How a Freak Accident Happens

Over two years after 10-year-old Caleb Schwab lost his life on the tallest waterslide in the world, the amusement park industry has yet to fully reckon with the tragedy. If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.       How a Freak Accident Happens   In August 2016, 10-year-old Caleb Schwab died on the tallest waterslide in the world. As people continue to try to figure out how such an accident could have happened, Schlitterbahn's leadership, as well as the employees responsible for the ride's upkeep, have taken the brunt of the blame. For Esquire, Timothy Bella goes inside the creation of the ride, uncovers the alleged missteps that led to the tragedy, and explores how the amusement park industry has reacted since that day more than two years ago. Read More           Howard Schultz Is Running on Behalf of Polite Rich People   One reason Howard Schultz is no meteoric political talent is that, beyond any charisma deficiencies, he seems to believe being a "centrist independent" means you won't do much of anything—or at least nothing specific. Schultz's political views derive almost exclusively from the Church of Both Sides, the religion practiced in cable-news green rooms where Both Parties are Too Extreme, and the American People are Somewhere in the Center. Read More           The Original Empire Strikes Back Script Shows Darth Vader Wasn't Supposed to Be Luke's Father   George Lucas once described his own father as a "domineering, ultra right-wing businessman"—a man who is largely believed to have inspired the relationship between Luke and Anakin Skywalker. In 1980, The Empire Strikes Back revealed that Darth Vader was actually Luke's father, a twist that has become one of the most famous father-son stories of the century. That reveal marked a pivotal moment in the Star Wars franchise—one that turned this into a decades-long narrative about fathers and sons that has resonated in virtually every major plot point of the eight films in the Skywalker Saga. But that major twist almost didn't even happen. Read More           Pete Davidson Might Emerge from Sundance as a Serious Movie Star   It's been a weird year for Pete Davidson. On one hand, he became one of the biggest stars of SNL's modern era, but at the price of a whirlwind relationship with Ariana Grande that became the stuff of tabloid fodder. That led to a scary Instagram post and Davidson quitting social media. But after all the drama of 2018, Davidson is emerging at Sundance with a new movie called Big Time Adolescence, which early reviews are saying shows off Davidson's legit acting chops. Read More           Shia LaBeouf Materialized in a Fringed Leather Jacket (and Won Sundance Film Festival)   I understand what Shia LaBeouf is wearing about 12 percent of the time. There's no apparent rhyme or reason to his fashion choices—but that's why the guy is such a style god. Take LaBeouf at Sundance Film Festival: He straight up wore a camel leather jacket with fringe detailing and a contrast collar. There's nothing wrong with a tailored topcoat or a sensible parka—in fact, in most cases we'd recommend it. But Shia leveled up his outerwear game, and his efforts paid off. Read More           Will Michael B. Jordan Return For Black Panther 2?   Audiences and critics—even the film's star Chadwick Boseman—agree that Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger was the real hero of Black Panther. The character even represented a more revolutionary sort of politics than Boseman's T'Challa. As Steven Thrasher wrote for Esquire, "Killmonger wants to use Wakanda's weapons to stop the suffering of Black people globally, and we, the audience, are manipulated into rooting against this because we live in an ideology in which nonviolence is always expected of Black people no matter what." It made for a devastating conclusion when Killmonger is defeated at the hands of T'Challa in film's final moments. Jordan's Killmonger was dead. Or was he? Read More         Read More on Esquire.com       Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2019 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019