John Cox

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The oral history of 12 Monkeys, Terry Gilliam's time travel masterpiece

Based on the French experimental film *La Jetée*, screenwriters David and Janet Peoples, along with producer Charles Roven and director Terry Gilliam, crafted *12 Monkeys* as an ambitious, deliberately confusing time-travel narrative that studios initially deemed unfilmable—yet it became a critical and commercial success, grossing $168.8 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. The piece chronicles the film's chaotic production through interviews with key collaborators, revealing how Gilliam assembled Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt (both of whom took pay cuts for the opportunity), navigated treacherous filming locations including an asbestos-laden power plant and haunted penitentiary, and survived creative conflicts and production disasters to deliver a film that rewarded repeated viewing in ways unusual for mainstream cinema.

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www.indiewire.com

Bong Joon Ho’s Favorite Movies: 47 Films the Director Wants You to See

This article is a comprehensive guide to Bong Joon Ho's favorite films spanning from 1936 to 2021, compiled from interviews, awards ballots, and public statements the director has made throughout his career. The selections reveal Bong's cinematic influences and aesthetic priorities, ranging from canonical works by Hitchcock, Welles, and Bergman to contemporary pieces by emerging filmmakers, with particular emphasis on Asian cinema and socially conscious storytelling. The piece demonstrates how Bong uses film curation as a form of criticism and cultural advocacy, repeatedly championing underrepresented directors and highlighting how specific films inspired his own directorial choices and thematic preoccupations.

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www.the-independent.com

Best movie twists: The 31 most mind-blowing moments in film history, explained

This piece catalogs 31 films celebrated for their plot twists, explaining each film's setup and the surprise revelation that distinguishes it. The selections span multiple genres and decades, from classics like *Psycho* and *Planet of the Apes* to contemporary films like *Get Out*, demonstrating how effective twists can fundamentally recontextualize everything that came before them. The article serves as both a reference guide for twist enthusiasts and a spoiler-filled exploration of what makes certain narrative reversals so memorable and impactful.

Permalink culturefilmmoviescinema

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

17 Simple Food Swaps For When You Run Out Of Ingredients

This quarantine-focused guide provides practical ingredient substitutions for common baking and cooking staples, recognizing that grocery shopping becomes difficult during lockdowns. The substitutions cover basics like butter, eggs, dairy, flour, and sugar, as well as aromatics, herbs, and proteins, with specific measurements to help maintain recipe integrity. While acknowledged as imperfect flavor matches, these swaps allow home cooks to continue cooking with ingredients already on hand rather than abandoning recipes mid-preparation.

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www.howtogeek.com

7 Handy Microsoft Excel Features You May Have Missed

Excel has seven lesser-known features that can streamline spreadsheet work: Sparklines create compact graphs within single cells, Data Validation restricts entries to specified types and can generate drop-down lists, the Status Bar displays quick calculations like sums and averages without adding formulas, Flash Fill automatically completes patterns (like splitting names into separate columns), Remove Duplicates eliminates repeated rows with one click, Watch Window monitors formula results across large workbooks without hunting through sheets, and Analyze Data provides automatic insights and visualizations. The guide explains how to access and use each feature to save time and reduce errors.

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www.homebunch.com

Beachfront Condo Interior Design Ideas - Home Bunch Interior Design Ideas

W Design transformed a Connecticut couple's Naples beachfront condo by blending West Indies color with mid-century modern minimalism, creating a sleek yet approachable aesthetic throughout. The project showcases custom elements like a rosewood feature wall in the entry, porcelain countertops and nearly transparent cabinetry in the kitchen, and strategically mirrored closet doors in the guest bedrooms to maximize limited space. Each room balances neutral palettes with selective pops of color in textiles and artwork, while architectural details like box-beam ceilings, herringbone marble floors, and a high-gloss navy lacquer bar serve as visual anchors in the contemporary design.

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www.hollywoodreporter.com

Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 50 Best Films of the 21st Century (So Far)

This essay introduces a curated list of the 50 best films of the 21st century so far, compiled by a team of six critics using a voting system that required unanimous enthusiasm for each selection. The authors explain their methodology, acknowledge significant omissions (notably works by Scorsese, Spielberg, and Tarantino), and attribute gaps in mainstream genre representation to a perceived creative impoverishment in commercial filmmaking over recent decades rather than deliberate gatekeeping. They position the list as a reflection of both their genuine love for cinema and the systemic inequities within the film industry itself, inviting readers to challenge both their choices and the broader landscape of voices getting major platform support.

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www.hollywoodreporter.com

Violence and the Future of Marvel

Kevin Feige confirmed that Black Widow will remain PG-13, continuing Marvel Studios' decade-long commitment to family-friendly ratings despite fan speculation about an R-rated shift following Disney's Fox acquisition. The piece argues that while rating distinctions are more about directorial vision than comic book accuracy, Marvel has built its entire franchise around all-ages accessibility—a successful formula that differs from DC's willingness to experiment with R-rated films like Joker and Birds of Prey. With Netflix's mature Marvel shows cancelled and Disney+ planned as exclusively PG-13, the MCU appears unlikely to embrace R-rated content in its core theatrical universe, though R-rated properties may appear elsewhere under Disney's umbrella.

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www.heavensdoor.com

The Collection | Heaven's Door Whiskey

This is a product catalog for Heaven's Door whiskey brand, listing their various bourbon, rye, and Tennessee whiskey expressions organized by collection type—including core signature lines like Ascension and Revival, limited releases like The Bootleg Series (featuring Dylan artwork), and specialized collections like the Exploration and Decade Series that emphasize innovative aging and finishing techniques. The descriptions highlight production methods such as non-chill filtering, multiple barrel aging, and sherry cask finishing to differentiate each expression's flavor profile.

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www.gq.com

The Great Buenos Aires Bank Heist

# Summary On January 13, 2006, seven thieves staged a bank robbery at Banco Río in San Isidro, Argentina, that captivated the nation as police and media surrounded the building for hours—all while the gang quietly escaped through a tunnel dug from underground storm drains, having emptied 143 safe-deposit boxes of nearly $20 million in cash and valuables. Mastermind Fernando Araujo spent years planning the perfect heist, recruiting an engineer to construct the tunnel, a negotiator to distract police, and specialists to crack the boxes, designing every detail to be a flawless work of art that would leave no evidence. The gang was eventually caught through an impulsive betrayal by one member's wife, but have since become folk heroes in Argentina, publishing books, consulting on films, and openly discussing their crime as a masterpiece now that the statute of limitations has expired.

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www.gq.com

The Best Cognac to Stock in Your Home Bar (at Every Budget)

Cognac, often unfairly perceived as pretentious, has a rich history beyond its snooty image—from being embraced by Black servicemen in WWII France to becoming central to hip-hop culture and appearing at family celebrations across America. The article explains that Cognac is a specific type of brandy from the Cognac region of France, classified by aging time (VS for at least two years, VSOP for at least four, XO for ten or longer), with younger expressions being bright and fruity while older ones develop complexity and warmth. Expert recommendations cover Cognacs for every occasion and budget, from affordable everyday bottles like Cognac Park VS to premium options, plus guidance on selecting Cognacs for specific cocktails or for drinkers transitioning from whiskey.

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www.gq.com

Lisa Feldman Barrett Says Your Brain Doesn't Work the Way You Think It Does

Lisa Feldman Barrett explains that the brain functions primarily as a prediction machine that constructs your reality rather than passively receiving it, drawing on past experiences to anticipate what will happen next—a process so rapid it enables feats like hitting a baseball but also shapes everything from how you perceive wetness to how you experience emotions. She argues that emotions aren't reactions to external events but are actively constructed by your brain based on learned concepts, and that understanding this gives you greater control over your future experiences and actions, since today's experiences become tomorrow's predictions. This framework has profound implications for how we understand responsibility, stress management, and the power of emotional granularity—having precise concepts for different feelings allows your brain to construct them more specifically and guide your actions more effectively.

Permalink psychologytagsbrain

www.gq.com

6 Best Wine Glasses in 2022 That'll Elevate Your Favorite Vino

Wine glasses matter more than most casual drinkers realize, but the "best" glass depends on your budget and commitment level: serious enthusiasts swear by Austrian-made Zalto glasses for their paper-thin construction and scientifically angled design, while budget-conscious drinkers can get solid performance from Riedel options at half the price. The article emphasizes that you don't need wine-specific glass shapes for home drinking—a good universal glass that aerates wine and keeps it cool is sufficient—and includes recommendations for everything from textured and stemless glasses to vintage options and decanters for those wanting to invest further.

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www.gq-magazine.co.uk

Paul McCartney: 'I was thought to be the guy who broke The Beatles up'

This is an extensive interview with Paul McCartney conducted during the 2020 lockdown, covering his reflections on The Beatles' reunion through Peter Jackson's documentary, his prolific solo career that he argues is equal to much of his work with the band, and his evolving relationship with fame over six decades. He discusses how he was initially reluctant to acknowledge his Beatles past but has grown more openly nostalgic, while defending his controversial lawsuit against the band that was necessary to save their catalog from manager Allen Klein, and reflecting on depression, self-doubt, and the difference between 1960s fame and today's social media-driven celebrity culture.

Permalink historymusictagsbeatles

www.giantfreakinrobot.com

The 10 Netflix Sci-Fi Series With A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

This article lists 11 science fiction shows across Netflix and other platforms that have achieved near-universal acclaim (100% ratings on review aggregators), ranging from the comedy of Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return to prestige animated dramas like Scavengers Reign and Pluto. Each entry briefly explains the show's core premise and why it stands out—whether through innovative time-travel mechanics in Travelers, thought-provoking themes about AI and technology in Osmosis and Pantheon, or character-driven storytelling in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The recommendations span different formats and genres within science fiction, from anthology series to animated dramas, all positioned as shows that transcend typical sci-fi fandom gatekeeping by appealing broadly.

Permalink televisionrecommendationssci-finetflix

www.gearpatrol.com

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Review: Spatial Audio Joins the Party

Bose's new QuietComfort Ultra over-ear headphones offer incremental improvements rather than major innovations, excelling in comfort, noise cancellation, and battery life while introducing a spatial audio feature called "Immersive Audio" that enhances the listening experience without being transformative. The review concludes that they're a solid choice for anyone needing new noise-canceling headphones, though existing Bose users won't find compelling reasons to upgrade, and competitors like Sony's WH-1000XM5 offer similarly compelling alternatives at lower prices.

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www.gearpatrol.com

The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks for Any Adventure

This article reviews nine carry-on travel backpacks in the 35–55 liter range, testing each for storage capacity, accessibility, durability, and comfort during real trips involving planes, trains, and various modes of ground transport. The Peak Design 45L emerges as the overall best for its versatility and premium construction, while alternatives excel in specific areas—the Tortuga for maximizing airline carry-on space, the Aer for budget-conscious travelers, and the Osprey for those needing the largest capacity with a detachable daypack. The guide includes practical considerations like luggage pass-throughs, water resistance, harness quality, and organized pockets to help readers choose based on their travel style and needs.

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www.gearpatrol.com

Hai’s New Smart Showerhead Brings Spa-Level Water Pressure Home

Hai's new smart showerhead with aromatherapy infusions promises spa-like luxury for under $300, featuring improved water pressure, water usage tracking via a Bluetooth app, and dissolvable scent tablets in three varieties. While the showerhead itself performs excellently with strong pressure and a useful mist setting, the infusion tablets dissolve too quickly to deliver a meaningful scent experience and cost nearly $2 each, making them an expensive add-on that the reviewer suggests skipping in favor of the showerhead alone.

Permalink gearbathroomsmart homewater

www.gearpatrol.com

5 Bourbon Makers to Know Before They Go Mainstream

The piece identifies five distilleries positioned to make waves in bourbon in 2022, based on their upcoming age statements, product innovations, and market expansion. Green River is rebounding after a rebrand and technical controversy with traditional aging methods and five-year releases coming soon; Wilderness Trail's founders bring expert problem-solving credentials and major age-statement releases in 2022; Lux Row is finally bringing its own distillates to market after years of managing heritage brands, bolstered by its parent company's acquisition by distributor MGP; Frey Ranch is scaling beyond Nevada with grain-to-glass experimentation and multi-state distribution; and George Dickel has reinvigorated itself under new head distiller Nicole Austin with well-reviewed releases and creative collaborations.

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