is Bi!!!!!! Oh man, I think I have a shot with him but I'd like to know whose butt does he prefer.... Steve Rogers or the Incredible Hulk. Hulk's got a nice ass but Rogers' ass is just scrumptious.
I don't mind what Sharon said, but it is kind of funny that she mentioned Meryl Streep's name around a dozen times.
Sharon Stone is telling the unvarnished truth. The hyperbole around Meryl Streep has mushroomed into a cultural embarrassment. Her obvious talent has been tainted by this insane worshipfulness that really has become ridiculous. She is one of the greats. But she is not THE GREAT. I really wish some would realize this.
Sorry Nathaniel- it does not start as a diss on Meryl but it sure does get there by the end…hence Stone’s need to clarify today. She made a good point about the system but went way too far.
She seems a little (lot) obsessed with Meryl. She dissed her in the past (saying she looks like an unmade bed) and then had to apologize and clarify that one too. Sharon was dropped by her agent. I hope she finds peace.
She’s right about the cult of greatness though. Maybe that’s why it hasn’t blown up yet.
Interesting on the Weinstein stuff too, Meryl is absolutely a smoother and must have her story to tell - I hope she does one day even at the expense of her reputation, it would be interesting to hear - she seems very opaque on some things and issues but maybe that’s also the myth, legend that is Meryl
Thelma and Louise is one of these movies I think they can't make a musical out of. And I think they can make musicals out of everything and anything. Wanna know what's gonna be of It.
thevoid99 - Oh wow.
and the whole most nominated actress bullshit is bullshit. She's a category filler and she end up 5th half ot the ime.
@La Rosalia: Honestly, I think you're right. Many times she was indeed the 5th nominee. Off the top of my head I would point to her performances in One True Thing, Into the Woods, Florence Foster Jenkins, Ironweed, Music of the Heart, Doubt, & August: Osage County as also-rans. Not to necessarily disparage those roles (I thought she was really fun in FFJ for example), but I think she was nominated for them because she's Meryl Streep more than the performances themselves.
Now let's tear down Nicole Kidman and her stupid wigs!
Sharon Stone is both right ("there can be only one top woman" just as, for years there was only one top Black actor--Denzel Washington) but maybe not completely right and, I’m sorry, but right as she is, there’s no way it’s not going to seem like sour grapes to a lot of people. Streep, from the very beginning, was poised as the female Lawrence Olivier in ways that cut both positively and negatively. All the other performers Stone mentioned are great, but nobody, other than Streep, ticked off as many accents in film roles as she did. This isn't automatically to be seen as a compliment, of course, and in the 80s there were a lot of people who thought her "Acting with a capital A" was obnoxious. "Why didn't they just get a Polish/Australian/English actress for the part?" was a common question. "Couldn't Sissy Spacek have sunk into the role of Karen Silkwood in a way that would have allowed us to experience the story and not get distracted marvel at the acting technique?” I remember her fans being impressed with how she chewed gum in that film, but lot of other people in that decade thought Streep was utterly overrated , a showoff technician, including Pauline Kael and a why-is-she-weighing-in-on-this? Katherine Hepburn.
By the mid-90s Streep seems to have rethought her priorities and basically stopped going out for parts as Russians/Afrikaners/Finns; she settled in as an upscale actress doing great jobs as “typical Americans" in roles that were less of a conscious reach, everything from THE RIVER WILD to ONE TRUE THING.
Once she really went in for comedy (where skilled technicians do best anyway) with things like ADAPTATION, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and MAMMA MIA!, and, America truly started loving her. This love, coupled with the memory of her nailing all those accents in movies most people have never revisited, has made her, finally, the "Actors' Actor" (of either gender) in a way that's more embraceable than when she was nailing her lines in A CRY IN THE DARK but still making people roll their eyes. In a way, she’s had the opposite trajectory of Laurence Oliver. He went from dazzling filmgoers to being something of a joke (did he say “being a Jew” in THE JAZZ SINGER or “bean gachew”?) She went from being laughed at for “a dingo ayte ma baby” to delighting the world in FLORENCE FOSTER JENNINGS.
I do think Stone does at least border on dissing Streep myself, but I agree with everything she's saying. I LOVE Meryl and her reputation is indeed fully earned but she has a monopoly on all roles of actresses her age. Jessica Lange, Sigourney Weaver, Sissy Spacek are all her age and the latter two arguably have the more interesting body of work over an admittedly shorter period. They are fully deserving of the 1995 on career Streep has had on film. Beyond that numerous Streep nominations are, as said above, pure filler. I mean she's actively bad in a couple of more recent Oscar noms she's reaped, something I rarely think about even her lesser performances, and certainly stood in the way of other more deserving performers in those respective years.
She's a legend and a GREAT GREAT actress, but this worship of everything she touches and the aggressive attacks towards those who don't worship at her alter without question (including on this blog) is way out of proportion.
Hey everybody! Start a new thread! Liv Ullmann is getting a special Oscar finally!
Streep is an icon and legend. She sealed the deal with her performance in Sophie's Choice. She's has many, many noteworthy performances. Some of her performances were in fact 'fillers' when it comes to Oscar nominations, but certainly not Doubt or Ironweed or One True Thing or even Florence Foster Jenkins. Interesting nobody talks about performances that didn't receive a nomination like The Hours or Marvin's Room or The River Wild. Somebody above suggested replacing Streep with Sissy Spacek in Silkwood. How about replacing Streep with Spacek in Sophie's Choice? Would never work, Streep is indelible in that role. And Streep does NOT get every role that comes along, as is often suggested. It's a ridiculous claim, as Frances McDormand recently proved. The Streep hate and envy gets more and more pathetic every year. Sharon Stone's interview was awkward at best. She even had to put out a clarifying statement. Why is she so focused on the great Meryl Streep? Jealous she has no career at 63 I hazard to guess.
Florence Foster Jenkins was most certainly a filler nominee, many people hadn't even predicted her to be included and arguably it was her speech at the globes that helped her out. She was IMO easily the weak link in that stellar line-up and Amy Adam's was the obvious should have been fifth nominee. I would take Ironweed (where she deserved that nomination) and One True Thing over Doubt (where she's straight up bad IMO) or Florence Foster Jenkins or The Iron Lady any day of the week. Also I have yet to see anyone anywhere hate on Streep with anything that approaches vehemence. At most her ubiquity is called into question. Look at this blog and if anyone says anything approaching a critical word of Streep, there are plenty of people who aggressively attack that person. And Frances Mcdormand is a very odd example. Her ascendance to full on movie star basically dates back to 2017 and all of her other vehicles were either projects she had a hand in or which her husband wrote for her. For all her talent and accomplishment, she has hardly been someone with an abundance of amazing roles handed to her. She's also almost a full decade younger than Streep. What american actress Streep's age gets the kind of vehicles Streep has gotten. I liked her in August Osage County, but one can count on two hands the list of potentially more interesting actresses who could have had that role.
I guess the memoir isn't selling very well. No wonder, since it's boring.
Pity that JJL, Kidman, Bates, or Alicia Silverstone didn't take Sharon Stone's place in that 1995 line-up.
People defend Streep because she is often attacked, ridiculously. And Streep doesn't get 'handed' roles. Streep has talent, unlike Sharon Stone, who apparently has a chip on her shoulder.
The amount of Streep defenders outweighs the “attackers” by an enormous margin. In fact I have yet to see or read anyone anywhere attacking her. Being occasionally less than rapturous about her essentially equates to attacking her. What are these attacks? Saying she gets tons of nominations and doesn’t deserve them all is attacking now? No one is attacking her in this post, they are simply saying within justification that spreading the wealth in necessary. Streep is the only American actress her age who gets leading roles in major projects consistently, though there are plenty of talented actresses. Again I don’t see an attack anywhere. It’s hilarious how this kind of debate only ever gets classified as an attack when it comes to Streep.
@Peter. Preach.
@brandz. The point isn't Streep could do both SOPHIE'S CHOICE and SILKWOOD, while Spacek couldn't have done SOPHIE'S choice. The point isn't even that they're equally good. The point is, maybe filmmaker's should hire the person who fits the role like a glove and makes you forget there's any acting going on. Nobody wants to see a movie like SILKWOOD, PLENTY, or A CRY IN THE DARK and think, from beginning to end, 'what great acting!"
We want to get sucked into the story and think of the character as heartbreakingly real, not merely a vessel for another one of Meryl's triumphs.
Dan, I love Meryl in Silkwood and plenty of other things. She is a great actress and I don’t know that “we” always want one particular thing. Different tastes etc.... at her best I love Streep’s mannerisms or whatever you want to call them. I do agree that most of her movies, at least past a certain point exist solely and exclusively to facilitate a Streep “turn” and often have very little going for them otherwise.
My issue is that anytime anything less than worship is directed towards Streep that is equated an attack and invariably one that involves trashing other performers. Like you said how Spacek not being suitable for Sophie’s choice is any kind of evidence that she’s not the actress Streep is escapes me, especially since I’d shudder to think of Streep in Carrie of Badlands, both of which are IMO easily ranked alongside much of Streep’s best work. Weaver is an excellent actress and was at one point a legitimate box office draw who also periodically returns to the stage and is also georgeous. She should be getting better and more substantial material. A lot of these women are at this point playing mother roles or are working mostly on tv. I’m happy and impressed by Streep’s longevity. But it is at the expense of other people and the praise she gets is often because of who she is as opposed to an actual response to what’s on screen. She’s almost never bad, can be amazing, and is a treasure. But the need to shield her from anything other than rapt awe irritates me. This blog is not called the Meryl Streep experience.
Fairly asinine discussions!!!!
@dan
To quote the over-wrought Pauline Kael about Meryl Streep, we know where you stand, and it's obvious. You speak above using 'we', as though you're speaking for everyone. Some people, myself included, actually appreciate great performances. Yes, individual performances. Like Sissy Spacek in Carrie or In the Bedroom. Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal. Olivia Colman in The Favourite. Emma Thompson in The Remains of the Day. Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice or Silkwood or Bridges of Madison County or The Devil Wears Prada. I could go on and on. Different people go to see film for a variety of reasons.
@Peter
I bring up Frances McDorman because she is the same age (1 year older) than Sharon Stone. In her interview, Sharon Stones mentions all different actresses of all ages (Olivia Colman, Kate Winslet, Viola Davis, etc.) Maybe Stone should be calling out McDorman for hogging all the leading roles. What leading roles in major projects has Streep secured in the past 5-10 years?
If anything, Streep is a cheerleader for other actresses to get parts and/or leading roles.
McDormand has had exactly TWO leading film projects in the past decade and prior to 2017 her last major film roles in showcase roles were in 2008.
Streep has stared in The Iron Lady, Hope Springs, August Osage County, Into the Woods, Ricki and the Flash, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Post, The Laundromat, Let Them All Talk and she was inserted into Big Little Lies in a role basically designed for her. Regardless of the success of these roles, most of them were touted as major assignments. The Laundromat was actively being promoted as another Oscar bid until people actually saw it.
Again you are saying people are blaming Streep are holding her responsible. No one has said or done that. But I have yet to see how she’s somehow contributed to older actresses getting work. She is one of the few actresses her age who have vehicles designed to showcase their talents. And that’s what most of the above projects were blatantly intended to be.
Also all of the women and films you mentioned are basically anomalous. For every major role those women have had there are dozens of thankless roles in the mix. Late Night was Thompson’s rare leading role, ditto most of the others.
I am totally supportive of other actresses getting work, but they frequently don't translate to box office success or even awards chatter if they have been out of favor for a long time. A studio is not going to gamble $25 million or more on an actress who is likely to generate no profit or zero buzz. This applies to all levels and ages, not just older actresses. It's about who is going to get the public excited, make the most money, and get awards traction. Thus, we always see Emma Stone, Charlize Theron, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren and Viola Davis in the mix. It's not very creative, but it's been that way for decades. You have to be box office to have any power, especially if you are a woman.
Sharon stuck her foot in it because she could have said, "I love Meryl, but I wish other actresses would get more work." By going on a long rant and saying she is sick of the Streep worship, she offended movie fans and mixed up her message.
Exactly- we get what Stone was saying but the tone come of a bit harsh. Like Streep is responsible for Stone not getting roles the last decade. I agree with Reece- Hollywood is business and at the end of the day the studio want to make money. Streep’s name attached to a project- however one feels about that- helps them achieve that.
As if Streep does not champion other women…. Come on.
@Reese
Thank you for your words. Needed to be said. Money rules, unfortunately.
@Peter
I didn't ask for a list of all Streep projects over the past 10 years. I would hardly call Ricki and the Flash, Hope Springs, The Laundromat or Let Them All Talk as major projects. But Streep was great a great addition to Big Little Lies.
I didn’t give you a list of all Meryl Streep projects. You asked for leading roles in major projects. I gave you exactly what you asked for. Those movies were heavily promoted, they involved major people, and they were all vehicles essentially designed to showcase her. That makes them major. The fact that they didn’t pan out doesn’t change that.
What Sharon said was absolutely right and the conversation started cause she was “correcting” the interviewer and telling him the question should’ve been rephrased. Comparing Streep & Stone is obnoxious, they’re two different kind of actresses, Streep is highly technical while Stone is very intuitive. Streep was a “serious” actress way before Sharon became a movie star , after BI Stone played the parts Hollywood & God gave her : the femme fatale but after Casino her filmography is really interesting and varied working with interesting directors, like Martin Scorsese said “ She’s too beautiful to be a great actress, the cliche blinds you to the reality. What you’re looking for is not someone to give you exactly what you envision but to surpass it. That’s the way it was with Sharon. She stunned me.” Well, I believe Mr. Scorsese.
Yes, Sharon Stone is beautiful. Not so much of an actress though. She showed her crotch once and played a drunk.
unfortunately sharon stone's comments reveal what she's trying to reveal. Hollywood pits actresses against each other and encourage audiences to do the same demanding that one be the supremer overlord (rather than a share the wealth mentality) and people fall right in line in these discussions attacking one actress to uplift another. Nothing Streep or Stone or Spacek or Weaver or Colman or Close or anyone does onscreen actually diminishes what the other can do onscreen. We can and should praise more than one person.
Yes to everything Sharon, Peter, Dan and Nathaniel said.
And please, to whom it may concern, stop equating the justifiable questioning of the No. 1 status of Streep as an assault on her. It's not.
Yep to that, Nathaniel and others. It IS possible to do that, but I feel we only have this kind of issue relating to FEMALE performers. It's the FEMALES who are always being pitted against each other by the entertainment media and the fans. People rarely say that about any, and I mean ANY males.
Also, by the same standards, any female who rises to the top quickly (e.g, Jennifer Lawrence) are almost as swiftly taken down by media and haters. I NEVER see that with men (e.g., Timothee Chalamet).
I agree Pam.
No male actor would be so angry if asked “What was it like working with Brando? Pacino? Denzel? Day Lewis? Deniro?
Interviewers ask everyone- male or female- what is it like to work with Meryl Streep because of her plus 40 years in the business and her “legend” status..
Ahaha, Sharon Stones knows exactly how to get more attention.
She’s not trying to get attention. She cares about all actresses having a fair chance. And that matters.
Reese, Pam and Jamie nail it. It comes down to $ and misogyny. Streep gets cast because she's bankable (and she's great as well, but that's never been enough to get a film made). End of story. And we wouldn't be having this conversation if her name were Martin Streep.
By the way, I finally got around to watching Let Them All Talk and her work in it is so specific, so lived in and so different from what she's doing in The Prom. You actually can be engrossed in a story, moved by a character and impressed by a performance—all at the same time.
(P.S. Although Streep is only six months older than Spacek, I don't think she couldn't have convincingly pulled off the high school student role in Carrie in 1976, when they were in their late 20s. But I'm intrigued by the thought of her tackling Loretta Lynn, given the facial resemblance.)
You all love to be contrarian (it's on trend now lol) and shit on Streep at every opportunity. Meh, boring. Anyway the point shouldn't be Meryl getting good roles while other talented actresses get nothing, the attack shouldn't be against Meryl, she is a GREAT fucking actress (10 times the actress Sharon Stone is TBH). You all should be talking about how there are not enough roles for great actresses instead of bitching about a great actress getting good roles. So yeah, keep Streep's names out of you alls mouth and talk about how unfair the industry is to women. I don't see you all talking about Hanks or DiCaprio "stealing" roles from other great actors, so fuck that misogynistic bullshit against Streep.