Ghost Stories twitter reaction: Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap's Netflix anthology gets mixed response

After delivering the popular Netlix anthology Lust Stories, The quartet Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Anurag Kashyap, have released a new horror anthology - Ghost Stories.

Banerjee's short has Gulshan Devaiah in the lead, Kashyap keeps it spooky with a Shobhita Dhupliwal, Akhtar has Janhvi Kapoor, Vijay Verma, Surekha Sikri for her story whereas Johar has cast Avinash Tiwari, Mrunal Thakur, Kush Kapila and Jyoti Subhash.

Released on the occasion of New Years Eve, Ghost Stories has drawn quite mixed reactions from the viewers. While Twitterati has collectively praised Akhtar and Banerjee's shorts, a few viewers have slammed Kashyap's story stating that is extremely 'creepy.'

Check out all the reactions here

#GhostStories is a refreshing departure from the stereotypical mainstream horror genre, giving us stories that might not be shocking as per horror standards but manage to surprise in a big way. Blown away by Dibakar Banerjee's segment and closely followed by A Kashyap's story.

— Haricharan Pudipeddi (@pudiharicharan) January 1, 2020

Watched half of #GhostStories - the first two. I like Jahnvi Kapoor. She is lovely & expressive. Will watch the others in a bit. — Naomi Datta (@nowme_datta) January 1, 2020

#GhostStories - The core plot is fascinating but too much self-indulgence and the intention to be unique spoiled the fun. Personal favorites: The first episode directed by Zoya Akthar ft. #JhanviKapoor and the third one directed by Dibakar Banerjee.

— Rajasekar (@sekartweets) January 1, 2020

Dibakar Banerjee does Bong Jong-Ho! A Zombie-like social-commentary gives enough chills, and also metaphorically enunciates the prey of urbanization. Wah. @NetflixIndia #GhostStories. pic.twitter.com/Rdo3kUQOZf — Chaitanya (@illusionistChai) January 1, 2020

Watched the 1st episode of #GhostStories on Netflix. The only thought that came to mind pic.twitter.com/oP3k0r42C0

— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) January 1, 2020

This is probably the eeriest/creepiest scene ever in the history of Indian Cinema. #GhostStories pic.twitter.com/ZJ4KwU8TJD — Chaitanya (@illusionistChai) January 1, 2020

As expected #GhostStories was shit; it's always Dibaker making something good out of this recurring series of anthologies that no one asked for, since 2013. The story is same here, too.
When these makers can't even make original shorts, it's too high to expect from their features

— stanCHER (@ExMachina1196) January 1, 2020

Saw #GhostStories and this horror anthology isn’t scary & scream-inducing. The horror element was missing. It losses the grip so early. Only Dibakar’s story has a spark. Other stories don’t engage with the weak screenplay. Ghost Stories couldn’t impress me. It’s an average piece. pic.twitter.com/xwfOvWENbW — CHARLIE (@CharlieGulshan) December 31, 2019

1) Zoya’s one is scary at first but then kinda predictable. Jahanvi was good actually. She has good screen presence.

2) Anurag’s one, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS please someone answer them. Not scary but VERY CREEPY probably the creepiest thing I’ve ever watched. #GhostStories

— ‘ (@zehnaseeb_) December 31, 2019

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Vissel Kobe's Spanish striker David Villa calls time on glittering career with Emperor's Cup title

Tokyo: Vissel Kobe, led by World Cup winners Andres Iniesta and Lukas Podolski, beat Kashima Antlers 2-0 to win the Emperors Cup final on Wednesday, in the first football match to be played at Tokyo’s National Stadium, built for this year’s Olympic Games.

The first goal scored in the new stadium was an own goal from unfortunate Antlers defender Tomoya Inukai in the 18th minute before Kobe striker Noriaki Fujimoto added a second 20 minutes later following some more poor defending.

Wednesday’s win marks the first time in their history that Kobe have their hands on some silverware and vindicates the high wages forked out by owner Hiroshi Mikitani in recent years.

Wednesday’s match also saw a last appearance for former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker David Villa, who will retire at the age of 37.

Villa, who has been struggling for fitness, only came on for the last few minutes of the contest but was greeted by rapturous cheers from the Kobe fans after a successful season that saw him score 13 goals in 28 league matches.

Villa scored 59 times for Spain during an illustrious career that saw him win the World Cup and European Championship with his country and the 2011 Champions League with Barcelona.

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Two players, driver killed as Guinea top-flight football club Wakriya AC's team bus crashes into truck

Conakry: Two players and a driver are dead after a top-flight Guinea football club's team bus crashed into a stationary truck late at night on the journey back from a game.

The club, Wakriya AC, said new signing Alfred Kargbo died at the scene of the crash on Monday night. Midfielder Aboubacar Camara and bus driver N’Fa Laye died in the hospital on Tuesday after being taken there in critical condition.

Issiaga Camara, a defender for the Guinea under-17 national team, was also in critical condition but has improved, Wakriya said. He played at the under-17 World Cup in 2017. He is not related to Aboubacar Camara.

Other players, including defender and team captain Ibrahima Sory Doumbouya, who was recently selected in the Guinea senior national team squad, sustained minor injuries.

Wakriya said the bus ploughed into a stationary truck that was carrying tree logs at around 11 pm Monday at Friguiadi, just outside the capital Conakry. Although it's based in the western city of Boke, the team was due to stop over in Conakry after a game against league leader Loubha Telimele in Kindia, about 85 miles northeast of the capital.

Wakriya said it believed the truck had broken down in the middle of the road and had no warning lights on and the team bus slammed into the back of it. Some of the tree logs fell onto the Wakriya bus.

Kargbo was from Sierra Leone and his family has asked that his body be repatriated, Wakriya said. There will be a memorial service for Camara at the country's main 28 September Stadium in Conakry on Friday.

The West Africa nation is due to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations, the continent's biggest soccer tournament. It's the home country of Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita.

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Robert Pattinson on working for Matt Reeves' The Batman: Want to push the character as far as possible

Actor Robert Pattinson says he is looking forward to playing Batman in Matt Reeves' directorial on the DC superhero and wants to push boundaries of the character as far as possible.

The Batman will be fronted by Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader.

"In terms of the character itself, I want to push it as far as it can possibly go. And I think Matt Reeves does as well. You can do crazy stuff with that part," Pattinson told Empire magazine.

The actor made a case for an R-rated version of the film, adding the rating would allow the makers to test different waters.

"The only thing that's more complicated is the rating. As soon as you make something an R-rated movie, you're freed up to do so much stuff," he said.

The film is being billed as a grounded take on the Dark Knight and will feature many of Batman's villains.

Reeves is directing from his own script. He is also attached to produce with Dylan Clark.

The Batman will hit the screens on 25 June 2021.

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Kevin Feige clarifies Doctor Strange sequel isn't a horror film; teases debut of 'unexpected' MCU characters

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has teased that the sequel to Doctor Strange will introduce new characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The sequel, titled Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, will bring back Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme.

Scott Derrickson, who helmed the 2016 film, is also returning for the sequel.

During a recent Q&A at the New York Film Academy, Feige said the introduction of the new, unexpected characters will come as a surprise to the fans.

"Sometimes you're choosing title hero, you're choosing which main character or main team you want to bring to the screen and oftentimes, it's as you're making and developing the movie Who will come into it? Who will fit into it?'" he said.

"The next Doctor Strange film, for instance, features some new MCU characters that will be making their debut in that movie. You won't expect or won't guess who it is but we found a cool way to make it work because we want to make a particular type of movie there and there was a character we always wanted to do something with who will fit really well there," he added.

Feige also said that the sequel will not be a horror film but will certainly have some scary and edge-of-the-seat sequences.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that's a horror film, but it is, as Scott Derrickson, our director, has pitched it, a big MCU film with scary sequences in it," he said.

He added that the movie will draw inspiration from some of the classics of the 1980s, such as Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, among others.

"When I was a kid in the 80s, Spielberg did an amazing job. There are horrifying sequences in Raiders (of the Lost Ark') that I would, as a little kid, (cover my eyes) when their faces melted. Or Temple of Doom, of course, or Gremlins or Poltergeist.

"These are the movies that invented the PG-13 rating, by the way. They were PG and they were like, We need another (rating).' But that's fun, it's fun to be scared in that way and not a horrific, torturous way, but in a way that is legitimately scary because Scott Derrickson's quite good at that. But scary in the service of an exhilarating emotion," Feige said.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will also feature Elizabeth Olsen, who will reprise her MCU role of Scarlet Witch. She will join the movie following the events of her Disney Plus series WandaVision.

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Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli, Varun Dhawan bring in the new year at Switzerland; Priyanka Chopra shares a video montage summing up 2019

With 2020 already here, Bollywood celebrities took to twitter to extend their heartfelt greetings to millions of fans and followers through social media.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma welcomed new year 2020 with Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Varun Dhawan in Switzerland. The cricketer-actor pair is vacationing in Switzerland and had conveyed "early new year wishes" for their fans in a video posted by Virat Kohli on Instagram on Tuesday.

Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram to share a video looking back at her year. In the clip, she shared a number of pictures from a variety of events like a MET Gala, Cannes, her trip to Ethiopia and promotions for The Sky Is Pink.

Arjun Kapoor shared a picture and stated that 2019 reminded him "what a roller coaster life is".

Check out Anushka's pictures here

Priyanka Chopra

View this post on Instagram

Cannot wait to see what 2020 has in store. Thank you God and everyone who has blessed my life. #fullheart #newyear #gratitude

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on Dec 31, 2019 at 5:06pm PST

Sonam Kapoor has shared a video on her Instagram profile, in which she can be seen kissing her husband Anand Ahuja. The Aisha actor listed out the reasons why the last decade was "brilliant" for her personally as well professionally.

Not one for telling anyone how they should be...or do what should be done...or what this year & future made to be. I have so many frailties myself...that I wish may the future be kind to all of us...& we be who we are. May Allah be kind to us inspite of ourselves. Happy New Year pic.twitter.com/IJr82PrQuF

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 31, 2019

2020 here we go! pic.twitter.com/gMjjYW8u0R

— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) December 31, 2019

T 3597 -" वर्ष नव हर्ष नव जीवन उत्कर्ष नव " ~ बच्चन pic.twitter.com/4YtqCRJpBG

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) December 31, 2019

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ATP Cup adds to crowded tennis dates before Australian Open; Rafael Nadal to participate, but Roger Federer opts out

Roger Federer won't be playing until the Australian Open, but the the summer of tennis Down Under ahead of the first Grand Slam of 2020 will be a little more hectic for everybody else.

Kicking off on Friday with the start of the new 24-team, Davis Cup-style ATP Cup in three cities across Australia, players will have a host of options to them on both the ATP and WTA tours.

Federer and Switzerland aren't involved in the ATP Cup, but No 1-ranked Rafael Nadal and No 2 Novak Djokovic will be representing Spain and Serbia, respectively. No 3 Federer wants to spend more time with his family before the start of the Australian Open on 20 January in Melbourne.

When the ATP Cup concludes on 12 January, Djokovic is scheduled to play at the Adelaide International, a joint ATP-WTA tournament that includes World No 1 women's player Ash Barty of Australia. Also in that week across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand will be the ATP's Auckland Open.

The Brisbane International, formerly a joint ATP-WTA event, will be a women's only tournament this year with hometown star Barty among a group of headliners also including Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, beginning next Monday.

Venus Williams, who had been given a wild card for Brisbane, pulled out with an undisclosed training “setback”on Wednesday. She still hopes to play in Adelaide.

Also on the WTA Tour, the ASB Classic next week has secured a bit of a coup with Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, who will retire after the Australian Open, scheduled to attend and play singles as well as doubles together in New Zealand. The Hobart International will be played the same week in Australia.

The 38-year-old Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, is the only one of the top seven players in the men's rankings who will not be competing in the 10-day ATP Cup in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.

"He's made the decision to spend some time with his family and he's obviously a lot more conscious of how much he's playing (as he gets older)," ATP Cup tournament director Tom Larner told the Australian Associated Press. "For everything Roger has given to the sport we're accepting of that."

Andy Murray will not be appearing for Britain, withdrawing following an injury setback after his return from hip surgery.

Australia will play in Brisbane with Germany, Greece and Canada. In the other Brisbane group it's Serbia, France, South Africa and Chile. In Sydney, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria and Molodova comprise one group while the other contains Argentina, Austria, Croatia and Poland. Perth hosts the United States, Russia, Italy and Norway and another group comprising Spain, Japan, Uruguay and Georgia.

Kei Nishikori withdrew from the Japan team for the ATP Cup and from the Australian Open.

"I am still not 100 percent ready to compete at the highest level," Nishikori said. He has not competed since the US Open because of a right elbow injury that required surgery in October.

There are a number of innovations to be provided at the ATP Cup, including Team Zones, which will replace the player chairs near the umpire, and on-court coaching where the captain, coaches and players can offer input.

Each encounter will be best-of-three, three-set matches — two singles and a doubles. The six group winners plus two second-place countries go through to the final series in Sydney beginning 9 January.

World No 15-ranked Denis Shapovalov, a member of the Canadian team which opens against Greece on Friday, questioned the timing of the ATP Cup so close to last year's new format for the Davis Cup, the long-standing men's international team competition. On 24 November, Nadal beat Shapovalov to clinch the Davis Cup for Spain in Madrid.

The 20-year-old Shapovalov said ideally there would be only one "world championship" of tennis.

“I think it is a little bit strange to have it at a similar time as Davis Cup,” he said. “It would be great just to have one event that is a world championship. It is a weird feeling playing a world championships then coming into another event that is pretty much the same thing. We will see how it pans out.”

There's no question in Nadal's mind about his objective for the new event.

“It's a tournament that we want to compete well in, and then we'll have a week before the Australian Open for me personally to practice and for some of the others to play in Auckland or Adelaide,” he said. "So we are very focused on trying to be ready for this competition.

“We are a team that gives the maximum.”

To add some extra appeal at the Auckland WTA event, longtime friends Serena Williams and Wozniacki will play doubles together for the first time. Former No 1 Wozniacki who has started her season in Auckland every year since 2015, has made the hardcourt tournament the first stop of her short farewell tour.

The 29-year-old Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis shortly after she won the 2018 Australian Open and will retire from tennis after playing at Melbourne Park this month.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and who was recently named the AP Female Athlete of the Decade, has not played doubles with anyone other than her sister, Venus, since the Fed Cup World Group playoff in 2015. Her last WTA tournament in doubles without Venus was in 2002.

By the time the weekend of 1 and 2 February rolls around — the finals of the women's and men's singles championship at the Australian Open — the victors may not have been the ones who played best during the two weeks at Melbourne Park, but those who best managed the fast-paced tournament schedule leading up to it.

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