Toy Story 5 Sneakily Addressed A Decades-Long Plot Hole

Posted on 29/06/2026 by Boris Clair

Though it seems to have divided critics, Toy Story 5 has proven an undeniable box office success. It’s achieved the franchise’s biggest ever opening weekend, raking in over £227 million in the two-day stretch.

We loved the new installment – entertainment editor Daniel Welsh described it as “a return to form for the beloved animated series [and] for Pixar in general, after a hit-and-miss run for the once-untouchable studio”.

And as ScreenRant pointed out, the movie should satisfy long-standing viewers on another front too: it addressed a decades-long plot hole.

Buzz Lightyear doesn’t know he’s a toy for much of the first 1995 Toy Story movie. He truly believes he’s a Space Ranger and tries to contact his Space Command.

But that leaves a problem fans have previously pointed out on sites like Reddit: if Buzz doesn’t think he’s a toy, why does he freeze when Andy (the human owner of the toys) enters a room he’s also in?

All the other toys stop moving and talking whenever a person can see them, presumably so they can keep up their secret activity unnoticed.

But, some fans have argued, if Buzz saw himself as another human, it didn’t make sense for him to maintain the illusion of inanimacy.

Toy Story 5 seems to have given us an answer.

The new movie begins with a batch of Buzz Lightyear toys, all of which (though they’d probably prefer “of whom”) think they’re real Rangers.

Like Andy’s Buzz Lightyear, they try to contact their Space Command and can’t get through. Instead, they end up in a shipping crate in a shipyard.

When a worker gets close to them, all of the toys freeze.

And once they come back to life, one of them asks: “Why did we freeeze?”

Nobody has an answer, though one Buzz muses: “fascinating”.

It doesn’t fully explain the plot hole. But it does address it, and it shows that freezing isn’t a conscious choice for the toys – meaning Buzz probably froxe because he didn’t have any other option.

It’s Your Last Chance To Catch 8 Netflix Titles Leaving This June

Posted on 20/06/2026 by Boris Clair

Who doesn’t love a good Netflix binge of a weekend – even one as sunny as this one?

Whether it’s the just-dropped Harlan Coben drama critics say is “maddeningly watchable” or one of the suggestions from our list of the streamer’s brand-new June titles, there’s plenty of options to work through.

But if you’re finding it hard to choose, why not pick the movies and shows leaving the subscription service soon? After all, you won’t have a chance to do so again any time soon.

Here’s what’s on its way out in June 2026 from today on in the UK, per The Independent:

Leaving Saturday, 20 June

1) North Shore

Netflix's North Shore — Netflix’s North Shore

Starring Game of Thrones star John Bradley alongside Downtown Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt, the six-episode show’s synopsis reads: “When a UK minister’s daughter dies mysteriously in Sydney, a London detective must team up with his Australian counterpart to unravel the mystery.”

2) The Secret Agent

Toby Jones (Detectorists, The Hack), Vicky McClure (Line of Duty), and Stephen Graham (Adolescence, Boiling Point) lead this four-episode gem, which is set in Victorian London. “A shopkeeper who doubles as a spy for the Russian Embassy comes under pressure to commit an act of politically-motivated terrorism,” Netflix summarises the show.

3) Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron

Yes, that is *the* DreamWorks horse flick from your childhood we’re talking about. Its stellar cast includes Good Will Hunting’s Matt Damon and Succession’s James Cromwell.

Leaving Sunday, June 21

4) Love Is a Story

This Romanian rom-com focuses on “two young artists, a violin player and an actress, [who] fight to achieve their dreams and keep their relationship together during Christmastime.” It stars Raluca Aprodu, Dragoș Bucur, and Ducu Darie.

5) #Selfie

The Romanian coming-of age flick follows a group of teenage girls (Flavia Hojda, Crina Semciuc, Olimpia Melinte, and more) who flee pre-exam stress by going on a seaside adventure.

6) #Selfie 69

Another of the Romanian movie series is set to leave on the same day. This comedy is a sequel to #Seflie, with some familiar names in the cast list. It focuses on “a trio of party-loving friends [who] make a bet: who can get married in three days” after a breakup?

7) The Secret

Based on a true story, this drama has a pretty juicy description: “A dentist and a Sunday school teacher begin a torrid extramarital affair that leads them to make a murderous pact.” Stars include James Nesbitt (Cold Feet), Genevieve O’Reilly (Andor), and Laura Pyper (Emma).

8) Who Are You: School 2015

This 16-episode Korean school drama involves “a bullied high school orphan [who] finds herself in the place of an identical-looking girl who’s gone missing” after losing her memory. Cast members include Yook Sung-jae (The Golden Spoon) and Nam Joo-hyuk (The Great Battle).

People Are Just Realising Stuart Little Isn’t A Mouse, And I Need To Lie Down

Posted on 10/12/2025 by Boris Clair

There are some things I thought I could take for granted. I always assumed paprika came from some spicy variety of pepper, but while traditional ones can contain varying degrees of heat, many large manufacturers use a type of sweet bell pepper instead.

I’d believed “wi-fi” stood for something, like “wifeless fidelity,” too. Nope: its name “doesn’t stand for anything. It is not an acronym. There is no meaning”.

But even I, a person who could fairly be described as “professionally bemused,” was uniquely surprised to learn that Stuart Little is not actually a mouse.

And looking at the responses to an X post from film critic and editor of Slash Film, Chris Evangelista, it seems I’m not alone.

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I’ve just now learned that in the STUART LITTLE book, Stuart is not actually a mouse but a human boy who looks like a mouse, and I don’t know how to process this pic.twitter.com/W2mGvwWula

— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) December 8, 2025

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I’ve just now learned that in the STUART LITTLE book, Stuart is not actually a mouse but a human boy who looks like a mouse, and I don’t know how to process this pic.twitter.com/W2mGvwWula

— Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) December 8, 2025

In the books, Stuart Little is a human

The film Stuart Little is based on the book Stuart Little by EB White (also the author of Charlotte’s Web).

And I sincerely regret to inform you that the first chapter of that cursed tome novel, “In The Drain,” begins in this haunting manner:

“When Mrs Frederick C. Little’s second son arrived, everybody noticed that he was not much bigger than a mouse. The truth of the matter was, the baby looked very much like a mouse in every way. He was only about two inches high; and he had a mouse’s sharp nose, a mouse’s tail, a mouse’s whiskers, and the pleasant, shy manner of a mouse. Before he was many days old he was not only looking like a mouse but acting like one, too – wearing a grey hat and carrying a small cane. Mr and Mrs Little named him Stuart, and Mr Little made him a tiny bed out of four clothespins and a cigarette box.

So, while publisher Harper Collins markets the children’s book as a “classic novel about a small mouse… born to a family of humans,” the perhaps less invested Britannica is more alive to its body horror realities.

It is, they point out, about a “two-inch-tall boy who resembles a mouse”.

Which begs the question, A24 Stuart Little remake when?

People had… thoughts

In response to the recent X post, one netizen called the news “disturbing”.

Another pointed to the historical myth of sooterkins. These were believed to be the rat-like afterbirth of some Dutch women (great! Normal!).

But it is not the first time innocent internet users have become aware of the fact.

A post shared to Reddit’s r/todayilearned pointed out the “mouse”’s true species in 2018.

“He also tries to get frisky/date a girl who is tiny like him and looks like a human,” wrote u/Atoning_Unifex.

Yup, that’d be Harriet Ames, who does not look like a mouse. Stuart got the hots for her after hearing that she was a little “shorter” than him, and after a shopkeeper “gave [him] a most favourable report of [her] character and appearance”.

They did not work out. But notably, Stuart Little began a letter to her by saying, “I am a young person of modest proportions” (italics mine).

All in all, I’m with u/MattheJ1: “If I were Mr Little, I’d be asking some questions”.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Reviews: What Do Critics Say About The Marvel Reboot?

Posted on 23/07/2025 by Boris Clair

The reviews have landed for Marvel’s fourth go at The Fantastic Four – and could it be that director Matt Shakman has finally given the superhero quartet the movie they deserve?

First we had 2005′s edition (and subsequent 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer), which starred Chris Evans (who recently reprised the role of Johnny Storm in Deadpool vs Wolverine) and Jessica Alba. A perfectly fine offering… but truly fine at best.

Then we got the moody 2015 reboot. It’s somewhat long-forgotten amongst other Marvel films of the time, despite starring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan – which is maybe for the best given its 9% Rotten Tomatoes scoring.

Now, with a super fun press tour to boot, we’ve been given a brand new set of superheroes (and Pedro Pascal’s entrance to the Marvel cinematic universe at last) alongside new storyline (no origin stories here this time!) – but what do critics make of the latest iteration?

Some have called it “the best Marvel film yet”, while others have labelled it “not quite the confident strides fans were hoping for” – but if there’s one thing they can all agree on, it’s that the film heralds a much-needed new era for Marvel.

Check out a selection of the reviews for yourself below…

“The result hangs together as an entertaining spectacle in its own innocent self-enclosed universe of fantasy wackiness, where real people actually read the comic books that have made mythic legends of the real Four. I have expressed my dissatisfaction recently with superhero films… but at least this finale emerges from the established story premise, and works well with the tone of uncomplicated fun.”

“If the script doesn’t hit quite so many comedic high notes as some other Marvels, it at least brims with sincerity, presenting a heroic squad committed to protecting the Earth, while encouraging the whole world to link arms and do its bit, too. Those are the kind of heroes, it feels, that we need right now.

“This is the best Fantastic Four yet. And if that bar’s too low for you, then it’s also the best Marvel movie in years.”

“Fantastic? We’ll settle for merely good. Fantastic Four may not be the confident stride Marvel fans were hoping for but, at the very least, it’s a solid first step.”

“These First Steps might not be the great strides I was hoping for, but they are sure footing for the Fantastic Four to officially leap into the MCU.”

“After spending the best part of a decade since Iron Man 3 blundering into the furniture, Marvel has finally learned how to put one foot in front of the other again – and in doing so, arrived at the studio’s funniest, most exciting, moving and complete film in more than 10 years.”

“This film feels like a warm-up, introducing characters who will become major parts of the MCU. These characters are strong enough to stand out amidst the other superheroes, but you can already hear Wikipedia calling.”

“All four leads bring something special to their respective roles and to the superbly gauged balance of personalities that makes each of them essential to the group… It’s fun but never campy.”

“First Steps is no disaster – but it’s no Superman, either. Angst isn’t on the cards for Marvel as of now. And it’s nice, admittedly, to see the genre embrace wonder once again.”

“True to its subtitle, the film feels like a fresh start. And like this summer’s blockbuster “Superman” reboot over at DC, that could be just what it takes to win back audiences suffering from superhero exhaustion.”

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11 Movie Franchises Viewers Wish Would Just Die Already

Posted on 05/04/2025 by Boris Clair

I’m a long-time defender of movie sequels – I reckon Shrek’s second instalment is as good, if not *whisper* better, than the original.

But when you’re looking at your tenth Fast And Furious movie, I reckon some questions need to be asked.

In a recent post shared to Reddit’s r/moviecritic, site user u/Eikichi_Onizuka09 asked people to name movie franchises that made them think of the Simpsons quote, “stop, stop, it’s dead already!”.

Here are some of the most-upvoted responses:

1. Anything in the Spider-Man villain multiverse

“Madame Web, Kragen the Hunter, Morbius. I don’t understand how they can consistently bomb so hard and keep getting made.”

Credit: u/Potaatolongster

2. Any Disney live-action remake

Credit: u/SaintJarles

u/problematicsquirrel added: “The most unnecessary movies that add absolutely nothing.”

3. Home Alone

“They should have stopped at two.”

Credit: u/ddot725

4. Transformers

“Indiana Jones should be done at this point as well.”

Credit: u/4694326

5. Terminator

Credit: u/DueHunter5239

u/TouristOpentotravel replied: “There are only two true Terminator movies.”

6. Fast And Furious

Credit: u/Marvin_Flamenco

“I disagree,” u/JCVideo replied. “The hubris to turn them into superhero movies where their superpower is car is hilarious.”

7. Jurassic Park/World

Credit: u/Kubrickwon

“I love dinosaurs but when they started making the dinosaurs main characters instead of fright night it lost me,” u/CarterBennett said.

8. Pirates Of The Caribbean

Credit: u/mukino

“For me, it’s a trilogy with a couple of spin-offs,” u/bdfortin said. “I rank them as one, three, two.”

9. The Matrix

“I heard after Resurrections they’re making another one. Please stop.”

Credit: u/yoy22

10. Star Wars

“Disney destroyed seven, eight, and nine. Eight couldn’t be a worse movie.”

Credit: u/DetroiterAFA

11. Shrek

“It needed to have stopped after Shrek 2.”

Credit: u/1simonsays1

Do you disagree with these or have anything to add? Let us know!

Wicked Movie Is Jam-Packed With Easter Eggs – Here’s 36 You Might Have Missed

Posted on 25/11/2024 by Boris Clair

People love the new Wicked movie (which has had the biggest opening weekend of any Broadway adaptation) for multiple reasons.

Some are holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity. Some love the film’s beautiful costumes.

But fans of the Broadway show and its 1939 Wizard of Oz origins have also been enjoying the movie’s Taylor Swift-level Easter eggs and references.

The movie’s director Jon M Chu told Radio Times: “We have a lot, a lot of breadcrumbs in the tradition of Wicked the show.”

“Of course, Wizard of Oz has such a place in our hearts of how we see story, how we see the world,” he added.

You’ll also (obviously) see lots of parallels to the Wicked musical, which was itself inspired by a book that drew on The Wizard Of Oz.

So, we thought we’d find as many Easter eggs and references as we could (oh, and obviously, huge spoiler alert for the movie).

1) Chickens playing the piano

“Before [L Frank Baum] wrote Wizard of Oz, he bred show chickens, these sort of fancy chickens. So we used fancy chickens playing the piano, this kind of weird Ozian piano in the Ozdesk Ballroom,” Chu said.

“So we wanted to reference as much as that, and even the [WW] Denslow drawings in the original book. We wanted to use animals from those books, and the design sort of look from those drawings. And so we infuse some of that throughout.”

2) The Universal logo throwback

The movie’s Universal logo has been replaced by an older version in the film. This echoes what The Wizard Of Oz’s Universal credits would have looked like.

2) The tulips are planted in a rainbow

A scene showing Munchkinland from above reveals multicoloured tulips planted in a rainbow pattern; a reference to The Wizard Of Oz’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

3) Elphaba’s name

The author of the The Wizard Of Oz book is called L. Frank Baum, or L. F. Baum, which sounds like “Elphaba” when said out loud.

4) The film’s title card font is a throwback

At the end of the film, a title card appeared which uses the same curly font as The Wizard Of Oz’s original movie.

5) Children ring out “ding, dong, the witch is dead”

The iconic Wizard Of Oz tune reappears in this adaptation when children run through Munchkinland ringing bells and clanging pans over the Wicked Witch’s death.

6) Hot air balloons

The Wizard escaped from a hot air balloon in The Wicked musical, and Dorothy tried to use one to get home in the 1939 film too. Apt, then, that Glinda and Elphaba try to escape using one.

7) The tornado shoes

“I love the sort of red slippers that [Glinda] clicks three times in Popular. I love the crystal slippers that we have in the movie. The design of it is like a tornado, as, if you know the story, that comes into play later,” director Chu says. It refers to the tornado that The Wizard Of Oz begins with.

8) More rainbows

During The Wizard And I, both rainbows and bluebirds appear, referencing the iconic Somewhere Over The Rainbow (again).

9) No detail sparred

Both Elphaba and Glinda spar with sticks in the movie, a possible reference to The Wizard Of Oz’s broom and wand battle.

10) Cameo…

Michael Rose, who played Fiyero in the Broadway show, is the lead male vocals on One Short Day.

11) After cameo…

Idina Menzel, who starred in the original Broadway version of the Wicked musical, makes an appearance.

12) After cameo…

So does Kristen Chenoweth, also from the original Broadway version of Wicked.

13) After very-on-the-nose cameo.

Before No One Mourns the Wicked, the audience sees the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and Toto on The Yellow Brick Road.

14) Nessarose’s stripy socks

Elphaba’s sister wears striped socks, reminiscent of the well-known Wizard of Oz still showing The Wicked Witch Of The East’s stripy sock-wearing legs peeking out from under the house that crushed her.

15) Madam Morrible’s hair and costume

Her hair is shaped like storm cloud, a reference to her ability to control the weather.

16) We see a baby Cowardly Lion

The show includes a lion cub trembling in a cage ― reminiscent of the Cowardly Lion.

17) What the gulch?

Miss Cottle calls out “Not to worry, just a slight gulch” in the movie. The Wizard Of Oz’s original Wicked Witch was played by Almira Gulch.

18) You’ve got to hand it to them

Fans of The Wizard Of Oz will likely have noticed how the shadow of Elphaba’s hand mirrors that of The Wicked Witch Of The West’s in The Wizard Of Oz.

19) Did we mention there were cameos?

Stephen Schwartz, the person who wrote the lyrics to the Wicked musical, is briefly visible as a guard through a peephole.

20) There’s a Bridgerton crossover

Jonathan Bailey, who plays Fiyero in the film, rides on a horse that’s the same as the one he used in Bridgerton.

21) Do you want them to spell it out for you?

The library’s spinning circular shelves and ladders both spell out the letters “O” and “Z” (OZ) at different points in the movie.

22) There’s (sort of) a flying house

The Wizard picks up a wooden house and throws it in the air in the movie, reminiscent of Dorothy’s home’s flight in the 1939 film.

23) There are literal ruby slippers

If you wanted a clear-cut reference to The Wizard Of Oz, these Dorothy-worthy shoes should do it. And if they didn’t, maybe the fact that they’re clicked three times will satisfy you.

24) Everything’s re-cycled

There’s a cycling scene in Wicked with the lion cub in tow. It’s hard not to think of the moment in The Wizard Of Oz, where we see Toto in Dorothy’s bike’s basket.

25) “We mustn’t let you get wet”

Madam Morrible advises Elphaba “we musn’t let you get wet.” This is how The Wicked Witch Of The West dies in the 1939 film.

26) The subtlest Wizard doxxing

The Wizard in The Wizard Of Oz’s real name is Oscar Diggs. We see this name plastered on surfaces throughout the film.

27) Oma-ha!

Oscar Diggs is from Omaha originally, which is referenced multiple times in the film. The wizard’s invite is from Omaha: an “O-ma-ha” chant rises in the movie.

28) Wouldn’t it be wild if there was another cameo?

Well, there is. Winnie Holzman, who wrote the book of the Wicked musical, also appears in the film.

29) Elphaba’s Defying Gravity pose doesn’t defy tradition

This mimics an iconic moment in Wicked’s musical.

30) Glinda’s Can’t I Make You Understand comes from an old songbook

The tune is

similar to that in

Follow The Yellow Brick Road.

31) There was a not-quite Jeff Goldblum Easter egg

The actor, who played The Wizard in the film, shared on

The Kelly Clarkson Show

that he’d wanted to sneak a piece of string that he uses for magic tricks. It mostly got cut out, but he claims Elphaba holds it at some point in the movie.

32) Pay attention to the man behind the curtain

The line “don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain,” from the 1939 movie, is cleverly referenced when the Wizard hides behind a hanging sheet.

33) There’s a brick road, and… guess what colour they choose to make it

The Wizard has to pick what colour to make his new brick road in the film, and well… there was no real option aside from yellow.

34) To be continued…

The 1939 Wizard Of Oz bursts into Technicolour in the second act, a huge technological feat the time.

The musical also breaks after Defying Gravity, which is when the 2024 movie ends.

At that point, a “to be continued…” title comes up in the same font as the 1939 movie and in bright colours.

35) Oh, did someone say cameos?

Actor Alice Fearn, who played Elphaba in the Broadway Wicked musical throughout the 2010s, plays Glinda’s mother.

36) Poppies

The flowers which featured heavily in the 1939 Wizard Of Oz film also appear in the Wicked movie.

Did you spot any more references and Easter eggs? Let us know!

Here’s How Much Of Cinemas’ Income Comes From Popcorn, And I’m Aghast

Posted on 06/09/2024 by Boris Clair

I take issue with how some Boomers talk about housing; “Just give up brunch and Netflix and you’ll have a home in five years,” they (wrongly) advise younger people.

Well, I stand by my objection, but it seems I’ve become a little out-of-touch on another topic myself.

Maybe it’s because I grew up near one of Ireland’s absolute cheapest cinemas, but I hadn’t quite realised how pricey the five-pound-plus snack has become until I took a rare trip to the big screen recently.

While I followed the scent of freshly popped corn to the counter like a cartoon elephant drawn to a bun, my friend stood aghast ― “There’s no way we’re buying popcorn,” she said.

Looking at its price, I realised why. But how come it’s so dear to begin with?

There is a method to the madness

Researchers at Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) and the University of California (UC) wrote a paper stating that, though it’s painful, the prices do make sense.

That’s because, while only 20% of cinemas’ revenue comes from concessions (food, drink, and other non-ticket products), it accounts for a whopping 40% of their revenue.

Confused? I was too ― but it turns out that not all of the ticket revenue goes to the cinema. Instead, they share it with movie distributors.

The Stanford GSB and UC study also found that “die-hard” movie fans, who simply love going to the cinema, proportionally pay more for concessions ― low-traffic weeks, where bums were not hitting theatres’ seats, saw a higher proportion of snack profits than higher-traffic weeks.

That means ticket prices can stay lower, as people other than cinema-or-nothing movie-watchers will be put off by a high upfront fee.

“The argument that pricing secondary goods higher than primary goods can benefit consumers has been circulating for decades, but until now, no one has looked at hard data to see whether it’s true or not,” Wesley Hartmann, associate professor of marketing at Stanford GSB and co-author of the paper, said.

Essentially, your gut instinct is right; food profits bulk up what can be quite meagre ticket profits, especially during low-traffic weeks.

Any other insights?

Yep ― unsurprisingly, people who went to the theatre in groups tended to buy more concessions, as did those who bought their tickets online.

“The fact that the people who show up only for good or popular movies consume a lot less popcorn means that the total they pay is substantially less than that of people who will come to see anything,” Wesley Hartmann said.

“If you want to bring more consumers into the market, you need to keep ticket prices lower to attract them.”

Given that “The average price for a standard UK cinema ticket in 2023 was £7.92” compared to £6.53 in 2013 (per UK Cinema Association and Statista), that seems to have held true.

Popcorn prices, however? Those are now creeping up to the price of the ticket, though to be fair, they’ve always been proportionally pretty pricey.

So THAT’s Why TV And Movie Credits Use Roman Numerals

Posted on 21/08/2024 by Boris Clair

We’ve recently shared at HuffPost UK what the stars surrounding the mountain in the Paramount logo may actually mean, as well as why TV shows and movies so rarely show known brand names.

But there’s another movie mystery at the other end of your favourite films, too.

If you look closely after the credits have rolled, you’ll see that the copyright credit is often written in Roman numerals, rather than the regular Arabic numerals we’re all used to.

That’s not a copyright thing ― books, for instance, usually use regular numbers.

So, why does that change once a story gets on screen?

Well, part of it has to do with mystery

The “deception theory” of Roman numeral credits suggests that TV and movie studios simply don’t want you to know when their piece of media was first released.

The BBC, for instance, uses the technique. “The convention is not to spell out what year something was made,” the broadcaster wrote on their online news site.

Using Roman numerals means you have to spend a lot of time working out what the date is (or, in the adorable case of this grandmother, Google searching the letters as politely as possible).

That way, you couldn’t tell the age of repeats or older content.

ABC’s 33 WYTV says there’s also the “why change?” theory ― in other words, TV shows and movies have used Roman numerals for their copyright credits for so long that it just feels pointless to change it.

They also suggest that it could have something to do with physical film ― back in the day, numbers could fade into unreadable forms on physical tape, but Roman numerals held their shape better over time.

Either way, people don’t love it

Researching the reason for the numerals resulted in my seeing many, many disgruntled forum users who hate the quirk.

One Mumsnet member wrote, “it can be frustrating to wait for the credits to roll, only to find that the date appears as a row of Roman numerals which often flash by too quickly to convert them into Arabic (‘ordinary’) numerals.”

A Guardian reader reckoned the technique is used because “most of the audience (unlike Guardian readers of course) will be unable to read them and so will not realise that the film is so old”.

“I’d bet my non-existent house that most people in the UK can definitely NOT read Roman numerals,” a Digital Spy forum member opined.

Whatever the reason, though, I sort of agree with another Digital Spy forum user ― “it looks cool,” they commented.

I Just Learned The Stars On Paramount’s Logo Have Secret Meanings, And I Had No Idea

Posted on 20/08/2024 by Boris Clair

Logos are interesting things.

There’s the hidden bear in Toblerone’s one, for instance; there’s the interesting history of NBC’s rainbow-hued logo, partly designed to emphasise the beauty of colour TVs, to consider, too.

It turns out NBC isn’t the only Hollywood bigwig with a quietly clever logo, either.

According to TIME’s Populist, there’s a hidden significance to the stars above Paramount’s iconic mountain, too.

Which is?

Well, first we have to talk about the studio’s history.

The company, which was founded in 1912, was known for discovering and signing the biggest stars (hmmm…) of its day.

Marlene Dietrich, Mary Pickford, Douglass Fairbanks, and Gary Cooper were among its early Hollywood heroes.

The mountain itself was allegedly scribbled on a scrap of paper by “the Man Who Invented Hollywood,” W.W. Hodkinson.

This mountain has since changed design, and so have the number of stars (from 24 to 22).

“The original logo had 24 stars (for each of the two dozen actors under contract in 1916),” TIME writes.

Though Paramount says “the meaning behind [the stars] has always been a subject of lore in the industry,” they link out to the same TIME article on their site.

Huh. Why has it changed?

Even if we can’t say for sure the actor theory is true, the company themselves has written that their Paramount+ logo’s constellation hides a sneaky Easter egg.

“The number of stars was reduced to 13 — a star for each letter used when spelling ‘Paramount Plus’,” their site reads.

They also had to be made bigger to be visible on a phone screen (handy that there are fewer of them, then).

It’s not clear why the company shifted from 24 to 22 stars, though.

As the company’s content travels online as well as being shown in cinemas, its site says there need to be different considerations for its logo ― especially as it’s increasingly seen on smaller screens.

That includes not only the stars, but “the detailing on the mountain, or even the spacing between the classic Paramount script” too.

Who knew so much went into the iconic logo?

Here’s What Actors Do If They Have To ‘Vomit’ In A Scene, And It’s Horrifying

Posted on 15/05/2024 by Boris Clair

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about what singers have to do if they need to pee on stage, as well as what actors are really snorting when filming drug scenes.

But what about when they have to fake throwing up ― especially if it’s a closeup?

Sure, there’s the tried and tested ”‘puking’ into a bag” method. But for those full-throated, chum-bucket scenes that make us feel queasy ourselves ― yeah, for that you’re going to need some disgusting goop and a way to, err, expel it.

How’s fake vomit made?

Speaking to Movie Insider, special effects artists at NYSPFX revealed their recipe for vomit changes according to the scene ― thicker, gloopier vomit “used a combination of potato leek and split pea soup.”

But you can also add things like noodles for “squiggly” bits as well as frozen berries and tomato paste.

These are then “thrown up” via a pump ― and because the pumps are “made for liquid, not vomit, thick, pasty, substances,″ the Movie Insider interview revealed.

So, they place the thicker substances at the top of the tube ― so that the thinner liquid acts as a “propellant” to push it out.

What’s that about a tube?

You might have noticed that the goriest on-screen vomit scenes are usually shot in profile.

That’s because the end of the tube is sometimes taped to one side of an actor’s face for added realism ― other scenes sneak the tube up an actor’s sleeve and tape it to their wrist, so they can fake vomit while pretending to cover their mouths.

For true puke purists, though, it can get gorier.

Speaking on Hot Ones, Sydney Sweeney revealed that during her Euphoria hot tub throw-up scene, “They had to get a pump, and they had this pipe that they just taped and hid on my body. And then they CGI’d it out up my neck and then there was a horse bit that I had to put in my mouth. So during that scene, they’re filling my mouth with throw up.”

She added, “And then I opened my mouth, and it just started shooting out my mouth. It was the most disgusting thing I ever experienced.”

I believe that, TBF…