House of the Future | 1956 Photograph Exhibited at the 1956 Ideal Home Exhibition in London, the House of the Future by Alison and Peter Smithson is a visionary prototype that challenges conventions of domesticity. Set within the context of post-war Britain, a period marked by austerity and emerging optimism, the project explored the intersection of technology, material innovation, and evolving social dynamics. The Smithsons, already recognized for their theoretical rigor and critical stance toward mainstream modernism, sought to push the boundaries of domestic architecture. In the House of the Future, they offered not merely a dwelling but a speculative environment that engaged with the promise and anxieties of the atomic age. House of the Future Technical Information Architects: Alison and Peter Smithson Location: Ideal Home Exhibition, London, United Kingdom Client: Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition  Gross Area: 90 m2 | 970 Sq. Ft. Construction Year: 1956 Photographs: Canadian Centre for Architecture and Unknown Photographer The House of the Future should be a serious attempt to visualize the future of our daily living in the light of modern knowledge and available materials. – Alison and Peter Smithson 1 House of the Future Photographs 1956 Photograph © Klaas Vermaas | 1956 Photograph 1956 Photograph 1956 Photograph 1956 Photograph 1956 Photograph 1956 Photograph 1956 Photograph Design Intent and Spatial Organization At the heart of the House of the Future lies a radical rethinking of spatial organization. Departing from conventional room hierarchies, the design promotes an open, fluid environment. Walls dissolve into curved partitions and adjustable elements, allowing for flexible reinterpretation of domestic spaces. Sleeping, dining, and social areas are loosely demarcated, creating a dynamic continuity that anticipates the contemporary concept of adaptable, multi-functional living. Circulation is conceived as an experiential sequence rather than a rigid path. Visitors enter through an air-lock-like vestibule, an explicit nod to the futuristic theme, and are drawn into an environment that eschews right angles and conventional thresholds. The Smithsons’ emphasis on flexibility and continuous movement within the house reflects their belief that domestic architecture must accommodate the evolving rhythms of life. Materiality, Technology, and the Future Materiality in the House of the Future embodies the optimism of the era. Plastics and synthetic finishes dominate the interior, forming seamless surfaces that evoke a sense of sterility and futility. Often associated with industrial production, these materials signaled a departure from traditional domestic textures. The smooth, malleable surfaces of the house reinforce the Smithsons’ embrace of prefabrication and modularity. Technological integration is a key theme. The design includes built-in appliances and concealed mechanical systems, hinting at a utopian and disquieting automated lifestyle. Bathrooms, kitchens, and sleeping pods are incorporated as interchangeable modules, underscoring the house as a system rather than a static structure. In doing so, the Smithsons prefigured later discourses on the “smart home” and the seamless integration of technology into daily life. This material and technological strategy reflects a critical understanding of domestic labor and convenience. The house’s self-contained gadgets and synthetic surfaces suggest a future in which maintenance and domestic chores are minimized, freeing inhabitants to engage with broader cultural and social pursuits. Legacy and Influence The House of the Future’s influence resonates far beyond its exhibition. It prefigured the radical experimentation of groups like Archigram and the metabolist visions of the 1960s. Its modular approach and embrace of technology also foreshadowed the high-tech movement’s fascination with flexibility and systems thinking. While the project was ephemeral, a temporary installation at a trade fair, its theoretical provocations endure. It questioned how architecture could not only house but also anticipate and shape new living forms. Moreover, it crystallized the Smithsons’ ongoing interrogation of architecture’s social role, from their later brutalist housing schemes to urban design theories. In retrospect, the House of the Future is less of a resolved design proposal and more of an architectural manifesto. It embodies a critical tension: the optimism of technological progress and the need for architecture to respond to human adaptability and social evolution. As we confront contemporary challenges like climate crisis, digital living, and shifting social paradigms, the Smithsons’ speculative experiment remains an evocative reminder that the architecture of tomorrow must be as thoughtful and provocative as the House of the Future. House of the Future Plans Axonometric View | © Alison and Peter Smithson via CCA Floor Plan | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA Floor Plan | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA Section | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA Section | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA Section | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA Section | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA Section | © Alison and Peter Smithson, via CCA House of the Future Image Gallery About Alison and Peter Smithson Alison and Peter Smithson were British architects and influential thinkers who emerged in the mid-20th century, celebrated for their critical reimagining of modern architecture. Their work, including projects like the House of the Future, the Robin Hood Gardens housing complex, and the Upper Lawn Solar Pavilion, consistently challenged conventional notions of domesticity, urbanism, and materiality. Central to their practice was a belief in architecture’s capacity to shape social life, emphasizing adaptability, flexibility, and the dynamic interactions between buildings and their users. They were pivotal in bridging the gap between post-war modernism and the experimental architectural movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Credits and Additional Notes Banham, Reyner. Theory and Design in the First Machine Age. MIT Press, 1960. Forty, Adrian. Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture. Thames & Hudson, 2000. Smithson, Alison, and Peter Smithson. The Charged Void: Architecture. Monacelli Press, 2001. OASE Journal. “Houses of the Future: 1956 and Beyond.” OASE 75, 2007. Vidler, Anthony. Histories of the Immediate Present: Inventing Architectural Modernism. MIT Press, 2008. Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). “House of the Future.”

The Carbon MORPHEUS is so sleek and streamlined its wind-tunnel test is probably just a bunch of parallel lines. Designed by EPTA, this mid-engine two-seater supercar skips nostalgia and dives straight into aggressive futurism. It looks engineered by a design studio that sees speed not as a metric, but as a shape. The design brief? “Design is the language of dreams.” Which sounds poetic until you realize what they’ve dreamt up could moonlight as a Batmobile in a Nolan film – just sharper, lower, and probably too dangerous for even Bruce Wayne. A manifesto of Italian elegance, they call it. But it leans more toward brutalist cyberpunk with a splash of Lamborghini’s wild DNA and a whisper of Bertone-era silhouette language. That tapered greenhouse? Pure retro-futurism, the kind that could only come from a country that worships both speed and sculpture in equal measure. Designer: EPTA Design The bodywork is entirely carbon fiber, and not just as a flex. The weave is visible from every angle, wrapping around exaggerated wheel arches and angry origami-like creases. It’s not just aesthetics either – it’s structure, soul, and statement. The reflections rolling off the surface are almost liquid, a high-gloss hallucination of light and intent. Look closely and you’ll see the word “VEPTA” near the front wheels, perhaps a clue or a red herring in EPTA Design’s growing mythos. Around the back, things get wild. Four vertical exhausts erupt from a tail section that looks like a spaceship’s afterburner array. There’s no wing, but the rear deck itself swoops like it’s ready to generate lift – or downforce, depending on how many laws of physics it’s trying to bend. A golden center-lock nut anchors the gloss-black wheels, which are wide, multi-spoked, and performance-obsessed. Brake calipers peek out in red, adding a splash of aggression to an otherwise stealth-fighter palette. From above, the canopy has a near-seamless wrap of glass and carbon. It’s tight. Tense. Like a jet cockpit shrunken down and perched just ahead of a carbon fiber storm. The symmetry here is clinical, the panel gaps razor-thin. It doesn’t just look fast; it looks like it was born in a vacuum chamber under military surveillance. EPTA says this is a “mid-engine two-seater supercar,” which automatically tells you what kind of proportions and intent they’re working with. But beyond the silhouette and stance, this thing is abstract sculpture on wheels. It’s less about raw specs and more about shaping emotion through velocity. And yet, it’s not lost in concept art fantasy. The presence is real, the panels are real, the reflections tell you this isn’t just a digital mockup. There’s heat coming out of those pipes in one of the rear shots. That’s combustion. That’s ambition made tactile. You don’t commit this hard to an idea unless you’re serious about chasing it into reality.The post The MORPHEUS Supercar Concept Could Make Batman Rethink His Ride first appeared on Yanko Design.

By JENNIFER CHAMPAGNE House of the Dragon expands its dragon-filled world in its second season, offering more large-scale battles and heightened aerial warfare. (Image courtesy of HBO) The 2025 Emmy race for outstanding visual effects is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years with major genre heavyweights breaking new ground on what’s possible on television. As prestige fantasy and sci-fi continue to dominate, the battle for the category will likely come down to sheer scale, technical innovation and how seamlessly effects are integrated into storytelling. Returning titans like House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have proven their ability to deliver breathtaking visuals. At the same time, Dune: Prophecy enters the conversation as a visually stunning newcomer. The Boys remains the category’s wildcard, bringing its own brand of hyper-realistic, shock-value effects to the race. With its subtle yet immersive world-building, The Penguin stands apart from the spectacle-driven contenders, using “invisible” VFX to transform Gotham into a post-flooded, decaying metropolis. Each series offers a distinct approach to digital effects, making for an intriguing showdown between blockbuster-scale world-building and more nuanced, atmospheric craftsmanship. Sharing the arena with marquee pacesetters HBO’s The Last of Us, Disney+’s Andor and Netflix’s Squid Game, these series lead the charge in ensuring that the 2025 Emmy race isn’t just about visual spectacle; it’s about which shows will set the next benchmark for visual effects on television. The following insights and highlights from VFX supervisors of likely Emmy contenders illustrate why their award-worthy shows have caught the attention of TV watchers and VFX Emmy voters. The Penguin, with its subtle yet immersive world-building, stands apart from the spectacle-driven contenders, using “invisible” VFX to transform Gotham into a post-flooded, decaying metropolis.  (Image courtesy of HBO) For The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power VFX Supervisor Jason Smith, the second season presented some of the Amazon series’ most ambitious visual effects challenges. From the epic Battle of Eregion to the painstaking design of the Entwives, Smith and his team at Wētā FX sought to advance digital world-building while staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision. “The Battle of Eregion was amazing to work on – and challenging too, because it’s a pivotal moment in Tolkien’s story,” Smith states. Unlike typical large-scale clashes, this battle begins as a siege culminating in an explosive cavalry charge. “We looked for every way we could to heighten the action during the siege by keeping the armies interacting, even at a distance,” Smith explains. His team introduced projectiles and siege weaponry to create dynamic action, ensuring the prolonged standoff felt kinetic. The environment work for Eregion posed another challenge. The city was initially constructed as a massive digital asset in Season 1, showcasing the collaborative brilliance of the Elves and Dwarves. In Season 2, that grandeur had to be systematically razed to the ground. “The progression of destruction had to be planned extremely carefully,” Smith notes. His team devised seven distinct levels of damage, mapping out in granular detail which areas would be smoldering, reduced to rubble or utterly consumed by fire. “Our goal was to have the audience feel the loss that the Elves feel as this beautiful symbol of the height of Elvendom is utterly razed.” The SSVFX team helped shape a world for Lady in the Lake that felt rich, lived-in and historically precise. (Image courtesy of Apple TV+) One of most ambitious effects for Season 4 of The Boys was Splinter, who has the ability to duplicate himself. The sequence required eight hours of rehearsal, six hours of filming, for one shot. The final effect was a mix of prosthetic cover-up pieces and VFX face replacement. (Image courtesy of Prime Video) The Penguin, HBO Max’s spinoff series of The Batman, centers on Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb’s ruthless rise to power, and relies on meticulous environmental effects, smoothly integrating CG elements to enhance Gotham’s noir aesthetic without ever calling attention to the work itself. “The most rewarding part of our work was crafting VFX that don’t feel like VFX,” says VFX Supervisor Johnny Han. Across the series’ 3,100 VFX shots, every collapsing freeway, skyline extension and flicker of light from a muzzle flash had to feel utterly real – woven so naturally into the world of Gotham that viewers never stopped to question its authenticity. Zimia spaceport, an enormous hub of interstellar commerce in Dune: Prophecy. The production team built a vast practical set to provide a strong scale foundation, but its full grandeur came to life in post by extending this environment with CG.(Images courtesy of HBO) The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power refined its environments, which elevate Middle-earth’s realism. (Image courtesy of Prime Video) Some of the series’ most striking visual moments were also its most understated. The shift of Gotham’s seasons – transforming sunlit summer shoots into autumn’s muted chill – helped shape the show’s somber tone, reinforcing the bleak, crime-ridden undercurrent. The city’s bridges and skyscrapers were meticulously augmented, stretching Gotham beyond the limits of practical sets while preserving its grounded, brutalist aesthetic. Even the scars and wounds on Sofia Falcone were enhanced through digital artistry, ensuring that her past traumas remained ever-present, etched into her skin. The series wasn’t without its large-scale effects – far from it. Han and his team orchestrated massive sequences of urban devastation. “The floodwaters were one of our biggest challenges,” Han notes, referring to the ongoing impact of the catastrophic deluge that left Gotham in ruins. One particularly harrowing sequence required simulating a tsunami tearing through the streets – not as an action set piece, but as a deeply personal moment of loss. “Telling Victor’s story of how he lost his entire family in the bombing and floods of Gotham was heartbreaking,” Han says. “Normally, you create an event like that for excitement, for tension. But for us, it was about capturing emotional devastation.” Perhaps the most technically intricate sequences were the shootouts, hallmarks of Gotham’s criminal underbelly. “We programmed millisecond-accurate synced flash guns to mimic dramatic gunfire light,” Han explains, ensuring that the interplay of practical and digital elements remained imperceptible. Every muzzle flash, every ricochet was meticulously planned and rendered. The ultimate achievement for Han and his team wasn’t crafting the biggest explosion or the most elaborate digital sequence – it was making Gotham itself feel inescapably real. He says, “Nothing was more important to us than for you to forget that there are 3,100 VFX shots in this series.” The challenge for The Residence was making one of the most recognizable buildings in the world feel both immersive and narratively engaging. (Photo: Erin Simkin. Courtesy of Netflix) Bringing the universe of Dune to life on TV for HBO’s Dune: Prophecy requires a delicate balance of realism and imagination, grounded in natural physics, yet awe-inspiring in scale. Dune: Prophecy looks to challenge traditional fantasy dominance with its stunning, desert-bound landscapes and intricate space-faring visuals, uniting the grandeur of Denis Villeneuve’s films with the demands of episodic storytelling. Set thousands of years before the events of the films, the series explores the early days of the Bene Gesserit, a secretive order wielding extraordinary abilities. Translating that power into a visual language required technical innovation. “Kudos to Important Looking Pirates for the space folding and [Lila’s] Agony work,” says VFX Supervisor Mike Enriquez. No Dune project would be complete without its most iconic inhabitant, the sandworm. VFX Producer Terron Pratt says. “We’re incredibly proud of what the team at Image Engine created. Precise animation conveyed this creature’s weight and massive scale, while incredibly detailed sand simulations integrated it into the environment.” Every grain of sand had to move believably in response to the worm’s colossal presence to ensure the physics of Arrakis remained authentic. Floodwaters play a significant part in the destruction of Gotham in The Penguin. One particularly harrowing sequence required simulating a tsunami tearing through the streets. (Image courtesy of HBO) American Primeval integrated visual effects with practical techniques in creative, unconventional ways. The massacre sequence showcases technical mastery and pulls the audience into the brutal reality of the American frontier. (Photo: Justin Lubin. Courtesy of Netflix) For the Zimia spaceport, an enormous hub of interstellar commerce, the Dune: Prophecy production team built a vast practical set to provide a strong scale foundation. However, its full grandeur came to life in post. “By extending this environment with CG, we amplified the scope of our world, making it feel expansive and deeply impactful,” Pratt explains. The result was a sprawling, futuristic cityscape that retained a tangible weight with impeccably amalgamated practical and digital elements. Wētā FX sought to advance digital world-building for Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power while staying true to J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision. (Image courtesy of Prime Video) Visual effects extended beyond character work for Lady in the Lake, playing a key role in the show’s immersive world-building. (Image courtesy of Apple TV+) For House of the Dragon VFX Supervisor Daði Einarsson, Season 2 presented some of the HBO show’s most complex and ambitious visual effects work. The Battle at Rook’s Rest in Episode 4 was a milestone for the series, marking the first full-scale dragon-on-dragon aerial battle. “We were tasked with pitting three dragons against each other in an all-out aerial war above a castle siege,” Einarsson says. Capturing the actors’ performances mid-flight required a combination of motion-controlled cameras, preprogrammed motion bases with saddles and LED volume lighting – all mapped directly from fully animated previsualized sequences approved by director Alan Taylor and Showrunner Ryan J. Condal. On the ground, the battlefield required digital crowd replication, extensive environment extensions, and pyrotechnic enhancements to create a war zone that felt both vast and intimately chaotic. “In the air, we created a fully CG version of the environment to have full control over the camera work,” Einarsson explains. Under the supervision of Sven Martin, the Pixomondo team stitched together breathtaking aerial combat, ensuring the dragons moved with the weight and raw power befitting their legendary status. Blood, weapon effects and period-accurate muzzle flashes heightened the intensity of the brutal fight sequences in American Primeval. The natural elements and violence reflected the harsh realities of the American west in 1857. (Image courtesy of Netflix) The Residence brings a refined, detailed approach to environmental augmentation, using visual effects to take the audience on a journey through the White House in this political murder mystery. (Photo: Jessica Brooks. Courtesy of Netflix) Episode 7 introduced Hugh Hammer’s claim of Vermithor, Westeros’ second-largest dragon. Rather than breaking the sequence into multiple shots, Einarsson and director Loni Peristere saw an opportunity to craft something exceptional: a single, uninterrupted long take reminiscent of Children of Men and Gravity. “It took a lot of planning to design a series of beats that cohesively flowed from one into the next, with Hugh leading the camera by action and reaction,” Einarsson says. The sequence, which involved Hugh dodging Vermithor’s flames and ultimately claiming the beast through sheer bravery, was technically demanding. To achieve this, the team stitched together five separate takes of Hugh’s performance, shot over two separate days weeks apart, due to the set needing to be struck and rebuilt in different configurations. VFX Supervisor Wayne Stables and the team at Wētā ensured the transitions were imperceptible, uniting practical and digital elements into a continuous, immersive moment. “The Dragonmont Cavern environment was a beautiful, raised gantry and cave designed by [Production Designer] Jim Clay and expanded by Wētā,” Einarsson says. Then Rowley Imran’s stunt team and Mike Dawson’s SFX team engulfed the set in practical flames so every element, from fire to dust to movement, contributed to the illusion of real-time danger. For Einarsson, the most significant challenge wasn’t just in making these sequences visually spectacular – it was ensuring they belonged within the same world as the quiet, dialogue-driven moments in King’s Landing. “The aim is for incredibly complex and spectacular visual effects scenes to feel like they belong in the same world as two people talking in a council chamber,” he states. Every dragon, flame and gust of wind had to feel as lived-in as the politics playing out beneath them. Season 4 of The Boys delivered the fully CG octopus character, Ambrosius. A challenge was crafting a believable yet expressive sea creature and keeping it grounded while still embracing the show’s signature absurdity. (Image courtesy of Prime Video) In The Penguin, Gotham isn’t just a city; it’s a living, breathing entity shaped by destruction, decay and the quiet menace lurking beneath its streets. (Images courtesy of HBO) The Boys continues to defy genre norms, delivering audacious, technically complex effects that lean into its hyperviolent, satirical take on superheroes. For The Boys VFX Supervisor Stephan Fleet, Season 4 delivered some of the Amazon Prime show’s most dramatic effects yet, from the self-replicating Splinter to the fully CG octopus character, Ambrosius. Splinter, who has the ability to duplicate himself, presented a unique challenge. Fleet says, “His introduction on the podium was a complex motion control sequence. Eight hours of rehearsal, six hours of filming – for one shot.” Splinter’s design came with an added layer of difficulty. “We had to figure out how to make a nude male clone,” Fleet says. “Normally, you can hide doubles’ bodies in clothes – not this time!” The final effect required a mix of prosthetic cover-up pieces and VFX face replacement, requiring multiple iterations to make it work. Ambrosius became one of The Boys’ most unexpected breakout characters. “It’s fun making a full-on character in the show that’s an octopus,” Fleet reveals in a nod to the show’s absurd side. “As much as possible, we aim for a grounded approach and try to attain a level of thought and detail you don’t often find on TV.” While the battle for outstanding visual effects will likely be dominated by large-scale fantasy and sci-fi productions, several standout series are also making waves with their innovative and immersive visual storytelling. Netflix’s The Residence, led by VFX Supervisor Seth Hill, brings a refined, detailed approach to environmental augmentation, enhancing the grandeur of the White House setting in this political murder mystery. “Using visual effects to take the audience on a journey through an iconic location like the White House was really fun,” Hill says. “It’s a cool and unique use of visual effects.” One of the most ambitious sequences involved what the team called the Doll House, a digital rendering of the White House with its south façade removed, exposing the interior like a cross-section of a dollhouse. Hill explains. “Going back and forth from filmed footage to full CGI – that jump from grounded realism to abstract yet still real – was quite tricky,” he says, adding, “VFX is best when it is in service of the storytelling, and The Residence presented a unique opportunity to do just that. It was a big challenge and a tough nut to crack, but those creative and technical hurdles are a good part of what makes it so rewarding.” “We were tasked with pitting three dragons against each other in an all-out aerial war above a castle siege. In the air, we created a fully CG version of the environment to have full control over the camera work.”—Daði Einarsson, VFX Supervisor, House of the Dragon The Battle at Rook’s Rest in Episode 4 of House of the Dragon Season 2 was a major milestone for the series, marking the first full-scale dragon-on-dragon aerial battle. (Image courtesy of HBO) Season 2 of House of the Dragon presented some of the most complex and ambitious visual effects work for the show to date. (Photo: Theo Whiteman. Courtesy of HBO) For Jay Worth, VFX Supervisor on Apple TV+’s Lady in the Lake, the challenge was two-fold: create seamless effects and preserve the raw emotional truth of a performance. One of the most significant technical achievements was de-aging Natalie Portman. “It seems so easy on paper, but the reality was far more challenging,” Worth admits. Worth had tackled de-aging before, but never with the same level of success. “For me, it is simply because of her performance.” Portman delivered a nuanced, youthful portrayal that felt entirely authentic to the time period. “It made our job both so much easier and set the bar so high for us. Sometimes, you can hide in a scene like this – you pull the camera back, cut away before the most expressive parts of the dialogue, or the illusion breaks,” Worth explains. In Lady in the Lake, there was nowhere to hide. “I think that is what I am most proud of with these shots. It felt like the longer you stayed on them, the more you believed them. That is a real feat with this sort of work.” Skully VFX handled the de-aging. “They nailed the look early on and delivered throughout the project on this difficult task.” Working alongside Production Designer Jc Molina, the VFX team helped shape a world that felt rich, lived-in and historically precise. “We were entrusted with the most important part of this show – do we believe this performance from this character in this part of her journey? – and we feel like we were able to deliver on this challenge.” On the other end of the spectrum, Netflix’s American Primeval, under the guidance of VFX Supervisor Andrew Ceperley, delivers rugged, visceral realism in its portrayal of the untamed American frontier. With brutal battle sequences, sprawling landscapes and historical re-creations that interweave practical and digital effects, the series stands as a testament to how VFX can enhance grounded, historical storytelling. Ceperley says, “The standout is definitely the nearly three-minute single-shot massacre sequence in the forest episode.” Designed to immerse the audience in the raw, chaotic violence of the frontier, the scene captures every brutal detail with unrelenting intensity. The challenge was crafting invisible visual effects, enhancing practical stunts and destruction without breaking the immersive, handheld camera style. “The sequence was designed to be one shot made up of 10 individual takes, shot over seven days, seamlessly stitched together, all while using a handheld camera on an extremely wide-angle lens.” One of the most complex moments involved a bull smashing through a wagon while the characters hid underneath. Rather than relying on CGI, the team took a practical approach, placing a 360-degree camera under the wagon while the special effects team rigged it to explode in a way that simulated an impact. “A real bull was then guided to run toward the 360 camera and leap over it,” Ceperley says. The footage was blended with live-action shots of the actors with minimal CGI enhancements – just dust and debris – to complete the effect. Adding to the difficulty, the scene was set at sunset, giving the team an extremely limited window to capture each day’s footage. The massacre sequence was a prime example of integrating visual effects with practical techniques in creative, unconventional ways, blending old-school in-camera effects with modern stitching techniques to create a visceral cinematic moment that stayed true to the show’s raw, historical aesthetic. “Using old techniques in new, even strange ways and seeing it pay off and deliver on the original vision was the most rewarding part.”

Italian designer Alessio Fava’s Mondobruto is a sculptural terrarium series that imagines what happens when nature reclaims brutalist architecture.  Each miniature world pairs handcrafted concrete forms with live mosses and plants that slowly colonize the rigid geometries inside sealed glass environments. Inspired by Japanese moss cultivation, the living installations reflect on impermanence, decay, and the quiet persistence of nature. 

An open international contest is being held to retrofit and upgrade the Brutalist-style Prior shopping centre in Most, Czechia (Deadline: 27 June) The two-stage competition – organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) on behalf of the City of Most – will select a design team to upgrade the 1973 complex located on a prominent site in the centre of the planned 1970s coal-mining settlement. The £750,000 (22.2 million CZK) ‘SuperMost – SuperPrior’ project will transform the landmark building – which is the centrepiece of a vast planned city designed by Václav Krejčí and constructed following the demolition of historic Most to make way for a lignite mine – into a new community and cultural hub for the settlement. Competition site: SuperPrior, Most According to the brief: ‘The city of Most is announcing its first competitive dialogue, SuperMost – SuperPrior. Prior, opened in 1976 as the city's main shopping centre, has the potential to become a community and cultural hub. ‘The aim is to design a new future for the former department store – a place for new functions, sharing, and meeting. The current building is to be reintegrated into the life of the city and offer meaningful use.’ Founded in mid-13th century, Most is a historic settlement of 63,000 inhabitants located in the Ústí nad Labem Region of Czechia close to Germany’s southern border. Most was demolished from 1965 to 1985 to make way for a lignite mine with a new planned settlement created in the Brutalist style featuring housing estates, a shopping centre, a culture centre, planetarium and an office skyscraper. The latest contest also comes shortly after CCEA MOBA launched a contest to retrofit and upgrade the former Palace Hotel in Ostrava. The ‘SuperMost – SuperPrior’ contest is the first part of a bigger programme of renewal drawn up by CCEA MOBA and the City of Most which will include an artistic intervention on the city hall and wider city centre renewal initiative. Competition site: SuperPrior, Most The project focuses on transforming the shopping centre into a new venue for film screenings and a gastronomy marketplace addressing the lack of similar facilities in the local area. Judges will include Marie Kašparová, director of Kultura Praha 3; Gerry Schwyter, architect at EM2N in Zurich; Marina Kounavi, founder of ANAGRAM in Athens; and the mayor of Most, Marek Hrvol. The contest language is Czech and English. Submissions will be judged on architectural quality including social-cultural value, aesthetic and functional quality; and technological solution comprising material and structural choices, environmental responsibility and energy performance. The overall winner will receive a £23,540 (CZK 700,000) prize while a second prize of £20,180 (CZK 600,000), third prize of £13,450 (CZK 400,000) and a fourth and fifth prize each worth £8,410 (CZK 250,000) will also be awarded. How to apply Deadline: 2pm local time, 27 June Competition funding source: Not supplied Project funding source: Not supplied Owner of site(s): Not supplied Contact details: karin@cceamoba.czVisit the competition website for more information

Submitted by WA Contents Open Call RaumScape: A Unique Piazzetta in Old Town Prague Czech Republic Architecture News - May 26, 2025 - 12:53   html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" An international architectural and urban design competition has been launched through a unique collaboration between private investors, the Capital City of Prague, and the Prague 1 municipality. The goal is to transform a privately owned piazzetta at the end of Pařížská Street—an area known for its high-end retail and positioned between residential calm and a striking mix of architectural styles—into a vibrant, inclusive, and world-class public space. Located directly in front of the recently renovated Fairmont Golden Prague Hotel—formerly the brutalist InterContinental Hotel, now sensitively restored by TaK Architects—the site carries symbolic weight within the historic center of Prague. Despite its extraordinary location, it is technically the roof of an underground car park and incorporates multiple levels of garage-related infrastructure. The first stage of the competition is straightforward and non-design-focused, serving as a portfolio round. Applicants are invited to submit reference projects by June 2, 2025. RaumScape represents a landmark opportunity to reimagine a space in the historic core of one of Europe’s most architecturally and culturally rich capitals. The competition calls for creative ideas that are both visionary and grounded, shaping a public realm fit for Prague’s next century. Entirely privately funded, the project represents a significant investment of approximately €6 million (CZK 150 million), reflecting the long-term commitment of the Czech owners to revitalizing this prominent urban site. Organized by CCEA MOBA, the competition merges the architectural concept of Raumplan with landscape design—embodying a vision for a multi-layered, continuous urban realm where architecture and public space are seamlessly interwoven. It invites architects, landscape architects, and urban designers from around the world to propose bold yet context-sensitive designs that blend public, community, commercial, and social functions into a cohesive civic environment.Previously underutilized and disconnected, the 3,200 m² piazzetta now presents a rare opportunity to extend the prestige and pedestrian rhythm of Pařížská Street toward the Vltava River, introduce greenery, shade, and water features, enable barrier-free movement for pedestrians, cyclists, and families, and create a public space of lasting value that honors its UNESCO-listed heritage context while serving both local life and international visitors. This vision must also thoughtfully integrate the necessary technical infrastructure and commercial space in a way that enhances the public realm.The winning proposal will mark the final phase of Staroměstská brána (Old Town Gate)—a sensitive reconstruction of a Brutalist landmark, and the culmination of a broader urban renewal initiative led by the Hotel’s private Czech owners: Pavel Baudiš, Eduard Kučera, and Oldřich Šlemr.Competition OverviewTitle: RaumScape – International Architectural and Urban Design CompetitionLocation: Miloš Forman Square, Prague, Czech RepublicArea: 3,200 m²Announcers: WIC Prague, City of Prague, Prague 1Organizer: CCEA MOBAEstimated Investment: CZK 150 million (approx. €6 million)Total Prize Money: CZK 2.4 million (approx. €95,900)Eligibility: Open to qualified architecture, landscape, and urban design professionals worldwideTwo-Stage CompetitionStage One – Portfolio SubmissionDeadline: June 2, 2025, no submission feeApplicants are asked to submit reference projects. Stage Two – Design ProposalFinalists will be invited to submit full concept designs.International JuryThe competition jury is chaired by Sarah M. Whiting, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and includes leading Czech and international experts:- Petr Hlaváček (Vice-Chair), 1st Deputy Mayor of the Capital City of Prague- Mette Skjold, CEO and Senior Partner of SLA- Magdaléna Juříková, Director of the Prague City Gallery- Petr Burian, co-Founder of Nextline Architekti- Karel Grabein Procházka - Councillor of the Municipal District of Prague 1- Marek Tichý, founder of TaK Architects, author of the reconstruction of the former InterContinental HotelFor further details, visit the competition website.The top image in the article courtesy of CCEA MOBA.> via CCEA MOBA

The first time you see it, your brain doesn’t register it as a keycap. It looks more like a diorama ripped straight out of a Pixar-directed sci-fi short – complete with a lone astronaut, and some sufficiently advanced quantum tech, all sealed in resin like they’re cryogenically frozen for your desk. That’s the Dwarf Factory Astrovert Quantum-ixer Spacebar. And calling it “just” a spacebar would be like calling the Millennium Falcon a cargo ship. This 6.25U artisan slab isn’t trying to be discreet. It demands attention, and frankly, earns it. Dwarf Factory’s MO has always leaned into visual storytelling, and the Quantum-ixer continues that trend with unapologetic whimsy. The SAR3 profile makes it ergonomically familiar if you’re already swimming in Cherry MX-compatible gear, but ergonomics are arguably beside the point. You’re not slamming this $99 artifact into your keyboard for WPM gains. You’re doing it because it lights up like a moonlit spaceship hangar when your RGB kicks in. Designer: Dwarf Factory Dwarf Factory doesn’t really do one-off designs. They build universes. The Quantum-ixer spacebar is the final chapter in their Astrovert series, and it plays like the climax of a well-paced space opera. According to them, this piece is the technological leap the Astrovert crew needed – essentially, the device that stabilizes their jumps through space-time. It’s less of a decorative flourish and more like the mission-critical core of their interstellar saga. The astronaut, the sidekick, the bizarre apparatus – they’re all locked in, mid-adventure, frozen inside resin like a scene from a comic book panel. This isn’t an homage to sci-fi; it’s an artifact from it, rendered in the same obsessive detail that defines everything Dwarf Factory touches. There are four colorways, each with its own visual flavor. T-800 channels a brutalist, chrome-heavy vibe – dark and industrial, almost noir. The 94B feels cooler and more clinical, with icy blue tones. PickIE takes a more playful turn, leaning into candy-colored optimism, while 14512F lands in deep-space territory with its moody purples and inky blacks. All of them look like artifacts pulled from different galaxies, unified by their surreal attention to detail. If your keyboard has backlighting (especially RGB) the translucent elements let that light filter through like some unholy alien core reactor. Sure, the spacebar has always been the most iconic key and never really needed labeling or backlit text, so something as whimsical as the Quantum-ixer feels appropriate for the keyboard. Why keep that piece of real estate empty? Why keep it boring? When you could, instead, outfit it with sci-fi tech? The spacebar fits like a dream on Cherry MX switches and clones, holding a 6.25u layout that’s standard for most mechanical keyboards. That SAR3 profile gives it a slight sculpt, comfortably sitting under your thumbs without disrupting the rhythm of your board. It’s plug-and-play in the most interstellar sense. Each one ships in a kraft box with stickers, finger gloves, and even a loose stem tightening kit, which somehow makes the whole thing feel like you’re unboxing lab equipment or a prop from a cyberpunk film. It’s silly. It’s self-aware. It’s perfect. At a glance, it might seem excessive to drop nearly a hundred bucks on a single keycap, but this isn’t about function anymore. It’s about expression. Dwarf Factory’s Quantum-ixer doesn’t improve your typing speed or enhance your workflow. What it does is transform your workspace into a miniature cosmos – something you interact with every day, but now through the lens of fantasy, imagination, and a little weirdness. And maybe, just maybe, that bit of storytelling is worth the splurge. The post The Most Ridiculously Cool Spacebar Ever Made Looks Like Some Quantum Alien Tech first appeared on Yanko Design.

I’m not that adventurous when it comes to shoes. I own several pairs of sneakers, one pair of flats, and a pair of boots. That’s about it. My collection is more about versatility and comfort than chasing trends. I don’t usually go for designs that are out of this world or that defy traditional ideas of what shoes are supposed to look like. Sure, I might be drawn to a funky print or a bold color every now and then, but more often than not, I lean toward practical fits that complement my outfit rather than compete with it. But what if the shoes you’re wearing are the outfit? What if they’re the statement—the conversation starter—the “What are those?!” moment that’s actually a compliment? Enter CyberShoes: a conceptual footwear project by Los Angeles-based design studio 2-LA Design that has me rethinking everything I thought I knew (or wanted) from a pair of shoes. I never imagined the Tesla Cybertruck would inspire a fashion piece, let alone a shoe. But here we are. CyberShoes are a bold fusion of industrial design and futuristic fashion, unapologetically borrowing their aesthetic from the brutalist geometry of the Cybertruck. Designer: 2-LA Design Think angular shapes, sharp edges, and an aggressive silhouette that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie rather than your closet. And yet, it’s not just for show. The shoes themselves look like tiny architectural sculptures for your feet. They’re minimalist, yet unmistakably bold. They don’t follow fashion trends; they start conversations. It’s the kind of footwear that doesn’t just complement your look—it defines it. CyberShoes stand out with their sharply defined, minimalist silhouette that echoes the Cybertruck’s distinctive design language. The exterior’s clean lines and geometric forms exude a futuristic appeal, making a statement that is both bold and avant-garde. Beyond their striking appearance, CyberShoes prioritize comfort through innovative design. Utilizing 3D printing technology, the interior features a lattice structure engineered to provide a soft, bouncy underfoot sensation—often likened to “stepping on clouds.” This approach not only enhances comfort but also showcases the potential of additive manufacturing in creating customized, ergonomic footwear solutions. While CyberShoes remain a concept for now, they paint a compelling picture of where footwear might be headed. They challenge the idea that shoes have to “fit in” to be wearable. Instead, they stand out—not just for the sake of being different, but because they represent a shift in how we approach design: as something that’s not just functional or stylish, but experimental, technological, and expressive. Would I wear them? Honestly, I don’t know. But do I want to talk about them? Absolutely. And maybe that’s the whole point. The post Shoe concept brings Cybertruck aesthetics to your feet first appeared on Yanko Design.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.HBO was, for at least a couple of generations, the home of movies on cable—no one else could compete. For a while, it seemed like HBO Max Max HBO Max could well be the ultimate streaming destination for movie lovers, but the jury is still out.Even still, HBO Max maintains a collaboration with TCM, giving it a broad range of classic American and foreign films. It's also the primary streaming home for Studio Ghibli and A24, so even though the streamer hasn't been making as many original films as it did a few years ago, it still has a solid assortment of movies you won't find anywhere else.Here are 30 of the best of HBO Max's recent and/or exclusive offerings.Mickey 17 (2025) The latest from Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer), Mickey 17 didn't do terribly well at the box office, but that's not entirely the movie's fault. It's a broad but clever and timely satire starring Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a well-meaning dimwit who signs on with a spaceship crew on its way to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Because of his general lack of skills, he's deemed an Expendable—his memories and DNA are kept on file so that when he, inevitably, dies (often in horrific ways), he'll be reprinted and restored to live and work and die again. Things get complicated when a new Mickey is accidentally printed before the old one has died—a huge taboo among religious types who can handle one body/one soul, but panic at the implications of two identical people walking around. It's also confusing, and eventually intriguing, for Mickey's girlfriend, Nasha (Naomi Ackie). Soon, both Mickey's are on the run from pretty much everyone, including the new colony's MAGA-esque leader (Mark Ruffalo). You can stream Mickey 17 here. Pee-Wee As Himself (2025) Paul Reubens participated in dozens of hours worth of interviews for this two-part documentary, directed by filmmaker Matt Worth, but from the opening moments, the erstwhile Pee-Wee Herman makes clear that he is struggling with the notion of giving up control of his life story to someone else. That's a through line in the film and, as we learn, in the performer's life, as he spent decades struggling with his public profile while maintaining intense privacy in his personal life. Reubens' posthumous coming out as gay is the headline story, but the whole thing provides a fascinating look at an artist who it seems we barely knew. You can stream Pee-Wee As Himself here. The Brutalist (2024) Brady Corbet's epic period drama, which earned 10 Oscar nominations and won Adrian Brody his second Academy Award for Best Actor, follows László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States following the war. His course as a refugee follows highs and devastating lows—he's barely able to find work at first, despite his past as an accomplished Bauhaus-trained architect in Europe. A wealthy benefactor (Guy Pearce) seems like a godsend when he offers László a high-profile project, but discovers the limitations of his talent in the face of American-style antisemitism and boorishness. You can stream The Brutalist here. Babygirl (2024) Nicole Kidman stars in this modern erotic thriller as CEO Romy Mathis, who begins a dangerous (i.e. naughty) affair with her much younger intern (Harris Dickinson). After an opening scene involving some deeply unfulfilling lovemaking with her husband (we'll have to suspend disbelief on the topic of Antonio Banderas as a schlubby, sexually disappointing husband), Romy runs into Samuel (Dickinson), who saves her from a runaway dog before taking her on as his mentor at work. She teaches him about process automation while he teaches her about BDSM, but his sexy, dorky charm soon gives way to something darker. For all the online chatter (Nicole Kidman on all fours lapping up milk!), the captivating performances, and the chilly direction from Halina Reijn, elevate it above more pruient erotic thrillers. You can stream Babygirl here. Bloody Trophy (2025) Bloody Trophy, HBO Max Credit: Bloody Trophy, HBO Max This documentary, centered on the illegal rhinoceros horn trade, gets extra points for going beyond poaching in southern Africa to discuss the global networks involved, and by focusing on the activists and veterinarians working to protect and preserve the endangered species. The broader story is as awful as it is fascinating: webs of smuggling that start with pretend hunts, allowing for quasi-legal exporting of horns to Europe countries (Poland and the Czech Republic being particular points of interest), and often coordinated by Vietnamese mafia organizations. You can stream Bloody Trophy here. Adult Best Friends (2024) Katie Corwin and Delaney Buffett co-write and star as a pair of lifelong friends, now in their 30s, who find their lives going in very different directions. Delaney (Buffett, who also directs) who has no interest in settling down or committing to one guy, while Katie (Corwin) is afraid to tell her hard-partying bestie that she's getting married. Katie plans a BFF weekend to break the news, only to see that the trip back to their childhood home town fall prey to a string of wild and wacky complications. You can stream Adult Best Friends here.2073 (2024) Inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 featurette La Jetée, which itself inspired the feature 12 Monkeys, docudrama 2073 considers the state of our world in the present through the framing device of a woman (Samantha Morton) gazing back from the titular year and meditating on the road that led to an apocalypse of sorts. Her reverie considers, via real-life, current, news footage, the rise of modern popular authoritarianism in the modes of Orbán, Trump, Putin, Modi, and Xi, and their alignment with tech bros in such a way as to accelerate a coming climate catastrophe. It's not terribly subtle, but neither is the daily news. You can stream 2073 here. Flow (2024) A gorgeous, wordless animated film that follows a cat through a post-apocalyptic world following a devastating flood. The Latvian import, about finding friends and searching for home in uncertain times, won a well-deserved Best Animated Picture Oscar. It's also, allegedly, very popular with pets—though my dog slept right through it. You can stream Flow here. Heretic (2024) Two young Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) show up at the home of a charming, reclusive man (a deeply creepy Hugh Grant) who invites them in because, he says, he wants to explore different faiths. Which turns out to be true—except that he has ideas that go well beyond anything his two guests have in their pamphlets. It soon becomes clear that they're not going to be able to leave without participating in Mr. Reed's games, and this clever, cheeky thriller doesn't always go where you think it's going. You can stream Heretic here. Queer (2024) Director Luca Guadagnino followed up his vaguely bisexual tennis movie Challengers with this less subtle (it's in the title) William S. Burroughs adaptation. Daniel Craig plays William Lee (a fictionalized version of Burroughs himself), a drug-addicted American expat living in Mexico City during the 1950s. He soon becomes infatuated with Drew Starkey's Eugene Allerton, and the two take a gorgeous journey through Mexico, through ayahuasca, and through their own sexualities. You can stream Queer here. The Parenting (2025) Rohan (Nik Dodani) and Josh (Brandon Flynn) invite both their sets of parents to a remote country rental so that everyone can meet, which sounds like plenty of horror for this horror-comedy. But wait! There's more: A demon conjured from the wifi router enters the body of Rohan's dad (Brian Cox), an event further complicated by the arrival of the house's owner (Parker Posey). It's wildly uneven, but there's a lot of fun to be had. The supporting cast includes Edie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, and Dean Norris. You can stream The Parenting here.Juror #2 (2024) Clint Eastwood's latest (last?) is a high-concept legal drama that boasts a few impressive performances highlighted by his straightforward directorial style. Nicholas Hoult stars as Justin Kemp, a journalist and recovering alcoholic assigned to jury duty in Savannah, Georgia. The case involves the death of a woman a year earlier, presumably killed by the defendant, her boyfriend at the time. But as the case progresses,Kemp slowly comes to realize that he knows more about the death than anyone else in the courtroom, and has to find a way to work to acquit the defendant without implicating himself. You can stream Juror #2 here.Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) While Godzilla Minus One proved that Japanese filmmakers remain adept at wringing genuine drama out of tales of the city-destroying kaiju, the American branch of the franchise is offering up deft counter-programming. That is to say, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is every bit as ridiculous as its title suggests, with Godzilla and Kong teaming up to battle a tribe of Kong's distant relatives—they live in the other dimensional Hollow Earth and have harnessed the power of an ice Titan, you see. It's nothing more, nor less, than a good time with giant monsters. You can stream Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire here.We Live in Time (2024) Director John Crowley had a massive critical success with 2015's Brooklyn, but 2019's The Goldfinch was a disappointment in almost every regard. Nonlinear romantic drama We Live in Time, then, feels like a bit of a return to form, with Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield displaying impressive chemistry as the couple at the film's center. The two meet when she hits him with her car on the night he's finalizing his divorce, and the movie jumps about in their relationship from the early days, to a difficult pregnancy, to a cancer diagnosis, without ever feeling excessively gimmicky. You can stream We Live in Time here.Trap (2024) Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is a pretty cool dad in M. Night Shyamalan’s latest, taking his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see a very cool Billie Eilish-ish pop star in concert. But we soon learn that Cooper is also a notorious serial killer (this is not the patented Shyamalan twist, in case you were worried about spoilers). The FBI knows that "The Butcher" will be at the concert, even if they don't know exactly who it is, and the whole thing is a, yes, trap that Cooper must escape. Of such premises are fun thrillers made, and Hartnett has fun with the central role, his performance growing increasingly tic-y and unhinged even as Cooper tries to make sure his daughter gets to enjoy the show. You can stream Trap here.Caddo Lake (2024) While we're on the subject of M. Night Shyamalan, he produced this trippy thriller that spends a big chunk of its runtime looking like a working-class drama before going full whackadoo in ways best not spoiled. Eliza Scanlen stars as Ellie, who lives near the title lake with her family, and where it appears that her 8-year-old stepsister has vanished. Dylan O'Brien plays Paris, who works dredging the lake while dealing with survivor's guilt and the trauma of his mother's slightly mysterious death. Their stories (and backstories) merge when they discover that one doesn't always leave the lake the same as they went in. You can stream Caddo Lake here.Dune: Part Two (2024) Denis Villeneuve stuck the landing on his adaptation of the latter part of Frank Herbert's epic novel, so much so that Dune zealots are already looking ahead to a third film, adapting the second book in the series. The chilly (metaphorically) and cerebral sequel was a critical as well as a box office success—surprising on both counts, especially considering that the beloved book was once seen as more or less unadaptable (with the deeply weird David Lynch version serving as Exhibit A in support of that assertion). If you're playing catch-up, HBO Max also has the first Dune, and the rather excellent spin-off series (Dune: Prophecy). You can stream Dune: Part Two here.Problemista (2024) Julio Torres (creator of Los Espookys and Fantasmas, also available on HBO Max) wrote, produced, directed, and stars in this surreal comedy about a toy designer from El Salvador working in the United States under a visa that's about to expire. What to do but take a desperation job with quirky, volatile artist Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton)? The extremely offbeat and humane comedy has been earning raves since it debuted at South by Southwest last year. RZA, Greta Lee, and Isabella Rossellini also star. You can stream Problemista here.MaXXXine (2024) The final (for now, anyway) film in Ti West's X trilogy once again stars Mia Goth as fame-obsessed Maxine Minx. Moving on from adult films, Maxine gets a lead role in a horror movie, only to find herself watched by a leather-clad assailant. This film-industry take-down includes Michelle Monaghan, Kevin Bacon, and Giancarlo Esposito in its solid cast. You can stream MaXXXine here.The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) An anime-infused take on Tolkien's world, The War of the Rohirrim boats the return of co-writer Philippa Boyens, who helped to write each of the six previous LOTR movies. In this animated installment, we're taken back 200 years before Peter Jackson's films, to when the king of Rohan (Brian Cox) accidentally kills the leader of the neighboring Dunlendings during marriage negotiations, kicking off a full-scale war. Miranda Otto reprises her role of Éowyn, who narrates. You can stream War of the Rohirrim here.A Different Man (2024) Though it was all but shut out at the Oscars (getting only a nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling), A Different Man made several of 2024's top ten lists, and earned Sebastian Stan a Golden Globe (he got an Oscar nomination for an entirely different movie, so the erstwhile Winter Soldier had a pretty good year). Here he plays Edward, an actor with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that manifests in his body as a disfiguring facial condition. An experimental procedure cures him, and Edward assumes a new identity—which does nothing to tame his deep-rooted insecurities, especially when he learns of a new play that's been written about is life. It's a surprisingly funny look into a damaged psyche. You can stream A Different Man here. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) Alternating between Christopher Reeve's life before and after the horse riding accident that paralyzed him, this heartfelt and heart wrenching documentary follows the Superman actor as he becomes an activist for disability rights. Archival footage of Christopher and wife Dana blends with new interviews with their children, as well as with actors and politicians who knew and worked with them both. You can stream Super/Man here.Sing Sing (2024) A fictional story based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, this Best Picture nominee follows Diving G (Colman Domingo), an inmate who emerges as a star performer in the group. The movie celebrates the redemptive power of art and play with a tremendous central performance from Domingo, who was also Oscar-nominated. You can stream Sing Sing here. Am I OK? (2024) Real-life married couple Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne directed this comedy based, loosely, on Allyne's own life. Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a directionless 32-year-old woman in Los Angeles who finds that her unsatisfying romantic life might have something to do with her being other than straight. She navigates her journey of self-discovery and coming out with the help of her best friend Jane (House of the Dragon's Sonoya Mizuno). You can stream Am I OK? here.Love Lies Bleeding (2024) In a world of movies that are very carefully calibrated to be as inoffensive as possible, it's nice to see something as muscular, frenetic, and uncompromising as Love Lies Bleeding. Kristen Stewart plays small-town gym manager Lou; she's the daughter of the local crime boss (Ed Harris), with a sister (Jena Malone) suffering from the abuse of her no-good husband (Dave Franco). It's all quietly tolerated until bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian) stops off in town. She's 'roided up and ready for action, falling hard for Lou before the two of them get caught up in an act of violence that sends everything spiraling toward a truly wild final act. You can stream Love Lies Bleeding here.Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play. (2024) A provocative title for a provocative documentary film, Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play. sees playwright Jeremy O. Harris exploring the creative process behind the title work, a play that earned a record number of Tony nominations, won none, and that is equally loved and hated (it's about interracial couples having sex therapy at an antebellum-era plantation house). The narrative here is entirely non-linear, and the rules of a traditional making-of are out the window, with Harris instead taking a nearly train-of-thought approach to examining the process of creating the play, and in understanding reactions to it. You can stream Slave Play here.Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Parts One, Two, and Three (2024) While the live-action DC slate went out with a whimper (at least until next year's Superman reboot), the animated series of films has been chugging along more quietly, but also with more success. This trilogy adapts the altogether biggest story in DC history, as heroes from across the multiverse are brought together to prevent an antimatter wave that's wiping out entire universes. Darren Criss, Stana Katic, Jensen Ackles, and Matt Bomer are among the voice cast. You can stream Crisis on Infinite Earths, starting with Part One, here.The Front Room (2024) Adapted from a short story by Susan Hill (The Woman in Black), The Front Room gets a fair bit of mileage out of its in-law-from-hell premise. Brandy plays Belinda, a pregnant anthropology professor forced to quit her job by hostile working conditions. Her deeply weird mother-in-law Solange (a scene-stealing Kathryn Hunter) makes Brandy and husband Norman an offer that could solve the resulting financial problems: if they'll take care of her in her dying days, she'll leave them everything. Of course, the psychic religious fanatic has no interest in making any of that easy. It's more silly than scary, but perfectly entertaining if that's the kind of mood you're in. You can stream The Front Room here. Quad Gods (2024) We spend a lot of time fearing new technology, often with good reason, but Quad Gods offers a brighter view: for people with quadriplegia, for whom spots like football are out of the question, esports offer a means of competing and socializing among not only other people with physical restrictions, but in the broader world of what's become a major industry. While exploring the contrast between day-to-day life for the Quad Gods team and their online gaming talents, the documentary is an impressively upbeat look at the ways in which technology can put us all on a similar playing field. You can stream Quad Gods here.Elevation (2024) There's not much new in this Anthony Mackie-lad post-apocalyptic thriller, but Elevation is nonetheless a well-executed action movie that never feels dumb. Just a few years before the film opens, predatory Reapers rose from deep underground and wiped out 95% of humanity. Now, single dad Will (Mackie) is forced to leave his sanctuary to travel to Boulder, Colorado, the closest place he can get air filters to help with his son's lung disease. On the way, he's joined, reluctantly, by scientist Nina (Morena Baccarin), whose lab may contain a way to kill the Reapers. You can stream Elevation here.

First lady Melania Trump signs the 'Take It Down' Act. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Melania Trump announced on Friday that she is releasing an AI audiobook version of her memoir, Melania.In an X post, the first lady welcomed followers into "a new era in publishing" and announced that an audiobook featuring an AI-generated version of her voice will be released in the ElevenReader app."I am honored to bring you Melania — The AI Audiobook — narrated entirely using artificial intelligence in my own voice. Let the future of publishing begin." You May Also Like The First Lady's book, Melania,Melania AI audiobook was released on May 22 through the ElevenReader app, a text-to-voice AI app that also lets authors create audiobooks from their work. Variety reports that the AI audiobook will soon be available in additional languages, from Spanish to Hindi.“Writing this memoir has been a deeply personal and reflective journey for me," Trump says in a trailer for the book. "As a private person who has often been the subject of public scrutiny and misrepresentation, I feel a responsibility to clarify the facts. I believe it is important to share my perspective, the truth.” Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! AI is set to transform the audiobook industryAudiobooks featuring AI-generated voices are a hot topic in the publishing world. On May 13, Amazon announced that it was working with publishers and authors to expand Audible's catalog of AI-narrated audiobooks. In a blog post, the company said it was "committed to working closely with authors, narrators, and publishers to ensure these technologies meet their creative and business needs while maintaining the quality standards our listeners expect."Using artificial intelligence tools, it's now possible to recreate someone's voice, and in virtually every language. So, rather than Trump going into a recording studio and reading her book line by line, AI tools can generate an entire audiobook recording based on samples of her voice. When done correctly, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference between the real voice and the AI version. Thus, companies can save significant amounts of time and money, and not just for audiobooks. Just this week, The New York Times reported that AI is already being used to reduce the costs of producing animation by up to 90 percent.Many artists — including actors and voice actors — see the use of artificial intelligence as a direct threat to their livelihoods. When the video game Fortnite recently introduced a Darth Vader character with an AI-generated voice based on actor James Earl Jones, the SAG-AFTRA union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. Mashable has also reported on the backlash to the use of artificial intelligence to recreate the likeness of Agatha Christie and to generate material for movies like The Brutalist and Late Night With the Devil.ElevenLabs, the company that makes the ElevenReader app, recently received a $3.3 billion valuation. Variety also reports that the ElevenReader app features audiobooks with the voices of deceased celebrities, including Judy Garland and Jerry Garcia. These types of AI resurrection projects are becoming more common and more controversial.You can order the new AI audiobook at the First Lady's website. Topics Books Politics Timothy Beck Werth Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.