Los Angeles Times Profile picture
Nov 11 11 tweets 6 min read
This is a story about @VeraDrew22’s fight to #FreeThePeoplesJoker: Hours before the film envisioning the Joker as a transgender woman trying to break into comedy was set to premiere, Warner Bros. Discovery objected to it as copyright infringement. latimes.com/entertainment-…
“They would be able to keep me in litigation forever because they’re a billion-dollar media conglomerate and I’m a broke trans woman,” she said of the letter WBD sent just before the film held its first screening. latimes.com/entertainment-…
So what is “The People’s Joker”? It’s been billed as “the world’s first impressionist superhero/queer art film” and was made with the help of hundreds of contributing artists all over the world during the pandemic. latimes.com/entertainment-…
It draws on Drew’s experiences growing up in the Midwest and navigating queer identity, using Batman, the Joker and Harley Quinn as mythic literary figures and upturning well-worn blockbuster superhero tropes along the way. latimes.com/entertainment-…
After much debate, the film held its world premiere with the caveat that it be withdrawn from remaining screenings. But Drew pulled her film from two festivals and six other planned engagements “to mitigate the potential blowback.” latimes.com/entertainment-…
Nearly two months later, Drew says the implied threat of legal action has halted her ability to play the film at other festivals and secure distribution, while a social media hashtag keeps her fight in the public eye: #FreeThePeoplesJoker. latimes.com/entertainment-…
It’s not only Warner Bros.-owned IP that gets subverted in “The People’s Joker”: Drew takes shots at #SNL boss Lorne Michaels, arguably the film’s biggest villain, who is voiced by current “SNL” cast member Sarah Sherman. latimes.com/entertainment-…
Tim Heidecker, a prominent parodist in his own right who appears in the film playing Daily Planet editor Perry White as a conservative pundit in the Alex Jones mold, suggests that Warner Bros. should acquire and release the film themselves. latimes.com/entertainment-…
“I made this movie to process my childhood as somebody for whom gender-affirming healthcare could have saved my life,” said Drew, who describes “The People’s Joker” as “the most expensive therapy that I’ve ever done.” latimes.com/entertainment-…
The recent installation of onetime Troma filmmaker James Gunn as co-chief executive of DC Studios has given Drew some hope that Warner Bros. might soften its stance on her movie. latimes.com/entertainment-…
“I am doing this because I love these characters, and I feel like this is a version of the story that hasn’t been told yet and is long overdue,” she said. “Mr. Gunn, please do anything within your power to help me tell that story.” latimes.com/entertainment-…

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More from @latimes

Nov 11
Dangerous CO2 levels. Unflavored gelatin. Benjamin Franklin in a river.

This story examines a sport you might have ignored or joked about. But some facets of synchronized swimming – now called “artistic” swimming – could change your mind. @usaartswimming

latimes.com/sports/olympic…
The prevailing image of synchronized, or artistic, swimming changed in an instant last summer.

Anita Alvarez pushed too hard at the worlds, passed out and sank to the bottom. She now wonders if people look at her sport and see “how difficult it is.” latimes.com/sports/olympic…
Read 8 tweets
Nov 11
Just like last winter, the @Dodgers are giving Clayton Kershaw time to contemplate his future. On Thursday they declined to extend a qualifying offer for the second consecutive offseason. latimes.com/sports/dodgers…
Clayton Kershaw would rather retire than break down again. Except he believes he won’t.

He'd rather walk away than be reduced to mediocrity. Except he believes that won’t happen.

When Kershaw pictures next year he imagines himself pitching. But where? latimes.com/sports/dodgers…
In September, Kershaw said he didn’t yet know if he'd return to the @Dodgers for a 16th year or move elsewhere.

He entertained an offer from the @Rangers before this season and could revisit the possibility of playing for his hometown team in the winter. latimes.com/sports/dodgers…
Read 7 tweets
Nov 11
New: The Los Angeles mayor’s race has grown tighter, with businessman Rick Caruso now ahead of U.S. Rep. Karen Bass by just 2,695 votes, down from his 12,282-vote advantage a day earlier, according to new vote totals released Thursday afternoon.

latimes.com/california/sto…
That gave Caruso 50.25% of the vote to Bass’ 49.75%.

Going into the day, Caruso held a 2.5-percentage-point lead in the race to succeed Mayor Eric Garcetti, with about 500,000 votes counted. latimes.com/california/sto…
Roughly 545,000 votes have been counted in the mayor’s race, according to Thursday’s update. It is unclear how many uncounted votes remain, since ballots postmarked by election day are still arriving.
latimes.com/california/sto…
Read 6 tweets
Nov 10
Police pursuits are nothing new for Southern California.

But the chase that occurred Wednesday evening across Los Angeles and Orange counties was one for the ages.

Thread 🧵⬇️
latimes.com/california/sto… A high-speed chase that led authorities through Los Angeles
For more than an hour, a suspect led police on a dangerous pursuit, twice stealing vehicles, hitting multiple cars and ramming into at least two police cruisers. latimes.com/california/sto…
Officers saw the driver of a black Honda Civic commit traffic violations near Auto Center Drive and the 5 Freeway in Fullerton.

The man sped off and police followed him into Anaheim, where he got on and off the 91 Freeway at least once.
latimes.com/california/sto…
Read 9 tweets
Nov 10
California’s shift to mail-in balloting means that voting begins weeks before election day and tabulation continues for weeks after, meaning results can remain murky in all but the most lopsided races immediately following an election.

latimes.com/california/sto…
Vote-by-mail ballots take longer to process, particularly when a massive number of them arrive all at once on election day, officials and experts said Wednesday. latimes.com/california/sto…
That makes the entire tabulation process lengthier, with less immediate certainty about how many ballots remain or whether the later tranches will look substantially different. latimes.com/california/sto…
Read 4 tweets
Nov 10
When Joseph Chahayed immigrated to Los Angeles from Syria in 1980, he envisioned a better life and a brighter future for his family.

His family said he has worked tirelessly toward that dream for decades — and on Tuesday, he finally received some well-earned recognition. Image
Joseph Chahayed's Altadena gas station was awarded $1 million for selling the winning $2-billion Powerball ticket. Under California’s rules, the retailer that sells the winning ticket earns 0.5% share of the jackpot, with the reward capped at $1M.

latimes.com/california/sto…
Chahayed’s unassuming gas station and small convenience store, known as Joe’s Mobile Service, sold the nation’s only matching ticket for the record-breaking Powerball jackpot, which amassed to $2.04 billion by the time of the drawing early Tuesday.

latimes.com/california/sto…
Read 7 tweets

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