Category Archives: Immortality

Aiming to be the Nike of the gaming world!

A Sony executive has made it clear that, with the companys new InZone line of gaming gear for eSports players, it wants to be what Nike is to professional athletes. Nike is the gold standard for sports stars, so wanting to achieve that level in another industry is no easy feat, thats for sure.

Sony announced its new line of gaming gear last month, and the collection includes a variety of goodies such as several monitors and headsets that can be used for both consoles and PC. Sony has started to move fast as well, with the company already partnering with Riot Games to use InZone gear at the famed Valorant Champions Tour. Not only that but the Japanese industry giants gear will also be used at the Evo fighting game tournament too.

The Sony executive with the big aspirations is deputy President Kazuo Kii. Kii claims that Sonys background with televisions and a large range of gadgets will give them the advantage in the race to the immortal land. Kii explained:

There is no dominant leader yet among established producers. The situation is like a landscape of warring states. This presents an opportunity for Sony. Many existing producers trace their origins to PC manufacturing. Because monitors are designed to display data, there are problems to overcome with vibrancy and contrast.

Remember when we mentioned that the products will be compatible with consoles? Well, that might be true, but the fact is that InZone products are hoping to target hardcore PC gamers because thats where the higher activity is. Kii also added:

Were going to start at the top and learn what top eSports gamers want. The vision we have in mind is that of Mizuno and Nike providing shoes for athletes. You can win prize money in esports. If a monitors response time lags even slightly, you lose. Sony products arent going to let people engaged in these grueling battles down.

To become the gaming gears equivalent of Nike is one heck of an objective to try and reach, but you may as well aim high if you want to do something right, and anyway, if there is one company that can do it, its the Japanese giants.

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Sony Executive Sets Sights on Gaming Gear Immortality - Gameranx

Sunday at Croke Park, Declan Hannon has the chance to go where no team captain in hurling has gone before.

To break the mould in his code, like Stephen Cluxton in Gaelic football, and set a record in terms of being the one to lift the ultimate prize on the steps of the Hogan Stand.

Until Cluxton, only two players in the history of Gaelic football had captained a team to three All-Irelands: John Kennedy of Dublin club Young Irelands (1891, '92, '94), at a time when counties were represented by their county champions, and Wexford's Sen O'Kennedy (1915-17).

In addition to reimagining the role of goalkeeper, the Parnells man went on to captain Dublin to seven All-Irelands.

Now Hannon is on the verge of going out on his own. Only three other players have captained their team to three All-Irelands: Mikey Maher of Tubberadora and Tipperary (1895, '96, '98), and Dick 'Drug' Walsh of Tullaroan and Kilkenny - again at a time when clubs were flying the flag for their county - plus Cork's legendary Christy Ring (1946, '53, '54).

A Limerick victory over Kilkenny on Sunday and Hannon becomes the first player in the history of hurling to captain his county to a three in a row and a fourth title in total.

And, like Cluxton, there is a sense of him reimagining the traditional role of a centre-back.

If Pep Guardiola helped popularise the concept of a false nine in soccer, Paul Kinnerk is another high-concept coach whose fingerprints are all over Limerick's tactical set-up.

Their system of play is built around Hannon's creation as a kind of hurling version of soccer's false nine - a false six who drops off and doesn't play to convention, but who can link the play and pull the strings to such effect. That he wears No 6 seems fitting; invert the 9 and you get the Limerick defensive version.

No more than in soccer, the role requires exceptional awareness and ability to scan the field and read the play.

Watch Hannon in motion and he's the perpetual heads-up hurler. Such a tricky role requires that ability to anticipate where the ball is going to be struck and be there to win it or hoover up the break. He is like a chess grandmaster thinking a couple of moves ahead.

With Limerick, there is a sense of protecting him, like the queen. Where other players are almost pawns in the construction of a winning game, Will O'Donoghue's capacity to sacrifice his ego for the team is a key element of the defensive shield, to cover the hard yards all around the middle third, but with one eye all the time on the central channel. Allowing Hannon to go do his thing.

The captain's ball-striking and stick-passing in particular - short or long - are so often the oil that keeps the Limerick engine humming. He is at the heart of those neat triangles the champions love to engineer in defence before finding that angled ball in to Aaron Gillane or Samus Flanagan.

Puck the ball down on top of him and he can do that all day, too. No more than Diarmaid Byrnes and Dan Morrissey, or

Kyle Hayes when he wears No 7 - their combined aerial ability is such that teams have basically stopped raffling the ball by pucking it down on top of them, particularly from restarts.

When Clare went long against them in their two-legged Munster battle, the ball went short first and then over the half-back line to the lighthouse figure of Peter Duggan.

If Limerick want to continually free up Hannon to glide around and play puppetmaster, then the opposition know it's vital to try and cut the strings. Teams have cottoned onto this, to Hannon's importance and found some joy in attacking Limerick at source.

It's so easy to get burned in that role. Look at Noel McGrath dropping off a more dedicated sweeper like Tadhg de Brca in the first half alone of Tipperary's first round Munster championship game against Waterford.

Players like that have an innate sense of where to find the pocket of space to do damage. Especially now that the modern scoring range for point-taking is anywhere inside 90 metres.

Jason Forde is arguably the one who did most damage in the first half of the 2021 Munster final when Tipperary stormed into a 10-point lead - named at 11 but dropping off and making hay in the spaces between there and midfield, he pilfered 10 points, the majority from play.

The second half, though, showcased Limerick's ability to reorganise and think on the hoof. To tighten things up defensively and blow Tipperary away in the most devastating half of hurling seen in John Kiely's six seasons as manager - outside of last year's All-Ireland final first half against Cork.

Hannon is not an explicit man-marker. You rarely see him shadowing a direct opponent to the wings or deep, comfortable in the knowledge that someone else can sit and play his role. Because nobody does.

But can Limerick afford to do the same against TJ Reid, one of the best in the modern game at not just winning primary possession but also drifting into pockets of space or reading the breaks to do major damage?

Cork's thinking in last year's final was to get at him, get him turned. Try and burn him with one of their Olympic-standard sprinters. But it didn't pan out that way at all. Hannon's capacity to produce big days, and big plays, when it mattered most, was at the heart of his All-Star selection. Same as it was in 2018.

He won plenty of plaudits for his speech from the steps of the Hogan Stand after the winter final of December 2020, name-checking the healthcare workers and frontline staff who bore the brunt during the pandemic.

A natural speaker and affable company, he has grown into that leadership role. He is comfortable enough in his own skin to be able to welcome RSVP magazine into his home. Along with partner and radio and TV presenter Louise Cantillon, they offered a glimpse behind the scenes last October into their O'Connell Avenue address in Limerick city.

Last week, he could be spotted happily hanging out with Tiger Woods at the JP McManus Pro-Am. But sure why wouldn't he, being in his native Adare, where he says he hopes to build a house?

Thirty years old this November coming, he has already surpassed the feat of another icon in his county's own Mick Mackey, who captained Limerick twice to All-Ireland success all the way back in 1936 and 1940.

The stage is set on Sunday for another tilt at history for Hannon and a type of number six who is very much in keeping with the evolution of the modern game.

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Limerick's Declan Hannon has reinvented No 6 and is on brink of immortality - Extra.ie

Bryan Deck stared down the lane at the 10 pins in front of him, unable and unwilling to see anything else. His peripheral vision was black, as if the lights were out at the Rose City Bowl in New Castle with a spotlight illuminating only what mattered.

He couldnt hear anything either. Not his teammates playful heckling to try to keep him loose. Not the buzz of the growing crowd behind him, a group that had the chance to see something remarkable on an otherwise mundane summer weeknight at an amateur adult league.

Deck did feel, though. He felt his heart pounding inside his body. He felt his body shake as he reclaimed his ball from the return. He felt as if he was going to faint. Or have a heart attack. Or both.

In a standard league, each player rolls three games, and Deck was a strike away from perfection in all three: 36 straight strikes for a total score of 900. The United States Bowling Congress has recorded only 39 other instances of a perfect evening. But Decks shot at bowling immortality was the culmination of far more than a single immaculate night.

He wiped off his ball with a yellow cloth, same as he always does, and moved quickly into position, afraid hed collapse if he took more time. He took a breath, four short, quick steps forward and sent his dark blue ball spinning toward the pins for the final strike.

Hours earlier, Deck sat in front of a sturdy black tombstone, reading the words carved into granite that memorialized his father.

J.C. Bud Deck

June 2, 1948

Feb. 9, 2006

Deck, 44, often comes to the cemetery when hes feeling down. On this particular day, June 20, it was his health that brought him out after work at TS Tech, where he manufactures seats for Hondas. In September, he had a half knee replacement. More recently, his left side has been bothering him badly enough that hes been in and out of the hospital over the past few months. Doctors havent been able to nail down exactly what the problem is, and Deck left an appointment that afternoon frustrated and unsure of what to do.

Bud introduced Bryan and his brothers, Brad and Scott, to bowling. When they were kids in New Castle he brought them to the now-defunct New Castle Lanes to watch him in his league. The boys started playing when they got old enough and eventually the four formed their own team as adults. Buds sons, particularly Bryan and Brad, eventually passed him in terms of skill, but Bud always seemed to have a knack for picking up a strike or spare in crucial moments.

The elder statesman of the Deck family enjoyed being at the alley and especially loved the connection it gave him with his kids, but the games themselves were a time for competition.

There wasnt no smiling, Scott said. It was serious. And then when we won he was all ear-to-ear smiles. Thats the good memories I miss, Dad just laughing that we smoked them.

When it wasnt his turn, Bud maintained a constant chatter of encouragement for whoever was up. When it was his turn, he bowled the same way every time: hard and straight. He didnt put any spin on the ball, never tried finesse: just frozen ropes with the intention of turning the head pin into a pile of dust.

His competitiveness made its way to the next generation. Sometimes during league games the brothers would make bets with each other if the game itself wasnt enough, each putting down five dollars against each other.

They stopped bowling when their dad died. Brad and Bryan quit for two to three years, Scott for closer to five. It didnt feel right without Bud.

That was more than a decade ago, but Bryan didnt want to bowl as he sat by the grave marker that day. He was tiredphysically and mentally. His work day starts at 4:30 a.m. His health situation was growing more complicated. Maybe he should just take a night to relax.

If he was going to play, he needed to be at the Rose Bowl by 6:15. The late afternoon gave way to evening, and about 6 p.m. Deck heard his fathers voice in his head.

Son, just go bowl. Just go do your thing. Just go bowl.

Bryan walked back to his truck and drove toward the Rose Bowl. He arrived and rolled a perfect game, which he had done before. Then he rolled another.

People think Im crazy, he said. Im not a big Im just gonna be honest with you. I know if you say your dads always with you or somebody passed away, I get it, and I do believe in it, but Im telling everybody that was the craziest thing Ive ever felt in my life.

Scotts phone buzzed sporadically with texts from his younger brother as he sat on his porch. First it was a picture of the scoreboard showing 300 in the first game. Then an update that Bryan had rolled nine more strikes. When he got another message that Brian had picked up four more, that was enough. Scott had to be there.

He drove to the Rose City Bowl and entered as discreetly as possible during the sixth frame, worried his presence would cause Bryan to overthink. Bryan noticed his brother, but it didnt matter. He was too locked in.

Bryan had seen that nights success as something of an oddity up to that point, being more surprised and almost bewildered by his double-digit consecutive strikes than anything. But his heart began to quicken as a perfect 900 came into focus. He tried to drink water between frames but could barely hold the cup because of how much his hand was shaking.

As he approached the lane entering the final frames, he began speaking under his breath.

Come on, Dad. Pull me through here.

"I was just the dummy, and he just took over, Bryan said.

His first strike in the tenth frame broke his personal three-game record of 813. The next vaulted him to 870, the Rose City Bowl Record. Then he had one ball left. Scott looked on from the back, so did Brad, joining via FaceTime, as Bryan stepped up to the foul line one last time.

Come on, Dad. One more ball. Please, one more ball.

Bryan flicked his wrist counter-clockwise as he released the ball the way he spins the ball is one of the few bowling traits he didnt inherit from Bud and it twirled from right to left across the lane, striking the right side of the front pin and exploding through the other nine. He had done it.

I dont even remember me throwing that ball. It was a blur, Bryan said. I dont even remember walking off down the lane. I dont remember nothing until I got back up on the carpet where everybody was attacking me.

He drifted toward the spectators in the behind the lanes, walking slowly with his head back and eyes pointed up. He gave Scott a hug, then acknowledged Brad on the phone. That night he sat in his house and re-watched the video of his last three rolls, basking in the aftermath of the bowling highlight of his life and reflecting on the day.

Bryan had joked to Scott that hed retire if he ever posted a 900. He has not done that in the ensuing weeks, but he hasnt used the ball since that night. Its on a shelf now, preserved in a case.

Its a reminder of a perfect evening that arose from imperfect conditions, of a night he never thought would happen. Its a reminder of an accomplishment made possible by his father.

I just wish he was here to actually see it in person, Bryan said. Id rather he be here with me. Everybody said he was with me, which he was. Apparently he was because I felt it, and theres days Ive bowled that I need him and I leave a pin, but something about that day, I will never feel the same. It was unbelievable.

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Bryan Deck is 40th person to bowl three perfect games - IndyStar

We are entering a future where we can eradicate disease. Its time to embrace it.

The most exciting thing about the future of humanity is our path to immortality as we will begin to eradicate deadly illnesses through the advancements of gene editing.

When liberals like myself, and other left-of-center ideologues hear the words gene editing, we tend to dismiss the idea as eugenics.

This should not be the case because if society can ensure that all humans have access to gene-editing technologies, we will be able to improve the lives of billions.

In the 1980s, scientists were shocked when they discovered that some bacteria, such as E.Coli, were resistant to viruses.

This is because these bacteria would incorporate some of the virus, splicing its genetic sequence and adding the viruss DNA into their own. Thus, when a bacterium would re-encounter a virus, the virus would not be able to infect it.

This type of sequencing became known as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), which is carried out by cas enzymes. In 2012, it was determined that at least theoretically, when CRISPR is paired with cas enzyme 9 (cas9), scientists can use it to change and edit the human genome.

The theory was seemingly confirmed to the widespread public in 2019 when a Chinese doctor, using CRISPR, edited the genome of a human embryo to make it HIV resistant. It is important to note that the experiment has been incredibly controversial and the technology is still rudimentary.

Despite this, it is becoming incredibly clear that in the near future, humans could have the ability to genetically modify themselves to become resilient against diseases such as AIDS, COVID-19, and Alzheimers.

This is where the supposed ethical dilemmas of gene editing come in. Many disability rights advocates claim that using CRISPR to eradicate ailments such as cystic fibrosis or multiple sclerosis is a position that advocates for eugenics.

I find that when one makes an objection like this, they are both advocating for making the world a worse place.

First, to address the spectacularly cretinous comparison of CRISPR to eugenics, one has to understand why eugenics is a horrid crime in the first place.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the rise of eugenics as state policy. Many individuals with disabilities were marginalized, brutalized, and sterilized by the state. No matter how severe ones disability, those individuals had a sense of self or personal identity.

To borrow the view of Scottish philosopher, David Hume, one gains a sense of personal identity when they are able to experience and feel the perceptions of the world around them. These perceptions go on to shape the values, beliefs, and emotions we conjure up in our minds.

People with disabilities clearly are able to obtain this sense of self, thus implementing policies to harm them are clearly eugenicist. A human embryo, on the other hand, is not a person because it is not able to experience the world in which people occupy. Thus, if we were to edit the genome of an embryo, we would not be operating on a person.

Second, most ethical theories strive to better the quality of life for all persons, so long as we do not harm others. Empirical data shows that those with disabilities tend to lead to lower qualities of life compared to able-bodied individuals. CRISPR would instantly better the lives of people with disabilities by editing out the disability and making it so that they are able to live a longer, healthier life.

The technology to make gene editing possible is rapidly approaching and could instantly improve the quality of life for billions of future humans. It is for that reason that humanity should embrace the possible CRISPR revolution.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.

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Opinion | CRISPR and gene editing is the future - UI The Daily Iowan

NEW YORK His day has finally arrived.

One of the most deserving days in franchise history, Keith Hernandezs no. 17 was retired by the Mets on Saturday, July 9.

This means no other Met will ever share a number with Hernandez moving forward and rightfully so.

Hernandez spoke in the Mets' press conference room at Citi Field on Saturday afternoon prior to his on-field ceremony/speech in front of fans. And as expected, an emotional Hernandez, who played for the Mets from 1983-1989, got a bit choked up.

Hernandez is easily one of the most important players in franchise history. After winning their first World Series title in 1969, the Mets eventually reverted back to being lovable losers in the late 70s and early 80s. But in the summer of 1983, everything changed when the team acquired the St. Louis Cardinals MVP caliber first baseman.

This shocking acquisition was a result of Hernandez getting in the doghouse with the Cardinals. So despite helping St. Louis capture the 1982 World Series, they sent him packing to the lowly Mets.

And the rest is history as trading for Hernandez proved to be a franchise altering move for the Mets. Once Hernandezs father convinced him to re-sign with the Mets on a long-term deal in the 1984 offseason, everything changed forever.

It didnt take long afterward for Hernandez to become a cornerstone player for the franchise and lead them back to glory. In 1986, the Mets were champs again, capturing their second World Series title in club history.

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While Hernandez, a former Mets team captain, is in both the Mets and Cardinals Hall of Fame, he has yet to be inducted into Cooperstown. This could change at some point down the road if he eventually gets back on the ballot.

As highlighted by his former agent Scott Boras, Hernandez is the only player not in the Hall of Fame to lead their respective position in total Gold Glove Awards, among many other accolades. Its evident that Hernandez was a game-changer wherever he went, a leader, fiery competitor, and not only one of the best first basemen of his era, but one of the best players of his generation, specifically throughout the span of his prime from 1979-1988 (won co-NL MVP in 79, runner up in '84).

Although Hernandez will have to wait a bit longer to be re-considered for the Hall of Fame, his number retirement will only further ingrain him in Mets immortality.

The Mets are wearing a No. 17 patch on their jerseys on Saturday in honor of Hernandez. When the man of the afternoon stepped to the podium during his pregame ceremony on the field, he was showered with "Keith Hernandez" chants from the Citi Field faithful.

Hernandez became the fourth player in Mets history to have their number retired, joiningTom Seaver (41), Mike Piazza (31) and Jerry Koosman (36).

-Mets' Jacob deGrom Expected to Make 3rd Rehab Start for Triple-A Syracuse

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Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

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Emotional Keith Hernandez Further Ingrained in New York Mets' History With Jersey Retirement - Sports Illustrated

"I will paddle the rivers of Turtle Island, be born into a rich family, die at 19 a pharaoh in Egypt. I will be beheaded. I will be a girl. I will be shamed. I will live through a pandemic. Or die in one."

"Immortal" was directed by Scouts Honour's Mark Zibert. The script was written by Denise Rossetto and Carlos Moreno, Broken Heart's co-founders and chief creative officers. The whole ad takes place in the womb of Earth, and is told from the perspective of an unborn child who contains the story of everyone who ever lived. Zibert and his team used lens, lighting and atmospheric effects to lend the impression that the piece was shot entirely underwater.

So many moments this meditation pricked our eyes. The juxtapositions of time and position are not only narrative; they appear, visceral and slow-moving, in water. A modern protestor leaps over a Roman soldier, both too preoccupied by the dance of their own timeline to see one another. The Berlin Wall resurrects to be crushed again, moments before a Black ballerina appears, staring out at nothing in particular. Great triumphs sit aside great follies: Write the Song of Solomon, then be the one who burns it.

"We always knew we wanted people not just to see objects," says Rossetto. "If you've been to the ROM, you've seen objects. We needed people to see that these aren't objects, they are portals to humanity."

The goal of "Immortal" is to cultivate that perspective of objects. "Every object in ROM is a portal to stories with the relevance that can speak to something we are facing today; igniting important cultural conversations. 'Immortal,' as a platform, speaks to the legacy of these objects and the immortality of these stories," says Lori Davison, the museum's chief marketing and communications officer.

The work concludes, "I will give birth and I will die. But I will live on in what I leave behind."

"I put on my late father's watch the day of the shoot," Rosetto says. "And I thought, 'He's living on with me today in the watch he left behind.' I felt this emotional feeling that I'm wearing what my dad left behind for me. I kind of like looking at objects everywhere as the people behind them and the love they put into these things."

The campaign will run through the summer in cinemas, outdoors and on digital. The Royal Ontario Museum will keep the full version on its YouTube.

Client: ROMChief Marketing Officer: Lori DavisonVP, Brand and Marketing: Kathryn BrownlieVP, Communications: Sally Tindal

Agency: Broken Heart Love AffairChief Creative Officers: Denise Rossetto, Carlos Moreno, Todd MackieStrategy: Jay ChaneyAgency Team: Bev Hammond, Joline Matika, Carlos Game-Garcia, Olivia CousineauAgency Producer: Erica Metcalfe

Culture Consultant: Shaunoh Wilson

Media Agency: OMDChief Talent and Enablement Officer: Christine Wilson

Production Company: Scouts HonourExecutive Producers: Simon Dragland, Rita PopielakDirector: Mark ZibertDirectors Of Photography: Mark Zibert, Eric KaskensProducers: Simon Dragland, Rita PopielakCreative Research: Tricia ZarembaProduction Service Company: Moonlighting FilmsExecutive Producer: Shayne BrooksteinLine Producer: Suzanne CurrieProduction Designer: Naobie NoisetteCostume Designer: Ruy Filipe

Prosthetics: CosmesisLead Artist: Clinton Aiden Smith

Casting: Kamikaze CastingCasting Director: Lea-Anne HendrickseIndigenous Casting: Shasta Lutz

Editorial: Nimiopere EditorialExecutive Producer: Julie AxellEditor: Graham ChisholmAssistant Editor: Griffin Stobbs

CG & VFX: Motif StudiosVFX Artist: Craig ParkerExecutive Producer: Jacques Bock

Colour: Alter EgoColourist & VFX: Wade OdlumExecutive Producer: Hilda PereiraSenior Producer: Genna Mcauliffe

Additional VFX: Tantrum StudioVFX Artist: Dominik Bochenski

Audio House: Rajakovic ElectricMusic Composer / Audio Director: Mark RajakovicExecutive Producer: Nicole RajakovicMix & Sound Design: Aaron MccourtVoice Over: Alana Bridgewater

Graphic Design: Leo Burnett DesignChief Creative Officer: Lisa GreenbergHead Of Design: Man Wai WongAccount Lead: Kim Le

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Royal Ontario Museum Captures the Human Story in a Gripping 6 Minutes - Muse by Clio

While some movies will die in the court of public opinion during their time in the cinema, that doesnt mean they cannot come back to life on a streaming service. If anything, the ability to pick from a vast library of films without investing more than your monthly subscription has allowed films to reach much bigger audiences than were otherwise possible. It certainly seems to be paying off for The Mummy (2017), which is finding a whole new audience on Amazon Prime after crashing and burning with critics and audiences alike when it was first released.

According to FlixPatrol, this shambling corpse of cinematic ambition has managed to claw its way out of the grave and all the way to the number one spot in Primes movie section. Directed by Alex Kurtzman (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Star Trek Into Darkness), the movie rebooted the popular Mummy series that had won over audiences in the late 90s, with Brendan Fraiser and Rachel Weisz leading a charming cast through hilarious tales of action and adventure that channeled the soul of Indiana Jones. The reboot set the story in a modern-day setting with a gritty tone and was planned to kickstart Universals Dark Universe series that would see a return to the screen of some of their most famous monsters.

Despite struggling in preproduction and seeing a number of directors leave the project before Kurtzmans arrival, the project managed to attract Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise to play the lead character, U.S. Army Sergeant Nick Morton. Morton accidentally releases Ahmanet, played by Sofia Boutella, and is thrown into a series of disastrous events that see him teaming up with Jenny Halsey, played by Annabelle Wallis, in an attempt to put the mummy back in the coffin. Nick ends up being possessed by Ahmanet, granting him immortality. After that, the movie becomes a confused and ill-paced mess as Universal attempts to cram in enough twists and turns to establish the world they needed to launch yet more monster movies.

Sadly, the movie fell flat with the public, as critics awarded it just a sixteen percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it a score of just thirty-five percent. Streaming audiences dont seem to mind, as The Mummy has been embraced in multiple countries, rising to the number one spot on Prime worldwide. Interestingly, the movie saw a similar box office take with an almost identical budget to the original film but was considered a financial failure by most. In a world of billion-dollar superhero movies, the entire Dark Universe was shelved, and we havent heard anything about it since.

It seems unlikely that this success on Amazon Prime will be enough to resurrect the Dark Universe, which is a shame as it would have been great to see modern takes on The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, and more, but at least fans of terrible movies have something to indulge themselves with.

- This article was updated on July 12th, 2022

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An Appalling Reboot Better Left Dead is Coming Back to Life on Streaming - Attack of the Fanboy

Welcome to our coverage of Whos Who! For this summer, well be focusing exclusively on the 26-issue 1985-1987 series, without any of the updates. Those will, hopefully, follow next year.

Today, we dive into the fifth installment, which continues the Legionnaire focus and brings us some of the kookiest villains DC has to offer.

Best overall entry: Crime Doctor

While I maintain that the Flash has the best villains at DC, there are some Batman villains that are just perfect. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane back in 1943, the Crime Doctor is such a fun idea. Hes the doctor to the underworld, and collects a portion of their loot for his fee, but still upholds the Hippocratic Oath. It also has the perfect comic book copout ending, where someone who knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman winds up in a vegetative state with no memory.

Best non-character: The Construct

Now, maybe youll argue that this is a character. Im not going to argue that its debatable, but Id say that a collection of radio waves that became sentient is not, actually, a character.

Marquee character: Cyborg

We are still in the midst of the New Teen Titans being one of DCs most popular comics, and so Cyborg is front and center on this cover.

Most obscure character: Colonel Future

Col. Future may be the most obscure character yet in Whos Who. Aside from a Superman Sourcebook and this issue, he was only in two other pre-Flashpoint comics. There was a Superman villain on Earth-2 with the same name, but he is only in 5 issues. And, there was a reboot in the the Americas Best Comics imprint, but he was only in five issues there, too. 12 issues across three different timelines is an impressive and small footprint.

Also, the dude got a full page! Some pretty major characters got the half page treatment, but not Colonel Future!

Most incomprehensible entry: The Controllers

This is the perfect storm of incomprehensibility: 30th Century, Green Lantern, pre-historic, alien, and monolithic. This all (mostly) made sense to me, but Rao help someone without a brain rotted by comics.

Most bizarre entry: Composite Superman

This is such a fun character, but everything about it, from the look to the origin (Legion statues struck by lightning while a janitor walks by) make this a nutty concept, even for hardened comics guys to embrace.

Most Surprising Entry: Clayface

Now, I knew that there were multiple Clayfaces (Claysface?), but I wasnt aware that, pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths, that Basil Karlo didnt have any shape shifting abilities.

Top three pieces of art:

3. Colonel Computron

Carmine Infantino and Klaus Janson absolutely kill this boxy weirdo.

2. Cyborg

All hail George Prez (and Romeo Tanghal) for all of this, but especially the transformation in the top background.

1. Creeper

Dave Gibbons is so associated with Watchmen that I think he gets looked over for just how great his other work is. I mean, just marvel at this for a moment. Hot damn, son.

Best lines/details per entry:

Chronos: Clinton, admiring the clockwork precision with which everything was run in prison, decided he would make time work for him rather than against him.

Brians commentary: Irony is an overused term, but it is borderline ironic to do crimes inspired by prison.

Cinnamon: Known relatives: Unnamed Father (deceased)

Brians commentary: I know that her father plays into her origin, but the fact that hes dead and unnamed means that you can probably not mention him and still be ok.

Circe: During the most recent of their encounters, Wonder Woman was indeed responsible for the destruction of Circles precious herbs of immortality, so that the enchantress is now aging normally.

Brians commentary: Herbs of immortality? Sounds like Circe is 420 friendly, no?

The Citadel: With the technology in place, the First Citadelin forcibly ejected his Psion allies (making war even on them), creating the Citadel race but the clones were imperfect and retarded.

Brians commentary: Uhhhmay want to rephrase that, bro.

Claw: The Unconquered:

Brians commentary: This is some of the most stringent anti-fap action weve ever seen in a DC comic.

Clayface(s): His flesh now malleable, Payne transformed himself into an Adonis and stepped out on the town.

Brians commentary: If youre blue and you dont know where to go to, why dont you go where fashion sits?!

Clock King:

Brians commentary: Sometimes, these villain origins are torture porn. My goodness.

Cluemaster: Convinced the very knowledge that they were facing the Batman was a psychological handicap that gave the Masked Manhunter an edge over his foes, the Cluemaster was determined to lean the Batmans true identity so that he could sneak-attack and dispose of the Batman in his civilian guise.

Brians commentary: Is Masked Manhunter a common name for Batman? Also, this acts like Cluemaster is the first person to realize that if you could solve Batmans secret identity, that youd have a leg up on Batman.

Colonel Computron: Though it has been speculated that Colonel Computron is in fact either Basil Nurblin, the actual inventor of the Captain Computron toy, his wife Francine, an electronic wizard in her own right, or their genius daughter, Luna.

Brians commentary: Electronic wizard sounds like either an early 80s MCs name or a toy that Radio Shack sold.

Colonel Future:

Brians commentary: This power is pretty cool, but it sounds like no one would want to have the physical effects of getting to that power.

Color Kid: His power to alter the color of objects, a result of a laboratory accident that bathed in a multidemensional light, was considered nearly useless and he was rejected.

Brians commentary: I meanyeah.

Colossal Boy: When the true identity of Yera (the Durlans stage name) was revealed, Gim realized he had fallen in love with her, and reaffirmed his marriage.

Brians commentary: Sometimes, the best marriages are the ones that begin with deception.

Commander Steel: As of this writing, the details of Commander Steels exploits between 1941 and the present have not been officially recorded.

Brians commentary: Then why, pray tell, would you even mention that?

Composite Superman: When possessing these powers, the Composite Superman is an extraordinary athlete and superior hand-to-hand combatant. Plain Joe Meach is neither of those things.

Brians commentary: Sick burn.

Computo: A now-tamed version of Computo is contained in an energized circuit globe that serves as majordomo for the LSH headquarters under Brainiac Fives watchful supervision, and the suspicious lances of other Legionnaires.

Brians commentary: Im highlighting this just for the use of the word majordomo, which is a lovely word we dont use nearly enough.

Congorilla: Explorer, Big-Game Trapper, Naturalist, Corporate President

Brians commentary: Donald Trump Jr. wants this exact bio for his Truth Social bio.

The Construct:

Brians commentary: This is some sci-fi bullshit, but exactly my kind of sci-fi bullshit.

Controllers: The Legionnaires also confronted the Controller, who died of an apparent heart attack that may or may not have been caused by the presence of Ferro Lads ghost.

Brians commentary: I love to hear that near-indestructible alien races can still suffer from the effects of heart disease.

Copperhead: Constructed from a unique weave of experimental metallic and elastic fibers, the snake-suit is coated with a polymer film that enables Copperhead to slither through impossibly small spaces and makes him almost untouchable.

Brians commentary: So his suit allows his bones to shrink or go limp?

Cosmic Boy: Recently, Rokks mother, Ewa, was killed in a fireballing incident.

Brians commentary: I feel like we need more context for what, exactly, a fireballing incident entails.

Cosmic King: He has demonstrated no skill at physical combat.

Brians commentary: Whos Who values two things above all else: are you an Olympic-level athlete, and can you throw a punch? If there answer to either is no, get the fuck out.

The Council: The Council values secrecy above all else and does all it can to avoid attracting attention to itself. Thus, at this writing, the world is generally unaware of the Councils existence.

Brians commentary: Seems like writing this exact entry would make them impossibly mad.

Count Vertigo: Alter Ego: Count Werner Vertigo

Brians commentary: I know that he wasnt exactly looking for a secret identity, but cmon dude.

Crazy Quilt: After murdering Kinski during an argument, Crazy-Quilt managed to lure Robin into an alley and, beating him mercilessly, left the boy for dead, not knowing that this was Jason Todd, the new Robin.

Brians commentary: Dont you hate it when you beat the wrong boy and nearly kill him?

The Creature Commandos:

Brians commentary: The idea of a Frankenstein called Taylor is never not funny to me.

The Creeper: In order to infiltrate a costume party where the kidnappers were rumored to be fathering, Jack threw together a makeshift out from from old odds and ends, including yellow makeup and a shaggy sheepskinrug.

Brians commentary: I like that Jacks costume also involved some red gogo boots and a green striped pair of briefs. Lets go to this party!

Crime Doctor: Occupation: Physician and Part-time criminal

Brians commentary: Shouldnt his name be Doctor Crime then? You lead with the title thats most a part of you, no?

Crime Syndicate:

Brians commentary: Please, give us more ridiculous examples!

Crimson Avenger: The Crimson Avengers calling card was a cloud of crimson smoke through which he made a most dramatic entrance.

Brians commentary: Ive known people who appear through a cloud of verdant smoke, if you catch my drift.

Croc: Born in a Florida slum to an unwed mother who died giving birth to him, Waylon Jones was raised by a deadbeat alcoholic aunt.

Brians commentary: Jesus, why not just slander the whole family while youre at it?

Cyborg: The morose young athlete was virtually rebuilt from scratch and given a body far more powerful than that of any normal human being.

Brians commentary: Wouldnt you be morose if you were almost killed and now was half machine? Way to judge, Whos Who.

Cyclotron: Though ultimately cured of her radiation poisoning in an as-yet-disclosed manner, Terri Curtis passed the effects of the radiation on to her own son, Albert, with led to his becoming the super-hero known as Nuklon.

Brians commentary: If you think this is confusing, wait until you see how Nuklon was retconned into being the Atoms son.

Go here to see the original:

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol. V - Multiversity Comics

About a half-hour after Evgeni Malkin scored 50 goals for the first time, Mike Kadar walked into Ray Sheros office astonished.

Shero asked Kadar, the man whod helped Malkin rehab his surgically repaired knee the previous summer, what was wrong. Kadar left the office and returned a few minutes later with a puck that was cut in half.

It was the puck from Malkins 50th goal.

Ray, he told me it was mine as much as it was his, said Kadar, then the Penguins conditioning coach. I dont know what to say. Have you ever seen something like this before?

Shero had not. Nor did he have much advice. He had only this observation: Thats so Geno!

That is one of my favorite Malkin stories. There are so many others, but this is the one I like best: Despite a fairly fraught few months of negotiations, Malkin, who signed a four-year contract with the Penguins on Tuesday night, will be able to follow through on the goal he told me about way back during his rookie year. With his good friend Sergei Gonchar as an interpreter, Malkin said he wanted to play only for Pittsburgh, always with Sid.

Congrats, Evgeni your wish came true in the waning hours of what what was looking like it might be your last day as a Penguin.

Congrats, too, to general manager Ron Hextall your word was your bond, and after repeatedly saying you wanted to keep Geno, you did with not much time to spare.

It doesnt matter how it happened. It did. And everybody from Malkin to Hextall to the Penguins and Pittsburgh is better for it.

Malkin is as beloved as any player in franchise history. Hes earned that devotion from Penguins fans because hes been brilliant over the course of 16 years, if not the entirety of every season, always in moments that defied belief.

There was his record goal-scoring surge to begin a future Hall-of-Fame career.

Or The Geno Goal against the Hurricanes in the 2009 Eastern Conference final, only to follow it up by becoming the first Russian-born NHL player to win the Conn Smythe as MVP of the Penguins first of three Stanley Cup titles in the Sidney Crosby/Malkin era.

Oh, by the way, congrats are also due to Sidney Crosby. As The Athletic reported, as Malkin was discouraged a few weeks ago, Crosby visited Malkins home in Florida. Crosby also stepped in Tuesday to bring the Penguins and Malkin back from the brink a day after Malkin, feeling insulted and unwanted during negotiations, told his agent, J.P. Barry, the Penguins had waited too long to start talking about his desired four-year deal.

Malkin was set on testing the free-agent waters.

Or was he?

The Penguins hadnt been willing to firmly offer a four-year contract at the point when Malkin appeared to pull the plug on his Pittsburgh tenure. However, after talking to sources close to Malkin late Tuesday, Im convinced Malkin and Barry essentially called the Penguins bluff and played the only hand they had remaining to get a deal done in Pittsburgh: threatening to blow out of town as an unrestricted free agent.

If public reaction to Malkins possible departure was any indication, a divorce would have gone down as the most unpopular personnel decision in over 50 years of Penguins hockey. And thats saying a lot wounds have still not healed over the way former icons Jaromir Jagr and Marc-Andre Fleury left Pittsburgh. A big hole remains in Penguins fans souls because those players wont finish their careers the way Malkin, Crosby and Kris Letang will.

Malkin is staying, though.

Hes back to finish what hes always said he wanted to do: win at least one more title with Crosby and Letang, his self-described Canadian and French brothers.

This is as it should be, and not for nostalgia.

The Penguins havent lost four consecutive opening-round playoff series because those three werent good enough. They were done in by other roster deficiencies, and now Malkin has followed Letangs lead and signed a franchise-friendly final contract that will allow the Penguins to build a club better situated to contend for the Cup.

He wants to be the first Russian to win four Cup titles.

He also likes the idea of doing what the Steelers of the 1970s did tethering themselves to all future generations of fans in sports-mad Pittsburgh by adding a fourth title that would be, as Joe Greene said of the Steelers then, an invitation to immortality.

Will it happen? Who knows.

There will be an opportunity, and thats all anybody could have hoped for going into this seismic offseason. Hextall saved enough cap space to still do some work when free agency opens at noon Wednesday.

Unlike so many stars who are flipped for so many prospects, draft picks and spare parts, Malkin will get to go out on his own terms. Like Letang, Malkin got a full no-trade clause in his new contract. Neither player can be moved without his respective approval over the next four years.

And if youre thinking that Crosby is signed for only three years well, dont sweat that detail. He told The Athletic he wants to play at least another six, so hell be re-upping in a couple of summers too.

As a topsy-turvy Tuesday played out, I spent time working on a column of my favorite Malkin memories. The concept was to honor his time in Pittsburgh by peeling back the curtain on our unique professional relationship. I was struggling to wrap my head around the column because I didnt want to write it.

I will one day.

But that day is four years off.

Still, Ill share one more anecdote that shows the Evgeni who exists behind the Geno character that has so enraptured the Pittsburgh public for the past 16 years.

On my last trip to Moscow in 2019, Malkin sat at a restaurant table above the sparse facility where he trained and thanked me for again coming to meet him in his adopted Russian hometown. He explained that it meant a lot that over the years that Id made a point to speak directly to him as opposed to at him, that I took time to know his family and customs, that I helped him through early interviews when he wasnt comfortable with language, and that I write Geno stories when everybody else always writes Sid.

The journalist in me was uncomfortable. The person I am was stunned. This was a genuine moment between two people, but it was brief before I quickly moved on to something else.

So I asked Malkin if he remembered a particular week during his second season when I asked him every day what he had eaten for breakfast. He nodded.

Jelly toast, he said, smiling. You didnt believe me. But I like jelly toast. And I dont like to change what I like.

Evgeni Malkin loves playing for the Penguins.

And now that doesnt have to change for him.

(Photo: Kirk Irwin / Getty Images)

Read more:

Rossi: Penguins grant Evgeni Malkins wish, and Pittsburgh is better for it - The Athletic

During my hands-on demo of Immortality, the upcoming release from Her Story and Telling Lies creator Sam Barlow, I find myself closely studying the face of actor Marissa Marcel. In the movie scene I'm observing, she sits at a table in an interrogation room with a tape recorder and some files in front of her. As she smokes a cigarette, one actor leaves while another enters the scene and for just a moment, Marissa appears to break character and look out beyond the camera. Appearing to lock eyes with someone out of shot, the actor briefly smiles and I become fixated on this fleeting moment. By rewinding the reel to watch the scene play out again, I freeze the frame on her expression. Who is she smiling at? Is this just part of the act? Or I am seeing a brief glimpse of the real Marissa Marcel? With no way of knowing, I have to move on, but I'm already intrigued to find out more.

Since I only get to spend a limited amount of time with Immorality before the Tribeca demo comes to close, I'm left with more questions than answers. But its presentation, unique mechanics, and puzzling concept have already sold me on the idea of diving in deeper.

As an "interactive restoration of three movies", the mechanics of Immortality emulate Moviola machines that were originally used by filmmakers to review and edit footage. While it's not directly mentioned in my demo, it is said that the three movies starring Marissa Marcel were never released and that the actress mysteriously disappeared. In Immortality, my role is to dig a little deeper into these bizarre circumstances.

My session begins on a film grid that shows rows of footage from Marissa Marcel's career. By zooming and selecting a scene, I watch as Marissa talks to a chat show host. At any point, I can pause the sequence and enter into 'image mode'. Here, I move the cursor over key images in the footage such as a person's face, or a noticeable prop or decorative feature. By honing in on something within the scene, it then transitions or 'match cuts' into another scene that features the same prop or actor I've highlighted.

As I move over to another scene through these key images, new footage gets added to the grid to create a more complete picture of the movies. What's most striking right away is just how real and authentic it feels in both its presentation and the way you engage with it. The live-action sequences you watch have a grainy look, with outfits that make them look every bit the part of footage captured during the '60s, '70s, and '90s, and all of the performances really draw you in. The Moviola emulation also adds to the realism, as though you really have found lost footage and you're trying to make sense of it all. As I play and watch scenes and scrub the footage for notable features, I never quite know what I'll be watching next. From behind-the-scenes moments such as table reads, to snippets of different movies, and even a celebratory toast to one of the directors, I get to see snapshots of several different, disjointed moments in the timeline of each film.

What's so interesting about being drawn into different scenes is the way you may interpret them without having the whole picture. On one occasion, for example, I'm taken into what turns out to be a rehearsal sequence that begins part way through. I at first mistook it for a real confrontation between Marissa and another actor until I heard stage directions being given, but it again brought to mind that small moment when she appeared to break character during a scene. Since you're watching actors at work, it can be tricky to discern what's real and what's not as you move from one scene to the next. I find myself questioning everything and scrutinizing every action and expression to see if I can isolate when the actors are being themselves.

In another instance, I watch a movie scene being captured as it's happening before transitioning over to a different movie entirely. From the sets to the actor's costumes, and the performances themselves, it's very easy to get wrapped up in what you're watching, even when I'm not entirely sure what's happening. I feel like I only got to scratch the surface of Immortality and its mysteries before the demo ends, but I was surprised by just how invested I became in such a short amount of time. I can already see myself spending a lot of time getting lost in all of the little details and nuances of each scene in Immortality, and I can't wait to get to the root of it all when it releases on July 26, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

For more impressions from the Tribeca Games demo lineup, check out our American Arcadia preview and our As Dusk Falls preview.

See the article here:

I only got a taste of Immortality, but I'm already in love with its concept and sense of mystery - Gamesradar