Part one, “Lock Her Up,” features Miriam Nessler (Midler), a politically engaged widow who ends up in police custody. One look at the packed, mostly maskless crowd made that impossible. She’s a well-connected philanthropist chatting via FaceTime with a former prep school classmate, discussing a recent encounter with another former student, Ivanka. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Limited reopening of L.A. County elementary schools allowed if waivers are approved. © 2020 Condé Nast. “Everyone’s been in a room where they’re not sure of who’s accepting them, who knows what, and who they can trust. Ali is an award-winning journalist and Los Angeles native who has written in publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and GQ. You will be redirected back to your article in. “She became our guide into a world that can be very forbidden, very cruel, very intimidating,” Rudnick said. And many of us have coped with the horror of 2020 by venting to one another: Like-minded family and friends have kept this nation afloat, albeit divided, through the worst year since 2019, when we thought things couldn’t get any worse. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. HBO is gathering a starry cast together for a quarantine special about politics and the coronavirus pandemic. News of the special comes only three days after Rae wrapped season 4 of her popular comedy series “Insecure.” Midler meanwhile has had a couple of comedy specials air on the network, and Paulson appeared in the cabler’s classic Western “Deadwood,” as well as the 2012 Roach pic “Game Change.”, “Coastal Elites” is the latest in a growing collection of specials and one-off episodes produced under quarantine. By Richard Roeper Sep 10, 2020, 4:36pm CDT Here are the Los Angeles Times’ editorial board endorsements for president, California ballot measures and more. He’s based in L.A., of course, and is the subject of the second interview, “Supergay.” Like the production’s other segments, his words are prompted by troubling remarks delivered by members of the Trump administration. Dever, a rising star thanks to films like Booksmart and shows like Unbelievable, was top of mind for the role. It says more about Hollywood than him, The 51 best TV shows to binge while self-quarantining, according to TV experts, Moderator Chris Wallace on the wild presidential debate: ‘It was revealing’, Fire that killed 3 explodes as firefighters struggle with lack of resources, Coronavirus infections among school-age kids rose in September after classes resumed, Playgrounds can reopen in California with some COVID-19 restrictions. “That’s an extraordinary level of compassion,” Rudnick said of the COVID-19 first responders. The performer has just tried out for a role as the first major gay superhero in a Hollywood feature, an avenger “who fights racists, sexists and homophobes.” But the problem with Mark is that his dialogue dips into diatribe too often, diluting the first-person delivery. “We are thrilled to partner with them in telling this story, which is uniquely resonant for these times.”. Why they’re still as devoted as ever. 3 found dead in latest California wildfires as wine country remains under siege. She’s going to bed in a “rage” and waking up in a “panic attack.”. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. A furious meditation guru. Watch Bette Midler Rail Against Trump in HBO’s Coastal Elites Jay Roach and Paul Rudnick on their upcoming special presentation, which stars Bette Midler, Issa Rae… What’s on TV Thursday: ‘Let’s Be Real’ on Fox; MLB Playoffs, What’s on TV Thursday, Oct. 1: “Let’s Be Real” on Fox; MLB Playoffs; “CripTales” on BBC America, Column: Presidential debates worked a lot better when women called the shots. In her monologue, the Emmy-nominated Insecure creator reflects on her relationship with the elder Trump daughter and assesses her approach to seeing Ivanka again after her father accepts an invitation from Trump to visit the White House. Starring Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson and Kaitlyn Dever, and premiering Saturday on HBO, “Coastal Elites” opens with a self-description that demonstrates the … A nervous actor. How ‘standuperos’ sparked a ‘cultural revolution’ in Mexico’s comedy scene. Using platforms like Netflix, YouTube and Spotify, performers such as Franco Escamilla are taking Mexico’s thriving stand-up comedy scene global.

From the awards race to the box office, with everything in between: get the entertainment industry's must-read newsletter. Video: Trailer #2 For ‘The Glorias’ September 29, 2020. The L.A. Times’ endorsements in the November 2020 election. — Angela Davis and Ava DuVernay on Black Lives Matter— Celebrating 22 Activists and Visionaries on the Forefront of Change— Here’s Your First Look at The Haunting of Bly Manor— Ben Affleck Will Return as Batman in The Flash— Ta-Nehisi Coates Guest-Edits THE GREAT FIRE, a Special Issue— Behind the Scenes of the Shocking Twist in Below Deck— How Hollywood Shaped Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff’s Marriage— From the Archive: Young and Clueless. Naya Rivera’s ex, Ryan Dorsey, shoots down rumors linking him to her sister. Review: Democracy fails another stress test as Trump runs roughshod over debate. The presentation, which stars Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson, Dan Levy, and Kaitlyn Dever, was directed by Jay Roach and written by playwright Paul Rudnick and serves as their response to “the national nervous breakdown that everyone on every side of the political divide is experiencing,” Rudnick said in a recent interview. Rae’s character is, perhaps, the closest archetype resembling the cheeky title of the monologue series. The special hails from playwright and screenwriter Paul Rudnick, whose previous entertainment credits include “Addams Family Values” and the 1997 Kevin Kline film “In & Out,” and “Bombshell” director Jay Roach. Midler’s monologue, for example, is virtuosic, running for well over 20 minutes.
The young conservative is no coastal elite, but she gets to know the city through her work, meeting people at their most vulnerable. Paulson plays YouTube personality Clarissa Montgomery, who is live-streaming the 28th episode of her “Mindful Meditations” show. ‘What the hell was that?’: Late-night TV hosts go live after first debate, “Sitting through that debate felt like getting a COVID test in both nostrils at once,” Jimmy Fallon said Tuesday on “The Tonight Show.”, ‘The 100’ left fans outraged and in tears. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Your California Privacy Rights. She was formerly The Times’ music editor and before that, a senior writer and music critic with Newsweek magazine. Callie recalls her early impressions of Trump’s daughter: “At first I thought she was a floral arrangement … a floating princess.” Then, when she describes a recent visit to the White House with her own very rich father, she says the place felt “abandoned, like a bankrupt casino” and that Ivanka greeted her “with the perfect air hug.”, Essentially, Callie provides perspective on the Trump family obsession with media optics, which often end up highlighting their white privilege in the process: “[He says he’s] done more for Black people than any other person in history. And whether you’re a super-skeptic or a Marvel fanatic, its blistering cultural satire is for you. Commentary: Trump closes RNC with a potential super-spreader event: Of COVID-19, racism and fear. “Paul Rudnick and Jay Roach bring their razor-sharp perspective and wit to HBO,” said Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming. But the pandemic dashed that dream, reorienting the project as a filmed-at-home series of monologues. Review: Why you need to watch ‘The Boys,’ even if you loathe superheroes. She’s lived through plenty (Watergate, for example) and never felt disdain for the folks in the middle of the country. More than 30 years ago, the League of Women Voters quit sponsoring the presidential debates after campaigns hijacked the process. Each segment was of course shot separately due to the restrictions of the pandemic, and while that setup lends an authentic quality to some of the confessionals, it makes others feel forced by comparison. Key takeaways from the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden.

Bette Midler and Dan Levy among the stars delivering monologues in a heavy-handed HBO movie that means to satirize liberals while siding with them. To kick off our 2020 fall TV preview, the Times TV team selects the 15 shows we’ll be watching this fall — and that you should be watching too. Previously, she was a senior writer for the Calendar section where she covered culture at large, entertainment and American Muslim issues. And she’s, of course, insanely funny.”. © Copyright 2020 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. I know it doesn’t take much to get me going—and it doesn’t take much to get them going,” the director said. Fact-checking the first Trump-Biden presidential debate. “Five unhinged rants” is also floated, then deleted. Starring Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson and Kaitlyn Dever, and premiering Saturday on HBO, “Coastal Elites” opens with a self-description that demonstrates the unconventionality of our times — and this production. Mister D It’s hilarious and biting, and the hippie pacifist ends up lionizing John McCain. Each character sits alone in a room and speaks directly into the lens, addressing an invisible listener on the other end of the camera as they recount whatever Trumpian misdeed drove them to spill their guts. All rights reserved. Lorraine Ali is television critic of the Los Angeles Times. It’s an indictment of Trump through and through, one meant as a cathartic outlet for those who’ve run out of fresh ways to express their exasperation, fear and dismay in the darkest of times. What’s on TV Wednesday: ‘Assisted Living’; MLB; NBA finals, What’s on TV Wednesday, Sept. 30: The series finale of ‘The 100' on the CW; “Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living” on BET; MLB playoffs; NBA finals, Issa Rae in a scene from “Coastal Elites.”, Bette Midler in a scene from “Coastal Elites.”, Dan Levy in a scene from “Coastal Elites.”, Sarah Paulson in a scene from “Coastal Elites.”, Karl Urban has a Comic-Con legend’s career. Thousands of people are under evacuation orders as multiple fires burn unchecked in Napa, Sonoma and Shasta counties. (You can watch clips from each monologue, exclusively below.).
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They’re losing their minds and this awkward, uneven, funny and sometimes moving program from satirist and playwright Paul Rudnick and director Jay Roach (“Recount,” “Bombshell”) attempts to capture the progressive zeitgeist. Their stories seem unrelated to one another other until a great reveal at the end that ties the narrative together, but it takes some work getting there. A lack of scripted programming because of coronavirus restrictions cuts into the ratings of the first week of the prime-time television season. What does he want? It’s the show’s best piece of writing, and performance. “It was very stripped down to the essential elements: a great, great script, incredible actors, one camera,” Roach said. “It’s painful because I love my family, and yet I do have strong opinions and I’m very passionate.