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Showing posts with the label IFTTT

Art for Everybody review – the dark side of Thomas Kinkade, ‘painter of light’

The extraordinarily popular painter of kitsch American scenes struggled with addiction and depression, as this documentary with access to his previously unseen works shows You won’t find the works of Thomas Kinkade lining the walls of the Museum of Modern Art, yet the painter, who died in 2012, is one of the best-selling artists in history and his paintings hang in tens of millions of American households. Kinkade’s typical subjects – rustic landscapes, sleepy cottages, quaint gazebos – bask in an idyllic calm, a luminous callback to a fabled simpler past. Turning to his unpublished archive, Miranda Yousef’s engrossing documentary portrait unveils the dark shadows that lurked within the self-titled “painter of light”. Through interviews with family members, close collaborators and critics, as well as Kinkade’s own words, the film traces his meteoric success in the 1980s and 90s. Shunned by the art world, he marketed his works through home-shopping television channels and a network of...

Art for Everybody review – the dark side of Thomas Kinkade, ‘painter of light’

The extraordinarily popular painter of kitsch American scenes struggled with addiction and depression, as this documentary with access to his previously unseen works shows You won’t find the works of Thomas Kinkade lining the walls of the Museum of Modern Art, yet the painter, who died in 2012, is one of the best-selling artists in history and his paintings hang in tens of millions of American households. Kinkade’s typical subjects – rustic landscapes, sleepy cottages, quaint gazebos – bask in an idyllic calm, a luminous callback to a fabled simpler past. Turning to his unpublished archive, Miranda Yousef’s engrossing documentary portrait unveils the dark shadows that lurked within the self-titled “painter of light”. Through interviews with family members, close collaborators and critics, as well as Kinkade’s own words, the film traces his meteoric success in the 1980s and 90s. Shunned by the art world, he marketed his works through home-shopping television channels and a network of...

Hera Pheri fans request Paresh Rawal to rethink his decision of quitting the film; actor responds amid legal drama

The Hera Pheri franchise has found itself in the middle of fresh controversy after veteran actor Paresh Rawal reportedly exited the upcoming installment mid-way through filming. His sudden departure has not only created ripples within the production team but has also triggered legal consequences, with Akshay Kumar’s production house said to be considering legal action against Rawal for breach of commitment. Paresh Rawal, who played the iconic character of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in the beloved comedy series, is widely considered the soul of Hera Pheri. His exit has left fans disappointed and heartbroken — many of whom have taken to social media to plead with the actor to return to the project. One such fan recently addressed Rawal on X (formerly Twitter), urging him to rethink his decision. “Sir please think ???? Once again to join HERA FERI movie ?? You are the hero of this movie,” the fan wrote in an emotional plea. Rawal’s response, though brief, hinted at deeper issues behind the ...

Kamal Haasan reacts to Hindi imposition row amid Tamil vs Kannada controversy

Amid the ongoing controversy around his recent remark on Tamil’s linguistic supremacy over Kannada, veteran actor Kamal Haasan has now stirred another significant conversation — this time addressing the long-debated issue of Hindi imposition in Southern states. Speaking to PTI, the actor-politician weighed in on the importance of linguistic freedom and inclusivity, especially in educational and employment contexts. Haasan’s statement comes at a time when his upcoming film Thug Life has reportedly been barred from releasing in Kannada following his earlier remarks. However, the actor did not hold back in addressing broader national concerns around language politics and imposition. “Without imposition, we will learn. Don't impose, because this is ultimately education and we must take the shortest route to education… and not put hurdles in its way,” said Haasan, stressing that learning languages should be organic and never forced. He further expressed solidarity with other states tha...

Nine women accuse Jared Leto of sexual impropriety in new report

Women recount alleged behavior, including flirting with teenagers, as ‘predatory, terrifying and unacceptable’ Multiple women have accused Jared Leto of impropriety, with some calling the 53-year-old actor and musician’s behavior “predatory, terrifying and unacceptable”. In a new report by Air Mail on Saturday, nine women have come forward to accuse Leto of engaging in inappropriate behavior over the years, including flirting with teenagers. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/YP0R8r5 via IFTTT

Ranbir Kapoor's ARKS launches its first fragrance 'ARKS Day', expanding into the world of scents

Ranbir Kapoor’s premium lifestyle brand, ARKS, has taken a significant stride beyond fashion and footwear with the launch of its debut fragrance—ARKS Day. Known for redefining everyday essentials through the lens of minimalism and quiet confidence, ARKS now explores the world of fine fragrances, marking a new chapter in its evolving identity. ARKS Day is designed as the finishing touch to one’s daily ensemble— “the final, invisible layer before you step out the door.” Gender-inclusive and timeless, the fragrance embodies ARKS' signature ethos of subtle sophistication. It opens with a fresh citrusy burst, layered with warm woody undertones, and settles into a musky finish—mirroring the brand’s philosophy of balance, simplicity, and inner strength. “ARKS Day brings back a lot of memories from my childhood—the places I felt drawn to, the people who made me feel at home. We wanted to capture that essence in this first bottle. It's familiar, grounding, and made for those who carry...

The Golden Spurtle review – a cosy celebration of porridge and its champions

This Australian documentary about the world porridge championships, held each year in a Scottish village, is as wholesome and nourishing as its oat-stirring subjects The word “porridge” to me evokes something modest and satisfying: mouthfuls of reliable pleasantness in a terribly volatile world. How lovely that The Golden Spurtle – Constantine Costi’s charming documentary about the world’s annual porridge-making championship in the Scottish village of Carrbridge – has assumed some of the qualities of the dish. It isn’t flashy (and certainly doesn’t scream “must-watch”) but, like a good ol’ fashioned bowl of well-cooked oats, it’s got it where it counts. This film is a pleasure to watch – with endearing salt-of-the-earth subjects, a lovely ebb and flow, and a tone that feels just right: neither overly serious nor tongue in cheek. Its appeal is not dissimilar to the Australian comedy series Rosehaven : sometimes it’s just nice to escape into a fresh air-filled world with refreshingly l...

‘Allegory for the times we live in’: De Niro and Scorsese reunite for Casino at 30

Director and star of the Vegas-set mafia drama spoke to an audience as part of this year’s Tribeca film festival, looking back at their 1995 hit and its timeless themes For this year’s Tribeca film festival, the annual New York salute to moviemaking featured a special screening of Casino , the Martin Scorsese -directed drama starring Robert De Niro , Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone, timed to its 30th anniversary. But even though the splashy epic premiered in this same city back in November 1995, its themes of power, money, greed and ego are echoing in the modern ethos louder than ever. “You can go back to the ancient Greek tragedies,” said Scorsese, speaking alongside De Niro and moderated by the standup comedian W Kamau Bell on stage at the Beacon Theater before the screening. “It’s a basic story of hubris and pride, with the pride taking us all down.” Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/8f6hIUC via IFTTT

‘I must have done something right!’: dance master Jiří Kylián on his festival, fierce critics and the Ministry of Silly Walks

At 78, the great choreographer is enjoying a career-spanning celebration in Oslo. He reflects on his leap from dance to visual art and why he feels snubbed by Britain A gang of young dancers, their black costumes offset by colourful hats, cascade down the sloping roof of Oslo’s opera house for a jubilant routine to a Prince song by the waterfront. The building’s huge glass facade has become an unlikely stage for sculptures, digitally scanned from dancers’ bodies, positioned as if they are plunging into the building like the nearby bathers in the fjord. Inside, there’s an eclectic bill of ballets including one inspired by a painting from the Edvard Munch museum next door. In the wings of the theatre is an installation drawing on the Buddhist Zen symbol ensō. The studio space is screening short films veering from slapstick to the profound. But this sprawling festival, spanning more than two weeks and then partially touring, has a singular focus. These are all works by Jiří Kylián, the...

Death is not the end! From the new robot Walt Disney to Mountainhead, movies are fuelled by immortality

Transhumanism has long propelled films from Metropolis to The Matrix. But Jesse Armstrong’s billionaire satire isn’t sci-fi fantasy. Nor is the ‘robotic Grampa’ Disney’s granddaughter so despises For years, the world’s most perfect urban myth was this: Walt Disney’s body was cryogenically frozen at the moment of death, waiting for technology to advance enough to bring him back to life. Started by a National Spotlite reporter who claimed to have sneaked into a hospital in 1967, only to be confronted by the sight of Disney suspended in a cryogenic cylinder, the myth prevailed because it was such a good fit. Disney – and therefore Walt Disney himself – was the smiling face of rigidly controlled joy, radiating a message of mandatory fun that is magical when you are a child and increasingly sinister as you age. This policy (essentially “enjoy yourself or else”) suits the idea of cryogenic preservation. After all, if you have the ego to successfully enforce a blanket emotion as a company m...

BREAKING: Bobby Deol has a rocking cameo in Housefull 5

The comic caper Housefull 5 has released today and there's a lot of excitement for it, thanks to its sprawling casting, murder mystery element, grandeur and the unique strategy of having two endings. But that’s not all. Viewers who will go to watch Housefull 5 will be in for a surprise. It turns out that there's one more prominent actor in the film, and that's none other than Bobby Deol! Bobby Deol appears in the film in a cameo at a crucial juncture, that too all of a sudden. There are reports of viewers whistling and hooting in his entry scene. Interestingly, Bobby Deol was also a part of Housefull 4 (2019). Housefull 5 stars Akshay Kumar, Abhishek A Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Nargis Fakhri, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Chitrangada Singh, Fardeen Khan, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Dino Morea, Ranjeet, Soundarya Sharma, Nikitin Dheer, and Akashdeep Sabir. It is written and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala an...

The Life of Chuck review – unmoving Stephen King schmaltz

Tom Hiddleston plays a man who might be the centre of the universe in a film of often effective parts that never really come together As prestigious as it might sound to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes or the Golden Lion at Venice, the surest indicator of Oscar recognition has become victory at the far less fancy, far more mainstream Toronto film festival. There isn’t a jury-based award, instead there’s one decided by an audience vote and, far more often than not, their picks have lined up with those of the Academy. Since 2008, only one People’s Choice award winner hasn’t then gone on to either take home or be nominated for the best picture Oscar, and while the picks haven’t always been the greatest (hello, Jojo Rabbit, Belfast and Three Billboards), they’ve indicated a broad, crowd-rousing appeal. Last year, despite predictions that Anora or Conclave might triumph, out of nowhere the far less buzzy, and, at that point, distribution-less Stephen King adaptation The Life of Chuck triu...

Goebbels and the Führer review – private life of propagandist shows grotesque heart of Nazism

Joachim Lang’s bleak film shows a preening Goebbels and a careworn Hitler as they battle to convince the German public, and themselves, they will win the war In an appropriate spirit of cynicism and bleakness, German director Joachim Lang has made a film about the private life of Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, the Hexenmeister or chief sorcerer of lies, and his always strained relationship with Hitler. Robert Stadlober plays the preening and self-pitying Goebbels and Fritz Karl is a careworn Hitler. Franziska Weisz plays Goebbels’s wife Magda, who at first resented his infidelities with showbusiness starlets but for the sake of the Fatherland submitted to the public image of a good Nazi wife and mother of six adorable children – whom Joseph and Magda finally murdered in the bunker before killing themselves. In its subversive, austerely satirical way, the film feels almost like a B-side to Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Downfall from 2004, and Lang has perhaps even inhaled, just a little,...

Back to the Future stars seek help in hunt for missing Marty McFly guitar

Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd make plea to help track down cherry red Gibson, 40 years after film’s release Marty McFly grabbed a guitar in Back to the Future and rocked out with the band at a 1950s high school dance, helping him narrowly avoid blinking out of existence before time-traveling back to the 1980s. The guitar, in real life, wasn’t as lucky. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/bvWhZX9 via IFTTT

Luca Guadagnino set to direct fact-based drama about OpenAI

Challengers director in talks to direct Artificial, film based on behind-the-scenes 2023 drama involving Sam Altman Luca Guadagnino is in talks to direct a new comedic drama about behind-the-scenes drama at OpenAI. The director of Call Me by Your Name and Challengers is set to take on Artificial, a film telling the story of the period in 2023 when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was fired and then rehired within days. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/Xv3TljM via IFTTT

Gurmeet Choudhary, Debina Bonnerjee reveal theft at home by domestic help

Television actor Gurmeet Choudhary recently opened up about an unsettling incident at his residence involving theft by a newly hired domestic worker. The actor took to Instagram Stories to share the news, later reposted by his wife and fellow actor Debina Bonnerjee. In his note, Gurmeet wrote, “Today, a new worker stole some items from our home and ran away. Thankfully, we always verify anyone who comes to work, so we could act quickly. I'm especially grateful I was home, and my babies were safe in their room. With prompt action and a few calls, we recovered most of the items - and most importantly, everyone is safe. Just a bit of bad luck, but a strong reminder: Stay alert. Always verify anyone who enters your home for work.” The post sent a wave of concern among fans, many of whom flooded the couple's social media handles with messages of support and relief. Just hours before the incident, Gurmeet and Debina had shared a joyful family post featuring their daughters, capturi...

Anees Bazmee reacts to rumours about the exit of Diljit Dosanjh from No Entry 2; says, “I’m just happy that the film is getting made”

Director Anees Bazmee has broken his silence on the reported exit of Diljit Dosanjh from No Entry 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2005 comedy hit. While the news of Diljit walking out of the project has made headlines, Bazmee maintains that his focus remains on getting the film made, regardless of casting shifts. Speaking to News18, Anees Bazmee said, “I’m just happy that the film is getting made. There’s no bigger joy than that. At this point, woh hi ho raha hai jo upar waala chahta hai (Whatever is happening is the will of God). I work with a lot of earnestness and I leave the rest to God.” Bazmee also reflected on the reality of filmmaking, noting that ideal casting doesn’t always work out. “It’s not like I’ve only worked with actors who’ve been my first choices on the films I’ve done so far. I’ve had to work with actors who were my second and even third choices. But once these films got released, audiences felt that those actors fit the characters perfectly and nobody else could...

Ranbir Kapoor starrer Dhoom 4 to go on floors in April 2026: Report

Ranbir Kapoor is all set to take the Dhoom franchise forward, as reports suggest he will headline Dhoom 4 in a slick new avatar. The fourth instalment of the popular action-heist franchise is being planned as a reboot, with Brahmastra director Ayan Mukerji likely to helm the project under the Yash Raj Films (YRF) banner. According to a report by Pinkvilla, YRF’s head honcho Aditya Chopra is personally invested in shaping the new vision for Dhoom 4 and is currently in the process of locking a script that matches with the legacy of the franchise, along with screenwriter Shridhar Raghavan. “Aditya Chopra has been closely involved in developing the story and screenplay of Dhoom 4 with Shridhar Raghavan. They are currently working on the story draft that’s worthy of the hype around the reboot with Dhoom 4,” a source said. The franchise, known for its suave anti-heroes, looks to continue the trend with Ranbir playing the antagonist. “Ranbir is the apt choice for Dhoom 4, and the character ...

Ali Fazal reveals he instantly said yes to Thug Life; says, “A Mani Ratnam film isn’t something you get offered every day, and certainly not alongside someone as iconic as Kamal Haasan”

Actor Ali Fazal is set to make his South Indian cinema debut in Mani Ratnam’s upcoming film Thug Life. Starring Kamal Haasan in the lead, the film brings together a cast of actors from both Hindi and South Indian industries. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on June 5 in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. Marking a pivotal new chapter in his versatile career, Ali Fazal revealed that it didn’t take him more than a second to say yes to the project. “There are some calls you get in your life that you know instantly are meant to change the course of your journey — this was one of them,” said Ali. “When you hear the name Mani Ratnam, you don’t just think of cinema — you think of legacy, you think of storytelling that’s transcendent, timeless, and deeply rooted in human emotion. I didn’t have to think for a moment before saying yes to Thug Life. A Mani Ratnam film isn’t something you get offered every day, and certainly not alongside someone as iconic as Kamal Haasan. The...

Al Djanat: The Original Paradise review – striking account of Burkina Faso homecoming

Chloé Aïcha Boro’s watchful documentary charts the disharmony and legal wrangling caused by a dispute in her family over sacred burial land Economic and financial woes cast a dark shadow over family bonds in Chloé Aïcha Boro’s contemplative, searching documentary. Returning to her Burkina Faso village after decades of living in France, Boro experiences an emotional paradox intimately known by all immigrants. Once-familiar places turn foreign, since the migrator has undergone huge internal changes of their own. And with the recent passing of her uncle Ousmane Coulibaly, the head of her extended Muslim family, Boro’s homecoming is marred by disharmony. Between Coulibaly’s brothers and his 19 children, warring interests over inherited land rage on. The film returns time and again to a sacred courtyard where, for centuries, the umbilical cords of Coulibaly newborns have been buried to ensure their ascendence to heaven in the afterlife. More than a ritual, the tradition concretises the li...

Two endings in Housefull 5 – will it prove to be a game-changer or backfire? Trade experts share their views

The trailer of Housefull 5 is out and during the launch, producer Sajid Nadiadwala confirmed that 2 versions of the comic caper will be released. He said, “So, if you see at Gaiety, you'll see a character playing a killer but in Galaxy, the culprit will be somebody else. In PVR Audi 4, you'll have one killer but in PVR Audi 5, you'll see a version with a different killer. Even in the same audi, different show timings will have different actors playing the killer. This is happening in the world for the first time.” We asked the trade experts if this move could be a game-changer or will it backfire? Trade veteran Taran Adarsh said, “It remains to be seen how people react to it. I don’t think it has happened before. People have shot two endings, like what happened with Sholay (1975). But with Housefull 5, there are two versions and they’ll also be available to the audience. That would be very interesting.” He added, “I’d love to watch it twice as I would want to know what th...