26082023-LSTL-01.qxd 8/25/2023 10:03 PM Page 1 c m y b DUNE 2 POSTPONED TO 2024 Timothee Chalamet-starrer Dune 2 has been delayed to 2024 due to the ongoing actors’ strike in Hollywood. The Warner Bros sequel, based on the Frank Herbert novel, was supposed to be out on November 3, 2023, will now land in theatres on March 15 next year. TRIBUNE B’desh calling Life Actor Salman Khan on Friday announced that his recent release Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan was all set to release in Bangladesh. Salman also dropped a poster on Instagram. LUDHIANA | SATURDAY | 26 AUGUST 2023 NET, FLICKS & MORE What a relief! Drew Barrymore’s stalker arrested after showing up on her farmhouse A STILL FROM PAINKILLER Sheetal Netflix dubbed the miniseries Painkiller as a fictionalised retelling of real events and it is indeed an eye-opener amid US’s ongoing opioid crisis. As it narrates stories of innocent lives lost, uncovered the perpetrators, Sackler family and their company, it also makes one realise there is no poetic justice in the real world. In a country like the US, which boasts of its superiority, the Sackler family still walks free even though they have caused pain to more than a million families. The series is based on the book Pain Killer: A Wonder Drug’s Trail of Addiction and Death by Barry Meier and a magazine article titled The Family That Built An Empire Of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. Each episode in the six-part series starts with a small message from families who had lost their loved ones due to addiction to this drug. Even though it highlights horrific addiction of the doctor-prescribed drug on patients, the thrill and drama keep the viewers hooked. Uzo Aduba as Edie Flowers, investigator with the US Attorney office, delivered a class act. Edie, who finds Pain and a killer In times when binge-watching is the new way to educate and spread awareness, the series Painkiller has married reality and drama quite perfectly to create a ripple effect Series: PAINKILLER Director: Peter Berg Cast: UzoAduba, Matthew Broderick, West Duchovny, Taylor Kitsch, Carolina Bartczak, Dina Shihabi, Brian Markinson, Clark Gregg, Sam Anderson and Tyler Ritter Rating: ★★★★ MORE ON THE SUBJECT Another documentary, Crime of the Century, which is available on HBO, deals with the subject of drug addiction. So does the miniseries Dopesick, for which Michael Keaton won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in limited or Anthology Series or Movie. work as a sole motivation in life, stumbles upon the overprescription of OxyContin by chance, while investigating a doctor. She had her own share of struggles for her mother died due to drug abuse, while her brother serves jail time. All this help her foresee the consequences of this new, heavily marketed drug OxyContin. Other cast members, including the villain of the series, Richard Sackler, played by Matthew Broderick, have given a flawless performance. Tapping into the greed of young, good-looking college pass-outs and making them sell ‘Oxy’ as some sort of pyramid scheme for cosmetics, the sins of Purdue Pharma go way deeper. So does the ignorance of people involved in marketing it to the doctors. On top of it, it uncovers the doctors who over-prescribed it. The director, who has had his own experience with OxyContin and its addiction, has convincingly portrayed the after-effects of the drug on patients. In fact, Berg has some skills that help the audience teleport into the characters’ brains. Be it the struggling patients high on OxyContin, personal dilemma faced by salesgirl Shannon Schaeffer (West Duchovny) or appearance of the ‘dead’ Arthur Sackler (uncle) as fragments of Richard’s imagination, all contribute to a jaw-dropping viewing experience. The nonlinear narration of the series also makes it a tight watch with each scene contributing to something. Kudos to the editor Geofrey Hildrew (Once Upon A Time, The Devil You Know), as the series is seamless and delivers information with utmost clarity. It’s not the first time a series was made on Sacklers’ imposed crisis, but it sure has raised the creative bar and surpassed Emmy-nominated Dopesick (mini-series). In times when bingewatching is the new way to educate and spread awareness, Painkiller has married reality and drama quite perfectly to create a ripple effect. In a pool of documentary, series and books on the subject, Painkiller is ‘the one to start with and the one to stay with’(as Sacklers’ used the words for marketing OxyContin). Days after actress Drew Barrymore was freaked out by an alleged stalker while she was interviewing singeractress Renee Rapp in a talk show, the man was arrested by the New York police when he showed up uninvited at her farmhouse. The man has been identified as Chad Michael Busto and showed up on August 23 night at Drew’s Southampton farmhouse. Busto was reportedly spotted going house-to-house in search of Drew’s $6 million property. After he found it, Busto walked onto some steps outside before police took him into custody. The actress was apparently not home at the time. The man was first seen sitting in a crowd in the talk show, where the actress was interviewing Rapp. Busto, who was in the packed crowd had said “Hello” to her, after which Barrymore also cheerfully said “Oh Hi!” However, both Drew Barrymore and Renee Rapp were caught by surprise and then visibly freaked out as Busto ran up to the stage and screamed at Drew: “You know who I am, I need to see you at some point.” Soon after, Chad Busto was quickly caught by the security guards and was escorted out of the venue, though he was not arrested and instead let out after a warning. During the commotion, Drew and Renee held onto each other as they zipped offstage, only to return a short time later to finish their chat. Following the 92nd Street Y encounter, some socialmedia users have alleged that Busto has been known to target other female celebrities, including Amber Heard, and is in fact a ‘dangerous serial stalker’ with ‘mental instabilities’. How much of that is true is unknown, though Busto has been charged with serial stalking upon his arrest. — IANS She’s a spy! Sharvari joins Alia Bhatt in YRF’s first female-led spy film SHARVARI ALIA BHATT Date game When it comes to dating, honesty is everything, says Janhvi Kapoor Actress Sharvari, who made her acting debut with Bunty Aur Babli 2, is set to join the spy universe, which includes films like War, the Tiger franchise and Pathaan. She will join Bollywood star Alia Bhatt in YRF’s first female-led spy film, which is expected to go on floors in 2024. Aditya Chopra is planning to expand the YRF spy universe with this film, which will be the eighth film in the spy universe. A source revealed: “Sharvari is someone who the industry feels is a star in the making. The fact that she has been chosen by Aditya Chopra to be a heroine in his spy universe film, alongside Alia Bhatt, shows that Sharvari is a cut above the rest of the actresses from her generation.” “This move by YRF brilliantly positions her as the young actress, who is destined for glory in the Indian film industry. It is also quite exciting to see someone like her enter the YRF spy universe that has only cast superstars in the lead,” the source added. The YRF spy universe started back in 2012 and it has been a journey full of blockbusters, starting with Ek Tha Tiger followed by Tiger Zinda Hai, War, and Pathaan. Alia and Sharvari’s yet-untitled film will go on floors in 2024. — IANS Actress Janhvi Kapoor has opened up about dating and relationships. She shared that as a Gen Z woman, she has learnt that having high standards is not being picky but valuing yourself enough to know what you deserve. Popular social media content creator and actor, Kusha Kapila, takes the driver’s seat once again to pick up Tinder users to meet their dates. In a new episode for Swipe Ride, they talk about transparency and authenticity in dating, being confident in your own skin and not negotiating on your expectations. Janhvi on Tinder’s latest episode of Swipe Ride said: “Self-love is all about knowing you’re worth more and not settling for anyone that doesn’t see that. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and happiness starts with loving every bit of yourself. As a Gen Z woman I’ve learnt that having high standards isn’t being picky; it’s valuing yourself enough to know what you deserve.” The episode will premiere on Friday on Tinder’s YouTube channel and stream exclusively on JioCinema. — IANS Fly high... Billie Eilish flies in economy class on commercial airline, gets praised Singer Billie Eilish was spotted flying in economy class on a commercial airline a few days ahead of her show at Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK. The 21-year-old singer could be seen sitting on one of the passenger seats in an economy class of a com- mercial airline in a video uploaded via TikTok. In the clip that soon went viral, she appeared comfortable despite not flying in a private jet. The footage went on to show Billie getting out of the airplane in an oversized blue hoodie and a grey hat. — IANS ‘Retribution is thematically engaging’ In the new booming action thriller spectacle Retribution’, Liam Neeson will don the avatar of the desperate father once again after Taken — Matt Turner. Talking about the film, Neeson called it a very thematically engaging concept. The movie will showcase the character of Matt Turner, a seemingly simple man driving his kids on the road when a mysterious caller tells him to keep driving, or else he would blow up his car and kill everyone inside, as all the while the timer on the bomb is ticking. Forcing him into an unforeseen situation, Matt is forced to abandon all that he knows and loves, and begin a wild goose chase to get to the truth all the while trying desperately to save his family. Helmed by Director Nimrod Antal, the movie will find Liam Neeson in a thrillingly dangerous situation full of suspense, as his character must use his own wits to uncover the mysterious truth. About the film, Liam Neeson c m y b said: “The concept of it is so immediate and engaging. It’s got themes that really resonate, like money and greed.” The Star Wars actor further added; “For me, that’s it. What’s really important is sometimes you need to remember to take the time to smell the roses, to sit back and enjoy things. So that’s my advice on this. Sit back and enjoy it.” Director Nimrod Antal added, “It really is a rollercoaster ride, and all of the actors elevate the story and take it to a whole other level. You see how vulnerable these characters are and what they’re dealing with beyond what’s happening in the car.” — IANS