Rivet Daily

Road rage and revenge marks movies return to theaters. This is a review of the new film, Unhinged.  

A former host of The Daily Show takes a non-partisan swipe at the election process in the U-S. This is a review of the new film, Irresistible… Election strategists from Washington D-C head to middle-America where they turn a small town mayoral race into national news… Jon Stewart pulls no punches in this look at how elections are won and lost… …and how they’re about way more than just the candidates… …as he tries to deliver a serious message with a light-hearted feel. And it’s pulled off alright by Steve Carell as Gary Zimmer on the left… …and the wickedly well-cast Rose Byrne as Faith Brewster on the right. Chris Cooper is a good fit as Marine Colonel Jack Hastings… …recruited to run for mayor as a democrat in his right-leaning Wisconsin town which has fallen on hard times. The message is…big money ultimately controls and ruins everything… …and if 2016 taught anyone anything…never underestimate your opponent. The question is did Stewart underestimate the audience? It all feels just kinda light-weight for the message he’s trying to get across which can get a little lost… …however, it’s clear at the end just how despicable our nation’s two major political parties can be… …and just how broken our election system is. And for that, with all the votes counted, I give Irresistible three-and-a-half stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale.

An SNL stand-out stars in a semi-autobiographical new online release…this is a review of the film, The King of Staten Island… Pete Davidson along with co-writer Judd Appatow…who also directs… …offer up an emotional, honest and raw coming of age story… …of a son coping with the in-the-line-of-duty death of his firefighter father. And while the rest of his family is able to move on…he struggles with mental health and drug issues. Unfortunately, this film also struggles with what it wants to be when it grows up… Clocking in at a way too long two hours and 15 minutes plus... …it doesn’t know whether to stick with the serious which it does it very well… …or the funny which does have its moments… …but relies on unnecessary storylines that take just take you out of it…and you can feel it. Davidson is good as himself…but in this case, Scott. And it features some stand out performances from Bill Burr, who’s excellent as the new man in Scott’s mother’s life. Appatow’s daughter Maude is wonderful as Claire, Scott’s younger sister who just wants to go off to college… But my favorite was Bel Powley as Kelsey, Scott’s no-nonsense on-again, off again girlfriend…who deserved more screen time. And for that, I give The King of Staten Island three and a half stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale… …this one needed a little less time to grow up.

Fire up the Mystery Machine…Scooby, Shaggy and the gang get an origin story in the new film Scoob! The kids face off against one of Saturday morning cartoons worst, Dick Dastardly who needs Scooby for his latest evil plan… And Dastardly isn’t the only character from the land of Hanna-Barbara that makes an appearance in the animated Scoob! Which is cool for those of us who grew up watching those shows with a bowl of cereal early in the morning. And for kids just getting their first look at the gang from Mystery Inc. Scoob! struggles a bit in the storytelling area which is on par with the series…but that’s O-K… …because it was high energy, with a lot of action, it looked good and there was some good back-and forth with… Fred voiced by Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried is Daphne, Gina Rodriguez is Velma, Shaggy gets the Will Forte treatment and Frank Welker…the original Fred…is Scooby Doo… Who talks a lot more than I remember…which was a little unsettling. Scoob is the latest movie to go straight to streaming under social distancing guidelines... …and kids as well as parents should enjoy Scoob! for what it is…a way to kill 90 minutes with a new story featuring some familiar characters. And for that I give it Scoob ! three drats outta five on the Dick Dastardly rating scale. I’m Rob and I’ll see you at the concession stand.

An effort to flee an abusive relationship leads to a battle with an enemy who always seems a step ahead...and can't be seen. This is a review of The Invisible Man... Cecilia's been planning her escape from her husband, the rich and brilliant Adrian...thing is, he's been planning, too...attacking everything she loves while invisible to the naked eye... The Blumhouse guys tag Leigh Wannell, the writer behind a bunch of the Saw movies, to write and fill the director's chair for what's being called a contemporary adaptation of the H-G Wells novel of the same name...while also rebooting the film series and Universal Monsters series. Like in his other films, Wannell is great at using the camera almost as a character...building a level of tension that's tough to maintain while also not relying on cheap jump scares. I was seriously on the edge of my seat, grabbing the armrest and preparing for what might come next. And a lot of that had to do with star Elisabeth Moss who was really stellar in this part...she's smart, all action and no nonsense and didn't just fold despite the physical and mental attacks...very much in the spirit of Lori Strode from the original Halloween movie. Aldis Hodge as James and Storm Reid as his daughter were also both very good and tried to have the back of their longtime friend who appeared to be losing it. I'll say it again...at more than two hours, it was too long...but you can see that for yourself... ...and it's still not a reason to skip this one...and big screen is the way to go. And because of that I give The Invisible Man, four stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale...this one is something to see.

When two of Gotham's most notorious villains break-up...the rebound is criminal. This is a review of the new film, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn... Harley Quinn and the Joker are splitsville and that puts a huge target on her back drawing the attention of crime boss Black Mask. Director Cathy Yan brings us to her version of Gotham City which is feeling the wrath of the breakup... Margot Robbie is spot-on again as Harley Quinn...who was dating the Joker...but surprise, two psychopaths had some relationship issues... She gets some help battling the city's henchmen from the talented and tough Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary... ...the Huntress played by the dangerous and remarkably funny Mary Elizabeth-Winstead... ...and Rosie Perez is a jaded Gotham Cop who's sent packing by the force...and has the most amazing wardrobe...you'll see what I mean. I had a good time following this Joker-free all-girl group of villains in vigilantes... ...but it did feel like it was missing something...kinda like the Venom movie...with no Spider-Man. The story was a bit thin, the script was uneven... ...but I loved the acting, the camera work was cool...the different takes and views really worked. And while I know there was a lot of CGI ...the fight scenes themselves were well choreographed with some great stunts and quality kills and injuries ...taking a page from the John Wick movies... ...a welcome change from the blurry mess you get in Marvel flicks. And because of all that...I give Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn... ...three and a half stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale.

Miami's finest are back ready to ride together and die together. This is a review of the new film, Bad Boys for Life... The leader of a vicious drug cartel is on killing spree taking out those who were part of an old case involving Mike and Marcus...that could have family implications... Will Smith and Martin Lawrence team up again in this third installment of the Bad Boys franchise which says so long to director Michael Bay... and brings in is the combo of Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah...who maintain a similar ratio of action to plot. Also back for more is Joe Pantoliano as the Pepto-guzzling Chief Howard. Fresh faces include Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton and a perfectly evil Paola Núñez. 17 years after the really bad, Bad Boys II, Smith and Lawrence appear re-energized...even stepping up the cheesy banter a bit... ...with Lawrence's Marcus at one point questioning...Do you want your legacy to be muscle shirts and body counts? That said, there's no reason any Bad Boys movie needs to be over two hours long like this one which after an intense, armrest-grabbing action sequence... ...goes off track taking the audience with it. The good thing is...things do eventually get back on track and it heads on an international chase to find out who's behind the killings... ...and just how it involves the guys...while revealing an unexpected twist. And that's why I give Bad Boys for Life, three-and-a-half stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale...it's billed as one last ride...but is it really?

The Skywalker story line in the Star Wars universe comes to an end. This is a spoiler-free review of the new film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Jersey City's mayor says it’s clear the gunmen in Tuesday's deadly shooting targeted a Jewish market, but he refused to call it an anti-Semitic attack. He says surveillance video shows the gunmen driving slowly through the city's streets, then stopping outside the grocery store where they got out and immediately opened fire. A police officer, three bystanders and two suspects were killed. Saudi Arabia's oil company Aramco has surpassed Apple as the largest listed company in the world with a value of $1.88 trillion. It's in its dramatic debut on the Saudi stock exchange, the company gained 10% in its first moments. Trading came after a mammoth initial public offering that set the record as the biggest ever in history. Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg says she was "a bit surprised" to be named Time's Person of the Year. The teenager's become the figurehead of a global youth movement pressing for faster action on climate change.

It's back to the jungle for another adventure via a vintage video game. This is a review of the new film, Jumanji: The Next Level... When we last left Spencer, Fridge, Martha and Bethany they completed the game...and then destroyed the game console... But who wouldn't want to go back when you're Dr. Smolder Bravestone... This one's called the next level...which in video game terms should mean it's more challenging requiring maybe some more thought... ...but in this case the writers hit reset offering up a pretty weak premise to get our heroes back in Jumanji. That said, once they're there...it's again an action-packed race to complete tasks and save the day...all with only three lives. And I do appreciate the stuck with your random avatar twist. The original cast is back with Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Karen Gillan in this case...reprising and assuming new roles. While newbies include Awkwafina showing her versatility...and the so-cool Danny combo featuring Glover and DeVito. If you liked the previous film chances are you'll dig this one as well...the story's not too deep but there is a lot to laugh about... ...and a few tense moments including some angry stampeding ostriches and a floating bridge chase that was lot of fun. And for that I give Jumanji: The Next Level, three-and-a-half stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale...never underestimate the importance of a zoologist.

House Democrats've announced two articles of impeachment against President Trump - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a “solemn act." Voting is expected in a matter of days in the Judiciary Committee and by Christmas in the full House. Trump insisted he did “Nothing" wrong. Police say a man with an illegal gun has killed six people and hurt three others in a hospital in the eastern Czech Republic. The apparent suspect later shot and killed himself as police approached his car. The death toll from Monday's volcanic eruption in New Zealand has now risen to six. About 30 others are still hospitalized. Investigators believe another eight bodies remain on White Island but they say it's too dangerous to recover them. U.S. productivity fell over the summer. It was the first decline in nearly four years. The Labor Department says productivity edged down 0.2% in the third quarter.

The House Judiciary Committee is convening to formally receive the investigative findings against President Trump as the White House mounts an aggressive attack on the proceedings. If the Judiciary Committee approves articles of impeachment by Friday that would set up a final impeachment vote in the days before Christmas. A Justice Department inspector general report is expected to say the FBI had a legitimate basis to open its investigation into ties between the president's 2016 campaign and Russia. It's also expected to say senior law enforcement officials weren't motivated by partisan bias. A New Zealand volcanic island has erupted in a tower of ash and steam while dozens of tourists were exploring the moon-like surface, killing five people and leaving many more missing. The site was still too dangerous hours later for police and rescuers to search for the missing. More than 600 institutional investors managing 37 trillion dollars in client assets are calling for governments to step up their efforts against climate change. The investors, including banks, pension funds and insurance companies, directed their message Monday to countries participating in a two-week U.N. climate conference in Madrid.

Hiring jumped last month to the highest level since January as U.S. employers ignored global trade tensions and added 266,000 jobs. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate declined to 3.5% from 3.6% in October. President Trump's taking a new approach on impeachment with him and his allies accepting the reality he'll likely be impeached by the House. The president tweeted telling Democrats that if they're going to impeach him, to 'do it now, fast, so we can have a fair.... trial in the Senate.' A Kenyan official says a six-story building has collapsed in the capital, Nairobi. Some people are feared to be trapped in the debris. Police say 10 people have been rescued by residents using their bare hands. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is scheduled to appear in a New York City courtroom today for a pretrial hearing in his rape and sexual assault case. He's currently free on one million dollars bail. Tennessee has put a 53-year-old blind inmate to death in the electric chair for his conviction in the 1991 killing of his estranged girlfriend. Thursday's execution was only the second of a blind inmate in the U.S. since the nation's reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

Saying President Trump's 'wrongdoing strikes at the very heart of our Constitution,' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a public statement this morning announcing House Democrat will move ahead with articles of impeachment.   The Eiffel Tower is shut down because of nationwide strikes and protests over the government's retirement reform. French high-speed trains are also standing still and schools are closed. Paris authorities barricaded the presidential palace and deployed six thousand police. An active duty US sailor whose submarine was docked at Pearl Harbor opened fire on three civilian employees Wednesday, killing two and then taking his own life just days before dignitaries and veterans descend on the base for the 78th anniversary of the Japanese attack. Pirates have boarded a Greek-owned oil tanker off Nigeria and kidnapped 19 Indian and Turkish crew members in what have become the world's most dangerous waters for such attacks. The International Maritime Bureau says the Gulf of Guinea now accounts for about 82% of crew kidnappings in the world.

The House Judiciary Committee's holding it's first impeachment hearing since the release of a 300-page report by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee that found "serious misconduct" by President Trump. This, as Trump meets with NATO leaders near London. The full House'll decide whether Trump's actions stemming from a July phone call with Ukraine's president warrant impeachment. Several NATO leaders've been caught in an unguarded exchange on camera during a reception at Buckingham Palace apparently gossiping about Trump's behavior. In response, Trump called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "two-faced" after he was overheard appearing to gossip about Trump. North Korean state media says leader Kim Jong Un rode a white horse up a sacred mountain on his second symbolic visit in less than two months. Kim has made previous visits there before making major decisions. The North's threatening provocation if the U.S. refuses to make concessions in nuclear diplomacy by year’s end.

President Trump criticized Democrats at the start of a NATO leaders' meeting in London, calling their impeachment push "unpatriotic" and "a bad thing for our country." Trump has criticized Democrats for holding an impeachment hearing while he is abroad. The House Judiciary Committee has set a hearing for Wednesday on the constitutional grounds for Trump's possible impeachment on Wednesday. The woman who says she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and made to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 is asking the British public to support her quest for justice. Virginia Roberts Giuffre told BBC Panorama that people "should not accept this as being OK." Andrew has categorically denied having sex with Giuffre and apologized for his association with Epstein. Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg arrived in Portugal by catamaran after a three-week trip from the U.S. The climate activist is heading to Spain for U.N. climate talks, amid a new scientific report saying there's mounting evidence the world's getting even hotter.

A snowy nor'easter bearing down on the East Coast is snarling travel and causing schools to cancel classes. The storm dumped one round of snow on parts of the region late Sunday and forecasters say it could drop 10 to 20 inches total by Tuesday morning. Heavy snow is also possible in the Appalachian Mountains down to Tennessee and North Carolina. The head of the United Nations says he's "disappointed" with efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and the world's most polluting countries should accept that they, too, need to become carbon neutral by 2050. The UN Secretary General, however, says the European Union's initiative of a "green pact" could make the bloc a world champion to push other big polluters in the same direction. The House impeachment report on President Trump's actions toward Ukraine is being unveiled today behind closed doors for key lawmakers. The report's being made available for committee members to review ahead of a vote Tuesday to send it to the Judiciary Committee for Wednesday's landmark hearing.

Albania's government says the death toll from Tuesday's earthquake has now soared past two dozen. Hundreds are hurt, and rescuers are still searching for survivors. The winter storm that slammed Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska has made its way into the upper Midwest. A "bomb cyclone" weather phenomenon's also expected to knock out power and trees and dump snow in California and Oregon. As the House Intelligence Committee prepares its impeachment report, the House Judiciary Committee is planning an impeachment hearing. Next Wednesday, lawmakers'll hear from legal experts examining the constitutional grounds for President Trump's impeachment. The leader of Britain's main opposition party has accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of secretly negotiating the basis of a trade deal with the U.S. ahead of the country's departure from the European Union. The Labour Party's Jeremy Corbyn says it includes a contentious plan to extend patents for U.S. drug companies.

A strong earthquake's struck Albania...and rescue crews are searching for people in collapsed buildings. The country's defense minister says the death toll stands at more than a dozen. Hundreds are hurt. A strong storm could dump up to a foot of snow in parts of Colorado and Wyoming today....before moving into the Plains, and bringing high winds and more snow to Minnesota, Wisconsin and upper Michigan. The Upper Midwest could get more snow from Thanksgiving through Saturday.... ...and the large balloons at New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade may be grounded because of high winds. The House intelligence committee's report on its impeachment investigation may come out as soon as next week. Committee Chairman Adam Schiff's told colleagues the evidence of wrongdoing and misconduct by President Trump is "clear and hardly in dispute." ...but what's left is to decide whether Trump's behavior is compatible with his office and whether impeachment is warranted. Republicans - and Trump - insist he's done nothing wrong.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper has fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer over his handling of the case of a SEAL accused of war crimes who President Trump has defended. Trump tweeted his satisfaction with Spencer's firing and says he'll nominate the U.S. ambassador to Norway to replace him. Spencer says he and Trump appear no longer to share the same understanding of "the key principle of good order and discipline." Newly revealed classified documents show that camps the Chinese government runs in the country's far west are not for voluntary job training, as Beijing says, but for forced ideological and behavioral re-education. The documents lay out the government's deliberate strategy to lock up predominantly Muslim minorities to forcibly assimilate them and rewire their thinking. Taylor Swift has surpassed Michael Jackson's record at the American Music Awards. Swift took home six honors, including artist of the year, at Sunday's show....beating Jackson's record of 24 AMAs.

The indictment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to sharpen the battle lines in Israel's already deadlocked political system. The serious corruption charges appear to have dashed already slim hopes for a unity government following September’s elections, paving the way for an unprecedented repeat vote in March. In an angry speech, Netanyahu lashed out at investigators and vowed to fight on in the face of an “attempted coup.” Hong Kong is gearing for local elections that have become a referendum on public support for more than five months of protests. For the first time, all 452 seats on the city's 18 councils are contested in Hong Kong's only fully democratic elections on Sunday. President Trump is still promoting a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, a day after a former White House security adviser called it a "fictional narrative." Trump said on "Fox & Friends" he was trying to root out corruption in Ukraine when he withheld aid over the summer. He said "There was no quid pro quo," contradicting testimony by impeachment witnesses.

Former White House national security adviser Fiona Hill says the contention from some Republicans that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election is "fictional." During House testimony in President Trump's impeachment probe, she warned lawmakers not to advance a politically motivated narrative helpful to Russia as they defend Trump. Hill, who stressed she's "nonpartisan," said Russia and its proxies have geared up for 2020 election interference. Iraqi officials says several anti-government protesters've been killed during heavy clashes with security forces in Baghdad. Dozens more were hurt. Protesters've been occupying parts of Baghdad’s three main bridges leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq’s government. A search is on for a red panda that broke out of a zoo in southeastern France. The zoo says the endangered animal was last seen 3 miles from the park by a surprised driver. The park says the panda escaped last Friday by climbing up branches broken by snowfall.

U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland says he "followed the president's orders" to work with Rudy Giuliani on Ukraine. Sondland is a key witness in the House impeachment inquiry into President Trump. During testimony today, he said he and his colleagues didn't want to involve the president's personal attorney in diplomacy efforts with Ukraine, but they were told to by the president. The Israeli military says it's carried out a "wide-scale" strike on Iranian targets in Syria following a rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The military says fighter jets struck dozens of targets, including weapons warehouses and military bases. Fatalities've been reported. Hong Kong schools have reopened after a six-day shutdown but students were facing transit disruptions as the last protesters remained holed up on a university campus. City officials tried to restore a sense of normalcy as primary and secondary schools reopened Wednesday.

Two top national security aides who listened to President Trump’s July call with Ukraine’s president are testifying today at House impeachment hearings. An Army officer at the National Security Council and his counterpart at Vice President Mike Pence’s office say they had concerns as Trump spoke with the newly elected Ukraine president about political investigations into Joe Biden. The family of American hostage Kevin King says he's now with U.S. officials in Afghanistan getting medical care ahead of his return home. King and his Australian colleague at the American University in Kabul were kidnapped in August 2016 by the Taliban. The Taliban's now freed the two, in exchange for three of their ranking members from Afghan custody. Thousands of protesters demonstrating in Beirut against the country's political elite have prevented several legislators from reaching the parliament building, forcing a postponement of a session. The protesters clashed with riot police as they closed all roads leading to the parliament building in central Beirut.

Hong Kong police are calling on anti-government protesters barricaded inside the city's Polytechnic University to surrender and face justice. A police commander described the protesters as rioters and criminals who must face the consequences of their acts. Police say they arrested more than 150 people ages 13 to 54 over the weekend on charges including burglary, rioting and possessing offensive weapons. Eight more witnesses are testifying this week in the House impeachment probe against President Trump. The week's most anticipated witness testimony may come Wednesday, with Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who spoke multiple times to Trump about Ukraine policy. Police in Fresno, California, say four people were killed when "unknown suspects" sneaked into a backyard filled with people at a football watching party Sunday evening and opened fire. Six others were hurt. Police say all the victims were Asian men.

The House is in its second day of President Trump's live impeachment hearings over his actions toward Ukraine. The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine - who was suddenly recalled back to the U.S. by Trump - is testifying. More witnesses are set for next week. The student who police say opened fire at his Los Angeles-area high school on Thursday....killing two teenagers and wounding three others...remains in critical condition after shooting himself. Classes at the high school are canceled for today. Turkey's interior minister says an American Islamic State group suspect who was stranded in a no man's land between Greece and Turkey has been deported to the U.S. The minister says the man was put on a plane on Friday. Astronauts have begun an extraordinarily complicated series of spacewalks to fix a cosmic ray detector at the International Space Station. NASA says the spectrometer, which is searching for elusive antimatter and dark matter, was never meant to undergo space surgery....but it's cooling system's almost dead.

The historic impeachment hearings against President Trump have further hardened Washington battle lines. Republicans say little more than secondhand stories and opinions were offered as evidence during Wednesday's first public hearing. Democrats say the public heard a striking account of Trump abusing his office by holding up military aid to Ukraine and seeking investigations of his political rivals. Several more witnesses are set to testify on Friday, and next week. An international team of investigators piecing together a criminal case in the 2014 shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine say evidence suggests links between Russia and separatists in the region were closer than previously believed. The team's revealed details of secure communications between Russian officials and rebels in eastern Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied involvement and accused the investigation team of bias. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's running for president. In a video announcing his late entry into the Democratic race, he highlights his poverty-stricken childhood.

Televised House impeachment hearings start today. Americans - and the rest of the world - will have their first chance to hear about President Trump's actions toward Ukraine. Nearly a dozen witnesses over the next week'll provide evidence about Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. Trump denies doing anything wrong. Turkey's president's meeting with Trump today in Washington. Relations between the two NATO allies are at their lowest point in decades. Their agenda includes Turkey's decision to buy a Russian air defense system and its attack on U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Flooding in Venice has nearly reached the second-highest level ever recorded. More than 85-percent of the canal city is flooded.....and the high-water mark's nearly reached the level it was during the infamous flood of 1966.

The U.S has held more than 69-thousand-500 migrant kids in government custody in 2019, according to new government data. United Nations researchers say that's more children detained way from their parents than any other country. Afghanistan's president says his government has released three prominent Taliban figures in an effort to get the insurgents to free two university professors. The professors, an American and an Australian, were abducted three years ago. Ashraf Ghani said the "conditional release" was a very hard decision he felt he had to make in the interest of the Afghan people. The Israeli military says it's carried out a number of airstrikes in Gaza, bombing a series of Islamic Jihad targets.....and killing one Jihad commander. It said the strikes hit a training camp and underground weapons manufacturing and storage sites. Ricky Gervais'll host next year's Golden Globe Awards. It'll mark his fifth year as emcee. He says organizers made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Decades later movie goers have another reservation for a stay at the Overlook Hotel. This is a review of the new film, Dr. Sleep... Danny Torrence is all grown up...but the events that happened in 1980 at that haunted hotel still haunt him...and then he finds out he has a debt to pay... Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name from 2013... ...his sequel to The Shining follows a now grown up Danny Torrence played by Ewan McGregor... ...who's struggling with alcoholism and everything and everyone he's got locked inside his head. After moving to small town America to get away from things...and rehab...he uses his shine to help those taking their last breath... ...while also communicating with young Abra played excellently by Kyliegh Curran...who's shine is much brighter than most. The pair would then face off against the True Knot cult led by the sultry Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat...that seek out and feed on children who shine. Director Mike Flanagan does a nice job bringing the two films and books together with several throwbacks to the original film... ...while also creating some good tension and surprise moments...like when a quick-thinking Snakebite Andi played by Emily Alyn Lind made her words hurt. The effects are well done and it looks cool...the imagery while traveling among minds was was a lot of fun and well thought out. Unfortunately, at more than two-and-a-half hours...the shine dims a lot...it was too long and loses some of that intensity it worked so hard to build. Still, it was a lot retro fun with fresh feel... And for that, I give Dr. Sleep three-and-a-half stars out of five on the Rob Rating Scale...Daddy's home...and he brought friends.

Iran says a U.N. inspector it blocked from a nuclear site last week had tested positive for suspected traces of explosive nitrates. The allegation by Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency came....as Iran injected uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground nuclear complex, its most-significant step away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. UK police say they've formally identified the 39 people found dead in a container truck in southeastern England last month. Their families've been notified. Police say they worked with Vietnamese police and the coroner to identify the bodies. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he wants to decriminalize illegal border crossings. He's released a detailed immigration policy proposal. Elizabeth Warren also has called for repealing the criminal prohibition against crossing the border illegally. Pete Buttigieg wouldn't do so in cases involving fraud, and Joe Biden hasn't fully backed decriminalization.

Mexican investigators say a suspect has been arrested and is under investigation for possible connections with the deaths of nine U.S. citizens who were killed when cartel gunmen ambushed their vehicles. The Agency for Criminal Investigation says the suspect was found in a town at the Arizona border, holding two hostages who were gagged and tied inside a vehicle. Security officials in Jordan say a lone attacker has stabbed eight people, including four foreign tourists and their tour guide, at a popular archaeological site in northern Jordan. Jordan's Public Security office says the wounded included three Mexican tourists and a Swiss woman. Tuesday's election results are offering warning signs for Republicans and Democrats ahead of the 2020 presidential contest. Suburban voters in parts of Kentucky and Virginia sided with Democrats, a trend that would complicate President Trump's path to reelection if it holds. The Democratic candidates who made gains did so by largely avoiding positions such as "Medicare for All."

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been exposed to high lead levels in their drinking water, according to an investigation by news organizations including The Associated Press. The probe found contamination in several cities consistently higher than they ever were in Flint, Michigan. The UK's terror threat level's been downgraded. Britain's Home Office chief has downgraded the threat level from severe - where'd it'd been for the past five years - to "substantial," saying the decision means the U.K. now sees an attack as likely rather than highly likely. The European Union says it's still committed to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, even as it continues to collapse following President Trump's withdrawal from the agreement. A European Commission spokeswoman says the deal "is a matter of our security, not just the region or Europe but globally." The Patriots' unbeaten season has come to an end... Quarterback Lamar Jackson lead the Baltimore Ravens to a 37-20 victory over New England.

House impeachment investigators want testimony from the lead lawyer for the National Security Council and from a senior associate counsel to the president. The probe's zeroing in on White House lawyers John Eisenberg and Michael Ellis, who were privy to a discussion about moving a memo recounting President Trump's phone call with Ukraine's leader into a highly restricted computer system. Turkey and Russia have launched their first joint patrol in northeastern Syria. It's part of a deal that halted a Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters who were forced to withdraw from the border area following Turkey's incursion. Calmer weather's allowed crews to increase containment on multiple wildfires in California. Red Flag warnings for fire danger remain in place through Friday evening for some inland areas to the north and west of Los Angeles. Storms've caused flooding, knocked down trees and damaged homes from the Deep South through the Northeast. Hundreds of thousands were left without power.

A massive fire on a train has killed more than 70 people in Pakistan. Investigators say a cooking gas stove used by passengers for cooking breakfast exploded while the train was traveling in the country's eastern Punjab province. A new wildfire has broken out in California, forcing more evacuations., this time in San Bernardino. Aerial video from Sky7 showed at least four homes on fire, and more than 200 acres are said to have burned. President Trump’s former top adviser for Russian and European affairs is testifying behind close doors today to House impeachment investigators. Tim Morrison, who served on the National Security Council, stepped down on Wednesday. He's the first White House political appointee to testify. ...and the Washington National's top the Houston Astros in Game 7 to win their first World Series title.

Campaigning’s starting in Britain ahead of a December 12th general election. Lawmakers are hoping the early election’ll break the deadlock over Britain’s departure from the European Union. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has a wide lead in opinion polls, but analysts say the election’s unpredictable. The U.S. is keeping an eye, not just on Russia, but also on China and Iran - ahead of the 2020 elections. U.S. intelligence agencies say those countries ran influence operations targeting last year’s midterms. There’s concerns over possible hacking of campaigns, but also over the spread of disinformation on social media and potential efforts to breach voting databases and even alter votes. More than 1 million people’re being affected by another power outage in California. Pacific Gas & Electric is trying to prevent more wildfires though a third round of sweeping blackouts in a week.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper says the security situation in Syria remains complex after the death of Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He says the U.S. focus in Syria is turning to protecting eastern oilfields from Islamic State group militants and keeping out Syrian and Russian forces. Esper says the purpose of securing Syria's oil region is to deny income to the Islamic State. The leader of the U.K.’s opposition Labour Party says he’ll back an early election for Britain now that the prospect of crashing out of the European Union without a deal's been taken off the table. The move by Jeremy Corbyn pushes the country closer to its first December election since 1923. Pacific Gas & Electric is shutting off power to another 605,000 customers in Northern California to prevent powerful winds from damaging its equipment and sparking more fires. The announcement came even before the last blackout had ended, which shut power to more than 2.5 million people.

Syrian Kurdish forces say they're beefing up security in prisons and detention facilities where tens of thousands of Islamic State militants and their supporters are held, following the weekend killing of the IS leader. An official with the Kurdish-led internal security agency said the forces were "on high alert" in anticipation of possible riots or attacks. The European Union's agreed to delay Brexit until Jan. 31 next year.. Britain was due to to leave the bloc on Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson now plans to seek an early general election, with the goal of getting a Parliament that'll back his Brexit plan. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says some homes have burned in a wildfire on the city's west side but so far there have not been extensive losses. The cit's Fire Department Capt. says more than three-thousand homes are threatened. ...and Democratic congresswoman Katie Hill of California has resigned amid an ethics probe and revelations of an affair with a campaign staffer.

The Justice Department's review of the Russia probe is now a criminal investigation, according to an AP source. The revelation's likely to raise concerns among Democrats that President Trump and his allies may be using the government's powers to go after their rivals. Trump, who denies any wrongdoing, faces a House impeachment probe into whether he withheld military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. British police say they've arrested two more people in connection with the deaths of 39 people found in the back of a container truck in southeastern England. The truck driver remains in custody. Police say the victims are believed to be from China. An Indonesian investigation found that last year's deadly Lion Air flight was doomed by a combination of aircraft design flaws, inadequate training and maintenance problems. A summary of the final accident report said it crashed partly because the pilots were never told how to quickly respond to malfunctions of the Boeing 737 Max 8 jet’s automated flight-control system.

Republicans are still standing by President Trump after a diplomat's damaging testimony about his efforts to press Ukraine for damaging information about his political rivals. Many congressional Republicans avoided commenting on acting ambassador William Taylor's explosive appearance. Some Republicans disrupted a scheduled closed-door deposition. Hundreds of thousands of Californians are without power for the second time in two weeks as dangerously windy weather prompts safety shutdowns. Pacific Gas & Electric on blacked out power to about a half-million people in 15 counties from the Sierra foothills to portions of the San Francisco Bay Area. British police have confirmed that 39 people found dead in a container truck near an English port were Chinese citizens. The dead found in the southeastern city of Grays included 31 men and eight women. The 25-year-old truck driver, who's from Northern Ireland's being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder. Spain says it's exhumed the remains of Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco from his grandiose mausoleum outside Madrid so he can be reburied in a small family crypt north of the capital. The government-ordered, closed-door operation satisfies a decades-old desire of many in Spain who considered the mausoleum an affront to the tens of thousands who died in Spain's Civil War.

Turkish media reports say Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels are securing a town in northeastern Syria after Syrian Kurdish fighters pulled out of the area. The private DHA news agency says they were using heavy machinery to fill in tunnels dug by the Kurdish fighters.... ...and were disposing of traps or explosives left behind. U.S troops withdrawing from northeastern Syria to Iraq are “transiting” and'll leave the country within four weeks, according to Iraq’s defense minister. He made the remarks to the AP following a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Police in southeastern England say 39 people have been found dead inside a large cargo truck believed to have come from Bulgaria. A man from Northern Ireland who was driving the truck has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Google says its achieved a breakthrough in quantum computing research... .... saying an experimental quantum processor's completed a calculation in just a few minutes that would take a traditional supercomputer thousands of years.

Syria's president says he is ready to support any "popular resistance" against Turkey's invasion. The Syrian government has agreed, after Russia mediation, to deploy in areas Kurdish-led forces control in northeastern Syria after U.S troops withdrew. Syria's troop deployment sets up a potential wider conflict between Turkey and Syrian government forces. But Russia is currently hosting negotiations with Turkey about arrangements along the border. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has won a second term in Canada's national elections, losing the majority but saying he's been given a clear mandate despite an increasingly divided Parliament and nation. Trudeau's Liberal Party took the most seats in Parliament, though it lost the overall popular vote to the Conservative Party. Former President Jimmy Carter is in the hospital after falling and fracturing his pelvis. This is the third time he's fallen in recent months. A Carter Center spokeswoman says the fracture is minor..and Cater, who is 95, is in good spirits.

President Trump's acting chief of staff says Trump wanted to steer next year's G-7 summit to his Florida golf club because he "still considers himself to be in the hospitality business." Trump later gave up on the idea, but Mick Mulvaney's comment feeds into accusations Trump's using his office to enrich himself. Mulvaney also earlier admitted the U.S. held up aid to Ukraine - partly to prod Ukraine to investigate the 2016 elections...and his comments've cast doubt about his job security. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he's discussing an option to keep a small residual U.S. military force in northeast Syria to secure oil fields and continue the fight against Islamic State militants. Esper says all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq. The Duchess of Sussex says her first year of marriage to Britain’s Prince Harry has been difficult because of the pressure from Britain’s tabloid press. In in ITV interview, the former Meghan Markle said she never thought it would be easy but she thought it would be fair.

Fighting continued Friday in a northeast Syrian border town at the center of the fight between Turkey and Kurdish forces... ...despite a U.S.-brokered five-day cease-fire that went into effect overnight. The fighting died down by mid-morning. President Trump has called the cease-fire "a great day for civilization." ...but his decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria helped clear the way for Turkish troops to attack Kurds who had been U.S. allies in the war on the Islamic State group. Barack Obama is urging Canadians to re-elect Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an apparently unprecedented endorsement of a candidate in a Canadian election by a former U.S. president. Obama tweeted Wednesday he was proud to work with Trudeau and described him as a hard-working, effective leader who takes on big issues like climate change. Trudeau is in a tough re-election fight ahead of Monday's parliamentary elections.

Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland has died at the age of 68. His office says he died of complications from longstanding health issues. Cummings, who was a sharecropper's son, rose to become the powerful chairman of a U.S. House committee that investigated President Trump, and was a passionate advocate for the poor in his black-majority district. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are in Turkey to mount an improbable push for a cease-fire in Syria. Their meeting with Turkey's president, comes a day after Trump suggested the U.S. has no stake in defending Kurdish fighters once allied against the Islamic State group. Britain and the European Union have finally reached a new tentative Brexit deal, after three years of tense negotiations. The deal still needs ratification. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Northern Irish government allies say they can't back the tentative deal because of the way it handles the Irish border.

Democratic presidential frontrunner Elizabeth Warren was a target during a spirited debate in Ohio. Her rivals accused her of ducking questions about the costs of "Medicare for All" universal health insurance and her signature wealth tax plan. The 12 candidates all said yes, when asked if President Trump should be impeached. Turkey's president says Syrian Kurdish fighters must leave a designated border area in northeast Syria "as of tonight" for Turkey to stop its military offensive. He's been under pressure to call a cease-fire and halt Turkey's incursion into Syria, now into its eighth day. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is vowing to overcome U.S.-led sanctions on his country he says have inflicted "many hardships and trials" on North Korea. State media also showed photos of him riding a white horse to a sacred mountain he has often climbed before making key decisions. The reports came days after North Korean and U.S. negotiations fell apart.

U.S. troops have left the town of Manbij (MAN-bidge) as part of their withdrawal from northeast Syria, according to a U.S. military spokesman. Syrian state media said earlier that government forces had moved into the center of Manbij and raised the national flag. Syria’s Kurds, abandoned by the U.S., have struck a deal with Syrian government forces to fend off the Turkish invasion. President Trump says he's fully prepared to destroy Turkey's economy if its leaders continue what he calls "this dangerous and destructive path" in Syria. He's announced plans a halt to negotiations on a $100 billion trade deal with Turkey. Other sanctions include raising steel tariffs back up to 50% and actions against Turkey's defense and energy ministries and others. A dozen Democrats will meet in Ohio tonight for their first debate since the House began an impeachment inquiry and Trump abandoned Syrian Kurds. It also comes as Bernie Sanders recovers from a heart attack, and as polls show Elizabeth Warren as a front-runner for the first time, essentially tied with Joe Bide.

Syria's army has moved into towns and villages in northern Syria, setting up a potential clash with Turkish-led forces. The deployment came hours after Syrian Kurdish forces previously allied with the U.S. said they'd reached a deal with President Bashar Assad’s government to help fend off Turkey’s invasion. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says President Trump has directed U.S. troops in northern Syria to begin pulling out "as safely and quickly as possible." He says the administration is considering its options. Rescuers are searching for those missing from a typhoon that's left dozens dead and caused serious damage in central and northern Japan. The typhoon hit Japan's main island on Saturday. Pope Francis' chief bodyguard has resigned over the leak of a Vatican police flyer identifying five Holy See employees who were suspended as part of a financial probe. The Vatican says the police chief bore no responsibility for the leak but resigned so as not to disrupt the investigation and "out of love for the church and faithfulness" to the pope.

Turkey's forces have pushed deeper into northeastern Syria, on the third day of Turkey's offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters. It's set off another mass displacement of civilians. Casualties are being reported on both sides. Iranian officials say two missiles struck an Iranian tanker traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia. It's the latest incident in the region amid months of heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S. Police in northwestern England say a man held in connection with a series of stabbings at a shopping center has been arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of an act of terrorism. Police say several people were hurt. The European Union says it's agreed with the UK to “intensify” Brexit negotiations in a belated attempt to reach a divorce deal ahead of Oct. 31.

Turkey is moving ahead with its Syrian assault, now in its second day. Turkish ground forces have seized at least one village from Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. The invasion was launched three days after President Trump pulled U.S. troops from their positions near the border alongside their Kurdish allies. Ukraine's president says he didn't face any blackmail from Trump during their phone call, which helped spark an impeachment inquiry into Trump. He says his country will 'happily' investigate the conspiracy theory pushed by Trump that it was Ukrainians, not Russians, who interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Social Security says millions of retirees will get a modest 1.6% cost-of-living increase in 2020. The increase amounts to $24 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates. The news could have political consequences in an election year when Democrats are pushing more generous inflation protection, along with better benefits overall.

Turkey's president says a Turkish military operation into Syria has started. On his official Twitter account, he said the operation aims to eradicate "the threat of terror" against Turkey. Earlier, Turkish TV reports said Turkish jets had bombed Syrian Kurdish positions across the border from Turkey. Syrian Kurdish forces who are allied with the U.S., meantime, have issued a general mobilization call... ...and President Trump is defending his decision to pull back U.S. troops from northeastern Syria, citing a focus on the "BIG PICTURE!" On Twitter, he said "GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY!" The decision to leave Syrian Kurds vulnerable has been condemned by some of Trump's staunchest Republican allies. Some 800,000 homes and businesses in California will be without electricity for days. Pacific Gas & Electric says it's shutting off their power to reduce the chance of fierce winds knocking down or toppling trees into power lines during hot, dry, gusty weather.