‘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

Russia bans WhatsApp and promotes state-backed messaging app

Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.

Published

16 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.

The Kremlin has officially blocked WhatsApp, urging Russians to switch to MAX, a state-backed messaging app. This move comes after Meta refused to comply with local regulations, sparking debates over digital freedom in the country.

Critics warn that MAX could be used for government surveillance, though authorities deny these claims. The ban highlights Russia’s growing control over foreign tech platforms and its push for locally regulated alternatives.

Activists in Moscow have staged protests calling for an open and unregulated internet, while the public reacts with a mix of concern and resignation.

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News

U.S. secretly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran after protests

US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.

Published

16 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.

U.S. officials report that the Trump administration covertly sent around 6,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran following widespread protests. The move was designed to bypass strict internet blackouts imposed by authorities in Tehran.

The terminals reportedly enabled activists and dissidents to reconnect with the outside world during periods of severe digital restriction, raising fresh questions about foreign involvement and cyber strategy.

As geopolitical tensions simmer, the revelation underscores how connectivity has become a powerful tool in modern conflict.

#Iran #Starlink #DonaldTrump #MiddleEast #GlobalPolitics #TechNews #InternetFreedom #BreakingNews

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News

Anthropic secures 30 billion in fresh funding as valuation surges

Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Published

16 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Anthropic has secured a staggering $30 billion in fresh funding, catapulting its valuation to $380 billion and cementing its place among the most valuable AI companies in the world. The raise marks the second-largest private technology funding round ever, trailing only OpenAI’s $40 billion deal.

Major backers in this latest round include Singapore’s GIC and Coatue Management, alongside existing heavyweight partners Microsoft and Nvidia. The scale of the investment underscores intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence as capital continues to flood into the sector.

Anthropic’s valuation has more than doubled in just five months, fuelled by rapid enterprise growth. The company now works with eight of the Fortune 10 and boasts more than 500 customers spending over $1 million annually, highlighting surging demand for advanced AI tools across corporate America.

#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Anthropic #TechNews #VentureCapital #BigTech #Innovation #Startups