Latest news with #Technicolor
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Five Movies Worth a Repeat Watch
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition. Not all movies are meant to be watched twice. Some leave a glancing effect; others emanate so much intensity that the idea of sitting through them again feels unbearable. But then there are those films that draw you back in, even after you've seen it all before. So we asked The Atlantic's writers and editors: What's a movie you can watch over and over again? Raising Arizona (available to rent on Prime Video) I've probably seen Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers' 1987 classic with Holly Hunter and a 22-year-old Nicholas Cage, a half dozen times over the years. But I've watched the opening sequence many, many more times than that. It's a whole movie-within-the-movie, building up to the title shot with Cage's deadpan narration, rapid-cut scenes, and a jaunty musical bed that goes from whistling and humming to weird ululating. The screenwriting has some all-time great lines ('I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn't easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House,' says Cage, with wild hair, aviators, and a 12-gauge shotgun, preparing to stick up a convenience store). The other day, I made my 12-year-old watch it for the first time. When Cage says to his chatty prison bunkmate, incredulously, 'You ate sand?!' my son nearly fell on the floor. A true marker of timelessness. — Nick Miroff, staff writer *** White Christmas (streaming on Prime Video) It makes me miserable to contemplate how many people have never once seen the 1954 film White Christmas, let alone given it 10 to 20 percent of their attention while focusing on other activities, which is the ideal way to view it. Then again, the film's surprising obscurity is its hidden ace: From the moment you press 'Play' on White Christmas, no one who glances at the screen will be able to predict or even comprehend any aspect of the Technicolor encephalitic fever dream exploding before them unless they have previously seen White Christmas. In any given frame, a viewer might be confronted with a horde of people cavorting inside a giant purple void, waggling tambourines adorned with women's faces; the bombed-out smoldering remains of 1944 Europe; or the virtuoso dancer Vera-Ellen, in head-to-heel chartreuse, executing pirouettes at faster-than-heartbeat speeds (for no defined reason). Muted, it makes for terrific social lubricant at a party—there's something dazzling to remark upon nearly every second if conversation lags. Don't concern yourself with the plot; the film's writers did not. — Caity Weaver, staff writer *** The Lord of the Rings franchise (streaming on Max) I suppose my answer is less of a love letter to a movie than it is one to my family. My husband is the movie buff in our family—I'll rarely be caught rewatching movies. But his undying loyalty to the Lord of the Rings franchise means we've watched the trilogy together multiple times, more than once in an 11-plus-hour binge. (Yeah … it's the extended editions, every time.) The movies are a genuinely gorgeous feat of storytelling, bested only by the books; fantasy and action sequences aside, they spotlight friendship, loyalty, and the dueling motivations of pride, duty, and greed. And for our family, at least, they'll be a regular feature—I'm pretty sure it was implicit in our wedding vows that we'd indoctrinate our kids into the LOTR lore—which means that the films are about carving out time for one another as well. — Katherine J. Wu, staff writer *** All Your Faces (available to rent on Google Play and Apple TV) I've watched the French film All Your Faces three times in the past eight months. The movie isn't a documentary, but it's based on real restorative-justice programs in France that were introduced about a decade ago. Why did I repeatedly return to a film about an idiosyncratic feature of a foreign country's criminal-justice system? There's something about the encounter between victim and perpetrator, and the instability and unpredictability of these interactions, that surprised me each time I watched it. Equally intense was the tenderness between the instructors and the programs' participants, most evident between the characters played by Adèle Exarchopoulos and Élodie Bouchez. But it's Miou-Miou, playing an elderly victim of petty street crime, who delivers the most haunting line in the movie: 'I don't understand the violence.' A mantra for our time. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, staff writer *** Little Women (streaming on Hulu) Little Women first came to me as a comfort movie. Based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel, Greta Gerwig's 2019 film adaptation features not so much plot as simply vibes: a familiar tale of four sisters and their childhood friend, scenes of a snowy Christmas morning perfect for the holidays. But with each subsequent encounter during my lonely postgraduate months in a new city, I began to appreciate the little rebellions that make Gerwig's Little Women so special. The story is full of moments of seeing: Professor Bhaer turns around to watch Jo watching a play, Laurie gazes into the Marches' windows, and we, as viewers, feel seen by Jo's boyish brashness. But Gerwig also chooses to focus on Jo's many anxieties. Early in the film, Jo uncharacteristically dismisses her own writing ('Those are just stories,' she says. Just!); later, her monologue reveals a vulnerable desire for companionship (But I'm so lonely!). Gerwig honors the story's essence, but her version is not a granular retelling; rather, it serves as a homage to the art of writing itself—and women's mundane, humble stories, which Jo and Alcott are desperate to tell. — Yvonne Kim, associate editor Here are three Sunday reads from The Atlantic: The perilous spread of the wellness craze Bring back communal kid discipline. The conversations Trump's doctors should be having with him The Week Ahead Ballerina, an action movie in the John Wick franchise starring Ana de Armas as an assassin bent on avenging her father's death (in theaters Friday) Season 3 of Ginny & Georgia, a comedy-drama series about a single mom and two kids trying to settle down in a new town (premieres Thursday on Netflix) The Haves and the Have-Yachts, a book by the journalist Evan Osnos featuring dispatches on the ultrarich (out Tuesday) Essay Diddy's Defenders By Xochitl Gonzalez Diddy—whose legal name is Sean Combs—has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Many Americans have taken to the comment sections to offer their full-throated belief in his innocence. Despite the video evidence of domestic violence, the photos of Combs's guns with serial numbers removed, and the multiple witnesses testifying that Combs threatened to kill them, this group insists that Diddy's biggest sin is nothing more than being a hypermasculine celebrity with 'libertine' sexual tastes. Read the full article. More in Culture What the show of the summer knows about intimacy Five books that will redirect your attention Unraveling the secrets of the Inca empire How a recession might tank American romance A film that captures a 'friend breakup' Catch Up on David Frum: The Trump presidency's world-historical heist Adam Serwer: The new Dark Age The coming Democratic civil war Photo Album Take a look at the beauty of the North. These photographs are by Olivier Morin, who captures remarkable images of the natural world, largely focusing on northern climates. Play our daily crossword. Explore all of our newsletters. When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
Five Movies Worth a Repeat Watch
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Welcome back to The Daily's Sunday culture edition. Not all movies are meant to be watched twice. Some leave a glancing effect; others emanate so much intensity that the idea of sitting through them again feels unbearable. But then there are those films that draw you back in, even after you've seen it all before. So we asked The Atlantic 's writers and editors: What's a movie you can watch over and over again? Raising Arizona (available to rent on Prime Video) I've probably seen Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers' 1987 classic with Holly Hunter and a 22-year-old Nicholas Cage, a half dozen times over the years. But I've watched the opening sequence many, many more times than that. It's a whole movie-within-the-movie, building up to the title shot with Cage's deadpan narration, rapid-cut scenes, and a jaunty musical bed that goes from whistling and humming to weird ululating. The screenwriting has some all-time great lines ('I tried to stand up and fly straight, but it wasn't easy with that sumbitch Reagan in the White House,' says Cage, with wild hair, aviators, and a 12-gauge shotgun, preparing to stick up a convenience store). The other day, I made my 12-year-old watch it for the first time. When Cage says to his chatty prison bunkmate, incredulously, 'You ate sand?!' my son nearly fell on the floor. A true marker of timelessness. — Nick Miroff, staff writer White Christmas (streaming on Prime Video) It makes me miserable to contemplate how many people have never once seen the 1954 film White Christmas, let alone given it 10 to 20 percent of their attention while focusing on other activities, which is the ideal way to view it. Then again, the film's surprising obscurity is its hidden ace: From the moment you press 'Play' on White Christmas, no one who glances at the screen will be able to predict or even comprehend any aspect of the Technicolor encephalitic fever dream exploding before them unless they have previously seen White Christmas. In any given frame, a viewer might be confronted with a horde of people cavorting inside a giant purple void, waggling tambourines adorned with women's faces; the bombed-out smoldering remains of 1944 Europe; or the virtuoso dancer Vera-Ellen, in head-to-heel chartreuse, executing pirouettes at faster-than-heartbeat speeds (for no defined reason). Muted, it makes for terrific social lubricant at a party—there's something dazzling to remark upon nearly every second if conversation lags. Don't concern yourself with the plot; the film's writers did not. — Caity Weaver, staff writer The Lord of the Rings franchise (streaming on Max) I suppose my answer is less of a love letter to a movie than it is one to my family. My husband is the movie buff in our family—I'll rarely be caught rewatching movies. But his undying loyalty to the Lord of the Rings franchise means we've watched the trilogy together multiple times, more than once in an 11-plus-hour binge. (Yeah … it's the extended editions, every time.) The movies are a genuinely gorgeous feat of storytelling, bested only by the books; fantasy and action sequences aside, they spotlight friendship, loyalty, and the dueling motivations of pride, duty, and greed. And for our family, at least, they'll be a regular feature—I'm pretty sure it was implicit in our wedding vows that we'd indoctrinate our kids into the LOTR lore—which means that the films are about carving out time for one another as well. — Katherine J. Wu, staff writer All Your Faces (available to rent on Google Play and Apple TV) I've watched the French film All Your Faces three times in the past eight months. The movie isn't a documentary, but it's based on real restorative-justice programs in France that were introduced about a decade ago. Why did I repeatedly return to a film about an idiosyncratic feature of a foreign country's criminal-justice system? There's something about the encounter between victim and perpetrator, and the instability and unpredictability of these interactions, that surprised me each time I watched it. Equally intense was the tenderness between the instructors and the programs' participants, most evident between the characters played by Adèle Exarchopoulos and Élodie Bouchez. But it's Miou-Miou, playing an elderly victim of petty street crime, who delivers the most haunting line in the movie: 'I don't understand the violence.' A mantra for our time. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, staff writer Little Women (streaming on Hulu) Little Women first came to me as a comfort movie. Based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel, Greta Gerwig's 2019 film adaptation features not so much plot as simply vibes: a familiar tale of four sisters and their childhood friend, scenes of a snowy Christmas morning perfect for the holidays. But with each subsequent encounter during my lonely postgraduate months in a new city, I began to appreciate the little rebellions that make Gerwig's Little Women so special. The story is full of moments of seeing: Professor Bhaer turns around to watch Jo watching a play, Laurie gazes into the Marches' windows, and we, as viewers, feel seen by Jo's boyish brashness. But Gerwig also chooses to focus on Jo's many anxieties. Early in the film, Jo uncharacteristically dismisses her own writing ('Those are just stories,' she says. Just!); later, her monologue reveals a vulnerable desire for companionship (But I'm so lonely!). Gerwig honors the story's essence, but her version is not a granular retelling; rather, it serves as a homage to the art of writing itself—and women's mundane, humble stories, which Jo and Alcott are desperate to tell. The Week Ahead Ballerina, an action movie in the John Wick franchise starring Ana de Armas as an assassin bent on avenging her father's death (in theaters Friday) Season 3 of Ginny & Georgia, a comedy-drama series about a single mom and two kids trying to settle down in a new town (premieres Thursday on Netflix) The Haves and the Have-Yachts, a book by the journalist Evan Osnos featuring dispatches on the ultrarich (out Tuesday) Essay Diddy's Defenders Diddy—whose legal name is Sean Combs—has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Many Americans have taken to the comment sections to offer their full-throated belief in his innocence. Despite the video evidence of domestic violence, the photos of Combs's guns with serial numbers removed, and the multiple witnesses testifying that Combs threatened to kill them, this group insists that Diddy's biggest sin is nothing more than being a hypermasculine celebrity with 'libertine' sexual tastes. More in Culture Catch Up on The Atlantic Photo Album Take a look at the beauty of the North. These photographs are by Olivier Morin, who captures remarkable images of the natural world, largely focusing on northern climates.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VFX Leaders Weigh Potential of Forming a Global Trade Association and Gauge Impact of AI on the Workforce
Asserting that visual effects companies are 'still abused' and 'taken advantage of,' industry luminary Scott Ross, whose four decades in the industry included co-founding Digital Domain and serving as an exec at George Lucas' companies including Industrial Light & Magic warned, 'if it's not changed, we'll continue to see companies go out of business and creative, wonderful people be unemployed.' Ross was direct as he shared his views on the potential of forming a global trade association (a subject that isn't a new one but has been back on the minds of many in today's volatile business climate and in the wake of the collapse of Technicolor), as well as the 'elephant in the room,' AI, during a panel at the FMX (Film & Media Exchange) confab, which wrapped this weekend in Stuttgart, Germany. He started the panel, moderated by veteran entertainment and tech exec Dave Gouge, by admitting to the audience 'you're not going to like me because I'm actually going to tell the truth.' More from Variety Producer Chris DeFaria on Creator Economy and Strategy Behind Startup Chronicle Studios: 'We're Trying to Invert the Development Process' Technicolor Bankruptcy: Framestore Adds MPC Supervisors; Mikros India Talent Joins Cinesite's Assemblage Technicolor Bankruptcy: Thinkingbox's The Heist Hires Band of Creatives from The Mill and Expands Services The largely non-union VFX industry has the Visual Effects Society, an honorary society, but not a trade association and amid the VFX industries struggles, it's a model that has been reexamined. 'I was always a proponent of trade associations,' Ross said, though he added that he is unsure if today there is a clear path. 'One of the problems that I saw with the people running the VFX companies is fear sort of stopped them from going to the clients and saying, 'we're mad as hell and we're not gonna to take it anymore.' So I thought a trade association, if we signed up most of the majors, could provide the ability to be able to have leverage' in changing what many view as a broken business model. 'My concern is that a lot of the majors are owned by the studios,' he continued, citing as examples that Netflix bought Scanline and Disney owns ILM. 'If they own the [VFX companies], it's in the studio's interest not to change the business model. … The ability to have leverage that I thought years ago might have gone away, and so I don't know if a trade association would work at this point, but I think it would be a shot worth taking.' Similar to Ross' point, panelist David Li, CEO of Dream Machine FX, a collective for VFX brands Important Looking Pirates, Fin, Zero VFX, Mavericks VFX, and ARC Creative (which it launched in February with a group of talent formerly of Technicolor's The Mill) noted, 'every industry in the world has [a trade association]. I think there's a substantial opportunity for advocacy and collaboration. 'What I will say is that it feels like different studios play by different rules in the visual effects industry, that is probably the bigger driver of the absence of one,' he added, saying that should the industry come together to drive change, 'everyone needs to self-enforce that.' Li (who reported during the panel that Dream Machine has been 'profitable every single year') concluded the trade association discussion with a pledge. 'I do think it is the right thing to do,' he said. 'If you started a trade association, we would certainly join, Dream Machine, I would commit that to everyone here. And I think you're right, shared advocacy I think would be very beneficial.' During the last couple years, some VFX practitioners have taken steps to join labor union IATSE, including in-house VFX workers at Marvel and Walt Disney Pictures. But Ross warned that to achieve the benefits of unionization, it would need to be an international union. He related that IATSE covers Canada and the U.S. and estimated that it costs about 20% more to run a union company. 'And so if my pricing increases by 20% [and there's] a non-union shop, and they're located in London or located in India, I'm hurting myself.' Ross also spoke frankly about his concerns surrounding the notion of AI as a tool for creatives. 'Having run large visual effects companies, the majority of the staff of the visual effects workers were actually not core creative people. There was a group of people, let's say 15 or 20% of a staff of 500 or 1000 that actually were … creative, but tertiary creative and secondary creative at best.' He added that 'they were taking direction from a core creative person, the director, and a secondary creative person' such as a visual effects supervisor, art director or animation director. 'But I think a lot of the community takes this whole 'I'm an artist' thing to a level that we're fooling ourselves,' he warned. 'Many people within a visual effects company are actually putting tires and brakes and fenders on a car. They are not designing cars. And having to try to transition my life from being a person who ran a visual effects company or two to being a producer and coming up with creative and writing screenplays and developing screenplays, it's a quantum leap. 'At the end of the day, at least the clients that I work with, they wanted quality [VFX] work. The best there was. They wanted it on time, and they wanted it cheap,' Ross continued. 'When AI winds up becoming a really substantive force, I wonder about what that will do to the visual effects workforce.' Li was more optimistic, suggesting that creativity is becoming all the more important. 'We've done a lot of research into AI, and what we've found is that if 100 is the percentage it needs to be, in terms of, you know, quality, to go from zero to 50, it takes, like, nothing. … And to go from 80 to 85 it takes, you know, 300 [people] and 300 graphics cards, and every step of the way just becomes incrementally harder.' Li predicted opportunities, 'but I think that will only enhance those in this industry who truly have a great deal of creativity, artistry and a very special eye.' 'I agree with him,' Ross replied, stating that creative people 'will be more in demand than ever. However, that's a very small portion of what the overall manufacturing process is for visual effects.' Ross concluded this thought be reminding the audience that AI is developing at a rapid pace, 'it's clunky and it has problems today, but it also is the fastest learning mother that is out there. And so what we're looking at today will be different in three months, in a year, in three years.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Buzz Feed
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
20 Target Products That'll Make You Never Want To Leave
A strip of color-changing LED lights so you can have a rave in your living room whenever you want. (Or just a chill night in with Technicolor ~mood~ lighting.) Promising review: "These lights are bright and have a million (figuratively) different modes to play around with." —WaferCaken Price: $44.99 A little rattan shelf for displaying all your favorite silly little trinkets with an updated twist on the boho aesthetic. The neutral color makes it perfect for matching with lots of different styles, and it has juuuust enough space to display pics of your friends and family. Promising review: "This shelf is beautiful, and the natural materials add such an organic look to any space! Placed it in my bathroom and is perfect for holding a small plant and candle." —mamapark Price: $40 A textured faux-fur blanket because you plan on marathon-watching Gilmore Girls for the hundredth time and need a cuddling companion. Promising review: "So soft, washes up great. Our family fights over who gets to snuggle with it, so I'm buying another!" —alliAPrice: $18.75 (originally $25; available in four colors) A set of two framed prints of quirky humans that'll make you smile every time you walk past them. Plus, all of your guests will be asking where you bought them and wishing they had taste as good as yours. Price: $79 for a set of two A high-end-looking tabletop clock for making sure you're always on time (and adding a fun, retro flair to your space). Promising review: "I really like this clock. The grey with the gold is really nice. The clock looks more expensive than it is. If you want a quiet clock, then this would be perfect for you. I have another analog clock and it ticks pretty loud but this one doesn't make a sound." —LorenaSD Price: $12.74 (originally $14.99) A floral storage bench because you need somewhere to store your many, many board games, and you've run out of space in your spare closet. Promising review: "This is the best storage bench I've ever owned. It's sturdy and beautiful. The lid has hinges and opened so smoothly." —StephPrice: $350 (available in 10 patterns) A round faux-fur throw pillow if you proudly live that couch potato life and want extra cuddly vibes while you're kickin' back and relaxing. Promising review: "I bought this to use as a decor prop in my reading chair. It is super soft but firm, very fluffy, seems to be of excellent quality, nice material, cool decor for any usage. The size is just right. I did put it in the dryer on air dry for 30 mins to fluff it up, give it some character. I also added a bunch of dryer sheets to make it smell nicely. Highly recommend doing that prior to usage. It really helped the pillow. I really like this pillow and highly recommend it!!!!" —Hrsechickax3Price: $20 A set of battery-operated vine LED curtain lights, because keeping real plants alive feels nearly impossible for some of us (me). With this, you can still get the outdoorsy vibes without the responsibility of being a plant parent. Promising review: "These are absolutely beautiful. I put really strong batteries in them and wow, they have lasted so long and are so bright! Great nightlight or reading light, which is what I use it for! Absolutely great edition to my prayer room!! Will buy another soon!" —MicroDinoPrice: $15 A wooden letterboard to greet your guests and let them know that they, in fact, do ~not~ have to take off their shoes in your home (rejoice!). Promising review: "I love my letter board and use it to put jokes up for the kids. It's a great size for my entry table and it always gives people a nice chuckle when they come inside." —JoPrice: $23 A weighted knit blanket if you are an anxiety-riddled human like me and sometimes use the couch in your living room as a makeshift therapy couch. In this scenario, watching Modern Family is the therapy. Read more about how to choose a weight and what these blankets help with and how from Cleveland reviews: "Oh this is so plush at the fraction of some more big box stores selling them for way more. It's weighted but not uncomfortable, which is why I love it. It doesn't feel like it's crushing you. Anthro looks at Target price? Win-win! Buy it, you won't regret it!" —Hols"This is the third weighted blanket I have tried and by far my favorite. Compared to traditional weighted blankets, the knitted design is elegant. It's not only functional but a statement piece. The flexible knitted design also provides even weight distribution across my entire body, creating a hugging sensation that prevents me from tossing and turning throughout the night. Unlike blankets filled with beads, this one is virtually silent as you move it. There are no distracting rustling sounds, allowing for uninterrupted sleep. Thanks to the knit pattern, this blanket also excels at temperature regulation and not trapping excessive heat. This blanket is fit for all seasons. My favorite feature is that it is perfectly oversized which gives me the freedom to sleep in any position I find comfortable while still enjoying the pressure of the blanket. The only drawback I've noticed is the light color, which makes me a bit more cautious about potential stains, especially since there's no removable cover. However, with proper care, I'm confident this blanket will continue to be a staple in my nightly routine." —JuliaPrice: $105 (originally $140; available in two colors) A toadstool-shaped footrest to prop your feet up while you read a cozy thriller novel at home. Plus, its unique design will be sure to garner many a compliment from guests. Promising review: "Perfect addition to my home office/cozy room. I love that it's lightweight and easy to move but still sturdy and strong. It's cute and adds a great touch of character." —KcdPrice: $115 (available in two colors) A printed accent rug if you want just a small pop of color to bring a little life into your space. Promising review: "Gorgeous color and print. Thin to fit under a door opening and closing. Nice quality with grippy backside to stay put." —NMPrice: $25 An expensive-looking brass flip mirror with a built-in tray perfect for keeping your dainty jewelry and checking your makeup. Promising review: "I absolutely LOVE this mirror. It looks amazing in my bathroom. It gives the perfect aesthetic to it. It has a normal side and a zoom side." —VValentinePrice: $18.74 A retro-looking portable Bluetooth speaker that also has AM/FM functions if you love a vintage aesthetic but still want the sound quality modern tech can offer. Promising review: "I own one and liked it so much, I purchased one as a Christmas present. It's aesthetically pleasing but also functional. It has a great sound and is portable. I use it in my kitchen and on my deck. Very happy with this vintage looking item." —L2WestPrice: $23.99 (originally $39.99) A fancy-looking *and* fancy-smelling three-wick candle (in a ginger and black tea scent) so lovely that your guests are going to ask you where you bought it from. Promising review: "My absolute favorite candle and scent. The tea scent is noticeable but not overpowering, and it smells so rich without being artificial and saccharine. I hope Target sells this forever. I'm hooked." —KarenkPrice: $17 A string of pretty bistro lights to add a cozy glow to your outdoor space while you're enjoying s'mores and a campfire this spring and summer. Promising review: "These lights are amazing for the price. I bought these last summer, 2022, I left them up all winter, in northern MN, where it's -40 degrees most of the time, and I just plugged them in, and not one bulb is out. Plus, they're cute and I love that they're real glass." —JessMuPrice: $10 A mail holder with hooks, so you never again have to wonder where you put those credit card bills that you need to pay ASAP. Plus, it's a perfect spot to hang your keys. Promising review: "Easy to hang. Holds my two kids' book bags without any problem." —ACXPhiler79Price: $20 A three-piece luxe glass bath bundle if you want to feel like you're visiting a luxury five-star hotel when you're using the loo. Price: $25 A toy storage organizer with 16 removable bins so you can keep your children's space organized and not have to worry about stepping on Legos when you're just trying to walk around your home (ouch). Promising review: "So far we are loving this. Transitioned from traditional cubby furniture in my son's room to this and it holds so much more. I love that you can see what is in each bin. Looks good and doesn't take up a ton of space. 100% worth it." —KatiePrice: $65.99 A 100% mulberry silk pillowcase if you want your bedroom to feel extra luxurious. This is super handy because the silk fabric helps cut down on friction that can lead to bedhead and acne while looking super chic on your bed. Promising review: "I really like 100% mulberry pillowcases and nothing else on my pillow. This pillowcase stays cool while sleeping. My hair did not seem as dry and messy in the morning." —Agie Price: $48.99+ (available in three sizes and five colors)
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bury Us in a Lone Desert review – moving and macabre odd-couple road trip
Love is a many-splendored thing in this idiosyncratic, highly stylised debut from Vietnamese film-maker Nguyễn Lê Hoàng Phúc. Blurring the lines between genres and styles, the first half of the film unfurls through a technique commonly seen in silent cinema: the iris shot. Within a circular frame we see a burglary gone wrong, a puzzling plaster cast in the shape of a woman and the burgeoning of a strange friendship, all set within an ordinary flat. Inspired by a news story, the central premise is at once macabre and moving. Inside the plaster cast is the body of the owner's wife, who died 10 years ago. Having caught a young burglar (Psycho Neo) red handed, the older man (Lưu Đức Cường) asks for his help on an unusual quest: transporting the body to the couple's chosen resting place in a faraway desert. Though powered by love, it's also a journey towards death. The circular compositions are exquisitely detailed and far from being a gimmick. There's a captivating play with geometry as cascading shadows, vertical columns, and square floor tiles nestle within the round border. Viewed as if through a telescope, objects of devotion – a fading photo, a pair of wedding rings – acquire a spiritual poignancy. In addition to emphasising the voyeuristic nature of cinema, the framing beautifully accentuates minute gestures and expressions, as the bond between the two men gradually grows. The vivid colour palette, reminiscent of Technicolor melodramas, is another delight, transforming mundane routines into painterly still lifes. As the film shifts gears into spaghetti western mode, the frame widens to take in new terrain. The switch is beguiling, even if the second half loses some of the visual intricacy that makes the previous scenes so thrilling. Nevertheless, Bury Us in a Lone Desert shines as a potent and affecting exploration of grief's peculiarities, one that sidesteps maudlin sentimentality. Bury Us in a Lone Desert is at the ICA, London, from 2 May.
