Register

    Pamela Anderson takes a bow at TIFF for Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl”

    By SHOOTNo Comments230 Views
    Pamela Anderson, left, and Gia Coppola attend the premiere of "The Last Showgirl" during the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

    By Jake Coyle, Film Writer

    TORONTO (AP) --

    The Toronto International Film Festival has played host to many comeback stories over the years. Brendan Fraser was cheered here two years ago for his performance in “The Whale.” This year’s unlikely comeback story might be Pamela Anderson.

    On Friday, Gia Coppola premiered her film “The Last Showgirl,” an indie drama starring Anderson as an aging Las Vegas showgirl. Shelley (Anderson) is the long-running star of casino dance show of scantily clad, feather-adorned women that has seen better days. With attendance dwindling, the show’s stage manager (Dave Bautista) announces they will soon give their last performance, leaving Shelley — who believes sincerely in the show — pondering her choices.

    The film, which is for sale in Toronto, drew mixed reviews but warm applause for the 57-year-old Anderson.

    “I’ve been getting ready my whole life for this role,” Anderson told the crowd at the Princess of Wales Theatre following the premiere.

    For Anderson, whose most notable credits include “Baywatch” and “Borat,” the festival acclaim was a novel experience. Even just getting a script like “The Last Showgirl” was something new for her.

    “It’s the first time I’ve read a good script, first of all. I’ve never had a script come to me that was coherent,” said Anderson. “I was like: I’m the only one that can do this. I’ve never felt that strongly about something.”

    “The Last Showgirl” extends a run of good fortune for the former Playboy Playmate that includes her 2023 memoir “Love, Pamela” and the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary “Pamela, A Love Story.” It also shares some of the same themes as another TIFF entry, the body horror film “The Substance.” That film, starring Demi Moore, likewise grapples with agism for female entertainers.

    Jamie Lee Curtis, who co-stars as a very bronze casino waitress in “The Last Showgirl,” got emotional discussing her character.

    “I’m just a product of that same reality,” said Curtis. “You know who Annette is. Every single one of you know an Annette. It’s a movie about dreams and going after your dreams. But of course, the dreams become a really (expletive) harsh reality. And for women, it’s a really harsh reality that men don’t have as much.”

    Curtis then added, with a grin, “And a spray tan helps.”

    Tags:Gia CoppolaPamela AndersonThe Last ShowgirlToronto International Film Festival



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment