Month: September 2021

Pat Sajak and Vanna White aren’t leaving Wheel of Fortune anytime soon, but another member of the Sajak family is joining the team. Variety brought word on Wednesday that the longtime duo leading the way on the other syndicated game show companion to Jeopardy! will stay with the show until at least 2024.

That’s thanks to a new deal that comes on the heels of some Jeopardy! and Wheel-related drama with Mike Richards, the once-replacement host for the late Alex Trebek who resigned in shame last month and stepped down as executive producer of both shows in the aftermath of that controversy. As Variety detailed, Sajak and White will remain on Wheel of Fortune until at least the end of the 2023-24 season, with Sajak serving as consulting producer along with his hosting duties.

And one other note on the deal is that Sajak’s daughter, Maggie, will join the show as a digital correspondent.

“Wheel of Fortune” will also become more of a family affair this year as Maggie Sajak, Pat’s daughter, will be joining the show’s digital presence as its social correspondent. She’ll be the online host sharing exclusive videos, behind-the-scenes access, and interviews with the hosts, staff, crew, and contestants. “Wheel of Fortune’s” digital channels including its website and pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

The move comes after a year where game show succession plans have become big news. Trebek’s death, for example, made some wonder what the plan is for Wheel, as Sajak himself is 74 years old and in 2020 missed some tapings after recovering from surgery. While Sajak was recovering, Vanna White hosted the show while Maggie turned letters for a few episodes. It was a nice touch, and it seems that was a warmup for a bigger role in the show moving forward.

Whether Maggie Sajak has a future on the stage is tough to say, but at least the show is much more stable in its future than a still-host-less Jeopardy!

Superheroes have dominated comic books and cartoons for decades, and lately they’ve taken over movies and live TV as well. And the next step seems to be an influx of true comic book video games. The latest to join the ranks of Marvel heroes getting a new game is the popular lone wolf of the X-Men, Wolverine.

Developed by Insomniac, the creators of Ratchet and Clank and Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Wolverine will be coming to PlayStation 5. That news came Thursday thanks to a teaser trailer that didn’t give us too much info, other than we know it’s in development. But it’s hard to not be excited about the chance to play as one of our favorite heroes.

The trailer opens with a bar and all the customers being knocked unconscious. Chairs have been destroyed and folk music is playing in the background. It’s the exact kinda place that Wolverine would hang out at, but he hasn’t quite finished the job. One person is still conscious and they’re trying to get Wolverine with a knife in the back while he’s not looking. The camera pans to his bloody knuckles, he pulls out his claws, and the Marvel logo appears. That’s all we get.

Wolverine has always been the most popular character among the X-Men, so he’s also had the most video games, and they’ve traditionally been hit-or-miss. The challenge with Wolverine has always been his healing powers and general indestructible nature. He’s not an easy character to make players feel like they’re being challenged, but also stays true to his powers, and walking that line is never easy. However, Insomniac’s history with Spider-Man gives a lot of reason for hope that a great Wolverine game can still be made.

There’s a lot of storytelling potential with Wolverine, as we’ve seen through multiple movies, and it’s going to be fun to see some of those stories explored in a video game. However, considering this trailer was a cinematic and it didn’t feature a release date we probably shouldn’t expect this game anytime soon.

One of the first notable albums to arrive this year came from London singer Arlo Parks. The singer-songwriter released her debut project, Collapsed In Sunbeams at the end of January and it’s an effort that was received well by those who were introduced to her growing talents.

During an interview with NME toward the end of 2020, she described the album as “a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding [her] adolescence and the people that shaped it.” She added, “It is rooted in storytelling and nostalgia – I want it to feel both universal and hyper specific.”

It’s this very album that earned her one of the most coveted awards in the United Kingdom. Parks is the latest recipient of the Mercury Prize, which is an award given to the best album released in the UK by a British or Irish act. The singer was graced with the award at a ceremony for it on Thursday, beating out acts that included Wolf Alice, Celeste, and Mogwai to take home the prize.

She shared her appreciation for the win in an onstage speech. “I am completely speechless. I don’t have the words,” she said according to The Independent. “I just want to say a big thank you to my family. My mum and my dad are somewhere in the room today.”

She added, “This is something that came off a lot of hard work from a lot of different people… it took a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get here and there were moments when I wasn’t sure whether I’d make it through, but I’m here today.” Parks spoke further about the win afterward during an interview with BBC 6 Music.

“​I’m still coming off my little cloud – speechless for now, but very grateful,” she said before she was for what she was most proud about with her debut. “The storytelling,” she replied. “The honesty and the humanity and the fact that I was able to talk about things that were really important to me and affected me, in an honest way.​”

Parks also performed “Too Good” at the award show. You can watch her performance in the video above.

President Biden announced on Thursday a sweeping new vaccine mandate that will impact more than 80 million Americans. And while outrage from anti-vaxxers is sure to follow, the biggest thing many took away from the announcement is that Fox News is already enforcing a similar rule that the Democratic president announced in a national address.

Biden’s plan revealed Thursday aims to require companies that employ 100 or more people to mandate employees get fully vaccinated or provide a negative PRC test at least once a week. It’s a landmark shift from the mandates that had until this week been required by individual companies since the vaccines were approved for emergency use late last year.

“We need to do more,” Biden said in a speech on Thursday. “This is not about freedom or person choice. It’s about protecting yourself and those around you. The people you work with. The people you care about. The people you love.”

The speech had plenty of people talking, but the line that caught many by surprise was when Biden listed some companies that already have similar guidelines that will become national law.

“Some of the biggest companies are already requiring this,” Biden said. “United Airlines. Disney. Tyson’s Food. And even Fox News.”

Almost immediately, “even Fox News” started trending on Twitter as people reacted to the line. For some, it was the first time they had been made aware of vaccine mandates at the conservative news channel, which have been in place for months now.

“The bottom line is we’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers,” Biden said, something that Fox News has already been doing. Too bad, however, the rhetoric actually airing on Fox News is nothing like what’s actually required when you work there.

As if The Matrix series wasn’t already tricky enough to follow in the four year span the original trilogy was released in, adding a massive 18-year gap between those films and the next certainly doesn’t make it any easier. Following the release of The Matrix Revolutions in 2003, we now have a first look at the next film installment in the series and while it’s incredibly exciting, there sure seems to be some confusion around it, whether that confusion being why is Lana Wachowski the only sibling returning to the project, or why is Keanu Reeves’ character, Neo aka Thomas Anderson, even alive. So, for those of you who are completely stoked to see the extremely long-awaited The Matrix Resurrections, but are finding yourselves a bit, well, lost, here’s a little recap to help you out a bit.

So, what happened at the end of The Matrix Revolutions?

At the end of The Matrix Revolutions, Neo and Trinity board Niobe’s (Jada Pinkett Smith) ship, the Logos, and make their way to the Machine City in an attempt to put an end to the war between man and machine. However, Neo and Trinity are inevitably ambushed by one of Agent Smith’s assimilated fighters, Bane, who ends up blinding Neo with an exposed power cable during their fight. Ultimately, this allows Neo to discover he has what is essentially a “third eye” that allows him to see source code in the real world, thus allowing his to see enough to defeat Bane.

However, this doesn’t mark the end of Neo and Trinity’s problems. As the Logos makes its way into the Machine City, it is attacked by the city’s defenses, and while the ship manages to make it into the stronghold, Trinity is killed in the process. After mourning his loss, Neo goes on ahead to meet with the machine’s leader, and proposes a truce between human and machines on the condition that he will put an end to their mutual enemy: Agent Smith, a program created by the machines they could no longer control.

The machines agree to Neo’s terms and allow him into the matrix, assisting him in his final mission of sacrificing himself in order to assimilate with Agent Smith and kill him from within. As a result, both Neo and Agent Smith perish in the film’s final confrontation, and the machines, true to their word, end the war on humans.

The machines then carry Neo’s real-life body away ceremoniously before retreating from the human city of Zion and rebooting the Matrix once more, with the added caveat of allowing humans to leave the matrix if they so choose.

In the film’s final scene, The Architect (Helmut Bakaitis) meets with the Oracle (Mary Alice) in a park and it is explained to us that Trinity — and Neo’s love for her — was the variable introduced in this reincarnation of Neo (the sixth, for those keeping score) that made this one powerful enough to end the cycle of human indoctrination. They then forbiddingly reach the conclusion that this truce will last “as long as it can,” before the Oracle adds she suspects Neo will be back again “someday.”

But wait, Neo is dead. How is that going to happen and how is there a fourth film?

Truth be told, that’s what we’re all kind of wondering! However, this screenshot from the trailer might offer a bit of an explanation:

Based on this still that flashes extremely briefly at about 12 seconds in, it seems the machines might have preserved Neo’s body following his death in the matrix. This would explain why the Neo we see in the trailer — which presumably takes place inside the matrix, judging by the overall look of the world and the code Neo sees on Trinity’s face — is in fine physical condition while we know his body is, uh, not. There’s also the possibility that the machines transferred Neo’s consciousness into a new body, which, while out there, isn’t much of a stretch in a science fiction film where people’s hobbies and abilities can literally be uploaded into them. Lastly, it could also be an entirely new, resurrected Neo, but him knowing Trinity throws a wrench in that a bit — unless it’s a glitch in the matrix.

As for what Trinity is doing there, this could be a resurrected version of her or a version Neo and/or the machines built with his consciousness. It also could be the entire matrix we see in the new trailer is a special matrix that only exists for Neo. Basically, there are a hell of a lot of mights and no real answers as of yet. We also don’t know why Lawrence Fishburne’s Morpheus is not making an appearance in the film, though it’s speculated Yahya Abdul-Mateen II might be playing a younger version of him.

We do know The Matrix likes to ask big questions, and it seems like this film is going to pose quite a few on what we think living is, whether that be questioning if this potential “ship of Theseus” Neo is still Neo or if, when given the choice like the machines claimed they would give humans, we’d still elect to live in a Matrix for comfort, choosing to be blissfully ignorant? The scene in which Neo examines everyone engrossed on their phones and seemingly placated throws some weight behind that theory. As of right now, The Matrix Resurrections is slated to hit theaters on December 22, 2021, and it looks like we’ll just have to do a whole lot of head-scratching — and rewatches — until then.

One of the best games on the PlayStation 4 is Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac. It had been a long time since a superhero game was made that felt as good as that one did to play. It also nailed Peter Parker perfectly. Yuri Lowenthal, the voice of Peter, is arguably the best Peter has ever been. Then, they struck lightning again, with a truly amazing Miles Morales spin-off title. With two great games under their belt and an expected sequel on the way, everyone was asking for the same thing. We want a Spider-Man game where we can play as both Miles and Peter.

On Thursday, everyone got what they were asking for. With a quick trailer showcasing one of Peter’s gadgets, and Miles unique powers, the two heroes are faced with a new threat. Longtime Spider-Man villain, and sometimes anti-hero, Venom is shown in a dark alleyway.

(SPOILER FOR THE END OF SPIDER-MAN ON PS4 UPCOMING)

Venom being the main antagonist of this game would make sense, because anyone who finished the first game will remember the post-credits scene where Norman Osborn is speaking to his unconscious son Harry before a venom tentacle appears.

There is so much potential with this game. Hopefully, they go all-in on the ability to play as both Miles and Peter and make them both an integral part of the story. It would be a shame if they teased this only for Miles to be set off to the side while Peter got the spotlight in another game. Even if the story largely revolves around Peter, which is likely what will happen considering how the first game ended, the ability to at least play as Miles and have him involved is a necessity. His powers are incredible, the character has so much room for exploration, and we want to watch him continue growing into a superhero.

How they choose to go about making both characters playable will be the tricky part. They have options such as two separate campaigns and then a finale with both at the end, or they could have everything happening simultaneously with each character taking the reigns when the story needs it. The hardest, but most intriguing possibility, is the opportunity to play as both at the same time. Imagine for a second you’re swinging across Manhattan only to pick up information that a robbery is happening in Harlem. Instead of having to swing all the way across to the other side of town we could just switch over to the other Spider-Man and have them handle it instead.

Either way, with a 2023 release date we won’t have to wait too long for the next game. So there’s plenty to be excited about here.

As video games continue to grow in popularity we’re starting to see more major names start to crossover into the genre. It makes sense, as gaming is lucrative and an opportunity to do something really creative and different. It’s the perfect place for people in other creative genres to flex a different kind of creative muscle as well.

The latest example we’re seeing of this is the band Radiohead. Yes, Radiohead is making a video game and while we don’t know many details it sure looks like a horror game. This also may mean we’re going to be getting some really cool crossovers of music and video games because this looks like it will coincide with the Kid A Mnesia reissues of Kid A and Amnesiac

The trailer isn’t particularly long, but it features a slow walkup through a bloody hallway before panning up to reveal a tower bathed in red light. This appears to be a reference to the album cover of Kid A Mnesia. After the reveal it cuts to drawings on the wall throughout a dark room before the words “Kid A Mnesia” appear on the screen. It’s all very spooky and horror-like.

We can expect more information on this soon with an expected November release date to likely coincide with the release of the reissue. What immediately jumps to mind are questions about what this game could be? Is it going to be something like a video game music video, a crossover event similar to the ones we’ve seen in Fortnite, or is this a completely new game?

An interesting tidbit in all of this is that Epic Games is involved. Epic, the developers of Fortnite, are used to musical crossovers with major artists so this might be their latest attempt to do something really creative with a famous band. We’re all eagerly anticipating more information as we wait to see what exactly this game is going to look like.

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t letting star outside linebacker TJ Watt go anywhere any time soon. The two sides have been caught up in contract negotiations for some time, and with the team’s 2021 season opener against the Buffalo Bills only three days away, there was a time crunch to get a deal done before the campaign kicks off.

Not only is there a new deal all agreed to, but it’s one that will make Watt the highest-paid defensive player in the history of the NFL. According to multiple media reports, Watt and the Steelers agreed to a four-year extension that will pay him $112 million, with $80 million of that fully guaranteed at signing.

The younger brother of JJ Watt joined the Steelers as the No. 30 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and has since turned himself into a crucial part of the team’s long-term plan. Watt has made three consecutive Pro Bowls and earned back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods in 2019 and 2020, with last season being his most productive in the league. Watt recorded 15 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, both of which were the highest marks in the NFL last year.

The news of Watt’s extension comes days after longtime Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told the media he took a pay cut in order for the team to give him “whatever he wants,” with Roethlisberger calling Watt “arguably the best football player in the game right now, not just on defense, just in general.”

To commemorate the 55th anniversary of Star Trek, which aired its first episode on September 8, 1966, Rod Roddenberry sat down for a lengthy interview on the current state of the franchise created by his father, the now legendary father Gene. As the CEO of the franchise, Roddenbery couldn’t be more pleased with Star Trek‘s resurgence as it’s returned to its TV roots with shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Picard.

However, things aren’t as tight on the film front after the franchise seemingly stalled following the release of 2016’s Star Trek: Beyond. As Paramount tried to figure out where to take the films next, Quentin Tarantino threw his hat in the mix after revealing that he was a huge fan of the film cast led by Chris Pine. While the state of that project has been in a constant state of flux, Roddenberry offered his thoughts and from the sound of things, he has not yet seen Tarantino’s script. He also seems cautious (he used the word “struggles”) about the whole prospect while also stating that he’s approaching it with an “open mind.” Via Forbes:

“I would be curious to read a script on his take. I do not think you could say we’re going to do a Reservoir Dogs Star Trek. I’ll be honest, that doesn’t work for me, but he is a fan, and I think as a fan, he probably understands to some degree that Star Trek has to have some of this messaging. I would be curious, and I would try to have an open mind, but I’m not sure what it would be. I am glad that people are willing to explore that at least.”

As Tarantino’s script continues to gestate, WandaVision director Matt Shakman has been tapped to helm a new film, which is reportedly on a “fast track.” Unfortunately, details are scarce, and there’s been no word whether Shakman’s film will continue with the cast created by J.J. Abrams or be another reboot.

(Via Forbes)

Like many other people, the COVID-19 pandemic had Julian Shapiro-Barnum feeling low.

The 22-year-old comedian and actor had spent his senior year at Boston University entirely online, and after moving back home to New York, he felt constricted to his apartment.

“Being stuck in that place was really challenging,” Shapiro-Barnum said — but instead of basking in his sorrow, he decided to take his problems to the streets to get feedback from the experts. In this case, kids.

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“I called my creative partner and said ‘Let’s interview kids on the playground. They look so happy and like they’re really having so much fun. … Let’s see how they do it,'” he said. “I’m genuinely interested in seeing how they stay so joyful and resilient.”

What he found was a little more complicated.

Though the children were enthusiastic and hilarious with their answers, it wasn’t all happy. Shapiro-Barnum said he found that many children were, too, struggling with the “new normal” and not being able to see their friends. They grappled with the concept or confines of gender identity and tackled the uncertainty and excitement of the future. Their insight on such topics, however, was much simpler (and funnier) in delivery than the typical adult. It was cathartic.

“Walking back from the playground, I just felt fresh from having that perspective,” Shapiro-Barnum said.

The actor soon after launched Recess Therapy. In the online show — what feels like a new-age spin on “Kids Say the Darndest Things” — Shapiro-Barnum sets out to ask kids general questions in man-on-the-street style videos. And as the saying goes, the truth comes “out of the mouth of babes.”

There have been heartwarming thoughts about Pride month, stream-of-conscious mumblings, suspicions about aliens, and suggested solutions to climate change. Children have also weighed in on crucial subjects like the key to happiness (hint: ice cream), favorite foods (also: ice cream), why vacation is crucial (this, too, somehow involves ice cream), and what adults could do better (to summarize: A LOT).

Episode 9: Pride

www.youtube.com

The process of creating the show has indeed been therapeutic, Shapiro-Barnum said.

“I was taken aback by how varied and complex and thoughtful these kids are, how they have not put all these boxes around things,” and how they had “crazy, wacky ways” of fixing real-life problems, he said.

“They had so much hope,” he said. “They seemed so free of the stress incorporated in my life.”

Within six months, Shapiro-Barnum estimates that he’s talked to hundreds of children for Recess Therapy, interviewing them weekly about random things like “the summer vibe,” growing up, lying and even the taboo topic of peeing in your pants.

The response has been overwhelming.

Recess Therapy’s Youtube page, which features full-length videos, has around 4,500 subscribers, but the Instagram page, which showcases shorter clips, has amassed more than 768,000 followers and counting, and well over 13 million views in total. Some children have recognized the host while walking around Brooklyn, and both children and adults have been tuning in, leaving warm and encouraging messages, Shapiro-Barnum said.

“They’ll say ‘I’ve watched everything you ever made’ or ‘I feel so much better after seeing this,'” he said. “And I think that’s the power of the show. … We’re just trying to make something positive and happy that is a break from everything. I really want people to come to this page and get that catharsis that only kids can bring in this way.”

Gathering interviews, however, takes work. Some parents have been skeptical and don’t want to put their kids on the internet, but Shapiro-Barnum said there are always some parents who are really excited about the subject and who see the vision.

Alex and Karina Tervooren, owners of New York food tour company and blog Food Strolls, encouraged their six-year-old son Eduard to participate in the interview while attending a food festival in Brooklyn.

“Mom said she’d give us $1, and we were just like fine, and we started to know him and talked about food and stuff,” said Eduard about his interview with Shapiro-Barnum. (Though the topic was summer vibes, Eduard ranted casually about the blank space in his brain, the time he and his siblings flushed a ball down the toilet and how he’ll eat anything).

The episode now has more than 1.4 million views, and the Tervoorens said they have received texts from friends all around the country about Eduard’s Recess Therapy debut, which Eduard finds amusing.

“I thought it was hilarious. Eduard can be very loquacious and goes on and on, but Julian did a good job editing to show the salient points and keeping it funny and playful,” said Alex Tervooren. “Whether questions are meant to be funny or philosophical, when a child answers it, it’s always in a straightforward and nonsensical way.”

Karina Tervooren, who has gone on to watch other episodes of Recess Therapy, described it as a “feel-good” show.

“If you’re having a bad day and you watch that, you start smiling right away,” she said. “The things (kids) talk about, the way they talk about how they see some things, how they handle subjects — it’s very interesting.”

In some ways, Shapiro-Barnum — who once dreamt of being a puppeteer — has been preparing for this moment and platform. Since high school, the comedian and formally trained actor has performed comedy for children and has worked to make both children and adults laugh using his improv skills. His goal is to continue that work, with hopes of expanding Recess Therapy and diving into deeper subjects with kids — still with the much-needed dose of comedy.

“Kids can be so hilarious but also heartwarming and healing and they’ve brought me such depth,” he said. And sometimes, he added, “they’re more fun to hang out with.”

Shapiro-Barnum has also floated the idea of changing up the locations for the show — like attending an actual recess period at a school or taking the show outside of New York and to another country to get kids’ candid opinions about America.

But ultimately, he said, he’s working to make comedy with commentary — something that adds to the conversation.

“I’m just trying to make something that’s not just noise,” he said.

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LINKS:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKK0Ls3-3u9JMpIKIXPVM0w?app=desktop