FridayFri, February 28th Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Peace Memorial Day is being celebrated in Taiwan
- People born on this day are Pisces as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
Happening Today
- EVENTS
- Crash between a Greek passenger service and a freight train kills at least 57 people near town of Larissa, in one of the country's worst-ever rail disasters.
- FBI Director Christopher Wray confirms the bureau believes COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab accident in Wuhan, China.
- DEATHS
- Brian O'Brien, Irish rugby union centre (3 Tests; Munster RFC) and selector (Ireland, British & Irish Lions), who died at 83.
- GAMING: PC
- Destiny 2: Lightfall for PC is released. The last stand against Calus--who became the latest disciple of The Witness at the end of Season of the Haunted--and a "pivotal"moment for the Destiny franchise as it heads to the end of the Light and Darkness saga. Lightfall takes place in a new city on Neptune, Neomuna, which has a pristine and retro-futuristic design. As for the fifth subclass that was briefly seen, this new Darkness power is called Strand and allows for new traversal methods in Neomuna. The city is inhabited by a new race known as Cloudstriders, who managed to escape The Collapse of the solar system and remain hidden from the Darkness. With The Witness having discovered the city, it has come under siege from Calus, the Shadow Legion, and gigantic Pyramid Demons that can use a scythe to attack from a distance and drain your life-force.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 5
- Scars Above for PlayStation 5 is released. Something strange has entered Earth's orbit; an object alien and unknowable, made out of matter that seems not to obey the laws of physics - the Metahedron. As a part of a hastily gathered group of astronauts and scientists sent off to explore it, your fate takes a jarring turn as you awaken in another world - dazed, alone on an alien planet... but determined to stay alive. Scars Above is a challenging, immersive third-person shooter inspired by modern type action-adventure games. It takes the genre staples, such as the rewarding feeling of overcoming difficulty, and combines it with a compelling and intricate story, meticulous and lavish world design, and a living, breathing ecosystem to explore and endure.This is a game of mystery and discovery.
On this day in 2022
- EVENTS
- Russia shells the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, while a 40 mile Russian military convoy approaches capital city of Kyiv.
- GAMING: PC
- Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons for PC is released. Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons is the third expansion for the award-winning and critically acclaimed MMORPG Guild Wars 2. The dragon cycle that has sustained and blighted Tyria for ages is collapsing. Mortal hearts and choices will define this moment in history—and echo in the future forever.
On this day in 2021
- EVENTS
- Hong Kong charges 47 with "conspiracy to commit subversion" in harshest implementation of its new security laws imposed by China.
- Myanmar security forces open fire on protests around the country, killing at least 18, in bloodiest day since the military coup.
- DEATHS
- Milan Bandic, Politician.
- Johnny Briggs, English actor (Mike Baldwin on Coronation Street), who died at 85.
- Glenn Roeder, English soccer defender (QPR, Newcastle United), and manager (Watford, West Ham, Newcastle, Norwich), who died from a brain tumour at 65.
- TV SERIES
- The Golden Globe Awards is released. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed Golden Globes was hosted by Tina Fey in New York and by Amy Poehler in Los Angeles.
- SPORTS
- Irv Cross, American football cornerback (Pro Bowl 1964,65; Philadelphia Eagles) and broadcaster (CBS), who died from ischemic cardiomyopathy at 81.
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- Court of Arbitration for Sport bans Chinese triple Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang from swimming for 8 years for breaking anti-doping rules.
- DEATHS
- Freeman Dyson, American physicist (known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering), who died at 96.
- Stig-Göran Myntti, Finnish soccer midfielder (61 caps; Vasa IFK), who died at 94.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Straight Up is released. Todd is a hyper-articulate, obsessive compulsive gay twentysomething whose fear of dying alone leads him to a baffling conclusion: he might not be gay after all. When he meets Rory, a whip-smart struggling actress with her own set of insecurities, the two forge a relationship that’s all talk and no sex.
- Saint Frances is released. Flailing thirty-four-year-old Bridget (Kelly O'Sullivan) finally catches a break when she meets a nice guy and lands a much-needed job nannying six-year-old Frances (played by a scene-stealing Ramona Edith-Williams). But an unwanted pregnancy introduces an unexpected complication. To make matters worse, she clashes with the obstinate Frances and struggles to navigate a growing tension between Frances' moms. Amidst her tempestuous personal relationships, a reluctant friendship with Frances emerges, and Bridget contends with the inevitable joys and shit-shows of becoming a part of someone else's family.
- The Whistlers is released. Not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides of the law. Embarking with the beautiful Gilda on a high-stakes heist, both will have to navigate the twists and turns of corruption, treachery and deception. A trip to the Canary Islands to learn a secret whistling language might just be what they need to pull it off.
- Guns Akimbo is released. Miles’ (Daniel Radcliffe) nerdy existence as a video game developer takes a dramatic turn when he inadvertently gets caught up as the next contestant with SKIZM, an underground gang live-streaming real-life death matches. While Miles excels at running away from everything, that won’t help him outlast Nix (Samara Weaving), a killer at the top of her game.
- Blood on Her Name is released. A woman's panicked decision to cover up an accidental killing spins out of control when her conscience demands she return the dead man's body to his family.
- MOVIES: NR
- Disappearance at Clifton Hill is released. Following the death of her mother, Abby (Tuppence Middleton), a troubled young woman with a checkered past, returns to her hometown of Niagara Falls and the dilapidated motel her family used to run. While there, she finds herself drawn once again into a mystery that has haunted her since childhood: what happened to the young boy she saw being violently abducted in the woods twenty-five years ago? As Abby sets out to find out the truth, she must confront both a shocking, long-buried conspiracy that runs as deep as the falls themselves as well as her own inner demons. [IFC Midnight]
- MOVIES: PG13
- Wendy is released. Lost on a mysterious island where aging and time have come unglued, Wendy must fight to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth from the deadly peril of growing up.
- MOVIES: R
- The Invisible Man is released. Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister (Harriet Dyer), their childhood friend (Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid). But when Cecilia's abusive ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia's sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
- The Jesus Rolls is released. The Jesus rolls on. Hours after being released from prison, Jesus Quintana (John Turturro) pairs up with fellow misfits Petey (Bobby Cannavale) and Marie (Audrey Tautou), and embark on a freewheeling joyride of petty crime and romance.
- Burden is released. When a museum celebrating the Ku Klux Klan opens in a small South Carolina town, the idealistic Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker) resolves to do everything in his power to prevent long-simmering racial tensions from boiling over. But the members of Kennedy’s congregation are shocked to discover that his plan includes sheltering Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund), a Klansman whose relationships with both a single-mother (Andrea Riseborough) and a high-school friend (Usher Raymond) force him to re-examine his long-held beliefs. After Kennedy helps Mike leave behind his violent past, the Baptist preacher finds himself on a collision course with manipulative KKK leader Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson). In the face of grave threats to himself and his family, the resolute Kennedy bravely pursues a path toward peace, setting aside his own misgivings in the hopes of healing his wounded community.
- Greed is released. Self-made British billionaire Sir Richard McCreadie's (Steve Coogan) retail empire is in crisis. For 30 years he has ruled the world of retail fashion – bringing the high street to the catwalk and the catwalk to the high street – but after a damaging public inquiry, his image is tarnished. To save his reputation, he decides to bounce back with a highly publicized and extravagant party celebrating his 60th birthday on the Greek island of Mykonos.
- MOVIES: TVMA
- All the Bright Places is released. All The Bright Places tells the story of Violet Markey (Elle Fanning) and Theodore Finch (Justice Smith), who meet and change each other’s lives forever. As they struggle with the emotional and physical scars of their past, they come together, discovering that even the smallest places and moments can mean something.
- ALBUMS
- American Standard was released by James Taylor. The singer-songwriters latest full-length release features some musical and jazz standards from such shows as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Brigadoon, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, and Show Boat as well as songs made famous by Billie Holiday and Glenn Miller.
- Disco Volador was released by The Orielles. The second full-length release for the British indie-pop group was produced by Marta Salogni.
- Everyday Nothing was released by Brooke Bentham. The debut full-length release for the London-based singer-songwriter was produced by Bill Ryder-Jones.
- color theory was released by Soccer Mommy. The fourth full-length release for the Nashville singer-songwriter was produced by Gabe Wax and mixed by Lars Stalfors.
- Fungus II was released by Wasted Shirt. The debut full-length release for the collaborative project of Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale and Ty Segall was recorded at Segall's house.
- The Main Thing was released by Real Estate. The fifth full-length release for the New Jersey indie rock band features a guest appearance from Sylvan Esso.
- Rakka was released by Vladislav Delay. The latest full-length release for the Finnish electronic producer Sasu Ripatti is his first credited under his Vladislav Delay moniker in six years.
- Suddenly was released by Caribou. The latest full-length release for Dan Snaith as Caribou was self-recorded and produced.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV for PlayStation 4 is released. The latest iteration of the classic tactical series is once again set during the fall of the Han Dynasty in ancient China; where battles take place in a boundary-free scramble for land.
- One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows for PlayStation 4 is released. Experience the world of ONE-PUNCH MAN for yourself in “ONE PUNCH MAN: A HERO NOBODY KNOWS”. Form a team of your favorite heroes and villains. Grow your techniques and see who reigns supreme in this ONE-PUNCH MAN game.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Metro Redux for Switch is released. In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age.The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside.You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised underground. Having never ventured beyond the city limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat.But will they even listen? Rather than stand united, the factions of the Metro are locked in a struggle for the ultimate power, a doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. A civil war is stirring that could wipe humanity from the face of the earth forever.Including the epic single-player campaigns of both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, Metro Redux takes you on a journey from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind.Metro Redux is the ultimate double game collection, including the definitive versions of both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, now available on Nintendo Switch™Newcomers to the series will get the chance to experience two of the finest story-driven shooters of all time in one vast package; an epic adventure combining gripping survival horror, exploration and tactical combat and stealth.Those who favoured the more survival-horror oriented gameplay of ‘Metro 2033’ can play both campaigns in the ‘Survival’ Play-Style, a fraught, slow burn fight for survival. Those who enjoyed the more action-oriented gameplay of ‘Metro: Last Light’ can try the ‘Spartan’ Play-Style, providing Artyom with a powerful set of combat skills.With the legendary Ranger Mode included to offer an extra layer of challenge and immersion, and all previous released DLC, Metro Redux offers 50+ hours of AAA FPS gameplay for an incredible price.
- Depixtion for Switch is released. Based on the popular Picross series, Depixtion blends color mixing mechanics with the rules of nonograms to create a uniquely colorful experience.
- Bloodroots for Switch is released. Betrayed and left for dead, Mr. Wolf is hell-bent on finding his killer and enacting revenge - alone, and vastly outnumbered. Thankfully for Mr. Wolf, the world is your weapon in Bloodroots - a relentless action game that unfolds across the sprawling Weird West. You’ll choreograph spectacular, ultra-violent combos by making use of everything around you, from hatchets, to ladders, to...carrots? It’s improvise or die, as Mr. Wolf fights his way to the center of the mystery: why was he betrayed?
- SPORTS
- Johnny Antonelli, American baseball pitcher (6 × MLB All-Star 1954,56–59²; World Series, NL ERA leader 1954; SF Giants), who died from colon cancer at 89.
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- Lost Caravaggio painting "Judith and Holofernes" (1607) announced rediscovered in a Toulouse attic in 2014 to be auctioned worth $171 million.
- YouTube announces it will stops all comments on videos featuring children because of paedophiles leaving inappropriate comments.
- DEATHS
- Anna Cunningham, TikTok Star.
- Andre Previn, Composer.
- TV SERIES
- Better Things: Season 3 is released. Co-creator/writer/star Pamela Adlon will again direct all 12 episodes which will include appearances from Matthew Broderick, Janina Gavankar, Doug Jones, Judy Reyes, Charlie Robinson, Sharon Stone, Cree Summer, Marsha Thomason, and Glynn Turman.
- GAMING: PC
- Ape Out for PC is released. Ape Out is a wildly intense and colorfully stylized smash ‘em up about primal escape, rhythmic violence, and frenetic jazz.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Fimbul for Switch is released. Fimbul combines intense Vikingbattles with a deep story that unfolds through in-game comics to bring the frozen world of the Norse sagas to life. Immerse yourself in the blistering winter preceding Ragnarok -- The Fimbul Winter.
- POLITICS
- Summit between North Korea's Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump collapses without agreement.
- SPORTS
- André Previn, German born American conductor (London Symphony), film scorer (My Fair Lady) and pianist, who died at 89.
- German-American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor André Previn died at home in Manhattan at the age of 89. He is best known for arranging and composing Hollywood film scores for over 50 films over his entire career. He won four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings..
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- 700 illegal churches closed in Rwanda for being too noisy and lacking building permits.
- DEATHS
- Harvey Schmidt, American musical theatre composer (The Fantasticks), and illustrator, who died of complications of congestive heart failure at 88.
- Jayendra Saraswathi, Hindu religious leader (69th Shankaracharya Guru), who died at 82.
- MOVIES: NR
- Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? is released. In 1946, my great-grandfather murdered a black man named Bill Spann and got away with it."So begins Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?, filmmaker Travis Wilkerson critically acclaimed investigation into the murder, family history, and the societal mores that allowed it to happen. Wilkerson tells a frightening and troubling story, incorporating scenes from To Kill a Mockingbird, the music of Janelle Monáe and Phil Ochs, and a dogged search for the truth — one that unearths long-buried secrets, destroyed records, and real threats of violence.
- TV SERIES
- The Looming Tower: Season 1 is released. CIA analyst Martin Schmidt (Peter Sarsgaard) defies orders to share information about potential terrorists with John O'Neill (Jeff Daniels), the head of the New York FBI's Counter-Terrorism unit, believing only the CIA can handle terrorist threats in this 10-part drama based on Lawrence Wright's non-fiction book about how infighting between FBI and CIA may have led to the rise of Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in the late 1990s.
- GAMING: PC
- Where the Water Tastes Like Wine for PC is released. Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is a Narrative-Adventure game about traveling, sharing stories, and surviving manifest destiny.
- H1Z1 for PC is released. Play the Battle Royale game that started it all. Now includes AUTO ROYALE. Drive into battle as part of a team-based vehicle of mayhem. Fight for power-ups to equip your squad and upgrade your ride.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Bridge Constructor Portal for Switch is released. Enter the Aperture Science Enrichment Center and experience Bridge Constructor Portal – the unique merging of the classic Portal and Bridge Constructor games. As a new employee in the Aperture Science test lab, it's your job to build bridges, ramps, slides, and other constructions in 60 test chambers and get the Bendies safely across the finish line in their vehicles. Make use of the many Portal gadgets, like portals, propulsion gel, repulsion gel, aerial faith plates, cubes, and more to bypass the sentry turrets, acid pools and laser barriers, solve switch puzzles, and make it through the test chambers unscathed. Let Ellen McLain, the original voice of GLaDOS, guide you through the tutorial, and learn all the tips and tricks that make a true Aperture Science employee. [Nintendo]
On this day in 2017
- DEATHS
- Claude Rene Georges Pascal, French composer, who died at 96.
- Gary Sharp, Race Car Driver.
- Leoncjusz Ciuciura, Polish classical composer (Spirals), who died at 86 [2].
- Nicholas Mosley, British novelist, biographer and son of Oswald Mosley, who died at 93.
- GAMING: 3DS
- Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns for 3DS is released. What will you do today? Take charge of an expansive farm near three unique and exciting towns and choose what kind of life to lead.The original and best-selling farming/life sim returns for its 20th anniversary with a brand new adventure!Take on the role of a young city slicker who has always wished for a life on the farm. Your dream leads you to a huge plot of open land just ready to be filled with crops, livestock, decorations, and more.Your new farm is at the crossroads of three different towns. Westown, with its cows and corrals, has everything the classic frontier settler needs. Right next door is Lulukoko Town, a warm, friendly paradise to rival any tropical island. Rounding out the neighborhood is Tsuyukusa, a traditional Far Eastern village. Become friends with the residents and help them improve their towns, then connect to other farmers like you, locally or via internet, to chat and trade useful items.Grow crops, raise adorable pets, become a renowned chef or fashionista, and even discover romance with the locals. It's all up to you in STORY OF SEASONS: Trio of Towns.
- GAMING: PC
- DESYNC for PC is released. DESYNC is a single-player first person action game that begs you to play dangerously and creatively. Eliminate your opponents as you perform violent attack sequences using the explosive digital weaponry and lethal side-arms at your disposal.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- Dying: Reborn for PlayStation 4 is released. DYING: Reborn is a dark, horror-themed puzzle game that creates a unique first-person room escape experience. A mysterious fish-head nemesis, a grudge, a series of never-ending trials, and a shocking ending promise to satisfy your horror needs.
- Ghost Blade HD for PlayStation 4 is released. Ghost Blade HD is an intense bullet-hell shoot 'em up game, with satisfying and addictive score-based gameplay, with its tradition going back to the shooting games of the 1990s era. Designed with a modern graphic style and special effects, Ghost Blade also features a 2-player mode. Ghost Blade HD Is easy to learn, yet hard to master.
- Horizon Zero Dawn for PlayStation 4 is released. Horizon Zero Dawn is a PS4-exclusive action role playing game developed by Guerrilla Games, creators of the Killzone franchise. As Horizon Zero Dawn’s main protagonist Aloy, a skilled hunter, explore a vibrant and lush world inhabited by mysterious mechanized creatures. Embark on an emotional journey to unravel mysteries of tribal societies, ancient artifacts and advanced technologies that will determine the fate of this planet, and of life itself.
- Torment: Tides of Numenera for PlayStation 4 is released. Torment: Tides of Numenera is a single-player role-playing game which continues the thematic legacy of the critically acclaimed Planescape: Torment by having to face complex and nuanced morality decisions, carefully contemplating deep and reactive choices with consequences that echo throughout the game all the while immersed into a new and strange vision taken from by renowned designer and writer Monte Cook's new tabletop role-playing game, Numenera. In Torment: Tides of Numenera, players must decide for themselves the answer to the eternal question, what does one life matter? Numenera's Ninth World is a fantastic vision of a world in which massive civilizations continue to rise and fall with only cities, monuments, and artifacts left behind to serve as reminders of their past existence. These reminders have become part of the accumulated detritus of eons and now this assortment of ancient power, called the numenera, is there for the taking. One of these humans has discovered a way to harness the numenera to grow strong, to cheat death, to skip across the face of centuries in a succession of bodies. But he discovers an unexpected side effect: You.
- The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Extended Edition for PlayStation 4 is released. Set in a gothic-noir universe resembling a fantastical 19th century Europe filled with monsters, magic, and weird technology, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing will follow the son of the famed hunter, known in-game as Van Helsing, in a tale wrought with wry humor and snappy dialogue. Van Helsing, a larger-than-life hero possessing a dark yet romantic charm, will follow his path to the dismal land of Borgovia where former supernatural foes have enlisted his help to defeat a new scourge terrorizing the ravaged Eastern European city. With an assortment of extraordinary characters, an engrossing storyline, and a beautifully dark and gothic art style, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing looks to bring RPG enthusiasts an anachronistic adventure like no other.
On this day in 2016
- EVENTS
- 36th Razzies Awards: "Fifty Shades of Grey" wins worst film, worst actor and actress.
- 88th Academy Awards: Best Picture - "Spotlight", Best Director - Alejandro G. Iñárritu (" The Revenant"), Best Actor - Leonardo DiCaprio (" The Revenant"), Best Actress - Brie Larson (" Room").
- Explosion at Severnaya coal mine in Vorkuta, Russia kills 36, including 5 rescuers.
- Adele was at No.1 on the UK and US album chart with her third studio album 25. The album was a massive commercial success, debuting at No.1 in more than 25 markets. 25 received the BRIT Award for British Album of the Year and also won the 2017 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album..
- DEATHS
- Frank Kelly, Irish stage and screen actor (Father Ted), who died at 77.
On this day in 2015
- BIRTHS
- Beckham Nelson, YouTube Star, born in United States.
- DEATHS
- Ezra Laderman, American composer (Jacob & the Indians), who died at 90.
- Maxee Maxwell, R& B Singer.
- Yasar Kemal, Activist.
- SPORTS
- Alex [Alexander] Johnson, American professional baseball player, who died at 72.
- Alex Johnson, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star, AL batting champion 1970, California Angels), who died from prostate cancer at 72.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- Russia moves troops into the Crimea to protect its interests against Ukraine.
- DEATHS
- Rostislav Belyakov, Russian chief designer of the MiG fighter jet, who died at 94.
- Hugo Brandt Corstius, Dutch essayist and mathematician, who died at 78.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Chlorine is released. Struggling to maintain their well-to-do lifestyle in their overly materialistic New England community, Georgie (Kyra Sedgwick) pushes her husband Roger (Vincent D'Onofrio) into a bad real estate deal.
- MOVIES: PG
- Ernest & Célestine is released. Deep below snowy, cobblestone streets, tucked away in networks of winding subterranean tunnels, lives a civilization of hardworking mice, terrified of the bears who live above ground. Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer – and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for ursine troubadour Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond. But it isn’t long before their friendship is put on trial by their respective bear-fearing and mice-eating communities.
- The Lunchbox is released. A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system connects a young housewife to an old man in the dusk of his life as they build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality.
- MOVIES: PG13
- Son of God is released. The life story of Jesus is told from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion and resurrection.
- HairBrained is released. When 14-year-old genius Eli Pettifog (Alex Wolff) is rejected from Harvard, he ends up at Ivy League wannabe Whittman College. It's hate at first sight. At Whittman, Eli meets 41-year-old freshman Leo Searly (Brendan Fraser). Leo, a gambler whose world has imploded, has dropped out of life to enroll in college. This odd duo become unlikely friends.
- Non-Stop is released. During a transatlantic flight from New York City to London, U.S. Air Marshal Bill Marks receives a series of cryptic text messages demanding that he instruct the government to transfer $150 million into an off-shore account. Until he secures the money, a passenger on his flight will be killed every 20 minutes. [Universal Pictures]
- Odd Thomas is released. Small-town fry cook Odd Thomas (Anton Yelchin) is an ordinary guy with a paranormal secret: he sees dead people, everywhere. When a creepy stranger appears with an entourage of ghostly bodachs - predators who feed on pain and portend mass destruction – Odd knows that his town is in serious trouble. Teaming up with his sweetheart Stormy (Addison Timlin) and the local sheriff (Willem Dafoe), Odd plunges into an epic battle of good vs evil to try to stop a disaster of apocalyptic proportions.
- MOVIES: R
- Stalingrad is released. Stalingrad is an epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II. A band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected a Russian woman who has been living there. Presented in IMAX® 3D, the scale of the battle contrasts dramatically with the human drama of the Russian soldiers, the few remaining civilians and their invaders into Stalingrad.
- The Bag Man is released. Jack (John Cusack), a tough guy with chronic bad luck is hired by Dragna (Robert De Niro), a legendary crime boss to complete a simple but unusual task. Over the course of a long and violently eventful night awaiting Dragna’s arrival, Jack’s path crosses that of Rivka (Rebecca Da Costa), a stunningly beautiful woman whose life becomes physically and emotionally entangled with Jack’s. When Dragna finally arrives on the scene there are sudden and extreme consequences for all.
- TV SERIES
- Hannibal: Season 2 is released. Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) must find a way to get himself out of the situation he ends up in due to what happened at the end of the first season.
- GAMING: 3DS
- Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy for 3DS is released. As the memories of Monte d'Or fade into the past, Professor Layton receives a letter from a like-minded archaeologist, Professor Desmond Sycamore. In it, Sycamore claims to have discovered a 'living mummy' and suggests Layton should see it for himself. Intrigued, the professor and his companions, Luke and Emmy, head for the town of Froenborg to investigate... [Nintendo UK]
On this day in 2013
- EVENTS
- The brains of two rats successfully connected so that they share information.
- 35 people are killed in violent demonstrations across Bangladesh.
- Pope Benedict XVI resigns. The pope whose birth name is Joseph Ratzinger was the first leader of the Catholic Church to resign since 1415..
- DEATHS
- Donald A. Glaser, American physicist (Nobel 1960), who died at 86.
- Bruce Reynolds, English criminal, who died at 81.
- GAMING: PC
- Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army for PC is released. One man is utterly alone amidst the chaos of war. But there are worse things to fear than bombs and bullets here...