Latest news with #TheExorcist
Extra.ie
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Reddit users spot 'ghost' hiding in hiker's 'creepy' photo
A photo taken by a group of hikers has spooked social media users after they spotted a 'ghost' hiding in the selfie. The image was shared on Reddit by a user named CursedEmoji, who said a friend had sent them the photo from a recent trip to Chile. At first glance, the picture shows six friends – four women and two men – posing during a hike through the forest. Can you spot the 'ghost'? Pic: Reddit @cursedemoji However, on closer inspection, a shadowy, unsettling face seems to be lurking in between the two girls on the left. After being posted online, the selfie quickly sparked reactions from users who found it disturbing. One person wrote: 'Oof. That definitely made my heart jump when I finally found it.' Another commented: 'I thought it was about the top of a head behind the guy on the right. Oh yeah, I saw the witch too!' A third added: 'It was a completely normal picture before zooming in. It's a creepy picture with a very clear ghost face..' Others chimed in with theories and jokes, with one saying: 'Looks like someone's grandma is travelling with them,' and another admitting: 'Nah that actually scared me a bit.' However, not everyone was convinced. Some users speculated that the image might have been digitally altered or the result of a glitch. One user noted: 'Creepy! Seems a little too good to be true, though.' Another commented: 'That's absolutely Reagan from The Exorcist photoshopped in, things like this sadly dampen paranormal photography.' A third wrote: 'Looks photoshopped to me, just too obvious. I saw it pretty quickly.' Yet another suggested: 'Looks like a digital error of some kind. Face looks similar to the dude on the left.' Can you spot the 'ghost' in the photo and, if so, do you believe that it's real?
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Deadly flashbacks
In Peter Swanson's latest novel Kill Your Darlings, We learn pretty early on that Wendy intends to kill her husband Thom. Why, of course, takes somewhat longer for us to find out. It's not just that Thom gets drunk out of his mind almost every night, or that he's a cad who somehow gets many younger women to share a bed, he being a self-important literature professor still dreaming of writing the great American novel. Jason Grow photo Peter Swanson's latest mystery is told in reverse, from the present back into the past through a series of flashbacks. Wendy herself is a published poet, putting her one up on Thom. There's always the possibility, of course, that Thom gets so drunk that he spills the beans about — no, not happening, not going to tell you here. Did we mention they're filthy rich, or that it was Wendy who brought the money to their marriage, thanks to her first husband Bryce? Her late first husband Bryce. We're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, but fear not, we'll soon be getting behind ourselves. Far behind. Lots of books rely on flashbacks, but what the Massachusetts-based Swanson has done in his 11th murder mystery is tell his story in reverse; he starts with the present, when birthday-sharing Wendy and Thom are turning 50, and follows them back through key and deviously scandalous times, jumping back several years in succeeding chapters, all the way to meeting on a school bus in Grade 8 on a class trip to Washington. If you're familiar with The Exorcist, it will be helpful in following the plot. The term 'fiendishly clever' is often applied to Swanson's novels, and indeed he is devilish in his plotting. His best book is Eight Perfect Murders, in which the FBI is befuddled by a serial killer and turns to the owner of an independent bookstore who's blogged about eight classic real-life mystery novels in which the killer gets away with it. Characters in murder mysteries always harbour secrets, but what Wendy and Thom have are Big Secrets, which bond them more tightly than any marriage vows. Thom used to have a loathsome boss, an arrogant department head who made Thom's life miserable, and who hit on Wendy — an older chap who swam many mornings by himself in an old quarry. He drowned one morning… terrible tragedy. Wendy's former in-laws believe she killed her first husband for his money, which they insist should be their money. Wendy keeps thinking they're having her followed — could that just be her imagination? She and Bryce had a pre-nup that left her penniless if they divorced, but every penny was hers if he died while they were married. Had Wendy really married Bryce for his money? Kill Your Darlings Wendy and Thom don't flaunt their money, though they did buy a nifty house in New England, and Wendy lifted her widowed mom out of poverty and into her own little house. Wendy's dad? An abusive drunken waste of oxygen who managed to drown in his bath one night. Poor Bryce. He had a fancy swimming pool with a really deep end, even if he couldn't swim. What he had every night before bed was a fat cigar and the last of a series of daily stiff drinks, while standing out by his swimming pool. Obviously drunk when he fell into the pool and couldn't get out? Bad luck that Wendy was away at a conference? Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Early on, Wendy reminisced about having met Thom in junior high. When they met again later in life, it was initially magic… and when was that? Well, the official version was that they bumped into each other by chance, after Bryce was dead and buried. Yeah, sure, your book club is saying. Kill Your Darlings isn't the easiest book to follow. Flashbacks intermittently filling in the story before returning to the present are one thing, telling the entire story in reverse can be quite challenging. And in this case well worth it. It can be a nasty world inside Peter Swanson's head. Go there if you dare. Retired Free Press reporter Nick Martin is grateful to the librarian who explained to him that the author's telling the story in reverse didn't mean starting to read the last page first and going backwards in the book to page one.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What is the most extraordinary penalty shootout?
When football historians of the future look back over the strangest and most extraordinary penalty shootouts of all time, England's victory over Sweden at Euro 2025 will be a prized artefact. Of the 14 penalties taken, five were scored, six were saved and three from the Swedes were missed. When BBC pundit Ellen White described it as "terrifying watching", she was spot on – this was the football coach's version of The Exorcist. Of course, shootouts are a scary prospect for any participant, with so much on the line and the spectre of failure and embarrassment so present. While the myth of penalties being a lottery has been dispelled in the era of football coaching driven by data and psychology, you can never quite predict what the pressure will do to a player, even at the elite level. As Alan Shearer memorably exclaimed as England's men celebrated their shootout victory over Switzerland at Euro 2024: "Pressure is for tyres." Inspired by the Lionesses' chaotic triumph in Zurich, here are some of the greatest moments when the tyre exploded... Miss, and miss, and miss… England became the first side at the Women's Euros to miss three successive penalties in a shootout and still go through. The 36% conversion rate of spot-kicks in Zurich was the worst of any shootout in the competition's history, lower than the 2017 semi-final between Denmark and Austria. That shootout saw Denmark progress 3-0 on penalties – four of the seven spot-kicks were missed, including all three from the Austrians. But for the worst shootout on a major European stage, there is only one answer: the 1986 European Cup final. After a tedious goalless 120 minutes between Barcelona and Steaua Bucharest, the Romanians won 2-0 on penalties. Of the eight spot-kicks, only 25% found the net. All four of Barca's efforts were saved by Steaua keeper Helmuth Duckadam. While the odd result of that shootout could be put down to goalkeeping brilliance, there are several examples which can be squarely chalked up to incompetence. In February 2020, the Japanese Super Cup between Vissel Kobe and Yokohama Marinos ended 3-2 to Vissel – from 14 penalties taken, of which nine in a row were missed. After both sides netted their opening two kicks, Yokohama – managed by one Ange Postecoglou – contrived to miss five in a row, while Vissel failed with four in succession before eventually putting everyone out of their misery. Some BBC Sport research also digs up the 1985 Finnish Cup final, where Haka beat HJK 2-1 after the first seven penalties from both sides were missed, and the 1990 Copa Libertadores semi-final between Olimpia of Paraguay and Colombia's Atletico Nacional. Nacional keeper Rene Higuita – he of the big hair and scorpion kick – saved four penalties, but himself missed the crucial kick as he took on a similar role to Swedish stopper Jennifer Falk against England in 2025. Falk made a Women's Euros record four saves in the shootout but still ended up on the losing side, partly because she stepped up and missed her side's potential match-winning fifth penalty. On, and on, and on… Many football fans love a penalty shootout. The drama, the twists, the possible glory. But sometimes they outstay their welcome. The most egregious example came in the 2023-24 promotion play-offs of the Liga Alef, the Israeli third tier – of course. A total of 56 penalties were taken as FC Dimona beat Shimshon Tel Aviv 23-22. Dimona player Guy Eini, who scored three penalties in the course of the shootout, told Israeli media: "I've never had anything like this in my career. We tried to bewitch each other." The longest penalty shootout in English professional football came just last season, as Aston Villa Under-21s beat Blackpool 18-17 in the Football League Trophy. The shootout saw 31 kicks scored in succession – a world record – before the 32nd was saved. In international football, the longest at a World Cup was set in 2023 between co-hosts Australia and France, with the Matildas winning 7-6 after 20 penalties were taken in total. I was there. It still haunts me. Liverpool fans have fond memories of long shootouts, with two famous examples in League Cup wins – 14-13 versus Middlesbrough in 2014, and 11-10 against Chelsea in the 2022 final. Manchester United supporters, meanwhile, will wince at the thought of the 2021 Europa League final – an 11-10 loss to Villarreal, with keeper David de Gea missing the decisive effort. And while the men's club season has only just started, we already have a prime example from the 2025-26 campaign. Hamrun Spartans of Malta defeated Lithuanian champions Zalgiris 11-10 in their Champions League qualifier on 15 July, two days before England and Sweden's duel. The most controversial shootout of all time? As for the strangest penalty shootout ever, there are a few candidates. Last season saw Atletico Madrid controversially penalised against Real Madrid in the Champions League, as Julian Alvarez was ruled to have "double-touched" a penalty – despite inconclusive evidence. There is also the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations final between Nigeria and Cameroon. Nigerian forward Victor Ikpeba saw his effort bounce down off the bar and clearly over the line – but the goal was not given, and Cameroon won 4-3. But this author submits to you, Orlando City versus New York City FC in the 2020 Major League Soccer play-offs. Here's how we described it in our report from November that year. The shootout was poised at 4-3 to Orlando after both sides had taken four penalties, when Orlando keeper Pedro Gallese thought he had sealed the win for his side by saving Valentin Castellanos' penalty. But the video assistant referee intervened and ruled Gallese was off his line, and he was shown a second yellow card, having been booked for time-wasting in extra time. Orlando brought on substitute keeper Brian Rowe, but as he stood on the goalline for the retake the referee indicated a substitution was not allowed and sent him back off the pitch. Instead, Argentine defender Rodrigo Schlegel took the gloves. Castellanos scored at his second attempt to level things up and the shootout went to sudden death when Orlando and former Manchester United forward Nani's penalty was saved. Both teams scored to make it 5-5 before Schlegel's heroics as he saved Gudmundur Thorarinsson's attempt - cue celebrations from Orlando players and staff who thought the game was over, unaware the shootout was still level. Eventually Benji Michel scored to seal a 6-5 win - Orlando's first victory in the play-offs. Opta tweeted that there had been 21 minutes and 35 seconds between the first and last penalty attempts in the shootout. Resilience, luck and subs - England's winning formula Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast Get football news sent straight to your phone
India.com
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This horror thriller will send chills down your spine, only 25 people watched in theatres, few were unconscious for days; movie is…, lead actors were…
In 1973, a film emerged that would redefine the horror genre and leave an indelible mark on cinematic history. Directed by William Friedkin and based on William Peter Blatty's novel, 'The Exorcist' delved into the harrowing tale of a young girl's demonic possession and the desperate exorcism attempts by two priests. Its chilling narrative, combined with groundbreaking special effects, captivated audiences and critics alike, earning it ten Academy Award nominations and securing two wins. How The Exorcist Landed In Controversy? Upon its release, 'The Exorcist' met with both acclaim and controversy. Its intense scenes led to reports of fainting and distress among viewers, prompting some theaters to provide barf bags and others to ban the trailer altogether, as it shows the face of the demon in black and white, which disturbed many. Despite or perhaps because of these reactions, the film drew massive crowds, eager to experience the unprecedented horror firsthand. Was There Any Impact On The Mind Of Audiences? It is worth noting that many strange incidents happened during the shooting of this film. A fire broke out on the shooting set of this film and some crew members died. At the same time, when it was released in theaters, many viewers had heart attacks and many remained unconscious for several days. The production house, Warner Bros., chose to release the film in just 25 theaters at first to assess how audiences would react and to handle the strong responses noted during the screenings. How The Exorcist Became Nightmare For Many? As per The New York Times, it was reported that once inside the theater, approximately 25 people, who came to watch this nightmare, vomited due to the graphic content on the screen. Others fainted or exited the theater feeling nauseous, started crying and shaking before the film had finished halfway. One pregnant woman, who came to see 'The Exorcist' with her husband, went into a deep state of shock, due to which she suffered a miscarriage. The Mind-Boggling Collection Of The Exorcist Financially, 'The Exorcist' was a monumental success. With a modest budget of 11 million, it grossed approximately 233 million domestically and an additional 197 million internationally, culminating in a worldwide total of around 430 million. When adjusted for inflation, this figure translates to over ₹3,500 crore, solidifying its status as one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. The bone-chilling flick featured Ellen Burstyn, Late Max von Sydow, Late Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Father William O'Malley, Barton Heyman, Peter Masterson and Rudolf Schündler, in which music part was helmed by renowned music composer Late Jack Nitzsche, whose composition can still give you chills.
India.com
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This 2-hour 2-minute horror thriller will send chills down your spine, only 25 people watched in theatres and few were unconscious for days; movie is…, lead actors were…
In 1973, a film emerged that would redefine the horror genre and leave an indelible mark on cinematic history. Directed by William Friedkin and based on William Peter Blatty's novel, 'The Exorcist' delved into the harrowing tale of a young girl's demonic possession and the desperate exorcism attempts by two priests. Its chilling narrative, combined with groundbreaking special effects, captivated audiences and critics alike, earning it ten Academy Award nominations and securing two wins. How The Exorcist Landed In Controversy? Upon its release, 'The Exorcist' met with both acclaim and controversy. Its intense scenes led to reports of fainting and distress among viewers, prompting some theaters to provide barf bags and others to ban the trailer altogether, as it shows the face of the demon in black and white, which disturbed many. Despite or perhaps because of these reactions, the film drew massive crowds, eager to experience the unprecedented horror firsthand. Was There Any Impact On The Mind Of Audiences? It is worth noting that many strange incidents happened during the shooting of this film. A fire broke out on the shooting set of this film and some crew members died. At the same time, when it was released in theaters, many viewers had heart attacks and many remained unconscious for several days. How The Exorcist Became Nightmare For Many? As per The New York Times, it was reported that once inside the theater, approximately 25 people, who came to watch this nightmare, vomited due to the graphic content on the screen. Others fainted or exited the theater feeling nauseous, started crying and shaking before the film had finished halfway. One pregnant woman, who came to see 'The Exorcist' with her husband, went into a deep state of shock, due to which she suffered a miscarriage. The Mind-Boggling Collection Of The Exorcist Financially, 'The Exorcist' was a monumental success. With a modest budget of 11 million, it grossed approximately 233 million domestically and an additional 197 million internationally, culminating in a worldwide total of around 430 million. When adjusted for inflation, this figure translates to over ₹3,500 crore, solidifying its status as one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time. The bone-chilling flick featured Ellen Burstyn, Late Max von Sydow, Late Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Father William O'Malley, Barton Heyman, Peter Masterson and Rudolf Schündler, in which music part was helmed by renowned music composer Late Jack Nitzsche, whose composition can still give you chills.
