Cheryl Eddy

If You Killed For Manson, Chances Are You’ll Never Get Paroled

Bruce Davis, seen here in 2014, was convicted in 1969 for his role in two murders connected to the Manson Family. He’s been in prison for nearly 50 years. Last year, he was recommended for — and then denied — parole for the third time. Last week, a Los Angeles judge upheld the most recent…

Johnny Depp Makes For A Terrifying Dinner Guest In Black Mass Trailer  

Johnny Depp has played Dillinger and Donnie Brasco, and this fall he’ll take on another famous gangster, Whitey Bulger. The trailer for Black Mass suggests the action will take place during Bulger’s 1970s heyday, but his tale has a contemporary hook: he was captured just four years ago after 16 on the lam. He was…

Insanity Defense Will Be The Focus Of James Holmes’ Mass Murder Trial

Opening arguments in the trial of James Holmes, accused of killing 12 and injuring dozens more during a 2012 screening of The Dark Knight Rises, began today in Centennial, Colorado. Holmes has pled not guilty by reason of insanity, but prosecutors say tests have shown he is sane. Holmes’ legal team acknowledges he was the…

Nance Tries To Turn Avenger, But Nobody Can Outwit Lizzie On Chronicles

A lot of people kick the bucket on this week’s Lizzie Borden Chronicles episode, “Welcome to Maplecroft,” and shockingly — shockingly! — not all of them are done in by the divine Miss B. Our pint-sized psychopath does get the most creative kill, however, in yet another ep that mixes gore with arch, arch dialogue.…

Gaze Upon The Fuzzy Scrawn Of An Elusive Baby Pigeon

City dwellers encounter pigeons every day. But have you noticed that you never see a baby? One big reason: they stay in the nest until they’re adult-sized, which is why pretty much the only people who see pigeon babies are those who raise them, or know somebody who does — like the person who snapped…

New Little Prince Trailer Has Us Even More Excited To See The Movie

Back in December, we were surprised to see The Little Prince would be told as a story-within-a-story with contrasting animation styles. Now, the film’s second trailer has dropped, giving us an even greater idea of what to expect. We’re excited; it looks gorgeous, plus who can resist the golden throat of Jeff Bridges? https://gizmodo.com/little-prince-trailer-is-stunning-and-not-what-we-expec-1669024035 [Via…

Here’s An Insane Video Of A Dragon Head Being Carved Out Of A Watermelon

In this remarkable time-lapse video, artist Valeriano Fatica (who has also coaxed a unicorn, a Game of Thrones White Walker, and Cthulhu from various fruits and vegetables) transforms a watermelon into a detailed, toothy dragon. Meanwhile, we can barely peel an orange over here. [Via Twisted Sifter]

Great Horned Owlet Siblings Have Just Enough Space To Share The Nest

Regular weekend readers may recall this image of a just-born Great Horned Owl poking its beak out of the nest. Well! Almost exactly month later, look how big that little guy/gal has gotten — and hey, look at all those siblings, too! https://gizmodo.com/great-horned-owlet-has-you-in-its-sleepy-sights-1692882343 Once again, this photo is from Metzger Farm Open Space in Westminster…

Thirsty Aliens Discover Tasty “Lymon” In This Vintage Soda Commercial

This retro commercial — featuring two aliens from planet “I Match My Eyeshadow To My Space Unitard” — is so 1980s it hurts … so good. Who are these big-haired extraterrestrials, flitting about the galaxy to visit diners and sip soda pop? Only Sprite’s marketing team circa 1985 knows. [Via Retroist]

Amazing Video Happens To Capture Cabulco Volcano As It Starts Erupting

Picture it: you’re out hiking, shooting some video of beautiful Chilean waterfalls, when the mountain in the background suddenly starts erupting (for the first time in four decades). Frankly, this guy’s reaction is way more subdued and devoid of terrified shrieking than ours would have been. https://gizmodo.com/calbucos-massive-volcanic-plume-as-seen-from-space-1699931508 [Via Laughing Squid]

As Hubble Celebrates 25 Years, Here’s Another Stunning Photo From Space

We showed you some of the Hubble Space Telescope’s most memorable images earlier this week, gathered in honor of the telescope’s 25th year in space. Here’s another favorite from the vaults, a shot of the “Eskimo” Nebula taken in 2000. Here’s what NASA had to say about the photo 15 years ago: https://gizmodo.com/two-pictures-that-show-how-the-hubble-telescope-changed-1699963277 In its…

ISS Astronauts Chose Gravity For Their (Meta) Movie Night Tonight

Here’s your meta moment for the night: the astronauts aboard the International Space Station are having a movie night, and their flick of choice is Gravity, according to Scott Kelly. Wonder how the line “I hate space!” will go over with this crowd?

Get Your Tuxedo On, Because It’s World Penguin Day! 

Penguins are so rad, even elephant seals like to party with them! Exhibit A: this image from October 2014, depicting king penguins and a male elephant seal* beachin’ it on South Georgia Island, deep in the Southern Atlantic. For more penguin fun, here’s a video from the official World Penguin Day page: *There does not…

Guns, Gowns, And Ewok Fur: Props And Costumes At Star Wars Celebration 

We’re still recovering from last week’s Star Wars Celebration 2015, and we’ve got another fun video for you: a tour of all the costumes, props, and vehicles. Keep your eyes peeled for a look at the new Imperial Stormtroopers, plus all kinds of amazing original props. (Is that … a Wookiee dreadlock?)

Jared Leto’s New Joker Already Has An Epic Set Of Memes

By now, you’ve seen David Ayer’s Twitter reveal of Jared Leto’s Suicide Squad Joker. But have you seen all the memes inspired by his, uh, eye-catching take on the classic villain? Here are the best we’ve seen … so far … along with some other visually inventive reactions. H/t Meredith Woerner

This Is Not Actually A Photo Of A Tiny Monkey Bathing In A Teacup

Little cutie sure looks pocket-sized, though, right? This April 18 photo shows a (perfectly normal-sized, alas) monkey taking a dip at the Amazon Animal Orphanage in the rainforest near Iquitos, Peru, where it joined dozens of other animals recently rescued from animal traffickers and circuses. AP Photo by Rodrigo Abd

“Western culture throughout its long and tangled history provides us with a rich array of images, a remarkable set of windows into both popular and latterly professional beliefs about insanity,” writes Andrew Scull in his extensive look at images of madness throughout history, including an oddly peppy Thorazine ad.

Russell Crowe’s Magical Powers Totally Mess Up His World War I Drama

Magical realism can illuminate and amplify the emotions in a deeply personal story — or, in clumsy hands, it can just create extra distractions and create a giant mess. Russell Crowe tries to use magical realism in his directorial debut, The Water Diviner, and the results are less than great. Some spoilers follow. The Water…

Would-Be Burglar Learns The Hard Way That Crime And Tater Tots Don’t Mix

Being a successful burglar requires stealth and finesse, and also the ability to resist the temptation to snack and nap while on the job. A prowling thief broke all of these rules yesterday in Petaluma, Calif., and is now chilling behind bars, presumably wondering if it was worth it to inhale all those tater tots.…

In 1921 Australia, Faulty Forensics May Have Doomed An Innocent Man

Earlier this week, the ongoing FBI forensics scandal — in which it was determined that hundreds of convictions were handed down based on flawed hair analysis — made headlines. But this sort of thing is nothing new, as evidenced by a case that gripped Australia in 1921. https://gizmodo.com/fbi-admits-flawed-forensics-may-have-led-to-wrongful-co-1699057802 The crime, known as “The Gun Alley…