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The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, running September 4–14, 2025, and brings with it a slew of buzzy new premieres and screenings.

TIFF 2025 spreads its horror beyond the Midnight Madness programming section this year, including a special presentation of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and special restorations of repertory titles like Nadja. Festival favorites like Dead Lover round out the lineup, which comes packed with genre-benders like The Man in My Basement and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice. In other words, there’s plenty of room for cinematic discovery awaiting at this year’s fest.

Read on for 5 can’t miss horror screenings to catch...

“I have a hook for your story,” a podcast producer told me as soon as I called her up earlier this summer. “Pineapple Street announced it’s going out of business today.”

I’d already been reporting on the collapse of the narrative podcast industry for several weeks, talking with executives and editors and producers. Everyone had pretty much the same thing to say: things were looking grim. But this news felt personal. I’d hosted and written two shows for Pineapple Street Studios. I had several close collaborators who were still on staff.

Edison Research announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. based on reach for Q2 2025 among weekly podcast consumers ages 13+.

The list ranks podcasts based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics. Interviews were conducted continuously throughout the quarter in English and Spanish. Rankings are based on average weekly consumption over the full period. All respondents reported listening to a podcast or watching a podcast in the last week.

Edison Podcast Metrics rankings now incorporate data from individuals whose sole podcast consumption in the past week was through video. In addition to being asked if they listened to a podcast in the past week, respondents are also asked if they watched a video podcast.

Video-heavy shows, such as No Jumper and The Pat McAfee Show, climbed 11 and 26 spots, respectively.

In the Top 50 for the first time: Good Hang with Amy Poehler, which debuted in mid-March, enters the Top 50 at...

In advance of the season one finale of The Librarians: The Next Chapter, TNT has revealed the guest stars set to appear in the second season of the fantastical adventure series. Hailed for its blend of myth, mystery and magic, the sophomore season, airing in 2026, will feature appearances from a wide range of celebrated talent.

The guest lineup includes Screen Actors Guild Award nominees Dominic Monaghan and Jeremy Swift, as well as Josh Gates (host of Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown), Stefan Kapičić (Deadpool), Oliver Dench, and Ty Tennant.

Also on board are Flula Borg, Alan Emrys, Malcolm Sinclair, Reece Ritchie, Cat White (Ten Percent), Gledisa Arthur (Everyone Is Going to Die), Jack Cunningham-Nuttall, Danny Rea (Kingdom), Luka Divac (Boys and Girls), and Alex Henry.

From the original series, Lindy Booth (Dawn of the Dead) will return as “Cassandra Cillian,” and Christian Kane (Leverage) will continue to reprise his role...

You can watch as many anime series as you like, but you probably will never see anything like Serial Experiments Lain. Even though the series is nearing its 30th anniversary — it originally premiered in 1998 — it features themes that are relevant to this day, especially now that AI has become a part of our everyday life. If somehow you missed it or feel like giving it a rewatch, Mvm has excellent news. The series is getting a Blu-ray release on September 15.

Serial Experiments Lain is the kind of anime series that you have to be careful when explaining because you can either spoil it or undersell it. For newcomers, it's enough to know that it follows Lain Iwakura (voiced by Kaori Shimizu in the original Japanese and by Bridget Hoffman in the English dub), a middle school student who tries to live a normal life in Tokyo, Japan. She has a...

Edison Research announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. based on reach for Q1 2025 among weekly podcast listeners ages 13+.

The list ranks podcasts based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics. Interviews were conducted continuously throughout the quarter in English and Spanish. Rankings are based on listening over the full period. All respondents reported listening to podcasts in the last week.

The top six podcasts remain in the same rank order as Q4 2024: The Joe Rogan Experience, Crime Junkie, The Daily, Call Her Daddy, This Past Weekend w/Theo Von, and Dateline NBC.

Regular Top Ten members This American Life and New Heights return.

Podcasts Detail 1 The Joe Rogan Experience 2 Crime Junkie 3 The Daily 4 Call Her Daddy 5 This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von 6 Dateline NBC 7 This American Life 8 Rotten Mango 9 SmartLess 10 New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce 11 Pod Save America 12 MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories...

Adnan Syed, whose murder conviction was the subject of the hit podcast Serial, was officially freed from prison after a judge agreed to reduce his sentence to time served.

A judge approved Syed’s sentence reduction bid in a decision handed down March 6, just over a week after an emotional hearing on the matter in Baltimore on Feb. 26. Syed had filed an application last year under Maryland’s Juvenile Restoration Act, which offers people serving heavy sentences for crimes they committed as minors new opportunities to secure early release. Syed...

The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that Ira Glass, host and creator of the public radio program This American Life, will receive the esteemed Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry. Glass joins the illustrious list of Governors Award recipients including Malcolm Gladwell (2024), Stuff You Should Know (2023), Serial (2022), and Wtf with Marc Maron (2021). The honor will be bestowed upon him at the Fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies), which will be hosted by previously announced multi-hyphenate comedian Tig Notaro, on Monday, March 31, at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. The ceremony will be Live streamed by Twitch from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cst.

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. The...

The upcoming episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” titled “The Fetal Kick Catalyst,” promises to be filled with laughter and surprises. In this sixth episode of Season 10, Penny discovers that her role in the cult classic “Serial Ape-ist” has garnered a surprising fanbase. This revelation comes to light when she and Leonard make an appearance at a Comic Con event. The excitement of meeting fans and discussing her performance adds a fun twist to their outing.

Meanwhile, Amy takes the opportunity to host a brunch at Penny’s apartment. This gathering is sure to bring the gang together for some light-hearted moments and witty banter. Amy’s brunches often lead to unexpected conversations, and this one is likely to be no different. Friends will gather around the table, sharing laughs and perhaps some quirky stories.

On another note, Howard’s impulsive purchase adds an intriguing element to the episode. Known for his quirky decisions,...

American Vandal is a groundbreaking series that redefined the mystery procedural genre by blending sharp satire with genuine intrigue. Released on Netflix in 2017, the show brilliantly parodies true-crime documentaries while crafting a compelling whodunit that hooks viewers from start to finish. Its central premise, investigating juvenile pranks like vandalized cars and contaminated lemonade, may seem absurd, but the series treats these mysteries with the same seriousness as high-profile criminal cases that many audiences have torn into today. This contrast not only highlights the over-the-top nature of true-crime media but also draws viewers into surprisingly high-stakes narratives. By focusing on high school dynamics, social media and adolescent insecurities, American Vandal creates relatable characters and situations that resonate far beyond its comedic surface. More importantly, it holds up a mirror to society’s obsession with turning tragedy into entertainment, raising uncomfortable questions about how public scrutiny can impact real lives.

The mockumentary...

In the 1970s, a serial killer stalked the streets and communities of Florida, kidnapping and murdering women at random. This true-crime story is the inspiration behind The Man In the White Van. Directed by Warren Skeels, this horror thriller retells a close encounter with the eponymous killer. Annie (Madison Wolfe) is a rebellious young girl living the suburban dream in the sleepy rural backwater town of Brooksville, Florida in 1975. At first, the most she has to worry about is keeping from butting heads with her prim and proper sister Margaret (Bred Bassinger), her equally upright parents (Ali Larter and Sean Astin), take care of her beloved horse, Rebel, and cope with her crush on the new boy at school. But fate takes an unpleasant turn when a white van mysteriously shows up in her driveway, and soon appears on every street and corner Annie goes. It's clear that evil has...

Edison Research announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. based on reach for Q3 2024 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+.

The list ranks podcasts based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics. Interviews were conducted continuously throughout the quarter in English and Spanish. Rankings are based on listening over the full period. All respondents reported listening to podcasts in the last week.

Remaining in the same order in the Top 3 since the second quarter are The Joe Rogan Experience, Crime Junkie, and The Daily.

SmartLess, now part of the SiriusXM Podcast Network, breaks into the Top Five for the first time. MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories makes its debut in the Top 10 at #9.

In the Top 50 for the first time: Several new podcasts enter the Top 50 this quarter. The MeidasTouch Podcast rises to #28, driven by its daily election campaign coverage. The Lol Podcast enters the list at #32, reflecting...

Quick Links Serial Experiments Lain Predicted Social Media Paranoia Agent Feels More Relevant Than Ever These Two Classic Anime Work Best Due to a Lack of the Supernatural

When it comes to psychological thrillers, anime isn't always seen as a source for the genre. Nevertheless, there have been several great psychological terrors in the medium, namely involving the works of Satoshi Kon. One such example was the TV series Paranoia Agent, which is seen as a gem in the genre. In terms of being the best, however, its direct competition is a similar hit from a few years earlier.

Serial Experiments Lain was a strange yet now acclaimed anime series that combined cyberpunk with prescient transhumanism, and it explored concepts that seemingly paved the way for social media. On the other hand, Paranoia Agent is a show that feels just as timely due to how it handles media hysteria and modern urban legends.

Welcome to Deadline’s The Hot Ones — Drama, our guide to some of the best scripted TV being sold at MIPCOM this year. Our editorial team has done extensive research in the run-up to the 2024 market and has handpicked a selection of the projects set to be big talking points at this year’s event in Cannes.

In between meetings and cocktail parties, you’re sure to hear whispers about the next potential global hit, and The Hot Ones is here to guide you. So scroll down for the juiciest fare including Beta Films’ Rise of the Raven, Lionsgate’s Spartacus prequel and Fremantle’s Jesse Williams-starrer Costiera.

A Better Place Komplizen/StudioCanal/Wolfgang Ennenbach

Distributor: StudioCanal

Length: 8 x 45’

Producers: Komplizen Serien, Studiocanal Series, Film Ag, The Post Republic, Wdr, Ard Degeto

Network: Ard (Germany), Canal+ (France & Austria)

What happens to a society that ditches prison? That’s the...

Even though director Wei Shujun’s Chinese neo-noir crime thriller Only the River Flows is adapted from writer Yu Hua’s novella, Mistakes by the River, genre fans can’t help but notice the myriad similarities the movie shares with Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece, Memories of Murder—be it through its narrative and visual composition, moody and atmospheric small town aesthetics, or its exploration of themes of ethics, social consciousness, and scope of morality through investigation of serial killings. But aside from all this, what’s going to excite genre fans—the subtle use of dark humor to poke at the decrepit administrative system and the degenerated state of conscience among people in power—are some of the major signifiers that the movie shares with its South Korean spiritual predecessor. Gorgeously shot in 16-mm film to capture the Chinese rural town in the mid-90s it uses as its setting,...

When you hear the name John Waters, Serial Mom probably isn't the first of his films to pop into your head. You might think of one of his earlier cult films like Pink Flamingos and Multiple Maniacs or his musical comedy Hairspray, but his foray into the slasher genre with Serial Mom was ahead of its time in ways even Waters couldn't have imagined. Kathleen Turner gives a pitch-perfect performance as Beverly Sutphin, a devoted housewife who goes on a killing spree in her idyllic suburban neighborhood, turning her into a national celebrity and earning her the titular nickname, Serial Mom. On the surface, Beverly is the last woman you'd expect to see chasing a teenage boy down the street with a kitchen knife, but Beverly is not your average serial killer. She doesn't kill for no reason, but in retaliation against those who break social norms, exhibit bad manners,...

A Hollywood adaptation of S-Town is still in the works, with a fresh creative team.

Host Brian Reed tells The Hollywood Reporter that Apple TV+ is eying a limited series adaptation of the podcast, with Damages and Bloodline co-creator Daniel Zelman attached to develop the project.

Apple TV+ declined to comment. Zelman’s reps did not respond to requests for comment.

The hit 2017 nonfiction podcast centered on an oddball, genius antique clock restorer and his complex relationship with his rural Alabama community. When it was released over seven years ago, S-Town shattered podcast listenership records, gaining 16 million downloads in its first week and 40 million in its first month. The seven-part series from producers behind Serial and This American Life was praised for elevating the podcast form, with Slate deeming it “aural literature” and The New Yorker saying in 2018 that of all podcasts released up to that point, S-Town “seems most...

Horror fans rejoice! The acclaimed Creep franchise by creators Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice is expanding this year with a television series thats set to debut on AMC+ and Shudder. Per Bloody Disgusting, The Creep Tapes will premiere its first two episodes on Friday, November 15, with the remaining four episodes dropping weekly thereafter. The duo debuted the first movie in their found footage saga in 2014 to much fanfare at the South by Southwest film festival, and it has since gone on to become a cult-classic thats lauded for offering a fresh take on the saturated sub-genre. 10 years later, Duplass says that bringing The Creep Tapes to life has been "a true nightmare come true."

"A little over 10 years ago, Patrick Brice and I spent a week together in my cabin with a small digital camera. We emerged with a found footage horror film that was so wildly strange and uncomfortable...

On Wednesday 4 September 2024, Quest Red broadcasts Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior!

Bradfield Season 1 Episode 5 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode titled “Bradfield” of “Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior” airing on Quest Red delves into the intense world of crime and its emotional aftermath. In this episode, detectives are hard at work conducting a gripping interrogation that promises to reveal critical information about the case. As Hadden opens up about his past, his admissions weigh heavily on Jesus, leading to emotional strain for everyone involved.

Viewers will also uncover the troubling history of the Clark family, marked by brutality and childhood abuse. This background provides context for the characters’ actions and decisions, making the narrative even more compelling. Additionally, the episode explores a surprising twist involving Hadden’s brother, Bradfield, who becomes embroiled in an office romance that takes an unexpected turn. This mix of family dynamics,...

On Tuesday September 3 2024, Investigation Discovery broadcasts Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior!

Laura Season 1 Episode 3 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode titled “Laura” of the series “Born Evil: The Serial Killer and the Savior” promises to be a gripping hour of true crime storytelling. This episode focuses on the mysterious disappearance of a young woman who vanishes shortly after returning home from college. The sudden nature of her disappearance raises alarms and leaves her family and friends in distress.

As detectives begin their investigation, they delve into the young woman’s life, searching for clues that could lead them to her whereabouts. The episode highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement as they piece together the timeline of events. With each new lead, the detectives uncover evidence of a brutal crime, adding layers of complexity to the case.

The investigation takes a surprising turn when a suspect emerges, someone...

Lo-fi horror movies embrace low production value, grainy visuals, and limited budgets for terrifying storytelling. (114 characters) Examples like We're All Going to the World's Fair, Skinamarink, and Session 9 showcase the allure of lo-fi horror. (109 characters) Films such as Gretel & Hansel, Lake Mungo, and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders take classic lore to new, chilling heights. (123 characters)

Lo-Fi horror movies such as I Saw the TV Glow have become increasingly popular over the years, with many examples in the genre standing out alongside the recent release. Lo-fi, meaning "low fidelity", refers to an artistic style that can be applied to music, movies, and TV shows that is characterized by a lower production value, embracing imperfections and doing the most on a limited budget. For those that made it to the end of I Saw the TV Glow, there are a bevy of captivating similar films that emulate this style just as well,...

Quick Links Serial Experiments Lain Predicts Our Interconnected World Serial Experiments Lain is a Perfect Cyberpunk Anime

There's an anime that's been extremely influential, yet is for some reason still obscure, despite being regarded by many as a masterpiece of the cyberpunk genre, and that series is Serial Experiments Lain. A mind-bending mystery full of suspense, crazy conspiracies, and the darker side of humanity, Lain showed what a world in the then-not-so-distant future, where everything is connected, might be like. It also happens to be one of my favorite anime series of all time, and it's only gotten more relevant since its creation.

Serial Experiments Lain opens rather shockingly with a suicide, followed by the victim's fellow students receiving emails from their deceased friend, urging them to join her, as she's found a new existence on "The Wired," Aka the internet. Lain Iwakura is one of these students, and despite having little interest in computers,...

Maryland’s highest court ruled Friday to uphold the murder conviction against Adnan Syed, the subject of the first season of the groundbreaking true-crime podcast Serial, agreeing with an appellate court’s previous decision to reinstate Syed’s conviction for the murder of Hae Min Lee.

In September 2022, a Baltimore judge ordered the release of Syed after overturning his third-degree murder conviction; Syed was found guilty in 2000 in the death of Lee, whose murder — and the subsequent errors during Syed’s murder trial — was the focus of Serial’s first season in 2014. A month later,...

Edison Research announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. based on reach for Q2 2024 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+.

The list ranks podcasts based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics. Interviews were conducted continuously throughout the quarter in English and Spanish. Rankings are based on listening over the full period. All respondents reported listening to podcasts in the last week.

Remaining the Top 3 from Q1 2024 into Q2 2024 are The Joe Rogan Experience, Crime Junkie, and The Daily.

Podnews’s list here includes hosting companies and previous places. You can also import the Opml file into your podcast app to subscribe to all fifty.

Podcasts Detail 1 (1) The Joe Rogan Experience 2 (2) Crime Junkie 3 (3) The Daily 4 (7) Call her Daddy 5 (5) Dateline NBC 6 (8) SmartLess 7 (10) Stuff You Should Know 8 (6) This American Life 9 (12) This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von 10 (9) Morbid 11 (11) Club Shay Shay 12 (14) MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories 13 (17) Serial 14 (4) New Heights with Jason...

The motley group of science geeks who form an unlikely bond with a stunning waitress was the magic potion that made The Big Bang Theory one of the most popular shows on television. Led brilliantly by Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, the ensemble cast of Johnny Galecki, Simon Helberg, Kaley Cuoco,Mayim Bialik, and Kunal Nayyar provided multiple moments of laughter and entertainment to audiences worldwide.

A still from The Big Bang Theory (image credit: CBS)

Before the culmination of the 12th and final season of the series, the cast members revealed their wishes for how they would want to see the narrative and their character arcs end. Parsons and Kuoco had a specific desire for the infamous broken elevator that became part and parcel of the sitcom. As it turned out, their wish was granted.

The Big Bang Theory Finale Fulfilled One Long-Standing Desire For These Two Stars

For 12 seasons,...

The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers for the week of July 15, 2024 are in! Fans can expect Sheila Carter Sharpe (Kimberlin Brown) to be questioned by Deputy Chief Bradley Baker (Dan Martin).

It turns out that a crucial piece of evidence goes missing. Meanwhile, Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan) starts looking into his restaurant’s deaths after the business is shut down.

Plus, Li Finnegan (Naomi Matsuda) makes a killer accusation. Keep reading to find out what is coming up in the CBS soap opera.

The Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers – Serial Killer Mystery

B&b spoilers for the week of July 15 reveal that there are now two dead bodies discovered at Il Giardino. First, there was Tom Starr (Clint Howard), who died from a drug overdose. This never sit well with Hollis (Hollis W. Chambers), who later found letters hidden in Tom’s backpack.

Why Tom’s backpack wasn’t taken...

An executive reveals that efforts have been made to revive American Vandal. CBS Studios is exploring the possibility of bringing back the show after it was originally cancelled. The cancellation was due to Netflix wanting to produce its own content.

American Vandal, the two-season Netflix comedy, gets a promising update more than five years after it was cancelled on Netflix. Created by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault and helmed by showrunner Dan Lagana, the story is presented as a parody of popular true-crime podcasts like Serial and Making a Murder. With an American Vandal cast that included Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck, and Jimmy Tatro, the comedy was cancelled late in 2018 despite awards recognition and positive reviews. CBS Studios, one of the production companies behind the series, is hoping for a comeback.

In an interview with Deadline, the chances of an American Vandal revival get an honest update from CBS Studios President David Stapf.

The Big Bang Theory’s brilliant narrative involving a bunch of science geeks and a stunning wannabe actor forming an unlikely friendship, became one of the most watched sitcoms owing to its characterization and razor-sharp humor. Over 12 seasons, the show gained huge popularity for the seamless chemistry of its ensemble cast led by the brilliant Jim Parsons.

A still from The Big Bang Theory (image credit: CBS)

Series creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady looked back on many memorable moments and experiences during the filming of the show in a special interview to commemorate its 15th anniversary in 2022. In keeping with the main theme, many prominent scientists and celebrities graced the show with their presence on and off set, including this famous tech pioneer.

This Famous Entrepreneur Made Himself Comfortable On The Big Bang Theory Set

The eccentric Sheldon Cooper and friends contributed to some of the country’s brightest minds in the popular sitcom,...

We have sad news to report today. It has been announced that Martin Mull, the hugely talented comedian and actor known for playing Colonel Mustard in Clue, Leon Carp in Roseanne, Gene Parmesan in Arrested Development, and more, has died at the age of 80.

The news was revealed by Martin’s daughter Maggie on Instagram. “I am heartbroken to share that my father passed away at home on June 27th, after a valiant fight against a long illness,” Maggie wrote. “He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials. He would find that joke funny. He was never not funny. My dad will be deeply missed by his wife and daughter, by his friends and coworkers, by fellow artists and comedians and musicians, and—the sign of a truly exceptional person—by many, many dogs. I loved him tremendously.“

Related Cutting...

On Tuesday 18 June 2024, 5* broadcasts Serial Killer Wives!

Season 1 Episode 4 Episode Summary

In this episode of “Serial Killer Wives” on 5*, viewers are drawn into the shocking true story of Terry, the ex-girlfriend of serial killer James Randall. Randall, sentenced in 1997 for the brutal murders of two women and suspected of many more killings, casts a chilling shadow over Terry’s life and experiences.

As the episode unfolds, viewers are taken on a harrowing journey through Terry’s tumultuous relationship with Randall and the chilling revelations that emerge about his dark and disturbing past. Through interviews, reenactments, and archival footage, the episode provides a haunting glimpse into the complexities of Terry’s life and the psychological toll of being involved with a serial killer.

“Serial Killer Wives” delves into the dark and unsettling world of those who are connected to notorious killers, offering a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of their...

Edison Research announces the Top 50 Podcasts in the U.S. based on reach for Q1 2024 among weekly podcast listeners age 13+.

The list ranks podcasts based on total audience reach from Edison Podcast Metrics.

Interviews were conducted continuously throughout the quarter in English and Spanish. Rankings are based on listening over the full period. All respondents reported listening to podcasts in the last week.

Podnews has added links and detail to this list from each podcast’s RSS feed; the bottom of this article includes a link to an Opml feed to import all 50 into your podcast player.

Podcasts Detail 1 (1) The Joe Rogan Experience 2 (2) Crime Junkie 3 (3) The Daily 4 (New) New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce 5 (5) Dateline NBC 6 (7) This American Life 7 (12) Call Her Daddy 8 (10) SmartLess 9 (11) Morbid 10 (4)Stuff You Should Know 11 Club Shay Shay 12 This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von 13 The Ben Shapiro Show 14 MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories 15 Bad Friends...

New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features one random pick as well as four selections reflecting the month of May 2024.

Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s offerings include a self-loathing serial killer, a violinist’s murderous ghost, and a postmodern vamp flick.

Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)

Pictured: Ted Bessell and Sian Barbara Allen in Scream, Pretty Peggy.

Directed by Gordon Hessler.

The TV-movie Scream, Pretty Peggy first aired as part of ABC Movie of the Week. Bette Davis plays the mother of a reclusive sculptor (Ted Bessell), and after the previous housekeeper goes missing, a local college student (Sian Barbara Allen) fills the position. Little does she know, though, the young employee’s predecessor was murdered — and the killer is still on the loose.

Admittedly,...

Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”

A bizarre recurring issue with the Amityville “franchise” is that the films tend to be needlessly complicated. Back in the day, the first sequels moved away from the original film’s religious-themed haunted house storyline in favor of streamlined, easily digestible concepts such as “haunted lamp” or “haunted mirror.”

As the budgets plummeted and indie filmmakers capitalized on the brand’s notoriety, it seems the wrong lessons were learned. Runtimes have ballooned past the 90-minute mark and the narratives are often saggy and unfocused.

Both issues are clearly on display in Amityville Karen (2022), a film that starts off rough, but promising, and ends with a confused whimper.

The promise is embodied by the tinge of self-awareness in Julie Anne Prescott (The Amityville Harvest)’s screenplay,...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Brooklyn Center for Theatre Research

The latest installment of my secret-screening series Amnesiascope is tonight. Details here and tickets here. If you attend I’ll tell you a personal secret as thanks.

Film Forum

As Le Samouraï and the Belmondo-led Classe tous risques continue playing in new 4K restorations, an Alain Delon retrospective begins; His Girl Friday screens this Sunday.

Roxy Cinema

Kevin Kline, Tracey Ullman, and Julie Klausner present a print of I Love You to Death; the James Dean-led Giant shows on 35mm this Saturday; a 16mm puppet program plays this Sunday.

Bam

“Queering the Canon” brings My Own Private Idaho, Set It Off, and Summer Vacation 1999 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively.

Paris Theater

A 1984 retrospective includes Freddie Kruger, the Muppets, Tom Hanks, and Eddie Murphy; King Kong plays on Sunday.

Anthology Film Archives

“Essential Cinema...

Investigation Discovery’s set a May 5, 2024 premiere date for season one of People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer, a true crime series that focuses on those who survived encounters with serial killers. New episodes of the six-episode season air on ID on Sundays at 9pm Et/Pt.

“In this new series, survivors take back the narrative by sharing the disturbing yet empowering accounts of how they escaped the clutches of a serial killer,” reads ID’s synopsis. “Survivors, their loved ones, and law enforcement come together to piece together the emotional, shocking, and exclusive stories that finally brought serial killers to justice.”

People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer Episodes

Series Premiere, May 5 at 9pm Et/Pt

The premiere episode tells the story of serial killer Rodney Alcala who appeared on a popular dating series in the midst of his murder spree. Known as “The Dating Game Killer,” Alcala...

Today, Amaze Media Labs officially brings Trailergram out of beta and relaunches its AI-powered audience growth platform with a new name and new features.

“Ten years after Serial thrust podcasting into the mainstream, creators and publishers are still struggling to consistently drive audience growth and improve discoverability for their content,” said Travis Albritton, Head of Marketing at Amaze Media Labs. “After thorough beta testing alongside many of podcasting’s biggest networks, publishers, and creators since its debut last August at Podcast Movement we’re excited to bring our Trailergram product out of beta and officially launch it as the first promotion tool on our new audiencelift platform.”

Today, audiencelift allows podcasters to promote an audio trailer for their show on Amaze Media Lab’s premium publisher network, serving impressions and trailer plays alongside contextually relevant articles, expertly matching the podcaster’s content with their ideal listener. Engaged listeners can then...

The New York Times and Serial Productions today announced that Serial will return with a new nine-episode season on Thursday, March 28. In Season Four, host Sarah Koenig is joined by Dana Chivvis to tell the history of Guantanamo through the personal stories of those on the ground who know things the rest of us don’t.

This year marks Serial’s 10th anniversary; the first season aired in 2014 and revolutionized the podcast industry.

Listeners can subscribe to “Serial” wherever podcasts are available and on the Nyt Audio app. The first two episodes launch on Thursday, March 28, with episodes released weekly after that.

“It’s fitting that this show is coming out on Serial’s 10th anniversary, because we’ve been trying to make a show about Guantanamo for almost a decade,” said Sarah Koenig. “Dana and I tried for years to figure out how to make a story that captures...

Serial will be back in March with its long-awaited fourth season. The popular podcast will return for a nine-episode fourth season on March 28, with a focus on Guantanamo.

The announcement was made today by Serial host Sarah Koenig, Julie Snyder and Dana Chivvis at On Air Fest in Brooklyn, an annual event that explores the art of sound and storytelling, during a session moderated by Pj Vogt (Search Engine).

The first two episodes launch on Thursday, March 28, with episodes released weekly after that.

In Season 4, Koenig and Chivvis tell the history of Guantanamo through the personal stories of those on the ground.

This year also marks Serial’s 10th anniversary.

“It’s fitting that this show is coming out on Serial’s 10th anniversary, because we’ve been trying to make a show about Guantanamo for almost a decade,” said Koenig. “Dana and I tried for years to figure out...

The legendary “Pulp of Trash,” John Waters hasn’t directed a feature film since A Dirty Shame back in 2004, but The Guardian reports this week that the Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, and Serial Mom director will soon be making a long-awaited return with a brand new movie!

The Guardian reports this morning, “Hairspray director John Waters is about to start production on his first feature film for 20 years, with Aubrey Plaza as the lead.”

The film is titled Liarmouth, an adaptation of Waters’ same titled novel from 2022.

Liarmouth is “a feel-bad romance,” with the novel billing it as “a hilariously filthy tale of sex, crime, and family dysfunction from the brilliantly twisted mind of John Waters.”

“Liarmouth centers on a scammer and compulsive liar called Marsha Sprinkle who splits from her partner Daryl and steals from both her daughter and her mother.”

The full synopsis for the book digs a bit...

Serial Experiments Lain accurately predicted the impact of technology on our daily lives, exploring the blurring lines between the real world and virtual reality. The anime delves into the concept of identity in a virtual sphere, where the protagonist is torn between her real self and her persona in the digital world. Serial Experiments Lain's non-linear narrative structure and disorienting imagery effectively reflect the overwhelming nature of the virtual world and its impact on reality.

Serial Experiments Lain is a 13-episode anime that predicted the impact of technology on the real world long before it took over every aspect of our lives. Released in 1998, when the advent of the internet was still in its early stages and tech devices, such as computers and cellphones, were only starting to pop up, the anime already had a clear vision of the dark truth behind letting the real world gain access to a brand new,...

The Joe Rogan Experience was the top podcast of the year globally in 2023, marking its fourth consecutive year in that position, according to Spotify Wrapped data released Wednesday.

Wrapped, which analyzes listening data in 2023 about the most-streamed artists and podcasts on the platform, also saw Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy (which, like Joe Rogan’s, is exclusive to Spotify) retain its second place spot on the global list, while Dr. Andrew Huberman’s science podcast, Huberman Lab, jumped to third. Emma Chamberlain’s podcast, Anything Goes, which became exclusive to Spotify in 2023 and placed third last year, came in fourth. On Purpose with Jay Shetty, which recently inked an ad sales deal with iHeartMedia, rounded out the global list in fifth place.

The U.S. podcast list also saw Ashley Flowers’ true crime series Crime Junkie, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von and The New York Times’ podcast The...

First slate to include Rachel’s Game, Oldies But Goodies, Survive.

Powerhouse Paris-based media group Federation Studios has joined forces with veteran sales executive Sabine Chemaly to launch international film sales company Ginger & Fed.

The new venture, a partnership between Federation and Chemaly’s Ginger Films, will take on acquisitions and international sales for both in-house and third party films.

The feature-focused foray is an extension of Federation’s existing distribution of fiction, documentary and children’s programming and presence in production via global companies like Bonne Pioche, Cheyenne and Monkey Pack (Robin & Co) in France, Vertigo in the UK,...

A giant in the world of podcasting needs a “sonic signature.”

So when the prolific publisher Wondery decided it was time to brand its product by establishing an unforgettable signature, its leaders hired the creative-design firm, Made Music, behind the iconic static-screen clip that opens every HBO show. Wondery CEO Jen Sargent recalls that the branding exercise in 2018 helped the company fine-tune its vision of what Wondery podcasts should deliver to listeners.

“Imagine six or seven of us sitting in a room and asking ourselves, ‘Does this sound like wonder to you? Does this sound like wondering?’” recalls Sargent.

The efforts proved to be time well spent. Since Wondery’s launch in early 2016, podcasting as a medium has seen its listener base skyrocket. Wondery has blossomed into one of the largest producers of popular, recurring podcast series including “SmartLess,” a freewheeling conversation hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett.

Podcast news site Podbam today published an in-depth report analyzing the 40 most searched podcasts on Google so far this year.

Utilizing data from tools like Ahrefs, Semrush and Google Trends, the report offers a revealing look at podcast listening interests in 2023.

Findings show that interest remains incredibly high for podcasting juggernauts like The Joe Rogan Experience and Call Her Daddy, while stalwarts such as This American Life and Serial continue to attract attention. True crime, comedy, news, pop culture and self-improvement emerged as particularly popular genres.

Podbam's data analysis tracks monthly search volumes for each podcast, identifying trends and spikes. For example, The Joe Rogan Experience saw intense interest during controversial episodes in early 2022, while new release The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark is rapidly rising up the search rankings this month.

“Podcasts are an intimate medium that builds deep connections between hosts and listeners over time,” said Joan Unay,...

Virtual reality is a popular theme within sci-fi anime, and over the years, it's only gotten bigger. Many of the virtual worlds featured have become almost as well-known as their series and fans often admire them for their creativity and lore.

The best anime virtual worlds set the tone of the series and breathe life into the story with detailed settings and unique civilizations.

They come in a variety of forms, from the ever-popular Mmorpg isekai worlds found in Sword Art Online and Bofuri to futuristic cityscapes where the virtual world blends with reality, like the world of Ghost in the Shell. These virtual worlds fully immerse their audience and are remembered long after the story ends, making them some of the greatest of all time.

Related: The 58 Best Isekai Of All Time, Ranked

Elder Tale (Log Horizon)

Following the popular isekai trend, Log Horizon is a virtual reality anime...

Rub a little Vaseline on your teeth, fire up a hot latte, do a few mouth stretches and whisper, “It’s showtime!” That’s how the most powerful people in the podcasting business — a mix of hosts, executives and reps featured on THR‘s annual power list — ready themselves before recording their widely-heard shows. As part of this year’s survey, the group, which also includes Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper, Bill Simmons, Ben Shapiro and My Favorite Murder co-hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, reveals its dream guests and guilty pleasure listens as well.

My pre-recording podcasting routine entails…

Bill Simmons, The Bill Simmons Podcast Big bottle of water, put my phone on silent, remind myself not to say anything dumb.

Karen Kilgariff, My Favorite Murder I feed the dogs, gather up all of my beverages (usually 4, 1 hot and 3 colds), rub some Vaseline on my teeth and as I log onto Zoom,...

The New York Times and Serial Productions today announced The Retrievals, a new five-part podcast hosted by author and “This American Life” editor Susan Burton. The narrative series weaves together voices of Yale Fertility Center patients to tell a powerful and textured story about the treatment of women in medical settings and what happens when one of the most established fertility clinics in the country is held accountable for failing to protect its patients.

Listeners can subscribe to “The Retrievals” and listen to the trailer now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever podcasts are available. The first episode will be available on Thursday, June 29, with episodes released weekly after that.

"In ‘The Retrievals,’ Susan Burton takes on a question I've always wanted to explore: Why do we not take women's pain more seriously?" says Julie Snyder, the executive editor of Serial Productions. "What happened to the patients in this story is horrible.

Banijay Rights has closed a major sale on its French drama series “Serial Lover” to Spanish broadcaster Atresmedia.

“Serial Lover” marks the debut series for Banijay France’s label Shine Fiction, which is co-producing with Amaury Fournial from Sibaro Films.

Written by Alice Den Broek and directed by Fred Berthe, “Serial Lover”‘s synopsis bills the show as “the story of a shrewd man who lives many different lives – a pilot, a surgeon, a broker, a journalist; developing a new personality for every identity and deceiving experts in each field. Handsome, charming, and attentive, exhilarated by his power, the deception becomes an art form as he manipulates all those around him, especially women who he targets and steals from. How many women have fallen in this trap?”

The series has been ordered by M6 in France. The deal with Atresmedia was negotiated by Marion Vergnaud, SVP Italy, Iberia & Malta, Banijay Rights.

The MyAnimeList website has gone down after suffering a cyberattack.

According to Anime Senpai, someone hacked MyAnimeList, one of the largest anime and manga websites, on May 10. On that day, users found all anime series titles replaced with the phrase "Let's All Love Lain" from Serial Experiments Lain. As per MyAnimeList's Notice of Emergency Maintenance, a "malicious individual" has tampered with user scores and inserted a code to display a pop-up to anyone who visits their profile or list during the attack. They have also reported no data breach of their users' personal information at this time. MyAnimeList has also updated its users that the emergency maintenance will end on May 12.

Related: Anime Piracy Site More Popular Than Crunchyroll, Hulu

MyAnimeLists Hacked By Serial Experiments Lain Fan

MyAnimeList acts like IMDb for anime, allowing users to rank them and search through a database. Over the years, it has become the...

Since the mid-2010s, true crime as a genre has been at an all-time high. Podcasts, TV shows, and movies like Serial, Making a Murderer, and O.J.: Made in America have introduced a whole new generation of fans to the genre, cementing it in pop culture and paving the way for numerous productions about the strangest and most shocking stories the crime world has to offer. Soon enough, with the help of streaming services (particularly Netflix), people all around the globe were getting acquainted with the cases of Amanda Knox (Amanda Knox), Joe Exotic (Tiger King), and the Rajneeshpuram community (Wild Wild Country), among many others. And if true crime, at first, seemed to be an American phenomenon, or at least restricted to the English-speaking world, now more and more crime stories from all over the world are popping up on Netflix at an ever quicker rate. Over the second half of 2021 alone,...