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Anne Heche, ‘Wag the Dog’ and ‘Donnie Brasco’ star, has died at 53

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Anne Heche, ‘Wag the Dog’ and ‘Donnie Brasco’ star, has died at 53

“Anne Heche has been peacefully taken off life assist,” a consultant for her household informed CNN earlier Sunday night time, and later confirmed the actress’ passing.

Heche’s automotive crashed right into a Los Angeles dwelling and erupted into flames on August 5. After the accident, Heche skilled a “extreme anoxic mind harm,” depriving her mind of oxygen, amongst different essential accidents following the crash, her household and mates stated in an announcement to CNN.

Heche was an award-winning actress who appeared in movies just like the 1998 “Psycho” remake and the rom-com “Six Days Seven Nights” alongside Harrison Ford. She additionally directed a section of a 2000 HBO movie “If These Partitions Might Discuss 2” and in her 2001 memoir, she revealed her lifelong struggles with psychological sicknesses after being abused by her father.

In 1987, Heche made her TV debut on the cleaning soap opera “One other World,” a job for which she received a Daytime Emmy. After leaving the present, she started her movie profession, showing in acclaimed movies together with “Donnie Brasco” and “Wag the Canine.”

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When Heche and Ellen DeGeneres started courting in 1997 — across the similar time DeGeneres got here out in actual life and on her titular sitcom — they rapidly turned one of the well-known same-sex {couples} on the planet. The 2 separated in 2000.

Final yr, Heche informed Web page Six her relationship with DeGeneres resulted in her shedding roles, calling herself “affected person zero of cancel tradition.”

Nonetheless, she stated, she thought-about herself “a part of the change” that helped normalize same-sex relationships in mainstream tradition.

“I am part of it,” she informed Web page Six. “It’s a badge of honor.”

In her 2001 memoir, “Name Me Loopy,” she stated her father sexually abused her as a baby, and he or she skilled psychological sicknesses for a lot of the primary 30 years of her life. She informed CNN’s Larry King in an interview that yr her character fragmented between herself and a character she invented as a baby to adapt to the abuse.

“I needed to reside by a number of life to get to the place the place I’m now,” she informed King. “I needed to see truths and work by disgrace, and I am very grateful for each step that I took. I do not suppose that I might have dealt with it sooner.”

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In 2004, Heche appeared on Broadway in “Twentieth Century,” for which she was nominated for a Tony. In more moderen years, Heche returned to tv, showing on sequence like “The Courageous,” “Quantico” and “Chicago P.D.” In 2020, she competed on the twenty ninth season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Heche’s Hollywood friends responded to information of her crash with assist. Her ex-partner and “Males in Bushes” co-star James Tupper, with whom she shares certainly one of her two sons, wrote on Instagram: “Ideas and prayers for this pretty lady, actresss and mom tonight Anne Heche. We love you.”

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Grief, anger after '9-1-1' grip dies in car crash following 14-hour overnight shift

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Grief, anger after '9-1-1' grip dies in car crash following 14-hour overnight shift

A longtime and beloved studio grip died early Saturday in a car accident after pulling a 14-hour overnight shift on the TV series “9-1-1.”

Rico Priem, 66, who worked on productions including “Six Feet Under,” “Deadwood” and “American History X,” was driving home from the Pomona set of “9-1-1” when he was involved in a single-vehicle crash at about 4:30 a.m. California Highway Patrol officials said his car left the highway, traveled up an embankment, then flipped upside down on the road. Officials said the investigation was ongoing, but police on the scene said alcohol was a “suspected factor.”

The death prompted many of Priem’s colleagues, along with his union, IATSE Local 80, to call for safer working conditions for movie and television crews, noting that driving home after all-night shifts is both dangerous and a routine part of the job.

“Workers have a reasonable expectation that they can get to work and come home safely. No one should be put in unsafe circumstances while trying to earn a living,” IATSE said in a statement.

Priem’s colleagues, meanwhile, took to social media to remember Priem as a warm, fun-loving and skilled crew member, and to express their grief and their anger.

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“We have to make our industry better and safer,” one man wrote on Facebook.

Nina Moskol, also a grip on “9-1-1,” which airs on ABC, wrote on Facebook that she had worked with Priem in the days before his death, and that he had told her he was getting ready to retire and looking forward to spending more time with his wife and his grandnephew.

She called Priem’s death a “traumatic loss” and cited grueling work schedules while urging her fellow crew members to drive safely, and to accept hotel rooms if they felt tired rather than rushing home.

IATSE is currently in contract negotiations with studios, and working conditions and long shifts are among the issues being discussed.

In a statement, 20th Century Television said: ”On behalf of the studio and everyone at 9-1-1, we send our sincere and deepest condolences to Rico Priem’s family and friends.”

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The Roundup Punishment Review: Sturdy Formula

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The Roundup Punishment Review: Sturdy Formula

The Roundup: Punishment is earnest and fun enough as a turn-your-brain-off action film, but its formula is its greatest flaw as it is its strength.


Director: Heo Myeong Haeng
Genre: Action, Crime
Run Time: 109′
US Release: May 3, 2024
UK Release: May 3, 2024
Where to watch: in theaters

Korean Title: City of Crime 4
English Title: The Roundup – Punishment

I don’t think I’ll ever comprehend how movie title translations work. Then again, I shouldn’t bash the English side only. I mean, the film Fate of the Furious is translated as Furious Ride: The Extreme in Korean.

Directed by Heo Myung-haeng, The Roundup: Punishment is the fourth installment in The Roundup series, following Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok, of Train to Busan), and his battles against crime as the Seoul Police Agency lieutenant. This time, his battle is against an online gambling organization exploiting and even killing off teenagers. God help the criminals.

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Maybe that was shorter than usual, but you need to understand that this goes for The Roundup series in general. They are not complicated movies. Ma Seok-do finds a group of irredeemable criminals, and his hulking mass of muscles and an even greater sense of justice leads him on an unstoppable rampage against crime. Lots of action, just as much comedic bits, and you have the series in a nutshell; The Roundup: Punishment is no exception.

It’s easy to understand if you look at Ma Dong-seok. His filmography mainly consists of him as a physically dominant action star that also doesn’t forget a bit of heart and a little adorableness on the way. In other words, he’s the Korean equivalent of Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Liam Neeson, etc, where the actor has created a popular typecast image around himself, one that’s genuinely likeable and easy to consume. I don’t dislike these sort of actors. Yes, one could accuse them for basically playing the same character in every movie, but even creating that iconic typecast image takes genuine skill.

If Ma Dong-seok was really ctrl cv-ing his performances across his movies, then that image would have run dry very fast. Instead, while his general mannerisms and settings are similar, he brings in different bits of heart or dialogue to each of his roles, so that they are recognizable as the Ma Dong-seok brand, but still feels just different enough to watch. When this typecast imagemaking is done well, I can enjoy myself, and that certainly is the case with The Roundup: Punishment. Ma Dong-seok is a large part of what makes the film tick.

Ma Dong-seok walks with a yellow car behind him in the film The Roundup: Punishment
The Roundup: Punishment (Capelight Pictures)

But if the movie puts in no effort beyond its star, then even a strong typecast image cannot carry the entire film on its own. Thankfully, The Roundup: Punishment isn’t one of those movies. For one, the film’s action is actually a lot stronger than I expected. Ever since John Wick (2014) popularized the “steady cam” style of action, so to speak, more movies have thankfully been following its example, and this is one of them. Camera remains fairly steady, and the shots are long and clean, giving the audience enough time to take in the stunt work.

In addition, the film doesn’t forget that Ma Dong-seok isn’t the only character in the film. Seok-do’s police comrades might not get deep or largely compelling stories, but they still remain likeable and relevant in bringing in the film’s villains. They also provide the main source of this film’s comedy. Not all of them land, but they give off a general air of people who are sincere and have known each other for a long time, which gives me enough incentive to stick through even the bad jokes.

The movie also puts in a bit of effort in making its villains compelling, although in this regard, it also runs into an issue. Baek Chang-gi (Kim Mu-yeol, of The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil), a former special forces member turned criminal, doesn’t have too many iconic lines, or lines in general. But he makes up for it by bringing an air of a cold and completely serious killer, which extends to his action as well. It makes him entertaining to watch, and he comes off as a credible threat to some extent.

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But that’s the main issue, “to some extent.” And this comes back to a problem that’s not just prevalent in the film but the entire series. Ma Dong-seok is such a hulking, impressive looking badass that it’s hard to really feel like any threat is viable against him. Unless we start introducing super soldiers into the mix, any criminal is going to come off as an underdog against Seok-do.

I realize that is a part of the series’ charm: to see an unstoppable badass crush irredeemable villains. But when you’re on the fourth installment, I feel some change has to be made in that department. Either bring in someone who can match Seok-do or at least hold up better against him, or if you can’t build a credible physical threat (understandable, considering the actor’s the size of a two-ton truck), have a villain that challenges him intellectually or politically.

The Roundup: Punishment Trailer (Capelight Pictures)

In addition, while the positives I mentioned above do keep the film entertaining enough for the main lead’s charm to carry through, it also means if you can’t get on board with that primary charm, the film’s going to feel a lot more empty. Then you’ll end up noticing its paper-thin story, lack of any real deep arcs, or some plot holes and conveniences that will further take you out of the experience. As the series continued, the Ma Dong-seok magic has lost some of its initial spark, and thus the aforementioned downsides have become a lot more noticeable.

In the end, when I score the films I review, I do so on the basis of how much I was immersed and enjoying myself with it. And on that front, The Roundup: Punishment is solid. But that doesn’t mean I don’t realize how this sort of movie, and to that extent, Ma Dong-seok’s primary filmography, won’t work for others who are less forgiving of the typecast format. Even I recognize that despite being a fun time, The Roundup series needs to change soon. I hear there are 2~3 more films planned in this franchise, and I can only hope those can keep up the Ma Dong-seok formula strong, and not let it run itself into the ground.

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The Roundup: Punishment is out now globally in theaters.

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Prince William makes a surprise BAFTA TV Awards appearance after recent return to public duties

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Prince William makes a surprise BAFTA TV Awards appearance after recent return to public duties

Prince William made a surprise video appearance at the BAFTA TV Awards over the weekend to praise Floella Benjamin, a baroness, for her work with children.

The prince praised Benjamin for her philanthropy, which “supported a great number of charitable organizations [and] tirelessly campaigned for social justice,” according to U.K. outlet the Express.

The baroness, who w as a presenter on British children’s shows such as “Play School,” “Play Away,” “Jamboree” and “Fast Forward,” was receiving the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship, a lifetime achievement award for dedication to the arts.

Appearing in a prerecorded video posted by Hello!, Prince William commended her for her “groundbreaking work with children and young people” as well as her “long-standing commitment” to television broadcasting.

“You remind us of the power of empathy, compassion and action to effect positive change, and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you,” the prince said. “I’m thrilled that you are receiving the BAFTA Fellowship this evening, and I send my heartfelt congratulations.”

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Benjamin was overwhelmed by the praise. “I’ve just been floating ever since,” she told U.K. news service PA Media. “I just can’t believe this wonderful accolade is happening to me.”

William also praised Benjamin for her lifelong commitment to philanthropy: The baroness is vice president of Action for Children and Barnardo’s, both of which work with vulnerable children in the U.K. She’s also a member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children‘s Hall of Fame.

“Beyond the screen arts, Baroness Benjamin has steadfastly advocated for children’s education and welfare, supported a great number of charitable organizations, tirelessly campaigned for social justice — and as a member of the Windrush generation (of immigrants from British colonies) — she has given voice to those who faced discrimination upon arrival in the U.K.,” the prince said.

William appeared without his wife, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer. He returned to public duties in late April after taking time off to help care for her.

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