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Spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 5 ahead.

"Cobra Kai" season 5 has been released in its entirety on Netflix, and it's time to belt up your gi and prepare to show no mercy! /Film participated in a roundtable discussion with stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who play Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence respectively in the "Karate Kid" sequel series. Throughout the show, we've watched Daniel and Johnny reignite their teenage karate rivalry, mentor each other's proteges, and pit their dojos against each other. But now, they've been forced to work together in order to take down "The Karate Kid Part III" villain Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). 

This season, not only is Daniel working with Johnny, but also with his "Karate Kid II" enemy-turned-friend Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), who is the comedy MVP of these new episodes. Macchio said they knew in the third season, with the three lines of dialogue Daniel and Chozen share, that the sequel's character be "coming back in a big way." But that's not all, because "Karate Kid Part III" character Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) also shows up in season 5.

Zabka never shared scenes with Okumoto, Kanan, or Griffith in those films, and spoke about getting to do it in "Cobra Kai." He said:

"I knew Sean. I knew Sean before he even got 'Karate Kid' ... but I never met Thomas. Knew Yuji well. But I was fans of them in the film and the 'Karate Kid' franchise as their characters. So to get to rub arms with them on screen has just been really fun. What a joy. And all the great dynamics that the creators have come up with for how these characters rub in today's world. So it's been a lot of fun."

The dynamic between them is a delight, and Zabka had nothing but praise for their work, calling it a "win-win love feast." Zabka added:  

"They're total professionals. They come prepared, ready to go. And they're killing it. I especially love my stuff with Yuji, because that's the stuff where I get to have a conversation and not just be in fight or flight mode. So we had some fun things where Johnny and Chozen get to go arm-in-arm. And that was exciting."

Daniel And Johnny Role Reversal

The relationship between Daniel and Johnny has evolved over the years, from bullying to one upmanship to reluctant allies. In season 5, though, they sort of switch who is the responsible one and who is falling apart. Zabka spoke about the role reversal:

"Daniel's getting in the bottle and flying off the handle and Johnny's trying to become a little more level headed. So the role reversal in that... It was fun ... Johnny's always the one going off and ready to lead the charge, and Daniel's always trying to talk sense into him. And this has flipped, so that's really fun to play. "

A drunk and unshaven Daniel LaRusso might be the best part of the season outside of any second that Chozen is on camera. It's been sort of fun to see Daniel break down after four seasons of being the one in control. Zabka explained why Johnny's formal rival is in a bad spot now:

"But of course, Daniel's seeing the beast that only he can see [Terry Silver] and warning us all of this danger, this imminent danger, over the valley that he knows intimately. And [he's] trying to save all these kids from falling into the grass of that. So Johnny gets to turn around and open his eyes to that, have his own reasons to join the charge."

Zabka said he loved playing with the bromance, and, "They find a nice balance in season 5 ... that was really refreshing and nice that we didn't have a big explosion like every other season."

Macchio also loved Drunk Daniel™ moments. He said:

"[Johnny is] Daniel's only friend that sees it all and can understand it all, even though he doesn't see it all. There's a history there. In the performances, in our performances, it feels like when Billy and I are just deciding whether to have chicken or fish. It's just very casual and comfortable, and they each help each other in that moment. And that's really a testament to the writing, and then what we bring to it to hopefully heighten it."

Father And Sons

It feels like we've been waiting for four entire seasons for another reconciliation between Johnny and his estranged son Robby (Tanner Buchanan). Zabka said that his favorite moment was at the end of season 4 when Johnny and Robby finally have a real moment and forgive each other. That doesn't mean that the tension is gone this season, including the tension between Robby and Johnny's surrogate son Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), especially after Robby finds out that the father/son trip to Mexico is happening because they're looking for Miguel. Zabka said that the understanding between Johnny and Robby last season was a great launching point for the tension:

"All that complexity is really great. And I love working with Tanner on a way where we're trying our best to see eye to eye. And he gives a lot. His side is really understanding, and he's matured as a character, and seeing Johnny in a different lens. So that opens up the relationship, and it allows Johnny to be more of the father that he's been trying to be with him for so long.

So it's a sweet starting point. It's a little bumpy takeoff. And then he's got to bring these two kids together that are both his heart, so we'll see how that goes."

A New Appreciation For The Karate Kid Part III?

We know that Macchio has said in the past that he didn't like "The Karate Kid Part III." Of course, we've had Terry Silver from that film as the villain since last season, and now Mike Barnes has returned too. Did this change his feelings about the whole thing? Macchio said that it doesn't, but that even the issues with that film produced some great content for the series:

"Early on my first meeting with Jon [Hurwitz], Josh [Heald], and Hayden [Schlossberg], who create this show, they were talking about the potential of Terry Silver in the distance, and Mike Barnes and all this stuff, if it ever got up in the air ... To them, that was the last time they saw the 'Karate Kid' stuff, and those characters, and those guys being substantially younger than me.

That was their kind of movie that they saw in the movies. So it means something to them, and that heightened element of what 'Karate Kid III' was, has been brought forth into Cobra Kai's heightened tone. But taking those characters, Terry Silver and what Thomas Ian Griffith is doing, and Sean does this season, and adding other layers to them, it shows how you could use that and grow different paths and different directions, and unexpected.

Macchio also mentioned that Daniel is the only one who really knows exactly how evil Terry Silver is, and it's causing problems with his entire family. While that isn't great for Daniel, it is for the viewers who know what Daniel knows. What it does for the series doesn't clear the film from the bad side of his ledger though. 

" ... will I go back to watching Karate Kid III and say, 'Now this is a brilliant film. And I feel the LaRusso in that story is the best he's been in all three movies,?' No, it's not going to change that. But man, has it been an amazing gift going forward now."

A Tribute To Mr. Miyagi And Pat Morita

There is a beautiful scene in episode 6 where Daniel walks into the space where he's kept all of Mr. Miyagi's things. Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, who played the role, died in 2005, but between flashbacks and the teachings of his character, he's been very much a part of this series. Add to that the new generation of people who have gone back and watched him in four "Karate Kid" films, and that's a tribute on its own. Macchio spoke about how moving it was to walk into that room and shoot the scene.

"I think it was very moving to walk in there. Director, Joel [Novoa], asked me, 'Do you mind if I play some music when we do the scene?' And I said, 'No, no problem.' Because he had it in his mind he wanted to play a beautiful, training hard scene from the original 'Karate Kid' film. Bill Conti's just wonderful, melodic score with the pan flute and all that stuff. And we did that in rehearsal. 

When I opened the door, it just starts playing that music. And it was a rush. I just immediately welled up, and seeing these pictures and thinking of that. And a bunch of the crew were commenting about that."

You maybe even welled up while reading that. I certainly did. Macchio said it was a wonderful moment for both Daniel and Amanda, helping to heal the rift between them: 

"You have to do scenes over and over, but I think... It was nice to go back to the roots, and he needed to see that. And for me that's always the thread that's important in the show for Daniel LaRusso, and for Ralph, to have those elements of the magic of what Mr. Miyagi was, and still is. It was nice for the Amanda-Daniel relationship too, because it was like one of those, 'I'll marry you all over again,' kind of moments. And I thought that was good for those two characters because they have a blow-up the episode before that."

Macchio and Zabka were asked what Morita would think of "Cobra Kai," and they both said he'd be a "big fan." Zabka said that he thought Morita was watching it somewhere out there, "trying to figure a way to get on it. Zabka added, "I think this is so right up his alley. He was just great. He was so funny, and he personified Miyagi. I think he would be thrilled. And, well you miss him." Macchio said that he really is on the show, though, just living on through so many of the characters:

"I think he would be very, very proud and rally embrace that. And for those reasons, outside of the fact that Cobra Kai is entertaining as hell and awesome, I think he'd be very, very pleased with the care that's been taken with the original franchise."

The first five seasons of "Cobra Kai" are currently streaming on Netflix. 

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The post Ralph Macchio and William Zabka on Cobra Kai Season 5's Bromance, Cameos, and Pat Morita [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

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Roblox, the platform with metaverse ambitions that targets tweens, is introducing a host of new features aimed at making its experiences more age-appropriate and profitable for the company. From a report: In coming weeks, Roblox will introduce age guidelines for individual experiences or games, chief product officer Manuel Bronstein said, helping its 52 million daily users better navigate the games hosted on the site. The games will be marked as either appropriate for all ages, suitable for those nine and older and those 13-and-older. "Our platform is aging up now," said Roblox chief product officer Manuel Bronstein. "More than 50% of our users are 13 plus, and our fastest growing demographic is 17 to 24. So it makes sense for people to have control over what experiences they're going to access." Roblox's platform comprises user-generated games, many created by children and teens, some of whom have made millions of dollars for themselves. The company declined to share exact percentages of how many users are under the age of 13. Last year, it said 54% were under the age of 13. Roblox notes that about 90% of the developers of its top 1,000 games by earnings are above the age of 18. The platform has over 12 million game developers. All ages content could contain infrequent mild violence or light unrealistic blood, according to the company, while the gated content for 13 and above could feature moderate violence and light realistic blood. Roblox says it doesn't allow romantic or sexual content on its platform.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

If you're willing to look past the spoilers for "The Sopranos," there's a lot of exciting things coming up in the remaining episodes of "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law." For example, it looks like the Devil of Hell's Kitchen will be paying the Jade Giantess a visit as Jennifer Walters comes face-to-face with fellow superhero/lawyer Matt Murdock. But ahead of their meeting in an upcoming episode, Disney+ has dropped a new preview for their latest mighty Marvel series and it features a new look at that highly anticipated guest star.

In the latest teaser for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's breakout sitcom, Tatiana Maslany's hulking hero has to deal with a social media influencer trademarking the She-Hulk name for her own use. Jen tries to justify not trademarking the name herself by saying that Thor and Doctor Strange didn't have to do that, but her GLK&H co-worker Mallory Book, who is played by "Girls5eva" and "Hamilton" star Renée Elise Goldsberry, reminds her that those are actually their real names.

But we all know the real reason you came here. It's time to shout at the (dare)devil. Check it out in the video below.

Strength Is Beauty

As our hero continues to share some benefits of hulking out (which can also be hilariously described as "putting on your green suit" or "jolly greening yourself" according to some people, apparently), we see flashes of what's to come, such as another fight with Jameela Jamil's Titania, more Abomination action from Tim Roth, and even Frogman. But the highlight of the preview comes when Charlie Cox reprises his role as Matt Murdock once again after appearing in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Although, this time he's suiting up as Daredevil for the first time since the Defenders' corner of the MCU switched streaming services and moved to Disney+.

Out of costume, Matt tells Jen that she can help people as a lawyer when society fails and again as She-Hulk when the law fails. Then, after a few quick flashes of Cox in his new red and yellow suit, She-Hulk says, "This guy is really kinda doing it for me." Girl, same. We're all here for more Charlie Cox/Daredevil.

Does this mean that the Man Without Fear could be Miss Walters' next love interest? Murdock has been a bit of a womanizer in a past life, so could that carry over into this new one ahead of "Daredevil: Born Again"? It might be hard since he's a New Yorker and she's in LA, but long distance relationships are a little easier these days thanks to technology. Either way, we'll see how this plays out as new episodes of "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" premiere every Thursday.

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The post New She-Hulk Trailer Teases the Rest of the Season, Gives Us A New Look at Charlie Cox's Daredevil appeared first on /Film.

Spoilers for "Cobra Kai" season 5.

In the Netflix series "Cobra Kai," Thomas Ian Griffith plays the villain Terry Silver, a role he originated in "The Karate Kid Part III." That film is usually considered very low in the rankings of "Karate Kid" entries. While that may be true, Silver in his current form is a baddie we love to hate.

Terry Silver was a Vietnam War buddy of John Kreese (Martin Kove). The martial artist helped Kreese create the Cobra Kai dojo, but he was also a wealthy businessman whose job it was to dump toxic waste in the third film. His company was called Dynatox, if that helps you get a sense of the level of camp we're dealing with here. Silver did business from his hot tub and faked his way into Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) life. He pretended to be a sensei, but was really working for Kreese the entire time. When we meet him in "Cobra Kai," the still wealthy Silver has tried to change his life and master his anger. Kreese wasn't having that, and reminded Silver that he's really a snake at heart. 

In season 4, Silver rigged the karate tournament so his dojo won, forcing Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang to shut their doors after a bet goes wrong. His manipulations persist through the fifth season. /Film participated in a roundtable discussion with Thomas Ian Griffith who talked about his thoughts on "The Karate Kid Part III," how the big fight scene left him hurting, and what's happening to Silver once everyone finds out what he did. 

More Villainy

Terry Silver isn't the only character from "The Karate Kid Part III" in the new season. We're getting a visit from Jessica Andrews (Robyn Lively), who just happens to be Amanda LaRusso's (Courtney Henggeler) cousin and the person who set her up with Daniel. Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) is also back, which has been fu for Griffith since Griffith they didn't get much screentime together. Griffith liked the way he was brought back, saying: 

"I thought ... the creators twisted up that backstory for the unexpected, and I think Sean did an incredible job and the writing was so smart. And I loved that it means so much to the fans to bring back the OG crowd and I was so glad it worked out this season to have him back. 

I don't know if they're in the same place, character-wise, that Barnes would fit into Terry's world, which I'm glad they didn't force to try to make happen."

Barnes is definitely not a part of Silver's world, as he's now running a furniture business and trying to be a good person. 

Can Silver Be Redeemed?

Silver manipulates everyone, including Amanda. In fact, he's so good at it that Amanda stops believing what her own husband is saying about his old nemesis. It's that silver ponytail and the smile; the man may be evil, but he can absolutely turn on the charm. With everyone getting redemption in "Cobra Kai," like Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), Kreese, and Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), how does he feel about Silver being seemingly irredeemable? Griffith said:

"I think this time around it was earned. I think because my fear -- I had no interest in just repeating a character. If you're going to bring back the Terry Silver from 'Karate Kid III,' it's like, where are you going to go? But I think we earned that, so we gave him a lot of complexity in season 4. 

You saw his resistance, you saw where he was coming from you. You got to understand what he had been doing for the last 30 years. And he came into the world with almost a really good quality, a pure quality to try to make this work. And then you slowly see all these elements go against him with the betrayal, manipulation and people not accepting him because of his past."

So how is Silver different now from the bubble bath baron we saw in the third film? Griffith says he's "more refined" than what we saw in the past:

"He's not maniacal, but there's a madness, but in that madness we have those little bits of truths that I think people can go, oh yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's a point and we can be on his side. And he still has that quality, which I think is what makes Terry Silver, is that glee to say, 'If it's a challenge, if it's a worthy adversary, bring it on. I want to do it.' And I think that's something that's just fun to watch, love them or hate them you got to watch them."

Silver, The Chameleon

Terry Silver's ability to transform into exactly what he needs to be in the moment is something we saw all the way back in the third film. We're shown the extreme evil of corporate greed turn into a kindly and friendly martial artist, who slowly manipulates a young Daniel into a much angrier man. Silver is so good at it that he even gets Daniel to turn on Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita). Griffith spoke about getting in that headspace, finding the character appealing because "he's such a smart character." The actor said:

"I think because of his worldliness and his background, he can relate to these people and he finds the commonality of the most human element that he can talk to ... He can walk into other people's worlds and find his place and know his place. 

I think that's a great quality for a villain because then you go, that felt so sincere and that may bother some people, but that's the goal. And is it sincere? I believe in that moment, it is because that makes him so much more fascinating. And then when he gets burned, it's like, yeah, he's going to get that much more upset about it because he was sincere."

It's an interesting way of looking at it, because Silver may be over the top, but in the moments when he's in full manipulation mode, he really does seem sincere. Even in the film, when he shows up to see Daniel, you do question for a tiny moment if he's messing with Daniel or with Kreese. 

Rethinking The Karate Kid Part III

Having just done a rewatch of "The Karate Kid Part III," it's easy to see why it's not universally loved, to say the least. However, when you have several seasons of "Cobra Kai" under your black belt, it ends up being a whole lot more fun. Griffith has fond thoughts of the third film, even if its other star Ralph Macchio still doesn't like it. Griffith said:

"It's funny, because fans are surprised I love 'Karate Kid III,' but a lot of them were like, 'I hated 'Karate Kid,' so it was a very divisive film. But for me, where I was coming from, being the first film, being directed by John Avildsen as young actors, and coming from New York and going, 'Hey, John Avildsen, watched you in this movie.' And when I read the script, it's like they were rewriting it because they had lost Kreese, and they didn't have him for the movie, whatever it was."

The first two films had captivated so many fans, so it's no surprise he was excited to do it. Then he got direction from "Karate Kid" creator himself, Robert Mark Kamen:

"And Robert came and was thinking he had to create a villain better than Kreese. So it's this over the top thing, and now I'm playing the bad guy, a Vietnam vet, and there's no way I could've been in Vietnam [Griffith was born in 1962]. They go, 'Don't worry about it, we're just going to throw you into it.'

And then it's like, is this a little much? And Avildsen said, 'This is the humor of this character, this is going to drive that new life into the franchise.' And I was like, 'Okay, I'm going for it.'"

One thing Griffith says he's proud of is Terry Silver's commitment. Of course, Griffith's fondness for the film doesn't mean he's saying this is high art:

"Granted, I'm the first to say, it's not a good film, but I do love that character still, you know what I mean? Because I just go, 'That is so over the top.' I always say, 'If those are the shots they used in the film, can you imagine what the outtakes were? What the hell was I doing? Thank God.' I said, 'God, I was on cocaine back then,' because how do you explain that? But I think, again, being a New York stage actor is like, if the director says this, I'm going for it."

What Griffith likes is the fact that bringing Silver back gives us more information about why he is the way he is:

"To bring that character back, is funny because in a way it's a redemption story. We are really seeing what drove Terry Silver, we got to tell that story. So you look back and I think it's that much more fun watching 'Karate Kid III.' Not that I'm saying anyone should be go back and watch 'Karate Kid III' right now, but still, I think it really informs us to his world and where he was psychologically. That just makes it that much more interesting. And on the flip side, that makes Terry Silver in 'Cobra Kai' in this goofy, ridiculous world, a very fascinating watchable character."

Dangerous Fight Scenes

There is a major fight scene featuring Terry Silver in season 5 of "Cobra Kai." It's a doozy, and it involves some deadly weapons Griffith has been a martial artist for a good portion of his life, and when he was sitting on set at the end of season 4 during the weapons part of the All-Valley Tournament, he was also trying to figure out how they'd top what was being done back then. Griffith recalled:

"I was thinking it's like, how are we going to top all these great karate fights? We've seen a lot of karate, and I walked over to one of the creators and said, 'What, if we did a sword fight, I'm really good at swords.' And they were like, 'Yeah, right.' I said, 'No. I really am.' And Don Lee, the fight choreographer, is a great weapons champion. So he was my backup, and he was like, 'Yeah, we could pull this off.' And then I let it go, I said, 'Nah, they probably won't do it.'"

But Griffith was wrong. When the season 5 fight came along, he thought, "Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening." Fighting in a character with weapons isn't the safest thing you can do though. Griffith explained:

" ... the thing is because I'm so used to sparring and martial arts, you're putting a weapon in your hand, and you're in character, so the danger factor just went way up. Then they're putting us in a pool outside when it's freezing cold, and you go, 'Oh my God, all these senses are firing.' It's like, I'm so excited about this. It's like, this is life and death, I think it just elevated it for us on set. And I think that translated to what we were able to capture on film. I just think it's unexpected. And it's, "Oh, they're not just going to knock each other, they could kill each other, which I loved."

'In A Year, You'll Be In A Different Place'

Griffith is a big proponent of taking up martial arts, and he says it doesn't matter what age you are, "I say, start right now. In a year, you'll be in a different place. It will change your life." The actor thinks it's a great lesson to take from the show, though there were some rough moments on set that he brought about himself. He recalled:

" ... the first day on set, they have the stunt guy, 6'4 with the white ponytail wig and I'm watching him and going, 'Oh wait a second, I could do that better. Oh my God, I'm so much faster.' Of course, it's probably all in my mind what I used to be able to do. But then I say to the guy, 'Give me a pass with the other actor stunt guy.'

And I go for it. I'm letting it out. And they were all cheering and I'm feeling great. And then at the end of the day, after doing it for eight hours, I'm sitting in a bathtub going, 'What am I doing? Why did I say I could do everything?' Well, you can. But no, no. I don't realize, maybe for an hour or two, so it was a great learning experience, but it's so much fun."

All of "Cobra Kai" season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.

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The post Thomas Ian Griffith on Cobra Kai Season 5, Dangerous Fights, and Karate Kid III [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

Major spoilers ahead for "Cobra Kai" season 5.

Since Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) first appeared in "Cobra Kai," he's been a thorn in Daniel LaRusso's (Ralph Macchio) side. We first met the character back in the 1989 film "The Karate Kid Part III," where we learned that he helped John Kreese (Martin Kove) start the Cobra Kai dojo. They had been old buddies back in the Vietnam War, and Silver — a very wealthy dumper of toxic waste — tries to help Kreese get the dojo up and running after Daniel and Mr. Miyagi (the late Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) humiliated them at the All-Valley tournament. 

He poses as a friend, manipulates Daniel's training and relationships, and leads him down the path to anger. In "Cobra Kai," he uses every ruthless method he can to ruin Daniel and Johnny (William Zabka) and their dojos. In season 5, he finally gets his comeuppance. It's the first time we've seen Terry Silver anything but cool as a cucumber. 

/Film spoke to Thomas Ian Griffith at a roundtable interview for the new season. He spoke about how the final scene ended up being dangerous, and that he was sort of responsible for it. 

'I'm Really Good At Swords'

The final fight scene with the main characters from the film series is a huge one, and it came about with input from Griffith. He said it all happened while he was sitting on the set during the season 4 All-Valley Tournament scene. 

"They were doing the weapons competition, and I knew they were bringing Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) back for season 5, and obviously were going to choose the villain from 'Karate Kid II 'and the villain of 'Karate Kid III,' and it's like, 'God, I'm excited. I can't wait for them to go at it.'"

It's a team-up none of us knew we needed, but it's one of the best moments in the fifth season. Then the idea formed in his head. 

"I was thinking, 'How are we going to top all these great karate fights?' We've seen a lot of karate, so I walked over to one of the creators and said, 'What, if we did a sword fight, I'm really good at swords.' And they were like, 'Yeah, right.' I said, 'No. I really am.' And Don Lee, the fight choreographer, is a great weapons champion, so he was my backup, and he was like, 'Yeah, we could pull this off.' And then I let it go, I said, Nah, they probably won't do it."

Thomas Ian Griffith has been doing martial arts since his youth, so it's no surprise he's good with swords. 

'The Danger Factor Just Went Way Up'

When Griffith came in for season 5, he was told that the weapons fight was going to happen, just like he'd suggested. 

"I was like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening.' But then the thing is, because I'm so used to sparring and martial arts, you're putting a weapon in your hand, and you're in character, so the danger factor just went way up. Then they're putting us in a pool outside when it's freezing cold and you go, 'Oh my God, all these senses are firing.' I'm so excited about this. This is life and death." 

Weapons fights on set are always dangerous, just by virtue of poking a sharp object at another actor. Of course, doing it in character makes it much scarier. You have to keep a part of your brain reserved for fight choreography, and safety, while conveying that you want to kill someone. It's raised the states significantly for "Cobra Kai." There have been some terrible injuries before in the series, but except for Miguel's fall, you always assumed everyone was going to survive. This time, that wasn't a given for the audience. Griffith said: 

"I think it just elevated it for us on set, and I think that translated to what we were able to capture on film. I just think it's unexpected. And it's not, 'Oh, they're not just going to knock each other up.' They could kill each other, which I loved. I think we gave those two great past villains their due when they came together."

"Cobra Kai" season 5 is currently streaming on Netflix. 

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The post How Cobra Kai's Big Season 5 Fight Became More Deadly appeared first on /Film.

Mr. Miyagi is one of cinema's most memorable mentors. Played by the inimitable Pat Morita, Miyagi is known for his nontraditional approach to teaching karate and for doling out wise life advice when it's needed most. He is the heart of "The Karate Kid" franchise, and Morita, who passed away in 2005, has inspired many of us with his portrayal of everyone's favorite sensei. With the announcement of the spin-off show "Cobra Kai," fans of the original series wondered how Miyagi's influence (and absence) would tie into the new story. Thankfully, the show's creators share a deep love and respect for this crucial character, and they have gone to great lengths to insure that Miyagi's influence and spirit is still felt throughout all five seasons of "Cobra Kai."

In the show's latest season (out today on Netflix), Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is struggling to cope with the return of his nemesis, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Through a series of dupes at the end of season 4, Silver has now taken full control of the Cobra Kai dojo, and he plans to franchise the brand and (presumably) use it for evil. Daniel —who suffered through Silver's abusive training techniques in "The Karate Kid Part III — is determined to stop Silver from ruining karate in the Valley, but his laser-sharp focus on Silver quickly begins to cause problems for him in his personal life. It's clear that Daniel is in desperate need of some good old-fashioned Miyagi guidance, and when it finally arrives in episode 6 of the new season, the emotional weight of the moment isn't just felt on screen. During filming, Macchio was moved to tears remembering Miyagi and the man who brought him to life. 

Jumping Back In Time

After a disastrous fight between Daniel and Amanda and a solo fight with Silver that leaves him emotionally and physically shaken, Daniel is ready to throw in the towel. However, during a pivotal scene in episode 6 of season 5 in which Amanda takes Daniel to visit Miyagi's old house, she is able to convince him to continue the fight. For fans of the original movies, seeing Miyagi's old bedroom will no doubt provoke feelings of nostalgia. The space is filled with Miyagi's things — a now-dead bonsai tree and pruning sheers, a picture of his wife, an old note left for Daniel with instructions on how to paint the house — and Daniel, choking up, remarks that "it's like a time capsule in here." This scene honors not just the importance of Miyagi to Daniel, but also the impact Miyagi has had on the entire "Karate Kid" series. 

In a recent roundtable interview, Ralph Macchio was asked about this particular moment. He reveals that the director of this episode, Joel Novoa, asked him if he could play music from the original film's score during the shoot. Macchio obliged, and the impact the music had on him during filming was immense. "When I opened the door, [Novoa] just starts playing that music, and it was a rush. I just immediately welled up, seeing these pictures and thinking of that."

Macchio notes that scenes are always filmed "over and over," but the emotional impact of that moment stayed with him through the rest of the takes. He explains how Miyagi's presence is "always the thread that's important in the show for Daniel LaRusso, and for me," and he refers to moments like this scene as expressing "the magic of what Mr. Miyagi was and still is." It's no coincidence then, that this scene marks the beginning of the collective uprising against Silver. "They slip and fall but somehow help each other up. It's awesome," says Macchio about the characters on the show, and Miyagi's presence and wisdom have always been the reason for that.

Mr. Miyagi Approved

Pat Morita who played Miyagi in all four of "The Karate Kid" films not only had an impact on screen but also off screen with the rest of the cast and crew. He was beloved by those who knew and worked with him, and in the roundtable interview, both William Zabka who plays bad boy Johnny Lawrence and Macchio talk about Morita and what they think his feelings would be about "Cobra Kai." Zabka and Macchio agree that Morita is watching the show from somewhere in the great beyond. "I think he's a big fan," says Zabka. "I think he's trying to figure a way to get on it."

Macchio elaborates more saying, "Miyagi is [there] throughout the show through so many characters. And I think he would be very, very proud and really embrace that." He goes on to say, "I think he'd be very, very pleased with the care that's been taken with the original franchise." Fans of both the original series and "Cobra Kai" would definitely agree with this statement (none of the seasons has below a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes), and there's no doubt that Mr. Miyagi — both his presence in the original series and his ties to "Cobra Kai" — are a large part about what makes the show so successful. "I think this is so right up his alley," says Zabka. "He was just great. He was so funny, and he personified Miyagi. I think he would be thrilled, and we miss him."

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Warning: Massive spoilers ahead for episode 3 of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

Dark tidings are afoot in Middle-earth, and episode 3 of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" raises the stakes by introducing a potentially brand new villain. The name "Adar" is dropped repeatedly within the first few minutes of the episodes when orcs drag Silvan elf Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) through the tunnels that are being dug in the Southlands.

As the events of "The Rings of Power" take place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's exhaustive notes, appendices, and manuscripts assumed that Sauron himself would emerge as the major villain of the Prime Video series. While Adar could very well be Sauron assuming another form, this theory would lead to too obvious of a reveal, which may or may not be what the show is aiming for.

First off, it is important to note that Adar does not appear anywhere in Tolkien's extensive saga, and he is a new character created solely for the show. At this point, it is too early to deduce whether Adar is a mere red herring or a character that explicitly breaks Tolkien canon, as we were allowed an extremely blurry glimpse of the leader of the orcs. There have been rumors surrounding the mysterious character, apart from speculations about who Sauron might appear as, based on the promotional material for the series. Although the series itself can provide the best answers as the events unravel, let's travel to speculation land and attempt to understand who this new (?) villain might be.

What The Rings Of Power Tells Us About Adar So Far

A closer look at the map of the Southlands will reveal that the region is what will later be known as Mordor, Sauron's chosen realm and natural fortress. The orcs are hard at work, making sure they avoid sunburn and kidnapping entire villagers to extend the tunnels across the Southlands and beyond. There seems to be some sort of hierarchy among the orcs, but all of them seem to hold veneration for someone named Adar, who serves as their leader. Arondir's peers discuss that it is odd that the orcs readily bow to Adar, and that he could potentially be Sauron, as he was immensely powerful and went by many names.

Arondir and his fellow elves are not completely wrong to speculate this, as the term "Adar" is most probably an Elvish word for "Father." This can be deduced from one of the dialects Tolkien used for Tom Bombadil's Elven name, Iarwain Ben-adar, which translates to "Oldest and Fatherless." Although the term "father" could very well be used as a title of veneration, it could also mean that Adar was somehow responsible for the literal creation of orcs. This could be an act of loyalty to Morgoth, the primordial evil that terrorized Middle-earth throughout the First Age and its succeeding eras.

By the end of the episode, Arondir is taken directly to Adar (played by Joseph Mawle, according to the show's IMDb page), to whom the orcs are seen bowing to reverently. Although the final shot of Adar is blurry as hell, he appears as a tall humanoid figure with dark hair, who could be either human or elf. Given how Adar is an Elvish name, all signs point towards Adar being a fallen or corrupted elf, although he could potentially be Sauron in another form.

Could Adar Be A Corrupted Elf, A Mere Servant Of Morgoth?

Per Tolkien's "Silmarillion," all evil forces that took hold of the living in Middle-earth found hosts in everyone except the elves. Here's a part of the passage: "All living things were divided in that day, and some of every kind, even of beasts and birds, were found in either host, save the Elves only." However, this is in direct contradiction to Saruman's statement about the origin of orcs in "The Fellowship of the Ring," in which he says that the orcs "were elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated." These canonical discrepancies are common in Tolkien's fantasy, as the author revised the origins of several concepts, and accounts in the appendices often contradict the core source material.

As "The Rings of Power" does not have rights to "The Silmarillion" or "The History of Middle-earth," it would make sense for the show to prop Adar as a fallen/corrupted elf. In the final trailer for the show, there's a clear shot of a dark-haired elf overseeing orcs, and there's reason to believe that it is Adar. There are instances of fallen elves in Tolkien's lore, such as Fëanor, who brought unimaginable turmoil to his people, but it is a rare occurrence for an elf to be devoted to pure evil. So, who could Adar be?

One possible theory is that Adar was an elf who survived the corruption process that mutated elves into orcs. Morgoth could have capitalized on this by turning the elf's mind towards evil, thus setting him up as an antihero with shades of grey. Adar must have accomplished something worthy of inspiring the worship of the orcs in the process and is leading them to expand upon Morgoth's evil contingencies. 

Could Adar Indeed Be Sauron Himself?

Although I'm not completely sold on the "Sauron is Adar" theory, let's look at the possibilities. As Sauron was the most subversive of the Maia and is known to have shapeshifted into friendlier forms to beguile Middle-earth, it is possible that he is Adar, a form he takes before appearing as Annatar before the elves. Let's look closely at the comment that Sauron took many names — this is true, as "Sauron" was the name assumed post-corruption, as gleaned from Tolkien's notes in "Morgoth's Ring." In #17 of "Parma Eldalamberon," it is claimed that Sauron went by "Mairon the Admirable" until after the fall of Númenor. "Mairon" roughly translates to "splendid/sublime," an indication of Sauron's limitless ambition and hubris, if you will.

Linguistic etymology aside, Adar being Sauron would not serve as a compelling twist for the series, as it is a bit too on the nose. Also, what would Sauron gain from assuming elf form in front of the orcs? My theory at the moment is, apart from the ones speculated above, is that Adar is one of Sauron's middlemen, who is set to play a seminal role in the darkness that engulfs the Second Age. Connected to the corrupted elf theory, it is possible that Adar is an elf presumed dead after the War of Wrath, who was later captured and tortured by Sauron himself. Although some speculate that Adar may be one of Galadriel's (Morfydd Clark) fallen brothers, this does appear to be a tad farfetched at the moment.

Galadriel's brother or not, Adar could be leading the orcs to find remnants of Morgoth's magic, which explains why they are "searching for something." As for the rest, only time will tell. 

"The Rings of Power" is currently streaming on Prime Video.

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The post Who is Adar in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? (He's Probably Not Sauron) appeared first on /Film.

Long-running sci-fi MMO Star Trek: Online’s Ascension update transports us to the Mirror Universe once again on September 13th, and it’s a doozy. Devs Cryptic Studios have only gone and revealed The Next Generation’s wunderkind Wesley “Shut up” Crusher as the storyline’s big bad. Cower from the arrival of Mirror Wesley while watching the trailer below.

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The post Speak No Evil – Shudder Review (5/5) appeared first on Heaven of Horror.

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In 2016, Paul Feig reimagined the beloved "Ghostbusters" franchise for a new generation and made the daring decision to cast Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, and Leslie Jones as our proton-pack-wearing heroes. The response from "fans" was scarier than any ghost worth bustin'. People review bombed the film before it ever debuted and the official "Ghostbusters" Ultimate Gift Set omitted the film from its collection until I complained so loudly about it, Feig noticed and threw in his two cents, and then magically a digital copy was announced to be included.

The unbridled vitriol spewed from toxic fanboys regarding 2016's "Ghostbusters" felt unprecedented, with many viewing it as a look into the future of what happens when "boy franchises" dare to shift focus and let girls take center stage. Except, "Ghostbusters" wasn't the first time this had happened. More than two decades prior, "The Karate Kid" franchise decided to give Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) a new student, a teenage girl named Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank).

Looking back at old reviews feels like revisiting 2016's "Ghostbusters" discourse all over again. As Ralph Novak of People magazine declared, "This desperate attempt to keep the franchise alive and kicking resorts to a backhanded kind of political correctness." The film is almost universally believed to be the worst film in "The Karate Kid" series, if it's even acknowledged as part of the franchise at all. "The Next Karate Kid" is not the worst film in the series (that title firmly belongs to Part III) and deserves to be seen as so much more than just "the girl one."

Julie Pierce Is A Fantastic Protagonist

One of the biggest complaints lobbied against "The Next Karate Kid" is that Julie Pierce is rude, prickly, and in my least favorite way to hear people describe teen girls, unlikable. Whenever this critique of her character is made, I have to actively fight the urge to rip my head off and throw it like a bowling ball. The very first thing we learn about Julie is that she's got some serious anger issues stemming from her struggles adjusting to living with her grandmother in a new city and attending a new school ... because both of her parents were killed in a car accident.

To make matters worse, the main bully brigade at her school is a terrifying security fraternity controlled by Colonel Paul Dugan (Michael friggin' Ironside) called the Alpha Elite, who physically and sexually harass her at any chance they get because she's the only girl in school who doesn't bend to their whims. Julie is being actively antagonized from all angles, which is why it's so hard for her to connect with Mr. Miyagi, her grandmother, and even Eric (Chris Conrad), the boy at school that likes her. Her one solace in life is taking care of an injured Harris's hawk named Angel that she's trying to nurse back to health, and the Alpha Elite are constantly making threats on the bird's life just to stick it to her.

But sure, let's complain that the teen girl grappling with immeasurable grief and misogynistic violence is being "unlikable."

Julie's Training Is Practical

When Mr. Miyagi began teaching Daniel LaRusso in "The Karate Kid," it was to not only help him learn conflict resolution, but to also defeat Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai in a karate tournament. There are guidelines in the tournament. Even when Johnny is pressured to cheat by John Kreese, there's hesitation knowing that it goes against the rules. Julie's training begins as a means to help her learn to regulate her emotions, and learn self-defense in a world that is constantly hostile toward women.

The golden rule of "The Karate Kid" films has always been that karate is meant to be used as the last line of defense, and that one should only fight when necessary. Julie Pierce doesn't have the privilege that Daniel LaRusso does as a young woman in the world. She's trained to be alert, be on the defense, and keep herself protected ...at all times. Julie isn't training to fight in a tournament, she's training to fight for her life in a misogynistic world.

Given how different Julie is from Daniel, Mr. Miyagi also has to utilize new techniques while training. He tries at first to incorporate "wax on, wax off" styles of repetition but realizes quickly that Julie isn't going to respond in this way. He teaches her patience, troubleshooting, and adaptation, by having her hold her own against rowdy kids as a babysitter. Miyagi consistently meets Julie at her level and modifies his training as needed to help guide her toward success. Not every student should be taught in the exact same way.

We Learn More About Mr. Miyagi

Pat Morita was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in "The Karate Kid," but the character remains a complicated figure in the Hollywood canon of Asian-American representation. As writer Bich Minh Nguyen said, "Mr. Miyagi is the perpetual foreigner who exists to serve the whiteness that surrounds him." Admittedly, "The Next Karate Kid" still falls into some of these stereotypes, with Miyagi's English sounding arguably the "most broken" in the series. However, even with a subplot visit to a monastery, "The Next Karate Kid" allows him to be more than just a "mystical Asian figure."

The film opens with Miyagi being honored for his role in the 442nd Infantry Regiment in World War II, as an esteemed presenter discusses the horrors of the Japanese Internment Camps. "The Next Karate Kid" got frequent airplay on The Disney Channel, which meant this film is definitely responsible for teaching a generation of kids about the camps, as school curriculums often exclude this part of WWII. The reason Miyagi even meets Julie in the first place is that her grandmother is the widow of his former commanding officer.

Miyagi has a history and friendships outside of his karate mentorship. While there's little explanation regarding how his friendship with the monks started, there's an immediate understanding that they've all known each other for a long time. They even give a presentation of an arrow-catching skill to Julie on her birthday, and it's presented as if this is an old party trick they've been doing for years. "The Next Karate Kid" reminds the audience that Miyagi has a life outside of training white kids how to kick butt.

Mr. Miyagi Doesn't Have To Be 'All-Knowing'

Given Miyagi's unfamiliarity with training a surly young woman, he's given the space to make mistakes and show that he's not an all-knowing mystical figure — he's just a really cool guy who happens to know some really cool stuff. It's important to keep in mind that "The Next Karate Kid" is not an underdog sports movie — this is a '90s teen girl movie through and through  — which means Miyagi's parental role falls under a new archetypical umbrella.

There's a delightful scene when Miyagi attempts to pick out a prom dress for Julie, only to realize he has no idea what to ask for. This is not about his cultural differences as an immigrant, but instead, an old man admitting he knows nothing about women's fashion. When Julie's date Eric comes to pick her up for the dance, Miyagi aggressively sharpens cutting knives while making dinner. It's a clear play on the ridiculously dated "dad threatens new boyfriend" trope, but Pat Morita looks like he's having so much fun getting to play a different type of father figure.

Of course, it is still a "Karate Kid" movie after all, so Miyagi does have plenty of mystical moments (as do the monks), but they're far outweighed by his moments of being a regular old sweetheart. In a particularly touching moment, he and Julie reminisce about her deceased parents and grandfather, and the two are able to connect over their mutual pain of having lost people they love dearly. He spends just as much time imparting words of wisdom as he does just letting Julie cry, vent, and openly mourn. This is a Miyagi who is just as interested in listening and learning as he is delivering motivational one-liners.

The Alpha Elite Are Timeless Villains

"The Karate Kid" series is known for its cartoonish villains, but the Alpha Elite is more relevant now than ever. Michael Ironside's "security fraternity" might as well be the militaristic branch of Joe Rogan podcast-addicted Proud Boys. It's as if someone distilled toxic masculinity in a lab and gave them all matching black t-shirts. A baby Walton Goggins has a minor cameo as one of the group's most dedicated members, but evil takes its true form in Ned (Michael Cavalieri). Ned lives to make Julie's life hell, and not in a fun bleach-blonde 1980s movie villain kind of way, but in the "someone put this guy on a watchlist because he's definitely got a manifesto under his bed" way.

The group does lose a little bit of legitimacy when they bungee jump into the prom from the ceiling (in what I imagine was a producer request for "more action") but these dudes have no problem challenging Julie and Eric to a street fight on the docks, surrounded by flaming cars (BECAUSE THEY BLEW ONE UP!) and an insinuation that Michael Ironside wants them to literally kill Julie for emasculating them with her karate skills. The big bad conflict in "The Next Karate Kid" is shockingly dark and unfortunately feels well within the realm of possibility. Admittedly, the intensity of their truly messed-up intentions causes the film's biggest tonal imbalance. The sweetness is immediately soured by the stark acceptance that Julie is going to deal with men like this for the rest of her life.

The Next Karate Kid Is Filled With Sentiment

There are three scenes that, to me, encapsulate the heart of "The Next Karate Kid." While Julie is training at the monastery, she practices alone one night while listening to "Dreams" by The Cranberries. She apologizes profusely believing she's offended the monks with her music, but the monks all join her in a dance. "Never trust spiritual leader who cannot dance," Miyagi tells her. It's a beautiful moment that showcases the importance of emotional expression, and the evergreen perfection of including The Cranberries on a soundtrack.

The second scene sees Miyagi teaching Julie how to do the waltz, by convincing her she's learning a new kata combination. Julie is delighted when she realizes she is capable of dancing, only for Miyagi to admit that it was her grandfather who originally taught him. It's a testament to generational and cultural sharing. Grandpa Pierce taught Miyagi how to dance, Miyagi taught him karate, and now Julie is able to carry on the legacies of both of their teaching, even after her grandfather and parents' death.

It's when Miyagi sees Julie all dressed up for the prom, however, that feels like the film's definitive moment. Julie and Miyagi are both extremely emotional, understanding the gravity of what it means that she's allowing herself to actually experience a milestone, and get back to living her life. Hilary Swank would later win two Best Actress Academy Awards and it's this scene that gives the audience a preview of her career to come. The chemistry between Swank and Morita at this moment is immeasurable, and no one would blame you for crying right along with them.

Giving Girls Something Takes Nothing Away From Boys

When thinking about the legacy of "The Next Karate Kid," it's impossible to ignore the sexism that plagues this film's reputation. There's no Daniel LaRusso, no Johnny Lawrence, no John Kreese, and no Terry Silver, but it has Hideo/Nariyoshi/Keisuke (the canon is inconsistent) Miyagi, and most importantly, Julie Pierce. The 1980s were filled with film franchises centering on the heroic journeys of young men, but outside of the final girls in slasher films, young women weren't valued as franchise stars until the turn of the millennium. I watched "The Next Karate Kid" a lot growing up, and it wasn't until I was much older that I learned the general consensus was that this film "killed" the franchise, despite the fact "The Karate Kid III" already existed.

"The Next Karate Kid" came a full decade after the first film, and after the commercial and critical failure of "Part III," took an entirely different turn with new characters and a new style. The third film was an exaggerated rehash of the first film, and it failed, miserably. They needed to do something different, and they did. "The Next Karate Kid" tells us even with the title, that this isn't "The Karate Kid" series that audiences were used to, and it's odd that people judge this movie for what it's not, rather than what it is. This movie was for the next generation of "Karate Kids," which happened to include girls. Even now, decades later, grown men still cry foul about this movie's existence, forever proving that a teenage girl will tick off a man one time and they'll carry that anger with them until the day they die.

Don't Forget What Miyagi Taught You

One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Miyagi says "never put passion in front of principle, even if you win, you'll lose." It's hard not to view the people who viscerally disparage the value of "The Next Karate Kid" as being those who have forgotten what Mr. Miyagi tried to teach us. If your fandom and passion for a film franchise causes you to act like an entitled jackwagon, you've forgotten the principle, and you've already lost. Look, "The Next Karate Kid'' isn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, and some of the tonal elements don't meld well together, but it's nowhere near deserving of the 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This isn't a movie trying to pump you up, it's trying to build you up. The principle of the matter is that a franchise tried to be more inclusive with new characters and an entirely different style of storytelling, and was met with vituperation.

There will be plenty who read this headline and think "It's not that deep, it's just a bad movie," but ignoring the circumstances surrounding the release of "The Next Karate Kid" is ignoring the reality that society still can't handle a perceived "invasion" of women in male-dominated spaces. "Ghostbusters," "Captain Marvel," and the countless other female-led projects in recent memory have all fallen under the same scorn that started with "The Next Karate Kid," and I'll happily be the one to die on the hill that the film deserves just as many "In Defense Of..." articles as "Part III." If Johnny Lawrence is allowed to enjoy a continued redemption arc through "Cobra Kai," the same concession should be offered to Julie Pierce and "The Next Karate Kid."

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The post Why The Next Karate Kid Deserves a Lot More Love Than It Gets appeared first on /Film.

Ever since letter-writing campaigns got the original "Star Trek" a third season, science fiction fans have beat the drum for their favorite shows that got prematurely canceled. Sometimes it works: "Jericho" got a second season thanks to fans mailing bags of nuts to the studio. Other times it doesn't: "Firefly" fans managed to get a movie, but never the revived series they wanted. Honestly, that's probably for the best given what we now know about Joss Whedon and Adam Baldwin.

While we don't hold out a lot of actual hope for the shows below to come back, this article highlights sci-fi series from the last several decades that should have run longer, either because they ended poorly/awkwardly or just because they were way too short. Where possible, because we're nothing if not constructive, suggestions are included as to how a continuation today might go. Here are 12 canceled sci-fi shows that deserve a second chance.

Blue Thunder (1984)

John Badham's 1983 movie "Blue Thunder" was a cautionary tale about the militarization of the police. Completely misunderstanding their own property, Columbia Pictures turned it into a kickass action show in which the good guys righteously use a super hi-tech military helicopter to take down the bad guys. Only the helicopter remained, piloted by James Farentino's Chaney and a young Dana Carvey as the awkwardly named Clinton C. Wonderlove. Assisting them on the ground in a truck called Rolling Thunder were football players Dick Butkus and Bubba Smith, playing characters cleverly named "Ski" and "Bubba." Much of the chopper footage was shamelessly reused movie shots.

"Airwolf" became the far better-known helicopter show, but "Blue Thunder" — featuring TWO pairs of mismatched buddy cops, on land and in the air — was way more unabashedly meatheaded, and thus better. The ratings did not agree, however, and the show only lasted a single season. With police militarization once again a forefront issue in the world, it's time to bring it back. Dana Carvey as a helicopter mechanic might not pass the believability test this time around, but Dick Butkus is still around and could play Ski as an aging mayor so besotted with the good old days that he doesn't see the dangers of using Blue Thunder against political protestors. Bring it back to Badham's vision while incorporating the show as canon ... and definitely keep the awesome theme tune.

Hard Time On Planet Earth (1989)

Like the previous "Starman" series based on the John Carpenter movie, "Hard Time on Planet Earth" featured an alien fugitive on Earth who moved from town to town trying different jobs every week, all while ostensibly learning about humanity. While Robert Hays' Starman was a sensitive soul with a smart kid, "Hard Time" protagonist Jesse was a meathead played by "Karate Kid" villain Martin Kove. The show's creators, "Predator" screenwriters Jim and John Thomas, clearly still had Arnold Schwarzenegger on the brain. An alien war veteran unjustly convicted for sedition, Jesse was sent to Earth to figure out how to be a good person, along with a floating CGI seashell that kept blathering things like "Hostility! Blamp! Not good!"

Due to his commitment to the show, Martin Kove was unable to return as the main bad guy in "The Karate Kid Part III," instead appearing in a smaller role. Still, that ultimately worked out for the best, as we got Thomas Ian Griffith's Terry Silver instead and the two of them together make for some of the best moments on "Cobra Kai." That show regularly demonstrates that Kove's still got it, and is great at revisiting his most popular '80s character. So how about rebooting his somewhat less popular one? If John Kreese can still kick ass, so can Jesse. Alternatively, he could mentor a new alien in need of reforming. David Harbour might be available.

Perversions Of Science (1997)

It should have been a great idea. With the success of "Tales From the Crypt," based on the old EC horror comics of the same name (and others), producer Gilbert Adler and executive producers Richard Donner, Walter Hill, Joel Silver, and Robert Zemeckis tried to use the same format on EC's similar science fiction comics. With cast members including Jeffrey Combs, Vincent Schiavelli, William Shatner, David Warner, and Chris Sarandon, what could go wrong?

Arguably, the presentation was the problem. Using the original name of the comics, "Weird Science," was out of the question, since a movie and a TV show by that name already existed. "Perversions of Science" implied something else, especially when one of the first episodes involved Kevin Pollak getting his privates stuck in a sexbot. In place of the Crypt Keeper making Halloween-ish puns, the host was a robo-dominatrix named Chrome who made sexual innuendoes (and apparently lived on the submolecular level of a popcorn kernel). It's not that there's no place for horny sci-fi, it's just that the EC comics were not that. They could be great source material for an anthology show again if anyone were to try a more faithful version that isn't falsely pretending to be "Heavy Metal."

Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (1979-1981)

Following the cancellation of "Battlestar Galactica" in 1979, Glen A. Larson tried again for some of that sweet "Star Wars" success with an update of "Buck Rogers," one of the very first comic heroes ever created. Beginning with a theatrical movie, the show updated Buck for a new generation by making him a NASA pilot in the far-future year of ... 1987. Frozen in space following an accident, he revives nearly 500 years later to find a post-nuclear Earth in a battle with the invading Draconians. Perhaps more importantly, he meets a love interest in Erin Gray's Col. Wilma Deering as well as a small robot sidekick named Twiki, voiced by Bugs Bunny himself Mel Blanc.

The show lasted only two seasons, with a major retool for the second to make it more of a "Star Trek"-like deep-space exploration show. Star Gil Gerard was not fond of the changes and frequently complained, leading the network to fight back with threats of legal action. Though the show was short-lived, it stuck in the minds of children who grew up to reference it in their own creative works. Bird-person on "Rick and Morty" is based on Buck's season 2 partner Hawk, and "South Park" did an entire "Buck Rogers" parody that sent Cartman into the future. Gerard and Gray are still around, so maybe a new "Buck Rogers" could be their characters' grandson.

Voyagers! (1982-1983)

"Voyagers!" star Jon-Erik Hexum is, unfortunately, best known for his tragic death at age 26 when he put a prop gun to his head and fired a blank, fracturing his skull and causing brain death days later. Before that incident on the set of "Cover Up," he made a name for himself on "Voyagers!" as Phineas Bogg, a time traveler whose name clearly riffs on Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg. Together with a young boy named Jeffrey Jones (Meeno Peluce, the half-brother of Soleil Moon Frye), he'd fall out of the sky every episode into a historical situation where some of the details were wrong. Bogg's job was to set things right, but much like the Greatest American Hero before him, he lost the textbook to tell him how and relied on Jeffrey's abundant book smarts. Indeed, each episode would end with a reminder to kids that they could learn more about the historical characters in question by reading books themselves.

Bogg was far from the only Voyager on the show, and Jeffrey seemed destined to grow up to be a Voyager, so there's plenty of room to go from there. Peluce works as a photographer nowadays, but recasting the adult version of an 11-year-old wouldn't be hard if he didn't want to return.

Automan (1983-1984)

In the '80s, audiences and screenwriters alike believed that computers were magic devices that could do anything. Combined with prolific TV creator Glen A. Larson's penchant for "borrowing" popular concepts and refurbishing them ("Battlestar Galactica" from "Star Wars," to cite the most egregious lawsuit-provoking example) and we got a full season of "what if there was a cop buddy show, but one of the buddies is Tron? Also, he speaks in that English-ish North Atlantic accent popular among actors of the '50s and '60s and literally nobody else?"

The result was "Automan," which starred Desi Arnaz Jr. as an LAPD computer programmer who creates a computer-generated man with super powers (natch) and a sentient cursor who can 3D print usable vehicles. Said cursor, named "Cursor" (billed as playing himself) was also somehow horny for busty blondes because casual misogyny was considered hilarious back then. One could argue it predicted the Internet's eternal association with porn. When required to cover up his glittery blue body and pose as a human, Automan would utilize the clever alias of ... "Otto Mann." "Tron" got a sequel decades later, so why not "Automan"? Actor Chuck Wagner played him again in a fan film five years ago, and while he's clearly put on some years and some weight, there's no reason Automan himself couldn't have aged or adopted an age filter to blend in somewhere. The original show, quickly canceled in the U.S., proved popular enough overseas to merit action figures.

Millennium (1996-1999)

Look, it's still pretty incredible that any network was willing to give us three seasons of a series starring Lance Henriksen. One of the all-time great horror and character actors, yet not necessarily a butts-in-seats kind of draw, he was the perfect actor to play a criminal profiler able to see crime scenes through the killer's eyes (a mild "Manhunter"/"Red Dragon" ripoff, but whatever). The bigger stretch for viewers was believing he's happily married with a daughter, but for once in his career, Henriksen got to play a tender family guy, albeit one who still possesses the face and voice of a prophet of doom. As his even creepier boss, "The Stepfather" star Terry O'Quinn foreshadowed the kind of dangerous charisma that would make him a fan favorite on "Lost" a few years later.

All well and good, but as cool as the series was it still left us on a cliffhanger with Henriksen's Frank Black on the run from his sinister employers, the Millennium Group. A subsequent episode of creator Chris Carter's other series, "The X-Files," offered some closure with a crossover episode that showed Frank in a mental hospital hoping to get custody of his daughter, but geez, what a letdown. That was the worst they could do to him? Conspiracy theories in real life aren't as fun as they used to be, having been hijacked by overly political players like Alex Jones and George Noory. Let's get Henriksen back for a few more.

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

The only Star Trek series besides the original to get prematurely canceled, "Enterprise" was given a chance to wrap things up at the end of season 4. They did so in a way that arguably made fans angrier than if they hadn't. Popular character Trip Tucker was killed off ridiculously easily after all he'd survived, prematurely ending any hopes for his budding romance with the Vulcan T'Pol. After that, the entire show was revealed to be a hologram viewed by "The Next Generation" characters Riker and Troi. Considering how well "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager" absolutely nailed their final episodes perfectly, it was a massive whiff and felt like a middle finger to the faithful.

There are ways within the show itself to repair the damage, however. One of the biggest remaining loose ends was an unnamed villain nicknamed "Future Guy" by fans, who appeared as a silhouette from the future waging a "Temporal Cold War." The show seemed at times to build toward revealing his identity but never did. Series co-creator Brannon Braga would later claim that it would have been a future version of Captain Archer. If that were the case, who says he can't try again to mess with time and change the events of the final episode? Trip wouldn't have to die so stupidly, and the original "Enterprise" could enter the Romulan War as planned. Could they pull it off? We've got faith ... of the heart.

Sapphire And Steel (1979-1982)

Imagine if "Doctor Who" had been made by David Lynch in 1979 and you'd have "Sapphire and Steel." A similar premise, but much more mystery and creepiness. Sapphire (Joanna Lumley) and Steel (David McCallum) are otherworldly operatives with special abilities, whose backgrounds remain vague. They are frequently called upon by unknown higher powers to fix the flow of time, which often breaks and unleashes ghost-like beings and supernatural events. Do they have scientific/alien explanations, like all the so-called ghosts the Doctor ever encounters? Yes, probably, but the show's not necessarily going to explain them. Like so many other UK sci-fi shows on minimal budgets, "Sapphire and Steel" creates uneasiness by keeping viewers in the dark literally and metaphorically.

The final season ended with Sapphire and Steel trapped in an interdimensional roadside diner for eternity, floating in space like they're trapped in the universe's worst TARDIS. Lumley and McCallum are both still alive and working, so it's not too late to free their alter egos. Perhaps "Doctor Who" could do a crossover?

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009)

Maybe "Terminator: Dark Fate" didn't do so well at the box office because audiences had already seen a "Terminator" story that ignored all but the first two movies. Fox's "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" cast a pre-Cersei Lannister Lena Headey as the butt-kicking mom of the future, with Thomas Dekker as a teenage John, and Summer Glau as a protective Terminator unsubtly named Cameron. Brian Austin Green played Kyle Reese's brother, Garret Dillahunt was a new evil Terminator, and Garbage singer Shirley Manson a liquid-metal T-1001 with questionable allegiances. By virtue of being a two-season show, it developed more complex storylines than any of the movies. It ended on the cliffhanger of Sarah sending John to the future, where nobody knows who he is.

Had "Terminator: Genisys" been a success, we might have learned more. The plan for a sequel was to have Matt Smith's sentient Skynet computer revealed as a dimension hopper, introducing the notion of a Terminator multiverse — which could have included the TV series — years before Spider-Man and Doctor Strange entered theirs. The problem with saving the good stuff for a sequel, though, is nobody wants to wait an entire movie for the story they came to see. At this point, the franchise has simply left a lot of dead ends and false starts lying around, but "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is the one we'd actually like to see to its conclusion.

Batwoman (2019-2022)

Sadly, it figures that the one CW DC superhero show canceled way prematurely would be the one starring an LGBT POC. Yes, "Legends of Tomorrow" got canceled one season prematurely, and yes, it too strongly featured LGBT characters, but that was a show on the way out while "Batwoman" clearly planned for much more. A storyline involving trophies from classic Batman villains falling into the wrong hands and recreating them even gave us, on a technicality, the first black Joker in live-action.

"Batwoman" got off to a rough start after lead Ruby Rose, playing the DC Comics character Kate Kane/Batwoman, quit at the end of season 1. Initially, it seemed a mutual decision but things later turned acrimonious, with Rose blasting unsafe working conditions. In their place, the show created an all-new Batwoman, Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), which allowed the show to chart a course completely unbeholden to previous comics continuity. With the addition of Camrus Johnson as Luke Fox/Batwing, the stage seemed set to create a whole new Bat family that looked a lot more diverse than usual. Unfortunately, The CW seemed to be in a canceling mood when "Batwoman" got the axe. There's still time for Ryan Wilder to show up in another DC show, or appear in a crossover. It's the least WB could do for the fans.

Manimal (1983)

If everyone who has ever made a joke or reference to "Manimal" had ever actually watched the show, it might have survived longer than eight episodes. Instead, the adventures of the wealthy Dr. Jonathan Chase — trained in a mysterious "African technique" that allows him to shape-shift into animals — live only in our memories. Mostly favoring a hawk and a panther, he could include other animal forms when the budget permitted, or adopt animal traits in human form. Fortunately for his modesty and '80s TV censors, his clothes always magically came back when he resumed human form.

Dr. Chase briefly returned in one episode of producer Glen A. Larson's 1998 series "Night Man." Sadly, star Simon MacCorkindale died of cancer in his fifties, but if becoming Manimal relies on an African technique, how about an update with an African lead? "Manimal" and "Flash Gordon" star Melody Anderson is officially retired from acting, but she still appears at comic conventions and could probably be talked into returning for at least a new pilot. Thanks to CG, nobody needs to train or act opposite an actual panther this time around.

Read this next: Single-Season '80s Sci-Fi And Fantasy Shows That Deserve A Second Shot

The post 12 Canceled Sci-Fi Shows That Deserve A Second Chance appeared first on /Film.

Major spoilers ahead for "Cobra Kai" season 5.

The Netflix series "Cobra Kai" has let us catch up with "The Karate Kid" franchise characters like Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, Chozen, and Terry Silver. But it also gives us a whole new generation of students who are taking up the rivalry mantles of their sensei in various dojos.

/Film participated in a "Cobra Kai" season 5 roundtable discussion with some of the cast members, including Peyton List (Tory), Mary Mouser (Samantha), Xolo Maridueña (Miguel), Jacob Bertrand (Hawk), Gianni DeCenzo (Demetri), Oona O'Brien (Devon), Dallas Dupree Young (Kenny), and Griffin Santopietro (Anthony). 

The actors spoke about bullying (including who is bearing the brunt of it in season 5), working with the original film cast members, dojo hopping, and changing relationships. Fingers crossed for a sixth season, because this series has shown fans no mercy in the best way possible. 

Who Is Bullying Whom?

So much of the storyline for the younger members of the cast involves bullying, as it did in the movie franchise. It's a concern a lot of kids have in real life, and adding in the karate element makes it even more dangerous. In season 4, Anthony went after Kenny for playing video games in one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire series. Once Kenny joined Cobra Kai, though, the balance of power started to shift. Santopietro, who plays Anthony, spoke about the switch:

"I think kind of the biggest change with Dallas and I is that we completely switch when I go from the bully to the victim, and Dallas beats me up all the time now. So I think we have had a lot of fun getting to switch."

While this is true, Young, who plays Kenny, did say that he feels Kenny is misunderstood now. He's also heard from young fans about his storyline:

"The good thing about my character is that a lot of people relate to this, and it is such a difficult topic. A lot of people have come to me, and they've talked about the fact that I have inspired them to stand up to bullying, and not in a physical way, but to go to ... a trusted adult, especially that. 

And they've said I was able to stop my bully. Honestly, that's so special to me, and it means a lot to me, but that's the message that I'm trying to give off with Kenny, is that you can't allow your bully to affect your life. And I do not promote violence, but just tell a trusted adult."

One character that never bullies anyone is Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo), who joked that, "It's very relieving to always be in the right. I enjoy it quite a bit." DeCenzo acknowledged that Demetri has always been the target, but he does have a big moment this season, landing a hit on Kyler (Joe Seo), who has been a jerk to him. 

Sam Versus Tory

The interaction between Tory (Peyton List) and Sam (Mary Mouser) has been fraught, and sometimes you just wish they'd sit down and chat for a bit. Season 5 does bring a bit more understanding between them though. Mouser spoke about actually getting to shoot scenes where they weren't hitting each other:

"I think... as an actor, I very much loved getting to work with Peyton [at] any opportunity. She's super awesome to work with. It's been really fun, though, a lot of the time we haven't gotten to talk with one another. A lot of time, we just are either hurling insults or fists at one another. 

So it's exciting to get to explore a world where I get to talk to Peyton. Not that [it] necessarily makes it any easier for them sometimes. But I think it's fun to get to challenge myself in a different way with her. At this point, the being angry at each other and the kicking and punching has become the norm. It's exciting to get to conceptualize a world where maybe they could sit down and actually have a conversation."

List explained thatTory has been reluctant to have any significant conversations instead of resorting to a physical fight because she's scared of that kind of confrontation. She added:

" ...  when we do have that conversation, I feel like Tory is at her most vulnerable. Her hand is injured, she's at an all time low, and so I think that was a good time for them to have that moment."

Dojo Hopping With Devon

Devon (Oona O'Brien) is a powerful fighter who fought for Eagle Fang (which is the best and most illogical dojo name ever), but this season, she's made a big shift to Cobra Kai. It's one of the surprises in the season, and O'Brien spoke about whether or not she saw it coming. 

"Honestly no, I didn't see it coming at first. I read it in the script and I was so surprised. I really thought she was going to stay on the good side, but I think it was a great experience for her. And it was super fun for me because I got to ... spend some more time with the other lovely members of the cast."

O'Brien was also excited to try a different style of fighting from what Devon was learning over at Eagle Fang. She explained:

"It was very different. I think Johnny's Eagle Fang style is aggressive, but definitely not as aggressive as Cobra Kai. So going over there, learning all the different techniques and even how they stand. Their stances are all different in each dojo. So it was a lot to learn and it was really exciting."

She also gets to work with a new sensei this time around, and that could have some major impact in a sixth season if the show is renewed and the dojos compete overseas. 

Poolside Sparring

One of the big set pieces of season 5 is the brawl at the water park. The actors said it was fun to shoot, but it had to be done fast. Even Anthony, the one kid who hasn't really done much in terms of karate, got to be involved. Santopietro said: 

"It was a lot, but I think ... by the end, it was really fun. And I don't think we would've been able to do that if — everyone was just so good that I feel like people won't, when you're watching it  you're not going to [see] how little time we had, but how great everyone made it look, just how because they're so naturally good."

Young, whose character Kenny gets in a hit on Anthony (which ends up on social media) said of the scene:

"It really was a lot of fun getting the chance to work with ... every person and every character on the show. It was definitely difficult and a lot of intensive work, and we didn't have too much time, but we had each other as our support system."

Peyton List and Jacob Bertrand who plays Hawk had a face-off and a race, but they said it was really hard to keep a straight face while shooting their big pool confrontation. 

List said, "I definitely think there's a part of my brain that I have to turn off in order to not laugh when fighting each other, but it's so much fun." Bertrand added, "It was fun getting to do these super heightened, serious, stare downs as we're about to race down a water slide." Well, it's better than kicking each other in the face, especially when a lot of that happens across the dojos and tournaments. 

Connecting To The Past

The big moment of the fifth season, though, focused on the characters from the films having a huge brawl for it all at the end. Some of the younger members of the cast talked about what it was like to see Daniel, Johnny, Chozen, and Barnes fighting together. Xolo Maridueña said of the fight:

"I don't think we've seen anything yet. I think it's going to get crazy if we got to a season 6. It really will be like [an] end game ... I think we all have the benefit of not really being there during that fight with all the adults. 

Getting to see it on camera for the first time, or getting to see it on the big screen, is really fun. Especially the stuff with Billy [William Zabka]... Billy is always... he brings his character to life like nobody I've ever seen. It's really fun."

Of all the cast, Maridueña and Tanner Buchanan, who plays Johnny's son Robby, have spent the most time with Zabka. Maridueña mentioned that Miguel's trip to Mexico, with Johnny and Robby coming to find him, actually helped "rebuild his confidence, [helped] him get back to karate." 

List praised Yuji Okumoto, who plays Chozen, and what he was like to work with:

"Yuji brought such an energy to this season. The first time I saw him on set, I knew I needed to bring it for my scene with him, because I had no idea what he was on a personal level. He was not talking to anyone. Once I knew he was such a chill, cool guy, I was shocked because he was just so in character and so intense."

Mouser (and the rest of the Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang gang) also had a fun scene in the dojo backyard with Daniel and Chozen, and the actress described it as "this very sweet, fun moment for me of like, 'Oh yeah ... these are the people who knew Mr. Miyagi [the late Noriyuki "Pat" Morita].' So it was a cool, fun little karate moment for me." 

"Cobra Kai" season 5 is currently streaming on Netflix. 

Read this next: The 15 Best Netflix Original Series Of 2021 Ranked

The post The Kids from Cobra Kai on Water Slide Races, Dojo Hopping, and the OG Cast [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

With "Better Call Saul" having come to an immaculately landed end in August, some fans of the "Breaking Bad" universe are already clamoring for a return to the seedy underbelly of the Albuquerque underground crime scene. Others feel that the ending of "Better Call Saul" was a fitting close to the story of the world of "Breaking Bad." However, with creator Vince Gilligan claiming he's done with the "Breaking Bad" universe for good, the potential of another spin-off series starring familiar characters seems to be waning.

Giancarlo Esposito, the man behind the ruthless and professional drug kingpin Gus Fring, is among those open to revisiting that world. The story of Gus Fring was laid out and wrapped up pretty well within the two shows, but, according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Esposito, who stars in AMC's upcoming drama, "Parish," is interested in a potential exploration of the character's mysterious origins.

"I've always kept these [Breaking Bad] pillars in my head, as much as I've wanted so much as an actor to explore Gus's previous life — Gus' life in Chile, all these things. There is a yearning inside me, and I keep coming back to the 'Rise of Gus.' It fits the puzzle, and we could see where he had come from and maybe explore more of who he really is underneath the mask."

The idea from Giancarlo is intriguing, especially considering his notedly different point-of-view on the character of Gus Fring.

The Rise Of Gus

The prospect of a Gus Fring prequel series is definitely an intriguing one, especially with the knowledge that Giancarlo Esposito is potentially fully on board. Additionally, even though they've claimed they're finished after "Better Call Saul," Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the heads of the creative team behind the "Breaking Bad" universe, have said to never say never.

However, the very conceit of a Gus prequel raises its own issues. For one, as talented as he is, Esposito is 64 years old. While "Better Call Saul" gave nearly all its cast experience at acting younger than they are, a 64-year-old Esposito portraying a Gus Fring in his 20's or 30's would be a difficult acting challenge, to say the least.

Additionally, tying any other existing "Breaking Bad" characters to Gus' past in Chile would be a difficult bit of timeline wrangling. I doubt they could conveniently retcon that Mike Ehrmentraut happened to spend a few years in Chile 30 years ago, or something like that. While it's certainly possible they could use Gus as the only connection to the main series, it seems unlikely given how "Better Call Saul" was handled.

For all the issues you can raise about the idea, you have to remember that people were similarly skeptical of "Better Call Saul" when it was announced. With writers as skilled as the team assembled by Gilligan and Gould, I'd just believe they could make just about anything work, if they had the desire to. But for now, I'm happy to wait to see what project they take on next, "Breaking Bad"-connected or not.

Read this next: The 12 Best Characters In Better Call Saul Ranked

The post Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad Star Giancarlo Esposito Wants to Play Gus Fring Again appeared first on /Film.

VMware's performance engineering team today announced a performance regression in Linux 5.19 affecting compute performance up to -70%, networking up to -30%, and storage up to -13%. But the unfortunate thing is the heavy hitting regressions are known and a side effect of the Intel Retbleed mitigation for older processors...

Streaming television is going through an existential crisis, involving the people who make it and the viewers who watch it. Its revolutionary zeal has naturally faded, as that initial wave of near limitless expansion, boundless creative opportunities and vast archival choices crashes ashore, after a spate of megamergers and a drop in new subscribers. From a report: Just when streaming has finally attracted more viewers than cable or broadcast TV, its major players are engaged in a long-predicted war for subscribers, who are becoming all too aware of rising subscription prices and, both subtly and directly, a change in what programs get made and how long they stick around. Commercials could soon become more common, and services may be bundled (for one low monthly price!), already triggering visions of a future that recalls the dark days of cable. The list of seismic rumblings in recent weeks is long, as chronicled in the Hollywood Reporter, Variety and elsewhere: Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting shows from its archives and unfinished movies from HBO Max as it prepares to merge it with its sister streaming service Discovery Plus, having promised its shareholders a $3 billion cut in costs. Faced with a plunging stock price and worrisome subscriber loss, Netflix plans to add an advertising-supported model for a lower price and may crack down on password sharing. Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus, which can all be subscribed to in a cable-esque bundle, are raising prices after taking a more than $1 billion hit in the fiscal third quarter. [...] The fear of having your show or movie deleted on an executive's whim -- a growing reality for many, including Katai -- is compounded by the fact that in the post-DVD digital age, viewers may never be able to access the shows again. Showrunners might not even have physical copies of their own work. And that's not the only downside for creators.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The best anime currently streaming on Netflix.

A few interesting data points of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6-Core CPU have been shared by Videocardz which shows its thermal & power metrics at stock load.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Can Operate at Sub-100W Power Without Its 5 GHz+ Boost Clocks, Stock Chip Operates at Up To 92C With 5.45 GHz Clocks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core and a 12-thread part that features a high 4.7 GHz base clock and a 5.3 GHz single-core boost frequency. The CPU will also run at a 105W TDP (142W PPT) which is much higher than its 65W predecessor though once again, that's the sacrifice you've to pay to achieve the faster clock speeds. The CPU will carry 38 MB of cache that comes from 32 MB of L3 and 6 MB of L2 on the die. This chip is going to be priced at $299 US, making it the cheapest Zen 4 SKU at launch.

Coming to the new benchmarks, Videocardz has shared a performance comparison of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X running with CPB (Core Performance Boost) enabled and disabled. The technology is something that is already available on existing AM4 motherboards and all it does is disable the boosting algorithm. Since the chip will not be hitting its targeted frequencies, it will consume lower power and run cooler too.

The performance tests were carried out on an X670E motherboard running on the latest BIOS with DDR5-6000 memory and a dual-fan AIO kit. So one should expect this to be the final performance considering the reviews are only a few weeks away. As for the performance numbers, at stock (CPB enabled), the chip scores 1920 points in single-core and 14768 points in multi-core tests. With CPB disabled, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU scores 1681 points in single-core and 13003 points in multi-core tests.

That's a 14% improvement with CPB or the stock option enabled and it makes sense because the chip was seen running at 4.7 GHz with CPB disabled and boosted to its 5.3-5.4 GHz boost profile with the algorithm enabled. That's a 16% difference in the clock frequency. Not surprisingly, the chip also offered lower temps at power ratings of 56C / 60W with CPB disabled while at stock, the same chip was running at 92C with 110W power. That's a little lower than the 142 or so Watts the CPU consumes at its peak package power but the temperatures are a cause of concern especially when we consider the fact that a 240 or 280mm AIO cooler was used here.

We have already talked about how the AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs including the Ryzen 5 7600X are going to be hot in general and that undervolting them could lead to much higher performance headroom. You are definitely going to need some serious cooling to keep these chips under a stable thermal range. As for launch, the AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs and the AM5 platform is hitting retail shelves on the 27th of September so stay tuned for reviews a little earlier than that.

The post AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU Operates at 5.45 GHz With Up To 92C Temps at Stock, 110W Package Power Rating by Hassan Mujtaba appeared first on Wccftech.

Does Valve's Steam Deck live up to the hype?

Ahead of the launch of AMD's latest Ryzen 7000 processors, which will hit retail shelves on September 27th, MSI unveiled pricing on four of its X670/X670E motherboards. Given the world's current financial climate and features such as PCIe 5.0 connectivity to M.2 storage drives and at least one PCIe x16 slot, the writing has been on the wall for a while regarding pricing.

Currently listed in their US store, MSI has two premium (MEG), one mid-range (MPG), and one entry-level regular X670 (Pro) model, with prices ranging from $290 (Pro X670-P WIFI) up to $1300 (MEG X670E Godlike). 

MSI MPG X670E Carbon WIFI ($480) ATX motherboard

As we've seen with previous generations on both Intel and AMD platforms, MSI's flagship for Ryzen 7000 is the MEG X670E Godlike ($1300). MSI is advertising a 24+2+1 power delivery, with up to six M.2 slots, 10 GbE, 2.5 GbE, Wi-Fi 6E, and a touchscreen 4.5" M-Vision dashboard panel.

Sitting just behind the Godlike is the MSI MEG X670E Ace ($700), with support for up to six M.2 drives, an advertised 22+2+1 power delivery, and 10 GbE/Wi-Fi 6E networking to sweeten the deal. Both models benefit from PCIe 5.0 PEG slots and one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot for the latest PCIe Gen 5 SSDs due sometime in November.

X670E Mid-Range Model for $480, X670 Entry-Level at $290

The MPG X670E Carbon ($480) represents MSI's mid-range MPG offerings with advertised 18+2+1-phase power delivery, an 8-layer PCB, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. Despite costing nearly $500, MSI offers a 2.5 GbE NIC considering this has been offering this on entry-level models for the last couple of generations. Importantly, however, this is the cheapest MSI X670E motherboard – meaning it's the cheapest board MSI will be offering at launch with PCIe 5.0 slots.

Coincidentally, we just reviewed MSI's MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI, which is MSI's equivalent motherboard for the Intel LGA1700/Z690 market.That board has an MSRP of $400 and a current selling price of $350 on Amazon. So there is a significant premium right now for the AM5 board, on top of what's already a relatively high price for a mid-range Intel motherboard.

Finally, the entry-level MSI Pro X670-P WIFI (non-E) model has 2.5 GbE, an advertised 14+2+1-phase power delivery, and supports up to four M.2 slots. Despite dropping PCIe 5.0 in favor of PCIe 4.0, the MSRP is sitting at $290, which is very surreal pricing for an entry-level model.

Despite not agreeing with MSI's current X670E/X670 MSRP pricing, things could change over the coming weeks and months as more vendors announce its offerings to the market. The introduction of B650/B650E boards should also offer a cheaper alternative, though those boards won't be arriving for at least another month. As it stands, the MSI MEG X670E Godlike will cost $1300, the MEG X670E Ace will cost $700, the MPG X670E Carbon WIFI has a price tag of $480, and the Pro X670-P WIFI will cost $290.

All four models are expected to launch on September 27th, along with AMD's Ryzen 7000 series processors.

Source: MSI

Three U.S. government agencies -- Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NAS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) -- have announced the release of the first part of a three-part joint guidance on securing the software supply chain.

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Until about a month ago, shoppers on Dell's website looking for a new laptop could log in using their Facebook credentials to avoid creating a new username and password. That option is now gone. Dell isn't alone. CNBC: Other big brands, including Best Buy, Ford Motor, Pottery Barn, Nike, Patagonia, Match and Amazon's video-streaming service Twitch have removed the ability to sign on with Facebook. It's a marked departure from just a few years ago, when the Facebook login was plastered all over the internet, often alongside buttons that let you sign in with Google, Twitter or LinkedIn. Jen Felch, Dell's chief digital and chief information officer, said people stopped using social logins, for reasons that include concerns over security, privacy and data-sharing. "We really just looked at how many people were choosing to use their social media identity to sign in, and that just has shifted over time," Felch said. "One thing that we see across the industry is more and more security risks or account takeovers, whether that's Instagram or Facebook or whatever it might be, and I just think we're observing people making a decision to isolate that social media account versus having other connections to it." The disappearing login is the latest sign of Facebook's diminishing influence on the internet following more than a decade of spectacular growth. In the past year, the company's business has been beset by Apple's iOS privacy change, which made it harder to target ads, a deteriorating economy, competition from short-video service TikTok, and reputational damage after a whistleblower leaked documents showing Facebook knew of the harm caused by many of its products.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The post The Imperfects – Netflix Series Review appeared first on Heaven of Horror.

While CD Projekt RED mostly made the news because of Cyberpunk 2077 update 1.6 and Phantom Liberty expansion unveiling, the Polish studio also quietly released the official REDmod tools on Steam.

Download REDmod — the official Cyberpunk 2077 Modding Tools — to modify and create your own experiences in Cyberpunk 2077. From custom sounds, animations, scripts, and much more, these tools will help you leave your own mark in the dark future world of Night City.

How REDmod works
REDmod allows users to create mods for Cyberpunk 2077. It can be used separately in the command line or integrated through into the WolvenKit mod editor. We recommend using WolvenKit for the best experience and ease of use. REDmod will be constantly updated alongside updates for Cyberpunk 2077 to ensure ongoing compatibility.

So far, the modding community seems pleased with the tool. While there are already dozens of Cyberpunk 2077 mods (some of which we already covered in the past couple of years), REDmod should expand the capabilities of modders while also making their job easier. The user experience will also be smoother since adding and using new mods will be less of a hassle.

The release of REDmod is also important because CD Projekt RED has decided to drop its REDengine in favor of using Epic's Unreal Engine 5 technology going forward, starting with the new The Witcher games that are now in development. As such, this will be the last version of the REDengine that people can get their hands on.

Unfortunately, CD Projekt RED did not introduce Steam Workshop support yet, so you'll still have to download mods from Nexus Mods. We'll keep an eye on any interesting Cyberpunk 2077 mods while we wait for Phantom Liberty, the spy-thriller expansion that's set to add a whole new district to Night City when it ships next year to PC and next-generation consoles.

The post Cyberpunk 2077 REDmod Tools Finally Out on Steam by Alessio Palumbo appeared first on Wccftech.

Rick and Morty are back on the screens with a new season; undoubtedly, the latest season offers everything the creators promised. Season 6 of the hilarious animated show premiered on Sunday, September 4, 2022, and now fans are waiting for its much-awaited Episode 2.

Well, as Rick and Morty Season 6 Episode 2 gets a release date, in this article, you will come across the release schedule that you should follow for the upcoming episode.

Rick and Morty | Season 6 Official Trailer | adult swim

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Rick and Morty | Season 6 Official Trailer | adult swim

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Rick and Morty Season 6 Episode 2: Release date and Time

Rick and Morty Season 6 Episode 2 will officially release on Sunday, September 11, 2022, at 11 PM PT. Netflix’s show will follow different release times in different regions, and here’s the time schedule that has been listed, keeping in mind the time differences:

• Pacific Timing- 11:00 PM (September 11th)
• Central Timing- 1:00 AM (September 12th)
• Eastern Timing- 2:00 AM (September 12th)
• British Timing- 7:00 AM (September 12th)
• Indian Timing- 11:30 AM (September 12th)
• Philippine Timing- 2:00 PM (September 12th)

If you are curious to know the brief summary of the second episode, then here’s the official synopsis that reads:

Morty is trapped, and Rick needs to save him, but to do so, Summer must do a Die Hard. This won’t be easy because she’s never seen it

This one is for the Die Hards. Rick and Morty Season 6 premieres Sept 4th pic.twitter.com/aoqy35yPNL

— Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) August 11, 2022

How many episodes does Rick and Morty Season 6 have?

Rick and Morty is a perfect animated show for fans who love to watch Sci-fi and humorous TV shows. Season 6 of the series has 10 episodes, and as episode 1 is already available for streaming, fans are left with 9 more episodes to enjoy. Below is the complete release schedule for the show that you may follow:

• Episode 1- Sunday, September 4
• Episode 2- Sunday, September 11
• Episode 3- Sunday, September 18
• Episode 4- Sunday, September 25
• Episode 5- Sunday, October 2
• Episode 6- Sunday, October 9
• Episode 7- Sunday, October 16
• Episode 8- Sunday, October 23
• Episode 9- Sunday, October 30
• Episode 10- Sunday, November 6

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The post Rick and Morty Season 6 Episode 2 Release date and Time appeared first on ForeverGeek.

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