Latest news with #TheSubstance
The Age
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Growing up is the real nightmare in Pete Davidson's schlocky horror show
THE HOME ★★½ (R) 97 minutes. Horror movies tend to be aimed at young people, so it makes sense that an entire subgenre has sprung up focused on the ickiness of getting old (even The Substance has some of this, though the message is supposed to be the opposite). The senior citizens in these films may be villains or victims, but either way, they're presented as physically repulsive: feeble-minded, shrivelled up and falling apart. Effectively, they're living corpses – and should they possess any sort of vestigial sex drive, we're invited to view this as the worst horror of all. James DeMonaco's crude, though not wholly ineffective, The Home starts out straightforwardly in this dubious vein – and never entirely veers off course, although DeMonaco, best known for the similarly grisly Purge films, has a couple of surprises in store if we haven't seen the spoiler-heavy trailer. Squarely in the Generation X demographic, DeMonaco is no newly hatched prodigy. Neither is the film's star Pete Davidson, who spent most of his 20s on Saturday Night Live. Still, at 30 or thereabouts, Davidson retains his lumbering adolescent sullenness as Max, a Staten Island graffiti artist sentenced to four months of community service as caretaker of the isolated Green Meadow retirement home, an oppressive brick fortress with shadowy corridors and officious staff. Decay is omnipresent, even setting aside whatever might be happening on the fourth floor, officially off-limits where Max is concerned. Small wonder he has recurring nightmares, some of them linked to the loss of his beloved older foster brother Luke (Matthew Miniero), a trauma dating to childhood.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Growing up is the real nightmare in Pete Davidson's schlocky horror show
THE HOME ★★½ (R) 97 minutes. Horror movies tend to be aimed at young people, so it makes sense that an entire subgenre has sprung up focused on the ickiness of getting old (even The Substance has some of this, though the message is supposed to be the opposite). The senior citizens in these films may be villains or victims, but either way, they're presented as physically repulsive: feeble-minded, shrivelled up and falling apart. Effectively, they're living corpses – and should they possess any sort of vestigial sex drive, we're invited to view this as the worst horror of all. James DeMonaco's crude, though not wholly ineffective, The Home starts out straightforwardly in this dubious vein – and never entirely veers off course, although DeMonaco, best known for the similarly grisly Purge films, has a couple of surprises in store if we haven't seen the spoiler-heavy trailer. Squarely in the Generation X demographic, DeMonaco is no newly hatched prodigy. Neither is the film's star Pete Davidson, who spent most of his 20s on Saturday Night Live. Still, at 30 or thereabouts, Davidson retains his lumbering adolescent sullenness as Max, a Staten Island graffiti artist sentenced to four months of community service as caretaker of the isolated Green Meadow retirement home, an oppressive brick fortress with shadowy corridors and officious staff. Decay is omnipresent, even setting aside whatever might be happening on the fourth floor, officially off-limits where Max is concerned. Small wonder he has recurring nightmares, some of them linked to the loss of his beloved older foster brother Luke (Matthew Miniero), a trauma dating to childhood.
Cosmopolitan
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
The 'Weapons' Ending, Explained
In 2022, writer-director Zach Cregger delivered Barbarian, a modern horror that begins with a double-booked Airbnb and ends with a breastfeeding monster. Critics and audiences loved Barbarian, framing it as a gold standard of the horror revival, sharing hall of fame real estate with films like The Substance, anything A24 releases, and most recently, Together. With his sophomore project Weapons, Cregger proved he could make lightning strike twice. Weapons begins with that timely, 'ripped from the headlines' feel – quickly becoming Cregger's creative schtick – with a Pleasantville-esque community processing the disappearance of 17 children from a single classroom. Aside from a hallucinated AR-15 in the clouds about forty minutes into the movie, this is as far as the school shooting implications go. Julia Garner plays a teacher who arrives at school to find only one student sitting in her classroom. The rest ran away at 2:17am, running out of their homes doing pilates arms. The parents immediately blame the teacher, 'burn the witch!' style; and from there we're taken through the timeline from the perspectives of the townspeople. Beyond Garner, Weapons' ensemble includes Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. Like Barbarian before it, Weapons is about the journey and not the destination. It doesn't totally hold water and not everything makes sense in the end, but it's a satisfying 2 hours and 8 minutes. In seeing the timeline from all six – count 'em, six – key players, nothing really changes. The plot unfolds in a puzzle, with each POV adding more context to the tale of the missing children. In the end, the nucleus of the story is Alex, the sole remaining student of the disappeared class. It was the arrival of his 'great-aunt,' a witchy old bag named Gladys, that emptied his classroom. Armed with a bell and a talisman, some blood‑soaked branches and personal items, she transforms people into lifeless marionettes, siphoning life to renew herself. When she snaps the branch, the affected person becomes a human weapon with a specific target. Upon her arrival to Maybrook, she started with Alex's parents, but quickly got the taste for his classmates. She instructs Alex to bring home an item from each of his classmates, activating them at 2:17am, and shepherding them into her basement to keep her young. Little Alex spends his days spoon-feeding soup into the mouths of his parents, friends, and bullies to keep them alive. At the film's violent climax, Alex and his teacher are fighting off a horde of human weapons. Alex, the 4-foot hero, gets to Gladys's magic stash and uses what he's learned to turn his classmates (still in the basement) against her. The kids go absolutely buck wild and Gladys is killed. After they literally tear her apart, it's like the spell is broken and they are returned to reality – but not completely. Weapons begins and ends with a child's narration, concluding that the children are home but braindead and mostly mute, except for a few. Alex's parents are hospitalized and he is sent to live with another aunt. Sequel when? 'Weapons' is playing in theaters now. Get Tickets
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Andie MacDowell's daughter, Margaret Qualley, used 'Southern girl etiquette' to win over famous husband
Andie MacDowell's daughter locked down her love using "Southern girl etiquette." Margaret Qualley married Jack Antonoff, known for producing some of Taylor Swift's biggest hits, in August 2023. "The Substance" star opened up about the beginning of the couple's romance and the "old-school" traditions she found herself following. Qualley revealed Antonoff said "I love you" first, "obviously." "I'm very old-school about stuff like this," she told Cosmopolitan. "I would never put myself out there first. I never text twice. I mean, now we're married, and I can text him anything at any time. We're always having a conversation; he's like my human diary. But, before we were together, at the beginning, I would always follow Southern girl etiquette." Qualley and Antonoff first met in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic was ending. The 30-year-old said "falling in love with Jack was the biggest feeling [she'd] ever felt." "We saw each other on a roof, and we just started talking and never stopped," Qualley recalled. "We went on a series of walks throughout the city that summer." And, according to Qualley, "Washington Square Park is the best place to fall in love." The two married Aug. 19, 2023, in New Jersey. The guest list consisted of numerous A-list celebrities, including Swift, Zoë Kravitz and Lana Del Rey. In her relationship with Jack, Qualley felt "safe and comfortable." "In every other relationship I've ever been in, I still felt really lonely because I wasn't with my person, and it's like I was seeking something," she said. "I don't feel like that anymore. Jack makes me feel safe and comfortable. "I spent so many years trying to be someone's perfect girl, and that girl changed over and over again," Qualley admitted. "But I can't lie to Jack. I can't be that for him. He'd see through it. So, I just have to be myself. He's been the person I've pictured my whole life. And I'm not even saying that metaphorically. My first crush was Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore' and 'Big Daddy,' and I've been looking for that essence my whole life. I'm like, 'That's Jack.'" Qualley was "head-over-heels in love right away" with Antonoff, she told Elle UK in February 2024. "I had a sure, knowing feeling that he was my husband," the actress added. Qualley was raised by her famous parents, actress Andie MacDowell and former model Paul Qualley. The couple divorced in 1999 after 13 years of marriage and five years after welcoming Qualley into the world. The actress was raised by MacDowell in North Carolina. Qualley recalled her experience of being raised by "probably the only Hollywood actress in Asheville." "I grew up always being like, 'Well, it's just normal to me. She's my mom. So, it's my normal life.' But also I knew it was weird," Margaret told The Evening Standard in 2023. "It's weird. I'm really lucky. It was a strange thing, but then I did go to a normal school, [had] normal friends and have a somewhat normal life. Then my mom would go off and do movies, and sometimes I'd go with her. And sometimes I'd meet, like, Gérard Depardieu." Qualley's found fame after her breakout role in HBO's "The Leftovers" in 2014. She has since earned recognition for roles in "Fosse/Verdon," "Poor Things" and, more recently, "The Substance" and "Happy Gilmore 2." She's been nominated for Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Critics' Choice Awards and Emmy Awards for her work. The "Maid" star also adheres to other old-school traditions in life, not just dating. "Cellphones are like cigarettes. I'm a big fan of airplane mode," she told Cosmopolitan. "Because opening your phone is also like going to work, you know? I don't have any apps on my phone except Uber, texting and Maps. And that's nice, because then it's like, if I'm at the grocery store, I don't just pull out my phone. I'm just there, listening to people's conversations. "And I feel more immersed in my life," Qualley added. "I have another phone at home that doesn't have cellphone service. It just has Wi-Fi, and I can look at Instagram. We are all definitely too plugged in."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What to Watch This Weekend (Aug. 9-10): 9 Best New Movies and Shows to Stream Now (Including a New Season of a Major Netflix Show!)
Here's where to watch the top nine best movies and shows the weekend of Aug. 9-10 It may not be fall yet, but streamers and theaters are teasing audiences as summer winds down with some spooky releases. This weekend, Aug. 9-10, streamers and theaters alike have some haunting stories to give audiences just a taste of impending pumpkin spice latte season — and we're sat for it. In theaters, one of the most positively reviewed (and positively terrifying) movies of the year is coming to the big screen (The Substance part 2, anyone?), while on Netflix, everyone's favorite Addams family member is making her return after a three-year hiatus. And there's more! Here's a list of the nine best new movies and shows to watch this weekend and where to stream them. Freakier Friday The summer of reboots is far from over — and Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are serving an extra special sweet treat as they reunite for a sequel to 2003's beloved Freaky Friday. This time, Anna and Tess' bodies are taken over by Anna's daughter and soon-to-be step-daughter — and the two girls have a plan (which involves a steamy Chad Michael Murray reprising his role as Jake) to ensure their parents' wedding does not go through. Freakier Friday releases in theaters August 8. Weapons Be warned: if you scare easily, this is certainly not the weekend theater trip choice for you. When an entire classroom of children goes missing at the same time one night, their teacher, Justine (Julia Garner), is left wondering where they went — and soon, blame turns to her. So what happened to the children and where did they go? You'll have to head to your local theater (with perhaps a blanket, emotional support stuffed animal and a good snack in hand) to find out. Weapons releases in theaters August 8. Wednesday season 2 It may have taken three years, but everyone's favorite moody teenager is back — and she's just as brooding and sinister as ever. Jenna Ortega once again is Wednesday Addams in Wednesday, and this time she's facing off against her favorite serial killer (because everyone has one of those, right?). Perhaps more relatable to fans of the same age is Wednesday's disdain when her family, including her mom Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), choose to stay by her side at Nevermore Academy. Watch the first four episodes of Wednesday season 2 on Netflix. Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil There are few serial killers that documentary cameras love focusing on more than Ted Bundy. But this time, the narrative is just a bit different. Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil (not to be confused with Netflix's Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes) includes 12 hours of unreleased tapes in which Bundy assisted police in finding the Green River Killer. Naturally, his motives were anything but heroic. Watch the first episode of Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil on Hulu. Platonic season 2 Audiences first fell in love with Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as a couple in the Neighbors franchise, but the two pals kicked up their chemistry even more in a show about, ironically, platonic best friends. After Sylvia (Byrne) and Will (Rogen) reconnected in season 1, the pair's friendship is put to the test again as Will struggles to date women who don't see his best friend as a threat. Sounds like not a Sylvia problem, but thanks to her love for her pal, she makes it one as she attempts to help him find love again. Watch season 2 of Platonic on Apple TV+. Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills This year's Hard Knocks pick is a season spent training with the Buffalo Bills — or, if you're not a football fan per se, a season spent admiring Hailee Steinfeld's husband (and, fine, quarterback) Josh Allen. The five-part docuseries kicked off on Aug. 5 and will continue weekly, giving Bills Mafia and NFL fans alike a look into the beloved team's training season. Watch the first episode of Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills on HBO Max. The Pickup We like to think that one day someone at Prime Video sat there and thought, "What happens if I put Keke Palmer, Pete Davidson and Eddie Murphy in a room?" and this was the result. The Pickup stars the three lauded comedians as Zoe, Travis and Russell, respectively. As Travis and Russell are trying to go through their day and get their security job done, Zoe hijacks their vehicle and holds them hostage to fulfill her mission of avenging her father's death by robbing a casino. Watch The Pickup on Prime Video. King of the Hill season 14 After a 15-year hiatus, beloved animated sitcom King of the Hill is back on the small screen. But leads Hank and Peggy Hill are feeling the effects of their time away. The longtime couple return to their home in Texas to find much has changed: restrooms are now gender inclusive, Uber drivers ask for 5-star ratings and beer tastes like fruit (much to Hank's dismay). Watch season 14 of King of the Hill on Hulu. Las Culturistas Culture Awards 2025 Award season is still a ways away but one show is breaking all the rules: Bowen Yang's and Matt Rogers' Las Culturistas Culture Awards. What originally began as a joke on their podcast of the same name, Yang and Rogers picked random categories — which range from the Titanic Award for Monoculture (spoiler: rotisserie chicken took home the prize in a difficult race against fellow nominees The White Lotus, the letter 'S,' Miss Piggy and Wicked) to the Pop Crave Award for Excellence in Journalism — to award various aspects of culture. Watch the Las Culturistas Culture Awards on Peacock. Read the original article on People
