The sequel of Knives Out is something you have seen countless times before!
By Omair Alavi KARACHI
In a world where TV still produces excellent mystery series, Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery comes out as a mixture of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Peter Falk’s Columbo. If you aren’t familiar with either of them, then this movie is a worldclass murder mystery, but if you are, then you will remain in the ‘been there, seen that’ mode for its entire duration.
Instead of raising the bar high with his second effort, writer/director Rian Johnson gives us a movie that might remind the viewers of better murder mysteries, but will not feature in that list.
The Plot Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery revolves around a party thrown by eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) who invites his group of friends known as “disruptors” to help him solve his make-belief murder at his private Greek island. When Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) ends up in the middle of a real murder, he decides to investigate and finds out that all the guests – former business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), politician Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), head scientist for Miles' company Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), - are somehow responsible. He uses his wits to solve the murder in time, but not before tragedy strikes twice at the 'Glass Onion'.
The Good What makes Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is its setting, its relatable characters, and above all, its ability to keep the viewers glued to the screen for its entire duration. It is an Agatha Christie-styled mystery where Columbo is the lead detective instead of Hercule Poirot, and with no one suspecting him, he manages to outsmart all with his antics. The cinematography, the characterization, the cameo appearances, and the intelligent use of an ensemble cast are exactly how a modern-day mystery thriller should be and those who haven’t realized that yet should make note of this ingredient which seems to be missing from their films.
As for the performances, Dave Bautista and Edward Norton are the standouts here because they manage to connect with the viewers at once. While Dave manages to shed his comic persona from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Edward Norton is always a treat to watch no matter which universe he is in. It was good to see Kate Hudson doing something major whereas Kathryn Hahn’s magic was missing since she was playing a character that had nothing much to do. The performance of Janelle Monáe could only be praised once
you had seen the film, whereas Leslie Odom Jr. had nothing to do except what many African American actors have done before him. There is another character in the film that comes and goes, but while many might not like his distracting presence, it might have to do more in the next Knives Out mystery.
The Bad It seems Rian Johnson saw more mystery movies after making the last Knives Out flick and somehow, somewhere he ended up watching a few Bollywood flicks. Why? Because that influence is clearly visible here and if you end up reaching the same conclusion,
then you aren’t the only one. Secondly, where was the art director when Benoit Blanc’s wardrobe was being selected, either he or she wasn’t there, or if they were then they were very bad at their work. The director made the mistake of not giving the detective the kind of freedom he had in his last case because
Glass Onion: A Knives Out
Mystery is a feeble attempt at a murder mystery that seems to have been made more as an obligation than from passion
here he was overshadowed by his costars, something which never happened when Poirot, Columbo, or even Jessica Fletcher was in attendance.
Also, the film seemed more like an episode of a Benoit Blanc TV series instead of a film franchise, and the writer/director is to be blamed for that. Unlike the last time when he had created a perfect flick for all ages, this one had less mystery and more caricatures. After all, there are hardly a handful of uber-rich super-geniuses who are both eccentric scientists and bullies as well. (Yes, that one!). Secondly, who would invite their ex-partner to a 'friends' only' gathering especially after wronging that person out in a business deal! Seems far-fetched, but hey, it’s a Knives Out mystery that features the Mona Lisa on loan from Louvre, Serena
Williams as Miles’ personal trainer, and the late Angela Lansbury in what turned out to be her final role.
The Verdict 2.5/5
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a feeble attempt at a murder mystery that seems to have been made more as an obligation than from passion, because that ingredient was there in the previous film, but not here. While Benoit Blanc’s introduction was firstrate, the second coming wasn’t that impressive, and those who have been rating it as a world-class experience should broaden their own viewing experience to realize that what they believe is ingenuity is in the same universe known as 'done and dusted'. Yes, the director makes the audience stay on the edge of their seat for the 139-minute duration, but first, that’s too lengthy even for a Benoit Blanc mystery and secondly, the newer audience doesn’t have the patience to stay involved for more than 2 hours. Instead of trying to go big with the plot, he went huge with the set and characters, and with that, you can impress the audience with limited viewing experience but not those who have been solving cases alongside detectives for as long as they can remember.
Young filmmakers in Japan are unhappy with their low pay, gruelling hours and the uncertain future of the cinema industry
AFP Acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreeda fears that Japan's underfunded, inward-looking cinema industry is putting off young talent, so he's taken matters into his own hands by mentoring up-and-coming filmmakers for a new Netflix series.
Kore-eda, whose 2018 film "Shoplifters" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, said that complacent attitudes and poor working conditions are holding Japan back in cinema and TV while its neighbour South Korea powers ahead internationally.
"Our filmmaking environment must change," he said in an interview, calling for an end to the low pay, long hours and insecurity faced by those trying to hone their skills.
"Throughout my career, I've been able to focus solely on improving my own filmmaking. But now, when I look around me, I see that young people are no longer choosing to work in film and television."
To help tackle the issue, the director of "Broker" and "Our Little Sister" collaborated with three younger protégés to make a new Netflix series set in tradition-steeped Kyoto.
The nine-episode manga adaptation, "The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House", tells the tale of a tight-knit community of kimono-clad
apprentice entertainers known as maiko.
Kore-eda, 60, said he also learned many things from his mentees while working as showrunner for the series, to be released worldwide on January 12.
"It's more like -- I want to steal something from these three," he joked, complimenting the quality of their art and "knowledge of equipment that's far deeper than mine".
While Japanese anime is booming on Netflix and other streaming services, the nation's live-action offerings have been overshadowed by South Korean megahits such as "Squid Game" and the Oscarwinning movie "Parasite".
To become a global cultural powerhouse, the South Korean government has spearheaded efforts to launch a blitz of pop-culture exports in the past two decades, Kore-eda said.
"All the while Japan has been looking inwards," with little incentive to market its films and TV shows overseas thanks to the flourishing domestic market.
"That's one big reason why we see a gap," he added.
After the success of "Shoplifters", about a family of small-time crooks who take in a child they find on the street, the director branched out into languages other than Japanese. He has previously said that making French film
"The Truth", released in 2019, and the recent South Korean title "Broker" sharpened his perspective on
what the industry lacks at home. This year, Kore-eda and other directors argued that Japan needs an equivalent of France's state-run National Centre for Cinema to more robustly fund the industry and improve working conditions.
A 2019 Japanese government survey found over 60 percent of employees and 70 percent of freelancers involved in filmmaking in Japan were unhappy with their low pay, gruelling hours and the uncertain future of the industry.
Hiroshi Okuyama, one of the three directors who worked with Kore-eda on the new series, said he and his peers no longer see their vocation as a viable
source of income on its own.
"Filmmakers of my generation, myself included, are resigned to the reality that we can no longer make a living solely by making movies," the 26-year-old told AFP, sitting alongside the two others, Megumi Tsuno and Takuma Sato.
Kore-eda is also an active campaigner against sexual harassment in the film world, and in March he and others stood in solidarity with actors who came forward with stories of being assaulted by a male director in Japan.
Those accusations morphed into a social media campaign resembling #MeToo, and in July, the
Directors Guild of Japan issued a statement vowing to eradicate harassment -- described by Kore-eda as a "big step forward".
But he is calling for a system to protect victims who speak out, because harassment still tends to be "treated as a matter of a person's poor character, with little awareness yet that this is a more structural problem".
When he's not campaigning, Kore-eda is busy thinking about his next projects, saying he wants to focus on immigration, abandonment and even work that resembles an "epic poem". All in all, "there are too many things I want to do."
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 34 JANUARY 8-14, 2023
AFP Kevin Spacey, one of the leading Hollywood actors, built a formidable acting career playing dangerous, darkly charismatic antiheroes in hits from "The Usual Suspects" to "House of Cards," before disturbing allegations about his personal life brought it crashing down.
The two-time Oscar winner with a piercing, hypnotic charm first honed his craft on the stage, before going on to score major box office hits as a middle-aged father lusting after a teen in "American Beauty," a serial killer in "Se7en" and the villain in "Superman Returns."
But the 63-year-old Spacey has barely been seen except at courthouses since 2017, when he was among the first stars caught up in the global #MeToo reckoning, accused of sexual assault by multiple young men. He denies the claims.
Born in New Jersey in 1959, Kevin Spacey Fowler grew up in California, where he briefly attended, and was kicked out of, military school.
Spacey has recently spoken in court about a troubled childhood, with a father he described as a "white supremacist" and a "neo-Nazi," who disliked gay people and did not appreciate his son's interest in theatre.
Nevertheless, in 1979, a young Spacey entered New York's elite Juilliard performing arts school.
Spacey's biggest early stage success came opposite Jack Lemmon in a 1986 production of "Long Day's Journey Into Night."
His first film role was a tiny part as a subway thief that same year in "Heartburn" for Mike Nichols, the director Spacey had earlier worked for as an understudy in a Broadway play. The duo reunited for 1988 hit film "Working Girl."
Spacey also ventured into television and won breakthrough acclaim as a paranoid, psychotic and incestuous young crime boss in "Wiseguy."
That set the tone for a string of pitch-black Hollywood hits culminating in 1995, when Spacey memorably appeared as a fanatical serial killer in
David Fincher's "Se7en," and played a mysterious gangster in "The Usual Suspects" -- a role that earned him his first Oscar for best supporting actor.
The mid-1990s also saw Spacey play a monstrous Hollywood executive in "Swimming with Sharks" and an ambitious, malevolent prosecutor in "A Time To Kill."
Spacey's crowning big-screen success came with 1999's "American Beauty," in which he played a sexually frustrated father trying to escape suburban drudgery who becomes obsessed with his teenage daughter's friend.
He won his second Oscar -- this time for best actor -- as the movie racked up five Academy Awards, including best picture.
In subsequent years, Spacey briefly pivoted toward gentler movie roles, including a romantic lead in "Pay It Forward" with Helen Hunt, and oddball sci-fi mystery "K-PAX." The results were mixed.
Meanwhile Spacey, who had continued to win accolades for stage performances in such plays as "Lost in Yonkers" and "The Iceman Cometh," announced in 2003 he was to take over as artistic director of London's Old Vic.
Spacey's decade-long tenure at the historic theatre would be widely acclaimed.
He starred in and lured
A-list actors and directors to diverse and daring productions, revelling in playing Shakespeare's "Richard III" and staging American classics by Eugene
By Omair Alavi KARACHI
The earliest Pakistani film may have come out one year after the country’s independence, but the cinema industry in the region existed long before the idea of a separate Muslim state. Dr. Aqeel Abbas Jafri brings that history in the form of a book to a country where not many books have been published about the history of cinema. His work is extensive, just like his other books, and is something to be cherished, especially if you are a fan of Pakistani cinema. Published by Virsa publications, the book’s language is Urdu which is great considering there is a dearth of quality books on cinema in the language. In fact, every book imaginable about Pakistani cinema – be it the Aijaz Gul one or the Mushtaq Gazdar one – somehow contributes to this mighty edition which begins its journey in the 1890s and ends its first edition in 2021. However, unlike Mushtaq Gazdar’s Pakistani Cinema 1947-1997, this book talks only about Urdu films, no matter where they were made, or when they were made. By being an Urdu language book in the national language, the reach of this book would exceed expectations, even though it is priced at Rs. 12,000. But since the book is responsible for adding the prefix of Dr. on the esteemed researcher, it can serve as a guide, a reference book, and a collector’s item at the same time. Written in a chronological manner, it begins at a time when international films were only screened in India and moves into the silent era, which is preceded by films made before the Partition, after the Partition, and finally when color was added to make films, more realistic. Laced with never-before-seen pictures, valuable information, and facts and figures that would only be known to the most ardent film buffs in the region, this book takes the readers down memory lane and gives them information they had no idea existed. It has been divided into 14 chapters which are created to give the readers an idea of how the film industry evolved in the region. While the first chapter deals with the arrival of films in the region, the second one talks about silent films, and together these two chapters cover the years from 1896 to 1934. The third chapter handles the time between the advent of the talkies to the year Pakistan and India were created, making it one of the most interesting and sad eras of all. It was the era when the Kapoor Dynasty was established with Prithviraj Kapoor, when Baby Noor Jehan rose to the top, when a young Yusuf Khan was discovered and when one industry was divided into two, leaving half in Pakistan, hapless, and half in India, hopeful. The writer must be commended for his exquisite research till 1947
because not much has been written about this era and it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that this book contains the best research on that era.
The sixth chapter talks about the early years of Pakistani cinema, whereas the seventh and eighth talk about the 1960s, and the 1970s. If Pakistani cinema was at the top in the 1960s, it lost its battle to other options in the 1970s, and was on the verge of collapse in the 1980s, when Punjabi cinema dethroned Urdu cinema as the bigger industry. How the industry was able to survive that onslaught, how it made two comebacks, first in the 1990s and later in the 2010s to revive itself, and how it has moved forward after that, are described in the remaining chapters.
However, the 13th chapter features those films that were produced in modern-day Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) and you would be surprised to find out that many later year actors who dominated Urdu films were actually a product of that cinema. Without East Pakistan, there wouldn’t be a Nadeem, a Shabnam, a Rehman, or even a Robin Ghosh who played a prominent role in the formerly West Pakistan industry. The 14th chapter discusses the rise and fall of films in the country as well as suggests solutions to the many issues that seem to be hindering the film industry's revival.
If you had no clue how big Santosh Kumar was in his heydays, that music director Khursheed Anwar directed a handful of films as well, that Suroor Barabankvi was both an accomplished lyricist and a director, and that Waheed Murad produced a couple of films before venturing into acting, then you are in need of this book. Every major library should have this book on its shelf because not only it helps the cause of reviving the Pakistan film industry, it also makes the newer readers understand what made Pakistani cinema great in the past.
And then there are the supplementary pages at the end of the book which not only feature a detailed filmography of all the films released in the country ever but also multiple lists of the silent, Punjabi, and Urdu films made in United India as well as East Pakistan. A complete list of awards presented in the country – be it the National Awards, the Nigar Awards, or the Lux Style Awards – each and every award ceremony held gets mentioned in the latter part of the book which even makes Wikipedia look obsolete and incorrect.
The author must be appreciated for collecting data from many books, some of which might not even exist today and are ‘alive’ on these pages. However, one hopes that the next edition of this book will do away with the errors and the inconsistencies that are part and parcel of such a huge compilation because that would make this book the perfect gift for a film buff, a perfect guide for the uninitiated, and a perfect collector’s item for those who know the significance of this book.
O'Neill, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams.
During that period, he also struck big-screen gold again as the nefarious Lex Luthor in "Superman Returns."
In 2013, Spacey helped launch Hollywood's streaming revolution, taking the lead role in Netflix's first-ever major exclusive series "House of Cards," as a ruthless US congressman who will stop at nothing to become president.
The series became a cultural phenomenon. It was the first online-only series to be nominated for, and win, an Emmy, and ushered in the binge-watching era.
#MeToo
But Spacey's empire rapidly began to unravel in October 2017.
Barely three weeks after #MeToo allegations broke against Harvey Weinstein, Spacey too was hit with sexual assault claims.
Actor Anthony Rapp was the first to go public, alleging he had been assaulted as a 14-year-old at a New York party by Spacey in 1986.
Spacey swiftly apologized, but drew criticism for appearing to try to deflect the story by finally confirming that he is gay -- an open secret in Hollywood for years.
Within a month, Spacey had been accused of assault by multiple men in the US and Britain, dropped by Netflix, and stunningly removed at the last minute from the film "All the Money in the World."
Director Ridley Scott and studio Sony Pictures rushed to reshoot Spacey's scenes in just two months before the film's release.
Since then, Spacey has rarely been seen in public, with the exception of court appearances, where he has denied all allegations of sexual abuse. In 2019, assault charges against the actor were dropped in Massachusetts. In October, a New York court dismissed Rapp's $40 million sexual misconduct lawsuit. Spacey has pleaded not guilty to further sexual assault charges in Britain, where he is due to appear in a London courtroom in Janaury.
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 35 JANUARY 8-14, 2023
Since October 2017, Kevin Spacey, who is a two-time Oscar winning American actor, has rarely been seen in public, with the exception of court appearances
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 36 JANUARY 8-14, 2023
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 37 JANUARY 8-14, 2023
Sajjad Ali denies inspiring 'Besharam Rang'
By Bold Desk
The internet was set alight with speculation when Sajjad Ali posted what some would call a cryptic video on his social media accounts. Taking to his Instagram on December 26, Ali had posted a video under which he shared the following statement, “After listening to a new movie’s song, it reminded me of my song I released 26 years ago, Ab Ke Hum Bichare. Enjoy!”
Although Ali did not mention the name of the song or movie, netizens both in India and Pakistan were quick to point out that the Cinderella singer might be talking about the song Besharam Rang from the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone film Pathaan. Given the amount of songs the Indian film industry is churning out which are either reworked versions or blatant copies of older Pakistani classics, many fans considered it plausible that the Pathaan song had been influenced by Ab Ke Hum Bichare and that Ali was calling attention to it. However, after the internet had gone down the rabbit-hole of theorising, Ali himself put out another video to put all the unnecessary speculation to bed. The singer stated, “After watching my previous video, many people started saying that 'Sajjad Ali is claiming his song has been copied.' First of all, when did I even say this?
Please see the clip again and observe how I never used any singer's name, never called out any song, music director or even actor.” Ali went on to say that he had no reason to make such allegations, nor was he trying to get involved in any controversy. He also clarified that songs composed in Raag Bhairavi often sound similar, and that people who do not understand the technicalities of music should not speculate about such things unnecessarily.
The Good and Bad of 'Kyun Ke Main Green Hun'
Upcoming TV channel Green Entertainment is yet to launch its dramas but its official OST is out and it is impressive. Featuring some of the top vocalists in the country like Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, and Abida Parveen, Kyun Ke Main Green Hun stands out as possibly the best channel OST in two decades. Composed by Sahir Ali Bagga and written by Imran Raza, it makes you want to listen to it again and again, such compelling is its beat, its lyrics, and its execution.
The music video has been directed by Sohail Javed who is back to what he did best in the 1990s that is directing peppy music videos. It must have been a tedious task to make a music video featuring nine top singers which reminded one of the greatest music videos of all time Hai Meri Sar Zameen Roshan which featured 15 top singers of the country including Reshma, Farida Khanum, and Junaid Jamshed.
Not everything is great about this video though; there are some issues and the biggest of them is preferring Sahir Ali Bagga over the likes of Faakhir, and Ali Azmat. While Ali Azmat is the most senior male singer in the group, and is more popular than the music composer himself, he should have featured at the start instead of dominating in the end. The same is the case with Faakhir who appears in the music video even after Gul Panra when in fact it should have been Sahir Ali Bagga who deserved to be in the supporting role. Also, the section featuring Abida Parveen sort of put the brake on the fast-paced number, and either she could have ended the song or begun it, not used as a connection between two separate groups of singers. Like Farida Khanum in the aforementioned song, she could have started the proceedings considering no one matches her experience, her range, and her popularity amongst the group. On the whole, it’s a fabulous song and has already made the listeners curious about the channel which might be coming to your screen, sooner than you think.
"Muchachos, we can dream again..." the hit song that accompanied Argentina on their conquest of the 2022 World Cup has found deep resonance in a country desperate for a feelgood moment.
"Muchachos", which translates as "guys," was Number 1 on Spotify in Argentina with more than half-a-million plays, and was heard on repeat in central Buenos Aires where huge crowds of fans gathered to welcome the victorious team.
The catchy tune, which alludes to deceased Argentine superstar Diego Maradona looking down from heaven on modern-day hero Lionel Messi, had also reverberated through the stadiums of Qatar -- belted out by supporters with patriotic fervour.
The song by fusion rock, ska and salsa band La Mosca Tse-Tse first came out in 2003, and originally contained the lyrics:
"Muchachos, tonight I'm going to get drunk."
It was later adapted, and adopted, by football club fans -- among them 30-year-old teacher Fernando Romero.
Romero this year rewrote the lyrics and dedicated them to the Albiceleste national team. His version soon went viral.
"What is happening is so crazy, so great that it makes you dizzy," Romero told Argentine media during
the World Cup campaign.
"It started at home one day when I was cooking, I started to get emotional on my own, just thinking about it, I wrote it on my phone, and it stuck."
The new lyrics start "I was born in Argentina, the land of Diego and Lionel, of the boys of the Falklands whom I will never forget."
It laments all the finals the team has lost
Marley, grandson of Bob Marley and a well-regarded reggae artiste in his own right, has died at the age of 31. Marley released his debut album "Comfortable" in 2016, following it up with "Eternal" in 2021.
In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Marley described growing up surrounded by musicians, including his father and his uncle Ziggy.
"It was a very magical thing, seeing those people come around to the house and how the whole work process would happen," he said at the time. "I would come home and try to do homework, but I'd end up getting distracted and go peek in the studio."
He also said that despite his musical pedigree, he had wanted to chart his own path.
"I am one of the new generation of Marleys, but I am still experimenting at the same time," he told the outlet. "My plan is to do something new with my roots."
WZPP Radio in Miami, where the artiste spent much of his life, reported that he was found in a vehicle after suffering an asthma attack.
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a tweet that he was "deeply saddened" by news of the death, and offered his condolences to Marley's parents, Stephen and Kerry.
"My heartfelt sympathies to Joseph's friends and associates and to the Reggae music fraternity and fans everywhere," he added, calling Marley's passing "a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation." Marley is survived by a wife and daughter. - AFP
and sings of a famous victory over Brazil in the 2021 Copa America that allowed Argentina to dream of a third World Cup -which the team went on to claim in Qatar.
"The song is huge!" said 19-year-
old Nicolas Arias, among the throngs celebrating in the capital.
"It describes my country well, my people. It has an emotional side, it is creative, and it is an explosion of feelings. It is complete, awesome!" raved the youngster.
Pablo Mendoza, who came to Buenos Aires with his wife from La Plata some 60 kilometres (35 miles) away, said for him, the song "represents everything. It speaks of Diego, of the Argentine soldiers of the Falklands... Look!" he said as he showed off a tattoo on his leg of the archipelago at the centre of a 1982 war with Britain.
For Romero, the song was meant as something "to encourage the players, to make them feel proud to be Argentinian."
Encourage them it did, as Messi and his team fervently sang "Muchachos" on their tournament bus or in the changing rooms, to Romero's eternal pride.
The song has since been re-recorded with Romero's words by Mosca Tse-Tse, who wants to do another, updated version after Sunday's victory.
"So much has happened," singer Guillermo Novellis has said. "It is a song that unites all Argentines and that makes us happy. It no longer belongs to us."
In the meantime, the song has been given another, organic update by fans who have changed the lyric: "We want to win a third" World Cup with "We have won a third."
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 38 JANUARY 8-14, 2023 Kahani Suno 2.0 Kaifi Khalil No Love Shubh Bikhra Abdul
Iraady Rovalio,
Calm Down Rema,
Sukoon Hassan
Gill Baller Shubh,
Wo Noor AP Dhillon Moonrise Atif Aslam Ik Lamha Azaan
AFP
Hannan, Rovalio
Abdul Hannan
Salena Gomez
& Roshaan, Shae
Ikky
Sami Khan
AFP Musician Joseph "Jo Mersa"
AFP
"We are adults, but we never stopped being kids," says the 42-year-old artist. "Who doesn't like toys? Who doesn't like miniatures?"
As he spoke from his workshop in the Bushwick neighbourhood of Brooklyn, he sat among recycled objects found on the streets.
On his table was a current project, the tiny replica of a worn and dirty building facade. Near a bricked-in window, a plastic bushel basket had been hung: a poor man's basketball hoop.
"This represents my childhood," Cortes said, putting touches to the model in his preferred medium, polystyrene.
"Everything looked like this: abandoned, empty, a lot of drugs in the area."
From $30 to $10,000
One of his recent creations is a modest Chinese restaurant with a battered yellow sign and with its red-and-mauve brick walls covered with graffiti.
Standing outside the restaurant -- the real one -Cortes, sporting a black jacket and a baseball cap over his round face -- smiles as he tells how New York rapper Joell Ortiz, who grew up in the neighbourhood, insisted on buying the model, saying, "Yo, I need that."
The price?
"Ten thousand dollars," Cortes says, adding that "the first piece I sold was like $30, and I was so happy that I got $30."
The artist builds collectibles based on the most banal of urban scenes, "the little things that we pass by every day" and pay no attention to, but which collectively form the unique cityscape that is New York.
One of his first signature works was a rendering of a simple white commercial ice box -- the kind that sits outside corner groceries, the words "ICE" in block red letters on its side, and often covered in graffiti, which Cortes reproduces with meticulous detail.
His repertoire also includes a classic ice-cream truck like the one in Spike Lee's 1989 film "Do the Right Thing," its musical chimes guaranteed to bring young New Yorkers running.
His work resonates with nostalgia, and he often incorporates tributes to mythical local rappers like Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Cortes was not always an artist -- he has worked in sales, construction, and at a homeless shelter.
But the pandemic changed his life, pushing him
to take more seriously what had been an enjoyable pastime.
After he displayed his first creations on social media, his work "just took off," he said.
Artistic label Mass Appeal, which partners with rap legend Nas, commissioned him to do a model of a ghetto-blaster boom-box for the cover of a mini album by DJ Premier ("Hip Hop 50: Vol. 1").
In March 2022, four of Cortes' works were sold in a hip-hop auction at Sotheby's. They included an icecream truck that went for $2,200.
And he has branched out, building a miniature replica of an Atlanta restaurant for its owner, the rapper 2 Chainz. But Cortes' heart remains in Brooklyn.
"He has really captured the grimy, gritty atmosphere that was the birthplace for a lot of the '90s style of hip-hop music," said Monica Lynch, former head of Tommy Boy Records and a consultant on the Sotheby's auction. Through his work, Cortes said he wants to document a place where "there is a lot of change," particularly his Bushwick neighbourhood. Now a trendy locale favoured by artistic types, it is also a symbol of gentrification -- but Cortes said he's okay with that.
"I think it's good, I think it's safer, even though Bushwick is always gonna be Bushwick," he said. "There are more opportunities."
AFP Movie fans disappointed that their favorite actor was cut from a film after appearing in the trailer can sue the studio for false advertising, a US judge has ruled.
Two film buffs say Universal Pictures tricked them into renting 2019 flick "Yesterday" because the trailer featured actress Ana de Armas.
Peter Michael Rosza, 45, of San Diego, and Conor Woulfe, 39, of Maryland, say they forked over $3.99 each to watch the Richard Curtis comedy on Amazon Prime, only to discover that de Armas had not made the final cut.
A class action suit filed earlier this year alleges fans had been led to expect the Cuban "No Time To Die" star would feature prominently.
However, they "did not receive a movie with any appearance of Ana de Armas at all," says the suit, reported by US media on Friday.
Accordingly, "such consumers were not provided with any value for their rental or purchase," the suit added.
Universal had asked US District Judge Stephen Wilson to throw out
the complaint, arguing that trailers are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees free speech.
But in his ruling on Thursday, Wilson rejected the studio's argument, saying trailers are commercial speech and subject to laws around honest advertising.
"At its core, a trailer is an advertisement designed to sell a movie by providing consumers with a preview of the movie," the judge wrote. AFP could not immediately reach a representative for Universal.
The suit is claiming at least $5 million on behalf of disappointed fans.
Lawyers will convene again for the case on April 3.
Danny Boyle's "Yesterday" tells the story of a musician, played by Himesh Patel, who is thrust into an alternative reality where The Beatles do not exist.
He achieves global megastardom by releasing the Fab Four's back catalogue as his own.
De Armas, 34, who also appeared in "Knives Out" in 2019, was originally cast in the movie, and appeared in the trailer and certain advertising, but her role did not make the final version, according to the suit.
AFP
Developed by legendry video game creator Hideo Kojima and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4, a 2019-action game “Death Stranding” is going to be adapted for the silver screen, says Hideo Kojima, the video game creator based in Japan, who will co-produce the film through his company Kojima Productions.
Kojima called the decision “a pivotal moment for the franchise”, three years after the video game’s muchhyped 2019 release. US film production company Hammerstone Studios will make the film in tandem with Kojima Productions, which tweeted an article by Deadline about the project along with a string of emojis including a thumbs-up and
a dolphin. Kojima also posted on social media about the article, in which he was quoted as saying he “couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership.”
The PlayStation and PC game “Death Stranding” is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the United States are no longer united, and a curious form of rainfall accelerates aging.
It features an A-list voice cast including Norman Reedus from TV drama “The Walking Dead,” and James Bond stars Lea Seydoux and Mads Mikkelsen. A PlayStation 5 sequel is also in the works.
Best known for his venerable “Metal Gear” series, Kojima started his studio seven years ago after parting ways with game creator Konami. The Japanese game maker, who is a big movie connoisseur, jokes on his Twitter profile that “my body is 70 percent made up of movies”.
By Adrien Marotte
Omar Sy, one of France's best-loved stars, has returned to his Senegalese roots for a film about colonial troops who fought for France in the World War I trenches.
Sy, best-known to an international audience for the Netflix thriller series "Lupin," was in Dakar for the glitzy premiere of the much-awaited "Tirailleurs."
The story is about a young man in Senegal named Thierno who is pressganged into the French army, prompting his father to enlist voluntarily to keep an eye on him. Both are sent to the butchery of the Western Front.
More than 200,000 Africans served in the French armed forces during the First World War. Many fought as "tirailleurs," or frontline infantry, where losses were often devastating yet remain overlooked in history books and official records.
French-born Sy, who in the film speaks in his mother tongue of Fula, said he was swept away by the film's French-Senegalese currents.
"This is totally my story. It's totally my identity," he said.
Sy said he had "many emotions" about the film, to which he had invited friends, relatives and Senegalese members of the crew for the premiere.
"It's about being able to acknowledge and remind ourselves of what these men have contributed," Sy said. "It's something that our generation needs."
Senegalese music stars Youssou N'Dour and Ismael Lo were among local celebrities who attended the premier.
"Tirailleurs"' director is Mathieu Vadepied, who teamed up with Sy in 2011 to make "The Intouchables," an acclaimed comedy drama about a wealthy but haughty quadriplegic and his ebullient black helper from the gritty Paris suburbs.
Vadepied said the film and choice
of Dakar for the launch were a tribute to "all these soldiers who took part in these wars."
"The history between France and Senegal and the other countries in Africa is now a distant but shared history. We are intertwined."
"Tirailleurs," which had its festival premiere in May in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section, goes on commercial release in France and Senegal in early January. The English version is entitled "Father & Soldier."
Among the public who watched the premiere, many said the film turned a vital spotlight on a painful and often forgotten colonial episode.
"We need (a film like this) to open minds and to serve the duty of remembrance. Not all of us are going to read a 500-page book," said Salome Bar, a 21-year-old French-Senegalese student.
"There is still a taboo," she said.
"You can't be healed of that wound so easily." —AFP
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 39 JANUARY 8-14, 2023
For the first time in the history of video games, “Death Stranding,” a 2019-action game, will be adapted for the silver screen
With his nimble fingers and child-like enthusiasm, Danny Cortes re-creates in miniature the hip-hop-infused street scenes of a gritty New York. But what began as a hobby has since brought him fame in the rap community and profitable sales even at Sotheby's prestigious auction house
By Hasnain Nawab KARACHI
When it comes to celebrating in style, few do it better than Pakistani celebrities. Given their predilection for festive celebrations and posting about their shenanigans on social media, fans of Pakistan’s A-listers were able to keep up to date with how their favourite celebrities welcomed 2023. From captivating attire to bustling parties to more solemn social media posts, here is a round-up of how Pakistan’s celebrities rung in the New Year. Just like billions around the world, Pakistan’s stars shared heartfelt and warm wishes for their admirers on their social media accounts.
Actors including Humayun Saeed, Urwa Hocane, Anmol Baloch, Asad Siddiqui, Zara Noor Abbas, Feroze Khan, Humaima Malick, Ayeza Khan, Danish Taimoor, Maya Ali, Naumaan Ijaz, Aima Baig, and many more took to the internet to bid farewell to 2022 and welcome the New Year in style.
The star siblings pair of Pakistan’s entertainment industry, Humaima Malick and Feroze Khan, posted pictures of them attending a decadent party as they were both dressed in all-black outfits. Khan stated under his Instagram post, "HAPPY
NEW YEAR GUYS, LOVE
THE ONES AROUND
YOU."
Actress Anmol Baloch wished her admirers a happy New Year from a picturesque setting, saying, "ALLAH has given me victory over many things over the past years and I have a lot to be thankful for. I am happy, healthy, and I am loved and I am what I am .GRATEFUL TO ALLAH
EVERY DAY I LIVE."
Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor, who have both achieved remarkable success in their own rights, are considered the power couple of Pakistan’s entertainment industry by many. Khan posted a picture of her hugging her husband under an array of lights which spelled “Big Love.” Khan said, "Stepping into the year 2023 with lots of love and care… for myself and the people around me!"
Actress and producer Urwa Hocane, who had a year to
remember due to her film Tich Button, posted a picture of her watching the sunset, saying, "Watching the last sunset of 2022 I feel gratitude and peace from every cell of my being! Alhamdulillah for everything I lived, experienced and felt this year and I look forward to the next year with a heart full of Love! May 2023 bring us all more Health, Healing and Peace!"
Veteran actor Naumaan Ijaz posted a terrific family picture and stated, "Kal 365 pages ki nai kitab khul rahe ha koshish kejeay is mei achi khobsorat positive bateen hum lekhaen.
Hamarri taraf sey ap sab ko neya saal khushion aur sehat se bahrpor saal mubarak ho. Allah hum sab pe karam farmaen.
Ameen."
(Tomorrow a new book of 365 pages is opening, let’s try to write some beautiful and positive words in this book. We wish you all a New Year filled with health and happiness. May Allah always keep us in His grace.”
Maya Ali welcomed the New Year in Dubai as she posted a picture of herself standing next to the Burj Khalifa, captioning her post, “Thank you 2022 for the amazing lessons and memories. You were great in so many ways and I am thankful to all the people who made it even more special and I am thankful to those too who taught me how to fight and rise when they really wanted you to fall down. Life is like a bumpy road, you just have to carry on and the key is to believe in yourself and in ALLAH.”
After what proved to be a stellar year for Humayun Saeed after the success of Punjab Nahin Jaunga and his debut on The Crown as Dr Hasnat, his wife took to Instgram to be thankful for the year that had passed while also looking forward to what lies in store in 2023. She said, “Shukher Alhamdulilah what a great year 2022 has been. Wishing you all a truly remarkable and happy New Year from us. Here’s to a year of good health, lots of love, and plenty of laughter.”
Singer Aima Baig, who had her ups and downs throughout 2022, posted a video from her concert in Jhelum to welcome in the New Year, saying, “Happy New year’s everyone. Here’s to hoping for a year full of new music and inner peace and forever bonds, be nice 2023. A little confession here, to be able to spend every New Year’s with all of y’all is truly a blessing. Thank you for all the support and love, always. P.S. Jhelum you guys were a total vision and a vibe.”
Interestingly, actors Asad Siddiqui and Zara Noor Abbas’s New Year’s posts were a little different since they were performing their Umrah at the time. Siddiqui took to Instagram to share, “Alhamdulillah. My gratitude to Almighty Allah! The best way to start 2023. No words! May Allah shower His blessings upon all of us and may this year and onwards, guide us to walk on the righteous path. Aameen. P.S Happy 5 years Zara – please get me PS5 now. Thanks.”
Hollywood’s favourite coffee shop finds its second home in Karachi and 13th overall in Pakistan
KARACHI By Omair Alavi
The coffee revolution is taking over Pakistan, and what better way to move over towards coffee than with Hollywood’s favorite brand, that too near the Karachi sea side. Born and brewed in Southern California since 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is particularly loved in Hollywood, and their stores are frequented by everyone from David Beckham to Madonna, and from Miley Cyrus to Eddie Murphy among others.
So will their arrival in Karachi improve the brand’s image and change the coffee culture in the country, that remains to be seen. However, what is certain is that the people of Karachi will have a new outlet at Marine Drive, Clifton where they can hang out with friends and discuss everything under the sun over a cup of coffee. The ambiance of the restaurant was inviting, as was the calm interior, which is exactly what many want while having their tea, or enjoying their coffee.
Located behind the famous E street that houses high-end restaurants, the second branch of the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf opened on 30th December 2022 in the presence of influencers as well as media people who came over for a change in taste and left after changing their favorite coffee destination. Not only did they serve coffee but they also provided the attendees with various options for a onebite meal that ranged from various chicken delicacies to pizza, whereas the tea served was ‘fantastic’. The visitors were greeted by traditional music that entertained those inside as well, and sort of transported those in the vicinity to a happening place till the clock struck 1. The launching ceremony started with drums and music played by a famous local drum band which was enjoyed by the celebrities and famous bloggers/ vloggers present at the event. The fun wasn’t just limited to the music, but they all participated in the different games that were available at hand. Between the Lucky spin wheel and the wall reserved for photographs, they ended up winning vouchers,
prizes, and rewards while appreciating the hosts for their generosity. A large number of Guests also observed the cake-cutting ceremony as the day was also marked by Coffee Bean’s 5-year anniversary in Pakistan.
In five years they have crossed over a dozen branches all over the country which is nothing short of an achievement. After all, no one else offers the ultimate coffee experience, like Coffee
Bean and Tea Leaf does. They provide customers with a large range of specialty coffees including estate, origins and delicious flavored coffees, under one roof. Their complete menu of espresso-based beverages such as lattes, cappuccinos, smoothie chillers, cocoas and gourmet teas etc. makes it easier for the customers to go and enjoy the same brand of coffee, Hollywood folks do.
Not many in Pakistan know that the oldest and largest privately-held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the world has slowly made its impact in Pakistan, where it first arrived in 2017 and since then has been increasing the number of its branches across the country. While they have over 1200 stores around the globe in 31 countries, their presence in Pakistan has now crossed a dozen stores. After establishing 5 branches in Lahore, 4 branches in Islamabad, and 1 each in Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Karachi, the inauguration of the second branch in Karachi shows that people of the city are slowly leaning towards coffee from abroad. They might not have a Starbucks in town but they have the next best thing, where the beans are roasted in LA, ground in bestin-class Swiss hardware, pulled in Italian espresso machines, prepared in water that originates from a world-class filtration system, and served in mugs from Korea, and if that isn’t international, I don’t know what is. Add to that, the chocolate, cocoa, and cheese originate, and spreads from different countries in Europe, while the Pakistani Baristas are trained by those who have mastered the art of serving coffee in Singapore & Malaysia. The menu isn't just limited to coffee and tea but also to other stuff that compliments the aroma, and aura of the restaurant. From Hot Vanilla to Hot Double Chocolate, Tea to Go to traditional Chai, and different varieties of Tea Lattes, followed by blended drinks, this place has it all. While the French Fries and Nuggets will be the meal for the children, the elders can choose LA Club Sandwich, Mexican BBQ Chicken Steak, Texan BBQ Chicken Burger, and Mexican Omelet from morning till after midnight.
PAKISTAN’S NUMBER 1 NEWSPAPER FOR BOOKING ADS, WWW.BOLNEWS.COM/NEWSPAPER 40 JANUARY 8-14, 2023 the
