‘Lots of lube’ for gruesome Stranger Things monster

Published

4 years ago

June 9, 2022

The first part of Stranger Things Season 4 dropped on Netflix just a few weeks ago, and has viewers looking in dark corners for monsters

Without giving too much away, Vecna is already the breakout star of the season.

He’s the big, scary monster wreaking havoc on Hawkins. But behind the scenes, it seems like a nightmare process to make the gruesome creature.

Season 4 of Stranger Things has a new monster dressed in lube

An 80s technique to create Stranger Things’ new monster, Vecna, took designers up to 7 hours to apply.

The process behind it

To give Vecna a slimy look, prosthetics were painted with silicone and a whole lot of lube.

Parts of the costume were attached to the actor’s skin directly which took up to 7 hours to complete.

Prosthetics designer, Barrie Gower who had worked on films like the Harry Potter series, was hired for season 4 of Stranger Things.

Speaking to the Verge, make-up department head Amy Forsythe says getting Gower on board added another level to the show.

“Practical effects are such a huge thing with the nostalgia of the ‘80s, and we were losing that so much in our show.”

Lube is a popular technique to make monsters look slimy and was particularly used in the 80s.

Stranger Things’ success

Though season 4 took the team 14 months to film (including a 6 month disruption due to Covid-19), the new season has proven to be successful.

Since the release of season 4, 286.79 million hours were viewed in just the first few days of its release.

Breaking a Netflix record, Stranger Things 4 surpasses Bridgerton’s premiere and also reached the top 10 in 93 countries.

Katerina Kostakos contributed to this article

Australia shuts millions of teen social media accounts

Australia’s social media ban leads to 4.7 million teen account closures, prompting debate over online safety and freedom.

Published

20 hours ago

January 16, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Australia’s social media ban leads to 4.7 million teen account closures, prompting debate over online safety and freedom.

Nearly five million social media accounts belonging to Australian teenagers have been closed since the nation’s social media ban began in December. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok were responsible for removing around 4.7 million accounts held by minors, according to the eSafety Commissioner.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the figures as encouraging, highlighting the government’s commitment to protecting children online. The new law holds social media companies accountable, with fines imposed on platforms that fail to prevent underage accounts from being created or maintained.

Despite these measures, some teenagers have reportedly bypassed the restrictions by falsifying their ages or using parental information. The debate continues over the effectiveness of these regulations and the balance between safety and online freedom.

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#AustraliaNews #SocialMediaBan #TeenSafety #eSafety #Instagram #TikTok #OnlineProtection #TechLaw

News

Iran protests and the global fight for freedom

Protests in Iran escalate as citizens demand women’s rights; Rabbi Cooper discusses global solidarity and advocacy efforts.

Published

2 days ago

January 15, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Protests in Iran escalate as citizens demand women’s rights; Rabbi Cooper discusses global solidarity and advocacy efforts.

Amid escalating protests in Iran, citizens are risking everything to demand women’s rights and basic freedoms. The world watches as these demonstrations grow, with many hoping for meaningful change in the face of a brutal regime.

We speak with Rabbi Abraham Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center about the advocacy work supporting Iranian voices and the historical context of defending human rights. He explains the vital role of international solidarity and how governments and communities can respond.

From the human cost on the ground to the influence of the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles, this interview sheds light on the stakes, the movement, and why public attention is critical.

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#IranProtests #HumanRights #WomensRights #FreedomMovement #IranNews #SimonWiesenthal #TickerNews #GlobalSolidarity

News

Greenland and Denmark signal security divide with the United States

Greenland, Denmark assert Arctic island not for sale, emphasizing cooperation with the US on their own terms.

Published

2 days ago

January 15, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Greenland, Denmark assert Arctic island not for sale, emphasizing cooperation with the US on their own terms.

Greenland and Denmark have used high-level talks in Washington, D.C. to firmly restate that the Arctic island is not for sale, pushing back against long-standing US interest in the strategically vital territory.

Foreign ministers from both Greenland and Denmark acknowledged that major disagreements remain following discussions with US officials, despite what they described as constructive engagement on shared priorities.

Greenland’s government made clear it is open to closer cooperation with Washington, but only on its own terms, rejecting any suggestion of ownership or control.

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#Greenland #Denmark #UnitedStates #Geopolitics #ArcticPolitics #WorldNews #Security #Ticker