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James Corson, a nuclear engineer, proved his mental fission is just as powerful as his knowledge of atomic reactions. In a Tuesday showdown on Jeopardy!, he dominated the competition, securing a runaway victory and adding another $42,000 to his coffers. Corson faced returning champion Harvey Silikovitz, whose previous day’s karaoke swagger seemed to have faded, […]

Jeopardy! March 11, 2025 Recap: James Corson Conquers the Dalai Lama...

Get the latest scoop on everything you need to know about today’s Jeopardy! episode airing on Tuesday, 11 March 2025 including the Final Jeopardy, contestants and today’s winner!

Today’s Final Jeopardy – Tuesday, 11 March 2025 Today's Final Jeopardy Explorers - Traveling in 1811 to an elevation of about 12,000 feet, Thomas Manning was the first Englishman to meet this figure Today’s Final Jeopardy Answer – Tuesday, 11 March 2025 Final Jeopardy Answer Who is the Dalai Lama? Today’s Results & Who Won Jeopardy! Tonight – Tuesday, 11 March 2025

The results of today’s game will be updated when it airs – warning: spoilers below!

Returning ChampionContestantContestant Harvey Silikovitz

Originally West Orange, New Jersey

Attorney & Worldwide Karaoke Singer

1 Day Winnings of $23,600

Final Score: $Tbc

Round 2 Score: $Tbc

Round 1 Score: $TBCEmily Johnson

Savannah, Georgia

Teacher

Final Score: $Tbc

Round 2 Score: $Tbc

Round 1 Score: $TBCJames Corson

Frederick, Maryland

Nuclear Engineer

Final Score: $Tbc

Round 2 Score: $Tbc

Round 1 Score: $Tbc Final Jeopardy Video & Today’s Highlights Jeopardy!

Find out everything you need to know about the Jeopardy! Tuesday, 11 March 2025 episode, including the Final Jeopardy, answer and who won Jeopardy tonight!

Today’s Final Jeopardy – Tuesday, 11 March 2025

The Final Jeopardy for the Tuesday, 11 March 2025 episode is as follows:

Today's Final Jeopardy Explorers - Traveling in 1811 to an elevation of about 12,000 feet, Thomas Manning was the first Englishman to meet this figure Today’s Final Jeopardy Answer – Tuesday, 11 March 2025

The answer for Today’s Final Jeopardy for the Tuesday, 11 March 2025 episode is:

Final Jeopardy Answer Who is the Dalai Lama? Who Won Jeopardy Tonight? – Tuesday, 11 March 2025

Looking to find out how the contestants did on Tuesday, 11 March 2025? Find out all the contestant scores below.

Returning ChampionContestantContestant Harvey Silikovitz

Originally West Orange, New Jersey

Attorney & Worldwide Karaoke Singer

1 Day Winnings of $23,600

Final Score: $Tbc

Round 2 Score: $Tbc

Round 1 Score: $TBCEmily Johnson

Savannah, Georgia

Teacher

Final Score: $Tbc

Round 2 Score: $Tbc

Round 1 Score: $TBCJames Corson

Frederick,...

For such a long career, Martin Scorsese has an incredibly high batting average when it comes to the quality of his films. Across 26 narrative features and 16 documentaries, the maestro's work is rarely met with anything less than effusive praise from critics and audiences alike. Looking at his career through the imperfect lens of Rotten Tomatoes scores, his films rarely have anything below a consensus of 75%, and even movies which were divisive at the time, like 1999's Bringing Out the Dead, have been looked upon more favorably in the years since their release.

But still, even the greatest artists are bound to hit snags from time to time, and one of Scorsese's most divisive films recently celebrated its 15th anniversary: 2010's Shutter Island, a psychological thriller starring one of the director's most treasured collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio. With a Tomatometer score of 69%, it's the third-lowest-scoring film he's directed, ahead of his...

On Wednesday February 19 2025, PBS broadcasts Frontline!

Battle for Tibet Season 43 Episode 14 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Frontline” titled “Battle for Tibet” promises to delve deep into the complex issues surrounding China’s governance of Tibet. This episode will explore how the Communist regime exerts control over Tibet’s Buddhist population, a group known for its rich spiritual traditions and cultural heritage.

Viewers can expect an in-depth investigation into the political and social dynamics at play in Tibet. The episode will highlight the challenges faced by Tibetans as they navigate life under Chinese rule. It will also shed light on the ongoing struggle over the succession of the Dalai Lama, the region’s revered spiritual leader. This issue is particularly sensitive, as it involves questions of identity, faith, and the future of Tibetan Buddhism.

“Battle for Tibet” aims to present a balanced view of the situation, featuring voices from both Tibetan advocates and Chinese officials.

On Tuesday February 18 2025, PBS broadcasts Frontline!

Battle for Tibet Season 43 Episode 14 Episode Summary

“Frontline” is set to air an important episode titled “Battle for Tibet,” which will delve into the complex situation in Tibet under Chinese rule. This episode will explore how the Chinese Communist Party maintains control over Tibet and its Buddhist population. The program aims to shed light on the challenges faced by Tibetans as they navigate life under a regime that imposes strict regulations on their culture and religion.

The episode will also focus on the significant issue of the succession of the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader. This topic is particularly sensitive, as the future of the Dalai Lama’s role is tied to Tibetan identity and beliefs. The Communist regime has its own interests in this matter, leading to a struggle over who will lead the Tibetan people in the years to come.

Viewers...

The upcoming episode of “Frontline,” titled “Battle for Tibet,” promises to be a gripping exploration of the complex relationship between China and Tibet. Set to air at 1:00 Am on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, on PBS, this episode delves into the intricacies of Chinese governance over Tibet and the impact on its rich Buddhist heritage.

Viewers can expect an in-depth investigation into how the Chinese Communist Party maintains control over Tibet’s Buddhist population. The episode will shed light on the various methods employed by the regime to influence religious practices and suppress dissent. This portrayal of life under Chinese rule aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by Tibetans in preserving their cultural identity.

Additionally, “Battle for Tibet” will tackle the sensitive issue of the succession of the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s revered spiritual leader. The episode will examine the implications of this succession for Tibetans and how...

Exclusive: Since its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival in October, Swiss documentary Wisdom of Happiness – A Heart-to-Heart with the Dalai Lama has found peace at the box office with strong performances in Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere as overseas rollout continues. Autlook Filmsales reps the movie and is headed to the EFM to expand the reach of the Richard Gere- and Oren Moverman-exec produced film. Negotiations are under way for Latin America and the U.S.

The doc, which features the Dalai Lama as he speaks directly to the audience, creating what is billed as “a meditative cinema experience that resonates long after,” has sold over 70,000 tickets in Switzerland where Ascot Elite released in December. Across the run, it remained in the Top 10 for seven consecutive weeks and was a Top 3 arthouse title.

Via X Filmverleih in Germany, Wisdom of Happiness was released on November 7 last year and has sold over 48,000 tickets,...

Accepting a lifetime achievement honor at Spain’s Goya Awards this weekend, Richard Gere had some choice words about the state of things in the U.S. amid Donald Trump’s second term in office. “We’re in a very dark place in America where we have a bully and a thug who’s the President of the United States,” the actor and producer said from the stage inside Granada’s Palacio de Congresos.

He’d begun his acknowledgements expressing gratitude for being a part of the “world of telling stories” and recognizing the “thousands of people it takes to make a movie.” The Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman and Chicago star then continued, “We’re all part of a universe of overlapping pain and sadness and joy and expectations and dreams and hopes and visions. And I see this world that we’re in now forgetting that, and...

Going to war with South Park rarely ends up in anything less than a disaster. Just ask Mecha-Streisand, Tom Cruise or what’s left of Toronto.

Ever since its inception in 1997, South Park has made little effort to be diplomatic about its portrayal of different cultures and countries — including those of America and mid-sized-town Colorado. As the most iconoclastic comedy series in adult animation, South Park goes out of its way to create international incidents of indecency, mocking different peoples and nations across the world with each passing season. And, while Canada has certainly gotten the worst of South Park’s mockery and most of its nuclear strikes, the real Great White North has taken the joke much better than many other countries that had axes to grind with Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Despite the constant jabs at our northern buddies, Canada airs South Park uncensored, and the country...

Sharon Stone has been banned in China after making controversial remarks in the past. The actress, known for her performances in Basic Instinct and Sliver, suffered the wrath of the Chinese nation after she dropped an insensitive comment in the aftermath of an earthquake tragedy in 2008.

Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct / Credits: TriStar Pictures

The actress’ statement criticizing the Chinese government’s treatment of Tibet while linking it to the disaster sparked outrage among the public and also resulted in the banning of her movies in Chinese theatres.

Sharon Stone angered China after insensitive comment about the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

In an interview with the Cable Entertainment News of Hong Kong at the Cannes Film Festival via YouTube, actress Sharon Stone slammed the government of China regarding their issue with Tibet. She expressed being unhappy with how “the Chinese are treating the Tibetans” because she does not believe that anyone should be unkind to other people.

Andrew Garfield addresses potentially playing Jesus in Martin Scorsese's new movie, saying "You can’t just keep waiting for Scorsese to call." The legendary director is best known for operating within the gangster genre with Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and The Irishman. However, he has also frequently explored religion throughout his career with the religious epics The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun, and Silence – the last of which starred Andrew Garfield.

Within his illustrious filmography, Scorsese's religious epics tend to be less popular than his gangster films, despite being equally as masterful. His 1988 epic, The Last Temptation of Christ, was quite controversial for retelling the life of Christ in human rather than divine terms. It ended up being a modest box office success that grossed over $33 million on a $7 million budget. One of his lesser-known films, 1997's Kundun, offered an account of the...

Why Was Keanu Reeves’ Movies Removed From Streaming Sites In China? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Keanu Reeves just got the Matrix glitch of a lifetime. In 2022, Chinese streaming giants like Tencent Video and iQiyi pulled nearly all his films from their platforms. The reason? According to Reuters, Reeves’ appearance at a Tibet-related concert didn’t sit well with Chinese authorities. The Matrix, John Wick, Speed—all vanished.

Reuters reported that at least 19 of Reeves’ films disappeared from Tencent Video, though the exact takedown timeline remained fuzzy. Searches for “Keanu Reeves” and its Chinese translation on platforms like WeChat hit a digital dead end. In short, Reeves became a ghost in the Chinese entertainment machine. The spark? Reeves attended a Tibet House US concert on March 3, 2022, which was tied to the Dalai Lama. Chinese social media erupted, calling for a complete boycott.

Tibet is a hot-button issue. Beijing backs the Panchen Lama over the Dalai Lama,...

Was Martin Scorsese’s The Departed banned in China? (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Yes, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, which went on to win Golden Globes and earn Oscar buzz, faced a serious roadblock: it was banned in China. The main culprit? A subplot about Chinese criminals buying military equipment—a storyline that didn’t sit well with the country’s censors.

According to sources from The Hollywood Reporter and Reuters, the Chinese government wasn’t thrilled with the plotline involving Beijing’s interest in acquiring fake missile-guidance microprocessors. One anonymous source pointed out, “They can talk about Iran or Iraq, but there’s no reason to get China in.” The refusal to change this part of the plot sealed the movie’s fate in China. A source within the Chinese film regulatory board revealed that the decision was about more than just the violence. The subplot seemed “unnecessary” to them and politically sensitive,...

Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" is not the most important film in the director's oeuvre, nor is it his best (it's not even close), but it is one of his biggest commercial successes along with being the movie that finally earned him long-overdue Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. A remake of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Hong Kong cop thriller "Infernal Affairs," the film did big box office business because it delivered chesty performances from heavyweight thespians like Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson while trafficking in the kind of viscerally charged violence that's been a staple of Scorsese's mob movies. This one felt like it was strictly for fun, and it is precisely that. If you happen to come across it on television, you're likely sticking with it until the bloody end.

Given that "Infernal Affairs" was a massive success in Asia, you might...

Lemonada Media, the award-winning podcast network that makes life suck less, today announced a new partnership with Gretchen Rubin Media — the media company led by #1 New York Times Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin — to oversee ad sales and distribution for the company's audio portfolio. The partnership will include award-winning mental health podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin which offers practical, thought-provoking insights into happiness and good habits. Additional Gretchen Rubin Media shows joining the network in 2025 include Happier in Hollywood, hosted by Liz Craft and Sarah Fain, and Side Hustle School, hosted by Chris Guillebeau.

"I can’t think of a better way to start the new year than by partnering with Gretchen Rubin Media to continue our mission of creating and amplifying audio content that makes life suck less," said Jessica Cordova Kramer, Lemonada’s Co-Founder and CEO. "Gretchen Rubin has been a pioneer in bringing actionable and accessible happiness research to the masses,...

Ralph DeLuca has carved out a rare niche for himself as the go-to art adviser of Hollywood’s A-list. The no-nonsense New Jersey native is on first-name terms with most major gallerists and counts blue-chip celebrity collectors like Sylvester Stallone and Leonardo DiCaprio as clients as well as friends. Other top-tier advisees include Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw. If you’re heading to the Dec. 6-8 Art Basel, keep an eye out for him: He’s the bushy eyebrowed, shaven-headed force of nature squiring boldfaced names to the best booths in the fair.

DeLuca, 47, started out on Wall Street before pivoting to collectibles more than 20 years ago. It was legendary dealer Tony Shafrazi who suggested he upgrade to art. DeLuca proved a natural: curious, unflappable and direct. “I don’t have a formal education. I come from nothing. But I have my reputation,” he says.

Even for the most proactive Martin Scorsese completionists, there is always one blind spot in their mission to watch every single one of the iconic director's films. Those who love all his work long to watch Kundun, but unfortunately, it's a film that's been out of mainstream circulation for years. Scorsese's 1997 religious historical epic has always been nearly impossible to track down, perhaps purposefully so by its studio, since its initial release. On the surface, Kundun seems like an obscure curio in his rich filmography due to the outlier nature of its subject. Few could have predicted that Scorsese would be fascinated by the life of the 14th Dalai Lama in Tibet, but when you interpret it as a whole greater than the sum of its parts, Kundun features various Scorsese hallmarks of faith and redemption.

This year’s Dharamshala International Film Festival is showcasing the talents of female directors from across Asia and around the world. Twenty-four of the 45 feature films being presented at the November event in India will be directed by women. Festival director Ritu Sarin says she is “proud” of the strong female representation in the diverse selection of films.

The opening night film on November 7th will be “All We Imagine as Light” by Indian director Payal Kapadia. Her film secured the prestigious Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. India has not had a Palme d’Or competition entry in 30 years. The closing night honors on November 10th go to “Pooja, Sir” by Nepali director Deepak Rauniyar, which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

Notable international films include “Separated” by acclaimed American documentarian Errol Morris and Golden Lion winner “The Room Next Door” from Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar.

India’s Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff) has unveiled its lineup for its 13th edition, with female filmmakers helming more than half of the feature selections. The festival, running Nov. 7-10, will screen over 80 films from 28 countries.

Opening the festival is Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” which nabbed the Grand Prix at Cannes and marked India’s first Palme d’Or competition entry in three decades. Deepak Rauniyar’s “Pooja, Sir,” fresh from its Venice premiere, will serve as the closing night feature.

The international slate includes Venice titles “Separated” from Errol Morris and Pedro Almodóvar’s Golden Lion winner “The Room Next Door.” The festival secured Busan New Currents Award recipient “Ma – Cry of Silence” by The Maw Naing and “Agent of Happiness” by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó, which topped Biografilm 2024.

Notable Indian selections feature Sundance Audience Award winner “Girls Will Be Girls” by Shuchi Talati,...

Richard Gere has never won an Oscar, and if history holds true, he might not be winning one anytime soon. In fact, the actor, who first rose to fame for his turn in films like "American Gigolo" and "An Officer and a Gentleman," didn't show his face at the Academy Awards ceremony for two decades after he was reportedly blacklisted from the awards following a political speech he gave in 1993.

In case you didn't see the moment in question live, it's worth noting that Gere was a sex symbol and a huge deal in Hollywood in the early '90s, and letting him present the Oscar for Best Art Direction was no doubt good for the show's then still-high ratings. When he stepped on stage that night, America was still gripped with leftover "Pretty Woman" fever, and Gere would go on to make some of his best films (including "Primal Fear...

Richard Gere and his wife Alejandra Silva couldn’t keep their arms off each other at the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland on Tuesday.

The pair looked loved-up as they posed together on the green carpet at the Wisdom of Happiness screening.

The Hollywood actor and activist looked happier than ever together as they were seen in full embrace for photographs.

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Gere, the movie’s executive producer, wore a black tux, while Silva wore a white gown with silver detailing.

Wisdom of Happiness is a documentary that captures the Dalai Lama in an intimate way.

At nearly 90 years old, the Tibetan leader shares his wisdom on what it takes to find peace, happiness and compassion while offering advice on conquering 21st-century hardships.

After two years of dating, Gere and Silva married in 2018 and later welcomed their two sons.

Richard Gere and wife Alejandra are enjoying a night out at the 2024 Zurich Film Festival!

The 75-year-old Pretty Woman actor and his wife, 41, showed off some cute Pda on the green carpet at the premiere of Wisdom of Happiness on Tuesday (October 8) held at Corso in Zurich, Switzerland.

For the premiere, Richard looked sharp in a black tux while Alejandra donned a cream and silver sparkling dress.

Keep reading to find out more…Richard serves as an executive producer for Wisdom of Happiness, which was co-directed by the Swiss filmmakers Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis.

“In this film, the Dalai Lama speaks directly to the audience and explains why the 21st century should become the century of compassion. The spiritual teacher manages to captivate us and touch our hearts – even those which have turned into stone from stress and the toughness of everyday life. A meditative cinematic experience that reverberates...

The 20th Zurich Film Festival will showcase the world premiere of “Wisdom of Happiness,” a new documentary about the Dalai Lama. The film offers a rare look at the monk’s personal views on finding inner peace and happiness. It will debut October 3-13 during the festival in Zurich, Switzerland.

“Wisdom of Happiness” includes conversations where the Dalai Lama directly addresses viewers. Now approaching 90 years old, he shares timeless guidance on cultivating compassion and navigating today’s complex world. Festival attendees will see previously unreleased historical footage from the Tibetan government archives, which helps tell the story of how the Dalai Lama took on his spiritual role at age four.

Famous actor and producer Richard Gere executive produced the film and will attend its premiere. He believes “Wisdom of Happiness” can profoundly impact how audiences see themselves and humanity. Gere said he hopes the film has a “long and impactful life.

Exclusive: The Zurich Film Festival has set Richard Gere as a star guest for its 20th anniversary edition which runs October 3-13. Gere will attend the world premiere of Swiss documentary Wisdom of Happiness on which he is an executive producer. Deadline has the first trailer from the film which features the Dalai Lama as he speaks directly to the audience, creating what is billed “a meditative cinema experience that resonates long after.” Check out the trailer above.

In Zurich, Gere will be accompanied by fellow exec producer Oren Moverman as well as the Dalai Lama’s sister, Jetsun Pema and the Prime Minister of Tibet in Exile, Sikyong Penpa Tsering. Also in attendance will be the directors, Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis, as well as director of photography Manuel Bauer. Autlook Filmsales is handling the global rights to the film, including the U.S.

Wisdom of Happiness is described...

Richard Gere and director Oren Moverman have signed on as an executive producers on “Wisdom of Happiness,” a new documentary about Dalai Lama.

Directed by Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis, “Wisdom of Happiness” features the Dalai Lama, 89, speaking directly to the camera about the universal quest for inner peace and happiness and the potential for a peaceful and happy 21st century.

“This is a small movie that can have a big impact on the future,” says Gere, a longtime student and friend of the Dalai Lama.

Moverman adds: “As a filmmaker I am deeply grateful for the invitation to join this truly unique movie that so beautifully paints loving kindness into a pictorial landscape. Gifting the audience a viewing experience like no other, ‘Wisdom of Happiness’ celebrates our common humanity by way of a wise and surprisingly entertaining messenger.”

Currently in production, the documentary is set for a fourth-quarter release.

At one point in Bad Boys: Ride or Die, one of the principal characters announces, “This is some dysfunctional shit!” With self-aware comments like that, who needs film critics? Not that reviews will matter to the devoted fans of the action-comedy buddy cop franchise that began three decades ago and whose antecedents date as far back as 1974’s Freebie and the Bean and Busting (feel free to cite even earlier ones). It’s a durable concept, even if this fourth installment feels more than a little strained.

Watching Will Smith’s Mike and Martin Lawrence’s Marcus go through their familiar comedic bickering routines has become like spending an evening with a long-married couple whose constant sniping has grown wearisome. In the opening scene, Mike chides Marcus for his addiction to junk food and you think, “Again?”

His concern proves apt, however, since not long afterward, while frenziedly dancing at Mike’s wedding,...

Tibet House US was founded at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who at the inauguration in 1987 stated his wish for a long-term cultural institution to ensure the survival of Tibetan civilization and culture, whatever the political destiny of the six million people of Tibet itself.

Tibet House US is dedicated to preserving Tibet’s unique culture at a time when it is confronted with extinction on its own soil. By presenting Tibetan civilization and its profound wisdom, beauty, and special art of freedom to the people of the world, we hope to inspire others to join the effort to protect and save it.

Tibet House US is part of a worldwide network of Tibetan institutions committed to ensuring that the light of the Tibetan spirit never disappears from the face of this earth.

Celebrity supporters

Tibet House US has 27 known supporters, including Sting, Russell Simmons, and Hugh Jackman...

Jeopardy! contestants have shared some interesting anecdotes over the past 60 years, including Austin Rogers meeting the Dalai Lama and Meike Olin dating five men in one day. However, Ferdinand Percentie’s personal tale on Monday’s (April 29) episode is going to take some beating. And fans are wondering if it was the best anecdote ever. As reported by The Mirror, during the show’s anecdote section, Percentie revealed to host Ken Jennings that his grandmother inspired the hit Jimmy Buffett song “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Percentie said his family comes from a small island in the Bahamas, Harbor Island, and “According to family lore, Jimmy Buffett came to the hotel/restaurant my grandma founded and [he] had a cheeseburger there. That was his inspiration to write Cheeseburger in Paradise.” Jennings was impressed, telling Percentie, “Your grandmother’s cheeseburgers were so good that he wrote a hit song about them. That is amazing.

I’m not sure if there’s a rulebook regarding how to watch a stand-up, but the first rule should always be: don’t go into it with any kind of presumption. When I read the description of the latest Neal Brennan comedy special on Netflix, titled Crazy Good, I didn’t expect it to be that hilarious. What I mean here is that I couldn’t imagine a stand-up that focuses on mental health, cryptocurrency, and the psychopathic tendencies of celebrities turning out to be “haha funny”—that too without being problematic. But Brennan has clearly managed to achieve that here. In Crazy Good, Brennan does get into everything that’s mentioned in the description provided by Netflix, and while he acknowledges the seriousness of so many of these matters, he also succeeds at getting some genuine laughter out of it. And it’s not an easy thing to do,...

Indian director-producer Karan Johar wrapped up the conference section of the first Cinevesture International Film Festival with a lively conversation that ranged from working with the right people and Bollywood’s shifting gender politics, to letting slip a few new projects from his Dharma Productions slate.

Johar, who’s having a busy year as a producer with Love Storiyaan on Prime Video and Showtime on Disney+ Hotstar, started the session by talking about how he surrounds himself with people “who know all facets of cinema, not just the mainstream” – even if they’ve been outspoken critics of his work in the past.

He used the example of indie maverick Anurag Kashyap, and producer Somen Mishra, now head of content at Dharma and its Ott division Dharmatic Entertainment, who used to slate him on the popular ‘Passion of Cinema’ blog.

“I think I was their favorite target. But when Rensil D’Silva...

Italian animation auteur Alessandro Rak – best known for European Film Award-winner “The Art of Happiness” and Neapolitan mob fable “Cinderella The Cat” – is at work on a new project titled “The Little Prince of Shangri-La” set in an imaginary Tibet and involving the search for the Dalai Lama.

Rak’s new work, which follows “Yaya and Lenny — The Walking Liberty,” that launched in 2021 from Locarno, was unveiled earlier this month at the Cartoon Movie co-production and pitch forum in Bordeaux, France.

As seen in this exclusive teaser provided to Variety, Rak’s new feature is set in an imaginary time that appears to blend present and past.

“The 13th Dalai Lama has just died,” reads the provided synopsis, and “The armies of the terrible Warlord are at the gates.” The fate of Tibet seems sealed. “But a vision emerges from the waters of the Great Lake of Prophecies. Does it...

“Do I look like a monk?” Chloë Sevigny asks the room.

We’re in the Lower East Side apartment of Chris Peters, the head designer of the fashion label Puppets and Puppets, and Sevigny is trying on the sequined gown she plans to wear at a fundraiser for Tibet House that night. But she worries the outfit’s long sleeve, which begins at the hem, drapes around Sevigny’s neck like a scarf, and extends to her left wrist, evokes the robes favored by the Buddhist figures whose traditions the organization highlights. As the sun beats through Peters’ window, cascading along the dress’s spangles and filling the room with reflected light, Sevigny is more reminiscent of a disco ball than the Dalai Lama.

Peters quickly reassures her. “I wouldn’t say it feels monastic. It’s an odd kind of ’30s glam. You look incredible.”

Sevigny tilts her head,...

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Gyatso's name connects to the real-life Dalai Lama, reflecting the Tibetan monk culture portrayed in the show. The Air Nomads in Avatar are based on Tibetan monks, with other cultures lending themselves to the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation. Gyatso's link to the Dalai Lama hints at a character in the sequel, The Legend of Korra, named Tenzin.

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender includes the character of Monk Gyatso, an Air Nomad tied to Aang's history whose name contains two interesting Easter eggs. More so than the original show, Netflix's live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender focused on the relationship between Aang and Gyatso. From Gyatso exploring how Aang got the markings of an Airbending Master to the tragic genocide of the Air Nomads, Netflix's The Last Airbender showcased elements of Gyatso's life that were not...

A robotic bust with a face modeled on a middle-aged woman who responds to questions using ChatGPT technology, Bina48 is a rather strange concoction. She sounds passably smart but definitely machine-like, looks nothing like a human being and yet the people behind her claim that she is the early prototype for how people could conquer death and live forever. In Sundance doc “Love Machina,” director Peter Sillen tries to find an answer for why Bina48 came to exist, yet ends up revealing the hubris of the people behind her.

The married couple at the center of the narrative, Martine and Bina Rothblatt, talk about meeting and falling in love in an attempt to get at the strength of their connection. Bina48 was developed with the idea that they would transfer their consciousness to the robot, through what they call an “AI mind file.” They started with Bina Rothblatt and based the bust on her likeness,...

Marvel's "Change Agents" concept in its latest Captain America diminishes the bravery and commitment of real-life activists and heroes. Labeling historical figures as magical "Change Agents" removes the agency exhibited by these individuals and portrays their contributions as pre-ordained. This story takes away from Captain America's symbolism as a hero who inspires others, as it suggests his qualities are solely due to being chosen by a magical force.

Warning: Contains spoilers for Captain America #3!!

Captain America is often defined by his bravery and willingness to stand up for what is right, no matter the cost – and while Marvel's recent storyline focusing on "Change Agents" seeks to highlight his potential to change the world, the lore instead creates a problematic retelling of real history, erasing the bravery and fortitude shown by those who championed change.

Marvel's recent Captain America series – written by J. Michael Straczynski, with art by Jesús Saíz and Lan Medina,...

André 3000’s debut solo album, New Blue Sun, is out now via Epic Records. Stream it on Apple Music or Spotify below.

The eight-song improvisational instrumental album is different from what fans might be expecting from the OutKast rapper: completely bar-free and no beats. Alongside the jazz musings of co-producer Carlos Niño, core sounds on the record include guitar, synth, and live sampling courtesy of Nate Mercereau, with Surya Botofasina on keyboards and synthesizers. André 3000 himself plays a variety of different wind instruments, including a digital wind instrument, a Maya flute, and others made of wood and bamboo.

“I’ve been interested in winds for a long time, so it was just a natural progression for me to go into flutes,” André said in a statement. “I just like messing with instruments and I gravitated mostly toward wind.”

With long-running tracks and equally long-winded song titles, André’s new...

André 3000 will release his debut solo album New Blue Sun this Friday, marking his first full-length LP since his group Outkast released its last record 17 years ago.

The November 17 release date was announced by André during an exclusive interview this morning with NPR. Though welcome news to fans, André cautioned that the new work might not be what longtime Outkast listeners might expect.

According to André, New Blue Sun will be “an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds; a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living, breathing, aural organism.” Released on Sony Music’s Epic Records, the album packaging will include a label stating “Warning No Bars,” meaning no rapped lyrics.

During the interview with NPR’s Rodney Carmichael, André said, “I don’t want to troll people. I don’t want people to think, Oh, this André 3000 album is coming! And you play it and like,...

Calls for André 3000 to release a solo record, or another recording with Outkast, have followed the musician for nearly two decades. It’s been 17 years since the last Outkast album, and the expectations around his musical output have only grown in that time — meanwhile, he has been roaming around various cities puttering around with his flute. That meandering has brought André 3000 to New Blue Sun, his debut solo album, set for release on Friday, Nov. 17.

Part of finally coming around to releasing a new body of work was...

André 3000 has announced the release of his long-awaited debut album, New Blue Sun, which will arrive on November 17th.

Right up front, however the OutKast rapper warns fans that the album is not a rap record. The cover artwork says as much, as it includes a label warning that the album contains “no bars.” Instead, according to NPR Music, New Blue Sun is an 87-minute collection of minimalist and experimental music featuring André 3000 playing a variety of flutes and other wind instruments. There are no bars, no beats, no vocals.

“I don’t want to troll people. I don’t want people to think, Oh, this André 3000 album is coming! And you play it and like, ‘Oh man, no verses,’ André 3000 said in an interview with NPR. “So even actually on the packaging, you’ll see it says, ‘Warning: no bars.’ It’s letting you know what it is off the top.

Martin Scorsese's upcoming film "Killers of the Flower Moon" is generating pre-release excitement due to its acclaimed source material and well-cast ensemble. Scorsese's previous works, such as "Silence" and "Shutter Island," demonstrate his ability to take on ambitious period epics and create suspenseful mysteries. "Killers of the Flower Moon" aligns with Scorsese's conscious efforts to shed light on diverse chapters of history, just like his film "Kundun" which depicts the Dalai Lama's childhood.

After months of delays, Martin Scorsese’s ambitious historical murder mystery Killers of the Flower Moon is finally releasing in theaters this October (that will be followed by an Apple TV+ streaming release eventually). Based on the novel of the same name, the epic is set in 1920s-era America and focuses on the tragic aftermath of the Osage Native American tribe finding oil in Oklahoma’s Osage County. With the FBI investigating the murders...

Dharamsala, Aug 24 (Ians) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on

the successful moon landing of the Chandrayaan-3.

In a message, His Holiness said “the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 is a tribute to the people of India who have devoted their attention to

scientific development since ancient times.”

“I would like to applaud the head of the Indian Scientific Research Organisation (Isro) and his team for their dedication that has made the

mission possible. They have demonstrated India’s scientific and technological maturity.”

“As the longest staying guest of India, I rejoice at this great triumph,” he said, adding, “I am confident that the Indian Scientific Research Organisation will continue to strengthen its leadership role in further scientific endeavours.”

The elderly Buddhist monk concluded his message with prayers and good wishes.

–Ians

vg/shb...

This article contains spoilers for How To Become A Cult Leader episode 5.

How to Become a Cult Leader provides a terse, yet encouraging, look at some of the history’s most notorious cult leaders across history. Narrated by Peter Dinklage, the Netflix series offers “tips” on how to break into this growing field, offering six half-hour episodes of cautionary tales.

Episode 5 focuses on Shoko Asahara, leader of the meditation and yoga cult Aum Shinrikyo. On March 20, 1995, the group released plastic bags containing homemade sarin, a toxic nerve gas, on five subway lines of the Tokyo Metro during rush-hour. The gas killed 13 people and injured over 6,000. As the documentary points out, a second but failed attempt was made on the subways using Zyklon B, hydrogen cyanide. These weren’t the first casualties of the sect’s run.

Reverend Shoko Asahara was born Chizuo Matsumoto on March 2, 1955, in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture.

The fifth episode, unlike the last four, is more about how a cult leader can cultivate a positive image of themselves among their followers. The leader tries too hard to build such an image because that is the only way to remain in power and relevant. How to Become a Cult Leader now discusses Shoko Asahara, the man who led the deadly cult of Aum Shinrikyo. Why did we call it deadly? Read to the end of the article to understand how the man went from a cult leader to someone willing to do anything to keep his image alive.

The episode begins with the narrator and experts talking about how Shoko Asahara, before he chose to be a cult leader, was a television personality, the owner of a bento box franchise, and had the inherent quality of being good at publicizing himself. Every cult leader out there is great...

Pact Hires International Boss From UK Government

UK producer trade body Pact has mined the government’s Department for Business and Trade for its next international boss. Ross Lewis replaces Dawn McCarthy-Simpson in the Head of International and Projects post after seven years as Senior Account Manager for Screen (Film and TV) & Publishing with the government department. Lewis will help Pact’s hundreds-strong member base develop export strategies, discover global opportunities by addressing trade barriers such as regulatory or access and seek new business opportunities across key territories. He will also manage existing Pact projects. During his government stint, Lewis helped Pact with delegations that headed to Mipcom in 2016 and Realscreen in 2023, along with multiple markets inbetween. “Over the past 15 years we have seen massive growth in international sales and it is important to us to continue to support indies in exporting overseas,” said Pact CEO John McVay. “We are...

The '90s had a plethora of great movies that are considered classics today, and in the age of streaming many can be enjoyed on one platform as some of the best '90s movies are on Netflix. The decade boasted some iconic movies, from the epic romance Titanic to the cerebral science fiction of The Matrix, and even the introduction of a certain spy played by Michael Myers all came within the same decade. The '90s had a bit of everything from romance, thrillers, drama, and comedy, and everything in between, making it one of the best decades in cinema. Much of the cream of the '90s crop can now be viewed on Netflix too.

The '90s was a changing decade in movies. The slasher franchises of the late '70s and early '80s slashers were revived, sequels to popular late '80s hits were made,...

The release of The Little Mermaid—the latest in a long line of live-action remakes of Disney’s animated classics—brought with it a hell of a lot of discourse. Much of the noise surrounding this film, which received mostly solid reviews, was blatantly bad-faith, obsessed with the apparent fantastical notion of a Black woman in a leading role.

At a time when forced culture wars so thoroughly dominate every entertainment-related topic, navigating the racism swarming around The Little Mermaid has been tough. And the distressing realities of this bigotry reared its ugly head after it was reported that the film was struggling in key foreign markets, apparently in part because of racist backlash. More damning still for the film’s box office, The Hollywood Reporter cited headlines from government-affiliated publications in China that claimed The Little Mermaid suffered from “forced inclusion of minorities in classic films.”

Not so long ago,...

New Delhi, June 10 (Ians) As people search for “sanely run” Twitter alternatives, Meta’s upcoming micro-blogging platform will use Instagram’s account system to automatically populate a user’s information.

Meta is in discussions with big celebrities to become early users of its Twitter alternative, like Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama and DJ Slime, reports The Verge.

The new standalone app will be based on Instagram and integrate with ‘ActivityPub’, the decentralised social media protocol,Athe report noted.

The project was first named Project 92. Now, it is also known as ‘Threads’ and Meta employees were recently shown a preview of the app, which will be based on Instagram.

The Twitter-like app will “theoretically allow users of the new app to take their accounts and followers with them to other apps that support ActivityPub, including Mastodon”.

“We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run,...

Martin Scorsese is making another film inspired by religion.

The famed director, fresh off his “Killers of the Flower Moon” standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival, met with Pope Frances at the Vatican in Italy, where he announced his plans to create a film about Jesus.

“I have responded to the Pope’s appeal to artists in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus,” Scorsese reportedly announced during a conference in Rome on Saturday, as per Variety.

Read More: 'Killers Of The Flower Moon’ Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio And Robert De Niro Star In Martin Scorsese’s New Epic

“And I’m about to start making it,” the Oscar winner added.

Prior to the conference, Scorsese and his wife, Helen Morris, were introduced to Pope Francis during a private audience.

Variety also reports that Antonio Spadaro – the editor of the...

Fresh from his standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival for his latest film Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese has taken a tour of Italy, including a meeting with Pope Frances in the Vatican, where the Oscar winner also announced his plans to make a film about Jesus.

Variety reports that Scorsese told a conference in Rome on Saturday that he had been inspired to respond to an appeal by the Pontiff for artists – “in the only way I know how, by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus. And I’m about to start making it.”

Before the conference titled “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination,” Scorsese and his wife Helen were introduced to Pope Francis during a private audience.

According to Variety, Antonio Spadaro – the editor of the periodical which organised the conference -reported that the conversation between Pope and director included shared film references and anecdotes,...