FridayFri, March 6th Edition Go Back
Today in the World Countries
- Independence Day is being celebrated in Ghana
- People born on this day are Pisces as their zodiac sign.
Today in History
On this day in 2023
- TV SERIES
- History of the World, Part II: Season 1 is released. The sequel to the 1981 Mel Brooks film, "History of the World Part I"features eight episodes of comedic sketches about historic events and people over four nights.
- Perry Mason (2020): Season 2 is released. The DA believes the killer of a member of a wealthy oil family is in Hooverville and Perry Mason defends the accused in the second season of the rebooted drama series.
- Rain Dogs: Season 1 is released. Single mother Costello Jones (Daisy May Cooper) raises her 10-year-old daughter (Fleur Tashjian) with the help of her friends Selby (Jack Farthing) and Gloria (Ronk? Adékolu?jo) in this dark comedy written and created by Cash Carraway.
- GAMING: PC
- Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania for PC is released. The inspiration behind it all returns to its 2D action roots! Castlevania's unforgettable characters & gothic setting meet the fast-paced combat of the award-winning roguelite Dead Cells in this unprecedented collaboration. A gateway to a striking castle has suddenly appeared, and an imposing warrior called Richter asks you to help him vanquish the great evil within.Enticed by the promise of new loot rather than a sense of moral duty, you strike out through the grounds and corridors of the gothic castle to find and kill this mysterious Dracula...Slay hordes of his supernatural minions as you progress through our biggest DLC yet, including two levels, three bosses and a new storyline!
- POLITICS
- Georgina Beyer, New Zealand drag performer and politician (world's 1st openly transgender mayor, as MP helped decriminalize prostitution), who died of kidney disease at 65.
On this day in 2022
- EVENTS
- 'Heat Waves' by English indie pop band Glass Animals topped the US Hot 100 in its 59th week on the chart, breaking the record for the longest journey to No.1, surpassing the 35-week tally of Mariah Carey’s 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' (1994)..
- TV SERIES
- Shining Vale: Season 1 is released. Pat and Terry Phelps (Courteney Cox and Greg Kinnear) move their family from a small Brooklyn apartment into a Victorian mansion with a terrible history in Shining Vale, Connecticut in this horror comedy series created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan.
- Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty: Season 1 is released. The Adam McKay drama series centers on the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s when they won five NBA championships.
On this day in 2021
- EVENTS
- Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is vaccinated against COVID-19 pandemic in Dharamsala, India and urges others to do so.
- US Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 pandemic relief bill the American Rescue Plan.
- Lou Ottens passed away at the age of 94. The inventor of the tape cassette, he was instrumental in changing personal listening habits for an entire generation. "We were little boys who had fun playing, "he once said of his invention. "We didn’t feel like we were doing anything big.".
- On his first visit to Iraq, Pope Francis meets with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the Shiite cleric's home in Najaf.
- DEATHS
- Miguel Miranda, Peruvian soccer goalkeeper (47 caps; Sporting Cristal) and coach (Alianza Atlético), who died at 54.
- Louis Ottens, Dutch engineer, developed the audio cassette tape, and worked on the compact disc, who died at 94 [2].
- Chi Shangbin, Chinese soccer midfielder (58 caps; Liaoning) and coach (Dalian Wanda: Chinese Jia-A League champions & Coach of the Year 1996,97), who died from a heart attack at 71.
- Abood Omari, Instagram Star.
- Bengt Åberg, Swedish motocross racer (World 500cc Motocross Champion 1969,70; Motocross des Nations gold 1970,71,74), who died at 76.
- Bob Turner, Race Car Driver.
On this day in 2020
- EVENTS
- American rapper Lil Uzi Vert second album, "Eternal Atake", tops the Billboard charts upon its release.
- Russia refuses to reduce oil production over COVID-19 pandemic fears, breaking with Saudi Arabia and OPEC and prompting a price war.
- DEATHS
- McCoy Tyner, American jazz pianist (John Coltrane Quartet), who died at 81.
- Henri Richard, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (record 11 Stanley Cups; 9 x NHL All Star; Montreal Canadiens), who died from Alzheimer's disease at 84.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Go Back to China is released. The semi-autobiographical film follows spoiled rich girl Sasha Li (Anna Akana), who after blowing through most of her trust fund, is forced by her father (Richard Ng) to go back to China and work for the family toy business. What begins simply as a way to regain financial support soon develops into a life altering journey of self discovery, as Sasha discovers her passion for toy designing and learns to reconnect with her estranged family. A bittersweet portrait of a fractured family, the film also offers an honest look at the human cost of things that are made in China. [SXSW]
- Bacurau is released. A few years from now... Bacurau, a small village in the Brazilian sertão, mourns the loss of its matriarch, Carmelita, who lived to be 94. Days later, its inhabitants notice that their village has literally vanished from most maps and a UFO-shaped drone starts flying overhead. There are forces that want to expel them from their homes.
- The Booksellers is released. Antiquarian booksellers are part scholar, part detective and part businessperson, and their personalities and knowledge are as broad as the material they handle. They also play an underappreciated yet essential role in preserving history. The Booksellers takes viewers inside their small but fascinating world, populated by an assortment of obsessives, intellects, eccentrics and dreamers.
- The Wild Goose Lake is released. When small-time mob leader Zhou Zenong (Hu Ge) accidentally kills a cop, a dead-or-alive bounty is placed on his head, forcing him on the lam from both the police as well as dangerous gangsters out for the reward. Hiding out in China’s densely populated (and deeply divided) Wuhan province, Zhou becomes entangled with a beautiful, enigmatic woman, who has mysterious intentions of her own.
- MOVIES: PG
- Onward is released. In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers, Ian & Barney Lightfoot (Tom Holland & Chris Pratt), embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
- MOVIES: PG13
- Hope Gap is released. The intimate, intense and loving story of Hope Gap charts the life of Grace (Annette Bening), shocked to learn her husband (Bill Nighy) is leaving her for another after 29 years of marriage, and the ensuing emotional fallout the dissolution has on their only grown son (Josh O’Connor). Unraveled and feeling displaced in her small seaside town, Grace ultimately regains her footing and discovers a new, powerful voice.
- Escape from Pretoria is released. Two white South Africans, imprisoned for working on behalf of the ANC, determine to escape from the notorious white man's 'Robben Island', Pretoria Prison.
- First Cow is released. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow.
- MOVIES: R
- Extra Ordinary is released. Rose, a sweet, lonely driving instructor in rural Ireland, is gifted with supernatural abilities. Rose has a love/hate relationship with her ‘talents’ & tries to ignore the constant spirit related requests from locals – to exorcise possessed rubbish bins or haunted gravel. But! Christian Winter, a washed up, one-hit-wonder rock star, has made a pact with the devil for a return to greatness! He puts a spell on a local teenager- making her levitate. Her terrified father, Martin Martin, asks Rose to help save his daughter. Rose has to overcome the fear of her supernatural gift & work with Martin to save the girl, get the guy and be home in time for a light snack…maybe a yogurt or something.
- The Way Back is released. Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) once had a life filled with promise. In high school, he was a basketball phenom with a full university scholarship, when suddenly, for reasons unknown, he walked away from the game, forfeiting his future. Now years later, Jack is spiraling down, triggered by an unspeakable loss, and drowning in the alcoholism that cost him his marriage and any hope for a better life. When he is asked to coach the basketball team at his alma mater, which has fallen far since his glory days, he reluctantly accepts, surprising no one more than himself. As the boys start to come together as a team and win, Jack may have finally found a reason to confront the demons that have derailed him. But will it be enough to fill the void, heal the deep wounds of his past, and set him on the road to redemption?
- The Banker is released. Revolutionary businessmen Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson) devise an audacious and risky plan to take on the racist establishment of the 1960s by helping other African Americans pursue the American dream. Along with Garrett's wife Eunice (Nia Long), they train a working class white man, Matt Steiner (Nicholas Hoult), to pose as the rich and privileged face of their burgeoning real estate and banking empire - while Garrett and Morris pose as a janitor and a chauffeur. Their success ultimately draws the attention of the federal government, which threatens everything the four have built.
- Swallow is released. On the surface, Hunter (Haley Bennett) appears to have it all. A newly pregnant housewife, she seems content to spend her time tending to an immaculate home and doting on her Ken-doll husband, Richie (Austin Stowell). However, as the pressure to meet her controlling in-laws and husband's rigid expectations mounts, cracks begin to appear in her carefully created facade. Hunter develops a dangerous habit, and a dark secret from her past seeps out in the form of a disorder called pica - a condition that has her compulsively swallowing inedible, and oftentimes life-threatening, objects. [IFC Midnight]
- The Burnt Orange Heresy is released. Charming and ambitious art critic, James Figueras (Claes Bang), has fallen from grace. He spends his days in Milan lecturing witless tourists about art history. His only glimmer of hope is a new-found love interest, the enigmatic American, Berenice Hollis (Elizabeth Debicki). An opportunity strikes when he is contacted by wealthy art dealer Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger) who summons James to his villa on Lake Como and asks him to steal a painting from the legendary reclusive artist, Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland). Soon, James’ greed and ambition get the better of him, and he finds himself caught in a web of his own making.
- Spenser Confidential is released. Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) - an ex-cop better known for making trouble than solving it - just got out of prison and is leaving Boston for good. But first he gets roped into helping his old boxing coach and mentor, Henry (Alan Arkin), with a promising amateur. That's Hawk (Winston Duke), a brash, no-nonsense MMA fighter convinced he'll be a tougher opponent than Spenser ever was. When two of Spenser's former colleagues turn up murdered, he recruits Hawk and his foul-mouthed ex-girlfriend, Cissy (Iliza Shlesinger), to help him investigate and bring the culprits to justice.
- Run This Town is released. A young journalist and a young political aide become entangled in a larger-than-life political scandal as they struggle to navigate adult life. Like all their friends, Bram and Kamal are struggling to climb the ladders at their respective workplaces: Bram at a newspaper, Kamal at City Hall. When Bram learns of a scandal involving Kamal’s larger-than-life boss, he seizes the moment to advance his career. Meanwhile, Kamal grapples with containing the story while maintaining his integrity.
- TV SERIES
- The Most Dangerous Animal of All: Season 1 is released. The four-part documentary series looks at Gary Stewart's search for his biological father and the evidence that reveal the man was the Zodiac Killer.
- ZeroZeroZero: Season 1 is released. The eight-part series adapted from Roberto Saviano's book of the same name looks into the international cocaine trade.
- Amazing Stories (2020): Season 1 is released. The first season of the reboot of the 1985 Steven Spielberg anthology series features Sasha Alexander, Kerry Lynn Bishé, Edward Burns, Juliana Canfield, Whitney Coleman, Robert Forster (in his final performance), Josh Holloway, Dylan O'Brien, and Victoria Pedretti.
- Hillary: Season 1 is released. The four-part documentary series about the former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton features interviews with Clinton, her husband Bill and her daughter Chelsea as well as behind the scenes footage from her 2016 campaign for President.
- ALBUMS
- Heavy Light was released by U.S. Girls. The latest full-length release for the solo project for Meghan Remy was recorded live in Montreal with 20 session musicians.
- Out of My Province was released by Nadia Reid. The third full-length release for the New Zealand singer-songwriter was produced by Trey Pollard and Matthew E. White.
- Nick of Time was released by The James Hunter Six. The latest full-length release for the British R&B/soul artist was recorded and produced by Bosco Mann (aka as Daptone Records' Gabriel Roth) in California.
- Beat Poetry for Survivalists was released by Luke Haines. The debut full-length release for the collaboration between R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and The Auteurs' Luke Haines includes contributions from Scott McCaughey and Linda Pitmon.
- Eternal Atake was released by Lil Uzi Vert. The second full-length major label studio release for the Philadelphia rapper features a guest appearance from Syd.
- Collector was released by Disq. The debut full-length release for the Wisconsin indie rock band that includes Raina Bock, Isaac de Broux-Slone, Shannon Connor, Logan Severson, and Brendan Manley was produced by Rob Schnapf.
- England Is a Garden was released by Cornershop. This is the first full-length studio release in over eight years for the British indie rock band.
- Your Life Is a Record was released by Brandy Clark. The third full-length studio release for the country singer-songwriter was produced by Jay Joyce.
- Traditional Techniques was released by Stephen Malkmus. The latest full-length solo release for the Pavement co-founder features a 12-string acoustic guitar.
- Superstar was released by Caroline Rose. Self-produced and recorded, the fourth full-length release for the New York indie-pop artist is a concept album about a person taking off for Los Angeles to seek fame.
- The Long Goodbye was released by Riz Ahmed. The first full-length release not credited under the actor/rapper's MC name was produced by Swet Shop Boys' Redinho.
- Silver Landings was released by Mandy Moore. The first new full-length release in over a decade from the pop artist/actor was produced by Mike Viola.
- Sorry You Couldn't Make It was released by Swamp Dogg. The latest full-length release for the R&B/soul singer includes country music influences and features guest appearances from Polica's Channy Leaneagh, Jenny Lewis, John Prine, and Justin Vernon.
- GAMING: PC
- Yes, Your Grace for PC is released. These are troubling times, Your Grace. The petitioners’ petty matters exceed our limited resources, to say nothing of the war. A careful balance must be struck. Your throne awaits.
- Murder by Numbers for PC is released. Solve Pixel Puzzles to find clues. Use those clues to interrogate witnesses. Work your way to the truth......and uncover the mystery of Murder by Numbers.
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX for Switch is released. You can meet and recruit Pokémon in a dungeon-crawling adventure within their world! Build a rescue team to take on mysterious, changing dungeons and strategically plan your moves as you venture forth to make the Pokémon world a safer place…and uncover your true purpose along the way.As you recruit Pokémon, these trusty teammates will need somewhere to stay, so build camps to house, manage, and strengthen your Pokémon friends. Think hard about who is right for the job and how to approach each mysterious dungeon as you prepare a rescue team. You’ll move a single square at a time or use Auto mode to speed up movement until you engage other Pokémon in turn-based battles—but don’t forget about Pokémon strengths and weaknesses! This version adds gorgeous watercolor-inspired graphics, and more! Get comfortable in being a Pokémon, there’s a lot of work to do.
- Afterparty for Switch is released. In Afterparty, you are Milo and Lola, recently deceased best buds who suddenly find themselves staring down an eternity in Hell. But there’s a loophole: outdrink Satan and he’ll grant you re-entry to Earth. What adventures will you stumble through in the underworld? Every step is up to you. Time to go on the best bender ever, uncover the mystery of why you’ve been damned, and drink the big guy under the table. [Night School]
- Save Koch for Switch is released. In Save Koch you play mafia Godfather, who is basically besieged inside his own panic room. Danger-danger! Someone in the ?ity decided to take your place, and there is a sleeper “mole” inside your Family, who is acting as we speak. Time is running out, you have only six days to solve the plot, resolve who is standing behind this conspiracy, resolve the problem and send the challenger to feed the fish.Each new game session of Save Koch is played in a completely different manner. At the start, the game shuffles the NPCs deck, which leads to all game events and, subsequently, your methods will be completely unique to that particular game session. It’s as if you were playing your favorite desktop game with a bunch of friends — you’ve just beat the game, but the fun only begins! Make strategic decisions, join unexpected alliances, hire detectives, bribe or even torture witnesses, if your tastes up to; do everything to find that criminal mastermind who challenges you. And also flush out that hiding mole. And also not become a victim.
On this day in 2019
- EVENTS
- US trade deficit rises to 10-year high of $621 billion.
- Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg reveals plans to turn the social media platform into a more "privacy-focused platform".
- BIRTHS
- Halston Blake Fisher, Instagram Star, born in United States.
- DEATHS
- Lotte Van Der Zee, Pageant Contestant.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- Triple Frontier is released. A group of former Special Forces operatives (Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal) reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers these unsung heroes undertake this dangerous mission for self instead of country. But when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their skills, their loyalties and their morals are pushed to a breaking point in an epic battle for survival.
- SPORTS
- LeBron James scores his 32,293rd point in the 2nd quarter of a Lakers'115-99 loss to Denver in LA to pass Michael Jordan into 4th place on the NBA all-time point scoring list.
On this day in 2018
- EVENTS
- Pope Francis announces that murdered Salvadorean Archbishop Óscar Romero will be made a saint.
- " Highest overdose death rates ever recorded in the US",142,000 overdoses in 2016-17 period according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Nashville mayor Megan Barry resigns a month after admitting to an extramarital affair with her bodyguard.
- Forbes names Amazon founder Jeff Bezos the world's richest person for the first time at $112 billion, Bill Gates no. 2.
- American WWII aircraft carrier USS Lexington rediscovered in Australia's Coral Sea, lost during 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea.
- British health officials tells the country it's time "to get on a diet" and urging manufacturers to reduce calories in foods.
- World's oldest message in a bottle found in Western Australia, thrown from German ship Paula 132 years ago (12 June 1886).
- Sri Lanka imposes first nationwide state of emergency since civil war after unrest between Sinhalese and Muslim areas in Kandy District.
- DEATHS
- Sir John E. Sulston, British molecular biologist, co-recipient of 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (roundworm genome sequencing), who died of stomach cancer at 75.
- Teodoro Zeccoli, Race Car Driver.
- Shammi [Nargis Rabadi], Indian actress (Half Ticket, Dekh Bhai Dekh), who died from natural causes at 88.
- Arthur Foote, American classical composer, and a member of the "Boston Six" (Suite for Strings in E), who died at 83.
- Ferdousi Priyabhashini, Bangladeshi sculptor (Independence Day Award-2010), who died at 71.
- Lucie Brock-Broido, American poet and academic (Noctuary), who died at 61.
- GAMING: PC
- Fear Effect Sedna for PC is released. Be part of a new Fear Effect adventure with Fear Effect Sedna, a new game in the classic series made popular on the original PlayStation console. With a whole new story, and shifting to a pausable real-time tactical action style, players will be able to control the team strategically and tackle enemies and puzzles alike.Fear Effect Sedna is set four years after the events of the original Fear Effect game, and things have changed for the team. Hana, freed from the Triad, lives with Rain in Hong Kong and works as an occasional mercenary, while Deke has grown apart from them since Glas returned to the US.Hana accepts a small mission for a shadowy organization asking for her services. Her target: a mysterious ancient statuette held by the Chinese ambassador in France. She sees it as a good opportunity to visit her birthplace... But this 'easy' mission is about to lead Hana to something way bigger than she expected.Meanwhile Glas is approached by a client who catches his attention enough that he soon sets out for Greenland.How will these events bring the old team back together?Fear Effect Sedna is dedicated to recreating the atmosphere and characters from the original Fear Effect. However, while there are familiar aspects of the game to previous incarnations of the franchise, you'll find yourself immersed in a completely unique and new world with Fear Effect Sedna - one that will appeal to fans both old and new. Features:* New environments in isometric view: Explore the deep caves of Greenland, abandoned scientific complexes, underwater stations and ethereal realms based on Inuit mythology.* A real-time tactical action game: Exploit your heroes' special abilities and combine them to maximize your team's effectiveness in attacks.* A deep and mature story: Learn more about Fear Effect's iconic characters' past as they delve into this new mystery.* Explore a whole new culture: Myths from the Inuit people are imbued with power of the elements and the cold sea. Meet and fight unexpected creatures from the spirit realm!
- Super Seducer: How to Talk to Girls for PC is released. Learn state-of-the-art seduction secrets from the master himself, Richard La Ruina, in this live action seduction simulator.
- GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
- TT Isle of Man: Ride On The Edge for PlayStation 4 is released. For bikers, there are only 2 types of speed races: the Isle of Man TT, and the rest. No other race is as grueling for the motorbikes and demanding for the riders. Assume the challenge of the Snaefell Mountain course: all 37.73 miles faithfully reproduced with the champions and their bikes.
- Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition for PlayStation 4 is released. Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition elevates the RPG to new levels, including add-on content and new features. Join Prince Noctis and his closest friends as they fight against the empire in an effort to take back their fallen kingdom.
- Frantics for PlayStation 4 is released. Arcade style fun and madcap mini-games are all the rage in Frantics, where you and up to three friends have to face off in a variety of challenges.
- DJMax Respect for PlayStation 4 is released. Meet the legend of music game again on PlayStation 4. Enjoy variety of legendary DJMAX classics and also new songs at 'DJMAX RESPECT'.
- Bravo Team for PlayStation 4 is released. Bravo Team is set in a fictional modern day Eastern European city. When your escort mission goes awry and results in the President’s assassination, a country threatens to tear itself apart...and your team along with it. Teamwork is at the core of the game. Bravo Team has been developed to allow both single player and online 2 player co-op where you and your teammate must use everything at your disposal to survive. Communication is essential...should you split-up? Who takes that weapon? What can you see? Together you’ll need to work out a strategy to succeed and make your escape. [Playstation.com]
- GAMING: SWITCH
- Scribblenauts Showdown for Switch is released. The game is designed primarily to be played with friends: up to four players can partake in "more than"25 mini-games, which are served up in different forms depending on which mode you select. Showdown is a competitive mode in which finding the best word the quickest is the key, while Versus supplies various mini-games for you and one other friend to battle in, one-vs-one. Sandbox is a more traditional Scribblenauts mode that will be familiar to fans of the series. Here you can summon a variety of objects--publisher Warner Bros. says over 35,000 items are available in-game--to solve objectives either by yourself or with a friend. Eight new levels are included, as are hidden collectibles and achievements.
On this day in 2017
- EVENTS
- Wikileaks publishes "Vault 7" CIA documents detailing its hacking and surveillance techniques.
- Ed Sheeran's new album ÷ (Divide) became one of the fastest-selling releases ever in the UK, shifting 432,000 copies in just three days.The all-time list for first-week sales has Adele's 25 and Oasis's Be Here Now at the top with 800,000 each. ÷ smashed the Spotify record for the most-streamed album in a single day - notching up 56.7 million streams on its day of release..
- DEATHS
- Alberto Zedda, Italian opera conductor and musicologist, who died at79.
- Robert Osborne, American film historian (Turner Classic Movies), who died at 84.
On this day in 2016
- DEATHS
- Georg Loos, Race Car Driver.
- Nancy Reagan [Anne Frances Robbins], US First Lady (1981-89), who died at 94.
- POLITICS
- Seventh Democratic presidential candidates debate hosted by CNN and held in Flint, Michigan.
On this day in 2015
- EVENTS
- US State Department charges 2 Vietnamese and a Canadian citizen with cyberfraud, for stealing 1 billion email addresses for spam.
- NASA's Dawn space probe enters orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres.
- DEATHS
- Jack Goodwin, Race Car Driver.
- MOVIES: NOT RATED
- October Gale is released. Helen (Patricia Clarkson), a recently widowed doctor, returns home to her isolated cottage off the Canadian coast to find a stranger with a gunshot wound (Scott Speedman) hiding out from two men intent on killing him. As an ominous storm brews outside, trapping the pair on the island, they must join forces to survive a harrowing night of terror, while navigating the mounting attraction growing between them. [IFC Films]
- Faults is released. Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is under the grip of a mysterious new cult called Faults. Desperate to be reunited with their daughter, Claire’s parents recruit one of the world’s foremost experts on mind control, Ansel Roth (Leland Orser).
- An Honest Liar is released. An Honest Liar is a feature documentary about the world-famous magician, escape artist, and world-renowned enemy of deception, James ‘The Amazing’ Randi. The film brings to life Randi’s intricate investigations that publicly exposed psychics, faith healers, and con-artists with quasi-religious fervor. A master deceiver who came out of the closet at the age of 81, Randi created fictional characters, fake psychics, and even turned his partner of 25 years, the artist Jose Alvarez, into a sham guru named Carlos. But when a shocking revelation in Randi’s personal life is discovered, it isn’t clear whether Randi is still the deceiver – or the deceived.
- Buzzard is released. Paranoia forces small-time scam artist Marty to flee his hometown and hide out in Detroit. With nothing but a pocket full of bogus checks, his Power Glove, and a bad temper, the horror metal slacker lashes out.
- Road Hard is released. A comedian whose movie and sitcom deals have dried up heads back on the road to try to rediscover his love of stand-up.
- The Mafia Only Kills in Summer is released. Pierfrancesco Diliberto (a renowned TV host and political comedian, better known as Pif) wrote, directed, and stars in this subversive, irreverent feature debut about Arturo, a young boy whose obsession with the Mafia’s casual presence in his city surpasses even his passion for Flora, the beautiful schoolmate who remains his main love interest until adulthood. Pif uses Arturo’s unrequited love story as the vehicle to narrate the most tragic events in Italy’s recent history, starting with the Cosa Nostra’s criminal actions in Sicily in the ’70s, which soon spread through the country. [Distrib Films]
- These Final Hours is released. James is a troubled young man on a mission. He’s desperate to join his girlfriend Vicky at the "party to end all parties"and numb any feelings as the world comes to an end. On his journey however, James is greeted by a lawless and chaotic city, facing a cataclysmic event that will end life on the planet, and he discovers that getting to where he needs to be will not be easy. Along the way, he saves the life of a girl named Rose, frantically searching for her father. Out of options, James invites Rose to join him. Together they discover how they would truly like to spend their last moments on Earth in this world gone mad.
- MOVIES: PG
- The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is released. Now that The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is full up with its long-term residents, co-managers Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) and Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) have a dream of expansion, and they’ve found just the place: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. With plans underway, Evelyn and Douglas (Judi Dench and Bill Nighy) venture into the Jaipur workforce, wondering where their regular breakfast dates will lead. Meanwhile, Norman and Carol (Ronald Pickup and Diana Hardcastle) navigate the swirling waters of an exclusive relationship, as Madge (Celia Imrie) juggles two very eligible suitors, and recent arrival Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) finds a muse in Sonny’s mother, Mrs. Kapoor (Lillete Dubey) for his next novel. As his marriage to Sunaina (Tina Desai), the love of his life, quickly approaches, Sonny finds his plans for the new hotel making more claims on his time than he has available. Perhaps the only one who may know the answers is Muriel, the keeper of everyone’s secrets. As the big day nears, family and guests alike find themselves swept up in the irresistible intoxication of an Indian wedding.? [Fox Searchlight]
- MOVIES: PG13
- Merchants of Doubt is released. Inspired by the acclaimed book by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, Merchants of Doubt takes audiences on a satirically comedic, yet illuminating ride into the heart of conjuring American spin. Documentarian Robert Kenner lifts the curtain on a secretive group of highly charismatic, silver-tongued pundits-for-hire who present themselves in the media as scientific authorities – yet have the contrary aim of spreading maximum confusion about well-studied public threats ranging from toxic chemicals to pharmaceuticals to climate change. [Participant Media]
- MOVIES: R
- Kidnapping Mr. Heineken is released. In 1983, a group of childhood friends pulled off the crime of the century: kidnapping one of the richest men in the world, the heir of the Heineken beer empire (Anthony Hopkins). The shocking capture—by gunpoint in broad daylight on the streets of Amsterdam—resulted in the largest ransom ever paid for a kidnapped individual. It was truly the perfect crime…until they got away with it.
- Chappie is released. In the near future, crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force. But now, the people are fighting back. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. As powerful, destructive forces start to see Chappie as a danger to mankind and order, they will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo and ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind. [Sony Pictures Entertainment]
- Unfinished Business is released. A hard-working small business owner (Vince Vaughn) and his two associates (Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco) travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives. But what began as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable - and unimaginable - way, including unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and a global economic summit. [20th Century Fox]
- TV SERIES
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 1 is released. Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) moves to New York to start over after escaping from a doomsday cult in this comedy originally created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock for NBC.
- GAMING: XBOX ONE
- White Night for Xbox One is released. Explore the macabre past of an aging mansion in the 1930's and solve puzzles of light and shadows in this fully black & white survival horror. Players are trapped in this nightmare where darkness is a persistent threat.
- Zombie Army Trilogy for Xbox One is released. In the dying embers of World War II, Hitler has unleashed one final, unholy gamble – a legion of undead super soldiers that threatens to swallow up the whole of Europe. Fight alone or team up to save humanity from the zombie menace in this apocalyptic third-person shooter.
On this day in 2014
- EVENTS
- Crimean parliament votes unanimously to make the Crimea part of Russia.
- DEATHS
- Jim Jeffords, Race Car Driver.
- Ron Murphy, Canadian NHL player, who died at 80.
- Sheila MacRae, British-born actress (Jackie Gleason Show), who died at 92.
- Speaker Knockerz, Rapper.
- TV SERIES
- Sirens (2014): Season 1 is released. The comedy adaptation by Denis Leary and Bob Fisher of the British series of the same name focuses on the lives of three Chicago paramedics: Johnny Farrell (Michael Mosley), his best friend Hank St. Clare (Kevin Daniels), and rookie Brian Czyk (Kevin Bigley).
- Review: Season 1 is released. Forrest MacNeil (Andrew Daly) reviews life experiences such as addiction, racism, or the prom.
- Saint George: Season 1 is released. In this comedy, George Lopez is an entrepreneur and recently divorced man juggling demands from his ex-wife Mackenzie (Jenn Lyon), his mother Alma (Olga Merendiz), his son Harper (Kaden Gibson), his uncle Tio (Danny Treho), cousin Junior (David Zayas), and teaching history at night school.
- Chicagoland: Season 1 is released. Narrated by Mark Konkol, the series takes a look at how policies and politics influence the people who live and work in the Windy City.
- GAMING: PC
- Lifeless Planet for PC is released. While seeking life on a distant planet, an astronaut discovers an abandoned Russian town. He suspects his mission is a hoax until a mysterious young woman saves him from a strange and deadly phenomenon... Lifeless Planet is a third-person action-adventure that features an old-school sci-fi story and spectacular environments in the spirit of classic action-adventures.
- Infested Planet for PC is released. Infested Planet is a tactical RTS, giving players the command of 5 soldiers and pitting them against a swarm of 100,000 aliens. To defeat this numerous enemy, players will have to employ their entire arsenal of weapons, buildings and technologies. Constructing everything from artillery cannons to heavily armoured minigun specialists, the marine team must push back the encroaching alien menace. The aliens have a few tricks at their disposal as well. They can mutate to gain new abilities, challenging the player with new problems. Potential commanders will need to adapt quickly or risk being overrun.
- Year Walk for PC is released. In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways. Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions, as well as reality and the supernatural.
- GAMING: WII U
- Blok Drop U for Wii U is released. BLOK DROP U is a simple, yet challenging, physics-based puzzle game exclusively for Wii U. Your goal is to guide the red blok safetly to rest on any of the normal platforms by tapping, and destroying, the grey bloks. A number of different obstacles such as open holes, blades, bounce bloks and more will try to destroy your red blok. Players can pick which set of stages they would like to play, or begin with the basics and continue all the way through to the end.