Monsters of California review – three friends search for one's missing father in sci-fi slacker paranormal comedy
This sense of cultural time capsule extends to the characters themselves: they feel like 90s teenagers rather than modern-day ones, and that's presumably a bonus for anyone drawn hither by DeLonge's status as guitarist and singer for one of the more enduring bands of the pop punk explosion of that decade. These kids are crude and puerile, and it's somehow fun to see the American Pie-type kid in a contemporary setting; certainly anyone with a fondness for that particular type of high school movie will inhale a pleasant hit of nostalgia without having to think too hard about whether there's much value here.
Where the film struggles is plot and structure, with events alternating between meandering and slightly overdetermined. The big tonal shifts are not necessarily a problem per se – it ought to be perfectly possible for a film to sustain childlike awe and wonder at the magic of the universe and also have a scene where a man gets apparently pissed on by Bigfoot – but there are some bumpy transitions between the different modes. It's the sort of film that spends its rather too long runtime trying to be Stranger Things at some points, and at others is more closely aligned with Jackass, when it really ought to be a tighter, more casual affair.
Monsters of California is on digital platforms from 7 July
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The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
A giant glowing X and V will appear on the Moon's surface tonight
Two unusual formations will be visible on the Moon on Wednesday night, with a giant X and V appearing on the lunar surface. The rare celestial event will be observable for around four hours as the Moon approaches its first quarter moon phase, with both letters forming from sunlight hitting crater's on the Moon's surface at just the right angle. The lunar V appears when light illuminates the Ukert crater, while the lunar X is formed from the Bianchini, La Caille and Purbach craters. The lunar X and lunar V will only be observable through a telescope or binoculars pointed at the Moon's terminator – the line separating its light and dark side. This line is typically the most interesting part of the Moon for amateur astronomers to observe, as the shadows help to emphasize the topography. 'The lunar surface appears different nearer the terminator because there the Sun is nearer the horizon and therefore causes shadows to become increasingly long,' Nasa's website explains. 'These shadows make it easier for us to discern structure, giving us depth cues so that the two-dimensional image, when dominated by shadows, appears almost three-dimensional. 'Therefore, as the Moon fades from light to dark, shadows not only tell us the high from the low, but become noticeable for increasingly shorter structures. For example, many craters appear near the terminator because their height makes them easier to discern there.' The lunar X and lunar V phenomenon will appear from 4:41am on 3 July (11:41pm EDT on 2 July). The skies over the British Isles are expected to be mostly clear at this time, according to the latest weather forecast from the Met Office, though parts of Wales and the west coast of Ireland will be obscured by cloud. 'The Werner X does not leap out all at once but gradually appears over an interval of two hours and 20 minutes as the Sun rises on the spot,' astronomer David Chapman noted in a paper on the subject. 'Watching this is either excruciatingly slow (if you are in a hurry) or exceedingly quick (if you are attempting to sketch the scene). Remember, the Sun rises about 30 times slower on the Moon.'
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How Debbie Harry keeps her Blondie bombshell looks at 80: Singer has barely aged a day
As lead singer of one of America's most famous rock bands, who shot to fame in the drug-drenched 1970s, Debbie Harry is as surprised as anyone that she's still thriving at 80. Yet the star, who was born on July 1st 1945 and regularly partied with Andy Warhol, continues to defy her years and is still a regular sight at fashion shows, premieres and on stage belting out the band's biggest hits, including Call Me, Atomic and Heart of Glass. Despite once battling her own drug addiction, which saw her check into rehab with Blondie co-founder and her then lover Chris Stein, the newly-minted octogenarian has survived where many of her peers haven't. In New York last month, an appearance at the Tribeca Festival saw her looking as cool as ever, sporting skinny black jeans, towering wedge sandals with blue nail polish, a pair of Ray-Bans and a Bob Dylan-style flat cap. And on the FROW at the Gucci show at London 's Tate Modern in December, she sported a oxblood leather jacket and matching loafers, taking a pew next to Demi Moore and Kate Moss. The Florida-born and New Jersey-raised singer became one of pop's biggest pin-ups thanks to her peroxide blonde mane, smoky eye make-up paired with a strong red lip and exuberant stage outfits. She's been typically frank about the process of ageing - including experimenting with cosmetic surgery to keep that exquisite bone structure in tact. The One Way or Another singer has maintained her sobriety, but has kept her youthful spirit, saying: 'I'm pretty clean,' she said, 'But I have a dirty mind.' She reflected last year that age is only a number, saying: 'My mother used to say in her head she was 25 and I'm the same. 'But thinking about it all the time could be your downfall. I don't really want the same kind of life I did when I was younger. I've done that!' Harry added: 'That's the beauty of ageing - you know what it's about. You have it in your heart and soul and your memory bank…' PLASTIC SURGERY IS THE 'SAME AS A FLU SHOT' In her 2019 memoir, Face It, Harry told fans that she hasn't shied away from nips and tucks to preserve her bombshell looks - including her famous cheekbones, saying: 'I have never hidden the fact that I've had plastic surgery. I think it's the same as having a flu shot basically.' She added that 'getting older is hard on your looks. Like everybody else, I have good days, bad days and those "S---, I hope nobody sees me today" days.' When the star was in her early sixties she revealed that going under the knife was simply a way of her preserving her career, saying: 'Yeah, I had a facelift years ago. Why not? It gives you all the things you need to be part of the action.' 'Everybody knows that I've had plastic surgery. I did it for business reasons. 'You photograph better, and looks are a key part of being an entertainer, so I felt it was something I had to do.' Why cosmetic enhancements have worked so well for the 80-year-old star, who sold more than 40 million records with Blondie, is that they haven't changed her look significantly. Anti-ageing aesthetic specialist Dr Razvan Vasilas, who's based in London, says Harry is 'a great example of what happens when someone takes care of their skin and utilises a measured approach to any aesthetic work.' Candid: The Blondie star has always been honest about having plastic surgery, saying it helped her career Left: Pictured at the band's height in New York City in 1979. Right: The two-tone hair that sparked a trend on the cover of Parallel Lines He says that the singer clearly appreciates that looking younger isn't always the endgame and that he's had people ask to look like Debbie Harry because she's managed to maintain 'so much of her signature look' - the cheekbones and lips remain as striking as ever, but not over-pumped. Dr Vasilas says: 'Anti-ageing shouldn't be the goal because ageing is a gift. The trick is to age and look like the best version of yourself at whatever age you are and to be intentionally kind to your body as its needs change.' A FASHION ICON AT 80 - AND SIGNATURE MAKE-UP The singer called the 80s her 'ice cream year's after drug addiction and depression saw her gain weight, she says (Pictured with Boy George in 1987) In a notoriously ageist industry, Debbie Harry has managed to remain relevant as she enters her ninth decade - and bagged one of the biggest fashion collaborations of her career so far just last year. In September, Gucci announced it would be naming a handbag after her and the then 79-year-old posed up a storm in a London cab posing with the subsequent $3,900 Gucci Blondie 'Small Top Handle Bag. ' Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno gushed at the time: 'What I like the most about Debbie Harry is her irreverence. She is a free spirit in her choices, and she is still an icon.' Fashion stylist Angela Kyte, who's worked with major couture brands agrees, saying: 'Debbie Harry has never subscribed to the rulebook, and her style is no exception. 'As she enters her ninth decade, she continues to dress with the same fearless energy that made her an icon in the first place. There's nothing apologetic about the way she shows up, and that in itself is revolutionary.' Kyte says refusing to 'dilute her identity with age' is key to her still looking sartorially sharp at 80. 'She wears what she loves, not what's "appropriate", and in doing so, she's created space for women to age with power and playfulness. She proves that personal style doesn't expire, it evolves. 'Seeing Debbie fronting a luxury campaign in her seventies, styled with bold colours and metallics, reminded the world that style is about spirit, not age. 'I particularly loved the sequined Gucci look she wore, it was punk-meets-high-fashion, completely her, and completely defiant. That's Debbie: subversive, stylish, and still setting the agenda.' When it comes to her make-up too, Harry has remained true to the original looks that shot her to fame. British make-up artist Stef Wright says not deviating from a classic look has worked for her. Gen Z-ers have dedicated hours of TikTok and YouTube time to perfectly recreating the classic Seventies look of black kohl and metallic eye shadow, which Harry still loves. 'She looks incredible. Although her make up accentuates all her features beautifully anyway, what she shows is that your make-up shouldn't change to reflect your age. 'It should feel good for you whether you're 20, 50 or 80. Whether that's no make-up or a smokey eye and glossy lip.' KEEPING FIT WITH 'OLD LADY EXERCISES' The star credits performing - Blondie still regularly tours - with keeping her fit, saying that the creaks of ageing disappear when she's in front of a crowd with a microphone in hand. The 80s, she's previously said, were her 'ice cream years' where she turned to the sweet stuff to get her through mental health problems and the band being dropped, and the pounds piled on. She told The Times in 2011: 'It was depression, the culmination of the stuff I told you about. Our record company dropped us, our manager walked out, the IRS walked in, Chris was recovering. Everything fell apart and I fell apart with it. But ice cream was great!' She told The Telegraph last year: 'When I walk onstage every little ache and pain just disappears, even if I have a cold.' Conventional exercise doesn't cut the mustard it seems, although she's had a go at every fad going, saying: 'I've tried everything at some point.' She puts her youthful appearance down to speed walking with her beloved Russian Chin dogs and doing age-appropriate exercise, saying: 'I'm practically vegetarian and I do old lady exercises, which is shocking to me. I mean how have I got so old? But I guess I've been lucky.' The star has previously said she follows a strict regime to keep her famous figure in check, telling Bon Appetit in 2017 that her signature dish would be 'clean things' - and that she never orders takeaways even when on the road. She said: 'Because I'm so weight-conscious, I've grown accustomed to salads and raw foods. It's nothing that falls into the category of fine dining - or even cooking - but making a good salad dressing is an art.' EMBRACING THE GREY The Call Me singer has flirted with grey hair before, ditching her signature platinum in the early reaching for the platinum blonde hair dye once more. The star said being blonde was her first act of rebellion against her adopted parents, saying: 'I started dyeing my hair in grade school. My mother became instantly suspicious, and I said, "Oh no, it's the sun, it's the sun!" 'Going blonde was considered naughty at that time, which was very exciting for a young girl like me. I think it was a combination of wanting to look exciting and be part of the blonde heat wave that was going on.' When Harry walked through the New York in the early 70s, she was frequently cat-called 'Blondie' and her and Stein decided that it would make a great name for a band. She said later: 'I told the guys [in the band] that they should all bleach their hair, but they absolutely refused.' She was still flaxen throughout much of her 70s, rediscovering the colour that coined the band's name but has embraced a softer grey in the years before her 80th. Peroxide is out, saying of ammonia: 'It burns my hair terribly. But I've had to bleach my hair for, well… a very long time, so it's not done too badly considering. 'I swear by Viviscal hair vitamins and Wen's cream conditioner that doesn't contain soap.'
Reuters
32 minutes ago
- Reuters
Netflix holds talks with Spotify to expand live TV content, WSJ reports
July 2 (Reuters) - Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab has held talks with Spotify (SPOT.N), opens new tab to partner on projects such as music award shows or live concert series as part of its live TV push, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company has also discussed doing big celebrity interviews and shorter-turnaround documentaries, the report said. Netflix and Spotify did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The streaming giant has aggressively broadened its live programming in recent years to boost advertising revenue, diversify content and attract new subscribers. A new music show called "Building the Band" is set to debut next week. The streamer is working on another music competition that is expected to release in the coming months, the report said. Netflix has also expanded its portfolio with high-profile live sports events, including two National Football League games on Christmas Day and the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match that earned the streamer a record 19 million subscribers in its fourth quarter.
