Newsletter Tuesday, October 11, 2016

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Tuesday, October 11, 2016 [Intro for October 11, 2016] [Ava DuVernay] Dear Gossips, “It’s just words.” Is it ever “just” words? What can be achieved by words? What is the damage that can be done by “just” words? I read an interview the other day, before “it’s just words” became an excuse, at [The Atlantic] with director Ava DuVernay. Her new documentary 13th premiered on Netflix last week. It explores the connection between slavery and mass incarceration but, as the writer, Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, observers, “it’s also a gorgeous, evocative, and maddening exploration of words: of their power, their roots, their permanence. It’s about those who wield those words and those made to kneel by them.” During the discussion, Ava and Juleyka talk about how ideas are labelled, who gets to label them, and how the act of labelling becomes control, because those labels are often used in service of oppression and inequality. Words on a piece of paper can become an instrument of institutionalised subjugation. Words in a locker room can become weapons in the bedroom. [Click here] to read more of the conversation between Ava DuVernay and Juleyka Lantigua-Williams. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 1:49 PM [Smutty Tingles] Damage control: always an excellent reason to get married ([Dlisted]) Julia Roberts, soccer mom ([Just Jared]) Kate Winslet’s marriage rumours ([Cele|bitchy]) Gavin Rossdale makes it sound like people keep wanting to know why. WE ALL KNOW WHY. ([TooFab]) Princess Kate, the politician? ([Celeb Dirty Laundry]) Justin Timberlake talks about being humbled. Umm…WHEN?! ([Pop Sugar]) Gal Gadot in a lot of sequins ([Popoholic]) I used to love this song… ([Hollywood Tuna]) I hate this dress on Nicole Kidman but I would probably love it on Cate Blanchett ([Go Fug Yourself]) [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:01 PM [Smutty Social Media, October 11, 2016] Sarah Michelle Gellar wishes Michelle Trachtenberg a Happy Birthday, but what interested me here is her take on makeup, because I agree with it. As I get older, I wear less and less. [#happybirthday @michelletrachtenberg It's obvious to all of us, that you have found the "key" to not aging (lol see what I did there??) Btw why did we wear so much more makeup when we were younger?? Just asking.] A photo posted by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Oct 11, 2016 at 7:18am PDT Ally Sheedy is trying to use some nostalgic goodwill to get the receipts. Redo cause so! Pls Mark/ our kids were playmates 20 yrs ago with Diane/ do the right thing [@MarkBurnettTV] [#releasethetapes] — ally sheedy (@allysheedy1) [October 10, 2016] If Amy Adams wasn’t so low-key, my smutty senses would be tingling about Jeremy Renner’s posts about her. But I said IF. [U.K. Premiere #bfi #ampas #arrivalmovie thx for the love London #amyadams] A photo posted by Jeremy Renner (@renner4real) on Oct 11, 2016 at 8:17am PDT What does this mean Ed, that you watched Narcos? Are you in South America? Do you think you look like someone on Narcos? Or is it just the moustache? [#Narco] A photo posted by Ed Westwick (@edwestwick) on Oct 11, 2016 at 2:07am PDT Halle Berry gets stood up by Kevin Hart. [I guess stand up comedian means you get stood up by a comedian? Just waiting on Kevin. Which begs the question... #WHATNOWKEVIN!?!? 😑🕞] A photo posted by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on Oct 9, 2016 at 5:57pm PDT This reminds me I need to catch up on The Mindy Project. [Meet Ben Miller on #TheMindyProject streaming now on @hulu] A photo posted by Bryan Greenberg (@bryangreenberg) on Oct 11, 2016 at 8:58am PDT Lainey’s obsession, going strong. [Sunday Morning ❤️] A photo posted by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (@aarontaylorjohnson) on Oct 9, 2016 at 8:05am PDT Jaden Smith posts these white boxes a lot. I’m sure it has some deep philosophical meaning that my shallow mind can’t grasp. Like modern art. [A photo posted by Jaden Smith (@christiaingrey)] on Oct 8, 2016 at 3:08pm PDT Gigi on tour. I know models do personal appearances all the time, but has a model ever attracted a crowd like a pop star or a movie star – at an airport or hanging outside their hotel? Maybe Kendall? I don’t know. [Love. Thank you Dubai! ❤️ @tommyxgigi #togethertour] A photo posted by Gigi Hadid (@gigihadid) on Oct 11, 2016 at 5:31am PDT Hey look it’s Tom Cruise. I love how he perches on the end of the chair so his feet touch the ground. Classic short person move. (I would know.) [My team #tomcruise #sophiaboutella @sofisia7 a terrible picture but whatever!! I love these guys #themummy clan reunion.] A photo posted by @annabellewallis on Oct 5, 2016 at 10:15am PDT [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:35 PM [The love cycle of Rihanna & Drake] [Rihanna in Barbados with family and friends, October 9, 2016] After [Drake] put up an “I LOVE RIHANNA” sign on his face at the VMAs, they were together for a few weeks before she had to get back to work. She was in Paris to show her Fenty X Puma collection. Then she went to New York to take care of a few photo shoots. This weekend she was back home in Barbados for a family christening. And he’s been seen with model India Love. [E! reports] that due to conflicting schedules, [Rihanna] and Drake have hit pause again on whatever it is that’s between them, even though they’ve marked their bodies with matching sharks. According to [PEOPLE], Rihanna and Drake are not broken up but they actually have an open relationship. Sure. But then there’s this: [#🏆] A photo posted by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Oct 8, 2016 at 7:29pm PDT I mean, it could be directed at anyone, and most probably Chris Brown. But it’s curious timing too. Because at the time of the post, nobody was talking about her and Chris. We were speculating about her and Drake. So, for now then, Drake’s first love remains Toronto. He spent Canadian Thanksgiving in Canada celebrating the Toronto Blue Jays and Marcus Stroman. Some are saying India Love was with him [@mstrooo6 thank you brother! #OurMoment #BlueJays #Sweep] A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Oct 9, 2016 at 10:58pm PDT [I am more than what you bargained for and nothin' less than real. @champagnepapi] A photo posted by Marcus Stroman (@mstrooo6) on Oct 10, 2016 at 3:39pm PDT And yesterday he was nominated for a record 13 American Music Awards. Rihanna was nominated a few times too. And both of them have a relatively clear schedules from now until then. You think we’ll get another installment of this before the year is out? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:15 PM [Kathleen & Duana watch Insecure] [Issa Rae attends the Oakland Premiere Of 'Insecure' From HBO on October 7, 2016 in Oakland, California] Kathleen and I have been talking about Insecure and [Issa Rae] since way before it had a name. We were both fans of Awkward Black Girl and despaired at the [false starts] of getting this woman on our TV screens. So anticipation was high, and like nerds, we pressed play at the same time: The show isn’t called Awkward Black Girl but has lots of its DNA. Issa’s great, and the relationship with her best friend is even better. It’s authentic right off the top, and, crucially, the show doesn’t feel like it has to rush the scenes to get to the funny parts. There are many, both in wordplay and in situation, and you get the feeling that this is what’s between these women, in their fictional friendship—that they make each other laugh. Kathleen and I were also trying to make each other laugh, so much so that our repartee is overlapping without waiting for the other person to chime back in: However, there was a story point somewhere around the 10 minute mark that uh...made us differ in opinion. The show makes a big deal about the fact that Issa is 29 – in fact (spoiler, but don’t worry about it) the show takes place on her 29th birthday. Neither of us missed this…it just didn’t mean the same thing to us both. Like all cable comedies, or cable ‘half-hours’ as we’re saying now, there’s room for people to have serious revelations from time to time. It sets up a lot of the upcoming season, but it’s definitely not straight-up hilarity: Which means that at the end, a surprise open mic performance leads to a friend betrayal which leads to many different recriminations in many different car stops – which is a very ‘LA being LA’ thing (and not just on this show, this was evident all through Judd Apatow’s Love as well) – cars aren’t just transport, they’re venues for intense conversations. We talk about ‘highly anticipated pilots’ but this one was different than that…it was almost more lengthily anticipated than anything. As such, it was subject to a lot of our imaginings, but it left us mostly satisfied… It wasn’t perfect, obviously. Seeing both women’s workplaces was really refreshing, but the men in the show felt boring and unmemorable. Given that they’re meant to be disposable, that’s okay with me – and lord knows we’ve seen female characters who are equally as one-note – but I’d like to see Issa and Molly’s larger world sometime soon. I also thought, with the amount of development that we’d heard was happening, that the show might be a little unusual, concept-wise. But Kathleen pointed out that seeing people who look like Issa and Molly in a ‘traditional’ narrative is exactly the point—it doesn’t need any unusual tricks or modifications. For my money, it doesn’t need the voiceover at the top either – Issa’s ‘mirror face’ is effective enough at letting us know what she’s thinking. In the end, this is one of those shows that has the room and, in my buzzword this month, the specificity, to be really great, and the story about millennial women that we haven’t yet seen on HBO. To wit: Attached - Issa at the Oakland premiere of Insecure last week. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:42 PM ["Matt and Ben" and John and Emily: Inside the Good Will Hunting live read and what it could mean for Manchester by the Sea] [Ben Affleck, John Krasinski and Matt Damon attend the Film Independent NYC 'Live Read' at NYU Skirball Center on October 7, 2016 in New York City] [John Krasinski] had a "viral moment" last week on Good Morning America when, as he was talking about his upcoming Good Will Hunting live read, [Ben Affleck] surprised him with a [leering grin and wave]. So, imagine the audience's surprise when the real Ben and [Matt] took to the stage at NYU a few nights later to reprise their on-screen roles in Friday's one-night-only performance. The audience lost its mind. I did too. "I gotta go see about a girl." An AMAZING surprise from [@BenAffleck] & [#MattDamon] at [#LiveReadNY] of Good Will Hunting. Thanks [@johnkrasinski]! [pic.twitter.com/0s2zeraoUS] — Joanna Adams (@nowstarringTO) [October 8, 2016] This is what the [@BenAffleck] surprise sounded like at the Good Will Hunting [#LiveReadNY]... minutes after [#MattDamon] did the same thing. [pic.twitter.com/vL0HALckV9] — Joanna Adams (@nowstarringTO) [October 8, 2016] Matt and Ben joined the previously-announced John Krasinski (Narrator/Director) and [Emily Blunt] (as Minnie Driver's "Skylar") on-stage, in addition to other stars like Margo Martindale (in the role that won Robin Williams an Oscar), Keegan-Michael Key, Hamilton's Daveed Diggs, Spotlight director Tom McCarthy and the film's producer and champion, Harvey Weinstein. Harvey came out on stage a bit later than the others in an extended cameo, and remarked the "[live read/movie] is so good, I'd re-buy it again." It was a really fun night. Nearly the entire cast (including Matt, Ben, Emily and John) had a bottle of beer and a bottle of water under their chairs during the live read, and would take swigs of both. Matt and Ben made wisecracks with each other throughout the two-and-a-half hour show, pointing out how they left certain notes in the shooting script to make each other laugh. They called each other out for typos, and laughed at their own jokes which are now over 20 years old. Ben was quick to point out that an Al Cowlings reference was incredibly "90s" and Matt fact-checked a Boston Red Sox stat which Margo read out verbatim in spite of an anachronistic typo. Their kinship and brotherhood was proudly on display. Mindy Kaling, who wrote a play about Matt and Ben's bromance, would have likely lost her mind if she was [in the audience too]. If nothing else, the night proved that the Boston boys will be boys, and that nobody loved it more than John. He admitted before the live read started that he will likely shed a few tears during the performance due to what the movie meant to him as a Boston teen, and it looked like he did. When Matt closed the "how do you like THEM apples?" scene, John jumped out of his chair... not unlike Tom Cruise proclaiming his love for Katie Holmes on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The emotion was there too. Both John and Emily appeared visibly choked up when Margo was delivering some of the movie's most powerful moments from therapist Sean Maguire. But the biggest surprise? John really leans in to his "Jim from The Office” character, and acts just like him in real life... or at least in public life. When introducing his wife Emily, who just that day saw her film The Girl on the Train hit theatres, he mentioned he was such a big fan of hers that he just had to marry her. Then, every time she had a sex(y) scene or flirtation with Matt in the script, John would annotate his narration with lines like "they do NOT kiss." And when he described a post-coital moment between "Skylar" and "Will", he adds, "You better not have liked it." So, naturally, Emily made fun of him, and said "Ohhh, it was sooooo good." John got the last laugh, though. "REALLY?! You're taking Jason Bourne over Jim from The Office? Ooooh. I love you Matt Damon." This charm offensive won everybody over, especially because the cast appeared to be having the time of their lives. If nothing else, it provided a glimpse into what kind of fun Matt has with Emily and John, and was a showcase for the strong roots between Ben and Matt. Matt and John are about a month away from appearing in public together again. Their film Manchester by the Sea —which I saw at TIFF and loved, [as did Sarah] — hits theatres in November. While the intense, brooding family drama may look hard to sell, it's full of the same brevity and funny moments as Good Will Hunting, and perhaps the live read also served as a tease for how they're planning to promote their passion project, [which they produced]. Be honest - aside from the buzz about Casey Affleck's career-best performance in Manchester or Michelle Williams' heartbreaking on-screen confrontation, wouldn't you be more likely to check out the film sooner rather than later if you knew it was a spiritual cousin to Good Will Hunting? In July, I wrote about how Matt is including Casey as a part of his ["Matt and Ben" narrative]. But what if it's really "Matt and Ben and Casey and John"? "I gotta go see about a girl." An AMAZING surprise from [@BenAffleck] & [#MattDamon] at [#LiveReadNY] of Good Will Hunting. Thanks [@johnkrasinski]! [pic.twitter.com/0s2zeraoUS] — Joanna Adams (@nowstarringTO) [October 8, 2016] Lainey PS. But if momentum for Manchester keeps growing, keep an eye out for the Casey Affleck backlash related to [sexual harassment allegations]. When will people start talking about Casey Affleck? Will people start talking about Casey Affleck? And what does it mean if no one starts talking about Casey Affleck? [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:08 PM [Formation ends in love and Serena] [Beyonce and Serena Williams perform on stage during closing night of 'The Formation World Tour' at MetLife Stadium on October 7, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey] [Beyoncé]’s Formation tour ended on Friday in New Jersey. On Thursday, [I wrote] that if you had tickets I hate you and I’m jealous. Because on her final night, she performed 6 Inch for the first time …. [#Beyonce performed #6Inch last night while hanging upside down #FORMATIONWorldTour #NewJersey 👑] A video posted by Beyoncé (@beylite) on Oct 8, 2016 at 9:57am PDT Brought out [Serena Williams] for Sorry… [#SerenaWilliams joined #Beyonce on stage tonight! #FORMATIONWorldTour] A video posted by Beyoncé (@beylite) on Oct 7, 2016 at 7:14pm PDT I LOVE this shot of them face to face: [#Beyonce X Serena Williams #FORMATIONWorldTour #NewJersey] A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beylite) on Oct 8, 2016 at 5:20pm PDT Oh and then she asked her fans to “give it up for my man”. [Jay Z joined #Beyonce on stage tonight #FORMATIONWorldTour] A video posted by Beyoncé (@beylite) on Oct 7, 2016 at 8:19pm PDT Here they are together, the Carters, backstage: [#Beyonce x Jay Z - backstage #FORMATIONWorldTour #NewJersey #BeyHiveBoys] A photo posted by Beyoncé (@beylite) on Oct 9, 2016 at 7:41pm PDT And so concludes another Beyoncé tour. And now we wait to see if Beyoncé will attend the American Music Awards on November 20th where she’s just been [nominated four times]. December 6th is the next big date. That’s when the Recording Academy announces the Grammy nominations where Beyoncé and Adele are expected to dominate. The Grammys are happening on February 12, 2017, almost exactly a year after Beyoncé dropped Formation, the single and the video, a clean and tidy way to round out the cycle before she keeps us waiting for what’s next. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:34 PM [Factual Evidence to support Crucible Cast Party] [SNL's Crucible Cast Party] (I don’t remember the Sprite. What am I forgetting?) The most recent episode of SNL was always going to be a stacked deck for musical theatre, song-and-Broadway nerds. Elsewhere you can see host [Lin-Manuel Miranda] do his ‘I hope I nail SNL hosting’ rap to the tune of My Shot, and be introduced to a whole new audience, since I imagine it will be played on cable news networks as in ‘Oh isn’t this just so disrespectful?’ You know what part. But the highlight of the episode is a little documentary piece known as Crucible Cast Party. Please do not flinch from the realness: Originally I planned to list each and every truth and the corresponding cast parties I attended, at which it occurred, like this: Wanna bone but I don’t know how/ So I’m gonna steal his hat from him and just sort of walk around – West Side Story Sexy teen in old-age makeup – The Dining Room 10 PM Massage Train – Actually much more likely on an overnight choir trip Then I call my mom & Dad, and tell ‘em everything/ Cause if we don’t have our parents’ trust, we don’t have anything –TWO people did this at the Fiddler on The Roof party The parents all come to see me/ I was the Phantom in Phantom/ And I was Sweeney in Sweeney -- Guys & Dolls, Fiddler On The Roof, OMG what are we going to do when he graduates, there’s nobody who can, like, carry a show like that, this is why we can’t do ‘Joseph’. If You Sex Me Right Tonight I’ll Tell You What the Spring Show Is – Hahahahah this is where I started crying I was laughing so hard. Obviously it is completely factual and followed me around for all of my high school years. I also laughed at the show shirts, although we had show sweatshirts because we were incredibly cool, and because we got to wear them all through show week – yes, we did five or six performances. We were basically Off-Broadway. (No we weren’t.) Two quibbles and one actual quib. Or something. - Not the right colour tan for Cecily’s character shoes. In fact, they look altogether too stylish to be character shoes. - Yes, all theatre kids love to sing – but technically that brand of nerdery is left for musical wrap parties. A stage play like The Crucible would have the music nerds turned down by 20% The only thing that was weird to me was not having Sasheer in the video. Sure, maybe she was away or sick that day but it felt noticeable and weird, since these videos tend to have all the ‘girls’ in them. I wish she’d had a verse – maybe she’s the harassed wardrobe manager who doesn’t make it to the party until all the costumes are accounted for? Otherwise, this is completely factual. Shout out to those of you who can’t quite throw away the show recordings currently moldering in your parent’s basement. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:08 PM [Gwyneth at the market] [Gwyneth Paltrow covers Harper's Bazaar] [Gwyneth Paltrow] covers the new issue of [Harper’s Bazaar]. But this shot on the cover? It has nothing to do with the photos in the magazine. In the magazine she’s at the supermarket, shopping in several different black outfits and bodysuits. She looks amazing. She looks ridiculous. I particularly like this shot, of her at the checkout, surrounded by all her past covers – and some Cliff bars – with a couple of senior citizens gaping in dismay: What might surprise you about this cover feature is that the interviewer is [Samantha Bee]. Samantha Bee does not hang out with the Hollywood Moms, Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Meyer, etc. Samantha Bee is not a Hollywood ass-kisser. So… I feel like we have to believe here that Samantha Bee wasn’t forced to do this. And if she was doing it satirically, it certainly doesn’t read that way. Is it ruining your week to think that Samantha Bee might like Gwyneth Paltrow? There’s nothing new in the discussion. G is promoting goop Label, the new clothing line. She talks about how she deals with criticism, the time her dad called her an “asshole”, and turning 40 as the cut-off age for asshole behaviour. Back to Sam Bee though, maybe she only agreed to participate so that she could ask one very, very important question: What is [Beyoncé] really like? God I can just imagine G rolling around in a bed full of smug right about this entire interview. Not only because Samantha Bee is the one sort of endorsing her but that in the process she’s also reminding us all that G is one of the few people who KNOWS Beyoncé. Here then is what G has to say about B: GP: If you met her and you didn't know who she was or what she did, it would be inconceivable to you that she was Beyoncé. Some really famous people, even when they're off-duty, have this energy that is sort of overpowering. She does not have that. She is so dialed down. She's the sweetest mother. She's very shy. You would not believe she is Beyoncé Knowles. You would be like, "No, that was not her." And that's why when I see her perform, I'm like, "Oh, shit, I forgot." SB: Like, "I forgot you did this stuff!" I just thought you were the lady who made grilled cheese!" GP: She doesn't make grilled cheese. Definitely not. I make the grilled cheese. This made me laugh. Like there’s a limit to Beyoncé’s “down-to-earthness”. In private she’s shy, she puts the YONCE on pause. But f-ck no, we draw the line at making her own goddamn grilled cheese sandwiches. [Click here] to read the full interview between Gwyneth and Samantha Bee for Harper’s Bazaar and to see more photos. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:36 PM [Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation] [Nate Parker attends The Build Series to discuss the movie 'The Birth Of A Nation' at AOL HQ on October 5, 2016 in New York City] At this point there is no separating art from artist in the case of [Nate Parker] and The Birth of a Nation, his debut feature film as a writer and director. He also stars in the movie and produced it, so this is unquestionably his movie. The Birth of a Nation is neither the stunning achievement its hype train promises, nor is it the worst first-time feature from an actor that I’ve ever seen. But its mixed-bag reality casts some aspersion on its triumphant Sundance premiere back in January. At the time, [I doubted] that its success at the festival was because of #OscarsSoWhite, but now, having seen it, I do think that was a factor. Like me, a lot of people wanted this to be an answer to the Oscars’ ongoing diversity problem, and Sundance happened at the height of #OscarsSoWhite2016. Birth isn’t terrible, so it got lauded because it was an obvious antidote. But really it’s just an okay movie with some problems and some meaningful parts, and it trends toward the sort of self-indulgent direction you often get with actor/directors. Parker stars as Nat Turner, a slave-cum-preacher who leads a slave rebellion in 1831. The film starts when Nat is a young boy, playing hide-and-seek with his master’s son, Samuel Turner. Samuel seems to genuinely be young Nat’s friend, and the Turners are presented as relatively good white people, who generally treat their slaves well. Except there’s not enough food for all of them and young Nat goes hungry, which prompts his father to risk stealing food in order to feed his son. Predictably, that doesn’t go well. Parker effectively shows how slavery destroys everyone, debunking the notion of “good white folks” by showing the casual cruelty of people used to owning other human beings, and detailing the degradations big and small, violent and passive that slaves suffered every day. But Parker struggles with the actual rebellion part of the movie. Travelling around the county with Samuel Turner ([Armie Hammer]), now grown and his master, Nat sees the horrors other slaves with more blatantly cruel masters suffer, and his sermons change from messages of divine suffering to fiery calls for retribution. But he isn’t moved to act until two women are violated: His wife, Cherry ([Aja Naomi King]), and Esther, another slave on the Turner plantation ([Gabrielle Union], in a part so diminished by editing she’s basically an extra). There’s no historical evidence for this which makes these rapes Parker’s invention, which is ironic at best and troubling at worst, given everything that has come to light surrounding Parker and his past rape allegation. These attacks are not portrayed graphically, but it is clear that this is what is happening, and in removing women from the moment, it makes their violation about men and how it affects men. And it is sorely tempting to read into the choice that these rapes are violent and committed despite protest as a frame of reference for Parker’s own stunted understanding of consent. This is when it becomes impossible to separate art from artist—an accused rapist made a movie that prominently features rape. We’re not supposed to think about it? And there are still the run of the mill pedestrian problems, like the totally unclear timeline. The timeline is shot to hell because Parker is more invested in establishing Turner as a prophet than he is in keying in the tangible details of Turner’s world, and it takes end title cards to clarify it. Braveheart is the model for this kind of movie—Parker did consult [with Mel Gibson], another layer of WTFery—and while Braveheart has the same “female violation as motivation” problem, at least it an excellent job of mapping the terrain of the conflict so that you can appreciate the scope and the scale of what’s happening. But Nate Parker, Director, isn’t interested in anything other than Nate Parker, Actor, saying the words of Nate Parker, Writer. Birth has a streak of vanity that’s pretty common to actor/directors, but it feels especially out of place here, given the solemnity of the subject matter, and it shortchanges the actual uprising, rendering it almost an afterthought. There are moments in Birth that work, particularly with the destruction of the Turner family, and the final shot is really powerful, but overall The Birth of a Nation is an average actor/director vanity project. Nat Turner’s story deserves more. Attached - Nate Parker at AOL's Build Series last week in New York. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:18 PM [October 11, 2016 – Smutty Shout-Outs] Kara! Happy Birthday with love from Jen! Hope you had a great birthday weekend! Posted at 1:57 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]