Five years after the sensational college admission scandal that landed her in federal prison for nearly two months, Lori Loughlin is following up her reemergence on television with her first major magazine interview since she was at the center of the national controversy.
Loughlin, 59, has appeared on the cover of the latest issue of First for Women and, in the accompanying article, she discussed her life in 2024 without directly addressing the scandal.
“Every day, we’re met with different obstacles. But, for me, it’s like that song says, ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again,'” she said. “Nobody said life was going to be a breeze; we all make mistakes, but the important thing is to persevere.”
In 2019, she and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were named alongside several other parents in the nationwide FBI investigation into William “Rick” Singer, who was paid large sums of money...
Loughlin, 59, has appeared on the cover of the latest issue of First for Women and, in the accompanying article, she discussed her life in 2024 without directly addressing the scandal.
“Every day, we’re met with different obstacles. But, for me, it’s like that song says, ‘I get knocked down, but I get up again,'” she said. “Nobody said life was going to be a breeze; we all make mistakes, but the important thing is to persevere.”
In 2019, she and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, were named alongside several other parents in the nationwide FBI investigation into William “Rick” Singer, who was paid large sums of money...
- 4/26/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Almost exactly five years to the day, Lori Loughlin guest starred on the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In this episode, she made fun of herself and her participation in the Varsity Blues College Admissions Scandal.
What happened in this episode, and how did Lori get involved in this?
Lori Loughlin by Melissa Coulier, used with Great American Family’s permission Lori Loughlin Parodies Herself In Curb Your Enthusiasm Episode Mimicking College Admissions Scandal
On Sunday, Lori Loughlin parodied herself in Larry David’s Max comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. The When Calls The Heart alum played a fictional version of herself. In this episode, Ted Danson, also playing a fictionalized version of himself, asks David if he could help him out with a problem. He needed David to sponsor her to join a fancy country club because of “that whole college admissions scandal thing.” In turn, David is happy to “champion the underdog,...
What happened in this episode, and how did Lori get involved in this?
Lori Loughlin by Melissa Coulier, used with Great American Family’s permission Lori Loughlin Parodies Herself In Curb Your Enthusiasm Episode Mimicking College Admissions Scandal
On Sunday, Lori Loughlin parodied herself in Larry David’s Max comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm. The When Calls The Heart alum played a fictional version of herself. In this episode, Ted Danson, also playing a fictionalized version of himself, asks David if he could help him out with a problem. He needed David to sponsor her to join a fancy country club because of “that whole college admissions scandal thing.” In turn, David is happy to “champion the underdog,...
- 3/12/2024
- by Georgia Makitalo
- TV Shows Ace
[This story contains spoilers from the sixth episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12.]
Curb Your Enthusiasm is known for inviting guest actors onto the HBO improv comedy series to play versions of themselves and go toe-to-toe with Larry David’s onscreen persona.
The latest actress to do so was Lori Loughlin, who came on the sixth episode of the 12th and final season to confront her post-college admissions scandal reputation in Hollywood. The setup was that Loughlin, who loves to play golf, was being black-balled from L.A. country clubs due to her role in the 2019 scandal. (Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli were among the high-profile parents charged with paying fixers to get their children into top U.S. universities, nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues by the FBI.)
So Loughlin needs a sponsor, and who better than Larry — someone who has gotten so many second chances himself? “You know I’m a champion of the underdog,” he says.
“On the show,...
Curb Your Enthusiasm is known for inviting guest actors onto the HBO improv comedy series to play versions of themselves and go toe-to-toe with Larry David’s onscreen persona.
The latest actress to do so was Lori Loughlin, who came on the sixth episode of the 12th and final season to confront her post-college admissions scandal reputation in Hollywood. The setup was that Loughlin, who loves to play golf, was being black-balled from L.A. country clubs due to her role in the 2019 scandal. (Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli were among the high-profile parents charged with paying fixers to get their children into top U.S. universities, nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues by the FBI.)
So Loughlin needs a sponsor, and who better than Larry — someone who has gotten so many second chances himself? “You know I’m a champion of the underdog,” he says.
“On the show,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Felicity Huffman is still working out how she feels about life after her 2019 criminal conviction. The former Desperate Housewives star told The Guardian this week that things have “been hard” following her return to work after the college admissions scandal that dominated headlines five years ago.
“How I am is kind of a loaded question,” she said. “I guess I’m still processing.”
In 2019, Huffman pled guilty to paying $15,000 for an Sat score to aid her eldest daughter’s college admission. Her conviction was one of several at the heart of an admissions scandal nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues by the FBI. She later served 11 days in prison, paid a $30,000 fine and completed 250 hours of community service.
Huffman spoke to The Guardian from the set of Hir, a Taylor Mac play currently running at London’s Park Theatre. Huffman portrays the show’s protagonist, marking her most public return to performing since the conviction.
“How I am is kind of a loaded question,” she said. “I guess I’m still processing.”
In 2019, Huffman pled guilty to paying $15,000 for an Sat score to aid her eldest daughter’s college admission. Her conviction was one of several at the heart of an admissions scandal nicknamed Operation Varsity Blues by the FBI. She later served 11 days in prison, paid a $30,000 fine and completed 250 hours of community service.
Huffman spoke to The Guardian from the set of Hir, a Taylor Mac play currently running at London’s Park Theatre. Huffman portrays the show’s protagonist, marking her most public return to performing since the conviction.
- 2/6/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Over an impressive 11 years, every season of "Frasier" boasted some top-notch guest stars. The beloved sitcom, which recently returned for a revival show that was neither disappointing nor remarkable, featured everyone from Patrick Stewart to Michael Keaton and almost the entire cast of "Cheers" — the show on which Frasier Crane himself debuted.
But there were also a ton of major guest appearances that we never got to see. Dr. Crane famously ran a call-in talk radio show on Seattle's Kacl station, where he would dole out life advice to embattled residents of the Emerald City, many of whom were big-time celebrities. At one point Macaulay Culkin called Frasier's show as a self-conscious 43-year-old man who was concerned about his youthful voice. Then there was the time Helen Mirren sought Dr. Crane's advice about her kleptomania. But that's just the beginning of the sitcom's extensive list of unseen guest stars. In fact,...
But there were also a ton of major guest appearances that we never got to see. Dr. Crane famously ran a call-in talk radio show on Seattle's Kacl station, where he would dole out life advice to embattled residents of the Emerald City, many of whom were big-time celebrities. At one point Macaulay Culkin called Frasier's show as a self-conscious 43-year-old man who was concerned about his youthful voice. Then there was the time Helen Mirren sought Dr. Crane's advice about her kleptomania. But that's just the beginning of the sitcom's extensive list of unseen guest stars. In fact,...
- 1/28/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Felicity Huffman has opened up for the first time about her role in a controversial college admissions scandal in 2019 that sent her to prison.
“It felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future. And so it was sort of like my daughter’s future, which meant I had to break the law,” Huffman told Los Angeles-based ABC7 Eyewitness News during an interview where she broke her silence for the first time. During her appearance, she apologized for unlawfully disguising a $15,000 charitable donation in the bribery scheme so someone could take her daughter’s Sat exam.
“I think the people I owe a debt and apology to is the academic community. And to the students and the families that sacrifice and work really hard to get to where they are going legitimately,” a contrite Huffman said.
The Desperate Housewives star recalled meeting with William “Rick” Singer,...
“It felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future. And so it was sort of like my daughter’s future, which meant I had to break the law,” Huffman told Los Angeles-based ABC7 Eyewitness News during an interview where she broke her silence for the first time. During her appearance, she apologized for unlawfully disguising a $15,000 charitable donation in the bribery scheme so someone could take her daughter’s Sat exam.
“I think the people I owe a debt and apology to is the academic community. And to the students and the families that sacrifice and work really hard to get to where they are going legitimately,” a contrite Huffman said.
The Desperate Housewives star recalled meeting with William “Rick” Singer,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Four years after Felicity Huffman found herself embroiled in a college admissions scandal, the actress talked about the ordeal for the first time in a new interview.
Huffman ultimately spent 11 days in jail and was sentenced to community service for her role in Operation Varsity Blues, in which she paid $15,000 to “college admissions consultant” Rick Singer to falsify her daughter’s Sat test results.
“It felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future,” Huffman told Los Angeles’ Kabc in an exclusive interview. “And so it...
Huffman ultimately spent 11 days in jail and was sentenced to community service for her role in Operation Varsity Blues, in which she paid $15,000 to “college admissions consultant” Rick Singer to falsify her daughter’s Sat test results.
“It felt like I had to give my daughter a chance at a future,” Huffman told Los Angeles’ Kabc in an exclusive interview. “And so it...
- 12/1/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
John Stamos recalls his conversations with Lori Loughlin — over her allegedly tapped phone line — as the 2019 college admissions scandal broke in a new excerpt from the audiobook version of his new memoir, If You Would Have Told Me (out today, Oct. 24).
Taking us all the way back to those halcyon days of March 2019, Stamos recalls first getting a text from a friend about the scandal and Loughlin’s involvement as it was breaking. It was still early in the morning, Stamos says, and there wasn’t much information available, so he called Loughlin himself.
Taking us all the way back to those halcyon days of March 2019, Stamos recalls first getting a text from a friend about the scandal and Loughlin’s involvement as it was breaking. It was still early in the morning, Stamos says, and there wasn’t much information available, so he called Loughlin himself.
- 10/24/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Brian Tyler, composer of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” was named a BMI Icon at Wednesday night’s 38th annual Broadcast Music Inc. Film, TV and Visual Media Awards in Beverly Hills.
Tyler is among the top 10 highest-grossing film composers of all time. His other films have included “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Rambo,” “Charlie’s Angels” and the recent reboot of “Scream.” His TV credits include “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “Transformers: Prime.” He also wrote the Formula One racing theme and, as his alter ego Madsonik, has written and produced several songs with a contemporary edge.
“It’s just mind-blowing to now be included in that pantheon of talent,” Tyler told Variety, referring to the many previous recipients of the performing-rights organization’s highest accolade, including John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Alexandre Desplat and Terence Blanchard.
Tyler is among the top 10 highest-grossing film composers of all time. His other films have included “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Rambo,” “Charlie’s Angels” and the recent reboot of “Scream.” His TV credits include “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “Transformers: Prime.” He also wrote the Formula One racing theme and, as his alter ego Madsonik, has written and produced several songs with a contemporary edge.
“It’s just mind-blowing to now be included in that pantheon of talent,” Tyler told Variety, referring to the many previous recipients of the performing-rights organization’s highest accolade, including John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Alexandre Desplat and Terence Blanchard.
- 5/12/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Pick any memorable detail at random from the overview montage at the beginning of “Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.”: an immortal dog, an undercover operation, a circle of picketers. More notable than any of those individual pieces, though, is the whole itself.
Almost a tacit admission that a four-part documentary series with this title wouldn’t exist without things turning out badly, the show begins at the end, teeing up a tell-all conversation with Sarma Melngailis. In the ever-calcifying Netflix house style, there’s the former proprietor of trendy New York eatery Pure Food and Wine, looking straight into the camera and describing how on the verge of turning her restaurant into a blooming culinary empire, the arrival of one enigmatic individual helped to upend it all.
Much like the reputation of Pure Food and Wine in an enthralled subset of New York socialites, Sarma becomes the prism through...
Almost a tacit admission that a four-part documentary series with this title wouldn’t exist without things turning out badly, the show begins at the end, teeing up a tell-all conversation with Sarma Melngailis. In the ever-calcifying Netflix house style, there’s the former proprietor of trendy New York eatery Pure Food and Wine, looking straight into the camera and describing how on the verge of turning her restaurant into a blooming culinary empire, the arrival of one enigmatic individual helped to upend it all.
Much like the reputation of Pure Food and Wine in an enthralled subset of New York socialites, Sarma becomes the prism through...
- 3/14/2022
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Los Angeles-based entertainment law film Donaldson Callif Perez has promoted associate Katy Alimohammadi Crown to partner.
Crown specializes in representing filmmakers in all stages of their projects, including production legal services, rights clearance and distribution. She has established herself as a leading production and clearance attorney, serving as counsel on documentary series such as HBO’s “Music Box,” “The Last Dance,” “Tiger King” and “Random Acts of Flyness.” She has also worked as clearance counsel on scripted projects such as “Bombshell,” “The Front Runner,” “Zola” and “Leave No Trace,” as well as documentaries including “Operation Varsity Blues,” “Circus of Books,” “Shirkers” and the Oscar-nominated films “The Mole Agent” and “Crip Camp.”
“Katy has been a strong voice at our firm from the first day she arrived. Her love for film and books influences all her work in support of the creative community,” said Michael Donaldson.
Crown has been with Donaldson...
Crown specializes in representing filmmakers in all stages of their projects, including production legal services, rights clearance and distribution. She has established herself as a leading production and clearance attorney, serving as counsel on documentary series such as HBO’s “Music Box,” “The Last Dance,” “Tiger King” and “Random Acts of Flyness.” She has also worked as clearance counsel on scripted projects such as “Bombshell,” “The Front Runner,” “Zola” and “Leave No Trace,” as well as documentaries including “Operation Varsity Blues,” “Circus of Books,” “Shirkers” and the Oscar-nominated films “The Mole Agent” and “Crip Camp.”
“Katy has been a strong voice at our firm from the first day she arrived. Her love for film and books influences all her work in support of the creative community,” said Michael Donaldson.
Crown has been with Donaldson...
- 3/9/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday revealed the 276 feature films that are eligible for consideration at the 94rd Oscars, which are set to air live March 27 on ABC from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The number is 90 fewer than last year’s 366, but this year’s eligibility period was only 10 months.
To be eligible for Best Picture consideration, films must have submitted a confidential Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards entry as part of the submission requirements. Nominations voting begins January 27 and concludes on February 1. The Oscar nominations will be revealed on Tuesday, February 8.
Today’s news comes about a month after the Academy released its shortlists in the International Film, Documentary Feature, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup & Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Sound and the Live-Action, Documentary and Animated Shorts categories.
Here is the full list of films eligible for Best Picture at the 94rd annual Academy Awards,...
The number is 90 fewer than last year’s 366, but this year’s eligibility period was only 10 months.
To be eligible for Best Picture consideration, films must have submitted a confidential Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards entry as part of the submission requirements. Nominations voting begins January 27 and concludes on February 1. The Oscar nominations will be revealed on Tuesday, February 8.
Today’s news comes about a month after the Academy released its shortlists in the International Film, Documentary Feature, Original Score, Original Song, Makeup & Hairstyling, Visual Effects, Sound and the Live-Action, Documentary and Animated Shorts categories.
Here is the full list of films eligible for Best Picture at the 94rd annual Academy Awards,...
- 1/20/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Best original song Oscar contenders Beyoncé and Van Morrison are among those who received nominations in the visual media categories at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (Hmma). Composers Hans Zimmer and Nicholas Britell were included among the familiar names picking up nods in the score categories.
The awards will be presented Nov. 17. The HMMAs honor composers, songwriters, and music supervisors for their work in music for film, television, and videogames.
Nominations here have historically been a harbinger or guide for what nominees and winners will pop up in the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys that occur later in awards season, although there is a much wider field in the HMMAs, since there are separate divisions for sci-fi, animation, documentary and independent films in the score categories. The Hollywood Music in Media Awards will feature music performances, celebrity presenters, tributes to music industry icons, awards for composers, songwriters and...
The awards will be presented Nov. 17. The HMMAs honor composers, songwriters, and music supervisors for their work in music for film, television, and videogames.
Nominations here have historically been a harbinger or guide for what nominees and winners will pop up in the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys that occur later in awards season, although there is a much wider field in the HMMAs, since there are separate divisions for sci-fi, animation, documentary and independent films in the score categories. The Hollywood Music in Media Awards will feature music performances, celebrity presenters, tributes to music industry icons, awards for composers, songwriters and...
- 11/4/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Attorney Chris Perez has been promoted to name partner at the law firm of Donaldson Callif, a prominent player in documentary and independent film and TV production.
The Beverly Hills-based firm has changed its name to Donaldson Callif Perez.
“Chris has been a key member of our team and instrumental in the firm’s growth over the past twelve years,” partner Lisa Callif said. “It feels absolutely right to add his name to our firm name and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Founded in 2008, Dcp’s specialties include advising clients in all aspects of development, production, clearance and distribution matters.
Perez joined the firm in 2009 and became a partner in 2015. He focuses on representing independent filmmakers through the development, financing, production, rights clearance and distribution process. His most recent projects include such prominent features and docuseries as “Tiger King: Murder, Madness and Mayhem,” “The Vow,” “Bombshell,” “The Farewell,” “The Last Dance,...
The Beverly Hills-based firm has changed its name to Donaldson Callif Perez.
“Chris has been a key member of our team and instrumental in the firm’s growth over the past twelve years,” partner Lisa Callif said. “It feels absolutely right to add his name to our firm name and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Founded in 2008, Dcp’s specialties include advising clients in all aspects of development, production, clearance and distribution matters.
Perez joined the firm in 2009 and became a partner in 2015. He focuses on representing independent filmmakers through the development, financing, production, rights clearance and distribution process. His most recent projects include such prominent features and docuseries as “Tiger King: Murder, Madness and Mayhem,” “The Vow,” “Bombshell,” “The Farewell,” “The Last Dance,...
- 6/16/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
“America’s Next Top Model” executive producer Ken Mok and former CBS executive Scott Koondel are shopping a docu-series following eight students as they navigate the college application process.
The series will be fronted by Perry Kalmus, a high-end college admissions counselor who is behind the Akala startup venture that aims to help students from underprivileged backgrounds prepare for the admissions gauntlet at some of the nation’s top schools.
Kalmus was prominently featured in the Netflix documentary series “Operation Varsity Blues” about the real-life 2019 college admissions scandal that enveloped actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, among others.
“College Whisperer” is billed as the legit version of “Varsity Blues.” The FBI sting operation by that name netted overachieving parents who were charged with paying bribes to help get their children into top schools such as USC, Harvard and Georgetown University.
The series that Mok, Koondel and Perry have shopped to major...
The series will be fronted by Perry Kalmus, a high-end college admissions counselor who is behind the Akala startup venture that aims to help students from underprivileged backgrounds prepare for the admissions gauntlet at some of the nation’s top schools.
Kalmus was prominently featured in the Netflix documentary series “Operation Varsity Blues” about the real-life 2019 college admissions scandal that enveloped actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, among others.
“College Whisperer” is billed as the legit version of “Varsity Blues.” The FBI sting operation by that name netted overachieving parents who were charged with paying bribes to help get their children into top schools such as USC, Harvard and Georgetown University.
The series that Mok, Koondel and Perry have shopped to major...
- 6/3/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Matthew Modine is running for president of SAG-AFTRA again as the leader of Membership First, the union’s opposition party. Joely Fisher, a former national board member, is running for secretary treasurer as his running mate.
Modine was defeated for the presidency by Gabrielle Carteris in a highly contentious election in 2019. In that race, Carteris received 13,537 votes to Modine’s 10,683, with a third candidate, former SAG-AFTRA secretary-treasurer Jane Austin, receiving 5,048 votes. Only 21.2% of the union’s eligible members cast ballots last time.
“The union spends exorbitant amounts of our own members’ money attempting to convince us that our contracts have been successfully negotiated,” Modine said. “The truth is they fall far short of the economic conditions facing performers today. I’m running to ensure that each of the locals across the United States are truthfully and transparently represented.
“One of the biggest issues on the minds of our membership today...
Modine was defeated for the presidency by Gabrielle Carteris in a highly contentious election in 2019. In that race, Carteris received 13,537 votes to Modine’s 10,683, with a third candidate, former SAG-AFTRA secretary-treasurer Jane Austin, receiving 5,048 votes. Only 21.2% of the union’s eligible members cast ballots last time.
“The union spends exorbitant amounts of our own members’ money attempting to convince us that our contracts have been successfully negotiated,” Modine said. “The truth is they fall far short of the economic conditions facing performers today. I’m running to ensure that each of the locals across the United States are truthfully and transparently represented.
“One of the biggest issues on the minds of our membership today...
- 5/27/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The first two episodes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier landed the Marvel series for Disney+ the No. 3 spot on the Nielsen U.S. streaming chart.
While total viewing of 628 million minutes from March 22 to 28 didn’t equal mainstays NCIS and Criminal Minds, the first two episodes are already at the level Marvel’s WandaVision was a month into its run. It improved from the No. 6 spot last week, with the premiere racking up 495 million minutes of viewing.
While Disney+ launched in November 2019, Marvel did not start contributing series to the service until this year. Unlike Netflix, Disney has generally released series one episode at a time, giving them time to build buzz and viewers.
Netflix, in addition to dominating the top 10 as usual, made its mark on Nielsen’s movie-specific list. Seeing the fruit of its efforts to ramp up its movie output, the streaming leader owned the top four spots.
While total viewing of 628 million minutes from March 22 to 28 didn’t equal mainstays NCIS and Criminal Minds, the first two episodes are already at the level Marvel’s WandaVision was a month into its run. It improved from the No. 6 spot last week, with the premiere racking up 495 million minutes of viewing.
While Disney+ launched in November 2019, Marvel did not start contributing series to the service until this year. Unlike Netflix, Disney has generally released series one episode at a time, giving them time to build buzz and viewers.
Netflix, in addition to dominating the top 10 as usual, made its mark on Nielsen’s movie-specific list. Seeing the fruit of its efforts to ramp up its movie output, the streaming leader owned the top four spots.
- 4/22/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli is under home confinement after being released from prison, according to the Associated Press.
Giannulli had been serving a five-month sentence at the federal facility in Lompoc, Calif. for his role in the college admissions scandal, which began last November. He and wife Lori Loughlin pled guilty last year to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California. However, Loughlin only spent two months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif. and was released this past December.
Beginning home confinement on Friday, Giannulli is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, which records show will end in two weeks.
In January, he requested an early release but was denied because his case did not meet the extraordinary circumstances required. At the time, his attorneys noted that he had been placed in isolation for nearly two months because the...
Giannulli had been serving a five-month sentence at the federal facility in Lompoc, Calif. for his role in the college admissions scandal, which began last November. He and wife Lori Loughlin pled guilty last year to paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California. However, Loughlin only spent two months at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif. and was released this past December.
Beginning home confinement on Friday, Giannulli is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, which records show will end in two weeks.
In January, he requested an early release but was denied because his case did not meet the extraordinary circumstances required. At the time, his attorneys noted that he had been placed in isolation for nearly two months because the...
- 4/3/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
After viewing the college admission scandal documentary Operation Varsity Blues, David, Devindra, and Jeff reflect on the future of higher education in America. For the feature review, the cast, along with Dan Murrell, is tackling the highly anticipated “Snyder Cut” of Justice League. Subscribe to Dan’s YouTube channel. Listen to Dan’s podcast, All My Movies. Back Dan on Patreon. The Slashfilmcast is launching a […]
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The post /Filmcast Ep. 611 – Zack Snyder’s Justice League (Guest: Dan Murrell) appeared first on /Film.
- 3/25/2021
- by Slashfilmcast
- Slash Film
The Quarantine Stream: ‘Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal’ Will Make You Angry
(Welcome to The Quarantine Stream, a series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.) The Movie: Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal Where You Can Stream It: Netflix The Pitch: A documentary about the 2019 college admissions scandal, where the rich and famous spent lots of money to bribe […]
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The post The Quarantine Stream: ‘Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal’ Will Make You Angry appeared first on /Film.
- 3/24/2021
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Image Source: Getty / Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe
Neflix's Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal has further exposed the largest college admissions scandal to date, bringing attention to the pervasive nature of how rich, primarily white parents schemed a system that was already skewed in favor of their children. Education is perceived as the great equalizer within society, but Rick Singer's "side door" for the wealthy serves as another example of how money and power create more inequities on an already unlevel playing field.
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal shines a harsh light on Singer (played by Matthew Modine). The mastermind and orchestrator of the scheme, Singer networked with parents who were willing to do anything to get their children into top-notch colleges and universities. In a press release, writer and producer Jon Karmen stated, "It was interesting to learn how Singer would work with these parents.
Neflix's Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal has further exposed the largest college admissions scandal to date, bringing attention to the pervasive nature of how rich, primarily white parents schemed a system that was already skewed in favor of their children. Education is perceived as the great equalizer within society, but Rick Singer's "side door" for the wealthy serves as another example of how money and power create more inequities on an already unlevel playing field.
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal shines a harsh light on Singer (played by Matthew Modine). The mastermind and orchestrator of the scheme, Singer networked with parents who were willing to do anything to get their children into top-notch colleges and universities. In a press release, writer and producer Jon Karmen stated, "It was interesting to learn how Singer would work with these parents.
- 3/20/2021
- by Ralinda Watts
- Popsugar.com
Lockout, starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, is the best sci-fi prison break movie available on Netflix right now.
“Prison break movies are a dime a dozen. Going back to The Great Escape, there seems to be no shortage of masterminded criminals who can muscle their way out of maximum security detention. Whether it’s Cool Hand Luke or even Chicken Run, it’s a tried and true genre.”
Read more at Inverse.
Few movies are worse than one that’s a disappointing adaptation of your favorite book. Check out the ten worst sinners in recent years.
“Watching a film adaptation of your favorite book is a risky business. At best, you might walk away feeling entertained but slightly disappointed that certain characters or scenes didn’t make it into the movie. At worst, you could end up livid that filmmakers somehow got everything so wrong.”
Read more at Mental Floss.
“Prison break movies are a dime a dozen. Going back to The Great Escape, there seems to be no shortage of masterminded criminals who can muscle their way out of maximum security detention. Whether it’s Cool Hand Luke or even Chicken Run, it’s a tried and true genre.”
Read more at Inverse.
Few movies are worse than one that’s a disappointing adaptation of your favorite book. Check out the ten worst sinners in recent years.
“Watching a film adaptation of your favorite book is a risky business. At best, you might walk away feeling entertained but slightly disappointed that certain characters or scenes didn’t make it into the movie. At worst, you could end up livid that filmmakers somehow got everything so wrong.”
Read more at Mental Floss.
- 3/18/2021
- by Ivan Huang
- Den of Geek
Although it is ostensibly a somewhat impartial examination of the scheme employed by Rick Singer to empower his lucrative business of side-stepping the college admissions process to the benefit of the children of his numerous wealthy clients, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, takes the unique approach of interspersing interviews with several of the actual participants of the case (mostly those on the “law and order” side of the aisle) and dramatic recreations of the conversations between Singer and his clients that the FBI obtained through wiretaps to tell the story that, yet again, brought to national attention the inequality between the privileged and those who are not.
Working from a script by Jon Karmen, director Chris Smith expertly illustrates the depths to which Singer went to pull off his colossal grift. It is a testament to the work of both Karmen and Smith that the film is so...
Working from a script by Jon Karmen, director Chris Smith expertly illustrates the depths to which Singer went to pull off his colossal grift. It is a testament to the work of both Karmen and Smith that the film is so...
- 3/17/2021
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
At the start of the 2019 college bribery scandal, it came out that William "Rick" Singer orchestrated the shady dealings that helped the children of wealthy parents get into elite universities. Netflix's crime docudrama Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal reveals how the college counselor cooperated with federal authorities pretty early on in their investigation, helping the government implicate parents, testing professionals, and school administrators. On March 12, 2019, he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice. He also promised to forfeit $3.4 million. While many parents and officials have been sentenced, Singer remains free for the time being.
Singer's scheme, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues by the government, involved hiring people to take standardized exams for students and faking their sports credentials to gain them admissions as athletic recruits. His clients included wealthy CEOs and celebrities who paid him off through his purported charity,...
Singer's scheme, dubbed Operation Varsity Blues by the government, involved hiring people to take standardized exams for students and faking their sports credentials to gain them admissions as athletic recruits. His clients included wealthy CEOs and celebrities who paid him off through his purported charity,...
- 3/17/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
A dutiful crime documentary that raises few hackles, “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal,” doesn’t waste breath on moralistic huffing and puffing about what a certain group of rich parents did to get their children into exclusive colleges. It also, delightfully, expends precious little screen time on the celebrities like Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin, whose faces and names featured in nearly all news stories about this story when it broke in early 2019.
Continue reading ‘Operation Varsity Blues’: The Elite College Corruption Scandal Hiding in Plain Sight [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Operation Varsity Blues’: The Elite College Corruption Scandal Hiding in Plain Sight [Review] at The Playlist.
- 3/14/2021
- by Chris Barsanti
- The Playlist
This weekly feature is in addition to TVLine’s daily What to Watch listings and monthly guide to What’s on Streaming.
With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineWhat's New on Netflix'Missing' Shows, Found! Latest Intel on 30+ SeriesChris Harrison Out as Bachelorette Host -- Find...
With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.
More from TVLineWhat's New on Netflix'Missing' Shows, Found! Latest Intel on 30+ SeriesChris Harrison Out as Bachelorette Host -- Find...
- 3/13/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
In criminal cases, wiretapped phone conversations are commanding pieces of evidence (juries love them), and in documentaries about crime they tend to be some of the most gripping. We hear people as they really are. In “Allen v. Farrow,” the tapes of Woody Allen in phone conversations secretly recorded by Mia Farrow present an oily power side of him that has never been heard as openly. And in the bracing documentary “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal,” we hear the high drama of wealthy parents on the phone with Rick Singer, the independent college counselor who orchestrated the massive scam that rocked the world of elite college admissions. It sent Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin to jail — but that scurrilous saga of fallen celebrity was, in this case, just the tabloid tip of the iceberg.
The movie was directed by Chris Smith, who has made documentaries about a wide range of subjects,...
The movie was directed by Chris Smith, who has made documentaries about a wide range of subjects,...
- 3/12/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
From Fyre and Tiger King to Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (about Jim Carrey and his Andy Kaufman portrayal in Man on the Moon), director and producer Chris Smith has a knack for finding the most watchably weird projects.
Smith’s latest, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, blends narrative- and documentary-style filmmaking. Through dramatic re-creations of phone conversations caught on FBI wiretaps, the film, out March 17 on Netflix, revisits the 2019 bribery story. “It challenges the idea that we live in a meritocracy,” Smith says. “Even in education, which is something that we hold almost ...
Smith’s latest, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, blends narrative- and documentary-style filmmaking. Through dramatic re-creations of phone conversations caught on FBI wiretaps, the film, out March 17 on Netflix, revisits the 2019 bribery story. “It challenges the idea that we live in a meritocracy,” Smith says. “Even in education, which is something that we hold almost ...
- 3/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
From Fyre and Tiger King to Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (about Jim Carrey and his Andy Kaufman portrayal in Man on the Moon), director and producer Chris Smith has a knack for finding the most watchably weird projects.
Smith’s latest, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, blends narrative- and documentary-style filmmaking. Through dramatic re-creations of phone conversations caught on FBI wiretaps, the film, out March 17 on Netflix, revisits the 2019 bribery story. “It challenges the idea that we live in a meritocracy,” Smith says. “Even in education, which is something that we hold almost ...
Smith’s latest, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, blends narrative- and documentary-style filmmaking. Through dramatic re-creations of phone conversations caught on FBI wiretaps, the film, out March 17 on Netflix, revisits the 2019 bribery story. “It challenges the idea that we live in a meritocracy,” Smith says. “Even in education, which is something that we hold almost ...
- 3/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Chris Smith (“Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened”) gets another juicy contemporary headline-grabber to unpack with “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal.” This new film might lack the larger-than-life players and salty schadenfreude of that earlier Netflix documentary, but it does offer a look into both the titular scam and a broken higher education system that allowed for such chicanery.
If the first names that come to mind around this case are “Lori Loughlin” and “Felicity Huffman,” Smith wants people to think about the man at the center of it all: Rick Singer. The “side door” he offered wealthy parents to get their progeny into top-tier universities was illegal, yes, but his scam merely underscores the outrageous advantages that rich people have when it comes to getting an education for their kids.
The players here weren’t constantly documenting themselves the way the Fyre Festival organizers were,...
If the first names that come to mind around this case are “Lori Loughlin” and “Felicity Huffman,” Smith wants people to think about the man at the center of it all: Rick Singer. The “side door” he offered wealthy parents to get their progeny into top-tier universities was illegal, yes, but his scam merely underscores the outrageous advantages that rich people have when it comes to getting an education for their kids.
The players here weren’t constantly documenting themselves the way the Fyre Festival organizers were,...
- 3/11/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Operation Varsity Blues The College Admissions Scandal Trailer — Netflix‘s Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (2021) movie trailer has been released. The Operation Varsity Blues The College Admissions Scandal trailer stars Matthew Modine, Leroy Edwards III, Wallace Langham, Sarah Chaney, and Ken Weiler. Crew Jon Karmen wrote the screenplay for Operation Varsity Blues: [...]
Continue reading: Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal Trailer: Netflix’s 2021 Film Chronicles the Rich Cheating for Their Kids...
Continue reading: Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal Trailer: Netflix’s 2021 Film Chronicles the Rich Cheating for Their Kids...
- 3/3/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Netflix has released the first official trailer for “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal,” a deep dive into the 2019 bribery scandal that led to over 50 high-profile arrests, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. The criminal conspiracy to guarantee admission to elite institutions was arranged and designed by a man named Rick Singer, who will be dramatized by Matthew Modine in the film. The documentary was directed by Chris Smith and written by Jon Karmen, who had a hand in Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary “Fyre” as well as the smash hit docuseries “Tiger King.”
That should offer some idea of the tone of “Operation Varsity Blues,” which is sure to deliver the vicarious thrill of watching the demise of entitled people who think money and privilege will inure them from consequences. While the film does not claim to be a hybrid documentary, the recreations with Modine appear so...
That should offer some idea of the tone of “Operation Varsity Blues,” which is sure to deliver the vicarious thrill of watching the demise of entitled people who think money and privilege will inure them from consequences. While the film does not claim to be a hybrid documentary, the recreations with Modine appear so...
- 3/1/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
"It truly is amazing what people will say on the phone when they don't know the feds are listening." Netflix has unveiled a trailer for a documentary called Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal, the latest from acclaimed doc filmmaker Chris Smith. Smith knows how to make great docs. Everything you've heard is true. But you haven't heard everything. Using real conversations recreated from FBI wiretaps – the film has recreations and sequences starring Matthew Modine as Rick Singer. An examination that goes beyond the celebrity-driven headlines and dives into the methods used by Rick Singer, the man at the center of the shocking 2019 college admissions scandal, to persuade his wealthy clients to cheat an educational system already designed to benefit the privileged. This is such a wildly upsetting, insidious story and I'm glad it's being told this way. Here's the first trailer for Chris Smith's doc Operation ...
- 3/1/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
March brings breezes loud and shrill/stirs the dancing daffodil. Bit of poetry for you there. What Sara Coleridge fails to mention is that March also brings season seven of Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Netflix UK, more weekly episodes of Riverdale season five, a brand new sci-fi series from the creators of Misfits, a new film directed by Amy Poehler and a host of cool animated series.
The One (pictured above) is an eight-part British series created by Howard Overman about a near-future world in which a DNA test can track down your perfect partner. It’s adapted from John Marrs’ novel of the same name, and yes, has a strikingly similar premise to US anthology sci-fi Soulmates. Another fun new UK addition is The Irregulars, a period supernatural fantasy set in the Sherlock Holmes universe in which a bunch of ragtag kids not only have to save the world from darkness,...
The One (pictured above) is an eight-part British series created by Howard Overman about a near-future world in which a DNA test can track down your perfect partner. It’s adapted from John Marrs’ novel of the same name, and yes, has a strikingly similar premise to US anthology sci-fi Soulmates. Another fun new UK addition is The Irregulars, a period supernatural fantasy set in the Sherlock Holmes universe in which a bunch of ragtag kids not only have to save the world from darkness,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
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