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Harrison Ford is back as an 80-year-old Indiana Jones – and a 40-something Indy. The highs (and lows) of returning to iconic roles

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-mccann-398197">Ben McCann</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p>Saddle up, don the fedora and crack that whip: Harrison Ford is back as the intrepid archaeologist in <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em>. The film premiered at Cannes, where Ford was <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/harrison-ford-honorary-palme-dor-cannes-1235495463/">awarded</a> an Honorary Palme d’Or in recognition of his life’s work.</p> <p>Reviews for the fifth film in the franchise <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/indiana-jones-5-review-roundup-1235495961/">have been mixed</a>, and it is the first Indy film not to be directed by Steven Spielberg (this time, it’s James Mangold, best known for his motor-racing drama Ford v Ferrari).</p> <p>But this is “event” cinema that combines nostalgia, old-school special effects and John Williams’ <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-jaws-to-star-wars-to-harry-potter-john-williams-90-today-is-our-greatest-living-composer-176245">iconic score</a>.</p> <p>So, Ford is back, aged 80. What draws actors back after all this time?</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eQfMbSe7F2g?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Role returns</h2> <p>Ford first played Indy in 1981 and last played him in 2008. That is a full 15 years since the most recent film in the series, and 42 years since his first outing in <em>Raiders of the Lost Ark</em>.</p> <p>Ford has form in returning to celebrated characters. One of the great pleasures of watching <em>The Force Awakens</em> back in 2015 was seeing Ford play Han Solo again for the <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3j2j09">first time in over 30 years</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0xQSIdSRlAk?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Actors return to roles for numerous reasons:</p> <ul> <li>financial (Ford was reportedly paid <a href="https://okmagazine.com/exclusives/harrison-ford-paid-indiana-jones-5-plagued-with-problems/">US$25 million</a> for <em>Dial of Destiny</em>)</li> <li>protection of their brand, image and star persona (Michael Keaton <a href="https://www.fortressofsolitude.co.za/the-flash-movies-biggest-hero-how-michael-keaton-saved-the-film/">returning to play Batman</a> after three decades and three other actors who have embodied the role)</li> <li>professional (Tom Cruise admitted over the 36 years between <em>Top Gun</em> films he wanted to make sure the sequel <a href="https://screenrant.com/top-gun-maverick-tom-cruise-return-how-explained/">could live up to the original</a>)</li> <li>personal (once-huge stars are working less and less, and only feel the need to return to a built-in fan base every few years – Bill Murray in the 2021 <em>Ghostbusters</em> sequel springs to mind).</li> </ul> <p>It’s not always a successful endeavour.</p> <p>Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone – two of the biggest action stars of the 1980s off the back of iconic roles as <em>The Terminator</em>, Rocky Balboa and John Rambo – have repeatedly returned to those roles, and critics have been <a href="https://screenrant.com/terminator-dark-fate-undermined-john-connor-storyline-franchise-bad/">particularly harsh</a>.</p> <p>It did not work for Sigourney Weaver in <em><a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/alien-resurrection-1997">Alien: Resurrection</a></em> in 1997, 18 years after her first time as Ripley; nor for Keanu Reeves in <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/21/the-matrix-resurrections-review-keanu-reeves">The Matrix Resurrections</a></em> in 2021, 23 years after the original.</p> <p>And still, I’m intrigued to see what Michael Mann could do with his long-rumoured sequel to <em>Heat</em>, his definitive 1995 crime film. Ever since Mann published his novel Heat 2 last year – a kind of origin story for <em>Heat’s</em> key protagonists – fans have been hoping a de-aged Al Pacino (now aged 83) <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/04/michael-mann-heat-2-warner-bros-adam-driver-young-neil-mccauley-1235316777/">might return</a> as LA cop Vincent Hanna.</p> <h2>Undoing time</h2> <p>“Digital de-ageing” first entered the Hollywood mainstream in 2019 with <em>The Irishman</em> and <em>Captain Marvel</em>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.indiewire.com/features/craft/de-aging-actors-history-benjamin-button-dial-of-destiny-harrison-ford-1234863938/">Via this process</a>, older actors (Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Samuel L. Jackson have all been subject to the technology) move back and forwards in time without younger actors having to play them.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OF-lElIlZM0?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Films still tend to cast two actors to play older and younger versions of the same character, a choice that dates back at least to 1974’s <em>The Godfather Part II</em>, in which a young Robert de Niro plays Vito Corleone, portrayed by the much older Marlon Brando in the first film.</p> <p>In 1989, <em>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</em> features a delightful opening scene where River Phoenix plays the young version of Indiana Jones, before Ford takes over for the rest of the film.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AwH6-Yh7_SM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Actors used to just play characters of their own age when reprising earlier roles. Paul Newman finally won a Best Actor Oscar for his role as “Fast Eddie” Felson in <em>The Color of Money</em> (1986), a quarter of a century after first playing him in The Hustler.</p> <p>The sequel plays on Newman’s age, and his role as a mentor to an upcoming Tom Cruise, and bathes viewers in nostalgia and memories of <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/paul-newman-schooled-tom-cruise-the-color-of-money/">a younger Newman</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k7gmrKAFshE?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>But actors no longer have to exclusively play their age.</p> <p>The first part of <em>Dial of Destiny</em> is an extended flashback, set in 1944, in which Ford has been digitally de-aged to appear in his 40s. This process used an AI system that scanned used and unused reels of footage of Ford from <a href="https://www.cbr.com/harrison-ford-de-aging-indiana-jones-dial-of-destiny/">the first three Indy films</a> to match his present-day performance.</p> <p>Here, it is as if we are getting two Fords for the price of one: the “younger”, fitter Indy and the older, more world-weary version. It makes for a powerfully emotional connection on screen.</p> <p>Yet there are some <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/indiana-jones-5-harrison-ford-de-aging-not-working-1235618698/">pitfalls to de-ageing</a>. Some viewers complain that the whole process is distracting and that the hyper-real visual look of de-aged scenes resembles a video game.</p> <p>Even so, de-ageing in Hollywood cinema is here to stay. Tom Hanks’s <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/tom-hanks-robin-wright-digitally-deaged-robert-zemeckis-movie-1235507766/">next film</a> is using AI-based generative technology to digitally de-age him.</p> <p>Given its reduced cost, speed and reduced human input, AI-driven innovation might have <a href="https://filmstories.co.uk/news/new-ai-driven-de-ageing-tools-to-be-used-in-tom-hanks-project/">industry-changing ramifications</a>.</p> <h2>The star of Ford</h2> <p>Harrison Ford remains a bona fide “movie star” in an industry profoundly buffeted by COVID, the rise of streaming platforms, the demise of the monoculture, and the changing nature of who constitutes a star.</p> <p>In the midst of all this industry uncertainty, it seems there is no longer a statute of limitations on actors returning to much-loved characters.</p> <p>The next big ethical issue for the film industry as it further embraces AI is whether to <a href="https://collider.com/james-dean-digital-cgi-performance-in-new-movie/">resurrect deceased actors</a> and cast them in new movies.</p> <p>Still, I’m looking forward to seeing more actors de-aged as the technology improves and audiences acclimatise to watching older actors “playing” younger versions of themselves. We are only at the start of Hollywood’s next big adventure.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202357/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-mccann-398197">Ben McCann</a>, Associate Professor of French Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/harrison-ford-is-back-as-an-80-year-old-indiana-jones-and-a-40-something-indy-the-highs-and-lows-of-returning-to-iconic-roles-202357">original article</a>.</em></p>

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“It means the world to me”: Harrison Ford’s emotional take on final Indiana Jones film

<p dir="ltr">Harrison Ford, the actor best known as the face and heart of some of Hollywood’s most iconic characters, has opened up about his final appearance as Indiana Jones. </p> <p dir="ltr">In an interview with BBC Radio 1 with his <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny </em>co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge about their upcoming film, the 80-year-old actor confessed that his time spent as Jones, and the love of his fans all around the world, means everything to him. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ford has been portraying Jones since 1981, when the series' first film, <em>Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark</em>, was released. And while they all might hold a special place in his heart, it’s his fifth and final film - set to release June 2023 - as Jones that has resonated with him.</p> <p dir="ltr">As he told host Ali Plumb, “I think the thing that I most admire about them is the depth and subtlety of the emotion, and the importance of emotion in these films.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As this last one concerns age and frailty and [the] changing nature of life, it was especially compelling to me, because I am of that age and I wanted it to feel real for the audience.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wanted them to see the complexity of that experience with someone they've spent 40 years with.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Plumb then took the opportunity to tell an emotional Ford that “it’s been such an adventure”, and thanked him on behalf of fans all over for everything he’d put into the character and his various adventures. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We love you so much,” he added. “I don’t want to make you blush or anything, but you mean the world to us and thank you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ford appeared moved by the sentiment, but gathered himself to offer his own sincere thanks to his supporters, before sharing that “it means the world to me.” </p> <p dir="ltr">It isn’t the first time that Ford has addressed his final venture in Jones’ hat - though it’s the first not to be directed by Steven Spielberg - or what it means to him, with the star previously having shared with <em>Told Film </em>that he had been “able to deliver amazing films developed by Steven and George [Lucas] over a 40-year period. </p> <p dir="ltr">“And to end it not with a whimper, but a bang, has been my greatest ambition for this excursion.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: BBC Radio 1 / Youtube</em></p>

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“That is my face”: Harrison Ford takes pro-de-ageing stance

<p>Harrison Ford has come to the defence of the de-ageing technology used in the upcoming fifth instalment in the <em>Indiana Jones</em> series: <em>Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em>.</p> <p>The film drew criticism from reviewers over its application of the technology, with many wondering why the studio hadn’t opted to instead support younger actors and cast them in the role, while others simply questioned the “believability” of the tech. </p> <p>But Ford, who has been the face of Indiana Jones since the professor’s first film in 1981, is having none of that. During a press conference at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the actor moved to silence critics, telling them “I know that that is my face. </p> <p>“It’s not a kind of Photoshop magic - that’s what I looked like 35 years ago. Because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we’ve made together over all of these years.</p> <p>“This process, this scientific mining of this library, this was put to good [use] … It’s just a trick unless it’s supported by a story, and it sticks out like a sore thumb if it’s not honest, it’s not real… I mean, emotionally real. </p> <p>“And so I think it was used very skillfully.”</p> <p>And for those concerned that the 80-year-old’s take might carry across into his stance on the process of ageing itself, he was quick to note that when it comes to growing older, he is “very happy with it, but I don't look back and say, 'I wish I was that guy again,' because I don't.</p> <p>"I'm real happy with age. I love being older. It was great to be young, but s***fire I could be dead, and I'm still working."</p> <p>Despite this, Ford has confirmed that this film will be the last time fans can expect to see him in the iconic role, and he’ll be hanging up Jones’ hat for good. </p> <p>And when asked why, Ford’s answer was simple, with the actor confessing “I need to sit down and rest a little bit. I love to work, and I love this character, and I love what it brought into my life, and that's all I can say.”</p> <p>Fans of the star and the franchise have come out in support of his decision, most recently during a standing ovation at the same festival he’d spoken at - applause that had moved Ford to tears. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Harrison Ford with tears in his eyes during the standing ovation for ‘INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY’. <a href="https://t.co/mJtRv4wLKk">pic.twitter.com/mJtRv4wLKk</a></p> <p>— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1659294979485757486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>However, as one user pointed out, that didn’t necessarily mean smooth sailing for fans, with the fifth film likely to get them talking - de-ageing technology aside. </p> <p>“Oh my god. no bc if HE is crying it means the movie is really gonna be something special,” one wrote. “i'm gonna be sick”.</p> <p>“Thanks for the last adventure,” another said. “Surreal that this moment in cinema is here. The last time we will ever get an Indiana Jones film with Harrison Ford.”</p> <p>And as someone else put it, “seeing him get emotional for getting praise for a role that he loves so dearly has me emotional too.”</p> <p>“And there is proof Harrison Ford loves what he does,” one other declared. “A proper movie star who just wants to act. That's genuine pride.”</p> <p><em>Images: Lucas Film Ltd </em></p>

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Giving out flowers on TikTok: is this a ‘random act of kindness’ or just benevolent ageism?

<p>In June, 22-year-old Harrison Pawluk filmed himself staging a “random act of kindness”, giving a bunch of flowers to an older woman sitting alone in a Melbourne food court.</p> <p>His <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeofharrison/video/7111321730773175553?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> went viral on TikTok, attracting 57 million views within a week.</p> <p>Comments on the post included, “when she started crying, I couldn’t hold it back” and “wow that was so beautiful I swear I would cry”.</p> <p>Acts of kindness can boost <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103117303451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wellbeing</a> for the giver, the recipient, and even the viewers of selfless acts. Social media influencers have found ways to commodify this by presenting them as random and unexpected.</p> <div data-id="17"> </div> <p>But this gesture was interpreted by TikTok, the woman targeted for the video, as an artificially staged production that left her feeling “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/tiktok-video-maree-melbourne-flowers/101228418" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dehumanised</a>” and like “clickbait” for tabloid fodder.</p> <p>In the media, individuals aged over 60 are often depicted as a homogeneous group of elderly people who lack personality, social identity or individuality.</p> <p>It’s not just a “random act of kindness”. Pawluk’s actions – and some of the media coverage – unearths a much bigger problem of “benevolent ageism”.</p> <h2>What is benevolent ageism?</h2> <p>When we talk about ageism, people often think of overt acts such as older people being explicitly told they are dressed “<a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/louise-di-francesco-ageism-at-work-200031282.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inappropriately</a>” for their age, or an employer refusing to hire someone for a job because of their age.</p> <p>But not all ageism is overt. “<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2793359" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everyday ageism</a>” is a more subtle yet pervasive component that informs our impressions of older people. This could be assumptions about what older people’s preferences are because of their age group, or that by a certain age most people should be “slowing down”.</p> <p>Benevolent ageism is where these every day biases manifest in the belief that older people need special “help” or “support”.</p> <p>Benevolent ageism manifests in the way people sometimes use pet names or <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ageism#ageism-in-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby talk</a> to address older people; an emphasis on <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00405.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pitying</a> people above a certain age; or the importance placed on “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.587911/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protecting</a>” older people during the COVID pandemic.</p> <p>Commenters on Pawluk’s video said “[the flowers] made her feel so good and it looks like she might have needed it”, “she is so cute” and “I miss my grandma!”.</p> <p>Benevolent ageism leads to false assumptions or inaccurate and limiting stereotypes about older people being “warm but not competent” and lacking individuality.</p> <p>In Pawluk’s video, Maree is framed as being sad and alone. Speaking to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/tiktok-video-maree-melbourne-flowers/101228418" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC Radio</a>, Maree expressed frustration at being presented as “the elderly woman who drank a takeaway cup of coffee”.</p> <p>“It’s the patronising assumption that women, especially older women, will be thrilled by some random stranger giving them flowers,” she told the ABC.</p> <h2>Our implicit biases</h2> <p>Benevolent ageism is hiding in plain sight.</p> <p>Our own ageist biases can show up in everyday judgements we make about people’s capacity to work, how they dress or whether they are in need of assistance or attention because of their age.</p> <p>Ageist characterisations are culturally reinforced by media portrayals, and have the effect of categorising “older people” – <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/josi.12162" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly women</a> – as being lonely and in need of pity.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/18-03-2021-ageism-is-a-global-challenge-un" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> from the World Health Organization shows one in every two people shows moderate to high levels of ageist attitudes, with their definition of ageism encompassing stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age.</p> <p>The Australian Human Rights Commission found that <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/new-research-finds-ageism-most-accepted-form-prejudice-australia-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of Australians</a> agree that ageism exists in Australia.</p> <p>Age discrimination commissioner Kay Patterson calls ageism “the least understood form of discriminatory prejudice” and “more pervasive and socially accepted than sexism and racism”.</p> <p>Internalised ageism, in which we unconsciously hold these own ageist attitudes against ourselves, negatively impacts our functional health as we age and can even <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009174350400115X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shorten our own lifespan</a>.</p> <h2>Stereotypes facing older women</h2> <p>These TikTok random acts of kindness can have the unfortunate overtone of the <a href="https://www.britishgerontology.org/content/22875/Live/pdf/Generations_Review%2025%202%20July%202015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">twin prejudices</a> of ageism and sexism. Older women targeted in this way can be left feeling like their identity is reduced to being just an older lady in need of pity.</p> <p>When interviewed by The Project, Pawluk <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/aussie-tiktok-star-sorry-but-wont-stop-controversial-acts-of-kindness/news-story/347c18457d80a961e27c6b31f42b2507" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologised</a> to Maree. He claims he does not target people based on their age.</p> <p>But the assumptions made about Maree – and other women to whom he has offered flowers – are embedded in age-old stereotypes about older women: that they are sad or lonely, and in need of support.</p> <p>There is nothing wrong with greeting another person regardless of their age. But the framing of this TikTok video is a clear example of ageist stereotypes manifesting as a show of concern.</p> <p>Much of the news reporting and comments surrounding the event were also examples of everyday ageism. The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10967869/Melbourne-TikToker-Harrison-Pawluk-gives-woman-bunch-flowers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described the video</a> as a “heartwarming moment [where] a total stranger gives an elderly woman a bunch of flowers before she bursts into tears”.</p> <p>Although likely not the initial intention of the gesture, this social media craze of capturing supposed “random acts of kindness” can have the undesired effect of diminishing the perceived social value of the target to whom the protagonist is trying to show kindness.</p> <p>We should take this as a moment to pause and address our own unconscious biases and our subtle forms of everyday ageism of the benevolent kind.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on The Conversation.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Harrison Ford’s childhood Tudor home hits the market

<p dir="ltr">The childhood home of <em>Indiana Jones</em> star Harrison Ford has hit the market for the third time in four years for just $USD 749,000 ($AUD 1.1 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">The 1922-era Tudor house in Park Ridge, Illinois, was home to the Ford family in the 1950s, per <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/harrison-ford-remodeled-childhood-home-on-the-market/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Realtor.com</a>, though it has been significantly renovated since.</p> <p dir="ltr">After nearly 50 years off the market, the home was listed for sale in 2018 with its original windows, plumbing, and electrical, with interior spaces that needed a serious refresh.</p> <p dir="ltr">Selling in February 2019 for $USD 350,000 ($AUD 513,000), its new owners undertook some major changes, replacing the dated wallpaper with a neutral grey and white colour scheme and transforming the avocado-green kitchen into a space filled with stainless steel appliances, a butcher block island, a tiled backsplash, and a breakfast nook.</p> <p dir="ltr">A formal dining area that connects to the large family room with views of the backyard now features pendant lighting, while in the living room, the built-ins and fireplace remain, with the wall-to-wall carpet being ripped out to show the original, refinished hardwood floors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other updates include new windows, recessed lighting, baseboard heaters, and a completed basement, which features a bar and rec area, a home office, and a laundry.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the renovations were complete, the 198-square-metre home was sold for $USD 600,000 ($AUD 880,000) in July 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the current owners looking to upsize, it’s back on the market with a 25 percent price bump, according to listing agent Peter Bellert of @properties Park Ridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bellert says the home is basically move-in ready, with just the driveway needing to be repaved.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also notes that the home’s style is unusual for the area.</p> <p dir="ltr">“English Tudors are not common. There are not too many in Park Ridge,” Bellert says.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other features of the two-storey home include a powder room on the first level and four bedrooms on the second, with an original balcony connected to the bedroom that reportedly belonged to a young Ford.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff78dbc4-7fff-94a8-0d7d-2d54b0de90b6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Realtor.com</em></p>

Real Estate

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Lost song featuring The Beatles unearthed

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A previously unheard song featuring George Harrison and Ringo Starr has been discovered in a Birmingham loft during lockdown. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The song, titled </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Radhe Shaam</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, was written and produced by broadcaster Suresh Joshi in 1968 and features George on guitar and Ringo on drums at the height of their fame. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The track was unearthed in Suresh’s home by a friend who was checking up on him during lockdown, and was played for 100 people at the Liverpool Beatles Museum. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Joshi was a good friend of George Harrison’s and was the one who introduced him to Ravi Shankar: one of India’s most celebrated musicians. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was a big influence on the Beatle and famously taught him to play the sitar. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The broadcaster was working on music for a documentary film in London at the time the song was recorded, when George Harrison and Ringo Starr turned up and offered to play. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The pair were taking a break from recording <em>Hey Jude</em> at the same Trident Studios in London’s Soho at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The track also featured </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">renowned Indian classical musician Aashish Khan, but Suresh Joshi said he never got round to releasing it to the public. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Time had gone on, [then] The Beatles were breaking up and had various problems so no-one wanted to [release it]," he said to the </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-59233136"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BBC</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However he said the coronavirus lockdown was a "blessing in disguise as we had nothing to do".</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the track being locked away, Mr Joshi said the song is still relevant to today’s audiences. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The song itself revolves around the concept that we are all one, and that the world is our oyster," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"[That is] something that we have all realised during this pandemic."</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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George Harrison’s childhood home goes under the hammer

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The home where Beatles guitarist George Harrison spent many of his formative years is due to go under the hammer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The three-bedroom home in Liverpool has an </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://bid.omegaauctions.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-240---george-harrison-childhood-home---25-upton-green-speke/?lot=16731&amp;so=2&amp;st=&amp;sto=0&amp;au=47&amp;ef=&amp;et=&amp;ic=False&amp;sd=0&amp;pp=48&amp;pn=1&amp;g=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">estimated price</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> between £160,000 and £200,000 ($AUD 291-364,000), with auctioneer Paul Fairweather describing it as “a steal”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison moved into the house with his family in 1949, when he was six-years-old, and lived there until 1962.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He rehearsed with John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the house while the trio were called The Quarrymen - the band that eventually became The Beatles.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">On November 30th we'll offer Geoge Harrison's childhood home at auction.<br /><br />View and bid here &gt; <a href="https://t.co/tgykaIDTpK">https://t.co/tgykaIDTpK</a> <a href="https://t.co/70YFLNr45f">pic.twitter.com/70YFLNr45f</a></p> — Omega Auctions (@OmegaAuctions) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmegaAuctions/status/1456574637664608261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The house has undergone renovations since Harrison lived there, but some original features still remain, including the bath, sink, some original doors, outbuildings, and a large dresser that would have been there during Harrison’s time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“George will have learned to play the guitar in this house and the photos of the group gathering there in the early 1960s are amazing to see,” Mr Fairweather </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-59197931" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He is also expecting interest in the property to grow following the release of Peter Jackson’s documentary </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/unseen-beatles-footage-to-feature-in-new-docu-series" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Beatles: Get Back</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Potential owners of the home can also apply for a blue heritage plaque to be displayed at the property.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Omega Auctions</span></em></p>

Real Estate

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Indiana Jones 5 crew member reportedly found dead

<p dir="ltr">A crew member on the fifth<span> </span><em>Indiana Jones<span> </span></em>film has died during an already trouble-plagued production. Industry veteran and second unit grip Nic Cupac was found dead in his hotel room in the city of Fes, Morocco, while working on the as-yet-untitled fifth film in the<span> </span><em>Indiana Jones<span> </span></em>franchise.</p> <p dir="ltr">Walt Disney Studios confirmed his passing to the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2021/11/04/indiana-jones-5-crew-member-dies-on-location-in-morocco/" target="_blank"><em>New York Post<span> </span></em></a>on Thursday, with a representative telling the<span> </span><em>Post,</em><span> </span>“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Nic Cupac, an incredibly talented colleague and member of the film community who will be greatly missed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“His sudden passing was not production related. Nic was a grip on 2nd unit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old’s cause of death has not been released to the public, but<span> </span><em>The Sun<span> </span></em>reported that he is thought to have died of natural causes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cupac had also worked on films in the<span> </span><em>Jurassic Park, Harry Potter<span> </span></em>and<span> </span><em>Star Wars<span> </span></em>franchises, and had only recently arrived in Morocco to work on the fifth<span> </span><em>Indiana Jones<span> </span></em>film starring Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">The production has faced numerous problems since it began. In June, residents of Hackney in London revealed that production was making life “a living hell” for them; one resident had been paid $75,000 for the opportunity to film in their home, but the entire street was blocked off for days as a result.</p> <p dir="ltr">Just last week, Morocco banned flights to and from the UK because of rising COVID-19 cases in the UK. Plus, production had to be halted for three months during the summer after Ford suffered a severe shoulder injury in June, returning to set in Italy just two weeks ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fifth film in the<span> </span><em>Indiana Jones<span> </span></em>franchise will serve as a sequel to 2008’s<span> </span><em>Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.<span> </span></em>It is the first film in the franchise that will not be directed by Steven Spielberg, with Spielberg stepping back in 2020 to serve as producer while handing over directing responsibilities to James Mangold. Mangold has previously directed films such as<span> </span><em>Ford v Ferrari, Logan,<span> </span></em>and<span> </span><em>Walk the Line.</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><a rel="noopener" href="https://ew.com/movies/indiana-jones-5-delayed-2023-marvel-movie-premieres/" target="_blank">Initially scheduled to premiere<span> </span></a>in 2022, the film now has a June 2023 release date.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Robino Salvatore/GC Images</em></p>

Movies

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Meet the British woman tipped to replace Indiana Jones

<p>Rumour has it British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge may replace Harrison Ford as lead in the fifth<span> </span><em>Indiana Jones</em><span> </span>movie.</p> <p>The Fleabag star is tipped to step into Ford’s shoes and take the lead in the next upcoming instalment of the popular franchise, which is set to hit cinemas next year.</p> <p>According to the<span> </span><em>Daily Mail,<span> </span></em>Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy – the bigwig behind the franchise is looking to make “Big, Bold” changes and that could mean replacing the lead character with a woman.</p> <p>“It would be a huge statement, and a great role for Phoebe”, the source said of Waller-Bridge, winner of multiple awards for her starring role in British comedy<span> </span><em>Fleabag.</em></p> <p>Should the 36-year-old actress take the lead, it would make her the first ever female lead since the first movie,<span> </span><em>Raiders Of The Lost Ark,<span> </span></em>which premiered in 1981<em>.</em> Although it remains unclear who Phoebe will portray in the upcoming movie.</p> <p><em>“The gossip on set is that this character will slot into the leading role” </em>said the source.</p> <p><em>During an interview in 2019 on the<span> </span></em><em>US Today Show,<span> </span></em><em>Ford – who played the iconic role in all four previous films – said there’s really no replacing his character, per se.</em></p> <p><em>“Nobody else is gonna be Indiana Jones! Don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone. It’s easy” the 79-year-old said, before joking, “This is a hell of a way to tell Chris Pine this”.<span> </span></em>This was said at the time surrounding rumours Pine was set to be the new Indiana Jones.</p>

Movies

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"You're wasting our time": David Koch names and shames best and worst celebrities

<p>Sunrise star David ‘Kochie’ Koch delivered some brutally honest opinions about his experiences with celebrities he has interviewed.</p> <p>While appearing on KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show on Wednesday morning, Kochie was read a list of famous names he’s met during his 18 years as a presenter, and was asked to give them a rating out of 10.</p> <p>Kochie labelled Harrison Ford a 2/10, stating the<span> </span><em>Star Wars<span> </span></em>actor “is one of those grumpy blokes.”</p> <p>In fact, the breakfast morning show host said the Sunrise interview went so badly with Ford that he put an end to it.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838489/sunrise-david-koch-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e4f6242354f2483fac665d8e0c83700b" /></p> <p>“I said, ‘Obviously you don’t want to be here, you’re wasting our time and the viewers’ time,’ and we finished the interview,” Kochie said.</p> <p>Asked how the actor responded, the Channel 7 star said: “You couldn’t tell because he had a grumpy face the whole interview.”</p> <p>Jackie O also admitted she was no fan of Ford either, revealing that when she interviewed him in a hotel room, he “was sitting in a very inappropriate way … major manspreading in my direction”.</p> <p>Kochie went on to rate A-list singer, Justin Bieber a 3/10, labelling him plainly as “a brat.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838491/sunrise-david-koch-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/91dc8cf4f08c496081ac9eb6e5fcce46" /></p> <p>“One of our floor managers was positioning him for a song and just very gently said, ‘This is where you stand,’ and he said, ‘Don’t you dare touch me!’”</p> <p>Kochie added that the incident took place years ago when Bieber was a teenager, and added that “by the look of it he’s matured and grown up and he’s quite a good bloke now”.</p> <p>The Sunrise co-host labelled David Duchovny a 4/10.</p> <p>He’s just a bit boring; he’s a bit too serious,” Kochie said about The X-Files actor.</p> <p>“When people start talking about their craft and their journey and film noir, I’m lost with all that stuff.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838493/sunrise-david-koch.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/801f0dee695a4564b387fe9dc0c474ab" /></p> <p>For Michael Richards,<span> </span>Kochie gave him a 3/10.</p> <p>He said the actor who played Kramer on the hit TV show<span> </span>Seinfeld<span> </span>was “annoying”.</p> <p>“I’m a huge Seinfeld fan and really looked forward to interviewing him,” Koch explained.</p> <p>“Everyone wants him to be funny, so I fed him a line to be funny and he was deadly serious. I went, ‘Oh, so he’s being Michael Richards.’ So I fed a serious line to him and he was funny.</p> <p>“And I went, ‘Who am I interviewing here? Michael Richards or Kramer? I was confused.’”</p> <p>When asked about Katy Perry, Kochie said the singer was a 9/10.</p> <p>He said: “Fun! She’s bright, she’s effervescent and she did the weather like no other person.”</p> <p>He added: “Talented, smart, quick-witted.”</p> <p>Kochie had nothing but a glowing review for Matt Damon who he said was just “absolutely charming” after rating him a perfect 10/10.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838492/sunrise-david-koch-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/eb0221598a7747a3bca5d4a0b27d6682" /></p> <p>“Fantastic bloke.</p> <p>“I walked into Matt Damon’s interview, sat down, and he goes, ‘Gee, I love your boots.’ He was just absolutely charming.”</p> <p>Hugh Jackman also received a perfect score.</p> <p>“He’s fantastic,” Kochie said about the Aussie A-lister.</p> <p>“He’s a natural. I reckon he could do (host) Sunrise … but it wouldn’t pay as much (as his films do).”</p> <p>Kochie saved his favourite experience for last, saying he “fell in love” with Dame Julie Andrews.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838490/sunrise-david-koch-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c5592f3bbeb54bc0be78f91f13c9fbe5" /></p> <p>“I’m a massive Sound Of Music fan,” he admitted.</p> <p>“I had high expectations, met her and fell in love.”</p>

News

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Archie turns one! Royal baby has grown up SO fast

<p>Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has celebrated his first birthday on May 6.</p> <p>It is hard to believe the love-struck Duke and Duchess of Sussex became parents to their first child together a year ago, but to celebrate their beautiful family we are looking back at some of little Archie’s most memorable moments.</p> <p>Archie was born on May 6, 2019 and in just one year the toddler has already achieved incredible milestones.</p> <p>To celebrate his birthday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a video of the growing tot sitting on his mother's lap as she reads him a children's book. </p> <p>The clip was posted on behalf of Save The Children UK and seeks to help raise urgent funds for the organisation's coronavirus appeal. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_2A6IwBeM-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_2A6IwBeM-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Save The Children UK (@savechildrenuk)</a> on May 6, 2020 at 4:01am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>From the most intimate moments to his highly publicised royal debuts, here are some of his most adorable moments.</p>

Art

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Celebrities pose with their younger selves in stunning art series

<p>Dutch graphic designer<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Bmadul1H9/" target="_blank">Ard Gelinck</a><span> </span>has spent his time for the last ten years creating pictures of celebrities posing with their younger selves.</p> <p>Gelinck uses Photoshop to create the iconic masterpieces, which are perfectly edited to appear side by side the older celebrity.</p> <p>He spoke to<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.unilad.co.uk/celebrity/artist-creates-incredible-pictures-of-celebrities-posing-with-their-younger-selves/" target="_blank">UNILAD</a></em><span> </span>about his hobby, saying that he has been creative since he was a child.</p> <p>“I often challenge myself to create a certain series of images, including the ‘then and now’ series that you see a lot now,” he explained.</p> <p>“The ideas come up and the celebrities that I choose are often random.”</p> <p>Gelinck has received a lot of attention for his creations, with many of his celebrity subjects sharing his creations on their social media pages. However, he stays humble.</p> <p>“I was pleasantly surprised when it was picked up by various media worldwide. [It’s] nice to see that you can entertain people and show something that makes them think and laugh,” he said.</p> <p>Some of the creations that Gelinck is most proud of include David Bowie and Lady Gaga but added there were “too many” to choose from.</p> <p>With examples like Harrison Ford and Han Solo, Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker as well as beloved Madonna with her younger self, it’s easy to see why he has a hard time choosing a favourite.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see some of these iconic creations.</p> <p><em>Photo credits: Instagram @<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/ardgelinck/" target="_blank">ardgelinck</a></em></p>

Technology

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