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The brief life and sudden death of Zyzz: why did the bodybuilding influencer die at just 22?

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Long before looksmaxxers, Aziz ‘Zyzz’ Shavershian was famous online for posting workouts and rage-bait – until he died in Thailand in 2011. A new documentary reveals what really happened Decades before the extreme aesthetic trend of looksmaxxing, there was Zyzz. Aziz Shavershian was an Australian teenager who became a fitness influencer in the 2000s, filming his workouts and thoughts about the world on his Nokia and posting them to YouTube. Zyzz was big in all senses of the word: many of his videos would see him flexing into unabashedly vain bodybuilding poses, hair feathered like an anime character, as he mocked his audience’s envy with slang straight out of bodybuilding forums: “U mirin’, brah?” He was skilled in rage-bait long before anyone had heard of it, creating accounts to troll himself in case the haters ever forgot to hate. He started an anonymous Facebook page, titled “10,000 likes and I’ll bash Zyzz”, and, when the goal was reached, switched the page to one advertising his ...
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Tiger Shroff, Abhishek Banerjee, and Elvish Yadav team up for Remo D'Souza's action franchise as Viccky Jain launches VJ Frames

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Producer and entrepreneur Viccky Jain has announced the launch of his production house, VJ Frames, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his career as a filmmaker. Making the announcement on his birthday, Jain also revealed the banner's maiden project—an ambitious action franchise that will be directed by choreographer-filmmaker Remo D'Souza and feature Tiger Shroff, Abhishek Banerjee, and Elvish Yadav in lead roles. The newly launched banner aims to back commercial entertainers across genres, with its debut project expected to combine action, spectacle and mainstream storytelling. While the makers have kept plot details under wraps, the announcement has already generated curiosity owing to the unusual casting combination of Tiger Shroff, known for his action-packed performances, alongside versatile actor Abhishek Banerjee and content creator-turned-actor Elvish Yadav. Speaking about the launch of VJ Frames, Viccky Jain described the occasion as the fulfilment of a long-ch...
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Gregg Araki on sex, film and queer resistance: ‘All the terrible shit in the world is because of sexual repression’

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As his 12th feature film, I Want Your Sex, hits theaters, the cult gay film-maker is as fired up as ever Is straight sex the most perverse sex of all? Gregg Araki ’s new film makes a convincing case. Titled I Want Your Sex, the movie is a deliriously fun and often hilarious study of desire, power and art that features bondage, full-frontal and a vagina made out of pink chewed-up bubble gum. “For me, it is a very queer story,” the director says, speaking the week of the film’s release in a video call from his Los Angeles home. “It’s a take on kink and alternate sexuality that goes right across the straight-queer spectrum.” While it is not the first heterosexual movie by Gregg Araki – that honor goes to his 1995 acid trip of a road movie The Doom Generation – it features the new queer cinema pioneer’s starriest cast in years, perhaps in a sign that Hollywood at large has caught up to the cult director’s anarchic vision. Forty years into his career, we still want Araki’s sex: the film is...
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‘A towering piece of monoculture’: how The Odyssey discourse has dominated this summer

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Christopher Nolan’s smash hit epic has continued to excite and enrage everyone from rightwingers to academics, an old-fashioned throwback to a uniting big-screen event Peter Bradshaw reviews The Odyssey The Odyssey: jaw-dropping action, dark magic and dolphin cameos – discuss with spoilers Go woke, get rich: why rightwing hate campaigns don’t affect the box office If a high-profile academic is reviewing a movie for the London Review of Books , that movie in question must be making some kind of mark on some kind of culture. And if people are actually reading a movie review in the London Review of Books, and writing thinkpieces in disagreement or favor of said movie or its review, that movie may actually be a cultural phenomenon. Normally, volume of discourse about a movie should not be mistaken for a sign that people are actually seeing it. Sometimes online factions just have a bored fixation not shared by the rest of the world. But Christopher Nolan ’s The Odyssey has some major recei...
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T-Series honours Neeraj Kalyan for 30 years of leadership; Bhushan Kumar calls him a pillar of strength

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T-Series marked a significant milestone on Friday as it celebrated 30 years of President & Executive Director Neeraj Kalyan's association with the company, recognising the executive whose leadership has played a defining role in shaping the entertainment giant's growth over the last three decades. Having joined the company during a period when the Indian music industry was on the cusp of transformation, Kalyan has been instrumental in steering T-Series through some of its biggest transitions. From the era of physical music formats to the rise of digital streaming, and from domestic success to establishing a formidable global footprint, his strategic vision has helped the company remain ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving entertainment landscape. Over the years, Kalyan has overseen key areas including music publishing, digital licensing, strategic partnerships and legal affairs, while also helping drive the company's commercial expansion. His leadership has been cent...
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‘I was born without self-esteem’: Hannah Einbinder on Hacks, her buzzy queer horror – and being Hollywood’s most outspoken star

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The Hacks lead was cast in meta-slasher sensation Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma for her ‘deranged physicality’ – but it’s a fitting role for an actor who has made a point of confronting shame and speaking her mind ‘God is good all the time,” laughs Hannah Einbinder. She’s fresh off a plane from Los Angeles and curled up barefoot in an armchair. This, she says, is “a crazy time in life. Starring in Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma in the midst of Hacks ending … it’s definitely an embarrassment of riches.” Hacks is the HBO comedy that ended earlier this year; in May, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Jane Schoenbrun’s queer meta-horror, became the breakout hit of this year’s Cannes film festival. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/EBR5uPv via IFTTT
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Kartik Aaryan donates Rs. 1 crore to Assam flood relief fund, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma thanks actor

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Actor Kartik Aaryan has stepped forward to support those affected by the devastating floods in Assam by donating Rs. 1 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The contribution was confirmed by the official X account of the Assam Chief Minister, which also shared Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's appreciation for the actor's generous gesture. Kartik joins a growing list of Bollywood celebrities who have extended financial aid and raised awareness to support relief efforts in the flood-hit state. Assam Chief Minister's Office Acknowledges Kartik Aaryan's Contribution The official X handle of the Assam Chief Minister announced Kartik Aaryan's donation and thanked the actor for his timely support. Gratitude to actor @TheAaryanKartik for his generous contribution of ₹1 Crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. HCM Dr. @himantabiswa appreciated his commendable gesture and timely support toward state relief measures. — Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) ...
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Anupam Kher wraps Yeh Prem Mol Liya, pens heartfelt note for Sooraj Barjatya: “A film with heart, grace”

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Veteran actor Anupam Kher has announced the completion of shooting for Yeh Prem Mol Liya, director Sooraj R. Barjatya's upcoming romantic musical family drama. Sharing the update on social media, the actor posted a series of photos and videos from the set and reflected on his long-standing association with the filmmaker, calling the project "another beautiful chapter" in their journey together. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead as Rajshri Productions' iconic "Prem", alongside Sharvari, marking their first on-screen pairing. Anupam Kher announces film wrap Taking to Instagram, Anupam Kher revealed that the film wrapped production the previous night. In his lengthy note, he expressed gratitude to Sooraj Barjatya, the cast and crew, while describing the film as one that left a lasting impact on him. "I've known Sooraj from the time he was an assistant on my very first film, Saaransh. Since then, we have shared the journey of more than eigh...
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Netflix sued for $105m over stolen Nicolas Cage war thriller

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Makers of unreleased $45m film Fortitude sue after hard drive stolen from streamer’s Los Angeles office Netflix is being sued for $105m over the theft of a hard drive including an unreleased Nicolas Cage war movie. The streamer’s Los Angeles office was the target of a theft involving a number of hard drives, one of which contained a copy of second world war spy thriller Fortitude. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/vdMe9LK via IFTTT
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Saiyami Kher and Vikram Phadnis talk about Pal Bhar Ke Liye premiering at IFFM 2026

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Saiyami Kher and filmmaker Vikram Phadnis are set to take their upcoming film Pal Bhar Ke Liye to the international stage, with the movie scheduled to have its World Premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026. The film features an ensemble cast comprising Ishwak Singh, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and Viineet Kumar Siingh in pivotal roles alongside Saiyami. The premiere marks an important milestone for the cast and crew as Pal Bhar Ke Liye begins its festival journey at one of the most prominent international platforms dedicated to Indian cinema. The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has long been known for showcasing diverse and acclaimed films, making it a significant venue for the film's global debut. For Saiyami Kher, the premiere also marks a return to IFFM after her previous appearance with Ghoomer, which opened the 2023 edition of the festival. Reflecting on her association with the festival and the upcoming premiere, the actress shared her excitement. "IFFM ha...
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