Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore, is a well-known aerobics instructor who gets fired on her 50th birthday. She struggles with her age and how society views her looks.
The entertainment industry often shows people trying extreme ways to look young, and many use filters and AI to create perfect images. In the movie X, Mia Goth plays two roles: a young starlet and an old woman named Pearl. Pearl warns Maxine that her looks will affect her chances of becoming famous.
The show The Boys also talks about this issue. Anthony Starr, who plays Homelander, complains about getting gray hairs. In one episode of the spin-off series, two characters use a cream that promises to make them look perfect.
At first, the cream works, and they become popular influencers, but they soon return to their real selves when their popularity fades. The idea of becoming the “best version of yourself” is not new. The 1994 film Interview with the Vampire also touched on this but showed that such promises often come with problems.
The Substance will be in theaters on September 20, 2024. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024, where it won Best Screenplay.
After the theater run, it will be available on video and streaming services. The film competes with Transformers One and Halle Berry’s movie Never Let Go during its opening weekend.
A short clip from The Substance was shared after its Cannes premiere. It shows Elisabeth watching a video about the “Substance.” The teaser trailer, released on July 11, 2024, gives hints about the film’s plot and shows some surprising images without revealing too much.
The full trailer was released on August 15, 2024. It shows Elisabeth’s struggle as she misuses the “Substance” after her career takes off again.
Demi Moore, who has been acting for many years, says filming The Substance was freeing. She discussed how she once valued her body too much and felt less valuable when she didn’t look thin.
Now, she understands that these pressures exist for everyone, especially women as they age. She believes these experiences help people learn to love and accept themselves.
Still from the show (Mubi)
Margaret Qualley plays Sue, Elisabeth’s younger self. She is also known for her roles in other recent films. Dennis Quaid plays Harvey, the network executive who fires Elisabeth. He has acted in many films since 1975.
The Substance is about Elisabeth Sparkle, who feels lost after being fired. She sees an ad for a special substance that can make her look young again. She injects herself with it and becomes Sue, her younger self. However, she must spend one week in each body, and the offer may come with risks.
The film was made by Working Title Films and will be distributed by Mubi. Filming took place mostly in Paris, France. Dennis Quaid replaced Ray Liotta after Liotta passed away before filming started.
The Substance offers a critical look at society’s obsession with youth and beauty, exposing the lengths people go to in pursuit of these ideals. Through Elisabeth Sparkle’s journey, the film highlights the dangers of seeking unrealistic perfection and the emotional toll it can take.
Demi Moore’s powerful performance brings depth to the character, allowing audiences to connect with her struggles and triumphs.
As viewers witness the transformation and consequences of using the “Substance,” they are prompted to reflect on their own perceptions of beauty and self-worth.
Ultimately, The Substance encourages embracing authenticity and finding self-acceptance beyond external appearances.
The Substance challenges viewers to consider the societal pressures that dictate standards of beauty and success. By showcasing the often hidden costs of these pressures, the film serves as a reminder to prioritize inner worth over fleeting appearances.
HBO’s The Penguin has finally started, and the character of Salvatore Maroni is ready to make an appearance. The series continues from where 2022’s The Batman left off, with Oz (played by Colin Farrell) wanting to take over Gotham after the death of crime boss Carmine Falcone.
Due to scheduling issues, the character Carmine Falcone, originally played by John Turturro in The Batman, will now be portrayed by Mark Strong in flashbacks. Another important gangster, Salvatore Maroni, is also expected to cause problems for Oz, also known as “The Penguin.”
“Boss Maroni,” as he was originally called, first appeared in Detective Comics #66. In his first story, published in August 1942, Maroni went on trial for the murder of “Bookie” Benson, and the story ended with Maroni’s death.
Even though his death has been a main part of the comics for the last 80 years, more details about his life have been added since then.
Writers have explained more about his beginnings, his goals, and what happened between his trial and his death. Here’s all the important information about the character played by Clancy Brown in The Penguin.
Salvatore Maroni’s Story Begins With Batman’s Girlfriend
Salvatore Maroni started as the son of Luigi “Big Lou” Maroni, who led a rich crime syndicate. In his earliest story, Maroni was introduced as a low-level mob boss. He funded Hugo Strange’s experiments on inmates from Arkham Asylum.
Later, in Batman and the Mad Monk, Maroni refused to take Norman’s money because he feared Batman. Frightened, Norman tried to pay Carmine Falcone instead, but this started a war between the two gangs. In the end, Maroni’s men killed Norman.
Still from The Penguin (Credit: HBO)
The gang war got worse when a killer named “Holiday” began targeting Maroni’s men. This happened in The Long Halloween comic, which inspired The Penguin along with Dark Victory and Batman: Ego. In The Long Halloween, Holiday killed Maroni’s father.
Maroni believed Falcone was behind it, so he made a deal with District Attorney Harvey Dent. He promised to expose Falcone’s crimes if the DA would be lenient with him, but things didn’t go as planned.
Salvatore Maroni’s Role in Harvey Dent Becoming Two-Face
The Long Halloween also connects to Maroni’s first appearance in Detective Comics #66, where Harvey Dent, originally called “Harvey Kent,” turns into the villain Two-Face. While waiting for his trial for the murder of Bookie Benson, Maroni met with his secret girlfriend, Sofia.
She is Carmine Falcone’s daughter, and in The Penguin, Cristin Milioti will play her. Sofia convinced Maroni that Harvey Dent was the real killer, and Maroni worked with Dent’s assistant, D.A. Vernon Wells. During the trial, Wells gave Maroni a vial of acid.
When Batman presented Maroni’s two-headed silver dollar as evidence in court, Maroni was found guilty. To get revenge, Maroni threw acid at Dent, disfiguring him. This event led Dent to become the villain of Two-Face.
In the original comic, Two-Face killed Maroni soon after, but later stories showed that Maroni survived Dent’s first attempts to kill him.
Though Maroni became paralyzed, Dent continued his revenge, killing both Carmine and Sofia Falcone. Maroni, however, killed the new husband of Dent’s ex-wife, Gilda, before Dent finally succeeded in killing him.
Salvatore Maroni’s Connection to The Penguin
Maroni’s crime empire didn’t die with him. In the comics, his sons, Pino and Umberto, took over the family business. It’s unclear if they will appear in The Penguin or Matt Reeves’ sequel to The Batman. It’s also important to know that Pino and Umberto should not be confused with Tom and Tad, also called the “Trigger Twins.”
These two, played by Max and Charlie Carver, work as bouncers at the Iceberg Lounge in The Batman. Though the Trigger Twins have worked for Two-Face in the animated series, it’s unlikely that Maroni’s sons would have a similar role.
Maroni has appeared in other Batman adaptations. Eric Roberts played him in The Dark Knight, where Maroni worked with Heath Ledger’s Joker to trap Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes.
Though the situation was different, The Dark Knight continued the theme of Maroni’s involvement in Harvey Dent’s transformation into Two-Face.
The movie even referenced Maroni’s paralysis from the comics when Batman broke his legs. Other portrayals of Maroni include David Zayas in Gotham and Dennis Paladino in Batman Forever.
Still from The Penguin (Credit: HBO)
Maroni has always been a major player in Gotham’s organized crime but has rarely been the main villain. In 2022’s The Batman, Maroni was briefly seen as an uncredited character, but in The Penguin, he will have a larger role. This time, Clancy Brown plays Maroni, and fans are excited to see how the character will be developed.
Maroni’s relationship with Oswald Cobblepot, also known as The Penguin, is still unclear. In some stories, such as 2015’s Batman: Earth One (vol. 2), Maroni works for the corrupt Mayor Cobblepot.
In this version, after The Penguin dies, Maroni stabs Harvey Dent in prison and finishes him off with a Molotov cocktail. Fans will have to wait and see how their connection plays out in The Penguin.
The Penguin is available to stream on Max.
