Sarkar reportedly previously worked under Gupta

'They didn't communicate with us in an honest and open way'

She reportedly made fun of him‚ then took some food to share with him

A video shared on Facebook claims to show author and journalist Chris Hedges reciting a poem about Gaza at the 2024 Oscars. Verdict: False Hedges did not talk about Gaza at the Academy Awards. The video has been edited. Fact Check: More than 1‚000 Jewish entertainers signed a letter slamming director Jonathan Glazer’s acceptance speech during […]

There is no evidence Meloni said this. 

News Humane Caitlin Cronenberg’s Humane Offers a Terribly Twisted Take on the Future of the Planet It’s a family drama AND a climate change nightmare! By Molly Templeton | Published on March 21‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed It’s the Cronenberg family’s disturbing world; we just live in it. And we’re lucky to live while they’re making movies‚ honestly. Caitlin Cronenberg is the latest child-of-David to take a seat in the director’s chair; her brother Brandon made Infinity Pool. And while there’s a certain amount of oh-we’re-really-going-there family resemblance to the tone of her debut‚ Humane‚ there’s also a fun little kick in the seat: The story is about a wealthy family whose patriarch sacrifices himself for the good of the planet. But there’s a catch: One of the kids might have to die‚ too. The summary for Humane simply says‚ “A global environmental collapse forces world leaders to take extreme measures to reduce earth’s population.” That doesn’t even begin to cover it. “Extreme measures‚” here‚ means that 20 percent of the world population has to die. Peter Gallagher plays Charles York‚ who gathers his rather large family together in order to announce that he and his wife are going to “enlist‚” which is a biting little euphemism. But his wife isn’t having it‚ and takes off. And when the authorities arrive‚ they need to collect two bodies. Bloody hijinks‚ naturally‚ ensue. There’s so much to like in this trailer‚ which goes all in on the bleak-as-hell comedy of its premise (the screenplay is by Michael Sparaga). But Enrico Colantoni (best known as Veronica Mars’ dad‚ or a certain alien in Galaxy Quest) is an utter delight as Bob‚ who seems way too invested in his job as corpse collector. The scrabbling‚ possibly murderous family members include Jay Baruchel (This is the End) and Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek). Humane is in theaters on April 26th. [end-mark] The post Caitlin Cronenberg’s <;i>;Humane<;/i>; Offers a Terribly Twisted Take on the Future of the Planet appeared first on Reactor.

Book Recommendations Teen Horror Time Machine From Almost Silly to Deadly Serious: Christopher Pike’s Tales of Terror Scuba gear? Really? By Alissa Burger | Published on March 21‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed The landscape of ‘90s teen horror was dominated by novels. Whether standalone stories or as part of a larger series (like R.L. Stine’s Fear Street)‚ these short books flooded the market‚ defining the genre and keeping bookstore shelves well-stocked with new scares. Aside from the edited collection Thirteen—which featured stories from some of teen horror’s heaviest hitters‚ including Stine‚ Christopher Pike‚ Caroline B. Cooney‚ Sinclair Smith‚ and others—there wasn’t much short fiction to be had. While I had vivid recollections of Thirteen from my own teen horror days‚ I had no memory at all of Christopher Pike’s Tales of Terror (1997) and Tales of Terror 2 (1998).  Pike’s two short fiction collections were published in the waning days of the ‘90s teen horror trend‚ which started running out of steam around 1996‚ and this may be part of why it flew under my radar. But reading these stories now‚ there are some real gems in the two Tales of Terror collections‚ both in terms of typifying ‘90s teen horror trends and in engaging with the narratives and themes explored in Pike’s novels. There’s a lot to tackle here‚ so we’ll explore Pike’s Tales of Terror collections over the course of a couple of columns‚ with dark revenge stories in this one and the more esoteric and entertaining tales in the next column.  Both collections feature stories that are interconnected with Pike’s book Master of Murder (1992)‚ with “The Fan From Hell” in Tales of Terror and “The Burning Witch” in Tales of Terror 2 focusing on the further adventures of Marvin Summer‚ his cushy lifestyle as a best-selling horror writer‚ and (unsettlingly) his exploitation of and violence against young women who come into his orbit. These stories further develop Master of Murder’s perspective of Marvin’s girlfriend Shelly as a deadly femme fatale‚ with “The Fan From Hell” noting that Marvin “still believed that Shelly had killed a mutual acquaintance‚ Triad‚ about the time they had started going out … she had never admitted to doing the black deed and maybe that was why he still found her so endlessly fascinating‚ the mystery of not knowing” (39). Marvin and Shelly’s relationship is complicated: he lives in a townhome on the California coast‚ while Shelly has gone across the country to go to college—and while he claims to love only her‚ Marvin does acknowledge that “he was faithful to Shelly only within specifically defined geographical circumstances” (45). He cheats on her repeatedly—almost always with young women who reach out to him to tell him what a genius he is—but is filled with rage when he thinks of Shelly doing the same. She takes a heavy load of summer classes each year so that she can graduate early and move back to the West coast to be with Marvin‚ though he’s not all that thrilled when she shows up and makes almost no changes to his life or home to accommodate sharing those with her. In “The Burning Witch‚” when Shelly is devastated after learning that she cannot have children‚ it turns out Marvin never really thought about them having a family together and can’t figure out what she’s so upset about‚ telling her he’s pretty relieved not to have to worry about accidental pregnancy and that “you can always adopt later‚ if you want” (5). Marvin seems pretty intentional in his choice of “you” rather than “we‚” apparently still seeing their lives as separate‚ regardless of the years that they have spent together. Later though‚ when Shelly is murdered by witches who want to have sex with Marvin‚ he is willing to sacrifice whatever he has to to get her back‚ though there really aren’t any indicators that he has a new appreciation for her or that he will be any more committed to Shelly or a future together than he has been in the past. It’s almost like she’s a coveted prize that he has won—she was his dream girl in high school and remained well out of his reach until her alleged murder of Triad brought them together—and now that he has her‚ there’s no way he’s letting her go‚ even if he doesn’t actually want her anymore. “The Fan from Hell” and “The Burning Witch” are the only two stories in Pike’s Tales of Terror collections that explicitly connect with and build upon narratives and characters established in his novels‚ though he does note some resonance in themes between other stories and his books‚ including similarities between “Death of Despair” and his Remember Me trilogy (1989-1995). One of the strongest themes in these stories that draw upon and connect with Pike’s larger body of work is that of (usually sex-fueled) teenage revenge. Pike navigates revenge narratives through different directions‚ including realism‚ fantasy‚ and the murky gray areas in between in Tales of Terror’s “Death of Despair” and “Revenge‚” and in Tales of Terror 2’s “The Tears of Teresa.” As Pike mentions in his author note that prefaces “Death of Despair‚” there are some similarities between this story and Remember Me‚ namely in a suicide from a high-rise balcony that isn’t quite what it seems. While readers eventually learn that Remember Me’s Shari Cooper was actually murdered‚ in “Death of Despair‚” Mike Cutter wakes up in his parents’ townhouse following a wild party and encounters three identically dressed and beautiful young women: his ex-girlfriend Penny‚ his girlfriend Linda‚ and Sandy‚ a girl he had recently rejected. According to these young women‚ Mike is already dead‚ having jumped from the balcony in a fit of despair the night before when Linda broke up with him. His vision is clouded‚ everything is darkly shadowed‚ and they take him out onto the balcony to show him his body in the bushes far below. The only way to move on to the afterlife‚ they say‚ is for him to jump now from the balcony so his spirit can rejoin his body. But the problem is that Mike isn’t actually dead … yet. Linda is really upset because Sandy told her that Mike had been unfaithful (which he denies) and Penny’s still heartbroken that Mike dumped her to be with Linda‚ while Linda’s upset that when Mike broke up Penny‚ he kissed her goodbye. So obviously the only way to balance the scales is to trick Mike into jumping from the balcony and committing suicide. That’ll teach him. There’s a good deal of confusion over Mike’s fidelity (or lack thereof). For example‚ when Mike denies ever having had sex with Sandy‚ she tells Linda that “There is sex in a technical sense and there in sex in a backseat-of-the-car sense. We had the backseat and then he begged me for the technical details” (23-24) and I’ve honestly got no idea what that means. Did they? Didn’t they? Is Sandy arguing that sex is a matter of interpretation? It’s all relatively baffling‚ but these young women have gone to great lengths to convince Mike that he’s really dead‚ including dyeing his contact lenses to mess with his vision‚ drugging him‚ and buying an inflatable doll and making fake blood in order to convince him that he’s actually looking at his own dead body several stories below. But Mike turns the tables‚ shoves all three of them to their deaths from the balcony‚ and scores a free blow-up doll‚ which he gives a bubble bath to clean off both the fake blood and the girls’ real blood‚ and then snuggles up with to go to sleep‚ in a bizarre and darkly humorous conclusion. The revenge plots in “Revenge” and “The Tears of Teresa” are less convoluted‚ with both centering around a wronged man seeking to punish the woman who betrayed him‚ with the women’s names inspired by a not-so-fondly remembered ex-girlfriend of Pike’s. In the author note to “Revenge‚” Pike reflects that “I used to have the bad habit of putting the young woman I happened to be dating into the book I was working on. How we were getting along often determined how her character fared—whether she died slowly and painfully or quickly and with dignity” (157)‚ which is honestly a little disturbing. Anyway‚ he and Teresa went swimming one day in rough seas when Teresa sank down beneath the water and didn’t resurface. After remembering his fear for her safety‚ he writes that “She was under for probably only ten seconds—I reached her quickly. Even though I saved her life‚ she was none too happy with me when we were back on shore. She wouldn’t even talk to me—it was distressing” (158). He doesn’t seem to realize that Teresa was probably plenty distressed herself by nearly drowning‚ but instead watches the boats come and go and dreams up the plot for “Revenge.” In “Revenge‚” the narrator Chris is really upset‚ first that his girlfriend Teresa won’t have sex with him‚ and second‚ after she finds someone else‚ is unfaithful to Chris‚ and starts a new relationship with Mr. Wonderful–she decides sex isn’t too bad after all. All that sex that he isn’t having drives Chris mad and he decides the best course of action is to don his scuba gear‚ lurk underwater at a beach where Teresa and her new fella like to swim‚ and then pull her under the water to the bottom and hold her there until she drowns. There are some unexpected challenges‚ but everything seems to go pretty much according to plan (though the new boyfriend tries to come to Teresa’s rescue and gets murdered too‚ which is fine with Chris)‚ until Chris gets home and finds out that Teresa has survived. He rushes to her side‚ is welcomed by her family with open arms‚ and when he talks to her‚ instead of being identified as a murderer‚ she tells him she was wrong to break up with him‚ that she loves him‚ and that when she thought she was going to die “all I could think about was you … You felt so close to me‚ so close to my soul‚ and I suddenly knew that it was you I loved” (179). This is incredibly unsettling‚ particularly because Chris’s feelings toward Teresa are still an uneasy mixture of love‚ obsession‚ and toxic hatred‚ so who knows what their relationship dynamic is going to look like moving forward. After Teresa’s recovery‚ Chris takes a sick pleasure from putting his arm over her throat to see if her body will remember him as the one who choked her (the answer seems to be kind of)‚ which definitely isn’t a healthy relationship indicator. Chris does make sure to tell readers in the story’s final section that he and Teresa finally had sex‚ so there’s a load off of our minds‚ I guess. “The Tears of Teresa” is much less morally complex and adds a kind of metaphysical twist‚ with a married couple who are kidnapped at knifepoint and paralyzed‚ as Pike weaves together two intersecting stories of past betrayal and present retribution. More than eighteen years ago‚ Teresa told her boyfriend Max that she was traumatized because he forced her to have an abortion. Max’s family has a lot of money and while Max is terrified of his father’s disapproval‚ Teresa convinces Max to marry her on a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas‚ colludes with Max’s best friend (and her secret lover) David‚ and pushes Max off the hotel balcony‚ before we discover that she is actually still pregnant and plans to have the baby in order to blackmail Max’s grieving father. Max survives long enough to be taken to the hospital and dies next to a crying baby‚ and this baby then grows up to become the mysterious and avenging stranger who kidnaps Teresa and David from their disappointingly bland suburban life (the blackmail didn’t work) almost two decades later to make them pay for their transgressions. While many of these revenge plots are outlandish‚ sometimes these tales of revenge take a serious turn. This is the case with the school shooting story of “The Thin Line‚” which feels a bit too familiar and depressingly timely. Tim Klane was a starter on the basketball team and dating the head cheerleader‚ Jane Pascal‚ “who just happened to be the coach’s daughter” (134). Coach doesn’t like Tim seeing his little girl and Tim takes a hit in practice that he thinks was intentional (though the other player later denies this). Regardless of intent‚ however‚ Tim suffers a serious back injury which ends his basketball career and ends up in constant‚ severe pain. Jane refuses to see him anymore‚ he’s lost his basketball dreams forever‚ and he’s become addicted to strong painkillers. In this haze of depression and suffering‚ he decides he needs to make everyone pay. He buys two guns‚ locks the doors to the gym‚ and prepares to take out the coach‚ the basketball team‚ and the cheerleading squad. Tim actually shoots just one person: Steve Wiley‚ who took over Tim’s position as center‚ is Jane’s ex-boyfriend‚ and is the guy Tim thinks took him out at practice‚ making him responsible (as far as Tim sees it anyway) for all Tim’s pain. Tim is immediately horrified by what he has done‚ recalling that “The bullet caught him in the mid right thigh and‚ oh God‚ what a mess. No shot ever fired on TV got results like this. He didn’t develop a nice round red hole that could be covered with a white bandage. The middle of his leg literally exploded. Muscle and bone and blood erupted like a living volcano‚ splattering me as well as him. I actually tasted his blood on my lips” (154-155). This description is explicit and gruesome‚ foregrounding the consequences of Tim’s actions‚ the dissonance between his fantasy of revenge and the devastating reality. This is (thankfully) the only shot Tim fires‚ instead relying on the threat of violence from this point forward‚ and he finds out later that while Steve lost his leg‚ he lived. What follows becomes more of a hostage situation story as Tim takes Jane and goes on the run‚ though things don’t end well for them and Tim is haunted by the mistakes he has made. While it is challenging for me to wrap my head around how this story might have read at the time of its publication before Columbine and the epidemic of school shootings that have defined the last two and a half decades‚ Pike does foreground real-life inspirations and influences on the story. As he writes in his author’s note‚ “I never wrote a story about which I had such reservations … I started ‘The Thin Line’ before the killings in Jonesboro‚ Arkansas‚ and did not finish it until after Springfield‚ Oregon. It was weird for me to watch what I was writing appear on the news” (132). (Both of these shootings occurred in 1998. The shooters at Westside Middle School in Arkansas killed four fellow students and a teacher; the shooter at Thurston High School in Oregon killed two fellow students and wounded more than two dozen others). Reading Pike’s story and thinking about that specific context‚ as well as how the conversation surrounding school shootings has (and hasn’t) evolved in the intervening decades is disorienting and depressing. There’s no way to really dismiss or neutralize the horrors of “The Thin Line‚” whose very title reminds us of how close so many of us are to this potential violence every single day. While Pike’s short stories might lack some of the narrative development and evolving themes of his books‚ his philosophical perspective and approach to horror still resonate in these tales. As with so much of ‘90s teen horror‚ Pike’s books at times get convoluted‚ with ridiculous red herrings and sensationalistic side plots‚ but there’s little room for those kinds of departures in these stories. There’s no extraneous fluff. Pike gives us interesting (if not fully developed) characters‚ puts them in weird situations‚ and lets the action play out as it will‚ often with sexy‚ disastrous‚ or violent consequences. These two short fiction collections may be among the least well-known of Pike’s teen horror books‚ but they contain some darkly entertaining tales‚ more of which we’ll dig into next time![end-mark] The post From Almost Silly to Deadly Serious: Christopher Pike’s Tales of Terror appeared first on Reactor.

Book Recommendations book review A Breathless Panther Chase: Mariely Lares’ Sun of Blood and Ruin A review of Mariely Lares’ historical fantasy novel reimagining Zorro. By Maura Krause | Published on March 21‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed I’ll admit it. I wanted to read Sun of Blood and Ruin because it’s marketed as a reimagining of Zorro featuring a swashbuckling sorceress. 1998’s Mask of Zorro was my first PG-13 movie and I loved it‚ despite being forever haunted by that head in a jar scene (iykyk). My inner adolescent’s attachment to that film may have brought me to Mariely Lares’ debut novel‚ but her story is so much more than a twist on the classic Zorro legend—though at times‚ almost too much more.  Set in sixteenth century New Spain‚ which is present-day Mexico‚ Sun of Blood and Ruin is the first in a duology. It is narrated by eighteen-year-old Leonora‚ a noblewoman whose elegant façade hides her double identity as folk hero Pantera. The daughter of the first viceroy of New Spain and the Mexica woman he loved‚ Leonora is caught between worlds even when she isn’t wearing the panther’s mask. For while the book is speculative history‚ the horrors of colonialism remain central. The regime of New Spain seems determined to crush the indigenous people of the land—the Nahuas‚ a term encompassing the seven tribes of the area. As a member of the court led by her fourteen-year-old half-brother‚ Viceroy Jerónimo‚ and his scheming mother vice regent‚ Leonora is a political voice for the native residents. As Pantera‚ our heroine meets violence with violence‚ fighting in the streets against the cruel Captain Nabarres and his persecution of all who adhere to Nahua ways.  Pantera’s power itself grows from the world depicted in indigenous lore. As a girl‚ Leonora wandered away from the palace and was lost in the forest for ten years. During this time she lived in Tamoanchan‚ a mythological paradise where she was trained as a Nagual—a shapeshifter. Though Pantera did not complete her training‚ she returned to the city able to wield her tonalli (life force) in battle‚ shift into a panther‚ and cross swords with the best of them.  The novel begins with both Pantera and Leonora in crisis. As Pantera‚ our protagonist fails to save a beloved local wise man from Nabarres‚ and loses her magical Sword of Integrity. As Leonora‚ she faces an unwanted betrothal to the Crown Prince of Spain‚ which will take her away from her land and her calling. In both guises‚ our narrator was born during the cursed Nemontemi‚ the Dead Days at the end of the year‚ and is thus destined to die young in battle. As the prophesied collapse of the Fifth Sun approaches‚ Leonora-Pantera can feel her violent fate drawing nearer—not to mention the end of the world at the hands of demons and vengeful goddesses. Over the course of the following 350 pages‚ this multifaceted character navigates political intrigue‚ meets a roguish guardsman with tonalli too powerful to be what he seems‚ discovers the truth about her betrothed‚ goes in search of the indigenous resistance La Justicia‚ and negotiates with the gods themselves.  Buy the Book Sun of Blood and Ruin Mariely Lares Buy Book icon-close Sun of Blood and Ruin Mariely Lares Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Lares’s intricate plot is a wonder‚ full of surprising connections and revelatory twists. She unfolds the sumptuous world of the book with care and patience‚ weaving new aspects of magic and startling creatures throughout the story. Her extensive research is brought to visceral life‚ and I felt she held my uninformed hand just enough. I appreciated that Lares guides this many-layered story to a satisfying conclusion‚ her only indication of a sequel being a rather filmic teaser scene at the very end.  Yet‚ this astonishing plot would be more suited to two or even three novels. The disguised folk hero and revolution narrative would be enough to fill the covers of a book‚ as would the saga of the gods’ cyclical struggles over the fate of humanity. With so much richness crammed into one book‚ every event is on the heels of the one before. I quickly became overwhelmed by revelations and lightning-quick action sequences‚ and couldn’t slow down to appreciate the characters’ arcs or the dazzling settings. At one point in the novel‚ a character seems to die‚ only to reappear five pages later; within those same five pages‚ a new character is introduced and the main character has a major revelation about her inner self. As this sequence might suggest‚ some character development is lost to the demands of this juggernaut of a plot‚ which is frustrating when the characters have been so well set up.  I came away from all this hoping Lares’ duology gets optioned for TV someday‚ despite the fact that I’m not much of a TV person. If I got the conflicted Pantera and a universe shaped by Quetzalcoatzin instead of another medieval Europe-inspired fantasy epic‚ I would be glued to that screen. Lares’ ideas are magnificent‚ but I craved more immersiveness‚ which actors and production design could provide. Though my love of Zorro might seem to inform my desire for such an adaptation‚ by the final page of this gripping and original tale‚ I’d forgotten all about him. Sun of Blood and Ruin presented a world and characters I desperately wanted to get lost in‚ but its frenetic pace and overambitious scope wouldn’t quite let me. [end-mark] The post A Breathless Panther Chase: Mariely Lares’ <;i>;Sun of Blood and Ruin<;/i>; appeared first on Reactor.

News Spider-verse New Animated Short Set in the Spider-Verse Focuses on Mental Health a reminder that your feelings are valid‚ and you’re not alone By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on March 21‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed There’s a new animated short in the Into the Spider-Verse universe that is aimed to address mental health. The short is titled “The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story” and was created in partnership with the Kevin Love Fund as part of the organization’s mental health-centered lesson plan. In the short‚ as reported by Variety‚ Miles Morales “struggles to balance his responsibilities as a teenager‚ friend‚ student and Spider-Man. In navigating those pressures‚ Miles experiences a panic attack that forces him to confront the manifestations of his anxiety and learn that reaching out for help can be just as brave an act as protecting his city from evil.” “Miles represents so many of us doing the best we can in our day-to-day lives‚” Jarelle Dampier‚ director of “The Spider Within‚” said in a statement. “We don’t often realize all that we’ve been through until our own body forces us to become aware of its experience. My intention is that ‘The Spider Within’ can motivate deeper conversations amongst friends &; family about their own mental health journeys—and I hope it feels like a love letter to those who adore Miles Morales.” KLF founder‚ professional basketball player and mental health advocate Kevin Love said in the same statement‚ “My hope for the short film would be for everyone‚ especially young people‚ to understand that your feelings are valid and that you are not alone in this.” He added‚ “You see it with Spider-Man in the short film‚ where Miles has a trusted confidante. He is able to take a walk with his dad and express what he’s going through. We can all learn from that – how important it is to reach out to someone‚ express your true emotions‚ speak your truth and not hold everything inside.” “The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story” was written by Khaila Amazan and will become available on Sony Pictures Animation’s YouTube channel starting at 6:00 a.m. PT on March 27. [end-mark] The post New Animated Short Set in the Spider-Verse Focuses on Mental Health appeared first on Reactor.

With the new 1.6 update‚ players can now unlock something called Trinkets. But what are all the Trinkets available and how can you get them in Stardew Valley? Stardew Valley: How to get Trinkets You can obtain Trinkets in Stardew Valley by unlocking the Combat Mastery through the new Mastery system. The Combat Mastery is accessible by getting to the max Rank on all your five skills‚ and then entering the hidden door in the Cindersnap Forest. Screenshot: PC Invasion Inside this cave‚ you’ll find the Combat Mastery‚ which you can unlock by gaining 10‚000 Mastery Points. Mastery Points are just normal EXP from any skill‚ so it doesn’t matter which skills you’re engaging in‚ they all turn into the same Mastery Points. Upon unlocking the Combat Mastery‚ you’ll receive these three rewards: Anvil: Allows you to re-forge trinkets to randomize their stats. Mini-Forge: A mini dwarvish forge. Unlocks a new equipment slot for Trinkets. Now that you...