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Home , Marko Hietala, Nigel Ng, Paul Bettany, Regina King

Established 1961 13 Lifestyle Features Thursday, January 14, 2021

Vogue cover photo of a casual give Harris “due respect.” Social media need,” Wintour said. Harris, 56, has not Vice President-elect Kamala Harris users also slammed the photo’s lighting publicly reacted but sources close to her Ahas sparked controversy, with crit- and questioned whether the magazine have told US media that she was sur- ics saying it diminishes the politician’s had lightened Harris’s skin. “Obviously prised by the choice of the more relaxed achievements, forcing editor Anna we have heard and understood the reac- photo. Wintour to defend the image Tuesday. tion to the print cover and I just want to The controversy is the latest to engulf Criticism of the cover has spread on reiterate that it was absolutely not our Wintour, who found herself under pres- social media since it was released on intention to, in any way, diminish the sure during the massive Black Lives Sunday, with users insisting that what importance of the Vice President-elect’s Matter protests that swept the US last they see as a poorly composed portrait of incredible victory,” Wintour said in a summer. She apologized for not making Harris wearing sneakers is disrespectful statement to New York Times reporter enough room for Black stylists and pho- to the first Black woman to be elected Kara Swisher. Swisher, host of the pod- tographers in the magazine. Wintour vice president. The photo-in which Harris cast “Sway,” also broadcast a rare inter- added that she also took “full responsibili- also wears a blazer and jeans-was taken view with Wintour Tuesday that was car- ty” for “publishing images or stories that by American photographer Tyler Mitchell, ried out before the controversy. have been hurtful or intolerant.” Rumors who in 2018 became the first Black pho- that she would resign circulated, but the tographer to shoot a Vogue cover with his ‘Positive change’ British-born 71-year-old-described by portraits of music icon Beyonce. In the interview, the artistic director of Forbes magazine in 2017 as the “most It was this image that Wintour chose to Vogue’s publisher, Conde Nast, powerful woman” in media-has remained grace the cover of the hard copy of the describes the cover as “just so joyful and at the helm of Vogue. “We’ve heard the February issue, rather than a more formal optimistic.” “I cannot imagine that there’s complaints and the issues that have been This combination of pictures shows two handout photo courtesy of Vogue, of US Vice President- portrait of Harris in a light blue anyone that really is going to find this raised by everybody who works at Conde elect Kamala Harris in a Michael Kors Collection suit on the February 2021 cover of Vogue maga- Kors pantsuit, which was also taken by cover anything but that, and positive, and Nast and we’re working towards, I think, a zine (left) and against colors inspired by those of her Howard university sorority, Alpha Kappa Mitchell. Writing in the Washington Post, an image of a woman in control of her life lot of very positive change,” she told Alpha, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (right) as she wears a Donald Deal jacket and fashion critic Robin Givhan said the print who is going to bring us with the presi- Swisher. — AFP Converse sneakers on the February 2021 cover of Vogue magazine. — AFP cover was “overly familiar” and did not dent-elect the leadership that we so

hen the Marvel superhero Galaxy,’ ‘Thor: Ragnarok’... they’re con- movies reached their box office- stantly playing around with genre and Wshattering climax in 2019, tone and doing things that other people nobody could have predicted the saga’s thought were pretty bonkers,” he said. next installment would be a kitsch, “That worked out great in the end. And black-and-white TV sitcom called ‘WandaVision’ definitely is a big swing... In this file photo Best Director nominee and In this file photo US actor Leonardo Di Caprio “WandaVision.” But a lot has changed it’s very different.”— AFP Best Original Screenplay nominee for “Vice” arrives at a social restaurant that aims to help since Iron Man and friends saved the Adam McKay and wife Shira Piven arrive for the homeless in Edinburgh, Scotland ahead of world in that summer’s all-time record- the 91st Annual at the Dolby his appearance this evening at the Scottish grossing blockbuster “Avengers: Theatre in Hollywood, . Business Awards. — AFP photos Endgame” (and mopped up some loose plot points in “Spider-Man: Far From produced by Jay-Z and with a primarily Home” shortly thereafter.) The wildly Black cast including Regina King and popular franchise of 23 interconnected Netflix Idris Elba, also promises to be one to look movies has ground to a halt along with out for. But the list included premier dates the rest of the world as Covid-19 shut- for only 10 of the titles-from early January tered movie theaters, delaying “Black to mid-March. The announcement-via a Widow” and other big-screen superhero In this file photo (From left) US actress announces 70 brochure on the streamer’s website-was sequels. , English-US actor Paul accompanied by a short video presented Meanwhile parent company Disney Bethany and US actress Teyonah Parris speak UK-based comedian has by “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot, has splashed out billions bringing its on stage for the Marvel panel in Hall H of the sparked a censorship row star-packed “Jumanji” lead Dwayne Johnson and biggest franchises and characters to the Convention Center during Comic Con in San Aafter he apologized to “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds. The Disney+ TV platform, as it locks horns Diego, California. Chinese fans and removed a video video also features Regina King, Adrien with , HBO Max and others in the featuring a fellow YouTube star who Brody, , Sandra Bullock, spendthrift “streaming wars.” So here to three well-received episodes, which are had been critical of Beijing. 2021 films , Jeremy Irons-even finally push onward the over-arching plot remarkable mainly for humorous set- Malaysian-born stand-up Nigel Ng Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer of Marvel’s “cinematic universe” is pieces in which the pair narrowly avoid has become a viral sensation in Lawrence-showcasing the several Oscar “WandaVision,” an oddball and fiercely revealing their secret to nosy neighbors. recent months with his character lready the master of 2020’s pan- winners Netflix has snagged for their 2021 original series out Friday on Disney+. It “The (Marvel) movies are hilarious “Uncle Roger”, an alter-ego based demic-era movie landscape, Netflix season. stars witch Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth and that’s definitely a huge part of their on a disapproving middle-aged man Aon Tuesday offered a preview of The directors featured on the slate Olsen), and other-worldly android secret sauce,” said Shakman, who drew who critiques bad attempts at mak- upcoming 2021 releases, a list with no include notable names such as Jane (Paul Bettany), two B-list superheroes influence from his background on other ing Asian cuisine. His video of a hor- fewer than 70 star-studded feature films. Campion for “The Power of the Dog,” who struck up an unlikely but fan-favorite TV comedies including “It’s Always rified Uncle Roger watching a BBC The sneak peek is unusual for the stream- and Lin-Manuel Miranda in romance across several recent Marvel Sunny in Philadelphia.” “The number one presenter butcher fried rice has ing giant, which historically has dropped both of their first spins behind the camera. films. “WandaVision” finds them-without rule that we learned on ‘Sunny’ is if it racked up more than 20 million views news of only one film at a time-a testa- Johnson, Gadot and Reynolds will appear explanation-living happily married in the makes us laugh, it will make other peo- on his YouTube channel. The video ment to its clout as it easily surpasses the in “Red Notice,” an action film with a $160 idyllic 1950s town of Westview, which is ple laugh.” Beyond the gags, starved was also widely ripped and shared release volume of every Hollywood studio. million budget, according to US media. seemingly lifted straight from an episode Marvel obsessives are itching to find out inside China. But Ng now finds him- From drama, comedy and science fiction Netflix did not respond to an AFP query of “Bewitched” or “I Love Lucy” (com- what has happened to their favorite self at the centre of a storm over digi- to horror and even Westerns, the slate will about which-if any-of its 2021 films would tal content creators bowing to take in every major film genre before the also receive theatrical releases. The pre- Chinese censorship-even on plat- year is out, with some releases poised as view came as Warner Bros. dropped its forms that cannot be accessed potential competition for major awards. own slate, revealing that it would release inside the authoritarian mainland. Among the most-anticipated titles is all 17 of its 2021 titles simultaneously in The comedian’s presence in “Don’t Look Up,” from filmmaker Adam theaters and on HBO MAX. — AFP China is relatively small: his account McKay of “The Big Short” and “Vice” fame on the -like Weibo platform and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. has just 125,000 followers compared “The Harder They Fall,” a Western co- to the three million subscribers on YouTube, a website that is blocked by China’s censors. On Tuesday Ng posted a message on Weibo announcing he had deleted a video which featured Mike Chen, a popular American food blogger and YouTuber. “During the cooperation between me and the YouTuber, I wasn’t aware of his political thoughts and the incorrect remarks he had made on China,” Ng wrote, adding the video featuring Chen had created “nega- tive social impact”. During the video- copies of which were still available In this file photo (From left) President of /Producer Kevin Feige, actors Chris online-Ng and Chen review another Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, , Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy food presenter’s attempts to make This file photo shows (right) and Marco Hietala of the band performing Renner attends the Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Endgame’ cast place their hand prints in cement dumplings. There is no discussion of at the City National Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. — AFP at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX Forecourt , in Hollywood, California. — AFP photos politics. But Chen is frequently criti- cal of Beijing on own social media plete with canned laughter track.) characters. Marvel has produced platforms, writing posts about human They still have superpowers, but have dozens of TV series before, but rights abuses in Hong Kong and traded battles with genocidal villains for “WandaVision” is the first confirmed to against China’s Uighur Muslim a cozy world of school fundraisers, fit-somehow-into the films’ grand, shared minority. He also highlights Beijing’s neighborhood watch meetings and storyline. An explosion of fan theories pursuit of the , a religious anniversary dinners. If that sounds has tried to solve these riddles, not least sect that has been banned by main- he bass player of the Finnish sym- saw their 2007 “Dark Passion incredibly weird, it is. “When I first heard how the show gets around Vision’s death land authorities. Ng did not respond phonic metal band Nightwish Play” reach number one in six countries the pitch of the show, I was gobs- in 2018 film “Avengers: Infinity War.” to requests for comment. Tannounced Tuesday he was leaving and make platinum in Germany. With macked,” admitted director Matt “There is so much anticipation for the But Chen decried the decision to the group, citing his mental health and international sales of over nine million, Shakman. “There are so many shows out show,” said Shakman. “The ‘why’ of it all delete the video and said it illustrat- disillusionment with the music industry. Nightwish are the most successful metal there on streaming right now-to find is part of the great mystery of the show,” ed China’s growing sway over artists Nightwish, whose original members export from , the country which a something that feels so special, like it he explained. beyond its borders. “I do think that came from Kitee town close to the 2012 analysis claimed has the world’s hasn’t been done before, that’s really what happened here is the result of Finnish-Russian border, rose to interna- highest concentration of metal bands per rare,” he told AFP. “And this definitely is ‘Crazy risks’ the ’s cen- tional fame in the 2000s thanks to their capita. Other noteworthy headbangers one of those.” “WandaVision” is just the first of a sorship, even if it wasn’t direct cen- epic compositions and the operatic from the Nordic nation include HIM, dozen Marvel series in the works for sorship,” he said.—AFP vocals of classically trained singer Tarja Apocalyptica and Lordi, whose monster ‘Secret sauce’ Disney+. Bosses hope the shows can Turunen. “I have some reinventing to hit “Hard Rock Hallelujah” bagged Of course, all is not what it seems. emulate the small-screen crossover suc- do,” Marko Hietala said in a statement on Finland its first Eurovision win in 2006. Mystery shrouds the arrival of Wanda cess of “Star Wars” smash hit “The Twitter, adding: “It’s dangerous for me Two weeks ago , frontman of and Vision in their bizarre new home, Mandalorian,” which has sent sub- and the people around me if I continue.” the Finnish group Children of Bodom, and some neighbors appear to know scribers to the new platform in their The 54-year-old accused music execu- died aged 41 following “long-term health more than they initially let on. Trailers droves. But while “Star Wars” films have tives of squeezing artists and “unfairly issues,” according to his bandmates. suggest that later episodes will hop traditionally stuck to a fairly rigid “space sharing the profits”. Hietala joined the The virtuoso player was named Best through time and bring Marvel fans the Western” formula, Marvel have never group in 2001 as and second Metal Guitarist in 2009 by the readers of more familiar popcorn action sequences been afraid to experiment, said vocalist, while Turunen later fell out with Guitar World magazine, public broad- they have been craving-and, indeed, Shakman. co-founder and keyboardist Tuomas caster YLE reported. — AFP scenes shot in color. Keeping plot under “They have been taking these crazy Malaysian-born stand-up Nigel Ng Holopainen and left the band in 2005. wraps, Marvel has shown press just risks the whole time-’Guardians of the Nonetheless the band’s cult status