Latest news with #Hicks
Euronews
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Sex, sleaze and subversion: Inside London's new grindhouse cinema
On an unassuming street in central London, a red-painted building peeks at passersby — its facade plastered with a close-up of The Man with the X-Ray Eyes. Inside, I'm watching Ruggero Deodato's The Washing Machine, an Italian murder mystery involving psychosexual mind games, fridge fornication, and bleeding appliances. It's the kind of filmic fever dream only The Nickel would dare to screen: a new micro cinema in London founded by filmmaker and programmer Dominic Hicks. Imbued with the frenetic spirit and sleazy charm of retro American grindhouse theatres, it's a shrine to the deranged gems of exploitation cinema: gritty, boundary-pushing B-movies. Or as Hicks puts it: 'A safe place for weirdos and outsiders.' June's inaugural screenings include everything from Todd Browning's silent horror The Unknown, to Roman Polanski's erotic thriller Bitter Moon, to David Winters' Cannes-set giallo The Last Horror Film. The programming embraces an anything-goes approach, inspired by the edgy offerings of London's infamous Scala cinema. 'I like films where the beauty in them comes through how the audience receives and nurtures them in their collective imagination,' Hicks tells Euronews Culture. 'Whether it's the practical effects, or the score, or the bad acting that they find really quotable — it belongs to the audience in the long run.' The Nickel might be small, but in an era of digital disconnection and algorithmic ennui, it's part of a growing movement across Europe: DIY film clubs and hyperlocal venues that counter the monoculture of streaming services and multiplexes. From Liverpool's trans-inclusive 'Paraphysis Cinema' to the feminist-themed 'Tonnerre' in Paris, these repertory pop-ups represent a desire among cinephiles to discover subversive oddities as intended: with an audience. 'These community spaces are an opportunity to bring people back together to have conversations about movies,' Hicks says. 'You don't have to all feel the same, but the idea of being challenged, or getting the giggles together about some strange little forgotten gem, is always going to be entertaining.' This idea of confronting discomfort together is key. Namwali Serpell, writing in the New Yorker, recently lamented the rise of 'new literalism' — a cinematic trend where movies like The Substance and Anora heavy-handedly spell out their meanings and politics. Exploitation cinema, in all its moral ambiguity and tonal absurdity, offers a thrilling antithesis. 'I actually prefer, particularly when you look at the films of the 70s, how murky those movies were — that it's not abundantly clear if the filmmakers had the right morals,' Hicks explains. 'For me, that doesn't mean it's actually promoting poor morals. I think audiences are intelligent enough to challenge what they're seeing.' Before raising nearly £14,000 (€16,640) for its permanent space, Hicks ran The Nickel as an event programme for his local pub and The Cinema Museum. Much of what he shared was on rare 16mm prints, tapping into the sensory ambience of physical formats. Similar to the revival of vinyl, the crackle and click of film reels have become a way for people to connect with art more tangibly. 'You can't come close to the aesthetic experience of watching an original film print being projected in public when you're streaming things digitally,' Hicks says, citing one magical moment at The Cinema Museum when the projector got stuck and burned a film print: 'Everybody was just delighted. It was like we'd seen a shooting star.' Though The Nickel is still under construction when I visit, the vibe already feels special. Obscure physical media lines the entrance's shelves, their lurid covers begging to be fondled. Meanwhile, the dimly-lit basement bar is set to double as a communal hub for film-related workshops. 'Ultimately the plan would be to have everybody create projects together, then we can screen them here,' says Hicks, excited at the prospect of working 'on weird shit' with others. At a time when cinemas face a precarious future, The Nickel's vision is ambitious and comfortingly optimistic. According to the Independent Cinema Office (ICO), almost a third of UK independent cinemas are under threat, with London institutions like The Prince Charles launching petitions against redevelopment. But Hicks doesn't believe cinema will die — just its commercial models of old. 'I think we're seeing a return to that neighbourhood, smaller, independent cinema, because multiplexes don't give people a compelling enough reason to leave their sofas,' he explains. 'But I have faith that people won't surrender something so essential as the experience of going to the movies. I really hope not, anyway. And if they do, it'll be a hill worth dying on for me.' As the end credits of The Washing Machine roll, the room fizzes with the excitable energy of a shared (and sordid) little secret. Away from the anodyne streaming output, there's a quiet rebelliousness in The Nickel's embrace of mess, madness and misfits — a reminder that cinema's darkened rooms are often where we feel most fully seen. The Nickel cinema opens in London on 11 June. An image of five elderly women having a giggle while sharing spring rolls in a quiet corner of Sichuan has been crowned the world's best food photograph. Titled simply as "The Elderly Having Delicious Food", the heartwarming photo by Chinese photographer Xiaoling Li has taken the top prize at this year's World Food Photography Awards, beating nearly 10,000 entries from 70 countries. Shot in Shuangliu Ancient Town, the image captures what Li describes as a 'Dragon Gate formation' - a Chinese phrase for neighbours gathering to chat, gossip, and share stories over food. 'They eat the famous Sichuan snack 'spring rolls,'' says Li. 'Food makes these people happy; they enjoy a beautiful and joyful life.' The awards, sponsored by Tenderstem® Bimi®, were announced in a glittering ceremony at London's Mall Galleries, hosted by chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi. The competition spans 25 categories - from 'Bring Home the Harvest' to 'Food in the Field' - and celebrates the many ways food weaves through our lives, cultures, and stories. 'These Awards showcase the power of photography in telling incredible food stories from around the world,' said Dave Samuels, Brand Director at Tenderstem® Bimi®. 'No matter how the world changes, food remains at the heart of our lives.' A selection of the winning images will be on display at Fortnum & Mason from 2 June and the Museum of the Home from 3 June to 7 September. Below, feast your eyes upon a few of our favourite winning images from this year's competition.
Politico
3 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
A Kamalaless confab in the shadows of Disneyland
Presented by California Environmental Voters DEM DERBY — California Democrats will gather in Anaheim this weekend to hold their largest meeting since native daughter Kamala Harris faceplanted in the presidential race and Donald Trump returned to besieging them from Washington. Harris' decision of whether to run for governor or president for a third time will hang over the 4,000 party faithful in attendance — but she's not expected to be among them. Only a vestige of her failed run, ex-running mate Tim Walz, is scheduled to be in the building. He'll rally the troops Saturday but is unlikely to have time for a ride on the tea cups at nearby Disneyland, as he's also headlining the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention on the same day. Let's hope Harris' would-be competitors in the governor's race aren't fiending for a Mickey-shaped pretzel, because they'll be busy stumping as if delegates aren't waiting to see if the former vice president gets in the race. Other would-be 2028 contenders will be around. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is slated to speak, ideally for fewer than the 25 hours he recently spent filibustering on the Senate floor. And Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach is scheduled to take a break from his House Oversight bid to party with Planned Parenthood Friday night (DJ not yet announced). The party won't vote on endorsements this weekend, but candidates down the ballot in the lieutenant governor's and treasurer's race are descending on the city to promote their runs. Math problem: This initial phase of the endorsement fight will be especially critical for the governor's field — particularly if Harris doesn't get in — and the race remains as crowded. Candidates would need more than a majority of delegates to back them to get the party nod, though California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks did not rule that out in an interview. 'They may or may not get 60 percent,' Hicks said. 'You know, in 2018 many folks didn't think that Gavin Newsom would get the endorsement.' The Kamala in the room: Hicks went to great lengths to praise his party's 'deep bench,' rattling off candidates in the field, but agreed Harris will be on attendees' minds. 'A former Attorney General, Senator, Vice President, and presidential candidate from California is certainly going to loom large, especially when everyone has had some interaction with her, has probably worked, certainly worked hard for her, and worked hard for her recently,' Hicks said. 'The decision is for her to make in the coming weeks and months.' GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as 'CA Playbook' in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@ and bjones@ or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. CAMPAIGN YEAR(S) FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A Democratic candidate to succeed Assemblymember Mike Gipson is excavating one of her opponent's left-leaning tweets on policing and oil in a bid to erode the challenger's labor bona fides and consolidate union support. Compton school board member Ayanna Davis' campaign has launched a website chock full of social media posts from progressive candidate Fatima Iqbal-Zubair in which Iqbal-Zubair expressed support for the Defund the Police movement in the wake of George Floyd's murder and called for divestment from oil companies. The campaign is also planning to blast out a memo full of opposition research to convention-going party delegates in the Assembly district in play this morning. 'Ban police associations. End qualified immunity. Prosecute cops,' Iqbal-Zubair wrote in a 2021 post featured on the site. The open race for Assembly District 65 is already shaping up to be a tough Dem-on-Dem contest. Davis and Iqbal-Zubair — the chair of the state party's progressive caucus and a legislative affairs staffer for California Environmental Voters who has challenged Gipson in the past — are also joined in the race by another Democrat, Myla Rahman, the district director for state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. Gipson is term-limited and running for the California Board of Equalization next year. Labor support was key for Gipson in locking down the seat in the past and could be critical in the heavily Democratic district again this cycle. Iqbal-Zubair in an interview said her values haven't changed but that 'it's important to preserve all union jobs in my district, that includes the jobs in the refineries at the ports.' 'Policing and prisons: There's union members in there that have good jobs,' she elaborated. Iqbal-Zubair bemoaned environmental pollution and police violence disproportionately affecting people of color in her Los Angeles-area district. She cast clean energy jobs as an opportunity to maintain union ranks while offsetting the effects of climate change. And she called for more social service workers to work in the criminal justice system. 'The whole underpinning of my campaign is undoing the systemic harms in the district,' Iqbal-Zubair told Playbook. 'Public safety is a huge part of that, obviously, because, if you ask community members in my district, they haven't had systems that have helped them feel safe.' TRADE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC — State Attorney General Rob Bonta joined Democratic officials across the country who took a victory lap after a pair of federal court rulings struck down Trump's tariffs. But, the AG cautioned, economic turmoil over Trump's see-sawing tariffs is likely not over. 'He's pretty stubborn, he wants to do it how he wants and when he wants,' Bonta told Playbook. 'He's clearly, in our view, far overstepped his legal authority.' The Trump administration is appealing the decisions, which found the president unlawfully invoked emergency economic powers to unilaterally enact tariffs on dozens of countries without congressional approval. A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated Trump's sweeping 'reciprocal' tariffs while litigation plays out. California, led by Bonta and Newsom, was the first state to sue over Trump's taxes on imports. The state is still challenging his actions in a separate but related lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. 'These are our own arguments… included in court orders,' Bonta said of the two rulings. 'That's validating. Of course, we're interested in durable, permanent results.' SAN FRANCISCO PELOSI MANS UP — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week endorsed a San Francisco county party resolution urging Democrats to pay more attention to the well-being of men and boys — siding with moderate leaders who've sought to force Democrats to confront criticisms that the party isn't male friendly. Pelosi backed the measure at the SF Democratic County Central Committee's monthly meeting, albeit after a minor friendly amendment. Gary McCoy, Pelosi's proxy representative to the county party, said she shares the sentiment that Democrats 'need to do more' to reach out to men and boys and listen to their issues. Party leaders overwhelmingly approved the resolution. Emma Hare, a local Democratic county vice chair who wrote the resolution, said it's designed to spark an intraparty conversation about how to win back male voters who have flocked to Trump, including through efforts like universal paid parental leave for fathers, apprenticeship job programs and more behavioral health resources targeted at men. CLIMATE AND ENERGY EMISSIONS DISCOUNT — The state's latest quarterly sale of pollution permits to high-emitting companies went worse than it ever has since the pandemic, leaving the state with a third less revenue from the program this fiscal year than last. Read last night's California Climate for more on how questions around the future of California's signature cap-and-trade program are becoming budget problems. Top Talkers YER FIRED— Floyd Brown said on X today that he was fired yesterday by Richard Grenell, the presidential envoy for special missions, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts one month after being recruited to be the center's vice president, POLITICO's Cheyenne Daniels reports. He theorizes that his firing may have had something to do with an inquiry from CNN, where they asked him about his 'past writings and statements about traditional marriage and homosexual influence in the @GOP.' 'The only explanation is the one given to me at the time of my firing,' he wrote ''Floyd, you must recant your belief in traditional marriage and your past statements on the topic, or you will be fired.' Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door. My beliefs are much more common to Biblical Christianity.' APUSH LESSON— California Rep. Judy Chu says President Donald Trump's decision to revoke Chinese students' visas is 'xenophobic,' the Los Angeles Times reports. 'This is yet another example of the Trump administration targeting Chinese people instead of the Chinese government, assuming that every Chinese person is a pawn for the Chinese Communist Party,' Chu said. 'That is what xenophobia is all about, and it is reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act.' AROUND THE STATE — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wants to cut about 1,400 city jobs as the city confronts a roughly $800 million budget deficit. (San Francisco Chronicle) — Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho wants to establish a registry for people convicted of fentanyl murders. (The Sacramento Bee) — Twelve people who were charged with crimes at a pro-Palestinian protest at Stanford's executive offices were arraigned in Santa Clara County. (The Mercury News) PLAYBOOKERS PEOPLE MOVES — John Goodwin was named vice president of global brand at Back Market. He was most recently at Ogilvy, Razorfish, Klaviyo and Patagonia. — Josué Estrada has just been named chief operating officer at the Center for AI Safety. He's a former COO at both Salesforce and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, now stepping into the AI safety space to help scale research and impact. — Stacey Geis, former deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has joined Crowell & Moring's environment, energy and natural resources and white collar and regulatory enforcement groups as senior counsel in its San Francisco office. — Chris Shimoda joined the Supply Chain Federation as strategic policy adviser. He will continue to operate his firm Shimoda Government Strategies which he opened in April 2025. BIRTHDAYS — POLITICO's Maggie Miller … songstress Idina Menzel … rapper Remy Ma BELATED B-DAY WISHES — Tami Grossglauser in the office of Assemblymember Rick Zbur You may have noticed that the lead-in to California Playbook, 'The Buzz,' has disappeared from your screen. After many years, we've decided it was time to retire it. We woke up today feeling a little lighter for it. Onward. WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Altamont city council discusses current and future projects
ALTAMONT – Illinois will remove its 1% grocery tax in January 2026. Municipalities will have the authority to replace that tax, which is what the Altamont City council recently discussed and plans to do. Instead of the tax money going to the state, it will be going back into the city's general fund. 'It'll just shift,' said City Clerk Sarah Stephen. 'Instead of being dispersed between several different entities, it will all come to the city now.' The council also approved a $12,700 payment to Courts and Cracks to repaint Nori's Yard Multi-Use Court which will also include a new basketball goal similar to the ones in Gilbert Park. 'It looks very nice,' said Mayor Mike Walker. 'I look forward to everyone using that this summer.' 'I just want to thank … the community team members that raised the money to do this,' said City Commissioner Tayler Polk. 'Looks excellent. There's kids there all the time. Mine, as well.' In other news: Milano & Grunloh Owner and Project Manager Lee Beckman updated the council on some projects in progress around town. When the new sidewalks are installed along Main Street, they will be 1.5 times bigger than the previous ones and ADA compliant. Beckman is also planning an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program project to upgrade lighting, boulevards and sidewalks along both sides of Main Street from the railroad tracks to Route 40. Effingham County Recovery Oriented Systems of Care Coordinator Samantha Hicks informed the council of how ROSC works with individuals and families that suffer from substance use disorder and mental health disorders. 'One of our main focuses for this fiscal year is to reach the smaller villages outside of Effingham City because that city has a good abundance of resources,' said Hicks. 'But the villages outside of Effingham City face different barriers as far as long-term recovery, sobriety and mental health issues.' Hicks wants to support the people that need those types of services and connect them with support. The council also approved the sale of 107 North Main Street which was a continuation of the tabled item from August when the council wasn't full. The city sold the vacant property to RDM Designs Custom Cabinetry & Flooring so they can expand the business to the north. The next Altamont City Council meeting is scheduled for June 9 at 6 p.m. at the municipal building.
Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Toronto man, 23, arrested after shots fired in Friday fight in Kanata
A 23-year-old Toronto man has been arrested on a number of charges after shots were fired in a fight in the Kanata area last Friday. Article content Article content Ottawa police said in a release Wednesday that officers were called just after 4 p.m. Friday on reports of gunfire in a parking lot in the 100 block of Castlefrank Drive, near Abbeyhill Drive. Article content By the time police arrived, the suspects and the victim had left the area. Article content Article content Officers determined that three men had been involved in an altercation during which a firearm was discharged. Article content Article content No injuries were reported. Article content An investigation by the Ottawa Police Service guns and gangs unit identified Lorne Hicks, 23, of Mississauga, as the suspected shooter. Article content Hicks was arrested in Toronto over the weekend. He now faces several firearms-related charges, including discharging a firearm with intent, possession of a loaded and unlicensed restricted firearm and careless use and handling of a firearm. He also faces charges of assault, resisting arrest, and various breaches under the Firearms Act. Article content Anyone with information on the case, or others, was asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service guns and gangs unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5050. Article content
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bishop Ronald Hicks recalls connecting with Pope Leo XIV while growing up in the south suburbs
On May 8, white smoke from the Vatican sent the signal to the world; it was about to meet the first American pope. Here in Chicago, the birthplace of Pope Leo XIV, and in his south suburban hometown of Dolton, Leo Mania took hold. One of those already well-versed on the virtues of Father Bob Prevost was Rev. Ronald Hicks. 'I'm still wrapping my head around it,' Hicks said. 'What seems impossible is possible. And, it's just a time for great rejoicing.' The last time I caught up with my St. Jude grade school classmate from South Holland was in 2020 when he was installed as the bishop of the Joliet diocese. Almost five years later, we reconnected to marvel at how our backyard in the south suburbs made history. 'He doesn't seem like some figure or theory out there. But he's a normal guy from a normal neighborhood we grew up in. For me, it makes him so relatable,' Hicks said. Pope Leo XIV was inaugurated in a mass at Saint Peter's. Though on much larger scale, it was a scene much like the holy rite at Saint Raymond's Cathedral when Bishop Hicks was installed to the leadership position in Joliet. Hicks met the then-cardinal four years later when he was giving a talk at one of his parishes. 'I attended the talk, I sat there in the front row,' Hicks recalled. 'I think everyone walked away saying, I learned something tonight. I learned something about our faith. I learned something about our church. And, he did so in a way that was clear, concise. Creative and finally humble.' The two chatted about Pope Francis, the universal church and work in his diocese. 'Five minutes turned into ten, ten to 15, and 15 to 20.' And then he asked how he was doing. That's when he realized his skill as an orator and his passion, knowledge and intellect weren't his only assets. 'He takes more time to listen than to talk,' Hicks said. 'And, I experienced that with him.' His down-to-earth approachability is one thing. Hicks says Leo also has a boldness that compels him to stand up for issues that impact the world: war, poverty and immigration. 'He doesn't back away or shy away. I think it's significant that he took the name Leo within our tradition. It just shows that he he has a love for social justice, that peace and social justice,' Hicks said. And he'll do it, Hicks added, as a bridge builder. 'And then be a voice. A voice for, expressing what does the church teach and why, and, and try to do so with, with the heart of the shepherd,' Hicks said. I asked Bishop Hicks if he sees any of himself in Pope Leo. What sort of inspiration, does he serve for him as a priest, as a bishop, as a man of God? 'I recognize a lot of similarities between him and me. So we grew up literally in the same radius, in the same neighborhood together,' Hicks said. 'We played in the same parks, went swimming in the same pools, liked the same pizza places to go to. I mean, it's that real.' The pope and the bishop were also both missionaries to Latin America and found their ministry early in life. But where these South Siders diverge is what baseball team they root for. '[Pope Leo] is and always will be a Sox fan. And, I grew up a Cub fan,' Hicks said. 'I'm a Cubs fan because my father is a diehard Cubs fan. He wanted us to know we were loved, but that we'd stay Catholic and Cubs fans. In my family, there was not getting around either of those things.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
