Some Vegans Were Harmed in the Watching of This Movie
Inside a dark theater in Midtown Manhattan, Allison McCulloch watched 'Kraven the Hunter,' an origin story for the obscure Spider-Man villain, while jotting notes on a white piece of paper smaller than a Post-it.
Fur clothing.
Taxidermied animals.
Characters eating steak.
McCulloch is the Roger Ebert of vegans, a dedicated cinephile who cares as much as anyone about acting and cinematography — and more than almost anyone about onscreen portrayals of dairy, poultry and beef.
In the short reviews she writes for the app Letterboxd, she includes her overall critique as well as 'vegan alerts,' flagging signs of animal products in a one-woman quest to highlight animal welfare onscreen, even in details most viewers would overlook.
'People might think a glass of milk is innocuous,' she said. 'It's not. It's full of violence.'
McCulloch has documented her opinion on 24,082 movies on her Letterboxd account, putting her in the top 100 out of the app's more than 18 million members. Movies starring animals are almost a lock for vegan-friendly ratings, with films like 'Flow' and 'Kung Fu Panda 4' getting four stars.
'Kraven the Hunter,' about a criminal-tracking vigilante played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, flopped by traditional measures ('incomprehensible plotting and dodgy one-liners,' Robert Daniels wrote in The New York Times). But it worked on some level for McCulloch, who was surprised by how it framed Kraven as a kind of conservationist who shares a supernatural connection with the creatures he encounters, and hunts criminals instead. She even gave the movie one 'vegan point' for Kraven's decision to not shoot a lion.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's net worth: The ‘28 Years Later' actor's wealth & income
Aaron Taylor-Johnson takes to the screen in 28 Years Later, the third installment of the zombie franchise that started with 28 Days Later, released in 2002. In 28 Years Later, he plays a survivor of a virus that turns humans into zombies, almost three decades after the first infection in the U.K. Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to starring in action films, having played superheroes in Marvel movies. Related: '28 Days Later' franchise: Box-office success on modest budgets for the zombie apocalypse film series Here's how much Taylor-Johnson is worth and an overview of some of his most popular films. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Most sources put Taylor-Johnson's net worth at around $20 million as of mid-2025. His primary earnings have come from his acting career, though he does endorse products on the income largely comes from his career as an actor. His salary for 28 Years Later isn't known, but with a cast that features Ralph Fiennes and Jodie Comer and a $75 million budget, Taylor-Johnson's pay is likely to be modest. In Kraven the Hunter in 2024, while the box-office take was disappointing, Taylor-Johnson reportedly earned $2 million for his role, according to Showbiz Galore. Taylor-Johnson's brand is his name and face, and he has used both to earn additional income as a spokesperson. He serves as brand ambassador for OMEGA watches, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and Acqua di Gio, a men's fragrance brand by Giorgio Armani. Related: '28 Days Later' franchise: Box-office success on modest budgets for the zombie apocalypse film series Aaron Taylor-Johnson was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, on June 13, 1990. He started out as a child actor on stage and television and eventually branched out into feature films. More on Hollywood and money: Gerard Butler's net worth: The A-list actor's wealth & incomeRalph Macchio's net worth: A revived career for the Karate Kid starTom Cruise's net worth: The 'Mission: Impossible' star's wealth in 2025 Taylor-Johnson has starred in more than 30 films since 2002, when he made his start in a biblical film titled The Apocalypse. His most popular films feature him in action roles. He started to gain traction as a lead actor by taking on the main character in Kick-Ass, a 2010 movie about vigilante superheroes, and its sequel Kick-Ass 2 in 2013. In 2014, Taylor-Johnson starred in two films that further widened his reach with audiences. In Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, he played Quicksilver, and reprised that role a year later in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In Godzilla, he portrayed a naval officer helping the U.S. military assist Godzilla in fending off other creatures to save San Francisco. The revival of the Godzilla franchise led to main acting roles, including The Wall in 2017, where Taylor-Johnson played a U.S. Army soldier targeted by a sniper during the Iraq War. In 2022, Taylor-Johnson joined an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt and Michael Shannon in Bullet Train, a film about hitmen at work on a speeding train in Japan. In 2024, he signed up again with Marvel to take on the role of Kraven the Hunter, a sort of anti-hero with powers who serves as a killer for hire. Media outlets have noted Taylor-Johnson as a potential successor to Daniel Craig in the James Bond series. Related: Which "Mission: Impossible" film made the most money? A retrospective of the Tom Cruise action franchise The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Fat Joe accused of coercion, intimidation, sex with minors in ex-hype man's lawsuit
Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon, once a hype man to rapper Fat Joe, has sued his former employer for $20 million, making some allegations that might blend right in at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' RICO and sex-trafficking trial. The federal lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York and reviewed by The Times, alleges that the rapper underpaid Dixon, cut him out of promised pay for contributing to album tracks, defrauded authorities about his income, ditched Dixon in foreign countries without money or transportation home and is running a criminal organization built on intimidation and violence. The lawsuit alleges that Fat Joe forced the hype man — a sort of backing vocalist who pumps up the audience — into approximately 4,000 sex acts with women in front of him and his crew. The 54-year-old rapper, born Joseph Antonio Cartagena, is also accused of having sexual relationships with girls who were 15 and 16. The allegations go back to when the rapper was in his late 30s, the lawsuit says. Fat Joe's song 'She's My Mama,' which has graphically sexual lyrics, was based on what is alleged to have happened with him and one of the girls in real life, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit states that Dixon's role over about 16 years was more than that of the usual hype man. He 'consistently' had duties that included co-writing lyrics, structuring hooks, recording background vocals, performing at more than 200 live shows as Fat Joe's primary onstage counterpart and managing travel logistics, including equipment transport, security and emergency arrangements. The complaint alleges that Dixon also acted as Joe's bodyguard and handler during tours. According to the filing, Dixon wrote or co-wrote tracks including 'Congratulations,' 'Money Over Bitches,' 'Ice Cream,' 'Cupcake,' 'Blackout,' 'Dirty Diana,' 'Porn Star,' 'Okay Okay,''No Problems,' a version of 'All the Way Up,' '300 Brolic,' 'All I Do Is Win (Remix verse),' 'Red Café (Remix),' 'Winding on Me,' 'Cocababy' and 'Get It for Life.' The complaint alleges that Dixon was not properly paid for his efforts, even though he says he was promised certain ownership percentages and documented credit on songs that Fat Joe released commercially. Dixon, who left Fat Joe's team in 2020, was unable to obtain certain evidence of wrongdoing until a person named as 'Accountant Doe' came forward last year with information, the lawsuit says. Fat Joe 'exercised sole control over contracts, budgets, tour management, licensing, and credit attribution and intentionally omitted Plaintiff's name from liner notes, publishing registrations, and royalty structures, despite Plaintiff's direct contributions to these works' creative and commercial success,' the complaint says. Joe Tacopina, an attorney for Fat Joe, called the lawsuit 'a blatant attack of retaliation' and labeled the allegations 'complete fabrications' that his client denies in a statement to Variety. Retaliation referred to the slander lawsuit that the rapper filed against Dixon in April after the former hype man accused him on social media of flying a 16-year-old across state lines for sex. Dixon's attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, is also representing producer Lil Rod (Rodney Jones) in his $30-million federal lawsuit filed last year against Sean 'Diddy' Combs and others in Combs' orbit, in which Lil Rod alleged sexual harassment and sexual assault. A judge tossed out a majority of Lil Rod's allegations against Combs in late March. Both lawsuits include trigger warnings in bright red type ahead of the allegations — something not often seen in such documents. 'Fat Joe is Sean Combs minus the Tusi [pink cocaine],' Blackburn said in a statement to the Independent. 'He learned nothing from his 2013 federal conviction,' the attorney added, referencing Fat Joe's four-month sentence and $15,000 fine in a plea deal for failure to file a tax return in multiple years on more than $3.3 million in income. In addition to Fat Joe, defendants in the new lawsuit include Peter 'Pistol Pete' Torres, Richard 'Rich Player' Jospitre, Erica Juliana Moreira and several companies —including Roc Nation — that are affiliated with the rapper. Dixon is asking for a jury trial.
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Chris Brown pleads not guilty in London nightclub assault case as U.K. court sets trial date
Grammy-winning R&B star Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to one charge connected to his alleged beating of a music producer in a London nightclub in 2023. The 'Kiss Kiss' singer, 36, appeared Friday in London's Southwark Crown Court for his arraignment where he pleaded not guilty to one count of attempting to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm with intent. 'Not guilty ma'am,' he responded when asked how he pleaded to the count. Prosecutors accuse Brown of attacking music producer Amadou 'Abe' Diaw with a bottle of tequila at Tape London, a nightclub, in February 2023. The accusations against Brown echo allegations from a civil lawsuit Diaw filed in Los Angeles against the musician in October 2023. He sued Brown for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming in court documents that the singer 'brutally assaulted' him by 'beating him over the head' and that he 'continued to ruthlessly stomp' on him as he lay unconscious on the nightclub floor after the bottle attack. London police arrested Brown in May on suspicion of the single bodily harm charge, but in a subsequent indictment, prosecutors added charges for assault causing actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, a bottle. Brown did not enter pleas on those additional counts but is due back in court in July. The 'Under the Influence' artist was released from police custody in mid-May after posting $6.7 million bail. His arrest initially posed a threat to his Breezy Bowl tour, which kicked off June 8 in Amsterdam. In an Instagram story shared after his release, Brown informed fans he would be going from 'cage to stage.' The singer's trial is set for Oct. 26, 2026. A representative for Brown did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment. Musician and Brown friend Omololu Akinlolu ((who performs as HoodyBaby), 39, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm for his alleged involvement in the 2023 incident and pleaded not guilty during Friday's hearing. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
