#Equally impressive was Chris Hemsworth's performance

[workathomemom13]

Furiosa’ Fires Up Cannes With 6-Minute Standing Ovation for Anya Taylor-Joy and Teary Chris Hemsworth

In a remarkable display of cinematic fervor, "Furiosa" ignited the Cannes Film Festival with an electrifying premiere that left audiences in awe and admiration. As the highly anticipated prequel to George Miller's iconic "Mad Max" series, "Furiosa" has been the subject of much anticipation and speculation. However, its unveiling at Cannes exceeded even the loftiest of expectations, earning a thunderous six-minute standing ovation and moving its stars, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, to tears.

The film, directed by George Miller and starring Taylor-Joy as the eponymous Furiosa and Hemsworth in a yet undisclosed role, promises to delve deep into the backstory of one of cinema's most enigmatic and beloved characters. Set in the dystopian world of the Wasteland, "Furiosa" takes audiences on a thrilling journey through a harsh and unforgiving landscape, where survival is a constant struggle and hope is a rare commodity.

The Cannes premiere offered a tantalizing glimpse into the world of "Furiosa," showcasing its breathtaking visuals, adrenaline-pumping action sequences, and gripping emotional depth. From the moment the lights dimmed and the opening credits rolled, it was clear that audiences were in for a cinematic experience unlike any other.

Anya Taylor-Joy's portrayal of Furiosa captivated audiences, with her fierce determination and steely resolve bringing the character to life in vivid detail. Taylor-Joy's performance was nothing short of mesmerizing, showcasing her range as an actress and solidifying her status as one of Hollywood's brightest talents.

Equally impressive was Chris Hemsworth's performance, which reportedly left the actor visibly moved during the film's emotional climax. While details about Hemsworth's character remain shrouded in mystery, his presence on screen was undeniable, adding depth and complexity to the film's narrative.

But perhaps the most unforgettable moment of the evening came during the film's conclusion, when the credits began to roll and the audience rose to their feet in a spontaneous display of appreciation and admiration. For six minutes, the theater echoed with thunderous applause and cheers, a testament to the film's undeniable impact and the talent of its cast and crew.

As the applause finally subsided and the lights came back on, it was clear that "Furiosa" had left an indelible mark on the Cannes Film Festival and the hearts of all who had the privilege of witnessing its premiere. With its captivating story, stunning visuals, and powerhouse performances, "Furiosa" has set the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable cinematic journey, one that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on audiences around the world.

[oppvenuz]

Top Celebrities for Events: Making Your Occasion Memorable

Top Celebrities for Events: Making Your Occasion Memorable

Events are not just gatherings; they are moments meant to be cherished, celebrated, and remembered. Whether you're organizing a corporate gala, a charity fundraiser, a product launch, or a milestone celebration like a wedding or anniversary, adding a touch of celebrity can elevate the experience and leave a lasting impression on your guests. Celebrities bring star power, charisma, and often a unique connection that resonates with audiences. Here’s a look at some of the top celebrities who can make your event truly unforgettable:

Click Here For More Deatils:https://www.oppvenuz.com/

1. Oprah Winfrey

Known worldwide for her charisma, wisdom, and philanthropy, Oprah Winfrey is a powerhouse in the world of media and entertainment. Having Oprah at your event not only adds star quality but also brings a sense of inspiration and empowerment that can resonate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. 2. George Clooney

George Clooney is not just a Hollywood heartthrob but also a respected actor, director, and humanitarian. His presence at your event can lend an air of sophistication and glamour, making it a memorable affair for all attendees. 3. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is celebrated for her wit, humor, and generosity. As a talk show host and philanthropist, Ellen's charm and positive energy can light up any event, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere that guests will remember fondly. 4. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Dwayne Johnson, also known as "The Rock," is not only a former professional wrestler but also a highly successful actor and entrepreneur. His larger than life personality and motivational spirit can energize your event, leaving a lasting impact on attendees. 5. Beyoncé

As a global icon in the music industry, Beyoncé brings unparalleled talent, style, and influence to any event. Her electrifying performances and empowering presence can turn your event into a sensational and unforgettable experience. 6. Serena Williams

Serena Williams, a tennis legend and advocate for equality and empowerment, brings grace, determination, and inspiration to every appearance. Having Serena at your event can add a touch of sportsmanship and elegance that resonates with audiences. 7. Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is beloved for his versatility as an actor and his genuine charm both on and off screen. His presence at your event can add a sense of authenticity and warmth, creating a welcoming atmosphere for guests to enjoy. 8. Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a global icon known for her acting prowess, beauty, and philanthropic efforts. As a Bollywood and Hollywood star, her presence can bring cultural diversity and glamour to your event, appealing to a wide audience. 9. Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama is admired for her intelligence, grace, and advocacy for social causes. Her motivational speeches and empowering presence can inspire and uplift audiences at your event, leaving a profound impact on everyone in attendance. 10. Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth, known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, embodies strength, charisma, and charm. His presence at your event can captivate audiences and add a touch of superhero excitement, making it an unforgettable experience. Why Choose Celebrities for Your Event? Enhanced Visibility : Celebrities attract media attention and can amplify your event’s visibility through press coverage and social media. Brand Association : Associating your event with a reputable celebrity can enhance your brand’s image and credibility. Memorable Experience : Celebrities create memorable experiences for attendees, making your event stand out in their minds long after it’s over. Networking Opportunities : Celebrities often have extensive networks, providing valuable networking opportunities for your guests and sponsors. Conclusion

Incorporating celebrities into your event planning can take it from ordinary to extraordinary. Whether you’re seeking to inspire, entertain, or simply add a touch of glamour, the right celebrity can make all the difference. Consider your event’s theme, audience demographics, and objectives when selecting a celebrity to ensure they align with your vision and goals. With their star power and ability to connect with audiences, celebrities can help create a memorable and impactful event that exceeds expectations.

Celebrate in style and make your occasion truly unforgettable with the presence of a top celebrity who resonates with your event’s theme and audience.

[minaminokyoko]

A Love Letter to ‘Knives Out’

Disclaimer: This isn’t even a review. This is literally just me freaking out about what a great movie I just bloody watched and I just need to vomit words everywhere about it. Sorry in advance.

I think the best thing ever is I went into this with zero information. I remember seeing the original trailer months ago, but it wasn’t detailed. Just the short one of the premise, and to be honest, I’m not really into Whodunits. Clue is one of the exceptions and Castle is the only detective-related thing I’ve ever liked and followed religiously (up until the final godawful two seasons), so I have no predisposition to even care about murder mysteries. But then Rian Johnson dangled the juicy carrot of Chris Evans playing against type (because we all know the man is a sweetie and I can personally vouch that he’s great at hugs) and so I decided to add it to my watchlist. Then the reviews came pouring in that it was great, which surprised me, and so I decided to take a leap of faith to see if the hype was real.

Oh God, was it ever.

Y’all know me by now. I’m a hard, cynical old bitch. It’s tough to impress me, but fucking hell, I really loved Knives Out.

It’s not that it does anything new; it’s that it is a fresh, creative spin on tropes we’re used to and it’s also the strong performances that just make it a delightful film. It’s kooky and dark and offbeat. It’s charming. It’s wonderfully political. It’s irreverent. This is the niche kind of writing that I adore. It’s why I’ve loved shows like Frasier or movies like Snatch. I love the interwoven mess between the plot and the characters and everything coming to light in a big explosion.

Spoilers down below for my talking points, naturally.

I want to start with Marta, simply because I love how this movie framed the character as innocent, but not stupid, useless, or weak. I love that she had a great relationship with Harlan. I love that Harlan didn’t have any evil ulterior motives. It was simply a man who looked around and realized that he thought he was providing for his family but all he really was doing was supporting selfish, downright cruel people. That family basically just siphoned off of him and had the entitlement complex that is currently killing this country right this fucking second. It was very satisfying when he left them nothing and gave Marta the money and the choice of what to do. The final shot of the movie is genius.

Which segways into probably my second favorite thing about the movie: the commentary about the entitled upperclass versus the working class immigrant. The whole Trump debate during the party made me groan because we all just wrapped up three holidays, so I know that people were having to go home for the holidays and listen to the broken-ass logic of their Trump supporter relatives. Especially since they dragged Marta into the bullshit conversation. I LOVE the writing of having this girl who busted her ass, who listened, who was a genuinely good person, still being able to be a good person in the end after one hell of an ordeal. I loved how the movie poked all kinds of holes in the fake narrative of inheritance and immigration and patriotism. Fuck that. This country isn’t some holy land. This country was stolen from the people who were born here and then they built a fake fucking pedestal on top of the mass graves and proclaimed it theirs. Fuck that revision history and fuck the people who believe these lies. This movie is so satisfying because it’s a giant middle finger to those people and it’s a reminder that the future is these hardworking, kind people who care about society and they are the ones who have earned all the good things this country has to offer.

I also love the examples of bigotry and microaggressions that were more subtle. The WASPs in this movie don’t even realize the backhanded compliments and the truly insulting shit that they do since they’re so entitled. For example, Richard handing Marta his plate while he was arguing for Trump. That’s brilliantly done. He thinks of her as a servant while he pretends she’s on equal footing: saying one thing and yet his actions prove the opposite. There’s also Meg’s comment of “we’re his REAL family,” showing that those bastards all will smile and welcome you until the second you cease to be useful to them and then they show you just how truly ugly they are beneath those “civil” masks. When the will was read, it was the exact shitshow we all knew it would be. That was a great representation of the upper class. It’s not about being loud and racist; it’s all those subtle, hideous things they do to suppress people of color and the working class so they can stay on top where they think they belong. This narrative is powerfully woven in that regard and I really needed to hear this story in today’s climate, especially since we just started 2020 today, which could be the end of everything all over again. I applaud the writing. As a woman of color, I see this kind of shit every single day, especially now that I work in higher education, so I really hope it opens more eyes to the shit that not only immigrants but working class POC deal with on a daily basis. I likened it to Zootopia, where you came to the movie for one reason but then you were served an absolutely piping hot side dish alongside the entrée. Well done, Knives Out. Well done.

I need to give a nod to this powerhouse cast as well. I forgot Michael Shannon was in this movie so seeing him made me giddy, as I’ve always liked him since he’s so damn sinister. He’s a great antagonist actor and I almost wish he’d been given more to do. Jamie Lee Curtis did great as well.

But y’all know what’s coming. I mean, look at my profile picture. You know I have to stop and talk about my future husband’s performance.

Chris Evans as a villain.

Not only that, but Chris Evans as a GREAT villain.

Oh, God, pass me the cigarette.

We all knew from his work in the MCU that the man can act his fine America’s ass off, but boy, did I really like his role here. I compare it to Chris Hemsworth in the godawful movie Bad Times at the El Royale, because while that is one of the worst movies of the decade, it was extremely smart in casting Hemsworth in the villain role. Why? Because it sold the believable factor. Chris Hemsworth is so handsome and charismatic that he COULD in fact be a creepy ass cult leader. You take one look at that man’s chest and tell me you wouldn’t fight a smelly hippie to jump in his bed. Damn right I’d be in a Chris Hemsworth cult. Point being, Chris Evans as the handsome but cruel Hugh was phenomenal. I really enjoyed seeing everything unfold. He did such a great job. It’s all the more satisfying knowing that in real life, he’s the cutest, sweetest goofball on earth. I’m so delighted he took this role because he knocked it out of the park.

Which brings me to my next point.

I’m gonna be a basic fangirl bitch for a second here. Just hear me out.

I’d LOVE an alternate ending to this movie where Hugh didn’t do it.

I know, I know. That’s super basic and dumb and I know part of it is because I just wanted to like Hugh anyway, but it actually would be a great piece of storytelling if you changed the ending.

In this premise, Marta really did mix up the bottles and accidentally killed Harlan. Well, what I would change is that Hugh really did have a benevolent epiphany and he decides to come back to stick it to his shitass family and he figures out what Marta did and decides to help her so she’ll slip him his cut. Then the rest of the film is Hugh and Marta trying to cover the rest of their tracks so that Blanc doesn’t piece together Marta’s accidental crime. Over the course of helping her, Hugh gets to know her and they become friends, so by the time they pull it all off—mind you, I’m ambiguous in this AU, I’d be fine if the detective works it out but lets them cover it up or if they actually manage to just destroy all the evidence so he can’t convict her and he admits defeat—he’s now invested and doesn’t accept the money when she goes to pay him. Bonus points if he falls in love with her during the cover up. It’s not necessary, but I saw a couple little sparks, so I think it would be very cute if Hugh and Marta hooked up to protect each other from the horrible family and build their own empire together. But that’s me.

Trust me, this movie is brilliant as written. It doesn’t need that alternate ending. But I have to admit it got my mind churning about what a fantastic character arc it could be if Hugh hadn’t been the bad guy and he and Marta learned things about each other and formed a friendship. I’m a writer, it’s kind of a hobby, sorry. I hope I’m not the only one who thought that, but we’ll see.

I’m so glad I started 2020 with this film. It’s a rare gem. I can’t wait for it to get on DVD, because I am gonna snag it asap and watch it again. What a romp. It’s also gratifying in a petty way that J.J. Abrams went out of his way to undo Rian Johnson’s work in the Star Wars franchise and it’s backfiring majorly critically speaking meanwhile Knives Out is getting bomb ass good reviews, so good for you, Rian. Your revenge is at hand. #TEAMPETTY

I can’t recommend this hard enough. If you love murder mysteries or if you just love Clue-style quirky black comedy, please see Knives Out. It’s worth every red dime, to quote the movie.

Kyo out.

[letterboxd]

Quarantine Rentals.

Ten indie films you can rent right now, as recommended by Letterboxd members.

Sure, Scoob!. Yes, Extraction. The Wrong Missy, okay. On the other hand, there are plenty of interesting indie films available for VOD and virtual screenings right now that haven’t necessarily had the benefit of studio backing, big stars, film festivals, red carpets or other ‘normal-circumstances’ coverage to build word-of-mouth.

So, because these are abnormal circumstances, we sent our West Coast editor Dominic Corry on a hunt through your recent reviews to find ten under-seen but enthusiastically received indies that you can rent today.

Thanks to our partnership with JustWatch, you can find availability details on each film’s Letterboxd page—and Dominic has also helpfully provided further links to make it that much easier to support these indie films.

Powerbomb Directed by R. Zachary Shildwachter and B.J. Colangelo

Starring Matt Capiccioni (better known Matt Cross, or M-Dogg 20, or Son of Havoc) as an up-and-coming wrestling star, and Wes Allen as the obsessive fan who kidnaps him, Powerbomb is “The King of Comedy set in the indie wrestling scene, which is a cool fucking concept if nothing else,” according to Dustin Baker. “Luckily, there’s some witty writing and good performances to back up that concept to create something that’s surprisingly a lot of fun.”

Don’t worry if you know nothing about wrestling, writes Justin Nordell: “As someone who has zero reference point for wrestling, this film not only made it accessible but enthralling!”

A guide to where you can watch Powerbomb can be found on the film’s website.

Arkansas Directed by Clark Duke

Quietly ubiquitous comedic actor Clark Duke (Kick-Ass, Hot Tub Time Machine) directed and co-wrote this neo-noir in which he stars alongside such high-profile talent as Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich and Liam Hemsworth. Everyone agrees that the film wears its influences on its sleeve. Chainsaw Massacre “loved nearly every minute of this deliberately paced descendant of Tarantino and the Coen brothers. [But] comparing it to those […] filmmakers does it a disservice though, because, while you can feel their influence, first-time director Clark Duke does have his own distinct style”.

While noting that it marks another interesting performance in Vaughn’s recent emergence as a worthy cinematic lowlife, Tummis would also “like to point out that Liam Hemsworth was great in this”.

Arkansas is available via various digital outlets, as indicated on its official website.

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael Directed by Rob Garver

Before the Letterboxd era, film criticism was a much more exclusive realm, and no one critic loomed larger in that realm than The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael—so iconic that true cineastes of her time referred to her simply by her first name. So it behooves you, good Letterboxd member, to familiarize yourself with this master of the form via this new documentary.

In a review that feels like it could apply to any number of Letterboxd members, kmarus says “From what I’ve encountered of her criticism, Kael and I disagree on a lot of things, but one thing that is readily apparent to anyone who reads her writing is that she genuinely cares about movies”.

Letterboxd’s London correspondent (and professional critic) Ella Kemp felt personally validated watching the film. “It’s magic, she’s magic, this is why we needed her and why we always need movies, and why I want to keep talking about them. It’s nice if you read me, if you like me or if you agree with me—but even if you don’t, I know I’ll be sticking around for a while anyway. I’m nowhere near done yet.”

You can rent the film here.

Slay The Dragon Directed by Barak Goodman and Chris Durrance

The insidious and nebulous practice of gerrymandering is the focus of this acclaimed documentary. As member Andrew Chrzanowski ominously intones, the film is “never more timely than right here and right now” and “demands you to watch, so you may witness in a comprehensive and detailed way the metastasis of the most malignant cancer on our democracy: gerrymandered districts and redrawn borders by Republicans, especially after the 2010 elections”.

Guyatthemovies says the film “does a phenomenal job of taking a topic that may seem confusing for most who are not familiar and breaking it down to simplistic terms, explaining the impact of gerrymandering [through] well-known examples” and that “this is a must-watch for anyone concerned about the state of politics today”.

You can support your favorite theater by renting the film here.

Judy & Punch Directed by Mirrah Foulkes

Mia Wasikovska and Damon Herriman, two of the more interesting Australian actors working in film today, and each possessed of a fantastically cinematic face, star in this one-of-a-kind film as a couple operating a marionette show in a town about to bubble over with tension. Like the classic puppet characters that title the film, they come to blows.

The film is the feature-directing debut of Aussie actor and filmmaker Mirrah Foulkes, and Letterboxd member CJ Johnson says she “announces herself as a feature auteur of serious talent and limitless potential with […] a film whose great artfulness is only outdone by its sheer, breath-taking originality”.

Jess V.K. warns us to “go into this film with no expectations, because whatever you were expecting is not what you will see”.

Rent the film here.

On A Magical Night Directed by Christophe Honoré

This French comedy (of sorts) presents a fresh perspective on a very French activity: infidelity. It begins with a woman, Maria (Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Italian-French acting royalty Marcello Mastroanni and Catherine Deneuve) deciding to leave her husband, and taking up residence across the street where she can observe him.

As Allison M. explains, “like a modernized version of A Christmas Carol, spirits living and dead come to haunt Maria to help her make a decision about whether or not she should return to her husband. It is complete with a phantom baby, reference to a past threesome, and kissing cousins”.

The film caused Gmacauley to ruminate: “Have you ever thought to yourself that when you get old you’d like to travel to the past and sleep with your significant other while they’re young again? Well now I have.”

Watch it here; and also seek out Nicolas Bedos’ marital fantasy romp, La Belle Époque.

The Assistant Directed by Kitty Green

This austere take on the #MeToo era stars Ozark breakout Julia Garner as a bottom-rung assistant to a never-seen, New York-based film producer clearly modeled on Harvey Weinstein. Through one long workday, we are witness to the manipulative practices that enable such a figure, without ever landing on a single incident that she can cite as tangible proof of his behavior, which helps detail the impossibility of her—and countless others’—situation.

While the film’s understated style has thrown some viewers off, that’s entirely the point according to Ryne Walley, who says it “aims true with unwavering confidence. The calculated pace and concise nature of The Assistant hides very little, echoing the countless cases of abuse and depravity that’ve been disclosed… an agonizingly taut feat of filmmaking… Your heart sinks with each passing hour”.

“So quietly powerful, this is a female film through and through. Gut wrenching in the simplest way,” writes Letterboxd member Katie.

Ella Kemp interviewed Green about The Assistant for Letterboxd. The film’s official website lists various VOD options.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century Directed by Justin Pemberton

French economist Thomas Piketty’s 2013 book about income equality forms the basis of this documentary, which takes on a new pertinence in the coronavirus era.

“It’s a sobering trip,” says Joey Jepson. “As if Covid-19 wasn’t enough to send you into a deep depression, Capital in the Twenty-First Century presents a thesis that seems to indicate that if we don’t course correct, we will see a further divide and evaporation of the middle-class.”

Michael agrees: “Very clearly and lucidly explains why we’re fucked if we don’t start regulating capital.” Eep.

Rent the film here.

Spaceship Earth Directed by Matt Wolf

The 1991 biosphere experiment—in which a group of people sealed themselves off from the world (hey!) to investigate human self-sustainability—is the subject of this documentary, which, like Capital in the Twenty-First Century, also hits a little different in the current moment.

Kellyabailey is on board: “I’m fuckin inspired, man. I wanna see what I’m capable of and finally start that commune I’ve been dreaming up.”

Smooz was impressed with how the film didn’t make fun of its subjects: “It’s rare for a documentarian […] dealing with kooks to produce a movie with any sort of empathy. This movie takes the kooks involved in one of the kookiest, most ridiculed projects in recent decades and honestly shows their successes, visionary moments, shortcomings, and failures while resisting the urge to dunk on them and give them swirlies.”

Letterboxd editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood spoke to Wolf about his film—and what movies he’d choose to take with into a biosphere—in this interview. Rent the movie here.

Aren’t You Happy Directed by Susanne Heinrich

Those in the mood for something different might do well to check out this aesthetically bold German film—think Wes Anderson meets The Love Witch meets the movie Robert De Niro takes Cybill Shepherd to see on their ‘date’ in Taxi Driver—following a young woman named Mädchen (Marie Rathscheck) through various strange encounters.

Arvid Schmiedehausen says it “might be the most artistic film I have ever watched. It is highly ambitious in its attempts to deconstruct society and western values through fourteen episodes, with each being a persiflage on one unique aspect of it”. [We had to look up “persiflage” too.]

Ian A. Chapman writes that “not in anyway adhering to convention, Aren’t You Happy melancholically meanders through rendezvous allowing time for delicious dialogue. Visually pleasing, the colour choices neatly frame the scenes and set the tones allowing for a shorthand into the vibe”.

Rent the movie here.

Related content

Our list of art house films screening online now.

[calorieworkouts]

10 Crucial Tips for Building Confidence and Good Looking Body

Here is a truth: Women desire a positive man.

No matter what task you have or what auto you drive, you have to be confident to be desirable by women.

Unfortunately most people do not recognize how to find out and also project confidence and when it pertains to females they are unconfident and terrified of rejection.

Hell, many even do not understand you can get or learn confidence, to them it's like a genetic details you either have or do not have.

I think that the most effective point to acquire more confidence and learn regarding it extra is to obtain your physique handled first.

Which of those do you believe will have more self-confidence? The slim individual left wing or Chris Hemsworth on the right?

Good looking body is literally eye-catching to ladies, it links you with sex in their mind and also integrated with excellent posture as well as body movement jobs confidence.

If you are not a professional athlete after that you go to the gym to look excellent, that's the goal of the huge bulk of the individuals in the fitness center and also my hunch is that it's your own as well.

In that case drop all that “functional" and also performance training you review in Guy's Health and wellness and also start educating to look great and also feel good. Have a function of going to the fitness center to really feel better concerning on your own, be certain, build a wonderful body as well as enhance your social life as well as dating life.

This will certainly make a significant distinction. Although that guys intend to look much better, they try to conceal it, they obtain averted with "functional training" or powerlifting.

Or they simply do not commit to anything and also go to the fitness center to type of job out and also spend time weights.

This leads us to something very crucial. The single one most crucial point you can do to look great is to develop muscle mass which does not suggest buying all kind of supplements on the marketplace however instead getting your workout handled.

Let's take an appearance at how you can enhance your training to gain confidence and develop a really excellent looking body.

1. Buy a Well-Built Workout Program

Let me make clear something, if you don't have the RIGHT exercise system, you are not going to get self-confidence or construct a good looking body.

In regards to structure muscle, workout is every little thing, you don't construct muscles from some high healthy protein diet regimen or by consuming some unique foods and you do not build muscles from some elegant supplements either.

We all desire there was a magic pull we can take each morning, but there isn't. And even Creatine, the only supplement ever before truly confirmed to work, just functions if you have a good workout plan.

And if you are assuming that you can eat your way up to large muscular tissues, then you can try it, however do not run back to me howling that you got fat and also as well as really feel dreadful. The truth is that consuming extra results in fat gain only.

If you want to construct bigger muscle mass and also build them on the best locations then exercise is the tool you need to acquire.

And to attain your body goals, you require the ideal workout that is made in a manner to help you do that.

Every workout has a different objective and a great deal of them are poorly designed. Simply keep that in mind.

Guys that attain their figure objectives are the ones that are not stubborn to see that they need help.

You will obtain your preferred outcomes just if you let someone else, who recognizes what he doing, aid you with your workout.

Stop investing hundreds of bucks a month on post workout nutrition, night protein and hydroxycut. Take this loan and invest them in a strong workout program. Professional exercise is what makes all the distinction and also is generally pretty inexpensive considering what are you entering return.

So, set your goals and after that find a good workout plan, don't move to the second factor up until you have this covered.

BTW if your objective good is a looking body that sparks tourist attraction and also regulates regard then you can make this step simple by following the Totally Body Exercise Plan With Dumbbells.

2. Focus on the Training

Once you have the best program in your hands, you have to begin mosting likely to the fitness center and really training.

But understand that having a good exercise does not indicate you are done, that's where all of it beginnings, you can still screw this up if you are not careful.

Most guys go to the fitness center to function out, conversation with their pals, learn who's the new chick in the staff and just enhance their vanity unemployed press. This is not the path to follow to get in form, this is just going to the gym for fun.

There is a distinction in the technique in between those that look the same time after time as well as those who improve monthly basis.

Take a pick, it's fine if you go to the fitness center to have fun, yet don't anticipate any results or don't attempt to save the day by taking your healthy protein shake exactly after the exercise and also after that prior to sleep, that will not truly alter anything.

Do some major toughness training regular as well as after that anticipate results.

3. Train Hard

There is no muscle mass advancement without pushing difficult sufficient. You need to make your workouts challenging, keep progressing as well as trying to raise as high as possible without compromising your form.

This might appear like a piece of cake, but aspect of it for some time, are you actually lifting hard?

Are you sure you couldn't raise a bit heavier dumbbells?

There is a good policy to comply with that if your exercise states 8 associates you must choose weights that you can do 8 reps just, you need to be able to press 1 or 2 more associates however with literally sweating blood. Take weights hefty enough to challenge your muscles, just make sure those 8 representatives are perfect.

4. Train Often

This is a very common mistake.

However, you have to choose whether you desire to take this seriously or not.

No issue what your goal is, you got ta be consistent with it.

Going to the health club 2 times a week is not going to do anything for you. While it will keep you fit, a bit energised and give you the health and wellness benefits of training, it will not construct you any kind of muscle mass mass.

Most exercise programs focused building a much better figure are developed for 4-6 exercise sessions a week with couple of exemptions as well as that is a good rule to keep.

Stress your muscle mass frequently to provide them the motivation to grow.

5. Master the Lifts

While you need to comply with a good workout as well as keep pushing hard you need to concentrate on lifting correctly also. Otherwise having a great exercise strategy is error top, the 2nd most typical blunder is not happy to discover the appropriate form of every workout in your workout plan.

Watch YouTube video clips, ask knowledgeable guys in the fitness center to show you just how to do it, inquire to enjoy you and fix you. Film on your own and compare it to others.

If you are a beginner, it's additionally a great suggestion to pay an individual instructor for number of first training sessions to supervise and fix your errors. The problem with this is that he will usually press his concepts on you and also attempt to offer you some things you do not truly need. A great deal of fitness instructors have no concept what they are discussing, so be careful with this one.

And another note. Do not anticipate to discover everything overnight. Specific lifts are simpler, particular extra tough. It will most likely take you years till you grasp workouts like deadlifts or squats.

Just take your time to learn and also practice.

6. Stick to It

Do you have a background of not adhering to things? Do you jump from workout to workout every 3 weeks? Do you obtain bored or disinterested rapidly? Are you patient enough?

This will also establish whether you do well or not.

Getting in shape takes some time as well as especially building muscle mass will certainly take A LOT of time, so do not anticipate to change in 3 weeks. Excellent exercise programs are developed for at the very least three to four months.

You require to locate a means to make a habit of going to the gym on regular basis and keep that pace for years.

Maybe you have heard that it takes at the very least 5000 hours to obtain truly good at something and also concerning 10000 to understand it on a brilliant degree. If you desire to remain in a killer form, you better begin intending for this number.

And contemporary of curiosity, do the mathematics. To hit the 5000 hr mark, just how much time do you think you should spend training and just how typically? Let me understand in the remarks. Little hint, most physical fitness models as well as bodybuilding masters have actually trained for a minimum of 5 000 hrs in their lives.

Good looking bodies are not construct overnight, so this must be something to think about.

7. Train into a Specific Shape

This is a big one.

An element that great deal of exercise programs don't represent. The majority of workouts concentrate on training torso as well as legs equally. That is not a great idea. If your goal is to create the very best physique feasible while doing it in the quickest duration of time feasible, you need to concentrate on particular muscles more than others. This doesn't mean not educating various other muscle mass in any way, it's just that in order to establish an excellent looking physique you require to concentrate on the muscles that offset that shape.

The most appealing form you can construct is the one that is shoulder dominant and is close to the V-Shape that designs as well as actors that remain in an impressive form have.

Shoulders are responsible for your leading male presence not legs or arms.

With this knowledge in mind you can purchase those muscular tissues by value and construct something like a pyramid that can help you figure out which muscles should you concentrate on more in your toughness training sessions.

Here is an instance of a training session that would certainly be created this means:

Workout No.:1 - Shoulders/ Upper Body/ Legs

Workout No.:2 - Shoulders/ Back/ Arms/ Abs

Workout No.:3 - Shoulders/ Breast/ Legs

Workout No.:4 - Shoulders/ Back/ Arms/ Abs/

This is just an instance for the function of this short article, yet it's an excellent way to reveal you exactly how those concepts would be actually integrated in the workout sessions.

Starting with shoulder, followed by either back or upper body workouts and after that adhered to with one of the four lesser muscle mass teams: triceps muscles, arms, thighs, calves.

If you have weak abdominals, start with two sessions a week and work your means up to almost everyday workouts.

8. Construct the ABS in the Kitchen

You currently have six pack abdominal muscles, if you can't see them, you have to lose fat, and this is a fact.

Don' t obtain me incorrect, you have to educate your ABS to make them look strong and also manly and also get some solid density, yet you actually can not make them more visible in the fitness center, that's entirely as much as your diet.

Even if individuals understand just how to educate their abdominals properly as well as they do not handle to screw up their back while doing so, they still don't get the diet regimen part. Lose fat very first and afterwards you will see your amazing 6 pack, got it?

9. Expect to Have Bad Days

Successful people stopped working, everybody obtains averted in the process and also you will also have negative days as well as screw up at some point.

This sounds extremely unfavorable, however if you comprehend this as well as anticipate to have negative days, you can just obtain back up and also keep going.

Most individuals established a plan expecting every little thing to go as planned and also when things are not best as well as they stop working eventually, whatever mosts likely to hell.

For instance ever before skipped a workout and after that simply purchased a pizza, since you told yourself that you can also have it because you missed the workout currently? As well as then you ended up consuming gelato as well as had 2 beers in addition to that and also went to sleep sensation unpleasant and also guilty?

This is an instance of how not to deal with little "failures" along the road, instead accept and anticipate to have poor days, as well as after that when you make up it, you will certainly simply come back up as well as not lose a whole day.

And bear in mind one negative day is nothing if you have thirty great ones.

10. Take Time Off

Don' t train on a daily basis for 365 days a year. That's inflexible, unnecessary, uninteresting, and stupid.

You ought to take some time to recover as well as rest.

And when you are at holiday or taking a trip, then just enjoy it and also do not exercise. Train wisely instead.

Set 3 months from each year for some truly intense as well as advanced (if you can handle it) workouts. I advise something less extreme, so you can focus more on your form than tough on your own, for this purpose the best system is the Beach Body Workout Program.

And ensure you take 1-2 weeks as a break after 3-4 months. Never ever go much more after that four months without at least a week break. Allow your muscular tissues recoup, allow your mind be totally free from health and fitness for few days, get a massage, go skiing or swimming, whatever simply do not do stamina training at that point.

And after that simply get back to training. You will generally discover that you have way much more energy and also stamina than when you took the break.

Summary

This subject is undoubtedly bigger than this article can consist of, but we have discussed lots of vital points that if followed alone will make a HUGE difference in your training and ability to construct muscle.

Let's summarize them one even more time:

Get a solid workout professionally created to help you construct a far better looking body

Focus on the actual stamina training routine, while you go to a health club, be the committed guy

Train and push hard

Train often

Be constant as well as individual, the results will come

Stick to your workout

Learn the appropriate technique for every of the lifts you do

Focus a lot of your time on building bigger shoulders, back and chest

Get clear on your goals

If you desire noticeable abs you need to lose fat first

Accept as well as anticipate to have poor days

Remember to take a while off the gym

Have this article assistance you? Exactly how did you tweaked your workout after learning this information? What exercise method do you currently follow, are you getting outcomes? The MyBeautyGym neighborhood desires to learn through you !!!

[ljones41]

"MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" (2019) Review

"MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" (2019) Review Last year, Sony Pictures had announced its intentions to add a fourth entry to the MEN IN BLACK" movie franchise. I have to be honest. I did not receive the news with any real enthusiasm. And my feelings had failed to change when I learned the identities of the movie's two main stars.

"MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" only shared a few similarities to the franchise's past three films. One of the co-stars proved to be Emma Thompson, who had returned for her second appearance in the franchise as Q, the MIB agency's director. The agency's Manhattan office also appeared in the film. And the MIB agents were up against another deadly alien trying to conquer Earth. Otherwise, there were major differences in this fourth film. Instead of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" starred Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, who had been co-stars in the 2017 Marvel film, "THOR: RAGNAROK". Most of the "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" locations were set outside of the U.S. in London, Marrakesh, Naples and Paris. The last difference featured the circumstances surrounding the recruitment of Tessa Thompson's character into the agency. Unlike Will Smith's Agent J, Thompson's character had become aware of the Men in Black agency years before she joined it. The biggest difference between this film and the previous three movies involved a potential threat within the internal affairs of the Men in Black. In 1996 Brooklyn, a young girl named Molly Wright witnesses her parents being neuralysed by Men in Black agents, while she helps an alien escape. Twenty years later, Agents H and High T of the MiB London office travel to Paris to stop an invasion of the Hive – a parasitic race who invade planets by merging with the DNA of the conquered species – at the Eiffel Tower using a wormhole included in the original migration to Earth. After being rejected from the F.B.I. and the C.I.A., due to her "delusions" regarding alien life, Molly tracks down an alien landing and follows MiB agents to their New York City headquarters. Caught entering the agency, Molly makes an impression on the agency's director, Agent O and becomes probationary agent status as "Agent M". She is eventually assigned to the London branch. Agent M's new supervisor is High T, who has become head of the London office. The latter assigns her to become Agent H's new partner, who has developed a God complex, unconcerned with his duties and only keeping his job due to High T covering for him. Both M and H are assigned to guard a royal alien named Vungus the Ugly, during the latter's visit to Earth. A pair of alien twins manage to fatally injure Vungus. The latter gives M a strange crystal before he dies. And the agents of the London office realizes that a MiB agent may have betrayed Vungus to the alien assassins. Due to his lackadaisical behavior, H has become the main suspect. However, this does not last long and M eventually becomes tagged as the agency's traitor. M and H take matters into their hands and decide to conduct their own investigation - an act that leads them to become fugitives from the Men in Black agency. Following the release of "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL", many critics and fans of the franchise had rained criticism and scorn upon it. Needless to say, the movie proved to be a box office failure, despite making a small profit. It is considered to be the worst film in the franchise. While many blamed the movie's narrative; the majority of the film's negative press seemed to stem from the fact that the movie had not been directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, who was responsible for the franchise's first three films. And there were a handful of disgruntled fans who seemed to resent the presence of Tessa Thompson as one of the film's leads, due to her gender. How do I feel about all of this? I do have a few problems with "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL". One, this movie is not funny. What I meant is . . . it lacked the twisted and sardonic humor of Barry Sonnenfeld. If I have to be more specific, the film's humor barely generated any real laughs from me. I merely found myself feeling amused by some of the more comic moments. My second problem with "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" was Agent H's fate near the end of the movie. I did not like it. Considering his age and recent mental condition, I thought he was unnecessarily rewarded for his actions in stopping the main villain. My final problem with the film is basically minor. "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" featured the character of Agent O from the 2012 film, "MEN IN BLACK 3". To me, this was an indication that "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" was a continuation of the previous three films. If so, I thought screenwriters Art Marcum and Matt Holloway could have hinted on the fates of Agents J and K from the first three movies. What happened to them? Despite my complaints about the film, I did not dislike "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL". In fact, I enjoyed it very much. And this was due to certain aspects of the film. One, I found some of the movie's special effects rather impressive, thanks to the visual effects team, Stuart Dryburgh's cinematography and Thomas Brown's art direction team. I was especially impressed by those scenes featuring Vungus' death in London, H, M and Pawny's escape from Marrakesh and especially their final showdown against the Big Bad at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Another aspect of "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL" that I enjoyed was its cast. Personally, I thought it was first-rate. The movie benefitted from a solid supporting cast that included Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois (aka Les Twins), who did an excellent job of conveying the silent, yet physical menace of the shape-shifting aliens known as "the Twins"; Tim Blaney, who returned to voice Frank the Pug; Kayvan Novak, who voiced the royal alien Vungus the Ugly; and Spencer Wilding. I found Rafe Spall's portrayal of Agent C of the UK branch rather sardonic, yet entertaining. Emma Thompson was excellent as usual as the Men in Black director, Agent O. Rebecca Ferguson gave an eccentric, yet funny performance as an alien intergalactic arms dealer and H's ex-girlfriend Riza Stavros. Liam Neeson's portrayal of High T, the head of the MIB UK branch, struck as equally off-beat and funny. And I felt that Kumail Nanjiani gave the best voice performance of all as Pawny, the small alien warrior that Agents M and H befriend. And of course, we have the movie's two leads - Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Many crtics had been impressed by their screen dynamic in the Marvel film, "THOR: RAGNAROK". This led the producers of this film to cast them together as Agents H and M. And they did not fail. Thompson did a wonderful job as the uber observant and clever Molly Wright, who becomes the agency's newest recruit, Agent M. Hemsworth did an equally fantastic job in portraying Agent H, one of the agency's best agents who seemed to be suffering from some kind of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following his and Agent High T's defeat of the Hive, three years earlier. Not only did the two leads gave great performances, they also proved that their on-screen dynamic had not dimmed one bit. If I must be brutally honest, I was more impressed by their screen chemistry in this film than I was in "THOR: RAGNAROK". I realize that many people may not agree with me on this next topic. But if there is one thing that truly impressed me about "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL", it was the screenplay written by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. I found it very original for a movie from the MEN IN BLACK movie franchise. The previous three movies usually introduced the Big Bad either in the opening scene or not long after the opening. I cannot say the same for this film. Both Marcum and Holloway had not only created a mystery surrounding the Big Bad, they also included a possible traitor or mole within the Men in Black agency that might be assisting the main villain. Now this might be normal in a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie or some other spy thriller. But in a MEN IN BLACK film? For the first time, this franchise had created a combination of a science-fiction movie and an espionage flick. It is a pity that many critics and film goers could not appreciate this. Perhaps it would have been easier if the film had followed the franchise's usual formula. In the end, I realized that I would not waste my time lamenting on the box office failure of "MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL". It was not the first box office bomb that I ended up enjoying. And I doubt that it will be the last. Although I found the film's humor rather lukewarm - worthy more of a small chuckle instead of a belly laugh - I cannot deny that I truly enjoyed the film's narrative, along with the exciting action sequences and the talented cast led by Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, thanks to director F. Gary Gray. Many others may have been disappointed by this film. But I was not.

[grigori77]

Summer 2019′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 1)

The Runners-Up:

20.  ANGEL HAS FALLEN – Gerard Butler’s arse-kicking secret service agent returns in this third (and, from the look of it, final) entry in the trilogy started with surprise hit Olympus Has Fallen and its London-set follow-up, and this time HE’S the prey after he’s framed as a would-be assassin of Morgan Freeman’s new US President.  It’s not as memorably meaty as its predecessors, but latest director Ric Roman Waugh (Snitch, Shot Caller) certainly has the action chops to pull off the necessary heavy lifting, and Butler’s great as ever.

19.  STUBER – summer 2019’s most irreverent guilty pleasure is a gleefully non-PC action comedy in which pathetically nerdy Uber driver Stu Prasad (The Big Sick’s Kumail Nanjiani) is effectively hijacked by dangerously myopic renegade LAPD cop Vic Manning (Dave Bautista), who’s looking to take down his “white whale”, murderous drug lord Oka Tedjo (The Raid’s Iko Uwais).  This is one of those hilariously foul-mouthed, gruesomely violent and unapologetically crude romps that does exactly what it says on the tin.

18.  MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL – Friday director F. Gary Gray certainly has the required comedy pedigree to succeed Barry Sonnenfeld on this sort-of sequel/soft reboot, but while it’s certainly as consistently, inventively funny as its predecessors there’s still something missing here.  Thor: Ragnarok duo Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson have still got chemistry to burn, but they’re no substitute for Smith and Jones, although there’s definitely potential for a solid new series here if they can iron out the kinks.  It IS a moderate improvement on MIB 2, though.

17.  BOOKSMART – actress Olivia Wilde makes her directorial debut with this sharp-witted and enjoyably unpredictable coming-of-age comedy that follows straight-A high school graduates Molly (Lady Bird’s Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Last Man Standing and Short Term 12’s Kaitlyn Dever) as they indulge in one crazy night out so they can experience the inappropriate partying chaos they always avoided to get those top grades.  Funny, fascinating and powerfully heartfelt, this is a guaranteed future gem of the genre.

16.  ROCKETMAN – hot off his patch-up directing gig finishing off Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer jumped ship, Dexter Fletcher tackles the life-story of another musical icon, Elton John, in this far more stylized but also thoroughly memorable “musical fantasy” interpretation of the rise/fall/rise-again of the man born Reginald Dwight.  Kingsman star Taron Egerton delivers the finest performance of his career so far, displaying an impressive lack of vanity as he crafts a warts-and-all portrayal of Elton, while Jamie Bell is equally excellent as his lifelong friend and writing partner Bernie Taupin.

15.  I AM MOTHER – the best of Netflix’ original movie summer offerings is this impressively original and edgy sci-fi thriller based around a killer concept – Mother is a robot (voiced with chillingly seductive duplicity by Rose Byrne) in a hi-tech bunker in the aftermath of some unknown apocalyptic cataclysm, the de-facto parent and sole companion of Daughter (The Lodge’s Clara Rugaard), seemingly the last human in the world, who’s never known anything of the outside, until an unexpected arrival threatens everything.

14.  DETECTIVE PIKACHU – Pokémon returns to the big screen with this brilliant live action feature that beautifully builds on the expansive source material while simultaneously repackaging it nice and fresh for a new generation. Ryan Reynolds is a fiendishly inspired choice to voice the eponymous investigator, who enjoys impressive chemistry with Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s Justice Smith as the failed Pokémon trainer who is, inexplicably, the only human who can understand him.  You don’t need to be a fan to get this film, either – it’s well-thought-out enough that even newbies can get maximum entertainment out of it.

13.  MIDSOMMAR – Ari Aster, the disturbingly talented writer-director of acclaimed horror gem Hereditary, drops another mind-melting, skin-crawling slowburn treat of pure, unadulterated sustained dread and terrible expectation on an unsuspecting summer audience, although this one certainly proved far more (ahem) seasonal.  Florence Pugh (Lady MacBeth) and Jack Reynor (Strange Angel) are both excellent as the unsuspecting American couple whose visit to a remote Swedish festival exposes them to a twisted cult.

12.  THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK – debuting writer-director Henry Dunham proves he’s going to be one-to-watch in the future with this insidious little suspense thriller starring James Badge Dale as a former small town cop drawn into a tense internal investigation of the local militia he’s part of after it becomes clear one of its members is responsible for a terrorist attack that’s got the local police up in arms.  A perfectly-pitched lesson in slow-building tension crafted with consummate skill.

11. TOY STORY 4 – marking the feature directorial debut of long-serving Pixar animator/writer Josh Cooley, this is another gold standard entry in the studio’s flagship franchise that also marks a watershed moment for many of its beloved characters.  Woody and Buzz (Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, both on top form) are front and centre once again, but the biggest fun to be had here involves the new faces, particularly Keanu Reeves as hapless Canadian stunt-biker toy Duke Caboom.  This may not be QUITE as essential as what came before, but it’s still a series that continues to play very much to its strengths.

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Bad Times at the El Royale

Its one of the oldest story and plot devices in film history and somehow it still stays fresh. Take a small number of characters and place them in a motel or hotel inn, none of them know each other and all of their secrets get revealed in a twisted number of events. I love those type of mystery thrillers because they end up being the most fun, violent and amazing. This film takes that premise and adds its own fun spin on it and I enjoyed every bit. The pacing of the story was great and the amount of intrigue behind each character was genuine and I cared for them all. The film had a touch of Tarantino esque story structure and I thought that was great. There were moments that I predicted, but I was actually surprised for the majority of the story.

The cast in the film was truly a talented group that were having the most fun. Thanks to this film, I have become a fan of Cynthia Erivo. As Darlene Sweet, she was outstanding and all of her talents are on display. She nailed the more emotional moments and her characters' evolution by the films' end was truly earned. Jeff Bridges was great as Father Daniel Flynn and he has a number of great moments of vulnerability. The chemistry between him and Darlene was fun. Jon Hamm was stellar as always as Laramie Seymour Sullivan and once his secret was revealed, it moved the story to the next level. Dakota Johnson gives an excellent performance as Emily Summerspring and I thought her sister in the film Rose, played by newcomer Cailee Spaeny, was equally excellent. Lewis Pullman was fantastic as Miles Miller and I loved that he was pivotal to the much darker secrets of the El Royale. Chris Hemsworth has shown his comedic side before and as Billy Lee, he brings together his natural charm, comedic timing and intimidating nature to make a new memorable character. Aside from his fun and weird gyrating, it was great to see him play a villain and I found it ironic that he was a cult leader given the his huge fan base.

Since the film was set in 1970, I expected an impressive soundtrack and I was not disappointed. The score Michael Giacchino was great and thrilling as the story started getting to its tension filled peaks. On another note of music, Cynthia Erivo sang almost all of her songs acapella in the film and her voice had so much passion and soul that it was truly intoxicating. As far as location mystery thrillers go, this was a good and fun film that has many characters that you'll like. I really did like this film and its worth checking out in theaters, but if you miss it then I would put this at the top of a Netflix rental.

[aion-rsa]

Furiosa Movie Casts Anya Taylor-Joy as Lead, Adds Chris Hemsworth, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It seems George Miller’s Furiosa, a prequel movie to Mad Max: Fury Road, is about ready to put it into drive. And its cast is providing a lot of horsepower out of the gate, with Anya Taylor-Joy, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Chris Hemsworth all also joining the new film set in the ‘Mad Max’ universe.

The casting of Taylor-Joy is not entirely a surprise since Miller has made clear for the last year that he intended to cast a younger actor in her 20s to portray Furiosa’s origin story. While this has been bittersweet for fans, and Charlize Theron who was nominated for an Oscar for originating the character in 2015, Taylor-Joy has been rumored to be Miller’s choice for months and is a definite rising star.

As the breakout lead of 2016’s The Witch, the Argentinian-English-American performer has enjoyed a strong early career by appearing in both genre darlings like Split (2017) and prestige efforts, such as this year’s delightful Emma. adaptation and Queen’s Gambit on Netflix. Her casting as Furiosa now positions her with a franchise film.

The other castings are equally impressive with Abdul-Mateen also having a couple of banner years after appearing in Aquaman in 2018 and then absolutely devastating audiences as the blue Cal Abar in HBO’s Watchmen. He also is about to star in a major, buzzed about role as Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale in this week’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. Hemsworth, meanwhile, is of course best known for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic universe, including in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, which will be directed by Taika Waititi.

Who Abdul-Mateen and Hemsworth are portraying in Furiosa is being kept under wraps at the moment, but as a personal bit of speculation, it’d be very interesting to see Hemsworth in the role of a heavy like Immortan Joe…

Furiosa is being written by Miller and frequent collaborator Doug Mitchell. The pair are likely working on the mysterious backstory for Furiosa that Miller and Nick Lathouris created for themselves and Theron on Fury Road, but which has been kept a mystery in the public. The story, however, is apparently compelling enough for Miller to pursue this narrative as his next feature after that 2015 action masterpiece.

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Before playing Furiosa, Taylor-Joy can be next seen in Edgar Wright’s horror movie Last Night in Soho, which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Northman, which reunites her with The Witch director Robert Eggers for a tale of Vikings and winter. Abdul-Mateen is meanwhile currently filming The Matrix 4 alongside Keanu Reeves and is expected to return for Aquaman 2.

The post Furiosa Movie Casts Anya Taylor-Joy as Lead, Adds Chris Hemsworth, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/371ime9

[filmiroast]

Movie Review - THOR: RAGNAROK

Back in 2011, we saw the release of the film THOR featuring Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, later in 2013 we saw him return in THE DARK WORLD and save the earth with assistance from his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Since then we have seen the God of Thunder return as a part of the Avengers series where he fought alongside earth’s mightiest warriors to defend the planet again from Ultron. Well, now we see him return to the big screen with the film THOR: RAGNAROK. But will the film which is the third in the series work as a ‘Marvel’ at the box office or will it like some of the other sequels fail to match up to the previous films. Let's analyse.

First off, THOR: RAGNAROK starts off with the God of Thunder imprisoned on the other side of the universe. Here he finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). From here on the film follows Thor’s journey as he battles Hela with the assistance of his brother Loki and others. But will the Asgardian succeed in defeating the all-powerful Hela or will his world fall, is what makes up the rest of the film.

The film starts off with a monologue by Thor who is being held captive on an alien planet in chains. From here, the film introduces Surtur voiced by Clancy Brown who explains that he is the reckoning of Asgard. After learning this, Thor who has of late been plagued with visions of his home world being destroyed promptly goes ahead and vanquishes his foe. One done, Thor heads back to Asgard only to learn that Odin (Anthony Hopkins) isn’t really who he seems to be. Post learning this, he then sets out on a mission to find his father and restore Asgard back to its glory. Thor accompanied by Loki finds Odin only to be told that his time has come, and along with that Hela the goddess of death will be released from her prison. Hela, who was once Odin’s right hand grew too powerful and her thirst to acquire the throne of Asgard lead her to be imprisoned.

After Odin’s death, Thor and Loki come face to face with Hela, who proves to be too strong for them. In an attempt to flee back to Asgard via the bifrost, the two inadvertently offer Hela a ride back as well. While on the way back to Asgard, within the bifrost beam, a second skirmish breaks out which tosses Loki and Thor into the abyss. Fortunately, both of them land separately on the plant Sakaar. Here, Thor who lands much after Loki finds himself being held prisoner yet again, this time without the assistance of his hammer Molinor that was destroyed in the first fight with Hela. Sakaar, which is ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), is a planet of the rejects who live to witness the gladiatorial fights that are a regular feature. Thor who has shown potential as a warrior is pitted against the Grandmaster’s champion who happens to be the Hulk. Thrilled at seeing a familiar face, Thor tries his best to get the mindless brute to assist him in returning back to Asgard to defeat Hela. In the meantime back on Asgard, Hela reigns supreme as she lays waste to the entire Asgardian army while resurrecting her own army of the dead. What follows is a grand battle between Thor and Hela with Asgard as the prize.

Chris Hemsworth, who has reprised the role of Thor in the previous films as well, does a good job with the character. However, given the fact that unlike the previous films in the Thor series, RAGNAROK features a lot more colour combined with a fun comic elements that keep the proceedings peppy and fast. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is good in his part as the god of mischief; however it is Cate Blanchett as Hela who steals the show. Very rarely do you see a character developed with such power and menace that just the visual of her can make your hair stand. The last time a character like this was seen on screen, it was in The Dark Knight with Heath Ledger essaying the role of the Joker. Due credit goes to the writers of the film who have done a marvelous job of interweaving a back story for Hela into the film’s proceedings without diverging from the current track.

Another point to mention here is the background score that keeps up the tempo to match the on-screen visuals and the constant exchange of witty lines that makes the film a fun watch.

Coupled with the performances, the VFX team have done an equally brilliant job of bringing a fantasy world to life. From costumes to the massive explosions and the larger than life action sequences, the team has done a stellar and seamless job of merging live action with CGI.

On the whole, THOR: RAGNAROK that features witty one liners, sarcastic humour and plenty of action makes for a fun watch. Well timed comic sequences and well-choreographed action sequences aplenty make the film a perfect masala entertainer. At the Indian box office, THOR: RAGNAROK stands a good chance of posting impressive numbers given that it's releasing on a big scale and in multiple languages.

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Sun enters Leo

July 22 - August 22, 2017

The Sun is dignified in Leo, and it’s also the “esoteric” ruler of Leo. Wrote astrologer Isabel Hickey, “Leo (is) the sign that rules the spine and the heart in the physical body. Will (spine) and Love (heart) are the motivating powers of desire and the will to be. Without this driving power of desire there would be no motivation of Will. In August, sign of Leo, the Sun is all powerful as self-consciousness is concerned. The Sun in the heavens is at its greatest power.” (In the Northern Hemisphere, I hasten to add/soothe.)

“Fun in the Sun” is an apt description for Leo. Everyone is aware of the sign’s penchant for performance and drama, too. Whatever slice of your birth chart is now being enlightened by the Sun through Leo, needs to loosen up and play a bit. This is also an area of life into which you throw yourself wholeheartedly. Finally, the Leo house(s) in your chart show the effects/consequences of “doing” your Sun’s mission, for good or for ill; the Sun’s trek will certainly shine light on how this works out for you.

There are a couple other areas of Leo which I wanted to specifically focus on. One is the sign’s scientific bent, which I theorize has something to do with Pluto being exalted in Leo. They have a true fascination with “the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.” (Thanks, Google!) Pluto really wants to get down to the barest truths about life, which Leo seems to channel/filter through science.

The other less-acknowledged Leo trait is entrepreneurship. (Hi, son!) Google again: entrepreneurship is “the activity of setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.” We more often associate taking risks with the 5th House, but remember that the 5th is the natural house of Leo.

Most of the aspects are of the “flowing” variety. Plenty of opportunities to play, perform, and party. Unfortunately, this also makes us more prone to vanity, pomposity, melodrama, and profligacy. Have a little Leonine pride and comport yourself like the aristocrat you really are.

Celebrities with Sun in Leo: Robert Plant, Keith Moon, Barack Obama, J Lo, Napoleon I, J Law, Helena Blavatsky, Mick Jagger, Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Robert Redford, Robert De Niro, Daniel Radcliffe, Halle Berry, Carl Jung, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, J. K. Rowling, Coco Chanel, Alfred Hitchcock, Fidel Castro, Chris Hemsworth, Usain Bolt, Iman, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Kubrick, Martha Stewart, Ms M’s son

Wednesday, July 26, Mars/Leo conjunct Sun/Leo, 4:12

This is going to be addressed in tomorrow’s posting about the (first) New Moon in Leo. We’ll have to work hard for the positive expression, as all indications are that we won’t be completely “prepared” to face the difficulties of the position.

Planets/Points affected lie between 3:12 and 5:12 of the signs Aries, Taurus*, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Scorpio*, Sagittarius, and Aquarius*.

Tuesday, August 1, Pallas/Taurus square Sun/Leo, 9:14

The only really “bad” aspect, this has a couple of ways to manifest. First, we doubt our ability to bring about the changes we desire. We’re convinced there is only One Right Way to accomplish our goals, and if we don’t have 100% success we think we have 0% success. The other way involves “issues” about authority. “They won’t let me,” or something like that; perhaps also an unwillingness to be seen as a mere beginner instead of an Omnipotent Proficient.

Planets/Points affected lie between 8:14 and 10:14 of the fixed signs Taurus*, Leo*, Scorpio*, and Aquarius*; and between 23:14 and 25:14 of the mutable signs Gemini*, Virgo*, Sagittarius*, and Pisces*.

Thursday, August 10, Jupiter/Libra sextile Sun/Leo, 18:25

This of course can bring out the pomposity if we’re too carried away! It has a particular flavor of joining a congenial group, &/or a particular social cause. Don’t go into it thinking “I’m here to show these people how it’s done,” though! Think of the excellent opportunities to learn from, and help, one another.

Planets/Points affected lie between 17:25 and 19:25 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Sunday, August 13, Saturn Rx/Sagittarius trine Sun/Leo, 21:17

And here we have, potentially, more of the “authoritarian” side of Leo. Self-righteous, arrogant “morality” has an ease of expression (trine). Grr. Instead, we can easily work hard on being generous, understanding, and idealistic. We can be confident enough in/with ourselves to let other people be themselves.

Planets/Points affected lie between 20:17 and 22:17 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra,  Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Wednesday, August 16, Eris Rx/Aries trine Sun/Leo, 23:48; North Node/Leo conjunct Sun/Leo, 24:10; South Node/Aquarius opposite Sun/Leo, 24:10

The South Node and Eris team up to make us painfully aware of being/feeling alienated and ignored. What the Sun and North Node do, here, is to help us find ways to express the hurt in a positive way, by exemplifying equality and inclusion in every possible way, via our very Being. I mean, if you KNOW how it hurts, you have the choice of lashing out or of healing; this aspect setup merely highlights that choice. Moon/Gemini on this day will help us turn away from more negative manifestations.

Planets/Points affected lie between 22:48 and 25:10 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Sunday, August 20, Uranus Rx/Aries trine Sun/Leo, 28:23

We glory in being unique individuals. “There’s nobody else here, no one like me,” to quote Chrissie Hynde. Friendliness and (weirdly) cooperativeness are also enhanced today. The downside is that we are too focused on our own excellence to pay attention to anything else. Not everyone is as impressed with you, as you are. (And remember the “Brass in Pocket” video - Pete Farndon drives off with his pals, despite Chrissie’s best efforts.)

Planets/Points affected lie between 27:23 and 29:23 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

[mrmichaelchadler]

Avengers: Infinity War

For a 160-minute epic that unifies a far-flung superhero universe that took a decade to build, packs 76 characters into one story, and has four to six plotlines cooking at any given time, "Avengers: Infinity War" hangs together pretty well. The plot finds the intergalactic bad guy Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his army of Green Goblin-looking warriors bouncing from star system to star system, torturing and killing various adversaries in order to gather six super-powerful Infinity Stones and embed them in Thanos' oversized glove. Once he's collected all six, Thanos will be able to achieve his dream of wiping out half the population of the universe in order to preserve its precious resources and restore "balance." The only thing standing in his way are the Avengers, led by Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chis Evans) and the rest. Plus all the characters from "Black Panther." And the ones from "Guardians of the Galaxy." And a few more Marvel characters who are new to this film.

Co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo, co-writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, their small army of actors, and their hundreds of filmmaking collaborators have managed to get on the same page and stay on it. The film's running time doesn't fly by, exactly, but it rarely seems to stall out, which is impressive when you consider how many of the movie's big scenes consist of people talking, sometimes emoting, in close-up. The Russos swagger headfirst into melodrama here, more blatantly than in any previous Marvel film they've directed, though there are problems with their approach that I'll outline in a moment. The gambit works, mostly, because the story is an operatic tragedy that necessarily has to end with the heroes in a deep, dark place. In light of all this, it's inevitable (and in no way a spoiler to reveal here) that not every character makes it out alive, and that if you come away from the movie feeling bummed out and anxious rather than elated, that means "Infinity War" has done its job, just as "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One" did their jobs.

If only the film were better modulated, or perhaps longer, or more elegantly shaped, or ... well, it's hard to say exactly what's wrong here. But something's not up to snuff. This is, as many have pointed out, one half of a story broken in two, but it feels like less than half somehow. Until pretty recently, MCU films have suffered from collective curve-grading—each film seemed content to settle for "better than expected," as opposed to being really, truly good—and that feeling returns here, unfortunately. "Infinity War" faced so many challenges, many of them unique to this particular project, that it's a small miracle that it works at all. On some level, it feels ungrateful to ask a movie that already does the impossible to do it with more panache. But what are superhero movies without panache really good for? If there was ever a moment to swing for the fences, it was this one.

I like how the movie builds everything around Brolin's CGI-assisted but still fully inhabited performance as Thanos—an oddly wistful and lonely figure who is, essentially, a religious fanatic, yet carries himself with the calm certainty of a military man who's read the ancient Greeks and speaks tenderly to cadets while stepping on their necks. (Thanos' second-in-command, the snide and hateful space wizard Ebony Maw—played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor—makes an equally strong impression, though he doesn't have many scenes.) Some of the movie's most affecting and/or frightening moments see Thanos tormenting captive heroes (including Zoe Saldana's Gamora and her sister Nebula, played by Karen Gillan) until they disclose the location of the stones, or forcing them to consider killing themselves (or having others kill them) to stop Thanos from achieving his dream.

The movie treats Thanos as an agent of pure chaos, like an Old Testament curse come to life, picking people up by their skulls, deconstructing them into three-dimensional puzzles with a wave of his hand, even rupturing the structural integrity of the universe. He seems to have the brute force of the Hulk and the conjuring skill of Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, one of the only characters who routinely manages to counter his destructive power. At various points, characters wonder aloud if they'd have been better off not fighting him. These are action heroes, but the threat facing them is so daunting that they contemplate an alternate reality in which they don't act.

Vision (Paul Bettany), who has one of the stones embedded in his forehead, gets attacked while he's off the grid in Scotland, enjoying the company of his beloved Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen); after they fight off Thanos' goons at great personal cost, he quips, "I'm beginning to think we should've stayed in bed." Peter Parker/Spider-Man springs into action during a class trip after spotting Thanos' enormous, doughnut shaped spacecraft descending on Manhattan, then gets the stuffing kicked out of him and says, "I should've stayed on the bus." The movie has wicked fun foreshadowing the possible demise of our heroes. In the only scene featuring Tony and his partner Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), they discuss Tony's dream that they had a baby; it feels like the superhero version of one of those scenes in a war flick where the young draftee shows off a photo of his fiancee and declares, "Ain't she pretty?" Thanos' assault on Wakanda, where Cap and the gang take Vision in hopes that Shuri (Letitia Wright) can preemptively extract and destroy his Infinity Stone, is depicted as the logical, awful result of revealing the once-hidden country's location, and aligning it with global defense organizations after centuries of neutrality.

And yet, despite the movie's embrace of pain and fear—exemplified by a scene where Thor lists all the loved ones he's lost, and appears to be battling PTSD like Tony—it almost never feels as special or as powerful as it ought to. The direction is part of the problem. Marvel's conceptual artists, visual effects technicians, colorists, and sound designers and mixers are operating at what might be their aesthetic peak here—as well they should be, considering how long this company has labored to perfect a consistent style and tone; the panoramic vistas showing wrecked cities and space stations and distant planets and alternate dimensions, a jumble of psychedelic ironwork and watercolor clouds, seem as strongly influenced by the legendary Marvel illustrator Jack Kirby as Taika Waititi's disco lark "Thor: Ragnarok." 

But rather than match their support team's inventiveness, the directors avoid risk. They capture both the violent (sometimes cruel) action and the emotionally intense private moments in either a boringly flat or frantically hacky manner (snap-zooms on falling figures; herky-jerky camerawork and fast cutting during fight scenes; the same stuff you see in most action films made during the past decade). They use the camera in an expressive or poetic way so rarely that when they do bust out a heartfelt flourish (like the long, slow camera move that reveals the Guardians in their spaceship engaged in a sing-along, or the "wipes" that reveal the reality that Thanos' illusions hide, or a climatic fight between Thanos and multiple heroes) it's as if somebody had briefly sparked a dull wedding reception to life by going out on the dance floor and demanding a song with a backbeat.

This would all be a lot less grating if the MCU hadn't produced two back-to-back hits, "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Black Panther," which had vivid directorial personalities (Waititi and Ryan Coogler, respectively), and took as many stylistic/tonal risks as Marvel's brand would allow. The studio is too bottom-line driven to permit the sort of eccentricity that would've made this project truly pop (Joss Whedon's ungainly potluck "Avengers: Age of Ultron," with its spiky wit and nihilistic robot philosopher baddie, is looking better in retrospect). But it's no compliment to the Russos to say that it's tough to tell just by looking at the movie if they were were on a tight corporate leash the entire time, or if they decided to minimize the innate risks of a project this huge and eagerly anticipated by making vanilla choices.

Another issue—and I'm getting dorm room-philosophical, so bear with me—is that the format of a blockbuster MCU movie with 76 characters exposes the limitations of telling a superhero story via this now-well-established cinematic template, as opposed to telling it on the printed page, where the only limits are the writer's imagination and the illustrator's flair for presentation. The storytelling vocabulary of superhero movies doesn't have to be constricted (FX's extravagantly inventive TV series "Legion" is proof) but it feels quite constricted here; it always has been, notwithstanding occasional outliers like "Thor: Ragnarok," "Black Panther" and "Ant Man." There are an infinite number of striking or subtle ways that comic book writers and artists can convey exposition, character details, psychological states, and simultaneous events occurring in parallel storylines; you can do stuff like expand a single decisive instant so that it fills up six pages, or show Spider-Man swinging through midtown Manhattan in a one-page splash panel dotted with thought balloons that summarize a year's worth of his life. But in the sorts of Marvel films that the MCU has released since 2008, we've mostly gotten stuck in linear time, which is where most commercial narratives unfold. Most of the scenes in "Infinity War" fall into one of two categories: (1) scenes where people go into rooms or out onto the street and talk to each other, and (2) action sequences where characters banter while punching and zapping each other and dodging falling rocks, buildings, and spaceships and trying not to get sucked into time-space portals.

There's only so much information that can be put across when you've limited your storytelling in that way. The ticking clock proves a more formidable enemy than Thanos. There are only so many moments or lines that "Infinity War" can give, say, to Tony and Pepper; or to Bruce and Natasha, who had a powerful connection in "Age of Ultron," got separated soon after, and are confined to a couple of brief exchanges here; or to Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), who are stuck doing comic relief when they aren't suffering greatly or setting up Peter to make some very bad, dumb choices. Heimdall (Idris Elba), The Collector (Benecio Del Toro) and Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) are barely in the film. Cap gets maybe two dozen lines and a few meaningful glances, mostly aimed at Sebastian Stan's Bucky/Winter Soldier, who has even less to do. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther, who anchored his own marvelous feature just a few months ago, is reduced to a glorified field general in "Infinity War," standing alongside Okoye (Danai Gurira) and M'Baku (Winston Duke) and watching Thanos' troops burn, trample, and otherwise disfigure the countryside (an image that's more upsetting, for various reasons, than a lot of Thanos' violence against individuals).

Another downside of packing so many people into one film—so many that they apparently had to cut a few; the film's IMDb page lists numerous major players who are nowhere to be seen—is that you start to notice that certain characters are redundant variations on/photocopies of other characters, a realization that you might not have had if you were were watching them star in their own self-contained movies. Putting Tony, Peter Parker and Peter Quill in the same scenes, for instance, might sound like a slam dunk, but once you spend a few minutes with them, the barrage of wise-assery becomes grating. It's like being stuck at a party where every other guy in the room mistakenly believes he's the funny one. (The scenes between Thor and the Guardians are much better because Thor plays the straight man to Quill, who is threatened by his awesome masculine beauty.)

As is often the case in Russo-directed Marvel movie, the humor comes across more vividly than the action. ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier," with its paranoid thriller stylings and brutal, close-quarters action, is still their zenith.) The movie makes excellent use of Thor and his trickster brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), and gives Hemsworth more chances to show off his formidable deadpan (when Rocket expresses amazement that he can speak Groot's language, he explains, "They taught it on Asgard—it was an elective"). But the joking around doesn't so much complement the film's dark material as clash with it and undermine it. The self-aware humor that the MCU has always done so well ends up working against "Infinity War" in the end. Marvel's "just kidding" sensibility was a refreshing counterweight to the fashionable darkness of early DC Universe movies, as well as to the "dark & gritty" mode that became a global pop culture default after the success of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies. But if there was ever a time for Marvel to bust out the Zack Snyder-style, heavy-metal gloom and slap the smirk off its own face, it's here, in a film that's mostly about summoning the courage to fight battles that you know you can't win, and accepting the likelihood of dying on your knees with your head held high.

This movie shouldn't just engage and amuse and occasionally move us; it should shock and scar us. It should kill Ned Stark and Optimus Prime and Bambi's mommy, then look us in the eye after each fresh wound and say, "Sorry, love. These things happen." The last 15 minutes have the flavor of that sort of trauma, but without the actual trauma. Deep down, we all know that modern superhero movies are operating with even lower dramatic stakes than Star Wars or James Bond movies: beloved characters rarely stay dead after they've been killed, and no plot development, no matter how grave, is irreversible, so there's no possible way that what seems to be happening on the screen could really be happening. But we shouldn't be thinking about any of that as we watch Thanos hurt characters we've grown to love and cast the universe into ruin. The very sight should rip our hearts out.  

from All Content https://ift.tt/2qVkXR9

[thatsnotcanonpodcasts]

Solar Farms, C.O.D Child Soldiers & Zoids

We wear horn-rimmed glasses with a heavy duty lens, button down shirts and a pocket full of pens. That’s right the Nerds are back again with another episode that some may say is entertaining, a few might go so far as to describe it as educational, but it is Nerd operated and focused. This week we don’t have a fabulous show for you all, sorry, no it is in fact AWESOME!!! We have some absolutely mind blowing news that is as revolutionary as going from an 8 bit operating system to a 32 bit IBM back in the 70’s.

First up Buck has news about the English finally realising that the areas around solar farms etc can actually be used as green space and help provide habitat for the endangered wildlife. We don’t mean the DJ after he gets a bit of static electricity from scuffing his feet in the wool carpet either. No, we mean birds and the like that some grotty people have destroyed the homes of. This sparks the discussion of how can we implement similar measures to improve society. Have you heard about the bladeless wind turbines? We have and even have a link, they are so cool and even more environmentally friendly.

Next up is the Professor with child soldier. Oops, sorry, that is supposed to read Call of Duty Modern Warfare (the latest of the latest of the most recent up to date Modern Warfare – we think). Yep, if you are still wondering why the put in the Airport chapter in the other Modern warfare (don’t ask or we will look at you like a dog when you do something silly) we have something equally confronting, pointless and kind strange even. No not DJ either for those smarty pants who were going to say it. Nope, they have child soldiers in the latest instalment of, oh you get the drift. Well apparently some people are upset about it, surprise surprise surprise, you just put on the Robin Williams voice for that didn’t you. Well we talk about this and Mobile Suit Gundam, how do these topics link? Listen in, and find out.

The next topic is about the Zoids franchise delivering a new manga series for us all to enjoy. That’s right folks, a new series to further expand your library, your mind, and lighten your wallet. We are still light on the details but hopefully it is going to maintain that high level of fun, entertainment and action that we all love.

Now, for the Marvel fans we apologise (Buck says no we don’t); but, Batman is getting a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. That’s right, the caped crusader is being recognised and celebrated. The first Super hero to be so recognised, and it is DC first once again. This is part of our usual line up of shout outs, remembrances, birthdays and special events. We hope you enjoy, take care of yourselves and look out for each other, remember to stay hydrated, catch you all next Bat time, on the same Bat channel.

EPISODE NOTES:

Solar Farms - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/07/solar-farms-to-create-natural-habitats-for-threatened-british-species

Call of Duty modern warfare’s child soldier - https://www.greenmangaming.com/newsroom/2019/06/21/call-of-duty-modern-warfares-child-soldier-level-raises-eyebrows/

Zoids franchise gets a new manga - https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-06-23/zoids-franchise-gets-new-manga-in-august/.148187

Games currently playing

Professor

– My Friend Pedro - https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/my-friend-pedro-switch/

Buck

– Assassin’s Creed 2 - https://store.steampowered.com/app/33230/Assassins_Creed_2_Deluxe_Edition/

DJ

– Mortal Kombat 11 - https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/mortal-kombat-11-ps4/

Other topics discussed

2016 South Australia Blackouts

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_South_Australian_blackout

Bladeless wind turbines

Photo- https://www.technologyreview.com/i/images/bladeless.turbinex392.jpg?sw=280

Vortex Bladeless Turbine - https://vortexbladeless.com/

Protest at South Brisbane

- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-27/brisbane-protestors-lock-themselves-together/11251358?WT.ac=localnews_brisbane

German nuclear power plants shutting down

- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13592208

7 Years later, Fukushima is still leaking radioactive waste

- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/29/national/seven-years-radioactive-water-fukushima-plant-still-flowing-ocean-study-finds/

Chernobyl (2019 HBO miniseries)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_(miniseries)

Off with the Fairies (That’s not Canon Podcast)

- https://thatsnotcanon.com/offwiththefairies

Famous Assassinations

- Georgi Markov: Death by Ricin via umbrella - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgi_Markov

- Alexander Litvinenko: Death by radioactive polonium-210 poisoning - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko

- Other famous assassinations - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/06/poisoned-umbrellas-and-polonium-russian-linked-uk-deaths

No Russian (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 mission)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Russian

Spec Ops: The Line’s new feature

- https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-09-spec-ops-the-line-lets-you-shoot-unarmed-civilians-angry-mobs

Songs of a War Boy by Deng Adut

- https://www.amazon.com.au/Songs-War-Boy-bestselling-biography-ebook/dp/B01HDL3LI6

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Mecha anime series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suit_Gundam:_Iron-Blooded_Orphans

First impressions of 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare by Dean Takahashi

- https://venturebeat.com/2019/05/30/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-impressions-taking-war-in-a-frightening-direction/

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 no single campaign

- https://www.polygon.com/2018/5/18/17366980/call-of-duty-black-ops-4-no-single-player-campaign

EA calls loot boxes “surprise mechanics”

- https://www.pcgamer.com/au/ea-calls-loot-boxes-surprise-mechanics-and-compares-them-to-kinder-eggs/

Zoids (Franchise)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoids

Zoids anime series in chronological order

- Zoids: Chaotic Century (1999 anime series) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoids:_Chaotic_Century

- Zoids: New Century (2001 anime series) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoids:_New_Century

Internet Chat Programs

IRC (Internet Chat Relay) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat

ICQ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICQ

Dial up internet

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial-up_Internet_access

Napster (file sharing program)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napster

Chris Hemsworth gets a Hollywood star

- https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/21/chris-hemsworth-scores-himself-a-star-on-the-hollywood-walk-of-fame-10023662/

R.I.P Bryan Marshall (1938 – 2019)

- Bio - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Marshall

- Captain Talbot (007 character played by Bryan Marshall) - https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Commander_Talbot

Criminal penguins narrated by David Attenborough

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M--8devfaaA

Shoutouts

21 Jun 2019 - BATMAN Finally Gets a Star on HOLLYWOOD Walk of Fame - https://www.newsarama.com/45714-batman-finally-gets-a-star-on-hollywood-walk-of-fame.html

24 Jun 2019 – 30 Years since Australia First Connected To The Internet - https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/06/30-years-since-australia-first-connected-to-the-internet-weve-come-a-long-way/

25 Jun 2019 – 10 years since Michael Jackson died - https://news.yahoo.com/looking-back-michael-jacksons-legacy-195632565.html

Remembrances

25 Jun 1997 - Jacques Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the Aqua-lung, pioneered marine conservation and was a member of the Académie française. Cousteau described his underwater world research in a series of books, perhaps the most successful being his first book, The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure, published in 1953. Cousteau also directed films, most notably the documentary adaptation of the book, The Silent World, which won a Palme d'or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. He died of a heart attack in Paris - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cousteau

25 Jun 2009 – Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest entertainers. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Michael made his professional debut in 1964 with his elder brothers Jackie,Tito,Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5. He began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records, and in the early 1980s, became a dominant figure in popular music. His music videos, including those for "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized complicated dance techniques such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His sound and style have influenced artists of various genres. He died of homicide at 50 in Los Angeles, California - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

25 Jun 2011 - Annie Easley was a female African-American computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist. She worked for the Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). She was a leading member of the team which developed software for the Centaur rocket stage, and was one of the first African-Americans to work as a computer scientist at NASA. She died of natural causes in Cleveland, Ohio - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Easley

Famous Birthdays

25 Jun 1903 - George Orwell, was an English novelist and essayist, journalist and critic, whose work is characterised by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism. As a writer, Orwell produced literary criticism and poetry, fiction and polemical journalism; and is best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In 2008, The Times ranked George Orwell second among "The 50 greatest British writers, since 1945". Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian" — describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices — is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", and "Hate week", "Room 101", the "memory hole", and "Newspeak", "doublethink" and "proles", "unperson" and "thoughtcrime". He was born in Motihari,Bengal Presidency which is present-day East Champaran, Bihar - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell

25 Jun 1928 – Peyo, Belgian cartoonist, best-known for his comic strips The Smurfs and Johan and Peewit, in which the Smurfs first appeared. In 1960, Peyo founded a studio to accommodate his assistants such as François Walthéry, Gos, and Marc Wasterlain and created the series Steven Strong and Jacky and Célestin. Peyo's output diminished in the 1970s, at first due to the time he invested in the film The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1976); in the 1980s, he put in more time, despite recurring health problems, into an American adaptation of The Smurfs as an animated television series. He was born in Brussels - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyo

25 Jun 1864 - Walther Hermann Nernst, German chemist known for his work in thermodynamics, physical chemistry, electrochemistry, and solid state physics. His formulation of the Nernst heat theorem helped pave the way for thethird law of thermodynamics, for which he won the 1920 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He is also known for developing the Nernst equation in 1887. He was born in Briesen,West Prussia which is now Wąbrzeźno,Poland - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_Nernst

Events of Interest

23 Jun 1989 – Tim Burton’s Batman was released worldwide - https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/batman-turns-30-all-of-the-big-screen-batmen-definitively-ranked-20190624-p520m4.html

24 Jun 1994 – The Lion King was released worldwide - https://www.eonline.com/news/1049787/the-lion-king-turns-25-everything-you-need-to-know-about-disney-s-original-trip-to-pride-rock

25 Jun 1678 – Venetian Elena Cornaro Piscopia is the first woman awarded a doctorate of philosophy when she graduates from the University of Padua. - https://wordsmusicandstories.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/25-june-1678-the-first-woman-who-graduated/

25 Jun 2018 - Harley-Davidson plans to shift some motorcycle production away from the US to avoid the "substantial" burden of European Union tariffs. - https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44604280

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'Males in Black: Worldwide' leads field workplace with muted $28 million

http://tinyurl.com/yyhjg3wh LOS ANGELES (Selection.com) – Hollywood appears to be coming down with a contagious case of franchise fatigue this summer season, as “Males in Black: Worldwide” and “Shaft” develop into the most recent sequels largely dismissed by moviegoers in North America. FILE PHOTO: Tessa Thompson poses for an image throughout a photocall for the movie “Males in Black: Worldwide” forward of its Russian premiere, in Moscow, Russia June 6, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photograph Sony’s “Males in Black: Worldwide” led ticket gross sales on the field workplace this weekend with $28.5 million, however nonetheless fell in need of expectations. These receipts symbolize roughly half of what the earlier installments within the sci-fi sequence earned throughout their first weekend in theaters. The newest entry, toplined by Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth, wasn’t anticipated to succeed in the identical heights as the unique movies starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, however analysts anticipated a begin above $30 million. Directed by F. Gary Grey, the sequel sees Thompson and Hemsworth workforce up as black-suited brokers defending the Earth from a sequence of alien assaults. “Males in Black: Worldwide” is now banking on moviegoers abroad to make the motion journey a success. Sony co-financed the film with Hemisphere and Tencent, spending $110 million to supply the movie, roughly half of what it value to make “MIB 3.” Critics praised the chemistry between Hemsworth and Thompson, who first shared the display in “Thor: Ragnarok,” however evaluations have been in any other case uninspired for the follow-up, which comes seven years after the most recent installment and 25 years after the primary movie. It carries a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences have been equally unenthusiastic, giving “MIB: Worldwide” a B CinemaScore. “Males in Black: Worldwide” wasn’t the one sequel this weekend that bought the chilly shoulder from ticket consumers. Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Shaft,” starring Samuel L. Jackson, flopped with a dismal $8.Three million in gross sales from 2,952 places. That’s lower than half of what field workplace watchers predicted the follow-up would make in its first three days of launch. By comparability, 2000’s “Shaft” debuted with $21.7 million. The newest remake reunites three technology of Shaft males, performed by Jackson, Jessie Usher, and Richard Roundtree, who starred within the unique 1971 film. It carries a $30 million price ticket. Optimistic evaluations didn’t salvage this weekend’s different new nationwide providing, Amazon’s “Late Night time.” The comedy, written by Kaling and co-starring Kaling and Emma Thompson, completed in ninth place with $5.1 million after the studio expanded the comedy to 2,220 venues. It debuted in restricted launch final weekend, accumulating a strong $249,654, which brings ticket gross sales to $5.Four million. “Late Night time,” a couple of TV host who makes a various rent to save lots of her discuss present from changing into a rankings catastrophe, was well-received after premiering at Sundance, the place Amazon shelled out $14 million for distribution rights in one of many largest gross sales of the pageant. The ultimate newcomer this weekend was “The Lifeless Don’t Die,” Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy starring Adam Driver, Billy Murray, Selena Gomez, and Chloe Sevigny. The movie, which debuted to blended evaluations at Cannes, opened at No. 12 with $2.35 million from 613 theaters. Based on Focus Options, the studio distributing the film, that determine marks the most important opening weekend of Jarmusch’s profession. Males accounted for 58% of tickets offered, whereas 64% of audiences have been over the age of 35. “We’re thrilled to see Jim’s largest opening and his high grossing weekend ever with this movie,” mentioned Lisa Bunnell, Focus Options’ president of distribution. “His distinctive tackle the zombie style delivers his signature model of humor, fashion and substance for moviegoers.” In a not-so-distant second place, Common and Illumination’s “The Secret Lifetime of Pets 2” introduced in $23 million throughout its sophomore weekend of launch, marking a 49% decline from its inaugural outing. The animated sequel has now earned $92 million in North America. Disney’s “Aladdin,” a live-action remake of the Arabian musical cartoon, nabbed the No. Three spot throughout its fourth weekend in theaters. It collected one other $17 million, boosting its home haul to $264 million. One other Disney title, “X-Males” entry “Darkish Phoenix,” was a big-budget misstep final weekend. It dropped to fourth place, including $9 million, an enormous 73% downturn in ticket gross sales in comparison with its first weekend in theaters. Rounding out the highest 5 is Paramount’s “Rocketman.” The fantasy biopic, which sees an impressed Taron Egerton dramatize the life and instances of Sir Elton John, picked up $8.Eight million in its third outing for a complete of $66 million in North America. Total, ticket gross sales on the home field workplace are down simply over 7% in comparison with final 12 months, in line with Comscore. Various upcoming blockbuster-hopefuls, together with Disney’s “Toy Story 4” and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Far From Dwelling,” expect to breath some life into an in any other case lackluster summer season moviegoing season. Our Requirements:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Source link

[ljones41]

"THOR: RAGNAROK" (2017) Review

"THOR: RAGNAROK" (2017) Review Until last fall, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has released three films each for only two of the franchise's characters - Iron Man and (allegedly) Captain America. With the release of "THOR: RAGNAROK", the God of Thunder became the third character to end up with three solo films. 

Directed by Taika Waititi, "THOR: RAGNAROK" told the story of Asgardian prince Thor's efforts to prevent the destruction of his world, Asgard, from his aggressive and more powerful sister, Hela. The movie is the franchise's version of a similar story featured in one of the Marvel Comics titles for the Thor character. Screenwriters Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost also used elements from the 2006 Marvel story, "Planet Hulk" to include the Dr. Bruce Banner aka the Hulk into the movie's plot. Set four years after the events of "THOR: THE DARK WORLD" and two-and-half years after the events of "THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON", this film begins with Thor as a prisoner of the fire demon Surtur in Muspelheim. Thor had went there to search for the remaining Infinity Stones. Surtur reveals that Thor's father Odin is no longer on Asgard, and that the Asgardian realm will soon be destroyed in the prophesied Ragnarök, once Surtur unites his crown with the Eternal Flame that burns in Odin's vault. However, Thor frees himsel, defeats Surtur and claims the latter's crown, believing he has prevented Ragnarök aka the Asgardian version of the Apocalypse. Upon his return to Asgard, Thor discovers that his adoptive brother Loki has been posing as Odin. He also finds that a warrior named Skurge has replaced the all-seeing Heimdall as the Bifröst Bridge's sentry. Thor forces Loki to help him find Odin on Earth. With assistance from the sorcerer Dr. Stephen Strange, the pair finds Odin Norway. The latter explains that he is dying and that his passing will free his ambitious firstborn child, Hela the Goddess of Death, out of a prison in which she had been sealed. When he finally dies, Hela appears on Earth, destroys Thor's hammer Mjolnir and demands loyalty from him and Loki. Instead, the two brothers attempt to flee via the Bifröst Bridge. Unfortunately, Hela pursues them and forces them out into space to die. Hela ends up in Asgard and violently assume control of the throne. Thor crash lands on a garbage planet called Sakaar. There, he is captured by a bounty hunter, whom recognizes as a Valkryrie named Brünnhilde, and forced to participate as a gladiator for the planet's "Contest of Champions". He also discovers that Loki has become a companion of Sakaar's leader, the Grandmaster. And that Bruce Banner aka the Hulk has been a champion gladiator on Sakaar ever since his disappearance, following the Sokovia battle over two years ago. Thor not only needs to survive a match against the Hulk, but also escape from Sakaar and prevent his sister's complete control over Asgard and her plans for expanding the realm's empire. "THOR: RAGNAROK" had received a great deal of praise from film critics upon its release. In fact, the movie went on to become a box office hit. In a way, I could see why. The basic narrative for "THOR: RAGNAROK" struck me as a rare thing for a MCU solo film - an epic in the making. Thor facing a possible apocalypse for Asgard, a gladiator match against a fellow ex-Avenger, and more family drama from the Asgard Royal Family. "THOR: RAGNAROK" had the potential to be another "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER". There was a good number of things I really enjoyed about "THOR: RAGNAROK". One, I enjoyed director Taika Waititi's use of the Led Zeppelin tune, "Immigrant Song" around the film's beginning and near the end rather effective. I was also impressed by Joel Negron and Zene Baker's editing for the film. Their work seemed especially impressive in the scenes that featured Thor's chaotic arrival on Sakaar and his gladiator match with the Hulk. I also found Javier Aguirresarobe's cinematography very colorful . . . almost outstanding. Hell, there was one scene featuring Hela's past conflict with the Valkyries that reminded me of Larry Fong's work with director Zack Snyder:

Much has been said about the humor that permeated "THOR: RAGNAROK", thanks to the screenwriters and especially Taika Waititi's direction. I cannot say that I had enjoyed all the humor featured in the film. But there were a few scenes that I found particularly funny. One included Loki's play about Odin's grief over his fake death. This scene featured Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth and Sam Neill portraying Loki, Thor and Odin respectively. Brünnhilde's first appearance in the movie, in which she is drunk as a skunk, struck me as rather funny, thanks to Tessa Thompson's performance. Another scene I found hilarious was Thor and the Hulk's first meeting inside the Sakaar arena, along with Loki's fearful reaction to seeing the latter again. But the funniest scene - at least for me - featured Thor forcing a reluctant Loki to play a "Get Help!"trick (something from their childhood) on one of the Grandmaster's minions. The movie featured some first-rate performances. Chris Hemsworth gave his usual first-rate performance as Asgard's crown prince, Thor. Tom Hiddleston was equally impressive as the mischievous and self-absorbed Loki. Cate Blanchett chewed the scenery in grand style as Thor and Loki's power hungry sister, Hela. Tessa Thompson gave a skillful performance as the ambiguous former Valkyrie, Brünnhilde, who used alcohol to runaway from painful memories. Mark Ruffalo was excellent as both the mild-mannered Dr. Bruce Banner and his alter ego, the Hulk; who seemed more happy as a worshiped gladiator on Sakaar than as a wanted fugitive/Avenger on Earth. Jeff Goldblum was his colorful self as the Grandmaster; the gregarious, yet tyrannical and self-absorbed leader of Sakaar. Idris Elba provided much needed gravitas as Asgard's former gatekeeper, Heimdall, who found himself the leader of the realm's refugees from Hela's reign. Karl Urban was surprisingly entertaining as the boastful warrior Skurge, who would do anything to survive Hela's reign. The movie featured two cameos. Benedict Cumberbatch made a solid cameo appearance as the arrogant sorcerer, Dr. Stephen Strange. However, Anthony Hopkins' cameo as the dying Odin struck me as poignant and a lot more effective. Despite all of the above, despite the critical acclaim, "THOR: RAGNAROK" proved to be rather disappointing for me in the end. What went wrong? One problem I had with this film was its treatment of certain characters. Remember Lady Sif and the Warriors Three? Thor's closest friends who had traveled all the way to Earth to find him in "THOR"? And who helped him defy Odin and leave Asgard with Loki and Dr. Jane Foster in order to remove one of the Infinity Stones - the Aether - from the realm and the Dark Elves? Well . . . Lady Sif never made an appearance in this film. One would assume that actress Jamie Alexander had scheduling conflicts with her TV series, "BLINDSPOT". Then why not hire another actress to portray Lady Sif . . . as they had did with Fandral? But not only was Lady Sif missing, she was not even mentioned in this film. That was quite a head shaker for me. Another head shaker were the fates of the Warrior Three - Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun. Both Fandral and Volstagg were immediately killed by Hela upon her arrival on Asgard. I found that so disappointing and a waste of both Zachary Levi and Ray Stevenson's time. At least Tadanobu Asano's Hogun was able to speak more than one line and engage in a brief fight with Hela before she eventually dispatched him. But what made this so damn annoying was that Thor was never told about his friends' deaths on screen. Audiences never got a chance to see him react to their deaths. Believe it or not, I also had a problem with the Hulk. Well . . . I had a problem with his ability to form near complete sentences. How did that happened? Aside from uttering the phrase "Hulk smash!" in the 2008 movie, "THE INCREDIBLE HULK", I do not recall him ever speaking any sentences - complete or not. Not when he was portrayed by Eric Bana, Edward Norton or Mark Ruffalo. What I found even more puzzling was Thor's lack of surprise over the Hulk's conversational skills. Odin's death was handled in an equally questionable manner. First of all, from what did he died? What caused Odin's death? Being away from Asgard for so long? If so, the movie's screenplay was very vague in conveying this. And why did Odin's death lead to Hela's appearance on Earth? If she was in a prison, why did she not appear in Asgard upon her father's death? That made no sense to me. Movie audiences learned that Thor and Dr. Jane Foster finally had their breakup, following his departure from Earth two years earlier. I am already annoyed at Kevin Feige for hinting that Jane was not worthy of being Thor's love interest. Not worthy? Why? Because she was not a skilled fighter with or without super strength who wielded a sword or gun? Fuck Kevin Feige and his sexist bullshit. What made the news of the breakup even worse is that the news of Thor and Jane's breakup was treated as comic relief. Thor's breakup with a woman with whom he was in love for four years . . . was treated as a joke? Natalie Portman was right to dump this franchise. If "THOR: RAGNAROK" was about the God of Thunder's attempt to prevent Asgard from experiencing Ragnarok (or an apocalypse), why in the hell did it focus on Thor's activities in Sakaar for so damn long? Why did the movie stay on that damn planet for so long? Once Thor and the Hulk's gladiator's match had ended, I figured it would not be long before Thor would have left Sakaar with the Hulk, Loki and Brünnhilde. Instead, it nearly took them FOREVER to get off that planet. It was sheer torture watching Thor trying to convince the Hulk and Brünnhilde to help him get off the planet. And I found Loki's backstabbing shenanigans not only unoriginal, but lame. Come to think of it, I found Loki's presence in this film rather lame . . . except in the movie's last twenty minutes or so. He more or less became a punching bag for Thor and everyone else, than the dangerous and tricky villain he used to be. Once "the Revengers", as Thor called himself and the others, arrived on Asgard, it was . . . eh. I just did not care at that point. Their final conflict with Hela and Thor's decision to kick star Ragnarok (using Surtur's crown and the Eternal Flame) just could not lift me from my apathy toward this film. But what really sank "THOR: RAGNAROK" for me was the humor. I do not mind the occasional use of humor in an action film like this. I do not even mind when there is more humor than usual - especially in films like "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" and "ANT-MAN". But what I could not deal with was a barrage of humor in a narrative that featured the possible apocalypse of Asgard, the deaths of familiar characters and the further drama of the Asgardian Royal Family. Nearly everything was transformed into a joke - from Thor's discovery of Loki's impersonation of Odin, Brünnhilde's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTS) over the deaths of her fellow Valkyries, the reason behind the Hulk's longing to remain on Sakaar, the revelation over Thor and Jane's breakup, the Sakaarians' decision to rebel against the Grandmaster, and Hela's revelations to Skurge about hers and Odin's murderous creation of the Asgardian Empire. These were all plot points that should have been treated with a good deal more gravitas. And I could not believe that Waititi forced moviegoers to watch Thor argue with the Hulk's S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet over who was the most powerful Avenger. I mean . . . really? The Hulk actually went out of his way to program the jet's computer to acknowledge him as the most powerful Avenger? That scene was so unfunny that in the end, it became sheer torture to watch. Hela's constant complaints about her father's failure to appreciate her only reminded me of Loki's petulant man pain in "THOR". Only her carping was punctuated by jokes and witty comments. Worse, this barrage of humor prevented the screenplay from exploring Hela's revelations about Asgard's imperial past. The overuse of humor also transformed Thor's character. Everyone made such a big deal about Chris Hemsworth's comedic talents in recent years that I suspect that Marvel had decided to exploit it in this third Thor movie. Well, it turned out to be too much, as far as I was concerned. I have been aware of Hemsworth's comedic talents since "THOR" back in 2011. But Marvel picked the wrong movie and the wrong director to exploit that talent to an excessive degree. Hemsworth came off as some semi-witty California surfer than the Asgardian God of Thunder. Between the characterizations, the dramatic moments robbed for the sake of humor and the barrage of jokes, it was just too much. Unlike many film critics and MCU fans, I have always enjoyed the franchise's Thor films. Well, I certainly did enjoy the first two featuring Chris Hemsworth. But I cannot say the same about this third film, "THOR: RAGNAROK". It both annoyed and disappointed me on so many levels. Although I found the cast led by Hemsworth rather first-rate, I was disappointed by some of the film's characterizations and the plot holes. But I was especially disappointed by the film's use of humor. In the end, Kevin Feige, Marvel Films, the movie's screenwriters and Taika Waititi took a potentially epic comic book movie and transformed it into a long, goddamn joke fest. By the time I left the movie theater, I felt disgusted.

[shakeel786blog]

Thor: Ragnarok (English) Review – Bollywood Hungama

Back in 2011, we saw the release of the film THOR featuring Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder, later in 2013 we saw him return in THE DARK WORLD and save the earth with assistance from his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Since then we have seen the God of Thunder return as a part of the Avengers series where he fought alongside earth’s mightiest warriors to defend the planet again from Ultron. Well, now we see him return to the big screen with the film THOR: RAGNAROK. But will the film which is the third in the series work as a ‘Marvel’ at the box office or will it like some of the other sequels fail to match up to the previous films. Let’s analyse.

First off, THOR: RAGNAROK starts off with the God of Thunder imprisoned on the other side of the universe. Here he finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). From here on the film follows Thor’s journey as he battles Hela with the assistance of his brother Loki and others. But will the Asgardian succeed in defeating the all-powerful Hela or will his world fall, is what makes up the rest of the film.

The film starts off with a monologue by Thor who is being held captive on an alien planet in chains. From here, the film introduces Surtur voiced by Clancy Brown who explains that he is the reckoning of Asgard. After learning this, Thor who has of late been plagued with visions of his home world being destroyed promptly goes ahead and vanquishes his foe. One done, Thor heads back to Asgard only to learn that Odin (Anthony Hopkins) isn’t really who he seems to be. Post learning this, he then sets out on a mission to find his father and restore Asgard back to its glory. Thor accompanied by Loki finds Odin only to be told that his time has come, and along with that Hela the goddess of death will be released from her prison. Hela, who was once Odin’s right hand grew too powerful and her thirst to acquire the throne of Asgard lead her to be imprisoned.

After Odin’s death, Thor and Loki come face to face with Hela, who proves to be too strong for them. In an attempt to flee back to Asgard via the bifrost, the two inadvertently offer Hela a ride back as well. While on the way back to Asgard, within the bifrost beam, a second skirmish breaks out which tosses Loki and Thor into the abyss. Fortunately, both of them land separately on the plant Sakaar. Here, Thor who lands much after Loki finds himself being held prisoner yet again, this time without the assistance of his hammer Molinor that was destroyed in the first fight with Hela. Sakaar, which is ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), is a planet of the rejects who live to witness the gladiatorial fights that are a regular feature. Thor who has shown potential as a warrior is pitted against the Grandmaster’s champion who happens to be the Hulk. Thrilled at seeing a familiar face, Thor tries his best to get the mindless brute to assist him in returning back to Asgard to defeat Hela. In the meantime back on Asgard, Hela reigns supreme as she lays waste to the entire Asgardian army while resurrecting her own army of the dead. What follows is a grand battle between Thor and Hela with Asgard as the prize.

Chris Hemsworth, who has reprised the role of Thor in the previous films as well, does a good job with the character. However, given the fact that unlike the previous films in the Thor series, RAGNAROK features a lot more colour combined with a fun comic elements that keep the proceedings peppy and fast. Tom Hiddleston as Loki is good in his part as the god of mischief; however it is Cate Blanchett as Hela who steals the show. Very rarely do you see a character developed with such power and menace that just the visual of her can make your hair stand. The last time a character like this was seen on screen, it was in The Dark Knight with Heath Ledger essaying the role of the Joker. Due credit goes to the writers of the film who have done a marvelous job of interweaving a back story for Hela into the film’s proceedings without diverging from the current track.

Another point to mention here is the background score that keeps up the tempo to match the on-screen visuals and the constant exchange of witty lines that makes the film a fun watch.

Coupled with the performances, the VFX team have done an equally brilliant job of bringing a fantasy world to life. From costumes to the massive explosions and the larger than life action sequences, the team has done a stellar and seamless job of merging live action with CGI.

On the whole, THOR: RAGNAROK that features witty one liners, sarcastic humour and plenty of action makes for a fun watch. Well timed comic sequences and well-choreographed action sequences aplenty make the film a perfect masala entertainer. At the Indian box office, THOR: RAGNAROK stands a good chance of posting impressive numbers given that it’s releasing on a big scale and in multiple languages.

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