Four Questions About the First Trailer for Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ - The Ringer

The wait is over, gabagools. The first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s latest blockbuster, The Irishman, finally arrived on Wednesday morning. The Irishman had been shrouded in secrecy up until this week, when it was announced that the film would be unveiled on opening night at the New York Film Festival in September. But given that extensive CGI work—which reportedly ran the budget on this project up to nearly $200 million—was required to make the likes of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci look younger for this decades-spanning crime saga, it makes sense that it’s taken a while for us to get a first glimpse.

The Irishman brings Scorsese back to his gangster saga roots, as it tells the supposedly true story of Frank Sheeran, a labor union official who was also a hitman for the Bufalino crime family, and who, in this retelling, may be responsible for the legendary disappearance of union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Within this story, it seems, will be a larger examination of organized crime, how it connects to American politics, and hopefully other hallmarks of Extremely Italian Shit that will make you and your loved ones say, “pepperoncini!”

If we’re being honest, though, the historical context for The Irishman isn’t nearly as exciting as the cast of collaborators: De Niro is back, Pesci has been coaxed out of retirement, and Pacino is finally doing his first project with Scorsese. (Seriously, it’s wild they hadn’t worked together before!) So with that, let’s break down the four biggest questions we have about The Irishman trailer, as we eagerly await the movie’s release on Netflix in the fall.

Wait—Who, Exactly, Is the Irishman?

I’ll be honest, I had to hit up the ol’ IMDb to get to this conclusion: Sheeran’s nickname was “The Irishman,” and De Niro plays Sheeran, thus De Niro is the titular Irishman. (That, my friends, is called detective work.)

The thing to know about Sheeran is that he claims to be the person responsible for killing Hoffa—and it appears that The Irishman will take certain liberties to paint a clearer picture of just what, exactly, happened with the union leader’s infamous disappearance. More importantly, though, Sheeran can absolutely rock a fit:

Screenshots via Netflix

The film is based on Charles Brandt’s 2004 nonfiction bestseller, I Heard You Paint Houses, which sees Sheeran expose other layers of his life. Sheeran also claims to have some involvement in the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, as well as to know some details about the JFK assassination, so things could really spiral out of control in the best possible way.

How Does the De-aging Look?

The de-aged characters didn’t get a big spotlight in the trailer—perhaps because the studio’s still working out a few of the kinks—but one shot of a younger De Niro paints a better picture of how effective this technology might be:

Let’s give this a solid B. It’s a little distracting, but it doesn’t approach the uncanny valley as much as a photorealistic lion, warthog, and meerkat singing “Hakuna Matata.” It might also be one of those things that’s slightly jarring in the context of watching a two-minute trailer, but once you’re immersed in the actual movie, you won’t notice the de-aging effect as much. In any case, it’s a lot better—and certainly more ethical—than something like the Star Wars franchise bringing Peter Cushing back from the grave for a secondary role in Rogue One.

Have I Missed Joe Pesci?

Yes!

Is Netflix Back in the Oscars Race?

Despite Netflix putting a ton of resources into an Oscars campaign for Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, the movie missed out on capturing the top prize, Best Picture, which was instead—and not without controversy—handed to Green Book. Given that Cuarón landed Best Director for his efforts on a highly personal project, it felt like Roma was penalized for representing the streamer’s ambitions to become an all-encompassing entertainment company capable of producing Oscar-worthy cinema that people could consume from the comfort of home; Netflix’s encroaching on Hollywood’s territory is something that bothers traditionalists like Steven Spielberg.

The Netflix fervor will undoubtedly be a factor going into next year’s awards, but The Irishman appears to be an obvious candidate to receive the Roma treatment and benefit from the streamer’s seemingly bottomless resources in the form of a massive Oscars campaign. For starters: The Irishman first dropped a teaser during the 2019 Oscars telecast, signaling the company’s early intent to make this a Thing. But more importantly: It’s Martin friggin’ Scorsese. Whether the movie lives up to the legendary director’s other gangster epics remains to be seen, but The Irishman is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of the fall. And whether you catch the film during its brief theatrical run or from the couch, you certainly won’t want to miss it.

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https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/7/31/20748563/the-irishman-trailer-martin-scorcese-robert-de-niro-al-pacino

2019-07-31 14:38:40Z
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Lizzo and the dichotomy of big girl praise - CNN

Right now there is probably no one who deserves the title more, given the singer's ability to turn out hits and performances that celebrate her curves and manage to help us celebrate our own bodies, too.

Hot-girl summer?

Hell, Lizzo is having a hot-girl year.

Her brazenly sexual lyrics and willingness to show off her zaftig figure, coupled with plenty of radio play and breathless media coverage about her breakthrough album, "Cuz I Love You," has placed Lizzo at the forefront of pop culture at this moment.

But too much focus on Lizzo as a body-positive warrior diminishes her talent as an artist.

Back in 2014 I wrote a first-person essay about my struggle with body image titled "A fat girl gets naked," which resulted in me being both hailed and roasted in comments online and on social media.

I remember one commenter, in particular, who complained that my words disrespected those who feel there is nothing wrong with their larger bodies. She suggested that I needed to seek therapy to determine what was really wrong with me, instead of blaming it on my weight.

Then there were the "compliments" from those who praised my willingness to go on television and be outgoing, "in spite" of my weight.

When Lizzo appeared on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" in May, they had an exchange that highlighted how curvacious women in the entertainment industry are seen by many as trailblazers.

Gross and Lizzo were discussing the cover of the singer's album in which she poses nude, and Gross noted that when she sees such imagery, "it sometimes bothers me 'cause I think like, oh, are you making yourself into a sex object for men?"

"When you're doing it on your album cover, I think it's a really bold statement, and it's a statement for women," Gross said. "Because you are trying to break the mold of what beautiful is."

Lizzo interrupted her, "Yeah, but are you only saying that because I'm fat?"

"Because I feel like if I were a thin woman, maybe that wouldn't be the case," Lizzo said. "I feel like women who are smaller aren't really given the opportunities to be body-positive or role models, because we've been conditioned to believe that women are using their bodies for the male gaze. And I think if I were slimmer, I don't think people would look to me with the same type of like, 'oh, wow; she's so brave; she's doing this and representing everyone' -- that they would. You know I'm saying? Because I'm big."

I slow clapped.

Don't get it twisted, Lizzo would still be a big star, even if she wasn't, well, a big star.

She's a beyond talented singer, rapper and songwriter. She may be the reason that you will likely see more little black girls picking up the flute to play. (Lizzo has been playing since she was 12 and it's a part of her live performances).

This is a woman who walked into this year's Met Gala in a floor length, feathery Marc Jacobs coat and later wore it while sashaying through the airport.

With her authenticity, confidence and candor, Lizzo would probably become famous if she was a cashier at the Dollar Store.

Instead, she is one of the few celebs whose weight, at times, attracts more attention than her artistry.

I thought about this in July when Mindy Kaling posted swimsuit photos of herself in a two piece.

"IDK who needs to hear this but...WEAR A BIKINI IF YOU WANT TO WEAR A BIKINI," Kaling wrote in the caption on her Instagram photo. "You don't have to be a size 0."

Suddenly the "Late Night" star was being praised for being daring and all I could focus on was -- spoiler alert -- Kaling is far from "fat."

Why are we still seemingly blown away by stars wearing what they want, regardless of their weight?

More people look like Lizzo and Kaling than Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hadid, so why do we still act as if they are leading some type of revolution?

Sure, Lizzo's body positivity has become part of her narrative, because it's part of who she is.

But she's talked as much about how her blackness and nerdiness has contributed to her feeling as "other" as her body size.

In an interview with fellow singer Sam Smith for V magazine, Lizzo said she has "felt excluded my entire life, from so many things."

"I have felt excluded from [my] blackness because I wasn't [culturally] well-read on certain things. I feel like, because of that, I never want anyone [else] to ever feel excluded," she said. "So my movement is for everyone. It's about inclusion. And if I am going to fight what I have been marginalized for, I am going to fight for all marginalized people."

By hailing Lizzo as a body trailblazer, we are giving more weight to who she represents than how she represents.

It's ok for us to love Lizzo for being a visibly larger woman dancing, singing and rapping on stage, as long as we recognize that it's her talent that got her there.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/31/entertainment/lizzo-plus-size-analysis/index.html

2019-07-31 12:36:00Z
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'The Bachelorette': Hannah Gives It Another Go With Runner-Up - Entertainment Tonight

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https://www.etonline.com/the-bachelorette-season-15-episode-13-finale-night-two-hannah-brown-live-updates-today-2019-07-30

2019-07-31 10:42:12Z
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'The Bachelorette': Hannah Gives It Another Go With Runner-Up - Entertainment Tonight

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https://www.etonline.com/the-bachelorette-season-15-episode-13-finale-night-two-hannah-brown-live-updates-today-2019-07-30

2019-07-31 09:40:08Z
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