Viraldice: October 2021

Things We Saw Today: The Final Trailer for ‘Arcane’ Is Here

October 31, 2021

Netflix just dropped the last trailer for their upcoming animated series Arcane, based on Riot Games’ wildly popular League of Legends gaming franchise. The trailer, which premiered at the 2021 Worlds Semi-Finals today, offers the most in depth look at the series yet.

Set in the utopian region of Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, Arcane follows the origins of iconic League champions sisters Jinx and Vi (voiced by Ella Purnell and Hailee Steinfeld) as they seek to reunite. Overcoming the world of Arcane is a dark power that brings on violence and chaos, and threatens to keep the sisters apart.

“When we set out to produce Arcane, we knew that we had something really special with the story of Jinx and Vi,” said Christian Linke, co-creator of Arcane. “We wanted to explore the idea of what you would do for your family, what values you’d compromise, and the conflict you’d endure. The story, combined with the hand-painted art style and nuanced character animation we created in partnership with Fortiche, will bring players a rich glimpse into the world of League of Legends.”

The three-part series will drop its first three episodes on November 6th, followed by subsequent premieres on November 13th and 20th. Netflix also premiered some new artwork for the series:

(image: Netflix/Riot Games)

(via comicbook.com, image: screencap/Netflix)

Congrats to Kal Penn on coming out and announcing his engagement to his partner of 11 years. (via Deadline)
Roblox has been down for 24 hours, in case you were wondering why all your gamer friends are screaming. (via Variety)
Check out this new essay from the husbands of every haunted house movie. (via McSweeney’s)

parents please check inside your kids’ boxes that contain pain, just found caramel and nougat in ours pic.twitter.com/lAn7cHxmfy

— collin but spooky (@collinsapera) October 30, 2021

Kumail Nanjiani and Lauren Ridloff discuss their powers in Eternals. (via Collider)
Here’s a spoiler zone for all your Doctor Who premiere feels. (via io9)
Here’s a list of the 31 best modern horror movies in case you’re looking for something to watch. (via IGN)

🚀SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! #futurama #HappyHalloween2021 pic.twitter.com/osokgZcqxh

— Jack Quaid (@JackQuaid92) October 31, 2021

Happy Halloween, Mary Spookiens!

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The Best Halloween ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketches for Spooky LOLs

October 31, 2021

Halloween is always an event on Saturday Night Live. The iconic sketch comedy series never shies away from spooky sketches, bringing all sorts of hilarity into the Halloween season. From Madeline Khan belting out “I Feel Pretty” dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein to Bill Hader’s campy Vincent Price to the ubiquitous David S. Pumpkins, there’s no shortage of delightful Halloween sketches, characters, and pop-ins.

Here are some of our favorite SNL sketches to marathon on All Hallow’s Eve.

What Up With That: Oscar Isaac, Emily Ratajkowski and Nicholas Braun

The triumphant return of Kenan’s Thompson’s musical smorgasbord “What’s Up With That?” was a welcome reunion in last week’s episode. Host Jason Sudeikis returned as b-boy dancer Vance, along with Fred Armisen’s Guiseppe on the saxophone. But the star of this bit is, as always, Kenan’s Diondre Cole, who can’t help but burst into song in every interview. A Halloween-themed WUWT is honestly everything you could want. Enjoy humming that theme song for the rest of the year!

NPR’s Delicious Dish: Gordon Hoover’s Halloween Scary Town

Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer’s NPR cooking show “Delicious Dish” gets some Halloween flavor thanks to Dana Carvey’s Gordon Hoover, who is terrorized evey year by neighborhood bullies.

Spooky Song

Chance the Rapper stars in this sketch where he plays one of many ghosts singing about how they died. Chance’s ghost however, is hesitant to sing about his deeply embarrassing death, which involves masturbation, lightning, and a metal pole.

The Exorcist 2 (ft. Richard Pryor)

Richard Pryor plays a priest trying to save Laraine Newman from possession, but quickly gets fed up with her demonic antics.

Weekend Update: Stefon on Halloween’s Hottest Tips

Bill Hader’s Stefon was a Weekend Update MVP, whose hysterical recommendations would often cause Hader to break into tears of laughter. Here, he’s got Halloween recs involving Hobocops, human piñatas, and Sidney Applebaum the Jewish Dracula.

Vincent Price’s Halloween Special II with John F. Kennedy (Jon Hamm)

Hader’s Vincent Price is always a delight, and this time he’s joined by Jon Hamm’s JFK, Kristen Wiig’s Judy Garland, and as always, Fred Armisen’s horny Liberace.

Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween

The legendary Chris Farley stole every sketch he was in, but it’s his performance as motivational speaker Matt Foley that is truly iconic. After all, is there anything scarier than LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER?!

Wes Anderson Horror Trailer

Ed Norton rolls out his best Owen Wilson impression for this spoof of Wes Anderson films. The spot-on art direction and deadpan delivery perfectly capture a home invasion horror film through the eyes of Anderson himself.

The Merryville Brothers: Haunted Castle

When a ride malfunctions at an amusement park, three animatronic barbershop singers (Bruno Mars, Tom Hanks, Taran Killam, Bill Hader) known as the Merryville Brothers come to life and attack the patrons (Jay Pharoah, Vanessa Bayer). Tom Hanks, always an SNL MVP, has a blast in this recurring bit.

Googie Rene’s Partially Damaged Halloween Costume Discount Basement

Combine Kenan Thompson with a goofy name some failing business and watch the man work. Nobody is better at breathing life into weird one-off bits with full commitment.

Happy Halloween!

(image: screencap/SNL)

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We’re Obsessed With These Pets in Nerdy Halloween Costumes

October 31, 2021

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Hannah Waddingham, Doug Jones, and More Join Cast of ‘Hocus Pocus 2’

October 31, 2021

Now this is the kind of Halloween news we love to see: Hannah Waddingham is joining the cast of Hocus Pocus 2! The Emmy winner, best known for playing Rebecca on the smash hit series Ted Lasso, will be playing an undisclosed role in the highly anticipated sequel. Disney confirmed the sequel, and announced several new cast members on Twitter:

Joining the cast are Whitney Peak, Lilia Buckingham, Belissa Escobedo, Doug Jones, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Hannah Waddingham, Juju Brener, Froy Gutierrez, Taylor Henderson, and Nina Kitchen.

Fall 2022 on @DisneyPlus, #HocusPocus2 cometh to us!

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) October 31, 2021

Waddingham will be joined by fellow cast members Doug Jones, who will presumably be reprising his role as zombie boyfriend Billy Butcherson. Jones has had quite a career since his role in Hocus Pocus, performing in award-winning films like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. He’s currently a series regular on Star Trek: Discovery as Saru.

Before Billy falls asleep again, I have two things to say today:
1) Happy Halloween!
2) Tune in next October 2022 to see if I wake up again!
(Official casting announcement for HOCUS POCUS 2 today on @disneyplus ).
.#hocuspocus #hocuspocus2 pic.twitter.com/CHykiTPoL1

— Doug Jones (@actordougjones) October 31, 2021

The film will follow three young girls who accidentally awaken the Sanderson sisters, and must save the town’s children from the witches. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica will be reprising their roles as the Sanderson sisters. No word yet on whether or not Thora Birch and Omri Katz will be reprising their roles as Dani and Max.

Joining them will be newcomers and Veep alums Tony Hale (Arrested Development) and Sam Richardson (Detroiters), along with Whitney Peak (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Lilia Buckingham (Crown Lake), Belissa Escobedo (American Horror Stories), Juju Brener (Vanquish), Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf), Taylor Henderson (Evil Lives Here), and Nina Kitchen.

Hocus Pocus 2 will be directed by Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses, Dumplin’) from a script by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics, Solar Opposites). Fans were all over the casting news, with some offering picks of their own:

Dear Disney,
Please cast Jennifer Coolidge as "Mother Sanderson" in Hocus Pocus 2. It will be incredible & you won't regret it. pic.twitter.com/vGxkhra2Qy

— Chris Strider (@stridinstrider) October 29, 2021

Oscar campaign for Hannah Waddingham in Hocus Pocus 2 starts today

— joy (@oharasemmys) October 31, 2021

HANNAH IN HOCUS POCUS 2 pic.twitter.com/Jyj0WAGTpP

— dannii (@macysharry) October 31, 2021

HANNAH WADDINGHAM IN HOCUS POCUS 2??!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/vpafAPd7wx

— rose 🌈 semi hiatus (@sylvieswinters) October 31, 2021

HANNAH WADDINGHAM IS GONNA BE IN HOCUS POCUS 2 pic.twitter.com/bK8RD5u7kM

— kylie 138 (@gwsmcbride) October 31, 2021

Honestly would not be mad about a Jennifer Coolidge cameo. But that feeling can be applied to literally any film/series/situation. I’m obviously excited for Hocus Pocus 2, especially with this talented new cast. So go ahead, light the black flame candle. The witches are coming!

(image: Apple TV+)

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The Hollywood Gossip

Kailyn Lowry: Chris Lopez Needs to Get a Job So He Can Pay for These Kids!

October 31, 2021

Kailyn Lowry and Chris Lopez have this really interesting dynamic where it seems like they absolutely can't stand each other but they also keep having children together.

It's unfortunate, to put it mildly.

Kailyn was already a mother of two when she met Chris -- she has Isaac, whose father is Jo Rivera, and Lincoln, whose father is Javi Marroquin -- and together they welcomed Lux in 2017 and Creed in 2020.

Lux seemed to be quite the surprise, as he was conceived right around the time that her divorce from Javi became official and, as she's told it, she'd been led to believe that she wouldn't be able to have another child.

But during that pregnancy and in the weeks after she gave birth, it really feels like she should have learned all she needed to know about Chris.

On Teen Mom 2, we saw her complain and cry and just get so upset when he refused to show up to any doctor's appointments or to be involved in any way whatsoever, and after Lux was born, we heard her claim that he'd broken a window in her bedroom when she was in there with the baby.

Still, she chased after him, and they would get back together then break back up until 2019, when Chris was arrested for some sort of altercation with her -- we're still not sure of the details, but we do know that she got a restraining order against him.

But, surprise, surprise, it turned out that they'd already conceived another child together.

Towards the end of that pregnancy, she publicly accused him of choking her, and just a few months after Creed was born, she was arrested for allegedly assaulting Chris.

The whole relationship has truly been one of the messiest in Teen Mom history.

And one of the messiest things about them is that they just. Keep. Going.

Last week, Chris was in Miami on a vacation with some friends, and Kailyn had a problem with this because apparently he hasn't been helping her financially with their children -- and she discussed this issue on Instagram, naturally.

She specifically mentioned that he hadn't helped with some recent medical bills, and she even shared screenshots of a $50 Venmo request for "Creed doctor and chest x-rays" that was denied.

Chris made a vague but very obvious post on his own Instagram about how "Sometimes when ppl can no longer control you, they will try to control how others see you."

But they waited until it was time to record their respective podcasts to really delve into the matter.

On Chris' podcast, in excerpts transcribed by The Ashley's Reality Roundup, Chris said "If you're gonna tell a story, tell the whole story. You can't tell a story and only tell the part that makes the other person look bad. Tell everything."

What she failed to mention, he explained, was that he has insurance for Lux and he tried to get it for Creed, but Kailyn refused ... because the insurance is Medicaid.

"You can't get on this internet and do all of that when I'm offering to help you," he continued. "I don't see why I need to come out of pocket when I have something that I don't need to come out of pocket for ... me and my mother explained that to you and you argued about it."

"I'm to the point though where I'm just tired of talking about my personal life," he said. "The drama of [Kail] posting our stuff on the internet ... it's all on Instagram and everything and now everybody knows and they're attacking me."

"We grown ... people too grown to be doing what you're doing at this point," he directed towards Kailyn. "This is our business, these people don't matter."

"Stop doing this sh-t for the internet because these people don't matter! You're only hurting your son, you're only hurting us!"

Meanwhile, on her own podcast, Kailyn explained her issue with Chris' argument, saying "He doesn't make what I make, and that excuse isn't valid to me because Jo doesn't make what I make. Javi doesn't make what I make. And let's not forget about the fact that Chris has a bachelor's degree. Javi and Jo do not have degrees."

"And Chris chooses to not work at all," she said. "He doesn't carry a job at all, but the other two do. Not only do they have 50/50 custody, but Javi and I split finances down to 50/50 for lunch money. And Javi doesn't make what I make, but he doesn't question it, doesn't second guess it."

But her third baby daddy, she complained, "literally chooses not to work."

"Last I knew he was living at home," she revealed. "He's 27 years old living at home with his mom, collecting EBT, which is food stamps, and state insurance."

"By choice," she stressed, "because she's choosing not to work."

View Slideshow: Teen Mom Dads, Husbands & Boyfriends Ranked: Who's #1?!

She finished her argument with "So in my opinion, that's not fair and you don't get to take that away from someone who actually needs it and is working and trying to make ends meet."

We've said it before, and we'll probably say it a million more times before these two finally leave each other alone -- what a mess.

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Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson: Spotted! Holding Hands!!!!!

October 31, 2021

Kim Kardashian may have moved on from a man with a very big ego to a man with a very big...

... instrument of affection.

On Friday, the mother of four was spotted out and about at Knott's Scary Farm in Buena Park, California with Travis Barker, Kourtney Kardashian -- and Pete Davidson.

That isn't all, however.

The comedian and the Instagram influencer were also handing hands.

People Magazine obtained photos of the intimate moment, which took place while Kardashian and Davidson were riding a roller coaster.

An insider tells this same publication, however, that readers shouldn't read too much into the cozy touching.

"They hang in the same circles so they will be together from time to time," claims this source. "It's just friends hanging out."

Kardashian hosted Saturday Night Live back on October 11, kissind Davidson at point during an Aladdin-themed sketch.

During the episode of this long-running NBC series, Kim and the King of Staten Island actor puckered up during their send-up of Disney's Aladdin.

In this scene, Pete, who was dressed up as Aladdin, confessed he might not be able to handle his partner "sexually."

"Do you feel self-conscious because I’m the daughter of a Sultan and you are just a lowly street rat?" asked Kim, who was portraying Jasmine at the time.

Replied Davidson as Aladdin:

"Jasmine, as we start getting more intimate, I’m just a little concerned that physically, I can’t handle you…

"If we go all the way, you might like break me…My thing might just break. Look at us. You’re a lot of woman and I’m so frail because all I eat is stolen bread.

"I want to do everything with you, see the world, laugh together, sing songs and do sex."

Concluded Kim/Jasmine to end this exchange:

"Aladdin, don’t worry. I’m sure that you’re more than enough man for me."

Davidson, of course, was previously engaged to Ariana Grande.

Amid this brief relationship, it came out that Davidson has a big penis.

For her part, Kim started dating Kanye West in 2012, married the rapper in 2014 and has welcomed a quartet of kids with him:

North, 8, and Chicago, 3½, plus sons Saint, 5½, and Psalm, 2

She filed for divorce in February and recently agreed to buy a huge mansion from West.

Davidson has dated Cazzie David, Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber and Phoebe Dynevor, and, as noted, was engaged to Grande in 2018.

"Kim and Kanye are friends, but that's it," People reported a few weeks ago.

"She is still moving forward with the divorce.

"She loves having Kanye's support, though. They were not in a good place around the time Kim filed for divorce.

"She is so happy that things are better now. It's all very beneficial for the kids."

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Kōji Shiraishi’s Noroi is a found footage horror like no other

October 31, 2021

If you want to understand the state of J-horror in the mid-2000s, look no further than Wes Craven’s remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse. In a last-ditch attempt to reinvigorate the genre for US audiences, Craven took a slow-burning social commentary about endemic loneliness and twisted it into a standard-fare ghost story – with more budget, more jump scares, and none of the original’s charm. As other remakes continued to miss the mark, and Japanese filmmakers began to desert the themes of ancient curses and technophobia, the genre was arguably dying.

This might explain why Kōji Shiraishi’s Noroi didn’t reach the international audience it deserved. Released in 2005, this lo-fi mockumentary follows paranormal investigator Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki) as he encounters a series of apparently unconnected disturbances: a single mother who dies driving into oncoming traffic; a little girl disturbed after appearing on a TV psychic show; a string of suicides. As each incident converges, however, Kobayashi vows to help two victims escape an emerging curse – and in doing so, seals his own fate.

The power of Noroi comes from its seeming authenticity. It starts by casting off J-horror’s most overused tropes; instead of prophetic phone calls/emails/videos warning characters of their death, pigeons crash into their windows. Although the curse is demonic in nature, it triggers a series of incidents that few horror aficionados could draw a thread through. And the characters – like Mitsuo Hori, a literal tin foil hat-wearing psychic who rants about the threat of “ectoplasmic worms” – are genuinely off-the-wall.

On a technical level, Shiraishi appears to have been working on a shoe-string. Footage from Kobayashi’s single cameraperson makes up the majority of the film, and interviews with witnesses and experts are hastily cut together with home movies and excerpts from TV shows. Although the film’s minimal VFX haven’t aged well, the other constraints give it the eerie feel of a late-night Discovery Channel documentary.

Handheld footage is especially tricky to get right. Even in renowned found footage films like REC and Paranormal Activity, the photographer seems to have an uncanny ability to sniff out the scares. In Noroi, the camera operators have no clue what’s happening, often struggling to focus on the action or missing it entirely. In one instance, a victim of the curse, Marika, becomes possessed off-screen while her mother is filming the lunch they’ve prepared together. When the camera finally looks up, we see Marika stopped dead in a doorway, groaning and leaning too far back on her heels. There’s something about the way the camera ‘walks in’ that makes this scene all the more unsettling.

Many of Noroi’s scares come from similarly unassuming set-ups. In so-called ‘daylight horror’ films, which received a lot of attention following Ari Aster’s Midsommar, monsters are not confined to the shadows, meaning they can lurk anywhere. Noroi makes ample use of this, with its most chilling moments happening in the daytime or in well-lit domestic settings. Even the film’s searing finale – arguably one of the best closing scenes of any J-horror – occurs when Kobayashi is interrupted having a quiet dinner with his wife. As a result, nowhere in Noroi feels safe.

Unfortunately, the film proved to be something of a fluke for director Shiraishi. In 2009, he returned with another mockumentary, Occult, whose promising story was harpooned by VFX that made hell look like a demonic Windows screensaver. In the same year, he dropped Grotesque, which the BBFC banned from the UK citing its “minimal narrative or character development and […] unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism”.

Shiraishi was also responsible for the abomination Sadako vs Kayako, in which the vengeful ghosts of Ringu and Ju-On go head-to-head in a showdown nobody really needed to see. It’s serendipitous that, in the case of Noroi, Shiraishi’s mad ideas and clumsy execution fell together with such remarkable results.

The post Kōji Shiraishi’s Noroi is a found footage horror like no other appeared first on Little White Lies.

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Peter Weber: The Bachelor is Fake and Lame and Can Never Lead to True Love!

October 30, 2021

Peter Weber believes that ghosts are more real than the changes of someone actually finding love on The Bachelor.

Confused?

Perplexed?

Intrigued?

Allow us to explain...

Weber starred first as a suitor opposite Hannah Brown on The Bachelorette, becoming well known for reportedly sleeping with that Alabama native four times in one night ... inside of a windmill.

A pilot, Peter was then chosen as The Bachelor.

He anchored Season 24 of the franchise and most definitely tried his hardest to find a soulmate.

By which we mean, the guy dated around a ton!

Kelley Flanagan and Peter Weber Together

He ended his run engaged to Hannah Sluss, you see.

Only to then break up with her and date runnerr-up Madison Prewett.

Then they also split and Weber got serious with another contestant, Kelly Flanagan.

In May, however, Weber and Flanagan went their separate ways amid rumors of hs cheating.

Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan Throwback

Would Peter actually try his hand at this show again, following all these failed relationships?

Heck no, Weber told Page Six this week.

“For me, it wasn’t the most organic way to really cultivate a real, real relationship,” Weber explained to this publication, sort of stating the obvious considering the stage nature of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

“It was too many distractions that I wouldn’t want to subject myself to again in the future," he added.

When asked point black if he would ever consider reprising his role like Season 11 and Season 15 star Brad Womack did, Weber gave a simple answer:

“No.”

Viewers around the nation are likely relieved to hear that.

As are potential series contestants.

So, what does Peter Weber plan on doing next?

He says he is on the hunt for ghosts alongside celebrity medium Jonathan Mark. Naturally.

“He had this great idea to go do this ghost tour. I was actually, not going to lie, a little tentative,” Weber told Page Six, recounting his initial feelings about the Greenwich Village excursion afterr saying he met Mark on a podcast.

“This was my first time ghost-hunting. I didn’t know what it truly entailed,” Weber continued

Weber may turn this into his next small screen foray, too.

“Definitely possibly doing a TV project right now. It’s in the works,” Mark told Page Sx of ghost hunting with the ex-Bachelor.

“We’re doing something a little bit separate than the ghost-hunting, but I’m not opposed to doing this with Pete and everyone. We’re in talks with doing that right now, too.”

Weber is open to this possibility, he concludes.

“Definitely, I’m curious,” he said of expanding his adventures into the supernatural, adding that he would next like to explore haunted buildings with Mark.

“We didn’t go inside anywhere. It was just kind of outside adventures. But maybe [to] go see some places inside would be interesting … I’ve always believed in that kind of stuff.

"I’ve not been too skeptical. And Jon’s definitely got a gift.”

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Things We Saw Today: Amber Ruffin Conjures up a White Lady for Halloween

October 30, 2021

Horror film 101 dictates that you should never repeat someone’s name in a mirror unless you want said monster to appear. It’s an adage that has remained true, from Bloody Mary to Candyman. But that didn’t stop Amber Ruffin from conjuring the most frightening apparition of all: the White Lady. On the Halloween episode of The Amber Ruffin Show, Ruffin cajoled her sidekick Tarik Davis to join her in repeating the White Lady’s name in a mirror three times.

The duo are surprised to find that, instead of conjuring a Karen or a Marjorie Taylor Greene, they only end up with Beatrice, the ghost of a myurdered bride. Beatrice, played by staff writer Corin Wells, is Black, and therefore in no way scary to Ruffin and Davis. They mock her even as she murders then resurrects Davis, and causes the studio to shake. When questioning her choice of name, she admits that “The Lady in White” was already taken, so she was stuck with the misnomer.

“There’s nothing scary about a Beatrice!”, howls Ruffin as the ghost tries (and fails) to scare her. Instead, Ruffin plays a super-cut of white women screaming for the manager and generally losing their shit on camera. Now that’s some terrifying stuff. So scary in fact, that Beatrice runs off screaming. Now that’s some solid Halloween shenanigans!

(image: screencap/Peacock)

Spend Halloween weekend watching Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity on Paramount+. (via io9)
This Mandalorian Werner Herzog action figure is THE Christmas stocking stuffer we all want. (via Collider)
Funimation releases the first two episodes of Psycho Pass online for free. (via CBR)

Billie Eilish performs Sally’s song at The Nightmare Before Christmas Live:

Ana de Armas is in talks to star in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina. (via Deadline)
How Hocus Pocus went from box office flop to Halloween classic. (via Slashfilm)
Here’s a list of top 15 kills of the Halloween franchise. (via Bloody Disgusting)

Happy Halloween Eve, Mary Suevians!

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A Bat Could Fly Away With New Zealand’s Bird of the Year Award

October 30, 2021

New Zealand’s Bird of the Year award is currently the subject of an adorably spooky controversy, thanks to the inclusion of a species of native bat among the nominees. The long-tailed bat, or pekapeka-tou-roa, was included on the ballot of this year’s birds despite being mammal. But lest you think this is some sort of Halloween cross-promotion, the bat’s nomination is in fact an effort to raise awareness of the critically endangered species. Bats are New Zealand’s only native land mammal and the pekapeka-tou-roa is just one of two surviving species in the country.

Laura Keown, a spokesperson from conservation organization Forest & Bird, said “Since ‘mammal of the year’ was going to be a very boring competition we kind of decided to throw the bat among the pigeons and ruffle some feathers, … We’ve got these critically endangered bats, they only come out a night … they’re silent, they’re quite invisible to people, sometimes they can live adjacent to cities and people often don’t even know they’re there.” She continued, “The idea has been rattling around for a while but perhaps our only native land mammals could be included in the competition because they are also in serious trouble.”

This year the Ministry for the Environment is putting its support behind the Pekapeka-tou-roa, Long-tailed bat for @Forest_and_Bird's Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau, Bird of the Year.

Learn more here: https://t.co/ZxFXVhP7UF #votepekapekatouroa #birdoftheyear

Photo: Colin O'Donnell pic.twitter.com/Fb3y5UcNMS

— Ministry for the Environment (@mfe_news) October 26, 2021

But the furry nominee brings with it plenty of controversy, especially from diehard birders who steadfastly maintain that the bat has no business being in competition with birds. Naturally, these folks took to social media to air their grievances:

Bird of the year… who’s with me? pic.twitter.com/HKtDhrHirA

— Dave Hansford (@davehansford4) October 28, 2021

Did you hear about the bat being entered in Bird of the Year?
⁣It’s an albatrossity.⁣ 😎
#votetoroa The Antipodean albatross is representing all the amazing species of albatross found in NZ.
#birdoftheyear #seabirdsnottreebirds
📸 Southern royal albatross, Kyle Morrison pic.twitter.com/TWNL6WAe8Z

— NIWA (@niwa_nz) October 28, 2021

Whether you voted for a trick ‘bird’ or a sweet-treat-of-a-bird thanks for getting behind Bird of the Year!

Voting closes today at 5pm!#boty2021 #birdoftheyear #teamtitipounamu pic.twitter.com/uCHmXCsq0B

— Titipounamu for Bird of the Year (@TeamTitipounamu) October 30, 2021

Go vote #teampekapeka for Bird of the Year https://t.co/DPPmdBTOkw pic.twitter.com/AJPVcTnR3g

— Regretch of the Sith (@Gretch_lee_) October 29, 2021

New Zealand is letting people vote for the bird of the year, and somehow a bat got into the system. So of course things have gone full Boaty-McBoatface and the bat is in the lead.

(But what's crazy to me is that it's Chalinolobus, not Mystacina!)https://t.co/gkTZuTsZUb

— Dan Riskin (@riskindan) October 22, 2021

And so far, the bat is flapping away with the competition. “It’s winning overall, yeah,” said Keown. “Actually, when you look at the number one and number two rankings, it’s not winning by a little. It’s winning by quite a lot.”

Surprisingly, this isn’t the first controversy to hit New Zealand’s Bird of the Year awards. In 2019, the organization saw accusations of election tampering after receiving hundreds of votes from Russia (no word on Facebook or Cambridge Analytica’s involvement). The votes were ultimately deemed legitimate after it was revealed that the voters were likely birding fans from Russia, who share many of the same bird species. Forest & Bird said, “New Zealand actually shares birds with Russia, … We have the bar-tailed godwit that makes an annual round trip.”

In 2018, the contest was similarly flooded by Australian voters, who wanted to ensure a win for the shag bird, because “shag” is a euphemism for sex. Stay classy, Australians! Voting for Bird of the Year ends tomorrow, so be sure to cast your vote!

(via The Guardian, image: Department of Conservation NZ)

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Cast and Crew of Scream Remember the Iconic Horror Film on Its 25th Anniversary

October 30, 2021

Few horror franchises have remained as relevant and enjoyable as Wes Craven’s masterful Scream series. Many credit the 1996 meta horror film with reviving the slasher genre, and spawning countless self-referential horror films in its wake. On the 25th anniversary of Scream, the Hollywood Reporter interviewed the cast and crew of the film to discuss director Wes Craven’s legacy and the cultural impact of the film.

Neve Campbell, who plays series heroine Sidney Prescott said, “I feel like the memory of making Scream doesn’t come in single moments. It comes in a feeling of an entire perfect, beautiful, fun experience which I knew would change my life somehow in a big way. And, of course, it did.”

Courtney Cox described the film as, “It was the first genre-crossing film I remember seeing. It blended comedy and horror with motifs drawn from pop culture. It was a meta masterpiece.”

But what everyone kept coming back to was working with Craven himself. Producer Marianne Maddalena said, “He was such a gentleman and a gentle man, and we were very close. We were partners for 20 years, and we decided early on that if we were going to be working all the time that we were going to make it fun. He was a genius, such an individual auteur, but just really easygoing and fun to work with.”

Campbell added, “Wes was a tall, graceful, calm man. Not the kind of figure you’d imagine would be able to think up such dark stories. He was funny and somewhat shy, yet brave and clear in vision at the same time. He pulled us into his imagination and took us for a ride.”

Matthew Lillard, who played Stu, said “For me, personally, I had a moment with him where he said to me, ‘You’re going to win an Academy Award some day.’ So as my career ebbs and flows and I have these moments of thinking, ‘Maybe I’ll never work again,’ I have this incredible touchstone of somebody I respected and revered telling me I was special. It’s those little moments that get you through the really crappy parts of this industry.”

David Arquette, who plays Sergeant Dewey, agreed, saying “The first impression is just like, ‘Wow, that’s Wes Craven?’ Because he’s so soft-spoken, and he’s so intelligent, and he just doesn’t seem like this scary figure at all. He really was a guy who just loved movies and loved scaring people. He understood the fun of being scared but being in no danger. Wes really made such an impression on me. There’s not a lot of people that have had that much of an impact on me. He sat me down during Scream 2 and just had a real father-son caring moment where he was just there for me, and gave me some really sound advice that I firmly believe kind of saved my life. My mother was passing away, and it was just a really difficult time, and he said, ‘I really want you to get yourself together, David, so you can make the most of your life and potential relationship.'”

Cathy Konrad, a producer on the film, described how making the film was like lightning in a bottle, saying “What’s always fun about these kinds of gems is that some of the best work gets done when nobody’s looking. This was little. The budget was low. A lot of the actors in it were not really known. You could fly under the radar a little bit because the stakes weren’t that high. It was a great script, but it could have gone either way. In the wrong hands, it probably wouldn’t have winked as much. Would people have understood it? I don’t know. Wes is such a great, classic storyteller that I think it really needed his classicism on top of Kevin’s postmodernism to really make it synergistically what it was.”

(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Dimension Films)

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Ask the Mary Sues: The All-Time Best Halloween Candy Countdown

October 30, 2021

It’s Halloween weekend, and amid the costumes, the scary movies, and the pumpkin carving, we almost forgot the most important part of our favorite spooky holiday. The candy! While all holidays have their own special sweets and treats, Halloween stands out as a celebration of store-bought goodness. Walk into any big box store or supermarket and you’ll find aisles filled to the brim with bags of fun-sized candy large enough to feed a small army.

In many ways, Halloween is a holiday for indulgence. Whether you’re tapping into your naughty side with a risqué costume, or celebrating your love of scares with a horror movie, Halloween is the time to let loose. Naturally, this got us thinking about our favorite Halloween candies, and why we love them. So go ahead and have a handful of Snickers for dinner. It’s Halloween baby!

Princess Weekes:

Twix bars! The only candy that even if it isn’t full sized it feels really satisfying to eat. It has the perfect chocolate to filling balance. The only downside is that people expect you to share, which, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, eat shit and live.

Dan Van Winkle:

Sour Patch Kids! I’ve always been a fan of the contradiction of tart/sour candy, and while there are several notable options on that front, Sour Patch Kids are the winners for me. They just really nail the combination of the sourness with the gummy texture and flavor assortment.

Rachel Leishman:

Nestle Crunch is the way to go, always and forever. Sure, they’re not as popular now but getting a Crunch in your Trick or Treat bag? Nothing better.

Briana Lawrence:

My first choice is Twix for every reason that Princess said, but since it’s already said I’ll choose Starbursts, specifically, Pink Starbursts. The only downside is that fun-sized Starbursts only come in twos so you have to hope that when you open it, you have the superior pink one. Though these days you can find “Pink Only” Starburst packs so, there’s that.

Alyssa Shotwell:

My favorite Halloween candy (and favorite chocolate period) is Reese’s. I’m like the Cookie Monster of Reese’s (and certain cookies TBH) and I’ll be forever bothered that they could make a good candy (in all its iterations), cereal, but not lip balm? I wish that each month Reese’s were shaped differently rather than just Halloween, Christmas and Easter.

Chelsea Steiner:

This year I’m choosing violence by revealing my obsession with Brach’s Pumpkins. These little corn syrup nuggets are a waxy delight, especially when paired with a fine companion like candy corn. YES I LIKE CANDY CORN, ARREST ME. Give me all the mellowcreme, all the time. What even is mellowcreme? Doesn’t matter, I’m eating it. Happy Halloween, bitch.

What Halloween candies make your must-buy list? let us know in the comments!

(image: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Reality Tea

Below Deck Mediterranean Original Captain Mark Howard Died

October 30, 2021

Below Deck Mediterranean wasn’t always Hannah Ferrier moping through cigarette breaks, complaining about her job and Captain Sandy Yawn. Before sensitive chefs were driven to tears in the galley and Sandy had yet to be introduced as the prima donna of the high seas, Captain Mark Howard oversaw the maiden voyage of the series. Professional, calm, and economical with words, the Michigan native had a macro-management style wherein he encouraged excellence without lurking around each corner like his successor. He demonstrated that you can have a “customer is always right” attitude without throwing your team under the bus at each hiccup.

Mark and original chief stew Hannah had a respectful professional relationship, and once the crew were rid of Danny Zureikat, the season finished without major conflict. Sandy replaced Mark in Season Two, and has been enjoying her status as the first female captain of the franchise ever since.

RELATED: Below Deck Mediterranean Chef Mathew Shea Says Captain Sandy Yawn Called Him A “Pssy” And Told Him To Go “Fck Himself”

Sadly, the original Below Deck Mediterranean captain recently passed away at the age of 65. TMZ reported that Mark’s wife, Susan, discovered him deceased in the couples’ home after she returned from a dog show on October 27th. An updated report revealed that Mark was found laying against a shelf, covered in boxes that had apparently fallen from it. Law enforcement found blood on the side of Mark’s face, as well as droplets on the ground.

It’s currently unclear if the case if being treated as an accident or needing further inquiry, however investigators were initially called to the scene.

Tributes from Mark’s Below Deck Mediterranean crew fondly recall him as a supportive and empathetic boss, who had over 30 years experience on boats, as well as a pilot’s license. Hannah posted a touching statement to her Instagram page in honor of her former boss. She wrote, “Rest In Peace my friend. You were a great captain, friend and colleague. Always the gentleman. You will be missed.”

Mark leaves behind his wife, Susan. Rest In Peace.

TELL US- WHAT DID YOU THINK OF CAPTAIN MARK ON THE SHOW? HOW DO YOU THINK THE SHOW WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF HE HAD STAYED? WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE OF REMEMBERANCE?

[Photo Credit: Bravo]

The post Below Deck Mediterranean Original Captain Mark Howard Died appeared first on Reality Tea.

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Little White Lies

Why Secrets & Lies remains a masterclass in framing

October 30, 2021

Twenty-five years have come and gone since Brenda Blethyn’s blubbering matriarch Cynthia and the rest of the Purley family formed the basis of one of Mike Leigh’s best films, 1996’s Secrets & Lies. Plenty has been written about Leigh’s approach to filmmaking – a heavy reliance on rehearsal and developing his scripts with his cast prior to filming – but there’s more to Leigh’s work than this method. His skills lie not just with dialogue, characterisation and his understanding of actors. Aside from the famous two-shot café scene, attention has rarely paid to how the director’s choice of framing accentuates the core themes of Secrets & Lies.

This is a film about connection and identity; the need to know who and what we are; our desire to fit in and how we present ourselves to others in order to do so. None of the Purleys possess the ability to connect with one another: they argue constantly and keep secrets from each other. To illustrate the discomfort this is causing them, Leigh spends much of the film’s first half confining them to uncomfortable tight spaces and shots, positioning them partly concealed behind things, within cramped stairways and corridors.

Even the affluent Monica and Maurice in their giant suburban home feel locked in, somehow rattling around the tightness of these shots, flanked by the walls of their homes; Leigh often switches from a static to handheld camera to crank up the tension. In the sequence of phone calls where Cynthia is contacted by Hortense – the biggest truth she’ll face in the entire film – she actively hides from the camera, turning her back on us. Leigh films her from behind, hunched over, unable to face both the audience and the one secret that’s too big for her to handle. As the truth reveals itself, she practically tries to flee the frame.

As the film progresses and the characters come closer to facing these hidden truths, the closer the camera gets. When Timothy Spall’s Maurice visits Cynthia after a long hiatus, it’s no surprise that the scene begins with Maurice tucked behind an outhouse door, with only his eyes visible. As he begins to unveil more of his life to Cynthia, we see more of him. Then later, as Cynthia melts down and flings her arms around him (“Hold me tight, Maurice, please!”), Leigh goes in for the closest zoom-in on Spall in the entire film. He’s moments away from revealing his infertility to Cynthia, but just at that moment the camera pulls back again as he changes his mind, pushing both Cynthia and the audience away. The truth is rejected. This only adds to our frustrations at the characters’ inability to connect.

It’s easy to draw assumptions about what Leigh was trying to say about British culture and society in the ’90s. Even if Secrets & Lies is not exactly a pointed critique of post-Thatcher Britain, the politics of the era still seeps into the film. Above all, however, Secrets & Lies is a call to stop concealing the truth from each other, particularly our loved ones. (Maurice’s job as a photographer further highlights this – his clients, shown from Maurice’s camera’s point of view in one memorable scene, all try to present the best possible version of their lives.)

It’s a relief that after rattling around these tight spaces for much of the film’s runtime, its final shot is a wide, almost bird’s-eye view of Cynthia, Hortense and Roxanne in the garden, on the back of Hortense’s line, “Best to tell the truth, I reckon. That way, nobody gets hurt.” The truth is out – peace at last – so Leigh goes wide. Rows of other London houses are visible at the edges of the screen, housing hundreds of other families harbouring secrets it would do them a great deal of good to share.

The post Why Secrets & Lies remains a masterclass in framing appeared first on Little White Lies.

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Why Secrets & Lies remains a masterclass in framing

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