A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic inscription, but the term can also be applied to inscriptions on boulders and on bedrock. Runestones served a variety of purposes beyond simply marking a grave. They were not typically placed at a burial site but rather in prominent locations like along roads, at bridges, or near farms to be seen by many people.

The most common purpose was to commemorate a deceased family member, friend, or loved one. The inscriptions often detail who the stone was for, who raised it, and their relationship to the deceased. Raising a runestone also was a way for a family or an individual to display their wealth, social standing, and piety. Some stones were even raised by individuals for themselves, a form of self-aggrandizement.

The surge in runestone creation during the 11th century coincided with the transition from Norse paganism to Christianity. Many runestones prominently feature a Christian cross and a prayer for the soul of the deceased, demonstrating the family’s new faith. In some regions, like Uppland, the tradition may have been particularly strong because the conversion to Christianity was more prolonged.

Altman’s vision for the film was so specific that he reportedly woke up and immediately knew he wanted to cast Duvall and Spacek. Spacek had just had a major breakthrough with her performance in Carrie (1976), and Duvall was an Altman regular, having worked with him on films like Nashville (1975) and Thieves Like Us (1974).

The film was shot in the California desert, in and around Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs. Both Duvall and Spacek were given a good deal of creative freedom by Altman. The dialogue was partly improvised, particularly for Duvall’s character, Millie. Duvall is even credited with writing her character’s diary entries and recipes. The two actresses spent long hours together rehearsing and filming in stark desert settings, which contributed to the eerie, almost otherworldly quality of the movie.

Their performances in the film were highly praised. Shelley Duvall won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, and Sissy Spacek won Best Supporting Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle.

In the 1970s, Weld was in a fascinating transitional period of her career. By then, she had already established herself as a gifted actress with a reputation for intensity and emotional depth, moving far beyond the “troubled teen” roles of the 1950s and 1960s.

Weld gravitated toward complex, often troubled women. She appeared in films such as A Safe Place (1971), directed by Henry Jaglom, and Play It As It Lays (1972), based on Joan Didion’s novel. The latter, where she played Maria Wyeth, is considered one of her most defining performances—haunting and raw, capturing the alienation of Hollywood in the early 1970s.

In 1978, she earned critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, where she played opposite Diane Keaton.

Weld was known for her reluctance toward stardom. She often turned down high-profile roles—including parts in Lolita, Rosemary’s Baby, and Bonnie and Clyde—saying she valued her personal freedom more than fame.

In the 1970s, her image was that of an enigmatic, fiercely independent actress—a Hollywood starlet who refused to be typecast. She struggled at times with mental health and substance use, which added to her aura as a brilliant but unpredictable talent.

By the 1970s, she had a more mature, bohemian-meets-Hollywood glamour look—soft waves of blonde hair, natural makeup, and a mix of California cool with understated elegance.

After the final whistle of Argentina’s 2-1 victory, as players were leaving the pitch and heading down the tunnel, Steve Hodge had a brief, chance encounter with Maradona. Recalling that his coach, Brian Clough, had once advised players to keep memorabilia from important matches, Hodge decided to seize the opportunity. He looked at Maradona and, with a gesture, asked to swap shirts. Maradona, who was walking with two teammates, came straight over and made the exchange.

Hodge took the iconic number 10 jersey and carried it back to the English locker room, an act that some of his teammates questioned given the bitter defeat.

For over 35 years, the shirt remained with Steve Hodge. For two decades, it was on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester, on a long-term loan. Hodge also wrote an autobiography titled The Man with the Maradona Shirt.

After Maradona’s death in 2020, Hodge received thousands of calls and offers to sell the shirt, but initially, he insisted it wasn’t for sale, citing its immense sentimental value. However, in 2022, he decided to put it up for auction.

The decision was not without controversy. Members of Maradona’s family, including his daughter Dalma, publicly claimed that the shirt Hodge possessed was not the one Maradona wore in the second half of the match (when he scored both goals), but rather the one from the first half. Sotheby’s, the auction house, countered these claims, stating they had conducted extensive scientific research and “photomatching” to authenticate that the shirt was, in fact, the one worn during the second half.

The auction went ahead, and on May 4, 2022, the shirt sold for a staggering £7.1 million (approximately $9.3 million), setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia.