Even before HBO Max officially announced that it would “Release the Snyder Cut,” director Zack Snyder had been an open book when it comes to sharing his original vision for Justice League with fans, and he’s not showing signs of stopping anytime soon.

In a recent Q&A on Snyder’s preferred social media platform, Vero, he confirmed that the spray-painted Robin suit seen in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice actually belonged to Dick Grayson and not Jason Todd as most fans believed. For non-comic book readers, Dick Grayson is the first Robin who eventually grew out of being Batman’s sidekick and went out on his own as the superhero Nightwing. Jason Todd became his replacement, but he experienced a tragic end after DC Comics let fans call a telephone number deciding if he should die at the Joker’s hands. To the shock of DC Comics editors, fans chose “Yes,” and Jason was murdered by the Joker in the classic Batman story A Death in the Family. (Although, he did come back to life in the early aughts because comic books.)

While replying to a fan’s question about whether he planned to explore Dick Grayson’s death, Snyder said there would’ve been a “hint” in his version of Justice League, but he didn’t elaborate on what the hint would be or whether it could show up in the upcoming Snyder Cut.

In a later question, however, Heroic Hollywood reports that Snyder had a streamlined plan for depicting Robin in the DC Extended Universe. In addition to eschewing comic book canon and making Dick Grayson the dead Robin, Snyder revealed that he planned to jump straight to Carrie Kelley in future films. Carrie Kelley is the female Robin featured in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns where she fights alongside an elderly Batman at the end of his career.

Would Snyder’s fast and loose portrayal of the Dark Knight’s sidekicks have gone over well with fans? We’ll never know, but it’ll be interesting to see if any of his Bat-family plans make an appearance when the Snyder Cut hits HBO Max in 2021.

(Via Heroic Hollywood)

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The NBA’s plans for how the bubble at Disney in Orlando will function was revealed on Tuesday, with The Athletic’s Shams Charania offering a look at the various phases of the league’s restart plan as well as where players will be staying (hotels were seeded by record) and how the league plans to keep players occupied while stuck in the bubble for potentially three full months.

Keeping players entertained is important, given that there are significant repercussions for leaving the bubble — including the loss of checks for games missed while in quarantine. According to Charania, the league is looking to provide them with a number of amenities, from a “24-hour VIP concierge” to a players only lounge, but what is most notable for fans is the final point here.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1273021293827444738

Players attending other games might make for some fascinating interactions and liven up the in-arena experience given there will otherwise be no fans at games. It would be tremendous to see LeBron James seated in the third row, socially distanced as best as possible, heckling Chris Paul while the Thunder play. Given that there will be regular testing and they’re all staying at the same hotel, it makes sense to allow them to pop in for games, but it is an added wrinkle that is never available to players in other playoff situations. Real-time scouting will be a unique opportunity, and might lead to some fun interactions.

On top of Charania’s list, Dan Woike of the LA Times reports the league is also working with Disney on opening up select portions of parks for players, among other entertainment ideas to try and keep players occupied.

Concerts and comedy are certainly interesting, but the logistics of getting an act into the bubble requires more testing and ensuring all parties are kept safe and healthy. That said, given the star power that will be in the bubble it’d be interesting to see what acts might be willing to drop by — and, if they’re tested, if they’d be allowed to pop in and watch a game.

An iPhone shortcut that lets you record an interaction with the police is gaining popularity in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and ensuing protests.

The shortcut was first created by Robert Petersen in 2018 who shared his creation on Reddit.

“I just wanted a way for anyone to have proof of their version of events in the unlikely scenario that something unexpected happens during a police interaction,” said Petersen, according to CNN. “If 1 in 10,000 people find my shortcut useful at all I’d be glad.”

After downloading and installing the shortcut, all the user has to do is say, “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over,” and the application kicks off a series of actions to help safely document your interaction with the police.

It pauses any music that may be playing on your phone, turns on Do Not Disturb, turns down the iPhone’s brightness and activates the camera to record video and audio of the interaction.

It also sends a text message to a person of your choosing who immediately knows you’re being pulled over and is alerted to your exact location via a pin dropped on a map. After the interaction, it will send video of the incident to your contact, as well.

“Once you stop the recording it sends a copy of the video to a contact you specify, puts volume and brightness back to where they were, turns off Do Not Disturb, and gives you the option to send to iCloud Drive or Dropbox,” according to a Reddit post by Petersen.

Petersen says it works best with a dash mount, so it can take stable video. That also gives you the option to angle the phone’s camera toward your window so the police officer can be seen on video as well.

Should you have to use the app, don’t worry about the legality of filming the police. It’s part of our First Amendment rights and is a powerful way to hold agents of the state accountable.

“In a public space, people are generally allowed to record on-duty police,” Quinnan Law says. “The only requirements are that the person filming is also legally allowed to be in the same public space, the activity being filmed is in plain view, and the recording is not being conducted in secret.”

One benefit of the app is that you can turn it on without using your hands. Police are often suspicious of the people they approach making sudden movements.

Here’s how to download it the shortcut:

Step 1: Go to the app store and download the “Shortcuts” app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Open the “Shortcuts” app and click “Gallery” on the bottom right corner.

Step 3: Next, go to your iPhone settings and scroll down to “Shortcuts.” It’ll be with all of your other apps.

Step 4: Open this link in Safari to download the “I’m getting pulled over” shortcut. Tap “Get Shortcut.”

Step 5: Once it opens, scroll down and tap “Add Untrusted Shortcut.”

Step 6: Choose a contact(s) for who you would like to send your location and a copy of the video recording to. Then tap done.

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In a press conference held at noon on Tuesday, President Trump announced the signing of a new executive order on police reform, the first of such reforms to come after the killing of George Floyd prompted Americans across all 50 states to take to the streets in protest. The executive order will seek to ban the use of chokeholds, establish new programs to help law enforcement when responding to issues involving mental illness, and create a National Registry to track police officers who repeatedly engage in excessive force.

According to Axios, the somewhat confusing executive order doesn’t outright ban chokeholds but will incentivize police departments to avoid the use of excessive force by only allowing access to federal funds to police departments that comply with criteria outlined by the Justice Department. Police may still use chokeholds if the officer is the target of deadly force.

The full executive order (obtained by CNN) indicates that officers will be retrained regarding their response to calls regarding mental illness and will “provide guidance regarding the development and implementation of co-responder programs, which involve social workers or other mental health professionals working alongside law enforcement officers so that they arrive and address situations together.” This is perhaps the most significant part of the President’s executive order, as according to the Treatment Advocacy Center, people with untreated mental illnesses are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement.

The Executive order also seeks to create a national registry to track police officers who have a record of responding with excessive force, Derek Chauvin, the police officer who murdered George Floyd through his use of excessive force, reportedly had a record of misconduct complaints and a reputation for aggression. Whether or not a national registry would actually affect an officer’s ability to retain their job remains to be seen.

For those hoping the President would take steps toward defunding the police, Trump has indicated that he’s still positioning himself as a “Law and Order” president, addressing the movement that was now gaining popularity nationwide at Tuesday’s press conference.

“We have to find common ground,” he said. “But I strongly oppose the radical and dangerous efforts to defund, dismantle, and dissolve our police departments, especially now when we’ve achieved the lowest recorded crime rates in recent history.”

Ultimately, the President’s executive order won’t do much to quell the justifiable anger that continues to bring so many thousands into the streets now three weeks after George Floyd’s death, especially considering the order does little to address the systemic racism and racial profiling that many believe has led to police to disproportionally target African Americans. The executive order also fails to address the “qualified immunity” enjoyed by police officers, a doctrine that often shields police officers from lawsuits over their conduct. However, the move does signal to lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the President may be willing to play ball on more substantive legislative reform.

According to CNN, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are currently working on two separate police reform bills, though it’s unlikely anything will be passed before the Senate enters its two-week Fourth of July recess.

One of the questions that still exists about the NBA’s proposed bubble league in Orlando is the ability that those on the inside will have to leave. While there have been reports that individuals can move freely within the bubble and do things like golf and dine at Disney properties, staying confined to one area for several months has the potential to get pretty old, pretty quickly as we all have learned recently.

As such, there is a concern that exists about what happens if a player/coach leaves the bubble, especially if it is under circumstances that are not approved by the team. Shams Charania of The Athletic gave some insight into what will happen if someone leaves without prior approval, and as it turns out, it’ll cost them some money.

The reported self-quarantine isn’t new, as it has been reported in the past that 10 days and a pair of negative tests will be required. Losing out on money, however, is a new one, and it seems like the goal is for that to deter players from wanting to leave without permission. The testing is a matter of how invasive the tests will be, as the ones Charania laid out here for those that leave would go far back in a person’s nose to swab for the virus, as opposed to less invasive testing the league is exploring as options for the regular testing.

It is unclear what sort of circumstances will lead to a player getting permission to leave the bubble, unless going to other Disney properties counts as leaving. Regardless, this is all a start and shines some light on one of the major questions hanging over the NBA’s proposed restart.

When it was announced back in March that Christopher Meloni would return to the Law and Order fold in a new series focusing on his SVU character Elliot Stabler, it seemed like a home run for the Dick Wolk franchise. Meloni coming back as Stabler after almost a decade was clearly a hit with fans.

But following the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, the spinoff series, as well as the entire Law and Order franchise, found itself under fire as criticisms began to arise around the seemingly overwhelming prevalence of police procedurals. It also doesn’t help that Meloni’s Stabler is known for his hot temper, which isn’t exactly the best look in the current climate.

In response, Law and Order producers have been moving quickly to address concerns and promise to make sure that its shows will grapple with the current “reckoning” occurring in law enforcement. This initiative includes Organized Crime, which sees Stabler returning to the NYPD after a “devastating personal loss.” Via E! News:

“However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Throughout the series, we will follow Stabler’s journey to find absolution and rebuild his life, while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.”

The Stabler spinoff seems to be a lightning rod for controversy though. During the Floyd protests in Los Angeles, writer Craig Gore posted a photo of himself holding a firearm and threatening to “light motherf***ers up.” Gore was immediately fired by Dick Wolf while Meloni tweeted that he doesn’t even know who Gore is after the writer falsely claimed that he was the new showrunner for Organized Crime. “I have no idea who this person is or what they do,” Meloni wrote.

(Via E! News)

The NBA and NBPA are currently working out the finer details of the return to play plan the two sides nearly unanimously agreed upon that will send 22 teams to Orlando to play in an 8-game race to the playoffs (which will be played in their entirety) at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

As more details come out, there’s also still plenty of confusion and concern among some players about the safety of the bubble, as well as whether the NBA’s return would serve as a distraction to the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of massive protests of police brutality and systemic racism that continue nationwide. Kyrie Irving and others have started a coalition to voice these concerns, and others like John Wall have given their support to those that aren’t keen on returning to the court.

Any player that chooses not to play in the bubble will not face any disciplinary action from the league, but the timeline for them to make a decision on coming back to play or sitting out must be made within the next week. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, players will need to inform their team they will not be reporting by June 24, and will miss out on 1/92.6 of their paycheck for each game missed — so, at least 8.6 percent for the eight-game restart.

Players that are excused from going to the bubble will not have their salary reduced and have until June 25 to notify teams, including those who are deemed at high risk.

That June 24 deadline would be next Wednesday, and that means it is incumbent on the league to have answers to players who have concerns, either about health or activism, before then for them to have all the necessary information to make such an important decision. The expectation is that the number of players that take this option will be relatively low, but as more players speak out to present their thoughts on the restart, it’s up to the league to alleviate those concerns by giving the players more firm information and a plan on how they will protect them as best as possible from the coronavirus as well as how they’ll ensure the league and players are able to advance the Black Lives Matter movement, have an impact on the community and address issues of racism.

Miss Juneteenth writer/director Channing Godfrey Peoples grew up celebrating Juneteenth and attending its associated pageant, and her film rings with the kind of authenticity you only get from a filmmaker who knows their subject. It has a sense of detail, a cultural richness that can’t be faked. The way sweat beads form above brows, the way flies buzz languidly over checker-print tablecloths at the local barbecue joint — watching it is truly transporting, in the best way.

Set in Texas and named for the holiday commemorating the day when Texas’s enslaved people’s were finally set free, two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Miss Juneteenth follows Turquoise (Nicole Beharie), a former winner of the titular beauty pageant, who desperately wants her daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) to follow in her footsteps. Only it’s more than that. The pageant winner receives a full scholarship to the historically black college or university (HBCU) of her choice, giving her a foot in the door to a bright future, even if it hasn’t quite panned out that way for Turquoise. She’s still working multiple jobs (at a BBQ joint and a funeral parlor) and having to go into debt to pay for her daughter’s dresses. There are even whispers that she had to strip for a while (gasp!) to make ends meet. “My daughter’s my dream now,” she tells her semi-estranged ne’er-do-well husband, Ronnie (absurdly handsome Kendrick Sampson), putting a finer point on it all.

Finer points abound in Miss Juneteenth, and that’s its biggest flaw. I wish these characters had been able to interact in ways that didn’t always feel like teachable moments. Its evocative setting feels constrained by its meticulous adherence to a too-slick pitch. Plot structure is a fine thing, but you hope any story will eventually reach a point where the characters start to have minds of their own, driving the story in directions even the storyteller never quite expected.

Turquoise won her pageant performing a Maya Angelou poem, “Phenomenal Woman,” finding strength in erudition, eloquence, and precise diction. She’s trying to push her daughter the same direction, correcting her posture and grammar though Kai clearly prefers the dance team to debutante lessons. Which is to say, Miss Juneteenth is the story of a generation gap, a conflict between different ideas about what constitutes black excellence. Kai clearly thinks this finishing school stuff is a bit bougie, while Turquoise clutches pearls over Kai’s overtly sexual dance moves. Meanwhile, Turquoise’s church lady mother, played by Lori Hayes, represents a third-generation, showing up periodically to hector the other two about Jesus and periodically fall off the wagon.

It’s a well-mapped premise, a layer cake of contemporary black motherhood. But once we know about Kai’s dance team aspirations and her mother’s rigidity in demanding she perform the poem, we can more or less predict the final act. From there it’s just a matter of waiting for it to arrive. It’s also weird the way Turquoise’s stripping comes up two or three times in passing, and always as the ultimate, unexamined avatar of degradation and shame. I’d expect this from a Nicholas Sparks movie, or Tyler Perry.

The expected final act suffers less than it might have from being predictable. Peoples the director is so effective at evoking the cultural richness of her subjects that it masks some of the shortcomings of Peoples the writer. All of which makes me wish Miss Juneteenth had been less focused on the outcome of the story and more on the journey. So much of it is concerned with who wants what and why they can’t both have it when most of the joy comes from them acting on those desires.

Miss Juneteenth is great at evoking the simple pleasure of watching people do what they do — I just wish we could have gotten more of it. Like Kai actually working on the climactic performance we know is coming? Instead, it mostly lets its side characters have all the fun. Miss Juneteenth is a promising debut feature in a lot of ways, but like a lot of tweener indies, it has trouble transcending its own pitch.

‘Miss Juneteenth’ begins streaming Friday via VOD. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.