A Thousand Blows, review: Peaky Blinders' Steven Knight's brutal new drama may be his best yet
It used to be thought that viewers tuned into period drama just to look at it. Wasn't life wonderful in the 19th century? What better way to spend a Sunday night than revelling in the vistas and the dances and the Palladian facades?
Steven Knight 's period dramas, however, have proved that viewers don't care so much about the look of a time and place as they do about the energy. Shows like Peaky Blinders and SAS Rogue Heroes may take place in the past but they are alive now, pummelling you with personalities and plot. At their best they are roller coaster-ride unstoppable: just as you start to ask whether this kind of thing really happened in this place all those years ago, you're swept away in a whirlwind of character and capers. At a time when a superfluity of choice means the worst thing television can be is dull, Knight's dramas never are (which is probably why he is asked to write so many of them.)
A Thousand Blows, his new series for Disney+ 'inspired by true life stories', may be his best yet. It brings to life a late 19th-century East London that positively crackles with nefarious possibility. Into this maelstrom it hurls Mary Carr (Erin Doherty) and her 40 Elephants gang, a group of female pickpockets with eyes on bigger things. It then adds Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) and Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall), best friends from Jamaica who are fresh off the boat. They soon find themselves thrust into the criminal underbelly of London's thriving bare-knuckle boxing scene.
Put Hezekiah in cahoots with 'Queen'' Mary, and set them both up against Stephen Graham 's Sugar Goodson, the self-styled alpha of the East End fight game, and you have precisely the kind of period tinderbox into which Knight loves to throw a match.
What follows is brutal, and while A Thousand Blows deserves its five stars, viewers should be aware that it hails from the Raging Bull school of blood and sputum. It is a telling tale from the streaming age that this amount of stark violence should have found a home on a channel with Walt Disney's name on the masthead, but that's for another time...
But if you can get past the sickening blows in their thousands (and we can't say we weren't warned) then this is blockbuster television. Knight is not normally one for subtlety, but here even the plot about the Jamaican immigrants fuelled by loathing of their red-coated colonial oppressors is deftly handled. The historian David Olusoga is listed as an executive producer and anyone who has read his excellent Black and British – A Forgotten History will sense his guiding hand.
History and issues, however, are grace notes compared to the chorus of wonderful characters, and it's with its roster of ne'er do wells that A Thousand Blows hits the jackpot. Peaky Blinders propelled Cillian Murphy to the Hollywood A-List and a Best Actor Oscar. A Thousand Blows might just do the same for Erin Doherty. Her Mary Carr is a cockney Boudicca with a killer stare, an instant feminist icon (who would probably laugh hard and then shoot you if you told her that). She steals whatever she wants, including the show and probably next year's Bafta statuette. It is a sensational performance in a captivating, lawless stampede of a TV show.
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Brian Wilson's frail final public outing as he joined The Beach Boys in heartbreaking snaps after being placed under conservatorship
Photos of Brian Wilson's final public outing have resurfaced after his death at 82. The legendary musician looked frail as he had been joined by members of his iconic group The Beach Boys at the Los Angeles premiere of their Disney+ documentary back on May 22, 2024. Weeks before that an LA Superior court judge had ruled that he had to have a conservatorship set up to care for his personal and medical needs. Brian - who was 81 at the time - remained in a wheelchair at the event as he met the film's crew and reunited with members of the band. Last year, weeks after the death of his longtime wife Melinda, it emerged that he had been diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder similar to dementia. His children announced Wilson's death on the singer's official Instagram page this Wednesday, along with what appeared to be a recent photo. 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now,' they wrote. 'Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.' Meanwhile, at Brian's final public outing in May 2024, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin were all present for the festivities in LA as they gathered around Brian for photos. Brian co-founded the band with his late brothers Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Love and close friend Jardine back in 1961. Weeks before that, Judge Gus T. May determined on May 9, 2024 that the singer–songwriter required a court conservatorship, citing what his doctors described as a 'major neurocognitive disorder,' according to ABC News. The ruling comes just under three months after Wilson's family and caregivers requested that a conservatorship be set up to care for the rock and roll icon. According to them, he had been suffering from dementia, which was exacerbated following the January 2024 death of his wife Melinda — who had cared for many of his needs — at the age of 77. 'I find from clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the person is necessary,' the judge declared at the hearing. May determined that Wilson could no longer effectively make his own medical decisions, prompting the creation of the conservatorship. However, unlike with other infamous cases of high-profile stars being put under the care of a conservatorship, the Beach Boys leader had allegedly consented to the plan. The judge previously appointed the attorney Robert Frank Cipriano to represent Wilson's interests in court, and in a report Cipriano authored he said Wilson agreed that the conservatorship was necessary for him, and he was satisfied with the conservator picks. May installed two of Wilson's longtime employees, his manager LeeAnn Hard and his publicist Jean Sievers, as his conservators after his family previously requested that they share that role. There were previously concerns about potential disagreements between Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson after they requested a delay at a hearing on April 30 while they tried to come to an agreement with Hard and Sievers. However, the sisters — who constitute two-thirds of the band Wilson Phillips — seemed to smoothed out any issues and didn't voice any objections by that May 2024 hearing. The news of the filing arrived just weeks after he suffered a tragedy when his longtime wife Melinda died at age 77. At the time, journalists who had interviewed Wilson in the past noted how she had been a constant source of help and reassurance for the musician in his later years, and she was said to have regularly sat in on interviews with him. In a statement to at the time, Wilson's family said that 'longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian's co-conservators of the person' after his seven children, his caregiver and his doctors had determined the move was necessary. 'This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family. 'Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses,' they concluded. Wilson had a decades-long history of mental health issues and has struggled with substance abuse in the past, and the court filing said he would allegedly be unable to care for himself as his condition deteriorates. They also said that Wilson is not able to attend hearings on the matter 'because of medical inability.' A 'capacity' filing among the documents said that Wilson's 'fear, depression, helplessness' are 'severely inappropriate.' The filing quoted a doctor who said Wilson is 'easily distracted, often even when aware of surroundings, and its purpose.' They added that the musician 'Often makes spontaneous irrelevant or incoherent utterances' and 'Has very short attention span and while unintentionally disruptive, is frequently unable to maintain decorum appropriate to the situation.' He was also said to be taking medication to 'slow the progression of the illness.' Wilson's family indicated in its statement and in the court filing that the death of his wife Melinda on January 30, 2024 necessitated the conservatorship request, as she had been taking care of his 'daily living needs.' Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson — of Wilson Phillips fame — requested that all his children be included on a text chain with updates on his condition, and that they be consulted about medical decisions, which the judge agreed to; seen in 2019 in LA 'Mr. Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter,' the filing continues. Wilson's intended co-conservators did not request a conservator of Wilson's estate, as his assets are held in a trust, with Hard serving as its trustee. In an anguished social media post announcing his wife Melinda's death, Wilson wrote: 'My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. 'We are lost,' he continued. 'Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior.' The couple were married in 1995. They previously dated from 1986 through 1989, though meddling from Wilson's then-therapist Eugene Landy ended the relationship. Landy had nearly total control of Wilson's life at the time. Landy's professional license in California was revoked in 1989, and his overwhelming control over Wilson's personal and professional life was cited among the initial allegations. Wilson was previously reported to have been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder in the past. In a 2015 interview with Salon — which his wife Melinda joined him for — Wilson admitted to experiencing auditory hallucinations in the form of voices for decades; seen (top right) in 1964 The Beach Boys In a 2015 interview with Salon — which his wife Melinda joined him for — Wilson admitted to experiencing auditory hallucinations in the form of voices for decades. 'I have voices in my head,' he explained. 'Mostly it's derogatory. Some of it's cheerful. Most of it isn't.' Wilson began heavily using drugs in the mid-1960s, including the psychedelic drug LSD, and shortly afterward he began to develop paranoid delusions. Although he had nearly total control of The Beach Boys through 1966 and the creation of the band's masterpiece Pet Sounds, his increasing drug use and mental health issues had forced him to step back from his creative position.
Graziadaily
5 hours ago
- Graziadaily
Jessi And Whitney On Season 3 Of 'The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' – And *That* Cliffhanger
No strangers to scandal, the influencers who make up #MomTok, a group of Mormon women who broke the internet after posting about a swinging scandal in the friendship group, were always destined for reality TV greatness. In less than a year they have gone from relatively niche social media stars to fully fledged celebrities recognised around the world. This is, of course, thanks to the overnight success of their Disney+ show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The first season premiered in September with an immediate second season commissioned, filmed and ready to air by May. It left fans with a lot of unanswered questions – not least because season two ended on the mother of all cliffhangers. In a reality TV metaverse maze, Vanderpump Rules star Marciano Brunette confessed to Mayci Neeley that it wasn't Demi Engemann he had a secret affair with but her best friend (now enemy?), Jessi Ngatikaura. The latter was not able to defend herself during the finale, so fans await the reunion episode on 1 July with bated breath. 'You know, months before it came out, I was aware of the situation and the reality of it, but I can't say much until the next season comes out' Jessi, who has been married to Jordan Ngatikaura since 2020, tells us. 'All I will say is there's so much more to that story than what was said at the finale. I'm looking forward to showing a little more vulnerability with the viewers and having them see a little more about my relationship and my life. I'm hoping someone can relate to it. I'm going to be pretty open and honest.' We don't know yet how the allegations have affected her relationship with Mayci, but her friendship with Demi was already hanging by a thread. In season two, Jessi confessed that she's tired of being Demi's lap dog, as viewers witnessed Demi comfortably move into the role of the show's new #MomTok villain. 'We're not like what we used to be,' reveals Jessi. 'I do feel like we've had a chance to talk through some things and after seeing season two, I think a lot of people can reflect on how they acted and put things into perspective. I would just hope that, as co-workers, we can be cordial. We were best friends at one point, but it just won't be what it was.' Adding, 'I'd rather that than have an enemy. It's draining!' In the Mormon wives circle, the term 'friendship' is a loose one. Like most successful reality TV shows, TSLMW is hinged on fallouts, showdowns and scandal. Whitney Leavitt knows this better than any of them. After season one aired, she formally left the group (and the group chat) and took to social media to claim she was given the 'villain edit'. Unsurprisingly given the show's success, she made a bold return in season two and has been passively voted back into the friendship group, even if she's not been added to the group chat yet. 'First of all, can we ban the voting?' she jokes when we speak. 'I said it as a joke and then people took it a little bit too seriously. It was like 'you can be here, but I don't really want you here'. I don't really know how to take that.' Of course, she is referring most specifically to Mikayla Matthews, who firmly voted against her re-initiation. Regardless of awkward dynamics, being part of #MomTok is a lucrative prospect. It might involve some turmoil in their personal lives and a relentless stream of speculation on social media, but it has turned their circle into a profitable business. How have their lives changed in the past year? Whitney is not shy to answer first. 'Financially, the fame, the opportunities, the people we've met, it's all drastically changed. In my experience watching, most TV shows take a few seasons to gain traction and catch on and we had an overnight hit.' 'We've been thrown into success,' she continues, 'which is such a blessing, and we know how lucky we are. We do not take that for granted.' Demi agrees: 'There's been a few moments when I'm recognised in another country and it's a "woah" moment, but I hope it never goes to our heads. That's when it gets dangerous.' What hasn't changed, however, is their collective commitment to the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints – even if it is characteristically unconventional. 'Some portrayals (of the Church) are fair and accurate, but others resort to stereotypes or gross misinterpretations that are in poor taste and have real-life consequences for people of faith,' the Church said in a statement about the Disney+ show. 'I mean, I don't really care, just because I know that my intentions are good,' Whitney responds. 'I'm not going to bash the church. None of us are, and none of us are wanting to represent the church. We're just sharing our lives and all of us happen to have a little bit of Mormonism in that.' 'Even if our show wasn't called what it was, if it was just a reality show set in Utah, then it would come up regardless because it's so apart of the culture and it's so saturated there,' adds Jessi. Regardless of the church's disapproval, #MomTok has done a lot to challenge some of the more harmful and sexist stereotypes of Mormon culture. This was perhaps most prevalent in the breakdown of Jen and Zac's relationship in season one. 'Not every marriage in the church is like this,' says Jessi, 'but some are more traditional where the man has the priesthood and is the head of the household and sometimes there's a power dynamic there. Jen and Zac really broke that open and I think Zack learned from it, which is great, and he's working on himself and she's working on things too.' 'I think it showed that it can be a little bit like that in the church and we're trying to show that it's okay to be breadwinners and moms at the same time, and to go after our dreams and also be housewives,' she continues. 'I think we're just kind of showing you can have it all.' Naturally, the #MomTok husbands have caught on. In the recent season we saw the fumbling origins of #DadTok, not yet a convincing rival of the original. Will this take off more in season three? 'I think we're always, obviously the focus,' Jessi laughs. 'But it shows the husbands support what we do now and understand it a little more. We're a legit business.' But both reality stars promise that viewers will have their most pressing questions answered in season three (and perhaps the reunion too). Jessi, for her part, says season three felt 'very different' and 'crazy' to film compared with the past two seasons. 'There were so many moving parts and answers and speculations. It was like putting a puzzle piece together, so I'm excited to see how people like it.' The season two reunion special of The Secret Wives of Mormon Wives airs on Hulu and Disney+ on 1 July.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Disney and Universal launch lawsuit against AI firm
Disney and Universal have filed a copyright lawsuit against AI image-generator Midjourney, alleging it pirated their libraries to create unauthorized copies of characters like Darth Vader and the Minions. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, marks the first time major Hollywood companies have entered the legal battle over generative AI. The studios claim Midjourney ignored requests to stop infringing on copyrighted works and implement measures to halt unauthorized image generation. Disney and Universal assert that Midjourney is a 'copyright free-rider' and 'a bottomless pit of plagiarism' Midjourney, a San Francisco-based AI startup, has not yet commented on the lawsuit; major AI developers typically argue that using publicly accessible data for training falls under "fair use".
