Elliot Page, Travis Scott, and ancient Greece: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ is unrealistic — but should anyone care?



Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of “The Odyssey” is already generating plenty of controversy, as conservatives are pointing out that the casting of the film is “woke.”

“Christopher Nolan went from making a more realistic “Batman,” which is something that I really enjoyed, especially the first “Batman,” “Batman Begins,” to now making a movie about Greece starring black people,” Dave Landau tells co-host Stu Burguiere on “Stu and Dave Do America.”

The film stars Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, which both Stu and Dave point out is historically inaccurate for ancient Greece.

“There’s a huge African-American population in ancient Greece,” Stu jokes. “People don’t realize that.”


“I will say, like, historical accuracy is sort of a weird thing. ... You go back in the day, maybe some of these people didn’t exist in these civilizations, but this is a fictional story,” he continues. “I mean, you know it’s a myth, right?”

“It is Greek mythology, I understand that, and you want a lot of the people to be Greek, but at the same time, I don’t really care,” Dave says, though he points out there are some choices he doesn’t quite agree with.

“For example, he put in rapper Travis Scott,” he explains.

Nolan also cast “Elliot” Page as Greek soldier Sinon.

“This is part of a long-term process where, you know, Ellen Page is trying to convince us that she’s a he. And, you know, unlike a lot of the people I see walking around that are trans, she’s putting the work in, right?”

In one photo of the cast, Page, who is 5'1", stood in front of her other cast members in a suit.

“It looks like a suit you would get for a ring bearer,” Dave comments.

“And you’d be like, ‘It’s fine. It’s for one day, and if we keep it, you can grow into it,’” he jokes.

“That’s exactly what it looks like,” Stu laughs. “You know, a couple things I noticed ... she looks like a kid that is, you know, trying to wear a suit for the first time around all these adults. And also it’s, like, a huge suit on her.”

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Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Increasingly Looks Like An Epic Disaster

When Christopher Nolan’s new The Odyssey film was announced, many people were understandably excited. Although composed nearly three millennia ago, the epic was tailor-made for today’s big screen, featuring exotic locations, tons of spectacle, strong men and beautiful women, and dealing with the enduring themes of home, heroism, and survival. And yet, for all this, […]

LIP SERVICE: Pedro Pascal demands goodbye kiss from departing 'Late Night' host Colbert



Get a room, you two!

The collective fawning over Stephen Colbert’s CBS exit has reached a barf-bag level of nausea. And it’ll get worse up until his final May 21 telecast. But no one will top Pedro Pascal’s ode to the far-left host.

Say what you will about Pratt, but he's hardly out of touch with his potential constituents. The former reality star's home was wiped out by the Palisades Fire.

The star of “The Mandalorian and Grogu” visited “The Late Show” this week and demanded something special from Colbert.

A kiss.

Yes, a grown man planted a firm kiss on the lips of the soon-to-be-ex host. Now, Pascal hasn’t said anything about his sexual preferences to date. Colbert is a straight married man.

Make it make sense and/or, is this any way to market a movie?

The buss was a baffling blend of cringe and bizarre behavior. Much like “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” for that matter ...

Troy boy

The most intriguing director in Hollywood is in damage-control mode, and his next movie doesn’t hit theaters until July 17.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is one of the year’s most anticipated films. And why not? All-star cast (Damon! Hathaway! Pattinson! Zendaya!), classic source material, and a director coming off the Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer.”

The tickets practically sell themselves. So what’s the problem?

For starters, the project cast Lupita Nyong’o, a beautiful Oscar winner in a role that may be another example of DEI-style casting. She’ll play Helen of Troy in the film, a role previously played by Caucasian actors (Elizabeth Taylor, Diane Kruger, and Rossana Podestà). Race-blind casting is increasingly common, and it can be distracting in some historical projects.

Elliot Page, a trans performer, is also in the film, but the role in question is still unclear.

Those two casting choices have stirred a potentially woke attack against “The Odyssey,” sight unseen. And naturally, anyone who craves authentic film casting is immediately dubbed a racist by the legacy media.

Nolan already addressed another casting question, explaining that he hired rapper Travis Scott to play a bard in the film to honor how this story was passed on via oral poetry. That’s akin to rap, he argued.

Now, Nolan is prepping for a “60 Minutes” interview this weekend.

It’s not a shock to see actors and directors do press for a project, but that usually happens a week or two before the release date. Nolan’s oh-so-early press tour suggests culture war damage control is afoot ...

RELATED: This underdog candidate's app will expose the politicians to blame for LA's shocking filth

Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Pratt fall

Whoopi Goldberg sunk to a new low this week, no small feat.

It seems like every episode of “The View” finds the Oscar-winner beclowning herself anew. This time, she slammed L.A. mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt in her de facto style — lots of meandering attacks but little substance.

That’s Whoopi being Whoopi. And honestly, not a big deal in our noisy media age.

This part of her commentary, though, deserves special attention:

I don't know what qualifies as the right way to be a politician, but what I do know is they have to be the people who understand what people are going through. And if you don't understand what people are going through, in the way they're going through it, when you're talking about communities, whole communities that have been burned out, whole groups, legacies that are gone.

Say what you will about Pratt, but he's hardly out of touch with his potential constituents. The former reality star's home was wiped out by the Palisades Fire, and he blames Mayor Karen Bass for the city’s incompetent response to the blaze. The home, like so many others, has not been rebuilt. Blame permit woes, insurance issues, and government bureaucracy on steroids.

It’s why the former reality-show star got into the race in the first place. To paraphrase the tagline for “Jaws IV,” “This time, it’s personal.” Tell that to Goldberg.

We’d say it’s her dumbest rant yet, but there’s always next week ...

License to cast

Remember the countless stories saying so and so actor was the leading choice to play 007 in the next James Bond film?

Rumors. Clickbait. Nothing more.

Now, finally, Amazon (which now pulls the franchise’s strings) has announced the search for the next superspy has officially begun. That’s five years after Daniel Craig’s fifth and final Bond adventure, “No Time to Die.”

The good news? “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve will be behind the camera. A great choice, full stop.

The bad news?

The next few dozen stories on the next Bond will likely include more rumors, not fact. And to be certain, some internet troll will claim that Page is the front-runner for the iconic part. And the social media outrage machine will click into overdrive, ignoring the fact that no studio in its right mind would make such a move.

Bet on it.

FACT CHECK: Did ‘Close To Hundreds’ Of People Die At Astroworld?

Officials have reported that 10 people died

Astroworld tragedy update: Victims named; Travis Scott and Live Nation sued; rapper has history of chaos at concerts



There are new developments in the Astroworld Festival tragedy that resulted in the death of eight people and saw 300 concert-goers injured. In the latest update, the victims are named, there is news that Travis Scott and Live Nation are being sued, and it is revealed that the Houston rapper has a history of chaos at his concerts.

The victims of the Astroworld tragedy

The youngest victim of the music festival turned deadly is 14-year-old John Hilgert, a ninth-grader who loved baseball.

Hilgert's baseball coach – Justin Higgs – wrote a tribute to the fallen boy.

He got the Call up to the Major Leagues by the Almighty! John made an impact on anyone who met him and they always remembered him. I have memories of John I'll never forget. You had to love the kid. No option not too cause he was who he was. He loved the game if baseball. Was a privilege to coach this young man. Many prayers go out to any of his friends, teammates, and his family… especially Ms. Hilgert. One of the nicest human beings I've ever met. John was an Angel the whole time I knew him… impacting others for good and he himself was a legend. The legend of John. Will meet again John. Till then watch over us my friend. Catcher, pitcher, shortstop, great kid. Lived his life to the fullest

Brianna Rodriguez – a 16-year-old junior at Houston's Heights High School – was also killed during the Astroworld Festival.

The GoFundMe campaign to pay for the funeral expenses of Rodriquez states:

Gone from our sites, but never from our hearts. It is with profound sadness we lay to rest our beloved Brianna Rodriguez. Brianna was one of the victims from the Astroworld event. She was a beautiful vibrant 16-year-old high school junior at Heights HS in Houston TX. Dancing was her passion and now she's dancing her way to heaven's pearly gates. Anything to help the family will be greatly appreciated.

Axel Acosta – who turned 21 last month – allegedly traveled from Washington to Texas to attend the Astroworld music festival at NRG Park on Friday.

"It was his first time going to an event like that," said his aunt Cynthia Acosta.

"By all accounts, Axel was a young man with a vibrant future. We are sending our condolences to his family on this very sad day," said Western Washington University vice president of enrollment and student services Melynda Huskey.

Axel Acosta\u2019s father spoke with @RoxieAbc13 and IDed him as one of the deceased from Astroworld. He was attending college in Washington.\n\nThe ME\u2019s office sent out a photo last night of Axel because he had not been IDed. His father said he tried to file a missing person\u2019s report.pic.twitter.com/xKM2lXaz8E

— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) 1636303410

Franco Patino – a 21-year-old senior majoring in mechanical engineering technology with a minor in human movement biomechanics at the University of Dayton in Ohio – reportedly went to the concert to celebrate the birthday of his best friend, who also died at the Astroworld Festival.

Franco Patino, 21, was one of the 8 people killed at #astroworldfestival last night. He\u2019s a Naperville native and Neuqua Valley HS grad. His family says he went to the festival to celebrate his best friend\u2019s birthday and they both died in the crowd.pic.twitter.com/fIaNFnPXjD

— Jenna Barnes (@Jenna_Barnes) 1636249541

Jacob Jurinek was a junior at Southern Illinois University, where he was pursuing his passion for art and media.

"We are all devastated and are left with a huge hole in our lives," said Jurinek's dad – Ron Jurinek. "Right now, we ask for the time and space for our family to process this tragic news and begin to heal. We're comforted by the fact that the hundreds of people Jake touched over the years will carry a piece of his spirit with them."

Here\u2019s a photo of Franco and Jacob together, provided by the Patino family pic.twitter.com/k4hU3T8sao

— Jenna Barnes (@Jenna_Barnes) 1636316124

Rodolfo Angel Peña AKA Rudy Pena was a 23-year-old Texas native who was a student at Laredo College and wanted to be a Border Patrol agent.

"Rudy was a close friend of mine," said friend Stacey Sarmiento. "We met in high school. He was an athlete… He brought happiness anywhere he went. He was easy to get along with. It was like positive vibes from him at all times."

"We all came to have a good time … it was just horrible in there," she added.

Rudy Pe\u00f1a, 23, of Laredo. One of the eight confirmed #ASTROWORLDFest victims \n\n@KHOUpic.twitter.com/w4P8jWbxgr

— Brittany Ford (@BFordKHOU) 1636312989

Danish Baig was allegedly killed while trying to save his fiance during the concert that had an estimated 50,000 in attendance.

"He was [an] innocent young soul who would always put others before him. He was a hard-working man who loved his family and took care of us. He was there in a heartbeat for anything. He always had a solution to everything," Basil said of his 27-year-old brother.

Danish Baig was killed during Astroworld, according to his brother. He says the 27-year-old was trying to save his fianc\u00e9 during the crowd rush. \n\n"[Travis Scott] allowed it this was a blood bath and all of it is on his hands,\u201d his brother said.pic.twitter.com/b2hop02fLt

— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) 1636324854

His brother Basil Mirza Baig posted a tribute on Facebook.

My brother was killed in this horrendous astroworld event that was managed poorly and supervised by such horrible people. People were trampled, walked, and stomped on. My brother tried to save my sister in law from these horrendous acts that were being done to her in the process he lost his life. My brother Danish Baig a beautiful soul whos smile would light up the room and put everyone before himself. Last night he showed his courageous act to save my sister in law/his fiance from those horrendous things that were being done. I am lost of words and in true trauma from this event. I was there and i wasnt able to save my brother. People were hitting pushing and shoving and did not care for anyones life. Travis Scott provoked these people and made them do just that and more he called people to the stage to jump into the crowd and did not stop the show. Multiple people have lost their lives and my prayers go out to their losses. In this time of mourning and grief and such pain i would like everyone to pray for my family and my brother. This is not the end my family and i will go to the Full extent to make sure he is brought to justice.

"Travis Scott and his team and everyone associated in the event should and will be held responsible. He [didn't] stop the show even with people chanting and to stop the show. He allowed it this was a blood bath and all of it is on his hands," Basil said.

Basil Baig, brother of Danish Baig, 27, who was killed during the Astroworld Festival mass casualty event - "We lost our brother, we're grieving for all the families who lost their loved ones in this horrendous event."pic.twitter.com/JhLP0xULB6

— Hojun Choi (@hjnchoi) 1636324624

Travis Scott and the concert promoter are being sued

Travis Scott – whose real name is Jacques Webster – and the organizers of the Astroworld music festival are facing a lawsuit over the deadly concert. An injured concert-goer filed the lawsuit and called the deadly situation a "predictable and preventable tragedy."

Billboard reported:

In a petition filed Saturday in Harris County District Court, Astroworld attendee Manuel Souza sued Scott himself, as well as organizer ScoreMore and concert giant Live Nation, over the Friday night incident, which left eight dead and dozens more injured. The lawsuit claims the disaster was the direct result of "a motivation for profit at the expense of concertgoers' health and safety" and the "encouragement of violence." "Defendants failed to properly plan and conduct the concert in a safe manner," wrote Souza's attorney, Steve Kherkher of the firm Kherkher Garcia LLP. "Instead, they consciously ignored the extreme risks of harm to concertgoers, and, in some cases actively encouraged and fomented dangerous behaviors."

Travis Scott reacts to the Astroworld tragedy

Travis Scott – who founded the Astroworld Festival in 2018 – released a statement on the tragic concert.

"I'm absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need. Thank you to Houston PD, Fire Department and NRG Park for their immediate response and support."

pic.twitter.com/ijXKslw7E2

— TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) 1636215361

The rapper also sent out a video message on Instagram.

I just want to send out prayers to the ones that was lost last night. We're actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time. You know, my fans really mean the world to me and I always just really want to leave them with a positive experience. And anytime I can make out anything that's going on, I'd stop the show and help them get the help they need, you know? I just could never imagine the severity of the situation. We've been working closely with everyone to just try to get to the bottom of this: the City of Houston, HPD, Fire Department, you know, everyone to help us figure this out. So if you have any information, please just contact the local authorities. Everybody continue to just keep your prayers. I mean, I'm honestly just devastated and I could never imagine anything like this just happening. I'm going to do everything I can to keep you guys updated, to keep you guys informed of what's going on. Love you all.

JUST IN: Travis Scott shares video addressing the tragedy at Astroworld Festpic.twitter.com/MSjVpJH3fK

— XXL Magazine (@XXL) 1636248321

Video from the concert surfaces

Concert-goers tried to get the attention of a cameraman to stop the show because someone was in danger, but it was futile. Other fans were chanting, "Stop the show!"

(CAUTION: Graphic video)

People even rushed the camera men, and they still continued the show. \n#ASTROWORLDFestpic.twitter.com/vIw4pMr7CG

— Ethan Froneberger (@LDCMOA) 1636183082

more footage from #ASTROWORLDFest , people asking for help and to stop the showpic.twitter.com/hUc6x62A31

— clea (@CleaSena) 1636183494

Fans were shouting "Stop the show" at #ASTROWORLDFestpic.twitter.com/IF4IW1DND8

— Squirt Reynolds (@SquirtReynoIds) 1636195187

The investigation continues, including reports of an injection attack

Houston police Chief Troy Finner said on Saturday that the investigation into the tragedy will include the homicide and narcotics divisions.

One security officer purportedly was pricked in the neck with a needle during the concert.

"We do have a report of a security officer... that he was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck," Chief Finner said.

"When he was examined he went unconscious," he added. "He was revived and the medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to a prick that you would get if somebody is trying to inject."

Travis Scott has a history of chaos at his concerts

In 2017, Scott pleaded guilty to a public disorder charge after he was accused of encouraging people to rush the stage at a concert in Arkansas. Scott reportedly paid nearly $7,000 to two people who were allegedly injured at the show.

The eight-time Grammy-nominated rapper was sentenced to one year of court supervision after pleading guilty to reckless conduct charges stemming from a 2015 incident in Chicago at the Lollapalooza music festival where he allegedly encouraged fans to vault security barricades.

At least 8 dead, over 300 injured at Astroworld music festival in Houston



A "mass casualty incident" occurred on Friday night during the sold-out Astroworld music festival in Houston, Texas. At least eight people are dead following a surge of concert-goers who pushed their way closer to the stage during a performance by rapper Travis Scott.

There were an estimated 50,000 people in attendance at the music festival held at NRG Park – where the event turned deadly around 9 p.m. when the Houston native rapper took the stage.

"The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries," Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters at a news conference. "People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic."

Peña said the Houston Fire Department transported 17 patients to the hospital, "11 of those transported were in cardiac arrest." One 10-year-old child was critically injured, according to Fox News. At least 300 patients were seen at an onsite field hospital throughout the day.

Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite – who was near the front of the crowd – said the massive surge "happened all at once." He added that security knew at that moment it was time to end the concert prematurely.

"Suddenly we had several people down on the ground, experiencing some type of cardiac arrest or some type of medical episode," Satterwhite said. "And so we immediately started doing CPR, and moving people right then, and that's when I went and met with the promoters, and Live Nation, and they agreed to end early in the interest of public safety."

"A lot of times, kids don't make the best decisions," Satterwhite added. "Because they're young and amped up…. I just think it was so many people — and passion — to see this entertainer. I don't know, and a lot of bad decisions"

Video from the concert shows people dancing on top of an emergency vehicle attempting to attend to those in distress.

Another video- #Disturbing video shows people #jumping on top of the police personal cars while they were trying to get #unconscious people out of the #crowd.\n\n#Houston #ASTROWORLDFest #TravisScott #AstroWorld #music #festival #Houston\n#KHOU11pic.twitter.com/tubnfQIVPS

— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) 1636183126

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said an investigation is needed to discover what caused the deadly event.

"I think it's very important that none of us speculate. Nobody has all the answers tonight," Finner said. "We're going to do an investigation and find out because it's not fair to the producers, to anybody else involved, until we determine what happened, what caused the surge. We don't know, but we will find out."

Finner also said they are working to confirm the identities of the deceased. He noted that the event had a "good security plan," with 367 police officers and 241 security officers on hand.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, "Our hearts are broken. People go to these events looking for a good time, a chance to unwind, to make memories. It's not the kind of event you go to where you expect to find out about fatalities. … Obviously, this is the last place we want to be – especially after we've been through so much as a community. But we have incredibly capable law enforcement officials here."

Organizers of the Astroworld Festival released a statement on Saturday morning:

Our hearts are with the Astroworld Festival family tonight - especially those we lost and their loved ones. We are focused on supporting local officials however we can. With that in mind the festival will no longer be held on Saturday. As authorities mentioned in their press conference earlier, they are looking into the series of cardiac arrests that took place. If you have any relevant information on this, please reach out to Houston Police. Thank you to our partners at the Houston Police Department, Fire Department, and NRG Park for their response and support

Earlier Friday, a mob stormed through barricades to enter the festival. Around 2 p.m., people are seen on the ground being trampled by the crowd. There were reportedly three injuries linked to the storming of the venue gates.

(CAUTION: Graphic video)

It wasn't a pretty sight as the gates began to open at NRG Stadium for the first day of the Astroworld festival. Video captured festival-goers getting trampled as a huge crowd pushed their way through the entrance gates. \n\nFollow @zacktKHOU\u00a0for the latest coverage.pic.twitter.com/lAFUJVh10o

— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) 1636149192

ALERT Mass casualty incident: 8 dead, several injured at Astroworld festival in Houstonpic.twitter.com/bSZsHnkQjL

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) 1636184986

Day 2 of the Astroworld Festival that was scheduled for Saturday has been canceled.

Stampede At Astroworld Festival In Houston Leaves At Least 8 Dead www.youtube.com