Anil Kumble Recalls Antigua 2002 Incident, Jokes That Wife Didn't Believe Him

Kumble talks about iconic players and moments from his career as he also recalls facing the likes of Brian Lara and Mervyn Dillon in 2002 with a fractured jaw.

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If I Could Put the Team in a Good Position, we'd Win: Kumble on Bowling with a Broken Jaw.

In an interview, legendary Indian leg-spinner, Anil Kumble shares his memories of the infamous Test in the Caribbean when he bowled with a broken jaw.

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‘Hard pass’: Mark Hamill not interested in a ‘Star Wars’ spin-off guaranteed to cause nightmares

There’s plenty of Star Wars spin-offs out there; some good, some not so good, but one idea that involves Ewoks and drugs has been shot down by Luke Skywalker himself.

If you’ve seen Cocaine Bear then you know where this is going. Mark Hamill shared a fake poster for a spin-off that replaces the iconic bear with a soft and cuddly Ewok. He shared the image with a tweet that read ‘Hard Pass.’

Hard pass. pic.twitter.com/yEm2CMtDDY

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) July 11, 2023

To be honest, I sort of have to agree with Mark here. Despite looking cute and cuddly, Ewoks are actually terrifying when you think about it. These little teddy bears were able to band together and take down the Empire on Endor. Imagine what one of them could do after snorting a bunch of cocaine.

It would still be kind of entertaining to watch. If Hamill’s not interested, maybe Daisy Ridley would be, her supposed return as Rey could just be a two-hour death match between her and an Ewok on cocaine. If it turns out anything like the original Cocaine Bear, then it could be just the kind of shake-up the franchise needs.

Fans jokingly confirmed that they would pay real money to see Cocaine Ewok in theaters.

“Let’s hope @WarwickADavis and his agent are already talking to the studio”

“I would go see it..”

“But I just bought my ticket because I thought you were in it.”

Maybe Mark was too quick to write this one off — it sounds like there’s potential here. The only issue is you’d probably have to call it spice and not cocaine in order to be in keeping with the Star Wars universe

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India Vs West Indies 1st Test Live Updates: Jaiswal Set for International Debut as IND Eye Winning Start

Ind Vs Wi Live Updates: Follow here live score and commentary from the India vs West Indies series opener in Dominica

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Asia Cup Schedule Announcement Live Updates: India vs Pakistan at Dambulla?

Asia Cup full schedule live: Stick with us for all the latest updates with the full list of fixtures expected to be announced soon

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'I Want to Score runs and Win Games': Mayank Agarwal Positive About India Comeback

Mayank Agarwal last played a Test for India in March 2022 before being dropped

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'KS Bharat Should Get Another Chance': Ex-India Selector Backs Wicketkeeper for 1st Test vs West Indies

Will India continue to play KS Bharat despite the wicketkeeper having not yet done anything of note with the bat?

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IND vs WI, 1st Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal Debut in Focus as India Begin Transition Phase

The two-match West Indies series is the first of India's campaign in the latest ICC World Test Championship cycle

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'Neutral Venue Security Situation in India': Pakistan Continues Push to Shift 2023 ODI World Cup Matches

Pakistan sports minister has maintained he wants their team to play ODI World Cup matches at a neutral venue if Asia Cup matches are taken away from them

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Cillian Murphy has one condition to return for the legacy sequel hes been asked about for decades

Cillian Murphy is the talk of the town these days as the face of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which is due in theaters in a week and a half, and while the Irishman tends to be one of the quieter big actors working today, the consistent impact he brings to the screen makes the spotlight look more and more inevitable with every passing day.

And while Oppenheimer could very well be that tipping point, complete with Oscar buzz if the trailers are any indication, there’s one project that, if it ever came to fruition, would ensure Murphy’s domination of pop culture for a marked period of time, and that project is a sequel to 28 Days Later.

Murphy, of course, starred in the groundbreaking zombie film back in 2002, and while he wasn’t involved with the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, the Peaky Blinders star revealed in an interview with Collider that he’s all but ready to hop in for a legacy sequel, so long as Garland and Danny Boyle reprise their writing and directing duties, respectively.

I was talking to Danny Boyle recently, and I said, “Danny, we shot the movie at the end of 2000.” So I think we’re definitely approaching the 28 Years Later. But like I’ve always said, I’m up for it. I’d love to do it. If Alex [Garland] thinks there’s a script in it and Danny wants to do it, I’d love to do it.”

28 Years Later certainly has a nice ring to it, and given that 28 Days Later‘s cultural impact proved to be alive and well with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact that we’re now living in a post-pandemic world would allow a potential legacy sequel to build on this impact with a wickedly sharp new lens. Here’s hoping Garland is cooking something up as we speak.

Meanwhile, Oppenheimer is due in theaters on July 21.

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David Warner Has Got to Get This Ashes Done: Former Australia Cricketer Sees No Option for 4th Test

Ian Healy feels even though David Warner was not good enough but Australia have to presist with the 36-year-old veteran in the 4th Ashes Test

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A Margot Robbie revelation paints the Barbie press tour in an entirely new light

The world’s most highly anticipated box office cage match of 2023 is set to kick off in a week and a half, but at this point, it’s safe to say that Barbie has the upper hand on Oppenheimer. Awards season may spell a different story, but between Oppenheimer‘s R-rating and Barbie‘s eye-popping, mysterious premise that will no doubt mutate into great word-of-mouth, Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy has this one in the bag.

That’s assuming, of course, that the public doesn’t take this unforgivable betrayal by one Margot Robbie to heart; in an interview with ComicBook, the face of Barbie herself admitted that her childhood was entirely void of any trace of the iconic doll, immediately calling her worthiness as Barbie‘s eponymous lead into question.

I called my mom before this press tour, and I was like, ‘Are there any pictures of me, like with Barbie, playing with Barbie, opening a Barbie on Christmas or anything?’ And she was like, ‘I couldn’t get you to wear a dress!’ And I was like, ‘That’s not helpful.’ So I don’t have a photo like that, but I love how many people have shown me things like that.

What’s real? What isn’t? How can we possibly know anymore? In any case, Robbie’s newfound status as a Barbie fraud just may give Oppenheimer more of an edge in their duel, as there’s no way the Barbie faithful will stand for being lied to like this. Then again, we have our doubts that Cillian Murphy has much of a background in theoretical physics, so perhaps the two films are exactly as even on that front as we’d now expect.

For now, then, we’ll let Robbie’s inexperience with Barbie dolls slide, but if we find out that Ryan Gosling never played with Ken dolls at any point in his life, a boycott will surely be in order.

Barbie flutters into theaters on July 21.

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I was born running I came out with a sprint: Tom Cruise happy to give the people exactly what they want

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is right on our doorsteps, with Tom Cruise‘s latest endeavor set to continue one of the largest cinematic phoenix moments in history.

After kicking off with a pair of stinkers back in 1996 and 2000, the franchise has since gone from strength to strength to strength, and the fact that Dead Reckoning has already topped the likes of Fallout from a critical standpoint is a sign of more great things to come.

For years, Mission: Impossible protagonist Ethan Hunt has been defined by his commitment to individual life as much as entire populations of people, and while this defining trait of his is set to be tested like never before in Dead Reckoning, there is one other iconic aspect to Ethan that, according to Cruise himself, will remain entirely unshakable.

In an interview with ET Online, Cruise reassured everyone that Ethan’s iconic sprint wouldn’t be going anywhere, cheekily suggesting that the protagonist’s unmistakable running form is as much a part of him as it is a part of the character.

“I was born running. I came out with a sprint. My mom was trying to hold on to me and she just couldn’t get ahold.”

Mission: Impossible regulars Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Rebecca Ferguson are all back for round seven as well, while Vanessa Kirby returns from Fallout and Henry Czerny steps back into the fray after 27 years away. Elsewhere, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Esai Morales, Cary Elwes, and Shea Whigham all make their franchise debuts.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One skydives into theaters on July 12.

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Review: Bird Box Barcelona intriguingly expands the mythology but still asks too many questions it isnt interested in answering

As a general rule of thumb, the industry tends to franchise its biggest hits as soon as possible in order to capitalize on the initial buzz, but it’s taken Netflix almost five whole years to expand upon one of its biggest-ever hits through Bird Box Barcelona.

The Sandra Bullock-led original was a certified cultural sensation after releasing in November of 2018, hoovering up viewing hours like it was nobody’s business and inspiring countless viral crazes. The downside is that its moment in the spotlight has long since passed, and the spin-off that premieres this coming Friday isn’t going to propel the property back to the top of the relevancy pile.

Expanding such a singular concept and using it as the basis of what’s presumably being designed as a string of localized standalone movies is a solid one, but as much as Bird Box Barcelona tries – and succeeds on numerous counts – to expand the mythology, it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from its predecessor, while simultaneously dedicating its time to a few too many questions that it doesn’t plan on answering.

Image via Netflix

This time around, Mario Casas’ Sebastián is our entry point to the story, as he embarks upon a journey largely similar to the one undertaken by Bullock’s Malorie in the opener; the world has been overrun by mysterious creatures that instantly incite suicide among those unfortunate enough to lay eyes on them, with several factions and splinter groups pushing different agendas emerging to try and seize whatever piece of society left that they can.

Whether or not Bullock declined the opportunity to return for a direct sequel based on literary successor Malorie is anybody’s guess, but watching Bird Box Barcelona it’s incredibly easy to imagine that you’d end up with the exact same film beat-for-beat regardless of whether or not the lead was a returning character, a brand new one, or just about anybody plucked off the street in the midst of the apocalypse.

That’s neither a good or a bad thing, but it is somewhat of a damning indictment on the approach to Barcelona as a whole. Writers and directors Álex and David Pastor hit all the right notes from a technical perspective; there are ravaged streets, bursts of gruesome violence, tension-ratcheting set pieces, and a couple of grandstanding action beats that inevitably feature Netflix’s relentless urge to use terrible CGI fire as often as humanly possible, but at no point does it feel like a completely different animal to Bird Box. It exists, it’s a diverting enough watch, and it manages to expand both the scope and mythology while leaving the door open for additional stories – replete with a tantalizing cliffhanger – and yet it can’t shake off that feeling it doesn’t need to exist.

Image via Netflix

Much like Bird Box, Barcelona incorporates dual-wielding timelines, religious zealots who operate under the impression humanity is being published for its sins, scrappy bands of survivors suspicious of anyone who pleads innocence in the hopes of being welcomed into the fold, and breathless escapes that threaten to plunge them directly into the line of sight of the sinister beings that have decimated the population, and there’s enough style on display to make them every bit as effective as they are over-familiar.

Without going into spoilers, there are a couple of intriguing wrinkles that do present brand new opportunities with which to approach the overarching Bird Box mythos, but they’re only half-explained at best. Meanwhile, several larger questions are posed regarding the who, what, when, and how of the unseen monsters, but there’s never anything remotely resembling a definitive answer; again, there’s always the chance future entries will tie up these loose threads, but it would be nice for a sense of closure that underlines Barcelona as a self-contained story as opposed to table-setting for yet more table-setting to come.

That being said, Casas – who was excellent in Netflix’s Harlan Coben adaptation The Innocent – makes for an excellent anchor. Bedraggled, forlorn, but always hiding something just under the surface, he’s haunted by demons of both a literal and figurative variety with motivations that are never made abundantly clear until the third act, although your mileage may vary on a “twist” that’s easily perceptible from the very first scene.

via Netflix

Barbarian breakout Georgina Campbell makes for a worthy foil as increasingly suspicious survivor Claire, too, with the stellar work of the entire ensemble Bird Box Barcelona‘s strongest method of drawing you into a story that does exactly what it needs to do – and cracks open a few more doors the franchise may or may not end up walking through – but it’s difficult to imagine it’ll come close to seizing the zeitgeist on a level that’s even remotely comparable to its forebear.

At the end of the day, Netflix has built out the Bird Box universe with a hybrid of spin-off and sequel that’s solid, unspectacular, and entirely functional. It does the job it was created to do, but when there’s a unique lore ripe for further exploration, it could have easily been so much more.

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Indiana Jones 5 VFX artists ominously praise the contributions of machine learning

VFX Supervisors Andrew Whitehurst and Robert Weaver of Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic have revealed that machine learning was essential to the de-aging scenes in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the leaders of the visual effects team opened up about the role machine learning played in rendering the ground-breaking 2,350 VFX shots depicting a youthful Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones for scenes in the fifth installment of the film franchise. Weaver explained:

“There are absolutely components to it that we rely on. Definitely. And that’s part of the evolution of us doing more successful digital human performance. [To teach the computer] we primarily relied on the older Indy films and that target age. But we also captured present day.”

Whitehurst broke down the process of training the machine learning model to recognize and reconstruct three-dimensional images of Ford as a younger man, with a combination of film and photos from the past and performances by the legendary actor in the present. The VFX team relied on ILM Face Swap technology, which combines machine learning and CG assets.

“We shot a lot of reference material, as well as the actual shots from the film we were making. We went and deliberately set up the cameras and got Harrison to perform as he is now. We learn, the computer learns, but I think it’s also worth saying that even within feeding the footage, you need to be careful and select your footage, because some footage might skew results in a way that actually isn’t helpful for a particular shot. So there’s a lot of kind of skill and judgment in terms of selecting what you are going to use as reference.”

The team painstakingly compiled material of Ford at the desired age for the scene and used it to create photorealistic renderings of Jones for high-octane action sequences, including breathtaking chase scenes on a train and in a tuk-tuk. According to Weaver:

“That curation process that Andrew was just talking about was incredibly important. Artists would make determinations as to what is helpful.”

Some might say that Whitehurst and Weaver seem oblivious to the fact that fans and critics alike heaped criticism on the de-aging scenes in the film. The reality is that today’s moviegoers are well versed in de-aging technology through products like Reface: Face-Swap App and AI Avatar Generator and FaceApp, which are downloadable on any mobile device. As a result, audiences have very exacting visual standards and are quick to spot some of the more clumsily rendered images, as in the case of Ford’s younger doppelganger.

Nevertheless, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is a cinematic milestone that ushers in a new era for creatives to explore artificial intelligence technology as they traverse new filmmaking frontiers.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3s victorious VOD release reveals why James Gunn was wrong to hype The Flash

It’s been a funny weekend for James Gunn as evidence proves that, while his own filmmaking instincts are second to none, his perceptions of superhero movies made by other people might not be as top-notch. The good news is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 recently arrived on digital, and its VOD release has only increased the love for the cosmic team’s last MCU ounting. The bad news? The Flash has slipped out of the box office charts completely after just four weeks.

All in all, it’s clear that Gunn’s once proud proclamation that The Flash will go down as one of the finest entries in all superhero cinema is not going to wash. But, you know what, it seems Gunn could’ve slapped that description on another movie under his purview and he would’ve been bang on the money.

According to those who’ve revisited the latter film from the comfort of their own couches, The Flash might not be one of DC’s best movies but Guardians 3 is being dubbed perhaps the finest work of Marvel Studios to date. In a provocative Reddit post on the r/MarvelStudios sub, Redditor u/DontCallMeJR88 declared: “I think GOTG3 might be the best Marvel movie ever made.”

I think GOTG3 might be the best Marvel movie ever made
by u/DontCallMeJR88 in marvelstudios

The fan’s argument is that Guardians 3 is such an emotional rollercoaster ride that it manages to beat out the OP’s previous personal favorite, Avengers: Endgame, to the top spot, calling Gunn’s film “as close to perfect as it’ll ever get.” Although many of those in the comments didn’t necessarily agree with it being the absolute best, many nonetheless accepted that it was something special indeed. As the most upvoted comment put it, “This felt like the pixariest marvel movie, and I mean that as the highest compliment.”

All in all, then, it might not have been exactly modest if Gunn had gone around telling us Guardians 3 was one of the best superhero films ever, but it turns out it would’ve actually been much closer to the truth.

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The first signs of life from the Blue Beetle marketing team in 3 months is a meme about avocados

Believe it or not, there really are less than seven weeks to go until Blue Beetle hits theaters, although you’d easily be forgiven for being caught completely unawares seeing as the marketing campaign has been virtually non-existent.

The social media era has been a massive positive for Hollywood studios looking to mass-market the newest releases, with trailer and TV spots galore bombarding timelines all over the planet to raise as much awareness as possible that a blockbuster is incoming. Unless of course we’re talking about Warner Bros., which hasn’t done a great deal to shout about Blue Beetle from the rooftops.

In fact, ever since the first trailer dropped on April 2 and found itself pinned to the comic book adaptation’s official Twitter feed, no new footage had been unveiled until a matter of hours ago. Not only that, but the handle had only posted three tweets in total since the full-length promo dropped, one of which was a retweet of an article published in a magazine.

Shaking off the cobwebs, then, Blue Beetle‘s marketing department has roared back into life and returned with a vengeance just 39 days before it hits theaters, to post… a silent visual meme about avocados.

Feeling like a superhero in the produce aisle. #BlueBeetle Only in Theaters August 18 pic.twitter.com/jUVxaxbhFb

— Blue Beetle (@bluebeetle) July 9, 2023

“Feeling like a superhero in the produce aisle” is not a tagline destined to propel the former HBO Max exclusive to a mammoth haul at the box office, but at least it’s something. After all, not even James Gunn has a clue when the second trailer is destined to arrive for public consumption, and he’s the co-CEO of the whole damn studio.

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An acclaimed revenge thriller takes on the fight of its life and emerges victorious as one of Netflixs biggest hits

Critical acclaim is by no means a barometer of which movies are in line to find success on the world’s biggest streaming service – something that’s being proven right now by the platform’s number one title – but Catch the Fair One has the rave reviews to go along with its newfound popularity.

The hard-hitting revenge drama may have released at the beginning of 2022, but it was only recently made available to Netflix subscribers in a myriad of international markets. Wasting no time at all, the crime thriller boasting a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 94 percent has become one of the most-watched features on the global viewership rankings.

Image via IFC Films

Per FlixPatrol, Catch the Fair One has barreled its way straight onto Netflix worldwide Top 10 after scoping out a plum position in 21 countries around the world, and it’s one definitely worth watching if you’re fortunate enough to be in one of the countries where it’s available at the push of a button.

Real-life professional boxer and actress Kali Reis headlines as Kaylee, a pugilist who used to be at the top of their game, but is now a drug addict living in a shelter and working as a waitress. Years previously, her sister Weeta had been forced into a sex trafficking ring and vanished off the face of the planet without a trace.

Of course, Kaylee hasn’t given up hope, but she gets a lot more than she bargained for when she discovers a trail that could end up leading directly to a reunion with her sibling.

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Sri Lanka Thrash Netherlands by 128 Runs in ICC World Cup Qualifiers Final to Sign Off on Winning Note

Sri Lanka defeated Netherlands by 128 runs to beat the Dutch in the ICC World Cup qualifiers final after both teams booked their berths in the ODI World Cup in India

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England Stay Alive in Ashes 2023 Win Headingley Test by 3 Wickets to Roar Back to 2-1 in Series

England (237 & 254/7), defeated Australia (263 & 224) by 3 wickets in the third Test to stay alive in Ashes 2023, Ben Stokes' side trail series 2-1

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Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 Second Edition in August 2023 All Games to be Played in Bengaluru

Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament's second edition to be played from 14th August to 30th August 2023, with 5 franchises vying for the trophy

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'Pakistan Were Too Good India Always Used to Lose..': PAK Legend's Astonishing Remark

Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq feels that given the dominance of the Men in Green back in the late 90s, the Indian team stopped playing Pakistan because they 'always lost'

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'English Batsmen Found They Couldnt Quite Cope With it': Sunil Gavaskar Lashes Out at England's Bazball Approach

Sunil Gavaskar also hailed the Australian bowlers for getting their plans right against England's ultra-attacking batting approach.

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'Case of Mistaken Identity': Alastair Cook Apologises for Alex Carry Unpaid Haircut Comment

Former England captain Cook issues an apology over mistaken identity after having stated on-air that Australian keeper Carey had not paid for a haircut.

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'He Invites the Team Home to Chill Out': Virat Kohli Opens Up on Chris Gayle's Humility and Hospitality

Kohli mentioned that he will visit the big-hitting West Indies batsman in the Caribbean and that the self-proclaimed 'Universe Boss' invites the team to hang out when in his hometown of Jamaica.

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'Can't See Why Kohli or Rohit Can't Play...': Sourav Ganguly Slams BCCI on Duo's T20I Exile

Sourav Ganguly feels Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should be playing T20I cricket for India after they were rested for the West Indies tour

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MS Dhoni Celebrates 42nd Birthday With His Pet Dogs Feeds Them Cake | WATCH VIDEO

MS Dhoni thanked his fans and fellow cricketers for their wishes on his 42nd birthday as he was seen cutting a cake at his house in Ranchi

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Jay Shah Shares Snaps as ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Trophy Reaches Picturesque Pangong Lake in Leh

Jay Shah shared stunning images of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 soaking in the sun in front of the Pangong Tso lake in Leh as part of the trophy tour

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'A True Legend Backed Cricketers From Interior India': Sachin Tendulkar Yuvraj Singh Suresh Raina Lead Birthday Wishes for Sourav Ganguly

Wishes have been pouring in on social media as the legendary former India captain Sourav Ganguly turns 51

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Ashes 2023 Live Score 3rd Test Day 3: Start of Play Delayed Due to Rain Pitch Under Covers

Ashes 2023. ENG vs AUS 3rd Test, Day 3 Live Score: Check out the latest updates, live commentary and full scorecard from England vs Australia clash at Headingley

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Review: Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One offers further proof it might just be the greatest action franchise of all-time

Thanks to a string of ongoing box office disappointments that have hinted not even the biggest and brightest brands in the industry are safe from disaster, Tom Cruise has been forced to head once more into the breach and save cinema for the second consecutive year with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Having grabbed a flagging industry by the scruff of the neck 12 months ago when Top Gun: Maverick exploded out of the blocks and soared to critical, commercial, and awards season glory, the diminutive megastar has only gone and done it again with a jaw-dropping opener that will leave you wondering how on earth he and director Christopher McQuarrie are going to top it when Part Two lands next year.

In fact, with Dead Reckoning comfortably capable of being mentioned in the same breath as immediate predecessors Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, and Fallout, four consecutive instant classics of action cinema have reinforced the long-running spy saga’s credentials as perhaps the genre’s single greatest franchise of all-time, and it only took the leading man and producer risking his life countless times over to do it.

via Paramount

It’s far from perfect, though, and it shouldn’t be a shock to discover that the narrative is the weakest link in Dead Reckoning‘s armor. Of course, all seven installments to date have boasted plots that range from the convoluted to the confusing via the nonsensical, but that’s obviously not the number one driving force behind the enduring popularity of a brand that’s closing in on its 30th anniversary.

This time around, the nefarious force needing to be stopped by IMF agent Ethan Hunt and his close-knit band of agents is a sentient AI called The Entity, an erstwhile MacGuffin that would give its overlord the power to basically control the world. Naturally, there’s also returning deep cuts from Mission: Impossibles past, a villain with a shared history to our intrepid protagonist, double and triple-crosses, and the globetrotting hunt for two sub-MacGuffins that have the potential to alter the course of humanity forever.

As always, Ethan is assisted by fellow stalwart Ving Rhames’ Luther and Simon Pegg’s Benji, with Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa also getting drawn back into his irresistible orbit. In addition, Hayley Atwell’s grace gets caught up in the maelstrom when she inadvertently gets in the hero’s way, while Shea Whigham’s Jasper and Greg Tarzan Davies’ Degas are tracking Ethan for entirely different reasons, without mentioning Pom Klementieff’s ass-kicking Paris, Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna, Cary Elwes’ Denlinger, Esai Morales’ principal big bad Gabriel, and even Henry Czerny making his first Mission: Impossible appearance since 1995.

Image via Paramount

Suffice to say, there’s an awful lot going on at any given time, and the only moments where Dead Reckoning feels like a 163-minute film is during the frequent (albeit entirely necessary) scenes of exposition where the broad strokes of the story are laid out and spoon-fed to the audience to ensure we’re keeping track of who’s who, why they’re doing what they’re doing, and who they’re doing it for… at least, until the next rug-pull comes along.

Thankfully, Mission: Impossible can always be relied on to pull out all of the stops and deliver on the set pieces, and it’s a joy to report that things haven’t changed. Each one has a distinct flavor and variety; from the borderline slapstick shenanigans of a chase through Venice that stuffs Cruise and Atwell into a ridiculously undersized car, to the train sequence that’s expertly shot but still a lot heavier on the CGI than you might be expecting given the IP’s illustrious history. And of course, the marquee bout of insanity that sees Cruise drive a motorcycle straight off the edge of a cliff before engaging in some jaw-dropping speed-flying that offers the latest reminder that there’s never going to be another star quite like him.

Dead Reckoning even sings in the smaller moments, too, with a tension-fueled scene set in an airport relying on nothing more than the characters, the performers, the framing, and editing to generate genuine anxiety and sweaty palms, with layers being piled on top of layers that underlines the expertise of McQuarrie in making the micro just as exciting and innovate as the macro, even if the screenplay he co-wrote alongside Erik Jendresen occasionally veers into the overwrought and self-indulgent.

via Paramount

There’s also plenty of organic comedy that never feels forced, with Whigham deserving of being singled out for his exasperated approach to one of Mission: Impossible‘s signature gimmicks, while Klementieff and Atwell both prove themselves worthy additions by virtue of two completely different performances and contributions to the movie that make equally powerful impressions.

Sure, there’s the requisite undercooked villain that’s become a regular part of the furniture ever since we first met Ethan back in the mid-90s, and you’re always fully aware that Part Two is coming, which can sometimes make Part One come across as though it might be deliberately dragging its heels a little. On the other hand, the positives innumerably outweigh the negatives, with Dead Reckoning laying it all on the table to raise the bar for the eighth chapter through a slick, stylish, and spectacular summer blockbuster that only serves to reinforce the franchise’s impeccable credentials.

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As Sourav Ganguly Teases Birthday Suspense Sources Close to 'Dada' Bet on Biopic Over Politics

Sources close to Sourav Ganguly claim politics is not on the former cricketer’s mind right now. They think the announcement on July 8, Ganguly’s 51st birthday, could be around a biopic and the launch of an app

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Secret Invasion insight suggests sorcerers have the key to stopping the Skrull infiltration

When Secret Invasion began, we knew we’d discover that the shapeshifting alien Skrulls had infiltrated the corridors of power. Even so, it was something of a surprise to learn that long before the first episode the aliens had already replaced most major world leaders and that there were secretly millions of them on Earth.

So far Gravik and his rebel Skrulls have been carefully manipulating events from behind the scenes, but this cover will inevitably get blown sooner or later. So, when the world realizes that their neighbor, co-worker, or even romantic partner might be a nefarious Skrull, what could they do?

One fan believes the smartest route would be to turn to magic, as this would reveal the Skrulls’ true forms rather than what they’re physically masquerading as:

Image via Reddit

This is… actually a pretty good idea. Skrulls don’t appear to have much knowledge of the mystic arts and it’d bypass most of their defenses. The only real downside, as pointed out in the comments, is that there’s only a handful of people on Earth with the skill to do this. Doctor Strange’s status is unknown (he’s presumably dealing with the whole third eye thing), Kamar-Taj is in ruins, and Mordo isn’t exactly inclined to play nice.

That leaves Wong, though a reply points out that the last time Wong delved into this kind of magic monsters poured through an interdimensional portal.

We suspect Secret Invasion won’t end with the Skrulls being defeated outright, especially as they’re not all out to destroy the human race. That said, Gravik’s rebels trying to harness Extremis doesn’t sound like it’ll end well. Here’s hoping they skipped Iron Man 3 in the MCU marathon watchthrough.

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As a Telugu Boy He Has Made Our Community Proud: N Chandrababu Naidu Lauds Tilak Verma on Maiden India T20I Call-up

Tilak Varma from Hyderabad had a stellar outing with the bat for Mumbai Indians in the 2023 Indian Premier League

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Star Wars gatekeeper left incredulous that people are entitled to their own opinions

Star Wars fans will be debating the prequel trilogy until the heat death of the universe. Hell, even if there are two surviving humans eking out a lonely existence on some isolated frozen moon, one of them will probably pipe up with “okay sure, the lightsaber battles are well-choreographed, but you can’t seriously enjoy George Lucas’ dialogue!”

Since the mid-2010s, there’s been a schism growing between the fans who enjoyed the prequels as children and… well, everyone else. Those who were 9-12 in the early 2000s are now looking back to the past with nostalgia and wondering if maybe we were too quick to judge.

As such, Revenge of the Sith is now often commonly named the “best” Star Wars movie, causing one fan to assume everyone has lost their minds:

Image via Reddit

The movie’s defenders point out that Revenge of the Sith is easily the best of the prequel trilogy, though others quickly point out that isn’t a high bar to clear. Sequel trilogy defenders then pop up to argue that the more recent movies are more competently made (well, maybe not The Rise of Skywalker) and just easier to watch.

This debate is going to rumble on forever. It’s probably worth remembering that Star Wars is coming up to its 50th anniversary in a few years, inevitably meaning it has an enormous range of fans of wildly different ages and perspectives. Conflict is inevitable, though we’ve got to admit the Star Wars fan community would be a lot more boring without the arguments.

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'Not Thinking Only About Playing And Winning Against India in World Cup': Pakistan Captain Babar Azam

Pakistan will face India on October 15th at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

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WATCH: Virat Kohli Once Again Gets Dismissed After Poking Outside-off Delivery in Practice Match

Jaydev Unadkat bowled one outside the off-stump, and Virat Kohli, without any distinct footwork, fished at it to be caught by a local fielder stationed at first slip.

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'Got MS Dhoni's Number 7..': Netherlands' Vikramjit Singh Reveals Special Connection Behind His Iconic Jersey

Vikramjit Singh revealed the story how he decided to pick up the number 7 jersey paying an ode to former Indian captain MS Dhoni

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Insidious veteran praises the franchise for not overstaying its welcome

Tomorrow is the day fans of the unlucky Lambert family finally get to see two of their members go through hell and back again, as Insidious: The Red Door opens in theaters across the States. Although there is a new spin-off film planned (Thread: An Insidious Tale, starring Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani), it’s widely believed that this could be the last we see of the Lamberts and other characters we’ve come to know, love, and fear for in the Insidious universe.

#InsidiousTheRedDoor The 5th & final installment of the famous horror franchise is back with a bang that would rock & shock the audience drawing them to the edge of their seats! Beware, the Red Door is open now! @sonypictures @rs_prakash3 pic.twitter.com/qvZmbtER83

— A. JOHN- PRO (@johnmediamanagr) July 6, 2023

One such character is Elise, played by the legendary veteran scream queen Lin Shaye (Nightmare on Elm Street, among countless other iconic appearances). She is set to reprise her role as the medium-turned-ghost in the fifth installment of the horror franchise, which follows Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins), joining them ten years after Inisidious: Chapter 2.

Shaye is set to return as a spirit in the eagerly anticipated movie and has been doing plenty of press recently to help promote it. While she has previously stated she thinks Elise has a lot more to give as a character and would be happy to reprise the role, in a recent interview with Screen Rant, the veteran actress admitted that perhaps it was time for the door to shut on certain elements of the franchise.

Lin Shaye is really a goddamn superhero in these INSIDIOUS movies. I forgot just how wonderful she is, particularly in CHAPTER 3. Some really great stuff where just get to watch her quietly grieve and then viciously kick ass. I hope that INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR keeps this going.

— Daniel Kurland (@DanielKurlansky) June 30, 2023

Speaking to the website, Shaye said:

“I think everything has a beginning, middle and end, ultimately. I think sometimes, especially in storytelling, it’s enough already, as they say, because I know we’ve all seen shows that we went, ‘Oh my god, they’re still [going]?’ There’s especially series that get like that, ‘Isn’t that over already? Is this done already?'”

This is a familiar feeling for movie-goers, who have been bombarded with sequels and follow-ups and spin-offs from all angles for years now, most of which are kind of awful. Insidious, however, still has plenty of dedicated fans, so ending on a high would be a nice way to sign off the franchise, something Shaye said she’d love to see happen:

“I think it’s very savvy to be a creator and know when it’s good to have an ending, and I think this was a really wonderful — it doesn’t mean the world of Insidious is necessarily over, but it does mean that particular story has a beginning, middle and end now, and I applaud it. I think it’s a wonderful script, and a wonderful story.”

While it’s easy enough to say this, producers and film company executives might have another opinion, especially if Red Door does as well at the box office as it seems like it will. Given there’s been half a decade between this installment and the previous one, hype has been very real for the newest addition to the series. The fact that it’s also Patrick Wilson’s directorial debut and contains a number of the original cast is also a huge draw to fans.

All in all, it seems the Lamberts might finally be getting some peace after years of torment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the (red) door is shut on new projects. And, hopefully, we’ll see Shaye in them too.

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Anthony Mackie has the worst excuse ever for that Captain America 4 set photo of Harrison Ford

We’re less than a year out from Captain America: Brave New World, and the Anthony Mackie-led blockbuster is shaping up to be one of Phase Five’s nostalgia juggernauts; with Tim Blake Nelson and Liv Tyler set to make their return to the MCU after having last appeared in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Brave New World looks to be a treat for the more ancient side of the MCU fandom.

Of course, there are more than a few new pieces to look forward to as well; Mackie will be flexing his leading man chops in a feature film this time around, while the illustrious Harrison Ford, perhaps the highest-profile casting in Marvel history, is set to portray Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, taking over from the late William Hurt.

Now, anyone familiar with the comics knows that Thaddeus’ presence could mean the long-awaited debut of Red Hulk, and while there’s no official confirmation of such a thing at present, a recent Instagram post from Mackie may have given the game away.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anthony Mackie (@anthonymackie)

If one looks closely at the post above, it’s apparent that Ford is sporting a pair of ripped pants not dissimilar from those that the various Hulks of the Marvel mythos wear, leading more than a few folks to believe that Thaddeus will finally be unleashing Red Hulk upon the MCU.

But Mackie was quick to go into damage control mode; in a recent interview with ComicBook.com, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier star assured us all that Ford’s get-up is simply a pair of old pants that Mackie loaned him after the Indiana Jones star lost his luggage.

See, Harrison [Ford] and I go way back. A lot of people don’t know this. This is our second time working together. He came down to Atlanta, they lost his luggage, so I gave him a pair of pants, but those are my work pants from working in the yard. Harrison, he’s a curmudgeon, so he goes, ‘Anthony, just give me the damned pants.’ And I was like, ‘Alright.’ So that’s all that was. He just needed some pants.

We’re not buying it for a second, of course, but props to Mackie for trying to extinguish this particular theory. At the end of the day, we’ll just have to see when and if Ford hulks out when Captain America: Brave New World releases to theaters on July 26, 2024.

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Metas Twitter-killer app Threads has just launched and British users cant stop thinking about nuclear annihilation

Twitter is dying. The social media giant has been suffering a death by a thousand cuts ever since Elon Musk took over, with the catastrophic decision to “rate limit” the number of tweets users can see in a single day having roughly the same impact on Twitter as the iceberg did on the Titanic.

Users are now fleeing to the lifeboats as the bow tips up. Fortunately, Meta is ready and waiting to scoop all these orphaned users with Threads, which is being positioned as a Twitter-killer and with a pointed promise that it will be “sanely run”.

But, British users are currently losing their minds over the new app’s innocuous-sounding name. So, why does Threads equal nightmares of flesh-blistering, retina-burning, building-vaporizing nuclear annihilation?

What’s in a name?

In 1984 the Cold War was still very much happening, with the United States and Russia seen as a few wrong moves away from a thermonuclear exchange. This resulted in widespread nuclear paranoia, particularly in the United Kingdom as it was projected to be nuked into oblivion. The BBC decided to address this in a TV movie billed as “the most realistic depiction of nuclear war possible”.

Let’s just say director Mick Jackson nailed the brief. Threads is set in Sheffield, in the north of England and follows young couple Ruth and Jimmy as they plan to marry. Bubbling away in the background are geopolitical shifts. There’s been a US-backed coup in Iran, the Soviet Union isn’t happy, and NATO is building up its forces in Europe.

Over the space of a few hours, the world ends. First comes a nuclear detonation over the North Sea, a second impact hits RAF military bases and, finally, the bomb falls on Sheffield. Threads didn’t have a huge budget, though every penny was squeezed to make this as harrowing as humanly possible. But don’t take my word for it! See for yourself:

The story then goes on show in unflinching detail what life would be like for the survivors. Nikita Kruschev once commented that in the aftermath of nuclear war “the living would envy the dead” and… well, let’s just say Threads makes a very convincing case as to why that’s true.

Threads was screened on BBC2 in September 1984, but its impact didn’t stop there, as it went on to be routinely screened by teachers to children as a lesson of the reality of nuclear war. I had this shown to me at far too young an age, resulting in (like many, many other children) absolute terror, existential dread, and recurring nightmares. As such, Threads has burrowed into the British public subconscious and is now once again surfacing thanks to Meta’s new app.

The nightmares return

Image via BBC

So, as you can imagine, many users are taking his opportunity to look back on the movie that terrified them (and yes, I get the irony of posting tweets to talk about Threads):

Also #Threads just makes me think of a melting milk bottle, a woman pissing herself and a nuclear wilderness followed by three days of nightmares after watching the nuclear drama at school in the 80s. pic.twitter.com/8EGBFpHjc0

— ᴄʜʀɪs ᴠ2.0.23 (@drofidnas) July 6, 2023

It really is incredibly bleak:

I see Threads has launched, in my mind 'Threads' is a 1984 nuclear apocalyptic war drama based in Sheffield. One of the bleakest films I've ever seen is being mirrored by one of the bleakest choices of privacy infringing Meta or badly managed Twitter.

— Adam Bateman (@AdamBat92308251) July 6, 2023

Major slam on Sheffield:

I know it's been said before, but yes: When someone mentions Threads, I also think of the movie about nuclear war doing extensive improvements to Sheffield city Centre.

— Penguins Forever! @Lottie_of_doom@mstdn.social (@Lottie_of_doom) July 6, 2023

It is something of a hurdle to get over:

I'd be more inclined towards Threads if it wasn't inextricably linked with nuclear destruction. I'm funny like that. pic.twitter.com/lPCFsqrwpk

— Dig Those Old Records (@dig_old) July 6, 2023

Those memories are burnt deep:

Ugh. . . So Threads is app only. Don't like apps. I would prefer web based.

Also, for those of a certain age, Threads was a film about nuclear war we had to watch in school.
pic.twitter.com/M5NDsSCnRy

— Karl Fillingham (@FillinghamKarl) July 6, 2023

Maybe we’ll get used to it…:

I mean, couldn’t they have thought up a better name? One that doesn’t instantly conjure images of nuclear holocaust and desperation? #threads pic.twitter.com/TOccHn3Mk8

— Charlene Cole (@charlMidwife) July 6, 2023

Welp, another morning spent cowering under your bed waiting for the nuclear flash:

As someone who had to watch the nuclear apocalypse film Threads at school, this is a triggering morning

— Sarah Fortune (@sarah_fortune) July 6, 2023

Here’s hoping that this burst of notoriety encourages more people to check out Threads. The entire thing is available to watch for free on the Internet Archive, so buckle yourself in for a movie you won’t forget.

We’ll probably stop associating Threads with Threads if the platform takes off, but at this rate we’re fully expecting Meta to unveil its new weather forecast app: When the Wind Blows.

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