Latest news with #Mountaintop
Daily Record
13 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Viewers slam new film from Succession creator as a 'waste of time'
Fans are well and truly divided over the film from Succession creator Viewers are torn over a new film now streaming that's been described as 'utter madness' but also labelled an 'unbearable letdown'. Mountainhead was only just launched via Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK on June 1. However, after its first full weekend of availability for home viewers, opinions are decidedly mixed about the title. The film was penned and directed by Jesse Armstrong, who is best known as the creator of the popular HBO series Succession. Mountainhead could be viewed as a spiritual successor as it appears to share many themes and also centres on affluent businesspeople as its main characters. According to its straightforward synopsis, the film tracks a small group of tech billionaires. This wealthy clique heads up to the mountains for a group holiday. However, back at home a financial crisis is beginning to spiral out of control and spill onto the streets, reports the Mirror US. The group observes from a distance, scrutinising their roles in the situation with a focus on how it is affecting their business portfolios and bank balances. There was considerable anticipation for the release of the title given that it is Armstrong's immediate follow-up to the hit series Succession. While it has achieved a respectable 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, its fan rating is a more damning 30%. Opinions on the film's impact are divided among viewers. The Guardian's critic expressed disappointment, describing it as "insufferable" and criticising its nearly two-hour runtime for focusing too much on the billionaire characters portrayed by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith. The critic stated: "Every human has their unique foibles and contradictions, but Mountainhead found itself too enthralled by figures who are no longer interesting, if they ever were. I found myself longing for more than two minutes with the girlfriend, the ex-wife, the assistant, the board member, let alone one of the many staff at the house – anyone to de-center a perspective that has already claimed far too much oxygen in the public sphere." In contrast, one fan thoroughly enjoyed the film, sharing on social media: "This is pure insanity. A beautiful, fascinating train wreck. The characterizations are a little off, but believable. If you pay attention, you can figure out who is supposed to be who IRL. It's a great watch. Recommended." Another viewer concurred, commenting: "Absurd, funny, and unsettling in equal measure, Mountainhead is a satire that entertains as much as it provokes-even if it leaves you with more questions than answers." Meanwhile, one viewer stated: "Loved Succession, hated Mountaintop. Could barely stomach the last half. A timely, dark premise with a great cast but a script that quickly becomes tedious. The humor starts to grate, then collapses into sickness that's supposed to be funny but isn't." Some went so far as to declare that it was the 'worst movie ever made'. One person suggested that Jeremy Strong's performance in Succession is what made similar material work. Another posted on X: "I watched Mountainhead. WASTE of my time. It was boring, not creative, had bad writing and acting, and was not believable, even though they wanted it to be. This is just my opinion."
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PS5 Shooter Shutting Down Month After Launch, Bringing 2025's Total to 5
A recently released shooter is shutting down within the next 30 days, making it the fifth game to be sunset in 2025. Not only is Spectre Divide going offline, its studio Mountaintop is also closing down as it has run out of funding to keep the lights on. Spectre Divide, which is also available on PC and Xbox, launched on the PS5 on February 25. The free-to-play title is billed as a 'genre-evolving 3v3 tactical shooter driven by Duality.' Spectre Divide's Season 1 failed to garner enough players beyond the first week to warrant keeping servers live, especially since Mountaintop couldn't find a financial lifeline for itself. As a result, the game will go offline within the next month and the studio will close. Spectre Divide's microtransactions are being disabled with immediate effect and refunds are being issued. 'Game development is full of twists, turns, and surprises, and the industry has changed dramatically since we started the project in 2020,' Mountaintop wrote in a statement. 'Even though we missed the mark this time, we wouldn't trade the journey for anything.' The following games are being sunset in 2025 thus far: xDefiant Dauntless MultiVersus Resident Evil Re:Verse Spectre Divide The post PS5 Shooter Shutting Down Month After Launch, Bringing 2025's Total to 5 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
Al Bawaba
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Spectre Divide is shutting down alongside its developer
ALBAWABA - Shroud-fronted 3v3 tactical shooter "Spectre Divide" recently made headlines after news circulated that the game is shutting down alongside its developer Mountaintop Studios due to failing to secure a meaningful player base. Spectre Divide is shutting down, only six months after its release despite heavy promotions from popular streamer and content creator, Shroud who is best known for playing competitive games such as Valorant, Counter-Strike, Marvel Rivals, and more. Mountaintop's CEO said, "We pursued every avenue to keep going, including finding a publisher, additional investment, and/or an acquisition. In the end, we weren't able to make it work. The industry is in a tough spot right now." According to Steam Charts, only 65 players are playing the game right now with 337 for 24-hour peak. Spectre Divides's all-time peak was capped at 30,971 players (Steam-only numbers). Mountaintop also shared in a post, "We were optimistic about the first week, We've had ~400,000 players play, with a peak concurrent player count of ~10,000 across all platforms. But as time has gone on, we haven't seen enough active players and incoming revenue to cover the day-to-day costs of Spectre and the studio." The statement adds that Spectre Divide will close down after 30 days with paying players getting a refund for the money they spent since the game's first season. Another issue to take into account is that Spectre Divide was trying to compete in a heavily saturated genre with games like Riot Games' Valorant, and Valve's Counter-Strike 2 taken into account. People fear that the newly launched game, FragPunk might also suffer a similar fate. While many assumed that Shroud owned Spectre Divide, the streamer revealed in October 2024 that "The reality is that Mountaintop has been bringing Spectre to life since 2020, and the game belongs to Mountaintop," as reported by IGN.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Daryl Hannah wants to bring husband Neil Young's ‘vulnerability' to cinemas
A music documentary about singer-songwriter Neil Young to be shown in cinemas will highlight his 'authenticity, openness and vulnerability as a person, musician and performer', director and wife Daryl Hannah has said. Titled Coastal, the film covers the touring life of Canada-born Young, 79, and is directed by Kill Bill actress Hannah. The 64-year-old said: 'With Coastal I wanted to highlight Neil's authenticity, openness and vulnerability as a person, musician and performer. 'He is as pure and honest as they come. Deeply devoted to his musical muse, which at times presented a challenge in capturing the songs, as we never knew what he might play or what instruments he'd pick up next. 'But what we were able to capture has an unpretentious magic that reveals the truth, sentiment and emotions in these hidden gems as well as a close-up look at a performer who plays from the heart with a total lack of pretence.' The movie promises a 'behind-the-curtain glimpse of this unguarded iconoclast as he navigates a return to the stage post-Covid', as the 'illuminating film also features songs rarely, if ever, played live, performed in breathtakingly beautiful theatres'. Hannah has taken cameras inside Young's silver eagle tour bus while showcasing footage from his concerts and behind the scenes. Young was on his Coastal tour in 2023 post-Covid and will head to Europe and perform at Glastonbury this year. The documentary is produced by Gary Ward, edited by Rachel Simmer, with cinematography by Adam CK Vollick and Hannah. Young was in rock band Buffalo Springfield and also had success with supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with Buffalo Springfield in 1997, two years after he was inducted as a solo artist. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neil Young Archives (@neilyoungarchives) As well as his solo releases, the Heart Of Gold singer has made more than 20 live and studio albums billed as being by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Hannah's directing work with Young includes musical film Paradox as well as documentaries Mountaintop, which looks at Young making an album with Crazy Horse after a more than half a decade absence at the time, and the Grammy-nominated Barn, which follows the band recording the album of the same name. He has been in a relationship with Hannah reportedly since 2014 and they tied the knot a few years later. Young has been nominated for 28 Grammys, winning as art director for The Archives Vol. 1 (1963–1972), and for best rock song for Angry World. He was named as 2010's MusiCares Person of the Year and founded the Bridge School Benefit Concert in 1986 to raise money for children with speech issues. Coastal had its premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival in October 2024 and its west coast premiere in February at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The film from Shakey Pictures, Trafalgar Releasing and Warner Records will be in cinemas on April 17 for a one-night only event.
