After years of hoping and campaigning, fans are finally on the cusp of getting the fabled Snyder Cut of Justice League. Zack Snyder’s vision for the DC Extended Universe’s ensemble film is slated to see the light of day on HBO Max this year, and the reported plan was for the alternate cut to be released in four, hour-long installments and dropped on the streamer. However, Zack Snyder has now indicated that the Snyder Cut’s release plans will be a bit different.
Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 29
At a time when the Narendra Modi government is facing all-round flak for “leading India into the Covid catastrophe”, it appears that the BJP’s ideological fountainhead, the RSS, is “upset” with the way the situation is being “handled” by party leaders and becoming increasingly “uncomfortable” over the “indefensible situation”.
Sources say, “Naturally everyone is worried but now is not the time (to criticise).”
“It will not help anyone, things should come under control first. We are helping out in every way we can. But there is no way anyone can defend this type of a situation,” they said.
Notably, earlier this year, Sangh’s highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), had passed a unanimous resolution praising several initiatives of the Narendra Modi government such as the Vande Bharat Mission, Vaccine Maitri campaign, Shramik special trains and the ongoing Covid vaccination drive, besides hailing the society for the resilient fight it put up to combat the dreaded virus
Last year, Dattatreya Hosabale, the current General Secretary of the Sangh, had praised Prime Minister Modi for “his timely intervention in containing Covid-19” and steps in dealing with the unprecedented situation
Meanwhile, it so appears that many in the BJP are worried over the repercussions of the “early” praise for the PM.
On March 17, the party’s Parliamentary party passed a resolution lauding the Prime Minister’s handling of the pandemic. Meanwhile, in February, its national executive praised the PM and his government’s response to the Covid pandemic and economic management amid a global slump.
STORY: When her pervert boyfriend betrays her, Indoo decides to find love through a one-night stand on a dating app. But what is meant to be a romantic evening, goes horribly wrong, when her date turns out to be from Pakistan.
REVIEW: From adolescent boys to retired uncles, everyone’s leching on the voluptuous Indira Gupta (Kiara Advani) and by her own admission, the only thing that’s trending on Ghaziabad’s social media is #IndooKiJawani. She’s dating a sleazy loser, who is desperate to make out with her, but Indoo won’t put out, unless he mans up and formally asks for her hand. He ends up cheating on her and Indoo turns to her trusted friend Sonal (Mallika Dua), who is an encyclopedia on ‘what boys want.’ She convinces Indoo that all men are skirt-chasing pervs and the only thing they want, is to get into her pants. So get on to ‘Dinder’ (like ‘Tinder’…get it?) and swipe right for no-strings attached action, before it’s too late. Don’t ask for the logic here, but Indoo takes this ill-advice and in her very first swipe, a handsome young dude named Samar (Aditya Seal) lands up at her house, when she’s home alone. Meanwhile, the town is abuzz with some Pakistanis on the loose and Indoo could’ve just inadvertently invited trouble home.
The first ten minutes of ‘Indoo Ki Jawani’ are surprisingly promising. In those few early scenes, we get the feeling that this could be the comic spy thriller with unpredictable twists, but soon, the plot derails and never gets back on track. As creepy old men and weird teens make a beeline to grab Indoo’s attention (or whatever else they can), it becomes amply clear that casual sexism is going to be passed off as comedy, which is loud, unfunny and downright crass. And without an ounce of conviction in the telling.
Mallika Dua, once again plays the stereotypical small-town girl, who’s the heroine’s BFF. She manages to bring in some laughs with her spoofy north accent, but once all the action winds down to Indoo’s home, there’s no redemption for this film.
While there’s barely any chemistry between the lead pair, which could be by design, their exchanges are repetitive and scenes laborious. Their accents are also all over the place. That said, both Kiara and Aditya are eye candy and there’s a forced shirtless scene thrown in too. Kiara looks gorgeous and strives hard to make sense of the randomness of her character. Her comic timing is weak, but Kiara’s screen presence is extremely appealing. Ditto for Aditya, who too is let down by weak writing. The film’s music is listenable and the songs are well-shot. The setting of the middle-class life in a small-town is deftly showcased, but sadly the character actors (including seniors like Rakesh Bedi), who should breathe life into those sets, are a hamfest. For a comedy, ‘Indoo ki Jawani’ lacks sorely on funny dialogues and humorous punches.
Logic is often scarified at the altar of comedy and entertainment, but the problem with writer-director Abir Sengupta’s story is that it’s highly preposterous and profoundly silly. Just like Indoo’s character that cannot decide whether she wants to be the badass and have all the fun or worry about ‘log kya kahenge’, the film’s narrative also seems confused. From full-on Pakistan-bashing to half-hearted jingoism and from preaching about not judging a book by its cover to saying that all Indians are highly judgmental, ‘Indoo Ki Jawani’ tries to go everywhere and reaches nowhere.
After being pushed back by two months, the 93rd Academy Awards were held on Sunday. The show was broadcast from two locations in Los Angeles: The Dolby Theatre and Union Station. Once again, there was no host for the ceremony.
“Mank,” David Fincher’s film about “Citizen Kane” co-writer Herman Mankiewicz, led the way with 10 nominations and took home awards for cinematography and production design. The movie was also up for best picture, actor and director. Chloé Zhao won best director for “Nomadland,” which also won best picture.
Frances McDormand won her third best actress Oscar for her role in “Nomadland” and Anthony Hopkins notched his second best actor win for “The Father.”
For the first time ever, two women were nominated for best director. Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson, part of the hair and makeup team behind “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” became the first Black stylists in Oscars history to win for best makeup and hairstyling.
Check out the full list of nominees and winners below.
Best Picture
“Nomadland” — Winner
“The Father”
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Best Director
Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland” — Winner
Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”
David Fincher, “Mank”
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”
Actress in a Leading Role
Frances McDormand, “Nomadland” — Winner
Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”
Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”
Actor in a Leading Role
Anthony Hopkins, “The Father” — Winner
Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Gary Oldman, “Mank”
Steven Yeun, “Minari”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Yuh-jung Youn, “Minari” — Winner
Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah” — Winner
Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami…”
Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”
LaKeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Original Song
“Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” — Winner
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
“lo Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
Screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King; story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”
Screenplay by Darius Marder and Abraham Marder; story by Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance, “Sound of Metal”
Aaron Sorkin, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, “The Father” — Winner
Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern; story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer and Nina Pedrad, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
“F9: The Fast Saga,” the ninth film from the action franchise starring Vin Diesel, brought in an estimated $70 million in its North America opening this weekend, according to the film’s studio, Universal.
That number not only exceeded expectations, it is the largest debut at the box office since 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
Related Article ‘F9’ races into theaters and more to watch
The film also notched a bigger opening weekend than the franchise’s prior release, “Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs Shaw,” a spinoff which premiered to $60 million in 2019. So even though “The Fate of the Furious,” the eighth film in the series, made $98 million in 2017, the numbers for “F9” are pretty solid, even by pre-pandemic metrics.
The big weekend also adds to the film’s already strong global haul. “F9” has now made $405 million around the world since opening internationally last month.
The summer season has had its ups and downs at the box office so far, but the performance of “F9” is significant for an industry that’s trying to get back on its feet following the Covid outbreak that sent box office numbers plummeting.
The opening for “F9” is also another success for the Fast Furious franchise, which is one of the most popular brands in all of cinema. The series has racked up more than $6 billion worldwide.
In short, this weekend was a win for theaters.
The “F9” release was delayed multiple times because of Covid-19. In fact, Universal wasted no time shelving the film, which was originally set for a May 2020 release, as soon as the pandemic hit. The move was an unpopular one at the time.
“[Theaters] were quite upset with us because they thought that we were overreacting. Even people inside the company thought that we were a little crazy for doing it,” Donna Langley, chairwoman of Universal’s filmed entertainment group, told CNN Business in December. “But we just felt that it was better to sort of plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
Related Article How one bold decision made ‘Trolls World Tour’ the most important movie of 2020
“Of course, now 2020 — pardon the pun — being hindsight … it was the best decision we could have made,” Langley added.
Obviously, even though the opening of “F9” is good news, all things considered, the theater industry still has a long way to go before it reaches any sort of normalcy. But that’s why the film’s strong debut is so important: it’s another step in the right direction.
So what’s next? Theaters will see if the buzz around “F9” leads to more foot traffic for the 4th of July holiday — a weekend historically known for moviegoing.
After that, Marvel’s “Black Widow,” hits theaters and Disney+ on July 9. In case you just landed on this planet, Marvel Studios is the most popular Blockbuster brand in the film industry, so that’s pretty good news for theaters.
The big question in Hollywood is whether or not the momentum keeps up at the box office. No one is sure of the answer. But theaters couldn’t ask for a better lineup on the marquee over the next few weeks than an avenging Marvel superhero and the Fast Furious family.
Popcorn Movies, the Trakt.tv app for iPhone and iPad, has a new version 1.2.2 update now available in the App Store. It brings with it changes for both free and Premium users, including the ability tot take advantage of new advanced sorting options and more.
Alongside the new features, developer Antoine Barré has also made a number of improvements to existing ones – including support for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Starting out with the additions available to everyone, there are three changes that you’ll notice.
Introducing new Sorting Options for your Watchlist, Upcoming list and your Personal Recommendations! The sorting feature requires iOS 14.
Introducing a completely new and redesigned Person Summary : basic information, social links and movie credits are now one tap away!
Updated Settings style with more icons and more features. If you’re on iOS 14, you now have the possibility to manage your cache and enable pagination on your lists!
Those who unlock the Premium features will also pick up a new My Recommendations feature as well as advanced sorting options for your Watchlist.
Advanced sorting options, includes more options to sort your Watchlist, Upcoming list and your Personal Recommendations as you want! Drop me your ideas on Twitter or Reddit if you find some you want are missing.
Introducing My Recommendations: a new way to tell others they should watch one movie or another. This list matches the content from your Recommendations on Trakt.
Popcorn Movies version 1.2.2 is available as a free update for existing users. Everyone else can grab it from the App Store now. It’s free with in-app purchases available to unlock the Premium features.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
The House Judiciary Committee has approved a package of bills designed to shake up big tech and break open Apple’s App Store, but the main bill was a close call in the vote.
DeMarius Copes may be about to become a superstar.
Coming off his recent success on Broadway in “Mean Girls,” he’s just been cast in the highly anticipated movie version of the Broadway smash “Dear Evan Hansen.”
But Copes, 26, said it wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness and support of folks in Birmingham, folks who made it possible for a kid from Fairfield to land right smack dab in the middle of the spotlight.
“I grew up in a single-parent household with a sister, and my mom allowed us to do all the things we wanted to do, like all the sports and band, but the theater world was really not active on my side of town,” Copes said. “The hub of theater in Birmingham is about 30 minutes away, and when I didn’t have funds or transportation or anything to get there, so many people helped. I have to say thank you to so many people for letting me explore the arts without looking down on me in my situation at the time.”
While in Birmingham, DeMarius Copes appeared on stage at the Virginia Samford Theatre and Red Mountain Theatre Company, as well as Shades Valley High School. (contributed)
Copes’ situation didn’t slow him down, and he thanks little choices along the way for getting him to where he is.
Consider this: Copes met a friend in the JCCEO Yes Ambassadors, a theatrical youth group, who introduced him to Roy Hudson, who was directing the Virginia Samford Theatre’s Students Take a Role at the Samford program and cast Copes in “Ragtime.” From there, Copes studied under Hudson at Shades Valley High School, a magnet school with a top-notch theater program. There, Copes was introduced to Red Mountain Theatre Company and executive director Keith Cromwell, who cast Copes in “Hairspray.” … You get the picture.
“Had I not done ‘Ragtime,’ I wouldn’t have gone to Shades Valley, and had I not gone to Shades Valley, I wouldn’t have gone to Red Mountain,” Copes said. At RMTC, he also appeared in “Legally Blonde,” choreographed by Robin Lewis, who would later talk Copes into attending Rider University in New Jersey. Which brought Copes close enough to New York that he started auditioning and landed the national tour of “Newsies.” And … that led to the “The Prom” musical in Atlanta, which was directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, who cast Copes when “Mean Girls,” which he was putting together with Tina Fey, started in Washington and then went to New York.
And that’s how Copes made his way to Broadway. He still vividly recalls the opening night in 2018.
“Because of the movie and Tina Fey and Casey Nicholaw, this was not like your average Broadway opening night,” Copes said. “There were TV stars, movie stars, everyone was there. It was also one of the only nights that you see everyone in a theater dressed to the nines. Everyone looked like $4 million.”
The show was a hit, earning 12 Tony nominations in the process – and earning Copes a friend in Fey.
“It’s always refreshing when you work with someone who could be one thing but they’re not,” he said. “She’s 100% so lovely and takes so much time to get to know everyone she’s working with. She texts me from time to time. We’re on a first-name basis.”
Copes left “Mean Girls” the summer of last year, joining the national tour of “Hamilton.”
“Hamilton” was in Toronto in March when the company got the email they had been dreading.
“We were open a day after Broadway closed, and the next day we woke up to an email to come to the theater,” Copes said. “They put us on a two-week hold. Then it kept getting pushed back. And pushed back.”
By the middle of May, Copes decided to leave Toronto and go to Las Vegas, where he quarantined with friends before making his way to Los Angeles.
And it’s there where those friends talked Copes into sending in audition tapes for what had become a virtual audition for the “Dear Evan Hansen” movie.
“I never went into a room to audition,” Copes said. “I did it all in my apartment with basketball shorts on and no shoes. … The role is a new character that anybody could have played. There’s no archetype for what this person should be. You send in a thing and say, ‘Well, here goes nothing.’”
Copes had seen friends in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway and was a fan of the show about a high schooler who tells a lie that spins out of control thanks to the power of social media.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of it, and it’s kind of insane that not only am I doing it, but I get to do a new character that no one’s met,” Copes said. “Oliver is one of the high school students, good friends with Zoe Murphy, who is Evan’s love interest. He is queer, which is cool. We talk a lot about representation, and it’s really cool to be the one who is representing right now. I never see any high school Black, gay characters on TV who aren’t being ostracized for being Black, and I’m excited that I get to create that visual for somebody who is like me.”
Production on “Dear Evan Hansen” is scheduled to start in October in Atlanta and finish sometime around Thanksgiving. After that, Copes will see what happens, but he’d be glad to return to the ensemble of “Hamilton.”
“Who knows what this film project will do for me and my career,” Copes said. “I have no doubt it will be amazing things, but I’m also very proud and happy of where I am. I’ve worked hard to get there, and I also cherish and value the people who do the same thing I do. I’ve always been one of those people who sees the light on every single person who creates the thing and not just the person whose name is above the title.”
Copes is back in Birmingham before heading to Atlanta, and said his childhood friends are noticing his success.
“My friends don’t really know Broadway, but a Hollywood picture is a whole other level,” Copes said with a laugh. “They’re impressed, and I say, ‘Hey, I’ve been nailing my career for seven years.’”
— Officials are ramping up efforts to reach minority and other underrepresented high school graduates and get them to enroll at UW System schools.
A recent report from the UW Office of Policy Analysis and Research shows the percentage of Wisconsin high school graduates enrolling in UW System schools right after graduation — known as the participation rate — has begun to decrease after holding steady for decades.
While the participation rate had been close to 32 percent since the early 1980s, the report shows it’s begun to recently dip, reaching 28.6 percent in 2019. That’s the lowest it’s been since 1982.
“It’s a drop of about 10 percent, which is pretty sharp, that occurred in a two- or three-year period,” said David Ward, a former UW System and campus administrator and president of NorthStar Analytics, which has done a number of economic impact studies for UW schools.
But at the same time, new fall freshman applications for UW System schools have seen a 30 percent increase over each of the last two years. Officials note that applications from in-state residents, first-generation students and underrepresented minorities have also risen.
“In general, first-generation, underrepresented minority, and low-income students have historically been less likely to attend a UW institution, and these groups now represent a higher proportion of high school students,” said UW System President Tommy Thompson in an emailed statement.
He explained the UW System is taking a number of approaches to boost applications for these groups, including waiving application fees, creating an easier electronic application process, allowing applicants to apply to multiple universities with one application, and suspending the ACT requirement. And the UW System’s summer program for incoming high school students is being expanded, he added.
Still, the UW Office of Policy Analysis and Research report shows the issue of declining participation is “particularly noteworthy among the populations that [have] historically been less likely to attend and populations that have proven more vulnerable to economic and social factors.” That includes minority groups as well as students from low-income families.
— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” features Kyle LaFond, the founder of Mt. Horeb-based American Provenance.
This growing business makes personal care products with natural ingredients, and was first started on LaFond’s fourth-generation family farm. In the podcast, he describes how he got to where he is today after coming up with the idea for the company while working as a middle-school science teacher.
LaFond also discusses his company’s focus on environmental sustainability and how he’s had to balance that with customer and consumer preferences.
“We’re trying to do what we can to give back,” he said. “As a small organization, that’s very important to us, and it’s a part of who we are.”
— Gov. Tony Evers has announced more than $140 million in American Rescue Plan Act grants for tourism and entertainment businesses.
The largest sum, $75 million, will go to lodging in an effort to aid the tourism industry’s recovery from pandemic-related restrictions. The grants will also support live event venues, movie theaters, summer camps and minor league sports, along with additional tourism marketing support and historical site reopenings.
The Wisconsin Hotel Lodging Association praised the announcement.
“We are grateful for the Governor’s focus on the tourism and hospitality industry with these grant funds, as they will play a big role in helping us navigate through our recovery from the terrible situation that COVID-19 put us in,” said Bill Elliott, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Hotel Lodging Association.
He added that the lodging industry lost $1 billion in revenue in 2020.
“While we’re starting to see leisure travel make a strong comeback in many markets, the business and corporate travel that so many lodging facilities depend on for survival will take some time to rebound,” he said.
George Rouman, president of the National Association of Theater Owners of Wisconsin Upper Michigan, thanked Evers for aiding movie theaters in their recovery, which he says will take much longer than for other businesses.
“After suffering nearly complete closure for most of 2020 with little to no revenue, this boost will help movie theaters survive in Wisconsin,” said Rouman, who owns a theater in Rhinelander.
See the Wisconsin Hotel Lodging Association statement:
See the National Association of Theater Owners of Wisconsin Upper Michigan release:
— Nolato Contour will be expanding its precision molding facility in Baldwin with a $5 million project, WEDC says.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has approved up to $225,000 in state income tax credits for the project, which can be earned by the company over the next three years depending on the number of jobs it creates and the amount of capital it invests in the project. WEDC expects the project will create 75 jobs over that period.
The 60,000-square-foot expansion is being undertaken to meet demand for medical products.
Aside from the jobs the project is expected to create directly, WEDC cites an economic modeling study to estimate the project could indirectly generate another 37 jobs in the area for a total of 112 new jobs.
— Wisconsin’s network of “peer recovery centers” for people experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues is expanding to 11 locations with new grant funding from the state Department of Health Services.
These peer recovery centers aim to help people with these issues by connecting them with community members who’ve lived through similar circumstances and can relate to their experience.
According to a DHS release, eight organizations will receive yearly grants of $30,000 over the next five years to operate centers meant to help people with mental health challenges. And three others will receive the same amount for centers aimed at supporting those with substance abuse issues.
“By offering opportunities to connect with others in the community who are all seeking the same goal of wellness, peer recovery centers can help those who are struggling see that recovery is possible,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake.
— The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has announced the results of this year’s Wisconsin Potato Industry Board election.
According to a DATCP release, the board is made up of nine producers across three state districts, and oversees the $1.7 million in assessment fees that potato growers in the state pay.
