Latest news with #TheEmpireStrikesBack
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
BMF Season 4 OTT Release Date: When and where to watch Demetrius Flenory Jr. & Da'Vinchi's crime drama series
BMF Season 4 OTT Release Date: The streets are calling once again, and Meech and Terry are ready to answer. After leaving fans on the edge with an explosive Season 3, BMF (Black Mafia Family) is gearing up for a high-octane return. The brothers are back. The stakes are higher. And the empire? It's about to stretch further than ever before. Mark your calendars because Season 4 of BMF is officially dropping on June 6, 2025, on Prime Video. The Empire Strikes Back If you thought Meech and Terry were done making power moves, think again. Season 4 picks up the pieces from the chaos of the previous season and catapults us straight into 1995. This time, the game is bigger. The streets of Detroit have been conquered, and the Flenory brothers have their sights set on new turf, Los Angeles. But don't let the palm trees fool you. LA's underworld is just as treacherous, and the Flenorys are diving headfirst into it. And it's not just the West Coast that's calling. The brothers are still cleaning up the messy fallout from their Mexico connections. The narrative swings between timelines, revealing the consequences of their international dealings while setting up the chessboard for what's to come. Cast is bringing the heat Demetrius Flenory Jr. and Da'Vinchi are locked in and delivering performances that have only matured since Season 1. Russell Hornsby and Michole Briana White return as the Flenory parents. La La Anthony is back in her complex role as Markeisha. Eric Kofi-Abrefa's unpredictable Lamar Silas continues to be a walking time-bomb, with Michael Chiklis stepping in this season as a no-nonsense cop determined to dismantle the BMF empire from the inside out. Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson, who's no stranger to street sagas, remains an executive producer. The show has been created by Randy Huggins, along with a team that includes Terri Kopp, Anthony Wilson, Anne Clements, and Tasha Smith. Episodes of BMF Season 4 will be available weekly every Friday on Starz. In India and other regions, where Starz isn't available, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu have it. BMF Season 4 is setting the table for a much bigger story. And fans can breathe easy knowing this isn't the end of the road since BMF has already been renewed for Season 5, which is said to be the final chapter in this epic saga.
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Billy Dee Williams celebrates 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' 45th anniversary
The greatest film in the galaxy. 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' is 45 years old today – and Billy Dee Williams couldn't be prouder to have starred in such a ground-breaking piece of cinema 'Working on 'The Empire Strikes Back' was like stepping into a dream — an adventure in every sense,' the 88-year-old actor who played Lando Calrissian exclusively told The Post. Advertisement 11 Billy Dee Williams attends the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California. Getty Images for TCM 11 Billy Dee Williams in 'The Empire Strikes Back' in 1980. ©Lucasfilm Ltd./courtesy Everett 'George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, and the entire team created a world so rich and real that it was impossible not to get swept away,' Williams added. 'I knew it was something special even then, but none of us could have predicted the lasting impact it would have.' Advertisement Williams made his 'Star Wars' debut in the 1980 film directed by Kershner (who died in 2010) with a story by Lucas, 81. Upon its release, 'The Empire Strikes Back' got mixed reviews from critics and fans, many of whom complained about the film's dark tone that culminated in the bad guys winning in the end. 11 Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett in 'The Empire Strikes Back.' But after many years, 'The Empire Strikes Back' became universally considered the best 'Star Wars' movie ever. Advertisement 'Forty-five years later, 'The Empire Strikes Back' still resonates because it's not just about battles and starships — it's about friendship, sacrifice, and hope,' Williams told The Post. 'To be part of a story that has inspired generations is a humbling honor. I feel the love from fans every day, and it never gets old.' 11 Billy Dee Williams, Harrison Ford in 'The Empire Strikes Back.' Everett Collection / Everett Collection 11 Billy Dee Williams as Lando in 'The Empire Strikes Back.' Everett Collection / Everett Collection In the film, Lando initially betrays his longtime pal Han Solo (Harrison Ford), before he has a change of heart and backstabs the Empire — and thus secures fan-favorite status. Advertisement 'Lando was, and still is, a trailblazer,' said Williams. 'He showed audiences that charm, complexity, and courage could live in one man.' 11 Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Harrison Ford in 1980. ©Lucasfilm Ltd./courtesy Everett Williams added: 'I always approached him with a sense of dignity and fun, and I'm proud that after all these years, Lando still holds such a beloved place in the galaxy.' 11 Billy Dee Williams at the Critics Choice Association's 5th Annual Celebration Of Black Cinema and Television in 2022. Getty Images for Critics Choice Association Editor Paul Hirsch exclusively told The Post that working on the film is still one of his greatest achievements in his career. 'I was on the picture for 14 months, during which time I was on location in London and in Marin County, where my son was born,' said Hirsch, who wrote about 'The Empire Strikes Back' in his 2019 book 'A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away.' 11 Paul Hirsch at the 2024 AFI Fest at TCL Chinese Theatre on October 23, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images 'I had innumerable memorable experiences during that time,' Hirsch added, 'so to pick out a single memory would be impossible.' Advertisement Despite its success, 'The Empire Strikes Back' infamously faced numerous production difficulties. Original screenwriter Leigh Brackett died before filming started, and her duties were passed onto Lawrence Kasdan. 11 Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Mark Hamill in 'The Empire Strikes Back.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Additionally, several actors got hurt on set including Mark Hamill, who was in a severe car accident that caused facial injuries. That forced the film's creators to include a scene where Luke Skywalker is attacked by a Wampa on Hoth. Advertisement There were also financing problems as the film's initial budget of $8 million rose to over $30 million. The movie ultimately made over $540 million at the worldwide box office. 11 Lando with Han after he's frozen in carbonite' ©Lucasfilm Ltd./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection Hirsch told The Post that his job as editor wasn't impacted by the production issues. Speaking about the film's legacy, Hirsch said, 'The initial release of a film is like its birth. Some grow up and lead long lives and achieve success later on. I have worked on a few that were total flops at first, but are now considered cult classics.' Advertisement 11 Chewbacca chokes Lando in 'The Empire Strikes Back.' ©Lucasfilm Ltd./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection In a rare interview with in 2020, Lucas looked back on making 'The Empire Strikes Back.' 'It wasn't the most fun movie to make, but it was definitely a rewarding film,' he said. 'It turned out well. I learned some things.'
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Why Stephen Merchant auctioned off his childhood ‘Star Wars' collection
By Filipa Gaspar Comedian Stephen Merchant's childhood "Star Wars" toys have been sold for more than £5,000 (over $6,000) to help raise money for a local school. Merchant, 50, was born in Hanham in Bristol and went on to co-write "The Office" and "Extras" with Ricky Gervais. His most recent work – the comedy drama series "The Outlaws" – was filmed in his hometown. Star Wars fans had the opportunity to purchase his childhood toys, with the funds going to a worthy cause. More than 30 lots of action figures and playsets went under the hammer at Auctioneum Ltd in Bristol on May 19. His Star Wars Collection was estimated to sell for between £300 and £500, but it fetched over £5,000. "An amazing out-of-this-world result," said auctioneer Andrew Stowe. All of the funds raised from the sale of Merchant's childhood toys are being donated to Ashton Park School, where his niece and nephew attend. They are raising funds to build a new outdoor covered space for lessons, activities and events. Merchant first saw "The Empire Strikes Back" at age six when it was released in cinemas, and it had a profound effect on him. It's where he fell in love with cinema. "Every child born in the seventies grew up with Star Wars around them," says Andrew, "but for some, the franchise had a greater effect." "We sell many childhood collections of toys, but when that child grew up to be one of the country's most recognizable stars, it really makes them special. ''These are no longer just 'toys', they're important social artefacts." One of the most sought-after lots from Merchant's collection was his original Millennium Falcon playset. "It's in remarkably good condition," says Andrew "Usually they are battered and bruised from flights around the living room – but Stephen clearly treasured this as it's complete and in good condition." The post Why Stephen Merchant auctioned off his childhood 'Star Wars' collection appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 17 Most Convincing Movie Couples
In honor of Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal reuniting for the Oscars Sunday, here's our list of the 17 most convincing movie couples of all time. You know how Casablanca is going to end but can't help but hope it will turn out differently, no matter how much time goes by. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman mark the gold standard of onscreen couples. "Wait," we hear you saying. "Can George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez really follow Casablanca?" Yes, they really kind of can — they're one of cinema's all-time most convincing couples. The scene between "Gary" and "Celeste" in the bar on the snowy night in Detroit is as intoxicating as that lone bourbon they share in this top-notch 1998 crime thriller. Related Headlines The 12 Top-Grossing Movies With a Zero on Rotten Tomatoes 20 Bond Girls Behind the Scenes Photos The 13 Best Sleazy Movies We've Ever Seen Their rich girl, poor boy dynamic wasn't new, but Titanic took the classic dynamic to the most soaring highs to the most crushing depths, turning a story about a doomed ship into a critique of class division, snobbery, and the idea of some having so much while others have so little. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet handled their roles with boundless grace and aplomb, and it was their chemistry, even more than the film's stunning sweep and visual effects, that made Titanic one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Talk about playing a wide range of couples: They also played sad marrieds losing their passion for life in Reservation Road, released just over a decade after Titanic. They became a real-life, secret couple during the first Star Wars, though Harrison Ford was married to someone else and significantly older. (Ford was 33 and Carrie Fisher was 19 during their dalliance.) The two channeled the smoldering force of their past relationship into a passionate will-they-or-won't-they galactic struggle that makes The Empire Strikes Back far and away the greatest Star Wars story. Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and wrote and directed Body Heat, released a year later, has a real knack for crackling couples dialogue. In the Mood for Love is one of the most gorgeous movies we've ever seen, thanks in part to the impossible dreamy sense of melancholy conveyed by its leads. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung play neighbors who realize their spouses are cheating with each other. Though heartbroken — and drawn intensely to one another's considerable charms — they try desperately not to stoop to the level of their betrayers. Nothing about this movie should work — the whole concept is pretty off-putting — and yet Richard Gere and Julia Roberts are both so off-the-charts magnetic that they sell this sex-worker-and-john love story as a total date-night charmer. They're arguably the most enduring of all '90s movie couples. Relative unknowns when The Princess Bride was released, Cary Elwes and Robin Wright made you believe in true love in their respective roles as farm boy Wesley and future princess Buttercup. Their exchange of commands and "as you wish" is more passionate than all the dialogue in a thousand lesser films. They became one of the most beloved movie couples thanks to their witty repartee before Wesley went to sea, in the fire swamp, and even after her wedding and his death. (Don't worry, things work out OK.) We still don't know what it means when Virginia (Annette Benning) tells Bugsy (Warren Beatty): ""Why don't you go outside and jerk yourself a soda?" But things just get more crackling from there. The chemistry was clearly real, because Beatty and Benning married in 1992 and have been together since. Yes, we know some of you are going, "Bugsy? Not Bonnie and Clyde? But watch Bonnie and Clyde again: Clyde was no dynamo, romantically. Virginia and Bugsy are far more crackling as movie couples go. Beatty's sister Shirley MacLaine knows all about onscreen sparks, too: It wasn't hard at all to see how Bud (Jack Lemmon) would risk his entire career to be with her adorable, deeply troubled Fran in the 1960 masterpiece The Apartment, a movie that still holds up strikingly well today. There's a reason The Apartment, like two other films on this list, have a place on our list of Old Movies That Are Still an Absolute Pleasure to Watch. Bud and Fran are one of the easiest movie couples of all to root for. Also? The Apartment is one of our 7 Best Christmas Movies in Disguise. The real-life dynamic between the pairing makes the on-screen chemistry crackle even more. Janet Jackson was already a superstar, while Tupac Shakur was a rapper-actor on the rise who on paper didn't seem like her match. Yet Shakur's unbelievable charisma meant his character held his own and felt like a more-than-viable match for Justice (aka Janet — Miss Jackson if you're nasty). Poetic Justice is a moving and thoughtful romance and road movie that is among the best by the late, great John Singleton. A film that started with a lighthearted debate about whether men and women could be friends ends with a resounding answer: friendship is the basis for a love that lasts. The move couple banter along the way is fabulous, thanks to perhaps the best Nora Ephron script of all. Billy Crystal as Harry and especially Meg Ryan as Sally will change the way you order in restaurants forever. It was also lovely to see them reunite for the Oscars on Sunday to present the Best Picture Oscar to Anora, which also introduces a great movie couple. One of the best things about Good Will Hunting is how different Will (Damon) and Skylar (Driver) seem to be – doesn't that always seem to be the way with actual couples who somehow make it work? We love how they're impressed with each other's intellects, but also share a gross joke once in a while. And we think all the time about Will's proposal that they meet up for a couple of caramels. When two people actually like each other, the pretext — dinner, coffee, caramels — really makes no difference at all. We love this movie. Ghost is an incredibly movie if you've ever lost someone — which almost everyone has. It's even more powerful, and painful, given the loss of Patrick Swayze. As Sam and Molly, Swayze and Moore have one of the purest connections of all movie couples. It feels intense and vital before his passing — and even more intense as he longs to connect with her from the other side. Yes, the pottery wheel scene has been parodied a lot, but only because when it came out, it really worked. Swayze also just had an on-screen earnestness and sweetness to him that felt effortless and real, and no one has quite matched it since. Finally, it will always be funny to us that Jerry Zucker, one of the masterminds behind Airplane! — directed one of the most romantic scenes committed to film, and that his brother and Airplane! co-director David Zucker turned around and made fun of it in The Naked Gun 2 1/2. If Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy seemed like a convincing couple onscreen, it's because they carried out a long love affair offscreen, as well — while appearing in nine films together, including 1942's Woman of the Year (above), their first production together. A little bit of sneaking around kept things exciting: As a Catholic, Tracy did not want to divorce his wife, Louise. But after Louise Tracy's death in 1983, Hepburn acknowledged the decades-long open secret of her and Spencer Tracy's love. Their final film together was the 1967 classic Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Tracy died shortly after its completion. Despite their obvious onscreen magnetism in The Notebook, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams didn't always get along. At one point, director Nick Cassevetes has said, "they were really not getting along one day on set. Really not. And Ryan came to me, and there's 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, 'Nick, come here.' And he's doing a scene with Rachel and he says, 'Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me? ... I can't do it with her. I'm just not getting anything from this.'" Anyone who has seen the time-spanning romance know that their passion for their work translated into passion onscreen. And Gosling and McAdams ended up dating for two years after the film's 2004 release. The straight actors managed to deeply invest all kinds of audiences in this beautiful and deeply tragic cowboy romance that made an incredibly compelling case for same-sex marriage. Though it didn't land Best Picture at the 2006 Oscars, Ang Lee did receive a much-deserved Best Director Oscar for bringing us one of the most tragic movie couples. (Among the people Lee beat: George Clooney.) We've said it before and we'll say it again: You can watch all the erotic thrillers you like and you won't find anything hotter than the phone scene in It's a Wonderful Life, featuring one of the greatest movie couples, Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart. It's a great watch this time of year — or any time of year. Dr. No follows James Bond (Sean Connery) as he goes to Jamaica to investigate the death of MI6 station chief John Strangways. But that's just an excuse to bring him together with Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), because their chemistry is sizzling.'He was very protective towards me, he was adorable, fantastic,' Andress said in a 2020 interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera after Connery's death at 90. 'He adored women, He was undoubtedly very much a man.' She added: "We spent many evenings together and he would invite me everywhere, Monte Carlo, London, New York, from when we met until now we always remained friends. Friends, friends.'' Maybe you'll like this list of '90s Rom-Coms That Will Have You at Hello. Main image: Dr No. United Artists Related Headlines The 12 Top-Grossing Movies With a Zero on Rotten Tomatoes 20 Bond Girls Behind the Scenes Photos The 13 Best Sleazy Movies We've Ever Seen
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
When Star Wars becomes REALITY: Scientists reveal how you really could be frozen in 'carbonite' like Han Solo
It's one of the most iconic moments in the whole of the Star Wars universe. In George Lucas's classic 1980 film 'The Empire Strikes Back', hero Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is frozen in carbonite by the evil Darth Vader. The fictional metal hardened around the heroic space smuggler as it cooled – sealing him in a state of 'perfect hibernation'. Carbonite is of course a fictional material, consigned to the realms of the Star Wars galaxy far, far away. But according to one scientist, this scene is not completely the stuff of science-fiction. Dr Alex Baker, a chemist at the University of Warwick, thinks humans could potentially be frozen like Solo with a real-life equivalent. 'You could make a nice wall hanging like Han Solo, but it would weight about the same as two VW Golfs,' he told MailOnline. 'So you'd need a very strong wall and picture hook.' In the real world, liquid nitrogen and solid carbon dioxide (CO2) are examples of 'cryogens' – substances that can be used to freeze objects, like human eggs in IVF treatment. While cryogens work for small objects, they are not yet possible freezing an entire person, simply because we are just too big. 'The issue is getting your insides to freeze before you died,' said Dr Baker. 'You wouldn't freeze consistently basically.' Therefore, we have to look towards other materials that could do the job – of which one promising candidate in particular stands out. Gallium is a liquid metal at room temperature but turns to solid once you get the temperature below 85.57°F (29.76°C). Promisingly, studies have shown that gallium can be used to store small and very primitive organisms like nematode worms. The worms can be dehydrated, entering into a peculiar state of suspended animation known as 'anhydrobiosis' where they lose almost all water. They're then stored in liquid gallium that is cooled and solidified, before being recovered a week later, one recent Brazilian study shows. What is gallium? Gallium is a chemical element with the symbol Ga. It is a soft, silvery-white metal, similar to aluminium. It's already used to make electronic circuits, semiconductors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Studies have shown that gallium can be used to store small organisms like nematode worms. To replicate the Star Wars scene with a human in gallium, Dr Baker suggests using a giant 'ice cube mould' measuring around two metres by half a metre. This would make it big enough to fit a willing human participant – perhaps the world's biggest Star Wars fan willing to risk their life for the privilege. Instead of being filled with water, the mould would be steadily filled with gallium to completely immerse the participant, before the temperature is lowered below the gallium freezing point (85.57°F/29.76°C). When the experiment is over, the temperature would just have to be raised again, similar to the scene in 'Return of the Jedi'. In the film, Han Solo is freed from the carbonite and suffers only short-term side effects – shivering and temporary blindness. But unfortunately this is probably where the comparisons stop, as there's very little chance the Star Wars fan would emerge alive. Firstly, humans 'are far more complex than these really simple worms', Dr Baker said – meaning we would die in any initial dehydration process. 'The reason it works in the worms is the dehydration puts the worms into suspended animation, they stop doing anything,' he said. 'You wouldn't be able to do this to a human without ending their life, as water is integral to life and all the chemical reactions that keep you alive.' Overall, the encased person would run out of oxygen quite quickly – and drown in their 'own carbon dioxide in a metallic tomb'. And while gallium is not as toxic as mercury, the chemical, physical, and toxicological properties of the metal have not been thoroughly investigated. Biotechnology company Sigma-Aldrich says contact with gallium can potentially cause metallic taste, coughing, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, vomiting and dermatitis. We still don't know whether safe prolonged human hibernation is possible, but some scientists are hopeful. Vladyslav Vyazovskiy, associate professor of neuroscience, University of Oxford, said: 'Recent technological advances and new pharmacological and genetic tools have already shown great potential to induce or manipulate sleep. 'To fully understand how we could safely induce human hibernation, we will likely need to dissect key brain circuits and identify the key molecular pathways that regulate our sleep functions.' Right not, there's perhaps more of a chance that we could create a real-life working lightsaber – but the 'superheated stick of fiery death' may be too dangerous for members of the public to get their hands on. Why Star Wars bounty hunters would wear diamond-studded suits In Star Wars, bounty hunters wear metal that can deflect superheated lightsabers and high energy particles from blasters. Beskar is the fictional material in bounty hunter body armour, known for its high tolerance to extreme forms of damage. But according to Dr Alex Baker, a chemist at the University of Warwick, a material on Earth could do a similar job - at a high cost. Steel is strong but would melt under the intense heat of the lightsaber as each cation (a positively charged ion) in steel's structure dissipates the heat too slowly. Instead, Dr Baker suggests a lab grown diamond, like the ones created by fellow Warwick chemist Professor Julie Macpherson. This is a material that has a chance at successfully redistributing the heat of a plasma-based weapon. Dr Baker says: 'Synthetic diamond is very good at dissipating heat: when one carbon atom starts to vibrate, so does the next one, quickly transporting heat, even the heat from my hand. 'This property makes diamonds useful for a variety of applications such as dissipating heat in electronics.' Meanwhile, stormtroopers walk around in 'plastoid', bullet resistant plastic armour. 'Plastoid' isn't real, but earth-based polyethylene (the material in plastic bags) could be the answer to a functioning plastic armour. While plastic bags are made from low-density polyethylene, the polyethylene used in some chopping boards is high-density, with packed polymer chains, and is potentially strong enough to stop a bullet.
