Robert Stroud was a sociopath and murderer who killed without compunction. He was so vicious he was sent to solitary confinement in Alcatraz prison where he was still able to kill a guard in the 1940s.
While in solitary Stroud captured small birds and studied them. He bred them and cared for them and began to write scientific monographs about them. He became a world-wide expert on avian life and behavior. He advanced avian science by decades and his work is still cited today.
I don't say this lightly: Bernard Hill as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my all-time favourite performances, a fascinatingly complex turn which brings to life a fascinatingly complex character.
RIP to the great Bernard Hill.
"I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed. I felled the black serpent. A grim morn, and a glad day, and a golden sunset!"
Thank you, Bernard Hill, for a performance so many of us will always treasure: a truly unforgettable and epic portrayal of King Théoden 💛
Hail the victorious dead!
This is the Leshan Giant Buddha in China, carved into the cliffs to watch over the treacherous river below.
It is 1,221 years old and an incredible 71 metres tall.
Impressive — but it's only the 9th biggest Buddha statue in the world...