Latest news with #critics
The Independent
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Mea Culpa: It's about time
Chronology – that is, the matter of when things happened, or are going to happen – is often a nuisance to get right, and that's just the nature of the beast. Journalists are familiar with the difficulties of wrangling a complex sequence of events into an accurate and readable report, and normally they manage it quite well. There are certain trends, however, that we should definitely attempt to discourage, and one of these is the wrongful use of 'throughout'. In a fascinating article about the benefits of vitamin D, we wrote that 'omega 3 fatty acid supplementation did not have any significant effect on telomere length throughout follow-up'. I'm still not quite sure what a telomere is, but regardless, this doesn't really work: 'throughout' is an expansive term that means 'in every part of', and as such sits awkwardly beside a negative. It's a bit like saying 'I didn't like all of that programme': no one can tell if you mean that you only enjoyed some of it, or that you hated the whole thing. It feels like trying to go backwards and forwards at the same time. We said in another piece, about an actual programme: 'It was praised by critics, received 18 Emmy nominations throughout its six-season run, and is commonly held up as an example of television's golden age.' Again this was unclear, but for a slightly different reason. The word 'throughout' already suggests a profusion of something, in terms of either distribution or frequency, so if we try to use it in conjunction with a specific quantity, we create a conflict. In this case it's clear enough what we mean, but in a sentence such as 'Susan ate four puddings throughout the week', we don't know if that means she ate four every day for a week, or four in total. (Unless we know 'Susan', in which case the answer is a given. I digress.) The point is that the right word to use in each of these examples would have been 'during', which is a much more modest one and carries no notion of extent or frequency, only confirming that the thing(s) we describe took place within a certain period. The use of 'throughout' in its place can cause confusion, and it's time we through it out. Coming soon: I'm not talking about the imminent death of a national treasure: rather the launch on TV of his new documentary, which is already out in cinemas. It seems that David Attenborough is not just continuing to narrate superlative nature programmes, but is also alive and well – albeit we suggested, unintentionally, that this might not be for long. In an article last week we described the near-centenarian 'standing on a deserted beach in Dorset, white hair blowing sideways' as he reflects on 'his approaching mortality'. The usual word is 'encroaching', and there is a subtle difference: to encroach means to intrude, so the term refers to a person's growing awareness of the fact that they will not be here for ever. To talk about someone's 'approaching' mortality suggests that the end point is already in sight. Let's hope the great man has a few more years in him yet. The chips are down: We caused some bafflement in an interview with a Welsh actor this week, when we wrote: 'It goes without saying, then, that Rhys does a great Yank accent. So much so that it's a shock to hear him speak in the rolling consonants and round vowels of his birthplace when, on meeting him, he asks after a packet of crisps.' It's a strange term, 'ask after', with its curious preposition that has nothing to do with chronology. I'm not sure about its function in regional dialect, but in normal usage, it means to politely enquire about somebody's wellbeing, with perhaps just the slightest connotation that the enquirer doesn't necessarily care how they are (or didn't really ask). In other words, it's very English. In any event, no one asks after a packet of crisps in that sense, because crisps don't really come under the category of things one can reliably say are enjoying life, or a wee bit despondent, or going through an untidy divorce. The word we wanted was 'for'. There was another problem with this sentence, as some (all right, all) of you will have noticed already, which was the participle – in this instance, not so much dangling as firmly affixed to the wrong person. 'On meeting him' was replaced with 'on arriving for our interview'. Copy that: Talking of connotations, we used a peculiar word later on in the same piece when we quoted our subject describing an encounter with Anthony Hopkins: ''I remember he invited me into his trailer, and he gave me three rules to follow: be on time; know your lines; be bold, and greater gods will come to your aid,' Rhys says now in a gruff intimation of his hero.' To intimate means to hint or suggest, so I don't think we can have meant that. We changed it to 'imitation' as that seemed the most obvious solution. I know why the beige curd sings: We published a recipe for 'grilled halloumi and black honey' in which we described using charred aubergine skins to 'impart a rich, unique and smokey flavour'. I'm not entirely sure why we specify that the word 'smoky' should be spelt without the 'e' except when we are writing about the famous singer Smokey Robinson (real name William, who has been in the news himself this month, though the less said the better). But we are not alone: most publications seem to feel it makes sense to spell it differently depending on the context, and we second that emotion. Until next time.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix's Best New Movie Has Near-Perfect Critic And Audience Scores
The Wild Robot It can be tough to know what to watch on Netflix in a given day or night, but the service has licensed one of the best movies I've seen in recent years, kid-focused or otherwise. While children may have been its target audience, it's a movie that all ages can enjoy. That would be The Wild Robot, the 2024 Dreamworks film about a lost robot that bonds with forest animals and ultimately becomes their guardian against encroaching technology. Here's the synopsis: The Wild Robot has stunning scores from both critics and audiences. With 253 reviews in, The Wild Robot has a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and with 5,000+ audience reviews, an even higher 98%. On IMDB it has an 8.2/10, which in the context of that site, is extremely high, and a full quarter of its reviews are 10/10. Having seen the film myself, I think it very much lives up to these high scores. The Wild Robot It's a kids movie, but it isn't. It's one of those situations where a movie aimed at children can be so good that parents and kids alike will enjoy watching it together as opposed to the adults just sitting around flipping through their phones while it's on. For me, the best part of The Wild Robot is its absolutely gorgeous animation, where I've really never seen anything quite like it. The story is good, sure, perhaps a tiny bit cliché, but there is no frame of this film that isn't fantastic to look at. It's an easy recommendation for all ages, and family statuses. If you don't have kids or aren't watching it with any, it doesn't matter, as it's worth checking out for anyone. There are likely going to be two more films in the series adapting two more books that the first one was based on, but we do not have much information about those as of yet. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Pics Putin DOESN'T want you to see: Russia bans depictions of Kremlin tyrant as Adolf Hitler amid crackdown on dissent
RUSSIA has banned its people from depicting Vladimir Putin as a modern-day Hitler in the latest crackdown on dissent. A court has ruled it illegal to compare visuals of the Kremlin tyrant and warmonger to the Nazi leader, saying they 'incite terrorism' and 'harm state interests". 6 6 6 In the latest crackdown, Russian authorities banned 12 websites and a long list of online pictures and videos linking Putin to Hitler. Russian critics of Putin have been barred from photoshopping a Hitler moustache and hairstyle onto the Kremlin dictator. A common description of the Russian leader as "Putler"- combining the two names - is also banned. So is an image of Putin holding a revolver to his head and the caption "How to save Russia from shame". The Kirov District Court of Omsk ruled that such images of Putin 'have a negative impact on the interests of society and the state, encourage an indefinite number of people to commit terrorist activities and crimes, and contribute to their commission'. Since his bloody invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a slew of Putin's critics - both inside and outside Russia - have likened the Kremlin leader to Hitler for the brutality of his repression and killings. Putin arrogantly assumed he could sweep in and seize Kyiv in a matter of days after ordering his troops over the border into Ukraine. But more than three years on, the red-faced despot has suffered staggering losses on the battlefield. One brave Russian critic recently linked Putin to Hitler in a protest close to the Kremlin. But Putin this month hosted a major military parade in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat the Nazis by the Soviets - and Allies. Meanwhile, close Putin henchman Dmitry Medvedev called for the hanging of Volodymyr Zelensky after the warm just like Nazis lieutenants were after WW2 defeart. He criticised the Ukrainian leader for seeking a three-way meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and himself to agree to a peace deal. How scheming Putin has undermined Trump's 100 day peace plan for finally end bloody war in Ukraine He said: 'With regard to the last conclusion, [Zelensky] is wrong. 'Although Jodl and Keitel participated in signing the surrender on behalf of Hitler's Germany, they were nevertheless hanged by the Nuremberg Tribunal. History is a ruthless exterminator.' Alfred Jodl and Wilhelm Keitel were both Hitler lieutenants whose defence that they were 'following orders' was rejected. The ban comes as more than 10,000 tanks, 22,000 armoured vehicles, 26,000 artillery systems, and over 700 aircraft have been destroyed, officials estimate. Putin will end up dead like Hitler, ex-US intelligence officer EXCLUSIVE by Katie Davis and Denis Grigorescu VLADIMIR Putin has four glaring vulnerabilities that could ultimately lead to his downfall, an ex-military intelligence officer has revealed. Security expert David H. Carstens also told how the tyrant's "Achilles' heel" is putting Russia on track to have the highest number of casualties this year since the war started. He even claimed his weaknesses could see him face the same grisly fate as Adolf Hitler. Carstens, who served in the US Army for more than 30 years, said Putin is ploughing on with the conflict despite this as he "feels no real pressure" to strike a peace deal. Western officials have revealed that the Russians have sustained more than 900,000 casualties, with 250,000 dead, since Putin unleashed his illegal war. And any Russian who dares to speak up against Putin and his invasion of Ukraine is silenced by the Kremlin using Russia's classic playbook. The Kremlin has cracked down on protesters and debauchery, closed down independent media and put critics on trial - in a bid to starve citizens of alternate viewpoints. Dissidents capable of challenging Putin have been locked in gulag, exiled or killed amid the harshest crackdown on opposition in Russia since Soviet times. A long list of influential Russians have died in murky circumstances throughout Putin's 24-year rule after opposing, criticising, or crossing the resentful despot. The curious deaths - resulting from poisonings to shootings and falls from windows to plane crashes - may have helped pave the way for the Russian dictator to remain in power until 2036. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
'Bright and stylish' Victorian London flat could be yours for £500,000 - but would-be buyers have identified one terrifying feature
A 'bright and stylish' Victorian London flat has gone on the market for £500,000 - but horrified house hunters are warning of a terrifying catch. The two-bed townhouse in Brockley, South London seems pretty normal at first glance with a modern looking living area and sleek, neutral-toned kitchen. But the property caught the attention of online viewers after they noticed what appeared to be a 'death trap' in the form of a vast chasm in the middle of the room. Disturbing photographs show a gaping hole lies directly opposite the flat's double bed, with a staircase leading to the floor below also visible. Horrified critics noted there seemed to be no railing around the top of the staircase and no glass covering the hole, which they branded a 'wild' decision by the seller. A user shared the listing online with the caption: 'Deathtrap stairs to master bedroom. Yikes. How is there no railing around that??' Commenters have expressed their concerns about the 'unsafe' nature of the property with many questioning why there were no railings around the staircase. One user replied: 'I'd be dead in a week if I lived there. How have they survived? They must bounce.' A second said: 'Screw that, imagine going at it on the edge of the bed and you slip - whole new definition to needing a railing.' A third wrote: 'Wow I was expecting bad but not "letterbox to downstairs and you're the post" bad.' Another added: 'As someone with a knackered ankle and absolutely no balance, those stairs frighten the sh**e out of me.' A fifth said: 'If they want to live with that that's their mad choice, but to put it up for sale without railing it first is just wild.' The controversial flat listed by Conran Estates is advertised on Rightmove as 'bright and stylish' accommodation. The listing also says the property is on the top two floors of an end of terrace Victorian townhouse that boasts 'gorgeous' floorboards. Requesting offers 'in excess of £500,000', the listing reads: 'Set to the top two floors of a handsome end of terrace Victorian townhouse, this two-bedroom share of freehold home offers bright and stylish accommodation. 'Gorgeous stripped and polished floorboards are a theme. 'For many, [the road] is the premier address in the [area]. Wide pavements and parades of trees frame these beautifully authentic Victorian townhouses.'
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Quebec passes bill requiring immigrants to adopt shared values
The Quebec legislature has passed a bill requiring immigrants to embrace the common culture of the province. Newcomers to the province must adhere to shared values including gender equality, secularism and protection of the French language. The law is Quebec's answer to the Canadian model of multiculturalism that promotes cultural diversity. The Quebec government believes the Canadian model is harmful to social cohesion. Quebec can use the new law to withhold funding for groups and events that don't promote Quebec's common culture. Critics have said the legislation is an attempt to assimilate newcomers and could stoke anti-immigrant sentiment.
