Monthly Archives: July 2022

During my hands-on demo of Immortality, the upcoming release from Her Story and Telling Lies creator Sam Barlow, I find myself closely studying the face of actor Marissa Marcel. In the movie scene I'm observing, she sits at a table in an interrogation room with a tape recorder and some files in front of her. As she smokes a cigarette, one actor leaves while another enters the scene and for just a moment, Marissa appears to break character and look out beyond the camera. Appearing to lock eyes with someone out of shot, the actor briefly smiles and I become fixated on this fleeting moment. By rewinding the reel to watch the scene play out again, I freeze the frame on her expression. Who is she smiling at? Is this just part of the act? Or I am seeing a brief glimpse of the real Marissa Marcel? With no way of knowing, I have to move on, but I'm already intrigued to find out more.

Since I only get to spend a limited amount of time with Immorality before the Tribeca demo comes to close, I'm left with more questions than answers. But its presentation, unique mechanics, and puzzling concept have already sold me on the idea of diving in deeper.

As an "interactive restoration of three movies", the mechanics of Immortality emulate Moviola machines that were originally used by filmmakers to review and edit footage. While it's not directly mentioned in my demo, it is said that the three movies starring Marissa Marcel were never released and that the actress mysteriously disappeared. In Immortality, my role is to dig a little deeper into these bizarre circumstances.

My session begins on a film grid that shows rows of footage from Marissa Marcel's career. By zooming and selecting a scene, I watch as Marissa talks to a chat show host. At any point, I can pause the sequence and enter into 'image mode'. Here, I move the cursor over key images in the footage such as a person's face, or a noticeable prop or decorative feature. By honing in on something within the scene, it then transitions or 'match cuts' into another scene that features the same prop or actor I've highlighted.

As I move over to another scene through these key images, new footage gets added to the grid to create a more complete picture of the movies. What's most striking right away is just how real and authentic it feels in both its presentation and the way you engage with it. The live-action sequences you watch have a grainy look, with outfits that make them look every bit the part of footage captured during the '60s, '70s, and '90s, and all of the performances really draw you in. The Moviola emulation also adds to the realism, as though you really have found lost footage and you're trying to make sense of it all. As I play and watch scenes and scrub the footage for notable features, I never quite know what I'll be watching next. From behind-the-scenes moments such as table reads, to snippets of different movies, and even a celebratory toast to one of the directors, I get to see snapshots of several different, disjointed moments in the timeline of each film.

What's so interesting about being drawn into different scenes is the way you may interpret them without having the whole picture. On one occasion, for example, I'm taken into what turns out to be a rehearsal sequence that begins part way through. I at first mistook it for a real confrontation between Marissa and another actor until I heard stage directions being given, but it again brought to mind that small moment when she appeared to break character during a scene. Since you're watching actors at work, it can be tricky to discern what's real and what's not as you move from one scene to the next. I find myself questioning everything and scrutinizing every action and expression to see if I can isolate when the actors are being themselves.

In another instance, I watch a movie scene being captured as it's happening before transitioning over to a different movie entirely. From the sets to the actor's costumes, and the performances themselves, it's very easy to get wrapped up in what you're watching, even when I'm not entirely sure what's happening. I feel like I only got to scratch the surface of Immortality and its mysteries before the demo ends, but I was surprised by just how invested I became in such a short amount of time. I can already see myself spending a lot of time getting lost in all of the little details and nuances of each scene in Immortality, and I can't wait to get to the root of it all when it releases on July 26, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

For more impressions from the Tribeca Games demo lineup, check out our American Arcadia preview and our As Dusk Falls preview.

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I only got a taste of Immortality, but I'm already in love with its concept and sense of mystery - Gamesradar

After not matching her own lofty standards at the 2019 Worlds and Tokyo Olympics she still won three gold medals the American swimmer was unstoppable in Budapest. She added four World titles to take her tally to 19, a number bettered only by Michael Phelps

After not matching her own lofty standards at the 2019 Worlds and Tokyo Olympics she still won three gold medals the American swimmer was unstoppable in Budapest. She added four World titles to take her tally to 19, a number bettered only by Michael Phelps

When you win two gold and two silver medals at an Olympics, you are entitled to indulge in a cheat meal of choice and relive memories of a legacy-establishing performance.

Katie Ledecky allowed herself a hamburger, savoured the time gainfully spent in the Tokyo water and ensured that the people who supported her knew how much she valued them.

But and perhaps this is one of the things that separate the greatest from the great she felt it was time for a reset. After a difficult World Championships in 2019, when she won just one gold and struggled with illness, and last years Games, where she was beaten for the first time in an individual event in three editions, Ledecky knew she had to evolve to reassert her dominance.

Seven Olympic titles and 15 World crowns werent enough; she wanted everlasting superiority in the freestyle.

Im starting to shift my mindset toward the future, but also just kind of trying to let these past five years sink in, and Tokyo especially, and my whole career up to this point, she told The Stanford Daily. Im planning on 2024. I think each Olympic cycle brings new and different challenges.

So Ledecky decided to shift base from California to Florida last October to work with Anthony Nesty, who won the 1988 Olympic butterfly gold for Suriname. An assistant for Team USA at Tokyo, Nesty had guided Bobby Finke to 800m and 1500m freestyle golds and Kieran Smith to the 400m freestyle bronze; his expertise in the distance freestyle events appealed to Ledecky.

Up for it: Ledecky says she enjoys the thrill of being chased.| Photo Credit: Getty Images

The move to Florida also offered Ledecky the valuable opportunity to train with competitors who would push her Americas top male mid-distance and distance swimmers.

I was training with a college team [Stanford University], and Im older than most of the other swimmers, she said. I didnt have too many mid-distance, distance people to train with. Im excited to be a part of the University of Floridas world-class programme and train with coach Nesty and the top-tier mid-distance and distance training group.

Ledecky, 25, had two specific challenges to counter. One was historic: she was seeking to become the oldest female World and Olympic champion in the mid-distance events over the next three years; these stamina events have long been a stronghold of the youngsters, which in swimming terms has been 23 and under. The other challenge was her own greatness: when you are already the best-ever at what you do, how much room do you have for progress?

We talk a lot about improvement, Ledecky told NBC. Of course, improvement looks a little different for me than some other people, given that my times are really hard to improve. Ive acknowledged that, and Ive learned that over the years.

So the interest in Ledeckys performance at the recent World Championships in Budapest was at an all-time high. She wouldnt face Ariarne Titmus, the woman who beat her in the 400m freestyle in Tokyo, because the Australian had decided to concentrate on the Commonwealth Games, but could Ledecky prove that her best domination wasnt behind her?

She did just that, showing that some old swimmers dont fade away as fast as they used to and that a few prodigies stay prodigious ten years into their career.

Unique style: Ledeckys pull underwater is exemplary: her early vertical forearm pull is efficient and less susceptible to injury.| Photo Credit: Getty Images

When she won the 800m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics at 15, Ledecky was a teenage sensation. Her 800m freestyle gold last Friday was a record fifth straight World title in that event, something nobody else, not even Michael Phelps, has achieved. It was also an eight consecutive triumph, across the Worlds and the Olympics, in the 800m freestyle!

I think back to London, Ledecky said. I made it a goal to not be a one-hit wonder and here we are 10 years later, so Im really proud of that and still excited for the future as well.

Ledeckys time of 8:8.04 was under four seconds off the world record she set at the 2016 Olympics. Im happy with that, she said. Fastest Ive been in a couple of years.

The timing, the fifth quickest ever, also means Ledecky has swum the 27 fastest races in the history of the womens 800m freestyle a sports monopoly, if ever there was one.

It was also her 19th gold at the Worlds, second only to Phelps 26, and her fourth at Budapest. She earlier helped USA win the 4x200 freestyle relay, two days after she won the 1500m freestyle, which came two days after she won the 400m freestyle.

She completed the 400/800/1500 triple for the fourth time at a single Worlds, more than all the other swimmers who managed the feat combined. Germanys Hannah Stockbauer, Australias Grant Hackett and Chinas Sun Yang each managed it only once.

At 25, Ledecky is older than any woman to win a World Championships distance freestyle race (400m, 800m and 1500m).

And shes not finished yet. This is just the start, which is tremendously exciting for me, said Ledecky, who said the changes to her approach are paying off. There have been a couple of things that are a little different training with the men, to try to keep up as much as I can and they push me. I hope that they feel that theyve benefited from me being there, and just a lot of work on my stroke and my rhythm.

Ledeckys stroke and rhythm are unique described as a gallop or a giddy-up, she has a slightly longer right stroke than left, in part because she breathes exclusively to her right. Her pull underwater is exemplary: her early vertical forearm pull is efficient and less susceptible to injury. She kicks less in longer races, only using a strong kick in the final stages and in shorter races.

In addition to focusing on her stroke and rhythm, Ledecky is also monitoring her competitive workload. When Phelps won eight gold medals at the 2008 Games, he swam about 3,300 metres; Ledecky swam 6,200 metres at the Olympics last year. She is looking to reduce it to the mid-5,000s in major events by dropping the 200m.

It isnt merely the total distance, although that is a major factor. The more events she enters, the less time she has to recover between races, which leaves her vulnerable to younger rivals the most formidable among them at the moment being Titmus, four years Ledeckys junior.

Titmus has had the measure of Ledecky over 400m, beating her at both the 2019 Worlds and the 2020 Olympics. The Australian also recently bettered Ledeckys world record in the 400m freestyle, which the American had set at the 2016 Olympics. Titmus thus became the first swimmer other than Ledecky to break a Ledecky world record!

Ledecky, however, retains her superiority over 800m and Titmus doesnt swim anything longer.

The rivalry has pushed both women to their best, and although they arent scheduled at this moment to compete against each other this year, they are likely to go head to head in two World Championships and the Olympics over the next two years.

I cant put myself up next to her, Titmus said of her rival. What she has done for female swimming has been insane. Shes been at this level for 10 years. To be in the conversation with her, I feel completely honoured. I wouldnt be here without her. I hope this is going to keep the battle going, give her some drive, hopefully, we can see how much faster we can keep going.

Ledecky, for her part, said she enjoys the thrill of being chased as much as she enjoyed the thrill of the chase. Its great for the sport, great to have somebody like [Titmus] to race, she said. And I know that there are other swimmers as well that are coming up that are going to be very competitive over the next couple of years. So that definitely keeps me on my toes. And I think well continue to have some great races.

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Swimming | Freestyle queen Katie Ledecky closer than ever to immortality - The Hindu

BROOMFIELD, Colo., July 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- How would you like to live forever? Maybe you'd like to be stronger, faster, and more agile while on this journey of immortality. If so, plants might be able to help you get there! Here's some steps on how plants can help you reach your goals from Backyard Farming Supply.

Solutions where you might not expectWhile no, you obviously can't live forever, consuming certain organically grown foods may be able to help you live a healthier life and cut your chances of contracting serious illnesses, like cancer. With all these health benefits, it seems like getting some organic produce into your diet isn't just another craze it's a way to protect yourself against disease and illness. If you're worried about where to start, start with what's most available in your area. Apples are always abundant in fall, so they're an easy place to start adding more fruit into your diet. Eating plant-based dishes is also a great option that many people don't take advantage of but are happy when they do.

Longevity is better understood in insectsBy better understanding insect longevity, scientists hope to unlock insights into extending human life. For example, some genetic components have been discovered that extend lifespan by up to 50 percent in some species. Some research points to plants being responsible for extended life spans in insects such as fruit fliesbut whether similar plant compounds can slow aging in humans.

A plant-based diet extends lifeNew studies show that a plant-based diet can extend life by giving animals better heart health and even helping repair DNA. Specifically, there's evidence that animal-based fats (found in red meat) have a negative effect on our heart health and DNA when consumed in large quantities. In contrast, plant-based fats (found in nuts, seeds, avocados, and coconut oil) do not appear to damage our hearts or DNA. One study at Harvard University compared two groups of subjects, one with a vegan diet and one with an omnivorous diet. The study found that those who were vegan had lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, body weight, and risk of diabetes than those who followed an omnivorous diet.

Additionally, a separate study found that following a plant-based lifestyle may also slow down the effects of aging in cellscausing them to function like they were much younger! Scientists believe this may be due to the plants' antioxidant qualities, which reduce cell damage over time. These results suggest we should rethink how we treat cardiovascular disease and diabetes as more people choose vegetarian diets over their carnivorous counterparts.

Come learn with the Backyard Farming family how to grow your own organic food! They can help you reduce costs and ensure you have access to the healthiest food for you and your family. If you are curious about organic fertilizers and learning which would be best for your garden, check out backyardfarmingsupply.com. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @backyardfarmingtips for helpful fun facts and tips.

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The Search for the Fountain of Youth: Can Plants Make You Live Forever? - PR Newswire

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass lineup for July, 2022, with Far Cry 5 and Matchpoint: Tennis Champions headlining the list of new games to be featured on the subscription service.

Other games to be added to the Xbox Game Pass lineup for July, 2022 include Last Call: BBS, As Dusk Falls, and Immortality.

The full list of Xbox Game Pass titles for the month of June 2022 are as follows:

The day one Xbox Game Pass release of the cooperative escape room game Escape Academy was initially planned for June 28, however it had since been postponed. Escape Academy will now launch in July, making it one of the titles that Game Pass members can look forward to enjoying this month.

As of writing, Microsoft hasnt officially revealed all of the new Xbox Game Pass titles for July 2022. However, based on early reports, four titles that are set to be added to the catalog are mentioned above along with the respective platforms on which theyll be available. Last Call: BBS will be added to Xbox Game Pass on July 5, while Matchpoint: Tennis Championships will be available on July 7. After that, As Dusk Falls will be added to the Game Pass lineup on July 19 on the day of its release, and Immortality will follow on July 26.

Far Cry 5 was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto, and released in the year 2018. It is the follow-up to Far Cry 4 from 2014 and the fifth main entry in the series. The game is set in the fictitional Montanan county of Hope County, and focuses on a doomsday cult that has gained control of the area under the direction of its charismatic leader, Joseph Seed.

Players take control of an anonymous junior deputy sheriff who becomes stuck in Hope County and has to cooperate with several resistance groups to free the area from the Seeds and Edens Gates dictatorial authority. The gameplay focuses on exploration and combat; players use a variety of weaponry to engage hostile soldiers and potentially deadly wildlife. The game has numerous components common to role-playing games, including side missions and a branching plot. A map editor and both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes round up the games modes.

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Xbox Game Pass July 2022 Lineup Includes Far Cry 5, And More - Twisted Voxel

The Goo Goo Dolls, consisting of vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik, bassist and vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska, originated in Buffalo, New York. The band, which formed in 1986, didnt see large success until 1995 with the release of their breakout single Name. Three years later, they delivered their most recognized songIris.

Iris is one of those songs that would appear on the best love songs of all time list or the biggest heartbreak songs ever playlist. The songs melancholic guitar intro makes you feel like youve really lost something and are searching to get it back.

With nearly one billion listens today, Iris, released in 1998, was featured on the album Dizzy Up the Girl, which churned out other well-known songs like Slide, and Black Balloon. But, Iris wasnt originally written for Dizzy Up the Girl.

If Iris wasnt written for the album, what was it written for? Whats the story behind one of the greatest love songs of all time? We are here to answer those questions. Lets dive into the meaning of The Goo Goo Dolls Iris.

The songs meaning largely has to do with Rzezniks journey to writing the track. Rzeznik told American Songwriter in a 2010 interview that he was going through a great deal of writers block. He struggled with his identity as they made five albums, and then all of the sudden we had this hit song, Name. I got this feeling I think a lot of artists get: that I am a complete phony, that was just luck, and I dont know how to do it again.

Rzeznik continued, I felt like I had just won the lottery and everyone was standing around going, Wow! You won the Lottery! Thats amazing! Do it again! So it really kind of froze me up. I think it was the period where I finally had to come to terms with the fact that songwriting was now my job.

With the pressures of stardom, Rzeznik felt like he couldnt produce another hit. He felt lost, not only in his musical life but in his personal life, as well.

The Goo Goo Dolls frontman told Louder Sound in a 2019 interview that in 1997, I was feeling kinda schizophrenic, Rzeznik recalls. My wife and I had just broken up, and Id met another girl who I was really into. Id moved from my home in Buffalo, New York, and was living in this hotel. So it was a really manic time in my life. I was looking for something to hold on to.

Luckily, an opportunity to dig Rzeznik out of his hole came.

The beautiful love song Iris came at the exact moment that Rzeznik needed. He was asked to write a song for the 1998 romantic movie City of Angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. He agreed to work on it because prominent artists like U2 and Peter Gabriel were also on the soundtrack.

After an early screening of the movie, Rzeznik returned to his hotel room to work on the song that would later become Iris.

Most of the time, for me, writing involves procrastination, fear, doubt, criticism Most songs I write I have to torture myself; be a prima donna for about an hour, said Rzeznik. But Iris came so easy. Id broken two strings on my guitar, so Id started winding all the strings up and down in these weird configurations, and that song just came out. It was like a gift like: Oh, thanks God!

In LA Weekly magazine, seeing that Iris DeMent was playing in town, he liked the name and chose it as the title.

The songs meaning directly correlates to the plot of the movie, City of Angels. In the movie, Cages character is an immortal angel but throws away his immortality for love. He becomes human so he can be with the one he loves.

Rzeznik explained that When I wrote it, I was thinking about the situation of the Nicolas Cage character in the movie. This guy is completely willing to give up his own immortality, just to be able to feel something very human. And I think, Wow! What an amazing thing it must be like to love someone so much that you give up everything to be with them. Thats a pretty heavy thought.

So, when he writes, And Id give up forever / to touch you / Cause I know that you / feel me somehow / Youre the closest to / heaven that Ill ever be / And I dont wanna go / home right now Rzeznik is speaking from Cages characters point of view. He give[s] up forever, or his immortality. Since hes an angel, the true heaven isnt where he dwells, but is with his loved one. The loved one is the closest to / heaven that Ill ever be.

The track led the City of Angels soundtrack to the top of the charts in June 1998. It also landed on the bands Dizzy Up The Girl album after a five-week streak at number nine on the chart.

The song received several grammy nominations, including Record of the Year, Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, and Song of the Year. In 2018, the song went quadruple platinum.

Photo by Maxine Evans / BBgun Press

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The Meaning Behind the Song Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls - American Songwriter

Wings of Desire (1987) is an ambitious, poetic work about an angels desire to become human in West Berlin. Damiel (Bruno Ganz) spends his days eavesdropping on the thoughts of Berliners with fellow angel Cassiel (Otto Sander), looking down at teeming humanity from atop churches and walking among the despairing and the hopeful. When Damiel discovers lonely trapeze artist Marion (Solveig Dommartin) and falls in love, he knows he must exchange immortality forhumanity.

German director Wim Wenders 14th feature and the first in his home country after eight years in America, where he made films such as Paris, Texas (1984) it examines ineffable themes, including what it is to be human, love and ageing, as we delve into the average thoughts and dreams of everyday folk. A powerful, beautiful work shot mostly in gorgeous monochrome, it also has a mischievous sense of fun, largely due to Peter Falk, who plays a version ofhimself.

To tie in with the UK release of the restored film, Wenders sat down with us in London to reflect on the unscripted making of the film, how his beloved Berlin has changed, and Nick Caves part in the film. An open, thoughtful interviewee, Wenders was in good humour, having been in Oxford the night before, where he enjoyed hanging out with Lenny Henry (A good man, according to Wenders) the pair among nine of the great and the good to receive honorary degrees from OxfordUniversity.

I missed my own language. I was starting to dream in English and realised that wasnt a good thing to happen to me. So I started to read more in my own language, and what I consider the most beautiful German are the poems by Rainer Maria Rilke. Seen from the US, I really wanted to go back to Europe, and from all the possible cities I picked Berlin, which was the city closest to myheart.

As I walked around Berlin, I saw angels all over, as monuments or sculptures or reliefs in public places, more than in any other city. I was really looking for a story that could help me to tell the citys story. I certainly didnt want to make a documentary about Berlin. I was looking for a character through whom I could tell the city the best. Eventually my night reading being populated by angels, and the angels I photographed and encountered all over the city, led me to the realisation that I wouldnt find any better characters for my project. So I started to come up with a story that had guardian angels asprotagonists.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought I was crazy. You want to make a movie with angels!? But the idea opened so many possibilities to look into so many different lives, because these angels could be anywhere. They could cross the bloody wall. They could meet anybody and be perfect witnesses of life in the city of Berlin. I finally had a point of view that was all-encompassing. Not that I really believed in angels, but I liked them as ametaphor.

I loved their ability to listen to peoples thoughts. I imagined their huge love for people. I wanted a loving look at this city that in 87 was divided, suffering, quite grey, quite down. It was a place like nowhere else in the world. There was no other city with a wall running through it. And there was no city that was the capital of twocountries.

It was a unique place. There was so much history and, at the same time, so many open wounds. Berlin was one of the cities that still showed its wounds and even showed them proudly in its no mans lands, its firewall facades. History was an open book in Berlin. Most other German cities were rebuilt and had no traces of the past left. My own city, where I was born, Dsseldorf, had been destroyed by 80%. You couldnt see the past anymore. And as Berlin was divided, it was also showing the state of the world. There was still a cold war. Berlin was, in a strange way, the centre of the world a little miserable sometimes but, at the same time, an island for amazing people from all over the world. Even some crazy punks from Australia decided it was a great place. There were lots of musicians, painters and writers, and it was quite a free city; also a city without arms basically. In Berlin you couldnt have any arms; you couldnt get in and out of the city with them. You would be caught, anyway. There was not much violence in Berlin then. It was a very peacefulcity.

You slowly get used to this, 35 years since we made it. The wall is gone. They had to rebuild parts of it because tourists wanted to see it. At the time we shot, in 1987, it was a completely different place. A few years afterwards, it was different again; a complete, total mystery to us that the city of the film no longer existed. That was something we never thought wed see happen in our own lives. When the wall went down, it became the only city in the world that had a no mans land as its centre. Potsdamer Platz was a prairie, a fantastic place for birds. Children loved it, and there was always some sort of circus on it because it was empty. We didnt think that would change so drastically when the film wasreleased.

In this no mans land we wandered and stumbled around with Curt Bois, our old actor, who had lived in Berlin when Potsdamer Platz was the centre of the roaring 20s, the Times Square of Berlin of the time. Now he was looking for any sign of recognition, and he just couldnt find any. And then only a few years later there were skyscrapers and there was a city centre again. It was mind-blowing. The film is a document of a place that doesnt exist anymore. I didnt want it to be that, but it becamethat.

That is correct. The wall was two walls and a minefield of 50 yards in between. You had to climb over two walls and cross the deadly stretch in between, so the wall was off limits for us. We could shoot it from the west side, but we couldnt go into that no mans land. Thats what I was mostly interested in that open land with lots of rabbits and other wildlife. I was always attracted by the idea of crossing it. But, of course, it wasntpossible.

I also tried hard to get a permit to shoot at Brandenburg Gate, which was in the east. It was my dream for the angels to convene on top of the Brandenburg Gate, in that strange little stretch of no mans land between east and west, but of course I didnt get a permit. No way. I even went to the state minister of cinema. He had seen my films before and actually invited me a few years earlier to show Paris, Texas in East Berlin. It was one of the few German films that was shown to East Germans, because for some reason they decided it was an anti-capitalistmovie.

We wrote some of the angels dialogue, but none of the interior thoughts. Peter didnt write a script. Peter tried to help me when I told him the story and asked him if we could work together on a script. He said, Im in the middle of the process of writing my own novel. That story that you just told about the two angels and one of them falling in love with a trapeze artist, you got to handle it yourself. Thats out of my range. So, he sent me home, but a couple of weeks later I started getting letters from him and he wrote: Im so sorry that I had to let you down. I realised from the story that you were going to need a number of dialogues anyway. Peter wrote them just from the memory of the story. I told him some situations, and the rest I had to just fill up on my own, especially what people werethinking.

I stole from lots of funny conversations I overheard, and I also used The Weight of the World, for instance, a beautiful book which Peter wrote. Its just short notes and observations that I used for Marions thoughts. All over the film, you hear little pieces of peoples thoughts as the camera passes them. Especially in the library you have all these people thinking. Every person is a universe all by itself, if you listen to their thoughts. It was so much fun to come up with that part of thefilm.

I didnt know anything when we were starting because the film was largely done without a script. We did it from one day to another. The script was a huge wall in my office with all the places in Berlin I wanted to shoot. On the other side of the room, I had all the scenes that we could possibly shoot. Every night I was picking a scene, and then I was looking for the place where it couldhappen.

I didnt know much what to tell Bruno and Otto about their angel characters. Actors always want to know motivations and want to have biographies: Who am I? Whats my story? But if somebody plays an angel, he didnt have an unhappy childhood and he doesnt have a mean father or whatever, and he didnt ever want to kill either father or mother. So theres littlepsychology.

Bruno and Otto reacted so differently to that state of not having a past. Bruno really got into it and into the idea that he was all kindness and all love. Otto was dreaming of becoming a human and could finally be nasty, and curse and do bad things. He said so much goodness is too much for me. Ottos character was almost the rejection of being anangel.

Claire Denis was with me when we stood one night in front of these walls in the office and I said, Do you realise our movie is not really funny? Angels being what they are, theyre not really comedians. We have nobody whos going to make this a little more amusing. Dont you think we have to add a character? She said, Yeah. And I said: Well, dont you think the most fun would be if there was somebody who was an ex-angel and had the same experience that Damiel was having? I thought, wouldnt that make the whole film lessserious?

It was. Peter understood exactly what he was supposed to do. The part wasnt written. And thats why he accepted the role. I got him on the phone in the middle of the night, a few hours after Claire and I had said we needed to add a character. By deduction, we came to the funniest guy we could imagine as an ex-angel. I got Falks number from John Cassavetes. Amazingly, he answered himself, so I said: You dont know me, Im a director from Germany making a movie in Berlin. We need to add a character and I thought of you. Peter laughed for a while and said, You are making a movie and youre calling me to tell me that I should join you because there is an unwritten part? What is it? I said An ex-angel. He laughed for another long while and then he said, Ill do it. I did my best work thisway.

Well, hes a great singer. He is a masterful poet now, and one of the great living singers. Im a subscriber to his Q&A web-dialogue The Red Hand Files I love them. At the time, of course, he was more of a rebel. His image was quite rowdy: the Bad Seeds only lived at night, and they were heavily into drugs. I saw them so often in the middle of the night; they never played before midnight, or lets say before two oclock. If you wanted to talk to Nick, you had to go to a certain bar at three oclock at night; then he might show up. I finally got hold of him and he liked my proposition. Making a movie in Berlin at that time without Nick Cave was a sin of omission. He really symbolised the spirit of the city. Adventurous, dark, unique. That was Berlin. Nick was gorgeous, and we struck up afriendship.

Any time. I would do anything to work with Nick again and we will. Ihope.

The 4k digital restoration of Wings of Desire is currently in cinemas, including BFI Southbank.

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Every person is a universe: Wim Wenders on Wings of Desire - British Film Institute

Looking for something new to listen to? Get acquainted with these tracks from some lesser-known bands that came out in May thanks to our monthly Underground Roundup! Check out our cumulative playlists below featuring this month's edition, as well as all the previous months as well.

You can also check out all editions of the Underground Roundup here.

North Carolina's dark jangle riff-rockers ASG are back with a new EP and video for the EP's title track, "Pyramid Wheels." You can watch the video above, and you can also listen to the currently digital-only EP, Pyramid Wheels, here. It's not too often that we get new ASG material, though the spans of time between are made up for with killer quality!

Brutus has returned to us all with a new single called "Dust," which should remind you why we all need Brutus in our lives it's a perfect mix of punk fury, massive atmospheres, and huge choruses for days. The single is from Brutus' upcoming new record, which as of right now has not yet been announced. The new record will be the band's first since their 2019 effort Nest.

You wanna hear some seriously filthy sludge? Because that's what Conan is bringing to the table today in all its dripping, disgusting glory. The band is now streaming "Levitation Hoax" alongside the announcement of their first new record in four years Evidence Of Immortality. Evidence Of Immortality features ex-Conan member Dave Perry on the track "Grief Sequence," and pre-orders are available here.

Crippled Black Phoenix has announced their new record Banefyre for September 9. The band is now streaming their new single "Blackout77," which tells the tale of the New York City blackout during the chaotic summer of 1977. The single comes alongside a music video directed by Guilherme Henriques. Banefyre is available for pre-order here.

Cyborg Octopus is back with their first new record in six years Between The Light And Air, and is now streaming the debut single "Seizure Of Character." It's a progressive metal crusher that's about "a traumatic brain injury that our saxophone player Patrick suffered while he was asleep, resulting in memory loss, personality changes, fear of sleep, and an existential crisis." Pre-order the album here.

Destrage simply has a way of making a load of weird components all work together as one dissonant, frantic Frankenstein's monster of a song and "Everything Sucks And I Think I Am A Big Part Of It" is no different. The song is a part of Destrage's new record SO MUCH. too much. due out on Periphery's 3DOT Recordings on September 16. SO MUCH. too much. is available for pre-order here.

Gaerea is back with a pummeling new single "Salve" and a new record Mirage due out September 23. The band is now streaming "Salve" alongside a music video directed by Guilherme Henriques, and I'm not really sure which is more terrifying. Feels like a solid 50/50 split on this one, right? Pre-orders for Mirage are available here.

Like King Crimson rising from the grave to jam with Matt Pike, Grave Bathers is here to sludge your day up real good. The band is now streaming their new single "Tarman Cometh" off their debut record Rock 'N' Roll Fetish due out August 5. Rock 'N' Roll Fetish was recorded live-to-tape at the analog-centric Memphis Magnetic by Davis M. Shubs and Drew Robinson. Pre-orders are available here and here on Bandcamp.

Greenwitch straddles the line between hardcore and death metal, offering all the moshy bits of both in one crushing EP. Greenwitch is the latest from the rising Maggot Stomp label, so I'm sure you'll start to see their name as support on bills for brutal show traversing North America soon enough. Grab Grid Walker here on Bandcamp.

Imperial Triumphant is now streaming their new single "Merkurius Gilded" featuring composer Max Gorelick and jazz legend Kenny G. Unfortunately the Steve Blanco-directed music video doesn't feature an actual appearance from Kenny G himself, but still the jazzy shred is present and it's fantastic. Imperial Triumphant's new record Spirit of Ecstasy is due out July 22 and is available for pre-order at their website.

Kallias is now streaming their progressive-as-hell new single "The Dark Machine." The single covers a ton of ground from Opeth-related weirdness to Meshuggah-esque rhythms, and then of course plenty of Jeff Loomis-style shred. So y'know, everything you'd want from a progressive metal song. Keep up with Kallias here.

KEN Mode has announced their first new record in four years Null alongside an experimental, noisy new single "A Love Letter." The record is also KEN Mode's first with longtime collaborator Kathryn Kerr as a full-time member, contributing everything from saxophone and synthesizer to backing vocals and percussion. Null is available for pre-order here.

Locrian is back for the first time in seven years with a new single "The Glare Is Everywhere And Nowhere Our Shadow." If you're looking to be immersed in a wash of noise and hellish visuals with absolutely no reprieve whatsoever, then go ahead and hit play on the visualizer below. New Catastrophism is out August 12, as well as a new EP titled Ghost Frontiers, with pre-orders for both being available here.

Mantar is now streaming their new single "Odysseus," whose sound is much darker than its bright and flowery music video. The video was directed by Dennis Dirksen and the song itself is sludgy as all hell. Mantar will release their Metal Blade debut Pain Is Forever And This Is The End on July 15. Pre-orders are available here.

Nebula is now streaming their cosmic, sunbaked new single "The Four Horseman." In true Nebula fashion, the song is equal parts a trip through the desert and a rocket ride through the cosmos. In other words, it's exactly what you'd want from the band. "The Four Horseman" is off Nebula's forthcoming new album Transmission From Mothership Earth, due out July 22. Pre-orders are available here.

Phobophilic is gearing up to release their debut album Enveloping Absurdity via Prosthetic Records on September 16, and you need to hear the first single "Those Which Stare Back." Equal parts churning death metal and warping Death-like melodies, Phobophilic should easily catch the ear of any and all death metal fans. Pre-orders for Enveloping Absurdity are available here.

Sigh is back and they're as beautifully weird as they've ever been, thanks to their progressive new single "Mayonaka No Kaii." Sigh will release their new record Shiki on August 26 featuring bassist Frdric Leclercq of Kreator and drummer Mike Heller of Fear Factory, along with an appearance by longtime member Satoshi Fujinami on bass. Pre-orders are available here.

Shadow Academy is the new duo of Emmy Award-winning record producer and songwriter Jim Roach and Dan Avidan, co-host of Game Grumps and frontman of Ninja Sex Party. The band is now streaming their beautiful new single "The Other Side" featuring an animated music video by collaborator Simon Macko. Get lost in the Floyd-esque spaciness and stream their debut album here.

Talas was originally active from the mid-1970s to 1985, meaning their retro sound is anything but a modern throwback. Featuring incredible bassist Billy Sheehan alongside drummer Mark Miller, vocalist Phil Naro, guitarist Kire Najdovski, Talas is here to bring the impressive-as-hell rock. Talas will release their new album 1985 on September 23. Pre-orders are available here.

Outta nowhere earlier in June, Terminal Nation and Kruelty dropped their The Ruination Of Imperialism split on 20 Buck Spin and it just tore everyone's heads clean off. Both sides of this split run the gambit of mosh-inducing speed to neck-breaking sludge, and without even a second of reprieve throughout its entirety. This split might've dropped as a surprise, but the surprise hasn't worn off. Get it here.

Vented is an international supergroup featuring Sean Zatorsky (Sinsaenum, Chimaira), Austin DAmond (DevilDriver, Bleed The Sky), Gergo Hajer (Omega Diatribe), and Simon C. Bondar (Sexual Education, White Tiger). The band is now streaming their new single "Requiem For Myself," which will kick your ass clean into next week. Vented will release their new record Cruelty And Corruption later this year.

Their name is Vulture, their logo looks like it would cut you if you touched it, and the song is called "High Speed Metal" written in all caps and italics. You already know what this is going to sound like, and you're right it should be played on a boombox while you're wearing a headband and Aviators. "High Speed Metal" is a standalone single available here.

A.A. Williams is now streaming her new single "Evaporate" off her upcoming record As The Moon Rests due out October 7. The single feels like the perfect type of album to come out at the start of fall spacious, a little doomy, and just enough downtrodden to welcome in the colder weather. As The Moon Rests is available for pre-order here.

Zous is the project headed up by producer and Twitching Tongues drummer Taylor Young. The project features guest spots from vocalists Chris Reifert (Autopsy) and Brad Boatright, noise from Full Of Hell's Dylan Walker, and guest solos from Leon del Muerte (ex-Exhumed, ex-Intronaut) and Takafumi Matsubara (Gridlink). It'll kick your ass. Get it here.

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The 25 Underground Metal Bands You Might've Missed In June - Metal Injection

By Express News Service

KOCHI:According to the temple tradition prevalent in Kerala, infants are usually allowed at temples only after completing the ritual of choroonu (having rice for the first time).However, the 700-year-oldMaramkulangara Krishna temple in Tripunithura welcomes infants, as young as 16 days old, who are given a holy bath unnikulifordivine protection.

Located on the Vennala-Eroor route, the temple is dedicated to Balakrishnan(toddler Krishna). The deity protects children from dangers and behavioural issues, explains priest Rajesh Embranthiri.After the unnikuli or kunjikuli, a sacred thread is tied to the childrens bodies.

Those staying close to the temple, perform unnikuli for seven to 12 days, while people from faraway places do it for five weeks. It is believed that the bathing ritual prevents or washes off problems such as irrational fear, anxiety, adamancy, disobedience and indiscipline.

The legend traces back to baby Krishna giving moksha to demoness Poothana, who was sent to breastfeed him poison, says the priest. When Yashoda wailed, fearing Krishna was poisoned, Lord Vishnu appeared before her and poured amrut (elixir of immortality) taken from a nearby well on the baby. The water from the temple well here is considered to be divine, and used to bathe the babies.

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Bath time, with Krishna! - The New Indian Express

Cameron Frew. 18 hours ago

Hercules may be the next god to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to a recent Thor: Love and Thunder leak.

When the MCU debuted with Iron Man in 2008, its world was one of warlords, megalomaniacs, and genius billionaire playboy philanthropists. Then came Thor, which introduced gods of thunder, mischief, war, and wisdom, and The Avengers, which teased a whole new breed of Titan.

Fast-forward to now, and the franchise is home to all sorts of gods and monsters, whether its the humungous, cosmos-faring Celestials from Eternals, Khonshu and the other Egyptian gods in Moon Knight, or most powerful of all, Uatu the Watcher.

Soon, were set to see the arrival of one of the best-known heroes in all of ancient mythology: Hercules.

While this leak is unconfirmed, its a major spoiler for Thor: Love and Thunder, so youve been warned

Marvel Studios

Thor: Love and Thunder sees the return of Chris Hemsworths titular god, alongside Tessa Thompsons Valkyrie, and the debuts of Natalie Portman as Mighty Thor and Christian Bale as the terrifying Gorr the God Butcher.

However, according to footage leaked online, theres another god joining the mix: Hercules, played by none other than Ted Lassos Brett Goldstein.

Apple TV+

Reportedly, its revealed in the post-credits scene, with Russell Crowes Zeus sending Hercules to kill Thor after the events of the film.

The clip floating around has clearly been filmed on a phone at a screening, and its highly pixellated with poor sound. However, it appears to have been backed by others online whove seen the film prior to its release, so Goldsteins casting seems to be the real deal.

Hercules first debuted in Avengers #10, though it wasnt until his first formal appearance in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 that he was established as a rival to Thor. Whatever Thor canst do Hercules can accomplish more mightily, he once said.

In the comics, he was born a half-Olympian god from his dad, Zeus, and his human mother, Alcmena. Hes had a long history of varying adventures, serving alongside the Avengers and taking part in the Civil War and Secret Invasion events.

Marvel Comics

As for his powers, Hercules boasts godlike strength, speed, agility, and reflexes, not to mention immortality. Basically, we can expect him to give Thor a run for his money when they inevitably face off in a fifth film down the line.

Thor: Love and Thunder hits cinemas this week on July 7 in the UK, and July 8 in the US.

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Who plays Hercules in Thor: Love and Thunder? MCU debut reportedly leaked - Dexerto