REVIEW: ‘Toy Story 5’

The original Toy Story is not a movie about children. It’s about envy, status anxiety, and a workplace that threatens to become toxic. The boss happens to be a little boy, the workplace is his room, and the envy and status anxiety are the tribulations of Woody the Cowboy. His standing as the little boy’s favorite toy, and therefore the most important worker in the room, is threatened by the introduction of Buzz Lightyear, the boy’s new Christmas present. Bombastic and humorless, Buzz does not know he is a toy, and yet he enchants everyone in the room besides Woody—who undertakes a plot to get rid of Buzz that leads the others to believe he is a murderer.

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The Ringmaster of Rock

In 1982, a bootleg record titled Elvis’ Greatest Shit!! caused a stir by savaging the crass commercialization and cultural deification of Presley in the wake of his death five years before. It was released on the Dog Vomit label, emblazoned with RCA mascot Nipper retching into a gramophone, a dig at the venerable label that had repackaged the King’s songs in a relentless posthumous cash grab. The bootleg featured the worst dreck from Elvis’s schlock-movie career in the ’60s, songs like "Do the Clambake," "Queenie Wahine’s Papaya," and "Dominic the Impotent Bull."

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Military academy pulls plug on ‘woke’ actor’s award ceremony — Trump applauds move



President Donald Trump commended West Point Academy for canceling an award ceremony intended to honor a “woke” actor.

The U.S. Military Academy scheduled an award ceremony for September 25 to honor Tom Hanks with a Sylvanus Thayer Award. The award is given annually to an American citizen “whose service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto, ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’”

'Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other Fake Award Shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice.'

“Tom Hanks has done more for the positive portrayal of the American service member, more for the caring of the American veteran, their caregivers and their family, and more for the American space program and all branches of government than many other Americans,” stated Robert A. McDonald, the chairman of the West Point Association of Graduates.

WPAOG stated that Hanks’ “five-decade career reflects his support of veterans, the military, and America’s space program,” citing his work as a spokesperson for Washington’s World War II Memorial, a national chairman for the D-Day Museum Capital Campaign, and movie roles where he played U.S. service members. The group also noted Hanks’ support of military personnel through profits from Hanks for Our Troops, a coffee company.

Hanks called the honor “humbling and meaningful.”

RELATED: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg reunite for long-awaited WWII drama 'Masters of the Air,' celebrating brave men of the 'Bloody Hundredth'

Tom Hanks in the movie 'Saving Private Ryan.' Photo by CBS via Getty Images

“To have my first ever visit to the Academy be to accept such an honor as the Thayer Award is simply astounding. West Point’s legacy of leadership, character, and service to the nation is a powerful example for all Americans,” he said.

Retired Army Col. Mark Bieger, president and chief executive officer of the WPAOG, announced Friday in an email to faculty that the group had canceled the ceremony, according to the Washington Post.

“This decision allows the Academy to continue its focus on its core mission of preparing cadets to lead, fight, and win as officers in the world’s most lethal force, the United States Army,” Bieger wrote.

RELATED: Tom Hanks slams campaign to modify classic books to please cancel culture: 'Let me decide what I am offended by'

The 2024 Sylvanus Thayer Award awarded to former President Barack Obama. Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

The email did not specify whether Hanks would still receive the award.

Trump responded to the cancellation in a Monday post on Truth Social.

“Our great West Point (getting greater all the time!) has smartly cancelled the Award Ceremony for actor Tom Hanks,” Trump wrote. “Important move! We don’t need destructive, WOKE recipients getting our cherished American Awards!!! Hopefully the Academy Awards, and other Fake Award Shows, will review their Standards and Practices in the name of Fairness and Justice. Watch their DEAD RATINGS SURGE!"

WPAOG and a representative for Hanks did not respond to a request for comment from Politico.

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FACT CHECK: Image Of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney With Ghislaine Maxwell And Tom Hanks Is AI-Generated

A viral image shared on X purports to show Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ghislaine Maxwell, and actor Tom Hanks sitting on a beach together. Why was Canada’s new Liberal woke Prime Minister Mark Carney on Epstein Island with Ghislaine Maxwell & Tom Hanks !!! pic.twitter.com/i0YCPZ6OaU — Giordano Bruno (@GioBruno1600) March 11, 2025 Verdict: False […]

Michael Moore begs America: Vote for Kamala 'as a favor to me'



Tom Hanks has had enough of superhero films.

“I think there was a period of time, and I felt that way too, where we would see these fantastic movies, either DC or MCU, in order to see these better versions of ourselves,” Hanks told podcaster Josh Horowitz.

Ol’ Forrest knew what love was, but Hanks is a little lost on what makes audiences go to theaters these days.

“I think we’ve been down that road and had probably 20 years, 15 years, to explore that kind of thing, and now I think we’re in an evolutionary place of, ‘And the story is what? And the theme is what? And the point of this movie is what?'”

That may be true, but he’s not giving us much of a Plan B, is he?

Hanks’ latest, “Here,” reunites him with Jenny of “Forrest Gump” (Robin Wright) and director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump,” “Cast Away”). Critics skewered “Here,” and it made a paltry $4.8 million in its opening weekend.

The entire movie, which follows a nuclear family over the decades, is set in the clan’s living room. It’s like watching paint dry, but with a de-aged Hanks and Wright holding the brushes.

Ol’ Forrest knew what love was, but Hanks is a little lost on what makes audiences go to theaters these days …

'Captain' chaos

At what point will they stop shooting “Captain America: Brave New World”?

The next MCU project is heading to theaters in February, at least on paper. In the real world, the film has endured pricey reshoots to prep it for its cinematic close-up.

The movie technically wrapped in spring 2023, but scary test screenings coaxed Team Disney to bulk up the film. The first new footage came after a 22-day shoot earlier this year. The shoot reportedly added Giancarlo Esposito to the cast in an unnamed role and beefed up some action sequences.

Now, even more reshoots are under way, according to Esposito.

The MCU could use a hit after a string of woke duds. It’s no sure thing that “Brave New World” will end that losing streak, no matter how many times they go back to drawing board. The new film finds Anthony Mackie’s Falcon stepping into the famous red, white, and blue tights previously worn by Chris Evans.

As Evans’ Cap might say about the ongoing reshoots, “I could do this all day …”

Junket junked

Hollywood is having “contractions.”

The industry is in deep economic trouble. L.A.-based productions are down. The box office is running 11% below last year. And the streaming boom has been a bust, at least from a fiscal point of view.

The semi-annual TV Critics Association Winter 2025 Press Tour is the latest casualty. The event allows new and existing shows to promote their casts and storylines, offering panel chats and other promotional perks.

Not this time.

“As you know, Hollywood is in a deep contraction. While several streamers, networks, and studios committed, it was not enough for a full press tour,” said TCA President Jacqueline Cutler.

Meanwhile, many Hollywood stars are shoving their politics down the public’s throat as if consumers have short memories. Will Ferrell comically threatened his fans to vote for Harris … or else.

Is this any way to run a business?

Moore is less

Friends do plenty for their fellow friends. They help them move, watch their dogs when they’re on vacation, and, according to filmmaker Michael Moore, vote for their preferred candidate.

The far-left director pleaded with “non-voters” to get off the couch and vote for Kamala Harris on Election Day. He apparently thinks we’re all on a first-name basis. Is he gonna ask us to drive him to the airport next?

“Can I ask that you do it just as a favor for me? It really is that important to me,” he said of our potential Harris vote. “There is, honestly, too large of a part of me that believes we may be truly at our end.”

This column understands the comedic softball thrown our way, but we refuse to take the bait.

FACT CHECK: Photo Of Tom Hanks Wearing Shirt Supporting Biden Is Digitally Altered

The original image shows Hanks wearing a jersey representing the U.S. women’s national soccer team.

FACT CHECK: No, Tom Hanks And Taylor Swift Did Not Boycott The Oscars

The claim has not been posted by any credible news outlets.

FACT CHECK: Mark Wahlberg Quote Declining To Work With Tom Hanks Is Fabricated

The claim originates from a website that describes itself as satirical.

FACT CHECK: Image Circulating On Social Media Of Tom Hanks In An Anti-Trump Shirt Is Edited

The original image of Hanks shows him wearing a plain T-shirt.

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg reunite for long-awaited WWII drama 'Masters of the Air,' celebrating brave men of the 'Bloody Hundredth'



Following the massive popularity of "Band of Brothers," "The Pacific," and "Saving Private Ryan," Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have reunited to release "Masters of the Air." The upcoming drama documents the efforts by the 8th Air Force that made unimaginable sacrifices to help defeat Nazi Germany in World War II.

In what has been a work in progress for a decade, the long-awaited "Masters of the Air" finally has a premiere date. Originally confirmed by HBO in January 2013, "Masters of the Air" will premiere on Apple TV+ on Jan. 26, 2024.

The upcoming World War II drama series is being produced by Hanks, Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman.

"Masters of the Air" stars Austin Butler – who was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the 2022 movie "Elvis." The series also features Academy Award-nominated Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa.

The nine-episode streaming series is based on Donald L. Miller's book of the same name.

"'Masters of the Air' is a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force, who, through their courage and brotherhood, helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II," executive producer Goetzman said in a press release. "Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this 'singular event in the history of warfare.' We’re thrilled that Apple TV+ has given us the opportunity to combine the efforts of so many talented people, on-screen and behind the camera, to tell this important story."

The official synopsis of the series:

"Masters of the Air" follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air. Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
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The 8th Air Force ventured deep into Nazi territory in an attempt to handicap Germany's war machine. However, the daylight bombing campaign proved to be extremely dangerous.

During a mission to bomb German ball bearing factories on Oct. 14, 1943, the 8th Air Force suffered so many casualties that the day was known as "Black Thursday." U.S. B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers flew over Nazi Germany without any fighter protection because the smaller planes didn't have the extensive range like the massive four-engine bombers. The gamble proved to be tragic.

Fighter planes of the Luftwaffe induced devastating losses on the 8th Air Force – also known as the "Bloody Hundredth."

According to the National WWII Museum, "By the time the Americans returned home, they had lost 60 B-17s, another 17 were no longer airworthy, and an additional 121 received minor damage. That was only the material loss. The number of aircrew killed, wounded, or missing in action was more than 600, totaling almost 20 percent of the men sortied."

Despite the soul-crushing losses, the 8th Air Force adopted new tactics and America soon produced fighter planes with extended range to escort the Flying Fortresses.

The "Mighty Eighth" would continue to batter Germany's industrial centers to help cripple the Nazi's military production – unleashing 697,000 tons of bombs over 440,000 bomber sorties.

The destruction of Germany's infrastructure came at a steep price – 47,000 of the 115,000 U.S. Army Air Force casualties were from the Mighty Eighth.

The Mighty Eighth's brave men earned 17 Medals of Honor, 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 442,000 Air Medals.

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