Yogi’s blatant Thakurwad during the last five years is also generating a new social mobilisation. Dalits and several backward castes are drifting away from the BJP. Even a section of Brahmins is not too happy with the BJP in UP. There are also reports of Muslims going for strategic voting with even Asaduddin Owasi’s rhetoric apparently failing to sway them.
UP seems to be drifting away from Kamandal and moving again towards Mandal in this round of elections.
It must be alarming news for the BJP. Old timers in the state have for long believed that if Lucknow slips out of a political party’s grip, Delhi too becomes difficult to retain. With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections not too far now, signs of an insecure Lucknow must be causing serious concern to BJP bosses in Delhi. So, there is a desperate attempt to secure power somehow in Lucknow.
Unfortunately for the BJP, it has had to fall back upon religion and hate to win elections, although temple politics seems to have considerably lost its appeal. The call for temples in Ayodhya-Kashi-Mathura, as anticipated,has been given but it is just not selling like the Ram temple did in the 1990s.
The problem with the BJP in UP now is that there is no visible Muslim ‘enemy’ like Babri Masjid Action Committee to provoke and incite a Hindu backlash now. There is no Muslim resistance to Kashi or Mathura temples like there was to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
So, how to build up hate for Muslims and paint them as the enemy in Hindu minds? Bring Muslims somehow to the streets, let fanatic Muslims retaliate in kind and hold out threats so that a Hindu backlash builds up.
The opposition in Gurugram to the devout offering Friday namaz in designated public places, after mosques were shut down and permission for adding floors to existing mosques was withheld, the call for genocide and the auction of Muslim women online are all designed to provoke a Muslim backlash. Once a fanatic Muslim leadership emerges as the community spokesperson, it would be easier to conjure and sell an Aurangzeb versus Shivaji binary to the Hindus.
Harry Potter is one of the film sagas most valued by fans and has been growing since the release of The Philosopher’s Stone, the first movie released and based on the books by J. K. Rowling.
For the 20th anniversary, the production has decided to celebrate this date with a competition that will test the knowledge of the fans.
In Episode 1, the two Houses that fought were Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Three rounds of trivia were played, generated from a video board that featured clips from the movies, quotes, parts of the books, and other media that are part of the fan franchise.
Even some Harry Potter celebrities asked questions.
The rounds have a variety of unexpected elements that create exciting challenges for even the most knowledgeable Harry Potterplayers.
Every winning house will advance to the final.
The losing house will go to a wild card round. That means that, wherever the fans qualify, they can compete for the prize.
Recall that the competition involves four groups of fans within the four well-known Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
How to watch
The battle for the House Cup Championship will begin on November 28, 2021 at 8 P.M/E.T. The first episode of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses will air on both TBS and Cartoon Network as part of its ACME Night.
When does Episode 2 of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses air?
New episodes of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses will air weekly on Sundays at 8 P.M/E.T. Here is a schedule for the pilot season of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses.
Episode 1: Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff November 28, 2021
Episode 2: Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin December 5, 2021
When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel their legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately…murder.
Director:
Ridley Scott |
Stars:
Lady Gaga,
Adam Driver,
Al Pacino,
Jeremy Irons
The third installment of “Fantastic Beasts,” the prequel series to “Harry Potter,” is coming to theaters sooner than expected.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” will now debut in cinemas on April 15, 2022. The fantasy flick was originally scheduled for a July 15 release.
The official title and release date were announced via the franchise’s Instagram account on Wednesday. The series is set several decades before Harry, Ron and Hermione enter the world of Hogwarts. The films focus on Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne), who becomes a close friend of a young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law).
“Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world,” reads the official synopsis for the film, according to Variety. “Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?”
“Fantastic Beasts 3” will premiere in April 2022.fantasticbeastsmovie Instagram
The third “Fantastic Beasts” movie follows 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” and 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
The third flick caused some chatter among Potterheads in November when Johnny Depp departed the Warner Bros. production. The 58-year-old actor, who played the villain Gellert Grindelwald, exited the series when he lost his libel case against UK publication the Sun after it published an article in 2018 that labeled him as a “wife-beater.”
Mads Mikkelsen is replacing Depp as Grindelwald, joining actors Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler and Jessica Williams.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” megastar is still getting paid for the third “Fantastic Beasts” film despite his firing. Depp will be compensated more than $10 million for one tiny scene in the new movie.
In the video, master of ceremonies Helen Mirren surprises contestant Ryan, a mega fan of Albus Dumbledore, with the chance to try on the wizard’s hat. Watch!
After a little more than two decades since the premiere of the installment’s first film, the highly anticipated reunion, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, hit HBO Max on Saturday, Jan 1.
And while the magical reunion itself is enough to cause chatter amongst fans, it’s one small photo mistake that really has social media buzzing. Right at the beginning of the special, an image—which producers presumed was a younger picture of Emma Watson, 31—appeared on the screen. However, it’s since been confirmed that the childhood pic was actually of Emma Roberts, 30, not Watson.
Sharing the photo used in the special alongside a screenshot of the Scream Queens alum’s Instagram post from 2012, one fan wrote on Twitter, “GUYS HELP ME THATS LITERALLY EMMA ROBERTS NOT EMMA WATSON.”
After the small blunder hit social media, producers for the reunion special addressed the tiny error in a statement to E! News saying, “Well spotted Harry Potter fans! You brought an editing mistake of a mislabeled photograph to our attention. New version is up now.”
LAS CRUCES – Production of the movie “Knight” continued this week with scenes of an apparent bank heist being filmed downtown, though officials remained tight-lipped on who stars in the movie.
The New Mexico Film Office on Tuesday released some information on the production, stating filming of “Knight” will take place from late October through early November in Las Cruces.
“Knight is the story of a seasoned cop who foils a robbery and must save his daughter in the process,” the film office stated in a news release.
Ed Drake directs “Knight” and was on set Tuesday.
“The team of ‘Knight’ is very excited about filming in New Mexico,” Drake said in a news release. “We heard great things about crew and talent in New Mexico and of course the tax credit helped make it an easy decision to move the production here from Georgia.”
More:What we know about Alec Baldwin, a prop gun and a death on the set of ‘Rust’ movie
The production required some downtown street closures Tuesday and Wednesday and the City of Las Cruces issued a notice Monday that blank gunfire and small explosions will be part of scenes filmed at the Bank of the West BNP Paribas building at 201 N. Church St.
A Sun-News photographer near the set captured scenes being filmed of actors wearing ski masks and carrying prop guns. Other actors, unmasked, crouch behind vehicles marked “Metro Police,” in an apparent standoff with the bank robbers.
Rumors have been swirling online that Bruce Willis — the action movie star who helmed the “Die Hard” franchise — is starring in this film. A Sun-News photographer did not see Willis on set Tuesday, though one actor strongly resembled Willis.
When a reporter asked Drake whether Bruce Willis was on set yet, Drake responded, “No. No he’s not.”
Drake and Willis have collaborated on five projects in recent years. Willis starred in the 2020 film “Breach,” which Drake wrote. Drake is cited as the director of two movies released in 2021 in which Willis stars: “Cosmic Sin” and “Apex.” Willis costars with John Travolta in “Paradise City,” which is in post-production, according to the Internet Movie Database. Drake wrote that movie. Also in post-production, according to IMDB, is “Gasoline Alley,” which Drake is directing and in which Willis stars.
IMDB does not yet include “Knight” in its database.
The New Mexico Film Office stated the production will employ approximately 50 New Mexico crew members, 10 New Mexico principal actors, and 200 New Mexico background talent.
“Las Cruces is quickly becoming a location of choice because of the stunning locations, and supportive film office, but most importantly, because of the ability for productions to take full advantage of the competitive film incentive that New Mexico offers by shooting in an uplift zone,” Amber Dodson, director, New Mexico Film Office, said in the news release.
According to the New Mexico Film Office website, an uplift zone gives productions a 5% refundable credit for movies made at least 60 miles outside of Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties.
Film Las Cruces director Jonathan Sepp said three productions, including “Knight,” are scheduled to film in the area this fall and winter. He said the local film office would be limiting publicity about their activities aside from public safety announcements.
Others are reading:
COVID-19 death toll passes 5,000 in New Mexico, more than 30K cases in Doña Ana County
Many speak out against NMSU administration as Faculty Senate discusses no-confidence resolution
Will Halyna Hutchins’ death on the set of ‘Rust’ be a ‘breakthrough’ moment for Hollywood safety?
Ferris Bueller and Catch Me if You Can on Netflix. Pic credit: paramount / DreamWorks
Every month, Netflix makes significant changes. Several movies leave the service, while the streaming giant adds several others to its library.
The good news is that Netflix is always adding original movies to its service, meaning they are building a library that will never leave.
However, at the same time, they are also adding classics and newer releases for at least a limited time that fans can enjoy watching anything they want.
Here at Monsters Critics, we will keep track of the latest movies added to Netflix, both originals and the best older movies, and let you know our picks for what you should find to watch each month.
Updated in January 2022: These movies were all added to Netflix in the past four months and will be updated monthly, with the best new titles to watch. This list is for those films released in September 2021 through December 2021.
Released in 2021, Adam McKay directed the dark comedy Don’t Look Up. The movie was almost out of place in 2021 because it was often hard to laugh at situations that are all too real.
The movie starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two scientists who learn that a comet is racing toward Earth that could destroy all life on the planet.
The problem is that the politicians don’t care and ignore the threat while the world decides they are more interested in celebrity pregnancies and refuse to believe the scientists until it is too late.
The movie is a Netflix original and appears to be a front-runner for awards season.
The Power of the Dog (December 1)
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog. Pic credit: Netflix
A Netflix original movie hit in 2021 that has a chance to win a lot of awards when the Oscars comes around. This movie is a western drama called The Power of the Dog.
Directed by Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog tells the story of two brothers who meet a young woman who is raising her son alone. The brothers are Benedict Cumberbatch’s older, cruel Phil and Jesse Plemons younger, kind-hearted George.
While Phil tries to break down Rose (Kirsten Dunst), George really cares about her. This all leads to Rose’s son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) coming into the picture to do what he can to save his mother.
Tick Tick… Boom! (November 19)
Andrew Garfield in Tick Tick Boom. Pic credit: Netflix
Lin-Manuel Miranda made his directorial debut with the Netflix original movie Tick Tick… Boom!
The movie was based on the Broadway musical of the same name, an autobiographical stage place by Jonathan Larson. Larson was the man who created Rent, although he died before he could enjoy the praise that received.
Andrew Garfield is Larson, a man who realizes that time is slipping away and he seems to be growing further from his dreams, until the day he stops waiting and sets out to make them come true.
Minority Report (November 1)
Tom Cruise in Minority Report. Pic credit: Fox
Philip K. Dick wrote some of the most groundbreaking science fiction novels in history. He often approached issues of morality and the use of technology to break those moral codes.
Several of his stories became movies, including one that Spielberg directed — Minority Report.
The film starred Tom Cruise as a police officer in a dystopian future where technology working with a pair of precogs predicted crimes before they happened.
While the police had no problem arresting people before they ever committed a crime, when the machine claimed Cruise’s police officer was going to commit a murder, he went on the run to try to prove that he could stop the crime from happening.
Dracula (November 1)
Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Pic credit: Columbia Pictures
Francis Ford Coppola created his own movie in the world of the classic Universal Monster Dracula. This was Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with Gary Oldman playing the role of the vampire.
While the cast was questionable in some areas, especially with a miscast Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker, the movie was a huge success.
Dracula brought a gothic atmosphere to the story and focused more on that than the actual horror. It ended up winning three Oscars, including one for Makeup and one for Costume Design.
As Good as It Gets (October 1)
Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets. Pic credit: Sony
Jack Nicholson starred in the James L. Brooks romantic comedy As Good As It Gets in 1997.
This was a rare comedy for Nicholson, but it was a dry and smart comedy with Nicholson, who starred as an obsessive-compulsive novelist.
He is also misanthropic and homophobic and has to deal with the single mother (Helen Hunt) of a chronically ill son, and a gay artist (Greg Kinnear).
Nicholson and Hunt both won acting Oscars for the movie.
Gladiator (October 1)
Russell Crowe in Gladiator. Pic credit: DreamWorks
Ridley Scott directed one of his most successful movies in 2000 with Gladiator.
The movie took place in 180 AD when a Roman war general named Maximus stood loyally by his king. However, when the king died, betrayed by his son, Maximus was reduced to slavery and eventually the role of a gladiator.
Russell Crowe starred as Maximus and eventually led all the slaves and gladiators to freedom when he challenged the new king, while also avenging the murder of his own family.
Gladiator won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. It was also a box office success, making $457 million, the second-highest movie of the year.
Titanic (October 1)
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic. Pic credit: paramount Pictures
For many years, the most successful movie in history was Titanic.
James Cameron directed the movie about the sinking of the Titanic and shattered box office records. With Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the lead roles, the movie went on to make $1.84 billion – the first movie to ever surpass a billion dollars.
When Avatar broke those records, paramount re-released the movie and pushed it to over $2.195 billion.
It also picked up 14 Oscar nominations, at the time a tie for the most ever, and won 11 of them, also a tie for the most ever.
Zodiac (October 1)
Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. in Zodiac. Pic credit: paramount
David Fincher directed the movie Zodiac in 2007. The movie followed the case of the Zodiac Killer, which never provided a killer convicted for the cold case murders.
In his movie, Fincher suggested who the killer might have been, but the movie is best known for its incredible cast, including Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal as the journalists covering the case and Mark Ruffalo as the detective on the case.
The movie was a minor success but remains one of Fincher’s masterpieces.
Jaws (September 1)
Roy Scheider in Jaws. Pic credit: Universal
One of the best horror movies of all time arrived on Netflix in September 2021.
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is the movie that popularized the idea of summer Blockbusters and launched Spielberg’s massively successful directing career.
The movie was about a summer beach vacation town that refused to shut down the beaches despite a shark attack. This led to more deaths and three men were sent out to try to bring down the giant Great White Shark.
This movie resulted in business in beach towns dropping for years.
Labyrinth (September 1)
David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth. Tri-Star Pictures
Jim Henson directed the fantasy movie Labyrinth in 1986 and it has remained a beloved cult classic since that time.
The movie stars Jennifer Connelly as a teenage girl who is stuck babysitting her baby brother. When she wishes the Goblin King would take the baby out of her life, he does.
The girl then sets out in a labyrinth full of dangerous goblins to try to save her brother from David Bowie’s brilliant Goblin King.
Do the Right Thing (September 1)
Spike Lee in Do the Right Thing. Pic credit: Universal
In 1989, Spike Lee created his masterpiece in Do the Right Thing.
The movie had a day in the life of a Bed Stuy neighborhood when the intense heat and racial tensions reached a peak. It resulted in a huge riot in the streets that concluded with the police showed up and choked one black man to death.
The movie picked up Oscar nominations was added to the Library of Congress in its first year of eligibility, and picked up a pristine Criterion release.
It hit Netflix in September 2021, allowing people to rediscover this masterwork.
Blade Runner (September 1)
Harrison Ford on the Blade Runner poster. Pic credit: Warner Bros
The movie considered the seminal science fiction movie and one of the greatest in film history hit Netflix in September 2021.
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is on the streaming giant, and it is the Final Cut, adding in what Scott created but the studio edited out in the original release.
Harrison Ford is Deckard, a Blade Runner whose job is to hunt down replicants – androids created to serve humanity. The replicants he is sent to take out are ones that have developed an advanced level of being and consider themselves living beings.
The one he hunts down in this movie is Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauer, and the entire movie is the template for what smart sci-fi should look like.
