‘Hell of a Summer' Review: Shallow Cuts
Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, the writers, directors and stars of 'Hell of a Summer,' take a more conservative, and therefore more boring, approach to their horror homage. A largely forgettable cast of teens and 20-somethings hang around Camp Pineway cracking irreverent, Marvel-style quips as they wait to be butchered by a knife-wielding maniac, whose kills lack both the cruelty and inventiveness of even the most run-of-the-mill slashers of the genre's heyday. There's a coming-of-age angle involving Jason (Fred Hechinger), a 24-year-old counselor struggling to grow up, but it's vague and noncommittal, straining for something to say.
Wolfhard and Bryk don't relish violence or gore: 'Hell of a Summer' is surprisingly tame, with most of its kills kept tastefully offscreen. In the second act, an annoying teen with a peanut allergy comes face to face with the killer, who brandishes a jar of peanut butter menacingly — a perfect opportunity for a bit of gnarly comeuppance, except that the filmmakers cut away. It shows a fatal lack of conviction at a moment that requires slasher-loving brass. Where's the fun in that?
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NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Vampires, romance and billionaires: The bite-size Chinese shows gaining U.S. fans
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'People want this fast dopamine hit, and they can snack on it while they're waiting,' said Anina Net, an American actress based in Los Angeles who has worked on minidramas for the past four years. The genre originated in China, where production companies have tapped into the popularity of short-form, vertical-produced, TikTok-style video content. About half of China's 1.4 billion people consume dramas in this style, according to a report released in March by the state-owned China Netcasting Services Association. The industry made $6.9 billion in revenue last year, more than China's total box office sales. The shows are 'still quite limited in genre, mostly romance-focused, with sweet, domineering CEO tropes and modern settings,' said Kaidi Dai, a Shanghai-based minidrama producer. Now, having figured out the Chinese market, the same companies are expanding into the U.S., where minidramas are finding success just a few years after the failure of Quibi, a short-lived, short-form mobile streaming service. The shows are available on platforms such as ReelShort, DramaBox and GoodShort, which offers free episodes and in-app purchases as well as subscriptions. Minidramas cost far less to make than standard TV shows and can make millions of dollars in revenue through a combination of user purchases and advertising. But adapting them to the U.S. market takes some tweaking, said Chinese filmmaker Gao Feng, also known as Frank Tian, who has a minidrama production company based in New York. Rather than remaking Chinese shows, his company hired longtime U.S. residents to craft stories that would appeal to American audiences. 'I believe that scripts determine 65-70% of a project's success,' he said in an interview. 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'The short videos on TikTok have laid a solid foundation for the popularity of short dramas,' Yan Min, who helped organize an industry conference in China last year, said in an interview. Min said ReelShort and other companies were advertising on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to attract new users, catering to the 'evolving viewing habits of younger generations, who have grown up with platforms like TikTok and are accustomed to short, engaging content.' U.S. entertainment companies have taken notice of the trend. Netflix said in May that it was testing a vertical feed made up of clips from its shows and movies, while Disney said last month that it was investing in DramaBox through its accelerator program. Though minidramas seeking U.S. audiences are increasingly using actors with American backgrounds, they often shoot in scenic Chinese locations like the coastal city of Qingdao, with its Western-style villas and architecture, for greater authenticity. 'We seek actors and screenwriters who grew up in the U.S. and naturally embody an American style. Then we incorporate some Chinese elements,' said Ann An, a Beijing-based freelance producer for several minidramas made for foreign audiences. Turnarounds are incredibly fast in the industry as producers strive to keep costs low. An said a show can finish filming in 10 days, with a budget of under $70,000. The biggest key to the success of minidramas, though, is the cliff-hangers, which push viewers to keep paying for the next episode. 'The scriptwriters know exactly where to place these cliff-hangers, and they execute them very well,' said Apple Yang, a minidrama director based in London. That helps explain the appeal of minidramas even if their overall quality is sometimes 'underwhelming,' said Ying Zhu, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University's Academy of Film. 'Make the dialogue real and less mechanic. Make it funny when possible and biting when needed,' Zhu said. 'One minute can pack in a lot of info if done well.'
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Tom's Guide
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- Tom's Guide
According to a yoga instructor, this 20-minute flow can increase your flexibility and build strength from home
One of the best things about working out from home is the fact that you don't have to hand over dollars to get your endorphins pumping. Getting a sweat on at home means you can also finish a workout in the time it might take you to commute to a class. Plus, because you're never too far away from your mat, working out from your living room might help you maintain a consistent and dedicated practice, which can help you unlock lasting physical and mental benefits. If that sounds good to you, but you're wondering where to start, this yoga flow from instructor Charlie Follows is just the thing. Designed to be completed daily, this 20-minute practice will help you build positive habits, reduce stress, and give your strength and flexibility a boost. You'll only need a yoga mat for this class, but Follows recommends having a blanket, pillow, and or bolster nearby in case you're looking for some extra support. Follows describes this Vinyasa-style workout as a daily flow that you can use for your day-to-day practice. 'This is a little bit of everything for your day-to-day practice to help you stay consistent and do something good for your body,' she says. In yoga, a flow is where poses are linked together, one after the other, and are synchronized with your breath, in a 'flowing' sequence. For example, you might start with a downward dog, and then 'flow' into a plank pose, before ending up in a cobra pose, and then working your way back through each asana. In this 20-minute session, the flow starts with a quick warm-up by heading straight into child's pose, which gives you a chance to check in with your body, tune in with your breath, and be present. You'll then move into a table top position, and move through a figure of eight to help you mobilize your body and warm up your wrists. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This workout is split into three sequences. The first will see you move through side plank, low lunge, and pyramid pose. The second sequence involves moves like a three-legged down dog, fallen star, and pigeon pose. The final sequence will see you take things a bit slower with a number of positions you'll hold for a prolonged period of time, including extended puppy pose, child's pose, and locust pose. There are many physical and mental health benefits to practicing yoga every day. For starters, rolling out your mat and getting your yoga on every day can help you stay consistent in your practice. It also ensures you're making a dent in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) daily activity guidelines for adults, which recommend that 18-65-year-olds should complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, such as 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But perhaps the most notable improvement of completing yoga every day is a boost in your bendiness. For example, one pilot study found that a six-week Iyengar yoga practice lasting 90 minutes per week 'significantly' increased flexibility in moderately active females, especially in the erector spinae and hamstrings. This would only increase if practiced daily. While one study, which monitored 50 overweight middle-aged and young women doing hot yoga regularly for a year, found that this low-impact exercise could help reduce weight and body fat. A daily yoga practice could also improve wellbeing, mood, and decrease anxiety. According to research published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, four weeks of hatha yoga exercises three times a week has an effective role in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. 'Thus, it can be used as complementary medicine,' researchers conclude. Lastly, a daily nighttime bout of yoga could also be just the thing to help you — and the rest of the family, if aged between two to five years old — catch some ZZZs. Researchers in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement discovered that a yoga routine before sleep may be 'slightly more effective than a story-based one'. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
