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Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
'Mountainhead' review: 'Succession' creator skewers super-rich in painfully funny black comedy movie
Watching HBO Max's new movie "Mountainhead" was one of the most uncomfortable viewing experiences I've had in 2025 — and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. "How can that possibly be a compliment?" I hear you ask. Well, that's because "Mountainhead" is the latest project from "Succession" and "Peep Show" creator Jesse Armstrong, a writer well-versed in bringing us stark satire and repugnant (yet incredibly watchable) characters. "Mountainhead" is now available to stream on HBO Max, and it is, in my opinion, every bit as entertaining as what he's brought us before. The "problem," if you could call it that, is simply that "Mountainhead" sees us spending time with quite possibly Armstrong's least likable set of characters yet. If you dive in, you'll be spending a little over 100 minutes with a crass, crude cadre of odious billionaire tech bros as they hole up in a luxury getaway while the world falls apart outside. They're almost cartoonishly evil, and because laughing at them is quite fun, I still managed to enjoy my stay quite so much. Here's my take on "Mountainhead" and why it's worth streaming now. "Mountainhead" picks up as our four super-rich "friends" — Generative AI magnate and chief crisis architect, Venis (Cory Michael Smith), aging, ailing wealth guru Randall (Steve Carell), "Souper", as in "Soup Kitchen"/Hugo Van Yalk (Jason Schwartzman) and their more liberal developer friend, Jeff (Ramy Youssef) — unite for a poker hang at Soup's newly constructed, utterly soulless Ayn Rand homage of a home. What follows is two hours of increasingly farcical drama, as the billionaire bros trade jabs and business jargon, musing on the state of the world (and how they could perfect it) as the crisis outside continues to spiral, and they continue to scroll past countless horrific events on their devices ... even though they're the architects of that collapse. "Mountainhead" is hot-button, of-the-moment filmmaking (thanks in part to having been shot in March and cut together in a short space of time) and dialogue-heavy viewing. Chiefly, it achieves its goals by gleefully skewering tech titans through a one-two punch of witty writing and excellent ensemble work. All four of our stars deserve praise for their respective turns, though my favorite of the bunch might just be Schwartzman's self-humiliating, slimy turn as Soup, the group's "gracious" host and "impoverished" multi-millionaire who really just wants his pals to, and I quote, "bust a B-nut" and invest in his new health and lifestyle app. Without Armstrong's writing, this would be an intolerable nightmare trip, and yet Armstrong serves up a near-constant stream of lines and laughs that just manage to keep the sense of dread at bay. Spoken by this talented cast, the gleefully nasty script comes alive, and it's this bleakly comic combo that makes our stay at this plutocrat's playhouse somehow still a treat. "Mountainhead" is about as unsubtle as you can get, hammering home again and again that you are spending your time with awful people. That watching the movie didn't feel like I was being forced simultaneously to watch paint dry, endlessly doom-scroll and listen to someone demand I plow my entire life savings into cryptocurrency is testament to Jesse Armstrong and the ensemble's comic sensibilities. "Mountainhead" is a painfully funny swing at the super-rich, one that finds plenty of laughs in even its bleakest and most despicable moments. If you can stomach spending this much time with terrible technocrats and unchecked egos, you're in for a treat. "Mountainhead" is now available on HBO Max and will be broadcast at 8 p.m. ET this evening on HBO. Viewers in the UK will be able to watch "Mountainhead" at 2 a.m. BST on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Sunday, June 1.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Beloved 40+yo Teochew fishball noodle stall closing for good in July
Toa Payoh residents, let me hold your hand as I say this — Hui Ming Mushroom Noodle located in Blk 8 Toa Payoh Lor 7 coffeeshop will be shuttering its business permanently in July 2025 after 40+ years. According to a netizen whose family has been patronising this stall for 4 generations, the stall's closing can be attributed to the uncle's old age. His son has been helping his parents out at the stall, but sadly isn't interested in running the business without them. Hui Ming Fishball Mushroom Noodle is known for their old-school Teochew-style noodle dishes, with a short and sweet menu of just 3 dishes, all priced at S$4.50 and S$6 for a small and big bowl respectively. Their signature Fishball Minced Meat Noodle is what gets customers going back time and time again, even after moving out of the neighbourhood. Whether your choice of noodle is mee pok or mee kia, patrons love that it's packed with a fragrant and spicy flavour that instantly makes you crave another bowl. The next dish is the Fishball Soup, forgoing the classic mee options for a velvety, silky kway teow instead. You can also opt for just the Fishball Soup for a no-carb, high-protein meal. Their fishballs are said to be QQ and delicious, as expected of a stall that specialises in them. When I say that Hui Ming Fishball Mushroom Noodle has a crowd of loyal customers, I'm not exaggerating. A quick scroll through Facebook comments and Google reviews made me realise that this stall has seen the same familiar faces show up every weekend, and watched generations of families grow up. It truly is a long-standing, cherished gem in Toa Payoh. There's no point dwelling on the future, though. Hui Ming Fishball Mushroom Noodle is still open for the next 2 and a half months, so there's still time to head down and stuff yourself with a lifetime's worth of nostalgic, old-school fishball noodles. 第三代 Di San Dai: Father-daughter duo sell affordable fishball noodles and porridge in Chinatown The post Beloved 40+yo Teochew fishball noodle stall closing for good in July appeared first on
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Eikon Ministries: Shaping Memphis leaders, one child at a time
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday, as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in building leaders from the inside out. Willie Baldwin met Roy Campbell, who goes by the nickname 'Soup', when he was only 10 years old. Willie was outside playing basketball, Soup was just starting Eikon Ministries. 'If this man hadn't saw the potential for me in my life enough to take me under his wing and to mentor disciple to my life, I wouldn't be here,' said Baldwin. Recycling ehances economic opportunities with on-the-job training program 'I pulled up on that tree, and I had Jesus paint across the tailgate. And when they looked like they were really hot and thirsty, I called them over to my truck and I said, 'Hey, would you like some donuts and some juice?' They said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'Well, can I share the most important thing that ever happened in my life?' And they allowed me to share that,' said Soup. Fast forward 36 years — Willie is still with Soup as his assistant director of Eikon Ministries. Eikon Ministries has grown into an organization that builds leaders who will change their communities from the inside out. 'I began to see a void in the training of the next generation of leaders. And I said, 'We've got to do something about that,'' Soup said. Strategically located in Binghampton, Soup has done just that with numerous programs that serve boys and girls ages 4-18. Willie created 'Club Nathan' as part of the Nathan Street Ministries. 'It's a safe haven for kids to come and hear the gospel, different relationships are being developed. We feed them,' said Baldwin. Team Eikon is a basketball team that uses the game to mentor, share the gospel, and encourage good grades. They also offer a summer job program, which is a way for students to earn and learn. 'We hire about 30 kids every summer here in the neighborhood. We paid them $225. We teach them life skills, cutting grass, going into the community, cutting debris down from people's backyards. We teach entrepreneurship, interview etiquette, checking and savings accounts,' said Baldwin. 📡 for Memphis and the Mid-South. 📧 and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. Marcus Mcree's son and daughter grew up attending Eikon Ministries. He was so impressed with the organization, he ended up becoming the assistant coach of Team Eikon. 'When kids are with other kids, they learn faster when you start talking about things that they see. So if you have one kid, man is cool to come to our Eikon Ministries and do the things we do, all the kids want to join,' said Mcree. That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to Eikon/Nathan Street Ministries. Because when all the kids want to join, you are building a stronger community from the inside. Eikon Ministries is currently in need of a reliable suburban or a similar SUV to transport kids to their programs. If you can help them out or would like to learn more about the group, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
I'm a Bridget Jones superfan. Inspired by her latest movie, I travelled to London to follow in her footsteps
On a recent spring night in London's bustling Borough Market, I gazed in awe at a space I had seen many times before but only on screen: the living room that once belonged to Bridget Jones, one of my all-time favourite movie characters. On the table in front of me sat a coupe of blue 'soup,' a nod to Bridget's revolting first course from the hilariously botched birthday dinner she cooked for her besties. However, the culinary creation I sipped on wasn't soup at all but a frothy, blue cocktail, which, unlike its ill-fated inspiration, tasted downright divine. Sweet, coconutty and irresistible, Bridget's Blue (Soup) is a bestseller at Khao Bird , a Thai food hot spot with a hip yet cosy vibe. But for guests like me, the restaurant is best known as Bridget's beloved flat from her singleton days. Khao Bird is a Thai food hot spot located in Bridget Jones's former living room. I've been a superfan of Helen Fielding's charming, relatable protagonist since she first stumbled into pop culture three decades ago — long before the phrase ' set-jetting ' was coined to describe the current trend of travellers flocking to film locations. So when I learned that Renée Zellweger's fourth reprisal of this iconic character would be released in theatres in only a few countries, including England, London was calling. A Bridget-themed trip was the perfect excuse for a girlfriends' getaway, so I invited my dear friend Silvia, and we set out to follow in the footsteps of the rom-com heroine I've practically grown up with. Toasting to Bridget with a cocktail named in her honour, right in her former living room, was the ideal opening scene for our trip. Named after a hilariously botched dish, Bridget's Blue (Soup) is a bestseller at Khao Bird. On our first morning, Silvia and I caught a showing of 'Mad About the Boy,' expecting a lighthearted chick flick. Instead, I found myself in tears multiple times. The film deftly portrays poignant themes of loss and identity while Bridget navigates a life chapter I'm also enmeshed in: the middle-age challenges of juggling parenting, work and love in a world that sometimes mistakes us for grandparents. But there were plenty of laughs, too, and seeing the London landmarks we were also glimpsing in real life added an extra thrill. After the movie, we returned to Bridget's old neighbourhood for a late lunch at Bedales of Borough . Nowadays, it's an upscale wine bar. But for Bridget fans, it's better known from the first film as the Greek restaurant where the hysterical (and mostly unchoreographed , I later learn) brawl breaks out between her love interests: upstanding lawyer Mark Darcy, played by Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver, the publishing playboy. In true Bridget style, Silvia and I enjoyed a leisurely, boozy afternoon of girl talk over bubbles and bites, while watching the crowds walk past the window that Mark and Daniel had famously crashed through. (Another fun fact I soon learn: It was sugar glass.) We resumed our Bridget-inspired exploration the next morning, joined by another dear friend, Johanna, who happened to be in town. This time, we enlisted an expert from the award-winning Brit Movie Tours to lead us on a private walking tour of filming locations from all four Bridget Jones movies. (This summer, the company will also launch taxi tours specific to 'Mad About the Boy' locations.) Fiona Johnston, a guide with Brit Movie Tours, will lead travellers to filming locations from all four Bridget Jones movies. Our outstanding guide, Fiona Johnston, a lifelong Londoner, was a fellow superfan, and she and I were soon firing off quotes and cackling like hyenas. Johnston boasted an astounding breadth of knowledge about the films, including those fight-scene tidbits, and the lesser-known history behind certain sites. Outside the Clink Street flat that served as Daniel's sleek bachelor pad, she told us Zellweger's comedic timing helped her land the role over British actors. We also learned that the beautiful St. Clement Danes Church , where the memorial service from 'Bridget Jones's Baby' was filmed, is the central church of the Royal Air Force. Post-tour, two-and-a-half hours and nearly 12,000 steps later, I had a new-found appreciation for the films, the actors and London itself. From past trips (and living in the city's outskirts when I was a kid), I was already well acquainted with the most famous tourist attractions, like Big Ben and Kensington Palace. But this time around, I appreciated getting to know other areas, including Bridget's bustling neighbourhood, plus a few quieter, quirkier corners with their own stories to tell. Seeing it all in the spirit of Bridget — and alongside cherished friends — was the cherry on top. Writer Blane Bachelor, far right, with her friends on their 'set-jetting' getaway to London. On my last day, I took the tube to Hampstead, the tony north London neighbourhood featured prominently in 'Mad About the Boy.' I hailed a cab, and the driver, Kenny, also a fan of the movies after watching them with his girlfriend, whizzed me around to various locations that Johnston had written down, including Bridget's Victorian townhouse, which was being renovated for some lucky inhabitant. In Hampstead Heath , a park with rolling hills and knockout skyline views, I managed to find the 'magical man tree,' as Bridget calls it during a funny scene in which two handsome men magically appear to help her and her kids after they get stuck while climbing it. Instead of hugging it as Bridget did (I already have a magical man at home, thank you very much), I snapped a few photos of this unlikely tourist attraction — a seemingly ordinary, old oak tree — then made a mental note to spend more time in this delightful area on my next trip. The Light Bar, housed in a former Victorian power station, appears in 'The Edge of Reason.' For my final toast to Bridget, I headed that evening to the Light Bar , housed in a former Victorian power station in the trendy Shoreditch neighbourhood. The bar appears in the second film, 'The Edge of Reason,' during a scene when Bridget's friends convince her over drinks to dump Mark because it appears he's cheating on her. When I arrived, the bar was already packed with suited-up blokes clinking pints, and fashionable women laughing over wine. I managed to snag a prime corner table, but no relationship advice would be dispensed across it — I was all by myself. After ordering a cocktail, I peeked at my fellow patrons and felt a twinge of loneliness. Without my own trusty girlfriends, there was only one thing to do. I reached into my purse, pulled out my journal — rather, my diary — and started writing. Blane Bachelor travelled with some trip support from Visit London , which did not review or approve this article.
Boston Globe
01-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
There are many tasty reasons to flock to Shy Bird in the Fenway
The backstory : Shy Bird is spacious, sunny, friendly, and well-located — no surprise from co-owner Andrew Holden, who runs more Birds in other advantageous spots: Kendall Square and South Boston. He also runs Branch Line in Watertown, and for years was general manager at Eastern Standard, the nexus of Kenmore Square. Shy Bird is a something-for-everyone, all-day rotisserie that fits many needs: You might see folks pecking at laptops, catching up over snacks, or popping in before a Red Sox game or a show at the House of Blues or MGM Music Hall. 'We wanted something that was accessible, affordable, approachable, and a little bit aspirational — a place where I could run in and have a quick espresso, grab takeout, or if I had friends visiting, sit there at night and the space would feel conducive. On our best day, it's a neighborhood restaurant you'd wish was near you,' he says. Get Winter Soup Club A six-week series featuring soup recipes and cozy vibes, plus side dishes and toppings, to get us all through the winter. Enter Email Sign Up What to eat : Chicken, of course, and don't be shy about it. At breakfast, there are fried chicken and egg sandwiches bound with hot honey; honey sriracha chicken and waffles; and non-chicken offerings like crepes and scrambled eggs. Most dishes are under $15. At lunch, a Calabrian fried chicken wrap with Caesar dressing gives a spicy zap to a usually standard sandwich. A spicy maple chipotle bowl, a medley of shaved Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, shaved carrots, and candied pumpkin seeds, looks like a Bob Ross easel. Crowd-pleasers like smash burgers and tuna melts round out the lunch menu. Advertisement Regardless of what you order, request an accompanying sauce flight ($3.95), a pentagonal platter of pecorino ranch (sharp, herbaceous), spicy bird bath (think Tabasco, but better), chipotle barbecue, honey mustard, and sweet and sour. Advertisement The sauce sampler at Shy Bird's Fenway location contains pecorino ranch, spicy bird bath, chipotle barbecue, honey mustard, and sweet and sour sauce. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Holden emphasizes that while Shy Bird is a busy daytime hangout, they also do dinner, with creative spins by new chef AJ Beaulieu: whipped ricotta and hot honey, anchovies on Iggy's Pullman bread, linguini with clams and chili flakes (Holden's favorite), pork parmigiana, roast cauliflower and cheddar fondue. Again, prices are reasonable, with many dishes in the $25 range. 'The dinner menu used to have a lot of sandwiches and a lot of grain bowls. We really want dinner to feel like a great place to enjoy yourself; a little destination-y,' he says. The pork parmigiana at Shy Bird's Fenway location contains stracciatella, basil, and tomato sugo. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe What to drink : In addition to booze, Shy Bird has a truly impressive array of zero-proof cocktails, including a hemp-infused Aplós sipper and non-alcoholic beers. (But be careful of the Ghia Ginger spritz, which tastes more like black licorice than ginger.) People who choose to work from Shy Bird can enjoy bottomless coffee (plus breakfast or lunch) for $17.95. The Strawberry Thyme Spritz at Shy Birds's Fenway location contains select aperitivo, strawberry, lime, and sparkling wine. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe The takeaway : A well-rounded hangout in a prime location; don't be shy about pulling up a seat. 201 Brookline Ave., Boston, 857-449-2204, Kara Baskin can be reached at
