Inside Celebrity Big Brother’s Chris Hughes’ love life from popstar to golfer girlfriends
Chris Hughes is becoming one of the standout stars of Celebrity Big Brother (Picture: James Veysey/Shutterstock for Pr) Celebrity Big Brother 2025 star Chris Hughes is earning a legion of new fans for being an LGBTQ+ ally on the ITV show. The former Love Island […]
TV
Mickey Rourke’s ‘threatening’ comments revealed after removal from Celebrity Big Brother house
Mickey Rourke’s ‘aggressive’ comments have been revealed following his removal from Celebrity Big Brother (Picture: ITV) The reason behind Mickey Rourke’s removal from the Celebrity Big Brother house has been revealed as his inappropriate comments have come to light. Last night, it was confirmed that […]
TV
Black Mirror viewers ‘going mad’ after being shown two different versions of episode
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British actor reveals ‘terrible’ James Bond audition to replace Pierce Brosnan
A beloved British actor may have been Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond replacement if not for his ‘terrible’ audition (Picture: REX) Michael Fassbender may be the reason Daniel Craig landed the role of James Bond. The 47-year-old actor has revealed that when Pierce Brosnan stepped down as 007, […]
Film
Michael Fassbender may be the reason Daniel Craig landed the role of James Bond.
The 47-year-old actor has revealed that when Pierce Brosnan stepped down as 007, he was maybe, sort of, kind of in the running to replace him—that is, until his ‘terrible’ audition.
Instead of using his allocated time to wow the now-former Bond producers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, he accidentally used it to sell them on why they should hire Daniel, 57.
In a recent interview, Michael retold the hilarious story, admitting that he still doesn’t know why he was promoting his fellow actor, but thinks it has something to do with the fact that auditions just aren’t his thing.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Michael explained: ‘I met with [former producer] Barbara Broccoli just, you know, through passing, and I actually went in for an audition phase before Daniel [Craig] was cast, but I don’t think I was ever in the mix.
‘But I remember going into that room and meeting with her and [fellow producer] Michael G.] Wilson, and I think I was like: “Daniel Craig is [really good]”.’
‘I don’t know why I was promoting him; I should have been promoting myself … This is what I was saying: I was terrible at auditions,’ he added.
Daniel took on the role of 007 almost two decades ago now, in 2006, with his first film, Casino Royale, becoming the highest-grossing movie in the franchise at the time.
During his tenure as the iconic MI6 spy, he made five films and departed in 2021 with his final production, No Time To Die.
‘Obviously Daniel did a fantastic job and went on to be I think the most successful Bond in history but that was it really, there was never a conversation [with me] after that,’ Michael added.
While the star did miss out on 007, it doesn’t seem to have harmed his career as he has gone on to land some major roles, including in X-Men: First Class, Assassain’s Creed, The Killer and even took a four-year break to pursue his passion for auto racing.
Now, he’s working on the sequel to the 2015 short film Kung Fury, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and David Hasselhoff.
As for who he thinks the next Bond will be, much like the hundreds of thousands of other fans, Michael knows who he would like to see in the suit: Former Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page.
He recently told Us Weekly: ‘I think Rege would be amazing. I’d love Rege to be the next James Bond. But who knows? I don’t know what’s going to happen.’
The sentiment was echoed by Naomie Harris, who played Moneypenny in three of Daniel Craig’s Bond films (Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die).
She said: ‘I think Regé would be amazing. I’d love Regé to be the next James Bond. But who knows? I don’t know what’s going to happen.’
While heavily rumoured to be in the running, Rege-Jean, 37, doesn’t appear to be on the same page as everyone else and told Entertainment Tonight earlier this week: ‘It’s not something I’ve thought about very much.’
Speculation about the franchise’s future has only grown in recent weeks after Amazon Studio’s bombshell billion-dollar deal with longtime producers Barbara and Michael put 007 in new hands.
Amazon acquired the rights to the franchise through its parent studio Eon, founded in 1961, when it bought MGM in 2022 for $8.45billion (£6.69bn), duly forming its own studio.
Since the takeover, Amazon has kept tight-lipped, and fans are still eagerly awaiting confirmation of who will be the next secret agent.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been the frontrunner for a while, and it’s understood he could be competing against Theo James, who is also tipped for the role of Bond when the time finally comes.
Theo, 39, has appeared on many possible Bond lists alongside the likes of Henry Cavill, rising star Aaron Pierre, Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey and James Norton.
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Netflix’s ‘baffling’ The Electric State is a multi-million-dollar misfire
The Electric State, with a star-studded cast led by Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, is Netflix’s latest mega-budget movie (Picture: Netflix/Paul Abell) Netflix’s The Electric State is the streamer’s most expensive original movie to date – but sadly it doesn’t show much value for […]
Film Netflix’s The Electric State is the streamer’s most expensive original movie to date – but sadly it doesn’t show much value for money as the Millie Bobby Brown flick is far from its best.
At a rumoured cost of $320million (£247m), she and Chris Pratt star in a muddled sci-fi action comedy stuffed with robots that isn’t actually as awful as I feared, but isn’t particularly good either.
There are glimpses of personality throughout the movie, which show what this could have been throughout, but its seven years in development are evident as The Electric State seems confused about what exactly it’s supposed to be – and who it’s supposed to be for – even with the passionate involvement of producers and directors Anthony and Joe Russo right from the off.
Based on Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel of the same name, the film sets up a reimagined version of the ‘90s, in the aftermath of a failed robot uprising where sentient bots tried to fight for their rights to exist on equal footing with humans in society.
Tech billionaire Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) also lurks on the sidelines with an invention – the neurocaster network – and a robot hunter-cowboy minion (Giancarlo Esposito) that further threaten their existence.
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Meanwhile Brown is troubled orphan Michelle, who embarks on a quest to find her missing brother Christopher (Woody Norman), linking up with drifter Keats (Pratt) and his robot pal Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).
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They travel cross-country through a dystopian America and into the Exclusion Zone, where robots now live in exile.
The robot voice cast – which also includes Woody Harrelson as Mr. Peanut, Jenny Slate and Alan Tudyk – give some of the film’s best performances, from Mackie especially (even if voice-distorted) as the wisecracking Herman, who often lifts the energy of scenes.
And that’s no shade to Brown or Pratt; they’re just stuck being reliably fine in the same kind of roles we’ve seen them perform before in more well-defined cinematic worlds.
The Electric State looks great in parts, inspired by the striking imagery from Stålenhag’s original work, but it otherwise could be mistaken for any other retro-futuristic sci-fi film in its design, which is a shame.
Alan Silvestri’s music is also sweeping and seems very appropriate for the era although slightly glaring when fans are only ever going to see this blockbuster-aspiring movie on small screens. The rest of the music is likely to frustrate fans though, with the inclusion of Oasis and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch seeming like calculated nostalgia baiting – or just plain irritating.
The film itself struggles from this issue, as a movie difficult to connect with – who is it for? Millennials who can sense the cynicism in the film’s deployment of nostalgia? Fans of the novel who have already railed against the film in reaction to the trailer? Brown’s fanbase, who are likely too young to feel any strong connection with the film’s setting? It’s a bit baffling.
However, among the other occasional strong bits of The Electric State are Tucci giving good baddie, a few quirky and fun asides in the screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and Oscar-winner Ke Huy Quan as Dr Amherst – a human key to Michelle’s journey, but also another outstanding vocal performance as the voice of P.C., a very polite robot indeed.
The Russo Brothers are not only synonymous with the most successful period of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Avengers movies, but they also directed one of Netflix’s most-watched films in The Gray Man. Just below it on that list is Brown’s last effort for Netflix, Damsel.
Perhaps the same fate awaits The Electric State – but I still wouldn’t call it hundreds of millions of dollars well spent.
The Electric State is streaming exclusively on Netflix now.
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Games Inbox: Will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost too much?
It’s probably not going to be cheap (YouTube) The Friday letters page tries to guess what the Nintendo Switch 2 mice will be used for, as one reader struggles with the endless menus of Monster Hunter Wilds. To join in with the discussions yourself email […]
Gaming
The Friday letters page tries to guess what the Nintendo Switch 2 mice will be used for, as one reader struggles with the endless menus of Monster Hunter Wilds.
To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Inflation issues
There’s been a lot of talk lately about how the various PC handhelds, including the Steam Deck, aren’t actually very successful and have sales that seem miniscule compared to the Nintendo Switch. There are lots of reasons for this but one of the most obvious is that they’re more expensive, at £500 or more.
There are other reasons too, like the fact that they need a lot of faff to get games running properly and the Steam Deck isn’t even sold properly in the UK. But at the end of the day their price and expensiveness basically makes them a niche product. And I agree that does seem an odd thing for Xbox to want to be involved in, although I suspect they’re just doing it so they can say they still make hardware.
So we’ve established all that but the obvious problem with the Switch 2 is that it’s going to be more expensive. It was £280 at launch eight years ago but that’s obviously going to increase based purely on inflation. We keep hearing rumours of the price being close to $400 and that is going to mean around £400 here.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t pay that, but that is going to put a lot of people off, especially in these uncertain times. Even £350 is a lot of money for parents worried about so many other things. I’m as excited about the Switch 2 as anyone but it’s not going to be the easy ride for Nintendo that some people seem to think.
Lefty
Always wait
Is it just me or is there no reason for Bethesda to be shadow-dropping the Oblivion remake? I’ve never understood why suddenly releasing something out of the blue is supposed to be a good thing, because personally I want to research my purchases a bit before I hand over any money; even if it’s just an indie game. And this isn’t, I assume it’s a full price game.
Obviously, it’s publishers tempting us into making an impulse purchase but the strange thing is I can’t think of any of these shadow drops that were actually bad and they were hiding something. I guess the idea just seems naturally suspicious to me, but I can’t think of any situation where it wasn’t always better to wait before buying a game, whether it’s to wait till the price lowers, till the game is fixed, or just until there’s a consensus on whether it’s any good or not.
Goolash
Anything but new
Even after you’ve explained it, I still can’t even begin to imagine why someone would make a sequel to Beyond The Ice Palace and expect anyone to care. It would make the jokes about bringing back Blinx: The Time Sweeper seem like legitimate ideas.
I guess your theory that the name was available and cheap to use makes some kind of sense, but while it might earn the game a few reviews, that it wouldn’t have got otherwise, I really can’t imagine it helping in term of sales. If you are old and nerdy enough to remember the original, then you’ll know it was a really bad game.
It really is the most extreme example of companies going out of their way to do anything but create a new franchise. The fact that it’s just a blatant Castlevania clone on top of that makes it even funnier. I now demand a sequel to BMX Ninja (remember that?) except it’s a flight sim.
Aerie
Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk
I herd you like menus
I played and liked Monster Hunter: World on PlayStation 4 and Rise on the Switch, so I recently started Monster Hunter Wilds on the PlayStation 5, thinking I’ll be alright…
I’d forgotten how bewildering these games are at first. Menus within menus with other menus, if you press various buttons or D-pad directions.
It took me a google to invert the vertical camera axis.
It’s a great game, albeit a constant loop of ‘kill that to get better stuff to kill the next stronger that’ and the combat is very good, if slow (I like the hammers, very solid feel to them).
If anyone is thinking of buying it, who’ve never played any of the series before I can only say this: be prepared to be confused, it takes a while to work out.
Chevy Malibu (PSN ID)
Mild approval
Just watched the Borderlands movie on Amazon. It’s no Fallout or The Last Of us but it’s not that bad. I particularly liked Jack Black as the annoying android Claptrap.
They should make a Brütal Legend movie – it would have a great soundtrack. Think I will check out the Like A Dragon movie next.
Johnny Alpha SD
Currently playing: Doom Eternal and Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Expect the unexpected
The thing I’m most interesting in learning about the Nintendo Switch 2 is what the mouse feature is going to be for. I cannot believe that Nintendo added such a strange thing just to make first person shooters or port over old real-time strategy games. They must have something else in mind, but I can’t fathom what it is.
I know that’s why they’re the mega successful game developer and I’m not but what is it for? I think probably that secret online game they’ve been playtesting is one reason, because it seemed kind of like a city builder type game and I got the feeling they might push it as a sort of Miiverse replacement.
Would they add mice for just that one game and just treat everything else as a bonus? I wouldn’t put it past them, after all the IR sensor barely got used in anything, but given the prominence of the mice in the reveal trailer it feel like there’s more to it than that.
As another reader has said, I like the fact that there are so many unknowns about the Switch 2 and that, hopefully, a lot of the announcements are going to be things we didn’t expect.
I imagine there’s a good chance that the inevitable new IP that Nintendo will announce will make extensive use of the mouse mode, as a way to show it off. I’ve no idea what that it is but that’s just the way I like it. It’s like the opposite of knowing there’ll be another Call Of Duty or EA Sports FC this year.
Josh
Serious music
Could you have a serious look at the comments section? I was trying to send the comment below on the Underbox, but it kept getting rejected despite there being nothing wrong with it:
My favourite original soundtracks are, in alphabetical order:
Lunar Knights
P.N.03
Puzzle League DS
Shinobi 3
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Streets Of Rage
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
LeighDappa
GC: We have no control over the comments moderation, but we’ll see if we can have a word with those that do.
No more lists
An impassioned counterviewpoint to ChaosMR’s perception of the state of modern video game music, this is. I resolutely believe that in all actuality there have been a plethora of modern games that have had very memorable soundtracks released throughout the years.
Unless you have an unfortunate tendency to play mostly just Western triple-A games, that try desperately to look and sound like Hollywood films, and ignore the broad swath of Japanese, Nintendo, indie gaming et al., then I find it quite hard to believe that your criticism isn’t deliberately surface level, and perhaps a tad parochial.
Here are but some superbly ‘video-gamey’ examples of contemporary (and a few beautifully recomposed) soundtracks from just the past few years, other than the absolutely exquisite Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth scores, of course:
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Hi-Fi Rush
Stellar Blade
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Kunitsu-Gami: Path Of The Goddess
Norco
Astro Bot
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Silent Hill 2
Sorry We’re Closed
Persona 3: Reloaded
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Tekken 8
Armored Core 6
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Bayonetta 3
Final Fantasy 16
Pikmin 4
Dranius
Cocoon
Sonic Frontiers
Stray
Kirby And The Forgotten Land
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance
Elden Ring + Shadow Of The Erdtree
Lies Of P
Alan Wake 2 (for that enthralling musical stage alone!)
Galvanized Gamer
GC: Today has been an exception, but please don’t just send in lists of things without any commentary. It gets very boring, very quickly, and encourages everyone else to send in nothing but lists too.
Inbox also-rans
I would like to rent a PlayStation 5, how do I do this? Many thanks.
Adam
GC: You can do it from the PlayStation website here.
I love how nowadays a game getting a sudden annoucement, to take advantage of an unexpected success, still means we won’t see the sequel for five years. Nothing happens quickly in video games anymore.
Lipsis
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Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 3 officially confirmed with first details
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 – not a surprise annoucement (Focus Entertainment) Space Marine 2 isn’t even a year old and work on a sequel has already begun, in what may be the start of a Warhammer 40,000 video game renaissance. In the least surprising […]
Gaming
Space Marine 2 isn’t even a year old and work on a sequel has already begun, in what may be the start of a Warhammer 40,000 video game renaissance.
In the least surprising news since the last super successful game that announced a sequel, it’s been confirmed that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is already in development.
The original 2011 game was only a minor hint but the extremely belated sequel, by World War Z maker Saber Interactive, was one of the biggest single-player hits of 2024.
Seemingly by coincidence, on the same day that new rumours emerged of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War 4, Games Workship has officially announced that a third Space Marine game is already underway.
As you might imagine, there’s not a lot of information at this point, with publisher Focus Interactive simply saying that, ‘Players can look forward to an immersive campaign, a multiplayer mode, and innovations that will redefine the standards of third person action games.
‘Developed in close collaboration with Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 will take the genre to new heights by introducing large-scale battles that are even more spectacular.’
There’s certainly plenty of room for improvement in a new game, as while the last one was the best visual recreation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe ever seen the combat and story were not all that they could be.
Given the game’s huge success, it’s unclear how much change the three companies involved believe is necessary, but if work has only just started it’ll likely be several years before we even get a glimpse of the new game.
‘We will take all our learnings and apply them to an even bigger and more spectacular game for the third instalment. We view this as an opportunity to create a true love letter to the Warhammer 40.000 universe,’ said Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch.
Although nothing’s been confirmed about Space Marine 3’s plot, it seems reasonable to assume that it will continue the story of Ultramarines Captain Demetrian Titus, played by Taken TV series star Clive Standen.
The ending of the last game already hinted at a new adventure, and it seems likely that Saber already had future stories sketched out in advance.
In the meantime, Focus is keen to emphasis that support for Space Marine 2 will continue, with new content and updates planned in ‘the coming years.’
Update 7.0 will be the next one and will include new feature such as private PvP lobbies, a new PvE and Operation weapon, and changes to class weapon loadouts and weapon perks balancing.
Although there’s never been any shortage of them in the past, the unexpected success of Space Marine 2 is likely to lead to a general increase in the number of new Warhammer 40,000 games. The average budget is likely to increase too, as most previous games have been AA or indie titles.
Dawn Of War 4 may be the first indication of a new surge of licensed games, and that will only be encouraged further if the planned Amazon TV show gets off the ground.
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Brad Pitt, 61, showcases his most electric role yet in exhilarating F1 trailer
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Film
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The new trailer for blockbuster Formula One movie F1 starring Brad Pitt has dropped – and it looks like his role of veteran driver Sonny Hayes fits the star like a glove.
In a pulse-pounding look at the glossy and action-packed film, which has reportedly cost over $300million (£231.2m), we see everything – fireworks, dramatic races and unparalleled views of the real Formula One tracks where it was shot.
But F1 is not just about racing cars, as impressive as they look and sound here, it’s about the relationship between ‘has-been’ Hayes, living in a van and given an open seat in Formula One, and the upstart rookie he’s to mentor, Joshua ‘Noah’ Pearce (Damson Idris).
Javier Bardem’s Ruben, Hayes’ friend and Apex Grand Prix team owner, puts the two together, who are seen butting heads instantly.
‘If you’ve any constructive criticism for one another, what would it be?’ asks Kerry Condon’s Kate, the team technical director, at a tense dinner, only for the two drivers to interrupt each other immediately with choice insults.
‘That was constructive,’ insists Hayes of his ‘Don’t be such a d**khead’ after a beat.
‘They’re saying Sonny Hayes isn’t a has-been, he’s a never-was,’ Kate is then later heard telling him to push the racer into fully committing to clinching his first-ever Formula One victory.
A look at the high-octane thrills of F1, which build over the trailer, could of course not have been soundtracked by anything other than Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain.
There’s plenty of hype building around F1, not least because the cast – which also includes Tobias Menzies and Shea Whigham – also numbers several real Formula One drivers playing themselves, thanks to producer Sir Lewis Hamilton, including Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
Director Joseph Kosinski revealed that it was none other than 40-year-old Sir Lewis who gave Pitt, 61, his first driving lesson because, as he put it, ‘if Brad can’t drive, this whole film wasn’t going to work’.
However, Kosinski told press including Metro during a special Q&A for the trailer launch: ‘He’s a very talented, naturally gifted driver, which for Lewis, after that first meeting, gave him a lot of confidence that we might have a shot at pulling this off.’
He added: ‘You have to be fearless, and when you see Brad driving, that’s not acting. He’s really concentrating on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes – so that’s something that you just can’t fake.’
The filmmaker also singled out rising British star Idris, 33, for praise as he tackles his first major film role opposite Pitt.
‘People might know him from his television career, but maybe not from the movies. I’m really excited for people to see him here going toe to toe with Brad on a big screen and a big story.’
Kosinski also gave insight into how F1 managed to pull off its shoot, which saw the movie filmed during race weekends, mid-season, on Formula One tracks across the globe and in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.
‘We’d get these 10- or 15-minute slots where we’d have to have Brad and Damson ready in the cars, warmed up with hot tires, ready to go, and as soon as practice ended, they would pull out onto the track. We’d have 24, 30 cameras ready, rolling, and I’d have to shoot these scenes in these very short, intense, high-speed windows.’
‘But the crowd you’re seeing was really there in the stands. I don’t think the crowd realised that Brad Pitt was in the car that was in front of them,’ he laughed.
The director, who also helmed Top Gun: Maverick with Tom Cruise, also spoke about the honour of having Formula One’s blessing and help.
‘Certainly asking to be part of that family and that world and to say you’re making a movie, there’s going to be some reticence there. But when they saw how determined we were to make it authentic and represent their sport in the absolute best way we could, to have them embrace us and to be able to have them play themselves in the film, to be able to shoot on the track alongside them, showed a level of trust that was really remarkable,’ he commented.
And for those film fans who might not be so invested in the world of Formula One? Kosinski insists that’s it a ‘universal’ story as a movie ‘about friendship, teamwork, sacrifice, redemption’.
‘It just happens to be set in this incredibly exciting world of Formula One.’
And in terms of any recommended homework?
‘You don’t need to know anything going in. We’ll teach you everything you need to enjoy this story.’
F1 releases in cinemas on June 25.
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No, GTA 6 did not leak its own soundtrack on social media
It’s probably a given that Tom Petty will be on the soundtrack but that’s about it (Rockstar Games) Canny GTA 6 fans have realised they’re being conned by a supposed leak, that claims to reveal the game’s licensed soundtrack. Without any official news from Rockstar, […]
Gaming
Canny GTA 6 fans have realised they’re being conned by a supposed leak, that claims to reveal the game’s licensed soundtrack.
Without any official news from Rockstar, it’s easy for fans to latch onto any information that comes out regarding GTA 6, even if the source doesn’t seem so good. It’s why some people are willing to put stock in ridiculous theories about when the next trailer will drop, based on the flimsiest of theories.
There have also been reports of a possible release date for a PC version and the, sadly more plausible, idea that Take-Two wants to charge over £100 just for the base game, which has sparked plenty of discussion within the community.
Given how desperate fans are for any updates, it’s unsurprising that an alleged leak of GTA 6’s soundtrack has proven very popular. The only problem is that it’s not true.
On Wednesday, March 12, the X account for Pop Crave, which reports on entertainment news, posted that a list of songs for GTA 6’s soundtrack had been accidentally posted to the official Rockstar Games X account and then been swiftly deleted.
It shared a screenshot of the deleted post, and, at first glance, it looks authentic enough for several commentors to express their opinions on the selection of artists listed, including Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and the Weeknd.
However, the community notes were quick to act and flag Rockstar’s post as a fabrication.
Given how obsessive GTA fans are, it’s impossible that only Pop Crave would’ve seen it. Fans would have been watching Rockstar’s social media accounts like hawks and would have spotted and screenshotted the post first, if it had actually happened.
As it stands, the only things Rockstar has posted about this past week have been a St. Patrick’s Day themed update for Red Dead Online, new GTA Online missions, and an announcement for an official Rockstar Discord server.
So, do we know anything about the actual soundtrack for GTA 6? Well, rapper T-Pain is believed to be involved with it, saying last year that his involvement with Rockstar meant he had to stop using a popular GTA role-playing server.
The same can’t be said for the band Heaven 17. One of its members alleged that Rockstar did approach them to include one of Heaven 17’s songs in GTA 6, but they turned the opportunity down because Rockstar’s offer was too low.
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The Vices Take Us Backstage For a New Era of Indie Rock
Last month, Dutch indie rock upstarts The Vices — Simon Bleeker, Mathew Louwsma, Jonathan Kruizenga and Floris van Luijtelaar — shared their third album, Before It Might Be Gone. Following its release, they headed out on tour, backing the energy of their LP with equally […]
Music
Last month, Dutch indie rock upstarts The Vices — Simon Bleeker, Mathew Louwsma, Jonathan Kruizenga and Floris van Luijtelaar — shared their third album, Before It Might Be Gone. Following its release, they headed out on tour, backing the energy of their LP with equally larger than life performances.
With stops from Brooklyn’s Sultan Room to Rock Cafe in Prague, the foursome has been spreading their post-punk preaching to the masses. “Playing live is really important to us, so we thought it would be good to show that side of it too,” they told PAPER last year. “When we play live together, it’s like nothing else matters. You forget everything and your whole mind and body is in the music. That energy, man.”
Exclusively for PAPER, below, The Vices share everything from on-stage antics to post-show pizza. “We just came off our US album release tour and it was wild and great,” the lads say. “We love playing live and we love touring, so we kept a little tour diary with pics and words to show the fun.”
Jonathan having a smoke in the motel.
Chilling at the pool in between show days. Floris always needs to climb on something and jump off if possible. Hyperactive energy. Love the sun. We don’t see too much of that back home in The Netherlands.
At the afterparty in Los Angeles after the last show of the US tour. Blowing off some steam offstage with some lovely people. It’s the end of our time in the US. Thankful to have played these shows with many people going wild and thankful to have met a lot of amazing people too. Wish we could’ve stayed longer, but luckily, we’ll be back in the US soon.
Sometimes you have to multitask. Setting up and eating dinner at the same time.
When we’re in the US, we love to stay at motels sometimes. US motels often have this movie-like atmosphere. We heard that in this specific motel, parts of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood were recorded. Look at that interior.
Another swimming pool photo.
Although Floris is looking down now, we love looking around, seeing new things, meeting new people, doing new things. The unknown feels great.
For the Before It Might Be Gone tour, we are heading to 18 cities in the US and Europe. Here we see the full tour on our tour shirt.
Rocking out in Los Angeles.
Snow in New York. We just arrived in New York and it was snowing. It was very fucking cold, but snow in New York was quite magical. Just ate some of the best tacos ever and here we are walking back to the venue.
Reflecting on the tour. After a couple shows we are really getting into the rhythm. Live shows are getting super tight. We feel each other more and more in improvisations and it just rocks. We keep experimenting with different sets and jams. It’s been amazing to see so many people come out. The travels and places to sleep are all organized well by tour manager Onne. All in all, we’re very happy.
Hey! What are you looking at?
Discussing the set backstage in New York. New York was the second stop of the album tour. On most nights, we are making some adjustments to the set to see what works and to keep ourselves fully focused. Not too long after this, we went crazy together with a full Sultan Room.
Sometimes you have to multitalk. Setting up and eating dinner at the same time.
Taco time again. Dinner before the show.
Trying to tune a guitar while the opener is playing, and the backstage is an open space attached to the stage. I believe that AKA BK was playing here. Good songs.
This is what it’s all about. Playing live with your best friends. Thankful to be in this band.
Live in Chicago: Playing a full Schubas in Chicago. Second time in Chicago.
A quick stop for some food on our way to San Diego. Gotta love some 7-Eleven taquitos (they’re not really that good, we know, we know. But it’s a good on-the-road snack). We just came from Chicago, where it was freezing. Feeling the warmth of the sun on our skins was amazing. Look at that sky.
Photography: Brody Baker, James Stone, Ariana Trinneer, David Miller
Nintendo Switch 2 is reportedly getting a sequel to a 2022 indie hit
Developer FuturLab is self publishing this one (FuturLab) A newly announced indie sequel is only officially slated for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox, but it’s claimed there are plans for a Switch 2 version as well. While the Nintendo Switch 2 is no longer a […]
Gaming
A newly announced indie sequel is only officially slated for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox, but it’s claimed there are plans for a Switch 2 version as well.
While the Nintendo Switch 2 is no longer a closely guarded secret, Nintendo and other studios are still keeping mum about which of their games will release for the platform, with a new Mario Kart being the only one explicitly confirmed.
There are plenty of rumours and theories of what could be planned for Switch 2, including ports of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Microsoft’s Halo collection as well as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (which is so far only slated for the original Switch).
Ahead of the big April showcase, which will likely unveil some Switch 2 games, one new title is apparently scheduled to release on Nintendo’s upcoming console and it’s a sequel to indie hit PowerWash Simulator.
Simply titled PowerWash Simulator 2 and set to release in late 2025, the announcement trailer from UK developer FuturLab only lists the game for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Although there’s no mention of the game coming to Switch 2, Eurogamer asserts that this will be the case and that further details will be shared at a later date.
In a statement provided to Metro, FuturLab has downplayed the existence of a Switch 2 version, saying, ‘Whilst we would like to release on Switch 2, there are no current firm plans. We have no timeframe or news there.’
Even if a Switch 2 version isn’t currently in the works, it’s not unreasonable to assume it could happen eventually. After all, the original PowerWash Simulator launched for Xbox consoles and PC in 2022, but was later ported to the first Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, followed by a VR version for Meta Quest headsets.
As for what FuturLab could confirm, PowerWash Simulator 2 very much looks to be more of the same, though it will feature a new campaign and, for the first time, split-screen co-op so friends can play through the game locally and not just online.
‘PowerWash Simulator 2 feels like a natural evolution from its predecessor,’ says design director Dan Chequer. ‘The original game’s design was all about eliminating anything that detracted from the pure satisfaction of taking something dirty and making it clean.
‘PowerWash Simulator 2 is all about adding in even more avenues for players to achieve that same sense of satisfaction, with new tools, features and quality of life improvements.’
Chequer adds that it’s thanks to the first game’s success, with 17 million players worldwide, that FuturLab can self-publish the sequel. For context, the first game was published by Square Enix, specifically the company’s indie division Square Enix Collective.
It also proved popular enough to receive multiple crossover DLC expansions, including but not limited to SpongeBob SquarePants, Back To The Future, and most recently Wallace & Gromit.
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LinkedIn photo sparks theories of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War sequel or remakes
It’s been nearly eight years since Dawn Of War 3 (Relic Entertainment) Fans already suspect a new Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War game is happening and a LinkedIn photo only further emboldens that theory. While fans of real-time strategy games and Warhammer Fantasy have been […]
Gaming
Fans already suspect a new Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War game is happening and a LinkedIn photo only further emboldens that theory.
While fans of real-time strategy games and Warhammer Fantasy have been able to enjoy Total War: Warhammer 3 and its various expansions over the last few years, those who prefer the more sci-fi Warhammer 40,000 universe haven’t been so fortunate.
Not counting a 2021 mobile only game that’s since been shut down, the last Warhammer 40,000 real-time strategy game was 2017’s Dawn Of War 3, which was developed by Company Of Heroes 3 studio Relic Entertainment and published by Sega.
Last year, Relic split from Sega and became wholly independent, but there’s some renewed hope that the studio could return to the Dawn Of War series. The reason for this? A single photo posted to LinkedIn.
For context, said photo was uploaded to LinkedIn by one Dominik Dolenec, a managing partner at Emona Capital, and shows him visiting the Nottingham headquarters of Warhammer company Games Workshop.
How is this related to Relic Entertainment? Well, when Relic went independent, it was able to do so by partnering with Emona Capital, securing funding to help keep its doors open.
Dolenec can also be seen wearing a shirt bearing Relic’s logo, which he confirmed in the comments section of his post, possibly indicating that he’s visiting on behalf of the studio.
Additionally, Dolenec thanks Games Workshop’s head of licencing Owen Rees for ‘sharing the magic of Warhammer with us’ (even tagging him in the post) and says, ‘Looking forward to deepening our partnership in years to come.’
All in all, it’s not unreasonable to assume that Emona and Relic intend to work on a new Warhammer project. Considering Emona previously expressed an interest in investing in Relic’s existing portfolio of games (via Game Developer), it’s possible the studio will return to the Dawn Of War series, either with a new sequel or remakes of the older games.
In fact, some fans believe a Dawn Of War 4 is already in the works. Last month, allegedly leaked screenshots from a market research survey made their way online, which Warhammer aficionados say depict terrain seen in other Warhammer 40,000 games.
If the sequel does exist, it begs the question of whether Relic will retain Dawn Of War 3’s MOBA elements or ditch them entirely for a more traditional real-time strategy experience.
At the time of its release, Dawn Of War 3 proved to be something of a mixed bag, scoring highly among critics but failing to resonate with most fans. 10 months after launch, Relic admitted that the game had underperformed and, as a result, the studio halted its development (via Rock Paper Shotgun).
If there was a time to bring back Dawn Of War, though, now is perhaps the best time to do it. Last year’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 shooter was enough of a hit for developer Saber Interactive to consider a sequel (via IGN) and Amazon is set to make a Warhammer 40,000 TV show, with Henry Cavill on board as a producer.
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Netflix drops movie with 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating that’s ‘like John Wick Vs Nazis’
A bad day at work… We’ve all been there, right? (Picture: Lionsgate) Streaming gods Netflix have just added a new film to their remarkably well-stocked line-up, one that’s generated significant buzz among critics and audiences since its initial release. That film? 2022’s Sisu, an outlandish […]
Film Streaming gods Netflix have just added a new film to their remarkably well-stocked line-up, one that’s generated significant buzz among critics and audiences since its initial release.
That film? 2022’s Sisu, an outlandish and ludicrously violent Finnish action-war movie that really, really doesn’t mess about.
It’s amassed an impressive 94% approval rating on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with one critic describing the brutal 91-minute flick as reminiscent of ‘if Quentin Tarantino directed a Clint Eastwood western.’ With everything centring around a main character that’s been likened to a cross between John Wick and Rambo.
So don’t expect a deep and moving character study, eh…?
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Set against the backdrop of World War II in 1944, Sisu follows the story of Aatami Korpi, played with grit and gusto by the Finnish actor Jorma Tommila. A solitary prospector in the remote wilderness of Lapland, one day Aatami unearths a substantial amount of gold.
His journey to return home with this newly-discovered treasure is interrupted by a retreating Nazi platoon that quickly decides to half-inch Aatami’s new-found mineral haul.
Unbeknown to – and unluckily for – them, their mugging victim just so happens to be a rather dangerous former commando with a fearsome reputation.
Hitler’s idiots make off with the gold, but they soon discover it was a rather daft thing to do. Given that it leads to a relentless pursuit of them and a series of violent and bloody confrontations. All as our hero strives to reclaim what’s rightfully his (gold prospecting in 1940’s northern Finland being subject, of course, to the universal law of ‘Finders, Keepers’).
The film’s title, Sisu, is a Finnish term that embodies the concept of extraordinary determination in the face of overwhelming odds. It’s not a term that has a direct translation in English.
Although to try and imagine what it’s supposed to represent, think of someone who’s able to open up a grab bag of salt & vinegar Discos and save some for later on instead of just eating them all in under 30 seconds.
This theme of courage and resilience is pretty central to the film’s basic butadmittedly quite stirring narrative, as Aatami’s unyielding resolve drives the plot ever forward, showcasing his impressive tenacity against formidable, cruel and well-dressed adversaries.
Directed by Jalmari Helander, known for his work on the equally entertaining 2010 Christmas horror-comedy Rare Exports, the film features a cast that includes Aksel Hennie as SS officer Bruno Helldorf, Jack Doolan as Wolf and Mimosa Willamo as Aino.
The performances, particularly Tommila’s portrayal of Aatami, are noticeably good, bringing as they do a fair amount of depth to the characters. Something which is no mean feat amid so many high-octane action sequences and a pretty limited run time.
While Sisu isn’t based on a true story per se, it does draw plenty of inspiration from a few real historical events, specifically in its setting – The Lapland War between Finland and Nazi Germany.
The character of Aatami Korpi is heavily influenced by real-life Finnish sniper hero Simo Häyhä, a decorated soldier nicknamed – rather coolly – The White Death.
A man who’s credited with over 500 Russian kills during WWII’s Winter War (not bad considering it barely lasted three months).
Okay, so the film takes a number creative liberties, resulting in a fair few historical and scientific inaccuracies.
But go in remembering that it’s not a BBC Four documentary and these deviations serve only really to enhance the intensity of the thing and should be embraced as part of the film’s stylistic choices and a contribution to its unique charm. Basically, yes – none of it’s very likely to have happened. Get over it.
Viewers loved it on its release three years ago, praising Sisu for its thrilling action sequences, distinctive style and compelling storytelling.
One fan described it as ‘a gory grindhouse good time’ and a movie that ‘should satisfy almost anybody who’s wondered what it might look like if John Wick went up against Nazis.’
Critics also responded positively. David Stratton of The Australian said: ‘It’s all very silly, but it’s so over-the-top that it becomes blissfully entertaining.’
Similarly, Sandra Hall of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote: ‘It’s lavishly embellished with blood and gore. Talk about a guilty pleasure.’
It’s also worth pointing out that this film was made on a shoestring budget. How the filmmakers made this impressive action thriller and balanced the books with just £5m available to them is a minor miracle.
If Finland ever flirts with recession or economic struggles, the suits in Helsinki could do worse than appointing Sisu director Jalmari Helander to run their Treasury.
Sisu is available to stream on Netflix now.
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