Entertainment
From ‘Psycho’ To A New Crop Of Horror Movies in 2023
(LOS ANGELES) –Horror If you’re stuck for ideas on how to spend Mother’s Day, consider enjoying a good scare. Since the beginning of the genre, horror films have delved into the psychological anguish and terror that can only come from a mother, and several contemporary films are carrying on that time-honored legacy.
Consider Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool,” one of the most talked-about pictures to emerge from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
It’s not surprising that there were frightening moments. After all, the director has undoubtedly learned a thing or two from his filmmaker father and genre titan, David Cronenberg.
Gabi (Mia Goth) exposes her bare chest to James (Alexander Skarsgrd) in an invitation to breastfeed in one memorable scene, indicating a delicate tension between his original mother and his understanding of Gabi as his new one.
While the genre has been derided as low-brow, Adam Lowenstein, a cinema and media studies professor at the University of Pittsburgh specializing in horror, believes it is well-suited for dealing with such deep-seated psychological difficulties.
“Horror is, at its core, a very primal genre,” he explained. “It makes perfect sense that family, sex, and death are all things that the horror film is constantly mining because those are primal fascinations and experiences.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (1960) is perhaps the definitive example of mommy concerns in a horror film.
In it, Norman Bates of the Bates Motel develops a dual personality after murdering his tyrannical mother and her lover out of jealousy. His anguish and shame force him to hide her body and adopt her personality when he conducts violence against women he is drawn to.
How horror films investigate motherhood difficulties and psychological trauma
According to Lowenstein, one of the reasons the maternal bond is particularly fertile for investigating psychological trauma is that it is so ubiquitous and loaded.
Since the beginning of the genre, horror films have delved into the psychological anguish and terror that can only come from a mother.
“We all have real mothers, just as we all subscribe to real constructs about motherhood.” And these things are quite difficult to separate,” he explained. The gap between expectation and reality is fertile ground for a good scare.
“Barbarian” (2022) by Zach Cregger similarly makes breastfeeding a spectacle, but this time from a hideous parental creature rather than an inviting yet twisted sexual partner, as in “Infinity Pool.”
Other films let the mother-child interaction carry the drama. The terrifying extreme of a mother being possessed by a demon is explored in ” Evil Dead Rise,” which is now available to rent on streaming sites.
“I think it’s very terrifying to imagine somebody so familiar to you in your world becoming a subversion of that, and becoming something really dangerous and evil,” filmmaker Lee Cronin said. “It just lent itself to this exploration of maternal fears and what it might mean if your mother was to turn on you.”
The major premise of Ari Aster’s latest film, “Beau is Afraid,” is the anxiety and pain that can result from the mother-child bond. The film, about a guy seeking to reach his mother’s house, is both a surrealist epic and a horror film.
While Aster’s third picture is admittedly less frightening than his previous two, “Midsommar” and “Hereditary,” all of which exploit the terrors of family relations and mother-induced trauma, it is reasonable to infer by the conclusion that Beau’s fear of his guilt-inducing mother was justified.
“When I left ‘Beau Is Afraid,’ I heard a teenage woman leaving out of the theatre ahead of me saying to her friends, ‘That just made me want to call my mum and say I’m sorry for everything,” Lowenstein recalled. “We think horror, fear, dread, and haunting, but not necessarily guilt, shame, or humiliation.” And Ari Aster clearly sees the link between these things.”
It’s no coincidence that almost all of these frightening films about protagonists’ relationships with their moms are directed by men.
But, according to Lowenstein, the genre’s mommy issues began with a woman and long before the film: Mary Shelley’s classic 1818 horror novel, “Frankenstein,” is widely regarded as the origin of contemporary horror.
“Her story is about a man who wants to be God but also a mother.” “He truly wishes to create life without the intervention of women,” he stated. “What Mary Shelley shows us is how bad this idea is, and how male hubris really does monstrous things with motherhood.”
SOURCE – (AP)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is nearly ubiquitous, occupying video and audio environments. In recent years, the K-pop music industry has used deep-fake technology to create groups that resemble actual individuals. Now meet Aitana, Spain’s first AI model.
Eternity and Mave, virtual female groups developed using artificial intelligence, have blurred the barriers between entertainment and technology. Whether we like it or not, these accelerating and frightening shifts are here to stay.
AI has recently made influencers one of its goals. Aitana Lopez, a 25-year-old AI-powered influencer from Spain, is a pioneer in the field. Switching lanes to her Instagram, @fit_aitana will strike you with eerie realism, as her “virtual soul” has deliberately developed a personality that is exceptionally lifelike and resembles the presence of a real-life model.
Her Instagram account already has over 300,000 followers.
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Aitana, created by Ruben Cruz, the creator of AI modeling business The Clueless, is a an AI model.
According to Euronews, Cruz’s breakthrough idea was fueled by the agency’s struggle to form genuine business relationships with real-life influencers. “Many projects were put on hold due to problems beyond our control,” the Clueless creator stated.
The Clueless describes Aitana, who is 25 years old, as a “strong and determined woman, independent in her actions and generous in her willingness to help others”. The AI model is also described as a Scorpio with a passion for video games and a commitment to fitness. Her vibrantly crafted design highlights Aitana as a standout with a multifaceted personality.
Designers working on Aitana’s images at the agency.The Clueless Agency
The Clueless Agency describes the AI influencer with eye-catching pink hair as an outgoing persona with “complicated humour and self-centeredness.”
The AI-powered “gamer at heart and fitness lover” was born on December 11, 1998. Her Instagram photos depict a digitally produced universe that reinforces the notion that she is engaging in real-world activities.
Following her trendsetting debut, the AI agency unveiled her other virtual companion, The Clueless’ second AI model, Maia Lima.
Similar to the controversy and criticism surrounding K-pop’s experimental experimentation, the rise of AI influencers has pushed unrealistic beauty standards.
While it is possible to focus on current technological advancements, this side of the virtual story is not without concerns for the future.
Travis Kelce’s NFL off-season with the Kansas City Chiefs has been a busy one.
The Super Bowl LVIII-winning tight end is the host of a new game show called “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” for Prime Video, the streaming service confirmed Tuesday. Filming for the 20-episode season has already completed.
Travis Kelce Named Host Of ‘Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?’ For Prime Video
The premise is a twist on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”, which debuted on Fox in 2007 and was hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. It also aired in syndication. John Cena hosted a 2019 revival for Nickelodeon.
In Travis’ show, an adult contestant will be given 11 elementary-level questions where they can ask a classroom of various celebrities for help answering.
Travis Kelce Named Host Of ‘Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?’ For Prime Video
The final question is from the 6th grade curriculum and is worth $100,000. Only one celebrity is allowed to talk through the answer to the last question with the contestant.
Travis, who is dating music superstar Taylor Swift, said in a statement he grew up watching game shows and is “excited to be following in the footsteps of so many TV icons.”
Travis Kelce Named Host Of ‘Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?’ For Prime Video
This isn’t Travis’ first TV gig. He starred in his own 2016 dating competition show for E! called “Catching Kelce” and hosted an episode of “Saturday Night Live” last year.
Celebrity
Hugh Grant Says He Got ‘Enormous Sum’ To Settle Suit Alleging Illegal Snooping By The Sun Tabloid
LONDON — Hugh Grant received “an enormous sum of money” to settle a lawsuit accusing The Sun tabloid of illegally tapping his phone, bugging his car, and getting into his home to snoop on him, the actor revealed Wednesday after the settlement was announced in court.
Grant, along with Prince Harry, sued News Group Newspapers and said he settled reluctantly because he could have faced a large legal fee even if he won at trial. If he had been awarded a cent less than the settlement offer, he would have been required to pay legal fees to both parties.
AP – VOR News Image
Hugh Grant Says He Got ‘Enormous Sum’ To Settle Suit Alleging Illegal Snooping By The Sun Tabloid
“As is common with entirely innocent people, they are offering me an enormous sum of money to keep this matter out of court,” Grant claimed on the social media platform X. “Even if every allegation is proven in court, I would still be liable for approximately 10 million pounds ($12.4 million) in costs.” I’m afraid I’m shy at that fence.”
The settlement sum was not disclosed. NGN said it accepted no wrongdoing and that the settlement was in both parties’ best interests to avoid a costly trial.
Grant and other claimants allege that between 1994 and 2016, NGN, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, violated their privacy by hiring private investigators to intercept voicemails, tap phones, bug cars and use deception to access confidential information.
Grant claimed in a witness statement that he could never figure out who broke into his fourth-floor flat in 2011. The door had been pulled from its hinges, and the interior appeared to be a battle scene, but nothing was gone. Two days later, The Sun published a story on the inside and “signs of a domestic row.”
He claimed he was shocked to learn that someone working for The Sun had broken into his house and put a monitoring device on his car.
AP – VOR News Image
Hugh Grant Says He Got ‘Enormous Sum’ To Settle Suit Alleging Illegal Snooping By The Sun Tabloid
Grant, who had already settled a case against Murdoch’s News of the World for hacking his phone, said he would not go lightly.
“Murdoch’s settlement money stinks and I refuse to let this be hush money,” he told reporters. I have spent the best part of 12 years fighting for a free press that does not distort the truth, abuse ordinary members of the public or hold elected (members of Parliament) to ransom in pursuit of newspaper barons’ personal profit and political power.”
Grant stated that he would donate the money to organizations such as Hacked Off, founded after phone hacking disclosures in 2011 brought down News of the World and prompted a government investigation into illegal press practices. Grant serves on the board of a group dedicated to promoting a free and accountable press.
While the now-defunct News of the World has apologized for hacking the phones of celebrities, politicians, and relatives of deceased soldiers and a murdered schoolgirl, The Sun has resolved claims without admitting guilt.
After Grant’s consent to settle his claims, the Duke of Sussex and 41 others are slated to go to trial in the High Court in January.
The settlement occurred after Justice Timothy Fancourt rejected NGN’s bid to dismiss Grant’s claim in May.
AP – VOR News Image
Hugh Grant Says He Got ‘Enormous Sum’ To Settle Suit Alleging Illegal Snooping By The Sun Tabloid
“If true … these allegations would establish very serious, deliberate wrongdoing at NGN, conducted on an institutional basis on a huge scale,” Fancourt wrote. “They would also make a concerted effort to conceal the wrongdoing by concealing and destroying relevant documentary evidence, issuing repeated public denials, lying to regulators and authorities, and threatening those who dared to make allegations or notify intended claims against The Sun.”
SOURCE – (AP)
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