Author: Nikki

Joker film: Violence criticised by the families of the Batman cinema shootings In 2012, twelve people died in a cinema showing The Dark Knight Rises in Colorado. Now, ahead of the release of Todd Phillips Joker, the families of the victims are speaking out.  The families of those killed have written to Warner Bros with concerns about the new Joker film. And are urging the studio to join action against gun violence.  Sandy Phillips, the mother of 24-year-old victim Jessica Ghawi told the BBC she was “horrified” by the film’s trailers.  Warner Bros said the film was not an endorsement…

El Camino: Breaking Bad movie drops first full trailer Six years after the hit series came to a dramatic end, creator Vince Gilligan is back with El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. The movie picks up moments after the show ended. And fans rejoice as Aaron Paul is back as Jesse Pinkman. https://twitter.com/aaronpaul_8/status/1175966261932482560?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet THE PLOT The official Netflix synopsis says: “In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.” Here are five things from the trailer you may have missed.  THE BUG A bug…

Phoebe Waller-Bridge signs major Amazon deal Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge has signed a major contract to make TV shows for Amazon. The writer and actress said she is “insanely delighted” with the exclusive deal.  Waller-Bridge, 34 will create and produce new programmes for Amazon Prime. And according to Variety, it’s believed to be worth $20m (£16m) a year.  The Fleabag star said: “I’m insanely excited to be continuing my relationship with Amazon. Working with the team on Fleabag was the creative partnership dreams are made of.  “It really feels like home. I can’t wait to get going!” Its a busy…

Congrats Phoebe! Fleabag star wins big at the Emmys Fleabag, the British sitcom written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has become the first British show to win best comedy series at the Emmy Awards in the US.  “It’s so wonderful and reassuring to know that a dirty, pervy, angry and messed-up woman can make it to the Emmys,” joked Phoebe on stage – referring to her character, obviously.  Waller-bridge won four awards including best comedy series and comedy actress. Fleabag launched on BBC Three in the UK in 2016. And became a cult hit in the US after being picked…

Taylor tells her side of the Kanye feud In a revealing and in-depth interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Taylor Swift opened up about her ongoing feud with Kanye West. In the October edition, she talks about why she’s decided to speak openly about politics, the moment she found out her masters were being sold to Scooter Braun and bonding with Katy Perry. But her infamous phone call feud with Kanye was what made her disappear from the spotlight for a year. And now she’s ready to reveal all, in an extraordinarily in-depth talk.  In-“Famous” phone call Firstly, if you’ve missed…

Nick Carter gets a restraining order against brother Aaron as concerns grow over his mental health Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has been given a temporary restraining order against his younger brother Aaron. It comes after he allegedly threatened to kill Nick’s pregnant wife. The singer, 39 said the restraining order came “in light of Aaron’s increasingly alarming behaviour.” Aaron, 31 must stay at least 30 metres away from Nick and his family and their home in Las Vegas. Former child star, Aaron said he was “astounded” by the accusations. And said: “I do not wish to harm anyone, especially my…

Lord of the Rings returns to New Zealand in new TV series for Amazon New Zealand is once again home to Middle-earth as the country is picked for the much anticipated Lord of the Rings television show. And again the stories of Middle-earth are set to boost New Zealand’s economy.  Amazon is seeking to expand on the huge success of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. And the series is being tipped to be the most expensive ever made. At a reported cost of at least $1bn (£801m).  Amazon Studios bought the rights to the television series two years…

Why Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black is the greatest album of the 21st Century Amy Winehouse’s jazz-influenced debut album Frank was released in 2003 to critical acclaim. Then three years later Back to Black was born. Through her distinctive voice, the albums were tied together. But, Back to Black in every other sense sounded more or less like the work of a different artist.  Frank did not prepare the listener for Back to Black. Within the three years between the two albums, something happened to Amy that would separate Frank and Back to Black. She reintroduced herself, covered in tattoos,…

The return of the Peaky Blinders has been met with widespread praise this year. But as the season nears to an end, the show’s creator Steven Knight announces he is looking at spin-offs and a movie when the TV run finishes.  Steven Knight, the creator and writer of the Peaky Blinder’s has said he’s hoping to make a film based on the series. Speaking at the Legitimate Peaky Blinders Festival Knight spoke about the BBC drama and his plans for the Birmingham crime family.  PREQUELS He made clear he would not be making a prequel. This is part is largely…

Grime artist Wiley has spent the last few days tweeting about Drake and Ed Sheeran, calling them both “culture vultures.”  https://twitter.com/Plastician/status/1172068621755047936 So 1Xtra Breakfast show gave Wiley a call to challenge his tweets.  “I’m mad at Ed Sheeran because he said ‘You need me man/ I don’t need you’ Wiley told the BBC radio host, quoting Ed’s famous song.  “But Ed, the other day mate, you had to use grime to tip your song over the edge,” Wiley said. Referring to the remix of Take Me Back to London – which was produced by a grime producer and features Stormzy,…

The dark side of child fame Last week in a lengthy and heartfelt post, Justin Bieber reflected on the trappings of fame, personal growth and child stardom. In the post, he noted that by the age of 18, he had “millions in the bank” and “access to whatever [I] wanted.” He said he had “no skills in the real world,” and by 19 was doing “pretty heavy drugs.” In the post, he added: “I became resentful, disrespectful to women and angry.” But the trappings of child fame is nothing new. Yet, ‘celebrity’ it’s more popular than ever. So let’s take…

‘Dark, disturbing and brutal’: Inside JOKER JOKER Todd Phillip’s Joker hasn’t yet hit the cinema. However, a few lucky viewers have already seen the film, and talks of Academy Awards are swirling. But despite the October release, Joaquin Phoenix’s turn as the DC villain is being hailed as “a Joker we’ve never seen.” At this years Venice Film Festival, Joker received an 8-minute standing ovation. The film explores how failed comedian Arthur Fleck morphs into the iconic villain. And of course, the focus is on Phoenix. The performance has been called “fearsome,” “astonishing” and “mesmerising.” As an actor fully versed…

Remembering Diana: 22 years on Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana. In the ever-evolving world of celebrity life, Diana’s death serves as a reminder of paying the ultimate price of fame. In her 36 years, Diana was many things. A Princess, a mother, a fashion icon, a world leader and a humanitarian. But her incredible legacy has been overshadowed by the tragedy of her death and conspiracy theories behind it. Hailey Bieber pays tribute to the Princess in her latest photoshoot. Reminding us all that Diana is still as relevant and loved today…

Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan have teamed up with the UHT alliance to introduce a new UHD TV setting. In an attempt to preserve filmmakers’ creative intent on consumer displays. The UHD Alliance is a coalition whose members include Hollywood studios and consumer electronics manufacturers.  With various settings available on consumer TV’s there is a growing concern the filmmaker’s creative decisions are not always displayed. The new “Filmmaker Mode” will give the audience a cinematic representation of what the filmmakers intended in production and postproduction. Colour, contrast, aspect ration and time frames will be consistent with what the filmmakers envisioned.  …

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the talk of the town. With two-Emmy nominated hit shows and Hollywood at her feet, Waller-Bridge has cemented her place as one of the most exciting screenwriters around.  Her hit show Fleabag (which she wrote and stars in) has captured audiences around the globe. A painfully middle-class 20-something, living in London navigating love and life. It’s terrible people and broken lives. But its utterly riveting. Emotionally complex. And hilarious.  In Fleabag Waller-Bridge uses two retired narrative devices. Breaking the fourth wall (when a character appears to address the viewer directly) and flashbacks. From a screenwriting perspective, her…

British rule left an open wound

New Yorkers Anjali Chakra and Sundas Malik recently celebrated their one year anniversary. To mark the occasion, Chakra, a Hindu and Malik, a Muslim enlisted the help of photographer Sarowar Ahmed. The photoshoot, called ‘a New York loves story’ has since gone viral. Over half a million people have expressed love and support over the shoot. The photoshoot shows both women in beautiful traditional gowns in Midtown Manhattan. ‘People from all over the world have been reaching out to say to us that they were touched by our story and photos, and that’s so heartwarming.’ they said. Living life openly…

In an article published on Mondoweiss, Zainab Ramahi details the shared struggle against the colonial occupation for Kashmir and Palestine.   Ramahi, a Kashmiri living in North America understands the cruelty of everyday life for those in Kashmir. The instability, power outages, curfews and closures have been experienced first hand by Ramahi during the times she has visited. On the other hand, she has witnessed peaceful, non-violent demonstrations against military occupation.  Ramahi recalls a time when she witnessed the Indian military drag Kashmiri kids playing cricket into armoured vehicles. And listened to the stories told by her aunt who has operated…

A body has been found in the Malaysian jungle search for missing London teen Nora Quoirin.  The 15-year-old with special needs disappeared from her resort room on the 4 August. The Lucie Blackman Trust has said the body has not been identified but was “likely” to be Nora. Malaysia’s deputy police chief said the body of a white female found “resembles Nora.” A post-mortem examination will be carried out soon. The area where the body was found has been sealed off and is less than a kilometre from Nora’s resort. “A man phoned the police hotline at 1.15pm to say…

Disney+ Disney confirmed they are set to launch their own streaming platform this year with reboots of film classics. Whilst leading streaming services continue to roll out original work we are left wondering, has Disney lost the art of imagination? The news of Disney+ “reimaginations” of classics such as Home Alone have left fans in an uproar. Home Alone is still shown yearly on TV almost 29 years after its release, leaving us all wondering why Disney would choose to reboot. Other “reimaginations” include Night at the Museum, Diary of a Whimpy Kid and Cheaper by the Dozen.  Disney owns…

BRIEF.ME – UK NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update,  Whaley Bridge dam collapse residents are allowed to go home.  The family of the missing 15-year-old who disappeared whilst on holiday with her family give an emotional appeal. Nora has been described as ‘vulnerable’ and hasn’t been seen for five days.  Finally, Boris Johnson backed sending British troops to Yemen to control a vital port. Now PM, Johnson says the plan is still on the table.  All in today’s UK news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News…

BRIEF.ME – WORLD NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update,  two bodies have been found in the search for the missing murder suspects. The teenagers were last seen two weeks ago. Although not confirmed, the bodies found are believed to be the missing suspects. Next, we head to Kabul after the Taliban detonated a suicide car bomb attack. The attack has killed 14 and injured over 100 more – including women and children. Finally, The US has said India and Pakistan must engage in ‘direct dialogue’ over Kashmir.  All in today’s WORLD news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news…

The Whaley Bridge Dam collapse may have caused thousands of residents to evacuate their homes but at a time of fear and crisis, community spirit and the kindness of strangers has held the residents up.  Hundreds of people were evacuated from the town last week when heavy rain damaged the auxiliary spillway. Crews need to spend at least two more days pumping water from a reservoir to stop its dam bursting and flooding a town, firefighters have said. Whaley Bridge residents are spending the fifth day out of their homes because of the partial collapse of the dam wall. Toddbrook Reservoir…

Prince Harry’s Hypocrisy & Harry Styles Grindr experience

Last week The Hollywood Reporter wrote an article naming Leonardo DiCaprio as the “last Hollywood movie star.” In an age of pre-branded franchises and social media currency DiCaprio has remained at the top of the A list. He has rightfully earned his position- his on-screen talent, marketable good looks and the carefully crafted air of mystery that surrounds him. But, with the popularity of on-demand Film and TV, social media and blurred lines of celebrity have we witnessed the death of Hollywood? The article was written ahead of the release of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. A Tarantino film…