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The Last of Us Levels Up Its Opening News Today January 30, 2023

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The Last of Us takes its time revving up. The HBO video-game adaptation opens on a 1960s TV interview program (hosted by Bighead!) featuring two epidemiologists discussing the possible end of humanity via disease. John Hannah plays the more portentous of the duo, laying out the mechanics of what will eventually drive the apocalypse in this universe: mind-controlling fungus, previously a phenomenon contained to the insect world, pushed by climate change to evolve such that it makes the jump into human beings. As he speaks of how the infection would ravage billions, the camera repeatedly cuts to the audience; faces blank, heightened, a mass. The scene is brief, but the tone is set.

That opening scene is specific to the TV show, and it immediately forecasts an intent to move this story at its own pace. As someone long familiar with the source material, the choice is exciting: the HBO version places a premium on leaving room to breathe. The narrative patiently settles into a pre-apocalypse world, introducing Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller, his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker), and his younger brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) on Joel’s birthday, as Sarah embarks on a quest to get his old watch fixed. You get the drift of Joel’s situation fairly briskly: single parent, tight relationship with Sarah, she’s a good kid. It’ll be another ten minutes of show before shit hits the fan, and when it does, you’re fully baked into their family and the effect of catastrophic implosion and chaos hits more clearly and holistically.

This wasn’t necessarily the case in the source material. The original video game arrived in 2013, a moment when big-budget AAA-studios were deep into a yearslong effort to aesthetically replicate a sense of cinematic spectacle. In many ways, this ran parallel to a similar movement in television; The Walking Dead had premiered three years before, and HBO’s own Game of Thrones followed a year after that. Indeed, what made the original Last of Us particularly interesting was how it seemed to emulate prestige television more than anything else: Besides its visual realism, there was an episodic nature to the grim, heady story, which usually takes around 15 hours of gameplay to complete.

However, back in 2013, the game was still doing its best with the tools it had within the context of its medium. Its opening sequence had to do more economical narrative work in order to get you into play as soon as possible, opening just hours before the outbreak with a scene that also appears in the show — albeit 15 minutes in — in which Sarah gifts Joel that watch for his birthday. This cut scene does some expository labor, but the work of grounding you in the world chiefly happens through environmental storytelling, which is something that isn’t entirely possible with television or movies. (Though one could possibly argue Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men, which does a ton of world-building through background elements that the camera often glides by, came quite close.) The very first character you control is Sarah, whom you guide through a splendid sequence that evokes the feeling of being a child alone at home. Details like soccer trophies or a weirdly placed Stairmaster around the house communicate to you, the player, the circumstances of their lives — but it’s dark, Joel isn’t around, and the world is ending.

The game and the HBO show converge when the three Millers get into the car. For those with a strong attachment to the original work, the last decade was essentially building up to this moment, and what transpires in the TV adaptation is something close to a shot-for-shot remake. The camera assumes a view from the back seat, mimicking Sarah’s perspective as the family tries to get out of Dodge. (In the game, you control where Sarah is looking, meaning you can miss whole images like their neighbor’s burning home or an overrun hospital.) Many lines from the game are preserved (“They have a kid, Joel. “So do we.), while distinct tweaks have been made to further enhance the onscreen drama. The plane crash, for example, is an invention for the show; in the video game, Sarah and Joel are knocked out when another car slams into theirs.

The HBO remake of the outbreak sequence is striking in how it fully realizes what the original work was simulating. Playing the game, you can feel The Last of Us strain to use its elemental tools to achieve the kind of cinematic storytelling it’s going for, even as it’s ultimately successful. While you control Joel navigating the chaotic streets, Sarah in tow, it’s not uncommon to spot the seams of the technology of the time: Tommy’s pathfinding blocking you in strange ways, the artificially intelligent crowd not quite swarming in a manner that tracks organically. (The remake with more modern tech, released last fall, is only somewhat better.) Since this is a game, it’s also a sequence with a fail state. If you don’t run fast enough, Joel gets bitten, the screen blacks out, and you have to begin again. This cultivates a sense of urgency in the player, but it opens up the possibility of some meaningful cost to the narrative momentum. Such a trade-off is endemic to video games.

It’s really something to see a prestige TV show literally translate a scene from a game that was, in its own way, already emulating a prestige TV show. The promise of an adaptation — and this adaptation in particular — is the possibility of expansion: to more deeply explore, or perhaps even subvert, the narrative themes of the widely beloved story that powered this wildly successful video game. It’s a dramatic act of imagining, taking an original text and finding new life. But as the first half of HBO’s spectacular pilot episode shows, you still gotta play the hits.
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From Adversity to Triumph: The Inspirational Story of Jonathan Matías Pawluczyk, Master Trader

Jonathan Matías Pawluczyk, a 34-year-old master trader, is an inspiration to many in the world of trading. His journey to success was not without challenges, but his resilience and dedication have earned him a place among the top traders in the industry.

Born in the Santos Lugares neighborhood in the Buenos Aires suburbs, Jonathan’s childhood was marked by a disease that tested him from a very young age. At just 1 year and 8 months old, he was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes and was in a coma for several days. However, his parents raised him with love and discipline and helped him cope with his illness at a time when treatments were not as advanced as they are today.

Jonathan grew up during a difficult time in Argentina, during the government of Carlos Menem, and his family experienced the bankruptcy of several businesses, including one that had the famous brand Lecoqsportfit as a client. Despite the challenges, Jonathan persevered and tried to find his way in life.

For a while, he suffered from bad behavior and habits that led to him being kicked out of his parents’ house. But the arrival of his daughter and the opportunity to learn about trading changed his life forever.

In 2017, the mother of his daughter invited him to join a multi-level marketing company that promoted a trading education service. Although he was not interested in doing network marketing, he fell in love with trading and took all the classes he could. He soon formed a team of 120 people but decided to distance himself from the Ponzi scheme and focus solely on trading. Although it was not easy, he persevered and reinvested everything he earned in education.

As for his personal life, Jonathan had to deal with a separation and raising his daughter amid economic uncertainty and his illness. But a friend asked him to teach him how to trade, and that’s how he began to forge his path to success.

Today, Jonathan is a reference in the world of trading and has thousands of followers on Instagram. His story of overcoming obstacles and achieving success is inspiring, and his dedication to trading has led him to take ultra-expensive and advanced mentorship with market giants like Ricardo Gutierrez. His goal is to continue providing free training to show others how trading can change their lives and to continue expanding his knowledge and tools to face the forex market.

Despite the obstacles he has faced, Jonathan lives off what he loves and loves what he lives. His story is a lesson in perseverance, dedication, and success. He has proven that with hard work and determination, anyone can achieve their dreams. Jonathan is an example for those who want to succeed in the world of trading, but also for those who face challenges in their personal lives. His story shows that it is possible to overcome difficulties and achieve success in any field.

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Medical practitioner from Nigeria urges Nigerian youths to take part in upcoming elections

Dr. Onwumelu’s story is a testament to the power of determination and hard work. Born into a family of six children, he lost two sisters to illness at a young age. Undeterred by this tragedy, he and his remaining siblings were raised with a strong work ethic instilled in them by their father, the late Chief Eddy Onwumelu.

Despite the challenges he faced, Dr. Onwumelu pursued a career in medicine, completing his higher surgical residency program at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland from 2002 to 2009. While in Ireland, he also earned higher diploma degrees in tropical medicine and musculoskeletal medicine at RCSI and an MBA from Dublin City University. In 2010, he completed a residency in family medicine in Scotland before moving to Canada in 2015.

In Canada, Dr. Onwumelu’s determination and hard work paid off. He was appointed Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Calgary in 2016, where he has trained over 35 resident doctors in the last seven years in family medicine, psychiatry, and dermatology. He has also helped many international medical graduates, especially those from Nigeria, to get into different residency programs in Canada.

Dr. Onwumelu’s success is all the more impressive considering the challenges he faced as a Nigerian in a foreign country. Despite the negative perception of Nigeria as a country with a deficit of good leaders, Dr. Onwumelu believes that Nigeria has lost many good quality people to migration and brain drain abroad. However, he also believes that young people can make a difference in Nigeria’s political landscape by using their electoral power to elect good leaders.

Dr. Onwumelu’s achievements extend beyond his work in medicine. In 2016, he founded a medical professional corporation that he has grown into a large enterprise. His company has diversified to look after the medical needs of several old people’s homes and is also affiliated with the University of Calgary in Canada as a teaching practice.

Dr. Onwumelu’s inspiring story is proof that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. Despite facing numerous challenges, he persevered and achieved success, making a significant impact in his field of medicine and beyond. His story is an inspiration to young people everywhere, especially those facing difficult circumstances, to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams.

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Meet Januthan Logathas: A Visionary Artist Pushing Boundaries in Video and Photography

Januthan Logathas was born and raised in a small town in Switzerland, and he inherited his love of photography from his father, who worked in the same profession. Januthan has since become a well-known and widely respected video and photography professional, with a significant following among European Tamils.

Januthan’s Instagram modeling shoots have been gaining traction and attention, and his Tik Tok videos have further boosted his recognition, thanks to his subtle humor that resonates with his audience.

Januthan has achieved several accolades in his profession, including being the first Tamil photographer to win the renowned Radisson award for the best wedding photography in Europe. His collaboration with dancer Usha Jay on a video garnered numerous views, helping to expand his audience even further.

Januthan recognizes that success in his field requires continuous learning and development of new creative ideas. He aims to increase both the quality of his work and his public profile, with the goal of becoming one of the best in the industry. His website showcases some of his best work, and his social media accounts are filled with content that offers a glimpse into his promising future projects.

For Januthan, the road to success is paved with hard work, persistence, and creativity. He is determined to continue pushing his limits to stand out in the highly competitive video and photography industry.

Check out the stunning work of Januthan Logathas on his Instagram account @jpresidento and Tik Tok handle jpresident. Follow him to witness his incredible talent as a video and photography professional. Also, visit the Wedisson Award website to see his award-winning wedding photography at https://wedisson.com/en/photographer/Gajananmanoharan. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience his creative vision and skill firsthand!