“There’s not a lot of heroic acts in middle school,” Maya Erskine says. She and Anna Konkle play 13-year-old versions of themselves in the series Hulu comedy PEN15.
(Image credit: Alex Lombardi/Hulu)
“There’s not a lot of heroic acts in middle school,” Maya Erskine says. She and Anna Konkle play 13-year-old versions of themselves in the series Hulu comedy PEN15.
(Image credit: Alex Lombardi/Hulu)
Luxury audio mastermind Dave Wilson has been building ultra-high-end speakers for decades, and he may have just debuted his most impressive unit yet.
Behold the WAMM Master Chronosonic Speaker, a seven-foot-tall, nine-speaker monster that reproduces sound with mind-boggling clarity and realness.
Dubbed “the most time-domain correct loudspeaker in the world,” each of the unit’s speakers is housed in its own cabinet and set precisely to ensure the most lifelike sound possible.
Limited to just 70 pairs, each speaker is an absolute marvel of modern engineering, just check out the video above. But unsurprisingly, they don’t come cheap…at all. In fact, it actually costs more than most houses or supercars.
But if money is no object in your pursuit of the ultimate home audio system, go to Wilson Audio’s site learn more about this $850,000 behemoth.
Just make sure not to crank it up too loud and wake up your neighbors.
Looks like 50 is nifty for Jennifer Aniston.
In her new cover story for the June/July issue of Harper’s Bazaar, Aniston interviewed by comedian Tig Notaro, about fame, getting older and the topless photo shoot the 50-year-old star did for the magazine.
Describing the sultry shoot to Notaro, the former Friends actress says, “There was a version of an outfit that we did without a top, but I’m covering my breasticles. There’s nothing offensive out there for anyone unless they think breasts themselves are offensive.”
“It felt completely normal,” she said. “I think our bodies are beautiful, and I think celebrating them and being comfortable in them — no matter what age you are — is important. There shouldn’t be any kind of shame or discomfort around it.”
Besides, she says “my body feels better than ever,” although she admits, “I can’t really spring up like I used to.”
As for her advice to young people, Aniston opined: “Don’t worry so much. Try not to care what people think. And get into therapy a little earlier.”
If you were that one kid sitting in the theater watching The Empire Strikes Back wishing you were the badass behind Darth Vader‘s helmet, here’s one hell of a chance to live out a childhood fantasy.
As long as you have roughly the same build as original Vader body actor David Prowse, that is. Prowse, who is 6’6″, was also bodybuilder. All actors who ended up in the Vader suit at major events in the ’80s were about that size. So basically this costume will only fit someone with the dimensions of Rob Gronkowski, really. The rest of us will just be proud to own an amazing collectible.
This Vader suit doesn’t come cheap, though.
First, here’s Bonhams’ description of what they have on the block:
A complete Darth Vader costume from The Empire Strikes Back/Star Wars EpisodeTwentieth Century-Fox, 1980. Comprising:
Vader’s helmet: a fiberglass facemask featuring plastic lenses, mesh mouth cover, and original straps and foam padding, together with fitted dome helmet;Shoulder armor: painted fiberglass with hinged shoulders;
Jerkin: black muslin blouse with stitched black leather sleeves, ties and closure in back;
Vest: black stitched leather reversed motorcycle-type vest with zippered closure at back;
Pants: black stitched leather motorcycle-type pants with zippered fly, gaberdine shins (to ankle), and bootstraps, with suspenders supplied by Eller during appearance career;
Inner cape: very dark gray shading to black wool slender shoulder cape, with armholes;
Outer cape: large black wool cape with leather collar and clasp;
Gloves: stitched black leather epaulette-style motorcycle-type gloves, not production made;
Chestbox: of fashioned black and silver plastic, with corresponding battery pack;
Belt: leather, metal and plastic composite;
Codpiece: cardboard base covered in black leather, with velcro clasps;
Shin guards: black vacuum-formed plastic with velcro straps;
Boots: a pair of knee-high black leather gentleman’s riding boots, labeled in pen to interior, “Mr. Prowes”;
With two pair of black tights worn by Mr. Eller under suit, not production made.
All items housed in two original flight cases with original travel stickers to surfaces.
Who’s the “Mr. Eller” mentioned at the end above? That’s where the suit’s provenance gets a little complicated.
Eller was Kermit Eller (who now goes by Bryce), a tall actor with a powerful James Earl Jones-like voice who made public appearances as Vader for the first couple of films. From 1977 to ’79, according to the auction house, Eller “wore the screen-used Vader costume, the only one produced for the film.”
The same listing also has this slightly confusing note:
We can say with confidence that this entire suit, save the gloves, is production made, one of a handful made by John Mollo’s team at Elstree Studios in London in 1979. Some components may have been screen-used, but it is difficult to say at this point. Nonetheless, this suit’s completeness, remarkable condition, and excellent provenance make it a true rarity in the memorabilia marketplace.
They are prepared to have the suit analyzed by a memorabilia expert, on demand.
That’s a necessary step, no doubt, since Bonhams is asking up to $2 million for the thing.
Regardless who sweated inside the suit 40 years ago, it looks like it’s about as real as the real deal can get at this point.
You’ll be able to steal Darth Vader’s look when it goes on sale as part of the TCM Presents Wonders of the Galaxy auction on May 14, 2019.
A dance between mad queens