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Shocking pictures of masked goons wielding skull-breaking stone and sticks beating up JNU students and teachers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jimmy Kimmel slammed Fox executives for booking Rudy Giuliani on the reality show "The Masked Singer." </li><li>Deadline reported Giuliani was unmasked during a taping, prompting judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke to walk off set.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5jYAF00QZs">Jimmy Kimmel on Thursday slammed Fox executives</a> for booking Rudy Giuliani on an upcoming season of "The Masked Singer," calling the popular reality show "garbage."</p><p>"The new season doesn't premiere until next month, but one of the identities of the singers has been revealed, and his name is Rudy Giuliani," Kimmel said during a monologue on his eponymous ABC late-night show, prompting boos from the audience. </p><p>"The guy who's trying to destroy our country, he's singing on a show," Kimmel added. "Fox network should be ashamed of itself."</p><p><a href="https://deadline.com/2022/02/rudy-giuliani-the-masked-singer-contestant-judge-ken-jeong-robin-thicke-walk-off-in-protest-1234925291/">Deadline reported</a> Wednesday that Giuliani is a contestant on an upcoming episode of the show, which features celebrities singing songs while donning elaborate costumes that conceal their identifies; judges and the audience then vote and the least popular character is eliminated and revealed.</p><p>Giuliani, who had his law licenses in New York and D.C. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-new-york-law-license-suspended-because-too-effective-2021-6">suspended </a>for spreading false claims about election fraud, was unmasked during a taping of the show, which made two of the show's judges — actor Ken Jeong and singer Robin Thicke — walk off the set, the outlet reported. Per Deadline, judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained on set and "bantered" with Giuliani. </p><p>Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, another polarizing Republican figure, was a contestant on "The Masked Singer" in 2020, which prompted similar backlash online but the none of the judges walked off. </p><p>According to Deadline, the theme of the upcoming season is "The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly." While Kimmel said Fox is not releasing information about which mask Giuliani will don in the new season, he quipped that the former attorney to President Donald Trump is hiding behind the green, monster-looking costume. </p><p>"How does this even happen?" Kimmel asked. "I mean, a lot of people at Fox had to sign off on this. Not one of them was like, 'Hey, maybe we shouldn't have the guy who is under investigation for helping to plot an insurrection singing on our show.'" </p><p>"Why did Rudy even do this? Did he think he was going to the Masked Singer Landscaping Company?" Kimmel joked, referencing the now-infamous press conference he hosted at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Pennsylvania during the presidential campaign 2020. </p><p>"Only Rudy Giuliani would try to overthrow the government, break wind loudly in court, sweat hair dye all over one press conference, have another one next to a dildo store, and then try to rehabilitate his image by singing 'Shake Your Groove Thing' dressed as a pineapple." </p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/31/us/politics/donald-trump-election-results-fraud-voting-machines.html">The New York Times reported on January 31</a> that Giuliani, at the direction of President Donald Trump, called the Department of Homeland Security's acting deputy secretary six weeks after election day 2020 to ask if it could legally take control of voting machines located in critical swing states.</p><p>The House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol subpoenaed Giuliani on January 18, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/us/politics/jan-6-inquiry-subpoenas-giuliani.html">The New York Times reported.</a></p><p>He was subpoenaed alongside three others who "advanced unsupported theories about election fraud, pushed efforts to overturn the election results or were in direct contact with the former president about attempts to stop the counting of electoral votes," committee chairman and Mississippi Representative Bennie Thompson said in a statement. </p><p>Kimmel wasn't the only late-night host to dig into Giuliani's reported appearance on "The Masked Singer." </p><p>"That's right, the criminal goon that we know for a fact is being investigated for trying to overthrow our democracy for his idiot emperor was yukking it up on a reality show. There hasn't been anything this shocking since Lee Harvey Oswald made a guest appearance on 'Gilligan's Island,'" Stephen Colbert <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S8pW003veU">said in his monologue on Thursday's episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."</a></p><p>Trevor Noah also criticized the casting during <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGDr1GgmycQ">"The Daily Show with Trevor Noah</a>."</p><p>"America is truly, truly truly truly, the greatest country on earth. Because this is the only place in the world where <keyword id="11896019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">entertainment</keyword> trumps everything. 'Cause I mean, a year ago — just a year ago — this guy tried to overthrow America's democracy, and now he's a contestant on a reality show. Is there anyone they won't have on?" Noah said.</p>

Jimmy Kimmel slams 'The Masked Singer' for letting Rudy Giuliani compete and calls the show 'garbage'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Larry Fessenden plays one of the radio performers at the end of "Killers of the Flower Moon."</li><li>He talked to Insider about filming the scene, which took place at Martin Scorsese's old high school.</li></ul><p>Back in 1999, Larry Fessenden was just an unknown actor from New York when he was cast as a cokehead in Martin Scorsese's gritty drama "Bringing Out the Dead."</p><p>The blink-and-you'd-miss-it part didn't lead to stardom,  but he had something else to fall back on. His talents as a storyteller gradually made him a legendary figure in the independent-film world, directing horror movies like 2001's "Wendigo" and 2006's "The Last Winter" while also helping directors Kelly Reichardt ("Wendy and Lucy") and Ti West ("The House of the Devil") get their own movies off the ground as a producer.</p><p>However, during that time, he always hoped to one day work again with Scorsese, who is his "favorite living director," he told Insider.</p><p>After a few failed attempts to get cast in another Scorsese movie over the decades, Fessenden finally landed a role as one of the radio performers in the final scene of the director's latest movie, "<a href="https://www.insider.com/killers-of-the-flower-moon-differences-book-movie-real-life-2023-10">Killers of the Flower Moon</a>," which stars Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lily Gladstone.</p><div type="image" title="Robert De Niro talking to Leonardo DiCaprio" height="1080" width="1920" msid="104698820" hostid="261" sizebytes="78262"></div>Fessenden plays an actor voicing the roles of the movie's leads, William Hale (De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), in a 1930s episode about the Osage murders on the radio broadcast "The Lucky Strike Hour" (<a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/killers-of-the-flower-moon-ending-explained-rcna120959" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which really happened</a>). He's perfectly cast, as he was given the opportunity to show off his vocal talents, something he's mastered over the years doing audio horror plays, called "<a href="https://www.talesfrombeyondthepale.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tales from Beyond the Pale</a>," with his filmmaking friend Glenn McQuaid.<p>In a recent interview with Insider, Fessenden reflected on the making of the scene at Scorsese's old high school, which included days of rehearsals, and being one of the few people allowed to witness Scorsese filming his own dramatic cameo.</p><p><strong>Early in your career, you had a very small part in "Bringing Out the Dead." Have you been trying since to work with Scorsese again?  </strong></p><p>Well, the bottom line is in showbiz, if you know the casting agent, you have your foot in the door and Ellen Lewis, who has worked for Scorsese for years, is graceful and steadfast.</p><p>She had brought me in for "Wolf of Wall Street," "Shutter Island," and she would always say, "We're always looking for something for you, Larry."</p><p>She's a great creative collaborator for Marty and she's also a straight talker. I reached out to her when I heard "The Irishman" was starting up and she said, "We just don't have anything for you," and that's fine. Each project has its vibe.</p><p><strong> You also didn't get cast in "Wolf of Wall Street" or "Shutter Island." So was it a shock getting the call from her for "Killers of the Flower Moon?"</strong></p><p>Yes. And it was a highlight in my life. It's not just, "Oh, I might get an acting gig." This is Scorsese, my favorite living director.   </p><p>Originally, I was supposed to be in the actual production down in Oklahoma. And I even had a death scene so I was excited. But then I read the book and my character had like one sentence. [<em>Laughs</em>.]  </p><div type="image" title="Martin Scorsese standing next to Ellen Lewis" height="1723" width="2298" msid="104697594" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>What was the role you were originally going to play?</strong></p><p>His name was John Ramsey. He's one of the goons. The only fun thing was I was going to have a choking scene. I was going to be poisoned. So I auditioned for that and this was during COVID so we did the audition through Zoom and it all felt like a go, that I had landed the part.  </p><p>Then one day, I was randomly at the doctor's and Ellen called — and you always pick up when it's Ellen — and she said, "Listen, Larry, they cut that role." The script had undergone a lot of changes. But she said, "We're going to find you something else."</p><p>The film wrapped in the fall of 2021 and I hadn't heard from Ellen so I thought maybe it wasn't going to work out. But eventually, Ellen called and said they were going to shoot the coda to the film in New York.</p><p>She described how the scene would be a radio play and I was so tickled. I told her about "Tales" and she sort of took that information and conveyed it to Marty.   </p><p><strong>Where did you shoot it?  </strong></p><p>We shot it at Scorsese's old high school in the Bronx: Cardinal Hayes High School.   </p><p><strong>What!?  </strong></p><p>It's this beautiful Catholic high school. Marty told us that, as a kid, he would take the subway from Little Italy to this school run by men of the cloth. Marty teased me that these guys were really hardcore and said, "Larry, you would have been pilloried! They would have slapped you upside the head with that hair." He was very lively and engaged through the whole shoot.   </p><p>It has this beautiful theater, and that's why it was chosen for the movie. The funny thing is, it's not named after him. It's called the Regis Philbin Auditorium. I think Marty has a closet named after him. [<em>Laughs</em>.]   </p><p><strong>Was the scene shot in one day?  </strong></p><p>No. This is what I want to convey, the care and the detail for what appears on-screen for maybe four minutes was remarkable.</p><p>We had two days of rehearsal at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. That was run by this great AD, Jeremy Marks. He was rehearsing the orchestra, the radio-play actors, integrating with the Foley artists, and everything was taped out on the floor. I was accustomed to all of this having done the "Tales From Beyond the Pale" radio plays. During this time, we are also getting our hair done just right, and measured for our wardrobe.</p><p>Then the man comes, Scorsese. It's this great flourish of activity. Then it's very hush-hush. He sits in this white chair, <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/timoth-e-chalamet-martin-scorsese-221500156.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the same one he's sitting in if you saw the photo of him shooting in the subway car with Timothée Chalamet</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Martin Scorsese's white chair" height="3024" width="4032" msid="104697596" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Wow.</strong></p><p>Marty always sits in that chair, I've learned. That chair must be carried around the country.</p><p>Marty goes [<em>Speaks in high-pitched Scorsese voice</em>], "Okay, so let me see what you got!" And we do the whole thing and we're quite proud of ourselves and he starts breaking everything down, even something small like, "That's supposed to be a car horn? That doesn't sound like a car horn at all."</p><p>He was very engaged with every detail and each individual person, the musicians, the Foley artists. After that, we took a week off, and then we shot it at the school. The shoot was three days, I think.   </p><p><strong>Were there any notes Scorsese gave you?  </strong></p><p>He was concerned with the level of the accent. Was it too cheesy? Remember, I'm supposed to play an actor in a radio play, not an Osage. You want to play an actor on a day job.</p><p>It was fun because I'm the actor voicing both the William Hale and Ernest Burkhart characters, so I'm playing De Niro and DiCaprio. The irony is I could have done a spot on De Niro imitation. [<em>Laughs</em>.] I may have played around with that a few times with Marty, but that wasn't going to be the move.  </p><p><strong>What was the actual shoot like?</strong></p><p>We arrive in the Bronx. There's a huge crane in the auditorium, the set is beautiful. All the extras are there. Everyone is being safe between the shots and wearing masks because this was during COVID, still.</p><p>Marty would come in the second half of the day after we rehearsed. Everything was refined during the downtime between rehearsal and shoot. Then, we shot it. We go through close-ups and Marty makes adjustments. It was a very collaborative process. He is guiding and exploring with you to find what he thinks is right. And I had great fun with Jack White.   </p><p><strong>Did you know Jack was also going to be in the scene?  </strong></p><p>Well, Ellen Lewis is holding your hand through the whole process, so she informed me on what to expect. So much information is shared because there's an expectation from everyone. I've been in big movies before but with this, it just felt like a very precious experience.   </p><p>Jack and I hung out, he got us all tickets to see him perform a month or so later. I gave him my son's record and his son was getting into watching movies on VHS so I sent him a copy of my old movie "Wendigo" on VHS. It's fun to imagine Jack White and his kid watching "Wendigo" on some old tube TV or something.   </p><div type="image" title="Welker White, J.C. MacKenzie, and Larry Fessenden sitting in chairs" height="768" width="1024" msid="104697597" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Did you know Scorsese at some point was going to have his own cameo in the scene?</strong></p><p>The reality is Ellen Lewis had suggested this to him before rehearsals started. She said, "Marty, you have to play that part." That's the power of the collaborations he has. We know of Robbie Robertson, Thelma Schoonmaker, but Ellen is also essential. She thought he should do it. </p><p>So on the day of shooting, they cleared the room, and the whole audience left. But we, the actors on stage, were allowed to sit in and watch.</p><p>I had tears in my eyes. I could see this was so seminal to the whole project, Marty's career, even without seeing the movie yet. I just sensed there was genuine anger and a mea culpa about violence. It was profound.   </p><p>He did it several times and directed himself. We all felt quite privileged to watch it happen.   </p><p><strong>When did you see the movie for the first time?  </strong></p><p>I went to the premiere with my wife. Because of the strike, it was slightly crushing because Leo and Bob and Lily weren't there. That would have been the cherry on top — not so much walking the carpet with them, but just being in the room with them. But Marty and Ellen and Thelma and <a href="https://www.insider.com/martin-scorsese-set-real-life-killers-of-the-flower-moon-2023-10">Rodrigo</a> were all there.   </p><p><strong>What was it like to see your scene?<br /></strong></p><p>I was so excited to see the movie that I often forgot that I would show up at the end. When it happened, it went by very quickly.</p><p>But in advance of that, I had bought a ticket to see the movie on its opening day. So I went to a theater and watched it alone and it was a much better experience. You're not sitting there in Lincoln Center all nervous. They cut some of our stuff out of the radio play, but the cuts made sense.   </p><div type="image" title="Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone holding each other" height="630" width="1200" msid="104698822" hostid="261" sizebytes="38500"></div><p><strong>Seeing you are such a fan of Scorsese's work, can you rank where this scene stands among all the memorable ones from his filmography before it?</strong></p><p>I felt it had a profound and deep sadness, a sense of resignation and outrage. I feel that is present in all of his work. I don't like to rank — it's a specific movie and I feel it has the weight of our times in it.</p><p>I like to joke it's Marty's "woke" film, but that's condescending because that was the mission. A lot has been said about how they veered from making a white-man savior FBI movie and it's profoundly better of a film because it's not a procedural, it's a portrait of the cancer inside our industrial civilization; that everything is to be used and exploited for money. And the complete contradiction is I do believe Leo's character loved his wife.</p><p>The weight of it all is on-screen. This is what makes cinema lasting, it is a recording of all the elements, contributions, and care curated by the singular vision of the director and his team. That's what makes a masterwork.</p><p><em>This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.</em></p>

'Killers of the Flower Moon' actor reveals the casting director came up with the idea for Martin Scorsese's cameo, and more details about the final scene

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: There are mild spoilers ahead for "Black Adam," Dwayne Johnson's DC antihero movie.</li><li>The Rock and a shocking mid-credits scene are the best parts of the film.</li></ul><p>Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been telling us for two years that "Black Adam" <a href="https://twitter.com/therock/status/1296979799789903879?lang=en">will change the hierarchy of the DC universe</a>.</p><p>Based on the film we saw, it won't.</p><p>And that's a serious bummer. As much as fans may want to root for the Rock's antihero film to succeed — he's been trying to get this <a href="https://www.slashfilm.com/497394/shazam-the-rock-is-black-adam/">film made for about 15 years</a> — it's a subpar addition to the DC universe. </p><p>The good news for Johnson is that he's great in "Black Adam." He clearly understands this character, is believable in the role, and commands the screen every second he's on it. </p><p>Unfortunately, his performance is one of the film's few highlights other than a shocking mid-credits reveal. </p><div type="image" title="Dwayne Johnson in &quot;Black Adam.&quot;" height="1503" width="2000" msid="94952325" hostid="261" sizebytes="174420"></div><p>Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra ("Jungle Cruise"), the film follows Teth-Adam/Black Adam, an antihero who was given powers from the Gods, the very same ones who granted powers to Zachary Levy's Shazam in DC's 2019 movie about the hero.</p><p>After a nearly 5,000-year slumber, Teth-Adam awakens when his home of Kahndaq is threatened by a legion of mercenary goons who are trying to seize a crown and unleash ancient demons. Unfortunately for Teth-Adam, seedy government figure Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) decides the US needs to intervene with its own league of superheroes — no, not <a href="https://www.insider.com/zack-snyder-justice-league-2021-movie-review"><em>that</em></a> league, but the Justice Society of America (JSA) — to bring him down, believing he could use his power to cause more harm than good.</p><p>Largely humorless with an extremely bonkers third act, "Black Adam" feels derivative of many other superhero movies that have come before it like "X-Men" and "Captain America: Civil War." Once again, DC delivers a film where interesting characters are trapped in a mediocre and predictable superhero movie.</p><h2><strong>The Rock and Pierce Brosnan are the stand-outs in a painfully unfunny film</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Black Adam Pierce Brosnan and The Rock" height="1962" width="3000" msid="94952327" hostid="261" sizebytes="404136"></div><p>Every joke in "Black Adam" falls flat unless it's delivered by Johnson, whose antihero is trying to adjust to the present, or Brosnan, who gets in a few well-timed quips as Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate, a sorcerer who can see into the future. His character's level-headedness, patience, and sarcasm play perfectly opposite Johnson. If anyone was up for a potential spin-off series on HBO Max, an origin story on Fate would be most interesting, à la "Peacemaker."</p><p>Aldis Hodge, who is very good as Hawkman, is also given a running gag with Noah Centineo's Atom Smasher/Al Rothstein that's vaguely amusing.</p><p>Otherwise, the small-critic screening Insider attended was quiet for the majority of the film. </p><p>Much of that is because the coleads aren't interesting. For the first 20 minutes, it's unclear if "Black Adam" is supposed to be a superhero movie featuring the Rock or a bait-and-switch "Mummy" spin-off, thanks to the introduction of three Kahndaq citizens — a professor named Adrianna (Sarah Shahi), her spunky son, Amon (Bodhi Sabongui), and her electrician brother, Karim (Mohammed Amer) — who aren't entertaining enough to carry screen time without the Rock. </p><div type="image" title="Sarah Shahi and Mohammed Amer play siblings in &quot;Black Adam.&quot;" height="2434" width="3000" msid="94952328" hostid="261" sizebytes="1336440"></div><p>"Black Adam" starts off pretty slow with Adrianna's family until Johnson, shrouded in a cloak, shows up and brutally takes down a room full of baddies. </p><p>Black Adam rips off limbs and tosses bad guys like rag dolls. When his face is finally revealed to the crowd, it's done in an epic slow-mo action sequence to the tune of The Rolling Stones' "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4irXQhgMqg">Paint It, Black</a>" to show off his character's sheer power. Missiles and rockets fly his way, but nothing causes a dent in him. Instead, he hurls them back. Black Adam is practically indestructible. </p><div type="image" title="Dwayne Johnson in &quot;Black Adam.&quot;" height="1257" width="3000" msid="94952330" hostid="261" sizebytes="95240"></div><p>The Rock was born to play this role and it'd be fascinating to see him go toe-to-toe with other characters in the DC universe, like Shazam, Aquaman, or maybe even Superman, who Johnson has advocated for <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/the-rock-promises-black-adam-absolutely-will-fight-superman-on-screen-that-is-the-whole-point-of-this-man">a battle with for some time now</a>.</p><p>Instead, he's largely stuck in a movie with lackluster humans and none of the recognizable A-list DC characters we've come to know over the past decade.</p><h2>It doesn't make sense that we were introduced to another superhero group when the Justice League and Suicide Squad exist</h2><div type="image" title="Fate and Hawkman in Black Adam" height="1188" width="2862" msid="94952331" hostid="261" sizebytes="87210"></div><p>If you're going to call in a group of heroes to stop a man with God-like powers, you would want to get ahold of some heavy hitters who are Gods in their own right. You know, like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or Superman. </p><p>In "Black Adam," we get the Justice Society of America, a group made up of two veteran heroes, Hawkman and Dr. Fate, and two newbies, Atom Smasher and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), who are learning on the job. </p><p>Most of these characters feel like knock-offs of ones audiences already know. Centineo's chatty Atom Smasher is essentially Ant-Man with a <a href="https://comicbook.com/dc/news/deadpool-marvel-dc-atom-smasher-costume-similarities/">Deadpool mask</a>. </p><p>Then there's Doctor Fate, who viewers might see as a dollar-store version of Doctor Strange. </p><div type="image" title="Dr Strange vs Doctor Fate" height="600" width="1200" msid="94952332" hostid="261" sizebytes="42410"></div><p>Of course, that's not entirely true. Both DC heroes were introduced first in the comics, but Marvel beat WB to the punch by establishing its similar, and now popular, characters first on-screen.</p><p>There's nothing wrong with the JSA characters, per se, but it makes little sense to ask for help from a downgraded amateur Justice League when the A-list heroes should be available. Watching "Black Adam" made us wonder if there was ever a timeline in which we could've seen Johnson's antihero throwing punches with the Justice League instead of a ragtag group.</p><div type="image" title="zack snyder justice league" height="2160" width="2880" msid="94952334" hostid="261" sizebytes="203036"></div><p>It doesn't help that "Black Adam" contains constant reminders of the Justice League throughout. Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, Batman, and Superman posters and toys in Amon's room serve as a reminder that the heroes still exist somewhere on Earth. Without any real inclusion of them, however, they're a bleak reminder of WB's failure to form a cohesive DC universe to keep up with the MCU machine. </p><h2><strong style="background-color: #ffffff;">It's distracting how much 'Black Adam' borrows from other superhero movies</strong></h2><p>Plenty of moments in "Black Adam" feel so obviously plucked from other superhero movies that they took us out of the film. There's a scene early in "Black Adam" where Hawkman's jet flies up out of the ground of his mansion. Out of context, the scene could easily be confused for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX3PVOWsm5I&amp;t=40s">"X-Men" jet leaving Charles Xavier's home</a>. </p><p>And when Black Adam first meets Amon in his own superhero-themed bedroom, there are echoes of Tony Stark and Peter Parker's first interaction.</p><div type="image" title="Hawkman ship in Black Adam" height="1174" width="2838" msid="94952335" hostid="261" sizebytes="90932"></div><p>When Amon inspires his city to raise their hands up in a triangle formation, it feels like the film is trying to deliver its own forced "Wakanda Forever" moment, hoping it will catch on whenever you think of Black Adam. It won't. It lacks the emotional depth and heart that came with "Black Panther."</p><p>It's as if someone at Warner Bros. suggested they cobble together scenes and concepts from successful superhero movies in order to engineer a hit. But "Black Adam" should've focused on doing its own thing rather than emulating other successes. </p><h2><strong>The film's twist is frustratingly predic</strong>table and descends into<strong> a bonkers third act with an over-the-top villain</strong></h2><div type="image" title="Black Adam child" height="1188" width="2822" msid="94952338" hostid="261" sizebytes="35970"></div><p>For those who have watched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkomfZHG5q4">any</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0tOpBuYasI">trailer</a> or have listened to Johnson speak at DC's virtual events over the past two years, a big reveal about Black Adam's backstory was given away ages ago, and thus, falls flat when finally seen on-screen.</p><p>But even those who avoided trailers and spoilers probably could've predicted the obvious twist from the opening scene.</p><p>The film then takes an unexpected turn in its third act when it falls victim to a classic superhero-movie stereotype: A huge CGI demon monster wants to take over the world. The "Black Adam" villain could be easily replaced with other DC menaces from 2016's "Suicide Squad" or "Justice League."</p><p>The main difference here is that this demon looks like Satan. Despite having roots in the comics, it's where "Black Adam" jumps the shark. The way the character is handled is so cartoonish that it feels like the sort of resolution you'd expect from an early 2000s superhero flick.</p><div type="image" title="Black Adam Sabbac" height="1188" width="2814" msid="94952339" hostid="261" sizebytes="69210"></div><p>It's frustrating watching DC make some of the same mistakes over and over again with its films. The studio continues to craft some excellent breakout characters, but it often comes at the price of a middling superhero standalone.</p><p>The Rock made one <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jkw2JPCl18">decent DC superhero movie this year</a>, and this, unfortunately, wasn't it.</p><p><em>"Black Adam" is in theaters on Friday. </em></p><h2>Grade: C</h2>

Dwayne Johnson is great as Black Adam. Too bad his movie sucks.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="112378" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="LeBron-James">LeBron James</keyword> said he feels bad for his <keyword id="100883" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Los-Angeles-Lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</keyword> teammates whose first championship came in the bubble.</li><li>James said the bubble and pandemic meant players could not celebrate by partying and having a parade as championship teams normally do.</li><li>James said it was odd playing without fans in the bubble, saying it made winning the championship harder in some ways.</li></ul><p>While winning the 2020 championship was a meaningful accomplishment for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James says he feels for his teammates who didn't get the typical experience.</p><p>James and the Lakers won the championship in the Disney bubble which, of course, did not have fans. The Lakers didn't get to go out and celebrate after (they celebrated at a restaurant on the Disney campus) and didn't get to have a parade in Los Angeles.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ5oVj3DrUc">Speaking on the "Road Trippin'" podcast</a>, James sad he feels badly for his teammates for whom it was their first championship.</p><p>"I feel bad for my teammates - my first-time championship teammates," James said, naming players who hadn't won a championship before.</p><p>He added: "They don't understand the power of a championship celebration. From the partying, one, to the parade, and then back to the partying. We have not been able to do that. It burns me because, as a champion, you should feel that."</p><p>James said the locker-room celebration immediately after winning is "amazing," but it goes quickly. </p><p>"Just like 2020, it's just f'ed up," James said.</p><p>James has expressed his desire to celebrate the championship on social media, suggesting the Lakers and World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers hold a joint parade with masks.</p><p>Former <keyword id="6361805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="NBA">NBA</keyword> player and ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson noted that while some people had discounted the accomplishment because of the unusual circumstances in the bubble, he noted that it was also more difficult than a typical championship because there was no home-court advantage.</p><p>James referenced the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 championship over the Golden State Warriors, saying they wouldn't have won it without a series-tying win in Game 6 in Cleveland.</p><p>"If we're down 3-1 in '16, and we're not going back to Cleveland, we're just playing another game in the bubble? Golden State may have beaten us by 100," James said.</p><p>James called playing without fans in the bubble "eery."</p><p>The Lakers will begin the 2020-21 season without fans. <a href="https://twitter.com/kylegoon/status/1334231626499252224">Kyle Goon of the OC Register reported</a> that the Lakers planned to do a ring ceremony on opening night, but wait until fans could go in Staples Center to raise a championship banner.</p><p>"Laker Nation, I and the rest of the group, guys, miss you guys so damn much," James said.</p><p>Watch video of the podcast below (James' comments about the championship celebrations begin at (24:49).</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/lebron-james-contracts-limited-by-obscure-nba-age-rule-2020-12">LeBron James keeps missing out on massive new contracts because of an obscure NBA rule that limits older players</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-lebron-spends-his-money-2016-6">LeBron James: How the king of the NBA makes and spends his millions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/kawhi-leonard-paul-george-star-treatment-bothered-clippers-teammates-2020-12">Clippers players reportedly bristled at the preferential treatment Kawhi Leonard and Paul George received, and it caused locker room issues</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/nba-city-edition-jerseys-all-30-teams-2020-2021-season-2020-11">NBA 'City Edition' jerseys are back for the 2020-2021 season - Take a look at each of the 30 teams' new threads</a></li></ul>

LeBron James says he feels bad for his Lakers teammates who won their first championship because they didn't get the true experience

New Delhi, Jan 6 () Top industrialists Anand Mahindra, Harsh Mariwala and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have condemned violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday night, saying such acts cannot be tolerated and the perpetrators must be hunted down swiftly.
<p>Speaking up against the violence, Marico Ltd Chairman Harsh Mariwala tweeted, "Coming from the land of non-violence, it's unbecoming of us to witness and encourage these acts of violence. Extremely hurt seeing last evening's news".
</p><p>Expressing similar views, in a tweet late last evening Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said, "It doesn't matter what your politics are. It doesn't matter what your ideology is. It doesn't matter what your faith is. If you're an Indian, you cannot tolerate armed, lawless goons. Those who invaded JNU tonight must be traced &amp; hunted down swiftly &amp; given no quarter..."
</p><p>Likewise, reacting to a video of an injured student who claimed she was beaten up, Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted, "This is unpardonable. Violence cannot be condoned".
</p><p>Violence broke out at JNU on Sunday night as a group of masked people armed with sticks attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in the police.
</p><p>RPG Enterprises Chairman drew parallels between India and Australia, saying India is caught in "religious bushfires".
</p><p>"Hearing me pray for Australia, for its people, for its 500 million animals that have died since the #bushfires, my little one asked why are you not praying for India where there are religious bushfires lit all over the country and students being attacked mercilessly?" Goenka wrote on his Twitter handle.
</p><p>Rajan Anandan, former head of Google India, who now is associated with venture capital fund Sequoia, also retweeted Mahindra's tweet.
</p><p>Many sustained injuries and were admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre here. They were discharged on Monday. JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh suffered a head injury.
</p>The Left-controlled JNUSU and the ABVP blamed each other for the violence that continued for nearly two hours.  RKL AA  BAL

Industry leaders condemn JNU violence, seek swift arrest of perpetrators

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Netflix</span></p><p class="caption">"The Umbrella Academy" comes to Netflix February 15.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>2019 will be a major year for Dark Horse Entertainment as it releases the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy," a "Hellboy" movie reboot, and more.</li><li>Dark Horse partnered with Chinese entertainment company Vanguard Visionaries last year, which will co-finance Dark Horse projects and allow it to develop its own screenplays.</li><li>Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson told Business Insider that the company has 13 projects in development, and is considering a B.P.R.D. project, based on the comic-book team that originated in "Hellboy."</li><li>Richardson talked about why now was the perfect time to bring "Hellboy" back to the big screen.</li></ul><p>From Marvel's "Black Panther" to DC's "Aquaman," superheroes dominated Hollywood in 2018. But as Dark Horse  - the home of comic books like "Hellboy" and "The Umbrella Academy" - looks to escalate its movie and TV output, it doesn't think of itself as a "superhero" company.</p><p>"We always thought of ourselves in the publishing world as the company you went to when you were tired of superheroes," Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson told Business Insider.</p><p>Founded in 1986 by Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has built an impressive comics library that also includes "The Goon," "Black Hammer," and more. Its film and TV division, Dark Horse Entertainment, quickly jumped into Hollywood in 1992 with "Dr. Giggles" and then in 1994 with two movies: "The Mask" starring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, and "Timecop" starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. "The Mask" grossed $351 million worldwide - not bad for a movie that had a $23 million production budget. </p><p>In the 25 years since, though, Dark Horse has sometimes struggled on the big screen.</p><p>2004's "Sin City," based on Frank Miller's comic of the same name, grossed $158 million off of a $40 million budget. But its sequel a decade later was torn apart by critics, and made only $39 million. The 2005 sequel to "The Mask," "Son of the Mask," failed to earn back its $84 million budget and has a 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.</p><p>Guillermo del Toro's two "Hellboy" movies, based on Mike Mignola's Dark Horse comic books, were critical darlings and have become cult favorites, but weren't huge box-office hits.</p><p><em><strong>READ MORE</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-versus-hbo-original-tv-shows-and-movie-hours-chart-2019-2" data-analytics-position="4">Netflix and HBO are fighting over the original TV crown, but the number of hours Netflix is putting out is overwhelming</a></em></p><p>But after partnering with Chinese-based entertainment company Vanguard Visionaries last year, Dark Horse will steer its properties in a new direction. Vanguard will co-finance Dark Horse projects, giving it more freedom and funding to develop its own screenplays, rather than relying on another studio like it has in the past. And it's eyeing streaming platforms like Netflix to boost its audience.</p><p>"We're looking to grow our entertainment products just as much as our publishing," Richardson said. "We want to be in control of our content and we've laid out a blueprint for that. There's a lot that makes us different from Marvel, which is primarily focused on superheroes. While Dark Horse has its superheroes, we have a much wider variety of content."</p><p>Richardson said that Dark Horse Entertainment has 13 film and TV projects currently in development, and<span> is considering a B.P.R.D. project based on the comic-book team that originated in the "Hellboy" comics (no further details were available).</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Netflix</span></p><p class="caption">"Polar" came to Netflix January 25.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2>'I'm unfettered from the bulls---'</h2><p>Netflix released Dark Horse movie "Polar" last month, based on the graphic novels by Victor Santos and starring Mads Mikkelsen as a hitman. On Friday, Netflix will release "The Umbrella Academy," a TV series based on a Dark Horse comic created by "My Chemical Romance" lead singer Gerard Way and artist Gabriel <span>Bá. </span></p><p><span>"Polar" wasn't a hit with critics, and has an 22% Rotten Tomatoes score. But the beauty of Netflix is that it's available for anyone to watch at any time.</span></p><p>"Netflix was the right home for 'Polar' because it really gives total freedom to the creators," Santos told Business Insider. "When shooting started in Canada almost a year ago, Netflix had just signed on to the project. We had a final script after Netflix made some revisions, but Netflix didn't say, 'Change this, or let's make it softer.' It was more like, 'We are on board, now do your job.'"</p><p>"Netflix is a great way to spread your work to people around the world," he continued. "There is no limitation for a world release because it goes directly to the homes of millions of potential fans. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to share your work?"</p><p>"The Umbrella Academy" showrunner Steve Blackman feels similarly about Netflix. He was also the executive producer of the streamer's "Altered Carbon" series, and finds Netflix's lack of limitations refreshing compared to broadcast networks. For "The Umbrella Academy," a series about seven children born on the same day with unique powers, that was essential. </p><p>"I've worked at many places over the last 19 years in Hollywood, and a lot of the times creative vision gets smothered by answering to which advertisers are on that night, or which demographic you have to hit, but that's not the case with Netflix," Blackman told Business Insider. </p><p>After "Altered Carbon," Blackman and Netflix were considering other projects, and Blackman was drawn to "The Umbrella Academy." He pitched Netflix his vision, and he says it immediately went forward.</p><p>Blackman added, "They don't look at other people on the outside and tell you what to do. They're like, 'We hired you for a reason, you have the vision, we want to support that vision.' I think that's why a lot of people are going to Netflix. I don't remember ever enjoying doing something as much because I'm unfettered from the bulls---."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lionsgate</span></p><p class="caption">"Hellboy" (2019) comes to theaters in April.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>A brand-new Hellboy, 10 years later</h2><p>On April 12, a "Hellboy" reboot hits theaters directed by Neill Marshall with "Stranger Things" star David Harbour taking over the title role from Ron Perlman. </p><p>While del Toro's films weren't box-office smashes, they have a loyal fanbase. But Richardson said it was the perfect time to bring the character back to the big screen.</p><p>"Guillermo had his own ideas on the third movie," Richardson told Business Insider. "I think both he and Ron felt that they wanted to stay together, and Guillermo ultimately decided not to be involved. I personally talked to him several times trying to see if he was interested, and he decided to pass. Ron wanted to do it but if Guillermo was directing."</p><p>Richardson continued, "10 years have passed since the last movie ["Hellboy II: The Golden Army" in 2008]. The franchise is a good franchise. Mike Mignola has created this great world that's worth exploring in films and series ... It was just time to do it. We just wanted to do it and get the character back in front of people beyond the published series."</p><p><em><strong>READ MORE</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aquaman-spinoff-movie-in-the-works-called-the-trench-2019-2" data-analytics-position="3">An 'Aquaman' horror spin-off movie is officially in the works about the Trench creatures</a></em></p><p>Richardson said the upcoming movie will be more committed to Mignola's vision of the character in the comic books, and that Marshall was in talks for another project with Dark Horse when his name entered the ring to direct (when asked what the other project was, Richardson said, "Maybe you'll hear about it soon").</p><p>"Those early Guillermo movies are great, we love them," he said. "But this is a new version of the character in film. David [Harbour] has done a great job."</p><p>On the publishing side, Dark Horse has timed some comics to line up with its movies and TV shows. A second edition of Santos' "Polar: Came From the Cold" was released on January 30. A third story arc of "The Umbrella Academy" is wrapping up after a decade-long hiatus. And a "Hellboy" collection of every graphic novel in chronological order will be available in May. </p><p>Beyond 2019, a pilot for the Syfy network has been filmed based on the Dark Horse comic "Resident Alien" that is waiting to be picked up to series. The series centers on an alien who solves crimes while he's stranded on Earth.</p><p>"I'm currently writing the sixth volume of the comic, so there's a lot of stories to tell and to adapt," "Resident Alien" creator Peter Hogan told Business Insider, regarding why he felt TV was the best medium for an adaptation of his comic. "TV simply has more room to play with than a movie. Plus, I have to say that from the minute I started writing, something about it just felt like a TV show."</p><p><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-hammer-movie-tv-show-coming-legendary-1160861" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legendary is also adapting Dark Horse's "Black Hammer"</a> comics into a TV and movie universe. While Dark Horse Entertainment isn't developing it, it's one more project that could raise Dark Horse's profile.</p><p>"It takes a long time to put these projects together, so when they all start coming together and you see the work was worth it, it's great," Richardson said. "We're going to have a good year this year ... we're well positioned for the new world we're seeing in entertainment."</p><p><strong><em>Have a tip about Dark Horse or anything else? Email the author at tclark@businessinsider.com.</em></strong></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beyonce-choreography-jaquel-knight-beychella-coachella-dance-2019-2">I learned how to dance like Beyoncé from her choreographer and it was surprisingly difficult</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Inside Dark Horse's plan to build its own movie and TV empire out of comic books, from Netflix's 'The Umbrella Academy' to a 'Hellboy' reboot

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Warning: MAJOR spoilers.</strong><br><br>Following last week's season premiere of "True Detective," in which many thought it was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/true-detective-season-2-bad-reception-2015-6">slow and boring</a>, episode two contains an important moment for the season. <br><br>A lot happens in Sunday's episode, from Vince Vaughn's incredible <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/true-detective-vince-vaughn-plays-bad-guy-2015-6">bedroom monologue</a> at the open to the classic police procedural traits taking form. <br><br>But the moment that should have confirmed your allegiance to the latest season (or made you kick in your TV) is the final scene when following a tip provided by Frank Semyon (Vaughn), Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell) enters Ben Casper's mysterious second residence and is shot-gunned in the chest and left for dead. <br><br>Needless to say, people were shocked on Twitter.<div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><p>But let's pause for a second for those who need a refresher. <br><br>This season is set in the fictitious city of Vinci in Los Angeles County. From episode one we know that city manager Ben Casper has been brutally murdered and now police officers Velcoro, Ani Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams), and Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch) - all from different departments; all with ulterior motives - are investigating what happened to Casper.</br></br></p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><br>But Casper also means a lot to one shady businessman, Semyon. The two have been working closely on developing a lucrative high-speed rail line through the middle of California that will thrust Semyon out of the underworld and make him fully legitimate.<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Episode two follows all parties as they try to figure out who is behind Casper's murder.<br><br>However, the lead-up to the episode's shocking ending gives us a whole lot to chew on.<br><br>For starters, how Semyon got the intel about Casper's second place.<br><br>Semyon is on the warpath to make sure the creation of his rail line doesn't get sabotaged due to Casper's untimely death. That includes finding out who killed Casper (and where's all that money Semyon gave him). <br><br>But when it comes to investigating where Casper spent his final moments, Semyon passes Velcoro the address., telling him, "my people ain't that proficient in evidence handling."<br><br>Velcoro enters Casper's Hollywood residence to find a pool of blood on the floor, the walls sound-proofed and bizarre masks hanging on them.<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>He also discovers a camcorder in a small room that has a two-way mirror that looks into the living room.<br><br>Then suddenly a person wearing all black and a crow mask walks in and shoots Velcoro.<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>If you were watching episode one carefully you'll remember this is the second time the crow mask has made an appearance. It was sitting next to whoever was driving around Casper in last week's episode.<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Now Velcoro is lying on the ground with two shotgun blasts to the chest from some costumed madman.<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>So is Semyon or one of his goons in that crow mask? Maybe it's the father Velcoro beat up in the first episode?<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Regardless, folks on Twitter are trying to figure out if they have a <a href="http://www.accesshollywood.com/sean-bean-talks-ned-starks-shocking-game-of-thrones-death_article_49209">"Game of Thrones" Ned Stark death</a> on their hands.<br><br><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"></p><div><div></div></div><p class="embed-spacer"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">What should be certain is your thoughts about the show.</span></p><p>If a moment like this doesn't make you want to keep watching, then this season isn't for you.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/her-story-2015-6">Gaming's 'True Detective' is here, and you can play it on your phone right now</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9rcmN1dToK-xtXOtzuftboOdGb-f6d32" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br></br>

There was a shocking ending on this week's episode of 'True Detective'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lacey Terrell/HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Waring: MAJOR spoilers ahead</strong></p><p>The finale to season 2 of "True Detective" wound up to be as violent and unforgiving as the whole season. And that's a good thing. One of the only downfalls of the first season of the series was how nicely everything was tied up by the final episode, with detectives Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Hart (Woody Harrelson) limping off into the darkness as best friends.</p><p>It wasn't likely "True Detective" creator Nic Pizzolatto would do that a second time.</p><p>Here's how things turned out for the main characters of season 2 that made it to the finale.</p><p><strong>Detective Ray Velcoro</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lacey Terrell/HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><br />After tracking down the shotgun-wielding crow-mask wearing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/true-detective-season-2-episode-2-colin-farrell-shocking-ending-2015-6">guy who shot him in episode 2</a> (turned out it was one of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/true-detective-season-2-plot-summary-2015-8#ixzz3iA8oKd6a">twins from the blue diamond heist</a>, not Burris)...</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Velcoro (Collin Farrell) teamed with Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn) to step in on the $12 million money drop between the men who double crossed Semyon in the creation of the rail line, Osip Agronov and Jacob McCandless. Following killing Agronov and McCandless, Velcoro and Semyon split the money and go their separate ways. Semyon to his wife and Velcoro to connect with Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams) and live out their days in Mexico.</p><p>However, Velcoro makes the mistake of attempting to see his son one last time. It's a tough moment with his son having the glass-encased LAPD badge Velcoro gave him, but it gave crooked cop Burris (the one who killed Woodrough (Taylor Kitsch) in the penultimate episode) the chance to bug Velcoro's car with the hopes of Velcoro leading him to Bezzeridies.</p><p>But Velcoro sees what's happened and leads Burris and his goons instead to the mountains...</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>where a gun fight leads to Velcoro being shot and killed.</p><p><strong>Frank Semyon</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lacey Terrell/HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><br />Following cleaning out the safes in the casino and clubs he owns before burning them to the ground, Semyon has one last piece of business, paying back Osip and McCandless for double crossing him on the rail line deal. After he and Velcoro are successful in that, Semyon takes his half of the $12 million and picks up a new passport and car before heading off to meet his wife. But on the way he gets cornered by the drug dealers he agreed to let them sell drugs at his clubs, and is driven against his will to the dessert.</p><p>Unhappy the clubs are no longer around, the men take $1 million from Semyon to close their business. But when one of their men wants Semyon's suit things go bad as Semyon smacks him around. One of the men stabs Semyon in the ribs during the scuffle and he's left in the dessert to bleed out.</p><p>With some powerful images in his final moments of life (seeing visions of his abusive father and people in the past he's done wrong)...</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Semyon dies in the dessert after seeing a vision of his wife. </p><p><strong>Detective Ani Bezzerides</strong></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Lacey Terrell/HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><br />Pizzolatto was criticized heavily for the <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/03/03/cool-story-bro?currentPage=all">lack of strong female characters</a> in season 1, and though Bezzeridies was a vast improvement, she could have been better used in the finale.</p><p>After she and Velcoro sleep together, they learn that Woodrough is dead after Burris answers his cell phone. They can either make a run for it or continue to try to uncover what's really behind the Caspere murder. They choose the latter and track down the whereabouts of the twins who were orphaned after the heist of the blue diamonds in 1992. </p><p>Though Bezzerides comes to Velcoro's rescue when he's almost shot by Burris, Bezzerides is on the sidelines the rest of the episode. Preparing for Velcoro's arrival following his successful mission with Semyon to get the $12 million so they can take off to Mexico together. The plans change when he tells her that he's being tailed.</p><p>Velcoro ends up going to Mexico on her own. Time passes and she has a baby (presumably Velcoro's from their fling). She also racks down a New York Times reporter so she can hand off all the evidence she, Velcoro, and Woodrough compiled to take down the big wigs in Vinci. And she befriends Semyon's wife.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>HBO</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><br />The final scene is Bezzerides and her child, Semyon's wife, and her bodyguard leaving together to a new life traveling through Mexico undetected.</p><p>Yes, an intentional message by Pizzolatto that he's capable to have a strong female lead, but it would have been great to see her in more of the action.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hbos-the-leftovers-trailer-looks-completely-different-2015-7">HBO's 'The Leftovers' looks like it's going to be an entirely different show next season</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RjaWpmdjoBiH7wdTt-RkCIhW6bxSzC_k" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "masked goons" and got 9 results

Shocking pictures of masked goons wielding skull-breaking stone and sticks beating up JNU students and teachers

Jimmy Kimmel slams 'The Masked Singer' for letting Rudy Giuliani compete and calls the show 'garbage'

Rebecca Cohen

'Killers of the Flower Moon' actor reveals the casting director came up with the idea for Martin Scorsese's cameo, and more details about the final scene

Jason Guerrasio

Dwayne Johnson is great as Black Adam. Too bad his movie sucks.

Kirsten Acuna

LeBron James says he feels bad for his Lakers teammates who won their first championship because they didn't get the true experience

Scott Davis

Industry leaders condemn JNU violence, seek swift arrest of perpetrators

PTI

Inside Dark Horse's plan to build its own movie and TV empire out of comic books, from Netflix's 'The Umbrella Academy' to a 'Hellboy' reboot

Travis Clark

There was a shocking ending on this week's episode of 'True Detective'

Jason Guerrasio

Here's how things turned out for the main characters on the 'True Detective' season finale

Jason Guerrasio

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