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In Boots, a bullied gay teen enlists in the Marines during 1990’s pre–“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era, diving headfirst into a world that’s both brutal and transformative. What begins as a classic boot camp story reveals deeper tensions of identity, loyalty, and survival. In "Boots," a new miniseries set in 1990, Miles Heizer plays Cameron Cope , a scrawny, bullied gay teenager who is out only to his best (and only) friend, Ray ( Liam Oh ). Ray, who is joining the Marines to make his disciplinarian but not unkind father proud, convinces Cam to join alongside him. (The recruiters sell a buddy system, which is a bit of a come-on.) Cam told his messy but not unkind mother, Barbara ( Vera Farmiga ), where he was going, but she wasn't listening. Though the series, which premieres Thursday on Netflix and is based on Greg Cope White's 2016 memoir, "The Pink Marine," is novel as regards the sexuality of its main character, it's also essentially conventional — not a pejorative — and largely predictable. It's a classic Boot Camp Film , like"An Officer and a Gentleman," or Abbott and Costello's "Buck Privates," in which imperfect human material is molded through exercise, ego death and yelling into a better person, and it replays many tropes of the genre. And like most every military drama, it gathers diverse types into a not necessarily close-knit group. Cam's confusion is represented by externalizing his inner voice into a double, "the angel on my shoulder and, honestly, sometimes the devil," with whom he argues, like a difficult imaginary friend. (It's the voice of his hidden gayness.) Where basic training stories like this usually involve a cocky or spoiled character learning a lesson about humbleness and teamwork, Cam is coming from a place of insecurity and fear. At first he wants to leave — he had expected nothing worse than "mud and some bug bites and wearing the same underwear two days in a row" — and plots to wash out; but he blows the chance when he helps a struggling comrade pass a test. He's a good guy. (Heizer is very fine in the part.) Press materials describe "Boots," created by Andy Parker , as a comedic drama, although, after the opening scenes, there's not much comedy in it — even a food fight is more stressful than funny. Using "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as the soundtrack to a long-in-coming bowel movement — I just report the news — was already dated and exhausted in 1990, and is bizarrely out of joint with the rest of the production. "Boots" isn't anywhere near as disturbing as, say,"Full Metal Jacket" — which Ray told Cam to watch to prepare, though he opted for a"Golden Girls" marathon instead. But it makes no bones about the fact that these kids are being trained to kill. "Kill, kill, blood makes the grass grow," they chant, and "God, country, Corps, kill." And sometimes just, "Kill, kill, kill." And things do turn violent, sometimes for purposes of training and sometimes because someone just goes off his head. Still, that Cam survives, and, after a period of adjustment, thrives (that's not a spoiler, Cope White lived to write the book) makes this, strictly speaking, a comedy. (And, by implication, an endorsement of the program.) "We're killing our old selves so we can be our best selves," he'll say to Ray. The Marines may make a man of him, but it won't be a straight man. Rhythmically, "Boots" follows scenes in which someone will break a little or big rule — I suppose in the Marines , all rules are big, even the little ones — with some sort of punishment, for an individual or the platoon. Laid across this ostinato are various storylines involving recruits working out the issues that have brought them to this Parris Island of Misfit Boys. Cody ( Brandon Tyler Moore ) was taught by his father to look down on his twin brother, John ( Blake Burt ), who is in the same outfit, because he's fat. Slovacek ( Kieron Moore ), a bully, has been given a choice between prison and the military. Mason ( Logan Gould ) can barely read. Santos ( Rico Paris ) is slowed down by a bum knee. Ochoa ( Johnathan Nieves ) is a little too much in love with his wife. And Hicks ( Angus O'Brien ) is a chaos-relishing loon, having the time of his life. Obviously, not everyone who joins the Marines is compensating for something; Nash ( Dominic Goodman ), a more or less balanced character who seems to be sending Cameron signals, is there to pad his resume in case he runs for president one day; but he'll have his moment of shame. Though they all raise their voices and get in people's faces, the drill instructors do come in various flavors. Staff Sgt. McKinnon ( Cedrick Cooper ), the senior instructor, is imposing but obviously sane and sometimes kind; Sgt. Howitt ( Nicholas Logan ) is an unsettling sort who will prove to have some depth, while Sgt. Knox ( Zach Roerig ) is a twitchy racist, soon to be replaced by Sgt. Sullivan ( Max Parker ), tall, steely and tightly wound. He doesn't yell as loud as the others, but even his posture is intimidating. He focuses immediately on Cameron; make of that what you will. He's the series second lead, basically. There are some respites from the training, the running and marching, the room full of tear gas, the dead man's float test, the hand-to-hand combat, the flower planting. (That part was nice, actually.) The yelling. Ray winds up in sick bay, where he flirts with a female Marine. We get a few perfunctory glimpses of what the brass is like when they're out of uniform and quiet; it comes as a relief. McKinnon's wife is having a baby; he makes Cookie Monster noises on the phone for his son. Capt. Fajardo ( Ana Ayora ), "the first woman to lead a male company on Parris Island ," is heard talking to her mother, presumably about her daughter's wedding: "I would rather not spend the time or the money because she can't live without love." Of her position, she observes that it "only took 215 years and a congressional mandate." McKinnon, who is Black, offers a brief history of Black people in the Marine Corps as lived by his forebears. The social themes become more prominent in the second half, and we learn or are reminded just how toxic the military was to gay people, and how backward was its attitude. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" wasn't in effect until 1994, and itwasn't until 2011 that openly gay soldiers could serve. Now, as civil rights are being beaten back to … backwardness by small-minded politicians, there's a timely element to this perfectly decent, good-hearted, unsurprisingly sentimental miniseries. The following information is not intended for publication tca dpa coh

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Young people in Germany, the US and the UK are meeting up in parks to do nothing but eat pudding with a fork. What's behind this strange but simple Gen Z act that's going viral on social media? Hanover, Germany (dpa) – The goal is no less than to forget "all the problems," says one participant. Others say it's a way to vent. Or maybe just to have fun. It could also be a yearning for community, UK media say. The fact is, nobody knows exactly why young people are meeting up to sit in the park and eat pudding with a fork. But they're now doing it by the hundreds in cities worldwide. With a concept that's as simple as it is bizarre, fork-eating pudding sessions are pulling in eager Gen Z participants in London, New York, Boston and Seattle as part of a trend that has been going viral on TikTok. We don't know who started the movement, but we do know it began in Germany with a flyer in the south-western city of Karlsruhe: "Come to our 'We eat pudding with a fork meeting.'" Origins in Germany A meme page from Karlsruhe took this as an opportunity to promote the event. "We found the idea so charming and funny and thought: Come on, let's post something about it," said Mehran Nadimi, one of the operators of the Instagram account karlsruher.memes with nearly 84,000 followers. The first "Pudding mit Gabel" (pudding with a fork) meeting took place at the end of August. Footage shows many young people who, after a countdown, simultaneously stab at their pudding with a fork and then eat it together, sometimes from large tubs. Some even bang their tubs together in a toast. After hundreds of thousands of views, the meetings spread to other cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden and Munich, as well as cities in other countries. In late September, more than 1,000 young people gathered to eat pudding together in the city of Hanover – all using forks instead of spoons. In Hanover, an Instagram account with nearly 145,000 followers was behind the pudding meet-up. In the comments, many users picked up on the humour and asked whether jelly could also be eaten with a fork or if they could bring their bread knife. A way to vent The absurdity of the meeting is a kind of "vent in our current times," a spokeswoman from Hanover said. It's simply something "where you can have a laugh," adding that this is characteristic of Generation Z, those born between 1995 and 2010: responding to serious circumstances with humour and absurdity. In Hanover, one participant called Ida said that activities for young people have become expensive. The pudding meet-up, on the other hand, is a fun activity that is cheap and accessible to everyone. She came with four friends and brought a chocolate pudding along with a large fork. Another participant, Robert, said: "There will definitely be a big escalation here." People come who thought, "Eating pudding with spoons is rubbish, eating pudding alone is rubbish." So, they meet, bring a fork, and eat the pudding together. The aim is to forget "all the problems" for a day. A response to isolation? In the UK, tabloid website Metro suggests that in the era of remote work and online communication, heightened isolation among Gen Z could be behind efforts to find a fun and simple excuse to meet strangers in the park. "We just wanted to socialize," the website quotes one London participant as saying, noting the need for places outside home and work to meet people. "It is a nice third space, which we don’t have any of anymore." Whatever the motivation, the trend is well received by many internet users: "In our world today full of problems, fears and frustration, it's really a fun event full of lightness," one user online commented on a video of a pudding meeting in Karlsruhe. Another writes: "Seriously, don't they have anything better to do?" Looking back, Nadimi said: "We did not expect this momentum." He noticed from the feedback that this inexpensive event was also an opportunity for participation. Many people came to the pudding meet-up alone and met new people there. "That's what I found beautiful about it," said Nadimi. In the video caption of the pudding meet-up in Karlsruhe, it says: "What we take away from this: Pudding connects people." The following information is not intended for publication dpa boo tst sck xxde wjh coh

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More than 40 years after "Tron" set the standard for visual effects, and 15 years after "Tron: Legacy", parts of those films no longer feel like sci-fi. Now a third part is coming to the cinema with a heavy focus on AI. London (dpa) – It was ahead of its time when it hit cinemas in 1982. "Tron" went down as a sci-fi classic and impressed audiences with groundbreaking visual effects – but this Disney film never met its high box office expectations. Its sequel, "Tron: Legacy" (2010), also failed to become a blockbuster. Nevertheless, both films enjoy cult status. Now, the third instalment is here. Can "Tron: Ares" bring something new to the table in 2025? "It feels like we have caught up with the future of science fiction in real-time, in a sense," said Gillian Anderson in an interview with dpa in London. Three decades after she rose to fame in "The X-Files", Anderson is back in a sci-fi role playing Elisabeth Dillinger, the daughter of villain Ed Dillinger from the first "Tron" film. "A lot of what's in the film does not yet exist," she said. But part of what the film is about is military grade weapons "and that's exactly what it feels like the future holds for us," – despite there being helpful elements coming from medicine or science – "or not helpful" ones coming from artificial intelligence (AI). "It feels like there's so many things going on simultaneously," she said, noting that there are lots of scary parts. From the computer to the real world When "Tron" premiered, home computers were still a rarity. In the film, Jeff Bridges played Flynn, a video game programmer who was pulled into a computer and had to battle hostile technology – and AI – in a digital world. Forty-three years later, in "Tron: Ares," the programmes are leaving the computer and becoming a threat to the real world. Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), the grandson of Ed Dillinger, has developed military equipment and soldiers powered by AI through his company. These can be produced within minutes – essentially via 3D printers – but have a short lifespan. Unlike his mother Elisabeth, Julian shows little moral restraint. Dillinger's rival, Eve Kim (Greta Lee), who now runs Flynn's former company, is working on something similar but with altruistic motives. When Eve finally discovers the formula to make computer-generated objects like fruit trees that last forever Dillinger resorts to extreme measures. He sends his AI soldiers, Ares (Jared Leto) and Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) to hunt down Eve and steal the formula. However, Ares soon becomes uncontrollable, even for Dillinger. Light Cycles race through Vancouver While the first two films focused on the inner workings of a computer, "Tron: Ares" partially reverses the concept. "This movie is really about assets coming into our world," said producer Justin Springer, who co-produced "Tron: Legacy" with Sean Bailey. That’s why we are "really trying to treat it as real as possible for the audience by shooting "out on the streets and building real light cycles." The light cycles – iconic digital motorcycles that inspired a hit video game in the 1980s – now race on real streets for the first time in "Tron: Ares." These spectacular scenes are among the highlights of the visually stunning film directed by Joachim Rønning ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales"). Filming took place in Vancouver, Canada, and in massive custom-built stages. Nostalgia and a perfect soundtrack For fans, "Tron: Ares" offers plenty of nostalgia. A standout moment – albeit far too brief – is Jeff Bridges' appearance in a 1982 computer, where everything looks just as it did in the original "Tron." Attentive viewers will also spot several Easter eggs and subtle references. Music has always been a key element of "Tron." In the original film, sound pioneer Wendy Carlos created a brilliant futuristic soundtrack with unconventional synthesizer sounds. Carlos is also recognized as the first openly trans composer in the music industry. For "Tron: Legacy," Daft Punk delivered a danceable score that achieved cult status on its own – think of the track "Derezzed." For "Tron: Ares," Nine Inch Nails provide a darker sound. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who have produced numerous acclaimed film scores over the past 15 years, won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Disney's "Soul." Their work on "Tron: Ares" is far more than just background music. The powerful blend of electronic, industrial, and orchestral elements perfectly complements the visuals. A spectacle for the biggest screen Oscar winner Jared Leto ("Dallas Buyers Club"), who has recently faced negative headlines, delivers a convincing performance as Ares. Anderson and Peters also shine as the contrasting Dillinger family duo. However, the versatile British actor Jodie Turner-Smith ("The Agency") is the film's secret star, stealing the show as the relentless Athena. The third instalment of the "Tron" saga is a worthy continuation – a visually and aurally entertaining blockbuster best experienced on the largest screen possible, ideally in an IMAX cinema. However, whether "Tron: Ares" will attract a broad audience and succeed at the box office, unlike its predecessors, remains doubtful. It is, above all, a film for fans. The following information is not intended for publication dpa pde xxde mew

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Experts reveal how to tailor your routine depending on your "ageing type". London (PA Media/dpa) – For years, anti-ageing advice has been handed out like a one-size-fits-all prescription: use retinol, wear SPF, moisturise religiously. But anyone who has stared a little too long into the bathroom mirror knows that not all signs of ageing are created equal. Some faces develop a patchwork of fine lines long before their jawline budges, while others notice skin softening and sagging even if their forehead stays smooth. Dermatologists and skincare experts increasingly describe this split as falling into two categories: “wrinkle-dominant” or “sagging-dominant.” It’s not just semantics. Understanding your “ageing type” can help guide you towards the ingredients, routines and – when necessary – treatments that will make the most difference. Are you wrinkle-dominant or sagging-dominant? The answer, it turns out, can be spotted at home. Skincare specialist at Germaine de Capuccini, Gina Baker, explains that “no two faces will age the same, but we do tend to fall into one of two groups, either more wrinkle-prone or skin-sagging. “A simple test is to look in the mirror without any trace of make-up or moisturisers. Study your skin’s canvas. Imagine a line across the middle of your face. Are you looking older above the line, with lines on the forehead and eye contour, therefore more ‘wrinkle-dominant’? “Or do you see more aging below the line, with deeper laughter lines and heavier jowls on the jaw line, ‘sagging-dominant’.” If you’re still finding it hard to tell, London-based dermatologist Dr Munir Somji offers another method. “You can perform ‘the pinch test’ at home to determine whether your skin is wrinkle-dominant or sagging-dominant,” he says. “Pinch the skin on your cheek, you want to see it spring back quickly – if it doesn’t and it takes more time this indicates that there is a loss of elasticity in the skin. “If your skin is wrinkle-dominant you will have more fine lines and wrinkles, especially when smiling or frowning, for sagging-dominant skin you may have jowls or smile lines and your skin will appear less plump. Ingredients for wrinkle-dominant skin Once you’ve figured out which camp you’re in, it comes down to ingredients. “While genetics is an important factor in aging, our lifestyle is accountable for 80% of our facial skin ageing,” explains Baker. “So good skincare plays an important role in maintaining the healthy look of the skin.” For those worried about lines and furrows, she says “an innovative ingredient for wrinkle prone skin is Celespep-4. “It has been developed from the discovery of a new bacterial species […] and is cultivated through a bio-fermentation process in symbiosis with jellyfish. “It focuses on neuromuscular communication, addressing all the key steps in the process leading to muscle contraction, making it an effective ingredient to relax expression wrinkles without paralysing the muscle.” More common ingredients like bakuchiol, “a plant-derived ingredient that provides similar benefits to retinoids,” notes Somji, also helps reduce fine lines. “Retinoids accelerate skin cell turnover and stimulate collagen production to smooth wrinkles and improve the elasticity of the skin,” he explains. Ingredients for sagging-dominant skin If you’re looking for something to firm up sagging skin, barrier-strengthening actives are the way forward. “Peptides are amino acid chains that signal the skin to produce more collagen and elastin, helping to restore firmness and elasticity,” explains Somji. “Hyaluronic acid is another hydrating ingredient that helps plump the skin, giving it a smoother, more youthful firmer appearance.” Ceramides and red macroalgae are also key for acting on both the surface and deeper layers (the epidermis and dermis). “They help restore the structure of the extracellular matrix – our facial contouring – and help fill, re-densify and firm the skin,” says Baker. To tackle both, ingredients like retinoids and vitamin C are considered the gold standard. “Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that brightens the skin and helps build collagen, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and increase skin firmness.” Step-by-step guide to the perfect skincare routine How you apply your products is as important as what’s inside them. “Both wrinkle-prone and loose skin need to begin with a solid cleansing and renewal routine,” says Baker. “Look for cleansing products with pre and probiotics that improve the skin’s microbiome. Ensure you cleanse well in the morning to remove dirt and toxins that have accumulated over night, and double cleanse in the evening, firstly with a balm to remove make-up and sunscreen, then with a water-based cleansing milk or foam to remove any remaining impurities.” Using actives like retinoids or vitamin C followed by ceramide-rich moisturisers (then an SPF in the morning) will help prevent visible signs of ageing long-term. “For sagging skin you can incorporate tools and techniques that boost firmness and muscle tone,” says Dr Somji. This can include gua shas, facial rollers and LED masks. Massage tools used in the evening, are ideal to boost blood flow and oxygenate the tissues, which helps reduce facial tension. The following information is not intended for publication pa dpa coh

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Slashing impulse buys can give you more than a savings boost. Here's how to get on top of #nospendmonth. London (PA Media/dpa) – By the end of the month it can be easy to think, ‘Where did all my money go?’ If this sounds familiar, and if you feel as though you often have little to show for the cash you’ve spent, the ‘no spend’ trend could be for you. It’s been around as a concept since the early 2010s, but is now all over social media – check out #nospendchallenge or #nospendmonth. “It’s basically talking about a set period of time where you make a concerted commitment to not spend money on things that aren’t essential,” explains Matthew Sheeran, from UK-based credit counseling service Money Wellness and a trained debt adviser. It could be for a day a week, just on weekends or for a whole month. “You can still do your food shopping and pay your bills,” says Sheeran, but all those little luxuries, like takeaways, coffees or new clothes, are off limits. The financial incentives It’s a chance to reset, budget better and “really realise what you do and don’t need”, says Sheeran. “A lot of people will get a coffee every day just because that’s what they do, it’s part of their routine. They’ll soon realise it’s not something you actually have to do.” The savings you make by cutting those unnecessary purchases out, and making your coffee at home instead, could you mean you’re better able to work towards a specific financial goal, like buying a house. “You can make the choice of what you want to spend that money on rather than just naturally frittering it away throughout the month on non-essentials,” says Sheeran. The wider good While saving money might be the reason you start ‘no spend’, it’s far from the only benefit. “It really can reduce stress and provide that sense of control over your money, which empowers people and makes them feel better,” says Sheeran. It’s easy to consume mindlessly, but by choosing not to spend on certain items and certain companies, or mending items rather than buying new, you can make an ethical, environmental or social stand. Things like cutting out your 4pm chocolate bar from the newsagents and walking to work for free rather than taking the bus, can have also an impact on your health as well as your wallet. “If you are wanting to make a conscious impact to reduce your carbon emissions, lose weight or improve your lifestyle, then it doesn’t have to just be about money,” says Sheeran. “If you’re thinking, ‘I’m not actually struggling,’ or, ‘I am able to save some money,’ it doesn’t mean this isn’t for you. Think about what matters to you, and it might still be worthwhile.” Getting started Sheeran recommends making a budget before you start ‘no spend’ so you can “sit down and highlight the things you are spending money on that aren’t essential.” Next, work out when you’re going to have ‘no spend’ days and “fully commit yourself”. “You could even look at doing it with a friend or a family member. It’s always easier to follow the trend and keep that commitment if you don’t do it alone,” recommends Sheeran. “Keep talking to them and seeing what’s working and what isn’t.” That might include always asking yourself, ‘Do I need this?’ before clicking ‘buy’ or leaving things in your online basket for several days before deciding if it’s an essential. At the end of your ‘no spend’ period, “look at the money you’ve saved and decide what things you want to give up for good, or what things you felt like you really missed out on,” adds Sheeran. “It’s not about completely stopping spending money for the rest of your life. It’s about identifying the things that matter to you and the things that don’t.” Then it’s a matter of trying to stick to spending only on the things that matter long-term. Track savings To stay motivated, use banking app pots to track certain expenditures, for example, food and drink, hobbies, leisure, shopping etc. “Or, if you usually buy two coffees a day, and it’s usually £10, put that £10 into your savings pot,” says Sheeran. Which route you take “depends on how impulsive you are. If your problem is impulsive spending, it’s harder to move money over because you don’t have a set routine, in which case, it might be better to see that there’s no money being spent in certain pots,” says Sheeran. “But if you’re somebody that has a routine, and you buy your coffee every day and you do a clothes shop every week, then you can move it into a savings pot and see your money grow and grow.” Beware ‘revenge spending’ Avoid going overboard with your bank card when your ‘no spend’ days come to an end. “I’ve given debt advice in the past and have heard of customers that started to save, saw some success and then regressed. Maybe in their mind, because they’ve not spent for a week, they think they can then splurge,” says Sheeran. “It sets you back to square one.” However, he’s not completely against treating yourself every now and again. “It’s having that [saving] discipline, but also treating yourself where you think it’s appropriate,” he says. “As long as you’re still able to save, and you’re not spending everything that you’ve saved, don’t punish yourself. Equally don’t let the reward you’ve got from being so disciplined go to waste.” The following information is not intended for publication pa dpa coh

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Berlin (dpa) – If you have an endless supply of apples piling up at home, why not try making some small, handy apple tarts? They are quick and easy to prepare. This recipe – from Germany's Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers (BVEO) – has a prep time of only 20 to 30 minutes, with an additional 20 minutes for baking. What makes things quick is using ready-made puff pastry from the supermarket's fridge section. Ingredients for 16 apple tartlets with hazelnut cream 2 rolls of puff pastry (refrigerated section) 50 g butter 160 g ground hazelnuts 120 g sugar 2 pinches of cinnamon 2 small eggs (room temperature) 5 apples 1 egg yolk sliced hazelnuts cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling Preparation Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-assisted) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Melt the butter in a saucepan and let it cool slightly. Mix the ground hazelnuts, sugar, cinnamon and eggs with the melted butter to create a cream. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out circles approximately 10×10 cm in size. (Save the leftover pastry for decoration.) Spread the hazelnut cream in the centre of the pastry circles, leaving a 1 cm border around the edges. Wash, dry, halve and core the apples. Slice the apple quarters thinly and arrange them like a fan in the centre of the hazelnut cream. Alternatively, slice the apples whole and use cookie cutters (eg. heart shapes) to create decorative pieces. Decorate the edges with the leftover puff pastry (eg. shaped into small balls), brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sliced hazelnuts. Dust the apples with cinnamon and sugar. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool briefly and enjoy immediately. These apple tartlets are perfect for a quick treat or to impress guests with minimal effort! The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn cwg yyzz n1 amc

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The new season of the Netflix series "Monster" focuses on Ed Gein, a serial killer whose crimes influenced decades of horror films. Cologne (dpa) – "Hello, Mother": With an unusually soft voice, Eddie stands before his devoutly religious mother after the death of his brother Henry. At this moment, she doesn’t yet know the role her son played in the death, but she already suspects that something is deeply wrong with Ed. This obsessive mother-son relationship is at the heart of the new thriller series "Monster: The Ed Gein Story". All eight episodes are now available on Netflix. Following the success of Monster seasons featuring Jeffrey Dahmer and Lyle and Erik Menendez, the series now turns its chilling focus to another infamous killer. The gruesome crimes of Ed Gein, a serial killer and grave robber from Wisconsin, shocked the United States in the 1950s. His actions later inspired iconic horror films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s "Psycho" (1960), "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974). A controversial series Series creator Ryan Murphy, known for the global hit "Glee" and his $300-million exclusive deal with Netflix in 2018, has a knack for true-crime storytelling. In 2022, the first season of Monster horrified audiences with the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered and cannibalised several young men before his arrest in 1991. The Dahmer season remains one of Netflix’s most successful productions but sparked controversy, particularly as victims’ families criticized the series for retraumatizing them. The second season, which centred on Lyle and Erik Menendez, also drew attention last year. The brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 for the murder of their parents. Following the show’s release, public perception of the Menendez brothers shifted, and prosecutors even began reviewing new evidence. An award-worthy performance "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" is expected to spark similar debates in the media and on social networks. The eight episodes are dark and brutal, with series star Charlie Hunnam ("Sons of Anarchy") delivering a chilling performance. Hunnam, who first gained fame as a teenager in the LGBTQ+ drama series "Queer as Folk", captivates viewers from the opening moments as the frail yet menacing serial killer obsessed with his mother. The cast also includes Laurie Metcalf as Gein’s diabolical mother Augusta. Hunnam portrays this psychopathic killer with a middle-part hairstyle and a deceptively kind smile. Given that Evan Peters and Cooper Koch, the leads of the first two Monster seasons, won an Emmy and a Golden Globe respectively, it seems unlikely that Hunnam will leave the upcoming awards season empty-handed. Within the first 50 minutes of the series, it becomes clear why Alfred Hitchcock drew inspiration from Ed Gein’s impulsive behaviour for the character of Norman Bates in "Psycho". Decades later, Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs" would evoke similar nightmares in audiences. With Monster, horror fans now get to see the original story behind these legendary film monsters — one that will undoubtedly linger in their minds long after the credits roll. The following information is not intended for publication dpa tbm zlp xx n1 tay

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Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl", isn’t just an album — it’s an event. With a film premiering the same day in cinemas for a limited three-day run, Swift is rewriting the rules of music and cinema. Los Angeles (tca/dpa) – Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, is here. And this might be Swift’s biggest release yet, given that along with an album, she’s also premiering a film on the same day. Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl features a new music video for the album’s single “The Fate of Ophelia,” lyric videos, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and commentary. It’s being hosted as a companion event by AMC, Cinemark Theaters, and Regal Cinemas. The catch? It’s showing in cinemas for just three days: October 3 to 5. The brief theatrical window follows the same pattern Swift has used to release limited-edition versions of her past albums and merch that are often available only on her site for a short amount of time—creating a sense of urgency for fans. According to some analysts, replicating the strategy of generating fast ticket sales in a limited timeframe is beneficial not only for Swift but also for the major movie theater chains. “Who wouldn’t want to cut out the middleman these days?” Brandon Katz, director of insights and content strategy at Greenlight Analytics, posited to Fast Company. “AMC’s unique distribution deal with Taylor Swift allows them to bypass film studios and create more tailored deal terms. It represents a unique new business model for theaters, though one that isn’t easily repeatable. Exhibitors will also receive a new theatrical product headlined by the most famous entertainer on the planet at a time when wide-release volume is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. That’s helpful. Even without a traditional marketing runway, Showgirl will attract attention.” The Taylor Swift effect The Life of a Showgirl is an appropriately named album for arguably one of the world’s biggest pop stars, who has built an empire from her music since she was 16 years old, creating a devoted fandom of “Swifties.” In the past few years, Swift seems to have been busier than ever. She rerecorded her first six albums, reclaiming her music after the original masters were sold by her first record label (she eventually was able to buy the original masters back). She performed around the world on her 21-month-long Eras tour. And in August, she got engaged to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after a whirlwind two-year romance that saw her become a fixture at NFL games, including Super Bowl LVIII. She also teased the new album in her appearance on Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast). Her impact on any business she’s involved with has been so significant that it’s been given a name—“the Taylor Swift effect,” which experts say reflects the singer-songwriter’s strong economic force. Companies have been keen to take advantage of that Swift effect whenever they can. For instance, when The Life of a Showgirl was announced, many immediately adopted the album’s orange aesthetic and font style in their own social media posts. Spotify launched a pop-up merch shop in New York, while other brands, including Uber Eats, are hosting special deals and pop-up events to celebrate the release. This isn’t the first time Swift has released a theatrical film. Following the end of the Eras tour in 2023, she released Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour film, bypassing traditional studios and instead signing a deal directly with AMC Theaters. The film went on to earn roughly $261 million at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing concert film ever. Later, Swift struck a deal with Disney for the film’s streaming rights. This is the first time, however, that Swift is premiering a movie to coincide with a new album on the same day. Again, she’s skipping studios and releasing the film through AMC, Cinemark, and Regal Cinemas. Last month Deadline reported that the film had already raked in $15 million in first-day presales and that sources were projecting it to make between $30 million and $50 million over the October 3 weekend. A Swift business model According to data from Greenlight Analytics, the concert films Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (with willingness to pay, or WTP, at 53%) and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (with WTP at 52%) generated fan enthusiasm on par with Elvis (with WTP at 63%), suggesting that live-music experiences for big-name artists can generate long tails of monetization opportunity. Katz said that while releasing the film is a good idea for Swift, exhibitors, and the domestic box office, he emphasized that this isn’t going to usher in a new genre of film, since only stars at Swift’s level will be able to generate respectable box office revenue or streaming interest. “For the majority of artists thinking about chasing a similar goal, the juice would not be worth the squeeze,” Katz said. However, Swift is clearly continuing to move into the movie industry: In addition to the Eras Tour and Party of a Showgirl films, she’s reportedly developing a feature project for Searchlight Pictures. The following information is not intended for publication tca dpa coh

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London (PA Media/dpa) – A TV news crew is granted access to Stanton Wood reform school as head teacher Steve (Cillian Murphy), deputy Amanda (Tracey Ullman) and newest recruit Shola (Simbiatu Ajikawo) work tirelessly to offer hope and support to young men who have been abandoned by society. These troubled souls include Andy (Douggie McMeekin), Ash (Joshua Barry), Jamie (Luke Ayres), Nabz (Ahmed Ismail), Tarone (Tut Nyuot) and Shy (Jay Lycurgo), who receives bad news from his mother that tips him over the edge. While Steve resorts to covert swigs of alcohol to carry him through a hellish day he will never forget, Shy spirals out of control, wreaking havoc in front of the TV crew after he sums himself up as “depressed, angry and bored.” Adapted for the screen by Max Porter from his best-selling novel, Steve is a gritty drama that unfolds with bristling indignation and bruising candour inside the corridors and classrooms of a mid-1990s school threatened with closure. Porter’s script rages against a political machine, which abandons disenfranchised young men to their self-destruction. Director Tim Mielants and actor Murphy reunite after the affecting period drama Small Things Like These for a coruscating study of last-chance education and redemption. The film is shot largely on handheld cameras by cinematographer Robert Heyvaert to inject the same sense of nervous energy as the emotionally volatile wards. Lycurgo matches Murphy’s intensity in his heart-tugging scenes, culminating in a gut-wrenching cry for help that echoes unanswered into the night. The following information is not intended for publication pa dpa coh

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When a fast-moving wildfire traps 22 schoolchildren, a down-on-his-luck bus driver and a no-nonsense teacher must navigate a harrowing five-hour journey to safety. Does this Apple TV+ film's reliance on storytelling clichés douse its emotional fire? Detroit (tca/dpa) – An out-of-control wildfire and a bus full of schoolchildren are the only things standing between a father and his ill son in "The Lost Bus," which dramatizes the real-life 2018 Northern California Camp fire that took the lives of 85 people. Director Paul Greengrass, architect of the "Bourne" films as well as "Captain Phillips" and "United 93," does his best to create a breathless journey through the fires of hell, but his script, co-authored with Brad Ingelsby ("The Way Back"), keeps hitting speed bumps along the way. Matthew McConaughey plays Kevin McKay, a down-and-out bus driver whose life is one dead end after another. He was estranged from his father and now has a son (Levi McConaughey, the last name's not a coincidence) who is fixing to do the same with him. He can't quite seem to follow the rules laid down by his boss (Ashlie Atkinson) and is close to losing his job. He even has to put his dog down early in the movie, just as a cherry on top of his compounding misery. He's trying to close out his shift one afternoon and deliver some medicine to his sick son when a wildfire begins to ravage the hills of a nearby town. And those winds, they're a-blowing, and that fire is headed to Paradise, California, putting the entire community at risk. Kevin is the only driver near an elementary school where a group of 22 children needs to be evacuated and taken to safety. So he circles by and loads up the kids, along with teacher Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera), who wants things done in an orderly fashion and immediately clashes with Kevin. "You wanna get there quicker, or you wanna go by the book?" Kevin asks, which is around the point when eyes begin to roll. There is already plenty of drama in the raging fires and ensuing massive traffic jams to fill a hectic adventure, and Greengrass and his team create a harrowing burnt orange landscape that looks like the pits of Mordor. But the requisite personality conflict between the two adults — McConaughey's character dismissively refers to Ferrera's character as "teach" — is a reduction of the action, as is their eventual reconciliation over shared personal traumas. Greengrass and his team pay due respect to the real-life heroism that marked that day, but "The Lost Bus" relies on storytelling cliches that continually douse its fire. "The Lost Bus" is available to stream for Apple TV+ subscribers from October 3. The following information is not intended for publication tca dpa coh

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