Jenny Slatten from 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way is not happy with Sumit Singh’s mom Sadhna’s latest sly strategy to disrupt their relationship. Ever since their first meeting in 2013, Indian man Sumit and Palm Springs resident Jenny have wanted to get married. The fact that Sumit’s parents Anil and Sadhna didn’t approve of Jenny being 63 didn’t affect the American woman who was blindly in love with the call center employee even after he catfished her and got a secret wife. However, despite Sumit’s divorce, he couldn’t call Jenny his wife due to his mother’s emotional blackmailing. And as Jenny’s future in India looks worrisome than ever, Sadhna has hatched a new plan to ruin the 90 Day Fiancé love story.Delhi resident Sumit’s dishonesty has always been something that fans have called him out for and in a recent 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way episode, he revealed that the reason behind him always lying is his mom. As it turns out, Sumit and his household consider Sadhna “the boss” due to whom he learned to either lie or suffer. Having lost her daughter when she was 8 months old, Sadhna filled the hole in her heart with Sumit’s ex-wife who she grew close to. But it was due to Jenny that Sumit divorced the woman. Sumit now thinks that his mother is out to get revenge from him and Jenny for taking her “other daughter” away from her by not accepting their relationship or giving them permission to marry.In the latest of Sadhna’s endeavors to sabotage Sumit and Jenny’s coupling, she will be moving into their house along with her husband Anil. According to a preview for 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way episode 7 posted by People, Sumit, Jenny, Anil, and Sahna are seated at a counselor’s office and the matriarch announces that she wants to stay with Sumit and Jenny to teach the elderly American lady to become an ideal Indian bride. “I want for our entire family to live together,” adds Sadhna, and when Sumit translates her Hindi for Jenny and revealed she wants to “shift,” Jenny’s only reaction to it is “hell no!” Sadhna also tells the counselor that if she thinks Jenny “is capable of being like an Indian daughter-in-law, then I’ll think about it.”When a producer asks Sadhna what her real motive was behind taking this drastic decision, the mom reveals that she “never got the idea from anywhere,” but that she’s made up her mind that she’ll “live in Sumit’s house.” Sadhna also adds, “I wanted to live with him because I have an attachment to him and Sumit is very attached to me,” but she confesses that she “cannot let go of Sumit, absolutely not.” According to Sumit, his parents are giving them a “chance to prove” that Jenny and he “deserve” each other. “It’s test, you can say that,” Sumit explains and also makes it clear that it’s what he wants as well.Although Jenny scoffs at the idea, Sumit is happy to get a chance to show his parents how much he’s progressed in life, while at the same time he’s “shocked” and “very nervous” too. Sumit does feel that his mom possibly has a wrong intention to create trouble for him and Jenny. Still, mama’s boy Sumit is taking it as a positive sign without taking Jenny’s opinion into consideration, clearly. It appears that Jenny now has another hurdle to worry about on 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way. And unless she manages to impress Sadhna with all her might, she might just have to come back to the U.S.A.Source: People

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's What If...? season 1 finale.Marvel's What If...? season 1's missing Iron Man (Mike Wingert) and Gamora (Cynthia McWilliams) episode being bumped to season 2 creates a storytelling problem. Imagining what the Infinity Saga would look like if one element in it was changed, the MCU's first animated series wrapped up with the introduction of the Guardians of the Multiverse. Like Marvel Studios narrative format in the Sacred Timeline, What If...?'s finale was a culmination of everything that transpired in its first eight episodes.That meant that what seemed to be standalone arcs all came together as the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) was forced to intervene once it became clear that the Infinity Stone-wielding Ultron (Ross Marquand) needed to be stopped. After hatching a plan with Doctor Strange Supreme (Benedict Cumberbatch), the cosmic entity scoured the multiverse to assemble the Guardians of the Multiverse which included Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), T'Challa's Star-Lord (Chadwick Boseman), King Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), Party Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a variant of Gamora (Cynthia McWilliams), and the evil sorcerer. Each featured hero was previously introduced earlier in the series — except for Gamora who was with Iron Man in Nidavellir when she was recruited for the team.Understandably, there were questions regarding this partnership as it hasn't been tackled on the Disney+ project before. As it turns out, their episode was pushed to What If...? season 2 after the coronavirus pandemic hampered work on the show. That's a welcome development since many are interested in how exactly the pair came together in the first place. However, this also poses a storytelling problem for Marvel Studios. As seen in What If...? season 1, it seems like each year will end with a culminating event wherein all of its primary characters assemble for a bigger mission. With Gamora already factoring in the Guardians of the Galaxy's first outing as a team, her origins story with Space Iron Man could feel out of place in the bigger scheme of things in season 2.The creators behind the animated series have been vocal about what fans can expect from What If...? season 2. While its debut year focused on revisiting the Infinity Saga, its subsequent narratives will be more inclusive of Phase 4 scenarios. That means that storylines focusing on Shang-Chi from Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings and Eternals from the upcoming Eternals film will more likely happen. As exciting as this, it would only further highlight how out of place Iron Man and Gamora's episode will be in the broader sense. That's assuming that at the end of season 2, various universes will once again come together for a culminating storyline. Otherwise, Marvel Studios can just leave their outing out entirely. After all, fans know the backstory about why it has been delayed to What If...? season 2 anyway. In any case, it's clear that viewers are eager to learn about Iron Man and Gamora's universe, especially since What If...? has made a habit of killing the former in every episode that he was featured. The aforementioned missing outing sounds like it's the only story in the show thus far that won't see the death of Tony Stark. Given his survival, it's curious if there's any future for him past his upcoming Sakaar adventures with Thanos' adopted daughter.

Apple TV+'s Ted Lasso has been one of the biggest surprises in recent television history. The sports sitcom quickly became beloved by fans not for its depiction of Premier League football, but for its quirky characters, its wholesome humor, and its commitment to all things kindness in a television landscape filled with cynicism. With season 2, however, Ted Lasso has consistently revealed that there is much more to the show than what viewers may have initially expected. Season 1 has been beloved by fans and critics alike since it was first released in 2020, but it just might be the case that the series' sophomore season is even better.10 Characters Are More Fully ExploredMost shows spend a good deal of time establishing their universe, and their main characters, in their first seasons. It's only in a potential second season that supporting characters are really given their time to shine, and Ted Lasso is no exception to this trend.Season 2 starts off right off the bat with incredible character development for characters like Dani Rojas, who is forced to reconsider his "football is life" attitude after a shocking accident, and Isaac McAdoo, who has just become the team's new captain in the wake of Roy Kent's retirement.9 Jamie Tartt Grows UpEven in the world of sitcoms, characters who function primarily as sources of conflict are common. In season 1, Jamie Tartt filled this role incredibly well. The show makes it clear that Jamie has always been used to being the best of the best, and only ever looks out for number one.But season 2 gradually pulls the layers back on Jamie's character, revealing the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. Although he may still not be the most likable character in Ted Lasso, Jamie undergoes an incredibly emotional journey in season 2, learning how to put petty feuds aside and becoming a real team player.8 The Pub Regulars Got ShineThe pub The Crown & Anchor features prominently in Ted Lasso from the beginning of the series. Not only do Ted and his friends and colleagues frequently dine there, but the pub has a real devoted social scene of AFC Richmond fans who watch every game there. Three patrons - Baz, Jeremy, and Paul - have emerged as real fan favorites.The three men are incredibly vocal and loyal both in their Richmond fandom, but also in their friendship. Season 2 allows their characters to feature more prominently, particularly in the memorable episode "Beard After Hours," where they get to experience a dream come true by running around Nelson Road when the pitch is empty.7 Roy And Keeley's RelationshipTed Lasso the character isn't the only one who believes in "rom-communism." The development of the relationship between the surly Roy Kent and the bubbly Keeley Jones shows that Ted Lasso the series believes in "rom-communism," too. Opposites do tend to attract, especially in the world of the sitcom, but Roy and Keeley have never once been a conventional sitcom couple.Time and again, these two have faced what seem to be stereotypical sitcom tropes - the threat of a looming love triangle, insecurities over work/life balance - and each time, they come away stronger than before. Ted Lasso has allowed Roy and Keeley to become one of the series' strongest storylines, all without taking focus away from any other integral part of the series.6 The Christmas EpisodeIt may have taken viewers by surprise when Ted Lasso featured a Christmas episode in the middle of its summer-airing season. But Ted Lasso's Christmas episode, "Carol of the Bells," is not just one of season 2's best episodes, but one of the series' best episodes overall. The sweet, low-stress adventure episode highlights much of what makes Ted Lasso work so well.No one is allowed to be alone or lonely on Christmas in the Ted Lasso universe. Everyone has a place and a purpose, whether coming together for a multicultural holiday feast at the Higgins home, or bringing toys to children in need. Sitcom Christmas episodes can be hit or miss, but "Carol of the Bells" goes far beyond the familiar holiday tropes.5 Expectations Are Routinely SubvertedOn multiple occasions, Season 2 sets up new storylines and teases reveals that would be expected of a lesser, more obvious sitcom. But almost every time, Ted Lasso finds new, refreshing ways to challenge the viewers' expectations, and redefine sitcom conventions in the process.Rebecca connects online with an anonymous suitor. But is it Ted like viewers would believe, based on sitcom history? Of course not, as it's Sam, one of the team's star players. Likewise, when Jamie foolishly professes his love to Keeley during Rebecca's father's funeral, does it result in a messy reconnection and love triangle? Absolutely not. Instead, it leads to Jamie healing his fractured bond with Roy, and Roy and Keeley's relationship growing stronger.4 Dr. Sharon's PresenceIntroducing a therapy narrative into a series is something that has to be done carefully, for more than one reason. Mental health discussions are incredibly sensitive and vitally important, especially in the modern era of television and the increased focus on representation. But on the other hand, therapy sessions can get pretty talky, and lean heavily into the telling rather than showing.By introducing the team psychiatrist Dr. Sharon, however, Ted Lasso finds a character who needs analysis just as much as she provides it. In fact, Dr. Sharon even has her own therapist. Through her conversations with Ted, in particular, Dr. Sharon imparts the kind of wisdom and profound emotional truths not often found in sitcoms, which often shy away from these sensitive, but true-to-life experiences.3 Sam Obisanya's RiseFew characters have as incredible a journey in season 2 of Ted Lasso as the beloved Sam Obisanya does. There is barely a moment of Sam's jam-packed narrative in the series that feels wasted. He takes on a protest against team sponsor Dubai Air when he learns of their destructive influences in his home of Nigeria, showing his moral character.As the season progresses, Sam finds love in his unexpected romance with Rebecca, which also emboldens him to further prioritize his own needs and his journey. When he is sought after by a wealthy Ghanian businessman to serve as a key player in his new football team, Sam instead rejects this offer and further settles into his leadership role with AFC Richmond, even launching into a new business venture by planning to open a Nigerian restaurant.2 Ted's Backstory Is ExploredTed Lasso is a character who has so much more going on inside than anyone would ever imagine based on his sunny disposition. Although best known for his puns, his impossible enthusiasm for everything in life, and his genuine appreciation for everyone he comes across, Ted struggles with the long-lasting effects of a profound trauma he endured in his youth: his father's suicide.Season 2 finds Ted further struggling with his own anxiety, having panic attacks and other anxious episodes, while also trying to reckon with his complicated feelings about his father's death, for which he blames both his father and himself. This devastating reveal adds new, profound levels of nuance to Ted's cheery demeanor, and to Jason Sudeikis's Emmy-winning performance.1 It's Not Afraid To Get Deeper And DarkerSeason 2 of Ted Lasso has frequently been compared to Star Wars' original sequel film, Empire Strikes Back. There is a new mentor character introduced (Dr. Sharon/Yoda), and there are shocking reveals about the main character's father (Ted's father's suicide/Darth Vader's identity). Overall, the tone is much darker and more serious.Even the season's ending feels ominous, in the same way, that the ending of Empire Strikes Back does. There is a new threat looming in the form of Nate Shelley, a character the series has taken on an unexpected, completely believable journey from underdog to villain in just two seasons. Ted Lasso may not be the same happy, easy comfort show that it was for so many in season 1, but season 2 proves that the show can masterfully switch tones and genres.

 Image credit: The ObserverThey are invisible to the naked eye, but can leave a streak of light across an astronomer’s telescope. Above our heads, the constellation of small satellites orbiting the Earth is expanding every month. Often no bigger than a fridge, they are part of a new space race as rivals compete to beam broadband internet to the hardest-to-reach places on Earth.The frontrunners are Starlink, backed by US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, and OneWeb, which is part- owned by the British taxpayer. The latter’s plan to build a network of 650 satellites is a centrepiece of the UK’s space strategy, unveiled in September.In 2020, OneWeb was facing insolvency and the government was persuaded to rescue it. To Boris Johnson it was a gift from the heavens. The UK had been bounced by Brexit from the European Union’s Galileo satellite project, and there was Dominic Cummings, technology wonk and chief adviser, touting the network as a pathway back into space.OneWeb at the time was focused on using satellites to provide accurate positioning information for anything from smartphone maps to emergency services tracking.Johnson’s splurging of £400m of taxpayer money on a 20% stake was seen by Cummings as a perfect example of the high-risk, high-reward investment the government needed to avoid being left in the technological slow lane. Others called it a nonsensical gamble of public money and “nationalism trumping solid industrial policy”. Some experts suggested Britain had “bought the wrong satellites”. OneWeb’s lower Earth orbit internet satellites were, they said, inferior to higher-orbiting positioning systems such as Galileo, America’s GPS and Russia’s Glonass.But now, with demand for satellite broadband exploding, Britain may – perhaps inadvertently – have bought itself a prime seat in another innovative yet fledgling space industry.Rejuvenated OneWeb has attracted investment from Japan’s Softbank, the US’s Hughes Network Systems and India’s Bharti Enterprises. Bharti is the largest shareholder, with 38.6%, while the UK has sold down from 45% to 19.3%, on a par with Softbank and France’s Eutelsat, which is planning a further £120m injection this month.OneWeb and Starlink are the only broadband operators to have actually placed satellites into space, and OneWeb is poised to provide a blanket of fast internet access, particularly to remote areas. The problem, analysts say, is that Johnson, who just weeks ago unveiled the UK’s ambitious new space strategy – promptly dubbed Galactic Britain – has yet to see its potential.“When the UK withdrew from Galileo, we lost access to certain types of service that were essential for our national infrastructure,” said Marek Ziebart, professor of space geodesy at University College London. “The government tried to spin OneWeb as a cheap and quick way of delivering PNT [positioning, navigation and timing] services, and that was just a very bad idea. They haven’t let go of this idea yet.”The flipside, he says, is that with 322 OneWeb satellites already in orbit and its constellation almost half complete, the UK is well positioned to cash in on a lucrative and geopolitically advantageous broadband market.“Once you’ve started to occupy a part of space by launching satellites, it’s rather like the wild west land grab: other people are going to find it much harder to operate there as well,” Ziebart said. “You can see lots of people lining up to try to launch that kind of technology [and] it would put the UK in a technologically leading position if it all works. It’s in the UK government’s interest to have access to that kind of communications infrastructure. From a space policy perspective, getting a slice of the low Earth orbit communications satellite paradigm is really sensible, because that is the new paradigm.”Washington State-based Starlink, with the resources of Musk and the entire SpaceX fleet at its disposal, has stolen a march on rivals, including Amazon’s Kuiper project. It has launched almost 1,800 satellites, has approval for another 10,000, and has submitted an application for a constellation of 42,000 – all while everyone but OneWeb is still on the ground.Possible clients for satellite broadband could be those dodging censorship in regimes such as North Korea and AfghanistanStarlink is also the only operator to have developed a functional ground terminal to process signals from space into an internet service of up to 300Mbps, which Musk says is on schedule to finish its year-long beta testing stage this month. It expects to offer a mobile version of its fixed-location receiver, nicknamed Dishy McFlatface, by the end of the year.The Kuiper project, meanwhile, with a $10bn investment from Jeff Bezos, has federal approval for 3,236 satellites, and in April signed a contract with United Launch Alliance for its first nine deployment flights, on dates yet to be determined. Other projects include a 13,000-strong constellation from China; a micro-satellite venture from the private company Astranis that is targeting Alaska; and Telesat, a Canadian company that won a CA$1.44bn (£841m) government grant for its planned 298-satellite network.The EU is investigating launching a constellation to provide satellite broadband by 2024. “We cannot have the first service in 2040. If we do that, we are dead,” Jean-Marc Nasr, head of Airbus Space Systems, who is leading a feasibility study, told the European Space Conference in January. Last month, however, the Sunday Telegraph reported that Brussels was mulling its own investment in OneWeb, raising the prospect of the EU joining the existing UK-Indian consortium to take on Starlink.Yet even OneWeb, with secured investment already close to $5bn, is unlikely to be able to match Starlink, and eventually Kuiper, for scope, wealth or size of client base.Nor is it trying to. OneWeb chief executive Neil Masterson told CNBC he believed the demand for satellite broadband could support several vendors. “There are some areas where we will compete, but governments will always buy more than one service,” he said. “Multiple players will be able to be successful in addressing their market.”Satellite broadband has also attracted criticism. Astronomers and environmentalists are angry at light pollution from satellites in low orbit, and trackers of space debris point to vastly increased collision risks. Ziebart’s students modelled a 10-year scenario showing an alarming spike in the numbers of orbiting satellites.Professor John Crassidis of the University at Buffalo, who advises Nasa on space junk, said: “We already monitor some 23,000 objects of softball size and bigger. To add to that many more satellites is going to be an issue in terms of collision avoidance.”But the market appears limitless. One possible client group, highlighted by business website Quartz, could be those wishing to circumvent censorship in regimes such as North Korea and Afghanistan. More traditional customers would include emergency services, the military, agriculture and the cruise industry – anyone seeking fast internet access where wired connections are unavailable.Cummings, architect of the government’s investment in OneWeb, is long gone from government, but with Britain’s space industry worth £16bn a year and 45,000 jobs, Johnson has no reason to pull back from OneWeb.

Mars' landscape may be barren and dangerous to human life, but thanks to photos like this from NASA's advanced rovers, that doesn't stop it from looking any less stunning. Although humans have yet to set foot on Mars, robotics and other technologies have allowed astronomers to closely analyze the mysterious planet. Whether it be bleeding-edge telescopes, rovers, helicopters, orbiters, or something else, humans have found inventive ways to closely study a planet we've never actually visited.One such rover contributing to Mars exploration is Perseverance. Perseverance landed on Mars this past February with a simple yet ambitious goal — to traverse the planet searching for ancient life. People have long theorized that Mars was once home to alien lifeforms. If this is true, Perseverance will be the rover to answer that question once and for all. In just a few short months, Perseverance has already collected Martian rock samples, explored new areas on the planet, and more.Another way Perseverance has kept itself busy is by capturing thousands of photos and sharing them with everyone to see. Wherever Perseverance goes, it takes tons of photos with multiple cameras, shares them with NASA, and NASA then uploads all of those RAW files for the world to browse through. One such photo is the one see above and below, depicting the vast landscape on Mars. This black-and-white image was acquired by Perseverance on September 28 at the local mean solar time of 12:58 using its Left Navigation Camera.Perseverance has shared countless photos of the Martian surface, but this one stands out as one of the most impressive yet. Unlike most pictures which are usually tight squares, this one is a wide panorama shot of Mars. Looking at the photo, there's a lot on display. It highlights Mars' rolling sand dunes, the sea of rocks scattered throughout those dunes, and detailed patterns in the sand left by wind and dust storms. All of this is set against the Martian sky, which appears eerie and haunting even without the iconic yellow glow.While this picture doesn't necessarily reveal anything new about Mars, it's yet another reminder of how beautiful and mysterious the planet is. It's devoid of any life, has freezing temperatures, and is nothing but endless dust, rocks, and sand. Even so, it still manages to be extremely alluring. It remains unclear if Perseverance will be successful in its hunt for ancient life, but so long as it keeps taking photos like this, we'll consider the mission a win.Source: NASA

The Google Pixel 6 (top) and Pixel 6 Pro (bottom) | GoogleNew leaks from a marketing site appear to confirm that the camera for the Pixel 6 will have a new Magic Eraser feature, and the devices will apparently get five years of Android security updates (h/t 9to5 Google)According to reliable leaker Evan Blass, the Carphone Warehouse website was showing images of Google marketing materials for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro (the images have since been taken down, but you can view the earlier versions of the Carphone Warehouse pages on the Wayback Machine here and here). Screenshots show the description for the previously leaked Magic Eraser, which will apparently be linked to Google Photos:Magic Eraser makes distractions disappear with a few taps. Remove strangers and unwanted objects in Google Photos, so the people and places that you capture remain the true stars. Much of what is in the latest photos has been leaked or confirmed already; the Pixel 6 camera will have a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens, and the Pixel 6 Pro will have a 48MP telephoto lens.And as Engadget noted, some of the copy on the leaked images (in the tiny, tiny fine print) references “Android security updates for at least five years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US.” That would mean Pixel 6 devices would have protection into 2026.

As Halloween fast approaches, several highly anticipated new horror movies are set to hit both the theatrical and VOD circuits between now and October 31st. Acclaimed genre filmmakers such as James Wan, Edgar Wright, David Gordon Green, Patrick Brice, Scott Cooper, and more have intriguing new horror tales to go with a solid mixture of international arthouse fare, broad Netflix originals, and everything in between. From eerie haunted houses, creepy creature features, and anthological period pieces to unnerving psychological thrillers and time travel chillers, this Halloween has plenty of cinematic streaming treats in store.Updated on October 9th, 2021 by Tanner Fox: As summer descends into autumn and windswept auburn leaves dance between carved jack-o-lanterns and tacky lawn decorations, horror becomes the hot topic among moviegoers. However, thanks to the various streaming services available, satisfactory scares abound and are no longer relegated to the theater.With cerebral artistic pieces and reboots to dormant franchises alike set to hit Netflix, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video before October is out, there's never been a better time to get immersed in all things horror.Debuting on Netflix on October 6, 2021 is There's Someone Inside Your House, a sadistic high-school slasher film from well-established horror director Patrick Brice (Creep, Room 104). Based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins, the film tracks a masked killer stalking the senior class of Osborne High only to be met with resistance by a marginalized group of outcasts.What makes this story interesting is how the killer intends to expose the students' deep-dark secrets before ending their lives, making for a subversive, unpredictable, and genre-defying story that Brice often enjoys telling.One of the more underrated horror anthology series of the past decade includes V/H/S, created by David Bruckner and Simon Barrett. Both men return for the upcoming 4th franchise entry, V/H/S/94, set to bow exclusively on Shudder on October 6. Set in 1994, the film concerns a police S.W.A.T. unit uncovering a cult conspiracy recorded on a grainy old videotape.The main draw of the film, aside from the promising premise and well-established brand name, is the collection of daring directing talent at the helm. Chapters will be guided by Barrett (Seance), Chloe Okuno (Slut), Ryan Prows (Lowlife), Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin), and Timo Tjahanto, the latter of which directed the scariest franchise chapter to date in V/H/S/2's "Safe Haven."Strange occurrences plague a Mexican-American family after they move to a quaint home in the California countryside, and an expectant mother must endure malignant horrors as her due date approaches. While it's sure to introduce a few ideas of its own, director Ryan Zargoza's Madres certainly seems to be taking a page or two from the Rosemary's Baby playbook.Set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 8, Madres looks be a sinister thrill ride comparable to other classic haunted house horrors.One of a set of Blumhouse productions set to terrorize horror fans this October, The Manor is an upcoming offering from director Axelle Carolyn, who is perhaps best known for directing episodes of American Horror Story and The Haunting of Bly Manor.After an elderly woman moves into a nursing home, she is accosted by supernatural entities. Unable to prove that what she experiences is real, she must figure out a way to validate her sanity and escape before she meets a grizzly fate. The Manor is set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 8.An Argentinian psychological thriller set to boggle the minds of horror fans, Fever Dream is an adaptation of the short story Rescue Distance. Seemingly something out of the mind of horror auteur Ari Aster, the movie tells the tale of a fragmented family when a mother and son duo become the epicenter of unnatural happenings.This may be a dense and intentionally difficult work, but viewers who love to dissect and interpret films will absolutely adore Fever Dream. Set to debut on Netflix on October 13, it may not be destined for widespread appeal, but it will almost certainly find a fascinated film niche.Germany's ominous Black Forest is the setting of Demigod, the new folk horror outing from writer/director Miles Doleac (The Dinner Party) due on October 15. The story concerns Robin (Rachel Nichols), a woman who returns to her birthplace at the sinister site following her grandfather's death in search of answers.Aside from the foreboding forest setting, the film boasts an unsettling mixture of ancient head-hunting rituals and scary sacrificial customs with a personal story of a modern-day woman uncovering her cryptic past. With cult-favorite scream queen Rachel Nichols (P2, Inside) taking center stage, Demigod is worth bowing to when it opens this October.In addition to penning V/H/S/94, David Bruckner's third directorial effort The Night House will open to the public on October 19. After proving his filmmaking skills in The Signal and The Ritual, Bruckner's latest looks to be a deeply disquieting tale of a widow (Rebecca Hall) uncovering her deceased husband's darkest secrets.The deliberately-paced, slow-burn horror film is already drawing rave reviews for Hall's central turn, the brooding atmosphere of rural upstate New York, the tonal tension Bruckner is able to sustain, and the chillingly ambiguous finale.A Netflix exclusive set to debut on October 20, Night Teeth follows a hapless chauffer as he's wrapped up in a blood-soaked supernatural thrill ride when the women he's driving are revealed to be vampires.Though it doesn't appear to be an out-and-out horror movie, Night Teeth will certainly be able to satisfy those looking for the perfect Halloween thriller. Starring Sydney Sweeny and Megan Fox, it's sure to catch the attention of Netflix subscribers.Another Netflix exclusive, Hypnotic sees a woman suffering from general anxiety receive treatment from an enigmatic therapist. Unfortunately, he uses the suggestive powers of his practice to coax her into unconsciously performing strange and terrible acts. Now, she must get to the bottom of this strange plot before it's too late.Stylish and cerebral, Hypnotic promises to have viewers scratching their heads until the credits roll—and likely for some time after that. The film also looks to be a breath of fresh air when compared to many of the more traditional horror movies debuting this October.Billed as a reboot of the popular found-footage series, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin removes the series from its Southern California roots, placing the preternatural panic in the heart of Amish country.A woman begins filming a documentary about her newly-discovered biological relatives only to uncover sinister tidings in the otherwise tranquil rural setting. Helmed by William Eubank, who is best known for 2020's Lovecraftian undertaking Underwater, Next of Kin is set to be a return to form for the relatively wayward franchise.

Penned by Joss Whedon and set on Earth after Alien Resurrection, Alien 5 is one of the biggest sequels never to see the light of day. The Alien franchise is a success by any barometer or metric, spawning 4 mainline installments and 2 prequel films, with the original Alien's induction into the National Film Registry for historical preservation highlighting its cultural significance. All Alien installments center around the origins or activity of the iconic early Xenomorph, designed by legendary Swiss surrealist H.R. Geiger.The final film in the original series, Alien Resurrection, ended with Call (Winona Ryder) and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) floating towards a futuristic Earth after escaping the human/Alien hybrid. The poignancy of this moment should not be understated given Ripley's continued desire to return home across the entire franchise, with Ripley 8's statement to Call, "I'm a stranger here myself," confirming the arduous 257-year journey she has undergone to reach that moment. Like Ripley before it, the Alien franchise has since been in stasis, with Alien Resurrection's release almost 2 decades ago, the last of the original movie quartet.Related: Why Alien 7 Should Bring Back Resurrection’s Hated Hybrid VillainYet, it could have been so different if the purportedly finished script of Alien 5 had come to fruition. The Avengers' Joss Whedon offered up a script designed to take the franchise back full circle, set 30 years after the Nostromo's doomed journey back to mother Earth before a raft of complications put paid to his vision. Here's why Whedon's Alien 5 never happened and what the film would have looked like if it did.What immediately juts forward from Whedon's Alien 5 concept is his understanding of the Alien franchise and his love of it. Whedon himself penned the script for Alien: Resurrection, providing several drafts before director Jean-Pierre Jeunet settled on an entirely different climax for the 4th Alien installment, seeing the Alien-hybrid sucked through a hole into space. Whedon has personally voiced his deep regrets at the final product presented by the flawed Alien: Resurrection movie, with his designs for Alien 5 looking to right many of the prior film's wrongs.While plot details have only been released in a piecemeal fashion for Alien 5's script, it is understood to take place on Earth in the immediate aftermath of Alien: Resurrection. Ripley and Call continue their descent to the planetoid, unaware that they are not alone following the explosion of the Auriga in typical Alien fashion. Alien 5 was designed to end the Alien narrative surrounding Sigourney Weaver's iconic Ripley, with her homecoming after 257 years away from the planet designed to offer a sense of finality to the original movie series. Whedon's decision to close Ripley's loop shows he understands the importance of returning the Alien films to the human, tension-driven settings so oft provided by Ridley Scott. Watching John Hurt's Kane choke at night in the mess hall after awakening from his ordeal delivers a visceral moment steeped in atmosphere and un-touched by complex creature-based scenes. In this way, the Alien 5 script's premise promised to bring Ripley back to the fore and shy away from the frenetic and often incomprehensible action that marred Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection.Several factors conspired to herald the downfall of Alien 5's incubating production, with the script unable to muster a concerted effort at truly being considered for release. Whedon's Earth-based script may have looked to usher in a return to the dazzling Ridley Scott Alien era, but its intent to close the story came at a heavy price. Sigourney Weaver's approval of the script became a key component of the pre-production ritual for all direct Alien sequels - a grace ultimately denied to Whedon by Weaver. Weaver has cited many issues with Whedon's handling of Ripley, stating that his vision of her return to Earth diluted the first Alien's impact significantly. She also stated that, based on Whedon's script, Ripley would lose her last shred of humanity and become a one-dimensional character, which ironically was something both Weaver and Whedon had wanted to avoid in Alien 5.Related: AVP: Requiem Proved Predator Had A Clearer Movie Future Than AlienHowever, Sigourney Weaver's lack of approval was not the only factor in holding Alien 5 back from the races. Even as far back as 1998, 20th Century Fox had begun work on a "Frankenstein Meets Werewolf" concept that would look to pit Ridley Scott's Alien against John McTiernan's Predator in their original forms. James Cameron, who Fox had initially asked to help pen a 5th Alien installment (akin to his Aliens success), immediately distanced himself from the project, bashing it as something that would "kill the validity of the franchise." Despite losing their man at the helm, the studio pressed on, eventually releasing Paul W.S. Anderson's AVP: Alien vs. Predator in 2004. The release of AVP was the final nail in the coffin for Whedon's shelved Alien 5 script, taking the Alien franchise on a less serious tangent and quashing Alien 5's decidedly human concept in the process.While Joss Whedon's vision for the canceled Alien 5 is unlikely to reappear, other incarnations are well underway for a fifth Alien movie. The Alien prequel, Prometheus, initially looked to be taking the franchise in a bold new direction, receiving the best reviews for an Alien installment since Aliens. However, its follow-up, Alien: Covenant, was released in 2017 to decidedly mixed reviews, causing 20th Century Fox to reassess their position on the overarching prequel narrative. Disney's acquisition of Fox in 2019 altered the players in the Alien landscape, but perhaps not the linear franchise plan, after officially confirming at the 2019 CinemaCon that Alien sequels were in production.Gallingly for Joss Whedon's alternate Alien 5, Sigourney Weaver's stance also seems to have softened on Ripley's potential narratives. At the 2014 Hero Complex film festival, Weaver stated, "Had we done a fifth one, I don't doubt that her humanity would have prevailed. I do feel like there is more story to tell. I feel a longing from fans for the story to be finished. I could imagine a situation where we finish telling the story." While there is no confirmed word on Weaver returning for Disney's Alien projects, it is hard to imagine a Xenomorph story untethered to the iconic Ripley. Although Joss Whedon's Alien 5 concept seems destined to gather dust somewhere, his notion of Alien 5 embracing its human element is one any future Alien franchise installments should embody.More: Why Alien’s Best Movie Future Brings The Xenomorphs To Earthfrom ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3Dljx50 https://ift.tt/3DqfpAH