Victoria Fox's Blog, page 210

73-year-old coach Robert Marino plied teen with porn, whiskey before sexually assaulting him while he was sleeping: cops

A 73-year-old longtime youth sports coach in New Jersey was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage boy following the pair sharing shots of whiskey. 

Robert R. “Ronnie” Marino, a well-known youth sports coach in Bridgeton, was arrested on the Fourth of July and charged with first-degree sexual assault and first- and second-degree counts of endangering the the welfare of a minor.

Bridgeton is located in South Jersey, about an hour south from Philadelphia. 

An unidentified 16-year-old boy alerted police that he had been staying at Marino’s home, who is his girlfriend’s uncle, on July 2, according to the Cherry Hill Courier Post. Marino allegedly showed the teenager gay pornography on a tablet for hours that evening. 

“The first night (redacted) stayed with him at Marino’s residence Marino sat next to him and played gay pornography on a Tablet,” an affidavit of probable cause states. “The victim wished to go to bed, but Marino played the pornography for approximately three hours.”

The next day, the teenager told police he spoke to Marino about his “past trauma,” and Marino responded that it was the anniversary of his father’s death, the Courier Post reported. The pair each took a shot of whiskey, according to the affidavit, and the teenager became sleepy. 

Robert R. “Ronnie” Marino is a well-known youth sports coach in Bridgeton, NJ. Bridgeton Police Department

Marino reportedly helped the teenager to the sofa and covered him with a blanket. The teen told police he woke up to find Marino performing oral sex on him and jabbed him with his knee until Marino stopped. 

The victim confronted Marino about the alleged assault the following day, recording the conversation, which included the suspect acknowledging his actions and apologizing, according to the affidavit. 

The teen woke up to find Marino performing oral sex on him.

It is unclear where Marino coached youth sports, according to NJ.com, but police are notifying the leagues of Marino’s charges. Police said the incident does not appear to be related to his coaching responsibilities. 

“Detectives have advised the respective athletic associations that the suspect is affiliated with in a coaching capacity,” Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari said in a statement this week. “Thus far, this incident remains the only investigation we are conducting at this time.”

Marino is being held in the Cumberland County Jail and is scheduled for a detention hearing on Thursday.

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I thought I was just stressed — then doctors told me I had 24 hours to live

Victoria Danson thought she was just under a lot of stress.

Then she was told she had 24 hours to live.

The 33-year-old UK mom-of-one had experienced fatigue and “excruciating” abdominal pain but brushed it off as a bit of typical stress.

That is, until she was diagnosed with irritable bowel disease and, later, Crohn’s disease — developing an abscess in her abdomen that resulted in deadly sepsis.

At the hospital, she was given 24 hours to live as the life-threatening infection took over her body, requiring surgery to remove the abscess that she recalled was resting on her ovaries.

“I didn’t even have time to really take in what was going on,” Danson, from Chorley, Lancashire, told NeedToKnow.co.uk. “All I knew was that I was in agony and would do anything to get rid of the pain.”

Doctors removed 18 inches of her bowel, resulting in her receiving an ileostomy bag.

“I was telling them I didn’t want an ileostomy bag, but it was my only option of survival,” she said.

Victoria Danson faced fatigue and “excruciating” abdominal pain but thought it was just stress. A hospital visit led to a life-changing diagnosis. At right, she gives a thumbs-up in the hospital following surgery.Jam Press/Chris Ord Photography

After her 2014 surgery, her formerly “carefree” lifestyle vanished before her eyes, and she feared “being different.”

“Initially, I didn’t think I could carry on living, and I couldn’t see how I was going to be able to continue with my active lifestyle,” she admitted.

She’s been forced to change her diet due to her condition, which has returned to her small bowel this time and will need further surgical intervention.

“Initially, I didn’t think I could carry on living, and I couldn’t see how I was going to be able to continue with my active lifestyle,” she said regarding her post-surgery life.Jam Press

Doctors removed 18 inches of Danson’s bowel, resulting in her receiving an ileostomy bag.Jam Press/Chris Ord Photography

Danson isn’t letting her diagnosis keep her down.Jam Press

Avoiding high-fiber foods, drinking green tea, taking supplements and avoiding caffeine have alleviated symptoms.

“I’ve had to do a lot of inner work to accept my condition,” added Danson, who is the mom to a 7-year-old son.

Now, she’s giving back to her newfound community and has even founded her own support group, “Crohn’s and Colitis Support Lancashire,” where she supports hundreds of people.

She initially saw her formerly “carefree” lifestyle vanish before her eyes — but she persevered. She is shown after winning a health and well-being award last year.Jam Press

She is using her experience with sepsis to educate others about Crohn’s disease.Jam Press

“I feel like I’ve had to re-build my whole life around my bag – so I want to be able to empower and inspire body confidence,” said Danson, whose body confidence “savior” has been the gym. “There isn’t any emotional support and that’s why I set up this group.”

She hosts workshops at universities to educate others about her “invisible illness” while managing her illness without medication.

“I’m living proof that with the right mindset, you can still achieve your goals no matter what – but always get medical advice if you’re not sure,” she said. “It could save your life.”

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Woman in hospice, 79, gets dying wish to see horse one last time

A woman, who is under hospice care in Connecticut, was granted her dying wish of reuniting with her horse, Bella, this week.

Karina Courtmanche, 79, has owned the horse for 30 years — since the animal was a baby — and wanted to see her again, according to Connecticut news outlet WFSB.

“We were talking with her and she kept talking about her horse Bella, that she wanted to see Bella,” Michelle Walker, RN Case Manager for Connecticut Hospice, told the outlet.

Courtmanche doesn’t have much time left, but that didn’t stop Connecticut Hospice from coordinating with her nursing home in New Haven, Mary Wade Home, for a visit.

The horse is currently being taken care of at Bittersweet Farm in Bethany, CT, and in just a few days, the teams were able to bring Courtmanche to the brown-eyed horse.

“I’m very excited that I’m able to give her this last wish,” Walker told the outlet. “It’s important to her, so it’s important to us.”

She has owned the horse, Bella, for 30 years. WFSB

During the visit, the woman was able to feed the horse carrots and pet her. WFSB

During the visit, Courtmanche was able to feed Bella some carrots, pet her and spend time with her.

It’s clear that the two have an amazing, sweet bond.

“Isn’t it nice to be able to see your horse again?” Walker asked Courtmanche during the visit.

“Yeah,” she replied.

Medical personnel brought the her to the farm via an ambulance and a stretcher.

Walker said that Courtmanche is a “lovely lady” who enjoys getting dressed up.

“We were talking with her and she kept talking about her horse Bella, that she wanted to see Bella,” Michelle Walker, RN Case Manager for Connecticut Hospice, told WFSB.WFSB

The horse is currently being kept at Bittersweet Farm in Bethany, CT. WFSB

“Her condition has declined where her body is just failing her,” Walker told WFSB. “She’s a lovely lady, she loves to be dressed up to the nines, she loves having the jewelry on, makeup done.”

The Post reached out to Mary Wade Home and Connecticut Hospice for comment.

When Courtmanche passes, Bella will continue stay at Bittersweet Farm, according to the outlet.

In the past, others have also turned to animals to help them through moments in life.

In April, Amee Tomkin, 33, had her dog Belle, a 2-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, escot her to appointments throughout her pregnancy.

The dog even waited for her in the hospital when she gave birth to her son.

And, in the UK, two women, Emma Redman, 37, and Pippa Ashton, 46 launched an emotional support group last year that uses a flock of seven sheep to help comfort those in need.

“We offer a safe space, if they want to talk to us then they can but maybe they just want to play and giggle and laugh and run around with the sheep,” Emma Redman explained to SWNS.

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The Digimon Reference You Might Have Missed In The Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Premiere

Trying to make sense of the plot to prevent the entity known as Tengen from evolving into a possible threat to humanity, Gojo turns to “Digimon.” As he explains, “It would be fine if [Tengen] turned into MetalGreymon, but we can’t have him becoming SkullGreymon. So we have him start over from Koromon.”

If you’re not well-versed in the lore of “Digimon,” or haven’t rewatched the show in the last 20 years, this may not mean very much to you, but the moment Gojo referenced is actually one of the best parts of that franchise. 

In “Digimon,” we meet a group of kids transported to a digital world where they bond with strange creatures known as Digimon. As they bond, the Digimon get access to evolutions (unlike Pokémon evolutions, these are temporary) that make them stronger. Problems arise when protagonist Tai starts forcing his DigiPartner, Agumon, to evolve and become stronger, resulting in Agumon becoming the dark and angry SkullGreymon, which attacks even his friends. When SkullGreymon’s energy runs out, he reverts back to Koromon, the previous form of Agumon. 

This is a turning point in the series, when the kids learn the cost of using their Digimon partners just to fight, and when they learned to have patience and trust in each other. 

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‘Die Hard’ star Bruce Willis nearly died during first day of filming: book

In the ’80s, “Die Hard” seemed impossible to cast, with Hollywood heavy hitters like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Richard Gere and more passing on the role as NYPD detective John McClane.

Bruce Willis was not the team’s first, even second or third option for the role — and Willis’ agent, Arnold Rifkin, took full advantage of the opportunity, hiking up the actor’s acting price to $5 million, according to a new book, “The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage.”

“All the possible action people turned it down,” producer Larry Gordon said, per author Nick de Semlyen’s book. “We had a good script, but we could not get anybody to play John McClane.”

Rifkin was aware of the trouble the “Die Hard” team was going through and told Gordon, “Take it or leave it. If you don’t close the deal by Friday, he’s gonna go to Japan and do some commercials.”

RUMER WILLIS SAYS BRUCE WILLIS, DEMI MOORE ARE ‘SO EXCITED’ OVER FIRST GRANDCHILD, OFFERING PLENTY OF ADVICE

The “Die Hard” crew made sure Bruce Willis was “alive” after filming the first scene of the 1988 action movie. Willis portrayed NYPD detective John McClane. (Getty Images)

Willis initially was like the others and passed on the role because of his commitment to the TV hit “Moonlighting.” His co-star, Cybill Shepherd, announced her pregnancy shortly after he passed on the role, which gave him an 11-week window of availability.

“They’re going to laugh you off the screen,” Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of “Moonlighting,” told Willis when he was cast. “That’s a Schwarzenegger movie.” 

Willis eventually locked in the $5 million deal and on the first day of filming, the crew needed to make sure the actor was “alive” after shooting the first stunt. 

Bruce Willis was filming “Moonlighting” when co-star Cybill Shepherd announced her pregnancy. The announcement gave Willis an 11-week window of availability, allowing him to take on “Die Hard.” (Getty Images)

The actor was taken to the top floor of a parking garage, wearing only black pants and his skin lathered in a gel-like substance.

“What’s this for?” Willis asked of the gel, de Semlyen wrote. “That’s so you don’t catch on fire,” a crew member replied.

Willis jumped straight off the five-story parking garage, landing on an inflatable airbag. 

Bonnie Bedelia is held down by Bruce Willis in a scene from the film “Die Hard.” (Getty Images)

As he landed, plastic bags of gasoline were detonated, which pushed Willis to the very edge of the airbag. Immediately, the crew members on-site rushed to the actor, which he first thought was a compliment.

“When I landed, everyone came running over to me and I thought they were going to say, ‘Great job! Attaboy!’” Willis recalled. “And what they were doing is seeing if I’m alive because I almost missed the bag.”

The crew allegedly opted to film the scene earlier in case of the event that something went wrong — which it nearly did — they would have time to recast the role, according to de Semlyen’s book.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore were newly dating when he filmed “Die Hard.” (Phil Faraone/VMN18/Getty Images For Comedy Central)

Willis laughed as he rolled off the airbag, but his new girlfriend at the time, Demi Moore, did not find the stunt very funny.

Moore also recounted the incident in a 2019 op-ed for The Telegraph. “I went to see him on set, which turned out to be terrifying,” Moore wrote. “He nearly died jumping off a five-storey garage, just making it on to the airbag below when he was blown off course by a scripted explosion. (He laughed about it. I didn’t.)”

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“Die Hard” director, John McTiernan, agreed with Willis that the stunt wasn’t too dangerous.

“We didn’t do anything dangerous with Bruce. He loved doing it,” McTiernan said. “Movies are a manufacturing activity, and you don’t get your workers hurt, period. But that night made it so that he could imagine the real circumstance, and could really say, ‘Holy s–t, this is f–king crazy!’”

Bruce Willis’ role in “Die Hard” help skyrocket his career. (Ethan Miller)

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“Die Hard” went on to be the highest grossing action film in 1988 and was the beginning of Willis’ long, successful career in show business.

In March 2022, it was announced that Willis would be “stepping away” from his acting career due to an aphasia diagnosis. It was later announced that Willis had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia or FTD.

Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.

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Watch out! These Amazon Prime Day scams aren’t the top deal you’re looking for

With the Amazon Prime Day sales now well underway, security experts have warned bargain-hunting shoppers to take care and make sure they don’t fall prey to scammers.

Check Point has revealed alarming new statistics about the scale of Prime Day-related scams, urging Amazon account holders to be cautious when it comes to clicking on links.

According to the firm, Amazon Prime-related phishing scams grew 16-fold in June 2023 compared with May as companies started to gear up toward promoting heavily discounted products on the ecommerce platform.

Amazon Prime Day scams

As many as 1,500 new domains had been discovered during this period, with more than nine in 10 confirmed to be suspicious or malicious.

With the US alone accounting for up to 60,000 orders per minute on the platform during its 2022 event, Amazon is hoping to measure equal or greater success this year.

Being that the event is somewhat of a time-limited occasion (though buyers do have two days to check for deals), cybercriminals look to capitalize on the pressure by tricking victims into supposedly urgent calls to action that ultimately reveal personal information, including payment details.

The level of creativity during the popular event is clear, leaving buyers with more than one type of scam to look out for. Some popular examples include fake payment failure emails which redirect to a malicious site that harvests credit card details and fake profile update links.

Checking the email sender’s domain is vital, but even if it appears valid, consumers are being warned to access their account by typing amazon.com into their address bar, and not following potentially suspicious links which could steal information or spread malware.

Other telltale signs include misspellings and other questionable language, a sense of urgency, and bargains that are simply too good to be true. On the other hand, legitimate sites will display a ‘lock’ icon which indicates SSL encryption (also denoted by the ‘S’ in ‘HTTPS’). Check Point says: “No lock is a major red flag.”

Finally, consumers are being advised to stick to credit cards wherever possible, which offer additional layers of financial security over debit cards.

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Nothing Phone 2: release date, price, specs, and features

After a few leaks and a whole lot of teasing, the Nothing Phone 2 has now been fully unveiled, so we know everything about this promising Android phone.

This successor to the Nothing Phone 1 looks set to build on everything good about that handset, while aiming itself at a slightly higher segment of the market – but still undercutting the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23, the iPhone 14, and most of the other best phones.

Below you’ll find full details of the Nothing Phone 2, including its release date, its price, its specs, and explanations of its key features – like its expanded Glyph Interface.

Cut to the chaseWhat is it? Nothing’s sequel to its design stand-out smartphoneWhen is it out? Available to pre-order now, ships on July 17How much does it cost? Starts at $599 / £579 (around AU$900)Nothing Phone 2: release date and price

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(Image credit: Nothing)

The Nothing Phone 2 was announced on July 11 and pre-orders for the phone are open now from Nothing’s site.

The first opportunity you’ll have to actually get hold of the phone is July 13, when Nothing will be hosting a limited drop in various global cities, including New York, London, and Dublin.

However, most people will get it on July 17, as that’s when orders from Nothing’s website will first ship and open sales will begin.

The Nothing Phone 2 starts at $599 / £579 (around AU$900) for a model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, rising to $699 / £629 (roughly AU$1,050) for one with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and topping out at $799 / £699 (approximately AU$1,200) for a version with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

We don’t currently have official pricing or availability details for Australia but have been told that Australian pricing will follow, so you can expect the Nothing Phone 2 to land there as well.

Nothing Phone 2: specs

Before we look at the various aspects of the Nothing Phone 2 in detail, here’s just a quick rundown of its key specs so you can see what it offers at a glance.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyNothing Phone 2 specs Header Cell – Column 1 Dimensions:162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mmWeight:201.2 gramsDisplay:6.7-inch 1080 x 2412 OLED w/ 120Hz refresh rateChipset:Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1RAM:8GB / 12GBStorage:128GB / 256GB / 512GBPrimary camera:50MP (f/1.88) w/ OISUltra-wide camera 50MP (f/2.2)Front Camera:32MP (f/2.45)Battery:4,700mAhCharging:45W (wired) / 15W (wireless)Colors:White, Dark GrayNothing Phone 2: design

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(Image credit: Nothing)

The Nothing Phone 2 looks a lot like the Nothing Phone 1, with a bunch of light strips on the back, and a flat screen with a punch-hole camera on the front – though here the camera is in the top center, while on the previous model it’s at the left edge of the screen, and the bezels are slightly slimmer on the new phone.

The Nothing Phone 2 is 162.1 x 76.4 x 8.6mm and 201.2g, it has an IP54 rating – meaning it’s protected from water splashes and partially protected from dust, and it’s available in white and dark gray shades.

The back is clad in glass and slightly curved, while the frame is made from 100% recycled aluminum.

Nothing Phone 2: display

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(Image credit: Nothing)

You get a 6.7-inch 1080 x 2412 OLED display on the Nothing Phone 2, with 394 pixels per inch, an adaptive refresh rate that can move between 1Hz and 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits.

The Nothing Phone 2’s screen also has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, 10-bit color depth, and support for HDR10+. It’s also protected by Gorilla Glass, though at the time of writing Nothing hasn’t said which version.

This is a bigger, brighter screen than the Nothing Phone 1’s, and on paper at least sounds like it could compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus’s – the Nothing Phone 2’s isn’t quite as bright, but it can drop to a lower refresh rate, thereby preserving battery better.

Nothing Phone 2: camera

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(Image credit: Nothing)

As with the Nothing Phone 1, there’s a dual-lens camera here. The main sensor is a 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX890 (which you’ll also find on the likes of the OnePlus 11), complete with optical image stabilization (OIS) to keep shots steady. That’s an upgrade on the Nothing Phone 1’s main camera.

The other sensor is a 50MP f/2.2 Samsung JN1, and this is used for ultra-wide shots (with a 114-degree field of view), as well as for macro shots.

Compared to the Nothing Phone 1, the company claims to have upgraded the cameras with “smart tuning effects”, such as Motion Capture 2.0, which uses AI to track moving subjects and ensure they stay in focus.

There are all sorts of other camera modes and features too, like 2X Super-Res Zoom, for telephoto shots, along with common modes like panorama, night mode, expert mode, and more.

There’s also a 32MP f/2.45 camera on the front – up from a 16MP selfie camera on the Nothing Phone 1, and you can record video in up to 4K quality at 60fps with the main camera, or in 1080p at 60fps using the front camera.

Nothing Phone 2: battery

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(Image credit: Nothing)

There’s a 4,700mAh battery inside the Nothing Phone 2, with 45W wired charging. Nothing claims you can fully charge it like this in 55 minutes, or you can use wireless charging at 15W for a full charge in 130 minutes.

That’s a slight upgrade in capacity and wired charging speed from the Nothing Phone 1, and like that phone there’s also 5W reverse wireless charging, so you can use the Nothing Phone 2 as a wireless charging mat for other devices.

Nothing Phone 2: power and features

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(Image credit: Nothing)

The chipset at the heart of the Nothing Phone 2 is a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, which you’ll also find in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4. It was the best chipset available to Android phones in late 2022, but it’s now been superseded by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Of course, the Nothing Phone 2 has a mid-range price, so it’s understandable that it doesn’t have the very best chipset, and it does apparently boast an 80% improvement in overall performance compared to the Nothing Phone 1.

The Phone 2 also has a choice of 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and comes with up to 512GB of storage. It supports 5G of course, and has an in-display fingerprint sensor, facial recognition, and dual stereo speakers.

The phone runs Nothing OS 2.0, which is the company’s customized take on Android, complete with lock screen widgets, and it’s promised three years of Android updates and four years of security patches – with the latter rolling out every two months.

Of course, the Nothing Phone 2 also has those lights on the back, and they do more than just look pretty.

This is known as the ‘Glyph Interface’, and it’s a returning feature from the Nothing Phone 1, where the lights could be lit in a variety of patterns to display specific notifications, show your battery and charging levels, or act as a fill light for the camera.

This time around though, the number of light strips has gone up from five on the Phone 1 to 11 on the Phone 2, and the number of individual LED lighting zones has risen from 12 to 33. This means the lights can be used for far more things, including as a progress bar, a visual indicator of your phone’s volume, and as a timer, among other things.

Uber and Zomato have also signed up to make use of these LEDs with their apps, and other companies may well follow. Plus, you can use a Glyph Composer to craft custom ringtones using different sounds and lighting patterns, and assign different ones to individual contacts.

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Danny DeVito Still Has The Penguin’s Umbrella From Batman Returns

In retrospect, Danny DeVito seems like the perfect choice to play the Penguin. But the man needed some convincing prior to being officially cast in “Batman Returns.” Jack Nicholson even had a hand in persuading his friend to take on the role, and after a meeting with Tim Burton, DeVito was finally onboard.

In the years since “Batman Returns” debuted, the actor has spoken about his willingness to return as the Penguin, saying he’d be open to reprising the role as recently as 2021. Now, he’s once again reminded us all of his passion for Oswald Cobblepot, in an SFX Magazine interview. During the Zoom interview, he revealed he still has one of the umbrellas used in “Returns,” even bringing out the prop out during the call.

According to the report, DeVito took a moment to announce, “I have something you’re gonna really like, just stay right where you are. Don’t move,” before walking away and returning to reveal a black and white spiral umbrella. He then added, “That is the original Penguin’s umbrella […] Ladies and gentlemen, watch his mind be blown,” referring to the prop as “a treasure of mine.”

The umbrella in question is one of many used in “Returns,” and sounds like it comes from the scene in which Christopher Walken’s Max Shreck first gets taken to the Penguin’s sewer hideout. There Oswald takes out the umbrella and starts twirling it before letting off a shot and revealing it to be a gun in disguise.

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Tom Cruise on Finally Releasing ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ After COVID Shutdowns: “We Dreamed About It”

On Monday night, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One held its New York premiere for crowds of mask-free fans, with journalists packed shoulder-to-shoulder on a long, winding red carpet.

It was a far cry from the social distancing requirements during the height of the pandemic, when the seventh Mission: Impossible movie was filming.

The Tom Cruise starrer dealt with multiple setbacks caused by COVID-19 during its multi-year shoot. Filming shut down at least five times due to the pandemic, with Cruise and writer-director Christopher McQuarrie ultimately contracting the disease, and audio of Cruise insisting that the crew abide by COVID restrictions went viral.

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So, with the film finally set to hit theaters on Wednesday, Cruise told The Hollywood Reporter Monday night that it was “amazing” that he and the team behind the film were able to get through those challenges and share the movie with an audience.

“We talked about it. We dreamed about it. It’s very, very special,” Cruise said. “On Top Gun: Maverick, they kept pushing the movie and pushing the movie, and for [McQuarrie] and I, this is such an ambitious movie. And it was a very challenging film to produce, and then everything happened, and it was even more challenging. So to have this response…is very, very special.”

Dead Reckoning is being released after a number of summer tentpoles underperformed at the box office, including The Flash, Elemental and Indiana Jones.

The latest Mission: Impossible title was tracking at the end of June to launch with a franchise-best $65 million or more in North America, and theater chains are likely hoping it lives up to and even exceeds those expectations.

But Cruise, a vocal champion of the big-screen experience, isn’t stressing over ticket sales yet.

When asked if he felt pressure for his latest film to perform well at the box office, he told THR, “I’m just going to make the best films that I can make, and I want them all to perform well, and I want all of the other films to perform well.”

He added, “I think about a movie in terms of the quality and longevity, I invest everything in it. So, really, my job is just to try to make the best film I possibly can to entertain the audience for that particular genre.”

Cruise has already shared his enthusiasm for Indiana Jones, Barbie and Oppenheimer, both opening the week after Dead Reckoning, on July 21, saying he plans to see all of those films in theaters.

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Groomzilla tells fiancée to trim guest list because he wants a smaller wedding — here’s what an expert has to say

A man on Reddit is asking if he’s being unfair to his fiancée after their argument about the size of their wedding guest list upset his bride-to-be.

The anonymous man, who goes by the Reddit username Randomthro1234 and claims he’s 29 years old, turned to the popular “Am I the A–hole” subreddit, which has over 9 million members; it’s a place where people ask for insight on whether they’re on the wrong side of an argument.

Randomthro1234 posted his query to the group on June 29, explaining that he and his 30-year-old fiancée have been planning their wedding for over a year.

His fiancée has a “huge family,” while his is “much smaller,” he said. 

Randomthro1234 wrote that his fiancée told him early on that she felt it was important that they were “financially secure” before they married — but she also wanted to include her “entire family” in the affair.

“We’re doing pretty well financially, but I still think it’s absurd to include so many guests, some of whom aren’t even blood relatives, just ‘family friends,’” Randomthro1234 wrote in his Reddit post.

“She agreed to exclude her overseas family, but she claims everyone else is too ‘near and dear’ to exclude.”

Randomthro1234 reportedly tried to compromise with his fiancée and limit their guest list to aunts, uncles and first cousins — but he said his fiancée also wants to invite her second cousins because she grew up with them and feels close to them. 

The bride feels everyone in her family should be included in the celebration. Getty Images

The concerned groom-to-be wrote that his fiancée’s portion of the guest list amounted to over 60 family members.

“I told her to get her list down to 25, and she was upset, saying she has even more than 25 FIRST COUSINS and that [having fewer] guests is impossible for her,” Randomthro1234 wrote.

“She said we can afford it, and she brought up how I agreed when we got engaged to have a larger wedding,” he continued. 

“I said that’s true, but I didn’t know she was so serious about it, and I thought she’d be open to compromise as we continued planning.”

The Reddit poster shared that he thinks it doesn’t make sense to spend so much money on a huge wedding and have many guests there that he doesn’t even know.

“I just don’t get why we shouldn’t put that money toward something better, like the honeymoon,” Randomthro1234 wrote. “She’s been sulking and talking to her sisters, but I think I’m being fair.”

The Reddit post generated over 2,800 upvotes and 1,800 comments — and moderators of the forum assigned the query and “a–hole” label.

Many of the Reddit users who have commented about the post appear to think Randomthrow1234 is in the wrong.

“Uh, why would she insist on it if she wasn’t serious about it? You don’t take your fiancée seriously,” the post’s top commenter wrote — which received over 13,000 upvotes from Reddit users.

“Wait, you agreed to have a large wedding at engagement and now that she’s ready to invite people, you’re telling her, ‘I didn’t know you were serious,’” another commenter wrote. 

“Wow, dude. You sound like a terrible communicator.”

Some Reddit users saw this as the couple’s first chance to compromise. Getty Images

“This is your first big test of compromise, and I’m not saying you fully give in to what she wants, as it’s important for her to consider your feelings, too,” another Reddit user commented. “But from what you say here, you’re asking way too much, especially if her large family is very close.”

Guest list debates: Wedding pro weighs in

It’s “not a bad sign” if an engaged couple is having a debate about their wedding guest list, said Monica O’Connor, a wedding and event planner at Arch Events in New York City. 

A couple can get through this planning hiccup as long as they discuss the topic rationally and are open to compromise, according to O’Connor.

“Having your friends and family with you on your wedding day is a dream, but the easiest way to cut budget is to invite fewer people,” she said.

Here are four wedding planning tips couples might keep in mind when attempting to navigate guest list troubles, O’Connor suggested.

1. Expect to pay for each invited guest

Many engaged couples underestimate the size of their guest list because they expect some of their guests to decline invitations or drop out before the big day.

This assumption, said O’Connor, can create trouble for couples who believe they’ll not have to pay for every person named on their guest list.

“Pre-pandemic, couples could expect 20% of their invitees to decline, but that is no longer the case,” she said. 

The 29-year-old groom to be turned to Reddit’s “Am I the A–hole” chat for answers. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

“Everyone is saying ‘yes’ to everything now, so don’t invite more guests than you can reasonably afford,” O’Connor said.

2. Make an ‘A list’ and a ‘B list’

Engaged couples should be prepared to rank their wedding guests by priority and have a list of backup invites, according to O’Connor.

“This way, as you get those declines, you can invite loved ones important to you without breaking the bank,” she said.

“It feels mean,” said O’Connor, “but it’s practical.”

3. Narrow down the must-haves

Figuring out wedding-related must haves and nonnegotiables can help engaged couples determine the size of their guest list and the vendors they’re going to contract.

Regarding the Reddit post shared by Randomthro1234, O’Connor said the fiancée can have her “dream wedding” with all her cousins invited if she and her husband-to-be can make a list of wedding items and services with set costs.

“For example, if you want a band, but you plan on inviting 400 people, you might want to offset the cost of live musicians and hire a DJ for half the cost,” she said. 

Alternatively, if an engaged couple is split or definitely wants photography and videography on the wedding day, they might consider hiring a photographer first and then add a videographer if there’s room in the budget later in the planning process, said O’Connor.

“We call those add-on items ‘icing items’ — once your cake is baked, you can add the icing,” O’Connor said. 

“Same goes for your wedding.”

4. Stay optimistic

Despite any wedding planning snafus that may come up, it’s important for engaged couples to stay positive even if they’re at odds about details or costs, said O’Connor.

“Remember, this is one day in the grand scheme of your entire lives together,” O’Connor said. 

“Just because you’re disagreeing doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Meet each other in the middle,” she also said. 

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