Latest news with #Marcus'
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
29 "Weapons" Details, Easter Eggs, And Secrets
Zach Cregger's Weapons is the latest horror film to be a massive hit at the box office in 2025. And, because everyone and their mom is currently obsessed with this critical darling, now seems like a great time to take a deeper dive into some fascinating behind-the-scenes facts, details, and Easter eggs. 🚨🚨🚨 Note: Spoilers ahead. 🚨🚨🚨 The number 217 (as in 2:17 a.m., the time the children ran out of their houses in the film) has a lot more meaning and references you might not have noticed at first. For example, 217 — as many horror fans will know — is a nod to Stephen King's The Shining. And Cregger himself confirmed this. In Stephen King's novel The Shining, Room 217 is the haunted hotel room where Danny encounters a ghostly woman in the bathtub. It was inspired by the real Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which has its own ghost stories, and where King himself once stayed during a visit. In Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of The Shining, the room number was changed to 237 at the request of the Timberline Lodge (where exteriors were filmed) so guests wouldn't avoid the real Room 217; the lodge didn't have a Room 237, so it felt safer for business. However, for "purists" and book fans, 217 remains the 'true' haunted room, while 237 is the famous film version. You may have also noticed that the ratio of people left behind (Justine and Alex) to the number of students who disappeared from the classroom is 2:17. Also, in a more subtle nod to "2:17", there are 7 leads in the film (Justine, Archer, Paul, James, Marcus, Alex, and Gladys) who each have 12-minute "chunks" — which is 2:17 backwards. Finally, there's a popular theory out there that "217" may be a political reference to the 217 votes that passed a ban on assault weapons in the US House of Representatives in 2022. It's definitely an interesting coincidence when you combine the theory with that wild AR-15 rifle (a weapon often associated with mass shootings) hovering above a house in Archer's dream. There are several references to parasites in the film — largely in the background — which subtly foreshadow Gladys's behavior as a parasite herself. For example, in Justine's classroom, you can see the topic of "Parasites" on the whiteboard. Later, during Alex's classroom flashback, Justine briefly asks, 'Who else can think of a parasite?' Then, in the 'Marcus' chapter, a TV narrator describes the parasitoid fungus Cordyceps that takes over ants. You may have noticed a symbol like "⛛6" carved on Gladys's bell. The film never explains what it means, though we can probably jump to the conclusion that it's related to witchcraft, but there are A LOT of theories about its meaning. In witchcraft and occult symbolism, the triangle is a feminine symbol often linked to the Crone goddess, representing wisdom, endings, and magic. While number six has historical connotations in occult contexts—it's associated with witchcraft, devilry, and evil, especially when repeated (e.g., "666") There's also a theory out there that Gladys is much older than you might think and not actually Alex's great-aunt, but in fact a witch (or other supernatural force) inhabiting her body. The main reasoning behind this theory is Gladys's reference to "consumption," a very old term for tuberculosis (just as Marcus noted in the film), which was prevalent in the 1800s. Cregger has also talked about how his family's history with alcoholism informed the film's story. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Cregger said, "The final chapter of this movie with Alex and the parents, that's autobiographical. I'm an alcoholic. I'm sober 10 years; my father died of cirrhosis. Living in a house with an alcoholic parent, the inversion of the family dynamic that happens. The idea that this foreign entity comes into your home, and it changes your parent, and you have to deal with this new behavioral pattern that you don't understand and don't have the equipment to deal with." To that end, many viewers have also noted that the circle/triangle that appears in the "O" in the Weapons title card is identical to the Alcoholics Anonymous symbol. The idea for Weapons actually started when one of Cregger's best friends unexpectedly died. Cregger elaborated in the film's production notes: "One of my best friends unexpectedly died. I think there are times when screenwriters can write from a place of ambition, and that's maybe not the most creatively healthy way to go about it. But I was in such a severe, painful place that I was able to write just out of pure need, without any idea of what it was going to be." Though Cregger has not outright said who the friend was, many believe he's talking about his friend and co-founder of sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U'Know, Trevor Moore, who died on Aug. 7, 2021. Moore died of blunt force head trauma after accidentally falling from a second-story balcony at his Los Angeles home. Back in 2023, a major bidding war broke out over Weapons between Jordan Peele, through his Monkeypaw Productions, alongside Universal, and New Line Cinema for the rights. New Line ultimately won with a $38 million deal — about $7 million more than Universal's offer. Peele was reportedly so invested that he considered contributing his own backend profits. After Peele and Universal lost, Peele parted ways with two of his longtime managers, creating speculation that it was due to the Weapons bidding war loss. Interestingly, one of the managers Peele "fired" was Peter Principato, who also happens to be Zach Cregger's manager. In case you're wondering, the child narrating the story is no one we meet in the film. The narrator is voiced by Scarlett Sher, who played Lily in Hustlers (Constance Wu's character's daughter). Pedro Pascal was originally going to be in Weapons, but scheduling issues due to the 2023 strikes forced a full recast — leading to Josh Brolin taking over his role. Similarly, Renate Reinsve, perhaps best known for The Worst Person in the World (2021), was set to play the role of Justine Gandy, which eventually went to Julia Garner. Funnily enough, initially, Cregger actually felt that Julia Garner was "too young" for the part of Justine. And Oscar‑nominee Brian Tyree Henry was also part of the original ensemble, though it's unclear in what role. Cregger and Amy Madigan were simply having lunch together at a Greek restaurant when he offered her the part. BTW, if you're wondering where you know Amy Madigan from, you may recognize her from earlier iconic roles as John Candy's girlfriend in Uncle Buck (1989), Kevin Costner's wife in Field of Dreams (1989), or her later dramatic turn in Gone Baby Gone (2007). Benedict Wong, meanwhile, was cast "at the 11th hour." Cregger was "in a despair moment" not being able to get that role cast when he had a Zoom meeting with Benedict, who had apparently just woken up and then perfectly ad-libbed his way through the scene. Cregger offered him the role right then and there. Speaking of casting, fans of Barbarian may have appreciated the cameos from Justin Long and Sara Paxton. Long played AJ in Barbarian, while Sara (who is also Cregger's IRL wife) did the voices of the Nursing Video Narration, Assistant, and Megan in Barbarian. Cregger has cited Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999) as a major influence on Weapons, saying he felt it gave him "permission" to aim to make a "horror epic." In fact, Alden Ehrenreich's character Paul's look, in particular his mustache, was a direct homage to John C. Reilly's (who also plays a cop) in Magnolia. Cregger was adamant that each chapter of the film be told in a very subjective way. So, for example, with Alex, everything is shot from his third-grader height. To achieve the very specific look of the children running, the filmmakers used movement coaches and even constructed an entire obstacle course to prep the young actors for their scenes. In addition to writing, directing, and producing Weapons, Zach Cregger also served as a composer on the film, collaborating with brothers Ryan and Has Holladay. The three grew up together in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The local families of the subdivision that provided many of the film's locations would turn out and basically camp out in lawn chairs during filming, sharing iced tea and snacks among themselves. Production saved and re-homed at least two dogs and one cat over the course of the shoot. The production office also had Sea Monkeys that started as babies and grew to adults over the course of filming. Cregger actually did the spray painting of "Witch" on the side of Julia Garner's car. He did it during a lunch break from filming. Finally, when Cregger first sat down to write Weapons he didn't have a "plan" for where the story would go. He started with the opening we know — the little girl talking about the kids running out of their houses — and asking himself, "Why?" without having an answer, LOL. Obviously, he eventually figured it out (and it turned out perfect). Obsessed with weird, dark, and creepy things (like horror films!!!)? Subscribe to the That Got Dark newsletter to get your weekly dopamine fix of the macabre delivered RIGHT to your inbox!
GMA Network
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Marcus Adoro to join Eraserheads at upcoming festival amid sexual assault allegations
The Eraserheads will perform with complete members at the Electric Fun Music Festival. Guitarist Marcus Adoro will join the band after it was announced that he will be stepping back due to the sexual assault and harassment allegations against him. In an official statement on Instagram, the festival producers said Adoro is "actively and legally addressing the baseless and false allegations that recently circulated online." 'Mr. Adoro maintains his innocence and has presented the steps he has taken to assert his innocence through the appropriate legal channels," they added. 'His legal counsel has also assured us that his participation in the festival will not hinder or delay their ongoing efforts to seek a fair and lawful resolution.' The producers clarified that they do not condone abuse in any form, but at the same time, "firmly reject the culture of trial by social media." 'We stand for due process, fairness, and the fundamental right of every individual to address accusations in a lawful and just manner.' With this, the Electric Fun Music Festival is pushing through 'with clarity, integrity, and our full commitment to the music and the community that brought us all together.' In 2019, Marcus' daughter Syd Hartha spoke up on the alleged physical and verbal abuse from her father. Marcus' ex-partner Barbara Ruaro also opened up on the abuse. In 2022, Marcus reached out to Syd Hartha ahead of the Eraserheads reunion concert. In March, a post on Reddit went viral when a netizen claimed that Marcus raped her when she was in high school. The Electric Fun Music Festival has been rescheduled to October 18. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News
AsiaOne
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
The Coconut Club has a new restaurant inspired by an 'overlooked' fruit, here's what to expect, Lifestyle News
The Coconut Club has made a reputation for itself as a restaurant where diners can enjoy premium plates of nasi lemak. And now, it has a new sister brand with a new concept. Belimbing, which opened on April 15, was inspired by an often "overlooked", oblong, sour indigenous fruit, and its name is a metaphor for the hidden potential of Singaporean cuisine, they shared in a press release on April 16. It is located on the second floor of The Coconut Club's Beach Road outlet. Helmed by head chef Marcus Leow, who was an alumnus at Magic Square and Naked Finn, the restaurant explores local fare in a modern context. "Singapore is celebrated as a global food capital, yet our own cuisine feels at a standstill, often equated solely with hawker fare a national treasure and a source of pride, but not the full picture," Marcus shared. "We hope Belimbing can help to shape the next chapter of local cuisine — not by clinging to age-old traditions or depending on luxury ingredients, but by celebrating the flavours and ingredients that reflect who we are today. "The food is comforting and unmistakably Singaporean — just not quite how our grandparents would remember it." Reimagining native flavours The curated menus at Belimbing are designed for sharing. During lunch, there's a two-course menu ($58) and a limited a la carte selection, while at dinner, there is a four-course menu ($88). Marcus has also made an effort to reuse and repurpose ingredient scraps across the menu to demonstrate the versatility of the ingredients that Singaporeans grew up with. Some examples of dishes diners can look forward to is Aged Kanpachi, a starter where the fish is aged on the bone for five days and brushed with a soy sauce made from fish bones and trimmings. It is enhanced with pickled pink guava and a "cold curry" made from The Coconut Club's cold-pressed "white sutera" coconut milk with mussel jus and galangal. Another interesting starter is the Grilled Firefly Squid, where the seafood is cooked with soy, pickled young ginger and house-made squid powder. For the main courses — which are centred around rice, a mainstay in every Singaporean household — there is the Wok-Fried Nasi Ulam. Here, cured fish has its skin air-dried for two days to achieve a crackling crispness when seared. It is paired with Japanese rice that has undergone a three-step transformation—steamed in fish bone dashi, wok-fried with sambal belado and belacan, and grilled in banana leaves. There is also the Grilled Short Rib, which features grilled Angus short ribs brushed with beef garum, alongside a Wagyu rib finger satay glazed in buah keluak. It is served with a side of percik sauce and The Coconut Club's coconut rice. The dessert selection, which is only available on the a la carte menu, reflects Marcus' Peranakan upbringing. Some menu examples include the Pumpkin Bingka, where the fruit's flesh is blended with tapioca into kueh and also transformed into a smoky puree. There is also Marcus' signature Corn Salat, which is made with every part of the corn. Diners who want a tipple can enjoy a selection of cocktails that spotlight local ingredients in unexpected expressions, including concoctions from Side Door's Bannie Kang, who was the winner of Diageo World Class 2019 and Asia's 50 Best Bars' Mancino Bartenders' Bartender Award 2021. Address: 269 Beach Rd, Singapore 199546 [[nid:716572]] melissateo@
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Just Three Days Till The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS) Will Be Trading Ex-Dividend
Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that The Marcus Corporation (NYSE:MCS) is about to go ex-dividend in just 3 days. The ex-dividend date is usually set to be one business day before the record date which is the cut-off date on which you must be present on the company's books as a shareholder in order to receive the dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Thus, you can purchase Marcus' shares before the 25th of February in order to receive the dividend, which the company will pay on the 17th of March. The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.07 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of US$0.28 per share. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Marcus has a trailing yield of 1.3% on the current stock price of US$21.53. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Marcus's dividend is reliable and sustainable. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing. Check out our latest analysis for Marcus Dividends are typically paid from company earnings. If a company pays more in dividends than it earned in profit, then the dividend could be unsustainable. Marcus lost money last year, so the fact that it's paying a dividend is certainly disconcerting. There might be a good reason for this, but we'd want to look into it further before getting comfortable. Considering the lack of profitability, we also need to check if the company generated enough cash flow to cover the dividend payment. If Marcus didn't generate enough cash to pay the dividend, then it must have either paid from cash in the bank or by borrowing money, neither of which is sustainable in the long term. Thankfully its dividend payments took up just 47% of the free cash flow it generated, which is a comfortable payout ratio. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Marcus reported a loss last year, but at least the general trend suggests its income has been improving over the past five years. Even so, an unprofitable company whose business does not quickly recover is usually not a good candidate for dividend investors. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Marcus has seen its dividend decline 3.0% per annum on average over the past 10 years, which is not great to see. Get our latest analysis on Marcus's balance sheet health here. Is Marcus an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? First, it's not great to see the company paying a dividend despite being loss-making over the last year. On the plus side, the dividend was covered by free cash flow." In summary, it's hard to get excited about Marcus from a dividend perspective. With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Marcus and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Generally, we wouldn't recommend just buying the first dividend stock you see. Here's a curated list of interesting stocks that are strong dividend payers. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
