hell

In between such pistol-packing antiheroes as Bonnie Parker and Luigi Mangione, financially-squeezed Americans rooted for Tony Kiritsis, a working stiff who took his mortgage lender hostage in 1977 Indianapolis, claiming that the loan company cheated him out of his land. “Dead Man’s Wire,” the title of Gus Van Sant’s wonky true crime caper, comes from Kiritsis’ weapon: a shotgun tied to a noose looped around the neck of his prisoner, Richard Hall. His hair-trigger homemade contraption pressured all three major networks into giving Kiritsis airtime to explain his grievances to the public. Pressing a sawed-off barrel to Hall’s head, the hot-tempered chatterbox told the cameras, “I am sorry I humiliated this man this way, even though he must’ve surely had it coming.”

To the establishment’s horror, many viewers sided with Kiritsis. “How about some Tony Kiritsis t-shirts, some Tony Kiritsis badges, a Tony Kiritsis fan club?” one supporter wrote to the local paper, the Indianapolis News.

Or how about a biopic that fires blanks?

Van Sant has long taken aim at the intersection of violence and mass media culture. Over his career, he’s attacked it from several angles, including the fame-seeking satire of “To Die For,” his elegy for the publicly out politician of “Milk” and the clinical ennui of “Elephant,” his take on the Columbine massacre, in which his pair of teen killers numb themselves with grisly entertainment. Kiritsis’ story is an irresistible target: an ignored man thrilled to have the attention of the spanking new Action News squads who barge onto the scene unprepared for the risk they might broadcast an on-air murder.

But this time, Van Sant seems more interested in the period-piece décor and the aesthetics of early video footage (the cinematography is by Arnaud Potier) than he is in the bleak humor of Kiritsis’ televised tirade cutting to a burger commercial. The result is a faintly comic curio that hurtles along without much impact.

The mishaps start when Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) storms Meridian Mortgage’s office only to discover his intended captive, the ruthless M.L. Hall (Al Pacino), is away vacationing in Florida. Hall’s cowed and coddled son Richard (Dacre Montgomery) will have to do, even though the real estate scion is so passive that he barely bothers to fight for his life. If you’ve seen the original footage of the bizarre press conference where Hall, a twitch from assassination, stares blankly past the flashbulbs, then you know that Van Sant and Montgomery (the “Stranger Things” bully cast against type) get their victim exactly right while robbing Kiritsis, and the audience, of a worthy adversary. In one cold yet weightless moment, the boy-man realizes his own dad might not care whether he survives.

At least the younger Hall’s dull demeanor — then coded as dignity, now as soullessness — makes Kiritsis seem more alive. The real Kiritsis was short-statured with a car salesman’s sideburns; he had the kind of face you only see onscreen during competitive bowling. Lanky, hunched and fragile, Skarsgård’s version isn’t quite as salt-of the-earth, although he’s captured his rapid patter and the burning menace in his eyes. He plays the role somewhere between a soapbox preacher and a “Scooby-Doo” episode that imagines Shaggy unmasking a money-grubbing bad guy and threatening to beat him to death.

Kiritsis is so convinced of his righteousness that he genuinely believes the mortgage company’s manipulations, not his own murder threat, to be the big story. When Hall proves too mute to debate, Kiritsis vents to a radio disc jockey named Fred (Colman Domingo), even though Fred is more interested in smooth tunes than hard news. (Springboarding from this and his perky TV host role in “The Running Man,” Domingo needs to star in his own comedy stat.) Won’t someone, even an inessential young reporter played by Myha’la, poke into the alleged scam?

Yet despite how often Austin Kolodney’s script has Kiritsis say he just wants to be heard, the soured mortgage deal is so impossible to follow that even the movie itself deems it unnecessary. Our attention pivots to the futility of this self-described “little guy” trying to get someone with clout to take him seriously. In this period, criminal psychology was just starting to go mainstream. An FBI agent (Neil Mulac) instructs the Indianapolis cops to think deeper about Kiritsis’ motivations, wielding chalk to illustrate how anger is rooted in humiliation and disrespect. Kiritsis is screaming mad and the police’s yawns aren’t helping.

Today, Kiritsis would have a podcast. But cranks like him seem especially at home in the 1970s — the mad-as-hell decade — when their polyester button-downs make them look extra itchy around the collar. It’s easy to picture Kiritsis exiting a double-feature of “Network” and “Dog Day Afternoon” and vowing that he, too, isn’t going to take it anymore.

Van Sant sees the parallels between Kiritsis and “Dog Day Afternoon’s” populist bank robber Sonny Wortzik — heck, he’s even stunt-cast Pacino as the fat-cat financier — but the film doesn’t appear to have the budget to examine how Kiritsis’ anger fires up the cash-strapped masses. It certainly can’t afford to include the real-life scene at an Indianapolis Pacers game where an arena of basketball fans cheered for his not-guilty verdict, although I would have settled for even a bit player who helps us understand why a jury of his peers let him off the hook.

Instead, the movie inexplicably squanders its energy on needle drops that act against the mood: the watery irony of Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” cooing over an image of Hall handcuffed in a bathtub. Better is Danny Elfman’s spartan and fraught score, particularly the dyspeptic drums.

Was Kiritsis a narcissistic madman or a schmuck who’d put too much trust in the American ideals of hard work and fair treatment? Van Sant alludes to the latter when the televisions keep showing John Wayne on other channels, the gunslinging Duke setting things right in a classic western or winning the 1977 People’s Choice statuette for best actor.

It’s no wonder that Kiritsis figured he’d be a hero, too — and that, in real life, many of the people watching at home agreed — although as obvious as that point is, it would have been nice if Van Sant explored it. At least we get Kiritsis’ sentimental, expletive-laden version of an awards speech which devolves into him thanking his family, Hall’s family and even the police academy before he gets hustled offstage. Kiritsis is certain he’s accomplished something great. We’re glumly aware of how many others are waiting their turn in the wings.

Rams players enjoyed the day off they got for Christmas, perhaps no one more than Puka Nacua.

The previous week, the star receiver was fined $25,000 by the NFL after he made critical comments about officials during a livestream and then again in a social media post immediately after the Rams’ crushing 38-37 overtime defeat by the Seattle Seahawks.

The fine capped a week during which Nacua also apologized for making an antisemitic gesture during the livestream — an incident that caused the Rams and the NFL also to issue statements.

So Nacua said Friday that he was happy to enjoy Christmas before continuing to prepare for Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

“It’s been nice to celebrate and rejoice and get ready for what’s ahead of us,” he said after practice at SoFi Stadium.

Nacua said the fine “definitely hurt” but was not unexpected.

“An experience to learn from and, man, never let it happen again,” he said. “There’s going to be moments of frustration later on in the career … so just being able to manage those emotions and be able to send that energy in the right direction.”

Nacua understands that he has opportunities to convey positive messages, quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

“He’s obviously never going to be perfect, nobody is,” said Stafford, a 17th-year pro. “We’ve all had things that we wish we had maybe handled a little bit differently, but he’s still our brother.

“We love him and we’ll continue to support him and try to help him out as best we can.”

Nacua, a third-year pro, was voted to the Pro Bowl for the second time while producing another stellar season that could put him in the conversation for NFL offensive player of the year.

He leads the NFL with 114 catches. His 1,592 yards receiving ranks second, and he has caught eight touchdown passes.

Former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was the 2021 offensive player of the year when he claimed the so-called triple crown of receiving by leading the league with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches.

Nacua and Stafford, who also was voted to the Pro Bowl, have been especially in sync the last three games.

In a Dec. 7 rout of the Cardinals, Nacua caught seven passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The next week, he caught nine passes for 181 yards in a victory over the Detroit Lions.

Four days later, with fellow star receiver Davante Adams sidelined because of a hamstring injury, he caught 12 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat by the Seahawks.

Nacua has been notably effective on critical third- and fourth-down plays.

“It’s been fun to have those pressure moments, because that’s what you play sports for,” he said. “You live for the third-down the fourth-down conversions, and you’re finding whatever way to convert.

“It makes it fun when those opportunities come up.”

During the three-game stretch, Nacua did “the same thing he’s done all season,” Stafford said, noting that the Rams have had more snaps the last few games.

“He runs great routes,” Stafford said, “and plays really tough with and without the football.”

The Rams (11-4) have clinched a playoff spot and are currently seeded sixth in the NFC. They play the Falcons (6-9), and then finish the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

Nacua aims to continue the recent streak of amplified success, which stems from the connection he has with Stafford and the “excitement” that permeates the Rams’ locker room.

“There’s just an excitement to continue to go out there and prove ourselves,” he said, “and so it makes it fun when you get the reward you want.”

Etc.

After practicing at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday and Friday, the Rams will return to their Woodland Hills facility for practice on Saturday. … Adams, left tackle Alaric Jackson (knee), right guard Kevin Dotson (ankle) and defensive back Josh Wallace (ankle) did not practice, according to the Rams’ injury report.

Prior to the Test, stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith described the pitch as “furry and green” and said “batters would have to be on their game”.

Speaking after his side were beaten, Smith said he was “not sure” why MCG head groundsman Matthew Page had opted to leave so much grass on the pitch for the Boxing Day Test – a marquee event in the Australian sporting calendar. Page will talk to the media on Sunday.

“We let them judge it and do what they see fit,” said Smith.

“I said before the game it looked like it was going to offer a fair amount and it probably did more than we thought it was going to.

“It’s tough as a groundsman, always looking for the right balance. Maybe if he took it from 10mm to eight it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even. Groundsmen are always learning and maybe he’ll take something from that.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan had criticised the MCG pitch after day one and said it had “done too much” and the result was an “unfair” contest between bat and ball.

Pitches and outfields that have hosted international matches are given a rating by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Following the 2017 Ashes Test on this ground, the MCG pitch was given a “poor” rating for being too friendly for batting. Only 24 wickets fell across the entire Test and England’s Alastair Cook made an unbeaten 244.

On this occasion, England batter Joe Root, who also played in 2017, said this pitch was “challenging” to bat on.

“The argument is was it too one-sided – bat v ball? People are more qualified to judge that,” said Root. “It was certainly challenging from my point of view.

“You have a world-class attack and the ball is moving a considerable amount. Your job is to get on the right side of the result.”

The apocalyptic site, dubbed a ‘doorway to hell’, exists right here on Earth and has been burning since 1971 — only one person is known to have ever descended inside.

Straight out of a dystopian thriller, a fiery ‘Gate to Hell’ exists right here on Earth.

This ominous sight, located in Turkmenistan, has been aptly named the ‘Doorway to Hell’, having first been set alight back in 1971. Over half a century later, it’s still burning. The Darvaza Gas Crater, locally known as the Shining of Karakum, is a blazing sinkhole that’s been spewing out natural gas since 1971.

Legend has it that Soviet geologists accidentally collapsed a natural gas chamber while drilling and subsequently set it on fire in an attempt to contain the lethal gases and prevent them from spreading. What the engineers anticipated would be a flame extinguishing itself within a few weeks has now been burning for over 50 years (hardly surprising given that the country ranks fourth globally in natural gas reserves).

Interestingly, Turkmenistan holds no official records of the incident as relevant documentation is either classified, inaccessible, or missing from the archives – consistent with the country’s policy of secrecy. This ‘Gate to Hell’ can be found ablaze near the village of Darvaza, nestled in the heart of the Karakum Desert, and measures approximately 60-70 meters wide and 98ft deep.

The hellish pit can be seen from miles around and has become a major tourist attraction for Turkmenistan, reports the Daily Star. Despite the seemingly inhospitable conditions of this blazing chasm, visitor accounts suggest that, astonishingly, there may be some signs of life within the crater.

The only known human descent into the crater was undertaken by Canadian explorer George Kourounis. In November 2013, Kourounis ventured to the bottom of the Darvaza Gas Crater with National Geographic, aiming to gather soil samples for the Extreme Microbiome Project to investigate potential signs of life in the crater’s harsh environment. Equipped with a specialised heat-resistant suit, Kourounis managed to spend roughly 17 minutes inside the fiery abyss.

During the thrilling exploration episode, Kourounis described their mission as “looking for alien life right here on Earth”, given that the crater’s hostile, methane-rich environment mirrors that of certain planets found beyond our solar system. And indeed, they discovered signs of life. Kourounis’ expedition unearthed several types of bacteria in the soil from the crater floor.

Recounting his experience of the apocalyptic ‘Door to Hell’, Kourounis said: “It is burning with a tremendous amount of flame like there is a lot of fire down there. Day or night, it is clearly burning. You can hear the roar of the fire if you stand at the edge. The heat, if you are downwind of it, is unbearable. There are thousands of little flames all around the edges and towards the centre. It’s a very volatile place.”

Now, in a dramatic twist, after blazing fiercely for more than 50 years, it appears the flames in this ‘Gateway to Hell’ are at last dying down, though gradually. During a press briefing in June this year, Irina Luryeva, a director at Turkmenistan’s state-owned energy firm Turkmengaz, revealed to the world that the crater was finally burning out, stating: “The reduction [in fires] is nearly threefold. Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name ‘Gateway to Hell’, today only a faint source of combustion remains.”