Pheaturing Deborah Snyder

 

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Tuesday. How are you? A woman’s worst nightmare happened while she was ordering food, as she received a disturbing text message from the man who was delivering it. According to the Mirror, the woman shared the exchange on social media in a Facebook post, detailing how her DoorDash delivery driver was holding the food delivery that she ordered hostage in exchange for sexual favors. Although the woman was unidentified and it’s not clear where the incident happened, Fox Business reported with a screenshot of the text message exchange that the dasher starts a conversation saying, “Question for ya,” to which the woman allows him to ask. He then asks if she wa single and she replied simply she had a boyfriend. And although the woman kept her response short and sweet, without a hint of rudeness, she was shocked and terrified by her delivery driver’s response. The Dasher had sent her a long message saying it’s late, wet, rainy, and he was tired. DoorDash offered him this delivery when he was 10 miles away, meaning there are not many drivers out. He offered a deal... "Help me out a little sexually and I’ll deliver the food. If not I’m gonna have to cancel.” According to the New York Post, the woman had written on Facebook, “I can’t believe this happened. I feel incredibly unsafe because now this sick individual has both my phone number and my address,” and apparently the rideshare company fired the driver. The company told the Post, “This inappropriate and unacceptable behavior is never tolerated on the DoorDash platform. The Dasher involved was immediately deactivated, and we have been in contact with the customer to offer our support. We sincerely regret that this incident fell short of the experience we strive to provide every day.” This poor woman was most definitely not expecting to be the victim of sexual harassment just from ordering food. Many people have called out DoorDash, but there have been other horror stories with other rideshare companies like Lyft or Uber Eats. Either way, the way this was handled was too lenient, and that man should’ve been reported to the police. He may do that again to someone else, and they might not be as lucky in remaining safe. 

A Texas man was arrested after a 6-year-old girl was fatally shot over a clogged toilet and spilled water. According to authorities, Pasadena police officers found the girl, who was identified as Laurionne Walker, shot multiple times at an apartment complex in Pasadena. The girl was immediately taken to the hospital, where she later died. Authorities identified the suspect as 35-year-old Raymeon Means and was apprehended near the apartment. He was charged with capital murder of someone 10 years or younger. According to court records, he was booked on Saturday night and was denied bond. Mauricio Alvarez, a neighbor of Means, told local news outlet KPRC that before the shooting, Means had knocked on their door and asked if their water was working. The neighbor stated, “He was like, 'Oh, can you check if you have water coming down because the little girl clogged the toilet.'" Means then left and the neighbors heard arguing and a commotion in the parking lot. A woman had a knife and was yelling at Means telling him to “get out of here.” Means then ran upstairs and four gunshots were heard. Neighbors also heard screams as the suspect ran away from the scene. According to the Houston Chronicle, Means was upset that the girl had clogged the toilet, which caused water to spill over. Police stated that the girl’s mother had dropped her off so she could attend a vigil for family members killed in a car crash. In the accident, a mother and her three young children died after a suspected drunken driver had crashed into their car, which caused a fiery multivehicle wreck. The uncle of the 6-year-old, Damien House, is the father of the children who passed away in the crash. Speaking about the girl’s death, House stated, “All I can say to my sister, ‘I’m here for her.’ I can imagine what she’s going through because we’re all going through the same thing.” As far as Means, according to authorities he has been previously convicted of endangering a child and injury to a child. 

If you didn’t know, it’s Women’s History Month, and Leyna Bloom is living her dream come true after all her hard work. Bloom made serious history as the very first transgender woman of color to be featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, following the footsteps of Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, who was the first transgender woman to display her beach body in the iconic magazine. Bloom is a black and Filipino Chicago native who first made headlines back in 2017, as one of the first openly transgender models to walk the New York Fashion Week runway. The Filipina also appeared in Vogue India, was the only openly transgender model to walk the Paris Fashion Week runway in 2019 and is now proudly the first black and Asian transgender woman to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. “This is what it looks like to be in full bloom,” she wrote in an Instagram post on social media. “This moment is bigger than my wildest infinite dreams. In this moment, I am a representation of all the communities I grew from, and all the communities I’m planting seeds in,” she added. She also explained in a trailer interview with Sports Illustrated, “When I first started modeling, what I heard the most was ‘you’re black, you’re a woman, your trans, and you’re poor. You’re at the bottom of the food chain. Now people are telling me ‘you are a beautiful woman, you are a beautiful black woman, and you’re a powerful trans woman.” MJ Day, editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, said, “Her presence as the first trans woman of color to be in our issue is a result of her lifetime dedication to forging her own path that has led to acceptance, love and change. She represents every person’s right to love themselves and be who they want to be,” and the magazine also celebrated her “undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set.”

Okay, with today's guest being Deborah Snyder I have to tell this story... The massive success of Zack Snyder’s Justice League that even led to the platform experiencing some service outages proved that the hype for the film is real. Despite the praises and satisfaction that many fans are expressing, many fans are looking toward Warner Bros as some fans viewed the studio as the villain of the story. Although fans are mad at WB, WarnerMedia was also caught in the crosshairs. WarnerMedia is the parent company that owns both Warner Bros and HBO. Many fans felt that the reason why the 2017 version of Justice League happened was because of the executives at WB. The anger led to some fans attacking certain executives from the company. This led WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff to speak out and condemn the toxic side of the fandom. It has to be noted that not everyone is engaging in the attacks. Sarnoff addressed the Snyder Cut fans who engaged in making death threats against some WarnerMedia executives, journalists, or anyone who was perceived to have been blocking the film’s release. In an interview with Variety, the CEO was displeased with the path that some fans chose to take. She said that they will not tolerate the behavior, adding that making death threats and personal attacks are reprehensible. Sarnoff said, "We’re not tolerating any of that. That behavior is reprehensible no matter what franchise you’re talking about or what business you’re talking about. It’s completely unacceptable. I’m very disappointed in the fans that have chosen to go to that negative place with regard to DC, with regard to some of our executives. It’s just disappointing because we want this to be a safe place to be. We want DC to be a fandom that feels safe and inclusive. We want people to be able to speak up for the things they love, but we don’t want it to be a culture of cancelling things that any small faction isn’t happy with. We are not about that. We are about positivity and celebration." However, in the interview, Sarnoff seemed to have also shut down any possible chances of restoring the Snyderverse. In a statement, Sarnoff said that she appreciated that fans loved Snyder’s work, but added that the film is the completion of his trilogy. Here is the full statement, "I appreciate that they love Zack’s work and we are very thankful for his many contributions to DC. We’re just so happy that he could bring his cut of the Justice League to life because that wasn’t in the plan until about a year ago. With that comes the completion of his trilogy. We’re very happy we’ve done this, but we’re very excited about the plans we have for all the multi-dimensional DC characters that are being developed right now." This seems to point to the fact that they are not planning on any Snyderverse project. However, the Snyder cut also seemed impossible at the time but it became a reality. Still, fans need to lower their expectations that there will ever be a sequel for the film. 

Since last year's confirmation that both Jamie Foxx and Alfred Molina will be reprising their villain roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home, webheads have immediately come to the conclusion that their respective foes Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire will also be involved in the film to join the MCU's Spidey Tom Holland. Holland has already come out to debunk the rumors surrounding Tobey and Andrew's casting but the speculations about their involvement have once again been fueled after Andrew's stunt double from The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was apparently spotted in Atlanta. Now, the good folks over at Geekosity are claiming that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are planning to announce their No Way Home involvement in jaw-dropping fashion. According to their scoop, the studios aren't in a hurry to confirm the casting of both Tobey and Andrew as they want everything to be perfectly timed. As far as the announcement is concerned, the entertainment website claims that it will take place in a show like "Good Morning America" where Tobey and Andrew will pop up out of nowhere to confirm their casting as Tom hypes up the film. That already sounds like it's going to break the Internet in half but of course, just like any rumor, take this one with a huge grain of salt. Considering we're still nine months away from the premiere of No Way Home, it looks like we're going to have to wait a little longer for the official announcement to drop as there's no way Marvel Studios will choose to prioritize that over publicity for films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals which are hitting cinemas before Spider-Man 3. If the rumors are in fact true, I can already see fans going crazy over it. It'll be a monumental moment for sure. 

Okay, so, did you know that I originally was supposed to play Superman in the Justice League films and Batman V Superman? No? Well, take a look at this screen shot then...

See? That's me! I even originally was supposed to be playing Superman in Snyder's version... 

But what was really a weird casting idea was I was gonna be Cyborg as well.

Hahahahaha. Wait. I'm not done. I was even gonna take over as director of the movies.

And this would be my version of the Justice League...

What a casual lot they would be. Hahahaha. I'm just cracking myself up. Okay, so, did you know some babies are born with a full set of teeth? No? Check this out...

Ooooh. Scary, right? You know what makes me laugh? When people reenact photos from their childhood. Like this one...

Haha. So, if I had a TARDIS I would go to New York City in the 60s to shop. Then I'll come across this...

To say all fashion was dictated by the major designers until the 1960s is an understatement. What is reflected in this picture is the beginning of the downfall of the stylish clothing controlled by designs that were driven for centuries by the royalty of Europe. The 60s defined the rise of youth in society as a whole. Up until then, the young were relegated to fashion approved by their elders. The rebellion of youth in the 60s impacted designers as they unexpectedly decided for themselves what clothes best reflected their ideals. To the horror of designers, it became chic to put together several cheap colorful items for their outfits. This cut the old school shops out of a huge chunk of the clothing market. Mini skirts led the way. The messages in the window are basically a protest of the protestor’s fashion choices. They were in a battle to retain their share of the market. 

If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jeff...

Looks nice! The Seawolf is not there. Must be being used. I notice these things. Haha. Hopefully this year I can make it back there. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is...

Top Phive Things Said This Past Weekend

5. My little sister just told me that no one in college says "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" anymore. They say “exclusive” in case anyone was wondering how to be cool.

4. I used to think that romantic relationships were based on a lot of bickering and battles of wits that inevitably turned into chemistry. That’s how people fall in love in movies. But then you grow up and realize that not everything in life is the way it’s portrayed in Shrek.

3. The first guy who heard a parrot talk was probably not okay for several days. 

2. No way did God put humans on this earth so we could give each other parking tickets. 

And the number one thing said this past weekend was...

1. Benadryl really said, "You can't sneeze if you're unconscious." 

The 148th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

Marie Kondo will be on the Phile in a few weeks. 

Today's guest is an American producer of feature films and television commercials. She is married to filmmaker Zack Snyder, and has worked as his frequent producing partner on films such as Watchmen, 30) and Zack Synder's Justice League. Please welcome to the Phile... Deborah Snyder.

Me: Hello, Deborah, welcome to the Phile. How are you? 

Deborah: Hi, I'm good. Thanks for having me. 

Me: So, how are you feeling that the movie is finally out now? It's been a long time coming. 

Deborah: LOL. I'm just trying to catch may breath. I don't think we ever imagined we would be here. I mean, how do we get a second chance in this industry? It's just such rare thing. To have these fans speak up and garner such a large community with such a strong voice that made a big corporation like WarnerMedia stand up and listen is pretty unique thing. 

Me: Were you able to celebrate at all? 

Deborah: You know something, we did a bunch of things digitally with the fans because it really is about celebrating this moment with them and we did pop open a bottle of champagne. It's been a long road and honestly we just finished the film a couple of weeks ago because there was just an enormous amount of work to do. 

Me: Okay, so I know the story about the film, but some of my readers might not. Can you fill them in on the road how you got here? 

Deborah: Yes, Zack and I were working on the Justice League and in 2017 our daughter Autumn died by suicide but the decision was made to keep working on the film. 

Me: Man, what was that choice like? That's hard. 

Deborah: Well, at first thought we just thought we were going to put our heads down and maybe that will help us get through this really difficult period, but when we started to do that we realized that wasn't really going to happen. There was some additional photography that was planned and they wanted it shot in England. We didn't want to leave the family and we were opening Wonder Woman at the same time and we had gone to China and had done some press and I think the pressure and the jet lag and all the work... 

Me: Rumors went around and people still say Zack quit making the movie because of the studio not happy with it or with him.

Deborah: Listen, it was no secret we were kind of arguing with the studio about what the movie should be. They wanted it a little shorter, they wanted it a little funnier, they wanted something that really wasn't in the DNA. And all those things combined, I remember getting back from China and it was three in the morning and we were up because of the jet lag and Zack was like "I just can't do this anymore" and I was like "I cannot either." It was just too much, so we took the time and instead we spent it with, one year turned into two years, we spent it with the family and did a lot of traveling and just being together and trying to heal. It was the best decision we could've done. We made a conscience decision to go public with the reason we were leaving and to talk about suicide and mental health awareness. I think what's remarkable is through this whole process that with the fans, not only they wanted this movie, they wanted it for them but at the same time every activation they did, every dollar they raised for billboards and planes that flew over Warner Bros. saying "release the Snyder cut" and a big Jumbotron in Times Square, half that money went to AFSP. Even on those Jumbotron's in the corner there was the logo of AFSP so the awareness that they have raised has been so much a part of this movement, and the awareness of mental health especially at a time right now where we're in this pandemic. A lot of people have lost their jobs, have lost their loved ones, and I just think the work is so important and to me that's what I'm most proud of, is the work that they have done and to be a small part of that. 

Me: I have to say I'm so sorry for your loss, Deborah. 

Deborah: Thank you. It's still not easy but I think things are good. Something's are good, coming out of something that is just so bad has been a good thing and I think a little cathartic for us. 

Me: Okay, so, the film got finished but not by you guys, right? 

Deborah: Yeah, it got finished by Joss Whedon who rewrites a lot of the film, releases his version of the Justice League. 

Me: Did you see his version? I saw it and thought it was good, a fun popcorn action movie. 

Deborah: I did see his version. Once. Right before there release of the film. 

Me: I bet that was hard, was it? 

Deborah: It was hard. And without judgement against that of that film, when I worked with these characters over ten years and planning and deciding and really creating who they are and then developing this film and story and when I see something so radically different in tone, radically different how it was photographed, it's just hard. 

Me: What was the hardest part about it? 

Deborah: We never thought we'd be sitting here today where Zack's vision would actually be completed. That was a crazy notion. So thinking that's how it would all end was really disappointing. But it was hard too because a lot of the cast we've known a lot of them for over ten years and worked with them and we wanted ti support them at the same time. But yes it was the vision of a movie that had nothing to do with our vision. 

Me: So, now Zack's version is done and out there, and is four bloody hours long. How did we get to where we are today? Haha. 

Deborah: Listen, I think it was the perfect storm of events that allowed Zack Snyder's Justice League to come to life. It started with the fans and it started as this grassroots movement to release the Snyder cut with a partition. But I think what started that hashtag right after the films release, the fans knew what they had seen from the trailers before we left the movie and then seeing this version, it didn't feel like Zack's work. It didn't have the artistry or the same tone as what they were expecting. So they had this rallying cry, they started by writing letters and they started by sending fruit baskets. I think Ann Sarnoff got her new job and she arrives at her office and there's like hundreds of letters and dozens of fruit baskets, she was like, "Oh my goodness. This is so nice." And then she realized they were all for the Snyder cut of the movement. And they were like "release the Snyder cut!" So that became billboards and bus shelters at ComicCon and then that became airplanes flying over the studios. They had a couple of days where they picketed outside of the gates with signs saying "release the Snyder cut." Then cut to the release of the movie, I think it was the anniversary of the 2017 release I think that's when they did the Jumbotron in Times Square. Then some of the talent also tweeted release the Snyder cut. I think it just got amplified to the point where everyone at the studio really took notice and said hey, this is a thing. At the smart time they were launching HBOMax which was the perfect platrform for it. 

Me: Yeah, and as it's four hours long people don't need to sit inside a movie theater that long during a pandemic. 

Deborah: Listen, a four hour movie is not realistic to have a theatrical release but in the streaming world that's perfectly doable and viable. What's really greta about it, I think, Zack had always envisioned a longer version with the title cards so its a great place for viewers to stop. They can watch one or two of them, I know super fans will go through the whole four hours but some people may want to take it in smaller bites. They can do that in a streaming situation. 

Me: Do you think four hours was too long? 

Deborah: I think we're used to watching things that fold out a little slower, that develops and to me that's a more rewarding experience because we really get to know the struggles of these characters. We get to see their arcs. We already got to see a Superman movie, and we had a Batman and Superman movie and two Wonder Woman movies so we know a lot about those characters but to see more about the Flash and really get a more greater introduction to Cyborg that this version of the movie does all of that. 

Me: So, what was your reaction when you knew this film would be finally out and people would see it? 

Deborah: When this all happened and they came to us and said, "Hey, would you like to release this on HBOMax? But we have no money to finish it." We were like the music isn't done, we had like an assembly of what it was but there was a lot of work to be done. 

Me: Why is that? 

Deborah: Because we left rather early in the process. They said, "Okay, what would it take?" Then just figuring out what it would take and to do that kind of in a secret way, to figure out how to finish the visual effects. We have over two thousand five hundred and sixty-six new visual effect shots. And just to budget that and figure out how to plan that, that was a job all in itself. It was a little bit of a price tag so we had to convince them it was worth spending the money. 

Me: There is also a thin line with the toxic shit as well from fans online. How did you handle that? 

Deborah: I think just in general online there is a general anonymity that people feel they can say things that they wouldn't say to your face necessarily. I just believe that toxicity is not good. Also we see it sometimes in how people review things too, where it becomes super personal attacks. I just don't think it's acceptable behavior on any level. I feel like its often times there's a small minority with a loud voice that we have. Because I believe that we have in this fandom we've seen such positivity. 

Me: What is something that really touched you about this? 

Deborah: Throughout the two years when we took a break from everything we got such outreach from people about how these movies and how these characters really impacted them. Like on a personal level, or people that were struggling with depression, that found something in these movies and to me the movies that we made and that interested me in them was that these heroes were a little bit more relatable in their struggles and their heroes journey to become the heroes we know of them to be which we find them at the end of Justice League, we see them kind of trying to find a place in the world. I always said I'll never understand what it's like to have super powers but I can relate to what am I supposed to be doing, what's my responsibility. To me that kind gave me an in with these characters, that's why I like them. 

Me: So, do you think home streaming is really the way of the cinema? 

Deborah: I love going to the theater and love watching a movie but I also love the streamers are around and they give the filmmakers an opportunity that we wouldn't have otherwise. We're working with Netflix right now, we have the movie Army of the Dead that is coming out in May that was at Warner Bros. but we couldn't enough money to have it made the way we needed it to be made. At Netflix we were able to get this movie made in all its glory with the visual effects on the budget that we needed it. I feel liker the streamers are taking chances. I mean look, HBOMax took a huge chance allowing us to make Justice League. I think right now studios are making this bigger tent-pole movies but I think there's a lot of smaller movies and mid-level movies that are getting made with the streaming services that would never see the light of day. I think it's an exciting time. 

Me: Why is that? 

Deborah: Because I feel that's a win-win for any filmmaker. And I do think they can and will exist as a compliment to each other. I don't think it's an either or situation, it would make me very sad if there weren't theaters to watch a movie on a giant screen. 

Me: I agree. I miss going to the movies. Thanks for being on the Phile, Deborah. Tell Zack Watchmen is one of my favorite movies ever. 

Deborah: Thank you. I will.

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Deborah Snyder for a cool interview. The Phile will be back on Monday with musician Jon Bryant. Spread the word, not there turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Kiss your brain.

Give me some rope, tie me to dream, give me the hope to run out of steam, somebody said it could be here. We could be roped up, tied up, dead in a year. I can't count the reasons I should stay. One by one they all just fade away...