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The Franchise review: Sharp satire skewers superhero movies

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The Franchise review: Sharp satire skewers superhero movies
A director directs two male actors in The Franchise.

“HBO’s The Franchise is a smart, appropriately absurd takedown of the Marvel-ification of Hollywood.”

Pros

  • An exceptionally capable ensemble cast
  • Daniel Brühl’s revelatory performance as a weak-willed director
  • Sharp, deliciously acidic writing throughout

Cons

  • Several forgettable, one-note supporting characters
  • One or two unfocused, dull-edged midseason episodes

The Franchise is about as inside baseball as it gets. The new HBO series from executive producers Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci (Veep), and Sam Mendes (1917) satirizes the soulless inner workings of a modern-day superhero movie set. Its episodes concern themselves with, among other things, the interchangeability of crossover cameos, morally questionable instances of product placement, and the death threats that overqualified actresses get these days whenever they decide to dip their toes into a sci-fi or comic book franchise. Will these issues be interesting to casual viewers? It’s impossible to say, but there’s no doubt that they are compelling to Brown and his collaborators.

The Tecto crew walks between trailers together in The Franchise.
Colin Hutton / HBO

The Franchise isn’t just darkly funny and quick-witted; it’s also well-researched. The problems that its fictional film crew faces while trying to bring the latest installment of a massive, Marvel Cinematic Universe-esque franchise past the finish line aren’t just believable most of the time but often feel ripped straight from past trade headlines. This gives The Franchise a chance to tap into the very real contemporary frustrations of Hollywood crew members and reveal the dangers of an entertainment industry that cares more about brand management and corporate synergy than quality or creativity.

The Franchise does so, of course, while also lampooning the absurdity of the trends that have brought Hollywood to such a disconcerting place to begin with. The series is a satire with a very clear, obvious point — one that it hits repeatedly over the course of its eight episodes — but its genuine concerns about the future of its industry don’t stop it from having a helluva fun time. “Rome’s getting hot these days,” one crew member says to another in a midseason episode. It’s to The Franchise‘s credit that it always feels like it is simultaneously trying to put out the fires and dance amidst the wreckage.

Daniel Bruhl sits in a director's chair in The Franchise.
Colin Hutton / HBO

At the center of The Franchise is Daniel (Himesh Patel), the beleaguered First Assistant Director of Tecto: Eye of the Storm, a new spinoff in an extremely MCU-coded superhero franchise. Daniel’s days are spent not only overseeing Tecto‘s set but also managing the egos of its director, Eric (Daniel Brühl), and its two stars, an arrogant British thespian who is literally begging to be canceled (Richard E. Grant) and an insecure wannabe movie star (Billy Magnussen) who believes he is on the “cusp” of finally becoming a member of Hollywood’s A-list. When Pat (Darren Goldstein), one of the brutish heads of Tecto‘s parent studio, arrives unannounced on set one day, he brings with him a new, pressurized status quo, as well as Anita (The Boys star Aya Cash), an ambitious up-and-coming producer who used to date Daniel.

The Franchise‘s eight episodes follow Daniel and the other members of Tecto‘s crew as they painfully make their way through the film’s 117-day shoot. Various absurd problems inevitably arise. Eric is repeatedly steamrolled by Pat and the director of a nearby, bigger sister production, while the last-minute cancellation of another film results at one point in Pat demanding that Anita solve their studio’s “woman problem.” Her solution ends up involving a magical stick from comic book lore and Tecto‘s sole female character, a purple-skinned phantom played by Quinn (Katherine Waterston), an Academy Award-nominated actress who can’t wait to get as far away from Tecto and its rabid base of misogynistic fans as she can.

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The Tecto crew stands on a snowy set in The Franchise.
Colin Hutton / HBO

The Franchise tackles all of its corporate-driven issues with a straight enough face and dry enough wit to effectively emphasize just how ridiculous and soul-killing the day-by-day goings-on of a contemporary franchise production have become. The series does, however, falter a bit in its actual depiction of Tecto and its fellow superhero films. The Franchise and its makers have such a clear contempt for the superhero genre as a whole that the show’s more pointed critiques of the current Hollywood studio system are sometimes undercut by how unbelievably bad its central fictional studio’s movies are made out to be. While The Franchise rarely ever drifts too far away from its core ideas, a few of its midseason episodes, including one chronicling a night shoot that is sent into chaos by an impending visit from Christopher Nolan, feel less focused and exacting than the rest.

Richard E. Grant stands near Katherine Waterston and Billy Magnussen in The Franchise.
Colin Hutton / HBO

The show’s missteps are largely offset by the performances given by its cast. Cash and Patel capably emerge as The Franchise‘s de facto leads and effortlessly conform to its rapid-fire pace and acidic sense of humor. Magnussen and Grant’s characters never really develop beyond their one-note archetypes, but the two actors nonetheless prove to be reliable sources of comedy as well. The same is largely true of British TV vets Jessica Hynes and Lolly Adefope, who play Eric and Daniel’s right-hand assistants, respectively, though The Franchise struggles to consistently justify their characters’ roles in the show.

Ultimately, no one stands out more in The Franchise‘s cast than Daniel Brühl. The actor, who has some experience working in the superhero genre, is a comedic revelation as Eric, an egotistical filmmaker who fancies himself an auteur and yet lacks the spine to do anything more than throw the occasional temper tantrum in order to protect his “vision.” The Franchise is, frankly, worth seeking out just to see how Brühl takes lines like, “I really do want to say something about fracking!” and manages to make the absolute most out of them. In the actor’s capable hands, Eric transforms into both a ridiculous send-up of a visionary artist and a sympathetic portrait of a man who doesn’t yet realize that his ideas don’t actually matter at all to his employers.

The Franchise | Official Trailer | Max

It’s this line between parody and real pain that The Franchise manages to ride exceptionally well across its first season and what may make it more accessible to viewers who aren’t as in-the-know as the Hollywood insiders who made it. For those who are, The Franchise may not come just as a welcome laugh, a traumatizing reminder of past experiences, or a much-needed wake-up call, but all of the above. It’s a TV series that scorches just about everything it puts in its wake, and it’s both a good and bad thing that it still feels by the end of its first eight episodes like it has only barely scratched the surface of Hollywood’s current problems.

The Franchise premieres Sunday, October 6 on HBO. New episodes air weekly on Sundays. Digital Trends was given early access to the series’ entire eight-episode first season.

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Best Android Smartphone Deals for October 2024

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Best Android Smartphone Deals for October 2024

Despite the best smartphone deals being available during the holiday season, you can still get some great deals right now. From Samsung to Motorola to Google and everyone in between, now is a really great time to pick up a new Android smartphone.

There are a ton of new smartphones on the market this year, mostly from Samsung, but other OEMs have also released quite a few. So there are a ton of great deals, even now, that would make great gifts this holiday season. Smartphones make for a really great gift this holiday season, as they can be quite expensive to replace, and getting one as a gift is always nice. And guaranteed to put a smile on someone’s face.

Best Android Smartphone Deals

Yes, we are still quite a ways away from Christmas, and that’s typically when we see the biggest discounts for things like smartphones. But there are still quite a few great deals that you can get today. And if you need a new phone, you need it now, not when Christmas rolls around. So that’s why we have rounded up the very best smartphones here.

While you can sometimes get cheaper discounts at your carriers, it’s always a good idea to get an unlocked smartphone. This means you can take your phone to any carrier—even an MVNO—which will allow you to save money each month. You could get an unlocked smartphone, take it to Straight Talk, and save a ton of money on your bill over Verizon.

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Below, you’ll see a list of all of the Android smartphone deals available now. This list is going to be continuously updated too, so you can rest assured that you are getting the latest prices, and the best deals. These include smartphones from Google, Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and many other OEMs.

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Bud Industries' Low-Cost Server Rack

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Bud Industries' Low-Cost Server Rack



Introducing Bud Industries new server rack line. These server racks are made from 18 gauge steel and have a 1700 lbs weight capacity. Despite being highly durable and sturdy, our server racks are easy to mount. One the back of the server rack there is a split rear door with a triple point latching system, making for easy access. Learn about our low-cost and high-quality server racks today: http://www.budind.com/server-racks.php
Please contact Bud 440-946-3200 or saleseast@budind.com for more details. .

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We found the best early deals to shop before October Big Deal Days

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Early deals ahead of the October Big Deal Days sale and everything we know so far

The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event is coming up in a few days, so it’s time to start thinking about what you may want to snag at a discount during the sale. Some may shudder at the thought of holiday shopping already, but if you pay the $139 annual fee for Prime, these sale events are a great time to stock up on essentials and cross things off your shopping list well before the mad rush at the end of the year. While October Prime Day typically isn’t on the same scale as Prime Day in July, we typically see some decent deals that may come back around during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And right now, there are already some good early Prime Day deals to consider. These are the best early Prime Day deals we’ve found ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. We’ll be updating this post regularly in the lead-up to October Prime Day, so check back for the latest deals.

Apple AirPods 4

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

While Apple deals are few and far between right now, you can save a bit on the new AirPods 4. AirTags have a slight discount as well, both in single and multi-packs.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)

Valentina Palladino / Engadget

It’s a safe bet that we’ll see even more Amazon gear discounted on October Prime Day, but for now, you can snag a Fire tablet on sale, as well as Ring and Blink security cameras for much cheaper than usual.

Image of the new Ring indoor pan-tilt camera on a movable base in

Ring

You may not immediately think of them when you think about Amazon’s own tech, but the shopping giant also owns Ring and Blink. Gadgets from these companies make up most of Amazon’s home security offerings, and you can usually find steep discounts during Prime Day on security cameras, alarm systems and other bundles.

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LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant

LEGO

A number of Lego sets have already been discounted for October Prime Day. Some of our favorites come from the Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter lineups, and you’ll find savings up to 41 percent on those. There’s also a Lego City 2024 advent calendar that’s 20 percent off and down to only $26.

Logitech Brio 500

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Early Prime Day deals on tech include discounts on power banks, webcams, air fryers, smart plugs and more.

October Prime Day will be held on October 8 and 9 this year.

October Prime Day is a members-only sale event run by Amazon in which the online retailer has thousands of sales on its site that are exclusively available to those with an active Prime members.

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October Prime Day will last two full days.

Most October Prime Day deals will not be revealed until the days of the event. However, in years past, we’ve seen everything from clothing to household essentials to outdoor gear go on sale during this event. Engadget cares most about tech deals, and in past fall Prime Days, we’ve seen things like phones, tablets, headphones, earbuds, robot vacuums, smart home gear and more receive deep discounts.

Yes, because most deals will be Prime exclusives. However, there are always a few decent deals available to all Amazon shoppers, so it’s worth checking out Amazon’s site during October Prime Day to see where you can save even if you don’t pay for Prime.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

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Merakit INDORACK 42U standing closed rack

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Merakit INDORACK 42U standing closed rack



IR INDORACK
STANDING CLOSED RACK 42U

Dimensi : 600x900x2050 mm
Tipe : Glass door

Adjustable foot
PDU 12G Power Distribusi
Cagenut & srew
Brush panel bottom
2 Fan modular

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Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service approved for areas hit by Hurricane Helene

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Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service approved for areas hit by Hurricane Helene

The satellites have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cell phones on all networks in North Carolina. In addition, we may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina. 

SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, so all services will be delivered on a best-effort basis.

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NYT Wordle today — answer and hints for game #1205, Sunday, October 6

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A phone displaying the Wordle logo sitting on a table surrounded by paperclips, pens and notebooks

It’s time for your guide to today’s Wordle answer, featuring my commentary on the latest puzzle, plus a selection of hints designed to help you keep your streak going.

Don’t think you need any clues for Wordle today? No problem, just skip to my daily column. But remember: failure in this game is only ever six guesses away.

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