‘Aporia’ Exclusive Interview
https://www.moviefone.com/movie/aporia/Cqg19YdPkirbZSoHXRNwc3/video/Xgymum5a/
https://www.moviefone.com/movie/aporia/Cqg19YdPkirbZSoHXRNwc3/video/Xgymum5a/
Bikinis have always been a summer staple, but are fruit platters now a trendy accessory to compliment said swimwear? Based on recent posts from Jennifer Lopez and Heidi Klum it seems like it might be. While this is a pretty silly thing to write, it is kind of random that it’s happened twice now. The first post like this was from the AGT judge when she posted a photo of her serving fruit in a bathing suit. Now, JLo has taken note, and she posted her own gallery of photos that included her lounging in a bikini next to a nice fruit platter.
While promoting her brand Delola from a lounge chair in Italy, Jennifer Lopez posed in a white bikini and wide-brimmed hat for an Instagram post. She's gorgeous, and the spread next to her looks delectable, because next to the bucket of drinks is a lovely little fruit plate. JLo wrote that she’s “back in my element,” and she really is. Check the post out for yourself:
Now, this whole fruit platter situation is relevant because Lopez kind of took a page out of Heidi Klum’s book by having one in her post. A few weeks ago, the former Project Runway host took to Instagram to post a photo in a fun floral one-piece swimsuit, that kind of looks like a bikini. She was also holding a platter of fruit and a plate with tomatoes on it. She noted “Make sure to eat your fruits and ….. ❤,” and it seems like JLo did (whether she saw this post or not).
Klum has honestly been living her best life this summer. Before uploading her fun fruity photo, she posted a naked photo from a Paris hotel room. She really seems to be thriving, and so does Jennifer Lopez.
A few weeks ago she celebrated her birthday with a fun photo in lingerie, and she was glowing. The same can be said about the bikini photo pictured above. She looks amazing, and 100% like she’s in her “element.” Last summer we got a few fun bikini pics from the Shotgun Wedding star, including a birthday pic with Ben Affleck and another from a yacht in a neon yellow swimsuit. All this just goes to show that JLo knows how to rock a bikini, and she always looks fabulous!
Along with having a fashionable and fruity summer, Jennifer Lopez has been having an amazing year. She’s had two movies on the 2023 film schedule and her new album This Is Me…Now is on the way. So, as she soaks in the sun and snacks on that fruit platter in Italy, we can appreciate the fantastic year she’s had by checking out Shotgun Wedding with an Amazon Prime subscription and The Mother with a Netflix subscription.
Universal Orlando Resort is going to have one of the biggest grand openings in theme park history in a couple of years when Epic Universe, the new park, opens to the public. And while a lot of time, money, and resources, are certainly being spent on that, plenty of attention is still being given to the two existing parks. Today Universal Studios Florida officially opens Minion Land. There's a lot to experience in Minion Land but the most anticipated is the new Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction.
A few folks have been able to experience Minion Blast ahead of today’s grand opening so we’re getting an early impression on this unique take on a popular ride. Among them, CinemaBlend’s own Jessica Rawden was able to try it out and while she found the blasters a bit on the heavy side, she otherwise has nothing bad to say…
It has spot-on theming. It’s super fun to shoot at the screen no matter your gaming ability. (Yes, that’s a comment on my gaming ability.) Most importantly though, it injects a much needed energy to that area of the park, and gives families more to do, which is always a bonus. If I had one quibble, the blasters are a little heavy, but it’s terrific regardless.
Minion Blast is a shooting dark ride attraction, except it’s not actually a dark “ride.” Unlike Universal Studios Flordia’s own Men in Black: Alien Attack, or similar attractions like Disney’s Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin or Toy Story Midway Mania, Minion Blast puts guests on a moving walkway, so there’s no actual ride vehicle. As with Jessica, theme park reporter Carly Caramanna also loves the attraction, though she admitted there’s something of a learning curve to it.
illumination’s Minion Land is now officially open. Some thoughts: Villain-Con Minion Blast is a literal blast. Going to do it again this am. So much fun. Definite learning curve. the merch. I’ve already bought way too much and want more. the food. GAMECHANGER! pic.twitter.com/u5t4XsTzNQAugust 11, 2023
As with other shooting style games, the point to rack up points by hitting various targets throughout the attraction. If you’ve ever played light gun style arcade games, or done other shooting rides, you probably will have an edge your first time out. About Theme Park’s Arthur Levine also recognized something a learning curve, though he did eventually learn, saying…
I feel obliged to say I am not much of a gamer. With that caveat, I did not find Villain-Con Minion Blast as intuitive as I would have liked. It wasn’t obvious what I was shooting at, nor did I understand the best ways to score points. Especially on my initial try, I was just randomly carpet bombing everything in sight. I did, however, improve with each pass through the attraction, going from just under 200,000 points the first time to about double that score on my third attempt.
While a lot of people really care about their scores on theme park shooting rides, for most people Minion Blast will likely just be a fun diversion for a few minutes that the whole family can enjoy. And that’s where this new attraction may set itself apart. The moving walkway element adds something new, guests in wheelchairs can experience it without having to get out of their standard chair, which may make the experience more accessible than most. While Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider apparently would have preferred a traditional ride vehicle, he does admit that you may feel more in the game because standing makes you feel more active. He explained…
Would I have appreciated the opportunity to sit down while playing this game? Sure. But how may first-person shooter games play with characters who are sitting down? A super-villain needs to think, scheme and shoot on their feet, so consider this appropriate training for your evil future career.
Overall it sounds like Minion Blast, and the new Minion Land overall, are going to be big hits for Universal Orlando. The resort is only getting started upgrading Universal Studios Florida, as a new Dreamworks-themed land has already been announced, and the recently closed Poseidon’s Fury attraction is certainly going to get replaced before too long.
It’s been a rough year for DC movies so far, with the 2023 release schedule having already delivered Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, both of which critically and commercially underperformed. But there are still two more upcoming DC movies on the immediate horizon, the first of which, Blue Beetle, arrives later in the month. However, reactions to the superhero blockbuster are in, and it looks like Jaime Reyes, the young man in the title alien armor, is getting a terrific theatrical debut.
Starting off, The Wrap’s Umberto Gonzalez first praised Blue Beetle for delivering positive representation of Latino culture, then complimented the movie as a whole for spicing things up for the superhero genre.
#BlueBeetle is here & Latinos FINALLY have a superhero of their own reflected on the big screen. The film is so incredibly good, so unique & delivers on all fronts giving the superhero genre much needed sazón! The film ‘s Tangerine Dream inspired synthwave score also rocks! pic.twitter.com/C6QgvexlTxAugust 11, 2023
POC Culture also enjoyed Blue Beetle immensely, describing it as their favorite DC movie to come out since Christopher Nolan wrapped up his Dark Knight trilogy and appreciating how well it explored Jaime Reyes’ Mexican family culture and, as seen in a later tweet, its pop culture references.
#BlueBeetle is my favorite post-Nolan DC film.It’s an action packed, highly entertaining superhero story about family…& there’s nothing more important than family.The film is unique in that it lovingly & unabashedly shares the Reyes family’s Mexican culture. @bluebeetle pic.twitter.com/o6Q9kUrbeCAugust 11, 2023
While Brandon Davis from Comicbook.com wasn’t as effusive with his praise, he still found DC’s third theatrical movie of the year to be a good time at the theater, specifically shouting out George Lopez, who plays Rudy Reyes, the uncle of Xolo Maridueña’s Jaime.
The #BlueBeetle movie is mostly a blast.Some is too silly or childish for me, a lot had me laughing loud (George Lopez!). Practical suit rocks. The Latino representation is awesome.Enjoyed the family-centric stakes, solid action beats. Overall, it’s fun. pic.twitter.com/5qzWIkmDyEAugust 11, 2023
CineXpress' Fico Cangiano started off declaring that Blue Beetle effectively handles Jaimes Reyes’ introduction and exploration of Latino culture, then shouted out the movie’s actions, visual effects and Maridueña’s leading performance.
Happy to report that @angelmanuelsoto’s #BlueBeetle is definitely a great time at the movies! Not only is it a fantastic introduction to Jaime Reyes as a character/hero, but also a love letter to the Latino culture, that focuses on family as its foundation. @bluebeetle 1/3 pic.twitter.com/ieVw0DSR2ZAugust 11, 2023
Finally, Collider’s Steve Weintraub threw love out to Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto and how he delivered a “fun” blend of action and humor.
Happy to report @angelmanuelsoto’s #BlueBeetle was so much better than I expected. He’s added his own flavor to the superhero genre by having the film focus on a tight-knit family and Latino culture. It’s fun, extremely funny, and he got away with a few jokes that floored me. pic.twitter.com/TA6I5a9sGlAugust 11, 2023
As if the all of the above positive reception wasn’t notable enough, Zack Snyder also showed support for Blue Beetle earlier this month, saying he was looking forward to taking his kids to see it. Xolo Maridueña and George Lopez are joined in the Blue Beetle cast by Damián Alcázar, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon and Becky G, while behind the scenes, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer wrote the script. Although Blue Beetle is coming out while the DCEU is still active, not only is this feature more of a standalone offering, DC Studios co-head James Gunn said that Jaime Reyes is the new DC Universe’s first character, so it sounds like we’ll be seeing more of him in the years ahead.
You can judge Blue Beetle for yourself once the movie opens wide on August 18. Meanwhile, Max subscribers can easily stream Jaime Reyes’ animated appearances, but those looking to watch his live-action TV debut on Smallville more than a decade ago will need a Hulu subscription. Following Blue Beetle’s release, 2023’s final DC movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, hits theaters on December 20.
Spoilers for Season 3 of Ted Lasso are ahead! If you haven’t watched the comedy, you can stream all three seasons with an Apple TV+ subscription.
TedBecca shippers, I hate to break it to you, but you got pranked. Well, we all did honestly. Over the course of Ted Lasso’s three-season run, there was a large group of fans who desperately wanted Ted and Rebecca to become more than friends. And that almost happened at the beginning of the Season 3 finale when it was revealed that Jason Sudeikis’ character spent the night at Hannah Waddingham’s character’s house. However, it was quickly revealed that nothing happened, in fact, Beard and Jane were there too. Now, Declan Lowney, the director of this episode, has broken down why the scene played out the way it did.
Immediately, before I even finished asking the question, Lowney confirmed that they knew the fans would lose it over the idea that Ted and Rebecca might have slept together. He went on to explain in our interview for CinemaBlend why playing out that reveal was so amusing, saying:
There’s four people there. So we know we reveal them one at a time. You know, you think she’s on her own. That’s the way Rebecca starts her day a lot watching that Friday morning football show that doesn’t really exist. Who has a football show at 9 a.m. on Friday morning? And then that room was so elegant, that long counter, and I’m just holding that wide shot, I think, ‘Why are we on the wide shot?’ And then Ted fucking walks in. And he’s dressed like he’s just woken up and his hair is all messed up, and it makes you go ‘fuck.’ And then they don’t say anything for a moment and they’re looking at each other coyly. And he’s going ‘So you want to talk about it?’ [and she goes] ‘No I do not want to talk about it.’ So, it’s fueling and helping us believe they’ve really done it.
Lowney then went on to recall how the scene in Ted Lasso’s Season 3 finale played viewers, humorously explaining the reactions they hoped fans would have as they realized Ted and Rebecca didn’t do anything romantic and then saw Beard in a thong. The Emmy-winning director said:
And then you hear Beard before you see him, and then he walks in, and then you see what he’s wearing. And you think ‘Fuck me what has gone on here the night before?’ And then Jane comes in, and you go ‘OK, OK, the whole party is here.’ And then you’ve got that pretty limited backstory about the gas leak across town and they all go to her house. They could have gone to a hotel Travelodge or something, but they stay at Rebecca’s. And then Beard sits up on the counter, which I think is the most hilarious piece of that moment. And he puts his bum cheeks up on the counter.
I know I saw the scene as a lowkey jump scare the first time I watched it, and I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I thought for a split second that Ted and Rebecca had sex. However, the realization that Beard, Jane and Ted were just spending the night because of a gas leak turned it into a hilarious tease. Lowney explained he really loved that scene, and how it played into the wonderful platonic friendship the AFC Richmond manager and owner developed over three seasons. He said:
I love that they have their did they/didn’t they at the beginning of the episode, you know when Ted wonders in. It is wonderful to see a properly platonic relationship between the two of them as adults who have changed so much in front of each other and learned to love each other so much and be proper friends with each other. You go through that lovely development. It’s just a beautiful piece of friendship writing and watching.
While the entire cast of Ted Lasso is amazing together, there’s no denying how magical Sudeikis and Waddingham are together as Ted and Rebecca. Not only are they a hilarious duo, but they also shared such a heartfelt and moving friendship throughout Ted Lasso’s three seasons. And in the end, I think this intentional tease at the beginning of the finale was the hilarious cherry on top of a brilliant story.