Latest news with #ChrisPratt
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Creepy as hell': Aussies are freaked out over the new Meta glasses
The future is here and Australians are officially creeped out by it and want it to stop immediately. Technology is changing faster than the panel on The Project, and Meta Ray-Bans have now been introduced to consumers. The smart glasses retail for around $450. They allow you to listen to music, film, make calls, and even interact with Meta AI — basically, like wearing a Google Home on your face. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses launched overseas in 2023 and were first made available in Australia in late 2024. To use the glasses, all the wearer has to do is say 'Hey Meta' and voice what they want it to do. So, if you don't mind walking around and looking like you're talking to yourself, this is definitely the piece of technology for you. Hollywood heavyweights Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt are even doing ads to promote the techy glasses, with Kris Jenner in tow. Usually, a celebrity endorsement is enough to win people over, but not this time because when hit the streets of Sydney, Aussies weren't fussed. In fact, they were straight-up creeped out and didn't want a bar of the tech-savvy glasses. Yes, even after Chris Hemsworth gave them his stamp of approval. Aussies really weren't shy about sharing their horror. When asked what he thought of the product, one man in a gorgeous red jumper stopped and went straight for the jugular. 'I think it is creepy as hell!' he said. 'I wouldn't buy them for myself and I'd prefer other people didn't buy them,' he added, before sauntering off down the road. A Gen Zer was a little less rigid in her opinion, she conceded that the glasses were 'cool' and 'had their place' in 2025 …. but …. 'They freak me out,' she admitted. Similarly, a young man stopped and said he found them a 'pretty weird piece of technology', which isn't exactly a gushing endorsement. In fact, he said he'd had the displeasure of seeing how young people use these glasses in the wild and, like a Boomer complaining about E-bikes, he didn't look impressed. 'I've seen people around in nightclubs recording people when they're dancing and stuff,' he told gravely. Another trendy young person stopped – you know she's trendy because she was wearing oversized headphones, airpods are out now, in case any old person was wondering – and also admitted she wasn't sold on the technology. 'I think it is creepy. You could have been filming me this whole time and I just wouldn't have known,' she said. 'I think that is kind of scary.' A man in a vest broke up the negativity by putting his detective skills to the test and arguing the glasses aren't that creepy because you can tell when they're filming you. 'I know you're filming because it is flashing. As long as that flash is there and I'm aware you're recording me, I don't really mind,' he said. Easy to say when you're young and still have 20/20 vision. Another Gen Zer didn't share this more relaxed opinion and said she wasn't a 'big fan' of the Meta glasses for one reason. 'I think it breaks a lot of consent about what you can and can't film. Something about having sunglasses on and not always knowing if someone is filming is quite freaky' she argued. When one woman was asked if she thinks it is a 'different vibe' depending on whether a man or a woman is wearing the glasses, she admitted it does. 'That is loaded! Yes,' she said. A Gen Zer said she didn't think gender mattered too much when it came to who wore the sunglasses. 'Maybe some guys look at places you aren't really supposed to look at, but still both ways, people can look in the wrong direction,' she pointed out. Another young woman admitted she'd need to think about the question more, but her initial reaction was …. yes. 'Initially, I'm sort of say like 'yes', but I'd need to think about that a lot more deeply,' she said.
Epoch Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey': Watch It Today
PG-13 | 1h 15m | War, Faith, Documentary | 2025 Today, Memorial Day, I recommend watching the new documentary, 'Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey.' Actor Chris Pratt has played many Navy SEAL characters during his career, following his stint on 'Parks & Recreation,' as well as the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise. Most notable among these is the character of ex-SEAL James Reece in the TV series 'The Terminal List'). Pratt has executive produced this fine documentary for Paulist Productions. It's about the military chaplains who wear the uniform but don't bear arms into battle. Nothing sums up a military chaplain's job better than the John Gospel: 'No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends' (John 15:13). "The March to Valley Forge," by William B. T. Trego, a painting of President Washington and his troops receiving a benediction from a military chaplain, in 'Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey.' Paulist Productions The film chronicles the journey of former military chaplain Justin Roberts. Suffering from PTSD after years tending to soldiers in battle, he learns that the remains of Father Emil Kapaun, a renowned Korean War chaplain and POW, have been discovered after 70 years. Roberts makes a pilgrimage to Father Kapaun's funeral in Kansas, with the intent to divest himself of his own pain and hopefully find renewal. Chaplain Tales 'Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey' proceeds to relate stories of other chaplains, both men and women, from all faiths, who currently serve, as well as those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Related Stories 3/28/2025 4/11/2025 As mentioned, combat chaplains are not there to kill the enemy and therefore bear no arms. Among the many talking head interviews, one interviewee in the film states, 'You have to be fearless to do that.' It's a calling, not a job, and a chaplain's weapon against fear is faith. They believe there is no other life choice for them, but to go into battle to help soldiers carry their heavy load, ease their pain, and make clear the path that will lead the fallen back to the Almighty, regardless of which faith. U.S. military veterans marching in a parade, in 'Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey.' Paulist Productions Father Struecker In 1993, Jeff Struecker served as a U.S. Army Major in the infamous Somalian 'Battle of Mogadishu,' recounted in the movie 'Black Hawk Down.' Struecker was in charge of a three-vehicle convoy tasked with the mission to rescue a stranded and wounded Army Ranger, under heavy fire. Struecker says, of the experience, 'I remembered what my faith really means. It means I can go home to my family in Georgia, or I can go home to my Father in heaven. I have nothing to fear.' Upon completion of his service, Struecker went to seminary, and then returned to the military as a chaplain in what American fighting forces call 'The Sandbox': Iraq and Afghanistan. He now sees his mission as helping soldiers prepare for battle and also to prepare for heaven, should their paths lead to the beyond. Promotional poster for "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey." Paulist Productions The Four Chaplains The most powerful story is about a group of World War II chaplains, known as The Four Chaplains. Similar to the final hours of the Titanic tragedy, they ministered to soldiers aboard the torpedoed and rapidly sinking transport ship, the Dorchester. These four surpassingly heroic men—two Protestant ministers, a Catholic priest, and a Jewish rabbi—helped soldiers board lifeboats, gave their own life jackets away, laid down their lives for their fellow men, and stoically went down with the ship. Four medals were designed for them posthumously. The Takeaway The world is currently awash in selfishness. Where does the resolve, the incredible generosity, and the absolute selflessness come from, to do something like the Four Chaplains did? One of the battles combat chaplains continually face is ministering to U.S. military personnel considering suicide. Suicide rates are up globally. It's a faith pandemic. The world needs military chaplains more than ever. Today, we're lucky to be able to honor this Memorial Day by watching those heroic U.S. military combat chaplains. 'Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey' was released in theaters Nov. 8, 2024. You can watch it today with your family here: Promotional poster for "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey." Paulist Productions 'Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey' Director: Richard Hull, Justin Roberts Documentary MPAA rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1 hour, 12 minutes Re-release Date: May 23, 2025 Rating: 4 and 1/2 stars out of 5 Would you like to see other kinds of arts and culture articles? Please email us your story ideas or feedback at
Sunday Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday Post
Rich history of Valletta makes it a go-to spot for Hollywood's finest
Get a weekly round-up of stories from The Sunday Post: Thank you for signing up to our Sunday Post newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up The 16th-Century streets of Valletta glow golden in the late afternoon sunshine. The only soundtrack is a background hum of tourists strolling past weathered mansions which once housed crusader knights, or relaxing with a drink outside one of the dozens of cafes. It's difficult to imagine vengeful dinosaurs rampaging through this historic city, but anyone who watched Jurassic World: Dominion will recognise St George's Square as one of the locations where a pack of atrociraptors chased Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard along the streets and alleys of the Maltese capital. © Supplied by Finn Partners And with parts of the newest movie in the franchise, Jurassic World: Rebirth, filmed on the island's coast and at the studios in Kalkara, Malta is back on the big screen once again this summer. It's all in a day's work for Malta, though. This little island might be small – Malta, plus sister islands Gozo and Comino cover just 122 square miles combined, not much more than the Greater Glasgow area – but they've stood in for Jerusalem, Rome and Greece, and played host to gladiators and zombies as well as dinosaurs. So while Malta might be best-known for its year-round sun, great diving and laid-back atmosphere, you don't have to venture far to discover a scene you'll recognise from the silver screen. In the north of the island, the colourful film set used for the 1980 Robin Williams film Popeye has even been turned into a fun park called Popeye Village, where you can pose with Olive Oyl and Bluto, before starring in your own short film. Meanwhile, Valletta's dinosaur-infested square is actually the site of the Grand Master's Palace, once the lavish home of the commander of the Knights of St John, now a tourist attraction and the office of the president of Malta. A 10-minute walk away, passing houses with their traditional closed wooden balconies known as gallarija, is the star-shaped Fort St Elmo, housing the National War Museum and – briefly – where Brad Pitt fought off the zombie apocalypse in World War Z. © Supplied by Finn Partners Across the water, the Colosseum was constructed not once but twice inside Fort Ricasoli for Gladiator and its recent sequel, and the entrance to an illegal dinosaur market was tucked away under the imposing Fort St Angelo in nearby Birgu. Today, the closest you'll get to dinosaurs is a visit to the island's medieval capital, Mdina, where the collection of prehistoric fossils at the Malta Museum of Natural History includes a tooth of a Giant White Shark, Carcharocles megalodon, which lived around 23 million years ago. It's not hard to believe you've stepped back into the past here though; instead of the revving of engines, you'll hear the clop of hooves, as horses pull carriages for tourists through the pedestrianised streets. Wandering down quiet alleys, occasional decorative signs reading 'the old Jewish silk market' and the 'old Greek bordello' offer the visitor clues to what might once have been hidden behind the imposing wooden doors. There's an added bonus for Game of Thrones fans, who can pretend they're exploring King's Landing; the ornate main gate doubled as the entrance to the capital of Westeros in the first season of the show. But while you're not going to find prehistoric life roaming this Mediterranean island, you could hardly pick a better location for a slice of the ancient past. Home to the world's second-oldest existing man-made religious structures, the temples at Ggantija on the sister island of Gozo date back more than 5,500 years. On Malta itself, the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra are only slightly younger, still centuries older than the Great Pyramid at Giza and Stonehenge. © Shutterstock / In Green When I first visited Malta, there wasn't much information for visitors, so beyond gazing at the ancient stones and marvelling at how long they've stood there, it remained a bit of an enigma. Since then, a new visitor centre has been built at Hagar Qim, with a 3D movie introducing you to the temple builders and the sites, as well as displays of artefacts found during excavations. A highlight is the series of stone figures known as the 'fat ladies', including the Venus of Malta, although whether they're fertility statues, goddesses or even female at all is up for debate. Elsewhere, you might expect thousands of visitors at a site like this, especially at the equinoxes and solstices when light shines through a specially positioned opening to illuminate one area at Mnajdra. But if you walk to the remains of the temples to see the opening bored through the stone, you'll have it almost to yourself. © Shutterstock / Karina Movsesyan Surrounded by fields of wildflowers, looking out on the gleaming blue Mediterranean below, much of it remains a mystery. Whoever the temple builders were, they came, they brought huge megaliths – one weighing 20 tonnes, another stretching more than 5m tall – to a string of sites and then they vanished, their civilisation lost and the temples themselves buried and forgotten for millennia. With a history like that, who needs virtual dinosaurs to tempt you to visit? P.S. If you think Malta's only claim to fame is doubling for ancient cities or hosting rampaging dinosaurs, think again. Beneath the streets of Valletta lies a hidden world of tunnels and chambers carved out during the Second World War. These secret shelters protected thousands from relentless bombing raids and some of the more atmospheric sites, like the Lascaris War Rooms, have even been used as film locations themselves – blending Malta's real wartime history with its silver screen alter ego. Factfile There are regular direct flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Malta International Airport near Valletta, including routes with Ryanair, Jet2 and British Airways. For more information on Malta, including more filming locations on the islands, go to
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
3 best Prime Video action movies you (probably) haven't seen
Hold on tight to the edge of your seat and don't let go. If you're in the mood for huge brawls, explosions and characters who don't back down, Prime Video has an action-packed lineup ready to deliver. Whether you're more into gritty shootouts with great drama or space wars, these action movies were practically built to get your heart racing. But maybe you want something a little off the beaten path, something you've not seen before. You've already run through "Die Hard" and "Rocky" and so many more of the classics. That's where we come in. We've rounded up some of best action movies on Prime Video that you probably haven't seen. So grab your snacks, turn up the volume and get ready for some serious thrills. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane play George and Margaret Blackledge in "Let Him Go," a retired couple still reeling from the death of their son. When their grandson is taken across state lines by his mother and her new husband (who is part of the deeply unsettling Weboy clan), Margaret insists they go after him. What starts as a mission to bring their grandson home turns into a tense, dangerous standoff with a family that doesn't take kindly to outsiders. Set against wide-open plains and heavy silences, the film balances tender moments with bursts of brutal violence, all anchored by a tough-as-nails performance from Lane. Perhaps best of all, you probably haven't heard of it. Watch on Prime Video Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. When high school teacher and former soldier Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) is conscripted into a massive fight via time travel, he's forced to leave his family behind for a war that seems impossible to win. All that, you know, and big sci-fi action, emotional stakes, and a race against time (literally) to rewrite the future. "The Tomorrow War" is loud and fast, but at its core, it's about second chances and the sacrifices people make to protect the ones they love. And even if you have Chris Pratt fatigue, you'll find something to appreciate here. Watch on Prime Video There are action movies, and then there are first-person simulations of what it feels like to play an entire action video game. Told entirely from the first-person perspective, "Hardcore Harry" is an adrenaline rush you've got to experience at least once. Told entirely from the perspective of its main character, Henry (Sergey Valyaev, Andrei Dementiev, Ilya Naishuller, David Malic), the film kicks off with him waking up in a lab with no memory and some serious cybernetic upgrades. Moments later, he's under attack, and the rest of the ride barely lets up. From rooftop chases to brutal brawls, Henry tears through wave after wave of enemies while trying to save his wife and figure out who turned him into a weapon. And you'll never expect the ending. Watch on Prime Video
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘I wouldn't be in a rush either' say fans as Paige Spiranac names celebrity as ‘slowest golfer' she's ever played with
PAIGE SPIRANAC has revealed the A-list celebrity who is the biggest name she has ever played with. The golf beauty was appearing on the Vanity Index podcast when she was asked who the biggest name she had played with was. 28 28 However, Paige revealed more than just some big names as she also named and shamed one movie star who was "unbelievably slow". The American said: "At Genesis, they did a celebrity Ryder Cup. "My partner was Nick Jonas and we played against Chris Pratt. He was very slow. "Might be the slowest golfer I've ever played with. Super nice guy, unbelievably slow." Paige continued: "We were like four holes behind on a nine-hole little thing. And they were like, 'You need to speed it up.' "He had all these people around him, and he'd tell these amazing stories. "And we were like, 'Hit the golf ball. Hit it'." Fans were in agreement over her frustration with slow play on the course, with one saying: "Slow play is the worst. Can't ever get in the groove." A second said: "I am soooo with you on that Paige! Slow play just kills your day on the course!" Slow-motion Paige Spiranac video leaves fans speechless as she takes shot in revealing outfit Others insisted that if they were playing a round of golf with Paige they would not be in a rush themselves, with one fan saying: "I mean, I wouldn't be in a rush either." Another said: "Someone tell her the guy just wanted to hang out with her longer." Chris Pratt, 45, has appeared across a variety of film and TV media since his debut in 2000. He has played comedy roles, like in TV sitcom "Parks and Recreation", and action roles, such as in the "Jurassic World" franchise and the "Marvel Cinematic Universe", leading the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy. Pratt, whose films as a lead actor have grossed just shy of $16billion (£12bn) according to The Numbers, has also done voice acting work such as "The Lego Movie" and the "Super Mario Bros. Movie". In 2014, he also ranked second in People's list of sexiest men alive. However, for all his grace in front of a camera, it seems he is not someone you want to be stuck behind on a golf course. Saying this, Pratt has competed in several pro-am golf events and appeared in a golf video with Bryson DeChambeau in 2022. A glimpse inside Paige Spiranac's glamorous life... 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 28
