Movies

The intense emotion and heartrending performances in the film ‘Hamnet’ have sparked deep conversations among festival audiences as it travels through Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. Director Chloé Zhao’s poignant, beautiful adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes after the loss of their son Hamnet has emerged as one of this year’s standout films from fall festivals. Critics have been particularly struck by the film’s powerful emotional resonance. IndieWire’s headline exclaims that the film “tears your heart out,” while Bilge Ebiri calls it “the most devastating movie I’ve seen in years.” Even Zhao herself has been moved to tears during screenings, and young actor Jacobi Jupe, who plays Hamnet, has cried in interviews.

As a die-hard film fan, I can’t help but get excited when hearing the latest scoops! James Gunn, the visionary director, recently hinted at an intriguing possibility – that Green Lantern could stand victorious against Superman in a battle royale! He dropped this bombshell on Peacemaker: The Official Podcast, where actor Tim Meadows expressed his desire for his character, Langston Fleury from Peacemaker Season 2, to square off against Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern. Talk about raising the stakes in superhero showdowns!

The unique challenge isn’t typically associated with creating any cookie, as most prefer store-bought Christmas tree cookies from Pillsbury available at local stores like Piggly Wiggly instead of making slice-and-bake cookies with pictures inside. However, this task is fascinating because it involves shaping one kind of dough into various colors, making it complex yet achievable within the given timeframe. The results are immediately visible in the baked goods, allowing appreciation for the technical skill required to create a biscuit that resembles diverse items such as an orange, cupcake, Millennium Falcon (mistaken for a sailboat), a dog disguised as a cat, or a mince pie thief.

Fans who are familiar with the storyline of Outlander might find interest when a baby named William is mentioned, as it could hint at Brian and Ellen’s upcoming birth of their first child, a son. This boy’s name resembles Jamie’s older brother, who unfortunately died from smallpox in the series. Since Baby Beauchamp is still present in the story, one might find it unusual for Brian and Ellen to choose such a similar name. Some speculations could be: Is it possible that they are protecting baby William and/or Julia and Henry by raising him as their own? Or perhaps they invented the story of William’s death to reunite him with his family at some point in time? Alternatively, this name coincidence may foreshadow a tragic event for the Beauchamps (or appear to), leading them to honor their friends by naming their son William. It’s also possible that they simply admire the name and William Beauchamp is an unrelated character within Outlander. Regardless, it’s an intriguing development in the storyline.

In a simple and straightforward manner: Oliver regularly examines one difficult issue after another, providing suggestions for how ordinary people might tackle them. Even when he admits that the solution may be limited, there’s a sense of fulfillment in making complex problems easier to grasp. Some might find this approach corny, but Last Week Tonight embodies the practical optimism reminiscent of Frank Capra, who believed that heroism is meaningful only when it inspires collective action. Despite the relentless stream of news that can make one question our nation’s future, Oliver remains convinced that it has a bright one ahead.

In this space-bound adventure made of bricks, several beloved Star Wars characters will reappear in the franchise, including some notorious villains from various tales within the Lucas universe. One of these recurring figures is the cunning Darth Maul, who was also present in the initial season of “Rebuild the Galaxy”.

The Final Episode, in typical fashion, presents predictable conclusions. Time consistently moves ahead, and no matter our actions, it cannot be halted. Each new generation makes decisions that their forebears might not comprehend. While I personally disagree with the notion, Capitalism is presented as superior to Socialism in this instance, a point made repeatedly. Fans of Downton Abbey may recognize familiar patterns, yet this predictability perhaps adds to the effectiveness of The Final Episode as a satisfying culmination for the series. It confirms that all which the vast Crawley family values – their wealth, land, connections, and faith in monarchy as the ideal governing system – remains vital, while providing a hint of progress to address any concerns that the show’s focus on tradition might endorse conservatism or traditionalism. It skillfully caters to fan expectations, albeit Matthew Goode is conspicuously absent throughout, with scheduling conflicts cited as reasons for his non-appearance in these movies. Some might argue whether not seeing Goode in a tuxedo was worth missing out on the Danish crime drama, Dept. Q.

In an amusing exchange with ScreenRant, Tom Blyth humorously suggested that Ralph Fiennes might benefit from his insights as they prepare for their respective roles portraying President Snow on the big screen. “Indeed, I suspect I could impart some wisdom to him,” Blyth hinted, acknowledging Fiennes’ rising talent in the acting world, yet relatively unknown status. Laughing, he expressed confidence in Fiennes’ promising future career trajectory.

First Reaction – 11/11/11 is creepy, disturbing but never hits hard enough.

Prior to the release of The Paper on the 2025 TV lineup, I had a strong intuition that the spinoff of The Office would be one of the most outstanding journalism shows in years. The premiere season of this new comedy, available to stream in its entirety with a Peacock subscription, exceeds all my expectations for a workplace comedy. However, there was one aspect that stood out to me as particularly heartwarming.