Latest news with #ReadyPlayerOne
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bury venue featured on TV named as UK's top arcade
Europe's biggest free play arcade, nested away in a converted Bury mill, has been named as the UK's best ahead of the bank holiday weekend. New research has revealed the best arcades and Arcade Club on Cork Street has been ranked as number one. The retro club began as a passion project by owner Andy Palmer, who started off with just 30 machines, and soon expanded to open up other venues across the North West. The Arcade Club Leeds and Blackpool locations, also owned by Andy, came in the top five too, making it a clean sweep for the business. Leeds ranked second while Blackpool came in fifth. VegasSlotsOnline combined Google reviews, the average time people spent at each venue, online search volume and other factors to rate arcades across the UK. Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to the Bury Times morning newsletter as well as our breaking news alerts. It found that people spend an average of four hours at Arcade Club Bury, which has an impressive Google review score of 4.8 out of 5. One review said: 'Amazing experience. Spent 7 hours in here and it didn't feel like a long time. Food very reasonably priced. 'Bars limited selection but everything you need again just normal pub prices. You can leave and enter as many times as you need within your timed hours. 'The cloakroom is free to use just ask as you arrive. Floors themed with types of games. Toilets on every floor. Something for everyone and suitable for all ages.' Another shared: 'An amazing nerd haven, I was awestruck by the options. One time fee entry and all games are free to play it has a bar with decent food. 'We were in our element playing loads of games. I managed to complete the entirety of house of the dead. 'Great night out. Definitely going again.' READ MORE: Bury Comic Con set to return with special guests lined up READ MORE: Teenager at centre of Bury murder investigation named The Bury arcade celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and has gone from has gone from strength to strength ever since, expanding from one to four floors of popular modern and retro gaming, alongside rare imports and cult classics. Visitors pay a one-off entry fee of £10 per child or £18 per adult and all games are free to play. The family-friendly venue featured in the Netflix thriller, Fool Me Once, and has supplied props to major productions such as Ready Player One, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and Black Mirror. A spokesperson for Arcade Club said: 'We were thrilled to be named the best arcade in the UK. 'With Leeds ranked number two and Blackpool also in the top five, we're incredibly proud of what the whole team has built. 'We go the extra mile because it's the right thing to do. No shortcuts, just a relentless focus on creating something genuinely special. 'From day one, it's always been about giving visitors an unparalleled experience and real value for money. 'In tough times for hospitality, we never take it for granted when people choose to spend their time with us.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Heartfelt New Comedy Is The Top Movie On Netflix Right Now
'Nonnas' is currently the most popular movie on Netflix, according to the platform's public ranking system. Based on a true story, the comedy drama stars Vince Vaughn as a man who decides to honor his late mother by opening an Italian restaurant staffed by real grandmothers, aka nonnas, as the chefs. The movie also features Susan Sarandon, Linda Cardellini, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Brenda Vaccaro. 'Nonnas' premiered on the streaming service on May 9 to mostly favorable reviews from critics. Read on for more trending movies of the moment across streaming services, including Hulu, Max and Amazon Prime Video. And if you want to stay informed about all things streaming, subscribe to the Streamline newsletter. The most popular movie on Hulu right now is Jillian Bell's directorial debut, 'Summer of 69.' Starring Chloe Fineman and Sam Morelos, the raunchy teen comedy follows a socially awkward high school senior who hires a stripper to teach her about sex and confidence in order to win over her crush. 'Summer of 69' premiered in March at South by Southwest before joining Hulu on May 9. 'Ready Player One' is currently trending on Max after joining the streaming service on May 3. Based on a 2011 novel, the sci-fi action movie takes place in a future world where most humans use a virtual reality simulation to escape regular life. Directed by Steven Spielberg, 'Ready Player One' stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance. The 2019 sleeper hit 'The Peanut Butter Falcon' joined Amazon Prime Video on May 5. Starring Zack Gottsagen and Shia LaBeouf, the comedy-drama tells the story of a young man with Down syndrome who escapes his assisted living facility and forges a friendship with a wayward fisherman. Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes and Thomas Haden Church also appear in 'The Peanut Butter Falcon.' 'Heart Eyes' debuted on Netflix on May 8, following its theatrical release in February. The acclaimed romantic slasher revolves around a serial killer who targets couples and a pair of co-workers who must fight to survive their encounter with him. Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, Yoson An, Jordana Brewster and Gigi Zumbado star. These TV & Film Moms Shaped Our Lives When We Needed Them Most With A New Pope, 'Conclave' Becomes The Most Relevant Movie Of The Year Kerry Washington Says She Built Her 'Own Table' To Evolve In Hollywood
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
First pop-up comics and games library opens in Punggol Coast Mall
First pop-up comics and games library opens in Punggol Coast Mall SINGAPORE – A new pop-up library with more than 7,000 comics, game-themed reads, graphic novels and board games opened on April 30 at Punggol Coast Mall. Called the Comics and Games Library, it will be open for a year and is a fully self-service facility jointly launched by the National Library Board (NLB), JTC Corporation and local board-game company Origame. This is the first NLB pop-up which features board games. Located at the atrium of Punggol Coast Mall in Punggol Digital District, the library's bright designs reflect the 'fun, adventurous spirit of comics and gameplay', said the NLB on April 30. Patrons can play board games at dedicated spaces within the pop-up, which also allows them to browse and borrow books. The Comics and Games Library will be open for a year at Punggol Coast Mall. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY This pop-up is part of NLB's LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025) plan – a five-year road map launched in 2021 that aims to encourage Singaporeans to read and become more information-literate. Mr Ng Cher Pong, NLB's chief executive, said in the statement: 'We have been encouraged by the responses to our pop-up libraries, which have appeared in malls, community clubs, and other spaces near where patrons are. With each new pop-up library, we take the opportunity to work with different partners, to bring reading and learning to our patrons in new and engaging ways. 'For the Comics and Games Library, we explored creating a board game space with home-grown game designers, for patrons to learn about Singapore culture through play, and also discover local talents in gaming.' Fans seeking the nostalgia of local comic classics can look forward to a showcase wall featuring titles donated by collectors, including Captain V, Singapore's first full-colour comic. The pop-up is part of NLB's LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025) plan. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Patrons can also explore game-themed books like Dune and Ready Player One, as well as learn more about games through a non-fiction collection featuring books on game design history and game strategy. The library features dedicated spaces for adults and children, featuring a range of fan favourite comics such as Bluey, Justice League and Japanese manga collection HunterXHunter. Readers can explore the mother tongue and local comics' eBook collections via the eReads interactive screens. To enter the library, visitors can scan their ID or get a QR code day pass. Visitors can use their NRIC and NLB mobile app to access the library. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Apart from classic games such as Monopoly and Chess, the pop-up features 11 Singapore-themed board games de sign ed by the co-founder of Origame, Dr Daryl Chow, 43. Dr Chow, who holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Ottawa, said board games provide both education and entertainment, in line with the roles of the library. He hopes that this collaboration will provide greater visibility for board games. Among the selections at the library, he highly recommends local game Huat's Up?, a game designed around a local favourite dish, lo hei. Local card game Huat's Up? is designed by Dr Daryl Chow. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Ms Winnie Tan, 27, manager of planning and development at NLB, said: 'Games help to develop strategic thinking and fosters social interaction. It's great to have a space for people to be together to read and play.' The initiative has been well-received by the board-game community, with interest groups and game design companies reaching out to organise workshops and programmes within the pop-up, she added. Ms Winnie Tan is manager of planning and development at NLB. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY One of the library's first visitors were twins Ellery and Averyl Ng, six, who made a beeline for the games. 'We don't really play games (at home), but we do visit the library quite often,' their mother, homemaker Koe Sin Wee, 37, said. She added that her family, who lives in Punggol, will be back again to explore more games. Dr Daryl Chow playing with six-year-old twins Ellery (left) and Averyl Ng in the Comics and Games Library on April 30 ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
USA Today
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'The Electric State' review: Millie Bobby Brown's Netflix robot movie is draining
'The Electric State' review: Millie Bobby Brown's Netflix robot movie is draining Show Caption Hide Caption 'The Electric State' stars Chris Pratt, Millie Bobbie Brown and robots A teenager (Millie Bobby Brown) goes looking for her brother with the help of a smuggler (Chris Pratt) and a bunch of robots in "The Electric State." With artificial intelligence being such a hot-button topic, it does seem like the right moment for a salient man-vs.-machines film. By the time the singing animatronic bass and He-Man Zagnuts make their appearance, it's pretty clear 'The Electric State' is not that movie. 'Avengers' directors Joe and Anthony Russo craft a nifty alt-history world with this sci-fi adventure (★★ out of four; rated PG-13; streaming now on Netflix) geared toward kids and parents alike. Yet the middling mix of 'Ready Player One,' 'E.T.' and 'A.I.' is Spielberg-lite without any real wonder, saddling stars Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown with familiar personalities in a drab dystopia. Based on Simon Stålenhag's 2018 illustrated novel, 'Electric State' posits that Walt Disney back in the day pioneered the creation of robots to help mankind and do menial tasks we didn't want to do. The 'bots began to fight for their rights and sparked a revolution and a war was won thanks to billionaire tech guy Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) creating mechanical soldiers piloted by human minds. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox. In 1994 of this reimagined America, Michelle (Brown) is a rebellious foster teen who lost her family in a car accident and wants nothing to do with people, most of whom mainly exist in a VR stupor powered by Skate's Apple-esque mega company. One night, she's visited by a weird smiling robot based on a cartoon she and her genius younger brother Chris (Woody Norman) watched as kids. It's an odd sight, as machines have been outlawed and are now imprisoned in a huge walled-off Exclusion Zone in the Southwest. But this Cosmo 'bot, using TV catchphrases, tells Michelle that he's really Chris and that her brother is still alive, somewhere. The key to locating her bro is in the Exclusion Zone, and Michelle finds a way in courtesy of scruffy ex-soldier Keats (Pratt), a black marketeer who smuggles kitschy lunchboxes and vintage firearms out of there and to his customers. They go on a quest that introduces a host of colorful robots, led by the wise but wary Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson). But that alliance puts our heroes in the sights of antagonists such as Colonel Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito), a machine-hating military man who does his drone dirty work from his cush home library. The Russos' retrofuturistic landscape is populated with computer-generated machine characters and their famous voices, like Keats' sidekick Herman (Anthony Mackie), old-school baseball mascot Pop Fly (Brian Cox) and mail girl Penny Pal (Jenny Slate). Even Rob Gronkowski gets a very on-brand role. As do the movie's two leads. Pratt can do lovable rogue in his sleep at this point, and Brown's got a spunky young woman down pat. Both of them have some good lines and emotional moments but they mostly feel plug-and-play rather than mining anything new and exciting. 'Electric State' also brings up a bunch of interesting themes, from how technology can consume and divide us to what we consider 'human.' The movie comes close to being a little subversive and digging into real nuance – especially when it comes to mankind kicking out robots, then using tech to become metal avatars themselves – only to default to a zany gag or earnest sentimentality. The film is also a strange beast from a nostalgia standpoint: There's a super high-tech society still using old Macs and email? Also, as someone who lived through those decades, there was never this much of a thirst for all things '80s back in '94. (Though bits are admittedly appreciated here in 2025.) The Russos have made some seriously awesome Marvel films. Their other directorial efforts since, mainly in the streaming space, have been lacking: 'The Gray Man' was a middling spy flick, while drug drama 'Cherry' was at least a thought-provoking mess. 'The Electric State' is more of the same, an ambitiously starry effort with fits of inspiration that doesn't hang completely together. Like Cosmo, you just need to grin and bear it.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School board votes not to ban 'Ready Player One'
PRINCETON, Ind. (WEHT) — A push to ban a book used in freshman English classes prompted a special meeting by the North Gibson School Board. In a four to one vote the board voted in favor of Superintendent Eric Goggins ruling not to ban ready player one after many in the community made their voices heard. 'Teachers are highly trained professionals that care for their students as if they were their own children. So much so that we have seen time and again in our country, they are willing to take a bullet for them. You are obligated and you have sworn an oath to follow your policy and the law. You must vote to retain Ready Player One,' said Uniserve Director for the Indiana State Teachers Association Mark Lichtenberg. Over 25 people spoke and many more from the Northern Gibson County Community showed up to voice their opinions on the potential banning of Ready Player One. The book was published in 2011 and follows a young man in a dystopian 2045 as he escapes reality through a virtual world. Stephanie Miller says she introduced it into her classes to try and help engage her students with many coming to her support. 'Books are meant to enhance our understanding of topics and history. Without these books many wouldn't be able to see the prospective of me: the suicidal eighth grader who was bullied for his weight and public self expression,' says Miller. But some say it is too obscene, and didn't enjoy the main character's negative view on christianity. 'We do not get to choose to allow this inappropriate material in and then claim we are doing it for their own benefit. We can't do that. They are going to read that and say, 'Well there's no God. My faith is the center of my life. But for the love of God, you can be a Christian and against banning books,' Said a Gibson County resident in support of the ban. The board sided with superintendent Eric Goggin's original ruling to not ban the book, something that Miller said showed respect for herself and her colleagues. 'As a teacher, we have gone through enough challenges as it is, and I am happy our community and students showed up today to support us. I think it goes a long way in saying that teachers are worthy of respect and that our jobs as professionals are taken as such,' says Miller. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
