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Lucky Season 13 of The Masked Singer came to a thrilling finale Wednesday night, with Pearl claiming the coveted Golden Mask trophy over Boogie Woogie, Coral, and Mad Scientist Monster. After the confetti dropped and panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora made their final guesses, Pearl removed her bejeweled mask to reveal Grammy-winning country star Gretchen Wilson.

"I was absolutely expecting Boogie to win all the way up to the last minute," Wilson tells Gold Derby (watch the video interview above). "We became friends and we were sort of rooting for each other. And the mom in me, not having any idea who was behind that mask, kind of wanted to share it with him. We were in the same group. We had performed side by side pretty much throughout this whole thing. So Pearl and Boogie Woogie really got to know each other as the characters.

Spoiler Alert: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 5 of “The Masked Singer,” “Ghostbusters Night,” which aired March 12 on Fox.

If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Not 911, because as a wise man once said, “911 is a Joke.” That wise man was Flava Flav, and yeah boyeeee, he was the latest celebrity to be revealed Wednesday on Fox’s hit music competition series “The Masked Singer.” Flav was unmasked as the Space Ranger, during the show’s “Ghostbusters” themed night.

So get up and get get get down. Flavor Flav was eliminated for singing The Bus Boy’s “Cleaning Up the Town.” Flav told Variety that participating in “The Masked Singer” was a bucket list item for him, even if he was gone too soon.

“I love surprising people and fooling people,” he said. “I love being like that, the center of attention. When I saw my episode last night,...

We’re celebrating 50 years of “Saturday Night Live”! All this week, we’re digging into the late-night comedy institution with new stories, including lists, essays, interviews, and more.

In 8th grade there was a popular kid, I’ll call him Tim. Tim was 6-feet tall and he had a cool haircut. Tim was either good-looking or he was good-looking for the ’90s, I really can’t remember. Either way, let’s say he was at least contextually attractive, tall, and had a haircut — more than enough to be the big kid in middle school. But Tim thought he had another quality that he most certainly did not have: Tim thought he was funny.

Why did Tim think he was funny? Well, a cool thing happens in 8th grade when the cool kid makes a joke — even a lame joke — the other kids laugh. The masses laughing at Tim’s bad jokes never bothered me.

Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary celebration continues to inspire a slew ancillary promotional products including a new “immersive” SNL experience inside Rockefeller Center — which may or may not consist of forcing fans to wait outside Lorne Michaels’ office for nine hours straight.

This week we’re also getting SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, a four-part docuseries that delves into the show’s cocaine-addled history.

Bizarrely, an entire episode, literally a quarter of the series, is dedicated to a single sketch. No, not “Fart Face.” It’s a granular examination of “More Cowbell,” the classic 2000 sketch that chronicled the fictional backstage drama surrounding the recording of Blue Oyster Cult’s 1976 banger “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper.”

It’s hard to imagine the sketch without host Christopher Walken playing the part of producer Bruce Dickinson — incidentally, the real Dickinson wasn’t a legendary record producer at all, just a “mid-level manager at Columbia Records...

Saturday Night Live gave Blue Öyster Cult’s following a fever.

On April 8, 2000, SNL aired a sketch written by and starring Will Ferrell that would change the course of music history forever — or, at least, it would change the way everyone in the crowd treated Blue Öyster Cult during their tours. With Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan, Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz all playing the psychedelic rock band from Stony Brook, New York and guest host Christopher Walken in the role of a producer who is passionate about a certain percussion part, “More Cowbell” was an immediate hit, and, in the nearly quarter-century since its airing, the sketch has become one of the most over-quoted SNL skits in the show’s long history.

Blue Öyster Cult co-founder Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser recently spoke to Vulture about the band’s relationship with the sketch, and he revealed that, before “More Cowbell,...

Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus, king of the gods, in Kaos. In the marketing for the Netflix series, he’s been positioned as more of an Atlas-like figure, with the entire show carried on his back—and his twitchy, stuttering shtick. In actuality, Kaos is distributed pretty evenly among its large cast of characters, many of whom don’t really seem like they belong to the same world, and none of whom prove strong enough to keep the series from crumbling.

Kaos takes place in a world not unlike our present one, except here the Greek gods are real and rule over humanity from atop Mount Olympus. We’re introduced to the major members of this pantheon of gods in an opening sequence set to Dire Straits’s “Money for Nothing,” with each character title often followed by a smaller one offering some glib addendum. This introductory sequence—and the rest...

Achieving the "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" ending in Cyberpunk 2077 has become more complicated and rare post-launch. The exact requirements for triggering this ending seem to have changed, making it difficult for players to unlock. Players may need to follow specific dialogue options and complete side missions to increase their chances of accessing this elusive ending, but even then, it doesn't always trigger.

This article contains mention of suicide.

One Cyberpunk 2077 mystery is still baffling players four years after launch, and Phantom Liberty seems to have made it even more complicated. Originally released in 2020 in a wildly different form, the game has undergone a lot of changes, not least of which were part of Cyberpunks 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty Dlc. Besides adding tons of new content, tweaking character progression, and fixing bugs, these major post-launch releases changed some of the finer details of how the story works.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for one possible ending of Cyberpunk 2077.]

That said, there's one...

Let the wrestling mayhem begin: A24 has released the first trailer for The Iron Claw, the true story of the Von Erichs, a family of pro wrestlers that has ruled the ring for decades, despite so many tragedies that fans have often talked of a Von Erich Curse.

A bulked up Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White star as brothers Kevin and Kerry Von Erich, two of the clan’s most popular wrestlers. The new trailer – set, forebodingly, to the tune of Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” – shows the brothers’ camaraderie in the face of wrestling opponents and their own bullying father Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany).

Also appearing in the film are Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich, Maura Tierney as Doris and Lily James as Kevin’s wife, Pam. The Iron Claw is written and directed by Sean Durkin...

From left: 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Jacob Scipio, and Andy Garcia in Expen4ables Photo: Lionsgate Less of a deconstruction of ’80s action movie machismo and more a whole-hearted embrace of cinema’s bygone bombastic era, The Expendables franchise has varied drastically in quality throughout its 13-year existence.

Daredevil #1 continues the story of Matt Murdock, now known as "Father Matt," as he balances his duties as a priest while still possessing elements of the hero he once was. Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder effectively explore the role of Matt's faith and how it drives him, both as a hero and a man trying to do good. Despite the changes in Daredevil's status quo, Ahmed and Kuder's unique take on the character makes this new series stand out and promises an intriguing and potentially tragic journey for the Man Without Fear.

A new chapter of Daredevil's life has begun and fans are not going to want to miss it. Despite a new chance at a fresh start, Matt Murdock's good work is not yet done in an exciting new beginning for the Man Without Fear.

The last several years have seen Daredevil literally go through Hell and back. After a brief stint in prison,...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (Bhff) announces today the full program for its 2023 incarnation, running October 12-19th with all screenings held at Nitehawk Cinema’s Williamsburg and Prospect Park locations. Audiences are in for an unearthly lineup of films and events, including the inaugural Leviathan Award, which will be presented to NYC horror legend William Lustig at a special 35th-anniversary screening of Maniac Cop, followed by a post-screening conversation with Lustig.

The Opening Night film is the World Premiere of Kill Your Lover from directors Alix Austin and Keir Siewert, who previously announced themselves to the Bhff audience last year with their short film Sucker. The 2023 festival boasts the World Premieres of three more exciting new films: Gaia director Jaco Bouwer’s unsettling Breathing In, Aimee Kuge’s audacious debut Cannibal Mukbang, and Tyler Chipman’s powerfully creepy debut The Shade. The festival’s other spotlight titles include director...

The Morning Show season 3 cast features Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who portray two co-anchors with conflicting personalities. The show achieved success with Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, as well as critical acclaim for Billy Crudup's performance. New additions to the cast for season 3 include Jon Hamm, Nicole Beharie, Tig Notaro, Mark Duplass, and more, promising an exciting continuation of the series.

The Morning Show season 3 cast returns a strong lineup of actors for the third season of the Apple TV+ series. Starring Jennifer Anniston and Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show about a fictional television morning show (also called The Morning Show) that has more than its fair share of turmoil. The Morning Show premiered on November 1, 2019, and examined the culture behind the broadcast morning news programs. Based on the book, Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV by Brian Stelter, the show opens with...

Those console owners itching for Trepang Studios’ Trepang2 will finally get their opportunity next month when the F.E.A.R.-inspired shooter comes to PlayStation and Xbox. Previously released this past June for PC, Trepang2 comes to PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series on October 2nd.

And for those who pre-order Trepang2 on either the PlayStation Store or on the Microsoft Store, you’ll also snag a pre-order bonus Dlc of a unique costume that can be equipped from the safehouse in the game. There will also be a physical version of the game.

Described as a spiritual successor to the fast-paced and over-the-top first-person shooters of the mid-2000s (namely Monolith’s previously-mentioned F.E.A.R.), Trepang2 “pairs high-octane, first-person gun-fu gameplay with a devastating heavy metal soundtrack”. Stepping into the boots of a newly enhanced super soldier broken out from a government black site, you’ll embark on a supernatural journey of death,...

The Walking Dead spinoffs have had varying success, with some being forgettable and others expanding the universe effectively. Spinoffs like Passage and Flight 462 offer unique storylines but lack the depth and impact of the main show and other spinoffs. World Beyond, Tales of the Walking Dead, and Dead City provide exciting developments and interesting characters, while Fear the Walking Dead is the best spinoff overall.

The Walking Dead has introduced many spinoffs over the years, with some becoming popular series and others scoring low ratings due to poor character development and dull storylines. The main show that birthed the entire franchise will always be the winner, but that doesn't mean The Walking Dead spinoffs didn't do a good job of expanding its universe and showing audiences other survivors, variant zombies, and communities in an increasingly dead world. Although the franchise has had countless successes throughout its lifetime, there have been failed projects too,...

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro's highest-grossing movie together is Cape Fear, despite it not holding as much of a legacy compared to their other collaborations. Cape Fear showcased the fraying edges of their collaborative prowess, with an intense and chilling portrayal of Max Cady by De Niro. While Cape Fear may be considered one of their weaker collaborations, it still stands as a testament to their skill and is an interesting and entertaining character study.

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro's highest-grossing movie together was a box office hit, but it's also the film of theirs that doesn't hold as much of a legacy compared to other collaborations. The dynamic duo of Scorsese and De Niro has undoubtedly left an unforgettable mark on cinema history, crafting masterpieces that have kept audiences on the edge of their seat for decades. From the gritty streets of Taxi Driver to the...

Director Marc Jobst, who directed two episodes of Netflix's Daredevil, highlights Charlie Cox's impressive athletic prowess as the Man Without Fear.

Jobst told Screen Rant about his time working with Cox on Netflix's Daredevil. "Charlie is an unbelievable physical athlete," Jobst remarked. "We were shooting the scene, I think it was the first episode of season three, and he'd been in some terrible situation, the building had collapsed on him, and he'd escaped through it, and he was recovering in the chapel of this church."

Related: Daredevil: Born Again Rumor Hints at Matt Murdock’s Potential Love Interest

He continued, "In part of that recovery process, he was doing a series of exercises to bring himself back to himself, and we were doing these sort of things, and he was like, 'Ah, this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna do a handstand, and I'm going to do press ups on a handstand.

“Fear the Walking Dead” begins its eighth and final season Sunday, bringing the curtain down on an impressive eight-year run and more than 100 episodes produced. This installment begins with a compelling hook, boo-hiss baddies lined up and the stage set for a suitably epic showdown with some degree of finality to it. Then again, maybe not.

As the first “Walking Dead” spin-off begins its last descent, it’s worth reflecting on the world it debuted in back in fall 2015. At the time, “The Walking Dead” was not only a ratings behemoth but a genuine pop culture phenomenon, commanding both heated watercooler discourse and high-minded thinkpieces.

The temperature has come down substantially in the years since, but that does nothing to diminish what the franchise achieved at its peak, and by extension how “Fear the Walking Dead” rode the tide to some surprising artistic highs. The show could be uneven at...

Director Deon Taylor and lead actor Joseph Sikora discussed filming their movie Fear during the height of Covid-19 as well as what scares them the most – on set and in their personal lives – in their new uInterview.

When asked about the most memorable behind-the-scenes moment, Taylor explained that it was “the overall agenda of why we made the movie,” he told uInterview exclusively.

“I think a lot of people are just now finding out that this was the first movie that was up and running during the global pandemic,” Taylor explained. “It started with me and Jo making phone calls and asking people to just come to this abandoned cabin and make this film.”

“We shot this film in 16 days, 18 days,” Sikora later added. Taylor believes that it was after people realized how they made the movie that they began to understand the story and how hard it was to...

The Walking Dead fans were first introduced to Morgan Jones (Lennie James) in The Walking Dead's pilot episode, "Days Gone Bye," as a father who helped Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) learn the ways of the zombie apocalypse. James didn't return as Morgan again until Season 3, Episode 12, "Clear," where it's revealed his son turned into a walker. Since then, he appeared in Seasons 6-8 of The Walking Dead and made the transition to the spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead as its protagonist after Madison Clark's (Kim Dickens) departure.

One of the longest-standing characters in The Walking Dead universe, Morgan has provided a realistic representation of humanity's reaction to the downfall of society. His reaction to trauma has teetered between a pacifist philosophy and an "everyone for themselves" viewpoint until he found a balance in later seasons of Fear the Walking Dead. Ahead of the final season premiere, Lennie...

The first full-length trailer for The Walking Dead: Dead City has arrived ahead of the show's premiere in June.

Following the recent teaser trailer, AMC has now unveiled the official trailer for Dead City, which sees Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprise their roles as Maggie Greene and Negan, respectively, from The Walking Dead. The trailer sets up the duo's journey into the heart of a Walker-infested New York City as Maggie enlists her sworn enemy to help her rescue her son, Herschel. Negan has a connection with the leader of the raiding party responsible for the kidnapping, a fact the tough-as-nails mother wants to lean into.

Related: The Walking Dead: Negan and Maggie Gear Up for NYC Zombies in Dead City Images

Dead City is created by Eli Jorné. The limited series is slated to premiere on AMC on Sunday, June 18. It will run for a...

Michael Gandolfini's mystery role in Daredevil: Born Again gets a first look through some newly surfaced set photos.

The Twitter account @DDevilUpdates shared photos from the set of the upcoming Daredevil series for Disney+, which show Gandolfini's unknown character stepping out of a New York City cab in a hoodie and jeans. Close examination reveals a woman cropped out of one picture who appears to be opening the door for Gandolfini.

Related: Rumor: Daredevil: Born Again Will Uphold Netflix Canon

Michael Gandolfini filming for ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ last week. (via: stevesandnyc) pic.twitter.com/ZL2yxpVdKC — Daredevil Updates (@DDevilUpdates) May 8, 2023 A New Addition to the Daredevil Cast for Its Disney+ Debut

Gandolfini was announced as a member of the Daredevil: Born Again cast in December 2022. While Marvel has not disclosed the identity of his character, Gandolfini shared a hint about his Staten Island upbringing and expressed his enthusiasm for...

New Transformers: Rise of the Beasts posters give audiences detailed looks at new and returning franchise characters. After a five-year hiatus, Transformers returns with its latest entry, introducing Beast Wars characters to the long-running movie series. Directed by Creed II's Steven Caple Jr., In the Heights' Anthony Ramos stars as ex-military electronics technician Noah Diaz in a prequel adventure set a little over a decade prior to the events of the original live-action Transformers film.

With a month until release, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts recently released new posters that give super-detailed looks at both the new and returning Transformers characters. Check out the posters below:

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Along with films series regulars Autobots Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, members of new robot factions Maximals and Terrorcons are also recognized with their own posters to include Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman), Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), and Scourge (Peter Dinklage).

What to Expect...

Fans can rest assured that when Netflix's One Piece live-action sets sail, it will have received Eiichiro Oda's stamp of approval.

One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda released a statement regarding the upcoming live-action series via Netflix's Twitter account. Oda admitted there had been some difficulty and frustration in the production process as he and Tomorrow Studios and Netflix "come from very different cultures...we have different codes, skill sets, and aims." The creator wrote, "'It felt like, 'we're all trying to get to the same place so how come we're not on the same wavelength?'" At one point, Oda even doubted the possibility of "a foreign production." However, things have been coming together with Oda revealing the series was in its final stages and Netflix had "promised that we won't launch [the series] until I'm satisfied."

Related: One Piece Theory: Monkey D. Dragon Is the Man Marked by Flames...

Video games may not be as well respected as other narrative artforms, but it’s only a matter of time before mainstream media begins to regard these interactive experiences with the same prestige as film and television. Fortunately, there are some artistic pioneers from other areas that have already recognized the creative potential of gaming, and this is especially true when it comes to the horror genre.

With so many genre filmmakers choosing to support interactive digital art, we’ve decided to come up with a list celebrating six times that masters of horror contributed to videogames. After all, from famous writers to big-name directors, there are plenty of examples of multimedia collaboration in gaming.

As usual, we’ll be abiding by a couple of rules. First, we’ll only be including masters of horror that don’t specialize in videogames (that means no Shinji Mikami!). Second, the contribution has...

I’ve been sick as a dog this past week after bringing home a bug from my horror adventures at PanicFest. In my semi-delirious haze of sneezing out my eyeballs, bottomless teas, and naps on demand – there’s one guilty pleasure I always seem to gravitate to. Reality TV. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of small screen sinning for us horror fans. But once you dig through the ditches and burn through the witches, there are plenty of real-life frights to be found…

Reality TV has provided us with many horror-themed shows that will have you screaming at your screen. From prank shows to survival challenges, these shows take horror to a whole new level. So, put on your brave face and get ready for a guide to the best horror reality TV series of all time.

Prank Encounters Air Date: October...

On May 2, 1970, British illustrator Ralph Steadman went to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, to meet a writer named Hunter S. Thompson. The result was the groundbreaking article “The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved,” in Scanlan’s Monthly, that created “gonzo journalism,” and its visual aesthetic thanks to Steadman’s surreal artwork. It was the start of a long relationship between the two men that produced countless iconic images over the years, including the cover of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Both visionaries produced major works in Rolling Stone.

The Zombieland soundtrack features an eclectic mix of easygoing American recording artists, such as Willie Nelson as well as more hard rock-heavy tracks by the likes of Metallica and Van Halen. Revolving around a ragtag bunch of survivors in a zombie apocalypse, the 2009 comedy has acquired a cult status, eventually spawning a sequel a decade later. The diversity within the movie's soundtrack can best be explained from the vastly different personalities among the main characters. So, while Woody Harrelson's Tallahassee is a short-tempered zombie killer, Jesse Eisenberg's Columbus is more cautious. Joining them are the fearless and strategic Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

Zombieland's adrenaline-fueled action is perfectly paired with the high-octane music in the soundtrack, with genres ranging from classic rock to metal to musical symphonies. While they can often help add to the pace and comedy of the scene, the music can also foreshadow events to come.

[This story contains major spoilers from the fourth episode of Wolf Pack, “Fear and Pain.”]

Rodrigo Santoro wasn’t afraid to take a bite out of the supernatural world in his latest starring role in Paramount+’s Wolf Pack.

The actor, who began his career decades ago with several Brazilian projects, has had a taste of sci-fi, adventure and fantasy with previous roles in Westworld, Lost and 300. Now, starring as Garrett Briggs, a father to werewolves and a park ranger with a secret in the Sarah Michelle Gellar-starring series, Santoro has taken on a new battle. He says, “I was just connected to the storytelling and the characters.”

The high school-set horror series, written and produced by Jeff Davis, follows teenagers Everett (Armani Jackson) and Blake (Bella Shepard) as their lives are flipped upside down when they are bitten by a werewolf during a mysterious wildfire in southern California. As they try to navigate the confusion and chaos,...

Garrett’s willing to do whatever’s necessary to keep his kids safe on Paramount+’s Wolf Pack season one episode four. “Fear and Pain” will stream beginning on Wednesday, February 16, 2023.

Season one stars Tyler Gray as Harlan Briggs, Chloe Robertson as Luna Briggs, Bella Shepard as Blake Navarro, and Armani Jackson as Everett Lang. Rodrigo Santoro plays Garrett Briggs and Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Kristin Ramsey. Additional season one cast members include Bailey Stender, Chase Liefeld, Hollie Bahar, Lanny Joon, Rio Mangini, Stella Smith, Zack Nelson, James Martinez, Amy Pietz, Bria Brimmer, John L. Adams, and Sean Philip Glasgow.

Teen Wolf‘s Jeff Davis writes and executive produces. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Christian Taylor, Jason Ensler, and Capital Arts’ Mike Elliott and Karen Gorodetzky also executive produce.

“Fear and Pain” Plot: Garrett joins Ramsey’s Arson Task Force, hoping to stay ahead of the investigation and protect his children...

It’s Super Bowl weekend, so all other pop culture is taking a back seat to the big game. HBO is releasing “The Last of Us” Episode 5 two days early in order to avoid competing with it. With so little competition, the Super Bowl is our top pick for awards contenders to watch on TV this weekend. The halftime show is going to work, work, work, work, work, work.

The contender to watch this weekend: Super Bowl Lvii

The AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs go up against the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles at 6:30 p.m. Et/3:30 p.m. Pt on Fox. It’s a little bit harder to stream this year’s game than last year’s, which was on Peacock. If you want to watch it without cable, you’ll have to sign up for a live TV streaming plan, like the ones offered by YouTube and Hulu.

Now that Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to an emotional close with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel fans everywhere have the midpoint of the Infinity Saga to look forward to with Phase 5. Projects like Wakanda Forever and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) have certainly set a high bar for the follow-up Phase to reach, but already it appears to be an extremely exciting line-up of movies and shows. Within only a few years, we're set to see the conclusion of one of Marvel's biggest success stories with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), the first-ever follow-up season for a Disney+ Marvel series with Loki Season 2 (2023), the long-awaited return of Charlie Cox as the Man Without Fear in Daredevil: Born Again (2024), and many more. Of course, every phase of the MCU needs to start somewhere, and for Phase 5, things will be getting off to a small start (literally). That's...

Danay Garcia, a star of Fear the Walking Dead, explains why the show is coming to an end. A prequel that eventually comes to overlap with the story of The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead follows the adventures of a single family as they wade through a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With walkers around every corner and dangerous humans everywhere, Fear the Walking Dead eventually expands beyond its initial cast to showcase the reality of the world of the zombie apocalypse.

In an Instagram video captured by AMC Plus Europe, Garcia, who plays Luciana Galvez, explains why the show will be coming to an end after season 8.

While The Walking Dead ended with season 11 after 12 years on the air, Fear the Walking Dead is ending sooner. The show is concluding early to ensure that it does not needlessly drag on, according to Garcia. Check out her quote below:

"One of the...

Mark Harmon, or special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in a longtime role on CBS’s NCIS series, has signed with Gersh.

Harmon originated his Gibbs character with a guest appearance on Jag before being spun off to lead NCIS, a role he played on the CBS procedural for nearly two decades before signing off from his final case in 2021. Going into the ninth season, he was promoted to executive producer on NCIS and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In the 11th season, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Harmon worked closely with showrunner Gary Glasberg on a special two-episode arc that reunited the Gibbs character with an old comrade working a case in New Orleans. Those episodes became the pilot for NCIS: Nola, also known as NCIS: New Orleans, with Harmon serving as executive producer on the spinoff.

Harmon also developed, executive produced and starred in Certain Prey,...

On January 26, 2023, Hulu began streaming “The 1619 Project,” a six-part docuseries that expands upon Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones‘ piece in The New York Times Magazine. The series seeks to reframe our country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.

Critics have heaped praise on the series, resulting in a 100 freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series, hosted by Hannah-Jones, is a Lionsgate Production in association with One Story Up Productions, Harpo Films and The New York Times. It was executive produced by Hannah-Jones, Roger Ross Williams, Caitlin Roper, Kathleen Lingo and Oprah Winfrey. The episodes focus on “Democracy,” “Race,” “Music,” “Capitalism,” “Fear,” and “Justice.” Read our review roundup below.

See ‘The 1619 Project’: Red carpet interviews from Hulu premiere include Boris Kodjoe, Jalen Rose and more … [Watch]

Dan Fienberg of the Hollywood Reporter says,...

Did you know that Oprah Winfrey won so many Emmy Awards in the 1990s that she eventually withdrew herself from consideration so other people could prevail? It’s true. If you’re someone who’s been waiting to see the TV queen accept another award, you might be interested to know that she’s a producer on the new Hulu docu-series “The 1619 Project” and thus could be adding another Primetime Emmy to her mantel.

All told, Winfrey took home nine Daytime Emmys in Best Talk Show and seven in Best Talk Show Host for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” plus two more for the children’s special “ABC Afterschool Specials” and the special class series “Super Soul Sunday.” In addition, she is a Primetime Emmy champion for the TV movie “Tuesdays with Morrie” and has been honored throughout her career with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, the Daytime Lifetime Achievement Award,...

For much of the back half of 2022, a large percentage of people who love movies or work in the business were wondering — could "Avatar: The Way of Water" actually be the hit it needed to be, 13 years after the original became the highest-grossing movie of all time? Any doubters (myself included) have been good and truly silenced. Case in point, this past weekend, James Cameron's underwater space epic topped the charts for the seventh time in a row, marking the first time that has happened since the original "Avatar" came out. It's now the fourth biggest movie ever, recently passing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and should pass "Titanic" for the #3 spot any day now. Never. Doubt. James. Cameron.

As for the particulars, "Way of Water" took in 15.7 million domestically, dropping just 22 in its seventh weekend, per Box Office Mojo. The only other time a movie topped the U.

Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are two of the most respected filmmakers, and they have stood out for their distinctive narrative and visual styles, and at one point in their careers, they ended up trading scripts of what would become some of their finest works. Steven Spielberg’s career as a filmmaker began in 1964 with the sci-fi movie Firelight, and since then, he has mostly worked in the sci-fi, action, and drama genres, directing classics like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T, and Jurassic Park.

Martin Scorsese’s career started in 1967 with the drama movie Who’s That Knocking at My Door, and he ended up becoming best known for his gangster movies, such as Goodfellas and The Departed, though he has also made movies from other genres, such as the sports drama Raging Bull, the black comedy After Hours, and the adventure drama Hugo. At one point in the 1980s and early 1990s,...

Multiple Oscar-nominated films opened, expanded, or returned this weekend without much box-office impact. Best Picture Oscar nominee “Avatar: The Way of Water” (Disney) took #1 for its seventh weekend (and likely its last; M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin” should replace it next weekend). It fell a bit off pace over the past two weeks, but it should still supplant fellow Best Picture contender “Top Gun: Maverick” as the biggest 2022 domestic release. James Cameron’s film stands at 620 million domestic, 2.117 billion total worldwide.

Best Animated Feature Nominee “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (Universal) was #2, but that’s been consistently strong performer. At #3 was the Academy-ignored and critically derided “A Man Called Otto” (Sony). With 6,750,000 million in 3,957 theaters, it is the dominant film for older audiences despite its absence from the race.

Excluding “The Way of Water” and “Puss in Boots,” the other 11 nominated films that played this weekend...

Even on a specialty level, horror just works post-pandemic with the latest pop from a strong showing by a trio of films, Fear and Infinity Pool, released this weekend, and Skinamarink in week three.

Fear hails from Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor’s Hidden Empire Film Group, the all-Black production company behind cult hit Meet The Blacks (2016) and The House Next Door: Meet The Blacks 2, released into a shaky theatrical marketplace in June of 2021 that made nearly 3 million U.S. Fear, directed by Deon Taylor, was self-distributed by Hidden Empire Releasing on 974 screens, opening to an estimated 1.28 million for a per-screen average of 1,315. The breakdown: Fri: 466.9k (includes 132k in Thursday sneaks); Sat: 504k; Sun: estimated 310k.

Shows were sold out in key markets across the country including LA, New York, Sacramento, Atlanta, Miami, DC, and Chicago. The 50 increase from Friday to Saturday, not including Thursday previews, shows strong...

January came to a close with two movies that have dominated the box office since before Christmas continuing their runs for a final weekend, which also brought in all sorts of new and re-released odds and ends.

The big story of the weekend is that James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” won its seventh weekend in a row at the box office after crossing the 600 million mark earlier in the week. It remained in first place with an estimated 15.7 million this weekend, down just 22, helped by a lack of stronger new releases, bringing its domestic total to 620.6 million. This weekend, it surpassed the North American grosses for Pixar’s “The Incredibles” and “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Last Jedi,” as it slowly inches closer to the 623.3 million made by “Marvel’s the Avengers” in 2012, which would make it the 10th highest-grossing movie of all time, domestically.

Overseas, “The Way of Water” added 42.4 million,...

The Sims 4 has been receiving updates and expansions for years, but there's one reward with an issue from the base game that has yet to be fixed. Aspiration rewards in The Sims 4 can prove highly useful through instantly restoring a need meter or permanently reducing the rate at which a meter decays. As The Sims 4 has received fixes and new content, the developers seem to have missed one Aspiration reward that can be particularly annoying for players: Fear-Be-Gone.

Aspiration rewards have been through a few variations between The Sims 2 and The Sims 4. Gained by fulfilling Sims' wants, the rewards shop has items meant to help players work towards achieving their Sims' Lifetime Aspiration, but not all of them are as useful as they might seem at first glance. Although there are silly features like a hidden Grilled Cheese Aspiration in The Sims 4, there seems to be room for improvement with...

Four years ago this month, Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist behind The 1619 Project, first pitched the idea for the long-form journalism initiative to her editor at The New York Times Magazine. Since then, the original essay project has been adapted into a podcast, a book and now a six-part docuseries on Hulu in partnership with Disney, ABC and Onyx Collective.

“It’s been so amazing because usually you publish something and then you’re done with it, you don’t ever get a chance to refine it, to expand it,” Hannah-Jones told The Hollywood Reporter at the series’ Los Angeles premiere on Thursday night. “Every iteration of the project, I learned something more, about the history and about myself.”

Kathleen Lingo, an executive producer on the show and editorial director of film and television for The New York Times, said that she immediately knew the project was primed for the screen.

Neon and Topic Studios present writer/director Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool at 1,835 theaters in a lively specialty weekend sandwiched between a new crop of Sundance films and noteworthy expansions in the glow of Oscar nominations.

Infinity Pool, staring Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman and Jalil Lespert, had a splashy debut last weekend in the Midnight section of just wrapped Sundance Film Festival. Skarsgard and Coleman are enjoying a perfect vacation at a beach getaway in the fictional state of Li Tolqa — until another tourist couple convinces them to venture outside the resort grounds, where they find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism and horror. Deadline review here.

A24 presents Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Close, just nominated for Best International Feature and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The drama follows Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele), two thirteen-year-old...

Fear continues the tradition of January horror and follows a group of friends heading out to a remote lodge. They’re faced with their greatest fears as the lodge appears to be a portal of evil. I had a really fun time with it (read my review here) and think others will too. There’s some cheese, but the film has such a cool look that it’s easy to ignore some of the more hamfisted moments. The cast is great, and the director can provide some fast-paced sequences filled with dread. While I really wish the deaths had been a little more imaginative, I think this will find a nice audience amongst the teen crowd.

I was fortunate enough to sit down with the director, and members of the cast, to all about the complicated production. This film ended up being one of the first in 2020 and therefore faced...

Two new scary films for your viewing pleasure and a certain concert film featuring Billie Eilish. "Fear" The new horror film “Fear” plays with our deepest fears mixed with the supernatural. But does it work? "Infinity Pool" Alexander Skarsgård, Cleopatra Coleman, and the current scream queen Mia Goth team up for Brandon

The post Movie Reviews: “Fear” and “Infinity Pool” appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

The horror genre today has largely tried to keep the current reality off the screen, but some filmmakers would rather comment on what’s going on in the real world. For instance, Deon Taylor’s Fear — originally titled Don’t Fear and shot back in 2020 — is the latest movie to not only be set during the Pandemic, it’s also about the anxieties incurred from living in these trying times. In this punctual tale, Bianca (Annie Ilonzeh) jumps at the chance to get away from everything when her longtime boyfriend, Rom (Joseph Sikora), whisks her away to Strawberry Lodge. And after taking all the proper Covid related precautions, their closest friends join them at this foreboding getaway.

What should have been a belated celebration of Bianca’s birthday — and maybe an engagement if Rom can work up the nerve — quickly turns into a life-or-death situation. Rom picked this historic venue for a certain reason,...

The great horror kickoff of 2023 started with the movies M3GAN and Skinamarink and continues to rile up fans with promises of unbound terror in the release of films like Infinity Pool, Knock at the Cabin, Scream VI, Evil Dead Rise, an Exorcist legacy sequel, and so many more. It looks like a perfect year for horror, but one movie that hasn't gotten a lot of heat is the new Deon Taylor film set to hit theaters this Friday. Fear exposes audiences to the things buried deep that frighten them the most and take them on a blood-curdling ride through things they'd wish they'd never seen. For a smaller-budget film, it's got blockbuster energy and will surely give horror fans everything they've been begging for in a scary movie. For those who just need to know now, here's how to watch Deon Taylor's Fear.

With Fear coming out in the United States this weekend, we marked the occasion by speaking to the film’s director Deon Taylor, alongside one of his leading stars, the comedian Andrew Bachelor – otherwise known as King Bach. We discuss the themes of the movie, and the pair discuss their real life fears – while we move onto something a little lighter, as look on the rising career of Bachelor, who of course is nothing short of a superstar on social media, as he explains how he would define himself – if at all – as an artist.

Watch the full interview with Andrew Bachelor and Deon Taylor here:

Synopsis

In this psychological horror film, a group of friends gather for a much-needed weekend getaway at a remote and historic hotel. Celebration turns into terror as one by one, each guest faces their own worst fear.

Fear is released in the United States...

It may not be particularly fair to say that this is a bit of a duff weekend, because there are indeed new wide and moderate releases. It’s just that very few of them are screening in advance for critics and therefore might be seen as less than. Can any of them topple Week 7 of “Avatar: The Way of Water”?

The one possibility is “Infinity Pool,” Brandon Cronenberg’s follow-up to his 2020 thriller, “Possessor,” which was stymied by the shutdown of movie theaters due to Covid. This one is equally enigmatic, though it has more of a name cast, including Alexander Skarsgård (“Big Little Lies”) and Mia Goth. Skarsgård plays a writer on a luxury vacation with his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman from “Dopesick”) who becomes involved in a fatal accident that throws him into the locale’s world of horror and violence.

Plot: A much-needed getaway and celebration weekend becomes a nightmare due to a contagious airborne threat.

Review: Fear is universal, and it’s prevalent in nearly every horror movie since the dawn of cinema. Whether it’s a monster feeding off a victim’s fear to grow stronger or to make their meal tastier, it’s an element that’s been the center of many stories. So it’s great to see a film take so many everyday fears like drowning and claustrophobia and see them amplified by the supernatural. Because if there’s one thing the viewer can understand quickly, it’s fear.

Fear is one of the first movies filmed in 2020 after Covid upended the world. And this is in every bit of the film’s DNA. There’s an airborne contagion; the world seems to end, and they’re paranoid of each other. Sound familiar? While it...