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I watched some 40 films at this year’s Sydney Film Festival. Here are my top five picks – and one hilarious flop

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ari-mattes-97857">Ari Mattes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-notre-dame-australia-852">University of Notre Dame Australia</a> This year’s <a href="https://www.sff.org.au/">Sydney Film Festival’s</a> rich offerings of films more than compensated for the minor technical issues that led to some screenings being interrupted. Out of the 40-odd films I saw, here are my top five, along with some notable mentions and three disappointments (including a genuine dud). <h2>1. The Girl with the Needle</h2> Cowritten and directed by Swedish filmmaker Magnus von Horn, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_with_the_Needle">The Girl with the Needle</a> is loosely based on the story of notorious early-20th century serial killer Dagmar Overbye. But this is no procedural true crime film, painstakingly attempting to recreate crimes with historical accuracy. It’s a stylish Danish nightmare dazzling with cinematic acrobatics right from the opening sequence, in which black and white faces hideously morph, looking at the viewer like deranged figures from a hellish circus. It is, indeed, one of the most terrifying films I’ve seen. The narrative follows the struggles of new mother Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) as she gives her baby to Dagmar’s informal adoption agency and begins working with her as a wet nurse, unaware of what’s really going on. Sonne is as self-assured as ever – and none of the actors put a foot wrong here. Seasoned Danish film star Trine Dyrholm is exceptional in bringing nuance to what could have become a caricaturishly evil role as Dagmar. And Besir Zeciri endows Peter, a war-wounded veteran who can only find employment in a circus freakshow, with an unexpected warmth and tenderness. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VlyW-z1xbO4?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> The Girl with the Needle features some of the most distressing sequences one could find in a commercial film. Its meticulously rendered shades of German expressionism never distract from its smorgasbord of horrors, offering an almost unbearably bleak vision of the world in the aftermath of the Great War. If only all films were this good! <h2>2. Dying</h2> I’d normally suppress a yawn if you told me I had to sit through a three-hour social realist drama about the everyday difficulties of a bourgeois German conductor and his family. Yet writer-director Matthias Glasner’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_(2024_film)">Dying</a> is a near perfect film (no surprise it won <a href="https://www.screendaily.com/news/matthias-glasners-dying-wins-german-lola-for-best-film/5193046.article">four prizes</a> at the German Film Awards). The film is complex and engrossing – deeply sad in places and hysterical in others – formally controlled, but underpinned by an anarchic sensibility. It is life-affirming without any skerrick of sentimentality. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kagVqEfPxFw?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Lars Eidinger is astonishingly good as maestro Tom, who is trying to keep his career on track as his family life crumbles around him. He is matched by Lilith Stangenberg, mesmerising as his unhinged sister Ellen. Robert Gwisdek is equally exceptional as the highly strung composer and friend Bernard, while Corinna Harfouch anchors the film’s first section as Tom’s far from maternal mother, Lissy. At one point, Ingmar Bergman’s 1982 period film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_and_Alexander">Fanny and Alexander</a> is playing on the TV (Tom watches it every Christmas). Even though Dying feels like a contemporary film committed to interrogating the difficulties of being in the modern world, there’s something of late Bergman here as it unfolds across its epic length. It is a three-hour film about middle-class life, but like a great 19th-century novel, it never feels long. The fact that nothing particularly extraordinary happens is testament to how well-made the film is. <h2>3. Kill</h2> Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Indian action film <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kill_2023_2">Kill</a> is cheesy, sentimental and at first seems remarkably silly. Commando Amrit, played by beefy TV star Lakshya, is travelling to New Delhi by train with his buddy, fellow commando Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan). His true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is also on board and has recently become engaged to another man through an arrangement by her wealthy father, Baldev Singh Thakur (Harsh Chhaya), who happens to own the train company. When a group of 30-plus bandits led by the charming but ice-cold Fani (Raghav Juyal) move to rob the train, Amrit must defend Tulika, her family and the rest of the passengers. When the title card appears 40 minutes into the film, suddenly emblazoned on the screen, it seems like a distracting quirk at first. But it begins to make sense as the train rolls on. All of the violence and bone-crushing action of the first section is mere preamble, leading to a point of transition from an extremely violent but fun action film, to a much darker – and bloodier – revenge film. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/da7lKeeS67c?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Kill is an exceptionally well-wrought genre film. The kinetic and balletic action recalls the golden era of Hong Kong action cinema, but with hammers, daggers and sickles instead of guns and the frenetic staging of hand-to-hand combat instead of poetic slow-motion footage. It is also a great example of a film being more than the sum of its parts. No element is perfect, yet they come together to transcend these limitations, its flow reaching sublime levels by the end. There’s also an undercurrent of sadness throughout. We see an India of haves and have-nots, of families of bandits struggling to survive and of the supreme violence sustaining the social and political order. As Fani says to Amrit near the end: “Who kills like this? I killed four of your people. You finished off 40 of my family. You’re not a protector. You’re a monster. A fucking monster.” The title says it all. <h2>4. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story</h2> Biographical films about celebrities inevitably feel gossipy. Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super/Man:_The_Christopher_Reeve_Story">Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story</a> is no exception. But it is so well made (and well-resourced, one would imagine, as it’s produced by DC) that it moves beyond its tabloid-like qualities. Interviews with Reeve’s friends and colleagues, including Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close and Jeff Daniels, are interspersed with home footage shot by Reeve and his family throughout his career and during his recovery from the near-fatal riding accident that left him paralysed and breathing through a respirator for the rest of his life. Reeve’s close friendship with “brother” Robin Williams assumes central importance, with the film implying the two men were so emotionally dependent on each other that Williams would probably still be alive if Reeve hadn’t died in 2004. But the most interesting parts of the film involve carefully assembled archival footage looking at how Reeve’s decision to play Superman negatively impacted his career and personal life. He never starred in another profitable film, and his father and colleagues such as William Hurt loathed his decision to play a comic book character. This is counterpointed with his post-accident career as a director and disability advocate. Interviews with Reeve’s children add a genuinely tragic sense of pathos to this slick, well-made and emotionally exhausting “true Hollywood” story. It’s everything one could want from such a documentary. <h2>5. Kneecap</h2> Cowriter-director Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap is a riotous, irreverent biopic following the career of Belfast drug-dealers Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara as they team up with high school music teacher DJ Próvai to become the first Irish-language rap group, Kneecap. The real <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-66408560">Kneecappers</a> cowrote the film and play themselves and, given none of them are actors, do so remarkably well. They’re joined by Irish heavyweights Josie Walker, playing the detective who has it in for them, and Michael Fassbender, playing Móglaí’s father, an old-school Irish radical who has been on the run for the past few decades. The film depicts their hedonistic drug use and anarchic disregard for the law in the context of their radical political motivation to speak Irish against the colonial English. And while it may be a bit cartoonish in its presentation of Belfast’s history and the struggle to keep Gaelic alive, it is a music biopic after all. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FFYfp-hKxZQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Kneecap is violent, coarse and laced with infectiously good humour – a genuinely fun film, buoyed by its charismatic stars and lively style. Only the most stringent moralist wouldn’t enjoy this one! <h2>Notable mentions</h2> It’s extremely difficult to pick a top five when 15 or so of the films I saw were standouts. And this is testament to the quality of the festival’s selection. It was a pleasure watching heavyweight Sean Penn go head-to-head with Dakota Johnson in writer-director Christy Hall’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddio_(film)">Daddio</a>, even if the story takes an uninteresting turn in the final third. Despite the banality of the premise – a New York cabbie chats with a passenger – and the inanity of some of the dialogue, this romantic ode to urban life in all its alienated, fluoro-lit techno glory is so well crafted that we happily go along for the ride. Equally affective is the melancholic and beautifully performed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puan_(film)">Puan</a>, a restrained comedy set in a University faculty in Buenos Aires. Puan could easily make my top five, as could André Téchiné’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_New_Friends_(film)">My New Friends</a>), an offbeat French melodrama starring Isabelle Huppert as a disillusioned police officer who becomes friends with an anti-cop activist in the suburbs. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cnz-6h60tkk?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Poor performers</h2> Of the lot, I only found three films disappointing. The first, Among the Wolves, is a Belgian-French documentary in which a photographer and illustrator lie waiting in a tiny, makeshift building to encounter wild wolves. While some of the footage is striking, the film is let down by its scientific inaccuracy, such as references to the “alpha male” wolf – a term and concept that has <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/the-myth-of-the-alpha-wolf">long been discredited</a>. Such innacuracy is a cardinal sin for a documentary, which is supposed to inform the viewer. Though critically acclaimed, Hollywood horror film The Substance – a story of an ageing entertainer who turns to a mysterious substance to stay young (with unsurprisingly horrific ramifications) – feels neither new nor particularly interesting. And while it’s great to see Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid back on the big screen, their caricaturish characters make the whole thing seem like a boring joke: an inflated short film that is both irritatingly silly and painfully didactic. But rarely does a film so resolutely reaffirm a sense of the absurd hubris of humans as Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed mega-flop, Megalopolis. This cartoonish, incoherent mess set in a dystopian version of the United States, “New Rome”, is howlingly bad in places. Imagine the worst parts of The Hunger Games and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064940/">Fellini Satyricon</a> (1969) crossed with Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead and you begin to get a sense of the kind of self-indulgent, heavy-handed nonsense that is Megalopolis. Side-splittingly funny moments come courtesy of bad dialogue (“Utopias become dystopias,” actor Giancarlo Esposito says at one point with a straight face). And stilted acting by Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza had the (remaining) audience in stitches. Megalopolis is like one of the great fiascos from days gone by – the 21st century’s Heaven’s Gate – and there is definitely something delightful about the existence of this <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/francis-ford-coppola-funding-120-million-dollars-megalopolis-1235184765/">US$120 million</a> (roughly A$180 million) flop. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1FQzWD5xVKQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> But as a dud, Megalopolis is the outlier. And in a year following Barbie, Oppenheimer, Napoleon and Poor Things (talk about heavy-handed cinema), much of the menu of this year’s Sydney Film Festival once again proves there are still good filmmakers out there making good films.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/232706/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ari-mattes-97857">Ari Mattes</a>, Lecturer in Communications and Media, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-notre-dame-australia-852">University of Notre Dame Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-watched-some-40-films-at-this-years-sydney-film-festival-here-are-my-top-five-picks-and-one-hilarious-flop-232706">original article</a>. Image: IMDB </div>

Movies

Bishop Christopher Saunders arrested at his home

The former Bishop of Broome, Christopher Alan Saunders, has found himself at the centre of a dramatic arrest at his residence in Western Australia's north. Police from the WA Child Abuse squad descended upon his Piggott Way property late on Wednesday afternoon, taking the 72-year-old into custody. Authorities have confirmed that an individual is currently assisting them with what they describe as a "longstanding investigation", and have charged Saunders with 14 counts of unlawful and indecent assault, two counts of sexual penetration without consent, and three counts of being a person in authority indecently dealing with a child. The alleged charges date back to 2008 across Broome, Kununurra, and Kalumburu. This arrest marks the culmination of five years of exhaustive police and internal church inquiries into disturbing allegations of sexual abuse levelled against Saunders by multiple men. These allegations initially surfaced in early 2020, sending shockwaves through the community. However, despite the gravity of the accusations, a prior investigation by WA Police concluded without any charges being brought against the former Bishop. Throughout the ordeal, Emeritus Bishop Saunders vehemently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining his innocence despite the mounting pressure and scrutiny. Recent developments, however, have thrust the case back into the spotlight. In the past few weeks, law enforcement authorities conducted raids on Saunders' property not once, but twice. The renewed vigour in the investigation appears to stem from a significant development: the emergence of a 200-page Vatican report, leaked late last year. This damning report, allegedly detailing instances of misconduct and abuse within the clergy, was promptly handed over to the WA Police. Its contents have reignited interest in Saunders' case, prompting a fresh wave of investigative efforts aimed at uncovering the truth behind the allegations. The swift and decisive action taken by law enforcement underscores the gravity with which authorities are treating allegations of abuse, particularly within the context of religious institutions. The arrest of a prominent figure such as Christopher Saunders sends a powerful message that no one, regardless of their position or influence, is above the law. For the victims who have bravely come forward with their stories, this arrest represents a step towards justice and closure, even in the face of adversity and institutional resistance. It serves as validation for their courage in speaking out against abuses that may have long been buried in secrecy and silence. Images: 7News

Legal

"This hurts the heart": Days of our Lives star's shock death at just 50

General Hospital and Days of Our Lives star Tyler Christopher has passed away at the age of 50 after a "cardiac event". The shocking news was confirmed by his General Hospital co-star, Maurice Benard, who expressed his deep sorrow and heartfelt tribute to his friend on social media. In an emotional Instagram post, Benard shared, "It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tyler Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment." He went on to describe Tyler as a "truly talented individual" who illuminated the screen with every performance, bringing joy to his devoted fans. He was not only a gifted actor but also a kind and compassionate soul who touched the lives of those who knew him. Benard also highlighted Christopher's advocacy for mental health and substance use treatment. Tyler was open about his personal struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol, using his platform to raise awareness and provide support to others facing similar challenges. His candour in addressing these issues endeared him to many and further solidified his legacy as an actor and an advocate. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzFJiUXPyRK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzFJiUXPyRK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Maurice Benard (@mauricebenard)</a> </div> </blockquote> The news of Christopher's passing resonated deeply with his fans and colleagues. Messages of love and support flooded social media, with one fan expressing, "This hurts the heart. I loved him on General Hospital. Sending love and prayers to his family and friends." The outpouring of grief from the public underscores the significant impact he had on the entertainment industry and his audience. Christopher is of course best known for his iconic roles as Nikolas Cassadine on General Hospital and Stefan DiMera on Days of Our Lives. His captivating performances and versatility as an actor made him a beloved figure in the world of daytime television. Tyler leaves behind two children from his previous marriage to reporter Brienne Pedigo. He was previously married to actress Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004. In recent years, he appeared in the TV movie Ice Storm and featured in Thor: God of Thunder in 2022, demonstrating his enduring talent and commitment to his craft. The actor received recognition for his exceptional work, earning five Daytime Emmy nominations during his tenure on General Hospital. His dedication to his roles and his ability to connect with his characters and the audience was evident in his numerous accolades. Despite his professional success, Christopher faced personal challenges. In 2019, he was placed under the guardianship of his sister due to an accident and internal bleeding during an episode of "alcohol withdrawal". This period of his life was marked by legal and personal struggles. In May, he was arrested for "public intoxication". He also alleged that his sister had "used his finances" while serving as his guardian, a claim she vehemently denied. The guardianship ended in 2021, marking a challenging chapter in his life. Christopher will be remembered not only for his remarkable contributions to the entertainment industry but also for his courage in addressing his personal battles and advocating for those who needed a voice. Image: Instagram

Caring

‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’: who was atom bomb pioneer Robert Oppenheimer?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> Robert Oppenheimer is often placed next to Albert Einstein as the 20th century’s most famous physicist. He will forever be the “father of the atomic bomb” after the first nuclear weapon was successfully tested on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexican desert. The event brought to his mind words from a <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/manhattan-project-robert-oppenheimer">Hindu scripture</a>: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”. <h2>Who was Robert Oppenheimer?</h2> Born in 1904 in an affluent New York family, Oppenheimer graduated from Harvard majoring in chemistry in 1925. Two years later, he completed his PhD in physics at one of the world’s leading institutions for theoretical physics, the University of Göttingen, Germany. He was 23 and enthusiastic to the point of alienating others. Throughout his life, Oppenheimer would be judged either as an <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Inside_the_Centre/L9wRLVcUI-sC?hl=en&gbpv=1">aloof prodigy or an anxious narcissist</a>. Whatever his contradictions as an individual, his eccentricities did not limit his scientific achievements. Before the outbreak of the second world war, Oppenheimer worked at the University of California, Berkeley, and the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/J_Robert_Oppenheimer_and_the_American_Ce/U12mDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Robert+Oppenheimer:+A+Life+from+Beginning+to+End&printsec=frontcover">California Institute of Technology</a>. His research concentrated on theoretical astronomy, nuclear physics and quantum field theory. Although he confessed to being uninterested in politics, Oppenheimer openly supported socially progressive ideas. He was concerned with the emergence of antisemitism and fascism. His partner, Kitty Puening, was a left-leaning radical and their social circle included Communist Party members and activists. Later, these associations will mark him as a communist sympathiser. As a researcher, Oppenheimer published and supervised a new generation of doctoral students. One of these was Willis Lamb, who in 1955 was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. The Nobel Prize eluded Oppenheimer three times. <h2>The second world war</h2> Two years after Germany and Soviet Russia attacked Poland, the United States entered WWII. Oppenheimer was recruited to work on the infamous <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-manhattan-project">Manhattan Project</a>. His ideas about chain reaction in an atomic bomb gained recognition among the US defence community. He started his work by assembling a team of experts. Some of them were his students. In 1943, despite his left-wing political views, lack of high-profile career and no experience in managing complex projects, Oppenheimer was appointed director of the <a href="https://about.lanl.gov/oppenheimer/">Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico</a>. He was enthusiastic. He seemed to have “<a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Inside_the_Centre/L9wRLVcUI-sC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Rabi+%22reserves+of+uncommitted+strength%22&pg=PA670&printsec=frontcover">reserves of uncommitted strength</a>” recalled physicist <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1944/rabi/biographical/">Isidor Isaac Rabi</a>. His task was to develop atomic weapons. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Los-Alamos-National-Laboratory">Los Alamos Laboratory</a> expanded rapidly as the project grew in complexity, with the personnel exceeding 6,000. His ability to master the large-scale workforce and channel their energy towards the needs of the project earned him respect. He proved to be more than just an administrator by being involved in the interdisciplinary team across theoretical and experimental stages of the weapons development. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JWxIVVeV98?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>The nuclear test</h2> On July 16, 1945 the nuclear test, <a href="https://armscontrolcenter.org/quotes-from-trinity-test-observers/">code named Trinity</a>, took place. The first atomic bomb was successfully detonated at 5:29 am in the Jornada del Muerto desert. As his chief assistant, Thomas Farrell, recounted: "There came this tremendous burst of light followed shortly thereafter by the deep growling roar of the explosion." Oppenheimer later <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/J_Robert_Oppenheimer/EoA8DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22A+few+people+laughed,+a+few+people+cried,+most+people+were+silent%22&pg=PA44&printsec=frontcover">recalled</a> that “a few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent”. What he knew for sure was that the world would not be the same. It was too late for the atomic bombs to be used against Germany in the war – the Nazis had capitulated on May 8. Instead, US President Harry Truman decided to use the bomb against Germany’s ally, Japan. Shortly after the atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Oppenheimer confronted the US secretary of war, Henry Stimson, demanding that nuclear weapons were banned. Similarly, when speaking with Truman, Oppenheimer talked about his feeling of <a href="https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/07/11/when-truman-titled-a-hollywood-epic-and-then-sabotaged-it/">having blood on his hands</a>. Truman rejected Oppenheimer’s emotional outburst. The responsibility for the use of the atomic bombs, after all, rested with the commander in chief (himself). Truman’s rebuttal did not prevent Oppenheimer from advocating for the establishment of controls on the nuclear arms race. <h2>Arms control</h2> In the postwar years, Oppenheimer settled in Princeton, New Jersey, at the Institute for Advanced Study. He read widely. He collected art and furniture. He learned languages. His well-paid position enabled his pursuit of a deeper understanding of humanity though the examination of ancient scriptures. <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/American_Prometheus/F79LEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Robert+Oppenheimer:+A+Life+from+Beginning+to+End&printsec=frontcover">He argued</a> for the unity of purpose between the sciences and humanities. Oppenheimer’s patronage supported and encouraged other scientists in their research. But his chief concern was the unavoidable arms race. He advocated for the establishment of an <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/overview/history">international body that would control the development of nuclear energy</a> and its usage. In 1947, a civilian agency called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Atomic_Energy_Commission">Atomic Energy Commission</a> began its work. Oppenheimer urged strongly for <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/overview/history">international arms control</a>. The Soviet Union’s first atomic bomb test in August 1949 took the US by surprise and pushed American researchers to develop a hydrogen bomb. The US government hardened its position. In 1952, Truman refused to reappoint Oppenheimer as the adviser to the Atomic Energy Commission. After 1952, Oppenheimer’s advocacy against the first test of the hydrogen bomb resulted in the suspension of his security clearance. The investigation that followed in 1954 exposed Oppenheimer’s past communist ties and culminated in <a href="https://www.history.com/news/father-of-the-atomic-bomb-was-blacklisted-for-opposing-h-bomb">his security clearance being revoked</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYPbbksJxIg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>McCarthyism and academic freedom</h2> In the era of Joseph McCarthy’s witch-hunts, his fellow scientists considered Oppenheimer as a martyr of the cause of academic freedom. “In England”, commented Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi turned American pioneer of rocket technology, “<a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/oppenheimer-security-hearing/">Oppenheimer would have been knighted</a>”. After 1954, Oppenheimer did not cease to advocate for freedom in the pursuit of knowledge. He toured internationally with talks about the role of academic freedom unrestrained by political considerations. He argued that the sciences and the humanities are <a href="https://archive.org/details/scienceandthecom007308mbp/page/n7/mode/2up">not separate human endeavours but interlocked and inseparable</a>. Oppenheimer died at the age of 62 on February 18, 1967.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209398/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, Historian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/now-i-am-become-death-the-destroyer-of-worlds-who-was-atom-bomb-pioneer-robert-oppenheimer-209398">original article</a>.

Movies

Back to the Future stars reunite

It’s been 37 years since the cinematic masterpiece, Back to the Future part 1, graced our screens. You might be wondering where they are now, although the appropriate question would be, “when the hell are they?” The Back to the Future stars joined up at a fan convention in Portland, USA, and the excitement from fans sighting Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Thomas Wilson used up a lot more energy than 1.21 gigawatts. Last year, Fox and Lloyd came together on stage at Comic-Con in New York in an emotional display, which brought fans in the audience to tears. On stage, Fox said, referring to his co-star Lloyd, “The best part of the movie was working with Chris,” going on to say he was a genius, also revealing there was “immediate chemistry” between the pair. Fox played the iconic Marty McFly in the 1985 movie. Director Robert Zemeckis had originally cast Eric Stolz as Marty, however, due to conflict with his schedule on Family Ties, Stolz couldn’t continue with the project. Stolz started filming in November 1984 but was replaced by early January. Aside from the schedule conflict with Stolz, it was reported that early footage was also underwhelming. Now that’s heavy! Fox officially joined the production in mid-January of 1985. Fox played Marty McFly in all three Back to the Future movies, Great Scott! The fans are on a sweet nostalgia trip seeing the cast back together after over three decades. Image credit: Instagram

Movies

Seven times people discovered the Americas – and how they got there

When Columbus landed in 1492, the Americas had been settled for tens of thousands of years. He wasn’t the first person to discover the continent. Instead, his discovery was the last of many discoveries. In all, people found the Americas at least seven different times. For at least six of those, it wasn’t so new after all. The discoverers came by sea and by land, bringing new genes, new languages, new technologies. Some stayed, explored, and built empires. Others went home, and left few hints they’d ever been there. From last to first, here’s the story of how we discovered the Americas. 7. Christopher Columbus: AD 1492 In 1492, Europeans could reach Asia by the <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/silk-road">Silk Road</a>, or by sailing the Cape Route around the southern tip of Africa. Sailing west from Europe was thought to be impossible. The ancient Greeks had accurately calculated that the circumference of the Earth was <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/152473a0">40,000 km</a>, which put Asia far to the west. But Columbus botched his calculations. An error in unit conversion gave him a circumference of just 30,000 km. This mistake, with other assumptions born of wishful thinking, gave a distance of just <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0025570X.1992.11996024">4,500 km</a> from Europe to Japan. The actual distance is almost 20,000 kilometres. So Columbus’s ships set sail without enough supplies to reach Asia. Fortunately for him, he hit the Americas. Columbus, thinking he’d found the East Indies, called its people “Indios”, or Indians. He ultimately died without realising his mistake. It was the navigator Amerigo Vespucci who realised Columbus had <a href="https://www.livescience.com/42510-amerigo-vespucci.html">found an unknown land</a> and in 1507 the name America was applied in Vespucci’s honour. 6. Polynesians: AD 1,200 Around 2,500 BC, a seafaring people <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03902-8">sailed from Taiwan</a> to find new lands. They sailed south through the Philippines, east through Melanesia, then out into the vast South Pacific. These people, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Polynesia">Polynesians</a>, were master navigators, reading wind, waves and stars to cross thousands of kilometres of open ocean. Using huge double canoes, the Polynesians <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1586/polynesian-navigation--settlement-of-the-pacific/">settled</a> Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. Some went <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1408491111">south to New Zealand</a>, becoming <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10963-017-9110-y">the Maori</a>. Others went east to Tahiti, Hawaii, Easter Island, and the Marquesas. From here, they at last hit South America. Then, having explored most of the Pacific, they gave up exploration and forgot South America entirely. But evidence of this remarkable voyage remained. The South Americans acquired <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.0703993104">chickens from Polynesians</a>, while the Polynesians may have picked up <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440307000805">South American sweet potatoes</a>. And they shared more than food. Eastern Polynesians have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2487-2?from=article_link">Native American DNA</a>. Polynesians didn’t just meet Native Americans, they married them. 5. Norse: AD 1,021 According to Viking sagas, around AD 980, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Erik-the-Red">Eric the Red</a>, fierce Viking and cunning salesman, named a vast, icy wasteland “Greenland” to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/iceland-greenland-name-swap">entice people to move there</a>. Then, in AD 986, a boat from Greenland <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/icelanders">spotted the coast of Canada</a>. Around <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03972-8">AD 1,021</a>, Erik’s son Leif established a settlement in Newfoundland. The Vikings struggled with the harsh climate, before war with Native Americans ultimately forced them back to Greenland. These stories were long dismissed as myths, until 1960, when archaeologists dug up the remains of <a href="https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/top-destinations/lanse-aux-meadows">Viking settlements in Newfoundland</a>. 4. Inuit: AD 900 Just before the Vikings, the Inuit people travelled <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1251-y">from Siberia to Alaska</a> in skin boats. Hunting whales and seals, living in sod huts and igloos, they were well adapted to the cold Arctic Ocean, and skirted its shores all the way to Greenland. Curiously, their DNA is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1251-y">closest to native Alaskans</a>, implying their ancestors colonised Asia from Alaska, then went back to discover the Americas again. 3. Eskimo-Aleut: 2,000-2,500 BC The Inuit descend from an earlier migration: that of speakers of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eskimo-Aleut-languages">Eskimo-Aleut languages</a>. These are distinct from other Native American languages, and might even be distantly related to Uralic languages such as <a href="https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00239.x">Finnish and Hungarian</a>. This, with DNA evidence, suggests the Eskimo-Aleut was a distinct migration. They came across the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Bering-Sea">Bering Sea</a> from present-day Russia to Alaska, perhaps <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1525/aa.1987.89.1.02a00020">4,000-4,500</a> years ago, partly displacing and mixing with earlier migrants: the Na-Dene people. 2. Na-Dene: 3,000-8,000 BC Another group, the Na-Dene, crossed the Bering Sea to Alaska around <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1251-y">5,000 years ago</a>, although other studies suggest they settled the Americas as long as <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1525/aa.1987.89.1.02a00020">10,000 years ago</a>. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1251-y">DNA from their bones</a> links them not to modern people in the Eskimo-Aleut group, but to Native Americans speaking the Na-Dene language family, such as the <a href="https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/">Navajo</a>, <a href="https://denenation.com/">Dene</a>, <a href="https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/northwest-coast/tlingit">Tlingit</a>, and Apache people. Na-Dene languages are closest to languages <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC25007/">spoken in Siberia</a>, suggesting again that they represent a distinct migration. 1. First Americans: 16,000-35,000 years ago Almost all Native American tribes – Sioux, Comanche, Iroquois, Cherokee, Aztec, Maya, Quechua, Yanomani, and dozens of others – speak <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Indian-languages">similar languages</a>. That suggests their languages evolved from a common ancestor tongue, spoken by a single tribe entering the Americas long ago. Their descendants’ low genetic diversity suggests this founding tribe was small, maybe <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0030193">less than 80 people</a>. How did they get there? Before the last ice age ended 11,700 years ago, so much water was <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3083538">locked up in glaciers</a> that sea levels fell. The bottom of the Bering Sea dried out, creating the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1705966114">Bering Land Bridge</a>. America’s first people just walked from Russia to Alaska. But the timing of their migration is controversial. Archaeologists once thought the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Clovis-complex">Clovis people</a>, living <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.0704215104">13,000 years ago</a>, were the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-clovis-point-and-the-discovery-of-americas-first-culture-3825828/">first settlers of America</a>. But evidence <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02137-3">now suggests</a> humans arrived in the Americas much earlier. Finds in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.1207663?casa_token=i79Z6iFCPuwAAAAA:onB6l4Ih9BSvJY9a6rTuKDjv9pD1_EEaPJlwmjsk1qVgjDcqotjX2jlmzXMg-Kh1fqxMMXLhUeMvIw">Washington</a>, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba6404">Oregon</a>, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1201855">Texas</a>, the <a href="https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1026&context=sciaa_staffpub">east coast of the US</a>, and <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.1600375">Florida</a> suggest people reached the Americas long before the Clovis people. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abg7586">Footprints in New Mexico</a> date to 23,000 years ago. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2509-0">Stone tools</a> in a Mexican cave may date to 32,000 years ago. A <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.903795/full">butchered mammoth</a> from Colorado dates to 31,000-38,000 years ago. And traces of fire put <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379118307716">humans in Alaska</a> 32,000 years ago. Some of these dates could be incorrect, but with each new discovery it seems increasingly unlikely that they’re all wrong. An early migration would neatly solve a major mystery. 13,000 years ago, a vast glacier, the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1601077113">Laurentide Ice Sheet</a>, buried Canada in ice up to three kilometres thick. If people arrived in North America then, how did they cross the ice? Southeast Alaska’s rugged coast, full of glaciers and fjords, was likely impassible, and early Americans probably lacked boats. But 30,000 years ago, the ice sheet hadn’t fully formed. Before the ice spread, people could have hunted mammoths and horses east from Alaska into the Northwest Territories, then south through Alberta and Saskatchewan into Montana. Remarkably, humans may have settled the Americas <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94408-w">before western Europe</a>. Yet that might make sense. Alaska’s Arctic is harsh, but Europe had <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02536.x">potentially hostile Neanderthals</a>. <h2>The end of discovery</h2> 1492 was the last discovery of the Americas. Following the voyages of Columbus, Magellan, and Cook, the scattered descendants of humanity’s diaspora were finally reunited. Aside from a few <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140804-sad-truth-of-uncontacted-tribes">uncontacted tribes</a>, everywhere was known to everyone. Discovery was impossible. But the story of the Americas’ settlement is still being written, and our understanding is evolving. The Eskimo-Aleut may have been <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1525/aa.1987.89.1.02a00020">two different migrations</a>, not one. Genes <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14895">hint at the possibility</a> of other, early founding populations. And given how little evidence the Polynesians and Norse left of their visits, it’s conceivable there were other migrations, ones of which we have little evidence. There’s so much we don’t know. No one can discover the Americas anymore, but there’s a lot left to discover about their discovery. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-times-people-discovered-the-americas-and-how-they-got-there-188908" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Tips

The Block star violently attacked while walking dog

A man who violently attacked The Block star Shaynna Blaze while she was out walking her dog has been jailed. Mark Christopher Surmon, 40, appeared at the County Court of Victoria on April 5 where he was jailed for 100 days for assaulting Shaynna. The reality TV star was walking her dog when Surmon approached her from behind on April 18, 2020 and aggressively punched her in the head. Blaze was then struck on her cheek causing her to trip and fall to the ground before she was stifled by Surmon’s hand as she attempted to scream. “He placed pressure on her shoulders to keep her down while this occurred,” Detective Senior Constable John Connor told the court, news.com.au reported. The court heard that Blaze had no opportunity to run from Surmon and the attack was unprovoked. Surmon was jailed for 100 days and immediately appealed the sentence which was rejected. His lawyer argued that he had schizophrenia and Surmon was further issued with a community corrections order to help with drug and mental health issues. Blaze said she hoped her attacker was getting the help he needed to ensure incidents like hers don’t occur again. “Crimes like this need to stop and punishment and rehabilitation are both important levers for our society,” she said. “I hope he gets the help he needs so this doesn’t happen to anyone else”. Blaze also runs family violence charity Voice of Change to ensure women have a safe space to speak. She explained that she has struggled from past relationships and was a victim of domestic violence and wanted to help other women. “This is my past and my personal life … I want other women out there to know that you can have a voice and there are people out there who want to give you a voice,” Blaze previously said. “You can still live a great life, be successful and still keep your integrity no matter what happens to you.” Images: Instagram

Legal

Search for missing 11-year-old escalates

Latest: An 11-year-old boy who was reported missing after failing to return home from school has been found. NSW Police shared the fantastic news on Thursday morning. "An 11-year-old boy reported missing from Annangrove has been located safe and well in the nearby area by a member of the public!" they wrote. "He’s cold, but with no visible injuries. He is being assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics. "A BIG thank you to all the media and members of the public for sharing our appeal." Earlier: The search for a missing 11-year-old boy who failed to return home from school has escalated after temperatures dropped to a freezing 4 degrees overnight. Christopher Wilson did not return home from school on Wednesday afternoon in what police have described as “extremely out of character”. The student was last seen getting off the school bus on Annangrove Road, Annangrove in Sydney’s north-west about 3.20pm on Wednesday. When he did not return home, police were immediately notified and a search for Christopher began. “Obviously, they’re extremely distressed, particularly overnight with the temperatures the way they have been up here in the Hills,” Superintendent Darrin Batchelor said. “They’ve been out looking overnight as well, so we’ll keep updating them as we go along.” Police believe Christopher would still be wearing his Annangrove Public School uniform – a blue T-shirt with maroon and white trim, grey pants and red and black sneakers. He was also believed to be wearing a black and white jacket and carrying a black backpack. He is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Island appearance, about 120 centimetres tall with a slim build, short brown hair and brown eyes. CCTV managed to capture Christopher walking along Annangrove Road towards Rouse Hill about 4.45pm. “We can only hope Christopher’s found his way into a shed or put his head down overnight and managed to stay warm,” Mr Batchelor continues. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers to ensure Christopher is found. Police have sent a geo-targeted text to The Hills area from +61 444 444 444 and asked residents not to block the number as it is not a scam. Images: NSW Police

News

Fun facts about The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is that film you can watch over and over again without getting bored. The 1965 American musical drama stands out thanks to its loving cast, the phenomenal soundtrack and storyline. Starring the beloved Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, here are five fun facts you did not know about the movie. <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Julie Andrews almost wasn’t cast as Maria </li> </ol> Richard Rodgers said that Julie Andrews would be perfect for the role of Maria but no one else agreed. It was only after the crew saw Mary Poppins that they noticed how everybody loved her. <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Julie Andrews kept falling over on the mountain </li> </ol> The opening scene where Maria is dancing on the mountain saw Julie Andrews fall multiple times thanks to the helicopter hovering above. “This was a jet helicopter,” Andrews said. “And the downdraft from those jets was so strong that every time … the helicopter circled around me and the downdraft just flattened me into the grass. And I mean flattened. It was fine for a couple of takes, but after that you begin to get just a little bit angry… And I really tried. I mean, I braced myself, I thought, ‘It’s not going to get me this time.’ And every single time, I bit the dust.” <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Christopher Plummer hated the movie </li> </ol> Our beloved Captain von Trapp hated the film to the point where he actually called it “The Sound of Mucus”. “Because it was so awful and sentimental and gooey,” he said. “You had to work terribly hard to try and infuse some minuscule bit of humor into it.” Because he hated the film so much, Plummer would sit eating and drinking in excess which caused him to gain so much weight. In the DVD commentary, Plummer also confessed that he was in fact drunk during the filming of the music festival. <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Young Gretl was traumatised during the boat scene </li> </ol> In the scene where Maria had taken the von Trapp kids out to town and were spotted by the Captain in the boat outside their home traumatised young Gretl. Gretl did not know how to swim and therefore it was agreed that Maria would fall forward when the boat flipped. When the boat flipped, Maria instead fell backwards which saw Gretl struggle and inhale a lot of water. She eventually vomited on the actress that played Louisa. <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Friedrich grew 15cm during filming </li> </ol> Nicholas Hammond played Friedrich and grew an incredible 15cm during filming. Because he was supposed to appear shorter than Liesl but taller than Louisa - at the start of the film Hammond had lifts on his shoes and by the end of it they were gone. Image: Pinterest

Movies

Christopher Walken destroys $20million Banksy artwork

An original Banksy artwork has been painted over by Hollywood royalty Christopher Walken while filming his new TV show. The 78-year-old actor erased the artwork, which is estimated to be worth $20million, as part of a scene of the new comedy drama show The Outlaws. The elusive street artist Banksy had painted the images of a rat holding two spray cans specifically for the upcoming BBC series, which is set in his home city. However, it’s claimed that the mysterious artist had collaborated with the show bosses for the stunt. The six-part series follows a group of misfits who are tasked with renovating a derelict community centre in Bristol as part of a community service sentence. A spokesperson for The Outlaws confirmed, “We can confirm that the artwork at the end of The Outlaws was an original Banksy, and that Christopher Walken painted over that artwork during the filming of this scene, ultimately destroying it.” The wrecking of the artwork was seemingly agreed upon by Bristol-native Banksy, who is reportedly a big fan of Christopher Walken, and admired the fact that Stephen Merchant, a fellow Bristonlian, was showcasing the city. A source told <a href="https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/tv/4041091/banksy-artwork-destroyed-outlaws/">The Sun</a>, “The creative team came up with the dream scenario and got in touch with the artist’s representatives in the faint hope that he might help them.” “Then they discovered shortly afterwards that he’d been to the location where they were filming and left something behind. They couldn’t believe their luck as he’d painted a giant rat using his hallmark stencilling technique as well as his distinctive signature.” They added, “His only stipulation was that they really did paint over it — and it would be his hero Christopher holding the roller.” Check out the trailer for The Outlaws below: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k_-6-hYP7Dk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Law & Order star finally spills on the real reason he left the show

Christopher Meloni has made many Law & Order fans happy by returning to the popular crime drama after leaving 10 years ago. Now he tells us the real reason he left. Known for his portrayal of the no-nonsense Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU for a long run of 12 seasons between 1999 and 2011, Meloni left the show at the end of the 12th season. His sudden departure was a major shock to his detective partner on the show, Mariska Hargitay. As her character, Olivia Benson, she portrayed this shock in the Season 13 premiere. At the time, it was reported that Meloni left the show because of a contract dispute and finally, when Men’s Health interviewed Meloni recently, he confirmed this was the case. Meloni told Men’s Health he was negotiating with the show's executive producer, Dick Wolf, for less screen time in the 13th season but he was having trouble getting his message across. "My thought was: instead of 22 episodes, bring me back for nine episodes, or bring me back for 18 episodes," Meloni told Men's Health. In the end, Meloni sad they came to me on a Thursday night and said: “This is the deal. We want the answer by tomorrow. It’s our way or no way.” Because the producer wasn’t offering anything Meloni had asked for, Meloni said he just agreed that if he couldn't have it his way, he wouldn't have it any way at all. So, he decided to bring an end to his character's time on the show. "I don't want to f--k around with you guys. This is what I want. If you can't do it, that's fine. Let's figure out my exit," he said of his last discussion with Wolf. However, now that Meloni is back on the set of Law & Order in Organized Crime, which you can watch in Australia for free on 9Now, there is far less stress involved, and the actor is finding himself having a good time taking the character of Elliot Stabler back on. "I'm not stressed by, ‘Will it go well? Will it not go well?' Not that I know how it's going to go. Just that, eh, just ride. Just do, just be," Meloni said to Men's Health. You can stream the complete seasons of <a rel="noopener" href="https://stream.9now.com.au/9OoBaVXFsib" target="_blank" title="Law & Order">Law & Order</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="https://9now.app.link/E94KXzqypfb" target="_blank" title="Law & Order: Organized Crime">Law & Order: Organized Crime</a>, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://stream.9now.com.au/q2h127aGsib" target="_blank" title="Law & Order: Criminal Intent">Law & Order: Criminal Intent</a> for free on 9Now. Image: Getty Images

Surprise! The original Back To The Future cast reunited

It's the power of Lloyd, not the Power of Love that's sent shockwaves through fans of Back To The Future. Doc Brown, aka Christopher Lloyd, has managed to reunite the stars of the '80s time-travel classic for a photo at the fan convention they were attending. Stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Thomas Wilson had all been taking part in the Fan Expo in Boston in the US when the reunion happened. "This was special," Lloyd captioned his post after getting Marty McFly, Biff Tannen, Lorraine Baines and Doc Brown together. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmWLLMKHQYN/?utm_source=ig_embed" data-instgrm-version="9"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.09259259259259% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmWLLMKHQYN/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">This was special.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/mrchristopherlloyd/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank"> Christopher Lloyd</a> (@mrchristopherlloyd) on Aug 11, 2018 at 10:10am PDT </div> </blockquote> One fan commented, "This is awesome! My 11 year old son asked me today, 'Dad, do you think they will make a Back to the Future pt 4?' These movies mean so much to me and now him. Thanks!" <div class="sics-component__ad-space sics-component__ad-space--storybody "> Lea Thompson also posted the picture with the title "Four old friends get back from the future". There's been much speculation over whether there would ever be a fourth installment of the Back To The Future series, but there's still been no announcement on whether the foursome will reunite one more time. Meanwhile <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/12/back-future-reunion-everything-7828665/">Metro reported it probably won't happen</a>. "Basically, I think America is saying, 'Come on, they've wrecked every other franchise with bad sequels, why not this one?'" Wilson said, who played Biff. "C'mon, we would watch it until it sucks." Fox also poured doubts it would happen, saying that the actors have no say in whether another movie gets made, saying that co-creator Bob Gale is the "gatekeeper of the franchise". Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/106221083/fans-delighted-as-the-original-back-to-the-future-cast-reunited">Stuff.co.nz</a>. </div>

Movies

Christopher Reeve’s grown up son hopes his parents are proud of him

The son of the late actor Christopher Reeve has written an emotional letter to his 13-year-old self about the “lowest point” in his life. Will Reeve, 26, wrote his vulnerable thoughts for <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/note-to-self-will-reeve/">CBS</a>’s series ‘Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People’. The sports journalist lost both of his parents at a young age after his famous dad died in 2004 and his mum, Dana Reeve, died less than two years later from lung cancer. Will told his younger self that in all his life, there is “no obstacle greater” than learning to move through life without his parents. While he admits that he still doesn’t have it all figured out, he said that his focus is to live a life that will make his parents proud. Read his full letter here: Dear Will, I've got good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad, because you always need to know exactly what's going on, no matter what. That won't change, by the way. The bad news is: You're at the lowest point of your life. You're in a hospital room in New York City, and you've just said your final goodbye to Mom. You're 13. She's 44. Lung cancer. Never smoked. Gone, just like Dad, who died a year-and-a-half ago, which at the time was the lowest you had been. Now you're at a new bottom and you're terrified and confused and just so sad. But! Here's the good news: this is the low point. There's nowhere to go but up, and that's exactly where you're headed. You will always remember the good stuff. Dad in the driveway teaching you how to ride a bike just by telling you what to do, you trusting him so fully that you just do it. Mom's singing voice filling the air with sweetness at home and in the car to school. How lucky are you that in her final moments, when she finally had to accept that she was dying, Mom knew where to put you? She signed you over to the Pucci's, your next-door neighbors, your second family and now your adoptive family. You'll move in with them and love them as fiercely and fully as they love you. There will be times when you will feel lost. You will feel insecure, less about the braces and bad haircut you have now and more about the choices you make, the direction of your career, missteps in relationships and social settings, but don't worry. You'll keep playing sports and singing in musicals and you'll get good grades and make great friends and you'll feel encouraged, supported and loved. You love to write and it will be essential at your dream job, reporting and anchoring at ESPN, where you promised mom and dad you would work one day. When you get that call, you'll want to call them and tell them the great news and of course, you can't, but you know that they already know. To millions of people, they embody love and loyalty, commitment and courage, perseverance and hope. You'll make them proud by honoring your family name, not by using it for special treatment but by living a life worthy of its legacy. Some days, like when you join the board of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, you'll feel like you're doing a great job. Other times, like when your work-play balance gets a little too skewed toward fun, or you're lazy or rude or selfish, you'll feel nothing but shame. It sounds simple and clichéd, but just be you. Because you are what will make mom and dad most proud. Every moment you spent with them, they were preparing you for a life without them. You have their values and Mom's eyes and Dad's smile. I want you to know that we do not have all of this figured out. But you know that in the years ahead, you will face no obstacle greater than the one you are starting to overcome right now, and no matter which way your journey leads, mom and dad will be there with you every step of the way. How lucky are you? Sincerely, Will

Movies

Inside the $35 million house Christopher Skase built

Christopher Skase’s lavish Brisbane mansion has sold for over $10 million, with a local hotelier bagging the luxurious Great Gatsby-style estate in a secret deal. Star Hotel Group boss Steven Shoobridge bagged the one-time home of the disgraced businessmen that was built back in 1988 at a reported cost of $35 million. <a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank">News.com.au reports</a> the cashed-up hotelier has snagged quite a property in the deal, which boasts nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms and stunning views. Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty agent Stephen Weber labelled it, “the most elite residence on the market in Queensland”. “It represents an extraordinary era in Australian history; a decadent period in Queensland’s past,” Mr Weber said at the time of listing. To take a look inside, scroll through the gallery above. Could you ever see yourself living there?

Home & Garden

Late actor Christopher Reeve's son is the spitting image of his father

The son of late actor Christopher Reeve has made an appearance at an event in New York and fans were shocked over his resemblance to his dad. Twenty-five-year-old Will made an appearance at the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Gala in New York on Thursday. <img width="500" height="413" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7264816/1_500x413.jpg" alt="1 (49)"/> Also attending the charity event included Will’s half-brother Matthew, 37, and actress Glenn Close, who was a presenter during the night. Will was all smiles at the fundraiser for the foundation, which is a non-profit organisation aimed to improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis. Actor Jerry O’Connell, who hosted the event, told PEOPLE, “I first got involved because I met Will Reeve, who’s Christopher Reeve’s son, and I was just so taken with what a well-mannered young man he was. Last year he said, ‘Would you come host this evening that we have?’ And I have to tell you, I honestly didn’t know much about the foundation.” Will not only looks like his father but is also pursuing acting. Will appeared alongside Glenn Close in the 1997 TV Movie In The Gloaming and appeared in The Brooke Ellison Story. Will was 3 years old when his father was left paralysed in 1995 and was just 11 when he died in 2004. Two years later, his mother Dana died of lung cancer at 44. What do you think of Will's resemblance to his famous father? Tell us in the comments below.

Movies

The new “Dunkirk” trailer will leave you stressed

One of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2017 is Dunkirk, a World War II epic directed by Christopher Nolan, the man behind Inception and The Dark Knight. The trailer from the new film, starring Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Kenneth Branagh has just been released. And to say it’s a nail-biter would be an understatement. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T7O7BtBnsG4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> The action is thick and fast in this two-and-a-half minute stress-fest as we’re dropped in the middle of the conflict with sinking boats, planes under fire and rising waters. Dunkirk details the story of Allied soldiers left stranded in the conflict. It is expected to be released in New Zealand on July 20. What did you think of the trailer? Do you think you’ll go to see Dunkirk?

Movies

Christopher Walken stars in hilarious new Qantas ad

The world is no stranger to weird and wonderful advertisements, but this new off-beat Qantas ad starring an Oscar-winning actor may take the gold. We know that Christopher Walken has a silly side, but he shows off his Christopher runnin’, Christopher climbin’, and even Christopher Boxin’ in this punny promotional video for Qantas Assure health insurance. Check out his moves in the video above. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/movies/2016/02/details-on-indiana-jones-5/">What we know about the next Indiana Jones film</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/movies/2016/02/movies-you-wont-want-to-miss-in-2016/">5 movies you won’t want to miss in 2016</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/03/celebrities-who-get-better-with-age/">7 celebrities prove you just get better with age</a>

News

Three Siberian tigers born at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Three tiny Siberian tigers were born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, late Wednesday night. Aware from the glare of visitors and in their private den, this intimate footage captures the furry felines snuggling up to their 11-year-old mum, Irisa. Based on the observations from this remote camera, the triplets appear to be healthy but their genders are still unknown. “Welcoming tiger cubs at the Zoo is always exciting but it is also a time when we proceed with cautious optimism,” zoo president and CEO Tom Stalf said in a statement. This is the second little for Irisa, with the father of this one being eight-year-old Jupiter, who arrived at the zoo from the Czech Republic last March as part of the European Endangered Species Program. There are now seven Amur tigers at the Columbus zoo. However, fewer than 400 of the big cats, also known as Siberian tigers, are believed to be living in the wild in their native forests of the Russian Far East. Check out the raw CCTV footage of the new cubs in the video above. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/interspecies-animal-friendships/">15 unlikely friendships that will melt your heart</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/funny-dog-snapchats/">11 funny snapchat pictures that only dog lovers appreciate</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/10/why-dogs-so-happy-to-see-you/">The science behind dogs being so happy to see you</a>

International Travel

Meet the real-life Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin

You'll know the popular characters made world famous by A. A. Milne in 1924, but did you know the story is based on his son Christopher Robin Milne, born on August 21, 1920? This story gets even more adorable than that.<img width="500" height="308" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9630/unknown_500x308.jpg" alt="Unknown">For his first birthday, Christopher Robin was given a cream-colored teddy bear that he named Edward. This teddy, along with an actual bear at the London Zoo named Winnie and a swan named Pooh, became the basis for Milne’s classic children’s character, Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh first appeared in Milne’s 1924 book of children’s verse When We Were Very Young. And was soon joined by Christopher Robin’s other beloved stuffed animals Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore and Kanga. While Christopher Robin was more than delighted to feature in his father’s stories when he was young, sadly as he grew older and was teased by classmates, he began to resent his fame. <img width="499" height="420" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/9631/christopherrobin-1_499x420.jpg" alt="Christopherrobin -1">For some interesting facts, you might enjoy hearing that Christopher Robin attended Cambridge and served in the Royal Corps of Engineers in World War II. After her married in 1948 he opened a bookshop with his wife.Befitting the lovely childhood stories of Winnie the Pooh, this real-life tale also has a happily every after of its very own. Eventually Christopher Robin came to accept his fame evidenced during his efforts to protect Ashdown forest — the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood — from oil exploration. He dedicated monuments to his father’s stories as a means to preserve the forest.Related links:<a href="/lifestyle/family/2015/08/new-favourite-childhood-book-covers/">Your favourite childhood books now look different</a><a href="/lifestyle/family/2015/08/vintage-lego-ads/">7 vintage Lego ads that will take you back to your childhood</a><a href="/lifestyle/family/2015/08/struggles-kids-of-today-dont-understand/">12 struggles your grandkids will never have to go through</a>

Family & Pets

Sir Christopher Lee dies at age 93

Veteran actor, Sir Christopher Lee, has passed away at the age of 93 after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure. Known as the master of horror, Lee was immortalised in films like Dracula, The Wicker Man and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He died at 8.30am on Sunday morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. His wife of over 50 years, former Danish model Birgit Kroencke, held back information for four days until all family and friends were informed. Lee was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity, and awarded the Bafta fellowship in 2011. His death has prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from actors, musicians and even the British prime minister. Related links: <a href="/news/news/2015/06/guide-dog-jumps-in-front-of-bus/">Guide dog saves the day and jumps in front of bus to protect blind owner</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/06/princess-isabella-first-official-engagement/">As she steps out for her first public engagement, Princess Isabella looks the spitting image of mother Mary</a> <a href="/news/news/2015/06/queen-knights-harry/">Queen knights grandson, Prince Harry, in private ceremony</a>

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Surprise! The original Back To The Future cast reunited

Christopher Reeve’s grown up son hopes his parents are proud of him

Inside the $35 million house Christopher Skase built

Late actor Christopher Reeve's son is the spitting image of his father

The new “Dunkirk” trailer will leave you stressed

Christopher Walken stars in hilarious new Qantas ad

Three Siberian tigers born at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Meet the real-life Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin

Sir Christopher Lee dies at age 93

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