Hoyoverse is Facing Another Major Leak Issue in Regards to Genshin Impact’s Upcoming Content

In the wake of Honkai: Star Rail’s success, Genshin Impact has taken a backseat to let Hoyoverse’s newest game thrive. You’ll have noticed if you played both games that Genshin really hasn’t had much content going on regarding story or major character banners, but that all changed rather quickly in these last few weeks. What started out as a few characters slipping through the cracks turned into an avalanche of characters, concept art, Fontaine references, and a huge chunk of the lineup going into 4.0.

Images for said leaks will not be provided given Hoyoverse’s last PR Statement regarding taking leaked content more seriously.

Fontaine Characters and a Mummy Girl from Sumeru Starting Leaks

During Genshin Impact’s drought, we started to see the first trickles of rain by way of the Fontaine Characters said to release. What we originally thought was going to be Varka from Mondstadt turned out to actually be Wriothesley, an officer said to work within Fontaine. There isn’t much to be known about the lore of Fontaine, but we do know there will be a police commission of sorts and that’s where this character as well as another female will be.

Oh my gosh, but have you seen her though? Her model is super adorable and I love her hair, she gives off such punk vibes so I’m super excited to see how she’s voiced and portrayed! It’s been a while since I’ve been hyped about a four-star female from Genshin Impact, but I am very ecstatic about this one. Given her uniform and design, she’s said to also be working in the same police commission as the former male model. It’ll be interesting to see what mystery we’ll be working to uncover when in the country of Fontaine alongside these two. Or perhaps we’ll be arrested.. Again.

Our last character is a mummy girl character who is probably going to be from Sumeru more so than Fontaine. Given all of the Egypt vibes Sumeru has been vibing with, it was only a matter of time before we got a mummy character. I do adore many facets of her design… but my problem with all of the Sumeru characters are going to be WHERE IS THE MELANIN?! I haven’t made this all that public, but I have and will continue to be FURIOUS with Hoyoverse’s lack of care when designing these characters. An article for another time, but there is so much potential to be had. Why is she this light?? And if she’s a mummy, then why not go the extra mile and just make her gray? Make her dead. Unalive her, Hoyoverse, you’ve done it before. This skin tone isn’t indicative of a dark tone then lightened to indicate her death, it’s just the oddest choice of a color to use. Just make her gray. Make her gray, she’s a zombie—. They have to remove the blood in order to mummify, Mihoyo!

Do you ever refer to Hoyoverse as Mihoyo? It feels like using a child’s full name to let them know they are in trouble.

Insane Leaks from Hoyoverse’s Concept Art for Genshin Impact

The next sprout of leaks that slipped past Hoyoverse headquarters were actually files and collections of concept art for multiple Fontaine characters as well as their models to be placed inside the game and inspiration for the world-building in Fontaine. These came as quite a bit of a surprise. They were released so suddenly and viciously took the internet by storm. Not because there were jokes about more fired employees, but frustration at some of the great designs for characters that were vetoed in favor of other designs.

It’s much easier to include details when art is in 2D, but when it comes to making the model, those details can get quite complicated. Ask any Genshin artist having to recreate their favorite characters back into 2D form, they certainly don’t make it easy. Genshin Impact characters are notorious for their details and generally have beautiful physics and sounds. The way their hair and clothes can move when they run, not to mention the way their charms and chains can jingle in time with their movement. Heck, Nahida has bell chimes if you listen to her closely enough.

But this wasn’t the only issue people had. Seeing how character concepts changed from when they were first prompted to how they were then changed has people once again raising their eyebrows at Hoyoverse.

When your Police commissioner turns out to have an eyepatch and darker skin then you opt out for lighter tones, it’s going to anger a few people. Especially when Wriorthesley’s first few drafts looked so much better. Kaeya’s skin certainly had some flare to it, but it would have been absolutely miserable to pull off in the game. What came from the concept arts wasn’t astonishment or excitement for Fontaine but rather a big collective sigh at what we could have had instead.

Fontaine Leaks for 4.0-4.5 Upcoming Character Banners in Genshin Impact

The last of these leaks have come as an even bigger surprise. Not too long after Fontaine was revealed in Hoyoverse’s latest Streaming Preview for 3.8, the Genshin community has been sharing what looks to be the entirety of 4.0-4.5’s character banner roster. Ending with a rather terrifying theory that we could see as many as Three Limited-Time Character Event banners during one-half of a single patch.

Now, some of these characters we could have foreseen based on leaks we’ve already seen in the past, but others have only alluded to potentially becoming characters such as Madam Ping and Arlecchino. Honestly, where did they even come up with some of these characters… Especially given story spoilers made about Arlecchino…

This latest bit of news is said to be incredibly unreliable since it is still so new and just involves so many characters that we cannot be too sure about. I wouldn’t get too excited about the people you see on this list, but perhaps we can play a game of bingo to see just how many of these actually come true!

It is insane to see so many leaks continue to thwart Hoyoverse to this day after two years of the company trying to reign them in only to no avail. However, not with their own attempts… Hoyoverse has been known to have its own little Leaker Hunt Decree and has gone after popular content creators in the past. Creators like Ubatcha have had to go radio silent before swearing off leaks altogether after not only being served legal documents but being hunted through Discord by the Cognosphere company. We likely won’t hear the last of this after all these leaks, especially from Hoyoverse so stay tuned for the next bit of news since the company has recently come out with their own public announcement…

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July 1, 2023

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In the wake of Honkai: Star Rail’s

Festivals

Kyrie Irving Staying With Dallas, Lakers Re-Up Rui Hachimura, Sign Gabe Vincent – Deadline

Forget that fever dream of Kyrie Irving reuniting with LeBron James for one last charge at a championship.

Irving took the path of least resistance, agreeing to return to the Dallas Mavericks for a three-year, $126 million deal, his agent confirmed. Even though his play there didn’t result in a playoffs appearance for the Mavs, Irving decided that he needs to run it back with fellow star guard Luka Dončić. The dynamic duo went only 5-11 when both played together

Irving, 31, is an eight-time All-Star. He has career averages of 23.4 points and 5.7 assists, including 27.1 points and 5.5 assists per game last season for the Brooklyn Nets and the Mavs..

The Los Angeles Lakers had an important, albeit less impactful, signing to announce. They’re bringing back forward Rui Hachimura on a three-year, $51 million deal, and signed guard Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat to a three-year, $33 million contract.

The Lakers also signed forward Cam Reddish, who averaged 11 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 20 games for the Trail Blazers after being traded to Portland from New York.

Taurean Prince is also joining the Lake Show. The seven-year NBA veteran averaged 9.1 points last year for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Elsewhere, guard Fred VanVleet agreed to a deal with the Houston Rockets for three years and $130 million, while the Golden State Warriors are bringing back Draymond Green on a four-year, $100 million deal.

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July 1, 2023

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Forget that fever dream of Kyrie Irving

Film

Dermot Mulroney, Cobie Smulders and more share thoughts

The Screen Actors Guild contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expires on June 30 at midnight Pacific time. That means on July 1—unless SAG-AFTRA seeks an extension, which is on the table, per Deadline—the actors’ union will join the Writers Guild of America on strike. The unprecedented alignment of Hollywood unions’ concerns has been described as an “inflection point” for the industry. Although the Directors’ Guild reached its own agreement, SAG-AFTRA not only authorized a strike in advance, but more than 1,000 actors have signed a letter urging its leadership to fight for the best deal possible, even if that means moving forward with a work stoppage. With the deadline creeping closer, The A.V. Club has spoken with a number of actors over the last month about their thoughts on the potential strike and why they feel the current labor movement in Hollywood is so important.

What Vivica A. Fox thought about that “Independence” Day sequel

Never Have I Ever stars have health insurance concerns

At a recent Q&A with The A.V. Club, Richa Moorjani of Never Have I Ever called this moment a “critical moment in Hollywood history,” noting that “actors of color, actors with disabilities, LGBTQ+ actors” are the ones who historically have to fight for a seat at the table. “I’ve had people even in the industry, like makeup artists, or people who don’t really understand how actors are paid, ask me, ‘Why do actors have to strike? Especially if you’re on a show, you probably get paid so much!’” she told us. “What people don’t understand is that the majority of the Screen Actors Guild actors are the actors who are doing … one guest star appearance, you know, recurring characters. What I was before Never Have I Ever. And the majority of those actors don’t make enough—for the most part, do not make enough in one year to get health insurance, let alone make a decent living.”

Her co-star Poorna Jagannathan agreed that the systems in place “need to align with the reality of where we are all at.” Noting the pay disparity for writers and performers of color, she shares that “although I’ve been an actor for about 15 years, I just started [getting] health insurance in 2016, that’s it.” Like writers, many working actors go months between jobs, threatening their union health insurance (SAG-AFTRA members lose coverage if “You do not continue to meet the minimum earnings or days worked requirements during your designated base earnings period,” per the guild’s website.)

Jagannathan recalled “begging people to hire you on anything” just to make the cut for health insurance, adding, “It’s very stressful, and especially now, personally, without residuals, because we’re doing so much streaming, just think about: what happens if you have a disability? Or what if you’re pregnant? … If life happens to you, then you’re shit out of luck.”

Vivica A. Fox stands with Snoop Dogg

Asked by The A.V. Club about a potential strike, Vivica A. Fox cited a recent quote from Snoop Dogg (“Could somebody explain to me how you could get a billion streams and not get a million dollars? That shit don’t make sense to me.”) As Snoop and Fox both point out, streaming services are claiming big audience numbers that aren’t reflected in payment to artists.

“So if it’s to fight so that we don’t get 100 stack of checks that may total $17? Like, first of all, stop wasting paper!” She said, referencing the diminishing residuals that affect both writers and performers. “And second of all, let’s be fair, you know? I can remember I did a film, and I won’t put that on blast, but I did a film, and box office gross, I was able—we were all able to see the numbers when they come in. They come in every week, you can see it, you can google it, look it up. We kept getting these little letters that said, ‘You haven’t broke even. But here’s a little small residual check.’ So, how can something gross $41 million and we haven’t broke even, and the movie was only made for $7 million? Let’s do the math. That ain’t mathin’!”

Secret Invasion stars see a need for change

“I’m worried about future generations of writers and performers,” Marvel star and How I Met Your Mother alum Cobie Smulders recently told The A.V. Club’s Saloni Gajjar. “When I came into this business, because of the way my family operated, it didn’t even seem like a way to make a living, being an actor. It’s about bolstering and supporting new people and going them a good leg up to create more things for people to enjoy.”

Meanwhile, her Secret Invasion co-star Dermot Mulroney advocated for SAG to “just strike immediately and get this whole thing over with as fast as possible, so we can get back to entertaining America, entertaining the world.” He opined, “The problem is we just don’t know … why all the money is going into these corporate pockets instead of feeding the people that create the product that they sell—and them selling is checking some sort of spreadsheet. They’re not boots-on-the-ground kind of creators the way—that’s who we’re talking about taking care of here.”

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July 1, 2023

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The Screen Actors Guild contract with the

‘Boy Meets World’ Fired Young Actress For Not Being Pretty Enough, She Claims – Deadline

Actress Bonnie Morgan shared some ugly truths on the podast “Pod Meets World.”

Early in her career, she was signed to play lead character Topanga Lawrence on the show “Boys Meets World.” She talked with podcast hosts and show cast members Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle about her experience on the show and how she felt when she was fired.

“I had three callbacks,” she said. “They kept bringing me back, and … it was rooms full of people every time. And, weirdly, every time I’d audition, we’d talk a lot. Every time I’d come back, the script would change slightly, it seemed, to things we had talked about.”

Morgan felt the role was deeply connected to her. Even the name Topanga “was out of my parents’ love history,” noting they “got married in Topanga Canyon. It was the coolest thing ever.”

But things were not all rainbows and unicorns when the show moved forward. She revealed she was told by her agent that show creator Michael Jacobs loved her for the part. However, there was apparently a “power struggle,” and she was “stuck in the middle of it.”

She arrived on the set for her first day and immediately felt a vibe.

She remembered “all the adults were short with me” and described the table read as “fun” but said things went downhill after that.

“Now, we’re blocking, and (Ben Savage) started poking at me a little bit. He would make faces and try to break me, and it worked. At this point, I was becoming a nervous wreck,” she recalled. “I couldn’t get his name, the opening line, Cory … and [director] David [Trainer] was just like, ‘Get it together.’ I’m trying to pull it together. I pulled it together in sheer fear, and Ben just kept doing this thing to crack me up.”

“At one point, I had a line. It was a sweet line, and David went, ‘I want you to say it sweeter …’ So, I said it sweeter, and he said, ‘No, I want you to say it.’ And he got really close to me, ‘Like you’re saying happy birthday,’” she added.

She passed that test, and left for hoem feeling things would get better.

The next morning, Morgan said the phone rang during breakfast. Her father answered the phone.

“He just said, ‘What? You’re kidding. They fired you. You’re fired,’” Morgan recalled.

“The director said that I couldn’t take direction, which was one thing I’d never been accused of.

“My agent immediately fought back on that one. It came out very quickly to my agent that the director didn’t think I was pretty enough. Literally did not think I was pretty enough. So, that meant that a grown man, a boss, could lie and tell me I was untalented because the fact was he didn’t think I was pretty.”

Morgan described feeling “shattered” when she heard the news, saying, “I don’t know a lot of adults that could take that one.”

When the show eventually aired, the only time she watched was when the pilot premiered.

Morgan recovered and went on to have a career, best known as “Samara” in the horror film, The Ring. Danielle Fishel went on to play the role of Topanga for seven seasons on “Boy Meets World.”

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July 1, 2023

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Actress Bonnie Morgan shared some ugly truths

tour de france unchained renewed season 2

What to Watch

‘Tour de France: Unchained’ Renewed For Season 2: Coming to Netflix in 2024

Picture: Netflix

One of the many new Netflix sports docu-series to debut in 2023 has been handed a season 2 order. Tour de France: Unchained will return for a second season in 2024.

Debuting on Netflix for the first time in early June 2023, Tour de France: Unchained gives you unparalleled access to behind-the-scenes of the world’s most famous cycling race. The documentary series was released in French audio with a range of subtitle and dub options, including English.

Eight episodes dropped globally (after airing on France Télévisions) on June 9th. The series featured in the global non-English TV top 10 for a single week, picking up 8.2 million hours watched globally between June 11th and 18th.

Article Continues Below…

The renewal news comes via a Tweet by Netflix France. The Tour de France followed up Netflix France’s announcement in an additional Tweet, saying:

“See you next year @NetflixFR! A series made possible thanks to @francetv and the cycling teams!”

Season 2 will follow the forthcoming 2023 Tour de France, scheduled to begin at the end of July 2023. The event takes place over 21 stages beginning in Northern Spain and concluding in Paris; it’s been confirmed 22 teams will be competing for the grand prize.

The renewal of Tour de France: Unchained means that we’ll see the return of numerous sporting documentaries in 2023. Full Swing, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and Break Point have all been handed renewal orders, each set to return in 2024. All of the aforementioned shows (including Unchained) are produced by the British outfit Box to Box Films.

Those returning series are in addition to other various sports documentaries Netflix currently has in the works for other sports like soccer, the NFL, rugby, and WWE.

Are you glad to hear that Tour de France: Unchained is returning for a second season? Let us know in the comments.

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July 1, 2023

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Picture: Netflix One of the many new Netflix

Awards

Jeanell English Exits Film Academy as VP Impact and Inclusion

Jeanell English, executive vice president of impact and inclusion, is exiting her role at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

English was promoted to the newly created role in July 2022 by Academy CEO Bill Kramer. In her role, she led the Academy’s initiatives to address underrepresentation across the industry and the talent development programs such as Academy Gold.

Over the past year, she’s been a key figure in major initiatives and changes across the organization including developing the infrastructure for the Academy’s inclusion standards and enabling a path for community, advocacy, education and empowerment amongst its members and staff. She also designed and implemented the Academy’s first mid-career talent development program, the Academy Film Accelerator, which advocates for the careers of filmmakers from underrepresented communities.

Formerly an executive with Discovery, English joined the Academy staff in 2020. Before joining the Academy, English worked for over a decade in global diversity and inclusion strategy, employee engagement, corporate social responsibility, cross-cultural training and talent management.

Her exit follows several other key Hollywood diversity and inclusion executives who were either laid off or left their posts. This includes Karen Horne, who led DEI efforts for Warner Bros. Discovery, Vernā Myers, the first head of inclusion at Netflix who stepped down after five years and LaTondra Newton, Disney’s chief diversity officer and senior vice president, who left to join the board at another company.

The Academy is in the first year of implementing the diversity and inclusion standards that were first announced in 2020 as part of its Aperture 2024 initiative. Though the standards were announced and explained three years ago, vocal detractors like Richard Dreyfus have since complained about the organization’s efforts.

Following the recent announcement of the 398 industry professionals invited to join the Academy, the membership now stands at 34% women, 18% from underrepresented communities and 20% from outside the U.S.

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July 1, 2023

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Jeanell English, executive vice president of impact

Music

Taylor Swift Surprises Cincinnati with ‘Evermore’ Performance – Rolling Stone

The megastar continued her tradition of performing songs that aren’t on her set list

Taylor Swift gifted Swifties gathered for night one of the Eras Tour in Cincinnati on Friday with two surprise songs.

The artist performed “Evermore and “I’m Only Me When I’m With You,” continuing her tradition of surprising crowds each night of the tour with songs that aren’t listed on her set list. “Evermore,” the title track to Swift’s ninth studio album, originally features a duet with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. On Friday, the Folklore singer played the song solo on the piano, along with an acoustic version of “I’m Only Me When I’m With You,” for the thousands gathered at Paycor Stadium.

Earlier this month, Swift rolled out a special live debut, stripping down the Midnights deep cut “Hits Different” for her first surprise song in Chicago. The track wasn’t officially released on streaming until late last May as part of the extended album Midnights (Til Dawn Edition).

As the artist continues to perform an acoustic rendition of fan favorites like “Red,” “Holy Ground,” and “Wildest Dreams” at each city, Swift has also brought out special guests at select shows including Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Hayley Kiyoko, and Maren Morris.

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July 1, 2023

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The megastar continued her tradition of performing

Docs

Soundproof Featured, Reviews Film Threat

Soundproof, the writing and directing debut of Mark Hayman and Margaret Rogerson, begins with an inebriated Jo (Georgina Rich) getting ready to head back to her place with her shady partner, Kevin (Joe Macaulay). Kevin goes berserk on a father in a car he almost backed into, which puts a damper on the mood for the rest of the night. Once home, Kevin refuses to take no for an answer, so Jo’s teenage daughter Izzy (Ellie Bindman), bashes him in the head, killing the criminal. Panicking and unsure what to do, Jo calls her best friend, bartender Milan (Kayla Meikle). She tells Jo to take her son Dylan (Gabe Robinson) and Izzy on a holiday for a week, then upon getting home, says that she found the man dead.

But the next morning, Kevin’s psychotic older brother Pete (Jonny Phillips) stops by and discovers the dead body. Now he’s in pursuit of Jo and her brood. The family trip is off to a rocky start as Dylan hates it, though he only knows a little bit of what transpired. Tensions rise even further when Jo picks up a drifter named Tom (Craig Russell), who will ride along with them so long as he keeps the car running. Can Jo, Izzy, and Dylan outrun the vicious Pete? Is Tom a wolf lying in wait, or is he actually a good guy?

Based on its plot, Soundproof might seem like a typical thriller, but it is not. Hayman and Rogerson are as interested in the cat-and-mouse game between Jo and Pete as they are in the family dynamics between the mom and her two kids. This amps up the tension on a personal level for the characters, allowing all watching to invest in Jo, Izzy, Dylan, and even the mysterious Tom. So when the inevitable confrontation happens, there’s more at stake than revenge and a bag of money. It’s an impressive feat for an independent production, much less for first-timers, as is the case here.

“…in pursuit of Jo and her brood.”

Admittedly, the characterizations are a bit stereotypical, specifically for the children. Dylan is mad at his mom’s impulsive behaviors. But how has this impacted him before Izzy killed Kevin? Being vague about some points can work wonders, such as the precise nature of Pete’s underworld dealings and why tracking Jo means so much to him. But too much ambiguity causes uncertainty, which is what happens with Dylan. However, his relationship with Tom, who teaches the kid how to swim, is really well sketched out and adds quite a bit to the proceedings.

Rich is superb in every scene of Soundproof. She’s flighty, determined, loving, lustful, and scared. Bindman is excellent as the frightened, guilty teen, while Robinson sells his irritations believably, even if the script is quite there.

Russell makes the rough-n-tumble Tom a compelling and enigmatic figure. Phillips is frightening and creepy as the baddie. When he tells Milan to dig a hole about the “size of a person,” one is convinced he will whack her then and there. Meikle is exuberant and fun throughout, adding need levity without sacrificing tone.

Soundproof may have minor issues, but this is a strong, engaging debut. Hayman and Rogerson mix drama and thrills with an original spin on an oft-told tale. It is all brought to life by an excellent cast who seamlessly fit their roles.

For more information about Soundproof, check out 674 Film.

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July 1, 2023

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Soundproof, the writing and directing debut of

Trending

Darren Drozdov, Former NFL Player and WWE Star, Dead at 54

Darren Drozdov, Former NFL Player and WWE Star, Dead at 54 | Entertainment Tonight

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July 1, 2023

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Tech

SAG-AFTRA Negotiations Extended to July 12 – The Hollywood Reporter

Industry insiders concerned about the possibility of a potential actors’ strike will have to wait a little bit longer to know for sure. SAG-AFTRA and top studios and streamers have agreed to extend their current contract negotiations until July 12 at 11:59 p.m.

The two parties announced that they would delay the expiration of the union’s current TV/Theatrical contracts package on Friday, mere hours before those agreements were set to expire at midnight. This move will allow for more time for negotiations and for ongoing projects to continue operating under SAG-AFTRA agreements until the new expiration date. If the two parties do not reach an agreement by the end of the day on July 12, the union can still call a strike — which, if it came to pass, would be its first targeting major film and television companies in four decades, and, coupled with an ongoing writers’ strike, would further hamper the industry.

Negotiations are set to continue on Saturday, sources say.

The union’s TV/Theatrical negotiating committee wrote in an open letter to members on Friday night not to “mistake this extension for weakness.” The committee explained that it was operating under an unusually abbreviated timeframe to negotiate a “comprehensive and inclusive” deal and that the decision was made “in order to exhaust every opportunity to achieve the righteous contract we all demand and deserve.” The letter concluded, “We see you. We hear you. We are you.”

The union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been engaged in negotiations since June 7 over a new package of three-year contracts concerning around 160,000 performers. With this latest negotiation, the union is looking to institute strong protections for members around artificial intelligence, raise wage floors, amplify streaming residuals, further regulate self-taped auditions and protect the union’s health, retirement and pension plans. Studios and streamers, meanwhile, are facing economic headwinds after Wall Street turned on unprofitable streamers and will be looking to reign in spending.

The union went into its 2023 round of TV/theatrical negotiations with a significant bargaining chip: a strike authorization vote. Nearly 98 percent of its voting members greenlit a potential strike if negotiators decided to call on after the TV/theatrical contracts expire on June 30.

Union negotiators suggested in a message to members on Saturday that talks with employers have been fruitful. In a video sent to members on Saturday, SAG-AFTRA president and national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said the negotiations had been “extremely productive.” Added Drescher, “We’re standing strong and we’re going to achieve a seminal deal.”

But this update appeared to spark concerns from some high-profile members that negotiators might be settling too early. On Tuesday, hundreds of high-profile SAG-AFTRA members told union leaders in a letter that they were “prepared to strike” in order to reach a “transformative” deal.

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July 1, 2023

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Industry insiders concerned about the possibility of

Video

‘Barbie’ Vs ‘Oppenheimer’ at the Box Office – IndieWire

This summer movie season hasn’t been without its mainstream success stories, from “The Little Mermaid” to “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” But duds like “The Flash” are a reminder that even the biggest, loudest releases aren’t guaranteed hits.

Now, internet buzz is centered around a pop culture matchup for the ages, as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” open head-to-head on July 21. Early box office tracking, however, suggests that neither movie is poised to generate huge numbers. And with “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” tracking at a low $65 million for its opening this weekend (on a budget of around $250 million), it doesn’t seem that a busier post-pandemic summer movie season is the same thing as a profitable one.

What gives?

While audiences return to movie theaters, not every demographic is such an easy draw. In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson break down those challenges and how they may play out in the coming weeks. Thompson also shares some initial thoughts on “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” another summer blockbuster that seems poised to do well — but will get bumped from IMAX screens once “Oppenheimer” takes them over.

This week’s episode includes some additional discussion of the potential strike by SAG-AFTRA and why the negotiation could end up taking longer than originally planned. The hosts also share some viewing suggestions for July 4.

Screen Talk will return after next week.

Watch the full episode above or listen to it below.

Screen Talk is produced by Azwan Badruzaman and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. Browse previous episodes here, subscribe here, and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk.

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June 30, 2023

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This summer movie season hasn’t been without

Entertaintment

Why Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar Kept Their Romance a Secret

Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar revealed why they kept their blossoming romance a secret while filming their new Hallmark movie, A Royal Family Christmas.

“We obviously [were] professional and kept it that way. However, I felt as though it’s almost like there was this layer because he and I kind of knew this secret thing that nobody else knew,” Cassidy, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting the film. “And we could let our guard down when our characters were supposed to and allow space to fall into one another. I almost feel like that added a certain type of element to it. We just couldn’t help it.”

The twosome star alongside each other in the holiday flick, which premieres on Saturday, July 8, and is part of Hallmark’s Christmas in July event. The story follows Ava (Cassidy) as she accepts the offer of a lifetime to work at the Royal Ice Hotel where she finds herself in a surprise whirlwind romance with the most important guest of all — Prince Henry (Huszar).

While the pair began shooting the movie as strangers, sparks quickly began to fly — “When chemistry is there, it’s just there,” Cassidy explained of her instant connection with Huszar.

“It’s certainly important to keep it professional. As we did, but, you know, feelings come up,” Huszar agreed. “And personally for me, it just allows me to land a little bit more in truth. I mean, our job is obviously to be as truthful as we can in, in these circumstances that are surreal, unreal. But when something is actually triggering truthfully inside you, of course, that helps.”

Cassidy — who confirmed she and the Chesapeake Shores alum are a real-life item earlier this month — recalled first meeting her beau and being hesitant to work closely with another “pretty Canadian, really attractive” actor “named Stephen.” (Cassidy starred opposite Canada native Stephen Amell on The CW’s Arrow from 2012 to 2015 as Laurel Lance. She later returned as Black Canary.)

Courtesy of Hallmark Media

“But Stephen [Amell] was like a brother to me. Then I don’t know, it was like, after the first week I was like, over in my own world-ish,” she told Us, sharing that it was Huszar’s crystal bracelets — “I’m very drawn to [crystals],” she explained — that had her wondering if there was something more blossoming between them. “I was like, ‘Wait a second. What do you know about these and why do you have these? There’s something happening here,’” she said.

“I remember there’s this one scene in the barn where I literally am looking at him, and that was the moment for me. I’m not kidding you. I’m, like, leaning on the table and he’s saying his lines and I just like, I think I like almost fell over,” she gushed, admitting that she and Huszar later realized they first began falling for each other “30 seconds apart’ while filming the “same scene.”

Cassidy added that the lovebirds also bonded over their sense of humor after she played a trick on Huszar with the rest of the cast and crew. “I made everyone [on set] start talking on set in a British accent,” she told Us, laughing. “So I think maybe my British accent was maybe a little bit charming. And I also told everyone they could no longer call [him] Stephen. They had to call [him] Prince Henry.”

After filming wrapped — and romance bloomed — the pair enjoyed one-on-one time together by traveling around the world. “We were just in Europe. We were also in New Zealand and in Australia,” Huszar shared. Cassidy noted that the duo actually lost their luggage on the getaway but still managed to have a blast jetting off to different locations.

While Huszar revealed there “will be more traveling” in the couple’s future, they twosome are currently taking the summer to wind down — and enjoy their love. “[It’s] a little bit of settling [in] right now and then probably followed by some traveling,” he said.

A Royal Christmas Crush premieres on Hallmark Saturday, July 8, at 8 p.m. ET.

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June 30, 2023

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Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar revealed why

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‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Review: Turning Back the Clock

What makes Indy run? For years, the obvious answer was Steven Spielberg, who, starting in 1981 with “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” guided Harrison Ford’s hunky archaeologist, Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr., in and out of gnarly escapades and ripped shirts in four box-office behemoths. By the time Spielberg directed Ford in their last outing, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008), Indy was in his late 50s and fans were speculating that the character was immortal, even if the franchise itself had begun running on fumes.

As a longtime big Hollywood star and hitmaker, Ford had already achieved an immortality of a kind. Indy-ologists, though, were more focused on the eternal life that Indy might have been granted by the Holy Grail when he takes a healthy swig from it in his third outing, “The Last Crusade” (1989). It’s pretty clear from his newest venture, the overstuffed if not entirely charmless “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” that while Indy may not in fact be immortal, the brain trust overseeing this installment wishes he were. They haven’t simply brought the character back for another go, they have also given him a digital face-lift.

The face-lift is as weird and distracting as this kind of digital plastic surgery tends to be, though your mileage will vary as will your philosophical objections to the idea that Ford needed to be de-aged to draw an audience, even for a 42-year-old franchise that’s now older than most North American moviegoers. The results don’t have the spooky emptiness of uncanny-valley faces. That said, the altered Indy is cognitively dissonant; I kept wondering what they’d done to — or perhaps with — Ford. It turns out that when he wasn’t getting body doubled, he was on set hitting his marks before his face was sent out to be digitally refreshed.

The guy you’re familiar with eventually appears — with wrinkles and gray hair, though without a shirt or pants, huzzah — but first you need to get past the prolonged opener, which plays like a franchise highlight reel. These nods to the past are unsurprising for a series steeped in nostalgia. “Raiders” was created by Spielberg’s pal, George Lucas, who saw it as a homage to the serials that he’d loved as a kid. Lucas envisioned a hero along the lines of Humphrey Bogart in “Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” but with morals (more or less), while Spielberg was interested in making a Bond-style film without the hardware and gimmicks.

As soon as the younger Indy appears in “Dial of Destiny,” it’s clear that the nostalgic love for old Hollywood that defined and shaped the original film has been supplanted by an equally powerful nostalgia for the series itself. That helps explain why this movie finds Indy once again battling Nazis, who make conveniently disposable villains for a movie banking on international sales. After directing “Schindler’s List” (1993), Spielberg expressed reluctance to make Nazis “Saturday-matinee villains,” as he once put it. The team here, by contrast, knows no such hesitation, even if evoking Spielberg’s films inevitably raises comparisons that do no one any favors, particularly the franchise’s new director, James Mangold.

The movie opens in 1944 with Indy — wearing an enemy uniform as he did in “Raiders” — being held captive, a sack coyly obscuring his head while Nazi hordes scurry about. Once the sack comes off — ta-da! — the plot thickens with a mysterious antique (à la “Raiders”), nods to the Führer, the introduction of an Indy colleague (Toby Jones) and dastardly doings from a fanatic (Mads Mikkelsen, whose face has been similarly ironed out). There’s an explosion, a sprint to freedom, a zipping car, a zooming motorcycle (as in “The Last Crusade”) and a dash atop a moving train (ditto), a busy pileup that Mangold finesses with spatial coherency.

Things improve once the story cuts to 1969 and Ford and his beautiful, lived-in, expressively alive face make their entrance, with Indy staggering awake wearing just boxer shorts, an intro that elicits chuckles, admiration and bittersweet feelings because Ford’s years are etched into every crease. After some more preliminaries, Indy finds his usual fast-paced groove with familiar friends, foes, narrative beats and action-flick clichés, including a gal pal, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, from “Fleabag”), who’s an ethically challenged wisenheimer. The script — by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp and Mangold — keeps playing the greatest hits, at times nearly blow-for-blow, kiss-for-kiss.

The story turns on the treasure, a prize that dates back several thousand years and, like time, just keeps slipping away. Pressed to retrieve it, Indy suits up — fedora, bullwhip, leather jacket, check, check and check — and he and Helena race around the globe chasing it while trading banter and, by turns, evading and fighting villains. For some reason, a grizzled Antonio Banderas pops in as a boat captain. At another point, Indy et al. land in Tangier, a setting that evokes “Raiders” and, uncomfortably, the scene in which Indy shoots a sword-wielding Arab, a death that Spielberg played for laughs and that distills that film’s breezy colonialist mind-set.

“Dial of Destiny” avoids such missteps simply by taking aim at Nazis. Indy and company still embark on breakneck chases in putatively exotic locations — including on tippy three-wheelers that careen through Tangier — but with less obvious collateral damage to the locals, if not their food stalls. Like all the action sequences here, this one drags on long enough to kill the fun. Mangold can do action. He’s best known for “Logan,” that rare comic-book movie that achieves a just-so balance between genre familiarity and novelty; he should be better known for “Ford v Ferrari,” a smart, nimble car story that underscores he can do one of the hardest things in film, which is to turn two people just talking to each other into cinema.

The Indiana Jones series was customized for mass appeal, which doesn’t leave room for Mangold to do much, though at times he slows things down enough for Ford to shift rhythm. It’s hard to believe this or any other installment would have worked half as well without Ford, whose gruffly appealing, unthreatening (to women, importantly) masculine persona has always felt natural and unforced. No matter how outrageous Indy’s trouble, Ford’s persona and outwardly effortless charm — and his ability to drop that rakish smile for something darker, meaner, even threatening — have kept the character tethered to the real world of feelings and consequences. Lucas and Spielberg sketched a cartoon; Ford created a character.

That character, or rather Ford, or really the two of them together are the main arguments for seeing “Dial of Destiny,” which is as silly as you expect and not altogether as successful as you may hope. Among other things, it takes a while to settle down. Everything seems overly strained, at least at first, including the pacing, the story and Waller-Bridge’s performance. It all improves as it continues, or maybe I just surrendered, yielding to the movie’s disposable pleasures, its yearning to entertain you, Mangold’s old-school classicism and, of course, Ford, who, as befits a Hollywood veteran confident enough to make a grand entrance in only his boxers, can still run away with a movie — and run and run — without breaking a sweat.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Rated PG-13 for largely bloodless violence. Running time: 2 hours 34 minutes. In theaters.

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June 30, 2023

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What makes Indy run? For years, the

“THE BEAR” — “Beef” — Season 2, Episode 1 (Airs Thursday, June 22nd) Pictured: (l-r) Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu. CR: Chuck Hodes/FX.

Jeremy Allen White on ‘The Bear,’ Carmy and Sydney’s Relationship in Season 2

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season 2 of “The Bear,” now streaming on Hulu.

In Season 2 of “The Bear,” Jeremy Allen White’s Carmen Berzatto finally let his walls down and explored interests outside the kitchen. It didn’t work out well for him — but he did try. Carmy also had to balance his friendship and working relationship with partner Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), who kept her eye on the prize when he seemingly became distracted.

Throughout the second season, viewers also learned more about Carmy’s upbringing, specifically in the star-studded sixth episode, “Fishes.” That episode was a flashback to the family’s last Christmas together, with Jamie Lee Curtis appearing as his troubled mother, and Jon Bernthal returning as his brother, Michael, on the verge of a breakdown.

Here, White opens up to Variety about Season 2’s arcs, Carmy and his mother’s relationship and his hopes for the chef down the line, both personally and professionally.

How are you feeling this time around versus the release of the first season?

I think there was kind of a much slower sort of build in the first season. it felt like it kind of came in waves, and there was a word of mouth thing happening. And this time, it feels like we got shot out of a cannon or something. It all feels very, very immediate. Putting all the episodes out at the same time again, it’s kind of wild.

Do you have a preference on that? I know it’s not your call, but whether the show comes out as a binge or weekly?

Above my pay grade to make that choice, but I personally like to watch shows that I really love slowly. But, that’s an option even with all the episodes out at once. We give them options.

After Season 1, we talked about how you felt Carmy was a bit too broken and selfish to let anyone else in. He allowed himself to do that a little in Season 2, but do you believe he was really ready?

No, but I think this really interesting thing happened with Claire and how specific Claire is. She has an understanding of him kind of prior to his career. She really knows him and his family history, which I think must have been so welcomed, after you seeing Carmy kind of move through the first season with — other than Richie and his sister — dealing with a whole new group and trying to win these people over, win their liking and respect. I think it was very welcoming to see Claire for Carmy.

I also think Molly does such an amazing job. She’s so disarming and funny and charming. I think it didn’t allow Carmy to build up his his regular walls. She knocked them down with ease and allowed Carmy to feel cared for, which must have just been so welcomed because I don’t know the last time Carmy would have allowed himself to be cared for.

Jeremy Allen White and Molly Gordon as Carmy and Claire.
Chuck Hodes

Do you think he has the potential to find true love, eventually? Whether it’s Claire or someone else?

I hope so. I hope he has the potential for it. I don’t know if we’ll see it with him. The way that Carmy is talking at the end of Season 2, if we get to do a Season 3, I have to assume he’ll be operating from this sort of loss, like, he extended himself, he fucked everything up by extending himself, and he can’t do it again. I think that’s where he’s at.

During the finale, we see Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) saying she doesn’t deserve to see the restaurant’s success and then we see Carmy saying he doesn’t need amusement or enjoyment, like he doesn’t deserve it. Was that a parallel you guys discussed?

Oh yeah, that was that was definitely something that Emily Longeretta Chris Storer and I spoke about. That’s what it is that’s sets Carmy off — being called Donna. I think for Carmy and Richie, everybody knows Donna’s off limits. It’s not something we’re gonna speak on. That’s what Carmy knows. That’s what he came from.

How was it preparing for those scenes through the freezer door, speaking to no one?

It was interesting. Pretty much everything you saw on the fridge was shot in an afternoon. So it was like Carmy’s Fridge Day. Usually when you’re doing a scene with somebody, you’re looking at them, you’re listening to them, you’re trying to understand them and react to them. Carmy can kind of hear them, definitely can’t see them. I started referring to the fridge as a confessional. It’s like this honesty box. He’s not able to see who’s receiving him, and I think it allows him to be incredibly vulnerable and honest about certain things because he’s not afraid of the reaction he’s going to get.

We have talked about it this previously, the platonic relationship between Syd and Carmy and fans wanting more. Some viewers on social media felt there were moments of that this season, like him considering her to ask her to go out by the lockers or her maybe getting jealous — even though she just wanted her professional partner focused. Did you see that also when you started reading this season?

No! I read that as Syd being rightfully upset. They’re doing this thing together and she does not have Carm’s full attention and focus while they have a partnership. They’re trying to create this thing that’s very difficult to create. Of course there is love and and respect in this relationship. There’s admiration and I think and I hope that even in platonic relationships, you are able to say things like, “I need you.” When they speak to each other under the table in episode nine, it’s such a beautiful scene, and it is a scene about partnership, but not a romantic partner.

The other scene discussed heavily is him having the panic attack and thinking of Sydney calms him.

I think that it Syd and Carmy do things for one another. She is a source of peace and focus for him and I think, at times, he can be a source of inspiration and dependability. Sometimes he can’t.

Alright let’s talk about that star-studded sixth episode that featured such powerful scenes between you and Jamie Lee Curtis. How did you guys create that chemistry? Had you met before?

We didn’t know each other, but she was so immediately honest, vulnerable and curious. We had been texting a little bit and maybe we’d spoken on the phone a little bit before we met in person. I remember, I was sitting at base camp, talking to somebody, and I felt somebody behind me and it was Jamie. She just hugged me for maybe two minutes, not an exaggeration, really just hugged me for two minutes, and then held my face for another two minutes. No words spoken. And then sort of walked away. I think she just wanted to let me know that some crazy things are gonna happen in there, but she was letting me meet Jamie and know that at the end of the day, everything’s gonna be okay.

That’s incredible. That episode gave us quite an insight into Carmy’s family life and how hectic that could be, while also gathering us so much talent in one room. How was that experience for you as an actor and as the lead of the show?

What was so amazing about “Fishes” for me was we got the best actors in the world, and my job was to watch them. Carmy is really, pretty quiet throughout and you see why Carmy is so quiet and why he is so withdrawn. He’s dealing with these huge personalities and all of this emotional instability. It made my job very, very easy, because I could just take Jon Bernthal in and I could just take Jamie in.

Then there was this scene that Chris Storer thought of on the day — cousin Michelle, Sarah Paulson, comes into the dining area and invites me to come to New York to get a break. They didn’t write anything for that scene. He was like, “You guys get together and you invite him to come.” It was such a touching moment. It ended up being one of my favorite scenes while watching it because it’s one of the only times Carmy feels really seen. And Sarah was just so good. I just feel like if I can keep surrounding myself with good actors, then I’ll continue to do a good job!

So impressive! OK, you’ve talked a bit about chefs’ reactions to the show. Recently, Chicago chef Rick Bayless’ claimed that “The Bear” set the restaurant industry back 20 years, because now parents won’t let their kids be chefs because of their portrayal. What do you think of that?

Oh, I didn’t read that whole thing, but I was like, that’s ridiculous. Obviously, this is a TV show, so everything’s a little bit heightened. But what I take away from the show when I watch is, oh, my God, look at all the care and community and love and respect and inspiration that comes from this kitchen. Yes, when you’re talking about Carmy and his trauma and the pain that he brings to the kitchen, of course it’s chaotic. It is a difficult job, it’s time consuming and can be grueling. You’re dealing with a lot of big personalities and sometimes, vicious personalities. But when I watch our show, I see Marcus, I see Syd, I see Tina, I see Richie going through a 3-Michelin-Star place. I see them getting inspired and caring so deeply about what they’re doing.

Lastly, the season has been full of mantras, like “Every Second Counts.” Has there been a mantra that has resonated with you or helped you — either when you were coming up as an actor or now in your life?

Oh, that’s a good question. I think I’ve been getting better, but “just let go.” Especially when I was starting as an actor, I really tried to prepare so much. I really held on so tightly to all these decisions and all of these choices that I made. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve done this thing — I’m not saying you shouldn’t prepare; prepare all that you want to, and I think it’s incredibly helpful. But then I think when you get there, and if you’re around really great actors, like I’m lucky enough to be around and really great writing and crew, then you should really just be able to show up on set and kind of let it go.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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June 30, 2023

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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season

MCU

Rogers: The Musical Premium Viewing Experience Sells Out In Less Than An Hour!

Marvel fans from across Disneyland assembled today for the premiere of Rogers: The Musical at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure park.

As part of the Disney100 celebration, this all-new, one-act live production will be performed through August 31, 2023.

Photo: Disney

The classic tale of heroes, time travel, and romance tells the story of Steve Rogers, who would one day become Captain America.

In addition to the patriotic hero, the show features Peggy Carter, Nick Fury and even some of the Avengers themselves!

Photo: Disney

Rogers: The Musical Brought To Life

The Disney California Adventure show is inspired by the fictional Broadway musical theater sequence featured in the first episode of the Disney+ series Hawkeye. Ever since the show debuted, fans have dreamed of seeing the musical in real life. Now they can!

Photo: Disney

The show features five all-new songs written by Grammy-winning composer Christopher Lennertz and lyrics by Jordan Peterson, Christopher Lennertz and Alex Karukas. The musical also features fan-favorite songs “Save the City” from Hawkeye and “Star Spangled Man” from Captain America the First Avenger.

Disney Offering Virtual Queue

Due to the demand for the show, Disney recommends joining the virtual queue to secure a seat for the showing. Every day the show is performed, distribution for the complimentary virtual queue begins at 10:30 a.m. PT for the first two show times for he day and 2 p.m. PT for the remaining shows.

Photo: Disney

Rogers: The Musical Premium Viewing Experience

Avengers super fans also have the option of purchasing the Rogers: The Musical Premium Viewing Experience package from the Studio Catering Co. Truck in Hollywood Land. Available in limited quantities per performance, the package includes a Rogers: The Musical popcorn bucket, bottled beverage, lounge seating before the show, priority choice seating in the theater, a souvenir lanyard and access to a unique photo opportunity.

Photo: Disney

For today’s debut showings, the Rogers: The Musical Premium Viewing Experience, which costs $29, sold out for all four shows in less than an hour!

So, if you plan on indulging in this up-charge experience, be sure to get there early!

Photo: Marvel

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon! Also, thanks for reading!

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June 30, 2023

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Mulder and Scully's romantic relationship is displayed

DCU

These Are the Most Frustrating Will-They-or-Won’t-They Relationships in TV Shows

If there is one tried and true television trope that leaves TV viewers begging to be put out of their misery, it’s the famous (or infamous) ‘will-they-or-won’t-they.’ For decades, some of the most popular and iconic television shows feature obvious romantic pairings that audiences desperately root for and want to see together.

Whether they start out as enemies and gradually develop passionate feelings for one another or they exhibit dazzling sexual tension from the get-go, the small screen loves preying on the emotions of its devoted viewers and dangling the proverbial carrot by teasing romantic relationships with its leads. Such tropes have been recycled countless times in Hollywood because they just simply work.

Update June 30, 2023: This article has been updated with even more of the great will-they-won’t they in television history.

From beloved sitcoms like the pop culture phenomenonsFriends and Cheers to edgy dramas such as HBO’s True Blood and the cult classic The X-Files, some of the most adored small screen couples all experienced the manipulative back-and-forth trope. Viewers watching the programs from the comfort of their homes can’t help but scream, “Kiss them already!” while witnessing these romances unfold, often in painstakingly slow ways. These are the most frustrating will-they-or-won’t-they relationships in TV shows.

11 Brennan & Booth (Bones)

Fox

The beloved crime procedural dramedy Bones follows forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, who is paired with the cocky and self-assured F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth to investigate and solve murders. Their different methods and approaches to crime-solving make the pair a fun and entertaining team to watch; Brennan is gifted at reading clues from the bones of victims, while Booth doesn’t think a scientist’s opinion holds much weight.

The classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope is in full force on the show, and stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, whose on-screen chemistry makes the sparks fly. With each case they solve, Brennan and Booth grow closer and closer, and their playful banter and amusing debates only made audiences root harder for their romance. A long-awaited relationship finally began in season six, much to the delight of exasperated fans.

10 Niles & Daphne (Frasier)

For a whopping seven seasons, fans of the long-running sitcom Frasier waited not-so-patiently for the high-maintenance Niles Crane and down-to-earth Daphne Moon to finally address their romantic feelings for one another. The show definitely dragged out their fated union, adding to the audience’s anticipation through playful banter and thrilling tension that finally came to an end when the duo quit skirting around the topic and professed their love. Niles harbored a not-so-secret crush on Daphne throughout the course of the series, becoming instantly infatuated with the beautiful housekeeper and physical therapist to his father.

What makes the relationship between Niles and Daphne so fun to watch is how polar opposite the pair is, and once they finally do embrace their romance, they must contend with their very conflicting lifestyles and perspectives. The mismatched couple receives their happy ending and ends up getting married and having a son, and Daphne helps Niles shed some of his neuroses and eccentricities in the stable and loving union.

9 Sookie & Eric (True Blood)

HBO’s smash hit vampire fantasy drama True Blood revolves around telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse living in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and is set during a time when vampires have “come out of the coffin” and live amongst humans. Early on in the series, Sookie falls in love with 174-year-old vampire Bill Compton while also attracting the attention of the brooding Viking vampire Eric Northman.

Fans of the thrilling series couldn’t get enough of the pair’s intense connection, despite Eric proclaiming he’d grow on her and the sassy blonde claiming she’d prefer cancer. After tricking her to drink his blood in Season 2, the Sheriff of Area 5 began making unwanted appearances in the telepathist’s dreams, and the two even shared a searing goodbye kiss. Fans of the show rejoiced when Sookie and Eric finally got together for real in Season 4 when the latter had amnesia, though the relationship was short-lived.

8 Jim & Pam (The Office)

Pam talking with Jim at her side — NBC Universal Television Distribution

Audiences could see from the very beginning of the sensational comedy juggernaut The Office that Jim and Pam were head-over-heels for one another, even if neither person was willing to openly admit it. When the sitcom started, Pam was engaged to Roy for three years (much to her frustration), and she is clearly in denial over her romantic feelings for coworker Jim. The endearing duo share many heartwarming moments that left fans screaming at their TVs for them to get together already, yet when Jim finally musters the courage to declare his love for her, Pam initially turns him down.

After a drawn-out back-and-forth during which Jim dated Karen, and Pam called off her wedding to Roy, the fan-favorite duo finally gave viewers what they were waiting for, and they got together at the end of the third season. Both characters benefited from the time apart, as they each needed to grow and develop a bit before fully committing themselves to one another. The couple went on to become the main relationship on the show and they remain one of television’s most cherished romantic pairings.

7 Sam & Diane (Cheers)

One of the original and most iconic will-they-or-won’t-they TV couples is none other than Cheers’ very own Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, two polar opposite characters who just can’t seem to shake their feelings for one another. Bartender and proprietor Sam is a notorious lothario and a former professional baseball player, while Diane is a sophisticated academic with high expectations for her romantic partners. The characters engage in a well-known on-again-off-again relationship that started in the first season when they finally admitted their feelings for each other.

During the course of five seasons, Sam and Diane constantly flirt, bicker, break-up, and get back together. The seemingly mismatched pair garnered mixed reviews from audiences, and in the series finale, the couple once again reunited and became engaged before ultimately realizing they are not right for one another.

6 Buffy & Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Though the Angel vs. Spike debate still rages on to this day, devoted fans of the Joss Whedon hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer were thrilled to witness the sizzling tension and exciting banter between the butt-kicking slayer and Sunnydale’s resident bloodsucker. The unlikely pair went from sworn enemies to passionate lovers, and while their relationship was without a doubt tumultuous at times, Buffy and Spike’s off-the-charts chemistry and electrifying intensity they feel for one another left audiences hoping and praying for a genuine romantic relationship.

While Spike’s feelings for the slayer were fully realized by the fifth season (much to both his and Buffy’s initially mutual disgust), the vamp sets out to help the Scooby Gang out in order to get close to Buffy and scratch his romantic itch. The duo went through a great deal together throughout the series, and while Buffy tried to fight her attraction for Spike, they ended up consummating their unspoken feelings in an explosive fashion. The couple eventually shares a meaningful and deep relationship that culminates in Spike making the greatest sacrifice at the conclusion of the beloved series.

5 Luke & Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)

Luke and Lorelai from Gilmore Girls — Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Amy Sherman-Palladino’s treasured dramedy series Gilmore Girls follows the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore and her studious teenage daughter Rory, as they live and thrive in the quirky fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Local diner owner Luke Danes is Lorelai’s resident caffeine dealer (“I need coffee in an IV!”) and close friend, who also harbors romantic feelings for the young mom while remaining constantly patient while she sorts out what and who she wants.

The ongoing will-they-won’t-they question was finally answered with an epic first kiss in the fourth-season finale, including the hilarious appearance of a screaming, naked Kirk. Though Luke and Lorelai would go on to break up before their wedding and experience some major ups and downs, they reunited in the series finale and rekindled their charming relationship.

4 Castle & Beckett (Castle)

Best-selling mystery novelist Richard Castle gets permission from the Mayor of New York City to research and shadow homicide detective Kate Beckett in the hit crime dramedy Castle. Castle joins Beckett as they solve unusual crimes in the city, using his creative mind to help discover clues and craft off-the-wall theories. Castle’s brash man-child personality clashes with Beckett’s professional and stoic demeanor, but they eventually grow to respect one another and begin to harbor romantic feelings.

The famed writer uses the detective as his muse and ends up penning a book series inspired by the fearless crime-solver, much to her initial dismay. The duo’s constant squabbling highlighted the engaging chemistry between the characters, who finally admitted their love for one another in seasons three and four. The series finale gave Castle and Beckett a much-deserved happy ending, showing them married with three children.

3 Scully and Mulder (The X-Files)

Scully and Mulder from The X-Files — 20th Century Fox Television

The cult classic science fiction drama The X-Files centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate the strange and the unexplained; Mulder is a believer of paranormal phenomena, while Scully is a skeptic. The wild conspiracy theories and extraterrestrial cases were riveting for audiences, but not as riveting as the dynamite relationship between Scully and Mulder.

They develop a close bond over the course of the series, ultimately taking a romantic turn by the end of its run, though between movie sequels and televisual reboots, it’s hard to keep track of whether they’ve broken up or are together. The amazing dynamic between stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson truly propels the hit show, and the opposing views and beliefs of their characters makes The X-Files an exciting ride for viewers.

2 Nick & Jess (New Girl)

The Curse of the Pirate Bride - New Girl

The endearing and hilarious sitcom New Girl revolves around the doe-eyed and quirky Jess Day, who moves into a Los Angeles loft with three male buddies after breaking up with her cheating ex-boyfriend. The series focuses on the group’s amusing interactions with each other as they grow closer as friends and subsequent romantic relationships. The bubbly and ‘adorkable’ Jess has off-the-charts chemistry with grumpy and cynical Nick that is evident in the very first season; the pair had a special connection from the very beginning.

After countless flings, romances, and break-ups, Nick and Jess shared one of the greatest and most passionate first kisses to ever grace television screens. Though the writers drove them apart numerous times, fans of the delightful show had their prayers answered when they were reunited and married at the end of the series.

1 Ross & Rachel (Friends)

Undeniably one of the most infamous and frustrating will-they-or-won’t-they television relationships of all time, the pop culture phenomenon Friends featured the neurotic Ross Geller and effervescent Rachel Green as they skirted around romantic entanglement over the course of ten seasons. Ross was head-over-heels in love with Rachel since high school and finally got the girl in season 2 after a monumental emotional build-up.

The pair notoriously split the following season, with Rachel claiming he cheated on her while Ross famously proclaimed, “We were on a break!”Friends is jam-packed full of hilarity, romance, and the unbreakable bond of friendship, highlighting the colorful lives of a group of New York City friends.

Throughout the show’s run, Ross and Rachel were an item, broke up, dated other members of the group, conceived a child, and fell back in love, culminating in the final episode that saw Rachel abandon her Paris dreams and profess her love for Ross (“I got off the plane.”) Fans of the couple finally received their much deserved (and long-awaited) happy ending, answering will-they-or-won’t-they with an emphatic “They will.”

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June 30, 2023

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If there is one tried and

Comics

Review – Pikmin 1 (Switch) | WayTooManyGames

WTMG’s Leo Faria: “For better or for worse, this is now the easiest and most practical way to play Pikmin, and figure out why has this franchise managed to stand the test of time for so long. I particularly didn’t understand the hype. To me, Pikmin is average at best. It’s a game that has aged poorly, especially when it comes to these dated controls. The fact this wasn’t even a remaster, but a bare bones upscaled port of a game from 2001, certainly didn’t help. It did nothing to fix its many issues, nor did it receive improvements in its visuals, audio, or performance. It can be fun for a while, and having yet another (costly) way to have it preserved for the future is nice, but I certainly am not enamored with the franchise after playing it. I’d rather just stick to Tinykin.”

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June 30, 2023

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WTMG's Leo Faria: "For better or for

Festivals

How ‘Past Lives’ Creates Intimacy Through the Long Takes

You don’t need a close-up to showcase the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship.

There is a strange delightful feeling I had while watching rookie filmmaker Celine Song’s Past Lives. When I wasn’t crying or feeling second-hand jealousy of Nora’s (Great Lee) husband, Arthur (John Magaro), I wanted to sit with the longing between Nora and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo).

Past Lives is a film that contemplates love and destiny between Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends who were torn apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. After a short fling in their 20s, Hae Sung goes to New York to visit Nora for a weekend.

There are many fantastic elements about this story and Song’s strong visual language, but I can’t stop thinking about how Song creates intimacy throughout the film. Rather than taking the Normal People approach to intimacy, Song sits in that feeling by never cutting away from wide shots of Nora and Hae Sung together.

Let’s break down the final tracking long take, also known as a oner, of Past Lives, Song’s intentions, and what I took away from this shot.

The Final Long Take in Past Lives

In the final long shots of the movie, the camera follows Nora and Hae Sung as they walk along a Village street in New York City. They say goodbye. He grabs an Uber. Then, she walks back to her apartment, where her husband Arthur sits on the stoop. The six minutes and 26 seconds put you through a wave of emotions that are equal parts painful and hopeful.

This was a vital scene for Song. In an interview with IndieWire, Song says, “I remember when we were location scouting, and we found this street. I remember telling everybody in my crew, ‘So this scene is the hill that we’re all going to die on. So we’re going to have to figure out how to do this in a way that we’re going to put everything we have against it because if this doesn’t work, none of the movie works.”

In this final shot, Nora reaches up at one point to touch Hae Sung, to tell him how she really feels but pulls away just as a car pulls into the frame and breaks the tension that built during their short walk down the sidewalk. As an audience member, the pull of Nora’s hand worsens the heartache as the tension builds and you silently beg for one of the characters to notice the other and do something, anything.

‘Past Lives’Credit: A24

Past Lives is a film about longing for someone. It is at its best in the moments when the camera refuses to look away from the awkward yet knowing feelings between Nora and Hae Sung. They are stuck in a constant orbit that neither pushes nor pulls the other in any direction.

As an audience member, you want that tension to break. You’re waiting for that moment when something happens. When something does happen, it is typically not the longing touch we want or the eye contact that brings these two characters back together every 12 to 15 years. Instead, it is a car pulling into the frame to take Hae Sung back to the airport and let Nora go back to her typical American life.

There is an awkwardness, an uneasiness, and an honest look at a complicated relationship that Song is navigating through her work. In the opening shot of the film, we are looking through the eyes of another couple at the bar watching Nora, Arthur, and Hae Sung as they try to figure out what each of them is to each other. The film is an exercise in sitting, watching, and understanding people who are trying to understand a very intimate and delicate situation.

A man and a woman standing next to each on the sidewalk, 'Past Lives' — ‘Past Lives’Credit: A24

Long takes can say a lot about a moment. Past Lives takes advantage of our focus and desires and puts us in the breathtaking, tension-filled moments of intimacy that have you shifting in your seats like you are on a first date. Song is telling us to watch, not intervene, as an almost 40-year relationship reaches its natural conclusion, and it is masterful.

Let us know what you think about the long takes in Past Lives in the comments below.

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June 30, 2023

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You don't need a close-up to

Film

Sheryl Lee Ralph Reacted To Sherri Shepherd Playfully Lusting Over Her Son On TV

“Sheryl Lee Ralph ain’t gonna’ like this, but I need to be stretched!”

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June 30, 2023

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"Sheryl Lee Ralph ain't gonna' like this,

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 10: Karen Horne attends 2023 ESSENCE Hollywood House at Goya Studios on March 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Warner Bros. Discovery Cuts DEI Executive Karen Horne

Karen Horne has exited her post as Senior V.P. of North America Diversity Equity and Inclusion for Warner Bros. Discovery as part of the company’s restructuring. A WBD memo from Chief Global DEI Officer Asif Sadiq to staffers, which Variety has obtained, revealed the news on Friday.

Horne oversaw the DEI efforts for creative talent development pipeline programs, workforce, content and production while working closely with Sadiq to craft a global strategy for the company.

She joined the company in March of 2020, and was responsible for creating and implementing multiple pipeline programs that aim to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities. Prior to her appointment, Horne was at NBC Entertainment and Universal Television Studios as Senior Vice President, Programming Talent Development and Inclusion where she was responsible for overseeing in-front-of and behind-the-camera primetime diversity efforts for NBC and Universal Television. While there, she started the Late-Night Writers Workshop in 2013.

According to the memo, Horne’s departure comes not as part of the recent trend of belt tightening throughout Hollywood, but as a result of restructuring as Warner Bros. Discovery moves to transform its system of having people in regions focused on employee initiatives.

“We will now have designated leads who are tasked solely with employee-related initiatives in each region. This will enable our content program leads to have a truly global perspective when developing opportunities for diverse talent and increasing representation on screen and behind the camera, while ensuring the regional leads can focus on how we educate, empower, and engage our employees,” the statement reads.

“As a result of this new approach, Karen Horne, Senior Vice President of North America DE&I, who has a broad DE&I portfolio beyond employee-related initiatives, will be departing the company. As you know, Karen is a talented executive who is committed to our shared goals of creating an even more inclusive company and an accessible and equitable industry. I thank Karen for the important role she played in establishing a strong foundation while integrating the legacy companies’ teams and programs, and wish her the very best. We will begin a search shortly for a new group vice president of North America DE&I to oversee our employee-focused DE&I initiatives, and will be speaking to both internal and external candidates over the next several weeks,” it continued.

Read the memo in full below.

It has been nearly a year since I assumed my role and began working with this incredibly talented and innovative global team. Together, we have made great strides toward creating and implementing a holistic diversity, equity and inclusion strategy that effectively serves WBD employees, our creative partners, diverse talent industry-wide, as well as consumers around the world.

I am proud of the work we have done and know that even more accomplishments and progress are ahead for us this year and in 2024. I want to share some news about how we are both growing and changing our team so that we most effectively serve the unique regional needs of employees.

We will now have designated leads who are tasked solely with employee-related initiatives in each region. This will enable our content program leads to have a truly global perspective when developing opportunities for diverse talent and increasing representation on screen and behind the camera, while ensuring the regional leads can focus on how we educate, empower, and engage our employees.

As a result of this new approach, Karen Horne, Senior Vice President of North America DE&I, who has a broad DE&I portfolio beyond employee-related initiatives, will be departing the company. As you know, Karen is a talented executive who is committed to our shared goals of creating an even more inclusive company and an accessible and equitable industry. I thank Karen for the important role she played in establishing a strong foundation while integrating the legacy companies’ teams and programs, and wish her the very best. We will begin a search shortly for a new group vice president of North America DE&I to oversee our employee-focused DE&I initiatives, and will be speaking to both internal and external candidates over the next several weeks.

Our international structure will follow a similar model. We are in the process of identifying a new group vice president to join our team. Niarchos Pabalis, Mona Malakooti, and the person who fills the open director position in EMEA will report to this new GVP. In addition to providing counsel to the regional leads and adding further expertise to our group, the GVP will work closely with me, Gerhard Zeiler, President, International, and his leadership team to promote increased engagement around programs for our employees.

Importantly, these changes do not alter our commitment to or our plans for pipeline programs and content-driven initiatives — these are fundamental pillars of our DE&I strategy and will continue to be areas of investment and focus. Grace Moss and Yvette Urbina will continue to report to me directly while working closely with the regional teams.

I will keep you updated as we identify leaders to fill these key roles in our new structure. In the meantime, thank you for your incredible dedication to our team and the important work we do. Please reach out with any thoughts or questions.

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June 30, 2023

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Karen Horne has exited her post as

What to Watch

Outlander TV Show on Starz: Season Seven Viewer Votes – canceled + renewed TV shows

(Photo by: Starz)

The Frasers’ world is changing in the seventh season of the Outlander TV show on Starz. As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Outlander is cancelled or renewed for season eight. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren’t considered, we invite you to rate all of the seventh season episodes of Outlander here.

A Starz historical time travel drama series, the Outlander TV show stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, with Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, David Berry, John Bell, Charles Vandervaart, Izzy Meikle-Small, Joey Phillips, Caitlin o’Ryan, Paul Gorman, Hugh Ross, Sarah Collier, Mark Lewis Jones, and Alexander Vhalos. The story follows Claire Randall (Balfe), a married combat nurse from 1945, who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743 Scotland. When forced to marry Jamie Fraser (Heughan), a chivalrous young Scottish warrior, Claire’s heart is torn between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. In season seven, Jamie, Claire, and their family are caught in the violent birth pains of an emerging nation as armies march to war and British institutions crumble in the face of armed rebellion. In order to protect what they’ve built, the Frasers have to navigate the perils of the Revolutionary War.

What do you think? Which season seven episodes of the Outlander TV series do you rate as wonderful, terrible, or somewhere between? Are you glad Outlander has been renewed for an eighth season on Starz?

Check out our status sheets to track new TV series pickups, renewals, and cancellations. You can find lists of cancelled shows here.

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June 30, 2023

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(Photo by: Starz) The Frasers’ world is changing

BUPKIS -- "Borgnine" Episode 107 -- Pictured: Pete Davidson as Pete Davidson -- (Photo by: Heidi Gutman/Peacock)

Awards

Dang, No One Wants Ad-Free Peacock – IndieWire

In early 2023, Peacock killed its free, fully ad-supported tier in favor of an ad-free plan at $9.99 and a with-ads option at $4.99. As it turns out, for most people the value of watching Peacock is less than five bucks a month.

According to new data from research firm Antenna, Peacock’s ad-supported plan has driven 69 percent of the streamer’s signups in 2023. Compare that with the industry’s average: one-third of streaming consumers overall have chosen an ad-supported option (where available) this year.

Antenna also found that the way consumers select a plan doesn’t tie to household income or any other single demographic. Selection of a plan seems to be tied more to the service itself, including its content, ad integration, and ad load.

A Peacock insider told IndieWire the “vast majority” of Peacock’s 22 million paid subs as of March 31, 2023 are on its cheaper “Premium” plan. (The Peacock sign-up page describes the ad-supported plan as its “Most Popular.” Truth in advertising!)

According to Antenna, 25 percent of all “premium SVOD” subscriptions — Netflix, Max, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Discovery+, and Peacock — include advertising. (Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video don’t have the option.)

Thirty-one percent of new Paramount+ subscribers in 2023 elected pay less and watch ads. For Disney+, the rate was 36 percent. Discovery+ is the closest to an even split, with 43 percent opting to sit through commercials and save a bit.

To date in 2023, just 18 percent of Netflix subscribers chose an ad-supported plan, per Antenna; Max is 21 percent. The most premium of the SVODs remain premium.

Among the premium PVODs, Peacock was an ad-supported trailblazer. Through (mostly) no fault of its own, it launched in April 2020 as a mess. The pandemic shut down film and TV production, delayed NBC’s Tokyo Summer Olympics until 2021, and gave the streamer little of value to offer. Peacock made the service free for a period and later added the now-defunct free tier to the paid-with-ads service. Three years after its launch, it appears that Peacock’s value proposition hasn’t grown much.

The only other streamer to see more than half of its current signups at the ad-supported level is Hulu, at 58 percent.

SHRILL, from left: Lolly Adefope, Aidy Bryant, Move', (Season 3, ep. 308, aired May 7, 2021). photo: Allyson Riggs / ©Hulu / Courtesy Everett Collection — Lolly Adefope and Aidy Bryant in Hulu’s “Shrill”©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection

Hulu launched in 2008, long before Peacock, as an ad-based service. At the time it was a joint venture between NBC, Fox, and ABC comprised primarily of broadcast programming — shows built around commercials.

At the end of March, Hulu had 48.2 million subscribers across its tiers. Like Peacock, Hulu’s similar lean toward ad-support isn’t a bad thing; it’s just a different revenue stream. If tiers are priced properly, some semblance of balance is probably best — or at least it’s safest in an unsure economic environment.

Wildly unbalanced is Netflix, which introduced its ad-supported tier late last year. With 232.50 million global paid subs, the league-leader is still getting the largest percentage of ad-free signups. Hey, if the ARPU (average revenue per user) fits…

Three years ago, 64 percent of U.S. video streaming subscribers avoided an ad-supported plan when presented with the option, Antenna cited. Now, most (58 percent) “have chosen advertising either some or all of the time,” the firm wrote, which makes this “a strikingly optimistic story for the advertising industry.”

For the advertising industry, sure, but for Peacock? You know what? It’s a holiday weekend, let’s end on the optimism.

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June 30, 2023

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In early 2023, Peacock killed its free,

Docs

Unfix Featured, Reviews Film Threat

Writer-director Graham Streeter’s Unfix explores the aftermath of a young boy thrust into the spotlight of the conversion therapy movement of the 1990s, who must now navigate this present world as a “fixed” adult. Ari (Zane Haney) and his professional and romantic partner, Ava (Zoë Papia), are childhood friends who run a coffee shop together. Their store is about to fold as the COVID lockdown has shuttered their business. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of the problems Ari and Ava face.

Ari was once the center of attention in the conversion therapy movement. His father was the founder of the largest conversion “camp” in the U.S., and Ari was the foundation’s poster child. He was “fixed” at age eleven, but the methods endured left an indelible mark. Today, life is tense between Ari and Ava. He’s back with his therapist (Danielle Marie), who suggests that he see a “surrogate” who can help him cope with the physical trauma of his past.

To help with finances during the pandemic, Ava invites two young men, Jon (Damon McKinnis) and Max (Noah Toth), to rent their spare bedroom as both were kicked out of the local hostel. We soon learn that Jon and Max are not exactly strangers, and both are connected with Ari and Ava in profound ways.

The overarching theme of Unfix is to show the devastating state that conversion therapy left its patients/victims. Message-based stories are hard to pull off without turning into an afterschool special. This is particularly true when that message is so incredibly divisive today. No one wants an afterschool special. Instead, Streeter brilliantly turns his film into a dramatic thriller.

“…suggests that he see a ‘surrogate’ who can help him cope with the physical trauma of his past.”

One of the secrets, as mentioned earlier, is that Max is a same-sex surrogate introduced by his therapist to help Ari explore his physical feelings toward other men. This form of therapy is highly controversial, and the two agree to hide their sessions from Ava and Jon. At the same time, Ava and Jon are not strangers either, and Jon’s presence in their home is not a coincidence. As the two pairs fight to keep their secrets, it’s only a matter of time before the bubble bursts.

I’ll be honest. I have somewhat of a vested interest in the subject of conversion therapy. As an Evangelical in my young adult days, I found myself on the wrong side of the issue and personally witnessed the devastation conversion therapy had on my friends and family. Unfix does not exist to criticize Evangelicals. Instead, it’s about Ari’s journey to coming to grips with his true self. This is not your typical conversion therapy survivor anecdote. I appreciate Streeter for telling the specific story of Ari. That allows the film to come from a different and unique point of view.

The highlight is Zane Haney and Zoë Papia’s acting. These are not easy roles to nail down. They both shine as characters hiding secrets with a vast amount of emotional baggage… I mean subtext that they have to carry. Haney’s performance is incredibly complex and nuanced.

Ultimately, Unfix shows what many Evangelicals thought was a simple solution to a complex situation by merely “praying it away.” In turn, it left thousands of souls confused, broken, and abandoned. Writer/director Streeter then elevates this message-based narrative into a dramatic thrill ride.

Unfix is set to premiere at the 2023 Dances With Films.

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June 30, 2023

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Writer-director Graham Streeter’s Unfix explores the aftermath of a

Global

Kelowna’s crime task force to get to work in July – Okanagan

In the next month, Kelowna’s crime task force will start coming up with ideas on how to improve community safety.

Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas said he’s looking forward to generating ideas and recommendations that will ultimately make the community stronger.

“It’s a grouping of individuals within the community, who have experience in a number of different fields, gathering their thoughts on things, and sometimes it’s just little things that we can do to make this community safer,” he said.

How that may manifest, he said, could be through a myriad of avenues, one of which may be in the area of development.

Click to play video: 'Two people dead in Kelowna neighbourhood, police investigating'

1:44
Two people dead in Kelowna neighbourhood, police investigating

“How is a development completed, (while) being aware of the safety aspect of it,” he asked. “That’s something that we’ve had serious discussions about … there have been things that we have already done in the downtown to address that but you will see more of those coming up in the future just to help make our community safer.”

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Ultimately, the task force will review relevant existing programs and services locally and in other relevant jurisdictions; identify positive actions underway, gaps, challenges and issues within the community; report back to council with a summary of what was learned through the community review process; and develop actionable recommendations related to crime and sense of safety in our community, drawing from the experiences of the members of the task force.

The task force has 13 members that represent relevant expertise and sector representation. The Mayor will serve as chairperson. The task force will be in place for a 12-month term, with the ability to extend, and will provide quarterly updates to council.

The members are Karen Beaubier, Mark Burley, Ali Butler, Jane Cartwright, Ken Doige, Jeff Meyers, Dan Price, Carmen Remple, Micki Ruth, Laura Thurnheer, Tom Dyas, Ron Cannan and Darren Caul.

Last year, the greater Kelowna area was listed in the Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index as having a rate of 11,112 per 100,000 residents. It was the highest rate in the country, and the only rate reaching into five digits. The second highest rating, looking at that metric, was the Lethbridge, Alta., area at 9,836 per 100,000.

RCMP have been reminding people this year that the way the index is tallied doesn’t paint an accurate picture of Kelowna.

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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June 30, 2023

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In the next month, Kelowna’s crime task

Tech

Hun Sen’s Facebook Page Goes Dark After Spat with Meta

The usually very active Facebook account for Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia appeared to have been deleted on Friday, a day after the oversight board for Meta, Facebook’s parent company, recommended that he be suspended from the platform for threatening political opponents with violence.

The showdown pits the social media behemoth against one of Asia’s longest-ruling autocrats.

Mr. Hun Sen, 70, has ruled Cambodia since 1985 and maintained power partly by silencing his critics. He is a staunch ally of China, a country whose support comes free of American-style admonishments on the value of human rights and democratic institutions.

A note Friday on Mr. Hun Sen’s account, which had about 14 million followers, said that its content “isn’t available right now.” It was not immediately clear if Mr. Hun Sen had preemptively deleted it, as he had vowed to do in a post late Thursday on Telegram, a social media platform where he has a much smaller following. A Meta spokesman said on Friday that the company had not suspended or otherwise removed Mr. Hun Sen’s Facebook account.

“That he stopped using Facebook is his private right,” Phay Siphan, a spokesman for the Cambodian government, told The New York Times on Friday. “Other Cambodians use it, and that’s their right.”

The company-appointed oversight board for Meta had on Thursday recommended a minimum six-month suspension of Mr. Hun Sen’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram, which Meta also owns. The board also said that one of Mr. Hun Sen’s Facebook videos had violated Meta’s rules on “violence and incitement” and should be taken down.

In the video, Mr. Hun Sen delivered a speech in which he responded to allegations of vote-stealing by calling on his political opponents to choose between the legal system and “a bat.”

“If you say that’s freedom of expression, I will also express my freedom by sending people to your place and home,” Mr. Hun Sen said in the speech, according to Meta.

Meta had previously decided to keep the video online under a policy that allows the platform to allow content that violates Facebook’s community standards on the grounds that it is newsworthy and in the public interest. But the oversight board said on Thursday that it was overturning the decision, calling it “incorrect.”

The board added that its recommendation to suspend Mr. Hun Sen’s accounts for at least six months was justified given the severity of the violation and his “history of committing human rights violations and intimidating political opponents, and his strategic use of social media to amplify such threats.”

Meta later said in a statement that it would remove the offending video to comply with the board’s decision. The company also said that it would respond to the suspension recommendation after analyzing it.

Critics of Facebook have long said that the platform can undermine democracy, promote violence and help politicians unfairly target their critics, particularly in countries with weak institutions.

Mr. Hun Sen has spent years cracking down on the news media and political opposition in an effort to consolidate his grip on power. In February, he ordered the shutdown of one of the country’s last independent news outlets, saying he did not like its coverage of his son and presumed successor, Lt. Gen. Hun Manet.

Under Mr. Hun Sen, the government has also pushed for more government surveillance of the internet, a move that rights groups say makes it even easier for the authorities to monitor and punish online content.

Mr. Hun Sen’s large Facebook following may overstate his actual support. In 2018, one of his most prominent political opponents, Sam Rainsy, argued in a California court that the prime minister used so-called click farms to accumulate millions of counterfeit followers.

Mr. Sam Rainsy, who lives in exile, also argued that Mr. Hun Sen had used Facebook to spread false news stories and death threats directed at political opponents. The court later denied his request that Facebook be compelled to release records of advertising purchases by Mr. Hun Sen and his allies.

In 2017, an opposition political party that Mr. Sam Rainsy had led, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, was dissolved by the country’s highest court. More recently, the Cambodian authorities have disqualified other opposition parties from running in a general election next month.

At a public event in Cambodia on Friday, Mr. Hun Sen said that his political opponents outside the country were surely happy with his decision to quit Facebook.

“You have to be aware that if I order Facebook to be shut down in Cambodia, it will strongly affect you,” he added, speaking at an event for garment workers ahead of the general election. “But this is not the path that I choose.”

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June 30, 2023

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The usually very active Facebook account for

Video

Google is in hot water over video ads

Google is facing scrutiny over claims it misled advertisers about where it places video ads — and whether it violated US sanctions. As reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, research from the analytics company Adalytics suggests that Google “may have cost media buyers up to billions of digital ad dollars” by putting ads on sites in ways that violate Google’s own standards.

The report centers around one of Google’s video ad formats, called TrueView, which the company places on YouTube and other sites across the web, called Google video partners. These ads appear during videos and give viewers the option to skip the entirety of the advertisement after five seconds. Advertisers only pay for the ad if a viewer watches at least 30 seconds of it without skipping (or the full length of the ad if it’s shorter than 30 seconds).

While the Journal notes that Google promises that these ads will appear on “high-quality sites, before the page’s main video content, with the audio on,” Adalytics found that this wasn’t the case 80 percent of the time based on data from 1,100 brands from 2020 to 2023.

“Advertisers are entitled to a refund”

Instead, Adalytics discovered that Google has been placing ads in small, muted video players that appear in the corner of the screen. It also found that they sometimes autoplay on a loop “without any viewer interaction or initiation,” as some instances obscure the “skip” button. Adalytics calls this “a direct violation of Google’s quality standards for TrueView ads” and says it could’ve “artificially inflated” ad completion rates. This means advertisers might’ve been paying for ad views that weren’t up to par with what Google promised.

In a response published on Wednesday, Google calls Adalytics’ claims “extremely inaccurate.” It states that the report “wrongly implies” that advertisers spend the majority of their money on campaigns that appear on Google video partner sites. The company argues that the “overwhelming majority of video ad campaigns serve on YouTube.”

Google also says that advertisers can review the ads that they put on third-party websites, as well as ban them from appearing on certain sites. The company adds that it prohibits publishers from “engaging in disruptive, invasive or deceptive ad-serving practices,” too.

Nandini Jammi, the co-founder of the advertising industry watchdog group Check My Ads, spotted a pretty big inconsistency with the language Google used in its response to the research. Google’s blog post says that it offers “the option to opt out” of running ads on third-party sites “at any time,” but Jammi found that this isn’t the case according to Google’s own support page:

As of September 30, 2021, new Video action campaigns that you create in Google Ads use Google video partners automatically… To ensure you achieve the best performance across all Google networks, you won’t be able to opt out of Google video partners for Video action campaigns [emphasis ours].

Google spokesperson Christopher Lawton tells The Verge that “there are multiple types of campaigns and we offer opt outs of Google Video Partners for each of them.” Lawton notes that advertisers “can always work with their account reps” if they want to exclude third-party sites from performance campaigns.

But low-quality ads aren’t the only concern here. While Google says it vets its third-party partners based on the criteria in its Video Ad Safety Promise, that seems at odds with some of the websites where it runs ads. In particular, Adalytics calls attention to several reports about Google surfacing ads on Android apps that aren’t available on the Google Play Store, some of which were from developers based in countries sanctioned by the US government, including Iran. As noted by Adalytics, this raises concerns about whether advertisers had been inadvertently paying sanctioned entities.

“Google deliberately makes itself the play doll of dictators”

Additionally, a report from Check My Ads breaks down Adalytics’ research, highlighting several questionable third-party websites where Google lets its ads run, such as the Russian state-controlled media sites Russia Today and Pravda. Other sites mentioned by Check My Ads include the right-wing outlet Breitbart, which has already been blocked by over 4,000 advertisers; the far-right financial blog Zero Hedge, which was accused last year of spreading Russian propaganda; and Newsmax, another right-wing outlet that was sued for defamation over its reporting on the unfounded Dominion Voting conspiracy.

In a statement provided to Adalytics and Check My Ads, Paul Tang, a Member of the European Parliament, slammed Google over the possibility that the Parliament may have been paying for ads that appeared on Russian websites. “Google deliberately makes itself the play doll of dictators, also dragging the European Parliament through the mud,” Tang says. “The same Parliament that declared the Russian Federation in November 2022 a state sponsor of terrorism, advertises on Russian propaganda websites like Pravda because of YouTube’s scandalous system.”

At this point, it’s not clear what’s next for Google, but Jammi tells The Verge that “advertisers are entitled to a refund” of the money spent on bad ads. “Advertisers not only deserve their money back, but they also deserve to obtain the data that they require to run audit of the data that Google has provided them to date because we cannot be certain that Google will even refund them the correct amount.”

Check My Ads is also calling for advertisers to ask Google to make running ads on partner sites opt-in only, as well as for the search giant to share how it vets these websites.

Advertising companies have already begun to react to Adalytics’ findings… and it isn’t looking good for Google. Michael Feeley, the co-founder of Black Bean Media, a programmatic advertising management company, tells The Verge this should “be a wake-up call for advertisers participating in Google’s ecosystem [and] buying programmatic video in general.”

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June 30, 2023

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Google is facing scrutiny over claims it

Entertaintment

Past Lives Is The Best Movie You Didn’t Get Around To Watching This Month

“Past Lives” opens almost voyeuristically, as two unseen onlookers gawk at an irresistibly odd scene unfolding in front of them in a New York City bar at four in the morning. Three individuals, a Korean man and woman in deep conversation while a white man sits awkwardly off to the side, clearly arrived together … but their collective body language makes these eavesdroppers speculate about the exact nature of their relationships to one another. As luck (or fate?) would have it, that’s exactly what these characters are attempting to figure out for themselves, too.

Writer/director Celine Song’s feature film debut whisks us beyond this fascinating cold open and travels back a few decades to show us the very beginnings of Na Young and Hae Sung’s story as childhood sweethearts in South Korea. Thanks to the script’s bold structure, the two would-be lovers only seem to cross one another’s orbits every 12 years, as chance allows — once as capricious 20-somethings still on opposite ends of the world, rekindling their flirtation entirely through Zoom, and again as adults who must now reckon with the paths they took and the choices they’ve made.

All throughout, the concept of “In-Yun” comes up again and again, which loosely translates to fate or destiny and suggests that two people coming together for even the briefest of moments is evidence of a connection shared countless times before in their past lives. As the arrival of Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) in New York upends the life built by Na Young (now going by the Americanized name Nora and played by a brilliant Greta Lee) with her husband Arthur (John Magaro), all three steadily discover that life isn’t quite so black-and-white.

“Past Lives” is currently playing in theaters.

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June 30, 2023

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"Past Lives" opens almost voyeuristically, as two

Movies

Chrissy Teigen Recreated The “Barbie” Arched Feet Scene

I need to know everything about this shot. How many takes, if she held onto something, was she harnessed, is the landing mark sticky, are they her feet, who did the pedicure, really just a documentary on this shot pic.twitter.com/8a87KsFtXP

— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) April 5, 2023

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June 30, 2023

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I need to know everything about this

London court told Kevin Spacey was a 'sexual bully'

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June 30, 2023

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London court told Kevin Spacey was a

MCU

The Origin of Hela, Goddess of Death

Being Thanos, the Mad Titan attempted to sacrifice Hela to obtain what he dubbed the Death Stone. Instead, he found himself interrupted by Thor and his allies, who proved victorious.

In the aftermath, Hela began aging rapidly. Bor attempted to reclaim control of Hela, but Thor refused and instead brought the young woman to Jotunheim. There, he entrusted her to a past version of Loki from a time when the Gods of Thunder and Mischief were mostly concerned with drinking and winning bets. After proving his identity to Loki, Thor entrusted Hela to Loki and his love interest at the time: Angerboda.

Following that event, Hela’s life led her to become the Goddess of Death, putting her at odds with Thor and his allies despite his importance to her past. Still, we now know more about Hela’s origin than ever before, including how she became Loki’s daughter.

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June 30, 2023

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Being Thanos, the Mad Titan attempted to

DCU

MAGIC’s ‘The One Ring’ LORD OF THE RINGS Card Has Been Found

Recently, The Lord of the Rings arrived in the world of Magic: The Gathering. The Magic card collection, titled Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth, brought to life many epic moments and characters from The Lord of the Rings. But Magic also took the set one step further. The company created a special version of “The One Ring” card that was serialized as one of one. Yes, there was only one card made of this Ring of Power, and it was hidden throughout all The Lord of the Rings Magic cards released. Of course, this started a frenzied search to find the One Ring that was not dissimilar to the one we saw in The Lord of the Rings movies—my precious, etc. But now Magic‘s One Ring has officially been discovered. Does that many evil wins? We guess only if the card isn’t destroyed.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.

We are thrilled to hear tale of a new Ring-bearer in possession of the serialized 1:1 The One Ring! This journey is finished, but the adventure with #MTGxLOTR‘s continues! pic.twitter.com/nlKqJ02Qqk

— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) June 30, 2023

We’ll have to see what comes next. Rare cards can often sell for quite a bit of money, and this one is as rare as they come. We also don’t yet know who found this special One Ring Magic card. But we hope they’re a Hobbit, ready to travel to the depths of the fiery Mount Doom. Or, we hope they’re having a good day, anyway.

Wizards of the Coast

As is the case with Rings of Power, we’re sure we’ll hear more about the fate of this ring/Lord of the Rings Magic card very soon. Or maybe Sauron will take over, and we’ll know for sure what has gone down.

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June 30, 2023

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Recently, The Lord of the

Comics

Spotify reportedly wants to add full-length music videos to its app

Spotify might soon let you watch music, not just listen to it. Bloomberg sources claim the streaming service is mulling the addition of full-length music videos to its app. The company is reportedly talking to potential partners, but it’s not clear who would support the feature or when it might arrive. Spotify has already declined to comment.

Video on Spotify is currently limited to podcasts, 30-second storytelling clips (to help artists talk about their work) and 10-second GIFs that loop while you listen to a given song. The media giant launched a TikTok-like home feed in March, but it’s meant more for discovering music and podcasts than video viewing. The company tried using TV content several years ago, such as clips from Comedy Central and ESPN, but it didn’t gain much traction.

The concept isn’t novel for streaming music services. Apple Music has had music videos for years. Spotify’s addition would help it match Apple, though, and might lure audiences who would otherwise watch the videos on YouTube. It would also add content to the new feed and help Spotify draw musically-inclined viewers from social networks like Instagram and TikTok.

Music videos don’t generate much direct revenue by themselves. YouTube gives creators a 55 percent share of ad revenue, which on average amounts to $18 per 1,000 views. Artists, labels and others involved then have to split that small amount. The clips supplement audio income, though, and potentially improve exposure for musicians.

There’s pressure to find new sources of income, too. Spotify laid off a significant portion of its staff earlier this year, including 200 in its podcast team, as it grappled with both a rough global economy and business missteps. Music videos could improve the company’s finances without requiring a large production team, as is the case with podcasts.

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June 30, 2023

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Spotify might soon let you watch music,

Festivals

Fire Breaks Out On Warner Bros. Discovery Studio Lot – Deadline

A fire has broken out after an explosion on the Warner Bros studio lot in Burbank on Friday.

Sources told Deadline that power went out, and there’s images of smoke emanating from the lot.

There are fire engines currently on site and the fire is thought to have been contained.

Images online show smoke billowing from

More to come.

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June 30, 2023

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A fire has broken out after an

Film

The Sisterhood adds Olivia Williams and Jodhi May

Olivia Williams and Jodhi May replace a couple of cast members that have departed from the Max spin-off series of the Denis Villeneuve films.

Excitement builds as the epic trailer for the intricate sci-fi spectacular Dune Part Two made its debut this week. The trailer showcased the original’s stars; Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Josh Brolin mix it up with the brand-new characters portrayed by the actor additions of Austin Butler, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Souheila Yacoub and Léa Seydoux.

As the war for spice rages on, Max will be streaming an original series titled Dune: The Sisterhood, which would serve as a companion piece to the Denis Villeneuve films. Deadline has just unveiled some casting changes along with a new director. Olivia Williams, known for The Crown, and Jodhi May, known for The Witcher, are joining the cast. Williams will be taking over for Shirley Henderson’s role of Tula Harkonnen following Henderson’s exit earlier this year in February. Meanwhile, Jodhi May is being placed in the role of Natalya, with Indira Varma stepping down due to a scheduling conflict, according to Deadline.

Anna Foerster, whose credits include Lou, has joined the project to direct multiple episodes including the premiere. Foerster is taking over directing duties following Johan Renck’s exit from the series.

The description, according to Deadline says, “Set within the mystical world of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: The Sisterhood (w/t) follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit. The series is adapted from the novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.”

Diane Ademu-John is serving as creator, writer, and executive producer. Alison Schapker is on board as showrunner and executive producer. Additional Executive Producers include Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Scott Z. Burns, Matthew King, John Cameron, Mark Tobey and Jordan Goldberg, as well as Brian Herbert and with Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert on behalf of the Frank Herbert estate. Kevin J. Anderson is the co-producer.

The series is co-produced by Max and Legendary Television. Legendary Studios is the production company behind the film adaptations of Dune and Dune Part Two.