18 Publicity Photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alyssa Milano on the Set of “Commando” (1985)

Commando is a 1985 American action film directed by Mark L. Lester and produced by Joel Silver. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, alongside Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke and Dan Hedaya.

In the film, Schwarzenegger starred as Colonel John Matrix, a retired Special Forces operative living a quiet life in the mountains with his daughter Jenny, played by a then 12-year-old Milano. The film’s emotional core hinges on their relationship: Jenny is kidnapped by mercenaries trying to force Matrix into carrying out an assassination. Instead, Matrix launches a one-man war to rescue her, unleashing the kind of explosive, over-the-top action that made Commando a cult classic.

Milano had just started her career when she took the role. She was simultaneously starring on the hit sitcom Who’s the Boss? (1984–1992), which helped make her one of the decade’s most recognizable child actors. In Commando, she balanced vulnerability and spirit—her character outsmarts her captors a few times, which added suspense and gave her more agency than many child roles in action films of the era.

For Schwarzenegger, Commando was part of his rapid rise after The Terminator (1984). The film cemented his reputation as the quintessential 1980s action hero: muscular, witty, and unstoppable.

Behind the scenes, he reportedly had a warm and protective rapport with Milano, treating her like a real daughter on set. Milano later reflected fondly on the experience, saying she felt safe working with him even in such an intense and violent movie.

Commando was released in the United States on October 4, 1985, where it received praise for the action sequences and humor. The film became a commercial success at the box office and was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects, but lost to Back to the Future.

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30 Glamorous Portraits of Claudine Auger From the 1960s

Claudine Auger (1941–2019) was a French actress and model best known internationally for her role as Domino Derval in the James Bond film Thunderball (1965). Her performance as the beautiful and complex Bond girl opposite Sean Connery helped launch her to global fame.

Before her acting career, Auger was crowned Miss France Monde in 1958 and later became the first runner-up at Miss World 1958, which opened doors for her in modeling and film. She studied drama at the Conservatoire de Paris and soon began appearing in French cinema during the early 1960s.

While Thunderball remained her most famous international role, Auger also appeared in a variety of European films throughout the 1960s and ’70s, spanning genres from drama to comedy and thrillers. Some of her notable appearances include Triple Cross (1966), Anyone Can Play (1968), and Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971).

Celebrated for her elegance, screen presence, and classic beauty, Auger remains one of the most memorable actresses of 1960s European cinema, particularly within the Bond legacy. These glamorous photos highlight Claudine Auger’s charm and style, both on and off screen during the 1960s.

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Rare Photographs of Ainu People With Bears, Which They Consider to be Gods

The Ainu people, the indigenous people of northern Japan (mainly Hokkaidō, parts of the Kurils, and Sakhalin), have a deep and complex spiritual relationship with bears, particularly bear cubs, which is most famously expressed in a ceremony called iyomante (or iomante). This ritual is central to their worldview and history.

At the core of Ainu belief is the concept of kamuy, which can be translated as “deity” or “spirit.” Ainu people believe that the world is filled with kamuy who can take on physical forms, known as hayokpe or “armor,” to visit the human world. These kamuy can be animals, plants, or natural phenomena.

Bears, specifically the brown bears of Hokkaido, were considered one of the most important and powerful kamuy, often referred to as Kimun-kamuy (“the spirit-deity who governs the peaks”). The Ainu believed that the bear kamuy would visit their world, offering them valuable gifts like meat and fur in the form of its physical body.

The iyomante ceremony was a ritual to “send off” the spirit of the bear kamuy back to its world with gifts, ensuring that it would return again with future bounties. The ceremony's history dates back centuries, with archaeological evidence suggesting similar bear-sending ceremonies existed among earlier cultures in the region.

The ritual typically involved:

• Capturing a cub: In late winter or early spring, a bear cub would be captured from its hibernation den after its mother was killed.
• Raising the cub: The cub would be brought back to the village and raised with great care, often by a woman in the community. It was treated as a beloved member of the family, even being breast-fed by the woman until it was weaned. As it grew larger, it was moved to a cage. This period could last for one to two years.
• The ceremony: The main iyomante festival took place during winter. It was a community-wide event that lasted for several days and was filled with singing (upopo), dancing (rimse), and feasting. The purpose of these activities was to entertain the bear and ensure its spirit was happy before its departure.
• Ritual killing and offerings: The bear was ritually killed, typically by being strangled or shot with ceremonial arrows, with the belief that its spirit was being released from its physical “armor.” After its death, the Ainu would offer prayers and place many offerings, such as ceremonial sticks (inau), food, and other treasures, alongside the bear’s body. The bear’s skull was also decorated and placed on a sacred altar.
• Releasing the spirit: The gifts were meant to be taken by the kamuy back to its world, so it would return favorably and bring more gifts in the future. The ceremony was not a sacrifice in the traditional sense, but rather a respectful “sending off” of a revered guest.

The iyomante ceremony was a vital social and religious event for the Ainu, reinforcing their deep connection to nature and their spiritual beliefs. However, due to centuries of forced assimilation by the Japanese government, the practice of iyomante largely ceased by the mid-20th century. Today, it is no longer practiced, though its memory and significance remain a powerful part of Ainu cultural identity.

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In the 1990s, Jatech Created a Disappearing Door System That Retracted Beneath the Car’s Body

Jatech was a California-based design and technology firm that, in the early 1990s, developed a “disappearing car door” or “rotary drop door” system. This innovative design was intended to solve the problem of traditional car doors, which require a lot of space to swing open and can be awkward in tight parking spots.

Unlike conventional doors that swing outward or other alternative designs like gullwing or scissor doors that swing upward, Jatech’s door was a motorized system that slid downward into a sealed compartment beneath the car’s body. The door was mounted on a track system and would lower into a reinforced undercarriage. When a button was pressed, the door’s window would retract, and the entire door would descend into the car's sills, leaving a completely open side for easy entry and exit.

Jatech claimed that its design had several advantages. It eliminated the need for swing-out space, making it ideal for cramped urban environments and tight parking spots. The company insisted the system improved a car’s structural integrity and crashworthiness. Jatech argued the doors would allow for easier escape in emergencies, as they wouldn't be blocked by other vehicles or objects.

The company received some early interest from major automakers like Ford and General Motors. The most famous prototype was a modified Lincoln Mark VIII, but the system was also demonstrated on a Ford Explorer and a Chevrolet Corvette. The Lincoln Mark VIII prototype, in particular, gained attention and became the subject of a viral video years later.

Despite its intriguing design and apparent advantages, the Jatech disappearing door never made it to mass production. The system required a complete redesign of the car’s understructure to create the compartment for the door, which would have driven up production costs significantly. The motorized system, exposed to road grime, debris, and weather, raised concerns about long-term reliability and maintenance.

While Jatech claimed enhanced safety, critics were skeptical, particularly about what would happen in a minor fender-bender or if the mechanism failed, potentially trapping occupants inside. A manual override was reportedly part of the design, but the heavy doors would have been difficult to move without the motor’s assistance.

The doors were completely featureless on the inside, as the space was needed for the mechanism. This meant no storage pockets, speakers, or other standard door panel features.

By the 2010s, Jatech had ceased operations, leaving behind only a handful of prototypes and a legendary viral video that continues to fascinate car enthusiasts. The company’s name has, in a way, lived up to its invention's fate, having largely disappeared from the public eye.

Fabulous Portraits of Giulietta Masina in “La Strada” (1954)

La Strada is a 1954 Italian film directed by Federico Fellini, often regarded as one of his masterpieces and a landmark in world cinema. The title translates to “The Road”, reflecting the film’s poetic journey through human suffering, love, and redemption.

The story follows Gelsomina (played by Giulietta Masina), a simple and innocent young woman who is sold by her impoverished mother to Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), a brutish traveling strongman. As they wander from town to town, Gelsomina endures hardship but also reveals her purity and resilience. Along the way, she encounters Il Matto (Richard Basehart), a gentle and free-spirited tightrope walker who changes her perspective on life.

With its blend of neorealism, symbolism, and lyrical storytelling, La Strada explores themes of loneliness, cruelty, innocence, and the search for meaning. The haunting score by Nino Rota has become iconic, perfectly echoing the melancholy and tenderness of the film.

La Strada won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1957 and established Fellini as an internationally acclaimed director. Giulietta Masina’s performance as Gelsomina remains one of the most beloved in Italian cinema, making the film a timeless classic.

These remarkable photos highlight the emotion and artistry of La Strada (1954), with Giulietta Masina’s iconic performance at its heart.

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Iconic Photos of Concorde With the Twin Towers in the Background, the Two Different Wonders That We’ll Never See Again

When Concorde entered passenger service in 1976, New York was the most important transatlantic market—but U.S. approval was complicated. Noise regulations and protests against sonic booms delayed scheduled service to John F. Kennedy International Airport until November 22, 1977, when British Airways and Air France were finally allowed to operate regular Concorde flights into New York.

During publicity runs, the aircraft was often photographed against the Manhattan skyline, with the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center serving as a dramatic backdrop. These images became iconic—sleek supersonic technology soaring above the symbol of global finance.

One particularly famous moment occurred on October 19, 1977, when a Concorde (Air France) made a ceremonial flight over New York City after test landings at JFK. It passed low enough over lower Manhattan for photographers to capture the jet crossing above the World Trade Center towers—images that were later used in promotional materials.

For the next two decades, Concorde was a frequent sight on the New York–London and New York–Paris routes, with the Twin Towers often visible during arrivals and departures from JFK. The pairing of Concorde and the World Trade Center became a symbol of late 20th-century ambition: engineering marvels of speed and height sharing the same skyline.

The 9/11 attacks had a devastating effect on the aviation industry worldwide, leading to a sharp decline in air travel and public confidence in flying. Concorde’s primary market was high-end business and leisure travel between London/Paris and New York. A significant number of Concorde’s most frequent customers, including many who worked at the World Trade Center, were killed in the attacks.

The subsequent global downturn in travel, combined with the already high costs of operating the aircraft and the aftermath of the 2000 crash, ultimately sealed Concorde’s fate. It was a contributing factor in British Airways’ and Air France’s decision to retire the fleet in 2003.

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When Sylvester Stallone Met Michael Schumacher in 1998

In 1998, Sylvester Stallone met Michael Schumacher at several Formula One events. Stallone was in the early stages of a film project about F1, which eventually became the 2001 movie Driven. He was reportedly doing research for the film, visiting F1 races and meeting with drivers and team personnel.

Their most well-documented meeting took place at the Monaco Grand Prix on May 24, 1998. Photos from the event show Stallone in the Ferrari garage, speaking with Schumacher and even sitting in Schumacher’s Ferrari F300 car. Another meeting between the two was documented at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on September 11, 1998.

During their encounters, Stallone and Schumacher were photographed laughing and engaging in a playful “boxing” pose. The meetings generated significant media attention due to Stallone’s star power and Schumacher’s status as a top F1 driver.

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