Fall is creeping in, which means that it's time to look forward to the TV shows that will be keeping us entertained during the chillier months of the year. Seeing as 2020 has been a most unprecedented year in every way, this year's Fall TV schedule looks a little different, so our Fall preview looks different too. Below, we've curated a list of 31 new and returning shows that we think are worth your time, including cult favorites that are being given a second chance in the wilds of 2020, K-Dramas that rival the grim menace of Hannibal, high-concept sci-fi shows, a new British action series from the twisted mind behind The Raid movies, and plenty of fresh comedies to keep you laughing.

In terms of scares this Fall, if you've been missing the undead in your life then you'll want to keep an eye out for the next generation of The Walking Dead stumbling to our screens (along with the long-delayed Walking Dead Season 10 finale, which is no longer a finale), while Netflix's follow up to its smash-hit horror series The Haunting of Hill House will be debuting just in time for Halloween. And you don't have to wait too long for your Fall TV fix: this week heralds the release of Ridley Scott's highly-anticipated TV series Raised By Wolves as well as the return of Amazon's superhero smash The Boys, which both premiere with three episodes before releasing new installments weekly. (We're also hoping for the premieres of Stranger Things Season 4 and Disney Plus' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier before the end of the year, and we'll update this list if and when they're confirmed for a 2020 release.)

Check out our top TV picks from the Fall schedule below.

This smash-hit K-drama has been taking the internet by storm and it's no surprise as this murder-mystery procedural is supremely bingeable. Flower of Evil centers on a perfect family with a dark secret: their successful, handsome patriarch is a notorious serial killer. That would be tough enough, but his wife just happens to be a local cop with a penchant for solving strange crimes...

Executive producer Ridley Scott brings this esoteric sci-fi drama to the Fall season. On a distant planet, two androids known only as Father and Mother have to raise a generation of human children after a cataclysmic event destroys Earth. Will they survive? And if not, will it be human nature or robot rebellion that will bring the downfall of the survivors? Seeming to sit somewhere between Lord of the Flies and Blade Runner, this is one of the shows we're most excited for this Fall. Check out our spoiler-free review of Raised By Wolves.

If you like your sci-fi a little more grounded (figuratively, not literally) then Away might be more your speed. Hillary Swank stars in this prestige offering as a mother, wife, and astronaut who leads an ambitious three-year mission to Mars. Away looks like it's equally as concerned with the familial life of its heroine as it is with her space adventures, offering up a family-drama tinged take on the genre, harking back to Netflix's Lost in Space reboot.

After the sterling sickness of Season 1, The Boys are back. Billy Butcher and crew caused chaos in their debut, destroying the reputations and lives of corporate superheroes The Seven. We pick up where they left off with Billy and Homelander missing, The Boys and The Seven on the hunt for their respective friends/enemies, and a scene-stealing new supervillain being introduced into the fold in the form of Aya Cash's Stormfront.

Co-created by cartoonist Keith Knight, Woke stars Lamorne Morris as an artist who is assaulted by the police just as his career is about to really get started. The incident makes Keef "woke," meaning in this context that he can see and hear all kinds of strange new voices and creatures around him. Think of They Live mixed with Bojack Horseman and you're halfway there.

Jude Law and Naomie Harris in a folk-horror fever dream? Yes, please. The iconic actors star here as visitors to a strange and haunting island where nothing is as it seems. Split into three parts -- Summer, Autumn, and Winter -- the show weaves the three apparently disparate stories together offering up secrets, twists, and unexpected connections. If you're looking for something to chill you this Fall, then look no further than The Third Day.

Get ready to get gory! Capcom's hack and slash classic Dragon's Dogma is coming to Netflix in the form of a gorgeous new anime series, just in time for the spookiest of seasons. As the game is an action RPG we expect lots of magic, mayhem, and monster hunting. We're hoping it'll be just as dark and delightful as the streamer's wildly popular Castlevania adaptation.

Though you might not be too excited about an animated Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is here to surprise, delight, and scare. Following a group of teens beta-testing the new park's summer camp scheme in the lead-up to the events of the first Jurassic World movie, this is a great addition to Jurassic Park canon and offers up some legit scary moments.

Sarah Paulson and Ryan Murphy have been scaring the living daylights out of us for years with American Horror Story and they're teaming up again for this One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest prequel. Reimagining the origin of the notorious villain from that brutally bleak classic, Paulson takes on the titular role, aiming to bring a broader life and backstory to the tyrannical nurse.

If you didn't catch this hilarious nostalgia-fest the first time 'round, you've still got time to catch up before the second season hits. Created by and starring Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, this series features the creators as themselves in middle school and it's just as gross, hilarious, and dramatic as being a teen actually was. The second season will feature more strange shenanigans that are likely to make you cringe and cry in equal measure.

Based on one of the best British TV shows ever made, Utopia focuses on a group of ragtag heroes who have to save the world via the medium of comic books. Without spoiling too much, the crew have to use the titular tale to uncover a shocking conspiracy and potentially take down a shady but powerful group who are orchestrating it. If this Rainn Wilson-fronted remake comes even close to the original, Utopia will easily be one of the best shows of the year.

The biggest true-crime release of the season, this new FX series is based on Errol Morris' novel A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald. It focuses on MacDonald, a military surgeon who was convicted of killing his family but claimed they were killed by a group of roving killers. The trailer hints that there may be more to the story than we know and that MacDonald may truly be innocent of the crimes which have kept him incarcerated since 1982.

Chris Rock stars in the latest season of the popular crime anthology as the head of a Black crime family in Kansas City. Rock and his crew have escaped the Jim Crow south for a better life and find themselves butting heads with the local mafia. But when the two bosses trade their youngest sons in an effort to forge a more solid alliance, their fates are changed forever.

The Raid's Gareth Evans turns his eye to the London streets in this smash-hit import from the UK. AMC has picked up the first season, which is just as brutal as Evans' previous work, and paints a grim picture of a London torn apart by international gang wars and struggles for power that are incited when the head of one of the biggest crime organizations is killed. Check out a behind-the-scenes look at Gangs of London here.

Another anthology horror series headed to our screens this Fall is Monsterland, based on Nathan Ballingruds short story collection, North American Lake Monsters. Starring, among others, Kelly Marie Tran, Kaitlyn Dever, Jonathan Tucker, Taylor Schilling, and Nicole Beharie, the show will tell eight stories of monsters, magic, and mystery.

Inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee and his dream for a TV series that was rejected by networks during his lifetime (and ripped off for the David Carradine-led Kung Fu), Cinemaxs stunning martial arts epic returns this fall. Andrew Koji leads the period drama as Ah Sahm, an enigmatic Chinese immigrant finding his way in San Francisco during the brutal Tong Wars.

Ethan Hawke stars as controversial abolitionist John Brown in this stylish limited series based on the novel of the same name by James McBride. The series is told from the point of view of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of Browns motley family of abolitionist soldiers during Bleeding Kansas a time when the state was a battleground between pro- and anti-slavery forces and eventually finds himself participating in the famous 1859 raid on the U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry.

If you have zombie fatigue, The Walking Dead: World Beyond might offer a cure. Fresh, fun, and filled with dynamic new characters as well as a whole bunch of new TWD lore, this is a vibrant reimagining of the world first introduced in the comic books over a decade ago. Set in a safe-haven during the apocalypse, this is a world unlike any that we've ever seen in The Walking Dead universe before. Although things might seem like they're better in the walled compound, the horrors still creep in.

AMC's new anthology series is akin to Black Mirror if the theme of each episode was explored over a full season. The concept here is that we're 15 years in the future where the technology exists to find your soulmate via an app. Each episode will be a singular story highlighting the impacts, both good and bad, of the technology and how it changes the lives of those who interact with it.

Though it slipped under pretty much every radar when it was released on DC Universe and cruelly canceled after airing just one episode, thanks to the insanity of 2020, Swamp Thing is back. Beginning with a feature-length season opener, the story of Abby Arcane and the mythical Swamp Thing will air weekly on The CW and will be available the next day on The CW app.

The horrors of Silicon Valley and the dangers of A.I. are explored in Fox's new sci-fi drama which centers on a one-time wunderkind who has to battle his own brother in order to stop a rogue A.I. potentially taking over the world. In the vein of procedurals everywhere, that exciting setup will introduce us to a Homeland Security tech-division which is tasked with battling the A.I. terror.

We never thought it would arrive, but hell must have frozen over because the final episodes of Supernatural are coming and without some divine intervention the long-running show will finally end for good this November. The brothers Winchester are back for one final ride in Baby as one of the few shows from this year that will be debuting new episodes. Now the big question for the team that has guided the show for a decade and a half is... how do you finish a series like Supernatural?

Mike Flanagans stunning The Haunting of Hill House left viewers chilled when it dropped in 2018. His followup features a similarly spooky locale but with a new twist. Based on the classic horror novel The Turn of the Screw, Flanagan is turning his eye to Gothic Romance here, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't expect some solid scares and more hidden ghouls lurking in the shadows when The Haunting of Bly Manor premieres.

National Geographic's first scripted series for Disney+ is a fresh take on the story of Americas first astronauts, the Mercury 7, starring Patrick J. Adams, Jake McDorman, Colin ODonoghue, James Lafferty, Aaron Staton, Michael Trotter, and Micah Stock. The eight-episode series, based on the bestselling book by Tom Wolfe (which inspired the iconic 1983 film from Philip Kaufman), explores the early days of the space race from the perspective of the people leading the charge.

After that massive Season 2 time-jump, fans are eager to find out what's going to happen next to Michael, Saru, and the rest of the Discovery crew. Whatever happens next you can expect some episodes to be directed by Riker himself, Jonathan Frakes, and a whole bunch of deep-space-shenanigans when Discovery returns in October.

The last of Marvel's live-action shows from the Jeph Loeb era, this chilling take on a lesser-known Marvel character is arriving just in time for Halloween. Offering a fresh spin on the comics, the horror series centers on siblings Daimon and Ana Helstrom, the offspring of a horrendous serial-murderer who, according to the official description, "hunt the worst of humanity." Expect demonic scares and some deep-cut Marvel Comics easter eggs, even if it's unlikely to tie into the wider MCU.

We'd watch Anya Taylor-Joy in literally anything, but luckily the actress has a taste for interesting, complex roles that perfectly suit her diverse talents. Her newest project is the Netflix miniseries based on Walter Tevis' novel of the same name. The six-episode series focuses on Taylor-Joy's orphan chess prodigy as she battles with addiction and fights to become a Grandmaster of the game.

Disney loves to keep their cards close to their chest, so we don't know much about the plot of the hotly-anticipated second season, but it's a fair guess that the series will continue to follow the titular Mandalorian and his adopted alien child, aka the cultural phenomenon known as Baby Yoda. Anticipation is especially high given the rumors that iconic Star Wars characters like Boba Fett (reportedly again to be played by Temuera Morrison), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) might be joining the cast in Season 2.

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot have been terrorizing Hollywood for decades, but it's been a while since we've seen them return in new stories. Luckily, Hulu is delivering an entirely new season of Animaniacs this November and it will even include other iconic Warner Bros. Animation characters like Pinky and the Brain. Get ready for some maniacal hijinx and likely a few celebrity cameos as the Warner siblings are unleashed once again.

Inuyasha shaped many of our teenage years and Rumiko Takahashi's beloved series is back. Following the children of Inuyasha and Kagome and the daughter of Sesshmaru and a mystery partner as they embark on a journey through time, this looks to continue the story in a perfect fashion. The series will air in Japan in October, but as Takahashi's US publisher Viz has been widely promoting the series we expect it to be hitting North American screens pretty soon after.

History Channel's epic and brutal series is coming to an end, with the final episodes set to air sometime later this year. After the devastating battle that capped off the first half of this season and the shocking power shift that it heralded there's plenty of questions to be answered and skulls to be cracked as we head into Vikings' final voyage.

What are you most looking forward to watching this Fall? Share your picks in the comments.

Read more here:

Fall TV Preview 2020: New and Returning Shows to Watch - IGN India

The United States of Weather Extremes

2020 has been a volatile, jaw-dropping year - and disruption applies to America's weather. In recent days I've witnessed things I've never seen before. 121F in the suburbs of Los Angeles. A 5 year drought fueling massive California wildfires, billowing smoke thousands of miles downwind. While the west bakes Denver just dropped 60 degrees in 2 days; from 100F to 30s and snow, in a meteorological blink of an eye. "Paulette" has formed in the Atlantic, the 16th storm and earliest P-name on record. And now there's Tropical Storm Rene, the earliest R-name on record.

Our instant autumn continues, after a warm, wet summer. Dr. Mark Seeley says the summer months will rank 17th wettest and top four warmest on record, statewide.

A stalled frontal boundary sparks rain from this afternoon into Wednesday, with temperatures 20-25F below average. Showery rains return late Friday into Saturday, but we salvage sunshine and low 70s on Sunday.

Yes, we will see more spasms of warmth, more 70s and a few 80s. My closet is a jumbled mess: jackets and shorts, together.

No shame in that.

Image credit above: NOAA.

2020: One of the Four Warmest Summers on Record for Minnesota. So says Dr. Mark Seeley at Minnesota WeatherTalk: "...On a statewide basis this was one of the top 4 warmest summers in history (since 1895, averaging nearly 3 degrees F above normal for all three months combined. The summer of 1988 remains the warmest in state history, but 2020 will follow close behind with 1933 and 1983. Within the climate station network of Minnesota this summer 135 daily maximum temperature records were set or tied, while 143 warm daily minimum temperature records were set or tied. The highest temperature was 102F at Granite Falls on June 7th. In addition, Benson, Sabin, Artichoke Lake, Milan, and Morris all reported at least one day with 100F as well..."

Photo credit: Paul Douglas.

Massive Smoke Plume. The smoke from scores of fires raging from California to Colorado encompasses much of the southwestern USA. Remember, we are at the beginning of the traditional fire season for western states. Image credit: AerisWeather.

Crazy Extremes. The map above shows predicted daytime highs on Tuesday (NOAA NDFD data) and potential records (boxed) across the USA. Nothing like easing into autumn. Map credit: weathermodels.com.

Everything is Connected. Typhoons in the western Pacific helping to amplify weather patterns thousands of miles downwind? Happens more than you suspect.

What's That Blue Stuff? Wet snow for the Nebraska Panhandle. Consider this a shot across the bow. No accumulating snow for Minnesota anytime soon, but the maps are looking more like late September - early October. Future radar loop courtesy of NOAA (NAM model), Praedictix and AerisWeather.

Slow Warming Trend - Sunday Probably Nicer Day of Weekend. Light rain and drizzle lingers into Wednesday, with a dry Thursday giving way to instabiiity showers Friday PM into Saturday, but by Sunday this latest slow-motion frontal boundary should finally shove east of Minnesota. Map sequence above: Praedictix and AerisWeather.

Don't Pack Away the Short Shorts Just Yet. Unusually chilly weather lingers into Wednesday, but temperatures will moderate later in the week with a streak of 70s likely next week as Minnesota temperatures return to average. MSP Meteogram: WeatherBell.

Frequent Cool Frontal Passages. The south and west is forecast to bake for most of September, but a series of Canadian swipes will take the edge off the heat for northern tier states, if NOAA's GFS model looking out 2 weeks is to be believed.

2020 Was Hottest Summer on Record for Dozens of US Cities. ABC News explains: "...Some of the nation's largest cities recorded their hottest climatological summers on record this year, including destinations like Phoenix, Tucson and Sacramento, according to the National Weather Service. In Phoenix, the country's sixth-largest city, residents saw average temperatures of about 96.7 degrees -- almost 1.6 degrees above the previous summer record, the NWS said Wednesday...Meanwhile, cities like Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Vero Beach, Florida, Flagstaff, Arizona and Sarasota, Florida, saw their hottest August temperatures ever..."

August 2020 Heat: World's Fourth Warmest on Record. Bloomberg reports: "August 2020 will go down asthe fourth-warmest on record worldwide, with above average summertime heat in the U.S. and Mexicotempered slightly by below average temperatures in parts ofthe Southern Hemisphere. Global temperatures for the month spiked around 0.9 degrees Celsius above the historical average, according to a new report by Europes Copernicus Climate Change Service. That reading came in lower than thesummers of 2018 and 2019, the agency said in a statement..."

Image credit: Copernicus.

Praedictix Briefing: Issued Monday morning, September 7th, 2020:

Southwest Heat Concerns

Excessive Heat Warnings. We are tracking a dangerous, historic heat wave across the Southwest continuing today across the region. Yesterday, Downtown Los Angeles (111F) saw their third warmest high in recorded history with Downtown San Francisco (100F) tying for their eighth warmest day on record. Meanwhile, the warmest temperature ever recorded in Los Angeles County (121F Woodland Hills) and San Luis Obispo County (117F Paso Robles) occurred yesterday as well. Dangerous, record breaking heat will continue across the region today with Excessive Heat Warnings in place, though it should likely be slightly cooler than yesterday in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. Heres a look at expected highs today across the region:

Extreme Fire Danger

Extreme Fire Danger Today. Meanwhile, the fire danger is ramping up quickly across the western United States. Due to a strong area of high pressure pushing south into the northern U.S. Rockies and a trough along the Pacific Coast, very strong offshore winds are expected across portions of the Pacific Northwest, in and around the Portland area, today. Widespread winds of 20-30 mph with gusts above 60 mph in higher elevations along with low humidity values and very dry fuels are leading to an Extreme Fire Danger. However, other areas of Critical Fire Danger are in place across the western United States due to very dry fuels (which the recent heat waves had contributed to), low humidity values, and gusty winds. Some of this is due to a strong cold front sinking south across northern California/southern Oregon eastward, and just due to the heating of the day in southern California.

Fire Danger Continues Tuesday. Critical fire danger will continue across several areas of the western United States Tuesday due to the continued low humidity values, gusty winds, and very dry fuels. As we head toward late Tuesday and into Wednesday, a Santa Ana wind event is expected across southern California.

Fire Weather Watches/Warnings. Due to the expected volatile fire weather conditions across the western United States, a wide area is under Fire Weather Watches and Warnings.

Ongoing Fires. Of course, we are still tracking numerous wildfires across the region - of which these expected weather conditions will not help containment. Of note are a couple of fires:

Get more information on wildfires burning out west from:

September Snowstorm

Winter Storm Warnings. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure will be dropping south into the Four Corners region as we head through today into Tuesday, bringing a dramatic blast of cold air and snow across the Rockies into the Front Range over the next couple of days. Snow will also be possible into the Black Hills of South Dakota. Ahead of this September snowstorm, Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings are in place, including in the following areas:

Snow Forecast. The heaviest snow will fall in the mountains at higher elevations where over a foot could be possible. Our forecast right now has Cheyenne picking up around 9 of snow with Denver seeing around 5 through the duration of the storm.

Denver Temperature Drop. Temperatures will quickly drop across the Denver metro as we head into the overnight hours. Highs in Denver today will top off in the low 90s, but quickly drop through the late evening hours to around 50F by 10 PM and into the 30s by early Tuesday morning with precipitation changing from rain to snow.

Atlantic Tropical Update

Paulette And Eighteen Forms. As we look at the Atlantic, we are tracking two named system out in the central and eastern Atlantic. Tropical Storm Paulette poses no threat to land over the next five days as it continues to move west-northwest to northwest. Some gradual strengthening is expected the next couple of days before it starts to weaken. Were also tracking Tropical Depression Eighteen out near the Cabo Verde Islands. That system is expected to become a Tropical Storm later today and due to that Tropical Storm Warnings are in place for the Cabo Verde Islands. It looks to strengthen into a hurricane later this week but should curve northward. Were also tracking an area of low pressure south of Bermuda that has a low (30%) chance of development as it continues to move westward. Meanwhile, another tropical wave will move off Africa in a few days with gradual development expected after that time (40% chance of development in the next five days).

D.J. Kayser, Meteorologist, Praedictix.

Does Warm Weather Impact Covid-19? There are no conclusive results (that I'm aware of) that indicate that hot weather reduces the odds of infection. Big Think analyzes some of the factors in play: "...One factor, according to Sciencing, that may increase your susceptibility in cold weather is how your sinuses respond to the humidity and temperature changes. Your nose is a natural air filter for your body. When you spend time in cold temperatures, your nasal passages dry out due to the constriction of blood vessels...One common reason why virus infections may become more common during cold months is that more people are spending time indoors (and together). As research has determined, social distancing can heavily impact the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Being clustered closer together indoors can increase the likelihood of transmission, giving the effect of the virus spreading faster in the colder months..."

File image: CDC.

How to Handle a Jerk. I needed this advice from The Wall Street Journal (paywall) now more than ever. This applies to social media, too. Don't engage, just mute, block or walk away. Here's an excerpt: "...Dealing with an everyday jerk is a two-part process. Part one: Do not engage. Once the jerkiness comes outin your example, when the guy began berating you for pointing out his errorseparate yourself from the encounter. Remember: Youre extremely unlikely to change someone elses bad behavior. And the more you call that person out, the more likely he or she is going to get defensive and double down on it. Keep calm and remain polite. Remove yourself physically if possible. Take some comfort in the fact that unless the person is a straight-up sociopath, he or she probably feels some sense of shame when left alone acting like an idiot..."

64 F. maximum MSP temperature on Labor Day (shortly after midnight).

75 F. average high on September 7.

67 F. Twin Cities high temperature on September 7.

September 8, 1985: An F1 tornado touches down in Faribault County causing $25,000 worth of damage, and hail up to 1 3/4 inches falls in Freeborn and Waseca Counties.

September 8, 1968: 1 3/4 inch hail falls in Goodhue County.

September 8, 1931: A record high is set in St. Cloud with a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

TUESDAY: Dry start, PM rain. Winds: NE 10-20. High: 52

WEDNESDAY: More light rain and drizzle. Winds: NE 7-12. Wake-up: 45. High: 53

THURSDAY: Behold, the sun! Comfortable. Winds: S 3-8. Wake-up: 44. High: 63

FRIDAY: Sunny start, PM showers, T-storms. Winds: SE 10-15. Wake-up: 49. High: 66

SATURDAY: Unstable with more pop-up showers. Winds: NW 7-12. Wake-up: 56. High: 69

SUNDAY: Nicer day, plenty of sunshine. Winds: NW 5-10. Wake-up: 54. High: 68

MONDAY: Partly sunny, milder breeze. Winds: S 10-15. Wake-up: 50. High: 74

Climate Stories...

Climate Whiplash: Wild Swings in Extreme Weather Are on the Rise. Yale E360 explains: "...These wild swings from one weather extreme to another are symptomatic of a phenomenon, variously known as climate whiplash or weather whiplash, that scientists say is likely to increase as the world warms. The intensity of wildfires these days in places like California are a symptom of climate change, experts say, but the whiplash effect poses a different set of problems for humans and natural systems. Researchers project that by the end of this century, the frequency of these abrupt transitions between wet and dry will increase by 25 percent in Northern California and as much as double in Southern California if greenhouse gasses continue to increase..."

File photo: "Firefighters battle the Maria Fire in Santa Paula, California on November 1." AP Photo/Noah Berger.

Connecting the Dots. A consistently hotter, drier climate is helping to fan the flames of larger, longer, more extreme fires, especially California. Graphics above courtesy of Envent Lab.

Leeside, USA: The Making of a Climate Utopia. There is no Leeside (yet) but every community will have to use new methods and materials to build resilience, no matter what a more volatile climate throws at us. Here's an excerpt from Quartz: "Its 2057 and no life has been untouched by the realities of a warming globe. But mere decades ago, at the dawn of the 21st century, Americans were only just waking to this truth. Rising seas, powerful storms, and raging fires were destroying their cities, rendering homes uninhabitable, and dismantling livelihoods. Residents affected by such loss began to ask, Where will we go? In an increasingly isolationist world, many responded, Not here. But Leeside opened its doors. And after years of implementing innovative policies benefiting both the environment and the citys residents, the United Nations inaugurated Leeside as the United States first Green Haven in 2035. Now, the city is recognized as a model of successful adaptationphysical, economic, and socialto a world in which cities and their communities are transformed by the millions seeking shelter from the storm..."

Democratic Leaders Want to Know Why Facebook's New Oversight Board Won't Deal with Climate Lies. Seems like we have an algorithm (or oversight) problem, according to Mother Jones: "...The dispute is over a loophole in Facebooks leaky fact-checking operation that has allowed climate change deniers to circumvent fact-checkers and spread misinformation meant to mislead readers about the reliability of climate modeling. E&E News Scott Waldman reported how the denier group CO2 Coalition has been able to run ads on Facebook based on claims that arent supported by peer-review climate science. In one instance last year, Waldman found that independent fact-checkers flagged the post as false, temporarily blocked it, but a conservative staffer at Facebook overrode them to remove the false label. Ever since, the CO2 Coalition was able to share its false content because Facebook categorized it as opinion and therefore exempt from fact-checking..."

IPCC: the Dirty Tricks Climate Scientists Faced in Three Decades Since First Report. The Conversation lays out a persistent campaign of deception and disinformation: "...In 1996, there were sustained attacks on climate scientist Ben Santer, who had been responsible for synthesising text in the IPCCs second assessment report. He was accused of having tampered with wording and somehow twisting the intent of IPCC authors by Fred Seitz of the Global Climate Coalition. In the late 1990s, Michael Mann, whose famous hockey stick diagram of global temperatures was a key part of the third assessment report, came under fire from right-wing thinktanks and even the Attorney General of Virginia. Mann called this attempt to pick on scientists perceived to be vulnerable to pressure the Serengeti strategy..."

How Kids are Inspiring Adults to Address Climage Change. Here's an excerpt of a post at NC State News: "...As we all know, climate change is a highly politicized issue. Political ideology is consistently one of the major drivers of climate change perceptions, regardless how much people understand science. This might be because politics influences the types of information we seek and how we interpret it. In fact, one study found that the climate change risk perceptions of people who are better at science and numbers are more polarized. Kids, however, seem to behave in the opposite way. We did a study in 2012 that found that at low levels of climate change understanding, kids are just as polarized as adults. But, when they learn more about the science behind climate change, the ideology-driven polarization disappears..."

The Sitting President Has No Climate Plan. Why Isn't That Headline News? Maybe it gets lost amid the chaos, denial and campaign donations? Here's an excerpt from The Columbia Journalism Review: "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES has no plan to address the climate crisis. This is not a partisan observation; it is a fact, supported by Donald Trumps own statements and the Republican Party platform, which, as in 2016, outrightly dismisses the climate threat and ridicules efforts to mitigate it. On August 23, the eve of the Republican National Convention, the presidents team released a bulleted list of Trumps priorities for a second term. The word climate did not appear once. Given the unparalleled and scientifically incontrovertible threat that climate change presents, this is shocking, though it is not a surprise..."

See the article here:

Touch of Early October - But Minnesota is Getting Off Easy Compared to Much of USA - Minneapolis Star Tribune

by Beverly Aarons

In the Wizard of Oz (or The Wiz, if you grew up Black like me in the 80s) Dorothys ruby-red slippers could transport the wearer to anywhere in the world. Three taps and poof youre back in Kansas. Its that same magical spirit that science fiction writer Nisi Shawl taps into in their numerous tales of utopia which transport readers to future versions better versions of our world with just a turn of the page.

I think that writing was the closest that I could come to being a magician, which is what I really wanted to do, you know transform the world, Shawl said.

A winner of the 2020 Locus Award, a 2016 Nebula Award nominee, and the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award winner, Nisi Shawl has been transporting readers to better worlds since they first published their short story I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer in Semiotext(e) in 1989. They said that they want to write fiction from a place of hope, using compelling and realistic visions of a better world. When I asked Shawl during our telephone interview exactly what a better world would look like, their answer intrigued me.

I would say it would likely be some sort of socialism, Shawl said. The book Im working on now, Kinning, is the sequel to my first novel, Everfair. In it there are these Chinese anarchists running around in 1920 trying to get people to consume this plant material that causes empathy. They paused and gave a mischievous laugh. So I think it would be a very empathic world.

In Shawls vision of the future, people would treat each other like extended family. And in a healthy family there is empathy people care about what is happening to each other. Kinning will explore the process of making kin out of people who have no biological ties and who may even be oppressive. That surprised me. I wanted to know why Shawl believes it is important to make kin out of strangers even an oppressor.

Well, because when we make an in-group, a lot of times we do that by making an out-group, Shawl said. And that divides not just the world but our own selves. So to be whole selves, we need to be a more embracing community. We need to be a more inclusive community. Sometimes inclusion can come to [oppressors] as unwelcome, which is another thing Im trying to deal with in this novel. It can be overwhelming to be brought into a community that you have been trying to suppress.

Shawl believes that bringing an oppressor into community is critical because, Otherwise they will continue to try and suppress you successfully or unsuccessfully. They will keep trying.

But how exactly do you neutralize an enemy? The answer to that is something explored in the short story The Water Museum which is a part of Shawls collection of short stories, Filter House, and was recently featured on LaVar Burtons podcast.

The cultivation of better worlds isnt limited to Shawls fiction; its a lifelong journey to improve representation and diversity in the science fiction writing community. In 1997, Shawl helped found the Carl Brandon Society, an organization committed to addressing the representation of People of Color in the fantastical genres such as science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Shawl says that the reason the Carl Brandon Society exists is to give People of Color an opportunity to add their voices to the conversation about what our worlds future could/should look like. For Shawls part, its a world more hopeful than dystopian.

Theres an idea that science fiction, fantasy, and horror that all speculative and imaginative writing is a form of thought experiment, Shawl said. So you try to come up with a way in which the world is different and work out all of the ramifications of a change. Some of the changes in a story are based on fear. Some are based on hope. Some are completely neutral and then depend on the reader for the inflection. But I try to go for the stories that are based on a hopeful take on the world and an optimistic one.

And that optimism has fueled many of the changes that Shawl has experienced since the late 90s, a time when there were so few Black and POC science fiction writers getting published that Nisi could personally greet each one at the science fiction conventions they attended each year.

There were like four or maybe five black people I wont say writing science fiction getting science fiction that they had written published, Shawl said.

But now, when someone wants a tally of POC science fiction writers, dozens of names can be listed writers who are published with legacy publishers and small presses as well as self-published authors. Its the kind of result that makes Shawl hopeful for the future. But there are some drawbacks: as the number of successful Black and POC science fiction writers have ascended to prominence, fame, and recognition, racism driven by fear has emerged.

Shawl spoke of how science fiction and fantasy writer N.K. Jemison was called a half savage after winning multiple Hugo Awards for her writing.

Shes popular. Shes selling novels and short stories and shes not alone, Shawl said. Shes part of the movement, and thats threatened to some people.

Shawl said that for some authors, the large influx of Black and POC writers into the science fiction community threatens their profits. The racism emerges because they fear that if people are buying copies of that, then theyre not buying copies of someone elses stuff that is not part of that movement, Shawl said.

But newcomers shouldnt let the racism scare them away. A lot of progress has been made and the future is looking brighter for Black and POC writers. Shawl expressed gratitude for the white allies in the community who are working every day to make the science fiction industry more inclusive at all levels.

As for new writers who want to break into the industry and maintain a career, Shawl has some advice:

Shawl recounted their experience when they wrote about someone kissing the kitchen of a character and an editor said, nobody knows what youre talking about. But the kitchen is well-known in many African American communities to be the place between a persons hairline and their neck.

Shawl said that in these situations, its important to listen to your editors but also consider their bias and choose your battles wisely. In that case, Shawl defended the line and kept it in, but there may be cases where its not worth a fight.

Think about why you were saying things a certain way, Shawl said. Are you doing this because its the vernacular you grew up with? Are you doing it to show a distance? Think about those things and go to bat for what youre doing. You may succumb to the editors suggestion but at least show them that its something that youre considering and that youre not just, you know, being sloppy. Youre doing what youre doing for a reason.

Beverly Aarons is a writer and game developer. She works across disciplines as a copywriter, journalist, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and short-story writer. She explores futuristic worlds in fiction but also enjoys discovering the stories of modern-day unsung heroes. Shes currently working on a series of nonfiction stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their local communities and the world. In August 2018 she produced a live-action game and event where community members worked together to envision an economic future they truly desired to leave future generations. Shes currently writing an immersive play about the themes of migration.

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Seattle Writer Nisi Shawl Casts a Spell on the Science Fiction Community - southseattleemerald.com

Talking Heads frontman David Byrne talks about the musical, 'Here Lies Love' with star, Jaygee Macapugay. He co-wrote the immersive theater production with Fat Boy Slim. (November 21)

The former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is expressing remorse for his "huge blind spot" after a1984 skit of the musician donning blackfacesurfaced.

Ina promotional videofor the 1984 concert film "Stop Making Sense,"Byrne portrays different characters as he interviews himself.At one point, he portrays an interviewer of color, where he wears brown body paint.

TheBritish-Americansinger, 68,tweetedTuesdaythat the resurfaced clip was brought to his attention recently by a journalist. Although he admits hehad "forgotten about this skit,"Byrne said he's"grateful" someone took the time to point out his"major mistake in judgement."

"To watch myself in the various characters, including black and brown face, I acknowledge it was a major mistake in judgement that showed a lack of real understanding," Byrnesaidin a series of tweets. "Its like looking in a mirror and seeing someone else- youre not, or were not, the person you thought you were."

More: Howard Stern addresses blackface skit that uses N-word after Donald Trump Jr. calls him out

Byrne said he hopes others can examine his past with "honesty and accountability," while having the "grace and understanding" to acknowledgethat "someone like me, anyone really, can grow and change."

David Byrne presents a trophy at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in New York.(Photo: Evan Agostini, Invision/AP)

"Id like to think I am beyond making mistakes like this, but clearly at the time I was not," he tweeted. "Like I say at the end of our Broadway show American Utopia 'I need to change too'..and I believe I have changed since then."

Byrne's 2019Broadway show "American Utopia" has been adapted into an HBO documentary directed by Spike Lee.

American Utopia playedat New Yorks Hudson Theatre from October 2019 through February 2020. A fall return was planned before the pandemic shuttered Broadway through the end of the year. The show features Byrne and 11 musical artists from around the world performing songs from the 2018 album of the same title, as well as Talking Heads hits.

The film will premiere at the 45th Toronto International Film Festival on September 10 and drop on HBO in October.

Spike Lee's David Byrne documentarywill open Toronto International Film Festival

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David Byrne apologizes for blackface in 1984 Talking Heads video: 'I have changed' - USA TODAY

Kathy Benson

Kathy is the chief client officer for Ipsos Australia and New Zealand and has 29 years experience as a strategic researcher specialising in assisting companies and brands to stay in sync with consumers and abreast of the latest consumer trends and behaviours. Kathy has held the Australian Market and Social Research Societys professional accreditation of QPMR (Qualified Practicing Market Researcher) since its introduction in 2002, and conducts both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, combining advanced research capability with strong strategy skills. Kathy has directedmany large-scale and complex studies for clients across CPG and FMCG, telecommunications, financial services, entertainment and tourism, retail, education, infrastructure and transport.Kathy has a Bachelor of Business (with Distinction) and a Master of Marketing from Queensland University of Technology.

Unicorns, the Sunken City of Atlantis, Zeus: They are very famous. So famous in fact, that we often think twice about whether they are real or not. Sometimes if we talk about something widely enough, and for long enough, even the strangest fiction can seem like fact. But ultimately it is still fiction - stories we make up and tell ourselves over and over until we believe.

Some marketing commentators say attempting to predict the future falls into that realm. Future-spotting is impossible they say a fictitious story we are being told, or we are telling ourselves to meet an agenda, and mostly, it is an insidious agenda. It might be consultants attempting to make a sale, or marketing professionals trying to avoid the practical and harsh realities of dealing with current market situations.

For whatever reason, we have long been fascinated with all manner of crystal ball gazing such as future-casting, foresight and trends-watching. Why? What makes the future so important?

Quite simply, every single marketing initiative we undertake is an investment of critical and hard-fought dollars desperately anguished over. Marketers need to achieve a return on investment. The biggest success a marketing professional can achieve in their career is to understand not just what people want and need now, but to predict what they might want and need in the future. These are the latent needs in the market, the unknown unknowns, the problems people have they arent even aware of. And meeting these first can be Willy Wonkas golden ticket.

If 2020 is the year of marketing pain, 2021 might just be the year of marketing opportunity. Despite everything the world has withstood this year, the extent of change and volatility presents a wealth of possible and unfulfilled opportunity. Old entrenched behaviours have shifted and continue to shift, attitudes have pivoted, new needs have emerged, beliefs are evolving, and consumers are looking for inspiration and leadership. The next few years will be a utopia of opportunity for brands.

However, there is a massive stumbling block in front of us, and that is that we are scared. 2020 has left us feeling even less equipped than ever to take a chance on investing in new initiatives. However, when we think about it, our future was always uncertain. If someone had told us this time last year that wearing face masks outside would be mandatory in Victoria, that crossing Australian state borders required permission, or that cruises could be a thing of the past, it would have seemed like science fiction.

Most of us probably didnt think about it at all. Those who did probably envisioned 2020 being somewhat similar to 2019 with a few tweaks here and there. This time last year we werent all talking about an uncertain future and yet, it was just as uncertain then as it is now. Most of us dont bother, but even when we do, we are not great at predicting the future.

Here are a few examples of very bad predictions:

These predictions were made by experienced business professionals. But do a Google search of The Simpsons and their predictions, and they seemingly got it uncannily right up to 30 times.

Above: The Simpsons introduced the concept of a watch you could use as a phone in 1995, nearly 20 years before the Apple watch was released.

So, what is going on? How can industry experts on one hand get it so wrong while a cult comedy cartoon gets it right? Is it all just completely random, or is there any science to it at all?

There is a science and it is called Behavioural Science.

Behaviours change all the time, but normally they change at incremental rates and maybe not all at once. The impact of COVID-19 this year has created tsunami of change. Much of that change might revert, some might endure long-term and some might carry on and then fade away.

Figure 2 Ipsos Behaviour Change MAPPS framework

Whether we are trying to create behaviour change or determine whether a naturally occurring behaviour change will endure we need to look at five elements:

Abraham Lincoln once said: The best way to predict your future is to create it. Using Behavioural Science, brands and organisations can play a role in shaping the future by shaping peoples behaviours.

Understanding and practicing Behavioural Science principles can empower marketers to create their own future. There is no need to sit back and wait for the uncertain future to hit and nor is there any a need to make big, risky and ambitious predictions. The smart marketer will use a simple but effective four-step process:

The key to predicting the future is taking a scientific approach combined with creative thinking to build multiple future scenarios. How do we know which one will transpire? We dont, but the smart marketer develops a roadmap for each.

All scenarios have elements that will come true, but no single scenario is likely to happen in its entirety. They may all contain elements of the future but none of them is the future.

When it comes to predicting the future, it is not about being right, its about being prepared.

Tags: behavioural science, marketing strategy

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Predicting the Future: Marketing science or marketing myth? - CMO

By admin | on August 27, 2020

Editor, Roadrunner:

I love how our new lefty starts his rant by imagining a Utopian Society! Thats the dream of progressives, otherwise known as socialists. Yep, big government will fix it all, and we will sing kumbaya.

Leaning Left neglects to mention that our federal government already runs THREE single-payer systems: Medicare, the Veterans Health Administration and the Indian Health Service each of which is loaded with fraud, waste and corruption. Why would anyone want to turn over all of our medicine to these incompetent bureaucrats?

Rather than point out all the illogical statements in the column, I will mention the proper way to correct the finest medicine in the world: American medicine.

1. Get the consumer involved in the cost. When someone else pays, who cares how much it costs? Head to the hospital for a runny nose! We need Major medical insurance to cover serious illnesses etc, and a health savings account to take care of routine health care. End of the year, you dont spend it, you get to keep it, say, in your IRA. Heart attack? Insurance. Sniffles? Cmon. Empower individuals to control their costs.

2. Force all medical service providers to make PUBLIC their inclusive prices for ALL procedures. Transparency! Posting prices will force hospitals to become more competitive by becoming more efficient.

3. Remove regulations and policy obstacles that discourage choice and competition, and create a wide variety of plans and insurers to compete for my business. Allow me to choose a plan and my doctors, like I was promised. I dont need a plan that includes abortion and contraception since I am still male. Reform Medicaid and modernize Medicare.

Two quick stories to close: My old dentist now charges $245 for a cleaning and X-rays. My new dentist charges $99 for both. (I shopped with my wallet.) A friend in Australia needs a knee replacement; 50% of her paycheck goes to taxes, but she will get a free knee replacement once she gets to the top of the waiting list-about nine months. So you progressives can keep promising Utopia. Unfortunately, theres no such place.

BILL MACEY, Valley Center

*Note: Opinions expressed by columnists and letter writers are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the newspaper.

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Letter to the Editor: UTOPIA, THE DREAM OF SOCIALISTS - Valley Roadrunner

The New York Film Festival, whose longer-than-usual 2020 edition will run from September 17 to October 11, has announced the lineup for its new Spotlight section.

On the Rocks, director Sofia Coppolas re-teaming for Apple and A24 with Lost in Translation star Bill Murray, will have its world premiere in the Spotlight lineup. Other titles includeHopper/Welles, a cinephiles delight featuring a 1970 conversation between Dennis Hopper and Orson Welles; American Utopia, Spike Lees filmed version of David Byrnes Broadway musical; and Pedro Almodvars The Human Voice. Tilda Swinton stars in Human Voice, which is Almodvars first English-language film.

In addition to Hopper/Welles, documentaries include All In: The Fight for Democracy, a look at voter suppression directed by Liz Garbus and Lisa Corts; and The Monopoly of Violence, from director David Dufresne, an examination of police brutality in France.

Related StoryRepublican Convention Final Night Review: Donald Trump Delivers Biden-Bashing, Very Long 70-Minute Speech On White House Lawn

The Spotlight section is described by NYFF presenter Film at Lincoln Center as a showcase of sneak previews, gala events, screenings with live elements and other special evenings.

Before COVID-19 altered the planet, programming director Dennis Lim and festival director Eugene Hernandez spent time talking with each other and the Film at Lincoln Center staff about how we might reshape and focus the New York Film Festival, Hernandez recalled in a press release. We agreed that among the annual highlights are those special, one-of-a-kind events that unveil an anticipated new film by a well-known filmmaker, dig deeper into a topic or theme with a substantive conversation, showcase something new or unexpected, and even have some fun!

The festival, always a highlight of the New York and film industry calendar in the fall, will look substantially different in its 58th year. With theaters still closed across the state, screenings will be held at drive-in locations or online and there wont be any public events. In a rare alliance formed due to the pandemic, festival organizers also have pledged to collaborate and not compete with counterparts in Toronto, Venice and Telluride.

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New York Film Festival Sets Spotlight Lineup, With Hopper/Welles, Sofia Coppolas On The Rocks & More - Deadline

All In: The Fight for Democracy

In the new documentary, Stacey Abrams examines rampant voter suppression across the United States. Referring to voter suppression as the new Jim Crowe 2.0, the documentary focuses on Abrams 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race, where voters were faced with five-hour lines, mismanagement, and gerrymandering. Abrams says in a clip, Thousands of people were told, No, and didnt have the authority to demand better. Now, the people are making demands. (September 18th)

Blackbird

Susan Sarandons character a family matriarch asks her family to behave as normally as they possibly can. Even in good times, that can be an impossible request to adhere to. But the occasion for which they are all gathered makes it even more difficult to do so. After battling ALS, Sandersons character has decided to end her life. The date has been set, and though shes made her peace with it, the rest of the family is still working on it. (September 18th)

Coastal Elites

This new HBO film is the first of its kind a socially distanced satire. Sarah Paulson,Bette Midler,Issa Rae,Kaitlyn Dever,andDan Levy all-star as the so-called coastal elites, as they go through living in isolation in either Los Angeles or New York City. Filmed remotely, the characters divulge their lives in largely confessional styled-shots. As Paulsons character suggests, Take a deep healing breath and imagine that youre not even on Twitter or Facebook or Xanax. (September 12th)

Death on the Nile

Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) returns this time, to investigate a murder thats taken place during a picture-perfect Egyptian steam-boat vacation. I ask you, he says in a voiceover, have you ever loved so much, been so possessed by jealousy, that you might kill? Based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, the film is Branaghs follow up to Murder on the Orient Express.(October 23rd)

On the Rocks

For her latest feature, director Sofia Coppola focuses on Laura (Rashida Jones), who thinks her marriage is in a rut. Her husbands job is demanding more trips away, and shes starting to feel like a living daily planner. It isnt until her father Felix (Bill Murray) comes back to town that she starts to suspect the worst from her husband. After all, over drinks her father tells her that infidelity is part of a mans very nature: Males are forced to fight, to dominate and to impregnate the female. Felix, a womanizer himself, feels sure that he knows all the tricks Lauras husband could be pulling. Together, they set out to catch him in the act. (October)

Time

Twenty years into her husbands six-decade-long prison sentence, Fox Rich relentlessly campaigns for his release. The mother, entrepreneur, and abolitionists ongoing video diaries craft a portrait of perseverance and fierce love as she tries to keep her family intact while having to navigate through the United States prison industrial-complex system. (October 23rd)

Utopia

Set to R.E.M.s Its the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine), a group of comic book fans realize that the plots theyve read over and over are actually coming true in the real world. Dismissed as fanatic fans, their warnings are mocked. However, as a deadly pandemic takes hold, they mobilize to take action. Expect bio-warfare, a seemingly sinister corporation, and a band of unlikely heroes. (September 25th)

Excerpt from:

Trailers of the Week: On the Rocks, Time, Utopia, and More - Rolling Stone

TYLER MITCHELL, Untitled, 2019. | Tyler Mitchell

ALLURING, JOYFUL, AND TIMELY, the photographs of Tyler Mitchell center the Black experiences he didnt see represented in media when he was growing up. The images Mitchell came across focused on attractive white models at leisure and at play, having fun. Shifting how Black people are traditionally seen and represented, his empowering photographs emphasize freedom and hope, pleasure and delight, Black beauty, style, and individuality.

Tyler Mitchell: I Can Make You Feel Good, a newly published exhibition catalog, explores the concept of what the photographer calls a Black utopia. The fully illustrated volume documents Mitchells first U.S. solo exhibition. Currently installed at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York, the survey, also titled I Can Make You Feel Good, presents a selection of his recent photographs, videos, and installation works.

I feel an urgency to visualize Black people as free, expressive, effortless, and sensitive, Mitchell said in the introduction to the exhibition. I aim to visualize what a Black utopia looks like or could look like. People say utopia is never achievable, but I love the possibility that photography brings. It allows me to dream and make that dream become very real.

I feel an urgency to visualize Black people as free, expressive, effortless, and sensitive. Tyler Mitchell

Mitchells pictures of Black possibility, wonder, and everyday mundane include scenes of hula hooping; a couple relaxing in a meadow; a close-up focusing on the hands of two young men in white shirtsleeves as one helps the other button his cuffs; and a beach shot, a nearly abstract composition that frames a womans sand-covered back and blue swimsuit in dramatic light and shadow. The latter image is called Untitled (Heart). Look closely, the area of sand covering her back is heart-shaped.

Tyler Mitchell: I Can Make You Feel Good, by Tyler Mitchell, curators Mirjam Kooiman and Isolde Brielmaier, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and Deborah Willis (Curator-at-Large, ICP),(Prestel, 206 pages). | Published Aug. 4, 2020 UK / Aug. 25, 2020 US

The title of the artists first major monograph (and the exhibition) comes from a 1982 song by Shalamar. Contributors to the volume include Deborah Willis, chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Hans Ulrich Obrist, director of Serpentine Galleries in London, conducted an interview with Mitchell. ICP Curator-at-Large Isolde Brielmaier curated the exhibition and contextualized his work in the fully illustrated catalog.

In an essay titled, A Marvelous Mundane, Brielmaier described Mitchells Utopian images. She wrote that they exude a seemingly straightforward tranquility and blissfulness.

She continued: Throughout the history of our imaging, this sense of limitless possibility is all too unique. It is something that is rarely represented with Black people as its protagonists. So often we are seen struggling, striving, pained, defeated, and surviving. While these states of being reflect aspects of our realities and experiences, Mitchells work offers us another necessarily human dimensiona critical prospect in which to envision ourselves. His compositions are considered, complex, and multilayered, yet tightly framed and always intentional. They are comprised of very specific signs, symbols, and motifs.

Mitchells work offers us another necessarily human dimensiona critical prospect in which to envision ourselves. His compositions are considered, complex, and multilayered, yet tightly framed and always intentional. Isolde Brielmaier

Speaking to the complexity of Mitchells images, a group shot of young black shirtless men with their backs to the viewer represents community, trust, and frivolity in a natural green space. At the same time, one of his subjects is wearing a thick chain-link necklace, conjuring references to prison chain gangs and enslaved bodies.

Titled Boys of Walthamstow (2018), the photograph covers the catalog. Set in an overgrown field with a thicket of dense trees nearby, the image is easily associated with the American South, but was captured in North East London.

Mitchell recently returned to the UK capital and spoke to Christiane Amanpour of CNN about the new book (see video below). The wide-ranging conversation covered the arc of his career.

TYLER MITCHELL, Sosa with Orange Hula Hoop, 2019. | Tyler Mitchell

The Brooklyn-based photographer and filmmaker grew up outside Atlanta in Marietta, Ga., where he got his start in image-making filming skateboarding videos with his friends. Mitchell earned a BFA in film and television from NYUs Tisch School (2017), where Willis was among his instructors.

A year later, Mitchell gained widespread recognition when he was tapped to photograph Beyonc for the September 2018 cover of American Vogue. Published since 1892, the worlds most prominent fashion magazine had never hired a Black photographer to shoot a cover before. Mitchell made history at age 23.

A 2020 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellow, Mitchell talked with Amanpour about growing up middle-class in the suburbs. He identifies with the freedom and physical, intellectual, emotional, and psychological space represented in his images.

A suburban existence is about having space. Theres a big front yard. Theres leisure and a lot of the things in the pictures that I had growing up, he told Amanpour. And those kind of experiences and kind of freedom, I started to understand as I grew up more, was luxury. Having a summer to kind of think about what I wanted to do with my life, those things are freedoms that Im kind of posturing or gesturing or suggesting all Black folks should have.

Having a summer to kind of think about what I wanted to do with my life, those things are freedoms that Im kind of posturing or gesturing or suggesting all Black folks should have. Tyler Mitchell

Amanpour said she was fascinated with his contention that photographing Black people at leisure is radical. Why is that? she asked.

Mitchell responded: Well, it has to do with denied histories. Right? And this idea that visualizing and making images and projecting those and stating that visualizing Black folks enjoying their lives is important. Right? Whats central to that in my work is that existing in public space for Black folks in America has been denied. Psychically in our minds at any moment that freedom or that enjoyment that we are having or that pleasure could be taken away or stripped away. To me, this book stands for a beacon of that. CT

The exhibition Tyler Mitchell: I Can Make You Feel Good debuted last year at Foam, the museum in Amsterdam. In New York, it opened at the International Center of Photography (ICP) on Jan. 25, 2020, coinciding with the inauguration of the museums new space, and was scheduled through May 18. A few months after the exhibition opened, ICP temporarily closed in March due to COVID-19. The museum currently remains closed and the exhibition has been extended to Dec. 31, 2020.

FIND MORE about Tyler Mitchell on his website

CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour interviews photographer and filmmaker Tyler Mitchell about his new book I Can Make You Feel Good. | Video by CNN

TYLER MITCHELL, Untitled (Toni), 2019. | Tyler Mitchell

TYLER MITCHELL, Still From Idyllic Space, 2019. | Tyler Mitchell

TYLER MITCHELL, Untitled (Park Frivolity), 2019. | Tyler Mitchell

TYLER MITCHELL, Boys of Walthamstow, 2018. | Tyler Mitchell

FIND MORE Tyler Mitchell has collaborated with fashion, brands, corporations, and a variety of publications. A selection of projects includes photographing Spike Lee for Office magazine, Toyin Ojih Odutola for i-D magazine, and the student gun-reform activists from Majorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., for Teen Vogue; shooting American Vogues June 2019 cover of Zendaya, American Vogues April 2020 cover featuring a trio of models from around the world for its Beauty Without Borders issue, and GQs May 2020 cover of Kanye West; photographing the Fall/Winter 2019 campaigns for the fashion brands JW Anderson and Loewe, and directing and photographing the campaign for Copper, the unisex fragrance from Comme des Garons

BOOKSHELFTyler Mitchell is featured in The New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion and his work also graces the cover of the exhibition catalog. In 2015, Mitchell self-published El Paquete, documenting his experience in Cuba. The limited-edition of 200 copies is now out of print.

SUPPORT CULTURE TYPEDo you enjoy and value Culture Type? Please consider supporting its ongoing production by making a donation. Culture Type is a solo editorial project that requires countless hours and expense to research, report, write, and produce. To help sustain it, make a one-time donation or sign up for a recurring monthly contribution. It only takes a minute. Many Thanks for Your Support.

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Finding Joy in the Everyday Mundane, Tyler Mitchell's Photographs 'Visualize What a Black Utopia Looks Like, or Could Look Like' - Culture Type

With Broadway shutdown until early 2021, one smash hit will be finding its way to HBO Max this fall. Spike Lees film adaptation of the acclaimedDavid Byrnes American Utopiaconcert is set for October 17. A first-look trailer was released this week.

David Byrnes American Utopia was a huge success at Broadways Hudson Theatre from October 2019 through February 2020, where the show broke theater box-office records. Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown of the music industry across the country, was planned to return for a second engagement in fall of 2020.

The one-of-a-kind film by Oscar and Emmy-winner Spike Lee was recorded during at Hudson Theatre, with Byrne joined by an ensemble of 11 musicians, singers, and dancers from around the globe. Bryne invites audiences into a joyous dreamworld where human connection, self-evolution, and social justice are paramount.

American Utopia includes both old and new songs from Byrne, including his Talking Heads and solo hits, among them Burning Down the House, Life During Wartime, This Must Be the Place, Road to Nowhere and Everybodys Coming To My House, as well as selections from the 2018 album that gave the show its title. Choreographer Annie-B Parson tapped into Brynes career-long devotion to idiosyncratic movement and quirky gestures to create a truly fresh ensemble performance.

David Byrnes American Utopia is a uniquely transformative experience and a perfect example of how entertainment can bring us together during these challenging times. Spikes brilliant direction adds a level of intimacy to this powerful performance, and were so thrilled to share this groundbreaking show with our audience.

American Utopias Broadway show had planned toreturn to Broadway starting September 18, and recently was announced to be released as a book as well.

HBO will air the special event on October 17 at 8pm, in partnership with Participant, River Road Entertainment and Warner Music Entertainment. The film is produced by David Byrnes Todomundo and Lees Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks production companies.

Go here to see the original:

Watch the trailer for Spike Lee's Film Adaptation of David... - NYSMusic

Amazon Prime Videos remake ofUtopia inspired by the Channel 4 series of the same name will likely prove to be strangely timely post-lockdown viewing, given that it centres around a cult comic book that correctly predicts a pandemic.

John Cusack (Being John Malkovich) is starring in his first regular television role, alongside a roster of familiar faces, including Rainn Wilson (best known for his role asDwight in the US Office).

Read on for everything you need to know about the US remake of Utopia.

Amazon Prime Videos eight-part remake of Utopia will be available to watch from Friday 25th September.

Utopia (Amazon Prime Video) Amazon

Penned by Gone GirlsGillian Flynn, the Utopia remake follows a group of comic book readers who all bond over an underground comic book called Utopia before realising that its pages contain a more sinister truth.

According to the official synopsis, the ragtag group unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of Utopia, predicting threats to humanity. They realise these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world.

The group embarks on a high-stakes adventure, bringing them face-to-face with the comics famed central character, Jessica Hyde who joins them on their mission to save the world while harbouring secrets of her own.

John Cusack plays a famousbio-technician,Dr Kevin Christie, who wants to change the world with science.

American Honey star Sasha Lane has been cast as Jessica Hyde, while The Office actor Rainn Wilson plays an underrated scientist who happens to be a world-leading expert on a deadly flu and who accidentally walks into the midst of a dark web of conspiracy.

The reboot is also set to be notably less violent than the 2013 British original, after Flynn detailed how her remake would differ in an interview with Deadline.

Im more less is more as far as violence goes, she said. Im the person who loves that moment in Rosemarys Baby where were only seeing part of the conversation whereas the whole audience is trying to look around the corner to see whats happening, or obviously Jaws. Im a big believer in that. I dont want it for a cartoon effect or for shock value. I think we as an audience are past most of that as pure shock value. I want to use violence when its effective and appropriate.

You can watch the new trailer for Utopia here.

Amazon Prime Videos remake of Utopia will be available to watch from Friday 25th September. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide

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When is the Utopia remake on Amazon Prime Video ? - RadioTimes

The new feature film Bill & Ted Face The Music was in development for more than a decade. The third movie in a trilogy that started in 1989 with the sleeper hit Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure hits VOD and American theaters on Aug. 28, but its faced a long road to screens, and a series of studio changes and necessary revisions along the way. One of the most significant: director Dean Parisot tells Polygon that the filmmaking team had to scrap a sequence involving a computer-generated re-creation of George Carlin.

In the original Bill & Ted, teenage burnouts Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) are emerging from a Circle K convenience store when theyre confronted by Rufus (Carlin), a time traveler from 2688 who tells them theyre meant to unite the world with their rock music. To help out, he introduces them to their own time-traveling selves, and sends them on a trip through time to help them pass a history class. In Bill & Ted Face The Music, the doofy duo realize theyre middle-aged musical failures who still havent written the song thats supposed to bring about world peace and a magical utopia, so they head out on a new time-traveling trip to solve the problem. Parisot says that journey was supposed to include a jump back to the Circle K, where they would ask Rufus for insight.

George Carlins death in 2008 was a limiting factor on that plan, but as of 2018, original Bill & Ted co-writer Ed Solomon was still talking up plans for a scene that used excised footage from the 1989 movie to let Winter and Reeves interact with their past selves, and with Rufus. But Parisot said the plan had to change because of the films budget and shooting schedule.

We probably could have afforded to build the Circle K set, he says, but we were using footage from the original Bill & Ted. We would have had to create a CG George Carlin, which is incredibly expensive, and very difficult to pull off in a convincing way. We didnt have the time or the money. But we had a great scene where they went back to talk to Carlin.

Parisot says the scene was intended both as a tribute to Carlin and a way to launch the quest that forms most of the movie. From a story point of view, theyre theyre trying to figure out what happens, right? he says. How do we solve this problem? Because nobody really knows the future, and they dont know whats coming. So initially, theyre going back in time to ask questions.

Ultimately, Parisot is philosophical about having to lose the sequence, which ended up being replaced with a plot device Bill and Ted wind up with a keepsake of Rufus that holds the same advice he would have given them in the cut scene. From a story perspective, it didnt change all that much, Parisot says. It was a bittersweet moment between them and Rufus. It was sweet, and I think it would have been fun but, you know, things fall by the wayside.

And he points out that the movie still includes a brief Rufus cameo. They still got to see Carlin! he says. The actor appears as a hologram, created with archival footage, and with a line of dialogue provided by animation voiceover artist Piotr Michael. It isnt exactly the emotional reunion Solomon envisioned, but it does nod to the past without kicking off the kind of uncanny-valley debates that followed other recent CGI actor re-creations, like the appearance of Peter Cushing and young Carrie Fisher in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

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Why Bill & Ted Face the Music scrapped its CGI George Carlin cameo - Polygon

11:00 AM PDT 8/27/2020byHilary Lewis

The New York Film Festival has added the world premiere of Sofia Coppola's On the Rocks, which sees the filmmaker reunite with her Lost in Translation star Bill Murray in a comedy about a father-daughter duo played by Murray and Rashida Jones, to its lineup.

The A24 and Apple Original Films title joins a number of other high-profile titles in the Spotlight section at 58th annual event, presented by Film at Lincoln Center.

The section will also feature screenings of the Spike Lee-directed film version of David Byrne's American Utopia Broadway musical; the Stacey Abrams voter suppression doc All In, directed by Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortes; Pedro Almodvar's first English language film The Human Voice, adapted from a Jean Cocteau play and starring Tilda Swinton; the newly unearthed Hopper/Welles record of a poolside chat between Orson Welles and Dennis Hopper; and David Dufresne's The Monopoly of Violence, about police brutality against France's Yellow Vest movement for economic justice.

Prior to the pandemic, Dennis Lim and I spent time talking with each other and the Film at Lincoln Center staff about how we might reshape and focus the New York Film Festival, NYFF director Eugene Hernandez said in a statement. We agreed that among the annual highlights are those special, one-of-a- kind events that unveil an anticipated new film by a well-known filmmaker, dig deeper into a topic or theme with a substantive conversation, showcase something new or unexpected, and even have some fun! This is what were aiming to do with our new Spotlight section, which this year features cinemas brightest names (Spike! Pedro! Sofia! Tilda! Orson!), but also explores big topics and important ideas that our society is grappling with today: voter suppression and police brutality. Even though well gather digitally and at drive-ins this year, rather than en masse at Lincoln Center, we hope our first Spotlight section will engage, enlighten, and entertain.

The 2020 NY Film Festival is set to run from Sept. 17-Oct. 11.

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Sofia Coppola's 'On the Rocks' to World Premiere at NY Film Festival - Hollywood Reporter

LG unveiled its new PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier on Thursday, essentially putting one of LGs home air purifiers on your face. The device looks like something George Jetson might wear if he got stuck in the bad timeline with climate change-fuelled wildfires, militarised police tear-gassing peaceful protesters, and a global pandemic of respiratory illness.

LG is hailing the battery-powered device as a new category of wearable air purifier technology because it uses two H13 HEPA filters and provides the user significant protection from hazardous particles in the air. The high-tech mask even adjusts air intake based on the wearers breathing patterns.

With its Dual Fans and patented Respiratory Sensor, LGs wearable air purifier allows users to take in clean, filtered air while the Respiratory Sensor detects the cycle and volume of the wearers breath and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly, LG said in a press release published overnight. The fans automatically speed up to assist air intake and slow down to reduce resistance when exhaling to make breathing effortless.

The only problem, as the Verge notes, is that the mask might not be a good choice during the coronavirus pandemic. One of the reasons that public health experts recommend masks is because it can help stop the spread of the virus by people who might not know they have the disease. Masks can protect the wearer from contracting covid-19, but LGs new mask doesnt protect people around the wearer, defeating the purpose of universal masking, especially when asymptomatic transmission is so common.

The new mask would, however, be theoretically useful during wildfire season, as thousands of acres burn and make it hazardous to breathe in places like California right now. Last summer, the wildfires in Australia were so bad that indoor smoke alarms were being set off in downtown Sydney. LGs new mask would likely be a welcome addition in a scenario like that.

How soon with this new LG mask be available and where can you buy it? That part is unclear. LGs press release says that it will be available in the fourth quarter in select markets. We dont know if that includes the U.S. at this point.

It doesnt even look like LG bothered to put a working prototype on a human being for their latest press release. The company used a stock photo model and simply photoshopped the mask on his face. This particular model appears to be a favourite for the tech crowd. In recent years hes hadin-ear headphones and has hawked private car services in Europe.

There were a lot of possible futures we were promised in the 20th century. There was the jetpack future, the flying car future, the the robot butler future. Versions of utopia were always just around the corner. But we clearly got the dystopian future filled with anti-pollution personal wear, widespread panic, and a scenario where some of Americas largest cities are struggling to survive.

Thankfully, we havent seen nuclear apocalypse and permanent underground bunkers yet, but honestly thats always on the table, given the sheer number of near-misses weve had over the past half-century.

We may as well suit up for the dystopia were living in, with catastrophe around every corner. And we cant help but wonder if the predominant fashion trend of the 2020s will be a rich vein of LG-style dystopian tech. Perhaps we should call it Immortan Jetson chic.

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LG's New Wearable Air Purifier Is What George Jetson Would Wear in the Bad Timeline - Gizmodo UK

Its an all-too-familiar refrain by now: this years festival season is going to look a little different than years past. While autumn at the movies still signals the arrival of a glut of hotly anticipated features, movies seemingly destined for awards glory, and first looks at films that have been chattered about for entire years, 2020 will always come with an asterisk.

And so does IndieWires annual look at some of the most exciting new films of the season, this year rolling out in one singular package, all the better to highlight a curated crop of the best films arriving at Venice, Toronto, and New York. With a reduced lineup this year due to some films having to pause in the middle of production, and other finished features opting to wait until 2021 to get the usual festival bells and whistles many festivals are showing significantly fewer titles, and many of the biggest titles will be screening at all three festivals.

Some festivals are not happening at all (including Telluride, which followed in Cannes footsteps and cancelled its physical edition but named the titles that would have made its ranks), while others are unfolding as carefully crafted live events (like Venice, poised to be the first major film event in months to do just that). Others, including TIFF and NYFF, are attempting to launch festivals that utilize major virtual platforms and safety-minded in-person screenings and events.

So, yes, this years festival season will look very different. One thing, however, remains the same: many thrilling new films to look forward to seeing (whenever, and however, that might be). As possible and safe, we will be covering the fall festivals, thanks to both international contributors and a cadre of U.S.-based staff who have become (perhaps too) comfortable with working from home. Ahead, IndieWire picks through the Venice (September 2 12), TIFF (September 10 20), and NYFF (September 17 October 11) slates to highlight the best of the best.

Co-directed by two China-based journalists (Weixi Chen and someone who remains anonymous for their safety) along with New York filmmaker Hao Wu (whose Peoples Republic of Desire remains one of the best documentaries about the dystopian future of live-streaming), 76 Days offers an uncensored, ground-level portrait of the COVID-19 outbreak from inside the heart of Wuhan.

Less attuned to the Chinese governments response to the virus than it is to the outbreaks devastating impact on the first people found themselves in its path, 76 Days will introduce viewers to a pregnant woman who awaits the birth of her first child, a senile grandfather who cant remember his way home, and so many others as they scramble for life amidst an unprecedented lockdown. There will be many documentaries about this ongoing epidemic, several of which will likely be released before an end to the crisis is even in sight, but few are poised to offer such a lucid and lingering view of the toll the virus has taken. DE

See-Saw Films

That Francis Lees much-hyped romantic drama looks so much like Celine Sciammas lush Portrait of a Lady on Fire all those windswept beaches, all those longing looks, all those almost handholds!! is obvious, but whats less clear is how all those similarities are actually a good thing. If twos a trend, then were already deep into the next wave of aching period-set lesbian romances, and thats a far better state of being than, oh, being deep into the next wave of things-go-boom, robots-yell-a-lot actioners that seem more likely to drive the box office bucks.

Starring Oscar winner Kate Winslet as famed British paleontologist Mary Anning (whose real-life sexuality has already been the subject of much debate, expect that to only heat up as the season winds on), the Gods Own Country filmmaker cast four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan as Marys foil and eventual love interest, Charlotte Murchison. Like Portrait, the film imagines two seemingly different women thrown together by circumstance in a location that handily approximates the end of the world. What they discover goes beyond art or science, transforming into a forbidden obsession that has no place in their society (again: all those almost handholds).

The films first trailer and attendant press have played up its sexy side, while also indicating a true desire by Lee and his leading ladies to bring real intimacy to the big screen. That should always be in style. KE

The indomitable Frederick Wiseman will next apply his singular lens to city bureaucracy Bostons, no less. City Hall follows the inner workings of the Boston government, from climate change action to racial justice to housing policy and homelessness. In his statement about the film, Wiseman takes a characteristically neutral approach to his unwieldy subject, emphasizing the interconnectedness of city life and the services a city government can provide. The Boston city government is designed and strives to offer these services in a manner consistent with the Constitution and democratic norms, he writes.

Its hard to think of a better city to represent a snapshot of American governance than Boston, and Wiseman is the undisputed auteur of American institutions. With the most important election of our lifetime approaching, its the perfect time for art to help illuminate what government can actually do for people. JD

Did somebody say Idris Elba on a horse? The veteran actor will saddle up for a Philadelphia-set Western, where hell play opposite Stranger Things favorite Caleb McLoughlin. The pair star as an estranged father and son who become reunited, connecting over the world of urban horseback riding. The feature debut of Philadelphia native Ricky Staub, Concrete Cowboy is based on the novel Ghetto Cowboy, by G Neri. The story is fictional, but the riding club depicted is not the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club is part of a long tradition of urban horseback riding in Philadelphias Black community. The stacked cast also includes Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us), Lorraine Toussaint (Selma), comedian Byron Bowers, and Method Man. JD

HBO

After the success of Springsteen on Broadway on Netflix and Hamilton on Disney+, it seems like streaming might become a kind of forever home for Broadway productions after their theatrical runs you know, the way its supposed to work for movies. But with the lights turned off on the Great White Way for at least the rest of the year due to a deadly pandemic (you may have heard about it), certain shows might be coming home ahead of schedule. In the case of American Utopia, it cant arrive on HBO Max soon enough.

A euphoric revue of the best songs that David Byrne has ever written during his long career as a solo artist and frontman of Talking Heads (Psycho Killer, Once in a Lifetime, Road to Nowhere, etc.), the Broadway show was a shot in the arm before people realized how badly we could need one. And lucky for us, Spike Lee was there to capture it on camera, and with a visceral immediacy that promises to let all of us share the best seat in the house. Whether Stop Making Sense is burned into your brain or you only know Byrne as the white-haired guy who cut that one album with St. Vincent, American Utopia is sure to be the brightest, warmest, danciest ray of light youll find on a screen this fall. DE

The first Indian film in Venice competition in decades (and among the first in the NYFF main slate), Chaitanya Tamhanes second feature is loaded with potential. The filmmakers sophomore effort follows Court, a gripping and austere look at his countrys broken justice system. Here, he turns to the story of a classical musical vocalist who faces personal hurdles as the modern world threatens the future of his profession.

That concept holds plenty of appeal on its own, but The Disciple is especially promising because its filmmaker has established himself as a rigid formalist whose use of cinematic language can take any number of immersive and surprising directions. Needless to say, its no surprise that avowed Court fan Alfonso Cuaron has signed on to the project as an executive producer. Tamhane is already a world-class director, and The Disciple reportedly has such delicate shot composition and editing that anyone who values the art form is likely to be impressed with the directors ability to juggle its strengths. In a strange year for festival buzz with fewer flashier English-language titles, this cinephile treat has a good shot at standing out. Bring it on. EK

Adapted from Patrick DeWitts absurdist novel of the same name and borrowing its title from an expression for leaving a party announced (a Gallic variation on the Irish goodbye), French Exit has rather fittingly been slated to end the most low-key New York Film Festival this town has ever seen. And its a New York story to the core, as this sharp and unsparing comedy-esque affair follows the misadventures of one Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), a suddenly penniless widow sells everything she owns and sails to Paris with her son (Lucas Hedges) and their talking cat (Tracy Letts, duh). Friendships, reconciliations, and spiritual possessions ensue, a shrewd jumble of arch familial nonsense that director Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers, Terri) should be able to navigate as well as anyone. DE

Prolific documentarian Heidi Ewing makes her solo directorial narrative debut with a bittersweet gay romance seen through the eyes of one aspiring chefs decision to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. The drama received warm reviews out of its Sundance premiere, where it bowed earlier this year in the genre-bending and forward-looking NEXT section. Ewing wrote the screenplay with Alan Page Arriaga, and the duo tackles this American Dream story through the fertile soil of food ethnography.

The film was shot by rising Mexican cinematographer Juan Pablo Ramrez, who has racked up more than two dozen films to his name since 2010. The film was originally meant to be a vrit portrait of this epic love story, but over years of interviews, Ewing realized she had the makings of a powerful narrative. While the hybrid elements may not make for the smoothest transition, the experimental nature makes this an exciting debut. JD

American Zoetrope

Combining the gauziness of her aunt Sofias films with a nuance and sensitivity all her own, Gia Coppola did the family name proud with her 2014 debut Palo Alto, which holds up as one of this centurys best movies about being young in America. Coppolas long-awaited second feature finds her reteaming with key collaborators (like musician Dev Hynes and cinematographer Autumn Durald) for a major swing for the fences: An original film that marries the snowballing narcissism of Elia Kazans A Face in the Crowd with the ubiquitous self-love of the social media era.

Maya Hawke, in her first leading role, stars as a grieving bartender whose rant against the content-ification of the world goes viral after she meets a man named Link (Andrew Garfield). Alas, the two strangers along with a third character played by Palo Alto alum Nat Wolff can only enjoy their fame for so long before they find themselves in the crosshairs of Jason Schwartzmans corporate villain. We cant wait to see what the Mainstream looks like through Coppolas eyes. DE

Over the course of two decades behind the camera, Italian filmmaker Susanna Nicchiarelli has made complicated women her signature, moving from off-kilter coming-of-age tales like Cosmonaut to her beloved biopic Nico, 1988. Her next project appears to be a culmination of her cinematic obsessions: a fact-based drama about the life of Karl Marxs whipsmart daughter Eleanor Marx that isnt beholden to traditional biopic trappings. When the films rights sold at last year Cannes, Screen reported that Nicchiarelli would rely on the insertion of period photographs and footage, the ironic use of contemporary music, and a minimalist aesthetic for clothing and furnishing to subvert the usual genre trappings.

No matter her method of telling the story, the Romola Garai-starring film has plenty of real-life drama to pull from. Eleanor was a socialist activist with her own big ideas about how the world (and the government) should work. Despite her formidable intellect, her personal life was fraught, and she was often at the mercy of her cruel long-time partner Edward Aveling (played by Patrick Kennedy). Niccharelli has been a longtime favorite of Venice, and seems poised to take the next step in the international arena. KE

Sam Pollard is best known as an editor on some of Spike Lees most treasured films, from Mo Better Blues to Bamboozled, but hes also crafted a substantial filmography of his own with historical documentaries such as Slavery By Another Name and Sammy Davis, Jr.: Ive Gotta Be Me. He adds to that substantial oeuvre with this very timely look back on Martin Luther King, Jr.s civil rights battles and how they lead to relentless surveillance and harassment efforts by J. Edgar Hoovers intelligence agency. Its no secret that Hoovers team did everything in their power to besmirch Kings name, including wiretapping efforts that revealed his extramarital affairs and blackmail attempts that failed to dampen Kings impact.

The movie promises an engaging blend of archival footage and contemporary interviews with some of Kings surviving peers certain to resurrect conversations about ruthless efforts by the U.S. government to diminish the impact of Black progress in America. Released to the world in the wake of George Floyd protests, the subject is certain to find a receptive audience eager to dissect just how much Kings story remains relevant and inspiring to this day. EK

Mexican director Michel Francos unrelenting, tightly bottled dramas have ranged from Haneke-level horrific and effective (the cautionary after-school-special-gone-wrong After Lucia) to stiff and dull even despite a major star (Chronic with Tim Roth as an end-of-life caretaker). Returning to his native roots, Franco takes on the dystopian drama with what Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbara calls Francos most ambitious and darkest film yet, New Order.

An extremely tense first teaser suggests something is very wrong here, as a wedding is interrupted by foreboding-looking, and most certainly unwelcome, gun-toting guests. New Order is told through the eyes of the bride and the servants working for, and evidently also against, her affluent family amid a collapsing political system. RL

Amazon

Somehow, Oscar-winning actress Regina King finds the time. Lauded on screens both big and small, King has also spent the past seven years building up an enviable assortment of directing credits, including episodes of Animal Kingdom, Insecure, and This Is Us, among others, and now makes the jump to feature filmmaking with a banger of debut, which has already been picked up by Amazon in advance of its festival premieres.

One Night in Miami doesnt just have an enviable cast in front of the camera (including Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., Lance Reddick, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Michael Imperioli, and Beau Bridges), but shes picked them to lead a story about some of the biggest names to ever grace this Earth. Set on February 25, 1964 in the aftermath of Cassius Clay (Goree) defeating Sonny Liston for the title of World Heavyweight Boxing Champion at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the film unspools to follow Clay and his closest friends activist Malcolm X (Ben-Adir), singer Sam Cooke (Odom), and football star Jim Brown (Hodge) as they celebrate the momentous evening. Talk about a meeting of the minds, and with King guiding her cast through a story that sounds too fantastic to believe and too important to forget, it promises to be one of the most thrilling films of the season. KE

Thrice a Cannes Palme dOr contender for his films Jupiters Moon, White God, and Delta, Hungarian filmmaker Kornl Mundrucz returns with the English-language Pieces of a Woman. And oh what a cast! Shia LaBeouf, returning to screens just a few weeks after his miscalculated turn in David Ayers The Tax Collector, and Vanessa Kirby star as lovers who meet across a sharp class divide (shes an executive and hes a construction worker). But they soon find themselves navigating extreme loss after the death of their first child after complications with a midwife, played by Molly Parker. Ellen Burstyn co-stars as Kirbys mother in this intense movie reminiscent of 1970s American dramas. Collaborating once again with screenwriter Kata Wber, Mundrucz worked in North America for the first time with this film. RL

Canadian New Queer Cinema iconoclast Bruce LaBruce has been turning out sexy, unsettling features and photography for three decades, reveling in the underbellies of every sexual subculture under the sun, from amputee fetishism and BDSM, to zombie sexuality and gerontophilia. His latest movie is no differently subversive or more shocking, exploring the twin fetishism thats become an icky staple of gay pornography.

Closing out the Venice Days program, the 1972-set Saint-Narcisse follows a 22-year-old with a fetish forhimself. Upon discovering he has a twin brother, Dominic embarks on a strange odyssey of sexual depravity, revenge, and redemption, especially once he learns his mother didnt actually die in childbirth. Newcomer Felix-Antoine Duval plays the undeniably hunky twins. RL

Luca Guadagnino applies his lush lens to the life of legendary Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo. The filmmakers first documentary was written by the fashion journalist Dana Thomas, and charts Ferragamos life from learning shoemaking as a young child to landing in Hollywood as a shoe designer on films like The Thief of Baghdad and stars like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. The film is narrated by Call Me by Your Name star Michael Stuhlbarg, and includes interviews with, among other luminaries, no less than Martin Scorsese. This towering figure of Italian fashion gets the star treatment from one of Italys premier filmmakers, and the results are sure to be dripping with style. JD

Call Me by Your what now? Franois Ozons new film Summer of 85 looks to be the gay summer-of-love story to end them all. The queer romance, set in 1985, boasts a killer soundtrack including The Cure and Bananarama, gorgeous cinematography, a coastal setting, striped T-shirts, and, of course, a beautiful cast, led by French cinema favorites Flix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin, Philippine Velge, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Melvil Poupaud, and Isabelle Nanty. Set against the glistening backdrop of seaside Normandy, the film tracks the friendship-turned-romance between two teenage boys, whose relationship is complicated by the arrival of another new friend. Its based on the novel by Aidan Chambers. RL

Lauded Mexican filmmaker Yulene Olaizolas latest feature boasts the kind of synopsis that only gets more intriguing and hard to fathom with each subsequent word. And if it sounds unpredictable on paper, we cant wait to see how that looks on film. Per said official synopsis, the film is set in 1920, on the border between Mexico and Belize. Deep in the Mayan jungle, a lawless territory where myths abound, a group of Mexican gum workers cross paths with Agnes, a mysterious young Belizean woman. Her presence incites tension among the men, arousing their fantasies and desires. Filled with new vigor, they face their destiny, without knowing that they have woken up Xtabay, a legendary being that lurks in the heart of the jungle.

We were already sold long before the introduction of Xtabay, but that might be the films best trick (or, at least, a clever way to obscure whats really going on here), as other official materials hint that we already know Xtabay, long before he (or she?) makes himself plain. Early casting calls hinted at a film filled with mysterious fatalities and deep roots in local mythology, a thrilling combination ripe for examination. KE

Searchlight Pictures

In 2017, Chloe Zhaos poetic cowboy drama The Rider become the surprise festival hit that kept hitting, as the industry chased after a filmmaker with a keen eye for rooting complex characters in an authentic milieu. It remains to be seen how well that sensibility will manifest in Marvels Eternals, but in the meantime, shes squeezed in another project that looks very much on brand. Nomadland stars the ever-reliable Frances McDormand as a woman roaming the American West in a frayed RV, drifting through a series of odd encounters and befriending another loner (David Strathairn) who may or may be the answer to her troubles. Zhaos patient, slow-burn ability to capture the complex isolation of the American landscape is well-established, and seems poised to mesh nicely with such dependable acting talent.

An Oscar hopeful from Fox Searchlight, Nomadland is also one of the few fall titles traveling the holy trifecta of Venice, TIFF, and NYFF (it was also poised to play at the now-canceled Telluride, alas). In a normal year, this understated movie might be a hidden gem in the noisy assemblage of red carpet events, but may actually benefit from being one of the hotter tickets this time around, a festival movie that could break out in whatever form the festivals allow it to happen. EK

Gianfranco Rosis Oscar-nominated Fire at Sea was a mesmerizing window into the migrant crisis that captured its tragic ramifications in intimate detail. For his latest, he embedded himself in another perilous environment where lives are on the line on a regular basis the battlegrounds of the Middle East. Rosi apparently spent two years gathering footage on the borders between Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, and Lebanon, amplifying the experiences of people just looking to survive another day. His subjects range from lonely fishermen to children, but dont expect some kind of talking-head tribute.

Rosis cinematic approach to the non-fiction form assures that Notturno will deliver a hyper-immersion into a haunting environment all too often understood in terms of narrow-minded Western headlines. Another awards hopeful with real potential to break out, it stands a good shot at rejuvenating conversations about the nature of conflicts across the Middle East and just how often innocent lives are caught in the crosshairs. Its also bound to put the global pandemic in the wider context it deserves: Many people are fearing for lives today, but for the subjects of Notturno, that experience is nothing new. EK

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20 Must-See Films at the 2020 Venice, Toronto, and New York Film Festivals - IndieWire

Marvel's Empyre event sees the mutant island of Krakoa invaded by the Cotati - but the X-Men are finally working as a team against them!

This article contains spoilers forX-Men #11.

TheX-Men are finally working as a team. When Charles Xavier first founded the X-Men, he established a School for Gifted Youngsters. There, he taught his students to use their powers. Oddly enough, he doesn't seem to have done a particularly good job; he was usually more fearful of seeing Omega level mutants develop their powers than he was willing to encourage them to experiment. He even used his own psychic powers to impose telepathic locks that inhibited Jean Grey's own telepathy for years.

Xavier may have had the X-Men train as a team in the Danger Room, but even teamwork doesn't appear to have been high up on his agenda. Each X-Man learned how to use their own individual powers in battle, but Xavier didn't really encourage synergies - attempts to use powers in concept. When Cyclops took over as leader of the X-Men for a time while they lived on Utopia, he immediately demonstrated his strategic genius by getting some of his mutants to work together. Now, with the world's mutants living together on the living island of Krakoa, Cyclops and his fellow Krakoan Captains have decided to get their people cooperating again.

Related:X-Men: Gambit's Secret Power Everyone Forgot About

This week'sX-Men #11 is part of Marvel's "Empyre" event, with the plant-race called the Cotati invading Krakoa. They soon learned the scale of their mistake, because Cyclops and his other Captains had come up with several ways to unite different powersets in both offensive and defensive ways. The X-Men had then used Emma Frost's telepathy to flash knowledge of all these strategies into the relevant mutants' minds, ensuring the Krakoans worked together with maximum efficiency. Apparently these are still early days, and the workshopping mostly focused on Magneto's powerset; after "Empyre," the experiment can certainly be considered successful.

Magma, for example, had located a deep vein of magma on the sea bed near Krakoa. She triggered a volcanic eruption, bringing about 20 tons of liquid iron to the surface. Iceman then intervened, using his cryokinetic powers to cool the molten metal at speed. Naturally, the almost-instantaneous cooling led to the new chunks of metal being particularly brittle, which meant they were perfect for Magneto's purposes; he was able to form them into jagged javelins, scythes, and swords, which he used to tear through the amassed army of Cotati. He then tugged a few satellites down out of space for good measure, including a few secret military ones the humans were using to monitor Krakoa that the X-Men weren't really supposed to know about in the first place.

Jonathan Hickman's X-Men run has revitalized the entire range, and this battle tactic indicates the sheer potential of the new mutant nation. The X-Men may call themselves a team, but they've always tended to operate in isolation; no longer is that the case. Consequently, they are now far greater than the sum of their parts.

More:X-Men: The Brother of COLOSSUS Returns To Marvel Comics

Wonder Woman's Toughest Fight Is Against An Evil Version of Snapchat

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, and he's frankly amused that his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. Tom's focus tends to be on the various superhero franchises, as well as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek; he's also an avid comic book reader. Over the years, Tom has built a strong relationship with aspects of the various fan communities, and is a Moderator on some of Facebook's largest MCU and X-Men groups. Previously, he's written entertainment news and articles for Movie Pilot.A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom, Tom is still strongly connected with his alma mater; in fact, in his spare time he's a voluntary chaplain there. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will quickly learn that he's interested in British politics as well.

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Marvel's New X-Men Are FINALLY Working As A Team | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

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My profession, psychology, began demonizing traditional childrearing in the late 1960s. I was in graduate school at the time and on fire for the promise that the proper use of psychological principles could perfect the raising of children and thereby usher in the social utopia we (young boomers whose heads were enveloped in clouds of youthful idealism) thought possible, even imminent.

Children could be reasoned with. Punishment damaged self-esteem (the supposed brass ring of a good life). In the ideal family, parents and children ruled equally. Time-out which takes the all-time Parenting Boondoggle Award would correct all misbehavior. Children should be given lots of choices and allowed to express their feelings freely. Those are but a sample of the new psychological parenting narratives. Unfortunately, American parents fell en masse for this revisionism and child mental health has been in a tailspin ever since.

The propaganda boiled down to if your parents and grandparents did it, dont do it. One of the upshots of this was what I call yada-yada discipline the attempt to discipline by dialogue, through persuasive appeal to a childs inherent irrationality and self-centeredness.

Two grandparents recently shared the story of their 4-year-old male grandchild who was expressing his feelings freely by wetting his pants whenever the urge arose.

He didnt see the point of stopping whatever he was doing to use the toilet, they said.

Indeed, he didnt see the point because the point was a dull attempt on his parents part to talk him out of it. Yes, they occasionally became frustrated enough to send him to his room, which bothered him none because his room was an entertainment complex, a perfectly suitable place in which to spend a few minutes, even hours. To further demonstrate his disregard, he would often wet his pants on the way to his room, leaving tiny puddles of urine in his wake.

After several attempts, a pediatrician was unable to come up with a remedial drug. A therapist also came up empty-handed. Just prior to reaching the end of their wits, said parents read, in their local newspaper, a column written by a certain renegade psychologist that set forth a cure to spontaneous lazy boy bladder leakage disorder (SLBBLD).

From that point on, the lazy boys parents did three simple things: first, when he wet his clothes, he washed them in a bucket of soapy water; second, if he left a puddle on the floor, he wiped up the puddle and then washed the entire floor; third, when his labors were done (to his parents satisfaction) he spent the remainder of the day in the bathroom and was in bed immediately after supper.

What drugs and therapy had not moved was cured in one day. As I write, he is no longer a lazy boy. Far from it, in fact. He is a fully functioning adult who is neither beset with bathroom phobia nor haunted by nightmares of bucket monsters chasing him down labyrinthine corridors.

The moral to the story is the moral to many a parenting story these days: If your parents and grandparents did it, then (with the obvious exceptions) you should follow their example.

Some things never change, among which is common sense.

Visit family psychologist John Rosemonds website; readers may send him email; because of the volume of mail, not every question will be answered.

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Living with Children: Where we all went wrong - TribLIVE

Paul Krugman| The New York Times

Last weeks Democratic National Convention was mainly about decency about portraying Joe Biden and his party as good people who will do their best to heal a nation afflicted by a pandemic and a depression. There were plenty of dire warnings about the threat of Trumpism; there was frank acknowledgment of the toll taken by disease and unemployment; but on the whole the message was surprisingly upbeat.

This weeks Republican National Convention, by contrast, however positive its official theme, is going to be QAnon all the way.

I dont mean that there will be featured speeches claiming that Donald Trump is protecting us from an imaginary cabal of liberal pedophiles, although anything is possible. But its safe to predict that the next few days will be filled with QAnon-type warnings about terrible events that arent actually happening and evil conspiracies that dont actually exist.

That has, after all, been Trumps style since the very first day of his presidency.

New presidents traditionally use their inaugural addresses to deliver a message of hope and unity, even in dark times: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Trump, however, offered a vision of American carnage, in particular of inner cities devastated by violent crime. His rhetoric was ugly and had clear racial overtones, but it also had another problem: it bore no relationship to reality. Trump took office in a nation whose violent crime rate had been falling for decades; our big cities were as safe as they had ever been.

The same pattern of attempts to panic Americans over nonexistent threats recurs throughout this administration. If you get your information from administration officials or Fox News, you probably believe that millions of immigrants in the country illegally cast fraudulent votes, even though actual voter fraud hardly ever happens; that Black Lives Matter protests, which with some exceptions have been remarkably nonviolent, have turned major cities into smoking ruins; and more.

Why this fixation on phantom menaces? There has always been a paranoid style in American politics that sees sinister conspiracies behind social and cultural change a style going all the way back to fear of Catholic immigrants in the 19th century. Those of us who remember the 1990s know that QAnon-type conspiracy theories have been out there for decades; theyve just become more visible thanks to social media and a president who attributes all his failures to the machinations of the deep state.

Beyond that, however, a lot of the focus on imaginary threats represents a defensive response from people who repeatedly demonstrated, even before the coronavirus hit, that they have no idea how to do policy, that is, to cope with real threats.

After all, America on the day Trump took office was no utopia. The overall economy was doing well, with steady job growth and falling unemployment trends that continued, with no visible break, for the next three years. But parts of the country suffered from persistent economic weakness and low employment. Homicides were low, but deaths of despair from drugs, suicide and alcohol were rising sharply.

So a president who really cared about American carnage would have had plenty to work on.

But Trump never even tried. His response, such as it was, to regional decline was a trade war that, on net, reduced manufacturing employment. The rest of his economic policy was standard Republican fare, focused on corporate tax cuts that didnt even boost business investment. His only visible response to the opioid crisis was a push to take away health insurance from millions.

Then came COVID-19 which, by the way, has already killed far more Americans than were murdered in the decade that preceded Trumps inauguration. And the administrations response, aside from the occasional promotion of quack remedies, has consisted of little but denial and insistence that the whole thing will miraculously go away.

Trump, in other words, cant devise policies that respond to the nations actual needs, nor is he willing to listen to those who can. He wont even try. And at some level both he and those around him seem aware of his basic inadequacy for the job of being president.

What he and they can do, however, is conjure up imaginary threats that play into his supporters prejudices, coupled with conspiracy theories that resonate with their fear and envy of know-it-all elites. QAnon is only the most ludicrous example of this genre, all of which portrays Trump as the hero defending us from invisible evil.

If all of this sounds crazy, thats because it is. And its almost certainly not a political tactic that can win over a majority of American voters. It might, however, scare enough people that, combined with vote suppression and the unrepresentative nature of the Electoral College, Trump can manage, barely, to hang on to power.

I dont think this desperate strategy is going to work. But its all Trump has left. The only thing he can hope for is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror based on nothing real at all.

Paul Krugman writes for The New York Times.

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Krugman: QAnon is Trump's last, best chance - The Register-Guard

UsBBC OneUs (Photo: Colin Hutton/BBC)

Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves take on the roles of Douglas and Connie in this adaption of David Nicholls beloved 2014 novel. It follows the soon to be separated couple and their distanced son as they take one last trip as a family, inter-railing across Europe.

A spin-off from Doctor Foster, this new series from Mike Bartlett focuses on Anna (Victoria Hamilton) who now goes as Belle as she builds a new life in Manchester. Moving into a house split into four levels, she meets an intriguing cast of characters, played by the likes of Alison Steadman and Adrian Lester.

Another big name comes to the small screen as Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave, Widows) recounts the experience of Londons West Indian community throughout the 70s. Each episode tells a different story, one of which is that of Leroy Logan, a Met police officer who developed anti-racist policies for the force, who will be played by John Boyega (Star Wars).

Hugh Laurie plays a politician who finds his life both professional and personal targeted by his enemies. Timely and sharp, the four-part series written by David Hare (Collateral) explores the grey area between political duty and morality and how far one should go to achieve power.

An unlikely reunion for Fleabag and her Hot Priest, as Phoebe Waller-Bridge joins His Dark Materials as John Parrys daemon. Both are being tracked by aeronaut Lee Scoresby in the second, darker series of the Philip Pullman adaption, while Lyra continues to investigate the meaning of Dust alongside her new companion, Will.

Perhaps a triggering series for any young people vying for a place on a graduate scheme, this series set in Londons world of finance follows a group of wannabe investment bankers hoping to secure a permanent job. Expecting professionalism, they enter a world of sex, drugs and ego and must decide whether the raucous industry is really for them.

Between 1978 and 1973, serial killer Dennis Nilsen murdered at least twelve young men and boys before having sex with their corpses. David Tennant steps into his shoes for this disturbing but brilliant true crime series, focusing on the arrest and subsequent trial of the killer known as the Muswell Hill Murderer.

The so-called honour killing of Iraqi Kurdish woman Banaz Mahmod is the catalyst for this drama, with Keeley Hawes as the detective who was awarded for her investigation into the 20-year-olds disappearance. Mahmod had already told the police of her familys plan to kill her, simply because she had left her abusive husband for another man.

From the creator of Luther, we can expect murder, secrets and maybe even ghosts from this new series. Russell Tovey (Flesh and Blood) plays Nathan, a man desperate to leave a terrible secret in the past. Its all going well until an old friend shows up and sparks a chain of events that will reveal all.

Based on JG Farrells 1978 novel, this World War II drama focuses on the Webbs, a British family living in Singapore at the time of the Japanese invasion. Boasting a cast including Charles Dance and David Morrissey, the series promises to be witty, satirical and entirely watchable.

Pushed back because it was considered too rude to air before 10pm, Adult Material is a no holds barred look behind the cameras of the porn industry. Starring Hayley Squires as veteran actress Jolene Dollar, the series pits her against anti-porn activists and explores the effect of free content on the business.

A reboot of the 80s gentle drama, recounting the lives of vets living and working in the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales. It coincides with the 50th anniversary of the release of the novel the series is based on, written by real life vet James Herriot.

There was originally going to be an accompanying theatre piece to this series, offering viewers a chance to get involved in the drama like never before. That part will now air on Sky Arts as a livestream instead, while the series itself features Jude Law and Naomie Harris whose characters discover a mysterious island inhabited by protective outcasts.

Julia Stiles returns as Georgina Clios (now Ryland), who calls this outing the most ambitious series yet. Leaving the French Riviera behind for Italy and Argentina, Georgina has made a name for herself in the world of art restitution and is determined to leave the her less than savoury past behind. Knowing her, it wont last long.

The final series of Skys thriller follows the Worth family back to their roots in Liverpool, leaving the Canadian town of Little Big Bear forever. Unsurprisingly, theyre less than welcome in their hometown and soon find themselves the target of Merseysides most notorious and violent gang led by bulletproof king pin Michael Ryan (Ian Hart).

Nicole Kidman has once again teamed up with Big Little Lies showrunner David E Kelley for this new psychological drama about a woman whose high-profile life falls apart after the disappearance of her husband (Hugh Grant). Based on Jean Hanff Korelitzs novel You Should Have Known, the series questions whether the perfect life really exists.

Aldous Huxleys novel is modernised into a futuristic series imagining a utopian society free of hunger and violence and where people are connected via Indra, an artificial intelligence system. Those who read the original work will know all is not as it seems, and that utopia doesnt quite stretch as far as the Savage Lands.

Perhaps the most anticipated drama of the season, series four of Netflixs royal series will introduce Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher and Emma Corrin as Princess Diana. As well as the 1981 Royal Wedding, well also relive the Buckingham Palace break-in, the magnificence of Concord and the birth of Princes William and Harry.

Hilary Swank plays Commander Emma Green, the astronaut in charge an international crew embarking on a dangerous mission to Mars. Less about space and more about human connection, Emma finds herself distracted by the husband and teenage daughter she left on Earth.

The international drama set in just one police interrogation room returns with four more suspects. Guest stars are yet to be announced, but with David Tennant and Hayley Atwell cast in the first series, theyre sure to be impressive.

You may recognise the name Ratched as the cruel nurse from One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, intent on making her charges lives as difficult as possible. Sarah Paulson takes over the role from Louise Fletcher in this series led by the dark character, taking place at the very beginning of Ratcheds employment at an Oregon psychiatric hospital.

Netflixs answer to Downton Abbey? Possibly. This period drama is based on Julia Quinns bestselling series of novels, exploring the ruthless world of high society in Regency era London. Produced by Shonda Rhimes, the cast boasts Derry Girls Nicola Coughlan and none other than Dame Julie Andrews as narrator Lady Whistledown.

Henry James 1898 novel The Turning of the Screw serves as inspiration for this long-awaited follow up to horror series The Haunting of Hill House. Set in the English countryside, the story follows a nanny who moves to Bly Manor to look after a pair of orphans. Once there, the house slowly starts to reveal its spooky history and the spooky entities who still roam its halls.

Another sweary superhero show to add to the ever-popular genre, The Boys was Amazon Prime Videos runaway hit of 2019. Imagining the shows heroes as less than perfect celebrities is a welcome spin, and season two promises even more gory, bombastic action.

A remake of Channel 4s excellent 2013 mystery series, Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn tells the story of the secret deadly message hidden in the fictional series of comics known as Utopia. It comes down to a group of misfit nerds to stop the nefarious plans being carried out, finding themselves hunted by ruthless killers who have been ordered to put a stop to their investigations.

Another spin-off, this time from zombie series The Walking Dead. Taking place in Nebraska ten years after the apocalypse, the action focuses on two teenage girls who are part of the first generation to only know life alongside the undead. After a catastrophic event changes their lives forever, the pair set out on a quest which will see them leave the safety of their compound for the first time.

After eight episodes of the Star Wars series, were still no closer to discovering Baby Yodas (real name The Child) backstory. Thats the main hope for the second set of episodes, though theres also the excitement surrounding the confirmed appearance of the franchises most famous Mandalorian, Boba Fett, to look forward to.

2020 is truly shaping up to be the year of the spin-off. This offspring of crime series Power follows Tariq St. Patrick after he killed his own father in the sixth season finale. Attempting to balance university with keeping his family safe and finding a way to get his mum out of jail, Tariq is spinning a lot of plates and you can put money on the chances of him dropping one.

See the article here:

The best dramas to watch on TV this Autumn, from The Crown to Des - iNews

Editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.

Sleepy de Blasio strikes again!

Our editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy couldnt help being infuriated at the mayors ongoing reluctance to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists on the crowded Queensboro Bridge a bizarre public opposition to a project that Streetsblog even lined up the funding for!

You remember your history: First, the conversion of one lane of car traffic into a pedestrian path couldnt happen, the city said, until the completion of a roadway project on the upper level of the span. Then the city said it couldnt do the work because the lane would require a special security fence that would supposedly cost multi millions of dollars.

More recently, officials trotted out a new excuse: the work would require much more than a mere fence, but new designs for pedestrians at the entrance and exit of the bridge (though that appears unlikely).

To our cartoonist, the mayor first was stalling, now hes just being obstinate and for no reason, given that he has consistently said he wants the future of New York to be more about sustainable modes of transportation and less about the private car.

What better way to start that process to Utopia than by taking away a single lane from cars on a bridge that often has more cyclists and pedestrians on it anyway (albeit all crammed into the north outer roadway currently)?

All of Bill Roundys cartoons are archived here.

Originally posted here:

A Roundy and a Roundy: Take the Money, Bill! - Streetsblog New York