FridayFri, December 11th Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Proclamation of Independence is being celebrated in Burkina Faso
- People born on this day are Sagittarius as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
On this day in 2023
- EVENTS
- Canadian accused poison seller Kenneth Law who allegedly sent 200 packages to people in more than 40 countries, is charged with 14 counts of murder.
- BIRTHS
- Karissa Eats, TikTok Star, born in Beijing, China.
- DEATHS
- Andre Braugher, American Emmy Award-winning actor (Homicide: Life on the Street; Brooklyn Nine-Nine), who died of lung cancer at 61.
On this day in 2022
- EVENTS
- Brock Purdy wins his first career start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- US authorities announce that the Libyan man accused of making the bomb on board Pan Am Flight 103, Abu Agila Mas’ud, is now in US custody.
- DEATHS
- Angelo Badalamenti, American Grammy Award-winning film composer (Twin Peaks; The Straight Story; Blue Velvet; Mulholland Drive), who died at 85.
- POLITICS
- Karen Bass sworn in as first female mayor of Los Angeles by Vice President Kamala Harris, declares a Homelessness state of emergency in the city.
On this day in 2021
- DEATHS
- Dennis Ward, Australian rugby league halfback (6 Tests; Canterbury- Bankstown RLFC, Manly RLFC), who died at 74.
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- European Union leaders agree to cut net carbon emissions by 55% in the next decade.
- America's FDA authorizes the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 pandemic vaccine for emergency use.
- First same-sex civil union registered in Bolivia after a two-year legal battle by activists.
- Gunmen storm a school in Kankara, Katsina state, northern Nigeria, kidnapping more than 300 students (Boko Haram later claims responsibility).
- US Supreme Court rejects lawsuit by Texas to overturn Jo Biden's election in four battleground states, endorsed by 17 Republican attorney generals.
- DEATHS
- Kim Ki-Duk, Director.
- MOVIES: G
- Gunda is released. Experiential cinema in its purest form, Gunda chronicles the unfiltered lives of a mother pig, a flock of chickens, and a herd of cows with masterful intimacy. Using stark, transcendent black and white cinematography and the farm's ambient soundtrack, director Victor Kossakowsky invites the audience to slow down and experience life as his subjects do, taking in their world with a magical patience and an other worldly perspective. Gunda asks us to meditate on the mystery of animal consciousness, and reckon with the role humanity plays in it. [Neon]
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Small Axe: Alex Wheatle is released. Alex Wheatle follows the true story of award-winning writer, Alex Wheatle (Sheyi Cole), from a young boy through his early adult years. Having spent his childhood in a mostly white institutional care home with no love or family, he finally finds not only a sense of community for the first time in Brixton, but his identity and ability to grow his passion for music and DJ'ing. When he is thrown in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, he confronts his past and sees a path to healing.
- Archenemy is released. Max Fist (Joe Manganiello) claims to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to Earth, where he has no powers. No one believes his stories except for a local teen named Hamster. Together, they take to the streets to wipe out the local drug syndicate and its vicious crime boss known as The Manager.
- Yalda, a Night for Forgivness is released. The lights and cameras are all in position. The moderator takes a last quick look at his notes. The final seconds of the intro ad roll by, and then the show goes live. Tonight’s guest is Maryam, a young woman condemned to death for murdering her husband. With her in the studio is Mona, the daughter of the dead man. Maryam is supposed to beg for forgiveness, and her life, for the camera. If Mona grants her forgiveness, Maryam will live, and the show's sponsors will pay Mona a reward. If she denies it, Maryam will die. Millions of television viewers are tuning in on the night of Yalda, the Persian celebration of the winter solstice, to see Maryam's fate unfold. Alluding to a real, popular Iranian TV show, the television studio serves as a stage for a startling chamber play between these two women, and the social pressures behind their circumstances. [Film Movement]
- To the Ends of the Earth is released. Yoko (Atsuko Maeda) travels with a small crew to Uzbekistan to shoot an episode of her travel reality show. In front of the camera, her persona is carefree and happy-go-lucky, but behind the scenes she is cautious and introverted. Despite her best efforts, the filming of the television series ends unsuccessfully, and frustrated by the failure, she sets off into the mysterious country. Lost in the streets of Tashkent, she finds herself adrift and alone, confronting her deepest fears and hidden aspirations. [KimStim]
- MOVIES: NR
- Assassins is released. The audacious murder of the brother of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jon Un in a crowded Malaysian airport sparked a worldwide media frenzy. At the center of the investigation are two young women who are either cold-blooded killers or unwitting pawns in a political assassination. ASSASSINS goes beyond the headlines to question every angle of this case, from human trafficking to geo-political espionage to the secretive dynamics of the North Korean dynasty.
- Queer Japan is released. Trailblazing artists, activists, and everyday people from across the spectrum of gender and sexuality defy social norms and dare to shine in this kaleidoscopic view of LGBTQ+ culture in contemporary Japan. From glossy pride parades to playfully perverse underground parties, Queer Japan pictures people living brazenly unconventional lives in the sunlight, the shadows, and everywhere in between.Dazzling, iconoclastic drag queen Vivienne Sato peels back the layers of language and identity. Maverick manga artist Gengoroh Tagame tours the world with his unapologetically erotic gay comics. Councilwoman Aya Kamikawa recounts her rocky path to becoming the first transgender elected official in Japan. At legendary kink-positive hentai party Department H, non-binary performance artist Saeborg uses rubber to create a second skin. Culled from 100+ interviews conducted over 3 years in locations across Japan, Queer Japan features dozens of individuals sharing their experiences in their own words. Get to know a vibrant and inspiring group of human beings in a country with a unique history of queer expression.
- Farewell Amor is released. After 17 years in exile, Walter finally reunites with his family after being forced to leave Angola for New York City. We meet the family as Walter is picking up his wife, Esther, and daughter, Sylvia, from the airport to bring them home to his one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment. They quickly discover how the years of separation have turned them into absolute strangers. As they attempt to overcome the personal and political hurdles amongst them, they rely on the muscle memory of dance to find their way back “home.”
- MOVIES: PG
- Safety is released. The story of Ray-Ray McElrathbey, a freshman football player for Clemson University, who secretly raised his younger brother on campus after his home life became too unsteady.
- MOVIES: PG13
- Minari is released. A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home. [A24]
- Songbird is released. The COVID-23 virus has mutated and the world is in its fourth year of lockdown. Infected Americans are ripped from their homes and forced into quarantine camps known as Q-Zones, from which there is no escape, as a few brave souls fight back against the forces of oppression. Amid this dystopian landscape, a fearless courier, Nico (KJ Apa), who’s immune to the deadly pathogen, finds hope and love with Sara (Sofia Carson), though her lockdown prohibits them from physical contact. When Sara is believed to have become infected, Nico races desperately across the barren streets of Los Angeles in search of the only thing that can save her from imprisonment... or worse.
- The Midnight Sky is released. Augustine (George Clooney), a lonely scientist in the Arctic, races to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.
- Wild Mountain Thyme is released. Rosemary (Emily Blunt) has her heart set on winning Anthony’s (Jamie Dornan) affections. Having been stung by his father’s (Christopher Walken) plan to sell his farm in Ireland to his American nephew (Jon Hamm), Anthony is jolted into pursuing his dreams.
- MOVIES: R
- Wander Darkly is released. A traumatic accident leaves a couple, Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna), in a surreal state of being that takes them on a disorienting journey through the duality of their shared moments. By reliving fond recollections from the beginning of their romance while also navigating the overwhelming truths of their present, they must rediscover the love that truly binds them together.
- The Stand In is released. When ordered to serve a year in rehab, actress Candy (Drew Barrymore) hires her on-set stand-in to take her place. The unassuming woman flips the script and steals her identity, career and boyfriend in this hilarious comedy about trading places.
- TV SERIES
- The Wilds: Season 1 is released. A group of teenage girls must learn to work together when they are stranded on an island after their plane crashes in this thriller drama series created by Sarah Streicher.
- ALBUMS
- Think of Spring was released by M. Ward. The latest full-length solo release for the singer-songwriter is a Billie Holiday covers album.
- We Will Always Love You was released by The Avalanches. The third full-length release for the Australian electronic duo features guest appearances from such artist as Blood Orange, Leon Bridges, Vashti Bunyan, Neneh Cherry, Rivers Cuomo, Perry Farrell, Karen O, Jamie xx, Mick Jones, Sananda Maitreya (formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby), Johnny Marr, MGMT, Oroño, Sampa the Great, Pink Siifu, Tricky, and Kurt Vile.
- What to Look for in Summer [Live] was released by Belle and Sebastian. The 23-track release from the Scottish indie pop band features live tracks recorded during its 2019 world tour.
- Man on the Moon, Vol. 3: The Chosen was released by Kid Cudi. The third and final installment of the rapper's Main On The Moon trilogy features guest appearances from Phoebe Bridgers, Pop Smoke, Skepta, and Trippie Redd.
- Plastic Bouquet was released by Kacy & Clayton. The debut full-length collaboration between Canadian duo Kacy & Clayton and New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams was recorded in 2019 in Saskatoon, Canada.
- evermore was released by Taylor Swift. The second surprise release from the singer-songwriter in 2020 features contributions from Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, Haim, Marcus Mumford, The National, Justin Vernon, and William Bowery (aka Joe Alwyn).
- GAMING: PC
- Alba: a Wildlife Adventure for PC is released. Even the smallest person can make a big difference. Join Alba, as she sets out to save her beautiful island and its wildlife. And possibly start a revolution.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Space Invaders Forever for Switch is released. Space Invaders Extreme has arrived to invade consoles with greatly improved graphics and interactive sound to deliver a new immersive experience! Packed with vibrant visuals and a pulsing soundtrack. Space Invaders Extreme comes with 16 stages, packed with devious invaders and fiendish boss fights. Practice individual stages in Free Play, then boost your high score to new heights in Arcade Mode! Can you find all the countless, hidden bonuses? Welcome to the new invasion!
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- Bougainville votes to become independent of Papua New Guinea in a referendum.
- Ed Sheeran was named the UK's artist of the decade by the Official Charts Company. Sheeran achieved the milestone after a combined run of 12 No.1 singles and albums between 2010 and 2019 - more than any other artist. He's also had the most weeks (79) at No.1 in both the album and singles charts in this period..
- Discovery of the earliest figurative artwork in the world, (43,900 years old), figures part human part animal, from cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, reported in journal "Nature".
- Climate activist Greta Thunberg is named Time magazine's Person of the Year.
- Militants attack army base in Ates, Niger, killing at least 71. Islamic State claim responsibility..
- India passes controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill clearing way for citizenship for immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan but not if they are Muslim.
- DEATHS
- David Bellamy, Botanist.
- MOVIES: R
- 6 Underground is released. What's the best part of being dead? It isn't escaping your boss, your ex, or even erasing your criminal record. The best part about being dead...is the freedom. The freedom to fight the injustice and evil that lurk in our world without anyone or anything to slow you down or tell you "no."6 Underground introduces a new kind of action hero. Six individuals from all around the globe, each the very best at what they do, have been chosen not only for their skill, but for a unique desire to delete their pasts to change the future. The team is brought together by an enigmatic leader (Ryan Reynolds), whose sole mission in life is to ensure that, while he and his fellow operatives will never be remembered, their actions damn sure will. [Netflix]
- GAMING: PC
- Transport Fever 2 for PC is released. The classic transport simulation genre has a new gold standard with Transport Fever 2. Discover a whole new world by navigating transport routes through land, water and air. May progress and prosperity find their way.
- Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York for PC is released. Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York presents the conflict between two vampiric factions: the traditionalist Camarilla and the fiercely independent Anarchs among the iconic landmarks and night lights of The Big Apple. It's a unique, atmospheric, single-player narrative experience, set in a rich, fully licensed, globally recognized universe of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition.* Choose your character from one of several distinct Clans* Every playable character offers unique powers (Disciplines), different ethical approaches to certain issues, and dialogue lines* Character-oriented quests allow you to create your own coterie and shape your relations by reinforcing NPC loyalties* Highly replayable - choices made in the game are reflected by the game's changing fiction* Various endings depending on your actions - which conclusion will you reach?* Suitable for both Vampire: The Masquerade veterans, and fans of mature narrative-driven games who are newcomers to the setting
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- Time Magazine Person of the Year 2018 is "the Guardians"journalists targeted for their work, including Jamal Khashoggi.
- The Arctic is experiencing "unprecedented warmth" caused by human-caused climate change, according to US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Report.
- The Artic is experiencing "unprecedented warmth" caused by human-caused climate change, according to US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Report.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Earth Defense Force 5 for PlayStation 4 is released. Become an EDF Soldier and Save Earth. Become one of the soldiers of EDF and exterminate the invading aliens. Protect peace on Earth. Human-Looking Aliens Appear for the First Time in The SeriesWhat are the unprecedented and intellectual alien beings from another planet called the 'Primer'? A series-first enemy alien finally appears. The battle with this intelligent enemy produces unprecedented deep despair, while leading the player to the most fun yet as EDF must confront them with courage and wisdom.
- Gungrave VR for PlayStation 4 is released. The acclaimed Gungrave series is reborn on PlayStation VR! Gungrave VR and the standalone sequel Gungrave VR U.N are also available together in one complete set: Gungrave VR Loaded Coffin Edition.
- Smash Hit Plunder for PlayStation 4 is released. Let loose your inner mage. Step into the shoes of a prodigal mage and, using the power of PS VR, tear your way through a vast castle in search of gold, treasure and a hidden family fortune. As a young mage recently returned from magic school, unleash your newfound powers on the former family home as you seek to oust a sneaky spiritual creditor who has cheated your family of their wealth.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Kingdom Two Crowns for Switch is released. In Kingdom Two Crowns, players must work in the brand-new solo or co-op campaign mode to build their kingdom and secure it from the threat of the Greed. Experience new technology, units, enemies, mounts, and secrets in the next evolution of the award-winning micro strategy franchise.
- EVERSPACE: Stellar Edition for Switch is released. EVERSPACE is a roguelike 3Dspace shooter for Windows PC.
- Desert Child for Switch is released. Assume the role of a young hoverbike racer who needs to figure out how to scrape enough cash together through racing and odd jobs to punch your one-way ticket to the Red Planet to enter the biggest race in the universe, the Grand Prix.
- POLITICS
- US President Donald Trump says he would be "proud"to shut down the government in contentious meeting at The White House with Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Attempted suicide terrorist bomb attack in New York wounds 3, bomb fails to fully detonate.
- Landmark trial for Huntington's disease in London announces positive results - first time a drug has been able to slow an incurable brain disorder.
- Six wildfires in Southern California now cover area larger than New York City and Boston combined.
- Saudi Arabia announces an end to its 35 year ban on cinemas.
- DEATHS
- Keith Chegwin, English television presenter & actor, who died at 60.
- Aline Griffith, American-born Spanish aristocrat, Countess of Romanones, spy and author, who died at 94.
- GAMING: PC
- Fallout 4 VR for PC is released. Fallout 4, the legendary post-apocalyptic adventure from Bethesda Game Studios and winner of more than 200 'Best Of' awards, including the DICE and BAFTA Game of the Year, finally comes in its entirety to VR. Fallout 4 VR includes the complete core game with all-new combat, crafting, and building systems fully reimagined for virtual reality. The freedom of exploring the wasteland comes alive like never before. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. Every second is a fight for survival, and every choice is yours. Only you can rebuild and determine the fate of the Wasteland. Welcome home.
- POLITICS
- Rahul Gandhi, son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi, is elected leader of the Indian National Congress.
- US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand calls for the resignation of President Donald Trump given 16 women have accused him of sexual harassment.
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh says he will contest his election defeat in court, after his 1st election loss in 22 years.
- Bob Dylan said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. In a speech read on his behalf at the ceremony in Sweden, he said he thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon". Patti Smith performed 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' at the ceremony. But the singer had to apologise during her rendition after nerves got the better of her and she forgot the lyrics..
- Bombing at a chapel in Cairo, Egypt, kills 25 and wounds 45.
- BIRTHS
- Kyrie Prince, YouTube Star, born in United States.
- DEATHS
- Sid O'Linn, South African cricketer (soccer for South Africa 1947, cricket 1960), who died at 89.
- Esma Redzepova, World Music Singer.
- POLITICS
- Kyrgyzstan votes in a referendum to change the constitution to give the government more power.
On this day in 2015
- EVENTS
- "Playboy"magazine publishes its last nude issue, features Pamela Anderson on the cover.
- " Playboy" magazine publishes its last nude issue, features Pamela Anderson on the cover.
- Unrest in Burundi leads to clashes between authorities and protesters in Bujumbura, killing at least 87.
- DEATHS
- Peter Westbury, Race Car Driver.
- Lloyd Dane, Race Car Driver.
- MOVIES: DECEMBER 11 2015
- Arabian Nights: Volume 2, The Desolate One is released. In which Scheherazade tells of how desolation invaded men: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that a distressed judge will cry instead of giving out her sentence on a night when all three moons are aligned. A runaway murderer will wander through the land for over forty days and will tele transport himself to escape the Police while dreaming of prostitutes and partridges. A wounded cow will reminisce about a thousand-year-old olive tree while saying what she must say, which will sound none less than sad! The residents of a tower block in the suburbs will save parrots and piss inside lifts while surrounded by dead people and ghosts; including in fact a dog that... And seeing the morning break, Scheherazade fell silent. Damned tales! If things continue this way my daughter will surely end up with her throat slit! the Grand-Vizier, Scheherazade's father, thinks in his palace in Baghdad. [Kino Lorber]
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Body is released. On Christmas Eve, a trio of college co-eds sneak off to a secluded mansion to party. The young girls are faced with dire choices after they unexpectedly encounter the property’s groundskeeper. Following a freak accident, the girls find themselves entangled in a Hitchcockian nightmare steeped in tension, suspicion, double-crossing, and murder, where no one is to be trusted and a new twist lies around every corner. [Oscilloscope Pictures]
- The Ridiculous 6 is released. When his long-lost outlaw father returns, Tommy "White Knife"Stockburn goes on an adventure-filled journey across the Old West with his five brothers.
- The Girl in the Book is released. 29-year-old assistant editor and aspiring writer Alice Harvey (Emily VanCamp) is funny, smart and emotionally self-destructive. Climbing the ranks at a notable publishing company, she struggles to write her own story, forever stymied by memories of her youthful relationship with her dad’s older best friend, Milan (Michael Nyqvist). After 15 years Milan and Alice's paths cross once again, forcing them to confront events that have long gone unaddressed. [Myriad Pictures]
- MOVIES: PG
- Boy and the World is released. Cuca lives a life of quiet wonder, exploring all that the countryside has to offer. But his cozy life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity and variety as his small world expands. Simple line drawings of the village give way to broad brushstrokes forming giant bushels of cotton lining country roads and sweeps of pastel churned into roaring waves. Approaching the city, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks fill the sky above decoupage favelas, while flashing neon advertisements and garish shop windows illuminate the night. [GKIDS]
- MOVIES: PG13
- Don Verdean is released. Don Verdean is a man of faith who has devoted his life to biblical archaeology, scouring the globe in search of artifacts that back up the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now, traveling from town to town, he and his devoted assistant, Carol, spread the gospel by peddling books and DVDs out of his shabby RV, while his Holy Land contacts, Boaz and Shem, do the digging from afar. When evangelical preacher Tony Lazarus offers to bankroll Don’s modest roadside operation, the escalating pressure to find increasingly significant relics leads Don and his team down a less-than-righteous path. With more than just the word of God on the line, Don finds himself in the midst of a spiteful feud between two opposing congregations, leaving him to question what is truly important in life.
- In the Heart of the Sea is released. In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. In the Heart of the Sea reveals the encounter’s harrowing aftermath, as the ship’s surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive. Braving storms, starvation, panic and despair, the men will call into question their deepest beliefs, from the value of their lives to the morality of their trade, as their captain searches for direction on the open sea and his first mate still seeks to bring the great whale down. [Warner Bros.]
- MOVIES: R
- The Big Short is released. When four outsiders saw what the big banks, media and government refused to, the global collapse of the economy, they had an idea: The Big Short. Their bold investment leads them into the dark underbelly of modern banking where they must question everyone and everything. [Paramount Pictures]
- ALBUMS
- The Buffet was released by R. Kelly. The 13th full-length studio release for the R&B artist features guest appearances from his 17-year-old daughter Ariirayé, Jhené Aiko, Jeremih, Juicy J, Lil Wayne, Tinashe, and Ty Dolla $ign.
- Right On! was released by Jenny Lee. The debut full-length solo release for the bassist of Warpaint was co-produced with Norm Block.
- Big GRRRL Small World was released by Lizzo. The second full-length release for the Minnesota-based rapper artist was produced by BJ Burton and features contributions from Bionik, Doomtree's Lazerbeak, Alex Nutter, N.A.S.A.'s Sam Spiegel, and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon.
- Art Angels was released by Grimes. The fourth full-length release for the Canadian artist was self-produced and features guest appearances from Aristophanes and Janelle Monáe.
- A New Place 2 Drown was released by Archy Marshall. The album is part of a multimedia project from the British artist better known as King Krule and his older brother Jack.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- Starpoint Gemini 2 for Xbox One is released. Starpoint Gemini 2, like its predecessor Starpoint Gemini (2011), is an open-world 3D space simulation that combines powerful RPG mechanics with the frenzy of space combat, creating a particular blend that sets itself apart from all other games in the genre.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- World's 1st penis transplant procedure by a team from Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
- CIA Director John Brennan defends interrogation methods used after 9/11 but admits some methods were "abhorrent".
- DEATHS
- Hans Wallat, German opera conductor, who died at 85.
- GAMING: 3DS
- Xeodrifter for 3DS is released. Drifting through the stars.Xeodrifter is the story of an interstellar drifter traveling the stars on a simple mission of exploration. We join our nomad as he embarks on the investigation of a small cluster of four planets in the omega sector, after a collision with a rogue asteroid damaged his warp core.Blast your way through alien landscapes, seek out valuable secrets, and defeat ancient guardians to unlock powers from a legendary supreme culture in this exciting journey of mystery and adventure.
- GAMING: PC
- The Talos Principle for PC is released. In The Talos Principle, players assume the role of a sentient artificial intelligence placed within a simulation of humanity?s greatest ruins and linked together through an arcane cathedral. Players are tasked with solving a series of increasingly complex puzzles woven into a metaphysical parable about intelligence and meaning in an inevitably doomed world.