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“We Suck”: The Heartland Rock Icon Who Felt Overshadowed Recording Alongside Eagles
John Mellencamp has recalled feeling completely outmatched while recording his 1978 debut single “I Need A Lover” at Criteria Studios in Miami, where the Eagles were simultaneously working next door on their landmark album Hotel California. Then still performing as Johnny Cougar, Mellencamp said hearing snippets of tracks like “Life in the Fast Lane” through…
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Creators Get Slammed for Taking OpenAI Luxury Trip, Company Welcomes “Healthy Debate”
OpenAI has responded to a wave of online criticism after inviting social media creators and influencers on a company-funded “Summer Camp” trip to a luxury resort in New York’s Hudson Valley. Critics accused the AI firm and participating creators of tone-deafness, given growing public concern over AI’s environmental footprint and its impact on jobs, prompting…
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LISTEN: Fear, Loathing and Endless Potential: AI4 Conference Takes Stock of Transformative Technologies
Variety’s “Daily Variety” podcast reported live from the AI4 conference in Las Vegas, where the site’s AI beat reporter Corbin Bolies found both excitement and unease surrounding generative AI’s growing influence across industries. The event highlights a sharp divide within Hollywood: studios and creatives remain wary of AI’s potential to devalue copyrighted work and displace…
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How a diary entry solved the murder of a missing man
Detective Constable Tom Ryan finally solved the six-year mystery of Richard Dyson’s disappearance after re-examining old phone records and tracking down a diary entry that led him to a padlocked cattle trailer on a Barnsley farm. Dyson, 55, vanished in November 2019 while living in his car on Christopher Wright’s farm, and although police long…
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‘It is British life’: No 10 enters ‘vertical drinking’ row
Downing Street has urged Westminster City Council to work with London pubs after proposals appeared to discourage “vertical drinking” — customers standing while drinking — in parts of the West End. The row matters because ministers and the hospitality sector argue that standing at the bar is a longstanding part of pub culture and that…
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Betty Gilpin Calls ‘Widow’s Bay’ The “Ultimate F*ck You” To “Algorithm-Friendly” TV: “So Satisfying”
Actress Betty Gilpin has praised Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” as a rare example of genuinely original television, arguing it succeeds precisely because it rejects the “safe, algorithm-friendly” formulas that dominate much of today’s IP-driven, streaming-era output. Her comments, made to IndieWire, highlight how a show built on originality rather than franchise recognition can still achieve…
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James Gunn Says ‘The Batman: Part II’ Won’t Shoot Back-To-Back With ‘Part III’
DC Studios boss James Gunn has dismissed fan speculation that “The Batman: Part II” and “The Batman: Part III” would be filmed back-to-back, clarifying the timeline as director Matt Reeves continues work on the long-awaited sequel. Gunn addressed the rumour during a Threads Q&A session in which he fielded fan questions about the future of…
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‘Michael 2’ Eyes Filming Start ‘Towards the End of this Year’ or Early 2027 as Lionsgate Teases Release Date
Lionsgate is preparing to move forward with “Michael 2,” the sequel to its Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” with production expected to begin towards the end of 2026 or in early 2027. Studio motion picture chief Adam Fogelson confirmed the timeline during a company earnings call, adding that a release is targeted for late 2027 or…
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Organ donation group accused of trying to take living man’s organs faces shutdown
The US Department of Health and Human Services has begun decertifying Network for Hope (NFH), a Kentucky-based organ procurement organisation that became infamous after a 2021 case in which a man showed clear signs of life while being wheeled into surgery to have his organs removed. Losing certification would effectively shut down NFH, which coordinates…
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‘Michael’ Boosts Lionsgate Quarterly Results as Studio Narrows Loss to $29 Million
Lionsgate reported stronger fiscal first-quarter results, narrowing its net loss to $28.8 million as the box-office success of the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” lifted its film division to record profits. The results underline how a single hit release can transform a studio’s fortunes, and Lionsgate is already moving to capitalise on the franchise with a…