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In ‘Equalizer 3,’ Denzel Washington’s Assassin Goes To Italy

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For years, director Antoine Fuqua has wanted to take The Equalizer abroad. The action franchise (loosely inspired by a 1980s television series) starring Denzel Washington as the reluctant assassin Robert McCall had humble origins in Boston. But, with two films and $382.7 million in box-office receipts in the previous decade, the moment looked right.

“Denzel is an international movie star,” Fuqua said, according to The Associated Press. “We thought seeing a man of color in a more international story would be nice.” Why not travel the world with this character? Fortunately, Sony liked the concept.”

And just one country was ever really considered: Italy. Fuqua said he has been going to Washington every summer since his children were babies. He adores the culture, the people, and the cuisine. He can even communicate in Italian.

“He just feels right there,” remarked Fuqua.

And for Fuqua, getting to shoot in Rome’s Cinecittà Studios and tread in the footsteps of Fellini and so many other greats was the stuff of filmmaking dreams. They discovered a truly 1970s New York grit in Naples, which required little to no production design for a critical showdown. And on the Amalfi coast, they discovered the lovely Atrani, the small village of their and McCall’s thoughts.

It’s the kind of location you’d think someone like McCall (or anyone) would feel immediately connected to and protective of, which is exactly what occurs in “Equaliser 3,” which opens in theatres nationwide on Friday. The difference is that McCall is more positioned to take on the Camorra. Of course, solely on my own.

“When we went to that small town, we knew it was the place,” Fuqua explained. “The people were so lovely; we were sitting around, and they kept bringing us coffee and espresso.” We didn’t even request it. Or, because it was so hot, huge lemons. You fall in love with the people in a place like that.”

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For years, director Antoine Fuqua has wanted to take The Equaliser abroad, starring Denzel Washington.

The steps were the only source of contention, which isn’t a complaint. One of Atrani’s gems is a medieval chapel set on the mountainside high above the beach, which they believed would be ideal for a key sequence involving McCall and Dakota Fanning’s CIA analyst. The only way to get there is to climb almost 700 steps. It wasn’t a comfortable journey with all the equipment needed to shoot a scene, but it served as a nice reminder of Fuqua’s and his cinematographer, three-time Oscar winner Robert Richardson,’s objective. They wanted to show a real location, not a vacation spot.

“It’s not a travelogue,” Fuqua pointed out. “The Mediterranean is beautiful, but it’s also real life for the people there.” Fishermen subsist on what they catch. They live in cramped quarters. Every day, they stroll up those steps.”

The film assembles a core team with decades of experience, including producers Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal. In addition to the “Equaliser” films, Fuqua directed Washington in “Training Day,” which earned him his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the latest adaptation of “The Magnificent Seven.”

Black has produced all of Washington’s films and several others. Washington introduced Black and Fuqua for the first “Equaliser,” which everyone anticipated would be a single film rather than a franchise.

“When you’re making a film, you can’t think about franchises or awards.” “If you’re making a movie to win an award, or even to be nominated for an award, or to have a franchise, you’re probably dead in the water going in,” Black remarked. “Not 100% of the time, but you shouldn’t think that way.”

Instead, they approached it script by script and “let the audience decide.” The audience appeared to enjoy seeing Washington as McCall more than once. Both the first and second films grossed more than $190 million apiece on production budgets of less than $65 million, and Sony was interested in a third. It also helped that Black and Fuqua had become friends, with the invaluable trust that comes with it. Both know that everything on their projects will be secure and managed, whether dealing with an unexpected fan situation for their star or ensuring that shooting in Naples at night is not too dangerous.

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For years, director Antoine Fuqua has wanted to take The Equaliser abroad,starring Denzel Washington.

“We’ve never had an incident at our movies because we are so vigilant,” added Black. “And Antoine really protects actors.”

Now, Black and Fuqua are in the rare position of having to be the principal voices advertising “Equaliser 3” in place of their movie stars, who, along with Hollywood writers, are on strike. While some films launched without a star’s late-night quips and red carpet appearances have struggled at the box office in the last month, Black is confident in “Equaliser 3.”

“I have other movies that will need my actors to promote them, but everyone knows Denzel Washington is the ‘Equaliser,'” Black explained. “We’re very confident, thanks to Antoine for creating such a beautiful film that works and audiences have embraced so far.” We’re in fantastic form.”

Both miss having Washington by their sides on the press trip. According to Black, the 68-year-old singer is much “mellower” today than he was years ago and is a pleasure to do publicity with. Fuqua also noted that McCall in “Equaliser 3” may reflect where Washington is in his life. Both are more calm and patient than the other.

“He’ll call me and Todd at 4 a.m. to look at the sunrise,” Fuqua explained. “Denzel wasn’t there before. It’s good to watch him slow down and appreciate life.”

SOURCE – (AP)

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Jason Kelce Smashes Football Fan’s Phone

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Jason Kelce Smashes College Football Fan's Phone

Retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce destroyed a Penn State football fan’s phone after the alleged heckler called his brother, Travis Kelce, a fag.

In now-viral footage published on X (previously Twitter) on Saturday, Nov. 2, the retired Philadelphia Eagles great was seen accompanied by football fans outside Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., for the Penn State-Ohio State game.

As the individual capturing the tape lifted a fist to Jason, 36, and called his name for a fist bump, another man nearby hurled the homophobic slur at the retired Philadelphia Eagles star.

Hey, Kelce. How does it feel that your brother is a queer dating Taylor Swift?” the man questioned, referring to Travis, 34, who has been seeing Swift since 2023. Jason turned around seconds later, snatched the man’s phone, and crushed it to the ground.

“Looked like a Penn State student was getting in Kelce’s face for no reason,” the original X user who submitted the video remarked. “Wild scene in State College.”

Additional footage on X shows Jason smashing the phone on asphalt before picking it up and walking away. The phone’s owner, wearing a Penn State hoodie at the time of the incident, was shown in many videos strolling closely behind Jason and recording him before the conflict occurred.

Another footage published on X, which appears to have been filmed after Jason shattered the man’s phone, showed the hooded Penn State supporter trudging through a mob to pick up his phone off the ground.

“Give me my phone, bro,” he seemed to say to Jason.

The NFL alum seized the gadget first, then stood in front of the man and asked, “Who’s the fag now?” Others appeared to interfere.

The incident occurred while Jason was at Beaver Stadium for an appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay. The Ohio State Buckeyes won Saturday’s game 20-13 over the Penn State Nittany Lions.

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Shaun White’s Proposal To Nina Dobrev Was Romantic Gold

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Shaun White, the Olympic snowboarding champion, already has an impressive medal tally, but his surprise proposal to Nina Dobrev deserves a gold medal.

On Wednesday, the couple announced their engagement on Instagram. Dobrev posted photographs of the two hugging under an arch of white roses and showing off her five-carat Lorraine Schwartz engagement ring.

“RIP boyfriend, hello fiancé,” Dobrev said in the caption.

However, the photographs only tell half the tale, as Shaun devised an elaborate plan to surprise Dobrev with his proposal.

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Shaun White’s Proposal To Nina Dobrev Was Romantic Gold

According to a Vogue interview published Wednesday, Shaun said he assembled a team of people from the couple’s inner circle and Vogue personnel to trick Dobrev into thinking she had been invited to an intimate dinner party with Anna Wintour.

White claimed that his publicist emailed Dobrev a forged invitation to the event, which was scheduled to take place at the Golden Swan in New York City.

Dobrev accepted the invitation, joking that Shaun made it “look so legitimate.”

He even asked Dobrev’s stylist to outfit her in Chanel for the event.

Dobrev said she recognized what was happening when she entered the venue and saw White standing beneath the flowery arch.

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Shaun’s Proposal To Nina Dobrev Was Romantic Gold

“I went into shock,” Dobrev admitted, later adding that White “said all the right things” before she agreed.

According to the publication, after Shaun proposed, the couple partied into the early morning hours with close friends and relatives.

“Best night of my life,” Shaun captioned his Instagram story on Wednesday.

The duo first became romantically involved in 2020, and they have since publicly recorded their relationship, globe vacations, and White’s Olympic farewell on social media.

SOURCE  | CNN

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Hollywood Actress Teri Garr Passes Away at 79

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Hollywood Actress Teri Garr Passes Away at 79
Teri Garr, known for her roles in classics like "Young Frankenstein" and "Tootsie," has passed away at 79.

Hollywood actress Teri Garr, known for her roles in classics like “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie,” has passed away at 79. She died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis “surrounded by family and friends,” said publicist Heidi Schaeffer.

Admirers took to social media in her honor, with writer-director Paul Feig calling her “truly one of my comedy heroes. I couldn’t have loved her more” and screenwriter Cinco Paul saying: “Never the star, but always shining. She made everything she was in better.”

Throughout her career, the performer, often known as Terri, Terry, or Terry Ann, seemed destined for show business from a young age.

Her father was Eddie Garr, a well-known vaudeville comic, and her mother was Phyllis Lind, one of the original high-kicking Rockettes at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Their daughter began dancing classes at six and was performing with the San Francisco and Los Angeles ballet companies by age fourteen.

She was 16 years old when she joined the road crew of “West Side Story” in Los Angeles, and she began starring in small roles in films as early as 1963.

In an interview from 1988, she described how she landed the role in “West Side Story.” After being rejected at her initial audition, she returned the following day dressed differently and was accepted.

Teri Garr, a comedian

Teri Garr then found steady work as a movie dancer, appearing in the chorus of nine Elvis Presley films, including “Viva Las Vegas,” “Roustabout,” and “Clambake.”

She has also appeared on various television shows, including “Star Trek,” “Dr. Kildare,” and “Batman,” and was a featured dancer on the rock ‘n’ roll music show “Shindig,” the rock concert performance “T.A.M.I.,” and a cast member of “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.”

Her breakthrough role was as Gene Hackman’s girlfriend in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 thriller The Conversation. This led to an interview with Mel Brooks, who offered her the Gene Wilder’s German lab assistant role in Young Frankenstein if she could speak with a German accent.

“Cher had this German woman, Renata, making wigs, so I got the accent from her,” Garr once said.

The film established her as a great comic performer, with New Yorker film writer Pauline Kael calling her “the funniest neurotic dizzy dame on screen.”

Her big smile and off-center appeal helped her land roles in “Oh, God!” with George Burns and John Denver, “Mr. Mom” (as Michael Keaton’s wife), and “Tootsie,” in which she played the girlfriend who loses Dustin Hoffman to Jessica Lange and discovers he has dressed up as a woman to revive his career.

 A gift for spontaneous humor

Teri Garr, best known for comedy, has shown in films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Black Stallion, and The Escape Artist that she can also tackle drama.

She had a gift for spontaneous humor, frequently playing David Letterman’s foil during early guest appearances on N.B.C.’s “Late Night With David Letterman”.

Her appearances grew so frequent, and the pair’s good-natured bickering so convincing that rumors of romantic involvement circulated for a while. Years later, Letterman acknowledged those early appearances with helping the program become a success.

During those years, Garr began to experience “a little beeping or ticking” in her right leg. It started in 1983 and expanded to her right arm, but she thought she could handle it. By 1999, her symptoms had gotten so bad that she saw a doctor and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

After disclosing her diagnosis, Garr became a spokesman for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, giving hilarious remarks at events in the United States and Canada.

Source: AP

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