The director of The Sixth Sense, Split and Unbreakable as well as The Happening and The Last AIrbender, M. Night Shyamalan remains a divisive presence. Having helmed some of modern cinema’s best-reviewed movies along with some it’s worst, it suggests that perhaps he is not a great judge of his own work. But, it may surprise you to learn that Shyamalan has a rather unique, and pretty reasonable way of working out whether audiences like his movie or not. He counts how many people take bathroom breaks during test screenings.

“So, you screen the first cut of the movie, and it’s really long. It has like, everything in it. It’s not paced correctly. And about 50 people will go to the bathroom during the screening of the movie. They’ll just get up and go at some point in the movie. And as you make the movie and you keep on doing it, then 30 people go to the bathroom. And the time next it’s 20 people, and then 10 people, then 4 people.

And then the last cut of the movie when it’s ready to go out, its 2 people and they’re running, and they’re backwards watching the screen as they go to the bathroom. And what’s really interesting is that you stop thinking about yourself when you’re completely connected to the movie. And like 500 people forget they needed to go to the bathroom.”

Now, though that may sound like the activity of some creepy voyeur, if you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. If a movie has grabbed you to the extent that you desperately need to know what happens next, more desperately than perhaps your sudden need to use the facilities, then the movie is surely a hit.

As opposed to the audience instead not being at all bothered about what is going on on the big screen in front of them and casually walking in and out in order to relieve themselves. Still, it may make sense on that basis, but this kind of hobby is still quite voyeuristic and creepy so we suggest you do not do it yourselves.

Shyamalan is a director that has become well-known for his twists and ability to conjure a haunting atmosphere, and these trends continue in his new Apple TV+ series Servant. Following a couple six weeks after the death of their infant son that has caused a rift in their marriage, Dorothy and Sean Turner hire a nanny to move in and take care of Baby Jericho, a lifelike baby doll.

The doll, which Dorothy believes is her real child, is the only thing that brought her out of her catatonic state following Jericho’s death. While Sean deals with the grief on his own, he becomes deeply suspicious of the nanny.

Servant is currently streaming on Apple TV+, which thankfully means you can pause it and go to the bathroom as often as you like without being judged. This comes to us from Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Brianna‘s previous Young and Pregnant boyfriends, Danae and Robert, were fast-moving romances. But during tonight’s episode, Braeson’s mom opened up about how she’s “taking it slow” with a brand-new man in her life and vowed that she’s changing her usual dating habits.

“I finally met someone on one of my dating apps, and I really like him,” Brianna revealed to her pal Lisa. “We met on Tinder. He’s trans, female to male. He’s really sweet. He’s in Texas right now — that’s where he lives. But he’s moving to Oregon in November.” She then added that they met when he was visiting his mom.

And even though Brianna seemed smitten, she confessed they are not exclusive and “there’s no label on this.”

“We’re talking. We’re taking it slow,” she said. “All of my relationships have been, like, we start talking and then like a week later, he’s moving in with me. That’s how it was with Danae; that’s how it was with Robert and everyone else. I have definitely grown a lot. I definitely have more goals, and I definitely know what I want.”

In a sneak peek of next week’s installment, the two are together. So will Brianna stay true to her word and move at a not-so-quick pace? Or will it turn serious fast? Sound off in the comments, and keep watching her story every Tuesday on Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant at 9/8c.

The new virus could mutate and spread further, Chinese health officials have warned, as they step up containment measures.

The death toll has risen to nine with 440 confirmed cases, they said.

A National Health Commission official admitted that the country was now at the “most critical stage” of prevention and control.

On Tuesday, authorities confirmed that human-to-human transmission of the virus had taken place.

But China has still not been able to confirm the exact source of the virus.

“Though the transmission route of the virus is yet to be fully understood, there is a possibility of virus mutation and a risk of further spread of the epidemic,” National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin said in a news conference on Wednesday.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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The full cast has been revealed for Marvel and Hulu’s upcoming M.O.D.O.K. television series, which will feature Patton Oswalt as the titular supervillain. For those unfamiliar with the comic book character, he is often depicted as a small robot with an oversized head and very tiny limbs.

Describing more about himself and his purpose, M.O.D.O.K.‘s title serves as an acronym for his full name, which stands for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. Although inherently evil, M.O.D.O.K.‘s comical appearance makes it a bit hard to take him seriously, but that may work out for the better for the adult comedy series, especially with Patton Oswalt in the lead.

Several other names for the cast of Hulu animated series M.O.D.O.K. have also been revealed. Along with Patton’s previously-revealed casting as M.O.D.O.K., the new castings include Aimee Garcia (Lucifer) as his internet blogger wife, Jodie’ Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as their son, Lou, who’s described as “a kid who marches to the beat of his own drum” and is an apparent loner; and Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as M.O.D.O.K.‘s daughter, Melissa, who shares “her father’s features” – suggesting she might also have a large head with little arms and legs.

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Additionally, M.O.D.O.K. will also star Wendi McLendon-Covey (the Goldbergs) as mad scientist Monica Rappacini, M.O.D.O.K.‘s rival; Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) as Austin Van Der Sleet, M.O.D.O.K.‘s new boss after A.I.M. goes under; Jon Daly (The Kroll Show) as the snarky android and M.O.D.O.K.‘s pal, Super Adaptoid; and Sam Richardson (Veep) as A.I.M. henchman Gary, who’s described as “fiercely loyal” and “always offering his help and unshakeable optimism whether M.O.D.O.K. wants it or not.”

M.O.D.O.K. picks up with the titular supervillain falling into a midlife crisis after falling out with both his family and the evil organization A.I.M. Now, the murderous cyborg must “reinvent himself in order to recapture the things he loves.” It remains to be seen if any other supervillains or superheroes will be appearing in the series, but given M.O.D.O.K.‘s Marvel connections, it’s certainly possible. In the past, he has been depicted in a variety of Marvel-based animated shows, including Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, and the Guardians of the Galaxy series. He is most often voiced by Charlie Adler.

News of the new M.O.D.O.K. series first broke last year, with Oswalt announcing his involvement in 2019. In addition to playing the lead character, Oswalt created the series with Jordan Blum and will executive produce alongside Blum and Jeph Loeb. Oswalt and Blum are writing the show as well. The M.O.D.O.K. series is expected to premiere on Hulu sometime this year. This news comes to us from Collider.

Topics: Hulu, Streaming

The Killer Klowns from Outer Space are getting all new Funko Pop toys for fans of the cult classic horror movie to look forward to. At the 2020 London Toy Fair, the people at Funko have been crushing it with a variety of unveilings for new Pop toys currently in the works.

Along with the Killer Clown toys, there’s a lot of great stuff for horror fans in particular. Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman is getting American Psycho Funko Pops! There are also going to be four different Witch Funko Pops from The Craft.

Among the reveals from Funko at London Toy Fair also includes three new additions to the company’s line of Killer Klowns from Outer Space Pop figures. Last year, the movie was finally given the Pop treatment by Funko, with the Klown character Slim getting his own Pop toy. Unfortunately for those who couldn’t attend, the figure was a New York Comic-Con exclusive, making it difficult to find at an affordable price for the rest of us. The good news here is that the new figures of Jumbo, Spikey, and Shorty will be more widely available and are already up for pre-order from multiple retailers. You can take a look at the reveal image for them below.

2020 London Toy Fair Reveals: Killer Klowns from Outer Space! #FunkoLTF#Funko#ToyFair#KillerKlownspic.twitter.com/QkkJ0Qb1Nh

— Funko (@OriginalFunko) January 20, 2020

Written, directed, and produced by the Chiodo Brothers, Killer Klowns from Outer Space was initially released in 1988. The movie tells the story of an invasion of a clown-like extra-terrestrial species, who arrive on the planet in a spaceship resembling a circus tent. Armed with ray guns capable of turning humans into “cotton candy cocoons,” the klowns are intent on killing every human they can find, and it’s up to a small group of people to put a stop to the red-nosed monsters. The movie is just as over the top as it sounds, though it still may prove to be frightening for those with an intense fear of clowns.

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This is also one of those rare ’80s horror movies to never get any kind of sequel or reboot, keeping Killer Klowns from Outer Space and one and done deal for over three decades. This hasn’t been for a lack of trying on the part of the filmmakers, as the Chiodos have been trying to continue the story with a sequel movie or television series for many years now. Still, although rumors of a new project based on the series make the rounds every so often, Killer Klowns from Outer Space 2 still has yet to make any real traction. The franchise’s continued popularity also means that there’s still hope for a sequel happening one day.

We may or may not ever see another movie, but something we can look forward to is getting our hands on these new Funko Pop toys. A release date wasn’t listed in the reveal tweet, but the GameStop listing for the figures has their shipping date listed as late May 2020. While you’re at it, you can also keep an eye out for many other anticipated Funko Pop figures for Masters of the Universe and a handful of supervillains from various Batman movies. This news comes to us from Funko on Twitter.

Topics: Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Funko, Toys

Venezuelan secret service agents have raided the offices of opposition leader Juan Guaidó while he is on a visit to the UK.

Footage showed hooded and armed officers from the Sebin service outside the building in Caracas.

“Cowardly dictatorship!” tweeted Mr Guaidó, who held talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London.

Mr Guaidó is recognised by more than 50 countries, including the UK and the US, as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

However, President Nicolás Maduro, who enjoys the support of the Venezuelan military, has managed to remain in power.

Opposition MPs said they had been prevented from entering the offices by Sebin agents.

Lawmaker Angel Torres said the black-clad officers “abruptly entered” the building. He said there were fears that they would plant false evidence against Mr Guaidó.

The opposition Popular Will party also accused police of detaining MP Ismael Leon on a main road in Caracas.

“As we are travelling… they kidnap @leon_ismael and raid our office,” Mr Guaidó tweeted.

“The world receives and supports us! We stand firm, we will achieve freedom,” he added.

Venezuela’s government has not commented on the reports.

Guaidó seeks EU pressure on Maduro

Analysis by Hugo Bachega, BBC News

It is no coincidence that this raid happened while Mr Guaidó was abroad looking for a much needed new push to his year-long effort to oust President Maduro. While agents searched his offices in Caracas, he was telling cheering supporters in London that he would “win very soon”.

Not everybody shares the optimism. Backed by Russia, Turkey and the powerful Venezuelan army, Mr Maduro has managed to resist growing international pressure and sweeping US sanctions, including on the crucial oil sector. Mr Guaidó acknowledged to me that he and his supporters, in Venezuela and outside, had underestimated the president’s ability to stay in power.

Next, his team will try to convince the EU to impose new restrictions, targeting, for example, the country’s gold trade. But many criticise these measures, saying they exacerbate the suffering of people who are already in desperate need. Mr Guaidó, however, dismissed this, saying Mr Maduro was the only one to blame.

By leaving the country, Mr Guaidó defied, for a second time, a court-imposed travel ban. He declined to say if he feared being arrested upon his return, saying he knew the “risks of challenging the dictatorship”, as he refers to the government. His team, though, said they had plans “A, B, C, D and E” ready.

During his trip to Europe Mr Guaidó is expected to visit the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

On Monday, he travelled to Colombia to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of a regional conference.

He was received by Colombian President Iván Duque with full presidential honours.

Mr Pompeo called on other countries to co-operate in efforts to remove President Maduro from office.

Mr Maduro accuses the US of orchestrating a coup to oust him.

The rivalry between Mr Guaidó and Mr Maduro flared recently when Mr Guaidó stood for re-election as National Assembly Speaker, the position on which his claim to the post of acting president rests.

He was prevented by the National Guard from entering the National Assembly building, forcing him to move the session to another location where about 100 lawmakers re-elected him.

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Years of turmoil have left Venezuela in the grip of a crippling economic and political crisis.

According to the UN, 4.8 million Venezuelans have left their country since 2016, with 1.6 million arriving in neighbouring Colombia.

Almost a quarter of Venezuela’s 30 million people are in need of aid, the UN says.

A Nightmare on Elm Street star Robert Englund is setting the record straight on a persistent rumor which has followed him for a very long time. For many years, a Hollywood legend has been floating around concerning Englund’s alleged near-casting in the original Star Wars, suggesting the horror star was considered by George Lucas to play Han Solo before the role was later given to Harrison Ford. Now, in a new interview with Fantha Tracks, Englund had this to say about this meeting with Lucas about his potential casting.

“You know everybody gets that wrong. I kind of hate to talk about this… Because, well, here’s why: Everybody gets it wrong. This is the Internet. They get everything wrong. I don’t know whether it’s a generational thing or whether it’s a sound bite thing.”

For clarification, Englund does admit he met with Lucas during the casting process for Star Wars, though the meeting was not as serious as the rumor suggests, nor did Englund even read for a part. According to Englund, he had actually gone to the building to audition for a part in Apocalypse Now. Coincidentally, Lucas and the Star Wars crew were casting their movie across the hall, and the future Freddy Krueger was brought in just to see if he’d be a match, at least physically, for any available roles. For better or for worse, however, Englund didn’t appear to be a good fit for Han Solo or anyone else. As Englund explains:

“I wasn’t right for anything. They didn’t think I fit, but they took my photo. They took a Polaroid of me and they talked to me for five minutes. I later on discovered that Tom Selleck or somebody like Tom Selleck had turned them down for Han Solo. I’ve read all sorts of names including his in connection with Han Solo. My understanding is that in the very early drafts, he wasn’t even human. Solo was some sort of alien… I presumed, I say presumed, that they took my Polaroid for Han Solo. I didn’t read. I didn’t read any script. They just took my picture and talked to me for a few minutes.”

Perhaps Englund just wasn’t meant to be in Star Wars, but his failure to land the role still resulted in one of the most important castings of the Star Wars franchise. Speaking in the interview, Englund also recalls looking at the sides they had available for actors to read. He was particularly impressed with the Luke Skywalker role, though as a character actor, he knew the part wasn’t right for him personally. However, he did think it would be great for his roommate at the time – a young actor by the name of Mark Hamill. After Englund’s meeting, he immediately told Hamill about the movie, leading to Hamill’s own legendary casting in the series.

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“I came home. Mark’s laying on the couch, watching TV, and I told him because Mark loved American Graffiti and George Lucas, too. I just told Mark about this new George Lucas movie-that’s all. Mark got on the phone and called his agent.”

It’s certainly amusing to think about Freddy Krueger and Luke Skywalker hanging out in the years before Robert Englund and Mark Hamill were famous for the roles. Maybe Englund was destined to find his way in the horror genre, but as the man who led Hamill to the franchise, he will always have an important role in the history of Star Wars. Be sure to catch Englund on his upcoming Travel Channel series True Terror with Robert Englund. You can read Englund’s full interview at Fantha Tracks.

Topics: Star Wars, Nightmare on Elm Street