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News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Step Inside A Real-Life Replica Of Stranger Things' Byers' House In Georgia
Built by the fans for the fans, this Stranger Things inspired rental vacation home in Georgia will take you back to the 1980s. With Stranger Things nearing its highly anticipated fifth and final season, fans are finding creative ways to celebrate the end of an era. One of the most immersive options? Booking a stay at a fully decked-out replica of the Byers' house. Tucked away in Fayetteville, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, this rental vacation home offers a surreal trip back to the 1980s, complete with show-inspired decor and nostalgic detail in every corner. This isn't just a themed rental, it's a tribute to Stranger Things built by dedicated fans for fans. From the moment you step inside, you're transported to Hawkins, Indiana. Each room is packed with references from the show's early seasons: authentic retro furniture, old-school board games, and even shelves stacked with VHS tapes. There's the iconic alphabet wall glowing with fairy lights, and themed bedrooms that reflect the personalities of characters like Will and Jonathan Byers. One of the most talked-about features is the Upside Down-themed room, complete with dark tendrils snaking along the walls and a Dungeons & Dragons setup perfect for recreating your own in-show moments. The home comfortably sleeps six across three uniquely styled bedrooms. Jonathan's room features vinyl records and a vintage Amiga 500, while Will's room showcases his original 'Will the Wise" artwork. The Upside Down room, designed to mimic the show's parallel dimension, includes two sets of bunk beds and atmospheric lighting. Local regulations limit the number of guests per room to two, so group planning is key. Modern Comfort Meets Retro Cool Despite its period-accurate style, the rental home doesn't compromise on modern convenience. The fully equipped kitchen has updated appliances, and there's a 75-inch Samsung Frame TV ready for your watch party marathons. Central air conditioning, a dishwasher, and laundry facilities ensure that comfort isn't sacrificed for aesthetics. Even the kitchen, with its vintage green cabinetry, ties perfectly into the 80s theme while remaining highly functional. Explore Real Stranger Things Filming Spots Nearby Your journey doesn't have to stop at the front door. Just a short drive away, fans can visit real-life filming locations across Georgia, including Jackson – the stand-in for downtown Hawkins. Stop by the Hawk Theatre (actually Bradley's Olde Tavern), walk the alley where Jonathan and Steve had their iconic showdown, or sip a Demogorgon Latte at Lucy Lu's Coffee Café. view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 14:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Millennial Mom Anxious About Baby's Sleep—Then Finds Her 1993 Crib Video
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Like many millennial parents, a mom from Arkansas spends a lot of time worrying about safe sleep practices for her baby—no pillows, no blankets, no bumpers and certainly no added mattresses in the bassinet. But a recently resurfaced home video from 1993 stopped Erika Glidden in her tracks. In a clip on TikTok, Glidden, 32, shared footage herself as a 2-month-old in her crib—complete with plush bumpers, thick blankets, a pillow and sleeping on her stomach. Footage from 1993 home video; Erika Glidden pictured in a crib surrounded by pillows and blankets. Footage from 1993 home video; Erika Glidden pictured in a crib surrounded by pillows and blankets. @erikaglidden A text overlay on the video reads: "Me: worried about a mattress in my baby's bassinet. Also 2-month-old me in 1993." Glidden told Newsweek she discovered the footage after her mom had a collection of old VHS tapes digitized using the iMemories app. What started as a nostalgic viewing session quickly turned into a hilarious and eye-opening reflection on how parenting norms have evolved. "I was just so shocked to see how much different the sleep practices are now compared to 30 years ago," she said. "[Back then], I was sleeping in a crib in my own room with extra padding, crib bumpers, a comforter and laying on my stomach. No owlet or breathing monitoring system and no baby monitor." Now, Glidden's baby sleeps in a bassinet with a fitted sheet and a sleep sack. "She wears an owlet sock to monitor her breathing and has a camera monitor on her the entire time," she told Newsweek. Today's sleep guidelines, recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), says safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Key recommendations include placing babies on their backs to sleep, using a firm, flat fitted sheet and avoiding soft bedding such as pillows, blankets, crib bumpers or stuffed animals. Glidden's clip has gone viral on TikTok, amassing 4.3 million views and a further 377,000 likes. Thousands of users commented and were equally as shocked as the millennial mom was. Many others weighed in with the parenting practices they were raised with. "My pacifier was tied with a string around my neck," one user wrote. "I literally asked my mom how she got me to sleep through the night and she said, 'Idk [I don't know], I just went off to bed. I was tired,'" another commented. A third user added, "We're honestly built differently. My crib looked similar." "I did not expect it to blow up as much as it did, but I do agree with the majority of the reactions," Glidden told Newsweek. "I think millennials use humor to cope and that has been the majority of the responses, so I have enjoyed reading through them."
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
12 Famous Movie Facts That Are Actually False
The famous "SEX" dust cloud in The Lion King was a hidden message, but it didn't say sex — it actually spells "SFX" as a subtle shoutout to the film's special effects team. The myth of the hidden word, according to Snopes, spread after rumors that a 4-year-old boy from New York or Louisiana spotted the word "S-E-X" in the dust cloud while watching The Lion King and told his mother or aunt. However, that doesn't make much sense because how could a child that young spell, make out the spelling, or understand the word? The "discovery" was likely framed as "a child saw it" to make it more alarming and to fuel outrage by someone or somebodies who wanted to criticize Disney. There is a widely circulated myth that one of the Munchkin actors hanged himself on camera in The Wizard of Oz, specifically during the scene where Dorothy and the Scarecrow meet the Tin Man. In reality, what people often mistake for a hanging figure is actually a large bird — likely a crane — that was part of the set to make the forest appear more lifelike. According to Snopes, this urban legend dates back to 1989, when the film was re-released on VHS for its 50th anniversary. OK, now, if you were watching this on video in 1989, the resolution would have been, well, shit, so it would be easy to not be able to make out shadows in the background and interpret them as something else. In the 30-plus years since then, the movie has been remastered and cleaned up several times, and if you watch it today you can clearly make out that it's just an exotic bird walking in the background. Three Men and a Baby was not filmed in a haunted New York apartment, and there's no ghost lurking in the background of any scene. The "ghost" people often point to is actually a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson's character, which was part of a deleted storyline. The movie was filmed on a soundstage in Toronto, not in a real apartment, haunted or otherwise. Just like The Wizard of Oz, Munchkin one, this urban legend started after the film was released onto home video. The story went that a 9-year-old boy had killed himself in the apartment where the movie was filmed and that he can be seen hiding behind the curtains as the camera quickly pans across the room. But the "ghost" is actually a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson's character (which can be seen earlier in the film). There are a few theories as to how this rumor started — like how it was the studio trying to drive up VHS rentals. It could just be that, again, just like in the case of The Wizard of Oz, the low resolution of VHS tapes, and the fact that TVs were smaller in the '80s and '90s, made it hard to determine what the figure was. It's a common misconception that Heath Ledger stayed in character as the Joker 24/7 while filming The Dark Knight. While Ledger did immerse himself deeply in the role — notably spending weeks alone in a hotel room developing the Joker's voice, mannerisms, and personality — he did not remain in character off-camera throughout the entire shoot. Cast and crew members, including Christian Bale, have said that while Ledger took the role very seriously and delivered an unforgettable performance, he was professional, collaborative, and able to step out of character between takes, where he cracked jokes and skateboarded. The myth of him being consumed by the role (and it leading to his death) adds to the film's mystique, but in reality, Ledger approached the part with intense preparation, not constant method acting. In Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, the scene where Indy shoots the swordsman was not improvised because Harrison Ford was tired of doing takes of it and refused to do anymore. Ford and the actor who played the swordsman had actually trained for a much longer scene that was going to be elaborate and just be between the whip and the sword. However, Ford was combating dysentery and was not feeling well, so the night before the shoot, he approached the film's director, Steven Spielberg, about shortening the scene (as it was going to take at least two to three days to shoot) by just having Indy shoot the swordsman. Spielberg had had a similar idea, so the scene was cut down before it was even shot. Leonardo DiCaprio did read for the part of Max in Hocus Pocus. However, he never turned down the role because he couldn't even accept it, as he was already committed to filming two other movies. It's a bit convoluted, but he was asked to come in to read for it, with director Kenny Ortega being fully aware that he was unavailable to do the movie because he was already committed to filming What's Eating Gilbert Grape and This Boy's Life. According to Ortega, DiCaprio was brought in to read for the role because the casting people knew he would be very good and that it would inspire Ortega to find the right guy to play Max. The producer of Gone With the Wind, David O. Selznick, was not fined $5,000 for including the word "damn" at the end of the movie because it violated a Motion Picture Association Production Code. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," is one of the most iconic lines in cinematic history. However, Selznick didn't have to pay a fine because he didn't violate anything. He wanted to stick to the book as much as possible, so he got special permission from the Motion Picture Association to use the words "damn" and "hell" in specific situations in the film. But, just in case he didn't get the permission, Selznick and story editor Val Lewton came up with a list of alternate lines that Rhett could say to Scarlett at the end of the movie. Mad Max: Fury Road had a script, contrary to internet rumors that said director George Miller used only storyboards to make the film. Obviously, this is not true, because it would be impossible to make a movie like Fury Road without a script. In an Oct. 2020 email to IndieWire, Miller shut down the rumor once and for all, saying, "I'm not sure how the notion that Fury Road had no script came about. I suppose it's because of the [photo of the] room lined with storyboards. Of course, there was a script! How else could we have presented the project to a studio, cast, and crew to elicit their interest?" Janet Jackson never demanded that Tupac Shakur get an HIV test before he kissed her for their film Poetic Justice. While this didn't happen, it does have an origin; according to the film's writer-director, the late John Singleton, it was actually a joke (not the most tasteful joke, I know) he started when they were filming. The backstory is that both he and Tupac had HUGE crushes on Jackson (who was not interested in either of them, 'cause she was secretly married at the time), and he would jokingly say, "We're gonna have to get you an AIDS test for you to kiss my actress!" as a way to one-up Tupac. The joke became a rumor even before the movie was it's important to note that HIV/AIDS had been a known disease for over a decade-plus when the movie was filmed — it was already a known fact that you could not transmit the disease through kissing, so it doesn't even make sense. Universal had high hopes for Jaws, and knew it would be a hit (obviously not the massive blockbuster film it would become). The movie was based on a bestselling novel, and the studio believed the thrilling concept and beachside setting would have a strong appeal for summer audiences, which is exactly why they chose to release it in the summer. At the time of its release, 1975, summer was considered a dead zone for movies, with studios typically dumping lower-priority releases during those months. In the decades since, this has led to the misconception that Universal didn't expect much from Jaws. Additionally, Universal backed the film with an aggressive marketing campaign, which was unusual for the time. The campaign included an unprecedented number of TV and radio spots, which helped build nationwide buzz. Contrary to popular belief, Cleopatra was not a box office bomb. In fact, the 1963 epic starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was the highest-grossing film of that year, earning around $57 million at the box office, which was an impressive figure for the time. The misconception largely stems from the film's behind-the-scenes chaos, production problems, and notoriously bloated budget, which ballooned to close to $44 million (roughly $460 million today with inflation), making it the most expensive movie ever made up to that point. The movie struggled to make an immediate profit due to its staggering production costs. But Cleopatra eventually recouped its budget through re-releases and international earnings. And lastly, no, a disgruntled Disney employee who had just found out they were fired did not secretly draw penises on the VHS cover of The Little Mermaid — despite what you may have heard as a kid. The now infamous image, which appears to show phallic shapes hidden in the castle towers, was actually the result of an innocent mistake by a freelance artist hired to create the marketing artwork. In 1998, Snopes interviewed the artist responsible for the original Little Mermaid VHS cover to get to the bottom of the infamous "phallic castle" rumor. The artist, who had previously worked on other official promotional materials for the film — including the theatrical poster, CD artwork, and Happy Meal boxes — insisted it was purely accidental. He explained that he was rushing to finish the artwork around "four in the morning" and didn't notice anything unusual in the castle design. In fact, that exact castle illustration had already been used in the film's original poster (below) and was simply reused for the VHS cover, with only Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian, and Flounder being newly redrawn.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Payal Kapadia: ‘Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan is a moment in Indian cinema'
When Neeraj Ghaywan-directed Masaan created a buzz by winning two awards — FIPRESCI award and the Promising Future prize in the Un Certain Regard section — at the Cannes Film Festival, 2015, director Payal Kapadia, then a student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, candidly recalls her initial reaction to the film's success, marked by what she termed 'film school arrogance' and skepticism. 'Is Masaan really that good? We wondered. However, after watching it, I was moved by the way Masaan talked about caste and gender. Masaan is a moment in Indian cinema,' she said. Kapadia, the writer-director of Cannes-winner All We Imagine As Light (2024), was in conversation with Ghaywan after a special screening organised by Versova Homage Screenings (VHS) on Thursday evening as Masaan turns 10. Talking about Masaan's significance in Indian cinema, she said: 'It is not often that you see characters in Hindi cinema that (give the impression) we might have met them at some point or capture feelings that we must have experienced at some point in our lives. That's why Masaan is both universal and specific to a particular place. There are so many themes in the film. As cinema students, we were inspired by how this film had used a unique cinematic language — long takes and off-screen sound — in the mainstream space.' A compelling exploration of themes of love, loss, caste, guilt, and ambition, Masaan parallelly follows the stories of its lead characters — Devi (essayed by Richa Chadha) and Deepak (Vicky Kaushal). Ghaywan's initial idea was to explore the story of a man who works at a ghat and can't muster enough courage to speak to a woman he is drawn to. 'Later on, I developed a couple of other tracks. The concept of two people, who were slowly navigating towards each other, completely oblivious of their journeys ending together, was always there.' says Ghaywan. The special screening of Masaan was organised by Versova Homage Screenings (VHS), a community viewing platform created by two brothers, writer-director Rohan K Mehta and actor Prayrak Mehta. They started VHS in April 2024 with the screening of Avinash Arun-directed Killa (2014) and this was their 25th screening. For Payal Kapadia, one of the powerful scenes of Masaan is the ending, when Devi and Deepak meet at a ghat in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) and go on a boat tour of Sangam, which is the confluence of rivers: the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. 'The ending is powerful. It is about two people who don't know each other and have impacted each other. It goes so well with the metaphor of Sangam of the rivers,' she said. In response, Ghaywan said he always wants to end a story with hope. 'That was also the last shot that we took as the sun was about to set.' Masaan, which boasts of an impressive ensemble cast, features Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi. When Kapadia mentioned how 'its characters are complex', Ghaywan said, 'I don't like unidimensional characters who are honest and sincere. As humans, we are flawed.' Ghaywan's second feature Homebound premiered at Cannes Film Festival's 'Un Certain Regard' section and will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September. Also Read | Vicky Kaushal was ridiculed after he was cast as lead in Masaan, says casting director Mukesh Chhabra: 'Kisko hero le liya' Even though a decade has passed since its release, Masaan still stands out for its magnificent use of music and Hindi poetry. 'For Masaan, I wanted a different kind of music. The inspiration was Udaan, which used rock music in a coming-of-age film so beautifully,' he said. The songs of Masaan were composed by Indian Ocean and the lyrics were written by Varun Grover, who also wrote its screenplay. The script deftly weaves references to Urdu & Hindi poets such as Akbar Allahabadi, Basheer Badr, Mirza Ghalib, Dushyant Kumar and Nida Fazli.
Chicago Tribune
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
STEM-A-Thon is all fun and games for Boys & Girls Club members
From robots to a live version of Angry Birds, about 200 Boys & Girls Clubs members from throughout Lake and Porter counties got to try their hand at STEM activities Monday. 'They're learning something and may not even realize it, they're having so much fun,' Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana President and CEO Mike Jessen said. New this year at the second annual STEM-Thon was a chance to use a real surgical robot brought by Northwest Health. No one was operated on at Urschel Pavilion in downtown Valparaiso; the kids – grades 3 and up – got to test their manual dexterity in guiding the robotic instrument. Violinnie, an East Chicago club member, said her video gaming experience helped her control the robotic device well. Other groups, including Urschel Laboratories and the Valparaiso and Portage high school robotics clubs, also offered ways to interact with robots. Urschel's Esmerelda Torres was one of 50 volunteers at the event, guiding the kids as they raced robots across a playing field and spun the robots' heads 360 degrees. 'You may think it's easy, but it's a 360-degree control,' Torres said. 'It's fun. I like how it moves. It's kind of hard to control,' said Benjamin, a member of the Duneland club. 'You get to control it and make it do fun stuff.' Benjamin's brother Nolan, who also attends the Duneland club, enjoyed it when the robots collided. He found it easier to control, he said. The high school robotics teams allowed kids to use the robots the teams use in competitions. The kids also used claw bots to stack cones, testing their manual dexterity at the controls. The teams also set up three coding stations to allow kids to experience coding at a very basic level. Jonathan, a member of the VHS team, said the kids had to solve some errors intentionally included to advance the robots through the maze. James Kirk, a VHS robotics teacher, said it's important for kids to keep up with the progression of technology. Then there's the fun factor: 'Who doesn't want to play with robots?' Outside Urschel Pavilion, in front of Central Park Plaza's Northwest Health amphitheater, United Rentals volunteers helped students use a giant slingshot to shoot balls at a stack of cardboard boxes to see if they could knock them down, a game reminiscent of Angry Birds. No actual birds were involved. Little changes in the altitude of the slingshot make a big difference in the outcome, United Rentals representative Aishling Wigmore said. 'United Rentals likes to give back,' Wigmore said as she rattled off a long list of charities the company supports. 'We're big believers in giving back and teaching the community.' One of the other games involves shooting foam balls out of plastic pipes with various bends included as kids assembled them. Izayah, a member of the Portage club, enjoyed the game. 'I was trying to make it go really high,' he said, as others chased the balls flying far and wide. Marina Kirova, director of education and academic programming, is the architect of the event. 'It's teamwork, definitely, because all of our departments in this organization work together,' she said. Planning began soon after last year's event. 'This is not meant to teach kids in the moment,' she said, but to show them that STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – principles are in play in everyday life.' Signs at each table explained the concept behind each game, but Kirova doubted all the kids read them. They were too busy having fun. STEM experiences came naturally to Kirova. She's accustomed to finding screws, wires and other odds and ends in her pockets at the end of the day, the detritus from working with kids on STEM activities. When she was young, Kirova wanted to be a doctor. 'If I couldn't do it, at least now I can show it to someone else. At least they can do it,' she said as she discussed the Northwest Health exhibit. Kirova works with the Portage High School robotics team as a judge adviser. 'In the last 10 years, they always get to the world competition and win some kind of award,' she said. Jessen said the event is a fun end-of-summer activity. It's mid-July, but school starts in August in many communities. 'The goal is to bring all these kids together from our 10 different clubs' and let them interact with each other, Jessen said. The STEM-A-Thon allows the kids to learn and sparks their interest 'with a heavy, heavy dose of having some fun,' he said. 'They're engaged, they're listening, they're really respectful.' The event lasted four hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 'Hopefully, they'll be well educated and tired from the fun they've had' on the bus ride back to their home club, Jessen said. Summer is a busy time for the clubs. Kids can be there as long as 11.5 hours a day, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staff work hard to make sure their time at the club is interesting and fun. 'What I hear from the kids is they don't want to go home. They're excited to stay at the club,' he said.
