Yahoo StyleAdventurous bites: Snakes in your wine bottles
Someone might think it's scary, but in Vietnam, snake wine is a traditional drink. It is made by infusing grain alcohol with snakes.
Someone might think it's scary, but in Vietnam, snake wine is a traditional drink. It is made by infusing grain alcohol with snakes.
It’s hard to think of two institutions more British than the Royal Family and Sir David Attenborough.So perhaps it makes sense that the TV naturalist is close to several members of the Royal Family, from the Queen herself, right down to Prince George.Sir David’s relationship with the royals can be tracked back to 1958, when he was pictured meeting Princess Anne and Prince Charles, then aged six and nine, at the BBC studios after they watched a children’s programme being filmed there.He also developed a good relationship with the Queen as he produced her annual Christmas broadcast between 1986 and 1991.He had by that point already been knighted, being awarded the honour at Buckingham Palace in 1985.Read more: Work out like a royal! Queen's great-nephew joins HIIT workout on InstagramBut in 2020, he was knighted for a second time. Sir David has also been given a personal award by the Queen, showing their special relationship.Now Prince William is ensuring the royal friendship continues. He asked the naturalist to be on the judging panel for his new project, the Earthshot Prize.The prize will give away £50m over the next decade, to projects which help solve some of the problems facing the world.Sir David has even met the youngest Cambridges - giving Prince George a fossilised shark’s tooth as a present.At 94, Sir David proves there is no age limit to a royal friendship.
Tim Dowling: I missed the dry January deadline. Wine it is, then. ‘I noticed you’ve just decided to press on,’ says my wife. ‘I’ll probably give up for February instead,’ I say. ‘It’s shorter.’
Blind date: ‘I asked if he would sing to me. He refused’. Hannah, 22, marketing executive, and Morgan, 22, customer service representative
In 2021, let’s build a society that calls for action and fights for justice.
(This article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of the Marvel series “WandaVision” on Disney+). One of the big topics we’re inevitably going to focus on when talking about “WandaVision” over the next couple months will be those fake TV commercials. There was one in each of the first two episodes of the Disney+ show, and there’s little doubt we’ll see more of them as the series goes on. One of these commercials is for a fancy toaster, and the other is for a fancy watch. While these asides might seem like just fun gags, they’re definitely more than just that. In fact, they’re actually important to the plot somehow. “If this is the very first Marvel MCU thing you’re watching, it’s just a strange version of a 50s commercial or 60s commercial that that you’ll have to keep watching series to understand,” Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige said at a press event. “If you have been watching all the movies, you might be able to start connecting what those things mean to the past.” Also Read: 'WandaVision': Our Biggest Questions After the Series Premiere So they’re important. And if you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you probably noticed that they also are references to other MCU characters. The toaster, from Stark Industries, is super obvious, you know, with Tony Stark being Iron Man and his father Howard also being a key figure in the MCU. But also you should recall that the Maximoff twins entered the MCU seeking revenge against Tony Stark because it was a Stark Industries bomb that killed their parents when they were kids. The Strucker watch ad is a bit more obscure, but crucial to Wanda’s personal history: Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is the Hydra guy who used the Mind Stone to give Wanda and her brother their superpowers before “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Also Read: 'WandaVision': What You Need to Know About That Sword Logo “Is your husband tired of you burning his toast? Try our new and improved Toast Mate 2000. It’s the go-to for clever housewives,” the man in the Stark ad says. “Set the dial and get the taste back into your toast. Top and bottom heating elements can handle anything, from meat loaf to cherry pie to open-faced cheese sandwiches. The all-new Toast Mate 2000, by Stark Industries. Forget the past, this is your future!” The Strucker ad is a bit more succinct. Also Read: 'WandaVision': What's Up With That Creepy 'For the Children' Chant? “They say a man is never fully dressed without two important accessories: his special lady, and his Strucker. Strucker: he’ll make time for you,” the narrator says. Conspicuously, the same man and woman feature in both ads — they’re played by Victoria Blade and Ithamar Enriquez. There’s not enough to go on here, as far as we can tell, to make real guesses about who those people are, unfortunately, though that hasn’t stopped people from doing so anyway. One particular theory that caught our eye was that they’re Wanda’s parents, but there’s really nothing tangible that actually points to that. Also, Wanda’s dad in the comics is the mutant Magneto — a reality that is on the table for the MCU now that Disney has acquired Fox — and it seems like a stretch that Marvel would cast a relative unknown actor like Enriquez in a role like that. No disrespect for Enriquez intended, of course — it would be pretty sick to have a Latino Magneto — it just would be an extremely surprising revelation. So all we really know is that these fake commercials hold some major relevance to the overall plot of “WandaVision.” We suspect that this whole thing is some kind of simulation keyed to Wanda’s mind — not sure there’s anything else we can assume at this point — then we can guess that these things are surfacing because of Wanda’s trauma. But we’ll need to see more of these to connect the dots any further. Read original story ‘WandaVision': Those Weird Fake Commercials Are Gonna Be Important At TheWrap
A look at all the stars in movies, TV, music, sports and media we’ve lost this year Mike Fenton The “E.T.” and “Back to the Future” casting director died Jan. 1. He was 85 years old. Joan Micklin Silver The director known for acclaimed films “Hester Street” and “Crossing Delancey” died Jan. 1 due to vascular dementia. She was 85. Gerry Marsden Gerry Marsden, lead signer of the British pop band Gerry and the Pacemakers, died Jan. 3 after an infection of the heart. He was 78. Kerry Vincent “Food Network Challenge” judge and cake designing expert Kerry Vincent passed away Jan. 4. She was 75 years old. Tanya Roberts Former Bond Girl and star of “A View to Kill” and “That 70s Show” Tanya Roberts was confirmed dead Jan. 5 after initial misleading reports that she had passed away, then was still alive. Roberts died of a urinary tract infection that spread to other organs, and she was 65 years old. Siegfried Fischbacher • The other half of legendary Las Vegas magic and animal act Siegfried & Roy died on Jan. 13 of pancreatic cancer, according to the Washington Post. He was 81. Angie Jakusz Cassandra Anne “Angie” Jakusz, a former contestant on “Survivor: Palau” who earned the nickname “No Fun Angie,” died on Jan. 8 after battling cancer. She was 40 years old. Joanne Rogers Acclaimed pianist and the widow to Fred Rogers, better known as beloved children’s TV host Mister Rogers, died on Jan. 14. She was 92. Peter Mark Richman The actor who appeared on series including “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Dynasty,” died on Jan. 14 at the age of 93. Sylvain Sylvain The guitarist who was a founding member of the pioneering rock group New York Dolls died on Jan. 13 following a battle with cancer. He was 69. Philip J. Smith The Tony Award winner who led Broadway’s Shubert Organization for decades died on Jan. 15 at age 89. His cause of death was complications from COVID-19, according to his daughters Linda Phillips and Jennifer Stein. Read original story Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2021 (Photos) At TheWrap
Stand-up comedian and writer Sarah Cooper’s spent the past four years making viral videos lip-syncing videos of President Donald Trump’s seemingly endless gaffes, and she said she’s “feeling hopeful” as Trump approaches his last days in office. Cooper had a predictably pithy send-off for the president in an episode of “The Last Laugh” podcast hosted by the Daily Beast’s Matt Wilstein, and said she thought Trump was a “petty bitch” for stating he won’t attend the Biden inauguration (Vice President Pence, however, said he would attend). “What a petty bitch,” Cooper said. “That is all I have to say. What a petty bitch. You can’t even shake the man’s hand? I mean, come on.” “It’s so on-brand though,” Cooper said of Trump. “If he had been gracious and conceded and been this amazing beacon of light at the end of his term, we would have been like, wait, he did pivot! But he never pivoted.” Also Read: Tom Hanks to Host Multi-Network Primetime Special Celebrating Biden Inauguration “I’m really excited. I’m really happy,” Cooper said, adding: “There’s still a part of me that’s like, is it really over? Could it really be over?” Cooper said she “won’t be able to breathe a sigh of relief until Biden has his hand on the Bible” Jan. 20, but that she’s “feeling more hopeful” than in prior months. “For awhile, I was still very scared, but I’m getting less scared every day,” Cooper said. President Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and a plethora of other social platforms after his supporters incited a violent insurrection at the capitol last week, a move that Cooper is uniquely suited to comment on. Prior to breaking into the stand-up comedy scene full time, Cooper worked as a designer for Yahoo! and in user experience for Google, helping the search giant develop productivity tools like Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. Also Read: 15 Stars in Sarah Cooper's Netflix Special and the Oddballs They Play, From Billy Bush to Satan “I guess cynically, I think, why now?” Cooper said. “[Trump] had been promoting so much hatred and violence for so long. So it feels a little late. Cooper added that she thought social media companies only reacted by banning Trump because they were worried about political backlash if they let him continue to post (and potentially incite more riots). Cooper said she wondered if the companies were concerned they’re “going to be exposed if any more violence happened,” or “trying to curry favor with Democrats” since the Democratic Party now controls the House and Senate. Somewhat ironically for Cooper, Trump’s social media bans didn’t change her content strategy at all, since the president’s Twitter account has banned her for being what she calls a “presidential reply guy” since 2017. “I was on his s— list from Day 1 almost,” Cooper joked. Read original story Sarah Cooper Calls Trump a ‘Petty Bitch’ for Plans to Skip Biden Inauguration At TheWrap
Fans will have to wait to watch more of season 11.
In the weeks since the Christmas Day release of “Bridgerton” on Netflix, critics have at turns praised the series for featuring Black characters in the predominantly white historical romance genre, and taken the show to task for how it handles those characters and the reality of racial dynamics in 19th Century London. An adaptation of the beloved series of romance novels by author Julia Quinn, “Bridgerton” tells the story of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she seeks a husband under the restrictive societal norms of the Regency era. She eventually finds love in Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), London’s most eligible bachelor and, in the Netflix adaptation, a Black man. As series creator Chris Van Dusen explained in an interview with TheWrap ahead of the show’s release, the decision to feature Black characters as English nobles stems from the theory held by some historians that Queen Charlotte was biracial in real life. It’s Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel) in the show’s mythology who raised Simon’s family to noble status. “I don’t call the casting color blind, because I feel like the word color blind implies that color and race was never considered — and I don’t think that’s true for ‘Bridgerton,'” Van Dusen said. “I think color and race is very much a part of the show and very much a part of the conversation, just like things like class and gender and sexuality are. Also Read: 'Bridgerton': Here Are All the Modern Songs That Get Classical Covers That intention toward on-screen diversity is present in all of Shonda Rhimes’ shows stretching as far back as the original cast of “Grey’s Anatomy,” which was praised for featuring multiple people of color as series regulars when it premiered in 2004. “Still Star-Crossed,” the Shondaland-produced “Romeo and Juliet” sequel series at ABC that aired in 2017, also brought in characters of color into a historically white genre, though in a more overtly “color-blind” fashion. But throughout its eight-episode first season, “Bridgerton” walks the line between fantasy and reality. Classical string arrangements of Ariana Grande and Shawn Mendes singles mix with real historical figures and, more pointedly, references to slavery. Existing between those two worlds allows the show to bring its contemporary sensibility into an otherwise racist era. Executive producer Betsy Beers explained the dichotomy to EW by saying, “We try to imagine history and the world in the way we wanted to see it.” Some critics, however, have called out “Bridgerton” for attempting to have its cake and eat it too. NPR critic Eric Deggans described the show as “ambivalent” on the matter of race, especially when compared to how it handles topics like class and gender. Carolyn Hinds, in a heavily critical piece for The Observer, noted that the vast majority of the show’s speaking roles still go to white actors, and that “the characters’ race is practically ignored for almost the entire show, except for a few vague references in their dialogue–using words like ‘us’ and ‘them.'” Also Read: 'Bridgerton' Showrunner Reveals Season 2 Plans and Lady Whistledown-Identity Easter Eggs “Bridgerton” does go beyond vague references in its fourth episode, when Simon’s mentor, Lady Danbury (played by Adjoa Andoh), describes English society as “two separate societies divided by color.” That moment is one of only a few throughout the entire season in which race is explicitly addressed, and — like the references to slavery — it’s one that complicates the progressive mentality the show attempts to project. “You can’t say race isn’t of consequence when the world these characters inhabit was created in part through racism,” Hinds wrote. “Having Black people strolling around in the background doesn’t erase that, and it’s not enough. It means that the topic is relevant and should be addressed accordingly.” In the New York Times, Salamishah Tillet called it a “strange” choice to only have Black characters discuss race, a decision that “risks reinforcing the very white privilege it seeks to undercut.” In the concluding paragraphs of the piece, Tillet hoped for the show to move beyond “escapism” and spend more time in future seasons exploring the backstories of its Black characters, fulfilling the promise made by introducing those characters into Quinn’s story. “Maybe if I knew how Lady Danbury or Queen Charlotte came to be, I’d be so convinced that I’d finally be able to revel in a past that I haven’t quite seen myself in before,” she wrote. Read original story Does ‘Bridgerton’ Have a Race Problem? At TheWrap
“Godzilla Vs Kong,” the Warner Bros. and Legendary monster epic, will now open March 26 of this year, moving up two months from its planned summer release in May 2021. The schedule change comes after Warner Bros. and Legendary were reported to be close to reaching a deal for the film following WarnerMedia’s decision to put its entire 2021 release on HBO Max. Last month, TheWrap reported that Legendary, the producer-financier behind upcoming Warner tentpoles like “Dune” and “Godzilla vs Kong,” was considering legal options against Warner Bros. over the studio’s seismic decision to send its movies to HBO Max at the same time they premiere in theaters — a move that would undercut the films’ box office and Legendary’s expected earnings on the film. Legendary financed 75% of the roughly $200 million budget for “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Also Read: 'Godzilla vs Kong' vs COVID: Streamers Vie for Legendary's Monster Movie According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner last fall blocked a planned deal for Netflix to purchase the film for $225 million. Numerous insiders said that WarnerMedia did not give Legendary executives advance notice ahead of the announcement. An agreement between the two companies would prevent a legal fight as both parties discuss several windowing options and appropriate compensation. Conversations about the release of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” are still underway, the insider said. Currently, the sci-fi epic starring Timothée Chalamet is set for an October release. “Godzilla Vs. Kong” is the mashup between the rebooted “Godzilla” and “King Kong” franchises and is directed by Adam Wingard from a script by Terry Rossio. The movie stars people from both franchises, including Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler and Demián Bichir. Warner Bros. also recently moved “The Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark” out of a March debut to now open in the fall. Read original story ‘Godzilla Vs Kong’ Moves Up 2 Months to March Release At TheWrap
People had a lot of fun at the expense of the National Rifle Association on Friday after the organization filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York. And mocking how the group has been the primary opponent of meaningful laws to prevent gun violence, plenty of critics offered the NRA their “thoughts and prayers.” A quick catch-up: The group filed for bankruptcy on Friday and, in a follow-up statement desperately worded to sound like a repudiation of a liberal enclave, announced its intention to reincorporate as a Texas-based nonprofit. Of course, the bankruptcy filing comes 5 months after New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the group due to what it called “years of self-dealing and illegal conduct.” And it’s against the law for any New York-based charity to dissolve and regroup in another state without the state Attorney General or Supreme Court signing off. So it looks like the NRA’s plan to get out from under the lawsuit probably won’t work and they’ll be stuck in New York until those legal problems are hammered out. But anyway, enough about the legal minutia, on to the laughs. The bankruptcy announcement was met with celebration, relief and straight up mockery from entertainers, politicians, journalists and activists who, as we said above, offered the NRA a HUGE amount of “thoughts and prayers.” They were of course referencing the stock phrase deployed by right wing opponents of even token efforts to stop gun violence whenever yet another massacre happens. Also Read: John Oliver Cannot Believe What He's Seeing on NRA TV: 'Holy S--' (Video) Our personal favorite example came from Kentucky congressman John Yarmuth, who also managed to get in a dig at the infamous rating system the NRA uses to whip up members to oppose (mainly Democratic) politicians who advocate for laws to prevent gun violence. Thoughts and prayers. But wait, how am I supposed to get my F rating? https://t.co/RzxNctIDYn — Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) January 15, 2021 But he was far from the only one. Check out the never-not-hilarious examples below: Thoughts and prayers.🙏🏿 https://t.co/589EQG6Vs6 — W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) January 15, 2021 Thoughts and prayers. Let’s make sure they stay that way. https://t.co/eZoZIB0z30 — Congresswoman Marie Newman (@RepMarieNewman) January 15, 2021 Thoughts and prayers… https://t.co/UU5XWrO5Z5 — Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) January 15, 2021 Thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/XQL0cSdxqe — Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) January 15, 2021 Thoughts and prayers https://t.co/n887K6K95A — Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) January 15, 2021 Thoughts and prayers🙏 https://t.co/ySTunJoYkw — Ike Barinholtz (@ikebarinholtz) January 15, 2021 Y'all are not gonna tweet about the bankruptcy? Oh and "thoughts and prayers" on that… https://t.co/Cvy6EShD2H — Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid 😷) (@JoyAnnReid) January 15, 2021 Thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/JBBuXF4lCy — Jason Reid (@JReidESPN) January 15, 2021 No thoughts, no prayers. https://t.co/QUZCLE5Ki0 — Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) January 15, 2021 Some people were more direct in calling out the NRA’s role in opposing meaningful gun violence prevention even after children have been murdered. For example, comedian Shahak Shapira: Hard times for the NRA without all the school shootings https://t.co/fxElr9lJr1 — Shahak Shapira (@ShahakShapira) January 15, 2021 Ouch. Others just plain celebrated the news for its own sake. The NRA has been out of touch with American voters and lawmakers for decades, and now they’re out of money, too. HAPPY NRA BANKRUPTCY DAY!!! pic.twitter.com/cGyeCb5C44 — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 15, 2021 financial or moral? NRA files for bankruptcy, says it will reincorporate in Texas https://t.co/KAe5s9XOL4 — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) January 15, 2021 Just a reminder: We are winning! 1. The House (2018)2. The White House (2020)3. The Senate (2021)4. NRA files bankruptcy (2021) And Biden/Harris are not even in office yet. Don't rest. But feel good. For 5 whole minutes! And then we all go back to work to fix America. — Don Winslow (@donwinslow) January 15, 2021 BREAKING: The @NRA files for bankruptcy. Least distressing news of the pandemic. 👇 pic.twitter.com/iQGFBicMdO — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 15, 2021 The NRA pic.twitter.com/JXonWjcsdl — Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) January 15, 2021 With the NRA declaring bankruptcy, now seems like a good time to look back at one of their more expensive and pointless endeavors: NRATV.https://t.co/DGnZjb1bKz — Last Week Tonight (@LastWeekTonight) January 15, 2021 Your moral stance is as bankrupt as your coffers. — Grady Booch (@Grady_Booch) January 15, 2021 ‘The @NRA has filed for bankruptcy’ is the best news headline I’ve ever read. — Stuart Hazeldine (@stuarthazeldine) January 15, 2021 NRA going bankrupt is good, Trump going bankrupt will be better — Jennifer 'It's time to grow up' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 15, 2021 Read original story NRA Bankruptcy Triggers the Inevitable Online Reaction: ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ At TheWrap
The author of Nobody Ever Asked Me About the Girls shares stories from her interviews with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks, and more icons.
Jim Carrey’s latest anti-Trump political cartoon targets the “Nightmare-in-Chief” by way of his “cartoonishly evil” sidekicks — particularly his lawyer and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Friday’s painting portrays Giuliani open-mouthed and looking panicked with yellow teeth and a sweaty brow, along with his infamous trickle of hair dye running down the side of his face. pic.twitter.com/rtFNW8sLXV — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) January 15, 2021 “Nightmare-in-chief Donald Trump assembled a cast of freaks so cartoonishly evil they strain credulity,” reads the text next to the drawing. “Don’t ever say my acting is over the top again. ;^P” Yes, he really did write out that primitive tongue-out winking emoji on the cartoon. Also Read: Jim Carrey Mocks Trump Supporter Who Stole Nancy Pelosi's Lectern in New Cartoon Earlier this week, Carrey posted a cartoon in response to the recent Capitol Hill riots perpetrated by a mob incited by Trump that has since sparked new talks about impeaching the sitting President for a second time. The drawing depicted Trump supporter Adam Christian Johnson, the 38-year-old man who was identified after a photo of him walking out of the Capitol with Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern went viral. Johnson, a father of five, was identified by his Florida hometown newspaper The Bradenton Herald. Carrey’s other recent political works have ranged from celebratory to disdainful. Regarding the Capitol Hill riots, he also did a cartoon that mocked Trump as a “killer clown” and condemned his actions, which resulted in his Trump supporters storming the Capitol during a session of Congress that was intended to certify Biden’s presidential win. Here’s hoping that Carrey will have the occasion to paint more positive political cartoons once Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris are sworn into office next week. Read original story Jim Carrey Rips ‘Nightmare-in-Chief’ Trump’s ‘Cartoonishly Evil’ Sidekicks in New Cartoon At TheWrap
In a move that dramatically changes the way the Oscars choose nominees in the Best International Feature Film category, an executive committee will not be selecting three films to go on the shortlist from which nominations in the category are made this year. The shortlist will also be expanded from 10 to 15 films, allowing more films than ever before to move to a second round of voting. The rule change, which was revealed to members of the committee on Friday, could alter the kind of films that move to the second round of Oscar voting in the category, hurting the more challenging films in favor of ones that appeal to a broader audience. Under the former system, any member who views a minimum number of the eligible films could vote for during a preliminary round referred to as Phase 1. (This year, the number of required films is 12 and the vote takes place Feb. 1-5.) Those members make up the category’s “general committee” — and after their votes are tallied, their top seven choices would be revealed to the handpicked executive committee, who would then discuss which films have been overlooked and choose three additional movies to complete the 10-film shortlist. Also Read: Oscars International Race Breaks Record With 93 Entries In the past, the executive committee meeting has taken place in Los Angeles, with representatives from PricewaterhouseCoopers unveiling the general committee choices behind closed doors and the committee members immediately debating and choosing their selections, which have become known as “saves.” With the COVID-19 pandemic making in-person committee meetings impossible, and with concerns about the security of any meeting that takes place virtually, the Academy opted not to have the executive committee make its three saves this year. At the same time, it increased the size of the shortlist to give more films an opportunity to continue in the race. The 15 films, all chosen by votes from the general committee, will be announced on Feb. 9, along with lists in eight other Oscar categories. To cast a ballot in Phase 2 of voting, which takes place from March 5-10, members must view all 15 of the shortlisted films. The executive committee was established in 2007, after the general committee voters, who then determined the entire shortlist, had left off such notable films as Romania’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” France’s “Persepolis,” Germany’s “The Edge of Heaven,” Mexico’s “Silent Light” and Spain’s “The Orphanage.” The outcry was so strong that the Academy’s Board of Governors asked Mark Johnson, who headed what was then the Best Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, to fix the process. The solution was to create an executive committee that would be able to single out and shortlist three deserving movies the general committee might have overlooked. While the shortlist continued to receive annual criticism over what it contained and what it left out, the system made those lists significantly stronger and raised the quality of the nominees as well. Also Read: OscarWrap's International Magazine Cover (Exclusive Photos) The Academy never reveals which shortlisted films were chosen by the general committee and which were executive committee “saves” — but over the years since then, the exec committee selections are believed to have included “Dogtooth,” “The Milk of Sorrow,” “The Missing Picture” and even the 2015 Oscar winner, “Son of Saul.” During most of the years of the executive committee’s existence, the final nominations were also determined by small committees of voters, and every year at least one or two exec committee choices were likely to be nominated. Recently, as Phase 2 voting has been opened up to any member who sees all the shortlisted films, the nominations have appeared to skew more toward general committee choices. Read original story Oscars Eliminate Executive Committee Picks for International Feature, Expand Shortlist At TheWrap
(Major spoilers ahead for the first two episode of the first Marvel TV series, “WandaVision”) It’s not a Marvel Cinematic Universe project if you’re not immediately bouncing theories off of friends or asking a question about something that wasn’t explained. The first two episodes of “WandaVision” have finally premiered on Disney+, and naturally, there are a lot of questions to unpack. Namely…what the heck is going on in Westview?! (And does Westview even really exist?) What actually is this place Wanda and Vision are stuck in? The suburban town of Westview is apparently an idyllic, quiet town where Wanda and Vision have chosen to settle and live out their lives. But is it? Neither of them can remember why they moved there, where they were before or, really, anything at all about their previous lives beyond their crazy superpowers. Possible explanations for Westview’s existence include a warped reality in Wanda’s mind that she’s created to block out the trauma she’s experienced in the MCU or a government-controlled experiment. Or, perhaps even more likely, both. Also Read: 'WandaVision': What You Need to Know About That Sword Logo It’s easy to forget, after Wanda spent the last few movies mostly just using her powers to pound bad guys, that she also has mind powers. She can read people’s thoughts and influence them, as we saw her do a bunch of times in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” He mental abilities, which are derived from the very same Mind Stone that brought Vision to life, are more than capable of constructing this world in her mind — or in someone else’s. On top of all that: why would it be a sitcom? How is Vision even alive? The sentient android, who we first met in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” met his unfortunate end at the hands of Thanos in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Although Tony Stark’s sacrifice in “Endgame” undid Thanos’ snap and brought back the 50% of the population that disappeared for five years, Vision stayed dead. Either because his his main source of life was one of the six Infinity Stones, or because he was killed before The Snap (Tony only brought back those snapped out of existence). So how is he in Westview, living a happy married life? The most obvious guess is that this is a reality constructed in Wanda’s mind, similar to the House of M comic storyline. Also Read: There's a Very Specific Reason Monica Rambeau Is in 'WandaVision,' Kevin Feige Says Since it feels so extremely unlikely that this show is taking place in actual reality, it would then also seem unlikely that Vision is truly “alive” again. But until we know what’s actually going on here, it’s tough to speculate on whether this story will lead to Vision’s return in films. Why are Wanda and Vision even there? This is, we guess, the true central question of this story. While it seems very likely that this whole world is some kind of mental construct, the more intriguing mystery is the why of it. Did Wanda do this to herself? Is another group — the folks apparently watching on monitors from the outside — responsible for it? And what’s the purpose of it? What those responsible trying to get out of it? There will inevitably be some kind of big reveal down the line. Also Read: How 'WandaVision' Reassembles the MCU With a Crash Course Through TV Sitcom History What’s SWORD got to do with it? Assuming you watched the first episodes of “WandaVision” on Disney+, you definitely saw that red toy helicopter with a weird sword logo on the side. That’s the logo for an organization called S.W.O.R.D., which is basically an outer space version of S.H.I.E.L.D., intended to defend Earth from alien threats. Perhaps more relevant to this discussion is that S.W.O.R.D. was created for “X-Men” comics, and the organization’s history is pretty well tied to that of mutants. We wouldn’t have thought much of that fact before Disney merged with 20th Century Fox, when mutants were off the table for the MCU. But now, anything is possible. A bigger question, maybe: is S.W.O.R.D. managing this simulation, or are they trying to help her escape from it? If it’s the latter, then there probably is another, as-yet-unrevealed party involved in all this. You can read more about S.W.O.R.D. and what it might mean for the MCU moving forward here. Why did a beekeeper climb out of the sewer? This guy had a S.W.O.R.D. logo on the back of his suit, so his allegiance is pretty clear. And Wanda says “No” and seemingly rewinds time when she sees him. That would seem to indicate Wanda is herself opposed to whatever S.W.O.R.D. is doing here. Since his appearance came after a series of big jolts to Wanda and Vision’s house, it would seem like they’re disrupting the simulation in some way — which might indicate that S.W.O.R.D. is trying to help Wanda escape. This guy is probably not a significant Marvel character on his own, though. The show credits stuntman Zac Henry as the beekeeper, and it’s not super likely that they’re going to give him a starring role. Who is Agnes? Agnes is clearly more than a nosy neighbor. But who exactly is she? Could Agnes be a cover for Marvel witch Agatha Harkness, who is well known for being one of Wanda’s most notable mentors? If so, is Agnes the one controlling Wanda’s reality? Or is she acting as some sort of tutorial program, keeping Wanda engaged in this reality and life so she doesn’t suspect otherwise? What’s up with those fake commercials? “WandaVision” took its sitcom homages seriously, and that includes 50’s and 60’s style commercials. But why include them in the show, other than to add another layer of accuracy and detail? They all feature winking easter eggs ranging from Stark Industries to Hydra, which is fun on its own…will they eventually come together to mean something more? What happens when Vision eats other things? In the second episode, we saw what happens when Vision eats a piece of gum, swallowing it by accident. It stayed lodged in his body, affecting his movements. (He is an android, after all.) Vision tells Wanda in the first episode that he doesn’t eat food, and the gum incident seems to affirm why. But the gum only incapacitated him slightly, it didn’t exactly hurt him. So what happens when he eats other food? Does it affect his inner-workings the same way? Does it have no affect at all? What was up with that red helicopter? Wanda discovers a curious red toy helicopter in her front bushes, but it’s a mystery where it’s from. It does have the S.W.O.R.D. logo, however, along with the number 57 written on the side. All signs point to the fact that it’s something that came into Westview from the outside “real world,” but if that’s the case, how did it get warped in this reality? And was it a careless accident that the helicopter ended up there? While we have no idea what the significance of the little helicopter is, the number 57 could be a meta-nod to the fact that Scarlet Witch was first introduced in the comics in 1964 — 57 years ago. But it certainly could have some actually plot relevance as well. Who was that voice on the radio? At one point during the second episode, a radio begins spitting out distorted sounds before a voice starts calling out to Wanda. “Who’s doing this to you, Wanda?” Could be a S.W.O.R.D. person, or maybe an MCU character we already know — the voice is distorted, so it’s tough to tell. How is Wanda pregnant? It’s probably just an example of “WandaVision” doing a sitcom storyline, with the simulation simply making it happen because it’s supposed to. But it’s still pretty weird! Why do Westview residents keep chanting “for the children”? This chant would be weird under any circumstance, but that weirdness is amplified by the fact that there were zero children in the first two episodes of “WandaVision.” Obviously, this bit has some kind of significance, but it’s hard to guess what it would be just yet. We do have one idea, however, which you can read here. Read original story ‘WandaVision': Our Biggest Questions After the Series Premiere At TheWrap
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William worked as an air ambulance pilot for two years and has previously said it affected his mental health.
There’s no shortage of weirdness when it comes to Marvel’s new series “WandaVision.” In the quaint, almost too perfect world of Westview, there are tons of bizarre clues to pour over and questions that need to be answered. But one of the weirdest things so far is also the most ominous. In the second episode, Wanda becomes more involved in neighborhood life. She joins the planning committee for a magic show fundraiser, which is headed by a woman named Dottie (Emma Caulfield). During a speech to the group, Dottie specifically says the fundraiser is “for the children” — a line that everyone else repeats in unison. The response is almost cult-like, and considering the fact that there aren’t, actually, any children we’ve seen in Westview at all so far…yeah. It’s creepy. Just to make things weirder, Wanda and Vision both repeat the line later that night after getting home from the magic show — and immediately after they say it, Wanda appears to be visibly pregnant. Wanda’s pregnancy comes with its own set of questions, but is it possible that it’s related to the mantra that’s been repeated throughout the episode? Also Read: 'WandaVision': What You Need to Know About That Sword Logo Is there someone who wants her to have children for future superhero purposes, and is therefore attempting to make it happen? Someone like…Mephisto? A demon who convinces people to sell their souls and manipulates humankind, Mephisto can warp reality the same way Wanda can. He has a significant comic history with Wanda, as he’s the way she creates her two children, Tommy and Billy. Wanda unknowingly uses Mephisto’s disassembled soul to magically become pregnant (what with Vision being an android and all) and when Mephisto’s soul is reassembled, she loses her twins — hence how the “House of M” storyline comes into being. Wanda’s witch mentor, Agatha Harkness, wipes her memory of having children to avoid her spiraling into cataclysmic grief, which basically backfires when those memories resurface years later, leading Wanda to rewrite reality to mold the world to her own happiness. Look, artificial insemination for a hero who’s already been pretty traumatized and is currently living out that trauma through this world seems a little dark, even for Marvel. But we already know from promotional material that Wanda will have twins, who, it’s fair to assume, will be Tommy and Billy. Not only is that a potential groundwork for “Young Avengers,” but Kevin Feige has specifically noted that “WandaVision” will directly set up “Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness.” There’s been a lot of rumors that “WandaVision” will do that via the official introduction of the multiverse, something Mephisto could definitely factor into. Also Read: 'WandaVision' Reviews: MCU's 1st Disney+ Series Is 'Weird as Hell (in a Good Way)' As with anything Marvel teases, we have to wait and see where this is all headed. But one thing’s for sure: “WandaVision” is about to get weirder. Read original story ‘WandaVision': What’s Up With That Creepy ‘For the Children’ Chant? At TheWrap
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Tom Bradby, a friend of Princes William and Harry, said he has 'felt a little bit caught in the middle' of the two brothers.