February 5, 2018

Military Voices Initiative: Honoring Veterans and Their Families

Our Military Voices Initiative provides a platform for veterans, service members, and military families to share their stories. In doing so we honor their voices, amplify their experiences, and let them know that we—as a nation—are listening.

Are you a veteran? Would you like to honor a veteran in your life with a StoryCorps interview? Here’s how:

MAKE PLANS TO RECORD IN A CITY ON OUR 2018 TOUR
In 2018, StoryCorps will partner with local public media stations in three cities to record stories of veterans and their families. Reservations for these dates will be available 30 days in advance of the recording dates listed.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on when and how to register to record your story, and prepare for your interview with this collection of suggested questions to ask your conversation partner.

Location	Partner	Dates	Appointments
Del Rio, TX	Texas Public Radio/KPAC	February 4, 2018	Book Now
San Antonio, TX	Texas Public Radio	February 6 – 16, 2018	Book Now
Colorado Springs, CO	KRCC	April 30 – May 11, 2018	Coming Soon
Omaha, NE	KIOS	June 4 – 15, 2018	Coming Soon

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Not in a city that we’re visiting?

VISIT OUR STORYBOOTH
Make plans to visit our StoryBooth locations in Chicago and Atlanta, where you can designate your interview to be added to the Military Voices collection in the StoryCorps Archive. Here are some great questions to ask an interview partner who has served in the military.

USE THE STORYCORPS APP
You can record anywhere with the StoryCorps App. Veterans and their loved ones can tag their interviews with the keyword “Military Voices”.

LISTEN TO STORIES FROM THE MILITARY VOICES INITIATIVE
Conversations from our Military Voices Initiative, which was launched by StoryCorps in 2012, feature first-person stories from veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among others. Listen for announcements about special broadcasts this spring on NPR’s Weekend Edition.

Support for Military Voices Initiative is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Source: SNPR Story Corps

February 4, 2018

Jordan Peele Quit Acting Because He Was Offered the Role of S—t in ‘The Emoji Movie’

The one downside to Jordan Peele being so successful as a filmmaker is that he says he’s done with acting. The “Get Out” writer/director, who received three Academy Award nominations for his debut feature, won a different prize last night: best first-time director at the DGA Awards. While accepting this honor, Peele revealed what went into his decision: “‘The Emoji Movie’ actually helped me quit acting. I was offered the role of Poop,” he explained.

“This is true. I would not make this up,” he continued. Peele’s response to the offer was to say “that’s fucked up” before deciding to sleep on it for a night. He called his manager the following day to ask how much he was being offered for his emoji-related services, but by then it was too late: “[My manager said], ‘They’ve already given it to Sir Patrick Stewart.’ I was like, ‘Fuck this.’”

“The Emoji Movie” was one of the most widely reviled films of last year, whereas “Get Out” was one of the most highly praised — which is to say, it’s doubtful that Peele regrets his decision.

Source: IndieWire film

February 4, 2018

‘Jumanji’ Returns to the Top of the Box Office on Super Bowl Weekend

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” returned to #1, in large part because there’s so little else of interest in release.

The lag continues to be a problem with new releases. Films released in 2018 comprise only about 43 percent of business this weekend; compared to 2017 films a year ago, they totaled 60 percent.

That’s anemic. This week’s sole new film was Lionsgate’s “Winchester” (from partner CBS Films), which managed third place. This horror film with the gimmick of Helen Mirren in the lead did about as expected, with a little over $9 million. That’s only about a third of the most recent horror entry “Insidious: The Last Key” (Universal), which opened to almost $30 million.

“Winchester,” which CBS acquired for $3.5 million, increased 14 percent Saturday from initial day and a half totals. That’s rare for a genre title, and might suggest Mirren got the attention of older audiences, who frequent theaters much more on that day than Friday.

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” returned to the the top spot it has now held for four of its seven weeks. It is the first film to be #1 at this point of its run since “Frozen,” which also jumped in and out of the position. It fell 31 percent, an above average hold and remarkably the biggest drop since it opened. It now is at $352 million domestic, with a real chance of reaching $400 million.

That would get it close to making the top 10 all-time Sony titles. To put it into immediate perspective, it is already Sony’s biggest film this century outside the “Spider-Man” franchise (and bigger than any of its James Bond titles) in terms of domestic appeal.

“Maze Runner: The Death Curse,” despite its mediocre domestic showing (including a 58 percent fall its second week), likely is not the last in the franchise. Why? Because it will take in more than $200 million worldwide, with about 80 percent coming from foreign.

Fox also has, once again, the best-holding film. “The Greatest Showman” is still in fourth place, off 18 percent. It looks headed for an eventual domestic total of $170 million-$175 million, with a somewhat bigger haul oversees. Not bad for what was initially projected as a vanity project for Hugh Jackman, financed to reward him for his loyal service to the “X-Men” series.

“Hostiles” (Entertainment Studios), the western with Christian Bale, has done better than expected, but now looks likely to end up around $30 million after a significant marketing push.

Oscar nominees in various categories, all 2017 initial releases, grossed around $25 million. That’s about the same as last year, but with one difference: “Hidden Figures” and “La La Land,” both wide releases with major non-specialized appeal, made up about two thirds of the total then.

The Top 10

1. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Sony) Week 7 – Last weekend #2

$11,000,000 (-31%) in 3,553 theaters (-201); PTA (per theater average): $3,282; Cumulative: $353,642,000

2. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (20th Century Fox) Week 2 – Last weekend #1

$10,200,000 (-58%) in 3,793 theaters (+6); PTA: $2,689; Cumulative: $39,760,000

3. Winchester (Lionsgate) NEW – Cinemascore: B-; Metacritic: 30; Est. budget: $3.5 million (acquisition cost)

$9,250,000 in 2,408 theaters; PTA: $3,730; Cumulative: $9,250,000

4. The Greatest Showman (20th Century Fox) Week 7 – Last weekend #4

$7,800,000 (-18%) in 2,588 theaters (-75); PTA: $3,014; Cumulative: $137,475,000

5. Hostiles (Entertainment Studios) Week 7 – Last weekend #3

$5,523,000 (-45%) in 2,934 theaters (+118); PTA: $1,882; Cumulative: $21,237,000

6. The Post (20th Century Fox) Week – Last weekend #5

$5,200,000 (-43%) in theaters (-178); PTA: $2,112; Cumulative: $67,185,000

7. 12 Strong (Warner Bros.) Week 7 – Last weekend #6

$4,710,000 (-46%) in 2,462 theaters (-178); PTA: $1,614; Cumulative: $37,304,000

8. Den of Thieves (STX) Week 3 – Last weekend #7

$4,670,000 (-46%) in 2,112 theaters (-320); PTA: $; Cumulative: $

9. The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight) Week 10 – Last weekend #8

$ (-$) in 2,341 theaters (+487); PTA: $2,211; Cumulative: $44,580,000

10. Paddington (Warner Bros.) Week 3 – Last weekend #9

$3,110,000 (-45%) in 2,388 theaters (-404); PTA: $1,302; Cumulative: $36,314,000

Source: IndieWire film

February 4, 2018

Terry Crews Implies He’s Being Pressured to Drop His Sexual Assault Lawsuit if He Wants to Avoid Problems on ‘The Expendables 4’

Terry Crews has starred in all three “Expendable” movies without incident, but it appears he isn’t having such an easy time with “The Expendables 4.” The actor — who’s suing William Morris Endeavor after allegedly being sexually assaulted by agent Adam Venit — took to Twitter this morning to imply that he’s being pressured to drop his lawsuit — or else.

“Management got a call last week from Avi Lerner producer of EXPENDABLES 4 saying I could avoid any ‘problems’ on the sequel if I dropped my case against @WME,” he wrote. “Guess who’s Sly’s agent? ADAM VENIT.” One can only speculate as to what sort of “problems” are being implied here, though it certainly appears as though the powers that be would like Crews to drop his lawsuit lest his time on the upcoming movie be made more difficult in some vague, potentially nefarious way.

The “Sly” in this case is, of course, Sylvester Stallone, who’s been the face of the “Expendables” franchise since its inception. He’s starred in all three movies thus far, and directed the first installment as well.

Management got a call last week from Avi Lerner producer of EXPENDABLES 4 saying I could avoid any “problems” on the sequel if I dropped my case against @WME.

Guess who’s Sly’s agent?
ADAM VENIT

— terrycrews (@terrycrews) February 3, 2018

Source: IndieWire film