‘There’s a lot more to come from James Dean’: With AI, there’s no rest for the dead

SPOTLIGHT / Dead man walking

James Dean is being “reimagined” with AI, with other deceased stars in the wings. Can the Rebel Without a Cause trilogy be far away?Credit: Alamy

Word is that James Dean is making a comeback. Sixty-seven years after the release of his last movie, the coolest guy ever to wear a leather jacket while glowering at a camera through the smoke of the cigarette dangling from his lips is reported to have a role in a new film called Back to Eden. I know what you’re thinking: James Dean is dead. And technically, you’re right. But such are the innovations in computer-generated imagery and AI that ceasing to exist is not the career-killer it once was. “There is a lot more to come for James Dean,” digital media company executive Travis Cloyd has assured us.

The star of Rebel Without a Cause was fatally injured in a crash in his Porsche Spyder in 1955, aged just 24. Recent technological advances mean photographs, video and audio recordings of the actor can be processed and synthesised to create a cinematic clone that looks, sounds and moves like the original.

The idea of digitally resurrecting Dean struck some as creepy when it was first touted a few years ago (“NOPE. This shouldn’t be a thing,” tweeted actor Elijah Wood) and, if anything, the proposal is more contentious now. The US actors’ strike that began in July was triggered in part by concern that technical wizardry could render live performers obsolete. Similarly, deceased stars whose heirs sell rights to their personas could be vulnerable to limitless digital exploitation. Along with Dean, stars on Travis Cloyd’s books include Bette Davis, Jimmy Stewart and Rock Hudson. “I wouldn’t call them dead actors,” Cloyd has said. “They’re icons of the past reimagined in a new frontier.” Working stiffs, as others might put it. Jane Cadzow

READ / Triple threat

What if your two favourite people hated each other?

Imagine if your partner and your best friend loathed each other? The Three of Us ($33), the debut novel by British-Nigerian writer Ore Agbaje-Williams, unfolds over a single, alcohol-fuelled day and night in London, and is told from three perspectives: the husband’s, the wife’s (both unnamed) and the wife’s best friend, Temi. The husband, who loves his wife and their privileged life, and Temi, dismayed at her friend’s betrayal of their student vows never to marry, engage in escalating mind games as they compete for the wife’s affection. A wickedly funny tale of jealousy, control, betrayal and doubt with a cracker ending. Best read in one (delicious) sitting. Nicole Abadee

CHILL / Knock, knock

With the option to see inside your fridge, there’s no hiding the state of your vegie drawer from your guests.

Are you a foodie with a penchant for tech? The LG InstaView fridge with MoodUP ($7999) could be the perfect recipe. A double knock reveals the contents within, eliminating the need to open the door, thus minimising cold-air loss and energy waste, while “Colour Changeable” LED doors (offering 22 options for the top panels and 19 for the bottom ones) can be curated to suit your mood or kitchen decor. And if all this leaves you cold, consider engaging the appliance’s “Party Mode”, which streams songs from your smart device to the fridge’s Bluetooth speaker or, alternatively, gives you access to its music collection playlist on the ThinQ app. Crucially, MoodUP’s enhanced airflow helps maintain optimal temperature throughout the refrigerator, ensuring your food stays fresh for longer. Frances Mocnik

LISTEN / Questions and answers

Search Engine’s motto: “No question too big, no question too small.”

You know those questions you type into Google when you can’t sleep, and the rabbit holes you then fall into? That’s where P J  Vogt goes on Search Engine, a podcast with the motto: “No question too big, no question too small.” So he asks, “What’s going on with Elon Musk?” or “Why can’t they turn all those empty offices into housing?” But he also asks, “Should I drink aeroplane coffee?” (spoiler alert: ew!) and “How do I find new music now that I’m old and irrelevant?” – which becomes a fascinating discussion about the nature of popular music itself with The New Yorker critic Kelefa Sanneh. Barry Divola

HURRY / Cultural baggage

The Sydney Opera House and its shows have been repurposed into showstopping bags.

Ahead of its momentous 50th anniversary in October, the Sydney Opera House’s Official Gift Shop is showcasing the work of emerging innovative makers. Commissioned to repurpose the fabric remnants from the 2017 reupholstering of the House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre and banners from the musical Six and Thrones! The Musical Parody, Tasmanian artist Lyn Hellewell, founder of RECOLAB (Repurposed, Eco-friendly, Collaborative Laboratory), has designed a limited-edition collection of totes ($65), clutches ($60) and toiletry bags ($49) that are guaranteed to become showstopping sellouts. Cue wild applause and shouts of “Encore!” Frances Mocnik

SHOP / Check, please!

This pink checkerboard blazer from Maggie Marilyn is determined to have you stand out in style.

New Zealand designer Maggie Hewitt has acquired some Sydney sparkle since crossing the ditch in February. The block-coloured basics of Hewitt’s ethically focused label Maggie Marilyn already attract a loyal following, but her Australian Fashion Week debut in May delivered surprising prints that pack a punch. This pink checkerboard Love Will Lead You Home blazer ($1495) is a single-buttoned showstopper that pairs brilliantly with subdued work pants or an equally exuberant party skirt. The relaxed silhouette was originally executed in New Zealand wool but is going global in eye-catching Italian fabric. Love. Damien Woolnough

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