At the end of Eyes Wide Shut, Dr. Bill Harford and his wife Alice come together in that most normative of spaces: an FAO Schwarz toy store. As they watch their daughter look at potential presents, Bill feebly tries to explain his sexual sojourn through the city we just watched, one prompted by Alice’s confession of lust for a random sailor. Upon the completion of Bill’s story, Alice declares, “There is something we need to do as soon as possible.” What’s that, her husband and the audience asks? Fuck.” The camera holds on her face for a beat or two…

Gladiator doesn’t seem like the type of movie that demands a sequel. Sure, it won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and sure, director Ridley Scott is still going strong more than two decades later. But the story of Maximus had a definitive arc and ending. As portrayed by Russell Crowe, the general-turned-gladiator Maximus died after leading a revolt against Rome and the corrupt Emperor Commodus (a wild Joaquin Phoenix). So what is the point of a sequel 20 years later? Yes, the empire limps on for a few more centuries, but that’s not enough to justify a direct sequel…

“New York has a new problem,” declared the tagline for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, complete with a picture of Jason’s hockey mask behind the city’s iconic skyline. To some modern readers, that tagline might seem silly. Sure, New York has its problems, but the arrival of a near-invincible, teleporting killer is orders of magnitude worse than anything currently happening in the Big Apple. Why would producers lump Jason Voorhees in with those other issues? But when the movie released back in 1989, New York City existed in the popular imagination as a cesspool of violence, corruption,…

Almost nothing’s more important than a first impression. It’s a chance to put your best foot forward and leave a mark that folks will remember. But what if you don’t want them to remember your best foot? What if the impression intended to be left is of five toes digging into their backsides—and crawling under the skin? It’s a funny idea, yet for more than a hundred years filmmakers have reached for exactly such visceral reactions to character introductions and entrances. They have striven to create sequences, movie moments, and performances that promise or forewarn of terrible sights to come,…

Joy must be working overtime in the minds of Disney’s higher-ups, because Inside Out 2 continues to make money. Heading into Fourth of July weekend, the film has stayed at number one and looks to drop off small again, even with challenger Despicable Me 4. But before the film released, fans had to deal with one of the new emotions introduced in the film: anxiety. And that’s because Disney Pixar was messing with the formula that made the first film so wonderful by switching out the voices for two of the central character. The first Inside Out from 2015 focused…

Inside Out 2 did not feel like a necessary addition to the Pixar canon when it was announced. Why make a sequel to one of the most original, ingenious solo outings in animation history and potentially tamper with the reputation of greatness? Money sure felt like the motivating factor, and Pixar has cashed in to the tune of nearly $1 billion and counting after two-plus weeks at the box office. But jumping inside Riley’s head of emotions for a second time was actually a courageous and rewarding payoff for fans worldwide as they were treated to one of the best…

This Star Wars article contains spoilers. Star Wars wouldn’t be Star Wars without lightsabers. The illuminated blades have become an iconic part of the franchise, as have the many characters who wield them. Lightsabers require great skill and mastery, especially when Jedi Master faces Sith Lord. Lightsaber duels are the cornerstone of almost any good Star Wars project, and there have been many thrilling clashes over the franchise’s decades-long history. With so many to choose from, it’s time to look back at the very best duels from the live-action movies and TV series, and rank which is the greatest duel…

The Fourth of July is here, and with America’s birthday comes always the need to get in the patriotic spirit. There are many ways to do that of course. Fireworks are forever the go-to event; backyard barbecues and grills with hot dogs and hamburgers is another. But sometimes you might just want a bit of celluloid magic to remind you why you should care in the first place. Whether you’re looking for a comedy or a drama, some ‘80s “USA, USA” cheese, or a genuine exploration of America’s founding, we’ve got you covered with a list of some of the…

This Superman article contains spoilers. There’s only one Green Lantern good enough to handle a high-pressure planet like Earth, and that’s ol’ Guy Gardner. At least, that’s what Guy Gardner would say anytime that someone challenges his credentials. One of the most popular characters in the Green Lantern franchise, Guy Gardner is a brain-damaged braggart and loser who just so happens to have the most powerful weapon in the universe on his finger. He’s a very idiosyncratic character, one hard to get right in other adaptations. Fortunately, James Gunn seemed to be moving in the right direction for Gardner when…

Deep within the wilderness of Tibet, a warlord called Ying Ko dominates the villagers and consolidates all power for himself. But one day, Ying Ko is captured by a holy man and taken to a mystical temple. The holy man dazzles Ying Ko with displays of magic, none more chilling than when he refers to the warlord, a white American, by his true name: Lamont Cranston. For all the strange choices that director Russell Mulcahy and writer David Koepp make for their 1994 film The Shadow, the titular hero’s origin might be the best. After all, Koepp created this backstory…

“A B-movie with A-movie ideas.” That is how an eminently driven, and fictional, film director describes the horror movie sequel she’s developing in MaXXXine. Yet Ti West’s assertion through her will be lost on no one walking into this third triumphant installment of the decade’s most unlikely franchise. What began as a lean and mean throwback to ‘70s independent sleaze in all its shadings—from the grindhouse to the porno shop—has turned into a tryptic of longing and ambition, love for cinema’s power and anguish at beholding the full desolation its legacy can bring. When the trilogy concludes this Fourth of…

Driving into town in his beat-up Chevy Nova, Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) still cannot believe the sights of Beverly Hills. He looks with bewilderment at high-fashion stores, a man dressed like a rockstar, and a blonde in a Corvette who offers a playful wink despite her boyfriend in the adjoining seat. Foley ends the sequence with his infectious chuckle, out of place in Beverly Hills but not out of ideas. When Foley returns 40 years later for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, he repeats the drive in yet another beat-up vehicle. He notices a new set of California…

Let’s face it, streaming services have lost a lot of their appeal. Between their ever shifting libraries, their kneecapping of theaters, and their tendency to overwhelm viewers with substandard garbage, it’s hard to be excited about our streaming present. Heck, most services now play the same couple of ads over and over, even for paying customers! With every annoying insurance ad and every movie suddenly shoved from a service you bought to a different service you don’t have, Tubi looks better and better. Tubi is one of many free streaming services available online. Like most other services, free or otherwise,…

Deadpool isn’t just another superhero. He’s also one of the biggest nerds in the world, a guy who knows nearly everything about the Marvel Universe on page, screen, and beyond. How else could he keep making these snide remarks to the camera and his countless readers? Still, in the latest teaser for Deadpool & Wolverine, the Merc With a Mouth seems to have forgotten about an important detail. The new quasi-trailer finds the titular duo of Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and Logan (Hugh Jackman) deep within the Void: a wasteland last seen in Loki‘s first season. This Mad Max-ian hellscape…

Hell yeah! HBO and Max’s new releases for July include the two-episode debut of Harley Quinn spinoff series Kite Man: Hell Yeah! (July 18) that follows the titular villain and his girlfriend the Golden Glider as they take their relationship to the next logical step – opening a bar for supervillains together. Hilarious hijinks are bound to ensue as Gotham’s hottest new bar takes off. Football fans will get to follow the New York Giants in this season of Hard Knocks: Offseason starting July 2. This non-scripted series will follow the team as they prepare for their highly anticipated 100th…

Star Wars: The Acolyte continues to be the most exciting offering on Disney+ in July, with the season finale airing on July 16 at 6 p.m. PT/ 9 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. GMT. With the identity of the Stranger revealed and only three episodes left, this show is ramping up speed for what is sure to be an epic finale. For families, or even the young at heart, Descendants: The Rise of Red arrives on July 12, joined by sing-along versions of the first three Descendants movies for your karaoke viewing pleasure. The first seven of Bluey‘s new minisodes…

On June 30 1999, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s infamous creation, South Park, made its leap from Comedy Central to the silver screen with South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. Possibly the fastest example of a TV series making the jump to film, South Park was greenlit right at the end of the first season, and production started during the second and third seasons. Bigger, Longer and Uncut would go on to fully highlight the sheer magnitude of Parker and Stone’s comedic and satirical strengths, working as a metatextual commentary on censorship and scapegoating while dealing with its own veritable…

Netflix has a couple of major series airing all or part of their final seasons in July 2024. The hit Spanish drama Elite is set to premiere its eighth and final season in full this month with one final mystery (July 26), Vikings: Valhalla is setting off on one final adventure with its third season (July 11), and Cobra Kai is also entering its swan song era with the first part of its final sixth season arriving on Netflix July 18. The most notable movie offering this month is Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (July 3). Thirty years after his…

If we listen to each other’s heart, we’ll find we love A Goofy Movie as cinematic art! Okay, that isn’t how the lyrics to the now famous “I 2 I” song first heard in 1995’s A Goofy Movie go but they reflect how the world at large views the film these days. Thanks to a generation of kids watching the movie over and over on VHS, endless cosplays of rock star Powerline, and the irresistible god-tier quality of Tevin Campbell’s musical contributions, A Goofy Movie is more beloved today than it’s ever been. But with so many repeated viewings little…

Hulu is giving Shark Week a run for its money this July with not one but seven National Geographic specials dropping on the streaming service at the start of the month. From Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie to Baby Sharks in the City, there are plenty of options for fans of these fearsome finned creatures. Hulu also has a couple of fun offerings for adult animation fans with the full second season of Marvel’s Hit Monkey dropping on July 15 and Futurama returning for its 12th season on July 29th. There’s not really anything notable in the way of original…