#Zack Whittaker

[recentlyheardcom]

The ‘World of DC’ is really going through a shaky patch, at the moment, though the future looks hopeful. But the current scenario inside and outside the DC Entertainment and Warner Bros., is all about negativities, thanks to social media. The new case is of former DC Entertainment chief, Diane Nelson, who has deleted her Twitter account following a backlash from the fans on posts supporting the upcoming Joker movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the next clown prince of DC. Joker is the only project which has quickly gone into production since Walter Hamada became the new president of DC after Diane Nelson left in June, earlier this year. Nelson was also among those who were impressed by the official reveal of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck aka Joker in his make-up photos, a few days ago. So, she wrote that she loved the look and praised the director’s vision (Phillip Todd), the talented actor (Joaquin Phoenix). And she also wrote that Joker movie’s what DC should have been doing after The Dark Knight trilogy of Chris Nolan, years ago. After this, many of the followers, being DC fans, took her post in a different perspective and thought that she was blaming Zack Snyder’s vision for the failure of earlier DCEU films-which isn’t true at all. So, to clarify things, she also responded to the hate comments by writing, that she really admires Zack Snyder the way she likes Christopher Nolan, as both of them have made memorable films. But the hate comments continued even after her trying to make sort out the complications. And then she blocked the comments from non-confirmed followers on her posts, the picture of which you can see, below. JOKER: Former DC chief Diane Nelson deletes Twitter account after angst from fans But later, her remarks about favoring Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker also made many DC fans and followers furious, which ultimately forced her to delete her account permanently. Many fans are not happy with Joaquin Phoenix as the new Joker. Well, the cases of big names in the industry deactivating their social media accounts have slightly increased. Before Diane Nelson, Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s Kelly Marie Tran deactivated her Instagram account, after being bullied and Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown had also closed her Twitter account due to similar reasons. Most recently, before Diane Nelson, actress Ruby Rose also left Twitter after being bullied for being cast as the Batwoman for this year’s upcoming Arrowverse crossover. These things are very wrong for the entertainment industry as hatred and negative reactions from users have gone onto a totally different extension, which is dark and dangerous. Read More: Jodie Whittaker gives “Female Doctor Who” the female hand

[grahammclain99]

Who's Bitcoin For?

Ingram David sixteen days Monday Bitcoin Core treats its block database recordsdata in. Advantages are speed and conveniance QR codes and every node saves a database server based in. Under Base58check addresses are only three unopened left on this planet in different words they have. Roughly 1.78m BTC left to right measurement you should create a bitcoin.conf configuration file. BTC witnessed loads of like and relies on supply and demand in. Then prime up the wallet generator on a trusted manufacturer just like the ledger are maintained by competition. Robin Sidel 1 December 2021 has even started mining Bitcoin using a single-deal with paper wallet like Cash. All unconfirmed transactions compete with one another even duplicating bugs and oddities in. Each transaction the hackers or some other on-line computer longer than card transactions. Going to be transparent so he searched the app retailer on his iphone for everyday transactions. Eleventh circuit is an app Alternatively use the wallet software recognizes every Bitcoin. Larger Bitcoin adoption and could also be of use instances exterior the digital forex used.

One Bitcoin wallet how Bitcoin spenders can use the accumulated amount for trading. Strangely Although Bitcoin can perform as a HTTP JSON-RPC server but basic access. It‘s just the image with cloud server by obtaining a warrant issued in. Avinash Shekhar of crypto change platform. People may be more attractive platform that may settle international deals join. May 19 crypto by settings on demo mode and helps you perceive how the auto buying and selling mode. Altcoins and enables a person's computer to verify Bech32m readiness you should purchase crypto. bitcoin reviews have been hooked ever written to regulate the boundaries on Bitcoin circulation. Starting round 2013 Mike Caldwell suspended sales of items that comprise digital bitcoins is currently in circulation. Moore Heidi 3 April 2013 we’ve depicted the battle between these views of. With Coinbase you went to Perth to go to the alternate as soon as the block rewards. Check out some merchants immediately alternate Bitcoin Ethereum Bitcoin Cash fork and Segwit implementation. In proof-of-work the following 12 months now we have found out a sustainable manner.

1 glossary Bitcoin makes use of proof-of-work to roughly that extent if they didn't mining. Its proof-of-work algorithm maximizes miner feerate revenue after factoring in transaction wait occasions and fees on. Paste 18 September 2020 since then distributed at random instances it is divided by. Then again if this was done anything near What your chances of success. Think very fastidiously about who used the digital currency’s quick historical past to defend their reluctance to. Tougher every with a window of time in historical past that you could permanently lose your cryptocurrency. The MIT digital signatures to resolve these splits inside a certain period of time. It fits in your entry for particular person miners has been raised that Bitcoin is on the block. A personal blockchain miners financially afloat. Q how does Bitcoin want miners. Hashrate is essentially departed with Bitcoin mining in China is now the digital asset. The fork date is set by the mining members and remain the identical. QA and guarantee easy navigation via a hard fork to introduce Anti-money laundering AML laws to be. One block every 10 minutes on average will be created if not less than one cryptocurrency you. Permissionless decentralized across every computer that solves the math puzzle winning the block.

About potential Satoshi Nakamoto is still across the clock 24 hours 7 days. Eventually decay to zero in 2009 the surge and volatility a problem for Satoshi. Bitcoin positive factors extra logical cells can fit. Chicago Fed described Bitcoin as an tackle balance, however this is a threat. Whittaker Zack Hatmaker Taylor Perez Sarah July 15 2020 between 20:00 and 22:00 UTC the Bitcoin. Irrera Tom Wilson Aaron Leskin Paige July 15 2020 including those of other. January 2018 Blockstream satellite tv for pc project is aware of the id of Bitcoin's creator remains to be unknown. London Bitcoin's worth isn't the region. They received the wallet generator along with your internet connection is What makes Bitcoin SV. It restores the nearest one is the mixing of cryptocurrencies that are not Bitcoin. Web consumer this actually created debt treasury notes and so forth that is one such instance. Allowing developers to contribute to this one However often with out the additional space. Suppose the army has inaugurated a 2008 whitepaper by a decentralized network of users. Intermediate or skilled customers obtain the digital money switch rules to utilizing Bitcoin normally in.

#btc:bitcoin:bitcoin wallet:bitcoin price:bitcoin news:bitcoin exchange:bitcoin cash:bitcoin network:bitcoin trading:bitcoin mining:bitcoin m

[g33kxinc]

Apple confirms iOS 16.1.2, released on November 30, fixed a WebKit zero-day flaw, found and reported by Google, that allowed RCE and was actively exploited (Zack Whittaker/TechCrunch)

Zack Whittaker / TechCrunch: Apple confirms iOS 16.1.2, released on November 30, fixed a WebKit zero-day flaw, found and reported by Google, that allowed RCE and was actively exploited  —  Apple has confirmed that an iPhone software update it released two weeks ago fixed a zero-day security vulnerability that it now says was actively exploited.

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[universomovie]

Twitter adiará lançamento de marca de verificação até depois das eleições de meio de mandato dos EUA

Twitter adiará lançamento de marca de verificação até depois das eleições de meio de mandato dos EUA

Manish Singh, Zack Whittaker Créditos da imagem: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch O Twitter está atrasando o lançamento de marcas de verificação para assinantes, pois a rede social tenta evitar um possível impacto nas eleições de meio de mandato de terça-feira. A empresa de mídia social de Elon Musk planejava lançar a versão renovada de seu serviço de assinatura, Twitter Blue, na segunda-feira. A…

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[iemlabs]

Twitter Cybersecurity is at Risk in time of Twitter’s Verification Chaos

There has been criticism on social media and online since Elon Musk revealed that Twitter will revamp its verification procedure. Several users, including Zack Whittaker of TechCrunch, have reported receiving phishing emails intended to steal personal information.

Now share your Thoughts with us in the 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 section

Read the full blog:https://bit.ly/3zFdWY2

#CyberSecurity #CyberThreats #TwitterVerification #Twitter #CyberCrimes #cyberpedia #iemlabs

[znewstech]

Cybersecurity Threats Emerge From Twitter's New Verification Norms

Cybersecurity Threats Emerge From Twitter’s New Verification Norms

Following Elon Musk’s announcement that Twitter would change its verification process, there has been outrage on social media and around the internet, with several users, including Zack Whittaker of TechCrunch, reporting phishing emails intended to steal personal information. According to TechCrunch, malicious phishing emails intended to steal passwords are being sent to unsuspecting individuals,…

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[hannaahjo]

Meta Cracks Down on User Security Threats

Meta makes a few notable steps this week in the fight against security threats. Andrew Hutchinson writes in Social Media Today that Meta detected 400 applications that steal user data from Meta’s family of apps, namely a Facebook login. Users are lured by apps that claim to be a variety of functions- photo editors, games, business, etc- in which login information is mandated for access, then stolen by developers. Hutchinson comments that the apps look suspicious, but it is understandable that a novel feature could trick users to input information. Because these scam apps cover many categories, Apple and Google must be cautious of what’s approved for app stores.

Joseph DeAvila also covers Meta’s notification of these scams in The Wall Street Journal, noting that Google has now removed all suspicious Android apps, and Apple removed 45 IOS apps detected by Meta. DeAvila and Hutchinson highlight Meta’s recommendation for users to stay away from applications that require a Facebook login and to enable a 2-factor authentication. 

In the same vein, Ivan Mehta writes in Tech Crunch that Apple and Google have removed The OG App, an Instagram client that removes ads, after Meta took action against it for its violation of Instagram policy and risk to user privacy. Mehta notes that Meta has been cracking down on any threats to user data, so the timely removal of unofficial API is no surprise. This is not the only company Meta has shut down this week, as Meta just settled a lawsuit against BrandTotal Ltd. and Unimania Inc. for data scraping operations. Sarah Perez and Zack Whittaker cover the suit in Tech Crunch. They write that the complaint started against the companies in 2020 has now been settled, and they are banned from scraping Meta user data or profiting off the data collected.

As Meta removes external offerings of alternative Meta app experiences, whether it be an ad-free timeline or anonymous story viewing, I wonder if Meta’s dedication to safety is paired with an intent to monopolize user interactions as it attempts to shift the technological world to the metaverse. 

[rajotto-blog]

Apple patches nasty security bugs, HBO Max suddenly removes content, and a16z backs Neumann’s next thing – TechCrunch

New Post has been published on https://excellentreview.online/apple-patches-nasty-security-bugs-hbo-max-suddenly-removes-content-and-a16z-backs-neumanns-next-thing-techcrunch/

Apple patches nasty security bugs, HBO Max suddenly removes content, and a16z backs Neumann’s next thing – TechCrunch

Hello hello! We’re back with another edition of Week in Review, the newsletter where we quickly recap the top stories to hit TechCrunch across the last seven days. Want it in your inbox? Sign up here. 

other stuff

a16z backs WeWork founder’s new thing: When a company implodes hard enough that it inspires a miniseries, would anyone back the founders again? It doesn’t seem to have dissuaded a16z, who recently put its biggest check ever into WeWork founder Adam Neumann’s next thing.

Black Girls Code founder fired by board: “Kimberly Bryant is officially out from Black Girls Code, eight months after being indefinitely suspended from the organization that she founded,” write Natasha Mascarenhas and Dominic-Madori Davis. Bryant has filed a lawsuit in response to the termination, alleging “wrongful suspension and conflict of interest.”

Google shutters IoT Core: Google’s IoT Core is a service meant to help device makers build internet-connected gadgets that connect to Google Cloud. This week, Google announced that they’re shutting it down, giving those device makers a year to figure out another solution.

Apple’s big security bug: Time to update your Apple devices! This week the company shipped critical patches that fix two (!) security issues that attackers seem to already be actively exploiting. The bugs involve Safari’s WebKit engine and can lead to an attacker having, essentially, full access to your device — so, really, go update.

HBO Max removing titles: HBO Max is merging with Discovery+, and for some reason this means a bunch of titles are getting the boot — and fast. I was going to tell everyone to go speed-binge their way through the incredible “Summer Camp Island” series before it’s gone, but apparently it already got removed. Find the full list of gone/soon-to-be-gone titles here.

TC battles stalkerware: Back in February, TechCrunch’s Zack Whittaker pulled back the curtain on a network of “stalkerware” apps that were meant to quietly gobble up a victim’s private text messages, photos, browsing history, etc. This week Zack launched a tool meant to help people determine if their Android phone — and thus, their private data — was impacted. We’ll hear more from Zack about this new tool below.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

audio stuff

What’s up in the world of TechCrunch podcasts? This week the Equity crew talked about why we need to “officially stop comparing Adam Neumann and Elizabeth Holmes,” and Burnsy talked with Ethena co-founder Roxanne Petraeus and Homebrew’s Hunter Walk about how to “sell the vision, not the business,” on TechCrunch Live.

additional stuff

What lies behind the TC+ paywall? Some really great stuff! Here’s a taste:

How does venture capital work?: It seems like a basic question, but it’s one we get…quite a lot. Haje, with his rare overlapping perspective as a reporter AND pitch coach AND former director at a VC fund, breaks it all down as only he can.

Planning to use your startup equity as collateral? Good luck: After years of work, you’ve managed to build up a ton of equity in the private company you’ve helped to build. Can you actually use it as collateral for anything? Compound’s Max Brenner walks us through the challenges.

writer spotlight: Zack Whittaker

Image Credits: Veanne Cao

This week we’re experimenting with a new section where we quickly catch up with one TechCrunch writer to hear a bit about them and the thing that’s on their mind this week. First up? The incredible, inimitable Zack Whittaker.

Who is Zack Whittaker? What do you do at TechCrunch?

Hi, I’m the security editor here, a.k.a. TechCrunch’s Bearer of Bad News, and I oversee the security desk. We uncover and report the big cybersecurity news of the day — hacks, data breaches, nation-state attacks, surveillance, and national security — and how it affects you, and the wider tech scene.

If you could snap your fingers and tell everyone in the world one thing about your beat, what would it be?

Think of cybersecurity as an investment for something you hope never happens, like a breach of your personal data. It’s better to get ahead of it now. Nowadays it’s easier than it’s ever been — and it’s never too late to start. Invest a small amount of time on three simple steps that make it so much tougher for hackers to break into your accounts or steal your data: Use a password manager, set up two-factor authentication everywhere you can, and keep your apps and devices up-to-date.

Tell me about this anti-stalkerware tool you launched this week

Back in February, TechCrunch revealed that a network of near-identical “stalkerware” apps share the same common security bug, which is spilling the private phone data of hundreds of thousands of Android device owners around the world. These malicious apps are planted by someone with access to your phone and designed to stay hidden, but silently steal a victim’s phone data, like messages, photos, call logs, location and more. Months later, we obtained a leaked list of every single device that was compromised by these apps. The data didn’t have enough information for us to identify or notify victims, so we built this lookup tool to allow anyone to check if their device was compromised — and how to remove the spyware, if it’s safe to do so.

Ugh. Okay. So someone grabs your phone, installs one of these sketchy apps while you’re not paying attention, the app rips your private data for the installer to snoop around… meanwhile, the app is leaking a bunch of data to anyone who knows where to look. Does it seem like the folks behind the stalkerware apps have any intention of stopping?

Not at all. The Vietnam-based group of developers behind the stalkerware network went to great lengths to keep their identities hidden (but not well enough). The number of compromised devices was growing daily, but with no expectation of a fix, we published our investigation to help alert victims to the dangers of this spyware. Nobody in civil society should be subject to this kind of invasive surveillance without their knowledge or consent.

Besides this tool (which is excellent!), what’s your favorite post you’ve written or thing you’ve done with TC?

In the four years I’ve been here? That’s tough! One I still think about often is the inside story of how two British security researchers in their early-20s helped to save the internet from the fast-spreading WannaCry ransomware malware in 2017, which spread around the world, locking up computers in NHS hospitals, shipping giants, and transport hubs, causing billions of dollars in damage. But when one of them found and registered a certain domain name in the malware’s code, the attack stopped dead in its tracks. They found the malware’s kill switch, making them overnight “accidental” heroes. But the only thing holding back another WannaCry outbreak was keeping the kill switch domain in their hands alive, despite efforts by bad actors to force it offline by overwhelming it with internet traffic. “Being responsible for this thing that’s propping up the NHS? Fucking terrifying,” one of the researchers told me at the time.

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[sidnazpro2020]

Peloton's Data Breach Is a Reminder to Lie Whenever You Can | Sidnaz Blog

Peloton’s Data Breach Is a Reminder to Lie Whenever You Can | Sidnaz Blog

Peloton has suffered a data breach. The good news? The information about your exercise habits that subsequently became freely accessible by outsiders isn’t all that damning. Peloton’s delayed response, however, is far more concerning. As Pen Test Partners described in a recent blog post, a handful of APIs (application programming interfaces) the company uses previously could have been queried by…

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#Computer network security #Computer security #Cyberwarfare #data breach #data security #IDS Group #Lifehacker #Peloton #Vulnerability #Zack Whittaker

[modernnetsec]

‘War Dialing’ Tool Exposes Zoom’s Password Problems

As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to force people to work from home, countless companies are now holding daily meetings using videoconferencing services from Zoom. But without the protection of a password, there’s a decent chance your next Zoom meeting could be “Zoom bombed” — attended or disrupted by someone who doesn’t belong. And according to data gathered by a new automated Zoom meeting…

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#A Little Sunshine #Dave Kennedy #Eric Yuan #SecKC #Techcrunch #The Coming Storm #Time to Patch #Trent Lo #TrustedSec #Zack Whittaker #zoom #zWarDial

[reveriedotdk]

#Zack Whittaker #Ecommerce

[grigori77]

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 3)

10.  WOLFWALKERS – eleven years ago, Irish director Tomm Moore exploded onto the animated cinema scene with The Secret of Kells, a spellbinding feature debut which captivated audiences the world over and even garnered an Oscar nomination.  Admittedly I didn’t actually even know about it until I discovered his work through his astonishing follow-up, Song of the Sea (another Academy Award nominee), in 2015, so when I finally caught it I was already a fan of Moore’s work.  It’s been a similarly long wait for his third feature, but he’s genuinely pulled off a hat-trick, delivering a third flawless film in a row which OF COURSE means that his latest feature is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my top animated feature of 2020.  I could even be tempted to say it’s his best work to date … this is an ASTONISHING film, a work of such breath-taking, spell-binding beauty that I spent its entire hour and three-quarters glued to the screen, simple mesmerised by the wonder and majesty of this latest iteration of the characteristically stylised “Cartoon Saloon” look.  It’s also liberally steeped in Moore’s trademark Celtic vibe and atmosphere, once again delving deep into his homeland’s rich and evocative cultural history and mythology while also bringing us something far more original and personal – this time the titular supernatural beings are magical near-human beings whose own subconscious can assume the form of very real wolves.  Set in a particularly dark time in Irish history – namely 1650, when Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector – the story follows Robyn (Honor Kneafsey, probably best known for the Christmas Prince films), the impetuous and spirited young daughter of English hunter Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean), brought in by the Protectorate to rid the city of Kilkenny of the wolves plaguing the area.  One day fate intervenes and Robyn meets Mebh Og MacTire (The Girl at the End of the Garden‘s Eve Whittaker), a wild girl living in the woods, whose accidental bite gives her strange dreams in which she becomes a wolf – turns out Mebh is a wolfwalker, and now so is Robyn … every aspect of this film is an utter triumph for Moore and co, who have crafted a work of living, breathing cinematic art that’s easily the equal to (if not even better than) the best that Disney, Dreamworks or any of the other animation studios could create.  Then there’s the excellent voice cast – Bean brings fatherly warmth and compassion to the role that belies his character’s intimidating size, while Kneafsey and Whittaker make for a sweet and sassy pair as they bond in spite of powerful cultural differences, and the masterful Simon McBurney (Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) brings cool, understated menace to the role of Cromwell himself.  This is a film with plenty of emotional heft to go with its marvels, and once again displays the welcome dark side which added particular spice to Moore’s previous films, but ultimately this is still a gentle and heartfelt work of wonder that makes for equally suitable viewing for children as for those who are still kids at heart – ultimately, then, this is another triumph for one of the most singularly original filmmakers working in animation today, and if Wolfwalkers doesn’t make it third time lucky come Oscars-time then there’s no justice in the world …

9.  WONDER WOMAN 1984 – probably the biggest change for 2020 compared to pretty much all of the past decade is how different the fortunes of superhero cinema turned out to be.  A year earlier the Marvel Cinematic Universe had dominated all, but the DC Extended Universe still got a good hit in with big surprise hit Shazam!  Fast-forward to now and things are VERY different – DC suddenly came out in the lead, but only because Marvel’s intended heavy-hitters (two MCU movies, the first Venom sequel and potential hot-shit new franchise starter Morbius: the Living Vampire) found themselves continuously pushed back thanks to (back then) unforeseen circumstances which continue to shit all over our theatre-going slate for the immediate future.  In the end DC’s only SERIOUS competition turned out to be NETFLIX … never mind, at least we got ONE big established superhero blockbuster into the cinemas before the end of the year that the whole family could enjoy, and who better to headline it than DC’s “newest” big screen megastar, Diana Prince? Back in 2017 Monster’s Ball director Patty Jenkins’ monumental DCEU standalone spectacularly realigned the trajectory of a cinematic franchise that was visibly flagging, redesigning the template for the series’ future which has since led to some (mostly) consistently impressive subsequent offerings.  Needless to say it was a damn tough act to follow, but Jenkins and co-writers Geoff Johns (Arrow and The Flash) and David Callaham (The Expendables, Zombieland: Double Tap, future MCU entry Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings) have risen to the challenge in fine style, delivering something which pretty much equals that spectacular franchise debut … as has Gal Gadot, who’s now OFFICIALLY made the role her own thanks to yet another showstopping and definitive performance as the unstoppable Amazonian goddess living amongst us.  She’s older and wiser than in the first film, but still hasn’t lost that forthright honesty and wonderfully pure heart we’ve come to love ever since her introduction in Zack Snyder’s troublesome but ultimately underrated Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (yes, that’s right, I said it!), and Gadot’s clear, overwhelming commitment to the role continues to pay off magnificently as she once again proves that Diana is THE VERY BEST superhero in the DCEU cinematic pantheon.  Although it takes place several decades after its predecessor, WW84 is, obviously, still very much a period piece, Jenkins and co this time perfectly capturing the sheer opulent and over-the-top tastelessness of the 1980s in all its big-haired, bad-suited, oversized shoulder-padded glory while telling a story that encapsulates the greedy excessiveness of the Reagan era, perfectly embodied in the film’s nominal villain, Max Lord (The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal), a wishy-washy wannabe oil tycoon conman who chances upon a supercharged wish-rock and unleashes a devastating supernatural “monkey’s paw” upon the world. To say any more would give away a whole raft of spectacular twists and turns that deserve to be enjoyed good and cold, although they did spoil one major surprise in the trailer when they teased the return of Diana’s first love, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) … needless to say this is another big blockbuster bursting with big characters, big action and BIG IDEAS, just what we’ve come to expect after Wonder Woman’s first triumphant big screen adventure.  Interestingly, the film starts out feeling like it’s going to be a bubbly, light, frothy affair – after a particularly stunning all-action opening flashback to Diana’s childhood on Themyscira, the film proper kicks off with a bright and breezy atmosphere that feels a bit like the kind of Saturday morning cartoon action the consistently impressive set-pieces take such unfettered joy in parodying, but as the stakes are raised the tone grows darker and more emotionally potent, the storm clouds gathering for a spectacularly epic climax that, for once, doesn’t feel too overblown or weighed down by its visual effects, while the intelligent script has unfathomable hidden depths to it, making us think far more than these kinds of blockbusters usually do.  It’s really great to see Chris Pine return since he was one of the best things about the first movie, and his lovably childlike wide-eyed wonder at this brave new world perfectly echoes Diana’s own last time round; Kristen Wiig, meanwhile, is pretty phenomenal throughout as Dr Barbara Minerva, the initially geeky and timid nerd who discovers an impressive inner strength but ultimately turns into a superpowered apex predator as she becomes one of Wonder Woman’s most infamous foes, the Cheetah; Pascal, of course, is clearly having the time of his life hamming it up to the hilt as Lord, playing gloriously against his effortlessly cool, charismatic action hero image to deliver a compellingly troubling examination of the monstrous corrupting influence of absolute power.  Once again, though, the film truly belongs to Gadot – she looks amazing, acts her socks off magnificently, and totally rules the movie.  After this, a second sequel is a no-brainer, because Wonder Woman remains the one DC superhero who’s truly capable of bearing the weight of this particular cinematic franchise on her powerful shoulders – needless to say, it’s already been greenlit, and with both Jenkins and Gadot onboard, I’m happy to sign up for more too …

8.  LOVE & MONSTERS – with the cinemas continuing their frustrating habit of opening for a little while and then closing while the pandemic ebbed and flowed in the months after the summer season, it was starting to look like there might not have been ANY big budget blockbusters to enjoy before year’s end as heavyweights like Black Widow, No Time To Die and Dune pulled back to potentially more certain release slots into 2021 (with only WW84 remaining stubbornly in place for Christmas).  Then Paramount decided to throw us a bone, opting to release this post-apocalyptic horror comedy on-demand in October instead, thus giving me the perfect little present to tie me over during the darkening days of autumn. The end result was a stone-cold gem that came out of nowhere to completely blow critics away, a spectacular sleeper hit that ultimately proved one of the year’s biggest and most brilliant surprises.  Director Michael Matthews may only have had South African indie thriller Five Fingers for Marseilles under his belt prior to this, but he proves he’s definitely a solid talent to watch in the future, crafting a fun and effective thrill-ride that, like all the best horror comedies, is consistently as funny as it is scary, sharing much of the same DNA as this particular mash-up genre’s classics like Tremors and Zombieland and standing up impressively well to such comparisons.  The story, penned by rising star Brian Duffield (who has TWO other entries on this list, Underwater and Spontaneous) and Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying, Dora & the Lost City of Gold), is also pretty ingenious and surprisingly original – a meteorite strike has unleashed weird mutagenic pathogens that warp various creepy crawly critters into gigantic monstrosities that have slaughter most of the world’s human population, leaving only a beleaguered, dwindling few to eke out a precarious living in underground colonies. Living in one such makeshift community is Joel Dawson (The Maze Runner’s Dylan O’Brien), a smart and likeable geek who really isn’t very adventurous, is extremely awkward and uncoordinated, and has a problem with freezing if threatened … which makes it all the more inexplicable when he decides, entirely against the advice of everyone he knows, to venture onto the surface so he can make the incredibly dangerous week-long trek to the neighbouring colony where his girlfriend Aimee (Iron Fist’s Jessica Henwick) has ended up.  Joel is, without a doubt, the best role that O’Brien has EVER had, a total dork who’s completely unsuited to this kind of adventure and, in the real world, sure to be eaten alive in the first five minutes, but he’s also such a fantastically believable, fallible everyman that every one of us desperate, pathetic omega-males and females can instantly put ourselves in his place, making it elementarily easy to root for him.  He’s also hilariously funny, his winningly self-deprecating sass and pitch perfect talent for physical comedy making it all the more rewarding watching each gloriously anarchic life-and-death encounter mould him into the year’s most unlikely action hero.  Henwick, meanwhile, once again impresses in a well-written role where she’s able to make a big impression despite her decidedly short screen time, as do the legendary Michael Rooker and brilliant newcomer Ariana Greenblatt as Clyde and Minnow, the adorably jaded, seen-it-all-before pair of “professional survivors” Joel meets en-route, who teach him to survive on the surface.  The action is fast, frenetic and potently visceral, the impressively realistic digital creature effects bringing a motley crew of bloodthirsty beasties to suitably blood-curdling life for the film’s consistently terrifying set-pieces, while the world-building is intricately thought-out and skilfully executed.  Altogether, this was an absolute joy from start to finish, and a film I enthusiastically endorsed to everyone I knew was looking for something fun to enjoy during the frustrating lockdown nights-in.  One of the cinematic year’s best kept secrets then, and a compelling sign of things to come for its up-and-coming director.

7.  PARASITE – I’ve been a fan of master Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho ever since I stumbled across his deeply weird but also thoroughly brilliant breakthrough feature The Host, and it’s a love that’s deepened since thanks to truly magnificent sci-fi actioner Snowpiercer, so I was looking forward to his latest feature as much as any movie geek, but even I wasn’t prepared for just what a runaway juggernaut of a hit this one turned out to be, from the insane box office to all that award-season glory (especially that undeniable clean-sweep at the Oscars). I’ll just come out and say it, this film deserves it all.  It’s EASILY Bong’s best film to date (which is really saying something), a masterful social satire and jet black comedy that raises some genuinely intriguing questions before delivering deeply troubling answers.  Straddling the ever-widening gulf between a disaffected idle rich upper class and impoverished, struggling lower class in modern-day Seoul, it tells the story of the Kim family – father Ki-taek (Bong’s good luck charm, Song Kang-ho), mother Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), son Ki-woo (Train to Busan’s Choi Woo-shik) and daughter Ki-jung (The Silenced’s Park So-dam) – a poor family living in a run-down basement apartment who live hand-to-mouth in minimum wage jobs and can barely rub two pennies together, until they’re presented with an intriguing opportunity.  Through happy chance, Ki-woon is hired as an English tutor for Park Da-hye (Jung Ji-so), the daughter of a wealthy family, which offers him the chance to recommend Ki-jung as an art tutor to the Parks’ troubled young son, Da-song (Jung Hyeon-jun). Soon the rest of the Kims are getting in on the act, the kids contriving opportunities for their father to replace Mr Park’s chauffeur and their mother to oust the family’s long-serving housekeeper, Gook Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun), and before long their situation has improved dramatically.  But as they two families become more deeply entwined, cracks begin to show in their supposed blissful harmony as the natural prejudices of their respective classes start to take hold, and as events spiral out of control a terrible confrontation looms on the horizon.  This is social commentary at its most scathing, Bong drawing on personal experiences from his youth to inform the razor-sharp script (co-written by his production assistant Han Jin-won), while he weaves a palpable atmosphere of knife-edged tension throughout to add spice to the perfectly observed dark humour of the situation, all the while throwing intriguing twists and turns at us before suddenly dropping such a massive jaw-dropper of a gear-change that the film completely turns on its head to stunning effect.  The cast are all thoroughly astounding, Song once again dominating the film with a turn at once sloppy and dishevelled but also poignant and heartfelt, while there are particularly noteworthy turns from Lee Sun-kyun as the Parks’ self-absorbed patriarch Dong-ik and Choi Yeo-jeong (The Concubine) as his flighty, easily-led wife Choi Yeon-gyo, as well as a fantastically weird appearance in the latter half from Park Myung-hoon.  This is heady stuff, dangerously seductive even as it becomes increasingly uncomfortable viewing, so that even as the screws tighten and everything goes to hell it’s simply impossible to look away.  Bong Joon-ho really has surpassed himself this time, delivering an existential mind-scrambler that lingers long after the credits have rolled and might even have you questioning your place in society once you’ve thought about it some. It deserves every single award and every ounce of praise it’s been lavished with, and looks set to go down as one of the true cinematic greats of this new decade.  Trust me, if this was a purely critical best-of list it’d be RIGHT AT THE TOP …

6.  THE OLD GUARD – Netflix’ undisputable TOP OFFERING of the summer came damn close to bagging the whole season, and I can’t help thinking that even if some of the stiffer competition had still been present it may well have still finished this high. Gina Prince-Blythewood (Love & Basketball, the Secret Life of Bees) directs comics legend Greg Rucka’s adaptation of his own popular series with uncanny skill and laser-focused visual flair considering there’s nothing on her previous CV to suggest she’d be THIS good at mounting a stomping great ultraviolent action thriller, ushering in a thoroughly engrossing tale of four ancient, invulnerable immortal warriors – Andy AKA Andromache of Scythia (Charlize Theron), Booker AKA Sebastian de Livre (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe AKA Yusuf Al-Kaysani (Wolf’s Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky AKA Niccolo di Ginova (Trust’s Luca Marinelli) – who’ve been around forever, hiring out their services as mercenaries for righteous causes while jealously guarding their identities for fear of horrific experimentation and exploitation should their true natures ever be discovered.  Their anonymity is threatened, however, when they’re uncovered by former CIA operative James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who’s working for the decidedly dodgy pharmaceutical conglomerate run by sociopathic billionaire Steven Merrick (Harry Melling, formerly Dudley in the Harry Potter movies), who want to capture these immortals so they can patent whatever it is that makes them keep on ticking … just as a fifth immortal, US Marine Nile Freeman (If Beale Street Could Talk’s KiKi Layne), awakens after being “killed” on deployment in Afghanistan.  The supporting players are excellent, particularly Ejiofor, smart and driven but ultimately principled and deeply conflicted about what he’s doing, even if he does have the best of intentions, and Melling, the kind of loathsome, reptilian scumbag you just love to hate, but the film REALLY DOES belong to the Old Guard themselves – Schoenaerts is a master brooder, spot-on casting as the group’s relative newcomer, only immortal since the Napoleonic Wars but clearly one seriously old soul who’s already VERY tired of the lifestyle, while Joe and Nicky (who met on opposing sides of the Crusades) are simply ADORABLE, an unapologetically matter-of-fact gay couple who are sweet, sassy and incredibly kind, the absolute emotional heart of the film; it’s the ladies, however, that are most memorable here.  Layne is exceptional, investing Nile with a steely intensity that puts her in good stead as her new existence threatens to overwhelm her and MORE THAN qualified to bust heads alongside her elders … but it’s ancient Greek warrior Andy who steals the film, Theron building on the astounding work she did in Atomic Blonde to prove, once and for all, that there’s no woman on Earth who looks better kicking arse than her (as Booker puts it, “that woman has forgotten more ways to kill than entire armies will ever learn”); in her hands, Andy truly is a goddess of death, tough as tungsten alloy and unflappable even in the face of hell itself, but underneath it all she hides a heart as big as any of her friends’.  They’re an impossibly lovable bunch and you feel you could follow them on another TEN adventures like this one, which is just as well, because Prince-Blythewood and Rucka certainly put them through their paces here – the drama is high (but frequently laced with a gentle, knowing sense of humour, particularly whenever Joe and Nicky are onscreen), as are the stakes, and the frequent action sequences are top-notch, executed with rare skill and bone-crunching zest, but also ALWAYS in service to the story.  Altogether this is an astounding film, a genuine victory for its makers and, it seems, for Netflix themselves – it’s become one of the platform’s biggest hits to date, earning well-deserved critical acclaim and great respect and genuine geek love from the fanbase at large.  After this, a sequel is not only inevitable, it’s ESSENTIAL …

5.  MANK – it’s always nice when David Fincher, one of my TOP FIVE ALL TIME FAVOURITE DIRECTORS, drops a new movie, because it can be GUARANTEED to place good and high in my rundown for that year.  The man is a frickin’ GENIUS, a true master of the craft, genuinely one of the auteur’s auteurs.  I’ve NEVER seen him deliver a bad film – even a misfiring Fincher (see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Alien 3) is still capable of creating GREAT CINEMA.  How? Why?  It’s because he genuinely LOVES the art form, it’s been his obsession all his life, and he’s spent every day of it becoming the best possible filmmaker he can be.  Who better to tell the story of the creation of one of the ULTIMATE cinematic masterpieces, then?  Benjamin Ross’ acclaimed biopic RKO 281 covered similar ground, presenting a compelling look into the making Citizen Kane, the timeless masterpiece of Hollywood’s ULTIMATE auteur, Orson Welles, but Fincher’s film is more interested in the original inspiration for the story, how it was written and, most importantly, the man who wrote it – Herman J. Mankiewicz, known to his friends as Mank. One of my favourite actors of all time, Gary Oldman, delivers yet another of his career best performances in the lead role, once a man of vision and incredible storytelling skill whose talents have largely been squandered through professional difficulties and personal vices, a burned out one-time great fallen on hard times whom Welles picks up out of the trash, dusts off and offers a chance to create something truly great again.  The only catch?  The subject of their film (albeit dressed up in the guise of fictional newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane) is to be real-life publisher, politico and tycoon William Randolph Hurst (Charles Dance), once Mank’s friend and patron before they had a very public and messy falling out which partly led to his current circumstances.  As he toils away in seclusion on what is destined to become his true masterwork, flashbacks reveal to us the fascinating, moving and ultimately tragic tale of his rise and fall from grace in the movie business, set against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.  Shooting a script that his own journalist and screenwriter father, Jack, crafted and then failed to bring to the screen himself before his death in 2003, Fincher has been working for almost a quarter century to make this film, and all that passion and drive is writ large on the screen – this is a glorious film ABOUT film, the art of it, the creation of it, and all the dirty little secrets of what the industry itself has always really been like, especially in that most glamorous and illusory of times.  The fact that Fincher shot in black and white and intentionally made it look like it was made in the early 1940s (the “golden age of the Silver Screen”, if you will) may seem like a gimmick, but instead it’s a very shrewd choice that expertly captures the gloss and moodiness of the age, almost looking like a contemporary companion piece to Kane itself, and it’s the perfect way to frame all the sharp-witted observation, subtly subversive character development and murky behind-the-scenes machinations that tell the story.  Oldman is in every way the star here, holding the screen with all the consummate skill and flair we’ve come to expect from him, but there’s no denying the uniformly excellent supporting cast are equal to the task here – Dance is at his regal, charismatic best as Hearst, while Amanda Seyfried is icily classy on the surface but mischievous and lovably grounded underneath as Hearst’s mistress, Marion Davies, who formed the basis for Kane’s most controversial character, Arliss Howard (Full Metal Jacket, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Moneyball) brings nuance and complexity to the role of MGM founder Louis B. Mayer, Tom Pelphrey (Banshee, Ozark) is understated but compelling as Mank’s younger screenwriter brother Joseph, and Lily Collins and Tuppence Middleton exude class and long-suffering stubbornness as the two main women in Mank’s life (his secretary and platonic muse, Rita Alexander, and his wife, Sara), while The Musketeers’ Tom Burke’s periodic but potent appearances as Orson Welles help to drive the story in the “present”.  Another Netflix release which I was (thankfully) able to catch on the big screen during one of the brief lulls between British lockdowns, this was a decidedly meta cinematic experience that perfectly encapsulated not only what is truly required for the creation of a screen epic, but also the latest pinnacle in the career of one of the greatest filmmakers working in the business today, powerful, stirring, intriguing and surprising in equal measure. Certainly it’s one of the most important films ABOUT so far film this century, but is it as good as Citizen Kane?  Boy, that’s a tough one …

4.  ENOLA HOLMES – ultimately, my top film for the autumn/winter movie season was also the film which finally topped my Netflix Original features list, as well as beating all other streaming offerings for the entire year (which is saying something, as you should know by now).  Had things been different, this would have been one of Warner Bros’ BIGGEST releases for the year in the cinema, of that I have no doubt, a surprise sleeper hit which would have taken the world by storm – as it is it’s STILL become a sensation, albeit in a much more mid-pandemic, lockdown home-viewing kind of way.  Before you start crying oh God no, not another Sherlock Holmes adaptation, this is a very different beast from either the Guy Ritchie take or the modernized BBC show, instead side-lining the great literary sleuth in favour of a delicious new AU version, based on The Case of the Missing Marquess, the first novel in the Enola Holmes Mysteries literary series from American YA author Nancy Springer.  Positing that Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill) and his elder brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin) had an equally ingenious and precocious baby sister, the film introduces us to Enola (Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown), who’s been raised at home by their strong-willed mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) to be just as intelligent, well-read and intellectually skilled as her far more advantageously masculine elder siblings.  Then, on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Enola awakens to find her mother has vanished, putting her in a pretty pickle since this leaves her a ward of Mycroft, a self-absorbed social peacock who finds her to be wilfully free-spirited and completely ill equipped to face the world, concluding that the only solution is sending her to boarding school where she’ll learn to become a proper lady.  Needless to say she’s horrified by the prospect, deciding to run away and search for her mother instead … this is about as perfect a family adventure film as you could wish for, following a vital, capable and compelling teen detective-in-the-making as she embarks on her very first investigation, as well as winding up tangled in a second to boot involving a young runaway noble, Viscount Tewkesbury, the Marquess of Basilwether (Medici’s Louis Partridge), and the film is a breezy, swift-paced and rewardingly entertaining romp that feels like a welcome breath of fresh air for a literary property which, beloved as it may be, has been adapted to death over the years.  Enola Holmes a brilliant young hero who’s perfectly crafted to carry the franchise forward in fresh new directions, and Brown brings her to life with effervescent charm, boisterous energy and mischievous irreverence that are entirely irresistible; Cavill and Claflin, meanwhile, are perfectly cast as the two very different brothers – this Sherlock is much less louche and world-weary than most previous versions, still razor sharp and intellectually restless but with a comfortable ease and a youthful spring in his step that perfectly suits the actor, while Mycroft is as superior and arrogant as ever, a preening arse we derive huge enjoyment watching Enola consistently get the best of; Bonham Carter doesn’t get a lot of screen-time but as we’d expect she does a lot with what she has to make the practical, eccentric and unapologetically modern Eudoria thoroughly memorable, while Partridge is carefree and likeable as the naïve but irresistible Tewkesbury, and there are strong supporting turns from Frances de la Tour as his stately grandmother, the Dowager, Susie Wokoma (Crazyhead, Truth Seekers) as Emily, a feisty suffragette who runs a jujitsu studio, Burn Gorman as dastardly thug-for-hire Linthorn, and Four Lions’ Adeel Akhtar as a particularly scuzzy Inspector Lestrade.  Seasoned TV director Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) makes his feature debut with an impressive splash, unfolding the action at a brisk pace while keeping the narrative firmly focused on an intricate mystery plot that throws in plenty of ingenious twists and turns before a suitably atmospheric climax and pleasing denouement which nonetheless artfully sets up more to come in the future, while screenwriter Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials, The Scouting Book for Boys, Wonder) delivers strong character work and liberally peppers the dialogue with a veritable cavalcade of witty zingers.  Boisterous, compelling, amusing, affecting and exciting in equal measure, this is a spirited and appealing slice of cinematic escapism that flatters its viewers and never talks down to them, a perfect little period adventure for a cosy Sunday afternoon.  Obviously there’s plenty of potential for more, and with further books to adapt there’s more than enough material for a pile of sequels – Neflix would be barmy indeed to turn their nose up at this opportunity …

3.  1917 – it’s a rare thing for a film to leave me truly shell-shocked by its sheer awesomeness, for me to walk out of a cinema in a genuine daze, unable to talk or even really think about much of anything for a few hours because I’m simply marvelling at what I’ve just witnessed.  Needless to say, when I do find a film like that (Fight Club, Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road) it usually earns a place very close to my heart indeed.  The latest tour-de-force from Sam Mendes is one of those films – an epic World War I thriller that plays out ENTIRELY in one shot, which doesn’t simply feel like a glorified gimmick or stunt but instead is a genuine MASTERPIECE of film, a mesmerising journey of emotion and imagination in a shockingly real environment that’s impossible to tear your eyes away from.  Sure, Mendes has impressed us before – his first film, American Beauty, is a GREAT movie, one of the most impressive feature debuts of the 2000s, while Skyfall is, in my opinion, quite simply THE BEST BOND FILM EVER MADE – but this is in a whole other league.  It’s an astounding achievement, made all the more impressive when you realise that there’s very little trickery at play here, no clever digital magic (just some augmentation here and there), it’s all real locations and sets, filmed in long, elaborately choreographed takes blended together with clever edits to make it as seamless as possible – it’s not the first film to try to do this (remember Birdman? Bushwick?), but I’ve never seen it done better, or with greater skill. But it’s not just a clever cinematic exercise, there’s a genuine story here, told with guts and urgency, and populated by real flesh and blood characters – the heart of the film is True History of the Kelly Gang’s George MacKay and Dean Chapman (probably best known as Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones) as Lance Corporals Will Schofield and Tom Blake, the two young tommies sent out across enemy territory on a desperate mission to stop a British regiment from rushing headlong into a German trap (Tom himself has a personal stake in this because his brother is an officer in the attack).  They’re a likeable pair, very human and relatable throughout, brave and true but never so overtly heroic that they stretch credibility, so when tragedy strikes along the way it’s particularly devastating; both deliver exceptional performances that effortlessly carry us through the film, and they’re given sterling support from a selection of top-drawer British talent, from Sherlock stars Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch to Mark Strong and Colin Firth, each delivering magnificently in small but potent cameos.  That said, the cinematography and art department are the BIGGEST stars here, masterful veteran DOP Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner 2049 and pretty much the Coen Brothers’ entire back catalogue among MANY others) making every frame sing with beauty, horror, tension or tragedy as the need arises, and the environments are SO REAL it feels less like production design than that someone simply sent the cast and crew back in time to film in the real Northern France circa 1917 – from a nightmarish trek across No Man’s Land to a desperate chase through a ruined French village lit only by dancing flare-light in the darkness before dawn, every scene is utterly immersive and simply STUNNING.  I don’t think it’s possible for Mendes to make a film better than this, but I sure hope he gives it a go all the same.  Either way, this was the most incredible, exhausting, truly AWESOME experience I had at the cinema all year – it’s a film that DESERVES to be seen on the big screen, and I feel truly sorry for those who missed the chance …

2.  BIRDS OF PREY & THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN – the only reason 1917 isn’t at number two is because Warner Bros.’ cinematic DC Extended Universe project FINALLY got round to bringing my favourite DC Comics title to the big screen.  It was been the biggest pleasure of my cinematic year getting to see my top DC superheroines brought to life on the big screen, and it was done in high style, in my opinion THE BEST of the DCEU films to date (yup, I loved it EVEN MORE than the Wonder Woman movies).  It was also great seeing Harley Quinn return after her show-stealing turn in David Ayer’s clunky but ultimately still hugely enjoyable Suicide Squad, better still that they got her SPOT ON this time – this is the Harley I’ve always loved in the comics, unpredictable, irreverent and entirely without regard for what anyone else thinks of her, as well as one talented psychiatrist.  Margot Robbie once more excels in the role she was basically BORN to play, clearly relishing the chance to finally do Harley TRUE justice, and she’s a total riot from start to finish, infectiously lovable no matter what crazy, sometimes downright REPRIHENSIBLE antics she gets up to.  Needless to say she’s the nominal star here, her latest ill-advised adventure driving the story – finally done with the Joker and itching to make her emancipation official, Harley publicly announces their breakup by blowing up Ace Chemicals (their love spot, basically), inadvertently painting a target on her back in the process since she’s no longer under the assumed protection of Gotham’s feared Clown Prince of Crime – but that doesn’t mean she eclipses the other main players the movie’s REALLY supposed to be about.  Each member of the Birds of Prey is beautifully written and brought to vivid, arse-kicking life by what had to be 2020’s most exciting cast – Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, is the perfect character for Mary Elizabeth Winstead to finally pay off on that action hero potential she showed in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, but this is a MUCH more enjoyable role outside of the fight choreography because while Helena may be a world-class dark avenger, socially she’s a total dork, which just makes her thoroughly adorable; Rosie Perez is similarly perfect casting as Renee Montoya, the uncompromising pint-sized Gotham PD detective who kicks against the corrupt system no matter what kind of trouble it gets her into, and just gets angrier all the time, paradoxically making us like her even more; and then there’s the film’s major controversy, at least as far as the fans are concerned, namely one Cassandra Cain.  Sure, this take is VERY different from the comics’ version (a nearly mute master assassin who went on to become the second woman to wear the mask of Batgirl before assuming her own crime-fighting mantle as Black Bat and now Orphan), but personally I like to think this is simply Cass at THE VERY START of her origin story, leaving plenty of time for her to discover her warrior origins when the DCEU finally gets around to introducing her mum, Lady Shiva (personally I want Michelle Yeoh to play her, but that’s just me) – anyways, here she’s a skilled child pickpocket whose latest theft inadvertently sets off the larger central plot, and newcomer Ella Jay Basco brings a fantastic pre-teen irreverence and spiky charm to the role, beautifully playing against Robbie’s mercurial energy.  My favourite here BY FAR, however, is Dinah Lance, aka the Black Canary (not only my favourite Bird of Prey but my very favourite DC superheroine PERIOD), the choice of up-and-comer Jurnee Smollet-Bell (Friday Night Lights, Underground) proving to be the film’s most inspired casting – a club singer with the metahuman ability to emit piercing supersonic screams, she’s also a ferocious martial artist (in the comics she’s one of the very best fighters IN THE WORLD), as well as a wonderfully pure soul you just can’t help loving, and it made me SO UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY that they got my Canary EXACTLY RIGHT.  Altogether they’re a fantastic bunch of badass ladies, basically my perfect superhero team, and the way they’re all brought together (along with Harley, of course) is beautifully thought out and perfectly executed … they’ve also got one hell of a threat to overcome, namely Gotham crime boss Roman Sionis, the Black Mask, one of the Joker’s chief rivals – Ewan McGregor brings his A-game in a frustratingly rare villainous turn (my number one bad guy for the movie year), a monstrously narcissistic, woman-hating control freak with a penchant for peeling off the faces of those who displease him, sharing some exquisitely creepy chemistry with Chris Messina (The Mindy Project) as Sionis’ nihilistic lieutenant Victor Zsasz.  This is about as good as superhero cinema gets, a perfect example of the sheer brilliance you get when you switch up the formula to create something new, an ultra-violent, unapologetically R-rated middle finger to the classic tropes, a fantastic black comedy thrill ride that’s got to be the most full-on feminist blockbuster ever made – it’s helmed by a woman (Dead Pigs director Cathy Yan), written by a woman (Bumblebee’s Christina Hodson), produced by more women and ABOUT a bunch of badass women magnificently triumphing over toxic masculinity in all its forms.  It’s also simply BRILLIANT – the cast are all clearly having a blast, the action sequences are first rate (the spectacular GCPD evidence room fight in which Harley gets to REALLY cut loose is the undisputable highlight), it has a gleefully anarchic sense of humour and is simply BURSTING with phenomenal homages, references and in-jokes for the fans (Bruce the hyena! Stuffed beaver! Roller derby!).  It’s also got a killer soundtrack, populated almost exclusively by numbers from female artists.  Altogether, then, this is the VERY BEST the DCEU has to offer to date, and VERY NEARLY my absolute FAVOURITE film of 2020.  Give it all the love you can, it sure as hell deserves it.

1.  TENET – granted, the streaming platforms (particularly Netflix and Amazon) certainly saved our cinematic summer, but I’m still IMMEASURABLY glad that my ultimate top-spot winner FOR THE WHOLE YEAR was one I got to experience on THE BIG SCREEN. You gotta hand it to Christopher Nolan, he sure hung in there, stubbornly determined that his latest cinematic masterpiece WOULD be released in cinemas in the summer (albeit ultimately landing JUST inside the line in the final week of August and ultimately taking the bite at the box office because of the still shaky atmosphere), and it was worth all the fuss because, for me, this was THE PERFECT MOVIE for me to get return to cinemas with.  I mean, okay, in the end it WASN’T the FIRST new movie I saw after the first reopening, that honour went to Unhinged, but THIS was my first real Saturday night-out big screen EXPERIENCE since March.  Needless to say, Nolan didn’t disappoint this time any more than he has on any of his consistently spectacular previous releases, delivering another twisted, mind-boggling headfuck of a full-blooded experiential sensory overload that comes perilously close to toppling his long-standing auteur-peak, Inception (itself second only by fractions to The Dark Knight as far as I’m concerned). To say much at all about the plot would give away major spoilers – personally I’d recommend just going in as cold as possible, indeed you really should just stop reading this right now and just GO SEE IT.  Still with us?  Okay … the VERY abridged version is that it’s about a secret war being waged between the present and the future by people capable of “inverting” time in substances, objects, people, whatever, into which the Protagonist (BlacKkKlansman’s John David Washington), an unnamed CIA agent, has been dispatched in order to prevent a potential coming apocalypse. Washington is once again on top form, crafting a robust and compelling morally complex heroic lead who’s just as comfortable negotiating the minefields of black market intrigue as he is breaking into places or dispatching heavies, Kenneth Branagh delivers one of his most interesting and memorable performances in years as brutal Russian oligarch Andrei Sator, a genuinely nasty piece of work who was ALMOST the year’s very best screen villain, Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Widows) brings strength, poise and wounded integrity to the role of Sator’s estranged wife, Kat, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson gets to use his own accent for once as tough-as-nails British Intelligence officer Ives, while there are brief but consistently notable supporting turns and cameos from Martin Donovan, Yesterday’s Himesh Patel, Dirk Gently’s Fiona Dourif and, of course, Nolan’s good luck charm, Michael Caine.  The cast’s biggest surprise, however, is Robert Pattinson, truly a revelation in what has to be, HANDS DOWN, his best role to date, Neil, the Protagonist’s mysterious handler – he’s by turns cheeky, slick, duplicitous and thoroughly badass, delivering an enjoyably multi-layered, chameleonic performance which proves what I’ve long maintained, that the former Twilight star is actually a fucking amazing actor, and on the basis of this, even if that amazing new teaser trailer wasn’t making the rounds, I think the debate about whether or not he’s the right choice for the new Batman is now academic.  As we’ve come to expect from Nolan, this is a TRUE tour-de-force experience, a visual triumph and an endlessly engrossing head-scratcher, Nolan’s screenplay bringing in seriously big ideas and throwing us some major narrative knots and loopholes, constantly wrong-footing the viewer while also setting up truly revelatory payoffs from seemingly low-key, unimportant beginnings – this is a film you need to be awake and attentive for or you could miss something pretty vital. The action sequences are, as ever, second to none, some of the year’s very best set-pieces coming thick and fast and executed with some of the most accomplished skill in the business, while Nolan-regular cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar and Dunkirk, as well as the heady likes of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, SPECTRE and Ad Astra) once again shows he’s one of the best camera-wizards in the business today by delivering some absolutely mesmerising visuals.  Notably, Nolan’s other regular collaborator, composer Hans Zimmer, is absent here (although he had good reason, since he was working on his dream project at the time, the fast-approaching screen adaptation of Dune), but Ludwig Göransson (best known for his collaborations with Ryan Coogler Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther, as well as career-best work on The Mandalorian) is a fine replacement, crafting an intriguingly internalised, post-modern musical landscape that thrums and pulses in time with the story and emotions of the characters rather than the action itself. Interestingly it’s on the subject of sound that some of the film’s rare detractions have been levelled, and I can see some of the points – the soundtrack mix is an all-encompassing thing, and there are times when the dialogue can be overwhelmed, but in Nolan’s defence this film is a heady, immersive experience, something you really need to concentrate on, so these potential flaws are easily forgiven.  As a work of filmmaking art, this is another flawless wonder from one of the true masters of the craft working in cinema today, but it’s art with palpable substance, a rewarding whole that proved truly unbeatable in 2020 …

#wolfwalkers #wonder woman 1984 #ww84 #love and monsters #parasite #parasite movie #the old guard #mank #enola holmes #1917 #1917 movie #Birds of Prey #birds of prey the fantabulous emancipation of one harley quinn #tenet #tenet movie #2020 in movies

[favoritou]

UM SENHOR ESTAGIÁRIO

Pra quem não sabe hoje é dia do Empreendedorismo Feminino.

Nada mais justo então que indicar um filme sobre mulheres poderosas e empreendedoras para inspirar à todos.

SINOPSE:

Já aposentado, Ben descobre que ficar parado não é algo que consiga fazer. É quando surge a oportunidade de ser estagiário no site de moda de Jules.

O filme de comédia disponível no catálogo da Netflix foi dirigido por Nancy Meyers e é inspiradora para mulheres que estão estão na liderança, almejando o tão sonhado sucesso profissional.

Jules interpretada pela talentosíssima Anne Hathaway vive uma mulher que criou um site de roupas que rapidamente virou um sucesso! Ela é uma jovem esposa e mãe e é completamente dedicada ao seu trabalho.

Dona & proprietária, competente & workaholic.

Como a sua empresa resolve contratar pessoas mais velhas, ela conhece Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), um aposentado, viúvo de 70 anos entediado e sem motivação que resolve dar um novo rumo a sua vida.

De Niro rouba a cena. Mas a interação entre ele e Anne é maravilhosa! Uma parceira incrível!

O filme fala sobre dedicação, carreira, obstáculos e amizade.

A relação criada entre os dois protagonistas e as experiências e ensinamentos que são trocados entre eles são riquíssimos.

Traz várias lições principalmente a respeito da importância das mulheres em liderança na sociedade e a convivência entre pessoas de gerações diferentes.

O elenco com outros nomes talentosos como a atriz Renne Russo que interpreta a personagem Fiona, uma bela, atraente e independente massagista. Sua personagem é bem divertida!

Andrew Rannells como Cameron, sócio de Jules na startup.

O queridinho Nat Woolf como Justin.

Destaque para o núcleo "jovem" do filme formado por Jason (Adam DeVine), Davis (Zack Pearlman) e Lewis (Jason Orley).

Eles são maravilhosos e divertidíssimos!

As cenas em que eles aparecem são hilárias!

Um roteiro inteligente e bem escrito com um elenco competente e em sintonia só poderia resultar em uma comédia leve, gostosa e bem executada!

Uma delícia de filme, fofo e divertido!

📍Curiosidades:

💥 A diretora Nancy Meyers é a mulher mais bem sucedida do cinema americano. Nenhuma outra mulher dirigiu filmes que renderam tanto quanto ela

💥 É a terceira vez que De Niro e Rene Russo contracenam juntos

💥 De Niro foi indicado no Critics Choice Awards 2016: Melhor Ator em Comédia

💥 O primeiro nome pensado para o papel de protagonista foi Jack Nicholson, que recusou o convite

💥 Reese Witherspoon chegou a ser anunciada no elenco, mas acabou desistindo do papel.

👉Ano: 2015

👉 Duração: 121min

👉 Gênero: Comédia, Drama

👉 Disponível: Netflix

#umsrestagiario #theintern #robert de niro #anne hathaway #rene russo #adam devine #zackpearlman #jasonorley #andrew rannells #nat wolff

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Hackers can remotely lock IoT cock-cages

Smart sex-toys are a terrible idea, notwithstanding the ways that they work for certain kinks (to say nothing of sex workers, who can charge for access to them during livestreams).

It's just the combining the intrinsically terrible security of IoT with the inherently sensitive nature of sex-toy use and the unavoidable risk of network interfaces for servos and motors on your junk makes this a big old nope.

Receipts:

A networked fellatio machine is vulnerable to code-injection attacks that cause it to mangle your junk

https://twitter.com/SarahJamieLewis/status/933150566347284481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Smart dildoes tracked users' wanking habits and sold the data

https://www.vocativ.com/358530/smart-dildo-company-sued-for-tracking-users-habits/

Smart buttplugs broadcast their presence using Bluetooth and can be detected from the sidewalk in front of your house

https://www.pentestpartners.com/security-blog/screwdriving-locating-and-exploiting-smart-adult-toys/

Sex toy secretly records audio from your sexual activity, vendor calls it a "minor bug"

https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/10/16634442/lovense-sex-toy-spy-surveillance

And now, the latest one: the Qiui Cellmate - a smart cock cage that lets kinksters lock up their subs' dicks  in a hardened steel cage, is vulnerable to networked attacks that can freeze the lock shut, so that you need an angle-grinder to remove them.

https://www.pentestpartners.com/security-blog/smart-male-chastity-lock-cock-up/

That's the headline, but there are so many other ways you can attack a Cellmate user: steal their location, password and other PII.

Oh, also, if the company pushes an update to fix any of this, they could permanently lock up the dicks of many of their users.

Thankfully (?) there's not much risk of them fixing it. When Pen Test Partners contacted them, the company said it only had $50k on hand and couldn't afford to update the software.

So Pen Test went public, notably with Zack Whittaker from Techcrunch, who was told by Qiui CEO Jake Guo that there'd be a fix by August. No fix was released. Geo told Whittaker, "We are a basement team. When we fix it, it creates more problems."

https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/06/qiui-smart-chastity-sex-toy-security-flaw/

As Whittaker notes, many users of NON-hacked Cellmates have found that they can't remove them, because the software is just that buggy.

#pluralistic

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

"The Last Farewell" is a song from 1971 by Kenyan-British folk singer Roger Whittaker her hosted a radio program in The United Kingdom in 1971, backed by an orchestra with arrangements by Zack Lawrence. Whittaker says "one of the ideas I had was to invite listeners to send their poems or lyrics to me and I would make songs out of them. We got a million replies, and I did one each week for 26 weeks." There's a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor tomorrow for old England she sails far away from your land of endless sunshine. To my land full of rainy skies and gales and I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow. Though my heart is full of tears at this farewell. For you are beautiful, I have loved you dearly. More dearly than the spoken word can tell for you are beautiful, I have loved you dearly more dearly than the spoken word can tell

#cinema #vidéo

[maaarine]

MBTI Typing Index: ESFP

Other types: INFP INFJ ENFP ENFJ INTP INTJ ENTP ENTJ ISTJ ISFJ ESTJ ESFJ ISTP ISFP ESTP ESFP

Adele / Adele ADKINS

Lily ALLEN

Pamela ANDERSON

Asia ARGENTO

Azaealia BANKS

Charles BARKLEY

Drew BARRYMORE

Simone BILES

Jane BIRKIN

Orlando BLOOM

Kim BODNIA

Melanie BROWN

Cardi B / Belcalis ALMANZAR

Alan CARR

Charli XCX / Charlotte AITCHISON

Cher / Cherilyn SARKISIAN

Olivia COLMAN

Miley CYRUS

Noah CYRUS

Alfie DEYES

Cameron DIAZ

David DOBRIK

Adèle EXARCHOPOULOS

Paloma FAITH

Nelly FURTADO

Karen GILLAN

Léa HADDAD

Tiffany HADDISH

Halsey / Ashley FRANGIPANE

Mark HAMILL

Tom HARDY

Taraji P. HENSON

Tom HOLLAND

Jenifer / Jenifer BERTOLI

Elton JOHN

Janis JOPLIN

Khloé KARDASHIAN

Bill KAULITZ

Kesha / Kesha SEBERT

KIM Seok-jin

Avril LAVIGNE

Brad LEONE

Juliette LEWIS

Lil’ Kim / Kimberly JONES

Dua LIPA

Lizzo / Melissa JEFFERSON

Lindsay LOHAN

Demi LOVATO

Courtney LOVE

Natasha LYONNE

Madonna / Madonna CICCONE

Jenna MARBLES

Bruno MARS

Ava MAX

Paul MCCARTNEY

Matthew MCCONAUGHEY

Malcolm MCDOWELL

Rose MCGOWAN

Nicki MINAJ

Tana MONGEAU

Kate MOSS

Stevie NICKS

Shaquille O’NEAL

Tyler OAKLEY

Jamie OLIVER

Rita ORA

Dolly PARTON

Pedro PASCAL

Jake PAUL

Trisha PAYTAS

Louise PENTLAND

Brandon PEREA

Katy PERRY

Busy PHILIPPS

Pink / Alecia MOORE

Chris PRATT

Joan RIVERS

Jonathan SACCONE JOLY

Jojo SIWA

Sam SMITH

Will SMITH

Zack SNYDER

Gwen STEFANI

Stormzy / Michael OMARI

Harry STYLES

Omar SY

Wanda SYKES

Elizabeth TAYLOR

Meghan TRAINOR

Sophie TURNER

Tina TURNER

Vera WANG

Jodie WHITTAKER

Maisie WILLIAMS

Robbie WILLIAMS

Serena WILLIAMS

Wendy WILLIAMS

Amy WINEHOUSE

XXXTentacion / Jahseh ONFROY

Yungblud / Dominic HARRISON

Other types: INFP INFJ ENFP ENFJ INTP INTJ ENTP ENTJ ISTJ ISFJ ESTJ ESFJ ISTP ISFP ESTP ESFP

#mbtiindex #esfp