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Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: Housewife of the Year, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Better Sister
Dragon Hearts RTÉ One, 6.30pm In 2020, Ireland's first dragon boat-racing club was formed in Dublin. Here, those who are passionate about the fast-growing sport explain why it's so important to them, revealing its impact on them both physically and mentally. Code of Silence Virgin Media One, 9pm We're reaching the halfway point of the gripping drama, and matters are about to get even more dangerous for Alison. She uncovers important information by following Braden and Liam to a building site, but begins to question the bond she has formed with the latter. Housewife of the Year RTÉ One, 9.30pm Feature-length, award-winning documentary. It takes a look back at the Housewife of the Year contest, which was broadcast annually on TV between 1967 and 1995. Some of those who took part discuss their experiences. Raiders of the Lost Ark RTÉ One, 3.30pm Steven Spielberg's perfect bank holiday film stars Harrison Ford as adventurous archaeologist Indiana Jones who comes face to face with Nazis while on the trail of the Ark of the Covenant. Karen Allen co-stars. Dept. Q Netflix, streaming now DCI Carl Morck may be an excellent investigator, but there's no hiding from the fact that he's a terrible co-worker. There's the small matter of his scathing sarcasm, which has left him without a single friend in the Edinburgh police force. Then there's the rather more serious issue of him having fatally shot a young officer and permanently injured his partner. Unsurprisingly enough, following this tragic turn of events, Morck is relegated to Department Q: a cold-case unit which was created as a publicity stunt. Although the force is thrilled to see Carl go, he soon sets about assembling a group of outcasts who are all keen to prove themselves. Yes, it does sound a bit like Slow Horses, which is quite the gauntlet for Netflix to throw. Only time will tell if it's worthy of comparison. With yer man from Leap Year (Matthew Goode) essentially playing a hybrid of Gary Oldman's Jackson Lamb and Jack Lowden's River Cartwright, I wouldn't hold my breath. A Widow's Game Netflix, streaming now Picture it: August 2017. In a Valencia parking lot, a man is found stabbed seven times. The city's Homicide Group, led by a veteran inspector, races to solve the case, which appears to be a crime of passion. Their investigation soon takes a shocking turn, pointing to an unlikely suspect: Maje, the victim's seemingly sweet and stoic widow, married to him for less than a year. Mission: Impossible Fest Disney+, streaming now We can never get enough of the Mission: Impossible movies, it seems. You can now watch all the prequels to the recently released The Final Reckoning if you're so inclined. Bono: Stories of Surrender Apple TV+, streaming now Behold Bono's one-man stage show, exploring the personal experiences that have shaped him as a son, father, husband and activist. Oh, and as one of the planet's biggest rock stars. If Owen Wilson's signature shtick is more to your liking, The Stick lands Wednesday. Good Boy Prime Video, streaming now In order to combat crime in a perilous underworld, a group of former medal-winning athletes exchange the podium for police badges. In an exciting, action-packed ride, Yun Dong-ju (Park Bo-gum) and his group battle a formidable criminal syndicate. Also on Prime Video, we have season 2 of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, courtesy of producers Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne. The Better Sister Prime Video, streaming now D'you know what society needs? More portrayals of women being pitted against each other. Based on Alafair Burke's novel, however, this eight-part thriller attempts to turn things. When media executive Chloe (Jessica Biel) and her estranged sister Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) are reunited after a murder, they must unravel long-buried family secrets to uncover the truth.
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Karate Kid: Legends' proves it's going to be a cruel, cruel summer
In the past three years, I've endured sequels to 'Top Gun,' 'Ghostbusters,' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark.' These sequels are all descendants of 1980s movies, and they've all been mediocre to bad. And now we have ' The original 'The Karate Kid' was a heartwarming classic starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso, a Jersey boy whose widowed mother moves him to Los Angeles. There, he is repeatedly bullied by Johnny Lawrence, the ex-boyfriend of his love interest. Lawrence is a member of Cobra Kai, a dojo whose students fight dirty and win competitions. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up With the help of Pat Morita's beloved sensei, Mr. Miyagi, Daniel learns karate and gets his chance at redemption when he battles Lawrence in a tournament. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi's intergenerational friendship is credible thanks to Macchio's boyish charm and the Oscar-nominated acting chops that proved Morita was more than just Arnold on 'Happy Days' and Ah Chew on 'Sanford and Son.' Advertisement Jackie Chan and Ben Wang. Sony Pictures 'Karate Kid: Legends' not only brings Daniel back to the big screen, it also brings back Jackie Chan's character, Mr. Han, from the 2010 remake that angered fans of the original. That film, which I admit I enjoyed, starred Jaden Smith as Dre, the Daniel clone, and Chan as the Miyagi stand-in. Advertisement The 2010 remake rehashes the plot of the original; 'Karate Kid: Legends' rehashes it as well. This time, however, screenwriter Rob Lieber crosses the streams (sorry for the 'Ghostbusters' terminology) of the original film and its remake, retrofitting Chan and Macchio into the same universe. I'm not sure if that violates some unwritten law of cinema. But I am certain this movie should serve time in Predictability Prison. Lieber stuffs his script with so many overused clichés that it feels like a club described by 'Saturday Night Live''s Stefon. This movie has everything: The 'wrong kid died' trope made popular by biopics, the owing money to the mob plot device, the washed-up boxer seeking another shot at the title, and the overprotective mother who disapproves of her son's dangerous hobby. Plus, it has all of 'The Karate Kid''s plot, too! Even at a mercifully short 94 minutes, this movie is exhausting. That would be fine if it weren't also overly sincere, familiar, and dull. None of the characters here have the emotional weight of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi; the one-dimensional ways this film tries to inject grief and trauma pale by comparison to the first movie. This disconnect is made even more blatant once Daniel enters the story about two-thirds of the way through. 'Karate Kid: Legends' opens in 1985 Okinawa, where Mr. Miyagi explains to young Daniel-san how his Miyagi-do karate is related to the kung fu Han taught Dre. They're two branches of the same tree, Miyagi tells him. I felt a bittersweet pang while watching the late Morita onscreen, but this is clearly an unwise retrofit designed to explain what Han is doing in this movie. Advertisement Ming Na Wen, Wyatt Oleff, Ralph Macchio, Ben Wang, Joshua Jackson, Jackie Chan and Sadie Stanley in "Karate Kid: Legends." Sony Pictures Fast-forward to the present day, where Li Fong (Ben Wang) is secretly practicing kung fu at his uncle Han's school in Beijing. Li's medical doctor mother, Dr. Fong (Ming-Na Wen from 'Mulan'), is vehemently against this training, so much so that she accepts a job in New York City to drag her son away from his dreams of competing in martial arts tournaments. 'If you practice violence, you get violence,' she ominously intones, hinting at a past tragedy you can easily guess. Lady, you might get violence in Manhattan whether you practice it or not! But I digress. In Manhattan, Li finds a potential love interest in Mia (Sadie Stanley), a feisty teen whose dad, Victor (Joshua Jackson), quit his successful boxing career to run the local pizza parlor. She calls Li 'stuffed crust' after he commits the cardinal sin of asking for that type of pizza in a New York City pizzeria. Stuffed Crust, I mean, Li, will also have to deal with Conor Day (Aramis Knight), Mia's sinister and violent former boyfriend. Conor is the reigning champion of a five-borough underground fighting tournament, plus his sensei is a loan shark to whom Victor is in debt. Cue the requisite beatings from Conor and the eventual arrival of both Mr. Han and Daniel-san to help Li train for his tournament redemption. 'Karate Kid: Legends' can't even decide just how good Li is at fighting. There are scenes where he opens up a can of whup-ass on three grown men sent to rough up Victor, yet he can't seem to clobber one teenage bully. Advertisement Joshua Jackson and Ben Wang. Sony Pictures Perhaps it's my well-known, I thought the film's Daniel would become its Miyagi—but it's just a short, clever deviation. We're stuck with the expected martial arts climax, which is neither suspenseful nor staged well. In fact, a few people in my audience booed! Though it's a lousy retread, I don't think 'Karate Kid Legends' deserved that boo. But if this film is any indication of the quality of ★★ KARATE KID: LEGENDS Directed by Jonathan Entwistle. Written by Rob Lieber. Starring Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, Ming-na Wen, Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Aramis Knight. At AMC Boston Common, Landmark Kendall Square, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, suburbs. PG-13 (the series' first PG-13 is for language, martial arts violence) Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Les Dilley, ‘Star Wars,' ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark' Art Director, Dies at 84
Les Dilley, the Oscar-winning art director and production designer, has died. He was 84. Dilley died on May 20 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease, his family said. 'Les's legacy lives on in the many iconic films he helped bring to life for over six decades and in his family home he personally built as an homage to his work. His love for the motion picture business was evident to the very end. When he wasn't on set, he enjoyed constructing things in his workshop at home, playing ice hockey, and a good cup of tea. In addition to his incredible work ethic, quirky British humor, and love of life, he was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. He will be greatly missed,' the family said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. More from The Hollywood Reporter Marcel Ophuls, 'Sorrow and the Pity' Documentarian, Dies at 97 'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Robertson Dies at 79 Mara Corday, Star of 'Tarantula' and Lots of Westerns, Dies at 95 Dilley worked on 100 film and TV projects over his 60 year career, with his biggest credits being Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, for which he earned Academy Award trophies for best art direction. That brought him on set to work with Hollywood directors like George Lucas, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Irvin Kershner, John Landis and Mimi Leader. Dilley was also nominated for best art direction for Alien, The Empire Strikes Back and The Abyss. In 2020, Dilley was honored with a BAFTA Award for his contribution to British cinema. Born on January 11, 1941, in the Rhondda Valley of South Wales. Dilley's family at the end of the Second World War moved to London. At 15 years of age, Dilley started his film career with a plastering and construction apprenticeship at the Associated British Picture Corporation, while also studying architecture and building construction at Willesden Technical College. At age 23, he was a plaster worker on the James Bond movie From Russia With Love and continued to work his way up the art department ladder as a draughtsman and then assistant art director on films including like Kelly's Heroes and Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1973, Dilley became an art director on Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers, and eventually became part of the UK team working on Star Wars for George Lucas, as Dilley worked alongside John Barry, Norman Reynolds and Roger Christian. Over the next decade, Dilley helped shaped the visual identity on enduring films like Superman, Alien, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, An American Werewolf in London, Never Say Never Again and Legend. In 1985, he moved to Hollywood to work as a production designer on films like The Abyss, which was released in 1989 and directed by James Cameron. For that movie, Dilley transformed an abandoned nuclear power plant in South Carolina into a large underwater filming sets, wit the main underwater tank measuring 55 ft deep by 209 ft wide. 'The Abyss was the most challenging for me. It was over a year's worth of work, very long days with a few nights until 3 am, and on weekends the art department did not stop, so I was continually checking on the construction being done. I had worked with water on Legend, Never Say Never Again and Lucky Lady, so I had some experience with water, but nothing close to the scale of The Abyss. Also, my wife Leslie and I had the first of our four children during that film, so that made that time even more memorable,' Dilley recalled in a 2020 interview in Buzz. Other credits included The Exorcist III, Guilty by Suspicion, Casper, The Peacemaker, Inspector Gadget, Deep Impact and Men of Honor. In the 1990s, Dilley expanded to work as a second unit director on projects like Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, Diabolique, Pay It Forward and Cold Creek Manor. Dilley is survived by his wife of 38 years, Leslie Lykes Dilley, their four children, Sophia Dilley, Leslie John Dilley II, Ivory Dilley and EmmaJane Dilley, and a daughter, Georgia Dilley, from his marriage to Amanda Dilley. Dilley was a member of AMPAS, BAFTA, ADG, DGA, and SAG. Dilley was repped for his entire career at The Gersh Agency, by the late Phil Gersh, David Gersh and Barbara Halperin. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mogul Slams George Lucas: ‘Sanctimonious Hypocrite'
Barry Diller is making his thoughts on Star Wars creator George Lucas known. In a portion of Diller's tell-all, Who Knew, he details working with Lucas on the Indiana Jones franchise back when the mogul was CEO of Paramount Pictures. Diller had doubts about approving Raiders of the Lost Ark, despite studio president Michael Eisner's support. The film, led by George Lucas as co-writer and executive producer and Steven Spielberg as director, seemed risky. Though Diller liked the script and had faith in Spielberg, he was wary of the creators' steep demands. Both Spielbertg and Lucas had reputations for escalating budgets. "After the first twenty or so pages, where Indiana Jones gets chased down the mountain by a giant rock, I thought the opening segment alone would cost more than any movie we'd ever made,' Diller writes. Learning from 20th Century Fox's costly Star Wars deal, Diller insisted on airtight sequel terms. 'I wanted to retch once, and then not have to regurgitate in a new negotiation if the film was a success.' Raiders was made, becoming a massive success in 1981. But when work began on the sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Lucas demanded more money, to Diller's chagrin. 'This deal, the most generous in history, isn't worth it?' Lucas responded, 'No, not really.' When Diller reminded him of the agreed-upon terms, Lucas replied, 'Yeah, well, it's just not worth it for me unless I get more money.' Diller ultimately renegotiated the terms for the Indiana Jones sequel, but concluded: 'The Hollywood-bashing, take-the-high-ground George Lucas was actually a sanctimonious, though supremely talented … hypocrite" Mogul Slams George Lucas: 'Sanctimonious Hypocrite' first appeared on Men's Journal on May 23, 2025
San Francisco Chronicle
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘I was enraged': Former Paramount CEO slams George Lucas over ‘Indiana Jones' dispute
Former Paramount Pictures CEO Barry Diller is opening up about his bitter argument with George Lucas during the development of the 'Indiana Jones' franchise in the 1980s. The San Francisco-born businessman explained in his recent memoir, 'Who Knew,' that Lucas betrayed his trust by demanding more money for the series' second film despite previously agreeing to no new negotiations. 'I hadn't expected to find that the Hollywood-bashing, take-the-high-ground George Lucas was actually a sanctimonious, though supremely talented … hypocrite,' he wrote in the book, which was released Tuesday, March 20. Financial concerns began when Diller contemplated greenlighting the franchise's first film, 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' which Lucas co-wrote and executive produced. Despite loving the script, Diller was worried about steep production costs. So, he came up with a compromise. 'I insisted we had the right to make sequels on the same terms as ('Raiders of the Lost Ark'), given that the terms on the (movie) were so much higher than anyone else had ever received. I wanted to retch once, and then not have to regurgitate in a new negotiation if the film was a success,' he wrote. 'I wanted it in the clearest, most unambiguous language that all the parties agreed to and understood; there would be no new negotiating if George Lucas wanted to do a sequel.' He was particularly careful to lay out the terms to avoid being in the same situation as 20th Century Fox, which gave Lucas ' Star Wars ' merchandising and sequel rights when they had negotiated the deal for 'A New Hope' (1977). After the 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' became a massive hit upon its release in 1981, Diller and Lucas regrouped to plan out the sequel, 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.' By then, Lucas was on the heels of 1980's 'The Empire Strikes Back,' the second installment of his 'Star Wars' franchise, and seemed to have a new idea of his worth as a filmmaker. 'I was enraged,' Diller wrote. 'We had made such a big deal out of never having to be put in this position, and yet that was exactly what was happening. I couldn't believe it.' Speculating that the push for more money could have come from lawyers egging Lucas on to renegotiate for their own benefit, he wrote that he decided to call the filmmaker. The Modesto native 'responded with cold clarity,' according to Diller, and stated that the current terms were not 'worth it.' 'But you made a legal and moral commitment to honor these sequel terms. Here you are, someone who doesn't live in Hollywood because you loudly decry the amoral atmosphere of the company town, and then you blithely renege on an agreement made in good faith,' Diller responded. Standing his ground, Lucas reiterated that the project wouldn't be worth it for him unless he received more money. Diller eventually gave in and renegotiated the film, but he has clearly not forgotten the dispute.
