Ronald.phillips

The dust has barely settled following the release of last year's RTX 3000 series graphics cards, but the rumour mill is already spinning tales regarding potential RTX 4000 series specs and performance. Yet, despite claims of an impending RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 RAM refresh, there's a chance that we could also see Nvidia's new Lovelace range pop up in July next year.

According to the leaker Kopite7kimi, Nvidia's next generation of RTX cards could arrive in Q3 next year. While the insider is quick to say that this isn't new information, previous leaks claim the RTX 4000 series could arrive in October next year. Therefore, it could be that the release date for the green team's next GPU lineup is shifting forward.

Just like previous reports, Kopite7kimi's tweet doesn't specify whether the new RTX range will be released or unveiled next year. Naturally, Nvidia could also announce its new GPUs a few months prior to the start of 2022's third quarter, meaning gaming PCs could be armed with RTX 4070, RTX 4080, and RTX 4090 graphics cards as early as July.

RELATED LINKS: RTX 2070 Super review, RTX 2060 Super review, Best graphics card

Natural disasters are growing in severity, but wealthy countries still haven't delivered on their $100 billion promise of climate aid to poor nations, including Bangladesh.

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(Welcome to Survey Says, a feature where we conduct a movie-related survey for a random group of people and explain why they're completely right, completely wrong, or somewhere in-between.)

Long before the age of streaming forced so many studios to up their game, and even before the likes of FX and AMC helped make modern TV truly remarkable on cable, HBO was churning out some of the best TV ever made. Indeed, the premium cable network has been associated with truly high-quality TV for decades now. From legendary comedy like "Mr. Show" in the '90s to recent hits like "Succession" and "Watchmen," this network has brought a great deal of truly amazing stuff to the airwaves.

But what are the best of the best shows? More importantly, which of those shows do fans want to see more of in rebooted form? We decided to find out with our most recent survey, and the answer is kind of surprising, obvious, and might actually come to pass.

And The Survey Says...

"The Sopranos" ran away with it, coming in well above any other entry on the list, taking in 33.33% of the vote. Coming in at a surprisingly distant second was "The Wire," which nabbed 18.2% of the overall vote. Rounding out the top three was "Six Feet Under," which earned a respectable 15.31% of the vote. Trailing just behind was "Oz" with 14.12%. The last two entries were "Big Love," which took in just shy of 11% of the votes, and last but not least, "Rome" rounded out the list with just over 8%.

Both Surprising And Not Surprising

The fact of the matter is "The Sopranos" is widely considered to be one of the greatest shows of all time, if not the single greatest. Few shows are included right at the top of that list alongside David Chase's gangster drama, including "Breaking Bad" and, the second-place contender on this list, "The Wire." So, in that respect, it's not terribly surprising that fans would want to see more in this universe, especially since its popularity has seemingly only grown in the years since it went off the air.

That said, it's also a bit surprising that so many fans would risk tainting what is about as close to perfection (so the consensus goes) that we're ever likely to see in the entertainment landscape. It's the whole "be careful what you wish for" thing. Yes, we all want more of those shows that make us feel engrossed and captivated, but all good things must come to an end. Or do they?

This Might Actually Happen (Sort Of)

In some way, we already got a reboot, or at least a continuation in prequel form, of "The Sopranos." Released in 2021, "The Many Saints of Newark" came from the mind of series creator David Chase and focused on a young Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini's son, Michael Gandolfini. It turns out, that may have opened the door to a lot more storytelling from Chase within this world. Though there seems to be a disagreement on how best to proceed.

Chase recently signed a new deal with WarnerMedia following the movie's release. It was widely speculated that a "Sopranos" prequel series was on the table. More recently, Chase spoke about it directly, saying that he would like to make a movie, while the network is more interested in a series.

"Well, of course, the movie didn't do well in theaters, but it, like, broke the machine on streaming — it was huge. So now they want me to do another series of 'Sopranos' from the time the movie ends until the time the series begins."

Chase added that he's "not that anxious to do it, while also saying "I would do one more movie. Because I have an idea for that." So, if the powers that be can come to an agreement, fans may well get their wish.

Read this next: Shows Like Breaking Bad That You Can Binge Watch Today

The post 33% of Fans Want to See This HBO Show Get Rebooted appeared first on /Film.

The wildest show on ... streaming (just go with it) is coming back for its final season. Season 5 of "Search Party" will be dropping on January 7, 2022 on HBO Max and hopefully we'll finally figure out what the hell is going on with its truly unique cast of characters. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if "Search Party" left us with more questions than answers. This is 100% the kind of series where you have no idea what will happen next and, frankly, I've never really watched anything like it. It takes black comedy to the extreme and throws its cast into some truly bizarre circumstances, so I'm sure they'll be going all out for the final season.

And according to the show's official synopsis, it looks like I'm right. I love when that happens. Here's what the delightful weirdos behind "Search Party" have in store for us next season:

In the new season, Dory (Alia Shawkat) enters a very public business partnership with charismatic tech billionaire Tunnel Quinn (Jeff Goldblum) on the other side of her near-death experience. Dory folds her old friends Portia (Meredith Hagner), Elliott (John Early) and Drew (John Reynolds) into the venture as they embark on an altruistic but terrifying journey.

Party On

Besides Shawkat, Hagner, Early and Reynolds, our constant companions during the ups and downs of "Search Party," you can expect to see the following list of truly insane actors pop up during the final season: Kathy Griffin, John Waters, Aparna Nancherla, Angela Trimbur, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Greta Titelman, Joe Castle Baker, Larry Owens and Michelle Badillo, Jeffery Self, and Clare McNulty. I can't wait to see what they do with everyone on this list, and knowing "Search Party," the possibilities are endless. The power of this show knows no bounds.

Considering how unique "Search Party" is, and its bizarre mid-show move from TBS to HBO Max, I'm more than a little surprised the show is ending on its own terms. This feels like the kind of show that gets canceled after two seasons and languishes on the internet as it builds up a cult following. It's the kind of show I can see dominating a listicle that's filled with TV series that will never get their final season. It's beyond impressive that creators Charles Rogers and Sarah-Violet Bliss have been able to keep this ball rolling all while improving the genre-bending and totally unpredictable show season after season.

"Search Party" season 5 will premiere on HBO Max on January 7, 2022.

Read this next: 15 Shows Like Brooklyn Nine-Nine You Need To See

The post Search Party Final Season Sets January HBO Max Premiere appeared first on /Film.

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Like driving for Uber or delivering groceries for Doordash, signing up for a microwork site sounds pretty tempting: If you have internet, you can make money doing simple tasks on the computer. But as is so often the case, microwork isn’t the easy side hustle it’s made out to be. Here’s everything you should know.

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Seagate engineers yesterday used the Open Compute Project Global Summit for the first public demonstration of a native NVMe hard drive. The hope is moving forward both HDDs and SSDs in the data center will consolidate to using the NVMe interface...

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan: "Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President."

President Joe Biden has given the archives permission to comply with the committee's request, effectively waiving any executive privilege claim. But Trump objected, arguing that he still wanted to assert privilege over the records, and he took the committee to court.

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"Rust" actor and producer Alec Baldwin has come out in favor of law enforcement on film sets to ensure firearms safety, calling for cops to be employed by producers of any film or show that uses guns. The move comes after a tragic shooting incident during the filming of "Rust" on October 21 that took the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. The actor had been told that the weapon was a "cold gun," indicating that it did not have any live rounds.

In a tweet from his private account (which he also posted on his Instagram page) Baldwin writes, "Every film/TV set that uses guns, fake or otherwise, should have a police officer on set, hired by the production, to specifically monitor weapons safety."

The task that Baldwin describes is one that typically falls under the purview of the props master or the armorer on set. The armorer for "Rust," Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (daughter of veteran Hollywood armorer Thell Reed), has since faced scrutiny over the incident, as weapons and ammunition security was her responsibility. Her lawyers have since suggested that the live round from the shooting could have been planted by disgruntled saboteurs, a statement "Rust" camera operator Lane Luper has called "irresponsible, slanderous, and quite frankly just disgusting" (per THR). Since the incident, Baldwin has since removed himself from the public eye, and according to People he has been canceling future projects for the time being.

Camera Operator Speaks Out

A camera operator of the crew that walked off the "Rust" set in New Mexico has broken his silence since the incident. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lane Luper, the A-camera first assistant on "Rust," details what went down before Alec Baldwin fatally shot director of photography Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza during a rehearsal.

"The negligent [gun] discharges on Oct. 16 was a big safety concern that I had brought up with the unit production manager, and it was immediately dismissed. We had a special effects explosion on the third day of filming that went off over the crew. There was really poor weapons handling skills. And yeah, the housing issue was an issue. I had an hour drive every day to [the set] and an hour drive from [the set], plus getting ready in the morning and trying to get to bed at night."I was running on five hours of sleep, six hours of sleep sometimes. I was tired, and it was a punishingly difficult show: eight pages where you have to hand-carry a majority of the film equipment — these cameras are heavy; COVID was a huge issue because they would pack the passenger vans completely full [and] people would have their masks down. And then my crew didn't receive paychecks. They received a small advance that didn't include their entire pay. And as a matter of fact, I actually just got a text message today that they're still missing pay."

The whole ordeal has affected the cast and crew heavily. "Everybody's going in and out of these cycles of depression," Luper told THR, "Several of my friends don't even want to go back to work. Everybody has a level of PTSD from this, especially people that were there."

'Rust' Hired An Armorer Mentor

Via the Los Angeles Times, an internal crew list for "Rust" reveals that Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who is 24, was only the first weapons armorer on the set. In late September, production secured the services of weapons expert Seth Kenney, owner of a licensed Lake Havasu City, Ariz., weapons and props rental company. Kenney was hired as an "armorer mentor," though it's unclear at this point how involved he was with production or weapons security. According to a source close to the production who was not authorized to comment, it was Kenney who suggested Gutierrez-Reed for the armorer gig, and Kenney who provided the guns used for the film, including the FD Pietta Colt .45 gun used during the Oct. 21 rehearsal at Bonanza Creek Ranch.

Santa Fe Sheriff's detectives are still looking into the shooting and trying to locate the source of the live ammunition that was brought onto the film set. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies has stated to the New York Times that while the investigation may take months, "Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table."

Who Called 911?

As new details and a clearer picture emerge in the wake of the "Rust" incident, some answers still elude investigators. In a 911 recording from the Santa Fe County Regional Emergency Communications Center, "Rust" script supervisor Mamie Mitchell reported the incident as "two people accidentally shot on a movie set by a prop gun." She told the emergency dispatcher that the gun went off during a rehearsal and prompted the cast and crew to run out of the room. Asked if the gun was loaded with a real bullet, Mitchell replied, "I cannot tell you. We have two injuries, and this ******* [assistant director] that yelled at me at lunch, asking about revisions ... He's supposed to check the guns. He's responsible for what happens on the set.Mamie Mitchell is represented by Gloria Allred, an attorney known for high-profile cases. Allred said Tuesday that the firm is also conducting its own investigation "because there are many unanswered questions." She said to ABC News:

Halyna was a friend and close colleague of Mamie. She is devastated by the loss of her friend who was an extraordinary woman. Mamie has been interviewed by the Sheriff's Department. She has information and evidence which she believes will be helpful in this investigation.

Read this next: The Best Movies Of 2021 So Far

The post Alec Baldwin Says Police Officers Are Needed On-Set To Monitor Gun Safety appeared first on /Film.

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Randy Regier was born, Omaha, Nebraska 1964 and moved around a bit through the Midwest and then to Barcelona, Spain and back to Kansas and then to the Pacific Northwest in 1971. Youth and early adult years lived in Oregon and developed careers as a cartoonist and professional auto-body painter. A subsequent awakening lead to the attainment of a BFA in Sculpture at Kansas State University and subsequently, after walking the Camino de Santiago with his family, a move to New England to acquire a MFA in Studio Arts at Maine College of Art. Randy’s life has been spent in the company of family, cartoons, toys, cars and tools but his mind has always wandered towards narrative, the power of childhood and questions about purposeful living via aesthetics and esthetics. In the realm of the Arts, he can continually become, as that is revealed through work. Home and studio are now centered in Kansas City Kansas. You can find Randy on Instagram @randy.regier and at randyregier.com.

 

My Day Job requires of me that I restore and customize vintage cars. To that end I maintain four moderate sized toolboxes because of the diversity of my tasks and the fact that I work between two buildings and cross a street regularly to do so. For the purposes of this essay, this is my “home”, or primary toolbox.

Not a day passes that I don’t draw from this array. I use unibits/step drills, ¼” and 3/8” socket to drill driver bits, Phillips drivers, angle-drive attachments and counter-sink chamfer bits daily. If you have one tool that can accomplish more than one task, yes, to that.

Drill index (left), sheet material gauge thickness indicator (round device, center) and tweezers are always useful. To the right are the keys to a 1953 Nash Statesman Custom Sedan, the vehicle/found object I hope to turn into an interactive art service vehicle/performance piece. The indexes and gauges I use to perform my work and draw my wage. The Nash keys remind me of what I want to make that is meaningful beyond the daily job thing.

Wood and hard plastic/Teflon dowels serve well to coax and manipulate sheet metal (via hammer) without causing undue stress to the parent metal.

Wallet is from our son, he supplies my wallets as I wear them out and they in turn are my daily tactile conduit to his person. The “Hopeful” decal is by my friend and esteemed artist Charlie Hewitt of Maine, and reminds me daily to attempt to be so. The Detective Agency notebook is a gift from my previous employer, Tim Ward of Ward & Ward Fine Art Framing in Kansas City, Mo. Tim is perhaps the most funny, erudite and kind person I‘ve ever worked for in my life, and it’s only because of the Covid 19 World Tour that I had to depart his shop. The ibuprofen are because, you know, I was born last century and so were my hands.

I do a lot of pattern making in my attempts to recreate forms in order to resuscitate the body skins of these old automobiles. Sometimes, I gotta cut something. These do it, the thing.

I use screwdrivers, awls, punches and pry bars a lot. A LOT. So much of what I do has to do with panel alignment, that means bringing holes and parts into mutual space. I use vintage tools whenever practical because fundamentally most of them (there are indeed exceptions) have not been improved upon and also because their patina and endurance remind me daily, that ALL time is deep time. The vintage bulbous red and yellow screwdriver is called a “Screwball” and it actually is my all-time favorite screwdriver. There are four currently on eBay. It’s a great tool, especially for those of us with any time of arthritis or hand issues.

Pliers, cutters, pry bars. In one’s hand these accomplish the things our hands wish they could do. (Trim And Molding Tool Set, $6/5pc)

I may not “draw” so much in my current trade (for its own sake), but I scribe, notate, sketch and list constantly. In that regard, my pen drawer is hardly discernible from my cartoonists’ desk, though I suppose more pedestrian of intent.

My dad worked in a body shop in Omaha, Nebraska in the ‘50s. He bought this hammer new, then. He taught me this trade and had me paint my first car at age 13 (circa 1977). I learned the trade well enough to desire to leave it, for good; for health concerns both mental and physical at age 34 and for the sweet siren call of the Art World. Twenty years later, mostly due to the realities of Covid 19 and such, I returned to the trade to survive. There’s a saying, “the hammer forms the hand.” My dad taught me to survive, and survival ain’t sexy, but neither is it the worst option. My dad has moved on, but his hammer is an (though only one) extension of his life and his passions. This tool is the only thing I would own if I could own only one thing.

Today at Black Hat London, Zero Networks announced the release of its RPC firewall – also dubbed the ‘ransomware kill switch’ – into open source. The tool provides granular control over RPC, capable of blocking the use of lateral movement hacker tools and stopping almost all ransomware in its tracks.

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I recently rediscovered the virtues of certain Amiga file formats, but Ernie Smith has me beat when it comes to format archeology: 10 forgotten image formats.

Originally developed by AT&T and spun off into its own company in the late 1980s, TGA was one of the first file formats capable of "true color" with the help of its hardware-based image-processing tools.

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Archaeologists in Israel dug up this ancient ring at the site of a Byzantine wine-making operation's warehouse. The researchers suspect the amethyst and gold ring, dating back to at least the seventh century CE, was worn to prevent hangovers. Perhaps Goop should knock off the design. — Read the rest

When "Avengers: Infinity War" first released in 2018, it seemed as if everyone was in a mad scramble to assign blame for Thanos (who, let us remember, is a fictional character) succeeding in his evil plot to wipe out half of all life in the universe (which, to be clear, did not actually happen). 

Apparently, the decision to make the Avengers come this close to defeating Thanos on multiple occasions caused some fans to more or less lose their minds, getting genuinely angry enough to pin sole responsibility of the failure on flawed heroes like a grieving Thor (for neglecting to aim for the head) or Peter Quill (for having the gall to be upset about Thanos murdering Gamora). Personally, I like when superheroes and characters in general aren't depicted as infallible and emotionless robots, but that was certainly a wake-up call for me that not everyone else agrees!

Thankfully, we can expect more reasonable and level-headed responses from the creative team behind Marvel movies. As shown by recent comments from "Eternals" director Chloé Zhao, the actions of Thanos hang heavy over the events of the latest installment of the MCU -- and the "Eternals" writers have weighed in on who they blame for Thanos' snap. Because their answer deals with key plot details in "Eternals," we'll save that information for later in this post.

Turn back now if you don't want to read major spoilers for "Eternals."

The Blame Game

So, who in the Marvel Universe would end up being tried and convicted for reckless endangerment in allowing the crimes against humanity to be committed by Thanos? In this hypothetical criminal court at whatever Marvel's equivalent of The Hague is, "Eternals" writers Matthew 'Kaz' Firpo and Ryan Firpo believe the onus belongs to a certain last-minute reveal in the mid-credits scene. That's right, we can blame Harry Styles' Eros/Starfox, the brother of Thanos, for messing him up so profoundly that he would feel the need to commit genocide on a universal scale. I'm sure anyone with brothers can relate! According to Screen Rant, Kaz Firpo explains that this was a full-blown family affair:

"We were actually, like, powerfully familiar with the crazy Thanos origin story, which I'm pretty sure is full-blown Greek myth where he, like, killed his own mother I wanna say ... It's been a little bit since I read those arcs, we did a deep-dive into Thanos ... Yeah, he was born from an Eternal and raised as a Deviant, and he's sort of caught in between the two, so there is a lot of ... again, that early connective tissue.

"But I think, for the sake of this movie as a film, we really just decided to tell this story, and maybe when we get out into the cosmos you might ... I mean, we're literally meeting Thanos' actual brother at the end of the film, and I think there's room for Eros -- well, Harry [Styles] -- to have a conversation about that."

Ryan Firpo points out that Thanos was first rejected by his mother. The added complication of Thanos' seemingly ideal brother Eros, however, ended up pushing him over the edge for good. Kaz Firpo continues:

"I think that Starfox is a lot responsible for why Thanos is the way he is, to have that ... all jokes aside, to have this perfect brother who can make anyone fall in love with him? It does something to you. So I hope we get to see a little bit more of that in Number 2."

Eros, who is depicted in the comics as lacking the Deviant gene that made Thanos look so different from the rest of his race, is being set up for a much larger role moving forward. Accordingly, the specter of the Mad Titan may very well haunt the MCU for years to come.

"Eternals" is in theaters now.

Read this next: Every Pre-MCU Marvel Movie Ranked

The post Eternals Writers Blame This Marvel Character for Thanos' Snap appeared first on /Film.

It's been nearly two months since "Squid Game" debuted on Netflix, and we still can't get enough. It'll be a while before we've all collectively recovered from the devastating reveal of episode 6, "Gganbu," and mourned the lives of the fictional characters lost over the course of the games. But to help ease the pain, Netflix has released some behind-the-scenes footage to provide an inside look at how they made "Squid Games" look so thrilling, and get to see the personalities of some of the actors on the show.

The new video features a compilation of clips from throughout the series, with show creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk offering his expertise to the cast and crew. Everything from how Dong-hyuk instructed actors to react to the deaths during the dalgona candy carving scene to the impressive way they pulled off the exploding glass platform are shown without the final visual or sound effects. Between takes, the camera allows some of the performers to show more of who they are outside of their characters. If you weren't already in love with Jung Ho-yeon -- the actor who plays player 067, Kang Sae-byeok -- these videos will make sure of it.

Most notably, the behind-the-scenes featurette explains how expertly crafted the Tug of War challenge was, including moments like Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) almost falling off of the platform. Check out the video below to see how it all went down.

Squid Game Behind The Scenes Featurette

For obvious reasons, the Tug of War competition wasn't actually played on a platform high enough off the ground to kill anyone who fell off of it. But to keep things as realistic as possible, the actors all had to legitimately pull on the rope. When the actors' feet slide across the platform, they're not acting, they're genuinely being pulled by the rope and trying to keep their balance. Movie magic can do a lot of things, but we've not quite developed the technology to fake Tug of War.

The camera stays on the actors as they sweat, scream, and act their freakin' hearts out. Even surrounded by blue screens and with cameras in their faces, you can't help but be captivated by all of their performances. Lee Yoo-mi, the actor who played player 240, Ji-yeong, at one point giggles after a "cut" call saying, "My hands are shaking." We even get a glimpse at Gi-hun's near-fall off the platform, safely rigged with a wire to prevent the actor Lee Jung-jae from actually falling off, and allowing the space to make the near-fall look as dramatic as possible.

Perhaps most interesting is watching Dong-hyuk direct the death scenes during the dalgona scene. Rather than play triggering sounds of gunfire, Dong-hyuk merely yells "BANG!" through a megaphone, and the field of actors all flinch as if they've just heard a gun go off. It's a true testament to all of the actors, extras included, and to Dong-hyuk for keeping a safe set for all involved.

Read this next: 14 Korean Horror Movies You Need To See

The post Squid Game Behind-the-Scenes Video Explores the Most Brutal Tug of War Game Ever appeared first on /Film.

YouTube today announced its decision to make the "dislike" count on videos private across its platform. The decision is likely to be controversial given the extent that it impacts the public's visibility into a video's reception. From a report: But YouTube believes the change will better protect its creators from harassment and reduce the threat of what it calls "dislike attacks" -- essentially, when a group teams up to drive up the number of dislikes a video receives. The company says that while dislike counts won't be visible to the public, it's not removing the dislike button itself. Users can still click the thumbs down button on videos to signal their dislike to creators privately. Meanwhile, creators will be able to track their dislikes in YouTube Studio alongside other analytics about their video's performance, if they choose. The change follows an experiment YouTube ran earlier this year whose goal was to determine if these sorts of changes would reduce dislike attacks and creator harassment. At the time, YouTube explained that public dislike counts can affect creators' well-being and may motivate targeted campaigns to add dislikes to videos. While that's true, dislikes can also serve as a signal to others when videos are clickbait, spam, or misleading, which can be useful.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

My now ex-husband met his first ambrosia salad at a buffet in Aberdeen, Mississippi, after Sunday school at my grandparent’s church. He’d grown up in Virginia and Florida, two states that can be—but aren’t always—captial-S Southern. His father lived near DC and his mother, who had converted to Judaism when he was an…

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Researchers from software development company JFrog and industrial cybersecurity firm Claroty have identified a total of 14 new vulnerabilities in BusyBox, and on Tuesday they detailed some of their findings.

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The Elder Scrolls VI was first teased back at E3 2018, but over three years later, we’ve yet to hear anything new about the game. Bethesda has hinted we still have a long wait ahead of us, but just how far away is the game exactly? Well, you may want to reserve your excitement – in a new interview with IGN, Bethesda executive producer Todd Howard hinted The Elder Scrolls VI may not arrive before 2026.

While those exact words were not spoken, a number of clues were dropped. When IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey implied it would end up being 15 years between Skyrim and Elder Scrolls VI, Howard didn’t dispute it. He also admitted more than once that work hasn’t really started in earnest on Elder Scrolls yet. Later, Howard said he likes to do two years of pre-production and two years of full production on most games, and that Bethesda still prefers to focus on one project at a time. All these numbers – the game coming 15 years after Skyrim, Howard wanting to do 4 years of production after Starfield ships in 2022 – point to a 2026 date for the next Elder Scrolls. That’s a long wait, and Howard admitted the potential 15-year gap isn’t ideal, but said those at the studio felt making Starfield was a “now or never” moment.

Would you plan to have the kind of gap we're having between Skyrim and the [Elder Scrolls] follow up? I can't say that's a good thing. I wish I could wave a wand and the game that we want to make and we haven't -- we're starting things on -- just came out. Absolutely, yeah, but there's other things we want to do, right? Obviously, Fallout 4 was a huge success. We spent a lot of time on that. We wanted to into online with Fallout 76. We felt doing something like Starfield... we've wanted to do something else for a long time and play in a new universe. Well, if not now [...] when? And it felt like the when, if we didn't do it then, the when could be never. We felt pretty good about Elder Scrolls was as a franchise, particularly Elder Scrolls Online, that yeah, now is the time to do Starfield.

Thankfully, Howard did seem pretty confident about Starfield’s 2022 release, insisting the game is now fully playable. Of course, Bethesda isn’t just about the Elder Scrolls – people are eager for a new traditional Fallout game, too. When asked directly about it, Howard admitted they have a one-page outline for Fallout 5, which probably won’t be handed to another studio, even if Fallout: New Vegas creators Obsidian are now under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella with them…

Fallout's really part of our DNA here. We've worked with other people from time to time, I can't say what's going to happen. We have a one-pager [outline] on Fallout 5. Again, if I could wave my want and have that out. I'd like to find a way to accelerate what we do, but I can't really say today or commit to what's going to happen when other than... our cadence is Starfield then Elder Scrolls.

Starfield is scheduled to hit PC and Xbox Series X/S on November 11, 2022. What are your thoughts on Bethesda’s future slate? Will you be able to maintain excitement for Elder Scrolls VI all the way until 2026?

The post Elder Scrolls VI May Not Arrive Until Skyrim’s 15th Birthday, Fallout 5 Has Been Outlined by Nathan Birch appeared first on Wccftech.

As more and more people adopt a work-from-home lifestyle, a good antivirus has never been more important. This may be the reasoning behind the recent buyout of McAfee, which saw an investor shell out over $14 billion for the famous security suite.

Those who've seen director Chloé Zhao's "Eternals" have been introduced to Dr. Dane Whitman ⁠— played by Kit Harington, aka Jon Snow in HBO's "Game of Thrones" ⁠— as a professor at the Natural History Museum in London, where he's been dating his colleague, fellow classroom instructor and scholar Sersi (Gemma Chan).

Subsequent events see Sersi explain her backstory as an Eternal to Dane, but it's ultimately Dane who stands poised to tell Sersi about his recently discovered and "complicated" family history, as he considers whether to wield what appears to be an ancient family heirloom.

In Marvel Comics, Dane Whitman was co-created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, debuting as the heroic Black Knight in "The Avengers" #47-48 in 1967. But even in his earliest appearances, Dane was already saddled with a complicated backstory, since his uncle, Nathan Garrett, first popped up as the villainous Black Knight in 1963's "Tales to Astonish" #52, barely four years before his nephew.

In the years since, Dane Whitman has made recurring appearances in "Avengers" comics, scored solo appearances in U.S. and U.K. anthology titles, and headlined his own miniseries, one-shots, and ongoing series, all while working his way through a succession of super-weapons, flying "steeds," superhero teams, love interests, and even native universes, as Marvel has continually sought to answer the question you're all asking now: Who is the Black Knight?

His Family History Is Indeed Complicated

Before Nathan Garrett, Marvel Comics' very first Black Knight was Sir Percival of Scandia, co-created by writer Stan Lee and artist Joe Maneely in "Black Knight" #1 in 1955, published by Marvel back when it was still called Atlas Comics.

Lee applied the superhero secret identity trope to Arthurian legends by having Sir Percy adopt the persona of a cowardly fop, so no one would suspect he was the fearsome Black Knight, defender of Camelot, armed with the "Ebony Blade" that Merlin had forged from a meteorite.

Percival held his own as the Black Knight well enough to repel an attempted Viking invasion of Camelot, personally led by Thor of Asgard, but Arthur's nephew Mordred ultimately defeated Percy by stabbing him with the "Ebony Dagger," forged from the same meteorite as his blade.

Time travel temporarily sent Percival forward to the early 20th century, where he was deemed insane and sent to the Ravencroft mental asylum, before he briefly switched bodies with the present-day Dane Whitman and met the "Excalibur" team of British superheroes and X-Men.

Percival's spirit selected Dane Whitman as his successor after rejecting his direct descendant, scientist and inventor Nathan Garrett, even though Nathan unearthed both Percy's tomb and the Ebony Blade. Nathan decided to spite his ancestor by making "the Black Knight" synonymous with supervillainy, committing crimes with medieval weapons that employed modern technology and riding a genetically engineered winged horse.

Two Generations Of Black Knights Swapped Allies And Adversaries

Although both Black Knights served stints on the "Masters of Evil," Dane Whitman only did so to infiltrate the supervillain team, and to make amends for his uncle Nathan's misdeeds.

After Nathan Garrett faced off against Hank Pym twice, the villainous Black Knight was admitted into the Masters of Evil, following an audition pitting him against Spider-Man in New York City. Nathan's subsequent outing with the Masters of Evil saw them all defeated by the Avengers, preserving the villainous Black Knight's perfect record of zero victories, and culminating in humiliation as Thor rode Nathan's flying horse, Elendil. Because Nathan could never let go of his grudge against the Avengers — and Iron Man in particular — he wound up mortally wounded from falling off Elendil.

With his dying breaths, Nathan contacted his nephew, fellow scientist Dane Whitman, and confessed to his villainous misdeeds, while urging Dane to eschew his example and do good instead. Although the Avengers initially mistook Dane for Nathan, Dane was granted provisional membership in the Avengers after he managed to deceive the Masters of Evil. 

Dane Whitman would finally attain full official Avengers membership in 1969's "Avengers" #71 after he single-handedly defeated Kang the Conqueror in a contest staged by the Grandmaster.

His Stint On The 'Jacket Avengers' Got Him Into The Eternals Film

The early 1990s were the apex of Dane's tenure as an Avenger, when almost all the team's members wore uniform brown leather bomber jackets over their costumes. While this era of "Jacket Avengers" has drawn no shortage of criticisms from comics fans, it also earned Dane his guest-starring shot in the "Eternals" film.

"Eternals" producer Nate Moore told ComicBook that the film included the relationship between Dane and Sersi "for comic readers who loved the Avengers in the '90s," when Dane played a major role on the team.

The 1992 "Operation: Galactic Storm" crossover saw Dane side with Iron Man and the faction of Avengers who wanted to kill the Kree's Supreme Intelligence for perpetrating the genocide of its own people. Not only did Dane strike the killing blow against the Supreme Intelligence, but he also became the de facto field leader of the Avengers after Captain America quit the team in disgust over their actions.

Dane and Sersi's emerging romance was complicated by Sersi's mental illness, caused by the Eternals' "Mahd W'yry" disease (pronounced "Mad Weary," as exhibited by Angelina Jolie's Thena in the film), which led Sersi to kill villains and get framed for two police officers' murders.

Fellow Eternal Ikaris bonded Dane and Sersi as "Gann Josin" soulmates in a bid to slow her mental decline, but by then, Dane had decided he was more in love with Crystal of the Inhumans, because ...

He Can't Keep His 'Cursed Blade' In His Pants

Even by the soap opera standards of Marvel Comics superheroes, Dane Whitman is an HR nightmare of toxic dealings with his coworkers (and any other woman who enters his orbit).

During the 1986-87 "Under Siege" story arc that ran through "Avengers" #270-277, Dane admitted to being thrown off his game by his desire to impress team leader Janet Van Dyne, aka the Wasp, who was freshly split from Hank Pym. Dane's persistent distraction during combat, including his low-key jealousy over Jan's dalliance with the mercenary Paladin, contributed to the success of Baron Zemo and the Masters of Evil in attacking the Avengers Mansion.

When Dane's wandering eye lingered on Crystal, not only was he still dating Sersi, but Crystal was still married to once-and-future Avenger Quicksilver, with whom she had a daughter, Luna.

In 2021, the "Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade" comic revealed that, as a young man, Dane had intended to propose to Ashima Chopra, but lost his nerve after she was diagnosed with cancer. Ashima died without receiving a hospital visit from Dane, and without letting him know that she'd given birth to their daughter, Jackie.

Dane's least problematic relationship was with Lady Victoria Bentley, whose English estate neighbored the castle he'd inherited from his uncle, Nathan Garrett. Both Victoria and Dane had gone on adventures with Doctor Strange by the time Dane revealed his secret identity as the Black Knight to Victoria, but even this ended badly.

His Foes Are Even Darker Reflections Of The Black Knight

Victoria Bentley was killed, by accident, by Dane Whitman's former squire, a young Irishman named Sean Dolan, in "Avengers" #366 in 1993, while Sean was fighting Deadpool.

After being introduced in "Black Knight" #2 in 1990, Sean was possessed by the Ebony Blade and became "Bloodwraith" in "Avengers Annual" #22, only four months prior to Victoria's death. The tragedy was that Sean, who was so thoughtlessly cast aside as Dane's squire, was also angered by Dane's abandonment of Victoria, because Dane Whitman has all the familial instincts of a Galápagos tortoise.

Bloodwraith rode Valinor, Dane's second winged steed as the Black Knight, because it was the early '90s, so Marvel Comics wanted each hero to have their own "dark duplicate" adversary in hopes of spawning the next Venom. Rarely was this more obvious than when the Avengers were attacked by the Gatherers, a team of alternate universe versions of themselves led by Proctor, who was revealed to be the cause of Sersi's Mahd W'yry and a multiversal variant of Dane Whitman himself.

Because Proctor had embraced the "blood curse" (more on that below) of his Ebony Blade, rather than resisting it as "our" Dane had done, his Gann Josin link with Sersi drove her so insane that she destroyed the Earth, forcing him to kill her. Ever since, Proctor had made it his mission to murder Sersi in every reality.

He's Racked Up Frequent Flier Miles In The Multiverse

After "our" Sersi killed Proctor, she was offered an opportunity to recover from her Mahd W'yry, by retreating to yet another universe. Dane felt guilty enough to join her.

Here's where the real world intervenes, because in 1994, Marvel purchased Malibu Comics, which had its own shared superhero universe, branded the "Ultraverse." Not only did Sersi and Dane find themselves on the Earth of the Ultraverse, but Dane joined its resident superhero team, Ultraforce, eventually becoming its leader, while Sersi was temporarily possessed by a seventh Infinity Stone, the Ego Gem, that's never appeared before or since.

In the meantime, a contest between Loki and the Grandmaster pitted Ultraforce against the Avengers, with the Black Knight as a wild card, but then, the combined power of the Infinity Stones coalesced into an entity known as Nemesis, who began blending the Ultraverse and the Marvel Comics Universe. The two teams joined forces, and the Black Knight defeated Nemesis by scattering the Infinity Stones with a blow from a Nazi version of the Ebony Blade.

Even after 1995's reality-warping "Black September" event, Dane Whitman remained so much himself that there was inevitably sexual tension between him and one of his Ultraforce teammates, Ultraverse warrior queen Topaz (who loosely inspired Rachel House's character in "Thor: Ragnarok").

He's Been Turned To Stone (More Than Once)

Dane and Sersi's trip home from the Ultraverse detoured through the 12th century, where Dane's spirit inhabited the body of another ancestor, Crusader Sir Eobar Garrington. But it wasn't Dane's first "Quantum Leap" back into the history of his own bloodline, nor was the "Avengers/Ultraforce" crossover his first time caught between the Avengers and another superhero team.

In "Defenders" #4 in 1973, the Black Knight didn't so much join the team as become part of its décor, after the Enchantress misled him into believing she loved him as part of her evil schemes, then turned him to stone with a kiss.

While Valkyrie (who made her debut in this issue) adopted Aragorn, Dane's first flying horse, Dane's spirit astrally projected into the past to take possession of Sir Eobar for the first time. When Loki and Dormammu deceived Defenders member Doctor Strange into believing he needed the Evil Eye of Avalon to restore Dane to life in the present day, it led to the 1973 "Avengers/Defenders War" crossover between the two titles.

Before he returned from inhabiting Eobar's body, Dane recovered Captain Britain from the Arthurian era. But it wasn't until Namor the Sub-Mariner used the Ebony Blade to slay his wife Marrina, who'd become the monstrous Leviathan, that the sword's previously purged "blood curse" became resurgent, first turning Dane's body into the same mystic metal as the blade, then reverting him to a stone statue.

He's Gone Through A Few Swords (And Shields)

Victoria Bentley not only tended to Dane's statue, but also attempted to revive him through magic, which instead summoned the spirit of Sir Percival to possess Dane's restored body. It was Sir Percy who recruited Sean Dolan as his squire, whom Dane kept on for a while. By bonding his soul to the Ebony Blade, the original Black Knight also resurrected Dane Whitman.

In "Doctor Strange" #68 in 1984, Dane learned from the Sorcerer Supreme that the Ebony Blade is cursed to drive its bearer closer to madness every time it draws blood. By "Avengers" #295 in 1988, this curse drew blood from anyone who so much as touched the Black Knight — even Thor was wounded, simply from laying hands on Dane's armored exoskeleton — so after Dane became a statue for a second time, he decided he was done with the Ebony Blade and built himself a "Photon Sword" (also spelled "Lightsaber") instead, which made its debut in "Avengers" #343 in 1992.

Dane used this Photon Sword to kill the Kree's Supreme Intelligence in "Operation: Galactic Storm" and to fight Sean Dolan when he wielded the Ebony Blade and became Bloodwraith. But the Photon Sword didn't join Dane in returning from the Ultraverse, so the same Lady of the Lake who'd gifted Excalibur to Arthur gave Dane the Shield of Night, which absorbs energy, and the Sword of Light, which emits that energy, in "Heroes for Hire" #2 in 1997.

He's Cycled Through A Few Flying Steeds, Too (One 'Atomic')

Dane Whitman personally wielded Excalibur in the U.K. anthology "Hulk Comic" #42-63 from 1979-80, but his first weapon as the Black Knight was the multi-projectile "Power Lance" invented by his uncle, Nathan Garrett. However, instead of also inheriting Nathan's genetically engineered steed, Elendil, it was further mutated and fell into the possession of mad scientist Bram Velsing, who hoped the "Hellhorse" would help him wrest control of Castle Frankenstein from Frankenstein's monster.

Dane used Nathan's genetic engineering techniques to turn another horse, Aragorn, into his first flying steed, which was later adopted by Valkyrie and died in battle alongside her during the 2019 "War of the Realms" crossover. When Dane returned from the 12th century, he brought along his second winged steed, Valinor, but this horse was also abandoned by him and adopted by another, this time Sean Dolan as Bloodwraith.

The only steed Dane managed to retain was Strider, the magical winged horse gifted to him by the Lady of the Lake, even though it's been some time since readers have seen Dane using the Lady's Sword of Light or Shield of Night. (And yes, both Dane and Nathan were huge nerds for J.R.R. Tolkien.)

Dane's most memorable flying "horse," though, was his "Atomic Steed," a saddle-shaped sky-bike used by the High Evolutionary's Knights of Wundagore, one of which the Avengers simply swiped and chucked into storage until Dane discovered it half a dozen years later.

He Fought Dracula With British Intelligence (But He's Not British)

The Black Knight's legacy began in medieval England, and Nathan Garrett was born in London, but Dane Whitman was born in New England to a rich family in Gloucester, Massachusetts. And yet, Dane still served a brief stint on MI-13, the fictional British intelligence agency established to handle paranormal occurrences.

In "New Excalibur" #10-11 in 2006, Dane learned that eight men held the Ebony Blade before Sir Percival, but that Sir Percy was deemed the only one noble enough to resist its corruption while wielding it. During the 15-issue run of "Captain Britain and MI-13" from 2008-09, Dane discovered not only that the Ebony Blade he'd concluded was real was instead a fake created by Dracula, but also that Sersi had given him a literal heart of stone to keep him "above it all" emotionally.

Dane joined MI-13 and battled Skrulls in London as part of the 2008-09 "Secret Invasion" crossover. Along the way, he bonded with fellow MI-13 agent Dr. Faiza Hussain, a Muslim medic and the modern wielder of Excalibur. Dane made Faiza his squire, and after he recovered the real Ebony Blade from Wakanda, he helped MI-13 repel a Dracula-led vampire invasion of the British Isles. Ultimately, Faiza destroyed Dracula with Excalibur and attained knighthood, Dane's stone heart was restored, and because Dane is Dane, he and Faiza hooked up.

The Black Knight Has A Dark Heart

In recent years, Dane Whitman has suffered hard knocks ranging from bouts of insanity to losing his fourth winged steed, Galadriel, who only appeared in three comic book issues between 2020-21. But of all the retconned reveals, 2020-21's "King in Black" and 2021's "Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade" forced Dane to confront the harshest truths yet about himself.

While Dane envisioned himself as a noble crusader, able to wield the Ebony Blade because of his innate goodness, he learned that he and his ancestors were chosen by the Ebony Blade because they were impure of heart. Not only were Dane's forebears not the paragons of virtue he'd imagined, since each inevitably succumbed to their own inner darkness, but Dane realized he only acted as a hero out of performative narcissism, which made him a "worthy" wielder of the Ebony Blade because he did the right deeds for the wrong reasons.

And because Dane had deserted the love of his life as she was dying of cancer, he did not know she'd borne his daughter until he met Jackie "Jacks" Chopra as an adult. Ironically, Dane had tapped Jackie as an Arthurian history buff to better understand his own family.

Dane came to terms with his faults, but still expected Jacks to reject him as her father. While she was initially furious, she ultimately offered to lessen the burden of the Ebony Blade's curse by sharing the role of the Black Knight with him.

Read this next: 13 Fantasy Films That Never Got Sequels

The post Things only comics fans know about Eternals' Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight appeared first on /Film.

There's an argument to be made that Joel and Ethan Coen are not only the most consistently interesting filmmakers of the past several decades, but have transcended any generational comparisons to rank among the greatest filmmakers of all time. Across 18 films, the Coens have created countless memorable characters, reinvigorated old genres, experimented with musical selections, and invented dialogue that is still quoted by film buffs.

The Coens began their career with the low budget neo-noir thriller "Blood Simple," which debuted in 1984. While some directorial debuts by famous filmmakers are mere showcases for their future successes, "Blood Simple" immediately announced the Coens as inventive, practical craftsmen. What's even more remarkable is that their next string of projects had little in common with the low-budget mystery; "Raising Arizona," "Miller's Crossing," "Barton Fink," "Fargo," and "The Big Lebowski" are all wildly different in tone.

It's tough to pinpoint a pinnacle in the Coens' career, but "No Country for Old Men" is certainly their masterpiece. The 2007 adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's neo-noir western thriller earned the brothers the Academy Award wins they had long deserved, including best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay. The film follows the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad. Texas rancher Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) uncovers a bag of stolen cash from a crime scene, but unbeknownst to him the lethal assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) has waged a one-man war across the desert to recover it.

If you loved "No Country for Old Men," watch these great movies next.

The Man Who Wasn't There

The Coens' have such a unique filmmaking style that they're even able to reinvent the classic works of other great filmmakers. Henry Hathaway's 1968 western "True Grit" is among the signature great American western films and featured John Wayne in one of his definitive screen roles, yet the Coens' 2010 remake starring Jeff Bridges was an even stronger version of the same story. The Coens also reworked the classic 1955 British comedy "The Ladykillers," with Tom Hanks stepping in for the role Sir Alec Guinness had made iconic; it's generally not seen as a high point in their careers, but showed their willingness to put a new spin on beloved source material.

However, working within the style of the "Master of Suspense" himself, Alfred Hitchcock, was an ambitious task even for the Coens. Hitchcock homages are rarely successful, and some such as Gus Van Sant's 1998 remake of "Psycho" are still mocked to this day. Thankfully, the Coens delivered a terrific new take on Hitchocock's noir themes with their 2001 neo-noir film "The Man Who Wasn't There." While not directly based on any of Hitchcock's classics, the Coens' emulated his stories of men caught in over their head with a black-and-white Old Hollywood tribute.

The film follows reclusive barber Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thorton), who begins blackmailing his wife Doris's (Frances McDormand) hapless employer Big Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini). Like "No Country For Old Men," it's a masterclass in perpetual anxiety.

The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

"No Country for Old Men" isn't only a thrilling neo-noir, but a commentary on the western genre itself. Set amidst the isolated ranches of West Texas in the 1980s, the film explores how cyclical violence has transformed the promises of the American frontier into a modern nightmare. It looks at the reality behind the mythologized American West, as the elder Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is forced to reckon with how he can no longer recognize the duty he once held. As the title itself suggests, his generation is at odds with a new era of mayhem.

The same year the Coens' spotlighted these societal shifts, writer0director Andrew Dominik deconstructed one of the most famous Western figures of all-time with his revisionist epic "The Assassination of Jesse James." The nearly three-hour western masterpiece explores the final days of the infamous outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) from the eyes of his biggest fan, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck). Ford adores James and wants nothing more than to join his elite team in their famous train robberies, but once employed he finds himself dissatisfied. Ford's jealousy brews ahead of their gripping final encounter.

Like "No Country for Old Men," "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" features the incredible visual flare of cinematographer Roger Deakins. Deakins crafts a haunting look at the stark western landscapes, with moments of sudden violence disrupting the still images.

The Counselor

One of the reasons "No Country for Old Men" is so singular within the Coens' filmography is the unique inspiration of author Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy is a brilliant writer who crafts grim, isolating tales about the perils of human existence, and his bleak novels have inspired many great film adaptations. John Hillcoat's "The Road," Billy Bob Thorton's "All Them Pretty Horses," and Tommy Lee Jones' "The Sunset Limited" took inspiration from some of McCarthy's most famous works. In 2013, Ridley Scott took on an interesting challenge with "The Counselor," for which McCarthy wrote his first spec script, and the unusual crime saga continues to divide fans of both the author and Scott.

Like "No Country for Old Men," "The Counselor" is an ensemble epic that depicts the aftermath of a violent crime as it affects a group of morally grey characters. A shady lawyer known only as "The Counselor" (Michael Fassbender) uses his involvement in an illicit drug syndicate near the Mexican border to buy expensive luxury items for his girlfriend Laura (Penelope Cruz), planning to soon wed her. The Counselor purchases rare artifacts from an exotic dealer named Reiner (Javier Bardem), whose girlfriend Malkina (Cameron Diaz) enjoys pushing Laura to her extremes. However, the Counselor's seemingly promising future is threatened when he meets with his business contact Westray (Brad Pitt), who informs him that one of the deals went bad, and that they've all become targets. The plot is complex, but McCarthy's commentary on greed unites the intersecting storylines.

Sweet Virginia

"No Country for Old Men" is unique in how it reimagines both classic noir stories and iconic western imagery in a more modern context. While the film is set in the '80s, its storyline of deceit and betrayal are similar to western classics, allowing the Coens to reflect on the genre itself. Modern westerns seek to revitalize the inherently exciting tales of gunslingers, bounty hunters, and ne'er do wells from a more realistic perspective; "Sweet Virginia" is an underrated entry into the subgenre.

"Sweet Virginia" is set amidst the backdrop of the 2016 presidential election and follows a series of violent exchanges that transform a small Virginian town. Three local residents holding their weekly poker tournament are questioned by the mysterious drifter Elwood (Christopher Abbott), who enters the bar and tries to provoke them into conflict; the unsettled young man ends up killing them all. It's an act of aggression that the community has never seen before, but exposes a conspiracy involving one of the victim's wives, Lila McCabe (Imogen Poots). Lila seeks the protection of the reclusive former bull rider Sam Rossi (Jon Bernthal), who has isolated himself after a personal tragedy.

Like "No Country for Old Men," "Sweet Virginia" reflects on the cruelty of the west and depicts characters who have lost all hope. Abbott's depiction of a crazed killer recalls Bardem's performance, as he dispatches with his victims in a nearly robotic fashion. In addition, Bernthal delivers a more sensitive take on the reluctant western hero.

The Maltese Falcon

"No Country for Old Men" is a great mystery. Although the actions of Anton Chigurh and his connection to Llewelyn aren't immediately clear, the Coens steadily reveal clues about the busted drug deal and what each of the characters' goals are. Llewelyn hides many of the details from his wife, Carla (Kelly McDonald), trying to protect her by keeping her in the dark. A guilt-ridden Llewelyn even returns to the scene of the crime to return the stolen cash, only to find all the participants massacred by Chigurh. Other key moments of conflict aren't shown on screen, and are instead left to the viewer's imagination. Ed is left to piece together the clues after showing up too late.

When talking about the great mystery films, it would be impossible not to mention John Huston's 1941 classic "The Maltese Falcon." Huston's adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's classic hard-boiled detective novel was essential in the development of noir films, and like "No Country for Old Men" it's an adaptation that surpasses its source material. Humphrey Bogart's sharp-witted private eye Sam Spade is an iconic screen hero who has grown cynical after dealing with criminals and outlaws. Like Ed in "No Country for Old Men," he questions the role he plays in bringing justice to a dark world, and wonders if his nobility is futile. Similar to the Coens, Huston maintains the same level of heightened suspense through the film's tragic closing moments.

Rashomon

"No Country for Old Men" is a complex film with a sensitive depiction of each of the three main characters' different worldviews. Ed, Anton, and Llewelyn each have a different perspective on the central crime, and the viewer is left to piece together the puzzle by analyzing the information that each character is exposed to. Ed simply wants to protect civilians from future crimes, and doesn't have any personal stake in recovering the bounty. Llewelyn isn't inherently greedy, but knows the stolen profits could provide a better life for him and Carla. Anton is impossible to read; he shows almost no emotions, other than occasionally reveling at his own demented actions.

The legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosowa mastered the ensemble crime epic with 1950's "Rashomon." The mystery surrounding a murdered samurai warrior is seemingly cut-and-dry, but Kurosowa exposes a more complex understanding of the case by unraveling it from four different characters' points of view. The deceitful bandit Tajōmaru (Toshiro Mifune) boasts that he was able to trick the powerful warrior, courting him into a noble duel for his wife's honor. However, the samurai's wife (Machiko Kyō) claims that both men acted poorly and grew to despise her. The samurai himself (Masayuki Mori) saw himself as compassionate to his wife, who was raped by Tajōmaru. However, the woodcutter Kikori (Takashi Shimura), who has no personal involvement in the duel, explains that each of the characters have lied during their accounts, and gives the definitive version of the story.

Mean Streets

"No Country for Old Men" is absolutely remorseless. The Coens don't attempt to sanitize anything in their violent crime epic, and the film is devoid of sentimental moments that would disrupt the story's realism. They also are unafraid to push storytelling boundaries, as "No Country for Old Men" does not follow a traditional three-act structure. Martin Scorsese has taken similar risks throughout his career, and although his early work in the 1960s hinted at the legendary brutality he would become known for, 1973's "Mean Streets" was the film that solidified Scorsese's reputation in Hollywood.

Like "No Country for Old Men," "Mean Streets" follows complex criminals who question their mortality. Scorsese often deals with themes of Catholic guilt and male anxiety, and both are at the forefront of "Mean Streets." The film follows Charlie (Harvey Keitel), an anxious young Italian-American man in New York City who must constantly watch over his violent friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro). Charlie seeks redemption in the eyes of the Church for his misdeeds, but also cares deeply for Johnny Boy and doesn't want to see him harmed. Keitel captures his tormented spirit in heartbreaking fashion, and it's fascinating to see an early performance from De Niro considering his later collaborations with Scorsese.

Badlands

Neo-noir westerns like "No Country for Old Men" can make us reconsider our relationship to outlaw culture by depicting, in detail, what these crimes actually look like. Classic western stories often idolize and even celebrate the actions of violent outlaws, paying little regard to the victims. Setting these stories in the Old West gives the viewer emotional distance, but if they're framed in a more recognizable context, the ramifications of violence are evident. "No Country for Old Men" certainly does this with its stripped-down depiction of Anton Chigurh's bloody quest.

Terrence Malick took a similarly sensitive approach to violent material with his 1973 directorial debut "Badlands." The film questions the exploits of a Bonnie and Clyde-esque duo that was loosely inspired by the real series of murders committed by teenagers Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate in the late 1950s. The film follows Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen), a wandering outlaw who fashions himself as the next James Dean. Kit falls in love with Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek) and helps her escape from her overbearing father (Warren Oates). The love-stricken pair goes on a murder spree throughout West Texas, and become media icons. Surprisingly, other young people view them as celebrities and applaud their actions. Malick questions why young people are drawn to violence, and how systemic family issues affect the troubled generation.

The Sugarland Express

Steven Spielberg certainly isn't a director that sparks immediate comparisons to the Coen brothers. Compared to the Coens' wacky characters, strange dialogue, and disorienting visuals, Spielberg tells straight-forward stories with a much more formal style. Both are brilliant in their own right, and Spielberg became one of the greatest filmmakers of all time by telling earnest stories about heroism. However, its somewhat surprising that Spielberg's first theatrical feature film after the television film "Duel" bears a closer resemblance to "No Country for Old Men" than it does to "Jaws," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Saving Private Ryan," or "Schindler's List." The dark, anarchic thriller is a grim and satirical crime saga told with Spielberg's signature attention to detail.

Spielberg is often associated with the New Hollywood generation that emerged following 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde," and "The Sugarland Express" tells a similar story about runaway outlaws bound by affection. The film follows Lou Jean Poplin (Goldie Hawn), a struggling mother who visits her husband Clovis Michael Poplin (William Atherton) when he's about to be released from prison. Clovis still has four months left on his sentence, but Lou helps him escape nonetheless in order to protect their child. They lead a chase across multiple Texas towns, and the number of cops pursuing them increases after each stop.

Like "No Country for Old Men," Spielberg explores the lives of local, everyday Texans with sensitivity. Each of the cities the Poplins visit is distinct, and depicts the reality of living in an isolated community.

Before The Devil Knows You're Dead

Guilt is an important theme in "No Country for Old Men." Llewelyn feels the pressure of stealing from the scene of a violent crime, and fears the effect that his actions will have on his wife. Ed also feels remorse as he witnesses the aftermath of the murders, as he feels that he's failed in his duty as a public servant. These empathetic characters make the story more emotionally gripping, and the action feels more exciting as a result. 

The same year that the Coens reached the high point of their filmography, another one of the greatest filmmakers of all time ended his career with a deeply disturbing tale about a heist gone wrong. Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" follows brothers Hank (Ethan Hawke) and Andy Hanson (Philip Seymour Hoffman), both of whom face financial struggles and are searching for a quick solution. Andy frequently spars with their parents, Charles (Albert Finney) and Nanette (Rosemary Harris), who own a luxury jewelry store. He proposes a scheme to Andy in which they rob the store, as they are familiar with its layout. The heist itself goes wrong when Nanette ends up working behind the counter on the day of the planned heist. She's killed during the robbery, and the brothers are forced to live with their involvement. Like "No Country for Old Men," "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is also told from multiple characters' points of view.

Point Blank

Stylized action is a key element of "No Country for Old Men." Chigurh's methods of execution are incredibly disturbing, and his meticulous tracking skills are distinct from the seemingly effortless murders he commits in rapid succession. One of the most memorable sequences in "No Country for Old Men" is when Chigurh questions a local shop owner about his life, suggesting that the man's life depends on successfully guessing the outcome of a coin toss.

Action cinema reached an early peak with John Boorman's 1967 classic "Point Blank." The film follows an enigmatic stranger named Walker (Lee Marvin) who is left for dead by his friend Mal Reese (John Vernon). Walker wakes up to find his life savings stolen and his wife Lynne (Sharon Acker) brutalized. Now on a path of vengeance, Walker tracks down all the men involved in the crime. Although he's a sympathetic character, Walker's tactics are oddly similar to Chigurh's

Red Rock West

The "heist gone wrong" storyline of "No Country for Old Men" echoes a popular theme in western neo-noirs, particularly those set on the outskirts of society. John Dahl's 1993 film "Red Rock West" is an excellent mystery thriller, but unfortunately the independent film underperformed financially after a successful festival run. "Red Rock West" doesn't reinvent the genre, but it's incredibly well directed and features one of Nicolas Cage's best early performances.

Cage stars as the former Marine Michael Williams, who becomes a mysterious drifter after being discharged from the service. Upon arriving in Red Rock, Wyoming, he is mistaken for a killer similar to Chigurh by the bartender Wayne (J. T. Walsh). Wayne recently hired an assassin to murder his wife Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle) and offers Michael the reward, but he instead tries to save the innocent woman's life. Tensions escalate when the actual assassin, Lyle (Dennis Hopper), aims to kill Michael before he reveals his identity.

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Over the weekend, the hacking group Fail0verflow claimed to have obtained PS5 root keys allow them to decrypt the console's firmware. "Additionally, Andy Nguyen (a security engineer at Google who's better known under his handle, theflow0) managed to access the PS5's debug settings menu on a retail PS5 over the weekend, too," adds The Verge. Is this the first steps towards jailbreaking Sony's latest console? The Verge's Chaim Gartenberg reports: The two exploits are particularly notable due to the level of access they theoretically give to the PS5's software. Decrypted firmware -- which is possible through Fail0verflow's keys -- would potentially allow for hackers to further reverse engineer the PS5 software and potentially develop the sorts of hacks that allowed for things like installing Linux, emulators, or even pirated games on past Sony consoles. For now, the two exploits won't result in much of a change for PS5 owners -- there's no sudden PS5 jailbreak available today, and neither Nguyen nor Fail0verflow have published the details of their respective hacks -- nor is it even clear if they ever will. Nguyen has already said that he has "no plans for disclosure" of his hack, while Wololo.net notes that Fail0verflow held off on publishing its PS4 hacks last console generation until Sony patched things, meaning that it's possible none of this will lead to concrete changes in the PS5 hacking scene.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The Foo Fighters are primarily known as one of the best rock bands today. But soon they'll be horror movie stars. The band led by charismatic and delightful frontman Dave Grohl will be at the center of a new horror movie called "Studio 666," which will find the band dealing with supernatural forces that threaten the creation of their new album and, more importantly, their lives. Find out everything we know about "Studio 666" right here.

Studio 666 Release Date And Where To Watch It

"Studio 666" was produced in secret, but now that the word is out there, we know the movie will be released exclusively in theaters by Open Road Films on February 25, 2021. We're not sure how long the movie will be in theaters before arriving on VOD, but it likely depends on how the box office turns out for the upcoming project.

What Is Studio 666?

As Dave Grohl succinctly put it when the existence of "Studio 666" was revealed, "After decades of ridiculous music videos and numerous music documentaries under our collective belts, it was finally time to take it to the next level... A full length feature horror comedy film."

"Studio 666" was filmed while Foo Fighters recorded their 10th studio album, "Medicine at Midnight." The film will follow the band as they move into a house in Encino to record the album and encounter a supernatural threat that could upend the creation of their music. Grohl said, "We wanted to recapture the classic magic that all of our favorite rock and roll movies had, but with a twist: hilarious gore that f***ing ROCKS."

It's been a long time since a band attempted a feature length genre film like this where they played themselves in a fictional story. The last time something like this happened was probably "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny." Coincidentally enough, Dave Grohl played The Devil in the movie starring Jack Black and Kyle Gass, so we know that he can be deliciously and musically twisted, not to mention funny, on the big screen.

Studios 666 Cast

Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters bandmates Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee will all play themselves in the movie. Will they all survive "Studio 666" and all the terror that comes from it? They all seem to be alive in the real world, but don't let that fool you.

The rest of the cast of "Studio 666" includes Whitney Cummings, Leslie Grossman, Will Forte, Jenna Ortega and Jeff Garlin. There's some good comedic talent there, so hopefully the laughs alongside the horror will be in great supply.

Studio 666 Director, Writer, And More

"Studio 666" is directed by BJ McDonnell, whose horror experience comes from directing "Hatchet III" and "Slayer The Repentless Killogy." McDonnell also served as camera operator on James Wan's "Malignant" and the upcoming "Top Gun: Maverick." McDonnell said:

"'Studio 666' is a perfect combination of all things I love. Rock, horror, and comedy all tied together in a very thrilling motion picture. I am so excited to have teamed up with the Foo Fighters to create an old school 'Band' movie. It's been years since we've seen something like the Beatles 'Help!', The Monkees 'Head', or 'KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.' Take that 60's / 70's old school band film fun, mix it with horror and 'Studio 666' is born! I am so ecstatic for audiences of film and music to come together and enjoy our film."

Dave Grohl came up with the story for "Studio 666" and the screenplay was written by Jeff Buhler (2019's "Pet Sematary" and "The Midnight Meat Train") and Rebecca Hughes ("Cracking Up"). 

The film is produced by Roswell Films' and Therapy Studios' John Ramsay & James A. Rota. Executive producers are John Silva, Kristen Welsh, John Cutcliffe, Gaby Skolnek, Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee, James Masciello, Matthew Sidari, Mitchell Zhang and Open Road's Tom Ortenberg.

Studio 666 Trailer And Synopsis

There isn't a trailer for "Studio 666" yet, but here's the official synopsis: 

In Studio 666, the legendary rock band Foo Fighters move into an Encino mansion steeped in grisly rock and roll history to record their much anticipated 10th album. Once in the house, Dave Grohl finds himself grappling with supernatural forces that threaten both the completion of the album and the lives of the band.

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