TuesdayTue, April 21st Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Mahavir Jayanti is being celebrated in India
- Queen's Birthday is being celebrated in Falkland Islands
- Tiradentes Day is being celebrated in Brazil
- People born on this day are Taurus as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
On this day in 2023
- EVENTS
- US Supreme Court rules abortion pill mifepristone can remain widely available, blocking ban by Texas U.S. District Judge.
- BIRTHS
- Shin Jae Yoon, TikTok Star, born in South Korea.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Somewhere in Queens is released. Leo Russo (Ray Romano) lives a simple life in Queens, New York with his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf), their shy but talented son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), and Leo’s close-knit network of Italian-American relatives and neighborhood friends. Happy enough working at the family construction business alongside his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco), Leo lives each week for Sticks’ high-school basketball games, never missing a chance to cheer on his only child as he rules the court as a star athlete. When the high-school senior gets a surprising and life-changing opportunity to play basketball in college, Leo jumps at the chance to provide a plan for his future, away from the family construction business. But when sudden heartbreak threatens to derail Sticks, Leo goes to unexpected lengths to keep his son on this new path.
- Plan 75 is released. Government program Plan 75 encourages senior citizens to be euthanized to remedy an aged society. An elderly woman whose means of survival are vanishing, a pragmatic Plan 75 salesman, and a Filipino laborer face choices of life and death.
- River is released. An exploration of the timeless relationship between human civilization and Earth’s rivers. Spanning six continents, this visual and musical tour-de-force is by turns celebratory, cautionary, and ultimately hopeful that we are beginning to understand rivers in all their complexity and fragility. Narrated by Oscar Nominee Willem Dafoe. With music by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Radiohead.
- A Tourist's Guide to Love is released. After an unexpected breakup, a travel executive (Rachael Leigh Cook) accepts an assignment to go undercover and learn about the tourist industry in Vietnam. Along the way she finds adventure and romance with her Vietnamese expat tour guide (Scott Ly) when they decide to reroute the tour bus in order to explore life and love off the beaten path. [Netflix]
- Judy Blume Forever is released. Generations of readers have found themselves in a Judy Blume book. Her name alone launches a flood of memories for anyone who’s gripped one of her many paperbacks. For decades, Blume’s radical honesty has comforted and captivated readers – and landed her at the center of controversy for her frankness about puberty and sex. Now the beloved American author candidly shares her own coming-of-age story.
- Little Richard: I Am Everything is released. Little Richard: I Am Everything tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression, yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself. Throughout his life, Richard careened like a shiny cracked pinball between God, sex and rock n’ roll. The world tried to put him in a box, but Richard was an omni being who contained multitudes – he was unabashedly everything.
- MOVIES: NR
- Other People's Children is released. When dedicated high school teacher Rachel (Virginie Efira) falls in love with Ali (Roschdy Zem), it’s not long before she also falls for his 4-year-old daughter Leila. The adolescent giddiness of Rachel and Ali’s late night rendezvous and secret sleepovers evolves into the familiar warmth of family picnics and after-school pickups. Although she feels like a mother, Rachel is not allowed to forget that Lelia is another woman’s daughter. She begins to long for a child of her own, but as a forty-something woman, she is abundantly aware that she has limited time to begin a family. Rachel must decide whether to embrace the inherent entanglements of her current situation, including the looming presence of Ali’s ex-wife Alice (Chiara Mastroanni) or strike out again on her own. [Music Box Films]
- MOVIES: PG13
- Ghosted is released. Salt-of-the-earth Cole (Chris Evans) falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie (Ana de Armas) — but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world. [Apple]
- Chevalier is released. Inspired by the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and her court.
- MOVIES: R
- Evil Dead Rise is released. A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
- Carmen is released. Carmen (Melissa Barrera) survives a terrifying and dangerous illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard who cold-bloodedly murders two other immigrants in her group. When the border guard and his patrol partner, Aidan (Paul Mescal)—a Marine with PTSD—become embroiled in a deadly standoff, Carmen and Aidan are forced to escape together. They make their way north toward Los Angeles in search of Carmen’s mother’s best friend, the mercurial Masilda and owner of La Sombra nightclub - a sanctuary of music and dance. Carmen and Aidan find both solace and their unwavering love for each other in the safety of Masilda’s magical refuge, but time is running out as the police hunt closes in.
- Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is released. After an ambush, Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim) goes to Herculean lengths to save US Army Sergeant John Kinley's (Jake Gyllenhaal) life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.
- To Catch a Killer is released. Eleanor (Shailene Woodley) is a young police investigator wrestling with the demons of her past when she is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator (Ben Mendelsohn) to help profile and track the work of a disturbed individual. As the police and FBI launch a nationwide manhunt, they are thwarted at every turn by the individual’s unprecedented behavior. Given her tortured psyche, Eleanor may be the only person who can understand the mind of their assailant and bring him to justice.
- TV SERIES
- Dead Ringers (2023): Season 1 is released. Gynecologists twins Elliot and Beverly Mantle (both played by Rachel Weisz) share everything and are willing to transcend medical ethics for women's healthcare in this television series adaptation of David Cronenberg’s 1988 thriller of the same name.
- ALBUMS
- A Kiss for the Whole World was released by Enter Shikari. The seventh full-length release from British rock band Enter Shikari was recorded using only solar power in a run-down farmhouse.
- Fuse was released by Everything But the Girl. The first full-length studio release in over 20 years from Everything But The Girl was self-produced by the duo.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp for Switch is released. Command an army in strategic, turn-based combat as a tactical adviser for the Orange Star Army. Your expertise is needed as you move land, air, and naval units across the battlefield. Take down enemy squads and capture towns and bases to secure victory and keep the peace. Keep an eye on the game-changing terrain and weather as you lead a variety of units across multiple maps. This remake features two campaigns that cover the events of Advance Wars and Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising! Fight alongside capable Commanding Officers. Defend your land with the help of Andy, Max, Sami, and other Commanding Officers, each with their own specialties and CO Powers. Andy can repair units, while Sami can boost the abilities of troops. Your opponents can use CO abilities of their own too! Throughout both campaigns, the COs you meet play a critical role both on the battlefield and in the story.Recruit some friends and see who the superior strategist isWhen you aren’t busy keeping the peace in one of the two campaign stories, flex your army-commanding chops in Versus Mode**. Up to four players can battle on dozens of maps. Each player chooses a CO from either campaign and can strategically use their CO Powers to turn the tides of battle. Customize your combat with options like funds per allied base and fog of war.
- GAMING: XBOX SERIES X
- Dead Island 2 for Xbox Series X is released. Dead Island 2 is stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer!A deadly virus is spreading across Los Angeles, turning inhabitants into zombies. Bitten, infected, but more than just immune, uncover the truth behind the outbreak and discover who -or what- you are. Los Angeles is in quarantine and the military have retreated. Only you, and the handful of others who happen to be resistant to the pathogen, hold the future of the city (and humanity) in the balance.Features: Explore HELL-A – Dead Island 2 takes players across the most iconic locations of the City of Angels, now stained with horror, in an exciting pulp journey from the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hills to the quirky promenade of Venice Beach. Brutal Melee Sandbox – Combat delivers the most intense, visceral and gory first person experience possible, with plenty of weapons and tactical (and brutal) options to chew your way through the zombie horde. Whether you’re slicing, smashing, burning or ripping, we want you to truly feel it. Be the Ultimate Zombie Slayer – There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique personality and dialogues. You can fully customize the abilities of each Slayer, with our brand-new skill system allowing you to re-spec instantly and try out the craziest builds. Zombie Infestation – Ready to experience the most advanced dismemberment system in games? Our LA is crawling with zombies that look and react realistically. These mutated wretches are the reanimated, rotten heart of Dead Island 2 with dozens of distinct zombie types, each with their own mutations, attacks and hundreds of visual LA-themed variants. Our monsters are relentless, challenging, and true Los Angelinos. Will you be able to survive? A Cinematic Co-op Adventure – As a proper RPG experience, Dead Island 2 offers plenty of exciting quests, a crazy cast of characters, and a thrilling pulp story, to truly immerse you in its twisted universe. Re-playability is guaranteed. Add an over-the-top co-op mode for up to three players, and you’ll stay in LA for a very long (and gory) trip.
On this day in 2022
- DEATHS
- Mwai Kibaki, World Leader.
- TV SERIES
- The Flight Attendant: Season 2 is released. Flight attendant Cassie is now in Los Angeles working flights with a side gig with the CIA but she soon finds herself a witness to a new murder.
- GAMING: PC
- Trolley Problem, Inc. for PC is released. There is a runaway trolley careering down the railway tracks. On the tracks are five people unable to move. You are next to a lever. If you pull this lever the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is a person on the other track.Watch the situation play out and five people die. Choose to pull the lever and only one person gets killed - but by you.What will you do?Trolley Problem, Inc. is a darkly comedic narrative game based on real world philosophical papers, in which you are asked to make a series of impossible choices from two awful answers. Wrestle with your moral compass, decide the fate of millions - and compare your choices with the rest of the world.
- Teardown for PC is released. Prepare the perfect heist in this simulated and fully destructible voxel world. Tear down walls with vehicles or explosives to create shortcuts. Stack objects to reach higher. Use the environment to your advantage in the most creative way you can think of.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 5
- MotoGP 22 for PlayStation 5 is released. All the heroes of the 2022 season and more than 70 historical riders to enjoy the most complete racing experience!
- Chernobylite for PlayStation 5 is released. Chernobylite is a new game from the creators of the critically-acclaimed Get Even.It's a science-fiction survival horror experience, mixing the free exploration of its disturbing world with challenging combat, unique crafting, and non-linear storytelling. Play as a physicist, one of the Chernobyl Power Plant's ex-employees, and investigate the mysterious disappearance of your beloved. Try to survive and reveal the contamination zone's twisted secrets. Remember, the military presence is not your only concern.Get ready for a thrilling adventure of survival, conspiracy, horror, love, and obsession. One that will prove to you that it's not about how you face your fears, it's about how you survive them.SURVIVEAlly or compete with other stalkers of the Chernobyl zone to survive. Remember that life is fragile, and it's your decisions that determine the fate of your companions. You can spend as long as you need preparing, however, be aware that your story is still being written. Every passing moment, your chances of success are dwindling: comrades are dying, supplies are running out, or an unexpected patrol could discover you. And on top of all this, supernatural dangers are arising around you in mysterious patterns. Each day brings new challenges with the ever-increasing severity of your current situation. Plan your strategy carefully if you want to survive.PLAY BY YOUR OWN RULESCraft your gear and weapons to protect yourself from the hostile military personnel and supernatural threats lurking in the zone. Make use of the sophisticated tools at your disposal to aid you in your struggle while navigating the rough and contaminated environment. Stay undetected and gather all the evidence you can to piece together events from the past.Decide what happens in the world around you by making choices and finding, or avoiding, the truth.EXPERIENCEMaintain your resolve and keep your wits about you the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is not what it once was. No one can foresee the horrors that may have befallen your beloved.CHERNOBYLITE MAIN FEATURES:* Explore the beautiful and horrifyingly accurate 3D-scanned recreation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.* Collaborate or compete with other stalkers of the Zone, but whatever you do, never fully trust them. Remember everybody has a hidden agenda. Always.* Face and survive the natural and supernatural threats.* Immerse yourself in the thrilling non-linear science-fiction horror story.* Make good use of your character's physics and chemistry knowledge to craft your equipment and manage your supplies.* Fight against the savage creatures pouring from the alternate reality.* Investigate and collect data with a set of sophisticated environment and substance analyzing tools.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Lila's Sky Ark for Switch is released. Lila’s psychedelic world is in grave danger. Help her and her eccentric friends stop the Conductor’s minions from destroying all things musical and magical in this meditative action-adventure game. Explore this dark yet groovy world as you unravel the poetic mystery that is Lila’s story. Discover secrets, solve puzzles, and battle bizarre beasts and punishing bosses as you attempt to unite the Spirits and save the mysterious Sky Island from ruin. Along the way, hunt down alchemy recipes to unlock new weapons. Battle enemies with rocks, Titan Eyes, cluster bombs, and anything else you can throw at them as you wander this music-inspired pixel dreamscape during Lila’s strange yet beautiful journey.
- Revita for Switch is released. A nameless child with no memories awakens in the metro with only a vague sense of purpose and desire to reach the distant clocktower, hoping to find answers at the top. On the way they will discover a melancholic world filled with masked characters, monsters and perhaps the answers that the child seeks. A fast paced twin-stick roguelite platformer. Climb an ominous clock tower in a series of procedural encounter rooms and past challenging boss fights on your way to reclaiming your lost memory.
- Roguebook for Switch is released. The ancients speak of a Book written since time immemorial containing all the world's legends. After many fabulous adventures, recounted in Faeria Chronicles of Gagana, this relic was lost in a well of Faeria. Through contact with this source of magic, the Book developed a wicked free will of its own and became the Roguebook!You are trapped in the Book of Lore of Faeria, and each page represents a new challenge. Lead your two heroes to victory in this roguelike deckbuilder developed in partnership with Richard Garfield, creator of Magic: The Gathering. Put together the best synergies between cards, relics and abilities, and take on the Roguebook.
- POLITICS
- Ex-president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández extradited to the US to face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
- SPORTS
- Daryle Lamonica, American football quarterback (Pro Bowl 1970,72; AFL MVP 1967,69; Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills), who died at 80.
On this day in 2021
- EVENTS
- Manhattan district attorney's office announces it will no longer prosecute prostitution, dismissing 914 open cases, part of growing movement to change approach to prostitution.
- Indonesian submarine RI Nanggala sinks off the coast of Bali with the loss of all 53 people on board.
- DEATHS
- Håkon Brusveen, Norwegian cross-country skier (Olympic gold 15 km, silver 4 × 10 km relay 1960), who died at 93.
- POLITICS
- Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the West not to cross a "red line" in his state of the union address, amid massing of 100,000 Russian troops on Ukraine border.
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- Mexico says it is entering stage three of its COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with rapid spread and hospitalizations from 8,772 infections and 712 deaths.
- At least 25,000 extra people across 11 countries have died during COVID-19 pandemic that were not previously counted according to new mortality figures.
- DEATHS
- Florian Schneider, German musician (Kraftwerk), who died of cancer at 73.
- Milt Sunde, American NFL guard (Pro Bowl 1966; NFL Champion 1969; Minnesota Vikings), who died from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease at 78.
- Laisenia Qarase, Politician.
- Teruyuki Okazaki, Japanese karate master (10th degree black belt Shotokan Karate; founder International Shotokan Karate Federation), who died from COVID-19 pandemic at 88.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Ghost Town Anthology is released. In the small isolated town of Irénée-les-Neiges with a population of 215, supernatural activities begin to unravel after a man dies in a car accident. The stunned townspeople are reluctant to discuss the circumstances of the tragedy. From that point on, for his family and a handful of others, time seems to lose all meaning.
- GAMING: PC
- Help Will Come Tomorrow for PC is released. In a uninhabitable Siberian wilderness, in a wake of October Revolution, a group of passengers survives the mysterious catastrophe of Trans-Siberian railway train. They must endure in a harsh ice-clad climate until rescue arrives. Facing many dangers, their own weaknesses and, above all, their own prejudice.
- The Flower Collectors for PC is released. Barcelona,1977. An ex-cop in a wheelchair witnesses a murder, and teams up with a young ambitious journalist to bring the truth to light. With camera, binoculars and transmitter in hand, uncover the town’s secrets from your balcony in this soul-searching detective mystery.
- The Shattering for PC is released. The Shattering is a first-person, story-driven, psychological thriller. Its defining features are the dynamic environments, beautiful aesthetic and intriguing story. The gameplay is meant to submerge you in the mind of John, as you take each step forward into the twisted mystery of what happened.
- POLITICS
- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announces $26 billion aid package and plans for gradual reopening of economy as cases reach 3,465 with 58 deaths.
- Health Secretary Matt Hancock and UK government come under criticism for lack of personal protective equipment and testing for COVID-19 pandemic (despite pledge to test 100,000 a day only 19,000 done April 20th).
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks at a Extinction Rebellion protest in London amid city-wide climate protests where Waterloo Bridge was occupied over four days.
- Terror attacks on churches and hotels on Easter Sunday in three Sri Lankan cities, Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa kill at least 253 and injure hundreds.
- POLITICS
- Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelensky wins the country's presidential election in a landslide.
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- Oakland A's left hander Sean Manaea no-hits the Boston Red Sox.
- DEATHS
- Verne Troyer, American actor (Mini-Me in Austin Powers movies), who died at 49.
- Nabi Tajima, Japanese supercentenarian and the last living person certified to have been born in the 19th century, who died at 117.
- Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Brazilian movie director (Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês, Vidas Secas), who died at 89.
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Taliban attack army base at Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, killing more than 100.
- WEDDINGS
- Actor David Henrie at the age of 27 weds former Miss Delaware Maria Cahill in Southern California.
- DEATHS
- Magdalena Abakanowicz , Sculptor.
- Tyre Rakestraw, Race Car Driver.
- Ugo Ehiogu, English soccer defender (4 caps; Aston Villa, Middlesborough), who died from cardiac arrest at 44.
- MOVIES: G
- Born in China is released. A wildlife drama that follows the families of endangered animals in China.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Citizen Jane: Battle for the City is released. In 1960 Jane Jacobs’s book The Death and Life of Great American Cities sent shockwaves through the architecture and planning worlds, with its exploration of the consequences of modern planners’ and architects’ reconfiguration of cities. Jacobs was also an activist, who was involved in many fights in mid-century New York, to stop “master builder” Robert Moses from running roughshod over the city. This film retraces the battles for the city as personified by Jacobs and Moses, as urbanization moves to the very front of the global agenda. Many of the clues for formulating solutions to the dizzying array of urban issues can be found in Jacobs’s prescient text, and a close second look at her thinking and writing about cities is very much in order. This film sets out to examine the city of today though the lens of one of its greatest champions.
- The Promise is released. It is 1914. As the Great War looms, the mighty Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople, the once vibrant, multicultural capital on the shores of the Bosporus, is about to be consumed by chaos. Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine back to Siroun, his ancestral village in Southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries. Photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), has come here only partly to cover geo-politics. He is mesmerized by his love for Ana (Charlotte le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father. When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men. As the Turks form an alliance with Germany and the Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to survive even as events threaten to overwhelm them.
- The Student is released. Veniamin is a high school student who recently has become a fervent Christian, reciting Bible passages from heart for seemingly every occasion. He is convinced that the world has been lost to evil, and begins to challenge the morals and beliefs of the adults around him. When the school psychologist teaches sex ed using condoms on carrots, he tears off his clothes to rail against fornication. Neither his mother, an Orthodox priest, nor the principal can discipline the increasingly vehement evangelist. His next steps, attempting miracles and smiting sinners.
- Tomorrow is released. Today, we sometimes feel powerless in front of the various crises of our times. Today, we know that answers lie in a wide mobilization of the human race. Over the course of a century, our dream of progress commonly called “the American Dream”, fundamentally changed the way we live and continues to inspire many developing countries. We are now aware of the setbacks and limits of such development policies. We urgently need to focus our efforts on changing our dreams before something irreversible happens to our planet. Today, we need a new direction, objective... A new dream! The documentary Tomorrow sets out to showcase alternative and creative ways of viewing agriculture, economics, energy and education. It offers constructive solutions to act on a local level to make a difference on a global level. So far, no other documentary has gone down such an optimistic road.
- Tramps is released. Danny (Callum Turner) is an aspiring chef whose hustler brother asks him to complete a job for him. It all seems simple enough: meet a driver with a briefcase, proceed to a rendez-vous spot and exchange one briefcase for another. But Danny swaps the wrong bag, sending him and the driver Ellie (Grace Van Patten) on a two-day odyssey through the boroughs and suburbs of New York City. [Netflix]
- The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki is released. The true story of Olli Mäki, the famous Finnish boxer who had a shot at the 1962 World Featherweight title. Immensely talented and equally modest, Olli’s small town life is transformed when he is swept into national stardom and suddenly regarded as a symbol of his country. There’s only one problem: Olli has just fallen in love. Inside of the ring, it’s Finland vs. the USA, but outside, boxing and romance become unlikely adversaries vying for Olli’s attention. [MUBI]
- Slack Bay is released. The bourgeois and extremely eccentric Van Peteghem family have settled in for another summer at their cliff-top villa overlooking the picturesque Slack Bay. Their leisurely rhythm of sunbathing and seaside constitutionals is soon interrupted by the arrival of two bumbling inspectors investigating a string of tourists gone missing. [Kino Lorber]
- MOVIES: R
- Unforgettable is released. Tessa Connover (Katherine Heigl) is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Geoff Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly (Isabella Rice). Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare. [Warner Bros.]
- Free Fire is released. Justine (Brie Larson) has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen and a gang led by Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and Ord (Armie Hammer), who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired during the handover, complete pandemonium ensues, with everyone at the scene suddenly thrust into a heart-stopping game of survival.
- Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent is released. Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent explores the remarkable life of Jeremiah Tower, one of the most controversial and influential figures in the history of American gastronomy. Tower began his career at the renowned Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1972, becoming a pioneering figure in the emerging California cuisine movement. After leaving Chez Panisse, due in part to a famously contentious relationship with founder Alice Waters, Tower went on to launch his own legendary Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. Stars was an overnight sensation and soon became one of America’s top-grossing U.S. restaurants. After several years, Tower mysteriously walked away from Stars and then disappeared from the scene for nearly two decades, only to resurface in the most unlikely of places: New York City’s fabled but troubled Tavern on the Green. There, he launched a journey of self-discovery familiar to anyone who has ever imagined themselves to be an artist. [The Orchard]
- MOVIES: TVMA
- Sand Castle is released. Set in Iraq in 2003, Sand Castle follows a group of American soldiers in the early days of the second Gulf War. Bearing witness to the heat and the horror is the inexperienced Private Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), who, together with several fellow soldiers, is ordered to the outskirts of Baqubah to repair a water pumping station damaged by U.S. bombs. But, as Ocre discovers, in an atmosphere where resentment and anger fester, trying to win the hearts and minds of the locals is a task fraught with danger. It’s here, in the streets, squares and schools that he discovers the true cost of war. [Netflix]
- TV SERIES
- Girlboss: Season 1 is released. Sophia (Britt Robertson) was a broke anarchist selling vintage clothes online but before she knew it, she became the boss of a fashion empire in this comedy series based on Sophia Amoruso's memoir.
- ALBUMS
- Guppy was released by Charly Bliss. This is the debut full-length release for the New York pop rock band led by Eva Hendricks.
- Love Is Love was released by Woods. The 10th full-length release for the New York folk rock band was recorded in two months after the presidential election.
- Life. Love. Flesh. Blood was released by Imelda May. The fifth full-length release for the Irish singer-songwriter features guest appearances from Jeff Beck and Jools Holland and was produced by T-Bone Burnett.
- Narkopop was released by Gas. This is the first full-length studio release in 17 years for Wolfgang Voigt's ambient techno project.
- Devout was released by Mr. Mitch. The second full-length release for the London-based grime producer features guest appearances from such artists as Denai Moore, P Money, Palmistry, and Py.
- Electric Lines was released by Joe Goddard. The debut full-length solo release for the Hot Chip artist-producer features a guest appearance from SLO (Jess Mills).
- Death Song was released by The Black Angels. The fifth full-length release for the Austin psych rock band was produced by Phil Ek.
- Be Myself was released by Sheryl Crow. The ninth full-length studio release for the singer-songwriter was co-produced with Jeff Trott and Tchad Blake.
- Americana was released by Ray Davies. Inspired in part by his 2013 memoir, the first solo studio release for the Kinks founding member in a decade was co-produced with Guy Massey and John Jackson.
- Risk To Exist was released by Maxïmo Park. The sixth full-length release for the British rock quartet was co-produced with Tom Schick.
- Tara Jane O'Neil was released by Tara Jane O'Neil. The latest full-length solo release for the singer-songwriter features guest appearances from Chris Cohen, Carolyn Pennypacker-Riggs and Joan Shelley.
- Robyn Hitchcock was released by Robyn Hitchcock. The latest solo release for the artist was produced with Brendan Benson with a full studio band that included Grant-Lee Phillips, Pat Sansone, Emma Swift, and Gillian Welch.
- Wrangled was released by Angaleena Presley. The second full-length solo release for the Kentucky singer-songwriter features a guest appearance from Yelawolf and was co-produced with Oran Thornton.
- The Last Rider was released by Ron Sexsmith. The 14th full-length solo release for the Canadian singer-songwriter was recorded with his touring band and was produced by Ron and Don Kerr.
- 8 was released by Incubus. The eighth full-length studio release for the Southern California alternative rock band was co-produced by Dave Sardy and Sonny John Moore (aka Skrillex), who also mixed the album.
- GAMING: PC
- Wilson's Heart for PC is released. Wilson's Heart is an immersive first-person psychological thriller set in a 1940's hospital that has undergone a haunting transformation. In this original VR adventure, you become Robert Wilson, a patient who awakens to the shocking discovery that his heart has been replaced with a mysterious device. As the hospital hauntings intensify, you and your fellow patients must traverse increasingly maddening corridors, overcome frightening environmental hazards and work together to defeat the sinister inhabitants in your pursuit to reveal who stole your heart... and why. Wilson's Heart leverages an eccentric cast of characters, compelling narrative, striking visuals, and the immersive nature of Touch to bring you into an interactive adventure of mystery unlike any other game. [Twisted Pixel]
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- De-formers for PlayStation 4 is released. Prepare for an epic battle Deformers is a fast and frantic multiplayer combat arena game. Smash up your friends in couch co-op, or team up and fight against others online.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Cities: Skylines - Xbox One Edition for Xbox One is released. Developed by Colossal Order, Cities: Skylines offers sprawling landscapes and maps with endless sandbox gameplay and new ways to expand your city. Key to progression is the ability to influence your city’s policy by incorporating taxation into districts. All this including the ability to mod the game to suit your play style makes this the definitive city building simulation.
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- American musician Joe Long died from complications of COVID-19 pandemic age 88. He is best known as the bass guitarist for the Four Seasons that became internationally successful in the 1960s and 1970s. They are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time, having sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide..
- Adele was named as Britain's richest ever female musician, in the latest Sunday Times Rich List. A list of the top 50 music millionaires in the UK and Ireland placed the singer's £85m fortune in 30th place - an increase of £35m compared to last year..
- Prince was found dead at his home in Minnesota at the age of 57, after Police were summoned to his Paisley Park estate and found his body in a lift. The acclaimed and influential musician became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums such as 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O' the Times and recorded more than 30 albums..
- DEATHS
- Peter Williamson, Race Car Driver.
- Prince. American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor.
- Prince, R& B Singer.
- Prince [Rogers Nelson], American funk, rock, R& B singer-songwriter and musician (" 1999" ; "Purple Rain"), who died from an accidental overdose of painkillers at 57.
- Lonnie Mack, American rocker (" Baby What's Wrong"), who died at 74.
- GAMING: PC
- Battlefleet Gothic: Armada for PC is released. Developed on Unreal Engine 4, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is an RTS in which the player takes command of one of these battlefleets composed of the most powerful spaceships from the Imperial, Chaos, Eldar and Ork forces, in a no-quarter-given struggle for the control of the Gothic sector of space.
- The Climb for PC is released. The Climb brings alive the excitement and thrill of rock climbing in virtual reality. Players will scale new heights and explore environments in a new gaming experience developed exclusively for VR, using the power of CRYENGINE.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- UEFA EURO 2016 for PlayStation 4 is released. KONAMI’s official UEFA EURO 2016 title is added to PES 2016’s main menu screen and instantly visible on loading the game. The disc-based release contains both the full PES 2016 game and UEFA EURO 2016 content. The UEFA EURO 2016 mode features full iconography and presentation elements from this year’s tournament, and also includes the Stade de France stadium, which hosts the final in July. From the 24 qualified teams that feature real players with hundreds of authentic player faces,15 fully licensed teams will be included with the latest strips for England, Wales, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Iceland, Turkey, Albania, Northern Ireland and hosts France, all perfectly recreated. All squads will also be in line with those of the qualifying nations with the various playing styles perfectly replicated via the game’s innovative Player ID and Team ID systems, which mimic the exact playing styles of both individual players and the team as a whole. [Konami]
- POLITICS
- US President Barack Obama begins a 4 day visit to the UK with Michelle Obama.
- Peter Ruckman, American Baptist minister and founder of Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, who died at 94.
On this day in 2015
- ALBUMS
- Ripe was released by Slug. The debut solo release for the project of former Field Music bassist Ian 'Blackie' Black was co-produced with Peter and David Brewis of Field Music.
- Sound & Color was released by Alabama Shakes. The second full-length release for the southern rock band was produced by Blake Mills.
- Untethered Moon was released by Built to Spill. The eighth studio release for the indie rock band led by Doug Martsch is its first with new bassist Jason Albertini and drummer Steve Gere.
- Wire was released by Wire. This is the 14th studio release for the British post-punk band led by Colin Newman.
- A Forest of Arms was released by Great Lake Swimmers. The sixth studio release for the Canadian folk rock band led by Tony Dekker was partially recorded in Ontario’s Tyendinaga Caverns and Caves.
- Damogen Furies was released by Squarepusher. The British producer recorded the album mostly on the road in single takes with no edits.
- Foil Deer was released by Speedy Ortiz. The second full-length major studio release for the Massachusetts indie rock band led by Sadie Dupuis was produced with Nicolas Vernhes.
- Love Story was released by Yelawolf. The second full-length studio release for the Alabama rapper features a guest appearance from Eminem.
- Lucid Dreaming was released by Say Lou Lou. This is the debut full-length release for the electro pop twin sister duo of Miranda and Elektra Kibley-Jansson (daughters of The Church's Steve Kilbey and Pink Champagne's Karin Jansson).
- N.E.W. was released by Death. The Detroit garage/hard rock band's remaining members of Bobby Hackney, Dannis Hackney, and Bobbie Duncan recorded songs written by the late David Hackney as well as new songs for its first new recordings since 1976.
- No Control was released by Turbo Fruits. The fourth full-length release for the Tennessee band features production by Patrick Carney on two tracks.
- Not Real was released by Stealing Sheep. This is the second full-length release for the British trio of Rebecca Hawley, Emily Lansley, and Lucy Mercer.
- Jackrabbit was released by San Fermin. The second full-length release for the Brooklyn chamber pop band led by Ellis Ludwig-Leone features vocals from Allen Tate and Charlene Kaye.
- Kindred was released by Passion Pit. The third full-length release for the indie pop band led by Michael Angelakos was co-produced with Chris Zane, Alex Aldi, and Benny Blanco.
- Hi Honey was released by Low Cut Connie. The third full-length release for the Philadelphia rock band was produced by Thomas Brenneck with contributions from Dean Ween and tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus.
- GAMING: PC
- Convoy for PC is released. Convoy is a tactical roguelike-like inspired by Mad Max and FTL in which you cross a wasteland in search of parts for your broken ship. Presented in pixel art and set in a future post-apocalyptic setting, Convoy is a squad based tactical combat roguelike-like in its core.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Infinity Runner for PlayStation 4 is released. The Infinity is the grandest spaceship ever built by mankind; thrust into the void of space to secure humanity a new home among the stars. However, instead of discovering paradise, the inhabitants of The Infinity unlocked the door to a long-forgotten nightmare.
- Ziggurat for PlayStation 4 is released. Dungeon-Crawling First Person Shooting at its finest! Fast-paced combat! Dozens of perks, spells and enemies! Level ups! Random Dungeons! Traps! Badass bosses! Carrots! Ziggurat is the best combination of First Person Shooter and Rogue-LITE you have ever seen. Become a neophyte sorcerer, and get ready for your rite of passage: Enter the labyrinth and face dangerous challenges to prove your worth and become a powerful wizard! The game focuses on fast-paced first person shooting, with an old-school vibe, and updated handling and game mechanics. Dungeon crawling and RPG/Roguelike elements are added into the mix, resulting in a fun, challenging and varied game, with lots of content to discover. Fight almighty bosses, get through rooms filled with traps, and treasures that may help you in your journey... Each game is a whole new experience!
- The Evil Within: The Consequence for PlayStation 4 is released. This is the final installment of a two-part, story driven experience where players take on the role of detective Juli Kidman, Sebastian Castellanos’ mysterious partner, in a concurrent story that looks to answer some of the questions surrounding her whereabouts during The Evil Within. Along the way she will encounter disturbing new enemies, discover new mysteries, and uncover new horrors.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION VITA
- Sayonara UmiharaKawase + for PlayStation Vita is released.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Shovel Knight for Xbox One is released. Shovel Knight is a sweeping classic action adventure game with awesome gameplay, memorable characters, and an 8-bit retro aesthetic. It's a hot mashup of new and old! You play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a small knight with a huge quest. Shovel Knight has come to this land with two goals: to defeat the evil Enchantress and quest for his lost beloved. He wields a Shovel Blade: a multipurpose weapon whose techniques have now been lost to the ages. Always honest and helpful, Shovel Knight is a shining example of the code of Shovelry: Slash Mercilessly and Dig Tirelessly!But, between Shovel Knight and his beloved stands a cadre of villainous knights. These terrible foes, known as The Order of No Quarter, have been dispatched to prevent Shovel Knight from reaching the Enchantress, and will pursue their mission at any cost. If you love games with perfect platforming, beautiful art, infectious music, crazy bosses, humor and levity, and real heart... Shovel Knight is for you!
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China for Xbox One is released. 16th-century China: The newly appointed Jiajing Emperor instigates a sudden and ruthless purge of all he felt were a threat to his recently-acquired throne, including the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins. A youthful Assassin, Shao Jun, fled to the West to complete her training under the legendary Assassin Ezio Auditore in the animated short Assassin’s Creed Embers and has returned, determined to restore the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins. In Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China, players come back to Shao Jun’s story as she returns to China hell-bent on retribution. Her story takes players to famous locales including the Maijishan Grottoes, Port of Macau, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. Armed with stealth, agility and a combination of deadly weapons and equipment including a sharp and swift jian, a secret shoe blade, lethal rope darts and daggers, players deliver payback to those who decimated the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins. [Ubisoft]
- POLITICS
- Ian Todd, English surgeon, President of the Royal College of Surgeons (1986-89), who died at 94.
- SPORTS
- American rock, blues and country singer-guitarist Lonnie Mack died of natural causes in hospital near his log-cabin home, seventy miles east of Nashville, Tennessee. In the early 1960s, he was a "pioneer" in virtuoso rock guitar soloing whose recordings were pivotal to the emergence of the electric guitar as a lead voice in rock music. For this, it has been said that he launched the era of "modern rock guitar". He scored the hit single instrumentals, 'Memphis' and 'Wham!'.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- Phil Rudd, drummer of AC/DC, changed his plea to guilty on a charge of a threat to kill, in a court in Tauranga, New Zealand. The court heard Rudd was unhappy about his album's launch party and asked for a former employee to be "taken out". He had previously denied the charge. He also pleaded guilty to cannabis and methamphetamine possession. The court heard that he had fired a number of employees last August after the launch of his solo album, Head Job..
- DEATHS
- George H. Heilmeier, American engineer (helped invent LCD displays), who died at 77.
- GAMING: PC
- Out of the Park Baseball 15 for PC is released. In OOTP 15 you guide your team to glory. Set up your roster, trade players, draft the next superstar, negotiate with free agents, discover talent in the rule-5 draft, keep an eye on your minor leaguers, scout foreign countries or other leagues, it's all here. On top of the GM features, OOTP sports a great baseball simulation engine with stunning statistical accuracy and extensive play-by-play. It is widely regarded as the most realistic baseball game available, by far! You call all the shots from the dugout and see the game unfold before your eyes.