Monday, July 31, 2017

Mike Shepard, Pulitzer-Winning Playwright and Celebrated Actor, Dies at 73






Mike Shepard, Pulitzer-Winning Playwright and Celebrated Actor, Dies at 73
Sam Shepard, the acclaimed playwright who was also praised as an actor, screenwriter, and overseer, has died. He was 73.

He died on Thursday at his home in Kentucky following difficulties from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a family spokesman confirmed to Selection.
Known for writing that suffused the fringes of American society with a surreal and brutal beautifully constructed wording, Shepard rose to celebrity when he won the Pulitzer Prize for Theatre more than three years ago for his play "Buried Child. " This individual was also nominated for an Academy Award in the supporting actor category for his part in the 1983 film "The Right Stuff. "

Shepard was one of the main figures of the Off Broadway movement that flourished in downtown Fresh York from the early on 1960s. His often unique early writings -- including "Cowboy Mouth, " the 1971 work on which he collaborated with his romantic partner at the time, Patti Smith -- eventually shifted toward an allusive not-quite-realism, you start with "Buried Child" and continuing in plays like "Curse of the Eager Class" (1978), "True West"(1980) and "Fool for Love" (1983).
More recently, his stage work has included "The Late Henry Moss" (seen Off Broadway in 2001), "Heartless" (2012) and "A Particle of Fear (Oedipus Variations)" (2014).

Since an actor, his large film role was in Terrence Malick's 1978 film "Days of Heaven, inches in which he was seen opposite Richard Gere and Brooke Adams. Along with his Oscar-nominated turn in "Right Stuff, " this individual also appeared in films including "Crimes of the Heart, " "Steel Magnolias, "Black Hawk Down" and "August: Osage County. inch He also recently were in the first two seasons of Netflix series "Bloodline. "

Shepard's story, "The One Inside, inches was published in Feb ..

Born Samuel Shepard Rogers III, in Fort Sheridan, Ill., he done a ranch as a youngster and uncovered Samuel Beckett -- as well as jazz music and abstract expressionism -- at Mt. San Antonio College before he fallen out to join a touring theater repertory cohorte. Later in life, this individual had a practically 40 year relationship with Jessica Lange, whom he achieved when he collaborated with her on 1982 movie "Frances. " They segregated in 2009.

Shepard is survived by his children, Jesse, Hannah, and Jogger Shepard, and his siblings, Sandy and Roxanne Rogers.

Game of Thrones’ Season 7, Episode 3: The Queen’s Justice


Season 7, Episode 3, ‘The Queen’s Justice’

That might seem like an odd place to start for this week’s “Game of Thrones”: The main attraction was the long, long awaited meeting of Daenerys Targaryen, Unburnt Breaker of Storms, and so on, and Jon “This is Jon Snow” Snow. Their introduction proceeded along a suitably measured trajectory and avoided cheap tricks — Jon bonding with a dragon, say, or Dany muttering “there’s something familiar about you …” — unless you count Jon pocketing his resurrection trump card. (Maybe he figured zombie army warnings were enough tales from the crypt for one meeting?)

But the hub connecting the various spokes of Sunday’s episode, “The Queen’s Justice,” was the queen herself, who, we were reminded by Mycroftthe Iron Banker, was the spit and image of her father even as everyone else was trying to distance themselves from the sins of their ancestors.
She was the monster in King’s Landing that kept Dany from worrying about Jon’s monsters beyond the wall. She was the subject of a “Who Knows Her Better?” spat between Sansa and Littlefinger. She was the orchestrator of a maliciously brilliant scheme to kill off an outstanding rival and pay off her family’s debts in the process, with Jaime’s assault on Highgarden, the Tyrell headquarters.

And of course, she was the administerer of the cruel justice of the episode’s title, as she had her revenge on Ellaria Sand. We figured nothing pleasant would come out of Euron Greyjoy’s pledge, made in the season premiere, to bring Cersei a priceless gift. He is a savage marauder, after all, and she a ruthless striver — both claimed power through shocking acts of violence. What would be twisted and depraved enough to serve as a fitting engagement present for the story’s most psychopathic pairing since Ramsay and Myranda hunted girls together?
Turns out Euron’s kidnapping last week of Ellaria and her daughter Tyene was the demented pirate equivalent of a trip to Tiffany’s. He presented his prize at the Red Keep and then Cersei subjected Ellaria to the same horror that she herself had suffered with the loss of Myrcella, fatally poisoning Tyene with a kiss.
It was an eye-for-an-eye with a twist: Ellaria will now be made to spend the rest of her days rotting in a cell, alongside her daughter, who presumably will do so in more literal fashion. The punishment called back to Cersei’s own dark terror, expressed last season after Myrcella’s murder, about imagining dead loved ones decomposing in the grave. You will “watch her beautiful face collapse to bone,” Cersei told Ellaria.
Which is to say that like many punishments, it said more about the inflicter than the victim. It was a sign that even though Cersei 1) achieved ultimate power in spite of her enemies and oppressors, and 2) effectively solidified it through some savvy moves, she is still haunted by loss and fear and focused on settling old scores. At the same time Jaime, her closest companion, seems ever more uncertain about the future, which could be a problem.
It suggests that, as I’ve said before, Cersei’s venom probably won’t succeed as a long-term strategy. “Game of Thrones” seems to be about the evolution from a bloody, top-down monarchy-by-force to a more democratic way forward as humanity bands together to confront the White Walker threat, standing in for catastrophic climate change or some other Global Crisis to Be Named Later. The classic race to rule the Seven Kingdoms will eventually amount to a contest, to paraphrase Davos, to be the skeleton that sits on the Iron Throne.


But for now, before this entrenched game of thrones gets flipped on its revenge-addled head? It’s working out pretty well!
Of course it helps that the other side is floundering. Team Targaryen finally made the triumphant crossing of the Narrow Sea last season, and the armada was something to behold. Hundreds of ships, manned by Unsullied and Dothraki warriors. The Greyjoys, the Dornish Sands and House Tyrell along for the ride, with air support from the first three dragons anyone has seen in centuries. It looked like an irresistible force, which is why the show has spent the time since putting its thumb on the narrative scale in the name of keeping things interesting.
Now the Greyjoys are captive — or, in Theon’s case, back in the pathetic zone — and their fleet is in tatters. The Dorne ladies have been decimated. House Tyrell has been conquered. The Unsullied are stuck a continent away from the action and the aquaphobic Dothraki are stranded at Dragonstone. The dragons are still around, but Dany’s advisers are urging her not to take the totally sensible-seeming step of using them to torch Euron’s ships, because it would be too risky for her. (When Tyrion explains it, it almost makes sense.)
“This place has changed,” Davos said upon his return to Dragonstone. But has it, really? During Davos’s stint there with Stannis, it was a gloomy place full of thwarted ambition and Iron Throne claims that echoed in the halls of the great castle to little effect. While there are fewer immolations these days, it’s otherwise just as cheery as it was in the Stannis era.
On Sunday, Daenerys ended up offering Jon the dragonglass rights he craved, but it didn’t change the overall tenor of the place. She ruminated over her collapsing coalition. He was despondent, per usual. (“We all enjoy what we’re good at,” Dany told him. “I don’t,” he responded.)
Even Tyrion was laid low by events, though he remained self-aware enough to know that he can’t pull it off as well as others. “You look a lot better brooding than I do,” he told Jon. I’m pretty sure his response was a rueful approximation of a smile.
Too bad you can’t mine angst.

A Few Thoughts While We Enjoy the Thorns

• That was quite the sayonara from Lady Olenna, who left the show with a final kiss-off to Cersei that sewed even more doubt in Jaime about his sister-lover’s future. “She’ll be the end of you,” she told him. I’m traveling this week, so ended up watching the episode at a bar in Vancouver, and Olenna’s vulgar indictment of Joffrey and spiteful confession — “I want her to know it was me” — brought the most raucous cheers of the night. Diana Rigg will be missed.
- Bran finally returned to Winterfell and was reunited with Sansa, which would have felt like a bigger deal if Bran hadn’t become such a drip since last season. How have you been? Sansa asked. I am the Three-eyed Raven, her little brother responded. I see everything at all times. I saw you in your wedding dress as the snow fell on one of the worst days of your life. Um 
yeah, Sansa said. I’ve got stuff to do
- Littlefinger gave Sansa a few bullet points from his upcoming self-help hit, “How to Outflank Rivals and Destroy People.” - Fight every battle everywhere, always. Everyone is your enemy. Everyone is your friend. It was his most authentic expression yet of his power-hungry worldview, and the latest sign that his Sansa-wooing campaign is sincere and won’t be ending anytime soon. We’ll see what Arya thinks about it, assuming she’s still on her way to Winterfell.

- So all it takes to thrill the crowds in King’s Landing is to lead a few women through the streets for them to spit on, huh? Nice place. Somewhere in that scene was a message about demagogues and the fickle bloodlust of the plebes, one reinforced by Jaime (“the same mob spat on my sister”). But I didn’t really buy it. In general the show tends to use the King’s Landing citizenry as a sort of dial-a-rabble shortcut whenever it wants to signal something about someone, whether it’s Cersei’s shame or Joffrey’s unpopularity — remember his Season 2 dung facial? — or Euron’s emergence as a player.

-  I was, however, satisfied to hear that state propaganda had supplied an explanation for Cersei’s Season 6 Sept explosion. It was “a tragic accident,” she told the Iron Banker. As commenters have noted, it was a pretty big plot detail to just have sitting there unexplained. I was surprised Cersei didn’t blame her inside-job act of terrorism on some external enemy, which is Tyranny 101.

-  I believe we got the first confirmation on Sunday that the non-Drogon dragons actually have names. They are called Viserys and Rhaegar, which I take to mean that one is a feckless chucklehead and the other is secretly Jon Snow’s dad.

- Melisandre wasn’t around to explain to Daenerys Jon Snow’s Christlike tendencies, because it would just be too awkward to face Davos. Which is narratively convenient, but also somewhat plausible. I was more intrigued 
by her latest prophesy, though Varys was understandably more concerned. “I have to die in this strange country,” she told him. “Just like you.”
- Samwell Tarly saved a man’s life and was rewarded with more clerical duties, charged with making copies of rotting scrolls as Jorah rode off for uncertain Khaleesi-serving adventures. Take heart, Sam: As Jon Snow, Arya and the Karate Kid learned before you, the road to heroism is paved with garbage chores.
- The slave trade has entered a downturn, the Iron Banker 
- What did you think? Were you sickened by Cersei’s cruelty? Impressed by her maneuvering? Surprised by her pledge to Euron?

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Rick and Morty season 3

It’s been a long time - over a year-and-a-half - since the season two of Rick and Morty aired.
News regarding the third season has been quite turbulent. On April Fool’s Day earlier this year, the first episode was suddenly released to rave reviews from critics, spawning another Internet dominating meme (McDonald's Szechuan, anyone?). 
After that surprise, months passed with no new information, an exact release date not being revealed for some time.
However, following a live-stream, the world was graced with a new trailer and an actual release date. So, let’s look into everything we know so far about season three of Rick and Morty.

Release date and how to watch

After a lengthy wait, Adult Swim confirmed new episodes of Rick and Morty would start airing from the 30 July at 11.30 am ET onwards.
Previously, the only official acknowledgment of when to expect new episodes was ‘this summer’, as poster by the show's Twitter account. Episodes will be broadcast on Adult Swim in the US.
Netflix (which carries seasons 1 and 2) has confirmed to The Independent that the premiere, 'The Rickshank Rickdemption', will be available on 30 July and the show will be added to the 
streaming service every Sunday until it concludes on 8 October.
It unfortunately appears the Netflix uploads will be a week behind Adult Swim's broadcast of the episodes, however.

What have we seen so far?

As mentioned above, the first episode — titled 'The Rickshank Redemption' — has been released, our review available to read here.
Along with the release date, we also received an official trailer featuring more snippets from the upcoming season, soundtracked by Dizzee Rascal's 'Bonkers'.

- We’ve also been treated to a rick-rolling trailer, released before the first episode, that managed to anger many fans around the world.



More revealing is the San Diego Comic-Con where a basic storyboard animation was shown, revealing Pickle Rick fighting (and decapitating) rats.


Did we mention Pickle Rick? There’s also been a short teaser showing Rick as a pickle! We don’t know why. 

Also made available online are numerous teasers, spoofing various pop-culture phenomenon and using previously seen Rick and Morty characters, such as the Meeseeks.
















Rick and Morty also teamed up with Alien: Covenant to produce a clip featuring a face-hugger from the attacking Rick, attempting to implant baby aliens into the grandfather. 



One last clip: we’ve also seen voice actor Justin Roiland doing shots and getting drunk to perform as Rick for an especially drunk episode four. 

Why the delay?

Speaking at Sundance festival earlier this year, creator Dan Harmon said of the creative process: [Me and co-creator Justin Roiland] have fights all the time and then we have fights about why we’re having fights. Well, we didn’t fight during season 2, that’s why it’s taking longer! All this fighting! So OK, let’s stop fighting!’"




This Movie On Netflix Features Basically Every Hollywood Actor Ever & You Need To Watch It ASAP!

Yes, that is Bradley Cooper..




Have you ever thought about what would happen if you put all of your favourite Hollywood actors in the same movie?
Whilst scrolling through Netflix, we stumbled upon a little film called Wet Hot American Summer.




This film is absolutely hilarious and after watching it, we had a lot of feelings...
The film is about a bunch of kids who work at a summer camp.
It follows the characters as they all try and tie up some loose ends before camp ends and they have to go back their day-to-day lives.
Watching Wet Hot American Summer is honestly the best way to end your weekend and so, here are a few reasons why we think you should watch it ASAP:



1. It Features Almost Every Big Hollywood Actor Ever



Yes, that is Paul Rudd hanging out with Bradley CooperAmy PoehlerMolly ShannonJanene GarofaloElizabeth Banks, that guy from Law & Order: SVUand Fraiser's brother

2. It Constantly Surprises You




One minute you're watching a Capture The Flag game and then you're suddenly talking to a can of vegetables about the Vietnam War...

3. It's Brutally Honest About Summer Flings



We all had that cute summer fling when we were on holidays only to have it come to a devastating end when your crush either decided it wasn't going to work, or you simply just went home.

4. It Shows You Just How Smart Kids Actually Are



 "The whole thing's kind of trite"... what kid says that?
5. It'll Make You Laugh No Matter What Mood You're In



Mainly because it's so damn ridiculous!
Make sure you check it out before the sequel (which is actually aTV series) comes to Netflix in August!