Inside the Great Hollywood Rebellion

A creative rebellion is underway. [View in Browser]( [Esquire Sunday Reads]( [Mavericks of Hollywood 2024]( Mavericks of Hollywood 2024 A creative rebellion is underway. Yes, algorithms rule, AI looms, and the way we consume our movies and TV has never been more fragmented. But that’s precisely why we’re craving—demanding, really—entertainment that feels bold and authentic. Storytelling that surprises us, propelled by characters who ring true. After more than a decade of Marvel totality, Hollywood is answering the call. And these ten men and women embody the movement. They possess bold creative vision, unique talent, and fearlessness that is undeniably real. [Read the Full Story]( [MORE FROM ESQUIRE]( [I Am Falling Apart]( I Am Falling Apart I knew what to expect. Both of my parents had experienced retinal detachments, so I was terrified but prepared. The warning signs sounded vague: “Be wary of sudden bright flashes or arcs of light,” doctors told me. In reality, it was more like hot white blaster fire ricocheting off the hull of an Imperial light cruiser. “Be wary of any new ‘floaters,’ ” they said. When the floaters came, they were like black, stringy Dementors descending unexpectedly over my field of vision. I’ve always seen the world through this perspective—everything filtered through what I watched, heard, read, and loved. But consuming pop culture like the world was ending when it actually was wasn’t so much fun. By December 2020, we had binged, read, spun enough. My wife and I decided to focus on our health, going on nightly mile-long walks around our Forest Hills neighborhood, in Queens. One evening, the symptoms started in my left eye. We rushed to a retina specialist for outpatient laser eye surgery. Pew-pew-pew, and the hole was patched. Phew. More lasers in subsequent visits (both eyes, to be safe). My own up-close-and-personal Pink Floyd light-show experience, with encore performances. [Read the Full Story]( [J.Crew’s Labor Day Sales Are Here]( J.Crew’s Labor Day Sales Are Here J.Crew is absolutely infallible when it comes to providing high-end, chic, timeless clothing and accessories, and apparently it's also infallible when it comes to Labor Day sales. The holiday isn't until this weekend, but the retailer is already kicking its markdowns into full swing. From now until September 3, you can take 40 percent off site-wide as part of the Long Weekend Event. I went through J.Crew's clothing, footwear, and accessories and found the very best deals and steals for you below. Most of the pieces I listed are at least 40 percent off, and some are nearly 60 percent off—do you know how rare that is for J.Crew? When else are you going to find the water-resistant Ludlow trench coat or an organic cotton oxford at these prices? I've been in the game for some time now, and let me tell you—deals like these won't come around again until the holidays, if even then. Do yourself a favor and start shopping now, before they sell out. [Read the Full Story]( [All 53 Live-Action Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked]( All 53 Live-Action Tom Hanks Movies, Ranked Tom Hanks made his big-screen debut in an unremarkable 1980 slasher cheapie called He Knows You’re Alone. And based on that inauspicious start, it’s safe to say that no one could have predicted that he would go on to become a two-time Best Actor Oscar-winner and the most beloved movie star on the planet. Hanks’s career is a long and winding one, full of unpredictable detours, bold choices, and indelible performances. He’s more than earned his place on everyone’s movie Mount Rushmore. But with so many films on his resume, we wanted to know how they stacked up against one another. What was his peak decade? Who were the directors who brought out the very best in him? What were his most iconic moments in front of the camera? Since we love a mammoth undertaking as much as the next guy, we went back and rewatched—or, in a few cases, watched for the first time—all 53 of Hanks’ live-action films (we omitted his animated movies such as The Polar Express and the Toy Story installments). With only a handful of exceptions, our deep dive into his filmography turned out to be time well spent. Now it’s your turn. See if you agree with our ultimate ranking of Hanks’ movies, from worst to best. [Read the Full Story]( [The 2024 Esquire Grooming Awards]( The 76 Best Grooming Products for Men Every year, we slather, scrub, and spray our way through hundreds of grooming products to find the very best out there. To accomplish this feat, we assemble a group of testers—editors, experts, and enthusiasts (bordering on obsessives)—who consider the tiny differences in aesthetics and performance for longer than normal people would consider, well, normal, and who spend months trying every new product they can get their hands on. Our standards are high because yours are, too. Whether your grooming routine is simple or extensive, these products will transform the way you take care of yourself. [Read the Full Story]( [Natural Born Killers at 30: The Making of a Misunderstood Masterpiece]( Natural Born Killers at 30: The Making of a Misunderstood Masterpiece 1993. A clearing in the woods near Chicago, sun shining, puffy clouds. Robert Downey Jr., twenty-seven years old, just a few months past his Best Actor Academy Award nomination for Chaplin, has been high or drunk or asleep for much of the last two months while filming this wild serial-killer movie. Today he has dipped one of the front tails of his white button-down shirt in fake blood and pulled it through the unzipped fly of his suit pants, like a bloody phallus. “Oh come on—that’s too much! You’re going too far, Robert.” Oliver Stone, the director of the movie—now on its fifty-fifth of fifty-six days of filming—has won two directing Oscars. He is hollering in his gravelly, perpetually annoyed voice across the clearing at Downey, who opens his mouth to try to explain but is cut off. “You’re ruining my movie! Forget the dumb dick idea. This isn’t…” Stone trails off, grumbling. “This isn’t some slapstick bullshit.” [Read the Full Story]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779