Entertainment News

Toroid

Founding Member
Netflix is planning to release 'choose your own adventure' style specials. :eek:
Netflix to launch 'choose your own adventure' movies and TV shows | Daily Mail Online
Netflix is planning to launch specials that will let users decide the next storyline
  • The first project of the new lineup is expected to be released by end of this year
  • Report claims sci-fi show 'Black Mirror' will feature an episode under this project
  • Netflix earlier released show 'Puss in Book' where viewers could choose endings

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDPA9goiOqQ
 

Sheltie

Fratty and out of touch.
I have Netflix but I don't pay attention to online surveys anymore.

I worked at Amazon for 4 years. For some reason, management decided it would be an awesome idea to require all employees to answer a brief survey every time they logged into their RF scanner or laptop at the beginning of their shift.

The questions would always feature closed-ended multiple choice selections for the answers. At first they allowed "no opinion" or "undecided" as an option but they discovered (not surprisingly) that more than 30% of associates selected no opinion and zipped through the questions so, of course, they eliminated that option.

You had to select one of their idiotic responses just to begin work every day. There would be questions like "my experience working at Amazon has been..." a) good, b) great, or c) the best experience of my life". It was an utterly ludicrous means for management to put their words into people's mouths. :mad:

It's no wonder Amazon, the darling of Wall Street, rarely reports a profit. :wub8:
 

Sheltie

Fratty and out of touch.
It seems like there aren't many good science programs on television anymore. I remember Star Hustler on PBS. When I was young it really inspired me to learn more about the stars and planets.

 

Toroid

Founding Member
The Simpsons’ aspect ratio is messed up on Disney+
All 30 seasons of The Simpsons are available for fans to stream on Disney+ starting today, but there’s one glaring problem: the aspect ratio is off.

Every episode of The Simpsons is currently streaming in a 16:9 ratio, meaning it looks stretched and shots are cropped to fit a widescreen format. There isn’t an option to change the aspect ratio, either. This ultimately means there’s a plethora of gags from the first 20 Simpsons seasons that don’t land because the cropping prevents the joke from being fulfilled.

The Simpsons originally aired on Fox in 1989, and it was broadcast in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The show relies heavily on visual gags — an aspect of joke-telling that wouldn’t become an issue until near the end of 2009, about a third of the way through The Simpsons’ 20th season — when the show’s aspect ratio switched from 4:3 to 16:9. This has long been an issue that Simpsons fans have contended with, some even making memes about the situation.

Things seemed likely to improve in 2015, though, when Fox’s FXX network announced that early Simpsons episodes would be available to stream in a 4:3 ratio on the Simpsons World app.
Fans and critics hailed FXX for giving subscribers more technological freedom. Many assumed the same setup would apply to Disney+ following the company’s announcement that all 30 seasons would live exclusively on Disney’s streaming service. That’s not the case. Twitter is full of complaints about Disney not offering an option to stream the episodes in 4:3, with some calling it a step down from FXX and Simpsons World. Even Simpsons writer Bill Oakley tweeted his disappointment with the setup.

Disney hasn’t suggested via social media if changes are coming to the platform to address subscribers’ concerns. Disney declined to comment on whether or not 4:3 aspect ratio viewing will be made available at a later date.
 

wwkirk

Divine
Sad report from the set of Batwoman.
Vancouver comic paralyzed from waist down after accident on ‘Batwoman’ set
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A Vancouver comedian is staying positive and hopeful that she’ll be able to walk again after getting seriously injured on the set of the Batwoman TV show.

Amanda Smith was working as a production assistant beneath the Georgia Viaduct during filming of the CW superhero show Wednesday when the bucket of a telehandler was lowered onto her head.

“They, unfortunately, did not see me where I was, and I did not hear the lift move and I didn’t notice that it had aligned directly above my head,” she told Global News from hospital Sunday.

“It wasn’t until it made contact with my body that I was able to scream and let somebody know that I was underneath it.”

Crew members immediately rushed to Smith’s aid and got her to Vancouver General Hospital for an emergency spinal surgery, after doctors discovered her spinal cord and the nerve itself had been damaged in multiple places.

She now can’t feel anything from the waist down but is going through the beginning stages of rehab to try and change that.

“I’m in a chair that is getting me used to sitting upright,” she said. “The idea is for me to do that a few hours a day before I hopefully … get blood rushing into my legs and lower abdomen.”

If she does regain feeling in her legs, Smith will have to learn how to walk all over again.

While the accident has been life-changing for the 30-year-old, Smith says she doesn’t blame anyone for what happened and is only appreciative of the support she’s received from her family, friends, colleagues and the larger industry.

“I have never felt more support in my life,” she said. “Honestly, I am in a very good head space right now. I feel very hopeful for the future and I feel very grateful for what I have and who I have around me. I’m just trying to focus on the positive about the whole situation.”

A GoFundMe set up by friends and colleagues has already raised more than $40,000 as of Sunday.

Smith says she’s also been assured by her production company that she will be supported as she awaits workplace compensation.

While she makes her living as a production assistant helping to coordinate locations on multiple productions, Smith also moonlights as a stand-up comedian in the Vancouver scene.

Fellow local comic Katie-Ellen Humphries has called on the local comedy community to help support “one of ours.”

Smith called the operation that led to the accident a “normal thing that usually happens in prepping a [filming] location” until it went wrong.
“It could have happened to anyone,” she said. “And everyone has just been so amazing. I really don’t have any hard feelings at this time.”
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
'Carol Burnett Show' Star Lyle Waggoner Dead at 84


Lyle Waggoner -- known for his roles on hit TV shows in the '60s and '70s, and as the founder of Star Waggons -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to his family tell TMZ ... the former actor died peacefully at his home Tuesday morning after a battling an illness. He was surrounded by his wife and sons.

Lyle's career took off in the mid-'60s after landing a guest role on "Gunsmoke." He was in the running for the title role on the iconic "Batman" TV series ... but lost out to Adam West.




Waggoner didn't let it stop him, though, and soon afterward he began a 7-year stint on "The Carol Burnett Show," playing various characters on the legendary sketch comedy and variety show.




He'd go on to star in "Wonder Woman" starting in 1975, playing both Steve Trevor and Steve Trevor Jr. over 3 seasons of the show.

On top of acting, Lyle was also a major heartthrob and became the first male seminude centerfold for Playgirl magazine in 1973.

Waggoner appeared in several TV movies and small films in the '70s and '80s, often cast as the hunk.

Around the same time, Lyle was busy founding Star Waggons ... the company known for its customized trailers used in the entertainment biz.



He was 84.

RIP
 

nivek

As Above So Below
New Orleans DJ Black N Mild dies at age 44 after contracting coronavirus

New Orleans based DJ Black N Mild has passed away at age 44 after contracting coronavirus. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office confirmed the death, according to NOLA.com. Black N Mild, whose real name is Oliver Stokes Jr., passed away on Thursday. Stokes, who also worked as an 'in school suspension coordinator' at Arthur Ashe Charter School, left campus with a fever on March 9 and did not come back, said Sabrina Pence, the CEO of FirstLine Schools.

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nivek

As Above So Below
David Bryan of Bon Jovi Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan has tested positive for coronavirus, he revealed in an update on social media. Bryan, a founding member of the band as well as a Tony Award-winning composer (Memphis), said his condition has been improving after being ill and quarantined for the past week.

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nivek

As Above So Below
Tom Brady attempts to trademark 'Tompa Bay' and 'Tampa Brady' after signing with the Buccaneers as private citizens rush to file similar applications

In his latest effort to control various permutations of his name, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has filed trademark applications for 'Tompa Bay' and 'Tampa Brady' for clothing and footwear, among other types of merchandise.

Brady joked about his recent trademark application on Twitter while referencing New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. 'I never understood why Drew wasn't making Drew Orleans shirts,' he wrote.

Brady recently applied for a similar 'TB X TB' trademark after signing a two-year, $50 million deal with Tampa Bay last month. His company, TEB Capital Management, filed its latest applications on April 9.

Remarkably, Brady is not the first to apply for 'Tompa Bay.' In fact, five similar trademark applications have been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since Brady announced his intention to sign in Tampa on March 17.

According to department records obtained by the Daily Mail, one St. Petersburg resident has applied for a 'Tompa Bay' trademark, while an Arizona man has filed for 'Tompa Bay,' 'Tompa Bay Florida,' 'Tompa Bay Buccaneers' and even 'Tompa Bay Beach Club.'

The application was discovered by a Washington DC trademark lawyer named Josh Gerben. Various social media posts containing 'Tompa Bay' t-shirts have been popping up ahead of Brady's application.

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nivek

As Above So Below
XFL ceases operations and lays off ALL employees after less than one season as Vince McMahon's second attempt at a spring football league collapses 20 years after the first

The XFL may be dead (again) as the second incarnation of Vince McMahon’s spring football startup ceased operations on Friday, reportedly laying off all employees after previously cancelling the remainder of its return season last month due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The league has not officially gone bust, as it did following its inaugural season in 2001, but according to ESPN, it has no current plans to continue in 2021. The 10-week league abruptly ended the 2020 campaign after five weeks, promising at the time to pay players for the remainder of the season, which was expected to conclude this weekend.

Now all league employees have been let go.

Attendance and TV ratings were respectable for the XFL, which is owned by McMahon, the WWE CEO. Games averaged 18,614 fans per game, with the largest crowds attending in NFL-deprived St. Louis, which drew 28,541 spectators one week.

Games on ABC, ESPN and Fox all averaged over 2 million viewers, according to ESPN. And although viewership declined over the season's four weeks, all 10 of the games broadcast on ABC ranked among television's top 10 shows in their respective weeks.

Unlike McMahon's previous effort in 2001, this incarnation of the XFL did not use the billionaire wrestling mogul as the face of the league. Rather, former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck served as commissioner of the eight-team league, which was scheduled for a 10-week season.


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nivek

As Above So Below
Harrison Ford, 77, is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration after latest airplane misadventure

Harrison Ford ran into trouble again while flying his plane, this time after mishearing instructions just after landing at a California airport. The Star Wars actor was told to hold short of the runway at Hawthorne Airport in California last Friday because another aircraft was practicing touch-and-go landings there, but he still crossed and taxied to the other end, much to the alarm of the tower operator.

After landing in the airport, audio obtained by TMZ revealed the tower operator told the 77-year-old star: 'Can you hold short on runway. Traffic on the runway.'

However, Ford accelerated onto the runway and began crossing, with the operator angrily saying the veteran pilot had ignored his instructions. Ford profusely apologized and said he thought he was told he had been cleared to cross the runway.

There was no danger of the aircraft crashing because the other plane was 3,600 feet away from Ford's when it hit the runway and was up in the air again long before reaching the area where the actor was. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into the incident.

A spokesperson for the actor said: 'Mr. Ford crossed the airport's only runway in his aircraft after he misheard a radio instruction from ATC. 'He immediately acknowledged the mistake and apologized to ATC for the error. The purpose of the flight was to maintain currency and proficiency of the aircraft.'

The Blade Runner actor was getting his pilot's license updated so he could take part in more relief efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

(more on the link)

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Toroid

Founding Member
Harrison Ford, 77, is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration after latest airplane misadventure

Harrison Ford ran into trouble again while flying his plane, this time after mishearing instructions just after landing at a California airport. The Star Wars actor was told to hold short of the runway at Hawthorne Airport in California last Friday because another aircraft was practicing touch-and-go landings there, but he still crossed and taxied to the other end, much to the alarm of the tower operator.

After landing in the airport, audio obtained by TMZ revealed the tower operator told the 77-year-old star: 'Can you hold short on runway. Traffic on the runway.'

However, Ford accelerated onto the runway and began crossing, with the operator angrily saying the veteran pilot had ignored his instructions. Ford profusely apologized and said he thought he was told he had been cleared to cross the runway.

There was no danger of the aircraft crashing because the other plane was 3,600 feet away from Ford's when it hit the runway and was up in the air again long before reaching the area where the actor was. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into the incident.

A spokesperson for the actor said: 'Mr. Ford crossed the airport's only runway in his aircraft after he misheard a radio instruction from ATC. 'He immediately acknowledged the mistake and apologized to ATC for the error. The purpose of the flight was to maintain currency and proficiency of the aircraft.'

The Blade Runner actor was getting his pilot's license updated so he could take part in more relief efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

(more on the link)

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Harrison Ford - Wikipedia
Incidents
On October 23, 1999, Harrison Ford was involved in the crash of a Bell 206L4 LongRanger helicopter (N36R). The NTSB accident report states that Ford was piloting the aircraft over the Lake Piru riverbed near Santa Clarita, California, on a routine training flight. While making his second attempt at an autorotation with powered recovery, Ford allowed the helicopter's altitude to drop to 150–200 feet before beginning power-up.[93] The aircraft was unable to recover power before hitting the ground. The aircraft landed hard and began skidding forward in the loose gravel before one of its skids struck a partially embedded log, flipping the aircraft onto its side. Neither Ford nor the instructor pilot suffered any injuries, though the helicopter was seriously damaged. When asked about the incident by fellow pilot James Lipton in an interview on the TV show Inside the Actor's Studio, Ford replied, "I broke it."[94]

On March 5, 2015, Ford's plane, believed to be a Ryan PT-22 Recruit, made an emergency landing on the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California. Ford had radioed in to report that the plane had experienced engine failure. He was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was reported to be in fair to moderate condition.[95] Ford suffered a broken pelvis and broken ankle during the accident, as well as other injuries.[96]

On February 13, 2017, Ford landed an Aviat Husky at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, on the taxiway left of runway 20L. A Boeing 737 was holding short of the runway on the taxiway when Ford overflew them.[97]
 

nivek

As Above So Below
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Patrick Ewing tests positive for COVID-19: ‘This virus is serious’


Patrick Ewing, the head coach of the Georgetown Hoyas, has tested positive for the coronavirus. The former New York Knicks star announced the diagnosis on Twitter, adding, “This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly.” Ewing decided to share the news publicly to “emphasize that this virus can affect anyone,” according to a statement from Georgetown Athletics.

Ewing is isolated at an area hospital for treatment. No one else in the Georgetown men’s basketball program has tested positive for the virus, according to the statement. “I want everyone to stay safe and take care of yourselves and your loved ones,” Ewing tweeted.


 

nivek

As Above So Below
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‘Wonder Woman 1984’ flops in China box office debut

Wonder Woman’s powers appear to be waning — at the box office.

“Wonder Woman 1984” — Warner Bros.’s much-anticipated sequel to its superhero franchise starring Gal Gadot — suffered a weak weekend debut in China, where it earned a mere $19 million in ticket sales, or less than half of what Hollywood had expected.

Media watchers had pegged the follow-up film to 2017’s “Wonder Woman” to reel in at least $40 million in the Middle Kingdom.

Instead, “Wonder Woman 1984” opened to less than that internationally — or just $38.5 million — as it was rolled out in 32 territories a week ahead of its Christmas Day US debut.

The first “Wonder Woman” movie three years ago amassed $38 million over its opening weekend in China on its way to a total haul of nearly $91 million. At its current pace, the follow-up film could struggle to earn half that.

(More on the link)

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nivek

As Above So Below
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Here’s The Muscle Car Batmobile

This certainly is a different look for the Dark Knight.
While we already heard the next Batmobile was going to be more muscle car inspired and less tank-like, we now have confirmation of that fact. Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, just dropped photos of the Dark Knight’s crime fighting car on Twitter and it’s causing waves.

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First off, there’s no denying the American muscle in this build. Yes, a considerable amount of the Batmobile is in shadows and it’s obviously been modified as if it rolled out of a Mad Max set, but the overall shape strongly resembles a 1969 Dodge Charger C8 GT. It’s definitely Mopar inspired.

This movie is supposed to be gritty and portray Batman in his early years, so not all of his equipment is quite refined. That vibe is reflected in this car, with some interesting mods like what appears to be a mid-engine Ford V8 with a roll cage over part of it, although the engine looks a lot like a Colt Powertrain.

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There are also exhaust stacks almost protruding over the roofline, vents galore in the hood, and extra-wide rear fender which swoop back, somewhat reminiscent of the Tim Burton Batmobile, in a far more subtle way that is. One shot gives a brief look at the interior, which looks to have custom gauges and some sort of screen mounted high in the center stack.

Where this version of the Batmobile really departs from previous ones is the fact the body isn’t bespoke. It’s obvious Bruce Wayne has taken an existing car and modified it to suit his vigilante needs. Despite that, it won’t blend in with all the other muscle cars out there, thanks to the exposed engine practically hanging out of the gaping hole in the rear.

It’ll be interesting to learn more about this car and who built it. Also, you know there are some crazy hidden mods somewhere in there, like maybe a flamethrower or a couple bottles of NOS under the passenger seat cushion. We’ll just have to wait and see.



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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
If I open my sock drawer and find several hundred thousand dollars in there I think I'll give this guy a call. He's fully licensed to make them, sell them, sell parts and kits. He started as a doofy kid in high school making one for his own fun and made a successful business out of it. Fiberglass Freaks | Batmobile® Replicas

He says ALL the Batgadgets really work !!?

I really (really) would like to make a Road Warrior Interceptor knock off. Last of the V8s Interceptors ... be a shame to blow it up ... but would be fun trying.


timthumb.php

Body type : 1966 Batmobile®
Make : Fiberglass Freaks
Model : 1966 Batmobile® LX
Color : Gloss Black
Price : $299,999
 

nivek

As Above So Below


Jeffrey Dean Morgan Reveals the Role That 'Almost' Made Him Quit Acting: 'It Was Horrible'

Way back in the day, Jeffrey Dean Morgan almost decided to put his acting career behind him. During an appearance on the web series Hot Ones, Morgan said his 2003 appearance on Star Trek: Enterprise made him contemplate his future in the entertainment business.

"It turns out I'm claustrophobic. I had a really hard time doing the makeup process, and I had straws in my nose," the Walking Dead star, 54, told host Sean Evans. "I've never been on a set where I went home at night and just thought, 'What am I doing? I've made the worst f---ing decision of my life. I don't ever want to be an actor again.' Like, I was sure that this was just wrong, and it almost made me quit. It was horrible."

Morgan played a Xindi-Reptilian during his early aughts Star Trek gig. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly about the part in 2012, he opened up about complications surrounding the prosthetic he was required to wear.

"I had to pay my bills. I knew I'd play some guy saying some stuff. Then I got a call saying I needed to go in for a prosthetic fitting," he said at the time. "I remember them dripping goop on my face, and I had straws sticking out of my nose. I couldn't eat lunch. I was claustrophobic. I'd go home in tears."

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan as a Xindi-Reptilian on Star Trek: Enterprise

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Of course, he stuck it out — and went on to land roles in a number of prominent shows, including The Good Wife and Supernatural. He has also appeared in various films, such as Rampage and Watchmen.

One of Morgan's favorite roles was that of Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy. During his Hot Ones appearance, he said he "begged" series creator Shonda Rhimes to let him stay on the show, though his character was ultimately killed off during season 5 in 2009.

"Grey's Anatomy, I knew was something special. That's the one time that I saw my death coming and was trying anything I could to get out of that death," he said. "That character Denny and that love story with Izzie [Katherine Heigl] took the world by storm."

"I knew how f---ing lucky I was to be there, and I was like, 'Please don't kill me,'" Morgan added. "I did, I begged [Shonda]. That's what changed my life. Being Denny, where I never got out of bed, is why [director] Zack Snyder hired me to be the Comedian [in Watchmen]. That's how special that was."

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wwkirk

Divine

I stopped watching when they made a small woman the security officer.

It doesn't bother me when female superheroes or aliens go around beating guys up, because of the suspension of belief factor. But when they show normal, human women regularly beating up guys, sometimes multiple guys, it it subverts the plausibility aspect of the show.

At a certain point, they decided George Eads had to go. I liked him, but fine. They could have, and should have, replaced him with a believable actor to fulfill the security officer role.
 
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