Here's the Scoop...

Go Cubs Go! World Series Champions! Can you believe it?! Congrats, Chicago Cubs!

This life-long Cubs fan is a very happy guy.

Let's get right to the nooz...

Be Well,
Steve

Comments? Questions? Nooz? Email Steve



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Sandra Bullock's 'Ocean's 8' starts shooting in New York City
Production has begun in and around New York on the female-powered heist movie Ocean's 8, Warner Bros. confirmed.

The picture's star-studded ensemble includes Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter.

Gary Ross is directing the film from a screenplay he wrote with Olivia Milch. Steven Soderbergh and Jon Kilik are producing the project, which is set for release in summer 2018.

The movie comes after Soderbergh's George Clooney-Brad Pitt-Matt Damon trilogy, which consisted of 2001's Ocean's 11, 2004's Ocean's 12 and 2007's Ocean's 13. The films were inspired by the 1960 Rat Pack caper Ocean's 11.


Bill Murray gives extra World Series ticket to random fan
Actor and diehard Chicago Cubs fan Bill Murray had an extra ticket to Game 6 of the World Series, so he gave it to another fan who didn't have one.

Karen Michel took the chance and traveled from her home in Whiting, Ind., to Chicago on Tuesday in the hopes of securing an extra ticket to Game 6 of the World Series.

When she struck out at the box office, Michel was handed a ticket by Murray, who was in front of her in the crowd. She spent the game seated next to him and other celebrities who were in attendance.

"He turns around and says, 'Here, here's a ticket,'" she said. "And he kind of shuttled me into the door. I thought it was just a ticket to get in. But it was a ticket to sit right here."

Michel sat next to Murray for the duration of the game, just a few rows behind home plate.

"I watched five games at home and they're showing Eddie Vedder, [Chris] Chelios, whatever, and I'm like, 'I wonder if I'll see any of those people,'" Michel said. "Of course now, I'm here, and I see all kinds of people."

Hours before the Cubs would go on to win the Series in Game 7 on Wednesday night, Michel was still reeling from the experience.

"I thought it was just a ticket to get in," she said. "I didn't think it would be anything like this."


LOOSE LIPS:
"I never panicked. Of course I thought it was going to happen."
--Bill Murray, following the Chicago Cubs' World Series historic win, to CSN


??? Guess Who ???
Which "actor" was granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin?


Quentin Tarantino confirms plans to retire after two more films
Quentin Tarantino has once again declared his plans to retire after he directs two more films for a grand total of 10.

"Drop the mic. Boom. Tell everybody, 'Match that [expletive],'" the filmmaker said Thursday of retiring after his 10th film while being interviewed onstage at the Adobe Max conference in San Diego, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

While Tarantino hasn't officially announced his next film following 2015's The Hateful Eight, the 53-year-old mentioned during the event that he is working on a historical, 1970's-based nonfiction project that "could be a book, a documentary, a five-part podcast."

Notably, when asked what success means to him, Tarantino responded, "Hopefully, the way I define success is when I'm finished with the career, I'm considered one of the greatest filmmakers who ever lived."

"That would be successful. And then to go further than that, I would be considered a great artist and not just a film director," he continued.

Tarantino first announced his plans to retire after completing 10 films back in November of 2014. "I do think directing is a young man's game ... I'm not trying to ridicule anyone who thinks differently, but I want to go out while I'm still hard," he said at the time.

Last December, Tarantino revealed his desire to release a western television miniseries based on the Elmore Leonard novel, Forty Lashes Less One.


??? Guess Who ???
Which "actor" was granted Russian citizenship by Vladimir Putin?

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on Thursday to grant actor Steven Seagal Russian citizenship, the Kremlin said.

Seagal has described Putin as "one of the greatest world leaders," and said the country's actions in Crimea in 2014 were "very reasonable."

Putin issued the order on Thursday, while his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov said that citizenship was Seagal's idea.

"[Seagal] has been insistent for a long time in asking to be granted Russian citizenship," Peskov said. "He is known for his warm feelings to our country, he never made a secret of it, and he's also a well-known actor, which gave grounds to make him a Russian citizen."

Putin and Seagal, who starred in films like Under Siege and Fire Down Below, reportedly bonded over a shared love of martial arts.

"The first time I walked into his home I saw a life-sized statue of Kano Jigoro, who is the founder of judo, so I was immediately taken and impressed and sort of wanting to get to know this man deeper and deeper," Seagal said in 2014.

Russia has previously granted citizenship to other celebrities, including French actor Gerard Depardieu and U.S. boxer Roy Jones Jr.