this is bbc news. the headlines: the united nations has accused the world of turning its back on the war in syria. airstrikes there have killed more than 100 people in the last ten days. the un says the syrian government may be directly targetting civilians. the us and guatemala have signed a migration agreement, days after us president donald trump threatened the central american country with tariffs. under the deal, migrants from honduras and el salvador who pass through guatemala would be required to stop and seek asylum there first. migrants who failed to do so would then be ineligible for asylum in the us. scientists have described wildfires in the arctic circle as "unprecedented" in size. they say a large number of summerfires have been triggered by lightning. wildfires are ravaging the arctic, with areas of northern siberia, northern scandinavia, alaska and greenland engulfed in flames. borisjohnson says his plan

to recruit 20,000 new police officers, across england and wales, will begin within weeks — and be completed injust three years. the move has been welcomed, but there are warnings of logistical challenges, including a lack of training instructors. our home editor, mark easton reports. it's about turn on government policy, on police recruitment. theresa may as home secretary and prime minister presided over a 20,000 reduction in the number of offices in england and wales. hersuccessor, borisjohnson, has said he will increase the force by 20,000. i think it's the most fundamental investment you can make in society. reducing crime and making our streets safer. safer streets equals more investment, equals more business, equals morejobs, equals growth. recruitment at the level promised

has never been seen before, with natural wastage, it means hiring roughly 35 extra officers every single day. experts doubt even with a can—do spirit and political exultation, it'll be easy to achieve. this is incredibly ambitious, but i think we ought to be ambitious, because this is the right thing to do. how you attract people, how you train people want to bring officers then, they need equipping, so there is a whole range of stages here that are going to present challenges. there is no question about that. crime has risen up the list of public concerns. there have been increases in some categories of serious violence, including stabbings. although the risk of being a victim of violent crime is actually at the lowest level since records began. alarming images of crimes like this attempted car jacking yesterday involving two arsenal players and a gang armed with knives field the arguments that cuts to police budgets and workforce had made people less safe. but the claim that more police equals less crime is actually quite hard to demonstrate.

since the early ‘80s, we have seen crime rise to a high point in the mid—‘90s and then fall before stabilising in the last few years. but over the same period, we have seen police numbers go up slightly as crime soared, then rise fast as crime went down, and then go down as crime levels also went down. there is no obvious correlation. government analysis suggests the main influences on crime levels are the economy, unemployment, inequality, technology, and broader cultural and social changes. police activity is not on the list, although there is evidence that intelligence—led policing and targeted action can deal with crime hotspots and certain offences. look at the sources and causes and consequences of current crime, which are in part to do with lack of youth facilities, in part to do with poor housing conditions, in part to do with poor employment opportunities. it isn't just police

that solve crime. the politics of crime tends to focus on police resources, but even if 20,000 extra offices can be recruited in just three years, it's far from clear that that will be the deciding factor in making people safer. mark easton, bbc news. now on bbc news, talking movies will be reviewing this year's blockbuster season — there have been several big hits but a lot of misses. an expert panel will be assessing the playing field. hello and welcome to talking movies. i'm tom brook. and today's programme we look back on blockbuster season, the hits and the mrs, plus a special report on ages in the movies. ——

ageism. the season's top three heavy hitters have been a toy story sequel, and allowed in full, and a new spider—man film, spider—man far from home. those films have been doing fantastic business around the world. of course that doesn't mean each represents brilliant cinema. to explore block buster season in more detail, a joint by a panel of experts. tell me, if you look at the top films in the box office right now they are either remakes or sequels, has hollywood lost originality? i think they are desperate to make money so they are trying to fill seats. we know that the soldier brings people in so they really haven't gambled on anything to new right now. # prince our mighty as he... it is significant to me that a lot of the summer's sequels and remakes are rooted in the styles of from about 25 years

ago, which is when most millennials we re ago, which is when most millennials were kids. so now millennials have their own kids and so there is an aspect of just their own kids and so there is an aspect ofjust bringing your kid to aspect ofjust bringing your kid to a movie you loved just feeling like a movie you loved just feeling like a kid again. that is something we like to do in the summertime. i think all those things are how disney, in particular, and disney's properties are trying to capitalise on what they already are. i do think it is owing to be a problem eventually. when you look at one of the films that has done really well, toy story, why has that held up as a sequel, do you think? what are like about the new story was that it was horrifying. it was a very disturbing vision of mortality, getting older, setting your space and there was a generation, which i found incredibly dark and disturbing, which i found quite refreshing in a children's film. we can't stay. there are a large number of films that haven't done well in blockbuster season, men

in black, godzilla, what has gone wrong, are the films being poorly made? some of the ones you mentioned a poorly made. that doesn't help. made? some of the ones you mentioned a poorly made. that doesn't helplj do one how much of this year is the result of avengers and game coming out technically before block buster season or at the very beginning of it and when you start a season that is devoted to big movies with the biggest movie ever made it is really ha rd biggest movie ever made it is really hard for anything else to compete with that. are you a queen? indeed she is. i've pledged loyalty eternal to you. by all accounts, men in black isn't that bad. do you think that audience tastes have changed that audience tastes have changed that maybe two years ago that film would have done better mosehle think it would have. and i think pairing tessa and chris together with a really great idea and that charisma really great idea and that charisma really sparkles on the screen. but for some reason this script did not hold together. and i think men in black is a quintessential will smith

vehicle and without him there, without even a cameo, it was kind of like they could have really turned over the franchise in a way and it fell a little bit flat. it does sometimes feel that sequels come out because people feel that the brand loyalty is there rather than the film loyalty. so some of the aspects of the film making a half baked. and there are people not really that loyal to the brand. they liked the movie but they can go home and watch the original. so spending the money ona the original. so spending the money on a movie ticket is not valuable to them if the movie is not that good. can you tell me what your favourite film blockbuster season has been smacked i loved the liking. they will get paid for that. because people hated it. disney did not really do anything different. they switched out a couple of songs, gave us some switched out a couple of songs, gave us some different voice actors to cariad. it made me feel really co mforta ble cariad. it made me feel really comfortable and lagai was a child again soi comfortable and lagai was a child again so i loved it. an underrated

or underappreciated movie eye enjoyed the season was called broben. it was a fun play on superhero movies which are so prevalent right now. sort of imagining whatever superman turned out to be basically a slasher villain. i thought it was very creative and used the mythos of those characters and those creations ina very those characters and those creations in a very unique way. they had a lot of fun, dark fun with that movie. some of my favourite films of you have come out. the souvenir was one. the farewell. the one they keep thinking about is midsummer. which is sort of terrifying, existential, two and a half hour dread first about why you should never go to sweden with hippies or something like that. it is quite terrifying but something they have brought about a lot and have really enjoyed writing about it. i would second what you are saying about the farewell. that's my mind was a

brilliant film. it is a film about a grandmother dying in china. 0ne brilliant film. it is a film about a grandmother dying in china. one of the most inspirational films they have ever seen. it deals with chinese—american relationships, it has beautiful acting. you really get a good feel for it. anyway, they wa nt to a good feel for it. anyway, they want to thank all of you very great contributions and it has been a pleasure to talk to you. thank you. blockbuster season used to offer movie—goers a fairly varied mix of movie—goers a fairly varied mix of movie fare. no longer. many genres get pushed to the side lies in finding a home and streaming services like netflix. we have been looking at the migration. netflix has drawn attention away from the multiplexes this blockbuster season, the slate of films that represent genres hollywood studios used to love but have recently discarded. just leave my brooks alone. let me read. —— book.

just leave my brooks alone. let me read. -- book. this year, netflix's biggest movie are matter mystery set in the french riviera. and the buzz worthy always be my maybe. both are in genres nowhere to be found at the multiplex. remind me why you never got together? there is too much history there. so why do studios no longer make these kind of movies? the top reason is probably because people don't watch them the way they used to. they will pay to go see something like avengers and game because they want to see it on the big screen. nowadays people are not willing to pay for a comedy or something in that genre that they don't need to go to the theatre for. a need you to know that i... come on, marcus, no, no, no... romantic comedy is high on the list of genres

viewers don't feel like they need to see in theatres. they have high entertainment value and big laughs, but the way they are shot makes them feel more like a tv sitcom that a movie. this is the sweet spot in which netflix operates. netflix is also discovering opportunities in other areas that traditional hollywood has abandoned. the movement for stronger representation for marginalised groups continues to grow, the major studios are only inching towards equality. netflix is leading the charge. inching towards equality. netflix is leading the chargelj inching towards equality. netflix is leading the charge. i think you to branch out. make some new friends. you never know what could happen. branch out. make some new friends. you never know what could happenm the last year, netflix has produced two prominent rom comms, both produced during blockbuster season that feature asian—american salad. last yea r‘s to that feature asian—american salad. last year's to all the boys i loved before. and always be my maybe. the latter set in san francisco. the fa ct latter set in san francisco. the

fact that they are all asian isn't necessarily the selling point or something that they have to keep hammering home. like does not was specifically they made this movie, just happens to the fact. which the way it should be. it should be normalised. for many viewers, netflix's disruption of the viewing season netflix's disruption of the viewing seasonis netflix's disruption of the viewing season is overdue. several movies flopped badly this season. but only time will tell if they are the future of blockbuster season a welcome alternative to the blockbuster scene. i love the way you move onstage. one of the biggest film hits was the freddie mercury film bohemian rhapsody with rami malek playing the frontman. apostasy is an 2019 has seen a frontman. apostasy is an 2019 has seen a handful of music films. kristin daly has been finding out. —— tristan daly.

a few films this blockbuster season are leaning on the greatest hits of some iconic musicians, including rocketman, which centred on the peaks rocketman, which centred on the pea ks and valleys rocketman, which centred on the peaks and valleys of eltonjohn's korea, using his music is the soundtrack to his life. somehow i'm the only one that remembers the beatles. yesterday has the premise ofa beatles. yesterday has the premise of a hapless museum who, after a bike accident, wakes up to find he is the only one in the wild remembers the beatles. since the world—famous remembers the beatles. since the world —famous english remembers the beatles. since the world—famous english bay never existed in this reality, he is able to pass their songs offers his own available, a star. have music films been a safe bet for the film industry this season? i think they have been an overly safe but this season. yesterday, especially, given the excitement that greeted the trailer back in the first part of the year. it is not a movie that set audiences on fire. and i think they was something too complacent about it. think if you're going to make a movie about the beatles now you really have to find an audacious angle. and i think yesterday is too

much of a phoned in, feelgood movie. neither yesterday nor rocketman were able to come close to bohemian rhapsody‘s $900 able to come close to bohemian rha psody‘s $900 million able to come close to bohemian rhapsody‘s $900 million earnings. rocketman, had straightforward chronological storytelling. it was generally well received. why wasn't able to replicate the success of bohemian rhapsody? elton john able to replicate the success of bohemian rhapsody? eltonjohn has a different appeal. rocketman was a different appeal. rocketman was a different type of film. i think it required a certain cinematic palette today just and to required a certain cinematic palette todayjust and to like. bohemian rhapsody was way more digestible in terms of the formatting and what we are used to seeing. while public opinion and numbers are important to studios during the season, not everything is made in commercial terms. are these movies attem pts commercial terms. are these movies attempts at rebranding these iconic artists? these movies are very conscious of rebranding these

artists, maybe almost in a market share away, but certainly audiences who did not grow up with them. i think that's a big mistake. movies need them more than they need the movies. hey dude? are you sure? some might see this rebranding is necessary , might see this rebranding is necessary, others find it to be an insult to intelligence. critics have called out yesterday, asserting that the films concede that the beatles songs would be instant hit in 2019 would be absurd. it could be a stretch, we see a lot of criticism of the beatles from a new generation, there is a hot take that the beatles were trashed. the most beloved band, people think they are overhyped, received too much praise for what other artists, particular the black artists have done in the past. i don't know if the beatles' entire catalogue would do as well in 2019, andi entire catalogue would do as well in 2019, and i would pose the question... why would that

questioning can be asked? the beatles and eltonjohn won't be the last icons to have their work rehashed on the silver screen this blockbuster season. next month, blinded by the light will come to theatres, featuring the story of a teen in the 1980s in uk featuring a deep connection with the work of bruce springsteen. as long as there isa bruce springsteen. as long as there is a deep connection with the work of these musicians, film stories will continue to pull from our life and work to make an impact and loads of money at the box office. -- it is like bruce knows everything i have ever felt, and i like bruce knows everything i have everfelt, and i wanted. like bruce knows everything i have ever felt, and i wanted. when you review the box office takings of the studios during blockbuster season, you will see that disney has triumphed big—time. all the major box office hits from aladdin to toy story four are disney pictures. we thought it prudent to ask, is disney becoming too big in the land of the

blockbuster? disney is now a true colossus, it recently acquired 21st century fox, this blockbuster season the company has about 35% of the market share of the domestic box office. what disney owns isjust mind—boggling. they own marble studios, they own lucasfilm, they own fox, they own pixar, they own all the marble movies, the star wars movies, indiana jones, toy story, anything under pixar, with fox they have the x—men, it is a conglomerate that hollywood has never had before. having such a large slice of the moviemaking business in one pair of hands can stifle competition. 0ther voices without the financial heft of disney can get shut out. disney carved out significant control over the release schedule. 0ther studios can't and don't want to compete with the disney blockbuster, so as soon as disney stakes out a claim to a

specific weekend, all other studios flee, and that has compressed the schedule and made it a lot more difficult for other franchises to get off the ground. in every decade, there has always been concerned about a few select companies consolidating power to the fear of everybody. but every so often innovation comes along, and upend the status quo. so for now i think disney is doing its best to capitalise on the market as it is currently constructed, and i don't think that makes disney a bogeyman, whether real or perceived threat that might be attached to their success. the amount or not, many critics feel uneasy over disney's growing penetration of the movie industry. disney does tell many different stories but it's films often paint the world in the same way. the commonality of disney storytelling has a lot to do with how we see society in a positive light, how resilient, fighting for a common cause can lead to change, how

individuality can really make a difference, it is almost like the more they tell the same story the more they tell the same story the more they tell the same story the more they are reinforcing stories and values that have been taken for granted for generations. that's not a bad thing, is it? i would not say disney is necessarily a bad thing in terms of the stories that it pushes on us, i do think that disney does not encourage us on us, i do think that disney does not encourage us to see the risks in light, and to understand the world ina more light, and to understand the world in a more nuanced way, and that is where the value of art that is not disney really comes into play. but such subtleties are not the concerns of the average movie—goers. this blockbuster season, any films will generate a worldwide gross of some $5 billion at the box office. the audience of blockbusters is relatively young, since they fill up auditoriums, what happens to older people seeking alternative entertainment? well, they get pushed

to the margins. but perhaps for not much longer, because older people are asserting their cinema rights. emma jones reports. it is no country for old men or women, hollywood belongs to the beautiful and the glamorous, and traditionally age has been ruled as neither. even george clooney, halfway through his 50s, said he would do less on camera as he grows older because of audience expectations. i think nobody really wa nts to expectations. i think nobody really wants to see anybody really age, it isa wants to see anybody really age, it is a very unforgiving thing, the camera, so ageing becomes something that you, you know, you try to do less and less on—screen, you try to pick the films that work best for you as you age, they become less and less. the idea that getting older is an attractive filters down into what audiences get to see. in the biggest blockbusters of the year, actors in their 40s and 50s to get to take pa rt their 40s and 50s to get to take part in action heroism, but the co nsta nt part in action heroism, but the constant refrain, especially in the

case of tom cruise, age 57, is that they look 20 years younger. an analysis from 2016 of 2000 hollywood blockbuster scripts discovered that only 3% of dialogue was spoken by women over the age of 65. 5% by men. studio movies can make the elderly seem studio movies can make the elderly seem like a special interest category, even when they are financially successful. there you are! good as new. really? of course not. the best exotic marigold hotel from 2011 and 2013's las vegas, the cast had a combined age of 281, made more than $181 million at the box office. picture house in the uk runs on something called silver screen where older people get together and watch films together, at a reduced price. but why has cinema for his age group been considered niche? because we know that studios are run

and have been run by men of a certain age, who think that the only audiences want to see films are 15—year—old boys, or older men. we asa 15—year—old boys, or older men. we as a distribution company released the wife with glenn close, which was a perfect example of an older woman front and centre of a story, and when we bought that film we know that studios had passed on buying that studios had passed on buying that film, because they thought it was a niche audience. women traditionally even tougher than men when it comes to getting representation on screen at any age. french actress julia representation on screen at any age. french actressjulia beno, in her 50s, recently starred in who you think i m, ofa 50s, recently starred in who you think i m, of a woman who creates a false identity on facebook of a twentysomething because of ageing. binoche thinks that media focuses

far too much on numbers. usually the presentation of the journalists would be to give the age of the journalist — great age of the person, so the mindset, people read the magazines, it is a way of putting age in the first kind of thing in their head. i think it is a mindset that the society is giving us. mindset that the society is giving us. you are fired, you're fired. you are fired. however emma thompson, who in late night plays a talk show host threatened with job loss due to her age, says her experience has been different. 40s was a bit older than eric, 50s and 60s has been great. it depends who you are and whether you can support yourself in other wage —— ways, during a bald patch, and so i will say to women, there was always going to be a bold

patch, so get writing, if you are an actor you can do other things too. 0rof actor you can do other things too. or of course actors could go to tv, which is, according to diana rigg, doing much better. the actress who played the only woman james doing much better. the actress who played the only womanjames bond ever married recently had the role ofa ever married recently had the role of a lifetime in hbo's game of thrones when she was in her mid— 70s. in terms of ageism, would you say television has given new opportunities may be more recently? 0h, undoubtedly. film is terribly ageist. television doesn't care whatever age you are, as long as you are right for the part. and there are right for the part. and there area are right for the part. and there are a lot of old ladies, thank goodness who are on television. yeah. the idea —— as it about ageing transform across society, the film industry will have to change too. after a ll industry will have to change too. after all no—one is going to tell brad pitt, age 55, that he is now done. and if christopher plummer can

getan done. and if christopher plummer can get an oscar nomination in his late 80s, then surely it signals for the industry that everyone's best work can come in the final act. that brings our special blockbuster edition of talking movies to a close. we hope you have enjoyed the show. please remember you can always reach us online at our website, and you can find us on facebook too. so from me, tom brooke, and the rest of the talking movies production crew here in new york city, it is goodbye, as we leave you with some music from that blockbuster the lion king. # it's the circle of life... # it's the circle of life... # and it moves us all... # and it moves us all... #to # and it moves us all... # to despairand # and it moves us all... # to despair and hope... # to despair and hope... #to # to despair and hope... # to faith and love...

# to faith and love... # until we find our place... # until we find our place... #0n # until we find our place... # 0n the part unwinding... # 0n the part unwinding... # it's the circle... # it's the circle... # the circle of life. 0ur heatwave has broken, some much cooler weather in prospect for this weekend, and with that some of us are going to see some outbreaks of heavy and persistent rain. a frontal system very slow moving across the uk, here it is during saturday from the south—east of them went through east anglia, the midlands up into northern england and scotland, having a persistent rain which could cause localised flooding and travel disruption to the north—east of the uk, and also the west and south—west of the uk, it was a predominately dry, those temperatures, we are looking at temperatures of 18—23. during saturday night that band of cloud and rain, the frontal system will pivot a little further west, we

could see some rain into northern ireland, a bit of uncertainty about, that stays dry to the north—east and south—west slightly more comfortable night for sleeping. 0n south—west slightly more comfortable night for sleeping. on sunday we still have our band of cloud and rain wriggling around across the uk, likely to stay dry for the most part in north—east scotland and for wales and the south—west of england, and we stick with those significantly lower temperatures.

this is bbc news. our top stories: the united nations accuses the world of turning its back on syria after more than a hundred people are killed injust ten days. air strikes kill and maim significant numbers of civilians several times a week and the response seems to be a collective shrug. walking free — the british man who helped stop a cyber attack—against the national health service, only to stand trial for hacking in the usa. the united states says it's reached an agreement with guatemala to help stem the flow of migrants reaching its southern border. south african musicianjohnny clegg is remembered by family,