“The View,” which hasn’t been shy about criticizing Ron DeSantis’ policies in the past, extended an invitation to the Florida governor to come onto the show despite the show hosts’ potential misgivings, an individual with knowledge of the move confirmed to TheWrap.
In turn, a member of DeSantis’ team posted their emailed response to Twitter on Wednesday, in which they passed on the offer and challenged the nature of the invitation.
“But are the hosts of the View really interested in hearing from Governor DeSantis about all of the important work he is doing on behalf of Floridians to protect their heath and livelihoods, to stand up for parents and children, and to defend freedom?” wrote Bryan Griffin, deputy press secretary for DeSantis.
“Which of the below statements from the hosts of ‘The View’ do you recommend our team consider when deciding if the interview will be a genuine pursuit of the truth? Or worth the time?” Griffin continued before pointing to four instances when the show’s hosts were critical of DeSantis.
Among others, the letter highlights an instance in April 2022 when host Ana Navarro discusses the governor’s policies and says, “it’s anti-Black, it’s anti-gay, it’s anti-LGBTQ+ community, and for some reason, the Republican base responds to it.”
For context, in this episode Navarro admitted she previously supported DeSantis but was “bothered” by his actions against Disney. The “View” host criticized DeSantis’ move that revoked Disney’s special tax privileges and self-governing status, which was seen as retaliation after Disney objected to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Another moment of critique brought up in the letter is from an August 2021 show in which Joy Behar railed against DeSantis’s decision to ban mask mandates. The letter highlights Behar’s statement that “He’s risking the lives of children, children’s parents, their grandparents, anyone they may come in contact with, so that he can appeal to his white supremacist base and continue in his career, and get re-elected?”
Amid growing COVID-19 rates and an increase in cases in children, Behar slammed the governor’s choice to rescind funding for schools that insist upon a mask mandate.
“We will pass on this offer,” the note from DeSantis’ team concludes.
The DC superhero film intended for HBO Max won’t be released theatrically or on streaming
Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t just shelve “Batgirl,” a nearly completed film that cost roughly $90 million; the project is effectively dead and won’t go to theaters or to streaming. So what gives? While there’s a big strategic play here and interest in protecting the future of the DC brand, the shocking move also has to do with lowering the studio’s tax burden and cutting their losses to improve earnings this year.
A company insider told TheWrap that the studio expects that by not releasing the movie at all, they’ll benefit from a tax treatment by writing off the losses of both “Batgirl” and another movie originally planned for HBO Max, “Scoob! Holiday Haunt.” While these circumstances are rare, it’s not uncommon for companies to write off losses in general. And doing so may make the most financial sense as they try and recoup at least some costs from the film.
And ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings on Thursday, in which potential big changes are on the horizon for the company and HBO Max, one expert at a production and financing company said that this move is a sign of them working to elevate the DC brand, biting the bullet and doing what they can to distance themselves from the studio’s prior regime.
“Batgirl” was developed by the team led by then WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who throughout 2021 remained committed to his “Project Popcorn” approach to releasing the studio’s entire slate theatrically but also on HBO Max the same day. The move helped boost subscribers for the streaming service but annoyed some talent in the process, even as Kilar and Warner Bros. kept their promise toward 2022’s theatrical slate with movies like “The Batman” enjoying a 45-day window of theatrical exclusivity, before CEO David Zaslav officially got in the door.
So why not just release “Batgirl” in theaters? Zaslav hasn’t been shy about his commitment to theatrical exhibition, telling the crowd at CinemaCon in April that opening a movie in theaters first provides “a whole stream of monetization” and that it helps to build a brand and perception that the film “has a higher quality that benefits the streaming service.” But a movie developed specifically for streaming doesn’t have the same weight or budget as other DC titles, like the upcoming “Aquaman” or “Shazam” sequels, and “Batgirl” was part of the previous regime’s attempt to craft smaller-scale DC films for streaming.
TheWrap learned on Tuesday that the new owners and management are committed to making DC titles big theatrical event films, and “Batgirl” isn’t that. But insiders added that studio brass loves the film’s directors and star and are actively planning to work with them soon.
“The decision to not release ‘Batgirl’ reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future,” a Warner Bros. Picture spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. A rep for Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t respond to a new request for comment on this story.
In that sense, one agent said that it’s understandable why the studio would kill off both “Batgirl” and “Scoob!,” believing that any kill fees associated with the films would be far less than the tens of millions it would cost the studio to execute a global theatrical rollout of the film and market it, not to mention any reshoots or additional photography for theaters.
But financials weren’t the only factor at play here. For one, insiders at the studio said that a test screening for “Batgirl” didn’t go well, and the studio determined that ultimately the movie simply didn’t work. The notion of putting out a subpar film would run counter to Zaslav’s plans to refine an approach to the DC brand.
“‘Quality, not cost cutting,’ seems to be the official reason,” the agent told TheWrap. And the agent further cited a reported directive from Zaslav that HBO Max streaming films should have a budget below $35 million, something that led to DC’s “Wonder Twins” movie also shutting down early in development back in May.
It’s also true that had “Batgirl” simply been released, it would’ve expedited the studio’s ability to write off the film for a tax loss. In essence, releasing “Batgirl” as planned on HBO Max would’ve resulted in a faster tax write off, but also would’ve resulted in an additional cost for marketing and its quality could’ve waylaid Zaslav’s plans for the DC brand.
The expert said that had the movie been working really well, the studio likely would’ve found at least some way to release it. And in that sense, one entertainment lawyer doubted the studio’s real motivations by attempting to write it off their taxes.
“To not release it is absurd, and by not releasing it at all, there is a significant risk that you can’t deduct it at all until you do something with it like transfer it to somebody,” Sky Moore, a partner with Greenberg and Glusker told TheWrap. “It is a stretch to believe they can take a deduction.”
EXCLUSIVE: In April 2021, ABC’s first-responders drama Station 19 aired an episode hailed as one of the most powerful reflections of George Floyd’s murder on television. It was written by executive producer/showrunner Krista Vernoff, with contributions from the show’s writing and support staff as well as the cast.
More than a year later, an incident involving the depiction of racism on the page has left the writing team of the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff reeling. According to sources, it had to do with a writer’s recent draft of an outline for an upcoming Season 6 episode that included numerous uses of a racial slur by a racist character.
I hear the outline was met with shock and disbelief when shared with the writers room, and tensions grew to a point where the virtual room has been put on pause. Vernoff on Monday sent an email to the staff, a copy of which was obtained by Deadline, in which she spoke of “recent harm and systemic issues” that would be addressed in a Zoom meeting Tuesday. It was to be attended by Jones, an organizational psychology consultant group specializing in fostering diversity and inclusion in work environments and leadership.
“We will not be meeting creatively nor should we email as a group until then,” Vernoff wrote in her Monday email to the staff announcing the Tuesday meeting. “We will not proceed with business as usual until the recent harm and systemic issues have been addressed and healing has begun. If you are on script or outline please work on your own for the moment.”
The meeting was held Tuesday, and communication among the writers on the show has resumed since, sources tell Deadline. The show’s virtual writers room has not been reconvened, however, while the situation is being evaluated and safeguards are being put in place.
Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland is behind Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19. The company, which has broken numerous barriers for on- and off-screen representation over the past two decades, quickly intervened after the incident occurred, sources said.
“As a company, it is in our DNA to constantly review the culture of our productions and to quickly make changes if and when they are not living up to the Shondaland values,” the company said in a statement to Deadline. “A recent situation in the writers’ room at Station 19 provided us with opportunities to reimagine the structure of leadership in the name of creating a more respectful and inclusive workplace.”
ABC and ABC Signature, the studio which produces Station 19, declined comment.
It is unclear what exactly the reimagined leadership structure on the show would be. Since Vernoff runs both Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, her No. 2 and top lieutenant on Station 19 is Kiley Donovan. I hear the changes potentiality would include bringing in a new head writer who is a person of color, with Donovan, who has worked on both Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 for the past three years, possibly moving to another Shondaland series.
Also unclear is the fate of the script that sparked the controversy. The offensive portion clearly will not be used.
Production on Station 19‘s upcoming sixth season started July 28. It is slated to premiere October 6.
Station 19, ABC’s No. 2 scripted series behind Grey’s Anatomy, follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. It stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Boris Kodjoe, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Jay Hayden, Danielle Savre, Stefania Spampinato and Carlos Miranda.
The series was created by Stacy McKee. Rhimes and Betsy Beers also serve as executive producers alongside Vernoff. Station 19 is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.
Alia Bhatt is expecting her first baby with Ranbir Kapoor. The 29-year-old star announced her pregnancy in June on Instagram two months after she tied the knot with Kapoor. The announcement was met with trolling from a section of the internet. While some users pointed out if she was pregnant before her marriage, others mocked the actress for embracing motherhood early in her life. Alia reacted in an interview with News18, “How can someone make a weird commentary about how a woman’s life is going to change just because she is married and having a child?”
Laal Singh Chaddha is a Hindi remake of Tom Hanks’ acclaimed 1994 film Forrest Gump. In a recent interview, Aamir Khan talked about removing adult scenes from the original movie during the remake and revealed that it has been done to ‘suit the sensibilities of the Indian audiences’.
While fans are eagerly waiting for the film, ‘Boycott Laal Singh Chaddha’ has also been trending on Twitter. On Wednesday, Kangana Ranaut took to her Instagram stories and reacted to the trend. She called Aamir Khan the ‘mastermind’ and claimed that the actor has ‘curated’ the negativity around the film. “I think all the negativity around the upcoming release Laal Singh Chadda is skillfully curated by mastermind Aamir Khan Ji himself,” she wrote.
Rakhi Sawant has been dating Adil Khan Durrani for quite some time now. In a recent interaction with the paparazzi, Rakhi alleged that her boyfriend Adil has been getting death threats. She claimed that the alleged threats are from the Bishnoi gang. The Bigg Boss 15 fame also sent the gang a stern warning and asked them not to hurt Adil.
Akshay Kumar is gearing up for the release of his upcoming movie Raksha Bandhan. The promotions of the movie are currently underway and for the same, the team traveled to Pune recently. The team boarded a private plane to reach the venue and Akshay Kumar and his co-stars decided to make it a fun ride. Akshay Kumar took to his social media handle to give his fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the team’s funny banter through a hilarious video.
Locarno kicked off its latest edition on Wednesday evening with the international festival premiere of David Leitch’s latest action-comedyBullet Train and a surprise video call from Brad Pitt to celebrate the event’s 75th anniversary.
The packed opening night celebration in Locarno’s famed Piazza Grande square was a return to form for the festival after a full cancellation in 2020 and a slimmed-down version last year.
Bullet Train received hearty applause and cheers from festivalgoers as the screening was introduced with a surprise video call from the movie’s star Brad Pitt.
“Congratulations to the whole festival crew on your 75th anniversary. It’s a fantastic achievement and what an honor it is for us to be a part of this festival with our movie Bullet Train,” he said.
Pitt stars as an experienced assassin whose first day back at work is complicated by a series of other professional killers with a similar mission. Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Michael Shannon also star.
Ahead of theBullet Trainscreening, co-star Taylor-Johnson was presented with the festival’s Davide Campari Excellence Award.
In a lengthy acceptance speech, Taylor-Johnson thanked his many collaborators and co-stars and discussed how he has cultivated his career outside of traditional ideas of stardom.
He said: “I genuinely don’t follow my career outside my world view. I’m in my own little bubble with my wife and daughters. In fact, sometimes people ask me what I do, and I say I’m a dad and I do acting on the side, part-time.”
The opening night also saw the launch of the festival’s new Postcards from the Future series featuring a collection of short films made by eleven Swiss and international filmmakers. The opening short by Ukrainian filmmaker Natalka Vorozhbyt centered on the reality of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Wednesday evening’s opening was preceded by a minor ruckus after there were calls from a group of Israeli filmmakers for Piazza Grande title MyNeighbor, Adolf by Leon Prudovsky to be dropped from the line-up due to concerns over what they called “racist” and “explicitly political” conditions attached to its funding from Israel’s Rabinovich Foundation.
Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro rejected the demands and said the film would screen as planned on the Piazza Grande on August 4.
“When we selected Leon Prudovsky’sMy Neighbor Adolfin April we chose a film that convinced us with his tremendous artistic qualities. A depiction of the complex human experience, expressed by the touching performances of David Hayman and Udo Kier,” he said in a statement provided to Deadline.
“Freedom of expression and the artistic freedom have been the guiding principles of the Locarno Film Festival for 75 years. We are convinced that all artistic works need independence and dialogue and should be produced always without constraints. Director Leon Prudovsky confirmed that he was not suffering from any pressure when making his film,” it continued.
According to the group of Israeli filmmakers and artists calling for the boycott, the Rabinovich Foundation contractually obliges producers to agree that their films don’t include any statement or message that denies the “existence of the state of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”
The dark comedy stars David Hayman as a Holocaust survivor living in Colombia in the 1960s. And when a mysterious old German man moves in next door he begins to suspect his new neighbor is Adolf Hitler.
Other films set to screen at the lakeside event include Laurie Anderson’sHome of the Brave; Anna Gutto’sParadise Highway, starring Juliette Binoche as a truck driver who traffics a young girl; and post-Bataclan terror attack dramaYou Will Not Have My Hateby German director Kilian Riedhof.
A host of top names will also pass through the Piazza across the next week, including Daisy Edgar Jones, Jason Blum, and Matt Dillon who are all set to receive honors.
Hulu has snagged rights to author Sheila Heti’s forthcoming book — one that’s written in alphabetical order.
The streamer has optioned The Alphabetical Diaries, in which Heti took a decade’s worth of diary entries and rearranged the sentences in alphabetical order, to develop as a series. After cutting “thousands of sentences” the exercise took on something more like a novel, she explained in the introduction to a series of New York Times columns that presented an abridged form of the work. The book is slated to be published in 2023 by FSG in the United States, Fitzcarraldo Editions in the U.K. and Knopf Canada.
Hunting Lane, the production company behind HBO’s I Know This Much Is True and feature films Holler, Captain Fantastic and Blue Valentine, is behind the project. The company’s Jamie Patricof and Katie McNeill are producing.
Heti is the author of 10 books, including the critically acclaimed novels How Should a Person Be? (2012) and Motherhood (2018), both of which made a number of critics’ lists for the best books of their respective years. Her latest novel, Pure Colour, was published in May. Other works include Women in Clothes, a collaboration with Leanne Sharpton, Heidi Julavits and 639 other women around the world, and children’s books We Need a Horse and A Garden of Creatures. She is repped by Gersh and attorney Will Jacobson.
“This programming shift benefits both Peacock and NBC and is reflective of our broader strategy to utilize our portfolio to maximize reach and strengthen engagement with viewers,” Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, says in a statement.
“With a large percentage of the Days of Our Lives audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fanbase on streaming while simultaneously bolstering the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers.”
The move is a stunner, especially when you consider how successful its been since launching in 1965.
It has had bonkers twists throughout its run, but this move with very little notice may be the biggest twist of all.
The series premieres on Peacock on Monday, September 12.
It’s unclear at this stage whether it will be a part of Peacock Free (with ads, of course) or if it will be reserved for the two Premium tiers.
The move leaves General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless as the sole daytime soaps remaining on broadcast TV.
Also unclear is whether the budget will take a hit with the move or if we’ll be getting less episodes overall.
Peacock is home to the spinoff series, Beyond Salem, which recently wrapped its second season.
The series brought back legacy cast members, including Kristian Alfonso.
Now, it seems like that show was a test to see if viewers flocked to the streaming service to keep up to speed with the events on the show.
There are so many unanswered questions about this move, and given that it goes into effect in a month, many confused viewers will be checking NBC for the show.
It was recently revealed that Peacock failed to increase its subscriber base in recent metrics, so it’s likely the spinoff was a strong performer, triggering this move.
What are your thoughts on the decision?
Will you follow the series to Peacock?
Hit the comments.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie ignores HBO Max in what’s been a very bad week for the streaming service.
Streaming platforms announced Wednesday that Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” still thriving in theaters, will be released on PVOD ($19.99 to rent for 48 hours, $24.99 to purchase) on Tuesday, August 9.
But sources tell IndieWire that its availability on Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max will not be on the same date. Luhrmann previously stated that it wouldn’t come to the studio’s streamer until “fall.” WBD has never confirmed that, but any HBO Max premiere after 45 days in theatrical release would run counter to its plans for 2022 theatrical releases.
After a tumultuous 2021 when all Warners films appeared on Max day-and-date with theaters, the company said the plan was 45 days going forward. That was the case even for “The Batman,” despite its grossing $360 million — nearly triple the “Elvis” take so far. “The Batman” also had a parallel PVOD release, although initially at $29.99.
“The Batman”
Warner Bros.
Several factors might have weighed into the “Elvis” strategy.
Related
Related
PVOD provides a immediate financial return, with the studio retaining 80 percent of the revenue after a small carrier-cost deduction: Each rental transaction brings a quick $14. Multiply that by 1 million views and WBD takes in $14 million. Because the rental costs about the equivalent of two theater tickets, the industry has landed on a conventional wisdom: PVOD has a smaller impact on theaters smaller impact than streaming, where a viewer can watch a film for nothing more than the monthly subscription fee.
Universal films, which usually are available in theaters and on PVOD after three weekends (five, for its biggest hits), reflect this theory: There’s limited theatrical erosion. This also allows the studio to have its non-theatrical cake and eat it during the sustained theatrical run, too. “Elvis” could gross perhaps another $30 million in domestic play, with WBD getting about half that revenue.
The PVOD timing is good, competitively speaking: “Top Gun: Maverick”is still theaters-only, and while there are a number of new titles incoming (“Minions: The Rise of Gru” and “Nope” from Universal, “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Lightyear” from Disney), “Elvis” will be a prime choice for the older-skewing home audience.
Of note: The PVOD-only “Elvis” further suggests WBD’s deprecation of HBO Max in a week that also saw the service lose upcoming “Batgirl” and a half-dozen previous HBO Max exclusives in exchange for a studio tax writeoff. No one can say how much the service might benefit from one title, but getting “Elvis” early would have been an article of faith.
The renowned composer and pianist Frederic Rzewski, who died last year, was celebrated for the committed nature of his leftist politics as well as his music.
On the political front, he tended to walk the walk — whether writing a series of variations based on a Chilean workers’ anthem (in “The People United Will Never Be Defeated”), or undermining the high-toned trappings of contemporary classical culture by playing at a fish market. He also distributed his scores online, free for any player to peruse.
He could also be harsh and exacting in his artistic judgments. But one thing Rzewski wasn’t known for were capital-R Romantic gestures. So when the pianist Lisa Moore introduced one of Rzewski’s final pieces at a Bang on the Can festival at Mass MoCA last year, murmurs of surprise were audible in the crowd as she related that the work was a 60th birthday gift — one commissioned from Rzewski by Moore’s husband, the composer and educator Martin Bresnick. (Bresnick has also mentored multiple artists in the Bang on a Can universe.)
Asking this artist to write something for your wife’s birthday? Risky (if inspired). Yet as Moore proceeded to play the 15-minute “Amoramaro,” it all started to make sense. There were prickly, modernist shards familiar from other Rzewski pieces, though also darts of disarming warmth. Reviewing that premiere, I wrote that the composition deserved an official recording from Moore.
“It’s like an old man looking back over his musical life,” Moore said of “Amoramaro,” in a phone interview from her home in New Haven, Conn. That musical range of reference includes backward glances at motifs from earlier efforts, as well as what Moore calls “sort of Beethovian quotes.” Also present, to my ear, in the aesthetic mixing bowl: Rzewski’s youthful experience as an early interpreter of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s experimental piano music.
The lushness of some of its chords, though, is what strikes me most forcefully on repeat listens. And that’s thanks in part to Moore’s overall approach to Rzewski, which often allows for a greater range of emotion than other interpreters permit, including the composer.
Moore, however, said Rzewski’s instructions at the top of his handwritten score were frank about the degree of freedom others could bring to the music: “Love has no laws; therefore dynamics, rhythms, anything can be changed at will!”
“He had a very free attitude in that way,” Moore said in the interview. (She knows from experience, having played Rzewski’s music in front of him, as a member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, in the early 1990s.)
In an interview, Bresnick described an extensive and enjoyable back-and-forth with Rzewski during the drafting process, including about what kind of ending the piece should have. “I’m a composer too — and I was surprised that he wanted such a thing,” Bresnick said. “I wanted to say something but I didn’t want to overdetermine it, so I finally said to him: There are endings in Chekhov and other great writers where it’s the end of the story but we know that the story goes on.”
For Bresnick, the composer’s solution is particularly pleasing. “It is an ending, but it is not ‘the end.’”
When playing her 60th birthday present, Moore found herself luxuriating in Rzewski’s invitation to change dynamics and rhythms “at will.” “If you let things resolve, if you let the harmonies really sit, the next harmony that comes in so often is something that changes like a kaleidoscope,” she said. “It’s just shifting and changing the mode. It’s really, really clever.”
There’s something similarly clever about the balance of Moore’s new album. The title track, “No Place to Go but Around,” is an expansive, early Rzewski effort, from 1974 (right before “The People United”). The only other official recording is Rzewski’s — available on an obscure vinyl release from the late-70s.
On that LP, Rzewski’s composition shared space with his interpretations of piano works by Hanns Eisler and Anthony Braxton. While the composer’s version of “No Place to Go” offered some stark interpolations of the Italian labor movement song “Bandiera Rossa” — another political reference — Moore’s rendition truly lets that borrowed tune spill forth, toward the end of the 12th minute.
Moore said that her take was a considered attempt to underline the composition’s beauty, adding: “I also want people to be invited in and not pushed away.”
That inviting quality of Moore’s album extends to her latest performance of “Coming Together,” one of Rzewski’s most well-known contributions to the modern repertoire. Its text comes from a letter by the Attica prison uprising leader Sam Melville. But unlike some ceaselessly galvanic performances of this Minimalist-tinged composition, Moore’s solo voice-and-piano approach takes dramatic notice of references to lovers’ “emotions in times of crisis” that are present in the literary source material. (Moore is a practiced hand at Rzewski’s work for singing — or speaking — pianists, having recorded his setting of Oscar Wilde’s “De Profundis.”)
Just as striking is her take on the rarely heard “To His Coy Mistress,” a setting of Andrew Marvell’s poem from the 17th century. Moore’s playing is meticulous when it comes to the compact three-act structure of the music (and its text); she hits the gas with a controlled force, just before singing the line “But at my back I always hear/Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.” Later on, the word “embrace” triggers a newly reflective mode.
So is this a covert “Rzewski for Lovers” album? In an email, Moore wrote: “I did, in fact, consciously think about bringing the more romantic side of Rzewski’s music out, a sort of gentler approach — because it’s there, in the material and often just beneath the surface. (Like him — he was a mensch — behind all his bluster.)”
And though the composer was famous for his political stands, Moore’s interpretations help emphasize these works’ elusiveness. “In his music he often disguises and veils the politics in a way I quite admire,” she said. “It’s not hitting you over the head with the obvious. It’s woven in to a song or a letter and it’s up to you to kind of grasp what the meaning is.”
The subtitle of George Lucas’s Star Wars is (of course) Episode IV: A New Hope. And in 1977 it was a new hope—for Hollywood and for the return of the kind of grand, classic score associated with the Golden Age studio films of the 1930s-‘40s.
In the decade before Star Wars’ release, Hollywood had trended toward using pre-existing songs as soundtrack rather than original orchestral arrangements. Paul Simon’s songs in The Graduate (1967) and the Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969) are just two examples. And in 1977, electronic and experimental music sometimes took the place of traditional orchestration as well.
Lucas was already in the process of compiling his favorite classical pieces (as Kubrick did 2001: A Space Odyssey) to use as score for Star Wars when John Williams convinced the director to instead use original music that would be more cohesive.
Lucas wanted a score with familiar sounds to ground audiences in recognizable emotion while they experienced distant worlds on screen. And Williams composed just such a score—with cues full of powerful emotion to spotlight Darth Vader to the adventure thrill of the TIE Fighter attacks, to the gentle-yet-epic yearning for “Luke’s Theme.”
But when it first appeared in the small New Hampshire town where I grew up, Episode IV was simply called Star Wars. The movie house it played at was located in the town hall with its thick stone walls, so earthbound in contrast with space and the distant planets seen in the movie. The visual experience was impressive, but for me most notable was the sound.
The iconic opening orchestral themes made me want to understand music for film; John Williams’ score made me take note that I was seeing the image differently because of the music I was hearing. The score’s power comes from the music first invented by the Romantic composers of the 19th century. These composers had been the inspiration for the classic era of Hollywood composers like Max Steiner and Erich Korngold. These two great pioneers of film scoring were both born in Austria and knew the language of opera and operetta, bringing the European composing tradition with them to the scoring stages of Los Angeles.
As Max Steiner once said, when batting away the moniker of “inventor of movie music”: “The idea originated with Richard Wagner. Listen to the incidental scoring behind the recitatives in his operas. If Wagner had lived in this century, he would have been the #1 film composer.”
The music of Hollywood owes many debts to Wagner. The German composer (1813-1883) invented the leitmotif technique, which uses a different theme for each character, emotion, place or thing. Max Steiner used it to great effect in King Kong (1933) giving Kong and other characters their own theme. Likewise, in the Star Wars score each major character has their individual theme, with the theme transforming as the drama and the character develop.
For example: “Luke’s Theme” appears first full of youthful awe. When he witnesses the destruction of his home, that theme loses its brightness and becomes troubled. And when Luke finally triumphs at the end, his theme is likewise triumphant.
But the pieces that George Lucas used to create his first draft of the score—and what later became the temp track for Williams—were not only from Wagner. They were by Strauss, Stravinsky, Holst, Tchaikovsky, Walton, Mozart and Beethoven, among others. Lucas gave Williams the instruction to outdo these masters. John Williams brought to bear a well-developed grasp of how the great composers used the orchestra. And he delivered.
Star Wars bears the mark of these great 19th and 20th-century composers in its DNA. We hear hints of Holst’s Mars: Bringer of War and Tchaikovsky’s orchestration, just to name two. It’s a time-honored tradition to pay homage to other great composers; composers learn from their predecessors. And although some themes or melodies may be partially borrowed, it’s all wonderfully recognizable as the music of Star Wars.
What makes this masterpiece of composing even more notable is that these groups of melodies and orchestrations have become part of our collective musical touchstones. They transport us to the planets, the deep space, the ships and the moments of the film.
One of the most recognizable and evocative pieces is the Cantina Band music. John Williams had spent years playing jazz piano, and George Lucas wanted it to sound like “several creatures in a future century finding some 1930s Benny Goodman swing band music… and how they might attempt to interpret it.”
The extraordinary aspect here is that the music is instantly recognizable. Even heard without the images, it transports the listener to a futuristic place and reality. To make so much great music that locates the listener in a fantastical landscape in this way is a sign of prodigious skill and a measure of genius.
This was the beginning of a rebirth of the grand orchestral score in Hollywood filmmaking. Scores based on songs and electronic sounds continued to develop, and to be used in combination with orchestral music.
It changed something in me when I saw Star Wars soar so high on the wings of John Williams’ score. Some say this is the greatest American score ever written. It certainly influenced every composer who came after and changed the direction of film scoring.
And now, just for fun:
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New pictures have emerged showing the first Kremlin official to quit over Vladimir Putin‘s war in Ukraine lying in hospital in Sardinia, partially paralysed and unable to close his eyes.
While Anatoly Chubais’ condition was today formally diagnosed as being Guillain-Barré syndrome – a rare neurological disorder – there are reports that Italian secret services continue to investigate the case over possible foul play.
Chubais, 67, who was once the Kremlin chief of staff, deputy prime minister and Putin’s climate envoy, was also visited by an Italian prosecutor today.
This follows multiple cases where enemies of Putin have suffered poisoning or died in suspicious circumstances with longstanding fears in Western intelligence that Russian laboratories have sought to create toxins that mimic real diseases.
New pictures have emerged showing Anatoly Chubais (pictured) – the first Kremlin official to quit over Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine lying in hospital in Sardinia – partially paralysed and unable to close his eyes. Chubais’ condition was today formally diagnosed as having Guillain-Barré syndrome, but some have suggested he was poisoned
The politician, who in the 1990s led the programme to privatise Soviet industry, has suffered partial facial paralysis and cannot walk or close his eyes.
Chubais is the most senior Russian official to quit in protest over Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine after he resigned from his post in March and fled his home country.
He had served Russia for many years, and had been a top Kremlin official even before Putin was promoted to his first job in the federal government.
‘His condition has stabilised, but Anatoly [Chubais] is still in intensive care, his legs and arms do not work well, his eyes cannot be closed, and he has partial facial paralysis,’ said journalist and ex-presidential election candidate Ksenia Sobchak, who first broke the story of his illness.
She wrote earlier that specialists in hazmat suits had checked the location where he was taken ill, evidently amidst fears of poisoning.
Guillain-Barré syndrome, a highly rare and serious condition which can be life threatening, affects the nerves in the feet, hands and limbs.
It thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system, and predominantly causes numbness, weakness and pain.
It can be treated – and most people with the syndrome will eventually make a full recovery, although this can take up to 12 months. Some people are left with long-term issues relating to the condition.
Chubais is the most senior Russian official to quit in protest over Putin’s war in Ukraine after he resigned from his post as the president’s envoy to international organisations in March and fled his country. He had been a top Kremlin official even before Putin was promoted to his first job in the federal government. Pictured: Anatoly Chubais shakes hands with Boris Yeltsin
This follows multiple cases where enemies of Putin (pictured August 1 in Moscow) have suffered poisoning or died in suspicious circumstances with longstanding fears in Western intelligence that Russian laboratories have sought to create toxins that mimic real diseases.
A post from anti-Putin General SVR Telegram channel claimed that Chubais had been named on a draft hit list, while giving no evidence for such an allegation.
The list was supposedly made up of people hostile to Nikolai Patrushev – a close crony of the president who is secretary of the Russian security council.
The channel has previously claimed that last month there was a mysterious – and unannounced – assassination attempt against Patrushev, 71, a former head of the FSB secret service who is believed to be whom Putin hands power when he is absent for medical treatment, and also a key architect of the war in Ukraine.
‘The list is large and contains 18 names of fairly well-known people, while Patrushev does not provide any evidence that would indicate that these people were directly related to the organisation of the assassination attempt,’ said the channel.
‘This is more like an attempt by the secretary of the security council to settle scores with old ‘well-wishers’ by eliminating people who are personally objectionable to him in competing clans.
Patrushev ‘included in it several people to whom Putin feels personal dislike or has some doubts about sincere loyalty.
Chubais, 67, was once the Kremlin chief of staff, a former deputy prime minister and Putin’s climate envoy. Pictured: Chubais (right) speaks with Putin (left)
Chubais is believed to be particularly disliked by Nikolai Patrushev, another close crony of the president who is secretary of the Russian security council. There are claims that his son Dmitry Patrushev (pictured) is being groomed as Putin’s ultimate successor
‘For example, Anatoly Chubais, the former chairman of the board of RUSNANO and special representative of the president for relations with international organisations…was included in the list.
‘Judging by the fact that after talking with the president Patrushev was in a good and high spirits, Putin supported him and agreed to ‘settling scores’ with people from the list. And then, surprisingly, on Sunday, a number of information resources reported a sharp deterioration in Anatoly Chubais’ health.
‘Knowing how the system works, we can assume that this is most likely a coincidence, since there was simply no time to prepare an assassination attempt, and Patrushev prefers to carefully prepare special operations of this kind.’
Patrushev is, like Putin, a former head of the FSB security service.
There are claims Patrushev’s son, Dmitry, 44 – the Kremlin’s agriculture minister – is being groomed as Putin’s ultimate successor.
General SVR channel has claimed that Putin is suffering from serious illnesses including cancer, Parkinson’s disease and an schizoaffective disorder.
This channel is reportedly authored by an exiled Kremlin lieutenant-general, who is known by the alias Viktor Mikhailovich.
It claims insider knowledge despite being hostile to Putin.
However there is no clear evidence backing its claims, while the CIA has said there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case.
A number of Putin foes are alleged to have been poisoned by Kremlin hit squads – including Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal in Britain.
Throughout “Star Trek’s” long 56-year history, the Starship Enterprise has been designed, redesigned, reimagined, blown to smithereens and then reimagined again for the various TV incarnations and feature films based on the classic series created by Gene Roddenberry.
But for the prequel series “Strange New Worlds,” which recently concluded its highly-praised first season, the responsibility to get the Enterprise just right was not lost on production designer Jonathan Lee. This was, after all, the Enterprise that was commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount), which was the immediate predecessor of the Enterprise that Captain James T. Kirk first made famous back in 1966 with “The Original Series.”
“We were all of the mind that the Enterprise is a star of the show,” Lee explains. “It’s a major player. It’s an actor, really. It’s not a weapon of war. It’s one when it has to be, but that’s not its function. It’s a scientific research vessel. It’s also a sanctuary. We discussed the Enterprise in that very creative way before we got into the detail of how we were going to deal with the individual elements of it.”
Those elements started with the Bridge, which already made its debut during the second season of “Star Trek: Discovery.” But now that Pike’s Enterprise was getting its own show — one that will hopefully (and boldly) go the distance with a five-year mission — that called for significant revisions to the nerve center of the Enterprise.
“We’ve taken the set that we’ve inherited, but we did a great deal of work,” Lee said. “[Executive Producer] Akiva Goldsman briefed me to bring it back to ‘The Original Series.’ We had to move things around a little bit. We moved the captain’s chair around so that Captain Pike could throw a look to helm and navigations really easily, and that would work with the camera.” And since the viewscreen that was seen in “Discovery” was depicted using visual effects, a physical representation of the viewscreen was designed and added to the Bridge set for “Strange New Worlds.”
Lee also changed the color language from the “Discovery” version of the Enterprise. “It was quite cool with blues and greens and cool yellows. I said, the Bridge must feel warmer, particularly the motion graphics on all the monitors. When you see the before and after, it’s pretty dramatically different, but it’s much more intimate, and it feels more like our show.”
The Bridge
Justin Craig
But where Lee worked from a previously constructed design for the Bridge, he designed the Sickbay set from the ground up to allow for more ambitious shooting. “Our little mantra for our show is ‘scope and scale,’ and one of the influences for the whole thing generally is ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’” Lee says. “That’s what drove the whole scale of Sickbay. You can take the camera on a dolly; you can go all over that set without stopping, and we can bring a crane in to shoot straight through it.”
The Sickbay set was built from the ground up.
Justin Craig
And where the beds from “The Original Series” were positioned against the wall, Lee put the beds for “Strange New Worlds” in the middle of the room, so the cameras could go all the way around them and not miss an angle. “Sickbay follows the true radius of the ship, so the beds are set on a radius, the walls are set on a radius, and you really feel like you’re in the circular shape of the saucer section of the ship.”
But perhaps Lee’s biggest challenge came with the design of Engineering, which had to look powerful enough to propel the Enterprise to Warp 9 and beyond. “I wanted to see this amazing structure of the ship, so I thought of what we call the Intermix Chamber, which is a big feature in the middle of Engineering,” he said. “And in the middle of it is this piece that looks like the Sun boiling away, and we can see the Warp Core at work doing its thing.”
To achieve that effect, Lee used cutting-edge new technology called Augmented Reality, or an AR studio, in which a digital wall that’s 25 feet high, 70 feet wide and 100 feet deep is wrapped around the physical set like a horseshoe and contained a 3-D image of the virtual portion on its LED screen.
The decision to build the AR studio was done at the 11th hour and turned out to be just what the Engineering set needed. “We only had to build the foreground element where the actors would work, and the handrail around the elevated area where the actors are becomes the handoff between the physical set and the digital AR extension. And that was a phenomenal decision because it then allowed us to make the scale of the Warp Core look even bigger,” Lee said.
In all, Lee and his team of 60 people designed 10 Enterprise sets for “Strange New Worlds,” which also included the Transporter Room, two corridors, crew quarters, the shuttlecraft interior, the Mess Hall and the Cargo Bay. And there’s more where that came from for the Enterprise in Season 2 (which recently wrapped shooting), such as the Port Galley, a science lab, the Nacelle Room and the Shuttle Bay.
“You wanna take mine or yours?” With those six words and a picture of herself and paramour Travis Scott embracing in front of two private jets last month, Kylie Jenner ignited outcry about celebrity climate offenders that shows no sign of abating. It didn’t help that the @celebjets Twitter account, which tracks private jet trips, posted that Jenner’s plane flew 17 minutes from the Van Nuys Airport to Calabasas the week of her viral Instagram post.
While wealthy entertainers and business people have long traveled on private jets, the outsized resources they consume in a time of increased focus on climate change has brought new attention to the practice.
Other stars have also come under fire for their use of private aircraft: Marketing agency Yard crunched the numbers from @CelebJets Twitter account and found that Taylor Swift’s plane, for example, has been responsible for more than 8,000 tons of flight emissions in 2022. Jay-Z’s flight from Colombia to Newark resulted in 22 tons of CO2 emissions. Last week, Swift’s team noted that she loans out her jet, so the travel on it is not solely hers.
Short flights that consume an outsized amount of jet fuel have drawn particular outrage from observers and activists, though the quick hops are more likely to be for logistical reasons than because a celebrity taking a jet to dinner a few towns over.
Since giant corporations and government policies are the primary movers in combatting climate change, does calling out wealthy individuals using large amounts of resources, be it jet fuel or water at a time of extreme drought in Southern California, help curb excesses? Some activists say yes, though pointing out environmental offenders can also backfire.
At the very least, “hopefully they’ll think about what they’re doing,” says Jack Sweeney, the 19-year old university student who first got into tracking flights on his @ElonJet account, due to his interest in Elon Musk and Tesla.
But Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of L.A. environmental org Climate Resolve, cautions that “wagging fingers never accomplishes anything.”
However, activists say the jet-setters and heavy water users could at least make an effort to model responsible usage and use their influence to set an example.
At the moment, there are few solutions to the private jet issue. Sustainable fuels are just getting off the ground, and buying carbon offsets doesn’t completely solve the problem, though it could be a start for those looking to become more mindful of their impact.
“People need to step up,” says Parfrey. “Invite people to be a leader and a change-maker. Giving people a way to be part of the solution and not part of the problem is absolutely crucial.”
Says climate activist Michael Zelniker: “I have always found it curious that some of the most privileged among us, the most affluent, don’t use their resources to adopt eco-friendly technologies and ways of life that lighten their carbon footprint.
“Affluent people have children too,” notes Zelniker, the former co-chair of the L.A. chapter of Climate Reality Project, who is working on a documentary about boreal forests. “Don’t they care about the planet we’re leaving to our children and the generations to come?”
The Good Fight is returning for its sixth and final season on Sept. 8 and Paramount+ just released the first trailer featuring Andre Braugher in his series debut and Christine Baranski returning as Diane Lockhart.
Braugher stars as the lively attorney Ri’Chard Lane, a partner in the newly formed Reddick, Ri’Chard & Associates. In the trailer above, Ri’Chard arrives at Liz Reddick’s (Audra MacDonald) life like a high fashion whirlwind preaching about the importance of branding—a character that is miles removed from Braugher’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine character Raymond Holt.
Christine Branski Paramount+
Diane, no longer a partner at the firm, appears to be experiencing an existential crisis.
“I used to believe in progress; that we learned from our mistakes. But I feel like I’m back where I was 6 years ago,” Diane tells Dr. Lyle Bettencourt, played by another series newcomer, John Slattery. “No matter what we do, we just end up back at the star,” she added.
In another scene, Diane reveals to The Good Wife OG Eli Gold (Alan Cumming) that she finds her optimism in a new hallucinogenic drug.
Later, things appear to get steamy during a Zoom chat between Diane and her husband Kurt McVeigh (Gary Cole). Smiley, trippy, microdosing Season 4 Diane has entered the chat.
The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Scott Free Productions and King Size Productions. It is distributed worldwide by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Entertainment One is expanding its partnership with unscripted production company Creature Films by signing the “Siesta Key” producer to a multiyear overall deal, Variety has learned exclusively.
The pact, which is the latest extension of a first-look deal originally signed between eOne and Mark Ford’s Creature Films in 2015, evolves the relationship into exclusive development territory and is good through 2024.
Throughout their six-year partnership, Creature Films, which Variety has confirmed recently appointed Pat Lambert as head of development, and eOne have produced MTV’s “Siesta Key,” which was recently renewed for a fifth season, “Behind the Music” for Paramount+, the upcoming Paramount+ doc “The Lady and the Legend” about Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Amazon’s “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” Lifetime’s “Wendy Williams: What a Mess,” BET’s “Chronicles,” A&E’s “Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.” and “Biography: Bobby Brown.”
Lambert joins Creature Films as head of development from 44 Blue Productions, where he had worked since 2015. He oversaw the launches of truTV’s “Backyard Bar Wars,” Snapchat’s “Coming Out” and the sale of new series and projects to HBO Max, Discovery+, Hulu, E!, Bravo, MTV, BET, CW, OWN, TLC, Discovery, History and Lifetime, among others.
Pictured left to right: Mark Ford, Pat Lambert/Courtesy of Creature Films
Courtesy of Creature Films
“Our partnership with Mark and the team at Creature Films has created some of eOne’s most long running and landmark unscripted programming,” said Tara Long, president of global unscripted television for eOne. “We are thrilled to continue this relationship and even more excited to have Pat joining their team.”
Creature Films president Ford added: “Tara Long and the entire team at eOne have been incredibly supportive partners for the past six years … like a family, really. We’ve grown and accomplished so much together and I am very optimistic about the years ahead, especially with the impressive Pat Lambert helming our rapidly expanding development slate.”
Twenty-seven years ago, Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13” saluted men with the right stuff — quiet courage and grace under pressure. This summer, he’s returned to that magic number for a similar rescue tale but traded the vastness of space for a film deep underground.
“Thirteen Lives” is a dramatization of what happened in July 2018 when 12 boys and their football coach were trapped in a flooded limestone cave in Thailand for several weeks. Like his space flick, it will take a lot of on-the-fly can-do to get them out.
This particular cave rescue is natural fodder for drama: A group of cave-diving hobbyists from Europe alongside Thai Navy SEALS and hundreds of farmers, engineers and helpers came together for a happy ending — all the boys and their coach survived. (That’s a spoiler if you’ve been in a literal cave for the past four years.) “Thirteen Lives’’ is available Friday on Prime Video.
Each of those has a focus — “The Rescue” explores how two slightly odd middle-aged British men became central to the operation, and the upcoming Netflix series will tell the tale from the perspective of the trapped kids.
Howard and screenwriter William Nicholson have admirably widened the scope to include everything from the frantic families and religious figures to the governor, as well as how a water engineer helped the rescue effort by diverting rainfall away from the cave and the farmers who sacrificed their crops to flooding.
The overall effect is a more inclusive storytelling — no white savior narrative, great — but the cost is a flattening of the narrative. There are pockets of diffusive heroes everywhere — no bad guys at all, unless you want to blame the rain — and that means a lack of tautness or through-line. Neither the divers nor kids, government officials nor families and volunteers really come into focus, staying as murky as the miles of submerged cave.
There is also some clunky dialogue and daft Hollywoodization, like the heavy use of cellos when things get dramatic and the appearance of slo-mo ambulances. “This could be a long night,” the governor says out loud at the beginning of the crisis, a line unlikely to have ever been uttered at the time. And international film stars Viggo Mortensen, Joel Edgerton and Colin Farrell try hard to be straight-shooting, unglamorous biscuit-eating cave enthusiasts.
“I have zero interest in dying,” Mortensen announces in dialogue that could be ripped from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Farrell has his own: When rescuers debate various rescue solutions, he opines, “Crazy is better than nothing and we’ve got nothing.”
The film gets better once viewers submerge into the flooded cavern and Howard can rely on production designer Molly Hughes and director of photographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom. Here you can hear the hiss of respirators, the clunk of metal cylinders on rock and divers pushing through tight spaces, a camera impossibly close. Much of the film was shot in Australia, not Thailand.
The very heart of the film is the rather insane-brilliant idea to heavily drug the children before pulling them out, essentially turning each into an inert, pliable weight to be yanked and frequently re-sedated over the several hours spent getting them out. “They’re packages and we’re just the delivery guys,” one rescuer says.
That makeshift, off-the-cuff solution-finding means the difference between life and death and is also what kept animating Howard’s “Apollo 13.” Unfortunately, this time underground, he just seems like the delivery guy. Our advice: Fire up the documentary instead.
“Thirteen Lives,” a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for “some strong language and unsettling images.” Running time: 147 minutes. Two stars out of four.
___
MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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Dakota Johnson and Maude have your weekly date nights set for the next month through a weekly film series they’re putting on at the Ace Hotel in downtown L.A.
Johnson’s TeaTime Pictures has partnered with the intimacy brand for what they’re calling “Cinemaude”: a month-long program of films that center around love and sex, ranging from coming-of-age classics to less conventional depictions of love through old age. The screenings will take place every Thursday through the month of August, commencing this Thursday, Aug. 4 at The Theatre at DTLA’s Ace Hotel. Tickets are currently available on the Ace Hotel website for $20.
This month’s screenings are set to include “Mustang,” which follows four orphaned sisters who are punished to confinement after being caught innocently playing with a group of boys; “Waves,” which follows a suburban African American family as they navigate love and forgiveness following a tragic loss; “Tangerine,” which centers on a transgender sex worker who teams up with her best friend to take down her ex-lover/pimp after finding out he cheated on her while she was in jail; and “Babyteeth,” about an ill teenager who falls in love with a drug dealer to her parents’ disapproval.
“TeaTime is excited to curate a month of movies for Cinemaude,” Johnson said in a statement. “These are some of our favorites, and seeing them in a theater is a true treat.”
While at the screening, attendees will also be able to sip on complementary drinks from the beverage sponsor Ghia and take home a custom film poster. After the screening, they can head over to Maude’s exclusive pop-up at the Ace Hotel where they’ll be selling their best-selling sex essentials such as vibrators, massage candles and lubricants.
Check out the full screening schedule below:
“Mustang,” 2015, directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (8/4) – Tickets
“Waves,” 2019, directed by Trey Edward Shults (8/11) – Tickets
“Tangerine,” 2015, directed by Sean Baker (8/18) – Tickets
“Babyteeth,” 2019, directed by Shannon Murphy (8/25) – Tickets
The upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney At Law will now premiere on August 18, a day later than was previously announced.
Across 9 episodes, Tatiana Maslany will bring to life Jennifer Walters, an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases who must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. She counts on the guidance of her cousin The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to help figure out what being a giant green superhero is all about.
The comedy will also welcome back other MCU vets like Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry. Oh yeah, and the recently announced return of Daredevil (Charlie Cox) which was confirmed during San Diego Comic Con.
Directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7) with Jessica Gao as head writer. Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kar Coiro and Jessica Gao.
Deadline will have more news as to what’s ahead during the show’s TCA panel later today.
The Old Man is a show with wide appeal, because everyone loves Jeff Bridges. The Oscar-winning actor stars in the moody FX thriller as Dan Chase, a former CIA agent who’s been in hiding for over 30 years after going AWOL from the Agency. When he kills an intruder in his home, he realizes his cover is finally blown, and he goes on the run. FBI assistant director Harold Harper (John Lithgow) has been assigned to the task of apprehending Chase, because they have a history together, with secrets that could destroy Harper if they ever come out. Chase gets help from Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman), a woman from whom he rents a room while he’s on the lam, as well as his two Rottweilers. His constant companions are very chill until they’re provoked, at which point they become lethal. They’re a lot like Dan Chase himself, who’s like the Dude if Bridges’ most famous character knew how to use a long-range rifle.
Now that Season 1 is over, we’ve rounded up some other shows with spy-jinks and suspense. Not all of them have acting and writing as good as The Old Man‘s, but a few of them do. They’ll hold you over until The Old Man returns for Season 2. (And The Old Man, which on the surface seems like it would be a limited series, has in fact been renewed for Season 2.)
Chi McBride, Mark Valley, and Jackie Earle Hayley, Human Target
Fox
Long before he co-created The Old Man, writer-producer Jonathan E. Steinberg developed Human Target, another action series about a supremely competent operator, which ran for two seasons on Fox from 2010 to 2011. Loosely based on a DC Comics series, Human Target follows Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), a bodyguard-for-hire who provides a unique service for his clients. He takes on a completely different identity — in the pilot, for example, his cover is that he’s the translator for a businesswoman who hired him to find out who’s trying to kill her — in order to observe and protect his client without tipping off their enemies. It’s different from The Old Man in significant ways — it’s formatted as a case-of-the-week procedural and isn’t as emotionally deep — but it’s an entertaining and action-packed show about a secretive guy who knows what he’s doing. And like The Old Man‘s Dan Chase, Christopher Chance is on the run from his former employer, whose name is —get this — the Old Man (Armand Assante). -Liam Mathews
Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, The Americans
Jeffrey Neira/FX
The Old Man is a direct successor to The Americans, another expertly made FX spy series. It ran for six underrated seasons from 2013 to 2018. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as Russian spies working so deep undercover in America for so long that they’re not sure who they really are anymore. It’s a masterpiece of a show, with some of the best writing and acting ever seen on TV. TV Guide named it the best show of the 2010s. If you’re looking for another show that’s a tense espionage thriller and psychologically probing character-driven drama, fire this one up as soon as you finish The Old Man. -Liam Mathews
J.K. Simmons, Counterpart
Starz
Another espionage drama starring an Academy Award-winning actor, Counterpart adds a sci-fi element to the mix. It’s set in an alternate history Berlin, where there’s a gate between parallel universes that are in the midst of a cold war with each other. J.K. Simmons plays dual roles as different versions of Howard Silk, one of whom is a mild-mannered desk jockey and the other is a ruthless secret agent. When they meet, things get intense. Simmons should have won an Emmy for his performance(s) in the series, which ran for two seasons on Starz between 2017 and 2019. It’s another one with great suspense and even better performances. -Liam Mathews
More recommendations:
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Apple TV+
One more espionage thriller with an Oscar-winning star. Gary Oldman is having the time of his life as Jackson Lamb, the flatulent, vulgar head of Slough House, an MI5 outpost where agents who screwed up get exiled to serve out their careers in obscurity. Jack Lowden plays a new member of Slough House who refuses to fade away and starts investigating a case on his own, which makes Lamb mad at first, but then he sees how it could help his own career. It’s funnier and way more British than The Old Man, but it’s equally well-written and well-acted, with breathless spy action. -Liam Mathews
Willa Fitzgerald and Alan Ritchson, Reacher
Shane Mahood/Amazon Studios
One of the most successful formulas for a good TV show is creating a character who is smarter than everyone else, and when their brains won’t do the trick, their brawn will. Dan Chase, even in his advanced years, outmatches anyone he’s put against, and it’s easy to imagine that in his younger years he might be a little like the title character in Amazon’s Reacher. Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) is a former military policeman who may not be hunted down by the FBI like Chase, but he operates as a lone wolf who can’t totally trust anyone as he traverses the country solving cases. And when he’s not one step ahead of his foes thanks to his sharp mind, he’s cracking open their skulls. -Tim Surette
Chris Pratt, The Terminal List
Amazon Studios
If you like shows about highly-trained operators on the run from government forces trying to permanently retire them, make The Terminal List your next and last stop. Chris Pratt stars in this thriller as James Reece, a Navy SEAL who sets out to unravel a conspiracy and get revenge on the people who killed the other members of his unit. It’s not as emotionally sophisticated as The Old Man — Chris Pratt doesn’t have Jeff Bridges’ depth — but it has intense action and “am I a good man?” drama that fans of The Old Man might enjoy. -Liam Mathews
John Krasinski, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Kurt Iswarienko/Amazon Studios
Amazon Prime Video’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison with The Old Man — John Krasinski‘s Jack Ryan isn’t old, he’s a current member of the CIA, and he doesn’t have any dogs — but there’s a good chance that if you’re a fan of one, you’ll be a fan of the other. Jack Ryan follows the popular character in his early days as a CIA analyst who graduates from a desk job to the field as he works with his team to stop terrorism around the globe. It’s more straightforward than The Old Man, but as a thriller that keeps dads happy, it’s definitely in the same boat. -Tim Surette
Jim Caviezel, Person of Interest
CBS
As a former CIA operative on the run from the government, The Old Man‘s Dan Chase can relate to Person of Interest‘s John Reese (Jim Caviezel). Cast out of society and with nowhere to go, Reese is eventually paired with a tech genius (Michael Emerson) for a vigilante program that uses an advanced artificial intelligence to stop crimes before they happen, and as an expert in firearms and hand-to-hand combat, he could easily go toe-to-toe with Chase. Plus, like Chase, Reese has a canine sidekick in Bear, a Belgian Malinois who frequently saves the day. If you’re looking for another tough guy show that’s lighter in tone than The Old Man with more themes on technology, Person of Interest should be your next watch. -Tim Surette
Jack Osbourne, who discovery+ fans are accustomed to seeing hunting for ghosts and, most recently, Bigfoot, has taken on a new mission in his latest two-hour special – investigating an infamous paranormal hotspot where UFOs frequent, animal mutilation has been documented and, oh yeah, there’ve been reports of alien abduction.
But what Osbourne ends up seeing – and catching on camera – goes above and beyond his wildest expectations and leaves him saying, “We came here looking for UFOs and ended up finding ‘other things.’”
In “Jack Osbourne’s Night of Terror: UFOs,” the “Portals to Hell” star teams up with a couple of his actor friends, Jason Mewes (“Clerks,” “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”) and Jamie Kennedy (“Scream,” “Son of the Mask”), with the trio heading off to Utah’s Uinta Basin, where the notoriously creepy and mysterious Skinwalker Ranch sits. The area has long been known for its otherworldly – and unexplainable – activity. In recent years, residents of the area have reported seeing strange lights both in the sky and close to the ground, and creatures and shapeshifters manifesting and then disappearing before their eyes.
Joined by UFO expert and former FBI agent, Ben Hansen, the guys embark on an unflinching investigation in an attempt to figure out if all of these phenomena are connected – and why the crazy activity is concentrated in this area.
“I’ve been obsessed with the concept of whether or not we’re alone since I was a kid staring up at the stars,” Osbourne said. “The Uinta Basin has fascinated me for years – it’s a mecca for alien and supernatural activity. People are drawn here for specific things but when you come here looking for it, you often find something you’re not looking for. I’ve never been to any place like this. It’s its own realm.”
While Hansen brings a grounded and thorough understanding and knowledge about UFOs to the table, Mewes and Kennedy bring some comedy relief to what would otherwise be tense, spin-chilling discoveries. Like, Kennedy confessed he was OK if he saw an alien along the way, “as long as it doesn’t mess me up.”
On the second night of their investigation, powerful lightening ripped through the basin, “It’s like something doesn’t want us out here,” Osbourne said. And there was more than a little indication that he was right.
Putting night-vision glasses to his eyes, Osbourne sees something odd trekking very quickly through the dessert, upright like a human – but then it vanished
“I swear to God, I f—ing saw a skinwalker… and we got it on f—ing tape, dude!” he tells his producer, referring to a shapeshifting witch of Navajo legend that morphs into various animals, like wolves or bears.
And the evidence didn’t stop there, leaving them convinced that the area is a supernatural melting pot.
Watch the exclusive teaser at the top.
“Jack Osbourne’s Night of Terror: UFOs” is produced by Osbourne Media and launches Saturday, Sept. 3 on discovery+.
We’re obsessed with watching Selena Gomez on TikTok, and we know we’re not alone. From her hilarious take on lip-syncing trends to beauty tips, the 30-year-old makes it easy to be a loud and proud stan. The only downside? A TikTok video is a few mere moments—and we want more of our queen.
So when we heard that the “Lose You to Love You” singer is set to be involved in the 20th Century Studios reboot of 1980s hit Working Girl, we lit-er-ally couldn’t contain ourselves. So what’s going on? Well, according to a Deadline report, the multi-hyphenate is developing a Working Girl remake for the production company with Diary of a Future President creator Ilana Peña adapting the script. Not too shabby (and by that we mean, frigging amazing).
Just to get you up to speed on the story here, the original Working Girl stars Melanie Griffith as Tess, a working-class secretary with business ambitions. When her boss (Sigourney Weaver) breaks her leg, Tess uses her absence to impersonate her. She then strikes up a partnership with Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford), which is threatened by her ruse. The film was a huge hit at the time and racked up an impressive six Academy Award nominations.
Gomez is in final negotiations to produce the film, originally directed by Mike Nichols, but it is still unclear as to whether we will actually see her on screen as casting details have yet to be released.
According to Deadline, “20th Century sees this as a timely property and views Gomez as the perfect partner on the project,” which is expected to land at Hulu. The original is very much a relic of the ’80s, but there are lots of possibilities to modernize the story, particularly if Gomez and Peña explore the perspective of Latina women in the workforce. We can’t wait to see how the women interpret the office rom-com.
Where she has time for all of this, though, we have no idea, because she is also producing and starring in the HBO reality show Selena + Chef, a pandemic inspired series in which the locked down actor works with master chefs to brush up on her cooking skills (season four is set to debut on August 20, 2022). And, in the meantime, the singer is also reported to be working on her climbing skills in preparations for In The Shadow of the Mountain.
In this personal essay, author and pediatrician Mark Vonnegut draws parallels to Brian Wilson and challenges the stigmas of mental illness. He reflects on the thorny label of “creative genius” that was assigned to both Wilson and his own father, author Kurt Vonnegut.
Brian Wilson on stage
Brian Wilson and I, being born in the 40s and barely surviving the 60s, shared many of the same diagnoses, treatments and side effects. Brian Wilson is a creative genius. He heard music no one else heard, made it real and made a lot of people, including me, less lonely and more proud to be human. He was able to keep working at it, making more music and making it even better. But his mental illness has been romanticized and connected to his genius and music.
The only thing I like about his mental illness is that he recovered. When I see Brian, I look at and listen to a fully present joy and I like to think we both look younger than we are. I know, better than most, that mental illness doesn’t just go away. You have to fight hard to not be mentally ill. The voices and fear of relapsing never fully go away. My first breakdown and hospitalization was 55 years ago. I was a schizophrenic, a paranoid schizophrenic, then promoted to a schizophrenic who might get better on Lithium, a manic depressive, and bipolar with a severe post-adolescent adjustment reaction. I wrote and published a few articles about mental illness and was ultimately admitted to medical school, Harvard, no less, at least partly as a way for the admissions to prove that I was not schizophrenic. Whatever. “If you were schizophrenic, we wouldn’t be admitting you to medical school.” I knew enough to not argue.
I received better medical care than Brian did, at least partly, because I wasn’t a genius. The unhelpful romanticization of my illness involved the unfortunate fame of my father, who had also been recently declared a creative genius. Creative geniuses and their children are, according to popularly held cliché, not supposed to do well. If they look good now, it’s only a matter of time. If we manage to get jobs, make a living and have a life, we are ‘a credit’ to our diagnosis. When we relapse, it’s not a surprise. It hurt my feelings that when people heard “Mark was in the hospital,” no one asked what kind of hospital. I was a few steps away from ground zero where creative “geniusness” and mental illness hit. I wasn’t worth getting next to, mourning, making conclusive conclusions, writing interviews or articles about. When I see and hear Brian Wilson today, I know how hard he worked to get here and how much bull**** he’s had to work his way around.
Author Mark Vonnegut
The biggest difference between my care and Brian’s care, and what I credit with saving my life, was the active debunking of romance and the meanings people would try to attach to my illness. It was an illness, a biochemical screw-up like other illnesses. There was no shame, blame or romance. What I hate most about the popularly held connection between mental illness and creativity is that, in one fell swoop, the extremely hard work it takes to create truly new art and the extremely hard work it takes to survive and recover from mental illness are discounted, like these things just fall out of the sky. There is a connection between art and mental illness but it’s actually the exact opposite of what we see in the movies. Brian Wilson’s art, Van Gogh’s art, Thelonious Monk’s art, Dostoyevsky’s art and countless other examples were all achieved as ways and reasons to fight against mental illness. No one chucks their medications and writes great novels. Believing you can fly and actually flying are two very different things. Great art is made by people, maybe geniuses, maybe not, working hard to save their own lives. Everyone’s life and art are different and the effort makes us all a little less lonely.
Artists make great art in spite of mental illness, not because of it. So go ahead, try to paint like Van Gogh or write music like Brian Wilson or yourself. I promise it won’t make you crazy and might even make you a little less crazy. If you’re running a psych hospital and have to choose between firing an art therapist or a psychiatrist, let the psychiatrist go. I should add that stigma is really, really stupid and makes good treatment less accessible for everyone, which, among other things leads to homelessness, addiction, Hepatitis A, B and C, tuberculosis and more mental illness.
A volcano in southwest Iceland began erupting Wednesday, the country’s meteorological authorities said.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office said the eruption is near the Fagradalsfjall mountain, 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik. A live video feed from the site shows molten lava spewing from a narrow fissure.
The eruption follows days of small earthquakes in the area and is close to Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub.
Eruption has started near Fagradalsfjall. Exact location has yet to be confirmed.
— Icelandic Meteorological Office – IMO (@Vedurstofan) August 3, 2022
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An eruption in the same area last year – the first on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula in almost 800 years -produced spectacular lava flows for several months.
Iceland, located above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, averages an eruption every four to five years.
The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which sent clouds of ash and dust into the atmosphere, interrupting air travel for days between Europe and North America because of concerns the ash could damage jet engines. More than 100,000 flights were grounded, stranding millions of passengers.
EXCLUSIVE: Sundance Now has joined Sky’s British comedy-drama series The Lovers, bagging itself rights in the U.S. and Canada. The AMC Networks streamer has been expected to board the show for a number of weeks and Deadline can now confirm its participation.
Sundance Now will become a co-producer on the show, which comes from Pure, Life and Doctor Foster producer Drama Republic in association with Sky Studios. Roanna Benn and Rebecca de Souza are executive producers for Drama Republic, with commissioning editors Liz Lewin and Manpreet Dosanjh as executive producers for Sky Studios. Hannah Pescod also serves as executive producer, with Chris Martin as producer. David Ireland is the writer and Justin Martin the director.
The series follows Janet (Gallagher) as supermarket worker who doesn’t care about anything, including her life, and Seamus (Flynn) a handsome, self-centered, political broadcaster with what looks to be a perfect London life and a celebrity girlfriend (Eve). When they unexpectedly meet, they instantly clash – and yet also find themselves inextricably drawn to each other.
The series, which began shooting in Belfast this summer, will go out in the UK on Sky Atlantic and streaming service Now, and Sky’s Comcast family cousin NBCUniversal Global Distribution will sell the show internationally.
Sundance Now frequently dips into the UK market for shows. Just this year, it has had the U.S. debut of Ten Percent, the British remake of Netflix’s French hit Call My Agent, and acquired Showtrial, The Suspect and Anne from ITV Studios. It also streams A Discovery of Witches, State of the Union,Riviera, Back,Des and The Drowning among others.
ESPN and Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions are continuing to expand their podcast ambitions, launching a daily show to be led by NFL Network host Kyle Brandt.
The show, Kyle Brandt’s Basement, will actually originate from a tiny studio in the Good Morning Football host’s basement, and will be available on ESPN’s YouTube channel as well as all the major podcast platforms. He will continue to host NFL Network’s morning show.
Brandt tells The Hollywood Reporter that the lighthearted name “just lends itself to some of the stuff we are going to do.”
“If there is something to complain about, I will complain about that thing for 6 minutes and bring in contributors who want to complain about it too. If there’s something to do fist pumps about, same deal,” Brandt adds. “I will be shooting baskets in the basements, I will be throwing darts, I will be playing video games, I will be lifting weights, maybe even during the show.”
The daily show will debut August 8, with a variety of segments tied to the latest NFL news, and discussion of what happened on the field (on Sundays, a new episode will post after the afternoon games but before Sunday Night Football airs).
In fact, Brandt sees the Sunday show almost as an alternative the Sunday Night Football pregame show.
“There is that period where you’ve eaten a little too much, maybe you’ve drank a bit too much, and here comes the Sunday night game, and maybe the Sunday night game is not for you, or maybe the pregame show is not for you,” he says. “You Immediately have a place to go.”
Among the recurring segments planned is a “takes on takes” bit, where Brandt and his team will scour the debate shows and morning zoos and “grab the biggest, spiciest most nuclear takes, and then pair them against each other and have a ranking system like the slam dunk contest.”
There will also be regular and recurring guests and contributors, and “awards” handed out on the Sunday show right after the games end.
Omaha entered the podcast space via its Omaha Audio division earlier this summer, teaming with ESPN for distribution, and with Caesars Sportsbook as a sponsor. Brandt’s show joins an initial slate of Omaha-produced podcasts that includes shows hosted by Rachel DeMita, Vince Carter, Cam Heyward, Katie Mox, and Cooper Manning.
Omaha also produces the “Manningcast” edition of Monday Night Football for ESPN, as well as programming like the Places franchise.
In fact, Brandt says that his podcast has its origins with the Manningcast. Brandt was part of a screen test with Peyton and Eli Manning a year ago, when the alternate broadcast was thinking about having a host join the brothers.
Brandt says he thought it went well, but when he saw the final result, he told executives that “they don’t need a host. I would only be in the way.”
But Manning and his team liked Brandt and his style.
“They came back to me and said, listen, we’d really love to be in a relationship with you, let’s build something together,” he says, with Kyle Brandt’s Basement being the end result.
This section is designed to champion first-time and veteran filmmakers and their bold directorial visions.
The Toronto International Film Festival today revealed the 10 feature films that will make up its Platform section. The festival, which runs September 8 through 18 this year, annually hosts the Platform vertical to shine a light on first-time and veteran filmmakers and their bold directorial visions from around the globe.
The program’s opening night selection is the directorial debut of actor Frances O’Connor, “Emily,” which centers on author Emily Brontë and the years leading up to the publication of her novel “Wuthering Heights.” Notably the selection also includes two Canadian films as well as the latest movie from Maïmouna Doucouré, the director of 2020’s controversial “Cuties.” All 10 films in the program are world premieres.
“We launched Platform to shine a brighter light on some of the most original films and distinct voices at our Festival,” said Cameron Bailey, the CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival. “Now in year seven, it’s become a true home for international auteurs on the rise.”
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Named after Jia Zhang-ke’s groundbreaking second feature, Platform is curated by TIFF Chief Programming Officer Anita Lee; Director, Festival Programming Robyn Citizen; and Senior Manager, Festival Programming Ravi Srinivasan.
“Eclectic in vision, this year’s selection not only represents all World Premieres of exciting, on-the-rise voices from around the world, but it also reflects the very timely and unique perspectives of racialized filmmakers from diasporic communities broadening the canvas,” said Lee.
The 10 films in the programme are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the section as selected by an in-person international jury. This year’s Platform Prize jury will be announced later this summer. Previous jury members include: Claire Denis, Béla Tarr, Brian De Palma, Mira Nair, Riz Ahmed, and Jia Zhang-ke.
Previous Platform selections include Hany Abu-Assad’s “Huda’s Salon” (2021), Kamila Andini’s “Yuni” (2021), Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal” (2019), Alice Winocour’s “Proxima” (2019), Kazik Radwanski’s “Anne at 13,000 Ft.” (2019), Sarah Gavron’s “Rocks” (2019), Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of Stalin” (2017), Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” (2016), Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” (2016), William Oldroyd’s “Lady Macbeth” (2016), and Ben Wheatley’s “High-Rise” (2015).
See the full platform lineup below.
“Charcoal” (“Carvão”), Carolina Markowicz | Brazil, Argentina World Premiere “Emily,” Frances O’Connor | UK World Premiere “The Gravity” (“La Gravité”), Cédric Ido | France World Premiere “Hawa,” Maïmouna Doucouré | France World Premiere “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” Daniel Goldhaber | USA World Premiere “Riceboy Sleeps,” Anthony Shim | Canada World Premiere “Subtraction” (“Tafrigh”), Mani Haghighi | Iran, France World Premiere “Thunder” (“Foudre”), Carmen Jaquier | Switzerland World Premiere “Tora’s Husband,” Rima Das | India World Premiere “Viking,” Stéphane Lafleur | Canada World Premiere
Fox has completed a multi-year renewal of its distribution agreement with Verizon for its Fios TV platform.
The deal encompasses the full portfolio of Fox brands – Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Network – with the new addition of Fox Weather as part of the package, and AVOD service Tubi debuting in Fios TV set top boxes.
The agreement covers local Fox O&O TV stations in markets including New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
“Fox is pleased to extend and expand our long-standing relationship with Verizon as we add Fox Weather and Tubi to our industry-leading portfolio of news, sports and entertainment available to Verizon’s subscribers,” said Michael Biard, Fox Corp.’s president, Operations and Distribution.
Fox launched the ad-supported Fox Weather platform last fall with a team of meteorologists and a mix of local, regional and national updates. It’s led by president Sharri Berg, chief operating officer of news and operations for Fox Television Stations.
The NYC-based platform debuted with the Fox Weather App accompanied by an integrated website and streaming service, leveraging a team of 75 meteorologists across 17 stations and FNC’s newsgathering units.
One of the things that anime are known for is its imaginative and extravagant openings.
Toei / Via Giphy
Thanks to their beautiful animation, killer theme songs, and overall flare, these intros got us all pumped to watch the anime shows that followed. These are the 20 best anime openings of all time.
This intro captures the surreal excitement of this supernatural anime series. But instead of focusing purely on the action, this sequence shows the main characters gathering around a film set, which seems to represent the making of this music video that opens this fantasy adventure.
This opening’s iteration of the show’s theme may have only played during the Battle City arc and the Virtual World arc, but it is arguably the superior version. The intense music pairs perfectly with the images of Yugi, Marik’s Rare Hunters, the three Egyptian gods, and the various Duel Monsters that appear. Such an exciting intro is one of the reasons why Battle City is fondly remembered as one of the greatest arcs in this long-running franchise.
As one of the longest-running anime franchises, Naruto has released many, many intros over the years. But the best has to be the one for Season 2 of the original series. All the characters are brought together in this fantastic video, and the hardcore jamming in the background summons this shonen’s fierce spirit, filling all the viewers with unparalleled excitement.
An intro deserving of the man himself. One-Punch Man‘s opening sequence displays the raw and awesome power of the titular hero. In the face of many big bad beasts, this one man stands alone before them all without fear and takes them down with his mighty fist. And in the end, he just walks down the street carrying groceries, conveying the show’s comedic nature and the fact that Saitama is still a regular Joe, despite his power.
This entry shows Kagome transporting herself to the beautiful, new realm with the promise of thrilling action and gorgeous visuals. Compared to typical anime openings, this piece makes full use of its sound effects to immerse the audience into this magical world. And with Inuyasha smiling and taking Kagome’s hand, we can’t help but smile with him.
Singer Lisa graces this anime’s glorious opening with her angelic voice, setting the stage for the epic contest that is the Holy Grail War. This bloody but spectacular conflict is beautifully introduced with shots of Saber and company lighting up the battlefield with their swords and sorcery. Even today, its animation never fails to amaze us.
This show’s jazz-injected opening succeeds in introducing all the main players in this anime extravaganza. Not only that, but the swinging theme and fast action throughout the intro invoke the show’s wild energy, making it the perfect preview for Baccano!’s thrilling story.
The intro starts out peaceful and serene, but it quickly changes into something heavier and darker, which represents the very course that the story takes with the protagonist turning into a half-ghoul. Nevertheless, the sequence retains a sense of beauty in the chaos that just mesmerizes us.
This song never fails to get you pumped to join Simon and his crew on their grand adventure. The head-banging theme song serves as the perfect anthem to this mecha masterpiece. Also, the frenetic and colorful shots of the mechs battling the Beastmen convey the wild and uncontainable energy of the show that’s to come.
Sword Art Online had many openings during its epic “Alicization” storyline, but the last one is hands-down the best of them all. This entry gives audiences a rocking theme song and glimpses into the characters and memories of the show’s past. It also utilizes the changing colors to symbolize Kirto’s awakening from his “fractured” state. And with Asuna and Kirito facing PoH and Gabriel, respectively, this opening gives an outstanding introduction to the final battle for the Underworld.
The gothic and Biblical imagery flashing onscreen in this exhilarating intro conveys the dark Messiah complex Light develops after receiving the dreaded Death Note. It also puts the spotlight on him and L, hinting at the intense battle of wills between the world’s greatest detective and the God of the New World.
Accompanied by beautiful and mystical visuals, the somber music in this video invokes the tragic and emotional tale of Edward and Alphonse after alchemy ravaged their bodies. But it still burns with a resolve and excitement that grabs the audience’s attention, presenting them with a story that they can’t look away from.
This is our first glimpse into the horrifying and action-packed war in Attack on Titan. The sequence gives us blood-soaked images of the rampaging Titans and shots of the Survey Corps slashing through the air. And with that electric theme rocking in the background, the show had our eyes glued to the screen as we watched this dark fantasy unfold.
This video successfully explains the show’s premise in 30 seconds. It also welcomes the audience to join Luffy and his pirate crew on their quest to find the legendary One Piece. And with so many spirited characters, gorgeous scenery, and exciting action, how can we say no?
If you’re a kid who grew up in the ’90s, you’ll definitely remember this one. This opening told us everything we needed to know about Ash Ketchum’s journey in this anime classic, and the theme accompanying it really made us want to become Pokémon trainers ourselves. Sure, there have been many other intros in this long-running series, but none of them hold a candle to the one in the show’s very first season.
Every shonen fan knows this opening song. As one of the most popular animes ever created, Dragon Ball Z has imprinted its theme, “Cha-La Head-Cha-La,” into the minds of its many fans. Also, the sequence accompanying it creates the perfect lead-in for Goku’s epic journey with his friends and allies on the Dragon Team.
Like lightning in a bottle, this intro sequence captures the musical beauty of this romantic anime classic. It hits like a rainbow straight through the heart, as the uplighting song and the heartwarming images of Kōsei, Kaori, and their friends together are guaranteed to make you shed a tear, especially if you know how this series plays out.
Fitting for the opening theme song, “Colors,” this sequence is a psychedelic bombardment of colors and characters who make up this sci-fi anime. This stylish and mecha-filled intro feels like it comes fresh from the mind of Lelouch himself as he calls on the audience to join him in his revolution against the Holy Brittanian Empire.
This is definitely one of those intros that you can’t help but watch. It effectively sets the tone of this space western with its catchy and vibrant jazz theme song, “Tank!,” and the colorful images of Spike and his crew, promising viewers a cosmic odyssey unlike anything they’ve seen before.
This one is my personal favorite, and it made us all want to get in the robot. Brimming with mechanized action, religious symbols, and breathtaking images, this opening sequence lures you in with the appearance of an exciting and hopeful sci-fi epic. But this is all a bright contrast to the dark journey that Shinji and his friends endure in their war against the Angels. But that didn’t stop us from watching and loving this anime classic.
Do you agree with this list? Are there any other anime openings that I missed? Please let me know in the comments section below.
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(from left) Predator (20th Century Fox); Prey (20th Century Fox); Predators (20th Century Fox).Image: 20th Century Fox
The Predator film series, which has been around for 35 years as of June, has spawned five sequels—including the forthcoming Prey—as well as two crossover/spin-offs that bring the “Yautja” face-to-face with the Xenomorphs of the Alien franchise. That’s a lot of intertwined mythology and interlocking storylines, not to mention a lot time shifts throughout the Predator universe.
To help keep track of all those twists and turns and timeframes, The A.V. Club looked back at the characters, stories, Easter eggs, and minutiae from each film to map an overarching Predator timeline. Our rundown reaches back to the foundations of America itself, and stretches far into our future—at least, until those three little dots tell you that you’re the extraterrestrial hunter’s next target.
While some trailers now running call Prey “The Predator’s first hunt on Earth,” that would require discounting the Alien Vs. Predator movies as non-canon. Ridley Scott effectively tried to do this by making Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which show the Xenomorph’s originating around the year 2093. But the AVP movies cannot be extricated similarly from the Predator franchise, which repeatedly acknowledges them. However, if we accept that Yautja can time travel … well, we’ll get to that.
750-500 BCE (Alien Vs. Predator)
Yautja, who maintain a particular affinity for hunting indigenous peoples of the Americas, first arrive on Earth somewhere between 750 and 500 BCE, when the Mayan civilization began building cities. It was the Predators who taught them how, and in return the locals worshipped them like gods. Per the first Alien Vs. Predator, the Mayans willingly offered human sacrifices to incubate the Xenomorphs, and a large-scale collapse of Mayan cities in the 9th century occurred because the Yautja were sore losers, a trait maintained across the franchise. When defeated, a warrior will typically set off a miniature nuclear device, literally leveling the playing field while also conveniently erasing any evidence they were ever there.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) Official Trailer #1 – Alien Movie HD
After an incident in which too many Xenomorphs broke loose and caused the use of the mini-nuke, Yautja build their own pyramid deep under the island of Bouvetøya near Antarctica, where no humans will find it until summoned. Unlike the Mayan city versions, this one is specifically designed as a training simulator, with Xenomorph eggs and a queen in suspended animation. Every 100 years, they send out a mysterious signal to lure in a curious few humans, inevitably turning them into incubators. It’s something of a crucible for Predators, who thrive in hot climates, to send them through freezing weather to test their skills, three at a time.
Work-Lifestyle Balance Ponto is all about mindful—in a thoughtful sense, and in the way they use recycled and bio-based materials.
1719 (Prey)
The Yautja seem to develop a specific affinity for indigenous peoples of the Americas, and one resurfaces in the Comanche Nation in our 18th century. They soon discover what humans will in 1987, over two centuries later: “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” Save for its cloaking device, this particular Predator prefers projectiles and blades; in general, a Yautja won’t use its laser weapons unless facing an opponent with guns. This particular hunter looks significantly different from those that preceded it and that come after—more like the larger evolved strain from Predators.
It is here that we see the origin of something that will show up much later in the timeline—proving that the Predators aren’t done with this particular era yet.
1904 (Alien Vs. Predator)
A Norwegian whaling settlement is wiped out by Yautja and Xenomorphs, in the first known incidence of the underground pyramid making contact with humans.
1945-1982 (Predator 2)
In 1945, the U.S. government documents Yautja involvement at the battle of Iwo Jima.
In the 1970s, the U.S. government documents Yautja sightings in Cambodia. It’s unclear which particular Cambodian conflict is referred to.
In 1982, the U.S. government documents Yautja sightings during the Siege of Beirut and concludes they are drawn to both heat and conflict.
1987 (Predator)
Guatemalan villagers notice a mysterious hunter that tends to show up during particularly warm years, and stalk its prey in the jungle. A U.S. Military rescue team in Guatemala find themselves ambushed by a Yautja. Of all the team members, only Native American Billy (Sonny Landham) seems to instinctively understand what they’re dealing with—and recognizes that the creature will engage in hand-to-hand combat if challenged. In the end, only one member of the team survives, along with a local woman who witnessed the events.
Predator | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX
This incident remains one of two that the U.S. Government retains full knowledge of beyond the circumstantial, after debriefing the survivors.
During the incident, lone survivor Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) twice tells people to “Get to the chopper!” This line will be uttered by many more humans in the years to come.
1997 (Predator 2)
A Yautja warrior stalks members of a Colombian drug cartel in Los Angeles. As revealed by Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey), a government agency called the OWLFP is fully aware of the 1987 incident and has passing knowledge of those in Iwo Jima, Cambodia, and Beirut.
The Yautja is ultimately defeated in combat by LAPD Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover), who disarms the suicide nuke by slicing the timer in half with the alien’s bladed disc. This Predator turns out to be one of several who have a spaceship hidden beneath the city; what the others were doing remains unknown (in the movies, at least).
Inside the Yautja spacecraft, several alien skulls, including that of a Xenomorph, are on display. Notably, the skulls do not appear to include spinal chords, despite the Yautja predilection for ripping those out too. This will be explained decades later.
In a rare sign of respect, the group’s Elder presents Harrigan with an antique weapon that provides a clue to a possible Earth visit a couple hundred years prior.
2004 (Alien Vs. Predator/Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem)
The 100-year signal near Antarctica goes off again, luring entrepreneur Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen) and his team of experts in to become the next incubators.
Following an incident in which most of the humans and Xenomorphs die, the lone remaining Yautja, now carrying a Xenomorph chestburster inside, is rescued by a larger ship. Once the Predalien hybrid emerges from its host and kills all onboard, the ship promptly crashes near a small Colorado town. A “cleaner” Predator arrives from the Yautja homeworld to dispose of the evidence, and after a Xenomorph outbreak occurs, the U.S. Government nukes the town, destroying everything save some Predator shoulder cannons. And a handful of humans who heeded a warning to “get to the chopper.”
The cannons wind up in the hands of the mysterious Ms. Yutani, who will presumably go on to found the Alien franchise’s Weyland-Yutani company following the death of Weyland Industries’ Charles Bishop Weyland.
Note: Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem is the only movie to show the Yautja homeworld. It also reveals that their helmets relay signals between one another with fully archived video feeds, which explains how they can know about prior incidents, even after a particular helmet is destroyed.
2010-ish (Predators)
The events depicted in Predators are often described as taking place in the future. However, the only information we actually have is in the motion comics on the Blu-ray, which offer specific dates implying the characters are pretty close to the actors’ actual ages in 2010. But since it takes place on a Yautja game preserve planet, and they may have time travel (we’ll get to that), the story arguably takes place outside of human timelines as we know them.
Predators | Official Trailer HD | 20th Century FOX
Predators explains the discrepancy between the Yautja who hunt alone in isolated areas, and those seen in war zones. At the war zones, it turns out, they’ve been capturing the world’s most dangerous killers, and bringing them to the game planet for sport. We also learn that the IDF has detailed files on the 1987 and 1997 events.
As established in Alien Vs. Predator, Yautja in controlled hunting facilities travel in threes. But now there are at least two different kinds—a larger, more evolved strain that more closely resemble the hunter in Prey are larger and deadlier. Both strains learn fast from humans, as seen by the way the “classic” Predator jumps behind a log, Arnold-style, to evade fire.
2018 (The Predator)
The Predator opens with Yautja ships tearing holes in the fabric of space to arrive near Earth. Could they be tearing through time as well? A deleted ending, which would have seen Alien heroine Ellen Ripley arrive on 21st-century Earth, implies as much. In the final film, there is no absolute confirmation, but they do keep their antique weapons collections in pristine condition.
An entire governmental project called Stargazer now knows of the Yautja—they have the most details on the 1987 and 1997 events, but note that the aliens, who are now officially dubbed “Predators,” have been making more frequent incursions as global warming accelerates. One of the project’s notable employees is a scientist named Sean Keyes (Jake Busey), son of Gary Busey’s Peter Keyes.
Predators depicted two separately evolving tribes of Yautja battling each other and their prey on a game preserve planet; The Predator ups the ante by revealing that different Predators genetically augment themselves with the spinal fluid of their kills. This finally explains why the creatures rip out spines, yet save only the skulls as trophies. In the Stargazer lab, we see not only a helmet and shoulder cannon resembling those of the 1987 Predator, but also a collapsible spear first seen in Predator 2, and a spear tipped with a Xenomorph tail, as given to Weyland’s guide (and sole Alien Vs. Predator survivor) Lex Woods (Sanaa Lathan) in 2004.
The Predator | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX
Two confirmed Predators and their doglike pets come to Earth in 2018. The first, a renegade who wants to preserve humanity, is killed by a much larger pursuer, part of a faction that wants to gather up the most desirable humans for augmentation before climate change destroys Earth completely. The renegade leaves behind a gift of fully equipped Yautja battle armor made to fit a human, giving them a fighting chance against the new larger breed.
And while the characters in this story refer to motorcycles as choppers, they once again save lives by ordering people to get to them.
2093-2104 (Prometheus/Alien: Covenant)
Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), who may or may not be a descendant of Charles Bishop Weyland, tasks his android named David (Michael Fassbender) to supervise a deep space mission to the planet where human life may have originated. Seeking immortality, he instead finds very hostile creators, known as Engineers. Using Engineer technology and unfortunate human hosts, David uses the ensuing chaos to devise and create a breed of proto-Xenomorphs. Whether or not he created the breed of biomechanical creatures as seen in Alien remains unknown, but murals of Xenomorph-like creatures as seen on the Engineer spacecraft in Prometheus suggest that some form of the Alien species has been around long before David started meddling with their technology.
The status of a sequel to Alien: Covenant currently remains in limbo, but if David did indeed go on to create the perfect organism as we know it, this would seem to overrule Predator 2, The Predator, and both AVP movies. Unless Yautja can, indeed, travel through time.
Ruiz was appointed general manager for the U.K. and Ireland back in June, reporting into Priya Dogra, president and managing director for EMEA. The executive, who recently relocated from Madrid to London, previously served as general manager for Discovery in Spain, France and Portugal.
Ruiz has now has confirmed his top executives. The team includes:
Clare Laycock – the long-time Discovery executive will now oversee editorial, including local content production, programming and media planning.
Neil Marshall – the veteran Warner Bros. executive will continue oversight of theatrical film distribution and local film production and acquisition.
Alison Morris – the 15-year Warner Bros. executive will oversee TV licensing and digital home entertainment distribution
Katie Coteman – the long-time Discovery executive will manage ad sales including advertising, digital ad sales, sponsorships and sport solutions
Alex Foley – the Discovery executive moved to WarnerMedia in 2021 to oversee portfolio planning and insight, and will continue as lead on insights, strategy and retail planning.
Alex Lewis – the veteran Warner Bros. executive will oversee marketing, creative services, brand partnerships, franchise management, social media and consumer PR.
Rachel Wakley – the five-year Warner Bros. executive will manager retail, consumer products, physical home video, games, supply chain and experiences
Ruiz said of his team: “Since I became general manager for the U.K. and Ireland, I’ve been focused on defining our strategy and structure and today I am delighted to announce my new leadership team.
“Both legacy companies house tremendous talent which makes me even more excited about the organization we are building for the future as we look to maximize our portfolio of brands, content, products and channels, along with our ambitions to deliver a hugely successful streaming business, in the U.K. and Ireland,” continued Ruiz.
As part of the restructure, 14-year Discovery veteran Simon Downing, head of factual and senior VP of marketing, is stepping down. Also departing after 25 years is Charlie Cubbon, head of commercial development at WarnerMedia.
The U.K. is an important market for Warner Bros. Discovery, which only on Tuesday unveiled a 149-hour package of new programs for Discovery’s linear channels and streaming offering Discovery+, amid questions about the future of unscripted content at the company (particularly at HBO Max). Meanwhile, Discovery’s sports SVOD Eurosport will soon merge with BT Sport as part of a 50-50 joint venture.
The HBO Max part of the equation, however, is still being worked out. Sky’s legacy output deal for HBO and some HBO Max content — which was renewed in 2019 in what was then considered to be a surprise move by WarnerMedia — is expected to run until 2025.
Warner Bros. Discovery will hold its Q2 earnings call on Thursday, at which point the company is expected to unveil more details about its structure, programming priorities and the streaming configuration for the combined HBO Max and Discovery+.
Starring Disney star Miley Cyrus, and Demi Moore, LOL follows the story of Lola (Cyrus) as she tries to navigate the worlds of social media, love, overbearing parenting and friendships. And some might just be worse than others. Her love life seems to be in shambles after a breakup with her toxic boyfriend, but funnily enough, the love of her life…
The 2023 Oscars may be well over seven months away and the events of the ceremony last March may be still making headlines. But that hasn’t stopped Ireland, which is getting into the race early.
As much of the industry slowly emerges from its summer holidays and warily eyes the incoming awards season, the Irish Film & Television Academy has announced that the Irish-language feature The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) has been selected as Ireland’s best International feature film entry for the upcoming 95th Academy Awards.
The feature debut of Colm Bairéad, The Quiet Girl recently made history in Ireland when it became the first Irish language film to win the Irish Academy Award (IFTA) for best film. The film received 7 IFTAs overall including awards for director, actress, cinematography, editing, production design and original score. It also broke box office records in Ireland and the U.K., earning in excess of $700,000 since bowing in March, more than four times the record for the previous Irish-language film.
A coming-of-age drama set in rural Ireland in 1981, The Quiet Girl follows Cáit (Catherine Clinch) as she is sent from her overcrowded, dysfunctional household to live with distant relatives for the summer. She is welcomed with open arms by Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley), but her husband (Andrew Bennett) keeps Cáit at arm’s length. Slowly, however, a warmth grows within this makeshift family and Cáit begins to blossom in their care. But in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth.
The film was produced by Cleona Ní Chrualaoí as part of the Cine4 funding scheme for Irish-language films, in partnership with Screen Ireland, TG4 and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), and the film is also in receipt of the Irish Government’s Section 481 tax incentive.
“We are honoured beyond words that An Cailín Ciúin / The Quiet Girl has been selected to represent Ireland,” said Bairéad and Chrualaoí. “Our heartfelt thanks to IFTA and its selection committee. We have always believed in the idea that an Irish-language film could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of world cinema and we feel so proud to be representing our country and our language in this way.”
IFTA’s 2023 Irish selection committee was made up producer and Emmy-nominated actress Roma Downey (Ben-Hur, Touched by an Angel), Oscar-nominated actor John C. Reilly (Chicago, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), producer & Paramount TV executive vp of international strategy David Flynn (Bodkin, Seraphim Falls), Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America) and actress Fionnula Flanagan (The Others, The Guard). The committee was chaired by Academy CEO, Áine Moriarty.
“This is such a unique and beautiful film that captures your heart from the outset, and leaves you profoundly moved,” said Moriarty. “How proud we are to submit this outstanding Irish language film into the Oscar competition, to compete with the best in the world, as we know this story will resonate with international audiences, beyond the borders of language, and no doubt with American Academy members too.”
The Quiet Girl has some time to wait to see if has resonated with AMPAS members, with the 15-member shortlist for 2023’s best international film not due to be announced until Dec. 21 before the final five nominees in the category are unveiled on Jan. 24.
NewJeans are a Y2K-inspired five-member girl group masterminded by Min Hee-jin, the music exec and creative director behind the branding of some of K-pop’s best acts (f(x), Red Velvet). Under her direction, NewJeans’ launch has been the most elaborate campaign in K-pop this year. Every song on their self-titled EP comes with music videos, with one track boasting four. The label has even made a custom phone app where you can play games and interact with each member of the group.
Such ambition also translates to the music, a plush and stylish collection of ’90s and ’00s-indebted R&B with production from two risk-taking figures in the Korean underground: Jinsu Park of the experimental rap duo XXX, and 250, a producer who embarked on a years-long journey to craft a contemporary version of traditional Korean trot. The EP’s most interesting selection is “Cookie,” a weightless groove about courting a crush. Whimsical synths, faint 808s, and wobbling low end create bubbly momentum, grounded by members’ sly and elongated delivery of the titular “cookie.”
The bridge finds a simple, elegant detour by way of Jersey club. “Cookie” ditches the oft-sampledbedsqueak and focuses on the beat; the only other K-pop single to feature such direct homage is XUM’s “DDALALA.” The sudden inclusion of this rapid stuttering extends the song’s cutesy schoolyard demeanor into hopscotching ebullience. “I want to ruin your diet,” they sing, following up with ad-libs to further assert their dominance. The best K-pop songs have always transformed their acculturations into a site for stylistic adventurousness, and “Cookie” does so gracefully. It’s a remarkably strong showing, even based on the high standards Min has set.
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Screen Time is your curated weekly guide to excellent documentaries and nonfiction programs that you can watch at home.
Eefje Blankevoort and Els van Driel’s feature documentary Shadow Game shares the reality facing immigrants, who flee from war-torn homes. The documentary follows teenagers leaving European countries, as they “travel through a shadow world of minefields, bears, fast-flowing rivers, smugglers and border guards, desperately trying to win what they call ‘The Game.’” Watch the film on True Story and see the lengths that these teenagers will go to in pursuit of a better life.
A film exploring citizens’ attempts to redefine history as it gets defined by nationalistic projects, is Chan Tze Woon’s Hot Docs Award-winning Blue Island. A combination of documentary footage and fictional reconstruction, Blue Island attempts “to describe the Hong Kong of today and tomorrow.” The documentary shares the political complexities of Hong Kong and the resilience of students mirroring the struggles of prior generations. Stream at home on Metrograph’s virtual cinema.
Cai Thomas’ Queenie follows an elderly Black lesbian’s transition from her decades-long stay at the Brooklyn Marcy Projects, to Stonewall Residencies, the first LGBT affordable housing in New York City. The short doc is part of the If/Then Shorts lineup on The Criterion Channel, which showcases several other “documentary storytellers whose voices have been marginalized within the film industry.” Queenie, along with five other short docs, will be streaming this August.
Chances are you’ve seen the viral tweet of filmmaker Béla Tarr posing with a bootleg DVD of his films in a DVD shop in Peru. Pasaje 18, the shop in question, finds itself at the center of a fascinating documentary, Peru’s DVD Pirates Have Exquisite Taste, produced by Vice’s Motherboard, which illustrates the power struggle to access films in Lima, Peru. The protagonist of the film, a self-proclaimed “promoter of culture,” argues that knowledge is to be shared and spread. People can only buy within their means, and for some, that results in piracy. No matter what side of the piracy debate you’re on, check out the brief documentary on YouTube.
Sidse Torstholm Larsen and Sturla Pilskog’s Winter’s Yearning documents the residents of a small town on the Greenlandic West Coast, as they wait for an American smelting plant that could transform its economy and political sovereignty. Though the people of Maniitsoq, Greenland crave independence, it is a wish that contains several caveats and dangers. Watch the documentary on POV.
Valentin Thurn’s 10 Billion: What’s On Your Plate examines the impact of human consumption on the world. Thurn delves into the consequences of mass consumption, which will only grow with the population. Though the film highlights daunting issues—like the fragility of our food sources—it also shows sustainable ways to ensure that our future generations are fed. View the film on OVID.TV.
Three people were killed and six others wounded in a knife rampage on Wednesday at a kindergarten in southeast China‘s Jiangxi province, police said.
A ‘gangster wearing a cap and mask’ stormed the private kindergarten in Anfu county at about 10:00 am local time (0200 GMT), police said in a statement published on China’s Twitter-like Weibo.
The 48-year-old suspect is still at large, they added. ‘Public security organs are making every effort to hunt down the suspect,’ the police statement said.
In a video of the scene shared by state-run Beijing Daily, a police officer can be seen carrying a small child in his arms to an ambulance.
Other children can also be seen being carried from the building by other adults – presumably either parents or teachers.
CCTV images of a man, believed to be the suspect, were also released to local media. They showed he was wearing a face mask, baseball cap, a white shirt and cream-coloured trousers and shoes. He was also carrying a black satchel bag.
The ages of the victims have not been announced.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow…
Left: In a video of the scene shared by state-run Beijing Daily, a police officer can be seen carrying a child in his arms to an ambulance. Right: Police officers are shown gathered outside the kindergarten in southeast China ‘s Jiangxi province
The 48-year-old suspect is still at large, police said, with news channels carrying a picture of a man in a face mask and a baseball cap (pictured). ‘Public security organs are making every effort to hunt down the suspect,’ the police statement said
Mass violent crime is rare in China, which strictly prohibits citizens from owning firearms, but there has been a spate of mass stabbings in recent years.
And fatal attacks specifically targeting kindergarten and school students have occurred nationwide, carried out by people reportedly wishing to wreak revenge on society or because of grievances with colleagues.
The attacks have forced authorities to step up security and prompted calls for more research into the root causes of such violent acts.
Around 100 children and adults have been killed and hundreds injured over the past decade in apparently uncoordinated, ‘lone wolf’ attacks in which the motive was unclear and the overwhelmingly male assailants were either killed, ended their lives or were put on trial and executed.
Last April, two children were killed and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China.
Pictured: People are shown gathered outside the private kindergarten in Anfu county, which was stormed by an unidentified knifeman at about 10:00 am local time on Wednesday
Left: A police officer is shown taking an injured boy from his patrol car towards an ambulance. Right: A concerned boy watches on from outside the kindergarten
In 2020, a knife-wielding attacker wounded 37 students and two adults at a primary school in southern China. Local media identified a security guard as the perpetrator.
And later that year a man was sentenced to death for poisoning dozens of children in an act of revenge against a colleague that left one toddler dead.
A court in the central Chinese province of Henan said the accused, Wang Yun, put sodium nitrite into porridge being prepared for her colleague’s students, causing 25 people to fall sick.
In other more recent attacks, four people were wounded in a stabbing at a major Shanghai hospital last month before the knife-wielding assailant was shot and subsequently arrested by the police.
Six people were also killed and 14 wounded after a man stabbed passersby on a pedestrian shopping street in the eastern Chinese city of Anqing in June last year.
Acts of violence against China’s youth resonate especially strongly due to the country’s chronically low birth rate, partly due to decades of population control policies.
Eight years after her last significant solo performance in the city, the megastar, who has had six No. 1s in the British charts, made a spectacular comeback at two gigs at London’s Tottenham Stadium.
But after being forced to cancel her UK tour in 2018 due to fibromyalgia discomfort, the singer feared the end of her career.
Lady Gaga canceled ten live performances on her European tour in 2018 due to health issues. The actress was identified with fibromyalgia, a disease characterized by musculoskeletal pain, tiredness, take naps, memory, and mood issues.
At a recent London concert, the singer conceded that the suffering she felt after trying to fight the disease made her believe her professional life was in jeopardy.
“A few years ago, I had to stop performing here because I couldn’t walk anymore.” And I’m truly sorry. But it occurred because of someone very special, and there are many people I owe thanks to in my life,” the singer revealed. Lady Gaga stated that when she left London at the time, she had no idea if she would ever return to the stage.
“My sister came into my hotel room, started to look into my eyes, and said, ‘I can’t see my sister anymore,'” the artist explained.
The singer also revealed that she was in a tough emotional situation while working on the Chromatica album.
“I spent all day on the porch, from the moment I woke up, making this record, and I probably started smoking three packs of cigarettes a day,” she explained.
Gaga went on to say that she didn’t want to make an album because she was “depressing as hell” at the time, but her friends persuaded her to do so.
The star overcame the disease and now delights fans worldwide with her grandiose bright shows.
The rumored DJI Avata drone has been inching closer to take-off in recent weeks –and the FPV model’s launch just got a little closer thanks to a leak of its intriguing new Goggles headset.
FPV (first person view) drones are flown via a headset that gives you a bird’s-eye view from the aircraft. And it seems that the DJI Avata‘s headset will be much smaller than previous versions, with a leak from the reliable @Dealsdrone (opens in new tab) Twitter account (below) showing the new Goggles 2 being worn by a pilot.
Although a ‘DJI Goggles V2’ headset already exists, a recent FCC filing revealed that DJI would simply be naming the new Avata-compatible version the ‘DJI Goggles 2’. According to that filing, this headset will be technically identical to the current Goggles V2, with the main difference being its design.
DJI Goggles V2, work with DJI Avata pic.twitter.com/V9OxKppC8pAugust 3, 2022
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What’s interesting about the new headset is how small it looks compared to previous versions of DJI’s Goggles. Earlier versions have been face-hugging affairs (see below), but the ones in the leaked photo appear to be less bulky and have fewer antennas.
A separate leak (opens in new tab) on Chinese social media also compares the headset to the size of a water bottle. This compact form factor could be good news for flying in warmer environments like indoors, which is expected to be the DJI Avata’s natural habitat. It’s been tipped to be a ‘cinewhoop’ drone, which are designed to be flown in confined spaces near to people.
The current DJI Goggles V2 (above) look larger than the new ones in the leaked photo (Image credit: DJI)
What isn’t clear from the leak is whether or not the DJI Goggles 2 will be compatible with other drones like the DJI FPV, or are a dedicated model for the DJI Avata.
We’ll likely have to wait for the official launch to find out, but that’s seemingly around the corner. Another regular DJI leaker, @OsitaLV (opens in new tab), has also now claimed that the DJI Avata “has been sent to KOLs for evaluation”, with KOL being a marketing term for ‘Key Opinion Leader’.
With the intriguing new drone and its headset now leaked and registered by the FCC, it seems a launch is imminent for what would be a new style of flying camera for the world’s biggest drone maker.
Analysis: FPV drones ready to hit the mainstream?
The DJI FPV Goggles V2 (above) being worn by a pilot during our test of the GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones camera (Image credit: Future)
FPV drones are still relatively niche, but it seems that both DJI and GoPro are keen to fly them closer to the mainstream.
We used the DJI Goggles V2 (above) during our test of the new GoPro Hero 10 Black Bones camera, which is a bare-bones action camera designed to be mounted to FPV drones. As you can see, that headset is fairly bulky, so it makes sense for DJI to make a more compact version for its rumored indoor-friendly DJI Avata ‘cinewhoop’ drone.
This hopefully means that the DJI Goggles 2, as the new headset is expected to be called, will also be a little more affordable than current version. The Goggles V2 cost $568 / £609 / AU$999, although you can also buy them in a bundle with the DJI FPV drone. This kind of cost is a pretty big barrier to widespread FPV adoption.
The leaked photos of the DJI Avata suggest that it’ll be cheaper than the DJI FPV drone, given its build and weight (which is expected to be sub-500g, compared to the 795g DJI FPV). So a similarly stripped-down headset makes sense, particularly if it’s compatible with other FPV drones.
While FPV drones will likely continue to be more niche than mainstream models like the DJI Mini 3 Pro, the DJI Avata is shaping up to be a promising option for beginners and those who can’t afford the DJI FPV. And that could make it a strong contender for a spot in our guide to the best beginner drones.
It would be an interesting experiment to go back in time three or four years and inform your earlier self that — guess what? — you’re probably going to be working from home soon, and there’s a good chance that it may be a permanent change.
Since the pandemic lockdowns of early 2020, many people have remained working from home. In the time since then, people have moved out of commuting distance from their offices or have not yet decided it was comfortable to return to a crowded office — or simply decided they liked working from home. And many businesses have changed their policies to accommodate their employees.
But working from home, especially on a regular basis, means accommodating the needs of your workday. In this guide, we look at the various issues that have arisen as people settle into these circumstances. This can include dealing with family (and especially kids), avoiding distractions and Wi-Fi disasters, how the shift to working from home has changed America’s energy usage, how to look your best for that inevitable video conference, and which video conferencing app to use.
In other words, we’ve put together a group of articles to help you make working from home the best experience possible.
Netflix is going to soon stream the series adaptation of a comic book written by Neil Gaiman. Originally published by DC Comics, The Sandman follows the story of Dream who comes from the other side of the existing universe. But this show will not be like any other superhero show or movie from the DC catalogue. There are some elements that make this show unique and a little different from other superhero shows.
The Sandman: A uniquely original superhero
This Sandman is not the Sandman who has clashes with Spider-Man. ‘The Sandman’ of Neil Gaiman’s world is a mythical being named Dream. The character has superpowers of bringing pleasant dreams to children; each has had some thematic connections to dreaming. The author has tried to tie them into a common community within the DC Universe. However, this superman is not like the characters of the DC Universe.
The superheroes from the DC Universe use their powers and fight with the comic book villains. But The Sandman superhero pushes that boundary and has the modern touch of mythology. Mythology isn’t really a genre in the modern media and therefore, The Sandman is difficult to put into any category. There are many works and re-works done upon the existing mythology. However, the Neil Gaiman character becomes one of the very few about the entirely new fundamentals of another universe. Therefore, one cannot put these comics under one genre.
The superhero movies find their roots connecting at one point. No matter how Iron Man fundamentally differs fromThor or Spider-Man or any other superhero movie, the emotional scenes, long conversations about friendships and the overall cinematic movements find common ground. But The Sandman resolves these issues a little differently with its original mythological solutions.
Those who haven’t read the original comic book would see the Endless for the first time. They will see The Sandman on screen for the very first time. The dark-themedNetflix original will stream on the streaming giant on August 5, 2022. Are you excited about the show? What do you expect from them? Share your thoughts with us in the comment box below.
A lead actor can make or mar a movie however superb a script may be, and Fahadh Faasil is simply brilliant as a poor Muslim fisherman, Sulaiman Ali in Malik who wages a lifelong battle to preserve peace between his coastal hamlet and a neighbouring one with a Christian majority. Certainly, he is no mahatma, given his proclivity to smuggling that gets him his riches, but also suffering and pain in the bargain.
Although the film is a biographical sketch of a man who even weds a Christian girl, Rosilin (Nimisha Sajayan) and never attempts to convert her, the core plot deals with the corruption and vindictiveness of the police force that provokes the two communities — hitherto in peaceful coexistence — to kill each other. And those who oppose the vile of the men in khaki are bumped off.
Police brutality in Kerala is particularly bad, and one reason why the Mohanlal-starrer, Drishyam, went on to rake in huge profits was the way it showed police highhandedness. But in Malik, the nexus between politicians and policemen is underlined with far greater subtlety that is demonstrative without being dramatic. The story, strung together in a non-linear form, ultimately tells us how the police, with political backing, can ruin the social fabric of a society, even pitting brother against brother.
Director Mahesh Narayanan, who is also the writer (and editor!), weaves into this labyrinth interesting anecdotes, though at 160 minutes, the movie seems far too stretched (and confusing) with an awfully uninspiring opening shot. The story could have been far more tightly knit, and a lot of verbosity could have been edited out to give a sharper focus to the premise.
In a very strong way, Malik reminded me of Mani Ratnam’s Nayagan, where too Kamal Haasan’s character rises from the lowly ranks to become a leader of his community. Yes, there is far greater violence in Ratnam’s work; Narayanan keeps this aspect well under control, with a minimalistic take on police firing and battles between the groups.
Ali himself is a genteel soul, and Faasil throws up a subtle and sedate performance that conveys the steely determination of the man. His love for his people is exemplified with some of the simplest examples, as when the head of his mosque says that people have stopped coming there because the surroundings have been turned into a huge garbage dumping yard, Ali gets to work and ropes in a local politician and gets the “palli”(mosque) up and shining.
Malik begins far too slowly, but picks up pace as it moves between time frames, and the personal as well as the political, even though I would have preferred more on Ali’s relationships with his wife and kids. These have been glossed over, leaving an undeniable void in the way his character has been shaped.
(Gautaman Bhaskaran is a movie critic and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s biographer)
If there is one necessary stop for the summer in order to build yourself a little more happiness, it is the land of the bricks as known as Legoland California . Make sure you block one, or ideally two days, with a complete park hopping ticket in order to partake the many rides and activities at the theme park, the water park and the not so well know aquarium. To make it even more splendid, indulge yourself with a night or two at one of the two majestic hotels: the Legoland hotel and the Legoland Castle hotel.
This has been a tradition for us, with three boys (Felix ,17 who literally grew up at Legoland – Max, 10 and Rex, 8), to come to this “awesome” park for the last 15 years, twice a year, for a summer escapade and a Christmas brick celebration. I don’t think we missed any one of the launches of the new attractions, such as the Ninjago theme area or the Lego movie land, which has opened for almost a year now.
What is fantastic is the lines are not out of control. At most, it will take you an hour max to get to the rocking “Emmet’s flying adventure ride” in the Lego movie world, on your left when you enter the park and after passing through the adventure land where I suggest you take a “Coastersaurus” roller coaster ride to put you in the mood and open wide all your senses. The Lego movie world is full of surprises. Not only you will want to do, over and over, “Emmet’s ride” to better catch all of the master builders in this high tech transport: a triple decker flying couch. But you will delight into a smoother experience with “Queen Watevra’s carousel” gracing of your presence one of the 60 multi color horses. Make sure to have a full bowl of delicious ramen at the “Everything is Ramen” restaurant, make sure to buckle up and dare the ultimate sensation at the “Unikitty’s disco drop”!
Not too far from the Lego movie world and to chill out with the high afternoon sun, I recommend a deep-sea adventure with the recently launched: “Lego city: Deep-sea adventure”. You will board with your whole family into a “real” submarine and submerge underwater, ready for some treasure hunt. Not only will you cross path with a dozen of rare fishes, sting rays and sharks, but you will be able to play with your family with this fun scavenger hunt. </p>
Now that you got a taste for “water”, why not take a full immersion in the water park, adjacent to the Legoland park. This summer it is your ultimate afternoon escapade until sunset. The kids will have so much fun interacting with the water slides of “Cragger’s swamp” from the Chima world or take a deep dive with the the “pirate reef” attraction. Finally, a major success with all ages is the “Lion temple water pool” with, also a Chima theme. Go and jump in the rolling waves, endlessly and until the waterpark closes around 6pm.<p>As a closing experience for a full day of pure fun and adventures, let me suggest a stroll by the “Lost Kingdom adventure” ride where the whole family would be able to compete at who is a better shooter of mummies, snakes and skeletons while on board of a range-rover like automobile. Finally end the day with a kung fu kick in the land of Ninjago and show off your moves with fireballs, lightning, shockwaves and ice kick while experiencing the “Lego Ninjago: the ride”. This is your ultimate family challenge. And before saying “see you next time, Legoland” why don’t you take a walk through the “Sea Life aquarium” and encounter some majestic sea creature such as sharks, octopi and rays!
Feel how complete and awesome you are! You have experienced what the Lego company has to offer best with their toys (which you should by at the Big Lego store on the way out of the park) and their many movies and series franchises! And more important: see the gigantic smiles gracing the faces of your children, now ready for bed at the Legoland hotel or on the long ride home. They say you can’t buy happiness, but you can certainly build it, one brick at a time, one visit at a time to Legoland California. Keep on being happy and have a splendid summer!
Kayvan Novak in What We Do In The ShadowsPhoto: FX
I wasn’t prepared. I simply wasn’t prepared!
See, I spent the first seven minutes of “Private School,” tonight’s installment of What We Do In The Shadows, just sort of smiling along, enjoying the general vampiric silliness—but not necessarily laughing. Baby Colin Robinson is running wild, destroying the house? Neat! Laszlo’s still locked in Proud Dad Mode? It’s a great look for Matt Berry. Nandor’s addicted to magical cosmetic surgery? Sure, that’s a workable C-plot. Really, I was just vibing a bit, already doing a bit of writing in my head, as I prepared to explain how this was a pleasantly B-worthy episode of a show that’s always fun, even when it’s not swinging for the fences.
What I wasn’t prepared for, then, was the scene that kicked off after the first commercial break tonight, the one that makes up the bulk of the episode’s runtime: an increasingly ludicrous school admissions interview with a straight-laced headmaster, which might be the single funniest and most chaotic sequence that this show has ever produced.
I should have guessed that something good was coming, maybe, when Anthony Atamaniuk’s Sean came barging into the house. The whole joke of Sean’s character is the way he forces Nadja, Laszlo, and Nandor into putting on their god-awful impressions of humanity, which are always a delight. But even that didn’t truly prepare me for the moment when Guillermo, already stressed out from reminding the gang that they need to act like “a regular human being who likes doing regular human things,” walks into the parlor and sees the trio in their “human” clothes—an image that has tragically not been added to FX’s press pictures site as we go to press. He, and we, can only marvel in horror at Laszlo’s Ed Hardy shirt and bucket hat and Nandor’s “ask me about my swing dance club” cosplay ensemble. (Nadja looks fashionable, if out-of-date, as ever, of course.)
If the joke of the subsequent sequence was just “the vampires are bad at being human,” then that would already be pretty solid. That’s almost the entire basis for Jackie Daytona as a character, after all. (To wit: This is a cast that’s extraordinarily good at playing big and broad and they’re never at their biggest or broadest than when loudly informing people how much they like pizza and going outside in the sunlight.) The genius kicks in, though, when the headmaster (Peter Francis James, warm and charming in a straight-man role) immediately trips the crew up by asking who Baby Colin’s parents are. A panicking Nadja busts out her hypnosis to blank the human’s memory and reset the conversation, allowing them a quick re-shuffle, and a do-over. And when they screw that one up, she does it again. And again. And again.
Work-Lifestyle Balance Ponto is all about mindful—in a thoughtful sense, and in the way they use recycled and bio-based materials.
And that, in the parlance of the improv nerds, is how we establish the game here: an increasingly silly set of conversational resets as the vamps try to settle on a family structure that will be most impressive for the increasingly befuddled headmaster (while also constantly forgetting that Sean, in the room because he set up the meeting, actually knows the the truth). And it just escalates! There are multiple points in this 12-minute sequence where the scene could have ended in some minor triumph—Guillermo stepping forward to show that he’s Colin’s actual parent, for instance. But instead of allowing the intensifying absurdity to be cut off, it just keeps barreling ever upwards, until we have Nandor and Laszlo enthusiastically discussing their love of reaming each other, or trying to placate the headmaster’s “star-fucking” tendencies by bringing in Sal Vulcano from “Incomprehensible Jest-hairs” to impress him. (That is, only for Las to immediately lose patience and snap the TruTV star’s neck. What We Do In The Shadows: Serving up the best celebrity cameos on TV for four seasons now and counting.)
Along the way, we get a veritable depot of ’shipper fuel, as all involved continue cycling through pairings to find the most convincing setup. For one brief moment, it feels like we might have reached the button for the scene—Guillermo points out that they could have just hypnotized the headmaster into accepting Colin into the school in the first place—only to have the vamps blow past him (Nadja: “Did this bitch just say what I think he said?!”) and dive even deeper into the wildness. The final montage—Nadja married to Sean, Nadja’s talking doll claiming to be a single mother, Laszlo trying to convince the headmaster that they’re Colin’s fathers, and an attempted pairing between Vulcano’s corpse and a wild skunk—makes absolutely zero sense, in practical terms. But who the fuck cares? It’s some of the most energetic comedy this show has ever generated and it had me clapping my hands with every bizarre twist.
Ultimately, we get to a punchline—the headmaster, who was never that interested in the family situation stuff in the first place, calmly requesting Colin’s transcripts, which of course the vampires do not have—that then gets, in typical WWDITS style, one-upped: The whole endeavor is rendered moot because they gave the poor man a massive stroke with all the repeated brainwashings. (Laszlo: “Most human beings can only take 7 hypnoses per hour. That man went through 428.”)
The actual plot upshot is to reveal (through a little educational bribery) that both Guillermo and Nadja are embezzling from the nightclub, which is the sort of thing that would matter a lot more in a show where continuity existed as anything but a way to set up the next gag. (Although the different ways the duo respond to getting caught—Guillermo nervously offering the camera crew a bribe, and Nadja cheerfully threatening to kill them and everyone they’ve ever loved if they rat on her—do serve as well-observed character notes.)
We end with a quick wrap-up: The vamps are now forcing Baby Colin Robinson to play constant sports to burn off his energy; Nandor spends a wish to de-scrunch his face; we conclude, as all wholesome family sitcoms do, with an annoyed Nandor yelling at Laszlo, “No reaming for you tonight!” Truly, the status quo has been restored. But what a way to get there!
Stray observations
“The child that crawled out of the abdomen of our dead friend Colin Robinson”—the commitment to finding new ways to explain Baby Colin remains very high.
“Gizmo, shut the fuck up! We’re doing a piece to cam-er-ah!” Matt Berry, folks.
Good “acknowledging the camera” gags all over the place tonight, actually.
Nandor’s djinn-based cosmetic changes are nicely escalated throughout the episode.
There’s a genuinely sweet moment when Laszlo comforts Baby Colin Robinson after the 143-year-old kid vampires at the club rebuff his attempts to be friends.
Nadja runs her human impression by Guillermo: “Oh, I love pizza so much!” “…That’s pretty good.”
Natasia Demetriou scream-singing “Nine!” after Guillermo fills her in on Colin’s age just slayed me.
“We are like two French trombones.” “This guy? I ream him nightly.” “And I am always sucking him off. They are like ‘Come it’s dinner! Stop sucking off your gay husband!’” “Which is amusing, because I am dinner. And I just carry on reaming him. Sexually.” Emmys for Kayvan Novak and Matt Berry, please.
“Burr burr I couldn’t possibly say anything but Lionel fucking Barrymore’s kids might just go here burr burr.” This, this is why I’ve been sad to see Nadja stuck in the most boring plot-lines these last few weeks.
“What the actual fuck is that? Is that a talking doll?!” Atamaniuk has some fantastic reactions throughout the entire bit.
The only pairing Laszlo won’t accept: him and Gizmo.
With network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, Aug. 1-7. Details and times are subject to change.
Monday
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)7 p.m. on TNT. Usually the Avengers work together to fight against alien armies or a supervillain warlord trying to decimate the planet. Butin this movie, Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) make it personal and battle over political beliefs: Captain America thinks that superheroes should operate without interference, but Iron Man wants the government to be involved. A.O. Scott called it a “very crowded, reasonably enjoyable installment in the Avengers cycle” in his review for The New York Times. “The best part of the movie,” Scott wrote, “is a six-on-six rumble at an airport, in which two teams of costumed co-workers, with a few ringers in the mix, face off to work out their issues.” The battle, he said, “is entertaining precisely because the stakes are relatively low.”
TOM SWIFT 9 p.m. on CW. This mystery show, named after the long-running series of young adult books that inspired it, ends this week after just one season. It has followed the title character, played by Tian Richards, as he sifts through conspiracy theories and mysterious phenomena to solve the disappearance of his father with the help of his best friend (Ashleigh Murray), his bodyguard (Marquise Vilson) and his A.I. companion (LeVar Burton).
EDGE OF THE EARTH 9 p.m. on HBO. Skiers, kayakers, climbers and surfers show off their skills and put themselves to the test by completing near-impossible challenges around the world in this four-part documentary mini-series. The first three episodes featured skiing in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park; kayaking in the Chalupas River in Ecuador; and climbing around Pik Slesova in Kyrgyzstan. The final installment, airing Tuesday, brings the surfers Ian Walsh and Grant Baker (known as Twiggy) to Africa’s western coast.
Wednesday
CMA FEST 8 p.m. on ABC. This music festival that took place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville in early June comes to small screens, with footage of select performances airing on Wednesday. Elle King and Dierks Bentley, who previously worked together on the songs “Worth a Shot” and “Different for Girls,” host the three-hour broadcast. It will feature performances from Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett and others, as well as collaborations between Bentley and Billy Ray Cyrus; Wynonna Judd and Carly Pearce; Zac Brown Band with Darius Rucker; and more.
Thursday
IMPRACTICAL JOKERS 10 p.m. on TruTV. The ninth season of this long-running prank show has not been without speed bumps: Production had to adhere to Covid-19 protocols, which required the show to rethink its entire format — instead of going up to strangers in public places, they rent out locations and film over longer periods of time. Since Joe Gatto, one of the series’s founders, abruptly stopped appearing on the show earlier this year, it has brought in celebrity guests including Jillian Bell, Adam Pally and Colin Jost. Brooke Shields will join for this week’s season finale.
Friday
AN ORSON WELLES MARATHONfrom 2 p.m. on TCM. See the varied talents of Orson Welles — as a director, actor and screenwriter — in this lineup of classics. The marathon starts off at 2 p.m. with THE STRANGER (1946), followed by MR. ARKADIN (1955) at 4 — both of which Welles directed, starred in and wrote. Then, OTHELLO (1952) — which Welles acted in and directed — airs at 6, followed by THE THIRD MAN (1949), directed by Carol Reed, which Welles acted in and was a writer of. THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1948) follows at 10, with CITIZEN KANE (1941) at 11:45.
THE INN AT LITTLE WASHINGTON: A DELICIOUS DOCUMENTARY (2020)10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). A fight for three Michelin stars, an old garage converted into an inn and a seasoned chef: This documentary follows the cook Patrick O’Connell as he plans the 40th anniversary celebration for the Inn at Little Washington, a quaint hotel and restaurant that he founded in 1978. The documentary shows the execution of many of O’Connell’s culinary creations and discusses the tumultuous history of the inn.
Saturday
ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) 8 p.m. on TCM. Audrey Hepburn was only 24 when this romantic comedy was released, and it turned out to be her breakout movie. The story follows a European princess, Ann (Hepburn), who takes a night off from her overwhelming life. Instead of having an enjoyable night out, things go awry and she is rescued by Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), an American reporter. A love story begins, despite Bradley’s intentions to take advantage of the princess’s fame.
Sunday
BECOMING ELIZABETH 8 p.m. on Starz. In 1547, Queen Elizabeth I — then known as Elizabeth Tudor — watched her 9-year-old half brother become king after the death of her long-absent father, the infamous King Henry VIII. These are the true circumstances that set off the fictionalized telling of Elizabeth’s teenage years in this series. The show, which ends its first season on Sunday, centers on Elizabeth (Alicia von Rittberg) and her siblings, Mary (Romola Garai) and Edward (Oliver Zetterström), as their personal lives are scrutinized by the royal court and the public.
BET SPECIAL: 37TH ANNUAL STELLAR GOSPEL MUSIC AWARDS 8 p.m. on BET. The gospel artists Jekalyn Carr and Kierra Sheard host this awards show, which was recorded live in Atlanta in mid-July. The ceremony features performances by Kirk Franklin, Erica Campbell, Maverick City Music, Marvin Sapp and others.
The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) has selected Colm Bairéad’s debut feature The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) as its entry for the best international film category for the 2023 Oscars, in the first announced submission of the upcoming awards season.
The Irish-language work swept the IFTA Awards last March to become the first debut feature to win best film, as well as clinch best director, actress, cinematography, editing, production design, and original score.
Set in rural Ireland in 1981, the coming-of-age drama stars Catherine Clinch as a quiet, neglected girl who is sent from her overcrowded, dysfunctional household to live with distant relatives for the summer. She begins to blossom in their care but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth.
The feature garnered rave reviews in Ireland and the UK and broke box office records for an Irish-language film when it was released in both territories last May, more than quadrupling the previous record for a local language film with a gross in excess of $800k.
This year’s Irish Oscar selection committee included producer and Emmy-nominated actress Roma Downey (Ben-Hur, Touched by an Angel), Oscar-nominated actor John C. Reilly (Chicago, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), producer & Paramount TV EVP of International Strategy David Flynn (Bodkin, Seraphim Falls), Oscar-nominated director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America), director Aisling Walsh (Maudie, Song For A Raggy Boy) and actress Fionnula Flanagan (The Others, The Guard).
The committee was chaired by IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty.
“This is such a unique and beautiful film that captures your heart from the outset, and leaves you profoundly moved,” said Moriarty.
“How proud we are to submit this outstanding Irish language film into the Oscar competition, to compete with the best in the world, as we know this story will resonate with international audiences, beyond the borders of language, and no doubt with American Academy Members too.”
The Quiet Girl was produced by Cleona Ní Chrualaoí as part of the Cine4 funding scheme for Irish-language film, in partnership with Screen Ireland, TG4, and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), and the film is also in receipt of the Irish Government’s Section 481 tax incentive.
Maxo has shared the video for a new song “48.” The track features Pink Siifu and is produced by Madlib. It’s the first solo release from Maxo since the 2019 debut album Lil Big Man. It’s also the first taste of the upcoming album Even God Has a Sense of Humor, which is out “soon” via Def Jam. Watch the Vincent Haycock-directed video for “48” below.
Following the release of Lil Big Man, Maxo collaborated with Earl Sweatshirt on the track “Whole World.” See where that song landed on Pitchfork’s list of “The 100 Best Songs of 2020.”
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Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Isabel Castro
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Wednesday, August 3 and to theatres this Friday, August 5: MIJA
Director: Isabel Castro
World Premiere: Sundance 2022
Select Festivals: True/False, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Los Angeles Latino, Miami, Cleveland, RiverRun, Maryland, San Francisco
About: When Doris, a young, ambitious music manager whose undocumented family depends on her ability to launch pop stars, loses her biggest client, she hustles to discover new talent and finds Jacks, another daughter of immigrants for whom “making it” isn’t just a dream: it’s a necessity.
Image Credit: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
The legendary basketball player LeBron James, 37, shared a family video of him and his sons shooting hoops on Instagram together on August 2, 2022, and those boys are catching up to their dad quickly! LeBron captioned the post with, “Simply no better feeling than doing what I love to do with who I love! Great work today Young #JamesGang #EarnedNotGiven.” In the video, Lebron was seen with his two sonsBronny, 17, and Bryce, 15, on a basketball court in El Segundo, according to TMZ.
LeBron showed off his impressive athletic frame by going completely shirtless during the sweaty hoop session. His two boys are sure to be following in their father’s footsteps and they are clearly getting the best coaching out there. LeBron is approaching his 20th year in the league with his two sons working toward finishing high school, the outlet reported.
Many of LeBron’s followers were shocked and impressed at how well both Bronny and Bryce played on the court with their dad. One Instagram user even wrote, “Bryce looking like KD 2.0.” While another wrote, “Whole squad got HOPS.”
LeBron James on the court with his son Bronny on December 4, 2021. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock)
The famous rapper Diddy, 52, also took to the comment section to simply write a flexed bicep emoji to show his support for the James family. In the video, LeBron’s two boys were effortlessly dunking alongside their impressive father. One of the pictures in the post also showed the three of them standing side-by-side with their hands on their waist in an ultimate father and son goals pose.
LeBron is not only a dad to Bronny and Bryce, but also to his seven-year-old daughter Zhuri James. The Los Angeles Lakers player has had all of his children with his wife Savannah Brinson, 35, who LeBron married back in 2013. Savannah and LeBron are also high school sweethearts, which we must say is simply adorable!
She told Cleveland Magazineback in 2017 that the power couple actually met when she was just 16 years old. Recalling their love story to the outlet, Savannah said, “One day I’m sitting around — I was probably bored or something — and I’m like, ‘Oh, I forgot! I have this number for this guy that I can call. He seemed interested, so let’s see.” After that phone call, we can safely assume that the rest was history, as their marriage has been going strong for nearly a decade now.
Following the death of Vin Scully, the icon who announced LA Dodgers games with poignancy and wit for decades, his fans — including sports figures and Hollywood luminaries — paid tribute to the man known as the voice of the team and his city.
Scully died on Tuesday at age 94 from natural causes, 6 years after he formally retired from his longtime role. And even nearly a decade later, for his admirers no time had passed at all, nor was his loss felt any less deeply.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called Scully “our dear friend, the Voice of LA,” and said “he united us, inspired us, and showed us all what it means to serve.”
“No one was better at any job than Vin Scully was at his,” Jimmy Kimmel said, calling Scully “a lovely man on top of that.”
“There will never be another Vin Scully. Our most heartfelt condolences to the Scully family, the Dodgers organization, and baseball fans everywhere,” the Minnesota Twins organization said on its official Twitter page.
“You are more a part of Los Angeles History than sunshine and palm trees. Your voice will forever echo throughout the city,” actor Oshea Jackson said.
“Our hearts are with the friends, family and fans of Vin Scully. A true legend. He will be missed,” the Chicago White Sox organization said.
Read on for more tributes from the worlds of Sports and Hollywood.
Vin Scully’s passing is the end of a chapter of our city’s history. He united us, inspired us, and showed us all what it means to serve. Our City Hall will be lit up for you tomorrow Vin, our dear friend, the Voice of LA. Thank you from a grateful and loving city. #vinscully
I literally pulled the car over in awe one day in LA because I could not believe that any human being could put anything that perfectly. Rest In Peace Vin Scully. Rest In Peace.
Vin Scully was a storyteller, and nobody ever told the story of baseball better. He called games with such elegance and grace. He spoke only when necessary, allowing the broadcast to breathe when it demanded. He made baseball a more beautiful game. RIP. https://t.co/cmQ2nGJW3Y
Vin Scully announced games every night from April to October for 70 years. He talked and chatted and mused and related and observed. He always made it seem like he was sitting right next to you, talking only to you — just your nice friend who loved baseball.
Rest In Peace to the ?. Mr. Vin Scully. You are more a part of Los Angeles History than sunshine and palm trees. Your voice will forever echo throughout the city and I thank you for every memory that you’ve given Dodger fans. Please say hello to Chick Hearn for me sir. #ITFDB ?
— O’Shea Jack(Nichol)son (@OsheaJacksonJr) August 3, 2022
This is a devastating, devastating day for the city of Los Angeles and the world. Vin Scully was the greatest broadcaster who ever lived. And he was as kind in real life as he was on the air. My thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved him,
The greatest baseball broadcaster who ever lived, Vin Scully, has passed away. It was an honor just to know him. He demonstrated that language still matters and forged an intimate bond with his listeners that the rest of us can only strive to achieve. The Renoir of broadcasters.
Vin Scully’s undisputedly the greatest broadcaster of all time. The most iconic & soothing voice you’ll ever hear, an absolute legend and such a lovable human. Rest In Peace Vin
When I think of what baseball sounds like, it is Vin Scully. 1 of the joys of the baseball package coming along was I could come home from an East Coast game, turn on the Dodgers and hear Scully at his peak, just as my dad had a half century earlier. #TheBest#RIPhttps://t.co/KHnDyuKK4Y
Vin Scully called my brother’s MLB debut. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice say, “welcome to the big leagues, kid!” after pitching his first inning. No one in the world like him, a special talent and soul ?
Vin Scully is the bar no one in our profession will ever reach. Graceful, eloquent. A storyteller with the ability to pilot passengers on an unforgettable journey without leaving the couch. He painted with words and each game was a masterpiece.
Beyonce has apparently removed a sample of the 2003 Kelis song Milkshake from her song Energy, following criticism from Kelis over the sample.
The song Energy – from the latest album Renaissance from Beyonce, 40 – had revised versions on Tidal and Apple as of Tuesday, according to Rolling Stone. At one point, a glitch occurred on Tidal, with just the isolated vocals featured and almost two minutes of silence.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the version of Energy featuring the Kelis sample remained the same on the Spotify version as of Tuesday.
The latest: Beyonce, 40, has removed a sample of the 2003 Kelis song Milkshake from her song Energy, following criticism from Kelis, 42, over the sample
The 2003 hit from Kelis was penned by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo (formerly known as The Neptunes), who both were credited on the Beyonce track, though Kelis wasn’t. Beyonce’s website indicated that the samples used on the track were interpolated, altering the existing sound for a new song.
Kelis last week accused Beyonce of ‘theft’ for allegedly using a sample of a track off her 2003 album Tasty on her new album without permission.
The performer, 42, didn’t hold back after discovering that the superstar, 40, used a short section from her song, Milkshake, on her forthcoming track, Energy, alongside the rest of the world.
After a fan account for the two-time Grammy nominee posted about the news, Kelis commented that she was shocked by the song credit and angered not to have any advance notice.
Startling: The Milkshake singer, 42, didn’t hold back after discovering that the superstar, 40, used a a short section from her song, Get Along With You, on her forthcoming track, Energy, alongside the rest of the world; seen in 2022
In shock: After a fan account for the two-time Grammy nominee posted about the news, Kelis commented that she was shocked by the song credit and angered not to have any advance notice
‘My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance all 3 parties involved is astounding,’ she said. ‘I heard about this the same way everyone else did. Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity and they have everyone fooled.’
In response to one comment that Beyonce clearly admires her work, Kelis replied: ‘Admire is not the word.’
When another expressed excitement about them working together, the mom-of-two, who was writing under her celebrity chef account @bountyandfull, claimed: ‘It’s not a collab it’s theft.’
Kelis later took to Instagram calling the track Milkshake ‘one of the most licensed records of our generation.’
She added: ‘I am a creator , I’m an innovator, I have done more then left my mark on an era of music and style that will go down in history. But there are [bullies] and secrets and gangsters in this industry that smile and get away with it until someone says enough is enough. So I’m saying it today. I’m coming for what’s mine and I want reparations. Peace.’
Previously Kelis fans called out Beyonce for ‘ripping off’ Ring the Alarm from Caught out There.
Beyonce’s upcoming record will be the seventh she has produced over her much-celebrated career.
Kelis said, ‘My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance all 3 parties involved is astounding’
Kelis had described the use of her work and process as ‘ridiculous’
She also penned a lengthy statement that was shared on her Instagram account, in which she noted that the recording process was thoroughly enjoyable.
‘Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving,’ she stated.
Beyonce added: ‘My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.’
She concluded by writing: ‘I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.’
‘Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving,’ Beyonce stated
Beyonce concluded by writing: ‘I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.’
The performer’s new album consists of 16 songs, and she collaborated with figures such as Nile Rodgers, Grace Jones and Drake during its recording process.
Renaissance’s first single, Break My Soul, was previously released to the public on June 20.
The hitmaker worked with several artists, including Big Freedia and her husband, Jay-Z, to produce the track.
The song has since received widespread critical acclaim from many music critics.
Beyonce initially teased that she was working on new music during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar last August.
During the sit-down with the media outlet, the Drunk In Love singer expressed that her recording process had been particularly arduous.
‘I’ve been in the studio for a year and a half. Sometimes it takes a year for me to personally search through thousands of sounds to find just the right kick or snare,’ she said.
Beyonce then confirmed that she still loved making music and that she was happy to be working on new material.
She expressed: ‘After 31 years, it feels just as exciting as it did when I was nine years old. Yes, the music is coming!’
The highly anticipated record, which was scheduled to be released at midnight on Thursday, can be found online and CDs are already being sold in Europe, according to Variety.
The album was leaked on Wednesday.
Sharing a taste: Renaissance’s first single, Break My Soul, was previously released to the public on June 20
The latest: Beyonce took to social media last month to share another teaser for her imminent album release
![LeBron James spotted strolling e doing some luxury shopping in Portofino with wife Savannah. 09 Sep 2019 Pictured: LeBron James, Savannah James. Photo credit: Oliver Palombi / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA499465_018.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/lebron-james-packs-on-pda-with-wife-savannah-2.jpg?w=298)
