Consider how great it is that films from India are finally gaining legitimate media coverage these days — acquiring awards, accolades, and prestige at a pace never before seen in world cinema. Audiences read subtitles now. Although, they’ve always been worth it.
One such worthwhile film, from one such worthwhile filmmaker, is the Indian Telugu-language rom-com Kushi, written and directed by Shiva Nirvana.
When is it coming out? Who’s in it? What’s it going to be about? I’m sure you mind is racing, and to that end, I’m here to give you all the information you would ever need surrounding Kushi.
When is Kushi coming out?
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait much longer to finally check out this upcoming romp, and if the trailer didn’t give anything away — fans can expect the film to release in theaters on September 1.
Who is starring in Kushi?
Starring Vijay Deverakonda, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Sachin Khedekar, Saranya Ponvannan, Murali Sharma, and Lakshmi, this tale of two worlds is primed with all sorts of industry heavyweights.
They’re who are bound to be brining some incredible perfomances to the table throughout.
What is the plot of Kushi?
Kushi follows a love story between an army officer and rural girl, set in the Jammu and Kashmir mountains. The young couple, coming from different communities, attempt to rectify their differences and bring their families together as they fall in love — while planning their marriage, and life after.
Well, there you have it. All the info you would ever need when it comes to Kushi. Check it out in theaters, starting tomorrow, and have a blast.
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Today I’m going to try my hand at ranking every Batman movie villain ever seen on the silver screen — but I’m not going to include any villains from animated adventures. I know that might upset some of you, but frankly, if I added that gallery of ne’er-do-wells to my list, this article would be the longest written piece of material in human history.
Also, you aren’t going to see some live-action bad guys that have made their crossovers on a technicality. Which means… No Suicide Squad, no Justice League (or Batman v Superman), and no Joaquin Phoenix. Again, apologies, but this whole ordeal is long enough as it is.
What I’m choosing to focus on here are the handful of dedicated Batman films surroduing Bruce Wayne’s ongoing fight against evil. Plain old Batman movies. Meaning you won’t be seeing any mafia members or petty thieves on here either. Just the heavy hitters. Literally.
So, without further ado, let’s dig in.
22. Catwoman – The Batman
First up, our latest iteration of Catwoman — Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle. Now, I love this character, and placing her at the very bottom of this list was no easy feat.
Here’s the issue; The Batman never really presents its Catwoman as a villain outright, and only ever plays on her anti-hero status. She exists much more as a love interest than as a true-blue villain, which is totally fine, but it means that this particular cat comes without most of her claws.
21. Talia al Ghul – The Dark Knight Rises
I’ll go on record to say that I do like Talia al Ghul — Marion Cotillard does a lot with her role in The Dark Knight Rises — but Talia’s addition to this massive cast of heroes and villains never did much for me.
It’s pretty forgettable.
She’s introduced in the trilogy’s epic finale, teased as a former romantic interest, and has a plan started by her late father, Ra (who we’ll see later on). Yes it’s all very poetic, but her absence from the second film means the emotional gravitas Nolan was going for doesn’t totally land.
20. Catwoman – The Dark Knight Rises
Hatahway’s take on Selina Kyle in Rises is fantastic. Full stop. But, again, here’s the issue… She’s not really a villain. Yes, she steals a few things, runs away here and there, and doesn’t totally trust our beloved Batman / Bruce Wayne — but all in all? She’s never a bad guy.
This Catwoman, like the one above, is more of a romantic interest. And again, there’s nothing wrong with that, but her penchant for villainy is pretty darn low.
19. Bane – Batman and Robin
I’m not going to spend a lot of time here. Batman and Robin isn’t that good, and neither is the Bane it brings to the table. He’s a giant, hulking brute that sort of mumbles for a few minutes and tosses everyone around.
Even in a movie as whimsical as this one, it just doesn’t work. At all.
18. Poison Ivy – Batman and Robin
Uma Thurman swung for the fences here, and that needs to be recognized. She’s over the top and cheesy, but it plays in a movie as disjointed as Batman and Robin.
What’s wrong with this Ivy comes by way of her larger characterizations, and as an audience — because things are so wacky — we never get to justify or emotionally buy in to some of her evil-doings.
17. The Riddler – Batman 66
Riddle me this, riddle me that. This Batman 66 version of The Riddler remains a template Batman actors are still pulling from to this day. The laugh, the smile — it all works, kind of.
Actor Frank Gorshin has a lot to offer, even if his performance was a bit one-note-y (hey, it was the 60s), but sadly can’t compete against all the other great characters in this film and beyond.
16. Two-Face – Batman Forever
So here’s the deal. Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face is an inspired choice. Truly. The reason he’s so high up on my list is entirely because Jones was never really a fan of Batman Forever in the first place.
Now to be fair, neither was I. This movie wasn’t that good, as is the case with some of the earlier Bat flicks. But Tommy Lee Jones was outspokenly upset by his time on-screen, and for that — he gets the 16 spot.
15. Catwoman – Batman 66
The best part about this Catwoman is that she’s the first cat that actually acts as a villain. Hurray! Moreover, in Batman 66, Julie Newmar’s portrayal treats the character like a seasoned veteran. As it should.
The Catwoman here is plotting, planning, and strong as hell. She speaks with a command few Batman villains (male, female, or otherwise) possess, and remains captivating from start to finish. If there weren’t so many other fantastic performances ahead, she would have been placed much, much higher.
14. The Riddler – Batman Forever
I’m sure you were wondering when Jim Carrey would show up to this party. Well, here he is. Carrey’s Edward Nygma is a ton of fun to watch, and the character’s transformation into The Riddler is pulled off beautifully. Yes, he’s wacky, but against Val Kilmer’s stoic portrayal of Batman, Carrey gets the job done.
13. Bane – The Dark Knight Rises
This might be where I lose you. Easily the hottest take on my list, Bane from The Dark Knight Rises is… Meh. Sorry, I’m not sorry.
“I was born in the shadows,” Yada-yada, punch-punch, fight-fight. Look, I like this Bane. Batman truly meets his match here. Tom Hardy sizzles throughout. His character’s demise though? Not so much.
Bane gets run over. Like roadkill. That’s how he dies. After all the monologuing and theatrics, he gets mowed down without a second look, and that’s unforgivable.
12. Mr. Freeze – Batman and Robin
Another one some of you may not agree with. Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. Is it over the top? Yes. Is it horribly overacted ? Of course it is, but his puns are legendary and that costume is absolutely iconic.
Not to mention the fact that Dr. Victor Fries may have one of the most compelling character motivations of any Batman villain ever created. In trying to save his wife, a kind man slowly becomes a monster she would never approve of. For my money, and this is just a guess but — I think Mr. Freeze could be the main villain in Matt Reeves’ upcoming sequel to The Batman. But don’t quote me on that. (Just kidding, you totally can.)
11. Scarecrow – Batman: Begins
A main antagonist, Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow is the one and only-live action version of this unforgettable Batman baddie. And he does a bang-up job. Murphy was just strange enough to unsettle an entire generation of movie goers with his take on Scarecrow, and we should all be thanking him for it.
That said, it isn’t like this Scarecrow really does all that much. He’s sort of one-dimensional when it comes to his larger scheme, and for that, he sits a little higher than anyone might have expected. Including me.
10. Ra’s al Ghul – Batman: Begins
Although small in screen time, Liam Neeson’s stint as Ra’s al Ghul is downright dastardly. Having Ra’s train Bruce Wayne only for the two to be at odds later on in the film is what makes Batman: Begins so powerful. It’s master and apprentice, student and teacher. Ra’s even dies at peace with his evil. One word. Badass.
9. The Penguin – Batman 66
Burgess Meredith as The Penguin is quite possibly the best bit about Batman 66. He’s got it all down, and quacks his way into my top 10 because of that sheer commitment.
Perpetually smoking, complete with his ridiculously large prosthetic nose, this Penguin comes to play.
8. The Riddler – The Batman
The most recent of Batman villains, this Riddler is perhaps the most twisted iteration of the character — played beautifully by Paul Dano.
Gritty, determined, and tons of twisted fun, his Riddler feels like a guy who could actually exist in our very real world. Which is about the best — and scariest — compliment I can give him.
7. Two-Face – The Dark Knight
Ouch. Talk about a bad hair day. Two-Face and The Dark Knight go together like peanut butter and jelly, with this more modern version of the character being a gorgeous example for the duality of man.
Entangling Bruce, Harvey, Rachel, and The Joker together in a massive mortality play is exactly why The Dark Knight has stood the test of time. Plus, Aaron Eckhart rocks.
6. The Penguin – The Batman
This new Penguin is the most believable out of the bird-themed villains we’ve seen. Colin Farrell is nearly unrecognizable in the role, with a stellar makeup, and gives us a grounded version of a Batman villain that — let’s be honest — is pretty ridiculous conceptually.
Folks, normally he’s a quacking-penguin person. Be thankful this version isn’t.
5. The Joker – Batman 66
Say what you will about Caesar Romeo’s turn as The Clown Prince of Crime, but this first adaptation of the Joker from script to screen is an archetype that all others are built on.
The makeup. The laugh. The charisma. It’s all here, albeit in an early form, and it sings. It might not be as emotionally resonate as some of the later Jokers on this list, but it’s the first, and one. worth remembering.
4. The Penguin – Batman Returns
Speaking of quaking penguin people, who could forget Danny DeVito’s turn as the pointy-nosed criminal.
His whole plan is to drown every first born son in Gotham City. Dark is an understatement. This Penguin isn’t even entirely human, which is what makes him so great. Or horrible, depending on how you look at it.
3. Catwoman – Batman Returns
Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman strikes a twisted balance between seduction and insanity, embracing femininity and trampling all over anyone who gets in her way.
This undead-ish Selina Kyle is presented as a person wrapped in unpredictability, which made her a serious issue for Batman throughout Batman Returns. In short, she’s perfect.
2. The Joker – Batman
These next two I won’t even spend a ton of time talking about, you already knew when you started reading that this was how things were going to end. Jack Nicholson’s Joker is, was, and will always be iconic.
There’s honestly nothing else to say. Nicholson brings a level of suave charm to the role that other Batman villains don’t even come close to emulating, and imbues this Joker with an unhinged style that keeps us on our toes until the very end. It’s poetry in motion. For a second, you really think he might beat Batman.
1. The Joker – The Dark Knight
Here it is. Everyone’s favorite agent of chaos. Heath Ledger’s Joker. Not a chink in the armor, this isn’t just a villain that causes Batman to grapple with his worldview — he causes us to do the same. What’s right? What’s wrong? How do we embrace absurdity? Is truth ever objective?
This Joker serves as a singularity, an example that all other cinematic Batman characters are compared to. Any hero is only ever as good as their villain, and this Joker outdoes itself.
Well, there you have it. Every live-action Batman villain ranked, for now. This was a long one — so go outside and touch some grass, eat a churro, do whatever you can to stay sane. You wouldn’t want to wind up like one of these folks.
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Even before Daniel Craig concluded his time as James Bond, fans were already talking about who could replace him. Craig breathed new life into the franchise with his inaugural movie as the MI6 agent, 2006’s Casino Royale. However, just 12 years later he was itching to be done with it all, famously saying “I don’t want to do any more.” Two years before No Time To Die premiered in 2021, Craig confirmed he was done with 007. Now, the burning question remains who will be his successor? Enter: Tom Hardy.
Whenever we talk about who should play the next Bond there are countless names thrown around, with Idris Elba famously leading the pack. (Elba confirmed on an episode of HBO’s The Shop in Sept. 2022 that he’s definitely not playing the part). Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have also been prominent contenders, but of them all, Tom Hardy continues to lead the conversation, especially since he quite arguably received the biggest seal of approval ever in the form of Pierce Brosnan’s personal vote.
The Venom, Inception, Dark Knight Rises, and Mad Max actor has even commented on the role a while back, so let’s take a look at what he said and what it means for James Bond.
What has Tom Hardy said about being cast as James Bond?
Photo via StudioCanal
Tom Hardy was asked about James Bond a few years ago while promoting his FX show Taboo. The actor had recently starred in Mad Max: Fury Road and as you can see, Craig’s departure from the role has been telegraphed for years. Hardy spoke to The Daily Beast back in 2017 when he said, “You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. So I can’t possibly comment on that one! If I mention it, it’s gone.”
It is not entirely out of character to be somewhat mysterious about Bond, but it also was not as if he was suddenly about to admit that he had been cast as the character. This might explain why there aren’t many actors talking about playing the secret agent, as they do not want to jinx their chances.
Ever since long-time James Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams told RadioTimes that young actors who auditioned for the part “didn’t have the gravitas” and then Eon Productions followed that up with an alleged report that it is looking for an actor in his 30s, Hardy, who is 45 years old as of this writing, was unceremoniously exited from the conversation.
We won’t know who our next James Bond will be for a while longer, but you can rest assured (or at least 90% assured) that it’s not Hardy, as sad as that is to hear. If Hardy was your top contendor, we’ll let you stew in your dissapoint for a while, but hopefully you can find solace in knowing Hardy still very much attached to Venom 3 and Mad Max: The Wasteland.
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Nichole Kidman is among that diminishing list of actors who never go out of style, despite a full 40 years’ worth of releases decorating her resume.
Kidman first broke onto the scene in 1983, when she appeared in three separate projects: television’s Chase Through the Night as well as Bush Christmas and BMX Bandits. The next few years showcased just how well Kidman’s breakout was received, and she really hasn’t slowed down since. Kidman’s graced nearly every major franchise out there, from DC to Paddington, and her genre-crossing talents have won her more than 100 awards over the years. These days, we see her most frequently during those AMC outings to catch the latest film. As the company’s spokeswoman, Kidman christens each fresh viewing with her heavily-memed AMC intro — complete with bedazzled suit — and through it, she’s uncovered a whole new kind of popularity.
Long before she was captivating us with that timeless, piercing gaze, Kidman was enthralling a different generation of moviegoers. She appeared in some of the most popular films of the ’90s, after all (and 2000s, and 2010s, and she’ll likely be a defining force in the 2020s, as well), and her performances continue to populate throwback movie nights and themed gatherings. One of her most enduringly popular films came out when Kidman was still establishing herself as a staple of the industry, but it never lost its fan-favorite status.
How old was Nicole Kidman in Practical Magic?
After largely watching them grow up on screen, audiences feel a particular connection with stars they’ve known since their childhoods. Child stars obviously get the brunt of this almost familial fandom, but stars like Kidman — who’ve been acting since their teenage years — tend to likewise get swept up in the phenomenon.
Kidman was only 16 when she first broke onto the scene, and the following years saw her appear in several dozen projects. Among them is Practical Magic, a cult classic that remains a staple of every spooky season. The film stars Kidman alongside Sandra Bullock, who play a pair of sisters who use ancient family magic to manage a longstanding curse. Kidman looks absolutely adolescent in the 1998 classic, and — as Halloween lovers’ favorite season comes knocking — fans are back to admiring Bullock and Kidman’s work in the film.
The pair’s youth is always a standout topic among Practical Magic viewers, but as it turns out neither Kidman nor Bullock were all that young in the film. They may look like fresh-faced 20-somethings, but Kidman was actually in her early 30s during filming. Bullock was even older — right around 34 during production — but that won’t stop audiences from viewing the duo as little more than teens in the film.
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This week, Prime Video is offering an exclusive deal to its members, to reserve tickets for a free theater screening of the new movie and Amazon Prime Original Sitting in Bars With Cake.
A romantic comedy-drama based on a true story, Sitting in Bars With Cake follows two best friends, Jane (Yara Shahidi), a timid but talented baker, and Corrine (Odessa A’zion), a confident young woman with a blossoming career. Together, they hatch a plan to go “cakebarring” for a year, where they bring freshly-baked cakes to bars to become more confident, especially when it comes to flirting.
When Corrine’s life is changed by an unexpected health diagnosis, the two decide to continue their plan of taking cakes into bars, even when Corrine’s health continues to decline. In their attempt to mix hospital visits with parties, the friends set out to make a year that neither of them will ever forget.
Sitting in Bars With Cake will be released exclusively to stream on Prime Video on September 7th, 2023. The movie will be available to stream worldwide for all Amazon Prime members. In the U.S., Amazon Prime customers can also see the film in theaters a day ahead of streaming — all for free.
Sitting in Bars With Cake will be in theaters for a one-night-only advanced screening on September 6th, in select city locations nationwide. Showtimes are available throughout the day, and must be booked online prior to the screening. Screening locations will also have free concessions, photo opportunities, and giveaways that tie into the movie.
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The fourth Jackass movie, Jackass Forever, was released in early 2022, to both commercial and critical acclaim. Jackass Forever came over a decade after Jackass 3D (2010), the last theatrical outing of everyone’s favorite amateur stuntmen. Now in their fifties, the original cast members were joined by some new, younger, recruits to take some hits.
Although that may have been the initial concept, Jackass Forever’s gnarliest injuries were strictly for the OGs. In a matador-magician stunt, Johnny Knoxville was knocked into a triple somersault by a bull, landing on his head and neck. Knoxville suffered from several broken bones, a concussion, and even a brain hemorrhage. Similarly, Steve-O snapped his collarbone in half during a deleted scene, and also gave himself a concussion during a stunt where the cast attempted to walk as a marching band on a treadmill. So much for aging gracefully.
Now, in an interview with CinemaBlend, Steve-O talked about potential plans of another cinematic venture with his buddies, or perhaps more accurately, if he could physically take another Jackass movie.
What does Steve-O think of a potential ‘Jackass 5’?
Jackass Forever / YouTube
When asked about the possibility of another movie, Steve-O responded “I wouldn’t be surprised if some kind of project reunited us again, but I wouldn’t bet on there being another movie.”
ISince the movie came out last February, there have been two Jackass outings on TV. The cast filmed two Shark Week specials, involving a series of stunts with sharks, under the supervision of host and expert Craig O’Connell. One of the Jackass newbies, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, faced a brutal shark attack where a chunk of his hand was bitten off, after a failed attempt at recreating the “jumping the shark” ski slope scene from Happy Days.
If anything is clear, Jackass is just as brutal as it ever was, and perhaps a feature-length Jackass may be too much for some of its older cast members. Steve-O in particular has been bitten by dozens of animals, fractured his skull, and has even been set on fire. No one could argue that the stuntman hasn’t put his all into the franchise. In the recent TV specials, the new crew were in the spotlight, but the originals were certainly not taking a backseat.
What would prevent another Jackass movie?
Image via Dickhouse Productions / MTV Films
Even with young blood, the original Jackass cast still takes central focus in the new movie, and the franchise is very much their baby, having first started as an MTV show in 2000. Much of the issue is that they are simply too old and too injured to carry on as they had in their twenties and thirties. Recently, Johnny Knoxville said that his doctor informed him that any more injuries could potentially be deadly.
“We never said whether it was or wasn’t [the final film]. That got written somewhere and people ran with it,” Knoxville said, when asked about the possibility of a Jackass 5. “If we did continue, we would lean on the younger cast more and the old guys would take a little step back but still be a part of it. I would have to step back because my neurologist said I can’t have any more concussions”.
Ageing aside, the original cast is also smaller in number than it was before. Cast member Ryan Dunn tragically died in a car accident in 2011, and Bam Margera’s issues with addiction and mental health meant that he had to be fired, and his scenes were ultimately cut from Jackass Forever. His removal was also very problematic for the series’ production, as the stuntman and skateboarder ended up filing a major lawsuit against director Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, Paramount Pictures, MTV, and Dickhouse Productions – the production company behind the Jackass franchise.
In a variety of ways, the making of Jackass Forever was a painful experience for much of its cast. Its troubled production and effort put into making the movie was highly physically taxing, as well as emotionally challenging in a manner they may not have expected when the movie was first pitched. From Steve-O’s comments, it seems that Jackass will almost certainly continue in some form, but how that would work successfully is much less obvious, even to the cast and crew.
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Do you want to know one of the hardest parts about watching someone chop someone else’s body parts off? It’s knowing that the adrenaline coursing through your system is going to make it impossible to accurately place the experience on your ranked list of dismemberments that you’ve witnessed.
But that’s why you have us, a trained team of experts willing to sift through, for example, the Star Wars franchise and objectively grade the best times when someone got, as the kids say, cut up from the gut up. Do the kids say that? You work on getting the kids to say that, I’ll put together this list of the best violent dismemberments in a franchise about space wizards for kids. We’ll meet back up when we’re done.
10. That time C-3PO lost all his limbs in Cloud City
Photo via Lucasfilm
Somehow, despite getting more pieces of himself removed in one go than anyone else on this list, C-3PO never gets the respect he deserves. People talk about watching Luke’s hand fly off or the sickening thud of some severed Hayden Christensen legs flopping against volcanic rock, but nobody brings up the way that this brave protocol droid got rocked to his core by some off-screen nogoodnik. And why does he get this opprobrium from the Star Wars community? Because he’s annoying and he exploded like a Crash Test Dummies action figure? Because he went out begging for his life like a nobody, then got put back together without any consequences after enjoying a free piggyback ride from Chewbacca, the only character in Star Wars that everyone wants a piggyback ride from? Is that why we don’t feel sorry for him?
Yeah, fair enough. Bottom of the list.
9. That time Luke got his hand sliced off in Cloud City
Photo via Lucasfilm
While everybody was busy not worrying about C-3PO, Luke Skywalker was on a path that would lead him to Bespin for a family reunion.
Getting back in touch with an estranged parent is never easy, and things go as badly for Luke as they’ve ever gone for anyone being invited to join the family business. After some light roughhousing with his old man, our hero gets his mitt chopped clean off, then his dad tries to make up for it by offering him a job. That’s toxicity. That’s casual flaunting of an asymmetrical power dynamic. There’s an important lesson here: You can’t fix your parents. At best, you can get better at sword fighting and cut off their hand in a couple of years. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to do it in front of their boss and make them look like a yutz, writhing around on the ground with their stump all cauterized. Ask any family therapist: That’s growth.
8. That time it happened to Anakin
Photo via Lucasfilm
Anakin was probably feeling like a pretty cool dude when he went after Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. He’d just fought a bunch of giant bugs. A girl had given him a little kiss. He’d even lucked into the Jedi equivalent of loaner shorts, nabbing a free replacement lightsaber from a thoughtful coworker without getting chewed out. His rat tail was on fleek. Everything was coming up Little Annie.
Then, as so often happens when you’re feeling how it feels to chew Stride gum, Christopher Lee chopped his arm off with a white-hot plasma blade and threw him on the floor with his mind. Anakin had to lie there and watch while a syntax-challenged Grover from Sesame Street hobbled in and put a bow on things for him. “Oh well,” Anakin probably thought, arm meat smoldering. “At least that probably won’t happen again.”
7. That time it happened to Anakin
It was another banner day for Anakin as audiences reached the climax of Revenge of the Sith. He’d just been promoted at work, proved that he was better at sword fights than all of the kids at his old school, and he was about to be single again. It was the sort of day that would normally call for a night on the town with your best friends.
Only Anakin’s best friend didn’t want to do shots. He wanted to have a shouting match about the democratic process and be a real buzzkill about all those kids from before.
Anakin’s like “Hey man, I don’t need this negativity. I can jump over your head.” His buddy is all “Don’t you dare jump over my head.” Anakin jumps over his buddy’s head, and his buddy, who he thought was going to be cool, slices one of his legs off mid-air.
6. That time it happened to Anakin
Ask anyone who’s been in a car accident or attended a local theater production of The Wiz in a predominantly white community: There’s a funny thing that happens when everything’s going wrong all at once. The world sort of slows down in a moment of timeless hyper-awareness.
“Harsh,” Anakin probably thought as he felt his buddy’s lightsaber pass fully through his left thigh. “Still, I’ve got one good leg to hop out of here on. I’m sure my pal will give me a shoulder to lean on. After all, disagreements happen, but at the end of the day, he’s still my ride-or-d…”
And then, in a moment of cold, genuine horror, he realized that his buddy was still swinging his lightsaber. That the blade wasn’t going to stop. That it was already halfway through Anakin’s second of two legs.
“Okay,” Anakin probably thought some more as his buddy’s lightsaber passed through the last of his precious femoral arteries. “Okay, okay okay. Not perfect. Not the perfect day for Anakin.”
“But hey,” he probably continued. “Just because you turn to the dark side doesn’t mean you can’t focus on the bright side, that’s what I always say. I’ve still got a couple of arms. Sure, one’s metal from that other time when this happened, but it’s still mine. Worst comes to worst, I can pick myself up and knuckle-trudge my way back to the ship. It’ll be embarrassing, sure, but hey. Maybe I deserve it. I did kill a lot of kids today. This is just the wake-up call I needed. You know what? When we’re done here, I’m going to shake my buddy’s hand and thank him f…”
And that’s when, in a borderline unbelievable moment of swordsmanship, Anakin’s buddy re-adjusted the trajectory of his blade so specifically that it managed to remove Anakin’s arm as well. In one swing, he nailed three out of four limbs dangling swiftly overhead.
“Biscuits and gravy,” Anakin probably thought. “That is the last time I let this happen.”
4. That time it happened to Anakin
Photo via Lucasfilm
A few years go by. Anakin is thriving at work thanks to a supportive team and a boss who was willing to pay for his medical care after that last lightsaber tiff. His buddy is long-since dead, which is frankly okay, seeing how he used to get a real kick out of telling people “He’s more machine than man now” while leaving out the crucial second half of the sentence, “because I cut him up with a laser sword when he tried to show me a cool jump.”
Anakin’s been trying to get in touch with his now-adult son for a while. Things didn’t go great the last time they hung out, and in a real “hurt people hurt people” moment, he’d let his temper get the best of him and chopped the lad’s hand off. To be fair, he offered the kid a job right after, so it’s not like he wasn’t putting in the effort.
So the kid shows up again and Anakin’s like “are you sure you don’t want to work here?” and the kid’s like “nah,” so Anakin’s like “All right, well maybe I’ll offer your sister the job since you’re not interested” and the kid flips out. He screams and starts swinging his lightsaber around like he’s the special birthday boy and his old man’s the pinata. Needless to say, somebody’s going to get hurt.
“Yeah, that seems about right,” Anakin probably thinks as he stares at his smoking wrist stump. The two kind of bond over murdering Anakin’s boss, and then Anakin tells his kid “Help me take my mask off so I can look at you with my own eyes” and the kid’s like “but you’ll die” and Anakin probably thinks “Here’s hoping.”
3. That time Anakin happened to someone else
Photo via Lucasfilm
This one’s not special for any concrete cinematic reason. The fight choreography is fine, and the special effects are a little questionable. Emotionally, the whole scene falls a little flat. But going back and watching the part of Revenge of the Sith where Anakin cuts both of Dooku’s hands off, especially knowing what we know about what the next 25 years of the guy’s life are going to be like, it’s just nice to see him get a chance to be the hand chopper for a minute, especially when the hand choppee isn’t his kid or Nick Fury for once.
2. That hypothetical time when Chewbacca tore R2-D2’s arms off
Photo via Lucasfilm
A New Hope is a classic, not just for the scenes that it gave us, but for the ones that it didn’t. The scene where Han Solo nonsensically implies that, if R2 beats Chewbacca at video games, Chewbacca will tear R2’s arms out of his sockets? Arms that R2 doesn’t have? Chilling.
What would that have even looked like? Would Chewie have attached arms to R2 just so he could tear them off? The whole thing is a surreal masterpiece of narrative negative space. Science fiction jazz is all about the notes you don’t play, and I think George Lucas knew that.
1. That time in the cantina when Ponda Baba wouldn’t let Obi-Wan buy him a drink
Image via Lucasfilm
First of all? “Ponda Baba?” Great name. That’s just a personal note, though. What made the cantina dismemberment scene from A New Hope really special was the way that it captured, in just a few seconds, the utter, pant-messing terror of living in the Star Wars universe.
Recap: Luke sidles up to the bar. Two drunk guys — one of them Ponda Baba — get up to some monkey business, playing it up like they’re cool and scary to make the kid feel like a chump. Mid-hazing, a gross old dude butts in and he’s like, “can I buy you fellas a round?”
Think about the nervousness that you feel in this — the real world — when a stranger offers to buy you a drink and you turn them down. There’s a lot that can go wrong, but one thing that you can pretty well guarantee is that he won’t cut off your arm with a laser sword and then hypnotize the cops into ignoring the whole thing before leaving the planet forever. Even if you just want to grab a beer and mess with the hayseeds at the local bar, this universe is a nightmare.
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Fans of rom-coms, rejoice! The queen of romantic comedy, Meg Ryan, is going to appear on the big screen after nearly a decade-long career hiatus. This is undeniably delightful news for the fans who have populated their social media platforms, especially X (formerly Twitter), with a variety of responses. Here are some of the verdicts regarding her upcoming movie What Happens Later,
What I love most about this trailer for *director* and *star* Meg Ryan’s #WhatHappensLater isn’t just that Meg is back on screen, but also that it uses The Lightning Seed’s “Pure,” which is an under-heralded pop song. pic.twitter.com/oCoi75GZw0
Did not fully grasp the enormity of the void left by not having Meg Ryan in new rom coms until we got this glimpse of Meg Ryan in a new rom com. Snowed in! At an airport! With an old flame! https://t.co/rpa1fGXZCc
I am unhinged with excitement about this. A classic romcom with characters who aren’t still in their 20s? Meg Ryan and David Duchovny? Second chance lovers? Snowed in at the airport? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. All the yes! https://t.co/GKHo7e2G9X
In this much-anticipated forthcoming movie, which dropped its trailer a few hours back and was shared on Twitter with the caption, “Meg Ryan starting in a romantic movie. Nature is healing,” Ryan will star opposite David Duchovny. The plot revolves around two ex-lovers, Willa (played by Ryan) and Bill (David Duchovny), who get stranded inside the airport after a snowstorm delays their flight.
Ryan, who helmed and co-wrote the script, elaborated on the plot, saying that the film — albeit having a plot and thematic similarities with a quintessential rom-com movie — sees an evolution of the genre as it revolves around middle-aged people who engage in meaningful conversations and delve into their life choices in the past. Speaking to EW on this, as well as her character, she said:
“Sometimes there’s a question of: Will they be together? Will they not be together? For that reason, [What Happens Later] sort of evolves the rom-com genre just a little bit. It’s also about old people, and it’s still romantic and sexy.
My character, Willa, is a magical thinker, and David’s character, Bill, is a catastrophic thinker. These rom-coms really work when the two characters are somehow opposites and yet a rhythm of intellect and humor and dialogue and banter that sort of indicates their compatibility.”
The excitement and curiosity regarding what the movie has in store for viewers are rising. But one is free to speculate until it sees a theatrical release on Oct. 13, 2023.
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The Hunger Games film franchise is set to continue in a big way before long, with The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes set to slither into theaters later this fall. Set 64 years before the events of 2012’s The Hunger Games, the film centers on one Coriolanus Snow, future iron-fisted president of Panem who develops an unlikely bond with Lucy Gray Baird, a musically-inclined maverick and the female tribute from District 12 for the 10th Hunger Games.
A Hunger Games film without Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen was a tough pill for many a moviegoer to swallow. The No Hard Feelings star’s iconic turn as the stoic archer played a huge role in making newcomers fall in love with the Hunger Games mythos, so moving on without her will be unfamiliar territory for many.
And that’s especially true when you consider the character who’s replacing her as the female lead in Songbirds & Snakes. In a recent interview with Empire, Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, who’s helmed every film in the franchise since Catching Fire, compared and contrasted Katniss’ introverted behavior with Lucy Gray’s more loud and artistic ethos.
Katniss was an introvert and a survivor. She was quite quiet and stoic, you could almost say [she was] asexual. Lucy Gray is the opposite. She wears her sexuality on her sleeve, [and] she really is
a performer.
Indeed, you’d be hard-pressed to find two heroines more different than Lucy and Katniss, but we’re not going to let that gross misuse of the asexual label slide so easily. We’re sure it’s just a case of innocent ignorance on Lawrence’s part, but the idea that asexual people are all just hardened, quiet statues that are occasionally good at archery is a stereotype that desperately needs to be left in the past; believe it or not, you’re allowed to be colorful and upbeat and artistic without having any interest in sex.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes slithers into theaters on Nov. 17.
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Stephen King telling us his new novel contains bits of gore is like an Antarctic weatherman saying there’s a snowstorm on the way. Of course there is.
Honestly, it’d be a whole lot scarier if King DIDN’T mention that his latest project housed a few thrills and chills for the horror fans out there — dead silence could mean anything, and that level of freedom in the hands of an author like King is so much more terrifying.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter) Stephen King discussed his upcoming book, its release date, and issued a brief advisory.
My new novel, HOLLY, is published on September 5th. Warning: There are a few fairly gruesome scenes.
“Fairly gruesome scenes.” Probably an understatement given King’s bibliography, but you’ve officially been warned. Holly, a continuation on a King character introduced back in 2014, follows private investigator Holly Gibney as she attempts to solve the mystery behind a slew of Midwestern disappearances.
Like most characters Stephen King has been wont to write, Holly is a no-nonsense, compassionate gal who is as human as any person on a page or off. Sadly, larger plot points will have to be discovered across the 464-ish pages of the unreleased book, so you’ll need to wait until Sept. 5 to get the full story.
At 75-years-old, watching Stephen King continue to write should be an international pastime. The fact that he continues to fuel our imaginations, and strike fear into our hearts, is an accomplishment few writers ever achieve — and one worth celebrating. So here’s to you, Stephen King… You ol’ nightmare maker, you.
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A teaser trailer dropped for David Fincher’s highly-anticipated assassin drama, The Killer, psyching fans up for its release. This marks the first film by the award-winning director since the release of his 2020 critically acclaimed black-and-white flick, Mank. After viewing the new trailer, fans predict Fincher will deliver another masterpiece, so let’s dive into what you can expect from The Killer.
The Netflix production stars Michael Fassbender, who you may recognize from his portrayal of Steve Jobs in the eponymous biopic, or as Magneto in X-Men: Apocalypse. Fassbender plays an unnamed assassin described only as “the killer.” Other cast members include Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, and Sophie Charlotte.
The Killer enters the mind of a contract killer who begins to regret his lengthy career as an assassin. According to Collider, the logline for the film describes it as:
“A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.”
Despite the amount of press surrounding the film’s release, creators have managed to conceal most of the plot’s details, making it a bit of a mystery.
Who wrote The Killer script?
Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, best known for writing Se7en and Fight Club, adapted The Killer from a French graphic novel series of the same title. The comic series, written by Matz Narks and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, consists of ten issues, and became relatively successful in the United States after being translated into English.
Why was The Killer delayed?
As one of Fincher’s passion projects, the director first brought the idea for the film to Paramount around 2007. According to Collider, the movie was nearing production with Brad Pitt (potentially) in the lead role when Paramount backed out for “unknown reasons.” Fincher brought the project to Netflix in 2020 as part of his four-year deal with the streaming network, which included his film Mank.
Netflix producer has a lot to say about The Killer
It’s not just fans who are excited to see Fincher’s film take the big screen. Scott Stuber, the Head of Global Films at Netflix, praised both the director and Fassbender for their work on the movie in a 2022 interview reported by Variety.
Stuber had this to say about the duo:
“[Fassbender is] charming and great-looking and funny and all these things that you want him to have chances to show in film. He’s a giant star ready to explode in the world, and he’s just looking for those parts that can take advantage of who he is as a person. Opportunistically you see what [Fassbender] has done with talent throughout his career, and how he constantly elevates people to do their best work. The combination of those two we’re really excited about.”
The Netflix producer described The Killers as a “provocative and interesting” movie “in the hands of one of the best filmmakers, and someone we’re really lucky to have a relationship with.”
What we can tell from The Killer’s trailer
Watching the teaser trailer, it’s clear that the unnamed assassin, played by Fassbender, has been at this kind of work for quite a while. His actions are practiced and methodic as he repeatedly reminds himself to “stick to the plan.” However, his voice becomes unsure as the trailer continues, indicating he may have waivered from his rules. While the trailer gives little away, it’s clear The Killer will be an action-packed movie you won’t want to miss!
When will The Killer bereleased?
After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers and himself on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal.
Watch David Fincher’s The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender, in select theaters October and on Netflix November 10. pic.twitter.com/XKimRETJDG
The Killer will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in early September before appearing in select theaters starting Oct. 27. There’s no information yet on what cities will receive a theatrical release, but that’s to be expected as we’re still two months out. Don’t worry, though, as Netflix will be adding The Killer on Nov. 10, so fans won’t have to wait long before streaming the highly-anticipated film.
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Is there anyone nicer than Bonnie Wright? Hang on, I know this one — the answer is NO, end of discussion. The actress, filmmaker, and environmental activist has remained one of the entertainment industry’s most humble denizens to date, and that doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon.
In a recent interview on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum — a podcast dedicated to unpacking what makes certain celebrities tick — Wright dished about her time working on the Harry Potter franchise and how some of her on-screen relationships turned into genuine off-screen friendships.
Hosted by Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Impastor, Guardians of the Galaxy) — Inside of You provides insight into the nuts and bolts of Hollywood while humanizing the people that make it all happen in the first place. If you haven’t been acquainted, there’s no time like the present.
During their chat, Rosenbaum asked Wright about how she landed the role of Ginny Weasley and how inexperienced that young cast truly was in the early days shooting.
“I think the hardest thing for me was when I had my scene (during Sorcerer’s Stone), they had already been sort of halfway through the shoot. So when I stepped on, everything had been a bit figured out. I was definitely very nervous, and felt like I was totally in the deep end of the pool. Like, ‘What am I doing?’ I was really lucky that Julie Walters who plays my mom in the film, Mrs. Weasley, really took me under her wing and saw that I was probably just like a deer in the headlights.”
I think folks often forget how young all those kids really were at the start of the world’s most recognizable film franchises. Sure they were actors, but they were kids too. Plain old, wild, wacky kids. None of them had any clue, really, what they were signing up for at the start — or the phenomenon the film would become. Watching them grow up and into those roles was and is as entertaining as the films themselves, full stop.
Michael went on to wonder if Bonnie ever gets to see her on-screen mother Julie, and the answer isn’t the one anyone was hoping to hear.
“I haven’t seen her in a long time, but we still are in contact. She really made me feel safe, and like I was meant to be there. So, I’m very grateful for that.”
Well, it’s great that they get to stay in touch. Even if it’s via phone, email, or owl. (How am I supposed to know how the pair keep in touch?) Although, I bet the fandom would die if Wright and Walters got back together sometime soon. Here’s hoping.
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Is Alan Rickman’s performance as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter film series still in our minds, after all this time? Always.
Snape might just be one of the most misunderstood anti-heroes in the history of fiction, but what Rickman did with the character in the live-action adaptation pushed the tight-lipped, flat-stared professor beyond even his literary counterpart, turning it into a timeless performance that’s still celebrated to this date.
It’s been seven years since Rickman tragically passed away due to pancreatic cancer, yet his legacy lives on. His Harry Potter co-star Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) recently sat down in an episode of Michael Rosenbaum’s YouTube podcast and discussed what it was like to work with the talented thespian.
When asked if she found Snape intimidating, Wright said:
“He was so Snape, you know, he wanted us to fear him. He did a very good job at it. But you can tell that he was kind of having fun with it too. When I had the confidence to speak to him, he was such a soft and lovely human being.”
You can watch the relevant section of the interview for yourself at around the 37:00 mark in this video.
You simply can’t watch the “Prince’s Tale” sequence in Harry Potter and not break down crying. And I mean ugly crying. That alone is a testament to Snape’s compelling characterization through the years, something that we owe, to a large degree, to Rickman putting on that black robe and essentially turning into Severus Snape, the unnerving Potions Master at Hogwarts.
Being the first live-action superhero movie to feature a Latino character as the lead was always going to be a challenge for Blue Beetle. Not because there’s anything challenging about giving voice to underrepresented groups of people in media, but because the truth of the matter is racism still exists, as made perfectly clear by the bigots at Nerdrotic Daily.
The title of the YouTube video in question — “Let’s TACO BOUT Blue Beetle!” — should have been enough of an indication that the 16 minutes therein would be dripping with overt racism, but as someone who gives even the densest bigots the benefit of the doubt whenever possible (we’re all human after all, and we all have the capacity for love), I can honestly say I was shocked. And I’m not the only one.
“I love hearing about the criticism of Mexican culture from a panel that looks like a talking mayo jar,” wrote one person in the comments.
“Yes, because this panel knows what it’s like to grow up in a hispanic house hold. Thank you for speaking out for us,” mocked another.
Then perhaps the most accurate comment comes courtesy of this lovely commenter, who summarizes the whole debacle in a nutshell: “Everyone in this video goes to Taco Bell for an authentic Mexican experience.”
Right out of the gate, the video begins with one of the panelist delivering a preliminary speech that reeks of “I’m not racist, but…” Meanwhile, mariachi music plays in the background.
“Anytime there’s a Hispanic or Black character in a movie or a show it is completely centered around that culture and there’s no other aspect of anything else.”
False. And even if it wasn’t false, that’s a bad thing because…? Because the world isn’t as vanilla as your day-to-day life? Because you’d prefer to see a person of color puppeteering through a white person’s life? Because anything that isn’t told through the white lens is too vast for your smallminded brain to comprehend, let alone accept? Sorry, not a good enough reason. Next!
For a brief moment in the beginning — less than 30 seconds — one person tries to underline the value of this family-centric superhero movie. Unfortunately, even that was punctuated with whiffs of toxic masculinity. He compliments the movie’s love interest, Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord, and says he appreciated how she wasn’t “shutting him down” and that the love story between her and Jaime Reyes was “back to traditional.” So, when a woman shuts a man down because maybe, just maybe, she’s allowed to stick up for herself, not put up with his crap, and not be a simple piece of furniture in his life, she’s “non-traditional?” Hate to break it to you, man, but your sexism is showing. Next!
Screengrab via YouTube
At 1:50 the panel of bigots criticizes George Lopez’s character for surviving a missile attack in the movie’s third act, which, sure, is completely warranted, but if that was all then we wouldn’t have a problem. Instead, these blowhards imitate fake Mexican accents and say things like “we’re tough people, it’s what we do” and “we survive because racism” all the while laughter ripples through the virtual room. Bye!
At 3:50 they make fun of Jaime Reyes’s (Xolo Maridueña) lack of imagination for not creating more elaborate weapons with his Blue Beetle costume, and one person says it was probably because he never played video games as a kid. Then, someone else says wait no, they saw an Xbox controller on his nightstand, to which the previous panelist then adds, “Yeah right next to his salsa.”
Some of the worst moments come courtesy of the one and only white lady in the group, who singlehandedly bumped the White Lady Community back several decades. She says she has a lot of “thoughts and feelings” about Blue Beetle, and god do we wish she never shared them.
Aside from calling Xolo Maridueña “Miguel from Kobra Kai cause I just keep forgetting his real name,” her biggest bone to pick was the movie’s “unnecessary, gratuitous racism.” Who was the racism directed at, you ask? This white woman who’s never known and will never know what it feels like to be rejected, ridiculed, or demeaned for her skin color feels extremely offended by the depiction of racism in corporate America. Yes, you read that correctly.
Her comments are a grade-A example of the foible strands reverse racism die-hards cling to when crying tears of accountability. For Maridueña’s character to be profiled by a white receptionist at K.O.R.D. Industries even while dressed in a suit is simply the straw that broke the camel’s back for her. Such atrocities would “never f****** happen,” and yet according to research conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan, that kind of discrimination happens all the time for Latinos when applying for jobs.
“To the lady who has been a receptionist: stuff like this happens ALL THE TIME!!!” wrote one person in the comments section (thank you, kind commenter). “It’s amazing when you have a group of white people telling a whole culture how life is for us cause you know they would know… oh the disconnect. Tell me you’re racist without telling me you’re racist!”
Aside from taking issue with the whole “Batman is a fascist” line, which we’d expect nothing less from this upstanding white lady, her other bone to pick came after it was revealed George Lopez’s character was a tech genius. Her (not-so-subtle) comment really hammered home just how damaging this lady’s opinions are.
“Like we’re supposed to just be like ‘Oh of course he’s a tech genius.’ Isn’t every Hispanic uncle a tech genius.”
Ex… Excuse me? Did we all hear that correctly? But before we can even collect ourselves from that bombshell, she tops it off by calling the Reyes’ house fire in the movie’s third act a “Hawaiian forest fire,” proving how shriveled her heart really is.
Regrettably, she follows that up with complaints that the story centers around the Reyes family losing their home and struggling to pay the bills. “They’re brown so they’re perpetual victims,” she says with air quotes and a scoff. “There’s how many working-age adults in this family and y’all can’t make rent?”
“They just want to push us out of our neighborhood,” adds another person mockingly.
“Maybe stop feeding the daughter,” adds a second.
And to the one person of color who sits idly in the right-hand corner of the screen as these privileged, white pieces of trash spit at the feet of Mexican culture and all Latinos: Shame on you. I don’t know what ethnic background you belong to, but I doubt you’d be smiling and laughing if these same white people were mocking Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, or Filipino culture and ridiculing everything that reminds you of your parents, loved ones, and personally-lived experience. It’s easy to aid and abet bigotry when it’s not directed at you but know that you’re just one blockbuster movie away from the tables turning.
“Just so u all know: u can critique the movie without trying to dissect and poke fun at a culture u don’t understand !!!!!! crazy, I know right?” concluded one person in the comments.
Indeed, there are a thousand different ways to have a conversation about a movie you don’t like. Unfortunately, if the main reason you don’t like it is because it centers around a culture you don’t care to understand and chose to insult, well, then I want nothing to do with you. As a matter of fact, I feel bad for you. I hope one day you have the opportunity to expand your mind beyond your limiting beliefs and get the chance to see how vast the world really is. How diverse it is, how many unique experiences exist, and just how similar we all really are. Most importantly, I hope one day you realize you and your personal experiences are not the center of the universe.
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