“Basic Instinct” writer Joe Eszterhas, 80, recently discussed how he plans to approach a reboot of the 1992 thriller “Basic Instinct.” 
The film writer spoke again about his plans for the project, telling <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/basic-instinct-writer-promises-anti-woke-reboot-sharon-stone-claims-original-film-ruined-her-image">Fox News Digital</a> that being politically correct has “stripped” films of real dialogue. 
&#8220;I think that the language has been, for political reasons, the truth has been gutted in some ways,&#8221; Eszterhas told the outlet in a newly published interview. &#8220;And yes, I hope that this ‘Basic&#8217; renewal will be as successful, language-wise, as the first one was.&#8221;
He mentioned specific lines with vulgarity, including when Stone’s co-star Michael Douglas, who played homicide detective Nick Curran, called her “the f*** of the century.”
Eszterhas said he’s glad there are conversations in the industry about political correctness. “DEI, it may be a noble concept, but it doesn&#8217;t work in drama and in film,&#8221; he added.
During an <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/joe-eszterhas-basic-instinct-reboot-trump-interview/">interview</a> last month with The Wrap, Eszterhas said the film was “anti-woke” before going into detail about how the main character will be “open about her sexuality” in addition to being, “raunchy at times,” “funny,” and “iconoclastic.”
In the first film, the character Catherine Tramell, a wealthy heiress, is played by Sharon Stone.
“In terms of the woke culture, I think that there is a segment of the population that’s had it with woke culture. But then there’s also a huge segment that hasn’t. I don’t believe in woke and I don’t believe in being politically correct because I think it’s not the truth, and I like the truth spoken,” Eszterhas at the time.
He added, “The absurdities come when a woman who is sexual and open about her sexuality, you know, the culture that that I grew up in would describe that woman as a nymphomaniac. If a man did the same thing he would be a stud.”
While Eszterhas said he’d love Stone to reprise her role as Tramell, the 67-year-old actress seems less enthused about the idea.
&#8220;If it goes the way the one I was in went, I would just say, ‘I don’t know why you do it. I mean, go ahead, but good f***ing luck,&#8221; she said during a Today show appearance this week.
Stone starred in “Basic Instinct 2” in 2006, but the film was panned by both audiences and critics. It currently has a 6% critic’s score and 26% audience rating on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/basic_instinct_2">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.

Basic Instinct

‘Basic Instinct’ Writer Discusses ‘Anti-Woke’ Reboot, Says DEI ‘Doesn’t Work’ In Film

 'Basic Instinct' Writer Discusses 'Anti-Woke' Reboot, Says DEI  'Doesn't Work' In Film

Entertainment

Hollywood

Movies

Wokeness

Fitness influencer Jillian Michaels is not pleased with her portrayal in a new documentary about the reality competition show “The Biggest Loser.”
“Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser” debuted on Netflix on August 15 and became an instant hit. The three-part limited series explored incidents from behind the scenes at NBC’s popular reality series, which featured overweight contestants vying to lose the most weight and win a cash prize. Michaels was a trainer on the series for several seasons, but did not participate in the Netflix documentary. 
Now the fitness expert is breaking her silence on some of the allegations made in the documentary by former co-host Bob Harper, former medical consultant Dr. Robert Huizenga, and former contestants. 
Michaels shared her thoughts on the allegations through a series of social media posts. The first showed alleged email communication about supplying contestants with caffeine pills, which the workout coach said was done with the full support of both Harper and Huizenga.
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 “Wild how some folks still lie like it’s 1985 before texts and email were a thing,” Michaels wrote in one of the posts, saying her co-host and the medical consultant “not only knew about the caffeine pills,” but approved of them being used. 
“Caffeine was NEVER banned on The Biggest Loser,” she added.  
In a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNi3TDhJLt8/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1">second post</a>, Michaels responded to “the allegation that I restricted contestants from eating enough calories” by sharing “direct written correspondence” from Season 11 winner Olivia Ward. 
The email shows Michaels instructing Ward to “eat 1600 [calories] tomorrow,” directly contradicting contestant Suzanne Mendonca’s claim in the documentary that she and others were restricted to just 800 calories per day.
A third Instagram post refuted the claim about something Michaels allegedly said during the show’s finale.
“In response to the claim in the documentary that I told a contestant at the show’s finale, ‘You’re going to make me a millionaire,’ I want to state unequivocally that this is false,” she wrote. “The full moment was captured on camera, and both the contestant and I were wearing microphones. If such a comment had been made, it would exist on the audio record.”
“Furthermore, two of the show’s executive producers, Mark Koops and Dave Broome, have each provided written statements in text messages to my business partner confirming that this exchange never occurred,” the post went on. “For clarity, below are their texts verifying that no such comment was ever made.”
Michaels also <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/08/19/jillian-michaels-interview-documentary-lawsuit/">told</a> TMZ on Tuesday that the docuseries is “filled with so many lies, and, of course, I have the emails and the text messages to back all this up.”
She told the outlet that she was meeting with her lawyer to potentially pursue legal action against Netflix, Harper, and Huizenga.

Jillian Michaels

Fitness Guru Jillian Michaels Blasts Her Portrayal In ‘Biggest Loser’ Documentary, Brings Receipts

Jillian Michaels Blasts Her Portrayal In 'Biggest Loser' Documentary, Brings Receipts

Celebrities

Netflix

Reality TV

Television

U.S.

Jasveen Sangha, better known in pop culture as the Ketamine Queen, agreed to plead guilty Monday to selling drugs to actor Matthew Perry, who overdosed in October 2023.
The 42-year-old, who has joint citizenship in the United States and the U.K., was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute ketamine, and five counts of distribution of ketamine, per <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/matthew-perry-drug-dealer-trial-plea-b2809860.html">The Independent</a>.
She faces up to 45 years in prison across all charges.
Sangha was one of five people charged over the actor’s death. The other primary person being investigated was Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who was charged with distributing the drug to Perry. He signed a plea deal in June.
Three other people pleaded guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation with the investigation, including making statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia, the outlet noted.
In the weeks after the “Friends” star died, it was revealed that Plasencia allegedly texted another doctor, Mark Chavez, saying, “I wonder how much this moron will pay.” Plasencia supplied Perry with 20 vials of ketamine, equal to 2,000 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes in the month before his death, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
According to prosecutors, Perry paid Sangha $6,000 cash for 25 vials of ketamine four days prior to his death.
Ketamine is a medication primarily used as an anesthetic in both humans and animals. It is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance and is often used for the treatment of depression, which was Perry’s reason for using it. The 54-year-old actor had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, which he detailed in his 2022 memoir titled “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
The “Friends” star was found face down in his hot tub on October 28, 2023, at his home in Pacific Palisades, California. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office determined he had drowned, but attributed his death to ketamine, which Perry had been taking as part of a therapy. The levels of ketamine found in his system were so high that they were close to the range that would be used for general anesthesia during surgery.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the report said.

Matthew Perry

‘Ketamine Queen’ Will Plead Guilty In Matthew Perry Overdose Case

'Ketamine Queen' Will Plead Guilty In Matthew Perry Overdose Case

Crime

Death

overdose

Actor Chris Pratt praised President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging people not to let their negative feelings about Trump cloud their view of Kennedy.
The 46-year-old “Guardians of the Galaxy” star said during a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast that he “spent a number of occasions” with RFK Jr. in a “strictly family dinner kind of vibe.” 
“I really got along with him well and think he’s great. He’s funny, he’s wonderful. I love him,” the superhero film star admitted.
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“Politics, it’s a nasty business,” Pratt continued. “There’s a certain level to this in Hollywood because&#8230; I’ve seen how the person you are can be such a contrast to the person that people being are told that you are, and you can go, ‘Wow, that is pure fiction.’… The person that you are can be sometimes in stark contrast with the person your enemy is saying you are. In politics, you inherit enemies. When you jump on the bandwagon with the most divisive president ever, it makes sense that you’re going to be made to look terrible.”
“I don’t know what to believe [about RFK Jr.],” he said. “It’s not like I say to [him], ‘Let’s talk about this’ while we’re playing cards or having fun or having dinner. I’m not going to pick his brain to find out exactly which of those things are true. I just assume that none of them are? For the most part, I wish him well.”
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Pratt went on to praise Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiative. 
He said, “There’s certain things [that Kennedy] oversees that seem to be supported in a bipartisan way, like getting terrible toxic stuff out of our kids’ food.”
“I think that’s a great thing. If you just do that, that’s amazing. I’d hate to be so mired in hatred for the president that any success from his administration is something I’d be having an allergic reaction to,” Pratt said. “To be like, ‘Oh, well, if they do it, I don’t want it to happen. I’ll put Clorox in my children’s cereal myself!’ It’s like, be reasonable here. There’s certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful.”
Pratt, who is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter, Katherine, has not publicized his political leanings. He alluded to the country needing unity in the days leading up to the contentious 2024 election.
“How do we become a nation of honorable winners and graceful losers? It starts with remembering no matter who wins or loses, there are still going to be people who need help in this country. Find them. Be of service,” he <a href="https://www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/chris-pratt-op-ed/">wrote</a> at the time.

Chris Pratt

Actor Chris Pratt Defends RFK Jr.’s MAHA Agenda: ‘Be Reasonable’

Actor Chris Pratt Defends RFK Jr.'s MAHA Agenda: 'Be Reasonable'

Bill Maher

Donald Trump

MAHA

Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A pair of contestants on Israel’s version of the competition dance show “Dancing With the Stars” (&#8220;Rokdim Im Kokhavim&#8221;) is going viral for their Melania and Donald Trump-themed dance routine.
Fans were delighted by internet personality Taylor Malkov and professional dancer Haim Pershtein’s star spangled performance last week, which opened with &#8220;The Star Spangled Banner&#8221; followed by the Trump favorite “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People.
A video clip of the pair dancing has 2.3 million views on X and is quickly racking up views across social media platforms.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Israel’s “Dance With the Stars” Pair Dressed as Trump &amp; Melania Absolutely Kills Their Performance " width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TfNyJky6EUc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“It&#8217;s astonishing what six months of sane, strong leadership can do in America. This was unimaginable last year. The Golden Era indeed,” one of the top comments <a href="https://x.com/AmericanWolf24/status/1954715239431491679">says</a>.
“We’re definitely heading in the right direction,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/AmericanWolf24/status/1954715239431491679">agreed</a>.
“This is a good vibe, America is once again gaining respect around the world,” echoed a third.
“Oh my… the heads of the Democrat communist party are going to explode over this one. Congratulations Israel! Job well done,” <a href="https://x.com/emss1922/status/1954723491103584540">said</a> another.
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A YouTube commenter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfNyJky6EUc">wrote</a>, “Whether you love or hate Trump, you must admit this was a brilliant idea. It was funny, original, and so well-done that you couldn&#8217;t tell who was the non-professional dancer. It put a smile on my face.”
President Trump is widely considered the most supportive American president Israel has ever known thanks to him moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights, and brokering the historic Abraham Accords, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thank-you-mr-president-israel-posts-huge-signs-of-gratitude-to-trump">reported</a>. 
One week before the election last November, a poll found that 66% of Israelis supported Trump while just 17% of them were hoping Kamala Harris won.
Months before the election, Trump also spoke about the October 7 massacre, saying, “Weak leadership in the United States allowed this to happen, and it should never have happened.”
“Never again,” Trump promised at the time.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP-INAUGURATION

Trump-Inspired Routine On Israeli ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Goes Viral

Israel

World

Former late night host Conan O’Brien weighed in with his thoughts about “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert being canceled, saying he believes the future of this genre is doomed.
“I’ve dabbled in other things, but that’s where I’ve lived,” the former host of “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien,” and “Conan” <a href="https://www.tvinsider.com/1209424/conan-obrien-predicts-late-night-tv-disappear-amid-stephen-colbert-cancellation/">said</a>, per TV Insider. “And for those of you under 40, late-night television was a service designed to distract college students until science would perfect the internet and online pornography. And boy, did they get that right.”
O’Brien made his remarks as part of a speech he gave while being inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
“It’s all electrifying a new generation of viewers,” the longtime host continued. “Yes, late-night television, as we have known it since around 1950, is going to disappear. But those voices are not going anywhere. People like Stephen Colbert are too talented and too essential to go away.”
He also commented on Colbert’s situation specifically, saying, “Stephen is going to evolve and shine brighter than ever in a new format that he controls completely.”
“So, technology can do whatever they want,” O’Brien added. “It can make television a pill. It can make television shows a high-protein, chewable, vanilla-flavored capsule with added fiber. It still won’t matter, if the stories are good, if the performances are honest and inspired, if the people making it are brave and of goodwill.”
Commenters on X disagreed, saying that format of programming wasn&#8217;t going away, but that insufferable hosts like Colbert would become a thing of the past.
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&#8220;Late night TV won&#8217;t disappear as Greg Gutfeld&#8217;s late night talk show is thriving,&#8221; one person on X <a href="https://x.com/GoForDawn/status/1957394601133674589">commented</a>. &#8220;Perhaps late night talk shows will simply revert back to the comedy &amp; entertainment from which they were originally created and not the psycho political propaganda and nanny scolding too many became.&#8221;
Another person chimed in, <a href="https://x.com/tibblion2/status/1957414382914175404">writing</a>, &#8220;Because they overinflated the budgets and alienated half the audience; all other options became available through streaming and online services.&#8221;
CBS announced last month that it was canceling “The Late Show” after the upcoming season, which has inspired outsized reactions from the Left. The network described the move as a “purely financial decision.” A recent report stated that the program was losing $40 million annually.
Colbert went off on an expletive-laced tirade during his first monologue following the announcement, blasting President Donald Trump and CBS. Colbert mentioned how the network’s parent company, Paramount Global, paid Trump a $16 million settlement earlier this month after being accused of election interference.
Other late night mainstays such as Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon have come to Colbert’s defense, saying the reports claiming that “The Late Show” was losing tens of millions were “<a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/awards/jimmy-kimmel-defends-colbert-late-night-tv-not-dying-1236479160/">nonsensical</a>.”

Conan O’Brien

Conan O’Brien Predicts Late Night Shows Will ‘Disappear’ Following Colbert Cancellation

Conan O'Brien Predicts Late Night Shows Will 'Disappear' Following Colbert Cancellation

Conan O'Brien

Stephen Colbert

Your average film festival won’t screen “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” or “Nobody 2.” And that’s a good thing.
Festivals give indie filmmakers a chance to shine in a crowded marketplace. They also shake up the theatrical experience by pushing audiences out of their comfort zone.
In short, prepare to be challenged. The best art does just that.
<div id="attachment_961513" style="width: 830px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961513" class="wp-image-961513 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg" alt="TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &quot;People's Choice Documentary Award&quot; for &quot;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&quot; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at Luma on September 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)" width="820" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-820x576.jpg 820w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-300x211.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734-768x539.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2172182734.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" />TORONTO, ONTARIO &#8211; SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the &#8220;People&#8217;s Choice Documentary Award&#8221; for &#8220;The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal&#8221; onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)</div>
Yet some modern film festivals are running from that unspoken promise. And, as is often the case, it involves cowardly programmers who refuse to provoke their presumably left-leaning audiences. In other situations, the festivals won’t stand behind art that could draw the wrong kind of crowd.
Protesters, to be specific, the kind that shout, “From the river to the sea…”
The latest, most embarrassing example? The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the industry’s most prestigious events, recently <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-pulls-october-7-documentary-from-lineup-1236484968/comment-page-2/#comments">yanked an October 7 documentary</a> from its line up.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” recalls how retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon saved Israelis targeted for death by Hamas terrorists during that cataclysmic day.
<div id="attachment_961501" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961501" class="wp-image-961501 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg" alt="TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon speaks during a rally calling for the remaining hostages to be released a day after the temporary truce ended outside The Museum of Modern Art known as the 'The Hostages and Missing Square' on December 2, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The rally’s speakers included recently released hostages and their families, as well as Israeli performers. The end of the weeklong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has also meant a halt to negotiations over the return of more Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. One hundred and ten hostages - a combination of Israelis and foreign nationals - were released during the recent pause in fighting, under half the number estimated to have been taken captive by Palestinian militants on Oct. 7. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1827492879-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />TEL AVIV, ISRAEL &#8211; DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images</div>
But why cancel the documentary at all? TIFF officials initially said the film didn’t get the legal clearances for footage of Hamas soldiers attacking innocent Jews. That explanation drew instant ridicule, forcing TIFF to suggest it’s working to find a way <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/08/tiff-response-the-road-between-us-1236485877/">to solve the issues</a> and re-install the film into its lineup.
Now, an embarrassed TIFF says it will “<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/14/world-news/tiff-reverses-course-will-ensure-oct-7-doc-is-screened-following-swift-backlash/">ensure</a>” the film will screen at the September festival after a major media backlash.
The damage is done, no matter what kind of backpedal the festival attempts. Its absurd rationale is likely cover for the real issue – pro-Palestinian protesters would have swarmed the screening, as they’ve done countless times before.
<div id="attachment_961507" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961507" class="size-large wp-image-961507" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Palestinians transport a reportedly captured Israeli person, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. One month after Israel was wracked by Hamas attacks, life has been upended for both the Palestinians and Israel after it launched a war of reprisal in the Gaza Strip. The October 7 attacks by Hamas militants who stormed across from Gaza and struck kibbutzim and southern Israeli areas killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and deeply scarred the nation. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says nearly 9,500 have been killed, two-thirds of them women and children, and mostly civilians. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-1711807696.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Jewish artists (Michael Rapaport, Matisyahu) routinely find their shows canceled due to fear of pro-Palestinian protests. Festival-based violence could have ensued, although a strong show of force would likely prevent such an occurrence.
The Heckler’s Veto won. Again. It’s one reason why protesters keep on raising their voices. They get results.
Today’s festival programmer too often chooses to censor art rather than let it shine.
A more egregious example of festival cowardice? The Sundance Film Festival threw open its arms to “Jihad Rehab,” a celebrated film focusing on Muslim terrorists and their path to redemption.
The film actually screened the documentary in January 2022, coaxing two festival employees to resign in protest. That was just the beginning of the outrage. Some Muslim filmmakers howled over the film’s inclusion, arguing the film exposed the participants to potential danger. Others suggested the film’s director, a white woman named Meg Smaker, was the wrong person to tell the story.
<div id="attachment_961509" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-961509" class="size-large wp-image-961509" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg" alt="PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was shot with a fisheye lens.) People stand in front of the Egyptian Theatre along Main Street during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2025 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2196257724.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />David Becker/Getty Images</div>
Sundance later issued an apology for screening the film, and other festivals dropped “Jihad Rehab” from their lineups.
Smaker eventually won the PR war, with far-Left sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic rushing to her side. The film, retitled “The UnRedacted,” <a href="https://www.justwatch.com/us/search?q=the%20unredacted">still can’t be seen via VOD platforms, though.</a>
Still, the most recognizable film festival in the country couldn’t stand up for its own screened film. That sends a chilling signal throughout the creative community.
Pro-Palestinian pressure also got a trans-related documentary <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/editors-note/377538/french-transgender-film-gets-cancelled-because-it-made-israel-look-good/">canceled from a Belgium film festival last year</a>. “The Belle from Gaza” focused on a transgender Palestinian woman fleeing Gaza for her own safety and ending up in Tel Aviv.
Variety captured the current state of film festivals in 2023.
<blockquote>In fact, that quick-to-capitulate reflex underscores a new, unspoken modus operandi in which festivals — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are desperate to avoid controversy and the wrath of any identity-focused Twitter mob. </blockquote>
It hasn’t gotten better since then. And there’s a second factor in play.
Modern film festivals display a sense of ideological uniformity that diminishes their cultural impact. Left-leaning features are commonplace, be it stories about abortion rights or pro-LGBTQ+ narratives.
Films that defy that ideology rarely, if ever, make the cut.
Imagine a film festival featuring “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel">What Is a Woman?</a>” The Daily Wire’s blistering take down of progressive gender beliefs.
<div id="attachment_805851" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Square+Show+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-805851" class="size-large wp-image-805851" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MixCollage-01-Oct-2024-04-20-PM-2436-1024x576.jpg" alt="What is a Woman?" width="1024" height="576" /></a>Matt Walsh/What is a Woman?</div>
What about “The Fall of Minneapolis,” a harrowing account of the media’s false narratives surrounding George Floyd’s 2020 death?
Or consider “What Killed Michael Brown?” That 2020 movie exposed similarly skewed narratives surrounding the Missouri resident’s 2014 death following a police interaction.
Had any of those films made the film festival cut it might have sparked protests, resignations or both. Cancellations might have followed.
Festival programmers, by insisting on ideological purity, keep these kinds of projects out of their lineups. And few audience members are challenged along the way.
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Even stories told by those holding unorthodox views may not get a festival closeup. Podcaster Adam Carolla has complained that his opinions have kept his apolitical racing documentaries from debuting in film festivals. The most extreme example? His 2020 documentary “Uppity,” a testament to Willy T. Ribbs, the first black race car driver to compete in the Indy 500, didn’t make the festival circuit.
The film checked enough progressive boxes to be included, and the few critics who reviewed the film raved about its content. That didn’t help Carolla crack the festival market.
Hollywood’s progressive groupthink remains a problem, keeping great stories and actors off screen. A similar sentiment holds with film festivals. A fear of social media controversy, and backbone deficit, is making matters worse.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2025 Canada’s Walk Of Fame Induction Gala

Cowardice Is Killing The Spirit Of Modern Film Festivals

Documentaries

Hamas

Hostages

October 7

Sundance Film Festival

Toronto Film Festival

Tom Cruise reportedly turned down a chance to be honored by President Donald Trump with an award at the Kennedy Center, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/08/13/trump-kennedy-center-honorees/">The Washington Post</a>.
The outlet reported that the “Top Gun: Maverick” star cited “scheduling conflicts” when asked to attend the gala at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., on December 7.
Cruise, 63, remains silent on political issues, and <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/tom-cruise-sidesteps-trump-tariff-question-mission-impossible-1236392597/">redirected</a> the conversation when a Korean reporter pressed him on the issue of Trump and tariffs at a press junket for “Mission: Impossible 8” earlier this year.
“We’d rather answer questions about the movie. Thank you,” the actor said.
Notably, Cruise has a history of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/news/ni63992399/">skipping</a> awards shows, especially considering how fans believe he’s been snubbed by the Academy on multiple occasions after being nominated for an Oscar three times, but never winning.
President Trump made headlines earlier this week when he announced this year’s Kennedy Center honorees personally during a press conference.
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This year’s celebrity honorees include country singer George Strait, legendary actor Sylvester Stallone, the rock band KISS, “Phantom of the Opera” actor Michael Crawford, and singer Gloria Gaynor, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-kennedy-center-nominees-says-he-rejected-wokesters">reported</a>.
“The 48th Kennedy Center Honorees are outstanding people, incredible, we can’t wait … in a few short months since I became chairman of the board, the Kennedy Center, we’ve completely reversed the decline of this cherished national institution,” Trump said during his speech on Wednesday.
When asked if he participated in the selection process, Trump said he was “about 98% involved” and that “they all came through me.”
The president flat out said he turned down certain suggestions for being too “woke.”
“I turned down plenty, they were too woke. … I had a couple of wokesters. No, we have great people. This is very different than it used to be,” Trump added. He went on to mention other Hollywood awards shows, which seemingly take an opposite approach.
“Look at the Academy Awards — it gets lousy ratings now, it’s all woke. All they do is talk about how much they hate Trump, but nobody likes that. They don’t watch anymore,” Trump said.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise Reportedly Turned Down Trump’s Invite To Kennedy Center Awards

Tom Cruise Reportedly Turned Down Trump's Invite To Kennedy Center Awards

The Kennedy Center

Director Ron Howard is reflecting on “Hillbilly Elegy,” the film he made about the early life of Vice President JD Vance, saying he’s surprised by the VP’s “divisive” rhetoric.
The filmmaker spoke with <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/ron-howard-in-conversation.html">Vulture</a> about his current thoughts on the 2020 film starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams as Vance’s Mamaw and mother, respectively. Actor Gabriel Basso played the adult version of the VP.
The movie was based on Vance’s best-selling 2016 memoir by the same name.
“It remains a bit of a surprise to me,” Howard told Vulture of Vance’s trajectory to the White House. “I would not have seen it coming, and I wouldn’t have expected his rhetoric to be as divisive as it sometimes is. By the way, I’m not following him or listening to every word.”
“He was trying to run an investment fund. So the run for Senate and the strategy he’s chosen to follow are not what I would’ve expected,” he added.
“I don’t think about it,” Howard told Vulture of the film’s legacy. “I know it’s a mixed bag and probably quite culturally divided. I also know that reviews were bad and the audience-reaction rating was pretty good.”
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When asked if he’s had any contact with Vance since filming and promoting the movie was done, the Oscar-winning director admitted he texted Vance after he won alongside Trump in 2024.
“I did one text, after the election, which was just sort of ‘Godspeed. Try to serve us well,&#8217;” Howard told the outlet.
Earlier this year, Basso said he doesn’t regret the part and thinks it’s “crazy” he played someone who eventually became vice president.
&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of weird to be included in that timeline,&#8221; the actor <a href="https://ew.com/gabriel-basso-says-it-was-weird-to-play-cool-dude-jd-vance-8778261">said</a> of the part.
&#8220;When he&#8217;s thinking about his life — they made a movie of his book, and my name will always be in the description,&#8221; Basso said. &#8220;We talked a little bit. He&#8217;s a cool dude. We&#8217;re both from the Midwest. We just talked about life — about growing up in the woods.&#8221;
Meanwhile Close insists that Vance is totally different now than he was on set. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know what happened,&#8221; the actress told the audience of “The View” in January. “Power is probably the biggest aphrodisiac for a human being.&#8221;
“Hillbilly Elegy” is about Yale Law student JD Vance (Basso) reflecting on his turbulent upbringing in a working-class Appalachian family and his struggle to break free from cycles of poverty and alcoholism. Told through flashbacks, it follows Vance’s relationship with his strong-willed grandmother (Close) and his troubled mother (Adams). Major themes include redemption, forgiveness, resilience, and strong family ties.

Ron Howard

Ron Howard Comments On Legacy Of Movie About JD Vance’s Life

Ron Howard Comments On Legacy Of Movie About JD Vance's Life

JD Vance

Vice President

YouTube is testing a new system for their United States-based users which would use artificial intelligence (AI) to determine a user’s age and set up restrictions accordingly.
This “age estimation model” was rolled out to a “small set of users” on Wednesday, per reports, and is aimed at protecting children from harmful content. The company said the AI will not rely on the birth date entered on the account, but will use other methods to determine the user’s age, per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/youtube-video-age-verification-system-1ce99a7089b33e88dc76e49945ded186">Associated Press</a>.
YouTube noted that users will have an option to override that estimation if they believe it’s made an error, and people will “have the option to verify your age (through government ID, selfie or a credit card) if you believe our age estimation model is incorrect.”
The system only works for users who are logged in.
James Beser, senior director of product management for YouTube’s youth products, wrote in a <a href="https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/extending-our-built-in-protections-to-more-teens-on-youtube/">blog post</a> that the move was made “so that teens are treated as teens and adults as adults.”
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“This technology will allow us to infer a user’s age and then use that signal, regardless of the birthday in the account, to deliver our age-appropriate product experiences and protection,” Beser wrote, noting that this method has already been used in other countries “for some time” and is working well.
Protections put in place would be similar to when a user inputs a birthday showing them to be minor.
This includes showing only non-personalized ads, enabling “digital wellbeing” tools such as “take a break” and bedtime reminders by default, showing reminders about privacy when uploading a video or commenting publicly, minimizing recommendations of videos with content that could be “problematic if viewed in repetition,” and blocking access to age-restricted video explicitly not recommended for minors.

YouTube

YouTube Will Test AI-Based Age Verification, Automatically Restrict Content For Minors

Artificial Intelligence

Big Tech

minors

Comedy Central had planned for South Park to take a hiatus this week, long before the animated show’s 27th season premiered. Which means viewers will have to wait another week to see how creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone choose to lampoon the Trump administration next.
South Park parodied Trump last month in its season 27 premiere, prompting many viewers to note that the show — which has poked fun at both Democrats and Republicans — never mocked President Joe Biden while he was in office, despite having plenty of opportunities to do so.
“The Left’s hypocrisy truly has no end – for years they have come after ‘South Park’ for what they labeled as ‘offense’ content, but suddenly they are praising the show,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said. “This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.”
Unfortunately for the South Park team, the rest of the Trump administration seems to be getting a kick out of the parodies.
The show’s latest episode, “Got a Nut,” includes a parody of Trump and JD Vance. The millennial vice president was thrilled,
“Well, I’ve finally made it,” Vance said in response to one of the clips being posted to X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Well, I’ve finally made it <a href="https://t.co/Mu7VrSVTSb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/Mu7VrSVTSb</a>
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1953415006319431700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized the episode for focusing on mocking her appearance.
“It never ends, but it’s so lazy to constantly make fun of women for how they look,” she told Glenn Beck on his podcast the day after the episode aired. “It’s always the liberals and the extremists who do that. If they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that, but clearly they can’t, they just pick something petty like that.”
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But Noem and her team also embraced the parody. The day before the episode aired, Homeland Security used the show to advertise its ICE recruitment currently underway.
“We want to thank ‘South Park’ for drawing attention to ICE law enforcement recruitment,” the agency said in a statement.” We are calling on patriotic Americans to help us remove murderers, gang members, pedophiles, and other violent criminals from our country.”
Later on, Noem tweeted out a screenshot of her South Park “appearance,” along with a link to the ICE recruitment website.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/SoBO0HH9Yc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/SoBO0HH9Yc</a> <a href="https://t.co/o8eY1V1ggp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/o8eY1V1ggp</a>
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem/status/1953901524087669126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
Perhaps disappointed in Noem’s response, earlier this week South Park shared an unaired scene from its latest episode, which portrayed Noem shooting up a pet store.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Didn’t see this on TV?
Here’s the Paramount+ version of the end credits scene. <a href="https://t.co/QAvMgQfU9t" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/QAvMgQfU9t</a>
— South Park (@SouthPark) <a href="https://twitter.com/SouthPark/status/1955000014893355389?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
The same episode depicted the character Eric Cartman impersonating Turning Point USA co-founder and CEO Charlie Kirk at a campus event. Cartman takes questions from the crowd as they discuss abortion.
“What makes you think you have the right to say what I do with my body?” a woman asks.
“Let me ask you something. If a pregnant woman is killed and the baby dies too, why is the killer charged with a double homicide?” Cartman replies.
“Well, but because people have different beliefs,” the woman responds.
“It’s not about belief. It’s about truth,” Cartman says. “Science confirms life begins at conception.”
Kirk <a href="https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1953290604365885923" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared the clip</a> on X and wrote, “Not bad, Cartman,” alongside crying laughing emojis. The TPUSA founder also changed his X profile picture to a screenshot of his South Park caricature.
The episode features school counselor Mr. Mackey being fired from his job and deciding to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After being hired by ICE immediately, Mackey watches a recruitment video where Noem shoots dogs, which is a reference to her once discussing killing an “untrainable” family pet.
Mackey later gets invited to Mar-a-Lago, where Trump offers to make him the “new face of Homeland Security.” Trump then brings Mackey into his bedroom and introduces him to Satan, who is reading a book in bed. Vance is also present and depicted as Trump’s short-statured servant.
The Season 27 premiere, “Sermon on the ‘Mount,” also depicted the president having a romantic relationship with Satan.

South Park

The Newest Republican Status Symbol? Being Parodied On South Park.

Charlie Kirk

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Kristi Noem

Two-time Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington said taking home Hollywood&#8217;s biggest honor doesn&#8217;t matter much to him in the long run.
The 70-year-old star, who has also been nominated for Academy Awards nine times, made the remarks while speaking to &#8220;Jake&#8217;s Takes&#8221; on his &#8220;Highest 2 Lowest&#8221; press tour. He confirmed that he did not choose projects based on his likelihood of winning an Oscar.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t do it for Oscars. I don&#8217;t care about that kind of stuff,&#8221; Washington said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been at this a long time, and there&#8217;s time when I won and shouldn&#8217;t have won and then didn&#8217;t win and should&#8217;ve won. Man gives the award. God gives the reward.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m not that interested in Oscars,&#8221; the &#8220;Training Day&#8221; actor added. &#8220;People ask me, &#8216;Where do I keep it?&#8217; Well, next to the other one. I&#8217;m not bragging! Just telling you how I feel about it. On my last day, [Oscars] aren&#8217;t going to do me a bit of good.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&quot;I DON&#039;T DO IT FOR OSCARS!&quot; Denzel Washington Talks Awards, Kurosawa &amp; Spike Lee&#039;s HIGHEST 2 LOWEST" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8As1OCu-FVs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This attitude aligns with statements he made in the past. While many of his fans believed Washington was snubbed for his work on &#8220;Gladiator II&#8221; last year, he reacted to the idea by telling <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/magazine/denzel-washington-interview.html">The New York Times</a>, &#8220;Are you kidding me? Awww. Oh, I&#8217;m so upset. Listen, I&#8217;ve been around too long. I&#8217;m getting wiser, working on talking less and learning to understand more — and that&#8217;s exciting.&#8221;
Washington has also been outspoken about his Christian faith for years.
&#8220;Things I said about God when I was a little boy, just reciting them in church along with everybody else, I know now. God is real. God is love. God is the only way. God is the true way. God blesses. It&#8217;s my job to lift God up, to give Him praise, to make sure that anyone and everyone I speak to the rest of my life understands that He is responsible for me,&#8221; Washington <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a62888212/denzel-washington-gladiator-2-interview-2024/">wrote</a> in a personal essay published in Esquire last year. 
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&#8220;When you see me, you see the best I could do with what I&#8217;ve been given by my lord and savior. I&#8217;m unafraid. I don&#8217;t care what anyone thinks. See, talking about the fear part of it — you can&#8217;t talk like that and win Oscars. You can&#8217;t talk like that and party. You can&#8217;t say that in this town.&#8221;

Denzel Washington

‘Won’t Do Me A Bit Of Good’: Denzel Washington Reveals The Big Achievement He No Longer Cares About

Denzel Washington Says He Doesn't Care About Winning Oscars, 'Won't Do Me A Bit Of Good' After Death

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