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Ne-Yo talks Good Man, SoundCloud, rap and #MeToo

Shanka Cheryl
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Ne-Yo talks Good Man, SoundCloud, rap and #MeToo

Anyone in the music industry knows you have to move quickly with the ever-changing trends, but Ne-Yo will always be known for one main thing. He is the “love song” guy, and that’s not a problem for him.

As rap dominated the market, it’s much harder for R&B artists to stay relevant without losing their fanbase. Plus, any singers above the age of 30 who aren’t named Beyonce basically get moved to Urban Adult Contemporary radio. This obviously, cuts down their younger audience.

When Ne-Yo hit over a decade ago, he turned heads with a series of strikingly weightless singles that relied on a small range of sounds like harpsichord style riffs over chunky drum programming. So what is an artist to do in a pop landscape that’s been pulverized by SoundCloud rap?

One way is to flip the bird and do what you want. Usher did this with his “Good Kisser,” and this still sounds cutting edge four years after its release. Usher also took the safe route with “No Limit,” and it’s very ‘of the moment’ meaning it’s rather unmemorable.

ne yo with his good man album

Ne-Yo has chosen the safe route with Good Man that is loaded with standard issue rap/R&B hybrids that has the singer floating his flexible voice over beats that crack and grind like “L.A. Nights,” “Breathe,” “Back Chapters,” and “Over U.” All these tracks are perfectly acceptable, but they fall into the very ordinary category which will be easily forgotten after the first listen. “Without U” is a rare standout on the album that adds a dollop of pan-Caribbean rhythms, but then you hit “Apology,” and you wonder if Ne-Yo realizes he’s better than most of the tracks on this album and is putting in a nice warning for us diehard fans. We can only hope that he’ll realize you can change with the times without losing what makes you so unique.

The R&B star released his seventh album on Friday and said he was nervous about putting out a new project at a time when SoundCloud rap, mumble rap and alternative R&B dominates on radio and streaming platforms.

“That had me a little worried initially just because the industry’s changed. The sound has changed, the look has changed. It’s a new day and a new time, and I was honestly really concerned about where do I fit in this thing now?” the 38-year-old said.

Sadly, this is felt throughout his latest album, and I personally hope Ne-Yo will just throw those worries out the window and pitch a big ‘fuck you’ finger up to SoundCloud and do what he wants to do.

“It’s like almost taboo to talk about love all of a sudden,” added the Grammy winner, who has written hits for Beyonce and Rihanna. “It’s gotta be about sex and money and how much drugs you sell. And mind you, I ain’t knocking nobody, I’m a fan of a lot of it. I just feel like that helped me realize where my place is in this thing. I’m the love song guy.”

Ne-Yo said with “Good Man” he wanted to make music that felt “warm.”

“I needed every song to feel like a hug,” he said. “Just kind of something other than what’s going on right now. Everything is so monotone and super bass heavy. There’s no real melodies.”

ne yo sprawled out on hot leather bulge sofa

Ne-Yo was kind enough to take time with us where he talked about his music, the #MeToo movement and more.

One big question I’m always wondering about is where does an R&B artist like Ne-Yo or Mary J. Blige, or even K. Michele, fit in today’s market?”

Urban AC (adult contemporary radio), that’s where it falls. The first single that we put out, “Good Man,” it’s not necessarily traditionally an R&B sound … and even yet and still, because the song is talking about being a good man or whatever the case may be, (it went) straight to the Urban AC.

Any blessing is a blessing, you know. It’s charting at Urban AC, cool. But for people to listen to it and tell me that’s where it’s going to be, and that’s the only place it can be, it’s like, “Why are y’all putting a cap on my (music)?”

Your “Good Man” movement seems to be very important to you. Were you a bad boy before or have you always been a good standup man?

If I was a bad boy before, I was the best version of the bad boy …Even when I was moving around a bunch of chicks, groupies, and all that stuff, I was never the cat kicking chicks out my room at 5 o’clock in the morning.

So you were always respectful to who you were with?

Even if it was a small level of respect. Because I give respect the way you demand it. As a woman, you’re supposed to demand respect and if you don’t, well clearly you didn’t want it. So even in the realm of that, there was always a small level of respect that you have to give just because it’s another human being. You know, I don’t want nobody kicking me out no hotel at 5 o’clock in the morning.

ne yo mttg interview

You’ve always been a big supporter of women. Were you surprised to see the #MeToo movement grow so fast?

I’m really happy about it. Women get a bad rep, and it’s been like forever that women been getting a bad rep. Black people, we got it bad, but the worst thing in the world to be would be a black woman. Like a double whammy, like you gon’ have to work your (butt) off to get crumbs as a black woman. To see what’s happening right now with #MeToo and Times Up and all that, I’m happy about it. Because it’s true. Respect is not optional.

I had to take it upon myself to sit with myself in the mirror and go, “Have you ever really and truly given your 100 percent to any relationship you’ve ever been in? And the answer was, “No.” …I think back to some of the best relationships I’d ever been in, and even in that moment where I was just super happy, super cool with the girl that I was with, she cool, she ride for me, once she’s out of sight, if it’s something over here that’s ready to go, I’m gone. I’m gonna be respectful of my lady in that she’ll never find out. That’s not respect, bruh. That’s not what that is. So with my current relationship, I’m really doing it the right way and realizing that, “Yo, you can really be (expletive) happy. You can be really, like really happy.”

Will you start writing songs for other artists like you’ve done before?

I started being real selective about who I was going to work with. Again, not a lot of free time, which is another thing that stood in front of it. And with the change of the sound — and again, faulting nothing and no one, and no animosity, no diss or nothing like that — I felt like the sound that’d become popular, I felt like I would have to kind of dumb myself down to do this sound. And I don’t want to do that. I didn’t want to write like that. …I’ve been blessed to the point where I’ve made enough money to where I can wait. I can sit at home and wait for people. “Oh, we feeling real emotions again?” Cool. Let’s get it. I’m back.

ne yo looking soulful for good man

What are your thoughts on going independent?

Ultimately, yeah, you want something as personal as your art, your music, to be yours. I feel like, should I get the opportunity to be independent, I’m going to probably go that route. ’Cause then it aint no deadlines and I can put it out when I feel like putting it out.

Have you ever rapped?

Yep. I still do in my free time, by myself. I gonna be real honest with you, I don’t have a lot of insecurities anymore, that’s one of them. I know that I can write it, I don’t know that I have the voice for it. That’s why I gotta give so much props to Chris (Brown).

‘Ocean’s 8’ leads female fronted box office weekend win

George Cando
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‘Ocean’s 8’ leads female fronted box office weekend win

While other films franchises like “Star Wars” have seen a huge misogynistic backlash, the “Ocean’s” trilogy spinoff saw nothing of the kind. It actually wound up becoming the highest grossing opener of the franchise while Toni Collette’s creepy “Hereditary” is keeping horror alive at the box office. Not having such intense fans and the ‘nostalgia factor’ helped keep audiences enjoying the film and not attacking it.

“Ocean’s 8,” the female-fronted overhaul of the starry heist franchise, opened with an estimated $41.5 million at the box office, taking the weekend’s top spot from the fast-falling “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

At a lower price point and in a less fanboy-guarded franchise, “Ocean’s 8” — despite ho-hum reviews — found nothing like the stormy reception than the female-led “Ghostbusters” reboot did on the same weekend two years ago.

Made for approximately $70 million (although substantial reshoots and marketing budget put it closer to $150 million), “Ocean’s 8” and its cast featuring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, set an opening-weekend best for the franchise, not accounting for inflation (naturally with inflation added, it falls behind all three opening weekend). The three previous “Ocean’s” films — starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Matt Damon, and based on the 1960 original “Ocean’s 11,” with Frank Sinatra — all debuted with between $36-39 million in the last decade.

“Ocean’s 8,” also starring Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter, drew a largely female audience — 69 percent — for a result that slightly surpassed expectations. Reviews were okay with under 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and it received a B+ from CinemaScore audiences.

“We thought we’d come in in the $35-40 (million) range,” said Warner Bros. distribution chief Jeff Goldstein. “Number one, it’s fun. Number two, it hits an underserved audience. Unfortunately, there is just a lack of stories that are aimed right at women.”

Yet the weekend’s three new wide releases were all female fronted.

The horror thriller “Hereditary,” starring Toni Collette, debuted with $13 million, setting a new company record for A24, the indie distributor behind releases like “The Witch” and “Moonlight.” The feature-film directing debut of Ari Aster, “Hereditary” has received rave reviews and been hailed as the year’s scariest movie since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Either from disappointment or simply because they were stunned from fear, audiences gave “Hereditary” — about a family cursed after the death of its matriarch — a D-plus CinemaScore. Next week will see if this will hurt word of mouth and keep the thriller from having legs at the box office. This is the studios biggest opening film which surpassed “Lady Bird,” “Moonlight,” and “The Witch.”

Less successful was “Hotel Artemis,” starring Jodie Foster. The Global Road release, also starring Sterling K. Brown, Dave Bautista and Charlie Day, flopped with $3.2 million in 2,407 theaters. Set in a near-future Los Angeles, “Hotel Artemis” is about a members-only hospital for criminals. It cost $15 million with A-list stars making sacrifices to appear in it.

“We had no money, and no one was getting paid,” the director Drew Pearce told The Wrap. Their work was rewarded with negative reviews and low ticket sales.

Coming between more massive blockbusters like the recent “Solo” and the upcoming “Incredibles 2″ and “Jurassic World,” the weekend was down about 20 percent from last year, according to comScore, when “Wonder Woman” was setting box-office records. But some of the story was still the same.

“There’s a lot of women-powered revenue at the box office in the heat of the summer season,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore. “Films featuring female leads are killing it at the box office, but that’s been going on for quite a while.”

One of the early summer’s more breakout hits has been the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “RBG,” which has made $9.1 million in six weeks of release through Sunday.

Opening this weekend was another documentary that may prove a similar sensation: the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” The Focus Features release grossed $470,000 in 29 theaters for a per-theater average of about $16,000. The film, 99 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, has been acclaimed for its portrait of the man behind “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Focus said two thirds of the documentary’s audience was under the age of 45.

Meanwhile, the troubled “Solo” slid to second place with $15.2 million on its third weekend. It has now grossed $176.1 million, well off its expected pace.

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” began its international rollout in 48 overseas markets with an estimated $151.1 million, said Universal Pictures. That’s a predictably strong start for a film expected to be one of the biggest of the summer. It opens Friday in China, and on June 22 in North America.

Initial reviews, which came out this week, were mixed for J.A. Bayona’s sequel. But critics were also less thrilled with 2015′s “Jurassic World,” which grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

oceans 8 takes out holo a star wars story at box office

  1. “Ocean’s 8,” $41.5 million ($12.2 million international).
  2. “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” $15.2 million.
  3. “Deadpool 2,” $13.7 million ($18.5 million international).
  4. “Hereditary,” $13 million ($3.5 million international).
  5. “Avengers: Infinity War,” $6.8 million ($10.9 million international).
  6. “Adrift,” $5.1 million.
  7. “Book Club,” $4.2 million.
  8. “Hotel Artemis,” $3.2 million.
  9. “Upgrade,” $2.2 million.
  10. “Life of the Party,” $2.1 million.

International Box Office Numbers

  1. “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” $151.1 million.
  2. “Deadpool 2,” $18.5 million.
  3. “Ocean’s 8,” $12.2 million.
  4. “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” $11.3 million.
  5. “Avengers: Infinity War,” $10.9 million.
  6. “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha,” $9 million.
  7. “How Long Will I Love U,” $8.4 million.
  8. “Happiness Is Coming,” $6.9 million.
  9. “Black Water,” $6.2 million.
  10. “Believer,” $3.9 million.

Van Jones lands Kim Kardashian, Hillary Duff bump plus Anthony Bourdain

Ricki Reay
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Van Jones lands Kim Kardashian, Hillary Duff bump plus Anthony Bourdain

To end off the week, reality TV starlet Kim Kardashian sat down with CNN’s Van Jones to talk, for the first time, about her meeting with President Donald Trump. As you may have heard, a few days ago, Kim went to the White House to request that President Trump pardon first-time, non-violent drug offender Alice Marie Johnson, as well as talk about prison reform.

When talking to Van about her meeting with the controversial President, Kim recounted, “I have met him before, before he was he president a few times so it was a hug and [I] sat down and he was like, ‘Okay. So, what’s going on? Why are we here?’ We started the meeting.” She went on to add, “I did take a second to say like wait a minute, we’re in the oval office.”

In a cheerful tone, Kim admitted that she did start her meeting with Trump in a joking manner, making a quip about her younger sister Khloe’s stint on the President’s former reality show Celebrity Apprentice. Kim said, “[Trump said], ‘Why are you here?’ I said, ‘Really I’m here because I want to know why you kicked Khloe off The Apprentice.’ It was a laugh and it was funny and then we got into business.”

When talking with the CNN interviewer, Kim revealed that she had previously gotten a phone call earlier in the week from Trump, who said that he had reviewed Alice’s case and had decided to commute her sentence. Kim explained, “He felt it, he was compassionate. He was sympathetic to her. He said, ‘This is a really long time that she’s been in there. This just isn’t fair.’ He knew that this was the thing to do. And he said that from the start…He knew it was the right thing to do and he said that and he was really honest with it and he wanted to make it happen.”

Since the meeting, Alice Marie Johnson has been released from prison and Kim is planning to finally meet her in person.

In surprising celebrity baby news, former Disney starlet and Younger star Hilary Duff just announced that she is expecting her second child with her current boyfriend, Matthew Koma. While fans were focused on Hilary’s sister Haylie’s recent birthing (Haylie just gave birth to a baby girl named Lulu Gray), it took many of them by surprise when Hilary took to her Instagram on Friday to share her exciting baby news.

Alongside a photo of her and Matthew, in which Hilary is sporting a visible baby bump, the actress posted, “Guess what guys! [Matthew Koma] and I made a little princess of our own and we couldn’t be more excited!!!!!” Evidently, based on the caption, it appears that Hilary and Matthew already know that they will be having a little girl.

Hilary Duff, Instagram post:

Currently, Hilary is already a mom, as she shares a six-year-old son named Luca with her ex-husband Mike Comrie.

Congratulations to Hilary and Matthew!

anthony bourdain before committing suicide with bathrobe belt

Anthony Bourdain kept a brutal work schedule and was “absolutely exhausted” in the months leading up to his death, according to a report.

“ His travel schedule was grueling and he often seemed quite beat-up from it, as anyone would be,” a source who worked closely with Bourdain in the past year told People. “He’d put everything into the shoots and then go back to his room to isolate.”

The 61-year-old host of CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” was found Friday in his hotel room in France, by fellow celebrity chef and close friend Eric Ripert. Bourdain’s mother, Gladys, said Ripert told her her son had been in “a dark mood these past couple of days.”

He used the belt from his bathrobe to hang himself, officials said Saturday.

Ripert was in France with his friend filming an upcoming episode of Bourdain’s award-winning show.

“It never struck me as peculiar, but it was as if he gave everything to his work and then had nothing, zero, left for himself afterwards,” the source told People. “He was always very, very tired. He pushed himself extremely hard. Most producers and crew don’t work on every single episode, it’s just too much especially if you have a family. But that wasn’t an option for Tony.”

Still, the person continued, there was never any hint that the star was depressed.

“We never had any sense of depression or mental illness. He was not especially cheerful or engaging, off camera, but it was never rude or ill-intentioned. The guy was absolutely exhausted.”

The former chef spent about 250 days per year on the road traveling to different cities seeking out indigenous cuisine and the locals who make it. He always went home between filming episodes to spend time with is 11-year-old daughter, Ariana, who lives with his ex-wife Ottavia Busia, a mixed-martial-arts fighter, in New York.

In an interview on the road with People last week, Bourdain said he had no plans to retire.

“I gave up on that. I’ve tried. I just think I’m just too nervous, neurotic, driven,” he said. “I would have had a different answer a few years ago. I might have deluded myself into thinking that I’d be happy in a hammock or gardening. But no, I’m quite sure I can’t.”

redmond oneal being booked for attempted murder

The son of actor Ryan O’Neal and the late Farrah Fawcett has been charged with attempted murder in an alleged crime spree last month that included randomly attacking five men and robbing a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Los Angeles police say Redmond O’Neal was charged Friday.

KABC-TV reports that the 33-year-old O’Neal, who’s struggled with drug addiction, is charged with punching or stabbing five men over several days last month in the Venice Beach and Palms neighborhoods.

Police say two men were seriously injured, including one who was stabbed in the face.

O’Neal already pleaded not guilty to a May 8 robbery and other charges, including possessing methamphetamine and heroin.

He’s been jailed for a month.

An email seeking comment from his attorney wasn’t immediately returned.

kate spade anthony bourdain remembered at moschino fashion show

The celebratory mood at the Moschino’s fashion show tinged with sadness over recent deaths of designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Actress-model Jaime King had met both but was more familiar with Spade, having started to work with the fashion icon when she was 14.

“She wanted to make beautiful handbags and beautiful clothes and bright colors and she was very whimsical and free. She made everybody feel welcome,” King said Friday night. “She just really paved the way for women in such a huge way that I don’t think a lot of people know about her.”

King also met Bourdain while filming “Kitchen Confidential,” a 2005 sitcom based on his best-selling memoir. She complimented him on his ability to cross “boundaries and races and circumstances.”

“He was about the communion. He was about going into people’s homes and meeting them at their level,” she said, adding that he also embraced the #MeToo movement. “He stood up for us.”

Moschino designer Jeremy Scott said that he briefly met Spade and they shared a laugh about having the same hometown. “I met her once and she ironically is from Kansas City, like I am,” he said. “She seemed like a very lovely person and my sympathies are with her family.”

Bourdain killed himself in France on Friday, while Spade killed herself in New York earlier in the week.

prince harry and meghan markle arrive for trooping the color

Prince Harry and his new wife, the former actress Meghan Markle, joined the pageantry of the annual Trooping the Color ceremony Saturday in London to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s official birthday.

The duke and duchess, who married three weeks ago, made the short trip from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade in a horse-drawn carriage as royal fans lining the Mall cheered and waved. The couple later joined other members of the royal family on the palace’s front balcony to watch the Royal Air Force fly by.

As the aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, released plumes of red, white and blue smoke over the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the queen’s great-grandchildren waved wildly. She smiled — both at the jets and the children.

The 92-year-old queen, whose real birthday is April 21, seemed vigorous as she keenly observed the event. The monarch, who recently had a successful cataract operation, watched the ceremony from a dais and inspected the guardsmen in bearskin hats and scarlet tunics.

One guardsman stood out: Charanpreet Singh Lall, a 22-year-old Sikh from Leicester, who wore a black turban. It marked the first time a member of the Coldstream Guards took part wearing turban — and Lall hoped it wouldn’t be the last.

“I hope that people watching, that they will just acknowledge it and that they will look at it as a new change in history,” he said. “I hope that more people like me, not just Sikhs but from other religions and different backgrounds, that they will be encouraged to join the Army.”

Trooping the Color is a ceremony deeply rooted in the history of the United Kingdom. It originated from traditional preparations for battle when flags, or colors, were “trooped” so soldiers in the ranks would be able to recognize them.

Thousands of spectators flocked to London for the annual spectacle, hoping to catch a glimpse of the glittering house of Windsor, jamming the royal parks near the parade grounds.

The Duchess of Sussex, as Markle is now known, wore a Carolina Herrera dress and a hat by Philip Treacy. The Duchess of Cambridge, the former Kate Middleton who is married to Harry’s older brother Prince William, wore a dress by Alexander McQueen and a hat by Juliette Botterill.

Harry and William were in military dress uniforms.

The queen, who wore a sky blue coat and dress by Stuart Parvin and a hat by Angela Kelly, traveled alone in an Ascot Landau. The queen’s husband, 96-year-old Prince Philip, has retired from royal duties.

Some 7,500 guests joined the monarch at Horse Guards, with prime seats accorded to U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis and Britain’s Defense Secretary, Gavin Williamson.

The military precision of the parade unraveled slightly at the end of the day when the former chief of the defense staff, Charles Guthrie, 79, was thrown from his horse. He received medical attention.

emma thompson tom hardy with keira knightly honored by queen

British film stars Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley and Tom Hardy and Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro are among those receiving honors in the name of Britain’s monarch.

The list published late Friday by Britain’s Cabinet Office includes many receiving honors for merit, service and bravery. The awards will be given out by Queen Elizabeth II or a senior royal acting in her place during investitures at Buckingham Palace.

The list often includes prominent figures — like Thompson, the Oscar-winning actress who has been in the public eye for decades — as well as people who have labored behind the scenes or in academic or charity positions.

The 59-year-old Thompson will become Dame Emma, a high honor that is the female equivalent of becoming a knight. The citation calls her one of Britain’s “most versatile and celebrated actresses.”

Her long list of film roles includes favorites like “The Remains of the Day” — which was written by Ishiguro — “Love Actually” and “Nanny McPhee.” She received the Academy Award for Best Actress for “Howards End” and — as a writer — the Oscar for the best adapted screenplay for “Sense and Sensibility.”

The Queen’s Birthday List — Elizabeth’s official birthday is Saturday and will be marked with the Trooping the Color parade — bestows a knighthood on Mark Rowley for his service while heading the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism squad during a series of lethal attacks last year. When he retired in March after more than three decades on the force, Prime Minister Theresa May praised Rowley’s dedication to protecting the public.

Ishiguro, who was born in Japan, received a knighthood for his services to literature. He said he was “deeply touched to receive this honor from the nation that welcomed me as a small foreign boy.”

Former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish, 67, was also knighted for his services to soccer, charity and the city of Liverpool.

The youngest winner was 20-year-old visually-impaired alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick, who was Britain’s most successful competitor in the 2018 Winter Paralympics. The oldest winner was former World War II nurse Rosemary Powell, 103, who was honored for 97 years of charity work. Both received MBE awards, making them members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Rapper and singer Ms. Dynamite also received the same honor under her real name, Niomi McLean-Daley.

Knightley, known for “Pirates of the Caribbean,” ″Pride and Prejudice,” and other movies, received an OBE award, so she will become an “officer” of the British empire, a slightly higher ranking.

Hardy, star of “Inception” and other movies, received a CBE award, designating him a “commander” of the empire, a still higher designation.

The list also honors the queen’s eye surgeon, Jonathan Jagger, who was made a commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He is a specialist in cataract surgery, but officials have not said if he performed the cataract surgery the queen had done in May.

jay z with beyonce on the run 2 tour

This week, singer Beyoncé and rapper Jay Z kicked off their tour, On the Run II. The couple is hitting the road once again, as they started their stadium tour in Cardiff. In contrast to the last time they toured together, Beyoncé and Jay Z now have a notably bigger family – which they weren’t afraid to show off during their epic first concert of the tour.

During the concert, fans flocked to social media to share some of the biggest moments from Beyoncé and Jay Z’s performance in Cardiff. One of the most notable moments that was shared showcased photos, one of Beyoncé and one of Jay Z, seemingly holding their newborn twins Rumi and Sir. Alongside the photos, the phrases “love never changes” and “love is universal” were sprawled across the stage screens.

While everyone was quick to assume that the twins that the couple were seen holding in the pictures were Rumi and Sir, Bey and Jay Z’s representative later told media outlet Buzzfeed that the shown twins were “not” Rumi and Sir.

However, towards the end of the concert, Bey and Jay Z shared precious, intimate videos from their family time. In one of the videos, the powerful couple was shown hanging out with their daughter Blue Ivy and twins, who are likely to actually be their newborns, Rumi and Sir. There were also videos shown that showcased Beyoncé during her latest pregnancy, as well as her holding her babies after giving birth.

It has been about a year since Rumi and Sir entered the world, as Beyoncé gave birth on June 13th of 2017.

kendall jenner kissing anwar hadid hard

A few days ago, photos surfaced showing model Kendall Jenner making out with her close friends Gigi and Bella Hadid’s younger brother Anwar Hadid. The two young stars, who were attending the 2018 CFDA Awards, were photographed caressing one another as they passionately kissed while hanging out at an after-party.

While fans were curious how Gigi and Bella felt about their good friend making out with their brother, a source close to the stars recently told Entertainment Tonight Online that Kendall and Anwar’s flirtation is “nothing serious” and Kendall knows not to jeopardize her friendships with Bella and Gigi. The source explained, “Anwar and Kendall are just having fun for now…Both of them recently got out of relationships, and don’t want anything too serious.” The source went on to add, “Kendall is best friends with Anwar’s sisters, Gigi and Bella, and she respects them tremendously…Kendall would never want to do anything to put her relationship with Anwar’s sisters in jeopardy. Kendall and Anwar have known each other for years and have always been flirtatious and this is just another sign of that. The two enjoy one another’s company and things could change, but for now, it’s nothing serious.”

In addition to cozying up to Anwar Hadid, Kendall is also reportedly “casually dating” NBA star Ben Simmons. In fact, just days before she was making out with Anwar, Kendall was spotted going on a dinner date with Ben.

Hottest 5 Sci Fi Fantasy Collectibles Every Fan Must Have

Marius Manuella
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Sci-fi fantasy collectibles mean different things to different fans and the value changes significantly with the demand. There are dozens of science-fiction franchises out there, and each one has a hardcore devoted fanbase. It would be easy do a top five for each major franchise since their fans are that devoted.Some science-fiction fans could belong to several franchises such as yours truly, as I’m a fan of Marvel, Star Trek, and Supernatural. Others are devoted to fantasy genres like Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings and even go to the extent of LARPing.While others are devoted to obscure series like Space 1999, Firefly and Babylon 5. Hardcore nerds out there have special places in their hearts for franchises old and new, the popular and the obscure.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what franchise it’s in, if it’s iconic enough like Sauron’s One Ring, or a statue of Gollum, it belongs in a man-cave. It can be a toy, a statuette, a film prop, a comic book or a trading card. I may not be a big fan of Batman, but I won’t say no to a life-size statue in my living room and a Batmobile in my garage. I can’t help but recall that urologist, played perfectly by Billy Bob Thornton, in The Big Bang Theory with all his movie props and replicas.

As everyone’s tastes are different, it’s hard to always know what the hottest collectibles are for us geeks. Given a choice between a dinner date with Miley Cyrus or Mr. Spock’s original ears autographed by Leonard Nimoy, what will it be? No question there. But a dinner with Emilia Clarke? Spock’s ears can wait.Well, it’s tough, but here are the top five objects we think any sci-fi fan would want in his or her collection. The items here have to be attainable enough but not on the level of Bill Gates. If you are able to spend from a few hundred up to a million dollars for your favorite franchise, then good for you. We value your happiness.Check out our handpicked sci fi fantasy collectibles that have everything from George Reeves original Superman costume to real Valerian Game of Thrones steel.

batmobile collectible car movie tv tech geeks images

Batmobile

Owning the Batmobile is the dream of many sci-fi fans, whatever incarnation it may be in. Riding in it and getting to say “I’m Batman” can make the day of just about anyone. Just ask Batkid. Owning a replica of Adam West’s Batmobile or Michael Keaton’s version would require one of Bruce Wayne’s bank accounts.Ben Affleck’s version should be easily reproducible with enough fiberglass or 3D printouts, unlike Christian Bale’s large Tumbler. If you don’t have the dough, Christian Bale’s Batcycle would make a cool project. Getting the actual studio vehicles would require you being a high-roller in Vegas or a major Apple stockholder but reproductions are possible.The most common reproduction is still Michael Keaton’s Batmobile once featured in History Channel’s Pawn Stars. It’s sleek and looks futuristic enough to hold up for almost three decades. Other iconic cars in demand are Back to the Future’s DeLorean and KITT from Knight Rider.

game of thrones iron chair collectible mttg

Iron Throne

No doubt that HBO’s Game of Thrones is one of the hottest properties of the current generation. It’s easy enough to get Jon Snow’s cloak and sword but getting a life-sized Iron Throne replica will either require lots of material, ingenuity, and creativity or a huge paycheck for one ready-made. The going price for such replicas can be from $10,000 (unlicensed) to $30,000. Not exactly a steal but once you have it, it’s difficult not to act spoiled. Feel free to tell everyone in the room that ‘the king can do as he likes’ all day.

iron man armor collectible

Iron Man Armor

Who doesn’t love Iron Man nowadays? C’mon DC fans, even you can’t say no to a life-size Iron Man replica or at least a life-size bust in your bedroom. He should go well beside that T-100 or Predator statue in your man-cave.At a minimum, Iron Man’s chest piece and eyes should make a cool nightlight. It would also be cool if it includes a Jarvis-like AI. These days, you could probably customize an Echo Dot, stick it into a life-size Iron Man bust and call her Friday. Life-size replicas of the Mark 42 went on sale from Sideshow Collectibles for $8,500. That’s about a few hours paycheck for someone working on Wall Street.If you want to go cheaper, half an armor would do. Again, Sideshow Collectibles sold various life-size Iron Man busts for under a thousand dollars. Currently sold out, imagine that, but keep checking back here on eBay as they keep coming back.

Lord of the Rings, The One Ring and Other Props

These items can easily be tied in this list but replicas of these are a dime a dozen. What geeks would want most are the actual studio props used in The Lord of the Rings movie.The One Ring, such a tiny thing, probably gets misplaced quite often during production so there should be several of them going around. Are there? There are nine which were sold at auction in 2015. The main prop was expected to sell for over $80,000 while the other 8 were expected to sell for $20,000 each.But if you want a replica with added value, New Zealand’s Jens Hansen is the craftsman that actually made the studio props, and they can be found here on eBay. If you’re not into jewelry, you can get the various swords and weapons from the series.

superman actions comics 1 collectible

Action Comics Superman

It would probably be difficult to find a sci-fi fan who’s not interested in comic books. Many fans would have dedicated shelves for their collection or boxes upon boxes stashed in a closet.The centerpiece of these collections would be the rare ones like Spider-Man’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 or the first appearance of the Avengers in Avengers #1. But the most iconic of comic books is Action Comics #1 which features the first appearance of Superman that sparked the superhero genre in the 1930s.Perhaps the most expensive 9-grade copy sold for 3 million dollars at an auction in 2014. Nicolas Cage used to own one until it was stolen from his home. Now we’re not asking hardcore geeks to pine for a 9-grade copy. There are other copies out there, a bit tattered and worn but could still sell for $10,000 or so. It’s the perfect centerpiece for any comic book collection, not just for marquee value, but lucky owners will be helping preserve a piece of history.

Click here to check out all the sci-fi and fantasy collectibles we’ve handpicked right here.

When did ‘Star Wars’ fans get so racist?

George Cando
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When did ‘Star Wars’ fans get so racist?

How did “Star Wars” fans suddenly look so racist? Naturally, it’s usually a small but virulent group that makes everyone look bad, but once again, hardcore fans of the sci-fi franchise are showing their asses. Kelly Marie Tran is the latest to be put through the ringer with racist and misogynistic comments on social media.

It wasn’t long ago when John Boyega went through a similar maelstrom after it was announced that he would be starring in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The fact that he was a black man created quite the disturbance in the force for some. This seemed to be the beginning of hate spewing from “Star Wars” fans, as Daisy Ridley was put through the social media hate ringer, but it only seems to be getting more intense in 2018.

Once again, the dark side of “Star Wars” fandom reared its nasty little head when Kelly Marie Tran, the actress who plays Rose Tico in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” was run off Instagram by misogynistic and racist messages from fans who didn’t like her character in the movie.

daisy ridley star wars hate
Daisy Ridley

The episode was not an uncommon one. Daisy Ridley, who stars as the heroine Rey, quit social media last year for similar reasons. They are far from the first women to be hounded by bitter, mostly male fans who didn’t approve of their entry into a fictional pop-culture world that some fans feel a misguided sense of ownership of.

Such toxic abuse has long been a staple of darker social-media realms, fan-group message boards, and internet comments pages. Obsession — loving or poisonous — has helped fuel the most dedicated fan bases, whose fervor is craved and cultivated by billion-dollar brands. We’ve encountered personally and written about a small but hate-fueled segment with the CW show “Supernatural,” who go beyond the pale in attacking actors on the show. Actor Mark Pellegrino, who plays Lucifer, was hit hard on Twitter by this small segment, and it appears to continue getting worse as people back down to this crowd fearing the same happening to them

But the scorn heaped on Tran — a 29-year-old newcomer who has been overjoyed at her induction into “Star Wars” — sparked a backlash of its own. Thankfully, there are a few people in today’s world that realize wrong when it’s being done and aren’t afraid to call it out. Online bullies gather their strength from screaming the loudest and using anything to distract when they are presented with logic and rational thought. They are very good at trying to bait people into an argument so they can cry ‘bully’ at them when they are called out on their bullshit. This is why so many people steer clear and just silently watch these bullies attack.

mark hamill stands up for kelly marie tran racist hits instagram
Mark Hamill with Kelly Marie Tran

“What’s not to love?” asked Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, with a photo of himself and Tran and the hashtag “GetALifeNerds.”

Affectionate fan art of Tran’s character began circling widely on Twitter. “The Last Jedi” writer-director Rian Johnson forcefully came to his actress’ defense.

“On social media a few unhealthy people can cast a big shadow on the wall, but over the past 4 years I’ve met lots of real fellow SW fans,” said Johnson. “We like & dislike stuff, but we do it with humor, love & respect. We’re the VAST majority; we’re having fun & doing just fine.”

Who exactly is today’s “Star Wars” fan? Those who stood in line for “A New Hope” in 1977 would likely be in their 50s, at least, by now. George Lucas’ 1999-2005 prequels, despite their flaws, helped introduce a new generation to the movies, as have the rebooted installments of recent years, following Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm. And those films have made a sincere effort to expand the universe of “Star Wars” with a more diverse array of characters.

Few have gotten a better look at the remaining “manbabies” of “Star Wars,” as Johnson called them, than Robert Smigel, the comedian behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. When “Attack of the Clones” was released, he memorably took Triumph to visit fans (many of them costumed) camped outside New York’s Ziegfeld Theatre. “Return of the Dorks,” Triumph dubbed it.

A kind of hand-puppet Don Rickles, Triumph eviscerated them as “thousands of 35-year-old men … lonely men who have never had sex, not even with a Catholic priest.” It was the comedy version of shooting fish in a barrel, and — charmingly — most of the fans loved every minute of it.

“I almost felt like I did when I met Don Rickles. They were kind of excited to be made fun of by Triumph,” said Smigel in an interview. “They were overwhelmingly sweet-natured.”

In a week where “Star Wars” fandom reached its lowest point — and not because “Solo: A Star Wars Story” has nose-dived at the box office — it’s helpful to remember that earlier, more innocent, pre-social media chapter in “Star Wars” fandom. It showed the value of a healthy dose of self-deprecation for any fanboy.

“I am a fan. I’m a fan of ‘Star Trek,’ too. I have a deep affection for people who obsess on these things because I identify with it. I’m a nerd in different ways. I obsessed on Peanuts when I was a kid, and dressed up that way. Granted, when I was as an adult, I got past it,” said Smigel, laughing. “There’s something incredibly endearing about anyone who’s passionate about anything. Except for Holocaust denying.”

Even the man behind the harshest “Star Wars” critic found the attacks on Tran “shameful.”

“I was upset about it,” said Smigel. “I took my kids to it, and it’s been such a joy taking them to the new ‘Star Wars’ films because they’re so much closer in spirit to the originals, which I love. It’s just sad because that’s what the Internet has become. It’s become this loud minority. It doesn’t seem to me that they represent the majority of the people that saw that movie. People enjoy pushing buttons, in both political matters and matters of extreme trivia.”

“The Last Jedi,” which dared to break some of the “Star Wars” norms, proved especially divisive among some aficionados. Other efforts to boost multiculturalism and gender equality in Hollywood blockbusters have also provoked politically tinged responses. Before he was president, Donald Trump was among those to criticize the female-led “Ghostbusters,” which became a lightning rod in 2016.

At the premiere Wednesday of “Ocean’s 8,” also a franchise remade with actresses in the leads, Sandra Bullock was still aghast about backlash to “Ghostbusters.”

“That was unfair on a level that I can’t even not be mad about talking about,” Bullock told Variety. “(The cast) literally walked into a firing squad. You had five of the most gifted comedian actresses on the planet — I’m just gonna leave it at that.”

The vitriol of the over-indulged fanboy has long been an unfortunately common component of blockbuster entertainment, from Marvel movies to “Game of Thrones.” But just as other long-ingrained practices of a historically male-dominated movie industry are being reshaped, the sway of the sexist superfan may be waning. More than the low grosses of “Solo,” the treatment of Tran poses a potentially damaging challenge to the franchise: If these are “Star Wars” fans, who wants to be a “Star Wars” fan?

Ironically, it was Tran’s rousing moment in “The Last Jedi” that supplied the best answer.

“This is how we win,” says Rose. “Not fighting what we hate. Saving what we love.”

Netflix ‘The Toys That Made Us’ is must see watching for any toy fan

Marius Manuella
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Netflix ‘The Toys That Made Us’ is must see watching for any toy fan

I have a thing about history. I’m not really sure why, but it’s one of my favorite subjects. I was great at it in high school, and one of my favorite cable channels is the History Channel. Now a few other topics I like besides comics and computers is toys. Now combine these subjects, and we have a winner. Have you ever tried watching that little show on Netflix called “The Toys that Made Us?” If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat especially if you’re an adult in your thirties and forties like yours truly.

We’re never too old for our toys because they remind us of a much simpler time when you never cared whether or not Donald Trump became president and other things we adults get so wound up with these days. None of us were Democrats or Republicans; we were Autobots and Decepticons; we were GI Joe or Cobra, and some of us were Transformers and Gobots. “The Toys That Made Us,” as the intro will tell you, is an eight-part documentary about iconic toy lines we enjoyed as a child and still enjoy today. “The Toys That Made Us” was released in two four-episode seasons and is now on Season Two. Like it said, it features eight iconic toy lines, but I can only hope that there will be more.

If you still haven’t seen “The Toys That Made Us,” Season One is composed of the following toy lines. Star Wars, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Barbie, and G.I. Joe. All episodes discussed how the toy lines came to be and their effect on the toy industry, and in the hearts and minds of Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers. By now Season One is old news, so we focus on the much-awaited Season Two, which is composed of episodes about Star Trek, Transformers, Lego and Hello Kitty. And as I said, it would be nice if they could later talk about other toy lines like Matchbox, Hot Wheels, Pokemon, MASK, and Marvel Legends.

Star Trek

Now for the episodes. The first episode was about Star Trek toys. To understand Star Trek toys, “The Toys That Made Us” takes us through the history of the franchise and its fandom. As any self-respecting geek would know, Star Trek was a little-known show that didn’t catch on at first but turned into a cultural phenomenon. This show was ahead of its time and dared to tackle controversial topics such as racial equality, religion, and feminism. The toys are a different story though.

star trek spock red light toys that made us

Did you know there was a time when Star Trek sold toys and stuff not even related to the show? The practice was not uncommon until someone decided to actually sell the real goods and fandom loved them. The Star Trek franchise is also known for hit and miss theatrical releases. Odd numbers are bad, even numbers are good. The same goes for the early days of this toy line. The manufacturers just weren’t in sync with what’s hot and what’s not.

They released toys during the bad movies, and there were no toys during the good ones, which didn’t help their popularity for the TOS era. The toys really picked up during the TNG era thanks to companies like Galoob and Playmates who sold Star Trek toys up the wazoo. “Star Trek” remains popular today, and the toys are now way better thanks to toy companies like Diamond Select and Eaglemoss which feature the newest ships from “Star Trek: Discovery.”

lego toys that made us on netflix

Transformers

The second episode is what many, who know about this show are waiting for. There’s no denying that Transformers is one of today’s biggest toy franchises. You might hate the “Transformers” films by Michael Bay, but the first film actually reinvigorated this toy franchise that struggled during the early 2000s. But the Transformers’ decline during the early 2000s wasn’t discussed in this episode. What “The Toys That Made Us” gave us is a straightforward history lesson on the franchise’s journey all the way from Japan thanks to cans of tuna, G.I. Joe and a last choice guy in Marvel Comics. Say what? Watch the show to find out this fascinating story. The episode also centers much on the G1 toy line and the iconic Optimus Prime. Also, what’s a Transformers documentary featuring Optimus Prime without Peter Cullen?

lego toys that made us on netflix

Lego

The third episode is about the toy that makes everything awesome — Lego. The approach to this episode was to describe the growth and struggles of this brand through a brick tree that grows and dies with the growth and struggles of the company. Lego is now the world’s biggest toy company, but would you believe that the company that brought us Lego Space, Lego Technic, and Lego City almost went bankrupt? The company was saved by a very unlikely toy line that was in my opinion very much removed from the ‘system.’

You’ll know more about the ‘system’ which, even as a child I really adhered to because even though it’s possible to put Lego pieces together in unconventional ways, I had the compulsion to build according to the system. This is another episode I looked forward to as Lego has really kickstarted my creativity when I was a kid. I still play with Lego bricks even now as a meditative activity.

hello kitty woman toys that made us

Hello Kitty

And lastly, the last episode is about Hello Kitty, and it’s a bit of a strange one, since I consider Hello Kitty as more of a brand than a toy line. The demand for the McDonald’s plush toys was crazy though. They’re still sought after items today. This episode, of course, discusses Hello Kitty’s humble beginnings from a simple coin purse to becoming a brand of international flights. Hello Kitty is a brand of almost anything that’s cute or kawaii in Japan.

This episode discusses the cuteness campaign that changed Japanese culture and brought little smiles to others around the world. Hello Kitty is a weird but entertaining story. This episode also shows us that there is a real lack of iconic toy lines for girls as the show perhaps struggled to create a female-centric episode like Barbie. Hello Kitty does have plenty of toys, but they’re not overly featured in this episode.

“The Toys That Made Us” is one of those amazing shows that really brings us back to our childhoods, and it’s a pleasant feeling. As pleasant as looking back to playing our old video games and reading old comic books. Another show that puts toys and history together is one that I stumbled upon on the Travel Channel, which is “Toy Hunter.”

This is an interesting show that is very much like the Pickers, but about toys. And as I just found out, was a show from way back in 2012. It’s still cool though as I liked the stories of the toys featured. As for newer ones, you could check out the following YouTube channels: Retroblasting and Toy Galaxy. The aforementioned channels and Netflix’s “The Toys That Made Us” are recommended shows for toy fans who are also into history.

The 5 Coolest Cars Featured in James Bond Films

MTTG Staff
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The 5 Coolest Cars Featured in James Bond Films

True James Bond fans are those who are thrilled with action, suspense, and adventure. They roll with the character change each time a new 007 Bond comes on board. So far, each has furthered the series in their own unique way and helped to create the rich history of the franchise. In a similar vein, what would Bond be without a screaming hot car that oozes sexiness, speed, sport, and prestige?

It’s an entire package that goes with the ambiance of the surroundings, the attitude of the agent, the clothing and the plot. The 007 film franchise has gone down as the most successful in the history of Hollywood. Aside from high tech gadgetry, gorgeous girls, swanky casino games and exotic cocktails, the car is yet another extension of the Bond persona. Here are the 5 coolest cars featured in James Bond films.

  1. Ford Mustang Mach 1

Do you recall the 1971 Bond classic “Diamonds are Forever?” The film was shot before technology made a big invasion into the auto industry and what was considered to be smart, sexy and provocative in the early ’70s was pure power and a culturally appropriate nod to the muscle car. With a Vegas Strip surrounding, the most ideal choice for Bond to make his getaway was the Ford Mustang Mach 1. Any teen would have given their right arm to own one in this era. Tiffany Case was the owner of the car, but Bond took it to its limits, and the response from the public was to go right out and buy one for themselves. Ford was pleased with the tremendous jump in sales for the next year.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante james bond cars

  1. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante

The 1987 007 film “The Living Daylights” with Timothy Dalton playing the role of Bond, took a different approach than previous films. There was a regal air about the 1985 Aston Martin V8 that Dalton drove. leaving little doubt about his stylishness and need to have the very best in aesthetics, power, and control. The vehicle is one of the classiest V8s ever produced with sophistication that rivaled the Royal Family of Britain. In fact, the car used in this film is nearly an exact version of the vehicle that Her Majesty’s Secret Service deploys for royal duty.

Aston Martin DBS V12 hot james bond cars daniel craig

  1. Aston Martin DBS V12

The “Casino Royale” Bond film brought Daniel Craig on board as a new face to change up the demeanor of the 007 role, and it was only fitting that a new car be brought along to complement his unique sense of style. The Aston Martin DBS V12 name alone conjures images of high-class luxury, wealth, extravagance and a lust for power. This is the model that Craig also drove in “Quantum of Solace.” There is no disputing the character of the car and really, no other model could possibly rise to the occasions calling for the transport of the best dressed gentleman on the strip. This was the film that firmly cemented the Aston Martin as the vehicle most appropriately suited as a complement to the character of the idyllic 007 agent.

Aston Martin DB5 james bond hot cars with sean connery

  1. Aston Martin DB5

When “Goldfinger”was released in 1964, it properly introduced the Aston Martin DB5 to the world in a way that the advertisers and marketing strategists for the automaker could never do. The high-end luxury executives build and sell their automobiles to exclusive groupings of clients and they were initially reluctant to allow an example of their iconic vehicles to appear in the film. Through negotiations and time to digest the proposal, Aston Martin made the decision to move forward with the inclusion of their new DB5 Mark II. It was to the benefit of the company because with the rampant success of the film, came an increase in demand for thee DB5, rocketing it to the best selling model for Aston Martin, of all time. The impressive features of the car became a focus, particularly when exciting gadgets that a spy would use were built in for special effects.

Lotus Espirit hot james bond cars submarine spy who loved me

  1. The Lotus Espirit

While the Aston Martin was a favorite choice for many of the films in the 007 franchise, The number one coolest car, appearing in “The Spy Who Loved Me,” was the 1976 Lotus Espirit S1. It was the perfect choice for a spy movie because of its futuristic design and pedal to the metal high performance. Its sexy exterior was also a huge calling card that made it the best choice for this 1977 film. When it came to car chases, the Lotus was brilliant, and with the additional special effects that allowed the vehicle to travel underwater, in the air and on the road, the excitement of the film reached a level that approached frenzy. The film grossed over $184 million and was a huge success. We like to think that the inclusion of the Lotus played a big part in that.

‘Halloween’ 2018 teases with new Michael Myers images

George Cando
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‘Halloween’ 2018 teases with new Michael Myers images

“Halloween” is back 40 years later with a teaser before the official full-length trailer hits on Friday. Blumhouse and Universal aren’t saying much about this film besides the fact that it will ignore all those other sequels after the original Halloween II sequel.

“It picks up after the first one, but it’s sort of an alternate reality. It’s as if the first Halloween ended in a slightly different way,” co-writer Danny McBride said.

new michael myers in halloween movie reboot
Michael Myers 40 years later

Jamie Lee Curtis returns for her fourth time facing off against brother Michael Myers (well fifth time if you count her credit in the awful “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” as the curfew announcer) who has escaped from the prison yet again. As in “Halloween: Resurrection” (even though that film didn’t take place in this new “Halloween” universe) Laurie has been prepping for his return which means protecting her daughter (Judy Greer) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak) for Michael’s next bloody rampage through the town.

David Gordon Green, the brilliant director of “George Washington” and “Undertow” is helming this installment from a script he co-wrote with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. Making sure to bring back original fans along with a new generation, Blumhouse is trying to please everyone (which sometimes results in no one getting pleased) so he brought John Carpenter (who hasn’t done a really great film in quite some time) back to Executive Produce and compose the score. If you are a diehard fan of the film, you know that Carpenter originally took his finished “Halloween” film in to a studio executive who found it boring. That inspired him to add music, and thus his famous iconic score was born.

“I am an executive producer and it looks clear to me that I’ve made a deal to do the music,” Carpenter said. “There are many options. I’ll be consulting with the director to see what he feels. I could create a new score, we could update the old score and amplify it, or we could combine those two things. I’ll have to see the movie to see what it requires.”

original michael myers actor nick castle
Nick Castle, the original Michael Myers
james jude courtney taking on michael myers in film
James Jude Courtney taking on Michael Myers mask

The original Michael Myers actor, Nick Castle, will also return to don the new mask along with actor James Jude Courtney

“David [Gordon Green] was really sensitive and generous when he said, ‘We’re inviting Nick Castle to come back to do a little work. Do you have a problem with that, because you’re the Michael Myers now?’,” Courtney said. “And I was like, ‘Oh my God. Are you kidding? What an honor it would be, first of all to meet the guy, but secondly to work with him. How good does that get?’”

Courtney went on to add:

“So we started work, and I can’t remember if it was the second or third week that Nick came in and did kind of a cameo. He did a couple of scenes, and I’m in the scenes with him, which is really beautiful. He and I were hoping that would happen, because he even said, ‘This is the passing of the torch.’ We met with foreign journalists on the set, and Nick was so super gracious and just saying, ‘Look, I’ve come in to do a cameo. Jim is our Michael Myers now.’“

nick castle playing around dr pepper with michael myers
Michael Myers takes a Dr Pepper break

Shortly after new images (below) were released the above teaser trailer hit showing the marketing might that’s being put behind the film which hits theaters on October 19. Everything is looking great, and that iconic Michael Myers mask looks perfectly weathered and abused after 40 years.

Fun fact: When trying to find the perfect mask for his monster, John Carpenter grabbed a William Shatner mask from a costume store, but no one ever noticed the resemblance until the director talked about it in an interview.

An interesting note is that this film will also forget that memorable fact that Lauri Strode and Michael Myers are brother and sister. This plot twist was added in “Halloween II,” and at the time, it was rather controversial since it took away some of the Michael Myers mystery.

jamie lee curtis with david gordon green on halloween set
Jamie Lee Curtis with David Gordon Green on Halloween set

David Gordon Green and Danny McBride felt strongly about bringing Jamie Lee Curtis back for their film but weren’t sure if they would be able to do that.

“I think everyone was kind of on the mindset of it’d be a grab to get her,” McBride said, “but no one really knew if we would be able to. So Dave and I just busted our ass on this script to really make that Laurie Strode character something she wouldn’t be able to say no to. When we finished the script, we sent it to her, and she said she was in. So we just flipped out. We were over the moon about her involvement.”

“As soon as I read what David Green and Danny McBride had come up with, and the way that they connected the dots of the story, it made so much sense to me that it felt totally appropriate for me to return to Haddonfield for another 40th-anniversary retelling,” Curtis said.

jamie lee curties avoiding michael myers hands through window halloween movie 2018]

Everyone has been kind in not mentioning Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” reboot attempts. While they weren’t horrible, they did manage to put the entire franchise into a death cycle that remained dormant for some time. It wasn’t until 2016 that Blumhouse and Miramax announced the new film with John Carpenter on board.

“Thirty-eight years after the original Halloween…I’m going to help to try to make the 10th sequel the scariest of them all,” Carpenter said.

Mike Flanagan was originally floated to direct, then along came Adam Wingard, but out of the blue, David Gordon Green’s name came up, and all was set. While many fans known him mainly from “Your Highness” and “Pineapple Express” you must watch “Undertow” to see how he can add creepiness and suspense in his work.

“I’m a humongous Halloween fan,” McBride said, “so when David and I got approached about doing this from Blumhouse [the studio behind Get Out], the first thing David and I said was, ‘We’ll come up with a take, but we have to pitch it to [franchise creator John] Carpenter. If he’s not interested, we’re definitely not into making this.’ And [executive producer] Jason Blum was totally on board with that. That’s exactly what he wanted to do anyway,” McBride says. “So we came up with our pitch. We pitched to Carpenter, and he was into it, which kind of blew David and me away.”

menacing michael myers with butcher knife in halloween movie
David Gordon Green homage to original Halloween film with Michael Myers in the closet

The teaser does exactly what a great one does. Without revealing anything aside from Michael Myer’s mask, it is able to create some excitement. The minute the “Halloween” theme kicks in, you can feel the goosebumps, and it made me immediately want to watch the original one again, and you can check it out here very cheap.

So, they’ve done their job in getting some great interest in the new “Halloween” film, and you can count on more buzz surrounding the film that looks to be a serious remake of the original. This is one that looks like it should deliver the goods with David Gordon Green leading the way.

Halloween opens in theaters on October 19th and also stars Will Patton, Virginia “Ginny” Gardener, Dylan Arnold, Drew Scheid, and Miles Robbins, and features the return of Nick Castle as The Shape (stuntman and actor James Jude Courtney is also helping bring the role to life).

halloween movie poster official 2018

Facebook privacy problem again plus Donald Trump’s Twitter blocks

Jeffrey Lang
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Facebook privacy problem again plus Donald Trump’s Twitter blocks

Mark Zuckerberg probably felt that things were going smoother for Facebook after the privacy scandal with the now defunct Cambridge Analytics, but they are now facing serious legal trouble. On Sunday, The New York Times broke the news that the social media giant had deals going back a decade with 60 companies including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Blackberry which gave copious amounts of personal data about users and their friends. This made it so they could re-create a mobile version of Facebook on their devices.

Facebook is at the center of another privacy furor, this one is over its sharing of user data with device makers such as Apple, Amazon, Samsung and others over the past decade

The social network acknowledges the data sharing deals, which it says it’s — according to a New York Times report — it has struck with at least 60 device makers since 2007. But it says there’s nothing scandalous about them.

The arrangements raise a number of questions, among them whether Facebook failed to get the explicit consent of users before sharing their data. If so, that could place it in violation of a 2011 consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission. Facebook denies it shared user data without consent.

These device-maker deals could raise concerns similar to those in Facebook’s recent Cambridge Analytica scandal. That’s where a Trump-connected political consulting firm used data derived from as many as 87 million Facebook profiles in order to sway election results.

In this case, however, it’s not clear how the device makers could have abused Facebook even if they wanted to. So far there’s no evidence that phone and tablet makers used Facebook data improperly, in sharp contrast to Cambridge Analytica consultants. Apple, for instance, said it has worked with Facebook for years to let its users share things on Facebook through iPhone and Mac apps.

But the report taps into continuing anxiety about the information users give up — and to whom — when they use Facebook. The Times report says device makers received users’ own information, such as email addresses, phone numbers and relationship statuses, as well as data from their friends, sometimes without their explicit consent.

A similar practice involving third-party apps on Facebook landed CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg before Congress during the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Facebook’s 2011 FTC agreement requires it to obtain “affirmative express consent ” before making changes that override users’ privacy preferences.

“Sure looks like Zuckerberg lied to Congress about whether users have ‘complete control’ over who sees our data on Facebook,” Rep. David Cicillene, a Rhode Island Democrat, wrote on Twitter . “This needs to be investigated and the people responsible need to be held accountable.”

Facebook said it granted smartphone access to this data well before mobile apps became popular, as a way of making its service work on a broad range of devices. Device makers could then build their own software that incorporated Facebook functions. Users would log into their Facebook accounts, allowing the phone software to pull in data from Facebook itself.

Apple said it used data pulled in from Facebook to let people post photos and other items on Facebook without opening the Facebook app. It ended that practice on the iPhone last September, although similar features persist on Mac computers.

In a blog post Monday , Facebook VP Ime Archibong wrote that the company worked closely with device makers to ensure that they only used the data to “recreate Facebook-like experiences” on their phones. He denied that users’ information was shared without their consent.

The company recently said it will end these data-sharing agreements as part of a broader review of its privacy practices sparked by the Cambridge Analytica scandal. So far, it’s ended just 22.

Facebook, however, hasn’t fully explained why these deals were still in place as of this year, and it’s unclear whether they would have been wound down were it not for the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Zuckerberg has recently apologized for the fact that Facebook often didn’t always protect user privacy, and didn’t consider how its service could be misused by malicious actors until it was too late.

Archibong also said the data agreements allowed phone makers to offer Facebook features on their phones before app stores were popular. Apple’s App Store launched in 2008, as did Google’s app store, then called Android Market.

 

donald trump continues blocking on twitter

President Donald Trump is asking an appeals court to restore his power to block critics on Twitter.

He has unblocked the seven plaintiffs who sued him for blocking them on Twitter, but he hasn’t lifted his block on everyone. Stephen King and model Chrissy Teigen can now see his tweets, but some like Jordan Uhl are still blocked.

Government lawyers representing Trump and White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino filed paperwork Monday to appeal a federal judge’s ruling last month that said blocking people from the @realDonaldTrump account violates the First Amendment.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://movietvtechgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Knight-First-Amendment-vs-Donald-Trump-over-Twitter-blocking.pdf” title=”Knight First Amendment vs Donald Trump over Twitter blocking”]

The paperwork did not list grounds for the appeal. Trump and Scavino’s lawyers did not immediately respond to messages.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald made clear in her May 23 ruling that people have a right to reply directly to politicians who use their accounts as public forums to conduct official business. The decision — the most prominent in a string of similar cases against public officials — could mark a turning point for constituents interacting with government employees on social media.

Buchwald’s ruling stopped short of ordering Trump to unblock users, but one user who sued Trump said her access was restored Monday.

“Two days shy of the one year anniversary of my blocking, @realDonaldTrump has unblocked me,” Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza tweeted. “Theory: He just didn’t want to give me the paper anniversary gift.”

Trump built his campaign on early morning tweet storms and hashtag-worthy slogans. Since taking office, he’s turned his account into a virtual megaphone — boasting about accomplishments, jeering opponents and dismissing critical media coverage as “fake news” to his more than 52 million followers.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University went to court to challenge his habit of blocking people with dissenting political views. The lawsuit involved seven Trump critics that his account blocked. Others who’ve been walled off include author Stephen King and model Chrissy Teigen.

Buckwalter-Poza, the judicial affairs editor for Daily Kos, said she’s confident she and other Trump critics will win again on appeal.

“We’re still right, and they’re still wrong,” she said.

Donald Trump distracts again with Philadelphia Eagles ‘Patriotism’

Shanka Cheryl
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Donald Trump distracts again with Philadelphia Eagles ‘Patriotism’

Like a socialite afraid that no one will come to her party, Donald Trump chose to uninvite NFL Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles to an event on Tuesday. As it looked like only a handful of the players would be showing up, he shut them down rather than risk looking rejected in public. He chose his favorite method, Twitter, to make the announcement Monday evening. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders claimed that the Eagles had pulled a “political stunt” during Tuesday’s conference.

Then to stress the point in a rather undignified tweet, Trump added more salt to the wound.

If Barack Obama had done anything remotely close to this, Donald Trump would have been all over Twitter stating how unAmerican the action was along with Republicans. Now, many Republicans remain silent hoping to continue drinking from the small teat of Trump’s supporters.

Interesting point is that Tom Brady chose to skip out last year when Trump invited the New England Patriots after winning the Super Bowl, but this went without a single blast of his ‘patriotism.’

Trump knows that by repeating something over and over will wind up remaining in people’s heads where they don’t even remember what is fact and what is fiction anymore. Case in point, the Colin Kaepernick controversy. Most people don’t even remember why both he and many players in the NFL chose to take a knee during the National Anthem. It was not a sign of disrespect, but to show the problem of police violence against black people.

Trump chose to jump into the fray (plus it was a great distraction from the growing Russia investigation) and has now become the arbiter of what patriotism is and what is means to the over 300 million citizens of the United States. In Trump’s world, patriotism is standing for the National Anthem before NFL football games. If you choose not to stand (or buy a hotdog supporting the vendors at the stadium), you are dishonoring not only the “great men and women of our military” but also the “people of our country.”

On Tuesday he took this one step further forgetting that the White House is not his personal house. It is the house of the citizens of the United States, but as he feels that his power supersedes the law, he has chosen to plant a giant Trump emblem on it.

Here is what we have learned from his latest stunt which is sure to distract the media away from Trump’s worry regarding Paul Manafort’s latest attempted witness tampering charges.

  1. Trump’s explanation that not having every member of the Eagles there would somehow disappoint Eagles fans who “deserve better” is total fiction. I’m not an Eagles fan. But if they are anything like Washington Redskins fans, they would be totally thrilled to meet the backup left guard on the team — much less a large group of players who expressed interest in coming. Trump is hiding behind the I-am-doing-the-fans-a-favor excuse to play some politics here — plain and simple.
  2. Trump doesn’t own the White House. Trump seems to be treating 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue like one of his Trump properties. If only you had done things the way I wanted them done, then maybe you could be reclining in one of my 5-star hotels right now — or playing golf at one of my award-winning courses. That is how Trump thinks.

Now, all presidents understand that an invitation to the White House is a big deal. Democratic and Republican presidents have used the White House as a way to woo wavering legislators, reward major donors and impress foreign diplomats.

But the idea that people can be disinvited because they don’t act the way you want them to in a certain situation is new ground. This is pick-up-my-ball-and go-home-type of stuff.

  1. Trump’s definition of patriotism is very, very narrow. By the definition offered in his statement tonight, patriotism for Donald Trump is standing proudly for the National Anthem, with your hand on your heart. Doing anything else is disrespectful — not only to Trump but to the military and to the country as a whole.

So, what about when Baltimore Orioles fans scream “O’s” when the line “Oh say can you see?” Or the Washington Capitals fans — as they did tonight — cheer wildly when the word “red” is mentioned in the line “rockets red glare?” Is that equally disrespectful? If not, why not?

On Tuesday morning, Trump elaborated on his idea of patriotism in a tweet about his plans to host a “Celebration of America” event instead of the planned Eagles celebration.

“We will proudly be playing the National Anthem and other wonderful music celebrating our Country today at 3 P.M., The White House, with the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus. Honoring America!” Trump posted on Twitter. “NFL, no escaping to Locker Rooms!” he added, referring to the NFL’s new policy that allows players to wait off the field during the anthem.

  1. Trump thinks patriotism must equal unwavering loyalty to his view of the National Anthem. If you take Trump at his word in the statement released Monday night, the only way that you can show love and appreciation for those who have fought and died for our country is to stand with your hand over your heart during the playing of the National Anthem. That’s it. That’s the only route.

Take a step back. What are Americans fighting and dying in foreign countries fighting and dying for, if not the right of free expression, of the freedom to speak your mind without fear?

The essence of being an American is that right to express your views in a way that is true and faithful to your own experiences. The key to the success of American experiment is a belief that our melting pot of over 300 million people and their experiences gets it right only when we listen to other views and value those views, just as we value our own opinions.

Insistence on adherence to one idea of what it means to honor our country — and its military men and women — isn’t in keeping with that credo. It’s the opposite of it.

donald trump scared of eagle

Taking on the NFL and football’s Super Bowl champs, President Donald Trump gave the boot to a White House ceremony for the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday and instead threw his own brief “Celebration of America” after it became clear most players weren’t going to show up.

Both sides traded hot accusations about who was to blame.

Trump tried to turn the fracas into a referendum on patriotism and tie it to the dispute over players who have taken a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality. However, Eagles players never knelt during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” throughout the 2017 season and their march to the Super Bowl.

The White House accused Eagles team members of pulling a “political stunt” and abandoning their fans by backing out at the last minute. Indeed, few apparently were going to come, though some expressed disappointment that they’d been disinvited and complained Trump was unfairly painting them as anti-American.

Through it all, Trump appeared to revel in fanning the flames of a culture war that he believes revs up his political base.

Trump had long been leery of the Eagles’ planned visit to the White House, in part because the team’s owner, Jeffrey Lurie, has been a Trump critic, and because several players have been vocal critics of the league’s new policy that requires players to stand if they’re on the field during the national anthem or else stay in the locker room.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the team notified the White House last Thursday that 81 people, including players, coaches, managers, and others would be attending the Super Bowl celebration. But she said the team got back in touch late Friday and tried to reschedule, “citing the fact that many players would not be in attendance.” The Eagles proposed a time when Trump would be overseas.

Eagles officials declined comment on the White House version of events, sticking with a simple earlier statement: “We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received and we are looking forward to continuing our preparations for the 2018 season.”

No one connected with the team said the players’ reluctance to attend had anything to do with the national anthem, as Trump tried to portray the situation. And comments by star players in the current pro basketball finals indicated it’s not about football.

“I know no matter who wins this series, no one wants the invite anyway. So it won’t be Golden State or Cleveland going,” said LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. There was no disagreement from Stephen Curry, who angered Trump last year when he said he wouldn’t go to the White House after the Warriors’ NBA triumph, leading the president to disinvite him and his team.

Trump, furious about the small number of Eagles who were coming, scrapped Tuesday’s visit, believing a low turnout would reflect poorly upon him. He had told aides last year he was embarrassed when Tom Brady, star quarterback of that season’s champion New England Patriots, opted to skip a White House visit.

Instead, the president held what he dubbed a “patriotic celebration” that was short and spare. A military band and chorus delivered the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America, with brief Trump remarks sandwiched in between.

“We love our country, we respect our flag and we always proudly stand for the national anthem,” Trump said.

The White House crowd of roughly 1,000, mostly dressed in business suits, was light on Pennsylvanians and heavy on administration and GOP Party officials. Several in attendance blamed the players, not the president, for torpedoing the Eagles event.

John Killion, a lifelong Eagles fan who now lives in Florida and traveled to Washington to see his team, said he was “devastated and infuriated” by a breakdown he blamed on the Eagles owners.

“I waited my whole life for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl and they were going to be congratulated at the White House. And I don’t really care who you like or dislike, it shouldn’t be about that,” he said.

Bill Fey, a Republican state committeeman from southern New Jersey and an Eagles fan, called the decision “a black eye as far as I’m concerned with the NFL. I think that everyone should come to the White House. This is the peoples’ house.” Still, he said, “I think the Eagles did what they thought was necessary. I don’t blame anyone.”

Trump’s own patriotic event was not without its controversy. Following the playing of the anthem, a heckler shouted from the audience: “Stop hiding behind the armed services and the national anthem!” prompting boos. A Swedish reporter posted video of a man kneeling as the anthem was played.

In a statement Monday, Trump placed the blame on Eagles players he said “disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”

Besides the fact that none of the Eagles had taken a knee during the anthem in 2017, defensive end Chris Long said the NFL anthem policy change and Trump’s reaction to it were not even discussed by the players in meetings about making the visit.

Those deciding to stay away had various reasons beyond Trump’s opposition to the protests, including more general feelings of hostility toward the president, one official said.

Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, who had planned to skip the ceremony “to avoid being used as any kind of pawn,” said in a statement that at the White House a “decision was made to lie, and paint the picture that these players are anti-America, anti-flag and anti-military.”

Trump has long railed against the protests that began in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began silently kneeling on the sidelines during the anthem to raise awareness around racism and, specifically, the killing of black men by police.

At a rally last September, Trump suggested NFL owners fire “son of a bitch” players who “disrespect” the flag by kneeling.

As for politics, Trump believes the anthem controversy is a winning issue for him and was pleased that last month’s announcement of the league’s new policy returned it to the news, according to people familiar with the president’s thinking but not authorized to discuss private conversations.

Even so, Trump made clear Tuesday he doesn’t believe the policy goes far enough, tweeting: “Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!”

The president told one confidant Monday that he aims to revive the issue in the months leading up to the midterm elections, believing its return to the headlines will help Republicans win votes.

Trump’s attempt to drive a wedge between the team and its fervent fan base could have political consequences in Pennsylvania, which Trump won by just 44,000 votes in 2016.

The politics are already playing out in the state’s Senate race, where Republican Rep. Lou Barletta is challenging Democratic incumbent Bob Casey.

Barletta attended the White House ceremony sans Eagles, “representing the proud Pennsylvanians who stand for our flag.” Casey tweeted he would be “skipping this political stunt at the White House” and invited the Eagles on a tour of the Capitol instead.

Peter Jackson returns with ‘Mortal Engines’ trailer plus images

George Cando
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Peter Jackson returns with ‘Mortal Engines’ trailer plus images

It feels like forever since we’ve heard Peter Jackson’s name, but that changed today as Universal Pictures released the latest trailer for his “Mortal Engines” which brings him back to epic fantasy movie mode. This film has been in the works for a long time as Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh took their time writing the screenplay based on the Philip Reeve book.

Peter Jackson hasn’t been sitting on his laurels during this time. He worked behind the scenes for the West Memphis Three, who were three young men wrongfully put in prison for killing three eight-year-old boys in a satanic ritual. Yes, back in the 1990’s Satanic Panic had crept into America and this was thought to be a pandemic by many in the South. Jackson funded a private investigator to help the three young men (Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr) and filmed the process in the documentary “West of Memphis.” This one is a must see that shows how badly our justice system can go, and it’s a great bookend to the “Paradise Lost” trilogy which brought a national spotlight onto the three men.

west memphis three damien echols jessie misskellye

Jackson chose to stay out of the director’s chair and Christian Rivers will be helming “Mortal Engines” which takes place in a future world where the cities of Earth roam the globe on massive wheels while battling each other. It makes me think of Battlebots, but in this film two very unlikely heroes (that’s usually the case in these epic films) come together to help change the course of a bleak future. It’s like a steampunk version of Earth, and the cities are called Traction cities that hunt down smaller ones and strip them of their parts. Kinda like back in the 1980’s when ‘arbitrage’ was the word of the day.

Rivers has been working with Jackson since being a storyboard artist on “Braindead” and has moved up to visual effects along with second unit directing on the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, all of “The Hobbit” movies and “King Kong.” Now he puts on his big boy pants and makes his directorial debut.

“My role has always been in service to his vision,” Rivers told a group of reporters on the film’s set last June. “I mean, that’s what you do. Films are hierarchical and the director is essentially the creative dictator. So, my services to Peter have always been to help him achieve his vision. And now, on this one, it’s sort of the other way around.”

He almost didn’t get the shot as another director had been brought aboard the project but left. Jackson could see the writing on the wall and handed over the reins to his protégé. I would assume that after working together for 25 years, they realize that it’s time. Rivers actually had sent a letter to Jackson as a young student with pictures of dragons and the like which led to their long-term working relationship.

“He just left school, and I wanted to do storyboards for that movie,” Jackson recalls. “I’d done storyboards before and I can’t really draw, myself, particularly well. So, I thought of Christian, and I thought of that fan note, and I looked him up.” Rivers would continue crafting storyboards for “virtually every film since then” for Jackson. With Mortal Engines, it’s now as if a family of filmmakers has come together after all these years to support their kid’s first big effort. Jackson says he helped out shooting second unit shots when needed, but it was really Rivers’ show to run.

“I know he knows stories, and I know he knows how to shoot because of the storyboarding he’s been doing for me,” Jackson continued. “He’s someone that I’ve always wanted to find a way to support somehow into a feature film.”

The new director admits, “I’m also absorbing as much as I can in the collaborative way from everyone who is around me.” That includes Jackson. “He’s helping me direct a film rather than the other way around,” Rivers added. “That sometimes works. Peter, he’ll have a strong opinion about things, but it’ll be very defendable. And if it’s not defendable, he’ll give in to what you want. So, it’s a very healthy and fun and creative process.”

“I kind of just caught on to what would happen if there was a nuclear-esque war or a new weapon that devastated our planet and what would sort of happen to London,” he says. “And what would be left?” Rivers’ son has also been a longtime fan of Reeves’ series, so “if he doesn’t like the film, I can have a long conversation,” he jokes.

The above trailer should satisfy fans who’ve missed Jackson’s presence in the past four or so years, but you can tell the visual effects are still in development. What we can see looks pretty amazing with some great landscapes, and those roaming cities brought out the little kid in me with excitement.

“We’re still designing the film as we shoot it, and we’re all really excited by what we’ve come up with,” Rivers says in between filming on set. “But, yeah, we have no idea how it’s going to land.”

I did feel like I needed a Cliffs Notes as the story was a little confusing, and I’ve not read the book so I am going in blind on this. I usually like not knowing anything with a film like this as you have no idea what to expect, but with Peter Jackson’s name on this, you know it will be a thrilling ride. This was the official trailer so you can be sure Universal will be cutting many more before it opens on December 14th.

Jackson knows a thing or two about franchises, but he’s not expecting to tie Rivers into a long-term commitment if the film takes off.

“I have to see if Christian wants to direct some [more films],” commented. “That will be up to him. He might go off and do other things. I’d like to direct. I thought I was going to direct. I’d love to direct the last one if we got that far. But, by then, if he’s directing them, I’ll let him decide. We’d produce them for sure. And, obviously, Christian would be having first offer to direct and hopefully he would.”

mortal engines peter jackson dystopian film
mortal engines telescope pictures
peter jackson returns with mortal engines trailer plus new images 2018 images

“Mortal Engines” stars Hugo Weaving as Thaddeus Valentine, Hera Hilmar as Hester Shaw, Robert Sheehan as Tom Natsworthy, and Stephen Lang as Shrike.

Here’s the full synopsis and breakdown for “Mortal Engines” for those not familiar with the book.

Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved.  Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns.  Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar).  Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.

“Mortal Engines” is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong).  Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay.  The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic.

On board as producers are Zane Weiner (The Hobbit trilogy), Amanda Walker (The Hobbit trilogy) and Deborah Forte (Goosebumps), as well as Walsh and Jackson.  Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) joins Boyens as executive producer.  Universal will distribute the film worldwide.

What is HTTPS, SSL, HTTP2 and how do they affect your website?

Jeffrey Lang
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What is HTTPS, SSL, HTTP2 and how do they affect your website?

Running a website or blog used to be an easy thing, but Google continues making changes and tweaks that can either leave your site running smoothly if you update or languishing in the dust. With security being a huge thing now since the 2016 Presidential election, sites recently learned that they better get more secure with their visitor’s privacy or pay the price.

Google can be very frustrating for many sites as they aren’t very forthcoming on what changes and tweaks they are making, and unless you are psychic, you have to spend a considerable amount of time researching to make sure that you are up to their standards. If your note, you’ll see your site take a hit out of the blue. This is why you can see so many smaller sites closing shop as it’s become expensive to keep up, and with online ad revenue drying up, it’s just not worth the effort for many.

gdpr how new data privacy rules affect you plus samsungs iphone copy 2018 images

May 25 saw many sites scrambling, making sure that they were GDPR compliant, even though most had no idea what that meant. They just knew that the new WordPress update helped get their cookies on track. This also had some learning what the letters SSL were all about

The “S” in HTTPS stands for “secure” and that security is provided by SSL (aka TLS). It makes sense that you’d want to secure your site, right? After all, there are up to 90,000 attacks on WordPress sites every minute.

But for some reason, there’s a pervasive myth that SSL is slow. That installing an SSL certificate on your site will introduce too much overhead and slow things down. That might’ve been the case more than a decade ago, but this is 2018 and Google searches are now all done over HTTPS by default for 40,000 search queries per second.

In fact, when Google switched to HTTPS for everything by default, the search giant didn’t deploy additional machines or special hardware. Senior Staff Software Engineer Adam Langley who works on Google’s HTTPS serving infrastructure and Chrome’s network stack writes that SSL has limited impact on web performance:

“On our production front-end machines, SSL/TLS accounts for less than 1% of the CPU load, less than 10KB of memory per connection and less than 2% of network overhead.”

If Google can implement SSL, you can too. Plus you will have to – from July when Chrome 68 is released, websites that are not using HTTPS will be labeled as “not secure” in the address bar.

In this post, we’ll take a look at how HTTPS affects website performance, as well as a few tips on how you can improve HTTPS performance for your site.

What’s the Difference Between SSL and TLS?

But first, you might be wondering what the difference is between SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security). Interestingly, there is no difference.

TSL was introduced as the successor to SSL 3.0 in 1999 and was designed to resolve insecurities in the SSL protocol.

So why do people still say SSL instead of TSL after all this time?

People in the security industry like SSL so much that they continued to use the acronym and still do to this day. Companies like Comodo didn’t change the name of SSL certificates to TLS certificates. Software that enables SSL on a server, such as OpenSSL, didn’t change their name to OpenTSL. The name SSL was ingrained and just stuck.

As for renaming the SSL protocol, it seems it was for political rather than technical reasons. Tim Dierks, the Director of Data Protection at Google writes that in the mid-90s during the Netscape and Microsoft browser wars, there was a lot of bargaining involved while developing the SSL protocol and – ultimately – leadership (and ownership) of the standard:

“As a part of the horsetrading, we had to make some changes to SSL 3.0 (so it wouldn’t look the [Internet Engineering Task Force] IETF was just rubberstamping Netscape’s protocol), and we had to rename the protocol (for the same reason). And thus was born TLS 1.0 (which was really SSL 3.1). And of course, now, in retrospect, the whole thing looks silly.”

And thus TLS was born. But everyone continued to say SSL anyway.

Note: For the rest of this article, we’ll use SSL and TSL interchangeably.

HTTP vs HTTPS?

HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. When you enter a URL in your address bar preceded by http:// it tells the browser to connect to the website via HTTP. In turn, HTTP uses the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to send and receive data packets over the web to load the site you want to access.

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. When you enter a URL preceded by https:// it tells the browser to connect via HTTPS, which also uses TCP. But it does so within a connection encrypted by TLS.

Basically, it takes the HTTP protocol and simply layers a TLS encryption layer on top of it. Servers and clients still communicate exactly the same HTTP to each other, but over a secure TLS connection that encrypts and decrypts their requests and responses.

The SSL layer has two main purposes:

It verifies that you are communicating directly to the serve that you think you are talking to, and

It ensures that only the server can read what you send it and only you can read what it sends back.

What’s so clever about TLS/SSL is that anyone can intercept the messages you exchange with a server, including the ones where you agree on the key and encryption strategy to use, but they still can’t read any of the actual data that’s sent.

TLS Handshake

There is some latency added when you make the switch to HTTPS – the initial TLS handshake requires two extra round trips before the connection is established, compared to just one through an unencrypted HTTP port. But, as in the Google example I mentioned earlier, it’s minimal.

In 2010, Google introduced False Start, a technique that reduced the latency of a TLS handshake by 30%. But it abandoned the project a year later because it remained incompatible with a large number of websites that used SSL terminators, which offload SSL processing from servers.

However, False Start isn’t completely dead – it still works for sites on servers that support NPN extension.

Asymmetric Encryption

There is also an encryption process between the browser and server in which they exchange information using a process known as asymmetric encryption. It establishes a secure communications channel through which a session key is exchanged, allowing the browser and server to switch to a faster encryption process known as symmetric encryption.

Asymmetric encryption is slower than symmetric encryption due to the former’s longer key lengths and the complexity of the encryption algorithms used. However, tests between encrypted and unencrypted connections reveal a difference of only 5ms and a peak increase in CPU usage of just 2%. With dozens of parallel requests and hundreds of sequential requests, CPU usage during the tests never exceeded 5%.

Session Resumption

Session resumption greatly improves TLS performance by recalling information from a previously successful TLS session negotiation to bypass the most computationally intensive parts of the TLS session key negotiation.

TLS offers two session resumption mechanisms: session IDs (where the server and client each store their own secret state) and session tickets (where the client stores the server’s state, encrypted by the server).

In the case of session IDs, the server needs to keep track of previous sessions that could be continued at some point in time. This results in extra work for the server.

Session tickets were introduced to fix the problem of large server caches. With session tickets, the server uses a key to encrypt session information before storing it on the client. So the next time the client connects to the server, the server decrypts and reuses the session information. This means that the server can resume the sessions without keeping any information and all the additional load is done on the client.

Session resumption using session tickets is a beneficial technique for a lot of reasons – fewer round trips, fewer computations, and a lower congestion window, all without burdening your server.

Improving HTTPS Performance

Granted, SSL/TLS and HTTPS do introduce some slight delays that can impact the page load speed of your site. But the speed delays are so marginal that the security benefits outweigh any potential impacts on speed.

Still, there are some performance optimizations you can implement on your site after installing an SSL certificate so that it’s both secure and fast.

1. HTTP/2

HTTP/2 is a major revision of the HTTP protocol and attempts to solve many of the shortcomings and inflexibilities of HTTP/1.1. It’s benefits and features include:

Multiplexing and concurrency: Several requests can be sent in rapid succession on the same TCP connection, and responses can be received out of order.

Header compression: HTTP header size is drastically reduced.

Stream dependencies: The client can indicate to the server which of the resources are more important
than the others.

Server push: The server can send resources the client has not yet requested, avoiding delays.

KeyCDN has a great free HTTP/2 testing tool if you want to check whether your server or CDN supports HTTP/2.

2. Brotli Compression

Brotli is an open source lossless compression algorithm developed by Google as an alternative to Gzip, Zopfli and Deflate that reduces bandwidth consumption and helps content load faster.

According to a Google case study, the format achieves 20–26% higher compression ratios over Zopfli with less CPU usage.

In order to use Brotli, both the client and the server must be Brotli compatible and running over an HTTPS connection to use it.

You can test if your server or CDN support Brotli using KeyCDN’s free testing tool.

3. HPACK Compression

Sites using HTTP/2 can make the most of HPACK compression. This technology uses Huffman encoding to achieve an average 30% reduction in header size.

There are three main benefits to using HPACK:

It’s resilient against compression-based attacks, such as CRIME (Compression Ratio Info-leak Made Easy,
Its ability to encode large headers using fixed Huffman encoding, and
It’s ability to encode commonly used headers as a variable length integer, as opposed to re-sending the whole header every time.

4. OCSP Stapling

OCSP stapling is a method for quickly determining whether or not an SSL certificate is valid. It allows a server to provide information on the validity of its own certificates rather than having to request the information from the certificate’s vendor. This ensures the safety and privacy of confidential data with and eliminates the need for the client to contact the certificate authority, reducing another request.

To enable OCSP stapling on your server, check out DigiCert’s detailed instructions.

5. Use a CDN

While you may not be able to make your packets physically travel faster, it is possible to make them travel a shorter distance. Using a CDN can significantly reduce the round trip times and the total costs of the TCP and TLS handshakes.

By allowing the user to terminate their connection with a nearby edge server, instead of crossing countries and oceans to your origin, the client gets the benefit of “early termination” with shorter round trips.

Leveraging early termination is equally useful for static and dynamic content: while static content can also be cached and served by the edge servers, dynamic requests can be routed over established connections from the edge servers to the origin.

Conclusion

Yes, it’s true that SSL can impact the performance of your website. But its efforts are so minor that saving a few milliseconds won’t outweigh the increased level of security that SSL affords.

With HTTP/2, HTTPS is only getting faster so any performance impact SSL adds to connections is dropping fast.

I’ll leave you with this: HTTP vs HTTPS test. This site offers a visual comparison of the load times for the unsecure HTTP and encrypted HTTPS HTTP/s versions of the same page. The results speak for themselves.

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