Monthly Archives: September 2022

For the pop culturally attuned, worrying about the film Dont Worry Darling has become a weeks-long pastime, after a mess of a press tour that basically amounted to a whole TV seasons worth of water-cooler drama. The film, a psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and little-known pop singer Harry Styles, finally arrived in theaters this weekend. Judgment day was kind estimates have its debut weekend haul at $19.2m. Now that its out, we can do what the studio and director Olivia Wilde have encouraged us to do: judge the film by its own merits rather than real-world gossip (spoilers ahead).

The problem is, its impossible to separate the film from its off-screen drama. The PR around Dont Worry Darling and the film itself suffer from a similar issue: theres a clear discrepancy between what were told is happening and what we actually see. A difference between official narrative and actual material, and in the case of the film which Wilde has billed as a vehicle for female pleasure and a feminist thriller a stark gap between visual achievement and cheap, empty narrative.

On the PR side something was clearly off despite Wildes protestations that all the endless tabloid gossip around on-set strife and issues with Pugh amount to internet nonsense and sexist double standards (am I envious of my male colleagues in the way that they seem to be able to live their lives without as much judgment? Yeah, I think about it, she told Kelly Clarkson last week. Im like, That must be nice to be that guy. Everybodys just, like, applauding just every move he makes). Pugh, the lead star of a major release, skipped almost all promotional duties except the Venice film festival, where she did not acknowledge Wilde (there are a million TikToks/explainers dissecting the Venice premiere like the Zapruder film, if you want a refresher.) Vulture reported that the two had a screaming match in January 2021 that resulted in negotiations with Warner Bros executives to ensure Pugh would participate in any promotion at all. (A letter signed by 40 crew members disputed any allegations of unprofessional behavior on set and called reports of a vocal argument between Pugh and Wilde completely false.)

I could go on about the off-screen drama and the unusual press tour, and some of it (spitgate) is just noise. But a lot of it is the natural response to seeing something that does not align with the official narrative. The gap provokes interest, frustration. People will fill it with speculation that, yes, can be sexist and judgmental and extra, but also just curious.

Unfortunately, the discrepancy between what the film seems to be trying to do (or what Wilde says its doing) and what its actually doing has the opposite effect. The twist (spoilers, again) that Pughs Alice has been trapped in a 50s simulation because her internet-poisoned boyfriend, Styless Jack, wants her to himself all the time is shocking, in that its borderline offensive for a film Wilde has hyped for female pleasure to have said pleasure be nonconsensual, in the service of captivity. But it turns the brain off rather than on. Youd have to not think much to find it surprising, or to not poke holes in it immediately (What did the plane mean? Did no one have any sense of personal history? Why did Gemma Chans character turn on Chris Pines Frank?! Pugh is completely convincing throughout, but why did Alice, supposedly a smart character, confess her skepticism to Wildes Bunny and not Kiki Laynes Margaret?) And youd have to really not think to find it some sort of feminist statement.

The film takes some basic ideas that some men find womens employment a threat, crave submission and idolize a return to repressive 1950s gender norms and strings them together with little coherence or characterization. It borrows heavily from other, better movies the zeitgeist-y politics and sunken place pacification of Jordan Peeles Get Out, the simulations of The Truman Show and The Matrix. Many of its plot beats mirror The Stepford Wives (the 1975 original, a thriller with roots in dark satire) the sinister 50s housewife aesthetic, the spiky best friend, women asking what do you think they do up there? about their husbands, a forbidden mens club. Both protagonists beat their husbands, unmasked as their captors, over the head with a household item. The Stepford Wives also stretched misogyny to ludicrous ends the men, not nearly as likable or handsome as the DWD husbands, replace the women with robots but its twist at least held up to narrative scrutiny.

Wilde does deserve credit as a director. She wrangled together a team of superior craft lush cinematography from Matthew Libatique, vibrant costumes from Arianne Phillips, John Powells booming score that does more suspense work than any of Alices strange discoveries. As with the drug trip scene in her debut film, Booksmart, Wilde demonstrates a knack for conveying the destabilized brain Alices flashbacks/memory jolts/hallucinations, often involving Busby Berkeley-esque dance sequences, are visually compelling, even in service of complete obviousness.

But for all the tricks, Dont Worry Darling is basically devoid of suspense. Part of that is due to a press cycle in which Wilde has spoiled much of the movie. Shes compared it to The Truman Show, revealed before the release that Chris Pines character is based on Jordan Peterson, told Variety that she did a deep dive into disenfranchised world of white men on the internet via 4chan as research for the film, and lectured Maggie Gyllenhaal about incels. And part of that is that the film actually has nothing to say about feminism, or the internet, or society, other than misogyny is a helluva trip.

It reminds me of Promising Young Woman, another film hyped for its feminism and radical anger whose twist was doubling down on how bad some men can be; the film, which got a wide release in late 2020, followed a beautiful, white female protagonist, played by Carey Mulligan, singularly obsessed with revenge for sexual violence. Both films have visual panache and a female star whose performance exceeds the story; both felt anachronistic upon release, as if they were responding to the early days of the #MeToo movement in 2017, in which exposure of singularly, devastatingly bad men felt itself like revelation. Or, in the case of Dont Worry Darling, when concern about internet-bred incels (involuntary celibates) spiked after the 2018 Toronto van attack, in which a man radicalized online killed 10 people.

I wrote at the time how Promising Young Woman demonstrated the limits of #MeToo rage on-screen, how the films insistence on everyone reaching their worst potential felt dead-ending; theres little room to explore the slipperiness of complicity, the corrosive effects of trauma, in a bifurcated world of good and bad people. Dont Worry Darling feels like an even shallower, cheaper version of this. Men are bad, and? Misogyny runs deep, and? Theres a well-shot sequence of Jack going down on Alice, to what end? Its certainly not pleasure, given what we learn of Alices prison, nor is it in service of some greater idea.

In the end, I do root for Dont Worry Darling, as a non-IP film and a big swing by a female film-maker. Its fun to see on a big screen. But like the Victory Project, its also a ruse selling one thing, delivering something else.

Read more:

The empty feminism of Dont Worry Darling - The Guardian

Good Monday morning.

The Vogel Group and law firm Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak are expanding in Tallahassee with three new hires.

Chad Revis and Josh Pratt are joining the law firm Holtzman Vogel while Tori Deal is coming on as Director of Operations for both firms, further adding to the teams deep political and policy reach across the state.

The growth on our team is further evidence our firms are thriving. We are thrilled to welcome this remarkable group of young talent. Vogel Group principal Eileen Stuart said. They bring an impressive array of experiences and relationships throughout Florida, which we are already successfully leveraging on behalf of firm clients.

Pratt most recently served as Deputy General Counsel to Gov. Ron DeSantis, where he managed a wide-ranging portfolio including high-profile litigation, judicial appointments and legislative priorities. He also clerked for Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady and two federal judges.

Revis previously clerked for Chief Justice Carlos Muniz at the Florida Supreme Court and before that served on Attorney General Ashley Moodys executive staff, overseeing initiatives on human trafficking and opioids, as well as working as a legal intern at the Republican Party of Florida.

He and Pratt join as associate attorneys at Holtzman Vogel.

Deal joins the team after serving as an executive assistant and adviser to numerous Secretaries at the state Department of Environmental Protection. In this role, Deal advanced the Departments mission while building relationships with key stakeholders in the natural resources arena. Over the course of her 14 years at DEP, she collaborated directly with policymakers and staff across the entire Florida executive branch.

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TS Ian update Tropical Storm Ian intensified overnight into a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center, and forecasters expect the storm will be a major hurricane by the end of the day.

The hurricane center on Monday morning also placed Tampa Bay under a hurricane watch and a storm surge watch. Tampa Bay remained firmly in the storms forecast cone, though forecasters said there was still a great deal of uncertainty about Ians path.

As of 5 a.m. Monday, Hurricane Ian was 90 miles southwest of Grand Cayman and about 315 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba. Ian was moving northwest at about 14 mph and had sustained winds near 75 mph with higher gusts, the 5 a.m. update from the hurricane center said.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Tweet, tweet:

Tweet, tweet:

@DonLew87: On Matt Gaetz. First, Devlin Barrett writes WaPo story relying on unnamed sources. Next, @MuellerSheWrote expresses serious skepticism. Then, the same @DevlinBarrett retweets MSWs post! And, Joel Greenbergs lawyer says hes heard nothing to suggest Gaetz is off the hook.

@DavidGoodhue: Despite the Keys getting farther away from Ians forecasted center, Jonathan Rizzo at NWS Key West warns its likely to be a huge storm: This is not the forecast cone of a chihuahua charging to meet you when you get home from work. This is a charging bull.

DAYS UNTIL

Supervisors of Elections vote-by-mail mailing deadline for General Election 10; 22-23 NHL season begins 11; WPEC televised debate in Florida Governors race 16; deadline to register for General Election 18; Before You Vote TV debates (Senate) 22; NBA season tips off 22; Taylor Swifts Midnights release 25; Florida Chamber Annual Meeting & Future of Florida Forum 28; Cormac McCarthys The Passenger releases 29; Jon Meachams And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle releases 29; City & State Florida Digital Summit 31; Early voting begins for General Election 33; 2022 General Election 43; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres 46; Captain Marvel 2 premieres 46; FITCon 2022 begins 52; The Flash premieres 52; The World Cup kicks off in Qatar 56; The U.S. World Cup Soccer Team begins play 59; Florida TaxWatchs Annual Meeting begins 68; Willow premieres on Disney+ 68; McCarthys Stella Maris releases 71; Avatar 2 premieres 81; final Broadway performance of The Music Man with Hugh Jackman 97; Bruce Springsteen launches his 2023 tour in Tampa 128; Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania premieres 144; 2023 Legislative Session convenes 162; John Wick: Chapter 4 premieres 179; American Association of Political Consultants Pollies 23 conference begins 204; 2023 Session Sine Die 221; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premieres 221; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse premieres 249; Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer premieres 298; Blade reboot premieres 403; Dune: Part Two premieres 417; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part 2 premieres 550; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games 669; Thunderbolts premieres 669; Fantastic Four reboot premieres 774; Avengers: The Kang Dynasty premieres 952.

TOP STORY

Gov. Ron DeSantis urges Floridians to stay alert, prepare for Tropical Storm Ian via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics Forecasts now show the storm path for Tropical Storm Ian shifting west toward the Panhandle away from Southwest Florida. But DeSantis stressed a similar message as meteorologists: Essentially, no one knows for sure the eventual path of the storm. Its important to point out to folks that the path of this is still uncertain, DeSantis said at an 11:30 a.m. news conference on Sunday. The impacts will be broad throughout the state of Florida.

President Joe Bidens trip to Orlando area postponed due to Tropical Storm Ian via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel Bidens scheduled trip to the Orlando area on Tuesday to rally Democrats has been postponed due to the approach of Tropical Storm Ian. Biden had been set to appear at the Harold and Ted Alfond Sports Center at Rollins College in Winter Park, according to organizer Jose Nunez. The event would have also featured comedian Keegan-Michael Key. Charlie Crist, the partys gubernatorial candidate, was scheduled to appear alongside Biden, but not Val Demings, the partys U.S. Senate candidate.

NASA stands down from Tuesday launch for Artemis I, holding off rollback decision via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel With the approaching threat of what is forecast to be Hurricane Ian, NASA finally threw in the towel for a launch attempt Tuesday of its Artemis I mission to the moon from Kennedy Space Center. On Sunday, managers indicated they would wait longer before deciding on whether to roll back the massive 5.75 million-pound, 322-foot-tall combination of Space Launch System rocket, mobile launcher and Orion spacecraft to the safety of the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Leon County has sandbag sites open ahead of Ian via WFSU These sites will be staffed to help quickly fill sandbags. Sand, bags and ties will be available for public use. Residents are asked to take no more than 15 bags: Leon Countys Northeast Branch Library; Apalachee Regional Park; Fred George Park; the intersection of Oak Ridge Road at Ranchero Road. There are two additional self-service sites. Residents must bring their own shovels, and there is a 25-bag limit: Mike Blankenship Skate Park; Northwood Centre.

Even as storm Ian approaches, Cuba focuses on controversial referendum on gay marriage via Nora Gmez Torres of the Miami Herald Cuba, which is holding a high-stakes, islandwide referendum on gay marriage and other family rights on Sunday, has downplayed preparations as Tropical Storm Ian approaches, even as projections for the storm have it hitting the western tip of the island as a major Category 3 hurricane Monday night into Tuesday. On its morning advisory, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ian will intensify rapidly on Sunday and reach major hurricane strength by late Monday when it will reach the island. The center forecasts that western Cuba is at increased risk of facing significant wind and storm surge impacts.

DESANTIS V. CRIST

Donald Trump and DeSantis: Once allies, now in simmering rivalry with 2024 nearing via Hannah Knowles and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post The public contrasts and behind-the-scenes tensions reflect how formidable an emerging adversary the Florida Governor has become to Trump, even as the 45th President polls far ahead of the pack in a hypothetical Primary matchup.

At a recent gathering, DeSantis had with a few dozen donors in Arizona, everyone asked him about 2024, according to Don Tapia, a donor who attended and who served as an ambassador in the Trump administration. DeSantis, Tapia said, is building a base with the Trump people, but, right now the Republican base is Donald Trumps base.

The former President tracks DeSantiss public appearances and polling numbers, according to his advisers. He has also soured on DeSantis, repeatedly criticizing him and telling advisers: I made him.

Trump and his advisers widely expect DeSantis to take him on in 2024, multiple people in the former Presidents orbit said. Yet Trump has not been adversarial to the current Governor because he is favored to win a second term as a Republican in Florida, and advisers said they see little value in open animosity. Some Trump advisers said DeSantis has tapped into the conservative zeitgeist on cultural issues in a way that Trump did in 2016 but has struggled to do since leaving office. One Trump adviser said it is not in anyones interest for the two sides to be fighting right now.

Independents and suburban voters strongly prefer DeSantis over Biden, poll finds via Eric Daugherty of Floridas Voice According to favorability ratings in the latest The Economist/YouGov Poll, DeSantis net and total favorability ratings far exceed Bidens. Recent polls have given DeSantis a strong lead over Democrat Crist, but the latest national poll paints the Governor also with considerable strength nationwide. The poll which leans Democrat by a staggering 9 points gives DeSantis an overall net favorability rating of +8, 41% favorable to 33% unfavorable. Among Independents, his position is better, being +11, 38%-27%. Suburban voters like DeSantis even more, 45%-34%.

DeSantis re-election campaign focuses on voters in Florida Republican base via Arian Campo-Flores and Alex Leary of The Wall Street Journal In closely divided Florida, gubernatorial candidates usually tack toward the middle in the general election after courting their party bases in the Primary. Not Republican DeSantis. Last week, he sent two planes of migrants to Marthas Vineyard, infuriating immigrant-rights groups, triggering lawsuits and garnering praise from some Republicans and conservative media outlets. DeSantis recently campaigned for conservative GOP candidates in Kansas and Pennsylvania while asserting that Florida has gotten redder.

DeSantis is not stopping his migrant charters. And Biden world cant do a thing about it. via Oriana Pawlyk of POLITICO The company that GOP Gov. DeSantis used to send dozens of migrants to Marthas Vineyard operates charter flights under approvals granted by federal transportation regulators who have almost absolute power to regulate safety in the skies. But theres probably little the Federal Aviation Administration can do to stop DeSantis from continuing the flights, people familiar with the agencys legal authorities say even though Biden and other Democrats have condemned the flights as cruel publicity stunts.

Mysteries, legal challenges follow DeSantiss migrant flights via Beth Reinhard, Maria Sacchetti and Molly Hennessy-Fiske of The Washington Post While DeSantis has embraced his role in staging the flight, arguing that it protected Florida from negative ramifications of a border crossing surge, his office has been less clear about the purpose of nearly $1.6 million paid to a contractor, according to state records, and the role of state officials in developing the plan. Post interviews with several migrants paint a picture of a carefully orchestrated, taxpayer-funded operation with little apparent concern for the interests of the migrants caught in the middle. Florida officials began researching Texass migrant situation weeks before the flights, and a contractor with ties to the DeSantis administration later handled the efforts.

Do Americans love migrant flights or hate them? Neither. Its kind of a gray area. As Kaleigh Rogers and Zoha Qamar write for FiveThirtyEight, public opinion is split on the issue with about two-fifths approving and the same number disapproving. The split reflects a broader divide on immigration in general.

Charlie Crists running mate Karla Hernndez wants accountability for charter schools via Mark Harper of the Daytona Beach News-Journal About 50 Volusia Democrats crowded into their headquarters to meet one of the newest faces of the 2022 Florida election. Crists running mate, Hernndez is president of United Teachers of Dade since 2016 and a first-generation Miami native of Honduran descent. She gave dozens of hugs, posed for countless photos and told of her humble beginnings before launching into politics. I was raised in a very small house, much smaller than this one. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, she said.

Assignment editors Crist and U.S. Senate candidate Demings will take part in a rally hosted by the Faith in Florida Action Fund. Aramis Ayala, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General, also is expected to attend: 7 p.m., New Mount Olive Baptist Church, 400 N.W. Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

2022

Voters divided amid intense fight for control of Congress, poll finds via The Washington Post Heading into the final weeks of the midterm election campaign, Americans are split nationally in their vote for Congress, with Republicans holding sizable advantages on the economy, inflation and crime and Democrats far more trusted to handle the issues of abortion and climate change, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. With control of the House and Senate possibly shifting from Democrats to Republicans in November and the country deeply divided, 2 in 3 registered voters see this election as more important than past midterm campaigns.

Democrats in Florida seek to win over Latinos on gun control via Adriana Gomez Licon of The Associated Press Annette Taddeo walked to a podium overlooking Miamis Biscayne Bay and described to her audience how she had fled terrorism as a teenager in Colombia and now feared for the safety of her 16-year-old daughter at an American public school. A blue and bright orange bus behind the Democratic congressional candidate carried this message in Spanish: A future without violence. Latinos are here because of the American Dream, and it is really hard to do that when you are worried about your kids safety, said Taddeo, a state Senator who is challenging a Republican Congresswoman, Mara Elvira Salazar.

NRA updates grades, endorsements for 2022; DeSantis, Jimmy Patronis earn A+ via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics The National Rifle Association (NRA) has updated its grades and endorsements for Florida candidates this year. Notably, the organization has not endorsed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio for re-election and gave him a B grade. Demings, his Democratic challenger this year, earned an F grade, so those whose vote is guided by the report card may still favor the incumbent. DeSantis pulled off an A+ rating with the organization. Crist, DeSantis opponent, earned an F from the organization. Attorney General Moody earned an A and Chief Financial Officer Patronis garnered an A+, while respective Democratic challengers Ayala and Adam Hattersley both received failing grades.

Marco Rubio swings through Wakulla County Rubio held a campaign rally in Wakulla County with grassroots supporters. At the event, Rubio spoke to the crowd about what he has done for Florida in the U.S. Senate, and said it was important to elect Republicans up and down the ballot in November. I know, like you do, that we live in the greatest country in the history of the world. We also happen to live in the greatest state in the greatest country. And in America, we have this movement on the far Left that has overtaken one of our two major political parties. And if we dont beat these people, if we dont stop them, theyll destroy this country, Rubio said.

Demi Busatta Cabrera enjoys best round of fundraising by far this cycle for HD 114 defense via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics Republican Rep. Busatta Cabrera collected more than $103,000 between Aug. 1 and Sept. 9 her best round of fundraising by far to defend the seat representing House District 114 that she won handily two years ago. Her prior best round of fundraising this election cycle was last September when she amassed $67,000. A month and a half before the Nov. 8 election, the freshman Representative from Coral Gables held about $372,000 between her campaign account and political committee, People Above Politics, to fend off her comparatively underfunded challenger, Democratic lawyer Adam Benna.

STATEWIDE

Pete Antonacci, Florida elections security chief, dies of heart attack via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel Antonacci, a former deputy Attorney General for Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles whom seven Governors of both parties often called upon to fix serious problems in their administrations, died of a heart attack while at work. He was 74. Antonacci gave most of his long career to public service. His latest post was as director of the newly created Office of Elections Crimes and Security, which the Legislature created this year at the prompting of DeSantis.

Will DeSantis get deposed and questioned on the witness stand? via Sue Carlton of the Tampa Bay Times The upcoming federal court battle between suspended Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren and DeSantis, who removed him from office last month, could make for a legal and political spectacle: A sitting Governor running for re-election and also widely considered to be a 2024 presidential contender grilled on the witness stand. I wouldnt think his lawyers would be excited about the prospect of the Governor being put on the stand, put under oath and questioned about it, said Scott Tozian, a Tampa attorney who represents judges and lawyers in court and disciplinary matters.

Florida wildlife agency expected to shoot down commercialized turtle breeding proposal via Julia Coin of Fresh Take Florida Conservationists are split on a new proposal that would legalize captive, commercial breeding of one of Floridas flagship species. The states wildlife agency was expected to vote against the plan next week over concerns it would make diamondback turtles more attractive to poachers. The U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers of Florida wants the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to approve captive breeding to lessen the novelty associated with the species current population levels and better prepare for impending habitat loss due to climate change, spokesperson Daniel Parker said. The group represents pet stores and hobbyists. Floridas coastline houses five of diamondback terrapins seven subspecies.

D.C. MATTERS

Some Republicans feel uneasy about DeSantis migrant strategy via Alexander Bolton of The Hill Some Republican senators are privately expressing misgivings over DeSantis provocative decision to ship migrants from Texas to liberal enclaves such as Marthas Vineyard. GOP lawmakers acknowledge sending planeloads of migrants to Marthas Vineyard, where former President Barack Obama recently bought a house, plays well on Fox News, and will likely ingratiate the Florida Governor with Republican Primary voters if he runs for President in 2024. But the idea of shipping migrants thousands of miles across the country to Marthas Vineyard without any advance notice to local authorities, to make a political point, leaves some GOP lawmakers feeling uncomfortable.

Career prosecutors recommend no charges for Matt Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe via Devlin Barrett of The Washington Post Career prosecutors have recommended against charging Gaetz in a long-running sex-trafficking investigation telling Justice Department superiors that a conviction is unlikely in part because of credibility questions with the two central witnesses, according to people familiar with the matter. Senior department officials have not made a final decision on whether to charge Gaetz, but it is rare for such advice to be rejected, these people told The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the deliberations. They added that it is always possible additional evidence emerges that could alter prosecutors understanding of the case.

EPILOGUE TRUMP

How a Trump soundtrack became a QAnon phenomenon via Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer of The Washington Post A new QAnon song has left Trump advisers grappling with what to do. The melody was the soundtrack to a campaign-style video Trump released in August. But it wasnt until an Ohio rally last week Saturday when the tune closed Trumps nearly two-hour speech, inspiring the crowd to respond with raised arms and pointed index fingers, that it broke through as a phenomenon. Trump repeated the performance with the same music to close Fridays rally in Wilmington, North Carolina A few people in the crowd responded by pointing to the sky or raising their right hands, but it didnt catch on or last long. The music has been widely described as an anthem for QAnon and Trump, according to one adviser, will probably use the song again.

Jan. 6 Twitter witness: Failure to curb Trump spurred terrifying choice via Drew Harwell of The Washington Post An unidentified former Twitter employee testified to the House Jan. 6 committee back in July that the company tolerated false and rule-breaking tweets from Trump for years because executives knew their service was his favorite and most-used and enjoyed having that sort of power. The whistleblower, Anika Collier Navaroli, told The Washington Post in an exclusive interview of the terror she felt about coming forward and how eventually that fear was overcome by her worry that extremism and political disinformation on social media pose an imminent threat not just to American democracy, but to the societal fabric of our planet.

LOCAL: S. FL

Where are essential workers? South Beach employers cant retain them in housing crunch via Rebecca San Juan of the Miami Herald South Beach employers are struggling to run their businesses due to the inability to hire and retain enough essential workers. They blame the scarcity of talent on the citys skyrocketing apartment rents and lack of housing workers can afford. Many hospitality and service workers are skipping jobs in South Beach, according to the owners and manager of the luxury condominium Portofino Tower, The Gaythering bar and hotel and Joes Stone Crab seafood restaurant.

The push for COVID-19 boosters is on in South Florida but uptake is slow via Cindy Krischer Goodman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel The Fall season is approaching, COVID-19 cases are projected to tick up again, and the uptake for the new booster is strikingly slow. South Florida hospital leaders are concerned. So far, only about 37,000 of Floridas 20 million eligible residents have received the new bivalent booster shot designed to target the omicron subvariants that have dominated caseloads in Florida in 2022, according to a state health report. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention signed off on updated versions of Pfizers and Modernas booster shots on Sept. 1, and Florida pharmacies and doctors offices began administering them just after Labor Day.

Sara Baxter bets $20K on her PBC Commission bid via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics After one of the costliest Primary elections in Palm Beach County history with spending reaching over $1 million Republican Baxter is putting her money down in her bid to represent District 6 on the Commission. Baxter, a real estate agent, added and spent more money in the last month than she has any other month in this election cycle as she prepares to take on Democrat Michelle Oyola McGovern. McGovern spent hundreds of thousands defeating state Rep. Matt Willhite and Sylvia Sharps in the Democratic Primary contest to fill the open seat representing the agricultural swath of Palm Beach County. The General Election promises to be a more modest affair.

LOCAL: C. FL

Clearwater to host forums on bluff referendum as residents push for passage via Tracey McManus for the Tampa Bay Times Over the past 20 years, John Doran has watched most storefronts and streets stay empty in downtown Clearwater while nearby St. Petersburg, Dunedin and Safety Harbor turned their downtowns into success stories. People have blamed decisions by the city government, the location of downtown, and the 47-year presence of the Church of Scientology, with its expanding control of the commercial real estate. The debate has been endless. Regardless of how we got to where we are, the question is: Do we stay where we are, the status quo, forever, or do we try to make a difference? said Doran.

Hillsborough County Sheriff must pay $15M for death of Florida teen outside fair via The Associated Press A jury has ordered a Florida Sheriff to pay $15 million to the parents of a teenager who died while trying to cross a highway after being kicked out of the state fair by deputies. The 10-person jury reached its verdict Thursday evening in Tampa federal court in the case of Andrew Joseph III, a Black 14-year-old who was killed on Interstate 4 in 2014 after he was booted from the Florida State Fair following a disturbance involving several teenagers. The jury verdict culminates more than six years of court action. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, who could appeal the verdict, issued a statement Friday expressing sympathy for the Joseph family.

LOCAL: SW. FL

Who wins battle between The Players and The Bay over Municipal Auditorium? via Carrie Seidman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune When The Players Theatre asked the Sarasota City Commission to grant the 93-year-old nonprofit a long-term lease on the Municipal Auditorium to serve as the organizations new home, The Bay Conservancy objected and reminded Commissioners its contract with the city for redevelopment of the bay front included promised management control of the adjacent auditorium. The Commissioners sent the two parties to the bargaining table to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution and bid them to return to chambers next month. But those negotiations have resulted in a stalemate.

LOCAL: N. FL

Tallahassee City Commissioners will hold workshop to hash out gun violence spending via Christopher Cann of the Tallahassee Democrat Tallahassee City Commissioners unanimously voted to hold a public workshop on Oct. 12 to further examine ways to spend $1 million to curb gun violence in the capital city. In April, Commissioners pledged $5 million over a five-year period for evidence-based programs to prevent and interrupt gun violence. The workshop vote came after a presentation by city staff explored successful programs in other cities and surveyed Tallahassees current efforts to combat rising gun violence rates.

UF students say Kent Fuchs was welcoming president, express hopes for his successor via Gershon Harrell of The Gainesville Sun As Fuchs wraps up his final semester as University of Florida president, some students say they appreciate his work in the position but hope his successor will make changes. After seven years of serving as UFs president, Fuchs plans to leave his administrative role by the end of this year and become a professor within the College of Engineering. Some UF students will miss his eagerness to be involved in the student community. As a first-generation (student), I feel like he played a great role, said Megan Wright, a second-year student at UF.

TOP OPINION

As DeSantis roars onward, Christian soldiers! Democrats must get real about religion via the Miami Herald editorial board Is America a Christian nation? The United States is a secular nation with no official religion, so the answer is No. But to Republicans such as DeSantis, simplifying the answer to a Yes is a powerful tool. Theyve found a political gold mine in pitting Christians against the so-called evils of the left, gay and transgender people and teachers accused of pushing a woke agenda. DeSantis flirting with Christian nationalism the belief that America is in Gods plan and was intended to be a Christian nation as the Herald recently reported, is not new in GOP politics.

OPINIONS

The GOPs Commitment is to total political warfare via E.J. Dionne Jr. of The Washington Post While they were trumpeting their Commitment to America on Friday, House Republicans might have told Americans more than they intended about what a GOP majority would mean and the forces it would answer to. But they also gave Democrats some tips about whats coming their way. Some of the awkward revelations during an event at a factory outside Pittsburgh, including a vaccine skeptic who won loud cheers. Even Rep. Jim Jordan, a hero to the Trumpist far right, thought it wise to take a pass on that one, saying, Im not against the vaccines. Heres another thing the Republicans made clear: If they take the majority, they plan to use their power to harass the Biden administration with one hearing after another.

The ongoing baby formula shortage is a reminder of a disturbing truth in America via Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post Formula might once have been a necessity Americans could take for granted akin to a utility such as water or electricity. But peoples struggles this year to find a reliable supply are a reminder of a disturbing truth: In a breakdown as broad as the formula shortage has been, even when government and businesses step up to help, individual Americans end up fending for themselves and the babies in their care. Even when a systemic collapse captures public attention, it is individuals who are left to bear the consequences and to continue shouldering the load when the headlines, and the outrage, move on.

Enough negative attacks. These candidates really dont have horns via Gary Yordan of the Tallahassee Democrat I ran into Kristin Dozier the other day and she didnt have horns. I mean if you just listen to the campaign being designed to discredit her, I would have bet the farm that she had at least a couple of nubs. But no, she was the same Kristin I had known for years. Go figure. And I saw a picture of John Dailey at a high school football game. He looked pretty normal to me as well. No pitchforks or pointy ears. Amazing. The truth is that despite the extreme rhetoric; it is unfortunate on many levels.

From itching witches to anti-WOKE, Lake County exposes a lie via the Orlando Sentinel editorial board The year was 1991. Four of the Lake County School Boards five members were dumbfounded. Their newest colleague, Pat Hart, wanted to talk about sneezing witches, quacking fathers, and why some books should be banned from school libraries. We should not be making a witch appear nice to a child. There is no such thing as a nice witch, Hart said about the book When Itchy Witchy Sneezes. Harts rant came completely out of left (actually, right) field for the other School Board members, some of whom reacted with outrage. Banning books had not been a major flashpoint of controversy for public schools for decades.

INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY

ALOE

Florida State returns to AP Top 25 college football poll at No. 23 via Ralph Russo of The Associated Press Florida State is back in the rankings for the first time in four years. Georgia remained No. 1 and received 55 of 63 first-place votes in the Top 25, presented by Regions Bank. No. 2 Alabama (four first-place votes), No. 3 Ohio State (four first-place votes), No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Clemson all held their places. Florida States poll drought was remarkable considering how the Seminoles have been a Top 25 staple since the late 1970s. Florida States streak of 211 straight weeks ranked from 1989-2001 is the third longest streak in the history of the poll and its streak of 42 straight seasons appearing in at least one poll from 1977-2018 is fourth all-time. Before the current drought, Florida State had not gone consecutive seasons without being ranked in at least one poll since 1973-77, which was the late Bobby Bowdens first season as coach.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Best wishes to Brittany Davis Wise, Jessica Bakeman,Cynthia Henderson, Leslie Ingram, and Tanya Jackson.

___

Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.

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Sunburn The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics 9.26.22 - Florida Politics

Utah House candidate Republican Trevor Lee is behind a recently deleted Twitter account that elevated conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, attacked women and members of the LGBTQ community, made false statements about the coronavirus pandemic and frequently used the #DezNat hashtag in support of the conservative religious philosophy.

Lee, who defeated longtime Republican Steve Handy for the GOP nomination in Utah House District 16, operated the @ballinlee Twitter account that used the screen name Truth seeker. The account disappeared from the platform earlier this month, within hours of The Salt Lake Tribune contacting Lee about his association with it. Lee took the account private shortly after filing to run for office in March.

During an interview, Lee admitted he owned the account. So why did he take it offline?

The world we live in now. I can say something that I may not think is controversial, Lee said, but the world is changing to a point where it thinks it is.

Those comments included calling Republican Gov. Spencer Cox spineless for supporting transgender girls in athletics; using a derogatory term for transgender people after publicly apologizing for using it initially; and saying Brigham Young University was a progressive cesspool that needs to be cleansed.

GOP House leaders expressed shock when they were informed of Lees social media account, making it clear they were unaware.

Presenting one face publicly while posting demeaning comments behind a hidden Twitter account is disrespectful to the people and the electoral process, said Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville. I am deeply disappointed that a candidate for the Utah House of Representatives did not have this same commitment to transparency.

House Majority Leader Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, said Utah lawmakers, even aspiring ones, should not hide behind anonymous online personas.

These private, anonymous tweets in no way reflect the values of the House of Representatives or the majority caucus. We collectively shake our heads at these types of Pierre DeLecto-type Twitter accounts, meant to conceal a persons identity and convey statements or observations that the author would not want to openly stand by, Schultz said, referencing Sen. Mitt Romneys onetime anonymous Twitter account.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

Lees now-deleted Twitter account included a profile picture featuring an umbrella emblazoned with FamProc shielding a house that says The Family from a rainbow.

The imagery is common to DezNat, or the Deseret Nation movement, which is a group of self-appointed defenders of the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamProc is short for family proclamation, the 1995 proclamation from the church that defines marriage as between a man and a woman and advocates for traditional gender roles for men and women.

The 13-star Betsy Ross flag, representing the first colonies, was used as the background. Lee posted more than 16,000 times before the social media platform was wiped.

Lees account wasnt always so anonymous. According to posts saved on the Internet Archive, Lees Twitter screen name was simply Trevor as recently as January. Older archived posts show he used his own picture as an avatar.

According to the archived webpages and screenshots of posts provided to The Tribune, Lees account was littered with controversial, and often trolling, hate-filled posts including attacking the LGBTQ community.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

On May 25, 2021, Lee posted a meme featuring Ned Stark from Game of Thrones and more than a dozen corporate logos with rainbow colors, saying, Brace yourself, June is coming.

#lds #Deznat separate the wheat from the tares! Lee added.

In June, Lee replied to a post that claimed the message of Pride Month is satanic with, Gosh, this is amazing.

Doing things that are explicit, you know, people that are topless, that are running around in underwear and they have children there. Yeah, I think thats satanic. I think thats horrible, Lee said during an interview.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

In April, he highlighted a meme in support of Floridas controversial Dont Say Gay law, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation in a manner that is not age-appropriate.

Hate speech directed toward LGBTQ people exploded online after Florida passed the law, The Associated Press reported.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

Lee attacked Cox later that month when he responded to a suggestion that the Utah Jazz move to Las Vegas. Lee said, Yes, than (sic) our spineless governor can stop acting like he needs to let transsexuals destroy our girls in sports.

In another post, Lee wished the Utah governor had some balls to support a law like one passed by Texas lawmakers last year requiring public school athletes to compete against others of the same biological gender, even if they had a different gender identity.

Lee was referencing Coxs veto of a bill to block transgender athletes from participating in girls sports in Utah.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

After being criticized for using a slur to describe transgender people on a right-wing podcast earlier this year, Lee publicly apologized for using the slur on his Facebook page, vowing to remove it from his vocabulary.

However, Lee also responded with his anonymous Twitter account to a post about the story by saying, When did the word Tranny (sic) become a slur?

Using that particular slur was not a one-off for Lee. There are multiple examples of transphobic content.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

After a post complaining about a joke about trans people made during elders quorum a Sunday meeting for male Latter-day Saints Lee replied, Trans people need help. Lets never encourage what theyre doing.

Posts show Lee was a supporter of the DezNat movement, but he says he recently has distanced himself.

In 2021, he and several other DezNat enthusiasts got into a Twitter spat with the wife of a high school classmate about Julie Hanks, a prominent therapist who is a Latter-day Saint. Hanks has frequently drawn the ire of DezNat followers for her focus on emotional health and relationship skills.

That dispute did not stay online. According to text messages shared with The Tribune, Lee reached out to the womans husband to warn him that his wife was a fan of Hanks, who he said tells members to go against Gods words and leaders.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

After the man defended his wife, Lee extolled the virtues of DezNat, directing him to the Official DezNat User Guide. He offered to connect him with a man he referred to as JP meaning J.P. Bellum, who coined the #DezNat hashtag.

Theres a lot of misconceptions about the hashtag and how its used. I was saying if you want to learn, go read that article and the reasoning behind that, Lee said in a text. Lee added that he knows JP personally, but did not realize his involvement with DezNat until after he had gotten involved with the movement.

The Tribune will not share the name of the person who provided the text messages to prevent further harassment. Lee acknowledged the texts are real.

Because Im still in the church and willing to talk about hard things, Hanks told The Tribune, I have become a place where people with questions or criticisms of the church feel comfortable.

Back online, Lee was not shy about expressing his feelings toward Hanks. In response to a post that asserts Hanks teaches her followers to leave the church, Lee said, She will be held accountable.

Hanks said she has no agenda to lead anyone out of the church. People leave the church all the time, and they have legitimate reasons to leave. There are also legitimate reasons to stay. Thats not my business.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

While she has never been physically threatened by DezNat followers, Hanks says they have directed significant harassment her way.

Theyve spearheaded a letter-writing campaign to my church leaders. Ive been called a false prophet. Theyve made videos and memes of me being a money changer in the temple, Hanks said. Its just ridiculous how much time they spend tearing other people down in the name of Jesus Christ.

Lee says he has pulled away from the DezNat movement in recent months because it has strayed from its original focus.

Its just a hashtag, right? It was a way to connect with people who want to defend the LDS Church, Lee said. Its just been so contaminated by other people who dont defend the church anymore.

Lee has also used the hashtag in a post claiming that teachers should be paid less not more.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

In other replies, Lee argued teachers get amazing benefits, including having summers off, and said they are nearly impossible to fire.

When asked about that post, Lee said his opinion has shifted greatly in the past year.

I dont stand by that. I think teachers need to be paid more, he said. I think administrators get paid way too much.

On the topic of education, Lee complained that LDS Church-run Brigham Young University has drifted to the political left. He responded to a post warning about groups hoping to expose BYU professors for teaching divisive topics with BYU needs to be cleansed.

When the school apologized for a talk by Brad Wilcox, a high-level church leader, Lee replied, BYU is a progressive cesspool now.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

Lee told The Tribune that he was simply complaining that the school, which he did not attend, was drifting from the teachings of the church.

A lot of the professors who are indoctrinating the college students, and who dont go along with what the church espouses, I dont think they have a place at the university, Lee said. I just dont see why they would keep holding on to someone who was actively fighting against what they believe in the church.

A search through the Internet Archive of Lees now-defunct Twitter account showed posts aligned with outrage dominating the conservative zeitgeist at the moment, including election and coronavirus pandemic conspiracies.

There are posts hyping false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. He responded to a Tribune story about Sen. Mike Lees (no known relation to Trevor) efforts to assist Donald Trumps campaign to overturn the election results, and the Utah House candidate asserted there was rampant fraud in many states.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

He has also insulted prominent women for how they looked.

He retweeted a post that called Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan disgusting freaks. In another instance, he called first lady Jill Biden, who was wearing a black-spotted outfit, a dog.

(Screenshot via Twitter) A screenshot from Republican Trevor Lee's now-deleted Twitter account.

As the Republican nominee in the district, Lee is the odds-on favorite to take the House District 16 seat in Novembers election. His only significant opposition is a long-shot, write-in campaign from Steve Handy, whom Lee defeated at the Davis County GOP convention. Handy said Lees social media demonstrates he is out of Utahs political mainstream.

This extreme rhetoric simply does not align with the good people of Davis County and the people I represent in the Legislature, regardless of political party, Handy said in a statement about Lees Twitter account.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Layton Rep. Steve Handy, who lost his reelection bid to Trevor Lee at the Davis County Republican convention in March, Handy officially announced his campaign surrounded by a crowd of family and supporters in Layton, Aug. 30, 2022. .

Handy has received donations from several current legislators since launching his write-in effort. They include Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City; Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton; Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George; Sen. Gregg Buxton, R-Roy; Rep. Merrill Nelson, R-Grantsville; and Rep. Lowry Snow, R-Santa Clara.

Lee has received a handful of donations from lawmakers since winning the nomination, with only one from Sen. John Johnson, R-Ogden coming since Handys write-in announcement.

Schultz, the House GOP leader who criticized Lees online behavior, made a small campaign donation to Lee in May. Schultz says he had no inkling of the posts Lee made with the @ballinlee account when he donated. Lee also received a small donation from the Utah House Republican Election Committee PAC in August, which is afforded to all Republican House candidates once they become the party nominee.

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GOP candidate Trevor Lee ran a secret Twitter account that attacked LGBTQ people and Utah Gov. Cox. Now he's been rebuked by Republican leadership. -...

EspionageCoverage of the CBS drama BULL scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Photo:Barbara Nitke/CBS 2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

What do Netflixs Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, CWs Riverdale, the 2013 remake of Carrie, and Orion Pictures The Town That Dreaded Sundown all have in common? Besides being a little sinister, its Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Having written or produced all of these titles, its evident that Roberto has a special likeness for the horror genre and giving existing properties a dark makeover. His latest project, HBO Maxs Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, being a perfect example of this. With the constant horror references, the hooded A being recast as a true slasher villain and all the uneasy death scenes, the reboot is pure terror.

Highlighting that terror is the cinematography by Anka Malatynska. Its no surprise why Malatynska was brought onto the series after looking at some of her previous credits, Amazons I Know What You Did Last Summer and Hulus Monsterland. Its safe to say Malatynska has a unique approach to darkness. An approach that is never redundant and one that she keeps fresh through inventive lighting techniques and camera angles. While Malatynska enjoys working with darkness, she explains below that there are a lot of other worlds she would still like to work in. Next up for Malatynska, Steve Buscemis feature film, The Listener, starring Tessa Thompson. Read our full conversation with her below.

You can stream Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on HBO Max.

Anka Malatynska: I feel like what attracted me to the series was the storyline, the powerful female characters, and the way that they were being framed and portrayed. I think theres a lot of girl power in front of and behind the camera, including the directors, myself as the DP, and our entire team. I think it gives a very different spin from the female gaze of horror. And thats actually one of our episodes, the female gaze and turning the male gaze into the female gaze. And thats what attracted me to the series.

AM: Well, I took the show over after the pilot shooting block of the series and I started with episode three, so predominantly my research was really deeply delving into what they had already been doing on the show. Joe Collins, who was the pilot cinematographer, established a really beautiful dark look with Lisa Soper, that I know Roberto, our showrunner, really protected. So my main research into the series, beyond watching some of the original series, was really all about absorbing the visual style and the visual language that had already been established in the first two episodes.

AM: I dont know that they made us go back to watch movies. But for sure every time we referenced a horror movie in the series I would go out and watch it again, whether I had seen it or not. And we would actually, even intentionally build shots that are taken from those horror movies. It went as far as in the fifth episode, which is the female gaze episode, we recreated a sequence from the original Psycho. Kind of like in our inception of shooting it, we actually shot all the setups in the shower murder scene in Psycho. They werent all used in the final cut of the show, but we were very, very true to the genre and very true to doing our research as filmmakers. When anything was referenced, we were diving right into it and pulling inspiration

AM: Alien! And I know thats sci-fi, but its more like sci-fi horror, and we did have talks and had inspirations from the alien movies as well. And the other thing that I think would be really fun to incorporate into season two, is actually more of a Twin Peaks, David Lynch kind of vibe to our creeper character. Me and two of the directors that I worked with joked about it being kind of fun if our creeper did some wacky off-the-wall, things that are really like Twin Peaks creepy.

AM: In general, it was like a season-long discussion between myself, our production designer, and our directors of what it is that actually makes the creeper scary. And what I eventually landed on was the idea that the creeper is scarier when hes further away or when hes more obscured. I think hes scary in episode seven when we come up behind him at the Carnival of Souls and we dont see his face close up.

Then just embracing really steep, low angles. In episode four where Noah runs away from him, we used a 10-millimeter lens at 8K that didnt really bend, so it wasnt fish eye distorted, but it did make him look really scary in low mode on a steady cam backtracking with him at full speed. So, you know, lower, wider, further away, more obscured, silhouetted, all of those things are elements that make a character like the creeper scarier.

AM: I also love so many other genres and actually beyond these three projects, Ive really worked the gamut of genres from comedy to drama. But what draws me to horror and to science fiction is the darkness, the permission for more inventive visuals. I love anything fantasy, sci-fi, or horror because I feel like theres a much broader spectrum of what you can do visually and stylistically and build it into the storytelling seamlessly. Im attracted to powerful shots and interesting framing. Making darkness beautiful and not just dark is like a gold star in my cinematography badges and in my bag of tricks.

What Ive really worked on in many ways and in many films and projects has been how do you make darkness look sexy and attractive and have shape and what does it mean when the lights are off in a house thats in the middle of the countryside and its a whole new night versus what does it mean if the lights are all out in a graveyard thats foggy and dark and its a moonless night? Like how do you shoot that? How do you show characters without over-lighting?

And I really feel like in Pretty Little Liars, I hit a really beautiful stride with that. I had a great collaboration with our gaffer. We really worked at the very, very toe of the visual gamma curve and kept things really dark and had a lot of encouragement and permission to push the envelope. So thats whats attractivepushing the envelope, doing new things, making darkness beautiful, making the ugly impactful in an emotional way.

AM: I think there is a very big emphasis in the Original Sin series for HBO Max on how we utilized the visual language of horror. We went over at the beginning of this conversation, that were actively referencing so many art house 70s and 80s horror films, and were embracing that visual language and were pushing it into the show. So I think the show is much more highly stylized. I think it lives in a very unique visual world that has some definite rules.

I feel like the original series was a little bit more shot in the way of this is life as it is. Its just trying to evoke and replicate reality of that time period. Whereas really, we were building our own world of Millwood, Pennsylvania where everything is old, all the cars are old, everything is dark, the paint is chipping, the bathroom walls are dirty at the high school, the hallways are dark and under lit. And yet, our characters have cell phones and computers and for all intent and purposes, live in a modern world. Just that modern world is very vintage.

AM: Thats a tricky question. I think every jump scare is a little bit different. But I think what helps is building tension. What I love to use is really slow camera movement to build tension. But you can use the idea of no camera movement to build tension. And then, a lot of it plays on the reaction of the person. Like a classic jump scare is, if you have a steady cam approaching somebody from behind, it does give a really ominous feel. And then you have someones hand reach in and they turn around, and give the reaction of a jump scare. That slow-moving camera thats building tension, juxtaposed with a very strong reaction from the character will build a jump scare.

If there are great elements of contrast, that can also be helpful in a jump scare. Whether its contrast in lighting or in the camera angles, whether youre looking from a really high angle or really low angle. So I think jump scares are both about building tension. One, you can build tension through movement, or you can build tension through denying any kind of camera movement. But I think its about a strong decision either way. And then I think any kind of situations that we want to evoke a really strong emotional reaction in our viewers, the more contrast we have, or the more tension we have in our framing, which can be really unusual angles basically.

AM: I think its a powerful, modern story that is very on point in regards to some of the issues that young women are actively dealing with today in our country. And very specifically speaking to rape, being assaulted, to the repercussions of that, and how as a young woman you can deal with the repercussions of that. I think this is a subject matter that is right now currently in the zeitgeist. And without talking about whats happening in our country, were raising the question of, you know, what is an appropriate way of dealing with this? And then were pushing it into the horror genre which allows us to break the rules of reality and take things to extremes. I think this is why its really deeply resonating with people.

And at another level, I think we crafted the series incredibly well. We have such a strong, beautiful visual language stemming from the production design and the cinematography. And then we have these amazing characters, five beautiful young women. Were framing them in much more powerful ways. I think these storylines give them a lot of power. You know, Im just hearing left and right that people are loving it. And I think its the craftsmanship from the performances, to the writing, to the production design, to the cinematography, and all of that on top of a framework of a story that is very deeply embedded in the zeitgeist of what is going on for us in this country as women.

You can find out more about Anka Malatynska at https://www.ankavision.com/

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Peeling Back the Slasher-Inspired Look of HBO Maxs Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin with Cinematographer Anka Malatynska - Dread Central

XRP has been pumping on the back of hope for a positive result in the Ripple vs SEC case. Stockhead grabs some expert takes and predictions.

There was movement at the XRP station last week, for the word had passed around, both Ripple Labs and the SEC had gunned for an early ruling.

A ruling, that is, on their bitter Youre a Security No Were Not legal stoush the one thats been going on since 2020, the result of which could prove fateful for how most of the crypto industry is regulated in the States.

Both the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Ripple last week filed for a so-called summary judgment, essentially calling for a swift resolution on the grounds theres not a hope in hell the other party can win.

So what are Ripple Labs chances of winning this case and proving at long last that XRP should not be classified as a security with regards to the projects token sale back in 2012?

At face value, it might be reasonably good if general sentiment based on the rising XRP price just lately is anything to go by. The coin was back up above US 50 cents again a short time ago, having made a positive 36% move over the past week.

Incidentally, appearing in a recent Altcoin Daily YouTube video (see below), technical analyst Tom Crown walked viewers through his charting take on XRP. The too-long-didnt-watch on that? Hes looking at a support level around 22 cents if Ripple loses the case, and a bounce up to at least its 2021 high of $1.60.

That said, price action and charting alone cant quite give us all the insights were craving, so Stockhead rounded up a few expert opinions on the matter. Lets start with Finder co-founder Fred Schebesta

When you look at this case, its important to look at the zeitgeist with regards to what the SEC is doing. At the moment, Gensler [Gary the SEC chairman] is pretty fired up. He wants someone to pin something on, Schebesta told Stockhead in a phone chat last week.

Not feeling bullish about a Ripple Labs win, then?

I wouldnt be too bullish about that. In fact, Id be maybe the opposite. These sorts of court cases in America can be very political. Genslers SEC is trying to find someone to really stick it to so they can then go through the whole of crypto and pull them all under their securities laws.

Fighting the US government certainly seems like a tough battle. Ripples definitely the underdog, right?

Well yeah, the American government is a very well-resourced competitor! As Buffett said, if a policemen follows you long enough down a highway, theyll find something wrong.

Would an SEC win mean an XRP dump?

No. Not necessarily. In fact, if they do resolve it soon and XRP just has to pay a fine, I think the price may well actually pop up. And thats because well see regulatory clarity and Ripple will have been through the washing machine only to come out the other side standing.

Its a little counterintuitive, but when theres certainty, the price can go up. I actually think, regardless of who is deemed the winner, if they have a settlement, XRP will pump. So Im quite bullish on it in that regard. And thats obviously not financial advice!

Meanwhile Vincent Chok, CEO of First Digital a digital-assets-and-tech-focused financial institution also gave us his perspective.

If Ripple wins the case, the XRP price will most likely boost significantly and increase the price of other altcoins, at least in the short term, Chok told Stockhead.

The Hong Kong firms boss also believes a Ripple win will see the re-listing of XRP on US crypto exchanges, adding: Theres potential for a new dynamic in the market as XRP may become the only crypto asset with regulatory clarity in the jurisdiction.

Another benefit of a positive result, noted Chok, is that it could result in removing some of the current ambiguity around how crypto assets are classified.

There is also a possibility that the wider digital assets space will be safe from the SECs quest to make examples of crypto players, given the precedent-setting nature of this particular lawsuit, said Chok.

Thats all well and good and were stuffing it in the hopium pipe for now. Buuuutttt what if Ripple loses? Would that be curtains for XRP?

If Ripple suffers a loss, XRP will unlikely be erased as Ripple has no control over the majority of the stock. A high proportion of XRP holders are based abroad where the SEC has no jurisdiction, reassured Chok.

XRP would likely remain delisted in US exchanges but not in other jurisdictions as no other regulators have shown any intent of going after Ripple yet.At the moment its worth noting that all this is speculation until the court case concludes. It could go either way.

Another Finder-housed crypto commentator, Billy Endres also weighed in for us, noting the recent XRP price move.

XRPs positive price action shows that many investors are confident the charges will be dismissed, said Endres, adding:

If the ruling is favourable, XRP may be one of the first cryptos to break out of a multi-month range and it could potentially spark a bullish trend.

However, he was prepared to entertain an SEC win as well, and wasnt as positive about finding a sliver lining in that outcome.

If the SEC wins the lawsuit, investors faith will inevitably be questioned, and theres no saying how far XRP could fall.

The rest of the market seems largely unaffected by the news, though, and predominantly concerned with Ethereum and its negative price response post-Merge. Overall, I think its unlikely that a win for Ripple and XRP will act as a catalyst for a shift in broader market sentiment.

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If theres a settlement, XRP will pump: Finder founder and other experts speculate on ... - Stockhead

In the early 1990s, power ballads touted by bands with big, flammable hair were beginning to lose their currency and grunge hastened its demise.

But music wasnt the only thing undergoing a metamorphosis; the alternative comedy movement that bubbled underground during the 1980s finally reared its head; one-liners were out and the energised, socially-conscious style of Bill Hicks turned him into a cult figure. Shows like The Simpsons, Beavis And Butt-head, The Kids in the Hall and much of MTV appeared to delight in destroying the stereotypes of traditional sit-coms, sketch and chat shows. Its easy to look back with cynicism now, but those days felt like a brave new dawn.

Even the high gloss excess of Hollywood wasnt immune from the rise of alternative culture. Directors such as Kevin Smith (Clerks), Richard Linklater (Slacker, Dazed And Confused) thrived during the first half of the decade, shooting low budget yet eminently quotable movies that captured the zeitgeist.

Quentin Tarantino became the most talked-about director following the release of his self-penned 1992 debut Reservoir Dogs and its even more successful follow-up, Pulp Fiction, two years later.

Despite masterminding two classic films, it could be argued that Tarantinos definitive work was a script that he sold in order to help finance his debut film. Natural Born Killers later adapted and directed by Oliver Stone remains as relevant, shocking, unique and brutally hard to watch 28 years on.

Inspired by the likes of bank-robbing couple Bonnie and Clyde and the hyper-violence of Stanley Kubricks 1971 classic A Clockwork Orange, Tarantino wrote a script about Mickey and Mallory Knox, two lovers who embark on a killing spree across New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

After Tarantino failed to raise the $500,000 needed to produce the film himself, he sold his work for $10,000. The script, now the property of Warner Bros., found its way onto the desk of Platoon and JFK director Oliver Stone. Impressed with the premise of the movie, Stone saw Natural Born Killers as a straight-ahead action film, something, he said, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be proud of.

As Stone and his associates David Veloz and Richard Rutowski began rewrites of the script, they couldnt help but be affected by the endless images of chaos and violence broadcast on American television at the time: the footage of Rodney King being beaten by police which led to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, the O.J. Simpson murder trial (he was later acquitted), the FBIs televised handling of the Waco siege, and even the media surrounding Olympic figure skater Tonya Hardings attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan all helped to shape Stones vision for his adaptation of Tarantinos Natural Born Killers script.

Stone was both shocked and disgusted by the medias coverage of these events and believed that theyd both exploited and perverted the course of each incident in the pursuit of ratings. As such, the tone and purpose of the movie changed dramatically to what he claimed was a viscous, cold-hearted farce on the media.

Due to its preoccupation with the media machine, much of the movie leans on many of the tropes and stylistic similarities of popular culture. The bizarre, stylised tableaus and fast-paced energy of prime MTV was clearly a big influence, as were the brash, bold, multi-coloured, sensory overloads used in TV ads from that time. There were nods to violent B-movies,and he employed the use of shaky, hand-held cameras which informed the reality show TV show Cops and footage on the growing number of rolling news channels.

Yet the most shocking scene is where Juliette Lewis Mallory is seen at home with her father in a parody of 1950s style sit-coms, featuring a brilliantly grotesque turn by legendary US comedian Rodney Dangerfield. As Dangerfield abuses, insults and threatens Mallory, the use of a clap track and canned laughter horrifically juxtapose the violence onscreen. Its one of many tricks that Stone uses throughout the film to unnerve, confuse and shake his audience, with Natural Born Killers superbly prodding and antagonising the channel-hopping, detachedand emotionally desensitised audience he believed would watch his film.

Natural Born Killers casting is superb across the board. Woody Harrelson, then known as the naive barman Woody in Cheers, was utterly unrecognisable as Mickey and brought a previously unseen, unhinged menace to his character. Lewis was already seen as something of an enigma after her role in the 1991 remake of Cape Fear, but amplifies the unpredictable yet childlike danger present in Mallory. Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Sizemore and Tommy Lee Jones all appear to have entered a scenery-chewing competition in the best possible way during their memorable supporting roles.

As if the movie wasnt already dripping in 90s cred, Stone added a cherry on top when he asked Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor to produce the soundtrack to the film. Reznor watched the finished piece 50 times to get into the correct headspace and suggested a collage of previously released music would be the way forward, before curating a set that included the likes of L7, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Patti Smith, Lard and his own band.

It proved to be a masterstroke. The curated music underpins the demented nature of the film; one minute youre getting aurally battered by Lards Forkboy, then soothed by Patsy Clines Back in Baby's Arms. The film was already perfect for the frustrated 90s generation, but the soundtrack made that link undeniable. It jumped into the Billboard Top 20 and went on to sell half a million copies in the US alone.

Even with four minutes of cuts made to Stones original edit to secure an R rating in America, the film courted much controversy upon its release and was faced with protests by moral arbiters.

Reviews were mixed. The Washington Posts Hal Hinson said the movie doesnt make it as a social criticism and instead referred to it as bloody, pulpy, excess, while Janet Maslin of The New York Times criticised the film for being enamoured of their [Mickey and Mallory's] exhilarating freedom.

Tarantino himself disowned it, saying, I hated that fucking movie.

The film was banned outright in Ireland and released in the UK in February 1995 after a delay caused by so-called copycat killers in the US and France, the highest profile of which was the case of two teens who, the night after watching the movie alone, travelled between Mississippi and Louisiana, stopping to shoot two people, killing one and leaving the other paraplegic. Over a dozen crimes have been linked to the movie since.

Over the years, our access to such violence has been even easier to obtain, and so the criticisms that Natural Born Killers addressed almost three decades ago have become even more prophetic, as society's obsession with violence remains, now with added noise from social media.

Since its release, the movie has garnered a cult following more understanding of Stones intentions. It felt forward-thinking, groundbreaking and supremely dangerous, and three decades later, it carries the same impact. Regardless of when you first experienced it, Natural Born Killers remains one of cinemas most enduring and visceral pieces.

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Natural Born Killers: the soundtrack that changed the 90s - Louder