Adidas Wilson's Blog, page 121
July 6, 2017
Walkers Are Coming: ‘The Walking Dead’ Gets ‘Game Of Thrones’ Poster For Season 8
We have all heard the rumors that Breaking Bad‘s Walter White sells his azure meth to those hillbilly Dixon brothers on #TheWalkingDead, but should the shared universes stop there? There are some crossovers that would be just too good to be true, while seeing AMC and HBO team dragons with zombies would be one hell of an epic spectacle to behold.
As Season 7 of #GameofThrones winds to a close and we will presumably see the frozen zombies of Westeros take on Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons, surely showrunner David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will be looking to #ScottGimple’s shuffling apocalypse for tips on the perfect #zombie? Well, it is a case of share and share alike, because in anticipation of its eighth season, TWD has taken a leaf out of #GeorgeRRMartin’s book to craft its very own winter-inspired promo poster.
Snow Joke
If #WinterIsHere then war is just around the corner in #TheWalkingDead. pic.twitter.com/01BFSJZp0k
— The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) June 21, 2017
We see #AndrewLincoln’s Rick given the White Walker treatment, just like the Thrones alumni have gotten ahead of Season 7. Whereas HBO went with the tagline, “Winter Is Here,” AMC amped up the hype for their own war-torn season. While the hot sun of Georgia normally bakes Rick Grimes and co., don’t expect a years-long winter to be coming to #RobertKirkman’s world anytime soon, however, it is great to see The Walking Dead having some fun with itself.
Speaking of winter, executive producer Greg Nicotero spoke to ComicBook.com at this year’s Walker Stalker Cruise, and teased the possibility of pulling a Thrones and bringing a colder climate to the show:
“I don’t know how we would pull it off. I would love to do it. I know Scott [Gimple] would love to do it. The show is 52 weeks a year. To literally generate an in-between script and shoot in the winter, I don’t know how we would be able to pull it off even though I think it would be great. I think everybody would love to do it because it would be different. I would never wanna rule it out, but it’s tough because that would mean that in the middle of finishing episodes to air, we’d have to be writing another episode. Then you’d have to bring everybody back for a standalone which would be, probably, expensive.”
While that sounds like a big ol’ nope, I definitely think Rick could use a rest from all those sweat patches!
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It’s Chill Or Be Chilled
Speaking of our grizzled leader, it is interesting that the poster has Lincoln’s character pastiched as a White Walker. Since the Night King is the de facto villain of Game of Thrones, Rick taking his place in the poster does suggest he isn’t quite the white knight we all assumed he was. There has been a hot debate for some time that Rick’s leadership skills have actually put him on a steady road to darkness. In fact, even the showrunners confirm that Rick is probably just one baseball bat away from becoming the sadistic Negan.
Just as Game of Thrones has pitting the living (there aren’t many left on the show) against the dead, Season 8 of The Walking Dead will bring two warring sides together. However, as the show has evolved, it is the threat of humanity’s remnants that are the biggest danger to our Safe Zone survivors. Don’t get me wrong, gnashing undead that are hungry for your flesh are still the main part of the show, but Season 8 will follow the “All Out War” storyline from the #comicbookand force Rick and Negan to fight.
The poster is just another in a long line of The Walking Dead taking itself far less seriously than its actual script. Sure, the show may be over the top with Merle’s knife hand, a tiger bodyguard, and death by baseball practice, but TWD isn’t exactly Zombieland in the comedy stakes. The show previously riffed Star Wars: The Last Jedi, spoofing the film’s poster also ahead of the upcoming season. Personally, I am waiting for Gimple and co. to do a Rick and Morty crossover where Rick Grimes discovers a portal gun and takes “Cooooral” on all kinds of adventures — you heard it here first!
Source:
https://moviepilot.com/p/the-walking-dead-gets-chilling-game-of-thrones-poster/4302423
HICKOK Is Just A Brief Chapter Of Wild Bill’s Life
James Butler Hickok, better known as Wild Bill, was one of the heroes of the American Old West; a figure who has attained a near-mythical status and whose exploits – some real, some imagined – are prime material for the big screen. The low-budget indie western Hickok is the latest adaptation of Bill’s life, with his boots now being worn by Luke Hemsworth, older brother of Thor and Miley Cyrus arm candy. He joins a proud tradition of men’s men playing the legendary gunslinger, including Jeff Bridges (Wild Bill), Sam Elliott (Buffalo Girls), and Sam Shepard (Purgatory).
Director Timothy Woodward Jr. and writer Michael Lanahan limit themselves to a single chapter of Hickok’s colorful life: his time spent as a Marshall in Abilene, Texas. They also make a clear effort to stick closely to the historical record: there’s Hickok’s street brawl with gambler/businessman Phil Coe (here renamed Poe and played by a gravel-voiced Trace Adkins), who is made into the black-hatted villain of the show; and his rivalry/friendship with noted outlaw John Wesley Hardin, AKA “Little Arkansas” (Kaiwi Lyman) who becomes his deputy. For a while, this has the potential to turn into a Butch-and-Sundance-style buddy action movie, but Woodward chooses not to go down that road.
Hickok is like that: it tends to skip potentially interesting story developments, probably due to the way-too-short runtime (Wild Bill also suffered from glaucoma, which is paid lip service by having him be “moonblind” or unable to see in the dark, which ultimately has no effect on anything) and stick to a typical Western template, seemingly ticking off a list. This makes for a passable oater which will satisfy the genre fans, but with a figure as larger-than-life as Wild Bill (even though most of his adventures are said to have been exaggerated by him), there’s a feeling that this could have been a lot greater. At times, this feels a lot like one of the guest fantasies (all based on typical Western archetypes) on the Westworld TV show, where Luke Hemsworth has a supporting role.
Speaking of Hemsworth, he manages to make this at least watchable; he’s a less baby-faced, more rough-looking version of his two bros, which is a natural fit for the Wild West. The actor’s solid at playing a tight-lipped badass; there’s no reason why he couldn’t have a career as big as Chris and Liam, and this modest lead role is a fine place to start. He’s even a dead ringer for his Norse God sibling in some shots, so much that you start to wonder if Thor wasn’t brought in as a body double. Woodward also gives him solid support by casting two veteran actors who have some experience wearing wide-brimmed hats and spurs: Kris Kristofferson brings quiet dignity to the underwritten part of George Knox, the man who hires Hickok as a Marshall, while Bruce Dern plays his cameo as the town doctor in the same bug-eyed “crazy old man” way he’s played every other part in the last few years.
Hickok will be just fine for Western enthusiasts, but it’s a bit of a missed opportunity; it de-mystifies Wild Bill’s legend so much it turns ordinary. It’s not the definitive telling of his life but then again, with most of it being fabrications, we probably won’t ever get one.
Hickok opens theatrically on 7 July in ten markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas. It will also be available On Demand and Digital HD.
Source:
http://screenanarchy.com/2017/06/review-hickok-is-just-a-brief-chapter-of-wild-bills-life.html
‘Game of Thrones’ season 7 is going to have some ‘breathtaking’ surprises
Theories abound about Game of Thrones Season 7, which premieres in less than two weeks. Fans are going crazy trying to figure out where their favorite characters are heading to, but the actors and execs involved in one of the most popular TV shows right now have not revealed any plot details so far — just as expected. But one person working on a critical element of the show said that “no one’s figured it out yet.”
Paula Fairfield is in charge of creating sound for the “weird shit” in the shows, including the dragons, the White Walkers, and anything else that needs sound effects. In other words, she’s more than familiar with what happens in the current season, as she plays a significant role in the creation of each episode.
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Talking at the Con of Thrones last week, she said that season 7 is ‘breathtaking,” without giving any major details away. She did, however, tease that the incredible battle of Hardhome, which was one of her most work-intensive episodes to date will “look like child’s play this season, many times over — there’s a lot of fun stuff this season.”
We already expect plenty of battles in season 7, including clashes with the biggest threat of all, the White Walkers. But the sound effect specialist didn’t tell us what’s coming next. The most exciting thing she revealed on stage is the fact that nobody figured out what happens in the show, which is definitely exciting.
As for season 8, Fairfield is already working on it, Mashable explains, even if she doesn’t know what’s going to happen next.
“There are some amazing things coming, and I am planning them,” she said. “There’s some stuff that will be embarked on this season that will become majorly in play next season. I have no idea what’s going to happen next season — I only know this season — so I’m starting to build a library of things that I think I’ll be using next season. I cannot tell you what it is, but when you see, you’ll know exactly what I mean.”
Game of Thrones season 7 premieres on July 16th in the US.
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‘Game of Thrones’ season 7 is going to have some ‘breathtaking’ surprises
Google’s next EU fine could be even bigger for Android violations
Google was hit with a record-breaking $2.7 billion fine last month by the European Commission for breaking antitrust laws. The EU says Google demoted rivals and unfairly promoted its own services in search results related to shopping. While the fine is the largest antitrust judgement ever, an even bigger fine could be on the way for Google.
Reuters reports that EU regulators are considering another record-breaking fine for Google over its Android operating system. The European Commission has been investigating Android after rivals complained that Google has been abusing its market dominance. Google has been accused of limiting access to the Google Play Store unless phone makers also bundle Google search and Chrome apps. Google has also reportedly blocked phone makers from creating devices that run forked versions of Android, as part of an anti-fragmentation agreement.
While Reuters suggests the potential Android fine could top the $2.7 billion penalty, a bigger concern for Google will be whether it’s forced to dramatically alter Android and unbundle key parts. Android has long been considered as open source software, but Google has slowly been adding key components into its Google Play Services software and associated agreements.
Microsoft’s browser ballotGoogle’s predicament sounds similar to Microsoft’s own fight with the EU more than 10 years ago. Microsoft was accused of bundling its Windows Media Player with Windows, and the EU forced it to unbundle the app. Microsoft created a special version of Windows for Europe without the app. Microsoft was also accused of bundling its Internet Explorer browser with Windows, and the EU forced the company to include a browser ballot with non-Microsoft browsers in an effort to improve competition.
EU antitrust regulators have now appointed a peer review panel, according to Reuters. The review includes a panel of experts that will give a second opinion on the EU’s plans. A decision on Google’s Android case in the EU is expected by the end of the year.
Source:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/6/15927400/eu-google-android-antitrust-fine-rumors
Don Cheadle to Star in Historical Drama ‘Prince of Darkness’
Don Cheadle will star in and produce “Prince of Darkness,” a biopic of 19th Century black millionaire Jeremiah G. Hamilton.
Steven Baigelman, who co-wrote the “Miles Ahead” screenplay with Cheadle, has been tapped to adapt the “Prince of Darkness” script from Shane White’s book “Prince of Darkness: The Story of Jeremiah G. Hamilton, Wall Street’s First Black Millionaire.”
White’s book portrays Hamilton as a larger-than-life character who defied convention during the period and amassed a $2 million fortune by the time of his death in 1875. He dealt extensively in the white business world, married a white woman, bought a mansion in rural New Jersey, and owned railroad stock on trains he was not legally allowed to ride.
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When Hamilton died, he was often referred to as the richest black man in the U.S. White’s book was the winner of the 2015 Society for Historians of the Early American Republic Best Book Prize.
Cheadle directed, produced, and starred in the 2015 Miles Davis biopic “Miles Ahead.” He has extensive credits dating back to 1995’s “Devil in a Blue Dress” and including “Boogie Nights,” “Out of Sight,” “Traffic,” the Ocean’s Eleven franchise, “Crash,” and as James Rhodes/War Machine in the “Iron Man” and “Captain America” movies. His role on Showtime’s “House of Lies” has earned him four Emmy nominations, and he received an Oscar nomination for “Hotel Rwanda.”
Both Cheadle and Baigelman are repped by UTA.
Source:
Don Cheadle to Star in Historical Drama ‘Prince of Darkness’
Apple News is a sleeping giant — and Apple might be about to wake it up
Apple released a news-aggregator app called Apple News in 2015, and nearly two years later, it may be gaining substantial traction.
ComScore ranks it the 15th-biggest app by audience reach across both iOS and Android, with 47 million monthly users, Ad Age reported on Wednesday. In January 2016, Eddy Cue, Apple’s online-services boss, said the app had 40 million monthly users. It’s available in the United States, the UK, and Australia.
It’s reportedly a big traffic driver for some publications. But so far, there hasn’t been a good way to draw revenue from their readers on Apple News.
Publishers can run ad campaigns in Apple News, and there are ways to publish sponsored content as well, but it has been a clunky and time-consuming process. To solve this problem, Apple may be planning to allow publishers to use their own ad-campaign technology, such as Google’s DoubleClick, Ad Age reported.
Publishers using their own ad technology would make it easier for them to make money off their readers in the Apple News app.
Other plans Apple may have for its news aggregator include micropayments, according to the report. Apple News loosely competes with Facebook’s Instant Articles and Google’s AMP, neither of which allows publishers to use their own ad technology.
Among the big tech companies, Apple is the most vocal about its distaste for online advertising. Apple is including a content blocker in the latest version of its browser, Safari, and CEO Tim Cook has frequently emphasized that Apple makes its money when a consumer buys its products, instead of by providing low-cost services and targeting ads, as Google and Facebook do.
“I’m speaking to you from Silicon Valley, where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their businesses by lulling their customers into complacency about their personal information,” Cook said in 2015. “They’re gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetize it. We think that’s wrong. And it’s not the kind of company that Apple wants to be.”
That would seem at odds with Apple letting publishers choose which tracking technology they want to use. But publishers won’t invest in Apple News unless they see a way to make money, and Apple needs publishers to entice users to come back day after day.
Source:
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-news-is-a-sleeping-giant-that-might-wake-up-soon-2017-7
Amazon puts an additional $260M into its Indian business
Amazon has topped up its investment in its India business with another $260 million. The funding was disclosed in regulatory documents filed last month and first reported by Indian financial publication Mint.
The infusion of capital comes in time to prepare Amazon India (officially named Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd) for the holiday shopping season, which centers around the Dussehra and Diwali festivals in the fall. Amazon India’s chief rival for the attention of online shoppers will be Flipkart, which raised $1.5 billion at a valuation of $11.6 billion three months ago from a noteworthy roster of investors including Amazon rival eBay, Microsoft, and Tencent. Another important competitor is Alibaba-backed Paytm.
Amazon pumped $2 billion into its Indian marketplace in summer 2014 and launched Amazon Prime there last year, with annual memberships costing 999 rupees (about $15, though discounts are available for new members). Amazon India will run its first Prime Day on July 10, to coincide with the online shopping/promotional event’s timing in the U.S. and other markets.
The e-commerce behemoth is likely to continue pumping money into its India unit. CEO Jeff Bezos promised to invest $5 billion into India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. last year, up from the $2 billion he had previously pledged. Since that amount is meant to develop India’s tech and startup industries, however, it’s unclear exactly how much will be put specifically into Amazon India.
China and the U.S. are still the world’s largest e-commerce markets, but India is the fastest-growing one, with online retail sales expected to reach $64 billion by 2021, at a five-year compound annual growth rate of 31.2 percent.
But that doesn’t mean its smooth sailing for India’s biggest e-commerce players as they struggle with high operating costs. Amazon used to count Snapdeal among its main rivals, but Snapdeal has been trying to cut costs and in January was reportedly in talks to raise a downround from SoftBank. Despite its new funding, Flipkart has also faced its own troubles, including valuation markdowns from several mutual funds.
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Amazon puts an additional $260M into its Indian business
